By Joe Bianca
It may have a small field, but there appears to be big potential in the five-horse Saturday co-feature GIII Sanford S., led by a pair of recently minted 'TDN Rising Stars' going head-to-head.
Joseph W. Sutton's Bitumen (Mineshaft) will break from the outside and comes in off of a highly impressive 6 3/4-length romp in his career bow June 30 at Churchill. The dark bay was not off particularly sharply that day, dueled for the lead, lost command nearing the top of the lane and simply found another gear when asked, sprinting away from his foes through a strong final quarter in :23.09. Bitumen, who sold for $280,000 at OBS March after breezing two furlongs in :21 1/5 (video), earned an 86 Beyer Speed Figure and Rising Star recognition for the effort.
“He ran a huge race,” said trainer Eddie Kenneally. “He had trained really well before that and acted like a nice horse. We liked him quite a bit that day and he ran a real professional race for a first timer. I think he's pretty versatile. He didn't break real sharp but he was quickly up on the pace.”
Bitumen's dam, Kobla Cat (Tale of the Cat), is a half-sister to $2-million earner and successful young sire Quality Road (Elusive Quality). She sold for $380,000 in foal to Elusive Quality at the 2011 Keeneland November sale. That foal, her only other one to race so far, is SW/GSP Meshell. Second dam Kobla (Strawberry Road), sold for $525,000 at the same sale, also while in foal to Elusive Quality.
Random Walk (Super Saver) was bet down to 21-10 favoritism in his June 3 debut at Belmont for potent 2-year-old trainer Rick Violette and did not disappoint, romping in front-running fashion by 5 3/4 lengths, earning a 90 Beyer Speed Figure–the highest among all juveniles thus far in 2016–and Rising Star status.
Owned by Ralph M. Evans, the bay colt was purchased for $300,000 at OBS March after working a quarter-mile in :20 3/5 (video). His dam, Lunargal (Yes It's True), was a juvenile SW, and is a half to juvenile MSW Lunarpal (Successful Appeal) and 2-year-old GSW Astrology (A.P. Indy). Second dam Quiet Eclipse (Quiet American) sold for $1.6-million at the 2007 KEENOV sale while in foal with Astrology.
Winchell Thoroughbreds' Zartera (Tapizar) also showed considerable promise in his unveiling, wiring a group of Churchill maidens June 16, a race out of which the third and fourth-place finishers have returned to win comfortably. The Steve Asumssen trainee's dam, Catera (Gone West), is a half to that barn's juvenile GISW Cuvee (Carson City) and GSW Will He Shine (Silver Deputy).
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