The lightly raced and flashy Volatile was pounded in the wagering and showed exactly why as he continues to build a set of past performances that look awfully similar to former stablemate at last year's champion sprinter Mitole (Eskendereya). Drawn six of six in a field with plenty of speed on paper, the overwhelming chalk perched three wide off the early pace of :21.48 set by the fleet Bobby's Wicked One (Speightstown) and was poised to pounce while deep at the entrance to the stretch as the half-mile was up in :44.36. Shaken up by Ricardo Santana, Jr., he quickly opened up on his sputtering rivals and stopped the clock in a wicked 1:07.55, just 0.02 off a 13-year-old track record. A debut winner at Ellis last July, Volatile was second in a Churchill allowance in September before clearing his first allowance condition under the Twin Spires Nov. 3. He was coming off a smashing 7 1/2-length score at Oaklawn that earned him a 101 Beyer Speed Figure. Volatile is a maternal grandson of GISW Lady Tak (Mutakddim), whose 3-year-old daughter Casual (Curlin) remained undefeated in two starts with a first-level allowance victory at this track May 22 (click here for more on Volatile and Casual). He has a 2-year-old half-brother by Bayern and a foal half-sister by Army Mule.
ARISTIDES S., $100,000, Churchill Downs, 6-6, 4yo/up, 6f, 1:07.57, f
1–VOLATILE, 120, c, 4, Violence&log=#tot">Violence–Melody Lady (SW), by
Unbridled's Song. ($850,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK-TYPE
WIN. O-Phoenix Thoroughbred III, Ltd & Three Chimneys
Farm, LLC; B-Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc & Stretch Run
Ventures, LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Ricardo Santana,
Jr. $61,380. Lifetime Record: 5-4-1-0, $203,540. *Full to Buy
Sell Hold, SW & GSP, $125,520.
2–Honest Mischief, 120, c, 4, Into Mischief–Honest Lady, by
Seattle Slew. 'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY);
T-Chad C. Brown. $19,800.
3–Manny Wah, 120, c, 4, Will Take Charge–Battlefield Angel, by
Proud Citizen. ($175,000 Ylg '17 FTKJUL). O-Susan Moulton;
B-Martha Jane Mulholland & Modo Tesio Equine, LLC (KY);
T-Wayne M. Catalano. $9,900.
Margins: 8, 3/4, NK. Odds: 0.50, 4.60, 7.00.
Also Ran: Seven Nation Army, Heartwood, Bobby's Wicked One.
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