Tapwrit’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Victory Formation Game in Second Win

3rd-Churchill Downs, $125,785, Alw (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($100,000), 11-26, 2yo, 6f, 1:09.52, ft, neck.
VICTORY FORMATION (c, 2, Tapwrit–Smart N Soft, by Smart Strike) sailed home to 'TDN Rising Star'-dom last out Oct. 21 against a deep Keeneland maiden special field, going coast-to-coast by 4 3/4 lengths to become the first for his sire to garner the accolade. Hammered down to 6-5 favoritism here on the step up into the allowance ranks, he vied with a rival early from the rail through :21.44 and :45.11 splits. After briefly leading and then losing his advantage nearing the eighth pole, he responded when pressured again by Two Eagles River (Cloud Computing) and gamely prevailed by a neck. A half to Bellamore (Empire Maker), GISP, $284,040 and to the dam of Italian stakes winner Sienna (Ger) (Amaron {GB}), Victory Formation is the latest winning addition for his dam. He has a pair of half-sisters–a yearling by Karakontie (Jpn) and a weanling by Practical Joke. Smart N Soft went to Raging Bull (Fr) for 2023. The second dam is GSW Softly, herself a half-sister to GSW Coragil Cat. Sales history: $100,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $150,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL; $340,000 2yo '22 EASMAY. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $129,535. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Spendthrift Farm LLC and Frank Fletcher Racing Operations, Inc.; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd. (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.

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Uncaptured’s Havnameltdown Gives Bob Baffert 1-2 in Bob Hope

Looking to collect his second graded stakes win of the season, Havnameltdown proved he was up to the task with a professional score over stablemate Newgate in Sunday's GIII Bob Hope S. at Del Mar. One of three Baffert trainees in the short five-horse field, Havnameltdown and Hard to Figure (Hard Spun), breaking from the inside two gates, broke cleanly while Practical Move, exiting stall 6, was pinched back as the converging Newgate and Mixto (Good Magic) made their exit. The overly headstrong Hard to Figure proved hard to handle racing out of the chute as Havnameltdown, Practical Move and Newgate all pressed the issue four abreast through a quarter in :22.23. Taking charge heading into the far turn, the favorite carved out a half in :44.36 as the early pacesetter retreated leaving Practical Move and Newgate the only rivals in contention. A length and a half on top turning for home, Havnameltdown continued on with purpose late as Newgate loomed, however, the favorite proved best on the day to score by 1 1/4 lengths at the wire. Practical Move finished a clear third.

“He broke nice and easy today,” explained winning rider Juan Hernandez. “Before in his races, he was sling-shotting out of there. Today, he was more professional. Our other horse [trainer Baffert's Hard to Figure] inside of us on the rail was trying to get out into us, but my horse took it well. He's learning how to run. After we cleared that other horse, I had a nice trip from there.”

Marking his debut at last July going five panels at Del Mar, the Florida bred made it two straight with a score in the GIII Best Pal S. at the seaside oval Aug. 14. Stepping into top-level competition for his latest, he finished 5 1/4 lengths behind subsequent Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Cave Rock (Arrogate) in the GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity Sept. 11.

Pedigree Notes:
Former Ocala Stud stallion Uncaptured–relocated to South Korea for the 2020 breeding season–is the sire of Havnameltdown and other 2022 graded winners Yes I Am Free, Willy Boi, and Lightening Larry, as well as two other graded winners. Of Uncaptured's 11 black-type winners total, two–Havnameltdown and additional graded winner Two Sixty–are out of Put It Back mares. The late Put It Back, an Honour and Glory/Relaunch stallion, also originally stood in Florida before his export to Argentina and has 30 stakes winners out of his daughters.

Havnameltdown and Two Sixty have another tie, as they are out of full-sisters. Two Sixty was bought by Stonestreet at last year's Keeneland November sale for $440,000 while in foal to Constitution and had a colt Jan. 23. Havnameltdown's dam, Ashley's Babe, has a yearling colt by Tapiture, who was a $4,500 RNA at Keeneland January, and was bred to Maximus Mischief for 2023. Her fourth dam, Rose Bowl (Habitat), was a champion in England and an excellent broodmare who produced three stakes winners, while her descendants include Canadian champion Strait of Dover (English Channel) and English highweight Iktamal (Danzig Connection).

Sunday, Del Mar
BOB HOPE S.-GIII, $100,000, Del Mar, 11-20, 2yo, 7f, 1:21.68, ft.
1–HAVNAMELTDOWN, 124, c, 2, by Uncaptured
              1st Dam: Ashley's Babe, by Put It Back
              2nd Dam: Charms Way, by Salt Lake
              3rd Dam: Remember Midnight, by Cure the Blues
($16,000 Ylg '21 OBSOCT; $200,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR).
O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson Paul Weitman; B-Katherine
S Devall (FL); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $60,000.
Lifetime Record: GISP, 4-3-1-0, $288,000. Werk Nick Rating:
 A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for
 the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Newgate, 120, c, 2, Into Mischief–Majestic Presence, by
Majestic Warrior. 'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE,
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($850,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP).
O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert
Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber,
Waves Edge Capital LLC & Catherine Donovan; B-Town &
Country Horse Farms, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $20,000.
3–Practical Move, 120, c, 2, Practical Joke–Ack Naughty, by
Afleet Alex. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($90,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP; $230,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR).
O-Pierre Jean Amestoy, Jr., Leslie A. Amestoy & Roger K.
Beasley; B-Chad Brown & Head of Plains Partners (KY);
T-Tim Yakteen. $12,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 2HF, 4 1/4. Odds: 0.90, 1.40, 9.30.
Also Ran: Mixto, Hard to Figure. Scratched: Giver Not a Taker, Lloyds Logic.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG

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Another Vekoma on Top as Keeneland November Book 4 Concludes

The Book 4 section of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale concluded Sunday with figures largely in line with the same book in 2021. For the second day in a row, a weanling by Spendthrift's first-crop stallion Vekoma (hip 2355) topped proceedings when selling for $290,000 to Oreo Racing. The colt was consigned by Brookdale Sales on behalf of breeder Susan Anderson.

“He was leggy and attractive and a good size,” said Brookdale's Joe Seitz. “He looks like he will shape out to be a really nice yearling next year. He has that look. I can see a lot of potential in him. We were very happy with that result.”

Out of stakes-winner Female Drama (Indian Charlie), the weanling is a half-brother to multiple stakes-placed Startdfromdabottom (Kantharos). His dam is a half-sister to Argentinian Group 1 winner New Real Deal (Roy).

A filly by Vekoma (hip 2205) brought the top price of Saturday's session of the Keeneland November sale when bringing a final bid of $215,000 from Frankie's Stable. Through seven sessions of the auction, 21 weanlings by the stallion have sold for an average of $93,571. Winner of the 2020 GI Carter H. and GI Met Mile, Vekoma stands at Spendthrift for a fee of $15,000.

While Seitz said he has not seen many of Vekomas first weanlings yet, he did get many positive reviews on the stallion while showing hip 2355 this week at Keeneland.

“We got a lot of compliments on the stallion and a lot of positive feedback when we were showing that colt about how well received the stallion has been,” Seitz said. “So it was a nice crescendo, it built up all week and that really helped the horse.”

The weekend's Book 4 section of the November sale saw 532 horses sell for $19,112,800. The average of $35,926 was up 3.4% from 2021, while the median remained constant at $25,000.

During last year's two-session Book 4, 582 horses sold for $20,220,000. The section average was $34,742 and the median was $25,000.

As the November sale marched into its second week, Seitz said there was still plenty of activity on the sales grounds.

“It still feels great,” he said. “The foals especially have been out constantly with lots of showing. And even the mares are getting plenty of action.”

The November sale continues through Wednesday and is followed by a horses of racing age sale Thursday. Bidding begins daily at 10 a.m.

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Jackie’s Warrior, Cyberknife Available For Inspection at Spendthrift

Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) and two-time Grade I winner Cyberknife (Gun Runner) are available for inspection at Spendthrift Farm Nov. 9-15 from 1:30-3 p.m. daily. Though Jackie's Warrior made his final career start when third in last weekend's GI Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint, Gold Square's Cyberknife–the unlucky runner-up in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile–will return to the barn of trainer Brad Cox Nov. 15.

“Jackie's Warrior has settled in nicely at the farm and is such an impressive specimen, especially for a horse coming off a pretty hard campaign,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “It's special to be able to add another great champion to our stallion ranks and we're excited to be able to show him off to breeders. Cyberknife ran great to finish a head behind older horse Cody's Wish in the Dirt Mile, and he came to the farm looking well and with good energy. He is set to run again before retiring, however, it was important for us to be able to show him to breeders over the course of the next week.”

Jackie's Warrior will stand for an introductory fee of $50,000 S & N and retires as the first champion sprinter in 34 years to have won as many as five Grade I races. He became the only horses in the history of racing at Saratoga to post top-level success in three straight seasons when winning this year's GI A. G. Vanderbilt H. in dominating fashion.

Cyberknife, winner of this year's GI Arkansas Derby and GI Haskell S., will command a fee of $30,000 upon his retirement.

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