Super Saver’s TDN Rising Star is now a graded stakes winner after a thrilling score in the $500,000 Southwest S. (G3) on Presidents’ Day at Oaklawn Park.
The 3-year-old colt earned the Rising Star tag back in November, when he scored a blowout allowance win at Churchill Downs, and was looking to get back to his winning ways after being unplaced in the slow-paced Jan. 25 Smarty Jones S., also at Oaklawn.
Things were much different on Monday, however. Though the pace wasn’t fast, with Super Steed in ninth following a half-mile in :47.63, the bay colt made a huge, five-wide move on the turn and emerged the clear leader coming into the stretch. Kept to task in the lane by Terry Thompson, he comfortably held off Sueno by a length to get the 1 1/16-miles in 1:44.05.
Thompson said after the race, “He ran just a beautiful race. He wasn’t as aggressive. The other day [in the Smarty Jones], he got shuffled back, but he was aggressive. Today everything was in flow. It worked out perfect.”
Super Steed’s record now stands at 2-1-0 in five starts, with earnings of $364,500. He also picked up his first 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge.
Pedigree Notes from the TDN:
Super Steed is out of Totally Tucker. Out of Champagne Royale, she is a half-sister to Grade I winners Majestic Harbor (Rockport Harbor) and Danza (Street Boss). Super Steed’s breeder and co-owner Michael Pressley (with Steed Jackson) purchased Totally Tucker for $20,000 at the 2010 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Pressley, a Henderson, Kentucky-based entrepreneur, also campaigned graded stakes winner Payton d’Oro (Medaglia d’Oro).
Super Steed is the ninth graded stakes winner and 18th stakes winner for WinStar stallion and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Super Saver, whose son Inside Straight also enjoyed graded success at Oaklawn when he won the 2017 Oaklawn H (G2).
