By Alan Carasso
A half-sister to 'TDN Rising Star' and GI Breeders' Cup Classic hopeful Essential Quality (Tapit), Ch. 2yo Colt, MGISW, $4,215,144, Famed (Uncle Mo) followed in the latter's hoofprints with a 'Rising Star'-worthy romp of her own in the fall meet finale from Keeneland Saturday afternoon.
The dark bay was bet down to 90 cents on the dollar for her much-anticipated debut at Churchill Sept. 26 and was in the thick of it from the start, but ultimately dropped a one-length decision to Sweet Dani Girl (Jess's Dream), who franked the form of the race with a 3/4-length success in Friday's Myrtlewood S. at Keeneland.
Getting blinkers off for this second go, Famed jumped alertly beneath Florent Geroux and showed the way from Bunduki (Gun Runner) through an opening couple of furlongs in :22.54. Left alone up front when Bunduki bolted approaching the five-sixteenths, tossing Brian Hernandez, Jr. in the process, Famed cornered a touch wide into the stretch while firmly in front, raced on her incorrect lead into the final 100 yards and was wrapped up late. Hernandez, Jr. was uninjured in the incident. Famed is the eighth 'TDN Rising Star' for Uncle Mo.
The victory allowed trainer Brad Cox to drop his nose down on the wire just ahead of Wesley Ward in the fall meet's trainers' premiership, prevailing by a count of 14 winners to 13. It also got Godolphin even with Calumet Farm for meet-leading owner honors with four wins apiece.
On behalf of Sheikh Mohammed's operation, John Ferguson parted with $3 million for Famed's second dam Contrive at the 2005 Fasig-Tipton November Sale a matter of days after her daughter Folklore (Tiznow) won the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Belmont Park. Contrive's fifth foal was Delightful Quality, a two-time winner at the races who placed in seven black-type events for trainer Tom Albertrani, including the GIII Bed 'O Roses H. Delightful Quality's first three foals made a grand total of one trip to the races, but Eclipse Award winner Essential Quality has done his part to ensure the family's longevity, with eight wins from nine starts, including last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the GI Belmont S. and GI Runhappy Travers S. this season. He figures a strong second favorite in next Saturday's GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar. Contrive is also the second dam of Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who is expected to start favorite for Sunday's G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo Racecourse.
Delightful Quality was barren to Uncle Mo for 2020 and to Nyquist for this season and was most recently bred back to Tapit.
10th-Keeneland, $83,921, Msw, 10-30, 2yo, f, 7f, 1:28.42, sy, 7 3/4 lengths.
FAMED, f, 2, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Delightful Quality (GSP, $253,900), by Elusive Quality
2nd Dam: Contrive, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Jeano, by Fappiano
Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $74,400. O-Godolphin LLC; B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H Cox. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
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