Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's Cupid (Tapit) returned to winning ways late Saturday evening with a game victory in the GII Indiana Derby. Breaking from the 11-hole in this 12-horse affair, the 8-5 chalk was hustled up to his preferred position at the head of affairs, but was quickly headed by 35-1 shot Pilot House (Midshipman) through an opening quarter in :23.44. Pressing that rival through a half in :46.75, the $900,000 KEESEP buy stuck his head just a few strides after that point and skipped clear by the time he hit the quarter-pole in 1:10.86. Three wide rounding the far turn, the gray sidled in towards the rail in the lane and kept on finding to hold off a bid from the The Player (Street Hero), who was making his black-type bow in this spot, to score.
“That was an exciting race, needless to say. we were all over the place,” said Jimmy Barnes, assistant to trainer Bob Baffert. “It was a wildly run race. For us being in the 11-hole, he had to really get him running early to get over on the turn. I mean we were wide enough as it was, and then had to use him to get there. Then it looked like once he got him in his cruising (gear), we were good. Late down the lane, I don't know it was. He was still on his left lead, he was leaning in, he was all over the place. could be from being tired, looking, being green. Anyway, we got it done.”
Fourth as the 9-5 chalk when unveiled in a Los Alamitos sprint Dec. 20, Cupid improved to second next out going 5 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita Jan. 9 and put it all together with a decisive 5 1/4-length score when stretched to 1 1/16 miles there Feb. 7. It was on to Arkansas after that, where he provided his Hall of Fame conditioner with his sixth victory in the GII Rebel S. Mar. 19. Bet down to 4-5 favoritism for the GI Arkansas Derby Apr. 16, the sophomore faded to a head-scratching 10th and was later found to have an entrapped epiglottis, which required throat surgery. Heavily bet once again as the 9-5 chalk when making his return in Belmont's Easy Goer S. June 11, Cupid was headstrong early and could do no better than fifth.
Cupid is a half-brother to MGSW Heart Ashley (Lion Heart), who sold for $500,000 at the 2010 Keeneland November sale; Grade III winner Ashley's Kitty (Tale of the Cat); and SW Indianapolis (Medaglia d'Oro), a $490,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling. His year-older full-brother Dream Team brought $1-million at the 2013 Keeneland September sale and just a year late Cupid would summon $900,000 at the same venue (click here for video). His 2-year-old full-sister Sweet Assassin sold to bloodstock agents Alex Solis and Jason Litt for $500,000 at last term's September sale and his GSP dam Pretty 'n Smart produced another filly by that Gainesway sire Feb. 7 of this year.
Saturday, Indiana Grand
INDIANA DERBY-GII, $512,000, IND, 7-16, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.30, ft.
1–CUPID, 124, c, 3, by Tapit
1st Dam: Pretty 'n Smart {GSP}, by Beau Genius
2nd Dam: Charge d'Affaires, by Vice Regent
3rd Dam: Office Affair, by Secretariat
($900,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Michael B. Tabor, Mrs. John
Magnier, & Derrick Smith; B-JKG Thoroughbreds LLC (KY);
T-Bob Baffert; J-Rafael Bejarano. $285,696. Lifetime Record:
7-3-1-0, $880,553. *1/2 to Heart Ashley (Lion Heart), MGSW,
$395,896; Ashley's Kitty (Tale of the Cat), GSW, $349,268; and
Indianapolis (Medaglia d'Oro), SW, $127,200.
Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating:
B.
[bullet ad=”vanmeter-hell-yeah-vanmeter-sales”][bullet ad=”niall-brennan-nbs-graduate”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–The Player, 121, c, 3, Street Hero–Hour Queen, by Gilded
Time. O-William B. Bradley & Carl Hurst; B-Carl Hurst, Fred &
William Bradley (KY); T-William B. Bradley. $95,232.
3–Star Hill, 118, c, 3, Elusive Quality–Padmore, by French Deputy. O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-George R. Arnold, II.
$52,378.
[bullet ad=”stonestreet-trainingalum”]Margins: 3/4, 2 3/4, 5 3/4. Odds: 1.70, 4.30, 4.10.
Also Ran: Whateverybodywants, Seeking Blame, Pilot House, Cocked and Loaded, Discreet Lover, Cherry Wine, Call the Colonel, Takeittotheedge, Torrontes. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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