ENDORSEMENT (Distorted Humor) entered Sunday’s $800,000 Sunland Derby (G3)
owning just one win, having broken his maiden on February 20 at Oaklawn Park. He
exited his stakes bow in the 1 1/8-mile test with enough graded earnings to now
make it into the Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 1, and according to Bill Casner of
owner WinStar Farm, the chestnut colt will be given his shot at the Run for the
Roses.
Conveyance (Indian Charlie), the heavy 3-5 favorite, was expected to have no
trouble in the Sunland Derby, and moved up to take his usual lead when the gates
opened. Endorsement followed under Robby Albarado and settled into a stalking
position just to the outside and behind of the pacesetter through easy splits of
:23 3/5, :48 and 1:11 4/5. Nacho Friend (Friends Lake), meanwhile, was saving
ground on the rail with Tempted to Tapit (Tapit) keeping pace three wide just
behind.
As Conveyance entered the turn, Endorsement ranged up to begin his challenge.
Martin Garcia was already getting busy on Conveyance, but Albarado bided his
time on Endorsement as they began the stretch run. Under encouragement from
Albarado, the chestnut colt edged clear in midstretch, eventually crossing under
the line three lengths clear while completing nine fast-track furlongs in 1:48
2/5.
Endorsement was sent off the 11-1 fourth choice in the nine-horse field and
rewarded his backers with payouts of $25.40, $8.60 and $4.40. Conveyance was
best of the rest, three lengths clear of Tempted to Tapit to return $2.80 and
$2.10 while ending the $34.70 exacta ($1). Tempted to Tapit raced wide
throughout, came three wide around the turn and drifted out some more in
midstretch. He was two lengths in front of Fog Alert (Thunder Gulch) on the wire
to give back $3 at 9-2 and complete the $119.10 trifecta ($1). Fog Alert, the
second longest shot at 55-1, finished off the 5-3-9-7 superfecta ($1) that
totaled $1,625.50.
Nacho Friend followed by another three parts of length, with Storming Saint
(Sweetsouthernsaint), McKenna’s Justice (Medaglia d’Oro), Classical Slew
(Bernstein) and Guiltbyassociation (Birdstone) rounding out the order under the
wire.
Endorsement began his career with Richard Budge at Churchill Downs last
November, running seventh in his career debut. When he reappeared on January 10,
the three-year-old was being saddled by Shannon Ritter and ran second while
going one-mile-and-40-yards at Fair Grounds. He finally earned his initial win
prior to this one, scoring by 2 1/4 front-running lengths, and now owns a
4-2-1-0 career mark. The $400,000 payday here shot his earnings to $430,383.
Bred in Kentucky by Kilroy Thoroughbred Partnership, Endorsement has nearly
earned back his purchase price of $450,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. He
is out of Charmed Gift (A.P. Indy), runner-up in the 2002 editions of the
Silverbulletday S. (G3), Dogwood S. (G3) and Tiffany Lass S. The 11-year-old
mare has also produced multiple Mexican stakes winner Vistoso (Fusaichi
Pegasus), an unraced juvenile colt named Artifact (Maria’s Mon), a yearling full
brother to the Sunland Derby winner and a 2010 War Pass colt.
Charmed Gift is herself a daughter of Potridee (Arg) (Potrillazo), the 1992
Argentinean two-year-old champion filly who came to the United States and
captured the 1994 Vanity Invitational H. (G1) as well as placing third in that
same year’s Beverly D. S. (G1). Potridee is a full sister to three group/graded
winners who would go on in the breeding shed to produce black-type runners —
Potrizaris (Arg), the 1998 Argentinean three-year-old champion filly who is the
dam of dual Japanese Grade 3 winner Dia de la Novia (Jpn) (Sunday Silence);
Group 1 winner Potrichal (Arg), who produced multiple Grade 2 king T. H.
Approval (With Approval); and Group 1 victress Potrinner (Arg), dam of 2005
American Invitational Oaks (G1) and Beverly D. runner-up Melhor Ainda (Pulpit),
a Grade 3 heroine.