Promising Juveniles With KEESEP Kin

[Wandering Eyes]

With summer racing in the books and the industry’s focus shifting to Lexington and next week’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the list below highlights some of the promising, maiden-winning juveniles with siblings catalogued in the first book of that marathon auction. It does not include runners who have already competed in stakes company and is not exhaustive.

FEEDBACK (f, Violence–Honest Answer, by Tale of the Cat) O-Klaravich Stables, Inc. B-Wolverton Mountain Farm LLC & Cameron Wheeler (KY). T-Chad Brown. Sales history: $85,000 wnlg ’16 KEENOV.

This Chad Brown-trained newcomer was named a ‘TDN Rising Star‘ for an extremely impressive debut tally going 6 1/2 furlongs on the dirt at Saratoga Aug. 12 (Chart|Video). She showed good early speed to attend the pace, and kicked away from her competition very easily in the lane to run up the score to eight lengths. One would have to expect to see her in a race like the GI Frizette S. next time.

Feedback’s half-sister by Street Sense will be consigned at Keeneland by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent XXXI as hip 23.

Graded-stakes-placed dam Honest Answer is a half to two other graded-placed runners as well as two other dams who in turn produced black-type horses. This is the female family of the likes of Grade I winners I Ain’t Bluffing and Borrego.

FOG OF WAR (c, 2, War Front–Say {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) O-Peter M. Brant. B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (KY). T-Chad C. Brown. Sales history: $400,000 yrl ’17 KEESEP.

Unveiled by these powerful connections turf sprinting at Saratoga Aug. 13, Fog of War defeated a very strong-looking field with a powerful late rally in a driving rain to get up by a neck. The runner-up was $425,000 OBSMAR graduate All About It (Violence), while $725,000 fellow KEESEP grad Current (Curlin) completed the trifecta.

Fog of War’s full-brother (hip 371), a May 8 foal, is consigned by Gainesway, Agent XXXIII. Dam Say, a Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed in her native Ireland, is also responsible for the two-for-two recent Sir Henry Cecil S. winner Naval Intelligence (War Front).

The colts’ second dam is MGISW Riskaverse (Dyanformer), who was purchased at the 2005 Fasig-Tipton November sale for $5 million.

GRACEFUL PRINCESS (f, 2, Tapit–Havre de Grace, by Saint Liam) O/B-Whisper Hill Farm (KY). T-Ralph E. Nicks.

Out of Horse of the Year and $10-million FTKNOV purchase Havre de Grace, this Ralph Nicks pupil went right to the front and never looked back going seven panels at the Spa Sept. 2 (Chart|Video).

Timber Town consigns a full-brother to the winner as hip 8 on behalf of Many Pope’s Whisper Hill.

In addition to their supremely talented dam, Graceful Princess and hip 8 hail from a deep and classy family that includes the likes of Plugged Nickel, Christiecat, Riskaverse and Tonalist.

GUNMETAL GRAY (c, Exchange Rate–Classofsixtythree, by Include) O-West Point Thoroughbreds & Hollendorfer LLC. B-Lee Pokoik (KY). T-Jerry Hollendorfer. Sales history: $85,000 RNA yrl ’17 KEESEP; $225,000 2yo ’18 OBSMAR.

Third behind highly regarded ‘TDN Rising Star’ and GI Del Mar Futurity show horse Roadster (Quality Road) going six furlongs at Del Mar July 29, this grey colt appeared to relish two turns when he showed improved speed en route to a 6 3/4-length romp going a mile back in San Diego Aug. 22 (Chart|Video). He earned a solid 89 Beyer Speed Figure for that effort.

Gunmetal Gray’s Uncle Mo half-sister will be offered through the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment as hip 782.

Dam Classofsixtythree got up late for third in the 2010 GI Ruffian Invitational H. at Saratoga. She produced an American Pharoah filly this spring before being bred back to Gun Runner.

MAGIC ON TAP (c, 2, Tapit–Aubby K {GISW, $435,004}, by Street Sense) O/B-Summer Wind Equine (KY). T-Bob Baffert.

Backed down to 4-5 first up Sept. 1 while looking to become the latest in an incredible string of high-class 2-year-olds unveiled by his Hall of Fame conditioner during the Del Mar meet, this well-bred gray seemed like he was still figuring things out while floating clear by 2 1/2 lengths at the end of 6 1/2 furlongs (Chart|Video). The horse he beat had been a close third on debut, and was 6 3/4 lengths clear of the third finisher, with another 6 1/4 lengths back to the fourth horse.

Lane’s End will sell Magic on Tap’s Medaglia d’Oro half-sister, already named Twenty Four K, as hip 667 next week.

Dam Aubby K crushed her competition by 15 1/2 lengths first out at Belmont as a juvenile, and annexed the GI Humana Distaff two seasons later. She sold for $2.4 million to Summer Wind Farm carrying Magic On Tap at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Her now 3-year-old Tapit colt Principe Guilherme brought $600,000 at that same sale, and was second in this year’s GIII Lecomte S.

MR. ANKENY (c, 2, Into Mischief–Intelyhente, by Smart Strike) O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC. B-William Duignan & Tranquility Investments Limited (KY). T-Dale L. Romans. Sales history: $350,000 yrl ’17 KEESEP.

These connections have run some good ones at Ellis in recent years, including Grade II winner/GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up Not This Time (Giant’s Causeway), and Mr. Ankeny could be another one with a future. Third first up under the Twin Spires in June, he went one better behind subsequent Ellis Park Juvenile S. winner Tobacco Road (Quality Road) over an additional furlong July 29. He only won by a neck over that same track and trip Sept. 2, but he was very game in victory and earned an 81 Beyer Speed Figure that compares favorably to most of the Ellis baby races run at the recently concluded meet (Chart).

Paramount Sales, Agent LV will present an American Pharoah half-sister to Mr. Ankeny (hip 47) at KEESEP.

Dam Intelyhente is a full to MGSW Bel Air Beauty, who in turn produced Canadian champion sprinter Stacked Deck (First Samurai). She herself is the dam of impressive debut winner and subsequently stakes-placed Count Alexander (Scat Daddy).

PROUD MANDATE (f, 2, Strong Mandate–Proud Dame, by Proud Accolade) O-Nick Sanna Stables LLC. B-Nancy C. Shuford (KY). T-Keith Nations. Sales history: $62,000 wnlg ’16 KEENOV; $35,000 2yo ’18 OBSOPN.

This speedy bay filly likely flew under the radar a bit given her debut came in a rained-off Monmouth maiden, but she showed serious speed to grab the early lead and clear off by six lengths at the wire (Chart|Video). She also showed some speed, if not some immaturity, when covering an eighth in :10 1/5 at OBS June.

Hunter Valley Farm picked up Proud Mandate’s Candy Ride (Arg) half-brother for $185,000 at last year’s Keeneland November sale, and will re-offer him next week as hip 314.

Winning dam Proud Dame is out of stakes-winning juvenile Galadriel (Ascot Knight), who has produced eight winners including GSW/MGISP juvenile Concave (Colonel John).

SLIMEY (f, 2, Quality Road–Argue, by Storm Cat) O-Madaket Stables LLC & Hat Creek Racing. B-Stone Farm (KY). T-Brendan P. Walsh. Sales history: $35,000 yrl ’17 KEESEP; $95,000 RNA 2yo ’18 OBSAPR.

Fifth from far back while sprinting on the Indiana lawn Aug. 14 for a barn that very rarely wins first out, Slimey was hard ridden early in a rained-off heat Sept. 5 before dropping back. She came alive again late down the center of the track to get up in the waning stages in a head-turning performance (Chart).

Arthur Hancock’s Stone Farm will offer a full-sister to the winner (hip 655) next Thursday. Their unraced second dam Verbal (Kingmambo) was an $800,000 acquisition. This is a female family that includes European champion Rainbow View, Grade I winner No Matter What, E Dubai, et al.

STELLAR AGENT (f, 2, More Than Ready–Lawn Party, by Medaglia d’Oro) O-Madaket Stables LLC, Steve Laymon, Martin Scheinman & Roger Kaplan. B-Hargus & Sandra Sexton & Silver Fern Farm, LLC (KY). T-Jorge R. Abreu. Sales history: $175,000 yrl ’17 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo ’18 OBSAPR.

Stellar Agent, dismissed at 13-1 sprinting over good Saratoga turf Aug. 31, scored by 3 1/2 lengths first up despite being herded significantly when making her move in the lane. She leveled off very well once clear (Chart|Video).

Hip 114 is a Pioneerof the Nile half-brother to Stellar Agent who will be consigned by Warrendale Sales, Agent XXXI. Stakes-placed dam Lawn Party sold for $335,000 carrying Stellar Agent, and second dam Fiery Pursuit (Carson City) was a Grade II winner. This is the female family of Grade I scorers Flanders, Surfside and Air Force Blue.

 

View the full article