OBS April | Horse Racing Free Tips

Immaculately Bred Curlin Firster Gets ‘Rising Star’ Nod

Things didn't look especially promising for those who crunched Michael Lund Petersen's Faustin (c, 2, Curlin–Hard Not to Like, by Hard Spun) into 90 cents on the dollar in the early stages of the first juvenile test of the new meet at Santa Anita Monday afternoon. But the gunmetal gray colt did his best work through the line to graduate by open lengths and become a new 'TDN Rising Star.'

The March foal was not off to the most alert of beginnings and was no better than midfield and under a very busy ride from Ramon Vazquez as the quarter went up in :21.67. Still cajoled along on the turn, but able to make some headway towards the inside, Faustin advanced to be fourth behind a wall of three rivals as they hit the top of the lane. Hooked wide, with stablemate Sonoran (Ride On Curlin) to catch entering the final furlong, he raced a bit greenly while gathering that one up and strode home to score by a widening 2 3/4-length margin.

Led out unsold on a bid of $285,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale, Faustin breezed an eighth of a mile in :10 flat and was hammered down to Petersen's agent Donato Lanni for $800,000 at OBS this past April. Faustin, who outworked 99 others to earn the half-mile bullet (:46 4/5 from the gate) Dec. 10, is the 23rd 'Rising Star' for Curlin.

A homebred for Hillsbrook Farm and trained by Michael Matz, Hard Not to Like upset the 2014 GI Jenny Wiley S. and was purchased by Speedway Stables for $1.5 million out of that year's Keeneland November sale. Turned over to Christophe Clement, she thrived at five, winning this track's GI Gamely S. and the GI Diana S. before DATTT Farm purchased her for $2.2 million at KEENOV in 2016. Hard Not to Like's foals have been market darlings, her last four having sold for at least a half-million dollars, including her yearling filly by Quality Road that was purchased by Japan's Koji Maeda for $500,000 at Keeneland this past September. Her last listed produce is a weanling colt by Constitution.

Faustin is bred on the exact same cross as champion and successful young sire Good Magic and additional graded winners Irish War Cry and Cordmaker.

4th-Santa Anita, $68,500, Msw, 12-26, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.08, ft, 2 3/4 lengths.
FAUSTIN, c, 2, by Curlin
1st Dam: Hard Not to Like (MGISW-US, SW-Can, $1,262,171), by Hard Spun
2nd Dam: Like A Gem, by Tactical Cat
3rd Dam: It's a Ruby, by Rubiano
Sales history: $285,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP; $800,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $40,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Michael Lund Petersen; B-DATTT Farm LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

The post Immaculately Bred Curlin Firster Gets ‘Rising Star’ Nod appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Curlin’s Erna Just Holds On To Graduate At Second Asking

10th-Gulfstream, $60,000, Msw, 12-11, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:35.11, fm, neck.

ERNA (f, 2, Curlin–Jumby Bay {MSP, $118,125}, by City Zip) just missed in her unveiling at Belmont's Aqueduct meeting Oct. 22, coming up a neck short to next out GIII Jimmy Durante S. winner Liguria (War Front) as an 11-1 longshot. No longer under the radar at 6-5, the $600,000 OBSAPR grad took contact from both sides at the break but was still able to settle forwardly placed in third as Shez Speightful (Speightster) paced the field through an opening quarter in :23.18. Up into second while two wide around the far turn, Erna fanned out to the five path for the stretch run but drifted in late, just managing to hold off a hard-charging Penumbras Maker (Empire Maker) to graduate by a neck. Jumby Bay has since produced a yearling colt by Uncle Mo and visited Tiz the Law for the 2023 season. Sales History: $135,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $600,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

O-James D. Spry; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux.

The post Curlin’s Erna Just Holds On To Graduate At Second Asking appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Second Chances: Pricey Curlin 2yo “Acts Like a Filly to be Excited About”

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

Subsequently flattered by Liguria (War Front)'s impressive performance in last weekend's GIII Jimmy Durante S. at Del Mar, Erna (f, 2, Curlin–Jumby Bay, by City Zip) will look to go one better at second asking in the nightcap at Gulfstream Park Sunday.

Off at 11-1 going 1 1/16 miles over the grass on debut at the Belmont at Aqueduct meeting Oct. 22, Erna jumped well from post five and cleared the field of 10 heading into the clubhouse turn. Under a snug hold and in control through fractions of :23.33 and :48.01, the $600,000 OBS April breezer hit the quarter pole as the one to catch and led by a commanding 1 1/2 lengths in the stretch.

The aforementioned Liguria, making her second career start, however, was just getting going down the center. Erna dug down deep and braced for the challenge inside the final sixteenth, but, after swapping to her left lead close to home, just couldn't hold that one off and came up a neck short. Erna received a 70 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

After failing to draw into a pair of spots during Keeneland's fall meeting, Erna made a last-minute trip from trainer Cherie DeVaux's Lexington base to the Big A for her debut.

“I was really impressed with how she ran given the circumstances,” DeVaux said.

“She did not get into either of the races that had overfilled at Keeneland and she had been training there the entire time since she came in after the sale. She had to ship after entries came out on Wednesday to Belmont Park. She arrived Thursday, trained at Belmont on Friday and had to ship over to Aqueduct [to run] on Saturday. So, it was less than ideal circumstances and she ran huge considering all that was thrown at her.”

Erna, the first foal out of the multiple stakes-placed Jumby Bay, brought $600,000 from owner James D. Spry after cruising through a :20 4/5 bullet in Ocala this spring. The daughter of two-time Horse of the Year and perennial leading sire Curlin was previously a $135,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Lehigh Bloodstock.

Jumby Bay, from the family of grassy GI Garden City Breeders' Cup S. heroine Magnificent Song (Unbridled's Song), brought $510,000 from breeder Don Alberto carrying Erna at the 2019 Keeneland November sale.

“At the sale, we were really impressed with her breeze and how she moved,” DeVaux said of Erna. “She looked like she was more turf inclined.”

Erna drew post nine going a two-turn mile for her second career try over the Gulfstream lawn Sunday. Luis Saez has the mount aboard the 5-2 morning-line favorite.

“I think if she either runs the race that she ran last time or improves, she's gonna be hard to beat,” DeVaux said. “She acts like she's a filly to be excited about.”

The 'Second Chances' honor roll is headed by two-time Breeders' Cup winner and new Ashford Stud stallion Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner and Lane's End stallion Honor A. P. (Honor Code), recent GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Cody's Wish (Curlin) and MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags).

This year's GI Carter H. winner and new Darley stallion Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), GI Preakness S. third-place finisher Creative Minister (Creative Cause), Curlin S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Artorius (Arrogate) and Cinema S. winner and GII Del Mar Derby third War At Sea (War Front) have also been featured in the series.

Other standouts include: GSW Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), GSW & MGISP Spielberg (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), MSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}); and GISP A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo).

The post Second Chances: Pricey Curlin 2yo “Acts Like a Filly to be Excited About” appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Uncle Mo’s Arabian Knight Cruises To ‘Stardom’ At Keeneland

Gunned from the middle of the gate by jockey John Velazquez, Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo–Borealis Night, by Astrology) took over from the opening strides and never gave his opponents a chance, winning at first asking by 7 1/4 lengths to kick off Saturday's Breeders' Cup card with a bang and become the newest 'TDN Rising Star' for Bob Baffert and Zedan Racing Stables. The $2.3-million sale-topper at OBS April after a sharp :9 4/5 breeze, Arabian Knight went off with plenty of hype as the 3-5 favorite in a deep field of juveniles. On the lead through an opening quarter in :22.47, he kept finding more as the field exited the far turn and easily opened up down the lane, defeating Determinedly (Cairo Prince) by 7 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:21.98. Expect More (City of Light), representing the same connections as Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero Forte (Violence), completely missed the break but did very well to rally for second.

Amr Zedan's operation, which also purchased GISW 'TDN Rising Star' Princess Noor (Not This Time) from Top Line Sales out of OBS April in 2020 for a sale-topping $1.35 mliion, picked up another expensive colt this year at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale when he dropped a record $3.55 million on a colt by Bernardini now named Hejazi, who was third in the GI American Pharoah S. last month behind stablemate Cave Rock (Arrogate).

The 13th 'TDN Rising Star' for leading sire Uncle Mo, Arabian Knight is the first foal out of a half-sister to MGSP Kinsley Kisses (Congrats) and GSP Spooky Woods (Ghostzapper). Borealis Night, who was purchased by Corser Thoroughbreds for $285,000 out of the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale with Arabian Knight in utero, foaled a colt by Quality Road this year and was bred back to Curlin for the 2023 season.

1st-Keeneland, $149,375, Msw, 11-5, 2yo, 7f, 1:21.98, ft, 7 1/4 lengths.
ARABIAN KNIGHT, c, 2, Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Borealis Night, by Astrology
2nd Dam: Winter Forest, by Forestry
3rd Dam: Shivering Six, by Saratoga Six
Sales history: $250,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $2,300,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $86,025. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Corser Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

The post Uncle Mo’s Arabian Knight Cruises To ‘Stardom’ At Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post