Travers Appears Most Likely Option For Derby Winner Mage, Belmont Winner Arcangelo

Saratoga's Grade 1 Travers Stakes on Aug. 26 could shape up to pit a pair of 3-year-old classic winners against one another. Both Mage, winner of the Kentucky Derby, and Arcangelo, winner of the Belmont Stakes, had their first serious works after brief layoffs earlier this week, according to the Daily Racing Form.

Mage breezed July 1 for the second time since finishing third in the G1 Preakness, but it was the colt's first serious drill: he worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 at the Thoroughbred Training Center in Lexington, Ky. A week earlier, the Gustavo Delgado-trained son of Good Magic had covered the same distance in 1:07.20.

“The first work was just something to get him loping along, jogging and galloping. It wasn't a true work,” co-owner Ramiro Restrepo told DRF. “The Travers has been our number one goal since the Preakness was over and that's been our mindset ever since. To find the optimum way to get him to run back to that mile and one-quarter Derby race in the Travers.”

Meanwhile, Arcangelo covered five furlongs in a snappy :58.49 on July 5 at Saratoga. DRF reports that the son of Arrogate galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.28 and seven in 1:26.00.

“It was his first work back, the track was very snappy, and the time was irrelevant,” trainer Jena Antonucci told DRF. “He needed to get out there and stretch his legs and get a nice work underneath after being off since the Belmont, and that's exactly what he did.”

Antonucci said she had not decided whether Arcangelo might have a prep race before starting in the Travers, the team's primary goal.

Read more at the Daily Racing Form.

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‘I Would Never Tell Someone Not To Win’: Horse Suspended 40 Days, Jockey Referred To BHA After Controversial Ride

The British Horseracing Authority has suspended the horse Hillsin from running in any race for 40 days after it received a controversial ride from jockey Dylan Kitts on Wednesday at Worcester. The matter was referred to the Head Office of the British Horseracing Authority for further review.

According to a stewards' report of the incident, “the gelding traveled strongly down the home straight, without appearing to ever be asked for its finishing effort and finished third of eleven runners, beaten 1¼ lengths.”

A veterinary official reported that two post-race examinations of Hillsin failed to reveal any abnormalities.

Interviews were conducted with jockey Kitts and Hillsin's trainer, Chris Honour.

“The rider stated his instructions were to drop Hillsin out early, keep a good hold of the horse's head and take his time, before mounting a late challenge,” the stewards' report explains. “Kitts explained that the gelding settled well and found a nice jumping rhythm, and he had been able to make ground easily mid-race when the pace steadied up, however Hillsin made a respiratory noise towards the end of the back straight, which continued on several more occasions throughout the race, and the gelding had also hung badly right-handed, both facts he had reported at scales and which restricted his ability to be more vigorous in the home straight.”

The report continues: “The trainer confirmed the instructions and that Hillsin had been ridden in accordance with them, however whilst acknowledging the gelding had hung-right handed, he did express concerns over the manner in which Hillsin was ridden specifically from jumping the last hurdle. Honour also reiterated that he had emphasized to the rider that Hillsin needed to be held together for as long as possible based on his analysis of the gelding's run at Exeter two starts back, where he didn't get home for a different yard.”

In a subsequent interview on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast, Honour shared his frustrations with the incident.

“I would never tell someone not to win, it's not fair to ask someone not to win – at the end of the day, lads go out there with their neck on the line,” Honour said. “I don't want people to think bad or ill of us because it's not us and it's not what we do. But I cannot dispute it looks awful.

“I don't want to be dropping the jockey in trouble … but I told him not to let go of his head and he's gone to an extreme,” Honour added. “In my mind, if he was to look back this morning I'm sure he would be disappointed with the ride he has given it.”

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Lope De Vega’s La Filomena Anchors Trade At Arqana

The second and final day of the Arqana Summer Sale featured both breeding stock and horses in training, and it was one of the latter contingent, La Filomena (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (lot 480), who proved the most expensive at €395,000 on a bid from Stuart Boman of Blandford Bloodstock on behalf of Speriamo Bloodstock's Larry Young.

Offered by Jean-Claude Rouget, who led the way as a vendor during the second day with six sold for a gross of €734,000, the George Kent-bred 3-year-old filly placed at two and has won twice from three starts at three for Peter Brant's White Birch Farm. The full-sister to stakes winner and Group 3-placed Epic Poet (Ire) was also third in the Listed Prix Melisande at ParisLongchamp in June. Under the second dam is three-time Group 1 winner and new Darley stallion Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}).

Boman said of the 210,000gns Tattersalls December foal turned 310,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling, “She's a lovely filly with a great pedigree. This type of filly is hard to find. She is lightly raced and has already shown herself at listed level. Her sire is a good stallion and she hails from a great family that we know well as we bought Perfect Power.”

 

AQPS gelding Jamaico (Fr) (Cokoriko {Fr}) brought €310,000 from Hubert Barbe's Horse Racing Advisory, Thursday's leading buyer, who signed for two lots for a total of €400,000. Consigned by Emmanuel Clayeux, lot 505 has won once over jumps at Auteuil this year and was bred by the Cypres family.

“I've bought him for Caroline Tisdall who has horses in training with David Pipe,” said Barbe. “She really wants to have a good chaser that could run at all the big meetings. He has everything going for him. He made a really nice comeback in a bumper at the beginning of the season and still has a lot of improvement in him. We had to battle a bit to get him, so we are very happy.”

 

 

Full Of Shade (Fr) (No Risk At All {Fr}) (lot 495), another horse from the jumps sphere, went to Pierre Boulard of PB Bloodstock, Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins for €280,000. Consigned by Ballyreddin and Busherstown, the placed 4-year-old filly is a half-sister to graded winner The Reader (Fr) (Lando {Ger}) and listed scorer Vintage (Fr) (Nickname {Fr}).

Boulard said, “She's a lovely mare by No Risk At All, a stallion that we think a lot of. We're really happy with our purchase.”

 

No Risk At All also featured as the covering sire of lot 290, Sideralis (Fr) (Kapgarde {Fr}), the sale's top-priced broodmare. The Haras de la Vallee-consigned mare went to Jean-Christian Raymond and Thomas Maudet for €145,000.

“Her pedigree speaks for itself,” Raymond said. “She's a daughter of Kapgarde, a very good broodmare sire, and she's in foal to an excellent stallion in No Risk At All. Maurice Rohaut, his son Francois and Jean-Marie Mercier introduced me to Thoroughbreds. She is my eighth mare and I'm very happy.”

The Aga Khan's homebred Hamsiyann (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (lot 473) caught the eye of Toby Jones for €250,000. Part of the Aga Khan Studs' draft, the son of Harasiya (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) won a 2300-metre race at Tarbes in June in the colours of his breeder, his second victory in six starts. He is from the family of G3 Prix de Guiche winner Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), who was runner-up in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club.

“He'll join Tony Martin in Ireland,” said Toby Jones. “He's a lovely horse and I really liked the way he won on his last start.”

 

Fabrice Vermeulen's Mqse De Maintenon (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) (lot 487) brought €185,000 from David Hilton and Oakgrove Stud. The dual winner was placed in the Listed Prix des Lilas this term and is a half-sister to the multiple group-placed Shamardal filly Grecian Light (Ire).

“We're delighted,” said Hilton, who manages Oakgrove. “It's a family that we know well and we're very pleased to support it once again. The filly is very talented and I think she still has a lot to offer. We have a good programme for fillies in England and we can't wait to see her race there.”

 

During Thursday's session, 164 sold of 189 offered (86.7%) for a gross of €5,742,000. The average declined fractionally to €35,012 (-1.8%) and the median rose to €14,000 (+27.3%). For the sale as a whole, 346 sold of 411 through the ring (84.2%) for a gross of €11,833,750. The average was €34,202 (-0.6%) and the median was €20,000 (+25%). Guy Petit was the top buyer by aggregate, with five purchased for a total of €453,000 during the two-day stand. The Channel Consignment filled that same role among the consignors, with 22 sold for a gross of €1,435,000.

Arqana President Eric Hoyeau and Executive Director Freddy Powell said, “The two days of sales came to a close with very good results across the board. After an exceptional sale last year, it was sustained across all categories with strong demand for the top-of-the-range profiles, such as the historic top price achieved during the stores section yesterday for a son of Zarak (Fr) offered from The Channel Consignment that was bought for €240,000 by Guy Petit. As usual, we would like to extend our warmest thanks to our vendors, as well as to the many buyers who made the trip to Deauville. We will now turn our attention to August, which this year will host the first edition of the Arqana Series on the eve of the August Sale.”

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Born To Rock Steps Out At Sandown

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations features 'TDN Rising Star' Born To Rock (Ire) (Soldier's Call {GB}).

14.30 Sandown, Listed, £40,000, 2yo, 5f 10yT
BORN TO ROCK (IRE) (Soldier's Call {GB}) was denied the chance to sport her TDN Rising Star badge in the G2 Queen Mary S., but is back in action to prove her emphatic Yarmouth debut was no aberration. Laurence Holder's Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained relative of the GIII Miesque S. winner More Than Love (More Than Ready) faces six peers in this Dragon S.

 

15.40 Sandown, Novice, £15,000, 2yo, 7fT
ARABIAN CROWN (FR) (Dubawi {Ire}), a €600,000 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale graduate, bids to keep up the Charlie Appleby momentum and augment the yard's current strike rate of around 40% with its juveniles. A half-brother to the dual G2 Prix de Royallieu winner The Juliet Rose (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}), he encounters a fellow newcomer of note in Juddmonte's Starlore (GB) (Kingman {GB}), a Sir Michael Stoute-trained son of the GII New York S. winner Starformer (Dynaformer) who is responsible for the big-earning stakes-winning stalwart Flavius (War Front) and the dual graded-stakes-placed Oyster Box (Tapit).

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