By Alan Carasso
Making his first trip to Penn National, Frankie Dettori completed a stakes double with a last-jump success aboard Qatar Racing and Hunter Valley Farm's First World War (War Front) in Friday's GIII Penn Mile.
Sent off as the 33-10 third betting favorite behind last-out GII American Turf S. upsetter Trikari (Oscar Performance) and the twice-raced New York shipper Good Lord Lorrie (Hard Spun), the $285,000 Fasig-Tipton November weanling took up a position just behind midfield as 6-1 Set (Oscar Performance) galloped his rivals along through enervating fractions of :23.09 and :46.31.
Slipstreaming Trikari down the backstretch and into the turn, First World War was given a dig leaving the three-furlong peg and was steered out four wide into the lane. When Set rolled away from the inside turning for home, Cristian Torres atop the rail-skimming and ground-saving 17-1 shot Aspenite (Constitution) took full advantage, sending his mount through to challenge Trikari, who had raced prominently throughout after departing from the widest gate. First World War wanted to hang on his incorrect lead into the final eighth of a mile, but once he switched over, he gobbled up the ground three off the inside and won the tightest of photos over Aspenite, with Trikari right there between them in third.
Dettori won the $150,000 Penn Oaks atop favored Poolside With Slim (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) one race before the Penn Mile.
A debut maiden winner going a mile at Kentucky Downs, First World War made best use of his each-way pedigree to finish second to 'TDN Rising Star' Parchment Party (Constitution) in a two-turn dirt allowance at Churchill Nov. 9 and was narrowly beaten in the Jan. 1 Mucho Macho Man S. at Gulfstream. The dark bay struck from close range at skinny odds in the grassy GIII Kitten's Joy S. in Hallandale Feb. 3 and was most recently ninth, but beaten just three lengths, in the GIII Transylvania S. at Keeneland Apr. 5.
Pedigree Notes:
A daughter of two-time Grade I winner Ask the Moon, Sundaysatthebeach–a $300,000 Keeneland September purchase–was trained by Brendan Walsh to a runner-up effort behind Street Band (Street Boss) in the 2019 GIII Indiana Oaks and was bred to War Front in her first year at stud in 2020.
A half-sister to four-time stakes winner and twice graded-placed Belgrano (War Front)–himself a $1.8-million in-utero purchase at KEENOV in 2013–Sundaysatthebeach is also the dam of the juvenile colt Great Sword (Candy Ride {Arg}), a $90,000 FTKOCT acquisition by Hunter Valley's Fergus Galvin last fall, and yearling colt by Uncle Mo who fetched $390,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale. The mare was most recently bred to Street Sense.
What a finish in the $400,000 Penn Mile Stakes (G3)! #4 FIRST WORLD WAR ($8.80) got a nose down on the wire ahead of Aspenite and Trikari to give @FrankieDettori a double at Penn National! pic.twitter.com/8qcUX8O4Ax
— FanDuel Racing (Formerly TVG) (@FanDuel_Racing) June 1, 2024
Friday, Penn National
PENN MILE S.-GIII, $400,000, Penn National, 5-31, 3yo, 1mT, 1:33.50, fm.
1–FIRST WORLD WAR, 122, c, 3, by War Front
1st Dam: Sundaysatthebeach (GSP, $129,280), by Medaglia d'Oro
2nd Dam: Ask the Moon, by Malibu Moon
3rd Dam: Always Asking, by Valid Appeal
($285,000 Wlg '21 FTKNOV; $135,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP).
O-Qatar Racing LLC and Hunter Valley Farm; B-Skyfall
Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh; J-Lanfranco
Dettori. $230,400. Lifetime Record: 7-3-2-0, $501,713. Werk
Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Aspenite, 122, c, 3, Constitution–Aspening, by Candy Ride
(Arg). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($375,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP).
O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Glen Hill Farm (KY); T-Steven
Asmussen. $76,800.
3–Trikari, 122, c, 3, Oscar Performance–Dynamic Holiday, by
Harlan's Holiday. ($9,000 Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $27,500 Ylg '22
OBSOCT). O-Amerman Racing LLC; B-Michael A Slezak & Amy
Boll (KY); T-H. Graham Motion. $42,240.
Margins: NO, NK, 1HF. Odds: 3.40, 17.40, 2.00.
Also Ran: Good Lord Lorrie, Set, Please Advise, Freedom Principle, I Know Map, Tropandhagen. Scratched: Dancing Groom.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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