# Up to the Mark

Up to the Mark (foaled February 29, 2019) is a Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2023 he won three consecutive Grade I events, the Turf Classic Stakes, Manhattan Stakes and Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes.

## Background

Up to the Mark is a bay colt that was bred in Kentucky by Ramspring Farm. He was sired by Not This Time, a graded stakes winner who finished second in the 2016 Breeders' Cup Juvenile before his career has cut short by injury. A son of Giant's Causeway, he stood the 2023 breeding season for a fee of $135,000 at Taylor Made Farm near Nicholasville, Kentucky. His dam Belle's Finale, an unraced three-year-old out of Grade 1 winner Capote Belle (Capote) carrying her first foal by Not This Time, was bought by Mary Leigh Patrick of Ramspring Farm at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale for $70,000. Impressed with her first foal, Belle's Finale was sent back Not This Time and in 2019 produced Up to the Mark. Ramspring Farm, a breed-to-sell operation, sent Up to the Mark to the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sales and he was purchased by Mike Repole of Repole Stable and Vinnie Viola of St. Elias Stable for $450,000.

## Career

Up to the Mark began his racing career as a three-year-old in a Maiden Special Weight at Saratoga on July 21, 2022, winning the six-furlong event on the dirt. However, after five more unsuccessful tries on the dirt Up to the Mark was sent to Florida and his connections decided to try him on the turf track.
In January 2023, trainer Todd Pletcher gave him a try on the grass and he responded with a four-length victory in an allowance-level race at Gulfstream Park. He then followed that effort with another clear victory in another allowance.
In his stakes debut in April 2023 at the Keeneland spring meet, Up to the Mark finished third in the G1 Maker's Mark Mile Stakes.
After a successful campaign in 2023 Up to the Mark was awarded an Eclipse Award as the U.S. Male Turf Horse.

## Statistics

| Date | Distance | Race | Grade | Track | Odds | Field | Finish | Winning Time | Winning (Losing) Margin | Jockey |
| 2022 – three-year-old season ||||||||||||
| Jul 21, 2022 | 6 furlongs | Maiden Special Weight | | Saratoga | 0.90* | 6 | 1 | 1:10.87 | 4+1⁄4 lengths | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
| Sep 3, 2022 | 1 mile | Allowance | | Saratoga | 1.80* | 7 | 3 | 1:36.35 | (1+1⁄4 lengths) | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
| Sep 29, 2022 | 1+1⁄8 miles | Allowance | | Aqueduct | 3.20 | 8 | 6 | 1:51.55 | (10 lengths) | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
| Nov 26, 2022 | 7 furlongs | Allowance | | Aqueduct | 1.00* | 6 | 4 | 1:26.04 | (5+1⁄2 lengths) | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
| Dec 18, 2022 | 1 mile | Allowance | | Aqueduct | 4.50 | 8 | 4 | 1:38.64 | (9 lengths) | Manuel Franco |
| 2023 – four-year-old season ||||||||||||
| Jan 28, 2023 | 1 mile | Allowance Optional Claiming | | Gulfstream Park | 12.60 | 12 | 1 | 1:33.10 | 4 lengths | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
| Mar 4, 2023 | 1+1⁄16 miles | Allowance Optional Claiming | | Gulfstream Park | 0.80* | 12 | 1 | 1:40.10 | 1+1⁄4 lengths | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
| Apr 14, 2023 | 1 mile | Maker's Mark Mile Stakes | I | Keeneland | 5.39 | 8 | 3 | 1:33.46 | (3+3⁄4 lengths) | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
| May 6, 2023 | 1+1⁄8 miles | Turf Classic Stakes | I | Churchill Downs | 2.63* | 8 | 1 | 1:47.31 | 3+3⁄4 lengths | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
| Jun 10, 2023 | 1+1⁄4 miles | Manhattan Stakes | I | Belmont Park | 1.65* | 10 | 1 | 1:59.31 | 2+3⁄4 lengths | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
| Oct 7, 2023 | 1 mile | Coolmore Turf Mile | I | Keeneland | 2.29 | 9 | 1 | 1:34.18 | nose | Jose Ortiz |
| Nov 4, 2023 | 1+1⁄2 miles | Breeders' Cup Turf | I | Santa Anita | 3.40 | 11 | 2 | 2:24.30 | (3⁄4 length) | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
Legend:
 Turf  Dirt
Notes:
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Up to the Mark was the post-time favorite.

## Pedigree

Pedigree of Up to the Mark, bay colt, February 28, 2019 :
| Sire Not This Time (2014) | Giant's Causeway (1997) | Storm Cat (1983) | Storm Bird (CAN) (1978) |
| Sire Not This Time (2014) | Giant's Causeway (1997) | Storm Cat (1983) | Terlingua (1976) |
| Sire Not This Time (2014) | Giant's Causeway (1997) | Mariah's Storm (1991) | Rahy (1985) |
| Sire Not This Time (2014) | Giant's Causeway (1997) | Mariah's Storm (1991) | Immense (1979) |
| Sire Not This Time (2014) | Miss Macy Sue (2003) | Trippi (1997) | End Sweep (1991) |
| Sire Not This Time (2014) | Miss Macy Sue (2003) | Trippi (1997) | Jealous Appeal (1983) |
| Sire Not This Time (2014) | Miss Macy Sue (2003) | Yada Yada (1996) | Great Above (1972) |
| Sire Not This Time (2014) | Miss Macy Sue (2003) | Yada Yada (1996) | Stem (1982) |
| Dam Belle's Finale (2014) | Ghostzapper (2000) | Awesome Again (1994) | Deputy Minister (CAN) (1979) |
| Dam Belle's Finale (2014) | Ghostzapper (2000) | Awesome Again (1994) | Primal Force (1976) |
| Dam Belle's Finale (2014) | Ghostzapper (2000) | Baby Zip (1991) | Relaunch (1976) |
| Dam Belle's Finale (2014) | Ghostzapper (2000) | Baby Zip (1991) | Thirty Zip (1983) |
| Dam Belle's Finale (2014) | Capote Belle (1993) | Capote (1984) | Seattle Slew (1974) |
| Dam Belle's Finale (2014) | Capote Belle (1993) | Capote (1984) | Too Bald (1964) |
| Dam Belle's Finale (2014) | Capote Belle (1993) | Rythmical (1985) | Fappiano (1977) |
| Dam Belle's Finale (2014) | Capote Belle (1993) | Rythmical (1985) | Graceful Gal (1975) (family 13-c) |