Thursday Insights: High-Priced Colts Do Battle At Ellis

2nd-ELP, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:14 p.m.
Two high-priced maidens will kick off their careers at Ellis Park Thursday. BC Stables paid $1.35 million for DAILY GRIND (Medaglia d'Oro) at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling sale. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the bay colt is out of SW Walk Close (Tapit), who also produced his full-brother Anneau d'Or, second-place finisher in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Lambo (Uncle Mo), trained by Steve Asmussen, brought $950,000 from the Heiligbrodts and Jackpot Farm at OBS March after posting a :10 flat move during the under-tack show. He previously brought $360,000 as a KEENOV weanling and RNA'd for $575,000 as a FTSAUG yearling. His unraced dam Sunshiny Day (Bernardini) is out of champion 2-year-old filly & MGISW Storm Song (Summer Squall), who produced Another Storm (Gone West), dam of MG1SW Order Of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). TJCIS PPS

1st-BEL, $90K, Msw, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:05 p.m.
COALVILLE (Into Mischief), a $675,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by William H. Lawrence, Jeff Drown, Don Rachel, Don Alberto Stable and Bridlewood Farm, makes his first start for Chad Brown with Jose Ortiz in the irons. The bay gelding, bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corp. and Bridlewood Farm, is out of GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss). TJCIS PPS

4th-ELP, $120K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1 1/16mT, 2:13 p.m.
DAI VERNON (Good Magic), a $500,000 KEESEP graduate, debuts for Besilu Stables and Brad Cox. His dam is a half-sister to GSW and late sire Laoban (Uncle Mo). This is also the female family of Canadian champion 2-year-old colt Mr. Hustle (Declaration of War) and MGISW I'm A Chatterbox (Munnings). TJCIS PPS

5th-BEL $90K, Msw, 2yo, 5fT, 3:10 p.m.
Repole Stable purchased NOTED (Cairo Prince) for $200,000 at last year's KEESEP sale. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the gray colt's dam counts GIII Peter Pan S. hero Mark Valeski (Proud Citizen) as a half brother. Also entered are a pair of Wesley Ward-trained firsters–Dark Vintage (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) (320,000gns TATOCT yearling) and Culprit (Justify) ($675,000 KEESEP yearling). The latter, favored at 5-2 on the morning line, has been working bullets on the grass over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track. TJCIS PPS