3rd-DEL, $34K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, post time: 2:15 p.m.
Brereton C. Jones's GOOD BOY LUCAS, a son of Airdrie Stud's promising first-season sire (Creative Cause), has drawn the fence as the 9-5 favorite for this career debut. A son of MSW & GISP Pocho's Dream Girl (Fortunate Prospect), the dark bay is kin to GSW & GISP Albano (Istan) and MGSW Mark Valeski (Proud Citizen), each of whom won their maiden at second asking. Gabriel Saez, who guided Mark Valeski to his first career win, has the call for red-hot trainer Larry Jones. TJCIS PPs
4th-SAR, Msw, $83K, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, post time: 2:40 p.m. EDT
TAKE CHARGE NIKI (Congrats) breezed a quarter-mile in :21 2/5 ahead of the 2015 OBS March Sale and was hammered down to owner Charles Fipke for $725K, easily the most expensive of her sire's 26 juveniles to go under the hammer last season. The chestnut is out of Christie Village (Deputy Minister), a close relative of Take Charge Lady (Dehere), whose distinguished produce include champion and MGISW Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song) and GISW Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy). She'll square off here with Robert and Lawana Low's Catsadiva (Tale of the Cat), a $67K KEESEP purchase, who fetched $360K at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale last May. That price was the dearest of the 17 2-year-olds by her sire to be sold in 2015. John Velazquez has the call for trainer Todd Pletcher. TJCIS PPs
6th-DEL, $34K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7 1/2fT, post time: 3:45 p.m. EDT
CLOUD STRIKER (Smart Strike), a $335K KEESEP yearling purchase, rates a look in her bow for trainer Arnaud Delacour, who was 10 for 25 (40%) at the meet as of this writing. The chestnut is a daughter of Cloudburst (Storm Cat), a $900,000 KEESEP yearling who closed her brief career with a maiden victory in her first grass appearance followed by a victory in the Mardi Gras S. in 2008. She then sold for $900,000 in foal to Tiznow at the 2009 Keeneland November sale. Cloudburst's half-brother was none other than Boston Harbor (Capote), who won the 1996 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile en route to an Eclipse Award. Third dam Tinnitus produced champion sprinter Groovy, so Cloud Striker, whose full-sister Tempers Flair was stakes-placed on turf, looks to have equal parts pedigree and precocity at what could be a generous mutuel. Chadds Ford Stable's Stealing Holly (Tapit) descends from a female family known for its turf runners. A $475K KEESEP graduate, the gray is a maternal granddaughter of Amelia (Dixieland Band), dam of turf GSWs Assateague (Stormy Atlantic), Kindegarden Kid (Dynaformer) and Rainha da Bateria (Broken Vow), recently a near-miss third in the GI Diana S. Amelia's son He's Had Enough (Tapit) nearly upset Shanghai Bobby (Harlan's Holiday) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile in 2012. TJCIS PPs
2nd-DMR, $68K, Alw/Opt. Clm., 1 1/16m, post time: 5:33 p.m. ET
ARROGATE (Unbridled's Song) takes this next start towards stakes company in a field short on numbers, but long on talent. Accorded 'TDN Rising Star' status on the strength of a 4 1/2-length maiden victory at Santa Anita June 5, the $560K KEESEP acquisition by Juddmonte Farms backed that up with a 5 1/4-length allowance success in Arcadia 19 days later, an effort encouraging enough to earn Arrogate a nomination to the GII San Diego H. Kristo (Distorted Humor), just a two-time winner from 17 career starts, exits a third-place effort at Santa Anita July 9 that earned him a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure. TJCIS PPs –Alan Carasso
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