Wandering Eyes

Heading into last October’s GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, Lauren and Ralph Evans’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Diversify (Bellamy Road) was a relative unknown on the national racing scene. He took care of that with a game, wire-to-wire victory in the annual Belmont Fall Championship meet centerpiece, and a little less than a year later, he returns to defend his title as one of the leaders in the handicap division. Passing on a start in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic after his Belmont heroics, the gelding threw in uncharacteristic clunkers in back-to-back races, finishing fourth at 7-5 in the GI Clark H. and last at 6-5 in the GII Charles Town Classic in his seasonal debut Apr. 21. He bounced back with a narrow victory in the New York-bred Commentator S. May 28, but proved he was back in true top form with a 6 1/2-length tour de force in the track-and-trip GII Suburban S. July 7. Entered last-minute in the GI Whitney S. Aug. 4 at Saratoga, the bay produced another convincing tally by 3 1/2 lengths. Off since then, he returns to the track where he boasts six wins and two seconds in eight starts with a pair of identical :58 4/5 bullet five-furlong breezes Sept. 14 and 21. “The Whitney was a last-minute decision, no question, but we went there because he was doing so well and everything was exceptional going into it,” said trainer Rick Violette. “Skipping the Woodward basically gave us another couple weeks to let him chill a little bit, refuel his tank. It gave us extra time to not really rest, but feel out the horse and get us back to our best race. There’s a lot of marbles on the table. A big race is a big race and there’s some nice horses in there.” The more intriguing challenger is Coolmore’s Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy). Romping by 18 1/2 lengths in the G2 UAE Derby Mar. 31 at Meydan, the $3-million Keeneland September buy finished last in the GI Kentucky Derby and third as the favorite in the GIII Dwyer S. before bouncing back with a good second at 13-1 in the GI Runhappy Travers S. last out Aug. 25. Another UAE Derby champion who came up empty in the Kentucky Derby who will try his luck against Diversify is Godolphin Racing’s Thunder Snow (Helmet {Aus}). Kept overseas after bucking at the start of the Run for the Roses last May, the bay produced a stunningly dominant performance this spring when cruising in the G1 Dubai World Cup by 5 3/4 lengths. Eighth in the G1 Juddmonte International S. last out Aug. 22 at York, he returns to his preferred surface here, but will have to navigate the tricky outside post in a race that begins on the clubhouse turn, as well as avoid an early pace duel with the favorite. Phoenix Thoroughbred III’s Gronkowski (Lonhro {Aus}) returns to the scene of a near-upset of Justify (Scat Daddy)’s Triple Crown bid. Riding a four-race winning streak into his North American debut in that final jewel, he was far out of it early, but parlayed a ground-saving trip into a runner-up finish to the undefeated and since-retired chestnut. Expected to build on that effort in the Travers, Gronkowski disappointed, making no impact when a distant eighth. View the full article

In a pair of unanimous 5-0 votes at Thursday’s monthly meeting, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) solidified the 2019 race dates calendars for both the southern and northern circuits in the state. Although the dates templates are not radically different from previous seasons, the most noticeable change was that the highly contentious, drawn-out annual squabbling among tracks and fairs venues in Northern California was averted because those associations came together earlier this week to present a mostly unified calendar before the CHRB had to impose its own version of compromise dates. The allocation of southern California dates has not been a problem in recent years because those entities are in the third year of a three-year negotiated “rollover” agreement that calls for a more-or-less static calendar to be approved on an annual basis by the board. “This is what we ask every year,” said CHRB chairman Chuck Winner. “We ask Northern California to do something similar to Southern California in trying to work out the dates agreements and the stabling agreements amongst themselves so it doesn’t have to be done by regulators. It’s far better if the stakeholders do it themselves. I know everybody had to sacrifice–and I know everybody did–to make this come together.” The northern tracks were not entirely unified. Jim Morgan, an attorney representing Humboldt County Fair at Ferndale, which for 2018 had been granted a non-overlapping race week without competition from Golden Gate Fields, expressed dismay that Ferndale in 2019 would have to revert to racing head to head against a commercial track, plus no access to revenue from having host-track status. Morgan noted that in the absence of an overlap for one week this summer, Ferndale had more horses on its grounds, had an uptick in on-track attendance, “and our handle was through the roof,” posting a 125% overall gain. Beyond those numbers, Morgan also said that the fairgrounds has upgraded its stables over the past year, installed a new inner rail, “and for the second year in a row we had no breakdowns on our improved track.” Commissioner Madeline Auerbach took an opposing view in explaining why the CHRB needed to give commercial licensees precedence over the fairs tracks when it comes to dates allocations and other potential subsidies. “When we talk about Golden Gate Fields, we’re talking about people who are in the business of racing. That is their business,” Auerbach said. “They don’t have fairs going on. One of the items that disturbed me was the notion that it was the responsibility of Golden Gate Fields to provide ongoing support to keep the fairs whole, and I’ll tell you why: Because the fairs are an adjunct to racing, not vice versa.” Auerbach continued: “Our job is to protect racing in this state, and while we love the fairs and want to see them do well…it is not our job to have a situation where we direct [a commercial track] to put money into the fairs circuit. And I just want to make it clear that the notion that, ‘Oh my gosh, look how much money Golden Gate made, and therefore you’re not treating us fairly,’ is not, in my view, a proper way” to bring about change in dates allocations. “Golden Gate is a concern whose business is racing,” Auerbach summed up. “And the fairs, you also take racing seriously, and we appreciate and understand that. But to make determinations based first on what’s good for the fairs is not necessarily what’s good for racing.” Morgan countered that the CHRB also has a mandate to support racing everywhere in the state, not just at commercial venues. “If we keep that dangerous precedent, then only Golden Gate Fields, Santa Anita and Del Mar will be left,” Morgan said. “And although that may ultimately happen, I think it’s a disservice to communities such as Humboldt and the other fair communities.” Auerbach pointed out to Morgan that last year, when the CHRB established its 2018 calendar with no overlap against Ferndale for one week, board members had underscored that such a scenario was a one-year deal that should not be considered binding for future years. “We’re trying very hard to balance everybody’s concerns,” Auerbach said. “We know how vital it is to the fairs that Golden Gate be healthy. Because without a healthy Golden Gate, we don’t have a fairs circuit.” Commissioner Fred Maas declared that the entire NorCal dates-awarding process was “an imperfect situation” in which all negotiating tracks “accepted three-quarters of a loaf” to align in a workable agreement. “It was a reasonably elegant solution in which everyone got as much of the loaf as could have been expected,” he said. The 2019 SoCal schedule (in blocks of dates, not actual race days) will be as follows: Santa Anita: Dec. 26, 2018-June 25, 2019 Los Alamitos: June 26-July 16 Del Mar: July 17-Sep. 3 Los Alamitos: Sep. 4-24 Santa Anita: Sep. 25-Nov. 5 Del Mar: Nov. 6-Dec. 3 Los Alamitos: Dec. 4-Dec. 17 The 2019 NorCal schedule will be as follows: Golden Gate: Dec. 26, 2018-June 9, 2019 Pleasanton: June 13-July 7 Sacramento (Cal Expo): July 12-28 Santa Rosa: Aug. 1-11 GGF: Aug. 15-Sep. 29 Ferndale: Aug. 16-25 Fresno: Oct. 4-14 GGF: Oct. 17-Dec. 14 New Joint Injection and Gelding Rules Now in Effect in California Separate rules involving intra-articular injections and the reporting of gelded horses went into effect Thursday following two unanimous votes by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) at its scheduled monthly meeting. In a summary of the full rule as posted on the Sep. 27 agenda, an amendment to CHRB Rule 1588 (Horse Ineligible to Start in a Race) now states that “a horse that receives an intra-articular injection (glucocorticosteriod/cortisone) is ineligible to race for five (5) days (120 hours) after the treatment.” In addition, a summary of CHRB Rule 1842.1 (Additional Report for Intra-Articular Treatments) states that “veterinarians administering medication or treatment into an articular structure of a horse located within the inclosure to provide an intra-articular treatment record to the trainer who shall maintain the records for a period of one year, and make the records available to the examining veterinarian for the purpose of assisting with pre-race veterinary examinations and other examinations as required by the Board.” Regarding geldings, a summary of CHRB Rule 1865 (Altering of Sex of Horse) now requires that “if the public is not notified of the true of sex of the horse prior to the opening of wagering, the stewards shall declare the horse from the race.” The CHRB has been dealing with the issue of unannounced and/or unreported geldings for several years now. The previous version of this rule, last amended in 2017, stated that any trainer who failed to report to the racing office the gelding of a horse be fined a mandatory minimum of $1,000. However, a loophole existed whereby the trainer might report the gelding properly, but racing officials, for whatever reason, might fail to communicate this change to the public, thus depriving them of pertinent betting information. In April, when this issue first came up for a preliminary vote, the CHRB clarified that the new version of the rule wouldn’t apply to first-time starters (because first-timers have no established statistical form that could be affected). Although the previous $1,000 fine has been amended out of the new version, a new amendment states that “the responsible party may be sanctioned by the stewards.” There was no discussion by the CHRB prior to voting on either issue, although both rule changes had been substantially debated at previous meetings. The new rules, in their entirety, can be viewed here. Final Odds Within 5 Seconds a No-go? CHRB Says ‘Figure it Out’ In an effort to quell perceptions of past-posting, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) wants final odds to be displayed on all race video feeds within five seconds after the close of betting. But David Payton, the vice president of sales for AmTote International, testified at Thursday’s monthly CHRB meeting that even though his firm is endeavoring to slice down the amount of time so that odds aren’t changing as the horses storm into the stretch, five seconds just isn’t feasible. In response, CHRB members–given the volume of complaints they receive about odds dropping on a winning horse just before the finish–essentially told the tote company and racetracks to find a way to do it anyway. By a 5-0 unanimous vote, they advanced a new rule to a 45-day public comment period requiring that the technology be figured out and implemented to report final odds with five seconds. But in discussing the matter, CHRB members also acknowledged they are willing to listen to arguments about the practical limitations of their proposal. Because of the way California’s 45-day public-comment law usually works, it is often the case that many CHRB initiatives often take months to go from proposal to official rule. So the CHRB left open the possibility that they could amend the five-second mandate if stakeholders demonstrate they are making a good-faith effort to help cut down the delays. Payton said over the last few months, AmTote has been trying to find the “optimum time” frames for displaying odds changes, experimenting with different cycles at New York and Maryland tracks. Traditionally, Payton said, the AmTote system updates odds every 30-60 seconds until the final three minutes to post, when the system then switches to 20-second tote board refreshings. Recently, AmTote has cut those final-three-minutes odds updates to once every 10 seconds, and he said the switch has made a “tremendous difference” that’s “smoothed out the changes in the increments of the odds so you don’t see as much of an impact.” And at Santa Anita’s meet that begins Friday, Payton said the odds updates within the final three minutes of a race will experiment with refreshing every seven seconds. But even that progress, he added, might not carry over into five-second final odds transmissions. “We still have to wait for the final odds for all the money to come in,” Payton said. “So five seconds after the bell won’t be practical, because we have to wait for ‘double hops’ and whatnot. There’s technology out there that slows us down from actually getting the ‘final final.’ But that money has been proven to be a very, very small amount of handle. So the odds won’t change from any dramatic way that we’ve seen.” Payton continued: “We would suggest that a 10-second number would be appropriate in intermediate cycles at three minutes to post. But I wouldn’t put a hard number on the actual final [odds]. Five seconds on the final just wouldn’t work.” CHRB executive director Rick Baedeker countered by stating, “You can explain all the double hops in the world to the customer, but they saw what they saw,” when it comes to odds still changing on TV screens while a race is in progress. An additional problem, Baedeker said, is that tote companies might be able to eventually deliver final odds within five seconds after a race goes off, but that time frame gets additionally delayed because a track’s TV graphics software still has to translate the data into what gets shown on the broadcast. “So you might get that [tote] delay down as close as you can get it. But unless that [TV graphics] delay is also fixed, we’re still going to have the problem,” Baedeker said. Elizabeth Morey, the director of racing and northern California operations for the Thoroughbred Owners of California, said her group did not support the proposed rule “because the technology is not available to meet its target, and we believe it will have a serious [negative] impact on handle.” But, Baedeker said, “There are ways to meet the time frame. Such as: Betting stops with the first nose into the gate.” Baedeker added that stakeholders often “panic” when proposals get floated to cut off betting earlier out of fears that odds-conscious customers won’t like it. But in all practicality, he said, players don’t respect traditional “one minute to post” warnings anyway because of blatant post-time “drag” delays that have become the norm at many tracks nationwide. “One suggestion is to have a countdown clock–30 seconds left, or whatever–and then the big players can get their bets in on time,” Baedeker said. “In that event, there’s no doubt that all of the odds would be posted probably as the horses broke, or maybe even before they broke.” View the full article

After running second to champion Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) to begin the year in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational to follow up a championship season of his own, it appeared that Gary and Mary West’s West Coast (Flatter) was at the top of the older male division. But after disappointing next out and being shelved for the entire summer, he returns Saturday to face the actual leader of the group, Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky), in the GI Awesome Again S. at Santa Anita. Steadily developing as a sophomore, West Coast broke through with a wire-to-wire victory in the GI Travers S. last August, and followed that up with a 7 1/4-length romp in the GI Pennsylvania Derby. Sewing up his Eclipse Award with a good third in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, he was the only horse to get within a pole of Gun Runner in the Pegasus, but finished a distant second in the G1 Dubai World Cup and hasn’t been seen since. He resurfaces with a strong series of local works, capped by a half-mile bullet in :48 flat (1/32) Sept. 25, but will have his hooves full with the current favorite for champion older male. Hronis Racing’s Accelerate, unlike his rival, disappointed in last year’s Breeders’ Cup when ninth in the Dirt Mile, but has been a force in 2018, going a neck from being unbeaten in five starts and racking up three powerful Grade I wins. The last of which was easily a career-best effort and one of the most impressive top-level victories in years when the chestnut crushed the GI Pacific Classic field by 12 1/2 lengths. With the other four runners in the Awesome Again appearing too slow, it sets up for an intriguing match race between the king of the hill and the champion trying to regain his perch. View the full article

Vasilika (Skipshot), claimed for $40,000 out of a win in February, has won six of her seven starts since and missed by a neck in the other one. She stepped up to graded company last time with aplomb and will look to continue her ascent as the heavy favorite in Saturday’s GI Rodeo Drive S. at Santa Anita. Taken by All Schlaich Stables and Gatto Racing and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer from Drawing Away Stable and Rob Falcone, Jr. here Feb. 11, the chestnut feasted on allowance and starter handicap company through the spring and early summer before taking a shot in the GII John C. Mabee S. last out Sept. 1 at Del Mar. She had no issue with the stiffer competition, rallying to a 1 1/2-length score over the most accomplished Cambodia (War Front). That mare re-opposes after Vasilika got the jump on her in San Diego. Prior to that, she captured the GII Yellow Ribbon H. Aug. 4, her fourth graded stakes tally. Despite starting six times at Del Mar, this will be the Winter Quarter Farm colorbearer’s first try at Santa Anita. Paved (Quality Road) appeared on her way to a big second half after a dominant victory in the local GII Honeymoon S. June 9, but finished eighth next out in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational and disappointed when sixth in the GI Del Mar Oaks when last seen Aug. 18. View the full article

Anchored by the $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, to be contested Saturday, Mar. 9, 2019, the 2018-2019 stakes schedule at Tampa Bay Downs features 28 added-money events worth a record $3.74 million. The graded portion of the schedule kicks off with the $250,000 GIII Sam F. Davis S., a points race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, and shares top billing on the Feb. 9 program with the GIII Tampa Bay S. and GIII Lambholm South Endeavour S., the latter two events on the turf. Derby Day also features the GIII Florida Oaks for sophomore fillies on the grass and the GII Hillsborough S. for older turf distaffers. Purses for the each of the track’s six Florida Cup races Mar. 31 have been raised by 15% to $115,000, accounting for the $90,000 increase in purse money from last season. “We’re excited to offer a stakes program of such outstanding quality to our horsemen and fans, featuring tremendous races for horses of both sexes and all ages on both our main dirt track and turf course,” said Tampa Bay Vice-President and General Manager Peter Berube. Stall applications for the upcoming season are due Friday, Sept. 28–an application may be downloaded at www.tampabaydowns.com. A 91-day meet begins at Tampa Bay Downs Saturday, Nov. 24 and runs through Sunday, May 5 with an additional day of racing June 30. View the full article

With the 10-furlong Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), Dirt Mile (G1), and six-furlong Twinspires Sprint (G1) all in play to gain Mind Your Biscuits' presence, trainer Chad Summers is sending his charge out for a trial run of sorts this weekend. View the full article

The Florida HBPA has filed a lawsuit questioning the validity of a permit a state regulator issued to Calder Race Course that would allow the Churchill Downs Inc. track to conduct summer jai alai and abandon its commitment to Thoroughbred racing. View the full article

Grade 1 winner Finley'sluckycharm will be offered at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale, her connections announced Sept. 27. View the full article

Ready to host the $700,000 Clasico Internacional del Caribe for the second straight year, Gulfstream Park is looking to make an even bigger splash when it comes to holding top international races usually run elsewhere in the world. Tim Ritvo, the Stronach Group’s COO, told the TDN that the track is in negotiations to host the GI Gran Premio Latinoamericano and is optimistic the race will be run in South Florida in 2021. The race is traditionally held in March. While the Clasico Internacional del Caribe is for horses from Carribean countries like Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Panama, the Gran Premio Latinoamericano is restricted to horses from countries which are members of the Asociacion Latinoamericana de Jockey Clubes e Hipodromos and, with a purse of $500,000, is the richest race run in South America. On its racing-related website, its sponsor, Longines, calls it the most important event in Latin American racing. “It looks like we will be getting the Latinoamericano in a few years,” Ritvo said. “This is a really important race to us. It is a really, really good race. It’s huge and it’s never been held outside a South American country. It is sponsored by Longines and they’ve signed off on this because they have veto rights.” Ritvo said the Clasico Internacional del Caribe was used as a trial run with bringing the South American race to Gulfstream in mind. “The Clasico Caribe was the first step,” he said. “We learned how to get horses through quarantine and everything else that it took. We pulled it off. The next step was to reach out to the racing people in South America. Races like these are important to us because Gulfstream is such a multi-cultural, international place. We get fans from all over the world, including many from the Carribean and South American countries.” The race was first run in 1981 and will be held this year in Chile. It was held in Uruguay last year and won by Roman Rosso (Arg) (Roman Ruler). After winning the race, he joined the Bob Baffert barn and made his next start in the GI Pacific Classic, where he finished a well-beaten fourth. The race has been run on both the turf and dirt and is usually held at a mile and a quarter. Ritvo said the Gulfstream race will be on the turf. Gulfstream management is also linking the GIII McKnight Handicap to the Gran Premio Latinoamericano. Whoever wins the race this year, will be granted an automatic invite into the Latin American race next year and Gulfstream will cover all expenses involved. Brazil leads all countries in Latinoamericano wins with 10, followed by Peru (9), Chile (8), Argentina (6) and Uruguay (1). View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday’s Insights features a full-sister to MG1SW Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). 4.10 Newmarket, Mdn, £10,000, 2yo, 7fT VELORUM (IRE) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) is one of two newcomers from the Charlie Appleby stable and one of a trio of Godolphin representatives in total. The 425,000gns Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up graduate, a son of the group winner and G1 Matron S. runner-up Lily’s Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), encounters Khalid Abdullah’s Tempus (GB) (Kingman {GB}), a Roger Charlton-trained son of the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud scorer Passage of Time (GB) (Dansili {GB}) who is therefore a half to the former stable luminary Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). 5.30 Dundalk, Mdn, €15,000, 2yo, f, 7f (AWT) FROSTY (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is one of two Aidan O’Brien debutantes and three from the stable in all, but as a full-sister to the star Winter (Ire), is potentially the most significant. The other visiting the races for the first time is Happen (War Front), a daughter of the G1 English, Irish and Yorkshire Oaks heroine Alexandrova (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells). View the full article

Carl R. Moore’s Finley’sluckycharm (Twirling Candy), winner of 11 of her 18 career trips to the post including this year’s GI Madison S. at Keeneland, will be offered as a broodmare prospect at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale. A stakes winner and runner-up in the 2016 GI La Brea S., was a treble graded-stakes winner in 2017. Runner-up in her lone turf try to date in the Feb. 13 Mardi Gras S. in New Orleans, the 5-year-old fought on bravely for a nose success in the Madison and added a 2 1/4-length success in Saratoga’s GII Honorable Miss H. July 25. Finley’sluckycharm has three runner-up efforts to go with her double-digit wins and earnings of $918,068. “Finley has taken us to some of the highest levels in racing, and brought so much joy and excitement to our family,” Moore said of the emotional decision to offer the mare at auction. “She’s done plenty for us and it’s time to let a breeder take the reins.” Finley’sluckycharm is scheduled to make her final career appearance in the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs, where she is six-for-seven lifetime, her only loss coming in the GI Humana Distaff S. earlier this year over a rain-affected surface. View the full article

Bill Thomason, who serves the Keeneland Association as its current president and chief executive officer, has been elected the Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). The announcement came Thursday following the organization’s regularly scheduled third-quarter Board Meeting. He has been a member of the NTRA’s Board of Directors since 2012. Additionally, Craig Fravel, President and CEO of Breeders’ Cup Limited, was elected to the position of vice chair of the NTRA. Thomason and Fravel will serve as chair and vice chair, respectively, of a newly established executive committee of the Board which will also include Greg Avioli, president and CEO of the Thoroughbred Owners of California; Alan Foreman, chairman and CEO of the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association; and Mike Ziegler, director of racing at Churchill Downs Inc. “The NTRA remains one of the most important national organizations in horse racing,” Thomason said. “The entire industry has realized the benefits of the NTRA’s legislative advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. Likewise, programs like the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance are leading the way toward establishing a safer and fairer racing environment for all participants in our sport. I look forward to working on behalf of the NTRA with our board and many industry partners who share our commitment to Thoroughbred racing.” NTRA also announced the addition to the Board of Glen Berman, representing the Florida HBPA; Jim Gagliano, president and COO of The Jockey Club, who is replacing longtime board member Robert Clay; Del Mar President Josh Rubenstein, replacing Craig Dado; and Ziegler, who is replacing William Mudd as the board representative for Churchill Downs Inc. “We welcome each of the new members to the NTRA Board of Directors and thank each of the outgoing board members for their commitment to the NTRA, especially Robert Clay for almost 20 years of faithful service to the organization,” said NTRA President and Chief Executive Officer Alex Waldrop. The Board received updates on the NTRA’s various federal legislative activities, including the impacts of new regulations modernizing withholding and reporting of pari-mutuel winnings, and also received updates from the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance, the National Horseplayers’ Championship and the Eclipse Awards. View the full article

Diagnosed with an autoimmune condition in early 2018, Moquett is finally getting back to his old self and ready to take on the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs. View the full article

Diagnosed with an autoimmune condition in early 2018, Moquett is finally getting back to his old self and ready to take on the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs. View the full article

From behind his Santa Anita desk, John Sadler mapped the world beyond the four walls of his office, pointing out, barn by barn, the route he took when assistant back in the 1970s to Dr. Jack Robbins, veterinarian extraordinaire who brought to equine medicine at that time what Don Henley and company brought to the West Coast rock scene. “We would start at Noble Threewitt’s barn, great trainer and a good guy. Ralph West. Gene Cleveland. [Tom] Pratt was here, and in this barn here was Keith Stucki. Joe Arena. [Ron] McAnally. Joe Manzi. Gary Jones. Warren Stute. You know, a lot of really strong characters,” Sadler added, not so much wandering memory lane as taking a starry-eyed tour along racing’s walk of fame. “Good trainers, all of them.” Things have since changed a lot in California. “When I came along, Whittingham was the gold mark,” said Sadler. “As he got a little older, that shifted to [Wayne] Lukas, then [Bobby] Frankel, and then [Bob] Baffert.” Personalities have evolved, too. Back when Hotel California wafted daily over the airwaves, those “old time trainers liked to drink heavy and smoke a lot,” said Sadler. Nowadays, things like social media, occupational health and safety and warning labels have had an altogether sanitizing effect. “Seems like things are more corporate now-smoother,” Sadler admitted. And yet, it’s clear those early years left on him a lasting impression. “I think, because you’re young, you’re most impressed with the guys who are directly ahead of you.” Like those hard-boiled trainers he visited with Robbins, he doesn’t much see the point of shipping out of state with races to be won on his doorstep. “I want to be able to win here and then ship out when we want to go out.” Like them, he’s at the barn before the first roosters crow. “I think there’s three of us of left here, myself, [Jerry] Hollendorfer, Bill Spawr, who come in early,” Sadler said. “I mean, there was an era when I came around, [trainers] would make fun of the ones who wouldn’t come in early. Joe Manzi lived in Arcadia. He’d drive to Hollywood Park, take a nap, then go to work. I don’t know what time he left. Two in the morning?” And like them, his own profile as a trainer means zilch if the horses aren’t performing to par. “In this era of social media, I want to be old school. I want the horses to be the stars.” That said, “people in the industry know the kind of work I do, and I do feel appreciated. I think, if you said to someone back East, ‘What about John Sadler?’ They’d say, ‘This guy’s a professional.'” His theory holds water. “Enormously consistent,” said Jimmy Jerkens, when asked about Sadler. “Very well-rounded…very thorough.” According to Shug McGaughey, his West Coast counterpart is “very, very good at racing and placing them…it’s not an easy game.” Now into his 40th year with a license, Sadler is helming a bit of a stable reconfiguration. His big numbers period between 2007 and 2014, when he mopped up 13 California training titles, has been whittled down in size, replaced by what he describes as a focus more on quality, so that there’ll be “more opportunity for us to run out of state.” Indeed, Sadler’s annual win haul has taken on a vintage gloss over the past few years. Hard Aces (Hard Spun) snagged him a first GI Gold Cup (this one at Santa Anita). Stellar Wind (Curlin) stamped herself one of the best race-mares of modern times. “Those races with Beholder were real gems. Classic type races,” said Sadler, singling out three Grade Is during the summer of 2016: the Vanity Mile S., the Clement L. Hirsh S., and the Zenyatta S. “If you watch those, it’s just her and Beholder all the way, and for Stellar Wind to beat her a couple of times, those were just really fun wins. As good as any races you’ll see.” This year has seen the ascension into rarified air of Lane’s End-bound Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky), who recently completed the California Triple Crown: the GI Santa Anita H., the GI Gold Cup, and the GI Pacific Classic S. Sadler also has the hugely exciting Catalina Cruiser (Union Rags) to go to war with. Both are being readied for separate Breeders’ Cup assignments. After that, health willing, they could cross swords for the first time in next January’s GI Pegasus World Cup. “I’ve just got a horse who I think will be a good horse in the handicap division next year,” said Sadler about Gift Box, a Twirling Candy ridgling who finished fourth in the 2016 GI Travers S. for Chad Brown. “He came out of New York. You’ll know him next year.” As for Sadler, we could have known him for another equine discipline entirely, had he passed, when just a teenager, the screening trials for the U.S. Olympic show jumping team. “I wasn’t picked and was disappointed,” he said, sounding amused more than disappointed nowadays. But show jumping’s loss was racing’s gain. In fact, the seeds of his future endeavors had been planted long before that by his parents, who purchased a $1,000 share in a new racing venture, Impossible Stables Incorporated. “A guy in Pasadena called Mike Morphy put this group together. He was way ahead of his time,” said Sadler. “I started going racing with my folks. It went for seven or eight years, they made a few successful claims, and they never had to pay a bill. When it all stopped, everybody got back $3,000.” At 22, when most young adults are wet-behind-the-ears college grads, unsure of which road to take, less travelled or not, Sadler took out his training license, the words of Santa Anita racing executive, Frank E. Kilroe, in his ears, telling him to run “a balanced stable.” And though it took a year or two for the balance to lean towards quality (in the form of a one top-notch lickety-split sprinter after another), “I’ve never had an issue of needing more horses,” Sadler admitted. “People knew I was a good trainer and sent me horses to train.” Four decades later, there’s little retrospection on those intervening years. His office holds a lonely win picture, from the early 1990’s. Pride of place in his living room are the eight silver cups signifying his stakes victories from Del Mar this summer. “Of course, I was very proud. But that’s as close as I get to being very proud,” and he admits that most of his trophies are packed away in boxes. Yes, those formative years run deep. Nevertheless, “I’m always thinking ahead, thinking about what’s coming up,” he said. “As you get older, you start to look back on that stuff a little bit, but not a lot. Training racehorses, it’s all about tomorrow. There’s an old expression: ‘Any trainer with 2-year-olds in the barn never commits suicide.'” If Sadler has any regrets, it’s starting out as early as he did, before he could take “a trip around the world,” or one of those life affirming things you do before the hooks of adult life sink in deep. “Once you’re here, you’re here,” he added. “The irony is that it would have been a better time to travel back then–half the world’s not safe now.” That’s because, as Sadler has down-sized his stable, he has recently discovered “more balance” in his life. “More time to myself.” Three years ago, he visited Cuba. “I like cultures that don’t have televisions. People who talk to each other.” Last year, he went to Spain-Barcelona and Valencia. It’s tough though, to disengage from life as a trainer. “You never totally can, even if everything’s going well.” And for any California trainer with their eyes on the future, dark clouds hover over the industry in the state. “My concern is the decline in infrastructure in California. We don’t have the tracks we used to have, the training centers and the farms,” he said. “A lot of the solutions are not difficult. If we left Del Mar open year-round for training, that would move us up a million miles. More horse farms. If you did that, the other thing would be to get another revenue stream through something like sports betting, hopefully get in on that and get a good deal.” Nevertheless, the “positive and the surprising part” is “how well we’re doing,” he said. “We’re still going strong.” Going strong–those have been bywords of Sadler’s career the past 40 years. Week-in, week-out, the winners at all levels have arrived with the precision frequency of a Swiss clock. “I do take a lot of pride in being consistent,” he said. “That’s been my hallmark throughout my career, consistency.” So, what is it that drives him towards that? “The part that has never wavered is the creative process,” he replied. “You get a 2-year-old, it’s a raw piece of clay. You form it and you work with it and you see how it develops and where it goes. That’s the part I’ve always loved the most, the creative process.” Another neat part of the job, he said, is seeing the horses train early on a morning, when the first watery rays of sunlight have yet to creep over the lid of the San Gabriel Mountains, and the track, dotted with a handful of solitary horses only, has yet to become a congested highway. “You’re here, you’re looking at the horses before everybody else gets yapping at you, before anybody else is out there,” Sadler said. “You can be quiet and reflective, and have those moments to yourself, time to think.” “About what?” I asked, and he considered the question. “About what I’m going to be doing with the horses going forward.” View the full article

FAIRYHOUSE, Ireland–Sire power is a crucial factor at bloodstock sales, and one stallion experiencing a resurgence in popularity, following a season that included a Classic winner and a Royal Ascot heroine, is Yeomanstown Stud resident Camacho (GB). The son of Danehill was responsible for the top price of Part 2 of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale on Thursday as Luke Lillingston went to €32,000 for Nicola Kent’s filly, consigned as lot 576. The price tag of €32,000 is almost half the high price of the 2017 renewal, during which seven lots surpassed that mark, led by a €60,000 Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) colt. Just as they had for the first part of the September Yearling Sale, Part 2 figures fell across the board, the most worrying being a 149% increase in unsold lots, despite a 7% rise in horses offered (clearance rate 66% down from 86%). Turnover for 172 sold totaled €1,241,300; a 41% drop from 2017, leading to a 38% fall in median (€5,000) and a 29% decrease in the average price (€7,217). In response, Tattersalls Ireland CEO, Matt Mitchell said, “Today’s trade was not forgiving. Reflecting the polarised nature of the market, the trend remains that there is demand for individuals that satisfy strict criteria. Unfortunately, for breeders in particular, limited demand exists at the lower levels.” A much chirpier Luke Lillingston confirmed that the top lot would race for Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds, adding, “I’ve always been a big fan of Camacho and he has really come of age this year. This filly has scope and substance, and is a lovely mover. Nicola [Kent] is a very smart breeder and I know the family well, with Michael Bell having trained Pass The Peace (GB) (Alzao) to win the G1 Cheveley Park S.” Bred by Nicola and Eleanor Kent out of their homebred Barathea (Ire) mare Pashmina (Ire), the late April-born is bred on the same cross as My Catch (Ire), a dual stakes winner at the Meydan Carnival. It’s a family that has served the Kents well, the yearling’s full-brother having sold for 68,000gns last year, from a €7,500 covering fee, while the second dam produced Group 3 winner Monsieur Joe (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}) and Blenheim S. winner Monsieur Power (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}), while the aforementioned Pass The Peace (GB) was bred by John Kent. The Castlebridge Consignment topped the vendor table on Thursday, selling five lots for a total of €55,000, but Bill Dwan was not donning rose-tinted glasses on Thursday. “Trade has been very selective; strong at the top and unfortunately, very patchy underneath,” Dwan mused. “I think we’re producing too many horses, and we do not have new buyers to cater for them. There has certainly been less foreign trade than in previous years, with a definite decrease in Italian buyers this week, but I think the Scandinavian market is one this sale could be promoted to in the future. The arrival of Zhang Yuesheng was welcomed by all vendors today and we are very grateful for his continued support of the Irish sales.” BBA Ireland was the biggest spender on Thursday, the arrival of Zhang Yuesheng of Yulong Investments a major factor in their €117,700 spend on 16 horses. The importance of the Italian market was evident in Alduino Botti’s second placing in the buyers’ table, his eight yearlings costing a total of €91,000, with the next largest spend coming in at €35,000. Bloodstock agent Tomas Janda was the only other buyer from outside of Ireland and England to feature in the top 10. The Rogers family’s Airlie Stud was on a high last week with Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy)’s G1 Moyglare Stud S. victory, but were quickly brought back down to earth with the small matter of selling six yearlings at Tattersalls Ireland. Anthony Rogers echoed Bill Dwan’s sentiments on trade, adding that rising costs were also a cause for concern. “It is worrying that production costs continue to rise; I would estimate that they have risen by approximately 10% in the last three years, yet demand is falling. I think the best way to tackle overproduction is to limit stallion books. If each stallion could only cover a maximum of 125 mares, stallion farms would be forced to choose the better mares. I think this move would reward them in the future and reduce the numbers of poor stock.” Not all was doom and gloom, though, as the terrific first season of No Nay Never helped Glenard Stables double the €15,000 foal price of their lot 641 offering, after their filly sold to Joe Foley for €30,000. Glenard Stables, which is run by Batt O’Connell in Ballynoe, County Cork, is better known in National Hunt circles, having sold the likes of Village Vic (Ire) (Old Vic {GB}), and while O’Connell also trains seven to eight point-to-pointers each year, he always pinhooks two foals each year with his brother-in-law, Paul Reed. “I was happy with the sale, especially given that a lot of people have lost a fortune this week. The sire made all the difference and she had been busy showing as a result,” commented O’Connell. An encouraging side story to the difficult trade experienced at this year’s breeze-up sales, and for those out of luck at the current yearling sales, is the good fortune some experience with unsold consignments on the track. The resale market of horses in training is what Tony Mullins had in mind when spending €25,000 on lot 624, a son of Epaulette (Aus) out of a full-sister to dual stakes winner High Society (Ire) (Key Of Luck), herself the dam of the late Group 1 winning sprinter Society Rock (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}). “I intend to buy half a dozen horses over the next few weeks, purely with the aim to resell,” said Mullins. “I sold Howling Ridge (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) recently and his selling price, along with that received by Emmett [Mullins, Tony’s nephew] with Ducketts Grove (Point Of Entry), gives you a good incentive to trade 2-year-olds off the track.” Howling Ridge was sent to Mullins after he trained his half-sister, Punked (Ire), to win her maiden in the colours of breeder Danny Coogan, and was subsequently sold to e5 Racing. Punked (Ire) (So You Think {NZ}) had been led out unsold as a yearling at €10,000, while Emmet Mullins retained Ducketts Grove after he failed to reach a satisfactory price at the Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale. His colt later caught the eye when winning his debut at Cork impressively and now runs in the colours of Hong Kong owner PK Siu, under the care of new trainer Ed Walker. View the full article

Opry, Cheyenne Stables and Gaillardia Racing's son of Declaration of War, headlines the Sept. 29 Pilgrim Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park off an impressive score Aug. 29 in Saratoga's With Anticipation Stakes (G3T). View the full article

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Hanshin and Nakayama Racecourses: Saturday, September 29, 2018 1st-HSN, ¥9,550,000 ($84k), Maiden, 2yo, 1800m SEIUN KOBE (c, 2, Congrats–Royal Card, by Chapel Royal) is a son of a Grade III-placed dam who is responsible for Grade III winner Sorryaboutnothing (Repent). An $80,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $150,000 OBS March breezer, the bay descends from the female family of MGSW De Bertie (De Niro), the dam of GSWs Uptown Bertie (More Than Ready), Get Ready Bertie (More Than Ready) and Whirlie Bertie (Stormin Fever). Seiun Kobe was a debut fourth at Nakayama Sept. 15 (gate 10). B-Woodford Thoroughbreds (KY) Sunday, September 30, 2018 4th-NKY, ¥13,400,000 ($118k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT PARIS TESORO (f, 2, Declaration of War–Patricias Prospect, by A.P. Indy) is out of a daughter of French Group 1 winner Macoumba who is a full-sister to Spendthrift’s perennial leading sire Malibu Moon as well as to MGSP Positively (Distorted Humor) and SP Mutually Benefit (Dynaformer), the dam of MSW & MGSP Compelled (War Front). A $25K KEENOV weanling, the €80K Arqana August yearling is also from the family of Spendthrift’s Temple City (Dynaformer) and G1SW Septieme Ciel (Seattle Slew). B-A Bayle, C Bigheart, S Gross et al (KY) 5th-HSN, ¥13,400,000 ($118k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT LE LIEN FORT (f, 2, Noble Mission {GB}–Clare Skies Ahead, by Sky Classic) is the first live foal for her stakes-winning dam, who was also placed in consecutive runnings of the GIII All Along S. for this breeder before her retirement. The chestnut is the first Japanese runner for her freshman sire, a full-brother to Frankel (GB), who has been represented by seven winners and the stakes-placed Life Mission to date. B-Dr Stephen G Jackson & Debbie Jackson (KY) @EquinealTDN View the full article

4th-BEL, $75K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 7f, 3:09 p.m. ET Kiaran McLaughlin unveiled well-related Godolphin homebred KEEPSHERCOOL (Smart Strike) in this spot. A daughter of MGISW Composure (Touch Gold), the bay is a half-sister to GSW & MGISP Penwith (Bernardini), MGISP Centring (A.P. Indy) and GISP Tranquil Manner (A.P. Indy). Her second dam is GSW & MGISP Party Cited (Alleged). Chad Brown sends out another well-bred miss in Juddmonte homebred Chamber (Tapit), who makes her second start here after finishing fourth on debut at Saratoga Aug. 16. A half-sister to GSP Raison d’Etat (A. P. Indy), the gray is out of MGISW and multi-millionaire Sightseek (Distant View), who is a half-sister to MGISW millionaire Tates Creek (Rahy) and a full-sister to the dam of European champion Special Duty (GB) (Hennessy). TJCIS PPs. —@CDeBernardisTDN View the full article

Mark Johnston fears Dark Vision (Ire) (Dream Ahead) could have fractured his pelvis when he disappointed in the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster. The colt was bought by Godolphin after winning the G2 Vintage S. at Glorious Goodwood, where he took his unbeaten record to three. However, the son of Dream Ahead never looked comfortable at any stage at Town Moor and trailed home last of the six runners. “He’s been unsound since he ran at Doncaster and he’s on his way to the Newmarket Equine Hospital for a bone scan,” said Johnston on Thursday afternoon. “It looks like he’s got a stress fracture of his pelvis or higher up. He’d still be top of the tree of my 2-year-olds.” View the full article

Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire meeting features more selective fayre on Friday when Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Mustashry (GB) (Tamayuz {GB}) helps exert a Sir Michael Stoute stranglehold on the G2 Shadwell Joel S. alongside stablemate Regal Reality (GB) (Intello {Ger}). Successful over seven furlongs in the G2 Park S. at Doncaster Sept. 15, the rock-solid homebred could yet enter the reckoning for the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. which lacks a star at present. “I was very impressed with him at Doncaster,” the sponsors’ racing manager Angus Gold admitted. “He was obviously coming back to seven furlongs that day and looked beaten, but he showed a really good attitude to battle back and win. He’s had a few problems along the way, but he’s doing really well at the moment.” Regal Reality took Goodwood’s G3 Thoroughbred S. on good-to-firm Aug. 3 and was admirable in defeat when third on heavy in Haydock’s G3 Superior Mile Sept. 8. The Johnson Houghtons’ June 19 G1 Queen Anne S. hero Accidental Agent (GB) (Delegator {GB}) is a welcome attendee after his latest 10th in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville Aug. 12. “This is his prep race for the QEII and we’re very happy with him,” trainer Eve Johnson Houghton said. “I think the ground is pretty irrelevant, to be honest. I believe that a couple of the other runners have made the running in the past–but if they don’t go a great pace, so be it, Accidental Agent did twice win over seven furlongs last autumn. He seems in very good form, but Mustashry looks useful–and giving weight to him will be hard.” Also on the card is the G2 Shadwell Rockfel S., where Ballydoyle’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Just Wonderful (Dansili {GB}) stages a quick return having been seventh in The Curragh’s G1 Moyglare Stud S. Sept. 16. That rates as a disappointing effort from the blueblood after she had the subsequent G2 May Hill S. winner Fleeting (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) back in third in the G3 Flame of Tara S. over a mile also in Kildare Sept. 1. Fifth in the Moyglare was Saif Ali’s June 22 G3 Albany S. and Aug. 11 G3 Sweet Solera S. winner Main Edition (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), but she may have been sucked into going off too quick there. Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s Sept. 6 G3 Dick Poole Fillies’ S. scorer Yourtimeisnow (GB) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) moves up from six furlongs, but trainer Roger Varian said he is satisfied she has the requisite stamina. “Yourtimeisnow improved nicely to win the Dick Poole and I was impressed with her attitude in the closing stages,” he said. “I think she will stay the extra furlong no problem and the track ought to suit her. She will need to progress again up in grade, but she’s entitled to.” View the full article

Three wild cards have been added to the Oct. 6 Arqana Arc Sale at Saint-Cloud, will all three winners of their most recent starts. Lot 10, Controvento (Fr) (George Vancouver), was a six-length debut winner at Divonne-Les Bains going 1700 metres last Sunday for trainer Alessandro Botti in the silks of Paolo Zambelli. The juvenile colt’s third dam is responsible for G3 Prix Gladiateur hero Varevees (GB) (Kahyasi {Ire}), who was runner-up in the G1 Prix du Cadran. Ardara Belle (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}) (lot 20) won at first asking over 1200 metres at Fontainebleau for conditioner Gina Rarick on Tuesday. Out of a half-sister to SW and GI Clement L. Hirsch S. bridesmaid Rinterval (Ire) (Desert Prince {Ire}), the bay’s third dam, French Group 2 winner Interval (Ire) (Habitat), was third in the G1 English 1000 Guineas in 1987. Rounding out the wild cards is Joel Boisnard’s Bopedro (Fr) (Pedro the Great) (lot 30), who has yet to run worse than second in four starts with two wins, including a one-mile test at Fontainebleau a week ago. A homebred for Daniel Cherdo, the colt is from the same family as 2018 MGSW and G1 Commonwealth Cup S. second Sands of Mali (Fr) (Panis). View the full article

Benefitting from a strong pace, Saeed Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi’s Arctic Sound (GB) (Poet’s Voice {GB}) overcame a slow start to come home best in Thursday’s G3 Tattersalls S. at Newmarket. Having won with top weight in a seven-furlong Doncaster nursery last time Sept. 12, the 5-1 shot missed the break and was forced to race in rear early under Silvestre De Sousa. Angled widest of all to challenge running towards the “dip”, the bay overhauled Bye Bye Hong Kong (Street Sense) in the last 100 yards to score by a length, with 1 1/4 lengths back to Prince Eiji (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in third. “He ran really well last time, but that was a bit of a recovery mission after his disappointment [when sixth in the Aug. 24 Listed Stonehenge S.] at Salisbury so weren’t absolutely sure what to expect,” trainer Mark Johnston said. “This was us trying to get back on track at pattern level and he’s seen it out well. They’ve obviously gone very fast early on and have been slowing up at the finish, but it’s still an impressive performance. Silvestre said his blind got stuck on his bridle which is why he was slow away but he was struggling to go that pace early on anyway. We’ll have to go back and see what there is for him and while I’m a huge believer of running if a horse is thriving he has experience now so he could be put away for the winter. From what we’ve seen today, he’s going to want every inch of a mile next year and probably further. It’s a question of whether we go for those early mile races or wait until May for the mile-and-a-quarter races, so I’ll talk to the owner, who is a new owner for us this year.” 1–ARCTIC SOUND (GB), 126, c, 2, Poet’s Voice (GB)–Polar Circle (SW-Eng), by Royal Academy. 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (36,000gns Ylg ’17 TAOCT). O-Saeed bin Mohammed Al Qassimi; B-Lofts Hall Stud & B Sangster (GB); T-Mark Johnston; J-Silvestre de Sousa. £28,355. Lifetime Record: 6-4-1-0, £52,972. View the full article

While even a cursory period in the modern theatre of European racing can seem stretched out beyond its timeframe, the names Toronado (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire})–Wana Doo, by Grand Slam) and Olympic Glory (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}–Acidanthera {GB}, by Alzao) still rest in the forefront of the collective cortex of the sport’s movers, shakers, fans and bettors. Their advanced athletic technique was complimented by the elan of Richard Hughes in the saddle and the positive results of that symbiosis were felt on several occasions in the early part of the decade. Just two moments easy to recall involve Toronado assailing Dawn Approach (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) in one of the better editions of Goodwood’s G1 Sussex S. in the recent era and Olympic Glory rampaging up Ascot’s rain-afflicted straight to G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. victory. While the electric current they generated on the premier tracks of Europe still survives to an extent, it is now at the glorious Haras de Bouquetot that both have to generate a different kind of voltage. Thanks to some serious home support and a spot of moonlighting in the Southern Hemisphere, with Toronado catching the imagination at Swettenham Stud and Olympic Glory well-received at Arrowfield Stud, that is more than possible. On Sunday at the neighbouring provincial venues of Mont-de-Marsan and Dax in Southwestern France, juveniles by Olympic Glory pulled off an afternoon double to take his tally to 14 winners and keep him in the top five in the list of first-crop sires. Toronado is on a dozen at present, with his best so far being the colt Watan (GB), who was runner-up in York’s G3 Acomb S. in August. He is trained by, guess who? Of course it’s Richard Hannon, junior that is, which is particularly pertinent given that the campaigning of both Olympic Glory and Toronado straddled the winding up of Hannon Senior’s impressive career and the rudimental stage of his son’s. The most indicative vane of Olympic Glory’s eminence at stud is the Listed Tipperary S. runner-up Mintd (Ire), now with Chad Brown and considered Grade I material. That freshman moment of carpe diem is imminent for the pair of Al Shaqab frontiersman. Al Shaqab’s Sebastien Desmontils is keen to express satisfaction with the current state of play as the European season enters its frantic crescendo with many of the key juvenile heats clustered together in little more than a month. “We are seeing them winning everywhere and that is a great achievement,” he said. “Olympic Glory was fairly precocious in terms of his form, but we are seeing his 2-year-olds winning right now so maybe they are not as precocious as him. There are a lot fewer 2-year-old maidens in France and there are a lot of them in training there, but they are winning and can go in again after. He has 35% winners-to-runners, which is good and so far we are very happy with him.” “Toronado has almost the same strike-rate, but with three black-type horses already and we have been supporting him at the sales and also in the covering shed with good mares,” Desmontils continued. “He has Watan and also [the Listed Criterium du Bequet third] Baylagan (Fr), so it shows there is support from us in order to commercialise him during the season. At the sales, they are still making a good bit of money and their averages are holding, so with more black-type they’ll go again next year.” Physically, both were standouts during their racing and that is translating in their second career. “Toronado is stamping them a lot–they are copies of him and when you see them you are sure they are his,” Desmontils said. “Toronado was a bull and you can see this in his progeny. They move very well and they are athletes. Olympic Glory doesn’t stamp them as much, but you can always see the shape of him and you can recognise them also.” “What trainers say about the Olympic Glory’s is that they have good minds, are hard workers and are easy to train. Toronado’s can be a bit more electric, without being tricky. You need the big one, obviously, to keep them going commercially but with all those winners coming through the ranks I’m sure one will show the ability to perform at the highest level.” Asked to pick out a potential gem among the homebreds, Desmontils mentions the as-yet unraced colt Muraikh (Fr), a Toronado out of the Wertheimer mare Plumba (GB) (Anabaa). The dam was a €600,000 Arqana December acquisition by virtue of the fact that she is a full-sister to the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud heroine and significant producer Plumania (GB). Also a half to the G2 Prix de Royallieu winner Balladeuse (Fr) (Singspiel {Ire}), herself the dam of the 2016 G1 Prix Vermeille scorer Left Hand (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), her March-foaled son is in training with Henri-Francois Devin. “He looks quite decent and Henri has a couple he likes, so we’re waiting for them,” he said. “We still have some in the boxes we bred and who we bought last year for a bit of money, so we should have a few more bullets to fire in the Al Shaqab silks by our stallions before the end of the year.” With nine European Group 1 races for juveniles around the corner and the Australian 2-year-old season about to launch with the $8-million Inglis Race Series a key part of that, the Al Shaqab duo have a crucial time ahead. “We are just seeing the Olympic Glory’s picking up now and he’s having a few first-time winners, but maybe they’ll have some more distance in their legs than he did himself. Maybe the way we train in France might give them more stamina. Maybe they will be more mile to 10-furlong horses than just speed horses. Toronado puts a lot of strength into his horses, which they like in the Southern Hemisphere. While he wasn’t as popular at the sales there as Olympic Glory was, that was possibly because he was not seen as being as precocious as Olympic Glory, but he has appeal for Australia being by High Chaparral.” “We are all hopeful,” Desmontils added. “They are away, but they need the horses to be right on the good days.” View the full article

Born To Sea (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}-Urban Sea, by Miswaki) will relocate from the Aga Khan’s Gilltown Stud to stand at Haras des Faunes in France next year, according to Racing Post. Born To Sea, a three-quarter brother to Sea The Stars (Ire) and a half-brother to Galileo (Ire), won the Listed Blenheim S. on debut at two and was second to Camelot (GB) in the G1 Irish Derby. He stood his first two seasons at Rathasker Stud and was transferred to stand alongside Sea The Stars at Gilltown after showing promise with a first crop that was headed by G3 Flame Of Tara S. winner Sea Of Grace (Ire). Born To Sea has yet to hit those same heights again, however, and he covered just 10 mares in Ireland this year. Born To Sea’s Faunes studmates will include Vale of York (Ire) and Kheleyf. View the full article