Upstart | Horse Racing Free Tips

Kathleen O. Keeps it Going in Davona Dale

Winngate Stables LLC's very promising Kathleen O. (Upstart) remained undefeated and stamped herself as a leading GI Kentucky Oaks contender with another impressive victory in Saturday's GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream.

Backed down to 2-1 favoritism from a 9-2 morning line, the rail-drawn dark bay trailed the deep field of seven early. Up a spot into sixth following an opening quarter in :23.38, she was under a ride rounding the far turn while racing in between horses. Stuck in a little traffic approaching the quarter pole, Javier Castellano found a lane as they straightened and Kathleen O. charged home in style while securing 50 qualifying points for this year's Kentucky Oaks. Previously unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Classy Edition (Classic Empire), a perfect three-for-three versus fellow New York-breds, was up for second.

The narrow winner of a somewhat key seven-furlong heat at Aqueduct first up in the mud in November, Kathleen O. most recently aired by 8 1/2 lengths in the track-and-trip Cash Run S. on New Year's Day.

“She did break good today, but she just doesn't have the speed to stay up with them,” winning trainer Shug McGaughey said. “The way she finished, pretty remarkable, especially over this track. I think this is a big move for a filly coming into this race off just two starts. I mean, I hope she keeps improving. Today, she had to make her room a little bit, so I'm sure she learned quite a bit today. That would be my preference to keep her here [for the Gulfstream Park Oaks] and not have to ship her for the Ashland [at Keeneland]. I'm pleased so far. I would think that [increased distance to 1 1/16 miles] shouldn't be a problem.”

Castellano added, “I liked the way she did it today. She doesn't have the speed to be close to the horses, but I loved the way she finished. She always breaks slow out of the gate, but that's her style. Every horse is different. Turning for home, I was loaded. I was just looking for the seam and trying to split horses and that's exactly what I did.”

Pedigree Notes:

Airdrie Stud's third-crop sire Upstart is in a sweet spot with his sophomores this year. Not only does he have Kathleen O., who was ranked third in this week's TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10 prior to her Davona Dale score, but he also has the colt Zandon in a prominent spot on the TDN Derby 12. With the Davona Dale, Kathleen O. becomes Upstart's second graded winner. She was already one of his six black-type winners, with another seven runners knocking on the door with stakes performances.

Bred by Gainesway Thoroughbreds and Bridlewood Farm and sold by Niall Brennan as a $275,000 Ocala Spring 2-year-old after working a :21 1/5 quarter, Kathleen O. is the first foal out of Quaver, who has since only visited Tapwrit, resulting in a 2-year-old colt named Tap Collector (a $65,000 OBS yearling purchased by PJ Campanella) and a yearling filly. Gainesway, Bridlewood, and the Tapwrit syndicate had bought Quaver with Kathleen O. in utero for $90,000 at the 2019 Keeneland January sale, then resold her at last year's Keeneland November sale in foal to Tapwrit for $140,000 to Lev Miller. Her dam is a half to GISW and young sire Cupid (Tapit), as well as to additional GSWs Heart Ashley (Lion Heart) and Ashley's Kitty (Tale of the Cat).

Quaver is one of six young Blame mares to produce a stakes winner to date. Blame–who entered stud the year before Upstart was born–had a repeat black-type winner of his own Saturday, with his Officiating taking Aqueduct's GIII Tom Fool S.

Saturday, Gulfstream
DAVONA DALE S. PRESENTED BY FANDUEL-GII, $200,000, Gulfstream, 3-5, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:36.23, ft.
1–KATHLEEN O., 120, f, 3, by Upstart
                1st Dam: Quaver (SP), by Blame
                2nd Dam: Skipper Tale, by Tale of the Cat
                3rd Dam: Pretty 'n Smart, by Beau Genius
   1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($8,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $50,000
Ylg '20 OBSOCT; $275,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Winngate
Stables, LLC; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds LTD & Bridlewood
Farm, LLC (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III; J-Javier Castellano.
$121,520. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $226,280. Werk Nick
   Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Classy Edition, 120, f, 3, Classic Empire–Newbie, by
Bernardini. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($550,000 2yo '21
EASMAY). O-Low, Lawana L. and Robert E.; B-Chester & Mary
Broman (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $39,200.
3–Cocktail Moments, 118, f, 3, Uncle Mo–River Maid, by
Where's the Ring. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($135,000 Wlg
'19 KEENOV; $190,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $245,000 RNA 2yo '21
OBSMAR). O-Dixiana Farms LLC; B-Mark Stansell (KY);
T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $19,600.
Margins: 2, 1 1/4, NK. Odds: 2.30, 3.80, 11.50.
Also Ran: Sweet Dani Girl, Outfoxed, Girl With a Dream, Mi Negrita. 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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Brown: ‘Longer Distance’ Of Risen Star Should Play To Zandon’s Strengths

Chad Brown-trained Triple Crown hopeful Zandon will make his next start in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 19 at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La., reports the Daily Racing Form. The 3-year-old son of Upstart, second by a nose in the G2 Remsen last out, has been working steadily at Payson Park in Indiantown, Fla. since late December.

“We went back and forth on whether to start out with him here,” Brown told DRF, referring to the G3 Holy Bull this Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. “But we prefer the longer distance of the Risen Star, and it has more points.”

The Holy Bull is run at 1 1/16 miles, and offers 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby to the winner, while the Risen Star is held over 1 1/8 miles and offers 50 points.

Meanwhile, his Grade 1-winning stablemate Jack Christopher (Munnings) has not yet made it back to the work tab after being scratched from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and later undergoing surgery to repair a shin issue.

“He is back galloping, and we're happy about that, but we are certainly behind with him,” Brown told DRF. “We're just going to have to take it week to week with him. We are not going to rush the horse just to make the Derby. The owners are completely on board with that.”

Owner Hits Jackpot With First Horse

The sport is not supposed to be that easy, even if some people make it look that way sometimes.

Pat Kearney is 83, admits he doesn't know much about racing, has a fairly modest budget and had never owned a horse when he showed up last year at the OBS April 2-year-old sale. Fast forward some eight months later and Kearney is the owner of Kathleen O. (Upstart), one of the more promising 3-year-old fillies in racing right now. Making her second career start Saturday at Gulfstream, Kathleen O. won the Cash Run S. by 8 1/2 lengths in an impressive effort despite hesitating at the start. The victory came after she broke her maiden in her debut in November at Aqueduct.

“It has been an amazing, exciting, energizing experience,” said Kearney, who races under the name of Winngate Stables.

Prior to getting involved in ownership. Kearney was a casual racing fan who started going to the track at Arlington Park with his father as a child.

“I'm not a good handicapper,” he said. “I don't know much about breeding or pedigrees. What I did was take my $50, spend a day at the track and make some bets. It's good entertainment. I always really liked the horses.”

Kearney, who is retired after working in the securities industry in Chicago and as a lawyer, and Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey have known each other for about 20 years and often play golf together. Somewhat out of the blue, Kearney one day asked McGaughey what he thought about his buying some horses.

“I talked to Shug and I asked him if he would work with me and buy some horses,” Kearney said. “I asked him what to do and he said I should buy two horses, a filly and a colt, get them at auction and buy them at a 2-year-old sale. He explained the costs and explained that you don't get into this sport to make money but for the satisfaction and the fun of the game.

“I wanted to find something I was interested in that I could do and didn't have to make a huge commitment. Not so much financially, but more so time and effort. I didn't want to have a lot of obligations.”

Having gotten off to a successful start in the game, Kearney only wishes he started earlier.

“I don't know why I didn't do it earlier,” he said. “About a year ago I just decided I wanted to get involved in something new. Do I wish I did it 10 years earlier? Absolutely. It had just never come up. The one question I had was whether I was too old to get started in the business. Fortunately, I am in good health.”

Kearney bought Kathleen O. for $275,000. He named the filly after his wife, whose maiden name is Kathleen O'Boyle. His other purchase, Cloudy (Noble Mission {GB)}, was bought three days later at the same sale for $130,000. He is winless in two starts.

Buying horses at the sales is somewhat new territory for McGaughey, whose longtime main client, the Phipps family, races primarily homebreds.

“I enjoy going to the sales,” McGaughey said. “I worked the yearling sales pretty good last fall and we bought some nice yearlings. We also looked at some 2-year-olds last winter. It's been fun and interesting.”

It was apparent early on that McGaughey had picked out a filly with talent. Sent off at 3-1 in her first start in her debut, Kathleen O. was next to last and 6 1/2 lengths behind with a furlong remaining, but still found a way to get up in time to win by a head.

“I think we've got a lot to look forward to,” McGaughey said after the Cash Run. “I'm very pleased with the way she's come along and the way she ran today, and her maturity level. I was just saying to [my wife] Alison, think of what she's going to look like in a year from now. She's always been tall and she's still filling out.”

He may still be learning about the sport, but Kearney knows enough to know that the GI Kentucky Oaks could be part of the filly's future.

“I know that she's a very talented horse and I know there is a race called the Kentucky Oaks, but I have no idea if she will qualify for that or not,” Kearney said. “So far, it's been like hitting the lottery. I'm flabbergasted.”

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Promising Upstart Filly Stays Perfect at Gulfstream

Kathleen O. (Upstart), a $275,000 OBSAPR breezer (:21 1/5), went last to first to graduate by a head in a key race featuring a pair of next-out winners in the Aqueduct mud going seven furlongs on debut Nov. 12.

In no hurry after a very slow start from her inside draw in Saturday's Cash Run S. at Gulfstream, Kathleen O. raced in sixth through sharp fractions of :22.74 and :44.94, and finally entered the frame with a flashy, sweeping move approaching the quarter pole. She set her sights on the top two while three wide at the top of the stretch and kept on rolling impressively down the lane to win for fun. She becomes the sixth black-type winner for Upstart.

Kathleen O's Grade III-placed third dam Pretty 'n Smart (Beau Genius) produced GISW freshman sire Cupid (Tapit); GSW Ashley's Kitty (Tale of the Cat); and GSW Heart Ashley (Lion Heart), whose daughter Ameristralia (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) is responsible for GII Chandelier S. heroine Ain't Easy (Into Mischief).

Quaver is the dam of a 2-year-old colt by Tapwrit named Tap Collector ($65,000 OBSOCT yearling), a yearling filly by the same sire and was most recently covered by the 2017 GI Belmont S. hero. Quaver brought $140,000 from Lev Miller at the 2021 KEENOV sale.

CASH RUN S., $100,000, Gulfstream, 1-1, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:35.97, ft.
1–KATHLEEN O., 118, f, 3, by Upstart
                1st Dam: Quaver (SP), by Blame
                2nd Dam: Skipper Tale, by Tale of the Cat
                3rd Dam: Pretty 'n Smart, by Beau Genius
($8,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $50,000 Ylg '20 OBSOCT; $275,000
2yo '21 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Winngate Stables,
LLC; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds LTD & Bridlewood Farm, LLC
(KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III; J-Javier Castellano. $60,760.
Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $104,760.
2–Mi Negrita, 118, f, 3, Bodemeister–Jazzminegem, by
Mineshaft. ($17,000 2yo '21 OBSOPN). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-De
la Cerda Racing Stable, Inc & Hernandez Racing Club;
B-Highclere, Inc. & Springtown Show Stables (KY); T-Armando
De La Cerda. $19,600.
3–Fast and Flirty, 118, f, 3, Into Mischief–Speed Dating, by Not
For Love. ($32,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT; $120,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR).
1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Bradley Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing
and Breeding, LLC, Tim & Anna Cambron & Team Hanley; B-SF
Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $9,800.
Margins: 8HF, 3/4, 10HF. Odds: 2.00, 10.70, 1.80.
Also Ran: Queen Camilla, Freccia d'Argento, Jumeirah, Surreal Fantasy. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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