Wandering Eyes

Horses' test results May 26 & 28 View the full article

Peter Hutchinson talks to local apprentice jockeys View the full article

After entering the starting gate as the 12-1 longest shot on the board, Chiefswood Stable's Niigon's Eclipse took it to a field of five other fillies and mares to score her first graded victory in the May 27 Nassau Stakes (G2T) on the Woodbine turf. View the full article

Last year’s Eclipse champion 2-year-old filly Caledonia Road (Quality Road), absent from the major races this spring, will look to get back in the mix at the top of her division when she faces the likes of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the June 9 GI Acorn S. at Belmont Park. The bay filly tuned up for the one-mile race with a bullet five-furlong work in :59.87 (1/12) at Belmont Saturday. “She is doing good,” said trainer Ralph Nicks. “We are looking forward to getting her started in the Acorn. We all know it’s not going to be an easy race, there are some very accomplished fillies, like Monomoy Girl, in there. And going the one-turn mile, they are going to be hard for us to catch, I would think. I expect a very good effort from her and hopefully there will be enough pace to help us out a little bit. But it will be good to get a good race in her and we are looking forward to the two-turn races.” Caledonia Road, second in the GI Frizette S. going one mile at Belmont in just her second career start last October, claimed her championship with a 3 1/4-length win in the Nov. 4 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. She resurfaced with an authoritative victory in a one-mile allowance in Elmont Apr. 29. “Absolutely,” Nicks said when asked if Caledonia Road had moved forward from her sophomore debut. “Look at her works. Her works have been good this year. She’s a much better work horse and she’s done well.” View the full article

A severe thunderstorm forced the Maryland Jockey Club to cancel the final six races of a 10-race program at Pimlico Race Course on May 27. View the full article

Lancaster Bomber gave trainer Aidan O'Brien a record-breaking seventh win in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1) at the Curragh on May 27, beating better-fancied stablemate Cliffs of Moher by two lengths under jockey Seamie Heffernan. View the full article

With less than a month remaining in Santa Anita's current Meet, the track's "Ship & Stay" program continues attract new horses to Southern California and to generate significant bonus money for participating owners and trainers. View the full article

Lancaster Bomber gave trainer Aidan O'Brien a record-breaking seventh win in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1) at the Curragh on May 27, beating better-fancied stablemate Cliffs of Moher by two lengths under jockey Seamie Heffernan. View the full article

Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, the Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stables’s GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) worked five furlongs in :59 2/5 at Churchill Downs prior to the track’s first race Sunday, her latest move in preparation for a start in the GI Acorn S. on the GI Belmont S. undercard June 9. Working in company with her 5-year-old stablemate Dazzling Gem (Misremembered), Monomoy Girl galloped out six furlongs in 1:12 4/5. “Very solid, what we were looking for,” trainer Brad Cox said. “She did it the right way. She never disappoints us in the morning, and she has yet to disappoint us in the afternoon. I’m really pleased with her.” Monomoy Girl ran her record to six-for-seven with a score in the May 4 Oaks. Cox said the decision was made to work her thirty minutes prior to the first race after an early morning thunderstorm left the track in wet condition during the normal training hours. “Thirteen days out, I wanted a good breeze in her,” he said. “We could have gone this morning if it had been more of a maintenance work. But I was kind of looking to do something today, so we were looking for a better track…I was glad we waited, and I appreciate Churchill giving us the opportunity to do this. It means a lot.” View the full article

The Niarchos family's Alpha Centauri pulled an upset to give trainer Jessica Harrington a first classic win when she came home strongly from off the pace to land the May 27 Tattersalls Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1) at the Curragh. View the full article

Wagnerian (JPN) parlayed clear sailing and firm footing to a half-length victory in the 85th running of the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1) May 27 at Tokyo Racecourse. View the full article

Social Misfit went off at 8-1 for the $100,000 Louisiana Legends Classic, and much to the delight of his backers, he covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.94 to win over a fast track. View the full article

Battle of Midway (Smart Strike), winner of the 2017 GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, has been returned to training after being found to be subfertile, according to a report from the Daily Racing Form. WinStar Farm CEO Elliott Walden told the Racing Form that Battle of Midway impregnated five of the 60 mares he was bred to this spring. According to the report, Battle of Midway galloped at Keeneland Sunday morning while under the training of Rodolphe Brisset, who also trains GII Tampa Bay Derby hero Quip (Distorted Humor) for WinStar, who owns the horse in partnership with China Horse Club and SF Racing. Walden told the Racing Form that WinStar had a fertility policy through the Great American insurance company, which assumed ownership of Battle of Midway before he was ultimately purchased back by WinStar Farm and Don Alberto Corporation with the intent of returning him to training. Under the training of Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, Battle of Midway won five times from 10 starts and banked $1,249,949 in earnings. View the full article

O’KEEFFE (f, 2, Munnings–Coco Ecolo {SP, $170,222}, by Johannesburg) showed speed and dug in late to graduate at first asking on the Arlington polytrack. Picked up for $275,000 at OBS March after breezing a furlong in :10 flat, the dark bay was away in midpack as the 3-5 choice but soon blitzed to the front from her outside draw to show the way through a :22.86 quarter. Challenged by $250,000 OBSMAR grad Agi’s Cait (Tale of the Cat) into the final furlong, O’Keeffe found another gear late to repel that foe by 1 1/2 lengths on the wire in :52.34. The winner has a yearling half-brother by Quality Road and her dam was bred to Clubhouse Ride last season. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $19,200. O-Carolyn Wilson; B-K & G Stables (KY); T-Larry Rivelli. View the full article

The biggest news in racing last week was the decision to pull Audible (Into Mischief) from the GI Belmont S. The decision was made by trainer Todd Pletcher, who said he wasn’t happy with the way the horse was training. Audible is a $500,000 purchase at the 2-year-old sales and, now, will not be facing Justify (Scat Daddy), a $500,000 purchase at the yearling sales and a horse going for the Triple Crown in the $1.5 million Belmont. Both are owned by a collection of owners led by WinStar Farm and the China Horse Club, two of the sport’s most prominent and richest owners. Then there were the reports that the goliath Coolmore is going to step in and pay $60 million for the breeding rights for Justify, a development WinStar has said is still up in the air. Those are head-spinning numbers and further evidence that the sport has never been more skewed toward the wealthiest, most prominent breeders and owners. They have the most money, they buy the best horses, they hire the best trainers, they seem to win all the major races. This is America. Nothing wrong with that. Then again, isn’t is nice to see the little guy with the over-achieving horse do some good every once in a while? That’s owner Adam Staple and his gelding Page McKenney (Eavesdropper). The story begins way back in 2013 when Staple, then a poker dealer at the Las Vegas casinos, decided to claim a horse. Trainer Mary Eppler saw something she liked in Page McKenney and claimed the horse on behalf of Staple for $16,000. It certainly wasn’t about the pedigree. Sire Eavesdropper now stands in Libya. Yes, Libya. Whenever you claim a horse for $16,000, you’re not expecting much, and Staple was perfectly happy when Page McKenney went on to win a $25,000 claimer and a starter allowance. He was just getting started. Page McKenney won a Pennsylvania-bred stakes race at Penn National in August 2014. It was his first of 14 stakes wins, and two of them are graded wins. He has 22 wins overall. The latest came Saturday at Monmouth in the GIII Salvator Mile. Sent off at 7-1, he won by a half-length over Shaft of Light (Smart Strike). His career earnings now stand at $1,870,940. “There are so many big owners now and with all these big powerhouses doing these partnerships, it’s harder and harder for the little guy to fit in and win graded races,” said Staple. “You don’t want to think you’re the last of a dying breed, but sometimes I feel that way. When you win with a horse like this, you really do think, ‘Hooray for the little guy.’ It really is a special thing.” Page McKenney earned $354,400 in 2017, but finished the year with an eighth-place finish in the GIII Harlan’s Holiday S. Off that race and with the horse having turned eight, Staple began to wonder if the run was over. Instead, the gelding started off 2018 with a win in a restricted stakes at Gulftstream and then finished a competitive fourth in the GII Gulfstream Park Hardacre Mile S. The Salvator Mile was not an easy field, but Page McKenney was clearly best. “Every time you think it’s winding down and then you see it’s not over yet,” Staple said. “He’s been training so well and has no physical ailments at all.” Page McKenney has never started in a Grade I race and has made only seven starts in graded company. Staple says he sometimes regrets not trying the toughest level of competition at least once, but says that Eppler has managed the horse perfectly and that’s a primary reason Page McKenney is still going strong at age eight. “Mary has been trying not to do over do it with him,” he said. “For him to maintain his form for this long, you just shake your head and realize it’s just part of the whole insanity of this story.” The Salvator Mile is part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series and there are bonuses given to the point leaders in each division. The GIII Philip H. Iselin S. is next on the MATCH schedule, so that is likely where Page McKenney will go next. With the money he’s made with Page McKenney, Staple has bought some other horses, but none have turned out to be anything like the star of the stable. With Page McKenney now eight, Staple realizes the run can’t last much longer. When it ends, he knows his life is going to change. “You can’t stop worrying that things are going to start winding down and if the rest of the barn isn’t performing especially well, all of that is going to make a big difference,” he said. “I’m still an average middle class guy and that gives you a different perspective on life. Losing a horse like this affects someone like me a lot more than the WinStars or Coolmores of the world. They can always move on to the next great horse. I can’t. It really forces you to reflect on life and how, for me, it won’t be long until things are back to normal.” A Big Day for Accelerate With Justify rightly grabbing all the headlines this year, with Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) dominating in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational and with West Coast (Flatter) considered the leading active older horse in the country, Accelerate (Lookin at Lucky) has flown under the radar this year. But it’s time to take him seriously and, if Justify does not win the Belmont, as a possible Horse of the Year candidate. He turned in a 111 Beyer when cruising to an easy 4 1/4-length win in the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita. The field may not have been what he will see in a GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, but it was far from soft. It included City of Light (Quality Road), who had just beaten Accelerate in the GII Oaklawn H., and the vastly improved Dr. Dorr (Lookin at Lucky) from the Bob Baffert stable. Accelerate has never been better and runs his best races at a mile-and-a-quarter, which bodes well for his chances in the Classic. As a side note, it looks like this may have been the last ever Gold Cup, which used to be the Hollywood Gold Cup. All indications are that Santa Anita will move the GI Santa Anita Handicap to the same date on the calender as that race very much to needs to get away from the GI Dubai World Cup, a race it has little chance of competing with. The Battle of the Brothers Here’s a rarity: Little brother Brother Chub (Hey Chub) got the better of his big brother Chublicious (Hey Chub) in Saturday’s John J. Reilly Handicap at Monmouth for New Jersey-breds. The 6-year-old won by 2 1/2 lengths over the 7-year-old. Both are out of the mare Sassy Broad and were bred by Joe-Dan Farm. It was the fourth straight win for Brother Chub. View the full article

Terry Hamilton and Brian Lynch are nothing if not persistent, especially where 7-year-old Heart to Heart is concerned. View the full article

With a heavy downpour overnight in Louisville, trainer Bob Baffert's assistant Jimmy Barnes slightly adjusted the plans for undefeated Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Justify May 27. View the full article

Jockey Tommy Berry arrived in Hong Kong late last summer with the highest of hopes as the number one rider for the almighty John Moore stable. But the winners were few and far between and that retainer ended several weeks ago, with just 13 victories from the first 74 meetings to show for it. Berry had trialled ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Pakistan Star (Ger) (Shamardal) to the satisfaction of Hong Kong’s stewards ahead of his run in the G1 Audemars Piguet QE II Cup a month ago, but the Aussie had already committed to Japan’s Danburite (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) and watched as Pakistan Star sailed home to a ground-breaking success. Given a golden opportunity by trainer Tony Cruz to take the ride aboard Pakistan Star in Sunday’s G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup, Berry produced the 5-year-old in upper stretch and the duo went on to a never-in-doubt success. “I..have to thank Tony and the connections,” Berry told HKJC’s Andrew Hawkins after riding his third winner on the program. “I know myself, if I’d told the connections that I was going to put on a jockey that had ridden 13 winners and that was out of form, I’d be second-guessing what Tony was doing, but they have stuck solid since I rode him in the trial before the QEII. There were nights I’d be laying in bed, waiting for the call to tell me that I wasn’t on him because my form hadn’t been good enough. “Today, though, I’ve been in the zone and it’s felt like everything used to be for me,” he continued. “It’s amazing when you get here on a day like this and you have Tony and the connections trusting you with a horse like this, it gives you confidence. Hopefully this is a turning point, it’s been a tough season but today means a lot.” Trying the metric mile and a half for the firs time, Pakistan Star fell out of the gates and edged down on to the rails to slipstream his stablemate Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), the second choice off his course-and-distance tour-de-force in the G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup H. three weeks back. As expected, there was no pace on whatsoever–the 1200m split was a dawdling 1:17.49–but Pakistan Star always had the front-runner in his sights, and when Eagle Way (Aus) (More Than Ready) rolled up three wide on the turn, Berry pressed the button and was alongside Exultant as heads were turned for home. From there, it was academic, even if Pakistan Star felt a crack of the whip inside the final furlong, as he finished his final 400m in :21.70 to post a convincing success. Gold Mount (GB) (Excellent Art {GB}), runner-up to Pakistan Star in the QE II, ran on smartly from the tail to complete a Cruz-trained 1-2-3. The conditioner confirmed Pakistan Star would be put away for the rest of the year, with the International Races in December his next major objective. “It’s going to be an all-domestic programme I think,” Cruz said. “The fact he sees out 2400m means that we could consider the [G1 Longines Hong Kong] Vase, but the [G1 Longines Hong Kong] Cup is the biggest race in Hong Kong and he might be the best horse here. I think the 2000m suits him better, too.” WATCH: Pakistan Star doubles his Group 1 tally Sunday Pedigree Notes: Bred by Gestut Wittekindshof, Pakistan Star caught the eye of the HKJC’s Mark Richards at the 2014 Arqana August Yearling Sale and plucked him out for €180,000. Despite rogue antics at the HKIS breeze-up, he realised a nice profit for the Club, selling for HK$6 million, and was turned over to Cruz. The winner’s dam is a multiple stakes-winning daughter of Group 1 winner Next Gina, while third dam Night Petticoat won the 1996 G2 Preis der Diana and was responsible for highweight and 2002 G1 Deutsches Derby hero Next Desert (Ire) (Desert Style {Ire}) as well as four other black-type earners. A Mastercraftsman (Ire) half-sister to Pakistan Star fetched €235,000 from Bertrand Le Metayer at last year’s BBAG September Yearling Sale–third-highest price at the auction–and Nina Celebre foaled a filly from the first crop of Golden Horn (GB) in 2017 that is set to be consigned to this year’s Tattersalls October Sale by Stauffenberg Bloodstock. Pakistan Star is one of 19 individual top-level scorers for his sire, a son of the late Giant’s Causeway. Other Group 1-winning sons of Shamardal in Hong Kong include Able Friend (Aus) and Dan Excel (Ire). Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong STANDARD CHARTERED CHAMPIONS & CHATER CUP-G1, HK$10,000,000 (£951,278/€1,085,406/A$1,681,286/ US$1,274,290), Sha Tin, 5-26, 3yo/up, 2400mT, 2:27.42, gd/fm. 1–PAKISTAN STAR (GER), 126, g, 5, by Shamardal 1st Dam: Nina Celebre (Ire) (MSW-Ger, SP-Ity), by Peintre Celebre 2nd Dam: Next Gina (Ger), by Perugino 3rd Dam: Night Petticoat (Ger), by Petoski (GB) ‘TDN Rising Star‘ (€180,000 Ylg ’14 ARQAUG; HK$6,000,000 HRA ’16 HKIS). O-Kerm Din; B-Gestut Wittekindshof; T-Tony Cruz; J-Tommy Berry; HK$5,700,000. Lifetime Record: 16-5-5-0, HK$35,656,200. Click for the eNicks report & five-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+. 2–Exultant (Ire), 126, g, 4, Teofilo (Ire)–Contrary (Ire), by Mark of Esteem (Ire). O-Eddie Wong Ming Chak; B-Ballygallon Stud Limited; T-Tony Cruz; HK$2,200,000. 3–Gold Mount (GB), 126, g, 5, Excellent Art (GB)–Dolcetto (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (10,000gns Ylg ’14 TATOCT). O-Pan Sutong; B-Mrs L H Field; T-Tony Cruz; HK$1,000,000. Margins: 1 3/4, 2 3/4, 1. Odds: 7-10, 12-5, 29-5. Also Ran: Eagle Way (Aus), Chemical Charge (Ire). Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today’s Observations features a well-bred Flaxman Stables representative. 2.20 Saint-Cloud, Mdn, €27,000, unraced 2yo, f, 6fT Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd’s PATH OF TOTALITY (War Front), a supplementary entry for this debut, is a half-sister to last term’s G3 Flame of Tara S. victress Liquid Amber (Kitten’s Joy) out of MGSW GI Personal Ensign S., GI Spinster S. and GI Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic placegetter Pachattack (Pulpit). The Andre Fabre incumbent faces nine rivals including Vrai (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who is kin to 2011 G1 Middle Park S. runner-up and G2 Railway S.-winning sire Lilbourne Lad (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), from the Henri-Francois Devin barn. 3.05 Windsor, Cond, £5,800, 2yo, 6f 12yT SO HI STORM (IRE) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) is a half-brother to Xtension (Ire) (Xaar {GB}), who annexed the 2009 Vintage S. as well as hitting the board in that term’s G1 Dewhurst S. and the following year’s G1 Prix Jean Prat before posting a career high in Sha Tin’s 2011 G1 Champions Mile. Opposition to the Karl Burke trainee includes fellow Northern raider Seductive Moment (Ger) (Shamardal), who is a son of 2006 G3 Prix Chloe victress Sexy Lady (Ger) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), representing the Mark Johnston stable. View the full article

Now that Carlos Laffon-Parias has his trip right, SARL Darpat’s Recoletos (Fr) (Whipper) is a force to be reckoned with and was able to build on his return success in Saint-Cloud’s G2 Prix du Muguet over a mile at the start of the month to garner Sunday’s G1 Churchill Coolmore Prix d’Ispahan at ParisLongchamp. Tackling another 300 metres here, last year’s G1 Prix du Jockey Club third was confidently anchored in last early by Olivier Peslier eight lengths off his useful pacemaker Oriental (Jpn) (Smart Strike). Sent up the inner turning for home, the 4-5 favourite showed the acceleration that differentiates a group 1 horse from the rest to cut down the British raider Almodovar (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) passing the furlong pole en route to a 1 3/4-length success. Recoletos’s trainer is looking at taking on Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the June 19 G1 Queen Anne S. now. “It was not the plan to be held up in last place, but he broke slowly which he can do once in a while,” Laffon-Parias explained. “We had a good pacemaker and a top-class jockey. There is no stress when Olivier Peslier is in the saddle, because he never panics. We’ve won so many top-class races together and my career owes him so much. He gets older, but is always at the top of his game so why change a winning partnership? Running here was the logical step after winning the Muguet, but we will now revert to a mile and go to the Queen Anne S.” Following his prior group wins in the Muguet, G2 Prix Greffulhe and G3 Prix du Prince d’Orange, Recoletos is out of the unraced Highphar (Fr) (Highest Honor {Fr}) whose 3-year-old filly Castellar (Fr) (American Post {GB}) took the G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud for the same connections on Monday. They share their GII Garden City Breeders’ Cup H.-winning second dam Pharatta (Ire) (Fairy King) with the G3 Premio Verziere scorer Cartaya (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), while Pharatta is kin to the G2 Premio Ribot and G2 Grosser Preis von Dusseldorf-winning sire Crimson Tide (Ire) and two other useful performers in Tamarind (Ire) and Arosa (Ire) all by Sadler’s Wells. The third dam Shademah (Ire) (Thatch) is a half-sister to the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud hero Shakapour (Ire) (Kalamoun {GB}) and is also the dam of the G1 English and Irish Derby hero Shahrastani (Nijinsky II). Highphar’s 2-year-old is a full-sister to Recoletos named Villalar (Fr). Sunday, Longchamp, France CHURCHILL COOLMORE PRIX D’ISPAHAN-G1, €250,000, ParisLongchamp, 5-27, 4yo/up, 9f 55yT, 1:52.80, g/s. 1–RECOLETOS (FR), 128, c, 4, by Whipper 1st Dam: Highphar (Fr), by Highest Honor (Fr) 2nd Dam: Pharatta (Ire), by Fairy King 3rd Dam: Sharata (Ire), by Darshaan (GB) 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-SARL Darpat France (FR); T-Carlos Laffon-Parias; J-Olivier Peslier. €142,850. Lifetime Record: 10-6-0-1, €612,833. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Almodovar (Ire), 128, g, 6, Sea the Stars (Ire)–Melodramatic (Ire), by Sadler’s Wells. O/B-Bjorn Nielsen (IRE); T-Roger Charlton. €57,150. 3–Trais Fluors (GB), 128, c, 4, Dansili (GB)–Trois Lunes (Fr), by Manduro (Ger). O/B-Haras de Saint Pair (GB); T-Andre Fabre. €28,575. Margins: 1 3/4, 2, 1GF. Odds: 0.80, 5.50, 6.60. Also Ran: Taareef, Wild Chief (Ger), Oriental (Jpn). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

Labelled a TDN Rising Star due to her exciting early juvenile form, the Niarchos Family’s Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) picked the right stage to mount a serious comeback after some worrying reversals to annexe Sunday’s G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh. Attracting support into 12-1, the imposing grey who was only 10th in the G3 Ballylinch Stud 1000 Guineas Trial over seven furlongs on heavy ground at Leopardstown Apr. 14 was always comfortable travelling towards the rear under Colm O’Donoghue. Allowing Ballydoyle’s 33-1 shot Could It Be Love (War Front) a sizeable advantage, the homebred steadily gathered her in and despite drifting left late on managed to do so to score by 1 3/4 lengths, with 3/4 of a length back to the 5-4 favourite Happily (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in third. View the full article

It was not surprising to see a son of Deep Impact (Jpn) take Sunday’s G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), but it was not the one most would have expected, with Wagnerian (Jpn) posting a mild 12-1 upset and the heavily favoured 2-year-old champion Danon Premium (Jpn) checking in sixth in a blanket finish after being bottled up on the rail through the stretch run. Wagnerian went unbeaten in three starts at two, including the G3 Hai Nisai S. over 1800 metres at Tokyo in November, and he was 1 1/2 lengths second to Danon Premium on seasonal debut in the G2 Hochi Hai Yayoi S. up to 2000 metres on Mar. 4. The bay perhaps lost some favour with punters, however, when checking in just seventh behind Epoca d’Oro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) over that same trip in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) on Apr. 15. It was Epoca d’Oro who bounced out of the barriers to grab the lead in the Tokyo Yushun, while Danon Premium scored a sweet spot on the fence and right on his heels from the one hole. Wagnerian was forced wide around the first bend from gate 17, and settled about five lengths off the pace and three wide down the backstretch. As they turned into the straight, Danon Premium didn’t appear to initially respond when his rider went to the whip, and he was soon locked into a pocket as Cosmic Force (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) and Wagnerian drew alongside, with Epoca d’Oro clinging to the lead. Wagnerian at last hit the lead under a drive just strides from the wire as an onslaught of late runners surged to make it a tight finish. Pedigree Notes… Deep Impact won the 2005 Tokyo Yushun on his way to the Japanese Triple Crown, and Wagnerian is his fourth winner of the Classic as a sire, following Deep Brilliante (Jpn) in 2009, Kizuna (Jpn) the following year and Makahiki (Jpn) in 2013. Wagnerian is Deep Impact’s 36th Group 1 winner. Wagnerian is out of Miss Encore (Jpn), a daughter of Deep Impact’s Shadai barnmate King Kamehameha (Jpn) who has also produced the listed-winning and Group 3-placed Tenderly Voice (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Sunday, Tokyo, Japan TOKYO YUSHUN (JAPANESE DERBY)-G1, ¥419,260,000, Tokyo, 5-27, 3yo, c&f, 2400mT, 2:23.60, fm. 1–WAGNERIAN (JPN), 126, c, 3, by Deep Impact (Jpn) 1st Dam: Miss Encore (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn) 2nd Dam: Broad Appeal, by Broad Brush 3rd Dam: Valid Allure, by Valid Appeal 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Makoto Kaneko Holdings; B-Northern Farm; T-Yasuo Tomomichi; J-Yuichi Fukunaga ; ¥227,482,000. Lifetime Record: 6-4-1-0. *Full to Tenderly Voice (Jpn), SW & GSP-Jpn, $393,219. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Epoca d’Oro (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Orfevre (Jpn)–Daiwa Passion (Jpn), by Forty Niner. (¥34,000,000 wnlg ’15 JRHAJUL) O-Hidaka Breeders Union; B-Toru Tagami; ¥87,852,000. 3–Cosmic Force (Jpn), 126, c, 3, King Kamehameha (Jpn)– Mikrokosmos (Jpn), by Neo Universe (Jpn). O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; ¥53,926,000. Margins: HF, NK, NO. Odds: 11.50, 9.50, 222.70. Also Ran: Etario (Jpn), Blast Onepiece (Jpn), Danon Premium (Jpn), Go for the Summit (Jpn), Stelvio (Jpn), Admire Alba (Jpn), Stay Foolish (Jpn), Time Flyer (Jpn), Kitano Commandeur (Jpn), Sans Rival (Jpn), Grail (Jpn), Oken Moon (Jpn), Generale Uno (Jpn), Gendarme, T O Energy (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart and video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. View the full article

If anyone can empathise with Tommy Berry’s struggles in his first full-time season in Hong Kong it is fellow freshman Michael Freedman, who has endured his own challenging start to his time at Sha Tin. The two mates have had plenty of near misses together so it was fitting on Berry’s big bounce-back day that Freedman provided one of his three winners, giving the trainer a timely boost as well. “It’s nice to be part of that for sure because we’ve been good friends... View the full article

So game when second in the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket three weeks ago, John Dance’s Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) had to be every bit as tough again on Sunday to register a second top-level success in the G1 The Gurkha Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary at ParisLongchamp. Sent straight to the front by PJ McDonald, last year’s G1 Fillies Mile and G2 May Hill S. heroine was tackled and briefly headed by Flowrider (Street Cry {Ire}) approaching the furlong pole and for a stride or two it looked as if she could capitulate. Rallying to see off that threat soon after, she had to take off the gloves as TDN Rising Star With You (GB) (Dansili {GB}) forged up her inner using the cutaway rail but the visiting 7-10 favourite proved equal to the task to score by a short head. Trainer Karl Burke was every bit as relieved as he was delighted afterwards. “She’d definitely be better with a lead, but with today’s small field and her long action and stride we knew it’d be difficult to get one,” he admitted. “The jockey told me she was sleeping in front and would have kicked himself if she’d been beaten. She is so brave and such a fighter. She trained well after the Guineas and the initial plan was to go for the Irish 1000 Guineas, but we feared fast ground at The Curragh. After the rain fell in Paris on Friday, we decided to come here instead. She has won a group 1 as a 2-year-old and a group 1 as a 3-year-old and we’ll come back to France for the [June 17 G1] Prix de Diane [at Chantilly]. Two long road trips is perhaps too much for her in the space of three weeks, so next time we’ll fly her over. I’ve not yet won a Classic, but she’ll probably be favourite so it’ll be fingers crossed on the day.” With You’s trainer Freddy Head will also be there for the rematch and he said of the runner-up, “I’ve got mixed feelings and am disappointed to see her beaten so narrowly, but delighted to see her run so well on her first start of the year. I’ve had all manner of problems with her and haven’t been able to train her as I’d wished, so she should come on a lot for the run and we’ll bring her back in the Diane.” Laurens will undoubtedly get further than this 10-furlong trip in time, with her dam Recambe (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) a half-sister to the Hong Kong Derby hero Salford Mill (Ire) (Preintre Celebre). The third dam Raysiya (Ire) (Cure the Blues) is the second dam of the G1 Prix de l’Opera heroine Kinnaird (Ire) (Dr. Devious {Ire}). She in turn produced the G2 Royal Lodge S. scorer Berkshire (Ire) (Mount Nelson {GB}) and features as the second dam of the G2 July S. hero and G1 Middle Park S. runner-up Ivawood (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) who was also third in both the G1 English and Irish 2000 Guineas. Sunday, Longchamp, France THE GURKHA COOLMORE PRIX SAINT-ALARY-G1, €250,000, ParisLongchamp, 5-27, 3yo, f, 10fT, 2:08.39, g/s. 1–LAURENS (FR), 126, f, 3, by Siyouni (Fr) 1st Dam: Recambe (Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire) 2nd Dam: Razana (Ire), by Kahyasi (Ire) 3rd Dam: Raysiya (Ire), by Cure the Blues (£220,000 Ylg ’16 GOUKPR). O-John Dance; B-Bloodstock Agency Ltd (FR); T-Karl Burke; J-P J McDonald. €142,850. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng, 6-4-2-0, €717,173. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–With You (GB), 126, f, 3, Dansili (GB)–In Clover (GB), by Inchinor (GB). O/B-George Strawbridge (GB); T-Freddy Head. €57,150. 3–Soustraction (Ire), 126, f, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Mathematicienne (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O/B-Wertheimer & Frere (IRE); T-Carlos Laffon-Parias. €28,575. Margins: SHD, 2, NK. Odds: 0.70, 3.00, 8.00. Also Ran: Flowrider, Tosen Gift (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

Following 13 tries at the highest level, Lancaster Bomber (War Front) finally hit the jackpot as he made all in dynamic fashion in Sunday’s G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh. Looking ready for this 10 1/2-furlong trip when a rallying third behind stablemate Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in last Saturday’s G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury, the 10-3 shot was sent into the clear from the outset by Seamie Heffernan and was still bounding away as another fellow Ballydoyle trainee Cliffs of Moher (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) gave pursuit along with the 5-4 favourite Defoe (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) in the final two furlongs. It was the former of that duelling pair who won that battle, but the imposing bay up ahead was continuing to roll on and he found again to extend and prevail by two lengths, with 1 1/2 lengths back to Defoe in third. Highly effective when ridden prominently on ground quicker than good, Lancaster Bomber had managed a second under those conditions in last year’s G1 St James’s Palace S. at Royal Ascot but was also in that spot under more waiting tactics behind Oscar Performance (Kitten’s Joy) in Santa Anita’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and behind World Approval (Northern Afleet) in both the GI Woodbine Mile and GI Breeders’ Cup Mile last term. Part-owner Michael Tabor, whose silks he sports, was on hand to pay tribute to the tough customer. “He’s one of those horses who has tried his heart out every year and hasn’t quite done it, but today was his day,” he said. “I did think when he was that far clear that it is very hard for horses to make that ground up and Seamie was obviously confident he would stay the trip. Those fun horses are really invaluable.” Lancaster Bomber is the third group and fourth black-type winner for Sun Shower (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), whose best was the high-class MG1SW miler Excelebration (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) who ended up with this stable and spent the majority of his career chasing the tail of Frankel (GB). Still able to win the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois for Ballydoyle and G1 Prix du Moulin and G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen (German 2000 Guineas) when with Marco Botti in that rival’s absence, he is also a half-brother to the MGSW nine-furlong specialist Mull of Killough (Ire) (Mull of Kintyre {Ire}). Sun Shower’s second dam Sarah Siddons (Fr) (Le Levanstell {GB}) landed the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas here and the G1 Yorkshire Oaks, as well as finishing runner-up in the G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Prix Vermeille. She produced three black-type winners, most notably the G1 Irish Oaks heroine Princess Pati (Ire) (Top Ville {Ire}) and the G2 Great Voltigeur S. winner Seymour Hicks (Fr) (Ballymore {Ire}). Still to come from Sun Shower is the as-yet unraced 3-year-old full-brother to Lancaster Bomber named Chief of War and a yearling colt again by War Front. Sunday, Curragh, Ireland TATTERSALLS GOLD CUP-G1, €300,000, Curragh, 5-27, 4yo/up, 10f 110yT, 2:14.05, g/f. 1–LANCASTER BOMBER, 129, c, 4, by War Front 1st Dam: Sun Shower (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire) 2nd Dam: Miss Kemble, by Warning (GB) 3rd Dam: Sarah Siddons (Fr), by Le Levanstell (GB) 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Sun Shower Syndicate (KY); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Seamus Heffernan. €177,000. Lifetime Record: MG1SP-Eng, MGISP-US & GISP-Can, 18-2-5-1, $1,422,743. *1/2 to Excelebration (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), Hwt. 3yo-Ger at 7-9.5f, Hwt. Older Horse-Fr at 7-9f, MG1SW-Fr, Hwt. Older Horse-Ire at 7-9.5f, MG1SW-Fr, G1SW-Eng, GSW-Ire & Ger, $2,663,259; Mull of Killough (Ire) (Mull of Kintyre), MGSW-Eng & SP-Aus, $583,787; and Shivalik Showers (Ind) (Dancing Forever), MSW-Ind. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Cliffs of Moher (Ire), 129, c, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Wave (Ire), by Dansili (GB). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Markus Jooste; B-Wave Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. €60,000. 3–Defoe (Ire), 129, c, 4, Dalakhani (Ire)–Dulkashe (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). O-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; B-Darley (IRE); T-Roger Varian. €30,000. Margins: 2, 1HF, 5HF. Odds: 3.30, 1.75, 1.25. Also Ran: Reckless Gold (Ire), Success Days (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article