Sophomore Spotlight 1/21/13

In a spinoff of Juvenile Spotlights, new-on-the-scene three-year-olds will be featured in a new blog series called “Sophomore Spotlights.” These will only continue through the end of February and will follow the format of Juvenile Spotlights. This series was created to spotlight the up-and-coming sophomores that either did not race as a juvenile or did not perform as well as a two-year-old.

Let Em Shine (1/19): Third behind Hear the Ghost in his debut, Let Em Shine set the pace in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Santa Anita, progressively drawing away from his rivals en route to a 7 ½-length triumph in a brisk final time of 1:08.36. A son of Songandaprayer, Let Em Shine is out of a Johannesburg mare from the family of Unbridled’s Song.  

Jubliant Girl (1/19): Clear by one length in her debut, Jubliant Girl defeated seven rivals in her second career outing, an allowance optional claiming at Santa Anita. Sitting just off the leader, the John Sadler trainee drew clear to a 2 ¾-length win. A member of Henrythenavigator’s first crop, Jubliant Girl is out of an Arch mare named Gamely Girl, making her a direct descendant of several Reine de Course mares, including the champion Moccasin.  

Now and Then (1/20): Debuting at Aqueduct, Now and Then contested the pace of a six-furlong maiden special weight, capturing the race by 1 ¼ lengths. Sired by one of the nation’s top sires in Tiznow, Now and Then is out of a multiple stakes-winning, graded stakes-placed Meadowlake mare that has also produced the multiple grade one-winning Seventh Street, as well as the graded stakes-placed runners American Story and Reynaldothewizard.

Tiz Molly (1/20): Facing nine opponents, only one of which had raced before, Tiz Molly debuted at Santa Anita, settling off the pace during the five and one-half-furlong maiden special weight. Despite having to maneuver around traffic in the late stages of the race, the gray filly closed impressively to get up just in time, winning by a head. A daughter of the blossoming Tiz Wonderful, Tiz Molly is out of a half-sister to the multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Delightful Kiss, the multiple stakes-winning Delightful Mary, the graded stakes-placed Honour the Deputy, and the black-type-placed Trust the Deputy.

Twice Told Tale (1/21): Contesting against rather stiff competition, Twice Told Tale settled in the early stages of a six-furlong allowance optional claiming at Gulfstream, having broken her maiden in her previous start. The gray filly got up to win by a half-length over the favorite, an impressive Keeneland maiden winner. By Tale of the Cat and out of a Louis Quatorze mare, Twice Told Tale is a half-sister to a black-type winner and is a direct descendant of the great Reine de Course mare Exclusive.