Y19 Juvenile String Announced

IRS HOPEFULS STIR EXCITEMENT

Some juveniles were seen on the IRS track itself, with some press being allowed to view the works of a couple of up and coming racers. We have to say that we weren't disappointed with the works we saw. All of that being said, while we were on the grounds, we were able to take some time to get more of a glimpse about just who IRS was bringing to the table come Y19.







This grey filly, with the finely dished face, is one of the first foals for freshman sire Daring Vision and second for Seraphim. "She's like her momma, for sure in looks, but her more affable nature and love of people is something that comes from her sire. She hasn't some much of a preference for a surface, seeming to like both equally, but we'll start her on the turf and see where she goes from there," says Nick Landing. It seems this filly's versatility has set her up for a pretty open card for Y19 and we're excited to see what she develops into as the year progresses.





Native Gold's last foal is here and he seems to be worth the wait. We're familiar with Native Gold, but new to the racing scene this year is the offspring of Y16 Sprinter of the Year, Alucard. Carnal Nature and Devilishly Charming are the stallion's sole representatives for the year, so we're piqued to see how both colts run this year. We got a brief glimpse of seeing the colt in action and there's no questioning the serious aura of Jackal. He was spotted working out with IRS colt, Cross Fire and there's a serious cutthroat style about this one that tells us he will always be an interesting choice to watch.






This stunning filly had a recent change of hands from Highgrove's barn to Intrepid, but it can't be denied that they were still able to put this up and coming filly through her paces and very much looked the part of a racehorse from the work we were able to see. "Rosa is an Admirable daughter through and through and with her recent pension, we couldn't let a daughter of Admirable slip through our fingers and she's settled right in. She's independent and stubborn - it's like having Admirable back in the barn almost. The Coco Cabana side makes her just a bit more rational to work with. -laughs-", says Ethan Marino. Rosa was clocked running 7 furlongs in a fine fashion, but her pedigree suggests that this will be a filly to slay in the dirt distances and we'll be looking for her to figure herself out there.






Rio is a black colt born and bred for the sprints. From our sources, it appears that Nick Landing used some of his reserves to arrange this match between two proven HOTY winners and the result is this fierce-eyed colt. He was the one seen in a match with Carnal Nature and it seems that this is just a mentally tough colt. Pair that with his speed and talent and that leave for some genuine excitement when looking at this juvenile starter. Watching him in action was all the enticement we needed to pay attention to this guy and with how competitive the fields are becoming, horses with talent don't just cut it anymore - you have to have a mental toughness to compensate for the intense fields and from all observations - this might be one of the colts to make the cut.






This chestnut filly is flashy and eager. Most now might not even remember this filly's dam, but we do Restricted Access was one of those stunning late bloomers. She'd been shuffled from home to home until flourishing with IRS and becoming a really special filly, flourishing over 7-12 furlongs on dirt. Looking at Flashy is like seeing a blast from the past, except this time there's no shuffling around until she finds her home because she looks like she fits right in those Intrepid silks. She was spotted working on the track and this is definitely a dirt loving firestarter. She's got a lot of drive and isn't the type to easily be pushed aside, if her vocal expressions were anything to take note of - hah.






Nick Landing was especially excited to talk about this stunning grey filly, going by the nickname of Tessa. Forbidden Sight is one of the last foals for SOPS producing mare, Forbidden Wings, making Tessa the last to be in direct relation to the likes of HOF Pegasus Wings, HOF Flashy Wings, HOF Forbidden to Fly, Silent Wings and Taboo. Impressive siblings, right? So we think Nick has firm reasons to be very optimistic about this filly's capabilities. Tessa will be the first filly for Prince Charming, who presently has the likes of Cascabel and Charmed Weapon to his name as a sire, both extremely accomplished G1 HOTY runners. Tessa was seen working on the track with one of her stablemates while on the property and she seemed extremely affable but genuinely excited to run and that's something that you always love to see in a racehorse. "She works hard because she wants to. This filly genuinely enjoys running and puts her whole heart into it each and every single time, no questions asked. We're honored to have her in our barn and know that with this filly's natural drive and talent, we'll see great things come from her career." - Nick Landing.






There's a bright-eyed look to our next featured IRS Juvenile and Malibu Melody is her name. Out of Seattle Song mare, WhisperMelody, this dirt filly is a picture of quiet confidence. It was the dam's side pedigree that drew Nick to the filly in the Y18 Sale, but as soon as he saw her calm assurance in the ring, he figured why not? Well, only time will tell if this bay filly takes to the races with as much success as some of her other relations, but she seemed to be working solidly under jockey Michael Landing once we got to see her in action. She's got a big stride and covers ground very easily - all good signs for a horse that's looking to make it in the races.





Intrepid Racing and Nick Landing really pulled this colt out of a magic hat. This is a horse directly from the bloodlines of the old days and a full-sibling to G1 Miss Matinee. With there being so many horses competing in the pool now, we're all very eager to see this bay colt by High Times and out of Grand Tribute, does on the tracks, but one thing is certain from our recent observations, this is a strong colt both in body and mind. Watching him run, you can see this colt is a high-level thinker, doesn't get pushed around easily and seems to know what his job is for being so young. Those are all great things to look for in a racehorse in our books.





Coadie was easily the life of the party from our morning observations. Watching the grey son of GS Royal Crown and Hira-Kiri, is like seeing the energizer bunny in horse form. This grey colt is the first return that IRS has from selling off GS Royal Crown to BBS and we can tell they're excited to see how this colt does over the tracks. He was seen practicing over the turf tracks which lends to support his pedigree being inclined to run over the turf. Hira-Kiri is the dam of The Wire Champion, Frozen Motion and upcoming four-year-old, Attack Apache. It looked like he was right in his element and gave off some impressive fractions. Neither of his siblings were instant successes, but if there's one thing we've learned it's those good things come to those who wait.





This filly is the feistiest thing we've seen in a long time. The most recent foal of Contessa is hitting the track and combined with the bloodlines of Rising Fury and Grand Silence, has left us with this feisty bay filly. She was seen working over the turf and so we're interested to see how she runs over the track. From what we've seen, this seems to be IRS' sole strong turf filly contender. It's a lot to put on the shoulders of one horse, but maybe that just means this filly will get that extra special attention to truly hone her skills and become a serious turf filly contender. Time will tell, but this minx of a filly will more than keep their hands full in the meantime.






Nick Landing has been looking forward to this day for a long time - the day the chestnut son of Red Herring and Screaming Mimi hits the tracks. He's energetic and resilient, two things that are needed nowadays to make a quick comeback in today's racing games.






This bay filly is exuding confidence and speed. She's not the type to take things while laying down and gives back with what she's been given.






Warrior is the first Black Wire son for Intrepid, but we're eager to see how he does this year. He's fast and sturdy, which some might find surprising given his bulkier nature, but he is light as a feather on his feet and quick as lightning.