Florida-bred Triskelion on AE List
BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Last year, NBS Stable’s Ground Support debuted with a dramatic maiden special weight victory versus fillies at Kentucky Downs, slipping through on the rail at the top of the lane to win by three-quarters of a length at odds of 100-1. Trainer Kelsey Danner returns the Florida-bred filly to the unique turf course at the Franklin, Kentucky facility for the $1.5 million Ainsworth Music City (Grade 2) for 3-year-old fillies entered to go six-and-a-half furlongs.
In addition to the winner’s share of the large purse, a victory outside Florida at this level by Ground Support would produce a $5,000 Export Incentive for Michael Sucher of Del Rey Beach, Florida who bred the daughter of Army Mule in the name of his Champion Equine.
After her exciting introduction, Ground Support took the Grade 2 Miss Grillo going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the inner turf at Aqueduct during the Belmont at Big A meet on October 4 then finished her 2-year-old season with a third—after leading in the stretch—in the one-mile, $920,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Del Mar on October 31.
Named the 2026 champion 2-year-old filly by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, Ground Support resumed her career at Churchill Downs on June 27, finishing fifth in the $258,000 Tepin won by Tam Tam racing a mile on the grass. In one start since, she was fifth going a mile on the grass again, this time in the Grade 2 San Clemente at Del Mar on July 18.
Out of the Arch mare Arch Support, Ground Support has earnings of $264,412 from two wins in five starts with her third in the Breeders’ Cup. NBS/John Ballantyne purchased her for $80,000 out of the Tom McCrocklin consignment at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale of 2-year-olds in training in May after she did not meet her reserve in the Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale two months earlier.
Adam Beschizza has ridden Ground Support in every race of her career and Danner keeps the veteran aboard Saturday. Ground Support has post three in a full field of 12 enterered plus two on the also eligible list. They are 10-1 on the morning line.
Cy Fair, a winner of her last two races including a two-and-a-half-length score ahead of Sapphire Beach (Ire) in second and third-place finisher Cadenza in the Grade 3 Coronation Cup over a yielding five-and-a-half furlongs on grass Saratoga Race Course on July 18, enters for trainer George Weaver and owners Medallion Racing and Swinbank Stable.
Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) winner at Del Mar started her sophomore campaign with a third behind Slay the Day and runner-up Sapphire Beach in the five-and-a-half-furlong Limestone (G3) on the Keeneland Turf but then won the Mamzelle (G3) at the same distance at Churchill Downs on April 30 before winning the Coronation Cup.
Cy Fair is by Not This Time out of Remarqued, by Arch and has a career ledger of five wins, a second and a third in seven starts with earnings of $1,016,005.
She is the 6-5 morning line favorite and will be ridden from the inside post by John Velazquez.
Sapphire Beach is also entered for the Music City for another chance at Cy Fair.
Trained by George Arnold II for Three Diamonds Farm, Sapphire Beach has won two with her two previously mentioned seconds in five starts this year. She won a first condition, $75,000 optional claiming sprinting five furlongs on the Gulfstream Park turf on February 5 and two starts back took a five-and-a-half-furlong allowance race on the Churchill lawn on May 31.
Sapphire Beach has earned $293,002 and will be ridden from post 10 by Jose Ortiz. Sapphire Beach is 6-1 in the program.
Rounding out the entries are Quiet Street with jockey Taylor Kinsley, Green Sense will have Micah Husbands in the saddle, Light Won Up teams with rider Antonio Fresu, Tyler Gaffalione has the call on Lion Lake (Ire), Somerset West will be guided by Luis Saez, Luan Machado takes the reins on Percy’s Bar, Final Accord will have Axel Concepcion up, Edgar Moreles rides Coco Connect and Cadenza will have Florent Geroux in the irons. French Friction, Essential Lady, Florida-bred Triskelion and Just a Minute are on the also-eligible list.
Triskelion won the $122,000 Pea Patch sprinting on the Ellis Park turf two starts back for trainer George Arnold II and owner Amy E. Dunne. Dunne also bred Triskelion in partnership with Ashbrook Far and her husband Ciaran G. Dunne.
In one start since the Pea Patch, Triskelion was fifth in the $200,000 Galway (Listed) won by Cadenza over a yielding five-and-a-half-furlong turf at Saratoga on August 15.
Triskelion is by Leinster out of Victorian Gold (Ire), by Australia (GB) and has earned $160,000 from two wins, two seconds and two thirds from seven starts.
Return to the September 3 issue of Wire to Wire
