TDN Rising Star | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘High’ Hopes in Hopeful Showdown

No less than five undefeated 2-year-olds–including two graded winners–line up for Saratoga's Labor Day finale in the GI Hopeful S. Hard to separate, at least on paper, are Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Gainesway's Wit (Practical Joke) and LRE Racing and JEH Racing's High Oak (Gormley). The former earned TDN Rising Star billing when kicking off his career with a six-length score at Belmont June 5. Equally impressive in his return in the July 17 GIII Sanford S., the Todd Pletcher trainee cruised home an easy eight-length winner in the six-furlong test and gets to show if he can handle the extra yardage this time. Pletcher is also represented by Repole and St. Elias Stable's Power Agenda (Nyquist), who enters her off a nose victory in his unveiling Aug. 14. Irad Ortiz Jr. returns to partner Wit, while Manny Franco gets the call on the latter.

“Wit has the advantage of having a couple of starts,” said Pletcher of the $575,000 KEESEP purchase. “He deserves the chance to step up. I think the way Wit finished up going six furlongs you would think seven would be no problem,” Pletcher said. “Power Agenda was game in his only start and he should be able to handle the distance.”

Pletcher won the Hopeful on three prior occasions with Circular Quay [2006], Shanghai Bobby [2012] and Competitive Edge [2014].

While less flashy in his debut, High Oak did just what he had to do to triumph by a neck in the 5 1/2-furlong test at Belmont June 26. Showing a little more flare for his latest, he came from off the pace to win by a widening 4 1/2-length margin in the GII Saratoga Special Aug. 14. Since that effort, the colt has been showing some lick in the mornings over the Oklahoma track, including the latest a bullet three furlongs in :35.44 Sept. 3. Junior Alvarado, who was aboard for the colts first two starts, returns for this Grade I debut.

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Quality Road OBS April Topper Lives Up to Hype, Earns ‘Rising Stardom’

Corniche (c, 2, Quality Road–Wasted Tears, by Najran), the $1.5-million OBS April topper earlier this spring, lived up to his lofty reputation with a 'TDN Rising Star' debut performance for Bob Baffert at Del Mar Saturday evening.

The 1-2 favorite caught a flyer beneath Hall of Famer Mike Smith and cleared the field from his wide draw in post 10. He led them comfortably through early fractions of :21.72 and :45.13, kicked for home in complete control and cruised under the wire after a shake of the reins to a facile 4 1/4-length victory. Apprehend (Arrogate) was second.

The final time for 5 1/2 furlongs was a sharp 1:03.01. Corniche becomes the 10th 'Rising Star' for Quality Road.

The son of six-time GSW and GI Matriarch S. runner-up Wasted Tears (Najran) was led out unsold on a bid of $385,000 at KEESEP last year, but turned in a smooth sales breeze in :10 flat to become one of two horses to eclipse the seven-figure barrier in Ocala.

Wasted Tears, also responsible for the late stakes-placed Coffee Crush (Medaglia d'Oro), had a filly by Mendelssohn in 2020.

Speedway Stables and Baffert also teamed up for a win with Quality Road's 'Rising Star' Roadster in the 2019 GI Santa Anita Derby and a runner-up finish in the GI Malibu S.

10th-Del Mar, $72,500, Msw, 9-4, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:03.01, ft, 4 1/4 lengths.
CORNICHE, c, 2, by Quality Road
1st Dam: Wasted Tears (MGSW & GISP, $941,463), by Najran
2nd Dam: Wishes and Roses, by Greinton (GB)
3rd Dam: Anniversary Wish, by Beau's Eagle
Sales history: $385,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP; $1,500,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-Speedway Stables LLC; B-Bart Evans & Stonehaven Steadings (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

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War Front Colt Ultra-Impressive in ‘TDN Rising Star’ Debut at the Spa

Annapolis (c, 2, War Front–My Miss Sophia, by Unbridled's Song) was backed with supreme confidence as the 6-5 favorite in a seemingly wide-open, two-turn grass maiden special weight at the Spa Saturday, and he ran to the money with an ultra-impressive 'TDN Rising Star' debut performance.

The Ramona Bass homebred's worktab featured a trio of visually impressive drills over the Oklahoma training turf for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, including a four-furlong spin in :50 2/5 (24/74) around the dogs Aug. 8.

He raced toward the back in eighth in between horses and under some cover through an opening quarter in :24.33 and a half mile in :49.68. The bay began to advance beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. entering the far turn, tipped out four wide midway around the bend and powered home in style down the stretch to win going away by 4 1/2 lengths. Annapolis covered his final five-sixteenths of a mile in a sharp :28.71, according to DRF Formulator. Nyquest Nix (Nyquist) was second.

Annapolis is the 18th 'Rising Star' for leading sire War Front. The War Front/Unbridled's Song cross is also responsible for GI Flower Bowl S. heroine Civil Union.

“He had a great turn of foot, kept going to the wire and galloped out nicely,” Pletcher said in the winner's circle on Saratoga Live. “It was pretty much everything you could hope for in a debut.”

Bloodstock agent Steve Young went to $4 million for his GSW & MGISP dam My Miss Sophia (Unbridled's Song) with the colt in utero at KEENOV in 2018. That price was second only to the $4.2-million Lady Eli (Divine Park). The 2014 GII Gazelle S. winner and GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up, a half-sister to GI Florida Derby hero Materiality (Afleet Alex), is already the dam of Annapolis's 3-year-old full-sister Nevisian Sunrise, third in the Wild Applause S. in June. This is also the family of MGSW/GISP Eye of the Tiger (American Chance) and GISWs Afleet Express (Afleet Alex) and Embellish the Lace (Super Saver). My Miss Sophia produced a full brother to Annapolis this year.

6th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 9-4, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.47, fm, 4 1/2 lengths.
ANNAPOLIS, c, 2, by War Front
1st Dam: My Miss Sophia (GSW & MGISP, $605,040), by Unbridled's Song
2nd Dam: Wildwood Flower, by Langfuhr
3rd Dam: Dial a Trick, by Phone Trick
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-Bass Racing, LLC; B-Bass Stables, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

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Medaglia d’Oro Colt a New TDN Rising Star in France

Godolphin's Arqana Breeze-Up@Doncaster £675,000 sale topper Chancellery (Ire) (Medaglia d'Oro) was all the rage for Thursday's Prix de Fontenoy at ParisLongchamp and justified odds-on favouritism in the one-mile newcomers' test to earn 'TDN Rising Star' status with an impressive debut performance. The 7-10 pick shuffled for early positioning and found a slot stalking the pace in second by halfway. Looming large on the bridle approaching the quarter-mile marker, he was comfortably on top with 250 metres remaining and powered clear under minimal coaxing before gearing down to easily outclass Woozle (Ger) (Areion {Ger}) by 2 1/2 lengths.

Chancellery is the first of three foals produced by Listed River Memories S. winner Shelbysmile (Smart Strike), who was purchased by Mags O'Toole, on behalf of Lynn Lodge Stud, for 275,000gns at Tattersalls December in 2019. She is a half-sister to G2 Al Fahidi Fort victor Derbaas (Seeking the Gold), G3 Jebel Ali Mile scorer Chiefdom (The Factor) and to the dam of GIII Dowager S. victrix Blame Debbie (Blame). The March foaled-dark bay is kin to a yearling colt by Lope de Vega (Ire) and a weanling filly by Dark Angel (Ire). His second dam Sultana (Storm Cat) is a winning full-sister to MG1SW European champion Aljabr out of G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and G1 Prix Vermeille heroine Sierra Madre (Fr) (Baillamont).

2nd-ParisLongchamp, €27,000, Mdn, 9-2, unraced 2yo, c/g, 8fT, 1:42.43, gd.
CHANCELLERY (IRE), c, 2, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Shelbysmile (SW-Can, $166,981), by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Sultana, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Sierra Madre (Fr), by Baillamont
1ST-TIME STARTER. ($175,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT; £675,000 2yo '21 ARQMAY). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €13,500. O-Godolphin; B-SF Bloodstock SC (IRE); T-Andre Fabre. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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