Technical Knockout in Foy Racing's
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2015 732-747-8060 $ TDN Home Page Click Here FEATURE PRESENTATION • GII BESILU STABLES FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH S. STARS ALIGN FOR RAMSEYS Ken and Sarah Ramsey=s International Star (Fusaichi Pegasus) continued to burn bright at the Fair Grounds yesterday, earning his second-consecutive graded stakes victory in the GII Risen Star S. Drawn in the 10 hole, the GIII Lecomte S. hero worked his way to the rail under Miguel Mena and bided his time in midpack behind splits of :23.29, :47.08 and TECHNICAL KNOCKOUT IN FOY 1:12.16. He quickened cutting With help from the stewards, Starlight Racing=s the corner and, just like in the Itsaknockout (Lemon Drop Kid) kept his unblemished Lecomte, squeezed up the rail record intact in yesterday afternoon=s GII Besilu Stables and kicked away. War Story Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park. The Todd (Northern Afleet) ran on late, Pletcher trainee graduated by a but came up a length short. nose going seven furlongs here AThe post position worried me,@ Dec. 7, and added a 5 1/4-length revealed Mena. AYou never Mena celebrates aboard victory in a one-mile optional know if you can get to the rail, International Star claimer Jan. 4. The 5-1 shot where he wants to be. I was Hodges Photography finished 2 3/4 lengths behind impressed because I moved at favored Upstart (Flatter) at the wire the five-sixteenths pole to get through and he came in the Fountain of Youth, but was through a tight hole and then another one at the given new life when that rival=s quarter-pole and kept running and drawing away. I think number flashed on the tote board. more distance will be no problem. He rates well, he The chalk herded Itsaknockout loves the rail; it doesn=t matter how tight the hole is--he significantly in late stretch before goes for it. When I put him on the rail, he grabs the bit pulling away comfortably, but the and when we come up to a tight hole, he just goes for Itsaknockout stewards saw enough to make the it. Not many horses do it. The more you save, the more Horsephotos somewhat controversial change. AI feel bad for the connections of the you=re going to get. He=s not much to look at it, but he other horse,@ said trainer Todd Pletcher, who was has a big heart.@ Cont. p5 winning his third Fountain of Youth. AHe crossed the finish line first, but definitely we got impeded a bit and [Itsaknockout=s rider] Luis [Saez] had to stop riding for a couple strides. I don=t know how it would eventually affect the outcome. The thing I=m most proud of is for this horse to run this well in his third lifetime start, first time around two turns and first time in a stake. It was a very, very good effort. He was in between horses in a situation he hasn=t been in before, so it was a big effort.@ Cont. p3 RACING’S ‘MAIN’ MAN RETURNS IN STYLE Last year=s champion older male and turf horse Main Sequence (Aldebaran)--making his first start since annexing the GI Breeders= Cup Turf at Santa Anita Nov. 1--picked up right where he left off in Saturday=s GII Mac Diarmida S. at Gulfstream Park with a well-timed late burst to remain a perfect five-for-five since joining Graham Motion=s string in America. It was 3/4 of a length back to his arch rival Twilight Eclipse (Purim) in second. AHe was awesome,@ Motion commented. AIt=s a huge relief. I think he kind of won for fun, to be honest. On to Dubai, hopefully. Fingers crossed.@ Cont. p5 NY-BRED # INTERNATIONAL STAR 71 NY-BRED UPSTART 36 BY NY’s #1 SIRE IN 2015 NY-Bred INTERNATIONAL STAR NY-Bred Record: 8-4-2-0 $560,979 UPSTART 1st, Risen Star S-G2 1st, LeComte S-G3 Record: 6-3-2-1 $779,480 1st, Grey S-G3 1st, Lambholm South Holy Bull S-G2 2nd, With Anticipation S-G2 3rd, Sentient Jet BC Juvenile-G1 2nd, Rockville Centre S. 2nd, Champagne S-G1 2nd (DQ), Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth S-G2 1st, Funny Cide S. TOP TEN DERBY CONTENDERS BY GRADED POINTS THROUGH 2/21/15 For more information visit our website or call 518.388.0174 nytbreeders.org | 518.587.0777 PHOTOS BY ADAM COGLIANESE, LOU HODGES © IN THIS ISSUE Southwest Worth the Wait A field of 11 lines up Sunday for Oaklawn's GIII Southwest S., which was postponed from its traditional spot on Presidents’ Day due to winter weather. Harry Rosenblum and Robert LaPenta's Far Right (Notional) renews his rivalry against Zayat Stables-owned Mr. Z President & Co-Publisher: Barry Weisbord (Malibu Moon). [email protected] @barryweisbord Far Right Sr. V.P. & Co-Publisher: Sue Finley [email protected] @suefinley Coady Photography Page 14 V.P., International Operations: Gary King [email protected] @garykingTDN Lankan Rupee Lights Up EDITORIAL Flemington [email protected] Making his first public appearance since a third-place Editor-in-Chief: Jessica Martini Managing Editor: Alan Carasso finish in the G1 Darley Classic at the Melbourne Cup Senior Editor: Steve Sherack Carnival in November, star Australian sprinter Lankan Racing Editor: Brian DiDonato Rupee (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) showed no signs Associate Editor: Justina Severni of rust, blitzing the opposition in yesterday's G1 Black Associate Editor: Christie DeBernardis Lankan Rupee Assistant Editor: Heather Likins Caviar Lightning S. at Flemington. Racing and Sports Assistant Editor: Ben Massam Page 17 ADVERTISING [email protected] Parranda Set to Salute in Director of Advertising: Alycia Borer Art Director: Lia Kusch Singapore Sr. Ad Coordinator/Dir. of Distribution: Sarah K. Andrew A field of nine--four males and five females--each owned Advertising Designer: Amanda Crelin by an entity of the China Horse Club, is set to go to the Advertising Assistant: Amanda Foster post for today's CECF Singapore Cup, at a shade over S$3 Social Media Strategist: Nichola Henry million, the richest race to ever be contested in the country. CUSTOMER SERVICE Parranda [email protected] Liesl King Dir. of Customer Service: Vicki Forbes Page 19 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Director of IT: Robert Williams Sensitively Streaks to [email protected] Rising Stardom WORLDWIDE INFORMATION John Liviakis homebred Sensitively (Street Sense), International Editor: Kelsey Riley hailing from the Philip D’Amato barn, drubbed a 12-horse [email protected] maiden special weight field at Santa Anita Saturday Assistant Editor: Alix Choppin evening and earned herself a spot in the pantheon of Sensitively Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing: ‘TDN Rising Stars.’ Benoit Photo Sean Cronin & Tom Frary Page 7-RR [email protected] 60 Broad Street, Suite 100 Red Bank, NJ 07701 732-747-8060 | 732-747-8955 (fax) www.thoroughbreddailynews.com EST Race Click for TV www.thetdn.com 5:42p Southwest S.-GIII, OP (Brisnet.com PPs) HR/TVG TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 2/22/15 • PAGE 3 of 21 • thoroughbreddailynews.com AThat was a tough decision. I did think [Upstart] would get taken down because he really bothered me,@ offered Saez, who had never before won a graded stakes race for the powerful Pletcher barn. AWhen we came into the stretch, I felt like my horse wanted to run, so I thought we'd win the race. But the other horse came out and bothered me. I couldn't ride my horse. He's a little better on the outside. Today there Fountain of Youth S. cont. was a little speed outside of us so we had to play with Away well, Itsaknockout pressed Bluegrass Singer that. At the three-eighths he really responded." Cont. p4 (Bluegrass Cat) briefly before dropping back several slots into a joint third with Upstart to his outside and longshot Juan and Bina (Indian Charlie) along the rail. Frosted (Tapit) inched away ominously after six furlongs in 1:11.65, and seemed en route to victory at the head of the lane as Upstart and Itsaknockout began to rev up. The leader hit a wall in upper stretch, and was immediately tackled by Upstart with Itsaknockout joining the fray as the tiring Frosted caused a mild chain reaction. Upstart and Itsaknockout pulled away to settle the issue, and while the latter never got closer to the favorite than about a half-length, he was forced to tap on the brakes when the GII Holy Bull S. romper came out in deep stretch while receiving left-handed encouragement. TDN TODAY Headline News.. 21 pages Upstart (#7) crosses the wire in front of Itsaknockout Horsephotos TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 2/22/15 • PAGE 4 of 21 • thoroughbreddailynews.com Saturday, Gulfstream Park BESILU STABLES FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH S.-GII, $400,000, GPX, 2-21, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:46 1/5, ft. 1--#@ITSAKNOCKOUT, 116, c, 3, by Lemon Drop Kid 1st Dam: Stormy B, by Cherokee Run 2nd Dam: Seoul, by Deputy Minister 3rd Dam: Nomo Robbery, by No Robbery ($130,000 wlng '12 KEENOV; $350,000 yrl '13 FTSAUG). O-Starlight Racing; B-Brookfield Stud (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher; J-Luis Saez. $240,560. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $287,360. *1/2 to Storm Power (Tiz Wonderful), MSW, $131,458. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. D R O M O L A N D F A R M PINHOOK Elm Tree Sales Graduate 2--Upstart*, 122, r, 3, Flatter--Party Silks, by Touch Gold.