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Category: Horse Racing News
Ollie’s Candy Has Some Questions to Answer in Phipps
With divisional heavies the likes of Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute), Serengeti Empress (Alternation) and the comebacking Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) all eye-balling a potential clash in the GII Fleur de Lis S. at Churchill Downs in two weeks’ time, Saturday’s GI Ogden Phipps S. may lack a ‘marquee’ name, per se, but it remains a competitive affair that offers the winner a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland Nov. 7.
Ollie’s Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}), winner of last year’s GI Clement L. Hirsch S., was fourth in last year’s Distaff, but has not lost a step at five. A distant third to Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) in the Mar. 14 GI Beholder Mile S., the homebred was given an enterprising ride by Joel Rosario in the GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 18, leading on a supersonic pace only to be nabbed on the line by Ce Ce. She is a deserving favorite, but must prove she can handle this track’s one-turn route configuration and there figure to be no breathers this time around either.
Somewhat surprisingly, Point of Honor (Curlin) makes her first appearance at Big Sandy, having won the 2019 GII Black-Eyed Susan S. at Pimlico while finishing runner-up in the GI CCA Oaks and GI Alabama S. at Saratoga. A useful second in a seven-furlong handicap at Tampa Mar. 7, the chestnut found herself as many as 23 lengths off the pace in the Apple Blossom after a slow start, was very wide on the turn and ran on gamely to be third, beaten under three lengths.
“We hope for a better trip,” said Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ President Aron Wellman. “She got pinched at the back and lost all position. She was hung wide and had to weave her way through traffic and still ran very, very well in a highly-rated Apple Blossom. I was proud of the effort that day and I’m hoping for a better trip.”
The beautifully bred Pink Sands (Tapit), a daughter of GISW Her Smile (Include), was a listed winner last season, but has discovered her best form this year at five with swooping successes in the one-mile GIII Rampart S. in December and in the GII Inside Information S. the following month. She, too, would benefit from any speed duel up ahead of her and a board finish at this level would enhance her already considerable value going forward.
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Shah Makes Another ‘Quality’ Buy at OBS Spring
A colt by Quality Road (hip 1018) rang the bell earlier in the day on Friday at OBS Spring when selling to Kaleem Shah’s son Arman for $1.25 million. The Shah family’s bloodstock advisor Ben McElroy signed the ticket. A $240,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling buy, the half-brother to MSW and MGISP Standard Deviation (Curlin) breezed in :20 3/5 last week and was consigned to the sale by Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stables, Inc. Kaleem Shah has done well with 2-year-old in training buys by Quality Road in the past–he purchased MGISW Bellafina (Quality Road) for $800,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale in 2018.
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Goffs UK Premier Sale Topper Powers to Rising Stardom at The Curragh
Coolmore’s newcomer Admiral Nelson (GB) (Kingman {GB}) topped the lists at last year’s Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, when knocked down to M V Magnier for £440,000 and the strapping bay repaid some of that outlay and earned ‘TDN Rising Stardom’ when scorching to an impressive one-length success in Friday’s Tally-Ho Stud Irish EBF (C&G) Maiden over five furlongs at The Curragh. The 5-1 chance was among the slowest into stride, but tanked by rivals to stalk the leading wave from a position in the second rank after the initial strides. Making eyecatching headway on the bridle from halfway, he quickened smartly to launch his challenge at the furlong marker and required minimal encouragement thereafter to outpoint stablemate Merchants Quay (Fr) (No Nay Never) with authority.
“Admiral Nelson travelled well and could be a [G2] Coventry horse,” revealed Aidan O’Brien. “It will depend how he comes out of this and he’ll have to go straight to [Royal] Ascot. He won’t be doing anything after this because it is so close. It’s far from ideal, but we are lucky to have got a race into them. We have run two or three in each of the races. It’s different times, but we are lucky to have the races. [Jockey] Wayne [Lordan] said it’s lovely, fast ground. It’s very safe, but proper Flat ground. We think Merchants Quay is a nice horse as well. Seamus said he was just a little bit in his hands and maybe travelled a little bit too strong. It’s possible he could go to Royal Ascot too, but they may not all get in.”
Admiral Nelson becomes the second scorer out of Listed Dick Poole Fillies’ S. winner Shamandar (Fr) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), herself a half-sister to stakes-winning G3 Prix La Rochette second Hung Parliament (Fr) (Numerous). His dam, who also downed future luminary Dubawi Heights (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in 2009’s Watership Down Stud Sales Race, is a granddaughter of GII Wilshire H. and GIII Paloma H. heroine Blushing Heiress (Blushing John), herself out of GII Hollywood Lassie S. victress Native Fancy (Our Native).
1st-Curragh, €16,500, Mdn, 6-12, 2yo, c/g, 5fT, 1:01.14, g/f.
ADMIRAL NELSON (GB), c, 2, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Shamandar (Fr) (SW-Eng, $323,503), by Exceed and Excel (Aus)
2nd Dam: Sensational Mover, by Theatrical (Ire)
3rd Dam: Blushing Heiress, by Blushing John
(£440,000 Ylg ’19 GOUKPR). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $11,863. O-Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Mr & Mrs R & P Scott (GB); T-Aidan O’Brien. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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