Nest Takes Off with Suncoast Victory

With a third place effort in the Tempted S. Nov. 5 at Belmont Park the only blemish to her otherwise perfect four race record, Nest used her neck victory Dec. 4 in the GII Demoiselle S. as a springboard into the winner's circle here.

Carrying great expectations as the 1-5 overwhelming favorite, Nest briefly drifted out after the break, but went into the first turn comfortably stalking from third to the outside of the field. Glued to Alittleloveandluck (Arrogate) as the pair tracked a frontrunner through a moderate pace in :24.52 and a half in :49.29, they left the early leader behind coming off the final turn. Nest found her best stride by the final sixteenth, spurting clear to a geared down six length victory.

The winner is a full-sister to GI Santa Anita H. winner Idol as well as a half to stakes placed Dr Jack (Pioneerof the Nile). Marion Ravenwood, a half to sire Abstraction (Pulpit), has three stakes winners from five foals to race. Purchased by Ashview Farm for $400,000 at 2017 Keeneland November, the mare's offspring have justifiably been sought after in the auction ring: Total Cooperation (Tiznow) bringing $525,000, Idol bringing $375,000, and Nest dropping the hammer at $350,000, all at Keeneland's September sale. The 2-year-old half-brother by Violence named Lost Ark recently brought $275,000 from Steven Young as a yearling. Marion Ravenwood was barren last year, and is expecting a foal this season after visiting both Curlin and Quality Road. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

SUNCOAST S., $100,000, Tampa Bay Downs, 2-12, 3yo, f, 1m 40y, 1:39.30, ft.
1–NEST, 124, f, 3, by Curlin
1st Dam: Marion Ravenwood (SW, $112,598), by A.P. Indy
2nd Dam: Andujar, by Quiet American
3rd Dam: Nureyev's Best, by Nureyev
($350,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and House, Michael; B-Ashview Farm; Colts Neck Stables (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr..$60,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $265,000. *Full to Idol,GISW, $416,964.
2–Alittleloveandluck, 122, f, 3, Arrogate–Points of Grace, by Point Given. ($135,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP). O/T-Michael Dini; B-Helen Barbazon & Joseph Barbazon (FL). $20,000.
3–Blamethechampagne, 118, f, 3, Candy Ride (Arg)–Quippery, by Forest Wildcat. ($210,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Six Column Stables, LLC, Bloch, Randall L., Gladden, Jim, Riverview Racing, et al.; B-Popatop, LLC (KY); T-Ian R. Wilkes.$10,000.
Margins: 6, 3 1/4, NK. Odds: 0.30, 4.50, 32.20.
Also Ran: Ha' Penny, Princess Elin, Peaceful Surprise, Mining Chrome. Scratched: Mirth 'n Merriment.

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All Pletcher in Pegasus Turf as Colonel Liam Defends Title

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL–Heading into this year's GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S., defending champ Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) was clearly the one to beat despite coming back off a 239-day layoff. The Robert and Lawana Low runner once again proved he was all class when coming from off the pace to best stablemate Never Surprised (Constitution) in Gulfstream's marquee test on the turf.

While best known for his dirt runners, trainer Todd Pletcher once again showed he not only knows how to prepare top turf runners, but also underscored the influence of his former top-shelf trainees who have gone on to stamp themselves as stallions, including Colonel Liam's sire Liam's Map and Constitution, sire of Never Surprised.

Colonel Liam broke well and was eased into a stalking fourth as stablemate Never Surprised rushed to the front from post 12 to set an opening quarter in :25.43. Still drafting between rivals through a slightly swifter half in :49.39, the grey began to make a move for the front through following three quarters in 1:13.31. Narrowly behind last-out Tropical Park Derby winner Never Surprised straightening for home, Colonel Liam surged ahead midstretch and shook clear late to best his barnmate by a length. Space Traveller (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), far out of it in the early going, closed with purpose up the inside to finish a neck back in third.

“He didn't lose a step,” said winning rider Irad Ortiz Jr., who also took the day's feature of the day, the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational with Life Is Good. “He's healthy and he's strong. He did everything right. I asked him a little early and when I asked him to go, he just went on.”

Added Pletcher of the race favorite, “I was actually pleased with how well he was traveling early on. You could see he got in a good position and had a lot of horse. He moved to Never Surprised early and kept finding more, and Never Surprised dug in. It was great race for both horses.”

As for the race setup, Pletcher explained, “It unfolded the way we expected it to. It looked like the fractions were reasonable. Colonel Liam was traveling really well in behind. You could see he was going well. Irad kind of went after Never Surprised in the middle of the turn and both horses fought on gamely. I'm proud of Never Surprised. He fought back.”

Colonel Liam, a $50,000 KEESEP yearling that flourished in a $1.2-million OBSAPR juvenile, won three of five starts in 2020, including a victory in Gulfstream's Tropical Park Derby. The grey kicked off his 4-year-old campaign with a neck win over stablemate Largent (Into Mischief) in last year's Pegasus Turf before following up with a confident score in the GII Muniz Memorial Classic S. at the Fair Grounds in March. He made it four straight with a dead-heat win with Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the nine-furlong GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Turf Classic S. in May. Given plenty of support at 7-2 in his most recent start in the GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan S. in June, he faded to finish a well-beaten eighth. He had eight works since arriving in South Florida for his return.

“You just hope you've done enough with him. He has talent,” Pletcher said. “We need everything to go exactly as planned. We didn't have time for a prep race. We put all of our chips in this race. I'm glad it worked out.”

Pedigree Notes:
When Colonel Liam won this race last year, it was his first graded win, but he was the third Grade I winner for his young sire. Saturday, a more accomplished Colonel Liam was capturing his third career Grade I event, while Liam's Map has since added another GISW to make it four for his sire career and has also added three more graded winners in the past year for a total of seven. Overall, Liam's Map has had 13 black-type winners in his three crops to race thus far. Two of those Grade I winners–Colonel Liam and 'TDN Rising Star' Wicked Whisper–are out of Bernardini mares. The late Bernardini, who died last year at 18, has 61 stakes winners out of his daughters.

A $1.2-million OBS 2-year-old in 2019 after working a quarter in :20 4/5, Colonel Liam is one of two winners out of his unraced dam, whose 2-year-old Arrogate colt was a $70,000 RNA at Keeneland September. Amazement has a yearling colt by Copper Bullet and was bred back to Liam's Map. She is out of MGISW Wonder Again, who raced for the Phillips family of Darby Dan.

Darby Dan has a long association with Colonel Liam's family, going all the way back to his seventh dam. Darby Dan's founder, John Galbreath, entered into a partnership on 13 broodmares–one of which was the 1947 French-bred mare Skylarking II (Mirza {Fr})–with Prince Aly Khan, then purchased her outright when the Prince was killed in a car accident. Her daughter, Soaring (Swaps), became a foundation mare for Darby Dan and is Colonel Liam's sixth dam. Generations of Darby Dan principals bred each of Colonel Liam's first six dams, as well as Colonel Liam himself.

Saturday, Gulfstream
PEGASUS WORLD CUP TURF INVITATIONAL S. PRESENTED BY BACCARAT-GI, $982,300, Gulfstream, 1-29, 4yo/up, 1 1/8mT, 1:47.48, fm.
1–COLONEL LIAM, 123, h, 5, by Liam's Map
               1st Dam: Amazement, by Bernardini
               2nd Dam: Wonder Again, by Silver Hawk
               3rd Dam: Ameriflora, by Danzig
($50,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $1,200,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR).
O-Lawana L. & Robert E. Low; B-Phillips Racing Partnership
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $531,000. Lifetime
Record: 10-7-0-1, $1,810,565. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Never Surprised, 123, c, 4, Constitution–Tiz Dixie, by
Tiznow. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($30,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV;
$200,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable; B-Golden
Pedigree LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $177,000.
3–Space Traveller (GB), 123, h, 6, Bated Breath (GB)–Sky
Crystal (Ger), by Galileo (Ire). (85,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT).
O-Clipper Logistics; B-El Catorce Partnership (GB);
T-Brendan P. Walsh. $88,500.
Margins: 1, HF, NK. Odds: 1.60, 3.60, 12.20.
Also Ran: Atone, Cross Border, Sacred Life (Fr), Doswell, Hit the Road, Channel Cat, Field Pass, March to the Arch, Flavius.
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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Never Surprised Dominates Tropical Park Derby Rivals; Saez Bags Five Wins

Repole Stable's Never Surprised scored a popular gate-to-wire 6 ¼-length victory Sunday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., providing Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher with back-to-back victories in the $100,000 Tropical Park Derby.

Last year, Pletcher sent out Colonel Liam for a 3 ½-length victory in last year's Tropical Park Derby prior to the son of Liam's Map's triumph in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream four weeks later.

The Tropical Park Derby, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds, co-headlined Sunday's day-after-Christmas program with the Tropical Park Oaks, a 1 1/16-mile turf event for 3-year-old fillies.

While touring the Gulfstream turf course in a solid 1:40.39, Never Surprised also provided jockey Luis Saez with his fifth victory on the 11-race program.

Bet down to 1-2 favoritism on the strength of his 9 ½-length triumph in the Nov. 26 Gio Ponti Stakes at Aqueduct, Never Surprised never gave Saez an anxious moment, breaking alertly to gain the lead into the first turn. After setting half-mile fractions of 23.22 and 46.66 seconds, the son of Constitution opened up on the turn into the homestretch and drew away for a comfortable victory.

“He's a pretty nice horse. I rode him one time before and he was a little bit green, but today he was good. Todd has done an amazing job,” Saez said. “He broke from the gate really fast. I was excited about the way he ran today. I had a lot of horse. I didn't have to overdo it. It was an easy race for him.”

Among his four other winning rides, Saez rode Pletcher-trained first-time starter American Icon for an 8 ½-length front-running victory in Sunday's Race 8, a seven-furlong maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds.

“It's an amazing day. My family was here – that's my happiness,” Saez said. “It was a great job by my agent (Kiaran McLaughlin) and everybody who is supporting me, giving me those type of horses to ride.”

In seven career starts, Never Surprised has four victories, as well as three second-place finishes in graded-stakes – Kitten's Joy (G3) at Gulfstream, Saranac (G3) at Saratoga, and Hill Prince (G2) at Belmont.

Yes This Time finished second in the Tropical Park Derby, a nose ahead of Safe Conduct.

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Never Surprised Stays Hot in Tropical Derby

Sent off the 1-2 chalk to close a successful sophomore season, Repole Stable's Never Surprised (Constitution) likely earned a spot in the field for the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf with a sparkling front-running success in Sunday's Tropical Park Derby, the same event used as a springboard to Pegasus success by stablemate Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) early this year.

Exiting a big-figure victory in the Gio Ponti S. at Aqueduct last month, Never Surprised wasted no time getting to the front, but was made to work for it by longshot Lamplighter Jack (Fed Biz) through enervating fractions of :23.22 and :46.66. Going very well despite the demanding pace, Never Surprised began to sneak away from his beaten rival on the turn, was hand-ridden into the stretch and was merely shown the whip through the final sixteenth of a mile, scoring in strong time.

Perfect in two juvenile appearances, including the Central Park S. last November, Never Surprised was beaten into second as the odds-on pop in this track's GIII Kitten's Joy S. last January before getting some time off. Runner-up to Public Sector (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the GIII Saranac S. in September, he was beaten a neck by that rival in the GII Hill Prince S. Oct. 23 before taking Gio Ponti by the same margin of victory as Sunday, earning a 98 Beyer.

Golden Pedigree acquired Never Surprises dam for $5,500 at Keeneland January 2017 and the colt is her first produce. She is also the dam of the 2-year-old filly Ace Girl (Connect), a yearling Munnings colt that cost BSW/Crow Colts Group $275,000 at KEESEP this fall and a weanling colt by the same sire. Never Surprised is bred on the same cross responsible for MGISW Tiz the Law. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

TROPICAL PARK DERBY, $100,000, Gulfstream, 12-26, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.39, fm.
1–NEVER SURPRISED, 124, c, 3, by Constitution
                1st Dam: Tiz Dixie, by Tiznow
                2nd Dam: Comeon Dixie, by Mr. Greeley
                3rd Dam: Dixieland Blues, by Dixieland Band
($30,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV; $200,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Repole
Stable; B-Golden Pedigree LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Luis
Saez. $57,660. Lifetime Record: MGSP, 7-4-3-0, $378,960.
2–Yes This Time, 124, c, 3, Not This Time–Smart Jilly, by Smart
Strike. O-Edge Racing; B-Barry S. Golden (KY); T-Kelly J. Breen.
$18,600.
3–Safe Conduct, 124, c, 3, Bodemeister–Duchess Dancer, by
Congrats. ($45,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV). O-WellSpring Stables;
B-Mitchell H. Kursner (ON); T-Philip M. Serpe. $9,300.
Margins: 6 1/4, NO, HF. Odds: 0.50, 4.80, 14.00.
Also Ran: Hot Blooded, Scarlett Sky, Sigiloso, Fighting Force, Grey Streak, In Effect, King of Dreams, Mohs, Lamplighter Jack. Scratched: American Prince, Kygo (Ger), Shady McGee (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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