Fasig-Tipton Digital Topper Pounce Does Just That In Herecomesthebride

The top bid during the 2024 Fasig-Tipton February Digital Sale was made by John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock, who parted with $370,000 for Pounce (Lookin At Lucky), a maiden winner at first asking for Quintessential Racing Florida LLC and Hat Creek Racing and this trainer on the dirt at Churchill Nov. 19, an even sixth from a difficult high draw in a one-mile allowance over the Turfway synthetic Dec. 13 and the front-running winner of her turf debut from an equally awkward draw Feb. 11. Returning just 11 days after changing hands digitally Feb. 11, the bay validated the outlay with a late-on-the-scene victory in the GIII Herecomesthebride S.

With no luck at the draw yet again, Pounce was wisely taken hold of by Javier Castellano and angled over to the inside to caboose the field–led by Mystic Lake (Mo Town)–into the first turn. Content to trail down the back, Pounce was quietly ridden through the middle furlongs as market leaders Life's an Audible (Audible) and Ozara (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) raced handier to the speed.

Pounce began to thread the needle three furlongs out, splitting horses on a couple of occasions before angling out for the drive under a full head of steam. Life's an Audible also kicked nicely as Ozara failed to go on, but Pounce sprinted slightly the better of the two and was home narrowly best.

“Last time she broke good and I sent her to the lead, wire-to- wire,” Castellano said. “It was a different ballgame today the way I handicapped the race. I was way outside with a lot of speed in the race. My goal was to save ground on the first turn but he didn't break good out of the gate and I used my best judgment to drop in and save all the ground I could on the first turn because in my mind I'd have to lose ground turning for home. It was a beautiful trip. [Life's an Audible] came out a little bit and my horse hesitated a little bit to go past, but I encouraged her and she responded really well.”

Pedigree Notes:

Pounce is the first foal and only starter for her winning dam, a $170,000 OBS April breezer, who was purchased by Joshua Deets for $37,000 with this filly in utero at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale.

A half-sister to a pair of black-type performers, including GIII Providencia S. third Gold Dragon Queen (Goldencents), Bouncy produced a filly by Hard Spun Feb. 25.

Pounce is the 50th worldwide graded/group winner for Lookin At Lucky and his 76th black-type winner overall. She is a sixth stakes winner and second graded winner out of a mare by Twirling Candy.

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
HERECOMESTHEBRIDE S.-GIII, $200,000, Gulfstream, 3-2, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:33.17, fm.
1–POUNCE, 121, f, 3, by Lookin At Lucky
1st Dam: Bouncy, by Twirling Candy
2nd Dam: Water Park, by Strodes Creek
3rd Dam: Hope She's Bold, by Bold Forbes
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($22,000
RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP; $370,000 3yo '24 FTDFEB). O-Resolute
Racing; B-Bell, Rankin, VanMeter & Hancock (KY); T-Mark E.
Casse; J-Javier Castellano. $120,280. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0,
$216,324. Werk Nick Rating: First SW this cross. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com
catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Life's an Audible, 123, f, 3, Audible–Catkins, by Data Link.
($25,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $90,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $200,000
2yo '23 OBSMAR). O-Repole Stable; B-Susan Moulton (KY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher. $38,800.
3–Ozara (Ire), 121, f, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Cercle d'Or (Ire), by
Acclamation (GB). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. (350,000gns Ylg
'22 TATOCT). O-Cheyenne Stable LLC; B-Fleche D'Or
Partnership (IRE); T-Christophe Clement. $19,400.
Margins: NK, 1 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 9.00, 2.20, 1.10.
Also Ran: Crown Imperial, Mystic Lake, Time to Dazzle, Macanga, Show Off. Scratched: Agra, Dancing N Dixie, Irish Maxima. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

 

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Fiona’s Magic Wires Davona Dale at 9-1; Champion Just F Y I Scratched with Fever

Stonehedge LLC's homebred Fiona's Magic (f, 3, St Patrick's Day–Mollie's Magic, by Factum) was catapulted into the spotlight on a Saturday reeling from several pre-race scratches of major players in significant graded events. Gulfstream Park's GII Davona Dale S. presented by FanDuel TV, a Road to the Kentucky Oaks race worth $200,000 as well as points on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale, was not immune as Eclipse champion and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Just F Y I (Justify) developed a fever Saturday morning after shipping to Gulfstream from Payson Park. She was scratched just hours before what was to be her much-anticipated 3-year-old debut by her Hall of Fame trainer, Bill Mott.

“She was fine, but she spiked a fever and her temperature has just kept going up,” said Mott.

Undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' and former $1.15-million Keeneland September yearling Leslie's Rose (Into Mischief), who had been expected to mount the most serious challenge in the field to Just F Y I, inherited the mantle of heavy favoritism in the Davona Dale, but it was an under-the-radar Fiona's Magic at 9-1 who prevailed. A winner of two straight late last year while sprinting over this surface, Fiona's Magic made her sophomore debut with a runner-up finish in the Feb. 3 GIII Forward Gal S. at seven furlongs after relinquishing the lead at the top of the stretch to R Harper Rose (Khozan).

With expectations weighing on Leslie's Rose in the Davona Dale, Fiona's Magic popped out of the gate on top as 'TDN Rising Star' and Glitter Woman S. winner Into Champagne (Into Mischief) took a right turn before recovering to pressure from third as Cash Run S. runner-up Queen's Martini (Mucho Macho Man) tracked and Leslie's Rose found a sweet spot in the clear in fourth. Fiona's Magic was left alone for the :24.59 first quarter and was still running easily without a threat by the time the half was clocked in :47.47.

Tyler Gaffalione on the winner still rode confidently rounding the turn and began pumping his mount with gusto into the stretch as Leslie's Rose advanced and tried to find a seam to their inside. Irad Ortiz, Jr. couldn't quite get through on the favorite and shifted out, but Leslie's Rose was left with too much to do and could only muster third behind a driving Fiona's Magic and Into Champagne, who briefly looked a winner but couldn't match the determination of Fiona's Magic and settled for second by a half-length. Fiona's Magic covered the one-turn mile in 1:37.16.

Winning trainer Michael Yates also upset this race last year at 46-1 with Dorth Vader (Girvin), whose best finish to eventual divisional champion Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) in three tries as the season unfolded was a second in the GI Acorn S.

“I didn't give Tyler any instructions [Saturday],” said Yates. “I said, 'Ride the race how it comes up.'”

Yates did not have a plan for Fiona's Magic immediately following the race.

“[We'll] enjoy today and talk about the rest tomorrow. I thought she was very capable of it. She's been coming along steadily.”

Pedigree Notes:

Fiona's Magic becomes the first stakes winner for St Patrick's Day, a full-brother to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. She's a member of the first crop of the Journeyman Stallions-based sire, as well as just the second black-type winner for Factum as a broodmare sire. The latter's other stakes winner is Fiona's Magic's half-brother Cajun's Magic (Cajun Breeze).

The unraced Mollie's Magic has a 2-year-old colt named Blazing Hot (Khozan) and a yearling full-brother to Cajun's Magic. She was barren for 2024.

 

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
DAVONA DALE S. PRESENTED BY FANDUEL TV-GII, $210,000, Gulfstream, 3-2, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:37.16, ft.
1–FIONA'S MAGIC, 120, f, 3, by St Patrick's Day
           1st Dam: Mollie's Magic, by Factum
           2nd Dam: Seductive Lady, by Langfuhr
           3rd Dam: You'll B Impressed, by Valid Appeal
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Stonehedge LLC (FL); T-Michael Yates; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $132,760. Lifetime Record: 5-3-2-0, $250,910. *1/2 to Cajun's Magic (Cajun Breeze), SW, $311,425. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Into Champagne, 120, f, 3, Into Mischief–Bedford Land, by Speightstown. 'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($300,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Six Column Stables, LLC, Randall Bloch, Jim Gladden, Mike Davis, and Michael Steele; B-Robert & Lawana Low (KY); T-Ian R. Wilkes. $39,600.
3–Leslie's Rose, 120, f, 3, Into Mischief–Wildwood Rose (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). 'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($1,150,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Whisper Hill Farm, LLC; B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock Services (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $19,800.
Margins: HF, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 9.10, 4.20, 0.30.
Also Ran: Queen's Martini, Whocouldaskformo, New Diamond. Scratched: Just F Y I, Miss Sayely.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Eskendereya Passes Away In Japan

Eskendereya (Giant's Causeway–Aldebaran Light, by Seattle Slew), whose son Mitole was the leading freshman sire of 2023 by winners and progeny earnings, died of heart failure Mar. 2 at Shichinohe Stallion Station in Japan, where he had been standing since 2016. He was 17 years of age.

Bred in Kentucky by Sanford Robertson, Eskendereya was purchased by Zayat Stables for $250,000 at the 2008 Keeneland September sale. Turned over to Todd Pletcher, the chestnut broke his maiden in a rained-off renewal of the 2009 Pilgrim S. and switched to the synthetic for that year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, finishing ninth. He was perfect in three starts at three, including romping scores in the GII Fountain of Youth S. and GI Wood Memorial S., but he suffered a leg injury leading up to the 2010 GI Kentucky Derby and entered stud at Taylor Made Stallions the following year. He retired with a record of 4-1-0 from six starts for earnings of $725,700.

From his six American-foaled crops, Eskendereya was responsible for 22 black-type winners, including GI Met Mile winner Mor Spirit as well as Mitole. America's champion sprinter of 2019, the Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt runner amassed four Grade I wins that season, including the Met Mile and GI Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Eskendereya entered stud at Shizunai Stallion Station on the island of Hokkaido and has sired for 109 individual winners from 167 starters. All totaled, Eskendereya has been represented by 365 winners which have earned nearly $42.1 million.

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Louisiana Derby Winner Kingsbarns Triumphant In 4-Year-Old Debut

6th-Gulfstream, $73,420, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($62,500), 3-2, 4yo/up, 7f, 1:22.47, ft, 1/2 length.
KINGSBARNS (c, 4, Uncle Mo–Lady Tapit {GSP}, by Tapit), last year's GII Louisiana Derby winner, made his return to the races Saturday off nearly a nine-month layoff. A player on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, the son of Uncle Mo wound up 14th behind Mage (Good Magic) under the TwinSpires and finished his 3-year-old season beaten just a neck as the heavy favorite in the Pegasus S. at Monmouth June 17. Confidently bet at 3-5 in his first trip back to Gulfstream since breaking his maiden in Jan. 2023, Kingsbarns was outrun by much of the field through the opening half mile in :44.52 as Vivir Con Alegria (Chi) (Flyer {Chi}) led. The pace began to catch up to the frontrunner and Kingsbarns swung off the turn three wide with a clear path to go by, doing so inside the final sixteenth to pick up the half-length win. Vivir Con Alegria held second at odds of 12-1. An $800,000 2-year-old buy for Spendthrift Farm, Kingsbarns is out of a half to GISW Gozzip Girl (Dynaformer). Lady Tapi's now 2-year-old Gun Runner colt sold as a yearling for $650,000 at Keeneland last September. She foaled a Munnings filly in 2023 and visited Not This Time for this year. Sales History: $250,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG; $800,000 2yo '22 FTFMAR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-4-1-0, $731,100. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Parks Investment Group, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

 

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