Keeneland September Buys North Pole, Cantata to Debut

Qatar Racing and Three Chimneys Farm's North Pole, out of a half sister to champion Classic Empire , is set to make his debut Aug. 16 in Del Mar's ninth race, a $55,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-olds going 5 1/2 furlongs.

Bred in Kentucky by Three Chimneys Farm, North Pole is the first foal out of multiple stakes winner Uptown Twirl, by Twirling Candy . Uptown Twirl is one of four black-type horses out of Sambuca Classica (Cat Thief), best known as the dam of Classic Empire.

Like Classic Empire, North Pole is sired by the late Pioneerof the Nile. Classic Empire was named champion 2-year-old colt after wins in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1). He returned at 3 to take the Arkansas Derby (G1) and was second in the Preakness Stakes (G1).

Sambuca Classica, out of stakes-winning and multiple grade 1-placed In Her Glory (Miswaki), produced another multiple stakes winner in Anytime Magic (Fusaichi Pegasus), as well as Oaklawn Mile Stakes runner-up Exclamation Point (Concord Point). 

North Pole was purchased for $1.05 million by agent Ben McElroy from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment to the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The Simon Callaghan trainee is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the field of seven. Flavien Prat will ride from post 3.

One of trainer Bob Baffert's entries in the race is Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith's Man Friday, an American Pharoah  colt out of Prioress Stakes (G1) winner Emma's Encore.

In Saratoga Race Course's first race Sunday, trainer Steve Asmussen will unveil Stonestreet Stables' Cantata, one of six 2-year-old fillies entered in the $72,000 maiden special weight at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Doug and Felicia Branham bred the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro  in Kentucky out of the stakes-winning Flatter  mare Stoweshoe. The dam is a full sister to Taris, the winner of the Humana Distaff Stakes (G1) and owner of Keeneland's seven-furlong track record of 1:21.32.

Stonestreet purchased Cantata for $950,000 from the Eaton Sales consignment to last year's Keeneland September sale. The filly is 5-2 on the morning line and will break from post 3 with jockey Ricardo Santana Jr.

Facing Cantata will be Alpha Delta Stables homebred Nevisian Sunrise. The War Front  filly is one of two Chad Brown entries and will represent the first starter out of Gazelle Stakes (G2) winner and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) runner-up My Miss Sophia.

Entries: Race 9 (MSW) at DMR on 8/16/20

Del Mar, Sunday, August 16, 2020, Race 9

• MSW
• 5 1/2f
• Dirt
• $55,000
• 2 yo
• 6:06 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Defunded (KY)	Abel Cedillo	121	Bob Baffert	5/2
2	2Texas Playboy (KY)	Mike E. Smith	121	Jeff Mullins	8/1
3	3North Pole (KY)	Flavien Prat	121	Simon Callaghan	2/1
4	4Bolu (ON)	Juan J. Hernandez	121	J. Keith Desormeaux	12/1
5	5Wyfire (KY)	Ruben Fuentes	121	Luis Mendez	10/1
6	6Man Friday (KY)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	121	Bob Baffert	4/1
7	7Mega Mischief (CA)	Ricardo Gonzalez	121	Jeff Bonde	5/1

Entries: Race 1 (MSW) at SAR on 8/16/20

Saratoga Race Course, Sunday, August 16, 2020, Race 1

• MSW
• 6 1/2f
• Dirt
• $72,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 1:10 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1School of Thought (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	119	Chad C. Brown	7/5
2	2Our Flash Drive (FL)	Joel Rosario	119	Mark E. Casse	12/1
3	3Cantata (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	119	Steven M. Asmussen	5/2
4	4Stone Town (KY)	Junior Alvarado	119	William I. Mott	4/1
5	5Family Time (KY)	Luis Saez	119	Dale L. Romans	15/1
6	6Nevisian Sunrise (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	119	Chad C. Brown	3/1