Making Waves: Frankel Gelding Makes The Cut

[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 victory of El Cordobes at Saratoga.

El Cordobes Breaks Through At The Spa

Godolphin's El Cordobes (Frankel) broke through at the highest level in the August 9 GI Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga for Charlie Appleby (video). He is a winner of the G2 Princess of Wales's Stakes in England.

Bred by Bjorn Nielsen, he was originally picked up for 2 million gns out of the Tattersalls October Book 1 Yearling Sale by Richard Knight for Saleh Al Homaizi, but was later acquired privately by Godolphin after that sale did not materialise. The son of the winner Bold Lass (Sea The Stars) is a half-brother to Listed Snowdrop Fillies Stakes third Amniarix (Speightstown). They are grandchildren of multiple stakes winner My Branch (Distant Relative), who was placed in the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes and G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas. This is also the family of G1 Sprint Cup heroine Tante Rose (Barathea).

Juddmonte's Frankel now has five Grade I winners in the U.S. with El Cordobes's victory, and 16 stakes winners overall. A total of 71 runners have participated in that jurisdiction with 38 of them prevailing (53%).

Heredia Wreathed In Yellow Ribbons

Wathnan Racing's Heredia (Dark Angel) led at every call to collect the GII Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar on August 9 (video). Now trained by Graham Motion, the six-year-old mare won the G3 Atalanta Stakes and was third in the G1 Sun Chariot Stakes during her European tenure for breeder St Albans Bloodstock and Richard Hannon, which ended in 2023.

Purchased privately earlier this year, Heredia is the first foal out of fellow Atalanta Stakes heroine Nakuti (Mastercraftsman), whose latest is the juvenile colt The Big Con (Dark Angel) and a yearling colt by New Bay who is entered as lot 1040 in the upcoming Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2. Heredia is also related to GII Belmont Gold Cup Invitational Stakes winner Amade (Casamento).

Yeomanstown Stud's Dark Angel is credited with 31 winners from 51 runners in America (61%). His seven stakes winners are anchored by Grade I winners Raging Bull, Althiqa and Hunt.

Cable Bay Filly Explosive In Victory

Yours Sincerely (Cable Bay) closed like a rocket to win her American debut at Del Mar on August 16 (video). Trained by Phil D'Amato for the Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, McLean Racing Stables, Jerry McClanahan and Michael Nentwig, the filly was making her third lifetime start.

Bred by Alwarith Ibrahim Al Hadhrami in Ireland, the dark bay was purchased by BBA Ireland for €6,500 out of the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale in 2024. Sent into training with Adrian McGuinness, she placed once in two Irish starts in the silks of Adam Potts this June before being sold. Out of the German stakes-winning Tamayuz mare Best Regards, who was placed at Group 3 level there, Yours Sincerely is the sixth of seven foals and one of three winners for her dam, who foaled a colt by Saxon Warrior in 2024. This is a lesser known branch tracing to sprinting star Cassandra Go (Indian Ridge), who is the third dam of Yours Sincerely.

The late Cable Bay has had few offspring race Stateside, but Yours Sincerely brings his record to 50% winners there, as she is his fourth winner of eight runners.

The White Lady Another For D'Amato At Del Mar

Two races after his success with Yours Sincerely at Del Mar, trainer Phil D'Amato saddled another winner in the form of The Grey Gatsby's The White Lady (video). Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables, Old Bones Racing Stable and William Strauss, the four-year-old filly was making her third U.S. start.

Part of the Haras de Saint Julien breeding programme, the grey is a daughter of the Listed heroine Three French Hens (Elnadim), herself a half-sister to G2 Prix Chaudenay hero Vendangeur (Galileo). The mare's latest foals are a two-year-old colt by Highland Reel and a yearling full-sister to the winner already named Toutsuite. There are multiple top-flight winners tracing to great granddam Virunga (Sodium), herself a Group winner who was placed at the top table three times. Ultimately, The White Lady would make 10 starts last year, signing off with a second in the Listed Prix Petite Etoile at Deauville in December for her breeder and trainer Fabrice Chappet.

Haras du Petite Tellier's The Grey Gatsby has sired six winners from eight to race (75%) in the U.S. His best is the GIII The Very One Stakes heroine Mylady, while he also has the stakes winner Atomic Blonde – herself placed three times at graded level – and Child Of The Moon, who struck in the Listed Athenia Stakes on the tough, New York circuit.

Better Late Than Never

Later Than Planned ran out a handy winner at second asking at Del Mar on August 17 (video). Trained by Phil D'Amato, the son of Cotai Glory races for Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables and Marsha Naify.

Bred by John P. and John S. Mangan, the juvenile colt was an €8,000 buy-back at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale and ran second on his debut behind subsequent stakes winner Ipanema Queen (Sands Of Mali) at the Curragh in May for John S. Mangan and trainer Adrian McGuinness. Snapped up by his new connections in the interim, he is a grandson of GI Matriarch Stakes heroine Price Tag (Dansili) through her daughter Asking Price (Dansili).

Tally-Ho Stud's Cotai Glory has sired 10 winners from 18 runners (56%) in the U.S. His trio of stakes winners are highlighted by GI Diana Stakes heroine Excellent Truth.

Teleport & Wit Represent Lope De Vega

Repole Stable and Newtown Anner Stud Farm's Teleport (Lope De Vega) was put up in Saratoga's sixth race on August 17 (video). Bred by Newtown Anner, the colt sold for 300,000gns at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 to Mike Repole's racing operation.

Already a full-brother to multiple stakes winner Curvature and a half-brother to G3 Derby Trial winner and GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes second Juwelier (Wootton Bassett), the colt is out of a full-sister to Galileo sire and G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Intello. Second dam is the G2 Prix de Sandringham winner Impressionnante (Danehill), who was second in a brace of Group 1s – the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and the Prix d'Astarte.

D. J. Stable's Phoenix Of Wit (Lope De Vega) found the turf to her liking in start number four at Gulfstream Park on August 17 (video). Trained by Joseph Orseno, the Ballylinch Stud-bred €130,000 Goffs Orby graduate is a daughter of the GIII My Charmer Handicap third Janicellaine (Beat Hollow).

Kin to six winning full- or half-siblings, Phoenix Of Wit's juvenile half-sister Ethereal Charm (Make Believe) has yet to race. Janicellaine's 2025 foal is a filly by Bayside Boy. Janicellaine herself is a half-sister to the multiple Group winner and G1 Falmouth Stakes runner-up Very Special (Lope De Vega), as well as the star-crossed GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and G1 Fillies Mile heroine Chriselliam (Iffraaj).

One of the most successful Making Waves sires, Ballylinch's Lope De Vega has now sired 52 winners from 94 runners (55%) in North America. Carl Spackler, Program Trading, Newspaperofrecord and Aunt Pearl are his four Grade I winners in that locale.

Miss Bodacious a Winner for Zoustar

Zoustar's Miss Bodacious got the job done at Woodbine on Sunday for Sally Houldsworth and trainer Michael Doyle (video). Owned and trained by Brian Lynch in her previous three North American starts, the filly was bred by Seymour Bloodstock.

The 325,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling scored three wins for Karl Burke and owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum during her European tenure. Sent back through the ring at Park Paddocks during last October's Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale, she brought 85,000gns from Howson & Houldsworth Bloodstock. The half-sister to G3 Molecomb Stakes third Boonie (Brazen Beau) is out of the unraced Dice Game (Shamardal), who has fillies by Frankel and Brazen Beau foaled in 2022 and 2023. Her latest produce is a 2024 colt by Dundeel. The fourth dam is the champion and Breeders' Cup heroine Outstandingly (Exclusive Native).

Former reverse shuttler Zoustar is credited with 10 winners from 15 runners in North America (67%). Despite a smaller sample size, three of them have won at stakes level, and both King Of Gosford and Starlust earned top-tier victories.

Repeat Winners

Laurelin (Zarak) added a tally in the GII Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes to her resume at Saratoga on August 9 (video). The undefeated filly, trained by Graham Motion, is raced by Newstead Stables.

One day prior, the GII Ballston Spa Stakes went to Cheyenne Stable's Ozara (Lope De Vega) (video). The consistent filly is trained by Miguel Clement.

Recent Making Waves addition So Sophia (Showcasing) was back in the winner's circle at Colonial Downs on August 14 (video). She runs in the colours of Next Level Stables for trainer Abraham Gardea.

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