May 17 Insights: German G1 Class, Half to Shedaresthedevil Star as Supporting Acts on Preakness Day

[Wandering Eyes]

6th-CD, $127k, Aoc, 3yo/up, f, 1 1/8mT, 8:30p.m. ET
Sold for a price befitting royalty on the back of a 3-year-old season where she was Group 1-placed in Germany, SPANISH EYES (GER) (Zarak {Fr}) will debut here under the lights at Churchill Downs for her new connections. Purchased at ARQDEC last year for €1.3-million by David Redvers Bloodstock for the partnership of Qatar Racing and Michaela Faust, the filly is out of Sortilege (Ire) (Tiger Hill {Ire}), herself a multiple highweight mare in Germany and Italy as well as being the G1 Premio Lydia Tesio Longines victress. Spanish Eyes was a five-length maiden winner at first asking for Andreas Wohler at Hoppergarten before she missed winning the G1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) by a length. Her conditioner brought her back against the boys in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden at Baden-Baden, where she would run a commendable fourth as the formidable 2023 German Horse of the Year Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) claimed one of Germany's most-prized races in a title defense. Now in the barn of Brendan Walsh, and consistently showing good foot in the morning, she'll have first-time Lasix for this Stateside debut.  TJCIS PPs

11th-CD, $120k, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 6f, 11:10p.m. ET
Sporting the colors of Resolute Racing, and another filly sold for a queen's ransom, Lady Scuderia (Uncle Mo) debuts less than an hour before a new day arrives in Kentucky on a night racing card at Churchill Downs. Leading a quality field on price and pedigree credentials, this Bill Mott-trainee is a half-sister to MGISW Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil), who scored her career highlight at this track in the GI Kentucky Oaks in 2020 before going to win or place at the elite level six more times. A daughter of the late great Uncle Mo, John Stewart went to $2.5-million at KEESEP to take her home, and she'll be unveiled here carrying 8-1 morning line odds.

Lady Scuderia selling as a yearling at Keeneland September | Keeneland

To her outside is Cliffs (Omaha Beach), a $430,000 OBSAPR purchase last year by Lael Stables. Trained by Cherie DeVaux, she hails from the female line of French stakes winner Visions of Clarity (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), making her second dam Visual Mind (Kingmambo) a half-sister to GI Preakness hero MGISW War of Will (War Front); G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes winner Pathfork (Distorted Humor); and to MSW Tacticus (A.P. Indy)–not to be confused with MGSW & MGISP Tacitus (Tapit). Said third dam is herself a half-sister to a supremely accomplished sibling, as Visions of Clarity claims multiple Group/Grade I victor Spinning World (Nureyev) as a half-brother.

To that pair's far inside is another bunch of well-met debuting fillies, including Godolphin's Lemon Zest (Nyquist), who blew a bullet five panel breeze at Turfway May 9 in :59 flat (1/21) in preparation for this unveiling. From the extended family of GISW Wet Paint (Blame), Brad Cox will send this one out.

Similarly owned by a powerhouse operation, Juddmonte's Temperate (Constitution) will eye-ball that one in the gate and also comes into the race with a bullet move for trainer Michael McCarthy. Putting in a brisk three furlong blitz May 12 over this track in :37.80 (1/4), the daughter of Canada's champion juvenile filly, GISW Spring in The Air (Spring at Last), is a half-sister to GSP-Eng Find (GB) (Frankel {FB) and GSP Sidamara (Arrogate). This is the same female line which produced Sacre Coeur (Saint Ballado), best known as the dam of champion turf female, MGISW Lady Eli (Divine Park) and her half-sister MGSW Bizzy Caroline (Afleet Alex).

Breaking from the middle of the pack are Spendthrift homebred Kelly's Way Back (Omaha Beach), a daughter of GI Test Stakes-placed Kelly's Humor (Midnight Lute), and Shesa Cherry (Curlin), a $400,000 KEESEP daughter of a Grade I-placed half-sister to GISW Stormello (Stormy Atlantic).  TJCIS PPs

The post May 17 Insights: German G1 Class, Half to Shedaresthedevil Star as Supporting Acts on Preakness Day appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

View the full article