By Alan Carasso
A sneaky 9.90-1 chance while making her debut in what appeared to be a typically salty Travers Day maiden, Stuart Janney III's Five Bars (f, 2, Maxfield–Secure Connection, by Data Link) was broadsided bilaterally and pinched back at the break and raced near the back of the pack into the final quarter mile of Saturday's third race from the Spa, but went through her gears and split rivals late to score narrowly, nicely enough to be named the afternoon's second 'TDN Rising Star'.
Drawn gate four, Five Bars was smashed by the well-related Touch of Magic (Into Mischief)–a half-sister to 'TDN Rising Stars' Guarana (Ghostzapper), Magic Dance (More Than Ready) and Cornucopian (Into Mischief)–to her inside and chilly-on-the-board Icecreamforevryone (Gun Runner) to her outside, and as a result, found herself immediately behind the eight ball.
Allowed to find her footing beneath Joel Rosario as favored Tam Tam (Medaglia d'Oro), a $975,000 FTSAUG yearling, dueled outside of Bet the Grey (Essential Quality), Five Bars advanced a couple of spots, but still had it all to do in upper stretch as Tam Tam turned them in. Accelerating sharply with three-sixteenths to go, Five Bars made rapid inside progress, passing $1-million KEESEP purchase Glamorize (Maxfield) to her inside, went to the front-runner deep inside the final furlong and knifed through to score in game fashion. Icecreamforevryone took a photo for second over Tam Tam.
A winning half-sister to GIII Transylvania Stakes hero Scarlett Sky (Sky Mesa) and SP Concord Green (War Front), Secure Connection foaled a colt by Oscar Performance in 2024 and was purchased by Nicoma Bloodstock for $375,000 from the Complete Dispersal of Breeding Stock for Stuart Janney at last year's Keeneland November Sale. She foaled a colt by Not This Time on Mar. 8 and was bred back to Oscar Performance. This is also the family of GSW My Impression (Sky Mesa).
Five Bars is the first 'TDN Rising Star' and eighth winner overall for her freshman sire (by Street Sense).
3rd-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-23, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:17.40, ft, 1/2 length.
FIVE BARS, f, 2, by Maxfield
1st Dam: Secure Connection, by Data Link
2nd Dam: Mata Mua, by Arch
3rd Dam: Impressionism, by Broad Brush
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O/B-Stuart S Janney III (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III.
FIVE BARS rallies to break her maiden at 9-1 in the third race with @JRosarioJockey aboard for trainer Shug McGaughey. pic.twitter.com/ClGFo6ql6i
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) August 23, 2025
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