The much-longer priced of an uncoupled two-horse entry, Conquest Daddyo came from near the back of the field in Saturday's GII Summer S. at Woodbine, followed the move of his debuting stablmate Conquest Enforcer (Into Mischief) while under a drive on the side of the course, switched off that one's heels in upper stretch and finished with gusto to earn a free pass into the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
A $150,000 purchase as a short yearling out of the 2014 Keeneland January sale, the Ontario-bred made for a near 100% return on investment when sold for $350,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. The dark bay led home a Conquest 1-3, scoring by a length in his July 26 debut over the Polytrack, and came within a half-length of making it two straight when narrowly defeated in the restricted Vandal S. Aug. 15.
Well back early as Manhattan Dan showed the way at a good clip, Conquest Daddyo was asked for a bit of run at the three-eighths peg and crept into contention while slipstreaming Conquest Enforcer into the final five-sixteenths of a mile. Vigorously ridden by Joe Bravo, who inherited the mount when Patrick Husbands opted for the better-fancied firster and when the Kentucky Downs card was wiped out by weather, Conquest Daddyo descended on Manhattan Dan at the furlong grounds and worked home nicely as Sky Marshal (Sky Mesa) closed off well for second. Manhattan Dan held on to complete the trifecta. It was the third straight win in the Summer for Conquest and trainer Mark Casse, who struck with the debutante My Conquestadory (Artie Schiller) in 2013 and Conquest Typhoon (Stormy Atlantic) last year.
“Obviously, we loved the other horse [Conquest Enforcer], but he had a tall task, especially with some give to the turf,” said Casse, reached by phone in Kentucky after the race. “I nearly scratched him but if I scratched him I didn't know what we would do next so I went ahead and ran him.
“It doesn't surprise me at all,” the winning trainer continued. “This horse [Conquest Daddyo] worked extremely well on the grass the other day. Scat Daddys love the grass and this is a big, long-striding colt that's just going to get better the farther he runs.”
Saturday, Belmont Park
SUMMER S.-GII, C$226,400, WO, 9-12, 2yo, 1mT, 1:36.61, gd.
1–#@CONQUEST DADDYO, 122, c, 2, by Scat Daddy
1st Dam: Hangingbyamoment, by Thunder Gulch
2nd Dam: Kermis, by Graustark
3rd Dam: Fiesta Libre, by Damascus
($150,000 Ylg '14 KEEJAN; $350,000 Ylg '14
FTSAUG). O-Conquest Stables, LLC; B-James,
Janeane Everatt & Arika Everatt-Meeuse (ON);
T-Mark E. Casse; J-Joe Bravo. C$144,000. Lifetime
Record: 3-2-1-0, $162,328. *1/2 to
Hangingbyathread (Giant's Causeway), SW,
$307,630;
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2–Sky Marshal, 122, c, 2, Sky Mesa–Wildcat Melody,
by Unbridled's Song. ($22,000 Wlg '13 KEENOV;
$30,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Bruce Lunsford &
Barbara J. Minshall; B-Bedford Bloodstock, LLC (KY);
T-Barbara J. Minshall. C$40,000.
[bullet ad=”feld-famfind”][bullet ad=”feld-theclub-itsnosecret”][bullet ad=”webb-carroll-another-wctc-grad”][bullet ad=”elm-tree-farm-foaled-raised-sold”]
3–Manhattan Dan, 122, c, 2, Big Brown–Purely
Excessive, by In Excess (Ire). O-Platinum Seven LLC
& Dan Guarino; B-Sanford H. Robbins, LLC (KY);
T-Gary C. Contessa. C$20,000.
[bullet ad=”hidden-brook-raised”]
Margins: 1 3/4, 1 3/4, 2. Odds: 15.90, 9.65, 5.30.
Also Ran: Conquest Enforcer, Hollywood Hideaway, Bear'sway, Hammers Vision, The Zip Zip Man, Gigantic Breeze. Scratched: Dragon Bay. 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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