Author: News

Laurel River Set For Desert Debut

Juddmonte's Laurel River (Into Mischief), last seen running out a 3 3/4-length winner of the GII Pat O'Brien S. in August 2022 for Bob Baffert, has been entered for the G3 Al Shindagha Sprint (1200m) and the G3 Firebreak S. (1600m) on 'Fashion Friday' at Meydan Racecourse Jan. 26.

“Everything seems to be fine, we've gotten nothing but good reports from over there,” said Garrett O'Rourke, general manager of Juddmonte USA, who confirmed that the 6-year-old stallion will take part in the shorter of the two races Friday evening.

An impressive maiden winner at second asking in April 2021, Laurel River was second to The Chosen Vron (Vronsky) in the GIII Laz Barrera S. the following month, but went missing off an 11 1/2-length romp in his first start going a mile at Del Mar that September. A facile allowance winner first off an 11-month absence in July 2022, he defeated American Theorem (American Pharoah) and Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) in the Pat O'Brien to earn a berth in that year's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. He was scratched on the eve of the race, for which he would have been one of the top choices.

Laurel River was subsequently transferred to the successful yard of trainer Bhupat Seemar and cleared quarantine last October. He has been in steady work since, but the Juddmonte team are taking a pragmatic approach to what might lie ahead.

“I don't want to get ahead of ourselves. He's been off a long time,” O'Rourke said. “I'd like him to show that he still has the same sparkle, but obviously we expect some rust for as long as he's been off.”

O'Rourke indicated that it will be one step at a time with Laurel River and that near-term options include the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint–a race won last year by Juddmonte's champion Elite Power (Curlin)–and the G3 Mahab al Shimaal (1200m) or G3 Burj Nahaar (1600m) on Super Saturday in Dubai Mar. 2 en route to a possible appearance on Dubai World Cup night four weeks later.

“I'd say he'll dictate where we go,” O'Rourke said. “We have to answer one question first and that's whether he shows his old spark and ability and I think after that, we'll play it by ear. You don't want to pigeonhole yourself into any plan when something different might work out to be the best.

“We've got to get past this performance and move on after that,” O'Rourke continued. “We're just happy that the horse is healthy and happy and working well and wherever it leads us after this weekend, we'll see where we go with him.”

Laurel River will kick off his Dubai campaign on a mark of 116, among the highest-rated dirt horses in the jurisdiction. Isolate (Mark Valeski), winner of last year's G2 Godolphin Mile and on track for the G1 Saudi Cup next month, is rated on 117, while the top dirt sprinter Tuz (Oxbow) is rated 115. The latter, conditioned by Seemar, is also among the entries for the Al Shindagha Sprint.

 

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OBS Winter Mixed Sale Begins Tuesday

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company opens its 2024 calendar with the two-day Winter Mixed Sale which begins Tuesday at noon. The auction opens with a preferred session of 137 catalogued short yearlings, broodmares and broodmare prospects. Following the preferred session, OBS will present an offering of 76 catalogued horses of racing age. The auction concludes Wednesday with 263 catalogued offerings in the company's open session, which also begins at noon.

The horses of racing age took to the OBS track Monday, with the unraced 3-year-old Saint George (St Patrick's Day) (hip 262) earning the under-tack show's bullet when working three furlongs in :32 1/5. Out of Crowninshield (Aldebaran), the chestnut colt was bred by Brent and Crystal Fernung and is consigned by the Fernungs' Journeyman Bloodstock Services.

“I thought he was going to work awful good,” said Brent Fernung. “He pulled a stifle before the April sale last year–and we thought he would work good there, too–so we just gave him plenty of time and decided to bring him back here. He stepped up and did what he was supposed to do.”

Journeyman is usually active selling at the 2-year-old sales, but Fernung agreed having an outlet to sell horses of racing age in Ocala in January is a welcome addition to the calendar.

“Historically, what we've done is we breed homebreds and sell them at the 2-year-old sales,” Fernung said. “And once that last 2-year-old sale goes by, part of the by-product of that is that horses who can't make it to those sales for one reason or another, you've got to have somewhere to go with them. It used to be, before we started doing this here, I ended up having to race all of those horses. We did OK doing that, but it turns into a two-year process before you know it.”

Of interest around the sales grounds Monday, Fernung said, “I thought it was a reasonable number of people watching the breeze show. And we have some nice mares in this sale and they seem to be getting looked at pretty regular, too. It's not a real busy place, but it never is. It always helps if it gets really cold up north right before this sale.”

“I've been saying since the end of the 2-year-old season last year, if we can just remain flat and level–and I'm not just talking about OBS, I am talking about the Thoroughbred industry in whole–it's been strong now for several years, so if we just don't lose any ground, I'd be satisfied,” Fernung said of expectations for the market. “I think that is realistic. I haven't seen anything that suggests to me that it's going to take a big downturn yet.”

During the 2023 Winter sale, 380 horses grossed $6,346,200 for an average of $16,701 and a median of $9,500. A yearling colt by Tapit brought top price of $225,000 and was one of two to bring six figures at the auction.

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