After being pulled up and vanned off last time in the GI Arlington Million Aug. 11, 'TDN Rising Star' Oscar Performance (Kitten's Joy) returned with a vengeance, refusing to be denied in the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile, a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile in November. Gunning straight to the front, the 5-2 second-choice ticked off early fractions of :24.60 and :48.78 while shadowed by Mr Havercamp (Court Vision) and favored fellow 'Rising Star' Delta Prince (Street Cry {Ire}). Still under a hand ride by Jose Ortiz turning for home, the bay was confronted by Mr Havercamp in the lane, but kept on finding to turn back that rival and draw clear for a gritty victory. Mr Havercamp held second over European invader Stormy Antarctic (GB) (Stormy Atlantic). The last eight winners of the Woodbine Mile have gone on to finish in the top three in the Breeders' Cup Mile. Champions Wise Dan and World Approval captured both with six-time Eclipse winner Wise Dan completing the feat in both 2012 and 2013.
“I thought [Ortiz] rode him beautifully and his last quarter was sensational,” said winning trainer Brian Lynch. “It's nice to see him back and it's a 'Win and You're In' and we've got six weeks to the Breeders' Cup. Now we can take a deep breath and do the best we can to have him right on that day.”
The conditioner added, “It's a very prestigious race. It's nice to be able to put your name beside it. Throughout your career there are signature races you'd like to win and mine has always been to win the Woodbine Mile and it's nice to accomplish that.”
“At the quarter pole, I saw somebody getting close to me but when I asked him to go, he really accelerated,” Ortiz said. “He gave me a great turn of foot and he kept going. It's very special. I'm very emotional right now. He's my favorite horse. He gave me my first Breeders' Cup, I'm just happy he's back.”
This was the fourth top-level victory for Oscar Performance, who took the 2016 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and the 2017 GI Belmont Derby and GI Secretariat S. Kicking off this term with a record-setting performance in Belmont's GIII Poker S. June 17, the 4-year-old was pulled up before the wire in the Arlington Million after Ortiz felt he took a couple of bad steps and was vanned off as a precaution. He underwent a thorough examination at Rood & Riddle and was given a clean bill of health (click here for story). Oscar Performance will stand at Mill Ridge upon the conclusion of his career.
Pedigree Notes:
Oscar Performance was the second Grade/Group I winner of the day for his sire Kitten's Joy following Roaring Lion's win in the G1 QIPCO Irish Champion S. Out of stakes winner Devine Actress, the winner is a full-brother to MGSW millionaire Oscar Nominated. His 3-year-old half-sister Emmy Performance (Point of Entry), also campaigned by Lynch and the Amermans, graduated at Belmont at second asking June 7 and was off the board in her next two starts, but is entered in an allowance in Elmont Thursday. Devine Actress is also responsible for the juvenile colt Award Winner (Ghostzapper) and was barren in 2017, but produced a Dansili (GB) colt Mar. 13 of this year. The 13-year-old mare was bred back to Kitten's Joy.
Saturday, Woodbine
RICOH WOODBINE MILE S.-GI, C$832,000, Woodbine, 9-15, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:33.12, fm.
1–OSCAR PERFORMANCE, 123, c, 4, by Kitten's Joy
1st Dam: Devine Actress (SW, $107,300), by Theatrical (Ire)
2nd Dam: Devine Beauty, by Mr. Prospector
3rd Dam: Magical Holiday, by Slew o' Gold
O-Amerman Racing LLC; B-Jerry Amerman (KY); T-Brian A.
Lynch; J-Jose L. Ortiz. C$480,000. Lifetime Record: 14-8-0-1,
$2,345,696. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.[bullet ad=”berkelhammer-earlyprep”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]2–Mr Havercamp, 123, g, 4, Court Vision–Tennessee Lamb, by
Medaglia d'Oro. ($19,000 RNA Ylg '15 FTKOCT). O-Sean &
Dorothy Fitzhenry; B-Sean Fitzhenry (ON); T-Catherine Day
Phillips. C$192,000.[bullet ad=”ontario-bred”]3–Stormy Antarctic (GB), 123, g, 5, Stormy Atlantic–Bea
Remembered (GB), by Doyen (Ire). (68,000gns Wlg '13
TATFOA; 200,000gns 2yo '15 TATBRE). O-Mr. P. K. Siu; B-East
Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Ed Walker. C$80,000.
Margins: 1HF, NK, 1. Odds: 2.85, 8.20, 15.40.
Also Ran: Delta Prince, Divisidero, Lord Glitters (Fr), Good Samaritan, Vanish. Scratched: La Sardane (Fr).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
