Saturday's Racing Insights: Well-Bred Babies Debut All Over Country

Engrave sells as a yearling | Keeneland Photo

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2nd-MTH, $47.5K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, post time: 1:15 p.m. ET
St Elias Stables and West Point Thoroughbreds homebred Graceful Fancy (Liam's Map) is out of the super-talented Icon Project (Empire Maker), who earned a gaudy 114 Beyer Speed Figure for a 13 1/2-length romp in the 2009 GI Personal Ensign S. at Saratoga. Already the dam of Grade II winner Fashion Business (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Icon Project was a 1.45-million gns RNA in foal to Dubawi (Ire) at the 2015 Tattersalls December Mare Sale. Icon Project is out of the GISW La Gueriere (Lord At War {Arg}) and from the family of Munnings. TJCIS PPs

2nd-SAR, $72K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, post time: 1:43 p.m. ET
Chad Brown unveils a pair of newcomers in this heat. Polinesia (American Pharoah), an $800,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase by Peter Brant and the Coolmore contingent, is the first foal out of GIII Dogwood S. winner Super Majesty (Super Saver). He outworked an unraced stablemate handily over the Oklahoma turf course on Sunday when clocked in 1:02 2/5 (9/15, XBTV video). Public Sector (GB) (Kingman%20(GB)&log=#tot">Kingman {GB}) looks to join the growing list of talented runners bought overseas by Mike Ryan on behalf of Klaravich Stables. The grandson of French MGSW Di Moi Oui (GB) (Warning {GB}) was a 170,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling. TJCIS PPs

5th-ELP, $46.2K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5f, post time: 3:42 p.m. ET
Louis Wright's $390,000 Keeneland September yearling acquisition Inject (Frosted#tot">Frosted) is a daughter of Grade I-winning juvenile Appealing Zophie (Successful Appeal), making her a half to GI Belmont S. winner Tapwrit (Tapit) and Grade II-winning grasser Ride a Comet (Candy Ride {Arg}). Appealing Zophie sold for $1.2 million back in foal to Tapit at FTKNOV '18. Alaska Joy (Runhappy#tot">Runhappy), who cost $370,000 at the same auction, is out of MSP Anchorage (Tapit) and a half to GSP Chip Leader (Giant's Causeway). She hails from the female family of sires Broken Vow and Where's the Ring. Quick Munny (Munnings&log=#tot">Munnings), a $37,000 KEESEP grad, brought $100,000 at the OBS Spring Sale after breezing a :9 4/5 bullet. The Jason Barkley pupil is a granddaughter of a full-sister to Tapit. TJCIS PPs

6th-SAR, $72K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, post time: 3:57 p.m. ET
Chad Brown took a salty maiden special weight two Saturdays ago with the head-turning 'TDN Rising Star' Reinvestment Risk (Upstart) and against this similarly tough-looking bunch he'll unveil one by Upstart's sire Flatter in OXO Equine's Engrave. His sire's priciest yearling last year when costing $900,000 at Keeneland September, the rail-drawn dark bay is a half-brother to Brown-trained MGISW turfer Beach Patrol (Lemon Drop Kid). His dam is a full-sister to MGSW and GI Alabama S. runner-up Allamerican Bertie (Quiet American) and a half to MGSW Hurricane Bertie (Storm Boot). Further down his busy page is the likes of Sun King, Traitor, Peeping Tom, etc. Engrave prepped for this with a work alongside pricey OBSMAR buy Founder (Upstart) Sunday on the main track (1:00 flat, 3/20, XBTV video). Flatter's second most expensive 2019 yearling also shows up here–Charleston Strong cost $600,000 at KEESEP and was turned over to Jeremiah Englehart. Out of a half-sister to MGSW Ball Four (Grand Slam), he sports an upbeat worktab including a 1:00.22 (2/21) gate breeze Aug. 2 in which he held his own witholder multiple stakes-winning stablemate Runaway Lute (Midnight Lute) (XBTV video).

Vegso Racing Stable homebred Officiating (Blame&log=#tot">Blame) is a half-brother to 2017's champion juvenile filly Caledonia Road (Quality Road), who won her seven-furlong debut here that September. Calibrate (Distorted Humor), a $340,000 KEESEP yearling, hails from a family filled with European highweights. His penultimate breeze for this Aug. 3 (5f, 1:00.91, 1/4) came alongside Wednesday's GII Adirondack S. romper Thoughtfully (Tapit) (XBTV video). Vince Scuderi homebred High Knuckles (Ghostzapper) is a full to MGISW sprinter Paulassilverlining and a half to two-time GI Carter H. hero Dads Caps (Discreet Cat).

In addition to the bevy of well-bred firsters, those with prior running lines have turned in good showings–Swill (Munnings&log=#tot">Munnings) was a well-beaten second on debut behind 'TDN Rising Star' and subsequent GII Saratoga Special S. runner-up Therideofalifetime (Candy Ride {Arg}) at Keeneland July 11; Unitedandresolute (Violence&log=#tot">Violence) was runner-up on debut turf sprinting in Lexington two days earlier; and $420,000 OBSMAR buy Restored Order (Frosted) was a green third at Gulfstream way back on May 8. TJCIS PPs

8th-DMR, $55K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, post time: 8:42 p.m. ET
Illumination (Medaglia d'Oro) is one of a pair of Bob Baffert trainees making debuts here. The $950,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad is the first to race out of Light the City (Street Sense), a debut-winning juvenile over the local all-weather in 2014 who would win the Anoakia S. next out and finish a close second in the GI Las Virgenes S. at the beginning of her sophomore season. Breeder Breeze Easy paid $600,000 for her in foal to American Pharoah at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton November  sale. Illumination is from the same female family as Breeze Easy's Group 3-winning juvenile Maven (American Pharoah). Baffert's other runner is Rockingham Ranch's Kalypso (Brody's Cause), who was the most expensive yearling from her freshman  sire's first crop of yearlings when she cost $240,000 at Fasig-Tipton July. She was produced by a full-sister to MGSW Prospective (Malibu Moon). Park Avenue (Quality Road) was a $450,000 KEESEP yearling; while Isn't She Lovely (Into Mischief) shows some very fast works for typically patient Richard Mandella. TJCIS PPs

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