PROUD EMMA (Include) (Hip 876) is likely to visit Flightline for her next mating after summoning $1 million Wednesday at KEENOV from that superstar's breeder and part-owner Jane Lyon of Summer Wind Farm. The Grade III winner sold carrying her first foal by Charlatan. She was consigned by Bedouin Bloodstock.
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There must have been times when those connected to Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) in her early years were shaking their heads in frustration.
Four times she was entered for a sale as a young horse. She made the first of those engagements, no problem, when she was sold by Ballylinch Stud at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale on behalf of her breeder China Horse Club. Liam Norris, a man with a noted eye for foals, signed for her at 55,000gns, bought for a partnership headed by Ben Sangster, with the intention of bringing the New Bay filly back to the yearling sales the following October.
Thereafter, she was scratched from October Book 2, then the December Yearling Sale and, during the following topsy-turvy first year of Covid, she was also withdrawn from the July Sale, in which she would have appeared as an unraced two-year-old. By that stage, however, the minor foot issue which had meant Sangster and Saffron Beach's co-owner James Wigan had to forget the yearling sales, had come good, and Jane Chapple-Hyam had paid a visit to Manton to see the filly and to decide if she would like to train her. Fortunately she did like her. Very much so, in fact, and with a raft of group wins now to her credit, it's easy to imagine that Saffron Beach has shot to the top of the charts of Chapple-Hyam's all-time favourite horses.
It will, then, be a bittersweet moment for all involved at Abington Place when their stable star returns to Tattersalls for the December Mares' Sale, even though as a full-fledged dual Group 1 winner she reflects much credit on the yard. And there could yet be the opportunity for one last hurrah.
“She's being sold as a horse in training and hopefully the lucky purchaser might enjoy having a trip to Hong Kong,” says Chapple-Hyam. “She's in the $4 million Hong Kong Mile and we've accepted the invitation, so it would be a lovely swansong.”
It would indeed, but then right from the off, the filly from the first crop of New Bay has fuelled the dreams of her trainer and ownership team of Lucy Sangster, Ollie Sangster and James Wigan. Making her debut at Newmarket on September 26, 2020, the powerful chestnut strode away from her 14 rivals in her maiden race to finish more than four lengths clear of her nearest pursuer. Such an eye-catching start made her fully entitled to step straight into pattern company, which she did just a fortnight later, back at her home track, in the G3 Oh So Sharp S.
“She's just gone from strength to strength,” says Chapple-Hyam. “But in a funny kind of way, her first two runs showed a lot when she won a maiden, and then two weeks later she backed up for the Oh So Sharp. And when Adam Kirby got off her, we knew there and then because he said she felt like a special filly.”
Kirby, a jockey not prone to hyperbole, was spot on. Put away for the winter, Saffron Beach returned to run second in her 1,000 Guineas trial, the G3 Nell Gwyn S., and was then runner-up in the Classic itself, finishing just a length behind the winner Mother Earth (Ire).
Failing to properly see out the mile and a half when contesting the Oaks at Epsom, Saffron Beach had unleashed her true potential by the end of her three-year-old season, winning the G3 Atalanta S. en route to landing her first Group 1 in the Sun Chariot back at her beloved Rowley Mile.
“She did really well in the Nell Gwyn,” her trainer recalls. “We used that as a stepping stone and she was probably only 85% fit, then we waited another two weeks to run in the Guineas. So that was a highlight and then since then she's picked up Group 1s, whether it be at Newmarket or over in Deauville, and she's just proved a tough, consistent filly.”
Returned to training at four, Saffron Beach's warm-up fourth place in the G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan proved the perfect springboard for another lucrative summer campaign in Europe. At Royal Ascot she waltzed away with the G2 Duke of Cambridge S. before beating dual Group 1 winner Tenebrism (Ire) in the G1 Prix Rothschild in Deauville. She also had her fellow Sceptre Sessions entrant Pearls Galore (Fr) behind her that day, but the tables were turned when all three classy fillies met again on Irish Champions Weekend, with Pearls Galore landing the G1 Matron S. ahead of Saffron Beach in second, and Tenebrism third, with the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Homeless Songs (Ire) claiming fourth.
Saffron Beach, who hails from the family of the young sire Cotai Glory (GB), was the first Group 1 winner for her upwardly mobile sire, and she has been joined in that category this year by Bay Bridge (GB) and Bayside Boy (Ire), who notched a notable Group 1 double for the Ballylinch Stud resident on British Champions Day.
Chapple-Hyam says of the statuesque trailblazer, “She's feisty, but she's a nice, feisty mare. She's she's got a kind side to her. It's going to be hard when she goes because she's in box one, and so for a couple of years, [we've been] seeing her every morning. But hopefully she'll have a nice career at stud and go to some top stallions.”
She adds, “It will be up to the new purchasers if they would like her to run in Hong Kong in their colours and we will do some quick paperwork, but we're all set at this end.
“Everyone's very thrilled with what she's done throughout the last couple of years so I'm sure they'll all miss cheering her on. But we were lucky enough to keep her on as a four-year-old so, especially the last month, we've just been enjoying seeing her every day.”
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Hazelbrook, a 4-year-old daughter of Bayern, goes for another graded stakes crown, this time in Saturday's Grade 2 $175,000 Bessarabian Stakes, at Woodbine.
The 7-furlong main track feature for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and upward, has drawn nine starters, including Hazelbrook.
Trained by Lorne Richards, the True North Stable charge has enjoyed a stellar campaign, a season that includes four wins from five starts, and stakes success in the Grade 3 Hendrie, the Sweet Briar Too, and most recently, the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion.
The bay's other 2022 start was a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Seaway when she finished second to multiple graded stakes winner Lady Speightspeare, who was third in the recent Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland.
“It's been a great year for her,” said Richards. “She's been good every start and we're really proud of her.”
Bred in Kentucky by Mike Bilbrey, Hazelbrook finished third at 68-1 in her debut in November 2020, a 6-furlong maiden special event race over the Tapeta.
She began her 3-year-old season in style, winning her first two races before finishing eighth in the Duchess Stakes on September 25, 2021, the final start of her sophomore campaign.
Hazelbrook was back in the winner's circle after her first start of 2022, the beginning of a three-race win streak.
“I liked her from the very start,” said Richards. “The only thing is that she's very quirky. She has had issues with her digestive system for a while, so that's something we've had to monitor closely. The clinic in Guelph told me it's kind of like colitis. It's something where you have to take it day-by-day, but there's no denying she has plenty of talent. She can be high-strung, so we do our best. But I'm not going to complain. She shows up every time.”
Partnering Hazelbrook with jockey Jason Hoyte has proven to be a winning combination.
“Jason has worked for me for years, galloping, and she was kind of a bad actor. I didn't get a lot of takers wanting to ride her. We finally got her onto the track, and she dumped her rider the first time she was supposed to run, and she ended up getting scratched. But Jason has done a fantastic job with her. I'm just happy for him. He's a good kid and I'm pretty happy for him that he's had that success with her.”
The Bessarabian will be the final start of the season for Hazelbrook, who sports a lifetime record of 6-1-1 from nine starts.
“She deserves it. She's had a great year, but she can be hard on herself. She's pretty easy to rate and she goes when you ask her. You can't knock her at all.”
Mark Casse sends out the duo Beyond Mybudget and Our Flash Drive. Fellow conditioner Saffie Joseph, Jr. has Artie's Princess and Allworthy entered.
Trainer Roger Attfield and Kinghaven Farms teamed to win the first two editions of the Bessarabian, in 1985 with Summer Mood and one year later with Playlist.
The race is named after Canada's champion older female of 1986, a multiple stakes winning daughter of Vice Regent trained by Michael Doyle and owned by Eaton Hall Farm. She finished her racing career with an 18-5-4 mark from 37 starts.
Also on Saturday, 11 fillies and mares, 3-years-old and upward, will travel 1 ¼-miles on the Tapeta in the Grade 3 $150,000 Maple Leaf Stakes.
U.S. based Charges Dropped, Creative Cairo, and Transient (GB) take on a group that includes Kevin Attard trainees Angelou and Munnyfor Ro.
Conn Smythe, principal owner of the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs from 1927 to 1961 and builder of Maple Leaf Gardens, leads all owners with seven Maple Leaf crowns.
Inaugurated in 1892, the race was won last year by Skygaze.
The Bessarabian is carded as race eight on Saturday's 10-race program. The Maple Leaf goes as race seven. First post is 1:20 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager on all the action through HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app.
FIELD FOR THE GRADE 2 BESSARABIAN
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Artie's Princess – Jose Ortiz – Saffie Joseph, Jr.
2 – Sweet Enough (GB) – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Roger Attfield
3 – Hazelbrook – Jason Hoyte – Lorne Richards
4 – Lorena – Rafael Hernandez – Stuart Simon
5 – Beyond Mybudget – Declan Carroll – Mark Casse
6 – Our Flash Drive – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
7 – Awesome Treat (S) – Jose Campos – Steve Attard
8 – Loyalty – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll
9 – Allworthy – Kazushi Kimura – Saffie Joseph, Jr.
FIELD FOR THE GRADE 3 MAPLE LEAF
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Crystal Glacier (S) – Eswan Flores – Mark Casse
2 – Owen's Tour Guide (S) – Leo Salles – William Armata
3 – Charges Dropped – Kazushi Kimura – Michael McCarthy
4 – Il Malocchio – Sahin Civaci – Martin Drexler
5 – Dreidel – Declan Carroll – Josie Carroll
6 – Munnyfor Ro – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
7 – Angelou – Luis Contreras – Kevin Attard
8 – Peace Seeker – Slade Jones – Nick Nosowenko
9 – Creative Cairo – Rafael Hernandez – Christophe Clement
10 – Silent Causeway – Patrick Husbands – Laura Krasauskaite
11 – Transient (GB) – Jose Ortiz – Saffie Joseph, Jr.
The post ‘Very Quirky’ Hazelbrook Chasing Another Graded Stakes Win In Bessarabian appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
A total of 95 of some of the nation's top claiming-level horses, including seven also-eligible entries, have been entered in Saturday's 24th annual Claiming Crown Championship Series, which will be staged beneath Churchill Downs' historic Twin Spires in Louisville, Ky. for the first time.
The Claiming Crown features lucrative prize money for horse racing's blue-collar athletes as they compete for $1.05 million in purses over eight races with starter allowance conditions. The event will bring together claiming-level horses from around the country as horses based in 11 different states are represented: Kentucky, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.
The first of 11 races Saturday is 1 p.m. (all times Eastern) and the Claiming Crown will cover Races 4-11 starting at 2:30 p.m. Racing from Churchill Downs is scheduled to be televised on FS2's “America's Day at the Races” from 2-6 p.m.
Magic Cap Stables' Twelve Volt Man will defend his title against a field of 10 colts and geldings that were entered in Saturday's $175,000 Claiming Crown Jewel at Churchill Downs. The featured Jewel will go as Race 10 of 11 at 5:35 p.m.
Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Twelve Volt Man has competed for the majority of his 10-race career in South Florida with the exception of a third-place finish in the $100,000 Jazil Stakes at Aqueduct in New York. The 4-year-old gelded son of Violence started for a $35,000 claiming tag on Oct. 14, 2021 to become eligible for the Claiming Crown.
In last year's Jewel at Gulfstream Park, Twelve Volt Man finished three-quarters of a length in front of Hanalei's Houdini to spring the 10-1 upset victory under jockey Edwin Gonzalez. Saturday's Jewel will be the first start for Twelve Volt Man since winning a starter handicap at Gulfstream Park on Aug. 28. Gonzalez will be in town to ride and the duo will break from post No. 9.
One of the top local hopes in the Jewel is multiple stakes-placed Intrepid Heart. Owned by Jack Wagon Stables and trained by Joe Sharp, Intrepid Heart finished a hard-fought second to stablemate Twilight Blue in the $200,000 Fort Larned on Aug. 13 at Churchill Downs. The former $25,000 claim sports an overall record of 27-8-7-4 with earnings of $520,382. Since Sharp claimed Intrepid Heart on Sept. 24, 2021, the 6-year-old gelded son of Tapit has only finished off the board once and hasn't finished worse than second in his last seven starts. Tyler Gaffalione will have the mount on Intrepid Heart and break from post 5.
Among the other competition entered in the Jewel is Happy Got Lucky Stable's $153,000 Maryland Millions Day Classic winner Ournationonparade. Trained by Parx-based conditioner Jamie Ness, Ournationonparade was claimed off Chris Hartman for $50,000 on Sept. 28 and went on to win the Maryland Millions Classic by 5 ¾ lengths as the 2-1 favorite. Jockey Paco Lopez will be in the irons from post 10.
Here's the complete field for the Claiming Crown Jewel from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
Paradise Farms Corp.'s recent allowance winner Onenightstandards leads an oversubscribed field of 16 colts and geldings entered in Saturday's $150,000 Claiming Crown Emerald at Churchill Downs.
Run at 1 1/16 miles on turf, the Emerald will go as the finale on the 11-race card with a post time of 6:05 p.m. First post Saturday is 1 p.m.
Trained by Mike Maker, Onenightstandards won a one-mile allowance event two starts ago at Kentucky Downs. The 4-year-old son of Archarcharch was claimed for $80,000 last September but became eligible for the Emerald after starting for a $20,000 claiming tag on April 7, 2021 at Keeneland. Overall, Onenightstandards has won three of 13 career starts with purse earnings of $173,762. In his last start, Onenightstandards finished third in a 1 ½-mile allowance event at Keeneland. Onenightstandards will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione from post No. 4.
Here's the complete field for the Emerald from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
Also Eligible: On a Spree (Beschizza, Juan Cano); Max K.O. (Edwin Gonzalez, Joseph); and Shady McGee (IRE) (Gerardo Corrales, Maker).
Main Track Only: Palace Coup (Gaffalione, Joe Sharp).
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