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Wicked Halo Storms To Matron S. Win At Oaklawn

Despite inclement weather in the Hot Springs area on Friday afternoon, Wicked Halo (Gun Runner) returned to action off the break and won the inaugural running of the Matron S. over a wet track with Tyler Gaffalione in-town to ride for the weekend. The 4-year-old filly was making her first start of the year for trainer Steve Asmussen after she ran third in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Keeneland Nov. 5.

Prior to that, the classy sprinter strung together a number of stakes victories starting as a juvenile in the GII Adirondack S. at Saratoga Aug. 8 of that year. As a 3-year-old, Wicked Halo won four in-a-row starting at Churchill Downs June 12 in the Leslie's Lady Overnight S. and then in the Tepin S. July 2. She then stepped up to declare victory in the GII Prioress S. at Saratoga Sept. 2 and in the GII Lexus Raven Run S. Oct. 22.

After a trio of scratches, the even-money favorite in this comeback spot was content to settle in third, as Pretty Birdie (Bird Song) and I'm the Boss of Me (Midshipman) tore through the early fractions at :21.15 for the first quarter mile. Around the far turn as rival on the tote Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile) hugged the fence, the gray filly took the overland route and down the lane challenged the 3-2 shot to her outside. With a powerful late kick, she passed the Brad Cox trainee to win by 1 3/4 length.

“Talented group of mares and the exciting part is for her to come back running that fast,” said Steve Asmussen. “She finished off the year in spectacular fashion. I think she had four stakes wins and then was third in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. She got a little break off that. For her to come back and beat a filly the quality of Matayera in such a competitive fashion is very exciting.”

The winner's dam Just Wicked out of Wicked Deed (Harlan's Holiday), also successful in the Adirondack S. in Saratoga Springs, is a full-sister to GSW My Miss Lilly. Wicked Halo is bred on the same Gun Runner and Tapit cross as GISW Society and MGSP Red Route One, who will contest the GI Arkansas Derby on Saturday. Recent siblings include a 3-year-old full-brother named Wicked Again, a yearling full-sister and her dam just foaled another colt by Gun Runner.

MATRON S., $250,000, Oaklawn, 3-31, 4yo/up, f/m, 6f,
1:09.31, my.
1–WICKED HALO, 117, f, 4, Gun Runner–Just Wicked (GSW,
$208,460), by Tapit. O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY);
T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $162,500. Lifetime
Record: MGSW, 12-7-0-4, $1,032,700.
2–Matareya, 117, f, 4, Pioneerof the Nile–Innovative Idea, by
Bernardini. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $50,000.
3–I'm the Boss of Me, 117, m, 5, Midshipman–Glory Park, by
Deputy Commander. ($47,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Danny
Brown, Charis Brenneman and Greg Compton; B-Edward A.
Seltzer (KY); T-Greg Compton. $25,000.
Margins: 3/4, 6 3/4, 12HF. Odds: 1.00, 1.50, 12.60.
Also Ran: Pretty Birdie. Scratched: Dealing Justice,
Samurai Charm, Teddy's Barino.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Mar. 2 Insights: Full-Brother to Wicked Halo Debuts at Fair Grounds

8th-FG, $50k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 5:45 p.m. ET

WICKED AGAIN (Gun Runner), a full-brother to MGSW and last term's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint third-place finisher Wicked Halo, kicks off his career for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. The Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred, drawn on the inside in post two and favored on the morning line at 5-2, fired back-to-back, five-furlong bullets for this, including a 1:00 2/5 (1/8) drill Feb. 21. Wicked Again's dam Just Wicked (Tapit) won the 2015 GII Adirondack S. at Saratoga.

The field of 10 also includes debuting pricey yearling purchases: $550,000 FTSAUG purchase Gun Collector (Gun Runner) and $525,000 FTSAUG graduate Squire Creek (Uncle Mo). TJCIS PPs

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Gun Runner’s Wicked Halo Streaks to Raven Run Win

Sent off the lukewarm 5-2 choice, Winchell Thoroughbred's Wicked Halo (Gun Runner) made that price seem like a gift after rolling home an emphatic four-length winner in Saturday's GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland. Settled in third, Wicked Halo waited as Smash Ticket (Midnight Lute) sprinted to the front and carved out an opening quarter in :22.73 while Freedom Speaks (American Freedom) pressed the issue. Three wide and ready to pounce at any moment following a half in :46.09, Wicked Halo collared the front-running duo while fanned out several paths wide turning for home, bounded clear through the stretch as the early leaders faded and proved much the best while scampering home comfortably ahead of SW Fingal's Cave (Carpe Diem), who closed from well off the pace to edge Midnight Stroll (Not This Time) for the runner-up spot. The victory represented the second stakes win on the card for Winchell, Asmussen and Gun Runner following Gunite's score in the Perryville S.

“It's extremely special,” said Asmussen. “Their level of ability is obvious, but the fact that they thrive with racing and have continued to get better is so rare. I think they are very similar in the fact that they've just accepted their job and continuously gotten faster. Obviously, they're very sound horses–great homebreds for Winchell. I'm very fortunate to have them.”

Showing her talent right out of the box, Wicked Halo went wire-to-wire in her career bow at Lone Star and added a victory in the GII Adirondack S. at the Spa later that summer. Sidelined for the rest of her juvenile season after that, she needed a few starts to get going, finishing third in two of three starts in the first part of 2022 before kicking off a three-race win skein in Churchill's Leslie's Lady S. In June. Stretching to a mile for the Tepin S. July 2, the grey handled that with aplomb and duly followed up with a narrow victory in Saratoga's six-furlong GII Prioress S. Sept. 2.
“She did everything very easily,” added winning rider Tyler Gaffalione, who was also aboard for Gunite's win earlier in the day. “I'm just so thankful I was able to get the opportunity to steer them around there. It was a lot of fun today.”

Pedigree Notes:
Wicked Halo's dam, Just Wicked, also showed early precocity to win the 2015 renewal of the Adirondack. Following Wicked Halo, the half-sister to GSW My Miss Lilly (Tapit) produced a pair of Gun Runners, a colt in 2020 and a filly last term. She was bred back to the hot sire for 2023.

Saturday, Keeneland
LEXUS RAVEN RUN S.-GII, $334,500, Keeneland, 10-22, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:24.30, ft.
1–WICKED HALO, 120, f, 3, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Just Wicked (GSW, $208,460), by Tapit
2nd Dam: Wicked Deed, by Harlan's Holiday
3rd Dam: Marfa's Squall, by Marfa
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $206,150. Lifetime Record: 10-6-0-3, $780,200. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Fingal's Cave, 120, f, 3, Carpe Diem–Barbie On a Budget, by Mineshaft. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($75,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Alifyfe Racing, LLC; B-Chester & Mary R. Broman (NY); T-David G. Donk. $57,000.
3–Midnight Stroll, 120, f, 3, Not This Time–Midnight Magic, by Midnight Lute. ($14,000 RNA Ylg '20 OBSWIN; $225,000 Ylg '20 OBSOCT). O-Gatsas Stables, R. A. Hill Stable and Steven Schoenfeld; B-Carolin Von Rosenberg (FL); T-John P. Terranova, II. $28,500.
Margins: 4, NK, 3 3/4. Odds: 2.52, 4.46, 5.05.
Also Ran: Freedom Speaks, Last Leaf, Smash Ticket, Colorful Mischief, Republique, Union Lake.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPshttp://www.equineline.com/tdn/pedigree.cfm?tk=SAR&cy=USA&rd=09/07/2015&rn=9&de=D &ref=9104432. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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NY-Bred Fingal’s Cave Puts Unbeaten Mark on Line in Raven Run

New York-bred Fingal's Cave (Carpe Diem), perfect in four career starts in the Big Apple, takes on graded stakes company for the first time in Saturday's GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland.

The bay cuts back in distance to seven furlongs after capturing her stakes debut in Saratoga's Fleet Indian S. versus state-breds going 1 1/8 miles in the mud Aug. 26.

“At some point, we will challenge her and this seems to be a good spot,” trainer David Donk said. “The Raven Run is for straight 3-year-olds, it's graded and it is a good spot to see where we stand.”

He added, “I am not sure what her best distance is. She ran so well sprinting in her first two starts, and she has been training really well the past few weeks.”

Wicked Halo (Gun Runner) puts a three-race winning streak on the line following a narrow score in Saratoga's GII Prioress S. with the rail-drawn Union Lake (Speightster) back in third.

Smash Ticket (Midnight Lute) is two-for-two since joining the Rob Atras barn, including a big-figure 6 1/4-length tally in Pimlico's Weather Vane S. Sept. 24. She is the 5-2 morning-line favorite.

Shamrock Rose (First Dude) used the 2018 Raven Run as a springboard to a 25-1 upset in that term's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

The 10-race Belmont at the Big A card, meanwhile, will feature a wide-open renewal of the GII Hill Prince S. for sophomore turfers; and the grassy GIII Noble Damsel S. for fillies and mares. Saturday's graded action is rounded out by Woodbine's GIII Ontario Matron S.

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