August, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

August Sale Enters Round Two

The Tattersalls August Sale was last year borne out of necessity-a three-month gap in the calendar lasting until early June making it difficult to assess the merits of stock for a horses-in-training sale only a month later, and Covid restrictions complicating sales logistics-but the fixture that was instituted last summer as a back-up plan for vendors and buyers proved an inspired concept. Demand for horses was high and figures wound up not far off the popular and well-established Tattersalls July and Autumn Horses-In-Training Sales. The August Sale saw 510 sold from 561 offered (91%), with an average of 16,530gns and a median of 9,000gns.

The Tattersalls August Sale is back for a second renewal at Park Paddocks this week, though the return to normalcy of the July Sale means this catalogue is slightly smaller and is therefore down to two days on Tuesday and Wednesday. The 458 offerings comprise horses in and out of training, fillies and broodmares.

Four-year-old colt Whisper Not (GB) (Poet's Voice {GB}) was one graduate of last year's sale to fairly quickly reward connections; purchased for 90,000gns by David Meah and Jamie Lloyd's Meah-Lloyd Bloodstock as a 69-rated winner of his two most recent starts, Whisper Not joined trainer Richard Baltas in California and placed first-up in the G2 Mathis Brothers Mile S. before winning the G3 San Francisco Mile S. in April. Three-year-old colt Captain Magnum (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) has also proven a useful purchase for Italian owner Luigi Ginobbi and trainer Luciano Vitabile; the son of Kodiac was plucked from Archie Watson's yard for 17,000gns and three months later won the Listed Premio Divino Amore Trofeo Magician.

Like its July and Autumn counterparts, last year's August Sale proved extremely popular among buyers from the Middle East-four of the top five lots were purchased by Saudi connections, and another for Bahrain with the potential to run in Riyadh-as well as America and the National Hunt sector. There will be plenty for those markets, and indeed many others, to sift through this week. Among the headliners of the catalogue are wildcards Trais Fluors (GB) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 190C) and Pablo Escobarr (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 421A). The latter, a 5-year-old gelding from the William Haggas yard, finished eighth in the recent Ebor H., having previously run third behind Hukum (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G3 Geoffrey Freer S.

Another with recent group-race form is the 6-year-old entire Pretreville (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}) (lot 366), last year's G3 Prix Bertrand du Breuil Longines victor who was second in the G2 Prix du Muguet in May. Ballydoyle brings a draft of 18 colts, and those with stakes form include this year's G3 Gallinule S. second Arturo Toscanini (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 397); Lough Derg (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 395), second to Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial in May; and Horoscope (Ire) (No Nay Never) (lot 392), who has run eight times this season and won the Listed Vincent O'Brien Ruby S. at Killarney on Aug. 19.

Juddmonte brings a boutique draft of four here, and those are headed by Fabilis (GB) (Frankel {GB}) (lot 380), who won twice last year at two and again over 2400 metres on the Newmarket July course on Friday. Jockey Rossa Ryan said after Friday's race, “A mile and a half is fine but he would stay a mile six I'd say as he settles and relaxes well. When he gets a good strong gallop he is really happy. He is in the sales and he will do well for whoever gets him as he is a good little horse.”

As part of an ongoing culling process, Shadwell Estate Company brings 44 to Park Paddocks. Those include Afkaar (Kitten's Joy) (lot 330), a 3-year-old full-brother to Breeders' Cup winner and sire Bobby's Kitten and multiple Grade II winner Camelot Kitten who broke his maiden on Apr. 5 at Marseille Borely for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget; Maraakiz (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) (lot 332), a gelded 3-year-old son of South African champion filly Entisaar (Aus) (More Than Ready) who won at two; 3-year-old colt Mothill (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}) (lot 371), who has a win and a second from four starts between 2000 and 2400 metres for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget; Taskheer (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}) (lot 373), a winner in his third start in May at three for trainer Francois Rohaut; and Taqareer (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) (lot 369), a winner at three last year and placed in four of six runs this season at the handicap level for John and Thady Gosden.

Other highlights of the catalogue include wildcard Inigo Jones (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) (lot 404A), a Cheveley Park homebred 3-year-old colt who was third in the 2000 metre Listed Newmarket S. in May; Zagato (GB) (Frankel {GB}) (lot 424), a 3-year-old colt out of Izzi Top (GB) who won over a mile at Thirsk in June and is rated 85; and French listed-placed 2-year-old Bunglejungleparty (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) (lot 169).

The Tattersalls August Sale begins at 11 a.m. at Park Paddocks on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The post August Sale Enters Round Two appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Medina Spirit Wins Shared Belief Stakes in Return

Zedan Racing Stables' Medina Spirit made his first race appearance in over three months a winning one as he cruised to a front-running 1 ¼-length victory in the $100,500 Shared Belief Stakes Aug. 29 at Del Mar.

Justin Mustari Becomes Youngest National Horseplayers Championship Winner

Justin Mustari of Des Plaines, Ill., topped a field of 563 entries to win the $725,000 first-place prize and an Eclipse Award as Horseplayer of the Year at this weekend’s 22nd annual National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) presented by Racetrack Television Network, Caesars Entertainment and Bally’s Las Vegas. The event was postponed from its usual early February dates due to the COVID-19 pandemic and became a midsummer event for the first time.

Medina Spirit Makes Successful Return In Shared Belief At Del Mar

With his title as 2021 Kentucky Derby winner still in legal limbo, Medina Spirit made his first start since finishing third in the Preakness Stakes, winning the Shared Belief Stakes on Sunday at Del Mar.

The son of Protonico went off as the race's favorite, broke fast, and led at every call to win the one-mile stakes under jockey John Velazquez.

The field of six broke cleanly from the gate, with Velazquez hustling Medina Spirit to the lead, followed by Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World on his outside and Reddam Racing's Team Merchants third. Through a first quarter in :22.52 and a half-mile in :46.92, Medina Spirit maintained his front-runner status, with Umberto Rispoli and Rock Your World close, never allowing the Bob Baffert trainee to be more than a three-quarters of a length ahead. They stayed 1-2 into the far turn, as both Rock Your World and Team Merchants loomed to Medina Spirit's outside entering the stretch.

Coming out of the turn, Rock Your World drifted out slightly, causing Team Merchants to veer into Stilleto Boy and forcing the latter to steady before running on down the center of the track. Rock Your World could not gain on Medina Spirit, who tenaciously hung on to his lead throughout the stretch run, flashing under the wire in front. Rock Your World was second, with Stilleto Boy third and The Great One fourth.

The final time for the one-mile Shared Belief Stakes was 1:37.29. Find this race's chart here.

The inquiry sign went up not long after the finish as the Del Mar stewards examined the action coming out of the far turn into the stretch when Team Merchants veered into Stilleto Boy. Because Team Merchants finished behind Stilleto Boy, the stewards decided not to make any changes to the order of finish. Medina Spirit was not affected by the inquiry.

Medina Spirit paid $3.80, $2.40, and $2.10. Rock Your World paid $2.80 and $2.20. Stilleto Boy paid $3.80 to show.

“It went the way we wanted it. Once I made the lead into the first turn, I felt better. He was moving well. When he got on the backside, his ears went up and he was really cruising. When a horse would come to him, he'd pick it up on his own. When we got to the quarter pole, I said 'Let's go; time to pick it up.' And he was right into it. He finished strong and the gallop out was strong, too. He can build off this race,” Velazquez said after the Shared Belief.

“It's a relief. A Shared Belief relief,” Baffert told the Del Mar media office after the race. “It's good that the fans were here for the showdown. I did not have any intention of running him in this race until a couple weeks ago. I started thinking about it, figuring it couldn't come up that tough. Then (son) Bode said, 'You know Rock Your World's running there?' For what this horse has gone through he's such a game horse and I wanted to run him here and see if he likes Del Mar. I've never had a Derby winner come back and win here so that's a first. He looks good and John (Velazquez) said he feels better than ever. There's still some good racing for him out there. We're waiting for the process to happen.”

Bred in Florida by Gail Rice, Medina Spirit is out of the Brilliant Speed mare Mongolian Changa. He is owned by Zedan Racing Stables, who purchased the 3-year-old colt from Whitman Sales for $35,000 at the 2020 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company July Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale. With this win in the Shared Belief, Medina Spirit has three wins in seven starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 8-4-3-1.

Additional stories about Baffert's Kentucky Derby positive and ensuing legal battles can be found here.

The post Medina Spirit Makes Successful Return In Shared Belief At Del Mar appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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