Wandering Eyes

Hoppertunity, who continues to win races in top company and adding to his bankroll of almost $4.7 million, will carry highweight of 125 pounds July 25 in the $100,000 Cougar II Handicap (G3) going 1 1/2 miles over Del Mar's main track. View the full article

Monomoy Girl moved up to third in this week's NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll following her fourth straight grade 1 victory in the Coaching Club American Oaks July 22 at Saratoga Race Course. View the full article

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will present a symposium Sunday, Aug. 19 featuring accomplished women involved in various aspects of Thoroughbred racing. The panel, comprised of some of the most recognizable women in the sport–led by Hall of Fame jockey Julie Krone, Hall of Fame trainer Janet Elliot, top trainer Linda Rice and iconic breeder/owner Charlotte Weber–will kick off at 10 a.m. in the Museum’s Hall of Fame Gallery, is open to the public and is free to attend. The panelists will discuss their career and introduction to racing and be available to meet racing fans after the program. View the full article

True Valour (IRE), who finished seventh in the Eddie Read Stakes (G2T) July 22 at Del Mar, will stay in the United States to race and will be switched from trainer Johnny Murtagh to Simon Callaghan. View the full article

Multiple Grade I winner Shaman Ghost (Ghostzapper–Getback Time, by Gilded Time), who stood his first season at stud in California at Lovacres Ranch this spring, is relocating to Adena Springs in Paris, Kentucky and will continue his stallion career there, the farm announced Monday. “We were gratified to introduce a stallion of Shaman Ghost’s caliber to California breeders in his first season at stud,” said Frank Stronach. “Now he can join his Hall of Fame sire Ghostzapper in the stall next door.” Shaman Ghost, who captured the GI Woodward S. in 2016 and the GI Santa Anita H. last March, covered 92 mares in his first year at stud. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to have stood Shaman Ghost and we look forward to the arrival of his first crop next year,” said Terry Lovingier of Lovacres Ranch. “We bred some really nice mares to him.” View the full article

Whatever doubts there may have been as to who the best 3-year-old filly in the country is, they were put to rest in Sunday’s GI Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga. Not only did Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) win decisively, she beat the only horse within her division that seemed a legitimate threat to her superiority. Coming off an impressive six-length romp in the GI Mother Goose S., Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) is clearly a superior talent in her own right. But she was no match for Monomoy Girl, as the latter won by three lengths and was never seriously threatened at any time as she flew down the Saratoga stretch. As long as Monomoy Girl remains in the form she is in, there’s little chance she will lose if she stays within her own 3-year-old filly division. Obvious spots include the GI Alabama S. and GI Cotillion S. at Parx. There’s a lot of money–easy money–just waiting to be added onto her card. As for the 3-year-old championship, she clinched it Sunday. Monomoy Girl, a bargain-basement $100,000 purchase by her savvy team at Keeneland September, has won four straight at the highest level, in the GI Ashland S., the GI Kentucky Oaks, the GI Acorn S. and the CCA Oaks. There’s nothing anyone can do to surpass her. So why not find a true challenge for her? We’re in an era where not many owners like to take chances and they’ll pick the obvious, easy spot just about every time. If you look at this as a business decision, sending Monomoy Girl to either the $600,000 Alabama or the $1-million Cotillion is a no-brainer. But what does that prove? Why not test her, find out how great she truly is? Why not do something that would surely secure her a spot in the Hall of Fame someday? Why not try to emulate the true greats among fillies of recent times, like Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta, Serena’s Song, Winning Colors? That can be done, and it wouldn’t be that hard to pull off. Run her in the GI Travers S. The 3-year-old male division has fallen apart. Justify (Scat Daddy) was so dominant that he pushed every rival deep into the background, and now he’s had a setback and won’t be running in the Travers. Good Magic (Curlin) appears to be the best 3-year-old in training and he’s going next in the GI Haskell Invitational. Trainer Chad Brown hasn’t revealed his Travers plans, but is on record saying he believes the horse may have some distance limitations. That probably means Haskell-GI Pennsylvania Derby for him without a stop in between in the ten-furlong Travers. What’s left is a group where there is no horse Monomoy Girl’s connections need to fear. In fact, unless someone does something dazzling in either the GII Jim Dandy S. or the Haskell, she would likely be the favorite in the Travers. Win the Alabama and she is what she currently is–a terrific, championship-caliber horse. Win the Travers and she’s an immortal. There is a flip side to the argument that needs to be acknowledged. In most any other year, if Monomoy Girl were to win the Travers, she would be Horse of the Year. In the year of Justify, Horse of the Year has already been decided. The connections of Midnight Bisou should also keep the Travers in the back of their minds. There’s no need to keep chasing Monomoy Girl. They’re already 0-for-2 against her and they’re not going to beat her. Wherever she goes, they should go someplace else. If Monomoy Girl goes in the Alabama, they’d probably have an easier time winning the Travers than beating her in try No. 3. Catalina Cruiser is the Toast of Del Mar Trainer John Sadler and Hronis Racing clearly have a star on the rise in Catalina Cruiser (Union Rags), who obliterated the competition in the GII San Diego H. Saturday at Del Mar. Though he faced only four rivals and his stablemate Accelerate (Lookin at Lucky) was scratched, he couldn’t have looked more impressive while thrashing the competition in a 6 3/4-length victory. A 4-year-old, this was just his third lifetime start and his first since a May 19 allowance win at Santa Anita. “Yes and no,” Sadler replied when asked if he expected such a dominant performance. “You don’t like to go there mentally. It’s not a healthy place. But we felt good about it. If you looked at the horse’s numbers, he had by far the fastest numbers in the field even though he didn’t have many races.” When asked why the horse had had so few races, Sadler explained: “He’s about 1,250 pounds, 100 pounds heavier than Justify. He was kind of a late foal and we didn’t get him to the races at two. There were a couple of little things that babies and young horses have, but nothing horrible. We just had to give him time. He got a little flake in his right knee that we had to take out. That pushed back his first start, which he won impressively in a fast time.” With Accelerate considered the top older male in training, Sadler now has one of those nice problems to have, in how to keep Accelerate and Catalina Cruiser apart. He said they will not face off against each other in the GI Pacific Classic and whichever one passes that race will likely wind up going in the GI Whitney S. at Saratoga. An Innovative Maiden Race at Del Mar At a time when the larger stables are dominating the sport more than ever, many racetracks are trying to find ways to help small to medium-sized stables win races. Del Mar unveiled a new concept Saturday, which has promise. It carded a $150,000 maiden claiming race for 2-year-olds that had a purse of $43,000. Maiden special weight races go for $60,000. With any horse available for $150,000, the 2-year-old stars from the star-laden barns won’t compete. The horses who will compete are decent horses, many of them from smaller stables, who will have a chance to pick up a nice check for their owners. It didn’t quite work out that way as Doug O’Neill won the race with Mason Dixon (Union Rags), one of two horses he started in the race. The other was The Creep (Twirling Candy). Perhaps they were trying to tell you something when they named him what they did. The Creep finished eighth. But the favorite was a horse named No Treble (Maclean’s Music), who came from the barn of Luis Mendez. He finished third among a field of nine. No one was claimed out of the race. These races have promise. Maybe try a maiden with a $300,000 claiming tag or $150,000 claimers for older horses and winners. View the full article

He was the first foal out of superstar Zenyatta, so the connections of Cozmic One (Bernardini) hoped he would follow in his Hall of Fame dam’s hoofprints on the racetrack, but, unfortunately, the son of Bernardini did not inherit the talent both his dam and sire possessed. The dark bay never finished better than fourth in five starts between 2015 and 2017 for trainer John Shirreffs, who also conditioned Zenyatta during her illustrious career in which she won 19 of her 20 races and earned over $7.3 million. While Cozmic One may not have been a star on the racetrack, he is already shining in his new career as a show horse under the care of 17-year-old Isabela de Sousa. Don’t let her age fool you; de Sousa displays the poise and maturity of someone twice her age and is already an accomplished equestrian, who is well-known in the off-the-track Thoroughbred world. The Kentucky native has won the show jumping competition at the Retired Racehorse Project’s annual Thoroughbred Makeover the past three years in a row and hopes to continue that streak with Cozmic One in October. “This horse really enjoys himself in his new career. He’s really found his calling,” said de Sousa, whose previous RRP winners include Dewey Square (2015), Carajillo (2016) and Late Night Mark (2017). “When I had my first ride on him, I thought he was really smart. He knows what he is doing with his legs and where his body is. It takes some horses a lot of time to figure that out. Our first time jumping, he was a natural. He is very brave and really willing.” “Isabela is not only an extremely talented rider, but an incredible ambassador for off-the-track Thoroughbreds, so when we heard she was taking on Cozmic One as her 2018 Thoroughbred Makeover project, we couldn’t have been more thrilled,” RRP Executive Director Jen Roytz said. “With Isabela, Cozmic One will get a solid foundation of training that will serve him well throughout his show career. There are thousands of Zenyatta fans who were so eager to watch her first-born compete on the track and now Isabela is bringing them along for his journey from the racetrack to the show ring.” {"id":3,"instanceName":"Articles No Playlist","videos":[{"videoType":"HTML5","title":"Cozmic One","description":"","info":"","thumbImg":"","mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/270113868.hd.mp4?s=a15e3eeef422c94e255514e32dc7db38ea855392&profile_id=174","enable_mp4_download":"no","prerollAD":"yes","prerollGotoLink":"prerollGotoLink","preroll_mp4_title":"preroll_mp4_title","preroll_mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/273891801.hd.mp4?s=93ec55a368a427facaefc20123ce57f853c4398c&profile_id=174","prerollSkipTimer":"5","midrollAD":"no","midrollAD_displayTime":"midrollAD_displayTime","midrollGotoLink":"midrollGotoLink","midroll_mp4":"midroll_mp4","midrollSkipTimer":"midrollSkipTimer","postrollAD":"no","postrollGotoLink":"postrollGotoLink","postroll_mp4":"postroll_mp4","postrollSkipTimer":"postrollSkipTimer","popupAdShow":"no","popupImg":"popupImg","popupAdStartTime":"popupAdStartTime","popupAdEndTime":"popupAdEndTime","popupAdGoToLink":"popupAdGoToLink"}],"instanceTheme":"light","playerLayout":"fitToContainer","videoPlayerWidth":720,"videoPlayerHeight":405,"videoRatio":1.7777777777778,"videoRatioStretch":true,"videoPlayerShadow":"effect1","colorAccent":"#000000","posterImg":"","posterImgOnVideoFinish":"","logoShow":"No","logoPath":"","logoPosition":"bottom-right","logoClickable":"No","logoGoToLink":"","allowSkipAd":true,"advertisementTitle":"Ad","skipAdvertisementText":"Skip Ad","skipAdText":"You can skip this ad in","playBtnTooltipTxt":"Play","pauseBtnTooltipTxt":"Pause","rewindBtnTooltipTxt":"Rewind","downloadVideoBtnTooltipTxt":"Download video","qualityBtnOpenedTooltipTxt":"Close settings","qualityBtnClosedTooltipTxt":"Settings","muteBtnTooltipTxt":"Mute","unmuteBtnTooltipTxt":"Unmute","fullscreenBtnTooltipTxt":"Fullscreen","exitFullscreenBtnTooltipTxt":"Exit fullscreen","infoBtnTooltipTxt":"Show info","embedBtnTooltipTxt":"Embed","shareBtnTooltipTxt":"Share","volumeTooltipTxt":"Volume","playlistBtnClosedTooltipTxt":"Show playlist","playlistBtnOpenedTooltipTxt":"Hide playlist","facebookBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Facebook","twitterBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Twitter","googlePlusBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Google+","lastBtnTooltipTxt":"Go to last video","firstBtnTooltipTxt":"Go to first video","nextBtnTooltipTxt":"Play next video","previousBtnTooltipTxt":"Play previous video","shuffleBtnOnTooltipTxt":"Shuffle on","shuffleBtnOffTooltipTxt":"Shuffle off","nowPlayingTooltipTxt":"NOW PLAYING","embedWindowTitle1":"SHARE THIS PLAYER:","embedWindowTitle2":"EMBED THIS VIDEO IN YOUR SITE:","embedWindowTitle3":"SHARE LINK TO THIS PLAYER:","lightBox":false,"lightBoxAutoplay":false,"lightBoxThumbnail":"","lightBoxThumbnailWidth":400,"lightBoxThumbnailHeight":220,"lightBoxCloseOnOutsideClick":true,"onFinish":"Play next video","autoplay":false,"loadRandomVideoOnStart":"No","shuffle":"No","playlist":"Off","playlistBehaviourOnPageload":"opened (default)","playlistScrollType":"light","preloadSelfHosted":"none","hideVideoSource":true,"showAllControls":true,"rightClickMenu":true,"autohideControls":2,"hideControlsOnMouseOut":"No","nowPlayingText":"Yes","infoShow":"No","shareShow":"No","facebookShow":"No","twitterShow":"No","mailShow":"No","facebookShareName":"","facebookShareLink":"","facebookShareDescription":"","facebookSharePicture":"","twitterText":"","twitterLink":"","twitterHashtags":"","twitterVia":"","googlePlus":"","embedShow":"No","embedCodeSrc":"","embedCodeW":720,"embedCodeH":405,"embedShareLink":"","youtubeControls":"custom controls","youtubeSkin":"dark","youtubeColor":"red","youtubeQuality":"default","youtubeShowRelatedVideos":"Yes","vimeoColor":"00adef","showGlobalPrerollAds":false,"globalPrerollAds":"url1;url2;url3;url4;url5","globalPrerollAdsSkipTimer":5,"globalPrerollAdsGotoLink":"","videoType":"HTML5 (self-hosted)","submit":"Save Changes","rootFolder":"http:\/\/wp.tdn.pmadv.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/Elite-video-player\/"} In order to be eligible for the 2018 Makeover, the horse must have a published workout or race after June 30, 2016 and cannot have started the retraining process before Dec. 1, 2017, which means the Thoroughbreds come into the competition with 10 months of training or less in their new careers. Making his final start Oct. 20, 2017, Cozmic One had his last workout in November and shipped to the de Sousas’ farm in Kentucky two weeks later. “Of course you feel the pressure of having your horse ready in 10 months, but I think of the Makeover as a halfway point, not an end point,” de Sousa said. “You get to see how far your horse has come and how much further he can go. There are 10 different disciplines there and everyone wants to see the horses do well.” de Sousa’s father Sergio, who is the managing partner of Hidden Brook Farm, scouts out his daughter’s RRP projects, with Isabela’s input, of course. He also offers her advice along the way and is her “ground man,” setting up the jumps, shipping her to shows, etc. “My dad really understands Thoroughbreds and he has taught me how to speak Thoroughbred,” said Isabela de Sousa, while petting Cozmic One as he hung his head out of his stall and over his young rider’s shoulder, nuzzling her for attention. “He has so many connections in the Thoroughbred business, so he finds my Makeover horses and just consults me for a second opinion.” Sergio de Sousa originally inquired about Cozmic One for the 2017 Makeover, but the horse’s owner/breeders Jerry and Ann Moss wanted to give him a little more time on the racetrack. “This year, they approached us and asked if we would still like to give him a try, and we said of course,” Isabela de Sousa explained. “So, we co-own him with the Mosses. They really love this horse.” Click here to read the rest of this story in July’s edition of TDN Weekend. View the full article

It was something of a super Saturday for William Haggas and his team: five winners at five different racecourses in two countries, all within the space of 65 minutes. Leading the quintet, of course, was Sea Of Class (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), audacious last-minute heroine of the G1 Darley Irish Oaks, who denied Forever Together (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) a second Classic by a neck. Though she carries an Irish suffix, Sea Of Class is very much a daughter of Italy, a racing and breeding nation with such a rich heritage that has been beset by political strife. We discussed the family in this column earlier in the season but further credit must be given to her dam, the listed winner Holy Moon (Ire) (Hernando {Fr}), who is now the dam of three Italian Oaks winners—Cherry Collect (Ire), Final Score (Ire) and Charity Line—an Irish Oaks winner, the G3 Premio Verziere winner Wordless (Ire), G2 Derby Italiano runner-up Back On Board (Ire), Listed-placed Magic Mystery (GB) and the 16-time winner Holy Ballet (Ire). Bred by the Botti family’s Razza del Velino, Sea Of Class is one of only two members of the immediate family not to have been trained in Italy by Stefano Botti, and she has half-brothers by Oasis Dream (GB) and Golden Horn (GB) to follow. The fact that Sea Of Class is a late May foal has been the source of much comment. Sea The Stars’s owner Ling Tsui bought out the breeders in a foal-share arrangement at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale and, sensibly, it was a full year before the neat chestnut filly entered training. “She was never in training here last year, we didn’t see her until the winter because she was such a late foal,” said Haggas on Monday morning as he cast his eye over his recently returned Classic winner while she posed for photos in the paddock at Somerville Lodge. “She’s very intelligent and she always had speed. When they’ve got speed and they’re bred like that, you start to think to yourself this could be quite good. We ran her over a mile at Newmarket on her first start and she just got racing a bit too early and got beaten. It’s rare we run one in a listed race as a maiden but she won next time.” With her sire and paternal grandam having both won the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in the same colours, the temptation is naturally strong to try to follow suit. Haggas said, “She’s not in the Arc but Christopher Tsui has only ever been to two Arcs and has won both, with Urban Sea and Sea The Stars—that’s some record. But we have lots of things to think about. First of all is whether she’s going to be training next year, which we were all up for before Saturday. So many horses, fillies especially, have very successful careers as 3-year-olds and then don’t go on at four for whatever reason, so we’ll have to see what Mrs Tsui would like to do. If she stays next year I think she ought to have a relatively light campaign for the rest of this year, but the other side of me thinks we should strike while the iron is hot. She only needs to have a small injury next year and that’s gone, we’ve wasted time.” Considering the rest of this season, he added, “The obvious races are the Yorkshire Oaks, the Vermeille, the Arc, Champions Day, the Breeders’ Cup, and the Queen Elizabeth II in Japan. Even perhaps the mile-and-a-half race in Hong Kong if her owner would like her to go there. But we can’t take all of those in so we have a lot to discuss. I know Mrs Tsui will probably say that she’ll leave it to me, because that’s how she’s been and it’s lovely, but she knows that we have different decisions to make now that the filly is a Classic winner.” Aga Khan Families To The Fore Along with a new Classic winner for resident stallion Sea The Stars, it’s also been a week of reflected glory for the Aga Khan Studs. With the operation having nurtured its bloodlines so carefully over decades, breeders of all sizes can’t really go too far wrong when buying a filly or mare from the Aga Khan. Two such examples of this came over the weekend. From two runners at Maisons-Laffitte yesterday, Japanese jockey-turned-trainer Mikio Matsunaga won the G3 Prix Messidor with Geniale (JPN) (Deep Impact {JPN}), the first foal of the Aga Khan’s G1 Prix de Diane winner Sarafina (Fr) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}), who was sold privately to Teruya Yoshida at the conclusion of her racing career. Geniale is likely to remain in France to contest the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois, which this year will be worth €1 million. At the Curragh on Saturday Marie’s Diamond (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) built on the precocity that allowed him to win on debut on Apr. 28 by showing plenty of class to win the G3 Anglesey S. for Middleham Park Racing and Mark Johnston, three weeks after finishing runner-up in the G2 Gain Railway S. His dam Sindiyma (Ire) (Kalanisi {Ire}), winner of a 12-furlong maiden for Dermot Weld out of a half-sister to Sinndar (Ire), was bought from the 2013 Goffs November Sale by Tony Ashley for €20,000 when carrying to Casamento (Ire). Barren the following year, she then produced Marie’s Diamond and his yearling full-sister. Larchmont Lad (Ire), winner of the G2 Friarstown Stud Minstrel S., made Saturday at the Curragh a real banner day, not just for the often overlooked Coolmore sire Footstepsinthesand, but also for Italian breeders. The 4-year-old, who also won the G3 Somerville Tattersall S. at two, was bought privately last year by Cheveley Park Stud and was bred by Domenico Fonzo. Do Hold Your Breath It’s a tough order for a young stallion attempting to shine on the Juddmonte roster when up against the likes of Frankel (GB) and Kingman (GB) but Bated Breath (GB), by the recently pensioned Dansili (GB), is holding his own and has had some representatives of note in the last week. The David Lanigan-trained Worth Waiting (GB) has been near faultless since starting her racing career last November and she has won in each of the last three months. She brought up her hat-trick on Saturday in the listed Aphrodite S. at Newmarket and the Whatton Manor Stud-bred filly could be seen next at Glorious Goodwood in the G2 Qatar Lillie Langtry S. Juddmonte’s own juvenile Viadera (GB) also looks a filly with a bright future. Having won on debut for Ger Lyons at the Curragh at the end of June, the three-parts-sister to the Investec Blue Riband Trial winner Crossed Baton (GB) (Dansili {GB}) then returned to chase home Marie’s Diamond for second in the G3 Anglesey S. Another smart Bated Breath 2-year-old was seen in winning action for Roger Charlton at Newbury on Friday. Momkin (Ire), a fourth generation homebred for Prince Faisal’s Nawara Stud, is a great grandson of Rafha (GB) (Kris {GB}), the G1 Prix de Diane winner who went on to produce the highly successful stallions Invincible Spirit (Ire) and Kodiac (GB). Phoenix On The Rise When Signora Cabello (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) won the G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot, Amer Abdulaziz, head of Phoenix Thoroughbreds, issued a statement of intent saying, “We need to dominate globally. We want to be the same level as Coolmore and Godolphin. We have a four-year plan and we have 150 horses within a year. We always set targets and we are going for it. It is very ambitious but you don’t get anywhere without trying. You have to believe.” Signora Cabello has now taken another step up the ladder with victory in Sunday’s G2 Prix Robert Papin to remain unbeaten in her last four starts. Bought as a yearling from Tattersalls October Book 3 by Sean Quinn and Richard Knight for just 20,000gns, she raced initially for Zen Racing’s Chris Edwards and Ross Sankey. Phoenix Thorougbreds became involved after the sharp filly had won the listed Marygate S. at York, her second victory of the season, and whatever Phoenix paid to race the filly with the Zen team is looking like money well spent for an operation with the aim of setting up a serious breeding wing. She may now head to the G1 Darley Prix Morny, which her trainer John Quinn won four years ago with The Wow Signal (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). Signora Cabello is not the only juvenile filly in the Phoenix portfolio to have made this last week special for a team set on world domination. In Australia, the David Vandyke-trained Miss Quaintly (Aus) is being considered a potential candidate for the G1 VRC Oaks after winning at Doomben on Saturday, while the $625,000 Ocala breeze-up purchase Lyrical Lady became a TDN Rising Star when winning decisively on debut for Steve Asmussen at Saratoga. Both fillies are by the redoubtable shutter More Than Ready. View the full article

As the Oaks winner Forever Together led the seven runners into the final furlong at the Curragh three days ago, it looked as though Galileo was about to land his third Irish Oaks victory in the space of seven years. Although the filly kept on most gamely, she couldn’t resist the late thrust by Sea of Class, a filly sired by none other than Galileo’s exceptional half-brother Sea The Stars. In landing the Curragh classic Sea of Class became no less than the fourth Oaks-winning daughter of Holy Moon, the Hernando mare who had previously been responsible for three consecutive winners of the G2 Oaks d’Italia. While the Oaks d’Italia may not carry as much prestige as it once did – it last carried G1 status as long ago as 2006 – it still takes a very useful filly to win it. Holy Moon’s first winner of the Oaks d’Italia was her Oratorio filly Charity Line, who also won the Italian 1,000 Guineas – the G3 Premio Regina Elena – on her way to earning a Timeform rating of 111. Next came her Manduro filly Charity Line and her Dylan Thomas filly Final Score, both of whom were to add the G1 Premio Lydia Tesio to their victories in the Oaks d’Italia. Charity Line’s Timeform rating stood at 115 after she had won her first six starts and Final Score achieved a rating of 113 after winning all five of her Italian starts. Final Score’s one setback came when she was beaten just a couple of lengths into fifth place behind the future Irish Oaks winner Bracelet in the G2 Ribblesdale S. The difficulties experienced by Italian racing since the economic downturn, which have resulted in the downgrading of many of its best races, make it tempting to dismiss Italian form without due thought. It appears that the Yoshida family, of Shadai fame, have not been guilty of such prejudice. Cherry Collect has been resident in Japan since her racing career ended in 2012 and she has had four live foals for Northern Farm, starting with 2015 and 2016 fillies by Deep Impact, followed by a 2017 colt by Heart’s Cry and a 2018 colt by Deep Impact. Charity Line has produced a 2016 colt by Orfevre for Shadai Farm and a 2018 filly by Deep Impact. And Final Score has a 2016 Deep Impact filly called Noble Score for Northern Racing and a 2017 colt by Deep Impact’s brother Black Tide. The family’s international status has been underlined by the fact that Cherry Collect’s 2017 Heart’s Cry colt and both of Final Score’s youngsters have sold for the equivalent of over $1 million when they were offered at the Japan Racing Horse Association Sales. At ¥140,000,000 (roughly $1,250,000), Final Score’s Black Tide colt ranked among the top dozen yearlings at the recent yearling session. It was quite a different story when Sea of Class was offered as a yearling at Tattersalls’ December Yearling Sale. This venue had no doubt been chosen because its date – November 21 – gave the late-foaled filly more time to mature than the more prestigious sales in the autumn. Her May 23 birthday will have deterred many potential buyers, especially when her sire Sea The Stars has a reputation for siring progeny which sometimes take a bit of time to reach their peak. I suspect that the filly represented a foal share between Sea The Stars’ owners and Razza del Velino, the owners of Holy Moon. Although she was the highest-priced filly at the sale, at 170,000gns, this was a comparatively modest price for a filly whose sire was priced at €85,000 at the time of her conception and whose dam Holy Moon had enjoyed such extraordinary success in Italy. It wasn’t as if Sea The Stars was experiencing a quiet spell. His runners earlier in 2016 had included an extensive team of Group winners, headed by his dual Derby winner Harzand, his fellow G1 winner Zelzal and the G2 scorers Across The Stars, Cloth of Stars, Endless Time, Makhtaal and Mutakayyef. I have mentioned before that, when assessing Sea The Stars’ stallion career, it is imperative to remember that he hasn’t always enjoyed such strong numerical support as some of the other elite stallions. For example, he covered 83 mares in his second season in 2011, compared to Galileo’s 215 and Dubawi’s 139. Although this second crop numbered only 67 foals, as many as 12 of them were to become black-type winners, with a further six being Group placed. Two years later, in his fourth season, Sea The Stars’ book totalled 82 mares, compared to Galileo’s 191, Dubawi’s 136 and Frankel’s 131. This gave him a 2014 crop of 74, which has so far produced six black-type winners headed by the dual G1 winner Stradivarius and Crystal Ocean, who is favourite to become a G1 winner in Saturday’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. Sea of Class is one of “only” 93 foals in Sea The Stars’ 2015 crop, from a book of 113 mares. Of course, these crops were sired when Sea The Stars was comparatively unproven and before his fee was raised from its original €85,000 to €125,000 (and finally to €135,000 this year). In the first of those €125,000 years, Sea The Stars attracted 151 mares, followed by 119 in 2016 and roughly 175 last year, so he will have more ammunition in years to come. Sea The Stars has to share credit for Sea of Class’ talent with Holy Moon, a Listed winner over 11 furlongs in Italy. With the Prix du Jockey-Club winner Hernando as her sire and a daughter of Caerleon as her dam, Holy Moon is inbred 3 x 3 to the great Nijinsky, a stallion whose progeny had the high average winning distance of 11.2 furlongs. Consequently, it was no surprise to witness Sea of Class finishing so strongly at the end of a strongly-run mile and a half. Coincidentally, the 2015 Irish Oaks winner Covert Love was produced by a mare inbred 4 x 3 to Nijinsky. . Sea of Class’ second dam Centinela also had links to the Oaks d’Italia, as this race was won by her half-sister Bright Generation in 1993. Bright Generation has since become the second dam of Dabirsim, winner of the Prix Morny and Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and now a promising stallion. Sea of Class’s fourth dam Madina was another Prix Morny winner. The family should continue to throw up more smart performers, as Holy Moon’s daughters have access to some of the world’s top stallions. Holy Moon’s own record may yet improve further, as her 2018 colt is by Golden Horn, who shares the same sire, Cape Cross, as Sea The Stars. View the full article

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame horseman Sid Attard celebrated a significant milestone July 22 at Woodbine Racetrack when he earned his 2,000th training win. View the full article

Fourteen horses have stood their ground for Saturday’s G1 QIPCO King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot, headed by the current market leader Crystal Ocean (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) who will have the services of William Buick for the first time. Sir Michael Stoute’s strong hand for the race is completed by fellow joint favourite Poet’s Word (Ire) (Poet’s Voice {GB)). That horse’s immediate victim at Royal Ascot Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) has been left in but is a doubtful starter due to the current fast ground conditions. Aidan O’Brien could be mob handed in the £1.15 million race and can choose from Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}}, Cliffs Of Moher (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Rostropovich (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Hydrangea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Nelson (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Delano Roosevelt (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). There are two potential French challengers in the mix in Andre Fabre’s Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and Francis-Henri Graffard’s Bateel (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). The John Gosden trained mare Coronet (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) could take her chance as well as Mark Johnston’s Dee Ex Bee (GB) (Farrh {GB}) while Desert Encounter (Ire) (Halling) and Salouen (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) could represent David Simcock and Sylvester Kirk respectively. View the full article

The inaugural Goffs UK Goodwood Sale to be held after racing at the Qatar Goodwood Festival Aug. 1 will feature a lifetime breeding right to Whitsbury Manor Stud’s flagship stallion Showcasing (GB). The 11-year-old has sired 28 stakes winners so far including the multiple Group 1 winner Quiet Reflection (GB) and has been represented with distinction this year by G2 July S. winner Advertise (GB) and Royal Ascot winner Soldier’s Call (GB). The breeding right will be offered as lot 5 and Whitsbury Manor’s Ed Harper, who was the subject of a recent TDN Q&A, commented, “Showcasing’s last three covering seasons have seen a remarkable increase in the quality of his mares which is very exciting for his future and we were fortunate to be able to secure his home at Whitsbury so that he no longer shuttles to the southern hemisphere. There have been no additional breeding rights sold in Showcasing since his first season at stud, so this is certainly a rare opportunity to get involved, especially given his progeny are doing so well on tracks around the world.” View the full article

Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) pleased connections in a routine but high quality barrier trial at Rosehill on Monday morning. Hugh Bowman was on board as usual in the 900m heat and he settled the great mare in rear and came up the straight on the bridle passing the post seventh of the nine runners as G1 Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign (Aus) (Manhattan Rain {Aus}) lead them home. There ought to have been ten starters in the trial but the six-time Group 1 winning Chautauqua (Aus) (Encosta De Lago {Aus}) was up to his old tricks again and refused to jump out of the stalls. For team Winx it was a very satisfactory morning and Chris Waller can sense no diminution of the mare’s powers as he builds her up for a spring campaign. “I’m just looking for a happy horse and I do see it,” he told Racing.com. “It was good to see her get on her toes this morning before the trial and know she was alive, she knows when to switch on in terms of getting on her toes. Even when Hughie gave her a little squeeze at the hundred, she just started to charge through the line and pulling up she was ready to go another lap. Obviously she didn’t figure in the first three but that was never the plan, the plan was to get around safely.” All roads now lead to Winx bidding for a 26th consecutive win in a race named in her honour. “We still have a bit of fine-tuning to do with Winx. She will have another trial in a couple of weeks and then race in the [G1] Winx Stakes on the 18th of August. After that she will go to the George Main and then we’ll decide whether she stays in Sydney or heads to Melbourne,” Waller added. Team Hawkes and jockey Tommy Berry meanwhile experienced the other end of the emotional scale with their talented but super frustrating gelding and it must be very doubtful now if we ever see Chautauqua line up competitively again as he now must jump out in normal fashion in two barrier trials before being allowed to take part in a race.”I’ve reached the highest of highs on the horse, so when he didn’t jump it was heartbreaking,” Berry told Racing.com. Going to the barriers he gave me a great feel, he looked in great order and he felt exactly the same as he did when I jumped him out at Flemington. But I pretty much knew as soon as we walked in the barriers he wasn’t going to jump, he leaned on the back of the gates there and from what Brenton [Avdulla] and Dwayne [Dunn] had told me in the past, that’s what he has been doing when he hasn’t jumped.” Despite his antics co-trainer Wayne Hawkes hasn’t lost hope about getting the grey’s head back in the game and regardless of his current behaviour Chautauqua is still the golden boy in the Hawkes’ household. “You know what, I still love him. Six Group 1s, he’s given the owners A$8m, he’s given my family the greatest thrills, so I love him to bits,” he said proudly. View the full article

Catapult finished 1 3/4 lengths behind three-time graded winner Sharp Samurai in an optional-claiming allowance June 17 at Santa Anita Park, but it came with context. View the full article

The first week of racing at Del Mar is over, and one set of connections could have the top three juveniles on the grounds. View the full article

IT’S the worst case of deja-vu. Chautauqua was up to his old tricks again after failing to leave the gates at Rosehill Gardens. View the full article

Fresh off her stunning 4 3/4-length victory in the historic Queen's Plate, Gary Barber's Wonder Gadot will try to keep the momentum going when she heads to Fort Erie July 24 for the $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes. View the full article

Mother Mother (f, 2, Pioneerof the Nile-Mother, by Lion Hearted), a $450,000 KEESEP yearling, came home a resounding winner of her debut at Del Mar Sunday, becoming the newest ‘TDN Rising Star.’ The dark bay filly, sent off the 3-5 favorite, battled on the front through fractions of :22.16 and :46.08. She was inching clear in upper stretch as Tapwater (Tapit), last in the early going, made a three-wide bid at the top of the stretch. Mother Mother easily shrugged off that foe and bounded clear to a six-length victory. Over Emphasize (Overanalyze) was third. The time for the six furlongs was 1:10.78. Mother Mother is a half-sister to GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Commanding Curve (Master Command). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $36,000. O-Bolton, Lipman, Mathiesen, et al. B-T F VanMeter (Ky). T-Bob Baffert. View the full article

Cooling fans to help beat horses' heat stress View the full article

Horse's test result July 23 View the full article

Boss suspended two days View the full article

Only 21 days after taking home his second grade 3 score, Chiefswood Stable's Tiz a Slam proved a step up in class was warranted when he ran gate-to-wire to win the Nijinsky Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine. View the full article

Only 21 days after taking home his second grade 3 title, Chiefswood Stables' Tiz a Slam proved a step up in class was warranted when he ran gate-to-wire to win the Nijinsky Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine. View the full article

Hall of Fame horseman Sid Attard celebrated a significant milestone July 22 at Woodbine Racetrack when he earned his 2,000th training win. View the full article

Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables' Monomoy Girl continued her undefeated roll through her 3-year-old season with a frontrunning score in the $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) July 22. View the full article