Tom Pedulla presents five key takeaways from major races at Keeneland Race Course, Belmont at the Big A and Santa Anita Park on Saturday as some of the nation’s top horses took their final step toward the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Nov. 4 and 5 at Keeneland.
Month: October 2022
Tattersalls Braced for More Bumper Trade as Graduates Shine
NEWMARKET, UK–There has been no respite for the hardy consignors and their staff since last week's heady renewal of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. No sooner had the hammer fallen on lot 549 than the next batch of yearlings came prancing onto the sales ground, ready for three days of inspections ahead of Book 2, which begins its three-day run from 10am on Monday.
This is the week that really requires stamina from all participants: three new books to complete the October sale by Saturday, with the numbers running on from last week, though to lot 2097, who should just make it through the ring before the gates fly back for the start of QIPCO British Champions Day.
With prices at an extraordinary high last week–a factor which will almost certainly mean that Book 2 is also stronger than usual–it is worth bearing in mind, for those on the search for juveniles for next year, that two years ago a first-crop daughter of Galileo Gold (GB) was plucked from Book 4 for just 4,000gns.
Bought from Kilpatrick Farm by Michael Aguiar, she found her way to George Boughey's stable and, given the name Oscula (Ire), she went on to race with huge success for the Nick Bradley Racing syndicate. And boy, hasn't she danced every dance? A winner in May, then a Group 3 winner by June, Oscula waltzed from the helter-skelters of Brighton and Epsom, to Royal Ascot, Newmarket, Deauville, Longchamp and Saint-Cloud. And that was just her 2-year-old season. This year she has added two more group wins, at Glorious Goodwood and Deauville, as well as notching umpteen stakes places here and there, not to mention a trip to Saudi Arabia in February. It is safe to say that Oscula is the type of filly we would all love to own–and all the better if we could find one just like her for 4,000gns.
Buyers will have to dig deeper than that through the next three days of Book 2, which by any standards is an elite sale in its own right. It owns the best bragging rights of all this year, having produced the Derby winner Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), not to mention the four-time Group 1 winner State Of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). Breeder Gary Robinson of Strawberry Fields Stud withdrew Desert Crown's half-brother by Study Of Man (Ire) from Book 1 last week, but he will be offering another relative in Book 2 in lot 817, an Expert Eye (GB) colt out of the Derby winner's half-sister, the six-time winner Rose Berry (GB) (Archipenko).
The winning graduates have kept pouring in over the weekend for Tattersalls. Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) continued an excellent run for her owner Nurlan Bizakov in the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte just six days after Belbek (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) won the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. Though Bizakov traditionally races homebreds, he bought Charyn from breeder Guy O'Callaghan's Grangemore Stud at Book 2 last year for 250,000gns. Her dam Futoon (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) has no yearling in the sale this year, but Grangemore's draft of five in Book 2 contains another Dark Angel filly [lot 919] who is the first foal of Listed Two-Year-Old Trophy winner Summer Daydream (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}).
At Newmarket, Fitri Hay's Book 2 graduate Royal Scotsman (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) came within a head of landing the G1 Darley Dewhurst S. when finishing second to Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Over at the Curragh on Saturday, Joseph O'Brien's Lumiere Rock (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) continued her smart progression. She too was sold in Book 2 last year, for 55,000gns to Rockfield Farm, and she has provided a timely update for consignor Castletown Stud, which offers her half-sister by Zoffany (Ire) as lot 1711 in Book 3. When the catalogue went to press, Lumiere Rock was still unraced.
These are just the tip of the equine iceberg, of course, and an honourable mention must go to one of this season's most exciting juveniles, Lezoo (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}), who was plucked from the Chasemore Farm draft at last year's Book 3 for 77,000gns by Hamish Macauley.
In short, those labelled the 'cream of the crop' helped to provide Tattersalls with an historic rendition of Book 1 but, as ever, the classy runners of the next few seasons will emanate from all levels of the market. Bargain-hunters shouldn't be deterred; they may just have to wait a little longer than normal to strike this week.
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Sea The Moon’s Fantastic Moon Wins The Winterfavoriten
Off the mark on debut over seven furlongs at Munich Sept. 12, Liberty Racing 2021's Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}–Frangipani {Ger}, by Jukebox Jury {Ire}) pitched his case as one of Germany's leading Classic contenders for 2023 in Sunday's G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten at Cologne. Settled in mid-division early by Rene Piechulek, the Sarah Steinberg-trained 14-5 shot stayed in his group of three racing away from the remainder.
Drifting left in the straight to join the others towards the stand's rail, the bay had the lead approaching the furlong pole and was driven out to ward off the G3 Zukunfts-Rennen runner-up See Paris (Ger) (Counterattack {Aus}) by half a length, with 2 3/4 lengths back to Arcandi (Ger) (Zarak {Fr}) in third. “He's a cool guy,” Piechulek told galopponline.de., while his partner Steinberg added, “He was growing for a long time, but after his success he made another real leap.”
Pedigree Notes
Fantastic Moon is the second foal out of Frangipani, a half-sister to the G3 Sveat Minnelop winner Fearless Hunter (Ger) (Alhaarth {Ire}) from the family of the G3 Rockfel S. winner Germane (GB) (Distant Relative [Ire}). She in turn produced the GI Hollywood Derby and GII Virginia Derby-placed Lucky Chappy (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), while others featuring are the G3 Prestige S. winner Kilmah (GB) (Sepoy {Aus}), one of the current stars of racing in the States, Jack Christopher (Munnings), and the dual top-level-winning sire Street Boss. Frangipani also has a yearling filly by Starspangledbanner (Aus) named Fang Mich (Ger) and a filly foal by Masar (Ire).
Saturday, Cologne, Germany
PREIS DES WINTERFAVORITEN-G3, €155,000, Cologne, 10-9, 2yo, 8fT, 1:38.38, g/s.
1–FANTASTIC MOON (GER), 128, c, 2, by Sea The Moon (Ger)
1st Dam: Frangipani (Ger), by Jukebox Jury (Ire)
2nd Dam: Firedance (Ger), by Lomitas (GB)
3rd Dam: Fraulein Tobin, by J. O. Tobin
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€49,000 Ylg '21 BBASEP). O-Liberty Racing 2021; B-Graf & Grafin von Stauffenberg (GER); T-Sarah Steinberg; J-Rene Piechulek. €85,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, €88,600. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–See Paris (Ger), 128, c, 2, Counterattack (Aus)–Scouting (Ire), by New Approach (Ire). (€32,000 Ylg '21 BBASEP). O-Cometica AG; B-Gestut Karlshof (GER); T-Henk Grewe. €31,000.
3–Arcandi (Ger), 128, c, 2, Zarak (Fr)–Santanna (Fr), by Country Reel.
1ST BLACK-TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. O/B-Gestut Ebbesloh (GER); T-Peter Schiergen. €20,500.
Margins: HF, 2 3/4, SHD. Odds: 2.80, 2.60, 2.50.
Also Ran: Garpur (Fr), Sirjan (Ger), Merkur (Fr), Senador (Ger).
Preis des Winterfavoriten (G3)
1600 m, 155.000 EUR, for 2yo
KölnFantastic Moon (GER)
(2C Sea The Moon – Frangipani, by Jukebox Jury)
J :Rene Piechulek
T :Sarah Steinberg
O :Liberty Racing 2021
See Paris (Counterattack)
Arcandi (Zarak) pic.twitter.com/UgHH4Zle2n— (@WorldRacing1) October 9, 2022
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Christopher Head: “I Wish My Grandfather Could Have Been There’
His father Freddy had an enduring love affair with the Breeders' Cup thanks to his treble Mile winner Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa), and this year it is the turn of Christopher Head to take his chance at America's major international meeting with Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}).
It has been quite the year for Head, 35, who notched his first group win in the G2 Prix du Muguet with TDN Rising Star Sibila Spain (Ire) (Frankel {GB), a first Group 1 in last weekend's Prix Marcel Boussac, and is now aiming at his first major overseas trip. In the midst of all this it was announced that he would take up the reins at the stable of Freddy Head, who will retire at the end of this season following an illustrious career, first as a jockey and later as a trainer.
“When my father made the announcement of his retirement, I wasn't expecting it because he hadn't talked about it,” said the French trainer on a visit to Tattersalls last week. “I learnt of it in the news like everybody else. This is how we are.”
There have been a number of sons, and the occasional daughter joining forces with their father since partnership training licences were introduced in Britain in 2020. However, in France, joint licences have been permitted for much longer, though this was never a route taken by Freddy and Christopher Head, with the latter having started training initially with a handful of rented boxes at Pascal Bary's Chantilly yard in 2019.
Christopher explains, “He always kept his distance with me in the beginning of my training career because he didn't want me to be in his shadow. I hope that it shows in the various things that I have done so far that it wasn't him, and that that can give owners confidence.
“It needed to be done as I wanted to try to make my own stamp on the stable. Now I am buying my father's stable. I've been training three years and now everything is settled and we are jumping onto the next step and having our own yard.”
The portents could not be better as the younger Head steps into this enhanced role having starred on Arc weekend with a smart young filly he will now take to Keeneland in pursuit of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. The daughter of Churchill has been highly tried this season, racing six times from early May for four wins, including the G3 Prix d'Aumale en route to the Marcel Boussac.
“It was really the pinnacle of a programme that I had with various fillies,” says Head as he reflects on a breakthrough Group 1 victory, not just for himself but for Blue Rose Cen's Spanish owner-breeder Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals, who notably made significant investment in broodmares at the sales in America and Europe several years ago.
“To prepare for the race [last] Sunday, we needed for her to kick at the start of the season and race every month,” he continues. “And from the start she really was very sound and very brilliant–a fast learner, and that's why things have been so easy for her. She really has always been so straightforward, leading the string sometimes. It really is an honour for me to train her.”
Despite a busy domestic programme this spring and summer for Blue Rose Cen, Head is adamant that she should take her chance at Keeneland.
He says, “That's the idea. We've been taking inspiration from what they do in Great Britain and Ireland. It's an experiment to see if we are capable of having 2-year-olds at this level, of this quality. What does Aidan O'Brien do? He runs his 2-year-olds.
“Of course I have been looking at all the Breeders' Cup replays from Keeneland to see what we need to do to win. I will prepare her for distance and speed, and of course to go left-handed. Everything will be done to ensure that we get her there in top condition.”
Head, whose younger sister Victoria is also now training, following a long family tradition that stretches back to their great-grandfather Willie Head and includes grandfather Alec, and aunt Criquette, knows that he is fortunate to have been selected by Fernandez Pujals to train some of his first wave of homebreds. The Coolmore-bred Sibila Spain, a full-sister to the smart stayer Master Of Reality (Ire) and from a family laden with black type, was recruited as a yearling at Arqana and also races in his colours.
“He sent me horses that I couldn't even imagine I would get to train,” says Head. “There is a huge gap between my beginning and when I had the chance to train horses for him and I really thank him again for his confidence in my stable. When you're a young trainer to have the confidence of a great owner like him is everything.
“He was already involved with Spanish [sport] horses but it's only been three years that he has been breeding thoroughbreds and he is brilliant enough to have learned every pedigree and he can go right back into the past with them. It's incredible to have him and to be part of his project. It's a huge project that I believe will have success. He bought a lot of nice mares and it's good for new owners to see that it is still possible to have success like this.”
He adds of the recently retired Sibila Spain, “She was the first horse I had for him, and she was my first group winner, so she is very special. Hopefully I might have the chance to train her offspring in the future.”
While the future looks bright for Head, his one regret is that his legendary grandfather Alec, who won the Arc as both a trainer and breeder, the latter with the dual victrix Treve (Fr), did not live long enough to see his first Group 1 success. The master of Haras du Quesnay died in June at the age of 97.
“It has been a beautiful year but it has also been a hard one too,” he notes. “I wish my grandfather could have been there to see it. Even though he was family, he was also a legend to us, so it was a hard time to think that I would no longer be able to discuss horses with him, because now I think that I am mature enough to do that. But I just hope somehow he saw it and enjoyed it.”
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