Ellis Park, Race 2 – Thursday, June 22, 2023
Belmont Park, Race 5 – Thursday, June 22, 2023
By 2YO EdgeMan
ELP2:062223 – 5 ½ furlongs on the dirt. Eight gents are set to throw it down and we are excited. Half have previously competed – three have done it one time before and one has two races of experience. Medaglia d’Oro sired two of the eight that have entered, along with one each from the likes of Street Sense, Constitution (WinStar Farm), Bernardini and Uncle Mo. We’ve also got a solid list of handy trainers that includes Wilkes, Riley Mott, Lukas, McPeek and Asmussen. This should be fun, off we go…
#2 – Golden Symphony (8/1) – The first of two by Medaglia d’Oro, this first-time starter comes from the barn of Ian Wilkes. This colt is a homebred from River Bend Farm and is by a Bernardini mare that hammered down for $675K in the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding stock sale, even though she was unraced. She’s thrown a colt who’s won $400K+ on the track with a record of 3 for 10, including one score vs. black-type company. Today’s competitor has had five modest morning moves at Churchill Downs. We know that Wilkes rarely wins at first asking (1 for 24 with firsters at CD in the spring from 2018 thru 2022), but he of course did uncork a first-out monster last week with Into Champagne. Chris Landeros will be in the irons.
#3 – Fifth Avenue (7/2) – Riley Mott will tighten the girth on this colt for his second outing after finishing a somewhat troubled fourth place on 5/25/23 at Churchill on the dirt. Street Sense is pops to this guy who demanded $350K as a yearling last Sept at KEE (9/52). Mom added $111K to her owner’s pockets by going 3 for 6 on the track – all three of those victories were when she was a two-year-old and one of them was a stakes race. This is her first foal. Riley has sent him out for two morning spins on the CD turf since his last run, both at a ½ mile – on 6/8/23 in 48.4 seconds (7/21) and most recently on 6/15/23 in 48 flat (5/24). Luis Saez gets the return riding engagement.
#4 – Daily Grind (6/1) – This Medaglia d’Oro colt lit up the board when bidding finally stopped at $1.35 million at the Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling sale last August at Saratoga (1/41). His dam is by Tapit and she was a fine runner in her day banking $294K by winning 4 of her 13 starts, including a G3 on the turf. Additionally, she won her first start in September of her 2YO year at Belmont, hanging an 83 E-Speed Fig. She also produced a full brother to today’s runner who was 1 of 10 in his career ($459K), but that lone win was an eight-length romp in his first ever event when he was two – it was on the turf at Golden Gate. He also was runner up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, beaten only a head by Storm the Court. The Coach trains this FTS for BC Stables and he’ll be making his first start. He’s worked out six times, all at CD, none overly rapid. Cristian Torres will be his pilot.
#8 – Lambo (5/2) – Steve Asmussen sends out the morning line favorite whose dad is Uncle Mo and his unraced mom is by Bernardini; this is her first foal. He was also an expensive purchase having been sold at OBS as a 2YO this past March for $950K (1/27) after buzzing his furlong in 10 seconds flat. Although he has never competed in the afternoon, Steve has put him through his paces in the morning seven times, four at Keeneland and three at Churchill. His next to last work was on 6/12/23 when he went five panels and then, per usual, Steve turned him back to three furlongs on 6/19/23 when he went in 36.4 seconds from the gate (2/7). Tyler Gaffalione is the reinsman.
Pick – #8 Lambo – I try to stay away from picking the favorite (I don’t think I have all year long), but I’m going to go with him today. Asmussen is 18 of 91 (19.8%) in 2YO MSW at Churchill in the spring with First-Time Starters during the period of 2018 thru 2022 and Uncle Mo wins at a 16.5% rate at the ‘Top 11 Tracks’ with 2YO MSW from 2012 thru 2022. He clearly was in great demand down in Ocala and I really like that last work that he showed. Lastly, Steve often turns to Tyler when he is really excited about his runner’s chances. This colt is proudly owned by Moke’s Uncle Mo’s in the Game of Silks.
BEL5:062223 – Five furlongs on the lawn. Nine male combatants (eight colts and one gelding) are entered to square off in this affair. Eight of the nine are racing newbies and one has raced one time. Ward and Weaver have put forward two entries each, along with one from Pletcher and Maker. On the sire side, we’ve got runners from Classic Empire, Noble Mission, Cairo Prince, Dark Angel, Justify and Mendelssohn.
#3 – Noted (3/1) – Repole Stables and Todd Pletcher are the connections on this Cairo Prince colt who sold for $200K at Keeneland’s September Yearling sale last fall (3/47). His dam could only muster one win in eight tries on the track with $58,000 worth of purse money and this is her first foal. Todd started his training down at Palm Beach Downs and then has sent him out five times at Belmont Park on the dirt with no eye-popping times, but he’s been going a ½ mile in each work and has even completed one five furlong move, two back. Mr. Irad Ortiz, Jr. will be in charge.
#4 – Dark Vintage (7/2) – This colt is from Dark Angel, a fine stallion who stands over in Ireland for equivalent of approximately $65,000. At the Tattersalls October Yearling sale, this guy sold big – $384,832 (3/84). Mom was only 1 for 10 ($11,000) as a race mare, but that one win was at age two. She’s foaled one other of racing age, a 3YO colt who hasn’t earned much in earnings, but did go 2 for 2 as a two-year-old in England last year. Wesley Ward is the conditioner and he had this fella working in Lexington at KEE, having been out six times there before shipping him up to NY recently to take one lap of four furlongs around the Belmont oval. Although his clockings have been solid, none jump off the page. Junior Alvarado will be in the saddle.
#5 – Culprit (5/2) – The morning line favorite is the second Ward colt in this event and he is by Justify. Last September, he went through the ring at Keeneland and sold for a hefty $675K (5/78). His dam was a winner at first asking having scored in September of her 2YO campaign at Presque Isle Downs and went on to win four more times in a total of 17 races and banked just over $1/4 million. She also boasts a runner up finish in a G3 event. WW worked this colt at Keeneland on the dirt and then shipped him to Saratoga where he has put in two 4f efforts that earned bullets on the turf training track – on 6/5/23 he went in 49.77 seconds (1/20) and then on 6/12/23 he zipped along in 48.18 (1/40). Dylan Davis is his guide for the day.
#6 – Weekend Concerto (6/1) – Mike Maker will toss the saddle across this bay colt who is sired by Mendelssohn, out of a mare by Pleasantly Perfect. Mom collected $90,000 in racing winnings, going 2 for 13. $130K was the price tag for this guy when he sold this past March down at OBS as a 2YO in training (9/32) after going 10.2 seconds in his furlong under tack. He has one half-sis who won over $100K while racing. He’s been prepping down in Louisville at Churchill’s Training Center, having made seven, ½ mile morning outings with his best coming on 5/10/23 when he breezed in 48.2 seconds (2/21). Jose Ortiz throws his leg across and will ride.
#9 – Rock Star Boy (7/2) – The lone gelding and lone racer with experience comes by way of Catholic Boy and is trained by Rudy Rodriguez. He sold for $22,500 at OBS March earlier this year as a two-year-old (23/31). He is the first foal from his dam who did earn $103K on the track, but was only 1 for 12. Additionally, in his only race, he finished second out of the five runners who competed on the dirt at Belmont on 6/4/23, after leading for a bit in the stretch. Rudy is hoping that the switch to turf will make the difference today. He did get one maintenance work at BEL, going four panels in 48.75 (9/19). Trevor McCarthy will get the return riding assignment.
Pick – #4 Dark Vintage (7/2) – I’m going with the Irish Bred runner in this one since he’s trained by Ward and sold so well as a yearling. Additionally, I very much like that his mom won as a two-year-old and also that he has a half that was a perfect 2 for 2 at the age of two. There is a chance that this one may go off with a bit of value, but we’ll have to wait and see how the betting unfolds.
I encourage you to be all over the Past the Wire website over the next few days as we’ve got lots more information for you on these terrific juveniles. Also, please take the time to enjoy both of these races today as they should be ultra fun and competitive events. We’ll talk soon, so don’t go far, my Edgie Fanatics.
