Ellis Park, Race 4 & 5 – Saturday, July 6, 2024
By The 2YO EdgeMan
ELP4:070624 – One Mile on the Turf. 13 fillies are entered – 12 will start. The number of FTSers = seven; One previous start = two; Two prior starts = two; Four races of experience = one.
#1 – Love Tempo (6/1) – Bred in Ireland, this FTS filly is by Churchill and is out of a G3 winning mare by Deep Impact who won $124K with a record of 3/10. In the breeding shed, she’s responsible for five other foals – one of them has broken the $100K mark in prize money. Today’s competitor was a $95,337 yearling overseas (23/84) and is trained by Brendan Walsh (M = 8.5%, FTS = 8.9%). Seven works (24 furlongs) over the All Weather strip at Turfway Park has been her prep with her last on 6/26/24 her most brisk – 48 seconds flat for 4f (3/42). Declan Cannon will be aboard for her maiden voyage.
#2 – Alongcomesawoman (15/1) – Eddie Kenneally (M = 8.5%) will tighten the girth on this daughter of Frosted (ALL = 14.7%; 12.1% on the grass) who will be making her first start today. Her mom is by Lemon Drop Kid and she banked $280K on the racetrack, going three for 14. She’s thrown two other foals of racing age – neither is anything to get too excited about. Today’s gal was purchased as a yearling for $75,000 (18/78) and then was astutely pinhooked back in March of this year as a two-year-old for $150K (3/33). She’ll be making her first afternoon start today and to get ready for that she has been out on eight morning spins totalling 31 furlongs. Two of her drills stand out – on both 5/29/24 and 6/15/24 she went a half mile in 47.6 (1/27 and 6/126, respectively). Jane Elliott will be in the saddle.
#3 – Chattanooga Crew (15/1) – Catalina Cruiser (ALL = 7.7%) is the stallion behind this filly who comes to us from a Pleasantly Perfect mare that did with as a FTS, but it was at Evangeline in August of her freshman year. She went on to earn a total of $64,000 with a mark of 3/17. She’s had three other foals that have all made it to the track, but none have ever visited the Winner’s Circle. Today’s entrant was a $50,000 yearling (5/41). She’s be making her first start today and trainer Kenny McPeek (M = 20.7%) has been getting her geared up by putting her through seven morning drills that add up to 25 furlongs. Her best move was when she went four panels in 48 seconds flat from the gate (6/34). Colby Hernandez will manage the reins.
#4 – Take Note of This (4/1 ML fav) – Douglas Scharbauer went all the way to $550K on this filly last year which was the highest amount for any Ghostzapper (ALL = 13.6%; Turf = 12.5%) in her yearling class of 33. Her mom is unraced and she’s by Dynaformer and she’s had nine other foals of racing age – six have earned $100K+, including Grade 1 winning Sadler’s Joy who netted a whopping $2.6 million on the track and another gelding who won 10 times from 26 starts and earned $892K (this guy also won at first asking at AQU in November of his 2YO campaign with a 93 EBSF. Lastly, she’s also had a juvenile who scored at Saratoga in her second outing in August. Scharbaurer has turned the training duties over to Steve Asmussen (M = 10.1%) and he’s overseen her seven workouts that covered 27 furlongs, including her last two that were at 5/8th of a mile. Martin Garcia gets the leg up from Steve.
#11 – Ghosttapper (6/1) – Based on her name, I don’t think that I need to tell you that she hails from Ghostzapper (ALL = 13.6%; Turf = 12.5%). Congrats is the pops of her mom and she only won once in seven runs, amounting to winnings of only $17,000 and this is her first foal. The bidding stopped at $200K last year when this gal was a yearling (11/33). Conditioner Brad Cox (M = 24.6%) has had her out for work on seven occasions (30 furlongs) – her most recent lasted 4f and the stopwatch stopped in 48.8 (2/12). Axel Concepcion will slip his feet into the irons.
Final Analysis – My pick is #11 Ghosttapper. The bottom line is that Cox slays them here at Ellis. She sold in the top third and her workouts have been solid. 6/1 ML? Yes, please – however, I suspect she may go off half of that.
ELP5:070624 – 5 1/2F on the Dirt. 11 fillies are entered. The number of FTSers = seven and those with One start = four.
#1 – Warrior’s Justice (12/1)– This FTS filly was sired by the Triple Crown winner – Justify (ALL = 20.2). Mom (by Holy Bull) was quite successful on the track, too as she sported a record of 8/31 with nearly $1/2 million in winnings. She won at first asking while a baby at Delaware Park in October (83 EBSF) and also went on to run third in a G3 event. She’s produced seven others and two eclipsed the $100K earnings mark and one of those scored as a firster right here at ELP in August of her 2YO season. Today’s young lady is a homebred from Russell Welch and is trained by Brendan Walsh (M = 8.5%). A half dozen works and 22 furlongs have been pumped into this filly, including a nifty bullet back on 5/20/24 – 48 flat for 4f from the gate (1/37). She matched this time over the same distance the last morning that she worked on 6/26/24, also from the gate (3/42). Declan Cannon will be atop her.
#5 – Mischief Night (5/2 ML fav) – Another gal who will be making her first effort in the afternoon comes to us from Practical Joke (ALL = 16.5%). Milwaukee Brew is the sire of her dam that went five for 25 and brought home $320K to her owners, including a G3 trophy and also a win in her first race in June of her 2YO season at Lone Star Park. She’s throw six others – two that have earned north of $100K and three that won as juveys. Today’s runner knows her way around an auction ring having sold three times. The first was as a ‘short yearling’ for $85,000 (53/90), next was as a yearling for $240K (14/90)and most recently she demanded $400K as a 2YO (5/29) this past April down in Ocala. Trainer Brad Cox (M = 24.6%) has sent her out for seven morning moves totalling 29 furlongs, including a 5/8th mile move on 5/25/24). Her first two official works back in the first part of May were both over three panels and both were bullets – 36 seconds flat (1/20) and 35.6 from the gate (1/24). She’s also recorded a half mile drill of 47.4 (3/29). Cox elects to go with Axel Concepcion in the stirrups.
#6 – With Kindness (12/1) – Norm Casse (M = 15.0) has been readying this filly for her first start today. She’s by First-Crop sire Spun to Run, out of a filly by Graydar who ended her racing career with $158K in purse money and five wins from 26 runs. Additionally, she was a second-out winner in October of her two-year-old season at Parx. An unraced three-year-old is her only other foal of racing age. JoAnn and Alex Lieblong thought enough of this gal to plop down $200K last year to buy her as a yearling which was the most for any of the 48 others in her class. Six works / 23 furlongs is the base that she’ll have under her with her most recent on 6/28/24 covering a half mile in 47.8 from the gate (11/128). Martin Chuan has the riding assignment.
#8 – Vixen (6/1) – Super hot Freshman sire, Vekoma, is the stallion behind this filly who was thrown by a Noble Mission mare that was only 1/8 ($13,000) and has only produced one other. Originally sold as a yearling, this gal went for a mere $22,000 (92/114), but she proved to be an excellent pinhook selling this past April in Ocala as a 2YO for $200K (11/56). Mark Casse (M = 16.7) has been prepping her for her first afternoon run with three works at his training center, then two at CD – all at a half mile. Her best was her next to last – on 6/14/24 she posted 47.8 (11/88). The rider today will be Francisco Arrieta.
#11 – Oklahoma Logic (8/1) – Steve Asmussen (M = 10.1%) trains Judy & Kirk Robison’s homebred filly by Maclean’s Music (ALL = 17.2%). Mom won at the G3 level as one of her two victories from 13 starts, earning just north of $200K. She’s tossed five others, three that passed the $100K earnings mark, and one of those finished third in a Grade 3 event. Steve has readied this gal with only four morning moves equating to 14 furlongs. Her last likely signed to Steve that she was ready to go when she went a half mile in 47.8 from the gate (3/57). Martin Garcia gets the honor to be her pilot.
Final Analysis – Although the ML fav (#5) certainly checks all the boxes, I’m going to try to chase some more reasonable odds and my pick is #11 Oklahoma Logic. It’s not often that Steve will send his charges into battle with such little morning work, but when he does, it often signals readiness. Maclean’s Music is a solid sire of babies and mom was a solid race mare that has produced some good runners.
One more juvey event on Sunday to finish Week #1 here at Ellis. And Saratoga opens its doors next Thursday, July 11. The Condition Book there shows one of our races on Saturday, July 13, and one the following day on Sunday. So, I hope all is well with you and you are pickin’ some winnahs! Take good care, my Edgie Patriots.
