Cover image of Gamine (USA) courtesy of Sarah Andrew
One of the biggest weekends in United States racing was delayed by four months but that hasn’t kept trainers from sending some of their best to Churchill Downs for the first Friday and Saturday of September.
The first of the two days of important races for all divisions, Kentucky Oaks Day kicks off with the 1400 metre G2 Eight Belles S. for 3-year-old fillies with the final race of the day – the G2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint S. over 1100 metres – attracting an oversubscribed field.
Fillies take centre stage in Eight Belles
Out of a Warrior’s Reward (USA) half-sister to former Australian shuttle stallion Can The Man (USA), Mundaye Call (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) breaks from post position one in the 1400 metre Grade 2 for 3-year-old fillies. The winner of three of her five starts, including a 7.25l romp in last month’s Runhappy Audubon Oaks, Mondaye Call’s second dam Smolensk (USA) (Danzig {USA}) is also the granddam of Listed Super Impose S. second Independent Road (Declaration Of War {USA}).
Mundaye Call’s third dam is bluehen broodmare Blush With Pride (USA) (Blushing Groom {Fr}), the matriarch of a family that also includes New Zealand Group 3 winner Ticket To Ride (NZ) (Shocking) and Group 3-placed Asama Blue (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) among others.
Breeders’ Cup winner favoured in Edgewood
When Craig Rounsefell signed the ticket for the $220,000 I’m Pretty Strong (USA) (Street Cry {Ire}) at the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale for Aston Bloodstock, it was unlikely anyone had any idea the daughter of a Breeders’ Cup winner would also be half-sister to one in less than 12 months. Sharing (USA) (Speightstown {USA}) won the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last November and most recently finished a strong second in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot.
Sharing could make it a big few weeks for the family if she wins her first start since Royal Ascot in the Edgewood. Sent to Australia in January 2019, I’m Pretty Strong made a few starts for Chris Waller before being retired and bred to Dundeel (NZ). The 6-year-old delivered her first foal – a filly – on August 20, almost two weeks to the day before Sharing lines up in this race.
Irish import Walk In Marrakesh (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) is out of a half-sister to European Champion Zipping (Ire) (Zafonic {USA}), among her dam’s three stakes winning siblings. One such sibling is Zelding (Ire) (Warning {GB}), the granddam of G1 Ranvet S. winner The United States (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and three other stakes winners. A homebred for Merriebelle Stable, Walk In Marrakesh has been graded stakes placed three times since coming over to North America last Fall, including a second last out.
Older males star in Alysheba
By former Darley Australia stallion Street Sense (USA), Bob Baffert-trained McKinzie (USA) is making his first start since July in a bid to win back-to-back editions of the G2 Alysheba S. over 1700 metres. One of the top 3-year-olds in Baffert’s barn the year Baffert won the Triple Crown with Justify (USA), McKinzie comes from the family of Angela Forster-trained Listed Hill Smith S. winner Lotion (Good Journey {USA}).
Famous for his exploits during the Triple Crown last season when leaving his jockey at the barrier and enjoying a jockey-free run around Pimlico during the G1 Preakness S., Bodexpress (USA) (Bodemeister {USA}) has been a consistent in stakes company after putting together two straight victories at the end of last year.
Third in three of his last five starts – all at stakes level, the 4-year-old Bodexpress is from the family of Gypsy Robin (USA) (Daaher {USA}). A Grade 2 winner in the United States, the Kia Ora Stud-owned mare is the dam of Inglis Nursery winner Wild Ruler (Snitzel).
Also in this race is Street Boss’s (USA) 2017 Kentucky Derby runner Hence (USA), who will be making his 25th start, and More Than Ready’s (USA) multiple graded stakes placed Title Ready (USA).
La Troienne kicks off Grade 1 action
Second in her last two outings, Saracosa (USA) (Bernardini {USA}) will be looking for her first graded stakes success in the 1700 metre G1 La Troienne S. the race before the G1 Kentucky Oaks. By a former Australian shuttle stallion in Bernardini (USA) and out of a mare by Medaglia D'Oro (USA), the 5-year-old mare hails from the family of Port Adelaide Guineas winner Spring Choice (Choisir). In training with Leon and Troy Corstens, Spring Choice also has other siblings on the track and in the pipeline. Dam First Blossom (USA) (Giant’s Causeway {USA}) has a 2-year-old Winning Rupert filly named Winnson and a yearling Flying Artie colt in addition to her racing age foals. She was bred to Written By last year.
The 4/5 morning line favourite, Monomoy Girl (USA) (Tapizar {USA}) has come back with a vengeance after missing 18 months of racing. Making her first start since the 2018 G1 Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff in May, the 5-year-old mare has gone two-for-two in 2020. Monomoy Girl’s dam is a half-sister to former Hong Kong runner Endless Luck (USA) (Giant’s Causeway {USA}) with Monomoy Girl herself a half-sister to one-time 2020 Kentucky Derby contender Mr Monomoy (USA) (Palace Malice {USA}).
Kentucky Oaks provides match up of the weekend at Churchill
A granddaughter of Australian legend More Than Ready (USA), Swiss Skydiver (USA) earned her first Grade 1 victory last out and looks to be one of the top two choices in the G1 Kentucky Oaks. The filly is three-quarter sister to Verrazano’s (USA) stakes winning Miss Hot Legs (USA) with their dam a half-sister to Japanese stakes winner Denver Tesoro (USA) (Violence {USA}).
Dual Grade 1-placed Donna Veloce (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}) will provide former Coolmore Australia stallion Uncle Mo (USA) the Oaks half of a Oaks/Derby entry double. A granddaughter of Grade 1 winner Cash Run (USA) (Seeking The Gold {USA}), the filly is from the family of Grade 1 winner and sire Forestry (USA). The is one of two entries on Friday for her dam Coin Broker (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) with her 2-year-old War Front (USA) half-sister debuting in a maiden earlier on the card.
A two-time runaway Grade I winner by Spendthrift Farm’s Champion Sire Into Mischief (USA), the Bob Baffert-trained Gamine (USA) was a $1.8 million 2-year-old. Likely the favourite here, the filly out of stakes placed Peggy Jane (USA) (Kafwain {USA}) is the best filly under her first four dams. Gamine has won three of her four starts with the filly crossing the wire first in the fourth but disqualified after the race.
Turf sprinters close out Friday card in Twin Spires Turf Sprint
One of two runners by former shuttle stallion The Factor (USA) in the 1100 metre G2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint S., Bound For Nowhere (USA) has travelled the world.
The 6-year-old horse’s journeys include a third place finish in the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. during one of three runs at Royal Ascot. After that performance, there was talk in 2018 about targeting The Everest, though he ultimately did not come. The entire is out of a half-sister to Champion Sprinter Midnight Lute (USA) (Real Quiet {USA}) and comes to this race with two graded stakes placings in 2020.
Discreetly Mine’s (USA) stakes winning Jazzy Times (USA) is searching for his first graded level success here in his 34th start. Grade 1 placed on the dirt, the gelding’s family includes turf plenty of turf class under his fourth dam. That mare is the dam of Australian stakes placed and stakes producer Dowager Empress (USA) (Vice Regent {USA}) with her half-sister the granddam of multiple Australian Group 1 winner Theseo (Danewin).
Five-time winner Carotari (USA) will also be looking for his first graded stakes win for Stockwell Thoroughbreds resident Artie Schiller (USA) with Chaps (USA) looking to become More Than Ready’s (USA) newest stakes winner.
