July, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Another Godolphin 1-2 in the Diana

In a virtual repeat of last month's GI Just A Game S. going Belmont's one-mile turf configuration, Godolphin's Althiqa (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Summer Romance (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) proved too strong for their American counterparts, this time in the nine-furlong GI Diana S. at Saratoga.

As she did downstate, Summer Romance cut out the running Saturday afternoon, tracked closest by GIII Eatontown S. victress Vigilantes Way (Medaglia d'Oro) through a solid opening couple of furlongs in :23.57 as Althiqa raced with just two rivals behind turning up the backstretch. Luis Saez was able to back the pace down some during the Diana's middle furlongs–the half-mile was posted in :48.17–and Summer Romance continued to hold Vigilantes Way at bay as they raced into the second turn. Harvey's Lil Goil (American Pharoah) caught the eye with a three-wide sweep leaving the three-eighths pole, but Althiqa was drafting in behind and following that one's move into the stretch. Produced off the heels of her fellow gray rival with about a furlong and a half to race, Althiqa grabbed Summer Romance at the sixteenth pole and was punched out by Manny Franco to score comfortably. La Signare (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) rallied to just touch Harvey's Lil Goil out of third.

“I just wanted to wait as long as I could, because I knew the distance was further than the last race,” said Franco, whose 2020 Spa season included Grade I wins aboard Tiz the Law (Consitution) in the GI Runhappy Travers S. and Channel Maker (English Channel) in the GI Sword Dancer S. “That was the question, but she did it. They didn't tell me much. They just told me to cover her [up] and follow somebody until I made my move. I think that was the key; that she was so relaxed behind horses and then she gave me a nice move and nice kick.”

A listed winner at Deauville and placed at group level at that venue, at Goodwood and at Doncaster last year, Althiqa returned from a September layoff to post a stylish victory–with Summer Romance fifth–in the G2 Cape Verdi S. at Meydan Jan. 28 before finishing third to her stable companion in the G2 Balanchine S. three weeks hence. Racing first-up for 3 1/2 months in the Just A Game, Althiqa settled well off pacesetting Summer Romance and rallied at the rail in the final eighth of a mile beneath Mike Smith to score by 3/4 of a length.

Pedigree Notes:

Althiqa is one of eight top-level winners, and–remarkably–three of those have achieved those victories in the U.S., Raging Bull (Fr) and Hunt (Ire) being the others. Dark Angel is the sire of one of the world's fleetest turf horses, Battaash (Ire), who could face an American challenge in the form of Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) in next month's G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe S. over a straight five furlongs at York. The Yeomanstown Stud inmate is also the sire of Godolphin's 4-year-old colt Real World (Ire), impressive winner of the Listed Steventon S. at Newbury Saturday.

Mistrusting is the dam of Althiqa's 2-year-old full-sister Before Dawn (Ire), second on Newmarket debut in May and a narrowly beaten runner-up over the Kempton all-weather when last seen June 30. She produced a Dark Angel colt last year and a filly by Kodiac (GB) this term.

Saturday, Saratoga
DIANA S.-GI, $500,000, Saratoga, 7-17, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8mT, 1:47.65, gd.
1--ALTHIQA (GB), 122, f, 4, by Dark Angel (Ire)
                1st Dam: Mistrusting (Ire) (SW-Eng, $120,206),
                                by Shamardal
                2nd Dam: Misheer (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB)
                3rd Dam: All For Laura (GB), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB)
O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charles Appleby; J-Manuel Franco.
$275,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-UAE, MGSP-Eng, SW &
GSP-Fr, 11-6-2-3, $741,213. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Summer Romance (Ire), 120, f, 4, by Kingman (GB)
                1st Dam: Serena's Storm (Ire), by Statue of Liberty
                2nd Dam: Princess Serena, by Unbridled's Song
                3rd Dam: Serena's Sister, by Rahy
(300,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT; €800,000 2yo '19 ARQMA).
O-Godolphin, LLC; B-Round Hill Stud (IRE); T-Charles Appleby.
$100,000.
3–La Signare (Fr), 118, m, 6, by Siyouni (Fr)
                1st Dam: La Teranga (Fr), by Beat Hollow (GB)
                2nd Dam: Adrastea (Ire), by Monsun (Ger)
                3rd Dam: Akasma (Ger), by Windwurf (Ger)
O-Madaket Stables LLC, Tim & Anna Cambron & Bradley
Thoroughbreds; B-Moussa Mbacke (FR); T-Brendan P. Walsh.
$60,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1 3/4, NK. Odds: 3.95, 2.70, 16.40.
Also Ran: Harvey's Lil Goil, Pocket Square (GB), Magic Attitude (GB), Vigilantes Way, Lemista (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Another Godolphin 1-2 in the Diana appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Mandaloun Put Up In Haskell, Hot Rod Charlie DQd

After a heart-stopping incident in the stretch, and heated battle to the wire between Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) and 'TDN Rising Star' Mandaloun (Into Mischief) in Saturday's GI Haskell Invitational S. at Monmouth, the former crossed the line a nose to the good, only to be taken all the way down to last and Juddmonte's Mandaloun crowned the official winner. With the win, Mandaloun earned an automatic berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic later this year.

Stretching-out 'Rising Star' Following Sea (Runhappy) seized the early lead entering the first turn as Hot Rod Charlie pressed in second with Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) glued to his outside. Mandaloun saved ground just in behind. The field spread out down the backside, with Hot Rod Charlie showing a bit more rateability than he had when second in the GI Belmont S. to drop back and relax in third as Midnight Bourbon took over prompting duties. Mandaloun began to pick up the bit and travel strongly after a :47.32 half, and pilot Florent Geroux still had his mount under a tight hold as Midnight Bourbon struck the front following six panels in 1:10.64. Hot Rod Charlie quickly swarmed the new lead, and Mandaloun came off the fence to pass the tiring Following Sea. It was clear by midstretch that Hot Rod Charlie and Mandaloun were going to decide the outcome, but as they came together to begin their tussle, Midnight Bourbon was squeezed out from in between them and nearly went down, flinging rider Paco Lopez to the ground. The top two continued their battle to the end, with Midnight Bourbon picking himself up and galloping out apparently uninjured. Following Sea was more than 18 lengths back in third, but benefitted from the DQ himself, as he almost certainly would've finished fourth in a cleanly run race.

Lopez, removed from the track on a stretcher, escaped with just a soft tissue injury to his knee and ankle.

“I had my sights on Hot Rod Charlie,” said Geroux. “When Hot Rod Charlie tipped out I decided to go inside. It was a very hard battle. Hot Rod Charlie was going to win by a neck and right at the end my horse came back and made it really close. Unfortunately for Hot Rod Charlie he came in and Midnight Bourbon clipped his heels and he got disqualified. I feel bad for the connections of Hot Rod Charlie because he ran a hard race and [jockey] Flavien Prat is a good friend of mine. I kind of feel bad for him. Honestly, I didn't know what happened until I came back and looked at the TV. It is not the best way to win by Mandaloun ran a winning race and deserves this.”

Prat, who issued an apology to Lopez, said, “I am really proud of [Hot Road Charlie's] effort. He just clipped my heels. That's it.”

Saturday, Monmouth Park
TVG.COM HASKELL S.-GI, $1,005,000, Monmouth, 7-17, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:47.38, ft.
1–MANDALOUN, 119, c, 3, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Brooch (MGSW-Ire, $217,059), by Empire Maker
                2nd Dam: Daring Diva (GB), by Dansili (GB)
                3rd Dam: Aspiring Diva, by Distant View
   1ST GRADE I WIN. 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Juddmonte;
B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent Geroux.
$600,000. Lifetime Record: 8-5-1-1, $1,651,252. Click for
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
   *Triple Plus*.
2–Following Sea, 119, c, 3, Runhappy–Quick Flip, by
Speightstown. 'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Spendthrift Farm LLC
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $200,000.
3–Antigravity, 119, c, 3, First Samurai–Port Charlotte, by Blame.
($4,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT). O-Hollendorfer, LLC & Dennis
January; B-Glen Oak Farm & Two Stamps Stables (KY); T-Jerry
Hollendorfer. $100,000.
Margins: 18 1/4, 4HF, 13 1/4. Odds: 3.10, 3.60, 56.50.
Also Ran: Pickin' Time, Basso, Midnight Bourbon, Hot Rod Charlie. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

This was Mandaloun's first official Grade I victory, but he may earn a second–via a different kind of DQ–if current GI Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protonico) is ultimately stripped of his title due to a betamethasone positive.

A winner of his first two tries, Mandaloun was third on the stretch out behind Midnight Bourbon in the GIII Lecomte S. at Fair Grounds in January before breakout win with blinkers added in the GII Risen Star S. a month later. He was a head-scratching sixth when Hot Rod Charlie invaded from California to take the GII Louisiana Derby Mar. 20, but belied nearly 27-1 odds to finish a half-length behind Medina Spirit–and ahead of Hot Rod Charlie by the same margin–in the Derby. Mandaloun prepped for the Haskell with a neck success in the June 13 Pegasus S.

“We got a really good trip,” Mandaloun's trainer Brad Cox said. “I thought it was a lot like our Kentucky Derby trip. He was saving ground. Florent did a good job of getting on the outside of Following Sea. Turning for home I thought we had a big shot at winning the race. I thought we ran a winning race. Didn't have our nose down at the wire, but all and all it worked out. I'm proud of the effort and the performance. He's always been a good colt, he has always been highly thought of. He deserves a Grade I victory. He's a Grade I horse and I'm glad it worked out today.”

As for the incident and subsequent DQ, last year's Eclipse-winning conditioner said, “Someone watching the race next to me said Hot Rod Charlie may come down. I was so focused watching Mandoloun I didn't see the horse go down. It looked like he clipped heels, but I was not sure what happened. I was not sure if that horse ducked in behind Hot Rod Charlie or if Hot Rod Charlie came over on him. Once I saw the head-on and the replay I saw it. It didn't take them long to change it and it was pretty obvious they would make a change.”

Cox also trains GI Belmont S. winner Essential Quality (Tapit), who is expected to make his next start in the GII Jim Dandy S. in two weeks.

“Both [Essential Quality and Mandaloun] have obviously been campaigned since last fall and all of 2021,” Cox said. “We're going to ship Mandaloun up to Saratoga and let him catch his breath. We'll catch our breath. Myself and Garrett [O'Rourke, manager of Juddmonte's U.S. division] will come up with a game plan in the near future. No need to make a decision now.”

O'Rourke said, “Ultimately I think Brad followed a very good plan. We got one over the track. He trained up here as well and we're sitting here today so we have to consider it a success.

“I know he's a genuine Grade I horse. There's no fluke to the way the horse runs. It's good that the horse justified how good a runner he is. He's a beautifully bred horse and he was extremely well prepared. We're extremely proud. It was an unusual race but we still feel like he ran a winning race and it tastes the same.”

Juddmonte founder Khalid Abdullah passed away this January at 84.

Pedigree Notes:

Mandaloun is the 10th Grade I winner for Into Mischief, who also has 98 stakes winners and 43 graded winners. The Spendthrift super sire had another stellar week in the sales ring as well–he was responsible for three of the four priciest yearlings at Fasig-Tipton July, including the $800,000 topper.

Former Juddmonte colorbearer Empire Maker has now produced the dams of seven Grade I winners, including three this year (Silver State {Hard Spun} and Rock Your World {Candy Ride [Arg]}).

Mandaloun is a fourth-generation homebred for his powerhouse operation. Juddmonte purchased his fourth dam Queen of Song (His Majesty) for $700,000 in foal to Seattle Slew at Keeneland November back in 1989. Mandaloun's dam Brooch is a two-time group winner in Europe and a half-sister to MSW & MGSP Caponata (Selkirk). He is her second foal and the 10-year-old mare has since produced a pair of colts by Into Mischief and a War Front colt this April. This is also the family of Irish Highweight Emulous (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and Group victor First Sitting (GB) (Dansili {GB}).

The post Mandaloun Put Up In Haskell, Hot Rod Charlie DQd appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Practical Joke Colt Romps in Sanford

Wit romped home an eight-length winner of the GIII Sanford S. at Saratoga Saturday, becoming the first stakes winner for his highly touted freshman sire (by Into Mischief). The dark bay colt, who broke last before romping home to a six-length 'TDN Rising Star' victory in his 5 1/2-furlong debut at Belmont June 5, was again away from the gate slowly and settled off the pace as longshot Trust Our Journey (American Pharoah) set the early tempo. The pacesetter was some three lengths in front through a quarter in :22.68 as Wit rated in midpack along the rail. Wit made rapid progress on the bend, rolled up three wide at the top of the lane and surged powerfully to the lead before gliding home an effortless winner.

“He's not a great horse breaking out of there,” admitted winning rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. “I gave him the time to find his stride, and he did. By the half-mile, he started getting into a rhythm and he wanted to improve his position, so I started letting him do it by his own. By the three-eighths pole, I had to call his attention and he responded right away. For a 2-year-old that was very impressive. He's a nice horse.”

Tristan Barry, assistant to winning trainer Todd Pletcher, saw improvement in the colt's start Saturday.

“He broke a little better from the gate today, then Irad hustled him away from there, gathered him up and the horse took him there,” Barry said. “He probably had to move a little earlier than he wanted just to get to that outside position, and then he flew on by from there. He's a very nice horse. I loved what he did.”

Pedigree Notes:

Wit is one of four first-crop winners to date for freshman sire Practical Joke, who won the 2016 GI Hopeful S. and 2017 GI H. Allen Jerkens S. over the Saratoga strip.

The unraced Numero d'Oro, not bred in 2019, produced a colt by City of Light this year. The mare, a daughter of stakes winner and multiple graded placed Numero Uno, is a half-sister to the dam of graded winner and multiple Grade I placed Ivy Bell (Archarcharch). She was purchased by breeder Rosilyn Polan for $175,000 while in foal to Frosted at the 2017 Keeneland November sale. The resulting Frosted colt sold to Gatewood Bell's Cromwell Bloodstock for $105,000 at last year's OBS July sale.

Saturday, Saratoga
SANFORD S.-GIII, $150,000, Saratoga, 7-17, 2yo, 6f, 1:11.20, gd.
1–WIT, 120, c, 2, by Practical Joke
                1st Dam: Numero d'Oro, by Medaglia d'Oro
                2nd Dam: Numero Uno, by Afleet
                3rd Dam: Une Pavane (Fr), by Caro (Ire)
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($575,000
Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable &
Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); B-Rosilyn Polan (KY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $82,500. Lifetime
Record: 2-2-0-0, $132,000. *1/2 to Barkley (Munnings),
GSW, $368,425. 'TDN Rising Star'. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Headline Report, 120, r, 2, Gormley–Green Eyed Cat, by
Tale of the Cat. ($160,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL; $550,000 2yo '21
OBSMAR). O-Breeze Easy, LLC; B-Ledgelands LLC & Andrew
Ritter (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward. $30,000.
3–Dance Code, 120, c, 2, Honor Code–Dancinginthestreet, by
Street Boss. ($13,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $50,000 2yo '21
OBSMAR). O-Richie's World Stables LLC; B-Blackstone Farm
LLC (PA); T-Juan C. Vazquez. $18,000.
Margins: 8, 5HF, NK. Odds: 1.10, 3.60, 29.75.
Also Ran: Ottoman Empire, Kavod, Candy Landing, Trust Our Journey, Seize the Night, Due Vini, Maryland Brando, Lucago. Scratched: Catch the Smoke.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Practical Joke Colt Romps in Sanford appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Tribhuvan Wires the U.N.

Tribhuvan channeled his inner Presious Passion–a winner of this event in both 2008 and 2009–to effectively employ catch-me-if-you-can tactics and reach the highest level. Opening up as many as five lengths while appearing well within himself through splits of :24.01, :49.32, 1:15.47 and 1:40.16. Foes stacked up behind him leaving the final turn, but Flavien Prat was still sitting chilly and as son as he gave Tribhuvan his cue in upper stretch it was clear he couldn't be caught.

“We had a good trip,” said California-based Prat, who is increasingly becoming a go-to rider for East Coast-based Chad Brown. “He broke well and got me in the race. Then I was surprised I was alone because I didn't feel like I was going that fast, and he really came back to me nice along the backside, and I took a nice breather. It was a good breather. The race went really well when I asked him to make his move. I kind of sent him out there because I didn't be too wide so I ended up on the lead. My only concern from that point was getting him back into a nice rhythm and without losing too much energy so that's what I did. It worked out well. I had a lot of horse under me and he was really traveling well.”

Tribhuban broke his maiden at 12th asking at Compiegne for Henri-Alex Pantall in September of 2019, and doubled up in a Chantilly handicap a month later before being acquired privately. He'd take three starts to break his Stateside maiden, in a Belmont optional claimer last July, and reemerged an improved horse when first employing his new running style to victory in Belmont's GII Fort Marcy S. May 1. He settled for second best last time to stablemate Domestic Spending (GB) {Kingman {GB})–who was ridden by Prat–in the 10-panel GI Manhattan S. on the GI Belmont S. undercard.

“The way he ran was the strategy,” said Luis Cabrerra, assistant to now four-time U.N. winner Brown. “That's the way he ran in the Manhattan in his last start. He was just second-best to Domestic Spending. So we wanted to do the same thing this race. This horse has been training well. We've had him for a week at Monmouth Park and he has really taken to this place. I wasn't worried about them catching him because these fractions weren't all that fast. In the Manhattan he went [:23.81 and :46.95] to the half. That was much faster and he still held strong for second. When I saw the fractions today I knew we were okay.”

Saturday, Monmouth
UNITED NATIONS S.-GI, $515,000, Monmouth, 7-17, 3yo/up,
1 3/8mT, 2:15.48, fm.
1–TRIBHUVAN (FR), 124, g, 5, by Toronado (Ire)
1st Dam: Mahendra (Ger), by Next Desert (Ire)
2nd Dam: Minaccia (Ger), by Platini (Ger)
3rd Dam: Maji (GB), by Shareef Dancer
1ST GRADE I WIN. (€30,000 Wlg '16 ARQDEC; €58,000 RNA
Ylg '17 AROYRG). O-Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables LLC,
Wonder Stables and Michael J. Caruso; B-Jean Charles Haimet,
Elza Petit & Hannah Petit (FR); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat.
$300,000. Lifetime Record: 19-5-3-3, $661,154. Werk Nick
Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Imperador (Arg), 118, h, 5, Treasure Beach (GB)–Duchess
Royale (Ire), by Danehill. O-Bonne Chance Farm, LLC & Stud R
D I, LLC.; B-Haras Rio Dois Irmaos S.R.L. (ARG); T-Paulo H. Lobo.
$100,000.
3–Epic Bromance, 118, g, 5, Kitten's Joy–Anura (Ire), by Giant's
Causeway. ($50,000 Ylg '17 FTKTUR; $100,000 2yo '18
OBSAPR). O-Epic Racing; B-Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey (KY);
T-J. Kent Sweezey. $50,000.
Margins: 2, 1, NK. Odds: 1.70, 23.20, 61.10.
Also Ran: Serve the King (GB), Glynn County, Arklow, Winters Back, Fantasioso (Arg), Master Piece (Chi), Oceans Map.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:
Tribhuvan becomes the second highest-level winner (and first in the Northern Hemisphere) for MG1SW champion Toronado (Ire) (High Chapparal {Ire}), who was eighth as the favorite in Karakontie (Jpn)'s 2014 GI Breeders' Cup Mile win. He is the penultimate registered foal, and certainly the standout, of his dam's seven sons or daughters. He hails from the family of this year's G1 Prix Ganay heroine Mare Australis (Ire) (Australia {GB}) as well as MGSWs Montclair (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Macleya (Ger) (Winged Love {Ire}).

The post Tribhuvan Wires the U.N. appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post