Wandering Eyes

HONG KONG — As nightfall descends upon Hong Kong Island Wednesday evening, a dozen of the finest jockeys representing seven racing jurisdictions will battle one another for the winner’s share of HK$800,000 in the Longines International Jockeys’ Championship at picturesque Happy Valley Racecourse. It was a magical season for the locally based Zac Purton in 2017-2018, which included a defeat of Silvestre de Sousa for his first success in the IJC before adding a front-running victory aboard Time Warp (GB) (Archipenko) in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup. For good measure, Purton refused to let the record-setting Joao Moreira out of his sights in the local jockeys’ premiership and proved too tough in the finish by a count of 136 to 134. Representing Australia, Bowman scarcely needs an introduction. The regular rider for the irrepressible Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}), last year’s Longines World’s Best Jockey recipient is a four-time champion in Sydney and is no stranger the Sha Tin winner’s enclosure, having most notably struck a partnership with Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}). Bowman has been aboard for victories in the G1 QE II Cup and G1 Champions and Chater Cup in addition to the Hong Kong Derby and gets back aboard Werther for Sunday’s Cup. Bowman, who won the 2016 IJC, is winless in 14 rides at the HKIR. Two-time IJC hero Ryan Moore continues his jet-setting ways this week in Hong Kong, having recently ridden in Australia, the U.S. (twice) and Japan in the last few weeks. Moore, 35, is the winner of 119 Grade/Group 1 races in 11 different countries and has posted victories in the HKIR in each of the last three years (Maurice {Jpn}, Highland Reel {Ire}, 2015; Maurice, 2016; Highland Reel, 2017). America’s Javier Castellano will make his second appearance in the IJC, having finished well down the field in 2006. The 41-year-old native of Venezuela recently surpassed the 5,000 mark in career victories and took his Breeders’ Cup tally to 10 with scores in the Juvenile Turf Sprint and in the GI Dirt Mile. Castellano is looking forward to the challenge. “I’ve never seen such passionate fans and it was an amazing experience,” he said Tuesday, referring to his first try at the IJC. “This time I have some good draws and hopefully I can have a bit of luck.” Japan’s legendary Yutaka Take and Japanese-based Frenchman Christophe Lemaire each have one IJC success to their credit, dead-heating for the win in 2004 and 2009, respectively. An 18-time champion on the JRA circuit, Take won the 2015 Cup astride A Shin Hikari (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Lemaire arrives in Hong Kong in top form, having piloted Japanese Filly Triple Crown winner Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) to a soft tally in the G1 Japan Cup Nov. 25. Last year’s champion JRA jockey, Lemaire is well on his way to a successful defence of that title this season, as he currently sits on 200 winners for 2018, some 57 clear of second-placed　Mirco Demuro as of Dec. 1. The rest of the field includes: Mickael Barzalona (France); Colin Keane (Ireland), making his IJC debut; and Karis Teetan, Vincent Ho and Matthew Poon (Hong Kong). View the full article

Javier Castellano has won over 5,000 races, collected 108 Group Ones, his mounts have won close to US$320 million in prize money and he is already in the Hall of Fame, but the USA-based superstar was as excited as kid in a candy store at the prospect of competing in Wednesday night’s Longines International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley. After a lifetime in the saddle, you could excuse most 41-year-old jockeys for being slighty grizzled, but Castellano was bouncing around and... View the full article

Brilliant Japanese staying mare Crocosmia took no prisoners at Sha Tin on Tuesday morning, setting a high early benchmark for the week ahead with a momentous turf gallop that would have been worthy of the highest-rated gallopers at the meeting. Crocosmia, a bold front-runner in her homeland, showed all her renowned speed to zip through an 800m gallop in 49 seconds, but that useful overall time only serves to mask the majesty of the work. The true merit of this piece was to be found in the finer... View the full article

Zac Purton may be Hong Kong’s champion jockey, but he is far from the punter’s pal with his rides returning more than 10 per cent losses across this season. It is first-season jockey Grant van Niekerk who has the best return on investment, with his rides returning an 18 per cent profit. In simple terms, if you were to have a HK$10 win bet on every one of Van Niekerk’s rides this season, it would have returned HK$1,612 from an outlay of HK$1,370. Chad Schofield has also... View the full article

He’s a man of little fuss who prefers to shy away from the spotlight but Vincent Ho Chak-yiu says he’s ready to step out of the shadows and open a “new chapter” for Hong Kong riders in Wednesday’s International Jockeys’ Challenge. No Hong Kong-raised jockey has ever won the IJC but Ho knows he is a chance to change that while the “whole world is watching”. “My horses are pretty good and I have got the draw, for sure I think I have a chance... View the full article

Joao Moreira is confident he can begin his new Sha Tin stint with a bang on Sunday, talking up the chances of a pair of Japanese raiders ahead of the Longines Hong Kong International Races. Moreira, who begins a six-month contract as Size’s stable jockey on Sunday, rode four horses for the 10-time champion trainer during a flying trip to Hong Kong for Tuesday morning’s barrier trials. He will return to Japan to ride in Hanshin on Saturday before flying back to Hong Kong on Saturday... View the full article

Singapore trainer Stephen Gray says sprinting sensation Lim’s Cruiser is the best horse the city state has seen since Rocket Man wowed punters eight years ago. His speedster will be the pride of the Lion City when he lines up in the Group One Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) on Sunday. Win, lose or draw, Gray says he will be proud of his achievements. Gray had never had a horse fast enough to race in the Hong Kong International Races but has been to the event more times than many who... View the full article

Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren, Jr.’s The Lieutenant (Street Sense–Stage Magic, by Ghostzapper), a graded stakes-winning half-brother to unbeaten 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy), has been retired from racing and will stand the 2019 season at Sequel New York, it was announced Monday. The 5-year-old son of the GSP mare Stage Magic captured the GIII All American S. at Golden Gate May 28 and finished second and third, respectively, in the July 7 GII Suburban S. and the Apr. 28 GII Californian S. “He’s a Grade III winner, but he also ran second in the Suburban and beat Discreet Lover (Repent), Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday) and Tapwrit (Tapit)–a bunch of really nice horses,” said Becky Thomas, owner of Sequel New York. Bred in Kentucky by John Gunther and ultimately purchased for $185,000 by trainer Mike McCarthy as an OBS March 2-year-old in training, The Lieutenant retires with an overall record of 4-2-1 and earnings of $345,882 from 15 starts. Throughout his career, he also was a regular workmate of McCarthy’s GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner City of Light (Quality Road). “Before Justify became a Triple Crown champion, I thought his older brother, The Lieutenant, could have been any kind,” McCarthy said. “His looks, mechanics and desire to train reminded me of some of the most talented horses I had ever been around, before an unfortunate injury after the [GII] Suburban H. ultimately curtailed his career. I’ll miss watching him train in lockstep with City of Light. I was sure he was geared up to make some noise in the fall schedule’s biggest races. I have no doubt that his looks, heart and strong female family will be a bonus to the New York breeders for years to come.” The Lieutenant joins a Sequel stallion roster that also includes Freud (Storm Cat), a full-brother to legendary racehorse and sire Giant’s Causeway. “We’ve been very fortunate to have horses that carry a lot of pedigree and bring a lot of breeder support,” Thomas said. “It’s a very unique opportunity to stand a half-brother to an undefeated Triple Crown winner.” View the full article

In addition to higher purses, horsemen will also find increased benefits for those running in races with purse levels of $30,000 or lower. Other changes, designed to increase field size, come in the first condition allowance category. View the full article

Jimmy Vargas has been named executive vice president of The Stronach Group’s newly created entertainment division. According to a release from the company, Vargas “will curate unique and engaging experiences across all of The Stronach Group facilities” as the company attempts to “modernize the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing by exciting and energizing the next generation of fans.” Vargas, who joined The Stronach Group in the spring of 2018, has produced the InfieldFest featuring Post Malone, Odesza, 21 Savage and Frank Walker at the legendary Preakness S., as well as the inaugural Clubhouse Festival featuring Steve Aoki & Tyga at the Jim McKay Maryland Million at Laurel Park. Vargas is currently working on entertainment experiences at the Jan. 26 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park. Prior to joining The Stronach Group, Vargas was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for MMG Entertainment & Hospitality. View the full article

The California Retirement Management Account will host its annual Thoroughbred Classic Saturday and Sunday at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank. Held annually since 2011, the event raises awareness to help CARMA rehabilitate and place retired Thoroughbreds. This year’s Thoroughbreds-only show will include two horses who survived the devastating fires which engulfed San Luis Rey Downs a year ago and will again feature a jumping competition for racetrack trainers and jockeys. Admission is free and all attendees will be treated to a hosted barbeque dinner and no-host bar (21 and over) both Saturday and Sunday. For additional information, contact CARMA Project Manager Natalie Rietkerk at (626) 574-6654. View the full article

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club completed its fifth fall meet Dec. 2, highlighted by gains in total handle and four weeks of safe racing. View the full article

In addition to the Starlet (G1) and Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity (G1), the Dec. 8 program will feature a live money handicapping contest with as many as three seats available to the 2019 National Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas. View the full article

Santa Anita unveiled several measures designed to increase field sizes at its upcoming Winter Meet, which opens Dec. 26. The track has adjusted restrictions in the first condition allowance category. Instead of being restricted to horses who are non-winners of $10,000 other than maiden, claiming or starter, horses will now be eligible if they have won $15,000 “other than.” Looking to entice horsemen to ship south, horses that win first condition allowance races at Golden Gate Fields will now be exempted and will be eligible to run again at the same non-winner’s level at Santa Anita. Santa Anita has also adjusted purse distribution in races with purse levels of $30,000 or lower to increase compensation for horses that finish fourth and fifth. Percentage of purse distribution in those races, from first through fifth, will now be 55, 20, 12, 8 and 5. Overnight purses at the upcoming Winter Meet have also been increased, with some categories getting an 11% boost when compared to the track’s Autumn Meet. “The overall increase in purse money is due to increased handle over the last year,” said P.J. Campo, Vice President, Racing for The Stronach Group. “We’ve adjusted the purses for the mid-level races in order to try to increase participation and field size, which drives handle. With these and other changes in place, we’re looking forward to a great Winter Meet starting the day after Christmas.” View the full article

Longtime owner and entrepreneur David Heerensperger passed away Sunday. He was 82. Heerensperger and then-wife Jill first became involved in racing after purchasing a trip to the 1980 Kentucky Derby at a charity auction. They reached the Derby as owners in 2001 with GI Toyota Blue Grass S. winner Millennium Wind (Cryptoclearance). Trained by David Hofmans, the $1.2-million Keeneland September purchase was 11th in the Run for the Roses that year. Heerensperger had horses with trainer John Gosden in California, but when Gosden returned to Europe, the owner turned to another transplanted Englishman in Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale. “We had a very long and successful relationship and he became a very good friend,” Drysdale said. “We went all over the place and had a lot of fun.” Drysdale conditioned Heerensperger’s multiple Grade I winner Artiste Royal (Ire) (Danehill), who won the 2008 GI Charles Whittingham Memorial H. and the 2007 GI Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship S., as well as multiple graded stakes winners Bourbon Bay (Sligo Bay {Ire}), Fire with Fire (Distorted Humor), and Hawksley Hill (Ire) (Rahy). While there were plenty of graded stakes wins, asked to pick the most memorable, Drysdale admitted, “Probably when Hawksley Hill won the [1999 GI] Woodbine Mile and then was disqualified. David was quite pragmatic about it. I think I might have been more upset than he was. We did very well together, but I do remember that race well.” A native of Longview, Washington, Heerensperger retired as CEO of Pay ‘n Pak Hardware Stores in 1989 and founded Eagle Hardware and Garden before retiring again in 1997. He was a major investor in Emerald Downs when racing returned to Washington state in 1996. Funeral arrangments are pending. View the full article

Matt Lyons will join Candy Meadows Farm as its Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, effective Jan. 1, Candy Meadows and Cheyenne Stables owner Everett Dobson announced Monday. An Ireland native, Lyons was previously Vice President and General Manger of Woodford Thoroughbreds in Kentucky before it was consolidated and relocated to Florida. He managed the Woodford farm operations for 10 years. “Matt brings a level of experience in farm management, pedigree analysis, and sales prep that made him an ideal fit for our program,” said Dobson. “Everett is a highly respected leader of our industry and I look forward to working alongside him to grow and develop Candy Meadows Farm,” added Lyons. View the full article

NEWMARKET, UK—As an opening show, the first day of Tattersalls December Mares Sale boasted all the international elements that one has come to expect from this end-of-year extravaganza. A level of trade that bodes well for the next two days as the sale warms up saw figures down in comparison to last year’s first session, which received an enormous boost with the 1.7 million gns sale of Group 1 winner Intricately (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), but with the same high clearance rate of 85%. That was achieved through the sale of 215 fillies and mares at an average of 57,257gns (-29%) and median of 30,000gns (-17%). At 12,310,200gns, the day’s turnover was down by 20% on 2017. Act two of the Juddmonte draft will be played out tomorrow but a dramatic entrée was provided by three in-foal mares who dominated the session, selling to breeders from France, America and Ireland. Top of the tree was Aurora Gold (GB) (lot 1528), and to say that she’s a daughter of Frankel (GB) and a half-sister to the outstanding Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) really only tells half her story. “We counted eight fillies under the first dam and that’s only going to help,” said Bertrand Le Metayer after outbidding Stephen Hillen at 550,000gns on behalf of an unnamed new breeder from France. Though unraced herself, the 4-year-old has plenty of close relatives who have excelled on the track. Along with four-time Group 1 winner Midday, Auroroa Gold’s half-siblings include G3 Nell Gwyn S. winner Hot Snap (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and Australian listed winner Midsummer Sun (GB) (Monsun {Ger}), while her full-sister Sun Maiden (GB) was placed in the G2 Ribblesdale S. and remains in training with Sir Michael Stoute for next season. Her grandam Modena (Roberto) was also a prolific black-type producer, with Group 1 winners Reams Of Verse (Nureyev) and Elmaamul (Diesis) and G2 Yorkshire Cup winner Manifest (GB) (Rainbow Quest) the best of her seven stakes winners. “We hope that the page will get even darker,” Le Metayer continued. “Her sister stays in training and the mare has been covered by the sire of the year. She has some scope, which is what we wanted.” Juddmonte Factor Boosts Trade The 11 Juddmonte mares sold on Monday put almost 2 million gns on the day’s aggregate and the two lots immediately preceding Aurora Gold assisted in raising the level of trade by quite some way. Also offered in foal to Kingman was the unraced Fine Time (GB) (Dansili {GB}) (1527), a sister to Group 1 winner Passage Of Time (GB)—who has already produced the stallion Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire})—and to G2 King Edward VII S. winner Father Time (GB). Yet another deep Juddmonte family, her relations include the mighty multiple top-level scorer and South African-based stallion Twice Over (GB) (Observatory). Fine Time will now cross the Irish Sea to join Noel O’Callaghan’s broodmare band at Mountarmstrong Stud after being knocked down to agent Matt Coleman on the breeder’s behalf. He said, “It is a phenomenal pedigree, one of the best in the book. She is also in foal to Kingman, who has had a great start.” Michael Youngs, acting on behalf of Jane Lyon of Summer Wind Farm in Kentucky, was another bidder to outlast Stephen Hillen when securing Argumentative (GB) (Observatory) (1526) for 425,000gns. The 11-year-old, in foal to Frankel on a June 5 cover, produced a Group 1 winner with her first foal in Juddmonte’s Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner Epicuris (GB) (Rail Link {GB}). Her three subsequent foals are also winners and she has a yearling filly by Make Believe (GB). “Jane Lyon has already bred a Group 1 winner by Frankel, Mozu Ascot in Japan, so she is delighted to have bought a Group 1 producer in foal to Frankel,” said Youngs. “She’s a very nice mare from a family I know well and she will go to America. She has enough American blood that will transfer well.” Bristol Bay Returns To Ireland Strong French and Australian participation was noted throughout the day in Newmarket but both Ghislain Bozo and Stuart Stuckey had to give best to Timmy Hyde, who was intent on adding Bristol Bay (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) (1640) to his Camas Park Stud broodmare band and was pushed to 400,000gns in order to do so. Already the dam of the listed winner and Group 2-placed Bay Of Poets (Ire), the 10-year-old mare was offered back in foal to that horse’s sire Lope De Vega. She was sold through Ballylinch Stud on behalf of her breeder Gestut Ammerland, who also bred and raced the dual Classic winner Lope De Vega. Out of a sister to Dietrich Von Boetticher’s former champion racemare and Deutsches Derby winner Borgia (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}), Bristol Bay’s full-sister Burning Heights (Ger), who was withdrawn from the sale, has also produced a Group winner by Lope De Vega in the G3 Killavullan S. victrix Blue De Vega (Ger). Bristol Bay also has an as-yet unraced 2-year-old by the same stallion named Bay Light (Ire), as well as a yearling filly by Power (Ire) and colt foal by New Bay (GB). Hyde said, “She’s a lovely mare and very well covered. We’ll know if this is the right decision when we see her foal.” Rose Of The Ring Making her fifth appearance in the ring at Tattersalls and her fourth at this particular sale, The Miniver Rose (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) (1605), in foal to Dubawi (Ire), was bought with just one bid of 300,000gns by Peter Hensey, acting on behalf of the Chinese-owned Rifa Mustang Europe. Originally a 100,000gns yearling, she returned at three with a Group 2 victory to her name for owner Julie Wood to sell for 340,000gns before being exported to Australia. Following an unsuccessful stint down under, The Miniver Rose was repatriated and was later sold in foal to Kingman (GB) for 270,000gns in 2015. Godolphin has subsequently offered her twice, and she was marked as sold for 550,000gns two years ago when also carrying to Dubawi. The foal she was carrying at the time was sold through Highclere Stud at the recent October Sale for 400,000gns to John and Jake Warren. Lucrative Exchange The unraced Exchange Rate mare Cash In The Hand (1590) proved to be well named after selling for 260,000gns to Mick Flanagan on behalf of an Irish client. The 3-year-old was offered in foal to Siyouni (Fr) and the hope is for her to visit another red-hot sire next year. “She’ll go over to Ireland and hopefully she will get into No Nay Never,” said the agent of the half-sister to three-time Group winner Lord Admiral (El Prado {Ire}) and to the dam of GI Canadian International S. winner Cannock Chase (Lemon Drop Kid). Flanagan had earlier gone to 210,000gns for Strumming (Ire) (1572), an unraced Camelot (GB) half-sister to the GI Garden City Breeders’ Cup S. winner Magnificent Song (Unbridled’s Song) and three other stakes performers. It’s been a profitable year in the sales ring for the offspring of her 22-year-old dam A Song To Remember (Storm Cat), whose yearling filly by Frankel was bought for $500,000 by Oliver St Lawrence at Keeneland. Only You For Yulong The international variety continued with lot 1553, the Galileo (Ire) mare You Only You (Ire), who was offered in foal to first-crop covering sire Caravaggio. A winner in France, the 4-year-old is out of the Group 2-placed Devoted To You (Ire), who has been mated exclusively with the champion sire since 2012. Yuesheng Zhang of Yulong Investments, active a fortnight ago at Goffs and again buying through the BBA Ireland agent Michael Donohoe, is the new owner of the young mare whose further family includes the Irish Derby and Oaks winner Balanchine (Storm Bird) and, more recently, Godolphin’s multiple Group 1 winner Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}). Another three mares in foal to Coolmore’s young son of Scat Daddy sold during the opening session of the sale for 110,000gns, 92,000gns and 75,000gns respectively. Bound For France The speedily-bred Kodyanna (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) was an expensive yearling when sold for £180,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Sale to the Cool Silk Partnership and with two victories plus a runner-up finish to her credit in the G3 Prix de Cabourg for Richard Fahey, the juvenile returned to the ring to be bought as a broodmare prospect for Haras de la Perelle. Offered by Whatton Manor Stud as lot 1570, the sister to listed winner Darkanna (Ire) was signed for by Ghislain Bozo of Meridian International. Also en route to France eventually will be Lastroseofsummer (Ire) (Haafhd {GB}) (1577) and Imagery (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) (1551). Both mares were purchased by Francisco Bernal of Outsider Bloodstock on behalf of a new Spanish breeder to the thoroughbred world who is establishing a broodmare band in France. Bernal bought the top lot at the Goffs Foal Sale, a filly by Kingman (GB) for €350,000, and also a mare from the Aga Khan Studs draft for €210,000 who will board at Haras du Quesnay. Joining her there after being bought on Monday for 230,000gns is the five-time winner Lastroseofsummer, who is already a black-type producer via her French Group 3 winner Melesina (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and G3 Craven S. runner-up White Mocha (Lope De Vega {Ire}). The 12-year-old was sold with a May cover to Speightstown through the Castlebridge Consignment. Bernal also bought the only mare in foal to the useful German-based stallion Adlerflug (Ger) for 95,000gns. The 9-year-old Imagery, a listed winner herself and half-sister to three stakes winners, is the dam of the listed-placed Instigator (Ger) (Nayef) and this year’s winning 3-year-old Imaginary Mover (Ger) (Wiener Walzer {Ger}). Australasian Breeders Active Heading farther afield later next year will be the young Dark Angel (Ire) mare Tobacco Bay (Ire), who is carrying her first foal by Coolmore’s four-time Group 1 winner and freshman sire Churchill (Ire). Bought for 220,000gns by John Berry on behalf of an Asian breeder with a broodmare band in Australia, the winning half-sister to the Group 3 winners Glamorous Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Just Glamorous (Ire) (Arcano {Ire}) will remain in the UK until her foal is weaned next summer before heading to the southern hemisphere. “Dark Angel has already had some success as a broodmare sire but he has never shuttled so there won’t be too many of his daughters in Australia,” said Berry. “She’s from a fast family which should suit Australia and she should be relatively easy to mate there. Her broodmare sire Air Express (Ire) shuttled to Queensland for one year and then died young but he did well with the mares he covered there.” Tobacco Bay’s deeper family, through her fourth dam Glaneuse (Fr), includes the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Gold River (Fr) (Riverman) and her celebrated great grand-daughter Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa). Among the other buyers with Australasian connections who were active during the first day of the sale was New Zealand’s Cambridge Stud, which bought three mares for 197,000gns, while Rosemont Stud bought two for 115,000gns and Antony Thompson of Widden Stud signed for Spiced (GB) (1587), a 3-year-old daughter of Dansili (GB) and the speedy champion juvenile Superstar Leo (Ire) (College Chapel {GB}) for 100,000gns. Another mare with plenty of pace in her pedigree is Goleta (Ire), a Royal Applause (GB) half-sister to the King’s Stand S. winner Chineur (Fr) (Fasliyev), who has already proved her worth at stud, throwing a Group 3 winner as her first foal—the Prix du Petit Couvert winner Dibajj (Fr) (Iffraaj {GB})—followed three seasons later by last year’s listed Prix Francois Mathet winner Black Sea (Fr) (Dubai Destination). Offered back in foal to Darley’s Iffraaj, the 13-year-old mare (1533), who was raced by her breeder Cyril Humphris and was offered through Barton Stud, fetched 210,000gns to a bid from Richard Knight. Humphris currently has the mare’s 3-year-old filly, the twice-placed L’Age D’Or (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) in training in Newmarket with Robert Cowell, and she has a 2-year-old by the same sire named Leah Hannah (Fr) still to race. Shadwell bought Goleta’s yearling filly by Oasis Dream (GB) for 280,000gns at the October Sale. View the full article

Three Chimneys Farm is set to welcome a pair of new faces to its stallion roster in 2019 in Grade I winners Sharp Azteca (Freud) and Funtastic (More Than Ready). While Sharp Azteca’s brilliant speed over middle distances stands in contrast to Funtastic’s staying power over a grassy route of ground, both newcomers bring pedigree power and ample physical appeal to their respective resumes. The TDN sat down with Tom Hamm, who has been serving as the director of stallion seasons at Three Chimneys since July, to discuss his outlook for the two stallions. TDN: Let’s talk about Sharp Azteca. Was there a specific race or races where you think he really started to display his brilliance on a national level? TH: The [2016 GIII] Pat Day Mile S. was his breakout race as a graded stakes horse, where he came in and ran a very impressive race. He won that, and then went on to run in the Malibu where he faced Mind Your Biscuits (Posse), and had the lead pretty much every step of the way until deep stretch where Mind Your Biscuits was able to just get up at the wire–he beat him less than a half length. It really showed that he was a Grade I stakes horse and had the ability to win a Grade I at that distance. TDN: We’re just a few days removed from the one-year anniversary of his greatest achievement, a victory in the GI Cigar Mile. What did that performance show you in terms of his potential as a stallion? TH: He went on to run in the Cigar Mile and won by five lengths, again beating really quality horses–Mind Your Biscuits, Practical Joke (Into Mischief), and he ran a negative 2 1/4 Ragozin number, which was the fastest at a mile in 2017 and the co-fastest of the year, so I think those numbers and the level of competition he defeated in that race really says a lot about the horse and his ability at a mile. {"id":3,"instanceName":"Articles No Playlist","videos":[{"videoType":"HTML5","title":"Sharp Azteca and Funtastic: Two New Grade I Winners at Three Chimneys","description":"","info":"","thumbImg":"","mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/304219316.sd.mp4?s=18838080695b5726ade56b41ed463803d4956fdc&profile_id=165","enable_mp4_download":"no","prerollAD":"yes","prerollGotoLink":"prerollGotoLink","preroll_mp4_title":"preroll_mp4_title","preroll_mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/300270047.sd.mp4?s=9704e842c0d121b98b279c15d8d24835ef4929fe&profile_id=165","prerollSkipTimer":"5","midrollAD":"no","midrollAD_displayTime":"midrollAD_displayTime","midrollGotoLink":"midrollGotoLink","midroll_mp4":"midroll_mp4","midrollSkipTimer":"midrollSkipTimer","postrollAD":"no","postrollGotoLink":"postrollGotoLink","postroll_mp4":"postroll_mp4","postrollSkipTimer":"postrollSkipTimer","popupAdShow":"no","popupImg":"popupImg","popupAdStartTime":"popupAdStartTime","popupAdEndTime":"popupAdEndTime","popupAdGoToLink":"popupAdGoToLink"}],"instanceTheme":"light","playerLayout":"fitToContainer","videoPlayerWidth":720,"videoPlayerHeight":405,"videoRatio":1.7777777777778,"videoRatioStretch":true,"videoPlayerShadow":"effect1","colorAccent":"#000000","posterImg":"","posterImgOnVideoFinish":"","logoShow":"No","logoPath":"","logoPosition":"bottom-right","logoClickable":"No","logoGoToLink":"","allowSkipAd":true,"advertisementTitle":"Ad","skipAdvertisementText":"Skip Ad","skipAdText":"You can skip this ad in","playBtnTooltipTxt":"Play","pauseBtnTooltipTxt":"Pause","rewindBtnTooltipTxt":"Rewind","downloadVideoBtnTooltipTxt":"Download video","qualityBtnOpenedTooltipTxt":"Close settings","qualityBtnClosedTooltipTxt":"Settings","muteBtnTooltipTxt":"Mute","unmuteBtnTooltipTxt":"Unmute","fullscreenBtnTooltipTxt":"Fullscreen","exitFullscreenBtnTooltipTxt":"Exit fullscreen","infoBtnTooltipTxt":"Show info","embedBtnTooltipTxt":"Embed","shareBtnTooltipTxt":"Share","volumeTooltipTxt":"Volume","playlistBtnClosedTooltipTxt":"Show playlist","playlistBtnOpenedTooltipTxt":"Hide playlist","facebookBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Facebook","twitterBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Twitter","googlePlusBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Google+","lastBtnTooltipTxt":"Go to last video","firstBtnTooltipTxt":"Go to first video","nextBtnTooltipTxt":"Play next video","previousBtnTooltipTxt":"Play previous video","shuffleBtnOnTooltipTxt":"Shuffle on","shuffleBtnOffTooltipTxt":"Shuffle off","nowPlayingTooltipTxt":"NOW PLAYING","embedWindowTitle1":"SHARE THIS PLAYER:","embedWindowTitle2":"EMBED THIS VIDEO IN YOUR SITE:","embedWindowTitle3":"SHARE LINK TO THIS PLAYER:","lightBox":false,"lightBoxAutoplay":false,"lightBoxThumbnail":"","lightBoxThumbnailWidth":400,"lightBoxThumbnailHeight":220,"lightBoxCloseOnOutsideClick":true,"onFinish":"Play next video","autoplay":false,"loadRandomVideoOnStart":"No","shuffle":"No","playlist":"Off","playlistBehaviourOnPageload":"opened (default)","playlistScrollType":"light","preloadSelfHosted":"none","hideVideoSource":true,"showAllControls":true,"rightClickMenu":true,"autohideControls":2,"hideControlsOnMouseOut":"No","nowPlayingText":"Yes","infoShow":"No","shareShow":"No","facebookShow":"No","twitterShow":"No","mailShow":"No","facebookShareName":"","facebookShareLink":"","facebookShareDescription":"","facebookSharePicture":"","twitterText":"","twitterLink":"","twitterHashtags":"","twitterVia":"","googlePlus":"","embedShow":"No","embedCodeSrc":"","embedCodeW":720,"embedCodeH":405,"embedShareLink":"","youtubeControls":"custom controls","youtubeSkin":"dark","youtubeColor":"red","youtubeQuality":"default","youtubeShowRelatedVideos":"Yes","vimeoColor":"00adef","showGlobalPrerollAds":false,"globalPrerollAds":"url1;url2;url3;url4;url5","globalPrerollAdsSkipTimer":5,"globalPrerollAdsGotoLink":"","videoType":"HTML5 (self-hosted)","submit":"Save Changes","rootFolder":"http:\/\/wp.tdn.pmadv.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/Elite-video-player\/"} TDN: How has he been received by breeders initially? Are there any particular attributes that seem to be standing out? TH: [The response has been] very positive. I think the way he looks is one of the biggest selling points for him. Just about everybody who has come through here has been very impressed with the way he looks, with his presence, with his depth–you know he’s just a big, strong horse…He’s very balanced, he’s just a good looking horse…The response from breeders has been great. We have him sitting at close to 90 mares right now, and we’re getting multiple mares in every day. TDN: In terms of Sharp Azteca’s pedigree, you’re obviously tapping into a great sire line through Freud (Storm Cat). Is this something that, in your mind, adds to his appeal? TH: He’s by a full brother of Giant’s Causeway. Giant’s Causeway has shown to match up well with Mr. Prospector mares and so has Freud, so I think being by that sire line and being as talented as he was, I think is also a draw for the breeders…He’s got some depth on his mares pedigree, definitely some quality in there, as well as his sire line. TDN: Moving on to Funtastic, his victory in the GI United Nations S. was extremely convincing. Can you talk a little about your expectations coming into that race and what he showed you on the track at Monmouth? TH: He was coming out of an allowance optional claiming race in May where he had run impressively at a mile and a quarter, and I know our team and Mr. Torrealba were confident that he could go and perform well in a graded stake. I don’t think they were going to say, “We’re gonna win it,” but we thought we were confident that he could go in there and perform at a high level. Chad [Brown] agreed, we put him in the race and, as you know, he went on to win the race in an impression fashion. TDN: His pedigree has incredible depth and is laced with top-level achievers. Tell us more about that appeal. TH: I don’t think there’s a better female page around. He’s a half to [2005 Horse of the Year] Saint Liam, he’s a half to the dam of Gun Runner–who was Horse of the Year–so obviously it’s a very deep pedigree. Being by More Than Ready, who has proven he can run on two surfaces, [it means] his progeny can run on two surfaces. I think it’s a great pedigree and it’s an attraction to breeders…I don’t think that anybody is, per se, breeding turf mares to him. I think that they had the confidence, with this female pedigree and with More Than Ready, that he can produce a dirt horse–and I think there is no reason to doubt that. TDN: And how about the fact that he is a homebred through your association with Besilu Stables? Does it make it all the more special to see a horse bred and raised at Three Chimneys go on to perform at the Grade I level and, eventually, return home to stand at stud? TH: That’s very rewarding to have a horse that was born and raised here on our farm and raced in our silks be able to retire to our farm as a stallion–that’s rewarding for us and the whole team. That is kind of what we do this for, so we’re very humbled to be able to have that, and to have a horse like that on our farm. We are going to support this stallion, and we’re going to support Sharp Azteca. We’ve got several mares that we’ve already got booked to him, and it’s the same with Sharp Azteca. View the full article

Thirty students-from 12 different countries-were selected for the 2019 Irish National Stud Thoroughbred Breeding Course which begins on Jan. 15. The six-month course takes place at the County Kildare Stud and was once again heavily oversubscribed with applications. “This year we were delighted with the calibre of candidates for the 2019 course and I look forward to welcoming the 30 students to the Irish National Stud in January,” said the Irish National Stud’s Anne Channon. The students are as follows: Larry Byrne (Ireland), Victoria Canessa (Argentina), Sarah Collings (Canada), Nicholas Cope (Ireland), Niamh Crehan (Ireland), Lucie Dieuaide (France), Susannah Eckert (America), Jock Ferguson (Australia) Rebecca Fitzpatrick (Ireland), Tyler Frazer, HTBA Scholarship Recipient (Australia), Florence Gore (UK), Nadine Gut (Switzerland), Milly Harwood (UK), Conor Hyland (Ireland), Niall Kelly (Ireland), Henry Lascelles (UK), Caoimhe Loftus (Ireland), Donncha McCarthy (Ireland), Toshihiro Onikubo (Japan), Adam Potts (Ireland), Fabian Puchta (Germany), Millie Reed (UK), David Skelly (Ireland), Ryan Stacey, NZTBA Scholarship Recipient (New Zealand), Shayna Tiller (American), Gonçalinho Torrealba (Brazil), Joan Tyner (Ireland), Poppy Walton (UK) and Tara Watt (UK). View the full article

G. Watts Humphrey’s Frivolous (Empire Maker) has joined the roster for the upcoming second season of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame’s Foal Patrol. The 8-year-old mare, in foal to Candy Ride (Arg), resides at Humphrey’s Shawnee Farm in Kentucky. She captured the 2014 GII Falls City H. and 2015 GII Fleur de Lis H. Through a collection of live cameras, Foal Patrol offers fans the chance to follow the daily activities of in-foal mares. The second season begins Dec. 28 at www.foalpatrol.com. View the full article

Henri-Francois Devin trainee Mercilla (Arch) is the final wild card for the upcoming Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale on Dec. 8-11. Catalogued as lot 174b, the Rebecca Hillen colourbearer has easily won her only start to date, a Class 1 race at Lyon going one mile versus winners on Nov. 17. The $135,000 KEESEP yearling turned €47,000 ARQMAY 2-year-old is a full-sister to French listed hero Desert Phantom, while their dam, the winning Junkinthetrunk (Top Account), is a half-sister to SW & GSP Pleasant Tango (Pleasant Colony), SW Colonial Saga (Pleasant Colony) and SW & GSP Exclusive Story (Exclusive Native). Argentinean MG1SW Knock (Arg) (Luhuk) is out of another half-sister. View the full article

The concept of a stallion covering his first mares as a 3-year-old is nothing new in the U.S., where the more notable examples include Raise a Native, Hail To Reason, Graustark, Saratoga Six and Malibu Moon. However, each of these went into premature retirement because of injury, unlike a spate of fast European horses who have been retired at the end of their juvenile careers despite having no soundness problems. An exception to this was the champion 1999 2-year-old Fasliyev, who fractured a pastern. He recovered to sire a first crop of 112 foals, including five group winners, but never replicated that success. Next came Holy Roman Emperor, one of the best juveniles of 2006 who was unexpectedly added to the Coolmore team when another son of Danehill, the G1 2,000 Guineas winner George Washington, ran into severe fertility problems. Holy Roman Emperor has since carved out a solid career, with the GI Sword Dancer S. winner Glorious Empire being one of three 2018 Group 1 winners by him. The list also features the G1 Middle Park S. winners The Last Lion and Dark Angel (by Acclamation (GB), as well as Dark Angel’s two-time Group 2 winner Gutaifan. Then there’s Lilbourne Lad and Mehmas, a pair of Group 2 winners by Acclamation (GB), Green Desert’s Group 2-winning grandsons Zebedee and Approve, and yet another Group 2 winner in Sir Prancealot, who this year has enjoyed graded stakes success in the States with Beau Recall and Madam Dancealot. Two other recent additions to the list are Prince of Lir, a Group 2 winner at Royal Ascot, and Kessaar, a winner this year of the G3 Sirenia S. and G2 Mill Reef S. The argument usually put forward for the early retirement of these fast and precocious horses is that they face a very stiff task as 3-year-olds in taking on the more mature older horses in the top sprints. While the introduction of the G1 Commonwealth Cup for 3-year-olds at Royal Ascot has partly rectified the situation, keeping a sprinter in training as a 3-year-old still represents quite a gamble. At least Dark Angel received a thorough testing in his only season on the track, if not to the same extent as Hail To Reason, whose trainer Hirsch Jacobs famously said that he “thought it better to let him wear out than rust away.” Whereas Hail To Reason raced 18 times before he broke his left fore sesamoids, Dark Angel raced nine times between April and October. The son of Acclamation won four times, notably collecting a big prize in the £300,000 St Leger Yearling S. before going on to more important successes in the G3 Mill Reef S. and G1 Middle Park S. It was that Group 1 win in the Middle Park which would have made his tasks all the more difficult at three, as he would have had to carry a Group 1 penalty in a lot of the sprint races available to him. The early years of Dark Angel’s stallion career suggested that breeders weren’t exactly sure what to make of him. Although he started out at €10,000, his fee was down to €7,000 by his fourth season and the number of foals in his first three crops went from 93 to 62 and then to only 39. Fortunately, his first-crop 2-year-olds made a very fast start–fast enough to boost demand for his services in his fourth season in 2011. Since then, it has been a case of onwards and upwards, as may be judged from the fact that his fee reached €27,500 in 2014, €60,000 in 2016 and €85,000 in 2017. Still only 13, Dark Angel now has seven Group 1 winners to his credit, the latest being Raging Bull, who finished well to land the GI Hollywood Derby three days ago. Bearing in mind that Dark Angel hasn’t had a lot of runners in the U.S., he has done well to sire three sons which have performed very creditably at Grade I level. Hunt won four graded stakes in California, headed by the GI Shoemaker Mile, while Raging Bull has now won three graded races. The third son is Fanciful Angel, who was second last year in the GI Arlington Million and GI Turf Classic. Dark Angel’s daughter Midnight Crossing is another graded winner on turf in California. An interesting aspect of these American performers is that all four have shone over a mile and an eighth or more. One of Hunt’s victories came over 1 3/8 miles and Fanciful Angel stayed at least as well. The way Raging Bull finished at Del Mar suggests he could be a force over 1 1/4 miles as a 4-year-old (although his pedigree raises some doubts). I am beginning to think that Dark Angel might have stayed a mile had he stayed in training as a 3-year-old, even though his connections considered him a six-furlong specialist. The belief that Dark Angel was a sprinter pure and simple had been reinforced by several of his best European winners, which feature such fast performers as Harry Angel, Battaash, Mecca’s Angel and Lethal Force. Each of these four has a lot of speed in the bottom half of his or her pedigree. On the other hand, Midnight Crossing has a dam by the stamina-packed Sadler’s Wells and Hunt’s dam raced at up to 1 3/8 miles. Fanciful Angel’s first two dams are daughters of Groom Dancer and Gay Mecene, two horses who stayed at least 1 5/16 miles. Raging Bull’s dam, the Mr. Greeley filly Rosa Bonheur, was a talented miler in France. Mr. Greeley, of course, was fast enough to finish second in the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint, so it is a little surprising that Raging Bull is so well suited by a mile and an eighth. Rosa Bonheur’s dam Rolly Poly began her career with four sprint victories as a 2-year-old in Italy and France. Her victory in the G2 Prix Robert Papin led to her being sold to Daniel Wildenstein, who eventually transferred her to Sir Henry Cecil. The filly won the G3 Fred Darling S. over seven furlongs before being transferred to the States, where she again did well. Among her three stakes successes on turf were the Las Cienegas and Senator Ken Maddy H., over 6 1/2 furlongs down the hill at Santa Anita. One interesting aspect of Dark Angel’s success is that Raging Bull is the latest of several good Dark Angel winners which have two lines of Mr. Prospector, even though Mr. Prospector’s influence is less widespread in Europe than in the U.S. Dark Angel’s dam Midnight Angel is out of a granddaughter of Mr. Prospector, by Machiavellian, and he has two group winners– Hunt and the Group 3 winner Stage Magic–inbred 3 x 3 to Machiavellian. View the full article

I don’t believe that a horse wining the Triple Crown should automatically make him Horse of the Year because that sometimes means they still don’t get tested against older horses. But I still feel that Justify should be this year’s Horse of the Year. He won all of his races so easily and the other horse, Accelerate, had a big year, but he didn’t go undefeated like Justify did. It’s a hard choice. Accelerate had a great year and beat older horses. Accelerate was very good and I think he’ll go on and win the Pegasus World Cup. But I was so impressed with how easily Justify won the Triple Crown that he would be my choice. Turcotte does not have an Eclipse Award vote. RON TURCOTTE, Hall of Fame Jockey, winner of the 1973 Triple Crown aboard Secretariat. View the full article

The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December Mixed Sale concludes the company’s 2018 sales calendar Tuesday with the one-session auction beginning at 11 a.m. at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. The auction, which will begin with 239 catalogued weanlings and mares, will conclude with a 56-strong horses of racing age section. “It’s been a good year,” said Bill Reightler, who will offer a nearly 70-horse consignment at the Midlantic sale. “Pretty much, it’s the same old story. Quality sells. The markets are as polarized as they’ve been the last few years. But the very encouraging thing is, when you lead a nice one in there, it fetches a fair price.” The Winter Mixed Sale had been held in late January since 2014, but returned to its more traditional December slot last year. “We did experiment [with the date],” Reightler said. “But the December sale seems to be a little more popular in this region. It gives breeders an opportunity, before the end of the tax year, to kind of do some house cleaning.” This is the second year Fasig-Tipton will offer a horses of racing age section at the December sale. Last year’s inaugural offerings included the auction’s top-priced lot, with Carradine (Grasshopper) selling for $105,000. “The horses of racing age section has become popular for the various racing stables around and for trainers looking to add on some horses,” Reightler said. “That has been a bright spot in the sale. There is a lot of racing going on in the region, but generally, particularly in the claiming races, you have the same horses being claimed back and forth. This gives people the chance to buy and inject some new blood, so to speak, in other stables.” At the 2017 sale, 221 head sold for $2,448,200. The average was $11,078 and the median was $5,000–both representing double-digit gains over figures from the sale held that January. View the full article

The Bell family of Mill Ridge Farm may be All-American to its core-current proprietor Headley Bell is a grandson of one of the founders of Keeneland, after all-but their influence on European racing at the highest level has been undeniably profound. They bred the 1968 Guineas and Derby winner Sir Ivor, and formerly stood influential sires Gone West and Diesis. Mill Ridge hasn’t historically stood many stallions, so when the Bell family puts its faith in one, it’s worth taking notice. Mill Ridge’s latest recruit, Oscar Performance (Kitten’s Joy) follows the farm’s turf-oriented theme: he is a four-time Grade I winner on the grass at a mile or a mile and an eighth including the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf; he is by America’s best turf sire, out of a Theatrical (Ire) mare and is a full-brother to Oscar Nominated, a Grade III winner on the turf. Being in Kentucky, Oscar Performance is a longshot to receive much early support from European breeders, of course, but there is plenty of reason to believe that his quest to achieve international success as a sire could be much more straightforward than the one his sire endured. Kitten’s Joy himself is on plenty of lips in Europe at the moment thanks to champion Roaring Lion, who enters stud next year, and Bobby’s Kitten, another Breeders’ Cup winner who has his first foals at the sales this year. Let’s not forget Hawkbill, the winner of the G1 Coral-Eclipse and G1 Dubai Turf who stands at Darley in 2019. Kitten’s Joy is one of a number of American stallions to make an impact on European racing in recent years–others include Scat Daddy and War Front-and the popularity of American sires at the sales-especially the breeze-ups-only seems to grow each year. Add to all that the current upswing of high-quality turf racing in the U.S., and it’s easy to see why Headley Bell said he thinks Mill Ridge is ahead of the curve in standing Oscar Performance, who was born at the farm as a homebred for Amerman Stables. “We think we’re ahead of the curve on the turf appeal,” Bell said while showing off the 4-year-old at Mill Ridge last week. Of the swings in fashionability of American sires in Europe, he added, “We all know it goes in waves and cycles. We have that 20- to 25-year cycle and it seems to be swinging back now.” To stand a stallion in such an ultra-competitive market, the smaller nurseries unsurprisingly need to find areas to compromise on their prospects. For Mill Ridge and Oscar Performance, that is the fact that he is a turf horse in America, but Bell said he no longer sees that as a downfall in the U.S. market. “You have to have performance, first and foremost, and pedigree. When I say performance, you have to be handy; people want speed in some fashion. You have to have the whole package. What are we compromising on? We’re compromising because this is a grass horse. We personally don’t think that’s a compromise, we think the market is evolving towards that so we think it’s an opportunity.” Bell said it has been a consideration to promote the horse in Europe. “You’d love for him to be promoted everywhere and that’s kind of what the thought process is right now,” he said. “And with Roaring Lion, people really know Kitten’s Joy. “What this horse has is that he’s a miler; he’s a track-record holder at a mile and everybody likes a miler. And with Theatrical on the dam’s side, there’s no question he’s grass. Promotion-wise for Europe, I don’t know how many Europeans are breeding mares over here, but he’d certainly be available and he’d be value for anybody that wanted to do that.” Mill Ridge has a history of making top stallions, such as Gone West and Diesis, who have both left indelible marks as sires and broodmare sires in Europe. Bell said that when Mill Ridge starts a new stallion, it works to get the support of shareholders and successful breeders that will provide good mares. He acknowledged, however, that a stallion is either going to make it or he isn’t, despite human intervention. “The shareholders are first, and then you go to identify mares and principal breeders who really breed racehorses and who would find this horse appealing,” he said. “We consider the state-bred programs, but a horse is going to make it or not. We do manage them, but the truth is they’re going to make it or not.” With Mill Ridge behind him, the odds must be tipped in the favour of Oscar Performance to make it. And having a quintessential turf profile, he could be one to bet on for European success, too. View the full article