By Alan Carasso
WinStar Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' Impulse Buy (Speightstown) took advantage of wicked fractions for the opening half-mile of Saturday's Fern Creek Stakes at Churchill Downs and raced past her rivals in the final furlong to record a comfortable victory.
Off as the 9-4 third betting choice, the homebred was away only fairly from her outside draw and was second last early on as favored 'TDN Rising Star' Shisospicy (Mitole) was pressed through a quarter in 21.70. Impulse Bay made eye-catching progress at the rail leaving the 3 1/2-furlong pole and was guided to the outside by Tyler Gaffalione for a clear crack at the leaders nearing the stretch if good enough. Shisospicy battled on bravely despite the swift pace, but Impulse Buy went to her under a full head of steam approaching the sixteenth pole and drove clear. The previously unbeaten Echo Sound (Echo Town) was up for second over Shisospicy.
“She didn't break the best today which was a little surprising, but when the opening fractions came on the board, I thought we might be OK,” said winning trainer Rodolphe Brisset. “The horses in front of her started to come back to her at the same time she was making a move and it really worked out well.”
A debut second to next-out GIII Pocahontas S. runner-up Liam in the Dust (Liam's Map) at Ellis Park Aug. 11, Impulse Buy was given the 'Rising Star' nod after thrashing Keeneland maidens by 11 lengths Oct. 5 and was last seen rounding out the exacta in the one-mile Tempted Stakes at Aqueduct Nov. 2.
The 146th stakes winner for the much-missed Speightstown, Impulse Buy hails from a family replete with 'TDN Rising Stars'.The MGSW and GISP Jojo Warrior is one of four out of Carson Jen to receive this publication's top honors, alongside–in chronological order–GSW & GISP E Z Warrior (Exploit, 2006), MSW & GSP J Z Warrior (Harlan's Holiday, 2007) and GISW A Z Warrior (Bernardini, 2010).
Jojo Warrior is the dam of a weanling colt by Speightstown's son Nashville and was most recently bred to GI Cigar Mile H. hero Americanrevolution (Constitution). Click for the Equibase.com chart and VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
FERN CREEK S., $225,000, Churchill Downs, 11-30, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:16.17, ft.
1–IMPULSE BUY, 122, f, 2, by Speightstown
1st Dam: Jojo Warrior (MGSW & GISP, $396,231), by Pioneerof the Nile
2nd Dam: Carson Jen, by Carson City
3rd Dam: Calamitous Jen, by Deputy Minister
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($200,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O/B-WinStar Farm LLC (KY); T-Rodolphe Brisset; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $133,075. Lifetime Record: 4-2-2-0, $236,655.
2–Echo Sound, 122, f, 2, Echo Town–Eagle Sound, by Fusaichi Pegasus. O-Gabriel Duignan; B-Springhouse Farm, Vision TBs, Bruce & Patricia Pieratt (KY); T-George R Arnold II. $43,250.
3–Shisospicy, 122, f, 2, Mitole–Mischief Galore, by Into Mischief. 1ST BLACK-TYPE. ($100,000 Ylg '23 KEEJAN; $200,000 Ylg '23 FTKJUL; $300,000 RNA 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Morplay Racing LLC; B-Bill & Corinne Heiligbrodt (KY); T-Jose Francisco D'Angelo. $21,625.
Margins: 2HF, NK, 3. Odds: 2.27, 2.18, 2.14.
Also Ran: Me Governor, Praying, Shezafunkydrummer, Atomic City, Cotillard, Viral Plane Lady, Rosato. Scratched: Hollygrove.
Impulse Buy wins The Fern Creek Stakes for Rudolphe Brisset and @Tyler_Gaff! pic.twitter.com/W5mdYqaCJ5
— Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) November 30, 2024
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