Month: July 2023

Graded Stakes Mark Saratoga Opening Weekend

How's your Saratoga opening weekend stakes knowledge?

You probably already knew that the Sanford S. is the only race that the legendary Man o' War ever lost. Or that over a five-year span in the '60s, the great Kelso amassed a staggering record of 63-39-12-2. You also knew that the late '80s warrior Quick Call, who lived to the ripe old age of 35, was denied a third consecutive GII Forego H. by a nose to Lay Down.

And if you are pretty sharp, then you have it down pat that the inaugural running of the Diana S. occurred the same year–1939– that Hitler invaded Poland, which was the last time mounted cavalry saw action against tanks.

Saratoga is dripping with history–it's literally in the water. The track's storied past reminds us of Max Weber's warning that, “Specialists without spirit, sensualists without heart; this nullity imagines that it has attained a level of civilization never before achieved.” In other words, we need the magic to keep us anchored, as we bob along in a digital sea of information.

With the historical juices sufficiently percolating, here's a rundown of the weekend graded action.

GI Diana S. (Saturday)
Besides trainer Charlie Appleby in 2021, no one has been able to dethrone Chad Brown in this Grade I turf event since 2016. The likelihood of another win for Brown appears imminent, were it not for the presence of Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}).

Marketsegmentation | Sarah Andrew

Trained by Mark Casse, the 5-year-old mare is a MGSW who is making her first trip down from Woodbine. “She's coming back a little quick, but I'm going with the old Allen Jerkens line, 'When they're going good, run 'em,'” Casse said.

Out of Brown's four entries, Peter Brant's defending champ and 'TDN Rising Star' In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) looks best, but Marketsegmentation (American Pharoah), a 4-year-old filly owned by Klaravich Stables, is coming off a signature win June 9 in the GI New York S. at Belmont Park.

GIII Kelso S. (Saturday)
Shortening up over the grass, an experienced group of 4-year-olds and up assemble, with 'TDN Rising Star' and GISW Annapolis (War Front) serving as the standout. The Bass Stables homebred, who was second in last year's GI Saratoga Derby Invitational, won the GI Coolmore Turf Mile S. at Keeneland in October en route to a GI Breeders' Cup Mile berth.

Standing in his way is the accomplished grass miler Big Everest (GB) (The Gurkha {Ire}). Making his first graded stakes start, the 5-year-old gelding has won his last six out of seven starts.

“He was the kind of horse that, early on, he fought with the jockey,” said Big Everest's co-owner Dean Reeves. “We learned over time that he was fighting with the jockey because he had speed and wanted to go to the front. So, once we got out of his way and once he was gelded, he doesn't back up and they don't have enough to catch him.”

Also entered is the well-traveled fan-favorite, MGISW Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed), whose style for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott makes him extremely dangerous towards the wire.

GIII Sanford S. (Saturday)
Rounding out the Saturday graded action is this 2-year-old NYRA series test, which has drawn 10. Trainer Steve Asmussen watched Gold Sweep (Speightstown) romp home by nine lengths as he posted a 91 Beyer figure in the Tremont S. June 11 at Belmont Park. The Hall of Fame trainer has never won the Sanford.

Others of note include Market Street (Street Sense), trained by D. Wayne Lukas, who broke his maiden in front-running fashion over the slop by 3 3/4 lengths June 29 at Ellis Park. He will be joined by Triple Trea (Bolt d'Oro). The dark bay colt debuted a winner for Barbara Minshall with a late move in early June on Woodbine's Tapeta.

“He's really nice,” Minshall said. “He's very rideable and it looks like there's a lot of speed in the race. Hopefully, he makes his big run and can get the job done. There's some really nice horses in there–the Asmussen horse [Gold Sweep] looks really tough–but he's coming into it in good order.”

GIII Quick Call S. (Sunday)

No Nay Hudson | Coady Photography

The final graded stakes of the weekend on Sunday afternoon pits 3-year-old turf sprinters against one another. Wesley Ward has two entered in this spot with No Nay Hudson (Ire) (No Nay Never), winner last out of the May 13 William Walker S. at Churchill Downs, and Eye Witness (City of Light), a $650,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase who won the Paradise Creek S. at Belmont Park May 20.

“He's [No Nay Hudson] one we're just trying to get to settle. My main exercise rider, Julio Garcia, has got the horse to relax,” Ward said. “We're doing some nice, easy slow works and he's got a couple races in him now. Fitness isn't an issue. It's just trying to get his mind to where we can get him to settle. He's at Saratoga now and ready to go.”

Facing this pair is Gaslight Dancer (City of Light). The Mike Maker trainee should not be overlooked after winning the Palisades S. at Keeneland in April and the bay colt did finish third behind No Nay Hudson in the William Walker.

The post Graded Stakes Mark Saratoga Opening Weekend appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Royal Ascot-Placed Filly Hits The High Notes At Tattersalls With 330k Sale

Royal Ascot-placed Balalaika (Ire) (No Nay Never) was the headline act at the July Sale on Thursday when selling to BBA Ireland's Eamonn Reilly for 330,000gns with the agent coming out best in an entertaining tussle for the Rebecca Menzies-trained filly. 

Bred by the late Sir Robert Ogden, Balalaika is out of an unraced Frankel (GB) daughter of G1 Matron S. winner Emulous (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and boasts a rating of 90. 

Also involved in the bidding for the Sandringham third were Gavin Hernon, Matt Coleman, and Mark McStay but Reilly battled off the attention of Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock to land Balalaika.  

“There are no plans, but she will stay in training and although no trainer has been decided on, she will probably stay in the UK,” Reilly said.

“Her last run was very promising and she has been bought as a long-term broodmare prospect for an existing client. She is good-topped filly, has a good walk and behaved very well up here. There is plenty happening with the pedigree.”

Six horses broke the six-figure mark on the day to make it 34 all told at the July Sale this year. Thursday's trade was solid with 147 of the 156 lots offered selling at a 94% clearance rate. The aggregate was 4,445,500gns while the average was 30,241gns.

Duarte Hopes Whisky Turns Out To Be Sweet Investment For Australian Clients

It's fair to say that Whisky On The Hill (GB) (Ribchester {Ire}) did not stand out as a horse who would ever rock into six figures earlier in the spring. 

After three low-key efforts in maidens, Whiskey On The Hill offered his first crackle of potential for trainer Ado McGuinness when finishing third on handicap debut at Cork as an unfancied 33-1 shot. 

He has since been sent off favourite on his next three starts and won every one of them for his owner Alex Zevenbergen, climbing 24lbs in the process.

Armando Duarte was of the opinion that there is more improvement left in the good-looking gelding and went to 135,000gns to secure him on behalf of the same owners of his flagship buy Alenquer (Fr).

The G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup winner is now plying his trade in Australia for Ballymore Stables and trainer Michael Moroney and Whiskey On The Hill will chart a similar path. 

Duarte said, “He's for the same team of people-Ballymore Stables and Paul Moroney [bloodstock agent]–who bought Alenquer and English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}). That's the only horse we looked at here at the sales who we liked and who fitted our profile. Let's hope he will be lucky for them now as well.”

He added, “Whiskey On The Hill fits the bill and was not over-expensive. He is very similar to Emissary (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who we bought off Juddmonte a couple of years ago.”

Jasour Team Keep The Party Going At Tattersalls

Just a few hours after Jasour (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) stormed to G2 Kingdom Of Bahrain July S. glory a couple of miles up the road on the Newmarket July course, HH Sheikh Sultan's Al Mohamediya Racing made a splash in the sales ring when going to 125,000gns to secure Vega Sicilia (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}).

A smart performer for Harry and Roger Charlton, Vega Sicilia was bought with the aim of competing in the top races in Bahrain for the leading owner in that jurisdiction. 

Vega Sicilia came to the July Sale off the back of winning a Goodwood handicap over 1m4f in the style of a progressive horse. Now rated 91, he boasts a high enough rating to compete in some of the top races in Bahrain.

Ali Majeed, who purchased Vega Sicilia on behalf of Al Mohamediya Racing, said, “We bought this horse because we bought a sprint horse [Edward Cornelius (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB})] and were looking for a Classic horse. We think this horse will be for a-mile-and-a-quarter or a-mile-and-a-half. He will handle fast ground and is rated 86 so he can run in the Bahrain Series directly. He has the rating.”

He added, “Al Mohamediya Racing is the leading owner in Bahrain for two years now and we wanted a Classic horse. There is the Crown Prince and the King Cup if we are happy with him. 

“It's amazing for Al Mohamediya Racing and for every Bahraini. To win with Jasour in a Group 2 at Newmarket in the race sponsored by the Kingdom Of Bahrain was very good. Everybody was very happy and the celebrations were very fun.”

It was a busy week on and off the track for Al Mohamediya Racing. Along with Jasour landing the July S., the owner recorded wins at Windsor and Newcastle and signed for seven horses for 444,000gns.

Another Bound For Bahrain As Donald Takes Home The Parent

The Parent (GB) (Frankel {GB}), was another six-figure lot sold on Thursday when Alastair Donald of Sackville Donald went to 105,000gns to secure the three-year-old on behalf of a Bahraini client. 

A winner of a Goodwood maiden last year, the gelding placed in two of his three starts this term and is rated 81. 

Donald said, “He is for a Bahrain-based client and goes to Bahrain for the Turf series. He was the only horse we wanted. He should be perfect for the series. 

“He is a fast-ground horse, a cracking-looking horse, and he is bred to be good. I am very pleased to get him.”

He added, “I don't think he stayed the trip on his last run and the form of his other runs look very strong. He should do well in Bahrain and will be trained by Alan Smith.”

Tiverton Off To America After 100k Sale

Be it mares or horses-in-training, the Juddmonte draft always commands plenty of interest and the Dermot Weld-trained Tiverton (GB) (Expert Eye {GB}) proved exactly that when selling to Jerry McGrath for 100,000gns. 

“Tiverton is going to the US,” McGrath said. “As a young man I worked for Dermot Weld. I have a few contacts there and they told me how highly this horse was regarded, particularly as a 2-year-old.”

Indeed, Tiverton showed good form as a juvenile, winning a Listowel maiden before being pitched into Group 3 company. He has run just twice this season, finishing down the field in both starts. 

The post Royal Ascot-Placed Filly Hits The High Notes At Tattersalls With 330k Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: 61-Year-Old Jockey Beats All Odds For Milestone Victory

Longtime jockey Cindy Murphy was just seven wins away from her milestone 2,000th victory last June at Prairie Meadows, but a pre-race incident left her with injuries severe enough that that goal could easily have been ripped from her grasp forever.

Riding the 2-year-old filly Crypto Mo, trained by her husband Travis, Murphy was approaching the starting gates when the first-time starter spooked and reared straight into the air. Then 60 years old, Murphy recalls bailing out off the filly's side, but Crypto Mo lost her balance and landed on top of her rider.

“I can remember laying on the ground,and I knew I was injured, but I was telling the guys to go get another rider because I knew how nice this filly was,” Murphy said. “She wasn't hurt or anything, but it was a long enough delay to get me loaded up into the ambulance.” 

Murphy was transported to the hospital and diagnosed with eight broken ribs, four pelvic fractures, and a tear in her abdominal wall. Her pelvis was misaligned, though doctors didn't catch that until several weeks later, and Murphy opted to continue her healing without any surgery.

It was 13 months later when Murphy triumphantly piloted that same Crypto Mo to victory in the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks, making that 2,000-win milestone a reality and earning her first graded stakes win in the process.

“It's a goal I've been trying to reach for a long time,” said Murphy. “You know, it's been one setback after another, but I finally reached it!”

Now 61 years young with her longtime goal achieved, Murphy can feel retirement beckoning.

“I've actually retired a couple times, but I missed it and I came back,” she admitted. “But now I have to realize that I'm getting older. I am going to finish this season out at Prairie Meadows, just hand-picking which horses I'll ride, but I promised my kids and grandkids that I'd slow down a bit. I'm sure I'll still get on horses in the mornings, though.”

Certainly a small part of that decision stems from the post-Iowa Oaks sale of Crypto Mo in Fasig-Tipton's July Horses of Racing Age Sale. The 3-year-old daughter of Mohaymen brought a final bid of $500,000 from Hunter Valley Farm, a serious return on investment for the filly originally purchased for $20,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Murphy doesn't hold her injury against Crypto Mo, of course; no horsewoman worth her salt would. The hardest thing, Murphy said, was watching the filly and other favorite horses compete under other riders for the remainder of her 2-year-old season.

While Murphy required two months off from strenuous activity (doctors recommended three months, but she returned to galloping at two months on the dot), Crypto Mo ran third in her first career start and won at second asking. The filly ran seventh in the Prairie Meadows Debutante to finish out her season, and got some time off at the Murphys' 160-acre farm in Oklahoma.

This year, Crypto Mo has had Murphy aboard for each of her starts. Her first two outings were nothing to write home about, but when stretched out to two turns, the filly won an allowance race at Prairie Meadows on May 28 by 17 ¾ lengths while never asked to run. 

Crypto Mo won the $50,000 Panthers Stakes over a mile after setting the pace and repelling a bid in the stretch, and entered the G3 Iowa Oaks as the locally-trained favorite but second choice in the wagering.

In her typical front-running fashion, Crypto Mo took charge soon after the start and posted fractions of :24.37 for the quarter mile, :48.55 for a half mile and 1:13.05 for six furlongs. Leading by two lengths in the early stretch, she maintained her advantage to the finish, easily besting favorite Imonra by two lengths.

“She quickly became one of my top 10 favorite horses,” Murphy said. “Obviously the good ones are fun to ride, but she really had a wonderful personality as well, so it's always sad to lose those kinds. I hope she really continues to do well with the new connections.”

Reflecting on the milestone win, Murphy said she never would have imagined achieving it when she was growing up. As one of five children being raised by a single mother who was a schoolteacher, Murphy had no access to horse racing in her youth. There were a few backyard horses, so she was familiar with the basic care and riding skills, but riding never struck her as a viable career option.

It wasn't until college, working through an animal science degree on a pre-veterinary track, that Murphy connected with friends who worked with racehorses. 

“I just wanted to exercise the horses because I liked riding,” Murphy said. “They started suggesting that I could be a jockey, and I'd never even considered it. I thought I was too tall at 5' 6”!”

Murphy finished her undergraduate degree, but her career as a jockey took off shortly thereafter. She won her first race in late 1987, and Murphy is also credited with winning the first race ever held at Prairie Meadows, on March 1, 1989, aboard Holmish in a race for $2,300 claimers. At the time, she rode as Cindy Springman and later she rode as Cindy Noll.

She met her husband at the Iowa track in 2001. Travis' mother was riding Quarter Horse races, so Murphy met her in the jockey's room.

“She said, 'I really need to find a good woman for my son,'” Murphy recalled. “I sat there for a moment, then I said, 'Well, what does he look like?' She laughed and told me he'd be in the paddock for the next race.”

The couple has been together ever since, and plan to continue training and raising horses as they ease toward “retirement.” They have their first crop of foals expected at home in Oklahoma in 2024, and will likely continue to purchase a few young horses at the sales to bolster their training program.

Murphy's three grown children are not especially interested in racing, and though her niece may have been “bitten” by the horse bug, the grandchildren are primarily interested in soccer. Murphy hopes to be able to attend more of their games, as well as her youngest son's track meets, as her riding career continues to wind down.

“It's been a fun, exciting career,” she said. “I've had a lot of adventures. A lot of people would have quit way before I did.

“I'm still a very competitive person, though, and I like the adrenaline rush. I've actually been putting a lot of miles on the bicycle, and I joked with the kids that I'm training myself for a bicycle race! I'm gonna find one and win it, just you wait.”

The post Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: 61-Year-Old Jockey Beats All Odds For Milestone Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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