Vequist ‘A Little Ahead Of Schedule’ For 2021 Debut; Cotillion The Goal For Champion Filly

Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Swilcan Stable's reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Vequist breezed a half-mile in 47.77 Friday on the Saratoga main track under Jose Lezcano in preparation for a potential seasonal debut at the end of the Saratoga meet.

Trainer Butch Reid, Jr. said the sophomore daughter of Nyquist is working towards a long-term goal of the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion, a 1 1/16-mile test for sophomore fillies on September 25 at Parx. It was just the second work back for Vequist, who captured the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile fillies last out in November at Keeneland.

“She did very well this morning,” said Reid, Jr. “I had her galloping out in 1:01 and 2 and on out in about 1:15. She's fitter than I thought she was. She's actually a little ahead of schedule. I wanted her ready to go five-eighths on the first of August and she's a little ahead of that. I'm very happy with her progress. She's coming along nicely. If everything works out, she could run here before the end of the meet.”

The talented dark bay, out of the Mineshaft mare Vero Amore, graduated by 9 1/2-lengths in the Grade 1 Spinaway last summer at Saratoga.

St. Omer's Farm and Christopher J. Feifarek's Beren posted a sharp 46.60 half-mile bullet work Friday on the main track. The Weigelia sophomore has won his last three starts, capturing the Gold Fever and off-the-turf Paradise Creek at Belmont ahead of a last-out score in the Crowd Pleaser on June 22 at Parx.

Initially under consideration for the nine-furlong $120,000 Curlin on July 30, Reid Jr. said the fast work has him considering the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam on August 1.

“It looks like he came out of it well, but it's made me rethink my strategy a little bit,” Reid, Jr. said. “It's hard to think about coming back at a mile and an eighth for the Curlin, when there's the Amsterdam there. Plus, two more days might be very helpful for him.”

Reid, Jr. said Swilcan Stable and LC Racing's Mainstay, a 2-year-old half-sister to stablemate Vequist, has come out of her runner-up effort to Pretty Birdie in the Grade 3 Schuylerville on Opening Day July 15 in good order and will now point to the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack on August 8.

A 7 3/4-length maiden winner on June 4 over sloppy going at Monmouth, Mainstay bobbled at the start of her graded stakes debut and was unable to reel in a runaway Pretty Birdie.

“She lost concentration coming down the lane. I don't know if it was the crowd, but she ducked in when I thought she had dead aim on the other horse [Pretty Birdie],” Reid Jr. said. “I really think she'll learn from the experience. She came out of it so well, we're thinking about taking a shot at the Adirondack. She hasn't missed an oat since the race and has been training very well.”

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OwnerView To Host In-Person Thoroughbred Owner Conference Coinciding With Breeders’ Cup

OwnerView announced today that registration is now open for an in-person Thoroughbred Owner Conference, which will be held Wednesday, November 3, in Del Mar, Calif., to coincide with the Breeders' Cup World Championships on November 5-6.

“Our monthly virtual Thoroughbred Owner Conference series has been enthusiastically received this year with more than 1,100 registrations, so we are excited to carry this momentum forward and return to hosting a live event during the week of the Breeders' Cup,” said Gary Falter, project manager for OwnerView. “We are looking forward to again offering existing and prospective Thoroughbred owners the invaluable face-to-face networking opportunities that have made the Thoroughbred Owner Conference such a popular event since its inception.”

This year's conference will include several panels of expert speakers as well as social events to facilitate networking. Attendees will also have the opportunity to purchase Breeders' Cup tickets with registration.

Registration details can be found at ownerview.com/event/conference, and more information about the conference schedule and host hotel information will be posted on the OwnerView site in the coming weeks.

The virtual Thoroughbred Owner Conference series will continue on the first Tuesday of each month through December. The sixth session of the series, “Jockeys,” will be held on Tuesday, August 3, at 2 p.m. ET. It is sponsored by Airdrie Stud, Starlight Racing, and The Green Group. It will be moderated by former track announcer Tom Durkin, and panelists will include retired jockeys Donna Barton Brothers, Chris McCarron, and Gary Stevens. To register for the free virtual series, please contact Gary Falter at gfalter@jockeyclub.com.

OwnerView is a joint effort spearheaded by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to encourage ownership of Thoroughbreds and provide accurate information on aspects of ownership such as trainers, public racing syndicates, the process of purchasing and owning a Thoroughbred, racehorse retirement, and owner licensing.

The need for a central resource to encourage Thoroughbred ownership was identified in the comprehensive economic study of the sport that was commissioned by The Jockey Club and conducted by McKinsey & Company in 2011. The OwnerView site was launched in May 2012.

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In-Person OwnerView Conference Scheduled for Breeders’ Cup Week

OwnerView will host an in-person Thoroughbred Owner Conference in Del Mar, CA on Wednesday of Breeders' Cup week, Nov. 3. Registration is now open for the event.

“Our monthly virtual Thoroughbred Owner Conference series has been enthusiastically received this year with more than 1,100 registrations, so we are excited to carry this momentum forward and return to hosting a live event during the week of the Breeders' Cup,” said Gary Falter, project manager for OwnerView. “We are looking forward to again offering existing and prospective Thoroughbred owners the invaluable face-to-face networking opportunities that have made the Thoroughbred Owner Conference such a popular event since its inception.”

The conference will feature expert panels and networking events. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase Breeders' Cup tickets with registration for the conference. Registration details can be found at ownerview.com/event/conference. More information about the conference schedule and host hotel will be posted in the coming weeks.

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‘Improving’ Poetic Flare Can Give Bolger A First Sussex Victory

Jim Bolger has been involved in some iconic Goodwood finishes over the years including Alexander Goldrun's battle with Ouija Board in ​the 2006 Nassau Stakes and Dawn Approach's duel with Toronado in the 2013 Sussex Stakes. Dawn Approach's son, Poetic Flare, will arrive at Goodwood next week hoping to go one better than his sire and provide the indomitable Jim Bolger with a first success in the Group 1 Qatar Sussex Stakes on July 28 at Goodwood.

The Sussex is a “Win And You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Mile this fall at Del Mar.

The County Carlow trainer believes his QIPCO 2000 Guineas hero, who confirmed himself as the leading 3-year-old miler in Europe when demolishing a high-quality field in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, has improved since Ascot.

“Poetic Flare has been very well since the St James's Palace Stakes. We're very happy with his work and he seems to be improving further. I was expecting and hoping for him to win at Ascot but possibly not as spectacularly as he did.”

Bolger has always held the colt in the highest regard and is thrilled that he has showed his quality this season.

“I felt from the Spring of 2020 that he would be our best 2-year-old and as things transpired, he could only partially prove that. I did view him all along as my Guineas horse so it was very pleasing that he could prove that this year.”

Kevin Manning has partnered Poetic Flare in all his starts to date and will once again be riding the horse who Bolger describes as the apple of Manning's eye.

“Kevin Manning loves him! For him, Poetic Flare can do no wrong. He's a very straightforward horse to ride as you can put him anywhere in the race and he always delivers.”

Poetic Flare's two Group 1 victories have come on good-to-firm ground and Bolger believes he is an even better horse on a sound surface.

“He handles soft ground but he's better on good ground. He is very well balanced, so I don't think Goodwood holds any problems for him.”

Poetic Flare has inherited many of Dawn Approach's attributes, but Bolger is hopeful that he can differ from him by going one better in next Wednesday's £1 million Qatar-sponsored contest, which is part of the QIPCO British Champions Series.

“He's a heavyweight in every regard and is over 500kg. He's a very easy horse to manage as he knows his job and he thrives on racing. He has a great appetite for eating and for working, he's just like his sire Dawn Approach in every way.”

“He has one more bit of work to get through and will then arrive at Goodwood on Monday. It's a very special race and a race I've not won before.”

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