Month: August 2022

Nest Dominates Alabama

Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House's Nest (Curlin) left little doubt who the best 3-year-old filly in the country is with a second straight tour-de-force victory over GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Secret Oath (Arrogate) in Saturday's GI Alabama S. at Saratoga.

The overwhelming 1-5 favorite wasn't off to the smoothest of beginnings, bobbling slightly and bumping with longshot Nostalgic (Medaglia d'Oro) at the start. It didn't seem to matter one bit once the 1 1/4-mile journey was officially underway with Nest finding a perfect spot in a stalking third rounding the clubhouse turn.

Up a slot into second behind longshot leader She's Keen (Keen Ice) and traveling like a winner every step, Nest hit the front outside the five-sixteenths marker with jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. taking multiple looks in the rearview mirror. He had a very good view of the aforementioned Oaks winner, who was beginning to make her move at the quarter pole and the stage was set for the highly anticipated rubber match. Or so it seemed.

Nest floated out Secret Oath about six wide at the top of the stretch and absolutely exploded once straightened from there, displaying an electrifying turn of foot to win going away by a geared-down 4 1/4 lengths.

“That was a special performance today,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “To see her come back and it seemed like she hardly drew a deep breath. I was a little concerned at the start, she got away in a bit of a tangle. I was hoping we'd get a good position and we ended up getting the position that we wanted. It was a little hairy for the first couple of strides, but after that it was all her.”

A jaw-dropping winner of Keeneland's GI Central Bank Ashland S. Apr. 8, Nest was two lengths behind Secret Oath as the favorite on the first Friday in May beneath the Twin Spires May 6. She showed her class after stumbling at the start with another second-place finish, this time against the boys, in the final leg of the Triple Crown in the GI Belmont S. June 11. Nest entered the Alabama following a 12 1/4-length powerhouse victory over Secret Oath in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks at the Spa July 23.

“It's at the point now where that's what you expect from her,” Pletcher said. “It takes a little while to build a resume like that, but she's run well in every start of her life and I thought this was a special performance today. We've run a lot of horses in the Belmont and I don't think I've ever had one come out as well as she did.”

Nest was also under consideration for another shot at males in next Saturday's GI Runhappy Travers S. before landing on the Alabama.

“This is a really, really good filly and we put her in the right spot today,” winning co-owner Mike Repole said. “I know everyone wanted the Travers, but she's an Eclipse Award winner now, I think, and I think this is the right route for her and we did what was right for the horse.”

As for what's next, Pletcher added, “Obviously, the Breeders' Cup is the main target, so now we have to figure out if we want to run once in between now and then or how we'll do it. We'll assess how she comes out of it first and come up with a game plan.”

Pedigree Notes:

One of Curlin's 18 Grade I winners, $350,000 Keeneland September graduate Nest is the second straight daughter of the two-time Horse of the Year to annex the Alabama, joining her stablemate and 2021 champion 3-year-old filly Malathaat, who is also out of an A.P. Indy mare.

Curlin's fellow top-level winners Clairiere and Paris Lights are out of mares by top broodmare sire Bernardini, and Nest's stakes-winning dam Marion Ravenwood is bred on the same cross as Bernardini, being out of a Quiet American mare herself.

In addition to Nest and 2021 GI Santa Anita H. hero Idol, Marion Ravenwood is responsible for $275,000 KEESEP '21 yearling Lost Ark (Violence), who took his unveiling by 5 1/2 lengths for Pletcher and Harrell Ventures earlier this summer at Belmont. Out of GSW/GISP and $2.5-million FTKNOV seller Andujar, Marion Ravenwood was bred to Curlin for 2023.

Saturday, Saratoga
ALABAMA S.-GI, $600,000, Saratoga, 8-20, 3yo, f, 1 1/4m, 2:03.14, ft.
1–NEST, 121, f, 3, by Curlin
       1st Dam: Marion Ravenwood (SW, $112,598), by A.P. Indy
       2nd Dam: Andujar, by Quiet American
       3rd Dam: Nureyev's Best, by Nureyev
($350,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House; B-Ashview Farm & Colts Neck Stables (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $330,000. Lifetime Record: 9-6-2-1, $1,735,550. *1/2 to Dr Jack (Pioneerof the Nile), MSP, $156,155; Full to Idol, GISW, $426,964. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Secret Oath, 121, f, 3, by Arrogate
       1st Dam: Absinthe Minded (MSW & MGISP, $607,747), by Quiet American
       2nd Dam: Rockford Peach, by Great Above
       3rd Dam: Strawberry Skyline, by Hatchet Man
O-Briland Farm; B-Briland Farm, Robert & Stacy Mitchell (KY); T-D. Wayne Lukas. $120,000.
3–Goddess of Fire, 121, f, 3, by Mineshaft
       1st Dam: Feel That Fire (SW, $147,280), by Lightnin N Thunder
       2nd Dam: Ubetwereven, by French Deputy
       3rd Dam: Raysor Lake, by Private Account
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Red Oak Stable (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $72,000.
Margins: 4 1/4, 2, 2. Odds: 0.35, 4.80, 22.00.
Also Ran: Skratch Kat, Gerrymander, Nostalgic, She's Keen.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Charge It’s Saturday Workout Rescheduled For Sunday At Saratoga, Status For Travers Unclear

A planned Saturday breeze for $1.25 million Runhappy Travers (G1) hopeful Charge It, a 23-length winner of the one-mile Dwyer (G2) July 2, was scrapped and rescheduled for Sunday morning.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said he will breeze Whisper Hill Farm's homebred Tapit colt on Sunday morning at 8:45 a.m. (ET) over the main track.

Pletcher told the BloodHorse that the colt had a setback but would not elaborate, thus clouding the picture for the Travers, which is set for August 27.

 

 

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‘He’s Essentially Already Ready’: Sadler Keeps Flightline On Even Keel With Saturday Workout For Pacific Classic

As his horse glided down the stretch at Del Mar Saturday morning, trainer John Sadler was heard to exclaim “gorgeous” as the colt breezed by the grandstand. The ease with which Flightline gets over the ground provokes spontaneous responses like that.

Flightline put in his second-to-last work under overcast skies as he continues preparations for the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) on September 3. The undefeated son of Tapit went seven furlongs in 1:24 with splits of :12.20; :35.20; :47.40, and 1:11.40.

“I was very pleased,” Sadler said. “Very similar to last week. He's essentially already ready so we just wanted to maintain an even keel with him.”

Flightline was ridden by regular exercise rider and Sadler's assistant trainer Juan Leyva. He was the only horse to work at the distance on a busy morning of training at Del Mar.

“You could see he was going very nice,” Sadler said, “well within himself. He'll have a little soft work next week and then he's ready to go.”

Flightline's penultimate work caught the attention of a lot people. Among those on hand when the work went off at 6:30 a.m. (PT) were trainers Jerry Hollendorfer, Phil D'Amato, and Bob Baffert, who even got in a little ribbing, asking Sadler if he got any sleep last night.

Uunbeaten in four career starts, including the Metropolitan (G1) June 11 and 2021 Runhappy Malibu (G1), Flghtline is owned by the partnership of Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, breeder Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Woodford Racing. He is top-ranked horse pointing to the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) November 5 at Keeneland.

Baffert plans to run Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, et al.'s Country Grammer against Flightline in the Pacific Classic. The Dubai World Cup winner also worked Saturday morning, going six furlongs in 1:12.00. Baffert also may run Juddmonte Farm's Laurel River and Pegram, Watson and Weitman's Defunded, who also put in a six-furlong work, stopping the clock at 1:11.

Trainer Ed Moger is pointing his brother Steve's Stilleto Boy to the Pacific Classic. He worked the son of Shackleford five furlongs in 1:00.40 Saturday.

Other possible challengers include Foxhill Farms and Sienna Farm's Royal Ship, winner of the San Diego (G2) last month; MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm's Tizamagician, runner-up last out in the Cougar II (G3), and Jay Em Ess Stable's Extra Hope, who worked five furlongs in 1:00.00 Saturday. All three reside in the Richard Mandella barn.

Trainer John Shirreffs has hinted that C R K Stable's Express Train may run in the Pacific Classic. The Santa Anita Handicap(G1) winner worked six furlongs in 1:12.40 Saturday morning, and Sadler may add the Cougar II winner Hronis Racing's Heywoods Beach to the mix.

Nominations for the Pacific Classic close Thursday, August 25.

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You’re ‘Verry’ Welcome

Following the frantic Saturday, a sense of serenity returns to the European racing scene on Sunday with Deauville hosting the leading action including the G1 Darley Prix Morny and G1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet. In the latter contest, France says bienvenue to the Australian wonder Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) who makes her eagerly anticipated Northern Hemisphere debut under Frankie Dettori for the Francis-Henri Graffard stable. Her astounding 11 Group 1 wins in her former country make her a figure of worldwide renown, but a 12th in Europe would truly set the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup heroine apart.

Last in the winner's enclosure at Randwick six months ago after the Chipping Norton S., Jomara Bloodstock's 7-year-old has several formlines to suggest she can deal with this transition. There is a strong contender lying in wait in Robert Moran's June 8 G3 Munster Oaks and July 7 G3 Stanerra S. winner Rosscarbery (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), so this will be no soft landing.

“It will be a new experience for her on the other side of the world,” Dettori told Racing.com. “She's had a bit of a break, so we'd expect her to come on for the race. When you look back at the Caulfield Cup, she beat the Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck, so if you can match that form that's pretty decent. I managed to speak to Mark Zahra and I will talk to James [McDonald], but the most important thing is just to keep her quiet the first part of the race and make the finish. It is her comeback race and obviously her long-range target is the Arc, so it's the first step forward to get to that.”

 

 

 

Ballydoyle Hold The Key To The Morny

Aidan O'Brien ruled the roost at The Curragh on Saturday and even managed to snag a black-type contest here on the same afternoon, but they are all probably the appetiser for the G1 Darley Prix Morny which Rosegreen dominate with the July 17 G2 Prix Robert Papin first and second Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never) and The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).

Blackbeard was the operation's first black-type winner among the juvenile crop in 2022 and since his battling display in the Listed First Flier S. at The Curragh May 2, the stable have garnered another 13, including 11 at group level. Blackbeard has aided the cause with further wins in the May 21 G3 Marble Hill S. also at The Curragh and Chantilly's Robert Papin, while The Antarctic came here to take the G2 Prix de Cabourg which serves as this race's main course-and-distance trial Aug. 2. The latter, a full-brother to Battaash (Ire), has three lengths to make up on his warrior stablemate, but the master of Ballydoyle suggested this is no foregone conclusion.

“We always thought The Antarctic was a very good horse, which is why we supplemented him. He's just taking a little bit of time to come, but he's getting better,” he said.

Deja Vu?

Twelve months ago, Richard Fahey brought a G2 Norfolk S. winner here, booked Christophe Soumillon and the rest was history. This year, Steve Bradley's surprise winner The Ridler (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}) gets the treatment and if history can repeat itself, then the follow-up act to Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) will be able to put a controversial win in that June 16 Royal Ascot contest behind him.

“He ran through the line at Ascot over a very stiff five and I just think the further he goes, the better he'll go,” Fahey said.

In a renewal lacking a single French runner, the July 7 G2 July S. winner Persian Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) adds intrigue but the shadow of Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) hangs over all after he put seven lengths between them in the Phoenix.

“I was amazed with that race in Ireland–I was staggered that something could beat him that far,” trainer Richard Hannon said. “He's a very good horse and hopefully he's able to show it on Sunday.”

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