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Up to the Mark

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Up to the Mark
Up To The Mark before the 2023 Breeders Cup Turf
SireNot This Time
GrandsireGiant's Causeway
DamBelle's Final
DamsireGhostzapper
SexColt
FoaledFebruary 28, 2019[1]
CountryUnited States
ColorBay
BreederRamspring Farm
OwnerRepole Stable & St. Elias Stable
TrainerTodd A. Pletcher
Record12: 6-1-2
Earnings$2,511,050[2]
Major wins
Turf Classic Stakes (2023)
Manhattan Stakes (2023)
Coolmore Turf Mile (2023)
Awards
American Champion Male Turf Horse (2023)
Last updated on 1 February 2024

Up to the Mark (foaled February 29, 2019) is a Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2023 he won three consecutive Grade I events, the Turf Classic Stakes, Manhattan Stakes and Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes.

Background

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Up to the Mark is a bay colt that was bred in Kentucky by Ramspring Farm. He was sired by Not This Time, a graded stakes winner who finished second in the 2016 Breeders' Cup Juvenile before his career has cut short by injury.[3] A son of Giant's Causeway, he stood the 2023 breeding season for a fee of $135,000 at Taylor Made Farm near Nicholasville, Kentucky.[4] His dam Belle's Finale, an unraced three-year-old out of Grade 1 winner Capote Belle (Capote) carrying her first foal by Not This Time, was bought by Mary Leigh Patrick of Ramspring Farm at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale for $70,000. Impressed with her first foal, Belle's Finale was sent back Not This Time and in 2019 produced Up to the Mark.[5] Ramspring Farm, a breed-to-sell operation, sent Up to the Mark to the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sales and he was purchased by Mike Repole of Repole Stable and Vinnie Viola of St. Elias Stable for $450,000.[6]

Career

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Up to the Mark began his racing career as a three-year-old in a Maiden Special Weight at Saratoga on July 21, 2022, winning the six-furlong event on the dirt. However, after five more unsuccessful tries on the dirt Up to the Mark was sent to Florida and his connections decided to try him on the turf track.

In January 2023, trainer Todd Pletcher gave him a try on the grass and he responded with a four-length victory in an allowance-level race at Gulfstream Park. He then followed that effort with another clear victory in another allowance.

In his stakes debut in April 2023 at the Keeneland spring meet, Up to the Mark finished third in the G1 Maker's Mark Mile Stakes.[7]

After a successful campaign in 2023 Up to the Mark was awarded an Eclipse Award as the U.S. Male Turf Horse.[8]

Statistics

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Date Distance Race Grade Track Odds Field Finish Winning
Time 		Winning
(Losing)
Margin 		Jockey Ref
2022 – three-year-old season
Jul 21, 2022 6 furlongs Maiden Special Weight Saratoga 0.90* 6 1 1:10.87 4+1⁄4 lengths Irad Ortiz Jr. [9]
Sep 3, 2022 1 mile Allowance Saratoga 1.80* 7 3 1:36.35 (1+1⁄4 lengths) Irad Ortiz Jr. [10]
Sep 29, 2022 1+1⁄8 miles Allowance Aqueduct 3.20 8 6 1:51.55 (10 lengths) Irad Ortiz Jr. [11]
Nov 26, 2022 7 furlongs Allowance Aqueduct 1.00* 6 4 1:26.04 (5+1⁄2 lengths) Irad Ortiz Jr. [12]
Dec 18, 2022 1 mile Allowance Aqueduct 4.50 8 4 1:38.64 (9 lengths) Manuel Franco [13]
2023 – four-year-old season
Jan 28, 2023 1 mile Allowance Optional Claiming Gulfstream Park 12.60 12 1 1:33.10 4 lengths Irad Ortiz Jr. [14]
Mar 4, 2023 1+1⁄16 miles Allowance Optional Claiming Gulfstream Park 0.80* 12 1 1:40.10 1+1⁄4 lengths Irad Ortiz Jr. [15]
Apr 14, 2023 1 mile Maker's Mark Mile Stakes I Keeneland 5.39 8 3 1:33.46 (3+3⁄4 lengths) Irad Ortiz Jr. [16]
May 6, 2023 1+1⁄8 miles Turf Classic Stakes I Churchill Downs 2.63* 8 1 1:47.31 3+3⁄4 lengths Irad Ortiz Jr. [17]
Jun 10, 2023 1+1⁄4 miles Manhattan Stakes I Belmont Park 1.65* 10 1 1:59.31 2+3⁄4 lengths Irad Ortiz Jr. [18]
Oct 7, 2023 1 mile Coolmore Turf Mile I Keeneland 2.29 9 1 1:34.18 nose Jose Ortiz [19]
Nov 4, 2023 1+1⁄2 miles Breeders' Cup Turf I Santa Anita 3.40 11 2 2:24.30 (3⁄4 length) Irad Ortiz Jr. [20]

Legend:
  Turf   Dirt
Notes:
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Up to the Mark was the post-time favorite.

Pedigree

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Pedigree of Up to the Mark, bay colt, February 28, 2019[1]
Sire
Not This Time
(2014) 		Giant's Causeway
(1997) 		Storm Cat
(1983) 		Storm Bird (CAN) (1978)
Terlingua (1976)
Mariah's Storm
(1991) 		Rahy (1985)
Immense (1979)
Miss Macy Sue
(2003) 		Trippi
(1997) 		End Sweep (1991)
Jealous Appeal (1983)
Yada Yada
(1996) 		Great Above (1972)
Stem (1982)
Dam
Belle's Finale
(2014) 		Ghostzapper
(2000) 		Awesome Again
(1994) 		Deputy Minister (CAN) (1979)
Primal Force (1976)
Baby Zip
(1991) 		Relaunch (1976)
Thirty Zip (1983)
Capote Belle
(1993) 		Capote
(1984) 		Seattle Slew (1974)
Too Bald (1964)
Rythmical
(1985) 		Fappiano (1977)
Graceful Gal (1975) (family 13-c)[21]
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Video

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Pedigree of Up to the Mark". Equineline. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  2. ^ "Equibase Profile of Up to the Mark". Equibase. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  3. ^ Wilkin, Tim. "Not This Time well represented in Saratoga's Travers". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  4. ^ Rollins, Molly (October 7, 2023). "Up to the Mark Noses Master of The Seas in Turf Mile; Set Piece was third and last year's Turf Mile winner, Annapolis, was fourth". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  5. ^ Petrunyak, Katie (June 19, 2023). "Ramspring Farm Hits the Mark with a Top-Class Turfer". thoroughbreddailynews.com. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  6. ^ Johnson, Karen M. (June 10, 2023). "Up to the Mark Rallies to Dominate Manhattan Stakes; The colt earned his second consecutive grade 1 score". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  7. ^ Angst, Frank (May 6, 2023). "Up to the Mark Rallies to Win Turf Classic; Hong Kong Harry was second and Spooky Channel finished third". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  8. ^ Angst, Frank (January 25, 2024). "Versatile Up to the Mark Named Champion Male Turf Horse; Up to the Mark earned grade 1 wins at a mile, 1 1/8 miles, and 1 1/4 miles". truenicks.com. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  9. ^ "Chart for July 21, 2022, Maiden Special Weight Race 1 at Saratoga". equibase.com. July 21, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  10. ^ "Chart for September 3, 2022, Allowance Race 1 at Saratoga". equibase.com. September 3, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  11. ^ "Chart for September 29, 2022, Allowance Race 8 at Belmont at the Big A". equibase.com. September 29, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  12. ^ "Chart for November 29, 2022, Allowance Race 4 at Aqueduct". equibase.com. November 26, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  13. ^ "Chart for December 18, 2022, Allowance Race 5 at Aqueduct". equibase.com. December 18, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  14. ^ "Chart for January 28, 2023, Allowance Race 5 at Gulfstream Park". equibase.com. March 4, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  15. ^ "Chart for March 4, 2023, Allowance Optional Claiming Race 3 at Gulfstream Park". equibase.com. March 4, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  16. ^ "2023 Maker's Mark Mile Stakes Grade 1 – (race 9)". Equibase. April 14, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  17. ^ "Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes Grade 1 - (race 11)". Equibase. May 6, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  18. ^ "2023 Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes Grade 1 – (race 11)". Equibase. June 10, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  19. ^ "Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes Grade 1 – (race 10)". Equibase. October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  20. ^ "Longines Breeders' Cup Turf Grade 1 – (Race 8)". Equibase. November 4, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  21. ^ "Thoroughbred Bloodlines – STRAY SHOT (GB – Family 13-c". www.bloodlines.net. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
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