Jack Christopher (c, 2, Munnings–Rushin No Blushin, by Half Ours) entered the starting gate on the GI Runhappy Travers S. undercard with a lofty reputation based off his morning breezes for Chad Brown, including a five-furlong drill from the gate in :59 3/5 (2/35) at the Spa Aug. 7, and lived up to the hype with a flashy 'TDN Rising Star' debut performance.
He broke sharply and pressed Back to Normal (Liam's Map) on the outside through an opening quarter in :21.83. The even-money favorite poked his blaze face in front approaching the quarter pole, took over shortly thereafter with a shake of the reins, and put on a show down the lane after receiving no fewer than four left-handed reminders from Jose Ortiz to win going away by 8 3/4 lengths. Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft) was second.
The winner's dam, also represented by a Mo Town filly of 2020, was bred to Complexity for 2022. Rushin No Blushin, a maiden of eight career starts, was claimed for $50,000 out of her career finale by owner/trainer Neil Pessin at Keeneland in 2013. The half-sister to MGISW and useful sire Street Boss (Street Cry {Ire}) subsequently brought $70,000 from Castleton Lyons, in foal to Congrats, at the 2014 KEENOV sale.
The Speightstown/Half Ours cross was represented just Friday evening by new stakes winner Door Buster (Speightster) in the Sylvia Bishop Memorial S. at Charles Town.
“We're not one to really tighten the screws on these horses first time out, particularly dirt horses, but this horse just took us there,” winning trainer Chad Brown said on Saratoga Live in the winner's circle. “I'm so proud of him–especially mentally. The talent was always there, but when they come together mentally right before the debut and show their class, it's a relief for a trainer.”
Brown added that the GI Champagne S. at Belmont Park could be next for Jack Christopher.
2nd-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-28, 2yo, 6f, 1:09.85, ft, 8 3/4 lengths. JACK CHRISTOPHER, c, 2, by Munnings 1st Dam: Rushin No Blushin, by Half Ours 2nd Dam: Blushing Ogygian, by Ogygian 3rd Dam: Fruhlingshochzeit, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
Sales history: $145,000 RNA Ylg '20 FTKSEL; $135,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-Jim Bakke & Gerald Isbister; B-Castleton Lyons & Kilboy Estate (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.
Stronach Stables homebred RAPPER ZAPPER (Ghostzapper) makes his career bow in this event. The chestnut is a full-brother to Canadian champion, Queen's Plate victress and MGSW Holy Helena and a half to GSW & MGISP Holy Boss (Street Boss). TJCIS PPs
BROWN UNVEILS PRICEY CURLIN FILLY
5th-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 3:21p.m.
Chad Brown saddles an expensive first timer in DISTINCTLYPOSSIBLE (Curlin), who summoned $670,000 at OBS April after breezing in :10 1/5. The bay is out of GSW Funny Proposition (Medaglia d'Oro), who in turn is a daughter of SW Humorous Miss (Distorted Humor). Steve Asmussen unveils a well-bred contender in Soaring (Tapit). She is a daughter of Grade I winner Streaming (Smart Strike), who is a full to stakes winner Treasuring and a half to SW Cascading. Streaming's first foal, a War Front colt now named St. James's Square, summoned $2.4-million at the 2018 KEESEP sale. This is also the family of champion Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy) and GISW Jazil (Seeking the Gold). TJCIS PPs
HALF TO MCCRAKEN MAKES CAREER BOW
6th-ELP, $51K, Msw, 3yo/up, 7f, 4:10p.m.
Ian Wilkes unveils the latest offspring of GSP Ivory Empress (Seeking the Gold) in MILLIKEN (Into Mischief). The bay is a half-brother to MGSW & GISP McCraken (Ghostzapper), MGSW Four Graces (Majesticperfection), MGSP Bondurant (War Front) and GSP With Dignity (Declaration of War). TJCIS PPs
Americanrevolution added another impressive tally to his resume with a dominant score in the Albany. Riding the rail in fifth through a :23.49 opening quarter, the chestnut maintained that position as Bobby Bo put up a :47.33 half-mile. Taking closer order on the backstretch run, Americanrevolution ranged up to confront the leader turning for home and the pair battled to the wire with Americanrevolution drawing clear late to win. Bobby Bo held second and it was a long way back to third-place horse.
“I thought we would be a little closer to the pacesetter, but we got a little traffic and a little dirt around the turn,” said winning trainer Todd Pletcher. “He came away in good position turning up the backside and continued to improve his spot. It seemed like he was always traveling well.”
Fourth behind GI Haskell Invitational S. winner Mandaloun (Into Mischief) on debut against open company at Keeneland in October, he was transferred from trainer Rodolphe Brisset to New York-based Pletcher. Graduating by a neck in an Empire-bred event at Belmont June 20, he romped by 7 1/4 lengths when extended to two turns in the state-bred New York Derby at Finger Lakes July 19.
Polly Freeze is also responsible for the unraced juvenile colt Bold Journey (Hard Spun) and a yearling filly by Collected. She was bred to Frosted last spring. Polly Freeze is a half-sister to MGSW Gouldings Green (Charismatic) and SW Filare L'Oro (Hard Spun), dam of MGSW Silver Dust (Tapit) and GSP Forza Di Oro (Speightstown). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
ALBANY S., $250,000, Saratoga, 8-27, (S), 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:49.94, ft.
1–AMERICANREVOLUTION, 124, c, 3, by Constitution 1st Dam: Polly Freeze, by Super Saver 2nd Dam: Elusive Gold, by Strike the Gold 3rd Dam: Save My Soul, by I'ma Hell Raiser
($275,000 Ylg '19 SARAUG). O-CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC;
B-Fred W. Hertrich III & John D. Fielding (NY); T-Todd A.
Pletcher; J-Luis Saez. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0,
$271,535.
2–Bobby Bo, 118, c, 3, Speightster–Auspicious, by Indian
Charlie. ($110,000 Ylg '19 SARAUG; $1,100,000 RNA 2yo '20
OBSAPR). O-Little Red Feather Racing; B-Danzel Brendemuehl
Classic Mares (NY); T-Bob Baffert. $50,000.
3–It's a Gamble, 124, c, 3, English Channel–Yes It's Pink, by Yes
It's True. O-Mr. Amore Stable; B-Ron Lombardi (NY); T-Kelly J.
Breen. $30,000.
Margins: 5, 11HF, HF. Odds: 0.70, 2.65, 24.00.
Also Ran: Our Man Mike, Anejo, Joey Loose Lips, It's Gravy, Bingo John. Scratched: Purple Hearted.
1st-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, post time: 11:35 a.m. ET
Though there are more fashionable pedigrees on display for the Saturday opener at the Spa, DAUNT (Nyquist) may present longshot players something to grab on to. Owned and bred by Marc Keller and trained by Bobby Ribaudo–who teamed to win back-to-back renewals of the GI Sword Dancer Invitational in 2007 and 2008 with Grand Couturier (GB)–the February-foaled dark bay is the first produce for his dam Promotional (Artie Schiller), third in the GIII Rood & Riddle Dowager S. and sold with this colt in utero for $275,000 at Keeneland January in 2019. Promotional is a half-sister to the Glen Hill Farm's outstanding MGISW and GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf runner-up Marketing Mix (Medaglia d'Oro), while the deeper female family includes two-time GI Pacific Classic winner Skimming (Nureyev), G1 English 1000 Guineas heroine Wince (GB) (Selkirk) and MGSW Eltish (Cox's Ridge). Electability (Quality Road), a $600K in-utero purchase at KEENOV in 2018, is out of a daughter of GIII Florida Oaks winner French Satin (French Deputy), dam of GSW Long Haul Bay (Quality Road), SW & GSP Midnight Transfer (Hard Spun) and SP Salt Plage (Quality Road). Electability cost $300,000 at KEENOV in 2019 and third dam produced MGISW Lion Heart (Tale of the Cat). Royal Spirit (Into Mischief), a $450,000 KEESEP buy, is out of a winning half-sister to GSW Mo Tom (Uncle Mo), SW & MGISP Beautician (Dehere), MGSW Red Ruby (Tiznow) and SW Bella Castani (Big Brown), the dam of MSP Be Sneaky (Into Mischief). TJCIS PPs
2nd-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 12:08 p.m. ET
Produced by a half-sister to GSW Doremifasollatido (Bernstein) and GSW Fortunate Damsel (Runaway Groom), STEINBECK (Frosted) fetched $125,000 at KEESEP last year, then was hammered down for $650,000 at Fasig-Tipton's Gulfstream Sale earlier this winter after breezing a quarter-mile in :21 2/5 (see below). The price ranks as easily the most expensive of 34 second-crop juveniles for his sire in 2021. Don Adam's Courtlandt Farm was extended to $690,000 to acquire Dr. Perry (Into Mischief) at Keeneland last fall. The Mar. 5 foal is out of Not In Jest (Unbridled's Song), a daughter of GI Ballerina H. winner Stop Traffic (Cure the Blues), making her a full-sister to GISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Cross Traffic and a half to MSW Thirteen Arrows (Indian Charlie). Be Better is a homebred son of Uncle Mo, who defeated Admiral Perry by 14 1/4 lengths at first asking 11 years ago to this day before going on to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Eclipse Award honors. The dark bay is out of a daughter of the late SW Grat (A.P. Indy), dam of GSW turfer Old Time Hockey (Smarty Jones). TJCIS PPs
Fipke Homebred Looks 'Ready' For Debut…
5th-WO, C$126K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7fT, post time: 3:23 p.m. ET
Charles Fipke homebred READY LADY (More Than Ready) looks set to roll at first asking and has the family behind her to do it. The late Jack Werk acquired the filly's second dam, Grade I-winning Illinois-bred Lady Shirl (That's a Nice), for $485,000 in foal to Theatrical (Ire) at Keeneland November in 2005 and the result was Lady Shakespeare, who went on to become a graded winner on turf at 10 and 12 furlongs for Fipke. Lady Shakespeare has gone on to produce GISW, Sovereign Award winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown) while her half-sister, GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf upsetter Perfect Shirl (Perfect Soul {Ire}), has accounted for GSW 'Rising Star' Shirl's Speight (Speightstown). Lady Shirl also produced SW & MGSP Fantastic Shirl (Fantastic Light). TJCIS PPs
'Chrome' Sibling Gets Underway…
1st-DMR, $70K, Msw, 2yo, f, post time: 5:00 p.m. ET CAPTAIRE (Uncle Mo) draws outside in a field of six for a much-anticipated career debut Saturday 'where the surf meets the turf.' On behalf of SF Bloodstock, John McCormack went to $1.9 million to purchase Love That Chase (Not For Love) in foal to Tapit at Fasig-Tipton November in 2016, a few months before her son California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) would add a Horse of the Year and champion older horse statuette to his champion 3-year-old Eclipse from two years prior. Love That Chase was RNAd for $1.3 million with this filly in utero at FTKNOV in 2018. Electric Ride (Daredevil) was the joint-third priciest of her sire's 28 yearlings reported as sold last season when fetching $130,000 at FTKOCT and was the dearest of 19 of the stallion's current juveniles when hammering for $250,000 at OBSAPR this spring (under-tack video). TJCIS PPs
Ballerina Winner Represented By Second Starter…
8th-DMR, $70K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 8:35 p.m. ET ROCKEFELLER (Medaglia d'Oro) is the second foal to make the races out of the classy Dance to Bristol (Speightstown), who posted the most important of her 10 career wins in the 2013 GI Ballerina S., besting favored Book Review (Giant's Causeway) by a head. The $750,000 KEESEP purchase squares off against Union Train (Union Rags), whose talented half-sister White Frost (Candy Ride {Arg}) was ultra-impressive in taking out the GIII Sweetest Chant S. on the turf at Gulfstream last January. Also a half-brother to MSP Torres Del Paine (Karakontie {Jpn}), Union Train realized a final bid of $325,000 at OBSMAR after breezing in :10 1/5. South Street (Quality Road) is a son of Miss Catomine (Bernardini), whose dam Sweet Catomine (Storm Cat) won the 2004 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and GI Del Mar Debutante en route to an Eclipse Award that season. The latter's full-sister Life Is Sweet was a winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic. TJCIS PPs
1st Dam: Rushin No Blushin, by Half Ours