Month: October 2023

Malibu Moon Colt Gets Started at Tokyo

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Sunday running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses. The weekend feature takes place at the former venue, which hosts the final leg of the colts' Triple Crown, the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger). Click here for our preview:

Sunday, October 22, 2023
4th-TOK, ¥13,720,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m
AARU (c, 2, Malibu Moon–Ginza, by Kitten's Joy), a $53,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling and $50,000 OBS April juvenile, is out of a daughter of the unraced Unfold the Rose (Catienus), whose daughter Stephanie's Kitten (Kitten's Joy) won the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2011 and four years later took out the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf before selling for $550,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Unfold the Rose is also the dam of MGSW dirt marathoner Heywoods Beach (Speightstown). The colt's third dam was Bail Out Becky (Red Ransom), winner of the 1995 GI Del Mar Oaks for the Ramseys and Bill Mott. B-RGP Ocala Holdings LLC (FL)

10th-KYO, ¥35,040,000 ($233k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1600mT
T O GRANVILLE (c, 3, Lea–All in Fun, by Tapit) has made a spectacular start to his career, with three wins from as many starts, all at this distance, including a 2-win allowance success at Niigata when last seen Aug. 27 (see below, SC 15). Purchased for $125,000 in utero by Winchester Farm at Keeneland November in 2019, the chestnut is out of a stakes-placed full-sister to the dual graded-stakes placed juvenile Tight Ten and his third dam is dual Grade I winner Fleet Renee (Seattle Slew). Takeshi Yokoyama, who rides favored Sol Oriens (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) in the race immediately after this, takes over at the controls. B-Mishima Stud Ltd (KY)

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Making Waves: Memorable Moment For Godolphin Classic Winner

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Mawj in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Cup S. presented by Dixiana Farms at Keeneland last weekend.

 

Classic Filly Comes Good At Keeneland

Godolphin homebred Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), already a winner of the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, doubled her top-level tally in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. at Keeneland on Saturday and gave trainer Saeed bin Suroor his 500th group/graded win in the process (video).

A half-sister to Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), an Eclipse Award champion in the U.S. and soon to be a Darley stallion, as well as the stakes winner Modern News (GB) (Shamardal) who was twice group placed, Mawj is followed by a juvenile filly by Mastercraftsman (Ire) and a weanling filly by Dubawi. Her dam is a half-sister to G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner and sire Ultra (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}), and her great granddam is the Italian champion Proskona (Mr. Prospector).

One of 18 worldwide Group 1 winners for her former Darley reverse shuttle sire, Mawj is one of three Grade I winners in the U.S. after GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner-turned-sire Outstrip (GB) and Mischief Magic (Ire), who landed the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Exceed And Excel's 42 Stateside runners have resulted in 23 winners (55%) and 11 stakes winners (26%).

 

 

Luck O' The Irish For Ten Sovereigns Colt

Robert and Lawana Low's Irish Gent (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) became the 24th winner for his sire at third asking when taking an off-turf affair during the Belmont at the Big A meeting for trainer Todd Pletcher (video).

Bred by Denis McCarthy, the dark bay made €130,000 as a Goffs November foal when purchased by Pier House Stud. his value rose appreciably to €500,000 when he was sent back through that ring during the Orby Sale, where Jacob West picked out the son of Indigo Butterfly (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) on behalf of the Lows. The third and last reported foal from his dam is a relative of G1 Jebel Hatta hero Dream Castle (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and that gelding's full-sister With The Moonlight (Ire), who was a three-time group/graded winner and third in the GI E. P. Taylor S.

Coolmore's Ten Sovereigns already has three stakes winners in his first crop of 2-year-olds internationally. Represented by just three runners in the U.S. so far, Irish Gent is the stallion's first American winner.

 

Brant Runner Collects In New York

Peter Brant homebred Francesco Clemente (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) won a Belmont at the Big A contest for Chad Brown on Thursday (video).

A winner of his first three starts for John and Thady Gosden in the UK last year, the White Birch Farm-bred earned black-type with a second in the Listed Festival S. in May. The half-brother to the multiple stakes winner and multiple group-placed Abingdon (Street Cry {Ire}) was switched to the U.S. after a start in the Listed Wolferton S. at Royal Ascot. His dam Justlookdon'touch (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is a half-sister to the influential champion Islington (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), and produced Dubawi full-siblings as her latest foals–a 3-year-old colt named Howeitat (Ire) and a 2-year-old filly christened Birkin (Ire).

Darley's Dubawi now has 37 winners from 77 runners in the U.S. (48%). His 19 North American stakes winners (25%) are anchored by three-time Grade I winner In Italian (GB).

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King George Hero Pyledriver To Stand Under Coolmore’s NH Banner Next Year

Dual Group 1 winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}–La Pyle {Fr}, by Le Havre {Ire}) will stand under the Coolmore National Hunt banner in 2024, Coolmore announced on Friday. Retired earlier this year before being acquired by Coolmore, the 6-year-old won both the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S. and the G1 Coronation Cup. A fee will be announced later.

“Pyledriver is the best horse I've ever had anything to do with and gave us so many fantastic days,” said co-trainer William Muir. “From day one he never let us down; brilliant temperament, went on any ground, clean winded and super sound. The only issue he ever had was caused by another horse leaning on him in that race in Saudi. It'll be a very sad day when he leaves the yard but I think he'll continue to excel in his new career.”

Bred by Knox and Wells, Ltd., he was a 10,000gns buy-back at the 2017 Tattersalls December Foal Sale and went into training with Muir and Chris Grassick in the colours of the La Pyle Partnership. A debut winner as a juvenile at Salisbury in 2019, he earned a listed victory later that year. Pyledriver then was second in the G3 Classic Trial and won the G2 Great Voltigeur prior to a run in the G1 Derby. He bounced back later that year to take the G2 King Edward VII S. and was also Classic-placed when third in the G1 St Leger.

Never worse than second in four 4-year-old starts, Pyledriver won the Coronation Cup after running second in the G2 Jockey Club S., and later in the year was second by just a length in the G1 Hong Kong Vase.

After a trip to Saudi Arabia and a fourth in Meydan's G1 Dubai Sheema Classic to kickstart his 5-year-old campaign, he was second defending his Coronation Cup crown prior to trouncing a quality field in the King George. This term, he won the G2 Hardwicke S. in good style at Royal Ascot and was fifth in another King George. His record stands at 20-8-4-1 and $2,606,075 in earnings.

“Pyledriver is a fine big horse, with plenty of quality about him, a great colour and a very good walk,” said Robert McCarthy who went to inspect him. “He was a terrific racehorse and he's a complete outcross for the majority of National Hunt mares here in Ireland.”

Pyledriver is the first foal out of the dual winner La Pyle, herself a half-sister to G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Mont Ormel (Fr) (Air Chief Marshal {Ire}) and a full-sister to G3 Park Express S. heroine Normandel (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}).

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