True North S. | Horse Racing Free Tips

Powerhouse: Elite Power Flexes in True North

ELMONT, NY – Juddmonte's streaking champion sprinter Elite Power (Curlin) kicked off the graded stakes portion of Saturday's absolutely stacked GI Belmont S. program with a sensational performance in the GII True North S.

Off as the 3-4 favorite, last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint hero looked to be at a major disadvantage from the go in the 6 1/2-furlong affair, chasing in an outside fourth as the field of six crawled through fractions of :23.25 and :46.12. The blaze-faced chestnut, nonetheless, ranged up while three wide approaching the quarter pole, inhaled the top two as they straightened and was only shown the whip in deep stretch by Irad Ortiz, Jr. to win by a geared-down 1 3/4 lengths over last-out GIII Jacques Cartier S. winner Anarchist (Distorted Humor). 'TDN Rising Star' Strobe (Into Mischief), second in the GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. at Oaklawn, could do no better than a well-beaten third as the 2-1 second choice after sitting a dream trip in second.

“He got the job done,” said winning Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who won this same race three times back in the 1990s with Diablo (1991), Lion Cavern (1993) and Richter Scale (1998). “I noticed the fractions, :23 and change, weren't overly quick, but he's still got a pretty good punch to him. He really is exceptional. He's gotten very good.”

Mott added that Elite Power may target Saratoga's GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. July 29.

Elite Power has now won seven straight, including his first try in stakes company in the GII Vosburgh S. Oct. 8, on racing's biggest stage at the aforementioned Championships in Lexington Nov. 5 and the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint on the Saudi Cup undercard most recently Feb. 25. The distant runner-up in the latter Gunite (Gun Runner) has since followed with a third-place finish in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen S. and an authoritative win in Churchill's Aristides S. last weekend, good for a gaudy 108 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He's such a nice and exciting horse,” Ortiz Jr. said of Elite Power. “He's won his last seven starts. He was great last year. You can see his performances and campaign last year was great. I'm hoping he's the same or better than he was last year, so far it looks great. He hasn't made any mistakes out there.”

Pedigree Notes:

Elite Power, a $900,000 KEESEP yearling, is one of 53 graded winners, 20 at the Grade I level, for the mighty Curlin.

Broodmare sire Vindication, the unbeaten winner of the 2002 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Arlington, is responsible for 12 graded winners, six at the top level.

Elite Power is bred on the same Curlin/Vindication cross as GI Preakness S. winner Exaggerator. Elite Power's dam Broadway's Alibi, a MGSW & GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up and Robsham homebred, brought $2.15 million from Alpha Delta Stables while in foal to Smart Strike at the 2013 KEENOV sale. Broadway's Alibi is also represented by a Curlin colt of 2021. She was bred to City of Light for 2023.

Elite Power's fourth dam is champion 2-year-old filly and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Eliza (Mt. Livermore). This is also the family of GISW and young sire Dialed In (Mineshaft).

“The oddity of this guy is that dirt sprinting isn't anything we've ever really geared our program for,” Juddmonte's Garrett O'Rourke said. “Obviously, we purchased this guy and it's really nice that for the first time we're winning races that we hadn't before. These are races that we'd never even competed in before. This is very satisfying.”

Saturday, Belmont Park
TRUE NORTH S.-GII, $250,000, Belmont, 6-10, 4yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:15.65, ft.
1–ELITE POWER, 124, h, 5, by Curlin
                1st Dam: Broadway's Alibi (MGSW & GISP, $521,500), by Vindication
                2nd Dam: Broadway Gold, by Seeking the Gold
                3rd Dam: Miss Doolittle, by Storm Cat
($900,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Juddmonte; B-Alpha Delta
Stables, LLC (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $137,500.
Lifetime Record: Ch. Male Sprinter, GISW-USA, GSW-Sau,
10-7-0-1, $2,443,211. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Anarchist, 120, c, 4, Distorted Humor–Vicarious Won, by
Elusive Quality. ($75,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Ilium Stables, LLC;
B-Centaur Farms, Inc. (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $50,000.
3–Strobe, 118, c, 4, Into Mischief–Flashing, by A.P. Indy.
'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $30,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 3 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 0.75, 12.30, 2.10.
Also Ran: Today's Flavor, Fearless, Synthesis.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Sibelius To Make U.S. Return In Aristides

Jun Park and Delia Nash's Sibelius (Not This Time), last seen posting a thrilling victory in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan Racecourse Mar. 25, will bypass the GII True North S. at Belmont Park June 10 in favor of next weekend's $225,000 Listed Aristides S. at Churchill Downs, trainer Jeremiah O'Dwyer said Monday.

“He's stabled here at Keeneland and it's only up the road,” the conditioner told the NYRA press office. “We'll have a look at the race and see what post position we get and how the race is shaping up. If we like what we've got we'll run him there, but we'll still keep the True North in mind.”

Since defeating defending champion Switzerland (Speightstown) on Dubai World Cup night, Sibelius has breezed three times at Keeneland, including a leisurely half-mile in :50 flat with O'Dwyer in the saddle May 27.

“He's a fun horse to ride. I just wanted a smooth, relaxed breeze. If you put certain riders on him, he'll roll in :46 every time on the bridle if you let him,” O'Dwyer said. “I let him have a nice gallop out and get a bit of air in his lungs. We know he's a very fast horse, but we wanted to make sure that foundation is still underneath him.”

O'Dwyer said Sibelius, who gained something of a cult following during his time in the Emirates, has recovered nicely from the journey.

“He's done great. We gave him some time off and let him relax and put all his weight back on,” O'Dwyer said. “We jogged him at Keeneland for a week and he was jumping out of his skin, so he went back to galloping. He's had three breezes since and his fitness level is good and his energy level is good. He's bright, happy and content. That's all we want. Happy horses run for you and he seems pretty happy right now.”

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First Foal For Firenze Fire Arrives in Japan

The first reported foal for nine-time GSW Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior) has arrived in Japan, according to a tweet from Yano Farm in Hokkaido. The new filly is a daughter of the 5-year-old mare Wicked Bisou (Wicked Strong), who is out of Diva Delite (Repent) and therefore a half-sister to champion and millionaire Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute).

“I was born small, but the best thing is that I am healthy,” the tweet reads.

Florida-bred Firenze Fire raced over five seasons and amassed a career line of 38-14-7-3, $2,730,350. He won the GI Champagne S. as a 2-year-old and eight other graded stakes over his career, including the GII True North S. in both 2020 and 2021, the 2020 GII Vosburgh S. and 2018 GII Dwyer S. He was also third behind champion Whitmore in the 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Aside from his outstanding race record Firenze Fire is perhaps best known for savaging Yaupon (Uncle Mo) and grabbing his bridle during the stretch run of the 2021 GI Forego S. After the incident he finished second.

Owner-breeder Ron Lombardi sold Firenze Fire to stand at Arrow Stud in Japan following the horse's eighth-place finish in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar.

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