Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at both Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits.
Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. To follow are the horses entered for Friday at Ellis Park:
Friday, August 18, 2023 Ellis 3, $70k, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:43 p.m. ET Horse (Sire), Sale, Price ($), Breeze Mozlzil (Uncle Mo), FTMMAY, 160,000, :10.3 Consignor: Top Line Sales LLC, agent Buyer: FMQ Stables
Ellis 6, $70k, 2yo, f, 7f, 3:18 p.m. ET Controlled Temper (Collected), FTMMAY, 90,000, :10.2 Consignor: Little Farm Equine LLC, agent Buyer: Mark Stanley
Pursuit of Liberty (Constitution), OBSMAR, 170,000, :10.2 Consignor: de Meric Sales, agent Buyer: Full of Run Racing LLC II & BSW/Crow
The Big Banshee (The Big Beast), OBSMAR, 65,000, :21.1 Consignor: Ocala Stud Buyer: Sea Warrior Stables LLC
In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Kokura, Niigata and Sapporo Racecourses:
Saturday, August 19, 2023 3rd-NII, ¥13,720,000 ($94k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m EMBLEM BOMB (c, 2, St Patrick's Day–Jelly Cable, by Sky Mesa) is out of a stakes-placed daughter of black-type winner Linda Coqueta (Rubiano), the dam of three-time SP Alfarabi (Yes It's True) and GSP Capo (Capote). This Mar. 18 foal failed to find a new home when bidding stalled at $15,000 at last year's OBS October Sale, but he became the second-priciest 2-year-old from the first crop of this full-brother to American Pharoah when hammering to Hideyuki Mori for $155,000 at this year's OBS March Sale (21 sold/25 ring) after working in :10 flat. B-Brent & Crystal Fernung (FL)
6th-KOK, ¥13,720,000 ($94k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1700m JASPER ROBUSTO (c, 2, Khozan–Prize Informant, by Marciano) was purchased by Blaz Perez Stable for $27,000 at OBSOCT last fall, but blossomed over the next several months and was sold to Mori on behalf of the 'Jasper' owner Kazuo Kato for $265,000 at OBSMAR, the best of 25 juveniles (33 ring) by the sire during this season's breeze-ups (:9 4/5). The bay is out of a stakes-winning half-sister to Wise Answer (Wised Up), who nearly swept the Florida Stallion S. series in 2007, capped by a 10-length romp in the In Reality S. at Calder. Rivermont Farm bough Prize Informant for $9,500 in foal to Valiant Minister at the 2019 OBS Winter Mixed Sale. B-Rivermont Farm (FL)
Sunday, August 20, 2023 5th-KOK, ¥13,720,000 ($94k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800mT PIKARI (f, 2, Twirling Candy–Laudation, by Congrats) is the second foal to the races for her dam, a stakes winner at two for Jerry Durant and Steve Asmussen and later acquired by Peter O'Callaghan's Woods Edge Farm for $150,000 with this foal in utero at Keeneland November in 2020. Produced by a half-sister to this year's G3 UAE Oaks heroine Mimi Kakushi (City of Light) and MSW Moment Is Right (Medaglia d'Oro), this March foal fetched $265,000 from Ciaran Dunne's Red Wings Enterprises at last year's Keeneland September Sale and lit up the tote at OBSMAR to the tune of $900,000 after working a furlong in :9 4/5. B-Woods Edge Farm LLC (KY)
5th-SAP, ¥13,720,000 ($94k), Newcomers, 2yo, 2000mT KINGS CROWN (JPN) (c, 2, Yoshida {Jpn}–Tulips Galore, by Giant's Causeway) is the first Japanese starter for his WinStar-based stallion and was acquired in utero for $45,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale. The unplaced dam is a half-sister to New York-bred stakes winner Gambling Girl (Dialed In), runner-up in this year's GI Kentucky Oaks, third in the GI CCA Oaks and entered for Saturday's GI Alabama S. at Saratoga. The colt's third dam Eventail (Lear Fan), a half-sister to Take Charge Lady (Dehere), is responsible for Heart's Cry's dual Japanese listed winner Strong Souther (Jpn) as well as GSW Straight Story (Giant's Causeway). B-Yuki Dendo
It should be no shock that the path to glory in the GIII Best Pal S. will pass through the barn of Bob Baffert at Del Mar Sunday afternoon. He'll bring back a pair of 'TDN Rising Stars' in $2m OBS March sales topper Muth (Good Magic) and $950,000 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Sale grad Prince of Monaco (Speightstown). Both colts impressed in their lone prior starts–Muth earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure in his gate-to-wire 8 3/4-length blowout at Santa Anita June 18 while Prince of Monaco rolled home by eight in almost an identical time for five furlongs at Los Alamitos July 9.
The only other entry in this five-horse field given any sort of respect on the morning line is Tranche (Collected) for trainer Luis Mendez. While it took him three tries to break his maiden, he graduated in stakes company when taking the Fasig-Tipton Futurity S. by 7 1/4 lengths in gate-to-wire fashion at Santa Anita June 17.
Doug O'Neill's Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief) is the only runner in the bunch to have a win over the Del Mar surface. He took his maiden race by 2 1/4 lengths on debut July 23 for owners Great Friends Stables and Mark Davis.
Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at both Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits.
Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. To follow are the horses entered for Saturday at Saratoga, Ellis Park and Del Mar and including any already-raced 2yo sales grads entered for the afternoon's juvenile graded stakes at the seaside oval:
Sunday, August 13, 2023 Saratoga 2, $136k, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:44 p.m. ET Horse (Sire), Sale, Price ($), Breeze Latte Lizzie (Catalina Cruiser), OBSAPR, 85,000, :10.1 Consigned by Randy Miles, agent Buyer: M D C Partners
Nikitis (Audible), OBSAPR, 535,000, :10 Consignor: Richardson Bloodstock, agent Buyer: Rich Schermerhorn, Jay Hanley & 30 Year Farm
Ellis 4, $70k, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 2:13 p.m. ET Rock Star Doctor (Connect), OBSMAR, 45,000, :21.4 Consignor: Eddie Woods, agent Buyer: Eddie Kenneally, agent
Saratoga 6, $83k, 2yo, f, 6f, 4:00 p.m. ET Azteca Stardust (Sharp Azteca)-AE, FTMMAY, 20,000, :10.4 Consignor: Grassroots Training & Sales LLC, agent Buyer: Frank Catapano & Nicholas Primpas
Day Away (Yoshida {Jpn}), FTJUN, 20,000, :10.3 Consignor: Crane Thoroughbred Services LLC, agent Buyer: Gary Contessa
Echo Lake (Catalina Cruiser), FTMMAY, 40,000, :10.2 Consignor: Paul Sharp, agent Buyer: Steven G Laymon
Handle On You (Solomini)-AE, FTMMAY, 37,000, :10.3 Consignor: Kings Equine, agent Buyer: Thorostock, agent
Lady Prospect (Runhappy), FTMMAY, 45,000, :10.1 Consignor: Six K's Training & Sales LLC, agent Buyer: Jon Taisey, agt for Big Dom Racing, Hibiscus & Big Toe (PS)
Del Mar 3, $82k, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 6:08 p.m. Acoustic Melody (Arrogate), OBSAPR, 250,000, :10.2 Consignor: White Lilac (Katie Miranda), agent Buyer: Mike Ryan, agent for Peter Redekop BC Ltd
Del Mar 4, Best Pal S.-GIII, 2yo, 6f, 6:38 p.m. ET Muth (Good Magic), OBSMAR, 2,000,000, :9.3 Consignor: Top Line Sales LLC, agent Buyer: Donato Lanni, agent
Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief), OBSAPR, 75,000, :10 Consignor: Randy Bradshaw, agent Buyer: Steve Rothblum, agent for Mark Davis
