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The first Grade I race of the year for 3-year-old fillies, the Ashland is contested at 1 1/16 miles, the same distance as the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, but it marked the first time Leslie's Rose has been asked to go that distance. She will aim to join Monomoy Girl (Tapizar, 2018) and Malathaat (Curlin, 2021) as the third Ashland winner in seven years to also take the Kentucky Oaks. Like Malathaat, Leslie's Rose is trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher.

When the gates flew in the Ashland, last-out Ruthless S. winner Halina's Forte (Mitole) emerged from the early fray with the first calls, stopping the clock in :24.35 for the first quarter and :48.27 for the first half. Impel kept her company while parked just off her flank as Leslie's Rose tracked from a joint third. As the tempo quickened on the final turn, Impel dispensed with Halina's Forte to take command as five of the eight fanned out entering the lane. It briefly appeared to be anyone's race until Leslie's Rose tipped out to go around Impel and, despite drifting slightly, powered down the stretch a much-the-best, three-length winner. Just F Y I overhauled Impel late in her first start since the Breeders' Cup after scratching with a fever from the Mar. 2 GII Davona Dale S., the same race where Leslie's Rose suffered her first career loss with a third-place finish as the favorite in her first stakes try.

“We didn't lose any confidence in her. She didn't have a great trip that day,” said Pletcher about the lead up to the Ashland in the Davona Dale for Leslie's Rose. “I think she got a good education. It was the first time she'd been in that scenario. You could see turning for home [jockey] Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] had an opportunity to go into a tight spot, and she just wasn't experienced enough to do that at that time. But we weren't down on her, she came back, she breezed beautifully, so we said, 'Let's just stick to the game plan' and I'm glad we did.”

Pletcher had given Leslie's Rose, a $1.15-million Keeneland September purchase by Mandy Pope, her early education in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Aqueduct last November, a good two weeks after Just F Y I had already sewn up the divisional championship. The bay led every step of the way for a 9 1/4-length victory that netted the 'Rising Star' tag and an 87 Beyer Speed Figure. She reappeared at Gulfstream in January with another easy win and an 88 Beyer before evening out in the Davona Dale.

After the Ashland, Pletcher added: “She's always been a high-quality filly. She's always trained like she wants to run longer and I think she proved that today, getting the opportunity to go two turns and finishing with good energy. So, fingers crossed [heading into the Kentucky Oaks].”

Meanwhile, trainer Bill Mott was not discouraged by Just F Y I's first career defeat. “We didn't win but our second main objective was to get a race in her and have her ready for the next one,” he said. “So I am not totally disappointed. She got beat, but I can give some reasons for that. The Kentucky Oaks has been the plan all along, so I see no reason not to do that.”

The Oaks will be run Friday, May 3, exactly four weeks after the Ashland.

Pedigree Notes:

Not too many major races go by without some sort of impact made by Into Mischief, who is on a five-year reign as the leading sire in North America. Leslie's Rose is the newest Grade I winner for the Spendthrift kingpin, who has 21 of his 70 graded winners at the highest level, as well as 147 black-type winners worldwide. The Ashland winner does mark Into Mischief's first stakes winner out of a Galileo (Ire) mare, somewhat remarkable as that exceptional late sire has 323 stakes winners out of his daughters and the mating on paper alone represents the old adage of breeding the best to the best. More unusually, Leslie's Rose is inbred 4×5, on top and bottom, to Clever Trick. That one's son Tricky Creek is damsire of Into Mischief, while his son Phone Trick is damsire of Leslie's Rose's granddam Wildwood Flower.

Leslie's Rose is a third generation John D. Gunther-bred, who partnered with Eurowest Bloodstock Services for her mating. Her dam, Gunther's unraced Wildwood Rose (Ire), came to American shores as a 2-year-old in 2018. Gunther may have sold Leslie's Rose, but he has retained the mare's juvenile filly, named Divine Rose (Good Magic), and he also has a two-week-old filly out of the mare by Not This Time. Wildwood Rose's dam, SW & MGSP Wildwood Flower, produced 2015 GI Florida Derby winner Materiality (Afleet Alex) and 2014 GII Gazelle S. winner and GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up My Miss Sophia (Unbridled's Song). The latter produced 2022 GI Coolmore Turf Mile S. winner Annapolis (War Front), while the extended family includes 2010 GI Travers S. winner Afleet Express (Afleet Alex) and 2015 GI Alabama S. winner Embellish the Lace (Super Saver).

#3 LESLIE'S ROSE ($20.90) blossoms in @keenelandracing's $600,000 G1 Ashland Stakes!

This is the first stakes victory for the @whisper_hill runner, who was ridden by @iradortiz for trainer @PletcherRacing. Congratulations to the connections! pic.twitter.com/EnxV2YAxn2

— TVG (@TVG) April 5, 2024

Friday, Keeneland
CENTRAL BANK ASHLAND S.-GI, $598,750, Keeneland, 4-5, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:43.85, ft.
1–LESLIE'S ROSE, 121, f, 3, by Into Mischief
           1st Dam: Wildwood Rose (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
           2nd Dam: Wildwood Flower, by Langfuhr
           3rd Dam: Dial a Trick, by Phone Trick
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($1,150,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP).O-Whisper Hill Farm, LLC; B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock Services (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $358,050. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $467,800. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Just F Y I, 121, f, 3, by Justify
           1st Dam: Star Act (SP, $147,605), by Street Cry (Ire)
           2nd Dam: Starrer, by Dynaformer
           3rd Dam: To the Hunt, by Relaunch
O/B-George Krikorian (KY); T-William I. Mott. $115,500.
3–Impel, 121, f, 3, by Quality Road
           1st Dam: Your Love (SW & GSP, $335,000), by Flatter
           2nd Dam: Queen of America, by Quiet American
           3rd Dam: Our Dear Ruth, by Baldski
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. 'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Juddmonte (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $57,750.
Margins: 3, 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 9.45, 4.63, 2.02.
Also Ran: Candied, Standoutsensation, Shimmering Allure, Jody's Pride, Halina's Forte.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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A $130,000 OBS yearling, Plum Pretty would last secure a final bid of $4.2m from Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm at KEENOV in 2012.  She produced a total of 8 foals and still has a 2-year-old Speightstown filly and a yearling Charlatan filly to represent her on the track.

“She was a pleasure to be around and always a great mom.” Pope remembered. “We are blessed to have several fillies out of her still to race and one that has already produced a foal. The colts have gone on to secondary careers in the show world and have her awesome personality.”

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Previously going for $200,000 during Keeneland September, the Chad Brown trainee is out of GSP Divine Dawn (Divine Park), who International Equities acquired with a filly by Nyquist in-utero for $285,000 at the Keeneland November Sale in 2017.

A full-sister to GSW/MSW Divine Miss Grey, Top Conor's dam is also responsible for 2-year-old filly Augusta Wind (Gun Runner), who Lauren Carlisle signed the ticket for $850,000 at the Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. Divine Dawn foaled a full-sister to this first time starter last year. TJCIS PPS

6th-FG, $65K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6F, 3:25 p.m. ET.
Whisper Hill and Three Chimneys bred Quality Credit (Quality Road), a filly whose MGISW dam Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat) changed hands from the latter to the former for $4.4 million as the second topper at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed Sale while she was in-foal to Tapit, will be unveiled here. Three Chimneys purchased Quality Credit's younger full-sister for $425,000 at last year's Keeneland September Sale. TJCIS PPS

7th-FG, $65K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 3:54 p.m. ET.
Along the same Steve Asmussen shedrow as Quality Credit, Stonestreet homebred Mister Lincoln (Constitution) also makes the races. The colt is out of 'TDN Rising Star' GI Spinaway S. victress Hot Dixie Chick (Dixie Union), who produced a pair of 'TDN Rising Stars' in MSW/GSP Union Jackson (Curlin) and his full-brother SP Marsalis as well as GI La Troienne S. heroine Pauline's Pearl (Tapit). Hot Dixie Chick has her own set of talented half-siblings in GI Kentucky Derby hero Always Dreaming (Bodemeister) and GII Demoiselle S. winner Positive Spirt (Pioneerof the Nile). TJCIS PPS

The post Saturday Insights: A ‘Top’-Priced Son Of Twirling Candy Debuts At Gulfstream appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Shedaresthedevil, 7, Daredevil—Starship Warpspeed, by Congrats. To be bred to Into Mischief.

When we planned Shedaresthedevil's first mating, we chose Gun Runner because we loved the physical match and we also liked the Storm Cat and A.P. Indy in her pedigree for him.   She foaled January 29th, and the filly is everything that we had hoped and dreamed she could be! She is a big, strong chestnut filly with great bone, a big hip and tons of quality!  For 2024, she is going to Into Mischief. Shedaresthedevil's size and scope will match up well with Into Mischief, we believe. And I think we may already have Gun Runner penciled in for 2025!

Songbird, 11, Medaglia d'Oro—Ivanavinalot, by West Acre. To be bred to Gun Runner.  

2023 was a great year for Songbird and everyone connected to her, as she was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame!  Currently, she is in foal to Gun Runner and is going back to Gun Runner. We think her high cruising speed will complement his, as some of his best runners are out of mares with speed. We also think Gun Runner will add a bit of scope and stretch to the foals, which would be a nice addition.  We have retained some fillies out of Songbird as future broodmares, and her first colt (by Curlin) sold for $1 million this past September, so this mare has a lot in the pipeline.

I'll Take Charge, 12, Indian Charlie—Take Charge Lady, by Dehere. 2024 mating undecided.

We bought her as a yearling ($2.2 million, Keeneland September), and with her amazing pedigree we always hoped and planned for her to be a long-term broodmare play.  Thankfully she has fulfilled her destiny, producing GII winner and GI-placed Charge It for us, as well as selling a $1.7 million yearling (by into Mischief) this past September.   She is in foal to Into Mischief on a late cover, so we have decided to see the foal and decide on her future mating at that time, with the main options being Tapit, Into Mischief, or Gun Runner.

Graceful Princess, 8, Tapit—Havre de Grace, by Saint Liam. To be bred to Curlin.

She is an important mare to us, being a Grade III winner out of Havre de Grace, who was so special to me. She is in foal to Gun Runner, and that was an easy choice with the success of Tapit mares and Gun Runner. he is scheduled to go to Curlin for 2024, both on the physical match being excellent, and the fact that he's done well with Tapit mares also, producing the likes of Cody's Wish.

Magical World, 14, Distorted Humor—Pleasant Home, by Seeking the Gold. To be bred to Good Magic.

Magical World is a mare we own in partnership with Three Chimneys Farm, and she was rested last season after having a late May foal. She is going to Good Magic for 2024, mainly because we all really liked the physical match there, since she should give plenty of size and substance to the equation. On the pedigree angle, the cross gives a 4×4 double to Danzig, which we found in three of his graded runners so far, including Kentucky Derby winner Mage.

Hard Not To Love, 8, Hard Spun—Loving Vindication, by Vindication. To be bred to Tapit.

We own this mare in partnership with Gainesway Farm. She is in foal to Curlin and is going to Tapit in 2024. As you know we love Tapit, and the only person who loves Tapit more is Antony Beck, so it was an easy choice!  She also has a lovely Tapit yearling filly, which made the decision even easier.

Tap Gun, 9, Tapit—Quiet Giant, by Giant's Causeway. To be bred to Justify.

As a half-sister to Gun Runner,  she was another of those long-term broodmare plays when we bought her as a yearling. She is in foal to Quality Road and is booked to Justify for 2024. She is a mare who really appreciates a robust stallion who can throw some size like Quality Road and Justify can do. She has a lovely Quality Road yearling filly.

Wicked Whisper, 7, Liam's Map—Zayanna, by Bernardini. To be bred Curlin.

What we loved about this mare when we purchased her was how precocious she was as a race filly. She won first out at Saratoga and followed it up by winning the G1 Frizette.  She is in foal to Gun Runner and scheduled to go back to Curlin for 2024. She has a very powerful and racy Curlin yearling filly, and the cross is doing well, especially with Eclipse Award-winning Idiomatic putting an exclamation point on it! She is a lovely mare who we have high hopes for.

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The gray is out GI Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic heroine Unrivaled Belle (Unbridled's Song), who was bred and raced by Gary Seidler and Peter Vegso. Initially, she was purchased by Brushwood Stable for $2.8 million as the fourth highest price at the 2011 Keeneland November Sale.

Five years later at the same auction, Whisper Hill made the mare the sales topper when Mandy Pope took her home for $3.8 million, while Tap My Belle's older full-sister, Unrivaled Princess, was in-utero.

Of course, Unrivaled Belle's most famous produce to date is also another full-sister to this Gulfstream first-time starter–two-time Eclipse Award recipient Unique Bella. Winner of the GI Beholder Mile and GI La Brea S., the champion was purchased for $400,000 by Don Alberto at the 2015 Keeneland September Sale.

Unrivaled Belle claims a 2-year-old colt and a yearling one of the same sex, while Unique Bella–herself a dam–also has a 2-year-old colt and she foaled a filly last year. All four offspring are by multiple leading sire Into Mischief.

Tap My Belle's second dam, MGSW Queenie Belle (Bertrando), is also responsible for the dam of GIII Gotham S. victor Raise Cain (Violence). TJCIS PPS

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The inside four horses, all first-time starters, headline Pegasus World Cup day at Gulfstream Park Saturday. BATTEN DOWN (Tapit) kicks things off for Bill Mott who looks to capitalize on a huge Eclipse Awards night with this Juddmonte homebred. A son of champion older mare Close Hatches, this colt is out of a full-sister to MGISP Lockdown, herself the dam of newly-crowned champion 3-year-old filly Idiomatic (Curlin). He is also a full-brother to MGSW/MGISP Tacitus and from the family of G1 Tattersalls Irish Two Thousands Guineas winner Siskin (First Defence).

Corporate Power (Curlin) brought $925,000 as a yearling at KEENOV in 2022 for Courtlandt Farms and trainer Shug McGaughey. Out of GSW Road to Victory, herself a $1.45m Stonestreet buy at FTKNOV 2019, the colt counts Japanese G1SW Moanin (Henny Hughes) as an extended family member.

The first of two Todd Pletcher entries, My True Colors (Munnings) sold for $600,000 at Keeneland as a yearling. Already a half to GSP Valletta (Into Mischief), he traces back to MGISW A.P. Indian (Indian Charlie).

Breaking from the rail is the other Pletcher entry, Speak Easy (Constitution), a homebred for WinStar Farm and Sienna Farm, is out of GISP Fun. WinStar purchased the GI Darley Alcibiades third for $400,000 at FTKNOV in 2017 and this is her second foal to race. TJCIS PPS

2nd-FG, 57K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 4:28 p.m.

$1.7m yearling Gun Party (Curlin) debuts for Three Chimneys Farm and Winchell Thoroughbreds. The Steve Asmussen trainee is out of GI Acorn S. winner Carina Mia who last sold to Japan's Shadai Farm for $2.6m at FTKNOV in 2021. The dam is half to MGISW Miss Match (Arg) (Indygo Shiner) and to the dam of MSW/MGSP Super Chow (Lord Nelson) along with juvenile SW Princess Indy (Lord Nelson). TJCIS PPS

5th-FG, $57K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, 6:19 p.m.

A pair of homebreds, both racing for Steve Asmussen, make their debuts at the Fair Grounds. Lady Ariel (Curlin) from Stonestreet is out of SW/MGSP Steph Being Steph.

To her outside, Just Better (Justify) wears the Whisper Hill colors. Mandy Pope picked up her dam, Betterbetterbetter (Ire), for a sale-topping $5.2m at FTKNOV in 2013. The dam is a half to Irish high-weighted filly Yesterday (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and to G1SW Quarter Moon (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) amongst many others in a deep European family. TJCIS PPS

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WEATHER DELAY (Curlin), the first foal out of MGISW American Gal (Concord Point), kicks off her career for Repole Stable and trainer Todd Pletcher. The 3-year-old was a $500,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase. Carrying the colors of Kaleem Shah, American Gal captured the 2017 GI Longines Test S. at Saratoga and the following term's GI Humana Distaff S. at Churchill Downs. She was also third as the favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. American Gal brought $3 million from Weather Delay's breeder Whisper Hill Farm at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Her 2-year-old colt by Into Mischief brought $1.1 million from Grandview Equine at last year's Keeneland September sale. TJCIS PPs

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The heavily favored #2 LESLIE'S ROSE ($2.40) turned back Gun Song to keep her record a perfect two-for-two in the 6th at Gulfstream.

Irad Ortiz was in the irons for trainer @PletcherRacing and @whisper_hill. pic.twitter.com/M89WLCCMuC

— TVG (@TVG) January 11, 2024

The post Leslie’s Rose Looked Like A ‘TDN Rising Star’ To Stay Perfect At Gulfstream appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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2YO LESLIE'S ROSE, daughter of @spendthriftfarm stallion Into Mischief, breaks her maiden impressively in the opener under @iradortiz for @PletcherRacing! pic.twitter.com/Za48fzph7m

— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) November 19, 2023

5th-GP, $89k, Msw, 3yo, f, 5fT, post time: 2:09 p.m. ET
St Elias Stable elected to take home its homebred PRETTY LIAM (Liam's Map) when bidding on her stalled out at $240,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September sal. That looks to have been a shrewd call, as the filly's year-older half-sister Danse Macabre (Army Mule) proved to be arguably the best turf sprinter of her generation in 2023, with victories in the GIII Herecomesthebride S. over this course and the Glen Cove S. in New York. Dam Sylphide (Blame) is a half-sister to MGSW/MGISP Cambodia (War Front) and the third dam includes South African champion Overarching (Arch) and GISW Abscond (Blame). Justified Strategy (Justify) is a daughter of GISW Cry and Catch Me (Street Cry {Ire}), also the dam of Sovereign Award winner Souper Escape (Medaglia d'Oro) and a half-sister to Group 1-winning European champion Certify (Elusive Quality). Dixie Mischief (Into Mischief) is a John Oxley homebred half-sister to last year's Ontario Damsel S. winner Forever Dixie (Quality Road) and her Grade III-winning dam Dixie Strike (Dixie Union) is a half-sister to champion Inglorious (Henny Hughes), who beat the boys in the 2011 Queen's Plate. TJCIS PPs

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