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Eye Witness Bears Down To Win Belmont’s Paradise Creek S.

Eye Witness (City of Light) kept his win streak intact with a victory over the soaked turf at Belmont on Saturday afternoon in the Paradise Creek S.

After a debut third last fall against state bred company on the grass during the Belmont at the Big A meet, the bay colt went to the sidelines before coming back to his trainer's base at Turfway where he broke his maiden with a front-running score Jan. 1 by 1 3/4 lengths. Stepping up in class in the Animal Kingdom S. in Florence, he once again visited the winner's circle, this time after a 5 length-victory.

Off as the 5-2 co-second choice here, the Wesley Ward trainee was under a tight hold down the backstretch as a trio vied for the lead. Rounding the far turn, Eye Witness made his move to the outside, swept by them all and staved off a final push from Inflation Nation (Ire) (Speightstown) by a head at the wire.

“I didn't want to take the momentum away from him, and I felt like I probably moved a little sooner than I wanted to, but with the soft ground, sometimes if you stop the momentum, it's very hard to get it back,” Eye Witness's jockey, Jose Ortiz said. “I almost paid the price in the end, but I'm just glad we held on.”

Out of a female family which includes GII Swale S. hero Sharp Humor (Distorted Humor), the winner is a half-brother to SW More Mischief (Into Mischief). His dam is responsible for a 2-year-old filly by Practical Joke, who sold to Scott and Evan Dilworth for $220,000 at the '21 Fasig-Tipton Fall sale before she RND'd for $185,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York Bred Yearling sale last year, and also a yearling filly by Game Winner.

PARADISE CREEK S., $150,000, Belmont, 5-20, 3yo, 7fT, 1:25.32,
yl.
1–EYE WITNESS, 120, c, 3, by City of Light
1st Dam: Gracilia, by Mr. Greeley
2nd Dam: Bellona, by Hansel
3rd Dam: Basoof, by Believe It
($235,000 Wlg '20 FTKNOV; $650,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Jonathan Poulin, Derrick Smith and Michael B. Tabor; B-Anlyn Farms (NY); T-Wesley A. Ward; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $82,500. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $205,740. *1/2 to More Mischief (Into Mischief), SW, $255,493.
2–Inflation Nation (Ire), 118, c, 3, Speightstown–Urban Ball (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). (58,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT; $100,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Louis Lazzinnaro LLC and Michael Dubb; B-Yeguada Centurion S.L. (IRE); T-Christophe Clement. $30,000.
3–Vacation Dance, 120, c, 3, The Lieutenant–Matinee Express, by Zensational. ($45,000 Ylg '21 EASOCT; $140,000 RNA 2yo '22 OBSMAR; $90,000 2yo '22 EASMAY). O-Sleeping Giant Stables, LLC, America's Pastime Stables and KimDon Racing, LLC; B-Harry Landry & James Hogan (NY); T-John C. Kimmel. $18,000.
Margins: HD, 5HF, 5 3/4. Odds: 2.85, 2.40, 12.30.
Also Ran: Hey Eugene, Joey Freshwater, Son of a Birch, Charging,
Devils Only Friend. Scratched: Golden Nugget.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Justify’s Arabian Lion Romps In The Sir Barton

'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Lion (Justify) was sent off the 2-5 jolly for Saturday's Sir Barton S. at Pimlico and came away in the final 150 yards to become the 11th worldwide stakes winner (sixth in the U.S.) for his outstanding young stallion.

Off extremely alertly in a scratched-down field of five, the $600,000 OBS April breezer led through a leisurely opening quarter in :24.47 under an easy John Velazquez hold, but was forced to pick it up some in the middle stages, as second choice Tapit's Conquest (Tapit) went for a middle move three off the inside in an attempt to apply bit of pressure to the leader. Arabian Lion still held the call after three-quarters in 1:11.22 and when Tapit's Conquest gave it one final crack entering the final furlong, the burly chestnut hit another gear after a right-handed reminder from Velazquez and ran out a facile winner over a track that has been yielding quick times.

Named a 'Rising Star' for a three-length debut success at Santa Anita Oct. 9, Arabian Lion nearly overcame a bobbling start in a Breeders' Cup Friday allowance at Keeneland, setting for a close second behind next-out Springboard Mile runner-up Giant Mischief (Into Mischief). Inexplicably last of five when heavily favored in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity, he was fourth of four in the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Feb. 4 before just getting run down by would-be GI Preakness S. second favorite First Mission (Street Sense) in Keeneland's GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. Apr. 15.

“I should have run him in the Preakness!” said trainer Bob Baffert. “I didn't think he could lose in the Lexington. I was just, 'How did he get beat?' I think that race sort of helped him, and I wanted to give him one more time around two turns. He is such a beautiful horse. He is like a smaller version of Justify and I think he is just starting to wake up. What I saw today, and that time was pretty impressive, I think he [belonged] in the Preakness the way he ran today. The Belmont is a possibility with him.”

Arabian Lion is one of four winners from five to race out of a full-sister to the stakes-placed Mary Rita (Distorted Humor), whose multiple graded stakes-winning son Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro) was a bang-up third in the GII American Turf S. on the Kentucky Derby undercard. The colt, who counts the legendary Personal Ensign as his third dam, has a foal half-sister by Frosted. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

SIR BARTON S. SPONSORED BY BRANDON AND DIANNAH PERRY TO BENEFIT THE THOROUGHBRED AFTERCARE ALLIANCE, $99,000, Pimlico, 5-20, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:41.13 (NSR), ft.
1–ARABIAN LION, 118, c, 3, by Justify
1st Dam: Unbound (SP, $359,826), by Distorted Humor
2nd Dam: Possibility, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Personal Ensign, by Private Account
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($600,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Zedan Racing Stables Inc; B-Bonne Chance Farm LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-John R Velazquez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: GSP, 6-2-2-0, $217,600.
2–Tapit's Conquest, 118, c, 3, Tapit–Conquest Lil Miss, by Horse Greeley. 1ST BLACK-TYPE. ($350,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Robert V LaPenta, e Five Racing Thoroughbreds & Madaket Stables LLC; B-WinStar Farm LLC & Tapit Syndicate (KY); T-Brad H Cox. $20,000.
3–Denington, 118, c, 3, Gun Runner–Stronger Than Ever, by Congrats. O/B-Fern Circle Stables & Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek) (KY); T-Kenneth G McPeek. $10,000.
Margins: 4, 6HF, 2 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 3.00, 3.50.
Also Ran: Sheriff Ronnie, Feeling Woozy. Scratched: Masterwork.

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Mitole’s V V’s Dream Streaks to ‘Rising Star’-dom at Churchill

She'd been the buzz horse among the Churchill locals all day and V V's Dream (Mitole) took the first baby steps to making quite a few come true while securing 'TDN Rising Star'-dom in this stylish unveiling.

Breaking slowly and asked to race in seventh from two off the rail going into the turn, the grey bided her time as the field watched the other Mitole Cheetah Miss put up all the fractions as :21.90 and :45.59 flashed across the board.

Rolling under a full head of steam and splitting rivals from four wide as they turned for home, V V's Dream was under supremely confident handling passing the leader at the sixteenth pole. She kicked clear to win by 6 1/4 lengths, securing the nod from the TDN as well as claiming the honor of being her freshman sire (by Eskendereya)'s first North American winner and his flag-bearing 'Rising Star'. The final time was :57.91 was the five furlongs.

The most recent winner for her dam Quay, whose half-sister Quaver (Blame) is the dam of MGSW Kathleen O. (Upstart), V V's Dream hails from the female line of GISW Cupid (Tapit); MGSW Heart Ashley (Lion heart), herself responsible for MGSW-Jpn Fiano Romano (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and that one's full-sister GSP-Aus Ameristralia (Aus)–who in turn produced GSW Ain't Easy (Into Mischief); and course-record setter, MGSW Hostess. V V's Dream is the third winner and has a yearling half-brother by Volatile who was exported to Saudi Arabia as well as a 2023 half-brother by Yaupon.

https://twitter.com/ChurchillDowns/status/1659699537395748865

3rd-Churchill Downs, $118,881, Msw, 5-19, 2yo, f, 5f, :57.91, ft, 6 1/4 lengths.
V V'S DREAM, f, 2, by Mitole
                1st Dam: Quay, by Tapit
                2nd Dam: Skipper Tale, by Tale of the Cat
                3rd Dam: Pretty 'n Smart, by Beau Genius
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $69,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. O-MJM Racing; B-Mark Stansell (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. *$130,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP.

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Dazzling Blue Dazzles Once Again at Churchill

2nd-Churchill Downs, $127,840, Alw (NW2X)/Opt. Clm ($125,000), 5-19, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:10.28, ft, 8 3/4 lengths.
DAZZLING BLUE (f, 3, Into Mischief–Blue Violet {SW & MGSP, $237,356}, by Curlin) broke her maiden on debut last fall at Churchill Downs when she won by 4 1/2 lengths and then shipped to her trainer's winter base in December where she won the Letellier Memorial S. by 3 lengths at Fair Grounds before going to the bench. Off as the 4-5 favorite here, the bay filly seized the lead down the backstretch after a slow beginning. Rounding the far turn, Dazzling Blue set sail and into the stretch she dropped the hammer on previously unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Sunday Shoes (Pioneerof the Nile) to declare victory by 8 3/4 lengths. The winner's dam dropped a new colt by Bolt d'Oro Feb. 24. Sales History: $500,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $205,920. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Juddmonte; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.

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