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Trio of Grade Ones Highlight Holiday Stakes Action Monday

Santa Anita will play host to three Grade I races, while Grade III action features the return of a champion at Churchill Downs and a talented Louisiana-bred attempting to make the grade at Lone Star Park during holiday stakes action Monday.

The GI Shoemaker Mile S. at Santa Anita is set to be the first of 41 Breeders' Cup Challenge series races in North America this year. A field of 11 goes postward seeking the winner's share of the $500,000, as well as an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup FanDuel Mile, which will be held over the same course in November.

Trainer Phil D'Amato saddles three in the race, including morning-line favorite Hong Kong Harry (Ire) (Es Que Love {Ire}), who was a three-time graded winner in California last year. He was fourth behind reopposing stablemate Gold Phoenix (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) in the Mar. 4 GI Frank Kilroe Mile before heading east for a runner-up effort in the May 6 GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic at Churchill Downs.

Gold Phoenix, who was 10th in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf, returned from his win in the Kilroe Mile to finish fourth when stretched to 1 1/4 miles for the Apr. 8 GII Charles Whittingham S. last time out. Unbeaten in two tries at a mile on grass, Gold Phoenix will be reunited with Japanese sensation Kazushi Kimura, who has been aboard for his last two starts and will fly in from his Toronto base for the ride Sunday.

Rounding out the D'Amato trio–who were all plundered from Europe to find graded success in the U.S.–is Balnikhov (Ire) (Adaay {Ire}), who was seventh in the Kilroe Mile before getting up in the last jump to win the Apr. 29 GIII San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate in his most recent start.

Both Gold Phoenix and Balnikhov represent the red-hot Little Red Feather partnership, which won four stakes last weekend.

An hour before the Shoemaker Mile, seven older fillies and mares head postward at Santa Anita for the GI Gamely S. Trainer Michael McCarthy will saddle morning-line favorite Queen Goddess (Empire Maker). The 5-year-old raced last year for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and her breeder TOLO Thoroughbreds and, after selling for $1.525 million at Fasig-Tipton last November, returned for the partnership of Eclipse Thoroughbreds and Gary Barber to win the GIII Robert J. Frankel S. last December. She added a win in the GIII TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational at Gulfstream in January and returns to the West Coast following a sixth-place effort in the Apr. 15 GI Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland.

D'Amato has two chances in the nine-furlong Gamely, with School Dance (Animal Kingdom) and Macadamia (Brz) (Hat Trick {Jpn}) in the line-up.

The GI Gold Cup concludes the Grade I action at Santa Anita Monday. Trainer Bob Baffert holds a strong hand in the 1 1/4-mile race with Country Grammer (Tonalist) and Defunded (Dialed In) appearing to tower over the six-horse field. Country Grammer, second in the Feb. 25 G1 Saudi Cup, will look to get back on track following a seventh-place effort while attempting a defense of his title in the G1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan in March. Defunded had to settle for third after setting the pace over this track and trip in the Mar. 4 GI Santa Anita H., but returned to the winner's circle with a three-length tally in the Apr. 22 GII Californian S. last time out.

In other graded stakes action across the country, champion Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) makes her return to the races in the GIII Winning Colors S. at Churchill Downs. Champion 2-year-old filly of 2021, the 4-year-old has been off since finishing second in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint last November at Keeneland.

Touchuponastar (Star Guitar) looks for his seventh straight victory in the GIII Steve Sexton Mile S. at Lone Star Park. The Louisiana-bred, trained by Jeff Delhomme, will be making his first start outside state-bred company. The 4-year-old's toughest competition might be the Mike Maker-trained 7-year-old Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro), who won a pair of one-mile graded events at Gulfstream this past winter.

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Vino Rosso’s The Wine Steward Impresses On Debut At Belmont

1st-Belmont, $75,000, (S), Msw, 5-28, 2yo, 5f, :58.68, ft, 6 lengths.
THE WINE STEWARD (c, 2, Vino Rosso–Call to Service, by To Honor and Serve) brought a final bid of $340,000 from trainer Michael Maker at OBS March earlier this year after breezing in :10.2 to be the second-highest progeny of his freshman sire (by Curlin) at the sale. A popular choice at the window, the bay drew the inside gate at post-time odds of 2-5 and, despite a hesitant beginning, stayed in contention with a rail-skimming ride around the far turn. As space opened up, he darted through an opening past the quarter pole, drew past pacesetter Khadullah (Mission Impazible), and was kept to task into the final sixteenth before easing up close to home for the six-length win. Khadullah was another 3 3/4 lengths clear for second. The first foal out of a half-sister to MGSW Isotherm (Lonhro {Aus}), GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile third Giant Game (Giant's Causeway) and GISP Gio Game (Gio Ponti), The Wine Steward now has a yearling half-brother from the first crop of GI Kentucky Derby winner Authentic and a newborn half-sister by Curlin. Spendthrift's Vino Rosso now stands at two winners from his first crop. Sales History: $70,000 Ylg '22 SARAUG; $340,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $41,250. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Paradise Farms Corp. and Staudacher, David; B-Sequel Thoroughbreds LLC, Lakland Farm & Mark Toothaker (NY); T-Michael J. Maker.

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Spirit of Makena Continues Streak with Triple Bend Score

Quarter cracks have plagued Spirit of Makena (h, 5, Ghostzapper–Win for M'lou, by Gilded Time) this spring, but they're only a memory after the speedy chestnut captured Saturday's GII Triple Bend S. at Santa Anita. It was his second consecutive graded score following a win in the GIII San Carlos S. in March. MGSW and two-time Breeders' Cup runner-up C Z Rocket (City Zip) and multiple statebred SW Desmond Doss (Grazen) followed him home.

MGSW and one-time Derby horse Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah) set the :22.86 early pace while Spirit of Makena was restrained a length behind and to his outside in second. Forbidden Kingdom continued to show the way, switching smoothly to another gear and putting a little daylight between him and his pursuer before the :45.22 half. Spirit of Makena menaced briefly alongside the pacesetter coming off the turn, but promptly put the result to bed with jockey Joe Bravo's encouragement. He tripped the six-furlong timer in 1:09.92 and sauntered home uncontested as Bravo sat chilly late for a 3 1/4-length win.

“He's a nice horse,” said winning trainer George Papaprodromou. “He won the last time doing the same thing kind of. I'm grateful to train a horse like that and I would like to thank the owners for giving me a horse like that. We are looking forward to a nice future with him.”

Had it not been for the head of hard-knocking Holden the Lute (Midnight Lute) last September in Spirit of Makena's second lifetime start, the Triple Bend winner would be undefeated. He got a five-month freshening after that lone loss. The chestnut has been perfect in all four of his starts at seven furlongs or less and came out with guns blazing in 2023–first capturing a Santa Anita optional allowance with a 98 Beyer Speed Figure and then trying and conquering graded company for the first time Mar. 11 in the San Carlos. Papaprodromou indicated he would target the GI Bing Crosby S. at Del Mar in July for the Triple Bend winner.

Pedigree Notes:

The brilliant Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, now a 23-year-old Hill 'n' Dale sire, has been represented by 96 black-type winners and 49 graded winners. Amazingly, three of his graded winners–Canadian champion and U.S. MGISW Shaman Ghost, Whiskey Ticket, and Spirit of Makena–are out of Gilded Time mares. The late Gilded Time, a flashy chestnut in the same vein as the Triple Bend winner as well as a champion 2-year-old, has quietly racked up 79 stakes winners out of his daughters, including GISW and current freshman stallion Audible (Into Mischief).

Spirit of Makena is the first stakes performer in three generations of his immediate female family, but he is a second-generation homebred for Bruce Chandler and the last named foal out of his dam. The mare does have an unnamed 3-year-old filly by Merit Man who sold at the recent CTBA Winter Mixed sale to O.J. Jauregui for $5,000.

Saturday, Santa Anita
TRIPLE BEND S.-GII, $201,000, Santa Anita, 5-27, 4yo/up, 7f, 1:23.07, ft.
1–SPIRIT OF MAKENA, 122, h, 5, by Ghostzapper
           1st Dam: Win for M'lou, by Gilded Time
           2nd Dam: Take the Picture, by Doneraile Court
           3rd Dam: I'vegotthatfeeling, by Regal Classic
O/B-Bruce Chandler (KY); T-George Papaprodromou; J-Joe Bravo. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-1-0, $347,600. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–C Z Rocket, 120, g, 9, City Zip–Successful Sarah, by Successful Appeal. ($800,000 2yo '16 OBSOPN). O-Altamira Racing Stable, Madaket Stables LLC, Gary Barber, and Tom Kagele; B-Farm III Enterprises (FL); T-Peter Miller. $40,000.
3–Desmond Doss, 120, h, 7, Grazen–Malley Girl, by Malek (Chi). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Nick Alexander (CA); T-Steven Miyadi. $24,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, NO, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.90, 5.30, 27.80.
Also Ran: Forbidden Kingdom, Positivity, Midnight Mammoth, Howbeit.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Churchill Downs Issues Statement On Equine Fatalities

Edited Press Release

Churchill Downs Incorporated released the following statement Saturday in response to questions about track safety during the meet:

In today's first race, Kimberley Dream (Colonel John) sustained a significant injury–a distal sesamodean ligament rupture–to her left front leg. A similar injury occurred to Lost in Limbo (Into Mischief) during Friday's seventh race. Unfortunately, in both scenarios, attending veterinarians determined that the injuries were inoperable and unrecoverable and made the difficult but most humane decision to euthanize. We send our deepest and most sincere condolences to the connections and all who loved and cared for Kimberley Dream and Lost in Limbo.

There have been 12 equine fatalities at Churchill Downs since the stable area reopened for training on March 30. It is with absolute dismay and sorrow that we report this highly unusual statistic. Our team members mourn the loss of these animals as we continue to work together to discover cause and determine appropriate investments to minimize, to the degree possible, any avoidable risk in this sport and on our property. We do not accept this as suitable or tolerable and share the frustrations of the public, and in some cases, the questions to which we do not yet have answers. We have been rigorously working since the opening of the meet to understand what has led to this spike and have yet to find a conclusive discernable pattern as we await the findings of ongoing investigations into those injuries and fatalities.

As with any matter under investigation, justice or answers are not always swift, but the commitment to being thorough is incredibly important. We understand the justified desire for answers, yet also respect the process and authority of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) when managing these important investigations. We are actively working in cooperation with these regulatory authorities and share their goal to improve the safety of this sport.

In recent weeks, we have been focused on our responsibility to provide the safest racing environment possible on our property. Part of that effort has included increasing the frequency with which our surfaces are tested. Earlier this week, Churchill Downs commissioned Dr. Mick Peterson, Executive Director of Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory and Professor of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Kentucky, to perform additional diagnostics on our racetrack. The report indicated that the measurements from retesting do not raise any concerns and that none of the data is inconsistent with prior measurements from Churchill Downs or other tracks.

We simply will not allow these equine fatalities to be in vain. We are engaged in an epidemiological study with the Jockey Club to review each individual horse to determine if there are any undetected patterns that have not been previously identified. These findings can be incorporated into our daily review of entries and potentially trigger additional interventions using advanced diagnostic modalities.

Additionally, we have worked to uncover ways to invest in research and resources that may be made available to trainers, so that together we can better detect pre-existing injuries and work to avoid catastrophic injuries in racing. We have made promising progress in determining ways to increase the use of technology to better inform and intervene when abnormalities in horses present and are eager to share these announcements with horsemen and the public in the coming days. This is in addition to mining and enhancing our already comprehensive safety protocols and policies (Churchill Downs “Safety from Start to Finish”), all developed over the years to improve upon every opportunity we have to advocate in the best interest of our equine and human athletes.

We are troubled by this recent string of fatalities. It is extremely inconsistent with the outcomes we have experienced over the years, with the reputation we have developed over the decades and with the expectations we set for ourselves and owe our fans. We are committed to doing this important work and updating the public with our developments.

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