By Alan Carasso
2nd-Kentucky Downs, $132,803, Msw, 8-30, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.43, fm, 3/4 length.
GROUND SUPPORT (f, 2, Army Mule–Arch Support {GSP, $159,835}, by Arch) was completely friendless in the market at 100-1 and capitalized on an inside trip to cause a massive–if not entirely surprising–boilover.
A bit slow to begin from gate one, the dark bay quickly mustered for speed and was all the way up into a handy position on the back of pacesetting second-time starter La Dolce Vita (Not This Time) through the opening half-mile. Going along under a nice hold from Adam Beschizza entering the final three furlongs, Ground Support was ridden for luck and joined La Dolce Vita to her inside at the quarter pole. Easily putting that one away, the Florida-bred was hard-ridden the remainder and held off a late challenge from Secretly Delighted (Constitution)–a debuting half-sister to GSW & GISP Sweet Melania (American Pharoah) and SW 'TDN Rising Star' Sweet Rebecca (American Pharoah)–by three-quarters of a length.
Champion Equine purchased Arch Support, second in the grassy GIII Miss Grillo Stakes in 2010, in foal to Not This Time for $40,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton February and Ground Support is her sixth winner from seven to race. There is more turf pedigree deeper down the page, as this filly's second dam Two Ninety Jones (Sir Harry Lewis, by Alleged) was three times stakes-placed on the surface and third dam Caromist was a daughter of Caro (Ire).
Army Mule's sire Friesan Fire (A.P. Indy) did his best work on the main track, but his dam Bollinger (Aus) (Dehere) won in Group 1 company in Australia for Vinery and Gai Waterhouse and the female family is dotted with black-type, including G1 Victoria Derby hero Benicio (Aus) (More Than Ready). Kelsey Danner was also the trainer of this sire's Danse Macabre, a stakes winner and Grade III placed at this venue for a partnership including John Ballantyne's NBS Stable, and, given that she is out of a mare by Blame, is bred similarly to Ground Control.
Arch Support was most recently covered by Verifying.
Sales history: $90,000 RNA 2yo '25 OBSMAR; $80,000 2yo '25 EASMAY. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $54,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-NBS Stable; B-Champion Equine LLC (FL); T-Kelsey Danner.
🎈 🎈 🎈 Big balloons as the chalky streak to start the @KYDownsRacing ended in a big way. On debut #1 GROUND SUPPORT ($203.20) saved ground under @ABeschizza to take race 2. The daughter of Army Mule is trained by Kelsey Danner and owned by NBS Stable. pic.twitter.com/yqpaMUnWuB
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) August 30, 2025
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