BY BROCK SHERIDAN
NBS Stable’s Ground Support, the Florida-bred champion 2-year-old filly of 2025, heads west to Del Mar for her second start this year in the Grade 2 San Clemente for 3-year-old fillies. A field of 11 will vie over a mile on the turf for the winner’s share of the $200,000 purse.
A victory by Ground Support would also earn Michael Sucher of Delray Beach, Florida, who bred Ground Support in the name of his Champion Equine, a $5,000 Export Incentive paid by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association for an out-of-state victory at this level.
In her first race since October 31 when third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Del Mar, Ground Support was fifth in the $258,000 Tepin (Listed) going a mile on the grass at Churchill Downs on June 27. Trained by Kelsey Danner, Ground Support has one breeze since, a bullet five furlongs in :59.60 over the Turfway Park synthetic, the fastest of 11 works at the distance that morning.
Prior to the Breeders’ Cup, Ground Support won her first two races, starting with a $132,000 maiden special weight for fillies going a mile on the unique turf course at Kentucky Downs on August 30 at odds of 100-1. She was given more respect at 12-1 in her second start when winning the Grade 2 Miss Grillo racing a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the inner turf at Aqueduct during the Belmont at Big A meet on October 4.
By Army Mule out of Arch Support, Ground Support has earned $260,412 for owners Art Neuhedel, John Ballantyne and Daryl Shaw in the name of their NBS Stable. She has two wins and a third in four starts. NBS/John Ballantyne bought Ground Support for $80,000 out of the 2025 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old in training sale where she was consigned by Tom McCrocklin.
Her regular rider, Adam Beschizza, will again have the mount and Ground Support has post three.
Several locals from the one-mile Honeymoon (Listed) on the turf at Santa Anita on June 6 are set to meet again in the San Clemente.
The Philip D’Amato-trained Inbox (GB) just missed when second in the $102,000 Honeymoon, finishing a nose shy of winner Darya.
The lightly raced daughter of Ectot (GB) owned by Hopeless Stables, Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables and Marsha Naify, had one start in Ireland last year before coming to the United States where she won in her first try in a nine-furlong maiden special weight on the Santa Anita turf in January. She was next fourth in the $101,000 Providencia (Listed) in April at Santa Anita before making her last start in the Honeymoon.
Joel Rosario has the riding assignment on Inbox from post eight.
The Leonard Powell-trained Lookin At Diamond and Light Won Up from the Doug O’Neill barn were third and fifth respectively in the Honeymoon and are entered for the San Clemente.
Umberto Rispoli will have the reins on Look At Diamond from post nine while Emisael Jaramillo rides Light Won Up from post six.
Rounding out the field are Raiding Party (Ire) with jockey Ben Curtis, Hector Berrios takes the call on Wild Like the West, Spirit Doll will have Rasheed Hughes up, Peanutbutterbombe and pilot Antonio Fresu, Marjoram with Juan Hernandez aboard, Somerset West will be guided by Armando Ayuso and Julien Leparoux ships for the assignment on Cortina d’Amprezzo (Ire).
Return to the July 16 issue of Wire to Wire
