Returning Far Bridge Leads Powerful One-Two Punch for LSU Stables on Florida Derby Undercard

[Wandering Eyes]

LSU Stables's 'TDN Rising Star' Far Bridge (English Channel), winner of last year's GI Sword Dancer S. and GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S., will launch his 5-year-old campaign in Saturday's GIII Pan American S. at Gulfstream Park.

The Sarf family's gold-and-purple silks will also be carried by Le Mehana (Fr) (Al Wukair {Ire}) in the GIII Orchid S. two races earlier on the sensational GI Curlin Florida Derby program. Both are trained by Christophe Clement.

LSU Stables–the 'L' stands for Larry and Leslie (the affable couple went on their first date at Belmont Park back in 1967), the 'S' is for Sarf and the 'U' represents the unity of their family–won the 2023 Belmont Child Care Association's Humanitarian Award and has approximately 12 horses in training.

“It'll be nice,” said Brooklyn native Larry Sarf, who sold his company F&D Reports in 2021. “We're gonna fly down on Friday. We'll spend the day at the track Saturday and we'll run over to the barn at Payson on Sunday, then fly back.”

Far Bridge was acquired privately after beginning his career with a pair of head-turning wins–including a narrow victory over fellow MGISW and 'Rising Star' Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire})–for breeder Calumet Farm over the Gulfstream turf in 2023.

The Sarf family's LSU Stables celebrates Far Bridge's Sword Dancer victory at Saratoga last summer | Sarah Andrew

One of 14 top-level winners for the much-missed, perennial leading turf sire English Channel, Far Bridge will take on eight rivals in the 1 1/2-miles Pan American. He enters off a troubled ninth-place finish after a forgettable journey beneath Joel Rosario at a well-backed 7-1 in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar Nov. 2. The 7-5 morning-line favorite is a perfect three-for-three over the Gulfstream lawn. Rosario will be back aboard.

“We rested him for a couple of months, he's had eight workouts,” Sarf said. “He's ready on Saturday to run a good race.”

Sarf continued, “He we won the first race of his 2024 campaign (in an optional claimer) at Gulfstream. I think he's matured a little more this year. We're getting ready for our next steps. We've laid out five races for him and this is a good prep race.”

The 6-year-old mare Le Mehana, a €400,000 purchase at the 2023 Arqana December sale after placing third that fall in the G1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu at Longchamp, finished third while making her U.S. debut for these connections in last year's Orchid.

She's since added wins in the GIII Waya S. at Aqueduct and Via Borghese S. at Gulfstream and has rolled a pair of threes so far this season, most recently completing the trifecta behind the re-opposing Beach Bomb (SAf) (Lancaster Bomber) in the GIII The Very One S. at Gulfstream Mar. 1. The 8-5 program favorite will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr.

“The field looks pretty good for us with Le Mehana,” Sarf said. “She's healthy and she's good. She's getting a little older now and we'll be looking at doing something with her as a broodmare.”

LSU Stables made a big splash going to $850,000 for Pandora's Gift (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) at the inaugural Keeneland Championship Sale ahead of the 2024 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar.

A four-time winner over three different all-weather courses in Britain, led by a victory in the Chelmer Fillies S. at Chelmsford May 2, and third-place finisher in the grassy G3 Irish EBF Ballyogan S. last August at Naas, the versatile Pandora's Gift made two starts for former owner/trainer Stuart C. Williams during her 3-year-old season on these shores last fall. She came up just a neck short in the GII Presque Isle Downs Masters S. Sept. 20, then was a longshot third on grass in Keeneland's GII Franklin S. Oct. 13. She was subsequently disqualified from the latter after testing positive for the controlled medication gabapentin.

Scratched out of the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, Pandora's Gift, now trained by Clement, could return to action at the upcoming Keeneland Spring meeting, per Sarf.

“He's got some nice works into her now,” Sarf said. “She was about a 100 pounds underweight (after the sale) and we said, 'let's just put the weight on, lay her off and get her ready for her 4-year-old campaign.'”

He continued, “We liked her breeding, by Churchill. She's a wonderful filly, a great sprinter. She'll hopefully run a great race in Kentucky. This year is a lot of promise. Hopefully, she'll be able to hit a couple of races up at Saratoga, too.”

LSU Stables also campaigns the streaking New York-bred gelding Bank Frenzy (Central Banker), who secured his third straight victory for trainer Rudy Rodriguez in the Stymie S. at the Big A Mar. 1. Rodriguez went back to the well and signed the ticket for a $105,000 Central Banker filly on behalf of LSU Stables at the OBS March 2-Year-Old sale earlier this month.

“We're growing the stable a little at a time,” Sarf said.

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