Debuted sprinting as the favorite over the dirt May 19, the gray filly earned 'TDN Rising Star' status with a 6 1/2-length win from off the pace. Shipped to Ellis Park for a run in the Debutante S., she was a beaten favorite July 2 by just a half-length to undefeated GISW Brightwork (Outwork). Back to where it all began under the Twin Spires, the 6-5 favorite found herself sitting pretty in third just a furlong into the race as pacesetters Hot Beach (Omaha Beach) and Youalmosthadme (Oxbow) settled into a duel through a :22.83 opening quarter. Caught between rivals early, V V's Dream tugged her way into a clear third even as the front pair had separated themselves from the field into the far turn. Moving under her own power around the bend, the 'Rising Star' came with an outside bid to swoop three-wide past both early leaders. From there, it was only a matter of who would finish second as the daughter of freshman stallion Mitole (by Eskendereya) opened up on the dueling pair and won as easily as she liked going away.

“She sat in a perfect spot just behind the two pacesetters,” said winning jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. “She got a little bit of a breather around the turn and really went by them own her own. She's won impressively in two starts here. I think stretching out around two turns shouldn't be a problem in the future.”

“She's still young but has shown a lot of talent already,” added assistant trainer Greg Geier. “She spent the summer in New York training for this race. It's been the plan to run here in the Pocahontas and then to the Breeders' Cup. I don't see why she wouldn't improve stretching out in distance after this.”

Saturday, Churchill Downs
POCAHONTAS S.-GIII, $300,000, Churchill Downs, 9-16, 2yo, f, 1m, 1:36.45, ft.
1–V V'S DREAM, 122, f, 2, by Mitole
                1st Dam: Quay, by Tapit
                2nd Dam: Skipper Tale, by Tale of the Cat
                3rd Dam: Pretty 'n Smart, by Beau Genius
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($130,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-MJM Racing; B-Mark Stansell (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek; J-Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. $183,105. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $297,605, first SW for freshman sire (by Eskendereya). Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Youalmosthadme, 122, f, 2, Oxbow–Good Gator, by Good and Tough. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($12,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Qatar Racing LLC, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson and Black Type Thoroughbreds; B-Pope McLean, Marc McLean & Pope McLean Jr. (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $59,550.
3–Hot Beach, 122, f, 2, Omaha Beach–Hot Water, by Medaglia d'Oro. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($160,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $400,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG). O-Boardshorts Stables, LLC; B-Cobalt Investments, LLC (KY); T-Brian A. Lynch. $29,775.
Margins: 8 3/4, 3/4, 5HF. Odds: 1.20, 2.48, 3.53.
Also Ran: Courbe, Riperton, Regal Rumor. Scratched: Empire Island, Peignoir, Raining Sugar.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

#6 V V'S DREAM ($4.40) gets a “dream trip” under @b_hernandezjr after quick fractions in the early part of the G3 Pocahontas Stakes at @ChurchillDowns. Congratulations to @McPeekRacing and MJM Racing. Another graded stakes winner for Mitole. pic.twitter.com/k5RNF9gtu4

— TVG (@TVG) September 16, 2023

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The winner didn't have any speed in the 12-horse field and settled in the back, second from last yet well in front of Naughty Gal (Into Mischief), the GIII Adirondack S. winner who trailed throughout. After favored Grand Love (Gun Runner) showed the way through :23.74 and :48.07 early fractions, Fun and Feisty remained well behind but was stealthily edging up. Eyes may have been on Grand Love and Friendlypersuasion (Arrogate) exchanging bumps in the stretch, but they were both mugged as Fun and Feisty flew by cleanly on the outside for a widening 3 1/2-length score. Shoplifter (Super Saver), who had been tracking all the way, dove to the inside in late stretch and overpowered Grand Love for the runner-up spot.

“No surprise at all really,” said McPeek immediately following the race. “This was a filly we thought was really good for a long time but she's going to want to go further and I think we're going to have a lot of fun. The [Oct. 7 GI Darley] Alcibiades is next.”

Fun and Fiesty debuted July 4 at Churchill Downs with a sixth going six furlongs and improved to second July 23 when stretched out to seven furlongs at Ellis Park. Third time was a charm, as she broke her maiden Aug. 13 on the Arlington Million card at Churchill even though cut back again to six panels. The Pocahontas marked both her first stretch out and her first stakes win.

The first qualifying race toward next year's GI Kentucky Oaks, worth 10 points to Fun and Feisty, the Pocahontas also went to McPeek in 2015 with Dothraki Queen (Pure Prize) and in 2016 with Daddys Lil Darling (Scat Daddy). Fun and Feisty, a $100,000 McPeek purchase at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale, was the priciest of the three. McPeek had picked up Dothraki Queen for $35,000 at Keeneland September and eventually transformed her into a $950,000 Fasig-Tipton November broodmare prospect, while Daddys Lil Darling was a Normandy Farm homebred, eventual GISW, and brought $3.5 million at Fasig-Tipton November.

Pedigree Notes:

The unraced Grouse Grind, a $6,000 purchase by Carlisle Horse Co. at the 2021 Keeneland January sale while carrying a full-sister to Fun and Feisty, has a 2022 colt already named Rule Number Nine (Jimmy Creed) and was bred back to Gormley. The now-yearling full-sister to Fun and Feisty was sold as a weanling at Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic December sale for $36,000 to Cary Frommer. With the Pocahontas score, Fun and Feisty has the first black-type in the immediate family line since her third dam produced a pair of graded winners in Fairbanks (Giant's Causeway) and Keats (Hennessy). That great-granddam is also a half-sister to GSW & MGISP Darn That Alarm (Jig Time).

The 39th black-type winner and eighth graded winner by Darley stallion Midshipman, Fun and Feisty is the 11th stakes winner out of a daughter of First Samurai, who stands at Claiborne.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
POCAHONTAS S.-GIII, $297,536, Churchill Downs, 9-17, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:45.86, ft.
1–FUN AND FEISTY, 122, f, 2, by Midshipman
1st Dam: Grouse Grind, by First Samurai
 2nd Dam: Artic Queen, by Mr. Greeley
 3rd Dam: Alaska Queen, by Time for a Change
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($13,000 Ylg
'21 KEEJAN; $100,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL). O-Lucky Seven Stable
(Mackin); B-J Stephen McDonald (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek;
J-Julien R. Leparoux. $174,735. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0,
$257,311. Werk Nick Rating: D+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Shoplifter, 122, f, 2, Super Saver–New Shaker, by Bernstein.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($12,000 Ylg '21
FTKOCT). O-Anderson Stables, LLC, Eddie Kenneally & Christian
Hays; B-Douglas Scharbauer (KY); T-Eddie Kenneally. $56,850.
3–Grand Love, 122, f, 2, Gun Runner–Grand Prayer, by
Grand Slam. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
O/B-Three Chimneys Farm, LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.
$28,425.
Margins: 3HF, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 6.23, 14.73, 1.06.
Also Ran: Boss Lady Bailey, Friendlypersuasion, Jet Setting, Southlawn, Outofnothingatall, Need Some Money, Kiss Me On Oconee, Justa Warrior, Naughty Gal.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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The $1-million GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile serves, along with the Queen's Plate, as the centerpiece of the Woodbine meet, and this year's renewal features an 11-horse field that includes last year's winner Town Cruise (Town Prize), who will be looking to bounce back from three off-the-board finishes following his wire-to-wire score in this race last September. The likely favorite, however, will be Godolphin's Modern Games (Dubawi {Ire}), who returns to America for the first time after his controversial purse-money-only win in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

Trained by Charlie Appleby, who swept the three Grade I's on this card last year, Modern Games started his 3-year-old campaign off with a score in the G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains before running third in the G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club, fifth in the G1 Haras d'Etreham Prix Jean Prat and second when last seen in the G1 Qatar Sussex S. July 27 at Goodwood.

Appleby doesn't have an entry in this year's GI Natalma S. for juvenile turf fillies, but will be represented by last-out G3 Circus Maximus Prix Francois Boutin hero Mysterious Night (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the GI Summer S. Other contenders in that one-mile test for juvenile turf males include Klaravich Stables' Appraise (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) for Chad Brown and Philip My Dear (Silent Name {Jpn}), who overcame stretch traffic to take the local Soaring Free S. Aug. 20.

Stakes action over the flat at 'Belmont at the Big A' will get underway with the GIII Caesars Jockey Club Derby Invitational and GIII Jockey Club Oaks Invitational for 3-year-old turf males and fillies, respectively. The former features a rubber match between Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway), who upset the July 9 GI Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational S. and Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who was second that day and exacted revenge when taking the GI Caesars Saratoga Derby Invitational S. Aug. 6 at the Spa. Adding intrigue is progressive German invader Ardakan (GB) (Reliable Man {GB}). Trained by Markus Klug, the gray scored a victory in the G2 Premio Derby Italiano May 22 and was eighth in the G1 German Derby before running third last out with a 111 Timeform Rating against elders in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin Aug. 14 at Hoppegarten.

The Jockey Club Oaks also features a hopeful for Germany, Toskana Belle (Fr) (Shamalgan {Fr}), who ships in for legendary German trainer Andreas Wohler. The chestnut, who captured the G1 German Oaks Aug. 7 at Dusseldorf, looks like the only realistic alternative to Klaravich Stables' McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who annexed the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. July 9 before running second in the G3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational S. Aug. 7.

Churchill Downs will host five stakes Saturday, including Kentucky's first two graded events for 2-year-olds in the GIII Iroquois S. and GIII Pocahontas S., which are also the first two-turn graded dirt races for juveniles on the calendar in the U.S. The clear horse to beat in the Pocahontas for fillies is Three Chimneys Farm's Grand Love (Gun Runner), who was an impressive 4 3/4-length debut victress Aug. 21 at Saratoga with an 84 Beyer, nine points higher than the closest figure run by any rival.

The Iroquois looks much more competitive on paper, with undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Damon's Mound (Girvin), who followed up a 12 1/2-length debut romp with a 3 1/4-length score in the GII Saratoga Special S., clashing with fellow 'Rising Stars' Jace's Road (Quality Road) and Echo Again (Gun Runner), each of whom steps into stakes company after dominant first-out scores last month. Echo Again ran the fastest Beyer of any 2-year-old this summer at Saratoga, receiving a 94 for his 6 3/4-length rout when bet down to 3-5 Aug. 20.

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The 9-5 favorite got over from her outside draw and was three wide rounding the clubhouse turn. She found an ideal spot to press the early leader from second through fractions of :24.26 and :48.62. She took over within her own restraint approaching the quarter pole and put on a show down the stretch in her two-turn debut to win by an eye-catching 9 1/4 lengths, setting a new stakes record.

“She was working at Keeneland this spring before we went to Colonial,” said trainer Bret Calhoun. “When she was working there I thought she could be special. Then we went to Colonial and she won so impressively on debut. She didn't have as much experience as some of the horses in this race but she backed up that win very well. If she comes out of things OK you'd have to think she's on to the Breeders' Cup.”

Hidden Connection, a flashy runaway debut winner with a strong 84 Beyer Speed Figure stopping the timer in 1:02 1/5 going 5 1/2 furlongs at Colonial Aug. 17, is the first stakes winner for her freshman sire (by Curlin). Black Type Thoroughbreds joined the ownership line following her debut romp for Hidden Brook Farm.

The final time for 1 1/16 miles for the Pocahontas was 1:43.78.

Pedigree Notes:

Hidden Connection is the first black-type winner for her freshman sire, who stands at Lane's End near Versailles in Central Kentucky. Winner of the 2016 GI Cigar Mile, Connect is a son of Curlin and has 120 current 2-year-olds. Twelve are winners to date, with Queen Camilla and Kneesnhips joining Hidden Connection as stakes horses, but only the latter is undefeated with a graded win on her CV. The winner's dam has a February-foaled weanling filly by Palace Malice and was bred back to Frosted. C J's Gal was sold as a sophomore at the 2016 Keeneland January sale, where she brought $9,500 from St. Simon Place, breeder of Hidden Connection. A daughter of Awesome Again, damsire of 85 stakes winners and who also counts the aforementioned Queen Camilla as an additional stakes horse out of one of his daughters, C J's Gal is out of a mare who is a half-sister to 2013 GI King's Bishop S. winner Capo Bastone (Street Boss).

Saturday, Churchill Downs
POCAHONTAS S.-GIII, $299,700, Churchill Downs, 9-18, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:43.78, ft.
1–HIDDEN CONNECTION, 118, f, 2, by Connect
               1st Dam: C J's Gal, by Awesome Again
               2nd Dam: C J's Leelee, by Mizzen Mast
               3rd Dam: Fight to Love, by Fit to Fight
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($49,000
RNA Wlg '19 KEENOV; $40,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $55,000 RNA
2yo '21 OBSAPR; $85,000 2yo '21 OBSOPN). O-Hidden Brook
Farm & Black Type Thoroughbreds; B-St. Simon Place (KY);
T-W. Bret Calhoun; J-Reylu Gutierrez. $177,525. Lifetime
Record: 2-2-0-0, $207,525. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. *First SW for
freshman sire (by Curlin).
2–Mama Rina, 118, f, 2, Gormley–Honky Tonk Rose, by
Forest Wildcat. ($31,000 Ylg '20 KEEJAN; $65,000 Ylg '20
KEESEP). O-Harold Lerner LLC, AWC Stables, Scott K. Akman,
Nehoc Stables, Paul Braverman, & Magdalena Racing; B-Lee
McMillin, Randy Faulkner & Joe Travelsted (KY); T-Kenneth
McPeek. $57,750.
3–Goddess of Fire, 118, f, 2, Mineshaft–Feel That Fire, by
Lightnin N Thunder. O/B-Red Oak Stable (Brunetti) (KY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher. $28,875.
Margins: 9 1/4, NK, 1. Odds: 1.80, 30.70, 5.00.
Also Ran: Code for Success, Majestic d'Oro, Ontheonesandtwos, Miss Chamita, Kneesnhips, Maxine Machine, Lemieux. Scratched: Joyrunner.
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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Girl Daddy tracked a fast early pace, first from midfield before improving to be third and three deep rounding the turn. Cut loose by Talamo leaving the quarter pole, the $500,000 Keeneland September yearling opened a bit of daylight and was always holding favored fellow ‘Rising Star’ Crazy Beautiful (Liam’s Map) in the run to the wire. The chalk lingered at the back of the pack early and made stealthy progress into the final three furlongs, but was stopped behind horses. Bumping with Xtrema (Exaggerator) cost her a bit more momentum and she finished a meritorious second. Alexandria (Constitution) came home a distant third.

“This filly was super impressive with that fast pace up front,” said trainer Dale Romans, winning the Pocahontas for the fourth time. “They were running really fast but Joe [Talamo] got her in a great spot. She’s shown some incredible talent for this stage of her career. It’s exciting having a filly developing this quickly. We’re thrilled to only have to take a short trip down the road to Keeneland for the Breeders’ Cup.”

Girl Daddy was favored at 9-5 for her July 24 debut at Ellis Park and missed the break by a couple of lengths. She made good mid-race progress and loomed up full of run before sprinting home to graduate by 5 1/2 lengths in a performance that didn’t set figure-makers’ heads spinning, but was nonetheless highly impressive.

Pedigree Notes:

Girl Daddy continues a remarkable run for her sire, who has now been represented by 65 stakes winners, 37 graded winners and 12 in 2020. She is also the 183rd black-type winner and 96th graded winner produced by a daughter of the late Unbridled’s Song. The same cross is responsible for Uncle Chuck, winner of this year’s GIII Los Alamitos Derby.

Girl Daddy is the second foal from her dam, who did her best running on the grass, winning the Indy Star S. and finishing third in the GII Lake George S. for Three Chimneys Farm and Kellyn Gorder. China Horse Club acquired Cara Marie for $650,000 in foal to Speightstown at Keeneland November in 2016 and sold that produce, a filly now name Sosua, for $260,000 at Keeneland September in 2018. Cara Marie is a half-sister to SW & GSP Abby’s Angel (Touch Gold), the dam of Comicas (Distorted Humor), a GSW & G1SP sprinter in Dubai.

Barren to Gun Runner for 2019, Cara Marie foaled a Quality Road colt this year and was bred back to Uncle Mo.

Thursday, Churchill Downs
POCAHONTAS S.-GIII, $200,000, Churchill Downs, 9-3, 2yo, f, 1m, 1:34.94, ft.
1–GIRL DADDY, 118, f, 2, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Cara Marie (SW & GSP, $103,650), by Unbridled’s Song
2nd Dam: Miss Kilroy, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Miss Caerleona (Fr), by Caerleon
‘TDN Rising Star’ 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES
WIN. ($500,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC;
B-China Horse Club International Limited (KY); T-Dale L.
Romans; J-Joseph Talamo. $119,040. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0,
$141,240. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+.
2–Crazy Beautiful, 120, f, 2, Liam’s Map–Indian Burn, by Indian
Charlie. ‘TDN Rising Star’ ($250,000 Ylg ’19 FTKOCT).
O-Phoenix Thoroughbred, LTD; B-Carolyn R Vogel (KY);
T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $38,400.
3–Alexandria, 120, f, 2, Constitution–Spring Water, by Spring At
Last. O-Winstar Farm LLC, Blazing Meadows Farm LLC &
Michael Lewis; B-Blazing Meadows Farm LLC & WinStar Farm,
LLC (OH); T-Timothy E. Hamm. $19,200.
Margins: 2, 3 3/4, 5 3/4. Odds: 3.30, 1.70, 14.30.
Also Ran: Xtrema, Fabricate, Mania, American Grace, Inject, Blissful Change. Scratched: Ava’s Grace, Dream Quist, Scat’s Choice. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Also a winner at first asking, Phoenix Thoroughbred’s Crazy Beautiful (Liam’s Map) got the job done going a mile over the Ellis turf July 5 before overcoming a whole mess of trouble in the Aug. 9 Debutante S. and still managing to come home a 3 3/4-length winner in a TDN Rising Star-earning performance.

Rounding out the TDN Rising Star triumvirate is Girl Daddy (Uncle Mo), who made short work of her rivals while going six panels at Ellis July 24. In the irons that day was Joe Talamo, who led the jockey standings at the recently concluded Ellis summer meeting, gets the call in the Pocahontas.

Russell Welch’s American Grace (American Pharoah) was favored for her career bow going seven furlongs at Ellis Aug. 7 and did not disappoint, coming home a 2 1/2 length winner. Sharpened with a four-furlong move in :48 flat at Churchill Aug, 28, the Larry Jones trainee reunites with Gabe Saez in this stakes debut.

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