Tag: Street Sense

Valentine Candy Flashes Impressive Speed to Win Loaded Saratoga Maiden

by Bill Finley & Patrycja Szpyra

On paper, Saturday's seventh race at Saratoga looked wide open and loaded with talent. All the major players had horses in the race, Wayne Lukas, Chad Brown, Steve Asmussen, Brad Cox , Bill Mott and Todd Pletcher, who had two starters in the six furlong maiden special weight event. The race figured to be fought all the way to the wire.

Instead it was the Asmussen horse, Valentine Candy (Justify), who ran them off their feet right out of the gate. Sent off at 5-2 and ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. he exploded off the blocks and was three lengths in front in what announcer Frank Mirahmadi called “the blink of en eye.”

The fractions were 22.10 and 45.94, but Valentine Candy was still cruising on the lead as the field turned into the stretch. The Todd Pletcher-trained Protective (Medaglia d'Oro) made a solid late bid to cut into the winning margin, but it was a case of too little too late. The final time for the six furlongs run over a fast track was 1:11.74 and Valentine Candy won by three-quarters of a length.

“I had a good talk with Steve two days ago,” Santana said. “He said he really liked this horse. When the gate opened, he broke so fast. Then I just sat chilly with him. When turning for home, I asked him and he gave me a good kick. I have a lot of respect for Steve. Basically, he and his family are part of my family. Thanks to him, I am Ricardo Santana.”

Valentine Candy is owned by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt in partnership with Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks Farm, and Keith and Ginger Myers. He was purchased for $250,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale.

“I love 2-year-olds and I loved the way he ran,” said Bill Heiligbrodt. “He ran like a Heiligbrodt, Asmussen, Santana horse, especially with the way he broke out of the gate. This is a really nice horse.”

“This was very exciting and we are excited about his career. We thought he would win and he did,” said Corrine Heiligbrodt.

 

Valentine Candy's dam is Taste Like Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}), who won the GI Hollywood Starlet S. in 2013. The 2-year-old was bred by Pine Creek LP. He is her first to race in the States behind lone, elder half-brother King Happy (Street Sense), who campaigned in Europe. The mare most recently had a 2023 Mitole colt and hails from the extended female family of GSW Wonderwherecraigis (Munnings); MGISW Affirmed Success; GISW & G1SP Exbourne; and GISW Expelled.

The Heiligbrodts, Asmussen and Santana have gone down this road before with a quick, classy horse. After he broke his maiden in his third start at Oaklawn, the same connections went on quite the roll with Mitole (Eskendereya), a four-time Grade I winner who wrapped up the 2019 sprint championship with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Daily Grind (Medaglia d'Oro), a $1.35 million Fasig-Tipton August finished eighth for trainer Wayne Lukas and BC Stables LLC.

7th-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 7-22, 2yo, 6f, 1:11.74, ft, 3/4 length.
VALENTINE CANDY (c, 2, Justify–Taste Like Candy {GISP, $286,205}, by Candy Ride {Arg}) Sales history: $250,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,750. O-L. William and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks Farm LLC,  Keith and Ginger Myers; B-Pine Creek LP (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Street Sense’s Never Explain Proves Hungriest In Dinner Party

Hoping that the GIII Dinner Party S. might be a sampling of things to come later on the Preakness Day card, Never Explain came from off the pace to collect his first black-type victory for trainer Shug McGaughey. Handily away from gate 6, the dark bay settled back off the pace in fourth as GI Pegasus World Cup Turf winner Atone (Into Mischief), sent off at 5-2, strode to the front with MGSW Emmanuael and Rising Empire (Empire Maker) in hot pursuit rounding the first turn. With the top running order relatively unchanged following a half in :47.40, Never Explain continued to bide his time along the inside while working his way up to third as the leading two continued to exchange blows turning for home. Taking the final turn a bit wide, Never Explain nonetheless appeared to have the most momentum late, bearing down on the game but tiring leaders. With a gaggle of horses giving it their all late, including favored Hurricane Dream (Fr) who finally got going after lingering near the back early, it was the Courtlandt Farm runner with Flavien Prat that timed it best, winning by 1/2 length over the French bred. Emmanuel rounded out the trifecta.

“It looked like the pace was honest, and I tucked myself in,” said Prat. “I tipped him out turning for home and he really dug in and was game. On the form, it felt like anybody could win. Turning for home, I thought I had a chance. But I felt I wasn't the only one. It seemed like the horse coming outside of me helped me and pushed my horse. It was great. He was really great.”

The victory represented the fifth win for McGaughey in the Dinner Party. He previously won with Lure (1993), Parading (2009), Ironicus (2015) and Fire Away (2018).

Having recorded his sole 2022 victory at Pimlico exactly one year ago, Never Explain didn't show much when sixth going a mile at Gulfstream Jan. 1 but seemed to enjoy the change of venue when winning next time in a nine-panel Tampa allowance Jan. 18. Despite a tardy start in his latest while cutting back a furlong in Oldsmar Mar. 1, the 5-year-old came back to make it two straight under Sammy Camacho.

The win represented the third straight win for Never Explain after removing the blinkers.

“Even without the blinkers he wants to pull a little bit,” said McGaughey. “That was one of the good things about today. [Flavien] got him to relax really well, where he had horse at the finish.”

Pedigree Notes:
With the victory Never Explain becomes the 40th graded winner for Darley American sire Street Sense. A $87,000 KEENOV purchase by Hidden Brook Farm in 2014, the 13-year-old mare Black Oak produced Never Explain in a foal-sharing arrangement between Hidden Brook Farm and Godolphin. A $155,000 KEENOV weanling in 2018, he flourished into a $475,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Courtlandt Farm.

Black Oak has an unraced juvenile filly by Palace Malice and a yearling colt McKinzie. This is the family Grade I sprinter Richter Scale.

Saturday, Pimlico
DINNER PARTY S. PRESENTED BY BULLEIT BOURBON-GIII,
$200,000, Pimlico, 5-20, 3yo/up, 1 1/8mT, 1:46.14, fm.
1–NEVER EXPLAIN, 120, h, 5, by Street Sense
                1st Dam: Black Oak (SP), by Forestry
                2nd Dam: More for Me, by More Than Ready
                3rd Dam: Velvet's Pie, by Native Prospector
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($155,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV; $475,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald Adam); B-Hidden Brook Farm & Godolphin (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III; J-Flavien Prat. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 15-5-1-2, $242,062. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Hurricane Dream (Fr), 120, g, 6, Hurricane Cat–Shalimara (Fr), by Siyouni (Fr). O-Team Valor, et al; B-Marie Laurence Oget & Andre Brakha (FR); T-H. Graham Motion. $40,000.
3–Emmanuel, 122, c, 4, More Than Ready–Hard Cloth, by Hard Spun. ($350,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Siena Farm LLC and WinStar Farm LLC; B-Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $20,000.
Margins: HF, HD, NK. Odds: 15.20, 1.20, 3.40.
Also Ran: Speaking Scout, Atone, Easter (Fr), Rising Empire.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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First Mission Works Ahead of Preakness

Godolphin's First Mission (Street Sense), the runaway winner of the GIII Lexington S., completed his final major work Saturday ahead of next Saturday's GI Preakness S. at Pimlico. The colt covered five furlongs in :59.20 early yesterday morning at Churchill Downs.

“He's lightly raced, but I liked what I saw of him all winter and into the Lexington,” said trainer Brad Cox. “He bounced out of it in good shape and he's got a lot of talent. I'm looking forward to giving him a swing at a Grade I.”

Runner up in his career debut at the Fair Grounds in February, the dark bay followed up with an impressive 6 3/4-length victory going a route of ground for the first time the following month.

“He came into our barn last spring and just needed some extra time to develop,” added Cox. “It was nothing major why we gave him time off. We just thought he was a later developing horse. Ever since we brought him back he's impressed us and been very consistent in his training.”

To view First Mission's work and Brad Cox discussing the colt's move afterward, click here.

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‘TDN Rising Star’ First Mission Wins Lexington

Godolphin homebred First Mission, coming off an impressive maiden-breaking score at Fair Grounds last month, made the jump to graded company with aplomb, striding home a determined victor of the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland Saturday. Sent off at 2-1, the dark bay colt sat just off pacesetting Arabian Lion through fractions of :24.12 and :48.01. He cut the corner into the stretch as the pacesetter drifted out into the lane and gamely persevered as that foe drifted back in on him and he was inching clear late.

“This was a tough Lexington S.,” said Godolphin director of bloodstock Michael Banahan. “There were some nice horses in there. So we were very hopeful and confident that if he showed the talent that we thought he had, we had a big, big chance. It's exceptionally nice to see that happen, and especially the experience he needed to get, coming down [the stretch] in tight on the rail. For an inexperienced horse, I think that will hold well for the future with us.”

A debut second behind well-regarded stablemate Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo) while sprinting six furlongs at Fair Grounds Feb. 18, First Mission romped home by 6 3/4 lengths in a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy performance when stretched to 1 1/16 miles in New Orleans last time out Mar. 18.

“[Trainer] Brad [Cox] just got this guy in after Christmas time and had never seen him before, so he wasn't sure where we were going to stable him for the winter time,” Banahan said. “He saw him work one time up at Churchill and he said, 'This horse is going down to Fair Grounds,' where he put all his good horses.

“We've always held him in high regard. He had a few juvenile issues last year, but we were very high on him. He ran a tremendous race first time out, when Brad's other horse beat him going six furlongs, knowing he wanted to stretch out. He won very easily last time.”

Asked if First Mission may make his next start in the GI Preakness S. in five weeks' time, Banahan said, “I think it will be ideal, really. When he ran in his maiden race, we thought, 'OK, let's come back a little quicker in the maiden, a little bit quicker back in here' from what Brad would normally do, to see if he had enough talent to do that. I think he answered a lot of questions today, so we'd certainly look hard at that. I think we have a nice horse for down the road even if he doesn't make one of the Classics.”

With his third-place finish, Winchell Thoroughbreds' Disarm earned enough points to qualify for a spot in the GI Kentucky Derby.

“It looks like he got enough points to go, so we have the option to go,” Ron Winchell said. “We'll see how he comes out of this race. We've always thought a mile and a quarter [of the Derby] would be fine for him.”

Pedigree Notes:

First Mission is the 39th worldwide graded winner for his sire, Street Sense. His dam Etude produced a full-brother last year and was bred back to Protonico. His second dam is Argentinian champion Forty Marchanta (Arg) (Roar).

Saturday, Keeneland
STONESTREET LEXINGTON S.-GIII, $398,750, Keeneland, 4-15, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.74, ft.
1–FIRST MISSION, 118, c, 3, by Street Sense
                1st Dam: Elude, by Medaglia d'Oro
                2nd Dam: Forty Marchanta (Arg), by Roar
                3rd Dam: Marcha Toss (Arg), by Egg Toss
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Luis
Saez. $232,500. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $276,500.
Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Arabian Lion, 118, c, 3, Justify–Unbound, by Distorted
Humor. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
'TDN Rising Star'. ($600,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Zedan Racing
Stables, Inc.; B-Bonne Chance Farm LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.
$75,000.
3–Disarm, 118, c, 3, Gun Runner–Easy Tap, by Tapit.
'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY);
T-Steven M. Asmussen. $37,500.
Margins: HF, 4 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 2.19, 3.89, 3.46.
Also Ran: Denington, Demolition Duke, Prairie Hawk, Empirestrikesfast, Baseline Beater, Reinvest, Curly Larry and Mo. Scratched: Transect.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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