Unveiled around two turns in south Florida, the half-sister to G1SW Acclaim (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) had already proven her affinity for the grass while her main rival, race-time favorite Lady Beth (Hard Spun), was forced to debut over the all-weather track at Gulfstream in a rained-off contest Feb. 2. Shortened up to the seven furlongs Saturday, Queen Picasso enjoyed a dream trip, jumping alertly and moving between rivals to race comfortably just off the outside of GIII Matron S. winner American Apple (American Pharoah). The field remained tightly bunched through an opening quarter in :23.06 and it was apparent that Jose Ortiz's filly wanted to run. She began to inch up on American Apple as they made their way around the far turn and the top pair was nearly on even terms past the quarter pole. With plenty left despite contesting a :45.83 half mile, Queen Picasso really began to draw away inside the furlong marker to win going away over American Apple.

“Jose [Ortiz] gave her a good ride,” said Clement. “They told me a lot of them [Kingman progeny] get a mile, so she might be a miler. She won well. The only thing I told Jose was to be careful, she can be a touch aggressive and a touch rank. I think he was a bit worried that the horse on the lead [No. 3, American Apple] would steal the race and that's the reason he kept at it.”

Pedigree Notes:

A top-five leading sire in Europe, Kingman (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) earned his 36th graded/group winner in the Northern Hemisphere Saturday with Queen Picasso's win. Aris (Ire) (Danroad {Aus}) has produced five winners from six foals to the make the races–her best being Acclaim (Ire), winner of the G1 Qatar Prix de la Foret. The dam herself is a half-sister to MG1SW Again (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) who went on to produce a pair of group-placed Galileo full-siblings in Delphina (Ire) and Delano Roosevelt (Ire). Further back in the family is European champion 3-year-old colt Montjeu (Ire) (Sadler's Wells). Queen Picasso's now 2-year-old half-brother by Advertise (GB) failed to meet his reserve when bringing a final bid of 280,000gns.

Saturday, Belmont Park
SOARING SOFTLY S.-GIII, $169,750, Belmont, 5-27, 3yo, f, 7fT, 1:21.24, fm.
1–QUEEN PICASSO (GB), 118, f, 3, by Kingman (GB)
             1st Dam: Aris (Ire) (SP-Ire), by Danroad (Aus)
             2nd Dam: Cumbres (Fr), by Kahyasi (Ire)
              rd Dam: Floripedes, by Top Ville (Ire)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. (200,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Siena Farm LLC, Michael E. Kisber, Peter Deutsch & The Elkstone Group, LLC (Stuart Grant); B-D. Farrington And Canning Downs (GB); T-Christophe Clement; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $96,250. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $138,250. *1/2 to Aclaim (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), G1SW-Fr, MGSW-Eng, GSP-Ire, $595,666. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–American Apple, 123, f, 3, American Pharoah–Miss Mary Apples, by Clever Trick. ($600,000 RNA 2yo '22 KEENOV). O-KatieRich Stables LLC; B-KatieRich Farms (KY); T-Daniel Leitch. $35,000.
3–Lady Beth, 118, f, 3, Hard Spun–Boreale, by Makfi (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($20,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $67,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $390,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Richard Schermerhorn; B-J. D. Stuart, P. C. Bance & Godolphin (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $21,000.
Margins: 2, NK, 2 3/4. Odds: 2.85, 2.45, 1.10.
Also Ran: Quarrel, Senior Prank. Scratched: Love Appeals.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

QUEEN PICASSO's performance in the G3 Soaring Softly Stakes was a work of art! Jockey @jose93_ortiz was up for trainer @clementstable today at #BelmontPark! pic.twitter.com/MRFEECyRmK

— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) May 27, 2023

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One of several Europeans to cause a stir Stateside on Saturday, Gold Phoenix (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) became the first top-level winner for his sire with a neck victory in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. (video).

Offered by co-breeder/owner Jim Ryan's Milltown Stud as a yearling during the Goffs Sportman's Sale in 2019, Gold Phoenix was a €24,000 buyback. However, the future GII Del Mar H. scorer broke his maiden at first asking in the colours of the late Dr. Tan Kai Chah, who bred the colt with Ryan in the name of Mighty Universe, Ltd., going seven furlongs over the Dundalk all-weather in February of 2021 for trainer Kieran Cotter. That half-length victory resulted in a change of scenery and new connections, and the gelding has been a California resident for eight of his nine Stateside appearances since. Bearing the colours of Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, LLC and Marsha Naify for trainer Phil D'Amato, the 5-year-old is a son of Magnifica, who Ryan acquired for $70,000 out of the 2014 Keeneland November Sale in foal to Bellamy Road.

A product of Palisade (Gone West) and Mizzen Mast, just like G1 Stewards' Cup winner Sea Defence and GII Raven Run S./GII Buena Vista H. heroine and GI Santa Monica H. second Jibboom, Magnifica is kin to G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Al Bahathri (Blushing Groom {Fr}). In foal to Lucky Vega (Ire), she has a yearling full-brother to the Kilroe winner.

Belardo, who is standing his first season at Bearstone Stud in the UK, has only had seven runners across the United States, but four have won (57%). Besides Gold Phoenix, Belardo's other stakes winner on those shores is Bellabel (Ire), who captured the GII San Clemente S. and run second in the GI Del Mar Oaks and third in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup.

'Faith' In The Blood

Prior to Gold Phoenix's heroics in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. in California, his grandsire was represented by GIII Honey Fox S. heroine Faith In Humanity (Fr) in Florida (video). Although the margin was only a neck, the 4-year-old filly, who carries the Klaravich Stables silks like other Lope De Vega (Ire)-sired luminaries Newspaperofrecord (Ire) and GIII Waya S. second Capital Structure (GB), was taking her second graded victory after the GIII Pebbles S. during the Belmont at Aqueduct meet last autumn.

A product of Ecurie des Monceaux and Lordship Stud, Ltd., the daughter of Sharavana (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) was snapped up for €240,000 out of the Arqana Deauville September Yearling Sale in 2020 by Michel Zerolo's Oceanic Bloodstock. Put into training with Chad Brown, she won a maiden special weight at Monmouth Park last July, ran second in the Riskaverse S. at Saratoga in August, and bounced back to win the Pebbles in September. Faith In Humanity, who is followed by the Churchill (Ire) juvenile half-sister Caty Fish (Fr), an €80,000 Arqana October Yearling Sale alum to Nicolas Clement, is kin to juvenile Group 1 winner Indonesienne (Ire) (Muhtathir {GB}) and G1 French 1000 Guineas heroine Matiara (Bering {GB}).

The leading sire at Ballylinch Stud, Lope De Vega has enjoyed a fruitful association with North American turf racing, with 29 of his progeny winning at least one race from 62 runners (46%). Of his 16 stakes horses, five (8% of 62 runners) have won stakes led by GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winners Newspaperofrecord and Aunt Pearl (Ire).

Mylady Is The One

Mylady (Ger) (The Grey Gatsby {Ire}), already a group winner in her native land, got the job done by three-quarters of a length in the 1 3/8-mile GIII The Very One S. at Gulfstream Park (video), starting a graded race double for trainer Chad Brown, who would take the GIII Honey Fox S. later on the Mar. 4 card.

Bred by Michaela Faust's Gestut Karlshof, the grey did not meet her reserve as a €20,000 buyback at the Baden-Baden October Mixed Sale in 2020, and she was sent to the yard of Markus Klug, where she promptly won both of her juvenile starts, including a listed stake. Successful at Group 3 level at three, she was also placed in the G2 German 1000 Guineas, and the G1 German Oaks later that season. Unplaced in the GI E. P. Taylor S. last October, she remained in North America and was transferred to the Chad Brown barn in the interim.

Her unraced dam, Minoris (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}), was acquired by HFTB Racing Agency for €3,500 out of the Arqana February Mixed Sale in 2018, prior to being put in foal to The Grey Gatsby. The winner, the first foal of her dam, is from the extended family of young sire and G1 Sprint Cup and G1 Diamond Jubilee S. hero Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}). She has a pair of Counterattack (Aus) half-brothers born in 2020 and 2021 named Missouri (Ger) and Maigret (Gre), respectively.

Part of a quartet of stakes winners–three group–internationally for The Grey Gatsby, Mylady is his only runner Stateside.

Nickeled, Dimed, and 'Quatt'ared

Previously mentioned in the inaugural Making Waves column is Red Baron's Barn LLC & Rancho Temescal LLC's Quattroelle (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}). She ran out a half-length winner of the one-mile GII Buena Vista S. (video) over the turf at Santa Anita Park on Saturday for trainer Jeff Mullins. It was her second graded score after she signed her name to the GIII Megahertz S. honour roll in early February, also at that Southern California venue.

Her Tally-Ho Stud-based sire's U.S. and Canadian standings feature 11 winners from 21 runners (52%), 12 stakes horses to runners (57%), and four stakes winners to runners (19%) with Grade I winner Going Global (Ire) his best runner to date.

Mic Drop In New Orleans

Trying the turf at the Fair Grounds for the first time on Mar. 2, Microphone (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) eked out a head victory going 8 1/2 furlongs over the firm turf course there with Deshawn Parker in the irons for trainer Ethan West on Thursday.

From the same family as G1 Coronation S. victress Fallen For You (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and bred by Philippa Cooper's Normandie Stud, the gelding was originally picked up from agent John Troy for 160,000gns out of the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 by Peter Brant's White Birch Farm. A winner at first asking at Tampa in January of 2022 for trainer Chad Brown, he made five other starts in the green on green colours with several placed efforts. Sent through the 2022 Keeneland November Sale by EliTE Sales, the then-4-year-old caught the eye of Marc A. Wampler, the racing and bloodstock manager of racing syndicate Pocket Aces Racing, who bought Microphone for $30,000. Microphone's Mar. 2 victory was his second start in the Pocket Aces silks.

Out of the 2009 G2 Lancashire Oaks second Fallen In Love (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), Microphone is a half-brother to GII Red Smith S. hero Serve The King (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who was also second in the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. in America, and G3 Prix de Flore heroine Loving Things (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who was placed in the Lancashire Oaks seven years after her dam. Fallen In Love's latest is the 2-year-old filly Loves Loving (GB) (Expert Eye {GB}).

His Highness The Aga Khan's stallion Siyouni has had 36 runners in American and Canada to date, with a baker's dozen of winners (36%). Four of those are stakes winners (11%), and three have won Grade III's–Sacred Life (Fr), La Signare (Fr), and Love And Thunder (Ire).

Sunnyside Up For Gleneagles Colt

The consistent Scramble (Gleneagles {Ire}), a homebred product of Peter and Bonnie McCausland's Erdenheim Farm Thoroughbreds in Pennsylvania, had never been off the board in five starts, and put it all together to take a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park on Friday (video) for Barclay Tagg.

Scramble is the first foal of the well-tried Tilly's Chilli (Ire) (Excelebration {Ire}), who won the 2400-metre Listed Grand Prix de Lyon in France. Picked up by Erdenheim Farm out of the 2018 Tattersalls December Mares Sale for 400,000gns, she visited the court of Gleneagles that year and returned to the States in foal to that dual Guineas hero. Tilly's Chilli's latest is a 2-year-old colt by Curlin named Bandoola. Two of her half-sisters have thrown stakes winners, the best of the them Fast Company (Ire)'s Red Onion (GB), who claimed the Listed Prix Herod. German Group 1 winner Neatico (Ger) (Medicean {GB}) is under the third dam, as is the G1 French Oaks-placed G2 Prix de Sandringham scorer Volta (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}).

Based at Coolmore Stud in Ireland, Gleneagles has accumulated 24 stakes winners worldwide (14 group), and his record in North America stands at nine winners out of 16 runners (56%). Although he has just one stakes winner to date in that locale, he made it count, as it is 2022 GI Man o'War S. victor Highland Chief (Ire).

Motorious Full Of Merit

Anthony Fanticola's Motorious (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) found the downhill turf course at Santa Anita to his liking and scampered home a 2 1/4-length victor in the GIII San Simeon S. over 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita on Sunday (video).

Bred by Kirtlington Stud and Mary Taylor, the bay was offered by the former during Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, and brought 55,000gns from trainer Stuart Williams. Making his first seven starts for Opulence Thoroughbreds, he won two of them, a brace of seven-furlong all-weather handicaps in the second half of 2021. Sent back through the ring by Diomed Stables during the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale that October, he was knocked down to Craig Rounesfell's Boomer Bloodstock for 220,000gns and made his way to the barn of Phil D'Amato. Although it took a few starts to find his stride in California, the gelding won a pair of optional claimers at Del Mar and Santa Anita in December and January, respectively. Second in the Clocker's Corner S. on Jan. 29, the San Simeon was his first try in graded company.

First-born of the dual Group 3-placed Squash (GB) (Pastoral Pursuits {GB}), Mortorious's full-brother Haymaker (GB) has won twice in 11 starts, and his 2-year-old Advertise (GB) half-brother was a 135,000gns Tattersalls December foal that blossomed into a 500,000gns Tattersalls October yearling purchase by Richard Knight. Part of 17 reoffered by the sales company due to non-payment, the colt has yet to race. His dam foaled a colt by Sergei Prokofiev in 2022. The last-named sold to Tally-Ho Stud for 82,000gns as a Tattersalls December foal. GI Donn H. hero and Claiborne stallion Lea is under the fourth dam, the placed High Savannah (GB) (Rousillon).

Now a resident of France's Haras de Faunes after starting his stallion career in England, Muhaarar has 20 stakes winners to his credit after Motorious's win. Nine of his get are graded/group winners, led by G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. heroine Eshaada (GB). From just 12 runners, the bay has seven winners in America (58%). Besides Motorious, his Stateside stakes winners include multiple graded winner Bran (Fr), GIII San Francisco Mile hero Evening Sun (GB), and Listed PG Johnson S. heroine Be Your Best (Ire), who was also third in the GIII Miss Grillo S. at Belmont.

Kingman Filly Paints A Masterpiece In Florida

The progeny of Juddmonte stallion Kingman (GB) continued their love affair with the firm surface at Gulfstream on Sunday, with his filly Queen Picasso (GB) running out a half-length winner of a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden special weight (video).

Trained by transplanted Frenchman Christophe Clement, the Siena Farm, Michael Kisber, Peter Deutsch and The Elkstone Group-owned 3-year-old was bred by Dermot Farrington and Canning Downs. Part of The National Stud draft of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1, the daughter of the stakes-placed Aris (Ire) (Danroad {Aus}) was knocked down for 200,000gns by Bradley Weisbord and Liz Crow's BSW Bloodstock/Crow Euro Venture. A half-sister to G1 Prix de la Foret winner and sire Aclaim (Ire), Queen Picasso is from the same family as Classic winner Again (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), Arc scorer Montjeu (Ire), et al. Her dam's 2021 filly by Advertise (GB) was consigned to the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 by West Park Farm, but was a 280,000gns RNA.

As of Wednesday morning 24 of the Juddmonte stallion's 46 American runners (52%) have won. Of his 12 stakes horses, seven (15% of runners) are stakes winners anchored by three-time Grade I winner Domestic Spending (GB).

'Buzz' Sets The Tone In California Curtain Raiser

Opening Santa Anita's Sunday card, Phil D'Amato trainee Buzz Of New York (Ire) (Toronado {Ire}) parlayed a stalking trip into a 1 1/2-length tally in an allowance optional claimer going a mile over the grass.

Campaigned Stateside by the familiar connections of dual graded heroine Quattroelle and GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. hero and now Tara Stud stallion River Boyne (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) in Red Baron's Barn LLC and Rancho Temescal LLC colours, the 5-year-old mare was a private purchase. She raced six times in her native Ireland without a win for Mark Dobbin and trainer Johnny Murtagh, but she was not keeping poor company in her nascent career, as she was left in the wake of future G1 Prix de Diane heroine Joan Of Arc (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in a March 2021 Curragh maiden among those six starts.

Bred by Ronan Fitzpatrick, the 5-year-old never graced a sales ring, and is the first of four foals and only winner from three to race out of Buzz Off Barroso (Ire) (Big Bad Bob {Ire}), who did not win until her 4-year-old year. From the same family as four-time Group 1 winner and one-time sire Barney Roy (GB), as well as celebrated short-tracker Gordon Lord Byron (Ire) (Byron {GB}), Buzz Of New York has a Coulsty (Ire) yearling half-brother.

The well-traveled Toronado is now a permanent resident at Swettenham Stud in Australia after stints in England and France. From limited representation–only to grow rarer as his Northern Hemisphere runners dwindle–he has sired five winners from 12 runners (41%) in the United States. However, two of the five are stakes winners (16% of runners)–the GI Manhattan S. and GI United Nations S. hero Tribhuvan (Fr) and dual stakes winner Tuned (GB).

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Named for President Biden, a longtime family friend of owner-breeder Stuart Grant, and trained by Mike Trombetta, Joe extended his win streak to three races with a popular 2 ½-length triumph in his sophomore debut Jan. 23 at Laurel Park.

The connections opted for the 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance over the seven-furlong Spectacular Bid, Maryland's first stakes of the season for 3-year-olds, to try Joe around two turns. The next stakes in the series is the $100,000 Miracle Wood, contested at a one-turn mile, Feb. 19.

Following the Miracle Wood, the 3-year-old series continues with the $100,000 Private Terms going 1 1/16 miles March 19 and the $125,000 Tesio at 1 1/8 miles April 16. For the seventh straight year, the Tesio will serve as a 'Win and In' qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the May 21 Preakness at historic Pimlico Race Course.

“We're still deciding what's next. Obviously there's a race coming up at Laurel in another couple weeks, but I don't know if that's bringing him back a little too quick,” Grant said. “Our path is targeting the Tesio, and if we're fortunate enough to win the Tesio, then the Preakness would be the next step from there.

“We're going to take a little different path than the traditional 'I'm on the Derby trail.' We are not on the Derby trail,” he added. “We will see how this horse develops, but we will target him in a way that if he develops the way that we would like him to, then maybe we will sneak into the Preakness with a fresh horse and see if we can surprise some people.”

Joe has raced exclusively at Laurel, running fifth in his unveiling last October. He hasn't lost since, including an impressive 1 ½-length victory from off the pace in the seven-furlong Maryland Juvenile Dec. 18 to cap his 2-year-old season.

“Mike's doing a great job. We have had some long discussions,” Grant said. “It's always tempting to put a horse on that trail but if you think over the years about the horses that have been put on that trail … it makes it a long year on that horse. I think we have a good one. We don't know how good, but we're going to sort of develop this way and maybe not have as much pressure. Maybe we'll learn that we're not that good early on and we'll sort of reset our sights, but for now that's what we're going to do.”

A decision is also forthcoming on Grade 3 winner Wondrwherecraigis, who launched his comeback with an emphatic 3 ¾-length triumph in the Jan. 29 Fire Plug at Laurel. It was his first race since overcoming a foot issue following his victory in the Oct. 31 Bold Ruler (G3) at Belmont Park.

The Fire Plug was the third stakes win for the 5-year-old gelding, each at different tracks, also capturing the 2021 Tale of the Cat at Saratoga. He has finished first in each of the last five, but was disqualified to second for interference in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) last fall.

Overall the Brittany Russell trainee, owned in partnership by Grant, Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables, has seven wins, one second and one third from 11 lifetime starts.

“I have been thrilled with his last five races. He is a throwback. He's sort of a hard-working, blue-collar horse. He will continue to get it done and he will continue to run in good races,” Grant said. “Brittany does a really good job and keeps the horse well. The horse is ready to run each time. He had a quarter crack so he had to miss a race, but she took care of that. She won't run him unless he's ready to run and we've seen the results.”

Next up for older sprinters in Maryland is the $250,000 General George (G3) Feb. 19 at Laurel, one of six stakes worth $900,000 on a program that also includes the $250,000 Barbara Fritchie (G3).

“The horse will tell us whether it's too quick [back] for him. I don't think we're ruling that out but we are also not having our heart set on it so that we're subject to disappointment or we push him into a race that is a not a good race for him,” Grant said. “We are conscious of it. He is a strong horse and he's been training well and we will see. He may wind up there. The horse will tell Brittany and Brittany will share it with us.”

Also in the conversation among Russell and the ownership group for Wondrwherecraigis is the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) March 26 at Meydan.

“We are talking and we are talking with Brittany and we are trying to figure out what would be best for the horse and what would be best for us. Yes, there's a certain excitement to winning a Dubai race like that; on the other hand, we have a gelding and all of a sudden the grade of the race or the prestige of the race might not be that important,” Grant said. “With a gelding you're really thinking, 'Ok, how can I maximize his purse money, say, through the end of the year?' That becomes a tough decision.

“If you take him overseas, there's a certain amount of wear and tear that happens on a horse, albeit with an older horse maybe the wear and tear isn't quite as great but it's still there. You just worry if you bring him over there and if he doesn't run well, is he still the same horse when he gets back here?” he added. “Or, do I keep him running in the Mid-Atlantic, say at Laurel and Aqueduct and Belmont and maybe take him up to Saratoga, and between those four racecourses, which isn't more than a four-hour ship from the farthest to the shortest, do I maximize his ability to run in some nice races every six weeks? That's the discussion that's going on.”

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“I don't know where it's displayed, but I know the President has a win photo from [Joe's] stakes win,” Grant said. “The Biden family and us have been close for 30 years. I'm hoping it's in the White House, but I don't know for sure.”

Joe, based at Laurel with trainer Mike Trombetta, is entered to make his sophomore debut in Sunday's fourth race, an optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up going around two turns at about 1 1/16 miles. Regular rider Victor Carrasco gets the call from the rail in a field of six.

“He's doing great. We are bringing him along slowly. We'll look for the best spot for him,” Grant said. “Especially in a six-horse field, I don't really care where he is. If it was 12 horses, I might not want the inside or the outside, but he's a good horse.”

Joe is also nominated to the first stakes in Maryland for 3-year-olds, the $100,000 Spectacular Bid, sprinting seven furlongs. Originally scheduled for Jan. 22, it is one of six stakes worth $550,000 in purses that was pushed back to Saturday, Jan. 29 at Laurel.

“With him being a Maryland-bred, there's not much difference in the purse money to us than the stakes. Right now we may wind up being in the allowance and we'll just see what happens,” Grant said. “Assuming the track is good and everything's in good shape, I don't know why we wouldn't run him there. There are plenty of stakes. He's a young horse, and we want to build his confidence. We think he can do really good things. We're taking it easy with him.”

By Declaration of War out of the Arch mare Battle Bridge, Joe is a half-brother to Grade 3-placed turf router Irony of Reality who was unveiled in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight turf sprint Oct. 24 at Laurel, where he got bumped at the break and wound up fifth in a field of nine. Moved to the dirt and stretched out to a mile for his next start, Joe sat just off the lead before taking over after six furlongs and drawing clear to a 3 ¼-length triumph Nov. 21.

“We liked him. Donna Freyer down at the Camden Training Center breaks them for me and she always liked him,” Grant said. “He didn't get up to Mike that quickly. It took him a little bit longer to develop. We don't push horses unnecessarily, and when Mike got him he was really happy with him. He's the one who said [he'd] like try him first on turf while we still have turf. We ran on that once and we brought him back to the dirt. Mike's done a good job.”

Next up was the seven-furlong Maryland Juvenile, where Joe found himself trailing all but two of 12 horses in the early going before uncorking a steady rally on the far outside to gain the lead in mid-stretch and win by 1 ½ lengths in his stakes debut.

“It's tempting after a stakes win like that to say, 'OK, go put him on the [Kentucky] Derby trail.' I'm not sure that's the best thing for this horse, so we're going to continue to bring him along slowly,” he added. “We're going to target the right spots. We'll move from this month's race to presumably a stakes race. If he wins the allowance, he won't have a lot of choices. We'll put him in some overnight stakes and see how he does with that kind of company. It's a long summer with a nice 3-year-old. We'll find some good places for him.”

Joe is actually the second horse Grant named for Biden. He also bred V P Joe, a son of Sky Mesa that won three of 21 starts between 2009 and 2012.

“This one, I tried to name Ridin With Biden but someone took it,” Grant said. “I said, 'We'll just go with what we call him,' and lo and behold it was available.”

The post Stakes Winning Colt Named For President Biden Entered In Two-Turn Allowance At Laurel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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With jockey Luis Saez aboard, Wondrwherecraigis was fastest out of the gate, going immediately to the lead with Wendell Fong in second and favorite Plainsman third. Around the far turn, Plainsman had to check in traffic, shuffled back to fifth, as Wondrwherecraigis maintained his lead over Continuation and Wendell Fong.

Into the stretch, Wondrwherecraigis powered through the slop to draw away and win by 2 1/4 lengths, completing the seven furlongs in 1:23.31 over the wet Belmont track. Plainsman took third while Drafted was fourth. Find this race's chart here.

Wondrwherecraigis paid $6.40, $3.70, and $2.60. Continuation paid $6.00 and $3.30. Plainsman paid $2.20.

“The seven furlongs was a question, but it's nice to find out he can do it. Luis [Saez] did a beautiful job. He jumped out of there and slowed it down the best he could and didn't take anything away from the horse either. He's sat on him so he knows he can get that drift, but that's just him. I don't know that he's necessarily getting late – in some of his other races, he's just had to go faster early. It's the race on the day and how it sets up,” trainer Brittany Russell said after the Bold Ruler.

“I took him away from the pony and when he was in his stall, he broke pretty well. He controlled the pace and when we came to the top of the stretch, I felt like I had a lot of horse to finish with and he responded really well,” jockey Luis Saez told the NYRA Press Office after the race. “He was handling it pretty well. The plan was to try to slow the pace early so everything went according to plan.”

Bred in Kentucky by Fleur de Lis Stables, Wondrwherecraigis is out of the Giant's Causeway mare Social Assassin. The gelding is owned by Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, Madaket Stables, and Michael J. Caruso. Wondrwherecraigis was a $210,000 RNA consigned by ELiTE at the 2020 Keeneland Horses of Racing Age Digital Sale. With his win in the G3 Bold Ruler, the 4-year-old gelding has four wins in six starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 10-6-1-1 and career earnings of $347,640.

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Trained by Christophe Clement, the 4-year-old Quality Road bay entered from a similar closing effort in a six-furlong optional-claiming tilt on September 25 over a Belmont turf rated good.

Honey Cake, with Junior Alvarado up, took charge through splits of :22.57 and :46.22 over the firm going with 3-2 mutuel favorite Robin Sparkles, piloted by Jose Ortiz, tracking her early foot from second position.

The pacesetter led the field through the turn as a host of challengers, including the stalking duo of Introduced and Raven's Cry lined up outside bids with Gogo Shoes advancing up the rail.

But despite having only Secure Connection behind her as the field straightened for home, there would be no denying Too Sexy, who was tipped out wide into the lane and picked off her rivals one by one with a powerful turn-of-foot en route to a 3 1/4-length victory in a final time of 1:09.68.

Raven's Cry completed the exacta by one length over Introduced. Rounding out the order of finish were Secure Connection, Pacific Gale, Gogo Shoes, Honey Cake, and Robin Sparkles. Time Limit was scratched.

Too Sexy's victory came shortly before the Clement-trained duo of Mutamakina and La Dragontea ran one-two in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

Clement said a patient approach works best with Too Sexy, who has won 4-of-7 starts this season, including a maiden score over good turf at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., in March and an allowance win at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in July.

“She has been an improving horse all along,” Clement said. “She seems to run better when you wait a little bit on her and twice she has won on ground with a little bit of give in it.”

Lezcano said he felt confident the speed would come back to him.

“I rode her like how Christophe told me, which was to break well, give her a chance to find her footing and make one run. Everything worked out,” Lezcano said.

Luis Saez, jockey aboard the runner-up, said Raven's Cry benefitted from the turnback in distance out of a fifth-place finish in the one-mile De La Rose in August at the Spa.

“She broke right there and was in a perfect spot. We just got beat by a good one,” Saez said. “I think cutting back made a difference, it was good for her.”

Bred in Kentucky by Burleson Farm and McKenzie Bloodstock, Too Sexy banked $82,500 in victory while improving her record to 12-4-4-1. She paid $7.90 for a $2 win wager.

Live racing returns Thursday at Belmont Park with a nine-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables' 4-year-old gelding Wondrwherecraigis went four furlongs in :49 over Laurel's main track, which underwent a multi-million dollar reconstruction over the summer.

It was the second work for Wondrwherecraigis since earning his first career stakes victory Aug. 13 in the Tale of the Cat at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. He also breezed a half-mile in :49.20 Sept. 3.

“That's all we wanted,” trainer Brittany Russell said of Saturday's work. “He's great. He's in good form. He's happy and he's training well. We have a lot going on at the moment, but it looks like we're going to move forward to next week.”

The six-furlong De Francis for 3-year-olds and up headlines four stakes worth $500,000 in purses Saturday, Sept. 18 at Laurel, which launched its calendar year-ending fall meet Thursday. Joining the De Francis are the $100,000 Weather Vane for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting six furlongs and a pair of $100,000 stakes going one mile, the Polynesian for 3-year-olds and up and Twixt for females 3 and older.

All four races are part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

Named for the late president and chairman of both Laurel and historic Pimlico Race Course, the De Francis' illustrious roster of winners includes Hall of Famer Housebuster, fellow sprint champions Cherokee Run, Smoke Glacken, Thor's Echo and Benny the Bull, and Lite the Fuse, the race's only two-time winner (1995-96) honored with his own stakes race in Maryland.

Wondrwherecraigis has won each of his last two starts, both in front-running fashion. Saratoga meet champion Luis Saez was aboard in the six-furlong Tale of the Cat, beating fellow De Francis nominee My Boy Tate by 2 ¾ lengths in 1:10.09. He was a popular 5 ¾-length winner of a July 18 optional claiming allowance at Pimlico under Russell's husband, jockey Sheldon Russell.

The connections will need a new rider as Sheldon Russell suffered a broken foot after being thrown from his horse during the post parade of Thursday's opening day finale at Laurel and will be out indefinitely.

Other jockeys to have ridden Wondrwherecraigis include Jose Lezcano and Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, the latter in the 2020 Grade 2 Amsterdam last August where they ran fourth in the Munnings gelding's only previous graded-stakes attempt.

Sheldon Russell is also the regular rider for six-time stakes winner Hello Beautiful, trained by his wife and owned by Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stables, and Magic City Stables and scheduled to start in the Weather Vane. Hello Beautiful, who gave Russell his 1,500th career victory in the July 31 Alma North at Pimlico, breezed a half-mile in :48.60 Sept. 8.

“We'll just regroup here the next couple days and see what we're going to do,” Brittany Russell said.

Other De Francis nominees breezing Saturday were Mucho, four furlongs in :50.80 at the Churchill Downs' Trackside training center for trainer John Ortiz; and Gary Capuano-trained stablemates Band On Tour (:48.20) and Threes Over Deuces (:48.40) at Delaware Park.

Band On Tour, 4, exits a six-furlong optional claiming allowance win Aug. 7 at Pimlico. Threes Over Deuces is a stakes winner that has run second or third in six others including a runner-up finish to Grade 1 winner Firenze Fire in the 2020 Grade 3 General George at Laurel.

Mucho leads the 3-year-old and up dirt sprint division of the MATCH Series with 20 points, two more than defending De Francis champion and fellow nominee Laki. Winner of the July 31 Challedon at Pimlico, Mucho is also tied with Chub Wagon for the overall MATCH Series championship.

Kentucky-based Ortiz said Saturday that Mucho is being pointed to the Grade 2 Phoenix Oct. 8 at Keeneland, an automatic qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint Nov. 6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

“I know we're sitting so close to winning the MATCH Series, but when a horse is doing this well you have to take advantage,” Ortiz said. “Kentucky being our home and his home track and Lexington being my hometown, I just think it's best to get a 'Win and You're In' while things are going the right way.”

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Based at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., the 4-year-old gelding's front-running 2 ¾-length triumph under jockey Luis Saez has the connections thinking of taking the next step in their own backyard in the prestigious $200,000 Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Saturday, Sept. 18 at Laurel Park.

Named for the late president and chairman of both Laurel and Pimlico, the De Francis' illustrious roster of winners includes Hall of Famer Housebuster, fellow sprint champions Cherokee Run, Smoke Glacken, Thor's Echo and Benny the Bull, and Lite the Fuse, the race's only two-time winner (1995-96) honored with his own stakes race in Maryland.

The six-furlong De Francis for 3-year-olds and up headlines four stakes worth $500,000 in purses, representing the first stakes action over Laurel's newly reconstructed main track. Laurel's fall meet is scheduled to open Thursday, Sept. 9.

“It's not out of the question. It seems like the timing is good, but we'll have to just see how things fall into place,” Russell said. “We have to see who nominates and what it looks like, but I think he could be very useful around here. If it means the Grade 3, great. If not, we'll look around.

“I like the idea. I like the distance, the timing, all those things,” she added. “But, we also want to be reasonable. It would be exciting for me.”

Married to jockey Sheldon Russell and 10 weeks away from delivering the couple's second child, Russell stayed behind in Maryland to watch Friday's race, leaving the saddling to assistant trainer Amanda Knox. Saturday morning's report was encouraging.

“Amanda said he's fantastic, sound, ate up,” Russell said. “He was bouncing around, happy as could be.”

Since mid-April, Wondrwherecraigis has been part of Russell's string at Pimlico, where he prepped for the Tale of the Cat with a commanding 5 ¾-length optional claiming allowance triumph July 18. Of his five career wins, two have come at both Pimlico and Laurel.

By multiple graded-stakes winning sprinter Munnings, Wondrwherecraigis cruised by three lengths in gate-to-wire fashion on the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan undercard May 14 at Pimlico, his first race in nearly nine months since finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Amsterdam last August at Saratoga.

Wondrwherecraigis was unraced at 2 after selling for $67,000 as a yearling, debuting with back-to-back wins at Laurel March 13 and June 6, 2020. Two weeks later, he was entered in the Keeneland Horse Association's Horses of Racing Age Sale but failed to meet his $210,000 reserve.

Sent to New York, Wondrwherecraigis ran third in the Gold Fever at Belmont Park before taking on graded competition in the Amsterdam, finishing 7 ½ lengths behind Yaupon – who would come back to win the Grade 3 Chick Lang last October and Lite the Fuse July 4 at Pimlico – before going to the sidelines.

“The partners have been patient. It's a perfect example of if you know the horse has ability, just do the right thing by them,” Russell said. “Hopefully it works out the way it seems to have with this horse.”

Wondrwherecraigis was nominated to the $100,000 Chesapeake Aug. 23 at Colonial Downs, also six furlongs for 3-year-olds and up, but how well he had done since the Pimlico race and the prospect of a smaller field landed him in Saratoga instead. It was Russell's fourth career win at Saratoga and first in a stakes.

“I sort of wrote this race off originally. We actually supplemented him. I didn't even nominate him because I didn't want to feel pressured,” Russell said. “He ran such a big number when he won the last time at Pimlico. I was really thinking that Colonial race was good timing and that track seems to be good for speed horses. There seemed like a lot of positives to go to Colonial.

“But then looking at it, it seemed as though it wasn't going to be a large field [at Saratoga]. I wasn't sure about quality at the time,” she added. “It worked out. It doesn't always work out that well, but it did this time.”

Wondrwherecraigis will return to Maryland next week and begin preparations for his next race. All stakes races at Saratoga and Maryland's graded races such as the De Francis are run Lasix-free.

“I'm going to leave him up there a couple days and just kind of let him recover. I didn't want to put him right on a truck and ship him six hours after that run,” Russell said. “We'll get him back home and see how he is. I think the main thing is, we learned that he doesn't need Lasix and that's a big deal when you're talking about running in the better races like that.”

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Trained by Brittany Russell, Wondrwherecraigis enters the six-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and up who have not won a graded race in 2021 from a 5 3/4-length optional claiming score on July 18 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

The 4-year-old dark bay or brown son of Munnings, who garnered a 102 Beyer Speed Figure in his most recent effort, returns to stakes company on the NYRA circuit after being disqualified from second to third in the Gold Fever in July 2020 at Belmont Park ahead of finishing fourth behind three next-out winners in the Grade 2 Amsterdam last August at Saratoga.

Wondrwherecraigis is owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables.

“It was a big race. He's doing really well,” said Russell. “We figured we would take a look. It looks like the race will set up for him, so we're shipping him up and giving him a chance.”

Jockey Sheldon Russell will ride from post 5.

Trainer Ray Handal will saddle last-out stakes winner Foolish Ghost, who defeated his New York-bred counterparts in the John Morrissey on July 29. The son of Mineshaft was claimed by Handal and owner Ken Russell and Richard Newman Racing last August and has since won four times for his current trainer.

“He's doing well,” Handal said. “There aren't too many sprints for him in the northeast area. On his best day, he can run with some of the good ones, so we'll see.”

Jockey Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 6.

Daniel Alonso's Wind of Change arrives at the Tale of the Cat off a sharp win in the Mr. Prospector on May 29 at Monmouth Park for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. The Brazilian-bred Forestry bay seeks his sixth stakes victory, which include four triumphs at such level in his native land.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride from post 4.

My Boy Tate will seek a sixth stakes victory for Little Red Feather Racing and trainer, breeder, and co-owner Michelle Nevin. The 7-year-old son of Boys At Tosconova was second in the 2018 and 2020 Tale of the Cat.

Breaking from post 1, My Boy Tate will be ridden by Manny Franco.

Multiple stakes-winner Bon Raison [post 3, Jorge Vargas, Jr.] seeks a non-consecutive win in the Tale of the Cat, previously scoring in 2019. Trained by Jack Sisterson, Bon Raison brags the highest bankroll in the field with $685,874.

Completing the field is David Bernsen's Shashashakemeup [post 2, Ricardo Santana, Jr.], a four-time winner for trainer Peter Walder.

The Tale of the Cat is carded as Race 9 on Friday's 10-race program at Saratoga Race Course. First post is 1:05 p.m. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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