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Sparkle Blue Claims First Graded-Stakes Victory in Keeneland’s Valley View

Sparkle Blue proved she was aptly named when she kicked home from the nine post to brilliantly take the GIII Rubicon Valley View S. in her first career graded victory ahead of a blanket charge for the minors.

After capping her 2021 season a distant 10th in the GIII Jimmy Durante S. Nov. 27 at Del Mar, her connections gave her some time away and brought their filly back July 2 in Delaware's Christiana S. sporting first-time blinkers. Gamely overcoming contact in the stretch, she held on to win by a half-length at 15-1 over a field which included dominating next-out winner Gizala (Ire) (Invincible Spirit). Resurfacing last out Sept. 6 in Colonial's Woodford Reserve Virginia Oaks with first-time Lasix, she again fought through contact in the stretch to pick up second over familiar face Lady Puchi (Into Mischief) and SP Omixochitl (More Than Ready) at 30-1 odds.

Tracking from third on the fence after the jump here without the diuretic, Sparkle Blue pursued a clearing leader into the upper stretch after :23.02 and :47.77 splits to launch her winning bid outside of that rival at the furlong marker. Sustaining her kick and inching clear to a 2 1/2-length margin, she was comfortably clear of a hard-charging California Angel and Turnerloose, who chased her in to close out the trifecta.

“[Trainer] Graham [Motion] told me to let her be happy, let her be comfortable. She showed a little bit of speed going into the first turn and she was really happy there. She did great and we had a good trip,” said Joel Rosario after the race. “It looked like to the inside there the horse in front was coming in a little bit. I was trying to work it out to get her clear outside, and she did, and after that she just went on. It was perfect.”

Pedigree Note:

Sparkle Blue hails from the sought-after line of Silk n' Sapphire, making her a half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf heroine Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect), who would later accomplish the rare feat of producing a Breeders' Cup winner herself when daughter Sharing (Speightstown) planted her flag in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2020. She would later travel to Royal Ascot in the second start of her 3-year-old season, and finish a game second in the G1 Coronation S.

In addition to the mother-daughter pair, Sparkle Blue also claims GSW & MGSP Colonial Flag (Pleasant Tap). The mare has had a bit more hard luck than their famous shared sister with only two of her first four foals being registered. Of those two, the winning Demimondaine (Tapit) sold for $900,000 at KEENOV in 2020 to Claiborne Farm. Her yearling colt by Speightstown brought $450,000 last month at KEESEP from White Birch Farm and Whitehorse Stables.

Half-sister Secret Jewel (Bernardini)–a $1.2 million KEESEP purchase by Besilu Stables–also flies the female line's flag as the dam of GIII Beaumont S. winner Twenty Carat (Into Mischief) and her four-time winning, older full-sibling Mystic Night. Mark of Success (Mt. Livermore), his dam's lone graded stakes-placed male, found the enclosure on four occasions and ran second in the GIII Risen Star S. Sparkle Blue is the last registered foal for Silk n' Sapphire.

Friday, Keeneland
RUBICON VALLEY VIEW S.-GIII, $298,594, Keeneland, 10-28, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.42, gd.
1–SPARKLE BLUE, 118, f, 3, by Hard Spun
1st Dam: Silk n' Sapphire, by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Golden Tiy, by Dixieland Band
3rd Dam: Tiy, by Nalees Man
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Catherine Parke and Augustin Stable; B-Catherine Parke (KY); T-H. Graham Motion; J-Joel Rosario. $174,375. Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-0, $357,075. *1/2 to Mark of Success (Mt. Livermore), GSP, $153,388; 1/2 to Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect), GISW, $1,649,427; 1/2 to Colonial Flag (Pleasant Tap), GSW-Can, SW & MGSP-USA, $312,463. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–California Angel, 118, f, 3, California Chrome–Sea Mona, by Tiz Wonderful. ($5,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $5,500 2yo '21 OBSOPN). O-Chris Walsh; B-Irish National Stud (KY); T-George Leonard, III. $56,250.
3–Turnerloose, 118, f, 3, Nyquist–Goaltending, by A.P. Indy. ($32,000 RNA Wlg '19 KEENOV; $50,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Ike and Dawn Thrash; B-William Humphries & Altair Farms LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $28,125.
Margins: 2HF, NK, HD. Odds: 4.51, 3.39, 6.64.
Also Ran: Bubble Rock, Majestic Glory (GB), Lady Puchi, Bicameral, My Philly Twirl, Sunroof, Heavenly Hellos. Scratched: Diamond Wow, Dolce Zel (Fr), Frippet, Oakhurst.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPshttp://www.equineline.com/tdn/pedigree.cfm?tk=SAR&cy=USA&rd=09/07/2015&rn=9&de=D &ref=9104432. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Quality Road Heads Lane’s End 2023 Roster At $200,000

Quality Road will lead the pack at the Lane's End stallion barn for the 2023 breeding season, standing for $200,000. Up from $150,000 in 2022, the 16-year-old is responsible for 2022 GI New York S. winner Bleecker Street, GII Rebel S. runner-up Ethereal Road, GI American Pharoah S. runner-up National Treasure, as well as three new 'TDN Rising Stars.' In the sales ring, he had seven yearlings bring seven figures at the 2022 Keeneland September Sale, including the $2.5-million colt who topped the sale.

At $75,000, the same fee he stood for in 2022, Candy Ride (Arg) continues to command the farm's second-highest fee.

First-year stallion City of Light, represented by three black-type winners from his first crop, stands alongside his sire Quality Road and holds steady at $60,000. A Top 10 freshman sire in North America by earnings, City of Light has sired eight winners, including GI Darley Alcibiades S. runner-up and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies pre-entry Chop Chop.

The entire roster, with fees for 2023, will be:

Accelerate – $10,000

Candy Ride (Arg) – $75,000

Catalina Cruiser – $15,000

City of Light – $60,000

Code of Honor – $7,500

Connect – $25,000

Daredevil – $20,000

Game Winner – $30,000

Gift Box – $7,500

Honor A.P. – $15,000

Honor Code – $20,000

Lexitonian – $7,500

Liam's Map – $40,000

Mineshaft – $10,000

Quality Road – $200,000

The Factor – $15,000

Tonalist – $10,000

Twirling Candy – $60,000

Unified – $7,500

Union Rags – $30,000

West Coast – $10,000

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Candy Ride’s Heavenly Sunday Impressive in Keeneland Allowance

5th-Keeneland, $100,145, Alw, 10-28, (NW1X), 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:36.88, gd, 2 3/4 lengths.
HEAVENLY SUNDAY (f, 2, Candy Ride {Arg}–Alien Giant {SP}, by Giant's Causeway) was hammered to 7-5 favoritism on debut Sept. 27 against a Horseshoe Indianapolis 7 1/2-panel maiden turf race, and made it look like a gift when she won by seven, geared down lengths. Once again enthusiastically supported at 8-5 here, she mildly brushed with the inside horse at the jump but secured a ground saving position from midpack early. Advancing between runners approaching the five furlong marker, she loomed the danger around the far turn and slipped to the inside of the leader through a narrow hole at the three-sixteenths. Kicking away in the furlong grounds, she put a comfortable 2 3/4 lengths on Isabel Alexandra (Ire) (Expert Eye {GB}), who experienced tight quarters in upper stretch while searching for racing room. The latter's conditioner claimed foul against Florent Geroux and Heavenly Sunday, but the stewards disallowed it. The second winning filly to the races from two to hit the ground, Heavenly Sunday's dam aborted her 2022 Game Winner foal and visited The Factor for 2023. Alien Giant is a stakes-placed daughter of MGISP Alienation (Rock Hard Ten), herself half to GISP Rally Cry (Uncle Mo). The Grade I black-type extends to the fourth dam Extraterrestral (Storm Bird), who is the half-sister to millionaire MGISW Judge Angelucci, GISW War, and GISW Peace. Sales history: $170,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $82,633. Click for the Equibase.comchart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

O-Miacomet Farm (William Harrigan); B-Randal Family Trust (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.

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Key of Life Becomes First Black-Type Winner for Mo Town

Key of Life became the first black-type winner for her freshman sire (by Uncle Mo) with a decisive score in Keeneland's Myrtlewood S. Friday. Hammered down to 3-5 favoritism off consecutive scores, the $350,000 OBSAPR acquisition seized the early advantage, zipping through a :22.34 opening quarter with a rival in hot pursuit. Turning for home in front after a half in :45.91, the bay opened up with ease in the lane to win for fun.

“She really has put it together over the last month or so,” said winning trainer Brad Cox. “Her win at Churchill she ran big, but she came back here and I thought really showed who she is opening weekend (when she won by 6 1/4 lengths). We took her back to Churchill and she was training well, and this race came up with a big field so (we decided to) give it a shot. We liked the (post position) she drew. She broke well. Very happy with her performance today.”

Third on debut behind a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy performance form Summer Promise (Uncle Mo) at Churchill Downs June 25, Key of Life broke through next out there Aug. 13 and followed suit with an optional claimer score at this oval Oct. 7. Longride to Wisdom did not have a foal in 2021, but had a Caracaro filly this year and was bred back to Honor A.P. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

MYRTLEWOOD S., $200,000, Keeneland, 10-28, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.09, ft.
1–KEY OF LIFE, 118, f, 2, by Mo Town
                1st Dam: Longride to Wisdom, by Harlan's Holiday
                2nd Dam: Clever Idea, by Matchlite
                3rd Dam: Queen of Savoy, by Conquistador Cielo
($42,000 Ylg '21 OBSOCT; $350,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR).
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Flurry Racing Stables LLC and
Hoffman Family Racing, LLC; B-Moreau Bloodstock
International, Inc. (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent Geroux.
$116,250. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $263,710. *First black-
type winner for freshman sire (by Uncle Mo).
2–Lady Radler, 118, f, 2, Kantharos–Sally Bowles (Saf), by
London News (Saf). ($37,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR).
1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Mellon Patch, Inc.; B-Stonestreet
Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Michael B. Campbell.
$37,500.
3–Baby Got Backspin, 118, f, 2, Kantharos–Showtime Sis, by
Euroears. ($67,000 Ylg '21 EASOCT). 1ST BLACK TYPE.
O-Bregman Family Racing LLC; B-Daniel Mallory, Cathy
Jennings, Amy Bayle & Bloom Racing LLC (KY); T-George R.
Arnold, II. $18,750.
Margins: 6 3/4, 1 3/4, HD. Odds: 0.67, 30.50, 9.37.
Also Ran: Take Charge Briana, Satin Doll, Two Minute Drill, Flamand, Somebody's Problem, Willow Bend, Time for Champagne. Scratched: Alva Starr.

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