June, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Diamond Jubilee Win Gives Dream Of Dreams Guaranteed Spot In Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint

Saeed Suhail's Dream Of Dreams (IRE) put the agony of two previous near-misses behind him to capture the six-furlong G1 $975,000 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot near London, England, and earned an automatic berth into this year's $1 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 84 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 5-6.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Dream Of Dreams to start in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, which will be run at five furlongs at Del Mar. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance of $40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships.

Dream Of Dreams, a chestnut gelding by Dream Ahead out of the Dansili (GB) mare Vasilia (GB), and trained by Sir Michael Stoute, had experienced two defeats by a head in the Diamond Jubilee in the last two years. In 2019, he fell narrowly short of catching Blue Point (IRE), and, in 2020, finished just too late to catch Hello Youmzain (FR).

After last year's Royal Ascot defeat, Dream Of Dreams won three of his next four starts, which included his Group 1 breakthrough in the G1 Betfair Sprint Cup. Today, he doubled his Group 1-winning record, and made it four wins out of the last five, when mastering the front-running Glen Shiel (GB) inside the final furlong to win by a length, under jockey Ryan Moore.

Dream Of Dreams completed the 6 furlongs in 1:14.87 on a course listed as soft. Art Power (IRE) finished third. Prerace favorite Starman (GB) was a non-runner because of the ground conditions.

“Michael has been great to me throughout my whole career,” said Moore. “He's got this horse, who is 7 now, to perform three times in a row here. It's great that he's able to win today. He's been a great horse. He's got better every year. A stiff six with cut in the ground is perfect for him.”

Stoute gained his only other success in the race with Dafayna (GB) in 1985 when it was a Group 3 race known as the Cork And Orrery Stakes. His second triumph with Dream Of Dreams was the 82nd Royal Ascot victory for the meeting's winningest trainer. Dream Of Dreams also became one of only two 7-year-olds to win the race since 1946 and the joint oldest.

“The horse really deserves it,” said Stoute. “He's a top-class sprinter. In the previous two years, one more stride and he wins, but that's not what it's about, you've got to get there first. I am really happy for him today. He's a very untypical sprinter. He goes down so relaxed; he is almost pulling up. It's a great thrill.

“I was pretty hopeful from two furlongs out because he finishes well. He's actually a very effective horse over seven furlongs as well. He won a Group 1 last year and he's won Group races but it's been very frustrating he's been beaten so narrowly.

“As he's got older and more mature, he has relaxed more and got better. The team has done a great job with him. He has been pretty consistent, getting beaten a head two years running. He doesn't run too many below par races.”

Dream Of Dreams left Archie Watson, trainer of Glen Shiel, standing in the runner-up spot for a second day after a Royal Ascot Group 1.

On Friday, Watson's Dragon Symbol (GB) had been demoted to second after being found to have caused interference to the U.S. challenger Campanelle (IRE), trained by Wesley Ward, when finishing first past the post in the G1 Commonwealth Cup.

“Glen Shiel has probably put in a career-best performance today,” he said. “He got closer to the winner than he did at Haydock last year. I'm delighted he has backed up his Group 1 win [in the G1 British Champions Sprint ] with another very solid run at this level. He's shown that that wasn't a one-off and he can now go through the rest of the year in these six-furlong Group 1s and we can be confident he'll run well in them.”

Dream Of Dreams joins Casa Creed, winner of the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes at Belmont Park on June 5, as the first two runners to earn automatic starting positions into this year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

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Murphy, Gosdens, Godolphin Take Ascot Titles

Champion jockey Oisin Murphy secured his first leading rider title at Royal Ascot on Saturday, with John and Thady Gosden clinching the leading trainer title and Godolphin walking away as leading owner.

Murphy, whose last of five victories on the week came aboard Foxes Tales (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in the penultimate race of the meeting, the Golden Gates Handicap, said, “I wouldn't have expected it if you had asked me on Tuesday morning if I would be leading jockey this week–of course not. It normally belongs on Ryan [Moore] or Frankie [Dettori], but they gave me a turn this week.

“Thanks very much to the fast horses. It has been a super week. It's special, because as I get older, I appreciate these days more and more. I know I'm only 25, but life, as we learnt this week, is precious, and it's a continuous reminder.”

“My best moment of the week was Alcohol Free [winning the G1 Coronation S.],” he added. “She came along at a very important time in my career last year–I was under a lot of pressure and I managed to nail a Group 1, and [Friday] was a similar scenario. The pressure was on.”

John and Thady Gosden became the first training partnership to lead the trainers' standings at Royal Ascot with four wins and a second, while Godolphin enjoyed three wins, including Kemari (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G2 Queen's Vase and Creative Force (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the closing-day G3 Jersey S.

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KY Colonels Offer Grant to BGFC For Backstretch Kids

Blue Grass Farms Charities, Inc., (BGFC) received a $7,247 grant from the Honorable Order Kentucky Colonels (HOKC) to purchase 1,000 backpacks for farm and track workers' children–Kindergarten through Middle School–for the 2021 school year. In total, the HOKC will award $2.1 million in grants supporting 275 non-profits, impacting close to 3.7 million Kentuckians.

“When HOKC Trustees met with grant applicants this year, we were reminded how hard the pandemic has made life harder for many folks, from first responders in community service charities to the clients themselves,” said HOKC Commanding General Hal Sullivan. “Thanks to Kentucky Colonels from around the world who donate to the Good Works Program, HOKC can lend a helping hand to so many local charities that provide essential services that lessen the impact. Because a Colonel cares, we make giving to others a Proud Kentucky Tradition.”

For more information, visit www.kycolonels.org

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Repole Keeping His ‘Wits’ About Him

How badly does New York native Mike Repole want to win the GI Belmont Stakes?

Well, if the scene in the winner's circle following the eye-catching unveiling of 'TDN Rising Star' Wit (c, 2, Practical Joke–Numero d'Oro, by Medaglia d'Oro) after a tardy start in the blockbuster card's 11:35 a.m. lidlifter was any indication, NYRA may have to start constructing a larger enclosure.

“I had six horses running on Belmont day and had 50 family and friends there,” Repole said. “Here he is at 2-5 and eighth after spotting the field seven, eight lengths. I was about to go back to my car and just go home.”

It's a good thing he stayed.

Last of eight from post two and immediately under a busy ride from Jose Ortiz in the 5 1/2-furlong affair, the 2-5 favorite began to launch on the far turn, remarkably got himself into striking distance in a three-wide third passing the quarter pole and turned on the afterburners from there in the stretch, rolling home a six-length winner. He earned a 70 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. Wit is currently being aimed at the GIII Sanford S. on opening weekend at Saratoga July 17.

The $575,000 Keeneland September sale purchase, the most expensive of 74 yearlings to switch hands from the first crop of the highly regarded Practical Joke, is campaigned in partnership with the Viola family's St. Elias Stable and Antony Beck's Gainesway Stable. He is trained by Todd Pletcher.

Bred in Kentucky by Rosilyn Polan, the half-brother to GIII Longacres Mile H. hero Barkley (Munnings) hails from the family of graded stakes winner and multiple Grade I-placed Ivy Bell (Archarcharch). His fourth dam is French champion 2-year-old Silver Cloud.

“He's just really special,” Repole said. “To see a first-time starter do that is incredibly impressive. We knew that he was talented. He was the best horse on the farm when he was at Stonestreet, and when Todd got in 20 or 30 2-year-olds, by far he separated himself. We loved him when we bought him. If he was by Uncle Mo or Curlin, he might've gone for $1.5 million. He was that good looking. He's done everything right so far and hasn't missed a step. You just cross your fingers and pray.”

Repole continued, “I've had horses like Uncle Mo break their maiden and win by 14 1/4 lengths wire to wire, and I thought that probably was one of the most impressive maiden wins I've had. But the way this horse just broke so slow, took dirt in his face, circled the field going 5 1/2 furlongs and pulled away… I wonder, what happens if he broke? What would've he done then?”

Repole and St. Elias, of course, also teamed up to campaign 2019 GI Breeders' Cup Classic hero, champion older dirt male and promising young Spendthrift Farm stallion Vino Rosso (Curlin). The high-powered axis of Repole, St. Elias, Gainesway, John Oxley and Grandview Equine joined forces on a $1.2-million Curlin colt out of MGISW Midnight Lucky (Midnight Lute) at last year's Keeneland September sale. At that same auction, on behalf of Repole and St. Elias, West Bloodstock also signed for an $875,000 Into Mischief colt, a $500,000 Quality Road colt, a $500,000 Nyquist colt, a $475,000 Curlin colt, a $450,000 Not This Time colt, a $450,000 Into Mischief colt, et al.

“To own this horse with Vinnie and Teresa [Viola] that we've had so much success with, we're really building on top of our incredible friendship, a great partnership,” Repole said. “We also decided to partner on a couple of horses at the September sale with Alex Solis II and Antony Beck at Gainesway. This is our first horse together and we met in the winner's circle. So there you go. It's a good start. We're all very excited.”

With an impressive roster of former Repole standouts turned stallions led by top sire Uncle Mo ($175,000 stud fee; Ashford Stud); Vino Rosso ($25,000; Spendthrift Farm); Outwork ($15,000; WinStar Farm); et al., is the co-founder of Glaceau (the company was sold to Coca-Cola for $4.1 billion in 2007) just minimizing some risk by taking on partners with his runners going forward?

“Some people say that,” Repole replied. “Are you looking to share your risk? I don't know. When I used to buy all my horses at 100%, I'd spend $4 million. Now at 50%, I'm spending $6 million. So I don't know if I increased or decreased my risk. Depends how you look at it. At the end of the day, the game has evolved a lot with partnerships. I try to be very selective of who I partner with. I want to partner with people that I enjoy and people that I like. People that after we win, we could go out to dinner or come back to my house. Vinnie and Teresa are family. I think we have 30 2-year-olds together–that is the most ever. Honestly, I think we love the friendship more than the partnership.

He continued, “I wouldn't say less risk. I would actually say, more chances. How's that sound? Instead of 30 at 100%, you have 60 at 50%. I think it's more fun. I also buy a lot of horses by myself and breed my own, too. And the stallion game, that's been interesting. The first great horse I owned turned out to be a great stallion. And I know that doesn't always happen. Just because you're a great horse doesn't mean that you're going to be a great producer. Now that I've been in the game at a high level for over 10 years, it's fun to have an Uncle Mo out of Nonna Mia (each raced by Repole) turn out be a Derby horse like Outwork. It gives it a great feeling. He's been doing pretty well [at stud], we have Vino Rosso with Spendthrift and I've also invested in City of Light, West Coast and Accelerate.”

The Phipps Stable-bred Dynamic One (Union Rags), a $725,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase and narrow GII Wood Memorial S. runner-up, brought together Repole and St. Elias with the Phipps family for a trip to this year's GI Kentucky Derby. Overtook (Curlin), a $1-million KEESEP graduate campaigned by Repole, St. Elias, Michael B. Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith, failed to build off his third-place finish in the GIII Peter Pan S. and was a well-beaten seventh in the Belmont. St. Elias homebred and GI Curlin Florida Derby winner Known Agenda (Curlin) was ninth in the Derby and fourth in the Belmont, respectively.

“It's really been great to have these friends and relationships,” Repole concluded. “I think you know how special it is for me to have 50 family members come to the track with me. It's like an extra holiday. Listen, I want to win these races, but if I can run a 50-1 shot and get 50 of my family and friends together at the track, I'm willing to do it. That part is just as special as winning one of those races. As I get a little older and I realize how tough these wins are, they just get more special.”

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