Month: October 2020

Dubawi Colts Tops Second Day Of Tattersalls October Book 1

Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale continued in solid fashion on the second day with Godolphin buying the top four priced lots.

Demand for yearlings by the superstar stallion Dubawi continued unabated on the second day of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and leading the way was his son of the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Intricately at 1.1 million guineas (US$1,491,247).

The Highclere Stud consigned colt's dam Intricately was purchased at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale in 2017 for 1.7 million guineas (US$2,304,702) by John and Jake Warren on behalf of Mike and Michelle Morris. The Dubawi colt on offer today was her first foal and was knocked down to Anthony Stroud on behalf of Godolphin after he saw off a determined effort by trainer Kevin Ryan.

“It is very exciting, I am absolutely thrilled for the Morris's, they stepped up and bought a fantastic mare and she has really repaid them today. He is a gorgeous colt and has been since the day he was born, he has the most fantastic temperament,” said consignor Lady Carolyn Warren of Highclere Stud. “I am thrilled for the breeders and everyone.”

Her son Jake Warren, who selected the mare in 2017 with his father John, added: “It is a real group affair, a lot of team-work is involved in this. Mike and Michelle bought the mare, she is a beautiful quality mare. She has a stallion in her pedigree, she was a Group 1 2-year-old winner, she is by one of the best stallions in the world, and she is an outstanding looker. She had everything as a broodmare, which is why we stepped up to buy her then. And she has done nothing but please us since. It is testament to that, and to the efforts by stud manager Rachel Spindlow and the staff at Highclere.

“It was the intention through this process to be playing at this end of the table and thank you very much to Anthony Stroud for buying him. I want to say thank you to him and the underbidder – he is a fantastic horse, and it was wonderful that two people valued him to such a level.

“He really was as good a first foal as you would wish to see,” said Warren, adding: “She has got a colt foal who is equally as good who might be coming back here next year, and she is in-foal to Kingman. Down the line some of the progeny might be kept to race, but the mare owes a few quid so she needs to clear the balance sheet first! And she needs to produce a filly!”

Hillwood's Lope De Vega Colt Sells For 900,000 Guineas

Charlie and Tracy Vigors' Hillwood Stud were celebrating after their Lope de Vega colt out of the Teofilo mare Moi Meme sold for 900,000 guineas (US$1,220,197) to the bid of Anthony Stroud on behalf of Godolphin after he saw off underbidder David Redvers.

“It is beyond our wildest dreams to get a result like that!” said a visibly emotional Charlie Vigors.

“We put what we thought was a sensible reserve on him as we knew we had lots of interest in him, and you could see from the live bids around the ring that there were plenty of people on him. There were plenty in up to 400,000 guineas to 500,000 guineas and we were hoping to fetch in that range. That is the beauty of public auction, isn't it, when two people then lock on.”

The son of the Listed winning mare Moi Meme had received a significant catalogue update when his two-year-old own-brother King Vega finished second in the Group 2 Solario Stakes in August.

“I think the plan is to run him in the Pertemps Futurity, if the ground is okay,” said Vigors. “I know Andrew [trainer Andrew Balding] thinks very highly of him. He has got his black-type, if he could be a Group 1 winner it would be even better!”

Dam Moi Meme is certainly enjoying something of a lengthy love affair with the Ballylinch Stud stallion Lope de Vega – all her four foals are by the son of Shamardal.

“The mare has a lovely Lope de Vega filly on the ground and she is back in-foal to him again,” said Vigors. “She has been married to him because the first ones were so nice! I don't think there is a much better sire to be married to at the moment – he is one of the top young sires around. We picked him out as a sire 'on the up' a few years ago and these were bred off a €60,000 nomination, and he has gone up to €100,000 now. You need pay days like this to keep going back to him!”

This colt was bred by a Hillwood Stud-managed syndicate called Fortescue Bloodstock, and Vigors explained: “The syndicate has been buying high dollar mares, and it is bunch of investors, mainly London based. They enjoy it very much and will certainly enjoy a day like today! There are three mares in the syndicate, with some more in another group – there are about seven or eight mares across two groups.”

The Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Book 1 continues at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8 with the third and final session.

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Tacitus Will Face Four Rivals In Saturday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup

Juddmonte Farms' three-time graded stakes-winning multimillionaire Tacitus will look to secure his first career Grade 1 triumph in Saturday's 102nd running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup going the classic distance of 1 ¼ miles at Belmont Park.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup is a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” qualifier offering an automatic entry into the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on November 7 at Keeneland.

The prestigious race is one of five graded stakes on Saturday's action-packed program, which also includes three other “Win And You're In” qualifying events along with the Grade 1, $250,000 Flower Bowl for fillies and mares going 1 ¼ miles on the inner turf, offering a berth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf; the Grade 1, $300,000 Champagne for juvenile colts going one mile on the main track, providing a spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile; and the Grade 1, $250,000 Frizette for juvenile fillies going one mile on the main track, a qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The lucrative card is bolstered by the Grade 2, $150,000 Sands Point for sophomore fillies going one mile over the Widener turf.

Since its inception in 1919, the Jockey Club Gold Cup has been one of the most prestigious events on the racing calendar having been won by Hall of Famers Man o' War [1920], Hill Prince [1950], Nashua [1955-56], Sword Dancer [1959], Buckpasser [1966], Damascus [1967], Forego [1974], John Henry [1981], Easy Goer [1989], Cigar [1995], Skip Away [1996-97] and Curlin [2007-08]. The great Kelso won the Jockey Club Gold Cup a record five straight years from 1960-64. Nine Kentucky Derby winners have won the prized event, including Triple Crown winners Gallant Fox [1930], Whirlaway [1942], Citation [1948] and Affirmed [1979].

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, a three-time Jockey Club Gold Cup winner, Tacitus was third in last year's edition and was most recently second as the favorite in the Grade 1 Woodward on September 5 at Saratoga, where he chased a slow pace tracking a half-length off Global Campaign but was unable to catch the pacesetter, who strolled home a 1 ¾-length winner.

The 4-year-old son of Tapit out of 2014 Champion Older Mare Close Hatches made some noise on last year's Kentucky Derby trail with scores in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and the Grade 2 Wood Memorial en route to being elevated to third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. He followed with three runner-up finishes as the favorite, including a late-closing second in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and the Grade 2 Jim Dandy ahead of a prominent effort in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers.

Two starts following an international endeavor in his 2020 debut when fifth in the Group 1 Saudi Cup on February 29, Tacitus added another graded stakes triumph to his ledger with an 8 ¾-length runaway win in the Grade 2 Suburban on July 4 at Belmont Park, which also is contested at the classic distance.

Tacitus has trained forwardly heading into Saturday's race, recently posting a half-mile drill in 47.20 on October 4 – the fastest of 77 recorded works at the distance.

Mott said he has no regrets regarding Tacitus' race tactics in the Woodward.

“Looking back, I don't think we did anything wrong,” said Mott. “The horse that beat him just ran a very good race. The only thing we could have tried differently, and I don't know that it would have changed the outcome was maybe go to that horse [Global Campaign] right away from the gate. I don't know that it would have changed anything. You sure weren't going to take him back more, the only thing would have been going on the attack early.”

Jockey Jose Ortiz, aboard for all three of Tacitus' graded stakes victories, will ride once more, drawing post 4.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup has had a long history of sophomores besting their elders in the event, and a pair of 3-year-olds will be making their debut against older horses this year with Godolphin's graded stakes winner Mystic Guide and Wertheimer and Frere's unbeaten Happy Saver.

Trained by Michael Stidham, Mystic Guide bypassed last Saturday's Grade 1 Preakness in favor of the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He was a last out winner of the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on September 5 at Saratoga, which was his only start where he was not made the favorite.

The well-bred chestnut son of Ghostzapper out of four-time Grade 1 winner Music Note has never finished off the board in five lifetime starts including a five-length triumph at second asking in his two-turn debut on March 21 at Fair Grounds. He was subsequently beaten by the same margin in his next effort against winners going a one-turn mile-and-a-sixteenth at Belmont to Tap It to Win before finishing third in the Grade 3 Peter Pan on July 16 at the Spa.

Mystic Guide registered a career-best 95 Beyer from his Jim Dandy score. The return to winning form was likely due to the addition of blinkers, according to Jimmy Bell who manages Godolphin's USA division.

“We were very, very pleased with his Jim Dandy run,” said Bell. “He stepped up and found his way to the top level. A little of it was the blinkers and getting him more involved in the race early not giving him too much to do at the end. We're looking forward to the distance of the Jockey Club Gold Cup.”

Bell said he is looking forward to seeing what the lightly-raced Mystic Guide can show as a 4-year-old and that he should relish the 1 ¼ miles.

“We're very much looking forward to his 4-year-old year,” Bell said. “We're really looking forward to the mile and a quarter race. He seems like a horse that will finish up well and not get tired.”

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, a three-time winning Jockey Club Gold Cup rider, will pilot Mystic Guide for the first time from post 5.

Trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle Happy Saver, who has won all three of his lifetime starts but will face graded stakes company for the first time.

The son of 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, who also was conditioned by Pletcher, was a 5 ½-length winner on debut going seven furlongs over Big Sandy before defeating winners in his two-turn debut at Saratoga at 1 1/8 miles.

Last out, he added “stakes winner” to his resume with a 1 ½-length score in the Federico Tesio at Laurel Park on September 7.

“He's a lightly raced 3-year-old going up against older horses, but he's done everything that we've asked of him so far,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher said he has taken a patient approach with the lightly-raced Happy Saver.

“He just had some baby setbacks,” Pletcher said. “We almost had him ready to run here last fall, but we had to give him a break. It just took him a little while to get ready, but he's certainly made up a lot of ground in a short period of time.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., who guided Happy Saver to his first two wins, has the mount from post 1.

A strong third-place effort against Grade 1 company has given veteran conditioner Jimmy Bond confidence to try Prioritize against such caliber once more, as he breaks from post 2.

Owned by William Clifton, Jr. the son of Tizway closed late to secure the show spot in the Grade 1 Woodward, where he was three lengths shy of the winner. Since moving to the main track, Prioritize has not finished out the money, having won his dirt debut for a $35,000 tag on December 20 at Aqueduct and secured a narrow allowance win at the Spa on July 25 over highly regarded Money Moves. When contesting on grass, he was twice third against stakes company in the 2018 Better Talk Now at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Hill Prince just over one month later at Belmont Park.

Jockey Luis Saez picks up the mount aboard Prioritize.

Rounding out the field is Colts Neck Stables' Name Changer, a 7-year-old Uncle Mo dark bay horse seeking his first win since the Queens County in December 2018 at Aqueduct.

Trained by Jorge Duarte, Jr., Name Changer has not won in four starts since said effort but has not finished worse than fourth. A winner of the 2018 Grade 3 Monmouth Cup, he arrives off a fourth-place finish to Pirate's Punch in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile on September 20 at Monmouth Park.

Jockey Manny Franco, who guided Discreet Lover to a 45-1 upset win in the 2018 Jockey Club Gold Cup, will attempt another longshot score in the race from post 3.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 11-race program, which offers a first post of 12:20 p.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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Dirt Mile, Classic Under Consideration For Preakness Third Jesus’ Team

Grupo 7C Racing Stable's Jesus' Team, who finished third in Saturday's 145th Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico, has taken up temporary residence at trainer Kenny McPeek's Magdalena Farm in Lexington, KY before moving to Keeneland Friday to begin preparation for a start on the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup program.

“He will run in the Breeders' Cup, 100-percent,” said trainer Jose D'Angelo, who was scheduled to saddle two starters on Wednesday's program at Gulfstream Park West. “We just don't know what race – maybe the [Dirt] Mile or maybe the Classic. I will wait for the decision from the owners.”

McPeek, who saddled Swiss Skydiver for a thrilling victory over Bob Baffert-trained Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Authentic in the Preakness, welcomed Jesus' Team to his farm after being contacted by D'Angelo.

“Always after his races, for Jesus, I give him four or five days in a roll pen or a little paddock. At Keeneland, they don't have that. So I called Kenny McPeek and he said, 'Hey, come on, bring your horse,'” said D'Angelo, whose first Preakness starter was stabled next to Swiss Skydiver in the Preakness Stakes Barn. “He's relaxing and enjoying his days off at Magdalena Farm.

“On Friday, we'll move him to Keeneland again and start jogging and galloping him slow for a week. He'll have two or three works for the Breeders' Cup. The horse came back from the Preakness very good.”

D'Angelo saddled his first horse in the U.S. at Gulfstream Park 16 months ago after winning the trainer's title in his native Venezuela, joining his father, Francisco, a multiple training titlist in the South American country before venturing to the U.S. in 2015.

“It was an amazing experience, spending one week with the stars of training, like Bob Baffert and Kenny McPeek,” said D'Angelo, whose stable is based at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. “I'm very, very proud of my work and my team for the third in the Preakness. I had confidence in Jesus before the race. I knew he was in good condition.”

D'Angelo will split his time between Keeneland and Gulfstream Park West leading up to the Breeders' Cup.

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Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings: Improbable Stays On Top, Swiss Skydiver Joins Top 10

Whitney (G1) and Awesome Again Stakes (G1) winner Improbable maintained his lead in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, while Tom's d'Etat rose to No. 2 and the filly Swiss Skydiver, who captured Saturday's 145th Preakness Stakes (G1), enters the top 10 at No. 7.

The 2020 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings is a weekly poll of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). The 1 ¼-mile Classic, scheduled to be run on Nov. 7 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., is the climactic race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Improbable (312 votes), owned by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International and SF Racing, rose to No. 1 in the rankings following his dominant win in the Sept. 26 Awesome Again at Santa Anita Park. This week, GMB Racing's Tom's d'Etat, winner of the Stephen Foster (G2) at Churchill Downs, jumped over Gary and Mary West, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's Maximum Security (258 votes), winner of the TVG Pacific Classic (G1), into second place.

Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law (233 votes), winner of both the Belmont (G1) and Travers Stakes (G1), remains in fourth place, followed by Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Authentic (202 votes), who finished second by a head to Swiss Skydiver in the Preakness. Allied Racing Stable's By My Standards (166 votes) stays in sixth place.

Swiss Skydiver (124 votes), owned by Peter Callahan and trained by Kenny McPeek, became just the sixth filly in history to win the Preakness Stakes, prevailing in a dramatic stretch drive by a head over Authentic. The Preakness win gave Swiss Skydiver an automatic berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series. Swiss Skydiver also has a “Win and You're In” berth in the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), which she earned by capturing the Alabama (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 15.

Sagamore Farm and WinStar Farm's Woodward Stakes (G1) winner Global Campaign (84 votes) rises from ninth to eighth place, and Juddmonte Farms' Suburban Stakes (G2) winner Tacitus (76 votes) moves from 10th place to ninth.

W.S. Farish's Code of Honor (72 votes), who finished second in Saturday's Kelso Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park, drops from seventh to 10th place.

Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – Oct. 7, 2020*

RANK HORSE TOTAL VOTES FIRST-PLACE VOTES
1 Improbable 312 16
2 Tom's d'Etat 261 7
3 Maximum Security 258 6
4 Tiz the Law 233 4
5 Authentic 202 1
6 By My Standards 166 0
7 Swiss Skydiver 124 0
8 Global Campaign   84 0
9 Tacitus   76 0
10 Code of Honor   72 0

*Note – The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings are determined by a panel of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers and members of the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. Rankings will be announced each week through Oct. 13. A list of voting members can be found here.

In the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.

The 2020 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic will be televised live on NBC.

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