TOP 3: UP TO THE MARK

Horse Profile


Characteristics


Major Won Races


Achievements


Rankings


Retirement Plan

Horse Profile

• Foaled: February 28, 2019 
• Bred: Kentucky, United States 
• Sex: colt 
• Debuted: 2022 
• Retirement: 2024 
• Death: N/A 
• Color and Markings: bay 

• Sire: Not This Time 
• Dam: Belle’s Finale 
• Owner: Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables LLC 
• Breeder: Ramspring Farm 
• Trainer: Todd A. Pletcher 

• Primary/Regular Jockeys: Irad Ortiz, Jr. 

Characteristics

• His trainer, Todd Pletcher, describes Up to the Mark as a “serious horse,” a sentiment that’s hard to dispute given the horse’s achievements. Winning prestigious races like the G1 Turf Classic and the G1 Manhattan, Up to the Mark has firmly established himself as one of the premier grass horses in the United States. The high-speed figures he’s posting are not just numbers but a quantitative measure of his exceptional prowess on the track. 
• Irad Ortiz Jr., the jockey who has tasted victory with Up to the Mark, emphasizes the horse’s improvement and evolving hoof style since shifting his focus to turf tracks. This kind of development is crucial; it shows a horse’s ability to adapt and thrive, which, in racing, can be the difference between a good horse and a great one. 
• Pletcher’s confidence in Up to the Mark’s versatility is particularly noteworthy. To have a horse that excels at both a mile and a mile-and-a-quarter distances and to perform at a Grade 1 level, no less, is a rare and valuable trait. It speaks volumes about the horse’s capability, conditioning, and the strategic foresight of his team. Up to the Mark’s dirt pedigree, juxtaposed with his excellence on turf, further underscores his adaptability and the skill of his handlers in maximizing his potential. 

Major Won Races

• 
  Turf Classic Stakes (2023)
• 
  Manhattan Stakes (2023)
• 
  Coolmore Turf Mile (2023)

Achievements

• Up to the Mark earned a 105 Beyer Speed.

• Four consecutive triple-digit Beyers 105, 105, 103, 100

Rankings

He ranked 3rd by Earnings in 2023. 

Retirement Plan

• Up to the Mark will enter stud at Lane’s End Farm upon concluding his racing career, the farm announced on October 2, 2023. 

• Since Up to the Mark boasts a lineage rooted in dirt races, coupled with stellar performances on turf tracks, his repertoire exudes a versatility hinting at a promising stud career ahead. This magnificent horse is set to grace the paddocks of Lane’s End Farm with his presence, embarking on a new chapter after his illustrious horse racing career. The transition from racetrack to stud is not merely a change in routine; it represents the dawn of a legacy, where his diverse strengths on both dirt and turf are anticipated to sire future champions, blending speed, agility, and the heart of a victor. 

Horse Profile

• Foaled: February 28, 2019 
• Bred: Kentucky, United States 
• Sex: colt 
• Debuted: 2022 
• Retirement: 2024 
• Death: N/A 
• Color and Markings: bay 

• Sire: Not This Time 
• Dam: Belle’s Finale 
• Owner: Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables LLC 
• Breeder: Ramspring Farm 
• Trainer: Todd A. Pletcher 

• Primary/Regular Jockeys: Irad Ortiz, Jr. 

Characteristics

• His trainer, Todd Pletcher, describes Up to the Mark as a “serious horse,” a sentiment that’s hard to dispute given the horse’s achievements. Winning prestigious races like the G1 Turf Classic and the G1 Manhattan, Up to the Mark has firmly established himself as one of the premier grass horses in the United States. The high-speed figures he’s posting are not just numbers but a quantitative measure of his exceptional prowess on the track. 
• Irad Ortiz Jr., the jockey who has tasted victory with Up to the Mark, emphasizes the horse’s improvement and evolving hoof style since shifting his focus to turf tracks. This kind of development is crucial; it shows a horse’s ability to adapt and thrive, which, in racing, can be the difference between a good horse and a great one. 
• Pletcher’s confidence in Up to the Mark’s versatility is particularly noteworthy. To have a horse that excels at both a mile and a mile-and-a-quarter distances and to perform at a Grade 1 level, no less, is a rare and valuable trait. It speaks volumes about the horse’s capability, conditioning, and the strategic foresight of his team. Up to the Mark’s dirt pedigree, juxtaposed with his excellence on turf, further underscores his adaptability and the skill of his handlers in maximizing his potential. 

Major Won Races

• 
  Turf Classic Stakes (2023)
• 
  Manhattan Stakes (2023)
• 
  Coolmore Turf Mile (2023)

Achievements

• Up to the Mark earned a 105 Beyer Speed.

• Four consecutive triple-digit Beyers 105, 105, 103, 100

Rankings

He ranked 3rd by Earnings in 2023. 

Retirement Plan

• Up to the Mark will enter stud at Lane’s End Farm upon concluding his racing career, the farm announced on October 2, 2023. 

• Since Up to the Mark boasts a lineage rooted in dirt races, coupled with stellar performances on turf tracks, his repertoire exudes a versatility hinting at a promising stud career ahead. This magnificent horse is set to grace the paddocks of Lane’s End Farm with his presence, embarking on a new chapter after his illustrious horse racing career. The transition from racetrack to stud is not merely a change in routine; it represents the dawn of a legacy, where his diverse strengths on both dirt and turf are anticipated to sire future champions, blending speed, agility, and the heart of a victor. 

Up to the Mark Connections

• Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr. 

• • Ortiz is a successful jockey who ranked 1st in earnings and wins in 2022 and 2023. 

• Trainer: Todd A. Pletcher 

• • Trainer Pletcher is also prominent in his career, being an Eclipse Awardee and an outstanding trainer six times. 
  • He ranked 3rd in earnings and 9th in wins in 2023. 
  • He ranked 2nd in earnings and 5th in wins in 2022. 

• Owner: Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables LLC 

• • It is the partnership of Mike Repole and St. Elias Stable  
  • They ranked 4th in earnings and 38th in wins in 2023. 
  • They ranked 19th in earnings in 2022. 

Racing Career

Pedigree

SIRE: Not This Time

• Up to the Mark is a son of Not This Time, who won the Iroquois (G3) in 2016 and finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile that year. 
• Not This Time is a son of Giant’s Causeway, who sired 30 career stakes winners, including 13 graded stakes winners and five grade 1 winners. His elite performers include 2022 champion 3-year-old colt and Travers Stakes (G1) winner Epicenter. 

DAM: Belle’s Finale

• He comes from a female family with stakes on dirt and grass. 
• Although Belle’s Finale is unraced, she is a full sister to graded-placed stakes winner and stakes producer Zapper Belle. The immediate family also has produced multiple graded stakes winners, such as Catapult, and graded stakes winners Real Courage and Duluth. 
• Belle’s Finale is also an offspring of Ghostzapper and Capote Belle (Capote), a grade 1 winner and stakes producer. 
• Moreover, Ghostzapper is also a remarkable horse who won the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2004, earned the 2004 Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year, was ranked “World’s Top Ranked Horse” for 2004 as compiled by the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings, and was even inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2012.