Maraud, off as the 5-2 second choice returning to stakes company off a smart course-and-distance optional claiming score Jan. 13, stalked favored 'TDN Rising Star' Speed Franco from second through fractions of :23.89 and :48.56. Maraud set his sights on the leader at the top of the stretch and wore that one down in the lane for a narrow score. Well-regarded 'Rising Star' Hawkish (Artie Schiller) made an eye-catching move on the turn before flattening to fourth.
Maraud, a debut winner at Saratoga at the end of the 2017 meet, was third in Belmont's GIII Pilgrim S. and filled the same slot behind Speed Franco in the Dec. 9 Pulpit S.
“[Speed Franco] ran down ['TDN Rising Star'] Gidu last time [in the GIII Dania Beach], and we think a lot of him, so it was a quality effort,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I'm not sure what's next. There's the race on Florida Derby Day [$125,000 Cutler Bay S.], or I might wait until Keeneland. We'll see how he comes out of it.”
Pedigree Notes:
Maraud is the second graded stakes winner produced by Unbridled Empire, who was off the board in her lone career start sprinting at Prairie Meadows. In addition to last term's GII American Turf S. winner and recent Fair Grounds optional claiming winner Arklow (Arch), she has also produced a Flatter filly in 2016 ($200,000 '17 KEESEP) and a Will Take Charge colt in 2017. She was bred back to Runhappy. Unbridled Empire, a half-sister to GISWs Fourty Niners Son (Distorted Humor) and Cindy's Hero (Sea Hero), brought $55,000 from Chromedome Partners at the 2010 KEEJAN sale.
Saturday, Gulfstream Park
PALM BEACH S.-GIII, $100,000, GP, 3-3, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:41.01, fm.
1–MARAUD, 114, c, 3, by Blame&log=">Blame
1st Dam: Unbridled Empire, by Empire Maker
2nd Dam: Cindazanno, by Alleged
3rd Dam: Venus Bound, by Conquistador Cielo
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($100,000 Ylg
'16 KEESEP; $375,000 2yo '17 EASMAY). O-Treadway Racing
Stable; B-John & Frank Penn (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-John R.
Velazquez. $60,760. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-2, $164,010.
*1/2 to Arklow (Arch), GSW, $271,187. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”eqb-equine-analysis”][bullet ad=”crupi-trained”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Speed Franco, 120, c, 3, Declaration of War–Nabat Seif, by
Street Sense. ($170,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Grupo 7C Racing
Stable; B-Ice Wine Stables (KY); T-Gustavo Delgado. $19,600.“TDN Rising Star”[bullet ad=”all-in-line-broken-trained”][bullet ad=”eaton-sold”]3–Therapist, 118, c, 3, Freud–Lady Renaissance, by Smart
Strike. ($8,000 RNA Ylg '16 SARAUG). O/B-Oak Bluff Stable, LLC
& C. Clement (NY); T-Christophe Clement. $9,800.[bullet ad=”equix-optimatch”][bullet ad=”bradshaw-randy-shell”]Margins: NK, 2 1/4, HF. Odds: 2.50, 1.60, 4.50.
Also Ran: Hawkish, Neepawa, Renaisance Frolic, Eye of a Jedi.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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