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Actuator Delivers Off Private Purchase in Indiana Derby

Actuator (Bodemeister), just a $2,200 FTKFEB yearling graduate, stayed perfect on dirt to capture a career high in Saturday's GIII Indiana Derby.

Third in his first two tries on grass for trainer Rodolphe Brisset at Horseshoe Indianapolis last term, including going a mile in his juvenile finale Oct. 6, he returned from the bench to air in his dirt debut going seven furlongs in his first try for trainer Michael McCarthy at Churchill Downs last time June 8.

With Black Type Thoroughbreds acquiring a 75-percent controlling interest since, 3-1 third-choice Actuator broke inward at the start from his outside draw here. Favored GISW Rattle N Roll (Connect), drawn two to his inside, took the worst of it at the break, clipping heels while getting bumped from both sides with rider Brian Hernandez, Jr. briefly losing the irons.

Actuator, meanwhile, raced in an outside fourth while rounding the clubhouse turn. Chasing from third while three deep heading down the backstretch, the bay was ridden to keep pace on the far turn, challenged from the outside while racing a bit greenly with his lead change as they straightened and dug down deep in the stretch to hold Best Actor (Flatter) safe while brushing with that rival inside the sixteenth pole.

Actuator survived a steward's inquiry involving the start and also an objection lodged by jockey Florent Geroux aboard the runner-up alleging interference in deep stretch.

“I don't know where I interfered with him,” winning jockey James Graham said. “He did break in a little bit, but his horse didn't break either. We kind of made contact. But that's the first jump. I grabbed him immediately and he actually came and leaned on me the last sixteenth. My horse ran his race. He showed a lot of grit and tenacity today, so I'm happy with that.”

McCarthy added, “He didn't get away from there great, but James was able to go ahead and get us into a great spot going into the first turn. Up the backside, he was sitting right off the speed and around the turn. James asked him to pick it up, and he slowly got into a rhythm. He was game through the lane.”

McCarthy continued, “Everybody was quietly confident. I thought his performance off the layoff was very, very good. The horse came back and trained well after his maiden score. Jake Ballis and his partners were very keen to get in on the horse. I thought there were bigger and better things to come with him.”

Pedigree Notes:

Actuator is the 11th graded/26th stakes winner for former WinStar stallion and current Jockey Club of Turkey resident Bodemeister. Like Bodemeister's 2022 GII American Turf S. winner Stolen Base, Actuator is also out of an Indian Charlie mare. Indian Charlie is now responsible for 30 graded/90 stakes winners as a broodmare sire. The E. Paul Robsham-bred Indian Rocket, a winner of two of 16 career starts, was a $175,000 KEENOV weanling. The half-sister to GISW and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up R Heat Lightning (Trippi) passed away in 2019. Actuator was her final produce.

Saturday, Horseshoe Indianapolis
INDIANA DERBY-GIII, $300,000, Horseshoe Indianapolis, 7-9, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.48, gd.
1–ACTUATOR, 118, c, 3, by Bodemeister
                1st Dam: Indian Rocket, by Indian Charlie
                2nd Dam: Yellow Heat, by Gold Fever
                3rd Dam: The Real Thing, by Capote
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($2,200 Ylg
'20 FTKFEB). O-Black Type Thoroughbreds, Rags Racing Stable
LLC, Rick Howard & Gavin O'Connor; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY);
T-Michael W. McCarthy; J-James Graham. $174,600. Lifetime
Record: 4-2-0-2, $250,860. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple
Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Best Actor, 124, c, 3, Flatter–Abraqat, by Smart Strike.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($330,000 Ylg '20
KEESEP). O-Gary & Mary West; B-E. H. Beau Lane, Gail
McMichael Lane, J. B. Lane Orem & Michael Orem (KY); T-Brad Cox. $58,200.
3–King Ottoman, 124, c, 3, Curlin–Shook Up, by Tapit.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($335,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP).
O/B-Three Chimneys Farm, LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.
$32,010.
Margins: HF, 2HF, 3/4. Odds: 3.20, 2.90, 4.90.
Also Ran: Trademark, Mowins, Fowler Blue, Rattle N Roll, First Glimpse. Scratched: New Year's Fever, Un Ojo. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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A Classic Upset: Classic Causeway Wires Belmont Derby at 25-1

A season that has had more ups and downs than the Cyclone at nearby Coney Island reached new heights for Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway), as the blaze-faced chestnut–making his first start on the grass–forgot to stop en route to a 3/4-length defeat of Godolphin's favored Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in Saturday's $1-million GI Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational on Long Island. Peter Brant's Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), heretofore never worse than midfield in the early stages of any of his previous eight trips to the races, made steady progress to finish third after racing far back through the opening furlongs.

Classic Causeway was having his second start Saturday for trainer Ken McPeek, who saddled him to a third in the GIII Ohio Derby June 25, and who not afraid to think a bit outside the box.

“He came back good and was eating the bottom out of the feedbag,” said co-owner Patrick McKeefe of Kentucky West Racing. “What Kenny says, I do.”

The early scratching of wire-to-wire GII Pennine Ridge S. winner Emmanuel (More Than Ready) left the pace scenario of the Belmont Derby somewhat murky, and that played right into the hands of Classic Causeway. Employing the same front-running tactics that won him the GIII Sam F. Davis S. and GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby along the Triple Crown trail over the winter, the homebred colt jumped right into the bridle for Julien Leparoux, and while he had a bit of early company in the form of G2 Dante S. runner-up Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Classic Causeway was going along easily enough and was past the six-furlong peg in a manageable :48.02.

Allowed to lob them along and in a good rhythm through three-quarters of a mile in 1:12.33, he remained well within his comfort zone and maintained a safe advantage over Royal Patronage as they reached the quarter pole. Asked for a sprint by the Frenchman, Classic Causeway carried a two-length bulge into the ultimate eighth of a mile, and try as they might, the chasers ran out of real estate. Nations Pride, who defeated future G1 Cazoo Derby runner-up and £1.2-million Goffs London Sale topper Hoo Ya Mal (GB) (Territories {Ire}) by seven lengths in the Listed Newmarket S. Apr. 29, closed his final quarter-mile in a race-strongest :22.98 to just beat G3 Leopardstown Derby Trial romper Stone Age out of second.

“The plan was to go on the lead,” confirmed Leparoux. “The only time I was a little worried was in the first turn when Joel [Rosario, aboard Royal Patronage] was kind of head-to-head with me. When he took back, my horse got to cruising and happy to be on the lead. I was getting him to relax nicely and switch off. It was a good run for him.

“He was actually feeling pretty fresh today,” he added. “It was Kenny's idea to wheel him right back on the grass, and it paid off today for sure.”

Early Saturday afternoon, the New York State Gaming Commission issued a brief statement on the scratching of Emmanuel, saying without elaborating further: “The Commission Steward ordered the scratch of Emmanuel, scheduled to run in today's Belmont Derby, due to issues relating to veterinary records. The matter remains under review.”

Looking every bit a Classic contender off his two wins at Tampa, Classic Causeway was last of 11 as a 37-10 chance in the GI Curlin Florida Derby Apr. 2, casting a fair bit of doubt on his immediate future. After first expressing their intention to pass the GI Kentucky Derby, connections called an audible, and Classic Causeway did not disgrace, finishing 11th, albeit from off the pace. Sensibly spotted in the Ohio Derby after being transferred from Brian Lynch to McPeek, Classic Causeway was a clear third, beaten just over two lengths by Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile).

Pedigree Notes:

Classic Causeway is one of three foals–all colts–from the final crop of the 'Iron Horse' Giant's Causeway and is the late sire's 36th Grade I/Group 1 winner. His other two offspring born in 2019 are Giant Game, third in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and Shadwell homebred Monaadah, a winner of three of his five career starts and fourth in the Listed Sir Henry S. for Saeed bin Suroor at Newmarket July 7.

Private World is the dam of a 2-year-old filly by Lookin At Lucky, a yearling colt by Justify and a filly by the Triple Crown winner foaled May 15.

Saturday, Belmont Park
CAESARS BELMONT DERBY INVITATIONAL S.-GI, $1,000,000, Belmont, 7-9, 3yo, 1 1/4mT, 1:59.99, fm.
1–CLASSIC CAUSEWAY, 122, c, 3, by Giant's Causeway
                1st Dam: Private World (MSW, $166,058), by Thunder Gulch
                2nd Dam: Rita Rucker, by Dmitri
                3rd Dam: Darlease, by Temperence Hill
1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Kentucky West Racing LLC & Clarke M. Cooper Family Living Trust (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek; J-Julien Leparoux. $535,000. Lifetime Record: 9-4-1-2, $1,106,100.Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Nations Pride (Ire), 122, c, 3, Teofilo (Ire)–Important Time (Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Godolphin, LLC; B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charles Appleby. $185,000.
3–Stone Age (Ire), 122, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Bonanza Creek (Ire), by Anabaa. O-Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Westerberg Smith, Peter Brant; B-White Birch Farm Sc (IRE); T-Aidan P. O'Brien. $100,000.
Margins: 3/4, HD, NK. Odds: 26.75, 2.40, 2.90.
Also Ran: Grand Sonata, Royal Patronage (Fr), Sy Dog, Limited Liability, Machete (Fr), Tiz the Bomb, Implementation, Napoleonic War, Stolen Base. Scratched: Emmanuel.
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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McKulick ‘Frankel’-y Impressive In Belmont Oaks

Sent off the 27-5 fourth choice and only the second best-fancied of the three fillies in the race for trainer Chad Brown, Klaravich Stables' McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}) hit top gear with a furlong to race and ran out a facile winner of Saturday's GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. to become the first American top-level winner for her all-conquering Banstead Manor-based stallion. With The Moonlight (Ire) completed a Frankel exacta, while the winner's commonly owned stablemate Consumer Spending (More Than Ready) finished with interest for third. It was a fourth Belmont Oaks for trainer Chad Brown since the event was lengthened to 10 furlongs in 2014 and his seventh dating back to the Garden City days.

McKulick is named in honor of Brown's first-ever employee, bookkeeper Mary McKulick. McKulick passed away in October 2020 at the age of 67 after losing a battle with cancer. Saturday was also meaningful for Brown for other reasons.

“It's an extra special win with it being [mentor] Bobby Frankel's birthday today. This horse is the first offspring of Frankel that I actually bought. Seth Klarman was nice enough to let me name this filly after my very first employee after I left Frankel, that's why I chose this horse being by Frankel. And wouldn't you know on his birthday she wins a Grade I. The irony and the importance of it today, on his birthday means everything to me personally.”

Drawn pole position on the stretchout to the mile and two furlongs, McKulick was away smoothly and secured a cozy midfield and ground-saving berth as 'TDN Rising Star' Cairo Memories (Cairo Prince) made the running in advance of Godolphin's Listed Pretty Polly S. heroine With The Moonlight. With all riders more or less content with their positions through the middle stages, McKulick was ridden quietly by Irad Ortiz, Jr. and was slipped a bit of rein at the three-furlong pole, shifting out three deep around last year's G1 Moyglare Stud S. runner-up Agartha (Ire) (Caravaggio) and stablemate and 'TDN Rising Star' Haughty (Empire Maker) as they approached the entrance to the stretch. With The Moonlight wrested command from Cairo Memories at the quarter pole, but McKulick had dead aim on Frankie Dettori's mount, overtook that one a sixteenth from home and pulled clear.

Brown said, “She was really born to run a mile and a quarter. We were patiently waiting for a long time to get her to this distance, and my whole team did a super job with this horse in all divisions this filly has been in throughout this year.”

Concert Hall (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), favored on the strength of a fourth in this year's G1 Cazoo Oaks at Epsom, raced in close attendance to the eventual winner down the backstretch, but lacked the needed stretch kick and could finish only fourth.

“It might have been quick enough [ground] for her, she was just lugging in down the straight,” said her rider Ryan Moore. “They went hard and we had a nice run following the winner–just didn't keep up with them, but she ran respectably.”

McKulick and Consumer Spending were a coupled entry favored at 95 cents on the dollar on Saratoga debut Aug. 8, with McKulick getting home 1 1/2 lengths best before checking in a troubled third in the GII Miss Grillo S. Oct. 2. The 180,000gns Tattersalls October purchase resumed with a sound runner-up effort behind 'TDN Rising Star' New Year's Eve (Kitten's Joy) in the GII Edgewood S. at Churchill May 6 and was last seen running on to be second in the June 4 GIII Regret S. in Louisville.

“In both races, it didn't work out for her,” said Brown. “She needed more ground and she was out of position a bit. But she ran well. We had this as a major target of the whole summer and stayed focused on this race and it paid off.”

Pedigree Notes:

With her victory, McKulick becomes a 24th Group 1/Grade I winner for Frankel, who has now sired top-level winners in nine different jurisdictions (U.S., Canada, England, France, Ireland, Japan, Germany, UAE and Australia). She is his 98th SW and 66th GSW. McKulick is the first G1/GISW out of a mare by the excellent Makfi (GB). The cross of Frankel over mares by Makfi's sire Dubawi (Ire) has resulted in the likes of Group 1 winners Adayar (Ire) (Derby/King George), Dream Castle (GB) (Jebel Hatta) and Homeless Songs (Ire) (Irish 1000 Guineas), among other group-level scorers. With The Moonlight is also out of a Dubawi mare.

McKulick is the third full stakes winner from three to race for her Group 3-placed dam, a half-sister to Italian Group 2 winner Porsenna (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}), Italian MSW/MGSP Basileus (Ire) (Dream Ahead) and Candidate (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Group 3-placed in Australia.

Astrelle is the dam of the 2-year-old colt Lieber Power (GB), by Frankel's successful first-season stallion son Cracksman (GB), and a yearling filly by Calyx (GB).

Saturday, Belmont
BELMONT OAKS INVITATIONAL S.-GI, $700,000, Belmont, 7-9, 3yo, f, 1 1/4mT, 1:59.62, fm.
1–MCKULICK (GB), 121, f, 3, by Frankel (GB)
               1st Dam: Astrelle (Ire) (GSP-Eng), by Makfi (GB)
               2nd Dam: Miss Mariduff, by Hussonet
               3rd Dam: Sopran Mariduff (GB), by Persian Bold (Ire)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST
GRADE I WIN. (180,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Klaravich
Stables, Inc.; B-Essafinaat UK Ltd (GB); T-Chad C. Brown;
J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $375,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-2-1,
$583,650. *1/2 to Fearless King (GB) (Kingman {GB}),
GSW-Ger; and Just Beautiful (GB) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}),
GSW-Eng, GSP-Fr, $127,209. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–With The Moonlight (Ire), 121, f, 3, by Frankel (GB)
               1st Dam: Sand Vixen (GB) (GSW-Eng, $119,931), by Dubawi (Ire)
               2nd Dam: Fur Will Fly (GB), by Petong (GB)
               3rd Dam: Bumpkin (GB), by Free State (Ire)
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE.
O/B-Godolphin, LLC (IRE); T-Charles Appleby. $130,000.
3–Consumer Spending, 121, f, 3, by More Than Ready
               1st Dam: Siempre Mia, by Scat Daddy
               2nd Dam: Shaconage, by El Prado (Ire)
               3rd Dam: Carita Tostada (Chi), by Gallantsky
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($200,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-Klaravich
Stables, Inc.; B-Forging Oaks Farm LLC (KY); T-Chad C.
Brown. $70,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, HD, 1. Odds: 5.40, 7.40, 7.40.
Also Ran: Concert Hall (Ire), Cairo Memories, Hot Queen (Fr), Know Thyself (Ire), New Year's Eve, Haughty, Agartha (Ire).
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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Dynamic One Outlasts First Captain in Suburban Thriller

In a stretch-long battle reminiscent of the 2019 GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, in which the Todd Pletcher-trained Vino Rosso (Curlin) was controversially taken down for interfering with the Shug McGaughey-conditioned Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}), the former's Dynamic One (Union Rags) outslugged McGaughey's 'TDN Rising Star' First Captain (Curlin) to eke out the victory in Saturday's GII Suburban S. at Belmont Park.

The rail-drawn Untreated (Nyquist) hit the ground running and enjoyed an easy time of things up front, as defending champion Max Player (Honor Code) applied only token pressure. First Captain punched the breeze out wide, while Dynamic One was guided down to the inside by Irad Ortiz, Jr. for the long run down the backstretch.

Untreated still had things very much his own way racing into the final half-mile, but First Captain was given his cue about three furlongs from home, with Dynamic One following that move and poised to strike. The favorite was steered out deepest into the lane and appeared to be ready to blow the race apart in upper stretch, but First Captain refused to lie down while racing tightly between rivals and the duo raced in near lockstep through the final stages, with Dynamic One prevailing by a short head. Untreated boxed on gamely for third to complete a 1-3 for the stable.

“He's getting better. His mind is much better,” the winning jockey commented. “He's starting to figure out the game and he's changed a lot. He…switched up [leads] when I wanted to and he let me do my thing. Then he turned it on when I wanted to.”

Pletcher indicated that Dynamic One would make his next start in the Jockey Club Gold Cup–a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic–on closing weekend at Saratoga Sept. 3.

Outnodded for the victory in last year's GII Wood Memorial by barnmate Bourbonic (Bernardini), Dynamic One was well-beaten in the GI Kentucky Derby, but atoned with a defeat of Miles D (Curlin) and First Captain in the July 30 restricted Curlin S. at Saratoga. Rested off a seventh in the GI Runhappy Travers S. the next month, the $725,000 Keeneland September graduate was third to the in-form Scalding (Nyquist) in Tampa's GIII Challenger S. Mar. 12 and runner-up to the same foe in the GII Ben Ali S. at Keeneland Apr. 23 and was exiting a smart success in the June 4 Blame S. at Churchill.

Pedigree Notes:

Dynamic One is the 15th graded winner for his Lane's End-based stallion, whose finest hour as a racehorse came in the 2012 GI Belmont S. And he becomes yet another 2022 graded-stakes winner descending from a Phipps female family, as laid out by Sid Fernando in his July 6 Taking Stock column.

Dynamic One is the final Phipps-bred from his unplaced dam, a daughter of the Phippses 2002 champion 2-year-old filly Storm Flag Flying, who was also responsible for MGSP turfer Revved Up (Candy Ride {Arg}) and the dam of the Grade III-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Jouster (Noble Mission {GB}), who added to her resume with a victory for Pletcher in the July 3 Perfect Sting S. over the local grass course.

Third dam My Flag was unlucky not to win an Eclipse statuette of her own, given her thrilling victory in the 1995 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Big Sandy, Grade I tallies at three in the GI Ashland S., GI CCA Oaks and GI Gazelle H. and a third-place effort in that year's GI Belmont S. My Flag, a daughter of undefeated legend Personal Ensign (Private Account), was a half-sister to JCGC winner Miner's Mark and fellow GISW Traditionally and her daughter Sound the Trumpets (Bernardini) produced the aforementioned Miles D.

Beat the Drums was purchased by Riverbend Farm for $400,000 in foal to Honor Code at the 2018 Keeneland November Sale and produced the colt Videri, a $260,000 KEESEP purchase who remains unraced for Centennial Farms. She is also the dam of a yearling Ghostzapper colt and a filly foal by Street Sense.

Saturday, Belmont Park
SUBURBAN S.-GII, $388,000, Belmont, 7-9, 4yo/up, 1 1/4m, 2:01.26, ft.
1–DYNAMIC ONE, 118, c, 4, by Union Rags
                1st Dam: Beat the Drums, by Smart Strike
                2nd Dam: Storm Flag Flying, by Storm Cat
                3rd Dam: My Flag, by Easy Goer
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($725,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP).
O-Repole Stable, Phipps Stable & St Elias Stable; B-Phipps
Stable (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz Jr. $220,000.
Lifetime Record: 12-4-3-1, $699,950. Werk Nick Rating: A+++
*Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–First Captain, 120, c, 4, Curlin–America, by A.P. Indy.
($1,500,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG). 'TDN Rising Star'. O-West Point
Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm LLC, Bobby Flay & Woodford
Racing LLC; B-B Flay Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Claude R
McGaughey III. $80,000.
3–Untreated, 118, c, 4, Nyquist–Fully Living, by Unbridled's
Song. ($550,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $300,000 3yo '21 KEEJAN).
O-Team Valor International LLC; B-Ashview Farm & Old Oak
Farm (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher. $48,000.
Margins: NO, 3/4, 7 3/4. Odds: 0.90, 1.90, 5.60.
Also Ran: Max Player, Forewarned.
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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