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Call Me Midnight ‘Nose’ Way Home in Lecomte

Let go at 28-1 and apparently overmatched on paper, the well-tried Call Me Midnight (Midnight Lute) stormed down the center of the long Fair Grounds stretch to just nose out narrow second choice Epicenter (Not This Time) in Saturday's GIII Lecomte S., the first of three local preps on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

A maiden winner at fifth asking going Churchill's one-turn mile last Nov. 13, the $80,000 OBS March grad raced well back in the field as Surfer Dude (Curlin) and last-out Gun Runner S. hero Epicenter ding-donged it up front through taxing opening fractions of :23.40 and :47.01. Favored Pappacap (Gun Runner), a latest runner-up to 'TDN Rising Star' Corniche (Quality Road) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, sat a good inside trip and was there at the fence to challenge Epicenter in the stretch as Surfer Dude decided to call it a day and hang ten elsewhere. Trafalgar (Lord Nelson) loomed a brief threat inside, but Call Me Midnight, third last to make the straight, motored down the crown of the track and dropped his nose down on the line in the nick of time.

Trainer Keith Desormeaux was the architect of one of the bigger upsets on the NOLA road to Louisville, as he sent out Ive Struck a Nerve (Yankee Gentleman) to a 135-1 upset of the 2013 GII Risen Star S., the horse having finished a distant fourth in the Lecomte one start prior.

Well-beaten in his first two trips to the post over abbreviated trips, Call Me Midnight was an improved fourth, a nose behind future GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile placegetter Giant Game (Giant's Causeway) in a seven-furlong maiden in Louisville Sept. 18. Three lengths behind that rival when runner-up in a two-turn test at Keeneland Oct. 9, he was impressive in graduating over the mile Nov. 13, but could not overcome the widest gate in a field of 11 and checked in seventh in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. a couple of weeks later.

Pedigree Notes:

Call Me Midnight is the 37th stakes winner and 14th graded winner and also hails from a Juddmonte female family. The St. Patrick's Day foal's unraced dam is a daughter of SW & G1SP Jibe, whose daughter Silk Route (Empire Maker) is the dak of the aforementioned late MSW 'TDN Rising Star' Taraz (Into Mischief). His third dam is Slightly Dangerous, a Group 3 winner and second home in the 1982 G1 Epsom Oaks before embarking on a prolific career as a broodmare. Her notable produce include multiple champion and MG1SW Warning (GB) (Known Fact); MGSW & MG1SP Dushyantor (Sadler's Wells), third in the 1998 GI Breeders' Cup Turf; Yashmak (Danzig), winner at home of the G2 Ribblesdale S. at Royal Ascot and Group 1 placed at two and three and victorious in the GI Flower Bowl Invitational H. in this country. The latter's five winners include G1 Grand Criterium S. scorer Full Mast (Mizzen Mast).

Overseen missed to Honor Code for 2021 and was most recently covered by Frosted.

Saturday, Fair Grounds
LECOMTE S.-GIII, $200,000, Fair Grounds, 1-22, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.36, ft.
1–CALL ME MIDNIGHT, 122, c, 3, by Midnight Lute
               1st Dam: Overseen, by First Defence
               2nd Dam: Jibe, by Danzig
               3rd Dam: Slightly Dangerous, by Roberto
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($25,000
Wlg '19 KEENOV; $37,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP; $17,000 Ylg
'20 OBSOCT; $80,000 2yo '21 OBSMAR). O-Peter L. Cantrell;
B-Hartwell Farm, Inc (KY); T-J. Keith Desormeaux; J-James
Graham. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 7-2-1-0, $221,806.
Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report &
5-cross pedigree.
2–Epicenter, 122, c, 3, Not This Time–Silent Candy, by Candy
Ride (Arg). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($260,000 Ylg '20
KEESEP). O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Westwind Farms
(KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $40,000.
3–Pappacap, 122, c, 3, Gun Runner–Pappascat, by Scat
Daddy. O/B-Rustlewood Farm, Inc. (FL); T-Mark E. Casse.
$20,000.
Margins: HD, 3/4, 3HF. Odds: 28.50, 1.60, 1.50.
Also Ran: Trafalgar, Presidential, Cyberknife, Blue Kentucky, Unified Report, Surfer Dude.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Call Me Midnight ‘Nose’ Way Home in Lecomte appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Mandaloun Outslugs Midnight Bourbon in Louisiana

They engaged in as good a battle on the infield tote as they did on the track, but at the end of the 8 1/2 furlongs of Satuday's GIII Louisiana S. at the Fair Grounds, and in what looked to be a two-horse race proved exactly that, as 9-10 favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Mandaloun outbattled an alibi-free 6-5 second choice Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) to make a victorious return to the races.

Midnight Bourbon, last seen finishing third as the favorite to Maxfield (Street Sense) in the GI Clark S. at Churchill in November, hit the ground running and had the superior early foot, as Mandaloun–whose last trip to the races resulted in a promoted victory in the GI TVG.com Haskell S. last July–was content to take a trail and skim the rail from third after the scratch of the GI Pegasus World Cup-bound Chess Chief (Into Mischief) left him with the inside stall.

The pace was moderate for horses of this quality–the quarter was in :24.39 and the half in :48.25–and Mandaloun edged into second as they raced into the final 3 1/2 furlongs. Poised to strike at the five-sixteenths, Mandaloun was floated a bit wide by Joel Rosario and Midnight Bourbon, but the Juddmonte homebred was in for the fight. He engaged the pacesetter in earnest at the eighth pole and methodically wore that one down to take it by a measured 3/4 of a length. It was a distance back to Warrant (Constitution) in third.

It was on this program a year ago that Midnight Bourbon defeated Mandaloun into third in the GIII Lecomte S. before reversing form with a 1 1/4-length conquest in the GII Risen Star S. An inexplicable sixth–with Midnight Bourbon second to Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) in the GII Louisiana Derby, Mandaloun ran an enormous race to miss by a half-length in the GI Kentucky Derby. Connections elected to give the rest of the Triple Crown a miss and Mandaloun narrowly won the June 13 Pegasus S. before being put up to the win in the Haskell in the incident which saw Midnight Bourbon nearly go down when interfered with by Hot Rod Charlie.

Winning trainer Brad Cox confirmed that a start in next month's G1 Saudi Cup over a one-turn mile and an eighth would be under serious consideration for Mandaloun.

Pedigree Notes:

Mandaloun is one of 46 graded winners for his leading stallion and is bred on the cross over Unbridled or Unbridled-line mares responsible for the likes of dual Eclipse Award and multiple Grade I winner Covfefe, other graded winners Private Mission, Largent, fellow 'Rising Star' Maximus Mischief and recent GIII Sugar Swirl S. winner Center Aisle and the ill-fated 'Rising Star' Taraz.

Mandaloun is one of two winners from as many to race from his dam, a winner at Group 2 and Group 3 level in Ireland for Dermot Weld and a half-sister to MSW & MGSP Caponata (Selkirk) and MGSP Raymonda (Lonhro {Aus}).

Mandaloun is one of 29 'Rising Stars' for the outstanding Into Mischief, a number that also includes New York stallion Honest Mischief, who–interestingly–is out of Empire Maker's GISW half-sister Honest Lady (Seattle Slew).

Brooch is the dam of Mandaloun's 2-year-old full-brother Mullion, a yearling colt by War Front and was most recently covered once again by Into Mischief.

Saturday, Fair Grounds
LOUISIANA S.-GIII, $145,500, Fair Grounds, 1-22, 4yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:42.52, ft.
1–MANDALOUN, 118, c, 4, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Brooch (MGSW-Ire, $217,059), by Empire Maker
2nd Dam: Daring Diva (GB), by Dansili (GB)
3rd Dam: Aspiring Diva, by Distant View
O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Brad H. Cox;
J-Florent Geroux. $90,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 9-6-1-1,
$1,741,252. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Midnight Bourbon, 118, c, 4, Tiznow–Catch the Moon, by
Malibu Moon. ($525,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Winchell
Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC
(KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $30,000.
3–Warrant, 124, c, 4, Constitution–Whisper Number, by
First Samurai. O-Twin Creeks Racing Stables LLC;
B-Twin Creeks Farm (KY); T-Brad H Cox. $15,000.
Margins: 3/4, 8 1/4, 2HF. Odds: 0.90, 1.20, 7.00.
Also Ran: Spa City, Sprawl, Pirate's Punch. Scratched: Chess Chief. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Mandaloun Outslugs Midnight Bourbon in Louisiana appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Medaglia d’Oro Half to Clairiere Wins Silverbulletday

La Crete (Medaglia d'Oro–Cavorting, by Bernardini), a half-sister to one of last year's 3-year-old filly stars in Clairiere (Curlin), threw her own hat into the ring with a dogged win in the Silverbulletday S. at Fair Grounds as the current sophomore filly embers begin to flare on the road to the GI Kentucky Oaks. Bumping with Sweet as Pie (Tapit) at the break, La Crete made the lead with Fannie and Freddie (Malibu Moon) tracking in second. La Crete stayed in front through :24.50 and :48.79 fractions, but drifted out coming off the turn as Fannie and Freddie engaged her on the outside. The latter passed La Crete and La Crete briefly gave a convincing imitation of a beaten horse, but the bay would not be denied and fought back with dauntless grit. She won by a length over Fannie and Freddie, galloping out with ears pricked. The Silverbulletday marked the second 2022 points race on the Oaks road and was worth points of 10-4-2-1.

“She's a special horse,” said winning rider Joel Rosario, who was winning his third race on the card in tandem with trainer Steve Asmussen.

La Crete came into the Silverbulletday with only one start under her belt, an easy score in a Churchill Downs maiden special weight going 1 1/16 miles Nov. 20. She made the lead that day, too, opening up by five lengths in the stretch before being geared down in the final half-furlong.

Cavorting, the dam of both Clairiere and La Crete, was a seven-time black-type winner, including in the 2015 GI Test S., the 2016 GI Ogden Phipps S., and the 2016 GI Personal Ensign S. She raced for Stonestreet, who bought her as a $360,000 weanling at KEENOV in 2012. Clairiere, whose wins include last year's GI Cotillion S., is her first foal, with La Crete her second. Both race as Stonestreet homebreds. Cavorting was barren last year, but has a 2-year-old colt named Judge Miller, a full-brother to Clairiere, whom Stonestreet sold last year for $550,000 at KEESEP to Muir Hut Stables. Cavorting was bred to Into Mischief for this spring.

SILVERBULLETDAY S., $145,500, Fair Grounds, 1-22, 3yo, f, 1m 70y, 1:43.93, ft.
1–LA CRETE, 122, f, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
               1st Dam: Cavorting (MGISW, $2,063,000), by Bernardini
               2nd Dam: Promenade Girl, by Carson City
               3rd Dam: Promenade Colony, by Pleasant Colony
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Stonestreet Stables LLC;
B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen; J-Joel Rosario. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0,
$159,460. *1/2 to Clairiere (Curlin), GISW, $1,290,992.
2–Fannie and Freddie, 122, f, 3, Malibu Moon–Connie and
Michael, by Roman Ruler. ($150,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP).
O-Columbine Stable LLC.; B-Betz/J.Betz/Burns/Camaquiki
/C.Kidder/et al (KY); T-Albert M. Stall, Jr. $30,000.
3–Bernabreezy, 122, f, 3, Bernardini–Super Allison, by Super
Saver. ($25,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $40,000 2yo '21 FTFMAR;
$100,000 2yo '21 EASMAY). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Nelson
McMakin & Aaron Kennedy; B-Machmer Hall, Tamme Valley
Farm & Godolphin (KY); T-Matt A. Shirer. $15,000.
Margins: 1, 2HF, HD. Odds: 1.10, 3.40, 5.80.
Also Ran: Candy Raid, Miss Chamita, Sweet as Pie.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Pricey Violence Colt Wins Debut at Fair Grounds

9th-Fair Grounds, $58,000, Msw, 1-22, 3yo, 6f, 1:11.65, ft, 2 3/4 lengths.
FEROCIOUSLY (c, 3, Violence–Brinkley {SP}, by City Zip), sent off the 5-2 choice while facing a pair of seven-figure purchases, settled in a close-up second behind 9-1 chance Vintage Vinyl (Maclean's Music), who led through :22.15. Meanwhile, $1.5-million Fasig-Tipton grad Vincoe (Quality Road), sent off at 7-2, tried to make a grab for the lead along the inside but had the door slammed in his face, and soon found himself in last, about six lengths off the front. Edging in front of Vintage Vinyl midway on the turn and drifting out four paths wide turning for home, Ferociously kept up the tempo through the stretch, reporting home a two-length winner. Despite his early problems, Vincoe offered the best turn of foot late, grabbing the place spot from Vintage Vinyl, 2 3/4 lengths from the winner. Brinkley, a half-sister to GSW and Grade 1/Group 1 placed Bound for Nowhere (The Factor), produced a colt by West Coast last season and was bred back to Hard Spun. This is the family of champion sprinter Midnight Lute. Sales history: $410,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $34,800. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-WinStar Farm LLC & Siena Farm LLC; B-Douglas Scharbauer (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.

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