Collusion Illusion Tops Competitive Renewal of SA Sprint Championship

Collusion Illusion (Twirling Candy) is unbeaten going one-turn and will try to continue that run in Sunday’s GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S., a “Win and You’re In” event for the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint S. Kicking off this term with a track-and-trip optional claimer score May 17, the sophomore triumphed in the GIII Lazaro Barrera S. June 20 and took the GI Bing Crosby S. by a nose last time at Del Mar Aug. 1.

C Z Rocket (City Zip) looks to secure his fifth straight win Sunday. Capturing a $50,000 claiming event at Churchill May 25, he won an optional claimer there June 21 and another at Keeneland July 12. The gelding bested by Flagstaff (Speightstown) by a half-length last time in the GII Pat O’Brien S. Aug. 29.

Winner of the GII San Carlos S. in March, Flagstaff was a close second in the GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. Apr. 18. The gelding was fourth to fellow Summer Wind-bred and MGISW McKinzie (Street Sense) in the GII Triple Bend S. June 7 prior to the Pat O’Brien.

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Fighting Mad Looks to Extend Hot Streak in Zenyatta

Fighting Mad (New Year’s Day) looks to score her third straight victory and stamp her ticket to the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff in Sunday’s GII Zenyatta S. at Santa Anita. Placed on the shelf after winning the GIII Torrey Pines S. in August of 2019, the West homebred crossed the line third, but was disqualified and placed fourth when making her return in the GIII Desert Stormer S. in May. A decisive winner of the GII Santa Maria S. two weeks later, the bay wired the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar Aug. 2.

The 3-year-old Harvest Moon (Uncle Mo) also enters this test on a hot streak and takes on her elders for the first time. Graduating at second asking when switched to the main track July 3, the bay captured an optional claimer next out at Del Mar July 27 and won the GIII Torrey Pines S. Aug. 22.

Closing out her sophomore season with a win in the GI La Brea S. last December, Hard Not to Love (Hard Spun) captured the GII Santa Monica S. Feb. 15 and was second in the GI Beholder Mile Mar. 14. Completing the exacta in the Santa Maria, the ‘TDN Rising Star’ was sixth in the Clement Hirsch.

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Saturday Insights: Next Generation of Deep Families Looks to Make Their Mark

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CURLIN FILLIES CLASH

3rd-BEL, 63K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1m, post time: 2:04 p.m. EDT

This loaded maiden has some of the best pedigrees in the stud book represented, starting with Chad Brown’s AMERICAN WEST (Curlin), whose GIII-winning dam is a half-sister to leading second-crop sire Constitution (Tapit). Granddam Baffled (Distorted Humor) had a yearling filly by Medaglia d’Oro sell in Book 1 last week at Keeneland September, who hammered to Whisper Hill Farm for $1.1 million. American West was a $925,000 purchase herself last year at the same sale and debuts for Peter Brant. American West’s sire has another firster in the race–Millefeuille (Curlin)–and this Bill Mott trainee is from the swoon-worthy Juddmonte family of Broodmare of the Year Toussaud (El Gran Senor), her great-granddam. Millefeuille’s unraced dam is out of Toussaud’s sole GI-winning daughter, Honest Lady (Seattle Slew). Jouster (Noble Mission {GB}) gets another shot here after a decent second on debut going six panels at Saratoga Aug. 29. She should appreciate the added distance as three generations of her direct female line–Storm Flag Flying (Storm Cat), My Flag (Easy Goer), and Personal Ensign (Private Account)–all won Breeders’ Cups in addition to other Grade I events at route distances.

‘BEAUTY’ DESCENDANTS FACE OFF

7th-CD, 75K, Msw, 3yo/up, 7f, post time: 3:48 p.m. EDT

Bringing a cool $1 million as a Keeneland November weanling in 2017, EMPERADOR (Curlin) will be unveiled for the Chad Brown barn and the four-pronged partnership of Dell Ridge Farm, Doug Branham, International Equities Holding, and Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings. The half to Grade I winner and hot Hill ‘n’ Dale sire Violence (Medaglia d’Oro) hails from the family of champions Sky Beauty (Blushing Groom {Fr}) and Maplejinsky (Nijinsky II), his third and fourth dams, respectively. Emperador will have to get past fellow firster Turnagain Tide (Into Mischief), a $750,000 Keeneland September yearling from the exact same female family as Emperador. Turnagain Tide’s third dam, Stick to Beauty (Illustrious), began the ‘Beauty’ dynasty, and it was her daughter, champion Gold Beauty (Mr. Prospector), who is the dam of the aforementioned Maplejinsky as well as European champion Dayjur (Danzig). Turnagain Tide will wear the OXO Equine colors for the barn of Brad Cox.

ARROGATE’S HALF-SISTER DEBUTS

5th-WO, 126.8K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f (AWT), post time: 3:23 p.m. EDT

A stellar field of promising hopefuls has been assembled for this maiden, highlighted by a half-sister to the late, great Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song) named DIAMOND ORE (Tapit). Diamond Ore took the first step toward emulating her half-brother, a champion and multiple Grade I winner, with a $750,000 weanling pricetag at Keeneland November. The Clearview Stable colorbearer, who debuts for the Barbara Minshall barn, is out of Bubbler (Distorted Humor), while her third dam is champion Meadow Star (Meadowlake). Not too many famiiles are hotter right now than Charles Fipke’s homebred ‘Shirl’ line, and the Roger Attfield barn unleashes another one in Speightstown Shirl (Speightstown). The homebred is a full-sibling to Shirl’s Speight, who won the GIII Marine S. in July, and both are out of GI Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Perfect Shirl (Perfect Soul {Ire}), who is a half-sister to 2007 GI Woodbine Mile S. winner Shakespeare (Theatrical {Ire}) and to the dam of last week’s GI Natalma S. victress Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown). Diamond Ore and Speightstown Shirl will be joined in the gate by Live Oak Plantation’s Souper Sensational (Curlin), a $725,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling from the Mark Casse barn whose unraced dam is a half-sister to GI Ogden Phipps H. winner Tiz Miz Sue (Tiznow) and to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint victor Bulletin (City Zip).

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What’s in a Name: Whiskey and Rye

6th-Pimlico, $50,120, Msw, 9-24, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.88, ft. WHISKEY AND RYE (f, 2, Maclean’s Music–Ava G, by Afternoon Deelites) Sales history: $150,000 2yo ’20 EASMAY. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $25,200. O-Mens Grille Racing; B-Alex Venneri Racing, LLC (KY); T-Hamilton A. Smith.

The brave 2-year-old winning filly WHISKEY AND RYE carries another ingenious name derived from the famous song “American Pie” by Don McLean, an American singer-songwriter who had his very great day in the sun in the early ’70s. “And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye/Singin’ this’ll be the day that I die” go the lyrics of the refrain of that classic hit. The dam AVA G has an interesting and suggestive name in her own right, being by AFTERNOON DEELITES out of AFFIRMED MISS, and adds a bit of glamour to it all. The divine Ava Lavinia Gardner was a screen legend in the ’50s, breaking many hearts–including Frank Sinatra’s, who notoriously was no shrinking violet.

An Italian native, Andrea Branchini now lives in Lexington, Ky., where he works in the equine transport industry.

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