SOUTH

JUBILATION!

Kevin Attard sends out Champion Mare to win for new owners

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

with files from Gulfstream media:

The date was Feb. 12, 2017 and Tino Attard dropped in a claim slip for a Florida-bred mare on the turf at Gulfstream Park. For $16,000 Attard, claiming on behalf of his son Kevin and Soli Mehta got a hard working plain bay gal from trainer Jorge Navarro, one of the leading trainers in North America.

The incredible mare has now won 9 races for Kevin from 17 starts, the first 8 for himself and Mehta who offered her for sale last fall. Starship Jubilee won three Grade 2’s for the owners and the Sunshine Millions Mare Turf last year. She was named the 2017 Champion Turf Mare in Canada and has a good chance to win that award again this season. She was in the Keeneland November sale last year but was bought back for $425,000 only to be sold privately soon after to Blue Heaven Farm.

Kevin was kept on to train the mare and she is back in winning form and on her way to Woodbine.

Thirteen proved to be a lucky number  Starship Jubilee, as the multiple Grade 2 winner overcame the far outside post to overpower 12 rivals and defend her 2018 victory in Saturday’s $150,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf at Gulfstream Park.

The 16th running of the 1 1/16-mile Filly & Mare Turf for females 4 and older was the third of four Florida-bred stakes worth $600,000 in purses on a 12-race Sunshine Millions Day program anchored by the $200,000 Classic.

Beaten as the favorite from Post 12 in her previous start, the Claiming Crown Tiara Dec. 1 at Gulfstream, Starship Jubilee ($4.20) put away main challenger Picara at the head of the stretch and drew off to win by 4 ½ lengths under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano. The winning time was 1:43.33 over a firm turf course.

She earned a Beyer Figure of 93.

“She hasn’t been lucky with the post positions, that’s for sure, but she had trained really well heading into this race,” winning trainer Kevin Attard said. “She had some excuses in her last race. I don’t think we saw the best of Starship Jubilee that particular day.

“Javier rode her really well. Obviously, coming out of the 13 hole you’ve got to use them up a little bit, but he managed to kind of get her settled down and tried to tuck in as best as possible,” he added. “The pace seemed like it kind of came back to a crawl early, but she ran well.”

Madame Uno, sent off at 30-1 from Post 12, was quickest from the gate and established the early lead, going the opening quarter-mile in 24.81 seconds and the half in 48.68, pressed by Picara, winner of the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Preview Nov. 10 at Gulfstream Park West in her previous start.

Castellano kept Starship Jubilee in the clear three wide down the backstretch, looming a threat in third. Hall of Famer John Velazquez moved to challenge the leader around the far turn after six furlongs in 1:12.63 with Starship Jubilee glued to his outside, and they straightened for home together.

“I was very concerned about the post,” Castellano said. “I had to come out running and use her a little bit, and then nobody wanted to go to the lead. It was a difficult decision to make. I let two or three horses go and got her covered up a little bit. The trainer told me before the race, the best thing for her is to be covered up a little bit and let her make one run. That’s what I did and she finished up strong.”

Once in the stretch, Castellano set Starship Jubilee down for a drive and the even-money opened up on the field for her 12th career win and first in the second start since being purchased privately from Attard and Soli Mehta by Bonnie Baskin of Blue Heaven last November.

“It’s just nice to see her kind of run to her potential,” Attard said. “Obviously, she’s run against horses in graded, open company so when you see them in a restricted race it almost feels like there’s more pressure on you. I was just happy to see her perform as she did and win for the new connections, as well.”

Starship Jubilee has won nine times, including victories in the 2017 Nassau (G2) and Dance Smartly (G2) and 2018 Canadian (G2) at Woodbine, in 17 starts since being claimed.. The 6-year-old Indy Wind mare won the Sovereign Award as Canada’s champion turf female in 2017 now owns eight career wins over the Gulfstream turf.

“I think we’ll probably give her a little bit of a break and then gear her up toward Woodbine,” Kevin Attard said, “but we’ll discuss it with the owners and take it from there.”

 

WOW – MARK CASSE HAS ANOTHER EARLY KENTUCKY DERBY CONTENDER

War Of Will began career at Woodbine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FAIR GROUNDS NOTES By Ryan Martin

Gary Barber’s War of Will has impressed trainer Mark Casse with every step that he has taken, but on a cold and windy Saturday evening at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the 3-year-old son of War Front made his mark on the Road To The Kentucky Derby with a victory in the Grade III Lecomte Stakes.

Under the guidance of rider Tyler Gaffalione, War of Will went four wide around the first turn and track in third behind Malpais who led the opening quarter in 24.33 with Manny Wah not far behind in second. At the far turn, War of Will made his bid and drew off to win the Lecomte Stakes by four lengths in a time of 1:43.44. Hog Creek Hustle finished second and Manny Wah hung on for third.

Wicked Indeed, Plus Que Parfait, Chase the Ghost, Roiland, Night Ops, Tackett, Tight Ten, and Malpais completed the finish. Another Casse trainee, Mo Speed, did not finish the race and walked off after being pulled up into the stretch.

It was a big day for Gary Barber who won stakes races with Solid Wager in new York (Grade 3 Toboggan) and also the Silverbulletday at Faiur Grounds. Casse won the Sunshine Millions Classic with Souper Tapit at Gulfstream and the Colonel Bradley at Fair Grounds with First Premio,

“My horse broke sharp,” Gaffalione said. “It looked like (Manny Wah) had a little more speed going into the turn and I took him back and went to his outside to try and get the best trip possible. He relaxed for me on the backside and when they came down to run, he really turned it on.”

The Lecomte was Gaffalione’s second time aboard War of Will. He guided the horse to a maiden special weight victory at Churchill Downs last time out, where he was geared down at the sixteenth pole and won under a hand ride.

“I never turned my stick on him,” Gaffalione recalled. “I just let him open up a bit. He really is special. He’s got a bright future ahead of him.”

War of Will has been training at Fair Grounds all winter with the Lecomte in mind. Now that he secured a victory in the race and collected 10 points on the Road To The Kentucky Derby in doing so, Casse is thinking ahead and stated that the Grade II $400,000 Risen Star Stakes on February 16 will be the next likely spot for him.

“I’ll talk to Gary but it would make the most sense, its why we’re here,” Casse said. “We love this place and it’s a great place to get a horse ready. I don’t know that there would be a real reason to leave.”

Casse believes that War of Will could be the horse that makes his Derby dreams a reality.

“This was about a month ago, but I had some friends over and I said ‘We have a big chance to win the Derby this year’,” Casse said. “I don’t usually say things like that, so that tells you what I think of him.”

War of Will went off as the 8-5 favorite and returned $5.20, $3.80 and $3.20 while Hog Creek Hustle brought back $10.00 and $6.00. Manny Wah returned $6.00.

The victory in the Lecomte brought War of Will’s lifetime earnings up to $251,569 after collecting $120,000 from the win. A runner on turf in the first four starts of his career, he is now unbeaten in two career starts on the main track.

War of Will is out of the Sadler’s Wells broodmare Visions of Clarity (Ire.) who is a half-sister to 1997 Grade I Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Spinning World. She also produced Irish Group 1 winner Pathfork as well as two-time dirt marathon stakes winner Tacticus. War of Will was purchased by trainer Mark Casse’s brother Justin for $298,550 from the Arqana May Two-Year-Old Breeze Up Sale in France, where he was consigned by Oak Tree Farm. He was bred in Kentucky by Flaxman Holdings.