Baoma Corp

No matter whether it is April or October, if it's Keeneland, then you know a Wesley Ward 2-year-old who sets sail for a maiden voyage has a chance to sparkle. Royal Slipper (Uncle Mo) certainly did that on opening day Friday afternoon when the juvenile filly won impressively as a newly-minted 'TDN Rising Star'. Breaking along the fence, Royal Slipper shot to the lead and quickly opened up a distinct advantage up the backstretch. As fellow firster Loveland (Munnings) gave chase into the far turn, the Ward trainee continued to...

Baoma Corp.'s Ganadora (Quality Road), installed the 6-5 choice in this first go, slugged it out early with So It Would Seem (Honor Code), but was peerless in the stretch, running away to win by an impressive 6 1/2-length margin over 2-1 second choice Lady T (Into Mischief). Mixing it up through a sharp opening pace in :21.58 and :44.74, the $1-million KEESEP buy kicked clear turning for home and proved much the best late to earn 'TDN Rising Star' honors. So It Would Seem faded to second last. Ganadora...

5th-AQU, $80k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 2:50p.m. ET After hitting an eye-catching $735,000 at Keeneland September two years ago, and still missing his reserve, Mystic Quest (Curlin) will go to post here for his breeders Siena Farm in partnership with Cash Asmussen. At the helm for the full brother to MGISP & GSW Point of Honor and half to GI Frizette S. winner Wicked Whisper (Liam's Map) as well as two other stakes winners, Todd Pletcher sends out a colt carrying big expectations against a field of eight others from the...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 6th-GP, $60K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6f, 2:56 p.m. ET Well-related UNEXPECTED (California Chrome) makes his debut here for trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. and the Chu family's Baoma Corporation, which also campaigned his MGISW half-sister Bast (Uncle Mo). A $500,000 FTSAUG '18 yearling, Bast was a frequent visitor to California winner's, scoring victories in the GI Del Mar Debutante S., GI Chandelier S., GI Starlet S. and the GII Santa Ynez S. in her final career start. She was also a stubborn third in the GI Breeders'...

Lightly raced Private Mission handled older foes with aplomb Sunday, earning a guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff in the process. A debut winner sprinting here nearly a year ago, the bay was a speed-and-fade fourth at odds-on in the following month's Desi Arnaz S. at Del Mar and subsequently went missing. She reappeared to annex a local optional claimer in June, and took to two turns emphatically when romping by 6 1/2 lengths in Del Mar's GIII Torrey Pines S. Aug. 21. Keeping...

Little Red Feather Racing's Elm Drive (Mohaymen) and Baoma Corporation's Eda (Munnings), who were separated by just a head after battling the length of the stretch in the GIII Sorrento S. Aug. 6, renew their rivalry in the GI TVG Del Mar Debutante Sunday. Elm Drive, trained by Phil D'Amato, romped by eight lengths in her five-furlong debut at Los Alamitos June 26 and refused to let Eda by when winning the six-furlong Sorrento. Eda has yet to finish in front in her two-race career. The Bob Baffert trainee inherited...

2nd-Santa Anita, $67,856, Msw, 6-19, 2yo, f, 5f, :58.96, ft, 13 1/2 lengths. EDA (f, 2, Munnings--Show Me, by Lemon Drop Kid) summoned $550,000 from Donato Lanni on behalf of this owner at OBS March after breezing in :10 flat on the Ocala venue's synthetic surface. She was dispatched as the 21-10 second choice in this career bow behind 11-10 stablemate Censorship (Tonalist), who brought $300,000 from longtime Baffert clients Pegram, Watson and Weitman at the same auction. Chasing from second as Ko Olina (Stanford) put up a :22.53 first...

Last week, I stopped by John and Leslie Malone's 2,200-acre Bridlewood Farm in Ocala before attending the OBS June sale and got a good look at an intriguing freshman sire who'd topped the June sale six years earlier at a then-record price of $680,000. By Candy Ride (Arg) from the unraced Deputy Minister mare Spooky Minister, Valiant Minister was bred by John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale and had breezed a bullet eighth in :9 4/5 for consignor Eddie Woods. He was purchased on the advice of Donato Lanni by Charles...

After only a head separated Beautiful Gift (Medaglia d'Oro) and Moraz (Empire Maker) in a thrilling renewal of the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Mar. 7, the two sophomore fillies will meet again in Saturday's GII Santa Anita Oaks. The streaking Baoma Corp homebred Beautiful Gift, a half-sister to the Chu Family's GIII Sunland Derby hero and Bridlewood Farm sire Chitu (Henny Hughes), graduated by a half-length at second asking in her previous trip to the post for Bob Baffert Oct. 23. The rail-drawn Don Alberto homebred Moraz, an 11-length maiden...

Bob Baffert was favored to win his fourth straight renewal of the GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos Saturday...just with a different horse. Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Princess Noor (Not This Time) was favored to rebound off a fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 6, but instead was pulled up and her stablemate Varda (Distorted Humor) took up the baton, springing a 17-1 upset. It was also the fourth consecutive Starlet victory for winning pilot Drayden Van Dyke and the second for Susan and Charlie Chu's...

Baoma Corp released its stud fees for its roster of stallions--Chitu (Henny Hughes--Sea Gift, by A.P. Indy), Valiant Minister (Candy Ride {Arg}--Spooky Minister, by Deputy Minister) and Tunwoo (Medaglia d'Oro--Sea Gift, by A.P. Indy) for the 2021 season.  The stallions are residents of Bridlewood Farm in Ocala, Florida. Undefeated at two and a graded winner at three, Chitu retired with four wins from seven starts and earnings of $597,800. At stud, the sophomore stallion currently ranks third in the Florida sire earnings. The 9-year-old's fee has been reduced to $3,500...

Baoma Corporation's $750,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga buy Private Mission (Into Mischief) led home a one-two finish of promising fillies for the Bob Baffert barn Sunday to earn the 'TDN Rising Star' distinction. Backed as the even-money choice off a series of works that had churned up some buzz (click for XBTV video of Oct. 5 breeze in company with $1.3-million colt American Admiral {American Pharoah}), the bay showed good early speed to sit in second locked on to the pacesetter. She took over after a :45.23 half, and only stablemate Frosteria...