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Queen Goddess Takes The Pegasus F&M Turf

Lightly raced Queen Goddess (Empire Maker) rewarded her connections' faith to successfully invade from California and annex Saturday's GIII Pegasus F/M Turf. Originally campaigned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and her breeder, Geoff Nixon's TOLO Thoroughbreds, after RNA'ing for $285,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, the Michael McCarthy trainee made the grade in the rained-off GI American Oaks two Decembers ago and added the GIII Santa Ana S. on the Arcadia lawn last March. She was second in May's 1 1/2-mile GIII Santa Barbara S., but hadn't been back on the track since then when she fetched $1,525,000 at Fasig-Tipton November, with Gary Barber essentially buying out TOLO's piece. Resurfacing on New Year's Eve, the dark bay dominated Santa Anita's GIII Robert J. Frankel S. on the front end going a sixteenth farther than this. Taken in hand by Luis Saez to try and avoid a four-way scramble into the first turn, Queen Goddess settled nicely within striking distance and out in the clear behind splits of :23.76 and :48.03. She ranged up three deep under confident Luis Saez handling nearing the lane, quickly blew the race apart and held safe a late bid from Shantisara to get the job done.

“She ran pretty big,” Saez said. “Today she proved she's a beautiful and special filly. We knew she had a lot of speed but inside they had speed, too, so the plan was to try to follow the speed and be right behind, and everything went according to plan. It was perfect.”

Eclipse's Aron Wellman said, “She's matured. She's a filly we always thought would get better with age. The two times we sent her east were a very ambitious run [when fifth at 41-1] in the [2021 GI] Queen Elizabeth [II Challenge Cup] and a dirt try in the [2022 GIII] Bayakoa [at Oaklawn, where she also finished fifth]. She wasn't quite ready for it. Today we felt good about our chances.”

Pedigree Notes:

Queen Goddess is one of 39 Northern Hemisphere graded winners for her late, great sire, but the only out of a Lemon Drop Kid mare. Lemon Drop Kid is the damsire of 28 graded/group winners worldwide.

The winner's dam hails from the family of GISW Persistently (Smoke Glacken) and GSWs Good Reward (Storm Cat) and Pure Prize (Storm Cat)–the latter sired Saturday's GIII William L. McKnight S. winner Red Knight. Royal Story was acquired privately by Nixon after finishing second by a head in the 2015 Hut Hut S. at Gulfstream Park West, but failed to pan out on the track after that. She sold to Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals's Yeguada Centurion for $125,000 in foal to Mendelssohn at the 2019 Keeneland November sale and was exported to France. The resulting foal sold for €235,000 to agent Daithi Harvey for Highland Yard at the 2021 Arqana August Yearling sale.

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
TAA PEGASUS WORLD CUP FILLY AND MARE TURF INVITATIONAL S. PRESENTED BY PEPSI-GIII, $490,300, Gulfstream, 1-28, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:41.91, fm.
1–QUEEN GODDESS, 121, m, 5, by Empire Maker
1st Dam: Royal Story (SP), by Lemon Drop Kid
2nd Dam: Bauble, by Tale of the Cat
3rd Dam: Just Reward, by Deputy Minister
($285,000 RNA Ylg '19 FTSAUG; $1,525,000 4yo '22 FTKNOV). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Gary Barber; B-Tolo Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Michael W McCarthy; J-Luis Saez. $291,000. Lifetime Record: 11-6-2-1, $761,580. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Shantisara (Ire), 119, m, 5, Coulsty (Ire)–Kharana (Ire), by Dalakhani (Ire). (10,000gns 2yo '20 TATGBR). O-Madaket Stables LLC, Michael Dubb & Robert V LaPenta; B-Mr Oliver Donlon (IRE); T-Chad C Brown. $97,000.
3–Lady Rockstar (GB), 119, m, 5, Frankel (GB)–Noozhah (GB), by Singspiel (Ire). O-Steven Parkin; B-Branton Court Stud (GB); T-Brendan P Walsh. $48,500.
Margins: 1HF, 2 3/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 4.20, 2.50, 7.50.
Also Ran: Dalika (Ger), Wakanaka (Ire), Artie's Princess, Justify My Love (Brz), Sweet Enough (GB). Scratched: Bay Storm, Mona Stella, Perseverancia. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Shantisara Leads Field For Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf

A field of 11, headlined by 2-1 morning-line favorite GISW Shantisara (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}) is expected to line up for Saturday's GIII TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational for older females.

The 7-2 second choice, Dalika (Ger) (Pastorious {Ger}), will make her 32nd career start in the Pegasus for trainer Albert Stall, Jr.

“There's not a horse in America that is more battle-tested than her,” said Stall. “She couldn't be more fit and couldn't be more of a warrior, so we got that going for us, too.”

Queen Goddess (Empire Maker) is the 5-1 third choice for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber. The 5-year-old is coming off a 2 1/2-length victory Dec. 31 in the GIII Robert J. Frankel S. at Santa Anita for trainer Michael McCarthny. Luis Saez is scheduled to ride.

Another contender is 8-1 shot Lady Rockstar (GB) (Frankel {GB}) for trainer Brendan Walsh.

Team Valor International and Gary Barber's Wakanaka (Ire) (Power {GB}, returns at 10-1 in the Pegasus event where she made her North American debut last year. The 5-year-old Irish-bred mare started her career in Italy, where she won six of her nine starts. Since arriving in North America, Wakanaka has won a pair of stakes, including the GII Dance Smartly S. at Woodbine.

“When she first came here, she wasn't that good around two turns,” said Barry Irwin, chief executive officer for Team Valor. “But as she's raced and trained, she's gotten smarter and better. She's physically improved. She's a lot better now than she was last year. She's got a really good turn of foot. She's not a very big filly, but she's got a lot of power when she turns it on.”

The remainder of the field includes: Perseverancia (California Chrome) (15-1), Artie's Princess (We Miss Artie) (20-1), Sweet Enough (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) (20-1), and Justify My Love (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}) (30-1).

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Regal Glory Gives Brown Record Fifth Jenny Wiley

Peter Brant's 'TDN Rising Star' Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) got the jump on stablemate Shantisara (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}) with three-sixteenths of a mile remaining in Saturday's GI Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland and dug in gamely to hold off her younger rival to prevail, providing trainer Chad Brown with a record fifth Jenny Wiley win, all since 2015. Brown overtook his mentor Bobby Frankel and Hall of Famer Bill Mott with the win.

“I'm a lucky guy with owners like Mr. Brant and plenty before him that have sent me a lot of nice fillies, and I had a great teacher [the late Hall of Famer trainer Bobby Frankel],” Brown said. “I just read yesterday I'm tied with Bobby's record, and I was thinking of him walking down here. I spent a few Jenny Wileys in the paddock with him when I was working for him and he taught me a lot. Luckily, I've had the horses and the team to work with these horses.”

Off a half-step slow, Regal Glory tugged Jose Ortiz up into second to press pacesetting Navratilova (Medaglia d'Oro) as Shantisara and Flavien Prat enjoyed the run of the race from a rail-skimming and joint third. Felt for three-eighths of a mile from home, Regal Glory claimed the front-runner with ease a furlong and a half out and kicked home a strong winner.

Shantisara was asked for her best in upper stretch and launched one final desperate inside bid, but fell short. 'TDN Rising Star' Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown) overcame a slow start to pick up third money.

A three-time graded winner for the late Paul Pompa, Jr., Regal Glory topped the Pompa dispersal at Keeneland January in 2021 on Brant's bid of $925,000. Dam Mary's Follies, who is also responsible for dual G1 February S. hero Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah), was sold to the BBA Ireland for $500,000 at the same event.

Regal Glory, three-for-five last year topped by a win in Del Mar's GI Matriarch S. Nov. 28, kicked off her 6-year-old campaign in style with a win in Gulfstream's GIII TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational S. Jan. 29. Her loaded resume also includes wins in the 2019 GII Lake Placid S. and GIII Lake George S.; the 2020 GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf S.; and a runner-up finish in last year's GI First Lady S. at Keeneland.

“I especially want to thank Mr. Brant for not only stepping up and buying her here at Keeneland out of the dispersal for Mr. Pompa, another dear friend and client of ours,” Brown said. “It was [Brant's] call to keep her in training this year. I probably would have bred her, and he said, 'No, she's in good form and I want to see her run another year. I have a feeling this is her year,' and so far he's right.”

Brown continued, “She's extremely competitive. She knows where that wire is, and with Shantisara–that's a real horse running at her. For [Regal Glory] to hold her off and to show she can get a mile and a sixteenth twice now. It looks like she could even go a little bit farther.”

Pedigree Notes:

Team Valor homebred champion Animal Kingdom is truly a product of the world. By a Brazilian-bred stallion and out of a German-bred mare, he won the GI Kentucky Derby in the U.S., the G1 Dubai World Cup in the U.A.E., raced in England, and has now stood in North America, Australia, and Japan. The only continents he lacks a connection to are Africa and Antarctica.

While Animal Kingdom's first Japanese foals are just yearlings, he left 10 black-type winners and four graded winners from his North American crops. He has three Grade I winners in the U.S.: Regal Glory, Oleksandra (Aus), and Duopoly, while his Untamed Domain is a Grade II winner who was runner-up in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
Both Regal Glory and Animal Kingdom's Australian multiple listed stakes winner Mystery Miss (Aus) are out of More Than Ready mares, with the pair being two of More Than Ready's 131 stakes winners out of his daughters.

Mary's Follies, a MGSW who sold at the 2021 Keeneland January sale for $500,000 to BBA Ireland while in foal to Curlin, is not only the dam of Regal Glory, but also of Japanese MG1SW Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah) and U.S. MGSW Night Prowler (Giant's Causeway). She lost the Curlin foal she was carrying in 2021, but has the 2-year-old colt Ready to Connect (Connect), who sold at OBS March for $180,000 to Chad Schumer after working a furlong in :10.1, and a full-brother to Cafe Pharoah born Feb. 26.

Regal Glory's ninth dam is the Man o'War mare Warrior Lass, whose daughters included the dams of 1971 Broodmare of the Year Iberia (dam of champion and Kentucky Derby winner Riva Ridge), 1944 Belmont S. winner Bounding Home, and 1951 Preakness S. winner Bold.

Saturday, Keeneland
JENNY WILEY S.-GI, $479,000, Keeneland, 4-16, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.97, gd.
1–REGAL GLORY, 123, m, 6, by Animal Kingdom
                1st Dam: Mary's Follies (MGSW, $338,889), by More Than Ready
                2nd Dam: Catch the Queen, by Miswaki
                3rd Dam: Wave to the Queen, by Wavering Monarch
'TDN Rising Star' ($925,000 5yo '21 KEEJAN). O-Peter M. Brant;
B-Paul P Pompa (KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Jose L. Ortiz.
$306,125. Lifetime Record: 18-11-4-0, $1,836,009. *1/2 to
Night Prowler (Giant's Causeway), MGSW, $535,682; Café
Pharoah (American Pharoah), MG1SW-Jpn, $3,001,697.
Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2--Shantisara (Ire), 123, f, 4, by Coulsty (Ire)
1st Dam: Kharana (Ire), by Dalakhani (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Khantala (Ire), by Zafonic
                3rd Dam: Khanata, by Riverman
(10,000gns 2yo '20 TATGBR). O-Dubb, Michael, Madaket
Stables LLC and LaPenta, Robert V.; B-Mr Oliver Donlon (IRE);
T-Chad C. Brown. $79,000.
3–Lady Speightspeare, 123, f, 4, by Speightstown
1st Dam: Lady Shakespeare (MGSW-USA, SW-Can, $495,608), by Theatrical (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Lady Shirl, by That's a Nice
                3rd Dam: Canonization, by Native Heritage
O/B-Charles Fipke (KY); T-Roger L. Attfield. $49,375.
Margins: 1, 6 3/4, NK. Odds: 1.00, 1.20, 6.70.
Also Ran: Scarabea, Navratilova, Waliyak (Fr).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Powerful Pair Likely to Give Brown Record Fifth Jenny Wiley

Looking for his fourth GI Jenny Wiley S. triumph in the last five years and fifth overall, Chad Brown will saddle two imposing favorites in Saturday's renewal of Keeneland's annual 1 1/16-mile turf test for older fillies and mares. Brown is tied with Bill Mott and former boss and mentor Bobby Frankel for the most victories in the race, which has been run since 1989.

Given the slightest of nods on the morning line at 6-5 is Shantisara (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}), who starts as a 4-year-old for the first time after a smashing finale to her sophomore season. Transferred from Frederic Rossi's barn last winter after going two-for-five in France, the bay was a distant runner-up trying to close into a slow pace making her Stateside debut in the Boiling Springs S. June 26 at Monmouth. Rallying to a three-length score in the GIII Pucker Up S. at Arlington Aug. 14, she repeated with a game tally in the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. Sept. 18 at Belmont before a devastating five-length romp in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. over yielding turf here Oct. 16. The Madaket Stables colorbearer tuned up with a five-furlong bullet around dogs on the local lawn in 1:02 4/5 (1/8) in company with her uncoupled stablemate Sunday.

The narrow second choice at 7-5 is that barnmate, nine-time stakes winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom). The chestnut scored five times in seven outings to open her career before finishing off the board for the first time when sixth in the QEII here in October of 2019. Finding the mark once in three starts in an abbreviated 2020 campaign, she went three-for-five in 2021 and closed the year with her first top-level success in the GI Matriarch S. at Del Mar. Her 6-year-old bow was a winning one, as she ran away to an easy 2 1/2-length success in the first running of the GIII TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational S. Jan. 29 at Gulfstream.

Waliyak (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) adds some international intrigue in her second North American outing. Picking up her first stakes victory in the British Stallion Studs EBF Dick Hern S. last August at Haydock, the dark bay was second in the G3 Betway Atalanta S. two weeks later at Sandown Park before punching her ticket to the U.S. with a conquest of the G3 Prix Bertrand de Tarragon Sept. 17 at Chantilly. She was then fourth in the GI E. P. Taylor S. when last seen Oct. 17 at Woodbine.

Rounding out the field are Scarabea (American Pharoah), fifth in Gulfstream's 12-furlong GIII Orchid S. last out after making an early move to the lead, Navratilova (Medaglia d'Oro), who upset the local GIII Rubicon Valley View S. at 25-1 in October, and 'Rising Star' Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown), victress of the GI Natalma S. as a juvenile in 2020.

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