After hitting the board in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, second-choice Signalman (General Quarters) posted a breakthrough, neck victory in Saturday's GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. over a sloppy track at Churchill Downs. Longshots Plus Que Parfait (Point of Entry) and Limonite (Lemon Drop Kid) were second and third, respectively.
“He's taken us a long way so far and it's been a lot of fun,” said winning trainer Kenny McPeek, who also saddled Restless Rider to a narrow defeat in the GII Golden Rod S. on the undercard. “This is what we all work for. He'll get a little rest, probably at Payson Park for about a month. Then, we'll ease him back into things and look at races like the Blue Grass down the road. We'll let him tell us, but obviously the big one is in May.”
Saving ground in sixth through a half-mile in :46.83 after breaking from the one hole here, the $32,000 FTKOCT buy made a flashy middle move into third entering the far turn. Patiently handled while awaiting racing room at the top of the stretch, he found a seam as they straightened, gained a narrow advantage in the stretch and dug down deep to get the money.
“This horse always gave me a lot of confidence,” winning jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. said. “I was able to get him up into the race early and he really showed what he could do. You're always fortunate to have the horse under you and today we did. Down the lane he was actually looking over at the TV screen. Even with the little quirks he still shows a lot of promise. He'll be exciting down the road.”
Signalman earned his diploma by a nose going seven furlongs second out at Saratoga Sept. 1. He finished second, 5 1/2 lengths behind Kentucky Jockey Club favorite and 11th-place finisher Knicks Go in the Breeders' Futurity Oct. 6 and rallied from far back to complete the trifecta at 67-1 behind unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the Juvenile Nov. 2.
Pedigree Notes:
Signalman is the first graded and third stakes winner for General Quarters. The unraced Trip South, a $30,000 purchase by Monticule at the 2010 KEEJAN Sale, brought just $1,700 from Jorge R. Jimenez while in foal to First Samurai at the 2016 KEENOV Sale. Her First Samurai colt of 2017 is her most recent produce. Her Nite Light foal of this year died.
Saturday, Churchill Downs
KENTUCKY JOCKEY CLUB S.-GII, $200,000, Churchill Downs, 11-24, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:45.29, sy.
1–SIGNALMAN, 122, c, 2, by General Quarters
1st Dam: Trip South, by Trippi
2nd Dam: Summer Sweetheart, by Honor Grades
3rd Dam: Summer Romance, by Cutlass
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($32,000 Ylg
'17 FTKOCT). O-Tommie Lewis, David A. Bersen, LLC, and
Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek); B-Monticule (KY);
T-Kenneth G. McPeek; J-Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. $112,840.
Lifetime Record: MGISP, 5-2-2-1, $448,990. Werk Nick Rating: Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Plus Que Parfait, 122, r, 2, Point of Entry–Belvedera, by
Awesome Again. ($24,000 RNA Wlg '16 KEENOV; $135,000 Ylg
'17 KEESEP). O-Imperial Racing, LLC; B-Calloway Stables, LLC
(KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $36,400.
3–Limonite, 122, c, 2, Lemon Drop Kid–Colina Verde (Brz), by
Know Heights (Ire). ($115,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Winchell
Thoroughbreds LLC & Willis Horton Racing LLC; B-Roberto
Mesquita (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $18,200.
Margins: NK, 1 3/4, NO. Odds: 3.60, 14.80, 20.50.
Also Ran: King for a Day, Roiland, Tracksmith, Current, Topper T, Dunph, Royal Urn, Knicks Go, Mick's Star, Blue Steel, Everfast. Scratched: Manny Wah, Kentucky Allstar.
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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