Close Hatches

Just a week after her younger brother Batten Down took the GIII Ohio Derby, 'TDN Rising Star' Scylla (Tapit) kept the family's good fortune going with a strong win in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis Stakes at Churchill Downs Saturday. The 4-5 favorite stutter-stepped slightly coming out of the gate and was at the tail of the field behind fractions of :24.07 and :48.83. Still last into the far turn, the bay filly made rapid progress while five wide approaching the stretch. She drifted in slightly in upper stretch,...

You could say Batten Down has a little bit of family legacy to live up to. The son of champion Close Hatches took a step towards doing just that Saturday at Thistledown with a gate-to-wire win in the GIII Ohio Derby. The full-brother to both MGSW/MGISP Juddmonte sire Tacitus and to GSW Scylla took four tries to break his maiden, finally winning by 8 3/4 emphatic lengths last out at Churchill Downs going 1 1/4 miles Apr. 30. Saturday's Ohio Derby was his first step up from the maiden ranks...

For the second year running, the G1 Epsom Derby winner was bred from one of Coolmore's countless Galileo (Ire) mares outcrossed to an American sire line. But whereas Sunday Silence's son Deep Impact (Jpn) gave Auguste Rodin (Ire) further turf genes from his mother's European family, City Of Troy's sire is a conduit for virtually unadulterated dirt blood. Justify's first four dams are, respectively, by grandsons of Deputy Minister, Seattle Slew, Northern Dancer and Bold Ruler. The third of those names, of course, transformed the European breed, albeit alongside other...

Juddmonte homebred SCYLLA (f, 4, Tapit--Close Hatches, by First Defence) gave notice she'll be one to watch in the older mare division this year with a facile score in Churchill's GIII Shawnee S. Saturday. It marked the first stakes victory for the 'TDN Rising Star' following a seven-length blowout and 93 Beyer figure in a one-mile optional allowance over the surface on GI Kentucky Derby day. Last year's GII Mother Goose S. and GIII Falls City S. winner Xigera (Nyquist), fifth behind Juddmonte's champion Idiomatic (Curlin) in the May 3...

4th-Churchill Downs, $117,750, Msw, 4-30, 3yo/up, 1 1/4m, 2:02.49, ft, 8 3/4 lengths. BATTEN DOWN (c, 3, Tapit--Close Hatches {Ch. Older Mare, MGISW, $2,707,300}, by First Defence), a full-brother to Tacitus (MGSW & MGISP, $3,767,350), romped home the easiest of winners when stretched to 10 furlongs at Churchill Downs Tuesday. A distant sixth in his seven-furlong unveiling Jan. 27, the gray missed by just a neck when second after setting the pace going nine furlongs at Gulfstream Feb. 24 and was beaten a half-length when third going 1 1/16 miles...

9th-GP, $92K, OC62k, 4yo/up, f, 1m, 5:07 p.m. ET. Juddmonte colorbearer SCYLLA (Tapit) makes her return to the races as the older filly looks to jumpstart her new campaign. The Bill Mott trainee certainly made her mark when she attained 'TDN Rising Star' honors as a debut winner at Keeneland last April, and then followed that up with an 8 1/4-length win against optional claimers at Churchill Downs in early June. Out of champion older mare Close Hatches (First Defence), the homebred is a full-sister to MGSW/MGISP and current sire...

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...

1st-BAQ, $90K, 2yo, Msw, 6 1/2f, 1:05 p.m. ET Spendthrift's irrepressible Into Mischief has had a whopper of a week at the Keeneland September Sale and a pair of immaculately bred juveniles are down to debut in the Saturday opener from Aqueduct. Juddmonte's BOUNTEOUS hails from a very active female famile, as his dam Hall (Tapit) is a half-sister to the operation's Eclipse Award winner Close Hatches (First Defense), the dam of MGSW/MGISP sire Tacitus (Tapit) and unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Scylla (Tapit); and to SW/MGISP Lockdown (First Defense), whose...

8th-Churchill Downs, $129,430, Alw (NW1X), Opt. Clm ($100,000), 6-2, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:35.27, ft, 8 1/4 lengths. SCYLLA (f, 3, Tapit--Close Hatches {Ch. Older Mare, MGISW, $2,707,300}, by First Defence) was pounded into 1-3 favoritism to build on a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy display over six furlongs at Keeneland Apr. 15 and ran away from her dramatically overmatched rivals in the final stages of a one-mile Churchill allowance Friday to score with condescending ease to take a major step in the direction of stakes company. The bay filly settled between horses...

8th-CD, $127K, OC 100k/N1X, 3yo, f, 1m, 4:22 p.m.    'TDN Rising Star' SCYLLA (Tapit), a daughter of champion older mare and MGISW Close Hatches (First Defence), takes on winners for the first time following an eye-catching, come-from-behind debut victory for Bill Mott going six furlongs at Keeneland Apr. 15. The Juddmonte homebred, favored at 9-5 on the morning line while stretching to a one-turn mile here, is a full-sister to the multiple Classic-placed Tacitus, MGSW & MGISP, $2,267,350. TJCIS PPS

6th-KEE, $100K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 3:40 p.m. The latest daughter out of champion older mare and MGISW Close Hatches (First Defense), SCYLLA (Tapit) debuts in the silks of Juddmonte Farm for trainer Bill Mott. Already responsible for Scylla's full-brother in MGSW & MGISP Tacitus, Close Hatches is herself a full-sister to MGISP Lockdown, the dam of Latonia S. winner Idiomatic (Curlin). This is also the female line of G1 Tattersalls Irish Two Thousand Guineas hero Siskin (First Defence). Breaking just to Scylla's outside is Brenda (Curlin)--the half-sister to GSW...

In this continuing series, we examine the past winners of significant filly/mare races by the lasting influence they've had on the breed. Up today is the GI Apple Blossom H., Oaklawn's signature distaff event. The Apple Blossom is such a mainstay in the older filly and mare ranks that it might be a surprise to all but those with the longest memories that the first several winners were males. It's the last 50 years that have been devoted exclusively to the ladies, resulting in a steady diet of champions in...