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Curlin ‘Rising Star’ Looks Tough in Mazarine

Live Oak Plantation’s Souper Sensational (Curlin), a ‘TDN Rising Star’ and dominant last-out stakes winner, will take some beating as a likely prohibitive favorite making her graded stakes bow in Sunday’s GIII Mazarine S. at Woodbine.

Unveiled as a 6-5 favorite traveling seven furlongs here Sept. 26, the $725,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase notched a handy 2 1/4-length success over a runner-up who was another 9 3/4 lengths clear of third. Hammered down to 3-5 stepping up into stakes company in the Glorious Song S. Oct. 17, the chestnut did not disappoint, racing up on a swift pace and running away to a four-length score.

While the chalk looks probable to benefit from an advantageous pace scenario in her two-turn bow, two contenders who could pick up the pieces if things get hot up front are Batyah (Pioneerof the Nile) and Designer Ready (Tapit). Rallying from well back to graduate going away by 2 1/4 lengths when opening her account over a grassy mile Sept. 19 at Belmont, $150,000 Keeneland September buy Batyah closed some ground to be fifth behind next-out GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in the GII JPMorgan Chase Jessamine S. Oct. 7 at Keeneland. Bruce Lunsford’s Designer Ready broke slowly debuting over 1 1/16 miles on the local grass Oct. 3 before going from last to first to triumph by 2 1/2 lengths in a race that’s featured three next-out winners.

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Unbeaten Trio Head Grey

An undefeated Mark Casse pair and a well-bet first-out winner from the Kevin Attard barn headline a nine-horse renewal of the GIII Grey S. Sunday at Woodbine.

D J Stable’s Helium (Ironicus) debuted an impressive 3 1/4-length victor going seven furlongs on the local Tapeta Sept. 27 and validated that try with a 4 1/4-length score as the favorite in the Display S. here Oct. 18. The other half of the Casse contingent is Breeze Easy’s Easy Time (Not This Time). Backed to 7-5 in his unveiling over seven main-track panels Oct. 25, the $250,000 OBS July buy obliged his supporters with a 2 3/4-length graduation.

Haddassah (Air Force Blue) was also a poorly-kept secret on debut in an off-the-turfer Nov. 1, sent away at a nickel below 2-1 in an 11-horse group, and rallied from seventh to prevail by a half-length over a pacesetter who was a half-dozen clear of the remainder.

Stephen (Constitution), victor of the Coronation Futurity S. here Nov. 1, and Barrister Tom (Artie Schiller), a 44-1 upsetter of the More Than Ready Juvenile S. Sept. 7 at Kentucky Downs, round out the top contenders.

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McKinzie’s Journey from Juvenile Star to the Gainesway Roster

Since his maiden-breaking ‘TDN Rising Star’-worthy juvenile debut, McKinzie had caught the eye of Gainesway Farm.

But according to Gainesway’s Director of Stallion Sales and Recruitment Sean Tugel, the son of Street Sense had the attention of nearly every top stud farm in the country.

“He was on everybody’s radar from the very beginning,” he said. “Any time you see one win first time out from Bob Baffert’s barn, you have to recognize it.”

McKinzie’s resume only improved from there over the next three years before he retired in October of this year, cementing his place on the Gainesway stallion roster.

A $170,000 Keeneland September purchase by Karl Watson, Michael Pegram and Paul Weitman, McKinzie was named in honor of Brad McKinzie, an executive at Los Alamitos and longtime friend of Baffert.

Following his maiden victory, a disqualification elevated the colt as the winner of the GI Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity S., leaving him undefeated as a juvenile.

While he continued the winning streak in his next start in the GIII Sham S. at three, the bay was later shelved and forced off the Classic trail, but then returned with a vengeance for the second half of his sophomore season in the GI Pennsylvania Derby, and later a near five-length win in the GI Malibu S.

“He showed his extreme ability when he won the Pennsylvania Derby at a mile and an eighth, and then came back and won the Malibu at seven furlongs, showing that versatility,” Tugel said. “The Malibu was certainly one of his marquee victories. He exploded down the lane at the eighth pole and separated himself from a deep group of horses. You see very few horses able to separate themselves from a field going seven furlongs like that, and it just showed his brilliance.”

McKinzie got his signature win as an older horse last year in the GI Whitney, earning a 111 Beyer Figure and defeating the likes of eventual Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso (Curlin) and Grade I winner Yoshida (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}).

“He ran 11 triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures, but his Whitney victory was his career best. He defeated multiple Grade I winners, and he did it easily,” Tugel said.

With Grade I wins at two through four, McKinzie came back this year at five and added the GII Triple Bend S. to his resume. He retired with earnings of well over $3 million, running either first or second in all but two of his 10 Grade I starts and retiring as a seven-time graded stakes winner.

“I think in today’s world, we’re so quick to put horses up on a pedestal,” Tugel observed. “This is a great opportunity for our industry to breed to a horse that maintained the highest level of performance over three full racing years.”

Bred by Jane Lyon’s Summer Wind Farm, McKinzie is out of Runway Model (Petionville), a dual Grade II winner and $2.7 million Keeneland November purchase.

Tugel said he believes McKinzie’s pedigree will give the new sire every chance at success.

“He is the fastest son of Street Sense, and to be the best of a sire line is something special,” he said. “He has the bottom side to make us believe that he’s going to have fast, precocious 2-year-olds. He brings that soundness, that size, that scope and versatility. And that’s something we need in this breed. I think it sets him up for a big chance to be a very successful stallion in the future. He’s certainly one of the most exciting stallion prospects we’ve had at Gainesway in a long time, and we’re very excited to see what he can produce for us.”

Breeders are now getting their first looks at the new stallion, and Tugel said he’s been well received.

“He’s an elegant horse. He comes out and shows all the class he showed on the racetrack. He stands there like an absolute picture. You can see in his movement when he walks across the ground, it’s the same movement he had to make him a multiple Grade I winner. Even though he is a big-framed horse, that athleticism and lightness of his feet is a great attribute. He’s extremely popular and we’re very excited for the book of mares he’s going to get this year.”

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Sunday’s Insights: Keeneland April 2yo Topper Debuts at Churchill Downs

3rd-CD, $85K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 1m, 2:00 p.m. ET
First-time starter MISS TAPIRADO (Tapit) topped the 2019 Keeneland April 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, bringing $1.3 million from Prince Sultan bin Mishal Al Saud after breezing in a co-bullet :10 flat. Consigned by Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds, agent, she was previously a $775,000 KEENOV weanling purchase by Baccari Bloodstock. Grade I winner My Conquestadory (Artie Schiller) brought $1.5 million from SF Bloodstock & Newgate Farm while carrying Miss Tapirado at the Conquest Stables dispersal at the 2016 Keeneland November Sale. Miss Tapirado’s 4-year-old full-brother Bourbon War was second in the 2019 GII Xpressbet Fountain of Youth S. Miss Tapirado, drawn widest of all in post seven for this debut run, worked a bullet four furlongs in :47 4/5 (1/100) over the training track at Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott’s Belmont base back on Oct. 11. TJCIS PPs

7th-CD, $85K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 4:06 p.m. ET
Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse unveils GHOSTLINER (Ghostzapper) in this full field of juveniles. John Oxley went to $475,000 to purchase the gray as a FTSAUG yearling. He was produced by a winning daughter of 2006 champion 3-year-old filly Wait a While (Maria’s Mon). Ghostliner’s worktab features several bullet moves, including a five-furlong drill in :59 1/5 (1/19) in Louisville Oct. 22.
The unlucky Sound Money (Flatter), favored at 2-1 on the morning line here, lost little in defeat rallying for second after a gate malfunction caused him to spot the field several lengths on debut for Chad Brown at Keeneland Oct. 11. TJCIS PPs

2nd-DMR, $57K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 4:00 p.m. ET
LIFE IS GOOD (Into Mischief) looks like another live one for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert and his red-hot leading sire. The $525,000 KEESEP yearling, owned by CHC Inc and WinStar Farm LLC, tuned up for this with a five-furlong bullet from the gate in 1:00 (1/51) at Santa Anita Nov. 16 (XBTV Video). The 4-5 morning-line favorite’s second dam is former Baffert runner, SW & MGISP Bonnie Blue Flag (Mineshaft).
The field of six also includes fellow first-time starters: Scales of Justice (Uncle Mo), a son of MGISW Balance (Thunder Gulch); and $550,000 KEESEP yearling Roman Centurian (Empire Maker). TJCIS PPs

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