Wandering Eyes

Canadian Horse of the Year Pink Lloyd won as easy as expected in the US$96,500 Achievement Stakes, but he went through his share of drama June 3 at Woodbine to bring home his 11th straight stakes win. View the full article

While it seemed the 1 1/16-mile test would come down to a battle of wills between Tapwrit and Hoffenheim, Peter Pan Stakes (G3) winner Timeline crossed the wire 1 1/4 lengths ahead the leaders in a final time of 1:40.87. View the full article

Going off at odds of 2-5, Curlin's Approval benefited from a drop in class and returned to the winner's circle with an easy score in the $75,000 Ana T. Stakes June 3 at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

Going off at final odds of 2-5, Curlin's Approval benefited from a drop in class and returned to the winner's circle with an easy win in the $75,000 Ana T. Stakes June 3 at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

Among the innumerable plans, preparations and concerns an owner of a potential Triple Crown champion has to juggle in the three-week gap between the GI Preakness S. and the GI Belmont S., you can now add “contact an intellectual property attorney” to the dizzying to-do list. It remains an open question as to whether the undefeated ‘TDN Rising Star’ Justify (Scat Daddy) will make his mark on American racing history by sweeping the Triple Crown. But the brawny chestnut colt’s legal trademark status is already on its way to being recognized by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). That’s because WinStar Farm–like the owners each of the previous four GI Kentucky Derby winners have done–has filed federal applications to protect Justify’s name and image across different classes of merchandising, entertainment and services. In plain language, that means no one other than the colt’s rightful owners will be able to profit off anything relating to Justify’s feats as a racehorse–and beyond. “It’s really a protective move to not allow people to capitalize on something that we’ve worked hard to make happen,” Elliott Walden, WinStar’s president and chief executive, told TDN last week. “It’s a way for us to have proper control over the merchandising element of things and to make sure that what’s out there for merchandise is in line with our brand and our reputation.” Justify’s trademark applications were filed May 10, five days after his Derby victory. Even though it can take up to a year for the USPTO to grant recognition, the legal protection the process affords is retroactive to the filing date. Walden explained that while WinStar’s name is on the trademark paperwork for Justify, “We’re representing all ownership interests” among the colt’s four partners. “I think right after the Derby, [pitches for merchandise deals] started to heat up,” Walden said, adding that WinStar’s 2010 experience with Super Saver (Maria’s Mon) prepared him for the deal-making inquiries that come early and often after a horse wins the first leg of the Triple Crown. “It’s not until they win a race like the Kentucky Derby where the magnitude of the race gets the mainstream merchandisers involved. There’s t-shirts, hats, a lot of different things.” Michael Doctrow, a Harrisburg, PA, attorney who typically represents large and mid-sized companies in trademark and copyright matters, has been retained by WinStar to handle trademarking for Justify. He first became involved with Thoroughbred clients in 2004 when he filed similar applications for the connections of Smarty Jones (Elusive Quality), and he handled the trademarking for 2016 Derby winner Nyquist (Uncle Mo). Beyond the obvious products that Walden mentioned, Doctrow can tick off quite an esoteric list of souvenir goods he’s seen bootleggers try to peddle without permission. “I’ve seen everything from sugar cubes to hand-knitted horseshoe covers to stackable dolls to anything you could possibly imagine,” Doctrow told TDN. “There is really an excitement that builds around Triple Crown horses, and there are an awful lot of people out there trying to make a buck off it and take advantage of it. As soon as Justify won the Kentucky Derby, we witnessed people selling things online with his image and name on them. And it only accelerates as we get closer to the Belmont S.” Although Doctrow said the primary benefit is securing protection from trademark infringers, “the other issue that we’ve run into in recent years is people going out and applying to register the horse’s name and trying to extort money out of the rightful owner to recover that trademark. So getting an application for registration filed as early as we possibly can makes a lot of sense from that perspective.” The need for protection would seem to be most beneficial when a horse wins the Triple Crown, like the trademarked American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) did in 2015. But Doctrow said another of his clients, the owners of the late 2006 Derby champ Barbaro (Dynaformer), benefited from USPTO protection in a way they’d never envisioned after Barbaro got injured in the Preakness and went through a very public, months-long attempt at recovery before succumbing to laminitis. “People were selling ‘Barbaro everything’ to try and make money,” Doctrow said. “It was very, very important at that point for Roy and Gretchen Jackson to be able to ensure that merchandise sale proceeds were going to their intended charities rather than to people who were infringing on the trademark.” Although Barbaro is a fairly unique name, the word “Justify” is common enough that it appears in some form in at least 24 separate trademark entries in the USPTO’s online searchable database. Doctrow said the more universal the name, the more difficult it can be to make sure clients are properly protected. “That’s certainly part of our analysis. It does get a little difficult depending on the name,” Doctrow explained. “And that’s the reason you would use an attorney to do this as opposed to just filing it yourself.” While exact matches of words or phrases can and do overlap, the trademarking process allows for applicants to spell out exactly what they want to protect so conflicts with other rights-holders over similar names can be avoided. This was useful in 2008 when Derby winner Big Brown (Boundary) had to be differentiated from a trademarked tagline coined by global shipping service UPS. And in 2014, the owners of California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) had to make sure their USPTO application stated their trademark related only to horse racing so the Derby winner wouldn’t infringe upon the “California Chrome” trademarked seven years earlier by an automotive company that makes decorative wheel covers. Just like comparing Triple Crown champions from different eras can be difficult because so much changes over the decades, the same goes for attitudes relating to the trademarking of iconic Thoroughbreds. The late Penny Chenery, who co-owned the wildly popular Secretariat, said in a 2016 Triple Crown teleconference that the thought of protecting her champ’s name never occurred to her during the 1973 Triple Crown chase. “We didn’t trademark him that early because merchandising for famous horses had not gotten established,” Chenery said. “We didn’t do it while he was racing… Nobody had any ideas about that.” People certainly do now. So be sure to pass the word about Justify’s pending trademark projection to anyone you see on Saturday peddling souvenir t-shirts or hats out of a car trunk in the vicinity of Belmont Park. Grass Greener for Catholic Boy Five months ago Catholic Boy (More Than Ready) was my somewhat unorthodox selection to anchor the No. 1 spot on the season’s inaugural TDN Derby Top 12 rankings. After a commanding dirt win in the nine-furlong GII Remsen S. at Aqueduct, Catholic Boy looked uncomfortable pressing the pace despite a runner-up try in his 2018 debut at Tampa Bay Downs, then he reportedly bled badly in the GI Florida Derby. His Classic aspirations were over before they really even got started. As a Grade II winner last year on the grass (and a close-up fourth in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf), it only seemed natural for Catholic Boy’s connections to re-aim for grass races once the colt was ready to return to training, and Saturday’s GIII Pennine Ridge S. at Belmont seemed as good a spot as any to launch a comeback. The only problem was that undefeated ‘TDN Rising Star’ Analyze It (Point of Entry) was aiming for the same race, and he figured to be about as solid a 1-5 shot as you can get. Apparently, someone forgot to confess that tote board tidbit to Catholic Boy. The 4.4-1 second choice in the betting boldly bounded straight for the lead (a significant tactics change considering trainer Jonathan Thomas spent a great deal of time earlier in the spring explaining how Catholic Boy does his best running from much farther back) while Analyze It stalked menacingly just a few strides behind. By the time the two favorites turned into the lane together, it appeared as if Analyze It would prevail based on the body language of the two. Significant shoulder-to-shoulder muscling for position between the three-sixteenths pole and the furlong marker had appeared to wear down Catholic Boy. But just when it appeared a certainty that Analyze It would wrest control for good, the leader lost a bit of spark a sixteenth from the wire, and Catholic Boy re-rallied on the outside to nail him in the final few jumps and win by a neck (this is the type of frantic finish you will either love or loathe when in-race betting finally comes to America). “My horse has such a good heart,” winning jockey Javier Castellano said after the race. “You don’t see too many horses like that when you check at the top of the stretch and they come back and win the race, especially at a mile and an eighth. I give a lot of credit to the horse and trainer. I didn’t think he would win. [After checking] I was just riding for second place, but Analyze It started to stop and my horse continued, continued, continued. I thought ‘I’m not going to win the race,’ but it worked out great.” A rematch could be in the cards for the GI Belmont Derby Invitational on July 7. View the full article

MR PAYTIENCE (c, 2, Paynter–Kantstopdancin, by Yes It’s True) survived a three-way speed duel and drew away powerfully in the stretch to graduate first out at Santa Anita and become the latest ‘TDN Rising Star’. Picked up for $90,000 at OBS March after breezing a furlong in :10 2/5, the bay broke alertly as a 61-10 proposition before finding himself embroiled as the inside marker in a scrum through a :22.53 quarter. Cutting the corner and shaking off his pursuers soon after straightening, Mr Paytience poured it on the stretch, exploding away to graduate by some eight lengths in :52.22. Nice Haircut (Square Eddie) completed a one-two exacta for trainer Doug O’Neill. The winner’s dam is a half-sister to GSW Strike Dancer (Smart Strike). Sales History: $40,000 Ylg ’17 BARAUG; $90,000 2yo ’18 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record 1-1-0-0, $35,400. O-McShane Racing LLC; B-Ballena Vista Farm (CA); T-Doug O’Neill. View the full article

Flaxman Stables Ireland's Study of Man bested 15 rivals to land the the QIPCO Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, G1) at Chantilly June 3, coming home a half-length and a head in front of longshots Patascoy and Louis d'Or. View the full article

China Horse Club (CHC) is one of four partnership groups that own the undefeated Triple Crown aspirant Justify (Scat Daddy). Billing itself as “Asia’s premier lifestyle, business and Thoroughbred racing club,” the involvement of the 5-year-old CHC lends an accentuated international emphasis to the third leg of the American Classics on Saturday at Belmont Park. Over the weekend, TDN discussed some of these cultural implications with Eden Harrington, the vice president of CHC, who spoke via phone from the firm’s main headquarters in Singapore. An edited transcript follows. TDN: At what point did Justify first appear on the radar of the Chinese sporting public? EH: It’s really been a wave of support in a short space of time, because the awareness of him really only arose through the [GI] Kentucky Derby win. In China, Justify’s early races wouldn’t have attracted much attention. But certainly the Kentucky Derby generated a great deal of interest and curiosity, and the positive response was very, very strong. That’s continued through the [GI] Preakness S., and there’s no doubt that the response has continued to build. While America’s been watching Justify for an abridged 90-or-so day career so far, China’s only been watching for a shorter period of time. But what they’ve seen, they’ve appreciated. What’s been taken to heart by the Chinese is that this isn’t just a horse who’s winning great races, this is a horse that is owned in part by Chinese owners who are doing something wonderful on a world stage. To excel in America is a big deal. TDN: Gambling is illegal in China and there is no year-round organized racing. From a practical standpoint, can you give us an idea of how the Triple Crown series is followed by residents of mainland China who are interested in it? EH: There is not the ability to watch the races live at this point in time. But there is considerable coverage through a number of other different media forms, especially online. Certainly like the rest of the world, China lives and breathes social media. It’s very much the first choice for communication in this day and age, and people do talk about racing, especially when the Chinese attend these events. They share photos with friends that then get shared with other friends, and it snowballs. TDN: If Justify wins the Triple Crown, what will it mean to people in China? EH: The implications for China are huge. At the end of the day, this horse is going to be racing in the colors of Chinese ownership on the biggest stage of the world. I don’t think it’s unfair to suggest that even though we’re only halfway through the racing season, this event may well turn out to be the biggest racing event this year. It’s certainly a positive endorsement to the Chinese that even though they’re new to the sport, that they can dream big and aspire to do great things, and that they should come and participate and chase those dreams. TDN: The United States is home to the world’s biggest Thoroughbred industry and China is the world’s biggest consumer marketplace. How do you see a potential partnership evolving with respect to forming a viable racing and breeding industry in China? Is it a goal for CHC to serve as a bridge between the two cultures? EH: Certainly we want to help grow the domestic industry in China. That’s paramount. We have been building bridges between China and America for the last few years. [Big wins by top-class horses] show that anything is possible, and they open eyes to our domestic audience that you can go overseas and compete; that there are international goals to aspire to. At the same time, we also try and build bridges to educate [the rest of the world] about what is happening [with racing initiatives] in China, like our major event, the China Equine Cultural Festival. It’s been held since 2013, and it has emerged in terms of track audience and live-streaming audience as the biggest racing event in China. The mantra of that event is to bring the world to China, and China to the world. A horse like Justify only accentuates the importance of building those relations. TDN: What is the import/export status for Thoroughbreds between the U.S. and China? EH: At the back end of last year, both the U.S. and China reached agreement that will allow for horses to be exported from the U.S. to China. That had [subsequently] been put on pause. It’s reopened again, which is important so there is that capacity for a free flow of Thoroughbreds between the two countries. So you have all of the steps that have been put in place for the world’s biggest horse market to react more efficiently and more readily with the world’s largest consumer market. TDN: Is CHC membership open to investors other than the Chinese? EH: Very much so. There’s no issue in terms of where people are from with regard to membership. We very much welcome members from everywhere, and we do have members from outside of China. Our focus as a business when we started was very much to promote the sport in China, and that remains our core focus. But that doesn’t mean we’re blinded to welcoming members from other parts of the world. Likewise, we race all around the world. We race in nine countries actively and we have breeding interests in three or four. We’ve got very much an international footprint, and we very much want to share the story of what is happening in China. If we can do so through our club, that’s a positive way to do things. TDN: Have members of CHC who are from mainland China been able to attend the Triple Crown races in person? How large of a contingent will be at Belmont Park on Saturday? EH: We had guests at the Kentucky Derby. We had a very, very small contingent at the Preakness. The tight turnaround time between the Derby and the Preakness was challenging. But there has been a groundswell of interest for coming to the Belmont. We’ve still got inquiries coming. The reality is that we won’t be able to deal with all of the inquiries, but we’re going to have a very strong cheer squad for Justify in New York. It will probably be the biggest group of members and guests that we’ve ever had overseas. As a rule, we try not to bring big groups because we position ourselves as a premium club where we service people properly. We’re not a tour group. So whenever we bring people, we make sure that we can meet their needs appropriately. TDN: For a club that’s only existed for five years, CHC occupies quite a lofty perch on the international racing stage. What do you envision the next five years will be like? EH: When we first started five years ago, we never envisioned that we’d be campaigning a potential Triple Crown winner. That’s certainly been beyond our aspirations and expectations. As for the next five years, we hope that there are uplifting moments like this again, but we certainly can’t promise to our members that there will be. What we can say is that we believe that there will be greater engagement with the industry in China. In the last month or so, the central government has come out and has spoken in positive tones about supporting horse racing domestically in China, and that’s certainly encouraging. I would think that there would be an increase in participation at all levels, with myriad different clubs across China, and that’s going to be very positive. We very much hope that we are able to inspire others to participate, whether that’s with our club or individually. It’s important that they do, and we believe in the importance of China being a contributor. With the club in particular, we have aspirations to solidify our position, but also to help grow China’s domestic breeding industry, [because we are] taking into account that every major Thoroughbred industry around the word is supported by its own domestic [breeding infrastructure]. The breeding industry would be a positive industry for China at large. By that I mean it is an industry that is rurally focused, so it provides jobs in rural centers. It’s a green industry. It is not a pollutant industry. It’s not an industry that is going to be overtaken by robotics or artificial intelligence. So to that end, it’s a job creator. Overall, it is a case of “Awakening the Giant,” as it has long been titled. China has more than 5,000 years of history in terms of equine culture, and this is a reawakening of that culture in recent years through modern horse racing. The Chinese appreciate the horse. It is very significant to them and to their culture. They’re very passionate people. They’ve been enormously successful in myriad different industries, and they want to be equally successful in horse racing too. We believe that will take place in the U.S. and in other countries as well, and would love to have the U.S. come and play a role to grow the industry and to help foster relations so these two countries can work off each other and both can benefit. View the full article

Flaxman Stables Ireland's Study Of Man bested 15 rivals to land the the €1,500,000 QIPCO Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, G1) at Chantilly June 3, coming home a half-length and a head in front of longshots Patascoy and Louis d'Or. View the full article

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott issued an upbeat bulletin June 3 following Hofburg's five-furlong workout in company with Good Samaritan at Saratoga Race Course, his final preparation for the Belmont Stakes (G1). View the full article

Flaxman Stables Ireland's Study Of Man bested 15 rivals to land the the €1,500,000 QIPCO Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, G1) at Chantilly June 3, coming home 1/2 length and a head in front of longshots Patascoy and Louis d'Or. View the full article

GI Belmont S. contender Hofburg (Tapit) completed his final serious preparation for the final leg of the Triple Crown Sunday morning, breezing five furlongs in company with MGSW 4-year-old Good Samaritan (Harlan’s Holiday) over Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track. Ridden by Neil Poznansky and working outside of Good Samaritan, Hofburg completed the breeze in 1:01.03 before drawing away from his stablemate past the wire. “We wanted to do a little bit more with Hofburg than with Good Samaritan,” said Mott. “We let them both work under the wire, then I wanted to make sure Hofburg had a good gallop out. Both horses went well, and I was very pleased. Hofburg couldn’t have worked better.” Good Samaritan is a contender for the GI Runhappy Met Mile on the Belmont day card. Meanwhile, at Churchill Downs, Albaugh Family Stables’ GISW and GI Kentucky Derby 16th-place finisher Free Drop Billy (Union Rags) breezed five furlongs in :59.20 under regular exercise rider Juan Segundo at Churchill Downs Sunday morning as he prepares for a rematch with Justify (Scat Daddy) in the GI Belmont S. “I don’t think he got over the track well at all in the Derby,” said trainer Dale Romans. “I think he’s coming into the race a better horse than when he faced Justify in the Derby. He’s been really training well in the lead-up to the Belmont and today was not any different.” Justify galloped 1 1/2 miles at Churchill Sunday morning ahead of an expected breeze over the strip Monday. The Belmont card will also feature an appearance from GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GI Acorn S., and the fleet-footed chestnut tuned up for that affair with a sharp half-mile breeze in :47.20 in company with older stablemate Dazzling Gem (Misremembered) at Churchill Sunday. Churchill Downs clockers caught Monomoy Girl in splits of :12.40 seconds for the first eighth-mile, :24 for the quarter-mile and :36 for three-eighths. She was timed galloping out five furlongs in :59.80 and six furlongs in 1:12.60. “I was really pleased with what we accomplished. She seemed to cool out fine,” said trainer Brad Cox, shooting for a third straight Grade I victory with Monomoy Girl, who gave him the first in his training career in Keeneland’s Ashland. “I wanted to keep her sharp. We’re shortening up to a mile. She had a really nice breeze last week, and she followed it up with a similar breeze this week.” View the full article

Godolphin’s Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), winner of the G1 Investec Derby at Epsom on Saturday, will likely target the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh on June 30. A brilliant winner of the G3 Craven S. at Newmarket, the chestnut finished third behind red-hot Epsom Derby favourite Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn} in the 2000 Guineas in his latest run prior to scooping the Blue Riband for trainer Charlie Appleby. “We had a quiet night and the horse pulled out well this morning,” said Appleby. “Myself and Sheikh Mohammed watched the replays together last night and I think we’re both on the same page. We’ll see how he is and how he comes out of the race, but he stayed the mile and a half well and I think the Irish Derby is the obvious place to go. We have no reason to come back in trip at the moment.” In other Derby news, the aforementioned Saxon Warrior has no immediate plans, but his trainer Aidan O’Brien is considering the Irish Derby and the July 7 G1 Coral-Eclipse S. at Sandown for his charge. “All the horses we ran in the Derby seem to be fine,” O’Brien told Racing Post at Chantilly on Sunday. “Saxon Warrior had never run on that type of track before and was very green and babyish in himself. We hope the experience will have done him good and that he’ll have learned from it. I couldn’t say he didn’t stay, as he wasn’t stopping all the way up the straight.” View the full article

SAV (f, 2, Big Screen–Executive Affair, by Bold Executive) beat the break, relaxed off the lead and swept away in the stretch to become the first winner for her freshman sire (by Speightstown) at Woodbine. Tipping her hand with a sharp local half-mile breeze in :46 3/5 (3/80) May 20, the gray was nevertheless overlooked at 11-1 and broke well clear of the others before deferring to sit second past a :23.15 quarter. Traveling sweetly at the rail on the turn, she tipped out one path and cruised back to the lead three-sixteenths from home en route to a dominant six-length score in :52.34. Heavily favored Fly Away Birdie (Birdstone) ran on late to get second. The winner is a half to Cooler Mike (Giant Gizmo), SP, $155,920. She has a yearling full-brother and her dam visited Big Screen once again last season. Sales History: $22,181 Ylg ’17 CANSEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $36,600. O-Steve Duffield; B-Spring Farm (ON); T-Keith Edwards. View the full article

Monomoy Girl showed she hasn't lost a step since claiming her first classic victory when she breezed an easy half-mile in :47 1/5 at Churchill Downs on June 3, her final work before the June 9 Acorn Stakes presented by Nassau County IDA (G1). View the full article

Grade 1 winner Fault sustained a possibly career-ending injury during a routine gallop June 3 at Santa Anita Park, according to trainer Phil D'Amato. View the full article

Mozu Ascot, a Kentucky-bred son of Frankel, shot through a seam between Aerolithe and favorite Suave Richard in deep stretch and rallied to an upset victory in the Yasuda Kinen (G1) June 3 at Tokyo Racecourse. View the full article

Undefeated Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Justify readied for his final breeze before the June 9 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) with a 1 1/2-mile gallop June 3 at Churchill Downs. View the full article

Monomoy Girl showed she hasn't lost a step since claiming her first classic victory, when she breezed an easy half-mile in :47 1/5 at Churchill Downs June 2, her final work before the June 9 Acorn Stakes presented by Nassau County IDA (G1). View the full article

There had been enough build up and publicity for the NBC documentary “Dark Horses” that you had already heard what it was all about and that it was very good before it first aired Saturday. It is the story or the rivalry between Easy Goer and Sunday Silence and the uneasy relationship that involved Claiborne Farm, Ogden Phipps and brothers Arthur and Seth Hancock. And, yes, the program was excellent. Director Castor Fernandez did a superb job, particularly in the way he told the story of Arthur Hancock, the outcast who was essentially exiled from Claiborne when his father, Bull Hancock died, and how Easy Goer’s owner, Ogden Phipps was instrumental in installing younger brother Seth as the new head of Claiborne. Arthur’s story had been told before, but never quite in this detail. The elder of the two brothers, Arthur, spoke openly about how wounded he was when it was decided that Seth would take over Claiborne and how he vowed to be bigger, better and more successful than his brother’s operation. He also revealed that his obsession with growing his Stone Farm into a large scale breeding and racing operation nearly ruined him financially. If not for Sunday Silence, it is doubtful Stone Farm would have survived. But as much as I enjoyed “Dark Horses,” I felt a sense of melancholy when the final credits were rolling. Sunday Silence/Easy Goer was a glorious time for horse racing and just the sort of thing that made the sport so captivating. As a then reporter for the New York Daily News and an unabashed and unapologetic homer for Easy Goer, the four races between the two are indelible memories that I cherish–even though my horse came out on the losing end in three of the four. There is nothing better in racing, or in any sport for that matter, than rivalries between great athletes. Ali/Frazier. Curry/LeBron. Affirmed/Alydar. The very best facing the very best and let’s find out on the playing field who is the greatest of them all. We don’t have that anymore. And, most likely, we never will again. They only raced 29 years ago, but it might as well have been 290. This sport is so different now than it was in 1989 that what transpired between Easy Goer and Sunday Silence is no longer possible. What a shame. Imagine had these two horse come around within the last few years. After finishing second in the GI Kentucky Derby, Easy Goer’s connections likely would have passed the GI Preakness and tried to ambush Sunday Silence in the GI Belmont with a fresh horse. It’s ironic that their Preakness is considered the best battle the two ever had and, by some, one of the greatest Triple Crown races ever run. Or suppose Easy Goer did win the Preakness, he may not have come back for the Belmont. Time for a break. The same could be said for Sunday Silence had his Triple Crown bid ended with a defeat in Baltimore. After Easy Goer got his revenge and his only win over Sunday Silence in the Belmont, would they, in this era, both have made the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic? Probably, but not definitely. They were both so valuable after the Triple Crown as sire prospects that the slightest hiccup very well could have knocked them out of racing’s “championship event.” Few probably remember that Sunday Silence was defeated in his first start after the Belmont, finishing second in the GII Swaps S. Today, that might have meant retirement. Sunday Silence and Easy Goer never met again after the 1989 Breeders’ Cup, but they were set to. Yes, back then, superstars actually ran at age four. Sunday Silence won the GI Californian in 1990 and then was retired due to injury after finishing second in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup. Easy Goer had a similar campaign at 4. He won a minor stakes, finished third in the GI Metropolitan H. and then was retired after winning the GI Suburban H. Sunday Silence was retired due to a torn ligament in his left front leg. The injury was discovered two weeks after Easy Goer was retired due to a bone chip. Few probably remember that the two were on a collision course for a race created by Arlington owner Richard Duchossois, the Arlington Challenge Cup. Racing’s next chance at staging a clash between great horses came when Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra, two of the greatest fillies ever, came around at the same time. To the surprise of no one, they never met, and that was a travesty. But that doesn’t mean racing is bereft of thrills and special events. We happen to have a horse going for a Triple Crown in a few days. It does mean that one of the things that made the sport so enthralling is, sadly, a thing of the past. That’s not the fault of NBC or Castor Fernandez, so let’s get back to what a terrific job they did crafting this real-life drama. It was as much the Arthur Hancock story as anything else. Seth declined to be interviewed for the documentary, but they found plenty of old clips of him giving interviews and the Hancock’s sister, Dell, served as an eloquent spokesperson who filled in a lot of the blanks of the Seth-Arthur rivalry and is clearly fond of and proud of both of her brothers. Fernandez nailed it when it came to telling Arthur Hancock’s story and capturing his personality. His only flaw was that he had a bit of a wild streak and was not as corporate and as restrained as brother Seth. Nothing wrong with that. But it did cost him the job running Claiborne, in large part due to Phipps. Another area where Dark Horses excelled was with the interviews it did with jockeys Pat Day, Pat Valenzuela and Chris McCarron. All three recalled the races as if they were run yesterday and their insights into their race-riding tactics were fascinating. My only complaint was that the story ignored the New York/California rivalry. Easy Goer was New York’s horse, trained at Belmont Park and owned by New York racing aristocracy in the Phipps family. Then NYRA announcer Marshall Cassidy added fuel to the fire when calling out “New York’s Eeeeeaaasssssyyyyy Goer in front” as he was pulling away in the Belmont. He did it again in the Woodward when he said, “This is New York’s horse, this is America’s horse” as Easy Goer was drawing off. Californian’s saw Easy Goer as the epitome of what they thought was wrong with New York, that we thought we were better than everyone else. In some respects, they were right. No one in New York thought the scrawny $17,000 horse from California could touch our champion. They didn’t like Easy Goer and we didn’t like Sunday Silence. Dark Horses is set to air three more times, so check your local listings, program your DVR. It’s as good a racing documentary as you’ll ever see. View the full article

The debut victory of Oh My Oh My (Ire) (Slade Power {Ire}) at Lyon in France on Thursday was a ringing endorsement of Con Marnane’s decision to retain the colt when he went unsold at 38,000gns at the Craven Breeze Up Sale at Tattersalls in April. The Matthieu Palussiere-trained juvenile carried Marnane’s wife Theresa’s silks to victory and he was also another first crop winner for Darley stallion Slade Power (Ire). Fittingly it is that former top-class sprinter’s trainer Eddie Lynam who is the co-breeder of Oh My Oh My and the trainer was delighted with the result given the juvenile is the first produce out of the mare Sylvan Mist (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), also trained by Lynam to win twice during her racing career. “It’s a great interest to have following the progress of Slade Power’s progeny and we hope he continues to do well,” Lynam said on Friday. “Sylvan Mist is a mare I raced myself and who I own in partnership with Joe Hernon. We sold Oh My Oh My as a yearling [made €47,000 at Tattersalls Ireland]. He was a nice colt and Con [Marnane] has always been very happy with him since he’s had him. He wasn’t getting enough for him at the breeze ups, as was the case with a few horses this year, so Con said he’d bring him to France and win with him there and he did. He thinks quite highly of him so fingers crossed he will keep progressing.” Lynam continued, “It’s great for the mare too, she was quite talented on the track, I remember both Pat Smullen and Fergal Lynch winning on her. She’s in foal to Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) but had a bit of bad luck, her yearling colt by Acclamation got killed in a paddock accident a while ago so that was unfortunate. She was barren for this year, so all we have is the foal she is carrying but the winner in France certainly cheered us up.” It was no surprise to learn that Lynam has a number of juveniles by Slade Power in training at the moment but he hasn’t taken the wraps off any as of yet. “I don’t have as many as I would have liked, as the nice ones were too hard for me to buy at the sales. I have quite a nice filly out of Glamorous Spirit (Ire), she was a stakes winning Invincible Spirit (Ire) mare and there is also a nice colt out of Dangle (Ire) who I trained for Stephanie Von Schilcher. We also have a nice Slade Power filly out of Soliza (Ire), she was a May foal but we like her.” There is often an assumption that being a top class sprinter goes hand in hand with precocity, but that is not always the case and despite Slade Power winning as a 2-year-old he clearly improved with age, showing his best form at five years of age. “Slade Power was a very fast horse and did win at two, but any of the ones I have are not particularly early types,” he said. “I expect from June onwards they will start kicking on and he’ll start getting more winners.” Lynam’s continued support of the stallion is also evident by the fact that between the Lynam and the Power families they have eight mares in foal to him this year. The stallion’s dam Girl Power (Ire) (Key Of Luck) is still only 14-years-old and the trainer is also looking forward to seeing more of her progeny in the future. “The mare was covered this year by Tamayuz (GB) and had a very nice colt foal by Dark Angel (Ire),” said Lynam. “She also produced a lovely yearling colt by Dark Angel last year so there is lots to look forward to.” Eddie Lynam took Royal Ascot by storm four years ago when he enjoyed three winners from as many runners courtesy of Slade Power, Sole Power (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) and Anthem Alexander (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). However it is unlikely the trainer will be so strongly represented at the Royal Meeting in a little over a fortnight’s time. “We’ve a good strike rate there and the reason for that is we don’t delude ourselves by bringing horses that have little chance of winning. It looks unlikely we’ll have anything more than a social runner this year, but you never know.” View the full article

Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}) became the third Group 1 winner for his Juddmonte sire with a late lunge in the G1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo on Sunday, a “Win And You’re In” for the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs this November. The Capital System’s colourbearer is the second Japanese Group 1 winner for Frankel after Soul Stirring (Jpn) and tied the race record of 1:31.3 set by Strong Return (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S) in 2012. The margin was only a neck back to Aerolithe (Jpn) (Kurofune) in second, who had appeared a sure winner until the final few strides, with Suave Richard (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) 3/4 of a length behind in third. The top three finishers are eligible to start in the Aug. 12 G1 Prix Jacques le Marois over 1600 metres with their entry fees waived and a travel allowance provided. One of three Yoshito Yahagi-trained runners after Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) and Real Steel (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the 15-1 shot settled in between horses in 11th, as Win Gagnant (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) showed the way through splits of :23 flat and :45.50. The field fanned out at the top of the lane, but Mozu Ascot remained in tight quarters, as Aerolithe set out to challenge Win Gagnant at the 400-metre pole. The grey filly took over 200 metres from home, but Mozu Ascot was letting down powerfully in between horses, as was favoured Suave Richard to his immediate outside. Given some right-handed encouragement from Christophe Lemaire, the chestnut found that little bit extra to nab Aerolithe in the shadow fo the wire. “The only thing I wanted to do was to have my horse relaxed and to follow a good horse in the straight,” said Lemaire, who was winning his 17th Group 1 title. “I also didn’t plan whether to go inside or outside. As a result, the space became narrow and we were bumped and pushed towards the inside. I didn’t want him to lose his balance, so I waited for an opening and a good horse to follow, once I found a gap I asked for full power from the horse…he responded very well and kept on strongly to the finish line.” It was trainer Yoshito Yahagi’s first Yasuda Kinen victory and fourth Japanese Group 1 title and he commented, “After so many misses [in second] in my previous attempts in this race, I am truly happy to have finally won this title. In a normal situation, we would gallop him on a Wednesday and again on the Sunday before the Yasuda, but my judgement was that he needed a stronger run [in the Azuchijo S. on May 27] and it ended up being the spot on decision. Of course, the recovery process in addition to the transport and such, it’s not an easy task, but it just proves how well my stable staff has handled everything–they’ve done a great job.” Debuting less than a year ago on June 10 with a fourth in a Hanshin 3-year-old maiden, the $275,000 Keeneland September RNA yearling was off the mark two starts later at Chukyo in July and rattled off three more wins in succession culminating in a win going 1400 metres at Kyoto in the Togetsukyo S. on Nov. 26. Only fourth in the Dec. 23 G2 Hanshin Cup trying group company for the first time, Mozu Ascot rolled twos in his next three starts, in his 4-year-old bow in Hanshin’s G3 Hankyu Hai on Feb. 25, in the G2 Yomiuri Milers Cup on Apr. 22 and just seven days ago, in the Listed Azuchijo S. there. Pedigree Notes… Bred by Jane Lyon’s Summer Wind Farm and the fifth foal from his dam, whose biggest claim to fame during her racing career was a victory in the GII Fitz Dixon Cotillion Breeders’ Cup H., Mozu Ascot follows in the hoofsteps of his year-older Listed Jersey Girl S. winning half-sister Kareena (Medaglia d’Oro). India’s 3-year-old filly by Tapit, Secret Sigh, is unraced, while her yearling filly by Hard Spun has already been christened I Thee Wed. Frosted filly Silver Strand, who was born on May 4, is the latest produce of her dam, a half-sister to listed winner Pilfer (Deputy Minister). The latter is responsible for Grade I winners To Honor And Serve (Bernardini) and Angela Renee (Bernardini), as well as the SW and GI Donn H. third Elnaawi (Street Sense). Under the third dam is Canadian champion grass horse Rahy’s Attorney (Crown Attorney), who won the GI Woodbine Mile S., while fellow Grade I winner Memories of Silver (Silver Hawk) is nestled under the fourth dam, the MGSW Java Moon (Graustark). Sunday, Tokyo, Japan YASUDA KINEN-G1, ¥214,980,000 (US$1,962,965/£1,470,584/€1,683,054), Tokyo, 6-3, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:31.30, fm. 1–MOZU ASCOT, 128, c, 4, Frankel (GB) 1st Dam: India (MGSW-US, $630,859), by Hennessy 2nd Dam: Misty Hour, by Miswak 3rd Dam: Our Tina Marie, by Nijinsky II 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. ($275,000 RNA Ylg ’15 KEESEP). O-Capital System; B-Summer Wind Farm (KY); T-Yoshito Yahagi; J-Christophe Lemaire; ¥113,486,000. Lifetime Record: 11-5-3-0. *1/2 to Kareena (Medaglia d’Oro), SW, $148,000. **3rd Group 1 winner for his sire (by Galileo {Ire}). Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Aerolithe (Jpn), 123, f, 4, Kurofune–Asterix (Jpn), by Neo Universe (Jpn). O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥44,996,000. 3–Suave Richard (Jpn), 128, c, 4, Heart’s Cry (Jpn)–Pirramimma, by Unbridled’s Song. (¥155,000,000 Wlg ’14 JRHAJUL). O-NICKS Inc.; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥28,498,000. Margins: NK, 3/4, HF; Odds: 14.70, 9.70, 1.80. Also Ran: Satono Ares (Jpn), Sungrazer (Jpn), Persian Knight (Jpn), Win Gagnant (Jpn), Lys Gracieux (Jpn), Red Falx (Jpn), Western Express (Aus), Campbell Junior (Aus), Reine Minoru (Jpn), He’s in Love (Jpn), Dashing Blaze, Real Steel (Jpn), Black Moon (Jpn). Click for the Racing Post chart, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. JRA Video. View the full article

Successful on heavy ground on debut over 12 furlongs at Saint-Cloud Apr. 2 and runner-up to the leading G1 Prix de Diane candidate Shahnaza (Fr) (Azamour {Ire}) in the 11-furlong Listed Prix de la Seine at ParisLongchamp May 6, Pollara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) justified 13-5 favouritism in Sunday’s G3 Prix de Royaumont at Chantilly. Held up by Olivier Peslier throughout the early stages, the bay went towards the rail to lead 150 metres out and that proved decisive as the unlucky Waldlied (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) stayed on late to close the gap to 1 1/4 lengths. “She had already shown on debut that she had a good turn of foot and a kick at the finish and is improving all the time,” trainer Francis-Henri Graffard commented. “I think Olivier Peslier did well to bide his time and go inside rather than outside. She doesn’t show much in the mornings and can be a litle bit on edge, so we’ve done a lot of work on her and she has learned how to settle. She had a hood on going to the start which was removed there and that helped. We’ll take it one race at a time, but I think logically we should follow the mile-and-a-half program and go for the [G2 Prix de] Malleret [at Saint-Cloud July 1].” Sunday, Chantilly, France PRIX DE ROYAUMONT-G3, €80,000, Chantilly, 6-3, 3yo, f, 12fT, 2:32.57, sf. 1–POLLARA (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Camelot (GB) 1st Dam: Brooklyn’s Storm, by Storm Cat 2nd Dam: Brooklyn’s Dance (Fr), by Shirley Heights (GB) 3rd Dam: Vallee Dansante, by Lyphard 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (160,000gns Ylg ’16 TATOCT). O-Ilse Smits; B-Paget Bloodstock (IRE); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Olivier Peslier. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, €66,000. *1/2 to Stormina (Gulch), MSW-US & GSP-Fr, $273,600. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Waldlied (GB), 126, f, 3, New Approach (Ire)–Waldlerche (GB), by Monsun (Ger). O/B-Newsells Park Stud & Gestur Ammerland (GB); T-Andre Fabre. €16,000. 3–Contessa du Barry (Fr), 126, f, 3, Motivator (GB)–Highborne (Fr), by Anabaa (€90,000 Ylg ’16 AROCT). O-Wendy Taylor & Hubert Honore; B-Haras du Quesnay (FR); T-Nicolas Clement. €12,000. Margins: 1 1/4, 3/4, 1. Odds: 1.60, 3.50, 13.00. Also Ran: Maiden Voyage (Fr), Ajayeb (Ire), Tempel (Fr), Shaherezada (Ire), Alhseemah (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

Working solo under jockey Florent Geroux, Bolt d'Oro breezed four furlongs in a quick :48 2/5 and galloped out to five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 in his final work before the $1.2 million Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park. View the full article

The Golden Age stamped himself as a horse to follow next season with a dominant front-running victory in the Group Three Lion Rock Trophy at Sha Tin on Sunday. Tony Cruz’s four-year-old got peach of a ride from Joao Moreira, who rated him perfectly as he cruised away to beat Beauty Only and Romantic Touch to complete a stable tierce. It’s the second time Cruz has achieved the feat in eight days after Pakistan Star, Exultant and Gold Mount did likewise in the Group One Champions... View the full article