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  • Posts

    • When it "changes direction/slips/moves" it has not touched the inside horse - in fact you can see daylight from the camera angle. I will wait for the stipes vids to see if it touched the outside horse. Quite likely the way the hind quarters flicked outwards.
    • The son of Air Force Blue has a comfort level with the turf at Santa Anita having run 16 of his career 22 starts there with a record of 5-2-1. Overall, Air Force Red is 6-3-1 from 22 starts with earnings of $639,074.View the full article
    • The Godolphin/Charlie Appleby axis has dominated recent renewals of Kempton's Unibet Supports Safer Gambling Maiden Stakes, winning last year's edition with subsequent G1 2000 Guineas and G1 Sussex Stakes hero Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). The operation struck gold once again as Opera Ballo (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}–Dubai Opera {GB}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}) emulated that stablemate in division one of Wednesday's one-mile contest and collected a 'TDN Rising Star' of his own with an impressive wide-margin success. He joins Chantilly maiden scorer Mandanaba (Fr) on Ghaiyyath's list of Rising Stars. Opera Ballo broke smartly from the outside stall to gain an early advantage and accepted a tow in second after the initial strides of this first go. Forging ahead passing the two pole, the 4-9 favourite quickened clear in taking fashion approaching the final furlong and kept on powerfully in the latter stages to easily outclass Gennadius (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) by an impressive 8 1/2 lengths. “He's a beautiful horse and just watching him go around the paddock was nice,” commented rider Billy Loughnane. “He really impressed me with the way he went about his business. He was very professional, he got away lovely and managed to find a nice slot. He overraced a little bit and was quite green through the early stages, so I think he'd be better off racing with a bit of cover. When I asked him to stretch at the two pole, he lengthened away quickly and gave me a really nice feel.” Opera Ballo is the second foal and scorer out of a full-sister to dual Group 3 winner Lockwood (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Listed Gala Stakes third Saga (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). His dam Dubai Opera (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) is also kin to G1 Criterium International runner-up and G3 Prix Thomas Bryon-winning sire Earnshaw (Medaglia D'Oro) out of G3 Prix des Reservoirs victrix Emily Bronte (GB) (Machiavellian). The March-foaled bay is half to a 2-year-old colt by Sottsass (Fr).   2nd-Kempton, £8,000, Mdn, 1-29, 3yo/up, 8f (AWT), 1:40.64, st/sl. OPERA BALLO (IRE), c, 3, by Ghaiyyath (Ire) 1st Dam: Dubai Opera (GB), by Invincible Spirit (Ire) 2nd Dam: Emily Bronte (GB), by Machiavellian 3rd Dam: Zafadola (Ire), by Darshaan (GB) Sales history: €600,000 Ylg '23 ARAUG. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $5,375. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. O-Godolphin; B-Ecurie de Cachene (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-Billy Loughnane. The post Ghaiyyath’s Opera Ballo Powers to TDN Rising Stardom at Kempton appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
    • They are not really any different though are they. Rinse and Repeat  "These are the best yearlings I've ever seen this year!" "This lovely colt I could see running in the KM then running in the Guineas and off to our Aus Stable to target Aus riches." "This Lovely Filly is an Oaks filly that i could see at the KM , then off to the Oaks etc" "The last horse sold is usually the best." "This horse did something like one of our superstars did in the past etc etc" It obviously works!
    • There's a reason why Bob Baffert has won the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes 12 times, including the last six running. At this time of year his barn is always loaded with talented 3-year-old colts who have one eye on the Lewis and another on the GI Kentucky Derby. It will be a familiar story at Santa Anita Saturday as Baffert will send out three of the five horses entered in the Lewis. His trio is topped by 2-year-old champion and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Citizen Bull (Into Mischief), who will be making his first start of the year. But he may not be the favorite. That's how impressive stablemate 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic) was when breaking his maiden last out by seven lengths while earning a 101 Beyer Speed Figure. Baffert also has Madaket Road (Quality Road), a maiden winner in his last start. All three are owned by the partnership of SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables LLC. Despite his strong hand, Baffert remains cautious when it comes to how these horses might perform in the Derby. He says it is too early to predict anything. “We still have a long way to go,” Baffert said. “We have some nice horses but you really don't know until March or April and that last prep where you stand. You can be in a position where you think you are strong and then it turns out you are not as strong as you thought you were. They're still developing and we're still getting races into them. You try to get as many races into them as you can so you can have them ready and put that foundation into them. You don't really have a Derby horse until those last prep races. Until they go a mile-and-an-eighth, that's when we know. The mile-and-an-eighth separates these horses.” After his front-running win in the Juvenile, Citizen Bull returned to the worktab on Dec. 13. He hasn't missed a beat since. But Baffert said he might be a horse that will do his best running a little later in the year. “The Bull, he's a horse that may need a race or two,” Baffert said. “We found that out in the Del Mar Futurity when he got beat. It was only his second start and Mike Smith said he got a little tired. I'd rather race them than just train them, train them, train them. You have to get races into these horses.” After finishing second in his debut in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden, Rodriguez hammered his opposition in another maiden, this one on Jan. 4 at Santa Anita. “He's always trained like a nice horse,” Baffert said. “He reminds me a lot of Authentic. I think the Authentics are going to be really good. It's just that some of them are slow to mature. It took this one a while to come around. I don't think the distance should be a problem. The race will help him. He's the kind of horse that needs racing. Now, he needs to run.” How the Lewis plays out on the track should be fascinating. Citizen Bull, Rodriguez and the Wesley Ward-trained Clock Tower (Not This Time) all have ample early speed. That sets up the possibility of a speed duel, one that might involve Citizen Bull, Rodriguez or both. Baffert said he will let their jockeys ride their own race. Martin Garcia rides Citizen Bull. Juan Hernandez rides Rodriguez. “I usually let the jockeys ride their own horse,” Baffert said. “The break will be the key. I'm sure they'll play it off of the break. They'll ride their own horses and let them get into a nice rhythm.” As good as Baffert's Lewis trio might be, it's possible that the best 3-year-old in his barn is one who won't be running Saturday.  That would be Barnes (Into Mischief), who was bought for $3.2 million by Amr Zedan at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. After a somewhat lackluster win in his Nov. 27 debut at Churchill Downs, he came back with a dominant performance in the GII San Vicente at seven furlongs. “He still has to go two turns,” Baffert said. “He should handle it, but you don't know until they do it. So far, he looks good and we're trying to just trying to keep him healthy.” Baffert said that he and Zedan are still working on a race schedule for Barnes. Win or lose, this should be a memorable Derby for Baffert since it will be the first one he will be allowed to run in since 2021. Churchill Downs banned Baffert after Medina Spirit (Protonico), who crossed the wire first in the 2021 Derby, was disqualified after testing positive for betamethasone. The ban was lifted last fall and now the only thing Baffert has to worry about is how his horses are doing. “It's over with and everything is good,” Baffert said. “I'm just trying to focus on what's in front of us.” The post Baffert Will Triple Team Them in Robert B. Lewis appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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