Elle Z Leads All the Way in Pan Zareta Stakes

12/5/2020

Hodges Photography/ Jan Brubaker - Elle Z paid $28.60, winning the Pan Zareta Stakes at Fair Grounds

by Marcus Hersh

Elle Z zipped straight to the front and never was headed posting a 13-1 upset in the $75,000 Pan Zareta Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

A 3-year-old Chris Hartman-trained filly ridden by Mitchell Murrill, Elle Z was making her stakes debut after a front-running Keeneland second-level allowance win turf sprinting in October. She broke like a rocket from post 2, leading pressing Play On through a quarter-mile in 22.18 seconds and a half in 45.39.

Play On, who had won this race in 2019 but was making her first start following a long layoff, took a run at the leader past the quarter pole but never really gained momentum as Elle Z’s resolved stiffened. Past the furlong grounds, Elle Z inched clear and had plenty left to hold off runs from favored Into Mystic, who got second, and Winning Envelope, who finished strongly after a poor start and tagged Play On for third.

Elle Z stopped the timer in 1:013.13 for 5 1/2 furlongs on a “good” course and paid $28.60 to win. Winning margin was about 1 1/2 lengths.

Hartman trains Elle Z for M Bar O LLC. The filly is by City Zip out of Court Appeal, by Candy Ride, the first foal from the dam, a sister to stakes winners Closing Bell, Hear the Ghost, and Mani Bhavan. Nevertheless, Elle Z sold as a yearling for a mere $7,000 and at an April 2019 auction failed to meet a $72,000 reserve at another sale. She won her debut at Will Rogers Downs this past May, eked out a first-level turf-sprint allowance win at Ellis Park this past summer, and appeared to have peaked in her 47-1 upset at Keeneland before she went out and improved again Saturday.

New and Improved Captures Sands Point Stakes

10/17/2019

New and Improved Winning the Sand Point Stake at Belmont Park (Photo by Coglianese Photos)

Daughter of Cairo Prince captures Sands Point (G2T) at Belmont Park in third start.

reprinted from BloodHorse.com
By Bob Ehalt
Saturday, 7:11 PM

As misleading as names in Thoroughbred racing can often be, Klaravich Stables' New and Improved is surely living up to her moniker, as the 3-year-old filly became a graded stakes winner in just her third start Oct. 12 at Belmont Park.

The daughter of Cairo Prince  shrugged off a fourth place finish in her stakes debut, overcoming another awkward start and rallying from last in a field of seven 3-year-old fillies to capture the $203,200 Sands Point Stakes (G2T) by a half-length over Feel Glorious.

New and Improved, gr/ro, 3/f
Cairo Prince — High Style, by Giant's Causeway

Owner: Klaravich Stables, Inc.
Breeder: Sun Valley Farm (KY)
Trainer: Chad C. Brown
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Information provided by Equibase at time of entry.

Pedigree Notes
Cairo Prince stands at Airdrie Stud for $25,000 (2019).

Sale History
KEESEP2017 • $320,000 • Consignor: Eaton Sales, agent • Buyer: Mike Ryan, agent.
KEENOV2016 • ($70,000 RNA) • Consignor: James B. Keogh, agent.

"New and Improved really ran well. We always had high hopes for her," trainer Chad Brown said after his third win in the past six runnings of the race.

In her first two starts, New and Improved acted like a magnet in the metal starting gate, brushing it when she charged from eighth to win her debut by a length July 28 at Saratoga Race Course. Wheeled back in the Aug. 22 Riskaverse Stakes at the Spa, she again hit the gate and was last in the field of six before closing to grab fourth, just 1 3/4 lengths behind the winner in the one-mile turf stakes.

In the 1 1/8-mile Sands Point, she broke slowly again and was 10 lengths back in seventh after the opening quarter-mile, as 11-1 shot Souper Escape carved out leisurely fractions of :24.28 and :49.10 on the firm turf.

It looked as though New and Improved was facing a tough assignment, but jockey Joel Rosario wasn't worried.

"She was comfortable where she was, and the pace was fine. She relaxed for me," he said. "Turning for home, I tapped her a little bit, and she got into the bridle and got better and better and then put in a good run. I didn't want to start her too early."

Rosario swung New and Improved about six paths wide on the final turn, and she quickly kicked into high gear. Souper Escape was still in front at the eighth pole, but she was gassed. Near the sixteenth pole, Souper Escape was passed by Feel Glorious, who was sixth early.

Yet no sooner did Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Tango Uniform Racing's daughter of Bated Breath poke a head in front than New and Improved and Rosario surged past her and edged away.

Sent off as an 8-5 favorite, New and Improved covered the distance in 1:48.44. She paid $5.20.

"She started out late in the year, and she took a fair amount of patience to get her to the races. My whole team really did a fantastic job with her. She was down at Stonestreet in Ocala (Fla.) for quite a while, and Ian Brennan really did a good job with her for us," Brown said at Keeneland, where he won the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes Presented by Lane's End (G1T) with OXO Equine's Cambier Parc. "She had a lot of minor setbacks. He finally got her right for us. She's had a really good year and second half of the year staying sound and starting her career off the right way."

Brown said the American Oaks (G1T) at Santa Anita Park in December could be next for his new and improved graded stakes winner who was purchased by agent Mike Ryan for $320,000 from the Eaton Sales consignment at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Bred in Kentucky by Sun Valley Farm out of the Giant's Causeway mare High Style, she has earned $165,500.

Trainer Christophe Clement was also encouraged by Feel Glorious' game effort. The runner-up finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Godolphin's Romantic Pursuit.

"She's been a very honest filly," Clement said. "She's been a very pleasant surprise."

Mr. Roary upsets Santa Anita's Eddie D Stakes!

10/9/2017

Mr. Roary-outside (photo by Benoit)

reprinted from TDN

Mr. Roary came flying late to light up the tote board in his first attempt sprinting on the lawn here. The 2016 Rainbow S. upsetter kicked off his 4-year-old campaign with a win over this course going 10 furlongs in an optional claimer June 16. A close third in the GII Eddie Read S. at Del Mar July 22, he showed speed and tired to 13th last time in the GII Del Mar H. Aug. 19.

Guns Loaded (D’wildcat) stumbled at the start and tossed rider Rafael Bejarano shortly after they sprung the latch in this one. Outsprinted early in ninth through an opening quarter in :21.03, Mr. Roary began to launch his bid in the stretch. Tribalist, meanwhile, took over from the pacesetting Rocket Heat (Latent Heat) in the lane and looked well on his way to victory, but had to deal with the riderless Guns Loaded, who kept him pinned on the rail late.

Mr. Roary split horses at the sixteenth-pole and came charging on the outside to pull off the upset. We just thought we’d give this race a shot, winning trainer George Papaprodromou said. He’s been running long all this time and the Eddie D. sounded good. Obviously, it worked out good and now I’ll talk to the owner and we’ll probably look at the [GI] Breeders’ Cup Mile next. I liked this jock [Tyler Connor] from the first time he stopped by my barn. He listens and he’s very professional.

Mr. Roary was produced from the Sun Valley mare, If Angels Sang, and was bred in Kentucky by Kathryn Nikkel and Judy Hicks. 

Saratoga Sparklers!

8/10/2017

2016 Sun Valley Colt by Orb out of Brush Strokes by Julie Witt

2017 SARATOGA SELECT SALE RESULTS-TUESDAY, AUGUST 9

149 colt by Orb-Brush Strokes  $325,000  Breeder-Sun Valley Farm (KY) Consigned by VanMeter-Gentry Sales, Agent Purchased by C P Beler. Half-brother to champion two-year-old filly Bellamy V, from the extended family of G1 performers Halory Hunter and Van Nistlerooy. Pinhooker Renee Bailey enjoyed a great Saratoga sale, as she paid $77,000 for this maternal grandson of MGSW Brushed Halory (Broad Brush) at Keeneland last November.

Sun Valley homebreds score at the Spa, handily winning races 3 and 8!

8/10/2017

Hardened (on the rail) winning at Saratoga (Photo by Sarah K. Andrew)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 4— Sun Valley homebreds score at the Spa, handily winning races 3 and 8!

3rd-SAR, $83,000, Msw, 8-4, 3yo/up, 5 1/2fT, 1:01.70, fm. HARDENED (c, 3, Hard Spun--Weekend Romance {SW, $272,453}, by Old Forester) was a speed-and-fade ninth, beaten better than 30 lengths  sprinting over the Belmont main last October, but worked a best-of-18 five furlongs over the turf training track at Oklahoma in 1:02 July 27 and was an 8-1 gamble for this seasonal debut. Quickly into stride beneath Ricardo Santana, Jr., the dark bay took some early pace pressure from Beltany (Elusive Quality), shrugged that one off turning for home, then just managed to hold sway late by a nose as Factorial (The Factor) came with a late surge. Hardened was a $100,000 KEESEP purchase by Tami Bobo’s Secure Investments and was entered, but withdrawn, from both the FTFMAR and OBSJUN sales. Hardened’s 2-yearold half-sister Uncompromised (Orb) made $190,000 as a KEESEP yearling in 2016, and he also has a yearling half-sister by Midnight Lute and a weanling half-brother by Munnings. Weekend Romance was most recently bred to Twirling Candy. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $50,175. O- David A Cannizzo & Secure Investments; B-Sun Valley Farm & Darley (KY); T-David A Cannizzo.

Petrov Wins the 8th at Saratoga in a DOUBLE for Sun Valley

8/10/2017

Petrov Winning the 8th at Saratoga (Photo by Sarah K. Andrew)

8th-SAR, $85,000, Alw, 8-4, (NW1$X), 3yo/up, 7f,  1:21.57, ft. PETROV (c, 3, Flatter--Saracina, by Bertrando) duly won while sprinting at first asking at Churchill Downs last November before finishing a closeup second in the six-furlong Kings Swan S. at the Big A Dec. 2. Runner up while routing in his next two at Oaklawn--the Jan. 16 Smarty Jones S. and GIII Southwest S. Feb. 2--Petrov failed to hit the board in his next two at the Hot Springs oval in the Mar. 18 GII Rebel S. and GI Arkansas Derby Apr. 15. Given some time off following that lackluster ninth in Oaklawn’s marquee event for three-year-olds, Petrov returned with a fourth in the seven-furlong GII Woody Stephens before weakening late to be fifth as the 2-1 choice last out in the 1 1/16-mile GIII Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows July 7. Installed the 5-2 choice while cutting back in trip here, Petrov stalked a legitimate early pace, zeroed in on the front rank while three wide turning for home, took over at the head of the lane and drew off to post a four-length victory over 12-1 chance Gray Sky (Tapit). Saracina is the dam of 2-year-old Sazerac (Old Fashioned) and fillies by Sidney=s Candy in each of the last two seasons. She was most recently among the first mares bred to 2016 GI Whitney S. winner Frosted (Tapit). Sales history: $25,000 Wlg '14 KEENOV; $55,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP; $55,000 2yo '16 OBSOPN. Lifetime Record: GSP, 9-2-3-0, $321,127.  O-Rialto Racing Stables LLC, Ron Moquett and Head of Plains Partners LLC; B-Sun Valley Farm (KY); T-Ron Moquett.

Sun Valley Farm foaled, FORT WISE TREATY wins on two-year-old debut!

7/5/2017

Fort Wise Treaty (white silks) holds off Eclipsed Moon for the win at Ellis Park.

Photo by Coady Photography

by Paulick Report Staff | 07.04.2017 | 7:10pm

Breeders' Cup Classic winner Fort Larned had his first winner as a sire on Tuesday at Ellis Park when Mark Breen's juvenile Fort Wise Treaty won a maiden special weight over one mile on the turf. Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, the colt won by a neck to complete the mile in 1:36.60 over firm ground.

“He ran great; he had a great ride, I can tell you that,” trainer Brad Cox said by phone. “The intent was to start short on dirt, but he just wasn't giving it to us in the mornings like we were looking for. We thought maybe we'd run him long on the turf and maybe he'd be a little more competitive. And that seemed to work. He got a great trip. Obviously the horse who was second looks like a really nice horse and had a wide trip. I sure don't want to run again him next time. But it was a good effort. I was proud of the horse.”

Said Bridgmohan: “Brad did a phenomenal job. He was very professional, was there every time I needed him. All I had to do was just find him some room, and I did. And he gave me what he had.”

Out of a daughter of Forest Wildcat, Fort Wise Treaty was a $117,000 yearling at the Fasig-TiptonKentucky sale, then a $170,000 purchase at the OBS April sale.

Cox said Fort Wise Treaty will stay at Ellis Park, where his assistant Tessa Bisha oversees that division, with the Aug. 20 Ellis Park Juvenile at seventh-eighths of a mile a possibility.

“I wouldn't hesitate to maybe try him on the Poly (synthetic surface) or dirt at the right distance,” he said. “I don't want to shorten him up much. I would maybe try seven-eighths on the Poly or on the dirt, if the race came up the right way. If there's a grass race, I prefer the grass with him, to be honest.”

Fort Larned stands at Adena Springs, and his 2017 fee was $7,500 stands and nurses. Trained by Ian Wilkes, the son of E Dubai won three Grade 1 events, including the 2012 Breeders' Cup Classic.

Fort Wise Treaty, was born and raised at Sun Valley Farm in Versailles, KY and is owned by Scotty & Belinda Roy of Louisiana. Sunlight Cat, the dam of Fort Wise Treaty and a half sister to Moreno, has a filly at side by Empire Maker and is back in foal to Ghostzapper.

Considering Thoroughbred Ownership?

1/28/2017

Flatter Colt Sets New Del Mar Track Record, Earns Rising Star Status-UPDATE

7/18/2016

Two year old, CHASING ACES, setting the NTR at Del Mar. Benoit Photo

CHASING ACES c, 2, Flatter

1st Dam: Endless Sea, by Mt. Livermore
2nd Dam: Search the Sea, by Seeking the Gold
3rd Dam: Sea Regent, by Vice Regent

Chasing Aces blew away a quality-looking group of Del Mar maidens to become the latest ‘TDN Rising Star’, setting a new track record in the process. The chestnut ran very well on debut June 25 at Santa Anita in what’s looking increasingly like a live race, finishing second to Silver Assault (Maclean’s Music)–who returned to run a good third with significant trouble in the Santa Anita Juvenile S.–and ahead of next-out winner and‘TDN Rising Star’ Klimt (Quality Road). Hammered down to 9-10 late in this seaside run, Chasing Aces broke sharply and dueled for early supremacy with well-meant firster Straight Fire (Dominus) through a :21.84 quarter-mile. Edging away from that one nearing the top of the stretch, the Rockingham Ranch colorbearer exploded home in the final furlong under Tyler Baze, drawing off to a 5 1/2-length success in :56.21, getting his last quarter in a blazing :23.03. The final clocking broke a near 52-year-old low five-furlong mark of :56 2/5, set by Soldier Girl (Guerrero) Aug. 13, 1964. Straight Fire was well-clear for place honors. The winner is a half to Silver Ocean (Silver Train), 2x Ch. Miler-Skn, Hwt. 3yo-Ity at 7-9 1/2f, SW-Ity, GSW-Swe & Nor, GSP-Ger, SP-Fr, $524,157; and Over the Ocean (Rockport Harbor), SP-Nor, SW & GSP-Swe, $232,222. He went under the hammer for $225,000 at this track’s Barretts March sale after breezing a quarter-mile in :20 4/5. Endless Sea is responsible for a yearling filly by Street Sense and foaled a Will Take Charge colt this term. Sales History: $40,000 Wlg ’14 KEENOV; $65,000 Ylg ’15 KEESEP; $225,000 2yo ’16 BARMAR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $49,000.

 O-Rockingham Ranch;

B-Sun Valley Farm (KY);

T-Peter Miller.

Reprint from TDN 7-18-16

****UPDATE***** Chasing Aces was given a Beyer Speed Rating of 101!  He is rated the Top 2 year old in the NATION! 7-19-16

Justin Squared Speeds to Chick Lang Victory

5/22/2016

Justin Squared stays unbeaten with victory in Chick Lang Stakes. Photo by Michele MacDonald

Justin Squared (Zensational) made it back-to-back black-type wins on the Preakness undercard for ‘TDN Rising Stars,’ as he took Saturday’s Chick Lang S. by the throat a few strides out of the gates and never looked back.

The colt, named for Ahmed Zayat’s son and bloodstock agent Justin Casse, was highly impressive in defeating future MSW Iron Rob (Twirling Candy) by 5 1/2 lengths at the tail end of the Del Mar meeting Sept. 5 before calling it a season. Though he was Triple Crown nominated, Justin Squared returned to action just last month, besting Paul Reddam’s subsequent GIII Laz Barrera S. runner-up Mrazek (Square Eddie) by 1 3/4 lengths in a Los Alamitos allowance Apr. 21.

Bounced away from the stalls by Martin Pedroza, the gray made a bee-line for the gap, then raced keenly and hard against the steel through an opening quarter in :23.01. Hand-ridden into the stretch, Justin Squared opened up passing the eighth pole and was pushed out mostly hands and heels for the victory. Counterforce(Smart Strike) rallied down the center of what has been a fair surface to be second ahead of longshot Formal Summation (In Summation) in third.

“When he broke left out of the gate, I’m like, ‘No, no.’ He may have even skimmed the rail a bit,” explained Pedroza. “After he straightened out, I had a good hold on him the whole way. He is very versatile and can go longer, too. He had unbelievable speed and reminds me of Private Zone,” he added, referring to that multiple Grade I-winning son of Macho Uno with whom he has had a tremendous association.

Bred along the same lines as MGSW & MGISP Unbridled’s Note–who appears under the second dam–Justin Squared is closely related to 2-year-old Leon Matera (Unbridled’s Song), a $500,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase who is in training in Japan. Graciously Soft was most recently bred to Pioneerof the Nile. 

THATLOOKONYERFACE Splits Rivals To Win Marine Stakes

5/15/2016

Boulanger skips thru on the inside rail (#5) aboard Thatlookonyerface to win the Marine Stakes.

Dominion Bloodstock and Barry Butzer's Thatlookonyerface split rivals in the shadow of the wire to win a photo over Bear'sway in Saturday's $150,000 Grade III Marine Stakes, at Woodbine.

Trained by David Cotey, Thatlookonyerface left the gate at 32-1 in the 1 1/16-miles Tapeta route for three-year-olds that featured Riker, Canada's champion two-year-old male of 2015, and recent Wando Stakes champ Bear'sway.

Thatlookonyerface, by Summer Bird, graduated in a maiden claiming route on November 14 at Woodbine in his penultimate juvenile start and then closed the campaign with a promising fourth-place run in a six furlong allowance sprint.

He arrived at the Marine from a difficult effort in the Wando when checked down the backstretch, eventually rallying to finish fourth, placed third through disqualification.

Riker, reunited with regular rider Jesse Campbell, led the way in the Marine setting splits of :22.49 and :48.59 as the 7-5 mutuel favorite.  Bear'sway left from the inside post in the field of six under leading rider Eurico Rosa da Silva, before angling off the rail down the back straight to press Riker's early foot.

Thatlookonyerface, patiently handled by Gary Boulanger, saved ground from fifth position as Riker took a precarious lead through the turn with Bear'sway, Greatest Game and Dragon Bay all looming large.

Bear'sway eventually wore down a determined Riker, but it was Thatlookonyerface who angled off the rail and then found a seam between the tiring pacesetter and a stubborn Bear'sway to earn a narrow nose score.  Greatest Game completed the triactor, a nose back of Bear'sway, while just a neck in front of Dragon Bay.

Boulanger wasn't certain he had the race won.

“I didn't know,” said Boulanger. “We were battling. The horse was trying, I was trying and then we pulled up and Rob Love (Woodbine outrider) said, ‘I think it's you'.”

“He settled more today. Last time we got in quite a bit of trouble down the backside,” continued Boulanger. “This time we had a clear trip. He showed me a lot of character last time.”

The Marine marked the first stakes score of the season for both Boulanger and Cotey.  The veteran rider, a winner of five added-money events in 2015, was full of praise for his mount's brave effort.

“I didn't have much choice where to go,” said Boulanger of the eventful stretch run. “Eurico (aboard Bear'sway) floated out a bit and then he started coming back in and that was the only place I had. Thank God he had enough courage to go in there. He fought all the way to the wire. Today was our day.”

Thatlookonyerface, bred in Kentucky by Sun Valley Farm, banked $90,000 in victory while improving his record to 2-0-1 from eight starts.

Justin Squared Named TDN Rising Star!

9/6/2015

Justin Squared | Benoit Photo

5th-DMR, $71,000, Msw, 9-5, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:03.37, ft.

+JUSTIN SQUARED, c, 2, by Zensational

1st Dam: Graciously Soft, by Vindication

2nd Dam: Siberian Fur, by Siberian Express

3rd Dam: Siksika, by Quack

Justin Squared, a Sun Valley Farm homebred, earned TDN Rising Star status with an impressive front-running victory on debut at Del Mar on Saturday September 5, 2015. Possessed of a very speedy worktab that included a best-of-20 five panels breeze here in :59 2/5 Sept. 1 and a best-of-95 five-furlong move in :58 4/5 Aug. 22, the gray, who RNAd for $130,000 at the 2013 Keeneland November sale, was sent off as the 3-1 second choice behind heavily favored stablemate and$575,000 OBSOPN purchase Arabian Leopard (Scat Daddy). Hustled from the outside stall in this nine-horse affair by Martin Pedroza, the juvenile instantly shot to the lead and doled out sharp opening splits of :21.90 and :44.87. Bowling along on the front end, Justin Squared proved not for catching in the lane and sailed home a 5 1/2-length winner over Iron Rob (Twirling Candy). Arabian Leopard was fourth. The winner is a half to My Name is Michael (Macho Uno), GSP, $170,224. His dam Graciously Soft is a half to MGISW Spoken Fur (Notebook) and MGSW and GISP Unbridled=s Note (Unbridled=s Song). She produced a colt by Unbridled=s Song last term and was bred back to Pioneerof the Nile this spring. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000.