Team Valor International's Green Up romped to an effortless victory in the Boiling Springs S. at Monmouth Park Sunday. The 3-2 shot was under a snug hold while setting fractions of :24.77 and :49.26 in a compact field of four. She skipped clear down the lane to score under wraps.
“My thought was just to go to the lead since she looked like the only speed in the race,” said winning jockey Paco Lopez. “Todd Pletcher told me to do whatever I felt comfortable doing. She jumped a little at the break and didn't break well, but I was able to get to the rail and make the lead pretty easily. I saw Joe Bravo [aboard runner-up Radio Days] pressing us at the three-eighths, but my filly had too much left. She was very strong after we were able to get away with a slow opening half and she just took off when [Radio Days] came to us. This is a very nice filly.”
Purchased privately by Team Valor following a runner-up debut effort at Churchill last May, Green Up was transferred to the barn of Todd Pletcher and returned to the races with a 6 3/4-length graduation at Gulfstream Mar. 13. Tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' for that maiden victory, she added a four-length victory in an Apr. 21 Hallandale allowance last time out.
“She just shipped in this morning from Saratoga,” said Pletcher assistant Anthony Sciametta. “That's where she has been working. She's a nice filly. Even if the field had stayed intact, she would have been very tough to beat. Todd will make the decision on whether she goes to the GIII Monmouth Oaks or not. She's very talented.”
Green Up is out of an unraced half-sister to the dam of GIII Philip H. Iselin S. winner Just Call Kenny (Jump Start). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
BOILING SPRINGS S., $95,000, Monmouth, 7-3, 3yo, f, 1m 70y, 1:40.93, ft.
1–GREEN UP, 116, f, 3, by Upstart
1st Dam: Green Punch, by Two Punch
2nd Dam: Green Jeans, by Green Dancer
3rd Dam: Duds, by Ack Ack
($10,000 Ylg '20 EASOCT). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Team Valor
International, LLC; B-Althea Richards (VA); T-Todd A. Pletcher;
J-Paco Lopez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $130,760.
2–Radio Days, 117, f, 3, Gun Runner–Remembered, by Sky
Mesa. ($750,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Joseph Allen LLC; B-Hinkle
Farms (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $20,000.
3–Captainsdaughter, 118, f, 3, Midshipman–Joan's Rose, by
Service Stripe. O/B-Ocean View Stable (NY); T-Russell J. Cash.
$10,000.
Margins: 5 3/4, 3, 2HF. Odds: 1.50, 0.40, 21.30.
Also Ran: Alittleloveandluck. Scratched: Gina Romantica, Love to Run, Morning Matcha.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
