Bargain purchase Conquest Windycity finds himself in Pimlico Special

Keeneland’s November dispersal of the horses owned by Ernie Semersky and Dory Newell continues to be fertile stakes material for other barns. In addition to Preakness contender Conquest Mo Money, an $8,500 acquisition at the dispersal, Conquest Windycity find himself in Friday’s Pimlico Special.

 

Conquest Windycity sold for $325,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale, then was resold as a 2-year-old at the OBS March sale for $800,000 to Semersky and Newell’s Conquest Stables. David Ross’ DARRS Inc. got him for $65,000 at the dispersal. The son of two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Tiznow won two of eight races for Conquest trainer Mark Casse out of eight starts, both on dirt, while also racing on turf and synthetic surfaces.

 

Current trainer Brendan Walsh credits Ross and his racing manager, James Bredin, for picking out Conquest Windycity, who is from the same female as Mastery, one of the favorites for this year’s Kentucky Derby until injured. For his new connections, Conquest Windycity has one second and a big win in a Keeneland allowance race in two starts.

 

“His last run was very good,” Walsh said. “He got a huge [handicapping] number. We think highly of him, and we’re going to take a shot. He seems like he’s training really well and doing really well. When they’re like that, you’ve got to take a shot. He has a serious pedigree, and is a beautiful-looking horse. So he was a good purchase.”

 

Just how big bargain Conquest Windycity was “has yet to be proven,” Walsh said. “But he’s got all the qualities of a high-end yearling purchase. I think he has plenty of talent.”

 

Casse agreed. “We loved him,” he said. “He’s one of the horses I regret not going after in the dispersal, because he’s a horse we always thought was extremely talented. I think we kind of got caught up in trying to make him a Derby horse. Some of those horses just need more time, and he was one of them. He’s a talented horse, a beautiful horse. [Casse’s son and chief assistant] Norman says this all the time, and I agree with him: He was too good not to be good at something. Yeah, he didn’t surprise me.”

 

 

A contender in Friday’s $150,000 Adena Springs Miss Preakness (G3) who has her connections looking for an improved performance is lightly raced Al Stall, Jr. trainee My Miss Chiff, who was fifth last time after a less-than-ideal trip in the Beaumont (G3) April 9 at Keeneland under jockey Mitchell Murrill.

 

Her most recent effort, where she wasn’t as sharp from the gate as her previous races, was third lifetime start and first loss for My Miss Chiff following two dominant efforts against Louisiana-breds at Fair Grounds. Owned by Town and Country Racing, she is part of what has been a potent crop for top sire Into Mischief.

 

“For whatever reason, she didn’t leave as crisp as she did in New Orleans,” Stall said. “She pulled on Mitchell for about five-eighths of a mile from the start to the quarter pole and at that point, he dropped her to the rail, which was a plowed field. She deserves a shot here. I just need to see her leave on her toes. The rest is up to her.”

 

The third winner from as many starters for top Louisiana-bred sprinter Carl’s Frosty Girl and a $110,000 Fasig-Tipton July 2015 purchase, My Miss Chiff breaks from Post 2 and will be ridden for the first time by Joel Rosario.

 

 

If the $100,000 James W. Murphy presented by After the Wire were on dirt instead of grass, Brad Grady’s Cool Arrow would be the obvious choice.

 

Regardless of surface Cool Arrow, who has never run on turf, is the most accomplished horse in the field of 13 3-year-olds, having won a trio of stakes: Remington Park’s Kip Deville and Springboard Mile last year and Charles Town’s Robert Hilton Memorial in the slop in his last start.

 

Louisville, Ky.-based trainer Joe Sharp had planned to run Kitten’s Cat in the Murphy, but decided to give that colt more time between races after consulting with owner Ken Ramsey. Cool Arrow wasn’t nominated to the stakes, requiring a $1,000 supplemental entry fee in addition to the entry and starting fees totaling $900 to run.

 

“Seeing how the race was shaping up, I talked to Brad and the way he handled the mud last time, we think there’s a good chance he will handle the turf,” Sharp said. “Seven-eighths to a flat mile is his optimum distance, and the timing is good off his last race. And it were to rain, he’s obviously the nuts if it does come off the turf.”

 

Cool Arrow finished seventh in Turfway Park’s Rushaway Stakes over a synthetic surface, which often gives an indication how a horse might run on grass. Sharp, then based at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, says to throw that race out.