TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2022
Smile Happy | Coady Photo
Bob Baffert | Horsephotos
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TDN DERBY TOP 12 FOR JAN. 25
by T.D. Thornton
We're about to tear the January page off the calendar, a ritual
that signals a welcome thaw in the prep schedule for the
GI Kentucky Derby. Over the next two weekends there will be
four qualifying points stakes from coast to coast. Here's who's
hot (and not) heading into February.
1) SMILE HAPPY (c, Runhappy--Pleasant Smile, by Pleasant
Tap) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Lucky Seven Stable. B-Moreau
Bloodstock Int'l Inc. & White Bloodstock LLC (KY). T-
Kenneth G. McPeek. Sales History: $175,000 wlg '19
KEENOV; $185,000 ylg '20 FTKSEL. Lifetime Record: GSW,
2-2-0-0, $284,810. Last Start: 1st GII Kentucky Jockey Club S.
Next Start: GII Risen Star S., FG, Feb. 19. KY Derby Points: 10.
Smile Happy has brawn, natural speed, ahead-of-his-peers
mental maturity, and "swagger factor" on his side. But they
don't drape a blanket of roses across your back on the first
Saturday in May just for checking a lot of boxes on the
desirability list. This son of Runhappy needs racing experience to
flesh out his authoritative two-for-two record as a juvenile, and
trainer Ken McPeek has now settled on the GII Risen Star S. at
Fair Grounds over 1 1/8 miles for Smile Happy's sophomore
debut (after previously considering shorter and earlier preps at
both Oaklawn and Gulfstream).
Cont. p13
SIDES COME OUT SWINGING IN BAFFERT-
NYRA HEARING by Bill Finley
Attorneys in the hearing pitting NYRA vs. Bob Baffert made
their opening statements Monday in what turned into a sparring
session, with one side claiming NYRA Board members had a
vendetta against Baffert and the other contending that the Hall
of Fame trainer was responsible for a Arampage of doping
violations@ and is deserving of a temporary suspension.
The hearing, expected to last from three to five days, will
determine whether or not NYRA=s attempts to suspend Baffert
over a rash of medication positives, including one in the 2021
GI Kentucky Derby, should be allowed. The hearing is being held
before O. Peter Sherwood, a retired New York Supreme Court
Justice. Baffert was present at the hearing.
Representing NYRA, attorney Hank Greenberg spoke first and
zeroed in on the six medication violations Baffert accrued from
July 27, 2019 through May 1, 2021, the date of last year=s Derby,
arguing that so many violations in such a short period of time
was unprecedented. Cont. p3
Tuesday, January 25, 2022
MISTRIAL DECLARED IN GIANNELLI CASE 4Covid-19 temporarily upended the horse doping trial of Dr. Seth Fishman and Lisa Giannelli--who are among the 27 horse racing professionals, including prominent trainers, charged in the case.
ROUGIR PURCHASE GOES FORWARD 8The €3-million purchase of Group 1 winner Rougir (Fr) (Territories{Ire}) has moved forward despite the December arrest of herprevious trainer, Cedric Rossi.
TACITUS EXTENDS DYNASTY AT TAYLOR MADE 8Tacitus (Tapit) begins his stud career at Taylor Made.
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Life Is Good visits with Nora McCormack on Monday morning after galloping at Palm
Beach Downs ahead of Saturday’s GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational. | Christina Bossinakis
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 18 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2022
Sides Come Out Swinging in Baffert-NYRA
Hearing (cont. from p1)
AIn the modern history of Thoroughbred racing, we can=t find
anyone who can recall anything like this by a prominent trainer,@
Greenberg said.
Greenberg said that Baffert Atook a wrecking ball over a two-
year period to the integrity of the sport that was so good to him.@
He paid particular attention to Baffert=s violations in the Derby,
the GI Kentucky Oaks and the GI Arkansas Derby.
AIn 2021 and 2020, the only Triple Crown he is responsible for
is destroying three Grade I races,@ Greenberg said.
After Baffert revealed that he had been informed by the
Kentucky Horse Racing Commission that Medina Spirit
(Protonico) had tested positive for betamethasone, the trainer
conducted several interviews, and Greenberg said he never
once took responsibility while chalking his problems up to a
matter of Acancel culture.@
AHe gets on the Dan Patrick Show, he=s on SportsCenter, he=s
on Fox and his attacks on everyone continue,@ Greenberg said.
AHe says he doesn=t believe in conspiracy theories and then he
begins to float one. The damage that was done to Thoroughbred
racing on these two days was incalculable.@
Greenberg=s assertion that Baffert=s actions were damaging,
not just to NYRA, but to the sport of racing was a recurring
theme during his opening argument. He said that NYRA has an
obligation to act and to protect the sport and that was among
the reasons it was taking action against Baffert. To do otherwise,
he suggested, could mean that horse racing could go the same
way as dog racing.
AWhat happens if those institutions do not give their best
effort or do everything in their power to protect the safety of
the animals, in this case horses?@ he said. AWhat happens is
what happened to greyhound racing, which you no longer see.
It=s what happened to the circus, where there were lion tamers.
They don=t exist anymore.@
Greenberg said that a lengthy suspension was in order so that,
ANYRA can protect racing, protect the horse, protect the jockeys
and protect itself.@
Representing Baffert, attorney Craig Robertson argued that
Baffert=s violations were not of a serious nature and that using
terms like Adoping@ when it comes to Baffert were inaccurate
and unfair.
AI suspect that you are going to hear a lot of inflammatory
words from NYRA,@ Robertson said. AYou=re going to hear the
words >doping= and >illegal substances= and >performance-
enhancing.= Nothing could be further from the truth. Everything
you=re going to hear, all of the matters that Mr. Greenberg is
going to discuss, involve lawful, allowable therapeutic
medications that are used every day.@
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 18 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2022
Robertson continued, ADoping refers to the use of illegal
substances such as anabolic steroids to gain a competitive
advantage. There will be no evidence of any of that in this case.@
Regarding his argument that none of Baffert=s violations were
of a serious nature, Robertson questioned why NYRA would
seek to ban the trainer. He suggested that certain influential
members of the NYRA Board of Directors were out to get his
client.
AWhy are we here? The short answer is we shouldn=t be here,@
he said. AThe long answer is the only reason we are here is that
there are a handful of NYRA board members that can answer
that question. They have some personal vendetta against Mr.
Baffert. Do they not like him? Or perhaps since they own horses
that race in New York, they are tired of Mr. Baffert coming to
New York and beating them in New York races and they want to
eliminate a competitor. Only they can answer that question.
Despite the fact they want to ruin this Hall of Famer=s career, we
asked them to come here to appear, to testify, to tell us why
they are doing this to Mr. Baffert. They refused to show up. It=s a
sad day in horse racing and a sad day when they are trying to
punish this good man.@
Calling Baffert Aone of the most accomplished and respected
individuals in all of racing,@ Robertson asked Sherwood to decide
Aenough is enough@ and prohibit NYRA from suspending the
trainer.
The hearing began with the two sides arguing over what could
and could not be admitted as evidence, including the Saturday
Night Live lampoon of the trainer.
NYRA called its first witness, Rick Goodell, a lawyer who was
formerly with the New York Gaming Commission. Goodell was
largely asked to explain some of the more technical matters
involved in the case, like what is lidocaine.
MISTRIAL DECLARED IN GIANNELLI CASE
DUE TO COVID by Robert Gearty
Covid-19 temporarily upended Jan. 24 the horse doping trial of
Dr. Seth Fishman and Lisa Giannelli--who are among the 27
horse racing professionals, including prominent trainers,
charged in the case.
As the trial's second week began, testimony was delayed after
it was revealed that Giannelli's trial attorney had tested positive
for the disease before the trial was to resume Monday.
Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil then declared a mistrial on Giannelli's
behalf because her attorney Louis Fasulo wouldn't be able to
return to court for at least 10 days.
AI can't have a jury on ice for 10 days,@ she said.
The jury never heard any witnesses Monday and Vyskocil sent
them home after lunch with the resumption of the trial in doubt.
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 5 OF 18 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2022
Lisa Giannelli | Bryan Smith
In the courtroom and without the jury present Fishman=s
attorneys also moved for a mistrial. Vyskocil reserved decision
on the motion until Jan. 25, but during back and forth with the
Fishman defense team she hinted she was considering having
the trial resume with only Fishman. The trial continues Tuesday
at 9:30 a.m.
The trial opened Jan. 19 with jury selection followed by two
days of opening statements and testimony from three
witnesses.
Prosecutor Anden Chow told the jury Fishman and Giannelli
had for two decades operated a "black-market drug business"
that peddled to horse trainers around the country performance
enhancing drugs that were administered to horses on race days
and that couldn't be detected by horse racing commissions in
post-race testing.
Most of the testimony the jury has heard came from the
government's first witness, a 34-year-old woman, Courtney
Adams, who worked at Fishman's South Florida business for five
years until 2017. She said Fishman was fixated on creating drugs
that were untestable.
Fishman attorney Maurice Sercarz told the jury his client's
actions were in accordance with his veterinary oath to protect
the safety and welfare of animals. Fasulo said Giannelli didn't
believe she was doing anything wrong while working for
Fishman.
They are charged with conspiracy to violate drug adulteration
and misbranding laws in the doping horses. Prosecutors say the
11 trainers charged in the case acted to win lucrative purses
without regard to the health of their horses.
Both Fishman and Giannelli are out on bail and were in court
Monday.
The U.S. District Court in New York has implemented
numerous Covid protocols to avoid outbreaks.
The witness stand has been outfitted with a HEPA-filtered
plexiglass box. There's also a HEPA-filtered plexiglass box for
lawyers to use when they question witnesses. Masks are
required of everyone in the courtroom, including the judge,
but witnesses and lawyers can remove them if they are using
those boxes.
Over the weekend courthouse officials implemented a new
protocol. It required that lawyers and witnesses needed to take
a rapid PCR test if they intended to remove their masks while
using the boxes.
Cont. p6
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 6 OF 18 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2022
It was when Fasulo took the test in accordance with the new
protocol that he learned of the positive result.
He showed up the courtroom briefly and then left. He spoke to
the judge via an audio hookup.
His symptoms appeared mild. He told Vyskocil he had a "tickle
in his throat."
"I don't know what we're going to do. I feel terrible," Fasulo
said before consenting to the mistrial.
Giannelli's new trial date hasn't been set.
Fishman=s other attorney Marc Furnich argued a mistrial was
warranted given the positive Covid test. He also said it was
warranted given that the trial=s beginnings had exposed a
conflict in defense strategy with Fasulo.
As proof Fernich and Sercarz pointed to Fasulo=a opening
statement.
AMr. Fasulo=s second line was 'we sit here after hearing the
government say Lisa Giannelli was a lone wolf in a herd of
sheep. What she was was more the proverbial sheep herded by
the sheep master= a clear reference to Dr. Fishman,@ Sercarz said.
He and Fernich argued that it would be difficult to convince
the jury otherwise after they heard that and Giannelli was no
longer part of the case.
Vyskocil said she didn=t see what the problem was.
AOpening statements are not evidence and the jury has been
told that,@ she said.
Still awaiting trial is Jason Servis, whose horse Maximum
Security finished first in the 2019 GI Kentucky Derby only to be
taken down for interfering with another horse. Prosecutors have
accused Servis of doping dozens of horses in his barn, including
Maximum Security.
NYRA CONSIDERING ACTION AGAINST
POTTS After the news that trainer Wayne Potts had been suspended
by the New Jersey Racing Commission for the first 30 days of the
Monmouth Park meeting, the New York Racing Association is
investigating the possibility of holding a hearing and potentially
suspending the trainer as well, according to NYRA spokesman
Patrick McKenna.
The news was first reported by Daily Racing Form's Dave
Grenig.
In a TDN story Saturday, it was revealed that on Aug. 6, 2021,
Potts allegedly told his assistant, Bonnie Lucas, not to permit
one of his trainees to be vanned off the track after a race at
Monmouth Park despite an order to do so from the New Jersey
Racing Commission (NJRC) veterinarian. Potts was fined $1,000
and suspended 30 days in September, with the dates of that
suspension being announced just last week.
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 7 OF 18 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2022
Wayne Potts with American Sailor | Sarah Andrew photo
AIn just the last five months, Wayne Potts has been suspended
by both the New York State Gaming Commission and the New
Jersey Racing Commission due to
conduct in direct violation of the
rules of racing,@ said McKenna.
AMost recently, Mr. Potts was
proven to have jeopardized the
health and safety of a horse by
refusing to allow the horse to
enter an equine ambulance as
directed by a regulatory
veterinarian. This is a particularly
egregious breach of his most
fundamental responsibility as a
trainer--to ensure the well-being
of horses under his care. NYRA
has afforded Mr. Potts the
privilege of stabling and racing at
our venues, but this pattern of
conduct calls into question whether he should continue to enjoy
that privilege. NYRA is gathering the necessary facts to support a
statement of charges and a formal administrative hearing to
potentially suspend Mr. Potts from participating in racing at
Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.
AIn the near term, NYRA is determining immediate options
such as revoking his stall allotment at Belmont Park."
The news comes amidst the
hearings being held as NYRA
attempts to suspend trainer
Bob Baffert from racing at their
facilities.
Potts ran afoul of New York
authorities after an incident in
August at Saratoga where he
violated the 'restricted' transfer
rule which prohibits the claim
and subsequent transfer of a
horse within a 30-day
timeframe.
In August 2020, Potts was
barred from racing and stabling
at Maryland tracks due to
accusations from The Stronach
Group that he was operating as a "program trainer" on the basis
that he was receiving horses that had been previously trained by
the suspended Marcus Vitali.
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 8 OF 18 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2022
Click here to watch our visit with Tacitus at Taylor Made Farm
ROUGIR NOW IN U.S. AND BRANT
CONFIDENT PURCHASE WILL WORK OUTby Bill Finley
Just three days after he and partner Michael Tabor spent
i3 million on Group I winning filly Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire})
at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale, owner Peter Brant
got a most unwelcome surprise. Rougir=s trainer, Cedric Rossi,
was arrested Dec. 7 as part of a probe into equine doping that
also involved two other members of the Rossi family, Frederic
and Charley.
That brought into question whether or not he and his partners
had purchased a horse whose successes on the racetrack were,
at least in part, the result of the use of performance-enhancing
drugs. But Brant said Monday that he is confident that Rougir
and another Rossi horse he purchased at Arqana, Speak of the
Devil (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), were not involved in the
doping campaign the Rossi family is alleged to have been part of.
AWe were assured these horses were not involved in this
thing,@ Brant said. AWe had all sorts of tests taken on these
horses. Samples were sent to Germany. They checked out very
well. We were led to believe that these horses were not part of
the investigation, that they checked out very well.@
Rougir won the G3 Prix des Reservoirs in 2020 before
launching a 2021 campaign that included a win in the Oct. 3
G1 Prix de l=Opera Longines. She was most recently seventh in
the GI Breeders= Cup Filly & Mare Turf. The i3-million price tag
was the most paid for any horse at any of the European
breeding stock sales in 2021.
Speak of the Devil, who was trained by Frederic Rossi, is the
winner of four listed stakes, including the final two starts of her
career. Purchased solely by Brant, she went for i1,950,000.
American owners Lael Stable also bought a pricey Rossi horse
at Arqana, purchasing the 2-year-old Purplepay (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}),
who was also trained by Cedric Rossi and who sold for
i2 million.
Despite his belief that his purchases raced drug-free, Brant
admitted that he was concerned after learning of the arrest of
the Rossis.
AI obviously don=t like the situation,@ Brant said. AYou don=t
want to buy a horse and then find out a few days later that
there was a sting. That=s not exactly what we were expecting.@
Brant said that he and the Coolmore team went back to
Arqana officials after the news of the arrests broke to explore
their options. He said a confidential agreement was reached in
which Arqana made certain concessions to protect their
investment.
A[Arqana] made certain guarantees to us so far as whatever
credentials these horses had would remain and that if anybody
took them away then that would change things,@ he said.
AArqana was very responsible. They dealt with the sellers and
they bridged us together and we made an agreement we all felt
safe with. We were given assurances that our investment was
safe.
ADid we ever say we wanted our money back? We said we
wanted certain guarantees or else we would like the sales
canceled. We also evaluated what our legal position was and we
just decided that this was best way to go about it.@
The two Brant purchases have arrived in Florida and are
stabled with Chad Brown. Brant said Rougir will likely go next in
either the GIII Beaugay S. or the GII New York S. The GI Just a
Game S. is a possible goal for Speak of the Devil, he said.
Charley Rossi=s wife, the jockey Jessica Marcialis, was also
arrested.
Cedric Rossi was also the trainer of GI QIPCO Champion S.
winner Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}).
TACITUS EXTENDS FAMILY DYNASTY AT
TAYLOR MADE by Katie Petrunyak
Beginning his stud career at Taylor Made Stallions with a
$10,000 initial fee, Tacitus (Tapit--Close Hatches, by First
Defence) earned medalist status on Chris McGrath=s >Value
Podium= of new stallions in 2022. Now, with the breeding shed
door opening soon, the blue-blooded multi-millionaire has seen
an enthusiastic response from breeders and has amassed a solid
first book of mares.
AHe is booked to over 160 mares now,@ reported Taylor
Made=s Duncan Taylor. AWe=ve been really satisfied with the
reception from breeders. We=re not taking every mare he gets
offered. We=re picking through and trying to get the best mares
we can. We probably could have stood him for more money
because he has been so popular, but we wanted to make sure
we got a good book to him to get him off to a good start.@
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 9 OF 18 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2022
Tacitus all alone in the GII Suburban S. | Sarah Andrew
Hailing from a highly-successful Juddmonte family, the son of
champion sire Tapit is the first foal out of Champion Older Mare
and five-time Grade I winner Close Hatches. The mare descends
from blue hen Best in Show (Traffic Judge) and is from the same
family as G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Siskin, a young sire in
Japan who is also by First Defence.
Taylor gives high regard to the line breeding traced in Tacitus=s
pedigree through First Defence, a grandson of Unbridled out of a
Seattle Slew mare, and Tapit, a member of the Seattle Slew sire
line out of an Unbridled mare.
AI really like the way he=s bred with the Unbridled and Seattle
Slew line breeding,@ he explained. AThey=re both through a male
and a female, so it=s a very well-balanced pedigree. Then the
females in his family are unbelievable. You have Weekend
Surprise, Narrate, Gana Facil, Crimson Saint and Best in Show.
When you look for what I call a blue-blood Kentucky pedigree,
this one hits the bullseye.@
AThere=s a lot of things you can line breed to with him and try
to come up with some clever matings,@ he said, adding that the
new stallion=s first book is replete with mares by the sire lines of
Candy Ride, Arch, Indian Charlie and War Front.
One of two graded stakes-winning grays joining the Taylor
Made roster this year along with champion Knicks Go (Paynter),
Tacitus may share the coloring of his sire, but Taylor said his
physical better reflects his female line.
AHe=s bigger [than his sire] and you can really see the
Unbridled coming through,@ Taylor said. AHe has a big, deep
shoulder and a good neck on him.@
Campaigned by Juddmonte and trained throughout his career
by Bill Mott, Tacitus was a top contender on the Triple Crown
trail. After breaking his maiden as a juvenile, he claimed
consecutive victories in the GII Tampa Bay Derby, where he set a
stakes record, and the GII Wood Memorial S.
The colt did not see the winner=s circle again as a sophomore,
but ran in the money in each of his next five starts in 2019,
placing second in the GI Belmont S., GII Jim Dandy S. and GI
Runhappy Travers S., and finishing third in the GI Kentucky
Derby and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S.
AHe was right there through the major 3-year-old races,@
Taylor said. A[To finish] third in the Kentucky Derby was a real
credit and then he came back and ran well in the Travers. While
he never got the Grade I win, he was a Grade I-caliber horse. I
think just pure ability made him as good as he was.@
Tacitus was competitive again as a 4-year-old, gaining a third
graded-stakes score with an 8 3/4-length romp in the GII
Suburban S. at Belmont and later placing in the GI Woodward H.
and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S.
He retired after his 5-year-old season with earnings of over
$3.7 million, competing exclusively against graded stakes
company after breaking his maiden and running in the money in
all but five of those 15 graded starts.
ATacitus was such a good racehorse,@ Taylor said. AHe won the
Wood Memorial, the Tampa Bay Derby and the Suburban. Two
of those used to be Grade I races so he just didn=t win them at
the right time. He has a beautiful pedigree and we think he
could be a great stallion. We=re very fortunate to have a royally-
bred horse like him at Taylor Made.@
MATING PLANS: COTEAU GROVE FARMS With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we
will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming
weeks. Today we have Andrew Cary, bloodstock agent for
Coteau Grove Farms.
MISS HOT LEGS (m, 6, Verrazano--Expo Gold, by
Johannesburg), to be bred to Medaglia d=Oro
Miss Hot Legs is one of our top mares. She=s a stakes-placed
three-quarter sister to the superstar Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil).
We purchased her for $500,000 as a broodmare prospect at
Keeneland November 2020.
Miss Hot Legs herself was a very fast and talented racemare in
her own right and is a stunning physical. She was stakes-placed
at Santa Anita and was only beaten a few lengths in a Grade II
against the likes of Jolie Olimpica (Brz) and Oleksandra (Aus).
She is currently in foal to Curlin for her first foal and we felt
that Medaglia d=Oro offered great value at $100,000 given what
he has achieved during his legendary career. We are giving Miss
Hot Legs every shot to get her broodmare career off to a good
start with those first two covering sires.
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 10 OF 18 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2022
Coteau Grove bought Contributing at the 2020 KEENOV sale
Keeneland
ELFIN QUEEN (m, 5, American Pharoah--Pretty 'n Smart, by
Beau Genius), to be bred to Into Mischief
Elfin Queen was acquired at the Keeneland November sale last
year for $550,000, in foal to Justify. It=s special to be able to buy
a well-bred daughter of a Triple Crown winner, in foal to a Triple
Crown winner. She was a $1.2-million yearling herself and is a
half-sister to Grade I winner and promising young sire Cupid
(Tapit). She broke her maiden by 6 1/2 lengths in Ireland for
Aidan O=Brien and competed in stakes after that. We are giving
her every shot by breeding her to Into Mischief. With her
exceptional looks and pedigree, we have high hopes for Elfin
Queen as a foundation mare for Coteau Grove for the next
decade.
GOTTAHAVEAHOLIDAY (m, 8, Harlan=s Holiday--
Gottahaveadream, by Indian Charlie), to be bred to
Constitution
Gottahaveaholiday is a three-quarter sister to Grade I winner
Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief), who recently sold for
$2.85 million to Shadai Farm at Fasig-Tipton November. She
herself was an expensive yearling and placed in maiden special
weight company several times in New York. We acquired her for
$240,000 as a broodmare prospect at Keeneland November
2020. She is a big, great-looking mare and is due any day for her
first foal to Quality Road. We are huge fans of Constitution and
feel that he is poised to become a perennial top-five sire in the
years to come with what he has coming in the pipeline.
PLUS ONE (m, 13, Bluegrass Cat--License Free, by Miswaki),
to be bred to Gun Runner
Plus One will always be a special mare to us, as she became
our first Grade I producer when her son No Parole (Violence)
won the GI Woody Stephens S. at Belmont Park in June of 2020.
We acquired her for $67,000 at Keeneland November in 2014.
Plus One is currently in foal to Tapit and we are obviously very
excited to have her booked to the phenomenal Gun Runner.
Gun Runner has already sired Echo Zulu, Gunite and Pappacap
from Storm Cat-line mares.
CONTRIBUTING (m, 8, Medaglia d=Oro--Taegu, by Halo), to be
bred to Curlin
We acquired Contributing for $500,000 at Keeneland
November 2020, in foal to Speightstown. She=s a gorgeous mare
who had a lot of speed, and her pedigree is phenomenal--the
first dam fills the whole page. Her sister Classic Elegance (Carson
City) was a Grade II winner and multiple stakes producer; she
also has three other half-sisters that are stakes producers,
including El Fasto (El Prado {Ire}), the dam of GI Kentucky Oaks
winner Believe You Can (Proud Citizen).
Contributing has a yearling Speightstown colt we are very
excited about and look forward to bringing him to the yearling
sales this fall. She is currently in foal to Justify, who we expect to
have great success with his early crops both here and around
the world. We love the physical match with Curlin and it gives
her another great chance at throwing a runner.
Let us know who you're breeding your mares to in 2022, and
why. We will print a selection of your responses in TDN over the
coming weeks. Please send details to: [email protected].
MIXED SALES SEASON CONTINUES IN OCALAby Alan Carasso
A total of 649 horses of all ages, including a supplemental
catalog of about 50 horses, is set to go under the hammer at the
Ocala Breeders Sales Company's Winter Mixed Sale, which kicks
off a two-day run in Central Florida this morning at 11 a.m. ET
with a preferred session (hips 1-206, including supplements) and
continues with the horses-of-racing-age section (hips 251-365,
including supplements). The sale concludes with Wednesday's
open session (hips 401-638, supplements included), also
beginning at 11 a.m.
In the aftermath of a record-setting entree to the mixed sales
season at Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton in November and with
steadier, rational trade at the latter's Midlantic Sale in
December and back at Keeneland a few weeks ago, sales
officials at OBS are expecting more of the same over the next 48
hours.
AHopefully the trends that we've seen over the last few
months continue here. We certainly hope so,@ said the auction
house's director of sales Tod Wojciechowski. AThere certainly
does seem to be a zest for horses of all ages. The horse industry
in general has been doing very well over the last year or so. I
think there is obviously some pent-up demand and there are
probably a few factors that will come into play on that, but
we're excited to see what happens.@
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 11 OF 18 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2022
The supplemented Fifth Anniversary | Lauren King
Clarkland Farm's Fred Mitchell with Leslie's Lady in June 2021
Katie Petrunyak
He continued, AThe January sale has kind of gotten to be a
destination sale for many, especially for the short yearlings. I
think people sort of use it as a convenient excuse to get out of
the colder weather. But on top of that, it's just a sale people that
want to be at.@
It is a leaner catalog for the 2022 renewal of the Winter Mixed
Sale, down some 19% from last year's 805-strong book.
Wojciechowski explained that the slimmed-down catalog is
mostly a function of the nature of mixed sales.
AI think the smaller catalog is a function of the ebb and flow of
breeding stock from year to year,@ he said. ACertainly there has
been a drop in the foal crop here in Florida, so that can't have a
good impact on us, but I think we've got a good book and I think
that the people that come here to shop will be pleased with the
stock that we have.@
The catalog features 257 yearlings by sires based, not only in
Florida, but also mainstream Kentucky stallions such as
Accelerate, Always Dreaming, Collected, Goldencents, Gun
Runner, Hard Spun, Maclean's Music and Practical Joke, to name
just a few. Stallions based in Ocala include Breaking Lucky,
Girvin, Khozan, Neolithic and Bucchero, whose well-received
first crop hits the track in 2022 and whose popularity in the
breeding shed early days looks to have translated to a high
number of entries. The Pleasant Acres resident is represented in
the catalog by no fewer than 15 newly turned yearlings, the
most for any sire in the sale.
AI've heard a lot of good things about Bucchero for sure and
that's probably the reason that there are so many of them,@
Wojciechowski surmised.
Among the horses recently supplemented to the sale is
hip 349, the 3-year-old filly Fifth Anniversary (Runhappy).
Runner-up in the Sept. 19 Woodbine Cares S. going five furlongs
on turf for trainer Ricky Griffith, the bay made a giant
impression on her South Florida debut Jan. 19, taking a five-
furlong allowance over the Gulfstream Tapeta track by 2 3/4
lengths, good for an 83 Beyer Speed Figure (video).
The sale also includes a dispersal of breeding stock from Fred
Brei's Jacks Or Better Farm, long an institution on the Florida
racing and breeding scene. Alone and in partnership, Jacks Or
Better has bred and/or raced the likes of GI Forego S. and
GI Carter H. winner Jackson Bend--a son of their homebred sire
Hear No Evil--and champion 2-year-old filly Awesome Feather
(by Jacks Or Better's Awesome of Course), who was sold for
$2.3 million following her victory in the 2010 GI Breeders' Cup
Juvenile Fillies.
ACertainly Mr. Brei has a long and successful tradition in
Florida racing and has been a big part of the scene in the state,
from a breeding and racing perspective,@ Wojciechowski said.
AIt'll be a loss to the industry, but this will offer people an
opportunity to get into some of his really nice families that he's
had success with.@ For the full catalog, visit www.obssales.com.
BROODMARE OF THE YEAR LESLIE'S LADY
DIES
Clarkland Farm's 2016 Broodmare of the Year Leslie's Lady
(Tricky Creek--Crystal Lady, by Stop the Music), whose produce
includes leading sire Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday) and four-
time Eclipse Award winner Beholder (Henny Hughes), died
Jan. 24 at the farm, Blood-Horse reports. She was 26 years old.
Bred in Kentucky by David Hager II, Leslie's Lady was an $8,000
short yearling purchase from Hager's Idle Hour Farm at
Keeneland January in 1997 and was acquired by owner James T.
Hines for $27,000 from the Margaux Farm draft at the
Keeneland September Sale later that fall.
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 12 OF 18 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2022
Mendelssohn | Sarah AndrewLeif Aaron | Juddmonte photo
Winner of four of nine juvenile starts for trainer Bob Holthus,
including the Hoosier Debutante S., Leslie's Lady was runner-up
in the 1999 Martha Washington S. and showed consistent form
throughout the balance of her career, winning a total of five
races for earnings of $187,014.
Leslie's Lady was acquired by Clarkland as a 10-year-old for
$100,000 in foal to Orientate from Hines Estate at Keeneland
November in 2006 and the purchase looked a shrewd one just
over a year later when the mare's foal of 2005, an $80,000
Fasig-Tipton October yearling turned $180,000 OBS March
breezer later named Into Mischief, became a Grade I winner for
Spendthrift Farm in the CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park.
Leslie's Lady visited Henny Hughes in 2009 and the result of
that mating was Beholder, a $180,000 purchase by Spendthrift
out of the 2011 Keeneland September Sale, who won no fewer
than 11 Grade I races--including three Breeders' Cup events and
a breathtaking score against males in the GI TVG Pacific Classic--
en route to amassing career earnings of better than $6.1 million.
As her produce continued to make waves on the racetrack and
as Into Mischief became a sire of considerable importance at
Spendthrift, Leslie's Lady's young offspring became increasingly
sought-after at public auction. M.V. Magnier paid a Keeneland
September sales-topping $3 million for her foal of 2015, a Scat
Daddy colt named Mendelssohn, who went on to take the 2017
GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and the 2018 G2 UAE Derby (by
18 1/2 lengths) and was on the board in the GI Runhappy
Travers S. and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup before heading off to
stud at Coolmore.
The latter nursery's American Pharoah was the sire of Leslie's
Lady's foal of 2018, a filly, that was purchased by Mandy Pope's
Whisper Hill Farm for a sale-best $8.2 million at KEESEP in 2019
(click here for more from Chris McGrath), the most expensive
filly ever sold at Keeneland. Named America's Joy, she sadly
passed away in a training accident last August.
Leslie's Lady's 3-year-old daughter Marr Time (Not This Time)
is in training with Brad Cox and was named a 'TDN Rising Star'
for a debut victory at Keeneland Oct. 28. The mare's final foal is
a 2-year-old Kantharos filly named Love You Irene. The filly that
Leslie's Lady was carrying at the time of her purchase by
Clarkland, the now 15-year-old mare Daisy Mason, was
hammered down to the partnership of Whisper Hill and
Gainesway for $475,000 in foal to Not This Time at Keeneland
November last fall. Click here to read a story from Katie
Petrunyak, who visited Leslie's Lady in retirement last June.
LEIF AARON NAMED FASIG-TIPTON
DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL SALES Leif Aaron has been named Fasig-Tipton's Director of Digital
Sales ahead of the projected launch of its digital sales platform
in the first quarter of 2022. Aaron has served as stallion
nominations manager for Juddmonte USA since 2018. Prior to
Juddmonte, Aaron worked for eight years as stakes filly recruiter
and account manager for Taylor Made Sales Agency. He is also a
graduate of the Darley Flying Start Program.
AWe are very excited and optimistic about entering the digital
sales environment and believe Leif is the perfect person to lead
our efforts,@ said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. AHe has
tremendous knowledge, experience, and a vast network of
contacts in racing and breeding in the United States and abroad.
He will be a great addition to the Fasig-Tipton team.@
Aaron commented, AI am very excited to be joining
Fasig-Tipton and actively engaged in the commercial market
once again. I believe there is great growth potential for digital
sales in America and look forward to working with buyers and
sellers as we launch and develop Fasig-Tipton=s digital
marketplace.@
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 13 OF 18 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2022
Smile Happy (cont. from p1)
McPeek told Daily Racing Form last week the Risen Star would
be the first of what would "ideally" be a two-prep path to
Louisville. Since 1937, only three horses have won the Derby
with four or fewer previous lifetime starts: Animal Kingdom
(four), plus Justify and Big Brown (three each). McPeek trainees
returning after 60 to 90 days off in races of nine furlongs or
greater have won two of 15 starts over the past five years. On
Sunday, Smile Happy closed at 8-1 in Pool 2 of the Derby future
wager, the lowest-priced individual betting entrant behind the
9-5 favored field.
2) PAPPACAP (c, Gun Runner--Pappascat, by Scat Daddy)
O/B-Rustlewood Farm, Inc. (FL). T-Mark E. Casse. Lifetime
Record: GSW & MGISP, 6-2-2-1, $596,000. Last Start: 3rd GIIII
Lecomte S. Next Start: Next start: Possible for GII Risen Star S.,
FG, Feb. 19. KY Derby Points: 14.
Pappacap got dethroned from the No. 1 ranking, but his
third-place effort as the beaten favorite in Saturday's GIII
Lecomte S. doesn't warrant a full-scale banishment from the
upper crust of the crop. These winter stakes are, after all,
preparatory efforts, and the wider view of Pappacap's career arc
still portends well for getting 10 furlongs three-plus months
from now. As usual, this always-engaged Gun Runner homebred
broke without issue, then settled fifth at the fence, underscoring
this colt has no confidence issues racing in a covered-up position
at the rail. Jockey Joe Bravo let Pappacap cruise up under his
own power between the six-furlong and half-mile poles to range
within two lengths of pacemaking Epicenter (Not This Time). But
by the far turn Pappacap was so seriously hemmed in that
Bravo's commitment to the rail started to look like a liability
rather than a ground-saving advantage. Epicenter drifted out
under pressure, and while Pappacap leapt forward through the
suddenly larger opening at the quarter pole, he didn't truly seize
command. Pappacap gave Epicenter a stout run for his money
from the three-sixteenths pole until 50 yards from the finish,
where both were blindsided by a fresh 28-1 closer.
"He fought all the way down the lane," Bravo said. "Both [he
and Epicenter] are special horses. They got into a fight and guess
what happens? It set up for somebody else to run by both of
us."
3) CORNICHE (c, Quality Road--Wasted Tears, by Najran)
'TDN Rising Star' O-Speedway Stables LLC. B-Bart Evans &
Stonehaven Steadings (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales History:
$385,000 RNA ylg '20 KEESEP; $1,500,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR.
Lifetime Record: MGISW, 3-3-0-0, $1,262,000. Last Start: 1st
GI TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by TAA. Next Start:
Uncommitted. KY Derby Points: N/A.
Corniche was an undefeatable front-running force who cuffed
around his peers at age two up to 1 1/16 miles. But he has yet to
begin serious training for his sophomore campaign, and the
looming confrontation over trainer Bob Baffert's banishment
from Churchill Downs coupled with the inability of his entrants
to earn Derby qualifying points is casting an unwelcome shadow
over this Quality Road colt's highly anticipated return. Corniche's
GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile wire job is the race that will almost
certainly earn him divisional championship honors. But you have
to consider the fortuitous circumstances that played in his favor
prior to that race--namely, the vet scratch of the morning line
favorite, fellow >TDN Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings),
who was the only other pure speed threat in the Juvenile. In
addition, it's worth noting that the GI Juvenile Fillies run two
races earlier that day produced a same-distance final clocking
.26 seconds faster than Corniche's performance. This colt's GI
American Pharoah S. score Oct. 1 might have actually been a
better, stronger effort--he led under constant pressure, swatted
away two legit challengers on the turn, and that race yielded
two next-out stakes winners, a MSW winner, plus the runner-up
in the Juvenile.
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 14 OF 18 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2022
Classic Causeway | Sarah Andrew
4) CLASSIC CAUSEWAY (c, Giant's Causeway--Private World, by
Thunder Gulch) O/B-Kentucky West Racing LLC & Clarke M.
Cooper Family Living Trust (KY). T-Brian A. Lynch. Lifetime
Record: GISP, 3-1-1-1, $181,100. Last Start: 2nd GII Kentucky
Jockey Club S. Next Start: GIII Holy Bull S., GP, Feb. 5. KY Derby
Points: 6.
The Giant's Causeway out of a Thunder Gulch mare breeding
line that anchors this colt's pedigree is only going to play into
Classic Causeway's favor the deeper he advances on the Triple
Crown path. Being a sharp breaker is also on his side, too, as the
previous six Derby winners all either wired their fields or were
second at the internal points of call. Yet this homebred for
Kentucky West Racing and Clarke Cooper doesn't need to be in
front to run well, and his concession of the lead from the one
hole in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. shows that he can
comfortably stalk inside. In that race Classic Causeway
eventually escaped the rail in search of more room out in the
clear, but he was out-kicked by a superior Smile Happy that
November early evening under the lights at Churchill. He's three
breezes back into his Palm Meadows training for a seasonal
debut in the Feb. 5 GIII Holy Bull S., a potentially "loaded" affair
that could also lure several other contenders on this list.
5) EMMANUEL (c, More Than Ready--Hard Cloth, by Hard
Spun) 'TDN Rising Star' O-WinStar Farm LLC & Siena Farm LLC.
B-Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust (KY). T-Todd A. Pletcher.
Sales History: $350,000 ylg '20 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0,
$31,800. Last Start: 1st Gulfstream MSW. Next Start: Aiming for
a two-turn allowance spot. KY Derby Points: 0.
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 15 OF 18 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2022
Emmanuel spiked a temperature that forced trainer Todd
Pletcher to scratch him from a Jan. 7 two-turn allowance at
Tampa, which was to be his second career start off a visually
appealing one-turn-mile debut score at Gulfstream (by 6 3/4
lengths with a 78 Beyer Speed Figure). That's the type of a
setback that doesn't mean as much on the Derby trail in early
January as it might in, say, late March. This $350,000 KEESEP
colt by More Than Ready has since posted two bullet half-mile
breezes at Palm Beach Downs on consecutive Saturdays, and
Pletcher affirmed to TDN on Saturday that he will "hopefully"
find another allowance spot instead of attempting a stakes for
this physically imposing colt's first two-turn try. One concern as
Emmanuel approaches seven weeks between starts is that seven
of the horses he beat back on Dec. 11 have already come back
to race; six of them lost and the only winner was a dropdown
into the maiden optional-claiming ranks. So the "Who'd he
beat?" question might end up being legit moving forward into
start number two.
6) GIANT GAME (Giant's Causeway--Game For More, More
Than Ready) O-West Point Thoroughbreds & Albaugh
Family Stables LLC. B-H. Allen Poindexter (KY). T-Dale L.
Romans. Sales History: $500,000 ylg '20 FTKSEL. Lifetime
Record: GISP, 3-1-0-2, $242,400. Last Start: 3rd GI TVG Breeders'
Cup Juvenile presented by TAA. Next Start: Possible for GIII Holy
Bull S., GP, Feb. 5. KY Derby Points: 4.
Giant Game's above-expectations third at 21-1 odds in the
Breeders' Cup has a "deep end of the pool" appeal to it
considering he shipped cross-country to square off against the
best in his class in his first try outside the maiden ranks, then
kicked on smartly while wide off the final turn. The effort was
notable not so much for a massive breakthrough, but in terms of
suggesting he could be a dangerous racehorse with seasoning at
age three. We don't quite have much >22 form available yet to
judge the progression of the horses he faced in the Juvenile
(only three entrants have run back; all ran third in points-eligible
Derby preps). But dig deeper to check out the two MSW races
this $500,000 FTKSEL colt by Giant's Causeway competed in, and
you'll see the makings of potential key races, as no fewer than a
combined seven starters from both races (including Giant Game
himself) returned to win next time out. This colt has built a base
of five Gulfstream breezes in preparation for a possible start in
the Holy Bull S., the last three of them five-eighths bullets.
7) COSTA TERRA (c, Gun Runner--Teardrop, by Tapit)
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY). T-Steven M. Asmussen.
Lifetime Record: SP, 3-1-0-1, $57,900. Last Start: 5th GI
Claiborne Breeders' Futurity. Next Start: GIII Southwest S., OP,
Jan. 29. KY Derby Points: 0.
Costa Terra may be a chestnut, but he's my Derby "dark horse"
at this early juncture of the season. This Gun Runner homebred
for Winchell Thoroughbreds has posted seven published breezes
at Fair Grounds for trainer Steve Asmussen after a three-race
juvenile campaign that consisted of two Ellis Park performances
that were much better than they looked followed by a wide fifth
against two-turn Grade I company at Keeneland. Dam Teardrop
is a half-sister to Pyro, who won two legs of the Fair Grounds
Derby prep stakes in 2008 (he was eighth in the Kentucky
Derby). Half-brother Pneumatic was a listed stakes winner who
attempted (but was off the board) in 2020's nine-furlong GI
Belmont S. and the GI Preakness S. for these same connections.
8) NEWGRANGE (c, Violence--Bella Chianti, by Empire Maker)
O-Golconda Stable, Madaket Stables LLC, SF Racing LLC, Siena
Farm LLC, Starlight Racing, Stonestreet Stables, LLC, Waves Edge
Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan, Robert E. Masterson & Jay A.
Schoenfarber. B-Jack Mandato & Black Rock Thoroughbreds
(KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $125,000 yrl '20 KEESEP.
Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $102,000. Last Star: 1st GIII
Sham S. Next Start: GIII Southwest S., OP, Jan. 29. KY Derby
Points: N/A.
The two-for-two, speed-centric Newgrange waited on horses
before cresting into an unmatchable far-turn gear in the GIII
Sham S., leaving the impression that despite a touch of
greenness, this $125,000 KEESEP colt by Violence could be the
type who's up for bigger and better challenges. Seven-time
Derby winner Baffert has now won eight editions of the Sham,
yet Authentic in 2020 was the only one of those Sham winners
to also win the Derby (Medina Spirit was second in the '21 Sham
and also won the Derby).
9) MO DONEGAL (c, Uncle Mo--Callingmissbrown, by Pulpit)
O-Donegal Racing. B-Ashview Farm & Colts Neck Stables (KY).
T-Todd A. Pletcher. Sales History: $250,000 ylg '20 KEESEP.
Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-0-1, $197,800. Last Start: 1st GII
Remsen S. Next Start: Aiming for GIII Holy Bull S., GP, Feb. 5.
KY Derby Points: 10.
In this age of fewer starts for A-list horses, some sophomores--
including highly heralded ones every year--get very deep into
their Derby prep seasons without having been truly tested in a
stretch fight. That won't be the case with Mo Donegal, who
athletically tipped out past four frontrunners at the head of the
lane before bumping and grinding through a :12.33 final furlong
in the GII Remsen S. to prevail by a hard-fought nose.
Cont. p16
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 16 OF 18 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2022
Epicenter | Hodges Photography
That was a much more impressive effort than it might appear
considering this $250,000 KEESEP buy was facing winners for the
first time while stretching out to the 1 1/8-mile distance. His
MSW win at 1 1/16 miles was no slouch either, as Mo Donegal
was roused from midpack to close an open-length gap late in the
lane. Even his career debut--seemingly a throwout race on
paper--was of the sneaky-good variety. Mo Donegal broke
slowly from the rail in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint, checked at the
half-mile pole, was still double-digit lengths off the leaders
turning for home, then rallied determinedly to snag third before
galloping out past everyone after the wire.
10) ZANDON (c, Upstart--Memories Prevail, by Creative Cause)
O-Jeff Drown. B-Brereton C. Jones (KY). T-Chad C. Brown. Sales
History: $170,000 ylg '20 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSP, 2-1-1-0,
$99,500. Last Start: 2nd GII Remsen S. Next Start: Uncommitted.
KY Derby Points: 4.
Trainer Chad Brown has favorably compared Zandon to his
2017 GI Preakness S. winner Cloud Computing; both colts won
their MSW debuts going short even though neither was really
cut out to be a sprinter. Stretching all the way out to nine
furlongs in the GII Remsen S., this $170,000 KEESEP colt by
Upstart stalked effectively behind a tepid pace, split horses in
upper stretch, then had a visually impressive and roughly run
throwdown/showdown with nose winner Mo Donegal. Earlier
this month, Brown told TDN he was on the fence between what
now appears to be a deep Holy Bull S. and the Risen Star S.,
which we learned this week will feature No. 1-ranked Smile
Happy. Neither figure to be an easy spot, but Zandon could
prove to be an overlooked entity at decent odds in either one of
those stakes.
11) EPICENTER (c, Not This Time--Silent Candy, by Candy Ride
{Arg}) O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC. B-Westwind Farms (KY).
T-Steven M. Asmussen. Sales History: $260,000 ylg '20 KEESEP.
Lifetime Record: SW & GSP, 4-2-1-0. Last Start: 2nd GIII Lecomte
S. Next Start: Possible for GII Risen Star S., FG, Feb. 19. KY Derby
Points: 14.
Epicenter won several internal battles within Saturday's
Lecomte S., but he got pipped at the wire to just lose the overall
war. The effort was strong enough to launch him into the Top
12. And yes, the two horses who ran second and third in the
Lecomte are both ranked higher than the out-of-the-clouds
winner, because these ratings try not to rely too heavily on
who-beat-whom recency at the expense of the bigger picture.
Epicenter established control by the time the field hit the first
turn, and although he ran slower consecutive quarter miles on
the front end at each call, he gets style points for turning back a
wall of horses off the turn when he could have just as easily
cracked under pressure. Epicenter repulsed the favorite,
Pappacap, in a length-of-stretch fight, then galloped out
stronger and longer than the unexpected long shot who rolled
by him with mid-track momentum. The top two, separated by a
head, shared 88 Beyer Speed Figures.
12) JACK CHRISTOPHER (c, Munnings--Rushin No Blushin, by
Half Ours) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Jim Bakke, Gerald Isbister,
Coolmore Stud & Peter M. Brant. B-Castleton Lyons &
Kilboy Estate (KY). T-Chad C. Brown. Sales History:
$145,000 RNA ylg '20 FTKSEL; $135,000 ylg '20 FTKOCT. Lifetime
Record: GISW, 2-2-0-0, $330,000. Last Start: 1st GI Champagne
S. Next Start: Uncommitted. KY Derby Points: 10.
Jack Christopher gets a little bit of a haircut in this week's
rankings, dropping from No. 7 to No. 12, but that's a reflection
of his inactivity rather than potential ability. This Munnings colt
is recovering from a stress fracture discovered after he was
scratched as the morning-line fave for the Breeders' Cup
Juvenile, and although the GI Champagne S. victor rejoined
trainer Brown in Florida earlier this month, he's yet to post a
published workout. "He's going to be up against it, that's for
sure," Brown told TDN earlier this month when asked about
making the Derby. "I don't want to rule anything outYbut he's
certainly behind. To get him to go a mile and a quarter I'm going
to need to have something under his belt. We'll see where he
takes us and if he doesn't make [the Derby] we have several
other races we'd love to target with him."
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 17 OF 18 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2022
On the Bubble (in alphabetical order):
Call Me Midnight (Midnight Lute): Blasted home a $59 winner
from well off the tailgate in Saturday's Lecomte. Trainer Keith
Desormeaux said Risen Star S. is next for this four-time auction
entrant ($25,000 KEENOV; $37,0000 RNA at KEESEP; $17,000
OBSOCT; $80,000 OBSMAR).
Early Voting (Gun Runner): This $200,000 KEESEP colt for trainer
Brown broke his maiden in a one-turn mile and is being pointed
for GIII Withers S. at Aqueduct Feb. 5.
Major General (Constitution): The two-for-two winner of the
Sept. 18 GIII Iroquois S. at Churchill ($265,000 KEEJAN; $420,000
KEESEP) is three breezes into his '22 comeback for trainer
Pletcher, with early March preps on his radar.
Rattle N Roll (Connect): Saturday was the first breeze back for
this 81-Beyer, 4 1/4 -length GI Breeders' Futurity S. victor
($55,000 KEENOV, $210,000 KEESEP). He then missed the
Breeders' Cup with a foot abscess; could resurface in Mar. 12 GII
Tampa Bay Derby.
Slow Down Andy (Nyquist): Reddam homebred a bit erratic
through the long Los Al stretch, but prevailed in five-entrant GII
Los Alamitos Futurity.
Tiz the Bomb (Hit It a Bomb): Runner-up in GI Breeders' Cup
Juvenile Turf (FTKSEL $330,000) goes back to dirt in Holy Bull S.
on Feb. 5. He wired an off-grass mile MSW at Ellis Park last July.
PEGASUS VET RECORDS TO BE DIGITIZEDEdited Press Release
1/ST, owners of the Pegasus World Cup, will partner with Irish
technology company Equine MediRecord to digitize veterinary
records for this year=s event, to be held this Saturday, Jan. 29, at
Gulfstream Park.
The Equine MediRecord platform that will be used allows for
the full veterinary history of the horse to be collected digitally
and recorded securely. Use of this platform will be mandatory
and will provide all entrants, trainers and veterinarians with a
user-friendly system to comply with the strict medication
protocols for this year=s event. Once the records are entered
into the system they cannot be altered. Results are submitted
digitally to designated regulators and officials ensuring the
highest level of integrity and transparency of veterinary records.
AThe digitization of veterinary records for the Pegasus World
Cup is an example of how 1/ST is innovating and using
technology to improve our sport,@ said Dr. Dionne Benson, Chief
Veterinary Officer, 1/ST RACING. AThe partnership with Equine
MediRecord and the collection of this data is a tool that we can
use to protect the safety and well-being of horses.@
The Irish company whose technology is fast becoming the
global standard for equine sport organizers has already amassed
an impressive list of clients and users including the
Thoroughbred Owners of California, Irish Veterinary and
Welfare Commission, Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, the
Arabian Racing Organisation, Breeders= Cup World
Championships and the Saudi Cup.
KEEP DAY TO BE HELD JAN. 27 The Kentucky Equine Education Project will host its annual
KEEP Day in Frankfort Thursday. KEEP Day in Frankfort provides
KEEP grassroots members, industry leaders, breed associations,
and other industry partners an opportunity to share with
Kentucky lawmakers the importance of horses to their
legislative districts and the state's economy.
The event will take place from 9-10:45 a.m. in Room 113 in the
Capitol Annex.
AKentucky's horse industry and community create an annual
economic impact on the state of $6.5 billion,@ said Elisabeth
Jensen, KEEP's executive vice president. AMore important,
though, are the tens of thousands of jobs and thousands of
businesses that contributed directly and indirectly to the state's
horse industry. These businesses and industry partners are the
lifeblood of small towns across the state and it is critical that the
industry flourish to support the small businesses and equine
operations that are at the heart of Kentucky's signature
industry.@
1/ST, ED BROWN SOCIETY PARTNER ON INTERN
PROGRAM 1/ST and the Ed Brown Society have teamed up to offer a paid
internship program for African American students. Founded by
Living the Dream Racing & Stables and led by Greg Harbut and
Ray Daniels, the Ed Brown Society celebrates the rich history of
African Americans in the equine industry and creates
opportunities for young people of color to gain industry
exposure, training and experience through internships and
scholarships.
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 18 OF 18 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2022
Sterling Silver gave Cupid another first-crop stakes winner in the
Franklin Square S. at Aqueduct | Janet Garaguso
The multi-year commitment of $150,000 made by 1/ST will
cover all costs associated with the paid internship program
which will enable the Ed Brown Society to identify, recruit and
place qualified minority students from both historically black
colleges and universities and predominantly white institutions.
Chosen interns will be compensated and will have all housing
and travel expenses covered as part of the program. The Ed
Brown Society will provide ongoing direction to the interns as
they progress toward permanent professional placements.
The first two interns will begin their placement this spring at
1/ST RACING=s Gulfstream Park. This collaborative internship
program will offer African American students the opportunity to
learn more about the Thoroughbred horse racing industry as
they work alongside members of the experienced 1/ST team.
The program's first interns will be announced as part of the
2022 Pegasus World Cup Kick-Off Celebration taking place on
Thursday at the Historic Ward Room House and Red Rooster in
the Overtown neighborhood of Miami.
In addition to the internship program, 1/ST will collaborate
with the Ed Brown Society to host "Ed Brown Race Days" across
1/ST RACING venues in California, Florida and Maryland to
further support and promote diversity and inclusivity in the
sport of Thoroughbred horse racing.
FOR THE PERIOD ENDING JANUARY 23, 2022 NORTH AMERICAN-BASED STALLIONS
Sire (Sire=s Sire) #SWs #GSWs
Cupid (Tapit) 3 1
(Sterling Silver--Franklin Square S.)
STANDING AT ASHFORD STUD $ CLICK HERE FOR MORE
NOMINATE A MARE $ EMAIL CHARLIE O=CONNOR
Dialed In (Mineshaft) 19 7
(Erase--Leonatus S.)
Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday) 106 46
(Barraza--Clocker's Corner S.)
Kantharos (Lion Heart) 29 7
(Cowan--Duncan F. Kenner S.;
Magic Circle--Busanda S.)
Khozan (Distorted Humor) 10 2
(Lure Him In--Sunshine Turf S.)
Medaglia d'Oro (El Prado {Ire}) 162 85
(La Crete--Silverbulletday S.)
Midnight Lute (Real Quiet) 37 14
(Call Me Midnight--GIII Lecomte S.)
Italics indicate new activity, statistics include results for
Northern Hemisphere-sired foals only. Want to promote your
stallion? Email [email protected].
Saturday, Oaklawn #9, post time: 5:22 p.m. ESTSOUTHWEST S.-GIII, $750,000, 3yo, 1 1/16mPP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT1 Ben Diesel Will Take Charge Willis Horton Racing LLC Stewart Court 1172 Dash Attack Munnings Catalyst Stable, Magdalena Racing, Pollard, Kevin McPeek Cohen 122
and Slevin, Patty3 Don'tcrossthedevil Cross Traffic Agave Racing Stable and Knuckley, Kevin D'Amato Vazquez 1174 Kavod K Lea Rogers, James and Robinson, Michael Hartman Arrieta 1175 Costa Terra Gun Runner Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC Asmussen Pereira 1176 Osbourne Tapiture Southern Springs Stables, Estate of Floyd Sagely,
Tauber, Mark, Johnston, Keith & LaPenta, Robert V. Moquett Cabrera 1177 Ignitis K Nyquist Holy Cow Stable, LLC Lukas Contreras 1178 Barber Road K Race Day WSS Racing, LLC Ortiz Santana, Jr. 1179 Classic Moment K Classic Empire L and N Racing & Winchell Thoroughbreds, Asmussen Garcia 11710 Newgrange K Violence SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Baffert Velazquez 122
R Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Donovan, Catherine, Golconda Stable, Siena Farm LLC
11 Call Me Jamal K Malibu Moon Mark DeDomenico LLC Puhich Franco 11712 Vivar Cairo Prince Shortleaf Stable, Inc. Cox Geroux 119
Breeders: 1-Willis Horton Racing LLC, 2-Catalyst Stable & Magdalena Racing, 3-Jaylan Renay Neatherlin, 4-Steve J. Grant, 5-Winchell ThoroughbredsLLC, 6-Amy Boulton, 7-Nesco II Limited, 8-Susan Forrester & Judy Curry, 9-Team Valor LLC, 10-Jack Mandato & Black Rock Thoroughbreds, 11-MachmerHall, 12-Shortleaf Stable
Sunday, Sam Houston Race #7, post time: 5:53 p.m. EST
HOUSTON LADIES CLASSIC S.-GIII, $400,000, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT
1 Velvet Crush Tapit Famousstyle Stables, LLC Stidham Eikleberry 116
2 Audrey's Time K Uncle Mo Lothenbach Stables, Inc. Pessin Lanerie 118
3 Pauline's Pearl Tapit Stonestreet Stables LLC Asmussen Rosario 120
4 Becca's Rocket K Orb Norman, Mark and Norman Stables LLC Gelner Beschizza 116
5 Champagne Affair K Daredevil L & G Racing Stable Govea Valdez-Jiminez 118
6 Golden Curl K Curlin George A. Sharp Davis Gaffalione 118
7 The Mary Rose Macho Uno Shortleaf Stable, Inc. Ortiz Gutierrez 118
Breeders: 1-Calumet Farm, 2-Woodford Thoroughbred, 3-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, 4-Machmer Hall, 5-WinStar Farm, LLC, 6-Stonestreet
Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, 7-Shortleaf Stable
Sunday, Sam Houston Race #8, post time: 6:23 p.m. EST
JOHN B. CONNALLY TURF CUP S.-GIII, $200,000, 4yo/up, 1 1/2mT
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT
1 Conviction Trade K Exchange Rate Rowdy Racing Stable and Plotkin, Jeff Caldwell Luzzi 118
2 Hierarchy Point of Entry Carl R. Moore Management LLC Sharp Lanerie 120
3 Tide of the Sea K English Channel Three Diamonds Farm Maker Gaffalione 120
4 Strong Tide English Channel Penny S. Lauer Lauer Franco 120
5 Decision Maker Court Vision Grit to Glory Racing, LLC Van Berg Pedroza, Jr. 120
6 Fantasioso (Arg) Strategic Prince (GB) Bloom Racing Stable LLC and Correas, IV, Ignacio Correas, IV Graham 116
7 Malthael Noble Mission (GB) Paradise Farms Corp. and Staudacher, David Maker Gutierrez 120
8 Logical Myth K Data Link JPS Racing Sharp Beschizza 123
9 Another Mystery Temple City Team Block Block Loveberry 123
10 Dyn O Mite Goldencents Brad Allshouse Desormeaux Elliott 120
11 Ajourneytofreedom K Hard Spun Paradise Farms Corp. and Staudacher, David Maker Rosario 120
12 Parrot Head Tourist L & G Racing Stable Castellanos Valdez-Jiminez 118
13 Shady McGee (Ire) Zoffany (Ire) Deuce Greathouse Maker Eramia 116
14 Celerity City Zip Waylon Cundiff Cundiff Diego 116
Breeders: 1-John D. Gunther, 2-Phipps Stable, 3-Juddmonte Farms Inc, 4-Michael E. Lauer & Penny S. Lauer, 5-Carl Hurst & William Bradley, 6-Luther
Eduardo Carlos, 7-Green Lantern Stables, LLC, 8-Glendalough LLC, 9-Team Block, 10-Thoroughbred Acadiana, 11-Pursuit of Success LLC, 12-Brownwood
Farm, 13-Mr Frank Hutchinson, 14-Winfield Farm
7th-Golden Gate Fields, $42,558, Alw, 1-23, 3yo/up, 1m (AWT),
1:37.81, ft, 3/4 length.
FREEPORT JOE (g, 5, English Channel--Winds of March {Ire}, by
Sadler's Wells) won his fourth straight in this Sunday allowance
by the bay. The second choice at 5-2, the gelding settled near
the back of the compact field, remaining clear on the outside
behind a first quarter of :24.78 and had advanced to midpack by
the :50.15 half. Picking up the pace on the turn, he circled the
field and powered wide down the stretch to score a three-
quarter length win over American Farmer (Bluegrass Cat)
despite never switching to his proper lead. Freeport Joe's win
streak includes the GIII Berkeley H. two back Nov. 27 and a dead
heat over this track and trip last out Jan. 2 with Navy Armed
Guard (Midshipman), who was fifth as the favorite Sunday.
Freeport Joe's dam has a 2-year-old filly by Dads Caps who sold
at the 2021 ARIFALL sale for $10,000 to Dylon Alvarez. A $1.9-
million broodmare at the 2007 KEENOV sale, Winds of March
was resold at the 2016 edition of the same sale for $5,000 to
Richard Barton Enterprises while carrying Freeport Joe. Winds of
March is out of 1997 Broodmare of the Year Alidiva (Ire) (Chief
Singer {Ire}). Sales History: $2,000 Ylg '18 NCAAUG. Lifetime
Record: GSW, 14-6-1-4, $185,936. Click for the Equibase.com
chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Larry Odbert; B-Richard Barton Enterprises (CA); T-Gloria
Haley.
9th-Santa Anita, $68,500, Msw, 1-23, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:49.85,
fm, 1 1/2 lengths.
CROSBY BEACH (c, 3, Gormley--Saratta, by Flower Alley) was a
green fifth debuting over a mile on the local lawn Oct. 17 and
improved to be second after setting the pace on Del Mar's turf
Nov. 28 before fading to fifth in a washed-off mile heat back
here Dec. 26. Off as the 11-5 second choice in this spot, the
$150,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic buy showed the way narrowly
through modest fractions of :24.06 and :49.55, started to inch
clear under his own power through three-quarters in 1:13.77
and held off the persistent stretch bid of longshot Thirty Four
Coupe (Run Away and Hide) to prevail over that rival by 1 1/2
lengths. Sales History: $15,000 Ylg '20 KEEJAN; $57,000 Ylg '20
FTKOCT; $150,000 2yo '21 EASMAY. Lifetime Record: 4-1-1-0,
$56,760. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored
by TVG.
O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Randy Ip; B-Kathie Maybee
& Gary Jemo (PA); T-Michael W. McCarthy.
SECOND-CROP STARTERS TO WATCH: TUESDAY, JANUARY 25
2021 Stud Fees Listed
Bal a Bali (Brz) (Put It Back), Calumet Farm, $5,000
148 foals of racing age/16 winners/1 black-type winner
9-Mahoning Valley, 4:30 p.m. EST, Msw 5 1/2f, Way Bali, 7-2
$2,000 KEE SEP yrl
Lord Nelson (Pulpit), Spendthrift Farm
158 foals of racing age/9 winners/1 black-type winner
1-Mahoning Valley, 12:45 p.m. EST, Msw 6f, Quimby, 8-1
$28,000 KEE SEP yrl; $19,000 RNA FTK FEB yrl
Noble Bird (Birdstone), Ocala Stud, $4,000
72 foals of racing age/11 winners/1 black-type winner
9-Mahoning Valley, 4:30 p.m. EST, Msw 5 1/2f, Jess for Kicks, 10-1
$15,000 OBS OPN 2yo
Cont. p2
Crosby Beach (Gormley) graduates wire to wire Sunday in Arcadia
(click to watch)
TDN NORTH AMERICAN • PAGE 2 OF 3 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2022
War Correspondent (War Front), Tur, private
40 foals of racing age/1 winner/0 black-type winners
9-Mahoning Valley, 4:30 p.m. EST, Msw 5 1/2f, Run Kitty, 10-1
RNA KEE NOV wnl
Wildcat Red (D'wildcat), Buck Pond Farm, $5,000
28 foals of racing age/2 winners/0 black-type winners
9-Mahoning Valley, 4:30 p.m. EST, Msw 5 1/2f, Wildcat Dream, 10-1
$7,000 RNA OTB OMX 2yo
IN JAPAN:
Kyudokun, h, 6, Into Mischief--Air France, by French Deputy.
Kokura, 1-23, Plate Race, 5f. Lifetime Record: 30-2-4-3,
$223,070. O-Naoya Fujii; B-Mount Joy Stables Inc. (KY); T-
Hideyuki Mori. *$90,000 Ylg >17 KEESEP. **Half to Smooth Air
(Smooth Jazz), MGSW & MGISP, $1,117,200; Overdriven (Tale
of the Cat), GSW, $129,750.
IN SOUTH KOREA:
Bucatini, g, 4, Cinco Charlie--Saturnalia (SP), by Charismatic.
Busan, 1-23, Hcp. (C4), 1600m. B-Stanley Inman (KY). *$45,000
2yo '20 OBSJUL. VIDEO (SC 7)
Viking Storm, c, 4, Overanalyze--Formal Gulch, by Gulch. Seoul,
1-22, Hcp. (C3), 1800m. B-KatieRich Farms (NY). *$18,000 Ylg
'19 FTKOCT. VIDEO (SC 9)
IN PERU:
Don Humber, g, 3, Kitten's Joy--All About Anna (SW), by Maria's
Mon. Monterrico, 1-23, Maiden, 1000m. B-Robert Dewitt &
Irene Burnstein (KY). *1/2 to Sky Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}),
MSW, $161,194. **$27,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP; $5,200 2yo
'21 FTKFEB. VIDEO (SC 7)
Rainbow Danny, c, 3, Will Take Charge--Miss Sixty (Arg), by
Indygo Shiner. Monterrico, 1-23, Allowance, 1400m. B-Three
Chimneys Farm LLC (KY). *Remained perfect in two starts.
**$27,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP. VIDEO (SC 6)
IN UAE:
Nibraas, g, 4, Uncle Mo--Conquest Curlgirl (GSP, $171,575), by
Curlin. Abu Dhabi, 1-24, Mdn. (AED80k), 1400mT, 1:24.56. O-
Sh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. B-Sea Horse Breeders LLC
(KY). T- Nicholas Bachalard. *$510,000 Ylg >19 KEESEP.
IN BRITAIN:
Kaboo, c, 3, More Than Ready. See ABritain@.
IN PERU:
Canoso, c, 3, Fed Biz--Santin's Anna, by Concord Point.
Monterrico, 1-22, Maiden, 1000m. B-Brookdale Farm (ON).
*1ST-TIME STARTER. **$4,500 Ylg '20 KEEJAN. VIDEO (SC 8)
IN AUSTRALIA:
Yasamine (Aus), f, 3, More Than Ready--Satya (Aus), by
Redoute's Choice (Aus). Goulburn, 1-24, Maiden Hcp.,
1200mT, 1:10.51. B-Encompass International Pty Ltd, Kia Ora
Stud Pty Ltd, Werrett Bloodstock Pty Ltd, D Paradice (NSW).
*A$120,000 RNA Ylg '21 INGEAS2.
Follow the TDN staff on TwitterThoroughbred Daily News
@kelseynrileyTDN @BDiDonatoTDN @SteveSherackTDN
@JessMartiniTDN @CDeBernardisTDN @suefinley
@EquinealTDN @HLAndersonTDN @garykingTDN
@MKane49 @thorntontd @JBiancaTDN
@SarahKAndrew @CBossTDN @QueenOfSuites
TDN NORTH AMERICAN • PAGE 3 OF 3 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2022
ALLOWANCE RESULTS:
7th-Mahoning Valley, $36,200, (S), 1-24, (NW4L), 3yo/up, f/m,
6f, 1:12.94, ft, 1 1/4 lengths.
NANCY'S LESLIE (m, 5, Conveyance--The War Department
{SW}, by Lost Soldier) Lifetime Record: 8-4-1-2, $92,885.
O-Memory Lane Racing, LLC; B-Lawrence W. Friel (OH);
T-William D. Cowans.
2nd-Mahoning Valley, $35,100, (S), 1-24, (NW2X), 3yo/up, 1m,
1:39.68, ft, nose.
FLASHY KING GEORGE (g, 5, Flashback--Female Drama {SW}, by
Indian Charlie) Lifetime Record: 14-3-2-2, $71,948. O-Winner
Circle Racing, LLC; B-Susan L Anderson Racing LLC (OH); T-Susan
L. Anderson.
6th-Mahoning Valley, $35,100, (S), 1-24, (NW2X), 3yo/up, 6f,
1:12.65, ft, neck.
MIDNIGHT WARSHIP (g, 4, Midshipman--All About Allison, by
City Zip) Lifetime Record: 11-3-1-3, $75,001. O-Mitten Mates
LLC & D & D Racing Stable; B-Duncan Lloyd (OH); T-Jeffrey A.
Radosevich. *$52,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP. **1/2 to Ali Blue
(Bluegrass Cat), MSP, $269,280.
ADDITIONAL MAIDEN WINNERS:
Next Generation, f, 3, Shackleford--My Fast Friend, by Friends
Lake. Mahoning Valley, 1-24, (S), 6f, 1:12.83. Lifetime Record:
1-1-0-0, $19,080. B-Susan King (OH). *1ST-TIME STARTER.
Monday CancellationsPARX
TUESDAY, 25 JANUARY 2022
Lord Grimthorpe with new National Stud stallion Lope Y Fernandez
and Luke Strong | National Stud
IN TDN AMERICA TODAYBRANT CONFIDENT ROUGIR PURCHASE WILL WORK OUTCo-owner Peter Brant is confident pricey Arqana purchase
Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) will succeed Stateside. Click or tap
here to go straight to TDN America.
Jim and Jackie Bolger at Naas in October | Racingfotos.com
NATIONAL STUD UNDERGOESMANAGEMENT CHANGES
The National Stud in Newmarket has undergone a
management restructure ahead of the 2022 breeding season,
with Tim Lane leaving his role as manager and Anna Kerr
assuming the day-to-day running of the stud. Lord >Teddy'
Grimthorpe, who was announced as the new chairman in
November, will become executive chairman for the forthcoming
season, and former manager Joe Grimwade has returned as
head of stud operations.
Outlining the changes on Monday, a statement from the
Jockey Club, which owns the National Stud, clarified
Grimthorpe's role for the 2022 breeding season as leading the
management team and acting in a senior executive capacity for
clients and stakeholders. Joe Grimwade, who was also the
former manager of The Royal Studs at Sandringham, will in turn
"until further notice, support the management of The National
Stud and acting as a key point of contact for clients". The stud's
board plans to confirm permanent appointments "at a future
date".
"On behalf of the board, I would like to express our thanks and
support to Anna Kerr and Joe Grimwade," said Lord Grimthorpe.
"Anna is an instrumental member of the senior team who has
helped The National Stud to navigate well through the
challenging pandemic period and contributed to the reputation
it has developed over recent years.@ Cont. p2
SPEED SIRES IN BOLGER=S PLANS FOR 2022By Kelsey Riley
As he prepares his runners for the upcoming flat season, Jim
Bolger is also keeping a watchful eye on his breeding stock. The
master trainer may be juggling the education of his runners with
the oversight of his broodmares and youngstock, but Bolger has
proven mighty adept at this kind of multi-tasking in the past: as
has been well-documented, Bolger breeds many of his own
runners, often going back two or three generations on both the
top and bottom of the pedigree. His 2021 G1 2000 Guineas and
G1 St James=s Palace S. winner Poetic Flare (Ire) is by his
homebred sire Dawn Approach (Ire) out of his homebred mare
Maria Lee (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}). He also trained Dawn
Approach=s sire, the Derby winner New Approach (Ire). New
Approach sired Bolger=s 2021 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Mac
Swiney (Ire), who returns for a 4-year-old campaign this year.
Bolger also bred Mac Swiney=s damsire Teofilo (Ire) and Mac
Swiney=s first two dams. It is no surprise that New Approach and
Dawn Approach, as well as Bolger=s Afavourite sire@ Teofilo (Ire),
will feature prominently in his 2022 mating plans. Cont. p2
TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 9 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • 25 JANUARY 2022
Management Change at the National Stud Cont. from p1
He added, AJoe brings exceptional skills and experience for our
clients and his colleagues and we are delighted he has come
onboard. I am pleased to accept the invitation to switch from a
non-executive to an executive role for this breeding season. Our
stallions, boarding, sales and education have all been proving
very popular and I'm sure we can build on that progress in the
time ahead."
Tim Lane succeeded Brian O'Rourke as manager of the
National Stud in January 2017. Later that year the stud bought
Time Test (GB) from Juddmonte. The son of Dubawi (Ire) has
risen to become one of the most sought-after young stallions in
Britain following some promising results from his first crop of
runners in 2021. This season it has welcomed a new recruit to
the stallion wing in Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}),
who represents a partnership between Coolmore, Whitsbury
Manor Stud, Nick Bradley and the National Stud.
Anna Kerr was appointed as chief operating officer of the
National Stud in January 2020. Ten days ago it was announced
that Lord Grimthorpe, the former longstanding racing manager
to Prince Khalid Abdullah, would take up the same role for Imad
Al Sagar's Blue Diamond Stud. He is also deputy senior steward
of the Jockey Club and sits on the board of York Racecourse.
Speed Sires in Bolger=s Plans for 2022 Cont. from p1
But Bolger is also mixing in some young, fast sires to inject
some speed into his families.
Bolger, who on Christmas Day celebrated his 80th birthday,
explained that while he Awould have a good idea@ at this point as
to his mating plans, he doesn=t set them in stone until after his
mares foal.
ABecause I have access to so many stallions, and some of them
we would have used in the last covering season, we=re waiting
to have a look at the foals first,@ he said.
Looking for Aspeed up to a mile@, Bolger said, he will send eight
mares to leading third-crop sire Mehmas (Ire) in 2022. Also
fitting that bill on his list are Profitable (Ire), Galileo Gold (Ire),
Blue Point (Ire), Belardo (Ire) and Space Blues (Ire).
AWe used to be told--though I don=t hear so much about it in
recent years--that when you=re breeding staying horses you
need to go back to speed every now and then,@ Bolger said. AIt
may not get you a great result in the first instance, but the
progeny of the progeny of the speed attempt could be capable
of getting you a Classic horse. In recent years some of the
owner/breeders have been sending their Oaks winners to Derby
winners and they seem to be making out alright. Whether that
will continue now or not, I just don=t know.@ Cont. p3
TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 9 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • 25 JANUARY 2022
Jim Bolger will breed eight mares to Mehmas this year | Tally-Ho Stud
Speed Sires in Bolger=s Plans for 2022 Cont.
He continued, AI suspect that sometime in the future with
those sorts of families that those breeders will be going back
and trying to inject some speed.@
Darley=s G1 King=s Stand S. winner Profitable was fourth on last
year=s first-season sires= table and sired three stakes winners,
including the G2 Queen Mary S. scorer Quick Suzy (Ire).
AProfitable doesn=t have a terribly strong pedigree himself
except that he=s by a very good sire and a sire of sires,@ Bolger
said. AHe=s a gorgeous horse and a very good mover, and was a
very good racehorse himself.@
G1 Dewhurst S. and G1 Lockinge S. winner Belardo got off to a
fast start in 2020, siring four first-crop stakes winners. The
Kildangan Stud resident was quieter in 2021, with just one black-
type winner, but the son of Lope De Vega has started 2022 on
the right note with Bellabel (Ire) winning the Listed Blue Norther
S. at Santa Anita.
AHe=s a nice horse,@ Bolger said of Belardo. AI trained some of
his family and I liked them. I felt he was a horse with a chance,
so much so that I bought a share in him, and I=ll continue to use
the share.@
Another young Kildangan stallion that will get Bolger=s support
this year is the four-time middle-distance Group 1 winner and
2020 world=s highest-rated horse Ghaiyyath (Ire). Bolger said he
has selected the son of Dubawi (Ire) based on his racecourse
merits, and also to save face with Ghaiyyath=s breeder.
AHe=s a world champion, so why wouldn=t you use him?@ Bolger
reasoned. APlus, if I don=t use him, Dermot Weld won=t talk to
me again.@
Bolger will also support a pair of young Newmarket-based
stallions in Time Test (GB), the sire of four first-crop stakes
winners last year, and Masar (Ire), the son of his Derby winner
New Approach who has his first yearlings next year. Cont. p4
IN TDN AUS/NZ TODAYTOP 10: ROAD TO THE GOLDEN SLIPPER
The TDN AusNZ takes a look at the current top 10 horses for
the upcoming G1 Golden Slipper. Click or tap here to go
straight to TDN Aus/NZ.
Senior Vice PresidentGary King
Twitter: @garykingTDN
+ 1.732.320.0975
International EditorKelsey Riley
Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN
European EditorEmma Berry
Twitter: @collingsberry
Associate International EditorHeather Anderson
Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN
Marketing ManagerAlayna Cullen
Twitter: @AlaynaCullen
Contributing EditorsAlan Carasso
Christina Bossinakis
Cafe RacingSean Cronin
Tom Frary
Irish CorrespondentDaithi Harvey
Regular ColumnistsChris McGrath | John Berry
TDN EUROPE • PAGE 4 OF 9 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • 25 JANUARY 2022
HE’S A VERY GOOD-LOOKING HORSE
AND A VERY GOOD-MOVING HORSE.
I’LL BE GUARANTEED TO GET HORSES
THAT WILL BE EFFECTIVE
BEYOND A MILE. Jim Bolger on Masar
Speed Sires in Bolger=s Plans for 2022 Cont.
Bolger said he has earmarked a mare by Sea The Stars he
purchased at the December sales for Time Test.
AI=m doing something that I
don=t tend to do, and I=m going
with the mob,@ Bolger said.
ATime Test is one of the talking
horses at the moment, and he
has got off to a great start, so it
would seem to be not a very big
risk, and he=s a great-looking
horse.@
Masar won the G3 Solario S. at
two and was a first Derby winner
in the Godolphin blue at three,
in addition to winning the G3
Craven S.
AHe=s a very good-looking
horse himself and a very good-moving horse,@ Bolger said. AYou
don=t need me to tell you about his racing achievements, but I
think he=s a horse that could do very well. I=m very happy to use
him; I=ll be guaranteed to get horses that will be effective
beyond a mile.@
Bolger will send 12 mares to his former star pupil New
Approach, who like his son Masar resides at Dalham Hall Stud.
Bolger is responsible for breeding and training New Approach=s
only two multiple Group 1 winners, Dawn Approach and Mac
Swiney, and Dawn Approach,
who started his stud career at
Kildangan, was brought back to
Bolger=s Redmondstown Stud
last year just months before
Poetic Flare recorded his Group
1 double. Despite that, Bolger
said there hasn=t been much
outside interest in Dawn
Approach, a reality that suits him
just fine.
AI don=t know the reason for
that, but I don=t mind having the
sole rights, so to speak,@ he said.
AIt suits me fine to be able to
send so many mares to him.@ Bolger said he is expecting 2022 to
be another good year for Dawn Approach; he has 12 to 15
homebred 2-year-olds by him in the yard, as well as others for
clients. AI have a nice crop by him so I=m expecting him to do
well,@ he said. Cont. p5
TDN EUROPE • PAGE 5 OF 9 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • 25 JANUARY 2022
Teofilo, Jim Bolger=s favourite stallion | Darley
Speed Sires in Bolger=s Plans for 2022 Cont.
The same goes for Teofilo, who will get 25 Bolger mares at
Kildangan.
AHe=s given me two Classic winners already and I=m expecting
to do well with his progeny this year,@ Bolger said. AI have 2-
year-olds by him and some 3-year-olds that didn=t get the
business done at two, so I=d be looking forward to a very good
year with them.@
Bolger=s stallion selections for 2022 are completed by Parish
Hall (Ire), Vocalised and Verbal Dexterity (Ire), who stand at
Redmondstown alongside Dawn Approach and will get Aa few
mares each.@ And given Bolger=s habit of drawing the very best
from his stock as both a breeder and a trainer, any of them are
fair game to produce the next big horse from Coolcullen.
LOUGHNANE REVEALS PLANS FOR STABLE
STARS Trainer David Loughnane has pencilled in some big-race
engagements for his stable stars Hello You (Ire) (Invincible Spirit
{Ire}) and Go Bears Go (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) in the coming
months.
The former, an Amo Racing colourbearer, won the G2 Rockfel
S. at Newmarket in September and was not disgraced when fifth
in a close finish in the GI Breeders= Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del
Mar on Nov. 5. Cont. p6
TDN EUROPE • PAGE 6 OF 9 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • 25 JANUARY 2022
Go Bears Go | Racingfotos.com
Loughnane Stable Stars Cont.
Also placed in both the G3 Albany S. and G2 Duchess Of
Cambridge S. earlier last year, she is being pointed toward a
1000 Guineas trial and has been entered in the G1 Irish 1000
Guineas at The Curragh in late May.
Another Amo Racing luminary with co-owner P Waney, Go
Bears Go took second in the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot, before
added the G2 Railway S. at The Curragh to his ledger in the
summer. Third in the G1 Phoenix S. in August, the bay was
fourth in Newmarket=s G1 Middle Park S. on Sept. 25 and was a
puzzling seventh in the G1 Dewhurst S. on Oct. 9. The colt
bounced back with flare in his juvenile finale, missing by a half-
length in the GII Breeders= Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar in
November. Loughnane is opting to keep Go Bears Go at sprint
trips, and Royal Ascot=s G1 Commonwealth Cup is an early-
season goal. If all goes well, the colt=s long-term aim is another
trip to the Breeders= Cup, which will be held at Keeneland in
2022.
AHello You and Go Bears Go have both looked fantastic on
their winter holidays, they=ve grown and strengthened loads and
turned into what we hoped they would,@ he said. AWe always
felt they were going to be nicer 3-year-olds and they certainly
look like they=ve developed into that. They=re coming along
really well and we=re really excited for the season ahead.
AThey gave us a great times last year, some of our biggest and
best days in racing so far and we feel there=s definitely more to
come and that=s great for the team and for everyone involved.
AHello You will be targeted at a Guineas trial and Go Bears Go,
his long-term target will be the Commonwealth Cup and
hopefully back to the Breeders= Cup at the end of the year, so
we=ll just map things out around those.@
JERRY MCGRATH APPOINTED GOFFS UK
BLOODSTOCK MANAGER Jerry McGrath has been named the new Goffs UK Bloodstock
Manager. Formerly a jumps jockey before his career ended in a
fall at Lingfield a year ago, he will begin his role on Feb. 7.
During his riding days, he was part of Nicky Henderson=s Seven
Barrows team since 2008, and won over 200 races total,
including a pair at the Cheltenham Festival. During the summer
months, McGrath worked with Clive Cox and was part of the
team that selected Group 1 winner Supremacy (Ire) (Mehmas
{Ire}) at the Goffs UK Premier Sale.
Based at a dedicated Goffs office in Lambourn, McGrath will
join the Goffs inspection team and attend all Goffs Sales, plus
travel to other sales and race meetings across the country to
interact with new and existing clients. He will also be part of the
team in charge of sourcing entries for all Goffs UK horses-in-
training sales, and working closely with point-to-point handlers
in the UK and Ireland to continue to grow that sector. Currently
a bloodstock agent, he will continue in that role alongside his
new appointment.
Goffs UK Managing Director Tim Kent said, AJerry is a very
personable individual with a real passion for the bloodstock
business and brings a wealth of racing experience and industry
connections to Goffs.@ Cont. p7
TDN EUROPE • PAGE 7 OF 9 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • 25 JANUARY 2022
Jerry McGrath | Goffs UK
Jerry McGrath Cont.
Kent added, AHe has worked closely with the Highflyer team
for many years and we would like to thank David Minton for
suggesting that we talk to Jerry towards the end of last year as
his experience with them, and Clive Cox, ensures that he has a
deep knowledge of both codes together with the personality to
engage with all Goffs clients.
AWe are excited to be working with Jerry, who is the second
exciting appointment to our team this year after the
announcement that Bernard Condren will also start with Goffs
UK on 7 Feb.@
McGrath added, AI am very excited to be starting this new
chapter in my life. Throughout my riding career, I=ve always
been interested in the breeding and trading of horses, and I am
delighted that I am able make a career out of this passion
following a wonderful race riding career where I have worked
with some incredible people.
AI will continue to be based in Lambourn where I can utilise the
contacts made during my riding career whilst forging new links
with key industry figures throughout the UK and Ireland. I have
always admired the customer focussed approach and supreme
integrity of Goffs, and am looking forward to getting started as
part of the team at Goffs UK.@
ANDRY MUINOS DIES AT 83 Andry Muinos, the owner, with her husband Max, of
Ela-Mana-Mou (GB) and To-Agori-Mou (Ire), has died at the age
of 83.
A Greek Cypriot, Muinos met her Spanish-born husband in
London and the couple owned a string of restaurants before
venturing into racehorse ownership in the late 1970s. Cont. p8
TDN EUROPE • PAGE 8 OF 9 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • 25 JANUARY 2022
To-Agori-Mou (rail) defeats Kings Lake in the St James=s Palace S.
Racingfotos.com
Andry Muinos Cont.
Ela-Mana-Mou was bought on their behalf by trainer Guy
Harwood for 4,500gns and won the Vintage S., Royal Lodge S.,
and King Edward VII S. in their colours before being sold to
Simon Weinstock for ,500,000. At four, he won the Prince of
Wales's S., Eclipse S., and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S.
of 1980 before retiring to Airlie Stud.
By that stage Max and Andry Muinos had already purchased
To-Agori-Mou, who won the Solario S. and finished runner-up in
the Dewhurst, making him the top-rated 2-year-old in Britain in
1980. Greater days were to come in his 3-year-old season when
To-Agori-Mou won the 2000 Guineas, St James's Palace S., and
Queen Elizabeth II S.
Muinos was only recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
and died on Saturday night in Marbella, Spain. She is survived by
her husband Max, son Antonio and daughter-in-law Katie, and
grandchildren Sophia and Max.
HIGHCLERE STALLION AND YEARLING
PARADE ANNOUNCED A stallion and yearling parade will be held at Highclere Stud on
Tuesday, Feb. 8. There will also be a competition to win a free
nomination to Land Force (Ire) (No Nay Never), who has his first
yearlings this year, or Group 1 sire Cable Bay (Ire) (Invincible
Spirit {Ire}). Besides showcasing the two stallions, there will also
be yearlings on parade by Galileo (Ire), Kingman (GB), No Nay
Never, Night of Thunder (Ire), Sea The Stars (Ire), Cable Bay and
Land Force.
AAnybody is welcome to join the parade, it will offer an insight
into the commercial breeding industry with a broad spectrum of
topics discussed throughout the day with likeminded
individuals,@ said Highclere=s Jake Warren. AWe very much look
forward to welcoming fellow breeders to Highclere Stud for
what should be a very enjoyable day.@
Drinks will be served at 11 a.m., followed by the parade at 12
p.m. and lunch at 12:45 p.m. For details on attending the parade
and entering the competition for a free season, please visit the
stud=s website.
Monday=s Result:
5th-Kempton, ,25,000, Novice, 1-24, 3yo, 6f (AWT), 1:12.47,
st/sl.
KABOO (c, 3, More Than Ready--Follow Moon, by Malibu
Moon), unbeaten in two starts on the all-weather including a
latest clear-cut win in a five-furlong novice at Newcastle in
December, broke well against the rail to dispute the lead. In
command before halfway, the 4-6 favourite drew away to score
by 2 3/4 lengths from Annaf (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}). AWe knew
Kaboo was a lovely horse coming here and I wasn=t worried by
the step up to six furlongs,@ trainer Karl Burke commented. AMy
immediate reaction after watching the replay a couple of times
is that when we run him over six furlongs again, you=d probably
wait another 100 yards before pressing the button. He seemed
to take two or three lengths out of them going to the two and
then stayed on. He has such a lovely stride and high cruising
speed that you can=t pull him around. He is one of those you
need to get in a nice rhythm with, wherever that is because he
doesn=t have to lead. His stride and natural early speed take him
there.@ The dam, whose 2-year-old colt by Good Magic sold for
$460,000 to Ben McElroy and Alex Elliott at the Fasig-Tipton
2021 Saratoga Sale, is a half to More Than Ready=s multiple
stakes scorer and graded-stakes-placed More Moonlight. Sales
history: i87,000 RNA 2yo >21 ARQDEA. Lifetime Record: SP-Eng,
6-3-0-1, $33,091.
O-Nick Bradley Racing 49 & Mrs E Burke; B-Machmer Hall, Craig
Brogden & Carrie Brogden (KY); T-Karl Burke.
ADDITIONAL MAIDEN WINNERS:
North Lincoln (Ire), c, 3, Acclamation (GB)--Molly Dolly (Ire)
(GSP-Ire, SP-Eng), by Exceed and Excel (Aus). Southwell, 1-24,
6f 16y (AWT), 1:16.97. Lifetime Record: 3-1-1-1, $9,057. B-Mr
T J Rooney (IRE). *40,000gns RNA Ylg >20 TATOCT.
TDN EUROPE • PAGE 9 OF 9 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • 25 JANUARY 2022
AUSTRALIAN GROUP 1 RACES B 2022
Date Race Track
Feb. 12 G1 Neds C. F. Orr S. Caulfield
Feb. 19 G1 Black Caviar Lightning S. Flemington
Feb. 26 G1 Neds Blue Diamond S. Caulfield
G1 Neds Oakleigh Plate Caulfield
G1 Futurity S. Caulfield
G1 TAB Chipping Norton S. Randwick
G1 Surround S. Randwick
Mar. 5 G1 Kennedy Australian Guineas Flemington
G1 Randwick Guineas Randwick
G1 Canterbury S. Randwick
Mar. 12 G1 Newmarket H. Flemington
G1 TAB Australian Cup Flemington
G1 Coolmore Classic Randwick
Mar. 19 G1 Longines Golden Slipper S. Rosehill
G1 George Ryder S. Rosehill
G1 Ranvet S. Rosehill
G1 The Galaxy Rosehill
G1 Rosehill Guineas Rosehill
Mar. 25 G1 William Reid S. Moonee Valley
Mar. 26 G1 Tancred S. Rosehill
G1 Vinery Stud S. Rosehill
THE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Apr. 2 G1 The Star Doncaster Mile Randwick
G1 T.J. Smith S. Randwick
G1 Australian Derby Randwick
G1 Inglis Sires' S. Randwick
White Willow (GB), f, 4, New Bay (GB)--Surcingle, by Empire
Maker. Wolverhampton, 1-24, 9f 104y (AWT), 2:03.33.
Lifetime Record: 3-1-1-1, $8,800. B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB).
*22,000gns HRA >21 TATTJU. **1/2 to Sash (GB) (Oasis Dream
{GB}), GSP-US, $143,423.
CONDITIONS RESULT:
4th-Cagnes-sur-Mer, i28,000, 1-24, 4yo/up, 10f (AWT),
2:00.02, st.
ALESSANDRO (FR) (c, 4, Australia {GB}--Absolutly Me {Fr} {SP-
Fr & Ger}, by Anabaa Blue {GB}) Lifetime Record: 7-3-4-0,
i59,960. O-Ecurie Des Charmes & Ecuries Serge Stempniak; B-
Mrs W Spanner (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget. *i80,000 Ylg >19
ARQOCT.
SIRE LISTS
Dark Angel was the leading sire of 2-year-olds in 2021. He will stand for i60,000 at Yeomanstown Stud this season. | Yeomanstown Stud
FOR ALL TDN SIRE LISTSBINCLUDING INDIVIDUAL CROP-YEAR REPORTS--VISIT WWW.THETDN.COM/TDN-SIRE-STATS/
2021 Leading Sires of 2YOS By Earningsfor stallions standing in Europe through Friday, Dec. 31.
Earnings represent European figures, stud fees listed are 2022 fees.
Rank Stallion BTW BTH GSW GSH G1SW G1SH Starters Wnrs Highest Earner Earnings
1 Dark Angel (Ire) 5 10 4 7 1 2 90 37 ,425,009 ,1,257,378
(2005) by Acclamation (GB) Crops: 11 Stands: Yeomanstown Stud Ire Fee: 60,000 Angel Bleu (Fr)
2 Wootton Bassett (GB) 6 9 4 7 1 2 49 20 ,274,917 ,1,121,305
(2008) by Iffraaj (GB) Crops: 7 Stands: Coolmore Stud Ire Fee: 150,000 Zellie (Fr)
3 Mehmas (Ire) 4 9 4 7 -- 1 86 40 ,157,532 ,978,683
(2014) by Acclamation (GB) Crops: 2 Stands: Tally-Ho Stud Ire Fee: 50,000 Lusail (Ire)
4 Kodiac (GB) 6 10 3 6 1 1 117 46 ,172,861 ,962,336
(2001) by Danehill Crops: 12 Stands: Tally-Ho Stud Ire Fee: 65,000 El Bodegon (Ire)
5 Frankel (GB) 5 9 4 6 2 2 62 26 ,375,514 ,938,586
(2008) by Galileo (Ire) Crops: 6 Stands: Banstead Manor Stud Eng Fee: 200,000 Inspiral (GB)
6 Oasis Dream (GB) 2 4 1 2 1 1 52 19 ,504,965 ,879,691
(2000) by Green Desert Crops: 15 Stands: Banstead Manor Stud Eng Fee: 20,000 Native Trail (GB)
7 Cotai Glory (GB) 2 8 1 3 -- -- 87 35 ,133,715 ,796,103
(2012) by Exceed and Excel (Aus) Crops: 1 Stands: Tally-Ho Stud Ire Fee: 8,500 King X J (Ire)
8 Dubawi (Ire) 5 9 5 8 2 4 61 31 ,127,711 ,713,716
(2002) by Dubai Millennium (GB) Crops: 13 Stands: Dalham Hall Stud Eng Fee: 250,000 Dubawi Legend (Ire)
9 Ardad (Ire) 2 3 2 3 1 1 63 23 ,379,137 ,705,960
(2014) by Kodiac (GB) Crops: 1 Stands: Overbury Stud Eng Fee: 12,500 Perfect Power (Ire)
10 No Nay Never 4 7 2 3 -- 1 58 28 ,125,451 ,612,256
(2011) by Scat Daddy Crops: 4 Stands: Coolmore Stud Ire Fee: 125,000 Zain Claudette (Ire)
TUESDAY, 25 JANUARY 2022
Coolangatta and James McDonald | Bronwen Healy
TOP 10: ROAD TO THEGOLDEN SLIPPER
by Bren O'Brien
In this new series, TDN AusNZ will identify what we believe are
the top 10 2-year-old prospects headed to the G1 Golden
Slipper.
It=s just 54 days until the world's richest 2-year-old race, the
G1 Golden Slipper S., will be run at Rosehill and the anticipation
is growing as the best juveniles in the country state their case
for consideration as leading contenders.
In this new series, we will identify the current top 10
2-year-old prospects headed to the G1 Golden Slipper as the
season evolves. In 2022, the famous race will be worth $5
million, more than it ever has been before.
This week will be crucial in the path to the Slipper for so many
emerging contenders, with the Blue Diamond series, featuring
the Previews for the colts and geldings and the fillies, getting
underway at Caulfield on Australia Day and the running of the
G3 Widden S. and G3 Canonbury S. at Rosehill on Saturday.
It is worth noting that the following list only contains those
2-year-olds which have already raced.
1. Coolangatta
Written Tycoon x Piping Hot (More Than Ready {USA}), filly
Trainers: Ciaron Maher and David Eustace
Purchased: $280,000 by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock at the 2021
Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of
Milburn Creek
Breeders: Highclere Stud Australia
Owners: Mr J A O'Neill, Mr A Kheir, Mr B D Nettlefold, Mr D
Edmonds, Ms K L Solomon, Mr V Kheir, Carty Racing, Mrs D A
Bourne, Group 1 Bloodstock, Mr A P Scafidi, Yes Bloodstock,
Solscaf Racing
Coolangatta established her credentials as Australia's leading
juvenile very early on in the season, winning the G3 Gimcrack S.
by 3.4l in October, then taking out the G3 BJ McLachlan S. on
her resumption last month.
She justified her short quote in the R. Listed Magic Millions
2YO Classic with victory in the $2 million Gold Coast feature,
holding off Russian Conquest (Russian Revolution) to the line. It
may have been the least comprehensive of her wins, but she
made her move to claim the front quite early there and that
meant she was a little vulnerable late. She was holding the
margin on the line.
Her greatest challenge may be having to peak for a third time
in her 2-year-old campaign. She is only lightly framed and so will
be kept fresh through the autumn. She is aiming to become the
first filly to win both the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and the
Golden Slipper and the first to do the double since Capitalist in
2015. Only two other horses, Phelan Ready (More Than Ready
{USA}) and Dance Hero (Danzero), have managed that task.
She will likely have just the one run leading into the Slipper,
either the G2 Sweet Embrace S. on February 26 or the G2
Reisling S. on March 5.
2. Sejardan
Sebring x Miss Amajardan (Hinchinbrook), colt
Trainer: Gary Portelli
Purchased: $160,000 by Portelli Racing at the Inglis Classic
Yearling Sale from the draft of Middlebrook Valley Lodge
Breeders: Dalrhon Investments
Owners: Mrs K J Portelli, Dale Miller, Miss H A Wallace, Mrs D
Wallace, Mr T W Wallace, Mrs S L Wallace, Mr A Roden, Valeri
Racing, Mrs A McDonnell, Team Mcdonnell, Mr R J Galloway, Ms
K Wood, Mr G A Smith, Mrs M J Pancia, Mrs B Barker, Mr S
Lynch, Mr D J Delaney, Mr M J Delaney
Gary Portelli won the Golden Slipper five years ago with star
filly She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain), but this year his chief
chance will be with the Sebring colt Sejardan, who collected a
pair of feature juvenile victories in the spring.
TDN AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND • PAGE 2 OF 4 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • 25 JANUARY 2022
Ebhaar in full flight | Bronwen Healy
He debuted with a fast-finishing win in the G3 Breeders' Plate,
steaming home to put down his claim as the best of the boys
when it comes to the 2-year-olds. He then franked that opinion
by again spotting his rivals a start and beating them all in the $1
million Golden Gift at Rosehill in November.
Those victories ensured he has already booked his ticket in the
Golden Slipper, so Portelli just needs to get him to his best on
March 19, when the Slipper is run. He does have a date with the
$2 million Inglis Millennium on February 5 before that, while
Portelli will also likely start him in the G2 Todman S. at Randwick
on Mar. 5.
He trialled to his trainer's satisfaction last week at Warwick
Farm, working home between runners for fourth and Portelli
reports he is a much stronger horse than he had at his disposal
in the spring.
3. Ebhaar
I Am Invincible x Maroon Bay
(Exceed And Excel), filly
Trainers: Peter and Paul
Snowden
Purchased: N/A
Breeders / Owners: Emirates
Park
Emirates Park have won the
Golden Slipper with fillies
Mossfun (Mossman) (2014) and
Estijaab (Snitzel) (2018) in the
past decade and holds its
homebred filly Ebhaar in high
esteem based on her win at her
lone racetrack appearance to
date.
She stepped out in the Listed Merson Cooper S. at Caulfield in
November and seemed very comfortable on the speed, winning
by 0.75l in a slick time, including a final 600 metres of 33.26s,
better than all but one of the races for the older horses on the
day.
She trialled last week at Warwick Farm and again looked under
no pressure, winning her heat by 1l from outside the pace and
again breaking 34s for the final 600 metres, this time on a soft
track. She left Mumbai Jewel (I Am Invincible) in her wake as
well as unbeaten colt Sejardan.
She resumes this Saturday in the G3 Widden S. and given the
way she has dominated her rivals to date, will garner plenty of
attention. She is bred to be very good, being out of the
half-sister to Coolmore stallion Merchant Navy.
4. Russian Conquest
Russian Revolution x My Conquestadory (USA) (Artie Schiller
{USA}), filly
Trainers: Peter and Paul Snowden
Purchased: $425,000 by Snowden Racing at the 2021 Magic
Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Newgate
Breeders: SF Bloodstock and Blake Sandblom
Owners: Snowden Racing Pty Ltd, Newgate S F, Hollymount
Stud, Mr I Partington, Mr B A Noble, Mr K A Noble, Mrs M
Noble, Mr D J Barker, Mr J T Partington
Russian Conquest has done the colours of Newgate proud in
her three starts to date, winning the Max Lees Classic on debut
in November and then returning to comfortably win a Randwick
2-year-old race on Boxing Day before running Coolangatta to
just 0.2l in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
From the first crop of Newgate
sire Russian Revolution, she
looks to be developing with
improvement every start and
there is confidence amongst her
connections that she could turn
the tables on Coolangatta in the
autumn.
That pair could conceivably
meet in the G2 Reisling S., which
the Snowdens have earmarked
as Russian Conquest's lead-up
run to the Golden Slipper.
5. Jacquinot
Rubick x Ponterro (Pierro), colt
Trainers: Mick Price and Michael
Kent Jnr
Purchased: Passed in at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast
Yearling Sale when offered by Coolmore Stud
Breeder: Lindsay Maxsted
Owners: Mr S J Tuxen, Ms K N Cooper, Mr L P Maxsted, Mr N J
Maxsted, Mr P K Allen, Mrs C D Allen, Mr G J Hayes, Ms H Hayes,
G P I Racing
Jacquinot created a huge impression on his debut at Caulfield
on Boxing Day, rushing home from the rear of the field to win
running away by 2.75l in the green and royal blue hoops of his
breeder and part-owner Lindsay Maxsted.
It was a win that reminiscent not in its character but in the
nature of its dominance to Profiteer (Capitalist) from the same
stable in December of the previous year. That colt went on to
win the Inglis Millennium the following February.
TDN AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND • PAGE 3 OF 4 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • 25 JANUARY 2022
Set to trial in the next week, Damian Lane will likely take the
ride on the Rubick colt before he resumes in the G3 Blue
Diamond Prelude (Colts and Geldings), with the likelihood he
heads on to G1 Blue Diamond S. From there, he can target the
Golden Slipper.
6. Lady Laguna
Overshare x Catalina De Lago (NZ) (Encosta De Lago), filly
Trainer: Annabel Neasham
Purchased: Private
Breeder: Spendthrift Australia
Owners: O T I Racing, Mr P D Williams, Mr J R Cahill, Mrs B H
Gilbert, Mr J P Spence, Mrs J T Spence, Mr R Menchise, Dr P G
Van Buynder, Mr J A Boyd, Mr A L Boyd, Mrs J Rubira,
Persephone Racing, Mrs J Pilloni, Mr C M Ellis, Tight Lines
Racing, Mr R Bow, B M P H, Ms L Gillespie, Mrs H Ridout
While she has not been tackling the best 2-year-olds, Lady
Laguna has made light work of the opposition she has been
asked to compete against. She won on debut at Eagle Farm,
becoming the first winner for her sire Overshare, and then
relished the wet track at Rosehill in November, winning by 4.1l.
As a winner in two states and a filly who clearly likes the cut in
the ground, she shapes as an interesting prospect for the Golden
Slipper, which has been run on a Soft track or worse in each of
the past five years.
Annabel Neasham indicated after her Rosehill win that
because Lady Laguna wasn't a Magic Millions or Inglis horse, she
would likely look to resume in the G2 Reisling S. on February 26
and then go straight to the Golden Slipper should she prove
herself up to that class.
7. El Padrino
Street Boss (USA) x Misty Rock (Fastnet Rock), colt
Trainers: Ciaron Maher and David Eustace
Purchased: $210,000 by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock at the Inglis
Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale from the draft of Three Bridges
Thoroughbreds
Breeder: Murray Thoroughbreds
Owners: Mr J B Wilson, Glentree Racing, Mr L Caminiti, Mr P
Siejka, Mr P Lenton, Best Bloodstock, Mr P C McClure, Mr R
McClure, Mr R E Wilson, Mr D P Hickey, Mr R Irving, Mr C G
McKenzie, Mr D F Moss, Mr A Noble, Mr S Derbyshire, Mr S P
Dangerfield, Mr J Kennedy, Mr D Oman
El Padrino made considerable improvement from his first start,
a second on a Heavy track at Cranbourne, to winning the R.
Listed Inglis Nursery at his second start, when well-ridden by
Jason Collett.
The Street Boss (USA) colt is bred to appreciate more than the
1000 metres he won over that day at Randwick, being out of a
Fastnet Rock mare who is in turn out of a Galileo (Ire) mare, but
he does possess good tactical speed as well as a bombproof
temperament.
He trialled well at Warwick Farm last week fighting on well and
showing he is up and about for a strong autumn campaign.
Where that kicks off, the stable haven=t publicly said, but he
shapes as a key contender in the lead-up races for the colts.
8. Shalatin
Shalaa (Ire) x Arcadia Delight (Domesday), colt
Trainer: Joseph Pride
Purchased: N/A
Breeder: D and J Morison
Owners: Mr N B Couper, Mr D C Morison, Mr I G Cornell, Mr A J
Falk, Mr H G H Mccathie, Mr P R A Falk, Mr P W Callaghan, Mr G
J Robinson, Mr R M Johnston, Mr I McKinnon, Mr A McKinnon
Joseph Pride's son of Shalaa (Ire) has yet to greet the judge in
his two starts but there are plenty who believe he could be the
colt to jump out of the ground this autumn.
He made significant ground in both the Kirkham Plate, where
he ducked and weaved late to finish fifth, and the Golden Gift,
where he surrendered the momentum to Sejardan by again
weaving a path between runners and was only beaten 0.25l on
the line when second.
He has been quite well-found in G1 Golden Slipper markets
since those runs and he returned through the trials at Warwick
Farm last week. He sat a lot closer in the run there, three deep
outside the speed and wasn't asked for an effort in the straight,
finishing fourth.
The one question on this colt might be whether the 1200
metre of the Slipper might be a tad short for him and whether
he may be a horse better suited to the G1 Inglis Sires' or the G1
Champagne S.
9. Philosopher
Zoustar x Lone (Sepoy), colt
Trainers: Anthony and Sam Freedman
Purchased: $800,000 by James Harron at the Magic Millions
Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Widden Stud
Breeders: Widden Stud
Owners: James Harron Bloodstock Colts, Mrs B C Bateman, Love
Racing, Mr P Mehrten, Doyles Breeding & Racing, Mr D Saab,
G1G Racing & Breeding, Rockingham Thoroughbreds, Widden
Stud Pty Ltd
TDN AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND • PAGE 4 OF 4 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • 25 JANUARY 2022
Philosopher was purchased as a yearling by James Harron
Magic Millions
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Arrowfield’s Epic 2018 Easter Draft
Converge, Eduardo Shine in Trials
Generation Next: Claudia Miller
Behemoth Marching Towards All-Star
McDonald to Reunite With Anamoe
The Freedmans won the G1 Blue Diamond S. last year with
Artorius (Flying Artie), who subsequently ran sixth in the Golden
Slipper, and have had this very smart colt aimed at the Caulfield
feature for some time. He could have headed towards the Magic
Millions, but the stable felt a focussed campaign with the option
of a Golden Slipper afterwards was more suitable.
Philosopher debuted with a strong on-pace win at Caulfield
earlier this month and he is set to step it up in the Listed Blue
Diamond Preview (Colts and Geldings) on Wednesday, again at
1000 metres. That will give us a good indication of what level
this Widden-bred colt is up to.
10. Ojai
Exceed And Excel x Matilija (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}), filly
Trainer: James Cummings
Purchased: N/A
Breeders / Owners: Godolphin
Godolphin always has an array of quality 2-year-olds emerge
at this time of year and exactly who is leader of the pack is hard
to discern, but off the raced one, judging on the formlines, Ojai
is the filly who has the runs on the board to date.
She won the Kirkham Plate well on debut at Randwick in
October and then ran a close-up third to be the first filly home in
the Golden Gift, beaten just 0.7l by Sejardan. She looks a
typically professional Cummings filly, capable of putting herself
in the race.
She will need to improve headed into the autumn, but she did
run a close-up second in a trial last week. She conceded her
stablemate Troach (Epaulette) a start in the run and while she
failed to run her down, was not given a hard time of it by James
McDonald. She is set to resume in the G3 Widden S. on Saturday
and it will be very interesting to see where she measures up.
IN JAPAN:
Legal Battle (Aus), h, 4, Smart Missile (Aus)--Pyrography (Aus),
by Danzero (Aus). Nakayama, 1-23, Plate Race, 8fT. Lifetime
Record: 10-3-2-3, $328,070. O-Kazumi Yoshida; B-Arrowfield
Pastoral Pty Ltd (NSW); T-Fumimasa Takahashi. *A$220,000
Ylg >19 MMLJAN.
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