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Into Mischief’s Doppelganger Upsets Carter

'TDN Rising Star' Doppelganger (c, 4, Into Mischief–Twice the Lady, by Quiet American) finished up full of run down the stretch to upset Saturday's GI Carter H. at the Big A.

The longest shot on the board at odds of 17-1, he caboosed the field of six early and was up a spot into fifth through an opening quarter in :22.40. Under a ride on the far turn, the bay had his work cut out for him a quarter of a mile from home. Steered out and into the clear by Jevian Toledo on the outside in deep stretch, he came rolling over the top to get the money by 1 1/4 lengths. Heavily favored Repo Rocks (Tapiture) was second; Expressman (Liam's Map) was third.

Doppelganger–previously campaigned by Bob Baffert and Tim Yakteen in Southern California–won his first two starts this term for trainer Brittany Russell at Laurel, a two-turn allowance Jan. 27 and a one-turn mile optional claimer last time Feb. 24. He earned a co-career high Beyer Speed Figure of 89 in his latest. Doppelganger was second in last year's GII San Felipe S. and third in the GIII Affirmed S. He concluded his sophomore campaign with a well-beaten fourth in the Los Alamitos Derby July 9.

“It's huge,” Russell said after recording her first Grade I victory as a trainer. “Especially this horse. This is the first horse that the group sent me last year. We opted to give him some time and let him develop, and it's nice to see that it pays off. It's a job well done to the whole team and rewarding to see the patience pay off.”

She continued, “The fact that were able to run him in the 'a other than' and then he comes back in the 'two other than'–this horse thinks he's on top of the world. He doesn't know what races he won in when he won at Laurel. He's just had a lot of confidence and trained well. I've been getting feedback in the morning from everyone that he's getting better and today it showed.”

The GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. on June 10 at Belmont Park could be a potential target for Doppelganger going forward.

Pedigree Notes:

Doppelganger becomes the 15th Grade I winner and 64th graded winner for his all-conquering sire Into Mischief. Quiet American is now the broodmare sire of 18 Grade I winners. Doppelganger's SW & MGSP dam Twice the Lady, a $105,000 purchase by Offset Bloodstock at the 2022 Keeneland November sale, produced a colt by Improbable this year. She was previously a $350,000 purchase by Doppelganger's breeder WinStar Farm at the 2013 FTKNOV sale.

Saturday, Aqueduct
CARTER H. PRESENTED BY NYRA BETS-GI, $300,000, Aqueduct, 4-8, 4yo/up, 7f, 1:23.25, ft.
1–DOPPELGANGER, 118, c, 4, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Twice the Lady (SW & MGSP, $312,204), by Quiet American
2nd Dam: Catherine's Crown, by Chief's Crown
3rd Dam: Catherine's Bet, by Grey Dawn II
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($570,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine M. Donovan, Golconda Stable, Siena Farm LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Brittany T. Russell; J-Jevian Toledo. $165,000. Lifetime Record: 10-4-1-1, $442,400. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Repo Rocks, 122, g, 5, Tapiture–Hawaiian Love, by Not For Love. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($35,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV; $70,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Double B Racing Stables; B-Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin (VA); T-Jamie Ness. $60,000.
3–Expressman, 117, c, 4, Liam's Map–Spangled Banner, by Tiz Wonderful. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($145,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $140,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP; $325,000 2yo '21 EASMAY). O-St. Elias Stable; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds LTD & Bridlewood Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $36,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, NO, HF. Odds: 17.90, 0.80, 7.90.
Also Ran: Today's Flavor, Bold Journey, Little Vic. Scratched: White Abarrio.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Jack Wolf Joins the TDN Writers’ Room Podcast

As the managing partner of Starlight Racing, Jack Wolf is a part of a team that can always be counted on to have several prospects for the GI Kentucky Derby. That's the case again this year as the trio of Starlight, SF Racing and Madaket Stables will have horses in Saturday's GII San Felipe S., the GIII Gotham S. and the John Battaglia Memorial. To discuss those runners and Starlight's philosophies when it comes to trying to acquire Derby candidates Wolf was the Green Group Guest of the Week on this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland.

As was the case last year, the Starlight horses have been transferred to trainer Tim Yakteen, who is taking over for Bob Baffert. Baffert, due to a ban imposed by Churchill Downs, is not eligible to run horses in this year's Derby.

“We sort of went down this road last year and it seems to be working,” Wolf said. “The transfer seems to be working a lot more smoothly than last year. Last year, Bob was also serving a suspension (from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission). We're fortunate to have Bob working with us and trying to continue on to have these particular horses be eligible for the Derby points. Bob, (SF Racing Managing Partner) Tom Ryan and Tim have done a great job working together to try pull this off up to this point.”

Among the four Starlight horses that will be running in Derby preps this weekend, Wolf wasn't shy about listing who he believes is the best. It's San Felipe starter National Treasure (Quality Road), who is coming off a third-place finish in the GIII Sham S.

“I got on him as a Derby horse a couple of months before the end of the year,” Wolf said. “I just like how things are setting up for him, hopefully, for the next three races. I just really like the horse. He's not peaking too soon. Bob Baffert always says you get Derby Fever in January and February. But you don't know what you have until April comes around. So even though this horse may have a little case of second-itis, I think from a pedigree standpoint and the way he's been set up for the San Felipe he's our best hope. That's who I have my money on.”

Starlight, SF Racing and Madaket were among the first major owners to pool their resources at the sales, which mas become a growing trend in the sport. That means more competition for the trio when it comes to acquiring expensive horses, but Wolf said he believes his team can outperform their rivals.

“We've got better bloodstock agents and better operation than the other ones,” he said. “But, yes, they're buying a lot of stock. Mike (Repole) and Vinnie (Viola) put a little bit more money into it than we do. Maybe we put a little bit more money into it than the group Brad Cox has assembled. I like those guys. It's fun to compete with them and have at it.”

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by Coolmore, Lane's End, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, XBTV, and West Point Thoroughbreds, Randy Moss, Zoe Cadman and Bill Finley took a look back at the win by Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GII Rebel S. and trainer Keith Desormeaux's knack for developing modestly priced sales horses into stars and a looked ahead to this week's major races, including the GII Fountain of Youth S., the GII San Felipe S. and the GI Santa Anita H. In other news, the team discussed the reinstatement of controversial trainer Rick Dutrow and a TDN column by Sid Fernando that reasons that SGF-1000, the drug Jason Servis has admitted to using on his horses, is not a performance-enhancing drug.

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Baffert’s Gotham Noms Switched to New Trainers

The nominees for the Mar. 4 GIII Gotham S. at Aqueduct include four horses that have been under the care of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, but were nominated under the names of new trainers.

Baffert is banned from running in this year's GI Kentucky Derby and any horse under the care of a trainer suspended by Churchill Downs must be moved to a new barn by Feb. 28 in order to earn Derby qualifying points. On Friday, a U.S. District Judge ruled against Baffert as he sought a temporary injunction that would have allowed him to enter the Derby. Baffert was also banned by the New York Racing Association, but its one-year suspension ended Jan. 26.

The news that Baffert-trainees are switching stables for a possible run in the Gotham was first reported by the Daily Racing Form's David Grening.

The Baffert Gotham nominees are the Amr Zedan-owned pair of Arabian Lion (Justify) and Hejazi (Bernardini) and Carmel Road (Quality Road) and Fort Warren (Curlin). The latter two are owned by partnerships consisting of SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stable LLC and others. Arabian Lion, Hejazi and Carmel Road were nominated under the name of Tim Yakteen. Fort Warren was nominated under the name of Brittany Russell. It was not clear who, if any of the Baffert/Yakteen/Russell horses, will start in the Gotham.

With Baffert also suspended from running in the 2022 Kentucky Derby, the two starters in the race from his barn, Taiba (Gun Runner) and Messier (Empire Maker), competed for Yatkeen, a former assistant to Baffert.

Several other Baffert trained 3-year-old colts will also likely be on the move within the next few days. Nominations for the GII San Felipe S. at Santa Anita, also to be run Mar. 4, close Thursday and any horse from the Baffert stable with eyes on a possible Kentucky Derby start will need to find a new home.

The GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream will also be run Mar. 4. Baffert nominated Hard to Figure (Hard Spun), the runner-up in the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. According to Grening's report, Baffert was listed as the trainer on the nomination.

Plans for Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) and Cave Rock (Arrogate), generally considered the top two 3-year-olds in the Baffert stable, have yet to be announced.

Baffert is expected to have starters in Saturday's GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn. All of his nominees to that race are listed under his own name. But the Rebel takes place before the Feb. 28 deadline.

The Gotham starters were not the first 3-year-olds from the Baffert barn to find a new home. After breaking his maiden for Baffert Jan. 22 at Santa Anita, Harlocap (Justify) ran for Steve Asmussen in Saturday's GII Risen Star S. He finished sixth.

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Newgate Hurt, Off Derby Trail

'TDN Rising Star' Newgate (Into Mischief), the winner of last Saturday's GIII Robert B. Lewis S. at Santa Anita under Frankie Dettori, has been diagnosed with a minor hock issue that will prevent him from making a start in the GI Kentucky Derby.

The news of the injury was announced on Twitter early Friday by Tom Ryan, the managing partner of one of the colt's owners, SF Racing LLC.

“His prognosis to return is excellent,” Ryan wrote. “We look forward to seeing him back this summer.”

Ryan also wrote that veterinarians have recommended 60 to 90 days off for Newgate before he resumes training.

The setback may mean that Dettori will not have a Kentucky Derby mount. When announcing his decision to ride at the current meet at Santa Anita, Dettori said that one of the reasons he came to Southern California was that the move gave him a chance to pick up a Derby contender. He has only ridden in the race once, in 2000.

Dettori is the regular rider of the once-beaten G1 Darley Dewhurst S. winner Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a top contender for the G1 2000 Guineas, also run on the first Saturday in May.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Newgate only broke his maiden in three tries as a 2-year-old, but has improved this year to the point where he was considered by most to be among the leading contenders for the Derby. He finished second in the GIII Sham S. and then won the Lewis by a neck over stablemate Hard to Figure (Hard Spun), earning a 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

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