Conclude (Collected) earned his first black-type victory at The Great Race Place on Sunday afternoon after finishing a debut second when he sprinted over the Santa Anita turf Jan. 21 and then when he broke his maiden over that surface Mar. 4 by 4 1/4 lengths. However, the chestnut colt missed the board as the short-priced favorite when he tried the Hillside for the first time in the John Shear S. Apr. 9.
Sent off as the 8-5 second choice here, Conclude made the front with the 1-1 chalk First Peace (Funtastic) tracking him closely from second. Setting some stiff fractions of :21.25 for the first quarter and :42.50 at the half mile, the Phil D'Amato trainee traversed the dirt and clinging to the fence began to duel with his adversary. Squaring up, they went back and forth all the way to the wire, but it was Conclude who owned the well-timed bob to secure the victory.
“Hat's off to Billy Koch and Gary Fenton [of Little Red Feather Racing], they have been really good supporters of mine,” said trainer Phil D'Amato. “It was good to have a nice weekend with them, especially getting this horse back on track. We had high expectations for him when he broke his maiden and he had a legitimate excuse last time, but you still never know until they [prove it]. I thought he [came with] a top effort today.
When asked where Conclude might land next, D'Amato said, “We will see, maybe a mile with this horse. I've got to get him to relax a little bit more. Like Juan said, he's just a little rambunctious in the gate. I think if we can get him to relax and settle down, a mile is within his scope and we'll see from there.”
Out of GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Believe You Can, the winner is a half-brother to SW Believe In Royalty (Tapit) and his full-sister Birdy Num, who sold for $1 million at the Keeneland September Yearling sale in 2017 to the Don Alberto Corp. and who produced Montastical (Uncle Mo), who went for $425,000 last year at the OBS Spring auction to Grace Diamond. Believe You Can's last produce is a yearling filly by Nyquist.
DESERT CODE S., $100,500, Santa Anita, 5-21, 3yo, 6 1/2fT, 1:11.25, fm.
1–CONCLUDE, 120, c, 3, by Collected
1st Dam: Believe You Can (GISW, $1,280,324), by Proud Citizen
2nd Dam: El Fasto, by El Prado (Ire)
3rd Dam: Taegu, by Halo
($140,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables LLC and Brereton C. Jones; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Philip D'Amato; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0, $119,600. *1/2 to Believe in Royalty (Tapit), SW & GSP, $194,385.
2–First Peace, 124, c, 3, Funtastic–Peace Opportunity, by Point of Entry. ($15,000 Ylg '21 FTKFEB; $65,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $75,000 2yo '22 OBSOPN). O-Rancho Temescal LLC, Red Baron's Barn LLC and Rodney E. Orr; B-Christopher L. Baker & Mullikin Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Mark Glatt. $20,000.
3–Ransomware, 120, c, 3, Ransom the Moon–Thalias Fire, by Philanthropist. ($1,500 Ylg '21 FTKFEB; $32,000 Ylg '21 OBSOCT; $19,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Agave Racing Stable, Kevin Knuckley and Steven A. Lehman; B-Snipe Racing LLC, Steve Lehman & Or Wilke (KY); T-Philip D'Amato. $12,000.
Margins: NO, 1HF, 2 1/4. Odds: 1.70, 1.10, 17.50.
Also Ran: Mas Rapido (GB), Valiancer, Acquired Class.
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