DeVaux Saddles Back-to-Back First-Out Winners

Trainer Cherie DeVaux had a particularly good day Fair Grounds Race Track and Slot Machines December 20 when she saddled back-to-back winners from the first out Golden Age And White Smoke .

Both follow the script of how thoroughbred racing should ideally work. They are from experienced fathers, from strong families, and showed determination down the stretch, with both closing from fourth in the final furlong to win convincingly.

Golden Tempo is the homebred son of elite sire of Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stables Curl from the Grade 1-ranked stakes winner Carrumba. The colt is the first starter for Carrumba, a daughter of Bernardini, bred and raced by Phipps Stable. Carrumba’s mother, Castanet, is a half-sister to Manhattan Stakes (G1T) winner Dancing Forever, whose dam Dancinginmydreams is a full sister to the 1994 champion 3-year-old filly Heavenly Prize.

Golden Tempo got off to a slow start in the 6-furlong, $55,000 first special weight at Fair Grounds, where he trailed the field for the first three furlongs. At the top of the stretch, Fancy Fairlane had a 4 length lead over the field. Jockey Jose Ortiz sent Golden Tempo into the middle of the track with enough room to unleash his potential, which happened. He sailed past the competition to win by one and a half lengths in 1:10.66.

In the next race on the card, Ortiz would see the same scenario unfold White Smoke a gray or roan daughter of Essential quality from multiple stakes producer Mira Alta (Curlin). The filly broke last and trailed the pack until the top of the stretch, where she found clear space in the middle of the stretch and dispatched her foes to win by 1 length. Gerber Daisy . The finishing time was 1:11.04.

White Smoke races for Belladonna Racing, Twin Brook Stables, Woodford Racing and BCWT. She was bred by Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds and sold for $500,000 through the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Warrendale Sales. Mira Alta is an unraced half-sister to the 2006 Breeders’ Futurity (G1) winner Great hunter (Aptitude), who also finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). Mira Alta has produced three other winners, including grade 3 winner Promise Keeper (Constitution ), winner of the ranked stake Wicked Awesome (Awesome Again) and winner of the ranked stake War Stopper (Declaration of War).

Calumet Farm homebred Thunder Buck also scored his first win later on the December 20 Fair Grounds card, covering 1 1/16 miles on the main track. Makes his second career start for trainer Brad Cox, the son of top sire Rifle runner initially held a stalking position under Luis Saez as a pacer Special operations led by relaxed fractions of :24, :47.72 and 1:12.80. The middle of the track was apparently the right spot, with Thunder Buck making his run five wide down the stretch to win by 1 3/4 lengths. The final time was 1:44.83.

Thunder Buck is out of Grade 3 winner Oxy Lady, a Calumet homebred by the farm’s stallion and winner of the 2013 Preakness Stakes (G1) Oxbow . Oxy Lady is out of ranked winner Renaissance Lady (AP Indy), a daughter of stakes winner and multiple stakes producer Storm Beauty (Storm Cat).

The immediate family produced Express child (Bodemeister ), who won the Remington Springboard Mile on December 20 and earned 10 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Amo Racing USA Thailand brought valuable experience in his third start in a two-turn special weight on December 21 Turfway Park and emerged with a win after knocking on the door during his two previous third-place finishes.

The son of Not this time with rider Flavien Prat in second place during the 1 1/16 mile event on Turfway’s main all-weather track, finishing Magnesium loss through the nose. The final time was 1:44.80.

Thailand was a highly ranked yearling at Fasig-Tipton’s The Saratoga Sale, New York’s select summer yearling sale, where Amo Racing went for $900,000 to acquire him from the consignment of Taylor Made Sales Agency. With trainer Wesley Ward, Thailand made its first two starts on the artificial grass, first at Keeneland and next at Churchill Downs. He would finish in third place by about a length in both efforts.

Christopher St. Hilaire and Adam Vali bred Thailand out of the Old Topper mare Queen Bee to You, which St. Hilaire claimed for $50,000 in December 2016 from Sea. Queen Bee to You would win the 2019 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) and the 2020 La Canada Stakes (G3) among her four career stakes wins. She has a career earnings of $658,770 from 33 starts. Thailand is his mother’s third foal and the third winner. He is a half brother of Princess Madison a class 2 placed daughter of Speightstown.