January 25, 2025 - Oaklawn Park, Race 2, Msw, USD $110,000, 1 1/16M
Rapture, C, 3, 2022 by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Positively Royal, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Fashion Storm, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Fashion Star, by Chief's Crown
Owner: CHC Inc and WinStar Farm LLC
Breeder: Bill & Terry Mathis, MST LLC & Rochelle Bloodstock LLC (KY)
Trainer: Brad H. Cox
WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s Rapture (c, 3, Uncle Mo–Positively Royal, by Bernardini) had to be used some early on to gain a forward position from an awkward draw, but settled nicely from there just off the speed and responded when asked to finish off his race to graduate by 6 3/4 lengths in his two-turn debut Saturday at Oaklawn Park to earn 'TDN Rising Star' honors.
A debut second as the favorite to subsequent strong-figure Tampa allowance winner Vassimo (Nyquist) on his one-mile unveiling at Gulfstream Park Dec. 14, finishing a baker's dozen ahead of the third-placed runner on that occasion, Rapture had recorded no fewer than four breezes since at Payson Park and made the trek to Hot Springs to run for a considerably larger pot than he would have at Gulfstream.
The $300,000 Keeneland September yearling jumped here as the 9-10 chalk and was ridden positively by Eclipse Award winner Flavien Prat, but despite showing that good early speed, was no better than three deep at the first corner.
Clearly second and doing the chasing comfortably enough turning up the backstretch, the bay colt was ridden along just a bit a half-mile out to hold his position and avoid being sandwiched between rival. Under more vigorous urging to come after the pacesetter midway on the turn, Rapture continued to be busily ridden by Prat, was back into the bit at the top of the lane and responded to a left-handed whip inside the final eighth of a mile to win clear.
The winner is bred on the same cross responsible for GISW Mo Town and other graded winners Modernist and Mopotism, the latter named the dam of GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner and top Classics candidate Journalism (Curlin). A $325,000 KEESEP yearling, Positively Royal is now the dam of three winners from five to race and her newly turned 2-year-old son of Liam's Map fetched $450,000 from Kia Joorabchian's AMO Racing USA at last year's Keeneland September Sale. The multiple Grade III-placed third dam counted GISW Eddington (Unbridled) and G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen third Star Crowned (Kingmambo) among her seven winners.
Rapture makes it an even 20 'TDN Rising Stars' for his sadly departed sire.