William and Corinne Heiligbrodt | Horse Racing Free Tips

by Patrycja Szpyra and J.N. Campbell

Sporting the familiar Heiligbrodt colors of his sire, Booth (c, 2, Mitole–Sophia's Song, by Bellamy Road) showed talent ran in spades in his family on this Super Saturday unveiling, taking the Keeneland night cap at odds of 5-1 by blitzing out of the gate and never giving the rest of the field a chance en route to securing 'TDN Rising Star' honors.

The colt, owned in partnership by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm, and Whispering Oaks Farm, set all the fractions of :22.45, a half in :45.08 and :57.05 coming into the stretch before sailing home much the best by 5 1/4 lengths over favorite Nash (Medaglia d'Oro) to stop the clock in 1:10.23. The final time was 0.21 faster than what GSW Yuugiri (Shackleford) posted when winning the GII Thoroughbred Club of America S. earlier on the card.

#7 BOOTH ($12.20) looked a lot like his sire, @spendthriftfarm's Mitole, when winning his debut in wire-to-wire fashion in the finale at Keeneland.

The colt is trained by Steve Asmussen for co-owners William & Corinne Heiligbrodt, @jackpotfarm, & Whispering Oaks Farm. pic.twitter.com/U4BTyaf30C

— TVG (@TVG) October 7, 2023

The winner is a half-brother to GI Jockey Club Gold Cup hero Bright Future (Curlin), who was purchased in 2020 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Repole Stables and St. Elias Stable for $350,000. Sophia's Song is also responsible for a yearling colt by Tiz the Law, foaled a colt by Maxfield May 4 and was bred to Jackie's Warrior for 2024. The dam herself hails from a busy family with MSW Tax Refund (Artax) and GSP Unbridled Beauty (Unbridled's Song) also claiming black-type in their careers on the track. The latter would later go on to produce GSP Meal Penalty (Tale of the Cat), a Peruvian leading sire in his second career, and GSP Danny Boy (Harlan's Holiday). Through a daughter of Unbridled Beauty, Booth is also related to GI Hopeful S. shocker Nutella Fella (Runhappy), and another daughter of that mare counts MSP-Fr Demain (More Than Ready) to her tally.

Sophia's Song's winning half-sister Denali Dreamscape (Corinthian) has produced SW New Boss (Street Boss) as well as GSP Daydreaming Boy (Goldencents) while sibling Casey's Dreamin' (Unbridled's Song) can claim GIII Ontario Derby hero Ironestone (Mr Speaker) to her credit. This is the extended female family of two-time champion sprinter Housebuster; MGSW Elysea's World (Ire); and GSW & MGISP Quero Quero.

The Heiligbrodts purchased outright another juvenile son of Mitole at this year's OBS March Sale in Global Icon for $260,000. Bred by Jeff Ganje, the colt has yet to enter training. As for Booth, he is his first-crop sire's (by Eskendereya) 15th winner and second runner to gain the 'Rising Star' stamp of approval.

11th-Keeneland, $100,000, Msw, 10-7, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.23, ft, 5 1/4 lengths.
BOOTH, c, 2, by Mitole
                1st Dam: Sophia's Song {SW & GSP, $155,892}, by Bellamy Road)
                2nd Dam: Dreamscape, by Mt. Livermore
                3rd Dam: Big Dreams, by Great Above
Sales History: $120,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $225,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,350. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-L. William Heiligbrodt, Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm and Whispering Oaks Farm LLC; B-Clearsky Farms (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.

The post Mitole’s Booth Breaks Like A Shot, Blitzes To ‘Rising Star’ Honors appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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by Bill Finley & Patrycja Szpyra

On paper, Saturday's seventh race at Saratoga looked wide open and loaded with talent. All the major players had horses in the race, Wayne Lukas, Chad Brown, Steve Asmussen, Brad Cox , Bill Mott and Todd Pletcher, who had two starters in the six furlong maiden special weight event. The race figured to be fought all the way to the wire.

Instead it was the Asmussen horse, Valentine Candy (Justify), who ran them off their feet right out of the gate. Sent off at 5-2 and ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. he exploded off the blocks and was three lengths in front in what announcer Frank Mirahmadi called “the blink of en eye.”

The fractions were 22.10 and 45.94, but Valentine Candy was still cruising on the lead as the field turned into the stretch. The Todd Pletcher-trained Protective (Medaglia d'Oro) made a solid late bid to cut into the winning margin, but it was a case of too little too late. The final time for the six furlongs run over a fast track was 1:11.74 and Valentine Candy won by three-quarters of a length.

“I had a good talk with Steve two days ago,” Santana said. “He said he really liked this horse. When the gate opened, he broke so fast. Then I just sat chilly with him. When turning for home, I asked him and he gave me a good kick. I have a lot of respect for Steve. Basically, he and his family are part of my family. Thanks to him, I am Ricardo Santana.”

Valentine Candy is owned by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt in partnership with Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks Farm, and Keith and Ginger Myers. He was purchased for $250,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale.

“I love 2-year-olds and I loved the way he ran,” said Bill Heiligbrodt. “He ran like a Heiligbrodt, Asmussen, Santana horse, especially with the way he broke out of the gate. This is a really nice horse.”

“This was very exciting and we are excited about his career. We thought he would win and he did,” said Corrine Heiligbrodt.

#5 Valentine Candy breaks his maiden in gate-to-wire fashion in R7 at Saratoga for trainer Steve Asmussen with @rsantana_jr in the irons!

#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/20c2q1W9t5

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) July 22, 2023

Valentine Candy's dam is Taste Like Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}), who won the GI Hollywood Starlet S. in 2013. The 2-year-old was bred by Pine Creek LP. He is her first to race in the States behind lone, elder half-brother King Happy (Street Sense), who campaigned in Europe. The mare most recently had a 2023 Mitole colt and hails from the extended female family of GSW Wonderwherecraigis (Munnings); MGISW Affirmed Success; GISW & G1SP Exbourne; and GISW Expelled.

The Heiligbrodts, Asmussen and Santana have gone down this road before with a quick, classy horse. After he broke his maiden in his third start at Oaklawn, the same connections went on quite the roll with Mitole (Eskendereya), a four-time Grade I winner who wrapped up the 2019 sprint championship with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Daily Grind (Medaglia d'Oro), a $1.35 million Fasig-Tipton August finished eighth for trainer Wayne Lukas and BC Stables LLC.

7th-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 7-22, 2yo, 6f, 1:11.74, ft, 3/4 length.
VALENTINE CANDY (c, 2, Justify–Taste Like Candy {GISP, $286,205}, by Candy Ride {Arg}) Sales history: $250,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,750. O-L. William and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks Farm LLC, Keith and Ginger Myers; B-Pine Creek LP (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Valentine Candy Flashes Impressive Speed to Win Loaded Saratoga Maiden appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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