Fair Grounds Race 12
Maiden Special Weight
1 Mile and 40 Yards
3-Year Olds
Post Time: 7:12 PM; HRTV
No first-time starters in this race, but lots of familiar faces. Three entrants ran in a Maiden Special Weight at Fair Grounds on February 16 which was profiled in this blog. Proud Kentuckian (Proud Citizen – Paris Sky by Skywalker) finished 2nd, Square Deal (Sky Mesa – Jaded by Gone West) finished 4th, and Biscay Bay (Flatter – Lorient by Fappiano) finished 7th (and last).
Square Deal has the best sales and family credentials of these (in fact of all the entries in the race), as he sold for $220,000 as a yearling and $650,000 as a 2-year old. His dam, Jaded, is a daughter of the grade I stakes winner and millionaire, Urbane. Urbane is also the dam of the millionaire Suave who won or placed in 8 graded stakes including a 2nd place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I).
Proud Kentuckian is from the family of Brancusi who finished 3rd in the San Felipe (gr. II) and 2nd in the Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I), before setting the pace in the 2003 Kentucky Derby (on route to a last-place finish).
Biscay Bay’s dam has produced five winners including stakes-placed Wild Over Ian who earned $241,393.
Another familiar horse is Fort Apache (Mineshaft – Sculpture by Deputy Minister) who finished 3rd (as the favorite) in a race at the Fair Grounds on February 23. Fort Apache sold for $67,000 as a 2-year old (which was above the sale average). His dam has produced one winner.
No sales standouts among those who are new to this blog, but some with interesting family notes.
Lite from Heaven (Lite the Fuse – Heavenly Pirate by Pirate’s Bounty) is a half-brother to 7 winners including Piratesonthelake who has won or placed in 5 stakes including the Kentucky Cup Sprint (gr. III) and has current earnings of $229,121.
Ryan’s Thunder (Lil E. Tee – Broad Avenue by Broad Brush) is a full-brother to 6 winners including the stakes winners Quit Complaining ($105,860) and Lil Broad Tee ($41,300). Apparently, this is a cross that works.
Evade (Smoke Glacken – Cunning Play by Defensive Play) is out of a dam who earned $166,655 and finished 3rd in the Alcibiades (gr. II) as a 2-year old. Evade is her first foal.
Mention should also be made of Seeking the Lead who finished 2nd in the Remington MEC Mile Stakes last year. His total earnings, $46,385, by far lead this field.
