Kenny McPeek captured his third GIII Pocahontas S. in the last eight years when Fun and Feisty (Midshipman–Grouse Grind, by First Samurai) crossed the line an emphatic winner Saturday at Churchill Downs.
The winner didn't have any speed in the 12-horse field and settled in the back, second from last yet well in front of Naughty Gal (Into Mischief), the GIII Adirondack S. winner who trailed throughout. After favored Grand Love (Gun Runner) showed the way through :23.74 and :48.07 early fractions, Fun and Feisty remained well behind but was stealthily edging up. Eyes may have been on Grand Love and Friendlypersuasion (Arrogate) exchanging bumps in the stretch, but they were both mugged as Fun and Feisty flew by cleanly on the outside for a widening 3 1/2-length score. Shoplifter (Super Saver), who had been tracking all the way, dove to the inside in late stretch and overpowered Grand Love for the runner-up spot.
“No surprise at all really,” said McPeek immediately following the race. “This was a filly we thought was really good for a long time but she's going to want to go further and I think we're going to have a lot of fun. The [Oct. 7 GI Darley] Alcibiades is next.”
Fun and Fiesty debuted July 4 at Churchill Downs with a sixth going six furlongs and improved to second July 23 when stretched out to seven furlongs at Ellis Park. Third time was a charm, as she broke her maiden Aug. 13 on the Arlington Million card at Churchill even though cut back again to six panels. The Pocahontas marked both her first stretch out and her first stakes win.
The first qualifying race toward next year's GI Kentucky Oaks, worth 10 points to Fun and Feisty, the Pocahontas also went to McPeek in 2015 with Dothraki Queen (Pure Prize) and in 2016 with Daddys Lil Darling (Scat Daddy). Fun and Feisty, a $100,000 McPeek purchase at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale, was the priciest of the three. McPeek had picked up Dothraki Queen for $35,000 at Keeneland September and eventually transformed her into a $950,000 Fasig-Tipton November broodmare prospect, while Daddys Lil Darling was a Normandy Farm homebred, eventual GISW, and brought $3.5 million at Fasig-Tipton November.
Pedigree Notes:
The unraced Grouse Grind, a $6,000 purchase by Carlisle Horse Co. at the 2021 Keeneland January sale while carrying a full-sister to Fun and Feisty, has a 2022 colt already named Rule Number Nine (Jimmy Creed) and was bred back to Gormley. The now-yearling full-sister to Fun and Feisty was sold as a weanling at Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic December sale for $36,000 to Cary Frommer. With the Pocahontas score, Fun and Feisty has the first black-type in the immediate family line since her third dam produced a pair of graded winners in Fairbanks (Giant's Causeway) and Keats (Hennessy). That great-granddam is also a half-sister to GSW & MGISP Darn That Alarm (Jig Time).
The 39th black-type winner and eighth graded winner by Darley stallion Midshipman, Fun and Feisty is the 11th stakes winner out of a daughter of First Samurai, who stands at Claiborne.
Saturday, Churchill Downs
POCAHONTAS S.-GIII, $297,536, Churchill Downs, 9-17, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:45.86, ft.
1–FUN AND FEISTY, 122, f, 2, by Midshipman
1st Dam: Grouse Grind, by First Samurai
2nd Dam: Artic Queen, by Mr. Greeley
3rd Dam: Alaska Queen, by Time for a Change
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($13,000 Ylg
'21 KEEJAN; $100,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL). O-Lucky Seven Stable
(Mackin); B-J Stephen McDonald (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek;
J-Julien R. Leparoux. $174,735. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0,
$257,311. Werk Nick Rating: D+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Shoplifter, 122, f, 2, Super Saver–New Shaker, by Bernstein.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($12,000 Ylg '21
FTKOCT). O-Anderson Stables, LLC, Eddie Kenneally & Christian
Hays; B-Douglas Scharbauer (KY); T-Eddie Kenneally. $56,850.
3–Grand Love, 122, f, 2, Gun Runner–Grand Prayer, by
Grand Slam. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
O/B-Three Chimneys Farm, LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.
$28,425.
Margins: 3HF, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 6.23, 14.73, 1.06.
Also Ran: Boss Lady Bailey, Friendlypersuasion, Jet Setting, Southlawn, Outofnothingatall, Need Some Money, Kiss Me On Oconee, Justa Warrior, Naughty Gal.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
