Wandering Eyes

Forever Young aiming for second Chairman's Trophy View the full article

“It’s wonderful back there,” said trainer Phil D’Amato’s assistant Linda Thrash, turning her eyes to the bright ochre red roofs of the barns behind her. “Everything’s cleaned, repaired, painted. It looks great. I’m really happy.” We’re stood at the entrance to the San Luis Rey Training Center training track early on this bright Monday morning, surrounded by a wall of sunlight and color and life. Trees blanketed in leaves. Hillsides drenched in all shades of green. Flowers a labyrinth of reds, blues and yellows–a vastly different sight to that only four months before, when Thrash had been one of the many who fought through the black smoke and the flames and the searing heat in an effort to save the near 500 horses trapped there by the Lilac Fire that engulfed the facility that fateful December afternoon. In all, 46 horses perished. Martine Bellocq and Joe Hettrick were hospitalized. Trainers, grooms, and hotwalkers watched helplessly as their lives and livelihoods disappeared into cinders and ash. Time, however, has a way of sweeping all before it, and time has certainly had a transformative effect on San Luis Rey. And this morning marked the re-commencement of training at San Luis Rey. Horses belonging to trainers D’Amato, Richard Baltas and Doug O’Neill trickled back in over the weekend–Saturday being the four-month anniversary of the tragedy, coincidentally–and the rest of the horses stabled temporarily at Del Mar will return this week. Before all horses can return to San Luis Rey, however, there’s still more work to do. Not that facility general manager Kevin Habell and his crew have been sitting idly by. “It’s been a heck of a project,” said Habell, about a seven-days-a-week work program now nearing its fourth month. They start between seven or eight o’clock in the morning. “And we go until it goes dark.” On a tour of the facility, Habell showed me the former site of eight barns destroyed in the fire, where largely metal buildings had been engulfed by a white-heat so strong, it warped porcelain toilets in the bathrooms. “The fire department said that that’s got to be 2500, 3000 degrees. Just a crazy once-in-a-lifetime thing.” What remained of these buildings was razed, the scrap hauled out, the surface graded flat, and in their place have grown two giant white marquees with shiny steel innards–what Habell calls pavilions one and two. “It was the fastest stabling we could get, to get people in and the horses back,” said Habell. One of the pavilions can house 104 horses, the other 144. The roofing material is non-flammable. The floors are rubber matted. The plumbing and the electrics is a work in progress. “And all this is going to get a nice two, three inches of sand,” said Habell, pointing to the wide aisles slicing through the middle of the stables. “We’ll see how this works out for now,” he added, for, if the light, airy structures prove popular with the trainers, they could become a more permanent addition to the San Luis Rey landscape. “They keep them at Gulfstream and Laurel Park,” he said. “All the trainers I’ve brought by really like it.” Not all the barns perished. Seven barns survived–somehow. “It’s so bizarre how it attacked certain things and not others,” he said, about the capricious nature of the fire–a “dirty fire,” Habell called it, as it behaved in a dirty-rotten way. These barns were pressure washed top to bottom, given a new lick of paint, and their roofs replaced with metal. Habell and crew have also erected a little box-city of rooms for the stable staff to live in. Two-hundred palm trees were hacked down. New wash-racks are being pieced together. Scorched manure bins have been re-built. And new day pens and hot-walking machines are on the to-do list. “This is so odd, because this is where the fire started,” said Habell, pointing to a lonely patch of green turf amid the brown of the San Luis Rey construction site. Right now, a young palm tree and a small colorful clump of flowers sprout from the grass. Eventually, this emerald rectangle will be a memorial to the fire. “It’s a survivor, and that’s what we are,” Habell said. Another San Luis Rey fire survivor is outrider Les Baker, who broke nine ribs–two in two different places–when he was trampled amid the melee. “It was like throwing gravel into a cement mixer,” he said of the healing process. “Laughing and sneezing and all that, now that was painful, let me tell you.” Of that day, Baker remembers lying on the ground, a horse’s hoof coming down, crushing his chest. “And that’s the last thing I remember,” he said. When Baker came around, he remembers seeing near him his paint pony, dead, having been fatally struck by the same herd of horses as he was. “That was the hardest part,” Baker said, “leaving him there on the road.” But this morning also marked Baker’s first day back on the job, and, apart from a few aches and pains, he’s pleased to be back. “It’s a good day to be above ground,” he said, riding back to the barns aboard another pony who survived the fire. What’s more, Baker’s grateful to be back at San Luis Rey. As is Linda Mikus, second assistant at the Phil D’Amato barn. “The last time I was here, that’s where I saw the horse,” she said, describing how, during training that morning, she had ridden past a particular spot on the track where she had discovered a horse succumb through smoke inhalation. Still, she said, “I’m pleased to be back here.” And her comments pretty much encapsulate the conflicting mood of the morning. For, amid the cheer and the optimism, the sense of “welcome home” bonhomie, the mental scars remain close, lurking there in the shadows, within easy reach. “A lot of people saw terrible things. Injured horses. Burning people. Burning horses,” said Linda Thrash, down-playing what she experienced that day compared to what she said are the experiences of others. Just then, tears sprung to her eyes. “I had an angel watching over me, I guess.” View the full article

GRONKOWSKI (Lonhro {Aus}-Four Sugars, by Lookin At Lucky) O-Phoenix Thoroughbred Limited. B-Epic Thoroughbreds LLC. T-Jeremy Noseda. Sales history: $75,000 wnl KEENOV ’15; $67,415 yrl TATOCT ’16; $404,492 2yo TATBRE ’17. Lifetime Record: 6-4-1-0, $135,644. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: N/A Last Start: 1st, 32red Burradon S, NEW, Mar. 30. Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: Qualified via European Road to the KY Derby After Gronkowski earned his way into a Derby berth by winning the European Road to the Kentucky Derby points battle last week, the predominant wise guy chatter about him centered on how his presence will skew the Derby betting by a few percentage points. Here’s a horse who should legitimately go off north of 60-1 odds, but because he shares a name with a well-known, highly animated professional football player who is likely to attend the Derby and get substantial media coverage, you can expect casual stateside money to pound his price below 20-1. Gronkowski has never run on dirt nor beyond a mile, and he won the Burradon S. at Newcastle by settling towards the back of the pack and rallying late for a 1 1/4-length, driven-out victory. View the full article

BRAVAZO (c, Awesome Again—Tiz o’ Gold, by Cee’s Tizzy) O/B-Calumet Farm. T-D. Wayne Lukas. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 8-3-1-1, $436,528. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: N/A Last Start: 8th, GII Louisiana Derby, FG, Mar. 24. Accomplishments: 1st, GII Risen Star S., FG, Feb. 17; 2nd, GI Breeders’ Futurity, KEE, Oct. 7. Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 54 Bravazo’s first two starts in 2018 produced wins by a neck and a nose, with his GII Risen Star S. upset at 21-1 odds being the focal point on his resume. He was subsequently backed to second-favoritism in the GII Louisiana Derby off the strength of those victories, but was pasted by 21 lengths, finishing eighth after lugging out on both turns. Still, the 54 points he’s garnered are enough to rank him tenth in terms of qualifying for a starting spot in Louisville. Bravazo was second in his only career Grade I stakes try last October at 47-1 odds at Keeneland, and it’s worth mentioning that he did break his maiden by open lengths over the Churchill strip last September when pressing the pace in a one-turn mile. VIDEO PPS FINISH RACE 1st Allowance 10th GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. 3rd Street Sense S. 2nd GI Breeders’ Futurity 1st Maiden 8th Maiden View the full article

RUNAWAY GHOST (c, Ghostzapper—Rose’s Desert, by Desert Gold) O/B-Joe Peacock. T-Todd W. Fincher. Sales history: $240,000 RNA yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: GSW, 7-4-2-0, $563,510. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: N/A Last Start: 1st, GIII Sunland Derby, SUN, Mar. 25. Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 50 Whenever a horse qualifies for the Derby via the New Mexico prep-race series, a “lovable long shot” story seems destined to follow (think Mine That Bird at 50-1 in 2009). How can you not root for a one-horse stable headed by an octogenarian owner/breeder whose Ghostzapper homebred got bid up just shy of a $250,000 RNA at KEESEP and the gent refused all subsequent offers to sell? Runaway Ghost is now four-for-seven lifetime and has more than doubled his auction asking price in earnings, with his GIII Sunland Derby score amassing him 50 qualifying points, currently good for a 13th-place eligibility ranking. VIDEO PPS FINISH RACE 1st GIII Sunland Debry 2nd Mine That Bird Derby 1st Riley Allison S. 5th GI Los Alamitos Futurity 1st Golden Nugget S. 1st Maiden 2nd Maiden View the full article

COMBATANT (c, Scat Daddy-Border Dispute, by Boundary) O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC & Willis Horton Racing LLC. B-Paget Bloodstock. T-Steve Asmussen. Sales history: $320,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: MGSP, 6-1-3-1, $338.550. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: N/A Last Start: 3rd, GII Rebel S., OP, Mar. 17. Next Start: GI Arkansas Derby, OP, Apr. 14 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 22 Combatant has been plying his trade at Oaklawn this winter, racking up a series of second- and third-place finishes while close behind a handful of well-meant winners. As a result, you can’t discount his chances entirely in the Arkansas Derby, but he’s hardly the type of horse you run to the windows to back with zeal because this $320,000 KEESEP Scat Daddy colt doesn’t have any obvious excuses for not punching through to the next level. He’s been drawn in posts nine and ten for his last two route attempts; perhaps a better gate assignment will up his chances on Saturday. Stamina shouldn’t be an issue–he’s the only horse within the Top 20 to have made every single start of his career (six of ’em) at a mile or longer. VIDEO PPS FINISH RACE 2nd GII Rebel S. 1st GIII Southwest S. 4th Smarty Jones S. 2nd Springboard Mile 1st Maiden 4th Maiden View the full article

HOFBURG (c, Tapit-Soothing Touch, by Touch Gold) O/B-Juddmonte Farms Inc. (KY). T-Bill Mott. Lifetime Record: GISP, 3-1-1-0, $227,950. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: N/A Last Start: 2nd, GI Florida Derby, GP, Mar. 31. Next Start: Possible for GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 40 This Tapit homebred for Juddmonte Farms mustered up an encouraging try when ambitiously spotted in the Florida Derby off a maiden win and just two previous starts. It’s always an eye-opener when trainer Bill Mott opts for such a lofty goal with a relatively inexperienced young horse, and Hofburg was widest off the bend for home in Florida Derby yet never looked discouraged when giving chase to a much more experienced winner in Audible. Should his connections decide on a Kentucky Derby start (Hofburg right now is 17th on qualifying points) this is the sort of colt who could be capable of a bombs-away showing while totally ignored in the betting. VIDEO PPS FINISH RACE 2nd GI Florida Derby 1st Maiden 4th Maiden View the full article

8) Vino Rosso (c, Curlin–Mythical Bride, by Street Cry {Ire}) O-Repole Stable & St. Elias Stable. B- John D. Gunther (KY). T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $410,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-0-1, $620,500. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: N/A Last Start: 1st, GII Wood Memorial S., AQU, Apr. 7. Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5. Equineline PPs. Kentucky Derby Points: 107 Vino Rosso has been poised for a breakout performance for several months now, and he finally put it all together on Saturday with an off-the-pace, foul-claim-surviving rally in the GII Wood Memorial S. This $410,000 KEESEP Curlin colt seems to have found his niche rallying from farther back rather than pressing the pace a bit closer like he did in his four previous starts, but I am hesitant to take his Wood victory at face value because it came up on paper as the weakest of Saturday’s nine-furlong preps and featured an overly ambitious lone pacemaker setting up the race for closers by laying down :22.96 and :46.69 solo splits. Jockey John Velazquez has now ridden three of trainer Todd Pletcher’s four recent graded-stakes Derby prep winners (Audible, Noble Indy and Vino Rosso), and numerous reports indicate he is sticking with Vino Rosso in Louisville. VIDEO PPS FINISH RACE 1st GII Wood Memorial S. 4th GII Tampa Bay Derby 3rd GIII Sam F. Davis 1st Allowance/Optional Claiming 1st Maiden View the full article

The $300,000 Super Derby (G3) will be run Sept. 2 on the main track. View the full article

Now that the big “power weekend” of coast-to-coast nine-furlong preps is behind us, the GI Kentucky Derby rankings have solidified enough to graduate from the top 12 in the division to the top 20. To illustrate how much has changed in the past three months, the two highest-rated prospects currently occupying the No. 1 and No. 2 rankings hadn’t even made their racing debuts when this feature was first published for the season, and the colt now clocking in at No. 4 was considered an overseas-based turf specialist. Please note that the rankings below are independent from the “Road to the Derby” points leaderboard that Churchill Downs will use to determine starting berths; that list can be accessed here. 1) MAGNUM MOON (c, Malibu Moon–Dazzling Song, by Unbridled’s Song) ‘TDN Rising Star’ O-Robert E. & Lawana L. Low. B-Ramona S. Bass, LLC (KY). T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $380,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-3-0-0, $577,800. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: 2 Last Start: 1st, GII Rebel S., OP, Mar. 17. Next Start: GI Arkansas Derby, OP, Apr. 14 Equineline PPs. Caulfield on Magnum Moon. KY Derby Points: 50 Magnum Moon retains the top spot on this week’s Top 12 because I’m betting that he’ll deliver the most impressive performance of all the nine-furlong preps in Saturday’s GI Arkansas Derby. This three-for-three ‘TDN Rising Star’ made quite an impression in his stakes debut over the same Oaklawn surface when winning the Mar. 17 GII Rebel S., and he stands apart from other lightly raced contenders based on his determined, level-headed professionalism and what appears to be a still-developing tactical ability to put himself into a prominent position while responding to more aggressive handling when called upon to do so. Want more reasons to like this $380,000 KEESEP Malibu Moon colt’s chances? He imparts an in-race grace under pressure that belies his May 9 foaling date, he’s handled three very different dirt racing surfaces while stretching out in distance each time, he’s run some fast-figure races (without looking all-out when doing so), and has a solid pedigree that stamps him as a stayer capable of carrying speed. Trainer Todd Pletcher is holding a loaded hand with four Kentucky Derby contenders ranked within the top eight on this list, but the gamble here is that he’s saving the biggest and best breakthrough for last. 2) JUSTIFY (c, Scat Daddy–Stage Magic, by Ghostzapper) ‘TDN Rising Star’ O-China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners LLC, Starlight Racing & WinStar Farm. B- John D. Gunther (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $500,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: GISW, 3-3-0-0, $666,000. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: 5 Last Start: 1st, GI Santa Anita Derby, SA, Apr. 7 Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 100 By the time the field ran a furlong and crossed under the finish wire for the first time in Saturday’s GI Santa Anita Derby, you got a sense that Justify would have things his own way on the lead without pressure from his main rival, Bolt d’Oro (Medaglia d’Oro). And once they hit the backstretch through splits of :23.96 and :47.85, it was clear that this undefeated $500,000 KEESEP Scat Daddy colt was as good as gone. It’s no small feat to go from unraced maiden to Grade I winner in a span of 48 days, and the ease with which Justify stretched out to nine furlongs means he didn’t have an overly demanding race four weeks ahead of the Kentucky Derby. But this ‘TDN Rising Star’ hasn’t had the opportunity yet to show us what he can do when having to withstand multiple in-race attacks, and I need to see that before granting him kingpin status. While I agree that Justify’s ability ceiling is incredibly high and that he’s the most likely candidate to eventually be the dominant horse in his division, that’s different from confidently backing him as the favorite in a wild 20-horse field going 10 furlongs in front of 150,000 screaming fans after never having shipped away from his home track before. So for now I’ll treat Justify with a hefty dose of long-term respect while taking a slightly contrarian position against him in the short run. 3) BOLT D’ORO (c, Medaglia d’Oro—Globe Trot, by A.P. Indy) O-Ruis Racing. B-WinStar Farm (KY). T-Mick Ruis. Sales History: $630,000 yrl FTSAUG ’16. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 6-4-1-1, $1,016,000. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: 2 Last Start: 2nd, GI Santa Anita Derby, SA, Apr. 7 Accomplishments Include: 1st, GI Del Mar Futurity, DMR, Sept. 4; 1st GI FrontRunner S., SA, Sept. 30. 3rd GI Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, SA, Nov. 4; 1st GII San Felipe S., SA, Mar. 10. Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5 Equineline PPs. Caulfield on Bolt d’Oro. KY Derby Points: 104. Owner/trainer Mick Ruis and jockey Javier Castellano made a shrewd decision to not hustle this $630,000 FTSAUG Medaglia d’Oro colt out of the gate to engage in a merciless pace battle with front-running Justify, in effect trading not winning the battle (Santa Anita Derby) for the greater good of having a fresher, fitter horse for the overall war (Kentucky Derby). Bolt d’Oro had just exited an exhausting, demanding GII San Felipe S. four weeks earlier, he didn’t need to win on Saturday to rack up Derby qualifying points, and he heads to Louisville without having yet shown the world the “100%” effort that Ruis has been saying that his star colt is capable of unleashing. If you want to nitpick, it’s true that “Bolt” hasn’t crossed the finish wire first ahead of any other horse since Sep. 30, and the last time he raced in a large field (Breeders’ Cup) his issues out of the gate cost him early positioning and the race. But from a training/management perspective, the bet here is that Ruis will have him peaking at the right time on the first Saturday in May. 4) MENDELSSOHN (c, Scat Daddy—Leslie’s Lady, by Tricky Creek) O-Michael B. Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier & Derrick Smith. B-Clarkland Farm (KY). T-Aiden O’Brien. Sales history: $3,000,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: GISW, 7-4-1-0, $1,961,137. Mar. 27 TDN Top 12: N/A Last Start: 1st, G2 UAE Derby, MEY, Mar.31 Accomplishments: 1st, GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, DMR, Nov.3; 2nd, G1 Darley Dewhurst S., NEW, Oct. 14 Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 100. This $3 million KEESEP Scat Daddy colt heads stateside to the Derby justifiably ranked as having the best chance to win the race compared to all the previous foreign-based horses who have attempted that difficult task. I’m putting more emphasis on the fact that he’s A) a half-brother to four-time female American dirt champion Beholder (Henny Hughes) and B) already demonstrated that he can handle counter-clockwise, tighter-turn United States racing (winning from post one in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf) than I am on his 18 1/2-length blowout win in track-record time the GII UAE Derby (which I rate as an aberration on a speed-favoring track against questionable competition). Mendelssohn is quick from the gate but does not necessarily need the lead to win, and I envision him as a stern stalker who can force the Derby pace from a few lengths back while still having enough stamina in reserve to stick around late and make things interesting. 5) GOOD MAGIC (c, Curlin—Glinda the Good, by Hard Spun) O-e Five Thoroughbreds & Stonestreet Stables. B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings (KY). T-C Brown. Sales History: $1,000,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo, GISW, 5-2-2-1, $1,855,000. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: 5 Last Start: 1st, GII Blue Grass S., KEE, Apr. 7 Accomplishments Include: 1st GI Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, SA, Nov. 4.; 2nd GI Champagne S., BEL, Oct. 7. Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 134 Good Magic’s rebound in Saturday’s GII Toyota Blue Grass S. was exactly what he needed to deliver in order to remain a legitimate upper-crust Derby threat. Just as importantly, the effort wasn’t so overly taxing that it’s going to derail his development. Overcoming post 10 in a 14-horse Blue Grass, this million-dollar KEESEP Curlin colt always appeared in the hunt while stalking in fifth, then edged up methodically to a dueling duo on the far turn. One pacemaker cracked while the other fought on determinedly, and Good Magic was able to strong-arm the no-quit Flameaway (Scat Daddy) as they raced together through the final furlong, with Good Magic looking like he still has room to improve. Because of his elite status as an Eclipse Award winner and Breeders’ Cup victor, there was considerable pressure on Good Magic to perform at an impeccably high level earlier in the year, and I have to admit I view him in more of a positive light now that I’ve seen him recoup and regroup after appearing short and punchless in his 2018 debut. Not being the horse with the proverbial “target” on his back seems to suit him, and he’ll be a slightly under-the-radar danger in Louisville. 6) AUDIBLE (c, Into Mischief–Blue Devil Bel, by Gilded Time) O-WinStar, China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing. B-Oak Bluff Stables LLC (NY). T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $175,000 FTNSAR yrl ’16; $500,000 FTFMAR 2yo ’17. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 5-4-0-1, $882,920. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: 4 Last Start: 1st, GI Florida Derby, GP, Mar. 31 Accomplishments: 1st, GII Holy Bull S., GP, Feb. 3. Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 110 Audible has now won four straight races, stepping up all the way from New York-bred maiden company to a Grade I winner’s circle. A narrative that goes something like “he’s a little lackadaisical but delivers when it counts” is shaping up to be his storyline heading into the Kentucky Derby. But is that a legit characterization of this $500,000 FTFMAR son of Into Mischief? It was no secret that Audible’s workouts leading up to his GI Xpressbet Florida Derby romp made him appear a little disengaged, and there was a point about five furlongs out in that race where he dropped back noticeably. Yet jockey John Velazquez never panicked, and Audible sparked to life and rolled home with the outcome never in doubt. So Audible has proven he can deliver a sustained, powerful bid, but he has also capitalized on favorable pace circumstances and/or no-shows by well-regarded rivals in achieving those last two wins. He’ll need to assert in Louisville that he is focused enough to make his own breaks–i.e., establishing a prime stalking spot in a chaotic 20-horse field–so he can be in position to fire authoritatively down the lane. 7) NOBLE INDY (c, Take Charge Indy–Noble Maz, by Storm Boot) O-WinStar Farm LLC & Repole Stable. B-WinStar Farm LLC. T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $45,000 RNA yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-3-0-1, $691,600. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: 8 Last Start: 1st, Louisiana Derby, FG, Mar. 24. Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5 Equineline PPs. Caulfield on Noble Indy. KY Derby Points: 110 Noble Indy is unlikely to land atop many handicappers’ lists as the “likeliest winner” of the Kentucky Derby, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to say he might wind up as the most tantalizing overlay in the betting in terms of actual ability versus perceived odds. This $45,000 KEESEP Take Charge Indy colt gives the impression that he’s still in development mode but figuring it out fast. When Noble Indy was third in the GII Risen Star S. after getting roughed up a bit at the break, jockey John Velazquez was confident afterward that the try was useful because he “wanted to give him a good schooling and see how he reacted.” With blinkers added for his next start, the GII Louisiana Derby, it was evident that this ‘TDN Rising Star’ learned his lesson, because Noble Indy responded by re-rallying when headed in the long Fair Grounds stretch, putting away two competitors with a late surge before galloping out smartly. 8) VINO ROSSO (c, Curlin–Mythical Bride, by Street Cry {Ire}) O-Repole Stable & St. Elias Stable. B- John D. Gunther (KY). T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $410,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-0-1, $620,500. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: N/A Last Start: 1st, GII Wood Memorial S., AQU, Apr. 7. Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 107 Vino Rosso has been poised for a breakout performance for several months now, and he finally put it all together on Saturday with an off-the-pace, foul-claim-surviving rally in the GII Wood Memorial S. This $410,000 KEESEP Curlin colt seems to have found his niche rallying from farther back rather than pressing the pace a bit closer like he did in his four previous starts, but I am hesitant to take his Wood victory at face value because it came up on paper as the weakest of Saturday’s nine-furlong preps and featured an overly ambitious lone pacemaker setting up the race for closers by laying down :22.96 and :46.69 solo splits. Jockey John Velazquez has now ridden three of trainer Todd Pletcher’s four recent graded-stakes Derby prep winners (Audible, Noble Indy and Vino Rosso), and numerous reports indicate he is sticking with Vino Rosso in Louisville. 9) FLAMEAWAY (c, Scat Daddy—Vulcan Rose, by Fusaichi Pegasus) O-John Oxley; B-Phoenix Rising Farms (ON). T-Mark Casse. Sales history: $150,000 yrl KEEJAN ’16; $400,000 yrl SARAUG ’16. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 9-5-2-0, $704,834. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: 12 Last Start: 2nd, GII Blue Grass S., KEE, Apr. 7 Accomplishments: 1st, GIII Bourbon S., KEE, Oct. 8; 1st, GIII Sam F. Davis S., TAM, Feb. 10. Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 70 Flameaway isn’t the type of horse who catches your eye based on his past performances or his speed figures. But there’s something genuinely admirable about the way he handles pressure on the lead, doesn’t back down from a fight, and takes to any type of footing (with wins on fast dirt, firm turf, mud, slop, and a synthetic surface). He’s now earned consecutive Grade II seconds in the Tampa Derby and Blue Grass S., and this $400,000 FTSAUG Scat Daddy colt is learning enough to put it all together sometime soon, perhaps at an inflated mutuel in the Derby. Scrutinizing Flameaway’s company lines, it’s noteworthy that he’s already won a race over No. 8-ranked Wood Memorial S. winner Vino Rosso (in the Feb. 10 GIII Sam F. Davis S.), and in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last autumn, Flameaway was beaten only three lengths by Mendelssohn, the No. 4 horse on this week’s list. 10) QUIP (c, Distorted Humor—Princess Ash, by Indian Charlie) O-Winstar Farm LLC, China Horse Club International & SF Racing LLC. B-WinStar Farm LLC (KY). T-Rodolphe Brisset. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-3-1-0, $282,800. Mar. 27 TDN Top 12 Rank: N/A Last Start: 1st, GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, TAM, Mar. 10. Next Start: GI Arkansas Derby, OP, Apr. 14 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 50 Quip’s connections scratched him out of the Blue Grass two days prior to the race to reroute this ‘TDN Rising Star’ to Saturday’s Arkansas Derby. The move allows this son of Distorted Humor to take aim at a Grade I race after upsetting the GII Tampa Bay Derby at 19-1. This is a colt whose three wins from four starts all came when he was either on the lead or forcing the pace (he was farther back and steadied when seventh in his lone defeat, the key-race GII Kentucky Jockey Club S.), and he could be an intriguing proposition if he runs right to the front at Oaklawn in his second start back off a winter layoff, carving out sensible fractions to try to stay the distance in a race where nine furlongs will be an open question for every entrant. 11) SOLOMINI (c, Curlin-Surf Song, by Storm Cat) O-Zayat Stables LLC. B-Glenna R. Salyer (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $270,000 KEESEP ’16 yrl. Lifetime Record: MGISP, 4-1-2-1, $472,000 Mar. 27 TDN Top 12 Rank: 12 Last Start: 2nd, GII Rebel S., OP, Mar. 17 Accomplishments Include: 3rd GI Los Alamitos Futurity, LRC, Dec.9; 2nd GI Frontrunner S., SA, Sept. 30; 2nd GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, DMR, Nov. 4 Next Start: GI Arkansas Derby, OP, Apr. 14. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 34 It’s now or never for Solomini on Saturday. He’s currently parked in 19th place on the Derby qualifying system, but more important than the points, he has not had an official win since his maiden debut Sep. 2 and is in need of a truly sharp performance in the Arkansas Derby to build momentum for any sort of viable Classics bid. He always seems on the cusp of a breakthrough effort, but is gaining a reputation as an “always something” horse. He lost focus when he hit the lead in the Breeders’ Cup, got DQ’d in the stretch of the GI Los Alamitos Futurity, and had his momentum stifled when caught on the heels of a rival motoring off the turn in the Rebel S. His company lines are replete with higher-ranked Derby hopefuls–Magnum Moon, Bolt d’Oro, Good Magic–and Solomini is maybe one race away from potentially finding his own sweet spot to prove he’s on level terms with those contenders. 12) ENTICED (c, Medaglia d’Oro—It’s Tricky, by Mineshaft) O-Godolphin Racing. B-Godolphin (KY). T-Kiaran McLaughlin. Lifetime Record: MGSW & GISP, 6-3-1-1, $595,680. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: 9 Last Start: 2nd, GII Wood Memorial S., AQU, Arp. 7 Accomplishments Include: 1st, GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., CD, Nov. 25; 3rd, GI Champagne S., BEL, Oct. 7; 1st GIII Gotham S., AQU, Mar. 10 Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 103 Enticed survived some heat-of-battle bumping in the stretch run of Saturday’s Wood Memorial and might have had his number elevated had the race been in a jurisdiction where the stewards are a little more trigger-happy with disqualifications. He settled as the leader of the main body of the field behind a breakaway pacemaker and then fended off eventual winner Vino Rosso as best as he could as the beaten fave. I still have this Medaglia d’Oro colt’s big stretch run in the Nov. 25 GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. etched in my mind as the epitome of what Enticed is capable of on his best day, but he hasn’t truly stamped himself as a “Wow!” horse while taking a path of least resistance (the New York preps) to the Derby. Enticed has unquestionable ability to crank up for long, sustained runs, but as a big-framed colt he can be thrown off his game by anything that gets in his way, and being roughed up while pinned down on the rail in the Wood did not exactly look like something that emboldened him, either. 13) FREE DROP BILLY (c, Union Rags—Trensa, by Giant’s Causeway) O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC. B-Helen K. Groves Revokable Trust (KY). T-Dale Romans. Sales history: $200,000 KEESEP yrl ’16. Lifetime Record: GISW, 8-2-3-2, $625,220. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: N/A Last Start: 3rd, GII Blue Grass S., KEE, Apr. 7 Accomplishments Include: 1st, GI Breeders’ Futurity, KEE, Oct.7; 2nd, GI Hopeful S. Sept. 4. Next Start: Possible for GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 44 Everyone will focus on how badly Free Drop Billy lost his momentum late in the lane when Sporting Chance (Tiznow) ducked out and cut him off, but he also overcame positional trouble earlier in Saturday’s Blue Grass S. that should not go unnoted. He was three wide on the first turn, got shuffled back a bit when trying to pick a spot about five-eighths out, regained a fluid stride on the far turn when again giving up ground three wide, and was chugging home pretty well after spinning six deep into the stretch before having to slam on the brakes a sixteenth from the wire. He wasn’t going to catch Good Magic for the win, but second place was in play, and getting moved up from fourth to third via DQ did double his Derby qualifying points from 10 to 20, which could end up being significant. 14) MY BOY JACK (c, Creative Cause—Gold N Shaft, by Mineshaft) O-Don’t Tell My Wife Stables & Monomoy Stables LLC. B-Brereton C. Jones (KY). T-Keith Desormeaux. Sales History: $14,000 RNA wlg KEENOV ’15; $20,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: GSW, 9-2-3-2, $525,145. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: N/A Last Start: 3rd, GII Louisiana Derby, FG, Mar. 24 Accomplishments Include: 1st, GIII Southwest S., OP, Feb. 19; 1st, Zuma Beach S., SA, Oct. 9 Next Start: GIII Lexington S., KEE, Apr. 14 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 12 My Boy Jack will attempt to slip back into Derby relevance via Saturday’s GIII Lexington S. at Keeneland according to a Daily Racing Form report. It’s the last chance to grab qualifying points on the calendar, and this $20,000 KEESEP Creative Cause colt is currently ranked 20th on the preference list. He needs to prove he wasn’t just a mudlark when ripping away to 4 1/4-length GIII Southwest S. win at Oaklawn back in February, and his last-to-first attempt in the Louisiana Derby wasn’t a bad effort considering he was third and beaten less than two lengths. Should he qualify for the Derby, he’ll be a sneaky-dangerous type of contender, especially if the projected speed horses all decide to fight it out on the front end. 15) HOFBURG (c, Tapit-Soothing Touch, by Touch Gold) O/B-Juddmonte Farms Inc. (KY). T-Bill Mott. Lifetime Record: GISP, 3-1-1-0, $227,950. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: N/A Last Start: 2nd, GI Florida Derby, GP, Mar. 31. Next Start: Possible for GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 40 This Tapit homebred for Juddmonte Farms mustered up an encouraging try when ambitiously spotted in the Florida Derby off a maiden win and just two previous starts. It’s always an eye-opener when trainer Bill Mott opts for such a lofty goal with a relatively inexperienced young horse, and Hofburg was widest off the bend for home in Florida Derby yet never looked discouraged when giving chase to a much more experienced winner in Audible. Should his connections decide on a Kentucky Derby start (Hofburg right now is 17th on qualifying points) this is the sort of colt who could be capable of a bombs-away showing while totally ignored in the betting. 16) COMBATANT (c, Scat Daddy-Border Dispute, by Boundary) O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC & Willis Horton Racing LLC. B-Paget Bloodstock. T-Steve Asmussen. Sales history: $320,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: MGSP, 6-1-3-1, $338.550. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: N/A Last Start: 3rd, GII Rebel S., OP, Mar. 17. Next Start: GI Arkansas Derby, OP, Apr. 14 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 22 Combatant has been plying his trade at Oaklawn this winter, racking up a series of second- and third-place finishes while close behind a handful of well-meant winners. As a result, you can’t discount his chances entirely in the Arkansas Derby, but he’s hardly the type of horse you run to the windows to back with zeal because this $320,000 KEESEP Scat Daddy colt doesn’t have any obvious excuses for not punching through to the next level. He’s been drawn in posts nine and ten for his last two route attempts; perhaps a better gate assignment will up his chances on Saturday. Stamina shouldn’t be an issue–he’s the only horse within the Top 20 to have made every single start of his career (six of ’em) at a mile or longer. 17) PROMISES FULFILLED (c, Shackleford—Marquee Delivery, by Marquetry) O-Robert J. Baron. B-David Jacobs (KY). T-Dale Romans. Sales history: $37,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-0-1, $337,280. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: N/A Last Start: 9th, GI Florida Derby, GP, Mar. 31 Accomplishments: 1st, GII Fountain of Youth S., GP, Mar. 3. Next Start: Possible for GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5 Equineline PPs. Kentucky Derby Points: 52 You have to respect trainer Dale Romans’s “live by the sword, die by the sword” reasoning in explaining away how Promises Fulfilled got cooked in the Florida Derby duel that resulted in his last-place finish. Romans is on record as saying he’s going to draw a line through that performance, see how the colt rebounds, and if all is well, start him in the Derby while not trying to mess with this $37,000 KEESEP son of Shackleford’s main asset, which is speed on the lead. Promises Fulfilled figures on paper with Derby-caliber colts based on his previous allowance and stakes form, but don’t make the mistake of thinking he’ll face any less pace pressure in Louisville. A win and a decent third over the Churchill strip are also in his favor. 18) BRAVAZO (c, Awesome Again—Tiz o’ Gold, by Cee’s Tizzy) O/B-Calumet Farm. T-D. Wayne Lukas. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 8-3-1-1, $436,528. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: N/A Last Start: 8th, GII Louisiana Derby, FG, Mar. 24. Accomplishments: 1st, GII Risen Star S., FG, Feb. 17; 2nd, GI Breeders’ Futurity, KEE, Oct. 7. Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 54 Bravazo’s first two starts in 2018 produced wins by a neck and a nose, with his GII Risen Star S. upset at 21-1 odds being the focal point on his resume. He was subsequently backed to second-favoritism in the GII Louisiana Derby off the strength of those victories, but was pasted by 21 lengths, finishing eighth after lugging out on both turns. Still, the 54 points he’s garnered are enough to rank him tenth in terms of qualifying for a starting spot in Louisville. Bravazo was second in his only career Grade I stakes try last October at 47-1 odds at Keeneland, and it’s worth mentioning that he did break his maiden by open lengths over the Churchill strip last September when pressing the pace in a one-turn mile. 19) RUNAWAY GHOST (c, Ghostzapper—Rose’s Desert, by Desert Gold) O/B-Joe Peacock. T-Todd W. Fincher. Sales history: $240,000 RNA yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: GSW, 7-4-2-0, $563,510. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: N/A Last Start: 1st, GIII Sunland Derby, SUN, Mar. 25. Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 50 Whenever a horse qualifies for the Derby via the New Mexico prep-race series, a “lovable long shot” story seems destined to follow (think Mine That Bird at 50-1 in 2009). How can you not root for a one-horse stable headed by an octogenarian owner/breeder whose Ghostzapper homebred got bid up just shy of a $250,000 RNA at KEESEP and the gent refused all subsequent offers to sell? Runaway Ghost is now four-for-seven lifetime and has more than doubled his auction asking price in earnings, with his GIII Sunland Derby score amassing him 50 qualifying points, currently good for a 13th-place eligibility ranking. 20) GRONKOWSKI (Lonhro {Aus}-Four Sugars, by Lookin At Lucky) O-Phoenix Thoroughbred Limited. B-Epic Thoroughbreds LLC. T-Jeremy Noseda. Sales history: $75,000 wnl KEENOV ’15; $67,415 yrl TATOCT ’16; $404,492 2yo TATBRE ’17. Lifetime Record: 6-4-1-0, $135,644. Apr. 3 TDN Top 12 Rank: N/A Last Start: 1st, 32red Burradon S, NEW, Mar. 30. Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 5 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: Qualified via European Road to the KY Derby After Gronkowski earned his way into a Derby berth by winning the European Road to the Kentucky Derby points battle last week, the predominant wise guy chatter about him centered on how his presence will skew the Derby betting by a few percentage points. Here’s a horse who should legitimately go off north of 60-1 odds, but because he shares a name with a well-known, highly animated professional football player who is likely to attend the Derby and get substantial media coverage, you can expect casual stateside money to pound his price below 20-1. Gronkowski has never run on dirt nor beyond a mile, and he won the Burradon S. at Newcastle by settling towards the back of the pack and rallying late for a 1 1/4-length, driven-out victory. View the full article

Undefeated Justify took over the top spot on the NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll after winning the April 7 Santa Anita Derby (G1) by three lengths over Bolt d'Oro, who had topped the poll for its first 10 weeks. View the full article

The 2018 Thoroughbred season at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs, which kicks off May 5, will be highlighted by the $300,000 GIII Super Derby. The 1 1/16-mile race will be held Sept. 2 and the card will be supported by an additional six stakes races. “The Super Derby will always be a race with tremendous historic significance for Louisiana Downs,” said Trent McIntosh, Louisiana Downs assistant general manager. “Horsemen will have a solid prep race on Aug. 4 in the Super Derby Prelude with the winner earning a berth to the $300,000 Super Derby on Sept. 2. We appreciate the consideration from the American Graded Stakes Committee in granting graded stakes status to the Super Derby and look forward to presenting a quality field of 3-year-olds on Sept 2.” Contested on the Frank’s Turf Course in 2017, the Super Derby will revert to a main track feature this year and has been moved to Sunday of Labor Day weekend. “There are few major stakes on Sunday,” McIntosh said of the move. “Most are run on Saturday or on Labor Day. We feel that the move to Sunday will create strong interest from horseplayers, here and on a national level. In addition, we will offer many family-friendly promotions to attract local fans looking for an enjoyable holiday outing.” The track will host Louisiana Cup Day, featuring six stakes for state-bred horses, Aug. 4. The card will also include the $60,000 Super Derby Prelude. Live racing will be conducted Monday through Wednesday and Saturday with a 3:15 p.m. CT post time through Sept. 26. View the full article

For once, it looked as though even horsemen of the old school might actually envy all that expensive timing kit. As they arrived yesterday morning, mist was still sitting so heavily on Town Moor that it otherwise promised to be impossible to get a proper reading on the young horses going through their paces on the eve of the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale. A couple of hundred years ago, no doubt, horsemen of more enterprise than probity doubtless made maximum use of such conditions on this historic turf. But the whole point of the under-tack show is that it affords no hiding place. In the event, the mist began to lift just as the breezing got underway. From time to time, in fact, a watery sun even peered through to illuminate proceedings–at least to the extent that conditions underfoot allowed. Albeit the going appeared somewhat less challenging than at Ascot last week, those unfortunate enough to get a late slot had to pick their way across an increasingly poached surface. By all accounts, the times favoured those who opted to steer right, but plenty of these young horses were taking a deep breath to switch leads, while one or two took a half-stumble. No doubt all that will be taken into account by the agents poring over those precious timesheets. It is a paradox of the modern breeze-ups that you get more wiseguys trying to work an angle than in any other type of sale–when the defining virtue of the format, in the judgement of the traditionalist, is that its key differentials are staring you in the face. But that’s all fine, too. They can figure out who was right, and who was wrong, when their purchases actually pitch up on the track. Only then can we know the real value of those indices that will, without doubt, again dictate the market when selling starts at 11 a.m. local time (an hour later than advertised in the catalogue). A fraction of a second here, that is, or sometimes a few inches on the stride there. Instinctively, many horsemen are wary about any formula that purports to reduce the abiding mysteries of raising and racing Thoroughbreds to spreadsheets. But the routine correlation between times and prices, even in the Ascot bog last week, shows that those setting the market tempo are convinced they are ahead of the curve. One way or another, these things have a habit of shaking themselves out. Remember the old telegram home? “System working well, send more money.” And while many consignors have candidly altered their methods, in deference to the power of the stopwatch, all they really need today is for the opposing schools to keep bidding. For many of them had a truly horrible start to the European breeze-up season at Ascot, when every other lot failed to reach its reserve. Some were still grumbling about the lack of buyers last week. The wiser of them will realise that the blame, in such circumstances, is not necessarily with sales companies–but rather closer to home. The aggregate breeze-up herd this spring is drastically enlarged. This catalogue, for instance, is up to 207 from 152 last year. (A staggering curio: no fewer than 18 are by Dandy Man (Ire).) And apparently there are still fellows out there complaining that they can’t get a sales slot anywhere. But those professionals who have worked so hard to elevate the profile and potential of the breeze-up horse will not be grateful if people treat the sector merely as a refuge for unsold yearlings. It is too early to panic, anyhow. The Ascot sale, as something of a bargain basement, was peculiarly exposed to the chills–closely related, as they are–of polarisation and overproduction. And there was a heartening sense of bustle about the stable complex during the post-breeze inspections yesterday afternoon. After all, this sale has evolved a pretty robust identity. Much as is the case at the Premier Yearling Sale, in August, the emphasis is on those commercial bywords: speed and precocity. If they call them “trainers’ horses,” then partly that might be because they don’t actually involve a great deal of training. But the main appeal, clearly, is that many of these animals can be pushed to owners as more or less ready to roll. When it comes to eliciting that one last bid, moreover, the trainers can legitimately mutter the “A” word: Ascot. Two years ago the pair of Kodiac (GB) colts who shared top billing here both won at Royal Ascot, Prince Of Lir (Ire) in the Norfolk and Ardad (Ire) in the Windsor Castle. They had cost £170,000 apiece, but last year another son of Kodiac brought more than twice that sum, at £360,000, from Richard O’Gorman for Godolphin. He proceeded to go down by just a neck in the Windsor Castle. At the other end of the scale, Declan Carroll picked out a G3 Cornwallis S. winner for just £16,000 from Star Bloodstock, in Abel Handy (Ire) (Arcano {Ire}). In all, 44 juvenile winners graduated from the 2017 sale, up from 37 the previous year. The message from Henry Beeby, the Goffs UK chairman, was clear. “We’ve had more 2-year-old winners out of this sale than any other European breeze-up over the last two years,” Beeby said. “I think the point is that the vendors pick the horses for us, as much as we do when we go looking with them. They know there’s a Donny type, just as there is with the yearlings, so we’re blessed that way. And they’ve stepped up to the mark again.” “Two years ago the sale definitely stumbled, but then we had great results on the track–four winners at Royal Ascot, the two 2-year-olds out of that sale and then the two [older] Group 1 winners on top–so that brought us storming back last year and we had a wonderful sale,” he said. No less than in the quality of their horses, Beeby is relying on vendors to have made the right call in terms of quantity. “Normally they distil it down for you, when you send them the forms,” he explained. “We sent out the same number of forms this year as last year, but the take-up was greater. We didn’t set out to get over 200 horses. We were aiming for around 180, 190. But you’ve got to go with it, and trust the vendors to send you the right horses.” That was not to wash his hands of the responsibility if things don’t work out. “No, that’s our problem too because it all rolls on, you’re only as good as your last sale,” he stressed. “When you’re making decisions in 10 months’ time, you’re thinking about what happens tomorrow. But I thought there were some very nice horses, and pedigrees, and we’ve a lot of interest both from home and overseas. So we’re hopeful.” In fairness, Beeby is already entitled to a degree of relief–regardless of what happens today. For some thought was even given, a few days ago, to transferring the breezes to Southwell. “We were properly worried last week,” he admitted. “Because of the forecast, because of the ground, we did have a contingency plan. Happily we didn’t have to use it. It would have been a logistical nightmare. But this is the 42nd consecutive breeze-up held at Doncaster and–come rain, shine, or foot-and-mouth–we’ve always managed to get through it. And actually they breezed very well, so I was very pleased.” Some of these Keeneland pinhooks would have been an interesting proposition, switched to Fibresand at Southwell. As it is, the clockers’ expectations will evidently be focused not only on a couple of colts by the inevitable Kodiac but also a filly who did not make 30 grand here as a yearling last August. We shall see. But at least we were able to see her gallop. View the full article

Vino Rosso (Curlin) survived an inquiry and an objection by a rival rider in capturing Saturday’s GII Wood Memorial S., but a subsequent stewards’ ruling has imposed a $1,500 fine on winning jockey John Velazquez for “careless riding.” Closing on the outside, Vino Rosso appeared to be the aggressor when tightening up on rail-running Enticed (Medaglia d’Oro) and jockey Junior Alvarado, delivering two solid bumps in rapid succession approaching the final furlong of the Wood. The stewards’ ruling described the reason for the fine as a “failure to make a proper effort to maintain a straight course with his mount.” Purse and pari-mutuel payouts are not affected. View the full article

The catalogue for the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up and Horses in Training Sale is now available. Scheduled for May 3-4, the sale is split between 234 2-year-olds and 93 horses in training, with the juvenile breezes taking place on May 3 at 9:00 a.m. local time and televised by Racing UK. Past graduates of the sale include Daban (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), who won the G3 Nell Gwyn S. and ran third in the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas; and Hong Kong Group 3 hero Dinozzo (Ire) (Lilbourne Lad {Ire}). There are 53 sires who have already sired Classic or Group 1 winners with juveniles being offered, including Dark Angel (Ire), Exceed And Excel (Aus), Holy Roma Emperor (Ire), Iffraaj (GB), Invincible Spirit (Ire), Kodiac (GB), Le Havre (Ire), Lope de Vega (Ire), Oasis Dream (GB), Shamardal, Showcasing (GB) and Siyouni (Fr). U.S. sires are also present, among them Giant’s Causeway, Kitten’s Joy, Malibu Moon, Speightstown and a lone juvenile by the late Scat Daddy. First-season sires are also well represented, and number stallions like Australia (GB), Mukhadram (GB), No Nay Never, Olympic Glory (Ire), Slade Power (Ire), Toronado (Ire), Verrazano and Bungle Inthejungle (GB), who already has two winners. Out of the 234 juveniles to go under the hammer, 76 are eligible for the Plus 10 Bonus Scheme, 17 for French premiums, six are entered in the £150,000 Tattersalls October Auction S., and two have nominations to the £25,000 Tattersalls October Book 1 Bonus and €300,000 Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction S., respectively. “Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up horses continue to win at the highest level on the global stage and this year’s catalogue has an abundance of quality 2-year-olds in training as well as high class proven horses in training,” said Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony. “The combination of breeze-up horses with older horses in training has proved to be a popular format and we are confident that we have a catalogue which will appeal to buyers from Britain, Ireland and further afield.” View the full article

Though it could be described as a deliberately soft launch, the reopening of France’s premier racecourse after two years under dust covers gave the Flat season a much-needed boost during what is continuing to be one of dreariest springs in recent memory. The going was even softer than the launch itself but some welcome sunshine in the Bois de Boulogne set the rechristened ParisLongchamp on her way to a hotly anticipated grand opening on Apr. 29, which will also hopefully see the return of Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 Prix Ganay, which has had its value doubled to €600,000. Last weekend they were galloping across the much faster turf and dirt of the Meydan circuit, but jockeys Oisin Murphy and Christophe Soumillon appeared not to mind the squelch of Longchamp and respectively claimed the first two Group races on the fresh Paris turf aboard Chilean (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Air Pilot (GB) (Zamindar). Chilean’s change of ownership is in name only. Last season he raced for Sefton Lodge Thoroughbred Racing, advertising the name of Martyn Meade’s Newmarket stable, but the trainer has now relocated to an even more prestigious base, having bought a significant chunk of the Manton Estate over the winter. Thus, Chilean now runs for Manton Estate Racing and, appropriately, became Meade’s first winner from his new yard, in the G3 Prix La Force. One senses that it was a labour of love for Lady Cobham to get her homebred Air Pilot back to the track after a two-year convalescence from an injury sustained during his 3-year-old season with Rupert Pritchard-Gordon. Her perseverance paid off and, now nine, Air Pilot has rarely been out of the frame in his 22 subsequent starts for Ralph Beckett, with Sunday’s victory in the G2 Prix d’Harcourt being the most prestigious of his eight wins, following his snow-topped success in the G3 Prix Exbury in mid-March. Double Delight For Bryce The Manton syndicate and Lady Cobham weren’t the only British owners in the ParisLongchamp winner’s enclosure on Sunday. Colin Bryce, who with wife Melba owns Laundry Cottage Stud in Hertfordshire, drew first blood with Do Re Mi Fa Sol (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and returned later in the afternoon with Borderforce (Fr) (American Post {GB}), the pair bringing up the first two legs of a memorable treble for trainer Francis Graffard. The Bryces didn’t breed listed winner Do Re Mi Fa Sol but they can enjoy some reflected glory in her existence as they bred her sire, Wootton Bassett, who enjoyed his finest hour at Longchamp when winning the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere in 2010, also in rather testing conditions. “Francis actually rang me when Do Re Mi Fa Sol was going through the yearling sales and said I ought to buy her,” explained Bryce. “But I was away at the time and we let her go. So when I eventually bought her at Arqana last December as a broodmare prospect for a lot more money than she cost as a yearling, I rang Francis and said, ‘You’d better take her and we’ll see if we can win a Group 3 before she goes to stud’.” The 5-year-old, from the further family of Montjeu (Ire), effectively already has one foot in the paddocks as she is in foal to Le Havre (Ire). Owner and trainer are aiming for one last run in Group company at Saint-Cloud at the beginning of May before retirement beckons for Do Re Mi Fa Sol. Barkaa’s Timely Boost Barkaa (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) ensured that one of Longchamp’s three Group races stayed at home and bolstered the Classic hopes of her trainer Fabrice Vermeulen and owners Gerard Augustin-Normand and Jose Bruneau de la Salle with her victory in the G3 Prix Vanteaux. She also gave a timely boost to two lots in the Osarus Breeze-up Sale at La Teste de Buch on Apr. 25. Lot 57 is Barkaa’s half-brother from the first crop of Haras du Quesnay’s Anodin (Ire), while four lots later (61), also from the draft of Haras de Saint Arnoult, comes a Siyouni colt from a half-sister to Barkaa’s dam, Dentelle (Fr) (Apeldoorn {Fr}). Previously, the best of Dentelle’s seven winners had been the treble listed scorer My Old Husband (Fr) (Gentlewave {Ire}), whose 11 victories have been spread across France, Italy, Switzerland and Slovakia. Dentelle was herself a three-time winner in the provinces and has a rather intriguing pedigree, being inbred 2×3 to R B Chesne (GB), the Henry Cecil-trained G2 Champagne S. winner of 1978 who was by Brigadier Gerard (GB) out of a full-sister to the Arc winner Vaguely Noble (Ire). It was a good weekend for Osarus, which also saw its September Yearling Sale graduate Fatale Bere (Fr) become the first Group/Graded winner for her young sire Pedro The Great when landing the GIII Providencia S. at Santa Anita. The 3-year-old filly—who was bought for €14,000 as a yearling—also has a tenuous link to France’s other sales company, however, as she is trained by Leonard Powell, the brother of Arqana’s Head of Bloodstock, Freddy Powell. Hurrah For Hunaina A good start to the season for Derrinstown Stud’s Tamayuz (GB) continued with the victory of Hunaina (Ire) in Saturday’s listed Snowdrop Fillies’ S. For those who read the recent TDN feature with Trevor Stewart, there was a good pointer towards the winner. The 4-year-old continued the purple patch for French trainers on Britain’s all-weather tracks, becoming the first winner in the UK for Chantilly-based Henri-Francois Devin, who has recently bought Criquette Head-Maarek’s yard to house his burgeoning string. Hunaina runs in Stewart’s colours made famous by Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) but is co-owned with James Hanly and Anthony Stroud, having been bought by the trio from the Aga Khan Studs draft at Goffs last November. Twenty-four hours later, there was more success for Hanly, who bred the winner of the first European Classic of the season, the Gran Premio Valderas (Spanish 1,000 Guineas), in Madrid. Kodiak West (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) was sold by Hanly’s Ballyhimikin Stud to owner Jose Maria Maldonado for 60,000gns at Book 3 of Tattersalls’ October Sale before joining the Chantilly stable of Spanish expat Mauricio Delcher Sanchez. Having enjoyed a successful return to his homeland on Sunday, Delcher Sanchez then saddled the winner of one of Monday’s Classic trials at Deauville, the G3 Prix Imprudence, when Coeur De Beaute (Fr), a first-crop daughter of Dabirism (Fr), built on her first stakes victory last year in the listed Prix Zeddaan. Moisson Precoce (GB) (Lawman {Fr}), who had beaten Kodiak West by 2½ lengths in a Deauville maiden last month, was a close-up fourth behind Coeur De Beaute. Daddy Dearest After a less than auspicious start to the European breeze-up season at Ascot last week, round two gets underway today at Doncaster with no small amount of trepidation among some consignors as to what is in store from a notoriously selective market in which catalogue numbers have risen significantly. The sector received another boost on Saturday, however, with a conditions race one-two at Kempton for Craven Sale graduates. Last year’s top lot Kings Shield and One Cool Daddy are both sons of the late Scat Daddy, bought for 675,000gns and 95,000gns respectively. Kings Shield, a Gaybrook Lodge Stud graduate now unbeaten in two starts for Qatar Racing, is being aimed at the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains by trainer John Gosden. Kings Shield’s dam Gender Dance, a winning daughter of Miesque’s Son, holds the distinction of her offspring having twice topped Tattersalls’ premier breeze-up sale. Subsequent Group 3 winner Great White Eagle (Elusive Quality) was sold by Lynn Lodge Stud to the Coolmore partners for 760,000gns in 2013. With Scat Daddy’s reputation greater than ever more than two years after his death, thanks to recent stellar performances by Kentucky Derby hopefuls Mendelssohn and Justify, Tattersalls will be delighted to have nine members of his final crop catalogued for sale next week. National and International Frosts We may be slap-bang in the middle of the Classic trials but British jump racing’s biggest day is upon us this Saturday with the £1 million Randox Health Grand National. This year’s maximum field of 40 looks set to feature three female jockeys hoping to make Aintree history by becoming the first woman to win steeplechasing’s most famous prize. Katie Walsh, who will ride Zorka Wentworth’s mud-loving mare Baie Des Iles (Fr) (Barastright {GB}), is a dab hand around the unique fences and finished third in 2012 on Seabass (Ire) (Turtle Island {Ire}), trained by her father Ted. Rachael Blackmore and Bryony Frost are both set to have their first rides in the race. Frost, a conditional jockey with champion trainer Paul Nicholls, has gained plenty of recognition this season with some high-profile Saturday wins and she aims to follow in the footsteps of her father Jimmy, who rode Little Polveir (GB) (Cantab {GB}) to victory in the 1989 Grand National. Frost’s brother Hadden, a former Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey, has retired from the scene in Britain but took to the saddle again last year in America where he won twice at the My Lady’s Manor meet in Maryland before going on to be beaten just half a length in the Maryland Hunt Cup on Drift Society (Ire) (Jackson’s Drift). The 27-year-old has found that the lure of race-riding is still strong and is currently back in the States for six weeks. Frost will renew his partnership with last year’s runner-up—a former Irish point-to-point winner now trained by Jack Fisher—in a bid to go one better and add an international aspect to his family’s chapter in the history of steeplechasing. The $100,000 Maryland Hunt Cup takes place on Apr. 28. View the full article

The Breeders’ Cup will continue to expand its Breeders’ Cup Challenge series through the addition of four qualifying events at Ascot Racecourse during the Royal Ascot meeting, held June 19-23. The winners of the G1 Prince of Wales’s S., G1 Queen Anne S., G2 Norfolk S. and G1 Diamond Jubilee S. will all be awarded automatic “Win and You’re In” berths into the 2018 Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs Nov. 2 and Nov. 3. The June 19 Queen Anne, for older horses at a mile, is a qualifier for the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile; the June 20 Prince of Wales’s S., for older horses at 10 furlongs, is a qualifier for the GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf; the June 21 Norfolk, for 2-year-olds at five furlongs, will serve as a qualifier for the newly created Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint; and the June 23 Diamond Jubilee, a six-furlong dash for older horses, will be a qualifier for the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. These races join the 1 1/2-mile G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S., run July 28, which will award an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Turf, as the fifth “Win and You’re In” races to be run at Ascot Racecourse this year. The King George has been a part of the international Breeders’ Cup Challenge since 2011. Throughout 2018, the Challenge includes over 80 graded/group races internationally. “There is nothing quite like the excellence, tradition and prestige of the Royal Ascot meeting, and we are so proud and delighted that the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, Queen Anne, Norfolk and the Diamond Jubilee will be a part of the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Challenge series as we continue to encourage international participation for the World Championships,” said Craig Fravel, Breeders’ Cup President and CEO. “We thank our partners at Ascot for working with us in accomplishing this goal, and look forward to the outstanding coverage from the NBC Sports Group of these fixtures, and extensive coverage of the Royal Ascot races in June.” All four races will be televised live and streamed in the U.S. as a part of NBC Sports Group’s live coverage of the Royal Ascot meet. “We’re delighted to be participating in the Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ program with races from Royal Ascot for the first time,” said Nick Smith, Ascot Director of Racing and Communications. “These are pivotal race meets in our respective jurisdictions and natural targets for the very best racehorses in the world. It’s particularly pleasing to be involved from the start with the development of the new Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. It’ll provide an excellent new opportunity for European juveniles.” The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series “Win and You’re In” NBC Sports Group television schedule will be announced Tuesday, and the full 2018 Breeders’ Cup Challenge series schedule of races will be released Wednesday. View the full article

All eyes were on the unbeaten Sacred Life (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr} in Monday’s G3 Prix Djebel at Deauville, but it was the 10-1 shot Dice Roll (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) who dominated in the testing conditions to supply owner Giacomo Algranti and trainer Fabrice Chappet with a live dream of Classic glory in 2018. Always close to the pace racing up the centre, the chestnut who signed off his juvenile campaign with success in the Criterium de la Vente d’Octobre d’Arqana over a mile at Chantilly in September was left in front with 2 1/2 furlongs remaining. Drawing away under Cristian Demuro, he hit the line with five lengths to spare over Magic Bibou (Fr) (Panis), with the 13-5 favourite Sacred Life only plugging on into fourth as the field finished spread out. Successful on debut from this race’s protagonist Drummore (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) over six furlongs at Maisons-Laffitte in July, Dice Roll was a well-beaten fourth in the Listed Prix Francois Boutin upped a furlong here the following month before regaining the winning thread over 7 1/2 furlongs back at Maisons-Laffitte in early September. Not tested again in black-type company despite his success in the valuable sales race at Chantilly late that month, he demonstrated that he had thrived over the winter and also his ability to handle this sapping surface which killed off so many as he ploughed through with relish. “He had a nice campaign as a 2-year-old, with some easy races which enabled him to strengthen,” Chappet explained. “He had never faced such a group of horses before, so the performance was excellent. He loves this ground and likes to set the pace–he can really destroy a field with that pace. The program dictates that we go to ParisLongchamp for the [May 13 G1 Poule d’Essai des] Poulains now, but we will see how he comes out of this and enjoy the moment.” A triumph for buyer Amanda Skiffington, who saw his potential at the Arqana October Sale, Dice Roll descends from the G3 Prix des Reservoirs winner and G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches runner-up Boreale (Fr) (Bellypha {Ire}). Her unraced daughter Dibenoise (Fr) (Kendor {Fr}) went on to produce the MGSW sire Racinger (Fr) (Spectrum {Ire}), as well as the duo of group 1-winning sons of Montjeu (Ire) in Corre Caminos (Fr) and Recital (Fr). The dam, whose pedigree also features the champion 2-year-old filly Princesse Lida (Nijinsky II), has a yearling filly by Elusive City. Monday, Deauville, France PRIX DJEBEL-G3, €80,000, DVL, 4-9, 3yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:28.67, vhy. 1–DICE ROLL (FR), 128, c, 3, by Showcasing (GB) 1st Dam: Schlague (Fr), by Pulpit 2nd Dam: Si Je N’Avais Plus (Ire), by Kaldoun (Fr) 3rd Dam: Boreale (Fr), by Bellypha (Ire) 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (€130,000 Ylg ’16 AROCT). O-Giacomo Algranti; B-Gestut Zur Kuste AG (FR); T-Fabrice Chappet; J-Cristian Demuro. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-0, €217,180. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Magic Bibou (Fr), 128, c, 3, Panis–Hidden Magic (Fr), by Bering (GB). O-Gemini Stud, Mlle Sandra de Montzey & Bruno de Montzey; B-Sebastien Joucla, Stephane Joucla, Romuald Joucla & Eric Dupont (FR); T-Bruno de Montzey. €16,000. 3–Batwan (Fr), 128, c, 3, Kendargent (Fr)–Matwan (Fr), by Indian Rocket (GB). O-Guy Pariente; B-Guy Pariente Holding (FR); T-Philippe Sogorb. €12,000. Margins: 5, 1 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 10.00, 10.00, 10.00. Also Ran: Sacred Life (Fr), Louis d’Or (Ire), A Quiet Man (Ire), Infernal Majesty (Fr), Leonio (Fr), Cardsharp (GB), Drummore (Ire), Woodmax (Ger), Epic Adventure (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

Heading into the unknown trip-wise, Ahmed Mouknass’s Coeur de Beaute (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) thoroughly saw out her first seven-furlong test as she battled to a hard-fought verdict over Zonza (Fr) (Alex the Winner) in Monday’s G3 Prix Imprudence at Deauville. Last seen winning the six-furlong Listed Prix Zeddaan at this race’s traditional home, Maisons-Laffitte, in October, the bay raced towards the rear under Stephane Pasquier early and steadily wore down Zonza to gain the lead 100 metres from the finish. Staying on for a half-length success, with the strong-finishing unexposed Talbah (GB) (Style Vendome {Fr}) 3/4 of a length away in third, she is ready to shoot for the stars now. “I think that was a good field and it was a very nice performance,” trainer Mauricio Delcher-Sanchez said. “She was a nice 2-year-old filly with a good record in speed races and today the problem was whether she would settle. We have done a lot of work on her during the winter and she settled beautifully. Her turn of foot was amazing and obviously she has improved. We will see, but she could be very good and will go for the [G1 Poule d’Essai des] Pouliches [at ParisLongchamp May 13] now. The fact that they have changed that race to the middle course is good for her, as a mile is her limit.” Coeur de Beaute, who was also second to Sound and Silence (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in the G3 Prix Eclipse at six furlongs at Maisons-Laffitte in September, hails from the first crop of Haras De Grandcamp’s classy juvenile Dabirsim, who was put firmly on the map last term by the talented Different League (Fr). Twilight Tear, whose 2-year-old colt Coeur de Pierre (Fr) (Zanzibari) was like this filly snapped up by MAB Agency from Osarus September, was a once-raced Lady Bamford homebred sold for just 15,500gns at the 2010 Tattersalls December Sales. Her immediate relations carry significant gravitas, with her dam being a full-sister to Sadler’s Wells’s pair of group 1-winning juveniles Listen (Ire) and Sequoyah (Ire). Both were later responsible for top-level performers themselves, with the latter throwing the G1 English and Irish 2000 Guineas, G1 Sussex S. and G1 St. James’s Palace S. hero and sire Henrythenavigator (Kingmambo). This excellent family also features last year’s G1 Epsom Derby runner-up Cliffs of Moher (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and GI Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Magician (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and, further back, a trio of group 1 winners in Dolphin Street (Fr) (Bluebird), Saffron Walden (Fr) (Sadler’s Wells) and Insight (Fr) (Sadler’s Wells). Monday, Deauville, France PRIX IMPRUDENCE-G3, €80,000, DVL, 4-9, 3yo, f, 7fT, 1:30.35, vhy. 1–COEUR DE BEAUTE (FR), 126, f, 3, by Dabirsim (Fr) 1st Dam: Twilight Tear (GB), by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire) 2nd Dam: Clara Bow (Ire), by Sadler’s Wells 3rd Dam: Brigid, by Irish River (Fr) 1ST GROUP WIN. (€30,000 Ylg ’16 OSLATE). O-Ahmed Mouknass, Alain Jathiere, Ecurie Pandora Racing & Gerard Decocq; B-Haras de Grandcamp (FR); T-Mauricio Delcher Sanchez; J-Christophe Soumillon. €30,000. Lifetime Record: 6-2-2-0, €76,100. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Zonza (Fr), 126, f, 3, Alex the Winner–Zanyeva (Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB). O-Alain Jathiere, Martin S Schwartz Racing & Gerard Augustin-Normand; B-Hugues Rousseau & Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois (FR); T-Didier Guillemin. €16,000. 3–Talbah (GB), 126, f, 3, Style Vendome (Fr)–Lamorlaye (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). O/B-Al Shaqab Racing (GB); T-Nicolas Clement. €12,000. Margins: HF, 3/4, HF. Odds: 4.20, 2.80, 11.00. Also Ran: Moisson Precoce (GB), Long Island (Fr), Tantheem (GB), Spaday (Ire), Fou Rire (Ire). Scratched: Yori (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

The Inglis Easter Yearling Sale opened at Riverside Stables in Sydney in fervent fashion on Monday, with five of the seven millionaires coming within the first 30 horses through the ring. When the dust settled at the end of four hours of trade during the abbreviated session, it was Arrowfield Stud and its reigning champion sire Snitzel (Aus) that dominated the top end the market; Arrowfield consigned five of the seven-figure lots and Snitzel sired three of the millionaires, including the two top prices: Arrowfield’s A$1.3-million filly out of Azmiyna (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) bought by Guy Mulcaster and trainer Chris Waller, and Bhima Thoroughbreds’s colt out of Asscher (NZ) (Stravinsky) bought by the trio of Gai Waterhouse, Blue Sky Bloodstock and Kerri Radcliffe, who was acting on behalf of George Bolton for A$1.2 million With 30 fewer horses catalogued for the opening session than last year, and 26 fewer offered, figures largely showed improvement. Eighty-six total were sold for A$32,155,000. The average was up 11% to A$373,895, while the median remained the same as day one last year at A$300,000. The clearance rate pointed to some selectivity in the market, however, down to 77% from 85% in 2017. More of the Same for Arrowfield… Arrowfield had closed out the 2017 Easter sale with a blockbuster five millionaires during the final session, and thus it picked up exactly where it left off on Monday. “We brought some really nice horses to the sale and I’m gratified the market has appreciated them and accepted them,” said Arrowfield’s John Messara. “I’m not overly surprised; I thought if the buyers were here, that’s what would happen. We have a few more to present in the next couple days; we’re not finished yet.” Arrowfield has developed successful partnerships with fellow leading global breeders the Aga Khan Studs and Northern Farm, and those joint ventures both featured on Monday, with the top lot being jointly bred with the Aga Khan Studs, and a A$1.05-million Snitzel filly bought by Jadeskye Racing being apart of the Northern Farm joint venture. The latter venture featured recently when one of its 2017 graduates, TDN Rising Star Estijaab (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), won the G1 Golden Slipper. Snitzel Streak… Guy Mulcaster, best known as the buyer of Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) as a yearling, added two quality fillies to the stable of champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller early in the session on Monday when in short succession signing for lot 11, a daughter of Deep Impact (Jpn), and lot 32, the session-topping Snitzel filly, for A$1.1-million and A$1.3-million, respectively. Lot 32 is out of Azmiyna (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), herself an unraced half-sister to European champion Azamour (Ire) (Night Shift). Snitzel, in fact, enjoyed a tear of success within 10 lots, with three selling for seven figures. Those also included Arrowfield’s filly out of Asterix (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}) (lot 25), which made A$1.05-million from Damion Flower of Jadeskye Racing, who campaigned Snitzel himself; and Bhima’s colt out of Asscher (NZ) (Stravinsky) (lot 23). The latter was bought by Gai Waterhouse, Blue Sky Bloodstock and Kerri Radcliffe, who was acting on behalf of George Bolton, for A$1.2-million. The Asterix filly will look to follow in the footsteps of Estijaab (Aus), who was a seven-figure daughter of Snitzel sold at this sale last year by the Arrowfield/Northern Farm joint venture and who won the G1 Golden Slipper just weeks ago. Making An Impact Down Under… Deep Impact is well known as Japan’s perennial champion sire, but the son of Sunday Silence in fact has a standout record in Australia from limited opportunities: from four runners Down Under, he can lay claim to two Group 1 winners, Tosen Stardom (Jpn) and Real Impact (Jpn), as well as the recent Group 1-placed Ambitious (Jpn). Arrowfield Stud’s filly out of Alverta (Aus) (Flying Spur {Aus}) (lot 11), the Group 1-winning champion female sprinter who was also third in Britain’s G1 July Cup, will have every chance to add her name to that list as she heads into the stable of champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller, with his agent Guy Mulcaster signing the ticket at A$1.1-million. Alverta has produced three foals of racing age, all winners. “She has a lovely pedigree and we know how well Deep Impact is doing around the world,” said Mulcaster, who had the opportunity to see plenty by the sire while visiting the JRHA’s July Select Sale last year. “He has some lovely horses not only in Japan but also in Europe, and we’re expecting them to do well in Australia as well.” “The types the sire leaves outdo himself,” Mulcaster added. “They’re just magnificent horses and they have form everywhere they go, so we’re delighted to get her.” Arrowfield has three Deep Impact fillies to offer at Easter, and another of them, a daughter of Charming Estelle (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}) lot 70, made A$1-million from trainer Tony McEvoy on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum midway through the afternoon. That pair campaigns this season’s G1 Blue Diamond, G1 Golden Slipper and G1 Sires’ Produce S.-placed Oohood (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}), and they certainly have another quality filly on their hands, with lot 70 being a great granddaughter of Estelle Collection (NZ) (Stravinsky), the dam of champion sprinter Lankan Rupee (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}). The fillies are the first by their sire to be offered as yearlings at a Southern Hemisphere sale. A Deep Impact filly was offered at Keeneland September last year but was bought back at $285,000. Arrowfield’s third Deep Impact filly goes through the ring on the final day of the sale as lot 442. “They did well, but you have to keep in mind it’s very expensive to send mares to Japan, and bring them back, the service fee is big; it’s a pretty expensive exercise,” Messara said. “However, I was pleased they’ve gone to good buyers and they’ll get their opportunity. We have the dams so we’ll benefit from any racing that comes.” Northern Farm Reinvesting… Northern Farm, as has become customary, had a presence at Easter on Monday, buying a Frankel (GB) colt from Cressfield Stud (lot 6) for A$500,000. That colt is a grandson of Rafha (GB) (Kris {GB}), best known as the dam of Invincible Spirit (Ire) and Kodiac (GB), and it is also the immediate family of dual Australian Group 1 winner and young sire Pride of Dubai (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}). While Frankel is yet to have a stakes winner in Australia, he has done well in Japan, his flagbearer being last year’s G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) winner Soul Stirring (Jpn) “We love Frankel,” said Tomonori Tsuda, head vet of Northern Farm. “Here in Australia, Frankel’s value is not as high as in Japan, where they’re doing very well. If you think about the price of the Tapits or the Frankels here, they’re good value compared to what they would cost in Japan.” Tsuda confirmed the colt would be sent to Japan to race, and said there are currently “seven or eight” Frankels in the Northern Farm system. Tsuda said he was also pleased to see Deep Impact well received on the opening day of the sale. He said there has been plenty of interest from breeders to use the champion sire Southern Hemisphere time, and that Arrowfield is part of his limited book because of a strong, 30-year relationship with the farm. “Many people are interested in breeding to Deep Impact Southern Hemisphere time, but at a moment we have a shortage of spots,” he said. “Because we have had a great relationship for 30 years with Arrowfield, that’s the reason we’re trading with them. Today’s results were about what we expected, so we’re happy. I think there is real potential for Deep Impact covering Australian mares. Deep Impact does well with speed mares, so I think his pedigree will suit the Australian mares very well.” Part of the Arrowfield/Northern Farm joint venture includes the shuttling of three young Shadai sires–Mikki Isle (Jpn), Real Impact (Jpn) and Maurice (Jpn)–to Arrowfield, and Tsuda said Northern Farm is increasing the number of mares it brings to Australia to support those young sires. Tsuda said that the 20 first crop foals of Mikki Isle that Northern Farm currently has in Japan have been impressing him particularly. “Also, the Japanese mares’ market is not mature, the prices are not proper in Japan, so we want to keep some mares here at Arrowfield,” he added. Frankel had two catalogued for this sale and they both went through the ring within the first hour. The other was Arrowfield’s colt out of Aqua Bella (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) (lot 21), whose second dam of the triple French Group 1 winner Aquarelliste (GB) (Danehill). That one was scooped up by Chinese entity Domeland for A$1.1-million. Aqua Bella was bought by Badgers Bloodstock for €230,000 from Arqana’s December Breeding Stock Sale in 2014. She was covered by Frankel Southern Hemisphere time the following year and expatriated to Australia. Invincible Leaves It Late… I Am Invincible (Aus), currently third behind Snitzel on the leading sires’ table, had thus far outshone his elder rival at the top of the price lists at Australia’s other major yearlings sales this season, and the Yarraman Park resident didn’t disappoint on Monday. Late in the session, he notched a seven-figure sale when co-trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, along with Julian Blaxland’s Blue Sky Bloodstock, signed at A$1.05-million for lot 120, a half-brother to G1 Golden Slipper winner Mossfun (Aus) (Mossman {Aus}). I Am Invincible and Snitzel each had 10 sold on the day, with Snitzel coming out on top by average at A$561,500 compared to I Am Invincible’s A$535,500. Fastnet Rock (Aus) came out third by average of sires with three or more sold, his six sold yielding an average of A$490,833. Dissident (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}) was the standout among first-season sires on day one. While he had just two sold, one of those fetched A$800,000: lot 22, the second foal out of the 2-year-old stakes winner Assail (Aus) (Charge Forward {Aus}). The Newgate Farm offering had given connections a scare when kicking a rail in the back ring and was as a result returned to his barn and offered as the last lot of the evening, but he appeared none worse for the wear, with China Horse Club and WinStar Farm the new owners. It could have also helped that he is out of a mare by Charge Forward, whose daughters have produced the last two winners of the Golden Slipper. The Easter sale continues on Tuesday at 11 a.m. local time. View the full article

Better race position, a touch more luck in running and a considerable weight swing on a key rival should be enough for See Me Now to hit back with a win in the Class Four Mount Butler Handicap (1,650m). After a season of acclimatisation and a drop into Class Four, See Me Now found his forte over Happy Valley’s extended mile and trainer Francis Lui Kin-wai keeps returning to the well. See Me Now has tackled the course and distance five straight times now for a win and three placings and... View the full article

The Class Three cup race on Sunday was supposed to be all about just three horses but Solar Patch upset the apple cart by winning first-up and even third-placed Intrepic tagged himself as worth following. The John Moore-trained Solar Patch looked to have his share of ability in Australia but didn’t face any easy task to take on some smart horses who were already up and running here and beat them. But beat them he did and that opens up the possibility the son of Stratum is heading for... View the full article

The Goffs UK Breeze Up is streaming live on the TDN website, www.thoroughbreddailynews.com. Two-hundreds 2YOs catalogued for the Goffs UK Breeze Up Sale are breezing at Doncaster Racecourse. The sale will offer 2YOs by leading sires from around the world including Bated Breath, Dandy Man, Dark Angel, Distorted Humor, Dutch Art, Elusive Quality, Excelebration, Exceed And Excel, Exchange Rate, Hard Spun, Havana Gold, Holy Roman Emperor, Kodiac, Kyllachy, Lope de Vega, Pivotal, Scat Daddy, Showcasing, Zebedee, Zoffany etc. The sale will also offer the first 2YOs by a number of young sires including Alhebayeb, Bungle Inthejungle, Gale Force Ten, Garswood, Heeraat, Morpheus, Mukhadram, No Nay Never, Olympic Glory, Slade Power, Toronado, War Command, and more. View the full article

As could have been expected, it didn’t take long for Snitzel to get his name among the leaders at Easter, with Bhima’s colt out of Asscher (NZ) (Stravinsky) (lot 23) fetching A$1.2-million from Blue Sky Bloodstock and Gai Waterhouse and Arrowfield’s Snitzel filly out of Asterix (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}) making A$1.05-million from Damion Flower’s Jadeskye Racing. That followed just two lots after Arrowfield’s son of Frankel (GB) (lot 21) fetched A$1.1-million from Domeland Pty Ltd. View the full article

It didn’t take long for the action to heat up on opening day of the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale on Monday, with lot 11, a Deep Impact (Jpn) filly out of the Group 1 winning sprinter Alverta (Aus) (Flying Spur {Aus}), fetching A$1.1-million from Guy Mulcaster for group of owners with trainer Chris Waller. View the full article