Annapolis Defeats Elders in Coolmore Turf Mile

Bass Racing LLC's 'TDN Rising Star' Annapolis (War Front) would have been one of the chief protagonists in the 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar, but was forced to miss the race after the injury bug bit. Twelve months on, connections have their collective minds set on making up for that missed opportunity, as the colt secured the gun run beneath an in-form Irad Ortiz, Jr. and outsprinted arguably the deepest turf Grade I field of 2022 to become the first 3-year-old since Aussie Rules (Danehill) in 2006 to defeat his elder rivals in the GI Coolmore Turf Mile, a 'Win and You're In' springboard to the GI Breeders' Cup Mile over the same course and trip Nov. 5.

“[This win is] the pinnacle,” said Perry Bass, who races Annapolis with mother Ramona. “[My mother and I] talk about [the racehorses] daily. We fret daily. The lows are the worst, and the highs…I've never experienced a high like this.”

Venturing out of age-restricted competition for the first time in his career, Annapolis secured a foothold at the fence on the back of this year's GI Maker's Mark Mile runner-up Masen (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who pulled fairly hard against Flavien Prat through quick fractions of :23.58 and an even more testing :46.60 with pressure to his outside from longshot Atone (Into Mischief) and Somelikeithotbrown (Big Brown). On hold as he continued to slipstream Masen around the turn and into the stretch, Annapolis was momentarily short of room at about the three-sixteenths as Atone did his best to string him up in some traffic, but he went through his gears once into the clear and prevailed comfortably in the finish. Ivar (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}), winner of this two years ago and fourth in 2021, raced behind midfield and in the two-wide line trailing last-out GI Fourstardave H. hero Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) and got home well down the center of the course to just touch 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Mile upsetter Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) out of second. Set Piece (GB) (Dansili {GB}) closed stoutly from the tail to round out the super.

Forced to miss early-season stakes in Florida and at this venue, Annapolis made his seasonal reappearance in the GIII Penn Mile S. June 3, fighting on bravely to be second to longshot Wow Whata Summer (Summer Front) over boggy ground that was clearly not to his liking. Back to winning ways from off the speed over a sounder surface in the July 4 Manila S. at Belmont, the homebred was an excellent runner-up to the Breeders' Cup-bound Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the stamina-testing GI Saratoga Derby Invitational over a mile and three-sixteenths Aug. 6, but doled out a soft pace when last seen in the Sept. 3 GIII Saranac S. at the Spa and bolted up by 5 1/2 lengths at skinny odds.

“He is very tactical–he can do anything,” said Ortiz, Jr., who rode 'Rising Star' Forte (Violence) to victory in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity one race prior. Last time [in the Saranac], there wasn't too much speed in the race so we decided to let him do his thing. It was a slow pace..and he was going relaxed; it was pretty much an easy win. But before, in the race at Belmont, he was right in behind the speed and on the bridle and he responded really well with a good turn of foot coming home.

Pedigree Notes:

A 24th worldwide Grade I/Group 1 winner for his outstanding Claiborne-based sire, Annapolis is the second foal from his talented dam, a $260,000 Keeneland September purchase by Mathis Stable, who won the 2014 GII Gazelle S. and was second to Untapable (Tapit) in that year's GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, then was acquired by Jon Clay's Alpha Delta Stable for $2.15 million at Fasig-Tipton November in late 2014. Kept in training at four, the filly was third to Hall of Famer Tepin (Bernstein) in the 2015 GI First Lady S. She was unplaced in two starts in 2016 and produced the stakes-placed Nevisian Sunrise (War Front) before selling to the Basses' bloodstock agent Steve Young for $4 million with Annapolis in utero at Keeneland November in 2018, second only to the $4.2-million Lady Eli.

A half-sister to former Grade I-winning 'Rising Star' Materiality (Afleet Alex) and from the family of Grade I winners Embellish the Lace (Super Saver) and Afleet Express (Afleet Alex), My Miss Sophia is the dam of a yearling full-brother to Annapolis and visited Gun Runner earlier this season.

Saturday, Keeneland
COOLMORE TURF MILE S.-GI, $1,000,000, Keeneland, 10-8, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:33.29, fm.
1–ANNAPOLIS, 123, c, 3, by War Front
                1st Dam: My Miss Sophia (GSW & MGISP, $605,040),
                                by Unbridled's Song
                2nd Dam: Wildwood Flower, by Langfuhr
                3rd Dam: Dial a Trick, by Phone Trick
1ST GRADE I WIN. 'TDN Rising Star' O-Bass Racing, LLC; B-Bass Stables, LLC (KY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $573,500. Lifetime Record:
7-5-2-0, $1,166,100. *Full to Nevisian Sunrise, SP, $196,180.
Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating:
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ivar (Brz), 126, h, 6, Agnes Gold (Jpn)–May Be Now, by Smart
Strike. O-Bonne Chance Farm, LLC and Stud R D I, LLC.; B-Stud
Rio Dois Irmaos (BRZ); T-Paulo H. Lobo. $185,000.
3–Order of Australia (Ire), 126, h, 5, Australia (GB)–Senta's
Dream (GB), by Danehill. O-Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier,
Michael Tabor & Anne Marie O'Brien; B-Whisperview Trading
Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan P. O'Brien. $92,500.
Margins: 1HF, NO, NK. Odds: 6.35, 5.27, 6.01.
Also Ran: Set Piece (GB), Casa Creed, Masen (GB), Classic Causeway, Atone, Santin, Gray's Fable, Somelikeithotbrown. Scratched: Dark Shift (GB), Emaraaty (GB), Greyes Creek, Natural Power (Ire), Smooth Like Strait. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.