He may not have had a black-type win to his name coming into Saturday's GIII Blame S. at Churchill Downs, but some strong efforts and a 104 Beyer figure in his last out, a runner-up performance in the Apr. 20 GII Oaklawn H., were enough to convince the betting public HIGHLAND FALLS (c, 4, Curlin–Round Pond, by Awesome Again) belonged. They were right. The 4-5 choice got rolling late to catch last-out Keeneland allowance winner Cagliostro (Upstart) just before the wire, while former $975,000 Keeneland yearling and GI Pennsylvania Derby runner-up Dreamlike (Gun Runner) settled for third.
Oaklawn's May 5 Lake Ouachita S. winner Frosted Departure (Frosted) left the Blame gate running from rail with an eager Highland Falls glued to his flank early until Cagliostro joined the duo from the outside and Florent Geroux took the eventual winner back. Highland Falls settled on the inside in fourth as Frosted Departure registered quarter- and half-mile fractions of :23.31 and :47.72. The tempo quickened on the turn as Cagliostro emerged with the lead at the top of the lane. Meanwhile, Highland Falls tipped out with dead aim on Cagliostro. Just as it appeared he would run out of room, Highland Falls found another gear to run down the late leader and prevail by a length in a visually powerful performance and a strong gallop out. The winner got the nine furlongs in 1:48.51.
“He seems to need a little bit of encouragement to keep focused and not level off,” said Geroux. “He kept finding more late down the lane and did some of his best running inside the eighth pole.”
Trainer Brad Cox added: “I think this is a breakthrough performance for him. He needed to win a race like this and I think it can really kickstart his campaign. He's regally bred and can run all day long. A mile-and-a-quarter race down the road shouldn't be a problem for him.”
The Blame served as the local prep for the GI Stephen Foster S., which will be held over the Louisville oval June 29. However, Cox indicated another Godolphin runner, 'TDN Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense), has that race in his targets and Highland Falls will likely seek other laurels. First Mission has won his last two: the GII Alysheba S. May 3 at Churchill and Oaklawn's GIII Essex H. in March.
Highland Falls debuted with a win last August at Ellis Park, added wins at Churchill and Fair Grounds in November and January, and dipped his toes into stakes company in March with a fourth in the GI Santa Anita H. His 104 Beyer and second at Oaklawn was his last out prior to the Blame.
Pedigree Notes:
Highland Falls becomes the third stakes winner for his dam, 2006 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner and $5.75-million Fasig-Tipton Kentucky broodmare Round Pond. In addition to producing Dubai G1SW and U.S. MSW & GISP Long River (A.P. Indy), SW & GSP Lake Lucerne (Dubawi {Ire}), and now Highland Falls, she is also the granddam of GISW and young Darley sire Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), whose first foals arrived this year. The Blame winner was her final live foal.
Hill 'n Dale's two-time Horse of the Year Curlin is the sire of 105 black-type winners and 58 graded winners. One of North America's elite sires, he has three stakes winners out of Awesome Again mares, including 2015 GI Travers S. winner Keen Ice. Awesome Again, who passed away in 2020 and has 104 stakes winners out of his daughters, is by Deputy Minister, as is Curlin's dam. That makes Godolphin's Highland Falls inbred 3×3 to that excellent sire and Canadian Hall of Famer.
Saturday, Churchill Downs
BLAME S.-GIII, $270,000, Churchill Downs, 6-1, 4yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:48.51, ft.
1–HIGHLAND FALLS, 118, c, 4, by Curlin
1st Dam: Round Pond (MGISW, $1,998,700),
by Awesome Again
2nd Dam: Gift of Dance, by Trempolino
3rd Dam: Coral Dance (Fr), by Green Dancer
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $166,900. Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-1, $562,060. *1/2 to Lake Lucerne (Dubawi {Ire}), SW & GSP, $285,074; 1/2 to Long River (A.P. Indy), G1SW-UAE, MSW & GISP-USA, $770,347. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Cagliostro, 118, c, 4, Upstart–A Rosefor Isabelle, by Hard Spun. ($385,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Wathnan Racing; B-Lance Colwell & Janice Clark (FL); T-Cherie DeVaux. $49,000.
3–Dreamlike, 118, c, 4, Gun Runner–Time to Tap, by Tapit. ($975,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables LLC; B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $27,000.
Margins: 1, 2, 4HF. Odds: 0.95, 7.85, 2.22.
Also Ran: Trademark, Frosted Departure, War Campaign, Last Samurai. Scratched: Classic Causeway, Five Star General, Tapit Trice, Uncle Jake.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
#2 Highland Falls and @flothejock score in the G3 Blame S. at Churchill Downs for trainer @bradcoxracing! 🏆
🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/nZy67srqEQ
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) June 1, 2024
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