Annapolis (c, 2, War Front–My Miss Sophia, by Unbridled's Song) was backed with supreme confidence as the 6-5 favorite in a seemingly wide-open, two-turn grass maiden special weight at the Spa Saturday, and he ran to the money with an ultra-impressive 'TDN Rising Star' debut performance.
The Ramona Bass homebred's worktab featured a trio of visually impressive drills over the Oklahoma training turf for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, including a four-furlong spin in :50 2/5 (24/74) around the dogs Aug. 8.
He raced toward the back in eighth in between horses and under some cover through an opening quarter in :24.33 and a half mile in :49.68. The bay began to advance beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. entering the far turn, tipped out four wide midway around the bend and powered home in style down the stretch to win going away by 4 1/2 lengths. Annapolis covered his final five-sixteenths of a mile in a sharp :28.71, according to DRF Formulator. Nyquest Nix (Nyquist) was second.
Annapolis is the 18th 'Rising Star' for leading sire War Front. The War Front/Unbridled's Song cross is also responsible for GI Flower Bowl S. heroine Civil Union.
“He had a great turn of foot, kept going to the wire and galloped out nicely,” Pletcher said in the winner's circle on Saratoga Live. “It was pretty much everything you could hope for in a debut.”
Bloodstock agent Steve Young went to $4 million for his GSW & MGISP dam My Miss Sophia (Unbridled's Song) with the colt in utero at KEENOV in 2018. That price was second only to the $4.2-million Lady Eli (Divine Park). The 2014 GII Gazelle S. winner and GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up, a half-sister to GI Florida Derby hero Materiality (Afleet Alex), is already the dam of Annapolis's 3-year-old full-sister Nevisian Sunrise, third in the Wild Applause S. in June. This is also the family of MGSW/GISP Eye of the Tiger (American Chance) and GISWs Afleet Express (Afleet Alex) and Embellish the Lace (Super Saver). My Miss Sophia produced a full brother to Annapolis this year.
6th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 9-4, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.47, fm, 4 1/2 lengths.
ANNAPOLIS, c, 2, by War Front
1st Dam: My Miss Sophia (GSW & MGISP, $605,040), by Unbridled's Song
2nd Dam: Wildwood Flower, by Langfuhr
3rd Dam: Dial a Trick, by Phone Trick
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the Annapolis-20210904-161715.pdf">free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-Bass Racing, LLC; B-Bass Stables, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
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