Minor ailments held her back from a juvenile campaign, but Shootoutthelights (City of Light) showed she was worth the wait as she lit up the clock with an electrifying cruising speed, and dominated her rivals to become her sire's first 'TDN Rising Star' as a brilliant cap to Gulfstream's Championship meet.
The race was almost over from the jump as the filly rocketed out of the stalls as the 6-5 favorite and out-kicked Queen Karima for the lead. With an opening split posting at a wicked :20.89 and a half in :43.79, Irad Ortiz Jr. said 'go' in the stretch and the pair disappeared from the field, hitting the wire 3 1/2 lengths in front as :55.77 went up for the final time. Queen Karima was a clear second best on the day.
With Shootoutthelights riding two bullet works into this contest–and certainly no secret to the betting public, either–conditioner Wesley Ward had glowing praise for his newest 'Rising Star' and everyone around her:
“Gene Recio did a great job with this filly in Ocala,” he replied after the race. “I am very thankful for Breeze Easy's Mike Hall for letting me train [Shootoutthelights]. She was my pick of all the yearlings they had two years ago.”
He also added: “Minor issues held her back [from a juvenile season] but the owners are very patient.”
What an impressive debut by #3 SHOOTOUTTHELIGHTS ($4.60), who goes wire to wire in race 11 at Gulfstream Park. The 3 year-old daughter of City Of Light was ridden by @iradortiz and is trained by Wesley Ward. That is the last race of the Gulfstream Park Championship Meet. pic.twitter.com/MUAa4f8XP9
— TVG (@TVG) April 2, 2023
Out of Very One S.-placed Donna Getyourgun, the victress was a $525,000 yearling at 2021 KEESEP and is only the third foal in her dam's first six seasons as a broodmare. Her half-sister Mizzen Beau (Mizzen Mast), SW, $205,559 was the flag bearer to the races, a $100,000 OBSAPR grad in her day, and picked up her black-type at Woodbine before retiring to motherhood herself, delivering a colt by Hard Spun this year. Their dam delivered unplaced Shake It Out West (Speightster) in 2018 and was barren a season before having Shootoutthelights in 2020. Donna Getyourgun is also responsible for two other fillies: a 2-year-old by Catholic Boy who changed hands for $19,000 last year at KEESEP to Winner Circle Racing Stable and a yearling by McKinzie. She is due to Silver State for 2023.
Second dam Cryptoqueen claims quite a busy line beneath her with nine winners, including MGSW Clearly A Queen (Lucky North), who claims two stakes runners and is the granddam of MGSW Engage (Into Mischief) and MGSP Commute (Hold Me Back). This is also the extended female family of MGSP British Royalty (English Channel); GSW Savedbythelight (Saint Ballado); and SW Reformer Rally (Dynaformer).
11th-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 4-2, 3yo, f, 5fT, :55.77, fm, 3 1/2 lengths.
SHOOTOUTTHELIGHTS, f, 3, by City of Light
1st Dam: Donna Getyourgun {SP, $167,626}, by Stormy Atlantic
2nd Dam: Cryptoqueen, by Cryptoclearance
3rd Dam: Royal Setting, by Raise a Cup
Sales history: $525,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Breeze Easy, LLC; B-Tony Holmes (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward.
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