In 2013, Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas teamed up with Calumet Farm to score a 15-1 upset in the GI Preakness S. with Oxbow (Awesome Again). Those legendary connections joined forces with another son of Awesome Again for a big upset Saturday at the Fair Grounds, capturing the GII Risen Star S. with 21-1 shot Bravazo. Hall of Famer Gary Stevens, who piloted Oxbow to his Classic win, was scheduled to ride the homebred for what would have been true deja vu, but was unable to make the trip in from Oaklawn and leading NOLA rider Miguel Mena inherited the mount.
Away alertly, Bravazo battled GIII Lecomte S. third-place finisher Snapper Sinclair (City Zip) through opening splits of :24.15 and :47.96 with “TDN Rising Star” Noble Indy (Take Charge Indy), Lecomte victor and race favorite Instilled Regard (Arch) and High North (Midnight Lute) running three abreast right off the leaders' heels. Instilled Regard was the first to make his move, ranging up menacingly on the pacesetting duo's outside, but Snapper Sinclair and Bravazo both still had more in reserve. They shook free of Instilled Regard, but continued to battle each other down the stretch as the rail-skimming Noble Indy determinedly tried to close the gap. Running a few paths off the rail, Snapper Sinclair and Bravazo continued to give it all they had and, for a moment, it looked like Snapper Sinclair would hold on. But, Bravazo would not be denied and found just enough in the final strides to get the tip of his nose down on the line first. Noble Indy held for third and Instilled Regard checked in fourth.
“First of all, I am very thankful to the connections,” Mena said. “I found out two or three days ago that Gary Stevens wasn't coming and the Coach, Wayne Lukas, gave me the call. I talked to the assistant trainer Bas [Nicholl] this morning and he told me how much they liked the horse. He gave me a couple of instructions and told me to ride with confidence because he was a very nice horse and here he showed it.”
Donning cap and gown by 4 3/4 lengths at second asking at Churchill Downs Sept. 16, Bravazo ran second to recent GII Holy Bull S. runner-up Free Drop Billy (Union Rags) in the GI Breeders' Futurity S. at Keeneland Oct. 7 and was third next out in the Street Sense S. back in Louisville Oct. 29. Never lifting a hoof when 10th in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. Nov. 25, the dark bay cleared his first-level allowance condition with a neck success going a mile at his trainer's winter base at Oaklawn Park Jan. 13 with Stevens in the irons.
Pedigree Notes:
Bravazo is the 36th graded stakes winner and 64th black-type victor for Awesome Again. Calumet Farm purchased Tiz o' Gold for $35,000 with Bravazo in utero at the 2014 Keeneland November sale. The winner is the first foal out of the California-bred mare, who has since produced a juvenile colt by Raison d'Etat; a yearling filly by Aikenite; and a Raison d'Etat colt born Feb. 7 of this year.
Saturday, Fair Grounds
RISEN STAR S. PRESENTED BY LAMARQUE FORD-GII, $400,000, FG, 2-17, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:42.95, ft.
1–BRAVAZO, 117, c, 3, by Awesome Again
1st Dam: Tiz o' Gold, by Cee's Tizzy
2nd Dam: Pep o' Gold, by Slew o' Gold
3rd Dam: Ginged Up, by The Irish Lord
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-D. Wayne Lukas; J-Miguel Mena.
$240,000. Lifetime Record: 7-3-1-1, $426,528. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus*.[bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Snapper Sinclair, 120, c, 3, City Zip–True Addiction, by Yes It's
True. ($30,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP; $180,000 2yo '17 OBSAPR).
O-Bloom Racing Stable LLC (Jeffrey Bloom); B-K & G Stables
(KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $80,000.[bullet ad=”lanes-end-sales-grad”]3–Noble Indy, 116, c, 3, Take Charge Indy–Noble Maz, by Storm
Boot. ($45,000 RNA Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-WinStar Farm LLC &
Repole Stable; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$40,000.[bullet ad=”winstar-bred”]Margins: NO, 2, NK. Odds: 21.00, 41.70, 2.60.
Also Ran: Instilled Regard, High North, Ebben, Principe Guilherme, Givemeaminit, Supreme Aura. Scratched: Kentucky Club. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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