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Into Mischief Colt the Latest ‘Rising Star’ for Familiar Connections

Newgate (c, 2, Into Mischief–Majestic Presence, by Majestic Warrior) ran to advanced billing and overwhelming 1-2 odds Saturday at Del Mar to become the latest 'TDN Rising Star' to represent the powerful conglomerate nicknamed The Avengers and an incredible 32nd by Spendthrift Farm's super sire Into Mischief.

Purchased during the opening session of last year's Keeneland September sale for $850,000 and presumably named after Australia's Newgate Farm, the handsome bay was ridden along by Hall of Famer John Velazquez and found only stablemate Hard to Figure (Hard Spun) quicker in the early stages. He continued to require some pedaling to keep up through an opening quarter of :21.78, but was clearly getting the better of Hard to Figure as they neared the straight. He put his rival away for good near a :44.90 half, and was ridden out from there to do it convincingly by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:03.89. Longshot Arrowthegreat (Arrogate) ran past Hard to Figure for second.

The Avengers and Baffert were also responsible for 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief). Newgate was one of five (and by far the priciest) Into Mischiefs purchased by the group at last year's September sale.

Newgate's dam Majestic Presence was third in her local debut in 2014 over the all-weather behind Baffert-trained 'Rising Star' Luminance (Tale of the Cat), and graduated on the stretch out at second asking. She was fourth in a pair of Grade I events that season and contested the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, but had her best black-type finish when third in the GIII Delta Downs Princess behind champion Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway).

Town & Country Horse Farms later acquired Majestic Presence for $360,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November sale in foal to Runhappy. Her 2019 colt, Just Like This (Candy Ride {Arg}), was a $250,000 yearling and aired by 8 1/2 lengths and earned an 85 Beyer Speed Figure when taking a July 15 $20,000 Saratoga maiden claimer out of which he was a voided claim. Newgate has a year-younger full-sister, and a foal half-brother by the aforementioned Authentic. Majestic Presence, a half to GSW Victress (Include) and closely related to GII Summertime Oaks heroine My Majestic Rose (Majestic Warrior), most recently visited Essential Quality.

6th-Del Mar, $82,000, Msw, 7-30, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:03.89, ft, 3 1/2 lengths.
NEWGATE, c, 2, Into Mischief
1st Dam: Majestic Presence (GSP-USA, MSP-Can, $227,896), by Majestic Warrior
2nd Dam: Shining Victory, by Victory Gallop
3rd Dam: Phoenix Sunshine, by Encino
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $48,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Masterson, Robert E., Stonestreet Stables LLC, Schoenfarber, Jay A., Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine; B-Town & Country Horse Farms, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. *$850,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP.

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Epicenter Erupts Late in Jim Dandy

Epicenter (Not This Time), a too-good-to-be-second as the favorite in both the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S., stamped himself as the horse to beat in the 'Mid-Summer Derby' with a powerful, last-to-first victory in Saturday's GII Jim Dandy S. at Saratoga.

Zandon (Upstart), making his first start since a third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, was 1 1/2 lengths back in second after racing prominently. Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile), a last out winner of the GIII Ohio Derby, was another half-length back in third. The GI Preakness S. winner Early Voting (Gun Runner) tired to finish a disappointing fourth after setting the pace.

“It's extremely rewarding off two tough races to bring him back in the winner's circle where we think he belongs,” winning Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen said. “[In] a four-horse field, it's always a lot of mobility. I was very happy with the solid, steady pace–I think that :48 and one, :12 for every eighth of a mile is what we're targeting.”

Epicenter established himself as the favorite on the first Saturday in May following impressive victories in both the GII Risen Star S. and GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. He will have another chance at his first Grade I victory in the GI Runhappy Travers S. at the Spa Aug. 27.

“What I loved about it is the fact that [there is] another eighth in the Travers,” Asmussen said. “It was his first race ever over Saratoga and we know what's on the menu next. We want to be as ready as we possibly can for it.”

Drawn on the rail following a late scratch in the four-horse field, the even-money favorite surprisingly trailed the quartet as Early Voting led them into the clubhouse turn with his stablemate Zandon tracking from second. Still in fourth with positions unchanged through fractions of :24.22 and :48.28, Epicenter, a $260,000 KEESEP yearling purchase, began to make his move as Early Voting was ridden as they hit the quarter pole. Well out in the clear at the top of the stretch, the Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC colorbearer launched down the center in eye-catching fashion to power past his three formidable rivals in style.

“He was very comfortable and with the scratch of the one horse [Western River], that put him in the one hole and he [Joel Rosario] made a decision early not to try to be squeezed up in there,” Asmussen said. “Once he eased him out of that spot, Epicenter was carrying Joel very comfortably the whole way down the backside. I was a little concerned how far back he was, but they threw up the middle fraction, they stayed at :12 [for the next eighth of a mile] and didn't back it up in his face. He had a shot from there. When he eased him out at the head of the lane, he was travelling really pretty.”

Pedigree Notes:

Taylor Made's Not This Time continues to cement his spot atop the third-crop sire list, getting yet another graded win with Epicenter's Jim Dandy. With just over 9% stakes winners to foals in his first two crops, he is more than holding his own among the top 10 leading sires in North America for the year as well. His 19 black-type winners–eight graded–also include GISWs Just One Time and Princess Noor. Both Epicenter and this spring's GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. winner/GI Curlin Florida Derby third-place finisher Simplification are out of mares by Candy Ride (Arg), a still-active top Lane's End stallion who has 31 stakes winners out of his daughters.

Winner of Arlington Park's 2010 Hatoof S. as well as third in that track's GIII Pucker Up S., Silent Candy was a $130,000 Keeneland November purchase by Westwind Farms in 2014. Her 2-year-old Always Dreaming colt went through the OBS March ring after working in :10.1, then brought $140,000 from Carolyn Wilson as a private sale. Silent Candy has a yearling Tapiture filly and an Outwork filly foaled Mar. 14. before being bred back to Not This Time.

Saturday, Saratoga
JIM DANDY S.-GII, $558,000, Saratoga, 7-30, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:48.99, ft.
1–EPICENTER, 122, c, 3, by Not This Time
1st Dam: Silent Candy (SW & GSP, $182,208), by Candy Ride (Arg)
                2nd Dam: Silent Queen, by King of Kings (Ire)
                3rd Dam: Soundproof (Ire), by Ela-Mana-Mou (Ire)
($260,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC;
B-Westwind Farms (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Joel Rosario.
$330,000. Lifetime Record: MGISP, 9-5-3-0, $2,270,639. Werk Nick
   Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Zandon, 124, c, 3, Upstart–Memories Prevail, by Creative
Cause. ($170,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Jeff Drown; B-Brereton C.
Jones (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $120,000.
3–Tawny Port, 120, c, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Livi Makenzie, by
Macho Uno. ($430,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Peachtree Stable;
B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $72,000.
Margins: 1HF, HF, 1 3/4. Odds: 1.10, 2.70, 8.70.
Also Ran: Early Voting. Scratched: Western River. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Jackie’s Warrior Makes History in Vanderbilt

Champion sprinter Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) made history in jaw-dropping fashion in the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga Saturday, becoming the first horse to win Grade I races in three consecutive seasons at the upstate New York track.

The exceptionally fast 1-5 favorite backed off after leading in the early stages and let 22-1 outsider Doc Amster (Midshipman) set the pace. Guided to the outside of that overmatched rival by Joel Rosario, the $95,000 KEESEP yearling graduate cruised up with devastating ease to hit the front approaching the quarter pole.

Kept well out in the clear at the top of the stretch, Jackie's Warrior simply cantered home under a hammer lock to dominate by a deceptive two lengths. Kneedeepinsnow (Flat Out), a savvy $80,000 claim back in April, ran on well to complete the exacta.

Jackie's Warrior, now five-for-five at Saratoga, won the GI Runhappy Hopeful S. at two and a memorable throwdown over the brilliant Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in last summer's GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S.

“Unbelievably relieved,” winning Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen said. “I was made aware that if he wins today, he's the only horse ever to win a Grade I three years in a row at Saratoga. Saratoga–the great racehorses that have won here and he's the only one to do that. I just can't say how much I have wanted that for him and am proud of it and Jackie's Warrior has done it.”

He continued, “He's the whole package. He just has a tremendous amount of ability and confidence in himself. A game horse.”

A disappointing sixth as the heavy favorite in last November's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, the J. Kirk and Judy Robison colorbearer has been perfect in four attempts since having a knee chip removed ahead of his 4-year-old season.

His 2022 campaign also includes wins in the GI Churchill Downs S. May 7 and GII True North S. at Belmont last time June 10. The GI Forego S. at Saratoga Aug. 27 will be next.

“We've mapped out his races this year when he came back in training,” Asmussen said. “We expect to run him back here in the Forego and the Breeders' Cup Sprint [in November at Keeneland]. Those will be his last two races and then he is off to Spendthrift for his stud career.”

Pedigree Notes:

A sole North American crop for U.S. MGSP and Chilean sire A. P. Five Hundred led to the birth of hard-knocking 19-time winner Unicorn Girl, who brought $45,000 as an OBS 2-year-old in 2007. The next time the hammer fell on an official sale for her was in 2020 at Keeneland November, when her price was upped–as the dam of Jackie's Warrior, at that time a MGISW 2-year-old colt–to $850,000 from buyer Arthur Hoyeau. Unicorn Girl didn't have a 2021 foal, but produced a Mar. 18 filly by Into Mischief this year and has been bred back to Quality Road. Her 2-year-old American Pharoah colt, who brought $600,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale from M.V. Magnier, has not been named but is nearing a race, having last worked at Saratoga July 24, getting five furlongs in 1:00.25 (2/27). Jackie's Warrior is currently the only U.S. black-type winner out of a daughter of A. P. Five Hundred, although his daughters have also produced two Chilean stakes winners.

Hill 'n' Dale's Maclean's Music, who made the most of his one career race start with a 114 Beyer for the win, has 25 black-type winners from his seven crops of racing age. Jackie's Warrior is one of his six graded winners and one of his four Grade I winners. The powerful nick of Maclean's Music's sire, Distorted Humor, over A. P. Five Hundred's sire, A.P. Indy, is well recognized and both Jackie's Warrior and Maclean's Music's GI Preakness S. winner Cloud Computing follow that formula.

Saturday, Saratoga
ALFRED G. VANDERBILT H.-GI, $350,000, Saratoga, 7-30, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:09.74, ft.
1–JACKIE'S WARRIOR, 127, c, 4, by Maclean's Music
                1st Dam: Unicorn Girl, by A. P. Five Hundred
                2nd Dam: Horah for Bailey, by Doneraile Court
                3rd Dam: Horah for the Lady, by Rahy
($95,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-J. Kirk & Judy Robison; B-J & J
Stables (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Joel Rosario. $192,500.
Lifetime Record: Ch. Male Sprinter, 16-12-1-1, $2,667,164.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
2–Kneedeepinsnow, 117, g, 6, Flat Out–Michelleinhearts, by
Lion Heart. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE.
($42,000 Wlg '16 KEENOV; $130,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Jeremy
Sussman, Ten Strike Racing & Cory Moelis Racing LLC; B-BWB
Bloodstock, LLC & WDS Bloodstock (KY); T-Matt A. Shirer.
$70,000.
3–Willy Boi, 120, g, 4, Uncaptured–Shining Moment, by
Yes It's True. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($40,000 2yo '20 OBSOCT).
O-Bill Cosgrove; B-Ocala Stud & William J. Terrell (FL); T-Jorge
Delgado. $42,000.
Margins: 2, 3, 1. Odds: 0.25, 22.40, 8.00.
Also Ran: Ny Traffic, Doc Amster, Long Range Toddy.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Sharp Azteca Colt Ships East, Dominates Tyro

SHARP AZA TACK (c, 2, Sharp Azteca–Que Chulo, by Bernardini) took his show across the country Saturday and couldn't have been any more impressive while becoming the second stakes winner for his fast-starting freshman sire (by Freud) in Monmouth's Tyro S. Having belied 12-1 odds when scoring first out on the Santa Anita sod June 10, the :10 flat OBSMAR breezer was no secret this time around as the even-money chalk.

Briefly challenged to his inside by second choice Power Attack (War Dancer), Sharp Aza Tack shook free of that foe on the bend and enjoyed several lengths of daylight as he spun for home. His foes simply couldn't run with him from there, and he widened at will to prevail by double digits and stop the clock in :55.71. Power Attack held second.

“I decided to ship the horse to Monmouth Park after talking to owner Ron Arakelian,” winning trainer Dennis O'Neill said. “We circled the Global Tote Juvenile Sprint at Kentucky Downs [Sept. 8] for him and we thought `what is a good spot between the win at Santa Anita and the Kentucky Downs race?' The race at Monmouth Park was perfect. I have horses at Keeneland now and we thought the Tyro S. would be a good middle ground.”

He continued, “When he made his debut he had trained well but I didn't know if he was good enough to stay with some of the top baby sprinters on the dirt in California. We put him in that grass sprint and I would be lying if I didn't say I was shocked at how well he raced. He came out of it great, so why would we mess around with surfaces? The only thing we said to [jockey] Jairo Rendon was to take advantage of this horse's speed. He rode him with a lot of confidence. There were some good runners in there. I couldn't have been more impressed or more proud of the way he ran. It's hard to be more impressive than he was.”

The winner's dam was purchased for just $7,000 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton New York Fall Mixed sale while in foal to Emcee. Out of an Argentinian Group 1 winner, Que Chulo has a yearling filly by Jimmy Creed, a Good Magic foal colt and was bred to Beau Liam for 2023. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

TYRO S., $102,000, Monmouth, 7-30, 2yo, 5fT, :55.71, fm.
1–SHARP AZA TACK, 117, c, 2, by Sharp Azteca
                1st Dam: Que Chulo, by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Que Piensa Cat (Arg), by Easing Along
                3rd Dam: Compenetrada (Arg), by Compatible (Arg)
($72,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $100,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-R3 Racing LLC; B-Joe & Emily Cowles (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill; J-Jairo Rendon. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $100,200.
2–Power Attack, 118, c, 2, War Dancer–Street Magic, by Street Hero. ($20,000 Ylg '21 EASOCT). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Tee-N-Jay Farm and J. Kent Sweezey; B-Sean O'Connor (NY); T-J. Kent Sweezey. $20,000.
3–Bart's Dream, 118, c, 2, Chitu–Gator Brew, by Milwaukee Brew. ($37,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Sonata Stable; B-James Gamble (FL); T-Jose Francisco D'Angelo. $10,000.
Margins: 7 1/4, 1 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 1.00, 2.30, 8.60.
Also Ran: Jeremy's Jet, Ferrari Kid, Dangerous Ride, Run Happy Pappy.

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