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Bodexpress Springs the Upset in the Clark

Bodexpress (Bodemeister) has had an unconventional career, running in the GI Florida Derby, GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. last year–and throwing his rider at the start of the latter–as a maiden. Placing in a trio of stakes since then, the bay finally earned his black-type badge Friday at the highest level with an 11-1 upset in Churchill’s GI Clark H.

Away alertly, Bodexpress pressed from second early as 155-1 shot Phantom Currency (Goldencents) clocked opening splits of :23.39 and :47.94. Headed by Mr. Freeze (To Honor and Serve) to his inside, Bodexpress maintained his position through three-quarters in 1:12.77. Mr. Freeze took over from Phantom Currency approaching the far turn and Bodexpress ranged up on his outside with favored Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) splitting horses outside of him. Coastal Defense (Curlin) joined the assault to Mr. Freeze’s inside and Owendale (Into Mischief) rallied outside of Code of Honor, but Bodexpress was going strongest of all and forged clear in the final sixteenth to score.

“This is a different horse than we saw last year during the Triple Crown campaign,” said trainer Gustavo Delgado’s son and assistant, Gustavo Delgado, Jr. “He’s really matured. Turning for home I thought we had a really good shot. The horse deserves this most of all. I’m very happy for everyone involved but we are so happy for Bodexpress.”

“This horse just showed so much run today,” winning rider Rafael Bejarano said. “I’m so proud of him. [Phantom Currency] was going so fast on the lead and we were able to sit a really good trip just behind him. He relaxed very nicely for me and turning for home I could feel I still had a lot of horse underneath me. He had a lot of energy in deep stretch when we needed it to hold off the rest of the horses. It’s very special winning a race like this returning to Kentucky to ride this year. This is my home and we’ve had a lot of success here in my career. This was very special.”

Runner-up to future champion Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) in the Florida Derby last season, Bodexpress was promoted to 13th due to the disqualification of that rival in the Kentucky Derby and dumped his rider at the start of the Preakness. Breaking his maiden next out at Gulfstream West last October, he won an allowance there a month later and finished his sophomore season with a third in the GIII Harlan’s Holiday S. last December. Off the board in the GI Pegasus World Cup Jan. 25 and the GII Gulfstream Park Mile Feb. 19, Bodexpress was third in the GIII Hal’s Hope S. Mar. 28 and filled the same spot in Saratoga’s Alydar S. Aug. 9. Second in a Churchill optional claimer Sept. 5, the 4-year-old demolished the field by 11 1/4 lengths next out at Gulfstream Park West Oct. 17.

Pedigree Notes:

Bodexpress is the second Grade I winner for the expatriated Bodemeister, following GI Kentucky Derby hero Always Dreaming. He is also one of six graded winners and 19 black-type scorers for the stallion. The winner is the second graded winner and 15th stakes winner out of a daughter of City Zip. Pied a Terre has only produced one foal since Bodexpress, a juvenile filly by Gemologist.

Friday, Churchill Downs
CLARK S. PRESENTED BY NORTON HEALTHCARE-GI, $500,000, Churchill Downs, 11-27, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:49.12, ft.
1–BODEXPRESS, 121, c, 4, by Bodemeister
1st Dam: Pied a Terre, by City Zip
2nd Dam: Lady Auchamore, by Meadowlake
3rd Dam: Explosive Kate, by Explodent
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($45,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP; $37,000 RNA 2yo ’18 EASMAY). O-Top Racing LLC, Global Thoroughbred & GDS Racing Stable; B-Martha Jane Mulholland (KY); T-Gustavo Delgado; J-Rafael Bejarano. $282,100. Lifetime Record: 17-4-4-3, $694,600. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Code of Honor, 121, c, 4, Noble Mission (GB)–Reunited, by Dixie Union. ($70,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O/B-W S Farish (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III. $91,000.
3–Owendale, 121, c, 4, Into Mischief–Aspen Light, by Bernardini. ($200,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-Rupp Racing; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Brad H Cox. $45,500.
Margins: 1, 1, NK. Odds: 11.70, 1.60, 6.90.
Also Ran: Coastal Defense, Mr Freeze, Silver Prospector, By My Standards, Bourbon Calling, Crafty Daddy, Title Ready, Multiplier, Aurelius Maximus, Plus Que Parfait, Phantom Currency. Scratched: In Love (Brz). Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Uncle Mo Firster Wins Easy in Big Easy

8th-Fair Grounds, $47,000, Msw, 11-27, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.15, ft, 3 1/4 lengths.
SWIFTSURE (c, 2, Uncle Mo–Island Saint {GSP, $133,860}, by Speightstown) had lit up the Fair Grounds main track in his two most recent morning trials–a bullet five furlongs from the gate in :59 4/5 (1/24) Nov. 13 and five-eighths in 1:00 flat (2/45) a week later–and was no secret at 11-10 to get his career off on a high note. Very alertly into stride, the dark bay colt set a pressured pace down inside from the much more experienced Unitedandresolute (Violence). He easily shrugged off that challenge in upper stretch, pinched a winning break and was punched out to score by 3 1/4 lengths as fellow first-starter Blameworthy (Blame) rallied belatedly. A $95,000 Keeneland September RNA, Swiftsure is the first foal from his dam, stakes-placed at two and runner-up in the 2016 GII Forward Gal S. His second dam is GSW Prospective Saint (Saint Ballado). Island Saint produced a filly by Into Mischief in 2020. Sales history: $95,000 RNA Ylg ’19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $28,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Siena Farms LLC & Asmussenequine.com; B-Siena Farms LLC (KY); T-Steven M Asmussen.

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Medaglia d’Oro Filly Off the Mark at First Asking in NOLA

6th-Fair Grounds, $47,000, Msw, 11-27, 2yo, f, 1m 70y, 1:45.79, ft, 3 1/2 lengths.
SOCIAL DILEMMA (f, 2, Medaglia d’Oro–Singing Kitty {MSW & GSP, $398,478}, by Ministers Wild Cat) was let go at debut odds of 21-5, better than twice her morning line of 2-1, and worked out a good trip beneath Colby Hernandez to graduate at first asking going an extended mile Friday afternoon at the Fair Grounds. Four wide around the first turn, the $575,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga buyback stalked the pace outside and poked her nose in front with about a half-mile to travel. Going well on the second turn, she cut the corner into the stretch and came away to take it by 3 1/2 lengths. Stillchargingmaria (Pioneerof the Nile-Stopchargingmaria), a $1.9-million weanling purchase at FTKNOV in 2018, chased three deep approaching the stretch and kept on well to be second at overlaid odds. Spendthrift Farm acquired the three-time stakes winner and GSP Singing Kitty with this filly in utero for $750,000 at Keeneland November in 2017 and the California-bred mare has produced colts by Lord Nelson and Mendelssohn the last two years. Singing Kitty was most recently bred to Into Mischief. Sales history: $575,000 RNA Ylg ’19 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $28,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O/B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Albert M Stall Jr.

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Tapit’s Mrs Danvers Romps in the Comely

Mrs. Danvers goes gate to wire to earn her black-type badge with a dominant score while trying two turns for the first time in the Comely Friday at the Big A. Seizing the early advantage, the gray loped through a :24.30 opening quarter and was confronted by longshot Project Whiskey, who pressed the pacesetter through a :48.69 half-mile. That rival burned out quickly and fell to the back as Mrs. Danvers continued strongly on the front end. The Joe Allen homebred opened up in the lane with ease under a hand ride from Jose Lezcano to win for fun.

“We were anxious to get her stretched out,” said winning trainer Shug McGaughey. “It’s just been kind of difficult to do so. This is what we felt like she wanted to do. Watching some of her allowance races, I wasn’t sure I was running her right. It looked like she was going to win and then she wouldn’t win. I think this is naturally what she wants to do is run this far. Being on the lead today definitely helped. I don’t think it’s something she needs, but going down the line she’ll be forwardly placed.”

The Hall of Famer continued, “Anytime you can get a win with a filly with a pedigree like that, especially for the breeder, [Joseph Allen], it means a lot. He believed in this filly.”

“She’s a nice filly,” said Lezcano. “Today, I let her break and run for the first quarter and she came back to me very nice. She was galloping along the whole way around. When I asked her to run, she jumped up in the bridle and took off.”

A second out graduate at Saratoga in 2019, Mrs. Danvers was not seen again for 10 months, finishing second in a Belmont allowance June 20. Completing the exacta again in the same condition at Belmont July 9, she was fifth to recent GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Sprint victress Gamine (Into Mischief) in Saratoga’s GI Test S. Aug. 8. Missing by a head back at Belmont Sept. 17, the homebred cleared her first-level allowance condition next out going a mile at Big Sandy Oct. 25.

Pedigree Notes:

Mrs. Danvers is the 139th black-type winner and 87th graded winner for her sire Tapit. She is also the 78th black-type scorer and 25th graded victor out of a daughter of Awesome Again. The winner’s dam Gracie Square is a half-sister to GISW and leading sire War Front (Danzig); MGSW & MGISP Teammate (A.P. Indy); MGSW Ecclesiastic (Pulpit); and recent GIII Red Smith S. winner North Dakota (Medaglia d’Oro). Gracie Square’s 3-year-old colt Nathan Detroit (Union Rags) won on debut at Ellis in July and was third next out in Keeneland’s GIII Bourbon S. Oct. 4 for McGaughey’s son Reeve McGaughey. The 10-year-old mare is also responsible for the juvenile filly Panama Hattie (Uncle Mo) and the yearling filly Starters Orders (Munnings). Gracie Square was bred back to Tapit this spring.

COMELY S.-GIII, $100,000, Aqueduct, 11-27, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m, 1:50.09, gd.
1–MRS. DANVERS, 118, f, 3, by Tapit
                1st Dam: Gracie Square, by Awesome Again
                2nd Dam: Starry Dreamer, by Rubiano
                3rd Dam: Lara’s Star, by Forli
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Allen
Stable, Inc.; B-Mr. Joseph Allen LLC (KY); T-Claude McGaughey;
J-Jose Lezcano. $55,000. Lifetime Record: 8-3-3-1, $211,800.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
   Rating: A+.
2–Ice Princess, 122, f, 3, Palace Malice–Happy Clapper, by
Awesome Again. ($75,000 Ylg ’18 SARAUG). O-Flying P Stable,
A. Hill Stable and Gargan, Danny; B-Mina Equivest LLC (NY);

T-Danny Gargan. $20,000.
3–Thankful, 118, f, 3, American Pharoah–Beholden, by Cat
Thief. ($625,000 Ylg ’18 FTSAUG). O-Bass Stables, LLC;
B-Profoal Partners 3, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $12,000.
Margins: 6 1/4, 4, 5HF. Odds: 3.75, 6.40, 4.90.
Also Ran: Toned Up, Gale, Miss Marissa, Project Whiskey, My Sweet Wife. Scratched: Makingcents, Pure Rhythm. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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