Wandering Eyes

Track conditions and course scratchings August 5 View the full article

Freedman extols Placais' 'magique' on Little Big Man View the full article

Solo Sun finds daylight for first time at Kranji View the full article

First bite of the cherry for Eagle Eye View the full article

Bold Thruster scores another easy win View the full article

Warrior King wins first battle View the full article

In the lone turf race of the day at the Spa, trainer Chad Brown ran 1-2 as Uni (GB) and Precieuse (IRE) dueled to the wire in deep stretch with Uni prevailing by a head over her stablemate in the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose Stakes. View the full article

With a clean break and a steady pace, Mr Freeze proved he really did have ice in his veins when he led at every point of call to win in the $500,000 West Virginia Derby (G3) Aug. 4 at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort. View the full article

After battling with fellow Brad Cox-trainee Term of Art the entire way around Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort, Leofric kept his barn mate at bay when it counted most to prevail in the West Virginia Governor's Cup Stakes (G3). View the full article

Diversify broke out of the gate like a horse on a mission in the Aug. 4 $1.2 million Whitney Stakes (G1). When it was all said and done in the 1 1/8-mile test, it was a most successful quest for the Bellamy Road gelding. View the full article

DIVERSIFY (g, 5, Bellamy Road–Rule One, by Street Cry {Ire}), after a lengthy weather-related delay, broke like a shot in the GI Whitney S. and never looked back, rolling to another frontrunning score in the slop at Saratoga and making it a clean sweep for ‘TDN Rising Stars’ in the day’s two Grade I events. Last year’s GI Jockey Club Gold Cup hero, the bay was off the board in his next two starts before rebounding with a nose victory in the New York-bred Commentator S. May 28 at Belmont. Devastating his foes with a 6 1/2-length romp in the GII Suburban S. last out there July 7, the gelding was initially scheduled to pass on Saturday’s feature, but was entered by trainer Rick Violette after a sizzling :59 flat (1/48) five-furlong breeze here last Sunday. The race, initially intended to go off at 5:46, was delayed for 45 minutes due to a thunderstorm passing over the track. Once they finally left the blocks, Diversify caught a flier as the 8-5 favorite and quickly established command. Bowling through sharp fractions of :23.22 and :46.50, he got away from his closest chasers into the far turn and entered the stretch in control. Mind Your Biscuits (Posse), stretching out to nine furlongs for the first time, came to call after saving ground on the bend, but was no match for the winner, who splashed home three lengths to the good in 1:49.62. Mind Your Biscuits narrowly held second over longshot Discreet Lover (Repent), completing an all-New York-bred exacta in Saratoga’s most significant older-horse event. Lifetime Record: 15-10-2-0, $2,729,425. O-Lauren & Ralph M. Evans; B-Fred W. Hertrich III & John D. Fielding (NY); T-Richard A. Violette, Jr. View the full article

MR FREEZE (c, 3, To Honor and Serve–Heavenly Cat, by Tabasco Cat), a half-length from being unbeaten heading into Saturday’s GIII West Virginia Derby, left it as a clearly threatening 3-year-old for the rest of the summer and fall with a tour de force victory on the front end. Victorious on debut Apr. 20 at Keeneland, the chestnut doubled up with a last-to-first score June 2 at Churchill and was a narrow second in the Iowa Derby last out July 6 at Prairie Meadows. Drifting up to 33-5 by post in this spot, the chestnut took control from the outset and bounded along through splits of :24.02 and :47.88. Shaking loose into the stretch, he never gave any late-runners a chance and spurted clear into the final furlong en route to an impressive seven-length romp. Mr Freeze is the first graded stakes winner for his sire. Draft Pick (Candy Ride {Arg}) won a photo for second money. Sales History: $75,000 Ylg ’16 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $429,900. O-Jim Bakke & Gerald Ibister; B-Siena Farms LLC (KY); T-Dale Romans. View the full article

In the lone turf race of the day at the Spa, Brown ran 1-2 as Uni (GB) and European import Precieuse (IRE) dueled to the wire in deep stretch with Uni prevailing by a head over her stablemate in the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose Stakes. View the full article

Separationofpowers put in a determined rally to catch Mia Mischief coming around the turn for home in the $500,000 Longines Test Stakes (G1), but her work wasn't over yet. View the full article

SEPARATIONOFPOWERS (f, 3, Candy Ride {Arg}–Shehadmefromhello, by Empire Maker), off the board in two starts since winning the GI Frizette S. last fall, won a thrilling stretch duel of ‘TDN Rising Stars’ to capture the GI Longines Test S. at Saratoga. Airing by 11 3/4 lengths on debut to earn her ‘Rising Star’ nod here last July, the $190,000 Keeneland November graduate got fried on a fast pace in the GI Spinaway S. and had to settle for third at 3-5. Rebounding in the Frizette, the bay couldn’t overcome a wide trip when fourth in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 4 at Del Mar and filled the same slot after a slow break in the GIII Victory Ride S. in her seasonal debut July 8 at Belmont. Made the 23-10 chalk in this return to Grade I company, Separationofpowers was away in better order and settled in fifth up the backstretch behind a :22.70 quarter, disputed by Mia Mischief (Into Mischief) and Classy Act (Into Mischief). The former went on with it midway around the turn, but was soon set upon by Separationofpowers, who moved boldly four wide into the lane. Mia Mischief was dead game, and fought her rival tooth and nail, but the favorite had just enough in the final sixteenth to eke out a neck decision in 1:22.78. Lifetime Record: 6-3-0-1, $732,300. O-Klaravich Stables Inc.; B-Northwest Farms LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. View the full article

A half-dozen of the 10 juvenile fillies signed on for Sunday’s GII Sorrento S. at Del Mar were debut winners and a pair graduated at second asking, but the two runners yet to come home first in are anything but misplaced and figure to take plenty of tote action. Del Mar May (Jimmy Creed) turned in what would have been a winning debut on most occasions, but ran into a buzzsaw named Brill (Medaglia d’Oro), the $1-million sales-topper from last year’s Fasig-Tipton July Sale, who was named a ‘TDN Rising Star’ for her 1 1/4-length defeat of 27-1 Del Mar May July 18. She drew widest in that field of 10 and occupies the widest barrier again Sunday afternoon, but a performance similar to her debut could equate to Sorrento success. Bellafina (Quality Road) was hammered into 1-2 favoritism for her July 4 unveiling at Los Alamitos, but the $800,000 Fasig-Tipton Florida breezer couldn’t quite bridge the gap in the stretch and went down to a 1 1/4-length defeat at the hands of the impressive Katieleigh (Midnight Lute). Trainer Simon Callaghan elects to add blinkers to the mix and Bellafina has registered a pair of very strong breezes over the local strip since Independence Day. Rockingham Ranch colorbearers have made their mark during the first couple of weeks at Del Mar, having made three trips to the winner’s circle from eight starts. One of the more popular of those winners was Boujie Girl (Flashback), who validated 2-5 favoritism with a romping 3 1/2-length success in an $80,000 maiden claimer July 26. The final time of that race would compare favorably with that achieved by Brill, but the competition here is decidedly steeper and Drayden Van Dyke deserts in favor of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ fellow first-out winner Stirred (Shakin It Up). The latter pulled clear late to don cap and gown by 1 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita June 21 and has since recorded three five-furlong works under her belt at Del Mar. View the full article

With a course-and-distance maiden victory and a latest third in the restricted Oceanside S. over the Jimmy Durante turf course, David and Holly Wilson’s Calexman (Midshipman) clearly likes it at Del Mar and he’ll try to continue the love affair in Sunday’s GII La Jolla H. A $240,000 OBS April purchase–the most expensive of his sire’s 20 juveniles to sell in 2017–the chestnut turned in a runner-up effort May 17 and a first-level allowance victory June 15 down the hillside course at Santa Anita, then made the majority of the running in the Oceanside, only to be run over late by longshot Restrainedvengeance (Hold Me Back). Calexman raced freely from a wide during the opening couple furlongs on that occasion and even though he’s drawn more favorably this time around, he’ll need to ration out his speed a little better if he is to see out the 8 1/2-furlong journey. Restrainedvengeance, who raced with blinkers off in the Oceanside, is three pounds worse in the weights this time around with Calexman and those who decide to get in his corner will need to hope that performance was not an aberration and will have to swallow a much skinnier price this time around. River Boyne (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) is a dual stakes winner, having bested Inscom (Distorted Humor) in the Mar. 17 Pasadena S. in Arcadia and having posted a convincing success at 2-5 in the June 16 Rainbow S. In between, the dark bay was a somewhat troubled fifth as the tepid favorite in the GII American Turf S. at Churchill, but underfoot conditions were abysmal that afternoon and he gets his preferred ground here. View the full article

At last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, Denali Stud sold the co-sales topper, a colt by Curlin out of the Grade I winner River’s Prayer, for $1 million. The Denali team has come back with an impressive lineup for 2018, and has had some timely updates with recent graduates. Ben Massam sat down with 26-year old Conrad Bandoroff, a 2017 graduate of the Godolphin Flying Start program, back for his second Saratoga at his family’s Denali consigment. BM: You’re coming off a big 2017 at Saratoga. Tell us about your consignment this year. CB: This is one of our largest select consignments that we’ve brought up here. We love selling at this sale. We think it’s a really good place to market and sell the horse. Our track record speaks for itself, and if you bring the right horses, you can be rewarded really nicely up here. Denali has been fortunate to sell a seven-figure horse the last three years, and two of the last three years we’ve had the sale topper or co-sale topper up here, and we’re looking forward to another strong draft this year. We have 11 to sell, which is a strong number for us. But we kind of are playing to that market trend of quality. We find that one important element in recruiting horses to come to Saratoga, and selecting horses to come to this sale is you really need to cater to a domestic buying bench. While there are certainly Europeans who come over for this sale, there are not as many, because since it’s a smaller book and there’s not as much incentive to get a lot of them over here. BM: If you had to a name a few standouts in this consignment, who would they be? CB: One of the ones that I’m looking forward to is hip 169, who is a son of Into Mischief out of Azara. Azara is a half-sister to queen of the turf Tepin. It’s great to have a horse that’s related to a horse of her caliber, but as well as someone who has some Saratoga form. She’s raced here, and she’s one that’s certainly is going to resonate with a lot of people. We also have hip 255, a son of Uncle Mo, out of a mare called Ivana Beat Yabad. She is out of Ivanavinalot, so that makes the dam a half-sister to Songbird, nine-time Grade I winner. Obviously, Songbird was incredible. She was brilliant. She, again, kind of ticked that Saratoga box. She loved this track and some of her best days were on the Saratoga oval, so really excited to have this kind of very athletic and smooth son of Uncle Moe. Hip 2 is a daughter of Liam’s Map out of Jessica is Back. Jessica is Back is Grade I winner, and she’s a gorgeous filly. She’s scopey and athletic. One thing that we look at when we’re selecting horses for the sale is, we have this great show ring, and we’ve had a lot of real estate. We love to tell people when we’re pitching Saratoga, we’ve got the best showing area on the campus. And so a horse with a big walk, this is a great place to sell them because they have the real estate to really showcase that. And we’re excited about her. Liam’s Map, there’s good buzz on him. We’ve seen a lot of Liam’s Maps that we like. Obviously he was a terrific son of Unbridled’s Song for Teresa and Vinnie Viola and she’s one that we’re certainly excited to have up here. Hip 240 is an American Pharoah out of Hessonite. It’s the first crop of American Pharaoh, and so that’s certainly exciting. And this is a mare that we’re very excited about. She earned over $750,000 and was a graded stakes winner, and a hard-knocking mare, and this son of American Pharaoh is just a big, strong horse. He’s a beast. He’s just very physically imposing and one that we’re certainly excited to get off the van up here. I’d be remiss to not mention we’ve got hip 222, a Tapit filly out of For Royalty, the dam of Constellation, so a Grade 1 producer. But also more than that, she’s 100% stakes producer, so every foal that’s gone to the track has been a stakes performer in some form or fashion. We sold the mare for November for $2.1 million to Summer Wind, and so we’re really excited to have her up here. She’s a very classy daughter of Tapit, and looks a lot like the mare. BM: You’ve had some success already from last year’s sales graduates. CB: We sold Chocolate Kisses (Candy Ride {Arg}) who just won at Saratoga for Mark Casse and Jack Oxley this past week, so it’s great to come back to Saratoga and to have a two-year-old winner here. That’s a dream for an owner. We’re bringing horses that we perceive to be Saturday afternoon horses and are hopefully going to come on for the owners and run on big days. We sold that horse for Pin Oak and obviously we’re thrilled for them and we have the half-brother selling in September, a very attractive son of More Than Ready. BM: The Saratoga Sale has a unique feel, and people have racing fresh in their mind. How does this sale set itself apart from other sales because of its location, and how is it unique? CB: The racing provides success in the sales arena as well. On Saturday, we were represented by Tapwrit in the Whitney, who was a $1.2-million dollar Saratoga yearling. So that buzz can carry over to the sales. The atmosphere in Saratoga is what makes this so successful. The fact that it’s a night sale and it’s an event, people get dressed up. And it’s not too big a group of horses. It’s one of the great things about bringing horses to Saratoga. It’s a more relaxed environment. You have the ability to sit and talk to people and have a chat. That’s great for us as consignors because it allows us to talk to the buyers and really promote the horses. They’re not in such a rush that they don’t have time for you to do that. BM: On a personal level, how has your career progressed since you’ve graduated from Flying Start in 2017? CB: This is now my second year back here with Denali Stud, and the first year was great. This has always been my dream job. Anybody who knows me knows that I’ve always had dreams of coming back to Denali and working alongside my father and the first year was fantastic. From a business standpoint, we had a very good year with September and with our strongest November that we’ve ever, ever had. I’m looking forward from going to strength to strength and trying to build off of last year. BM: Is there anything that you have specifically learned in the Flying Start course that you think you’ve applied in your first two years back here? CB: You learn so much over the course of the two years, not only from an industry and horsemanship standpoint, but just relationships and the people that you meet, and that’s one of the biggest benefits to the program. But one of the things that was really unique about my Flying Start experience is I knew going into the program where I wanted to end up. Coming back to Denali was no state secret. I got to travel the world and then you get to observe some of these best practices from the leading operations the world over, so I got to look and see “well, could that work back in Kentucky” or “why do they do that” and “this is an interesting idea.” So I came back and I had a lot of ideas to present to our team. We have a fantastic team with our farm manager Gary Bush and our yearling manager Donnie Snellings, as well as their assistants. We have a system that works really well and we’re always working to improve it but I’d say from the program, getting to see some of the best practices of these world-class operations and to come back and try to apply them to Denali Stud was a great benefit. View the full article

MUCHO (c, 2, Blame–Extent, by Pulpit), second on debut at Belmont, ran away and hid Saturday at Saratoga to become the latest ‘TDN Rising Star.’ Runner-up behind Whiskey Echo (Tiznow)–who returned to be third in the GIII Sanford S. here opening weekend–June 10 at Big Sandy, the homebred was punched all the way down to 2-1 from a 12-1 morning line quote here and came away well to track a pair of dueling leaders from third through a sharp :22.11 quarter. Sidling up to the pacesetters three deep on his own power nearing the straightaway, the bay easily took charge at the top of the lane and skipped clear from there to romp for fun by nine lengths in 1:10.19. Fullness of Time (Flatter) ran on late to nail frontrunner Justice of War (Strong Mandate) for second on the wire. The winner is a half to Size (First Samurai), GSW, $212,453. Second dam Limit (Cox’s Ridge) is a half to G1SW Archipenko (Kingmambo) and Liable (Seeking the Gold), the MSP dam of Mucho’s champion sire. Third dam Bound (Nijinsky II) was a SW/GISP half to champion Nureyev (Northern Dancer) and Fairy Bridge (Bold Reason), the dam of champion and foundational sire Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $51,000. O/B-Claiborne Farm & Adele B. Dilschneider (KY); T-William I. Mott. View the full article

Officials at Arlington Park announced Friday that 35 horses have been pre-entered for the GI Arlington Million, the $600,000 GI Beverly D. S. and the $400,000 GI Secretariat S., to be contested at the suburban Chicago oval Saturday, Aug. 11. Trainer Chad Brown won last year’s Million with ‘TDN Rising Star’ Beach Patrol (Lemon Drop Kid) and while that one will not defend his title, the stable will enter the race triple handed with Grade I winner Almanaar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Money Multiplier (Lookin At Lucky) and Chilean champion Robert Bruce (Chi) (Fast Company {Ire}). Million favoritism could fall to Oscar Performance (Kitten’s Joy), who will look to add to his Secretariat success from 2017. Brown has pre-entered no fewer than four turf distaffers for the Beverly D., led by GI Diana S. victrix Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), and will be represented in the Secretariat by ‘TDN Rising Star’ Analyze It (Point of Entry). Ten of the pre-entries are from overseas connections, four of which hail from Ballydoyle. Athena (GB) (Camelot {GB}), last-out upset winner of the GI Belmont Oaks, will look to become the second 3-year-old filly to succeed in the Beverly D., while Deauville (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) makes the trip to the Million for the third straight season, having rounded out the triple in 2016 and 2017. Hunting Horn (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), one spot behind Analyze It when third in the GI Belmont Derby, and Lucius Tiberius (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) represent the stable in the Secretariat, a race won a record four times by trainer Aidan O’Brien. View the full article

The $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya S. and the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure S., scheduled on the turf at 1 1/2 miles and 1 1/16 miles, respectively, were slated to be the last races on the 11-race GI Whitney S. card at Saratoga Saturday, but were cancelled due to heavy rains. The New York State Gaming Commission rules required the New York Racing Association to cancel several multi-race wagers on the Whitney card, including the NYRA Bets Late Pick 5, the Grand Slam, the late Pick 4, the late Pick 3s, and the late Daily Double. Races one, two, and four Saturday, also carded as turf events, were moved to the main track, while race five (the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose S.) was transferred to the inner turf course with the rail set out at 18 feet. The Lure was postponed to Saturday, Aug. 11, and the Waya was rescheduled for Sunday, Aug. 12. View the full article

Cross Counter now joins winners such as Highland Reel, Ulysses, and Crystal Ocean, who all won this before going on to greater things. View the full article

Salomon Del Valle's multiple graded stakes winner Gunnevera breezed five furlongs in a bullet 1:00 flat Aug. 4 at Gulfstream Park West, preparing for an expected return in a 1 1/16-mile allowance/optional claimer Aug. 10 at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

Deauville host a fascinating and wide-open renewal of the G1 LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest on Sunday, the only 6 1/2-furlong race of its nature in Europe and one which fits a perfect niche for the staying sprinters and the faster milers. It obviously suited Brando (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) 12 months ago as he upstaged the seven-furlong specialist Aclaim (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and Angie Bailey’s rock-solid performer comes back off arguably a better performance in the G1 July Cup than he did last year. Runner-up to U S Navy Flag (War Front) in the July 14 Newmarket feature, he is re-opposed by the third-placed Fleet Review (War Front) and the race’s main disappointment Sands of Mali (Fr) (Panis). The latter was 12th of 13, perhaps giving his clearest sign that he had had enough of fast ground, having previously run second on it in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 22. Successful in last year’s G2 Gimcrack S. at York and the May 26 G2 Sandy Lane S. at Haydock, the Cool Silk Partnership’s standard-bearer needs a win at the highest level and trainer Richard Fahey believes it is around the corner. “To be honest he didn’t run any race at Newmarket, but he has done that before and has bounced back,” he said. “We are very happy with him and he is in great form. I can’t find any reason for his last run. Whether he was on the wrong side and came up the wrong strip, I don’t know, but he is great order now. He had an off-day, we all have them.” France’s main hope looks to rest with the May 13 G3 Prix de Saint-Georges winner City Light (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), who went so close to taking the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. back home with him last time, and a pair of Freddy Head-trained 3-year-old fillies. The former was denied in a bobber by Merchant Navy (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in that June 23 Royal Ascot feature and Ecurie Jean-Louis Bouchard’s 4-year-old appears still to be on the upgrade. Head, who has saddled both Marchand D’Or (Fr) (Marchand de Sable) and Moonlight Cloud (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) to win three of these apiece, thinks there is little between Polydream (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and Efaadah (Ire) (Dansili {GB}). The stable won this meeting’s opening group 1, the Rothschild, with With You (GB) (Dansili {GB}) on Sunday and both fillies are strong contenders. Polydream was second in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac at Chantilly in October and bounced back from an unplaced effort in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches at ParisLongchamp May 13 when beating Inns of Court (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the latter venue’s seven-furlong G3 Prix du Palais-Royal June 2. TDN Rising Star Efaadah also beat Inns of Court in the G3 Prix de la Porte Maillot over seven at ParisLongchamp June 30, so there is very little between them. “I’m very confident [about Polydream],” Head said. “She ran over a mile last year and it is hard to say she didn’t stay given how the form has worked out, but she’s always shown me lots of pace. When Wild Illusion beat her in the Boussac she picked up an injury that day, that was why she never ran again before the Pouliches. In the Pouliches it was a rush to get her there, she had a bad draw and she pulled too hard. It’s easy to forget the race. We saw the real Polydream last time, that form is strong. My other filly has a good chance and I don’t think there’s much between them at all.” Also thrown into the mix are a trio of group 1 winners in The Tin Man (GB) (Equiano {Fr}), Librisa Breeze (GB) (Mount Nelson {GB}), Unfortunately (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}) for an edition that stands up to any in recent history. At Dusseldorf, the G1 Henkel-Preis Der Diana, or German Oaks, Stall Ullmann bids to end a long drought with the June 10 G2 Diana Trial winner Well Timed (Ger) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). The authority of the bay’s success in that 10-furlong Hoppegarten prep suggests she will be hard to beat as she also looks to provide trainer Jean-Pierre Carvalho with a first Diana victory. Andreas Wohler has won three of the last four renewals and puts forward a quartet of which Jaber Abdullah’s June 10 G2 Oaks d’Italia heroine Sand Zabeel (Ire) (Poet’s Voice {GB}) appears the chief contender. View the full article

In two head-to-head battles last season, Pierata (Aus) (Pierro {Aus}) could not quite solve Godolphin’s Kementari (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}), finishing a length behind that foe in Rosehill’s G2 Hobartville S. (1400m) last February before going down to a 1 1/2-length defeat in the G1 Randwick Guineas (1600m). While Kementari raced twice more at three, Pierata called it a season and resumed in the best imaginable way Saturday afternoon with a narrow success in the G2 Missile S. at Randwick. One of the first to break the line, Pierata eased back into the one-by-one position with cover behind Music Magnate (NZ) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) as Kementari was allowed to find his feet in the latter half of the field while buried down inside. The favourite found a bit of traffic at midway, but Pierata had no such obstacles, as he was pulled out by James McDonald into the three path off the home corner to deliver his challenge. Glyn Schofield followed Pierata’s move into the lane, but was hemmed in by the hulking Takedown (Aus) (Stratum {Aus}). Daylight came at the 200m, but Pierata had the jump from his handier position and Kementari’s late lunge fell just short. “All he wants to do is please you,” commented McDonald, who was hit with a four-meeting suspension for causing interference to longshot Egyptian Symbol (Aus) (Stratum {Aus}) inside the final half-mile. “He’s a pretty good horse that only does what he has to. He has got great acceleration, he moves like a dream. I wouldn’t want it over again, hitting the lead at the furlong, that was a bit of a mistake. As a racehorse, he ticks all the boxes.” Rated by trainer and part-owner Greg Hickman as perhaps the best horse he’s ever trained, Pierata posted a breakthrough success at pattern level in the G3 Vo Rogue Plate at Doomben last Dec. 30, then added to his coffers in a massive way in the restricted Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast a fortnight later. With three of the 12 slots for the A$13-million The Everest still open, Pierata could be scooped up for that race, but Hickman finds himself squarely on the fence. “If the offer happens we will discuss it,” said Hickman, “It would be nice to win $13 million, but it would be nice to win an Epsom and other races as well.” Pedigree Notes: A half-brother to Ashokan, an A$810,000 Inglis Easter Yearling who won the G3 Skyline S. winner and was third in the G1 Golden Rose S., Pierata is out of a half-sister to MSP Villa Splendido (Aus) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), while the deeper female family includes G1 Hong Kong Sprint hero Natural Blitz (Aus) (Maroof). November Flight is the dam the 3-year-old filly November Morning (Aus) (Dundeel {NZ}) and a yearling colt by former ‘TDN Rising Star’ Rubick (Aus). She was most recently bred back to Pierro on a November cover. Saturday, Randwick (Sydney), Australia MISSILE S. (Missile S.)-G2, A$198,000, ATC, 8-04, 3yo/up, Open Weight For, 1200mT, 1:08.41, Good. 1–PIERATA, 58.5, c, 4, by Pierro 1st Dam: November Flight (GSW-Aus, A$259,320), by Flying Spur 2nd Dam : November Song (NZ), by Zabeel (NZ) 3rd Dam: Chorus Star, by Kaoru Star (AUS) (A$160,000 Ylg 2016 MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale). O-G Hickman, R Wilson, R Coleman, W Clegg, G Clegg, C Clegg, A Gianesi, A Merritt, K Ayton, B Turton, T Bonello, J Zammit, M Aurisch, M Mathews, C Testa, V Sikais, A Carney, Miss T P; B-Hobartville Stud NSW; T-G D Hickman; J-J B Mc Donald; A$115,800. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Aus, 11-5-3-1, A$2,362,650. *1/2 to Ashokan (Aus) (More Than Ready), GSW & G1SP-Aus, A$301,800. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A++. 2–Kementari, 58.5, c, 4, Lonhro–Yavanna, by Redoute’s Choice. O-Godolphin Australia Syndicate (Mgr: Vin Cox); B-Darley NSW; T-James Cummings; J-G Schofield; A$37,600. 3–The Monstar, 58.5, g, 8, California Dane–Sirocco Mist, by Brocco (USA). O-B F Cavanough, G Edgar, G Chapman & J Armstrong; B-Baerami Thoroughbreds NSW; T-B F Cavanough; J-T Angland; A$18,300. Margins: 0.2 len, 1.2 len, 1.5 len. Odds: 3.40, 1.40, 17.00. Also Ran: Lanciato (NZ), Showtime, She Will Reign, Boss Lane, Music Magnate (NZ), Takedown, Egyptian Symbol. Click for the Racing Australia chart or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. View the full article