Tag: Cody’s Wish

Second Chances: Cornishman ‘Could Be a Horse That We Can Be Talking About Through the Season’

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

Cornishman (c, 3, Curlin–Penwith, by Bernardini) came flashing home to finish a bang-up second sprinting on debut on the GIII Lecomte undercard at Fair Grounds Jan. 20.

Off as the 3-1 second choice with his Brad Cox-trained stablemate Exploration (Curlin) receiving the bulk of the action at 3-2, the Godolphin homebred was bumped from both sides after exiting from post nine and trailed the field of 11 through an opening quarter in :22.40.

Cornishman caught the eye as he began to wind up from far back with a four-wide sweep beneath Florent Geroux on the far turn and was tipped out to the seven path as they straightened. He continued to motor powerfully down the center in the stretch and was clocked in a field-best final furlong of :11.97 to cross the line a length behind the Dallas Stewart-trained newcomer Bee Dancer (Bee Jersey). The aforementioned Exploration, a $900,000 Keeneland September graduate, just got tagged on the line by his stablemate for runner-up honors.

The final time for the six-furlong affair was 1:10.92. Cornishman earned a 75 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“He's a horse that we've liked all along,” Godolphin USA Director of Bloodstock Michael Banahan said. “Just little juvenile stuff last year and we had to give him some time off. Once Brad (Cox) got him back in there, he was going well for him and he really liked him. We were very much looking forward to his debut and thought that he was a horse that showed plenty of potential in the morning.”

He continued, “He breaks good out of the gate, but that day, Florent (Geroux) said that he couldn't get him settled well enough. He was the last one in the gate, and when they pulled the latches, he wasn't ready for it. Taking all that into consideration–breaking last, having to go wide, etc.–we were extremely happy with the way he ran and how well he finished up with the trip that he had. And that was a race to get him started going three quarters. That's nothing of what he wants to do.”

Cornishman returned to the worktab with a four-furlong move in :49 (23/74) in New Orleans Feb. 2. He could see additional distance in his next start later this month, per Banahan.

“We're very excited about him going forward,” Banahan said. “Hopefully, we get to run maybe in mid-February–maybe Risen Star weekend if they have a one mile and a sixteenth or something (similar) down there. Very much looking forward to stretching him out and seeing what he could do. Very hopeful that he could be a horse that we can be talking about through the season.”

Hailing from a very active and deep female family, Cornishman is out of GSW & MGISP Penwith, a daughter of MGISW and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Composure (Touch Gold). The latter brought $3.6 million from Sheikh Mohammed's operation at the 2003 Keeneland November sale.

Penwith | Kenny Martin

Penwith is a full-sister to the unraced dam of last Friday's GIII Bayakoa S. winner Comparative (Street Sense) and MGSW Shared Sense (Street Sense); a half-sister to MGISP Centring (A.P. Indy), the dam of last term's GI Frizette S. runner-up Central Avenue (Street Sense); and a half-sister to GISP Tranquil Manner (A.P. Indy).

The Curlin x Bernardini cross has produced standouts such as MGISW Clairiere, GISW Paris Lights, MGSW Cezanne and GSW & MGISP Point of Honor. Cornishman is also bred similarly to Curlin-sired champions Stellar Wind, Malathaat and Nest.

Godolphin, of course, also bred and raced Curlin's recently crowned Horse of the Year Cody's Wish, who is set to begin his first season at stud for a fee of $75,000 at Jonabell Farm.

“He has the pedigree that if he goes on and progresses like we think he will, he'll have a shot at hopefully some nice races down the road,” Banahan said. “But let's get him there first. He has to break his maiden first.”

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Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift: Mulholland Springs

The TDN's popular annual series 'Mating Plans, presented by Spendthrift,' continues today in a conversation with Mulholland Springs' John Mulholland.

 

MEAL TICKET (10, Malibu Moon–Rainbow's Song by Unbridled's Song) to be bred to Into Mischief
Second in the GII Royal Heroine S. at Santa Anita and the listed Golden Poppy S. at Golden Gate, we purchased this mare privately after her final start of her career. Meal Ticket was bred her first year to Into Mischief and produced an absolutely stunning colt that we sold to BC Stables for $850,000 at the Fasig Tipton Saratoga Sale last August. She produced a filly last year by the same sire and is currently pregnant to Gun Runner for this foaling season. After the success of her first foal and again so pleased with her now yearling filly, we booked Meal Ticket back to Into Mischief for this year. Some additional exciting news for this pedigree is that Meal Ticket's half-brother El Grande O is now a multiple stakes winner in New York and was just recently a strong second in the Jerome S. We will continue to strongly support Meal Ticket in her breedings and we are so excited about all the recent stakes activity in the immediate family. Hopefully, her own foals will run to their exceptional looks!

 

TOUCHY FEELY (12, Bernardini–Touched by Touch Gold) to be bred to Gun Runner
This is a family near and dear to our collective hearts for over 30 years. From the immediate family of Grade II winner Indian Firewater, Touchy Feely herself was debut maiden special weight winner. She had a minor injury and subsequently became a member of the broodmare band. Her first two foals were modest winners but her daughter Life Talk (Gun Runner) has truly resurrected this family with her smashing victory in the GII Demoiselle S. Going back four generations in this pedigree have all called Mulholland Springs home. Touchy Feely has a 2-year- old filly by Maclean's Music that was a $140,000 Keeneland January short yearling purchase and a yearling filly by Bolt D'Oro that just recently sold for $250,000 at the Keeneland November sale. Touchy Feely is carrying a Cyberknife in the belly and is booked back to Gun Runner for this breeding season. With Life Talk clearly cemented on the Kentucky Oaks trail, we are beyond excited to see new life breathed into a pedigree that has so richly rewarded us for over three decades.

 

MIDNIGHT UNION (10, Union Rags–Midnight Visit by Henny Hughes) to be bred to Cody's Wish
A recent $350,000 Fasig Tipton November purchase for the farm, Midnight Union is the dam of Grade I placed and multiple graded-placed Awake At Midnyte, who sold for $825,000 to Japanese interests at the same sale. This is a family that we have a lot of direct experience with in recent years. Awake At Midnyte was sold by Mulholland Springs (on behalf of longtime clients) as a yearling and Midnight Union has resided at Mulholland Springs for several past breeding seasons.

Midnight Union | Sarah Andrew

Midnight Union has a Tapit yearling filly, is pregnant to Jackie's Warrior and will be bred back to Cody's Wish this season. After having foaled and raised several of Midnight Union's foals, we are so excited at the opportunity to have acquired this mare and we will continue to strongly support this pedigree that we believe in so much. We were the direct under-bidders (on behalf of clients) when Awake At Midnyte recently went through the auction ring. She was just absolutely stunning to look so we know very well what this mare can produce both commercially and at the race track.

 

REINA MARIA (15, Songandaprayer–Maria's Pride by Maria's Mon) to be bred to Into Mischief
We acquired this mare privately several years ago and she truly rewarded us to say the least. A half-sister herself to Grade I winner Secret Compass, Reina Maria is the dam of Grade II winner and young leading sire Maximus Mischief. Reina Maria is due to foal an Into Mischief this year and is booked right back to the perennial leading sire again. She has a very precocious 2-year-old colt by Into Mischief that will undoubtedly resurface at one of the spring sales in Ocala. This mare has been so good to us and we firmly believe she has another superstar up her sleeve.

 

BLAME IT ON ALPHIE (10, Blame–Miss Alphie by Candi's Gold) to be bred to Cody's Wish
Purchased for $200,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale, this mare was a very high caliber winner and stakes performer on the west coast. We had originally purchased her with the plan to breed to City Of Light his first season at stud but those hopes were dashed late in the summer when she slipped the foal. So, we decided to keep the mare and it has been a great decision overall. Blame It On Alphie's 3-year-old named Nullify (American Pharoah) was a $325,000 Fasig Tipton Saratoga graduate and her 2-year-old filly by Into Mischief was a $350,000 Keeneland September purchase. Her yearling filly, also by Into Mischief, was a recent $600,000 Keeneland November purchase. This foal was absolutely stunning and one of the most balanced and athletic babies that we have ever bred and raised. Blame It On Alphie is currently pregnant to Life Is Good and is booked back to Cody's Wish for this breeding season. Lots to be excited for with this young mare.

 

SISTER (7, Fort Larned–Langara Lass by Langfuhr) to be bred to Elite Power
We purchased this mare a few years ago because she is a half-sister to our Grade I-placed mare Battlefield Angel, the dam of Grade II winner and multiple graded-placed Manny Wah. This has been such a great family to us for over 10 years now. Unfortunately, we lost Battlefield Angel to colic a few years ago so we naturally jumped at the opportunity to get right back into this highly-productive family. When we bought Sister, she was carrying an Arrogate in the belly. That foal went on sell for $200,000 at the Fasig Tipton Saratoga sale and was eventually named Saratoga Secret. The filly would go on to be a smart debut winner and followed up with a second in the GII Schuylerville S. at Saratoga. She is being pointed to the Martha Washington S. at Oaklawn. Sister has a beautiful Maclean's Music yearling filly, pregnant to Jack Christopher at the moment and booked back to Elite Power.

 

BICAMERAL (5, Constitution–Humble Song by Songandaprayer) to be bred to Bolt d'Oro
Bicameral was a $375,000 Keeneland November purchase in 2022. She was second on debut and then subsequently placed third in the Del Mar Debutante.

Bicameral selling at the 2022 Keeneland November Sale | Keeneland

She would go on to break her maiden at Santa Anita and win an allowance at Del Mar. Bicameral is a tall, powerful mare with great balance and loads of class. She is carrying her first foal by Uncle Mo and is booked back to Bolt D'Oro for this season.

 

HEAR MY PRAYER (7, Big Beast and out of Additional Prayer by Songandaprayer) to be bred to Cody's Wish
Purchased privately last spring, Hear My Prayer is a listed stakes winner at Gulfstream and Grade III-placed at Santa Anita. She is an absolutely stunning mare with a powerful shoulder, beautifully balanced top line and a strong hind end. Here My Prayer was bred last year to Gun Runner and is booked back to Cody's Wish for this season. We feel this drop dead mare could make a wonderful addition to our broodmare band long term.

 

ASK BAILEY (7, Run Away and Hide and out of Puype's Dream by Kris S.) to be bred to Taiba
A $255,000 2021 Keeneland November purchase, we tried to send her right back into training but she got sick on us, so we sent her immediately to the farm to join the broodmare band. Ask Bailey was second at Kentucky Downs as a juvenile and then subsequently third in the GII Jessamine S. at Keeneland. Ask Bailey would go on to win a listed stakes at Canterbury Park. We bred Ask Bailey her first year to Medaglia D'Oro and got a rather strong and handsome colt. I'm very pleased with this foal. She is currently pregnant to Life Is Good and is booked back to Taiba for this breeding season. We feel both Life Is Good and Taiba complement Ask Bailey very well physically. This is an exciting mare for us and we will support her strongly to get her breeding career off and running.

 

Interested in sharing your own mating plans? Email garyking@thetdn.com.

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MGSW Endorsed, Half To Cody’s Wish, Enters Stud At Northview Stallion Station

Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro–Dance Card, by Tapit), the half-brother to Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin), will stand the 2024 breeding season in Maryland at Northview Stallion Station for a fee of $5,000, the farm announced Monday. The 8-year-old MGSW, who retired after an injury while in training towards the GI Pegasus World Cup, last started in the GIII Steve Sexton Mile and finished his career with earnings of $970,133 and a record of 36-7-8-5.

“Endorsed has been on our radar for quite some time and we're thrilled to present a horse of this quality to the Mid Atlantic region,” said David Wade, General Manager of Northview Stallion Station.

The post MGSW Endorsed, Half To Cody’s Wish, Enters Stud At Northview Stallion Station appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The Week in Review: National Treasure Could Be On His Way to Stardom

I wasn't a National Treasure (Quality Road) fan. He got one of the easiest trips you'll ever see in a Triple Crown race when he was allowed to walk on the lead in the GI Preakness S., winning by a head over soft group of challengers. Which is why it came as no surprise that he couldn't so much as finish in the money in any of his next three starts, the GI Belmont S., the GI Travers S. and the GI Awesome Again S. He looked like a horse who had to set the pace to prevail and he didn't find himself on the lead in any of those races.

Yes, he turned in a big effort in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile when losing to eventual Horse of the Year Cody's Wish by a nose. But maybe Cody didn't run his best. He never did show an affinity for two turns. And maybe National Treasure's effort was a bit of a fluke. So I didn't like him one bit in Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. at Gulfstream. As the 5-2 favorite, he was an easy toss.

I was wrong. Was I ever.

Yes, this was the weakest field ever to assemble for the Pegasus and he did win by only a neck over the hard-trying blue-collar type Senor Buscador (Mineshaft). But take a deeper dive into this race and you'll likely conclude, as I did, that this was a very strong performance from National Treasure, one in which he served notice that he might be on a path to a Horse of the Year title.

As soon as the gate opened, both National Treasure and Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft) left there with a purpose, to get to the lead. With Hoist the Gold narrowly in front, they battled through early fractions of :23 and :46. For National Treasure, this was supposed to be the worst trip possible. He didn't make the lead and was engaged in a battle that resulted in fast fractions.

Trainer Bob Baffert, watching from California, wasn't worried.

“I knew there was going to be a hot pace and [Flavien] Prat and I talked about it,” Baffert said. “You can't take his speed away. You can't be worried about one horse. Just let him do his thing and he did. That's why he won.”

With about five furlongs to go, Prat made the move that might have won the race for him. He backed off of Hoist the Gold, ever so slightly but enough to give his horse a quick breather. With three furlongs left, Prat called on National Treasure and he responded and went right back at Hoist the Gold. By mid-stretch he had put away Hoist the Gold and had clear sailing to the wire. But then Senor Buscador decided to make a race out of it and closed relentlessly. Another two or three jumps, he probably would have won the race. But National Treasure had enough left to hold him off.

“He's very brave,” Prat said of National Treasure.

Meanwhile, Hoist the Gold, the winner of the GII Cigar Mile H., was cooked in the stretch. He finished fourth, beaten 11 lengths.

Baffert was non-committal when asked about National Treasure's next race, but you have to think that the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup is on his radar. If so, he would meet White Abarrio (Race Day), which would mean an early season showdown between the two best older dirt males in training.

With so many top horses being retired at the end of 2023, it looked like there would be very little star power when it came to the older male dirt division this year. Maybe National Treasure can change that.

Ryan Moore Does It Again

European-based rider Ryan Moore turned in the ride of the day when he guided Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. He saved ground every step of the way and burst through the hole that opened up at the top of the stretch when Balladeer (Distorted Humor) drifted ever so slightly off the fence and then held off eventual Eclipse Award winner Up to the Mark (Not This Time). Moore was the reason Auguste Rodin won the race.

On Saturday at Gulfstream, he gave a carbon-copy ride to Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to win the nine-furlong Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S.

On a horse whose biggest wins had come at a mile-and-a-half, Moore knew he couldn't afford to drop too far off the pace, so he had her positioned in third in the early going. She was third at the top of the stretch on the rail and it looked like Moore had nowhere to go. There never really was a hole, but when Maine Event (Bernardini) came out a half-path or so, Moore burst through the narrow opening and then held off a late bid from I'm Very Busy (Cloud Computing). Just as was the case in the Breeders' Cup, the horse probably doesn't win unless guided to a perfect trip by Moore.

“Ryan obviously gave her an incredible ride and has done such an incredible job,” winning trainer Aidan O'Brien said.

And give credit to the Coolmore team. When so many others find reasons not to run in races, this was Warm Heart's second start after she finished second in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. When it was determined that she was going to have to be in the U.S. anyway so that she could be bred to Justify, they figured why not head a ways down the road and go after the $1-million purse at Gulfstream. The win netted them $531,000. It was the perfect way to end Warm Heart's career.

By the way, how did Warm Heart go off at 2.4-1, while Integration (Quality Road) was 1.2-1? Yes, Integration looked like he had a lot of potential, but had never faced older horses in a stakes race and his biggest win came in the GII Hill Prince S. Yes, Warm Heart was a filly facing boys, but her record towered over that of anyone else in the field. She was a two-time Group I winner in Europe and missed by just a neck when second in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. She should have been the favorite.

Eclipse Awards

It's always fun to see every year what was the dumbest vote when it comes to the Eclipse Awards. The winner this year goes to the person who voted for Kirstenbosch (Midnight Lute) in the female sprinter category. Kirstenbosch went 2-for-9 on the year and both wins came in Grade III races. That also means that someone voted for her ahead of Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper), won two Grade I's during the year, including the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, and Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) who was 3-for-3 and based on some speed figures was the fastest horse to race during the year.

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