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Never Surprised Stays Hot in Tropical Derby

Sent off the 1-2 chalk to close a successful sophomore season, Repole Stable's Never Surprised (Constitution) likely earned a spot in the field for the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf with a sparkling front-running success in Sunday's Tropical Park Derby, the same event used as a springboard to Pegasus success by stablemate Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) early this year.

Exiting a big-figure victory in the Gio Ponti S. at Aqueduct last month, Never Surprised wasted no time getting to the front, but was made to work for it by longshot Lamplighter Jack (Fed Biz) through enervating fractions of :23.22 and :46.66. Going very well despite the demanding pace, Never Surprised began to sneak away from his beaten rival on the turn, was hand-ridden into the stretch and was merely shown the whip through the final sixteenth of a mile, scoring in strong time.

Perfect in two juvenile appearances, including the Central Park S. last November, Never Surprised was beaten into second as the odds-on pop in this track's GIII Kitten's Joy S. last January before getting some time off. Runner-up to Public Sector (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the GIII Saranac S. in September, he was beaten a neck by that rival in the GII Hill Prince S. Oct. 23 before taking Gio Ponti by the same margin of victory as Sunday, earning a 98 Beyer.

Golden Pedigree acquired Never Surprises dam for $5,500 at Keeneland January 2017 and the colt is her first produce. She is also the dam of the 2-year-old filly Ace Girl (Connect), a yearling Munnings colt that cost BSW/Crow Colts Group $275,000 at KEESEP this fall and a weanling colt by the same sire. Never Surprised is bred on the same cross responsible for MGISW Tiz the Law. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

TROPICAL PARK DERBY, $100,000, Gulfstream, 12-26, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.39, fm.
1–NEVER SURPRISED, 124, c, 3, by Constitution
                1st Dam: Tiz Dixie, by Tiznow
                2nd Dam: Comeon Dixie, by Mr. Greeley
                3rd Dam: Dixieland Blues, by Dixieland Band
($30,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV; $200,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Repole
Stable; B-Golden Pedigree LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Luis
Saez. $57,660. Lifetime Record: MGSP, 7-4-3-0, $378,960.
2–Yes This Time, 124, c, 3, Not This Time–Smart Jilly, by Smart
Strike. O-Edge Racing; B-Barry S. Golden (KY); T-Kelly J. Breen.
$18,600.
3–Safe Conduct, 124, c, 3, Bodemeister–Duchess Dancer, by
Congrats. ($45,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV). O-WellSpring Stables;
B-Mitchell H. Kursner (ON); T-Philip M. Serpe. $9,300.
Margins: 6 1/4, NO, HF. Odds: 0.50, 4.80, 14.00.
Also Ran: Hot Blooded, Scarlett Sky, Sigiloso, Fighting Force, Grey Streak, In Effect, King of Dreams, Mohs, Lamplighter Jack. Scratched: American Prince, Kygo (Ger), Shady McGee (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Gun Runner Colt Named ‘TDN Rising Star’ at Gulfstream

American Icon (Gun Runner), sent off at 6-5 in this unveiling after a steady series of works at Palm Beach Downs, led from flagfall to finsh and scampered home to a 8 1/2-length win, good for the 'TDN Rising Star' nod.

Sold as a yearling from the draft of Denali Stud, agent, the April foal brought $400,000 from Maverick Racing, the buying arm of WinStar. He duly made his career bow for WinStar Farm and Siena Farm in the white WinStar silks Sunday. The last horse to load, American Icon broke like a shot and raced about a length in advance of the field through splits of :22.75 and :45.75. A trio of challengers loomed leaving the turn, but American Icon slammed the door when asked by pilot Luis Saez. He poured it on from there to wrack up a visually impressive win. Red Line Overdrive (Nyquist), who broke poorly, closed to take second. The same connections were represented by 'Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready) at Gulfstream Dec. 11. American Idol is the third of his sire's produce to become a 'Rising Star.'

American Idol's MSP dam is a full-sister to SW and GI Santa Anita Oaks second Third Dawn (Sky Mesa). Sky America has a weanling colt by Runhappy and was covered by the winner's sire this spring. The third dam, the unraced Sunset Heat (Dixieland Band), was a full-sister to Grade III winner and sire Dixieland Heat (Dixieland Band). Sunset Heat left Brazilian Group 2 winner Estrela Byrnhild (Lion Cavern), who was also placed in the G1 Roberto e Nelson Grimaldi Seabra.

8th-Gulfstream, $53,000, Msw, 12-26, 2yo, 7f, 1:23.26, ft, 8 1/2 lengths.
AMERICAN ICON, c, 2, Gun Runner
1st Dam: Sky America (MSP, $102,978), by Sky Mesa
2nd Dam: Chalmette, by Quiet American
3rd Dam: Sunset Song, by Dixieland Band
Sales history: $400,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $31,800. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-WinStar Farm LLC & Siena Farm LLC; B-Elm Tree Farm, LLC, Curt Leake, Time Will Tell, LLC & Warren Harang (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

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Sales-Topping Uncle Mo Colt Makes Successful Debut

4th-Santa Anita, $68,000, Msw, 12-26, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:16.11, ft, 1/2 length.
SHAAZ (c, 3, Uncle Mo–Miss Ocean City, by Mineshaft), the better fancied of a pair of debuting 3-year-olds for trainer Bob Baffert, overcame his inexperience and overhauled his barnmate Hopkins (Quality Road) in the dying strides to graduate by a half-length Sunday at Santa Anita. The $1.1-million topper from the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, Shaaz was not the quickest away and lingered in the latter third of the field as Hopkins set a fast pace over a track that had been yielding slow sectionals in the first few races. Wide on the turn, the Virginia-bred began to find his best stride three furlongs from home and took aim on Hopkins after a half in :45.01. He looked as if he might be able to run up the score in the final eighth of a mile, but he refused to swap his leads, weaving in an out under John Velazquez, before knuckling down in the final 50 yards to prove best as the 1-2 chalk. Q B One (Uncle Mo), the first foal out of multiple champion Beholder (Henny Hughes), finished a one-paced sixth. Shaaz, a $185,000 buyback at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, was knocked down to Donato Lanni, agent for Petersen, for the sales-topping price at Midlantic in 2020 after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 flat. Lanni paid a sales-topping $1.8 million for Gamine (Into Mischief) at FTMMAY in 2019. Shaaz is a half-brother to Azar (Scat Daddy), GSW, $356,558, and a yearling colt by Quality Road. His dam was most recently covered by Uncle Mo's champion son Nyquist. Sales history: $185,000 RNA Ylg '19 FTSAUG; $1,100,000 2yo '20 EASMAY. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0,$40,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Michael Lund Petersen; B-William M Backer Revocable Trust (VA); T-Bob Baffert.

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Eduardo Inda Passes Away

Trainer Eduardo Inda passed away last week at the age of 78. Born in Chile, Inda was the primary assistant to Ron McAnally in the 1980s when the barn was represented by the great John Henry. He also had success with his own public stable, training champion Riboletta (Brz) on behalf of Aaron and Marie Jones, as well as Grade I winners Toga Toga Toga and India Divina (Chi). He retired from training in 2012.

Inda is survived by his wife Monica, daughters Monica Cowell and Lisa Isaguirre and four grandchildren.

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