Mr. Crow (Tapizar) broke sharply and never looked back with a front-running 'TDN Rising Star' performance in the Saturday opener at Saratoga. The bay rallied to finish second after breaking a bit tardily in his six-furlong debut at Belmont June 24 and took solid support here as the 7-5 second choice. Sent straight to the front, he showed the way in the clear through splits of :22.20 and :45.11 with mild pressure from favored Marshall Plan (Speightstown) to his outside. He shook that rival off entering the turn, kicked clear despite racing a bit greenly and reported home a decisive winner. The colt stopped the clock in a sharp 1:09.44, with Distorted Admiral (Admiral Alex) crossing the wire 11 1/2 lengths back in second.
The winner's dam is a half-sister to GIII Lexington S. winner Sharp Impact (Siphon {Brz}) and stakes-placed Speed Hunter (Alydeed). She is responsible for an unraced 2-year-old colt by Uncle Mo named Shiitake who sold for $65,000 as a KEEJAN short yearling and is currently in training at Churchill Downs, as well as a yearling filly by To Honor and Serve. Mr. Crow was acquired by the Korean-based KRA Stud Farm for $150,000 as an OBS March juvenile offering from Jaime Mejia's Thoroughbred Champions Training Center after breezing a quarter-mile in :20 3/5. The farm was also represented by J. S. Choice (Congrats), runner-up in last year's GIII Pilgrim S. after breaking his maiden over the Saratoga sod last September.
1st-SAR, $83,000, Msw, 7-22, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:09.44, ft.
MR. CROW, c, 3, by Tapizar
1st Dam: Black Chocolate, by Harlan's Holiday
2nd Dam: Fast and Early, by Carson City
3rd Dam: Missadoon, by Matsadoon
Sales History: $12,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo '16 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $64,800.
O-KRA Stud Farm; B-Avalon Farms, Inc. & Scott Swaim (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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