Woodford Racing LLC's Hot Springs (Uncle Mo) ran his record over the Matt Winn turf course to a perfect four-from-four, rallying from last for a first graded-stakes victory in Saturday's GIII Commonwealth Turf S., the lone graded event on the domestic racing calendar.
Drawn widest in the field of seven, Hot Springs was by a little more than $1,600 the second favorite in the wagering to Live Oak's March to the Arch (Arch) and took up a spot towards the rear of the field early on as Marzo (Medaglia d'Oro) galloped them along at a leisurely tempo over ground which was still labeled yielding. Hot Springs's stablemate Reride (Candy Ride {Arg}) got a good trip just on the back of the frontrunner and it was that Winchell runner who looked loaded for bear as he peeled to the outside of Marzo nearing the lane just as March to the Arch, a forward factor for the opening six panels, began to back pedal.
Hot Springs was held together by Ricardo Santana, Jr. while gaining ground at the rail into the lane, angled out very abruptly–coming across Sniper Kitten (Kitten's Joy)–at the furlong marker before galloping home a convincing winner.
“He's 4-for-4 over the surface here, but today was the most impressive one,” said trainer Steve Asmussen, who won the 2007 Commonwealth with Inca King (Sir Cat). “The way he was finishing up was very impressive. Hopefully we'll be able to come back to Churchill next year. There are some very nice races down the road for this colt.”
Hot Springs graduated in his first appearance beneath the Twin Spires in June and followed up with a good-looking allowance victory before enduring a troubled passage when runner-up in the July 14 GIII Kent S. at Delaware Park. A respectable fourth to the Chad Brown-trained Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in Saratoga's GIII Saranac S. Sept. 1, he reaffirmed his affinity for this strip with a one-length success in the Sept. 29 Jefferson Cup over this distance.
Pedigree Notes:
Purchased for $750,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September sale, Hot Springs was the most expensive of 72 Uncle Mo yearlings to sell that season and became his sire's 22nd graded winner in the Commonwealth. Hot Springs's second dam was raced by her breeder Bo Hirsch to an upset victory over odds-on Santa Catarina (Unbridled) in the 2002 GI Del Mar Debutante S. for Warren Stute and later went on to produce the 2009 GII Arkansas Derby hero Papa Clem (Smart Strike) for Gary Stute. C. L. Hirsch raced third dam Magical Maiden to victories in the 1991 GI Hollywood Starlet S. and the 1992 GI Las Virgenes S. Magical Victory is the dam of the 2-year-old filly Bye Bye Bully's (Stay Thirsty) and a yearling colt by Declaration of War. She was most recently bred to Dialed In.
Saturday, Churchill Downs
COMMONWEALTH TURF S.-GIII, $100,000, Churchill Downs, 11-10, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:46.97, yl.
1–HOT SPRINGS, 120, c, 3, by Uncle Mo&log=">Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Magical Victory (SP), by Victory Gallop
2nd Dam: Miss Houdini, by Belong to Me
3rd Dam: Magical Maiden, by Lord Avie
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($750,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP).
O-Woodford Racing, LLC; B-Bo Hirsch LLC (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen; J-Ricardo Santana, Jr. $60,760. Lifetime Record:
7-4-1-0, $248,480. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Zero Gravity, 118, g, 3, Orb–Freedom Rings, by Proud Citizen.
($13,000 Wlg '15 KEENOV; $125,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP).
O-Barry & Joni Butzow; B-Peter Berglar (FL); T-Joe Sharp.
$19,600.
3–Marzo, 118, g, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Spring Party, by Smart
Strike. ($1,000,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP; $35,000 3yo '18 FTKHRA).
O-Marc Detampel; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC
(KY); T-Ben Colebrook. $9,800.
Margins: 1HF, 1HF, 2HF. Odds: 1.90, 15.60, 11.10.
Also Ran: Reride, March to the Arch, Sniper Kitten, Year of the Kitten. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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