Iowa HBPA Offering Financial Assistance to Members

As Prairie Meadows Racetrack opens its doors for the 2020 season Friday, the Iowa Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association is offering a pair of programs designed to assist its members who might be feeling a financial pinch as a result of the delays caused by the coronavirus.

Trainers may apply for $100 in assistance per Thoroughbred racehorse stabled at the Altoona track under the COVID-19 Horsemen’s Assistance Program. The deadline to apply for the program is 3 p.m. CT Tuesday, June 30.

The Iowa HBPA has also created the COVID-19 Dorm Room  Assistance Program to help trainers cover any expenses incurred in moving to Prairie Meadows. Trainers can apply for a loan of up to $300 per dorm room, with an agreement to repay the HBPA by Dec. 15, 2020.

“It boils down to free money and an interest-free loan,” said Iowa HBPA president Dave McShane. “We encourage all our Thoroughbred horsemen to apply for these programs. I don’t know a trainer who can’t use an extra $100 per horse, especially as a bridge until we’re able to get into a stretch of unimpeded racing.”

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Combined Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up And July Catalog Now Online

The catalog for the 2020 Tattersalls July Sale can be viewed online at www.tattersalls.com and will be published on Monday, June 22.

The July Sale, numbering 572 lots, will commence on Thursday, July 9,  the day after the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up Sale, and comprises 488 horses and fillies in/out of training and 80 broodmares, four of which have foals at foot. Taking place Wednesday, July 8 – Friday, July 10, in addition to the 157 high-class Guineas Breeze Up 2-year-olds, the three-day sale features high quality consignments from many of the world's leading owner/breeders including Cheveley Park Stud, Godolphin, Juddmonte Farms, Shadwell Estates and The Royal Studs.

Long established as Europe's premier midsummer sale, the Tattersalls July Sale has produced the dams of an impressive 13 individual Group 1 winners since 2016, including the 2019 Group 1 winners Ten Sovereigns, Fairyland and Watch Me for 32,000, 65,000 and 75,000 guineas respectively. The dam of last year's impressive Group 2 Richmond Stakes winning two year old Golden Horde, twice placed in Group 1 company, was also purchased from the sale for only 14,000 guineas.

The major owner/breeders Godolphin, Juddmonte Farms and Shadwell Estates have 106 lots catalogued between them, while the 80 broodmares include mares in foal to proven Group 1 sires Dutch Art, Iffraaj, Intello, Kodiac, New Approach, Oasis Dream, Showcasing, Tamayuz, Zoffany and Zoustar. Young sires are equally well-represented with mares in foal to exciting Group 1 winners Blue Point, Caravaggio, Cracksman, Expert Eye, Golden Horn, Harry Angel, Masar, New Bay, Night of Thunder, Profitable, Ribchester, Territories, Twilight Son and Ulysses.

Eye-catching lots amongst the broodmares include the Shadwell consigned Raasekha, a listed-placed half-sister to Champion sprinter Muhaarar in foal to Tamayuz, and Juddmonte's beautifully bred Group 3 winner Sense of Joy, in foal to the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club winner New Bay who has already been represented by two exciting 2-year-old winners.

Also likely to attract attention is the Jamie Railton consigned Storming Sioux, the dam of dual Group 3 winner Prince of Arran, in foal to Group 1 winner Mondialiste, whilst the Listed scorers Tunkwa and Go Angellica form part of a typically strong Godolphin consignment and are offered in foal to Golden Horn and Harry Angel respectively.

Other mares from high profile families include Cheveley Park's Heavenly Bliss, a daughter of the two-time Group 3 Dahlia Stakes winner and multiple Group 1 placed Heaven Sent, from the excellent family of dual Group 1 winner Megahertz, and Classic Code, a Galileo daughter of Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Saoire offered by the Castlebridge Consignment in foal to Harry Angel and with a filly foal by Muhaarar at foot.

Opportunities also abound for buyers amongst the 488 horses and fillies in/out of training with proven group and listed performers including the smart Momkin, runner-up in the Group 3 Craven Stakes last year and with an official rating of 106. Jim Bolger's talented duo of Geometrical and Agitare, placed in the Group 2 Futurity Stakes and Group 2 Golden Fleece Stakes respectively in 2019 also look certain to attract attention. Winning, unexposed performers from the Juddmonte Farms and Shadwell Estates consignments will as ever attract plenty of interest and other notably promising horses in training include Repaupo, the winner of two of his four starts for John Gosden.

In addition to highly rated colts and geldings in training the July catalog also features an abundance of well-bred fillies in and out of training. Juddmonte Farms consign Contestant, the own-sister to Group 1 Matron Stakes winner Emulous, as well as At Ease, a daughter of the Grade 1 American Oaks winner Jostle. Shadwell Stud consign Monya, a half-sister to Group 2 winners Hawksmoor and Royal Dornoch, whilst Godolphin offer Euphemism, a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Criticism. Roger Varian's Carlburg Stables present A Day at the Races, a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Best Solution, whilst Owen Burrows' Kingwood House Stables consign Eadlibb, a daughter of the Group 1 Nassau Stakes winner Zahrat Dubai.

Commenting on the 2020 Tattersalls July Sale, Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony said;

“The Tattersalls July Sale has been a remarkably consistent source of Group 1 producers and performers on the global stage and 2019 was an exceptional year with six individual Group 1 winners produced by graduates of the sale. Alongside fillies and mares from outstanding international families, the July Sale offers an abundance of progressive and proven horses in training that look set to appeal to a broad cross-section of buyers from throughout the world.”

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‘Arguably The Best Horse In The World’: Midnight Bisou Ready For Next Saturday’s Fleur De Lis

Bloom Racing Stable, Madaket Stables and Allen Racing's 2019 Eclipse Award-winner Midnight Bisou completed her most serious preparation for next Saturday's $200,000 Fleur de Lis presented by Coca-Cola (Grade II) with a swift six-furlong move in 1:12 Monday morning at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Midnight Bisou has been well-traveled throughout her career with five Grade I victories and runner-up efforts in last year's $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (GI) and February's $20 million Saudi Cup.

“Her training before we went to Saudi was just mindboggling,” Asmussen said. “It's just like it is now. We still wonder how she's able to do it so easily and so consistently. Her works at Churchill have been beautiful. I was very tempted to run her in the (June 13) Ogden Phipps (GI) and leaving She's a Julie for the Fleur de Lis. I feel like with what she's done – traveling to Saudi, taking on older boys and everyone knows the trip she got and knows the circumstances… how do you have an adjective what she is and what she means to racing? Coming back, the next race isn't the goal for this year. The Breeders' Cup is. She is arguably the best horse in the world.”

Midnight Bisou's 20-race career has been nothing short of spectacular. The now 5-year-old mare began her career on the 2018 Road to the Kentucky Oaks with victories in the $200,000 Santa Ynez (GII), $100,000 Santa Ysabel (GIII) and $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks (GI) with previous trainer Bill Spawr. Midnight Bisou finished third behind Monomoy Girl in the 2018 Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI).

Under the care of Asmussen, Bisou reeled off victories in the $250,000 Mother Goose (GII), $1 million Cotillion (GI), $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic (GIII), $350,000 Azeri (GII), $750,000 Apple Blossom (GI), $700,000 Ogden Phipps (GI), $150,000 Molly Pitcher (GIII), $700,000 Personal Ensign (GI) and $300,000 Beldame (GII).

Midnight Bisou is slated to take on 2019 Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner Serengeti Empress in the Fleur de Lis, which is part of a quartet of stakes next Saturday at Churchill Downs along with the $400,000 Stephen Foster presented by Coca-Cola (GII), $100,000 Regret presented by TwinSpires.com (GIII) and $100,000 Bashford Manor presented by TwinSpires.com (GIII).

The Fleur de Lis is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In Distaff Division” race while the Stephen Foster is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In Classic Division” event. This year's Breeders' Cup is scheduled for Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland.

Nominations for all four races are available online at www.churchilldowns.com/horsemen/stakes/nominations.

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Monmouth Park Offering $1-Million Incentive

Officials at Monmouth Park have announced that the track will reward the connections of any horse to sweep the GI TVG.com Haskell S., GI Kentucky Derby and GI Breeders’ Cup Classic a $1-million bonus.

The Haskell, the lone seven-figure Thoroughbred race in the state of New Jersey, will be renewed for the 53rd time July 18 as part of a stakes-filled program. For the first time, the race serves as a prep for the Sept. 5 Derby and offers Kentucky Derby points on a 100-40-20-10 scale.

The Breeders’ Cup Classic is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7, at Keeneland Race Course. American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) won each of the three races in his Triple Crown season in 2015.

The COVID-19-delayed meeting at Monmouth Park kicks off Friday, July 3.

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