April, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Luxembourg The Star of Bank Holiday Bonanza

High-quality racing across Ireland, France and Germany awaits the racing fraternity on Monday, with The Curragh's G2 Coolmore Stud Sottsass Irish EBF Mooresbridge S. seeing the return to the fray of Ballydoyle's key older campaigner Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). Plagued by muscular issues last term, the 2021 G1 Futurity Trophy winner still managed to upstage Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) in Leopardstown's G1 Irish Champion S. on one of his better days in September and connections will be hoping that a clear run can see him shine even brighter in the weeks ahead.

Mare Trouble…
Interestingly, Luxembourg who comes with the customary “will-improve” tag, encounters the mare Insinuendo (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) who so nearly upset the odds when he was returning from his first injury-enforced rehab period in the G3 Royal Whip over this course and distance in August. These races don't always come easy and that is certainly the case this time, with another femme fatale lying in wait in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary and G2 Blandford S.-winning TDN Rising Star Above The Curve (American Pharoah), not to mention the G2 Prix de la Nonette winner Trevaunance (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}). Like Vadeni and Bay Bridge on Sunday, Luxembourg might have to wait a bit longer for that familiar taste of success…

Off To A Flier…
The Curragh's card gets swinging with the Listed GAIN First Flier S., the first of its kind for the domestic juvenile crop of 2023 which includes the Paddy Twomey-trained TDN Rising Star Noche Magica (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}). Having made such an instant impact at Cork earlier this month, Mohammed Ahmad Ali Al Subousi's slick traveller looks ready-made to be one of the top early 2-year-olds as Royal Ascot looms. Interestingly, Aidan O'Brien has a pair of newcomers engaged including His Majesty (Ire) by No Nay Never, sire of last year's winner Blackbeard (Ire). Does the title give a clue as to the regard in which the 325,000gns son of the group 3 scorer Czabo (GB) (Sixties Icon {GB}) is held?

The Next Stop…
There is a chance that by the time the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains comes around, Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) will have a fitness and experience edge as well as possibly a class edge over several of his peers. Already the winner of the historic Madrid Handicap at Naas, he preps for the ParisLongchamp Classic in the Listed Coolmore Stud Blackbeard Irish EBF Tetrarch S. in which he is joined by the stable's Drumroll (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), a full-brother to Saxon Warrior (Jpn) who opened his account first time at Navan in March. The Tetrarch used to be an important Guineas trial and it can still promote a future star of that ilk as the 2016 winner Awtaad (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) testified.

Muguet Offerings…
Saint-Cloud stages its traditional May 1 la Fête du Travail fixture, where another Classic trial on the wane is the Prix Greffulhe, newly downgraded from group 2 to group 3 status despite its honour roll which features Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). That future luminary was incredibly 12-1 last year, but there doesn't on the face of it appear to be one of his ilk lining up this time. This therefore is surely a must-win for Ballydoyle's Greenland (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), who trailed the under-rated Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) when third in the G3 Prix la Force at ParisLongchamp last month. That aperitif is served before the feature G2 Prix du Muguet, where The Aga Khan's exciting G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein-winning TDN Rising Star Erevann (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) starts his big year in preparation for Royal Ascot's G1 Queen Anne S.

See The Classic Stars…
Not to be undone by its French and Irish counterparts, Munich hosts a tantalising renewal of its showcase 10-furlong G3 WETTSTAR.de – Bavarian Classic in which Wanja Soren Oberhof and Sebastian Weiss's TDN Rising Star Mr Hollywood (Ire) (Iquitos {Ger}). Winning his Mulheim maiden by 16 lengths last month, the Henk Grewe-trained bay takes on Liberty Racing 2021's G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten winner Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) and Stall Nizza's mightily-impressive G3 Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen scorer Alpenjager (Ger) (Nutan {Ire}) in a Deutsches Derby pointer to savour.

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Romantic Warrior Repeats In QEII Cup With Dominating Triumph

They came, they saw and they were well and truly conquered in the Sha Tin sunshine Sunday as Romantic Warrior confirmed himself among the world's elite with a commanding second consecutive success in the FWD QEII Cup (G1).

Pandemic restrictions meant trainer Danny Shum's gelding beat a purely domestic field when landing the race in 2022 and the 5-year-old Irish-bred Acclamation gelding faced a sterner test against two Group 1 winners from Japan and globetrotting British raider Dubai Honour, fresh from capturing two of Australia's elite 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4-mile) contests.

However, the market spoke volumes about the confidence behind Romantic Warrior and the favorite delivered in spades, charging into the lead with 400 meters to run and easing down close to home as New Zealand-based rider James McDonald stood up in the stirrups to salute an adoring crowd.

“How good are the Hong Kong horses, they're flying today,” said a beaming McDonald, who is now unbeaten in three rides on Romantic Warrior after partnering him to similarly emphatic victories in the Jockey Club Cup (G2) and Longines Hong Kong Cup (G1) last November and December.

“He's a world-class horse and put in a performance just like he did in December,” McDonald said. “There wasn't one part of the race where I thought he wasn't right–he was always going to explode for me – and the race panned out beautifully. He's a world-class horse. It took an absolute weapon (Golden Sixty) to run him down last time but he's a great 2,000-meter horse and I really enjoy riding him.”

A slow pace set by Money Catcher led to a final time of 2:01.92, but acceleration is what separates the great from the good and Romantic Warrior's closing 400 meters of :22.53 was faster than Golden Sixty's final 400 meters in the Champions Mile G1)) and only :0.27 slower than Lucky Sweynesse's final 400 meters in the Chairman's Sprint Prize.

That final burst was all too much for Prognosis, who stayed on well to finish two lengths adrift of the winner in second, while Dubai Honour and Money Catcher were just behind in third and fourth.

Romantic Warrior's latest victory – following on from a thrilling success in last year's BMW Hong Kong Derby and his runaway defeat of elite global performers in the Hong Kong Cup (G1)– took his career record to 10 wins from 13 starts.

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Horse of the Year Havre de Grace Passes Away

Havre de Grace (Saint Liam–Easter Bunnette, by Carson City), the 2011 Horse of the Year and Eclipse Award-winning older mare who sold to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm for $10 million at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, passed away in the early morning hours of Apr. 30. Wayne Sweezey, who boarded Havre de Grace at his Timber Town Farm, confirmed that the 16-year-old mare hemorrhaged multiple times and died after producing a colt by Into Mischief the afternoon of Apr. 28.

“She was just so smart, she fought all the way to the end, so full of grace, like her name says,” an emotional Pope said via phone Sunday afternoon. “She was stoic right to the end. I am so grateful that I was able to be here, it would have been a great deal more difficult if I hadn't made it up.”

Bred in Kentucky by Nancy S. Dillman, Havre de Grace was a $380,000 Keeneland September purchase by the late Rick Porter and raced in the colors of Fox Hill Farms, finishing out of the top three just once in her 16 career starts. A leading 3-year-old of her generation in 2010, Havre de Grace was second to Blind Luck in that year's GI Alabama S. before turning the tables in the GII Fitz Dixon Cotillion S. and finishing third in the GI Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic. She was an even better filly at four, taking the GI Apple Blossom H. that April ahead of a victory versus the boys in the GI Woodward S. at Saratoga. A romping winner of the GI Beldame Invitational S., the bay was fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic and closed her career victoriously in the 2012 New Orleans Ladies Classic. She bankrolled $2,586,175.

Having been named Horse of the Year at the beginning of 2012, Havre de Grace was always going to be the pin-up horse at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale, and so it proved, as Pope went to eight figures for the then 5-year-old from the Taylor Made draft.

“I don't know what to say,” Pope commented at the time. “She's beautiful. You look at her and she's everything a racehorse should be, she did everything a racehorse could do and she has a wonderful attitude. She's the epitome of what we're all trying to breed. Hopefully she'll pass that on to her foals.”

Underbidders were reported to include Frank Stronach, Besilu Stables' Ben Leon and Coolmore.

Including the Into Mischief colt, Havre de Grace has produced eight foals and five winners from as many to the races. Pope's affinity for Tapit is well-known, and five of Havre de Grace's first six foals are by the Gainesway star. The best of them is her filly of 2016, Graceful Princess, who won the 2021 GIII Molly Pitcher S. and who is also represented by an Into Mischief colt for her first foal this season. Those of Havre de Grace's foals that have been offered at public auction have been well-received, as River Front (War Front) was bought back on a bid of $1.9 million at KEESEP in 2016, while Marvelous Guide (Tapit) was sold for $550,000 at the same auction two years later. The mare is also represented by a 2-year-old Justify colt in addition to her newest foal, who seems to be handling the events of recent days in stride.

“The Into Mischief colt is a big horse and looks like he inherited her smarts,” she said. “He knew she was in trouble. After looking at her for a couple of hours, he wanted to lay down so we made him a bed of straw right out where she could see him.

“She was such a pleasure to be around, she was kind and friendly, but she didn't want people doting all over her,” Pope continued. “I remember watching her one day, there was a plane overhead and she just cocked her head and kind of took everything in, never turned a hair.”

There is plenty of Havre de Grace in her offspring, Pope said.

“I think she passed on her personality to her offspring and they are all smart like she is. Hopefully she'll be in the Hall of Fame one day.”

Havre de Grace was among the finalists for induction this August.

“Thanks to everyone at Timber Town and the three vets that did everything that they could to save her. I want to give special thanks to Dr. Charlie Scroggins and Dr. Laurie Metcalf.”

Sweezey said that they have already accessed a nurse mare and that the Into Mischief colt has accepted her.

Pope confirmed that Havre de Grace would be cremated, with some of her ashes to be spread across Timber Town joining America's Joy (American Pharoah), the half-sister to Into Mischief, Beholder and Mendelssohn who sadly died in the summer of 2021.

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Kentucky Derby Update: Rocket Can Breezes Five Furlongs In ‘Racehorse Time’

Trainer Bill Mott waited until Sunday morning for Frank Fletcher Racing Operations' Rocket Can to put in his final breeze for the Kentucky Derby (G1) next Saturday. And the colt's move during the cool, breezy training session with regular exercise rider Guelser Cardona aboard, had his Hall of Fame trainer beaming.

The Into Mischief colt finished a five-furlong move in :59.80, inside of workmate Mr. McGregor. The splits were :12.80, :24.40, :36, and out six furlongs in 1:13.

“I thought it went very well,” said Mott. “That's racehorse time for this track. He had a workmate out there, both riders did a good job, and it worked out like we had hoped it would. I thought Rocket Can finished well, and galloped out well. It was a very nice work.”

With the colt primed for the 1 1/4-mile Derby, now Rocket Can's connections, along with those of the other 19 on the points leaderboard, await the post position draw Monday afternoon.

“To ensure a win, you've got to have a pretty good trip,” Mott said. “It's such a competitive race, that the trip means a lot. Sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes you don't, in such a big field.”

Rocket Can worked in blinkers and he'll be wearing them again in the Derby.

“Visually, for me, they appear to be helping,” Mott said. “We had worked him before in blinkers and we had thought that they didn't make an extreme amount of difference. But if they help just a little bit, that's what you need.”

Before the post position draw, Mott doesn't plan too much for Rocket Can after Sunday's breeze.

“He'll have an easy day tomorrow, then we'll get him back on a medium exercise program until Derby Day,” Mott said of the colt, who won the Holy Bull (G3), finished second in the Fountain of Youth (G2), and fourth in the Arkansas Derby (G1). “We just hope that he stays healthy, and in one piece, until Saturday.”

The Derby will answer one important question — which 3-year-olds can handle the distance.

“The one thing we all have to prove is if we can get 10 furlongs,” Mott said. “That's always the question in the Derby, there's not that many prep races at that mile-and-a-quarter distance. When they turn for home in the Derby, that really sorts them out.

“We hope this horse has the stamina to get the 10 furlongs. We think he has it, he has a pedigree that indicates he should get the distance. You never know if they can do it, until they do it.”

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