By Brian DiDonato
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency
3rd-GP, $60K, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 12:58 p.m. ET
Todd Pletcher-trained Native Thunder (American Pharoah) is one of a trio of well-bred sophomores who makes their debuts here. Out of 2002 GI Del Mar Debutante S. heroine Miss Houdini (Belong to Me), the $200,000 Keeneland September yearling is half to MGSW millionaire Papa Clem (Smart Strike) and Ce Ce (Elusive Quality), last year's GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint winner and an Eclipse Award finalist. There's some turf in the Lazy F Ranch colorbearer's family as well: another stakes-placed female out of Miss Houdini produced Grade III-winning grasser Hot Springs (Uncle Mo); a full-sister to Ce Ce was stakes-placed on the turf; and MGISW second dam Magical Maiden (Lord Avie) was also the granddam of a Group 2 winner/Group 1-placed runner in Europe.
Chad Brown and Peter Brant sent out Salimah (Ire) (El Kabeir) to become her sire's first U.S. winner and earn 'TDN Rising Star' status last Saturday at Tampa, and will be represented by another of the now Irish-based 2014 GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. winner's progeny in fellow Tattersalls October purchase (125,000gns) Egyptian God (Ire). The grey's dam is a full to precocious Group 2 winner Alhebayeb (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).
Stuart Janney III homebred Celestial City (Uncle Mo) is out of a half to Hymn Book (Arch), who won 2012 GI Donn H. here. This is also the family of Grade I-winning turf miler Data Link (War Front). TJCIS PPs
6th-TAM, $34K, Alw/OC, 3yo, 1m70yds, 2:43 p.m. ET
'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready), currently in the fifth spot on T.D. Thornton's GI Kentucky Derby Top 12 rankings, will take on a competitive-enough bunch as he looks to build on a 6 3/4-length debut romp going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream Dec. 11. The $350,000 KEESEP yearling from the family of globetrotting MG1SW Hawkbill (Kitten's Joy) and GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity hero Free Drop Billy (Union Rags) was entered in a similar spot here Jan. 7, but was forced to scratch after spiking a temperature.
Pletcher will also be represented by In the Union (Union Rags), an apparent private purchase before he ran by Mathis Stable from Shadwell Farm. The grandson of GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf heroine Lahudood (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) won first out here Jan. 8.
D J Stable's Glider (Quality Road) enters off a convincing second-out success over the Gulfstream Tapeta Jan. 6 that earned him the same 78 Beyer Speed Figure that Emmanuel did in his maiden breaker. The $200,000 KEESEP acquisition is half to MGSW turf sprinter Fast Boat (City Zip). He'll be representing the same Mark Casse barn whose Golden Glider (Ghostzapper) beat Boitano (Nyquist) and Cloud Play (Into Mischief) in that Jan. 7 race Emmanuel scratched from. TJCIS PPs
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