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Stilleto Boy Gets His Grade I in Big ‘Cap

Stilleto Boy (Shackleford), so often a major player in graded races but seldom a winner, finally got the big one, winning the GI Santa Anita H. Saturday at the Great Race Place. He was third in last year's Big 'Cap, had filled out the trifecta in both the 2022 and 2023 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S., and had placed in another two Grade I races. Saturday was his day to shine, as he wore down pacesetting favorite and GISW Defunded (Dialed In)–whom he finished one slot behind in the Pegasus–and held off GISW Proxy (Tapit) to post a 13-1 upset.

Hall of Fame rider Kent Desormeaux was aboard the winner, giving him his first win in the race since 2002, when he won with Milwaukee Brew (Wild Again). He also scored in 1992 with Best Pal (Habitony {Ire}). Juan Hernandez–on third-place finisher Defunded–wasn't even born when Desormeaux won his first Santa Anita H.

At the break, Stilleto Boy flashed his speed to take the lead, but promptly surrendered to a determined Defunded before the :23.34 first quarter. Stablemates Defunded and Hopper (Declaration of War) slugged it out up top through a :46.16 half while the blaze-faced winner patiently kept to the inside behind the top two. Although shuffled back a bit between horses as the six furlongs unfolded in 1:10.72, Stilleto Boy was moving well and was clearly still aiming to factor at the mile marker. The 5-year-old gelding swung wide and kept grinding down the lane, steadily making progress on the frontrunners as Desormeaux kept busy. A final surge propelled Stilleto Boy to the wire just in time with Proxy missing by a mere neck and Defunded just another half-length in arrears. The final time was 2:01.96.

“I've been telling everyone that he is the best horse in racing,” said winning trainer Ed Moger, Jr. “I really think he is the best horse, the race in the Pegasus was a really strong race and we had him go out of the 11 hole that day. Defunded barely beat us that day, so I knew we could beat him because we had beaten him before; I thought he was the horse to beat. I thought [my horse] could win, and he's been training great.”

Acquired for $420,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July Selected Horses of Racing Age sale in 2021 off a win in the Iowa Derby while under the tutelage of Doug Anderson, the chestnut has run exclusively in stakes company since his purchase by the Moger brothers. Steve owns; Ed trains. Stilleto Boy has given them only two wins since then, but they've been substantial. In addition to Saturday's Big 'Cap, he also won the GII Californian S. last April with a 108 Beyer Speed Figure. He's placed in another seven graded races for the Mogers and more than repaid his sales price, earning nearly $1.5 million since his purchase.

Pedigree Notes:

Stilleto Boy is one of eight graded winners for the charismatic 2011 GI Preakness S. winner Shackleford, who also is the sire of 23 black-type winners. A flashy chestnut like his son, Shackleford first stood at Darby Dan Farm in Central Kentucky before being sold just before the 2020 breeding season to continue his career in South Korea. Interestingly, Shackleford's two Grade I winners–Stilleto Boy and Promises Fulfilled–are both out of Marquetry mares. Marquetry, another flashy chestnut with plenty of chrome, died at age 26 in 2013 after being pensioned to Old Friends. Marquetry has 50 stakes winners out of his daughters.

Dam Rosie's Ransom, whose last reported foal is the now-juvenile colt Irish Ransom (Gormley), has produced three stakes performers, but Stilleto Boy is heads and shoulders above the rest. He is the first-ever graded winner produced in his immediate female family, although a very distant relation is 1972 champion older mare Typecast (Prince John).

Saturday, Santa Anita
SANTA ANITA H. PRESENTED BY YAAMAVA' RESORT & CASINO-GI, $502,000, Santa Anita, 3-4, 4yo/up, 1 1/4m, 2:01.96, ft.
1–STILLETO BOY, 122, g, 5, by Shackleford
               1st Dam: Rosie's Ransom, by Marquetry
                2nd Dam: Gold Ransom, by Red Ransom
                3rd Dam: Flaming Gold, by Storm Bird
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($420,000 3yo '21 FTKHRA). O-Steve
Moger; B-John & Iveta Kerber (KY); T-Ed Moger, Jr.; J-Kent J.
Desormeaux. $300,000. Lifetime Record: 21-4-4-8,
$1,711,675. *1/2 to Rosie My Rosie (Purge), SW, $342,483.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Proxy, 123, h, 5, Tapit–Panty Raid, by Include. O/B-Godolphin
(KY); T-Michael Stidham. $100,000.
3–Defunded, 125, g, 5, Dialed In–Wind Caper, by Touch Gold.
($210,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson
and Paul Weitman; B-Athens Woods LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.
$60,000.
Margins: NK, HF, 1HF. Odds: 13.90, 3.20, 1.30.
Also Ran: Hopper, There Goes Harvard, Tisquantum, Newgrange, Warrant, Heywoods Beach. Scratched: Parnelli, Scarlet Fusion.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Stilleto Boy Gets His Grade I in Big ‘Cap appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Gold Phoenix Rises To Challenge In Kilroe Mile

Gold Phoenix (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) jumped out of the ground with an eighth of a mile to run in Saturday's GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. at Santa Anita and outsprinted the fast-finishing Du Jour (Temple City) for a maiden success at the top level.

Beaten for speed, the chestnut settled in the second half of the field as Air Force Red (Air Force Blue) cut out a modest pace of :47.06 for the opening half-mile while pursued by Masteroffoxhounds (War Front). The Kilroe field was tightly bunched as they approached the entrance to the second turn, with the two pacesetters continuing to dictate as even-money Hong Kong Harry (Ire) (Es Que Love {GB}) slid up three wide to loom a danger. Remaining glued to the fence and quietly ridden into the final three-eighths of a mile by Kazushi Kimura, Gold Phoenix traveled strongly into the lane, exploded through a hole four off the inside at the furlong grounds and found the wire a neck to the good of Du Jour, who also displayed a sharp turn of foot to just miss. Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile) was along late for third ahead of the race favorite, who made an awkward move outside the eighth pole and never fully recovered.

An allowance winner over course and distance last April, Gold Phoenix was campaigned at nine furlongs and beyond for the balance of the season, highlighted by a head victory over Master Piece (Chi) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in last year's GII Del Mar H. going a mile and three-eighths Sept. 3. Beaten a neck into third as the 13-10 chalk in the GII John Henry Turf Championship at 10 panels Oct. 1, Gold Phoenix was last seen finishing a wide-trip 10th in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland Nov. 5.

Pedigree Notes:

Gold Phoenix is the first top-level scorer for his sire, a son of Lope de Vega (Ire) who began his career at Darley's Kildangan Stud in Ireland and now shuttles between Bearstone Stud in the United Kingdom and Haunui Farm in New Zealand.

The winner's dam, a full-sister to Hong Kong Group 1 winner Sea Defence (Giant Treasure–HK) and to MGSW Jibboom–the dam of Irish Group 3 winner Flying Jib (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB})– was purchased by Jim Ryan for $70,000 in foal to Bellamy Road at the 2014 Keeneland November Sale. Magnifica is the dam of a yearling full-brother to Gold Phoenix.

Saturday, Santa Anita
FRANK E. KILROE MILE S.-GI, $501,500, Santa Anita, 3-4, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:34.45, gd.
1–GOLD PHOENIX (IRE), 122, g, 5, by Belardo (Ire)
                1st Dam: Magnifica, by Mizzen Mast
                2nd Dam: Palisade, by Gone West
                3rd Dam: Peplum, by Nijinsky II
1ST GRADE I WIN. (€24,000 RNA Ylg '19 GOFSPT). O-Little Red
Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, LLC and Marsha Naify;
B-Mighty Universe Ltd (Ire); T-Philip D'Amato; J-Kazushi
Kimura. $300,000. Lifetime Record: 11-4-3-3, $675,257.
Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Du Jour, 120, g, 5, Temple City–Guiltless, by Bernardini.
($19,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $280,000 2yo '20 OBSAPR). O-Natalie
Baffert and Debbie Lanni; B-Woods Edge Farm, LLC (KY);
T-Bob Baffert. $100,000.
3–Cabo Spirit, 122, g, 4, Pioneerof the Nile–Fancy Day (Ire),
by Shamardal. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($145,000 RNA Ylg '20
KEESEP; $575,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Kretz Racing LLC;
B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-George Papaprodromou. $60,000.
Margins: NK, 3/4, NK. Odds: 10.80, 10.20, 37.30.
Also Ran: Hong Kong Harry (Ire), Air Force Red, Masteroffoxhounds, Balnikhov (Ire), Royal Ship (Brz). Scratched: Irideo (Arg).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Champion Forte Super Strong in Fountain of Youth

The champ is back and possibly better than ever.

Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and champion 2-year-old colt 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) returned to the races in style with a powerful performance in Saturday's GII Fountain of Youth S., good for 50 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby.

“We kind of carefully laid it out and put him in a program that would put him in the condition to be ready to run and still having room for improvement and room to continue to develop,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I think we were able to accomplish that.”

He added, “Honestly, I can't say I was surprised. I felt really, really good the way this horse was coming into the race. It looks like there's a lot of upside.”

The 1-2 favorite broke slightly inward and bumped with a rival at the start. He recovered nicely and traveled kindly in fifth as longshot Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief), the beaten favorite in the GIII Holy Bull S., led them through fractions of :24.05 and :47.65. Stuck in some traffic on the far turn, jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. tipped Forte out and into the clear four deep approaching the top of the stretch. He took off from there to win impressively going away by 4 1/2 lengths. Rocket Can (Into Mischief), winner of the aforementioned local prep, was up for second. Cyclone Mischief stayed on for third.

Forte, a $110,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by Repole Stables and St. Elias Stable, capped his sensational juvenile season with three straight Grade I victories. In addition to his win at the Championships, Forte also captured last summer's GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga and the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. The latter was his first attempt around two turns.

“It's special,” winning co-owner Mike Repole said. “Very special. Very special. You know, for a horse making his first start in four months against other horses who have already raced this year, he does it with so much confidence. He's just checking all the boxes right now. He's a pretty special horse right now.”

As for the Kentucky Derby, Repole added, “It's always been the dream. Dream big, dream bigger. It's a good feeling right now.”

Pedigree Notes:

It's good to be a Hill 'n' Dale stallion. In addition to Curlin siring three individual Eclipse winners of 2022 and Good Magic battling down to the wire for freshman sire supremacy last term, Violence had two winners on the Road to the Kentucky Derby Saturday, with Forte joining the hour-earlier GIII Gotham S. winner Raise Cain at Aqueduct. Violence, himself runner-up in the 2013 Fountain of Youth in what would be his last career start, now has 31 Northern Hemisphere-bred black-type winners and nine graded winners.

Forte's broodmare sire, Claiborne stallion Blame, also had two graded winners Saturday as a damsire, with Danse Macabre–by yet another Hill 'n' Dale stallion in Army Mule–winning the GIII Herecomesthebride S. at Gulfstream. Blame has 11 stakes winners out of his daughters.

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 2022 foal and was bred to Not This Time for this term. 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
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH S.-GII, $400,000, Gulfstream, 3-4, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.12, ft.
1–FORTE, 123, 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. $238,080.
Lifetime Record: Ch. 2-year-old Colt & MGISW, 6-5-0-0,
$1,833,230. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Rocket Can, 123, c, 3, Into Mischief–Tension, by Tapit.
($245,000 RNA Ylg '21 FTSAUG). O-Frank Fletcher Racing
Operations, Inc.; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY);
T-William I. Mott. $76,800.
3–Cyclone Mischief, 121, c, 3, Into
Mischief–Areyoucominghere, by Bernardini. 1ST BLACK TYPE,
1ST GRADED 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. $38,400.
Margins: 4HF, 1 1/4, 1. Odds: 0.50, 6.70, 15.60.
Also Ran: Mage, Shadow Dragon, Il Miracolo, Dangerous Ride, Blazing Sevens, Legacy Isle. Scratched: General Jim.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Inside ‘Move’ a Winning One in San Felipe

Trainer Tim Yakteen had five of the 11 entrants in Saturday's GII San Felipe S. at Santa Anita–four of which were transferred from the Bob Baffert barn–but the horse who had been with him from the start, Practical Move (Practical Joke), emerged victorious in the GI Kentucky Derby prep.

With new stablemate and morning-line choice National Treasure (Quality Road) forced to scratch with a foot issue, Practical Move was backed at 4-1, having not been seen since annexing the GII Los Alamitos Futurity decisively in December. He worked his way into a perfect ground-saving spot a few off seven-figure Hejazi (Bernardini), and inched ominously closer heading for home, only to find himself with no real running room and being forced to tap on the brakes. Hejazi came off the fence into the stretch as favorite Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) was pumped on outside, however, and Practical Move now had all the real estate he needed to stretch his legs. He took a few up-and-down strides while sorting out his leads, but leveled off powerfully to report home 2 1/2 lengths clear in 1:42.01. Richard Mandella-trained Geaux Rocket Ride completed the exacta, with John Shireffs pupil Skinner (Curlin) rounding out the triple.

The former Baffert runners were led by Hejazi in fourth, followed by Fort Bragg (Tapit) fifth and Mr Fisk (Arrogate) sixth.

The winner was second behind future MGISW Baffert monster Cave Rock (Arrogate) on debut at Del Mar Aug. 13, and was third to the aforementioned National Treasure back at that venue a few weeks later. He was promoted from second to first after being interfered with by Fort Bragg when stretched to a mile here Oct. 10, and cut back a furlong to be third in the GIII Bob Hope S. Nov. 20 behind two other Baffert trainees before his breakout performance at Los Al.

“This horse keeps getting better and better every day,” said winning rider Ramon Vazquez. “He can go inside or outside. He is comfortable wherever. He lets me do my job and he does the rest. I only rode him once [in the Los Alamitos Futurity], but I know he is very aggressive from the gate, so I let him do his thing. He galloped out very good. I have always dreamed of winning the Kentucky Derby. I had one previous chance in 2015 [with Mr. Z] for Mr. [D. Wayne] Lukas. I'm hoping for another chance here.”

Yakteen, celebrating his first San Felipe trophy (his former boss Baffert has nine), said of the winner, “He is a very healthy horse. He is a phenomenally gifted horse. I am amazed at how strong he is and how he has matured from a 2-year-old to a 3-year-old. Everything has fallen into place. There was only one challenge before this race, I felt we needed to get one more work in.

“There is nothing more satisfying than winning, so I am taking this in stride. I have to give kudos to my staff and thank them for the job they have done. They are the unsung heroes here.

“I've also got to tip my hat to [owners] Leslie and Jean Pierre [Amestoy]. They were the ones who went to Florida and bought this horse.

“I plan to start him again. I want to leave the canvas blank now and we'll make the call later, but I think he will have one more start before the [Kentucky] Derby.”

With the 50 points he picked up Saturday, Practical Move sits second on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 60.

Co-owner Leslie Amestoy said, “This was our dream. It's been our dream for years and we love the colt, we are so happy and we really think we have a great horse.”

Pierre Jean Amestoy Jr. added, “We've seen him improve every race, almost. The first couple of races, he was green and didn't know how to switch leads. Tim has brought him along perfectly and has taught him, and now he's finishing like we expected he could finish. Like Leslie said, I think we've got a good one.”

Saturday, Santa Anita
SAN FELIPE S.-GII, $402,000, Santa Anita, 3-4, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:42.01, ft.
1–PRACTICAL MOVE, 124, c, 3, by Practical Joke
                1st Dam: Ack Naughty (MSP, $310,450), by Afleet Alex
                2nd Dam: Dash for Money, by General Meeting
                3rd Dam: Hot Lear, by Lear Fan
($90,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP; $230,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR).
O-Leslie A. Amestoy, Pierre Jean Amestoy, Jr. and Roger K.
Beasley; B-Chad Brown & Head of Plains Partners (KY); T-Tim
Yakteen; J-Ramon A. Vazquez. $240,000. Lifetime Record:
6-3-1-2, $434,200. Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Geaux Rocket Ride, 120, c, 3, Candy Ride (Arg)–Beyond
Grace, by Uncle Mo. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK
TYPE. ($350,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL). O-Pin Oak Stud LLC; B-OXO
Equine LLC (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella. $80,000.
3–Skinner, 120, c, 3, Curlin–Winding Way, by Malibu Moon.
($40,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $510,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-C R K
Stable LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY);
T-John A. Shirreffs. $48,000.
Margins: 2HF, 1 1/4, HF. Odds: 4.20, 2.70, 2.80.
Also Ran: Hejazi, Fort Bragg, Mr Fisk, Chase the Chaos, Genius Jimmy, Bluegrass Go Go. Scratched: Crypto Ride, National Treasure.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:
Practical Move, a :10 1/5 OBSAPR breezer, is one of four Northern Hemisphere graded winners for her sire (10 overall). He is one of eight worldwide graded/group winners out of a mare by GI Preakness S. and GI Belmont S. hero Afleet Alex. Also among that group is 2019 Belmont winner Sir Winston.

Dam Ack Naughty was just a $20,000 SARAUG RNA, but racked up more than $310,000 in New York turf events for Sol Kumin and partners and trainer Chad Brown, who had Practical Joke in the barn at the same time. Ack Naughty produced a Complexity colt in 2022 before selling to Chester and Mary Broman for $500,000 at this year's Keeneland January sale. The Upstart foal she was carrying at the time was unfortunately stillborn. Ack Naughty hails from the family of champion older horse Vino Rosso.

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