So far, Tarifa (f, 3, Bernardini–Kite Beach, by Awesome Again) is following the script laid out last year by Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) perfectly. Like her year-older fellow Godolphin homebred, she, too, was named a 'TDN Rising Star' on debut. In a replay of last year, she, too, won the Rachel Alexandra for her first graded score. Will she follow suit with a GI Kentucky Oaks win and ultimately an Eclipse championship after a stellar 3-year-old campaign?

Over a sloppy and sealed Fair Grounds track darkened by both the weather and the hour, Tarifa bounded cleanly out of the inside gate. She held on to her rail spot as Flavien Prat restrained her lightly in third while letting SP Perfect Shot (Gun Runner) and Untapable S. winner Alpine Princess (Classic Empire) lead the way through :24.37 and :48.55 early quarters. With positions unchanged going into the turn, GSW & GISP V V's Dream (Mitole), also a 'TDN Rising Star', joined Tarifa to the outside briefly until Tarifa was let loose. She tipped out with great energy, swapped to her wrong lead for several strides as her momentum carried her past the leaders, and quickly refocused when corrected back to her proper lead. She found another gear to finish a much-the-best, 2 3/4-length winner over GSW Intricate (Gun Runner). Final time for the 8 1/2 furlongs was 1:45.28.

“She jumped very well and showed some early speed. From there we got to the first turn and I was able to get myself to the pocket,” said Prat. “She traveled well all the way around and kicked home.”

Tarifa made her sophomore debut Jan. 20 over a fast Fair Grounds surface at a mile and 70 yards with an 86 Beyer Speed Figure with Florent Geroux in the irons and blinkers removed. Geroux, who had ridden her in all three previous starts, stuck with Tarifa's Brad Cox-trained stablemate, Alpine Princess, Saturday. Sandwiched between that Jan. 20 win and her ultra-impressive, six-length 'Rising Star' Keeneland debut in October, Tarifa had finished flat in an off-the-board November optional allowance at Churchill.

“She acted like she could run before we debuted her at Keeneland,” said Cox. “I thought running her on the Beard Course made sense for her. The second race at Churchill going a mile was a head scratcher. She responded well here in January. She jumped out well, got a good early position, tracked the leaders, and really stretched out well. The Rachel Alexandra has been a great path to the Kentucky Oaks and we've had some success with that route. This is a good filly and we will keep marching forward.”

As has been well documented, four winners of the Rachel Alexandra in the past decade have won the Kentucky Oaks. The Rachel Alexandra offers 105 qualifying points for the Oaks, with the first five finishers earning points on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale. While Godolphin's win in the Rachel Alexandra last year was with trainer Brendan Walsh, who trains runner-up Intricate here, Cox previously won the race in 2022 with Turnerloose (Nyquist) and in 2018 with Monomoy Girl (Tapizar). The latter was one of the four who pulled off the Rachel Alexandra/Kentucky Oaks double in the last 10 years.

#1 Tarifa takes on stakes company for the first time and earns 50 points towards the Kentucky Oaks in the Rachel Alexandra S. @fairgroundsnola for trainer @bradcoxracing with Flavien Prat aboard!

#TwinSpiresReplay #FG152 @johngdooley pic.twitter.com/pSERoU0Y76

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) February 18, 2024

Pedigree Notes:

Classic winner, Eclipse champion, and leading sire Bernardini, a Darley homebred who stood at Darley's Jonabell Farm in Central Kentucky before his death at 18 due to complications from laminitis, is the sire of 87 worldwide black-type winners. While Tarifa is the first Rachel Alexandra winner among his 53 graded winners, he is the sire of the lone filly out of the race's namesake and that daughter–Rachel's Valentina–won the 2015 GI Spinaway S. Bernardini has top-class winners in nearly all categories and is also well established as one of the sport's leading broodmare sires. His final crop will race this year.

Although Tarifa is Bernardini's first stakes winner out of an Awesome Again mare, he has three graded winners out of daughters of Awesome Again's sire, Deputy Minister. They include Grade I winners To Honor and Serve and Angela Renee. Awesome Again has 102 stakes winners out of his own daughters.

Kite Beach, the unraced dam of Tarifa, was a Godolphin homebred after her dam, GSW Tizdubai (Cee's Tizzy), was purchased by the operation for $950,000 at the Keeneland November sale of 2001. Tizdubai is a full-sister to Horse of the Year and two-time GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Tiznow, as well as to MGSW and Classic runner-up Budroyale. Kite Beach was sold twice after Tarifa was born and most recently went to Calumet Farm for $115,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed sale. She has a 2-year-old full-sister to Tarifa named Josie's Girl, who was sold to Matthew Davis for $105,000 at last summer's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling sale, and a yearling Knicks Go colt. She was bred to Calumet's Lexitonian for 2024.

Saturday, Fair Grounds
RACHEL ALEXANDRA S. PRESENTED BY FASIG-TIPTON-GII, $291,000, Fair Grounds, 2-17, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:45.28, sy.
1–TARIFA, 122, f, 3, by Bernardini
           1st Dam: Kite Beach, by Awesome Again
           2nd Dam: Tizdubai, by Cee's Tizzy
           3rd Dam: Cee's Song, by Seattle Song
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. 'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $278,925. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Intricate, 122, f, 3, Gun Runner–Complex Analysis, by Distorted Humor. ($200,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $280,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Bradley Thoroughbreds, Laura Leigh Stable, Scott Estes and Cambron Equine, LLC; B-LBD Stable, LLC (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $60,000.
3–Perfect Shot, 122, f, 3, Gun Runner–Meister Legend, by Bodemeister. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($135,000 Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $285,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG). O-Whisper Hill Farm, LLC; B-Sierra Farm (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $30,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 3, 3 1/4. Odds: 2.50, 1.70, 17.60.
Also Ran: Alpine Princess, V V's Dream, Pennick. Scratched: West Omaha.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Deja Vu! Godolphin’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Tarifa Best in Rachel Alexandra appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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This year didn't get off to a good start when Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella reported that 'TDN Rising Star' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro), the beaten favorite in the Juvenile Fillies and a daughter of the great Beholder (Henny Hughes), won't make the Oaks after coming out of the Breeders' Cup with a crack in a splint bone. What's left, however, looks like a solid and deep group.

Here's a look at our first Kentucky Oaks Top 10 for 2024:

1) JUST F Y I (f, Justify–Star Act, by Street Cry {Ire}) O/B-George Krikorian (Ky); T-Bill Mott. Lifetime Record: GISW, 3-3-0-0, $1,317,750. Last start: WON Nov. 3 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Kentucky Oaks Points: 40. Next Start: TBD

The daughter of Justify is a pretty obvious number one. She went 3-for-3 last year, ending her season with a narrow win in the Juvenile Fillies for trainer Bill Mott and is likely to be named champion 2-year-old filly at Thursday's Eclipse Awards. The only knock on her at this point is that she's not particularly fast. On the Beyer scale, her best number was the 79 she ran in the Breeders' Cup. By way of comparison, Pretty Mischievous (into Mischief) ran a 92 when winning the Oaks last year. That she is trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott is a plus as Mott is not known for pushing his 2-year-olds. So look for this one to get even better. Mott will be seeking his first win in the Oaks. He has not mapped out a schedule for Just F Y I yet, but says it's likely she'll make her 3-year-old debut in early March. She had her first work of 2024 on Jan. 15, breezing three furlongs at Payson Park in :37.20.

2) CANDIED (f, Candy Ride {Arg}–Toni Tools, by Roaring Fever) O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Buck Pond Farm, Inc. (Ky); T-Todd A Pletcher. Sales history: $165,000 yrl '22 FTJUL. Lifetime Record: GISW, 3-2-0-1, $595,800. Last start: 3rd Nov. 3 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filles. Kentucky Oaks Points: 19. Next Start: TBD

Sold for the bargain price of $165,000 at Fasig-Tipton July, she showed her class when winning the GI Darley Alcibiades S. by a length in just her second career start. “I thought it was super impressive,” trainer Todd Pletcher said of the Alcibiades win. “It's not only a lot to do for any horse, but when you factor in that she was running against some really seasoned fillies that had multiple starts like Brightwork (Outwork) and (Kenny) McPeek's filly, V V's Dream (Mitole). Those fillies had quite a bit of an experience edge on Candied. For her to stretch out from six furlongs and go to a mile and a sixteenth against those fillies in only her second start that was a tall order, and she delivered an impressive performance.” She followed that up with a good effort in the Juvenile Fillies, where she finished third, beaten just three-quarters of a length. She ran a 78 Beyer in the Juvenile Fillies and will obviously have to improve off of that.

3) JODY'S PRIDE (f, American Pharoah–Jody's Song, by Scat Daddy) O-Parkland Thoroughbreds & Sportsmen Stable; B-Mr. Steve Weston (Ky); T-Jorge R Abreu. Lifetime Record: SW & GISP, 3-2-1-0, $480,250. Last start: 2nd Nov. 3 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Kentucky Oaks Points: 15. Next Start: TBD

Was one of the biggest surprises of the day when second in the Juvenile Fillies at odds of 17-1. With Flavien Prat aboard, she missed by just a neck and was gaining on Just F Y I at the end. She proved a lot that day, as it was her first start beyond six furlongs, the distance of the Matron S., which she won by 3 1/4 lengths. She is by American Pharoah and her connections evidently thought she'd turn out to be a grass horse. Both the Matron and her maiden win at Saratoga came in races that were originally scheduled for the grass. In the days leading up to entry day for the Breeders' Cup, her connections were still debating whether or not she should run in the Juvenile Fillies of in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Has had two published workouts this year, the most recent on Jan. 20 when she went five furlongs in 1:02.05.

4) INTRICATE (f, Gun Runner–Complex Analysis, by Distorted Humor) O-Bradley Thoroughbreds, Laura Leigh Stable, Scot Estes & Cambron Equine, LLC; B-LBD Stable, LLC (Ky); T-Brendan Walsh. Sales history: $200,000 yrl '22 KEESEP; $280,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-0-0, $302,180. Last start: WON Nov. 25 GII Golden Rod S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 10. Next Start: GII Rachel Alexandra S., FG, Feb. 17.

Trainer Brendan Walsh will try to win his second straight Kentucky Oaks after scoring last year with Pretty Mischievous. Like Pretty Mischievous, Intricate will take the Fair Grounds route to the Oaks. She showed little in her debut when sprinting, but was a different horse when Walsh stretched her out for a mile-and-a-sixteenth maiden at Keeneland, which she won by 3 1/2 lengths. She was even better when capturing the GII Golden Rod S. at Churchill on Nov. 25, posting an easy 5 1/4-length win. She earned an 85 Beyer in the Golden Rod, which puts her ahead of the Juvenile Fillies horses. Preparing for her 3-year-old debut, she's had two half-mile works at the Fair Grounds.

5) KOPION (f, Omaha Beach–Galloping Ami, by Victory Gallop) O-Spendthrift Farm; B-Tall Oaks Farm (Ky); T-Richard Mandella. Sales history: $270,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $96,600. Last Start: WON Jan. 7 GIII Santa Ynez S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 10. Next Start: GIII Las Virgenes S., SA, Feb. 10.

The Mandella barn suffered a setback when Tamara was injured in the Juvenile Fillies, but they have a worthy replacement in Kopion. Like Tamara, she is owned by Spendthrift Farm. She was an easy winner of her maiden voyage in November at Del Mar and then came back to win the GIII Santa Ynez S. at odds of 1-5. In the process, she became the first graded stakes winner for sire Omaha Beach. She was the easiest sort of winner in the Santa Ynez, but faced off against only three rivals. “I love (Omaha Beach),” Mandella said after the Santa Ynez. “He was such a class horse, a good horse, and this filly (Kopion) has just been a star ever since she came back.” She earned an 86 Beyer in her win.

6) LIFE TALK (f, Gun Runner–Touchy Feely, by Bernardini) O-Repole Stable; B-Gun Runner Syndicate, Mulholland Springs, LLC & Tom Grether Farms, Inc. (Ky); T-Todd A Pletcher. Sales history: $160,000 wnlg '21 KEENOV; $335,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 5-2-1-1, $364,250. Last start: WON Dec. 2 GII Demoiselle S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 19. Next Start: GII Rachel Alexandra S, FG, Feb. 17 or Suncoast S., Tam, Feb. 10.

She didn't show a lot when third in the Frizette and fourth in the Juvenile Fillies, but a different horse showed up for the GII Demoiselle S. at Aqueduct. Sent off at even-money, she led every step of the way on her way to a 3 3/4-length win. You might want to downgrade that effort a bit because she hugged the rail on a day when the inside and speed dominated. Owner Mike Repole deals mainly with colts and his goal every year is to win the Derby. But his team wasn't afraid to go after a good filly prospect, plunking down $335,000 to purchase this one at Keeneland September.

7) LESLIE'S ROSE (f, Into Mischief–Wildwood Rose {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Whisper Hill Farm; B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock Services (Ky); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $1,150,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $89,950. Last start: WON Jan. 11 AOC at Gulfstream Park. Kentucky Oaks Points: 0. Next Start: GII Davona Dale S., GP, Mar. 2.

A $1.15-million Keeneland September purchase by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm, Leslie's Rose has been brought along slowly by trainer Todd Pletcher. She didn't debut until Nov. 19 when she romped by 9 1/4 lengths in a maiden at Aqueduct, earning the 'TDN Rising Star' badge. Rather than rushing her into a stakes race, Pletcher picked out a Jan. 11 allowance at Gulfstream, which she won by a length, earning an 88 Beyer. Has never gone beyond seven furlongs, so will have to pass that test before climbing too high in these rankings. Has an interesting pedigree. Is by Into Mischief out of an unraced daughter of Galileo (Ire).

8) ALPINE PRINCESS (f, Classic Empire–Le Moine, by Curlin) O-Full of Run Racing, LLC & Madaket Stable LLC; B-Betz/DJ Stable/Peter Lamantia/Classic Empire Syndicate (Ky); T-Brad Cox. Sales history: $190,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 5-3-0-1, $210,810. Last Start: WON Dec. 23 Untapable S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 10. Next Start: TBD.

What would the road to the Kentucky Oaks be without a good Brad Cox-trained horse or two? Cox has a handful of contenders and Alpine Princess may be the best. After breaking her maiden, she ran dismally in the Alcibiades, but acted up at the gate that day. She redeemed herself with an allowance win at Churchill and followed that up with a two-length win over stablemate West Omaha (West Coast) in the Untapable S. at the Fair Grounds. West Omaha came back to score an easy win in the Silverbulletday S., also at the Fair Grounds.

9) WEST OMAHA (f, West Coast–Birthday Bash, by Medaglia d'Oro) O/B-Gary and Mary West Stables (Ky); T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: SW, 4-2-2-0, $203,000. Last start: WON Jan. 20 Sillverbulletday S. Next Start: GII Rachel Alexandra S, FG, Feb. 17 or GIII Honeybee S., OP, Feb. 24.

After losing to Alpine Princess, this Cox-trainee made amends when scoring an easy five-length win in the Silverbulletday. She was sent off at 9-10 odds in a six-horse race that didn't come up that strong. Cox also has Busanda S, winner Gin Gin (Hightail), who will take the New York-route to the Oaks. West Omaha ran an 84 Beyer in the Busanda. Kentucky Oaks Points: 25.

10) NOTHING LIKE YOU (f, Malibu Moon–Miss Derek, by Brother Derek) O-Georgia Antley Hunt, Jeff Giglio & John Rogitz; B-Notch Hill Farm, Wolverton Mountain Farm & Spendthrift Stallions LLC (Ky); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $67,000 wnlg '21 KEENOV; $20,000 yrl '22 KEESEP; $190,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-3-1-0, $237,160. Last start: WON Dec. 9 GII Starlet S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 0. Next Start: TBD.

The only reason this filly doesn't have any points is because when she won the GII Starlet S. at Los Alamitos she was trained by Bob Baffert. It remains to be seen whether or not she'll be transferred to another barn so that she can run in the Oaks. She's 2-for-2 in races at a mile or more and is riding a three-race winning streak. Co-owner John Rogitz purchased the filly for $190,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. That was the third time Nothing Like You had gone through a sale. She was bought for $67,000 as a weanling at the 2021 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale and just $20,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The post The TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10 For Jan. 24 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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But as Hoosier Philly prepares for a start in the Mar. 25 GII Fair Grounds Oaks, Amoss said everything he has seen tells him that his filly is about to show everyone what all the hype was about.

Has he lost any confidence in the horse? “Zero,” he replied. “I still think she's the best horse I have ever had in my barn.”

Amoss spoke shortly after Hoosier Philly worked five furlongs at the Fair Grounds Thursday morning in 1:00. It was her third work since the Rachel Alexandra.

“I've had her since June of her 2-year-old year,” said Amoss, who confirmed that Edgar Morales has retained the mount. “I know her personality. The way she has trained and the way she has worked out since her last race gives me a lot of confidence going into this next race.”

Yet, he was saying pretty much the same thing before the Rachel Alexandra and he knows that Hoosier Philly did not back up his high expectations. So what happened? Amoss believes that she was compromised by a less than perfect trip.

“You have to be honest with yourself. It was not a good race,” Amoss said. “Then you have to figure out why it was not a good race. What was behind it? Nine times out of 10 when a horse has a bad trip in a race it starts right out of the gate. That's exactly what happened. She left the gate fine. She almost broke a little too hard. Then she stumbled and lost her balance a bit and found herself in a bad spot. The way to race ride, especially when there is a big favorite in the race, is to take advantage of something like that. The riders riding against her very alertly made her trip a very difficult one. The next thing you know she's last. She's eager and wanting to go. The pace wasn't very fast and there's no place for her to go. The pace was not only slow but look at chart of the race. Nobody changed positions except for her. Those things hurt in a race. She found herself in a position she wasn't used to being in.”

At the top of the stretch and very much within striking position, Morales wheeled Hoosier Philly to the outside and she had a clear run. She didn't respond, losing even more ground on the leaders in the stretch, losing by 8 1/2 lengths.

“I thought even after tough trip, turning for home she would show some punch and she did not,” Amoss admitted. “That was a concern.”

It was a major blow not just for those who bet Hoosier Philly in the Rachel Alexandra but for anyone who wagered on her in the Derby Future Wager. She went off at 11-1, third choice behind the “all others” option and Forte (Violence). A total of $16,956 was bet on her. Amoss has ruled out a start in the Derby and wishes she had not been included in the wager in the first place. Along with Julia Shining (Curlin), Hoosier Philly was one of only two fillies nominated to the Triple Crown.

“I'm not the guy who decided to put her in the future pool,” he said. “Nobody ever came to me and said we want to put her in the Derby Future pool, are you good with that? I don't know what determines what goes into that. I can't worry about that. I'm just trying to do right by my horse. I never wanted the public to be led in the wrong direction. Had they asked me, I wouldn't have been comfortable putting her in the Derby Future Pool. I don't think it was fair to have people betting on something that may not occur.”

Hoosier Philly went off at 7-1 in the one round of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, which closed last Sunday. Should she win the Fair Grounds Oaks impressively that will look like a bargain. But will she? There are too many unknowns this time for her to be a heavy favorite. Amoss knows that and knows that this is the most important race thus far in her career. Was the Rachel Alexandra for, whatever reason, a race that you can throw out? Or did Hoosier Philly not make the all important transition from two to three? Or maybe she just isn't as good as everyone thought. Every one of those questions should be answered in her next start.

“I'll be nervous when she goes to the gate,” Amoss said. “Leading into the race I'm just trying to concentrate on the things I can control and I think we've done a good job taking care of those things. I would love to think that last race was a one off. There is enough evidence to suggest it will be. This race coming up will determine whether that's true or not. I know that.”

The post Amoss Remains High on Hoosier Philly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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A good-looking off-the-pace winner first up at Churchill Downs sprinting Sept. 18, the Brendan Walsh-trained Pretty Mischievous added an allowance in the slop there at the end of October. The daughter of GISW Pretty City Dancer was five lengths behind Hoosier Philly in third when stretching out for the GII Golden Rod S. Nov. 26, but bounced right back to take the local Untapable S. on the day after Christmas. She was flattered when runner-up The Alys Look (Connect) bested stablemate Chop Chop (City of Light) in last month's Silverbulletday S., and the 80 Beyer Speed Figure she earned that day was only one point behind what Hoosier Philly earned in the Golden Rod. Chop Chop owned the field's best Beyer of 88, and was the clear second choice in the wagering–Pretty Mischievous was third in the betting at 8-1.

Hoosier Philly bobbled at the break, but Pretty Mischievous was off cleanly and drafted in between foes just behind Miracle. She got down to the rail under Tyler Gaffalione behind a :48.85 half, and was asked in earnest following six furlongs in 1:13.05. Miracle boxed on, and Hoosier Philly started to come alive out wide, but Pretty Mischievous wanted it most, and wore down the pacesetter despite that one leaning on her a bit in the lane.

“Before she ran Brendan told me we had a really special one in the barn,” Gaffalione said. “She keeps improving physically and mentally. Today, I sat in a perfect spot and let Johnny [Velazquez] go on Miracle while Luis [Saez and Untapable third Vahva {Gun Runner}] tracked inside.”

Walsh, who was celebrating his first Rachel Alexandra win, said, “She never missed a beat from her first start at two until now. We knew we'd have to give her a rest at some point because we didn't want to go to the well too often. We were quietly confident she'd be good enough and today we found out she is. Now, we'll see how she comes out of things, talk things over with the ownership team and get her to be 110% on the big day in May.”

With the 50 points she picked up Saturday, Pretty Mischievous now sits atop the GI Kentucky Oaks standings with 63 points.

Saturday, Fair Grounds
RACHEL ALEXANDRA S. PRESENTED BY FASIG-TIPTON-GII,
$291,000, Fair Grounds, 2-18, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:45.15, ft.
1–PRETTY MISCHIEVOUS, 122, f, 3, by Into Mischief
          1st Dam: Pretty City Dancer (GISW, $286,344), by Tapit
          2nd Dam: Pretty City, by Carson City
          3rd Dam: Pretty Special, by Riverman
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Godolphin
(KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $180,000.
Lifetime Record: SP, 5-4-0-1, $421,310. Werk Nick Rating:
A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Miracle, 122, f, 3, Mendelssohn–Good Omen, by Smart
Strike. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($110,000 Wlg '20 FTKNOV;
$250,000 Ylg '21 SARAUG; $360,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR).
O-WinStar Farm LLC and Siena Farm LLC; B-Magnolia Mares,
LLC & Pony Express Sales,Inc. (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$60,000.
3–Hoosier Philly, 122, f, 3, Into Mischief–Tapella, by Tapit.
($510,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Gold Standard Racing Stable, LLC;
B-Candy Meadows LLC (KY); T-Thomas M. Amoss. $30,000.
Margins: 3/4, 7 3/4, 2. Odds: 8.10, 13.50, 0.40.
Also Ran: Vahva, Chop Chop, Knockyoursocksoff.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO,
sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

Perennial leading sire Into Mischief already has five graded stakes winners this year, and is responsible for three of the top four on the Oaks leaderboard with 2022 champion juvenile filly Wonder Wheel third and Hoosier Philly fourth. The Spendthrift super sire now has 63 graded winners but is still in search of a first Kentucky Oaks winner.

Recent GIII Holy Bull S. winner Rocket Can and Hoosier Philly are the other two graded winners by Into Mischief out of Tapit mares, but that number almost certainly has to rise rapidly in the coming years considering they've got seven champion sire titles between them. Tapit, still on the young side as broodmare sire, is responsible for the dams of 39 graded/group winners worldwide thus far.

Pretty Mischievous's dam Pretty City Dancer dead-heated with another Tapit filly in the 2016 GI Spinaway S. for trainer Mark Casse and John Oxley. The $825,000 KEESEP yearling was off the board in subsequent route tries on the Oaks trail, but still fetched $3.5 million while in foal to Medaglia d'Oro at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November sale. The resulting filly broke through in a two-turn Indiana maiden special weight in October. Pretty Mischievous came next, but the half-sister to GISW Lear's Princess (Lear Fan) was barren to Uncle Mo for 2021. She produced another Medaglia d'Oro filly last March, and was bred back to Street Sense.

The post ‘Rising Star’ Pretty Mischievous Springs The Upset In Rachel Alexandra appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The spotlight this week will be on the Fair Grounds, where the mega-talented Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief) will make her 3-year-old debut in Saturday's GII Rachel Alexandra S. presented by Fasig-Tipton. The Rachel Alexandra field also includes Chop Chop (City of Light), the beaten favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and runner-up in the Silverbulletday S., and Untapable S. winner 'TDN Rising Star' Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief).

GIII Santa Ynez S. winner Ice Dancing (Frosted) comes off the list as trainer Richard Mandella reports that she had to have a chip removed and will miss the Oaks. Munny's Gold (Munnings) has also been dropped from the list as it appears that her immediate future will include races in sprints.

1) HOOSIER PHILLY (f, Into Mischief–Tapella, by Tapit) O-Gold Standard Racing Stable, LLC. B-Candy Meadows, LLC (Ky). T-Thomas Amoss. Sales history: $510,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-3-0-0, $432,610. Last Start: Won GII Golden Rod S. at Churchill Downs Nov. 26. Kentucky Oaks Points: 10. Next Start: GII Rachel Alexandra S., FG, Feb. 18

With previous No. 1 Wonder Wheel going down to defeat in the Suncoast S., Hoosier Philly takes over the top spot for trainer Tom Amoss. Her start in the Rachel Alexandra has been widely anticipated since she concluded her 2-year-old campaign and Amoss professed that she was not just the best filly, but the best horse he has ever trained. That's high praise from someone who won the 2019 GI Kentucky Oaks with Serengeti Empress (Alternation). So far as Saturday's race goes, Amoss had this to say: “We have a lot of expectations for her based on what she's done so far, so there's a lot of anticipation about how she's going to come back at three,” he said. “Her morning preparation has been just as it was when she was two, so that gives us some feeling of confidence going into the race. But still, it is just her first race at three.” The bettors are on board. Though Amoss has only hinted at a possible start in the GI Kentucky Derby for his star, Hoosier Philly closed at 11-1 in the latest round of the Derby Future Wager. Only the “all others” selection and Forte (Violence) closed at lower odds. Is the hype justified? We'll know more after the Rachel Alexandra.

2) WONDER WHEEL (f, Into Mischief–Wonder Gal, by Tiz Wonderful) O-D. J. Stable LLC. B-Three Chimneys Farm, LLC & Clearsky Farm (Ky). T-Mark Casse. Sales history: $275,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 5-4-1-0, $1,550,725. Last Start: 2nd Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 11. Kentucky Oaks Points: 48. Next Start: To Be Determined

There are a couple of ways of looking at Wonder Wheel's loss in the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs. It was her first start of the year and the connections said she got tired in the stretch. With much larger goals out there, it was not a race she had to win and she will certainly run better next time. “[Jockey] Tyler [Gaffalione] said she just got a little tired at the end,” trainer Mark Casse told the Daily Racing Form after the race. “I'm not at all unhappy. In fact, it kind of reminded me of her Spinaway effort.”  Wonder Wheel was second in last year's GI Spinaway S., her only defeat as a 2-year-old. Then again…shouldn't a horse of her caliber have been able to get by a horse with modest credentials in Dreaming of Snow? She had the entire length of the stretch to pass her and just couldn't do it. Dreaming of Snow was 38-1 for a reason–her form coming into the race was nothing to brag about. All of which makes Wonder Wheel's next start very important. With anything less than an A effort, she will fall from the ranks of the top contenders for the Kentucky Oaks. The jury is out.

3) FAIZA (f, Girvin–Sweet Pistol, by Smart Strike) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Michael L Petersen. B-Brereton C. Jones (Ky). T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $90,000 yrl '21 KEESEP; $725,000 2yo '22 FTMMAY. Lifetime Record: GISW, 2-2-0-0, $222,000. Last Start: Won the GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos on Dec. 10. Kentucky Oaks Points: 0. Next Start: To Be Determined

So far, 'TDN Rising Star' Faiza has yet to run a big number, as the 77 Beyer she got when winning the GIII Las Virgenes S. in her most recent outing is her best to date. Other than that, she's hard to knock. After breaking her maiden in November at Del Mar, she came back to win the GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos and then ground out a half-length win in the Las Virgenes. She's had one work since, covering three furlongs in 37.80 on Feb. 11 at Santa Anita. Like the Bob Baffert-trained 3-year-old colts, she might have to be moved into another barn so that she can be eligible to run in the Oaks. As of now, Baffert is banned from starting horses at Churchill Downs. By Girvin, Faiza cost $725,000 at the 2022  Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Girvin, who got off to a fast start last year at stud, began his stallion career in Florida but now stands in Kentucky at Airdrie Stud.

4) LEAVE NO TRACE (f, Outwork–Tanquerray, by Good Journey) O-WellSpring Stables. B-Red Cloak Farm, LLC (Ky). T-Philip Serpe. Sales history: $8,000 yrl '21 FTFFEB; $40,000 yrl '21 FTMOCT. Lifetime Record: GISW, 4-2-1-1, $598,650. Last Start: 2nd in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland Nov. 4. Kentucky Oaks Points: 15. Next Start: GII Davona Dale S., GP, Mar. 4

She may not have always won but at two this blue-collar filly was one who always showed up. A $40,000 purchase at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale, the daughter of Outwork won the GI Spinaway S. and then was third in the GI Frizette S. and second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Having finished behind Wonder Wheel in the Breeders' Cup and Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke) in the Frizette, Leave No Trace may need to improve as a 3-year-old in order to win a race like the Oaks. Trainer Phil Serpe has taken to preparing her for her 3-year-old debut in the GII Davona Dale S. by working her on the Tapeta surface at Gulfstream, where she has worked five furlongs in :59.25 and four furlongs in :48.85. Leave No Trace is owned by Dr. Robert Vukovich and his wife Laura, who have a farm in Colts Neck, New Jersey.

5) RED CARPET READY (f, Oscar Performance-Wild Silk, by Street Sense) O-Ashbrook Farm and Upland Flats Racing; B-Lynn B. Schiff; T-Rusty Arnold. Sales history: $180,000 ylr '21 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-3-0-0, $265,470. Last Start: Won the GIII Forward Gal S. at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 4. Kentucky Oaks Points: 20. Next Start: To Be Determined

Joins the Top 10 after a win in the GIII Forward Gal S. at Gulfstream at seven furlongs. She's 3-for-3 and obviously has a lot of ability, having also won the Fern Creek S. after breaking her maiden by 10 lengths. But she must prove she can go a distance. Trainer Rusty Arnold thinks that she can and is pointing for the one-mile GII Davona Dale S. “She's not a rank filly that just tries to run off, so I'm pretty optimistic she will stretch out,” Arnold said. That she has been winning while sprinting on the dirt goes against logic when it comes to her pedigree. She is by Oscar Performance (Kitten's Joy), which should mean that her best fit is distance races on the turf. That might be her future, but, for now, she looks like a talented filly who could be very dangerous if making the adjustment to longer, two-turn races.

6) JULIA SHINING (f, Curlin–Dreaming of Julia, by A.P. Indy) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Stonestreet Stables LLC. B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (Ky). T-Todd Pletcher. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $194,075. Last Start: 3rd Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 11. Kentucky Oaks Points: 16. Next Start: To Be Determined

Her story mirrors that of Wonder Wheel. She ran OK to finish third in the Suncoast S. and should move forward off of the race, but surely her connections were expecting better than a third-place finish while going down to defeat to a 38-1 winner. The 'TDN Rising Star' lost by 1 1/2 lengths and had no apparent excuses. Then again, she is a filly who has shown a ton of potential and is a full-sister to champion Malathaat. She very easily can bounce back and, for her, the Ashland will be a huge test. Along with Hoosier Philly, is one of only two fillies nominated to the Triple Crown. Trainer Todd Pletcher likely did so with the GI Belmont S. in mind.

7) THE ALYS LOOK (f, Connect–Foul Play, by Harlan's Holiday) O-Ike and Dawn Thrash. B-G. Watts Humphrey (Ky). T-Brad H. Cox. Sales history: $60,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 5-2-1-1, $150,528. Last Start: Won the Silverbulletday S. at Fair Grounds Jan. 21. Kentucky Oaks Points: 24. Next Start: GII Fair Grounds Oaks, FG, Mar. 25

Will sit out this weekend's Rachel Alexandra and point to the GII Fair Grounds Oaks for trainer Brad Cox. She defeated stablemate Chop Chop last out in the Silverbulletday, posting a mild upset. Only a $60,000 yearling purchase, she was anything but an overnight sensation and lost her second career start, a maiden race at Churchill Downs, by 15 3/4 lengths. She's been a different horses since then, going two-for-three. Like a lot of Cox-trained horses, she seems to be on the improve and could prove to be the best 3-year-old filly from one of the sport's top barns. Cox has won two of the last five runnings of the Oaks.

8) JUSTIQUE (f, Justify–Grazie Mille, by Bernardini) 'TDN Rising Star' O-C R K Stable, LLC. B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock (Ky). T-John A Shirreffs. Sales history: $725,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW & GSP, 3-2-0-1, $132,000. Last Start: 3rd in the GIII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita Jan. 28. Kentucky Oaks Points: 9. Next Start: To Be Determined

Since Justique is 2-for-2 sprinting and 0-for-2 going a route of ground, there is speculation that she is a one-turn horse, even though she closes from another area code. Trainer John Shirreffs does not agree. “I don't think she really has a problem going around two turns,” Shirreffs said. “I know other people think that she does. She just hasn't had the right situation yet. Santa Anita sometimes has a big speed bias and it's hard for horses to close. Del Mar didn't have that and she really shined there. I think that's been a big factor.” The 'TDN Rising Star' looked great in her two sprint races, but was a non-threatening third last time out in the Las Virgenes. She'll have to do better next time out in the Santa Ysabel to be considered a top threat for the Oaks.

9) OCCULT (f, Into Mischief–Magical Feeling, by Empire Maker) O-Alpha Delta Stables, LLC. B-Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC (Ky). T-Chad C. Brown. Sales history: $625,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 3-2-0-0, $107,450. Last Start: Won the Busanda S. at Aqueduct Jan. 14. Kentucky Oaks Points: 20. Next Start: To Be Determined

Occult, the winner of the Busanda S. at Aqueduct in her most recent start, remains in New York for trainer Chad Brown and has had three four-furlong workouts since her last start. Brown has yet to announce where she will run next. She probably didn't beat much in the Busanda, but she's got the credentials to be a major player in this division. She's by Into Mischief and is trained by Chad Brown, signs pointing to a bright future. She'll need to get better, but there's no reason why she can't.

10) CHOP CHOP (f, City of Light-Grand Sofia, by Giant's Causeway) O-Selective LLC. B-Cobra Farm & MRJ Thoroughbreds. T-Brad Cox. Sales history: $230,000 ylr '21 FTKJUL. Lifetime Record: GSP, 5-2-2-0, $455,450. Last Start: 2nd in the Silverbulletday S. at Fair Grounds Jan. 21. Kentucky Oaks Points: 12. Next Start: GII Rachel Alexandra S., FG, Feb. 18

Can they beat Hoosier Philly in the Rachel Alexandra? If it's going to happen, the horse that will likely pull it off is Chop Chop. She started her career with two straight grass starts before losing by just a nose to Wonder Wheel in the GI Darley Alcibiades S. After finishing up the track as the betting favorite in the Juvenile Fillies, she finished second in the Silverbulletday, losing by a length to stablemate The Alys Look. Trainer Brad Cox takes the blinkers off for the Rachel Alexandra, where she'll need a good performance to remain among the top members of her division.

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The farm tweeted: “La Crete had a successful surgery at LSU (Louisiana State University Sunday) to repair a condyle fracture. She is doing very well this morning. She will return to the farm once she is cleared to travel. Thank you to everyone who has taken care of our girl.”

Ian Brennan, who trains the Stonestreet horses at their Florida farm, told Daily Racing Form that Dr. John Madison of Ocala Equine in Florida was flown in to perform the procedure.

A daughter of treble Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Cavorting (Bernardini), La Crete is a half-sister to last year's GI Cotillion S. and Rachel Alexandra S. winner Clairiere (Curlin) and was a 2 1/4-length debut winner at Churchill Downs Nov. 20 before taking the Silverbulletday S. at the Fair Grounds Jan. 22. She made the running in Saturday's race beneath Joel Rosario, but took an apparent bad step with about five furlongs to race, was eased and was vanned off. Stonestreet tweeted the nature of the injury late Saturday.

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Turnerloose inched closer, but was instantly shuffled back again as a slew of rivals charged up on her outside. Florent Geroux was undeterred, sitting chilly atop the Brad Cox pupil turning for home. He swung his mount out two wide in the lane as Goddess of Fire (Mineshaft) charged up alongside the pacesetter. Turnerloose was grinding along the outside and forged clear late to win by a half-length. Goddess of Fire held second and Awake at Midnyte (Nyquist) filled the show spot.

La Crete's owner Stonestreet Stable tweeted that the filly suffered a condylar fracture and is a good candidate for surgical repair.

“To be honest I didn't know if she could handle the dirt,” said trainer Brad Cox. “She worked well enough last fall. I gave her a little bit of a break. She worked well enough here at Fair Grounds. She tries hard. Always tries hard. We saw a better version of her today than we did in California [at the Breeders' Cup]. The two logical spots are the [GII] Fair Grounds Oaks or the [GI Central Bank] Ashland.”

A debut winner on the grass at Ellis Park July 16, Turnerloose romped by five lengths in the Aristocrat Juvenile Fillies S. at Kentucky Downs Sept. 6. Setting the pace in Keeneland's grassy GII Jessamine S. Oct. 13, she was run down late by California Angel (California Chrome) and forced to settle for third and faded to 14th when last seen in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf S. at Del Mar Nov. 5.

Pedigree Notes:
Turnerloose is the fourth graded winner and one of seven black-type achievers for her young sire Nyquist. She is one of 247 black-type winners for her legendary broodmare sire A.P. Indy and the 117th graded scorer out of one of his daughters. The winner's unraced dam Goaltending is a daughter of Grade I winner Game Face (Menifee). The 11-year-old mare did not have a foal in 2020, but had an Arrogate filly in 2021 and a City of Light filly Jan. 12 of this year.

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Hidden Connection (Connect) has been made the 3-1 morning-line favorite, a starting price likely inflated by her draw nearest the stands. Not that she hasn't dealt with that type of adversity before–she overcame the eight hole in a field of eight to graduate by 7 1/2 lengths on her 5 1/2-furlong debut at Colonial Aug. 17 and validated that performance with a 9 1/4-length thrashing of her rivals in the GIII Pocahotas S. Sept. 18 at Churchill, where she had gate nine of 10. While she left there running those first two starts, she bobbled at the break of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and never reached contention, finishing a distant fourth. The dark bay will look to give trainer Bret Calhoun a fourth winner of the race and first since Summer Applause (Harlan's Holiday) scored in 2012.

Trainer Doug O'Neill is always to be taken seriously when shipping horses into the Big Easy and is represented here by Reddam Racing's Awake At Midnyte (Nyquist). A debut winner sprinting at Santa Anita on Halloween, the $320,000 Fasig-Tipton Florida grad missed by a nose in the GIII Jimmy Durante S. going a grassy mile at Del Mar Nov. 27, but atoned with a sharp runner-up effort in the seven-furlong GII Santa Ynez S. Jan. 8. Mario Gutierrez is likely to ask for some speed from the 7-2 morning-line second pick.

Divine Huntress (Divining Rod) easily accounted for a field of Parx maidens going seven panels Dec. 13 following which Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners bought into the Maryland-bred filly. Prohibitively favored for a first-level allowance going an extended mile at the Bensalem oval Jan. 19, she took over at will with about 2 1/2 furlongs to race and shot away to score by nearly 13 lengths while never being asked to run. Jose Ortiz sees fit to take the call for trainer Graham Motion.

North County (Not This Time) is perfect in three starts to date, including a neck success in the Dec. 26 Untapable S., while the rail-drawn La Crete (Medaglia d'Oro–Cavorting) looks to add to her latest score in the Jan. 22 Silverbulletday S.

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“As a young person in the business, you don't get to do a lot, but you get to study a lot,” Albina recollects.

The horseman is now applying that and other knowledge he's acquired over the years as an advisor to Maurice and Samantha Regan's Newtown Anner Stud, the breeders of 'TDN Rising Star' and GII Rachel Alexandra S. presented by Fasig-Tipton hopeful Souper Sensational (Curlin).

The broodmare band at Newtown Anner numbers around 65, split between their Versailles, Kentucky, farm on a little more than 1000 acres that once belonged to Standardbred operation Brittany Farm on Pisgah Pike. The couple also maintains a farm in Millbrook, New York, as well as a farm in Ireland.

On behalf of Newtown Anner, Albina and partner Nick Sallusto went to $167,000 for then 4-year-old Kateri (Indian Charlie), in foal to Paynter, at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton February Sale. In signing for the mare, Albina was drawing upon the lessons he gleaned from one of Thoroughbred breeding's legends.

“I am big fan of John Nerud and I try to learn about everything he did and how his thought process worked. This is a family that connects to him–Cozzene is down the page,” Albina explained, referring to the 1985 Eclipse Award-winning turf male that was campaigned by Nerud. “Now, I'm not one of these guys that is going to breed mares based on sixth and seventh generation, but the short answer is, there was a lot going on in the first dam [Sue's Good News] and it was a beautiful first dam. There was a lot of beauty in the family and I thought I could work with that. She was a beautiful Indian Charlie mare. I loved the fact that it was Indian Charlie, because it goes back to Caro (Ire),” sire of the aforementioned Cozzene.

Albina was well-acquainted with the Caro-line, as Buckram Oak raced the sire's son Siberian Express, a $320,000 purchase out of the 1984 Keeneland July Sale by Mahmoud Foustok. Siberian Express was, in turn, the sire of In Excess (Ire), who was bred and raced through part of his career by Mahmoud Foustok's brother, Ahmed.

“It's been proven time and time again that this European influence of Caro coming through, for whatever reasons, has been very good for American racing and keeps on coming up.”

Kateri foaled a colt by Paynter the day after her purchase and Albina was pleased with what he saw.

“I thought the Paynter was a pretty good horse,” he said. “I kind of gave her a pass being her first foal, she wasn't a spectacular sort of specimen. Then we went to Tiznow and that was a magnificent horse. We took it to auction and no one wanted the horse. Nick and I decided we weren't going to let this beautiful horse go, Tiznow was a little cold. So we tried to sell him again and the same thing happened, we didn't get the money we wanted. Nick took the horse down to Florida and started prepping him. He went to the sale and that's when Red Oak bought in and we raced it together.”

Bought back for $275,000 at Keeneland September in 2018, the Tiznow colt was led out unsold on a bid of $175,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October Sale. Connections' faith in the colt was rewarded when he fetched $420,000 at the OBS April Sale in early 2019.

“He was a stunning horse and the money we got from the 2-year-old sale kind of validated what we thought about the mare,” Albina said. “Since I held the Tiznow in high regard, I said, 'Now it's time to make a move with this mare' and overbreed her a touch. We made a jump to Curlin, he was a stallion we really liked at the time. He was much cheaper than he is now and physically, we loved him.

He continued, “In [Kateri's] second dam you have Easyfromthegitgo (Dehere), Deputy Minister-line, similar to Curlin on the bottom, and it had worked on the pedigree with Conquest Curlgirl [a daughter of Easyfromthegitgo's GSW half-sister Sue's Good News]. Typically I look for something a little closer, but it was close enough to where I was OK with it and the physical really worked.”

Kateri dropped her Curlin filly Mar. 28, 2018, and she was as straight-forward as could be, Albina remembers, as she grew up and as she was prepped for a date in the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale.

“What stood out about her was how unremarkable the process was,” he said. “She was always a very good-looking horse, always well-balanced, there were never any issues. She got to the sale and looked beautiful, took it all in stride, never any hiccups. It's not always that way. I don't remember her ever being sick, I don't remember any issue with her. She got to Saratoga and we had a very good sale. She was our highest-priced horse that year.”

The Kateri filly caught the eye of the team at Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Plantation, who were extended to $725,000.

“This was the best horse we had for Newtown Anner that year,” he said. “We thought about keeping her, but we set a line on her and if we get more than our number, we'll let her go and if not, we'll race her. That's kind of the exercise we do with all our horses.”

Albina, who consigns yearlings with Ron Blake as Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services, also sold Peter Brant a Quality Road filly for $525,000 that year. Now named Boston Post Road, that full-sister to MSW & GSP Top Quality was a maiden winner at first asking at Gulfstream Park Feb. 7.

Albina said that the philosophy of Newtown Anner is to “breed the horses we typically don't go out and buy.”

“Then we test the market and we trade,” he explained. “For [Souper Sensational], our reserve would have been very high and if someone paid it, they could have her and if not, then she comes back and we get to keep a nice horse. We aren't going out there and buying million-dollar horses or consistently paying $500,000 and $600,000 for horses. If we can sell the ones that bring in excess of what they're worth, that's kind of the goal. The stuff we don't like, we put little to no reserve on and move them on. We just try to make good decisions and I think offering all our yearlings at auction is a mechanism by which we can keep ourselves sharp and that we're making good business decisions.”

After graduating and earning her 'Rising Star' at first asking, Souper Sensational added a facile success in the Glorious Song S. at Woodbine last October. The chestnut exits a good second when trying two turns and dirt for the first time in the Jan. 16 Silverbulletday S., and Albina believes she'll continue to improve from here.

“I think she's going to get better and better with distance,” he said. “We'll let her show us. I'm not worried about any surface with her, I think her action tells me she can be very good on the dirt. I think she got a little unlucky in her last start, but she finished well. Some people are disappointed when they finish second, but I think the races she has to win are ahead of her. I'm very pleased with everything she's done so far.”

While Souper Sensational has done her part to enhance her page, the family remains live elsewhere. Kateri's Grade I-winning half-sister Tiz Miz Sue (Tiznow) is not only the dam of the Japanese-based, UAE Group 3-placed Serein (Uncle Mo), but also of $2.5-million KEESEP graduate Tatweej (Tapit), a hugely impressive allowance winner at Aqueduct Feb. 4. Another half-sister, Tiz News (Tiznow), is the dam of 2020 Trapeze S. runner-up Tiz Splendid News (Maclean's Music), who has returned to the worktab at Keeneland for trainer Wesley Ward. Tiz News changed hands for $190,000 in foal to Curlin's champion son Good Magic at KEENOV last fall.

Albina reports that Kateri's foal of 2019, a colt by Maclean's Music, was ticketed for last year's Saratoga Sale, but was sadly put down after suffering a freak injury. The agent said that Souper Sensational's yearling full-sister “resembles her sister greatly and we're very excited about her” and will be aimed at one of the major yearling sales later this year. Kateri is currently carrying to American Pharoah on a later cover and is booked back to Curlin for this year.

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