Beautifully Bred Under the Stars Makes the Grade in Santa Ynez

Sent off the 9-10 chalk to build on a three-length maiden victory at Los Alamitos when last seen Dec. 11, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's Under the Stars (Pioneerof the Nile) was made to work for it, but managed to tough out a narrow victory in Saturday's GIII Santa Ynez S. at Santa Anita.

Away alertly enough from the inside stall, the bay–bred on a similar cross to the one that produced Triple Crown winner American Pharoah–held her spot at the fence while being shaded three wide by pacesetting Miss Mattie B (Tonalist), with Big Shamrock (Mr. Big) poking through between. Awake At Midnyte (Nyquist) chimed in three wide at the top of the lane and appeared to have sufficient momentum to reel in the chalk, but Under the Stars sprinted powerfully through the final eighth of a mile to prevail tenaciously.

Under the Stars, a debut third as the chalk behind Awake At Midnyte Oct. 31, filled that same slot behind stablemate and next out GI Starlet S. heroine Eda (Munnings) in Del Mar's Desi Arnaz S. Nov. 13.

“When we came into this race, I was worried about the post, but she's improving,” Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said. “She's a half-sister to Bodemeister, so she has the pedigree to go further and Flavien [Prat] thinks she wants to go further also. It's nice when they're bred that well and the Coolmore gang, the ownership group, they've been real patient. I'm just glad they sent her to us.”

Pedigree Notes:

Under the Stars becomes the 40th stakes/18th graded winner for the late, great Pioneerof the Nile. This is the 302nd stakes/147th graded winner for the legendary Storm Cat as a broodmare sire. Storm Cat also appears prominently in the pedigree of Pioneerof the Nile's top two runners–Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (produced by a Yankee Gentleman mare) and champion Classic Empire (produced by a Cat Thief mare), respectively. Under the Stars is one of four black-type horses for her GSW/GISP dam, most notably responsible for GISW and multiple Classic-placed Bodemeister (Empire Maker); and MGISP Fascinating (Smart Strike). Untouched Talent has also produced colts of 2020 and 2021 by Justify. She was bred to Uncle Mo for 2022. Untouched Talent brought $5 million from Coolmore's M.V. Magnier following the Classics exploits of Bodemeister at the 2012 FTKNOV sale, which was topped by the $10-million Havre de Grace.

Saturday, Santa Anita
SANTA YNEZ S.-GII, $200,500, Santa Anita, 1-8, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:22.51, ft.
1–UNDER THE STARS, 120, f, 3, by Pioneerof the Nile
               1st Dam: Untouched Talent (GSW & GISP, $243,550), by Storm Cat
               2nd Dam: Parade Queen, by A.P. Indy
               3rd Dam: Spanish Parade, by Roberto
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O- Mrs.
John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, & Derrick Smith; B-Eaton
(KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat. $120,000. Lifetime
Record: 4-2-0-2, $170,520. *1/2 to Bodemeister (Empire
Maker), GISW, $1,304,800; 1/2 to Himiko (American
Pharoah), SP, $177,277; 1/2 to Fascinating (Smart Strike),
MGISP, $166,320. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Awake At Midnyte, 120, f, 3, Nyquist–Midnight Union, by
Union Rags. ($85,000 RNA Wlg '19 KEENOV; $190,000 Ylg
'20 FTKOCT; $320,000 2yo '21 FTFMAR). O-Reddam Racing
LLC; B-Forty Oaks (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $40,000.
3–Miss Mattie B, 120, f, 3, Tonalist–Traffic Blimp, by
Medaglia d'Oro. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK
TYPE. ($10,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Westlake Racing Stable;
B-R. S. Evans (KY); T-Robert B. Hess, Jr. $24,000.
Margins: 3/4, 6HF, 6. Odds: 0.90, 4.50, 12.60.
Also Ran: Big Switch, Big Shamrock, Mimajoon.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Baffert Blue Blood Stops Santa Ynez

Coolmore's royally bred Under the Stars (Pioneerof the Nile) looks to become the third black-type winner for her impressive dam Untouched Talent (Storm Cat) as the morning-line favorite in the GII Santa Ynez S. at Santa Anita Saturday. A half-brother to Classic-winning sire Bodemeister (Empire Maker), the Bob Baffert pupil was third on debut behind the re-opposing Awake At Midnyte (Nyquist) in Arcadia Oct. 31. She filled the same spot behind stablemate and eventual GI Starlet S. winner Eda (Munnings) in Del Mar's Desi Arnaz S. Nov. 13 and broke through next out with a decisive score at Los Alamitos Dec. 11.

Awake At Midnyte followed that narrow first-out graduation on Halloween with a nose second in the turf GIII Jimmy Durante S. at Del Mar Nov. 27.

George Krikorian homebred Big Switch (Mr. Big) hopes to remain undefeated as she faces open company for the first time. A debut winner against fellow Cal-breds at Del Mar Aug. 20, the dark bay captured the Golden State Juvenile Fillies S. there Nov. 5.

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Eda Rolls In Desi Arnaz At Del Mar

Eda had no trouble with a short field of four others in the Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif. She pressed her pace-setting stablemate Under the Stars, took the lead coming out of the far turn, and drew away in the stretch to win by 4 1/4 lengths.

Coming into the Desi Arnaz, the 2-year-old daughter of Munnings had two victories in her previous four starts, including a last-out win in the Anoakia at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., on Oct. 24. In Saturday's stakes, the Bob Baffert trainee took up position just off stablemate Under the Stars, who held a half-length advantage into the far turn.

Coming into the Del Mar stretch, Eda took over the lead, with Tonito's looming on her outside. The Doug O'Neill trainee challenged briefly, but Eda was too much for her, pulling away to win easily. Under the Stars was third, with Lady T, who had an awkward trip after veering toward the rail early in the race, and Endless Thirst rounding out the field.

The final time for the 6 1/2 furlongs was 1:15.53. Find this race's chart here.

Eda paid $2.40, $2.20, and $2.10. Tonito's paid $5.00 and $3.80. Under the Stars paid $2.40.

“She broke well and had good speed. When we turned for home and a horse came up outside us, I shook her up. Then she responded with a good kick,” jockey Flavien Prat said after the race.

“Actually, (Flavien) Prat thought this was the best race she has run. I really thought she relaxed well. I thought my other horse (Under the Stars) was going to be farther back but she broke well and maybe I had her a little too sharp. It was kind of a last minute decision to run Eda here because we also plan to run her back in the Starlet but I loved the way she was able to relax and then kick away clear. Prat doesn't say much, but he was really impressed with her,” Baffert told the Del Mar Press Office after the Desi Arnaz.

Bred in Kentucky by Nathan McCauley, Eda is out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Show Me. She is owned by Baoma Corporation. The 2-year-old filly was consigned by Eddie Woods and purchased by Donato Lanni, agent, for $550,000 at the 2021 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company March Sale of Two-Year-Olds In Training. With her win in the Desi Arnaz, Eda has three wins in five starts for career earnings of $190,000.

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