Juvenile Spotlight: Capo Bastone and Know More

West Coast-based three-year-olds have proven to be among the very best in this year’s sophomore division. With the California-based I’ll Have Another taking the first two legs of the Triple Crown with fellow California horse Bodemeister just behind him, as well as Paynter emerging as perhaps the best three-year-old male with a runner-up finish in the Belmont Stakes (GI) and a win in the Haskell Invitational (GI), it has been clear that California three-year-olds are leading the way. Will next year be the same? Over the weekend, a pair of two-year-olds at Del Mar suggested it just may be.

Capo Bastone

Last summer, a colt that brilliantly broke his maiden at Del Mar impressed me greatly, thus joining my watch list so that I could keep track of him. That colt was Secret Circle, eventual winner of not only the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint, but the Southwest Stakes (GIII) and the Rebel Stakes (GII). This year, one of the first two-year-olds to catch my attention at Del Mar was a colt by the name of Capo Bastone.

Sent off as the favorite in a field of nine, the John Sadler trainee found a position near the back of the pack as the horses galloped down the backstretch. As a brisk quarter mile of 21.66 was set, Capo Bastone remained eleven lengths off the lead, inching up along the rail as the horses moved around the far turn.

The colt had reached mid-pack by the time the field began to turn for home, but was forced to swing wide off the final curve. Garrett Gomez set to work aboard him, setting his sights on the two leaders. With an imposing turn of foot, Capo Bastone closed on the two frontrunners, appearing ready to fly by.

However, when Distinctiv Passion veered out, Gomez was forced to pull Capo Bastone to the outside. Despite having to change his course, Capo Bastone’s motivation was not greatly hindered and the chestnut colt continued to fly towards the lead without much urging from Gomez. With impressive ease, Capo Bastone crossed the wire a widening neck in front.

Capo Bastone is a son of the up-and-coming sire Street Boss, who has already proven to be a force to be reckoned with. On the track, Street Boss – a horse based in Southern California – was a spectacular sprinter, winning three graded stakes – three of which were grade ones – and setting two six-furlong track records. Street Boss is of course a son of Street Cry, a top sire known for producing the great champion Zenyatta, as well as the champion Street Sense and eleven other grade one winners. Street Boss has already proven to be a productive sire in his young career, having already sired not only multiple winners, including impressive Saratoga maiden winner Top Tier Lass, but a stakes winner.

Capo Bastone’s dam is the black-type-placed Fight to Love, who has also produced the multiple graded stakes-winning C J’s Leelee. Fight to Love is a daughter of the Secretariat mare Love is Love and the multiple grade one-winning Fit to Fight. Fit to Fight is the broodmare sire of such stakes winners as Blind Date (also graded stakes-winning), Royal Assault, Sales Tax, and Upgrade (also graded stakes-winning).

Capo Bastone displayed not only the ability to overcome trouble and still win with ease, but he also exhibited sheer talent. Though he is not particularly bred for classic distances, he could likely go beyond sprinting distances. Nonetheless, this is a colt to watch.


Know More

J. Paul Reddam’s white and purple silks became easily recognizable this year when I’ll Have Another and Mario Gutierrez carried them to victory in the Kentucky Derby (GI) and Preakness Stakes (GI). When they flashed across the Del Mar finish line on Sunday afternoon with a two-year-old named Know More, whispers of the future left the mouths of racing fans. Was this the next I’ll Have Another?

Usually, a horse begins its career in a maiden race – a race in which no horse is yet a winner. Rather than doing so, Know More commenced his racing life in a graded stakes race, the Best Pal Stakes (GII) to be exact. I’ll Have Another ran in this very race as a two-year-old, finishing second behind the eventual grade one-winning Creative Cause. Unlike I’ll Have Another, Know More crossed the wire a victor.

The bay colt broke sharply from the outside stall before settling a few lengths off the pace beneath Garrett Gomez as the juveniles galloped down the backstretch of the six and one-half-furlong event. Showing the ability to rate that many debuting juveniles do not show, Know More began to inch up on the outside as the far turn began.

With steady urging from Gomez, Know More loomed on the outside as the graded stakes-winning Amarish continued to lead. Still with several lengths to make up, Know More began to kick into gear as the far turn reached its end, being asked by Gomez to catch the leaders. Despite running a bit greenly, Know grew closer to Heir Kitty in the final yards before accelerating beautifully to pass him en route to a half-length victory.

Know More’s sire is Lion Heart, winner of the nine-furlong Haskell Invitational (GI) and runner-up in the Kentucky Derby (GI) behind Smarty Jones. Lion Heart is also the sire of Dangerous Midge, winner of the twelve-furlong Breeders’ Cup Turf (GI); Line of David, winner of the nine-furlong Arkansas Derby (GI); and Soul Warrior, winner of the nine-furlong West Virgina Derby (GII). However, he has primarily sired speedy horses, such as the graded stakes-winning sprinters Agave Kiss, Heart Ashley, and Pretty Prolific. Nonetheless, Lion Heart is a son of Tale of the Cat, who, despite being a successful sprinter on the track, is well-known for siring Gio Ponti, a champion who won up to a mile and three-eighths.

Know More is likely to inherit more stamina influence from his dam, Seattle Qui. This mare is also the dam of the stakes-winning and graded stakes-placed Classical Slew. Despite the fact that Classical Slew was successful at sprinting distances, Know More’s broodmare sire is the 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, damsire of Astra, Boboman, Dangerous Midge, and Offlee Wild. The sire of Know More’s second dam is Spectacular Bid, who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes (GI). Interestingly, Know More’s third dam is the dam of the European champion Bakharoff.

He may not be the next I’ll Have Another, but Know More certainly appears to be a very gifted individual. It is not every day that a horse makes its debut in a graded stakes race and prevails. Know More is certainly a colt that has made the watch lists of many racing enthusiasts, including mine.

Remember to like Past the Grandstand on Facebook and follow Past the Grandstand on Twitter! Links can be found on the right side of the blog. 

Juvenile Spotlight: Top Tier Lass and Corail

Todd Pletcher is often crowned the king of two-year-olds at Saratoga. This was further confirmed on both Monday and Wednesday, when two of his juvenile fillies broke their maidens in impressive style: Top Tier Lass and Corail. Both fillies traveled five and one-half furlongs – though over different surfaces – at the Spa, joining many two-year-olds trained by Todd Pletcher to break their maiden at Saratoga in impressive style.


Top Tier Lass

Following a clean break, Top Tier Lass was among a four-horse group that immediately went to the lead. Racing on the outside, the chestnut filly remained among the cluster of the leaders but did not take the lead until shortly after they set an initial quarter of 22 seconds flat. She continued to draw away from there, holding a one-length advantage at the top of the stretch.

Despite rallies from others, Top Tier Lass was not threatened by her rivals as John Velazquez urged her down the stretch. Though she received several reminders from Velazquez, Top Tier Lass had no trouble crossing the wire seven lengths in front. The final time over the grass course labeled good was 1:03.34.

Top Tier Lass is a member of Street Boss’s first crop. On the track, Street Boss – a horse based in Southern California – was a spectacular sprinter, winning three graded stakes – three of which were grade ones – and setting two six-furlong track records. Street Boss is of course a son of Street Cry, a top sire known for producing the great champion Zenyatta, as well as the champion Street Sense and eleven other grade one winners. Street Boss has already proven to be a productive sire in his young career, having already sired not only multiple winners, but a stakes winner.

This filly’s dam, Top Tier, is a half-sister to not only two black-type winners and a stakes-placed runner, but the multiple graded stakes-placed Stopshoppingmaria. In addition to producing Top Tier Lass, Top Tier is the dam of the winners Personal Signal and Show Place. Neither of those horses has won beyond a mile and one-sixteenth.

Top Tier’s broodmare sire is King of Kings, an Irish champion who won the first leg of the English Triple Crown, the 2,000 Guineas (GI), at one mile. King of Kings is a son of the great Sadlers Wells, one of the greatest stallions the industry has ever seen. Sadlers Wells is the damsire of such horses as the group one winners Conduit, Henrythenavigator, Reliable Man, Workforce, and Youmzain.

Top Tier Lass certainly is bred like a speedy turf horse, but could also have a future on surfaces other than grass. Of course, she could go farther than five and a half furlongs, but she definitely is not a classic-distance type of filly. However, this filly displayed in her debut that she is clearly talented and one to keep an eye on.


Corail

Two years ago, a juvenile Thoroughbred sired by Indian Charlie and trained by Pletcher dominated a maiden at Saratoga prior to finishing a two-year-old campaign that saw him be honored as Champion Two-Year-Old Male. That horse was Uncle Mo. On Wednesday, yet another Todd Pletcher-trained Indian Charlie broke it's maiden. This time, however, it was a filly by the name of Corail.

After breaking from the gate, the bay filly went straight to the lead in Wertheimer and Frere's silks – the same silks Goldikova carried to Breeders' Cup Mile (GI) victory three years in a row. She steadily lengthened her lead, holding a one-length advantage as the fillies began to enter the far turn. Following a quarter in 23.16, John Velazquez looked behind him to check the advancement of the others, but found that no one was yet posing a real threat. 

Velazquez began to shake his reins as the curve ended, urging the filly beneath him. Liquid Lunch attempted to rally, but with a strike of the whip, Corail accelerated and began to draw away from the field as Velazquez continued to give her reminders. With ease, Corail flashed under the wire 3 ½ lengths in front, posting a final time of 1:04.52.

Indian Charlie, who was sadly euthanized in December, is also the sire of the champions Fleet Indian and Indian Blessing, as well as such grade one winners as Liaison and Pampered Princess. Indian Charlie has primarily been a sire of speedy horses, but Fleet Indian was capable of winning at ten furlongs.

Corail's dam, Meteor Miracle, is a black-type-winning half-sister to the grade one winners A Phenomenon and Seattle Meteor. In addition to producing Corail, Meteor Miracle has yielded Meteore, who won the La Jolla Handicap (GII) over Del Mar's turf course in 2009. Meteor Miracle is a daughter of Forty Niner's graded stakes-winning son Twining. Forty Niner was a successful broodmare sire himself, having sired the dams of such grade one winners as Albertus Maximus, Island Sand, and Lady of Venice.

Interestingly, Corail's third dam, Patelin, is Kentucky Derby (GI) and Preakness Stakes (GI) victor I'll Have Another's fifth dam. Patelin, a stakes-winning daughter of the Reine De Course mare Pontivy, was a half-sister to the multiple stakes-winning horses Jaikyl and Pontiflex, as well as the graded stakes-placed Pontoise. Other direct descendants of Patelin include the grade/group one winners Class Play and Reenact.

Though there are traces of stamina in Corail's pedigree, she, like stablemate Top Tier Lass, appears to be more suited for distances under nine furlongs. She is among many talented two-year-olds in Pletchers barn and will need to prove that she can be competitive against tougher company, but she is without a doubt a gifted filly.