Tag: Top News

Fierceness Fires Bullet For Holy Bull

Repole Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), who is expected to be named champion of his generation at Thursday's Eclipse Awards ceremonies, worked five furlongs in :59.48 Saturday morning at Palm Beach Downs, the fastest of 12 moves at the distance. It was the sixth timed workout for Fierceness since taking the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 3. The homebred is expected to make his sophomore debut in the GIII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream Park Feb. 3.

“Fierceness has trained super. He's such a terrific workhorse. He does everything effortlessly,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I think with Fierceness we feel like the quality's there [and] the talent's there. Like everyone else we just need to keep moving forward and stay healthy.”

Tentative plans call for Fierceness to use the Holy Bull as a steppingstone to the GI Florida Derby Mar. 31. Fellow 'Rising Star' Forte (Violence) won last year's GII Fountain of Youth S. and Florida Derby.

“So far it's worked out really well,” Pletcher said. “We didn't have to let him down too much after the Breeders' Cup [and] kept him ticking over with the Holy Bull in mind. We kind of liked the spacing coming out of that to the Florida Derby and hopefully things continue on towards Kentucky.”

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West Omaha Adds To Oaks Points With Silverbulletday Win

Fresh off a second-place performance over course and distance in the Untapable S. Dec. 23, West Omaha managed to do one better and pick up an additional 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks Saturday with her win in the Silverbulletday S. With a total of 30 points, the homebred daughter of Gary and Mary West's young stallion West Coast now sits second behind GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Just F Y I (Justify) on the 2024 Oaks leaderboard.

Never favored in any of her three prior starts, West Omaha finally earned the nod Saturday, breaking at 4-5 from the middle of the gate under Luis Saez. Despite lunging to the inside in her opening stride, the favorite quickly had her feet under her and was part of the speed into the first turn. Sitting just off pacesetters Accommodate Eva (Munnings) and Miss Code West (Code West), she tracked that pair while two wide up the backstretch through a half in :48.84. Given the cue from Saez midway around the turn, West Omaha responded readily and was up to challenge three wide as the top group swung into the stretch. With plenty of clear running room ahead of her into the final furlong, she kicked clear for home, leaving Perfect Shot to chase her to the wire while staying well clear for the win.

From the extended family of GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner and late sire Tapizar (Tapit), West Omaha is the fourth stakes winner for Lane's End-based stallion West Coast and the third winner from as many to run for her dam. Birthday Bash has a 2-year-old Bernardini filly in the pipeline and produced a filly by Lookin At Lucky last year. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

SILVERBULLETDAY S. PRESENTED BY FASIG-TIPTON, $145,500, Fair Grounds, 1-20, 3yo, f, 1m 70y, 1:43.48, ft.
1–WEST OMAHA, 122, f, 3, by West Coast
                1st Dam: Birthday Bash, by Medaglia d'Oro
                2nd Dam: Twisted Tale, by Tale of the Cat
                3rd Dam: Call Now, by Wild Again
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. (KY);
T-Brad H. Cox; J-Luis Saez. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-2-0,
$203,000.
2–Perfect Shot, 122, f, 3, Gun Runner–Meister Legend, by
Bodemeister. ($135,000 Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $285,000 Ylg '22
FTSAUG). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Whisper Hill Farm, LLC; B-Sierra
Farm (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $30,000.
3–Sistina Chapel, 122, f, 3, Liam's Map–Addae Do Jaguarete
(Brz), by Crimson Tide (Ire). O/B-Brownwood Farm (KY);
T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $15,000.
Margins: 5, 1HF, HD. Odds: 0.90, 2.00, 8.60.
Also Ran: Miss Code West, Accommodate Eva, Noriskit Nobiscuit. Scratched: Ma Rae's Girl, Play Good Pay Good.

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First Mission Completes Pegasus Preparations in Big Easy

'TDN Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense) breezed five furlongs in 1:00.40 (2/52) Saturday morning at the Fair Grounds in preparation for next Saturday's $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. at Gulfstream Park. The 4-year-old colt, who was put through his paces by exercise rider Kevin Perez, was clocked in 1:13.60 for six furlongs, according to trainer Brad Cox.

“He's been doing very well week after week,” Cox said of the Godolphin homebred, a latest second to the re-opposing Trademark (Upstart) in the GII Clark S. at Churchill Downs Nov. 24. “We're excited about giving him a shot at a Grade I. We weren't looking for anything really different than he'd done the last few weeks. We were just giving him an opportunity to go out there and stretch his legs, see how he's doing. And he's telling us he's doing as well as he ever has.”

First Mission is due to arrive at Gulfstream Monday afternoon. Luis Saez retains the mount.

The Saffie Joseph, Jr.-trained duo of GIII Harlan's Holiday S. hero O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) and Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) got their final tune-ups during half-mile breezes up at Palm Meadows Saturday morning. Working on his own, O'Connor was timed in :48.55, while GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile runner-up Skippylongstocking went in the company of the stakes-winning Swirvin (Girvin) and was clocked in :47.55.

Dynamic One (Union Rags), Crupi (Curlin) and Harlan's Holiday runner-up Grand Aspen (Dialed In) each turned in drills at Palm Beach Downs for trainer Todd Pletcher Saturday morning. Dynamic One and Crupi went in company, with Crupi going in :48.29 and Dynamic One :48.39. Dynamic One, who was equipped with blinkers for the first time, started two lengths ahead of Crupi, who finished the breeze 1 1/2 lengths behind his stablemate, who was ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. Grand Aspen went the same distance in :49.13.

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Maymun As Good As Advertised In ‘Rising Star’ Debut

Maymun (Frosted), a $50,000 KEESEP yearling pinhooked into a $900,000 OBS April 2-year-old by Paul Neatherlin, and racing for trainer Bob Baffert and Zedan Racing Stables, absolutely rolled on the front end Saturday in his 6 1/2-furlong debut to become the latest 'TDN Rising Star'.

Maymun was an OBS April star, breezing in :9 3/5 and leaving no doubt in his now-trainer's mind of his ability.

“He was ridiculously fast,” Baffert said of the colt shortly after the sale. “He worked beautifully and came out of it well. That's half the battle.”

“This was one of the best horses in the sale, I thought,” added bloodstock agent Donato Lanni in Ocala. “He deserved to bring that kind of money.”

Entered Saturday off a best-of-65 drill Jan. 13, the betting public had plenty of confidence in Zedan Racing Stables colt, sending him off at 4-5 opposite his $1.05m stablemate Normandy Landing (Gun Runner). Driven to the lead right from the jump under Juan Hernandez, Maymun had things all his own way up front and proceeded to rocket through fractions of :21.72 and :43.91. Spinning for home, as the rest of the field was already strung out and under a drive, Hernandez tossed one look over his shoulder and unleashed his mount into the final furlong, opening up at will before gearing the son of Frosted down for the easiest of wins.

The third 'Rising Star' for Frosted, Maymun is out of a full-sister to MSP Auspicious, herself the dam of $1.1m OBSAPR RNA and SP Bobby Bo (Speightster), and a half-sister GSP Flatter Than Me (Flatter). Maymun's own half-sister, Rivercame (Awesome Again), while not a winner herself, produced $300,000 OBS March grad Sweet Mini (Good Magic). Handwoven has a 2-year-old Kantharos colt and is due to Violence this year.

1st-Santa Anita, $66,500, Msw, 1-20, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 1:15.59, ft, 7 1/2 lengths.
MAYMUN, c, 3, Frosted
                1st Dam: Handwoven, by Indian Charlie
                2nd Dam: Hannah's Doll, by Boston Harbor
                3rd Dam: Power Doll, by Powder Horn
Sales History: $50,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $900,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $39,000.
O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Vision Racing & Sales LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

 

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