1st-Santa Anita, $50,345, Msw, 9-29, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.44, ft.
IMPROBABLE (c, 2, City Zip–Rare Event, by A.P. Indy) had fired a pair of six-furlong bullets locally in preparation for this debut, and was completely pounded down to 2-5 favoritism for the same connections that campaigned another flashy chestnut in Triple Crown winner Justify (City Zip). Falling well back and climbing in the early stages, the blaze-faced colt inched closer along the turn under energetic Drayden Van Dyke encouragement. Fellow firster and $600,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream buy Stretford End (Will Take Charge) had taken over while traveling strongly into the lane, but Improbable continued to figure it out in the lane and prevailed late by a neck. This was the second impressive debut by a son of the late City Zip for these owners in the span of a couple hours, as the Todd Pletcher-trained Bulletin cruised to a seven-length successful unveiling in Gulfstream's Hollywood Beach S. A $110,000 KEENOV weanling and $200,000 KEESEP yearling, Improbable hails from the extended female family of GISW and sire Hard Spun. WinStar's Maverick Racing purchased his yearling half-sister by Quality Road for $180,000 at the recently concluded Keeneland September sale. Rare Event, purchased by Calumet Farm while in foal to Quality Road at the 2016 KEENOV Sale, had a colt by Oxbow this year and was bred back to Cross Traffic. Sales history: $110,000 Wlg '16 KEENOV; $200,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $30,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-WinStar Farm LLC, China Horse Club & SF Racing LLC; B-St. George Farm LLC & G. Watts Humphrey Jr. (KY); T-Bob Baffert.[bullet ad=”lanes-end-sales-grad”][bullet ad=”taylor-made-tm-for-you”]
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
