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PEDIGREE HANDICAPPING AUGUST 2, 2008 Sale graduates finding success on the track at the Spa by Tim Holland The North American two-year-old racing season on the East Coast shifted into high gear last week with the 90th running of the Schuylerville S. (G3) and the 94th renewal of the Sanford S. (G2), on the first two days of the Saratoga meet. Perhaps the most famous running of the Sanford, the first of three graded stakes at the meet for juvenile colts, was the 1919 renewal when Man o' War suffered his lone defeat at the hands of Upset, and well known names of winners through the years since include Hail to Reason, Exclusive Native, Secretariat, Affirmed, Forty Niner, Dehere, Maria's Mon and, four years ago, Afleet Alex. The second of the trio is the Saratoga Special (G2) which will be run on August 14, and on September 1, the Hopeful S. (G1) will be contested. While many, such as Secretariat and Affirmed, added the Hopeful to their Sanford wins, only two colts -- Dehere (1993) and City Zip (2000) have swept all three of this series. All four of this year's Sanford starters came into the race making their second start, having each won their debut, including DESERT PARTY, who broke his maiden impressively at Arlington Park. A $2.1 million sale topper at the Fasig-Tipton Calder two-year-old in training sale, purchased by Darley and trained by Eoin Harty, Desert Party is by Street Cry (Ire), who has proved instantly successful at stud through the likes of the 2007 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Street Sense and Grade 1 winners this year in Zenyatta and Street Boss. Desert Party is out of the Tabasco Cat mare Sage Cat, who has already produced the stakes winner Ellie Cat (Crafty Prospector), and he went to post as the odds-on favorite. In the event he did not disappoint when he won going away by 3 1/4 lengths over the muddy track. The value of Desert Party's performance was questioned after seeing the mediocre final time of 1:12 1/5 for the six furlongs which was the slowest for the race since the distance was changed to six furlongs from 5 1/2 in 1969, and this time was reflected in his BRIS Speed Figure of 87 -- six points lower than the total earned in his debut. However, time aside, one has to be impressed by this performance since, after breaking a step slow, Desert Party pulled his way up behind his rivals on the rail forcing Edgar Prado to briefly check him. The colt then rated professionally before accelerating through a gap opened early in the stretch and, while he did idle briefly once he gained the lead, the race was over in a matter of strides. On Saturday Todd Pletcher unveiled MUNNINGS who, in costing Coolmore $1.7 million, was the second highest priced horse at the Calder two-year-old sale. A colt from the first crop of 2004 champion sprinter Speightstown, Munnings is a grandson of the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) heroine La Gueriere (Lord at War [Arg]), who is also the dam of multiple graded winner Lasting Approval (With Approval). Munnings reportedly hit the gate at the start but recovered quickly to secure his position in the lead on the rail. After shaking off a challenge by another debutant -- the Nick Zito-trained, $200,000 Keeneland September Sale purchase Just a Coincidence (Forestry) -- Munnings drew off to win by more than four lengths, earning a very respectable 98 Speed Figure. Zito's runners often improve in their second start and Just a Coincidence who, despite running green, stayed on gamely to finish second, well ahead of the remainder of the field, should find the winner's circle before the end of the meet. Another juvenile colt from the Zito barn that should break his maiden soon is Brave Victory, another $200,000 sale purchase, who finished second in a competitive maiden on opening day. A son of the red hot freshman sire Lion Heart, Brave Victory bobbled at the start and was rushed up to contest the pace in the 5 1/2-furlong event. After losing ground by going wide on the turn, the bay ran on well to be defeated by the more experienced and likewise promising, Steve Asmussen-trained, COGNITO (Langfuhr). A half-brother to this year's Fountain of Youth S. (G2) winner Cool Coal Man (Mineshaft), Cognito was the highest price at the Keeneland April two-year-old in training sale when knocked down to Stonestreet Stables for $700,000. In his debut Cognito had finished second despite encountering traffic trouble at Churchill Downs to Proud Jefe (Proud Citizen), who subsequently solidified the form to an extent by winning a stakes race at Canterbury Park in very impressive fashion. This year's Calder sale was productive besides Desert Party and Munnings. Indeed, the third highest price was $1.5 million for MR MISTOFFELEES (Storm Cat), who was a hugely impressive Keeneland debut winner, and $775,000 was paid for REYNALDOTHEWIZARD, a son of Speightstown trained by Harty. Reynaldothewizard broke his maiden impressively at Churchill Downs and has been training well at Saratoga. Others from this sale that are working forwardly at the Spa but are thus far unraced include Mesa Sunrise, a colt by Sky Mesa who cost Brushwood Stable $800,000; Elusive Heat, by Elusive Quality out of the champion and Grade 1-winning sprinter Xtra Heat (Dixieland Heat), who was secured for $750,000; and Zensational (Unbridled's Song), a $700,000 Zayat Stables purchase who scratched out of the maiden won by Cognito on opening day. Ocean Colors (Orientate), the Asmussen-trained daughter of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Winning Colors (Caro [Ire]) who had broken her maiden at Churchill earning an impressive Speed Figure of 103, was dispatched as the heavy favorite in the contentious Schuylerville on the opening day of the meet. However, it was another Asmussen trainee, JARDIN, that took home the honors. By Montbrook, Jardin was the sixth highest priced purchase at the OBS February two-year-old sale at $425,000 and is a full sister to Beacon Shine, who won the Flash S. (G3) as a juvenile, from the family of Super Derby (G1) winner Outofthebox, also by Montbrook. Fillies sold well at the OBS February sale for, in addition to Jardin, there were three other females among the top six overall prices. These included the $500,000 attained by MYTHICAL BORDER (Johannesburg), who has broken her maiden at Lingfield in England, and PRIDE (Lion Heart), who sold for $475,000 and won her debut at Keeneland at the expense of the subsequent Schuylerville runner-up, Cameron Crazies, who is also by Lion Heart. One colt that is looking like a bargain from the OBS February sale, having sold for $100,000, is VALIANCY who, after finishing second in his debut at Churchill, won impressively at Saratoga on Thursday. A son of Tale of the Cat, Valiancy dueled with the first-time starter, Keep 'Em Movin Dan (Distorted Humor) before drawing off to win by more than three lengths, earning a Speed Figure of 97. The runner-up to Valiancy, Keep 'Em Movin Dan, was sold for $875,000, the third highest price overall and one of two colts by Distorted Humor to be in the top five lots to sell in last year's Saratoga selected yearling sale. There are three yearlings entered by Distorted Humor in this year's sale which starts on Monday including a filly, Hip No. 44, who is the first foal out of Royally Chosen (In Excess [Ire]), a multiple stakes winner who placed second in the La Brea S. (G1). Other established sires that will be represented include Storm Cat, who is the sire of Hip 158, a colt out of Get Lucky (Mr. Prospector), who won the Affectionately H. (G3) and has already produced the graded winners Daydreaming (A.P. Indy) and Accelerator (A.P. Indy) and is from the family of Haskell S. (G1) winner Bluegrass Cat (Storm Cat). A.P. Indy has three yearlings on offer, including a colt out of a half-sister to French champion and leading sire Peintre Celebre. Freshman sires of this year that will have yearlings on offer include Lion Heart, Speightstown as well as Smarty Jones who is the sire of Hip 115, a half-brother to Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner Albert the Great (Go for Gin). Stallions selling their first yearlings will also be well represented through the likes of Afleet Alex, Purge, Rock Hard Ten, Saint Liam and Ghostzapper, whose Hip 179 is sure to draw interest, being a half-sister to Gazelle S. (G1) heroine In the Gold (Golden Missile).
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