By Joe Bianca
8th-KEE, $81K, Alw/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 3yo, 1 1/16m, 4:57 ET
Robert and Lawana Low's INTREPID HEART (Tapit&hid=28277">Tapit) was highly regarded heading into his debut Feb. 18 at Oaklawn and did not disappoint, surviving a speed duel and still drawing away powerfully in the stretch to a 7 3/4-length romp (video). That was plenty good enough for a 'TDN Rising Star' designation and the handsome gray returns as the likely favorite in a two-turn allowance/optional claimer Friday at Keeneland. Picked up for $750,000 at OBS April, the Todd Pletcher trainee is a half to MGSW/GISP freshman sire Commissioner (A.P. Indy) and GSW/GISP Laugh Track (Distorted Humor) out of MSW Flaming Heart (Touch Gold). He shows three interim breezes at Palm Beach Downs, capped by a five-furlong move in 1:01 1/5 (3/6) Mar. 29.
The competition is stiff, however, headed by Town and Country Racing and Spendthrift Farm's Get the Prize (Candy Ride {Arg}). Sold for $410,000 at OBS March, the bay scored a wire-to-wire victory going six furlongs on debut Feb. 16 at Fair Grounds, earning a field-high last-out Beyer of 87. Trained by Al Stall, Jr., he's out of a half-sister to GSW Nothing But Fun (Dixie Union), with champion Ajina (Strawberry Road {Aus}), MG1SW Bahri (Riverman) and MGISW and supersire Quality Road (Elusive Quality) further back in the female family.
Two other high-priced purchases look to get back on track as well in Joseph Allen and Peter Brant's U S Navy Cross (Curlin">Curlin) and Whisper Hill Farm and Three Chimneys Farm's Gun It (Tapit&hid=28277">Tapit). The former, a $550,000 KEESEP buy, came from well back to graduate at first asking Sept. 29 at Belmont before running a well-beaten fourth in the GIII Nashua S. Nov. 4. He shows an upbeat Payson Park worktab for trainer Chad Brown, punctuated by a half-mile spin in :50 flat (2/33). The latter, narrowly the second-highest lot when hammering for $2.6 million at KEESEP, broke his maiden impressively Dec. 22 at Fair Grounds and was most recently 12th after setting a fast pace in the GII Risen Star S. there Feb. 16. TJCIS PPs
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