'TDN Rising Star'Zozos (Munnings) returned to the work tab for the first time since his runner-up effort in the GII Louisiana Derby with a half-mile move in :48 flat (17/76) early Friday morning at Churchill Downs.
With exercise rider Kelvin Perez in the saddle, Zozos clocked an opening quarter-mile of :25 and completed the final quarter in :23, galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.80, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.
“It was a good first work back after the Louisiana Derby,” trainer Brad Cox said. “He came out of the race in great shape and I think got a lot out of finishing second. He really finished up well in today's work.”
Louisiana Derby runner-up Zozos headed back to the barn following his half-mile work in :48. Splits: 25/100.80. #KyDerbypic.twitter.com/aC7zSd0KzB
Baoma Corporation's Eda (Munnings), making her first start since winning the GI Starlet S. last December, went wire-to-wire to win the GIII Santa Ysabel S. by a half-length over her late-closing stablemate Under the Stars (Pioneerof the Nile) at Santa Anita Sunday. Sent off at 3-1, Eda stepped right out to the early lead as even-money favorite Under the Stars sat just off her flank while racing three wide down the backstretch with Ain't Easy (Into Mischief) to her inside. Jockey Juan Hernandez asked Eda for more approaching the quarter-pole as Under the Stars and Ain't Easy started their rallies on either side of the pacesetter. She began inching away and had a two-length advantage with a furlong to run, but Under the Stars was closing late only to run out of real estate on the wire. With trainer Bob Baffert still banned from starting horses at Churchill Downs, neither the winner nor the runner-up were early nominations to the GI Kentucky Oaks and neither were able to earn the Santa Ysabel's qualifying Oaks points.
Eda, second in the GII Sorrento S. while still a maiden, was fifth after attending a hot pace in the Sept. 5 GI Del Mar Debutante, but came back to graduate with a front-running tally in the Oct. 24 Anoakia S. She added a win in the Nov. 13 Desi Arnaz S. before stretching out to 1 1/16 miles to win the Starlet in her juvenile finale.
Pedigree Notes:
Breeder Nate McCauley purchased Show Me, a half-sister to graded winner Aegean (Northern Afleet), for $24,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton February sale and sent her to Coolmore's Munnings. The mare's first foal is Eda and she also has a yearling filly by Karakontie (Jpn). She sold to Camas Park Stud while in foal to Munnings for $535,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale.
Eddie Woods's Quarter Pole Enterprises purchased Eda for $240,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September sale and resold her to the $550,000 bid of bloodstock agent Donato Lanni at the 2021 OBS March sale.
Sunday, Santa Anita SANTA YSABEL S.-GIII, $101,500, Santa Anita, 3-6, 3yo, f,
1 1/16m, 1:44.31, ft.
1–EDA, 124, f, 3, by Munnings 1st Dam: Show Me, by Lemon Drop Kid 2nd Dam: Apt to Star, by Aptitude 3rd Dam: Sweeping, by End Sweep
($240,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $550,000 2yo '21 OBSMAR).
O-Baoma Corporation; B-Nathan McCauley (KY); T-Bob Baffert;
J-Juan J. Hernandez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 7-5-1-0,
$430,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Under the Stars, 120, f, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Untouched
Talent, by Storm Cat. O-Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor,
and Derrick Smith; B-Eaton (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $20,000.
3–Ain't Easy, 124, f, 3, Into Mischief–Ameristralia (Aus), by
Fastnet Rock (Aus). ($400,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Old Bones
Racing Stable, LLC, Michael V. Lombardi, and Joey Platts;
B-Spendthrift Farm, LLC (KY); T-Philip D'Amato. $12,000.
Margins: HF, 3 3/4, 1. Odds: 3.30, 1.00, 3.30.
Also Ran: Desert Dawn, Fortunata Tensio, Miss Everything, Cairo Memories, Classical Romance. Scratched: Micro Share. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
KIMARI (m, 5, Munnings–Cozze Up Lady {GSW, $407,169}, by Cozzene), tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' off a dominant debut back in 2019, was a close second in that year's G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot and won two other stakes. Second in the G1 Commonwealth Cup when returning to the royal meeting in 2020, she captured a sloppy renewal of Oaklawn's Spring Fever S. in February of 2020. Following suit with a win in Keeneland's GI Madison S. in April, she was sent to the sidelines for seven months and made an ambitious return in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint S. Nov. 6, but could only manage seventh for Ten Broeck Farm. Sent to the Fasig-Tipton November Sale, Kimari was purchased by Coolmore's M.V. Magnier for $2.7 million and returned to trainer Wesley Ward's care. Hammered down to 1-20 favoritism in this five-horse affair, the bay broke with the field, but settled back into fourth through the initial stages. Swung out three wide by Joel Rosario, Kimari hustled up the outside to take control after an opening quarter in :22.41. Confronted by Liberty M D (Constitution) as the half went in :45.66, the chalk shook free of that foe at the top of the lane and it was clear sailing from there. Kimari powered clear under a hand ride to win as she pleased by 5 1/4 lengths. Liberty M D held second. China Horse Club purchased GSW Cozze Up Lady for $300,000 at the 2014 FTKNOV sale and Kimari was her second foal. She had a Quality Road colt named Imola in 2019 and a Constitution colt in 2021. Cozze Up Lady is currentlyexpecting a foal by Tiz the Law. Sales history: $152,000 Ylg '18 FTKJUL; $2,700,000 4yo '21 FTKNOV. Lifetime Record: GISW, 12-7-2-1, $801,777. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Smith, Derrick, Magnier, Mrs. John, Tabor, Michael B., Westerberg Limited and Poulin, Jonathan; B-China Horse Club International Limited (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward.
It was not a completely straight-forward task for 'TDN Rising Star' Shahama (Munnings), but in the end, her considerable class and talent won out as she ran her record to a perfect four-from-four with a deceptively easy victory in Friday's G3 UAE Oaks at Meydan.
Off to an awkward beginning, Shahama was clearly last under the wire the first time around and appeared to be climbing badly into the kickback as Adrie de Vries urged her along. Able to tack onto the back of the pack with 1400 metres to travel, the May 9 foal was guided out into about the four path as the field reached the halfway point. Four wide at the three-eighths peg, Shahama began to catch the eye and loomed at the top of the straight to make a line of three. Tenderly ridden by de Vries, she was asked to accelerate a bit 300 metres from home and was always holding Arabian Gazelles (Mastery), who gave game chase. Minwah (Cupid) completed a US-bred sweep.
“She was very upset today because of the screen, the music, [the start being in] the straight,” the winning jockey said. “She jumped a bit awkward because she was sitting down in the gate. It was a little bit awkward,` as there were a few horses who couldn't bring me to the leader, so I had to go wide to get her out of the kickback, but she did it very easy.”
Pedigree Notes:
Trainer Fawzi Nass's name appeared on the docket when Shahama–a May 9 foal–was hammered down for $425,000 at last year's OBS April Sale after breezing a quarter-mile in :21 flat. From the same Gone West sire line as the talented multiple graded-stakes winning Kensei and a half to dual Eclipse Award winner Lookin At Lucky, Shahama is out of a daughter of the stakes-winning Regal Feeling, whose Grade III-winning daughter Grand Charmer (Lord Avie) was responsible for GSP juvenile filly True Feelings (Latent Heat). Regal Feeling is also responsible for Flirtatious (A.P. Indy), the dam of champion Wait A While (Maria's Mon). The now 23-year-old Private Feeling is represented by a yearling colt by Catalina Cruiser and is due to Smart Strike's Grade I-winning son Tom's d'Etat this year. Shahama is the 24th graded/group winner for Munnings.
Friday, Meydan, Dubai UAE OAKS PRESENTED BY JAFZA-G3, $150,000, Meydan, 2-18, 3yo, f, 9 1/2f, 2:02.25, ft.
1–SHAHAMA, 126, f, 3, by Munnings 1st Dam: Private Feeling, by Belong To Me 2nd Dam: Regal Feeling, by Clever Trick 3rd Dam: Sharp Belle, by Native Charger
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST GROUP WIN. ($425,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-KHK Racing; B-SF Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Fawzi Abdulla Nass; J-Adrie de Vries. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0, $223,670. *1/2 to Kensei (Mr. Greeley), MGSW, $751,364; and Lookin At Lucky (Smart Strike), Ch. 2yo & 3yo Colt-US, MGISW, $3,307,278. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
2–Arabian Gazelles, 126, f, 3, Mastery–Adventure, by Unbridled's Song. ($110,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK-TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. O-Mrs Fitri Hay; B-AR Enterprises, LLC (KY); T-Bhupat Seemar. $30,000.
3–Minwah, 126, f, 3, Cupid–My Curlina, by Belong To Me. ($130,000 Ylg '20 KEEJAN; $130,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEP; $70,000 2yo '21 FTMMAY). 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. O-Ahmad Bintooq; B-Tom Evans & Pam Clark (KY); T-Doug Watson. $15,000.
Margins: 2, 3 1/4, 2 1/4.
Also Ran: Remas, Uchchaihshravas (Ire), Shadzadi (Ire), Hot Pink (Ire). Click for the Emiratesracing.com result. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
