Three-year-old filly Shotgun Wedding scored the initial stakes win of her career, winning the Ontario Damsel S. at Woodbine on Saturday. Owned by Windways Farm, Begg Racing, and Upland Flats Racing and trained by James Begg, Shotgun Wedding rated in fifth position early under a snug hold. She moved closer to the leaders at the three-furlong pole, vied between horses with a quarter mile to go, and surged clear late to win by three-quarters of a length. She covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.23 and is now a winner in 3-of-12 starts with earnings of $185,066.
The chestnut filly by Mendelssohn is out of the winning Speightstown mare Reluctant Bride. She sold to Begg for $50,000 out of the Parrish Farms consignment at the 2024 OBS March Sale (Hip 592) after breezing an eighth in :10 1/5 at the under tack preview. Shotgun Wedding was bred in Kentucky by Deron Pearson and Patrick Biacone LLC.
OBS graduate Dazzling Dame recorded the second stakes win of her career taking down top prize in Saturday’s $100,000 White Clay Creek Stakes at Delaware Park.
Ridden by Kevin Gomez, Dazzling Dame broke alertly in the one-mile fixture and stalked the early pace. She ranged up to put a head in front passing the five-sixteenths marker and then bravely outdueled Jumping the Gun through the stretch to post a 1 ½-length victory. Owned by Respect the Valleys LLC and trained by Brittany Russell, Dazzling Dame is now a winner in 3-of-4 lifetime starts. The 2-year-old filly broke her maiden in her career debut at Laurel in June and returned to win the Sorority Stakes at Monmouth Park by two lengths in August. The $60,000 winner’s share of the White Clay Creek Stakes purse lifted her bankroll to $158,025.
Bred in Maryland by Maria Haire, Dazzling Dame, who is by Girvin out of the multiple stakes-placed Corinthian mare Awesome Dama, is a two-time OBS graduate. The bay filly was a $65,000 graduate of the 2024 OBS Winter Mixed Sale (Hip 659) where she was acquired by Tahoe Bloodstock out of the Hare Hill Farm consignment. She changed hands again at this year’s OBS March Sale (Hip 762), selling to her owner for $45,000 after breezing a quarter at the under tack preview in :21 for consignor Richardson Bloodstock.
Also on Saturday, OBS graduate Stonevicious swept to a 2 ¾-length win in the Don Getty Handicap at Century Downs. Stonevicious vied for the lead early in the 1 1/8-mile test. He gained the upper hand approaching the far turn and pulled away through the stretch to win comfortably.
Owned by Mitch Sutherland and trained by James Brown, Stonevicious is a gray or roan gelding by Connect out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Diva Style. The hard-knocking 6-year-old has now hit the board in 22-of43 lifetime starts for earnings of $254,732. Stonevicious was a $15,000 purchase by RSR Racing Service/Robert Rhoads out of the Wavertree Stables (Ciaran Dunne) consignment at the 2021 OBS June Sale (Hip 263) after breezing a quarter in : 21 3/5 at the breeze show. He was bred in Kentucky by JSM Equine LLC.
In one of the most impressive maiden special weight wins in memory, Spendthrift Farm’s OBS graduate Further Ado, a 2-year-old son of Gun Runner, turned heads with a brilliant victory at Keeneland on Friday, Oct. 10.
With two sprint starts under his belt, Further Ado relished the 1 1/16-mile distance he found in his two-turn debut for trainer Brad Cox. Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Further Ado pressed the early pace before taking command around the far turn. He drew clear effortlessly in the lane—bidding his foes adieu—to win by a stunning 20 lengths. He stopped the clock in a rapid 1:43.52, earning a 98 Beyer Speed Figure. His final time was faster than Ted Noffey’s clocking in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) on Oct. 4.
“We were scratching our heads after his first two starts,” Blake Cox, assistant to his father, said to Keeneland Publicity. “He had been working too well, and he was working with older horses and putting them away.”
Cox indicated that Further Ado would target the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 24 or an allowance race around that time.
Further Ado was a $550,000 acquisition by Spendthrift Farm at this year’s OBS April Sale (Hip 424) Consigned by Six K’s Training & Sales and bred in Kentucky by John Oxley, Further Ado breezed a quarter in :21 1/5 at the under tack preview. Out of the graded stakes-placed Sky Mesa mare Sky Dreamer, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Dream Dancing and graded stakes-placed Dream Maker and a full sister to graded stakes-placed Awesome Sky, Further Ado is a half-brother to multiple graded stakes winner Kimbear.