By Alan Carasso
'TDN Rising Star' Girl Daddy (Uncle Mo) was kept in the clear by jockey Joe Talamo, was given her cue nearing the stretch and sprinted home an impressive winner of Thursday's GIII Pocahontas S., clinching a spot in the field for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland on the first weekend of November.
Girl Daddy tracked a fast early pace, first from midfield before improving to be third and three deep rounding the turn. Cut loose by Talamo leaving the quarter pole, the $500,000 Keeneland September yearling opened a bit of daylight and was always holding favored fellow 'Rising Star' Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) in the run to the wire. The chalk lingered at the back of the pack early and made stealthy progress into the final three furlongs, but was stopped behind horses. Bumping with Xtrema (Exaggerator) cost her a bit more momentum and she finished a meritorious second. Alexandria (Constitution) came home a distant third.
“This filly was super impressive with that fast pace up front,” said trainer Dale Romans, winning the Pocahontas for the fourth time. “They were running really fast but Joe [Talamo] got her in a great spot. She's shown some incredible talent for this stage of her career. It's exciting having a filly developing this quickly. We're thrilled to only have to take a short trip down the road to Keeneland for the Breeders' Cup.”
Girl Daddy was favored at 9-5 for her July 24 debut at Ellis Park and missed the break by a couple of lengths. She made good mid-race progress and loomed up full of run before sprinting home to graduate by 5 1/2 lengths in a performance that didn't set figure-makers' heads spinning, but was nonetheless highly impressive.
Pedigree Notes:
Girl Daddy continues a remarkable run for her sire, who has now been represented by 65 stakes winners, 37 graded winners and 12 in 2020. She is also the 183rd black-type winner and 96th graded winner produced by a daughter of the late Unbridled's Song. The same cross is responsible for Uncle Chuck, winner of this year's GIII Los Alamitos Derby.
Girl Daddy is the second foal from her dam, who did her best running on the grass, winning the Indy Star S. and finishing third in the GII Lake George S. for Three Chimneys Farm and Kellyn Gorder. China Horse Club acquired Cara Marie for $650,000 in foal to Speightstown at Keeneland November in 2016 and sold that produce, a filly now name Sosua, for $260,000 at Keeneland September in 2018. Cara Marie is a half-sister to SW & GSP Abby's Angel (Touch Gold), the dam of Comicas (Distorted Humor), a GSW & G1SP sprinter in Dubai.
Barren to Gun Runner for 2019, Cara Marie foaled a Quality Road colt this year and was bred back to Uncle Mo.
Thursday, Churchill Downs
POCAHONTAS S.-GIII, $200,000, Churchill Downs, 9-3, 2yo, f, 1m, 1:34.94, ft.
1–GIRL DADDY, 118, f, 2, by Uncle Mo&log=">Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Cara Marie (SW & GSP, $103,650), by Unbridled's Song
2nd Dam: Miss Kilroy, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Miss Caerleona (Fr), by Caerleon
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES
WIN. ($500,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC;
B-China Horse Club International Limited (KY); T-Dale L.
Romans; J-Joseph Talamo. $119,040. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0,
$141,240. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+.
2–Crazy Beautiful, 120, f, 2, Liam's Map–Indian Burn, by Indian
Charlie. 'TDN Rising Star' ($250,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT).
O-Phoenix Thoroughbred, LTD; B-Carolyn R Vogel (KY);
T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $38,400.
3–Alexandria, 120, f, 2, Constitution–Spring Water, by Spring At
Last. O-Winstar Farm LLC, Blazing Meadows Farm LLC &
Michael Lewis; B-Blazing Meadows Farm LLC & WinStar Farm,
LLC (OH); T-Timothy E. Hamm. $19,200.
Margins: 2, 3 3/4, 5 3/4. Odds: 3.30, 1.70, 14.30.
Also Ran: Xtrema, Fabricate, Mania, American Grace, Inject, Blissful Change. Scratched: Ava's Grace, Dream Quist, Scat's Choice. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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