Todd Pletcher | Horse Racing Free Tips

Feb. 13 Insights

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

PRICEY FROSTED FILLY DEBUTS IN NOLA

3rd-FG, $60K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 2:02p.m.

CHIONE (Frosted), a $425,000 KEESEP acquisition, makes her career bow in this spot. The gray is a half-sister to Grade I-winning millionaire Hard Aces (Hard Spun) and MSW & GSP Astrollinthepark (Divine Park). TJCIS PPs

EXPENSIVE 'PHAROAH' COLT LOOKS TO OPEN ACCOUNT AT FG

5th-FG, $60K, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 3:05p.m.

Louie Roussel unveils a pricey son of American Pharoah in GLOBAL EMPIRE, a $500,000 KEESEP buy. The chestnut hails from the family of GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Believe You Can (Proud Citizen) and MGSW Classic Elegance (Carson City). He displays a speedy series of drills leading up to this test, including a bullet half-mile in :48 1/5 (1/68) in NOLA two back Jan. 29. TJCIS PPs

PLETCHER SADDLES BLUE-BLOODED MEDAG COLT WITH HEFTY PRICE TAG

7th-GP, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 1mT, 3:10p.m.

Derrick Smith, Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable teamed up to acquire the well-bred GOLDEN WHIM (Medaglia d'Oro) for $1.5-million at Keeneland September and he kicks his career off for Todd Pletcher in this test. The bay is a full-brother to MGISW and millionaire New Money Honey and a half to SP Coconut Shrimp (Giant's Causeway). Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Farm purchased their dam Weekend Whim (Distorted Humor), a full-sister to Grade I-winning stallion Any Given Saturday, for $1.4 million at the 2017 KEENOV sale with this colt in utero.

Chad Brown saddles first timer Tour of Duty (War Front) for Peter Brant and Phipps Stable. The bay's second dam is MGSW & MGISP Daydreaming (A.P. Indy), who produced Grade I winner Imagining (Giant's Causeway). This is also the family of Grade I winners Girolamo (A.P. Indy), Callback (Street Sense), Got Lucky (A.P. Indy), Bluegrass Cat (Storm Cat) and Super Saver (Maria's Mon).

Neotropic (Tapit) also makes his first trip to the post here for trainer Jimmy Toner. A half-brother to MGISW General Quarters (Sky Mesa), the gray brought $145,000 at OBS April after breezing in :10 2/5. TJCIS PPs

STRUCTOR RETURNS AT GULFSTREAM

10th-GP, $53K, Opt. Clm. ($75K), 4yo/up, 1mT, 4:44 p.m.

Undefeated STRUCTOR (Palace Malice) makes his long-awaited return to the races Saturday in a Gulfstream optional claimer. A debut winner at Saratoga in August of 2019, the $850,000 OBSMAR purchase captured Belmont's GIII Pilgrim S. that September. The bay followed suit with a rallying score in the GI Breeders' cup Juvenile Turf S. at Santa Anita that November. Injured in June while working towards his 2020 debut, Structor returns after 15 months on the sidelines. TJCIS PPs

The post Feb. 13 Insights appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10 for Feb. 11

In the month since we last served up a TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10, there have been a number of stakes for 3-year-old fillies, but not a lot of movement on our list. Sun Path (Munnings) drops off the list after a disappointing fourth-place finish in the Silverbulletday and we'll wait to include Girl Daddy (Uncle Mo) until she has her first official workout in 2021. Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) came out of last weekend looking like the top threat from the West after her win in the GIII Las Virgenes S., but has been sidelined with a knee chip. Charlie's Penny (Race Day), the winner of the Silverbulletday S., is also off the trail after suffering a hairline fracture in her shin.
Fair Grounds will host the GIII Rachel Alexandra S. Presented by Fasig-Tipton this Saturday, which features the return of the Brad Cox-trained Travel Column (Frosted). Meanwhile, the GII Davona Dale S., to be run Feb. 27 at Gulfstream, is shaping up as the best 3-year-old filly race so far this year with several members of the Top 10 slated to take part.

1) VEQUIST (Nyquist–Vero Amore, by Mineshaft)
O-Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable & Swilcan Stable. B-Swilcan Stables (KY). T-Robert E. Reid, Jr. Sales History: $120,000 RNA ylg '19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 4-2-2-0, $1,235,500.
Last Start: 1st GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, KEE, Nov. 6
Accomplishments Include: 1st GI Spinaway S., SAR, Sept. 6, 2nd GI Frizette S., BEL, Oct. 10
Next Start: GII Davona Dale S., GP, Feb. 27
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 24
To the surprise of no one, Vequist was named the champion 2-year-old filly of 2020 when the Eclipse Awards were announced last month. She wrapped up the title when winning the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies over rival Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief). She'll attempt to become the first horse to pull off the Breeders' Cup-Kentucky Oaks double since Silverbulletday, the 1999 Oaks winner. After giving his filly some time off over the winter, trainer Butch Reid has started to get serious with her in the mornings. She's had three listed workouts this year at Palm Meadows, the latest five furlongs in 1:00.95, and will breeze again Saturday. It won't take long to tell how she has progressed since winning the Juvenile Fillies, as she will need to be at her very best to win what will be a loaded Davona Dale.

2) DAYOUTOFTHEOFFICE (Into Mischief–Gottahaveadream, by Indian Charlie)
O-Blazing Meadows Farm & Siena Farm. B-Siena Farms (KY). T-Timothy Hamm. Lifetime Record: GISW, 4-3-1-0, $556,500.
Last Start: 2nd GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, KEE, Nov. 6
Accomplishments Include: 1st GI Frizette S., BEL, Oct. 10, 1st GIII Schuylerville S., SAR, July 16
Next Start: Undecided
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 18
Dayoutoftheoffice returned to the Tampa Bay Downs barn of Tim Hamm last month and breezed five furlongs there Jan. 24 in 1:01. Hamm does most of his winning at B and C level tracks like Mahoning Valley, which makes him easy to root for when he goes up against the Bafferts and Pletchers of the world. Her team reports that they have yet to decide on this one's next start. She hasn't had a work since the Jan. 24 move, which is a concern, but the connections say the Oaks remains a goal.

3) TRAVEL COLUMN (Frosted–Swingit, by Victory Gallop)
'TDN Rising Star' O-OXO Equine. B-Mr. & Mrs. Bayne Welker, Jr. & Denali Stud (KY). T-Brad Cox. Sales History: $850,000 ylg '19 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 3-2-0-1, $209,184.
Last Start: 1st GII Golden Rod S., CD, Nov. 28
Accomplishments Include: 3rd GI Darley Alcibiades S., KEE, Oct. 2
Next Start: GII Rachel Alexandra S. presented by Fasig-Tipton, FG, Feb. 13
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 12
Since his emergence as a top trainer, Brad Cox has always been loaded with 3-year-old filly talent and has won the Kentucky Oaks twice in the last three years. Travel Column appears to be his best filly at this point. After running third, beaten 7 1/2 lengths in the GI Darley Alcibiades S. in October, she fared much better when winning the GII Golden Rod S. She goes next in Saturday's Rachel Alexandra S. at the Fair Grounds, which should be a good test as she headlines a solid field that includes Golden Rod runner-up Clairiere (Curlin). An $850,000 yearling purchase at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, she is by Frosted out of a Victory Gallop mare and should have no problem getting the Oaks distance of nine furlongs.

4) MALATHAAT (Curlin–Dreaming of Julia, by A.P. Indy)
'TDN Rising Star' O-Shadwell Stable. B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings (KY). T-Todd Pletcher. Sales History: $1,050,000 ylg '19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-0-0, $172,150.
Last Start: 1st GII Demoiselle S., AQU, Dec. 5
Accomplishments Include: 1st Tempted S., AQU, Nov. 6
Next Start: GII Davona Dale S., GP, Feb. 27
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 10
There's a lot to like about the daughter of Curlin who was a $1.05-million yearling buy. Trained by Todd Pletcher, she is undefeated in three starts and has already won at a 1 1/8 miles, which she did in the GII Demoiselle S. The main knock on her is that she isn't that fast. She got a 76 Beyer in the Demoiselle, a slight decline from the 83 she got when winning the Tempted S. She will get a serious test in the Davona Dale and if she were to win that, she'd likely assume the top spot in this and other polls.

5) ZAAJEL (Street Sense–Asiya, by Daaher)
O/B-Shadwell Stable (KY). T-Todd Pletcher. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $84,140.
Last Start: 1st GIII Forward Gal S., GP, Jan. 31
Next Start: Undecided.
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 10.
Like Malathaat, she comes from the team of Todd Pletcher and Shadwell Stable. A homebred, her dam has had four winners from five starters, but Zaajel is her first stakes winner. After toying with her opponents in her debut, she came back to win the GIII Forward Gal S. at Gulfstream at seven furlongs. She still has to prove that she can win around two turns, but based on her breeding that probably won't be a problem. Pletcher said he has not picked out the next start for this filly. It's likely he will want to keep her and Malathaat apart.

6) SIMPLY RAVISHING (Laoban–Four Wishes, by More Than Ready)
O-Harold Lerner, Magdalena Racing & Nehoc Stables. B-Meg Levy (NY). T-Ken McPeek. Sales History: $50,000 ylg '19 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: GISW, 5-3-0-0, $414,200.
Last Start: 4th GII Golden Rod S., CD, Nov. 28
Accomplishments Include: 1st GI Darley Alcibiades S., KEE, Oct. 2, 1st P.G. Johnson S., SAR, Sept. 3
Next Start: Undecided
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 13
Trainer Kenny McPeek seems to be taking his time with this filly. He has yet to announce her first start and she only recently showed up on the work tab. Her first work came last week and it was a four-furlong breeze in :48.89. A $50,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall yearling sale, she appeared to be among the best in her division when winning the GI Darley Alcibiades S. by 6 1/4 lengths, but, subsequently finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and the Golden Rod. McPeek will need to get her to rebound and run back to her best races to have a shot at winning the Oaks.

7) KALYPSO (Brody's Cause–Malibu Cove, by Malibu Moon)
O-David A. Bernsen, Rockingham Ranch & Chad Littlefield. B-Spendthrift Farm (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $240,000 ylg '19 FTKJUL. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 5-2-2-1, $245,600.
Last Start: 2nd GIII Las Virgenes S., SA, Feb. 6
Accomplishments Include: 1st GII Santa Ynez S., SA, Jan. 3, 1st Anoakia S., SA, Oct. 18, 2nd GI Starlet S., LRC, Dec. 5
Next Start: Undecided.
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 18
A $240,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale, she was somewhat of a disappointment when second as the 7-10 favorite in the Las Virgenes. But with race winner Moonlight d'Oro having been sidelined, Kalypso looks as good as any of the fillies based in California. But that might not be enough as that group looks to be weaker than the groups in the East and Midwest. She's been beaten the only two times she has gone around two turns, so that is a concern.

8) SLUMBER PARTY (Malibu Moon–Devilish Lady, by Sweetsouthernsaint)
'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Gary and Mary West Stables (KY). T-Kelly Breen. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $25,800.
Last Start: 1st MSW, GP, Jan. 24
Next Start: Undecided.
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 0.
The 'TDN Rising Star' snuck up on a lot of people when breaking her maiden Jan. 24 at Gulfstream by 7 1/2 lengths for trainer Kelly Breen and owners Gary and Mary West. Sent off at 5-1, she absolutely demolished the competition that day, winning in a manner that suggests there is a lot more to come. It's not impossible to have your first start in January and then go on to win the Kentucky Oaks, but she has a lot of catching up to do. She looks like Breen's best 3-year-old filly since he won the GII Gazelle S. and the Davona Dale in 2017 with Miss Sky Warrior (First Samurai).

9) CURLIN'S CATCH (Curlin–Catch the Thrill, by A.P. Indy)
O-Breeze Easy, Inc. B-Sam-Son Farm (On). T-Mark E Casse. Sales History: $180,000 yrl '19 KEESEP; $430,000 2yo '20 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: SW, 4-2-1-0, $103,454.
Last Start: 1st Suncoast S., TAM, Feb. 6
Next Start: GII Davona Dale S., GP, Feb. 27
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 10.
Another Curlin filly and an Ontario-bred trained by Mark Casse, she started her career off at Woodbine, where she was 0-for-2 over the synthetic surface. Since switching to dirt, she's 2-for-2, including a win in the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs. She probably didn't beat much that day, but looks like a horse on an upper trajectory for trainer Casse and the team at Breeze Easy LLC. She's about to get a serious test in the Davona Dale and will be looking to give the Hall of Fame trainer his first Oaks win. Might also, eventually, wind up in the Queen's Plate S.

10) THE GRASS IS BLUE (Broken Vow–Shine Softly, by Adebaran)
O-Louis Lazzinnaro LLC. B-Phillips Racing Partnership (KY). T-Chad Brown. Sales History: $20,000 yrl '19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 5-3-0-1, $121,978.
Last Start: 1st Busanda S., Aqu, Jan. 24
Accomplishments Include: 3rd Anne Arundel County S., Lrl, Dec. 26.
Next Start: Undecided.
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 10.
Just a $20,000 yearling buy who debuted in a $25,000 maiden claimer at Monmouth for trainer Jose Delgado, she has come a long way. She now finds herself in the barn of Chad Brown, who got her to win the Busanda S. at Aqueduct in her last start. She remains with Brown's division in New York and will likely target races like the Gazelle S. This is not normally a division where Brown is strong, but this filly may be good enough for him to make some noise on the way to the Oaks.

The post The TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10 for Feb. 11 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Bargain Buy Medina Spirit More Than Paying His Way Thus Far

Medina Spirit could become one of racing's all-time bargains.

Whether he will someday rank with the likes of Carry Back and Seattle Slew in that category, only time will tell, but at this early point, he is moving in the right direction.

For the record, Carry Back, who won the Kentucky Derby in 1961, was obtained for tip money, a $700 investment, $400 of it a stud fee to a nondescript stallion named Saggy, whose solitary moment of racing glory came in an upset of 1948 Triple Crown king Citation in the Chesapeake Trial Stakes that year.

Carry Back raced an incredible 21 times as a two-year-old. A stone closer, the plain brown colt retired with 21 wins, 11 seconds and 11 thirds from 61 starts. He earned $1,241,165 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975.

Seattle Slew was purchased for $17,500, became the first undefeated Triple Crown winner in 1977 when he was Horse of the Year and earned $1,208,726 from a career record of 14 wins and two seconds in 17 starts. Going on half a century later, he remains a gold standard among Thoroughbred greats both as a race horse and a stallion.

Although he has already earned more than three times his purchase price of $35,000, Medina Spirit has miles to run before reaching the lofty pinnacles of Carry Back and Seattle Slew.

His connections are optimistic, however. One is private clocker and bloodstock agent Gary Young, who purchased the Florida-bred son of the Giant's Causeway stallion Protonico for owner Amr Zedan as a two-year-old in training at last year's Ocala Breeders' Sale.

“Mr. Zedan had given me $2 million to spend and I had exceeded the budget,” said Young, 59, a clocker since he was 18 and an agent for more than 30 years. His best buy to date was 1993 Breeders' Cup Juvenile champion Brocco, who raced for the late Albert and Dana Broccoli, producers of the iconic James Bond movies.

“Because of Covid and because it was July, the sale did not have as much depth as usual,” Young said. “At the end of six days with six-hour daily previews I would usually have looked at 50 to 80 horses; I saw 10.

“After the previews, Mr. Zedan called me and asked if I remembered seeing a horse by Protonico and I told him, yes, that horse made my list. He asked me to look at the horse again, and I did. He was OK, but he wasn't going to be the sales topper or anything.

“Protonico raced about 10 years ago when trained by Todd Pletcher, and was owned by Mr. Zedan's friend, Oussama Aboughazale, who has a breeding operation called International Equities Holding in Kentucky where Princess Noor was bred.”

Both men are from a city in Saudi Arabia called Medina, which as a girl's name is of Arabic origin meaning “city of the Prophet,” and is where Muhammad began his campaign to establish Islam.

“Protonico had a very small crop and Medina Spirit was the only one of his progeny at the sale,” Young said. “He had worked three-eighths in 33 flat which was decent time, but he had a nice rhythm and a stride like a route horse. Mr. Zedan asked what I thought and I said, 'Buy him.'

“We did the barn check, did the vet check with my doctor, Pug Hart, everything was in order and we bought him for $35,000, which is 2.5 percent of what we paid for Princess Noor (now retired due to a soft tissue injury after a brief but sensational racing career for Bob Baffert).

“Medina Spirit went to Baffert's assistant Mike Marlow at Los Alamitos, and Mike is brutally honest, and he has to be because he's preparing these horses for Baffert.

“Mike said the horse kept surprising him because he was outworking more expensive and better-bred horses and definitely holding his own.

“They brought him to Santa Anita, Bob worked him out of the gate with Life Is Good a couple of times, and he got beat as expected, but he didn't get disgraced, and I kind of thought to myself, this might make a man out of him. After that, Bob worked him with a couple other horses and he handled them, didn't get discouraged or anything.

“When he ran at Los Alamitos (winning his debut race by three lengths at 5 ½ furlongs last Dec. 11), we thought he'd be even-money and he was 3-1. He won pretty easy, but his second (by three-quarters of a length behind Life Is Good) in the Sham at one mile is what really opened our eyes as to how good he was.

“He was stretching out after one 5 ½ furlong race with one five-eighths work in between at 1:02 to go a mile against Life Is Good, and he ran his butt off. Whether he would have passed him or not is open to debate, but you can't deny he did run unbelievably considering he didn't have a whole lot of preparation for the race.

“We didn't want him in front (in the Lewis). When they hung a 46 and three (46.61 for a half mile), I thought he was finished, because 46 and three on that track was like 45 and change.

“He was about a length in front from the one hole in the Sham with a really easy run to the turn. In the Lewis, he broke half a step slow and Abel (Cedillo) kind of punched him a little and he was gone. He wasn't a runoff, but he definitely had his mind on running.

“When they went 46 and three, I didn't think we had much chance, and when the two horses (late-running Roman Centurian, second by a neck, and Hot Rod Charlie, a nose further back in third) came to him at the eighth pole, I didn't think we had much chance, either.

“But the horse obviously has a lot of fight in him. He showed an amazing amount of heart. He had every right the next day to be lying down in his stall and sleeping the way he ran, but he wasn't.

“Whether we'll go one start or two starts before the Kentucky Derby, we'll figure that out. I'd prefer to have him running at a horse like he did in the Sham as opposed how he ran in the Lewis, but that's how the race came up. Still, they weren't even passing him after the wire, either, and the two horses behind him are OK.

“Roman Centurian can definitely make some noise down the road.”

That might be true, but he won't be any bargain.

He cost $550,000.

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Gulfstream: Jouster Beats Rachel Alexandra’s Full Sister; Brown Unveils Promising Filly; $1.2 Million Jackpot Guaranteed Wednesday

Starlight Racing's Jouster remained undefeated on grass Sunday at Gulfstream Park, scoring by 1 ¾ lengths over Gladys, a full sister to 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, in the Race 7 feature at the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track. The race was a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance on turf for 3-year-old fillies..

The Todd Pletcher-trained daughter of Noble Mission, who scored a front-running 8 ¾-length maiden victory in her Jan. 10 turf debut at Gulfstream, again showed the way before holding Gladys at bay through the stretch to prevail as the 1-10 favorite. Jouster, a $360,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Yearling sale, ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.56 over a 'good' course after setting fractions of 25:02 and 48:07 for the first half-mile, 1:10.99 for six furlongs and 1:35.57 for a mile.

“I was a little concerned running on soft ground today because she handled the firm ground so well last time. But she dug in and found a little more when she had to despite going quick internal fractions,” Pletcher said. “She got the job done. She's 2-for-2 now on the grass, so we'll try again.”

Dede McGehee's Gladys, who was making her turf debut Sunday, chased Jouster throughout the entry-level optional claiming allowance and made up some ground in the stretch. The Kelsey Danner-trained Gladys, who broke her maiden Oct. 25 at Gulfstream Park West before finishing off the board in the Jan. 1 Cash Run at Gulfstream, was wearing blinkers for the first time for her turf debut.

Trainer Chad Brown unveiled a most promising 3-year-old filly in Sunday's Race 6, a six-furlong sprint won by Peter Brant's Boston Post Road with a thoroughly professional performance. The debuting daughter of Quality Road pressed the early pace before drawing clear by three lengths under Paco Lopez.

Purchased for $525,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, the long-striding Boston Post Road ($8.20) ran six-furlongs in 1:11.68.

Wednesday's Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $1.2 Million
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $1.2 million Wednesday at Gulfstream Park.

The Rainbow 6 went unsolved for the 10th straight racing day Sunday, when multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $88.36.

The jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

The post Gulfstream: Jouster Beats Rachel Alexandra’s Full Sister; Brown Unveils Promising Filly; $1.2 Million Jackpot Guaranteed Wednesday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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