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    Horses' body weights September 9

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    Horses' body weights September 7

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    Early scratchings September 7

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    Early scratching September 9

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    Horses' test results September 1 & 3

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    Grylls, Syahir, Zyrul suspended

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    • Sponsored by Pedigrees360. According to Oscar Wilde, the one thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about at all. Nothing to worry the Spendthrift team there! This is one of the two farms that have done the most to drive up stallion books, duly able to pitch fees accessibly to smaller breeders but embracing major responsibility in their footprint on the gene pool. But if some people remain uncomfortable with the business model, everyone can acknowledge the caliber of the horsemen making it function. And certainly those charged with taking forward the legacy of B. Wayne Hughes have just had a weekend of extraordinary achievement. One of them, of course, is mischievously celebrated in the naming of Ted Noffey (Into Mischief), who headlined Spendthrift's spree. But the farm's self-effacing general manager would sooner emphasize the teamwork that additionally secured a Keeneland Grade I for Tommy Jo (Into Mischief); graded stakes for Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) and Brave Deb (Authentic); a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' debut for Local Knowledge (by the farm's trailblazing freshman Yaupon); and a Keeneland maiden for Get Back Loretta (Bolt d'Oro). All carry the Spendthrift silks. But it will have been nearly as gratifying to see their own success shared by others who had supported their young stallions: from Intrepido, a second Grade I winner this year for the $15,000 cover Maximus Mischief, to another pair of graded winners for the flourishing Vekoma. But perhaps the cherry on the cake, especially with the aforementioned Brave Deb following through at Santa Anita the next day, was a Grade I breakout for Authentic through Iron Orchard in the Frizette Stakes. For these two fillies to emerge consecutively from his second crop, on either coast, represents a huge tonic for a stallion on the brink. Now, we know what may happen to he who lives by the sword. Stallions launched with enormous books must seize their moment, because the kind of breeders who get involved generally move right on to the next off the carousel. On one end of the spectrum, you can land on a horse like Vekoma, making his volume count pretty sensationally, with 97 individual winners from 160 starters this year. But his neighbor Authentic, at $75,000 much the most expensive start-up of their intake, notoriously found the early going so tough that this spring he was trading at just $15,000. The 2020 Horse of the Year opened with 229 mares and his first yearlings duly dominated the rookie averages at $286,076. Yet a class-high 94 starters last year yielded a single black-type success, at Albuquerque, among 24 winners overall. His subsequent crops have paid a heavy price, his third currently trying to rally a $32,000 median against a $60,000 conception fee. But one or two straws could still be clutched. Authentic was himself a late developer, and the same could easily prove true of his stock. Sure enough, this spring Rodriguez–a May foal, like his sire–put himself in the Classic picture winning the GII Wood Memorial. With wretched luck, however, the relieving general disappeared the moment he had appeared on the horizon. Scratched from the Derby with a foot bruise, Rodriguez had to settle for fourth in the GI Belmont Stakes and has not been seen since. But now Authentic has shown himself no one-trick pony. While no second-crop sire can lay a glove on Vekoma, now up to seven, three graded winners this year can otherwise be matched only by Complexity and McKinzie. (And if Authentic had numbers on his side, so did Vekoma and McKinzie; the one punching above weight is Complexity.) The GIII Surfer Girl success of Brave Deb has proved a silver lining to Authentic's loss of vogue, having been retained by the farm ($70,000 RNA) at Keeneland last year. But Iron Orchard is an even better measure of the way their sire could yet turn things round. She made $140,000 as a weanling in 2023, slipstreaming those popular yearlings, and then failed to meet her reserve at the New York-bred Sale in Saratoga before being moved on for $78,000 at Fasig-Tipton last October. But her second pinhook cycle, through Grassroots Training and Sales, proved a great success ($500,000 at OBS) and now she's only the second graded stakes winner out of a Brethren mare. Gin Gin | Coady Media That mare, moreover, ended her career as a $25,000 claim. In fairness, she offered Authentic some interesting genes. For a start, she's half-sister to Wonderlandbynight (Sky Mesa), who won her first four including the GIII Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes; and also to the dam of GI Shoemaker Mile winner Exaulted (Twirling Candy). The next dam is a Gulch half-sister to the productive Lovington (Afleet), responsible for two graded stakes winners plus the granddam of Aloha West. And they're out of a half-sister to Ogygian, himself an interesting distaff influence, as well as to the dam of Honour and Glory. These names sit comfortably with the next dam, a half-sister to none other than Killaloe (Dr. Fager), mother of breed-shaping Fappiano. In other words, this is the family shortly pegged down by Cequillo (Princequillo). As sixth dam, the Tartan Farms foundation mare may play only a tenuous role in the emergence of Iron Orchard. But Authentic will be grateful for all the help he can get and, who knows, may yet redeem himself as a bargain route to Into Mischief. Double Gin Packs Flavor By this stage, perhaps, you'll be familiar with this column's weakness for a matriarch like Cequillo, no matter how far recessed. Many a talented runner, of course, discloses a background of relentless anonymity, but this time round we were spoiled for choice. Admittedly you have to spool back a long way behind GI Spinster winner Gin Gin (Hightail) before reaching the great Claiborne mare Bourtai. But it's still fun to note that the same granddaughter, Golden Sari (Ambiorix {Fr}), combines this maternal line with that of one of the Spendthrift flyers, Get Back Loretta (respectively as sixth and seventh dam). Gin Gin's family has certainly been well seeded in the meantime, with first four dams by Hard Spun, Seeking the Gold, Seattle Slew and El Gran Senor. This is Hightail's second elite winner from just 77 career starters and the other, Mongolian Groom, had equally resonant seeding: Dynaformer, Mr Prospector, Danzig, Buckpasser, Native Dancer. In a difficult world, that kind of thing will always comfort me. But the most obviously striking feature of Gin Gin's page is that Seattle Slew, sire of her third dam, is replicated twice in the same generation behind Hightail himself: as sire both of his granddam, dual Grade I winner Fleet Renee, and his grandsire A.P. Indy. Other aristocrats dusted off last weekend, meanwhile, included Classy 'n Smart (leading to No Class/Classy Quillo) as fifth dam of GII Pilgrim Stakes winner Bottas (Vekoma); Chris Evert's daughter and Juddmonte linchpin Nijinsky Star, as fourth dam of GII Jessamine Stakes winner Imaginationthelady (Not This Time); and Seattle Slew's dam My Charmer as fifth dam of GIII Waya Stakes winner Village Voice (GB) (Zarak {Fr}). Napoleon Solo | Sarah Andrew A Bloom Worth The Wait The latter was imported from Tattersalls for 1.3 million guineas, already a proven runner, but to get to this point a series of astute breeders have tapped into these great families at much lesser cost. Relatively speaking, of course, they will often have made a matching commitment. One of the best farms of its size in Kentucky, for instance, dug out $280,000 for the 6-year-old Romanticism (War Front) at the height of the Covid market, in the 2020 November Sale at Keeneland. She was unraced, but out of Nijinsky Star's seven-time Grade I-winning granddaughter Sightseek (Distant View). Ashview has since raised and sold three yearlings out of this mare: a $450,000 Constitution colt; a $300,000 Not This Time filly; and, most recently, a $325,000 son of Liam's Map. The middle one of those is Imaginationthelady, and for the mare it is all gravy from here. Of course, sometimes the dividends can take a little longer–even for perhaps the most extraordinary family farm of them all. Glennwood, like Ashview for Romanticism's latest yearling, chose Liam's Map as the 2022 cover for its homebred stakes winner Atomic Bloom (Scat Daddy). The resulting colt was sold for no more than $40,000 at the September Sale last year, yet we now know him as the runaway GI Champagne Stakes winner Napoleon Solo. Good to see Liam's Map standing up for himself, even as half-brother Not This Time soars ever higher. This was the older sibling's third Grade I winner of the year, albeit Not This Time's upgraded mares are really cycling through now: he had another four graded stakes winners over the weekend and, most instructively of all, filled out the frame in the Jessamine. One way or another, what a legacy their dam Miss Macy Sue (Trippi) has left us! While it was Chad Summers who found himself a bargain in Imaginationthelady, the Gunther family can now look forward to the trickledown for Atomic Bloom, bred from a Danehill Dancer (Ire) mare picked up for just $22,000 in 2011. Atomic Bloom was this year covered by Glennwood's own stallion, Stage Raider, but her weanling colt is by none other than Authentic. And with a program like this in his corner, nobody will be giving up just yet. The post Breeding Digest: Authentic Hope Highlights Spendthrift Spree appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
    • The top-five horses ranked in the latest National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top Thoroughbred Poll—rankings meant to represent horses competing for Horse of the Year—are all pointed for the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).View the full article
    • A total of 108 horses have been catalogued for the Goffs October HIT & Yearling Sale at Doncaster on Tuesday, October 21. The sale, which includes a 15-lot unreserved dispersal from Brookhouse Racing, begins at 11 a.m. Both Flat and NH horses are in the Brookhouse consignment, among them listed bumper winner and maiden hurdle winner Aslukgoes (Yorgunnabelucky) (lot 75). Still Have Faith (Expert Eye) (lot 76) has won four times on the Flat and has also struck over hurdles, while lot 77, My Chiquita (Postponed), has won three of her last seven starts over hurdles and on the Flat. Aside from the dispersal, dual bumper winner Friary Road (Finsceal Fior) (lot 26) is entered, as is maiden hurdle winner Dramatic License (Casamento) (lot 50) and Lord (Best Solution) (lot 58), a winner of three of his four hurdle starts. In the yearling portion of the sale, sires like Ardad, Showcasing, Havana Grey, Kameko, Persian Force, New Bay and Mehmas have been entered. Lot 139 is a filly by New Bay out of a full-sister to Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Lady Kaya (Dandy Man) and lot 142 is a daughter of Mehmas out of a No Nay Never half-sister to Group 1 winner Gilt Edge Girl (Monsieur Bond). Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent said, “The Doncaster October Sale will offer the final opportunity to secure a Donny yearling and they have been running hot this season courtesy of three Group 1 winners in the July Cup winner No Half Measures, Phoenix Stakes winner Power Blue and Flying Five Stakes winner Arizona Blaze. This sale is no stranger to Group 1 success and will offer the progeny of some top sires and performing families. “The horses-in-training session is headed by the Brookhouse Dispersal which will offer 15 lots, all without reserve, and features some smart, up and coming young horses. The sale is taking supplementary entries and they will be accepted, and published online, up to the time of the sale.” The post Brookhouse Racing Dispersal Highlight Of Goffs October Catalogue appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
    • There is a new top lot at Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale as Godolphin went to 3.7 million gns to secure a Sea The Stars colt [lot 90] consigned by Eugene Daly's Longview Stud.  Anthony Stroud, bidding on behalf of the powerhouse owners, went on to land a Too Darn Hot colt [90] from Airlie Stud for 1 million gns shortly afterwards.  That horse became Godolphin's third individual seven-figure purchase with a total spend of 8.75 million and counting on Tuesday afternoon.  Speaking after signing for the new top lot, Stroud commented, “He was exceptional-looking and [comes] from a very good stud farm. By Sea The Stars, it's a Rothschild family so he was majestic in the way that he moved and walked. He was a lovely horse.” Stroud added, “Obviously the family works well with Sea The Stars and he really stood out for us. Sea The Stars is an unbelievable sire.” Godolphin out-lasted Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing on the Sea The Stars colt, with Stroud stating that Sheikh Mohammed's buying team had to really stretch to hold off the opposition. He said, “You have to pay for the ones you really want and he was the one we wanted. You always have to pay more than you want to because you want the horse.” Stroud added, “Godolphin has supported this sale hugely. It's only the first day and we have two more days to go.” The post New Top Lot At Tattersalls As Godolphin Takes Total Spend To Nearly 9 Million Gns  appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
    • The annus mirabilis for James Hanly and his Ballyhimikin Stud continued at Tattersalls on Tuesday with the sale of a Blue Point colt to Godolphin for 1,000,000gns, making him the second seven-figure lot during the opening session of Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale. Lot 67 is out of the G3 Ballyogan Stakes second Boston Rocker (Acclamation), who is the dam of six winners from as many runners to date. They include the G2 Zabeel Mile scorer and G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains third San Donato (Lope De Vega), as well as this year's G2 Gimcrack Stakes runner-up Rock On Thunder (Night Of Thunder). Boston Rocker is in foal to Zarak. “He was a cracking colt,” said Hanly. “He was always a super horse. He never turned a hair from the day he got here.” The Godolphin team will be hoping lot 67 can emulate another previous Tattersalls October graduate from Ballyhimikin in Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder), the winner of this year's G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes and G1 Juddmonte International, who was bought by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for 340,000gns at Book 2 back in 2022. Another flagbearer for Ballyhimikin this year has been the high-class filly Estrange (Night Of Thunder), who was a Book 1 yearling, also in 2022, when going the way of Cheveley Park Stud for 425,000gns. Asked if selling is any less nerve-wracking after his stellar year on the track as a breeder, Hanly replied, “I just take each day as it comes. Each day is a new day, so just enjoy it and do your best. Some days it doesn't work out, so you've got to put up with those days.” Other early purchases for Godolphin included lot 10, Ballylinch Stud's full-brother to the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes hero Bayside Boy at 700,000gns, and another Blue Point colt who was consigned by Newsells Park Stud as lot 52 and fetched 575,000gns. The post Ballyhimikin Stud in the Limelight Again as Godolphin Strike for Blue Point Colt at 1m Gns 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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