Tag: Pirate

Saturday Insights: ‘Rising Star’ Pirate Returns After Break To Raid Keeneland

2nd-KEE, $110K, OC/N1X, 3yo, 6f, 1:32 p.m. ET.
PIRATE (Omaha Beach) begins his 3-year-old campaign after he broke his maiden at first asking and secured 'TDN Rising Star' honors last July at Saratoga. The dark bay then ran third to Nutella Fella (Runhappy) and fellow 'Rising Star' Timberlake in the GI Hopeful S. just before the meet upstate closed for the summer.

A $350,000 purchase by Starlight Racing and Harrell Ventures at the Keeneland September Sale, the Todd Pletcher trainee is a half-brother to GI Preakness S. and GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. hero National Treasure (Quality Road) and SW Ultimate (Speightstown). Pirate's dam is a half-sister to MSW Inspired (Unbridled's Song), who produced GSP Carmel Road (Quality Road). TJCIS PPS

3rd-KEE, $100K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 2:04 p.m. ET.
TIMEOUT (Curlin) has posted some sharp recent works for trainer Bill Mott at Payson Park in preparation for this debut. The hombred for Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider, out of MGSW Lull (War Front), has an extended female family which includes Horse of the Year winners Saint Liam (Sant Ballado) and Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}.

Under the colors of Charles Fipke, another homebred set for his first start is D'oro Unbridled (Medaglia d'Oro). The Ignacio Correas trainee's dam GISW Unbridled Forever (Unbridled's Song) counts as a full-sister Forever Unbridled. Both are out of GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Lemons Forever (Lemon Drop Kid).

Finally, Counter Attack (Gun Runner) makes the races for an ownership group which includes his breeder Three Chimneys Farm. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the colt was an $825,000 Keeneland September buy for M.V. Magnier and Breeze Easy. Counter Attack's third dam is responsible for GISW Midnight Storm (Pioneerof the Nile). TJCIS PPS

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Nutella Fella Another Stakes Upsetter For Contessa In Hopeful

Trainer Gary Contessa, who sprang a 21-1 upset in the opening-day GIII Schuylerville S., brought the curtain down on the 2023 Saratoga season with another shocker when 54-1 outsider Nutella Fella (Runhappy) ran down the field late to take the GI Hopeful S. Monday in upstate New York. Fractious behind the gate and away slowly, Nutella Fella was well back in last as a four-way speed battle developed up front. After tacking onto the rest of the field approaching the three-eighths pole, Nutella Fella was committed to an inside run into the stretch before swinging out in search of running room. Favored 'TDN Rising Star' Timberlake (Into Mischief), who had raced keenly up on the heels of the pacesetters through fractions of :22.19 and :44.89, and was mired in traffic down the lane, was finally muscling his way to the lead inside the final furlong, but Nutella Fella was making eye-catching progress on the far outside to edge past the favorite late while racing on his incorrect lead. 'TDN Rising Star' Pirate (Omaha Beach) covered ground and ran on bravely for third.

“We kind of figured he was going to break slow from the gate because he's a moron in the gate, and I just was hoping there'd be plenty of speed, which there was,” Contessa said. “When they said :22 flat, I was thinking, 'This is great.' Then Junior [Alvarado] went from the inside to the outside and I thought he rode him masterfully. He saved ground when he could and then ultimately went outside and got the money.”

Nutella Fella, owned by Nick and Delora Beaver's Bell Gable Stable, was a first-out winner going 5 1/2 furlongs at Delaware July 26 for the couple's trainer Richard Sillaman. Contessa had been serving as the Bell Gable private trainer since 2021, but gave up day-to-day operations earlier this year and now serves as the operation's general manager. Bell Gable was the leading owner at Delaware Park in 2022 and 2023.

Despite his 2 1/4-length victory, it was not all smooth sailing for Nutella Fella in his debut.

“That [his gate issues today] was a minor incident today compared to what he did at Delaware, so it's a work in progress, but it's a big improvement over the last time,” Contessa said. “When I looked at the field I said, 'This is a salty field, but if you look at his workouts, they've been phenomenal.' So, it's kind of like [Schuylerville winner] Becky's Joker. He had the workouts and the question was, is he good enough? Sure enough, he is.”

As for next targets for Nutella Fella, Contessa said, “[Oct. 7 GI] Champagne to [Nov. 3] Breeders' Cup, unless he throws us a curve. He's going to stay up here the next six weeks with me and we'll be racing in the Champagne from here. I think [he'll get two turns]. It looked like it today.”

The Hopeful lost a potential headliner when 'TDN Rising Star' Muth (Good Magic), the 5-2 morning-line favorite, was scratched by trainer Bob Baffert Monday morning.

The $2-million OBS March topper romped by 8 3/4 lengths in his June 18 debut at Santa Anita and was coming off a runner-up effort behind stablemate Prince of Monaco (Speightstown) in the Aug. 13 GIII Best Pal S.

“I was coming back a little quick and I looked at that field and it's pretty salty,” Baffert told Daily Racing Form's Dave Grening, adding the colt will be re-routed to the Oct. 7 GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita.

Pedigree Notes:

Nutella Fella is the fourth graded winner for champion sprinter Runhappy, who had been the title sponsor of the Hopeful for the last four years. He is the eighth Grade I winner for broodmare sire Candy Ride (Arg).

Krissy's Candy, a half-sister to graded-placed Meal Penalty (Tale of the Cat) and Danny Boy (Harlan's Holiday), has a yearling colt by War of Will–who is catalogued as hip 2588 at next week's Keeneland September sale–and a weanling colt by Yaupon. She was bred back to Uncle Mo.

The mare was bred by the Lyster family's Ashview Farm and Colts Neck Stables and was purchased by Mike Ryan on behalf of e Five Racing for $210,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September sale. She made two starts in the e Five colors before being claimed by Stephen Lyster for $50,000 at Churchill in the fall of 2017. She made one start for Lyster and was bred to Street Sense in 2019. Nutella Fella is her second foal.

Ashview purchased Nutella Fella's second dam, 2003 GII Adirondack S. runner-up Unbridled Beauty, for $135,000 at the 2011 Keeneland November sale. The winner's third dam, Dreamscape, produced Sophia's Song (Bellamy Road), the dam of Saturday's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Bright Future (Curlin).

Monday, Saratoga
HOPEFUL S.-GI, $300,000, Saratoga, 9-4, 2yo, 7f, 1:24.41, ft.
1–NUTELLA FELLA, 120, c, 2, by Runhappy
                1st Dam: Krissy's Candy, by Candy Ride (Arg)
                2nd Dam: Unbridled Beauty, by Unbridled's Song
                3rd Dam: Dreamscape, by Mt. Livermore
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE
I WIN. ($12,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Bell Gable Stable LLC;
B-Ashview Farm (KY); T-Gary C. Contessa; J-Junior Alvarado.
$165,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $187,800.
Werk Nick Rating: B.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Timberlake, 120, c, 2, Into Mischief–Pin Up (Ire), by Lookin At
Lucky. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE,
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($350,000 Ylg '22
KEESEP). O-Siena Farm LLC and WinStar Farm LLC; B-St. Elias
Stables, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $60,000.
3–Pirate, 120, c, 2, Omaha Beach–Treasure, by Medaglia d'Oro.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($350,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Harrell
Ventures, LLC and Starlight Racing; B-Peter E. Blum
Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $36,000.
Margins: 1HF, NK, 2HF. Odds: 54.50, 2.15, 10.10.
Also Ran: Be You, Mission Beach, Gold Sweep, Just Steel, Baytown Chatterbox, Valentine Candy, Yo Yo Candy. Scratched: Muth.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

 

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Market Street Will Try Turf in With Anticipation

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In an atypical move, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said that GIII Saratoga Special S. runner-up Market Street (Street Sense) will likely make his next start on grass in the Aug. 31 GIII With Anticipation S.

Lukas, 87, built his exceptional career with dirt horses and most years saddles far fewer horses on the grass. So far in 2023, just six of his 193 starters (3%) have run on turf. Since the beginning of 2019, 11.9% of his starters have been on turf. His most recent graded stakes winner on turf was Skyring (English Channel) in the 2014 GII Mervin Muniz Jr. H.

In the last four-and-a-half seasons, Lukas has had 38 2-year-old starters on turf from a total of 301 runners (12.6%) and has a record of 0-1-4.

Conditions permitting, Lukas's first 2-year-old runner on the grass this year could be Seize the Grey (Arrogate) Friday in the Skidmore S. With a rain forecast of 90% Thursday night and 100% Friday, there is a good chance that the New York Racing Association will move the turf races to the dirt.

Lukas has targeted the 1 1/16 miles With Anticipation for Market Street because he is planning to run Just Steel (Justify) in the GI Hopeful Sept. 4. Just Steel finished second by three lengths to 'TDN Rising Star' Pirate (Omaha Beach) on July 15 and broke his maiden by a nose on Aug. 5.

Market Street set the early pace in the 6 1/2-furlong Saratoga Special, but Rhyme Schemes (Ghostzapper) unleashed an impressive run in the stretch and matched his Ellis Park maiden score with a 9 1/2-length victory. Lukas said he was pleased with Market Street's run in the Special–“I thought it was good enough,” he said–even though he was a distant second to a spectacular performance.

“That's what happens up here,” he said. “You run a real good race and all of a sudden you look up and there's one that is really good. You have to deal with them.”

Lukas said Market Street will not train on the turf before the With Anticipation, but with his running style should be able to handle the surface change.

“We're not smart enough to have a crystal ball to tell whether they like it or not,” he said. “That's always a conversation among trainers. I always say, 'I don't think anybody knows till they try it.' I've really got a couple other horses backed up, so it's kind of a nice fit for him to drop in there.”

Lukas noted that in this wet summer at Saratoga Race Course the With Anticipation might end up on the dirt.

Through Wednesday's racing, Lukas has a record at Saratoga of 2-9-0 from 25 starters. Both of his wins and five of his seconds have come from 13 starts with 2-year-olds. He said he has five maidens in his barn.

“Our 2-year-olds should all come around a second time now pretty strong,” Lukas said.

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Forte And Tapit Trice Breeze Together Towards Travers; Nest To Personal Ensign

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte (Violence) and Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable's Tapit Trice (Tapit), both 'TDN Rising Stars', worked in company over the main track Thursday in preparation for the GI Travers S. August 26 at Saratoga.

Forte, with regular pilot Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, worked without blinkers to the outside of Tapit Trice, who was guided through the half-mile breeze by exercise rider Fernando Rivera. Both workmates stopped the clock in :48.33.

“I thought both horses worked extremely well–both were moving really well and good gallop outs,” said Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. “They came back and cooled out quickly. We got what we were hoping for.”

It was the first breeze back for both horses after Forte's narrow score in the GII Jim Dandy S. July 29 at the Spa and Tapit Trice's fifth-place effort in the GI Haskell S. July 22 at Monmouth Park.

Pletcher said he would like to see Tapit Trice be more involved early in his races.

“He reacts well to the doors opening, but he just doesn't get away from the gate real quickly and I think that's compromised his chances in a couple of races,” Pletcher said.

 

With Luis Saez committed to ride Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) in the Travers, Pletcher said it is likely either Jose Ortiz or Flavien Prat would pick up the mount aboard Tapit Trice.

Meanwhile, Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House's reigning Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Nest (Curlin) worked a half-mile in :49.44 in company with sophomore maiden filly Sister Maha (American Pharoah).

“I thought she was impressive. I had her coming home in 23 and a couple and just galloped out really strongly,” said Pletcher of the work.

Nest made a triumphant return from an eight-month layoff to best MGISW Clairiere (Curlin) in the GII Shuvee S. July 23 at the Spa.

“She seems to thrive on racing,” Pletcher said. “I was little concerned running her a mile and an eighth off the layoff from the Breeders' Cup and it seems like the race moved her forward. Everything does seem to come easily to her and I'm amazed the way she maintains her fitness and comes out of her races,” Pletcher continued. “We noticed it last year in the Belmont. It was a concern running a filly against colts at a mile and a half and is there some risk it could knock her out a little bit, but it did just the opposite. It moved her forward.”

Nest is targeting the GI Personal Ensign S. August 25 at Saratoga Race Course.

Pletcher said Harrel Ventures and Starlight Racing's maiden winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Pirate (Omaha Beach), who earned a 77 Beyer for his debut win July 15, will train up to the GI Hopeful S. Sept. 4 at the Spa.

“I don't know that he needed more time, but I felt with the Grade I status of the Hopeful that we'd be taking our best shot at it by not running in between the maiden race and there,” Pletcher said.

Also targeting the Personal Ensign is Rigney Racing's GISW Played Hard (Into Mischief), who scratched from the Shuevee with a fever days before the race. She logged a five-furlong breeze in 1:00.05 in company with the stakes-placed 4-year-old gelding Warrior Johny [1:01.14] over the Saratoga main track Thursday.

“When I'm looking for a strong work, I like to give a horse a target,” said trainer Phil Bauer. “We knew the horse in front of her is a quality individual, so we were going to get the work we wanted.”

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