Breeze Easy may be in line for a return trip to Royal Ascot after Karak (Karakontie {Jpn})'s 'TDN Rising Star' debut win at Belmont Saturday. Sent off at 8-5 while facing the boys, the bay filly jumped out to the early lead. She was soon joined by her favored stablemate No Nay Maybe (Ire) (No Nay Never) and those two went stride for stride through a half in :45.38. Karak easily surged past that foe with a furlong to run and, despite repeatedly changing leads, drew away without being asked to win by three lengths, completing the five furlongs in :57.38. No Nay Maybe was 3 3/4 lengths in front of Now Is (Sidney's Candy) in third.
Karak is the first winner for her freshman sire, GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner Karakontie (Bernstein). A half-sister to Aqua Frio (Uncle Mo, SW, $177,112), she was purchased by Breeze Easy for $365,000 after working a furlong in :9 4/5 at the OBS March sale. She sold for $22,000 as a Keeneland November weanling and RNA'd for $30,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.
Down the Well's yearling filly by Violence, who RNA'd for $37,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale, sold for $35,000 at this year's Keeneland January sale. The mare produced a colt by Animal Kingdom this year.
Sam Ross and Mike Hall's Breeze Easy won the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot last year with Shang Shang Shang (Shanghai Bobby).
1st-Belmont, $96,500, Msw, 5-25, 2yo, 5fT, :57.38, fm.
KARAK, f, 2, by Karakontie+%28Jpn%29">Karakontie {Jpn}
1st Dam: Down The Well {Ire}, by Mujadil
2nd Dam: Batchelor's Button, by Kenmare (Fr)
3rd Dam: Boutonniere, by Sir Gaylor
$22,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $30,000 RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP; $365,000 2yo '19 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $50,000.
O-Breeze Easy, LLC; B-Parrish Hill Farm, Amanda Roach Cole & Karakontie Syndicate (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward. *1/2 to Aqua Frio (Uncle Mo), SW, $191,007. Click for the Equibase.com chart, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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