Thursday’s Racing Insights: McPeek Duo Back in Action at Oaklawn

8th-OP, $106K, OC 50k/N2X, 4yo/up, 1 1/8m, 5:22 p.m.

The Ken McPeek-trained duo of 'TDN Rising Star' SMILE HAPPY (Runhappy) and CREATIVE MINISTER (Creative Cause) kick off their 4-year-old seasons at Oaklawn Park Thursday.

Smile Happy, winner of the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. at two and runner-up as the favorite in last year's GI Toyota Blue Grass S., makes his first start since finishing eighth in the GI Kentucky Derby. The 2-1 morning-line favorite gets first-time Lasix while facing seven rivals here.

Creative Minister, a respectable third in last year's GI Preakness S., came within a nose of recording a career high in Churchill's Bourbon Trail S. Sept. 24. He was a well-beaten eighth in an optional claimer at Keeneland when last seen in the fall. TJCIS PPs

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Third Time’s The Charm For Runhappy’s Half-Sister, Rarify

6th-Keeneland, $99,588, Msw, 10-27, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:05.38, ft, 3 3/4 lengths.
RARIFY (f, 2, Justify–Bella Jolie, by Broken Vow) opened her account with a pair of seconds at Saratoga earlier this summer, trying both 6 and 6 1/2 furlongs. The half-sister to Runhappy (Super Saver), Ch. Sprinter, MGISW, $1,496,250, Thursday's 2-5 chalk, raced with blinkers for the first time over her shortest distance yet and settled into a stalking position early while racing in the three path into the far turn. Fanned out wider still, Rarify loomed outside of the leaders at the top of the lane, struck the front with a furlong to run, and drew away convincingly despite hanging on her left lead to win by 3 3/4 lengths. Malibu Toast (Tapwrit) checked in second. A $750,000 yearling and the 21st winner for her freshman sire (by Scat Daddy), Rarify's only younger sibling is a yearling half-brother by Speightstown. Her dam visited Charlatan for the 2023 season. Sales History: $750,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-1-2-0, $101,675. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Jonathan Poulin, Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith & Michael B. Tabor; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward.

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FanDuel Racing to Broadcast Keeneland September Coverage

FanDuel Racing will showcase the breeding and sales sectors of the horse racing industry with a special broadcast of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The all-day coverage of Book One–presented by Runhappy—will air Monday, Sept. 12 and Tuesday, Sept. 13 from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET each day. As the sale continues, there will be daily sales reports on FanDuel Racing. The coverage begins with a special “Rising Stock” feature that is scheduled to air Saturday, Sept. 10 at 9:00 a.m. ET/6:00 a.m. PT. It will feature expert insights from Scott Hazelton and Gabby Gaudet, who will be reporting live from Keeneland, alongside Christina Blacker who will be anchoring the coverage from the FanDuel studio in Los Angeles.

“Our special coverage of the Keeneland September sale is always one of the highlights of the calendar,” said Kevin Grigsby, the Senior Vice President of Programming and FanDuel TV executive producer. “We are excited to be back in Lexington. Our network has built a valued partnership with Keeneland and the central Kentucky breeding community over the years and we look forward to promoting this cornerstone of the sport.”

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Sunday’s Racing Insights: Runhappy Half-Sis Looks to Go One Better at the Spa

6th-SAR, $105K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 3:55 p.m. ET

RARIFY (Justify), a half-sister to champion sprinter Runhappy (Super Saver), looks to go one better at second asking here. The $750,000 KEESEP graduate set the pace and reported home second-best as the even-money favorite on debut for Wesley Ward at Saratoga July 24.

Godolphin homebred Spelterini (Bernardini) also completed the exacta on debut at the Spa July 14 (Second Chances series), rallying smartly to finish a length ahead of next-out blowout winner Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke).

The field also includes first-time starters: Grand Love (Gun Runner), a half-sister to GISW Malibu Prayer (Malibu Moon) and millionaire Valid (Medaglia d'Oro); $625,000 FTSAUG graduate Rosie's Alibi (Justify); and $435,000 FTSAUG graduate Peak Popularity (Mendelssohn). TJCIS PPs

6th-ELP, $60K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 4:10 p.m. ET

Dixiana Farms's homebred JUL QUIST (Nyquist), a half-brother to GISW and young WinStar Farm stallion Tom's d'Etat (Smart Strike), debuts for trainer Cherie DeVaux. Magnificent Mile (Quality Road), an $800,000 FTSAUG graduate and half-brother to SW & GISP Brill (Medaglia d'Oro), will also get his career started for WinStar and Siena Farm and trainer Rodolphe Brisset in this spot. TJCIS PPs

7th-DMR, $80K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 8:00 p.m. ET

MUTEKI (American Pharoah), a $1-million OBS March (:10) purchase by Baoma Corp., makes her first trip to the post for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. The filly is out of Just Parker (Forest Camp), a half-sister to SW and MGSP Qahira (Cairo Prince) in addition to SWs Stormin' Lyon (Storm Boot) and Quick Flip (Speightstown), herself the dam of GSW and MGISP Following Sea (Runhappy). TJCIS PPs

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