Summer Wind Farm

In both life at large and in horse racing, it's a good thing when major plans stay on schedule and thus we have two big reasons to celebrate.

As Daily Racing Form reported on July 12, Summer Wind-bred and co-owned Paladin (Gun Runner), the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby this year before incurring a non-displaced condylar fracture, is now back with trainer Chad Brown at Saratoga and beginning to prepare for a comeback, possibly later this year. The c**t's recovery went perfectly to schedule and he is doing well.

Also on the positive scheduling front, Summer Wind-bred and co-owned Powerline -- the son of Flightline who had been a heavy early favorite for a debut on June 27 at Churchill Downs prior to being scratched when stormy weather left the racing surface encased in deep, sticky mud -- has been re-entered for a maiden special weight event at Saratoga on July 18. That timing also has gone just as planned by trainer Steve Asmussen following the scratch.

Both c**ts have the potential to be stars, with Paladin already a multiple G2 winner over top-flight competition, but it will take some time to get him back to a starting gate, Brown cautioned.

“It’s going to take me quite a while to leg him up, but he couldn’t possibly look any better coming from (Coolmore's Ashford (Stud in Kentucky). They did a great job that team over there, the horse looks fabulous,” Brown said. Paladin is co-owned by Coolmore and others from the team who raced champion Sierra Leone, and the leggy chestnut spent his recovery time from surgery at Ashford, where he was given rehabilitation therapy.

The prime focus for Paladin will be on races in 2027, as Brown noted in the story by DRF's David Grening: "I got plenty of time to get him to the races by the end of the year, I do not have time to get him to the meaningful stuff (in 2026),” Brown said.

Paladin is undefeated to date, winning all 3 of his starts including the G2 Remsen Stakes over Renegade as a two-year-old and the G2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds in February over Chip Honcho and eventual Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Golden Tempo (Curlin).

Looking ahead to Powerline, the $1.8 million Saratoga sale graduate co-owned with West Point Thoroughbreds, John Oxley and Bee Zee, has drawn post 4 in a field of 7 in a 6-furlong dash set to begin the July 18 racing program.

Powerline readied for his debut with a 4f work on July 11 with fellow juvenile Grand Yaupon in which he stopped the clock at :48.95 (7/55). The move was his second at the Spa following a 5f drill in 1:03.20 (3/6) on July 5.

Video of Powerline's July 11 workout from XBTV.com: https://1st.tv/video/workout/1_hdbrinuq/

Among those Powerline is set to square off with in the race is Greenwell, another son of Flightline who finished a solid second in his debut at Churchill on June 12. Finishing just a head behind Greenwell that day was Summer Wind-bred Midnight Still (Curlin), who returned with a stylish maiden special weight victory by 6 1/4 lengths at Saratoga on July 11.

Richardo Santana Jr. will ride Powerline while Jose Ortiz has the mount on Greenwell for trainer Mark Casse. Those Flightline c**ts stand out in the field, along with Win Star Farm co-bred and -owned The Good Life (Life Is Good), who will be making his debut for trainer Brad Cox after spending the spring working at Keeneland and Churchill.

In other racing news, congratulations go to Godolphin's Kapoor (Uncle Mo) who earned her first stakes victory on July 11 when taking the Mari Hulman George Memorial Handicap at Horseshoe Indianapolis for Bill Mott and Junior Alvarado.

Kapoor is a granddaughter of Summer Wind-bred and -raced MGSW India. Kapoor's stakes-winning dam Kareena (Medaglia d'Oro) thus is a half sister to MG1 winner and Japanese sire Mozu Ascot (Frankel) and to Secret Sigh (Tapit), the dam of Paladin.

It's all in the family and all on schedule as we begin another week.

Sailing in for a brilliant landing, Demian powered across the finish line in turf maiden race at Tokyo on June 13 to become the first winner for his sire Flightline, the Summer Wind-bred World's Best Racehorse of 2022.

Renowned international jockey Damian Lane, who steered the juvenile c**t through traffic to gain the victory after biding his time early praised his mount for handling the race like "an old pro" even though it was his first start.

Sent off as the second choice in the 1400m (about 7 furlongs) turf dash for "newcomers" behind Ecoro Nine, a son of 2021 European Horse of the Year St Mark's Basilica, Demian handled his task with ease, bursting between rivals in the stretch run and galloping out strongly after finishing 1 1/4 lengths in front of pacesetter Desert Spirit (Isla Bonita). Time was 1.22.8 on a course rated good to firm.

Video of the race can be found here: https://jra.webcdn.stream.ne.jp/web/jra/onetag2020/eqPcPlayer2.html?target=202603050306

Trainer Makoto Saito has been praising the $1.7 million Keeneland September purchase by owner Naohiro Sakaguchi for his "suppleness" despite his robust size. Demian was the biggest runner in the field of 7 c**ts and 2 fillies at 480kg (about 1,058 pounds).

"He has a muscular, well-built physique. He's been getting better with each training session. He's easy to handle and runs with light footwork," Saito said before the race. And afterward, Saito added: "He is still a bit heavy (plump), so he will only get better from here."

Bred in Kentucky by Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds, Demian is out of the Curlin mare Mira Alta, a half sister to G1 winner Great Hunter (Aptitude) and thus he is a half brother to G3 Peter Pan Stakes winner Promise Keeper (Constitution) as well as to GSP stakes winner Wicked Awesome (Awesome Again) and GSP multiple winner War Stopper (Declaration of War. Mira Alta also produced a yearling full sister to Demian.

Now that Fightline's first winner has safely landed, there is so much to anticipate for the season ahead. More takeoffs will be forthcoming shortly, including the June 13 entry of Flightline's daughter House Boat Party in the sixth race at Churchill Downs. House Boat Party, produced by the American Pharoah mare Lake Garda, is the 4-to-1 second choice on the morning line.

Flightline's first starter, the c**t Greenwell, finished a good second to front-running Balloteer in a 5f maiden special weight dash at Churchill Downs on June 12.