By Alan Carasso
The least experienced of the nine 3-year-olds signed on for Saturday's GIII New Kent County Virginia Derby, with only a maiden victory–albeit a smashing one–to his success, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing's Integration (c, 3, Quality Road–Harmonize, by Scat Daddy) grabbed heavily favored Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) with less than a furlong to go and came away to an impressive victory in new course-record time.
Well-backed at 67-10 despite his overall lack of seasoning, the $700,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase took up a position in the latter third of the field behind a decent early pace and was quietly ridden through the middle stages of the nine-furlong affair by Kendrick Carmouche. Asked to improve leaving the three-eighths pole, he snuck his way into contention, following the move of the last-out GI Saratoga Derby hero into the stretch. Pulled to the outside off the home corner, Integration managed to find extra entering the final furlong, drew alongside the chalk with about 100 yards to race and edged clear.
The word was out on Integration for his debut, which came two years and two days after West Point and Woodford Racing teamed to purchase the colt at Saratoga. Sent off at even money on Arlington Million day Aug. 12, the March foal raced reasonably handy to the pace, and when Tyler Gaffalione asked him to win his race, he did so with gusto, marching through the final furlong to graduate by 6 1/2 lengths. As patient a trainer as there is, Shug McGaughey was comfortable enough to give Integration a big-money shot Saturday and the colt proved more than equal to the task.
INTEGRATION ($15.40) burst free of the pack with ease to win the $500,000 Virginia Derby (G3) at @ColonialDowns. This 3yo Quality Road (@LanesEndFarms) colt Trained by Shug Mcgaughey with @KendrickCarmou1 in the irons. Congrats to owners @westpointtbred and @woodfordracing! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/XLsn1DNrFR
— TVG (@TVG) September 9, 2023
“Shug felt his debut here would be the best spot for his first race,” said Dawn Lenert, the Chief Marketing Officer and Director of Partner Relations for West Point Thoroughbreds. “Although it was unconventional, Shug felt a graded stake would be the right spot for his second race, and when a Hall of Fame trainer tells you you're going to come back in a graded stake, you do it. After the race Kendrick (jockey Carmouche) said to me Integration's potential is limitless.”
Pedigree Notes:
With the victory, Integration becomes the 75th worldwide stakes winner and 36th worldwide graded/group winner for his successful Lane's End-based sire.
The bay colt is the second produce for his dam, an $80,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Larkin Armstrong who campaigned her to five victories, including the 2016 GI Del Mar Oaks. The Seitz family's Brookdale Sales agency consigned Integration to the Saratoga sale on behalf of their long-time client Armstrong. Harmonize's first foal, the 4-year-old gelding Vocalize (More Than Ready), was beaten a head into second in a 5 1/2-furlong allowance over the Colonial turf course Aug. 19 and Harmonize is also the dam of a 2-year-old Curlin colt who fetched $400,000 from Meridian International at KEESEP last year. The 10-year-old Harmonize is represented by a yearling Nyquist filly named Castanet, a colt by Gun Runner foaled Mar. 23 and was among the first book of mares covered by Horse of the Year Flightline.
Saturday, Colonial Downs
NEW KENT COUNTY VIRGINIA DERBY-GIII, $500,000, Colonial Downs, 9-9, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:46.41, fm.
1–INTEGRATION, 119, c, 3, by Quality Road
1st Dam: Harmonize (GISW, $827,860), by Scat Daddy
2nd Dam: Mesa Fresca, by Sky Mesa
3rd Dam: Mayan Maiden, by Lyphard
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($700,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG). O-West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing, LLC; B-Larkin Armstrong (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III; J-Kendrick Carmouche. $300,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $336,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Program Trading (GB), 123, r, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Dreamlike (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). (250,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Fittocks Stud & Arrow Farm Stud (GB); T-Chad C. Brown. $100,000.
3–Runaway Storm, 118, g, 3, Midnight Storm–Runaway Betty, by Run Away and Hide. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Robert Joseph Hunt (KY); T-Ethan W. West. $55,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 2 1/4, HF. Odds: 6.70, 0.70, 34.30.
Also Ran: Mondego (GB), Dataman, Gigante, Activist Investing (GB), Salute the Stars, Ari Gold. Scratched: Freedom Trail, Laurel Valley.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPshttp://www.equineline.com/tdn/pedigree.cfm?tk=SAR&cy=USA&rd=09/07/2015&rn=9&de=D &ref=9104432. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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