United States
Call Me Midnight jumps on Derby trail in Lecomte
Seventh in his stakes debut in November, Call Me Midnight (USA) (Midnight Lute {USA}) put that behind him with an eye-catching late run to win the G3 Lecomte S. by a head and earn his first 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Call Me Midnight was happy to be second last for much of the 1700-metre race so far back he was out of the camera’s shot down the backstretch. It wasn’t until they were well into the stretch that Call Me Midnight made any noise, running late to catch the pacesetting Pappacap (USA) (Gun Runner {USA}) close to the line with Epicenter (USA) (Not This Time {USA}) also taking second away from that runner.
“The pace scenario won the race,” trainer Keith Desormeaux told TVG. “We’re excited but there were six horses in front of him going way to fast. The credit goes to (jockey) James Graham for being a great judge of pace.”
The colt is out of a half-sister to late New Zealand broodmare Sharp Point (USA) (Point Given {USA}), whose two stakes performers include New Zealand stakes-winning Flavigny (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). Sharp Point’s dam is also a half-sister to dual Derby winner Commander In Chief (GB) (Dancing Brave (USA}) and champion Warning (GB) (Known Fact {USA}) with those under this winner’s third dam including G1 South Australian Derby winner Leicester (Wanted), G3 Tattersall’s Cup winner Index Linked (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and others.
Medaglia strikes again with La Crete
Medaglia D’Oro (USA) showed again that he is an outstanding sire of fillies when La Crete (USA) jumped on the G1 Kentucky Oaks trail after a gutsy 1l win in the Silverbulletday at the Fair Grounds.
Making her second career start, the filly set the pace well ahead of all but Fannie and Freddie (USA) (Malibu Moon {USA}). That pair dueled down the straight with her rival getting the advantage but La Crete showed she wasn’t going to lay down easily, coming back in the final 100 metres to stay undefeated with Bernabreezy (USA) (Bernardini {USA}) finishing third.
“She’s a special horse and it’s unbelievable how it looked like that horse was beating me and then she came back and got the win,” jockey Joel Rosario said. “That was very special.”
The 162nd stakes winner overall for Medaglia D’Oro, she earned 10 points toward the Kentucky Oaks and would become Medaglia D’Oro’s third winner of the race if she were to win this year’s edition. The regally bred filly is the second runner out of the three-time Grade 1 winner Cavorting (USA) (Bernardini {USA}) whose first to run is the Grade 1-winning Clairiere (USA) (Curlin {USA}). The pair are homebred runners for Stonestreet Thoroughbreds, who took the same Fair Grounds route to the Oaks with Clairiere, who ultimately finished fourth at Churchill Downs.
Louisiana battle shakes out as advertised
Nearly exactly a year after Midnight Bourbon (USA) (Tiznow {USA}) and Mandaloun (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) started their rivalry in the 2021 G3 Lecomte S. they reunited at the track for their 4-year-old debuts with Mandaloun coming out the narrow best in the G3 Louisiana S. by 0.75l
It was the first start in six months for Mandaloun, who was sidelined due to injury after his G1 Haskell victory last year. But the Juddmonte homebred showed no rust throwing down with Midnight Bourbon as they entered the stretch. Midnight Bourbon gave away slightly in the final 100 metres and the winner took advantage to pull away with the third placed Warrant (USA) (Constitution {USA}) 8.25l back in third.
“We’ll let the dust settle and come up with a game plan but (the Saudi Cup) is very possible,” trainer Brad Cox said. “I always thought he would like one turn if we shorted him up to one turn. It’s something he can definitely handle.”
The winner of six of his nine starts and second in last year’s G1 Kentucky Derby, Mandaloun is out of the Group 2-winning Brooch (USA) (Empire Maker {USA}). That mare is one of three stakes performers for stakes-winning Daring Diva (GB) (Dansili {GB}) with the family also including G3 BTC Classic winner Platinum Kingdom (Magnus). That gelding’s dam Miss Rangoon (USA) (Giant’s Causeway {USA}) is still an active broodmare and had a full brother to Platinum Kingdom named Magnaburma in 2019. After missing for two years, Miss Rangoon was bred to Flying Artie, Jukebox, and Invader last year.
Salimah a first for El Kabeir
Former American Graded stakes winner and current Irish stallion El Kabeir (USA) registered a first on Saturday when Salimah (Ire) not only was his first American runner but also his first Thoroughbred Daily News ‘Rising Star’ with a 4.75l debut victory at Tampa Bay.
Bred by Yeomanstown Stud, where her sire stands, Salimah caught the eye of Peter Brant as a yearling and was purchased for 180,000gns (AU$370,000) at the 2020 Tattersalls October Yearlings Sale as the most expensive first-crop yearling by her sire. That price was vindicated when she impressed on debut Saturday racing 1600 metres on the turf.
Scat Daddy's (USA) son El Kabeir now has 18 winners from his first crop of 56 runners, led by five stakes-performers including Group 2-winning Don Chicco (GB). Salimah is also the second winner from two to race out of stakes-winning Promised Money (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), whose first is the Group 2-placed Fivethousandtoone (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Promised Money herself is one of two stakes winners for her own dam.
