By Alan Carasso
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency
1st-DMR, $80K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, post time: 4:00 p.m. ET
Michael Petersen and Willow Grace Farm, who campaign last year's GI Del Mar Debutante winner Grace Adler (Curlin) in partnership, team up for the Sunday opener at Del Mar with $950K Keeneland September acquisition CARLA (Medaglia d'Oro). The February foal is the first produce from Naples Princess (Distorted Humor), a full-sister to SW Banker's Buy and a half to SW City Dweller (Carson City) and SW Glacken's Gal (Smoke Glacken), the dam of GII Davona Dale S. victress Live Lively (Medaglia d'Oro). The hugely productive cross of Medaglia d'Oro over Distorted Humor mares has yielded the likes of two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) and additional Grade I winners Elate and New Money Honey, while extending to Forty Niner-line dams brings in the likes of multiple champion Songbird and Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra. TJCIS PPs
2nd-KD, $150K, Msw, 2yo, 1mT, post time: 1:58 p.m. ET
The debuting Carnaby Street got American Pharoah on the board in the opening race of the meet Thursday afternoon and ON THE TEAR looks to continue the momentum here. A $350K KEESEP purchase, the Springhouse Farm-bred is a half-brother to this year's Star Shoot S. heroine Beautiful Empire (Classic Empire) and his dam, purchased by Springhouse for $260K in foal to Shanghai Bobby at Fasig-Tipton November in 2016, is a half-sister to successful young sire Practical Joke (Into Mischief). Life At Sea (West Coast) is the third foal to race out of Irish Jasper (First Defence), three times a graded winner sprinting on the main track. TJCIS PPs
6th-SAR, $105K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, post time: 3:20 p.m. ET
It's been an outstanding meet for Curlin and Stonestreet homebred PURE PAULINE will attempt to open her account at first asking Sunday. Inheriting the chestnut coloring of both her sire and of her GII Black-Eyed Susan S.-winning dam Keen Pauline (Pulpit), the Apr. 24 is bred on a variant of the cross over A.P. Indy-line mares that has tossed up Malathaat, Nest and Cody's Wish, each a Grade I winner during the current meet at Saratoga. Curlin is also represented by the rail-drawn third-time starter Take Charge Briana, whose dam Take Charge Tressa is a full-sister to MGISW and Spendthrift sire Omaha Beach (War Front). TJCIS PPs
7th-SAR, $105K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, post time: 3:53 p.m. ET
PROUVER (Justify), a $310K graduate of last year's Keeneland September sale, is a daughter of Ready to Act (More Than Ready), who won her maiden at first asking sprinting over the local turf course and was well on her way to victory in the 2013 GII Natalma S. when she abruptly ducked in and unseated jockey Rajiv Maragh. The gray filly would go on to win the 2014 Sweetest Chant S. over the Gulfstream turf course and the GII Beaumont S. at Keeneland when the race was contested on the Polytrack. This is the extended female family of GI Hollywood Gold Cup hero and GI Pacific Classic third Mast Track (Mizzen Mast). Writteninthestars (Malibu Moon), a $110K KEESEP yearling turned $500K Fasig-Tipton Midlantic juvenile (:10 2/5, see below), is out of a half-sister to GSW Sparky Ville (Candy Ride {Arg}) and hails from the family of GISWs Harmony Lodge and Pinehurst and MGSW Graeme Hall. TJCIS PPs
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