Union Strike became the first Grade I winner for his sire and for the fledgling Ruis Racing operation, denying American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile)'s full-sister American Cleopatra in Saturday's GI Del Mar Debutante.
A $170,000 weanling purchase out of the 2014 Keeneland November sale, the dark bay filly was led out unsold on a bid of $130,000 at the September sale the following fall and was pointed for this spring's under-tack sales. Entered for, but withdrawn from the OBS March Sale, she was instead cataloged for that auction house's April Sale, clicked off an eighth of a mile in :10 flat and was hammered down for $375,000. She was the most expensive of five purchases (gross $1,180,000) by Ruis Racing at the event (click here for a Bill Finley story on Ruis Racing and here for OBS sales coverage from Christie DeBernardis) and the priciest juvenile from her freshman sire's first crop. Union Strike was the 7-2 second choice in a July 31 maiden over 5 1/2 furlongs and finished well to be second behind 7-1 American Cleopatra. She took some tote support to be off at slightly less than half her morning line and rewarded her backers' confidence.
Drawn widest of seven in the Debutante, Union Strike was content to race in the second half of the field as Morganite (Gemologist) pushed through at the inside to lead from favored American Cleopatra as the field made their way down the backstretch. Ridden along to take closer order entering the turn, Union Strike loomed boldly three wide outside of GII Sorrento S. winner Champagne Room as Morganite packed it in nearing the final quarter-mile. American Cleopatra kicked for home and looked for a few strides to be on her way to a fairy-tale success, but Union Strike was able to sustain her long run and went on to a solid victory.
Pedigree Notes:
A half-sister to the versatile MGSW Handsome Mike (Scat Daddy) and to the SP Classic Sense (Street Sense), Union Strike is kin to a yearling full-sister to Handsome Mike who fetched $270,000 from Siena Farms at last year's Keeneland November sale. The winner's dam produced a colt by Broken Vow this past Mar. 24 and was bred this year to Honor Code.
Saturday, Del Mar
DEL MAR DEBUTANTE S.-GI, $300,690, DMR, 9-3, 2yo, f, 7f, 1:23.22, ft.
1–#@&UNION STRIKE, 118, f, 2, by Union Rags
1st Dam: Classic Strike, by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Classic Hostess, by Red Ransom
3rd Dam: Court Hostess, by Sovereign Dancer
($170,000 Wlg '14 KEENOV; $130,000 RNA Ylg '15 KEESEP; $375,000 2yo '16 OBSAPR). O-Ruis Racing LLC; B-Pollock Farms, Brian Kahn, Taylor Brothers Property, et al (KY); T-Shelbe Ruis; J-Martin Garcia. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $192,600. *1/2 to Handsome Mike (Scat Daddy), MGSW, $1,005,413; and Classic Sense (Street Sense), SP, $159,340. **First SW for freshman sire (by Dixie Union). Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–American Cleopatra, 120, f, 2, Pioneer of the Nile—Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman. O/B-Zayat Stables LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $60,000.
3–Champagne Room, 123, f, 2, Broken Vow–Lucky to Be Me, by Bernstein. ($70,000 Wlg '14 KEENOV; $55,000 RNA Ylg '15 KEESEP; $310,000 2yo '16 OBSAPR). O-Ciaglia, Exline-Border, Gulliver Racing, R Christensen, D Legan & S Alesia; B-Respite Farm (KY); T-Peter Eurton. $36,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, NO, 3HF. Odds: 7.70, 1.70, 2.90.
Also Ran: Noted and Quoted, Miss Southern Miss, Morganite, Holy Mosey.
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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