Making Waves: Getting Down To The Nitti Gritty

[Wandering Eyes]

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Nitti in the San Juan Capistrano Stakes.

 Make Believe Brings Up A Santa Anita Double

Make Believe's Nitti captured the GIII San Juan Capistrano Stakes at Santa Anita for trainer Leonard Powell on June 15 (video). It was a first black-type win for the 4-year-old gelding who races for Innergy Racing Corp, Zephyr Racing and Sonny Pais.

Bred by John Walsh, Jerry O'Brien and the Make Believe Syndicate in Ireland, he was winning for the third time and second in a row. After selling for €15,000 as a Tattersalls Ireland September yearling to Peter Nolan and Noel Meade, he managed a third-place finish in three Irish starts before embarking on an American campaign. The second foal and first winner out of the four-time winner Baby Love (It's Gino), Nitti has a 2-year-old half-brother by Awtaad. His granddam Beltana (Areion) was a listed winner in Germany and the dam of German Group 3 winner Butzje (It's Gino).

Earlier on the card, 5-year-old mare Hopeful (Make Believe) got the job done for Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners, Upland Flats Racing  and Nick Bauer (video). It marked the Nawara Stud-bred's second lifetime victory after a tally over the  Newcastle all-weather in January of 2024.

Following her 100,000gns sale to Rancho Temescal at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, she is now trained by Mark Glatt and is a half-sister to the G3 Aston Park Stakes hero Eydon (Olden Times), as well as the winning 4-year-old filly Teeran (Kingman).

Make Believe has sired four winners from eight runners in the U.S. (50%). Nitti is his first stakes winner there. For the 2025 season, the Ballylinch resident is priced at €8,000.

 

Nitti Blows By Rivals In The Stretch To Win Stakes Debut In Sunday's GIII, San Juan Capistrano Stakes On Closing Day Of The Hollywood Meet At Santa Anita pic.twitter.com/o99gtE69mT

— Santa Anita Park (@santaanitapark) June 16, 2025

 

 Lope De Vega Sires Winning Pair

   Mayor Of Midnight was one of two winners by Lope De Vega to strike in this latest edition of Making Waves, after he captured a Belmont at the Big A contest on June 20 (video) for Peter Brant and Tony Shafrazian. The Chad Brown-trained 3-year-old gelding was bred by Brant's White Birch Farm in Ireland.

The 190,000gns buy-back out of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book is a son of the dual listed-placed Galileo mare Amerique. The half-brother to Listed Pretty Polly Stakes winner Maqsad (Siyouni) was making his third start. He is also a half-brother to G3 Eyrefield Stakes second Cambridge (Dubawi), as well as the unraced 2-year-old filly Pastelist (Palace Pier)–a 260,000gns Book 1 buy by Cary Bloodstock for Wells Watson–and a yearling colt by Sottsass. G1 Prix de Diane winner Aquarelliste (Danehill) is the second dam of Mayor Of Midnight.

Lupa, who races in the silks of Mark Dodson, graduated on debut at Woodbine on June 21 (video). The Josie Carroll trainee was bred by Rabbah Bloodstock.

Selected by Ben McElroy for Dodson for 200,000gns at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1, the bay is the third foal out of Listed Silver Tankard Stakes victress Teofilo's Princess (Teofilo). Her juvenile half-sister Loquella (No Nay Never) sold for 48,000gns out of Book 2 of the 2024 edition of that sale to Johnston Racing last autumn. This is the same clan as G1 International Stakes winner One So Wonderful (Nashwan).

Ballylinch Stud's Lope De Vega has sired 50 winners from 91 runners (55%) in the U.S. and Canada. One shy of a dozen stakes winners in that locale, he has four Grade I winners there, including Carl Spackler, the winner of the GI Turf Mile Stakes, GI Maker's Mark Mile Stakes, and GI Fourstardave Handicap. The son of Shamardal stands for €175,000 this year.

 

Mayor of Midnight breaks his maiden in R2 at BAQ!

Flavien Prat was up for trainer Chad Brown. pic.twitter.com/nj0OOkROPD

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) June 20, 2025

 

 Vesting Scores In New York

Three Diamonds Farm's Vesting (Blue Point) added another win to his ledger during the Belmont at the Big A meeting for trainer Michael Maker on June 22 (video).

Bred by Mrs. S. Rowley-Williams, the 4-year-old gelding claimed the 1 1/2-mile affair by 3 1/2 lengths. It was his first win for his current owners since selling for $85,000 at the 2025 Keeneland April Horses-of-Racing-Age Sale. Formerly campaigned by Klaravich Stables, the bay had originally been a €215,000 Goffs November weanling turned 190,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling when purchased by Mike Ryan for Klaravich. The fourth foal and one of three winners from five to race for his late dam, the Galileo mare Wild Child, Vesting's youngest half-sibling is the 2-year-old filly Wild Bessie (Space Blues). His second dam is the G3 Renaissance Stakes heroine Beauty Bright (Danehill).

Darley's Blue Point is responsible for eight winners from 15 runners (15%) in the U.S. GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint hero Big Evs and GIII Goldikova Stakes heroine Raqiya are his best to race in that jurisdiction. His 2025 fee is €100,000.

 Showcasing Gelding Puts Delaware Park On Notice

Shamrock Farm's End Of Romance ran out a handy winner at Delaware Park on June 21 (video). Trained by Graham Motion, the son of Showcasing was bred by Corduff Stud and T. J. Rooney.

Now a three-time winner, the stakes-placed son of Folk Melody (Street Cry) has yet to meet his reserve across three sales to date. Offered by Corduff Stud at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1, he was passed in for 110,000gns, and the story was the same as a €130,000 RNA during the 2024 Arqana May 2-Year-Old Sale. A first-out winner for Timothy J. Rooney and trainer Karl Burke at Pontefract last August, he was back in the Tattersalls ring after a third at Chester and was a 380,000gns buy-back during the Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale in October before winning at Southwell. The half-brother to Hong Kong wunderkind Romantic Warrior's first American start was also his first start for his new connections. The grandson of GI E. P. Taylor Stakes heroine Folk Opera (Singspiel) is kin to G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Proportional (Beat Hollow).

Whitsbury Manor Stud's Showcasing has sired 53% winners to runners (17/32) in America. Six of them have struck at stakes level, with a trio Grade III winners anchored by Prize Exhibit. Showcasing's 2025 fee is £35,000.

 Light Mood Wins At Delaware

Graham Motion trainee Light Mood (City Light) made a winning American debut when taking out a Delaware Park contest on June 14 (video). The 4-year-old gelding is owned by Madaket Stables, Bill Strauss and Hal Mintz.

Bred by Ecurie Jean-Louis Bouchard, the dark bay sold for €28,000 out of the Arqana October Yearling Sale to Nicolas Perret. The Ecurie T Sivadier and Remy Dupuy-Naulot runner won at second asking at Marseille in December, and, after running third in the Listed Prix de la Californie at Cagnes-sur-Mer in start number four in February, transferred to the U.S. The fifth foal and third winner out of the multiple stakes-placed mare Upbeat Mood (Mizzen Mast), Light Mood counts the juvenile filly Upbeat Spirit as his full-sister. GI Just a Game Stakes heroine Antonoe (First Defence), herself the dam of GII Wonder Again Stakes heroine and GI Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes second Segesta (Ghostzapper), is a half-sister to Upbeat Mood.

Haras d'Etreham's City Light, who stands for €10,000 this year, has three winners from four to race (75%) in the U.S. Overall, he has two stakes winners internationally with G3 Prix Miesque victress Mimos his best.

 Repeat Winners

   Anthony Fanticola's Motorious (Muhaarar) was back in the winner's circle after the GIII Daytona Stakes at Santa Anita on June 14 (video). The Phil D'Amato trainee won the 6 1/2-furlong Grade III by 1 1/4 lengths.

Frankel's Rebel Red earned his first black-type win in the Chorleywood Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 14 (video). The full-brother to Newsells Park stallion and Group 1 winner Without Parole, the Cherie DeVaux trainee is owned by John Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock.

Klaravich Stables and Chad Brown teamed up with Risk Threshold (Dubawi) to win a Belmont at the Big A contest earlier this month (video). The Alan Spence-bred was winning for the third time in nine starts. Another Klaravich/Brown representative that won recently was Redistricting (Kingman). The 5-year-old gelding won Monmouth's Monmouth Stakes on June 14 (video).

 

Motorious Returns A Winner In Saturday's Grade III Daytona Stakes Sprinting About 6 ½ Furlongs On The Hillside Turf Course pic.twitter.com/uZ6jdwl9lB

— Santa Anita Park (@santaanitapark) June 15, 2025

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