By Alan Carasso
Vanderbilt (Into Mischief) took the lion's share of the pari-mutuel action in Saturday's fourth race from Gulfstream Park and jumped as the 4-5 chalk, but New York-bred River Thames (c, 3, Maclean's Music–Proportionality, by Discreet Cat) proved the fly in the ointment, turning in a flawless debut performance to be named the newest 'TDN Rising Star'
The clearest betting alternative to Vanderbilt at odds of 29-10, the $200,000 Fasig-Tipton NY-Bred Sale graduate was under a busy ride early from John Velazquez, but had gained a forward position three-wide from third passing the half-mile marker. Pouring in the pressure to the favorite, who cut out fractions of :22.49 and :45.47 while mostly hugging the inside running rail, River Thames–carrying the WinStar colors for the debut–went on the attack four deep at the five-sixteenths, claimed Vanderbilt with relative easy in upper stretch and was ridden out to score by a commanding 4 3/4 lengths.
“We've always had high expectations for him,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We had a little bit of a setback during the summer which delayed his debut, but he's been training like he'd come out with a good effort to begin with.
“I thought it was a competitive group we were running against today, a good field, and the final time was good. It seemed like he did it the right way.”
The fourth 'Rising Star' for his Hill 'n' Dale-based stallion, River Thames continues a nice stretch for his sire, whose son Music Critic, a $650,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic juvenile, aired at first asking for Jimmy Jerkens in Saudi Arabia this past Thursday.
River Thames's dam, herself a debut winner at two at Laurel Park, is a half-sister to four winners, including Miss Interpret (Street Sense), who won a rained-off renewal of the P.G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga in 2021. Third dam Seeking the Silver produced MGISW Paulassilverlining (Ghostzapper), dam of SW and recent UAE GSP 'TDN Rising Star' Artorius (Arrogate); GISW sire Dads Caps (Discreet Cat); and SP Liza Too (Olmodavor), the dam of the stakes-winning Long Weekend (Majesticperfection). Proportionality was bred to both Liam's Map and WinStar's Nashville for her 2025 foal.
4th-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 1-11, 3yo, 6f, 1:10.27, ft, 4 3/4 lengths.
RIVER THAMES, c, 3, by Maclean's Music
1st Dam: Proportionality, by Discreet Cat
2nd Dam: All Mettle, by Touch Gold
3rd Dam: Seeking the Silver, by Grindstone
Sales history: $200,000 Ylg '23 SARAUG. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart and VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. O-WinStar Farm LLC, CHC INC, and Siena Farm LLC; B-CTR Stables, LLC (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
It was an impressive debut by #8 RIVER THAMES ($7.80) in race 4 at @GulfstreamPark. The 2yo son of Maclean's Music was ridden by @ljlmvel and is trained by Todd Pletcher.
Watch more on @FanDuelTV. pic.twitter.com/nNvMRywY1N
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 11, 2025
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