Newmarket Dream Closer For Dr Zempf After Trial Success

“I'd love to win an English Guineas,” Ger Lyons said after watching TDN Rising Star Dr Zempf (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) collect in Saturday's Listed Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” 2,000 Guineas Trial S. at Leopardstown. Always travelling easily in second throughout the early stages under Colin Keane, Peter Brant's G1 Phoenix S. runner-up took control two out and held off The Acropolis (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) to reward takers of 11-10 by half a length, with a length back to fellow TDN Rising Star New Energy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) in third. Lyons was not getting carried away, however. “I do think he is a good bit shy of the favourite [Native Trail] at the moment, but at least that's the first box ticked,” he said reflecting on the Apr. 30 Newmarket Classic. “He parked in front–he only does enough and is one that wants to be arriving late on the scene. He had a good blow after, so there's plenty of improvement but if he's going for the big one there needs to be. We were trying to fit a square peg in a round hole over six last year, so I never thought going seven or a mile would be a problem. He has a good temperament and was just running a bit free early on.”

Dr Zempf's stamina has to be taken on trust on pedigree, being a son of the six-furlong G3 Prix Eclipse winner Souvenir Delondres (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) who is a half to the Listed Land O'Burns Fillies' S.-placed I'm So Glad (GB) (Clodovil {Ire}). Related to the GII Schuylerville S. winner Distinct Habit (Distinct Pro) and the dual listed-winning sprinter and G3 Prix de Seine-et-Oise runner-up Terroir (Ire) (Fairy King), the dam has a connection with the GI Preakness S. hero Red Bullet (Unbridled) and this stable's G3 Solonaway S. winner Brendan Brackan (Ire) (Big Bad Bob {Ire}). Souvenir Delondres also has a 2-year-old
filly by Kingman (GB) and a yearling colt by Too Darn Hot (GB).

BALLYLINCH STUD RED ROCKS 2,000 GUINEAS TRIAL S.-Listed, €42,500, Leopardstown, 4-2, 3yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:30.06, gd.
1–DR ZEMPF (GB), 131, c, 3, by Dark Angel (Ire)
     1st Dam: Souvenir Delondres (Fr) (GSW-Fr, $138,754), by Siyouni (Fr)
     2nd Dam: Dilag (Ire), by Almutawakel (GB)
     3rd Dam: Terracotta Hut (Ire), by Habitat
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. (420,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Peter M Brant; B-Stratford Place Stud (GB); T-Ger Lyons; J-Colin Keane. €25,500. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Ire, 5-2-1-0, $104,677.
2–The Acropolis (Ire), 131, c, 3, Churchill (Ire)–Hairy Rocket (GB), by Pivotal (GB). (€140,000 Wlg '19 GOFNOV). O-Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith/Westerberg; B-Frank Dunne (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €8,500.
3–New Energy (Ire), 131, c, 3, New Bay (GB)–For Joy (GB), by Singspiel (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE. (£65,000 2yo '21 TATGOR). O-John Lavery; B-Anne Hallinan & John O'Connor (IRE); T-Sheila Lavery. €4,250.
Margins: HF, 1, 3/4. Odds: 1.10, 12.00, 5.50.
Also Ran: Exquisite Acclaim (Ire), Glounthaune (Ire), Howth (Ire), Morning Soldier (Ire), McTigue (Ire).

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Sunday’s Insights: Hall of Famer-Trained Maidens in at Gulfstream

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

7th-GP, $60K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 4:07 p.m. ET
A trio of Hall of Fame barns send out five of the eight entrants in this elongated sprint. Todd Pletcher saddles Repole Stable and St Elias Stable's $560,000 KEESEP buy Gate Runner (Arrogate). Out of stakes-placed turf router Nerfertiti (Speightstown), he's half to MGSW dirt sprinter Engage (Into Mischief). Second dam Clearly a Queen (Lucky North) was a hard-knocking MGSW on the lawn. Pletcher will also be represented by Days of Yore (Street Sense), who appears to have been purchased privately from breeder Shadwell Farm by Waterford Stable.

Seventh timer Logico (Violence) hails for a different barn, but could provide further insight into another runner of Pletcher, Repole and Viola's–he was second with a career-best Beyer figure last out behind good-looking debut scorer Bright Future (Curlin).

Bill Mott's two-pronged attack includes newcomer Broken Spur (American Pharoah). The Mike Rutherford homebred ($275,000 KEESEP RNA) is the first foal out of SW/GSP Stageplay (Curlin), who took her own debut going 6 1/2 panels at two. Stakes-winning second dam Stage Stop (Valid Expectations) also produced a GSW juvenile and 2013 GI Preakness S. third Mylute (Midnight Lute).

Mott's other runner is OXO Equine's $675,000 KEESEP buy Mendenhall (Pioneerof the Nile), who missed the break and checked in seventh over track and trip Mar. 5. He has fired two bullets in the interim, including one from the gate. The dark bay is out of 2012 GII Fantasy S. winner and $1.2-million FTKNOV seller Mamma Kimbo (Discreet Cat), whose previous foals include SWs Balandeen (Bernardini) and Matwakel (California Chrome).

Shug McGaughey gets in on the action with Stuart Janney III homebred Breakwater (Flatter). The bay, who has alternated between dirt works and ones on the grass–which might ultimately proof his preferred surface–is out of he connections' 2009 GIII Violet S. winner Quiet Harbor (Silver Deputy), who is a half to GSWs Ironicus (Distorted Humor), On Leave (War Front), Norumbega (Tiznow) and Hunting (Coronado's Quest). TJCIS PPs

9th-GP, $43K, MOC ($50K), 3yo, 7 1/2fT, 5:10 p.m. ET
Live Oak Plantation and conditioner Mark Casse take advantage of Great Uncle (Uncle Mo)'s Florida-bred status as he takes on a softer bunch on debut without being risked for the tag. The rail-drawn bay is out Zo Impressive (Hard Spun), who won her first two starts over the local main track before finishing second in the 2012 GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. She reached the highest level in the GI Mother Goose S. at Belmont two starts later and has already produced MGSW Souper Tapit (Tapit). Zo Impressive is a daughter of GISW Zoftig (Cozzene) and half to big-figure earning GI Acorn S. heroine Zaftig (Gone West), who in turn has produced SW/MGSP Spinoff (Hard Spun) and SP Rugbyman (Tapit). Live Oak purchased Zoftig, while she was carrying Zo Impressive, for $1.5 million at the 2008 Fasig-Tipton November sale. She was later sold for $1.1 million back in foal to Hard Spun at KEENOV '13.

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Dubawi’s Agave Too Good For Penelope Rivals

Juddmonte's unbeaten 3-year-old filly Agave (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) defeated subsequent Listed Grand Criterium de Bordeaux victrix Singforthemoment (Ire) (No Nay Never) when graduating over ParisLongchamp's one-mile strip in a Sept. 2 debutantes' heat, her sole juvenile outing, and doubled up in style going 10 furlongs on seasonal return with a three-length tally and a career high in Saint-Cloud's Mar. 10 Listed Prix Rose de Mai last time. Upped in trip once more for Saturday's G3 Prix Penelope back at Saint-Cloud, the May 15 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and June 19 G1 Prix de Diane entry continued her rapid ascent with a snug success in this pointer to the latter Classic. Agave was restrained to race off the pace in sixth after breaking smartly from an outer gate and turned for home in sixth. Making smooth headway out wide in the straight to launch her challenge at the quarter-mile marker, the 3-10 favourite led soon after and was pushed out in the closing stages to comfortably hold the late rattle of G3 Prix des Reservoirs runner-up Queen Trezy (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}) by 3/4-of-a-length, extending trainer Andre Fabre's record haul of renewals to nine.

“This filly has improved with every run, she has gone up in class with aplomb every time and we're delighted with this result,” said Juddmonte's on-course representative. “[Jockey] Olivier Peslier remarked that she was not favoured by the lack of pace and thought that he'd moved forward a little soon to avoid being caught for speed. He felt he was always safely in control. Andre Fabre will discuss plans with the family and racing manager Barry Mahon. She's entered in the [May 29 G1 Prix] Saint-Alary [back at ParisLongchamp] and that could be her next target.”

Agave is the second of four foals and lone scorer out of G2 Prix de Pomone and G3 Prix Allez France placegetter Contribution (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}), herself kin to a trio of black-type performers headed by dual G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). The February-foaled bay, who becomes the 149th group-race winner for her sire, is a half-sister to the hitherto unraced 2-year-old filly Salient Point (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) and a yearling filly by Study of Man (Ire). Her stakes-winning second dam Concentric (GB) (Sadler's Wells) ran third in the G3 Prix de Flore and is out of G3 Prix de Royaumont victrix Apogee (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}). Descendants of Apogee include MGSW sire Apsis (GB) (Barathea {Ire}), MGSW G1 Prix de Diane runner-up Dance Routine (GB) (Sadler's Wells) and MGISW US champion and sire Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}).

Saturday, Saint-Cloud, France
PRIX PENELOPE-G3, €80,000, Saint-Cloud, 4-2, 3yo, f, 10 1/2fT, 2:18.15, sf.
1–AGAVE (GB), 126, f, 3, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Contribution (GB) (MGSP-Fr), by Champs Elysees (GB)
2nd Dam: Concentric (GB), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Apogee (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
1ST GROUP WIN. O-Suc. Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Andre Fabre; J-Olivier Peslier. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, €81,000. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Queen Trezy (Fr), 126, f, 3, Almanzor (Fr)–Elodie (GB), by Dansili (GB). (€125,000 Ylg '20 ARQSEP). O-Eric Feurtet, Mme Marion le Menestrel & Haras d'Etreham; B-Eric de Chambure & Riviera Equine SARL (FR); T-Carlos & Yann Lerner. €16,000.
3–Anne de Cleves (Fr), 126, f, 3, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Alcandre (Ire), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). O-Lady Chryss O'Reilly & Baron Edouard de Rothschild (FR); B-Petra Bloodstock Agency Ltd & SC Ecurie de Meautry (FR); T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €12,000.
Margins: 3/4, HD, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.30, 6.30, 11.00.
Also Ran: She's Cosmic (GB), Allada (GB), La Mandola (Fr), Welcome Sight (GB). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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Baffert’s Ownership Group Clarifies Move of Horses

SF Bloodstock's Tom Ryan, representing the ownership group which moved four top three-year-olds to other barns last week, posted a statement on Twitter Friday night clarifying the impetus of the move.

“In light of recent commentary, our ownership group wishes to clear up a couple of misconceptions that have arisen about the transfer of our potential Derby horses to Rodolphe Brisset and Tim Yakteen,” Ryan wrote. “The owners alone made this decision, and they did so in order to give the horses the opportunity they deserve to compete in this year's Kentucky Derby. There has been some suggestion that Bob Baffert might obtain a financial benefit from the transfer of these horses and that he may somehow remain involved in their management. Both are incorrect. Bob has no financial or other interest in any of the horses, nor will he act in any direct or indirect advisory role for their training or racing while they are in the hands of other trainers. We understand the conditions Churchill Downs has established for the future accrual of Derby points and entry into the Derby and we intend to fully comply with them.”

'TDN Rising Star' Messier (Empire Maker), 'Rising Star' Doppelganger (Into Mischief) and McLaren Vale (Gun Runner) were sent to trainer Tim Yakteen, and will remain in Southern California. Blackadder (Quality Road) has been sent to the barn of Rodolphe Brisset in Kentucky.

 

 

Under the suspension imposed upon Baffert by Churchill Downs, the four horses would not have been eligible to earn Kentucky Derby qualifying points or to race in the Derby had they remained with Baffert.

All four are owned in partnership by the conglomerate nicknamed The Avengers, which includes SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables et al. Doppelganger is scheduled to run in Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby, while Messier and McLaren Vale are expected to run in the Apr. 9 GI Santa Anita Derby.

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