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US: Houtzen colt lands US stakes contest

Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m)-winning mare Houtzen (I Am Invincible) is beginning to make her presence felt as a broodmare, with her three-year-old colt Greenwich Village (Quality Road) scoring his first stakes success at Santa Anita on Sunday. Trained by Bob Baffert, Greenwich Village captured the US$100,000 Baffle Stakes (Listed, 6.5f) on turf at just his third career start, producing a strong finishing burst to win by a neck. “After I broke a little slow, I decided to stay back and make one run,” winning rider Juan Hernandez said. “He crossed the dirt like a professional and really started passing horses. He’s a big, heavy horse, but he’s got a very good turn of foot.” Greenwich Village was purchased for US$350,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale by SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables and is the second foal to race, and second winner, out of Houtzen. The daughter of I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), who was foaled and raised at Yarraman Park, added two Group 3 victories in Australia after her juvenile stakes success, and then placed at Group 2 level in Europe. She was sold to Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings for US$1.5 million at the 2020 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale and has a two-year-old colt by Charlatan (Speightstown) and a yearling colt by leading stallion Not This Time (Giant’s Causeway).