Yaupon | Horse Racing Free Tips

Uncle Mo’s Yaupon Stays Perfect in Chick Lang

L. William & Corinne Heiligbrodt’s Yaupon (c, 3, Uncle Mo–Modification, by Vindication), an impressive last out winner of Saratoga’s GII Amsterdam S. Aug. 29, made it a perfect four-for-four with a powerful, front-running victory while equaling the stakes record in Thursday’s GIII Chick Lang S. at Pimlico.

The 3-5 favorite blasted out to the front from his outside draw, and was ridden along by John Velazquez to hold a narrow advantage. He began to shake free as they straightened for home and wasn’t for catching in the stretch, rolling to a four-length victory.

Double Crown (Bourbon Courage) was second; Relentless Dancer (Midshipman) was third.

“Put him on the lead and keep him on the lead, and he keeps running,” Velazquez said. “You’ve got to ride him the first part. For the first three-sixteenths of a mile, I had to ride him just to keep his head on the business. Even at the three-eighths pole I am reminding him, ‘Hey, keep your mind on your business.’ Then when he switched down the lane, he knew. It was ‘OK, time to go.'”

The winning time of 1:09.10 for six furlongs matched Lantana Mob from 2008 for the fastest in stakes history.

Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen also trained Lantana Mob, as well as 2018 Chick Lang winner and 2019 champion sprinter Mitole for these same connections.

Yaupon, a narrow debut winner at Churchill Downs June 20, took his game to the next level in his next two starts at Saratoga this summer, adding an allowance over older horses July 18 and the Amsterdam, with Beyer Speed Figures of 101 and 100, respectively.

Pedigree Notes:

The dual-graded winner Yaupon is one of 38 such winners for Uncle Mo, whose 67 black-type winners from six crops to race have him positioned in third among North American sires for 2020. Yaupon, a $255,000 OBS June acquisition (:10), is out of a Vindication mare in Modification, and Uncle Mo has crossed well with the Seattle Slew sire line previously. The Indian Charlie stallion also has the listed Canadian black-type winner Absolutely Stylish out of a Vindication mare, and has three stakes winners out of another Seattle Slew son in Bernardini: Mo Town (GI), Mopotism (GII), and Modernist (GII). Yaupon is also the second graded runner out of Modification, whose Sawyer’s Hill (Spring At Last) was second in both the 2014 GII Del Mar Derby and GII Twilight Derby. Her yearling filly by American Pharoah brought $1.2 million from Mike G. Rutherford at the recent Keeneland September sale. The mare, who is a half-sister to GSW Sky Alliance (Sky Classic), delivered a colt by Good Magic this year. She was bred back to Uncle Mo for 2021.

Thursday, Pimlico
CHICK LANG S.-GIII, $200,000, Pimlico, 10-1, 3yo, 6f, 1:09.10, ft.
1–YAUPON, 124, c, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Modification (GISP, $166,116), by Vindication
2nd Dam: Swift Alliance, by Afleet
3rd Dam: Stately Bride, by Tom Rolfe
($350,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP; $485,000 RNA 2yo ’19 FTFMAR;
$255,000 2yo ’19 OBSOPN). O-L. William & Corinne
Heiligbrodt; B-Betz, Lamantia, CoCo Equine, Magers, Burns
(KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-John R. Velazquez. $120,000.
Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0, $288,264. *1/2 to Sawyer’s Hill
(Spring At Last), MGSP, $366,705. Werk Nick Rating: A+++
*Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Double Crown, 124, g, 3, Bourbon Courage–Two Columbus,
by Two Punch. O-Reeves Thoroughbred Racing; B-Dr. & Mrs.
Thomas Bowman & Rebecca Davis (MD); T-Katherine Ritvo.
$40,000.
3–Relentless Dancer, 124, c, 3, Midshipman–Passion for Words,
by Benchmark. ($80,000 Ylg ’18 ESLYRL; $85,000 2yo ’19
OBSAPR). O-Jana Wagner & Paradise Farms Corp.; B-Paul
Pruett (LA); T-Michael J. Maker. $20,000.
Margins: 4, 1 1/4, 1. Odds: 0.60, 12.30, 17.70.
Also Ran: Little Menace, Dreams Untold, Captain Bombastic, Pitching Ari, Arkaan, Lebda. Scratched: Blackberry Wine.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post Uncle Mo’s Yaupon Stays Perfect in Chick Lang appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Well-Related ‘Pharoah’ Filly Keeps Ball Rolling at Keeneland

Longtime owner/breeder Mike Rutherford of Lexington’s Manchester Farm fended off several stiff challenges to ultimately land an American Pharaoh half-sister to unbeaten GII Amsterdam S. romper Yaupon (Uncle Mo) for $1.2 million.

The chestnut (hip 291) was consigned to the sale by Bill Betz’s Betz Thoroughbreds and bred by Betz, J. Betz, CoCo Equine, former Chicago newscaster Ron Magers and Burns.

“She is beautiful, gorgeous,” said Rutherford while rushing out of the sales pavilion. “Best filly I have seen. Let’s hope she can run.”

Rutherford said he currently has six other sons and daughters of American Pharaoh in training. He said he hadn’t yet decided on a trainer for hip 291, but he has employed Yaupon’s trainer Steve Asmussen in the past.

Betz paid $195,000 for mare Modification (Vindication) at the 2010 Keeneland November sale. She was carrying her first foal by Spring At Last that day, and that $100,000 KEESEP yearling eventually because MGSP Sawyer’s Hill. Other sales out of Modification include a $475,000 Candy Ride (Arg) filly, also trained by Asmussen to a couple wins. Yaupon was a $350,000 KEESEP grad, $485,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream RNA and $255,000 OBS June purchase by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt.

Rutherford was congratulated after the sale by Heiligbrodt representative Susan Montanye, and Rutherford said that Heiligbrodt was one of the underbidders on the filly.

The post Well-Related ‘Pharoah’ Filly Keeps Ball Rolling at Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Yaupon Stays Unbeaten With Snappy Amsterdam Victory

Yaupon answered another challenge thrown his way, improving to 3-for-3 in his career by wiring a six-horse field by two lengths in his stakes debut in the 28th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Amsterdam for sophomores on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Yaupon was unraced as a juvenile but won his debut by a nose going six furlongs on June 20 at Churchill Downs. The Uncle Mo colt proved he could ship well in his last start, a 3 3/4-length allowance win at Saratoga on July 18, before handling the step up in class on Saturday.

Breaking well from post 2 under jockey Joel Rosario, Yaupon was sent to the front, where he registered the opening quarter-mile in 21.93 seconds and the half in 44.68 over a muddy and sealed main track after earlier rainfall.

Out of the turn, Rosario kept Yaupon focused for the stretch run, repelling any potential challenge from runner-up Basin, completing six furlongs in 1:08.50.

“He's extremely fast. He's got an elite amount of speed,” Asmussen said. “It's very important that a horse with his physical [gifts], and as fast as he is, is a graded stakes winner here at Saratoga. I think we can sit down and map out a serious future for him from here.”

Owned by L. William and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Yaupon rewarded his 7-5 favoritism, returning $4.80 on a $2 win wager.

“He broke out of there well. I was trying to get a forward position and he put himself on the lead,” said Rosario, who notched his third win on the card. “He went on well. He's a very talented horse. He had no problem [with the surface].”

Yaupon, purchased for $255,000 at the 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sale, won on an off track for the first time. He nearly doubled his career earnings to $168,264.

“He had very minor issues, but it was just the physics of it when you're capable of going that fast,” Asmussen said. “We wanted to give him all the maturity we could. We were trying to follow a similar plan with him as we were with Mitole for the Heiligbrodts. They had expected to run him over the winter at the Fair Grounds, but he had another minor issue, so we erred on the side of caution as far as waiting and letting him get to 100 percent.”

Basin, making his first start for trainer Todd Pletcher, finished two lengths in front of Premier Star for second in his first start at Saratoga since winning last year's Grade 1 Hopeful.

“The winner was very good,” Pletcher said. “We were hoping for a bit of a speed duel, but it never really developed. We were pleased with the effort though.”

Wondrwherecraigis, Long Weekend and Liam's Pride completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card that features the Grade 3, $125,000 Shuvee for older fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles in Race 9 at 5:46 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:10 p.m.

The post Yaupon Stays Unbeaten With Snappy Amsterdam Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Yaupon Gives Uncle Mo a Graded Double in Amsterdam

Yaupon took his record to a perfect three-for-three and became the second graded winner of the day for Uncle Mo with a victory in the GII Amsterdam S. Hustled up to the front by Joel Rosario, the dark bay clicked off an opening quarter in :21.93 with Long Weekend giving chase in second. Registering a half-mile in :44.68 with a host of pursuers ranging up menacingly, Yaupon kept on finding over the sloppy going, pulling clear in the lane for a decisive score.

“He’s extremely fast. He’s got an elite amount of speed,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “It’s very important that a horse with his physical, and as fast as he is, is a graded stakes winner here at Saratoga. I think we can sit down and map out a serious future for him from here.”

As for a potential match-up with stablemate and GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt S. winner Volatile (Violence) in the Breeders’ Cup, the Hall of Famer said, “It’s maybe why there are different people [jockeys] on them to begin with. He’s just that level. We’re very fortunate that they’re both doing so well.”

Graduating by a nose in his Churchill downs unveiling June 20, Yaupon wired a track-and-trip optional claimer July 18 and breezed a bullet three panels in :37 flat over the Oklahoma Aug. 24. Carrying the same orange and white Heiligbrodt colors as Asmussen’s champion sprinter Mitole (Eskendereya), the sophomore was a $355,000 KEESEP yearling, who RNA’d for $485,000 at FTFMAR before selling to these connections for $255,000 at last year’s OBS June Sale.

Asmussen explained why the colt did not debut until this year, saying, “He’s a 2-year-old that worked :20.3 at Gulfstream for the 2-year-old-in training sale. He had very minor issues, but it was just the physics of it when you’re capable of going that fast. We wanted to give him all the maturity we could. We were trying to follow a similar plan with him as we were with Mitole for the Heiligbrodts. They had expected to run him over the winter at the Fair Grounds, but he had another minor issue, so we erred on the side of caution as far as waiting and letting him get to 100%.”

Pedigree Notes:

Yaupon is the second 3-year-old son of Uncle Mo to win a graded stake at Saratoga Saturday, following Bye Bye Melvin’s win on soft turf in the GIII Saranac S. earlier on the card. He is the 64th black-type victor and 36th graded victor overall for the Coolmore stallion. The winner’s dam is GISP Modification, a saughter of SW Swift Alliance (Afleet) and a half to GSW Sky Alliance. Also the dam of MGSP Sawyer Hill, the mare’s recent produce includes a yearling filly by American Pharoah and a Good Magic colt born May of this year. The 15-year-old was bred back to Uncle Mo this spring.

Saturday, Saratoga
AMSTERDAM S.-GII, $150,000, Saratoga, 8-29, 3yo, 6f, 1:08.50, my.
1–YAUPON, 118, c, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Modification (GISP, $166,116), by Vindication
2nd Dam: Swift Alliance, by Afleet
3rd Dam: Stately Bride, by Tom Rolfe
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($350,000
Ylg ’18 KEESEP; $485,000 RNA 2yo ’19 FTFMAR; $255,000 2yo
’19 OBSOPN). O-L. William & Corinne Heiligbrodt; B-Betz,
Lamantia, CoCo Equine, Magers, Burns (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen; J-Joel Rosario. $82,500. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0,
$168,264. *1/2 to Sawyer’s Hill (Spring At Last), MGSP,
$366,705. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Basin, 124, c, 3, Liam’s Map–Appenzell, by Johannesburg.
($150,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Jackpot Farm; B-Cottonwood
Stables, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $30,000.
3–Premier Star, 120, c, 3, Tapiture–Letthetigerparty, by Hold
That Tiger. ($105,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP; $100,000 2yo ’19
OBSOPN). ‘TDN Rising Star’ O-Sonata Stable; B-Charles H. Deters (KY); T-Michael J. Trombetta. $18,000.
Margins: 2, 2, 3HF. Odds: 1.40, 2.05, 7.70.
Also Ran: Wondrwherecraigis, Long Weekend, Liam’s Pride.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post Yaupon Gives Uncle Mo a Graded Double in Amsterdam appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post