By Alan Carasso
Less than 24 hours after 'TDN Rising Star' Shirl's Speight became the newest top-level scorer for WinStar Farm's outstanding Speightstown in Friday's Maker's Mark Mile, the nursery's homebred son Under Oath followed suit with an eye-catching Keeneland maiden victory to become the 22nd 'Rising Star' for the son of Gone West, still going strong at age 24.
Third to big-figure graduate Unikee (Unified) in a sloppy six-furlong maiden at Gulfstream Mar. 12 and with no fewer than three next-out winners in his wake, Under Oath jumped as the 6-5 chalk, but whereas he showed enough speed to lead in his debut, the blaze-faced chestnut settled off the pace slightly better than midfield and raced in the three and four path to the turn. Forced to cover ground on the bend, Under Oath shifted out five deep as they hit the quarter pole, descended on the leading trio to wrest command inside the final furlong and proved 1 1/2 lengths superior. Juddmonte's debuting Artorius, whose dam Paulassilverlining (Ghostzapper) was purchased privately with the express intent of being among the first book of mares to be bred to the late Arrogate and won this track's GI Madison S. in her first start for the global breeding giant in 2017, raced in the latter half of the field early on. He charted a similarly wide course into the lane and closed off powerfully before blowing past the winner not far past the wire.
Under Oath's Grade II-winning dam Jojo Warrior was one of four 'TDN Rising Stars' produced by Carson Jen, who also supplied GISW A Z Warrior (Bernardini), the dam of SW Key To My Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), MSP Cole Porter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and track record-setter Conch Pearl (American Pharoah); four-times stakes winner and Grade III-placed J Z Warrior (Harlan's Holiday); and GSW/GISP E Z Warrior (Exploit). Under Oath has a 2-year-old sister named Legendary (Justify), a $310,000 KEESEP buyback, and a yearling half-brother by Constitution. Jojo Warrior is due to Speightstown again for 2022.
4th-Keeneland, $100,000, Msw, 4-16, 3yo, 6f, 1:10.73, ft, 1 1/2 lengths.
UNDER OATH, c, 3, by Speightstown
1st Dam: Jojo Warrior (MGSW & GISP, $396,231), by Pioneerof the Nile
2nd Dam: Carson Jen, by Carson City
3rd Dam: Calamitous Jen, by Deputy Minister
Sales history: $170,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $62,120. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O/B-WinStar Farm LLC (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher.
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