Up to the Mark

Up to the Mark began his career with a sparkling 4 ¼-length win in a three-quarter-mile sprint July 21, 2022, at Saratoga Race Course for trainer Todd Pletcher and co-owners Repole Stable and St Elias Stable, which purchased him for $450,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sale.

The Not This Time colt faded late to finish third in his second start going one mile later during the 2022 summer meet at Saratoga and then was unplaced in his final three races as a 3-year-old at distances ranging from seven-eighths of a mile to 1 1/8 miles.

Transferred to the turf for his 4-year-old debut, Up to the Mark immediately showed improvement with a four-length win Jan. 28, 2023, at Gulfstream Park in a one-mile race on the grass. He won again on the turf at 1 1/16 miles March 4 before finishing third in his stakes debut in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes April 14 at Keeneland.

Pletcher kept him in stakes company for his next race and this time Up to the Mark proved much the best in winning the $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes on the May 6 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve undercard at Churchill Downs.

The next start for Up to the Mark came in the Grade 1 $750,000 Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes on June 10 at Belmont Park. Sent off as the 8-5 favorite on the tote board in a field of 10 horses in the Manhattan, Up to the Mark stalked the pace in mid-pack all the way and used a quick and devastating turn of foot to burst to the lead at the top of the stretch to draw off and win by 2 3/4 lengths in a time of 1:59.31 for the 1 1/4 miles on firm turf.

Up To the Mark was given a short respite after his back-to-back Grade 1 wins and returned in the Grade 1, $1 million Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes on Oct. 7 at Keeneland. Ricoh Woodbine Mile winner Master of The Seas edged away to a clear lead in deep stretch but Up to the Mark would not be denied and closed with a sustained rush to nip Master of The Seas by a nose at the finish line, completing the mile in 1:34.18 for his fifth win in six starts in 2023.

The Coolmore Turf Mile is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series qualifying race for the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile presented by Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, granting Up to the Mark an expenses-paid berth in the $2 million race Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park.

In the Breeders' Cup Turf, Up to the Mark attempted to stretch out to 1 1/2 miles for the first time and ran a good effort in defeat when finishing second by three-quarters of a length in an 11-horse field as the 3.40-1 third choice on the tote board. Based on his stellar 5-for-7 record in 2023, Up to the Mark received the Eclipse Award as champion turf male.

Up to the Mark was produced by the unraced Ghostzapper mare Belle’s Finale, a full-sister (same dam [mother], same sire [father]) to Grade 3-placed stakes winner and stakes producer Zapper Belle.