Ellis Park, Race 6 & Race 8 – Friday, June 16, 2023
By 2YO EdgeMan
ELP6:061623 – 5 ½ furlongs on the dirt. A baker’s dozen – 13 fillies – have been entered, and as you know, one has to unfortunately be placed on the Also Eligible list. All but one in the main field will be competing in the afternoon for the first time, the other is a seasoned veteran who will be running in her fourth event. Arnold, Asmussen, Lobo, Lukas, Kenneally, Amoss and Mark Casse lead the trainer contingent. The top sires, and there are plenty of them are More Thank Ready, Connect, Into Mischief (Spendthrift), Quality Road, Mendelssohn, Justify and Gun Runner. We also have two Spendthrift debut sires – Coal Front and Maximus Mischief, along with Catalina Cruiser, who is another First-Crop sire. Let’s take a close look at six of these gals…
#1 – Moretastic (10/1) – Dew Sweepers, the owner of this filly, also sent out the victor of a two-year-old MSW race last week at Belmont (6/11/23). This filly who will be making her first career run, is trained by Rusty Arnold and is sired by More Than Ready. Her dam was 2 for 9 as a racer and earned $48K. Today’s contestant sold for $140K last fall at the Keeneland September Yearling sale (right on the sale average for her sire). Arnold has been patient getting her to the track as he’s put ten works into her – the last nine coming at Churchill, with her best probably happening on 5/11/23 when she covered a ½ mile in 47.8 seconds (6/53). James Graham answers the call as the pilot.
#2 – Pure Connection (10/1) – This debutant is a homebred from Three Chimney’s Farm and as you probably guessed, is by Connect. Mama was unraced, but she has delivered a foal who is now a three-year-old that has banked $65,000 while racing, while winning on only one of six tries. The one win, however, was his second start as a 2YO, right here at Ellis Park last July. Steve Asmussen is the conditioner and he’s put her through her paces in the morning five times at Keeneland, then twice at Churchill and has topped that off with one breeze on the Ellis Park surface just a few days ago. She does boast two brisk works from the gate at KEE – on 5/9/23 she scampered four furlongs in 47.8 seconds (1/14) and then, eleven days later, she completed the same distance in 47.2 seconds (2/32). Steve’s reliable man, Ricardo Santana, Jr. will throw a leg across.
#3 – Streaming Now (5/1) – Paulo Lobo trains this filly for Larry Best and his OXO Stable. The five-star stallion – Into Mischief – from Spendthrift Farm is this gal’s dad and her mom was purchased by Best back in 2020 after her racing career ended for a whopping $1.3 million. Speaking of her racing career – she went 2/23, but cashed in for $231K, including both a third-place finish in a G2 event and a win first out at Los Al in July of her two-year-old campaign, hanging a swift 86 E-Speed Fig. Paulo has had her prepping in Lexington at The Thoroughbred Center. In fact, three of her eight works have earned her a bullet, including her last two, both done in 48 seconds flat over four panels (1/42 & 1/38). Gerardo Corrales will be calling the shots while atop this filly.
#4 – Lady Moscato (8/1) – Another FTSer, BC Stables did not stop bidding on this youngster, by Quality Road, until they secured her at $800K last fall at Keeneland’s September Yearling sale (9/45). Her mom – by Dixie Union – was nothing overly special when she competed – 2 of 10, $52,000 – but she’s had some success as a broodmare. She claims one foal (a full sis to Lady Moscato) who captured a G1 affair, won $688K and then sold for $3 million after her racing days were over. She also produced a filly that was 2/6 with $104K earned, but most importantly won at first asking as a 2YO in September at Churchill. ‘The Coach’, D. Wayne Lukas has orchestrated five very nice works for this gal, including a bullet move on 5/18 of 36.4 seconds for 3/8th of a mile (1/16). Luis Saez will be wearing the owner’s silks.
#7 – Lyrical Pardon (3/1) – Your morning line favorite is making her first start, she’s by Justify and is trained by Tom Amoss (8 for 21 – 38.1% – over the previous five years with 2YO MSW firsters at CD in the spring). Her dam, by Macho Uno, won $306K on track with a 4 for 18 record and this is her first foal to race. Today’s runner brought $300K as a yearling at KEE Sept (28/78). She had five morning moves at Keeneland, earning two bullets – her first there was 3f in 35.6 seconds (1/26) and her last there was 4f from the gate in 47.8 secs (1/57). Subsequently, she’s worked three more times at Churchill. Edgar Morales will do the steering.
#9 – Beautiful Dancer (10/1) – Gun Runner and a Tapit mare collaborated to produce this homebred filly who will also be making her first ever start as a young racer. Mom was very accomplished as a race mare bringing home a Grade 1 trophy and $483K in winnings (4 for 18). She was also precocious having won on her second try in August of her two-year-old year at none other than Saratoga. This filly today represents her first foal to race. Mark Casse has been getting her ready for her debut by sending her for work on seven mornings at CD, but she has yet to flash much speed. Jareth Loveberry will tickle the leather.
Pick – #3 Streaming Now – I’m a big Paulo Lobo fan, so I hope that I’m not picking with my heart vs. my head, but Best buys nothing but the best and her mom was forward, winning her first time out and going on to bank nearly $1/4 million. Plus, this filly has flashed ability in the mornings and being by Into Mischief, I’m confident that she’ll be a runner right from the get go. The Game of Silks lists her with Auction House.
ELP8:061623 – 5 ½ furlongs on the dirt. Again, 13 charming fillies have graced the entry box. Seven of these 12 young ladies are new to the racing game, four have done it once and one has done it previously two times. ‘A List’ trainers abound in this one – Asmussen, Ward, Kenneally, Norm Casse, Mark Casse, Wilkes, O’Neill and McPeek. Same for sires, as we have a terrific list of those, too – Spendthrift’s All-World sire – Into Mischief – has two in here along with one runner each from Justify, Twirling Candy, Kitten’s Joy, Upstart, Constitution, Good Magic and Army Mule. Add to that, two debut sires – Copper Bullet and Catalina Cruiser. Excellent stuff in this one, so let’s jump in, seven horses deep…
#2 – Copper Top (8/1) – This filly is a Winchell homebred who is by the First-Crop Sire – Copper Bullet. Mom was a fine race horse going four for 15 and earning $185K. One of her wins was as a first-time starter in June of her two-year-old campaign at CD and another of her scores was in a stakes race at Saratoga, also as a juvenile. Even more significant, she produced the fantastic four-year-old colt – Gunite – who has added $1.75 million to the Winchell’s bank account by winning eight of his 17 starts, including a victory in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga as a two-year-old. Trainer Steve Asmussen has pumped seven workouts into her – the first six at Keeneland and her most recent at Churchill – however, as typical, none are eye popping. Ricardo Santana, Jr. gets the call to ride.
#4 – Late Nite Mistress (6/1) – Conditioned by Wesley Ward, this gal is a Breeze Easy, LLC homebred by Spendthrift Farm’s one and only, Into Mischief. Her dam was a fabulous runner going an incredible 12 for 15 and bankrolling $700K. She started running right away scoring as a FTS at age two at Charles Town and went on to be a multiple graded stakes winner. This filly is the first offspring from her dam. She’s raced one time – a rather dull fourth place effort at Keeneland in mid-April, but she has been back to work in the mornings, having been out five times since her race – all at KEE – with her most recent on 6/11/23 being her best, when she covered a ½ mile in 48.2 (16/44). Walter Rodriguez gets the opportunity to be her guide.
#5 – Too Fast for You (5/1) – Eddie Kenneally is the trainer of this Twirling Candy filly. Her dam (by Gio Ponti) was also a very fine runner in her racing days earning $231K going 4/22. The hammer fell at $65,000 on this gal in 2021 as a weanling (10/11). She competed back on 5/11/23 at Churchill Downs at 4 ½ furlongs when she set the pace (22.67 and 46.49) and looked like a winner late before being caught, ultimately finishing fourth, beaten by a total of less than two lengths. Since that race, she’s worked three more times at Churchill. On 5/26/23 she sizzled off a bullet of 35.2 seconds for 3f and her last work was solid, too – on 6/13/23 – 36.8 seconds for three panels (2/10). Luis Saez gets the return call as the reinsman.
#6 – Vibe Check (4/1) – The debut sire – Catalina Cruiser – is pops to this morning line favorite who’s prepped by the fine young trainer, Norm Casse. He’s an excellent seven for 14 (50%) at CD in the spring with two-year-old MSW starters from 2018 to 2022 and has a sparkling ROI of $5.00 for those events. This gal brought a big number – $110K as a yearling (11/82) and is from an unraced dam. She has raced one time – 5/19/23 at CD – but didn’t show much. After breaking poorly, she trailed the field throughout and only eventually passed a couple of tired horses. She’s breezed twice since her racing debut, both at 4f at CD, and both were a relaxed 50+ seconds. Norm has tapped Florent Geroux to be the jockey.
#9 – Sintra (12/1) – Yet another homebred, this first-time starting gal is by the fine Winstar sire – Constitution – and is out of a Warrior’s Reward mare who was able to earn $30,000 on the track with two victories in seven tries. However, like the dam of the #2 horse above, she has thrown a fantastic young runner – Blazing Sevens. I trust you know this 3YO colt who won at first asking back in July at Saratoga as a two-year-old and then went on to capture the G1 Champagne later last year. This year, although not yet being able to put a win on the board, he ran second to National Treasure in the Preakness Stakes. Two for seven is his record to date, with winnings amounting to $895K. She done her work in the mornings, having been out seven times at Keeneland. Most of her efforts have been modest, but she showed some pop on 5/14 when she went a ½ mile in a brisk 47.6 seconds (3/42). Cristian Torres will be the man in the irons.
#10 – Into Champagne (12/1) – Owned by a sharp ownership group and conditioned by Ian Wilkes, this filly will be making her first start today and she’s the second one in the field by the fantastic Into Mischief (Spendthrift Farm). $300K was the amount needed to secure her purchase at last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale (54/77). Her dam only raced three times, but was the champ in the first one that she ran in – a MSW affair at Churchill in June of her 2YO year and she flashed nice promise that day clocking an 85 E-Speed Fig. We know that Wilkes’ M.O. is to bring his babies along slowly and he’s done that in the works with this filly having put in five morning efforts (all at CD). However, her most recent one was quick (and long) – 100.2 seconds, breezing 5/8 of a mile from the gate on 6/9/23 (2/26). Julien Leparoux is selected to be on board.
#12 – Backstretch Rose (12/1) – The outside gate will be reserved for this Army Mule filly who will be trying this racing gig for the first time. Mom only got one shot on track and she was unable to make it a winning effort. She has thrown a foal who won at second asking in her 2YO year at Belmont, however, that was in a Maiden Claiming event. The hammer fell at $95,000 on this gal when she went through the ring at Keeneland’s September Yearling sale last year (7/29). Trainer Kenny McPeek worked her five times at KEE and then, most recently, gave her a spin at CD. Her best morning work was done during her last breeze in Lexington – on 5/31, she went four panels from the gate in 47.4 seconds for a bullet work (1/53). Brian Hernandez, Jr. will be in the saddle.
Pick – #5 Too Fast for You – Kenneally is 5 of 15 (33.3%) in 2YO MSW at CD Spring affairs over the previous five years and has an ROI of $3.60 in those events. I love the works since she almost wired the field in her debut race. I believe that she’ll carry her speed further today and expect for her to get her pic taken in the Winner’s Enclosure. In the Game of Silks, this filly is owned by Gibbs Racing.
Please be on the lookout for our world-renowned ‘Picks, Plays and Pontification’ piece for Saturday’s fourth race at Ellis. And, as a reminder, we will be publishing our combined ‘Sum Up and Learnings’ article once per week – on Mondays – so, do not miss it! Until then, all the best to my Edgie allies.
