Remember Mamba

Crunched from a morning line of 5-1 into 8-5 favoritism while attempting to negotiate nine furlongs at first asking, C R K Stable's Remember Mamba (c, 2, Kitten's Joy-Gizmo, by Uncle Mo) turned in a performance as professional as the late NBA legend for whom he his named, streaking away through the final 100 yards to become a 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Saturday at Keeneland.

Drawn gate three, the $270,000 Keeneland September yearling bounced well and was able to secure a prominent position just behind the speed with Jose Ortiz sitting against him for the run down the back.

Held together while racing in the two path passing the three-eighths pole, Remember Mamba was asked to quicken on the swing for home, went to his more-experienced chief market rival Maginnesontap (Omaha Beach) three off the inside nearing the eighth pole and kicked clear with every stride to take it in highly promising style.

As referenced in a story on C R K's Lee Searing by Steve Sherack in 2020, when the operation was represented on the COVID-reshuffled Triple Crown trail by Honor A. P., Searing has long been a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers, having grown up in Southern California. The C R K silks pay homage to the NBA franchise and its mega-star Kobe Bryant, who tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in January 2020.

“When Kobe Bryant came to the Lakers I developed a passion for going and watching Kobe play,” Searing told the Lexington Herald-Leader ahead of Honor A. P.'s Kentucky Derby bid in September 2020. “As a fan I go all the way back to Jerry West and Elgin Baylor and a lot of the great Lakers; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain. But, Kobe will always be my favorite.”

C R K's current marquee attraction is $1.2-million Keeneland September graduate Baeza (McKinzie), who earned a maiden Grade I victory in the Pennsylvania Derby Sept. 20 and is part of a field of now 10 horses set for the Nov. 1 GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar.

Perennial leading turf sire Kitten's Joy died of an apparent heart attack in his paddoct at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa in the summer of 2022, and Remember Mamba is the fifth winner from 14 to have races (41 total foals) from his final crop. A May 6 foal, Remember Mamba is the first winner from two starters from his dam, a half-sister to four to salute, uncluding SW Plentiful (Harlan's Holiday). Third dam Spring Meadow was a Grade III winner over six furlongs and placed three times at Grade I level, notably when dueling through the Saratoga stretch with the Bobby Frankel-trained You before just failing in the Test Stakes at Saratoga in 2002. Gizmo is also the dam of a weanling filly by McKinzie and is due to Practical Joke for 2026.

The cross of Kitten's Joy over Uncle Mo is now responsible for five winners from as many runners. The El Prado (Ire) cross over Uncle Mo mares has yielded Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna and current GISW Nitrogen, among others.

2nd-Keeneland, $110,000, Msw, 10-25, 2yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:49.97, fm, 4 1/2 lengths.
REMEMBER MAMBA, c, 2, by Kitten's Joy
1st Dam: Gizmo, by Uncle Mo
2nd Dam: Spring Street, by Street Cry (Ire)
3rd Dam: Spring Meadow, by Meadowlake
Sales history: $270,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $62,233. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-C R K Stable LLC; B-Burning Daylight Farms Inc & November Hill Inc (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux.