Tom Pedulla presents five takeaways from a weekend of racing highlighted by two Grade 1 races for 3-year-olds — the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby and the $1 million Cotillion Stakes for fillies — at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa.
Author: News
Apprentice Torres, Protege Of Hall Of Famers, Makes New Home On Kentucky Circuit
Apprentice jockey Jaime Torres has found a new home on the Kentucky circuit with the help of his agent, Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, and the backing of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
“It's been a dream to come ride in Kentucky,” Torres said. “I'm pretty new to the sport. One day I was sitting at home Puerto Rico and saw racing on from Camarero and I fell in love. From that point on, I wanted to become a jockey.”
Torres won his first race nearly one year ago at Gulfstream Park. The 24-year-old rider started galloping horses in Puerto Rico before moving to the U.S. and working for Saffie Joseph Jr.
Torres, a five-pound apprentice rider, won his first race at Churchill Downs on Sept. 16 aboard Our Keepsake, a 2-year-old Cinco Charlie filly trained by Lukas who scored by 4 1/4 lengths going gate to wire.
“Riding for Mr. Lukas is a blessing,” Torres said. “I've been very lucky to learn from so many talented people like Gary Stevens and Angel Cordero (Jr.), who was my agent in New York. They've all taught me so much about riding and life.”
Even with Lukas being a main supporter of Torres, he is slated to ride for many top outfits over the next week including Mike Maker, Chris Hartman, Joe Sharp, and Michael McCarthy.
The post Apprentice Torres, Protege Of Hall Of Famers, Makes New Home On Kentucky Circuit appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Adlerflug’s India Is The Preis von Europa Heroine
Sunday's G1 Preis von Europa was all about the fillies and mares as Gestut Ittlingen's India (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}–Ivory Coast {Fr}, by Peintre Celebre) overcame the Irish challenger Trevaunance (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) to keep the Cologne prize at home. Registering her fourth group win when getting the better of the talented pair Mqse De Sevigne (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in ParisLongchamp's G3 Prix Allez France in April, the Waldemar Hickst-trained homebred was settled with two behind early by Rene Piechulek.
Sent forward at the top of the straight, the 5-year-old had total control 1 1/2 out and only had to be kept honest from there to score by 1 1/4 lengths from the Moyglare representative who outstayed Godolphin's Siskany (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) to get the silver medal by a neck. “Wow, what a girl she is! She is absolutely awesome,” Hickst said. “Ridden that way, she can easily do this twelve furlongs. We are over the moon and it was a brilliant ride from Rene.”
INDIA wins in Germany!
5yo mare India gets her first Group 1 in the Preis Von Europa at Cologne, for Rene Piechulek and Waldermar Hickst.
— World Horse Racing (@WHR) September 24, 2023
India, whose previous best had come when winning the G3 Furstenberg-Rennen over this trip at Hoppegarten by six lengths last July, had done all her other winning in notable races at shorter including another 6 1/2-length success in Hanover's 11-furlong G3 Waldpfad-Trophy in October. Third in the 10 1/2-furlong G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud in May, she had been demoted from first to second behind Kolossal (Ger) (Outstrip {GB}) when defending her title in the Furstenberg-Rennen back in Berlin when last seen in July and was a fresh mare entering this test which is traditionally one of Europe's weakest coming so close to the Arc.
Pedigree Notes
Becoming the eighth group 1 winner for her much-missed sire, India is the last live foal out of the unraced Ivory Coast (Fr) (Peintre Celebre), who is also responsible for the triple group-winning stayer Ivory Land (Fr) (Lando {Ger}). The second dam is the Listed Ben Marshall S. runner-up Land Of Ivory (The Minstrel), who produced the G1 National S. hero Heart Of Darkness (Glint of Gold {GB}), counts among her descendants the G2 German 1000 Guineas winner Akua'da (Ger) (Shamardal). This is also the family of the triple group 1-winning Gold And Ivory (Key To The Mint), the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero Anees (Unbridled), the GI Turf Classic Invitational hero Grand Couturier (GB) (Grand Lodge) and the prolific sire Elusive Quality.
Sunday, Cologne, Germany
61ST PREIS VON EUROPA-G1, €155,000, Cologne, 9-24, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:29.09, sf.
1–INDIA (GER), 129, m, 5, by Adlerflug (Ger)
1st Dam: Ivory Coast (Fr), by Peintre Celebre
2nd Dam: Land Of Ivory, by The Minstrel
3rd Dam: Ivory Wand, by Sir Ivor
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Gestut Ittlingen; B-Gestut Hof Ittlingen (GER); T-Waldemar Hickst; J-Rene Piechulek. €100,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Fr, 17-8-5-2, €324,700. *1/2 to Ivory Land (Fr) (Lando {Ger}), MGSW-Fr, $499,271. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Trevaunance (Ire), 129, f, 4, Muhaarar (GB)–Liber Nauticus (Ire), by Azamour (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Moyglare Stud Farm (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. €30,000.
3–Siskany (GB), 132, g, 5, Dubawi (Ire)–Halay (GB), by Dansili (GB). O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. €15,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, NK, 3/4. Odds: 5.60, 8.60, 1.90.
Also Ran: Assistent (Ger), Live Your Dream (Ire), Best Of Lips (Ire), Straight (Ger), Sirjan (Ger). Scratched: Sisfahan (Fr).
The post Adlerflug’s India Is The Preis von Europa Heroine appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Harzand’s Caught U Looking On Top At The Curragh
Noel Meade trainee Caught U Looking (Ire) (Harzand {Ire}–Wild Mix {GB}, by Mastercraftsman {Ire}) posted an impressive five-length tally when shedding maiden status at Leopardstown in July and made a smooth transition to black-type company with a landmark success in an attritional renewal of Sunday's G3 Weld Park S. at the Curragh.
The 4-1 chance broke smartly from the outside stall and raced without cover in fifth through the initial fractions of this third start at the seven-furlong trip. Inching closer to the leading duo from halfway, she came under pressure passing the quarter-mile marker and was driven out inside the final furlong to deny Sakti (Ire) (Caravaggio) by a half-length in the dying embers. Long-time leader Brilliant (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) kept on gamely once headed and finished a neck adrift in a close-up third.
“She won easy enough in Leopardstown and there was plenty of interest in her, but Tony O'Callaghan, despite all the horses he has, wasn't for selling,” explained trainer Noel Meaded. “He just wanted to keep her and said to roll the dice and see how she goes. Obviously there is a little bit of pressure on when you do that and [breeder] Peter [Kelly] was happy enough to do that as well. She's a good filly and she's a filly that will improve because she's a Harzand. She's going to be better next year, and probably a mile-and-a-half filly. I know she only just won, but Ger [Lyons] thinks quite a lot of his filly and you are always running against something decent from Ballydoyle. It's hard to win a stakes race in Ireland. Ben [Coen] said she was a little green and leaning away from them in the last furlong-and-a-half. He said she'll come on a ton. With the ground the way it was, it maybe suited her more than the others because of her stamina.”
Caught U Looking
The Group 1-entered daughter of Harzand created quite an impression at Leopardstown and she's taken the rise in class in her stride.@tuvastables has a filly that might just be heading to the top!@curraghrace | @BenCoen2 pic.twitter.com/EIat2NbC8q
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 24, 2023
Pedigree Notes
Caught U Looking, half-sister to a weanling colt by Supremacy (Ire), is the first of two foals out of an unraced half-sister to G3 Abernant S. and G3 Supreme S. winner Double Or Bubble (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) and G3 Chartwell Fillies' S. victrix Mix And Mingle (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). The March-foaled bay's second dam Mango Lady (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) is a winning half-sister to MGSW G1 St Leger and G1 Rheinland-Pokal runner-up High Accolade (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) and the dual stakes-placed Oasis Knight (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}).
Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
WELD PARK S.-G3, €55,000, Curragh, 9-24, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:30.33, sf.
1–CAUGHT U LOOKING (IRE), 128, f, 2, by Harzand (Ire)
1st Dam: Wild Mix (GB), by Mastercraftsman (Ire)
2nd Dam: Mango Lady (GB), by Dalakhani (Ire)
3rd Dam: Generous Lady (GB), by Generous (Ire)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€27,000 Ylg '22 GOAUYR). O-Anthony F O'Callaghan & Sabina Kelly; B-Kelly Equine Services (IRE); T-Noel Meade; J-Ben Coen. €33,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $51,921. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sakti (Ire), 128, f, 2, Caravaggio–Oh Grace (Ire), by Lawman (Fr). (€52,000 Wlg '21 GOFNO1). O-David Spratt, Sean Jones & Mrs Lynne Lyons; B-T Darcy & V McCarthy (IRE); T-Ger Lyons. €11,000.
3–Brilliant (Ire), 128, f, 2, Gleneagles (Ire)–Plying, by Hard Spun. (650,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-D Smith, Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor & Westerberg; B-Jossestown Farm (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €5,500.
Margins: HF, NK, 2 3/4. Odds: 4.00, 2.25, 7.00.
Also Ran: Dollerina (Ire), Settlement (GB), Content (Ire), Peggy O'Neil (Ire).
The post Harzand’s Caught U Looking On Top At The Curragh appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
