Datsalrightgino seals ‘dream’ triumph at Newbury
Datsalrightgino wins the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury for jockey Gavin Sheehan and trainer Jamie Snowden.
Month: December 2023
One in a Mullion: Full-Brother to Mandaloun ‘Looks Like a Carter-Met Mile Type of Horse’
With the team at Juddmonte still “floating on air” after a pair of wins on Breeders' Cup Saturday, the blue-blooded Mullion (c, 3, Into Mischief–Brooch, by Empire Maker) added to a banner weekend for the international operation with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance at Churchill Downs Nov. 5.
Sidelined for more than 14 months following a strong debut second–beaten just a nose–going six furlongs at Ellis Park in late August of his 2-year-old season, the full-brother to promoted GI Kentucky Derby winner and Juddmonte stallion Mandaloun proved well worth the wait with a jaw-dropping, 10-length maiden victory for trainer Brad Cox at second asking beneath the Twin Spires.
With nine breezes on the worktab for his comebacker, Mullion was favored at 3-5 while facing six rivals with first-time Lasix going a one-turn mile. He was bumped slightly from both sides at the start after exiting from post three. Unfazed by the minimal contact, he was keen in the early stages while hard held in second. Mullion tugged his way to the front as the half went up in :46.09 and traveled beautifully leaving the quarter pole. He put on a show from there down the stretch beneath a motionless Florent Geroux and stopped the timer in 1:34.69. He earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.
“As much time, patience and effort as we put into Mullion, we were expecting a big performance, but to do what he did was beyond our expectations off that kind of a layoff,” Juddmonte USA General Manager Garrett O'Rourke said. “It shows the talent that the horse has and hopefully he keeps it together now and can be a big player next year. He ran a 4 on the Ragozin Sheets, which is just off the charts.”
O'Rourke continued, “He injured himself after his first start–he had a soft-tissue injury, then he had a few other little issues– and we gave him all the time he needed. It was always something just holding him back after that–upper respiratory infection, sore shin, foot abscess, etc. I always felt like the talent was there and all the extra time was only going to be to his benefit. We knew how nice he was. He's a gorgeous-looking horse with the pedigree to match and Brad (Cox) had a very high opinion of him, even as a 2-year-old.”
Mullion got back to business since earning his diploma with a four-furlong breeze in :48.80 (8/40) at Churchill Downs Nov. 26. He will winter at Fair Grounds, O'Rourke reports.
“All of the targets for him will be next year,” O'Rourke said. “I just felt like we didn't need to be in a rush with him. Brad (Cox) agreed and he'll try and go through his conditions down at Fair Grounds, then we'll look about jumping him up in mid-to-late spring. He definitely looks like he could hopefully be a (Grade I) Carter-Met Mile type of horse.”
Mullion was produced by the Empire Maker mare Brooch, a Juddmonte homebred and two-time group winner in Ireland. In addition to Mullion's aforementioned full-brother and fellow 'Rising Star' Mandaloun, the Into Mischief x Empire Maker cross is also responsible for Laurel River, who carried Juddmonte's famed green-and-pink silks to a win in the 2022 GII Pat O'Brien S. at Del Mar; and GSW & MGISP Occult.
The post One in a Mullion: Full-Brother to Mandaloun ‘Looks Like a Carter-Met Mile Type of Horse’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Two By Two: Six Feral Foals Recover At Equine Hospital
Treating a sick foal is a challenge in itself, but when foals arrive one after the other in quick succession and are completely unhandled and feral, it adds a whole different level of complexity.
Six weanling foals were transported to the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center (EMC) in Leesburg, Virginia, for emergency evaluation and treatment after being purchased at an auction by Colby's Crew Rescue, based in Keswick, Virginia. EMC is a teaching hospital of the Virginia-Maryland College Veterinary Medicine, located on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia.
These feral foals are the offspring of formerly domesticated animals that had either escaped from or been set free by their owners. They had been held at a slaughter holding facility before being offered at auction, an experience that left them fearful and suffering from numerous life-threatening health issues.
The first two foals to arrive at the EMC were referred by Gary Kubala, from Littlestown Veterinary Hospital in Littlestown, Pennsylvania.
Janice, a 3- to 4-month-old filly, was suffering from bronchopneumonia and an umbilical hernia. Morocco, a 4- to 5-month-old filly, had swelling on her left hind limb and other minor scrapes and scratches, as well as a disfigured right ear tip, thought to have been caused by frostbite. Morocco also showed signs of facial trauma.
As they were recently pulled from an auction, the foals were taken directly to the isolation barn due to the likelihood of exposure to several highly infectious diseases.
The remaining four as yet unnamed 3- to 4-month-old foals arrived soon after, all suffering from bronchopneumonia, superficial wounds, and one with the added complication of an orthopedic issue. To reduce their stress and promote emotional well-being, the four foals were placed in isolation stalls in pairs.
The foals were initially received for emergency treatment by Krista Estell DVM '09, clinical associate professor of equine medicine, and transferred into the care of Elizabeth MacDonald M.S. '15, clinical instructor of equine medicine for continued care. The entire EMC medicine team worked together to ensure that these fragile patients received the best care possible.
It became apparent early on that EMC staff would need to spend time each day handling the foals to make treatment less stressful for the foals and create a positive interaction with humans. During their extended period of treatment, staff worked on general handling, picking up their feet, and leading.
“The care and compassion that the weanlings received from EMC staff during their treatment and the dedication of their owners gave them the best opportunity for making a full recovery,” MacDonald said.
Once stabilized, the foals continued their recovery at Always There Horse Care in Haymarket, Virginia, under the care of licensed veterinary technician Malena Brisbois. “Each goodbye was bittersweet, but knowing we contributed to their remarkable turnaround made every effort worthwhile,” Brisbois remarked.
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After a couple of months with her pneumonia resolved and her general health and body condition improved, Janice returned to the EMC for surgical repair of her umbilical hernia.
Sophie Boorman, clinical assistant professor of equine surgery, repaired the hernia under general anesthesia. Due to Janice's history of pneumonia, she was carefully evaluated prior to surgery to ensure that she was healthy enough to safely go through the surgical procedure.
Repairing Janice's umbilical hernia now will reduce the risk of the intestines slipping into the hernia and getting stuck which can lead to colic.
The partnership between the EMC, Colby's Crew Rescue, and Always There Horse Care highlights the remarkable outcomes possible when skilled medical expertise is combined with compassionate, dedicated care.
The EMC is uniquely equipped and staffed to successfully treat all six of these weanling foals for a myriad of injuries and illnesses. Their successful treatment involved both the medicine and surgical teams and the dedicated support of all of the EMC clinical staff.
The post Two By Two: Six Feral Foals Recover At Equine Hospital appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Brown Can Equal Whittingham Record In Hollywood Derby
The late Charlie Whittingham won his first Hollywood Derby back in 1967 with Tumble Wind and the last of his four victories in the race in 1989 with Live The Dream. Chad Brown added his name to the list of Hollywood Derby winners courtesy of Annals of Time (Temple City) in 2016 and followed up with Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in 2018 and Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) two years later. In Saturday's renewal of the nine-furlong event, Brown will send out a pair of lightly raced sophomores while looking to draw even with the 'Bald Eagle.'
Favored at 9-5 on the morning line is Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who will try to give Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables a record-breaking three wins in the race. The ridgling made rapid progress this season, capping a three-race winning streak with a head defeat of Webslinger (Constitution) in the GI Saratoga Derby over yielding turf Aug. 5. Accordingly made the 7-10 chalk for the Sept. 9 GIII Virginia Derby, the bay led into the final furlong only to be upstaged by Integration (Quality Road), who franked the form in the GII Hill Prince S. in his next appearance.
“He was a little close to a fast pace,” Brown said of the Virginia Derby. “It might have did him in in the end where he got caught by a good horse. Hopefully he'll work out a better trip this time.”
Brown also sends out Redistricting (GB) (Kingman {GB}) for Klaravich, who exits a two-length Aqueduct allowance victory Oct. 28.
“He finished well,” Brown said, “and I think he's ready to step back up into a big race like this.”
Webslinger has been out of the top three just once in his eight starts this term and was a luckless third when last seen in the GII Twilight Derby on the Breeders' Cup undercard Nov. 4.
The two horses that finished ahead of him also line up here. Seal Team (GB) (War Front) came from worse than midfield to upstage Godolphin's Silver Knott (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) by a half-length, but might need a touch of luck from the widest alley in this field of nine.
Two-year-old fillies head to the post in the co-featured GIII Jimmy Durante S. Brown looks set to saddle the favorite in the one-mile test in the form of Lady de Berry (Practical Joke), a debut sixth to future GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Just F Y I (Justify) on Saratoga debut Aug. 26 before graduating impressively going two turns over the Keeneland turf course Oct. 27. Go With Gusto (Medaglia d'Oro), third in the GI Summer S., failed to draw into the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and was a mildly troubled second in the Qatar Gold Mile in the Breeders' Cup Friday lidlifter. She tries sex-restricted company for the first time in her career.
Cigar Mile Anchors Big Weekend at the Big A
Downgraded though it has been and lacking a standout runner, Saturday's GII Cigar Mile H. still offers a half-million dollar purse and a full field of 12 to challenge handicappers.
Trainer Todd Fincher makes a rare appearance on the New York circuit, but he brings in a horse with a big chance in the form of Joe Peacock Jr.'s Senor Buscador (Mineshaft). Two-for-three over this distance, including the GIII Ack Ack S. going Churchill's one-turn configuration last October, the 5-year-old entire took advantage of a strong pace up ahead to upset the GII San Diego H. at Del Mar this past July. Fourth in the GI Pacific Classic and third in the GI Awesome Again S., he ran on decently to finish seventh, beaten 5 1/4 lengths, behind White Abarrio (Race Day) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 4.
“He ran really good in the Breeders' Cup,” Fincher said. “He just got way, way back–almost 19 lengths back. I think he started his run too early. He made up a ton of ground down the backside and he actually flattened a little down the lane, which I've never seen him do.”
Senor Buscador worked a best-of-27 five furlongs over the Belmont training track in 1:00 4/5 Nov. 25 in preparation for the Cigar Mile.
Qatar Racing's Everso Mischievous (Into Mischief) looks the main danger as he goes for his fourth straight victory and fifth from seven starts. Picked up for just $85,000 at last year's Keeneland Horses of Racing Age Sale, the bay broke his maiden at second asking and has not tasted defeat in five months, including wins in the Sept. 23 Harrods Creek S. at Keeneland and the GII Forty Niner S. over this course and distance Oct. 28, where he had the re-opposing Dr Ardito (Liam's Map) and Accretive (Practical Joke) in his wake.
Dornoch (Good Magic), the full-brother to recently retired GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage, looks a handful facing nine other juvenile males in the GII Remsen S. The $325,000 KEESEP acquisition was second in his first two trips to the races, including the Aug. 26 Sapling S. at Monmouth, and was an impressive 6 1/4-length maiden winner at Keeneland Oct. 14. Moonlight (Audible) matched Dornoch's 90 Beyer Speed Figure when airing by eight in a local rained-off maiden Sept. 28, but was fractionally disappointing when runner-up to Liberal Arts (Arrogate) in a sloppy renewal of the GIII Street Sense S. at Churchill Sept. 29. Rick Dutrow, Jr. has won with eight of his last 24 starters dating back to the Breeders' Cup Classic. The following afternoon he sent out Where's Chris (Twirling Candy) to upset the previously unbeaten Book'em Danno (Bucchero) in the Nashua S.
The fillies' counterpart, the GII Demoiselle S., is topped by Repole Stable's Life Talk (Gun Runner), third in the local GI Frizette S. Oct. 7 ahead of an even fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Shimmering Allure (Enticed) is the most experienced of this group, having made six previous racetrack appearances. A maiden winner at fourth asking in a restricted event at Churchill in September, the $40,000 Fasig-Tipton July grad was a midpack fourth in the GI Darley Alcibiades S. at Keeneland Oct. 6, but bounced back to best Vino Rouge (Vino Rosso) by three convincing lengths in the Nov. 5 Tempted S.
The post Brown Can Equal Whittingham Record In Hollywood Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
