9th-GP, $92K, OC62k, 4yo/up, f, 1m, 5:07 p.m. ET.
Juddmonte colorbearer SCYLLA (Tapit) makes her return to the races as the older filly looks to jumpstart her new campaign.
The Bill Mott trainee certainly made her mark when she attained 'TDN Rising Star' honors as a debut winner at Keeneland last April, and then followed that up with an 8 1/4-length win against optional claimers at Churchill Downs in early June.
Out of champion older mare Close Hatches (First Defence), the homebred is a full-sister to MGSW/MGISP and current sire Tacitus. Close Hatches herself counts as a full-sister MGISP Lockdown, who is responsible for 2023 Eclipse Award winning older dirt female Idiomatic (Curlin). Under Scylla's third dam we find Irish multiple group 1 stakes hero Siskin (First Defence). TJCIS PPS
1st-BAQ, $90K, 2yo, Msw, 6 1/2f, 1:05 p.m. ET
Spendthrift's irrepressible Into Mischief has had a whopper of a week at the Keeneland September Sale and a pair of immaculately bred juveniles are down to debut in the Saturday opener from Aqueduct. Juddmonte's BOUNTEOUS hails from a very active female famile, as his dam Hall (Tapit) is a half-sister to the operation's Eclipse Award winner Close Hatches (First Defense), the dam of MGSW/MGISP sire Tacitus (Tapit) and unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Scylla (Tapit); and to SW/MGISP Lockdown (First Defense), whose daughter Idiomatic (Curlin) defeated champion Nest (Curlin) in the GI Personal Ensign S. at Saratoga last month. Jay Em Ess unveils its homebred Ignite the Light, a son of nine-times stakes-winner and GISP By the Light (Malibu Mooon), whose six scorers from eight to race include dual Grade I winner By the Moon (Indian Charlie) and GSP Wonderful Light (Tiz Wonderful). Commander of Truth (Constitution), a daughter of 2009 GIII Natalma S. third Jungle Tale (Lion Heart), was a $200,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by Becky Thomas this time last year and was sold to Lauren Carlisle for $675,000 at OBS this past March after breezing a furlong in :10 flat. TJCIS PPs
6th-BAQ, $90K, 2yo, f, 6fT, 3:42 p.m. ET MITOLE MAGIC (Mitole) was an $80,000 purchase out of the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Fall Yearling Sale, but matured nicely and was knocked down to First Row Partners for $275,000 at OBS this past March. The Feb. 26 foal is out of 12-time winner Blake's Magic (Bernstein), a half-sister to Canadian champion and four-time GSW and GI Atto Mile runner-up Mobil (Langfuhr). Agra (Blame) is a granddaughter of MSP Greenery (Galileo {Ire}), the dam of GI Donn H. hero, GI Woodbine Mile second-place finisher and G1 Dubai World Cup third Lea (First Samurai) as well as 2020 Iowa Derby winner Acre (Blame). Agra was bought back on a bid of $190,000 at this year's OBS April Sale. TJCIS PPs
11th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 5:58 p.m. ET IRINA'S CHARM (Justify), a $550,000 KEESEP purchase, is the third foal to race out of treble graded-stakes winner Strike Charmer (Smart Strike), who was purchased by Mt. Brilliant Farm & Ranch for $700,000 carrying to Tapit at the 2018 Keeneland November sale. The Apr. 13 foal is out of a daughter of SW/GSP Cat Charmer (Storm Cat), whose MSP half-sister Sweet Dreams (Candy Ride {Arg}) produced GSW/GISP Subconscious (Tapit). This is also the family of GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. third Impeachment (Deputy Minister) and of top sire Violence (Medaglia d'Oro). TJCIS PPs
8th-Churchill Downs, $129,430, Alw (NW1X), Opt. Clm ($100,000), 6-2, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:35.27, ft, 8 1/4 lengths. SCYLLA (f, 3, Tapit–Close Hatches {Ch. Older Mare, MGISW, $2,707,300}, by First Defence) was pounded into 1-3 favoritism to build on a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy display over six furlongs at Keeneland Apr. 15 and ran away from her dramatically overmatched rivals in the final stages of a one-mile Churchill allowance Friday to score with condescending ease to take a major step in the direction of stakes company. The bay filly settled between horses while racing in the second flight and had about five lengths to make up on the leaders as they raced into the turn. Perhaps a bit flat-footed at the midway point of that bend and pushed along slightly by Javier Castellano, Scylla began to find her best stride nearing the entrance to the stretch, angled out four or five wide, quickly opened daylight and was taken in hand by for the better part of the final 150 yards. Scylla is a full-sister to young Taylor Made stallion Tacitus, MGSW & MGISP, $2,267,350, and is out of the 2014 Eclipse Award-winning older mare, whose five Grade I successes included a spine-tingling defeat of Princess of Sylmar (Majestic Warrior)–with Beholder (Henny Hughes) fourth–in the GI Ogden Phipps S. during her championship season. Close Hatches's full-sister Lockdown won the 2017 Busanda S., was third in that year's GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Cotillion S. and is responsible for SW & GSP Idiomatic (Curlin), but unfortunately passed away in 2022. Scylla has a 2-year-old full-brother named Batten Down, a yearling half-sister by Constitution and an Uncle Mo half-sister that was foaled Mar. 16. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $129,535. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-William I Mott.
The beautifully bred #5 Scylla makes it two-for-two in R8 at Churchill Downs for trainer Bill Mott with @jjcjockey aboard!
This 3-year-old filly is the daughter of super sire Tapit and MG1W Close Hatches! A homebred for @JuddmonteFarms.
8th-CD, $127K, OC 100k/N1X, 3yo, f, 1m, 4:22 p.m. 'TDN Rising Star' SCYLLA (Tapit), a daughter of champion older mare and MGISW Close Hatches (First Defence), takes on winners for the first time following an eye-catching, come-from-behind debut victory for Bill Mott going six furlongs at Keeneland Apr. 15. The Juddmonte homebred, favored at 9-5 on the morning line while stretching to a one-turn mile here, is a full-sister to the multiple Classic-placed Tacitus, MGSW & MGISP, $2,267,350. TJCIS PPS
(@TwinSpires) 