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Laurel Juvenile Stakes Winners Brocknardini, Air Recruit Possible For Breeders’ Cup

Thomas Brockley and Daryn Bedinotti's 2-year-old filly Brocknardini, who impressed earning her first stakes victory in Saturday's $150,000 Selima at Laurel Park, will be pointed to a potential start in the Breeders' Cup, trainer George Weaver said.

Brocknardini rolled to a popular 2¼-length triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Selima for juvenile fillies, which in 2019 produced subsequent Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) winner Sharing, who went on to win the Edgewood (G2) and Tepin in 2020 and retire a millionaire.

The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf will be run Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.

“I'll run her in the Breeders' Cup, if she can get in,” Weaver said of Brocknardini. “I don't know if she'll get in, but if she were to draw in I'll run her. Why not? There's a lot to gain and not a lot to lose.”

Under a patient ride in her third start and first under jockey Joe Rocco Jr., Brocknardini rated two wide while racing in fifth behind dirt stakes winner Carmelina, who was making her turf debut. Rocco tipped Brocknardini further out to launch her bid, surged to the lead in midstretch, and drew off under a hand ride to win in 1:47.45 over a turf course rated good.

It was reminiscent of Brocknardini's Aug. 16 debut going the same distance at Saratoga, where she took a commanding lead at the top of the stretch and cruised home a 4¾-length winner against fellow New York-breds. The effort earned her a trip to Woodbine for the one-mile Natalma (G1) Sept. 16, only to encounter a nightmarish trip after a belated start.

“I was glad to see her get back to what we thought first time out,” the New York-based Weaver said. “She showed promise the first time out at Saratoga, then went over to Woodbine and didn't really adjust well to the one turn.

“I know [Saturday's] race was a little easier, but she just didn't run her race at Woodbine,” he added. “It was great to see her come back, and I thought she won pretty stylishly.”

Brocknardini's victory continued to stellar year for Weaver, now 16-for-44 with 2-year-olds including 13-for-30 on the grass. Tops among them are three-time stakes winner No Nay Mets and Crimson Advocate, winner of the Queen Mary (G2) in June at Royal Ascot.

By Palace Malice out of the Bernardini mare Broad Stripes, Brocknardini fetched $35,000 during Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium May 22.

Weaver was proud of the effort put forth by Brocknardini, who had all of her timed breezes at Saratoga and was coming back just 14 days following the Natalma.

“It's like a stock price. After she ran at Woodbine her stock went down, so we had to try to do something to get it back up,” Weaver said. “She delivered for us.”

Trainer Arnaud Delacour indicated following Saturday's $150,000 Laurel Futurity that Mark Grier's Air Recruit is also likely to be pointed to California for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) Nov. 3 following his 5½-length victory.

It was the first stakes win for Air Recruit, who stretched out around two turns for the first time after capturing his Aug. 5 unveiling by 1 ¼ lengths and running third behind No Nay Mets in the Sept. 9 Rosie's, both sprinting 5 ½ furlongs at Colonial Downs.

Both Shards and Cigale, who respectively ran second and third to Air Recruit in the maiden special weight, came back to win their next starts.

“You always wonder about the quality of the horses you beat when you break your maiden because there's a lot of 2-year-olds in North America,” Delacour said. “You always retrospectively find out what you have, as far as form, two or three months down the road. But it's obviously solid, which is great.”

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Touch’n Ride Survives Inquiry Scare to Win Breeders’ Stakes Thriller

Lightly raced but full of heart, Touch'n Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) would not let the filly go in the final yards and bravely got by Elysian Fields (Hard Spun) to prevail by the slimmest of margins, determined by a photo.

Last seen finishing fifth in the Kings Plate S. won by familiar face Paramount Prince (Society's Chairman)–where the runner-up here again played bridesmaid–and gone since then, Touch'n Ride was content to track from fifth in a packed field of 14 as the speed went on its way. Cruising along in the second flight among cover down the backstretch, Kazushi Kimura was forced to wait for room behind a three-strong wall of leaders at the half-mile, but found his seam entering the top of the stretch. Locking horns with Elysian Fields as she bravely fought off his challenge, and the pair drifting far into the course midway home, it took the length of the stretch and a photo to separate them, but succeed he did, beating her by a nose. Paramount Prince faded to next to last while Prince of Wales S. runner-up Kaukokaipuu (Mr Speaker) finished seventh. A rider's claim of foul from Sahin Civac, aboard Elysian Fields, afterwards was disallowed by the stewards.

“It feels amazing,” said Kimura, who notched his first win in the series. “I've always tried to win the Triple Crown and I've finally made it. Last week, I got on him in the morning and he was a very nice horse on the turf. I was quite comfortable staying behind Paramount Prince, the King's Plate winner [during the race].”

Added conditioner Layne Giliforte: “It's nerve-racking when you watch a horse get herded out like that…I had a great feeling going into the race and for him to come through the way he did and Kazushi to give him the ride that he did, it's fantastic.”

With his victory here, Touch'n Ride continuous something of a familial tradition, joining elder brother Neepawa (Scat Daddy) as a winner of the Breeders' S. He's also a half-brother to SP Niigon's Spin (Hard Spun) as well as a 2023 half-sister by American Triple Crown hero, Justify. Niigon's Touch went to Twirling Candy for 2024.

 

Sunday, Woodbine Racetrack
BREEDERS' S., C$403,000, Woodbine, 10-1, (C), 3yo, 1 1/2mT, 2:27.56, fm.
1–TOUCH'N RIDE, 126, g, 3, by Candy Ride (Arg)
          1st Dam: Niigon's Touch (SW, $204,615), by Niigon
          2nd Dam: Laser Touch, by Touch Gold
          3rd Dam: Laser Hawk, by Silver Hawk
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-Chiefswood Stables Limited (ON); T-Layne S. Giliforte; J-Kazushi Kimura. C$240,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1, $238,513. *1/2 to Neepawa (Scat Daddy), SW, $307,222.
2–Elysian Field, 123, f, 3, Hard Spun–Elysian, by Smart Strike. ($50,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $70,000 2yo '22 OBSOPN). O-Team Valor International and Gary Barber; B-Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. (ON); T-Mark E. Casse. C$80,000.
3–Twowaycrossing, 126, g, 3, English Channel–Double Guns Girl, by Langfuhr. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B/T-Roger L. Attfield (ON). C$40,000.
Margins: NO, 4, 3/4. Odds: 4.10, 3.55, 51.65.
Also Ran: Philip My Dear, Tito's Calling, Wickenheiser, Kaukokaipuu, British Artillery, Tiburon, Sammy Stone, Simcoe, Hemlo Gold, Paramount Prince, Midnight in Malibu. Scratched: Enjoythesilent, Greystone, Legal Catch, Over and Ollie.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Balladeer Makes All To Win John Henry Turf Championship In Stakes Debut

Although he's a three-time Kentucky Derby (G1) winner and was inducted into racing's Hall of Fame in 2017, business has been slow of late for Victor Espinoza, but in Sunday's $200,000 John Henry Turf Championship (G2) at Santa Anita, the 51-year-old native of Mexico City looked half his age aboard Balladeer for the first time.

The pair lead seven rivals on a merry chase, leading at every point of call en route to a half-length score. Time for the 1 1/4 miles was 1:58.94 on firm footing.

Fresh off a rousing gate-to-wire score going 1 5/16 miles on turf under Florent Geroux at Kentucky Downs Sept. 9, Balladeer was keen out of the gate with Espinoza and wide-out in the short run down the hillside turf to the dirt crossing. He settled into a nice rhythmic stride as the field came past the wire for the first time and was bounding along to the far turn as last year's John Henry winner, Masteroffoxhounds, loomed dangerously, cutting Balladeer's lead to a half length a quarter mile out. Balladeer was far from finished, however, and repelled the challenge while staying on gamely to prevail in a huge effort.

Off at 6-1 in his second career stakes assignment, Balladeer paid $15 for the win. The John Henry Turf Championship marked his stakes debut after competing in a dozen allowance or allowance-optional claiming races since July 2022. He is trained by George Papaprodromou.

Owned by Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran, Balladeer, the 4-year-old colt by Distorted Humor out of the Galileo mare Golden Ballad picked up $120,000 for the win, increasing his lifetime earnings to $367,290 from an overall mark of 18-4-2-2. He was bred in Kentucky by Bonne Chance Farm LLC. Nguyen paid $355,000 to acquire the bay colt at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Selected Yearlings Showcase, where Gainesway consigned him.

Trained by Phil D'Amato and ridden by Edwin Maldonado, Masteroffoxhounds ran a tremendous race and was actually gaining again on the winner at the wire but had to settle for the place, finishing 1¼ lengths in front of Speaking Scout.

Next to last heading to the far turn, Speaking Scout, off at 7-1 with Joel Rosario, finished a half length in front of Brazilian-bred Planetario.

Fractions on the race were :23.36, :47.41, 1:12.07, and 1:35.95.

JOHN HENRY TURF CHAMPIONSHIP QUOTES:

JOCKEY VICTOR ESPINOZA, BALLADEER, WINNER: “He took the dirt crossing wide, but it wasn't really important because I was able to control him without fighting with him or irritating him. When I crossed the dirt, we just went towards the rail and he was just going at a nice speed. I was just pleased with the way he responded to my command.

“He was strong all the way, even when the horses came to him, he would not let them go by. I just have fun riding these types of horses that just go out there and do their job.”

TRAINER GEORGE PAPAPRODROMOU, BALLADEER, WINNER: “He ran huge at Kentucky Downs and he came out of the race great. This race came up and there was nothing else until Del Mar, so we figured just give him one more shot then give him a break after this, so it worked out perfectly.

“At the three-eighths I saw Maldonado (Masteroffoxhounds) getting close, but I knew my horse and he had another gear based on the distance of his last race. He was fit enough to take them all the way.

“We won a lot of races with Victor way back and he's back now again. He worked him at Del Mar and we gave him a shot. Why not?”

PART-OWNER CALVIN NGUYEN, BALLADEER, WINNER: “This race was more exciting because it is a Grade II and he beat Gold Phoenix and we are really excited. Victor did a great job getting her to relax and all the credit to Victor and George. I was standing next to my sister-in-law and when he got out I was really apprehensive, but he had time to settle and just relax. I thought he was going a little fast, but he had another gear at the end, it was awesome.

“It will be up to George where we go next. We will see how he comes out of the race, this race came up a little quick and George said to give it a shot, so we will let him decide.”

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Missed The Cut Makes The Grade, Earns First U.S. Win In Tokyo City Cup

Originally based in England, trainer John Sadler's long-fused Missed the Cut went from turf to dirt on Sunday at Santa Anita and responded with his first stateside victory, winning by 5½ lengths going 1 1/2 miles in the $100,000 Tokyo City Cup (G3).

Confidently ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Missed the Cut completed the trip in 2:32.78.

With a field of 3-yera-olds and up reduced to four runners by the late scratch of Donner Lake, Rispoli was intent on attending the pace set by Bob Baffert's Azul Coast, who showed the way to the quarter pole while Missed the Cut saved ground at the rail. The winner then swung three-wide outside of both Azul Coast and Kiss Today Goodbye, who wrested control from the pacesetter turning for home.

At that point, Missed the Cut was ready for his best as he sailed by Kiss Today Goodbye under mild hand urging and appeared to find his best stride late in a dominant effort.

Most recently a close fourth going 1 3/8 miles on grass in the Del Mar Handicap (G2) Sept. 2, Missed the Cut was off at 3-5 and paid $3.20.

Owned by Bee Zee LLC, Lanes End Racing, St. Elias Stables LLC, Edward Babington, Edward Hudson, and Lynne Hudson, Missed the Cut, a 4-year-old Quality Road colt out of the Elusive Quality mare Beauly, had three minor stakes wins on grass in England at age three and is now 11-5-1-0 overall. With the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $285,777. He was bred in Kentucky by Framont Ltd.

Ridden by Hector Berrios, Kiss Today Goodbye bested Azul Coast by 4¼ lengths for second. Order and Law was fourth to complete the order of finish.

Fractions on the race were :24.65, :49.79, 1:15.23, 1:41.67, and 2:07.39.

TOKYO CITY CUP QUOTES

JOCKEY UMBERTO RISPOLI, MISSED THE CUT, WINNER: “I was loaded all the way. He relaxed for me behind the speed and when I asked him in the stretch he responded. Very nice effort.”

TRAINER JOHN SADLER, MISSED THE CUT, WINNER: “He's a horse that can run long distance. He had a good race here in the spring before we went to Del Mar, he showed he liked the main track. This is his fourth start (stateside), so his whole story isn't written yet, but it was a good race for him today. I'd like to thank the Japanese Racing Association for putting on a nice show. I had a good time with them in London with the Longines World Championships, great connections here today.

“He might be a good horse for an international race, he's already run in England and Saudi Arabia so who knows.”

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