By Stefanie Grimm
2nd-GP, $89K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 11:30 a.m.
The inside four horses, all first-time starters, headline Pegasus World Cup day at Gulfstream Park Saturday. BATTEN DOWN (Tapit) kicks things off for Bill Mott who looks to capitalize on a huge Eclipse Awards night with this Juddmonte homebred. A son of champion older mare Close Hatches, this colt is out of a full-sister to MGISP Lockdown, herself the dam of newly-crowned champion 3-year-old filly Idiomatic (Curlin). He is also a full-brother to MGSW/MGISP Tacitus and from the family of G1 Tattersalls Irish Two Thousands Guineas winner Siskin (First Defence).
Corporate Power (Curlin) brought $925,000 as a yearling at KEENOV in 2022 for Courtlandt Farms and trainer Shug McGaughey. Out of GSW Road to Victory, herself a $1.45m Stonestreet buy at FTKNOV 2019, the colt counts Japanese G1SW Moanin (Henny Hughes) as an extended family member.
The first of two Todd Pletcher entries, My True Colors (Munnings) sold for $600,000 at Keeneland as a yearling. Already a half to GSP Valletta (Into Mischief), he traces back to MGISW A.P. Indian (Indian Charlie).
Breaking from the rail is the other Pletcher entry, Speak Easy (Constitution), a homebred for WinStar Farm and Sienna Farm, is out of GISP Fun. WinStar purchased the GI Darley Alcibiades third for $400,000 at FTKNOV in 2017 and this is her second foal to race. TJCIS PPS
2nd-FG, 57K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 4:28 p.m.
$1.7m yearling Gun Party (Curlin) debuts for Three Chimneys Farm and Winchell Thoroughbreds. The Steve Asmussen trainee is out of GI Acorn S. winner Carina Mia who last sold to Japan's Shadai Farm for $2.6m at FTKNOV in 2021. The dam is half to MGISW Miss Match (Arg) (Indygo Shiner) and to the dam of MSW/MGSP Super Chow (Lord Nelson) along with juvenile SW Princess Indy (Lord Nelson). TJCIS PPS
5th-FG, $57K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, 6:19 p.m.
A pair of homebreds, both racing for Steve Asmussen, make their debuts at the Fair Grounds. Lady Ariel (Curlin) from Stonestreet is out of SW/MGSP Steph Being Steph.
To her outside, Just Better (Justify) wears the Whisper Hill colors. Mandy Pope picked up her dam, Betterbetterbetter (Ire), for a sale-topping $5.2m at FTKNOV in 2013. The dam is a half to Irish high-weighted filly Yesterday (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and to G1SW Quarter Moon (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) amongst many others in a deep European family. TJCIS PPS
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