Annex earns TDN Rising Star tag after stellar turf debut

Constitution, last year’s leading Second-Crop sire, could have another star in the making after Annex’s eye-catching debut on the turf Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Bill Mott for LNJ Foxwoods, the imposing chestnut with the nearly white face was in no hurry early in the one-mile maiden special weight race for 3-year-olds. At the half-way point he was some ten lengths from the front. With three furlongs to run, Annex began to make up some ground despite being well out into the middle of the track. Still four-wide into the stretch, he gobbled up the ground with huge strides and blew by the leaders in the final sixteenth to win by a length in 1:34.93.

Bred by William Harrigan and Mike Pietrangelo, Annex is out of You Make Me Sing, who is a half-sister to You, the brilliant filly who won five Grade 1’s and earned over $2 million. +

Annex is Constitution’s sixth TDN Rising Star, joining the likes of Grade 2 winner Amalfi Sunrise and  Grade 1-placed winners Golden Principal and Gouverneur Morris. 

After breeding 231 mares last year, his biggest book to date, Constitution is standing the 2021 season for $85,000 S&N.