TDN Rising Star | Horse Racing Free Tips

Friday Insights: Fillies To The Fore On Keeneland Opening Day

4th-KEE, $100K, MSW, 3yo, f, 7f, 2:36 p.m.

BELLS BEACH (Curlin) went the way of Jeffrey Drown for $675,000 as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Sale in 2022 and debuts Friday on Keeneland's opening day for trainer Chad Brown. Dam Luminance, a Grade I-placed and track record setting daughter of Tale of the Cat, twice passed through the auction ring for seven figures–most recently selling to Juddmonte Farms in foal to Gun Runner on a final bid of $1.25m at FTKNOV in 2022. Luminance is a half to SW Smart As Me (Malibu Moon) and MGSP Stellar Sound (Tapit). Third dam, MGISW Versailles Treaty, is responsible for GI Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf winner George Vancouver (Henrythenavigator) along with SW/GISP Saarland (Unbridled). Bells Beach will be only the second foal to race for her dam who saw more commercial success in the ring last year with her yearling Tapit filly RNA'ing for $700,000 at Keeneland. TJCIS PPS

7th-KEE, $110K, OC, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 4:12 p.m.

Dubbed a 'TDN Rising Star' with a gate-to-wire win on debut, Amor Fati (Liam's Map) returns to the races for the first time since her 5 1/2-furlong Gulfstream romp Feb. 11. Trained for her first start by Brittany Russell, the Gold Square-owned filly now runs out of the Jose D'Angelo barn as she tries winners for the time Friday. Luis Saez retains the mount. TJCIS PPS

10th-KEE, $100K, MSW, 3yo, f, 1 3/16mT, 5:48 p.m.

Guinevere (Justify), a $925,000 KEESEP grad, will switch surfaces off a third-place performance as the beaten favorite at first asking over the Turfway Tapeta Feb. 21. Racing for Wesley Ward for the partnership of MyRacehorse, Gainesway Stable and R.T. Racing Stable, she enters off a pair of bullet drills over the local surface (five furlongs in :58 3/5 {1/21} on Mar. 15 and five furlongs again in :59 4/5 {1/20} Mar. 29). TJCIS PPS

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Keeneland Features Ashland Showdown As Spring Meet Opens Friday

Kentucky Senator Henry Clay might be considered one of the premier American politicians pre-Lincoln, but what is not up for debate was his fervent commitment to breeding equine athletes and attending the races.

You cannot actually visit his home–Ashland–because the structure that stands on the Clay Estate just south of downtown Lexington is not original to “The Great Compromiser” and his time. However, interpretations of Clay-related objects enliven the tour.

Ashland in name was imported as a stakes race when Keeneland opened in 1936. Some familiar female runners who graced the winner's circle at the old Keene Farm include Myrtlewood, Bewitch and Doubledogdare, and more recent fillies like Inside Information, Take Charge Lady and a personal favorite of mine, Bushfire.

As Keeneland kicks off racing on Friday, the GI Central Bank Ashland S. boasts a showdown with 3-year-old fillies looking to deposit 100 points into their Kentucky Oaks account.

For starters, the top three finishers from the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies are present, including winner Just F Y I (Justify). The champion 2-year-old filly almost made the races this spring to kick start her 2024, but trainer Bill Mott was forced to wait until Keeneland.

Also Ashland bound is Jody's Pride (American Pharoah), who was second to Just F Y I at Santa Anita, and last month won the Busher S. at Aqueduct. She will be joined by the third-place finisher from the Juvenile Fillies, Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}), who also has not made a start this year for trainer Todd Pletcher. The filly returns to the site of her win in the GI Alcibiades S. last fall.

Impel | Coady Photography

In an effort to put her own stamp on an Oaks run, 'TDN Rising Star' Impel (Quality Road) will look to keep her record unblemished. Under Brad Cox's tutelage, the Juddmonte homebred broke her maiden at Fair Grounds Jan. 1 and then posted an 8 1/2-length score and a 91-Beyer against optional claimers at Oaklawn Mar. 3.

Finally, Candied's stablemate Leslie's Rose (Into Mischief) justifiably earned her 'TDN Rising Star' when she broke her maiden by 9 1/4 lengths at Aqueduct last fall before returning to finish third in the GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream Park Mar. 2. Halina's Forte (Mitole) will seek to raise her game for Rigney Racing, as she attempts to capitalize on her first black-type win in the Ruthless S. at the 'Big A' Feb. 17.

Keeneland's Friday slate includes the GIII Transylvania S., which draws 12, plus a pair of also-eligibles. The field for the 3-year-old turf route includes Musical Act (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), the first of several overseas arrivals in Kentucky for Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby.

With a packed stakes schedule, plus everything from the baby races to lower daily double takeout, these are just some of the storylines on tap at Keeneland. As for past April meet leaders, Jockey Tyler Gaffalione recorded 21 victories to secure his second consecutive spring meet riding title in 2023, while last year conditioner Wesley Ward earned his sixth consecutive training honor and ninth total.

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No Kentucky Derby for Timberlake

'TDN Rising Star' Timberlake (Into Mischief), fourth as the favorite in last Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby, will not be pointed to the GI Kentucky Derby, according to a report in Daily Racing Form.

The GI Champagne S. winner and GII Rebel S. winner is currently ranked fifth with 81 points for the Kentucky Derby.

“Based on the performance over the weekend, we are not going to run in the Kentucky Derby,” trainer Brad Cox told DRF. “We are thinking about cutting him back in distance.”

Cox added, “He came out of it in good order, very sound, and ships back to Churchill Downs today. We still feel it's in his best interest not to try a mile and a quarter in four and a half weeks.”

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TDN Rising Star Mr Hollywood Wins Derby Rematch in Berlin

Sunday's Listed Preis von Dahlwitz at Hoppegarten witnessed the return of last year's G1 Deutsches Derby first and second Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) and Mr Hollywood (Ire) (Iquitos {Ger}), but with a two-kilo swing in his favour it was the latter who turned the tables to get his 2024 campaign off to a flyer. Labelled a TDN Rising Star on his jaw-dropping debut at Mulheim last April, Mr Hollywood proved that to be no fluke with success in Munich's G3 Bavarian Classic and runner-up finishes in Cologne's G2 Union-Rennen and the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden as well as in the domestic Derby.

Last of 15 when Fantastic Moon was 11th flying the flag for Germany in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe when last sighted, Mr Hollywood was understandably fresh and keen early on the front end in the hands of Andrasch Starke. Looking vulnerable as the patiently-ridden Fantastic Moon threatened to his right in the straight, the 13-10 second favourite gave extra to pull away again and win by 1 1/2 lengths. “I had to go to the front, which wasn't ideal as I'd have liked him to calm down behind another,” Starke said. “He kept at it and even broke away in the end.”

Mr Hollywood is the second dam out of the listed-placed dam Margie's Music {Fr} (Hurricane Run {Ire}), whose first was the G3 Derby-Trial runner-up Magical Beat (Ger) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Out of Margie's World (Ger) (Spinning World), was also listed-placed and is kin to the G2 Gerling-Preis-placed Margosto (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}), she is connected to the GI Spinaway S. runner-up Our Little Margie (Mr. Majestic). Her yearling full-sister to Magical Beat was knocked down to Elliott Bloodstock Services Limited for €220,000 at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale.

PREIS VON DAHLWITZ-Listed, €25,000, Hoppegarten, 3-31, 4yo/up, 10fT, 2:07.12, g/s.
1–MR HOLLYWOOD (IRE), 126, c, 4, Iquitos (Ger)–Margie's
Music (Fr) (SP-Ger), by Hurricane Run (Ire). TDN Rising Star.
(€15,000 Ylg '21 BBASEP). O-H H Sheikh A bin Khalifa Al Thani,
Wanja Soren Oberhof und Sebastian Weiss; B-Gestut
Ammerland (GER); T-Henk Grewe; J-Andrasch Starke. €15,000.
Lifetime Record: GSW & MG1SP-Ger, 7-3-3-0, €288,500.
*1/2 to Magical Beat (Ger) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), GSP-Ger.
2–Fantastic Moon (Ger), 130, c, 4, Sea The Moon (Ger)–
Frangipani (Ger), by Jukebox Jury (Ire). (€49,000 Ylg '21
BBASEP). O-Graf & Grafin von Stauffenberg; B-Liberty Racing
2021 (GER); T-Sarah Steinberg. €5,000.
3–Lightning Jock (Ire), 123, g, 6, Lawman (Fr)–High Haven (Ire),
by High Chaparral (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€10,000 Ylg '19
TIRSEP; €5,000 HRA '21 GOFAUT). O-F Esser; B-Ballylinch Stud
(IRE); T-Frank Fuhrmann. €3,125.
Margins: 1HF, 2 1/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 1.30, 1.10, 10.00.
Also Ran: Merkur (Fr), Quebueno (Ire). Scratched: Mythico (Fr).

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