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Multiple stakes winner Mi Bago could contest this year's Two Thousand Guineas (G1) with U.S. Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse labeling the 3-year-old "an exceptional horse".View the full article

A pair of Del Mar programs that its horsemen and horsewomen have found to be especially popular, "Ship & Win" and the Maiden Dirt Bonus, again will enhance Del Mar's summer meet purses when racing resumes July 18. View the full article

Formula Rossa (f, 3, Vekoma–Fay Na Na, by Majestic Warrior) put on a show while stopping the timer for six furlongs in 1:08.73 in her 'TDN Rising Star' unveiling at Santa Anita Feb. 21. Off as the 4-1 third choice for trainer Mark Glatt, Formula Rossa chased in second as the highly regarded, Bob Baffert-trained firster Brilliantly (Uncle Mo) zipped through sharp fractions of :21.89 and :44.41. Formula Rossa drew up alongside the 4-5 favorite at the top of the stretch and blasted off for home with powerful-looking strides to win going away by four lengths. She earned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. “Certainly, it was an eye-popping performance,” Glatt said. “We were quite high on her going into the race and very confident. We had heard about the Baffert filly and how good she was going into the race, amongst others. Maiden allowances you never know what you're gonna get.” Glatt continued, “To say that we expected a performance like the one we got, I don't think we would be being honest if we thought she'd run that scintillating. But we were awfully high on her going into the race.” One of four 'Rising Stars' for last year's champion freshman sire Vekoma, Formula Rossa brought $270,000 from Muir Hut Stables out of the Hunter Valley Farm consignment at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. She was previously a $130,000 short yearling at Keeneland January. Bred in Kentucky by Greathouse Equine, LLC and Glencrest Farm, LLC, Formula Rossa is out of the unraced Majestic Warrior mare Fay Na Na. The Vekoma x A.P. Indy cross is also responsible for G3 Saudi Derby winner Golden Vekoma (o/o a Stevie Wonderboy mare) and sensational maiden winner and 'Rising Star' Colloquial (o/o a Bernardini mare), who earned a gaudy 106 Beyer graduating at second asking at Aqueduct Feb. 7. “She's got a nice stride on her,” Glatt said. “I want to see it before I believe with a lot of these young horses, but I don't think there's really any doubt running further is gonna be a problem for her.” As for what's next for Formula Rossa, Glatt added, “She came back out of the race well. She ran so fast that I think we'll probably take our time. Try and stay disciplined and not do too much with her in start number two. She could show up in a first-level allowance condition either on the West Coast or perhaps Keeneland. I don't think we'll stretch her out yet. We'll sprint her at least her one more time before we think about stretching her out. Still gonna go over it with ownership and see what their thoughts are on how we move forward, too.” The post Glatt Not in Any Hurry With ‘Eye-Popping’ Maiden Winner Formula Rossa appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Another 'TDN Rising Star' was born across the Channel on Tuesday, as We'll Defend (Fr) followed in the footsteps of Mandanaba (Fr) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) and Tito Mo Cen (Ire) (Uncle Mo) by producing a sparkling debut display on the Chantilly polytrack. All told, We'll Defend is the sixth now-three-year-old to have earned 'TDN Rising Star' status in Europe since Winter Watch came into being in November, with Falakeyah (GB) (New Bay {GB}), Bowmark (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Opera Ballo (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) also having impressed in Britain in that time. It was on cold Kempton evenings that both Bowmark and Opera Ballo first strutted their stuff, while a wintry Wolverhampton was the scene of Falakeyah's dazzling debut. However, if it's seeing exciting young talent that keeps you warm at this time of year, then Chantilly has been the place to be this winter above all others, with the added bonus of being in a rather more picturesque setting than Dunstall Park. Sorry, Wolves fans. Carlos and Yann Lerner will certainly have a soft spot for Chantilly after last year's Prix du Jockey Club success with Look De Vega (Fr). Now, the father-and-son training duo can be forgiven if they're dreaming of further Classic glory with We'll Defend, who is a half-sister to their 2022 Prix de Diane runner-up La Parisienne (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}). The reputation of this Zelzal (Fr) filly seemed to precede her as she arrived at Chantilly for this race run over an extended nine furlongs for unraced fillies. Fitted with a hood and a tongue tie, she was sent off the odds-on favourite and duly delivered by four lengths in effortless fashion, sprinting clear in the final furlong with jockey Christophe Soumillon barely having to break sweat. Bought by the Lerners for €150,000 at the Arqana August Yearling Sale, We'll Defend became the seventh winner from as many runners out of the Hurricane Run (Ire) mare Skysweeper (Fr), with the others including the Listed winner Newlook (Fr) (New Bay {GB}), also trained by the Lerners, and the G3 Prix des Reservoirs third Scripturale (Fr) (Makfi {GB}). A step up in class surely now beckons for Victorious Racing's We'll Defend, who holds Classic entries in both the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Prix de Diane. Victory in the latter event would no doubt taste sweet for the Lerners, especially for Carlos, who also finished second in the race with Volvoreta (GB) (Suave Dancer) back in 2000.     Le Havre Legacy Lives On The success of Look De Vega in last year's Prix du Jockey Club was a rare one for a stable other than that of Jean-Claude Rouget, who has won that Classic five times since 2016, most recently with the brilliant Ace Impact (Ire) in 2023. It remains to be seen which horse will lead Rouget's quest for a seventh Jockey Club triumph in 2025, but Leffard (Fr) must be in the picture now after back-to-back wins at Cagnes-Sur-Mer and Toulouse. Incidentally, the first of those victories came in the Prix Ace Impact, named after the Prix du Jockey Club and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner who had kicked off his career by winning the same contest two years earlier. After beating stable-mate and next-time-out winner Kalaoun (GB) (Kitten's Joy) by a short neck at Cagnes-Sur-Mer, Leffard then made the switch to turf at Toulouse on Monday for a conditions race run over an extended 10 furlongs. There was depth to that contest, with five other previous winners in the field, but Leffard ultimately put them all to the sword a shade cosily, showing a smart change of gear in the final furlong to win by three quarters of a length. A €150,000 purchase at the Arqana August Yearling Sale, Leffard is out of the unraced Montjeu (Ire) mare Let's Misbehave (Ire), whose siblings by Sadler's Wells include the multiple Group 1-winning sire High Chaparral (Ire) and the G2 Dante Stakes hero Black Bear Island (Ire), as well as Chenchikova (Ire), the dam of the Prix de Diane winner Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Crucially, Leffard belongs to the final crop of Le Havre (Ire), Rouget's first winner of the Prix du Jockey Club in 2009, who died exactly three years ago yesterday (March 4). He also sports the same colours as his sire, those of Gerard Augustin-Normand, who owns this colt together with Antonio Caro, so it would be a poignant occasion all round should he make the necessary progress to line up at Chantilly as a leading contender for the Prix du Jockey Club.     The Clement Connection A major development in French racing was announced on Monday, with Dutch-born Frauke Hermans joining Arc-winning trainer Nicolas Clement as joint-licence holder at their Chantilly yard. Hermans was preceded in her previous role as assistant to Clement by Irish-born Tim Donworth, a rising star of the training ranks in France, who was in the news himself on Thursday when Tigress Of Gaul (Fr) maintained her unbeaten record in the conditions event run over a mile at Chantilly. A decisive debut winner over the same course and distance back in December, Tigress Of Gaul justified prohibitive odds as she followed up last week with relative ease, just needing to be shaken up by Aurelien Lemaitre to beat another last-time-out winner, Poschiavo (Fr) (Mehmas {Ire}), by three quarters of a length. It was by no means the most prestigious win of Donworth's career to date, but the significance of it shouldn't be underestimated with a daughter of Siyouni (Fr) who fetched €700,000 at the Arqana August Yearling Sale, identifying her as the joint-second highest-priced filly. Bred by Ecurie des Monceaux, who have retained a share in her with owner Jose Aguirre-Moreno, she is out of the unraced Frankel (GB) mare Lucerne (GB) who, in turn, is out of a half-sister to the top-class miler and sire Charm Spirit (Ire). Entered in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, Tigress Of Gaul could be the breakout horse at the very top table for Donworth, who also spent a year as assistant to Rouget, before kicking off his own training career when he rented a portion of Clement's yard in September 2021.     More to Come from Almanzor Sibling Friday's action at Chantilly is also worth highlighting, including the maiden staged over an extended nine furlongs, which went the way of Kryon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) for trainer Victoria Head and owner-breeder George Strawbridge. This colt doesn't hold any fancy entries, but he's bred to go to the top as a half-brother to Rouget's former stable star Almanzor (Fr), the European champion three-year-old of 2016 when his Group 1 wins included the Prix du Jockey Club, Irish Champion Stakes and Champion Stakes. Like Leffard, he was raced in partnership by Augustin-Normand and Caro. Almanzor was blessed with explosive acceleration and Kryon looked fairly fleet of foot himself in this display, quickly putting the race to bed after moving up to lead over a furlong out. He hit the line three lengths clear of his closest pursuer, in an overall time around 1.8 seconds faster than that of the fillies' equivalent won by Sitora (Ire). As well as giving a glimpse into his own bright future with this breakthrough win, Kryon also paid a compliment to Sumbe's Nizam (Fr) (Pinatubo {Ire}), who had him back in third when they made their respective debuts at Saint-Cloud back in October. Nizam has since won a Listed contest at Lyon Parilly and is entered in both the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Prix du Jockey Club. As for Sitora, she was equally dominant as she outclassed her rivals by two and a half lengths, looking another useful filly in the making for Francis-Henri Graffard and the Aga Khan Studs. This homebred is the third winner from as many runners out of the Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) mare Simiyna (Ire) who, in turn, is out of a Listed-placed half-sister to the great Sinndar (Ire).     Port Light the Best of Britain Kingman (GB), the sire of Sitora, was also among the winners at Newcastle on Thursday as we begin our round-up of what's been an uneventful few days in Britian, certainly compared to what we've seen in France. The seven-furlong novice won by Regalian (GB) was about as weak a race of its type as you'll find, but the William Haggas trainee got the job done in good style as the 2-5 favourite, drawing right away late on to win by three and a quarter lengths. Stiffer tasks lie ahead for Isa Salman Al Khalifa's homebred, but he's bred to be smart as a son of Missrock (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), a multiple Group 1-placed sprinter in Australia. Her first foal, Theory Of Tides (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), was a dual winner for the Gosdens last year. The Charlie Appleby-trained Tribal Act (Ire) also deserves a mention, having defied a penalty to double his career tally in the 11-furlong novice on Friday's card at Southwell. The son of Sea The Stars (Ire) still looked far from the finished article as he hung left through the final furlong, but at the line he was well on top, two and a half lengths clear of his closest pursuer. He's since been allotted an opening BHA mark of 92 and should be capable of winning handicaps with further progress expected. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see which way Archie Watson goes with Port Light (Ire) after his pillar-to-post success in the one-mile novice at Chelmsford on Thursday. He now finds himself on a mark of 98, so handicaps will be an option, though he's not too far off the level required to make him competitive in minor stakes company. There was certainly plenty to like about his win at Chelmsford, by five lengths from Crack On Boys (GB) (Cracksman {GB}), who'd created a favourable impression when opening his account at Newcastle a few weeks earlier. Port Light himself was a debut winner at Southwell in November, before being beaten just a head by the subsequent Listed runner-up Rajeko (Ire) (Kameko) at Chelmsford the following month. Whatever the future has in store, the son of City Light (Fr) already looks a very shrewd purchase at the €41,000 it cost to secure him at the Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-up Sale, having first sold for 24,000gns at the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale.     Dundalk Form Boosts for O'Brien Duo We'll sign off with a quick spin through Friday's action at Dundalk, where Joseph O'Brien had reason to smile despite drawing a blank on the card. The Michael O'Callaghan-trained Athlumney Warrior (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) ran out a comfortable winner of the one-mile maiden under Colin Keane, by two and a quarter lengths, having previously filled the runner-up spot behind O'Brien's Snapaurum (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) over the same course and distance. Keane later completed a double when winning the maiden over an extended 10 furlongs aboard Heather (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) who, again, had finished second to an O'Brien trainee, Sweet Illusions (Get Stormy), when making her debut there in December. Heather is trained by Ger Lyons, but she's from a family that O'Brien knows well, having won the Irish Derby with her full-brother, Latrobe (Ire). She's also a full-sister to the Oaks runner-up Pink Dogwood (Ire), which points to her finding more improvement when she steps up to a mile and a half. That was backed up by the manner of this victory, looking better the further she went as she hit the line two lengths clear of her closest pursuer. Elsewhere on the card, Sands Of Mali (Fr) filly Songhai (Ire) looked a bright prospect for Johnny Murtagh when making a winning debut in the six-furlong maiden, showing a good attitude to hold off a more-experienced rival by three quarters of a length. Bought for €40,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, she seems sure to progress and win more races.     Winners in Waiting Dancing Teapot (Ire), runner-up at Dundalk (November 22) since publication Padua (Ire), seventh at Kempton (December 4) since publication Marhaba Ghaiyyath (Ire), winner at Lingfield (December 3) since publication Safe Idea (GB), third at Wolverhampton (December 21) since publication Indian Springs (Ire) Spanish Voice (GB) Noble Horizon (GB) Dixieland Blues (GB) City Of God (Ire), winner at Southwell (January 17) and runner-up at Wolverhampton (February 18) and Southwell (February 28) since publication War And Love (GB), runner-up at Chelmsford (January 11) and fifth at Newcastle (February 4) since publication Cupola (GB), seventh at Wolverhampton (February 18) since publication Lady Lilac (Ire), third at Dundalk (February 28) since publication My Kinda Ghaiy (Ire) The post Winter Watch: Chantilly Polytrack Continues to Produce appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. 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A pair of Del Mar programs, “Ship & Win” and the maiden dirt bonus, again will enhance the summer meet purses when racing resumes for the seaside track's season starting Friday, July 18. The unique “Ship & Win” plan, presented for the 15th consecutive year, serves as a strong incentive for horses from out of state to race locally and intensify the track's reputation as one of the country's top facilities for field size. Nearly 3,000 horses have used the program since its beginnings in 2011 with the vast majority of those horses staying on to additionally race at other California locations., The Maiden Dirt Bonus is entering its fourth season at the shore and has aided field size for the track's maiden special weight dirt races, a key element for many horses beginning their racing careers. The “Ship & Win” program provides a guaranteed $5,000 check for any qualified dirt runner in their first outing at Del Mar. Further, there is an additional 50% bonus applied to first through fifth earnings in that initial start and all subsequent starts at the meet. For turf runners, there is a $4,000 check guaranteed for that first start, as well as a 40% bonus on top of those first through fifth purses. Here again, that 40% bonus applies to all additional outings. The Maiden Dirt Bonus provides a 25% enhancement to horses of any age in most of the maiden races on the dirt. The purse bonus applies for maiden special weight races, maiden specials for Cal-breds and maiden claiming races at $62,500 and above. The supplement is available to any trainer who has fewer than 100 horses on the Southern California circuit. “These programs are extremely popular and boost field size,” said Del Mar vice president and racing secretary David Jerkens. “The inclusion of out-of-state runners has enhanced our racing product for many years now. In addition, the fact that most all of these horses stay on and race in the state is a big plus for the California circuit as well as our local owners and trainers.” “One of the many things that makes Del Mar so extraordinary is the wide participation of horses arriving from across the country and imports from overseas,” said Bill Nader, president and CEO of the Thoroughbred Owners of California. “These incentives are significant, providing big upside over and above the published purses. It adds greatly to the value proposition for all owners.” Del Mar's summer stand opens July 18 and races ahead to Sunday, September 7. After the opening three-day weekend, the sport will be conducted on a Thursday-through-Sunday basis for the majority of the session. First post on most afternoons will be at 2 p.m. The post Del Mar’s Ship And Win Program To Again Boost Summer Purses Along With Maiden Dirt Bonus appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article