The interest surrounding the Belmont Stakes usually hinges on what happens in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve and the Preakness Stakes.
Author: News
Trio of Darley Stallions Reported to Have First Mares in Foal
Darley newcomers Modern Games (Ire), Native Trail (GB) and Triple Time (Ire) have all had their first mares scanned in foal, the operation announced on Tuesday.
Dalham Hall Stud resident Modern Games won five races at the top level for Charlie Appleby, notably winning at the Breeders' Cup in successive years when landing the Juvenile Turf in 2021 and Mile in 2022. Modern Games is reported to have four mares in foal, including George Strawbridge's G1 Prix Royal-Oak winner Montare (Ire) (Montjeu {GB}), already the dam of three talented performers by Dubawi (Ire)–who is also the sire of Modern Games–namely Journey (GB), Indigo Girl (GB) and Mimikyu (GB).
Triple Time, who enjoyed his biggest success when winning last year's G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot, is also standing his first season at Dalham Hall in 2024 at a fee of £10,000. G2 Lancashire Oaks winner Emirates Queen (GB), a half-sister to Dubawi by Street Cry (Ire), is among the first mares covered by Triple Time to be scanned in foal. Emirates Queen's most notable progeny so far is the multiple Listed winner/Group 1-placed Royal Champion (Ire) (Shamardal).
Over in Ireland, Native Trail is new to Kildangan Stud for 2024 following a racing career which saw him crowned Europe's leading two-year-old in 2021 before going on to win the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas at three. The early mares in foal to him include Woodford Farm's Amore Bello (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}), a half-sister to the GIII Miesque S. winner More Than Love (More Than Ready) and from the family of the four-time Group 1 heroine Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never).
The post Trio of Darley Stallions Reported to Have First Mares in Foal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Charlsie Cantey: A Pioneer in Horse Racing Media
Charlsie Cantey never sought to break ground as the first female racing broadcaster. She never fancied herself as the pioneering type. It just sort of happened. Cantey was among a handful of women exercising horses in 1975 when Frank Tours, then with the New York Racing Association, asked if she might be interested in appearing regularly on a television show that featured local racing on WOR. The more he asked, the more vehemently she rejected the notion.
Justify and O’Brien Dominate Guineas Entries
The entries for the first two Classics of the season have been released, with 49 horses entered in each of the Qipco 2,000 Guineas and Qipco 1,000 Guineas.
The colts will line up at Newmarket on Saturday, May 4 when it is likely that much of the attention will focus on the unbeaten City Of Troy (Justify), who at this stage is the ante-post favourite for the 2,000 Guineas. Trained by Aidan O'Brien, he has left Ireland for two of his three starts to win the G2 Superlative S. at Newmarket's July Course followed by the G1 Dewhurst S. on the Rowley Mile.
City Of Troy's stable-mate Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a son of the 1,000 Guineas winner Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), is currently second-favourite and is one of eight entries in the race for the Ballydoyle stable. The other two Irish-trained entries are the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. winner Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), trained by Adrian Murray, and Jim Bolger's unraced Clean Energy (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}).
The G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Rosallion (Ire) could become an important first Classic runner for his sire Blue Point (Ire) and represents Richard Hannon Jr., who won the race 10 years ago with Night Of Thunder (Ire) and also has Son (GB) entered this year. He too is by a second-season sire in Too Darn Hot (GB). In that same category is Sons And Lovers (GB), by Study Of Man (Ire), who is one of four entries for Jane Chapple-Hyam, two of which are owned by former trainer Peter Harris.
Charlie Appleby has three colts entered led by the G1 Kameko Futurity Trophy winner Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Saaeed Bin Suroor, who won last year's 1,000 Guineas with Mawj (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), has one of the Godophin quartet, Olympic Candle (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}).
Eve Johnson Houghton has entered Mister Sketch (GB) (Territories {Ire}) for Wathnan Racing and the G3 Acomb S. winner Indian Run (Ire) (Sioux Nation) for the Bronte Collection, while David Menuisier has three colts entered including the G1 Criterium International winner Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}).
Aidan O'Brien is also the trainer of the favourite for the following day's 1,000 Guineas, Opera Singer. Like City Of Troy, she is by Coolmore's American-based sire and Triple Crown winner Justify, and she won last season's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac.
Opera Singer is one of 16 Irish-trained fillies engaged in the race, including eight from her own stable, while Paddy Twomey could have two runners, Purple Lily (Ire) (Calyx {Ire}) and One Look (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), and Natalia Lupini has her first Classic entrant in Kitty Rose (Ire) (Invincible Army {Ire}).
Ollie Sangster is another young trainer with a frost Classic hope in Shuwari (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), along with Amy Murphy, the trainer of Needlepoint (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}).
The G1 Moyglare Stud S. winner Fallen Angel (GB) is currently the leading British-trained hope and is one of two entries for her trainer Karl Burke along with Darnation (Ire). Both fillies are by Too Darn Hot. Fallen Angel represents Steve Parkin's Clipper Logistics, which also has the William Haggas-trained Love Dynasty (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) engaged in the 1,000 Guineas.
Among the four fillies entered from the John and Thady Gosden stable is Cheveley Park Stud's Listed winner Regal Jubilee (GB) (Frankel {GB}).
Christopher Head is the sole French trainer with an entry and she is another daughter of Justify, Ramatuelle, who was only narrowly beaten by Vandeek (GB) in the G1 Prix Morny.
The post Justify and O’Brien Dominate Guineas Entries appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
