35 Graded Races in June: What Did We Learn?

[Wandering Eyes]

Following the GI Belmont Stakes, the month of June is traditionally a little quieter in the graded ranks as the sport revs up for Saratoga and other summer racing. This year and last, Saratoga has been in the spotlight early as host of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival while Belmont Park undergoes reconstruction. Fifteen of North America's graded races were held at the Spa over that extended weekend this year.

• Canadian racing rejoined the graded picture in June, with five of the 35 graded races for the month in North America held at Woodbine. That meant 30 were in the U.S., with half of them held at Saratoga. Another two races, the Pennine Ridge and Soaring Softly Stakes, were scheduled as graded at the Spa but downgraded due to a surface switch.
• Ten of the 35 were Grade I events, with seven carded as Grade II, and another 18 as Grade III. Six of the Grade Is ran on dirt; the other four were on the grass. Overall, 18 of June's 35 graded races ran on the main track, 14 on turf, and three on Woodbine's Tapeta surface.
• A total of 28 individual stallions sired the 35 graded winners. Constitution and Into Mischief each had three individual winners, while Medaglia d'Oro, Street Sense, and the late Uncle Mo each doubled up.
• Airdrie Stud stallions had a particularly good June, with four members of their roster siring graded winners during the month.
• Three stallions–Into Mischief, Medaglia d'Oro, and Street Sense–not only sired graded winners, but also had sons sire graded winners in June.
• The 35 winners were represented by 30 broodmare sires. Uncle Mo led the way with three, while Bernardini, Distorted Humor, and Ghostzapper each had two. Darley's Street Sense held the distinction of both siring a Grade I winner and serving as the broodmare sire of a Grade I winner.
• Godolphin and WinStar Farm were the only breeders to double up on graded stakes for the month, giving 33 individual breeders graded winners. Thirteen were homebreds, some with additional partners added.
• Among graded winners sold at public U.S. auctions, Ag Bullet (Twirling Candy) was the least expensive at $30,000, although Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief) and Mo Plex (Complexity) each RNA'd for $27,000 as yearlings. Both later sold for under six figures as OBS 2-year-olds in training. Deterministic (Liam's Map) was the highest-priced public U.S. buy at $625,000 with Funtastic Again (Funtastic), Mindframe (Constitution), and Cash Call (McKinzie) right behind him at $600,000 apiece.
• In the trainer ranks, Chad Brown, Mark Casse, and Cherie DeVaux all tripled up for the month, while Brad Cox and Bill Mott each got two. Twenty-seven individual trainers got their charges to the winner's circle for graded wins in June.
• Two weeks after taking over his late father's stable, trainer Miguel Clement got his first Grade I win with Deterministic in the GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes.

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