Tag: TDN Rising Star

Big Day of Racing on ‘Tap’ Whitney Saturday

Hall of Famer Todd A. Pletcher, currently sitting in second place in the Saratoga trainer standings, will be locked and loaded in a pair of Grade I events at the Spa Saturday, led by the 'Win and You're In' GI Whitney S.

With the unbeaten sensation and 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) awaiting the GI TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar Sept. 3, a pair of New York-based heavyweights in the handicap division will throw down in the 12-race card's feature.

The uber-talented 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief), one of three entered by the aforementioned three-time Whitney-winning conditioner, will meet the streaking GII Stephen Foster S. winner Olympiad (Speightstown) in the six-horse field.

A tiring fourth over a well-documented deep surface in the G1 Dubai World Cup, GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. winner Life Is Good returned to his brilliant self with a jaw-dropping victory in the GII John A. Nerud S. sprinting downstate last month.

“He's got so much natural speed and such a high-cruising speed,” said Pletcher, who has also entered GISWs Americanrevolution (Constitution) and 'TDN Rising Star' Happy Saver (Super Saver). “His ability to carry it over a distance of ground is what makes him so unique and so successful.”

Pletcher will also be well-represented by another dangerous trio, topped by 5-2 morning-line favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Annapolis (War Front), in the GI Caesars Saratoga Derby Invitational. The visually impressive Manila S. winner will be joined by stablemates 'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready), winner of the GII Pennine Ridge S. in his grass debut, and Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro), in the stacked field of 11.

The Saratoga Derby has also attracted the top six finishers from the GI Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational S.–Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway), Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Grand Sonata, Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Sy Dog (Slumber {GB}).

“We were really on the fence between the Manila and the Belmont Derby,” Pletcher said of Annapolis. “But with only one start under his belt [since a layoff], we felt it made sense to come back and get another race into him before stretching him out. He's trained super into this.”

Saturday's Whitney program also includes the GI Longines Test S., headlined by GI Acorn S. heroine and 2-5 morning-line favorite Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile); and the GII Glens Falls S., topped by GISW and the race's defending winner War Like Goddess (English Channel).

Other graded action across the country Saturday includes: Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) back to defend her title in the GI 'Win and You're In' Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar; the GIII West Virginia Governor's S. and GIII West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer; and the GIII Ontario Colleen S. at Woodbine.

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Tanya Gunther on Justique and Her Full-Sister at Glennwood

Tanya Gunther was thrilled to watch the latest 'TDN Rising Star' Justique (Justify) trounce the competition in her breathtaking debut, but the horsewoman admitted that a few thoughts of what could have been flashed through her head as she remembered the promising filly's early days spent at Glennwood Farm.

“I didn't really want to sell her,” Gunther said with an acquiescing smile. “Most of our yearlings do go to the sale, but I was a bit sad when we let her go.”

Bred by Tanya's father John Gunther in partnership with Eurowest Bloodstock, Justique is the sixth foal out of the Gunthers' graded stakes-producing homebred mare Grazie Mille (Bernardini). When the dark bay foal arrived in March of 2020, the Gunthers were caught on the other side of the Atlantic at the start of the pandemic.

Tanya Gunther received regular photo updates of Justique throughout the year. When she finally returned to Glennwood, she made up for lost time with the youngster as she worked with the filly throughout the summer of her yearling year.

“I was down in our filly barn a lot through our prep season, so I spent a lot of time with her,” Gunther explained. “I got to know her very well and she was a favorite of mine. She had a very athletic look about her, sort of the Scat Daddy and Justify aspect coming through.”

Justique would sell for $725,000 at the Keeneland September Sale before joining the John Shirreffs barn to race for C R K Stable.

“I really hoped that she would be something special and so far, she looks pretty interesting,” Gunther said.

While Gunther may have had to part with Grazie Mille's first daughter of Justify, Justique's full-sister arrived at Glennwood in March this year and Gunther said that this filly will almost definitely stay with their operation.

“She's an exceptional individual,” Gunther reported. “She is very pretty, leggy and has great scope on her. She's just a beauty, much like Justique was as a foal.”

A shiny chestnut with a touch of chrome, this youngster has the definite stamp of her sire who once meandered the very same paddocks at Glennwood before achieving Triple Crown glory. Glennwood Farm is an enthusiastic supporter of the Coolmore sire and Gunther said that she is finding common trends in Justify's progeny.

“I have found that while his offspring may not always be chestnut with the blaze, they definitely have a physique that I see a resemblance of him,” she explained. “While [Justique and her sister] are different colors, they are very much of a similar model.”

Each of these daughters of Justify represent their breeder on both sides of their pedigree. John Gunther purchased their second dam, Molto Vita (Carson City), for $24,000 in 2000. She won the 2004 GIII Thoroughbred Club of America S. and collected over half a million in earnings before retiring to stud. Her third foal, Grazie Mille, broke her maiden impressively for Chad Brown, but was forced to retire prematurely.

“She was a very talented racehorse, but she chipped a knee and we had to retire her early,” Gunther recalled. “I think she would have been a stakes horse and her trainer did as well.”

Grazie Mille's first foal Mo Town (Uncle Mo) earned the 'Rising Star' nod at two and went on to dual-surface success in the GII Remsen S. and GI Hollywood Derby before joining the roster at Ashford Stud. Along with studmate Justify, he is represented by his first crop of runners this year.

With immeasurable upside potential for Grazie Mille and her growing produce record, Gunther has high hopes for the accomplished homebred mare.

“We had the fortune of breeding her to Uncle Mo early on before he had runners and that was how she got rolling as a broodmare with progeny behind her name, so now it's hopefully onward and upward from there.”

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Justique Is Lead In Last Sunday’s Triplet of Rising Star Fillies

In the same way which astronomical stars largely form in groups, so too did the 'TDN Rising Stars' this past Sunday. Not one, not two, but three leading ladies emerged from the nebulae of Del Mar and Saratoga, each with her own brand of brilliance. Chief among the splendor, and the last to show her shine, was Justique (Justify), whose brilliant turn of foot and effortless dismissal of rivals summoned forth comparisons to another glorious 'Rising Star' in her hayday–a John Shirreffs masterpiece, Hall of Famer Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}). Since then, she's come out “bright and hungry” and the focus shifts to what her enormous potential signals for the future.

 

Justique marks her conditioner's first debut winner in three years. John Shirreffs is a man famous for his patience, and keen intuition toward what his horses need on a personal level. Much like the breed he loves, his training style has shifted and changed through the years. The focus on his firster record might be a bit too much research on some of our parts.

“Personally, I don't want to win first-time out,” said Shirreffs in a text. “You never much learn about a horse's style when it is chased. When I trained for [Marshall Naify's] 505 [Farms], we won first-out quite often. I try not to make speed the priority [anymore].”

With his newest budding star, the focus was confidence building and not so much where she'd be early on. They had to give her someone to follow in the mornings, Shirreffs reported, and he was careful not to upset her by asking for something she didn't understand. And to address the big mare in the room, he maintains an accurate comparison is impossible off a single maiden win.

“Justique has the ability to make running appear effortless with her huge stride. Zenyatta had the ability to lengthen as she ran, getting longer and lower.”

Part and parcel with that huge stride, there was a lot to like about her long before her eye-catching first start. Her intelligent eye and quiet, steady demeanor made quite the impression at the September sale, especially so on Shirreffs's wife, Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs. Justique was her favorite horse.

“It is interesting how much sale yearlings change from September to July. At the sale, she had the classic Thoroughbred appearance; long, great underline, clean legs, sharp intelligent eyes…I can still see her standing quietly, waiting as we inspected her. 'One more walk, please.' I bet she knows those words!”

Beyond her impressive physical, Justique gains the benefit of potential versatility hinted by her 'Rising Star' half-brother Mo Town (Uncle Mo), who successfully reinvented himself as a turf horse later in his career. In his sole start at the same venue as his half-sister's coming-out party, Mo Town ran down and out-kicked Channel Maker (English Channel) at the head of a salty GI Hollywood Derby field. To complete the circle, her connections won the 2021 edition of the race with Beyond Brilliant (Twirling Candy). Justique already shouldered the weight of expectation with her royalty-befitting price tag, but unlike many who share auction amounts in the high six-figure range, she's shown that there just might be something there.

Shifting focus to the East Coast, and from the faithful, fruitful grounds of Champions past, present, and future–known as Saratoga–emerged Prank (Into Mischief) for the partnership of StarLadies Racing, LNJ Foxwoods, and Gainesway Stable. The half-sister to GI Belmont S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) gave her sire another monumental mark to his already legendary career by becoming his 33rd 'Rising Star', and the second on the weekend behind Newgate at Del Mar July 30. The 9 3/4-length gap on rivals, after burning through :21.91 and :45.11 fractions, further emphasized the ability running in the family, and she'll be the flag bearer for the moment with Mo Donegal on the sidelines to recover from bone bruising.

Earlier, on the same card, and more than able to hold her own on raw ability, came the aptly-named Be Your Best (Ire) (Muharaar {GB}). Sent away in a competitive field, and never in any hurry early, she certainly caught the eye as she cruised passed rivals into a six-furlong 1:14.29 split. Try as they might, the field could not catch her as Be Your Best bounded home as easily as she pleased for owner Mike Ryan and conditioner Horacio De Paz. The filly hails from an incredibly deep female family with no less than 10 graded stakes winners in it, including five filly Grade I winners and Canadian Champion 3-year-old filly Munnyfor Ro (Munnings). The latter recently placed in the GII Dance Smartly S. at Woodbine.

Saratoga and Del Mar in the summer are famous for attracting deep, talented fields of young horses. Be their beginnings humble or worthy of a throne, there is no greater thrill than seeing a runner justify the faith they've been entrusted with; solidified by recognition from peers and industry experts. It's not every day the TDN gives out three 'Rising Star' nods, but when there's talent, one cannot ignore the siren song.

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Observations: Apricot Twist Has Ballyhane in Her Sights

2.10 Naas, Mdn, €16,000, 2yo, f, 8fT
FONISKA (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) was withdrawn from her intended debut at Leopardstown in June due to a respiratory infection, but is ready to go now for Flaxman Stables Ireland and Jessie Harrington. A daughter of the G2 Kilboy Estate S. winner Bocca Baciata (Ire) (Big Bad Bob {Ire}), the May-foaled bay encounters Ballydoyle's Leopardstown third Dame Kiri (Justify), whose dam is a full-sister to Alice Springs (Ire).

2.40 Naas, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, c/g, 8fT
DENMARK (GB) (Camelot {GB}) is a notable newcomer from Ballydoyle, as the €440,000 Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale topper whose dam is the group 1 performer Board Meeting (Ire) (Anabaa). A half-brother to the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud third Big Blue (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), the February-foaled bay is met by Juddmonte's similarly-unraced View Taken (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), a Colin Keane-trained half-brother to his listed-winning TDN Rising Star stablemate Straight Answer (GB) (Kodiac (GB}).

3.40 Naas, Cond, €300,000, 2yo, 5f 205yT
APRICOT TWIST (IRE) (Expert Eye {GB}) earned TDN Rising Star status on debut over this course and distance and returns 12 days later to tackle this valuable median auction race, the Irish EBF Ballyhane S. Ger Lyons is taking the brave route backing up Juddmonte's Book 1 purchase, with the abundant opposition including Anne Marie O'Brien's G2 Airlie Stud S. runner-up and G3 Anglesey S. third Badb (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}).

 

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