Tag: Woody Stephens S.

Justify’s First Grade I Winner Arabian Lion Retired To Spendthrift

'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Lion (Justify–Unbound, by Distorted Humor), who became the first Grade I winner for his boom sire in this year's Woody Stephens S. on the Belmont Stakes undercard, has been retired from racing and will enter stud in 2024 at Spendthrift Farm. He will stand for $30,000, stands-and-nurses terms.

Bred in Kentucky by Bonne Chance Farm LLC, the chestnut was purchased by Amr Zedan's Zedan Racing Stable for $600,000 out of the 2022 OBS April Sale and made a big impression at first asking, graduating by three lengths and clocking a strong 1:09.78 for six furlongs. Arabian Lion proved proficient when stretched out to two turns by trainer Bob Baffert, finishing second to fellow 'Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense) in the GIII Lexington S. before romping by four lengths in the Sir Barton S., good for a 103 Beyer.

Having been under consideration for the GI Belmont S., Arabian Lion cut back to seven-eighths of a mile for the Woody Stephens, defeating then-unbeaten Drew's Gold (Violence) by 1 3/4 lengths, covering the distance in a slick 1:21.70 (109 Beyer) ahead of a third in the GI H. Allen Jerkens S. at Saratoga. Arabian Lion retires with a record of 3-2-1 from nine starts and earnings of $498,100.

“Arabian Lion is a tremendous-looking individual and he showed real brilliance on the track,” said Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey. “His win in the Woody Stephens was arguably the best performance this year by a 3-year-old, and the speed figures back that up.

“We are grateful to Mr. Zedan for the opportunity to stand another one of his stars. He and his team have obviously done a great job of acquiring and racing the best of the best, and those are the type of stallion prospects we are looking to stand at Spendthrift.”

Arabian Gold will stand alongside Zedan's 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner) at Spendthrift.

Produced by a half-sister to the stakes-placed dam of the Spendthrift-owned MGSW Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro), Arabian Lion–the first son of Justify to stud–counts the inimitable Personal Ensign (Private Account) as his third dam. Descending from that unbeaten racemare is MGISW My Flag, her champion daughter Storm Flag Flying (Storm Cat) and additional Grade I winners Miner's Mark, Traditionally and Mr Speaker .

 

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Drew’s Gold Works For Amsterdam

Trainer Jim Chapman and Stuart Tsujimoto's Drew's Gold (Violence), who suffered the first defeat of his career when a game runner-up to Arabian Lion (Justify) in the GI Woody Stephens S. at Belmont Park June 10, breezed a half-mile in :47.88 over the Saratoga main track Thursday morning and is expected to make his next appearance in the GII Amsterdam S. July 29.

“He worked really good. He's never really been a good workhorse alone but as he's gotten older, he's more into it,” Chapman said. “I told [jockey] Jose [Ortiz] if you can follow someone, he's going to work a lot better for you. He got in behind a Rudy [Rodriguez] horse that horse was 15 lengths in front of him leaving the half. At the wire, he was still three or four lengths in front of him and then after the wire, he just blew by him.

“He's a beautiful mover anyways, but he really likes this track,” Chapman continued. “Hopefully, he can get this thing done in nice shape and we want to win the next one going seven-eighths,” he said, referring to the GI H. Allen Jerkens S. at the Spa Aug. 26.

Bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds, Drew's Gold sold for $25,000 as a Keeneland September yearling in 2021 and won his Churchill debut last May. Gone for 8 1/2 months thereafter, he resumed with a handy Laurel allowance score Jan. 28 befor winning the Jimmy Winkfield S. and Gold Fever S. at Aqueduct prior to his Woody Stephens try. Drew's Gold has amassed $302,620 to date in earnings.

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Arabian Lion Gives Justify a First Grade I Winner in Woody Stephens

ELMONT, NY – Five years ago, Justify became the 13th winner of the Triple Crown with a gate-to-wire victory in the GI Belmont S.

The Ashford Stud-based stallion, quite fittingly, celebrated his first Grade I winner as a sire on the Belmont undercard courtesy of 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Lion (Justify)'s good-looking 1 3/4-length victory as the 2-1 favorite over Drew's Gold (Violence) in Saturday's GI Woody Stephens S. Gilmore (Twirling Candy) was third.

The win marked a triumphant return to the Big Apple for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who was suspended from competition for one year from NYRA tracks stemming from his well-documented medical violation of disqualified 2021 GI Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit. The ban ended in January. Baffert hadn't started a runner in New York since Rockefeller (Medaglia d'Oro) finished 10th in the 2022 GIII Gotham S. at Aqueduct.

“He's just a smaller version of Justify and to have a horse by Justify–one of the greatest horses I've ever trained–and to bring him to New York and win a Grade I, that's what we're all in the game for,” Baffert said.

“I'm just going to enjoy this Grade I victory. It's great to be back here. Nothing like winning in New York. It means so much to the horse and the connections and I feel great about it.”

Drawn on the inside in post two in the 10-horse field, the Zedan Racing Stable colorbearer sat the trip from fourth, drafting in behind the two-for-two Federal Judge (Army Mule), who faced pressure to his outside from the well-backed Drew's Gold. The unbeaten Gold Fever S. winner made his move on the outside turning for home and was moving well, but Arabian Lion had other ideas. Arabian Lion was tipped out leaving the quarter pole and took flight in the stretch with good-looking strides to roar home for a career high.

An impressive debut winner at Santa Anita last October, Arabian Lion didn't fare well in his first two tries versus stakes company going two turns, finishing last of five as the heavy favorite in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 17 and fourth in the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Feb. 4. He bounced back with a huge second behind sidelined 'TDN Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense) in the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland Apr. 15, then put on a show on the GI Preakness S. undercard with a powerful front-running victory in the Sir Barton S.

“This horse, I've always been so high on, he's just been slow to come around,” Baffert said. “Amr Zedan, he let me be patient with him and now we're getting rewarded with he way he ran.”

He continued, “The Lexington S. was a headscratcher. It looked like he was going to win and I think he saw something in the crowd and quit running and then he got beat. His race at Pimlico was amazing. I flew him back to California and I said, 'I probably won't bring him back,' but he was doing so well, I could tell.”

Baffert added that Arabian Lion could target the $1-million GI Haskell on July 22 at Monmouth Park.

Pedigree Notes:

Arabian Lion, a $600,000 OBS April breezer (:10) from the first crop of Justify, becomes the seventh graded winner for his young sire. Arabian Lion's third dam is the legendary runner and producer Personal Ensign. Arabian Lion's dam Unbound began her career in Japan before being imported by SF Bloodstock and running second in a sprint stakes at Belmont. She was later sold for $310,000 to F. T. I at Keeneland November in 2015 in foal to Tiznow. After failing to produce a foal in the next two seasons following Arabian Lion, Unbound produced a filly by Frosted this year. Unbound's stakes-placed full-sister Mary Rita is responsible for recent GII Penn Mile S. winner Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro).

Saturday, Belmont Park
WOODY STEPHENS S. PRESENTED BY MOHEGAN SUN-GI,
$400,000, Belmont, 6-10, 3yo, 7f, 1:21.70, ft.
1–ARABIAN LION, 122, c, 3, by Justify
                1st Dam: Unbound (SP, $359,826), by Distorted Humor
                2nd Dam: Possibility, by A.P. Indy
                3rd Dam: Personal Ensign, by Private Account
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($600,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Bonne Chance Farm LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-John R. Velazquez. $220,000. Lifetime Record: 7-3-2-0, $437,600. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Drew's Gold, 122, r, 3, Violence–Frolic's Revenge, by Vindication. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($25,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-James K. Chapman and Stuart Tsujimoto; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-James K. Chapman. $80,000.
3–Gilmore, 118, c, 3, Twirling Candy–My Surfer Girl, by Henny Hughes. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($48,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $250,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Dividing Ridge Farm (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $48,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 3/4, 7 1/4. Odds: 2.35, 3.80, 7.20.
Also Ran: Federal Judge, Gun Pilot, General Jim, Victory Formation, Fort Warren, Dark Vector, Arman.
Scratched: Fort Bragg, Harrodsburg, New York Thunder.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Pretty Mischievous Drills Towards Acorn

'TDN Rising Star' Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), last-start winner of the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks May 5, breezed a half-mile in :47.87 over the Belmont main track at 6:45 Saturday morning in advance of a start in Friday's GI Acorn S. at Belmont Park. The Godolphin homebred worked in the company of the dual graded-stakes placed Gilmore (Twirling Candy), who is expected for Saturday's GI Woody Stephens S. on the Belmont S. undercard.

Trainer Brendan Walsh was duly pleased with his filly's final serious piece of work.

“That's typical of her,” Walsh commented. “I think she even went :47 4/5 in her work before the Oaks as well. She's been doing well since then. Everything seems spot on for her.”

The Acorn will be contested over a one-turn 8 1/2 furlongs for the first time this year, having been lengthened from a mile, and Walsh is not concerned about the cutback to one bend.

“I don't think it'll be a problem at all,” Walsh said. “It should work out well for her. She has plenty of natural speed, which is required in this type of race.”

Gilmore was runner-up in the GIII Bay Shore S. at Aqueduct Apr. 8 and cuts back to a sprint off a sound third in the GII Pat Day Mile at Churchill May 6.

“I thought he worked great, too. That was a great work for him,” Walsh said. “He's not the most generous worker in the morning, but he worked fine. I didn't want him to go head-to-head with her because I thought they would have gone too fast.”

 

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