6th-Tampa Bay Downs, $24,000, Msw, 2-19, 3yo, 1mT, 1:36.33, fm, 1 1/4 lengths. SILVER PEAK (c, 3, Quality Road–Dreamologist {GSW, $203,710}, by Tapit) debuted over the synthetic track at Woodbine Nov. 13 and got up to be second when traveling 6 1/2 furlongs. Given the stretch out and the change of surface Sunday, the gray jumped from the blocks as the narrow 7-5 second choice and dove to the front to lead narrowly into the first turn. Showing the way through opening fractions of :23.63 and :48.85, Silver Peak held his position up the backstretch as Life At Sea (West Coast) stayed a length off of him in second. The top pair stayed one-two as they swung past the quarter pole with Silver Peak maintaining his advantage down the stretch, keeping Life At Sea at bay to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Out of GIII Las Cienegas S. winner Dreamologist-herself a daughter of champion 2-year-old filly Dreaming of Anna (Rahy) and half-sister to GISP & sire Fast Anna (Medaglia d'Oro)-Silver Peak's third dam is a half-sister to champion grass horse and leading sire Kitten's Joy (El Prado {Ire}). Silver Peak has a yearling half-brother by Curlin while Dreamologist visited leading general sire Into Mischief for a 2023 foal. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $25,166. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O/B-LNJ Foxwoods (KY); T-Josie Carroll.
Ten Strike Racing's Eyeing Clover (Lookin at Lucky), unbeaten in two lifetime starts, could make his stakes debut in the Mar. 4 GIII Gotham S. at Aqueduct. The Brad Cox trainee opened his career with a 1 1/2-length victory going six furlongs at Oaklawn Park Dec. 31 and aired by 9 3/4 lengths going that same distance in a Fair Grounds allowance Jan. 28 (video).
A win in the one-mile Gotham could earn Eyeing Clover a trip back to Oaklawn for the Apr. 1 GI Arkansas Derby, according to Ten Strike co-managing partner Marshall Gramm.
“The core of our partners are Arkansans and we wanted to use this step towards the Arkansas Derby,” Gramm said. “That's a race we'd really love to win and participate in. For us, the dream race is the Arkansas Derby and the Gotham seems like a good stepping stone for it. We didn't want to quite jump up from an allowance to first time routing in the [GII] Rebel [at Oaklawn Park] next week from a timing standpoint and that race looks really tough. But the Gotham looks like it could be a really competitive race as well.”
Eyeing Clover, who was purchased by bloodstock agent Liz Crow on behalf of Ten Strike for $55,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September sale, is a half-brother to speedy graded stakes winner Heavenhasmynikki (Majestic Warrior).
“We've been huge Lookin at Lucky fans and we think this one is going to get better as the distances get longer, though his female family is fairly sprint-based,” Gramm said. “We're excited about coming to New York for the Gotham and excited about the horse's future. They bred a speedy female family to Lookin at Lucky and it's given us an early developer. We have every reason to believe, based on the sire, that he should improve going longer and we hope the Gotham is that first step towards the Arkansas Derby.”
Gramm continued, “We've been working with Liz and she buys all of our yearlings and 2-year-olds. This was one that really jumped out at her. It was a fast-looking Lookin at Lucky and she knew our affinity for the stallion and loved the female family as well. Hopefully, putting those two together can put us on the trail.”
Eyeing Clover worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 (4/48) at Fair Grounds Saturday.
Cox could also be represented in the Gotham by Slip Mahoney (Arrogate), who broke his maiden going one mile at Aqueduct Jan. 21. Owned by Gold Square LLC, the gray colt worked five furlongs in 1:01.00 (3/18) over Belmont's training track Saturday.
The Gotham is the penultimate New York prep on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and awards the top-five finishers points based off a 50-20-15-10-5 scale. The nine-furlong Arkansas Derby is a 100-40-30-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifier.
Stepping up to the top level for the first time in what has already been a productive career, Godolphin's Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) ran a strong 1600 metres and comfortably held a final-furlong rally from the classy Red le Zele (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) to land Sunday's February S. at Tokyo Racecourse. A fourth consecutive American-bred winner of the 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, Lemon Pop will remain over shorter trips and holds an invitation to the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen in five weeks' time. Despite the obvious appeal of such a journey, connections were playing it close to the vest post-race.
“Lemon Pop has been invited to Dubai, but we won't be making a decision on this for some time yet,” said Godolphin Japan President Harry Sweeney, who purchased the chestnut in the name of Paca Paca Farm for $70,000 as a weanling at the 2018 Keeneland November Sale. “Thrilled that Lemon Pop has won a Group 1 race at his first attempt and won in good style. We are relieved that he now has a JRA Group 1 on his curriculum vitae which will be very important for his next career whenever he finishes racing.”
Handed a good draw in gate seven, Lemon Pop was in the vanguard early, but was content to drift back a few spots as the mare Shonan Nadeshiko (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) took the 16-strong field through an opening half-mile in a solid :46.60. Tipped out into the four path with about 600 metres to travel, Lemon Pop traveled strongly into the race and was under a long hold–having yet to be asked for his best–as the field hit the quarter pole. Finally given a dig by Ryusei Sakai approaching the final furlong, Lemon Pop pinched a break as Red le Zele flashed and loomed a momentary danger, but the favourite had the race well and truly in safe keeping and proved a clear-cut winner. Meisho Hario (Jpn) (Pyro) nearly unseated jockey Suguru Hamanaka at the break and was a long last down the backstretch, but rallied strongly to finish third.
The other US-bred winners of the race include Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}) in 2020 and Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah) the last two years.
The victory was the second at group level for Lemon Pop, who rebounded from a tough loss in the G3 Musashino S. over course and distance Nov. 12 to reverse form with Gilded Mirror (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) in the G3 Negishi S. over seven panels Jan. 29. Jockey Keita Tosaki had ridden Lemon Pop to each of his seven previous wins, but opted for fourth-placed Dry Stout (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) Sunday, much to Sweeney's surprise.
“[We] were shocked to read in the sports papers just two weeks ago that Keita Tosaki had decided to get off Lemon Pop to ride another horse,” said Sweeney. “We then had to scramble to find a replacement and we are delighted with Sakai-san's performance today. It was a pressure ride for him too as he was riding Lemon Pop, the favourite, for the first time and in a Group 1 race.”
Added the winning jockey: “I am grateful to be given the chance to ride such a strong and favored horse and am happy we won. He responded well and pulled away strongly all the way to the wire.”
'TDN Rising Star'Shirl's Speight (Speightstown) sat an inside trip from a disadvantageous low draw and was beaten about 10 lengths into ninth.
“From what the jockey was telling me, he wasn't enjoying the kickback that much, but I think he ran an OK race,” said trainer Roger Attfield. “I just think he's a superiour turf horse, but we gave it a try.”
Pedigree Notes:
On behalf of former Darley executive Olly Tait and his wife, Blandford Bloodstock went to 165,000gns for Unreachable from the Juddmonte draft at the 2012 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. Unreachable is a daughter of Harpia, a full-sister to the highly influential Danehill as well as Eagle Eyed and Shibboleth, etc., and is a half-sister to the stakes-placed First Word (Chester House) and the young American regional stallion Redesdale (Speightstown). This is also the family of Dundonnell (First Defence), a Group 3 winner in England, a listed winner in Hong Kong and Group 3-placed in Dubai.
Unreachable was offered in foal to Good Magic at the 2020 Keeneland January Sale but was led out unsold on a bid of $55,000. The mare was privately acquired by Jay and Christine Hayden's Saintsbury Farms and the colt the mare was carrying at the time–an Ontario-bred now named Equivoque–would go on to fetch $325,000 from China Horse Club/Gandharvi at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. Unreachable is also the dam of a 2-year-old colt by Good Magic and a yearling colt by Maclean's Music. A Maximum Security colt out of Lemon Pop's half-sister Regal Rags (Union Rags) was sold for $110,000 at Keeneland November last fall. Unreachable, now 14 years of age, was entered for, but was unsurprisingly withdrawn from this year's Keeneland January Sale when again in foal to Maclean's Music.
Lemon Pop is the 10th worldwide Grade I/Group 1 winner for his sire, who was pensioned from stud duties at Lane's End in 2021 and is his second top-level winner out of a Giant's Causeway dam. The late 'Iron Horse' is now the broodmare sire of 32 G1SW/GISW.
Sunday, Tokyo, Japan FEBRUARY S.-G1, ¥232,860,000, Tokyo, 2-19, 4yo/up, 1600m, 1:35.60, gd.
1–LEMON POP, 128, h, 5, by Lemon Drop Kid 1st Dam: Unreachable, by Giant's Causeway 2nd Dam: Harpia, by Danzig 3rd Dam: Razyana, by His Majesty 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. ($70,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV). O-Godolphin; B-Mr & Mrs Oliver S Tait (KY); T-Hiroyasu Tanaka; J-Ryusei Sakai; ¥123,403,000. Lifetime Record: 11-8-3-0, ¥288,439,000. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Red le Zele (Jpn), 128, h, 7, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)–French Noir (Jpn), by French Deputy. O-Tokyo Horse Racing; B-Shadai Farm; ¥48,972,000.
3–Meisho Hario (Jpn), 128, h, 6, Pyro–Meisho Ohi (Jpn), by Manhattan Cafe (Jpn). O-Yoshio Matsumoto; B-Mishima Bokujo; ¥30,486,000.
Margins: 1HF, 2HF, 1. Odds: 1.20, 8.00, 9.70.
Also Ran: Dry Stout (Jpn), Admire Lupus (Jpn), Speedy Kick (Jpn), Helios (Jpn), Soliste Thunder (Jpn), Shirl's Speight, Kenshinko (Jpn), Sekifu (Jpn), Auvergne (Jpn), Keiai Turquoise (Jpn), T M South Dan (Jpn), Shonan Nadeshiko (Jpn), Jasper Prince. Click for the JRA chart.
Represented by a trio of well-meant sophomores in Saturday's GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds–including the top two favorites–trainer Brad Cox's march to the first Saturday in May continued with an upset victory by the Albaugh Family Stable's Angel of Empire (Classic Empire).
Second by three lengths behind his re-opposing and favored stablemate Victory Formation (Tapwrit) in the one-mile Smarty Jones S. Jan. 1, Angel of Empire raced in a ground-saving eighth as the field of 14 rounded the clubhouse turn beneath the lights. The 13-1 chance began to make his move between runners as West Coast invader Harlocap (Justify) took on pacesetter Determinedly (Cairo Prince) as previously unbeaten and forwardly placed Victory Formation began to tire following testing early fractions of :23.34 and :47.50. Two Phil's (Hard Spun), last term's GIII Street Sense S. winner, took over briefly from the tiring front runners as they straightened with Angel of Empire and his other Cox-trained stablemate Tapit's Conquest (Tapit) beginning to roll down the center with longshot Sun Thunder (Into Mischief) making a move of his own along the fence. Angel of Empire had the best final kick of them all, however, and sealed the deal by a length over the 16-1 Sun Thunder. It was another 1 3/4 lengths back to Two Phil's in third.
Angel of Empire, a debut winner going a mile in the Indiana slop Aug. 9, was sixth second out over the Kentucky Downs lawn Sept. 8. Freshened, Angel of Empire returned a dominant winner in an Indiana allowance prior to his aforementioned runner-up performance in Hot Springs. The Risen Star was his first attempt beyond a mile. He earned 50 points for a new total of 54 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, putting him at the top of the leaderboard.
“Physically, it looks like he can run all day,” said Cox, who earlier in the program scored the 2,000th win of his career. “We could see that last summer when we got him ready to run. We started him a mile at Indiana and it worked out. We had a little pace to run at today and it worked out well. It's five weeks to the Louisiana Derby and we'll look at that, all the Grade 1s will be in the conversation. We'll let the dust settle and see how he comes out of it. This is a horse that we thought as the months go by he'll get better and he has.”
Pedigree Notes:
Angel of Empire made it four graded winners and two on the day for young sire Classic Empire. His dam Armony's Angel, a maiden of eight career starts, is also represented by the 2-year-old colt Third City (Collected) ($23,000 FTKJUL yearling purchase by Kenneth R. Kachel) and a yearling colt by Classic Empire. Armony's Angel, a half-sister to GSW Conquest Big E (Tapit), brought $67,000 from co-breeder Black Diamond Corp. carrying her first foal Angel of Empire at the 2019 KEENOV sale. Angel of Empire becomes the first stakes/graded winner for his broodmare sire To Honor and Serve.
Saturday, Fair Grounds RISEN STAR S. PRESENTED BY LAMARQUE LINCOLN AND LAMARQUE CRESCENT CITY FORD-GII, $400,000, Fair Grounds, 2-18, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:51.47, ft.
1–ANGEL OF EMPIRE, 122, c, 3, by Classic Empire 1st Dam: Armony's Angel, by To Honor and Serve 2nd Dam: Seeinsbelieven, by Carson City 3rd Dam: Coragil, by Metfield 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($32,000
RNA Wlg '20 KEENOV; $70,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Albaugh
Family Stables LLC; B-Forgotten Land Investment Inc & Black
Diamond Equine Corp (PA); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Luis Saez.
$240,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $330,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sun Thunder, 122, c, 3, Into Mischief–Greenfield d'Oro,
by Medaglia d'Oro. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($400,000 Wlg '20 FTKNOV; $495,000 RNA Ylg '21
FTSAUG). O-R.T Racing Stable & Cypress Creek Equine;
B-Southern Equine Stables, LLC (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek.
$80,000.
3–Two Phil's, 122, c, 3, Hard Spun–Mia Torri,
by General Quarters. ($150,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP).
O-Patricia's Hope LLC & Phillip Sagan; B-Phillip Sagan (KY);
T-Larry Rivelli. $40,000.
Margins: 1, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 13.70, 16.60, 5.70.
Also Ran: Tapit's Conquest, Single Ruler, Harlocap, Crupi, Curly Jack, Victory Formation, Shaq Diesel, Silver Heist, Private Creed, Quiet as Midnight, Determinedly. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
