Classic Empire Half Brother Wins Debut at Oaklawn

Exclamation Point, a half brother to 2016 champion 2-year-old male Classic Empire , won his debut Feb. 3 at Oaklawn Park by 2 1/2 lengths. 

The Concord Point colt, mentioned in BloodHorse Daily's Races to Watch, faced nine rivals in the six-furlong maiden special weight for 3-year-olds. Under jockey Fernando De La Cruz, Exclamation Point battled for the lead out of the gate, and once he secured the front he was pressed every step of the way by Augie. After running opening fractions of :22.21 and :45.71 for a half-mile, Exclamation Point drew clear in the final furlong to win despite lugging in late. The final time was 1:10.56 over a fast track. 

The Brad Cox trainee earned $45,000 for his victory Saturday. The colt is a homebred for Steven and Brandi Nicholson, the breeders of Classic Empire. 

Exclamation Point and Classic Empire are out of the Cat Thief mare Sambuca Classica. While his older champion brother was purchased for $475,000 out of the 2015 Keeneland September yearling sale by John Oxley, Exclamation Point was kept to race by the Nicholsons.

In addition to Ashford Stud's new resident Classic Empire, Sambuca Classica has also produced stakes winners Anytime Magic (Fusaichi Pegasus ) and Uptown Twirl (Twirling Candy ). She has a yearling Candy Ride  filly who was bred in Kentucky by China Horse Club International.