SPOTLIGHT PERFORMANCES
APRIL 21, 2005
by James Scully
Stronach Stables’ promising three-year-old filly SPUN SUGAR
(Awesome Again) made her two-turn debut at Keeneland Saturday and recorded her
second straight victory in authoritative fashion, rallying from a couple of
lengths off the pace to the lead on the far turn before drawing off to a
four-length decision. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Spun Sugar earned a 103 BRIS
Speed rating in the 1 1/16-mile allowance and improved her career mark to
3-2-1-0. Runner-up in her career bow at Saratoga last summer, the daughter of
multiple stakes winner Irish Cherry (Irish Open) returned from a lengthy layoff
to crush maiden special weight foes in her seven-furlong seasonal bow in
mid-February.
Pletcher sent out an impressive two-year-old in HALF OURS (Unbridled’s
Song) on Sunday. The gray youngster sprinted to the fore and exploded through
the stretch drive under very mild handling from John Velazquez, drawing off to a
10 3/4-length score in :51 3/5, the fastest juvenile time so far this meet.
Half Ours is the first offspring from the Storm Cat mare Zing, who is out of
Grade 1 winner Key Phrase (Flying Paster). The colt was purchased at Keeneland
last September for $625,000.
Difficult to imagine Nick Zito slipping a nice three-year-old
past the public twice considering the year he’s enjoying, but PINPOINT (Peaks
and Valleys) posted his second straight upset when taking an allowance event by
1 1/4 lengths at Keeneland Sunday. In his previous outing, the dark bay colt was
overlooked at 24-1 in a seven-furlong maiden special weight event at Gulfstream
in mid-February and easily proved best in near wire-to-wire manner. Pinpoint led
every step of the way stretching out to 8 1/2 furlongs on Sunday and paid $31.
CHARGING INDIAN (Indian Charlie) was a good-looking
three-year-old allowance winner for trainer Walter Bindner Jr. on Friday,
storming from just off the pace to win a six-furlong allowance event in
Lexington, Kentucky, by 4 1/2 lengths. A narrow winner of his career bow on the
grass at Fair Grounds last month, the bay colt switched surfaces and remained
perfect while knocking off the highly regarded Yes Yes Yes (Yes It’s True), who
finished second as the 3-5 favorite. Charging Indian earned a 102 Speed
rating.
The well-bred DREAM TIME (Storm Cat), who is out of Grade 1
winner Fantastic Find (Mr. Prospector) and a full sister to multiple Grade 1
winner Finder’s Fee, remained perfect from two career outings when capturing a
six-furlong allowance on Thursday. Trained by Shug McGaughey, the three-year-old lass
closely tracked the pace before assuming the advantage in the final sixteenth of
a mile and won by three parts of a length. It was her first appearance since her
debut win at Belmont last June.
RELAXED GESTURE (Ire) (Indian Ridge) looked like he could be a
major player in graded turf races this year with a scintillating performance at
Keeneland Thursday. Returning to the races off a near 12-month layoff, the
classy European juvenile performer was making his first appearance for
Christophe Clement after starting only once as a three-year-old last season for
conditioner Dermot Weld, recording a second in a Group 2 event last May. The
Moyglare colorbearer relaxed in midpack in this nine-furlong grassy allowance
and simply exploded under jockey Brice Blanc when finding a path at the top of
the stretch, drawing off beautifully through the stretch to win by 6 3/4
lengths. Out of Group 3 queen Token Gesture (Alzao) and a half-brother to 2003
American Derby (G2) winner Evolving Tactics (Ire), Relaxed Gesture is just
getting started on his American racing career and should keep getting better.