Wandering Eyes

DOGTAG (f, 2, War Front–Diamond Necklace, by Unbridled’s Song) was hammered down to even-money–from a 6-1 morning-line quote–as a maiden in this black-type bow and ran to her odds, spurting clear late to win the P.G. Johnson S. at Saratoga. Crossing the wire on debut in an off-the-turf test going seven panels here Aug. 5, she was promoted to third after the original third-place finisher was disqualified for bumping Dogtag in the stretch. Away well from her rail draw, the gray kept a close eye on the leaders from a ground-saving third as Road Tiger (Quality Road) clocked an opening quarter in :24.20 and a half in :49.42. Joined by Chocolate Kisses (Candy Ride {Arg}) on the backstretch run, Dogtag charged through on the fence to take control in the lane and swiftly rolled clear to earn her diploma in a final time of 1:45.82. Fellow maiden and 13-1 shot Varenka (Ghostzapper) came flying late to cut the margin down to a length at the line and Chocolate Kisses completed the trifecta. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1. O/B-LNJ Foxwoods (KY)’ T-Chad Brown. View the full article

Harry Angel, brilliant winner of the 32red Sprint Cup (G1) at Haydock in September of 2017, is firmly on course to defend his group 1 title Sept. 1, a week after recovering from the injury he suffered in the starting stalls at Royal Ascot. View the full article

POPPY’S DESTINY (c, 2, Orb–Plethora, by First Samurai), a $175,000 KEESEP yearling turned $300,000 OBSMAR 2yo after breezing in :9 4/5, was sent off at 5-1 in this unveiling against fellow Empire-breds. Battling Six Brothers (Bustin Stones) through a sharp first quarter in :22.96, the bay shook free of that foe as they hit the half in :46.80 and looked like he had it in the bag from there. However, True Gold (Frost Giant) had a little more left in the tank and surged to meet the pacesetter in the final strides, but Poppy’s Destiny came out on top in a tight photo. The final time was 1:05.52 for the 39th winner for second crop sire Orb (Malibu Moon). The winner is a son of Canadian stakes winner Plethora (First Samurai), a half-sister to MSP juvenile Congo (Johannesburg). The deeper female family includes European Group 3 winner Long Lashes (Rock Hard Ten). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O-Lobdell Family Stables; B-SF Racing Group Inc (NY); T-Linda Rice. 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. Today’s Observations features a first foal of a Coolmore Classic winner. 2.40 Sandown, Mdn, £7,000, 2yo, 7fT FOREST OF DEAN (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) was a 450,000gns TATOCT graduate whose dam is a half to the G1 Racing Post Trophy hero Crowded House (GB) (Rainbow Quest). John Gosden introduces Princess Haya of Jordan’s unraced colt, who faces another in The Queen’s Sovereign Grant (GB) (Kingman {GB}), a Sir Michael Stoute-trained son of the listed winner Momentary (GB) (Nayef). 4.20 Curragh, Mdn, €17,500, 2yo, f, 6fT CAREFULLY (War Front) is one of a trio from Ballydoyle and makes her debut. The first foal out of the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Marvellous (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the January-foaled bay is therefore connected to Gleneagles (Ire), Happily (Ire) and Giant’s Causeway. View the full article

Champion Good Magic will be sent to Stonestreet Farm for some time off in the days following the end of the Saratoga Race Course meet, trainer Chad Brown said the morning of Aug. 30. View the full article

Having provided the Casse barn a win in the July 20 Schuylerville Stakes (G3) on opening day at the Spa, John Oxley's Catherinethegreat will aim to record another high note for her team against 11 others in the Sept. 1 Spinaway Stakes (G1). View the full article

Champion Good Magic will be sent to Stonestreet Farm for some time off in the days following the end of the Saratoga Race Course meet, trainer Chad Brown said the morning of Aug. 30. View the full article

Having provided the Casse barn a win in the Schuylerville Stakes (G3) on opening day July 20, John Oxley's Catherinethegreat will aim to record another high note for her team against 11 others in the Spinaway Stakes (G1) Sept. 1. View the full article

MONKEYS UNCLE (f, 2, Uncle Mo–Humor Section, by After Market) was a $180,000 FTKJUL yearling turned $300,000 OBSMAR buy after breezing :10 2/5. Hammered down to 4-5 favoritism for this career bow, the dark bay pressed from a close-up second through an opening quarter in :23 3/5 and a half in :48 flat. Sticking her head in front on the backstretch run, the juvenile charged clear in the lane and held off a late surge from Tula (Hat Trick {Jpn}) to win by a half-length in 1:42 flat. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O-Lael Stables; B-Parrish Hill Farm & Ashford Stud (KY); T-Arnaud Delacour. View the full article

Emerging from Goodwood’s G3 Oak Tree S. with much credit when fourth there from a tough draw, Lael Stable’s One Master (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) had things fall right in Thursday’s G3 Coolmore Stud Fairy Bridge S. and duly annexed the Tipperary contest for a first pattern-race win. It is a measure of the regard in which the homebred is held by William Haggas that she was favourite when fourth in Lingfield’s G3 Chartwell Fillies’ S. over seven furlongs May 12 and when third in the G3 Ballyogan S. over six at The Curragh June 8, but she was 14-1 when coming from stall 17 at the Goodwood festival Aug. 3. Shown respect as the 9-2 second favourite here, the bay was habitually keen in mid-division for Colm O’Donoghue but when produced was able to draw in compatriot Dan’s Dream (GB) (Cityscape {GB}) 100 yards from the line and assert for a half-length verdict. “I spoke to James Doyle and Ryan Moore and they were very complimentary of the filly,” O’Donoghue explained. “They said to ride her cold as she’d finish off the race good and ground and trip wasn’t a problem. She hit the line strong.” Pedigree Notes… One Master, who had also captured the Listed October S. at Ascot as a 3-year-old, is a daughter of the talented Enticing (Ire), (Pivotal {GB}) who captured the G3 King George S. and G3 Molecomb S. for the same connections. Her dam Superstar Leo (Ire) (College Chapel {GB}) was purchased by Maureen Haggas for a mere 3,400gns at Tattersalls in 1999 and far exceeded expectations by winning the G2 Flying Childers S. and G3 Norfolk S. and finishing runner-up in the G1 Phoenix S. and G1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp. She also produced the listed-winning and G3 Jersey S. runner-up Sentaril (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and is a half-sister to Starship (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), whose son Rivet (Ire), also by Fastnet Rock, captured the G1 Racing Post Trophy and G2 Champagne S. in 2016. This is the family of the G1 2000 Guineas-winning sire Footstepsinthesand (GB), G1 Irish 2000 Guineas-winning sire Power (GB) and December Draw (Ire) (Medecis {GB}), who captured the G1 Turnbull S. Enticing has an as-yet unraced 2-year-old colt by Bated Breath (GB) and a yearling colt and filly foal by Kodiac (GB). Thursday, Tipperary, Ireland COOLMORE STUD FAIRY BRIDGE S.-G3, €65,000, Tipperary, 8-30, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f 100yT, 1:34.60, g/y. 1–ONE MASTER (GB), 131, f, 4, by Fastnet Rock (Aus) 1st Dam: Enticing (Ire), by Pivotal (GB) 2nd Dam: Superstar Leo (Ire), by College Chapel (GB) 3rd Dam: Council Rock (GB), by General Assembly 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Lael Stable; B-Lael Stables (GB); T-William Haggas; J-Colm O’Donoghue. €38,350. Lifetime Record: SW-Eng, 7-3-0-2, $96,596. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Dan’s Dream (GB), 129, f, 3, Cityscape (GB)–Royal Ffanci (GB), by Royal Applause (GB). O-Hunscote, Watt, Peckham, Botham & Edwards; B-Hunscote Stud (GB); T-Mick Channon. €12,350. 3–Ship of Dreams (Ire), 126, f, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Oh Sedulous (Ire), by Lawman (Fr). (€58,000 Wlg ’15 GOFNOV; 85,000gns Ylg ’16 TAOCT). O-Qatar Racing Limited; B-Dubois Holdings Ltd (IRE); T-Joseph O’Brien. €5,850. Margins: HF, 1 3/4, NK. Odds: 4.50, 10.00, 16.00. Also Ran: Yulong Gold Fairy (GB), I Can Fly (GB), Damselfly (Ire), Vivianite (Ire), Sometimesadiamond (Ire), Petticoat (GB), Lightening Quick (GB), Surrounding (Ire), Sorelle Delle Rose (Ire), Could It Be Love. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

When Jim Stone’s Stoneway Farm sold a son of Into Mischief out of its young mare Assets of War (Lawyer Ron) at last year’s Fasig-Tipton July sale, Stone’s racing manager and partner Terri Burch admitted she was happy with the result. Since then, Instagrand has lit up the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale when bringing a co-topping final bid of $1.2 million, went on to be ‘TDN Rising Star’, romped to victory in the GII Best Pal S. (video) and is the favorite in the future wager for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Stoneway will offer a half-brother to the speedy juvenile during Wednesday’s third session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. By freshman sire Cairo Prince, hip 663 will be consigned by Paramount Sales. Stoneway’s association with Instagrand’s family dates back to one of Stone’s earliest Thoroughbred purchases, Added Time (Gilded Time–Added Elegance), who was acquired for $170,000 at the 1999 Keeneland April Sale. “Added Time was the first racehorse that Jim and I had purchased together,” Burch recalled. “We had really good success with racing and selling out of her–we sold a Grade I winner out of her.” That Grade I winner was 2007 GI Spinaway S. winner Irish Smoke (Smoke Glacken), but when Added Time produced a series of colts, Burch started looking for another way to get back into the family. She found her answer with Assets of War, a granddaughter of Added Elegance. Stone purchased the filly for $165,000 at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton July Sale. “She was very balanced and stretchy and with a nice family,” Burch recalled of the filly’s appeal as a yearling. “And I just loved the family–it was a really deep family. There are a lot of good fillies in the family who had gone on to produce horses. So that’s something that we wanted to bring back to the farm. We had sold Added Time’s first three fillies and then she only had colts after that. We kept trying to get fillies. So we needed to get back into the family. ” Assets of War won once in 13 starts before retiring to the Stoneway broodmare band in La Grange, Kentucky. Her first foal is stakes-placed Aerial Assets (Into Mischief), who races for Stoneway and is trained by Kelly Breen. Instagrand is the mare’s second foal and Burch admits she has only one regret about him. “I loved him,” she said. “And I hated that he was a colt. I was trying for a filly and I got a colt, but I really liked him. He was really mature at a young age and he had a wonderful hip. We mostly race fillies, so I was severely disappointed that he was a colt. We are really happy for all the connections that have him now and we get just as excited as if he was our own. We’re really having a good time watching him, but had he been a filly, she’d be in Stoneway colors.” When Instagrand sold to Quarter Pole Enterprises for $190,000 at last year’s Fasig July Sale, Burch thought it was a good result. “We were happy with that result,” she said. “The sale market is pretty funny, but the stud fee at the time was really reasonable, it was $30,000 or $35,000. So we made enough money off of him. To me, he looked like a sprint horse and not really a two-turn horse. Sometimes we will keep a colt to race it, not very often, but sometimes we do and he just looked to me like he was going to be fast as lightning and I didn’t think he would go two turns. The way he gallops out now makes me think maybe I was wrong.” Instagrand worked a furlong in :10 flat before selling to Larry Best’s OXO Equine for $1.2 million at the Gulfstream sale. “We were just absolutely thrilled,” Burch said of the result. “He had a beautiful breeze, his stride length was really lovely and he got over the ground just really wonderfully. That helps our family, so we are really thrilled that he brought all that money.” Stoneway will have its first chance to see what impact Instagrand’s success will have on his siblings in the sales ring when Assets of War’s Cairo Prince yearling goes through the ring at Keeneland Sept. 12. “We wanted speed and Cairo had speed, but he could also carry it over a distance,” Burch explained of the mating decision. “We loved Cairo. He’s very handsome. His babies that are on the ground, he stamps them really well and that’s something else we were looking for. Because usually that’s a sign of a quality sire. So we thought it was a lovely match. We’d had two Into Mischiefs that we were really happy with and we wanted to go in a little bit different direction with her.” The yearling might just have all the best qualities of his older half-siblings. “We really like him,” Burch said of the colt. “He’s got a really big hip. He’s a little bit longer than Instagrand at this time–he’s a little bit more stretchy and he has a little bit of a longer neck. He’s probably in between what Aerial [Assets] looks like and what Instagrand looks like. She’s a little bit longer and definitely looks like a two-turn horse, where Instagrand looked really sprinty. This one looks right in the middle of them.” Burch is already looking forward to Assets of War’s weanling colt by Noble Mission (GB). “When I first saw him, I said, ‘We’re keeping him. We’re going to race him,'” Burch said of the weanling. “He looks so fast. But he may end up going to the sale because he may be too expensive for us to keep.” Assets of War is currently in foal to Creative Cause and is expected to visit Into Mischief next spring. Stone, who is president of the Louisville-based trucking company Mercer Transportation, began his breeding operation in La Grange in 1998. With the recent retirement of graded stakes winner Song of Spring (Spring at Last) and multiple stakes winner Pretty Perfection (Majesticperfection), the farm currently has a broodmare band of 22 head, but that number could drop this fall. “We brought Pretty Perfection and Song of Spring home from the track this year and they will join our broodmare band, so that will pump us up to 22,” Burch said of the broodmare band. “I think we are going to cull maybe three, which is hard for us because so many of our mares are so young, we really don’t know what they are going to do. But 22 babies would be a little strain on the way our farm is set up and having enough paddocks for everybody. So we are going to cull a few in November.” She continued, “We are breeding to sell. We would probably keep a replacement filly from a family so we could continue the family and then we would sell.” In addition to hoping for the occasional filly to keep and race, Burch admitted she also has one more plan for the broodmare band. “I try, and this is silly, but … I’m going for gray fillies,” she said with a laugh. “Gray horses have been really good to Stoneway. Not that we haven’t had graded stakes horses that were other colors, but the majority of our graded horses are gray. Maybe that’s just because we have a propensity for grays.” One gray in particular that Stoneway has had success with is Stonetastic (Mizzen Mast), winner of the 2014 GII Prioress S. The 7-year-old retired to the Stoneway broodmare band in 2017 after earning over $850,000 on the racetrack. She produced her first foal this year and is clearly reading Burch’s script. “She has a beautiful gray filly by Candy Ride (Arg),” Burch said of Stonetastic. “I call her Mini Me-tastic because she is a clone of Stonetastic, except she is going to be more of a red roan than a blue roan like Stonetastic.” Burch, who also serves as the interim director of the University of Louisville’s Equine Industry Program, had no hesitation about plans for that weanling. “I’m keeping her,” she said. “She’s the first one and she’s a gray, it was meant to be.” The Keeneland September sale begins with the first of four Book 1 sessions Monday, Sept. 10. Book 1 sessions begin at 11 a.m. After a dark day Friday, the sale resumes Saturday at 10 a.m. View the full article

Peter Brant's Raging Bull, who bested Maraud by a nose in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T), will face his rival again in the $300,000 Saranac Stakes (G3T) Sept. 1 at Saratoga Race Course. View the full article

Harry Angel, brilliant winner of the 32Red Sprint Cup (G1) at Haydock in September of 2017, is firmly on course to defend his group 1 title Sept. 1, a week after recovering from the injury he suffered in the starting stalls at Royal Ascot. View the full article

The New York Racing Association announced Thursday that it will formally break ground on the 1863 Club at Saratoga Tuesday, Sept. 4, one day after the conclusion of the 2018 summer racing season. The 1863 Club is the official name of the new permanent building to be located at the site of the current At the Rail tent at Saratoga. The name recognizes the year of the first organized Thoroughbred race meeting in Saratoga, which took place over the course of four days in August 1863. “Following this year’s introduction of The Stretch in the Grandstand, we are excited to announce plans for the 1863 Club which will be located at the end of the Clubhouse and will add another chapter to the enhanced guest experience at Saratoga,” said NYRA CEO and president Chris Kay. “The three-story, air-conditioned building will provide new and different options for guests, including a banquet area on the first floor and a bar and dining club on the second level, which will be connected to the Clubhouse via a walkway. The third floor will feature true luxury boxes offering outstanding sight lines of the entire track. The 1863 Club, named after our first racing meet in Saratoga, continues our commitment to providing racing fans with upgraded amenities while honoring the look and feel of this historic venue.” View the full article

The Kentucky Equine Education Project, Kentucky’s equine economic advocate, announced Thursday that it will kick off its Equine Workforce Talent Pipeline project with an informational breakfast Sept. 14 at Keeneland. Following the kickoff, the Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center will hold meetings throughout the two-year project to develop strategies to improve Kentucky’s workforce issues across six different industry areas, including the horse industry. Recognizing that the horse industry is a unique and critical part of Kentucky’s economy, with an economic impact of nearly $4 billion annually and responsible for more than 80,000 jobs, KEEP, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and Keeneland have embarked on this partnership to address the job needs within the industry across the state. Kentucky Horse Council, University of Kentucky and University of Louisville Equine Industry Program are also providing support for the program. View the full article

After notching a grade 2 victory in her previous start, Santa Monica will look for further graded stakes success Sept. 1 in the $250,000 Glens Falls Stakes (G2T) on the Saratoga Race Course inner turf. 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 Niigata and Kokura Racecourses: Sunday, September 1, 2018 5th-NII, ¥13,400,000 ($121k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800mT JASPER JACK (c, 2, Declaration of War–Crescent Moon, by Seeking the Gold) cost $175K as a Keeneland September yearling and is out of an unplaced daughter of US GSW and European SW Wandering Star (Red Ransom), the dam of G1SW War Command (War Front), GSW Naval Officer (War Front) and the dam of SW & GSP War Officer (Grand Slam) and SW Doo Lang (Pulpit). A yearling half-sister by The Factor is cataloged as lot 1020 to Book 2 of the upcoming Tattersalls October sale. B-Camas Park Stud (KY) 10th-KOK, ¥28,600,000 ($257k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1700m SOUL SABER (c, 3, Street Sense–Cornelia {Jpn}, by Forty Niner) is out of a full-sister to GSW & MGISP Sunday Break (Jpn) who is also a half to champion 3-year-old filly Phalaenopsis (Jpn) (Brian’s Time) and to 2013 G1 Tokyo Yushun hero and champion Kizuna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Raced by North Hills, who also campaigned Sunday Break, Soul Saber was last seen winning over 1400m at Kyoto in May. B-Dr Stephen G Jackson & Debbie Jackson (KY) 12th-NII, ¥19,950,000 ($179k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1000mT SEIUN AKAMAI (f, 3, Animal Kingdom–Yachats, by Forest Camp), a half-sister to GSP La Song (Unbridled’s Song), was on the board in three of her first seven trips to the races, but broke through with a narrow success going 1200m at this track July 28 (see below, gate 16). A $100K KEESEP yearling turned $220K OBS April juvenile, the chestnut is out of a stakes-placed half-sister to MSW Your Bluffing (Pine Bluff) and MGSP Nacho Friend (Friends Lake). The deeper female family includes 2011 GI Hopeful S. winner Currency Swap (High Cotton). B-Pollock Farms, T & C Kentucky Inc & Arthur Maberry (KY) View the full article

After notching a grade 2 victory in her previous start, Santa Monica (GB) will look for further graded stakes success Sept. 1 in the $250,000 Glens Falls Stakes (G2T) on the Saratoga Race Course inner turf. View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY–Barclay Tagg hasn’t done much claiming since back he was just getting his career off the ground in the 1970s, but the Classic-winning conditioner dropped the right slip earlier this meet when he picked up Cassies Dreamer (Flatter) for $50,000 on behalf of Rusty Jones’s Turf Stable Racing and Hayward Pressman. An $85,000 OBS June acquisition off a :10 1/5 breeze, the juvenile filly debuted for Loooch Racing Stables and trainer Anthony Quaratolo in the Saratoga mud Aug. 3, scoring by 2 1/4 lengths before heading back to Tagg’s barn. After scratching as a main-track-only entrant from Thursday’s P.G. Johnson S., the dark bay will contest Saturday’s GI Spinaway S. “Carl Domino used to train for these owners, but he’s kind of retired now, so he asked me if I would take them and I said certainly,” Tagg said. “They wanted to claim a horse, and I said, ‘I don’t like to claim, I haven’t really claimed in about 30 years, but if it looks like something promising I’ll do as long as it isn’t a personal friend of mine or something like that.’ We were very pleasantly surprised. She seems like a lovely horse.” When asked what about the filly caught their eye, Tagg said, “I didn’t do much scouting–I didn’t have time for a lot of scouting, but the last thing we wanted to do was watch her walk down that chute surrounded by people and see how she reacted to that and what she looked like. We were happy with that. She looked like a big, strapping, good-looking filly, so we went ahead and dropped the slip and that’s about all there is to it.” While Tagg says he wishes Cassies Dreamer had kept her condition on debut so she could’ve won right back in maiden company, he is pleased with what he’s seen. Another promising juvenile filly in the Tagg barn is Brucia La Terra (El Padrino), who defeated some much pricier foes to don cap and gown first out by 3 3/4 lengths in a rained-off maiden special weight Aug. 12. Tagg will run her back at Belmont in a spot still yet to be determined. “She’s doing well; I like her,” he said. “I think we got lucky there. We bought her for $20,000 at Timonium [at last year’s Fasig-Tipton October Midlantic Fall Yearlings] sale. She’s developing very nicely.” It’s been a very productive Saratoga meet overall for the NYRA fixture. He took the restricted Alydar S. Aug. 5 with Realm (Haynesfield), who he co-owns, and also annexed a lucrative turf allowance with Im the Captain Now (Trappe Shot) the same day. It could’ve been an even better meet for Tagg, however, as Verve’s Tale (Tale of Ekati) finished third beaten only a neck in the GIII Shuvee S. July 29 and Dr. Edgar (Lookin At Lucky) was disqualified from first to second in an extremely controversial decision Aug. 26. Stakes winner and Grade I-placed Highland Sky (Sky Mesa) endured a tough trip in the Aug. 25 GI Sword Dancer S. in which he found himself bottled up behind horses until it was too late. “He just got trapped the whole way,” Tagg said. “He’s definitely a come-from-behind horse and he’s got a great, big lopey gallop. He needs to get out and get free. He just couldn’t do it. I watched the replay over and over and over and the head on and he was just stuck there and when he finally got out it was too late.” Tagg will likely give Highland Sky another Grade I chance in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. back downstate Sept. 29. View the full article

The University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture is seeking applicants to become the new Horse Unit Manager at Maine Chance Farm in Lexington, it was announced Thursday. The position has responsibility for the daily management of the horses and facilities at the university’s Horse Unit, including health care and dietary management, overseeing specific aspects of the program such as breeding and foal care, guiding data collection and management with students, delivering lectures and teaching lab sections as well as various other educational initiatives. The position will require the Horse Unit Manager to work evenings, weekends and holidays as necessary. Applications can be filled out here, using the registration number RE15176. View the full article

BADEN-BADEN, Germany—There are plenty of yearlings by higher-profile stallions selling today at BBAG’s major sale of the year but few which should command as much attention as Gestut Rottgen’s half-brother to the last two G1 Deutsches Derby winners, Windstoss (Ger) (Shirocco {Ger}) and Weltstar (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}). Offered as lot 202 and already named Worrick (Ger), the colt is a son of Kamsin (Ger), the former German champion 3-year-old who stood at Rottgen for his first five years at stud and last season moved to the jumps division of Haras d’Etreham in Normandy. Worrick’s Classic credentials are further enhanced by the fact that Kamsin is also a Deutsches Derby winner, as is his sire Samum (Ger). All three of the yearling’s half-brothers have been offered at the sale in the last three years. Windstoss was bought back at €16,000, while Weltstar fetched €40,000 and the current 2-year-old from wonder mare Wellenspiel (Ger) (Sternkonig {Ger}), Walerian (Ger) (Reliable Man {GB}) was also a buy-back at €110,000. With Samum (Ger) deceased and his son Kamsin exported, a major hope for the future of the Monsun (Ger) male line in Germany is Gestut Fahrhof’s Maxios (GB) and he again has strong representation at his home sale with 18 yearlings to sell. Among them is a well-related filly in Jamie Railton’s draft (lot 179) out of Night Fashion (Ger) (Sholokhov {Ire}), a winning sister to the German champion filly and dual Group 1 winner Night Magic (Ger) and the G3 Grand Prix de Vichy winner Night Wish (Ger). Only Soldier Hollow (GB) outranks Maxios numerically at BBAG. The Gestut Auenquelle resident was responsible for last year’s top lot—a €500,000 brother to Group 1 winner Dschingis Secret (Ger) bred by Soldier Hollow’s owner Helmut von Finck—and with 25 yearlings catalogued today he is likely to play another major part in the sale. Von Finck’s Gestut Park Wiedingen consigns three Soldier Hollow yearlings. The dam of last year’s leader, Divya (Ger) (Platini {Ger}), is not represented as he yearling Soldier Hollow filly has been retained but in lot 199 the stud offers a brother to Germany’s champion 3-year-old of 2016, Wai Key Star (Ger), who added another Group 3 victory to his tally last weekend at Baden-Baden. Gestut Gorlsdorf’s Sea The Moon (Ger) was the freshman darling of last year’s sale and the encouraging start made by his first-crop runners should ensure that the 13 members of his second crop offered today at Baden-Baden are not overlooked. He will have some competition from his own illustrious sire, however, as Sea The Stars (Ire) has three yearlings catalogued, including lot 76, Gestut Etzean’s daughter of the G2 Diana Trial winner Monami (Ger) (Sholokhov {Ire}). Of the freshman stallions represented this season, there are three yearlings by Coolmore’s Gleneagles (Ire), who provided a record-breaking top lot at the Goffs UK Premier Sale earlier this week, while Golden Horn (GB) is represented by lot 197, a Ronald Rauscher-consigned colt out of the listed-placed Ninfea (Ger) (Selkirk), a half-sister to the four-time Group 1 winner Novellist (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}). Brazen Beau (Aus), Free Eagle (Ire), Gutaifan (Ire), Hallowed Crown (Aus), Outstrip (GB), Sidestep (Aus) and Hunter’s Light (Ire) also feature, while Germany’s key first-season hope is Gestut Etzean’s Amaron (GB), a son of Shamardal who was as talented as he was durable. The specialist miler won nine stakes races including the G1 Premio Vittorio di Capua. Seven of Amaron’s eight yearlings for sale hail from Etzean, a farm with a proven track record of producing classy stock, including dual Group 1 winner Night Magic (Ger) (Sholokhov {Ire}). The first of the group into the ring will be lot 14, a colt named Royal Dancer (Ger), the first foal of Royal Princess (Ger), a Lord Of England half-sister to the Etzean-bred GI Beverly D S. winner Royal Highness (Ger) (Monsun {Ger]). In line with most other European yearling sales this year, the numbers have crept up at BBAG, which has catalogued 279 lots, though there were 27 withdrawals at the time of writing. Early plans to spread the sale into a second session on Saturday were scrapped, with BBAG wishing to keep the single-session format which is so popular with visitors. BBAG Manager Klaus Eulenberger said, “We’re very happy to see so many people here from different countries. We would wish to have more German buyers here to help the middle market but it’s great to see so many visitors. It’s really not that different to Newmarket in the buyers we have here.” He continued, “Of course we are known for our stayers but we have precocious horses here in the sale—perhaps not that many but they are here and from last year’s sale we’ve had a number of 2-year-old winners already, not just in Germany but in France, England and Ireland We’re very happy about that, and we had A Raving Beauty (Ger) here as a yearling and she has gone on the win a Grade 1 in America over a mile.” As Eulenberger outlined, a decent number of international agents and trainers were in town for viewings on Thursday, including the Hong Kong Jockey Club team, Godolphin’s Anthony Stroud and David Loder, David Redvers and Peter Molony of Qatar Bloodstock, Nicolas Clement, Mark Johnston, David Marnane, Andrew Balding, Jeremy Brummitt , Alex Elliott, Chantilly’s newest trainer Gavin Hernon, and breeze-up pinhookers Tom Whitehead, Norman Williamson and Con Marnane. With a slightly larger catalogue, selling will begin early at 9.30am. View the full article

Trade dropped down a gear at Doncaster on Thursday as Goffs UK hosted their single session Silver Yearling Sale and it was a son of Rathasker Stud’s veteran sire Clodovil (Ire) that lead the way when selling to Peter & Ross Doyle for £40,000. The bay colt was offered by the Morrin family’s Pier House Stud on behalf of J.K. Thoroughbreds as lot 616 and his dam Apostrophe (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}) has already produced the stakes winner Verglacial (Ire) (Verglas {Ire}). That sale played a part in producing the day’s aggregate of £1,385,400, a fraction below last year’s total. The average and median of £10,187 and £8,250 also showed a decrease on 2017 while the clearance rate dipped 6 points to 81%. Its been a while since John Fretwell unearthed a high class 2-year-old and the owner will be hoping lot 654 can bring back the glory days of the likes of Temple Meads (GB) (Avonbridge {GB}) and Electric Waves (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), and given the way the progeny of this yearling’s sire Dandy Man (Ire) are going he must have every chance. Fretwell paid £39,000 for the Battlefield Stud consigned colt and he had earlier signed for lot 602, a rare son of G Force (Ire) from Tally-Ho Stud that cost £35,000. Soon after the sale topper, the only yearling cataloged by Al Kazeem (GB) over the three days of selling proved popular when selling to Henry Candy for £36,000. Lot 623 was offered by Oakgrove Stud out of Avessia (GB) (Averti {Ire}) who has bred four winners to date. Oakgrove Stud owner John Deer holds the distinction of breeding and owning both the sire and dam of the yearling. The early pace was set by a son of first crop sire Outstrip (GB) who was knocked down to JB Bloodstock for £28,000. Offered by Aughamore Stud, lot 540 was pinhooked by Aughamore and Hamish Macauley for 12,000 gns at Tattersalls last year and is the first foal out of the three time winner Perfect Muse (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Meanwhile Yorkshire man David Easterby paid £30,000 for lot 625 from Trickledown Stud. The son of Harbour Watch (Ire) is out of stakes winner Beldale Memory (Ire) (Camacho {GB}). View the full article

Some sports stars wear their fame and legend like a second skin, familiar and comfortable–one gifted to them by a kind of divine birth-right. Tom Brady’s five Super Bowl rings. Serena Williams’ 23 Grand Slams. The trophies on the shelf speak not so much of human sweat and toil as of some rare and anointed stuff of the soul to which only they are privy. Other successful athletes, however, must routinely deliver their pound of flesh to receive the accolades due them. Week in, week out, home runs are whacked out the park and three-pointers are dunked like clockwork. Next day, however, the headlines arrive with grudging praise. Job well done–but what if LeBron had been playing? It would be fair to say that recent GI Pacific Classic S. winner Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky) has long been relegated to the latter bunch–a horse who has strung together this year a remarkable series of knock-out performances, but who still is all too readily dismissed when talk turns to the nation’s quickest and best. “Probably a bit of a West Coast bias,” explained Accelerate’s trainer, John Sadler, when I asked him why this is the case. “These California horses go everywhere and win. And if you look at the line for the [Breeders’ Cup] Classic which they’ve just put out in Vegas this past week, who’s the favorite?” “Accelerate?” “There you go,” Sadler replied, reclining in his chair, a look of professorial satisfaction crossing his face. “The people who know, they know.” Right now, Sadler is putting what he knows to devastating effect. He’s been saddling runners at Del Mar since before Ronald Reagan was elected president. Over the years, he’s put enough wins on the board to take third place on the all-time trainer list at Del Mar, behind Bob Baffert and Mike Mitchell. But Sadler–whose current hot streak makes King Midas look like Mr. Bean–regards this as his best summer yet in terms of the “type of races we’ve won.” The GII Eddie Read S. The GII Del Mar Mile H. The GIII Torrey Pines S. The GII San Diego H. On and on and on. If Sadler switched carrots for tennis balls, he’d probably train the favorite for the U.S. Open right now. Earlier this month, Sadler finally ticked off his bucket list the GI Pacific Classic, a race in which he’s been cruelly denied before with the likes of Twirling Candy (head second to Acclamation in 2011), and Kettle Corn (more roundly beaten by Game on Dude in 2013). “I really wanted to get that race,” said Sadler. “I like to win all the big races on our circuit. I don’t think there’s a big race in California that I haven’t won. [The Pacific Classic] is another iconic race in California, and to get it under your belt is great.” While last year, Lane’s End-bound Accelerate was easily eclipsed in the Pacific Classic, this year he dominated, pouring on the lighter fluid around the home turn before scorching home 12 1/2 lengths clear of the rest. “By every metric he was the best horse in the race,” stressed Sadler. “If you looked at the Beyers, weight, distance, we were expecting to win, but we weren’t expecting to win by that much. Joe Harper says that’s the largest win margin in Pacific Classic history.” Yeah, Accelerate might have been expected to win, but there’s no doubt the horse who has this year reigned California king supreme is bigger and better than 12 months ago. “I’d say he’s improved one to two seconds,” said Sadler. There were glimpses of this brilliance before. In last year’s San Diego, he picked his opposition apart with ruthless efficiency. So, has Sadler done anything different this year to last? “He’s kind of a late foal, and he’s just improved with age,” Sadler replied. “A lot of horses don’t improve from four to five, but he has. He’s just a very strong, mature horse at five. And he just continues to thrive.” That said, the Sadler teams has also worked with Accelerate in the gates. “He got to where he wasn’t breaking well. Now, he’s breaking much better. We do a lot of schooling. It’s not that he’s a bad horse in the gate it’s more that he just doesn’t get the gate all the time.” The GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile last year can be seen as a turning point in Accelerate’s career. Well fancied for the race, Accelerate beat one home, only for a quarter crack to emerge as the culprit. “Once we got his foot right, he’s just had a great year,” said Sadler. This “great year” has included wins in the GI Santa Anita H. “Loved that,” he said. “He got a muddy track and showed that he can handle the off-track really well, in case we get the off-track in [the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs].” Add to that a win in the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita. “Victor [Espinoza] rode a beautiful race in the Gold Cup,” said Sadler. “He broke, put him out there a little bit, and that put the other horses on the bit. Then, Victor eased him back. That’s what I’m talking about, about [Accelerate] being dynamic. It’s what makes him so effective at that distance. He can lead if he wants, but he doesn’t pull when he’s in front. Doesn’t use his energy.” Accelerate is only one of three horses to have captured the Big Cap/Gold Cup/Pacific Classic trifecta–an achievement not lost on Kosta Hronis who, with brother Pete, owns Accelerate under their Hronis Racing banner. “Being California horse owners and being from California and being a fan of the tracks here, to win that California Triple Crown–wow,” he said. “We’re still riding high on that wave, and I don’t think we’ve come down yet.” Riding high? Hronis Racing is surfing the crest right now. Accelerate is without doubt the stable’s headline act, but the exciting Catalina Cruiser (Union Rags) is a worthy and starry-eyed understudy, the unbeaten 4-year-old having recently pulverized the field in the GII Pat O’Brien S. “He just took time to mature,” explained Hronis, about their kids glove approach with the massive chestnut (according to Sadler, Catalina Cruiser weighed in after his first race this year a titan-like 1260 lbs). The two aren’t scheduled to lock horns any time soon–Catalina Cruiser’s Breeders’ Cup assignment will be the Dirt Mile. According to Sadler, he’ll go there without a prep. Sadler and Hronis both floated, however, a possible clash in the GI Pegasus World Cup, next January at Gulfstream Park. “I guess it could happen if the two horses are in a condition to run and they’re both ready to go,” Hronis said. “Whether we run one or the other or both, I guess that’ll be a decision we make in January.” Before then, Sadler has his sights set on the Breeders’ Cup. The improving Catapult (Kitten’s Joy) could go for the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile. Selcourt (Tiz Wonderful), unbeaten in all three sprint starts this year, is being pointed towards the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. It’s no wonder, then, that Sadler describes his 2018 Breeders’ Cup squad as “our strongest team so far.” And the augurs look good that Sadler will finally land a first Breeders’ Cup win. Does this glaring hole in his resume irk him? “A lot of years we’ve had the best horses in California,” Sadler explained. “But, you know, we couldn’t beat Goldikova (Ire) in the Breeders’ Cup. You’re in with the best of the best, so, if you run second or third, you really shouldn’t be too hard on yourself. There were just some better than us.” Which leads to an assumption about the Sadler horses–that they’re lethal in California, but vulnerable when shipped out of state. “We’ve won in Dubai. We’ve won everywhere,” said Sadler, about that assessment. “We don’t ship that much because if there’s a good race in California, we prefer to stay home. The way my barn’s going right now, I’m sure we’re going to be doing more shipping in the future.” Accelerate, however, will be staying home for his next assignment, the GI Awesome Again S. Should Accelerate win that and then the Classic, Sadler plays coy about the possibility of Horse of the Year honors. “I have bias, let’s leave it at that,” he laughed. But there’s no hiding his sense of satisfaction in developing a horse who embodies the same tough, grizzled qualities of former tough, grizzled California handicappers of yore. “We call him the Baffert beater,” said Sadler, about the battalion of Baffert runners Accelerate has put to the sword this year, while betraying the friendly rivalry, “that’s the way to describe it,” that he enjoys with his training nemesis. But step back a moment, and there’s much more to Sadler’s observation–something intrinsic to both men. For Baffert is a magnetic media presence whose spotlight extends to the horses in his care. Just look at the star wattage of American Pharoah, Arrogate and Justify. Sadler, on the other hand, is a behind the scenes kind of guy, and as such, his horses aren’t put on the promotional trail either. This means they’re asked to generate their own headlines. This means they’re asked to routinely deliver that pound of flesh to receive the accolades due them. “I don’t do a lot of promotion, per se,” Sadler admitted. “We like to let the horses do the talking.” What Accelerate has achieved this year speaks volumes. View the full article

G2 Hungerford S. winner Massaat (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}-Madany {Ire}, by Acclamation {GB}) has been purchased by Richard Kent to stand at his Mickley Stud in Shropshire. The 5-year-old was trained by Owen Burrows for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and was one of the leading 3-year-olds of his generation when the highlight of that 2016 season was a runner up position to Galileo Gold (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas. He was also runner up to Air Force Blue (War Front) in the G1 Dubai Dewhurst S. as a juvenile the previous year. Massaat was lightly raced during his career and after a year on the sidelines he reappeared in August last year to post an impressive comeback win in the Hungerford S. at Newbury beating subsequent Group 1 winner Librisa Breeze (GB) (Mount Nelson {GB}). He then finished third to Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) in the G1 Qatar Prix du Moulin before rounding out his career with a second to Limato (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) in the G2 Challenge S. at Newmarket. Massaat’s pedigree received a boost this year when his half-brother Eqtidaar (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) won the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and paying tribute to his former stable-star on Twitter, Owen Burrows said, “Absolute star for me so early in my training career. Such an honest horse who gave me some great days racing. The Hungerford at Newbury is a day I’ll never forget. Thanks Massaat old boy, I’m sure you’ll be a great success at stud.” Massaat retires with a race record of 9-2-4-1 and prize-money of £377,451. View the full article

Pin Oak Stable's Synchrony is slated to carry the high weight of 123 pounds into the $100,000 Red Bank Stakes (G3T), going one mile against a field of seven other older turf runners Sept. 1 at Monmouth Park View the full article