In 2007, Any Given Saturday, a son of WinStar Farm's Distorted Humor and campaigned in partnership by WinStar and Padua Stables, gave subsequent GI Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense (Street Cry {Ire}) all he could handle before going down by a nostril in the Tampa Bay Derby, then a Grade II. Carpe Diem (Giant's Causeway), a 'TDN Rising Star' raced in partnership with Stonestreet Stable, went one better in 2015, and Saturday, the comebacking 'TDN Rising Star' Quip (Distorted Humor)–co-owned by China Horse Club and SF Bloodstock–tossed his hat into the Triple Crown ring with a stalk-and-pounce success at the Oldsmar oval.
Having his first run since a troubled seventh-place effort behind Saturday's GIII Gotham S. hero Enticed (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. last Nov. 25, Quip jumped alertly from gate 10 and raced up to sit just off the flank of favored World of Trouble (Kantharos), who raced keenly beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. while making his two-turn debut off a 13 3/4-length blowout in this track's seven-furlong Pasco S. Jan. 20. Vino Rosso (Curlin), the 21-10 second betting choice off his running-on third to Flameaway (Scat Daddy) in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. Feb. 10, enjoyed the run of the race in third, while Flameaway tracked from a three-wide position. The pace which figured above average on paper was moderate at best, and it was advantage World of Trouble, as the half-mile was up in just :49.48 and six furlongs in 1:13.78. But, perhaps owing to his early exertions, World of Trouble had little to offer when he was headed with an eighth of a mile to travel, and Quip edged clear late. Flameaway was up late for second, while Vino Rosso plugged on at one pace to be a lackluster fourth.
The pace-pressing 11-1 winner of his six-furlong debut beneath the Twin Spires Sept. 23, Quip stretched to two-turns for the first time, leading every step of the way to score by 6 1/2 length to earn the 'Rising Star' designation. The $5.40-1 third choice in the Kentucky Jockey Club, Quip raced well off the pace for the first time, was steadied with 2 1/2 furlongs to run and finished evenly for seventh. The race has since gone on to become one of the key heats of the Triple Crown season, its also rans including future GII Xpressbet Fountain of Youth S. winner Promises Fulfilled (Shackleford, third in the KY JC); Mine That Bird Derby hero Reride (Candy Ride {Arg}, sixth); GII Risen Star S. upsetter Bravazo (Awesome Again, 10th); and Diamond King (Quality Road), a stakes winner and third in the GIII Swale S. since losing his rider in the Jockey Club.
It was a first big-race win for former Bill Mott assistant Rodolphe Brisset.
“We won a lot of big races with the Mott team, and you learn how to handle the feeling,” Brisset said. “But maybe it's a little sweeter because it's my name.”
The conditioner was pleased with the way the race unfolded.
“On paper, it looked like we were going to be there early, and it was a matter of whether they were going to let us go (the half-mile) in :47 seconds or :49,” Brisset said. “I guess they let us go in :49, which was a little surprising to me. It was just a matter of him being fit enough; I'm not sure if we had him 100%, but he was fit enough to win today and that's the main thing.”
Pedigree Notes:
Quip is the first foal from Princess Ash, a half-sister to GISP Normandy Invasion (Tapit), who was purchased by WinStar for $200,000 out of the Horses of Racing Age section of the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Sale. He is the 60th graded winner and 142nd black-type winner for the sire of champion and 2003 GI Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide and has a 2-year-old half-sister named Solstice (Speightstown) and a yearling full-brother. Princess Ash was most recently bred to Tapit's two-time Grade I winner Constitution.
LAMBHOLM SOUTH TAMPA BAY DERBY-GII, $355,000, TAM, 3-10, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.72, ft.
1–QUIP, 118, c, 3, by Distorted Humor
1st Dam: Princess Ash, by Indian Charlie
2nd Dam: Boston Lady, by Boston Harbor
3rd Dam: Gay Senorita, by Raise a Native
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED
STAKES WIN. O-WinStar Farm LLC, China Horse Club
International Ltd. & SF Racing LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY);
T-Rodolphe Brisset; J-Florent Geroux. $210,000. Lifetime
Record: 4-3-0-0, $282,800. Werk Nick Rating: A+ Click for
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Flameaway, 120, c, 3, Scat Daddy–Vulcan Rose, by Fusaichi
Pegasus. ($150,000 Ylg '16 KEEJAN; $400,000 Ylg '16 FTSAUG).
O-John C. Oxley; B-Phoenix Rising Farms (ON); T-Mark E. Casse.
$70,000.
3–World of Trouble, 118, c, 3, Kantharos–Meets Expectations,
by Valid Expectations. ($10,000 RNA Ylg '16 OBSAUG).
O-Michael Dubb & Bethlehem Stables LLC; B-Darsan Inc. (FL);
T-Jason Servis. $40,000.
Margins: 1, NK, 4 3/4. Odds: 19.10, 6.30, 1.60.
Also Ran: Vino Rosso, Tiz Mischief, Untamed Domain, Caloric, Arazi Like Move, Grandpa Knows Best. Scratched: Enticed, Free Drop Billy. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
