'TDN Rising Star' Corniche (c, 2, Quality Road–Wasted Tears, by Najran), the $1.5-million OBS April topper earlier this spring and a jaw-dropping debut winner going 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar Sept. 4, led them every step of the way to run to the money as the 2-5 favorite in Friday's 'Win and You're In' GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita.
Pappacap (Gun Runner), winner of the GII Best Pal S., was second; third out maiden winner Oviatt Class (Bernardini) was third.
Corniche is the 10th winner of the American Pharoah for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.
“You never know until you send them two turns whether they'll be able handle it or not, and it looked like he handled it pretty well,” Baffert said. “He's got a great mind so I'm pretty happy about that. Down the backside he was being chased by a really good horse. It was a really good race all around.
“We're just going to let the process play itself out and not think about that now. The main thing is to keep them healthy and have them ready for the next dance. I just focus on these horses day in and day out. I have a lot of responsibilities.”
Sent to the front from his rail draw by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, Corniche showed the way through an opening quarter in :23.55 and a half mile in :47.26. Challenged by stablemate Rockefeller (Medaglia d'Oro) approaching the three-eighths pole, Corniche let it out a notch as they turned for home and was hand ridden late to a dominating 3 1/4-length score while making his two-turn debut.
“There's just so much upside to this horse,” Smith said. “That is what's really exciting about him. When he broke his maiden as impressive as he did, he just gave me that feeling that we weren't even close to his full potential, and he gave me that feeling today. He's a big colt and he carries a lot of flesh. As he starts to get even fitter and harder inside, he's gonna be a force to reckon with.”
Pedigree Notes:
Corniche is the 50th stakes winner/28th graded stakes winner/12th Grade I winner for Quality Road.
The son of six-time GSW and GI Matriarch S. runner-up Wasted Tears (Najran) was led out unsold on a bid of $385,000 at KEESEP last year, but turned in a smooth sales breeze in :10 flat to become one of two horses to eclipse the seven-figure barrier in Ocala.
Wasted Tears, also responsible for the late stakes-placed Coffee Crush (Medaglia d'Oro), had a filly by Mendelssohn in 2020.
Speedway Stables and Baffert also teamed up for a win with Quality Road's 'Rising Star' Roadster in the 2019 GI Santa Anita Derby and a runner-up finish in the GI Malibu S.
Friday, Santa Anita
AMERICAN PHAROAH S.-GI, $301,000, Santa Anita, 10-1, 2yo,
1 1/16m, 1:44.75, ft.
1–CORNICHE, 122, c, 2, by Quality Road
               1st Dam: Wasted Tears (MGSW & GISP, $941,463), by Najran
               2nd Dam: Wishes and Roses, by Greinton (GB)
               3rd Dam: Anniversary Wish, by Beau's Eagle
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I
WIN. 'TDN Rising Star' ($385,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP;
$1,500,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Speedway Stables LLC; B-Bart
Evans & Stonehaven Steadings (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Mike E.
Smith. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $222,000. Werk
Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Pappacap, 122, c, 2, Gun Runner–Pappascat, by Scat Daddy.
O/B-Rustlewood Farm, Inc. (FL); T-Mark E. Casse. $60,000.
3–Oviatt Class, 122, c, 2, Bernardini–Occasionally, by Tiznow.
($37,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $60,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-James
Downey; B-Godophin & Morgan's Ford Farm (VA); T-J. Keith
Desormeaux. $36,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, HF, 3 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 13.70, 6.70.
Also Ran: Rockefeller, Flying Drummer, Finneus, Joker Boy.
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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