Tag: More Than Ready

Stonestreet’s Emery ‘More Than Ready’ For Graduation Day

Justice Julia (Medaglia d'Oro–Dreaming of Julia) would have been the sexier half of a commonly owned entry that was sent off as the 7-10 favorite in what became the first race of the final week of racing at Saratoga, but the half-sister to champion Malathaat (Curlin) was never truly involved, and entrymate Emery (f, 2, More Than Ready–Athena, by Street Sense) proved more than equal to the task, skipping clear in the final 150 yards to debut impressively.

Away in midpack in a scratched-down field of five, Emery tracked from an inside position early on before easing out into the clear down the back as Waskesiu (American Pharoah) took them along through a quarter in :21.97 over a drying-out strip. Three deep into the stretch, Emery came after the pacesetter with about a furlong to travel and did her best work through the line, scoring by about four lengths over Waskesiu. The cleverly named Before You Go Go (Mitole) was free of excuses in third, as apparently was Justice Julia, who trailed in.

“From the time I got on her, she was cool, calm and collected,” winning rider Tyler Gaffalione, told Saratoga Live. “She warmed up great and did what I asked her to, she's really kind. She broke alertly and put herself into a great spot. Once we got to the outside, she was very comfortable and just kept kind of building on that.”

Gaffalione, who missed some time after being thrown from the stricken New York Thunder (Nyquist) in last Saturday's GI H. Allen Jerkens S., reflected on his summer at the Spa. His current tally of 30 wins is just three shy of his career best.

“It's amazing,” he said. “Anytime you can come up here and compete with these guys, it feels really good. I owe a lot of credit to my agent, he's been getting me on a lot of live mounts and horseman have been putting me on good horses. There's just something about being up here in Saratoga, it just gives you a little more life and you want to try to be as successful as possible here.”

A $235,000 Keeneland November weanling purchase by the Stonestreet braintrust, Emery has a now-yearling American Pharoah half-sister that cost $70,000 at last year's Novembeer Sale. Stonestreet acquired the winner's dam, who hails from the female family of Grade I winner Peeping Tom (Eagle Eyed), for $130,000 at last year's KEENOV sale, and she produced a filly by Improbable this term before being covered by Good Magic.

2nd-Saratoga, $101,850, Msw, 8-30, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:09.80, my, 5 3/4 lengths.
EMERY (f, 2, More Than Ready–Athena {MSW, $459,222}, by Street Sense) Sales history: $235,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,750. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Mary K Grum (KY); T-Brad H Cox.

 

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Roses for Debra a Stylish Victress of Smart N Fancy at Saratoga

Neither wind nor water could stop her, and Roses for Debra (Liam's Map) streaked home at a rain-drenched Saratoga to take the Smart N Fancy S., securing her fourth win in a row in the process.

Only once off the board in her career, the grey was last seen putting up a career-high Beyer of 99 en route to winning the GIII Caress S. over this course last month and had two victories over the lawn at Belmont and Pimlico since changing from the barn of Michelle Brafford to Christophe Clement for 2023.

Christened the heavy 1-5 favorite as the field shrank with the scratch of four rivals, she veered to her outside after the jump as her outer rival also went to the right, but was settled to comfortably follow the leading pair. Three wide under an ultra confident Irad Ortiz Jr. through the turn, Roses for Debra was called on for her kick as she shifted further out. In the five path but closing with a full head of steam, she was given a single, minor reminder and powered clear in the final furlong to win by 3 1/4 lengths.

“It was pretty nice. The tote board said it all really, everybody thought she'd run really well,” said winning co-owner John O'Meara. “It was nice having some scratches. You know it's always nicer to have a smaller field, but when they scratched out of there…I don't know whether they scratched because of the weather or because they were afraid of her. Going to have to keep going and see who will be afraid of her in the future. I bought her. A good friend of mine, Gerry Dilger, bought her as a weanling and he passed away. It was a dispersal and I bought her in the dispersal. She's been nothing but fun to have around since. Of course, when she got hurt in the 2-year-old sale that didn't help, but it is all for the better at this point.”

O'Meara added that the current plan is to go to Presque Isle for the $300,000 GII Presque Isle Downs Masters S., and from there either a trip to Keeneland or the Breeders' Cup.

A half-sister to an accomplished elder half-brother in Rose's Vision and to SP Rosie's Alibi (Justify), Roses for Debra also has a 2-year-old half-sister Modarosa (Palace Malice), a yearling American Pharoah half-sister and the 2023 half-sibling by Gun Runner was unfortunately stillborn. Essential Rose, herself out of a graded stakes-winning mare and a half-sister to a graded stakes-placed stakes producer, visited Curlin for 2024. This is the female family of MGSW Flameaway (Scat Daddy) through the European blue hen Flame of Tara (Ire). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

SMART N FANCY S., $139,500, Saratoga, 8-25, 4yo/up, f/m, 5 1/2fT, 1:01.82, gd.
1–ROSES FOR DEBRA, 124, f, 4, Liam's Map–Essential Rose, by Bernardini. ($120,000 Ylg '20 KEEJAN; $25,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-John O'Meara and Cheyenne Stable LLC; B-Blackstone Farm LLC (PA); T-Christophe Clement; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $82,500. Lifetime Record: GSW, 9-7-1-0, $406,430. *1/2 to Rose's Vision (Artie Schiller), SW-USA, MSP-Can, $264,358.
2–Bubble Rock, 124, f, 4, More Than Ready–Reef Point, by Giant's Causeway. O/B-Shortleaf Stable (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $30,000.
3–Train to Artemus, 124, m, 5, Tapizar–Pay Day Kitten, by Kitten's Joy. O-M and W Stables; B-Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey (KY); T-Kelly J. Breen. $18,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, 1, 9 1/4. Odds: 0.35, 2.85, 6.60.
Also Ran: Talkin Tipsy. Scratched: Bluefield, Can't Buy Love, Poppy Flower, Self Isolation.

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Saturday Insights: Coast-To-Coast Maiden Action Kicks Off Whitney Saturday

2nd-SAR, $136K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 1:07 p.m.

The action kicks off with a heavily-loaded maiden race on the Whitney undercard Saturday. A quartet of colts, all first-time starters, take to the dirt led by the inside draw BE YOU (Curlin), the first of a pair of starters for Todd Pletcher. Out of the graded-stakes winning mare Jacaranda, herself a $2,000,000 purchase by this colt's breeder Alpha Delta, Be You already has a stakes-placed full-sister in American West, a $925,000 Keeneland yearling herself. Jacaranda is out of the Distorted Humor mare Baffled, making her a half-sister to MGISW and leading sire Constitituion (Tapit) as well as GSW Boynton (More Than Ready). Further back in the family you'll find GISW Emcee (Unbridled's Song) and G1SP Surfer (Distorted Humor).

Pletcher's second starter, Locked (Gun Runner), brought $425,000 as a yearling at Keeneland last year. He is out of a half to MGSW Always a Princess (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) and MGISW Gabby's Golden Girl (Medaglia d'Oro).

Splitting the pair is Claude McGaughy runner Pentathlon (Speightstown), a Phipps Stable homebred who hails from the family of MGISW My Flag, the dam of champion 2-year-old filly Storm Flag Flying (Storm Cat).

Last of the quarter and the widest drawn of the four, Creek (Ghostzapper) will look to get trainer Bill Mott's day off to a winning start. The colt is out of a half to GSW/GISP Great Island (Scat Daddy) and to the dam of GSW Surprisingly (Mastery). Third dam Matlacha Pass also produced MGISW and sire Point of Entry (Dynaformer) and MGISW Pine Island (Arch). TJCIS PPS

1st-DMR, $82K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 5:00 p.m.

On the West Coast, Dagger Ranch (Curlin) will look to be the latest winner out of dual Eclipse champion Indian Blessing. The Bob Baffert trainee is already a half-brother to GISP Ten Blessings (Smart Strike) and draws the outside gate under Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza.

Breaking from gate three is another son of Curlin for Bob Baffert in Mission Beach, a $400,000 Keeneland September yearling who is out of a full-sister to GISW Taris, the dam of GSW King Fury (Curlin). He put up a best-of-53 work at five furlongs July 24, going from the gate in :58 4/5. TJCIS PPS

1st-SAR, $136K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 12:35 p.m.

Opening the Saturday card at the Spa, Agate Road (Quality Road), bred by China Horse Club, was a $650,000 pick up by the prolific connections of Repole Stable and St Elias Stable for trainer Todd Pletcher. Out of GI Frizette S. winner Yellow Agate, already the dam of a pair of winners, the colt traces back to GSW/MG1SP Without Connexion (Ire) (Rainbow Quest). TJCIS PPS

11th-SAR, $149.5K, Alw, 3yo/up, 7f, 6:16 p.m.

Carded right after the Whitney, this race features the return of not one but two 'TDN Rising Stars' both racing for Claude McGaughey. Drawn further to the inside is Signator (Tapit), a $1.7m OBS April pick up last seen breaking his maiden at Belmont's Aqueduct meeting last Oct. Racing with Lasix for the first time, the grey hails from the family of champion 3-year-old filly Heavenly Prize (Seeking the Gold).

Lined up to his outside, Capture the Flag (Quality Road) earned his 'Star' tag at first asking with a three-length maiden win at this meet just over a year ago but hasn't raced since. This colt, a half to GSW Personal Best (Tapit), is out of a full-sister to Hong Kong's champion stayer Lines of Battle. His third dam also produced MGSW and late leading sire Dynaformer (Roberto). TJCIS PPS

3rd-MTH, $55K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:36 p.m.

Drawn furthest outside, Spendalot (More Than Ready) lived up to her name with a $650,000 purchase price as a yearling at Keeneland last Fall. She is a full-sister to Chad Brown's Consumer Spending who took last month's GIII Matchmaker S. over this same track.

And all the way to the rail is Madame Mischief (Into Mischief), a $550,000 OBS March grad who checked in second while sprinting five furlongs on the grass July 2. Her dam is a half-sister to MGISW and sire Divisidero (Kitten's Joy). TJCIS PPS

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Justify’s Aspen Grove Upsets Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks

Glen Hill Farm and Mrs. John Magnier's Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify) became the second Grade I winner in the space of a month for her Triple Crown-winning stallion, as she slalomed her way through her rivals in the three-sixteenths of a mile to spring a 15-1 upset in Saturday's GI Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational S. Prerequisite (Upstart), all-the-way winner of the GIII Wonder Again S. last time, held for second after once again making the running, while the slow-starting Papilio (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) closed nicely for third.

Equipped with a stalls blanket and carrying the famed orange and black of Glen Hill, Aspen Grove broke outward beneath Oisin Murphy, but recovered and was able to secure a spot at the hedge as Prerequisite and 'TDN Rising Star' Be Your Best (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) eyeballed each other up front, with favored Mission of Joy (Kitten's Joy) a touch keen on their heels. The pace dropped away markedly down the backstretch, leaving Aspen Grove a tugging sixth, but within striking distance in a bunched field, and she traveled well enough as the six furlongs went up in a pedestrian 1:16.69. Prerequisite retained the call into the stretch, but Aspen Grove followed the move of Mission of Joy into the final quarter-mile, angled outside of that one at the eighth pole and kicked home strongly for the victory.

Aspen Grove turned in a shock even bigger than Saturday's to break her maiden as the 66-1 roughest chance in the G3 Irish EBF S. at the Curragh last August, then was seventh to recent G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and G1 Prix de Diane victress Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac to end the season. A late-on-the-scene and wide-trip third in the May 7 G3 Cornelscourt S. at Leopardstown, Aspen Grove was allowed to take her chance in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas three weeks later, finishing tailed off in 10th behind recent G1 Coronation S. heroine Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), but with a viable excuse.

“She was in season when she ran in the Guineas,” trainer Fozzy Stack told TDN Europe's Brian Sheerin earlier this week. “There's only one Guineas, she couldn't run in it next year, so that's why we took our chance.”

“Stumbling at the start probably helped her considering the wide post,” said Glen Hill's Craig Bernick of Saturday's performance. “He [jockey Oisin Murphy] was able to tuck right in and get good position. You could tell that she was handy the whole way. He's a world-class rider, a Champion rider in England which is probably the toughest racing circuit in the world. He's a great jockey.”

Murphy's most recent trip to America also proved fruitful, as he capitalized on his relationship with Japanese connections and duly piloted Marche Lorraine (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) to a massive boilover in the 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. This past February, Murphy returned from a 14-month for breaking COVID rules, misleading the regulator and prejudicial conduct and two alcohol breaches.

“She broke a little slowly compared to American horses, but I used to work for [trainer] Fozzy Stack when I was a small boy, 14 and 15,” the Irishman said. “To team up and win a [Grade] 1 for him in the Belmont Oaks is brilliant, really brilliant.”

Pedigree Notes:

Aspen Grove's victory comes four weeks to the day since Arabian Lion became the first Grade I winner for Justify in the Woody Stephens S. on the Belmont S. undercard.

A $145,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling purchase by Mike Ryan on behalf of Klaravich Stable, Data Dependent broke her maiden at her third career start for Chad Brown and Klaravich Stable and was subsequently runner-up in the GIII Jimmy Durante S. Aspen Grove is her first produce. A half-sister to Irish highweight 2-year-old filly and G1 Moyglare Stud S. heroine Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy), SW and MGSP Victory Dance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and to a Kingman (GB) colt that fetched €550,000 from Stauffenberg Bloodstock at last year's Goffs November Foal Sale, Data Dependent is also the dam of the 2-year-old Kentucky-bred colt Edwardian (No Nay Never)–a debut second at Tipperary for the Coolmore connections Apr. 20–a yearling full-brother to Aspen Grove and a filly by Charlatan foaled May 27.

Saturday, Belmont Park
FASIG-TIPTON BELMONT OAKS INVITATIONAL S.-GI,
$500,000, Belmont, 7-8, 3yo, f, 1 1/4mT, 2:04.09, fm.
1–ASPEN GROVE (IRE), 121, f, 3, by Justify
                1st Dam: Data Dependent (GSP, $136,670), by More Than Ready
                2nd Dam: Dane Street, by Street Cry (Ire)
                3rd Dam: Daneleta (Ire), by Danehill
1ST GRADE I WIN. O-Glen Hill Farm and Mrs. John Magnier; B-Glen Hill Farm (IRE); T-James A. Stack; J-Oisin Murphy. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 7-2-0-1, $318,652. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Prerequisite, 121, f, 3, by Upstart
1st Dam: Etsu, by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Forever Beautiful, by Giant's Causeway
3rd Dam: Fly North, by Pleasant Colony
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($47,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $350,000 2yo '22 EASMAY). O-First Row Partners and Team Hanley; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $100,000.
3–Papilio (Ire), 121, f, 3, by Starspangledbanner (Aus)
1st Dam: Glafyra (Fr), by High Chaparral (Ire)
2nd Dam: Akhla, by Nashwan
3rd Dam: Beautiful River, by Irish River (Fr)
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. (€60,000 Ylg '21 ARAUG). O-D. J. Stable LLC, Medallion Racing, Barry Fowler and Parkland Thoroughbreds; B-SCEA Marmion & Mr A. Jathiere (IRE); T-Mark E. Casse. $60,000.
Margins: 3/4, NK, 1HF. Odds: 15.70, 3.90, 7.60.
Also Ran: Aspray, Freydis the Red (Fr), Speirling Beag (Ire),
Mission of Joy, Strikingly Spun, Be Your Best (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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