Perfect Drive gave Grade 1 hero PURGE (Pulpit) his first U.S. winner as a sire on
Thursday when romping in the 1ST race at Arlington Park. The 8-5 favorite broke
alertly beneath Fernando Jara, rattled off quick splits, and opened up through
the lane to score by nine lengths. The Steve Hobby trainee finished six furlongs
in 1:10 3/5 on the Polytrack.
Purge’s first winning offspring overall was Bariton, who broke his maiden at
first asking in Russia on June 7.
Trained by Todd Pletcher throughout his career, Purge racked up six
black-type credits — three wins and three placings — while bankrolling
$905,434. The Kentucky-bred captured
his first two career starts before running second when trying stakes company for
the first time in the Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park in 2004. He returned to the
winner’s circle in the Peter Pan S. (G2), and would go on to add a victory in
the Jim Dandy S. (G2) and a fourth in the Travers S. (G1) to his line.
At four, Purge ended his career on a high note in the Cigar Mile H. (G1),
where he powered to a 3 3/4-length score. The bay also ran third in the
Meadowlands S. (G2) and Philip H. Iselin H. (G3) that season, retiring with a
15-6-1-2 career mark.
Purge is out of dual stakes winner Copelan’s Bid Gal (Copelan), making him a
full brother to Grade 3-placed stakes victress Namaste’s Wish. Copelan’s Bid Gal
is herself a half-sibling to Grade 2-scoring sire Valid Wager (Valid Appeal) and
Miss Bold Appeal (Valid Appeal), the dam of 1998 Mother Goose (G1), Test (G1)
and Acorn (G1) queen Jersey Girl (Belong to Me). This is the same family as
Grade 3-winning full siblings Little Sister (Valid Appeal) and Valid
Expectations (Valid Appeal), the latter of whom is a successful sire, as well as
champion and 1975 Kentucky Derby (G1) hero Foolish Pleasure (What a Pleasure).
The eight-year-old Purge stands for a $12,500 live foal fee at Vinery near
Lexington, Kentucky.