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Adare Manor Cruises to Fifth Straight Win in Zenyatta

To see Adare Manor (f, 4, Uncle Mo–Brooklynsway, by Giant Gizmo) gallop out after Santa Anita's GII Zenyatta S. was to see a filly who looked like she was pretty proud of herself. Indeed, she should have been. The Zenyatta was Adare Manor's fifth straight win, as well as fourth consecutive graded win, and she took this one in the most facile manner possible, eased up as she cruised under the line a 5 1/4-length victress.

Clearly the class of the field as the 1-9 favorite, Adare Manor ran like it. The Michael Lund Petersen colorbearer broke from the rail, hustled to the front under her own power, and was unbothered by early pressure from Micro Share (Upstart), last-out winner of Del Mar's Tranquility Lake S. Sept. 4. Jockey Juan Hernandez could not have looked more comfortable on board the eventual winner–like he was out for a Sunday afternoon stroll–as the two edged clear for a :23.71 first quarter. Moving easily with her ears flicking back and forth as her three rivals lined up behind her and left her completely alone on the lead, Adare Manor clicked off a half in :47.91 and three-quarters in 1:11.96. Hernandez peered over his left shoulder leaving the turn and was so satisfied with his filly's position that he sat still as a stone down the lane, then eased up his mount at the wire. Last year's GII Santa Anita Oaks winner Desert Dawn (Cupid) followed her home, just as she did in the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. Aug. 5. Desert Dawn was 6 1/4 lengths in front of Micro Share, while Window Shopping (American Pharoah), the only 3-year-old in the field and winner of the GII Summertime Oaks in June, was fourth.

“Today all the credit goes to my filly, to Bob [Baffert], and his team. They brought her ready,” said Hernandez. “She broke a little slow the last couple of times, but today she broke on her own, I didn't even have to push her. She was just galloping around on the lead and I didn't do much today.”

In addition to the aforementioned Clement Hirsch, Adare Manor's streak also includes the GII Santa Margarita S. and the GII Santa Maria S. She is five for six on the year, following up a 2022 which included a victory in the GIII Las Virgenes S. and runner-up finishes in both the GII Santa Anita Oaks and the GII Black-Eyed Susan S.

Baffert enthused after the Zenyatta: “She just keeps improving and we wanted to see something like this to see if we were going to take a crack at the Breeders' Cup [Distaff]. So I think if she comes out of it well, we will go for it.”

 

Pedigree Notes:

Coolmore America's Uncle Mo, currently ranked a strong second on the 2023 leading sires list, is the sire of Adare Manor and another dozen black-type winners of this year bred in the Northern Hemisphere, including recent GI Pacific Classic winner Arabian Knight. With his ninth crop of 2-year-olds now at the track, Uncle Mo has 95 stakes winners, 48 of which are graded. Adare Manor is the only one of Uncle Mo's stakes winners out of a Giant Gizmo mare, but he does have three out of daughters of Giant's Causeway, sire of Giant Gizmo. Giant Gizmo was last reported to be standing in Panama. Adare Manor is the only black-type winner out of one of his daughters.

Winner of the 2016 GIII Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare S. at Keeneland, Brooklynsway has produced Adare Manor and an unraced 2-year-old filly by Into Mischief. Her yearling, a Ghostzapper filly already named Nosleeptilbrooklyn, was a $500,000 purchase by Boardshorts Stables on the first day of Book 2 at the recent Keeneland September sale. The mare delivered a full-brother to Adare Manor Mar. 24. She was bred back to Tapit.

Sunday, Santa Anita Park
ZENYATTA S.-GII, $196,000, Santa Anita, 10-1, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:43.70, gd.
1–ADARE MANOR, 126, f, 4, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Brooklynsway (GSW-USA, MSW & GSP-Can, $724,597), by Giant Gizmo
2nd Dam: Explosive Story, by Radio Star
3rd Dam: Maya's Note, by Editor's Note
($180,000 Ylg '20 FTKFEB; $190,000 RNA Ylg '20 FTKSEL; $375,000 2yo '21 OBSOPN). O-Michael Lund Petersen; B-Town & Country Horse Farms, LLC & Gary Broad (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $120,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 13-7-4-0, $981,600. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Desert Dawn, 122, f, 4, Cupid–Ashley's Glory, by Honour and Glory. ($32,000 RNA Ylg '20 OBSOCT). O/B-H & E Ranch (AZ); T-Philip D'Amato. $40,000.
3–Micro Share, 122, f, 4, Upstart–Who'sbeeninmybed, by The Daddy. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($10,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $125,000 Ylg '20 OBSOCT; $450,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella. $24,000.
Margins: 5 1/4, 6 1/4, 22 1/4. Odds: 0.10, 5.40, 6.70. Also Ran: Window Shopping.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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MGISW Cody’s Wish Unwraps Breeders’ Cup Ticket In Vosburgh S.

The legend of Cody's Wish (Curlin), dampened only briefly by a 10-length defeat in the two-turn GI Whitney S., is back at full flame with a gutsy effort in the rescheduled 'Win and You're In' GII Vosburgh S.

Rained off of Saturday's card at Belmont's Aqueduct Fall meeting, the Vosburgh awarded a paid entry to the GI Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint though winning trainer Bill Mott indicated a title defense for his stable's star in the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders's Cup Dirt mile was preferred.

Beaten just once in his last seven starts (the aforementioned Whitney), Cody's Wish did little to deter the wagering public, jumping last from the outside gate at 1-9. And though he trailed the field off that trademark hesitant beginning, the son of Curlin was quick to rejoin the group paced up front by 9-2 second choice Accretive (Practical Joke). Kept outside of runners, Cody's Wish powered his way from last to within a length of that leader in a tightly-packed bunch up the backstretch as the opening quarter went in a moderate :23.33. Irad Ortiz, Jr., aboard Accretive, gave a quick look over his right shoulder into the turn as Junior Alvarado had yet to move atop the favorite and the top two choices turned for home together with little separating them. Great Navigator (Sea Wizard) loomed along the inside and Accretive was game between horses but Cody's Wish was all class, putting away the pair into the final sixteenth and securing the win under wraps.

“It [gate issues] goes with him [Cody's Wish],” acknowledged Mott. “You always wonder [with the slow start]. He was off slow, but he was able to make it up. Ideally, there's more pace and they kind of come back to him, but everybody kept running today. I think obviously a horse like him when they go 44 [seconds] and change, he's going to close better and finish better if the others are coming back to him, but they kept running.”

When asked about potential 2024 plans for their star, Godolphin noted his career may be coming to a close.

“We'll probably retire him,” admitted Michael Banahan, director for bloodstock for Godolphin. “We got another year out of him which is great. The major goal was trying to win the Met Mile, which we achieved. Everything else was just bonus to top it off. In this situation, we'll try to be a repeat winner of the Breeders' Cup [Dirt] Mile. We're hoping he can do that again, he's obviously one of the best horses in the country and we'd like to maintain that position if we can.”

Pedigree Note:

Dance Card, purchased by Godolphin connections as a 2-year-old for $750,000, became a Grade I-winner with her victory in the GI Gazelle S. but has arguably had just as much success in her paddock career. Besides Cody's Wish, she's also produced MGSW Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro), SP Bocephus (Medaliga d'Oro) and 2-year-old Hunt Ball (Into Mischief) who was second in his Saratoga debut Aug. 19. Dance Card is represented by a yearling Street Sense filly and reported a Gun Runner filly this Spring before being covered by Gun Runner for 2024.

Sunday, Belmont at Big A
VOSBURGH S.-GII, $250,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-1, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:21.83, ft.
1–CODY'S WISH, 126, h, 5, by Curlin
           1st Dam: Dance Card (GISW, $502,200), by Tapit
           2nd Dam: Tempting Note, by Editor's Note
           3rd Dam: Tempt, by Devil's Bag
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Junior Alvarado. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 15-10-1-4, $2,586,030. *1/2 to Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro), MGSW, $970,133. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Accretive, 120, g, 4, Practical Joke–Mallory Street, by Street Sense. ($180,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Falcon Wood Partners (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $50,000.
3–Great Navigator, 118, c, 3, Sea Wizard–All Even, by Stephen Got Even. O/B-Holly Crest Farm (NJ); T-Eddie Owens, Jr. $30,000.
Margins: 1HF, 3 1/4, 2. Odds: 0.15, 4.50, 22.60.
Also Ran: Sheriff Bianco, High Oak, Cowan.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Kirstenbosch Gets Her Dues in Chillingworth

Talk about keeping good company.

Kirstenbosch (Midnight Lute), a 4-year-old making her 17th lifetime start for trainer John Sadler, has not raced out of graded-stakes company since her third-place finish in the GI La Brea S. Dec. 26. Perhaps more impressively, she's been on the board in all but three of the eight starts since that post-Christmas trifecta. And though absent of the winner's circle since victory in the GIII La Canada S. Jan. 15, Kirstenbosch has run second or third to GISW Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) and a pair of Friday's rivals in GSW/GISP Elm Drive (Mohaymen) and GISW Eda (Munnings).

Facing an opportunity to turn the tables on those rivals, Friday's 6-1 shot spotted the field a step at the break and trailed with only Lady T (Into Mischief) to keep her company as the remaining five runners all vied for command into the opening furlong. Several lengths out of it still as the speed began to sort itself out into the turn, Kirstenbosch had Clearly Unhinged (Into Mischief), Home Cooking (Honor Code) and Elm Drive to catch as heavily-favored Eda was already under a ride from fourth. Switched inside around the bend and back out again at the top of the lane, she had a clear path to victory and surged past Clearly Unhinged inside the final sixteenth to score the upset.

“What I've been talking about with Keith (Abrahams) is it is not the distance for her, it is the setup, and she finally got the setup she wanted, which is faster,” said trainer John Sadler. “She always puts in a good late run, but if they go slow in front it's sometimes hard for her.”

When asked about a potential next run in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Sprint, Sadler didn't hesitate: “Yes, because it's seven eighths and you might get a strong pace,” he added.

Pedigree Note:

A Keith Abrahams homebred, Kirstenbosch is the third foal and third winner out of GIII Las Cienegas S. runner up Llandudno, also campaigned by Abrahams. She'd previously produced stakes winner and GII Monrovia S. runner up Constantia (Munnings) and reported a yearling full-brother to Friday's winner. Hill 'n' Dale stallion Midnight Lute, himself a champion sprinter, is perhaps best known for his prolific $5.5m Keeneland November sale-topping daughter and Champion older dirt mare Midnight Bisou.

Friday, Santa Anita
CHILLINGWORTH S.-GIII, $101,000, Santa Anita, 9-29, 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 1:15.37, ft.
1–KIRSTENBOSCH, 126, f, 4, by Midnight Lute
          1st Dam: Llandudno (GSP, $150,160), by Belong to Me
          2nd Dam: And Guess What, by Kris S.
          3rd Dam: T. V. Residual, by Pirate's Bounty
O/B-Keith Abrahams (KY); T-John W. Sadler; J-Hector Isaac Berrios. $60,000. Lifetime Record: GISP, 17-4-5-2, $521,480. *1/2 to Constantia (Munnings), SW & GSP, $209,192. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Clearly Unhinged, 118, f, 3, Into Mischief–Smart Win, by Smart Strike. O-Rock Brother Racing LLC; B-Rock Brothers Breeding LLC (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $20,000.
3–Eda, 126, f, 4, Munnings–Show Me, by Lemon Drop Kid.
($240,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $550,000 2yo '21 OBSMAR). O-Baoma Corp; B-Nathan McCauley (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $12,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 1HF, 4HF. Odds: 6.50, 4.20, 0.60.
Also Ran: Elm Drive, Violent Runner, Lady T, Home Cooking.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Jockey Jessica Pyfer Retires; Joins XBTV/Santa Anita

Jessica Pyfer, the 2021 Eclipse Award Outstanding Apprentice Jockey, has retired as a jockey and will join XBTV/Santa Anita Park as a full-time racing analyst, she announced on the social media platform X.

“After an amazing three years as a Jockey, I am officially transitioning my career and have accepted a full time position with XBTV/Santa Anita Park as a Racing Analyst and couldn't be more excited to continue working in this role,” she said in a post.

“I am so thankful for the times I have had in the apprentice jockey. I will still be riding in the mornings because if you know me, I could never spend more than a day off the back of a horse.”

From 819 mounts, Pyfer posted a record of 88-89-106 and career earnings of $4,210,897.

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