Wandering Eyes

Charlie Appleby has made his presence felt in a major way this week at Newmarket and 24 hours after Soliloquy (GB) made all under William Buick to capture the G3 Nell Gwyn S. it was deja vu as TDN Rising Star Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) killed off the opposition in dramatic fashion in Thursday’s G3 bet365 Craven S. Setting just a steady tempo early, last year’s G3 Solario S. winner who started as the 7-2 second favourite had everything in trouble passing three out and from there it was all over as he strode on powerfully for a nine-length dismissal of White Mocha (Lope de Vega {Ire}), with the 8-13 favourite Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy) fading to be third, a head away. “That was a very good performance–he had been showing flashes of brilliance and was always going to be a better 3-year-old than 2-year-old,” Buick said. “He’s a lovely mover with a great turn of foot and he just put everything together there.” Appleby, who had gambled with the dirt in Meydan when tackling the Mar. 10 Listed Al Bastakiya with Masar only to see him trail in 10th, was not surprised by the result and added, “I knew he was 100 per-cent ready, as he’d done fantastically well over the winter. It was never my intention to run him in Dubai, but he was going too well and so I wanted to get a bit of gas out of him and put some manners on him. If he had adapted to the dirt, we could have gone UAE Derby and if not it still put a run under his belt and so if this came down to a dogfight fitness was going to be his edge. He quickened twice and has got stronger, but we always said he was going to be a 3-year-old and he’s got the pedigree to do that. The Guineas route is foremost in our minds now.” Understandably, given his G2 Royal Lodge S. win and G1 Racing Post Trophy second accompanied by bullish vibes from Newmarket, Roaring Lion was hot property here and few conceived of defeat as he looked to set up a rematch with Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). If Masar had a patchy record, he was still an unknown quantity and his unbeaten stablemate Glorious Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) looked all potential so the Appleby team arrived with an air of quiet confidence. Masar’s early conditioning when third in the Listed Chesham S. at Royal Ascot helped him to succeed in Sandown’s Solario in September before he came unstuck on testing ground when third in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Chantilly on Arc day. Sixth behind Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) in Del Mar’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in November, he had therefore become something of a forgotten horse particularly as he was beaten out of sight tackling the dirt last month. Even at halfway here supporters of Roaring Lion would have been content as he seemed to be following the chestnut with a degree of comfort, but as Masar applied building pressure the favourite soon cracked and the closing stages were a tour de force rarely seen in this 2000 Guineas prep. Roaring Lion’s trainer John Gosden was far from forlorn and said, “I’m perfectly happy. He was 80 per-cent. He tired in the last furlong. For me, he needs an end-to-end gallop. He does not want a steady one and a dash. He may well go for the Guineas. I’d hope there’d be proper pace all the way. There usually is. It’s very different to the trial. I think his strength in the end will be a mile and a quarter at least. He’s in the Prix du Jockey Club as well, but the Guineas is still very much an option.” Hugo Palmer said of the runner-up White Mocha, “We’ll probably skip the Guineas and go a mile and a quarter next time.” It is not surprising that Masar was tried on the dirt, as his dam Khawlah (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) was successful in the G2 UAE Derby and G3 UAE Oaks. A half-sister to the G2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano scorer and G1 Jebel Hatta runner-up Vancouverite (GB) (Dansili {GB}), she is a granddaughter of Melikah (Ire) (Lammtarra) who captured the Listed Pretty Polly S. and placed in the G1 English and Irish Oaks. Her three black-type winners are headed by the G2 Grand Prix de Deauville hero Masterstroke (Monsun {Ger}), who was also third in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, while her G3 Meld S.-winning son Moonlight Magic (GB) shares Cape Cross as a sire with Khawlah. Melikah’s dam is the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine and bewildering matriarch Urban Sea (Miswaki), whose Sea the Stars (Ire) is also by Cape Cross. Khawlah’s 2-year-old colt by Shamardal unfortunately died this year. Thursday, Newmarket, Britain BET365 CRAVEN S.-G3, £60,000, NEW, 4-19, 3yo, c/g, 8fT, 1:38.15, gd. 1–MASAR (IRE), 126, c, 3, by New Approach (Ire) 1st Dam: Khawlah (Ire) (Hwt. 3yo-UAE at 7-9.5f, MGSW-UAE & GSP-Eng, $1,366,175), by Cape Cross (Ire) 2nd Dam: Villarrica, by Selkirk 3rd Dam: Melikah (Ire), by Lammtarra O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £34,026. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Fr, 7-3-0-2, $157,990. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–White Mocha, 126, c, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Lastroseofsummer (Ire), by Haafhd (GB). (90,000gns Ylg ’16 TATOCT). O-Dr Ali Ridha; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Hugo Palmer. £12,900. 3–Roaring Lion, 126, c, 3, Kitten’s Joy–Vionnet, by Street Sense. ($160,000 Ylg ’16 KEESEP). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-Ran Jan Racing Inc (KY); T-John Gosden. £6,456. Margins: 9, HD, 4. Odds: 3.50, 16.00, 0.60. Also Ran: Glorious Journey (GB), Just Brilliant (Ire), Sir Hamilton (Ire). Scratched: Thunderhooves (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

When retired iconic Woodbine race announcer Dan Loiselle reflects on his 29 years of calling Thoroughbred races, there is one horse that stands out among all the others–Wise Dan (Wiseman’s Ferry)–and having a chance to meet the champion horse for the first time last week provided him with a special memory. Loiselle, who retired in 2015 and was recently voted into the Canadian Horse Race Hall of Fame, happened to be on a two-week road trip in the U.S. with his wife, Wendy. They visited some historic places, such as Graceland, the Civil Rights Museum, the Grand Ole Opry, Churchill Downs (because Wendy had never been to the track), Keeneland and the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. But a key part of their itinerary, in particular in Lexington, was visiting the Forest Lane Farm of the Wise Dan’s trainer Charlie LoPresti and his wife, Amy. Loiselle wanted to see Wise Dan because he personally stood out from all the horses–and not just because of a similar name. “In 2012, he won the Woodbine Mile and went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile and was named the American Horse of the Year,” Loiselle said. “In 2013 he won the Woodbine Mile and Johnny Velazquez rode him and he never even asked the horse to run and he broke the course record. He then went on to win the Breeders’ Cup again and went on to become the American Horse of the Year again. When they came to the wire in 2013, I said, ‘Here he is, the Titan of the Turf. The sensational Wise Dan.’ “All I read about him for the next week was everybody calling him the Titan of the Turf. So he was my favorite horse and calling those two Woodbine Miles was really special. So when I was in Lexington last week, I got a hold of Charlie LoPresti and his wife Amy and went out to the farm and I got a picture of the big chestnut horse standing in the paddock with me. “It’s a picture of Wise Dan and Dumb Dan together,” Loiselle joked. “It was great to see the old horse and he looks really good.” Because of his fixture calling races high above the Woodbine grandstand, Loiselle had never seen the horse up close, and when he called the LoPresti’s home phone and left a message saying he wanted to drop by the farm to see Wise Dan, Amy told Charlie he had to immediately call him back and tell him how much they wanted to see him. “I was dying to meet him because he’s got such a great, great voice,” Amy said. “He’s like Tom Durkin. Honestly, it’s a shame that he retired. There’s certain people that have that kind of voice for calling races. He put so much into it, you can tell. He said [the 2013 Woodbine Mile] was his favorite race he ever called. I said me, too. I was just thrilled that they came. It meant a lot to me. “That was a really big deal for me because I didn’t travel with [the horse] and I lived everything vicariously through my nephew and Charlie because they went everywhere with him. Charlie would tell me stories about meeting people and Woodbine was one of his favorite, favorite places to go. They were so nice to them up there. It’s the greatest turf course that there is.” Coincidentally, Amy had been watching races of Wise Dan a week before Loiselle called. “It’s just kind of funny he called a week later,” Amy said. Loiselle said he and Wendy spent an hour with the horse. “He’s a lovely animal and I’ve heard stories about him, how approachable he was, how you could pet him, but fierce and determined as a racehorse,” Loiselle said. “I had thought I’d love to see him, and if it doesn’t happen that’s fine, too.” Charlie LoPresti, who was unavailable when the Loiselles came to the farm because he had a horse racing that day, said it was the first time an announcer had dropped by to see the horse. “He’s just a great race caller, but I think Wise Dan meant so much to him and I was flattered that he called and wanted to come see him,” LoPresti said. “There’s been a lot of people come see him–a lot of media–but that’s the first time a race caller had come see him.” Loiselle said Wise Dan’s personal connection to him is because of what the horse did for Canadian horse racing. “I was just so impressed by him,” Loiselle said. “You don’t see a lot of American champions come to Woodbine [and dominate]. Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide came to Woodbine and won the Dominion Day and A.P. Indy came to Woodbine [to run in the now-defunct Molson Mile], but not a lot of really, really, high profile horses. You don’t see American Pharoahs and California Chromes at Woodbine, but Wise Dan did.” With Loiselle three years removed from race-calling, Robert Geller has taken over announcing duties at Woodbine. The Toronto oval’s 63rd year of Thoroughbred racing begins Saturday with a 10-race card that includes Pink Lloyd, the favorite to win Canadian Horse of the Year honors Thursday night at the 2018 Sovereign Awards, entered in the Jacques Cartier S. View the full article

Stunning when capturing the G1 TJ Smith S. on Apr. 17 by two lengths, his second elite level score, the Gerald Ryan-trained Trapeze Artist (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) looks hard to beat in Saturday’s G1 All-Aged S. over 1400m. Jumping around slightly in his distances of late, the 3-year-old colt will surely secure himself a more lucrative stud deal if he can claim a third Group 1 victory. Around this time last year, Godolphin’s It’s Somewhat (Dynaformer) resumed with a Group 3 win followed a victory over this year’s G1 Doncaster winner Happy Clapper (Aus) (Teofilo {Ire}) before travelling to Queensland for further stakes success. If anywhere near that form, the 7-year-old could surprise quite a few. Three runs back over 1400m saw Brave Smash (Jpn) (Tosen Phantom {Jpn}) snared the G1 Futurity S. at Caulfield and having never finished out of the places at the trip, the Darren Weir-trained A$2.3m earner puts up a strong case. Second on four occasions from five starts at the trip, including second in this race last year, the Kris Lees-trained Le Romain (Aus) (Hard Spun) will be third-up after a pleasing fourth behind Trapeze Artist in the TJ Smith S. Placed in three of his four runs this time in, blue-blood colt Showtime (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) is likely to sit handy, and if the pace is only moderate, he could sprint when rounding the turn and be hard to run down. Winless since the Listed Albury Cup in March 2016, but with 11 placed efforts, all at black type level since, the Chris Waller-trained Tom Melbourne (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) is statistically a place chance, although categorically he’s not a winning chance. Not having raced since his failure in the G1 Australian Cup over 2000m at Flemington, Godolphin’s Hartnell (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) drops back to the trip of his most recent Group 1 victory, when winning the CF Orr S. at Caulfield in February. Given an easy time in a recent barrier trial, jockey Hugh Bowman rides the 7-year-old in an attempt to reinvigorate the multiple Group 1 winner. View the full article

With two top level chances in Saturday’s G1 Moet & Chandon Champagne S. over 1600m at Randwick, Team Hawkes’ runners Outrageous (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}) and Irukandji (Aus) (Dundeel {NZ}) look capable of continuing their impressive form of late. Third in the G1 Sires’ Produce S. over a furlong shorter on Apr. 7, the Brenton Avdulla-ridden Outrageous gained clear running when it was too late last start before charging home, indicating that the step up to the mile should suit. A winner of the G3 Baillieu Qty (1400m) on Mar.31, the Spendthrift Australia-raced Irukandji, like his stablemate, indicates that the 1600m of Saturday’s race should suit and from gate four has the option of going forward, or settling behind those that try to cross him. One of only two runners in the field to have contested the G1 Golden Slipper S. and the G1 Sires’ Produce S., the Hayes, Hayes and Dabernig-trained Long Leaf (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) finished in fourth last start after working home well out of the pack, and if still capable of performing at his peak on his fifth run in this campaign, should be a contender. Seemingly surprising all bar her trainer and owner by winning the G1 Sires’ Produce S. as the outsider of the field, El Dorado Dreaming (Aus) (Ilovethiscity {Aus}) needs to be included once again, purely just to show that her Group 1 victory was no fluke. Successful in the G2 VRC Sires’ on Mar. 10, before a very unlucky run in the Sires’ Produce, the Ciaron Maher-trained Not A Single Cent (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) is looking to atone here, and a win would give his dam a second Group 1 winner in the space of a few weeks, with the colt being a half-brother to triple Group 1 winner Happy Clapper (Aus) (Teofilo {Ire}). With his dam capturing this race in 2013, Godolphin’s well-bred colt Encryption (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}) had the gun run in the Sires’, a race also won by his dam Guelph (Aus) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), but failed to really make an impression, when beaten just under two lengths into sixth. His sire and dam recorded 11 combined Group 1 wins at 1600m and above, so on paper this colt should be in the finish. View the full article

‘TDN Rising Star‘ Jenda’s Agenda (Proud Citizen) looks to increase her career record to five-for-six while making her first graded stakes start in Friday’s GIII Doubledogdare S. at Keeneland. Bred and owned by trainer Larry Jones and wife Cindy when she romped by 6 1/4 lengths first out at Fair Grounds last January, the daughter of MGSW Just Jenda (Menifee) was bought into by Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farm before adding two more tallies at three, including Laurel’s Caesar’s Wish S. that March. Subsequently sidelined due to bone bruising, the bay was second to a very in-form foe when cut back to a sprint in New Orleans Feb. 1, but she returned to winning ways back at two turns in Hot Springs Mar. 17. “She has done well since her race at Oaklawn and done well here,” Larry Jones said. “Friday will be her first start in a graded stakes, so hopefully we can move onward and upward.” Another ‘Rising Star‘ looking to break through at the graded level is Stonestreet homebred Valadorna (Curlin). A close second in the 2016 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, the Mark Casse pupil hasn’t yet quite reached the heights she seemed like she might at that point. She became a stakes winner in the Tiffany Lass S. at Fair Grounds on Dec. 26, but faded to sixth in the GIII Houston Ladies Classic S. a month or so later. Well Humored (Distorted Humor) is three-for-three on dirt, and stepped up markedly on the Beyer Speed Figure scale when she earned a 93 in defeating Tapa Tapa Tapa (Tapit) in Tampa’s Wayward Lass S. last time out Jan. 20. View the full article

4th-LCP, €25,000, Mdn, 4-19, unraced 3yo, f, 8fT, 1:46.32, vsf. ZARKAMIYA (FR), f, 3, by Frankel (GB) 1st Dam: Zarkava (Ire) (HotY-Eur & MG1SW-Fr, $4,793,989), by Zamindar 2nd Dam: Zarkasha (Ire), by Kahyasi (Ire) 3rd Dam: Zarkana (Ire), by Doyoun (Ire) Zarkamiya enjoyed odds-on favouritism in this distaffers’ test and did not disappoint her supporters with a decisive success in this unveiling. She was steadied off the pace in a midfield sixth after breaking on terms with the front rank. Nudged along off the home turn, the 9-10 pick quickened in impressive fashion to challenge entering the final eighth and ran on strongly under mild urging in the closing stages to comfortably best long-time leader Xagere (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) by a length. “She’s a lovely looking filly, but doesn’t show much in her paces at home,” explained trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre. “She’s not very demonstrative, but has a lot of energy and gives a lot. I feel we should take her step by step and space out her races. I think she will stay further and her next race will be over a mile-and-a-quarter.” The Aga Khan’s homebred is the sixth foal and second winner produced by storied MG1SW European Horse of the Year Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar) and is a half-sister to G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud hero and G1 Prix du Jockey Club runner-up Zarak (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}). Like the winner, both Zarkava and Zarak were also conditioned by de Royer-Dupre. The bay, who retains entries in the May 13 G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, May 27 G1 Prix Saint-Alary and June 17 G1 Prix de Diane, is also kin to a 2-year-old colt by Invincible Spirit (Ire) and a yearling filly by Siyouni (Fr). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €12,500. 1ST-TIME STARTER. O-H H The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan’s Studs SC (FR); T-Alain de Royer-Dupre. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

If their impressive last start performances are any indication, rising stars Harmony Hero and Aerohappiness could be bound to clash in the 2019 four-year-old series, but on Saturday both youngsters should continue their progression with wins at Sha Tin. Other than being three-year-olds with obvious upside, Harmony Hero and Aerohappiness have two very different profiles. Harmony Hero already had a reputation built on exciting performances in Australia when he arrived with Richard Gibson and has... View the full article

This week is a recap of the Belmont Stakes win of Count Fleet that ran in the June 12, 1943 issue. It carried the headline "Worse Than a Walkover." View the full article

The Richard Gibson-trained three-year-old Victory Power caught the eye of the stewards on Wednesday night at Happy Valley and looks a black booker from the meeting after a nice debut. The gelding had shown ability in his trials in New Zealand and again at his second Hong Kong trial appearance, after Gibson fitted him with blinkers and he looked ready to take to the race with a knockout sort of a chance. That chance probably disappeared when Victory Power drew wide at the 1,200m start on... View the full article

The once raced Willie John (GB) (Dansili {GB}) will not be taking up a G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas entry according to his new trainer Roger Varian. The colt was an impressive winner of a Yarmouth maiden last back end for William Haggas but was then sent to Tattersalls February Sale to dissolve his previous ownership group which included Markus Jooste of Mayfair Speculators. It was there that Roger Varian successfully bid 1.9-million guineas for Willie John on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum but the owner will have to wait until mid summer before seeing the colt compete. Giving an update on the son of dual Group 1 winner Izzi Top (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) Varian said; “Willie John has impressed me in his work this spring, galloping in the manner of a high-class colt. While it is unfortunate he has incurred a small setback at this stage of the season, this will not keep him out for too long and we look forward to mapping out a Group-race programme for him from July onwards.” View the full article

Silvestre de Sousa will reunite with Pakistan Star in the Audemars Piguet QE II Cup but only if his former São Paulo apprentice school classmate, Joao Moreira, can coax the troubled galloped through another crucial barrier trial at Sha Tin on Friday. UK-based champion jockey De Sousa rode Pakistan Star throughout the 2017 four-year-old series and was second on the horse in last year’s QE II Cup, but since then the Tony Cruz-trained horse has made global headlines for stopping in... View the full article

Grade 1 winner Diversify looms the favorite in the field of seven April 21 for the $1.2 million Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2), contested around three turns at 1 1/8 miles. View the full article

NFL star Rob Gronkowski partnered with the equine Gronkowski's owner to acquire a minority stake in the 3-year-old colt, who won the March 30 32rRed Burradon Stakes at Newcastle and secured an invitation to the first leg of the Triple Crown. View the full article

Brazil’s Ruan Maia to ride at Chairman’s Trophy meeting View the full article

Khoo only worried about wide gate for Lord O'Reilly View the full article

One step at a time before she Dances, says Takaoka View the full article

NFL star Rob Gronkowski partnered with the equine Gronkowski's owner to acquire a minority stake in the 3-year-old colt, who won the March 30 32red Burradon Stakes at Newcastle and secured an invitation to the first leg of the Triple Crown. View the full article

NFL star Rob Gronkowski partnered with the equine Gronkowski's owner to acquire a minority stake in the 3-year-old colt, who won the March 30 32red Burradon Stakes at Newcastle and secured an invitation to the first leg of the Triple Crown. View the full article

With his comeback underway and just four horses in his stable, Davis knows if he is serious about riding on a regular basis, he will have to find horsemen willing to take a chance on a rider 16 years removed from his last graded stakes win. View the full article

NEWMARKET, UK–The sickle moon hanging over the Tattersalls complex last night provided an apt symbol of the market as the Craven Breeze Up Sale drew to a close. For while many consignors found themselves plunged in darkness, the fringe of the market was picked out in a golden glow—much of it reflecting the final rays cast by the late Scat Daddy. After providing the outstanding sale during Tuesday’s opening session, his final crop again bestrode proceedings with the two highest prices on Wednesday. The common link, apart from the dimming light of this genetic ball of fire, was Willie Browne of Mocklershill—albeit he could only claim a peripheral interest in top lot of the sale, a spectacular pinhook supervised by his son-in-law Ronaldo Souza and daughter Tanya at Mayfield Stables. For whereas Lot 163, a colt out of Madera Dancer (Rahy), had been bought for $200,000 by Hunter Valley Farm at the experimental Fasig-Tipton Turf Showcase Sale last September, here Stephen Hillen had to go all the way to 900,000gns—a sum only ever exceeded once at this sale—to see off Godolphin and a host of other international players. “I went over to see the horse twice in Ireland,” Hillen said. “He was a bit small to begin with, but he developed and developed and the second time I loved him. He is still developing all the time and he looks ready to go. This is probably the last sale where you can get them to [Royal] Ascot so I don’t think he’ll be waiting around too long.” Hillen was acting for an existing client, who wished to remain anonymous, but was able to confirm that the colt will be staying in Britain. “Scat Daddy has obviously been a great sire and I think nearly all his that breezed last year have won,” Hillen added. “I bought one for 60 grand tonight and one for 900, so that’s two ends of the spectrum.” Even Scat Daddy, then, is not immune to the feast-or-famine flavour of the sector this spring. “It’s polarised,” confirmed Hillen. “There have been horses going through today I bought on spec, just because they were too cheap. I had a longer list today, I thought they were better horses, but it’s a buyers’ market. It is easier to get 300 grand than it is to get 75—when there’s not the gulf in class. It’s all or nothing.” Nonetheless a strong end to the sale helped some indices recover somewhat. Of the 76 animals offered in last night’s session, up from 58 last year, 56 were sold—a clearance rate of three in four, very similar to that achieved at a lower tier at Doncaster last week, but down from 84% here a year ago. The aggregate was up 13% at 8,091,000gns (from 7,165,000gns) with the average holding steady, strictly down 1% at 144,482gns (from 146,224gns). But the median was sharply down, by 23%, to 77,500gns from 100,000gns. Over the two days, the 94 sold out of 142 lots offered represented%; they raised 13,313,500gns altogether, down 6% on last year, at an average of 141,633gns (down 2%) and a plummeting median of 75,000gns (down 32%). The Tattersalls chairman placed these returns in perspective. “The huge rises across the board at the 2017 Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale were always likely to be hard to match,” Edmond Mahony said. “And although falling short of last year’s wide-margin record levels, the turnover is the second highest in the sale’s 30-year history, the average is also second only to last year and the sale finished strongly. The top of the market continues to be robust, with more lots fetching in excess of 400,000gns than ever before and new buyers from America, Hong Kong and the Gulf region all active at the upper level. It would, however, be wrong to pretend that everything has been plain sailing. To date, this year’s breeze-up market has been selective and while we have witnessed a number of spectacular pinhooking successes, this has again been evident over the past two days.” “The consignors have, as ever brought an outstanding collection of 2-year-olds to the sale, and the very best have fetched premium prices, but we would have liked to have seen a better clearance rate.” With that in mind, the wit of auctioneer Alastair Pim proved a little more topical than he would have intended in accepting a revision to a bid he had interpreted as 800,000gns for the other big Scat Daddy of the night. “Times are tough,” he said, accepting Jamie McCalmont’s clarification that he intended to advance bidding from 750,000gns only to 775,000gns. In the event, that proved sufficient to secure Lot 155 from the attentions of Ross Doyle. McCalmont signed jointly on behalf of M.V. Magnier. Browne had brought over this colt—unsold at Keeneland last September for $240,000—with the highest expectations, not least in view of the fact that the dam Lauded (Medaglia d’Oro) is out of an unraced sister to Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus (Mr Prospector). If anything, he had been a little underwhelmed by his breeze on Monday—but the conditions were demanding and his record over the years had likewise emboldened Charlie Gordon-Watson to pay 800,000gns for another Scat Daddy from Mocklershill the previous evening. “The two out of Willie’s were standouts,” McCalmont said. “You’re talking about the final crop of a stallion who has just got better and better. He has two of the best 3-year-olds in the world right now, with very live chances in the Kentucky Derby, and seems to be a stallion who can do anything: Ascot winners, UAE Derby winners, you name it.” “It would have been interesting to see what these horses could have done if the going weren’t so dead. You couldn’t read nearly so much into the breeze. That’s not a criticism of anyone, of course, just an observation.” McCalmont said he felt that patchy commitment from some of the main players at the sale last year had diluted the market. “The quality is as good as it’s ever been, in terms of individuals,” he stressed. “The consignors have been putting a lot of money in.” Another top breeze-up sire, Kodiac (GB) (Danehill), was in big demand with Alastair Donald. He acquired Lot 122, a colt, for 420,000gns and Lot 132, a filly, for 360,000gns—both consigned by Church Farm & Horse Park Stud, both on their way to Richard Hannon, and both bought with a dream of Ascot in June. “They’re for a new client who was looking for a couple that we could get on with, so we hope can end up there,” the agent said. “The consignors have been very successful here, with the likes of Mehmas (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), and they do an excellent job in producing these types.” The filly was a fine pinhook, acquired for €80,000 at Fairyhouse last September. The colt had been listed as sold for £260,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Sale, but there had evidently been an issue. “He was returned as a yearling, he made no noise at the gallop and scoped very acceptably—which is obviously far more relevant, now that he is being trained, than as a yearling,” Donald explained. “He’s lovely, beautifully balanced, exactly what you’d be looking for in an early 2-year-old type. And he has a great temperament.” “The filly just looked very, very fast. Her pedigree is all speed, and she looked to have a great temperament as well. I loved the way she whizzed through that soft ground, you’d have thought she might prefer it a bit better.” John Cullinan of Horse Park Stud, who also serves as spokesman of the Breeze-Up Consignors’ Association, saw the bigger picture despite these successes. “The popular ones have been selling well but below that it’s tough,” he said. “There’s very little depth to the market. I think people are worried about Brexit and then there’s uncertainty in the markets.” Donald, meanwhile, maintained the vogue for American pinhooks—on behalf of a different client this time—when giving $575,000 for Lot 158, a Street Sense (Street Cry) colt out of an unraced Tiznow mare. He was unsold at Keeneland in September at just $70,000. “I thought him the nicest colt in the sale, and he’ll suit Hong Kong well,” he explained. Anthony Stroud bought a couple of contrasting types within a few minutes for Godolphin: Lot 159, a Sea The Stars colt consigned by Powerstown Stud, for 425,00gns; and Lot 156, a Dandy Man filly presented by Tally Ho, for 280,000gns. The latter had impressed the judges this week, despite being bought in at just €40,000 at Goffs Orby. “She looked quick, and ready to go on,” Stroud said. “She’s a really nice filly in the making. And the Sea The Stars I thought breezed very well for a staying horse. Though saying that the mare [MSW Lilys Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was quick. The time of his breeze was good and obviously he’s a wonderful stallion. I think you can still learn plenty from times even in that ground, you just need to take everything into account.” The power of the stopwatch in this sector certainly appeared to account for a surge in the value of the Swiss Spirit (GB) (Invincible Spirirt {Ire}) colt offered as Lot 128 by Norman Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm. A £72,000 yearling at Goffs UK Premier Sale for Mags O’Toole, he was elevated by a lightning breeze on Monday to 200,000gns from Shadwell—albeit Angus Gold admitted himself a little unnerved by the circumstances. “Yes, he did a very quick time, which is always terrifying to me,” Gold said. “But we’re trying to buy one or two horses that our trainers like, and a couple of them liked this one a lot. He’s a late foal [Apr. 27] and my experience of Swiss Spirit is that he was quite immature himself, and the ones we’ve got haven’t been terribly sharp, so we might end up giving him a bit of time. But Norman knows him, I don’t, and he said he’s ready to go.” The second dam, who has produced a couple of stakes winners, is a half-sister to that fast horse Averti (Ire) (Warning {GB}) who finished runner-up in the 1998 Prix de l’Abbaye—and promptly sired the winner of the 2005 running in Avonbridge (GB). Jake Warren, under-bidder on Donald’s Kodiac filly, was able to hold out a few minutes later for Lot 141, an Exceed And Excel (Aus) (Danehill) filly presented by Houghton Bloodstock. Out of a half-sister by Haafhd (GB) (Alhaarth {Ire}) to German 1,000 Guineas winner Electrelane (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), she dramatically advanced her value to 230,000gns after being listed as sold to Ed Vaughan at 17,000gns in Book 3 here last October. “She’s been bought for Bermuda Thoroughbred Racing,” Warren explained. “Johnny Barnes (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) was retired [to France] earlier in the year, and we’ve bought some really nice foundation mares for him—and we want to find a filly with a view to getting a little bit of racing action with the potential to go to stud down the line. So we focused on proven sires, and the fastest breezes. And she did the most fantastic breeze in an extremely fast time. Luke Morris could hardly pull her up. She’s not a big filly but a really athletic, neat type, just the sort you want to be buying out of a breeze-up sale, that you can crack on with.” Warren added that the filly is likely to join William Haggas—”though he doesn’t know yet!” A colt by Farhh, consigned by Tally-Ho, lit up proceedings as only the second horse through the ring—moving himself up from the 67,000gns he had cost Stroud Coleman here in Book 3 last October to 180,000gns from Mark Richards of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. He had been drawing attention to himself somewhat in the parade ring, before the bell rang to open the session, but Richards cheerfully exonerated Lot 88. “There was only one other horse in there and she was a filly,” he said. “And let’s face it, he won’t be [an entire] for long anyway! He’s just a lovely, well-balanced horse and certainly should be precocious enough. The sire’s obviously doing a very good job, too, running at five% stakes winners at the minute.” His dam is a Bertolini half-sister to two elite scorers in Ancient World (Spinning World) and Jilbab (A P Indy), in turn out of a half-sister to two more—both as juveniles, and both highly evocative names: Dunbeath (Grey Dawn {GB}) and Saratoga Six (Alydar). The latter was a $2.2-million Saratoga yearling who went unbeaten in his sole season on the track for Wayne Lukas, notably in the G1 Del Mar Futurity, but died alongside Horse of the Year Favorite Trick (Phone Trick) in a barn fire in New Mexico in 2006. Matt Coleman, who had signed for the Farrh colt above as a yearling, matched his price on the night in paying 180,000gns for Lot 117, a Dark Angel (Ire) filly out of a half-sister to Entangle (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), winner of no fewer than 20 races in Scandinavia, from a fertile Cheveley Park family. This is another for the Cool Silk Partnership, which has enjoyed such excellent dividends with its breeze-up investments through Prince Of Lir (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Sands Of Mali (Fr) (Panis). “They usually like to go for fast times but while she didn’t do the best, we thought it was worth taking a chance on her,” Coleman said. “Dark Angels don’t always breeze fast, and I just thought this was a lovely filly, physically, and David O’Callaghan was adamant she’s smart. The pedigree is full of fast horses, if not necessarily early ones, and I think she’ll probably be one for the second half of the season.” The filly is set to join James Given. It was poignant to see Lot 94 enter the ring, as a son of the great Giant’s Causeway (Storm Cat)—whose death had been announced only the previous day. But he will, at least, be given every chance to add to his sire’s legacy after being secured by Stephen Hillen and Kevin Ryan for 65,000gns. The same pair came away from this sale four years ago with a future Group 1 winner for 115,000gns in Brando (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who makes his reappearance down the road on Thursday afternoon. This colt’s dam is a sister to G2 Hardwicke S winner Telescope (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), herself out of a half-sister to Dubai World Cup winner Moon Ballad (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}). Hillen and Ryan had already signed a 130,000gns docket for Lot 92, a son of Iffraaj (GB) whose third dam produced three very fast horses in Royal Applause (GB) (Waajib {Ire}), Lyric Fantasy (Ire) (Tate Gallery) and In Command (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells). The colt had been bought here for 60,000gns in Book 2 last October by consignor Brown Island Stables. Hard on the heels of the loss of Giant’s Causeway, another marvellous stallion had earlier in the day disappeared from the ranks—thankfully only pensioned—in Dansili (GB) (Danehill). The Juddmonte sire had received a distinguished visitor in 2015 in G1 Fillies’ Mile winner Crystal Music (Nureyev), and the resulting colt surfaced here as Lot 105 after being scratched from Book 1 by Watership Down Stud last October. Presented by Malcolm Bastard, he will make the short journey across town to Somerville Lodge after William Haggas paid 150,000gns. “He’s a very nice, well-bred horse who breezed well,” the trainer said. “I know Malcolm very well, and he loved him. I don’t know who’ll own him but we’ll find somebody. Though I wouldn’t say he’d be that early.” View the full article

Grade 1 winner Diversify looms the favorite in the field of seven for the April 21, $1.2 million Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2), contested around three turns at 1 1/8 miles. View the full article

Phoenix Thoroughbreds Ltd. has joined with New England Patriots star Rob Gronkowski in a partnership arrangement involving the 3-year-old colt Gronkowski (Lonhro {Aus}), who is set to compete in the GI Kentucky Derby May 5 at Churchill Downs after winning all three of his starts to date in 2018. Gronkowski has acquired a substantial stake in the horse, who secured his spot in the Run for the Roses by capturing the Burradon S. Mar. 30 at Newcastle. The two-time Super Bowl champ and National Football League All-Pro will join the Phoenix team in Louisville for the Derby, where he will meet his namesake colt for the first time. “This horse is a winner and I love a winner,” said Gronkowski. “When I heard about the racehorse being named after me, I started watching and got really stoked when he started winning. I’m all in: Welcome to the Gronk family, Gronkowski the horse!” Once he began following the colt’s career, Gronkowski connected with owner Phoenix Thoroughbreds, the global horse racing investment fund founded by Dubai-based businessman Amer Abdulaziz, to discuss a potential partnership. “We are very excited to have this talented racehorse running in the Derby and to have Rob Gronkowski join our team,” said Tom Ludt, who directs Phoenix’s global racing and bloodstock operations. “His involvement only adds to our growing credentials worldwide and can help us introduce the best of horse racing to a whole new audience.” View the full article

Santa Anita’s “Ship & Stay” program, which was initiated Dec. 26 and has now been in effect through 63 racing days, has attracted 100 “new” horses to the Arcadia oval, who have accounted for 204 starts, generating bonus money of $208,308, the track announced Wednesday. Funded by The Stronach Group, “Ship & Stay” provides ongoing bonuses to individual owners and trainers who bring horses to Santa Anita from out of state. Bonuses are paid to those connections that originally bring these horses to California for their first three starts. These bonuses, which pay 20% of a horse’s first race winnings and 10% (or $1,000, whichever is greater) of second and third race monies, will be paid even if the horse is claimed. “This program is a great motiving factor for trainers to try and entice owners to bring their horses to race here in California,” said trainer Vladimir Cerin, whose Fahan Mura (English Channel), a 4-year-old Pennsylvania-bred filly, has won all three of her Santa Anita starts after shipping in from New York. “To be honest, I haven’t looked in my account yet, but this is a great deal for trainers, because we’re picking up 10% [of the bonus]. So this program makes you want to find horses that are going to be competitive. Even if they get claimed away in their first or second start, you’re still rewarded for running them where they belong.” “We’re very happy with the results Ship and Stay has provided,” added Santa Anita Stakes Coordinator Chris Merz, who devised the program. “This has generated a lot of buzz and proven it can be a mainstay moving forward here at Santa Anita. Owners and trainers are incentivized to bring horses here and we are hopeful we can build upon what we’ve been able to accomplish in a short period of time.” View the full article

Grade 1 winner Diversify looms the heavy favorite in the field of seven for the April 21, $1.2 million Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2), contested around three turns at 1 1/8-miles. View the full article

A colt by Kantharos set the fastest quarter-mile time of the day, while four juveniles equaled the swiftest furlong time as the under-tack show of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s April Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds marched through its third of six sessions Wednesday in Central Florida. Hip 531, a son of Kantharos, earned Wednesday’s quarter-mile bullet when covering the distance in :20 4/5. Consigned by de Meric Sales, the chestnut is out of the unraced Jungle Love (Friendly Lover), a half-sister to Grade I winner Set Play (Van Nistelrooy). De Meric and Machmer Hall signed the ticket at $9,000 to acquire the youngster at the 2017 Keeneland January sale. Kantharos, who began his stud career in Florida before relocating to Hill ‘n’ Dale in Kentucky last year, was also represented by one of the co-fastest furlong workers of Wednesday’s under-tack session. Hip 552, a colt by the graded-stakes winning sire, covered his furlong in :9 4/5. The juvenile is consigned by Off the Hook LLC on behalf of his breeder, Hernando and Nerina Gutierrez’s P&G Stables. “We knew he was fast. He’d been fast on the farm,” Off the Hook’s Joe Appelbaum said Wednesday afternoon. “But you never really know until they lay it down exactly what time they are going to do. We weren’t surprised by the fast work, but we’re always delighted to have a bullet.” The Gutierrezes purchased Pugilistic (Maria’s Mon), with the colt’s dam in utero, for $8,500 at the 2008 Keeneland November sale. The couple named the filly La Catira Jatar (Best of the Bests {Ire}) after Hernando’s grandmother and, while she never made it to the races, the bond was formed. “La Catira Jatar is named after his grandmother and, while the pedigree was originally a little light, they could never give up on it because of that connection,” Appelbaum, who campaigned Grade I winner Turbo Compressor (Halo’s Image) with P&G Stables, said. “Obviously since three years ago when they made the decision to breed to Kantharos, he has really come along as a sire. He was back at Ocala Stud then. And this horse has developed exactly the way you’d want him to. He’s a typical Kantharos. He’s a really nice size, lanky with a languid walk. I was happy, not just with the time of his work, but the visual as well.” Kantharos has been represented this term by graded stakes performers X Y Jet, Bucchero and World of Trouble. Appelbaum said he has been impressed by the stallion’s consistency. “My impression of him is that he’s someone who gets runners,” Appelbaum said of Kantharos. “A lot of them seem to get to the track. A lot of them seem to run and compete, which is all too rare in our game today. It seems a lot of stallions are too boom or bust. But Kantharos seems to get a lot more runners, guys who are out there all the time running for their owners. That is something that is underrated in our modern game.” While Monday’s first session of the under-tack preview was hampered by heavy winds, the last two sessions have been fairly consistent, according to Appelbaum. “For the most part, our fast ones breezed fast and our slow ones breezed slower,” he said. “I have no complaints about the track. Obviously, the first day there was a very significant headwind, but the distribution is pretty similar to normal and that will probably benefit the astute buyers who can figure that sort of thing out. That’s why it’s a horse sale.” Also sharing the furlong bullet time of :9 4/5 Wednesday was hip 478, a filly by Strong Mandate out of stakes winner Holy Reina (Macho Uno). Consigned by Niall Brennan Stables, the chestnut filly is from the family of Flanders, Surfside and Battle Plan. Bred by Three Chimneys Farm, she sold to Cromwell Bloodstock for $100,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November sale and RNA’d for $135,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale. Paul Sharp sent out hip 606, a filly by Into Mischief, to share the :9 4/5 bullet Wednesday. The bay is out of Loveofalifetime (Medaglia d’Oro), a half to graded stakes winners Savorthetime (Gilded Time) and Rogue Romance (Smarty Jones). The juvenile was bred by Runnymede Farm and Catesby W. Clay Investment 2. Completing the quartet of :9 4/5 workers, and the fifth to hit that mark this week in Ocala, was hip 589, a filly by Sidney’s Candy. Consigned by Hemingway Racing and Training Stables, the bay is out of the unraced Like a River (Danzig), a half to Grade I placed Like a Hero (Pleasant Colony). The youngster was bred by Helen and Joseph Barbazon and he was purchased in utero for $12,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November sale. The under-tack show continues through Saturday with sessions beginning daily at 8 a.m. The OBS April sale will be held next Tuesday through Friday with sessions beginning at 10:30 a.m. View the full article