By Alan Carasso
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency
7th-GP, $51K, Alw/Opt. Clm., 3yo, f, 1m, post time: 3:08 p.m. ET
Whisper Hill Farm homebred GRACEFUL PRINCESS (Tapit&log=">Tapit), the daughter of 2011 Horse of the Year and champion older female Havre de Grace (Saint Liam), makes her much-anticipated sophomore debut and will look to use this as a springboard to bigger and better over the coming months. The bay filly made a favorable impression in her lone visit to the races last season, setting a comfortable pace and reporting home the convincing 1 3/4-length winner of a Saratoga maiden on the penultimate day of racing Sept. 2. Graceful Princess is one of two winners from treble Grade I winner Havre de Grace, who was purchased by Mandy Pope for $10 million at Fasig-Tipton November in 2012. Third dam Toll Fee (Topsider), a three-time graded winner, was a half-sister to champion Plugged Nickle and bred GSP The Bink (Seeking the Gold), dam of MGISW Riskaverse (Dynaformer) and GSW Cozzy Corner (Cozzene). Graceful Princess is the 2-1 second choice on the morning line to Queen of Beas (Flatter), who Beyered 92 in graduating over seven furlongs Jan. 6. TJCIS PPs
KINGLY STRETCHES OUT AT SANTA ANITA
7th-SA, $57K, Alw/Opt. Clm., 3yo, 1m, post time: 6:43 p.m. ET
KINGLY (Tapit&log=">Tapit) was sent off the 41-10 second choice to 3-5 Stretford End (Will Take Charge) in his six-furlong debut at Del Mar Dec. 1 and looked in deep water at the head of the lane before kicking back gamely at the fence en route to a 3/4-length success over the heavy chalk. He'll try a route of ground for the first time Thursday, but should handle it with ease, as he is a full-brother to Mohaymen, a three-time graded winner going long; and a half to champion and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner New Year's Day (Street Cry {Ire}). His dam, the West Point-owned Justwhistledixie (Dixie Union), won the 2009 GII Bonnie Miss S. and GII Davona Dale S. ahead of a runner-up effort in that year's GI Acorn S. This salty heat also features Extra Hope (Shanghai Bobby), a latest third in the GI Los Alamitos Futurity; Gray Magician (Graydar), fourth in the GIII Sham S.; and Big Scott Daddy (Scat Daddy), who belied odds of 8-1 to break his maiden by a half-length Dec. 26. TJCIS PPs
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