OBS April | Horse Racing Free Tips

Saturday Insights: Pair Of Pricey Into Mischief 2-Year-Olds Begin Their Racing Careers

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

5th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 2:45 p.m.
An $870,000 purchase out of the OBS April sale (:10 1/5) by CHP Racing, having made $180,000 at Keeneland September last year, Summer Wind Equine-bred CREATE TROUBLE (Into Mischief) debuts Saturday for trainer Brendan Walsh. The bay is out of No Curfew (Curlin), a half-sister to the dams of MG1SW Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}), MGISW To Honor and Serve (Bernardini), GISW Angela Renee (Bernardini), and GISP Elnaawi (Street Sense). Create Trouble gets Tyler Gaffalione for the ride. Loggins (Ghostzapper) cost Spendthrift Farm and Steve Landers $460,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. The March foal is the first to the races for Beyond Blame (Blame), winner of the 2018 GIII Regret S. for Pop-A-Top LLC. TJCIS PPs

2nd-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1m, 1:14 p.m.
Godolphin takes the wraps off homebred COMPARATIVE (Street Sense) Saturday for trainer Brad Cox. A full-sister to MGSW Shared Sense, she is out of a half-sister to GSW Penwith (Bernardini) and MGSP Centring (A.P. Indy). This is also the family of G1SP Party Cited (Alleged), GIII West Virginia Derby winner Ready Set (Touch Gold), and GIII Southwest S. victor and GI Arkansas Derby runner-up Suddenbreakingnews (Mineshaft). The bay's been working consistently at Churchill Downs in preparation for her debut and gets Florent Geroux in the irons. TJCIS PPs

3rd-BAQ, $95K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1mT, 2:02 p.m.
Peter Brant homebred BOBBIE D (IRE) (Dark Angel {Ire}) brings plenty of pedigree appeal into this belated career debut. A homebred son of French stakes-placed Rosa Bonheur (Mr. Greeley), the gray colt is a full-brother to Brant's Raging Bull (Fr), winner of the 2018 GI Hollywood Derby and subsequently victorious in the GI Maker's Mark Mile and GI Shoemaker Mile. Bobbie D is also a half-brother to White Birch's Kubrick (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a two-time winner from three starts this year as a juvenile, including a narrow victory in the G3 Prix des Chenes at ParisLongchamp Sept. 8. The competition could come from Logan's Runner (Pioneerof the Nile), a $230,000 Fasig-Tipton October Yearling whose GIII Monmouth Oaks-winning dam Savvy Supreme (Distorted Humor) is a full-sister to MGISW Commentator. TJCIS PPs

6th-BAQ, $90k, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 3:35 p.m.
Picked up for $625,000 as a yearling out of last year's Keeneland September Sale, OCCULT (Into Mischief) races for Alpha Delta Stables out of the Chad Brown barn. Out of the GISP Empire Maker mare Magical Feeling, Occult is a half-sister to MSP Exulting (Tapit) and from the family of GI Travers S. winner and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile runner-up Golden Ticket (Speightstown). Her yearling full-sister, Imagination, recently brought $1.05 million from SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing, and Madaket out of the 2022 Keeneland September Sale. Flavien Prat picks up the mount. TJCIS PPs

9th-BAQ, $105K, Alw, 3yo/up, 7f, 5:13 p.m.
While 'TDN Rising Star' Damon's Mound (Girvin) and Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) were starring in the day's graded stakes at Saratoga Aug. 13, EXPRESSMAN (Liam's Map) was actually making the afternoon's biggest splash with a monstrous debut. Sent off as part of the favored Todd Pletcher entry at 1.95-1, the St. Elias-colorbearer made the running in the seven-furlong test, opened up on the lead approaching the final furlong and kicked on to graduate by some 7 1/4 lengths. The $145,000 Keeneland November weanling and $325,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic breezer (:10 2/5) earned a towering 107 Beyer for the effort. TJCIS PPs

9th-LRC, $50K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 7:35 p.m.
Bought as a yearling for $850,000 by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables, NIELSON (Curlin) is out of GSW & GISP My Wandy's Girl (Flower Alley), making him a half-brother to GSW My Prankster (Into Mischief). Having recently worked five furlongs from the gate in :59 4/5 (4/37), Nielson gets Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith aboard for trainer Bob Baffert. TJCIS PPs

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Creative Cause Colt ‘Wahlop’-s Rivals in DMR Juvenile Turf

Sent off right at his morning line of 8-1, Packs a Wahlop (Creative Cause) worked out a nice trip beneath Hall of Famer Mike Smith and exploded away from his rivals in the final eighth of a mile to capture Sunday's GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf at the seaside oval and become a leading U.S. candidate for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile the first weekend of November.

Away alertly from the nine hole, the $27,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $270,000 OBS April (:10 flat) acquisition showed good speed and rolled forward to press a moderate early tempo outside of the rail-drawn Ah Jeez (Mendelssohn) through a half in :47.24. Shadowing the front-runner's every move while going well around the second turn, Packs a Wahlop came after the front-runner in earnest with a quarter-mile to race and sprinted home impressively to score by open lengths. Don'tthinkjustdoit (Smiling Tiger) hugged the fence into the lane, came out and finished well for second, but was ultimately disqualified to seventh after a lengthy stewards' debate for causing a chain-reaction of interference at midstretch. Valiancer (Tapiture), who attacked the line nicely in the middle of the track, was moved up from third to second, while Dandy Man Shines (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) was placed third to complete a Jeff Mullins-trained triple.

“That was kind of the plan along,” said Mullins. “He showed speed going five-eighths; we figured he would be laying close somewhere in a comfortable position. Mike's worked him every time and he's had all the confidence in this horse, we all have.”

An even fourth sprinting over a sloppy Gulfstream main track June 3, Packs a Wahlop graduated by 1 1/2 lengths in a five-furlong maiden over this turf course Aug. 5 and was stretching out for the first time Sunday.

Pedigree Notes:

Packs a Wahlop is the 24th stakes winner and sixth winner at the graded level for his Airdrie-based stallion, who is also responsible for Grade III winner and Grade I-placed Skyler's Scramjet, who has a second dam by City Zip's sire Carson City. Oak Ridge Farm acquired Packs a Wahlop's treble stakes-winning dam for $87,000 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale, and she produced a Frosted filly last year before being bred to another son of Tapit in the form of Cupid this past breeding season.

Sunday, Del Mar
DEL MAR JUVENILE TURF S.-GIII, $104,500, Del Mar, 9-11, 2yo, 1mT, 1:35.96, fm.
1–PACKS A WAHLOP, 120, c, 2, by Creative Cause
1st Dam: City by the Bay (MSW, $172,240), by City Zip
2nd Dam: Glitter Time, by Glitterman
3rd Dam: Fujitime, by Timeless Native
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($27,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $270,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Red Baron's Barn LLC & Rancho Temescal LLC; B-Oak Ridge Farm (KY); T-Jeff Mullins; J-Mike E Smith. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $110,000. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
*2–Valiancer, 118, c, 2, Tapiture–War Angel, by Declaration of War. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($7,000 Ylg '21 KEEJAN; $150,000 2yo '22 OBSOPN). O-Doug Gans, Gary Jacobs, Larry M Katz, Michael Lewis, William Meathe & Kevin Riggs; B-Savesnine Corp (KY); T-Jeff Mullins. $20,000.
*3–Dandy Man Shines (Ire), 118, c, 2, Dandy Man (Ire)–Zehrah (Ire), by Raven's Pass. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. (€75,000 Wlg '20 GOFNOV; €90,000 Ylg '21 GOFOR; 105,000gns 2yo '22 TATBRE). O-Red Baron's Barn LLC & Rancho Temescal LLC; B-Mr John Frances Keegan (IRE); T-Jeff Mullins. $12,000.
*Don'tthinkjustdoit (Smiling Tiger) finished second, but was disqualified and placed seventh.
Margins: 4 1/4, HD, HF. Odds: 8.00, 38.90, 4.00.
Also Ran: Ah Jeez, De la Luna, Wound Up, Don'tthinkjustdoit, Mas Rapido (GB), Syntactic, Stone Point, Tahoma, Park City, Ti Sento (Ire), President Z. Scratched: Buffett, Taltariate. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Second Chances: Curlin Colt Flashes Potential in Live Maiden at Del Mar

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

A week before unveiling Justique (Justify) to a jaw-dropping 'TDN Rising Star' performance at Del Mar–more on her in a bit–Lee Searing's C R K Stable and John Shirreffs debuted another 2-year-old with plenty of upside at the seaside track.

Skinner (c, 2, Curlin–Winding Way, by Malibu Moon), a $40,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $510,000 OBS April breezer (:10 1/5), came rolling home to finish an encouraging fifth in a very live five-furlong maiden special weight completely dominated on the front end at Del Mar July 24.

Dismissed at 36-1 for his notoriously patient connections, Skinner was devoid of any early speed after bumping with a rival and trailed the field in 10th through an opening quarter in :22.29. Kept out in the clear by Abel Cedillo, the bay began to launch his bid from another zip code on the far turn, swung into the stretch about five wide and came home in a field-best :10.95 while finishing seven lengths adrift next-out GIII Best Pal S. winner Havnameltdown (Uncaptured). The runner-up that day Mister Iceman (Girvin) was a game next-out maiden winner at Del Mar as well.

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Skinner is out of 2012 GIII Rancho Bernardo H. winner Winding Way. The full-sister to MGSW & GISP Kauai Katie brought $82,000 from Solis/Litt in foal to Maclean's Music at the 2021 KEENOV sale.

Skinner is bred on the same Curlin x Malibu Moon cross responsible for champion 3-year-old filly Stellar Wind. The wildly successful Curlin x A. P. Indy (sire of Malibu Moon) pairing has produced standouts such as Malathaat, Nest, Global Campaign, Idol, et al.

“The first race was just supposed to be a learning experience,” Searing said. “It was so short of a race, and Skinner, being by Curlin, is not a dead sprinter. He's never gonna be. So, he ran a lights-out race. Another half of a furlong, he's a winner. I think John will decide very shortly if we're gonna wait for a maiden race again or if he takes on the big race at the end of the meeting [GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity Sept. 11].”

Searing, the CEO of Searing Industries–a family-run business with more than 200 employees specializing in manufacturing steel-tubing products–named Skinner after one of his longtime employees, Don Skinner.

“Don is one of our oldest sales people dating all the way back to my father in the mid-1950s,” Searing said. “He got so excited when I told him. If we get into a big race, he wants to come. Sometimes it doesn't turn out, but so far, so good.”

Searing added, “This is a really nice horse.”

The same can certainly be said about Searing's aforementioned $725,000 KEESEP buy Justique, who looked like a potential star in the making with a sensational last-to-first debut win at Del Mar July 24.

“I don't think she touched the ground the whole race,” Searing said. “That was impressive and everybody saw it. She's doing well today. This one, I do believe 100% the plan is to run her at the end of the meeting [in the GI TVG Del Mar Debutante Sept. 10]. She'll enjoy the added distance and she definitely can stand as much competition as they throw at her.”

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

This term's GI Carter H. winner Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), GIII Westchester S. winner Cody's Wish (Curlin), GI Preakness S. third-place finisher Creative Minister (Creative Cause), Curlin S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Artorius (Arrogate) and streaking Cinema S. winner 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).

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Havnameltdown Gives Baffert a Ninth Best Pal

Sent off the 1-2 chalk on the strength of a 2 1/4-length debut victory going five furlongs July 24, Mike Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman's Havnameltdown (Uncaptured) was made to work for it, but in the end proved too classy for his rivals in Sunday's GIII Best Pal S., coming away late to take it by open lengths.

Drawn widest of all, the $16,000 OBS October Yearling turned $200,000 OBS April breezer (:9 4/5) pinged the stalls and showed good early speed to get down into the three path, where he cut the opening quarter-mile in a sharp :21.74 despite having to do some work. Maintaining a narrow advantage into the turn, the Florida-bred raced in the two path and faced a fresh challenge from $400,000 OBS March graduate Agency (Bolt d'Oro), who rolled up three wide, looking every bit poised to capitalize on the favorite's early exertions. The latter got to within about a half-length with three-sixteenths of a mile to travel, but Havnameltdown had something in the locker and kicked home about 2 1/2 lengths to the good. Longshot Man Child (Creative Cause) rounded out the trifecta. Havnameltdown was providing trainer Bob Baffert with a record-extending ninth Best Pal, but first since Klimt (Quality Road) in 2016. The same ownership group won the 2009 Best Pal with future champion 2- and 3-year-old male Lookin At Lucky (Smart Strike).

“I was outside and my plan was to stay second or third, but he was real aggressive out of the gate,” said winning rider Juan Hernandez. “He wanted to go to the front so I just let him run and do his thing. At the quarter pole he was getting kind of lazy so I woke him up a bit and he picked it up really well and got to the wire.”

Pedigree Notes:

Havnameltdown is the 11th stakes winner and sixth graded winner for Uncaptured, who was sold by Ocala Stud to South Korea to continue his stud career in late 2019 and covered a total of 137 mares in his first two seasons there, including 92 in 2020. The 12-year-old is a son of Lion Heart, whose record as a sire of sires–particularly in Florida–is well documented, as his son Kantharos achieved great success before being moved to Hill 'n' Dale. The latter's son Bucchero is off to a promising start at Pleasant Acres Stallions. Produced by a half-sister to three full black-type winners and to the dam of 2020 GIII Selene S. winner Two Sixty (Uncaptured), Havnameltdown has a yearling half-sister by Tapiture. Ashley's Babe was barren to both World of Trouble and Maximus Mischief for 2022 and was most recently bred to the latter.

Sunday, Del Mar
BEST PAL S.-GIII, $202,500, Del Mar, 8-14, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.22, ft.
1–HAVNAMELTDOWN, 120, c, 2, by Uncaptured
1st Dam: Ashley's Babe, by Put It Back
2nd Dam: Charms Way, by Salt Lake
3rd Dam: Remember Midnight, by Cure the Blues
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($16,000 Ylg '21 OBSOCT; $200,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Michael E Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman; B-Katherine S Devall (FL); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J Hernandez. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $168,000. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Agency, 120, c, 2, Bolt d'Oro–Queen of May, by Bernardini. 1ST BLACK-TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK-TYPE. ($100,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $400,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR). O-Muir Hut Stables LLC; B-Twin Creeks Farm (KY); T-Mark Glatt. $40,000.
3–Man Child, 120, c, 2, Creative Cause–Neck of the Moon, by More Than Ready. 1ST BLACK-TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK-TYPE. ($45,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-California Racing Partners, Ciaglia Racing LLC, Michelle Hanson, Richard C Pearson, Timothy J Husted & Robert Drenk; B-Dell Ridge Farm LLC (KY); T-Ryan Hanson. $24,000.
Margins: 2HF, 5 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.50, 9.40, 28.50.
Also Ran: Pop d'Oro, Jin Tong, Fleet Feet, Mardukas, Arman, King Adrock, Quagmire Magic. Scratched: Kangaroo Court. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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