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Uni Could Try For Redemption In Aug. 22 Fourstardave At Saratoga

Following a third in her seasonal bow in the Grade 1 Just a Game on June 27 to stable mate Newspaperofrecord, reigning Champion Turf Mare Uni is a possibility to face colts in the Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave on August 22 at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Chad Brown, Uni suffered her only loss of 2019 in last year's Fourstardave, where she made up 17 lengths to finish third, beaten 2 ½ lengths to a track-record setting performance by Got Stormy. The 6-year-old daughter of More Than Ready solidified championship honors in her next two starts in taking the Grade 1 First Lady at Keeneland where she set a new course record for one mile on the turf and the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita.

“The only Grade 1 going a flat mile on the grass at Saratoga is against boys. Will we try it? Probably,” said Bradley Weisbord of BSW/Crow Bloodstock, who manages Uni on behalf of owners Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners, Robert LaPenta and Bethlehem Stables. “She was an unlucky loser last year to Got Stormy. We could take that route again this year and try to protect our title in the First Lady at Keeneland and the Breeders' Cup Mile.”

Since joining Brown's all-star shed row in 2017 after beginning her career in France for Fabrice Chappet, Uni has placed in all but one of her 13 starts for the four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner, including a total of eight stakes victories over six different tracks. Additionally, all of her last nine starts took place going a flat mile.

“She's won on soft turf before, but [jockey] Joel [Rosario] said she was struggling with the turf that day,” Weisbord said of the Just a Game. “She probably needed the race. She had a splint issue in April and breezed four or five times heading into the Just a Game so she wasn't super cherry heading into the race and you have to be cherry to beat a filly like Newspaperofrecord. Hats off to Chad for getting her back to Grade 1 form. She'll be tough the rest of the year.”

In 2018, Uni won twice over soft and yielding turf in the De La Rose at Saratoga and the Grade 3 Noble Damsel at Belmont Park. Although the turf was listed as “firm” for the Just a Game, there were rain showers in the Elmont area earlier in the program.

Uni, bred in Great Britain by Haras D'Etreham, is out of the Dansili broodmare Unaided.

Rockemperor who was a close second in the Grade 1 Manhattan to stable mate Instilled Regard, could target the Grade 1, $1 million Old Forester Turf Classic on September 5 at Churchill Downs

The Brown-trained son of Holy Roman Emperor had dead aim on the pacesetters when four-wide at the top of the stretch under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, briefly took command within the final half-furlong, but was nosed out of victory by stablemate Instilled Regard.

“It's hard to know what his best distance his, but a mile and an eighth should hit him right over the head,” Weisbord said. “We've gotten beat a lot in stakes, but what made that such a brutal beat was because he had the horses in front of him collared. I don't think the horse or Johnny saw Instilled Regard coming.”

Still in search of his first North American victory, Rockemperor has placed in four of his five starts in the United States. He made his seasonal bow in the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial Classic at Fair Grounds before being disqualified from second to third in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham at Santa Anita.

Rockemperor is owned by Madaket Stables in partnership with Michael Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael E. Kisber and Bethlehem Stables.

Bred in Ireland by Haras du Mezeray, Rockemperor is out of the Muhtathir broodmare Motivation and comes from the same family as multiple graded stakes winner on turf Yagli. Both hail from the prestigious lineage of prolific broodmare Best In Show.

The post Uni Could Try For Redemption In Aug. 22 Fourstardave At Saratoga appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Demand High At Restructured July Sale

NEWMARKET, UK—Broodmares led the way through the first session of the mixed Tattersalls July Sale, an auction which is usually broken into morning and evening sessions to allow for the excellent racing on offer down the road at the July Course. This year, however, the reduced crowd drawn to Park Paddocks dodged showers and caught the racing action on screens around the sales grounds while the only show in town with a controlled audience continued apace within the ring.

Direct comparisons to the regular July Sale are worthless. The traditional five sessions across three days have become two day-long sessions, and another mixed sale will take place at Tattersalls on Aug. 25 and 26 for the first time. The stand-out figure from Thursday’s returns was the 96% clearance rate: only eight of the 194 horses offered did not find a buyer. From the 186 sold, turnover of 4,172,000gns was recorded at an average of 22,430gns and a median price of 13,250gns.

Ballyhane Stud’s Prince Of Lir (Ire) has been in the news of late courtesy of his first-crop Group 2-winning son The Lir Jet (Ire) but it was his sister’s turn in the spotlight on Thursday when she became the first six-figure lot of the sale. Kalagia (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) won three races when in training with Mark Johnston and fetched 55,000gns when offered at the December Sale last year. Now five and carrying her first foal by Highclere Stud’s Land Force (Ire) she was sold by that same farm for 130,000gns to National Stud manager Tim Lane.

“I’ve bought her on behalf of a British breeder who is also a client of ours,” Lane said of lot 232. “She has a good commercial pedigree and Prince Of Lir has made a good start.”

Kalagia has another stakes performer as a half-sibling in Nitro Boost (Ire), a listed-winning daughter of Dandy Man (Ire) and the family’s speedy credentials are augmented by the G3 Champagne Sprint S. winner Resplendent Glory (Ire) (Namid {GB}), a half-brother to Kalagia’s dam Esuvia (Ire) (Whipper).

Drafts from major breeding operations Juddmonte, Shadwell, Cheveley Park Stud and Godolphin were among the first-day offerings and the first mare in the ring from Godolphin equalled the 130,000gns paid for Kalagia.

Tony Nerses, representing Blue Diamond Stud, was the buyer this time around of New Jazz, a 4-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy sold in foal to young Darley sire Harry Angel (Ire). Originally bought for $550,000 at Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale, New Jazz, who landed a mile maiden for John Gosden, is out of the listed winner Seanchai (English Channel). Next year she is already pencilled in to visit Blue Diamond’s Irish National Stud-based stallion Decorated Knight (GB).

“We always wanted a Scat Daddy and we saw her as a yearling but she was beyond our pocket then,” said Nerses of lot 251. “She is a lovely individual and we are glad to get her now. We hope to cover with our own stallion, she should suit him.”

Also in foal to Harry Angel was Gentlewoman, a 4-year-old daughter of Shamardal out of Satin Kiss (Seeking The Gold), a sister to G1 Middle Park S. winner Lujain. Trainer Roger Varian signed the ticket for the young mare (lot 393) at 125,000gns on behalf of an unnamed international breeder who had been unable to travel to the sale.

Bringing Them Home
Both David and Diane Nagle of Barronstown Stud and Fiona and Mick Denniff of Denniff Farms stepped in to be reunited with fillies bred and previously sold by them as yearlings.

For Nagle, his purchase of Monya (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) from Shadwell at 100,000gns was a small outlay compared to the 4-year-old’s Book 1 yearling price of 425,000gns. Since that time she has been in training with Charlie Hills and has placed twice in three starts. The grey filly (lot 321) is a half-sister to two classy performers who have helped to keep the Barronstown name in lights in recent years: last year’s G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. winner Royal Dornoch (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) and the super tough German 1000 Guineas heroine Hawksmoor (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}), whose six victories include five Group/Graded wins in Europe and America.

Fiona Denniff went to 70,000gns to take home the 4-year-old winner Maximum Effect (GB), who again represents a family which had been very kind to the breeder of late. Sold as lot 367, the daughter of Iffraaj (GB) is a half-sister to the G3 Molecomb S. winner and G1 Commonwealth Cup runner-up Kachy (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) and to the 94-rated 3-year-old Gifted Ruler (GB) (Muhaarar {Ire}). She had been sold as a yearling for 120,000gns to Lady Bamford and finished in the first three in seven of her eight starts through her time in training with John Gosden.

Denniff, bidding outside in the rain with agent Mark McStay, said after securing the filly, “I’ve made a habit of selling my fillies and somebody else racing them, then I buy them back. I came down this morning in my lorry hoping to get her. She looks remarkably like her dam and I have her at home with a Harry Angel foal. I must admit this is way more than I was expecting to pay.”

Maximum Effect is a daughter of Dubai Bounty (GB) (Dubai Destination) and is from a family which also includes the fellow Denniff-bred Group 2-winning miler Beat The Bank (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}).

“Dubai Bounty has a yearling colt by Showcasing. We will retain him, and Tom Dascombe thinks a lot of Gifted Ruler, too,” Denniff added.

Vega’s Baby
Vega’s Angel (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) has had a busy start to 2020. The Cheveley Park Stud-owned 3-year-old made her racecourse debut on Jan. 20, broke her maiden at Lingfield on Feb. 21 and a month later was covered by the stud’s young stallion Ulysses (Ire). Offered in the Cheveley Park Stud draft as lot 382, she was bought by James Kelly of Linacre Stud in partnership with Normandy-based Haras du Mont Dit Mont in Normandy.

“She’s from a family I have been trying to get into for 20 years,” said Kelly of the daughter of the prolific racemare Lily’s Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), whose ten victories included the G3 Chartwell Fillies’ S. “We sell foals, so that will be the plan, and we will put a good cover on her and have some fun with her hopefully.”

Her family has been particularly successful for George Strawbridge for a number of years. The owner-breeder bought Vega’s Angel’s third dam Bellarida (Fr) (Bellypha {GB}) from the Wertheimer family back in 1997 and from her bred the Group 3 winner In Clover (GB) (Inchinor {GB}), who is in turn the dam of three Group 1 winners in We Are (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), With You (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and Call The Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

Angel Delights
Highclere Stud was involved as vendor of the co-top lot of the day but it will also gain a new recruit to its paddocks in lot 366, Indigo Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who was offered on behalf of Rifa Mustang by the Castlebridge Consignment.

The sister to the young stallion and G2 July S. winner Alhebayeb (Ire) was sold in foal to the Tweenhills shuttler Zoustar (Aus) and brought the hammer down at 70,000gns.

“We are big fans of Dark Angel,” said Highclere’s Jake Warren. “She is in foal to Zoustar, a leading stallion in Australia, and we have liked the foals we have seen by him. She is also a full-sister to a top-class juvenile in Alhebayeb. She will come back to Highclere Stud for a partnership.”

Online Action
Continuing the facility brought in for the breeze-up sales, purchasers who have been prevented from visiting the sale in person under the current travel restrictions have been able to get involved online through the internet bidding platform. Forty-two individuals placed online bids on approximately 50 lots throughout Thursday’s session.

Among the five horses sold that way on Thursday was lot 406, Arabian Girl (Ire), a daughter of Shamardal and the G3 Ballyogan S. winner Majestic Queen (Ire) (Kheleyf), who fetched 75,000gns to final bid from a buyer listed under the name ‘Against All Odds’. The 3-year-old’s dam was purchased by Godolphin through the Goffs London Sale of 2015 for £825,000. Arabian Girl, who is unraced, was the mare’s first foal.

The final session of the July Sale takes place from 10am on Friday.

The post Demand High At Restructured July Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Condylar Fracture Not Career Ending For Bella Ciao

Bella Ciao, a 3-year-old filly trained by father-and-son team Alessandro and Antonio San, and owned by Cairoli Racing Stable and Magic Stables LLC, sustained a condylar fracture to her right front leg in April of 2019. She had just finished breezing at Gulfstream Park West in Miami Gardens, FL, when the break occurred.

Palm Beach Equine Clinic took on the filly's case, with Dr. Robert Brusie leading the care team. A condylar fracture occurs after repetitive strain fractures the cannon bone during high-speed work. On an X-ray, the fracture looks like a crack that goes up the cannon bone and out the side, breaking off a corner of the cannon bone.

These fractures can be incomplete and non-displaced, meaning that the bone has not chipped off and is in its original position. Complete, displaced fractures mean that the fragment has moved away from the cannon bone; these types of condylar fractures are more difficult to repair.

Dr. Brusie surgically repaired the fracture with screws and recommended stall rest and handwalking for the first few months after she had surgery. The filly went back to the track at the end of October in a $45,000 allowance race, which she won.

The filly has won additional races in 2020, proving that not all condylar fractures are career ending.

Munnings Filly Earns Rising Star Tag at Belmont

ALDA (Munnings) became the newest ‘TDN Rising Star’ Thursday with a decisive score at Belmont Park. Rallying to be third on debut in a five-panel event at this oval June 12, she was hammered down to even-money to improve over an extra furlong here. Saving ground in a joint third, the homebred was several lengths off the dueling leaders through a sharp first quarter in :21.89. Closing the gap entering the backstretch, the homebred split horses with a three-wide move turning for home and overtook Illegal Smile (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) in the lane, rolling clear to win by 2 1/2 lengths.

“Johnny [Velazquez] said she was much more professional today,” trainer Graham Motion said in a post-race interview with NYRA’s Maggie Wolfendale. “Last time, she just broke a tad slow which cost her and he kind of had to rush her a little bit. Today, she broke much better. Actually, Johnny said she was pretty sharp the first part, but he could do whatever he wanted, which really helped. She was pretty professional, I thought.”

He continued, “My theory with the 2-year-olds is if they take you to the races, just go with it, and she’s done everything right. She’s such a pro in the mornings, she makes me look good, I think.”

The winner is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Alignement (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). Her dam Soldata, a half-sister to MGSW sire Exhi (Maria’s Mon), produced an Into Mischief colt named Serifos in 2019 and a Tapit colt in 2020.

1st-Belmont, $64,000, Msw, 7-9, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:08.82, fm.

ALDA, f, 2, by Munnings

1st Dam: Soldata, by Maria’s Mon

2nd Dam: Soldera, by Polish Numbers

3rd Dam: La Pepite, by Mr. Prospector

Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $42,880. O/B-Wertheimer et Frere (KY); T-H. Graham Motion. *1/2 to Alignement (GB) (Pivotal (GB)), GSW-Fr, SP-Qa, $408,561. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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