June, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Watson Lodges Commonwealth Cup Appeal

Trainer Archie Watson has lodged an appeal with the British Horseracing Authority against the decision by stewards at Royal Ascot to disqualify Yoshiro Kubota's Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) from victory in last week's G1 Commonwealth Cup.

Dragon Symbol and Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) moved into a joint lead approaching the final furlong of the Commonwealth Cup, at which point Dragon Symbol, ridden by Oisin Murphy, began to drift towards the far side rail, bumping Campanelle, with Frankie Dettori aboard, as he did so. Stewards deemed that at the time of interference, both horses were traveling equally well and they determined that the distance lost by Campanelle as a result of the interference cost her the win. Campanelle had been beaten a head on the line by Dragon Symbol, but was ultimately declared the official winner. No appeal has been brought against the four-day ban for careless riding copped by Murphy.

Watson's case will be heard before an independent disciplinary panel of the BHA on July 1.

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Influential Producer Cassandra Go Dies

Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}-Rahaam, by Secreto), the winner of the G2 King's Stand S. and an influential producer, has died aged 25 at Ballyhimikin Stud.

Bred by John McKay, Cassandra Go was purchased by Trevor Stewart for 82,000gns as a foal through the BBA at the Tattersalls December Sale of 1996. Stewart sent her through the ring as a yearling at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, but opted to retain her at 200,000gns.

Sent into training with Geoff Wragg, Cassandra Go was soundly beaten in her lone start at two but righted that wrong with a first-out maiden victory the following April. She would win a Newmarket conditions race and picked up a listed third before the season's end, and she proved progressive at four, picking up stakes wins in the Listed Lansdown Fillies' S. and the G3 King George S. It was at five, however, that Cassandra Go truly thrived, winning the G2 Temple S. and G2 King's Stand S. before finishing second in the G1 July Cup.

Cassandra Go had been covered by Green Desert prior to her final season on the racecourse, and as a half-sister to G3 Coventry S. winner Verglas (Ire) (Highest Honor {Fr}), expectations must have been high heading into her second career. Cassandra Go more than delivered.

Her first foal, the Green Desert mare Neverletme Go (Ire), produced the German stakes-winning Best Regards (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), but that has been relegated to a footnote in what is a highly accomplished and sought-after line. Cassandro Go's third foal was the G3 Summer S. winner Theann (GB) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), who would subsequently produce the dual American Grade I winner Photo Call (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the G2 Richmond S. winner and young sire Land Force (Ire) (No Nay Never).

Theann was followed immediately by Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), who has overshadowed even her elder sister's lofty accomplishments. The winner of the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Sun Chariot S. and G1 Nassau S., Halfway To Heaven has gone on to even greater acclaim as a producer; after first supplying the Group 3-winning Flying The Flag (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the G1 Fillies' Mile, G1 Lockinge S. and G1 Prix de l'Opera victress Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), she outdid herself with the remarkable six-time Group 1 winner Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Theann and Halfway To Heaven were both plucked out of Goffs yearling sales by the Coolmore partners, and that group likewise took home Cassandro Go's most recent filly to appear at public auction, the subsequently Group 3-placed Invincible Spirit (Ire) filly Fantasy (Ire) for 1.6-million gns from the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2017. In the interim, Cassandro Go had produced the filly Tickled Pink (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who was retained by Stewart and won the G3 Abernant S. and G3 Coral Charge S. for trainer Sir Henry Cecil-one of the great trainer's last stakes winners prior to his death–and Stewart told The Owner Breeder he has four of Cassandra Go's daughters in his care. Those include the 3-year-old Holly Golightly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), the winner of a Gowran Park maiden last month for trainer Ger Lyons, and a filly foal by Night Of Thunder born this year. Stewart also retained the mare's 2-year-old colt Once Upon A River (Ire), who was third on debut at Gowran on June 13 for Lyons. Cassandra Go has a yearling colt by Saxon Warrior (Jpn).

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Pearl Tiara Shines As Majestic Harbor Fillies Go One-Two In Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes

Pearl Tiara and Fernando De La Cruz pulled away from the field for an impressive upset in the 13th running of the $75,000 Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes, Filly Division, at Indiana Grand Wednesday, June 23. The duo covered the one and one-sixteenth mile event in a time of 1:45.60 to score their second consecutive victory in 2021.

Starting from post three, Pearl Tiara broke well to get into early position as Found My Man and Sammy Bermudez set the early tempo. The leader was joined by Pearl Tiara at the midway point for a challenge with Pearl Tiara taking over in the final turn of the race.

In the stretch, De La Cruz asked Pearl Tiara for another gear and she responded, posting an eight and three-quarter length advantage at the wire. Diamond Solitaire and Alex Achard finished second with Verry Amelia and Santo Sanjur rounding out the trifecta.

Pearl Tiara paid $13.80 for the win. The homebred daughter of Majestic Harbor is now two for three in 2021. Overall, she has three wins in nine starts and increased her career bankroll to more than $119,000.

Pearl Tiara was born and raised by David Osborne, Loren Hebel-Osborne and Carol Hebel at their Deerfield Farm in Prospect, Ky. The sophomore filly is by their stallion, Majestic Harbor, who stood at Swifty Farms in Indiana before relocating to California.

Both Pearl Tiara and Diamond Solitaire, the second-place finisher in the Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Filly Stakes, were part of Osborne's breeding operation and have grown up together. Diamond Solitaire, who lost her mother two weeks after she was born, has truly shined on the track, pushing over the $90,000 mark in earnings. The filly became syndicated and is the reason a large partnership is trackside every time she races at Indiana Grand. The partnership includes the Osbornes and Gene McLean, who are breeders on the filly.

“Having Pearl (Tiara) and Diamond (Solitaire) finish one-two in the stakes race for Majestic Harbor is a thrill,” said Loren Hebel-Osborne. “And, this is the first time Pearl has beaten Diamond. We saw Diamond start moving toward her and thought she might catch her, but Pearl said, 'not today.' And, it marks the first stakes winner for Majestic Harbor.”

Majestic Harbor was named Leading First Crop Sire in California last year. The latest tag of stakes winning sire also makes him the current Leading Second Crop Sire for California as well.

“He earned leading first crop sire in California without a stakes winner,” said David Osborne. “Although it's based on his Indiana foals, it is determined in the state where he currently stands.”

The Osbornes still have Pearl Tiara's dam, Pearl Pendant, and she is currently in California back in foal to Majestic Harbor. In addition to sharing “jewelry themed names,” both Diamond Solitaire and Pearl Tiara also share space when at the Deerfield Farm.

“These two (Pearl Tiara and Diamond Solitaire) spent the winter together and were in the same paddock and same barn,” added David Osborne. “So, they are very familiar with one another.”

Majestic Harbor's first crop consisted of 10 foals, nine of which were fillies, including Diamond Solitaire and Pearl Tiara. Tim Glyshaw trains Pearl Tiara, who is not the first representative for the Osbornes. Glyshaw also trained Unreachable Star, second on the list of All-time Leading Indiana Sired money earners with more than $784,000 in career earnings.

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Jockey Club Gets Permission to File Brief in Baffert Affair

The Jockey Club (TJC) was granted permission to file its proposed amicus brief in trainer Bob Baffert's federal lawsuit against the New York Racing Association (NYRA), but must do so within a week.

Judge Carol Bagley Amon issued the order Wednesday in the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York.

“The request for permission to file an amicus brief [14] is GRANTED in part,” the order reads. “The Jockey Club may file its proposed amicus brief. The brief must be filed no later than June 30, 2021, or it will not be considered.”

Baffert is seeking to overturn the ban imposed upon him by NYRA on May 17 after Medina Spirit (Protonico) tested positive for Betamethasone in this year's GI Kentucky Derby.

On June 14, Baffert filed a civil complaint against NYRA, alleging that the association's ban violates his Fourteenth Amendment constitutional right to due process. He is seeking a preliminary and permanent injunction ordered against NYRA to prevent his further banishment from those tracks, claiming that if that does not happen, he will suffer immediate and irreparable harm.

In a June 22 letter to the court, Susan Phillips Read, an attorney for The Jockey Club, asked for permission to file an amicus brief. She indicated in the letter that The Jockey Club may be able to provide the court information which it may not be able to obtain elsewhere, though what that information was is unclear.

TJC, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries and Thoroughbred Safety Committee, has access to information not necessarily available to the parties,” Read wrote.

An amicus brief or curiae–literally `friend of the court'–is filed by a person or party with a strong interest in the matter who is not a party to the action.

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