PROFILE
| Foaled: | March 12, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Breeder: | Caldara Farm Inc., Patrick Costello, David Whitford & Tom Zwiesler |
| Color/Sex: | Bay/Colt |
| Sire: | Cupid |
| Dam: | Tell the Duchess |
| Dam Sire: | Smart Strike |
| Trainer: | Josie Carroll |
HORSE OVERVIEW
A son of a Grade 1 winner and buzz-worthy freshman sire Cupid, this colt possesses a top-class pedigree, chock full of stakes winners.
MyRacehorse purchased this Canadian-bred colt for $85,000 from the Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale in Maryland after the colt powerfully worked an eighth of a mile in 10.2 seconds. Physically, the colt is very representative of the offspring we’ve seen of his stallion Cupid’s first crop; very good sized, leggy, and bigger framed. From the Tapit stallion line out of a Smart Strike mare we’d expect this colt to offer a lot of versatility. While he worked powerfully over the dirt surface at Timonium his pedigree suggests the ability to do it on all surfaces which is a huge bonus having the Woodbine turf and synthetic surfaces to run on.
The colt while bred to likely be more mature and excel with maturity looks like the type that could be a precocious two-year old as well. After taking some time to decompress from the sale, he’s been in Josie’s Woodbine barn for about a month now and is on track for a mid fall debut.
Breeding Insights
Sire Cupid, a gorgeous son of the renowned Tapit, is represented by his first crop of 2-year-olds in 2021. A half-brother to three stakes winners, including a pair of Grade 3 winners, Ashley’s Kitty and Heart Ashley, Cupid blazed on a trail on the racetrack and retired with earnings in excess of $1.7 million.
A horse who traveled and won just about everywhere he went, Cupid’s resume includes victories in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes; Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn Park; Grade 2 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park; and Grade 2 Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand Race Course.
At stud, his offspring, who have yet to race, are quite popular in the sale’s ring, routinely bringing final bids in the six-figures. Cupid, himself, was a $900,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase.
This colt is the second foal out of Tell The Duchess, a daughter of the fabulous sire Smart Strike. His third dam Alleged Devotion is a half-sister to European champion Balanchine, with Alleged Devotion proving to be a strong producer herself.
Trainer Josie Carroll Bio
A mainstay in Canada for 37 years, trainer Josie Carroll was inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame in 2019, the first female to be bestowed with that honor.
Without any family ties to horse racing, Carroll became fascinated by horses well before she reached her teens. Later, with a desire to be around horses still burning bright, Carroll enrolled in an equine program at a college nearby Woodbine and from there found her way to the racetrack.
Known around the backstretch for her hard-working ways, Carroll has made her mark on Canada’s most prestigious race, the Queen’s Plate, by becoming the first woman to win the event in 2006 with Edenwold. She followed with two more Plate victories, Inglorious in 2011 and Mighty Heart in 2020.
South of the border, Carroll’s biggest victory came in 2009 at Saratoga Race Course with Careless in the prestigious Alabama Stakes. In 2017, she came tantalizingly close to winning her first Breeders’ Cup race with Ami’s Mesa, who was defeated a nose in the Filly & Mare Sprint.
Expected on track: Fall 2021
Duke of Love Update
The morning after Duke of Love’s last breeze, he had some filling in his left ankle. Trainer Josie Carroll had x-rays taken and they came back clean. After swelling went down after a few days, he was jogging sound and as of today there is no swelling or heat coming from the ankle. However, being […]
Duke of Love Workout Report
Duke of Love’s scheduled breeze was moved up a few days owing to Palm Meadows being closed on Saturday due to the Christmas holiday and the track being in terrific condition. Duke of Love worked this morning five furlongs on the inside of a fellow Josie Carroll trainee in 1:01.65. Josie was very pleased with […]
Duke of Love Workout Report
Duke of Love had his first work this morning at Palm Meadows since his fifth place finish in the Pulpit Stakes two weeks ago. The plan for Duke of Love was to go a half mile in about 49-50 seconds, he completed his work in 49.45 seconds. His usual morning rider, Mel Pinto, owes her […]