Up to the Mark

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.^[3] 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.^[4] 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.^[5] 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.^[6]

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.^[7]

After a successful campaign in 2023 Up to the Mark was awarded an Eclipse Award as the U.S. Male Turf Horse.^[8]

Legend:
  Turf   Dirt
Notes:
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Up to the Mark was the post-time favorite.