When Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum passed away early in 2021 after decades of prominence in Thoroughbred racing and breeding, it was unclear in the sport what would happen to his vast bloodstock and farm holdings. Racing needn't have worried. His daughter, Sheikha Hissa, catapulted into the public eye as the head of Shadwell right at the same time the racing stable was seeing a resurgence. The bedrock laid over decades of success by Sheikh Hamdan was the perfect foundation for stunning new success under the guidance of his daughter.

Sheikha Hissa is not yet 30, yet she seems to be instilling confidence throughout the sport–on American shores and beyond–by reinvigorating the Shadwell brand. She's doing it in Europe with Shadwell homebreds like English highweight Baaeed (GB), whose granddam was a Breeders' Cup winner for Shadwell, and she's doing it in the U.S. with sales purchases such as 2021 and 2022 champion Malathaat, who closed out her career with victory in last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff.

“Shadwell Farm in America is rebranding as Shadwell Racing,” said Jonathan Smyth, general manager of the American arm. “Under the leadership of Sheikha Hissa, there is a strong passion for the business, much like her late father. It's truly exciting for all of us to be part of the next chapter of Shadwell.”

Few things in this sport inspire passion and hope more than a Breeders' Cup winner. Malathaat provided just that. The elegant bay closed out her stellar career last November with a scintillating final-stride win in the Distaff after finishing third in the same race as a sophomore in 2021. Winner of the Kentucky Oaks, Alabama, and Ashland at three, her Distaff alongside Spinster and Personal Ensign wins at four was icing on the cake.

“What a day to remember! Malathaat's Breeders' Cup win was truly spectacular,” said Smyth. “She's an extraordinary mare, and her victory was a testament to her remarkable talent and incredible determination. I remember the atmosphere at the Breeders' Cup, where the best of the best came together to put on a show.

Malathaat at Shadwell last month | Sarah Andrew

“Malathaat's victory was the result of her not only being physically gifted but also having a beautiful, composed mind. [Trainer] Todd [Pletcher] and his team did an exceptional job preparing her for that race, and Johnny [Velazquez] gave her a thrilling ride.”

With back-to-back Eclipse Awards secure, Malathaat was retired after the Breeders' Cup and bred to leading sire Into Mischief this spring. Smyth reported she caught on the first attempt and has been determined to be carrying a filly. Despite her competitiveness and athleticism on the racetrack, Malathaat was known for her kindness off the track, making her a fan favorite.

“Malathaat's famously sweet disposition at the track has continued on the farm,” said Smyth. “She's like a big teddy bear, as kind and gentle as ever. Her friendly and amiable nature has made the transition from the track to farm life a smooth and delightful experience. She still requires peppermints, though!

“Malathaat has settled into life on the farm remarkably well,” continued Smyth. “She has a great temperament and a sweet disposition, making her a joy to be around. She has formed a close bond with [Shadwell homebred and 2021 GII Mother Goose winner] Zaajel, which is heartwarming to witness.”

GSW Zaajel and Malathaat with Brittany Carter (broodmare manager), Larry Howard, PJ Dilger, and Maddie Danna | Sarah Andrew

Malathaat's presence in the Shadwell racing stable was a bit of a departure from the usual for Shadwell, as she was a $1.05-million buy at the Keeneland September sale from Stonestreet, who bred and consigned her, during Sheikh Hamdan's tenure. Shadwell has had a mountain of success with homebreds in the past, but hasn't shied away from sales purchases either.

“Shadwell has historically been known for its breeding-to-race approach,” said Smyth, “and that continues to be our primary focus in the American division. However, we do participate in sales as well. Sheikh Hamdan had a particular fondness for the Keeneland September sales, and it's been a wonderful tradition to carry on.

“We can't emphasize enough how fortunate we feel to have her as part of our stable. Malathaat is a beautifully balanced filly, and her walk is simply amazing. It's been an incredible journey since that acquisition, filled with victories and a deep sense of pride for Shadwell for owning a horse of such exceptional quality.”

Malathaat's dam, Dreaming of Julia, was named 2022's Broodmare of the Year for Stonestreet, based in no small part on Malathaat's contributions to her accomplishments. Like Malathaat, both her dam and granddam were Grade I winners, which never hurts when one considers the potential of her future foals.

Malathaat with Maddie Danna (left) and Brittany Carter (right) | Sarah Andrew

“We have big hopes for Malathaat's future as a broodmare,” said Smyth. “We have a lot of options when it comes to selecting stallions for her, and our primary focus is on breeding to race. The plan is to race the offspring she produces and continue the tradition of excellence that Shadwell is known for in the world of horse racing.”

While it will be a minimum of nearly three years before Malathaat's first foal can have an opportunity at the races, Malathaat herself has represented new hope for the Shadwell team and an excitement for what the future holds.

“Having a successful American horse like Malathaat early on in the midst of all the changes at Shadwell, with Sheikha Hissa at the helm, is truly significant,” said Smyth. “Sheikha Hissa has achieved phenomenal success globally in the last two years and Malathaat's accomplishments are a testament to that. We hope to build on this success and uphold our commitment to continue the amazing operation her father built. It's a promising start to the next chapter of Shadwell under her leadership.”

While Malathaat may be part of the new look and new future of Shadwell Racing, the old also remains prominent. Nowhere is this more evident than with another Breeders' Cup winner, 2007 Filly & Mare Turf victress Lahudood (GB). Following a French campaign, the Shadwell homebred was supplemented to the Breeders' Cup for $180,000 after a win in the GI Flower Bowl. Eventually named champion grass mare in the U.S., Lahudood was part of the lone Breeders' Cup edition at Monmouth Park. That renewal tends to be remembered as much for the soggy conditions as for the winners.

Lahudood in the 2007 Breeders' Cup | Sarah Andrew/Equi-Photo

“On the day Lahudood triumphed at the Breeders' Cup,” remembered Smyth, “the ground was exceptionally soft due to the rain at Monmouth Park. Undeterred by the conditions, she displayed exceptional skill and resilience. She broke from the gate very well and encountered some tight spots in the pack. However, a remarkably tough-minded filly, [she] held her own and found herself in second place at the halfway mark. As they reached the final turn, she surged forward with unwavering determination and astonishing speed, never slowing down. Her victory was a testament to her remarkable spirit.

“The translation of Lahudood's name, meaning 'no frontiers', couldn't be more fitting. It perfectly encapsulates her fearless and boundless determination on the track.”

Yet, remarkably, Lahudood's Breeders' Cup win would not be her biggest contribution to the Shadwell program. Herself a third-generation Shadwell homebred tracing directly to the wonderful Height of Fashion (Fr), Lahudood has done much to boost that line since Sheikh Hamdan's death. Height of Fashion, of course, was famously acquired from Queen Elizabeth II and produced the magnificent Shadwell homebred champion and G1 Epsom Derby winner Nashwan, as well as additional highweights Nayef and Unfuwain and three more stakes winners. While a number of top-class winners trace to her through her daughters and their descendants, it's a safe bet Lahudood might be responsible for her greatest current legacy.

Lahudood last month at Shadwell | Sarah Andrew

Lahudood's French black-type winning daughter, the Kingmambo mare Aghareed, is the dam of not only Baaeed–a spectacular 10 for 11 in 2021 and 2022 at the most elite level–but also of Hukum (Ire), another multiple Group 1 winner in 2022 and 2023.

“The satisfaction of having a homebred like Lahudood win the Breeders' Cup,” said Smyth, “and then continue to provide excitement through her progeny is immense. Sheikh Hamdan's deep love for homebred fillies makes this accomplishment even more significant. It's a true testament to the success and legacy of their breeding program.”

Baaeed, a son of Sea The Stars (Ire), retired to Shadwell's Nunnery Stud in the UK at the end of 2022 and covered his first mares this year. Hukum, his full-brother, remains in the ownership of Shadwell but will stand his first season at Darley Japan in 2024.

“Without a doubt, the influence of a mare like Lahudood being the second dam of Baaeed and Hukum is nothing short of remarkable,” said Smyth. “She holds a special place within Shadwell's breeding program, and her impact is profound. Owning a mare of such caliber is a testament to the depth and quality of Shadwell's breeding families. It showcases a dedication to preserving and elevating the standards of Thoroughbred racing and breeding. The influence of this exceptional mare continues to shape Shadwell's breeding program, and her legacy is a source of pride for the Shadwell family and all who appreciate the beauty and power of these magnificent animals.”

Lahudood, now 20, had her final foal in 2021. By Kitten's Joy, the colt has been named Sumood and has not yet raced. Smyth said two of Lahudood's daughters remain part of Shadwell's broodmare band in Kentucky.

“We have great hopes that the mares will take after their older sister and produce high-end athletes,” said Smyth.

As for Lahudood, she's been pensioned “and is living her best life in our sheds with the other retired mares.”

Lahudood with Jose Valenzuela | Sarah Andrew

Shadwell has had other Breeders' Cup successes over the years, most notably with 2006 Classic winner Invasor (Arg), Horse of the Year in both the U.S. and Uruguay, and 2016 Dirt Mile winner Tamarkuz. Still owned by Shadwell, Invasor spent most of his stud career in Uruguay, where he was recently pensioned. Tamarkuz stands at Ballycroy Bloodstock in Canada. Shadwell's American arm is not currently standing any stallions.

“The American division of Shadwell–Shadwell Farm–was established in 1984,” said Smyth. “It has been a significant part of Shadwell's global success in the horse racing industry.

“As for the future of Shadwell, we're all looking forward to continuing the remarkable legacy of Shadwell and the exciting developments that lie ahead. It's a joy to see the Shadwell legacy continued with such dedication and enthusiasm.”

In addition to all those top-class homebreds gracing the fields, four yearling fillies purchased at the recent Keeneland September sale will be added to the racing stable and eventually the broodmare ranks. Sheikha Hissa attended the sale and personally picked them out, said Smyth. Among the purchases were a $2.3-million Into Mischief filly and a $1.1-million Medaglia d'Oro filly.

“It's an exciting blend of the old and new, combining our traditional breeding approach with strategic sales acquisitions to continue Shadwell's success in the racing world,” said Smyth.

From a freshly retired Breeders' Cup winner carrying her first foal to a pensioned Breeders' Cup winner who has contributed so significantly to the tremendous success synonymous with the Shadwell brand, the new Shadwell Racing is poised to honor the past as it melds into the future.

Later this week, Shadwell Racing has homebred Mostahdaf (Ire) pointing to the 40th renewal of the Breeders' Cup Turf. A win by the dual Group 1 winner would add yet another page to the sequel now being written at Shadwell. Win or lose, yet another Breeders' Cup contender seems a fitting way to honor Sheikh Hamdan's legacy and usher in the future with Sheikha Hissa at the helm.

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Tuesday, who also captured the G1 Cazoo Oaks in 2022 and now holds the 1 3/16-mile course record at Keeneland after her Breeders' Cup win, was retired shortly after the race and bred to Into Mischief this spring.

“She was such a tough, consistent race filly–like all of the Galileos are,” said Ashford's Dermot Ryan. “She was expertly campaigned by Aidan and his team to win the Oaks on her 3-year-old birthday and to defeat a top-class field containing six Grade I winners and a Canadian Classic winner at the Breeders' Cup gave her owners/breeders and the whole team at Coolmore such a thrill.”

Tuesday (Ire) (2019 bay filly, Galileo {Ire}–Lillie Langtry {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire})

Lifetime record: GISW-U.S., G1SW-Eng, G1SP-Ire, 10-3-3-1, $1,828,827

Breeders' Cup connections: B-Coolmore (Ire); O-Westerberg Limited, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, and Derrick Smith; T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore.

Current location: Coolmore America/Ashford Stud, Versailles, Ky.

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“She's been a nice filly all the time,” said Ortiz. “She broke quick out of the gate and then she relaxed. Her ears were up. She does that all the time. I was confident. The trainer told me just to go to the lead. She broke so good, I tried to relax her going into the first turn, and she switched off. That was key. After that, on the backside if somebody gets close to her, I can let her do her thing, because I know I have plenty in the tank. She was nice. She deserves all the credit. She got the job done.”

The victory gave trainer Chad Brown his sixth win and Brant his third in the Wiley.

“She's a wonderful mare,” said Brant. “She's been good from the very beginning, and we're very proud to have her. She's going to be a great broodmare for us. We're so excited; to win this race this number of times has been a great thrill for us. This is one of the most important filly-and-mare races, and it's just a great honor to win this race.”

In Italian, who has never been off the board in now 10 lifetime starts, was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following her maiden victory at Belmont in 2021, but it would be another eight months before she returned to the races. She made up for lost time in 2022, with wins in the GIII Honey Fox S., GI Diana S. and GI First Lady S. She attempted to stretch her speed to the F/M Turf's 1 3/16 miles and found only Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) too good over the Keeneland turf last November.

Pedigree Notes:

In Italian's group-winning dam Florentina has an unraced 4-year-old gelding by Kingman (GB) in the UK and a filly by that sire foaled in Australia in 2020. The 15-year-old mare, a half to Group 1 winner Gathering (Aus) (Tale of the Cat), was barren to Yes Yes Yes (Aus) the past two seasons. She was bred to So You Think (NZ) last October.

JENNY WILEY S.-GI, $511,125, Keeneland, 4-15, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:39.71, fm.
1–IN ITALIAN (GB), 123, m, 5, by Dubawi (Ire)
            1st Dam: Florentina (Aus) (GSW-Aus, $250,958), by Redoute's Choice (Aus)
            2nd Dam: Celebria (Aus), by Peintre Celebre
            3rd Dam: Twyla (Aus), by Danehill
(475,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Peter M. Brant; B-Fairway
Thoroughbreds (GB); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr..
$306,125. Lifetime Record: 10-6-3-1, $1,635,308. Werk Nick
   Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–With The Moonlight (Ire), 123, f, 4, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Sand Vixen (GB) (GSW-Eng, $119,931), by Dubawi (Ire)
2nd Dam: Fur Will Fly (GB), by Petong (GB)
3rd Dam: Bumpkin (GB), by Free State (Ire)
O/B-Godolphin LLC (IRE); T-Charles Appleby. $98,750.
3–White Frost, 123, m, 5, by Candy Ride (Arg)
1st Dam: Miss Frost (MSW, $247,259), by Curlin
2nd Dam: Allencat, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Pharma, by Theatrical (Ire)
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck);
B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd. (KY); T-William I. Mott.
$59,250.
Margins: 3, 1 1/4, 3. Odds: 0.75, 2.40, 7.68.
Also Ran: Skims (GB), Pizza Bianca, Queen Goddess. Scratched: Freedom Speaks, Henrietta Topham, Speak of the Devil (Fr). Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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After capping her 2021 season a distant 10th in the GIII Jimmy Durante S. Nov. 27 at Del Mar, her connections gave her some time away and brought their filly back July 2 in Delaware's Christiana S. sporting first-time blinkers. Gamely overcoming contact in the stretch, she held on to win by a half-length at 15-1 over a field which included dominating next-out winner Gizala (Ire) (Invincible Spirit). Resurfacing last out Sept. 6 in Colonial's Woodford Reserve Virginia Oaks with first-time Lasix, she again fought through contact in the stretch to pick up second over familiar face Lady Puchi (Into Mischief) and SP Omixochitl (More Than Ready) at 30-1 odds.

Tracking from third on the fence after the jump here without the diuretic, Sparkle Blue pursued a clearing leader into the upper stretch after :23.02 and :47.77 splits to launch her winning bid outside of that rival at the furlong marker. Sustaining her kick and inching clear to a 2 1/2-length margin, she was comfortably clear of a hard-charging California Angel and Turnerloose, who chased her in to close out the trifecta.

“[Trainer] Graham [Motion] told me to let her be happy, let her be comfortable. She showed a little bit of speed going into the first turn and she was really happy there. She did great and we had a good trip,” said Joel Rosario after the race. “It looked like to the inside there the horse in front was coming in a little bit. I was trying to work it out to get her clear outside, and she did, and after that she just went on. It was perfect.”

Pedigree Note:

Sparkle Blue hails from the sought-after line of Silk n' Sapphire, making her a half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf heroine Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect), who would later accomplish the rare feat of producing a Breeders' Cup winner herself when daughter Sharing (Speightstown) planted her flag in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2020. She would later travel to Royal Ascot in the second start of her 3-year-old season, and finish a game second in the G1 Coronation S.

In addition to the mother-daughter pair, Sparkle Blue also claims GSW & MGSP Colonial Flag (Pleasant Tap). The mare has had a bit more hard luck than their famous shared sister with only two of her first four foals being registered. Of those two, the winning Demimondaine (Tapit) sold for $900,000 at KEENOV in 2020 to Claiborne Farm. Her yearling colt by Speightstown brought $450,000 last month at KEESEP from White Birch Farm and Whitehorse Stables.

Half-sister Secret Jewel (Bernardini)–a $1.2 million KEESEP purchase by Besilu Stables–also flies the female line's flag as the dam of GIII Beaumont S. winner Twenty Carat (Into Mischief) and her four-time winning, older full-sibling Mystic Night. Mark of Success (Mt. Livermore), his dam's lone graded stakes-placed male, found the enclosure on four occasions and ran second in the GIII Risen Star S.  Sparkle Blue is the last registered foal for Silk n' Sapphire.

Friday, Keeneland
RUBICON VALLEY VIEW S.-GIII, $298,594, Keeneland, 10-28, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.42, gd.
1–SPARKLE BLUE, 118, f, 3, by Hard Spun
           1st Dam: Silk n' Sapphire, by Smart Strike
           2nd Dam: Golden Tiy, by Dixieland Band
           3rd Dam: Tiy, by Nalees Man
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Catherine Parke and Augustin Stable; B-Catherine Parke (KY); T-H. Graham Motion; J-Joel Rosario. $174,375. Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-0, $357,075. *1/2 to Mark of Success (Mt. Livermore), GSP, $153,388; 1/2 to Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect), GISW, $1,649,427; 1/2 to Colonial Flag (Pleasant Tap), GSW-Can, SW & MGSP-USA, $312,463. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–California Angel, 118, f, 3, California Chrome–Sea Mona, by Tiz Wonderful. ($5,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $5,500 2yo '21 OBSOPN). O-Chris Walsh; B-Irish National Stud (KY); T-George Leonard, III. $56,250.
3–Turnerloose, 118, f, 3, Nyquist–Goaltending, by A.P. Indy. ($32,000 RNA Wlg '19 KEENOV; $50,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Ike and Dawn Thrash; B-William Humphries & Altair Farms LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $28,125.
Margins: 2HF, NK, HD. Odds: 4.51, 3.39, 6.64.
Also Ran: Bubble Rock, Majestic Glory (GB), Lady Puchi, Bicameral, My Philly Twirl, Sunroof, Heavenly Hellos. Scratched: Diamond Wow, Dolce Zel (Fr), Frippet, Oakhurst.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPshttp://www.equineline.com/tdn/pedigree.cfm?tk=SAR&cy=USA&rd=09/07/2015&rn=9&de=D  &ref=9104432. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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But until Loves Only You and jockey Yuga Kawada burst through a narrow opening in midstretch to beat My Sister Nat to the wire in Saturday's Grade 1, $2-million Filly & Mare Turf, no Japanese-bred and Japanese-trained horse had been successful on the world's biggest stage for Thoroughbreds, the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

The 5-year-old mare by Japanese Triple Crown winner Deep Impact, a son of 1989 U.S. Horse of the Year Sunday Silence, was considered the best runner ever sent by a Japanese horseman to the Breeders' Cup, and the globe-trotting Loves Only You did not disappoint. Sent off the 4-1 third betting choice, she secured a ground-saving spot just behind the early leaders in the 1 3/8-mile Filly & Mare Turf, awaited room at the top of the stretch and then demonstrated a quick turn of foot to overtake the front-runners and hold off a fast-finishing My Sister Nat by a head.

War Like Goddess, the 2-1 favorite, finished a head back in third after moving to the lead with an eye-catching, wide rally from the three-eighths pole to the wire. Love, the Aidan O'Brien-trained multiple Group 1 winner from Ireland, finished fourth as the 3-1 second betting choice, with defending Filly & Mare Turf winner Audarya fifth in the field of 12 fillies and mares. She was followed across the finish by Ocean Road, Rougir, Pocket Square, Acanella, Dogtag, Going to Vegas and Queen Supreme.

Loves Only You, owned by DMM Dream Club Co. and bred by Northern Farm, ran the 1 3/8 miles on firm turf in 2:13.87, about 2 4/5 seconds off the course record, and paid $10.60 on a $2 mutuel.

Going to Vegas went to the front, as expected, setting fractions of :24.10, :47.83, 1:13.06 and 1:38.20 while under pressure Dogtag. War Like Goddess, last early, turned up the heat with her move entering the far turn and was in front with an eighth of a mile to run after a mile and a quarter was clocked in 2:02.46.

A classic winner of the G1 Japanese Oaks at 3, Loves Only You was winless in five starts as a 4-year-old in 2020, but rebounded this year to win the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Hong Kong in April after finishing a close third to Mishriff in the G2 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in Dubai. After a summer freshening, Loves Only You returned with a second-place finish in the G2 Sapporo Kinen in Sapporo, Japan, her last start before the Breeders' Cup.

“You know, when we finished second at Sapporo, I picked that race because the turf track is similar to Del Mar,” said trainer Yahagi.

The Filly & Mare Turf winner was produced by the U.S.-bred Loves Only Me, an unraced daughter of Storm Cat who was purchased by Japan's leading breeder, Katsumi Yoshida, for $900,000 from the Lane's End consignment at the 2009 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Loves Only Me was bred by the Niarchos and is a granddaughter of two-time Breeders' Cup Mile winner Miesque.

“I'd like to say thank you to my horse,” Yahagi said. “She did a great job. It's a dream come true for Japanese horse racing history. I'd love to come back Breeders' Cup at Keeneland next year and do the same thing, to win!”

Quotes from other connections:

Trainer Chad Brown (My Sister Nat (FR), second) – “My Sister Nat ran great. Pocket Square just couldn't run that far. Jose (Ortiz) rode a great race. We had a plan to follow War Like Goddess, which he executed perfectly. I just said, 'If you have any chance to win, just follow her and draw alongside of her in the stretch and if our horse is good enough battle it out.' That's what Jose did. I'm so proud of this mare. It's bittersweet because she ran the race of her life, but it was her last race, and unfortunately, she never got that Grade 1 win that she deserves. She had a couple of tough beats. Nevertheless, she is off to the breeding shed and she has been a wonderful mare to train. I look forward to training her babies.”

Trainer Bill Mott (War Like Goddess, third as favorite) – “Being third's not as good as first. She ran hard. She made the lead a little early, maybe, and was a little wide off the turn – didn't have much choice about that.”

Jockey Julien Leparoux (War Like Goddess, third as favorite) – “We had a good trip.  She was nice and relaxed relaxed early.  Just before the three-eighths pole she took a hold of the bridle on her own and made that big move.  I had to go on with her then and we got carried wide.  It was sooner than I would have liked.  She ran a very good race.”

Jockey Ryan Moore (Love, fourth) – “She ran well just not good enough on the day.”

Jockey William Buick (defending winner Audarya, fifth) – “She ran a very big race considering the run we had. She got boxed in then denied a clear but ran on strong to the line.”

Jockey Oisin Murphy (Ocean Road, sixth) – “Had a great run round and she's put up a good performance.”

Trainer Hugo Palmer (Ocean Road, sixth) – “She ran very well and is going to be a lovely filly for next year. I expect her to keep improving.”

The post Loves Only You Breaks Through For Japan With Thrilling Filly & Mare Turf Triumph appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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We saw that in Wednesday's TDN, with the man who bred four of the best juveniles of the crop from mares that cost a total $32,400. Seeing that, perhaps the bigger farms will ask themselves whether their expensive quest for perfection will sometimes contain the seeds of its own undoing. It's a tough world out there, for the horses we breed, maybe we place such a premium on aristocratic glamor–breeding, elegance, every comfort in upbringing–that we risk introducing an element of delicacy or daintiness.

A still more uncomfortable challenge, however, is offered to those talent spotters who spend big for wealthy patrons. I have often heard horsemen anxiously complaining that they need to find an owner for a lovely horse that cost too little to be offered a client who has set a much higher budget: “They'll only ask why nobody else wanted it.” But the fact is that nobody “discovers” an oil painting with a stallion's page. With those, it just comes down to how deep prospectors are prepared to dig the glaringly obvious seam. Yet how few of those guys stick around for the dregs of a sale, ready to back their judgement on a diamond in the rough.

You might attribute that to a want of diligence or patience. But I would sooner put it down to a want of nerve. Arguably it takes more courage, more self-belief, to offer a tycoon a cheap horse from the second week of the September sale than it does to buy a seven-figure knockout in Book I.

That's why I doff my cap to the man who bought Gamine, Donato Lanni. He has deservedly assembled some pretty powerful clients over the years, having applied lore absorbed from John T.L. Jones to long associations with John Sikura and lately Bob Baffert, his resumé decorated by three winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic in Authentic (Into Mischief), Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) and Bayern (Offlee Wild). But the man who bought Gamine can also be credited with one of the great bargains in this year's Breeders' Cup cast, GI Maker's Mark Filly and Mare Turf favorite War Like Goddess (English Channel).

Aptly enough, he bought this filly–for $30,000 at OBS June–for the client who got him started, George Krikorian, who allowed Lanni to roll the dice on a $35,000 yearling filly by Dynaformer in 1999. She became millionaire and multiple Grade I winner Starrer; and War Like Goddess is threatening to bring things full circle, having won for the sixth time in seven starts on her Grade I debut in the Flower Bowl S.

This is one of those horses that have left a bunch of people standing on the riverbank, looking forlornly at the vacant hook at the end of their line and lamenting the one that got away.

Bred by Calumet, home to her chronically undervalued sire, she was first sold as a weanling for just $1,200 deep in the Keeneland November Sale of 2017 to Falcon L&L Stables / Lawrence Hobson. She was offered in the same ring the following September but was sent back as a $1,000 RNA, and resurfaced at OBS June for Hemingway Racing & Training Stable, breezing in :10 2/5. Step forward Lanni, with HND Bloodstock, to improve her value to $30,000.

The agent has described his curiosity on finding this “big, lanky” staying type in a sale like this. He felt she just needed time–and an owner who would give her just that. Krikorian was the very man, and Bill Mott the trainer to match. Sure enough, War Like Goddess did not resurface until September the following year, but she has barely looked back since.

There will be people similarly reproaching themselves over the odyssey of her dam, Misty North (North Light {Ire}), winner of a maiden claimer at Golden Gate Fields in 11 starts for breeder Judy B. Hicks after being retained as a $10,000 yearling. Calumet picked her up for $30,000 on retirement, carrying a first foal by Cape Blanco (Ire) who never made the track, and covered her with Red Rocks (Ire). The resulting yearling made just $2,000 before winning a series of claimers, but her next foal is War Like Goddess, who remained unraced when Calumet culled Misty North carrying a Bal a Bali (Brz) colt at the Keeneland November Sale two years ago. (They had tried to do so at the same auction the previous year, but she failed to generate a single bid.)

Misty North–who was still only nine–was bought for $1,000 by Charles Yochum, who took her home to his ranch in Texas. The other investor who has doubtless followed the rise of War Like Goddess with astonishment is Matt Ferris, who purchased Misty North's weanling filly by Red Rocks for $5,000 in the same catalog.

However those particular investments have played out, now that they respectively concern the dam and half-sister of a Breeders' Cup favorite, they reiterate our opening premise. We all need to feel we have a shot.

In view of the family's commercial struggles to this point, it's worth raising a couple points about the things missed by everybody bar Lanni.

The first is a fairly poignant one. Because War Like Goddess probably needs to replicate her racetrack excellence in her next career to preserve any kind of legacy for her damsire, who won the 2004 Derby for one of Europe's premier cultivators of Classic blood at the time, Ballymacoll Stud, before being imported by Adena Springs.

We must wait and see whether North Light will prove the last Epsom Derby winner retired to Kentucky–a profoundly depressing prospect, when you think of the breed-shaping impact here of so many predecessors, from the inaugural winner Diomed to Blenheim to Roberto, but very possible given the antipathy of the U.S. commercial market today to turf stallions (never mind staying turf stallions). But North Light certainly proved incompetent to stem that tide, even though access to his sire, the great international influence Danehill, had been a rarity in Kentucky. A peripatetic career that also took in Ontario, a return to Newmarket and California evidently drew unsustainably on a dam who, while a Group 1 winner herself, had achieved that distinction over a distance (two and a half miles!) unfathomable to the American commercial market.

Granted the pedestrian production record of her granddam, an unraced daughter of Victory Gallop, perhaps something has filtered through to War Like Goddess from third dam Romanette, a daughter of Alleged and Laughing Bridge (Hilarious), who completed the Schuylerville-Adirondack double in 1974. Romanette managed a couple of placings in graded stakes before proving a useful producer in Europe, where she had two Group 1-placed sons in Blush Rambler (Blushing Groom {Fr}) and Tendulkar (Spinning World).

Overall, however, it would seem that the principal genetic credit for War Like Goddess must go to her sire. He's having another wonderful year, consolidating his maiden domestic turf championship last year and making it very hard even for those of us who have long admired Kitten's Joy to deny that English Channel, as they approach the evening of their mutual careers, may have overtaken him as the premier grass stallion in America–even though he has hitherto been standing at less than half the fee. The fact is that their lifetime percentages now favor English Channel across all indices, as well as by earnings-per-starter.

War Like Goddess is one of three Grade I winners, eight graded stakes winners and 21 black-type performers for English Channel across North America and Europe this year. Kitten's Joy has admittedly had a quiet campaign (none, one and 14 in those categories) by the outstanding standards that have secured him two general sires' championships, but he could yet redress that with his outlying son Tripoli a live longshot in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic itself. He has plenty of ground to make up on Medina Spirit (Protonico) in their rehearsal at Santa Anita, but he had a wide trip that day, gets Irad and returns to the course and distance of his finest hour in the GI TVG Pacific Classic; while the winner, for his part, should reckon on a lot more competition up front this time.

Reverting to his rival, however, we must salute English Channel as a bulwark of precisely those genetic assets–such as durability and longevity–most urgently required by the breed today. He doesn't have the prizefighter build that comforts commercial breeders, and his median for his latest yearlings has run dead level with their $30,000 conception fee. Exactly the same, in other words, as Messrs. Lanni and Krikorian gave for War Like Goddess as a juvenile.

And here she is, favored to beat the Europeans at their own game. Mind you, their familiar myopia regarding dirt sires apparently extends even to U.S. turf stallions as outstanding as English Channel and Kitten's Joy (despite the immense impact made by the latter, from limited opportunity, most notably with the tragic champion Roaring Lion).

But that brings us right back to where we started. Because if our industry finds its critical energy in everyone having some kind of chance, then that often feeds precisely on the fact that commercial breeding is so nervously oriented to the sales ring, rather than the racetrack. This may very well be storing up trouble for the breed, in the longer term. In the meantime, however, it does allow the likes of English Channel to assist those smaller players laboring under the quaint delusion that it might be nice to have a horse that can actually run.

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Trainer George Leonard can finally rest easy – his princess has arrived at Del Mar.

After numerous plane delays for a flight that included not just California Angel but a number of Kentucky-based shippers, including the Brad Cox barn, the 2-year-old chestnut finally stepped onto the Del Mar backstretch around 10:30 last night. Stable staff can't travel with horses flying on FedEx, which is the default air carrier for horses since Tex Sutton closed up shop, so California Angel arrived without an entourage. Leonard said he probably couldn't have spared the help back at Indiana Grand anyway, where his remaining staff is looking after his other 19 horses. That means as long as she's here, Leonard is his filly's groom and hotwalker, which is no small feat.

Horse people know the old warning about chestnut fillies – they have strong opinions, and plenty of them. Those opinions can sometimes turn on a dime.

Sure, Leonard said, she has a streak of that stereotypical chestnut in her. She's always smart, nearly always easy and very mentally mature. She doesn't mind being handled until she does mind, and will make an impressive series of sour faces at Leonard. She's more bark than bite (most of the time); Leonard thinks sometimes she's just not in the mood to be social.

“She can be sweet and sour,” he said. “When she gets irritated with you she'll nip at you like, 'Get away from me.' But most of the time she's pretty sweet. She's all lady.”

When she gives him the stink eye, Leonard takes note. He moves quietly, does what he needs to do, and gets out of her way.

She's also quick on her feet. On Tuesday morning, Leonard's big hurdle was giving her a chance to see the track. He debated whether to walk her in her busy barn or let her stretch her muscles on the racetrack, so he brought her out for a relaxed walk in the yard to get a feel for her. The 2-year-old took in the scenery, looking relaxed in a way that smart fillies can when they're plotting something. In no time, her hind heels were above her head with an impressive series of bucks. Leonard, in a way only really experienced horsemen can, stood still, spoke to her in a low voice, and kept his hands quiet, waiting for the episode to pass. When she moved on, he moved on – no fuss, no yanking on her shank.

After that, he decided she probably wanted to go to the track.

Filly power! California Chrome daughter California Angel is looking to make a splash where the turf meets the surf in the #BC21 Juvenile Fillies Turf on #FutureStarsFriday. pic.twitter.com/hPDOHLGQZO

— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) November 2, 2021

“I went on and let her gallop,” he said. “She was too hyper. She did real well. I didn't know how she was going to handle it but she was really ready.”

The beauty of having a really great 2-year-old is that they evolve. While a successful juvenile campaign is very often about finding a horse who's at their peak early on, Leonard said he can look at California Angel and see more to come. She's an impressive scaffolding, but she'll be even better when she has filled in the gaps.

“She's still growing. She's grown since I bought her [in June],” said Leonard. “I'm looking for her to develop. She's just starting to develop now. She's not half the horse she's going to be. She's mature mentally but physically she's still growing and she'll be a lot more horse here in a little while. More muscle and body tone. She has shown very good talent already and you know there's a lot more to come.”

California Angel being the perfect angel during bath time! pic.twitter.com/F344sG8lWz

— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) November 2, 2021

For now though, Leonard said he's focused on this weekend. He has seen many of the fillies the California Chrome daughter will face in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Several were with them in the Jessamine, and he got a glimpse of the others Tuesday morning. They're impressive, and the field is full at 14 total. It'll be her toughest challenge yet, but that doesn't mean Leonard is planning to be content with hitting the board.

“She ran against 13 horses in the Jessamine too,” he said. “I like to be optimistic. I'm here to win. I don't aim for second or third, I want to win. I think if everything goes right, we have a good chance to win if everything works for her.”

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Art Collector was one of three horses to work for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Neil Poznansky was aboard the trio that included Casa Creed (Mile) going 4f in :47.60 and War Like Goddess (Filly & Mare Turf) going a half-mile in :48.20.

“They were all useful works, nothing blazing fast,” said Mott, who has won 10 Breeders' Cup races. “I never have a problem working good grass horses on dirt and this track looks safe and very forgiving.”

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez was aboard Bella Sofia as she covered a half-mile in :48.40 in preparation for the Filly & Mare Sprint.

“She's a happy girl and she loves to just go about her business,” Rodriguez said of Bella Sofia who has won four of five career starts and features daylight victories in the Grade 1 Test and Grade 2 Gallant Bloom in her past two outings. “She handled the track well and was very comfortable on it.”

In all, 14 pre-entrants worked on the fast main track and six more were on the firm Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen worked four of his six pre-entrants headlined by probable Qatar Racing Sprint favorite Jackie's Warrior who covered 3f in :36.80. Also working half-miles for Asmussen were Clairiere (Longines Distaff) in :49.20, Echo Zulu (NetJets Juvenile Fillies) in :50.40 and Silver State (Dirt Mile) in :48.60.

Other dirt workers included C Z Rocket (Qatar Racing Sprint) going 3f in :35.80, Commander (Turf Sprint also-eligible) a half-mile in :48.80, Giant Game (TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance) a half-mile in :48.60, and the Richard Mandella-trained duo of Dogtag (Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf) and Bombard (Turf Sprint also-eligible) working 5f in :58.20 and :58.40, respectively, in company.

Idol worked 5f in company in 1:02.40 but after the work trainer Richard Baltas notified Breeders' Cup officials that he did not feel Idol was 100 percent and withdrew him from the Classic.

Two other horses were withdrawn from Breeders' Cup consideration by their connections Sunday morning: Flagstaff from the Qatar Racing Sprint and Reina de Mollendo (ARG) from the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf.

Highlighting the six pack of grass workers were two California standouts in Mo Forza and Going to Vegas.

Mo Forza, a two-time winner of the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile, worked a half-mile in :49.40 for the FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF for trainer Peter Miller. Shortly after Mo Forza finished his work, Going to Vegas worked a half-mile in :49.20 for Baltas in preparation for the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf.

Also working on the turf were Time to Party (Juvenile Turf Sprint) going 3f in :38.20, Charmaine's Mia (Turf Sprint) going a half-mile in :50.20, Extravagant Kid (Turf Sprint) a half-mile in :49.40 in company with Zofelle (IRE), and Cairo Memories (Juvenile Fillies Turf) going 5f in 1:04.40.

The post Art Collector Headlines Full Slate Of BC Contenders Working At Del Mar appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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DUNGEON (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) debuts in the James Wigan silks sported by the accomplished dam Dank (GB) (Dansili {GB}) as she garnered the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and GI Beverly D. S. Sir Michael Stoute is also in charge of this February-foaled colt, who meets Gestut Ammerland's fellow newcomer Barqi (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), a John and Thady Gosden-trained colt whose family includes the owner-breeder's high-class Boreal (Ger) (Java Gold) and Borgia (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}).

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Highly-regarded juvenile colt Jack Christopher breezed in preparation for the $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile on November 5 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

The talented Munnings chestnut covered five-eighths in 1:00.85 seconds in company with Grade 1 Frizette runner-up Gerrymander over a fast main track in his first major work since capturing the Grade 1 Champagne on October 9 at Belmont Park.

“He's trained brilliant since Day One and he continues to do so,” Brown said. “I'm very impressed with that horse every time he works.”

A victory in the Juvenile would provide Brown a second career win in the race after scoring in 2017 with maiden Good Magic, who finished second in that year's Champagne.

Klaravich Stables' Gerrymander, a 2-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, is possible for the one-mile $150,000 Tempted on November 5 at Belmont.

William S. Farish homebred Royal Flag, a 5-year-old Candy Ride mare, went a half-mile in :48.66 over Big Sandy in her first breeze since capturing the Grade 2 Beldame on October 10 at Belmont.

She will make her next start in the $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff on November 6.

Brown also sent a number of Breeders' Cup hopefuls to breeze over the firm inner turf Saturday, including Grade 1-winners Domestic Spending and Tribhuvan. Both horses are bound for the $4 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf and worked five furlongs in tandem in 1:01.55.

“They worked very well,” Brown said. “They were a good team together. I was very pleased with the work.”

Tribhuvan captured the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., two starts back en route to a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Invitational on August 28 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Domestic Spending will seek redemption following a second as the beaten favorite in the Grade 1 Mister D [formerly the Arlington Million] at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Ill. Owned by Klaravich Stables, the 4-year-old Kingman colt captured this year's Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., and Grade 1 Manhattan at Belmont Park, following in the footsteps of 2019 Breeders' Cup Turf winner and Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar, who also was trained by Brown and owned by Klaravich.

Newly minted Grade 1-winner Rockemperor registered his first move since taking the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on October 9 at Belmont. The 5-year-old son of Holy Roman Emperor recorded a solo half-mile in :50 flat and is on target for the Breeders' Cup Turf.

Peter Brant's graded stakes winner My Sister Nat breezed five furlongs in company with Juddmonte homebred Pocket Square in preparation for the 11-furlong $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

My Sister Nat, who defended her title in the Grade 3 Waya on October 3 at Belmont last out, is a half-sister to Sistercharlie who captured the 2018 Filly and Mare Turf at Churchill Downs. My Sister Nat was third in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational on September 4 at Saratoga en route to her Waya score.

Brown said he has been highly impressed with Pocket Square since her triumph in the Grade 3 Athenia on September 25 at Belmont last out. The daughter of Night of Thunder notched her first stateside graded stakes triumph in the nine-furlong test coming off a sharp 4 ¼-length score in an optional claiming tilt at Saratoga.

“For right now, she's doing everything I'm asking her to do,” Brown said. “I really liked her work today and her gallop out. I would like to try her going that far. I know it's a huge step up in class, but I'm very, very pleased with how she's doing and I think she can get a piece of it.”

Klaravich Stables' Consumer Spending worked five furlongs in 1:02.25 in company with graded-stakes placed maiden Kinchen.

Consumer Spending, a gray or roan daughter of More Than Ready, is pointed to the $1 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on November 5 following a victory in the Selima on October 2 at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

“She worked solid and galloped out strongly,” Brown said. “She's coming into the race that right way. It's a big step up but she's an improving horse.”

Peter Brant's Regal Glory [:51.11] and Juddmonte's Viadera [:51.10] breezed a half-mile in company. The pair of 5-year-old mares finished a respective second and sixth in the Grade 1 First Lady on October 9 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., last out and will target the $400,000 Grade 1 Matriarch on November 28 at Del Mar.

“They had their first work since the First Lady at Keeneland and it went well,” Brown said. “Both horses are targeting the Matriarch. That race will be the final career start for them both.”

Peter Brant's Blowout, who captured the Grade 1 First Lady last out, breezed a half-mile in :50.80 over the Keeneland turf Saturday morning and is “possible” for the $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile.

“She's possible for the Breeders' Cup. If not, she'll go to the Matriarch as well,” Brown said.

Blowout finished a close second to Viadera in last year's Matriarch. Never worse than fourth in 14 lifetime starts, the consistent daughter of Dansili captured her 2021 debut in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Distaff Turf Mile on May 2.

Brown said Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup one-two finishers Shantisara and Technical Analysis will get turned out at Payson Park in South Florida for the winter.

“They'll head down to our Payson Park division shortly when we get that open and they'll get a much deserved turnout,” Brown said. “Both horses will get a break and then target spring stakes. Probably both will have the [Grade 1] Jenny Wiley [at Keeneland] on their radar next year.”

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