Kinsale King rules Underwood

Kinsale King (right) would not be denied in the Underwood (Benoit Photos) Super Horse Inc.’s KINSALE KING (Yankee Victor) became rookie trainer Carl O’Callaghan’s first stakes starter in Sunday’s $100,000 Vernon O. Underwood S. (G3) at Hollywood Park. After blitzing six Cushion Track furlongs in 1:09 3/5, the front-running speedster ranked as the barn’s first graded winner. Kinsale King broke outward from his rail post and bumped with Machismo (Trippi), but soon straightened course for Martin Garcia and sprinted to the lead. The 7-1 shot rattled off fractions of :23 1/5 and :46 2/5 while prompted by Delta Storm (Storm Boot), with Mr. Cacht (Arg) (Numerous) a tracking third in his U.S. debut. Those three maintained their respective positions throughout the dash. Delta Storm did his utmost to overtake Kinsale King for the entire length of the stretch. Throwing down an ominous challenge, Delta Storm managed to reduce the deficit to a neck at the wire, but he never could get past Kinsale King. The game winner returned $16.40, $7.80 and $5.80 while keying the $1 exotics — $33 (exacta), $282.40 (trifecta) and $726 (1-3-6-4 superfecta). Delta Storm paid $3.80 and $2.80 for finishing 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Mr. Cacht. Show was good for $6.40 at 9-1.

Noble Court (Doneraile Court), the 2-1 favorite, closed from last to grab
fourth, 1 3/4 lengths astern of Mr. Cacht. Paul’s Hope (Lake Austin), Machismo
and a tailed-off Talkin to Mom Roo (You and I) rounded out the order of finish.
Talkin to Mom Roo was pulled up at the wire and vanned off.

Kinsale King, now two-for-two since joining O’Callaghan, brandishes an
overall scorecard of 6-3-0-1, $117,080. After breaking his maiden second time
out for Jesus Mendoza in March 2008, he was transferred to Eoin Harty and
sidelined for nearly nine months. The dark bay gelding was unplaced in both of
his entry-level allowance attempts for Harty, and he was not seen again for
nearly 10 months. Resurfacing in the care of O’Callaghan, the
four-year-old returned in an optional claimer at Santa Anita on October 30 and
posted a wire-to-wire, three-length victory.

Bred by Marvin Little Jr. in Kentucky, Kinsale King has been sold twice at
public auction. A $27,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland September, he brought
$67,000 as a Barretts May two-year-old. He is out of the unraced Woodman mare
Flaming Mirage, whose other progeny include the stakes-placed Ballado Chieftan
(Saint Ballado), an unraced juvenile colt named Firefighter (Forest Danger), a
yearling filly named Victoria’s Wildcat (Bellamy Road) and a weanling colt by
Forest Danger.

Flaming Mirage is a half-sister to stakes winners Light of Morn (Alleged) and
Dancing Mirage (Alleged). She comes from the family of multiple Grade 3 victors
Now Listen (Miswaki) and Sandtrap (Irish River [Fr]), and further back, the
ill-fated champion two-year-old Roving Boy (Olden Times).