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Group 3 Rescheduled As Gowran’s Saturday Card Cancelled

Due to the cancellation of the Gowran Park meeting on Saturday, the G3 Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies S., has been transferred to Fairyhouse on Monday, Sept. 18. The Group 3's distance has been adjusted to one mile, one furlong and 20 yards, 80 yards shorter than formerly. In addition, the race reverts back to entries after final forfeits stages with fresh declarations to run to be made by 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16.

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Lynch: Tumbarumba, Ancient Peace Will Head To Oklahoma Derby, Remington Oaks

Trainer Brian Lynch has confirmed he will be sending two horses to Remington Park, one for the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby on Sunday, Sept. 24, and the other to the Grade 3, $200,000 Remington Park Oaks on the undercard.

Lynch, a 59-year-old trainer from Australia, is ready to ship Tumbarumba, winner of the $250,000 Ellis Park Derby, for the Oklahoma Derby, and Ancient Peace for the Remington Park Oaks. The Oklahoma Derby will be run at 1-1/8 miles on the main track while the Oaks is set for 1-1/16 miles.

Tumbarumba is named for a small town in New South Wales, Australia, and some say the name is derived from the sound of thunder. That seems fitting considering the way the 3-year-old gelding came thundering down the stretch to win the Ellis Park Derby on Aug. 13 in Kentucky by three-quarters of a length. The son of Oscar Performance, out of the Street Sense mare Naive Enough, showed the tenacity of a warrior to win that race. It was his third win in his last four starts. Oscar Performance is a horse that Lynch trained to a Breeders' Cup win in the Grade 1, $1 million Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita in 2016. Lynch is a multiple Grade 1-winning conditioner.

Tumbarumba's other two wins in his recent success were in allowance company. He won the Ellis Park Derby with veteran rider Rafael Bejarano in the saddle at 7-2 odds. The gelding's record coming into the Oklahoma Derby would be nine starts, four wins, one second and one third for $254,870 in earnings.

Lynch's family was ensconced in horse racing in Australia and he grew up across the street from a racetrack there. Lynch was looking for something a little more along the rough and tumble side when he left Australia for North America in 1986. He wanted to ride bulls on the rodeo circuit. When that didn't pan out for a living, he went to legendary Southern California trainer Bobby Frankel and began to work for him. Since he became an official trainer on his own in the early 1990s, Lynch has had 4,709 starters, won 783 times, run second 672 times and third another 627 times. His horses have earned $52,659,405 in his career, according to Equibase statistics.

Tumbarumba was bred in Louisiana by Coteau Grove Farms. He is owned by Amerman Racing.

The filly, Ancient Peace, going to the Remington Park Oaks, may be just as impressive and entry for Lynch. The 3-year-old daughter of War Front, out of the A.P. Indy mare Deceptive Vision, had an impressive runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Summer Oaks at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., the last time she raced on dirt, June 3. She might have won that race, but she got into more trouble than a juvenile delinquent. Ancient Peace hit the gate at the start of the race and then jumped a shadow during the race and still only lost by 1-3/4 lengths at 15-1 odds. She has yet to win in stakes company. Her last effort, when she was tried on the turf, was an experiment that didn't work out as she ran 10th of 14 horses in the Grade 2, $200,000 San Clemente at Del Mar on July 22. Her career record thus far is six starts, two wins, and one second for a bankroll of $130,400. She was bred in Ontario, Canada, by Sam-Son Farm. She is owned by Boardshorts Stables.

The draw for the lone graded stakes events on the Remington Park calendar will take place Saturday morning, Sept. 16.

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Mickey Cleere: ‘I Was Never As Nervous – Big Evs Is The Fastest I’ve Ridden’

Top breeze-up handler Mickey Cleere has shared how he breathed a huge sigh of relief after Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), a horse he describes as the fastest he has ridden, bounced right back to form to run away with the G2 Flying Childers S. at Doncaster. 

That win provided Cleere with an added pep to his step ahead of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, where he picked up the similarly smart juvenile Ballymount Boy (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) for just €8,000, before turning him into a €110,000 breezer some eight months later.

But the Mick Appleby-trained Big Evs is something out of the ordinary in the eyes of Cleere. And that is saying something given the talented operator prepared 2019 G2 Norfolk S. winner A'Ali (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}) for the breeze-ups on behalf of Star Bloodstock. 

“I've never been as nervous,” an ecstatic Cleere admitted after the race on Friday. “It was such a bad run in the Nunthorpe, I was only hoping that he could bounce back to what I thought he could do, and it's just great that he showed people what he's made of.”

He added, “Big Evs is the fastest horse I have ever been associated with and I breezed A'Ali for Star Bloodstock. It's fantastic to have been involved with a horse as good as him. It's the best feeling in the world. I can't even describe how good it is to have been involved with a two-year-old as good as Big Evs. 

“Everyone is after a Royal Ascot two-year-old these days and it's a dream to have found one. It makes you trust your own judgment. Hopefully it will be good for business as well. We'll find out next year I suppose.”

Cleere's judgment was bang on the money about Ballymount Boy as well. Despite being light on pedigree, the colt was judged to have been such a looker by Cleere that he rolled the dice on him at Tattersalls Ireland almost a year to the day, and it is a decision that has paid off in spades. 

“We're all basically like sheep in the breeze-up game and are following the fashion. At the same time, you are kind of forced to, aren't you? The day you buy is the day you sell,” – Mickey Cleere

From a humble price tag of just €8,000 from Ridge Manor Stud, Ballymount Boy then fetched €110,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale in the spring to Danny Hussy on behalf of trainer Adrian Keatley. 

The colt was snapped up on the private market by the emerging force of Wathnan Racing in between runner-up efforts in the G2 Richmond S. and the G3 Acomb S. and will bid to further illustrate Cleere's talents at spotting top-class runners when lining out for the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp.

“I didn't even have Ballymount Boy on the list of horses I wanted to see at the sale last year,” Cleere recalled. “I'd binned him, to be honest, purely because he was by Camacho. They can be hard horses to re-sell in my game. 

“It's completely the wrong way of doing things and I know that. We're all basically like sheep in the breeze-up game and are following the fashion. At the same time, you are kind of forced to, aren't you? The day you buy is the day you sell and you have to be guided by fashion somewhat.”

Cleere added, “One thing I will say about Ballymount Boy is that I went down to look at another horse who was stabled beside him but, when I saw this Camacho colt out showing for a different person, he just caught my eye. I followed him over to his stable door and he was a cracking yearling. 

“I thought he was as good as I saw on the day–a man among boys, really. His pedigree was okay without being savage but I was prepared to go to around €25,000 for him because I liked him so much.”

In many ways, horses like Ballymount Boy capture the philosophy of what Cleere's business model is all about; finding race horses, first and foremost. He has tried following fashion in the past, but to his detriment, and says he is happy to continue to ply his trade as he feels best.”

He explained, “I started out on my own under MC Thoroughbreds in 2019 and I'm trying to go the opposite way to most people by just buying a nice horse, rather than the horses by the nice stallions. 

“I've bought the Kingmans and the ones by fashionable sires and you're just never getting a good enough horse for the money that I want to spend so that's why I am going the other direction now. I'd prefer to forgive the pedigrees a small bit and buy the nicer physicals.”

In Big Evs, Cleere managed to secure a horse by one of the hottest young sires in the business in Blue Point, but the Killenaule man reveals that the speedster required some outside-the-box-thinking at 50,00gns from Houghton Bloodstock at the Tattersalls Book 2 Sale.

Cleere said, “I'd say if Big Evs was a couple of inches bigger I wouldn't have gotten near him. When I bought him, he was handy enough but he was very strong with a good enough walk. For a small horse, he walked like a big horse. He'd have made somewhere between seventy and a hundred grand if he was a bit bigger.”

He added, “I was never so sure about a horse than Big Evs, though, and we got him sold privately without going to any sale. For me, he was quicker than A'Ali, and I was confident of that. I'm just glad he's proving us right.”

With Big Evs and Ballymount Boy among last year's graduates, Cleere could have been forgiven for hitting this year's yearling sales hard. However, he revealed that he has not started shopping yet, and that he plans on adding the first of next year's two-year-olds to the team at Tattersalls Ireland next week. 

He said, “I haven't started shopping yet. I always let them power away early on before jumping in a bit later. I just find it is harder to buy at the earlier sales. There's plenty of early and speedy horses at Fairyhouse and even Book 2 at Tattersalls, so there's no real panic. 

“We hope to get 20 yearlings over the next few weeks and I'm looking forward to Tattersalls Ireland. The place has been very lucky for me. I've bought plenty of winners there and hopefully that continues next week.”

The post Mickey Cleere: ‘I Was Never As Nervous – Big Evs Is The Fastest I’ve Ridden’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Weekend Lineup Presented By Sky Racing World: Woodbine Turf Champions Day, 2-Year-Olds Step Out At Churchill

A trio of automatic Breeders' Cup berths are on the line as compelling editions of the Woodbine Mile (G1T), Summer Stakes (G1T), and Natalma Stakes (G1T) headline Saturday's Turf Champions Day card of racing at Woodbine in Ontario.

The six-horse field for the $1 million Woodbine Mile is led by Shirl's Speight, runner-up in last year's FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1); local turf star War Bomber (IRE); and trainer Charlie Appleby's Master of the Seas, who returned from a 3 1/2-month layoff with a rousing 4-length victory in the July 15 Fred Crowley MBE Memorial Summer Mile Stakes (G2) at Ascot.

The Roads to the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks kick off this Saturday at Churchill Downs, with the G3 Iroquois and G3 Pocahontas each offering 10 points to the winner. Nine 2-year-olds have been entered in each contest. The card will also feature the $400,000 Locust Grove (G3), $300,000 Open Mind (Listed), and $300,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society.

Other highlights from this weekend's live Thoroughbred racing action are the G3 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational at Aqueduct and the G3 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup at Pimlico.

Seven 3-year-old fillies headline the Jockey Club Oaks, the final leg of the Fasig-Tipton Fillies Turf Triple series.

The 17th running of the one-mile BWI Turf Cup drew a field of seven with two main-track only entrants. It is the highlight of an 11-race program featuring six stakes, three each scheduled for grass and dirt, worth $650,000 in purses on the penultimate weekend of Pimlico's boutique nine-day fall meet.

Meanwhile, in Australia, more than AU$87 million in purses will be distributed across a multitude of stakes races during the Sydney Everest Carnival beginning this Friday night and including the seventh running of The Everest on Oct. 13 (US date/time).

Saturday

3:50 p.m. – Grade 3 Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs

Saturday's 55th running of the $300,000 Pocahontas features an ultra-competitive group of nine 2-year-old fillies.

Hot Beach broke her maiden by two lengths in the Ellis Park Debutante under jockey Declan Cannon. The Brian Lynch-trained daughter of Omaha Beach defeated fellow Pocahontas rivals Riperton and Youalmosthadme one month ago in the seven-furlong race. Jockey Flavien Prat will pick up the mount on Hot Beach in the Pocahontas from post No. 9.

Chief among Hot Beach's rivals in the Pocahontas is Youalmosthadme, who returns to Churchill Downs where she demolished her rivals in the Kentucky Juvenile by 8 ¾ lengths. Trained by Brad Cox, Youalmosthadme stumbled badly at the start of the Ellis Park Debutante but recovered to finish third as the heavy 4-5 favorite. Tyler Gaffalione, who was in the saddle for the Kentucky Juvenile, will have the call in the Pocahontas from post 7.

Another intriguing filly that entered the Pocahontas is V V's Dream, who finished second to future Grade 1 winner Brightwork in the Debutante Stakes at Ellis Park. Trained by Kenny McPeek, V V's Dream has been on the sidelines since her runner-up effort 10 weeks ago. Prior to the Debutante Stakes, V V's Dream convincingly won her debut at Churchill Downs by 6 ¼ lengths. Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. will be aboard from post 6.

McPeek is not a stranger to winning the Pocahontas. The veteran conditioner previously won the race with Fun and Feisty (2022), Daddys Lil Darling (2016) and Dothraki Queen (2015).

Pocahontas Entries

3:57 p.m. – Grade 1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine

My Boy Prince, who turned plenty of heads with his runaway victory in Woodbine's Simcoe Stakes, will look to boost his status in Saturday's bet365 Summer Stakes (G1T). The Ontario-bred has raced three times, all on Woodbine's Tapeta surface, graduating impressively in his second appearance before his 14-length romp in the 6 ½-furlong Simcoe for yearling sales graduates on August 27.

Woodbine's perennial leading trainer has captured four previous runnings of the Summer, the most recent with Gretzky the Great in 2020. He also has entered Souper Attentive, Go With Gusto, Golden Canary and King of the Track for the Summer. Go With Canary and Go With Gusto are cross-entered in Saturday's Grade 1 Natalma for 2-year-old fillies.

Carson's Run has been solid in his two career starts at Saratoga and looms a serious threat for the barn of trainer Christophe Clement. Both outings came over 1 1/16 miles of grass and include a game maiden win on August 6 and a second-place finish in a competitive renewal of the Grade 3 With Anticipation on August 31.

Trainer Kevin Attard has entered Bucyk, Bold Enoree and Airosa for the Summer with the latter-named pair also entered in the Natalma. Airosa captured the Catch A Glimpse, a 6 ½-furlong turf race for fillies, for her second straight win after finishing fourth in her debut.

The winner of the $500,000 Summer, a one-mile turf race for 2-year-olds, will earn a fee-paid berth for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, a one-mile race which will be run at Santa Anita on November 3.

Summer Entries

4:55 p.m. – Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs

The Road to Kentucky Derby 150 will begin Saturday at Churchill with nine 2-year-olds that entered the 42nd running of the $300,000 Iroquois Stakes.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen will attempt to win his fourth-career Iroquois with his trainees Risk It and Edified. Risk It, a precocious 2-year-old son of Gun Runner, dominated a six-furlong maiden special weight contest on Aug. 19 at Saratoga by 4 ½ lengths under jockey Tyler Gaffalione. Risk It earned a solid 91 Brisnet speed rating for his debut win. Gaffalione will be back aboard in the Iroquois from post No. 8.

Asmussen's second entry in the Iroquois, Edified, broke his maiden on July 1 at Ellis Park by a widening 3 ½ lengths at odds of 9-1. The runner-up in that race, Liberal Arts, returned to break his maiden at Ellis Park and will once again face Edified in the Iroquois. Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. will have the mount on Edified from post 4.

Asmussen previously won the Iroquois with Lucky Player (2014), Astrology (2010) and Capt. Candyman Can (2008).

Another visually impressive maiden special weight winner that entered the Iroquois is Patriot Spirit. Trained by Mike Campbell, Patriot Spirit powered clear to a six-length victory on debut at Colonial Downs. The son of Constitution arrived to Churchill early Monday morning in preparation for Saturday's race. He'll once again be ridden by veteran Jesus Castanon from post 9.

Iroquois Entries

5:07 p.m. – Grade 1 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine

Trainer Charlie Appleby has a remarkable record at Woodbine, with his last seven starters heading back to England with Grade 1 victories. On Saturday, Appleby will be looking for his third success in the G1 Natalma Stakes when he sends out Dazzling Star (GB) in the $500,000, one-mile turf race. The daughter of Blue Point and Dancing Sands has seen action three times, all in six-furlong races, with the two most recent being straightaway turf runs.

The Natalma also is a “Win and You're In” for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, a Grade 1 race over the same distance which will be run at Santa Anita on November 3. Fifteen fillies have been listed with four cross-entered for Saturday's bet365 Summer Stakes.

Ozara (IRE), a maiden winner over 1 1/16 miles of “good” Saratoga turf in her only career start on August 6, will be stepping into stakes company for trainer Christophe Clement.

Trainer Mark Casse will be looking for his eighth victory in the Natalma, the most recent coming with Victory to Victory in 2016 and has entered a quartet of Golden Canary, Go With Gusto, Ready to Jam and Dancing Duchess.

Natalma Entries

5:42 p.m. – Grade 1 Woodbine Mile at Woodbine

Under the terms of the Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Series, the Woodbine Mile winner will be entitled to a fees-paid berth for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile, to be run on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.

Trainer Charlie Appleby's Master of The Seas will be making his first appearance in North America after prosperous performances in both England and the United Arab Emirates. The 5-year-old son of Dubawi (IRE)-Firth of Lorne (IRE), who sports a record of 6-2-2 from 13 starts, is a five-time group winner along with a second and third at the G1 level.

Master of The Seas arrives at the Mile off a score in the one-mile Group 2 Fred Cowley MBE Memorial Summer Mile Stakes on July 15. ​ ​

Dual hall of fame conditioner Mark Casse, who won consecutive editions of the Mile, in 2016 with Tepin and one year later with World Approval, has three chances to add a third victory.

Ice Chocolat, a 5-year-old Brazilian-bred son of Goldikovic-Amor Chocolat, brings a record of 5-5-2 from 18 starts into his latest engagement. The multiple graded stakes-placed dark bay took the Group 3 Grande Prêmio Federação Internacional de Autoridades Hípicas at Brazil's Hipódromo da Gávea on Nov. 7, 2021, in his final start of the campaign. The gelding, bred by Haras Niju, made his North American debut with a fifth-place effort in his first start of 2022 and then contested his next seven starts at Woodbine.

He arrives at the Mile off a third-place effort in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1) which saw Ice Chocolat carried six- to seven-wide and then steadied before regrouping to close stoutly, missing the top spot by 1 ¼ lengths. Joel Rosario will be aboard on Saturday.

Ultra-consistent Lucky Score, a 5-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky-Miss Matzo, is 6-3-4 from 17 starts and has finished in the top three over his past seven starts. The bay gelding earned his second graded stakes victory after taking the six-furlong Highlander (G2) on July 1 at Woodbine. One year earlier, in September, he won the Vigil (G3). Sahin Civaci, who has partnered Lucky Score in all his starts this year, once again gets the call.

Casse's third Mile hopeful comes in the form of My Sea Cottage. The 5-year-old son of Shalaa-Shim Sham has compiled a record of 3-1-6 from 16 starts. The bay gelding is no stranger to Woodbine, having contested three races here, including the 2021 Toronto Cup Stakes (fifth). His most recent outing was a fourth to Casa Creed in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1). Dylan Davis will ride.

A five-time winner, along with a second and two thirds, from 17 starts, Shirl's Speight rhymed off three straight trips to the winner's circle from Jan. 15 to April 15 last year, capped off by a nose triumph in the Makers Mark Mile (G1). Under the tutelage of dual Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield, the 6-year-old son of Speightstown-Perfect Shirl won his debut, a seven-furlong race over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, on July 4, 2020, by eight lengths.

The bay, who was fourth in this May's Dubai Turf (G1) at Meydan, finished fourth in last year's Mile and second, at 55-1, to Modern Games in the 2022 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1). John Velazquez, who has a record five Woodbine Mile victories, including back-to-back (2012-13) triumphs with Wise Dan, will be in the irons.

Trained by Norm McKnight, War Bomber (IRE), a 5-year-old son of War Front-Sun Shower (IRE), heads into his second Mile (he was ninth last year) off a stellar winning performance in the King Edward Stakes (G2T) on Aug. 19 at Woodbine. The gelding, claimed by Schickedanz for $25,000 in August 2021, brings a mark of 7-2-2 from 19 starts into Saturday's race. Last August, War Bomber sprung an 18-1 upset in the Seagram Cup (G3), run at 1 1/16 miles on the Woodbine Tapeta. Rico Walcott, aboard for the past two outings, gets the call on the Coolmore-bred bay.

Woodbine Mile Entries

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