Serengeti Empress's First Foal Tops Loaded Spa Maiden

7th-SAR, $100k, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, post time: 3:54 p.m. ET
INVICTUS (Into Mischief), the first foal from 2019 GI Kentucky Oaks and 2020 GI Ballerina Stakes winner Serengeti Empress (Alternation), cost China Horse Club, Siena Farm and WinStar Farm $1.2 million at last year's Keeneland September Sale, and the Jan. 29 produce carries the WinStar colors for this first go. The bay, bred on similar cross to this sire's Grade I winners Life Is Good and Practical Joke, has been made the 3-1 choice on the morning line for trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Geroux. Bidding on behalf of the Saudi-based KAS Stables, agent Pedro Lanz went to $650,000 for Tharhom at this year's OBS April Sale, the most expensive of 42 first-crop juveniles by Global Campaign (Curlin) reported as sold this season. The bay, purchased in utero for $30,000 at OBS January in 2022, made $82,000 as a short yearling at OBS in the winter of 2023 and fetched $150,000 at OBS October from Eddie Woods. Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie) was knocked down for $725,000 at OBS April, his first-crop sire (by Street Sense)'s second-dearest juvenile from 39 sold. Dam Bernadreamy (Bernardini) is a daughter of GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes winner Dream Empress (Bernstein). American Promise (Justify), a half-brother to Grade II-winning juvenile filly Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief), was scooped up by BC Stables for $750,000 at KEESEP last fall. TJCIS PPs

Back when he was just a fuzzy yearling at @TaylorMadeSales 🥹 The first foal out GI Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress, an Into Mischief colt named INVICTUS, makes his debut as a 2-year-old this Saturday in the seventh race at Saratoga.@beebuckphoto ☺️ pic.twitter.com/lkz7Kl0Yav

— Sara Gordon (@SaraChristineG) July 25, 2024

1st-SAR, $100k, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 12:35 p.m. ET
Peter Brant debuts his homebred ATOMIC AGE (Justify), the first foal out of his $925,000 KEESEP purchase American West (Curlin), runner-up in the 2020 Tempted Stakes. She is a daughter of fellow Tempted–then a Grade III–winner Jacaranda (Congrats), the dam of GISP Be You (Curlin). Third dam Baffled (Distorted Humor) produced five winners from seven to race, including MGISW sire Constitution (Tapit) and English Group 2 winner Boynton (More Than Ready). Barricade (Quality Road) was sold to Repole Stable for $725,000 at KEESEP last fall and is out of the stakes-winning Great Sister Dame (Will Take Charge). The deeper female family includes GSW 'TDN Rising Star' Ocho Ocho Ocho (Street Sense) and the legendary Personal Ensign. Bestfriend Rocket (Curlin) was bought back for $170,000 at KEESEP last fall before selling to Frank Fletcher for $575,000 at this year's OBS April Sale. A son of the stakes-winning Noble and a Beauty (Noble Causeway), he descends from the family of leading sire Tapit (Pulpit). TJCIS PPs

4th-SAR, $110k, Alw, 3yo/up, 6f, 2:13 p.m.
SPEAK EASY (Constitution) makes a much-anticipated second career start for Siena Farm and breeder WinStar Farm. A son of 2016 GIII Schuylerville Stakes runner-up and GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes third Fun (Harlan's Holiday), the bay was a bit friendless in the markets at better than 8-1 for his Pegasus Day debut at Gulfstream Park Jan. 27, but he attended the pace after breaking alertly from the inside stall and battled his way past the very well-meant New York-bred firster Victory Avenue (Arrogate) to graduate by 1 3/4 lengths, good for a 100 Beyer Speed Figure (video). Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the return call for trainer Todd Pletcher. TJCIS PPs

8th-SAR, $100k, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 5 1/2fT, 4:29 p.m.
Summer Wind Equine's TIPPLE (Constitution) is the lone first-timer in the main body of this field and has pedigree claims at starting odds likely to be well shy of her 12-1 morning line. The dark bay filly is a half-sister to Hootenanny (Quality Road), winner of the 2014 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, and Jane Lyon's operation acquired dam More Hennessy (Hennessy) for $1.5 million in foal to Galileo (Ire) at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. The mare, a half-sister to 2009 GI Prioress Stakes winner and GI Test Stakes runner-up Cat Moves (Tale of the Cat), has since produced SW/GSP Ryder Ryder Ryder (Quality Road). TJCIS PPs

1st-DMR, $75k, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 5:00 p.m. ET
Spendthrift Farm unveils its homebred MCKECHNIE (Into Mischief), the first foal from Mother Mother (Pioneerof the Nile), a two-time listed winner and three times Grade I-placed who was purchased by Spendthrift for $1.8 million at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. The cross of Into Mischief over Pioneerof the Nile's sire Empire Maker has been wildly successful, accounting for 'TDN Rising Star' and GI Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun and this year's G1 Dubai World Cup hero Laurel River, among others. A New York-bred like her freshman sire (by Constitution), Usha (Tiz the Law) sold for $30,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred sale, but flourished in the intervening months and made $600,000 from the Three Amigos at OBS April. The May foal is out of the stakes-placed Animal Appeal (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}). TJCIS PPs

5th-DMR, $75k, Msw, 2yo, 1mT, 7:08 p.m. ET
BRUMMELL (Not This Time) kicks off his career in the silks of Talla Racing, who campaigns the Virginia-bred colt in partnership with St Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds, et al. The dark bay was a $375,000 Keeneland November weanling purchase in the fall of 2022–the top price of his boom sire's 20 foals that changed hands at auction–and was the second-priciest of his yearlings when hammering for $1.05 million at KEESEP. Audley Farm Equine acquired the colt's dam Foreign Affair (Exchange Rate), a half-sister to MGSW & MG1SP So Perfect (Scat Daddy), for $385,000 in foal to Justify at FTKNOV in 2019. TJCIS PPs

Brummell | Keeneland photo