Making Waves: No Nay Never On The Double

[Wandering Eyes]

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victories of Sapphire Beach and Hey Nay Nay.

No Nay Never Sires Pair Of Juvenile Debut Winners

Sapphire Beach, flying the flag for Three Diamonds Farm, won a five-furlong sprint over a sloppy Churchill main track on May 30 (video). Trained by George “Rusty” Arnold, the Charlie Brooks-bred re-rallied to finish second after being cut off by the winner, and the placings were reversed in the stewards' room.

First an $85,000 RNA at the Keeneland September Sale, the No Nay Never filly sold for $57,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale to DKW Racing later that autumn. A half-sister to multiple group-placed Wall Of Fire (Canford Cliffs) and to the dam of South African graded winner Parisian Walkway (Ideal World), Sapphire Beach is the last known produce out of her dam, Bright Sapphire (Galileo). Her second dam, the Bluebird mare Jewel In The Sand, won the G2 Cherry Hinton Stakes.

Just two days later, fellow No Nay Never juvenile Hey Nay Nay triumphed over five furlongs on the Santa Anita turf course for trainer John Sadler (video). Owned by Hronis Racing and Iapetus Racing, the colt was bred by Lynch Bages, Camas Park and Summerhill Bloodstock in Ireland.

Martin Anthony bought the dark bay for $300,000 out of the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. A half-brother to G2 Dubai City Of Gold hero Global Storm (Night Of Thunder) and the stakes-placed Where I Wanna Be (Camelot), Hey Nay Nay has half-sisters by Churchill and Pinatubo foaled in 2024 and 2025, respectively, yet to race. His dam, Travel (Street Cry), is a half-sister to the star-crossed GII Fantasy Stakes and GIII Honeybee Stakes heroine Eight Belles (Unbridled's Song), who ran second in the GI Kentucky Derby before breaking down past the wire.

Coolmore's No Nay Never sired his 62nd and 63rd U.S. winners from 108 runners (58%) with the victories of Sapphire Beach and Hey Nay Nay. Of his 10 stakes winners there, GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Meditate is his best, while he also has GII Mrs Revere Stakes and GIII Matchmaker Stakes scorer Nay Lady Nay and GIII Palm Beach Stakes hero Vitalogy to his credit. The bay commands €125,000 this year.

Asbury Park Pleases The Masses Upstate

Peter Brant and St Elias Stable's Asbury Park (Frankel) graduated by 3 1/2 lengths at second asking at Saratoga on Friday (video). The victory was stylish enough to earn a coveted 'TDN Rising Star' badge for the Chad Brown trainee, who had run fifth on debut over this course 10 months ago.

Bred by St Elias Stables, the bay is a son of the Listed Prix Coronation victress Limonar (Street Cry), and he sold for 250,000gns as a Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling to Brant's White Birch Farm in 2023. Great things are expected of the now-3-year-old colt, as he is a half-brother to stakes winner and G2 Gimcrack Stakes second Mokarris (More Than Ready), multiple graded/group winner and G1 Gold Cup/G1 Melbourne Cup third Spanish Mission (Noble Mission), and the stakes winner and graded-placed Dude N Colorado (Uncle Mo). Limonar is a half-sister to GI Shoemaker Mile Stakes hero Talco (Pivotal). Her Kingman juvenile colt is unnamed, she has a yearling colt by Cracksman, and her latest offspring is a Blue Point colt foal.

Juddmonte's Frankel sired the G1 Betfred Oaks heroine Minnie Hauk on the same day Asbury Park returned to the winner's circle. In the U.S., the son of Galileo has 36 winners from 68 runners (53%) and 13 stakes winners. His quartet of American Grade I winners are McKulick, Measured Time, Inspiral and Lake Victoria. His 2025 fee is £350,000.

 

ASBURY PARK makes a statement in Race 8, breaking his maiden and giving Flavien Prat his fourth win today and Chad Brown his third. pic.twitter.com/7veSg1EpIC

— Belmont Stakes (@BelmontStakes) June 6, 2025

 

'Miami' Storms to Victory at the Spa

Mark Dobbin's Storm Miami won for the second time in her career in her first start beyond a mile at Saratoga on Friday (video). Trained by Brendan Walsh, the 4-year-old Blue Point filly was bred by JC Bloodstock & Goodwill Bloodstock.

Offered by Kilminfoyle House Stud at the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale, the bay caught the eye of Brian Grassick and R Fitzpatrick, who bought her for €300,000. She won her debut at Naas under Colin Keane for Ger Lyons in July of 2023, and was second in the Listed Marwell Stakes there later that month. Switched to the Walsh barn after five Irish starts, the filly managed a third in Presque Isle's Lady Erie Stakes over the all-weather in August of 2024. Frankie Dettori was in the irons on Friday.

Out of the stakes-placed Cosmic Love (Sea The Stars), Storm Miami is followed by the juvenile colt Ya Karim (Ghaiyyath)–a 200,000gns 2024 Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling purchase by Harry Charlton–and a yearling half-brother by Palace Pier. This is the family of G1 1000 Guineas heroine Virginia Waters (Kingmambo).

Darley's Blue Point has sired eight winners (53%) in the U.S. from 15 runners anchored by GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf scorer and Tally-Ho Stud stallion Big Evs, as well as GIII Goldikova Stakes heroine Raqiya. Blue Point's 2025 fee is €100,000.

Cracksman Filly Comes Good At Saratoga

Team D's More For Sure (Cracksman) captured a maiden at Saratoga for trainer Tony Dutrow on June 5 (video). Part of the Phillistown House breeding programme, the 3-year-old filly was making her sixth start.

A €42,000 weanling buy when snapped up at the Goffs November Foal Sale by Woodlane Stables and Peter Nolan, the May foal blossomed into a €160,000 Goffs Orby yearling when acquired by her current connections. The third foal and third winner for her dam, the winning Iffraaj mare Cascella, More For Sure has a 2-year-old half-brother by Australia. Granddam Lily's Angel (Dark Angel) won the G3 Chartwell Fillies' Stakes and was runner-up in the G1 Matron Stakes.

Available for £12,500 at Dalham Hall Stud under the Darley banner, Cracksman has sired two winners from three runners (66%) in the States. On an international scale, his best is the undefeated G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero and Haras de Beaumont stallion Ace Impact.

Repeat Winners

Kodiac's Pipsy collected another graded victory in Thursday's GII Intercontinental Stakes at Saratoga during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival (video). She races for Woodford Thoroughbreds and trainer Will Walden.

 

PIPSY wires the field to win the Grade 2 Intercontinental Stakes with @jose93_ortiz up for trainer Will Walden. pic.twitter.com/7Lxb0i4mY3

— Belmont Stakes (@BelmontStakes) June 5, 2025

At Churchill, Out Too Late (Expert Eye) added another check to her win column for Pura Vida Investments and trainer Michael Maker that same day (video).

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival continued at Saratoga on Friday, with Dynamic Pricing (Night Of Thunder), bearing the Klaravich Stable colours, prevailing in the GI Just A Game Stakes for trainer Chad Brown (video).

 

ASBURY PARK makes a statement in Race 8, breaking his maiden and giving Flavien Prat his fourth win today and Chad Brown his third. pic.twitter.com/7veSg1EpIC

— Belmont Stakes (@BelmontStakes) June 6, 2025

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bruce Treitman's Sunset Glory (Cotai Glory) won for the fourth time in eight starts at Santa Anita on Friday for trainer Michael McCarthy (video).

The post Making Waves: No Nay Never On The Double appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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