Though never closer than about four paths off the notoriously bad inside rail at Mountaineer Park, Cupid asserted his class for another big paycheck in Saturday's GII West Virginia Derby.
The May foal, a $900,000 Keeneland September acquisition in 2014, won his maiden at third asking by better than five lengths at Santa Anita Feb. 7, then became the sixth Bob Baffert-trained winner in the last seven years of Oaklawn's GIII Rebel S. Mar. 19. A disappointing 10th as the 4-5 chalk in the GI Arkansas Derby Apr. 16, he underwent a throat operation, but never looked entirely at peace in the June 11 Easy Goer S. on the Belmont S. undercard, finishing a headstrong fifth, but he made amends last time with a hard-fought, 3/4-length tally in the GII Indiana Derby July 16.
Venturing away from the Golden State for the fifth straight time, Cupid was done no harm by the scratches of chief rivals Mo Tom (Uncle Mo) and Economic Model (Flatter) and jumped alertly from the one hole, then was maneuvered away from the fence to set the pace while well out into the track. Able to easily repel a mid-race bid from longshot Pinson (Majestic Warrior), the gray colt was extremely wide on the swing for home, but was never in any serious danger and cruised in an easy winner. Whateverybodywants ran a blinder to be second at any odds.
Pedigree Notes…
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 later 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. His GSP dam Pretty 'n Smart, a half-sister to MGSW Hostess (Chester House), produced another filly by that Gainesway sire Feb. 7 of this year.
WEST VIRGINIA DERBY-GII, $750,000, MNR, 8-6, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:50.54, ft.
1–CUPID, 122, 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. $446,250. Lifetime Record:
8-4-1-0, $1,326,803. *1/2 to Ashley's Kitty (Tale of the Cat),
GSW, $349,268; Heart Ashley (Lion Heart), MGSW, $395,896;
and Indianapolis (Medaglia d'Oro), SW, $132,038. Werk Nick
Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”vanmeter-yeah-no-hell-on-sunday”][bullet ad=”niall-brennan-nbs-graduate”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Whateverybodywants, 118, c, 3, Giant Oak–Bella Cardella,
by Hard Spun. O/B-The Farm 4 LLC (IL); T-Kellyn Gorder.
$150,000.3–Name Changer, 118, c, 3, Uncle Mo–Cash's Girl, by Northern
Afleet. O/B-Colts Neck Stables LLC (KY); T-Alan E. Goldberg.
$75,000.[bullet ad=”lambholm-south-training-grad”]Margins: 4, 2, 1. Odds: 1.50, 74.10, 16.80.
Also Ran: Anaximandros, Suddenbreakingnews, Forevamo, Adventist, Pinson, Van Damme, No Distortion. Scratched: Economic Model, Mo Tom. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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