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Seven-Figure Medaglia d’Oro Colt Earns ‘Rising Star’ Honors

Having finished a distant fourth on his Del Mar debut last August behind the likes of 'TDN Rising Star' and future dual Grade I winner Cave Rock (Arrogate) and subsequent multiple Grade II victor Practical Move (Practical Joke), Red Barons Barn and Rancho Temescal's Ultimate Gamble (Medaglia d'Oro) made his much anticipated 3-year-old debut in a one-mile maiden at Santa Anita Saturday afternoon. Pounded down to 70 cents on the dollar, the athletic dark bay colt was ridden in supremely confident fashion by Frankie Dettori and ran out an easy 2 1/4-length winner to earn 'Rising Star' honors of his own.

A half-brother to Eclipse Award and GI Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Drefong (Gio Ponti), MGISW, $1,538,385–now siring Classic winners in Japan–Ultimate Gamble was given a trio of six-furlong breezes leading into this comeback effort, suggesting that he prefers a trip considerably longer than his half-brother. Content to take a hold and let a few of his rivals to go on with it, Dettori allowed his mount to find his feet and settled him in third position and wide around the first turn, remaining in no particular hurry to move towards the lead down the backstretch.

Methodically drawing to within striking distance by the time the field hit the second bend, Ultimate Gamble was nursed along and leveled up three wide at the quarter pole, with Dettori taking a look back to see 4-year-old Palagio (Practical Joke) looking dangerous wider out. Asked to meet that challenge, Ultimate Gamble swapped his leads on cue, carried a two-length advantage into the final furlong and stayed on strongly for the victory, then galloped out a ton into the clubhouse turn while receiving a congratulatory pat from his Italian pilot. The winner covered his final two furlongs in a slick :24.52.

Bred by Machmer Hall, who acquired Eltimaas for $77,000 in foal to Mizzen Mast at the 2013 Keeneland November Sale, Ultimate Gamble first changed hands for $325,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale and went on to achieve the second-highest price at last year's OBS April Sale when hammering for $1.75 million (under-tack breeze). That was not the first time the progeny of the mare lit up the tote in Ocala, as Sui (Candy Ride {Arg}) fetched $675,000 at the 2019 March Sale, while Order of Magnitude (Curlin) made $425,000 at the 2021 April Sale.

Eltimaas, a half-sister to champion and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero Action This Day (Kris S.), is also the dam of a 2-year-old Curlin filly that was sent to Japan after selling for $525,000 at KEESEP last fall

4th-Santa Anita, $67,000, Msw, 4-1, 3, 4,/5yo, 1m, 1:36.68, ft, 2 1/4 lengths.
ULTIMATE GAMBLE, c, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Eltimaas, by Ghostzapper
2nd Dam: Najecam, by Trempolino
3rd Dam: Sue Warner, by *Forli
Sales history: $325,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $1,750,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $45,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline catalog-style pedigree.
O-Red Baron's Barn LLC & Rancho Temescal LLC; B-Machmer Hall, Carrie & Craig Brogden (KY); T-Mark Glatt.

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Forte Guts It Out in Curlin Florida Derby

There's your favorite for the GI Kentucky Derby.

Repole Stable and St Elias Stable's champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) punched his ticket to Louisville with a dramatic, come-from-behind victory as the 1-5 favorite in Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

Up against it from the get-go exiting from a much-discussed gate 11 draw in a field of 12 with a short run to the first turn, the $110,000 Keeneland September graduate was off to an alert beginning and raced in traffic to the clubhouse turn before setting deep and with only a couple of rivals behind as the slow-starting Southern Californian invader Fort Bragg (Tapit) burned across to lead clear.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. had the big favorite worse than midfield and in about the five path nearing the half-mile marker, at which point he began to get busy. But so, too, did Mage (Good Magic), who raced at the tail early on, in the slipstream of Forte towards the end of the backstretch and got first run with a powerful sweep around the turn. Racing in a pocket for a stride or two, but with ample galloping room, Forte allowed Mage to go on with it and he dueled with Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief)–who had also sat a wide trip from a high draw–into the final furlong. But produced down the center, Forte did his best work through the line and was comfortably clear by a length at the end of the nine furlongs. Mage was second; Cyclone Mischief was third.

The Florida Derby offered 200 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby with the first five finishers earning points on a 100-50-30-20-10 basis.

“I was worried, he had a lot to do turning for home,” said winning trainer Todd Pletcher after a record-extending seventh Florida Derby victory. “He had to angle out really wide and kind of got a wide trip all the way around there, but he had a pretty smooth run it; he just had to lose a lot of ground to do it. It looked like he had a lot to do still at the eighth pole but then really kicked in the last part and found his best stride the last sixteenth.”

Pletcher continued, “He got a lot of experience today. The one good thing about here is you get a big crowd, a noisy crowd, long post parade, so they get exposed to a lot. That experience hopefully pays off down the road.”

Repole added, “I knew it was going to be a big test for him. I didn't mind him having the 11 post. I thought he got an incredible education. I, too, at the eighth pole was saying, we're going to get second or third, and he just kept going and going and going. It was pretty special.”

Forte captured three straight Grade I events during his championship season in 2022, capped by an impressive success in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland Nov. 4. The dark bay returned to the races with a stylish tally in Gulfstream's GII Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 4.

“He just continues to amaze us,” Pletcher said. “He gets better and better. He handled the stretchout to a mile an eighth great and actually probably ran a mile and three-sixteenths today. It gives you a lot of confidence moving forward.”

Pletcher had previously counted Scat Daddy (2007), Constitution (2014), Materiality (2015), Always Dreaming (2017), Audible (2018) and Known Agenda (2021) for Florida Derby victories.

Mage, a sharp debut winner going seven furlongs on the GI Pegasus World Cup undercard at Gulfstream Jan. 28, was an unlucky fourth while making his two-turn debut in the Fountain of Youth. Cyclone Mischief, also exiting the Fountain of Youth, made it two straight third-place finishes behind Forte.

Pedigree Notes:

Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola bought 43 yearlings for more than $16 million to top the sheets for the first of two straight years at the 2021 Keeneland September sale. Forte was a $110,000 purchase out of that auction.

Forte is one of six Grade I winners for Violence. Forte's broodmare sire Blame has 12 stakes/six graded winners out of his daughters. Blame is also the sire of Saturday's impressive GIII Fantasy S. heroine Wet Paint, a leading contender for the GI Kentucky Oaks.

Forte is the first foal out of Queen Caroline, with her now-juvenile colt by Uncle Mo hammering for $850,000 to Mayberry Farm at Keeneland September. She lost her 2023 foal by Not This Time and was bred to Flightline in 2023. Her third dam is the MGSW Jeano (Fappiano), whose descendants also include champions Folklore (Tiznow) and Essential Quality (Tapit); Japanese champion Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}); and additional GISW Come Dancing (Malibu Moon). The family traces tail-female to the great La Troienne through her Broodmare of the Year granddaughter by War Admiral, Striking.

Saturday, Gulfstream
CURLIN FLORIDA DERBY PRESENTED BY HILL 'N' DALE FARMS AT XALAPA-GI, $1,000,000, Gulfstream, 4-1, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:48.51, ft.
1–FORTE, 122, c, 3, by Violence
                1st Dam: Queen Caroline (MSW, $401,608), by Blame
                2nd Dam: Queens Plaza, by Forestry
                3rd Dam: Kew Garden, by Seattle Slew
'TDN Rising Star'. ($80,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $110,000 Ylg '21
KEESEP). O-Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable; B-South Gate
Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $576,600.
Lifetime Record: Ch. 2-year-old colt, 7-6-0-0, $2,409,830.
Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mage, 122, c, 3, Good Magic–Puca, by Big Brown.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. ($235,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $290,000 2yo '22 EASMAY).
O-OGMA Investments, LLC, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing
LLC and CMNWLTH; B-Grandview Equine (KY); T-Gustavo
Delgado. $186,000.
3–Cyclone Mischief, 122, c, 3, Into
Mischief–Areyoucominghere, by Bernardini. 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. ($450,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC
and Castleton Lyons; B-Castleton Lyons & Kilboy Estate (KY);
T-Dale L. Romans. $93,000.
Margins: 1, 2, 2. Odds: 0.30, 4.70, 13.10.
Also Ran: Mr. Ripple, Fort Bragg, Il Miracolo, West Coast Cowboy, Jungfrau, Nautical Star, Mr. Peeks, Dubyuhnell, Shaq Diesel.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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From Last to First, Blame’s Wet Paint Takes the Fantasy

It's hard to fault Wet Paint (f, 3, Blame–Sky Painter, by Street Cry {Ire}), who can win on wet or dry, has improved with each start, looks to like a distance, is unbeaten on dirt, and has been unstoppable in Oaklawn Park's 3-year-old filly series, with her latest conquest Saturday's GIII Fantasy S. in Hot Springs. The late-running Godolphin homebred won her third straight as she marches to the GI Kentucky Oaks as the current points leader with 170. The Fantasy divvied up points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks with a scale of 100-40-30-20-10, also giving Taxed (Collected) and Olivia Twist (Mshawish), who chased Wet Paint home in second and third, respectively, a potential spot in the Oaks gate May 5.

Winning trainer Brad Cox won the Oaks in 2018 with Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) and again in 2020 with Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil).

The 3-5 heavy favorite in the Fantasy, Wet Paint trailed far back–at least a dozen lengths–early as 5-1 Grand Love (Gun Runner) led with her ears pricked through :22.98 and :47.08 fractions. Roused entering the turn, Wet Paint swept around the field with ease and loomed menacingly as Grand Love was swamped in mid-stretch. Under minimal encouragement, Wet Paint flew by at least five wide as Taxed and Olivia Twist picked up the leftovers to her inside. Wrapped up on at the end, Wet Paint won far easier than the 2 1/2-length margin would suggest. She was Cox's second Fantasy winner following Sassy Sienna (Midshipman) in 2018 and Godolphin's first.

“I guess when you break and they kind of get away from you a bit you're always a little concerned,” said Cox. “But they were strung out a little bit. I saw the half in 47 and thought she was going to be able to close into it, and she finished up well. When Flavien [Prat] asked her to pick it up at the half-mile, you could tell he was riding her with a lot of confidence. At the three-eighths pole, she ranged up and was just cruising along. Very happy with how she finished up and galloped out. She ran great, won going away.”

Wet Paint has never been beaten on dirt. She broke her maiden at second asking at Horseshoe Indianapolis last October and captured both the Jan. 28 Martha Washington S. and the Feb. 25 GIII Honeybee S. at Oaklawn this year, the latter two with twin 83 Beyer Speed Figures. Her only career losses came on debut on the Kentucky Downs grass and a December start in an optional allowance on Turfway's synthetic surface. All three of her previous main track starts were in the slop or on a wet-fast track, making the Fantasy, contested on a dry and fast track, an important test. She passed.

Cox said Wet Paint would likely ship to Churchill Downs this week to prepare for the Oaks.

Pedigree Notes:

Claiborne's Blame, the most established sire son of Claiborne's late Arch, has 45 black-type winners, including 21 graded winners. Wet Paint isn't the first of Blame's progeny to star as a sophomore at Oaklawn–his son, Nadal, won a division of the GI Arkansas Derby and GII Rebel S. in 2020 and now stands in Japan. Wet Paint is Blame's first stakes winner out of a Street Cry (Ire) mare, the latter having 135 black-type winners out of his daughters. The late Street Cry stood at Darley, the flagship U.S. farm of Godolphin.

Wet Paint is out of Sky Painter, second in Belmont's GIII Miss Grillo S. in 2013 and, like her daughter, a homebred for Godolphin. The Fantasy winner's fourth dam is Nastique (Naskra), a four-time Grade I winner and a multiple stakes producer. Sky Painter has a yearling filly by Darley stallion Medaglia d'Oro and was bred back to Not This Time for this spring.

Saturday, Oaklawn Park
FANTASY S.-GIII, $600,000, Oaklawn, 4-1, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:44.08, ft.
1–WET PAINT, 122, f, 3, by Blame
          1st Dam: Sky Painter (GSP, $169,755), by Street Cry (Ire)
          2nd Dam: Skylighter, by Sky Mesa
          3rd Dam: Painted Lady, by Broad Brush
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $354,900.
Lifetime Record: 6-4-1-0, $689,000. Werk Nick
Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click
for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Taxed, 119, f, 3, Collected–Yankee Union, by Yankee
Gentleman. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($27,000 Ylg '21
KEESEP; $105,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR). O-Richard Bahde;
B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Randy L. Morse. $109,200.
3–Olivia Twist, 122, f, 3, Mshawish–Twinkling, by War Chant.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($20,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $230,000
2yo '22 OBSOPN). O-Brad King, Randy Andrews, G. Chris
Coleman, Jim Cone, Suzanne Kirby and Lee Lewis; B-Brushy
Hill, LLC (KY); T-Todd W. Fincher. $54,600.
Margins: 2HF, HF, 2 1/4. Odds: 0.60, 33.10, 50.00.
Also Ran: Condensation, Grand Love, Pate, Towhead,
Take Charge Briana, Royal Spa, She's Lookin Lucky.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Lookin At Lucky’s Eyeing Clover Rebounds in Hot Springs

Fresh off a fourth-place finish behind Raise Cain (Violence) in the Mar. 4 GIII Gotham S. at Aqueduct, Eyeing Clover (c, 3, Lookin At Lucky–Floral Park, by Forest Wildcat) got a black-type win of his own in Oaklawn's Hot Springs S. Saturday. It was blinkers off for the chestnut, who encountered his share of trouble throughout. He broke like a shot, leaping straight to the early lead for a few brief strides until the pair of Rocking Rocket (American Pharoah) and Cactus (Twirling Candy) hounded him with the latter coming over and appearing to step straight into his path. Eyeing Clover steadied and looked to turn a bit rank but didn't throw in the towel. As the first quarter and half ticked by in :23.01 and :46.85, he regained his rail position, shifted outside when he found some room, and moved disdainfully by the original duo that caused him trouble. Eyeing Clover took control, drifted slightly in the lane, and was chased home by Gun Pilot (Gun Runner), whom he held comfortably at bay by a length. It was another 6 1/2 lengths back to Cactus.

“He broke very sharp, put me in a good spot,” said winning pilot Florent Geroux. “I let those two horses in front of me go, dictate [the pace]. The first turn was a little bit messy to be honest. Nice trip down the backside, relaxed. When those horses in front of me started getting tired, I just took over and took command. He was brave. [Gun Pilot] was making a nice run and my horse held him off…. He ran good. A mile, to be honest, is probably about as far as he wants to go.”

Prior to his unplaced Gotham, Eyeing Clover was unbeaten. After a sharp debut over six furlongs Dec. 31 at Oaklawn, he shipped to Fair Grounds for an optional allowance Jan. 28 at the same distance to romp by 9 3/4 lengths and register an 86 Beyer Speed Figure. The Gotham, at the same mile distance as the Hot Springs, was his first start beyond six furlongs.

Eyeing Clover is the fourth black-type winner for his dam, whose GSW Heavenhasmynikki (Majestic Warrior) sold for $775,000 in foal to Into Mischief at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale and was sent to Japan after Katsumi Yoshida signed the ticket. The mare has a yearling filly by American Pharoah and was bred back to Uncle Mo for this spring. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

HOT SPRINGS S., $200,000, Oaklawn, 4-1, 3yo, 1m, 1:39.45, ft.
1–EYEING CLOVER, 117, c, 3, by Lookin At Lucky
               1st Dam: Floral Park, by Forest Wildcat
               2nd Dam: Floral Beauty, by Gone West
               3rd Dam: Chelsey Flower, by His Majesty
($55,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Ten
Strike Racing; B-Mike Abraham (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent
Geroux. $128,050. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $230,650. *1/2
to Dougs Buddy (Badge of Silver), MSW & GSP, $213,959;
1/2 to Floral Sky (Sky Mesa), SW, $206,732; 1/2 to
Heavenhasmynikki (Majestic Warrior), GSW, $426,730.
2–Gun Pilot, 119, c, 3, Gun Runner–Bush Pilot, by Smart
Strike. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Three Chimneys Farm, LLC
(KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $39,400.
3–Cactus, 117, c, 3, Twirling Candy–Gypsy Judy, by Kitalpha.
($52,000 Ylg '21 EASOCT; $300,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR).
1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Ronnie Patterson; B-James A Hibbert
(MD); T-Randy L. Morse. $19,700.
Margins: 1, 6HF, 3/4. Odds: 1.80, 1.20, 5.10.
Also Ran: Powerful, Rocking Rocket. Scratched: Carmel Road, Frosted Departure.

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