MASTERY’s $260,000 Keeneland September purchase Spankster visited the Churchill Downs winner’s circle on Sunday with a Maiden Special Weight victory under the twin spires.
Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, Spankster faced a brief battle in the early stages of the six-furlong race but put that to bed in the turn. The colt raced a few paths wide down the stretch when pulling clear and had only Seal Beach within 5 ½ lengths of him at the line – that one a length back.
Owned by Willis Horton Racing, Spankster was bought by Calf Creek Farm from the Claiborne consignment at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and has hit the board in his two of his three starts.
Spankster is out of BLAME’s winning daughter Spank, a half-sister to the Grade 2 winning Just Jenda. That mare is the dam of stakes winners Jenda’s Agenda and Miss Alacrity. Spankster also hails from the family of champion and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Nyquist and Grade 1 winner Sahara Sky among others.
Spank has a 2-year-old RUNHAPPY filly named Neutralize, a yearling colt by DEMARCHELIER, and a weanling colt by WAR OF WILL.