Tuesday raced for her breeder Coolmore, in partnership with Swiss car manufacturer Georg Von Opel's Westerburg, and racked up a career line of 10-3-3-1, $1,828,827, which also included a victory in the G1 Cazoo Oaks (Epsom Oaks) and a second in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks.

Tuesday is a daughter of English champion and MG1SW Lilly Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and therefore a full sister to champion and MG1SW Minding (Ire), G1SW Empress Josephine (Ire) and GSW Kissed By Angels (Ire).

The post Breeders’ Cup Champion Tuesday to Visit Into Mischief appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

UNI (GB) (m, 8, More Than Ready–Unaided {GB}), by Dansili {GB}), to be bred to Frankel (GB)

Uni is in foal to Kingman (GB), and she's going back to Frankel. She was a great mile, mile-and-a-sixteenth horse. Frankel gets very classic horses. Their conformation is very complementary to one another. They're both really good-looking horses.

BEAUTY PARLOUR (GB) (m, 13, Deep Impact {Jpn}–Bastet {Ire}, by Giant's Causeway), to be bred to Frankel (GB)

Beauty Parlour won the French Guineas and she's the dam of Blowout (GB). She's going to Frankel. She was second in the Prix de Diane, but she's really a mile to a mile-and-sixteenth horse and Frankel will give her more distance. I like the cross on Beauty Parlour with Galileo (Ire).

DUNBAR ROAD (m, 6, Quality Road–Gift List, by Bernardini), to be bred to Into Mischief

Dunbar Road was just second, beaten a nose in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. She's by Quality Road, and as a maiden mare, she's going to Into Mischief. She's a classic mile-and-an-eighth to mile-and-a-quarter horse. I like to breed Into Mischief to middle-distance to classic-distance horses, to a mare that would stay, so we thought that would be a very good match.

CAFE AMERICANO (m, 6, Medaglia d'Oro–Roxy Gap, by Indian Charlie), to be bred to Tapit

Cafe Americano just had an Into Mischief filly on Tuesday. She will be bred back to Tapit. Tapit crosses really well with Medaglia d'Oro. She is a rangy kind of mare who is tall, and Tapit fit her in the cross and on the conformation. I wanted to have a chance of either a grass or dirt horse from her.

ENCHANTED ROCK (m, 18, Giant's Causeway–Chic Shirine, by Mr. Prospector), to be bred to Gun Runner

Enchanted Rock is the dam of Verrazano (More Than Ready). She was bred to Curlin in 2021, and she's going to Gun Runner. This is the first time I have used him. She's a very big mare and we thought Gun Runner would suit her for a dirt horse. She has been the dam of some good dirt horses, and she has an old King Ranch pedigree. She is a very, very good mare.

NAPLES PARADE (m, 8, Street Cry {Ire}–Treasure Trail, by Pulpit), to be bred to Into Mischief

Naples Parade was one of Ed Cox's mares. She was the sister to Long Island Sound (War Front) and she is out of a half-sister to Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}). She's got a lot of dirt in her family, she's by Street Cry, and Long Island Sound was a turf horse, but that's a good cross with Into Mischief. They suit each other conformation-wise, and Into Mischief gets more stocky-looking horses.

WOW CAT (CHI) (m, 8, Lookin At Lucky–Winter Cat {Chi}), by Cat Thief), to be bred to Into Mischief

We are also breeding her to Into Mischief. She was second in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, she won the Beldame, came from Chile (where she was Horse of the Year in 2018), won a number of Group 1s in Chile and she is one of the best-looking mares we've had. She's a distance horse, a mile-and-a-quarter horse and we want to breed the best mile-and-a-quarter horses to Into Mischief.

Champion Sistercharlie won the 2018 Breeders' Cup F/M Turf | Breeders' Cup/Eclipse Sportswire

PAID UP SUBSCRIBER (m, 10, Candy Ride {Arg}–Shriek, by Street Cry {Ire}), to be bred to Tapit

Paid Up Subscriber is going to Tapit. She is in foal to Into Mischief, and she hasn't foaled yet. Tapit has a tendency to get a distance horse. Plus, she's really a mile-and-a-sixteenth mare with a big girth and Tapit sometimes gets horses who are a little bit smaller. I thought the cross was great in terms of Candy Ride and Tapit.

FIFTY FIVE (m, 8, Get Stormy–Soave, by Brahms), to be bred to Sottsass (Fr)

Fifty Five had a Dubawi (Ire) filly this year. She is going to Sottsass. She was a brilliant miler and it's a little bit of inbreeding to Northern Dancer, which I like far back in the pedigree. There are some good female families in there. I like to cross horses that have great females in their history–super mares that were great racemares and great producers.

BLOWOUT (GB) (m, 6, Dansili {GB}–Beauty Parlour {GB}, by Deep Impact {Jpn}), to be bred to Frankel (GB)

Blowout goes to Frankel. She just won the [GI] First Lady at Keeneland this fall. She was a very, very good seven-furlong to a mile-and-a-sixteenth horse. I like Frankel with the Galileo (Ire) cross with Dansili. It's good Wildenstein blood and it's a classic cross. On conformation, they both suit each other.

HOMERIQUE (m, 7, Exchange Rate–Chiquita Picosa, by Congaree), to be bred to Dubawi (Ire)

She won graded stakes in the U.S. and Europe. She is ready to foal a Kingman (GB) foal and she is going back to Dubawi.

NEWSPAPEROFRECORD (IRE) (m, 6, Lope de Vega {Ire}–Sunday Times {GB}, by Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), to be bred to Kingman (GB)

Newspaperofrecord is going to be bred to Kingman. I like the idea of a miler to a miler, and Kingmans in the U.S. have been running longer. We thought that's a horse we'd like to run in the U.S. That's why we chose him. Last year, she was bred to Frankel (GB).

PRECIEUSE (IRE) (m, 8, Tamayuz {GB}–Zut Alors {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}), to be bred to Wootton Bassett (GB)

Precieuse, who won the French 1,000 Guineas, is in foal to Kingman (GB) and she's going back to Wootton Bassett. She's a quick horse. Wootton Bassett gets a mile to a mile-and-a-quarter horse. We thought the conformation suited the cross very well.

SIGNIFICANT FORM (m, 7, Creative Cause–Church by the Sea, by Harlan's Holiday), to be bred to Sottsass (Fr)

She just had a Dubawi (Ire) colt, and she is going back to Sottsass. She won the Miss Grillo and the Ballston Spa. She's a very rangy horse that's very good with that Siyouni (Fr) blood. It's speed. It carried the distance. We like that for Significant Form. She was limited up to a mile-and-a-sixteenth, but she was top class up to that. We wanted to put some distance into her. She's beautiful. Great conformation.

SISTERCHARLIE (IRE) (m, 8, Myboycharlie {Ire}–Starlet's Sister {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), to be bred to Dubawi (Ire)

It's a great cross, and Dubawi gets some nice speed milers and she was very fast, but this will put a little more speed into her. Sistercharlie's dam has been bred to Dubawi, with success.

Let us know who you're breeding your mares to in 2022, and why. We will print a selection of your responses in TDN over the coming weeks. Please send details to: garyking@thetdn.com.

The post Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift: Peter Brant appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Blue Stripe (ARG) – Pozo de Luna's Blue Stripe (ARG) galloped before the morning renovation session with Alex Jimenez aboard for trainer Marcelo Polanco.

Polanco, who had Blue Stripe come to his barn in May from Argentina, had penciled in a work for Tuesday morning but opted for the gallop.

“She has done a lot of training before and she is ready to do anything,” said Polanco of Blue Stripe, whose last work was one mile in 1:42 3/5.

Blue Stripe, who will be making her first start in six months in Saturday's Distaff, is a half-sister to 2019 Longines Distaff winner Blue Prize (ARG).

Listed at 30-1 on the morning line for the Distaff, Blue Stripe will be ridden by Frankie Dettori.

Clairiere – Stonestreet Farm's Cotillion winner Clairiere, one of three 3-year-olds in the Distaff field, returned to the track for the first time since working Sunday and jogged once around.

Dunbar Road/Royal Flag – Chad Brown's Longines Distaff duo of Dunbar Road and Royal Flag each galloped one circuit of the Del Mar dirt track Tuesday morning, leaving Barn DD with their trainer following on foot.

Owned by Peter Brant, Dunbar Road drew post 11 under Jose Ortiz in what will be her career swan song. The 2019 Alabama (G1) winner makes her 16th start and seeks her seventh victory overall. Second last out in the Spinster (G1) at Keeneland to Distaff favorite Letruska, she will look to improve upon a fifth-place finish in 2019 and third-place finish in 2020.

Royal Flag drew post two with Joel Rosario and enters off a career-best effort when winning Belmont's Beldame Invitational (G2) by 4¼ lengths. Also a 5-year-old, the daughter of Candy Ride is a homebred of W.S. Farish and seeks her seventh career victory in her 13th start.

“They both are training very well, but both need pace to run at. They need Letruska softened up a bit, but there's also some other very good horses in there …  Shedaresthedevil, who is top class,” Brown said. “The race will be interesting with Horologist (post seven) drawn outside of Letruska (post six).

“Dunbar Road has been great and had an outstanding career,” Brown continued. “Unfortunately, we had a couple derailments with some throat issues, but she's back on track. She was unlucky in this race last year, getting stopped turning for home at the quarter-pole. She would have been right there. She really likes Del Mar's surface, which is another key with her.”

Horologist – The most experienced horse in the Longines Distaff, Bill Mott-trained Horologist will try to time it out perfectly Saturday when she makes her second start in the nine-furlong affair. Owned by There's a Chance Stable, Medallion Racing, Abbondanza Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Paradise Farms and David Staudacher, the New Jersey-bred daughter of Gemologist makes her 27th start and fifth in Grade 1 company. She has yet to break through at the top level.

The 30-1 morning line price galloped one circuit of the Del Mar dirt track Tuesday morning. She drew post seven of 11 fillies and mares in the $2 million race. Last year, she was ninth of 10 at 14-1 odds.

“It's a good race and we're a big price in there — we know that,” Mott said. “We're reaching out in a couple spots with horses like (Breeders' Cup Mile runner) Casa Creed and her. If everything goes well and they have a big day, maybe we can get a piece of it.”

Letruska – St. George Stable's 8-5 favorite for the Distaff, the 5-year-old Letruska, schooled at the gate Tuesday and galloped a mile and a half at Del Mar.

Trainer Fausto Gutierrez's first Breeders' Cup starter has won five consecutive graded stakes, four of them Grade 1 – and was made the 8-5 favorite in the Distaff. Under Irad Ortiz Jr. she will start from post six in the 11-horse field.

Letruska shipped from Keeneland to Del Mar on Oct. 24 and had her final timed work Saturday, 5f in 1:01.20. She walked Sunday, jogged with a pony Monday and resumed galloping Tuesday.

“I think she did it very easily,” Gutierrez said. “The exercise rider was very happy and told me she feels very, very good. That's what any trainer wants to know about the horse. With the travel, the training, the situations, sometimes you have to be around some problems. Right now, we are in very good form.”

Gutierrez said he might change up her gallops a bit this week, but said she is ready for the Distaff.

“The only point now is that she arrives concentrated and happy,” he said. “We don't have anything else to do.”

Gutierrez, 54, is a superstar trainer in Mexico, winning 10 consecutive training titles at Hipodromo de Las Americas Racetrack in Mexico City from 2010-19. He said he typically trained 200 horses a year in Mexico. Gutierrez has been training in the U.S. since March 2020 and is based in Florida.

Letruska won the first six starts of her career in Mexico. Since being imported to the U.S. in December 2019, she has a record of 11-1-1 from 16 starts. This year, she has six wins and one second from seven starts and earnings of $1,925,540.

Malathaat – Much was expected of yearling filly to be named Malathaat when Shadwell Stable purchased her for $1,050,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September sale. She has delivered.

With six wins in seven starts and more than $1.5 million in earnings, the 3-year-old daughter of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin enters the Distaff as a serious contender to Letruska, the 8-5 favorite in the field of 11.

Like her dam, Dreaming of Julia, who also was trained by Todd Pletcher, and her second dam, Dream Rush, Malathaat is a Grade 1 winner. She has the highest-level trifecta for 3-year-old fillies on her resume: the Ashland, the Kentucky Oaks and the Alabama.

By design, the Distaff will be Malathaat's first start since her 1 ½-length victory in the Alabama, in which she stumbled at the start. Pletcher said that he and her connections have stuck to a careful schedule that began with a perfect record in three starts as a 2-year-old.

“She won the Ashland and then the Kentucky Oaks, and we gave some thought to running her in the Belmont (Stakes),” Pletcher said. “But we felt like she just lost a little bit of weight during the Ashland and the Oaks campaign. At that point we decided when we weren't going to run in the Belmont to kind of come up with a plan for the rest of the season. We decided to go to the Coaching Club and Alabama and then not run between the Alabama and the Distaff.

“That's kind of been the plan since May and fortunately everything is going according to plan minus winning the Coaching Club. I think she's trained as well as ever and just seems like she's coming into the race in good shape.”

Malathaat was upset by Maracuja in the Coaching Club American Oaks on July 24 at Saratoga. She was pressed throughout in the four-horse field and was not able to hold off late-running Maracuja at the wire.

Pletcher resumed her timed works on Sept. 18 at Belmont Park and she had seven, including a bullet 5f in 1:01.23 on Friday, before shipping from New York to Del Mar over the weekend.

“We've had a really good schedule with her,” Pletcher said. “She's been breezing terrific, like she always does.”

Pletcher sent Malathaat out for a routine gallop Tuesday morning and said she has settled in well at Del Mar. He was satisfied with her post position.

“She's (post) three, which hopefully gives her the opportunity to get to the first turn and save a little ground.”

Pletcher has a 2-1-4 record with 20 starters in the Distaff. His winners were Ashado (2004) and Stopchargingmaria (2015). Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez has the mount.

Marche Lorraine (JPN) – U. Carrot Farm's Marche Lorraine galloped on the main track before the morning track renovation session.

Shedaresthedevil – Shedaresthedevil, the winner of Del Mar's Clement L. Hirsch Stakes in August, had an easy jog Tuesday morning under exercise rider Edvin Vargas, one day after arriving from Kentucky with her six stablemates.

Shedarethedevil and Letruska, the Distaff favorite, have each beaten the other once this year and Cox believes his filly would be worthy of championship honors should she top her rival once again. Shedaresthedevil easily bested Letruska in the Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn in March, but had to settle for third when the two met in the Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont in June.

“I don't have a vote, but I'd think (Shedaresthedevil) would be the champion if she wins the Distaff,” Cox said. “It would be her third Grade 1 this year and she would have beaten Letruska twice.”

The post Breeders’ Cup Distaff Notes: Pletcher Hoping Long-Term Plan Pays Off For Malathaat appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

MGISW turfer Got Stormy had her final career breeze at 7:30 a.m. under jockey Declan Carroll, cruising a half-mile in :48.60 in preparation for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile.

“We had some rain in the area but the track was really good so I decided to move her work up a day,” trainer Mark Casse's assistant David Carroll said. “Sometimes you see with older mares that they may take a step back from their younger campaigns but she has been doing great. I'm really excited the way she's coming into the Breeders' Cup. She's a very special mare to all of us.”

Got Stormy, along with about 12 other locally-based Breeders' Cup contenders, will ship to Del Mar on Monday.

Two hours earlier, GI Darley Alcibiades S. winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies contender Juju's Map clipped five furlongs in :59.60 with jockey Florent Geroux in the saddle outside of stablemate Matera (Tapit) (five furlongs, :59.80).

“Today's work was with an older horse in Matera,” Cox said. “She's a stakes winner in her own right so she's a pretty tough workmate. 'Juju' sat just off her and maybe broke about a length behind. She was well in hand throughout the work and it was exactly what we were looking for at this stage. This filly seemed to improve a little bit since her win in the Alcibiades, which is what these horses need to do this time of year leading into the Breeders' Cup.”

There are six Breeders' Cup contenders scheduled to work Saturday morning at Churchill Downs: Essential Quality (Tapit) (Classic), Knicks Go (Paynter) (Classic), Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) (Distaff), Rattle N Roll (Connect) (Juvenile), Ready to Purrform (Kitten's Joy) (Juvenile Turf) and Turnerloose (Nyquist) (Juvenile Fillies Turf).

Working toward the Breeders' Cup elsewhere in the country:

KEENELAND:
Trainer Chad Brown sent out three of his Keeneland-based runners who were pre-entered in the Nov. 5-6 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar for works on a fast main track Friday morning. The trio was headed by Peter Brant's Dunbar Road (Quality Road) (Distaff), who covered five furlongs in 1:00.40. Keeneland clockers caught her in splits of :13, :25.20, :36.80, 1:00.40, galloping out in 1:13.20. On Oct. 10, the 5-year-old was second to Letruska in Keeneland's GI Juddmonte Spinster S. Fellow Brant runner, Blowout (GB) (Dansili {GB}) (Mile), worked four panels in :49.80. Winner of the Oct. 9 GI First Lady posted fractions of :12.80, :24.40, :49.80 before galloping out in 1:03.60. Rounding out Brown's trio, Bradley Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Tim Cambron, Anna Cambron and Team Hanley's Haughty (Empire Maker) (Juvenile Fillies Turf), maiden winner Oct. 17, worked four furlongs in :47.60. Her fractions were :12.80, :24.60, :47.60 and out in 1:01.

Also, trainer Jack Sisterson worked a pair of Calumet Farm's Breeders' Cup pre-entrants on dirt: Channel Cat (English Channel) (Turf and Mile), four furlongs in :50, and Lexitonian (Speigtstown) (Sprint), four furlongs in :48.40. Brad Grady's Fast Boat (City Zip) (pre-entered in the Turf Sprint) worked three furlongs in :37 on dirt for trainer Joe Sharp.

BELMONT:
On Friday morning, Pletcher worked several Breeders' Cup contenders over the Belmont training track. Shadwell Stables' three-time Grade I-winner Malathaat (Curlin) breezed five-eighths in company with 3-year-old allowance-winning colt Vindictive in her final breeze for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff.

“She's outstanding. She looked great and seems to be in really good form,” Pletcher said.

CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm's Life Is Good (Into Mischief), an easy last-out winner of the GII Kelso, breezed a half-mile in preparation for the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

“He's an exceptional workhorse and very talented,” Pletcher said. “He did what we've become accustomed to seeing him do, which was put in an impressive move. He did it very easily.”

Red Oak Stable homebred Mind Control (Stay Thirsty), also targeting the Dirt Mile, recorded a half-mile breeze.

“It was a good solid work. He seems to have maintained form,” Pletcher said.

Spendthrift Farm's GII Vosburgh winner Following Sea (Runhappy) worked a solid half-mile, however, Pletcher indicated plans to contest the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint are still in flux.

“He did really well. He's been training great. I'll get with the Spendthrift guys and make a final decision, but the horse is doing well,” Pletcher said.

Working on Thursday for Pletcher, Bass Stables homebred Annapolis (War Front), a last-out winner of the GII Pilgrim S., worked in tandem with Nest (Curlin), clocking a half-mile in :50.26. Initially targeting the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, Pletcher confirmed Annapolis has been sidelined due to a hind ankle chip.

“It's a minor injury and unfortunate timing,” Pletcher said. “We'll look forward to a spring and summer campaign.”

Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House Juvenile Fillies contender Nest most recently recorded a five-length debut win going 1 1/16 miles in September at Belmont.

“She worked well [Thursday] morning,” Pletcher said. “It's something we talked about after her debut. When the race came up a little bit of a shorter field, we felt like it was something worth taking a look at. She's a two-turn filly for sure, it's just a matter of if she has enough experience.”

Also working at Belmont Friday, Shortleaf Stable's GIII Matron S. winner Bubble Rock (More Than Ready, conditioned by Brad Cox, breezed a half-mile in :49.09 over the inner turf rated good in preparation for the GI Juvenile Fillies Turf. The homebred was piloted in her breeze by assistant trainer Dustin Dugas.

“I thought her breeze this morning went pretty well. There was just a little bit of give in it this morning and the turf had a nice bounce to it. We were pretty far out there with the dogs out,” Dugas said. “For a filly that's going to be stretching out for the first time, she did it right. She broke away from the pony and threw her ears up and really relaxed around the turn. She had a decent breeze thereafter down the lane and a good gallop out. I was happy with the way she did it.”

Dugas said Bubble Rock will jog one mile Saturday at Belmont before shipping to California Sunday.

Trainer Christophe Clement watched a trio of his Breeders' Cup contingent breeze over the Belmont Park inner turf led by Otter Bend Stable's dual Grade I winning Gufo (Declaration of War), third in the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic three weeks ago at Belmont. The 4-year-old completed an easy half in :53.40 in preparation for the Turf.

“He looked good,” Clement said. “It was a lazy work, as usual, but he had a very strong work last week. He worked on his own. It was slow by design, but he looked well. He is very sound and he's ready to go.”

Jump Sucker Stable's GIII Futurity S. scorer Slipstream (More Than Ready) completed his final breeze for the Juvenile Turf, going a half-mile in :50.20.

Although Slipstream captured the Futurity, a “Win And You're In” for the five-furlong Juvenile Turf Sprint, Clement is opting for the one-mile Juvenile Turf with the colt.

“He worked on his own,” Clement said. “It was a slow work, but he finished very well and was moving well. He came back in good shape.”

Rounding out his Breeders' Cup-bound team, GISP Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) went an easy :54.20 in preparation for the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Owned and bred by celebrity chef Bobby Flay, the took her debut going 1 1/16 miles in July at Saratoga and followed with a runner-up effort in the GI Natalma S. in September at Woodbine.

“She's very fit. She's running a week from today so it was an easy work, a two-minute lick and finished up a bit quicker,” Clement said.

Clement indicated his Breeders' Cup contenders are scheduled to depart on Sunday morning.

“[Their works] were slow by design, especially on the ground which I think it's very soft,” Clement said. “I was happy with all them. We just want to keep them happy and sound.”

Also breezing on Belmont's inner turf Friday, Klaravich Stables' GISW Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) [1:01.56] covered five-eighths in company with fellow GI Breeders' Cup Turf hopeful Tribhuvan (Fr) (Toronado {Ire}) [1:01.96], who is owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael J. Caruso. Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael Kisber and Michael J. Caruso's Rockemperor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) worked a solo half-mile in 50.98.

The Klaravich Stables-owned duo of Portfolio Company (Kitten's Joy) [1:02.96 – Juvenile Turf] and Consumer Spending (More Than Ready) [1:02.87 – Juvenile Fillies Turf] worked together through five-eighths.

Juddmonte's Pocket Square and Peter Brant's My Sister Nat (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}) breezed five-eighths in 1:01.95 in company for the Filly and Mare Turf, while Peter Brant's Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) breezed a half-mile solo in :49.88 in preparation for the Mile. Brown also sent a number of Breeders' Cup hopefuls to breeze on the main track, including Jack Christopher (Munnings) [1:00.82, Juvenile], Verbal (Flintshire) [50.19, Juvenile Turf] and Royal Flag (Candy Ride {Arg}) [1:01.55, Distaff].

Mr. Amore Stable's Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior), trained by Kelly Breen, worked Friday over the dirt training track in preparation for the Sprint, while Treadway Racing Stable's homebred Grade II winner Sail By (Astern {Aus}), trained by Leah Gyarmati, breezed three-eighths in :38.09 over the inner turf in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

The post Got Stormy, Juju’s Map Highlight BC Workers Friday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Peter Brant's Blowout (GB), winner of the Grade 1 First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare and a candidate for the $2 million Grade 1 Maker's Mark Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 6, worked a half-mile on her own in :50.80 for trainer Chad Brown.

Phoenix Thoroughbred III's Tiz the Bomb, winner of the Grade 2 Castle & Key Bourbon and a candidate for the $1 million Grade 1 Juvenile Turf on Nov. 5, worked five furlongs on his own in 1:01.80 for trainer Kenny McPeek.

Also working for McPeek was Arriba Arequipa's Reina de Mollendo (ARG) who covered five furlongs in 1:06.40 on her own in preparation for a possible Filly and Mare Turf start.

Trainer Wesley Ward worked a trio of runners headed by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Westerberg's Golden Pal, winner of the Grade 2 Woodford Presented by TVG.

Winner of last fall's Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and a candidate for this year's $1 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, Golden Pal drilled five furlongs in 1:00.80 with splits of :24.20, :37.20, :49, and 1:00.80. (Click here for a video of the work.)

Other Ward workers were Hat Creek Racing's Averly Jane, winner of the Indian Summer Presented by Keeneland Select, and Gregory Kaufman's Kaufymaker, second in the Indian Summer. Working together for possible starts in the $1 million Juvenile Turf Sprint, the undefeated Averly Jane covered five furlongs in 1:03.40 and Kaufymaker went the distance in 1:03.80.

Calumet Farm's Channel Cat, prepping for a possible second start in the $4 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf, worked five furlongs on his own in 1:02.20 with splits of :25.20, :38.60, :50.40 and 1:02.20 for trainer Jack Sisterson.

Three other possible Breeders' Cup runners posted works on the fast main track.

Also working for Calumet and Sisterson was Lexitonian, who covered 5 furlongs in 1:00.60. Winner of the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt two starts back, Lexitonian is a candidate for the $2 million Grade 1 Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Peter Brant's Dunbar Road, runner-up to Letruska in the Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster, worked a half-mile in :49 for trainer Chad Brown in preparation for a likely third start in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).

Dare To Dream Stable's American Sanctuary, fourth in the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, worked a half-mile in :48.40 for trainer Chris Davis. He is possible for the $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.

The post Flurry Of Breeders’ Cup Potentials Work At Keeneland Saturday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., the 5-year-old mare followed the same strategy she used in her last-out victory in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., easily moving to the front as the field ran into the first turn. Setting fractions of :24 for the first quarter and :47.89 for the first half, Ortiz gave his mare a breather on the backside and then picked up the pace again around the far turn.

Into the stretch, Letruska kicked away from the field, putting 3 1/2 lengths between her and second-place Dunbar Road before Ortiz powered her down. At the wire, the daughter of Super Saver was 1 3/4 lengths in front, running the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.01.

Letruska paid $2.80, $2.10, and $2.10. Dunbar Road $3.40 and $2.20. Bonny South paid $2.40.

As part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, Letruska's win in the Spinsters earns her another fees-paid, guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the Breeders' Cup Distaff. The mare also has victories in other Win and You're In events, including the G1 Ogden Phipps, the G1 Fleur de Lis, and the Personal Ensign.

Bred in Kentucky by owner St. George Stables, Letruska is out of the Successful Appeal mare Magic Appeal. She is trained by Fausto Gutierrez. With her win in the G1 Spinster, the 5-year-old mare has six wins in seven starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 22-17-1-1 and career earnings of $2,236,459.

The post Letruska Continues Her Dominance Of Distaff Division With Spinster Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

The powerful 5-year-old bay beat both Monomoy Girl and Swiss Skydiver fair and square in the GI Apple Blossom H. in April when she started a four-race graded win streak that included the Aug. 28 GI Personal Ensign S. in her last out. She's been training like a beast, bulleting in eight of her last nine works, including in her most recent five-panel move at Keeneland Oct. 2 in :59 flat (1/55). She does her best work from the lead, then simply runs her competition off their feet. The former Mexican star has now won seven graded stakes in the U.S., including her last two at the Spinster's nine-furlong distance and three Grade Is. Letruksa is a head shy of being unbeaten on the year in six starts and has already won three”Win and You're In” races this season. She'll look to make it four in the Spinster.

Of the competition, Bonny South (Munnings) gave Letruska a scare in the Personal Ensign, getting within a half-length when she unleashed a strong closing kick. The blaze-faced chestnut also finished behind the likely champ in the GI Ogden Phipps S. Bonny South has just one win on the year, but it was here at Keeneland in the GIII Doubledogdare S. during the Spring Meet, so the track won't be an issue.

Grade I winner Dunbar Road (Quality Road) hasn't won this year, but she got a 100 Beyer when fourth behind Letruska in the Personal Ensign and shipped in from Belmont when she could have stayed at the same distance–albeit over one turn–in Sunday's GII Beldame S. Multiple graded winner Envoutante (Uncle Mo) and listed winner Crystal Ball (Malibu Moon) are both Grade I-placed, but each would need a career-best effort to come close to Letruska.

The post Letruska Tough to Beat in Spinster appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Scheduled as the ninth race on Sunday's 10-race program, the Juddmonte Spinster is a Breeders' Cup Challenge race with the winner receiving a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) to be run Nov. 6 at Del Mar. Post time for the Juddmonte Spinster is 5:15 p.m. ET with first post at 1 p.m.

Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska has had her Breeders' Cup ticket punched three times by virtue of victories in the Ogden Phipps (G1), Fleur de Lis (G2) and Personal Ensign (G1) Presented by Lia Infiniti. Prior to the Ogden Phipps victory, Letruska started her four-race win streak with a nose victory over champion Monomoy Girl in the Apple Blossom (G1) in April at Oaklawn Park.

Since taking the Personal Ensign on Aug. 28, Letruska has had two bullet works at Keeneland. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount Sunday from post position four.

Back to challenge Letruska from the Personal Ensign are Juddmonte's Bonny South and Peter Brant's Dunbar Road.

Trained by Brad Cox, Bonny South has been a runner-up twice to Letruska. She came up 2¾ lengths short in the Ogden Phipps and was a half-length shy in the Personal Ensign. Winner of the Baird Doubledogdare (G3) here this spring, Bonny South will be ridden Florent Geroux out of post position two.

Dunbar Road finished fourth in the Personal Ensign, beaten just three-quarters of a length. Trained by Chad Brown, Dunbar Road was third in last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff here. In her only other Keeneland start, she ran third in the 2019 Juddmonte Spinster.

Dunbar Road will exit post one under jockey Flavien Prat.

The field for the Juddmonte Spinster, with riders and weights from the inside, is:

1. Dunbar Road (Prat, 124 pounds)
2. Bonny South (Geroux, 124)
3. Town Avenger (Julien Leparoux, 121)
4. Letruska (Ortiz Jr., 124)
5. Envoutante (Brian Hernandez Jr., 124)
6. Crystal Ball (Tyler Gaffalione, 124)
7. High Regard (Rafael Bejarano, 124)

The post Leading Lady Letruska Tops Field Of Seven For ‘Win And You’re In’ Spinster appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Juddmonte homebred Viadera, a 5-year-old daughter of Bated Breath, was one of three entrants in the six-horse field along with pacesetter Tamahere [4th] and Kalifornia Queen [3rd].

Tamahere set strong splits of :22.60, :47.55, and 1:12.12 on the firm inner turf as Viadera saved ground in third under Joel Rosario. Viadera advanced up the rail through the final turn and angled out in the stretch run to reel in her stablemate and hold off the late charge of High Opinion.

Viadera, who capped her 2020 with a first Grade 1 score in the Matriarch at Del Mar, entered Saturday's test from a troubled fourth in the De La Rose on August 8 at the Spa.

“She had so much trouble in her first start of the year here and I was proud of her to come back on short rest and still get it done,” Brown said.

Viadera is likely to target the $400,000 Grade 1 First Lady on October 9 at Keeneland.

Jim Bakker and Gerald Isbister's Jack Christopher earned a 92 Beyer for his winning debut in a six-furlong maiden special weight for juveniles, powering to an 8 3/4-length score as the even-money favorite.

The Munnings chestnut, a $135,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, exited post 5 in the seven-horse field under Jose Ortiz and settled in second position before taking command.

“I was very pleased. The word was out. He had worked well and he ran to his works, which is always a relief for a trainer,” Brown said.

Brown said Jack Christopher will point to the $500,000 Grade 1 Champagne on October 2 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., a one-turn mile offering a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Brown saddled Royal Flag and Dunbar Road to respective third and fourth-place finishes Saturday in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign presented by Lia Infiniti.

Royal Flag, a 5-year-old Candy Ride chestnut, entered from a score in the Grade 3 Shuvee on July 25 at the Spa, while Dunbar Road, a 5-year-old Quality Road bay, was looking to secure her first win since taking the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap last July.

While multiple Grade 1-winner Letruska won the nine-furlong test gate-to-wire, Royal Flag closed willingly to complete the trifecta, a head in front of Dunbar Road, who was forced in at the start under Flavien Prat, and had to rally six-wide down the lane.

“Dunbar Road had a bit of an unfortunate trip as she fell a little far out of it after missing the break and went quite wide,” Brown said. “Royal Flag had her normal trip that worked out just fine. I was proud of both of their efforts. A really great filly won the race.”

Peter Brant and Robert V. LaPenta's Miles D, a sophomore son of Curlin, garnered a career-best 100 Beyer for his third-place effort in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers. The lightly-race Curlin chestnut, a $470,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, graduated at second asking in June at Belmont and followed with a strong runner-up effort to Dynamic One in the nine-furlong Curlin on July 30 at the Spa.

Brown said he was pleased with the effort.

“He's only run four times and he might be a little bit better at a mile and an eighth,” Brown said.

Brown also confirmed Klaravich Stables' Technical Analysis, last-out winner of the Grade 2 Lake Placid on August 21, will point to the $500,000 Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on October 15 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

The post Brown Pleased With Viadera Win In Ballston Spa, Points Jack Christopher To Champagne appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Named in honor of the Phipps Stable's homebred champion and Hall of Famer who went undefeated in 13 career efforts, the Personal Ensign is a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar in November.

Owned by St. George Stable and trained by Fausto Gutierrez, the dual Grade 1-winning Letruska will be attempting her fourth consecutive graded stakes score. She has already secured her Breeders' Cup Distaff spot with a dominating gate-to-wire 2 ¾ lengths victory in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps, also a “Win and You're In” event, two starts back at Belmont Park on June 5.

“She's a horse with a lot of talent. She has a strong character and the different places that we ship get more serious and more competitive,” Gutierrez said of his Mexican champion and the winner of five of her last six efforts, all graded stakes races.

The Personal Ensign is competitive indeed. Every other horse is a graded stakes winner in her own right and the field includes reigning 3-Year-Old Filly champion and 2020 Grade 1 Alabama Stakes and Grade 1 Preakness-winner Swiss Skydiver.

“This race very well could dictate who is the champion older filly and mare,” said Kenny McPeek, who trains Swiss Skydiver and will saddle King Fury in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes on Saturday's card.

Letruska comes into the Personal Ensign as the deserving favorite and will break from Post 6 under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

In the Grade 1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park three starts back, Letruska defeated multiple champion Monomoy Girl by a nose, while Swiss Skydiver was third. Next time out when taking the Ogden Phipps, Letruska finished in front of Bonny South, a Grade 3 winner she meets again in this contest. In her last effort Letruska seemingly toyed with her competition when drawing away to a 5 ¾ lengths triumph in her typical front-running fashion in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Fleur de Lis on June 26 at Churchill Downs.

“This year since the Apple Blossom, she's run with the toughest filles and mares in the division like Swiss Skydiver and Monomoy Girl,” Gutierrez said. “The performance she gave in the Apple Blossom was no coincidence. You don't beat horses like Monomoy Girl by coincidence.

“After Belmont, she was in good condition,” he continued. “It wasn't my original idea to run in the Fleur de Lis. I was going to go to the Delaware Handicap. But after she went back to train at Keeneland, something told me to nominate. After I checked the nominations a couple of times and saw her training, I decided to run her. If we are in a fight to win an Eclipse, we have to win races.”

To that end, McPeek is returning Peter Callahan's Swiss Skydiver to the distaff division. After circumstances forced his hand earlier in the Saratoga meet, he ran her in the Grade 1 Whitney against the boys here last out on Aug. 7 and she finished fourth.

“She needed the race,” McPeek said in reference to the Whitney. “She hadn't run since April. She went through that little fever she had for the Ogden Phipps. She was just off a long time. My preference was the Shuvee. I think it certainly would have been a better launching pad, but it was a good run. I'm sure she's going to improve fitness wise off that.

“In her race at Arkansas against Letruska I had to make a difficult decision. She had a light infection in a hind ankle,” McPeek added. “I felt we had it under control, and I think that dulled her effort a little bit. We're confident she's going to run a lot better than she did at Oaklawn. I think she's going to be able to put three consecutive races together to finish the year, probably in the Personal Ensign, Spinster and then the Breeders' Cup. I think the Whitney hopefully leads us into that.”

Swiss Skydiver, who took the Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita in March, will depart from post 4 with Jose Ortiz aboard.

Bonny South, a Juddmonte homebred coming from the powerhouse stable of reigning Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox, will try to turn the tables on Letruska after a runner-up finish in the Ogden Phipps. The 4-year-old filly was a well-beaten fifth in her last start in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap as the odds-on favorite but has been breezing with stablemate, Grade 1 Runhappy Travers Stakes 4-5 favorite [and Belmont Stakes-winner] Essential Quality, impressing her trainer in the process.

“She seems to really like it here. She's had some really good moves over the main track and has worked the last two weeks with Essential Quality and holding her own,” said Cox. “We're going to throw her last race out at Delaware. There was a lack of pace, and she probably didn't want to be that close. She needs a set up and she didn't get it. She's been here for a good while and she's settled in, so I'm excited to give her this opportunity.

“I'm excited about getting her back in good form in the Personal Ensign. Hopefully, she has a pace to run at, and I think we'll get that,” Cox added. “She's going to have to step up and run her 'A' race, but she's certainly training like she's ready to do it.”

Bonny South, second in the Grade 1 Alabama to Swiss Skydiver here last year, drew post 3 and Manny Franco takes over the reins.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott is sending out Harvey's Lil Goil, third in the 2020 Alabama, who will be returning to the dirt after making her last six starts on the grass. On July 17 the gray/roan daughter of 2015 Triple Crown champion American Pharoah was fourth in the Grade 1 Diana here.

Harvey's Lil Goil, the winner of the Grade 3 Beaugay on the Belmont Park inner turf course three starts back, drew post 8 and will partner for the first time with Luis Saez.

She turned in an eye-popping bullet five furlongs work over the Oklahoma dirt training track in :59.79 seconds on August 21 for the fastest time of 40 horses working the same distance.

“She did work really well. We've seen her good before, but she's doing well and we're happy with her. She handles either surface [dirt or turf] very well,” said Mott, a three-time winner of the Personal Ensign with Close Hatches [2014], Hall of Famer Royal Delta [2013], and Link River [1994]. “Letruska is the one who's in good form right now, but I'd like to see my horse run well. We're crossing our fingers and she'll give us a good effort, I think.”

As Time Goes By, who runs for the Coolmore connections and has been sent from the Southern California base of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, ran second to Swiss Skydiver in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile and then racked up a pair of Grade 2 wins, taking the Santa Margarita by 9 ¼ lengths and the Santa Maria by a nose, both at Santa Anita.

The 4-year-old daughter of the Baffert-trained American Pharoah, out of the multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Take Charge Lady, looks to rebound from a fourth-place finish last out in the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch on August 1, where she stumbled out of the Del Mar gate and then came up empty.

“She's probably the best-bred horse in the race. She's a big, beautiful mare,” Baffert said. “She had a bad race last time. I thought she was going to win at Del Mar, but she got away bad and got shuffled back and at Del Mar, if you get shuffled back early you have no chance. So, she just didn't run. She didn't show up that day, and they'll do that.”

Baffert said that the 1 1/8 miles of the Personal Ensign should suit his filly.

“The further the better for her. She's been working really well, so hopefully we'll get a good, clean break. I think she'll like that big track,” he said. “I've been very high on her and took my time with her, so hopefully this race could be her coming-out party. It's a tough race, but it's a good spot for her.”

Hall of Famer Mike Smith will jet in from Southern California to ride As Time Goes By from post 2. Smith and Baffert teamed up to win the 2018 Personal Ensign with Abel Tasman.

Graceful Princess, winner of the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park in her last outing, will have home field advantage. Whisper Hill Farm's exquisitely bred daughter of Tapit out of former Horse of the Year Havre de Grace has a pair of Hall of Famers in her corner with trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez [outermost post 9].

“It's a tough race as you'd expect in a Grade 1 but there's a gap in the stakes schedule for older and fillies and mares going long at the moment, so not too many options. She's really stepped it up, her last race in particular, and I hope she can continue moving forward,” said Pletcher, who won this race in 2012 with Love and Pride and in 2006 with Fleet Indian.

Four-time Saratoga leading trainer Chad Brown will attempt to add the Personal Ensign to his redoubtable resume and will saddle Royal Flag and Dunbar Road, who also figure to benefit from some home cooking.

Will Farish' homebred Royal Flag, who breaks from post 5 under Joel Rosario, won the Grade 3 Shuvee here at 1 1/8 miles on July 25 when returning from a three-months layoff, and Peter Brant's 2019 Grade 1 Alabama winner Dunbar Road, who drew the rail, tries to regain her winning ways with new rider Flavien Prat.

“Hopefully, Royal Flag will have a similar trip where she has a big pace in front of her and she can come with her run,” Brown said of the daughter of the undefeated and four-time Grade 1 winner Candy Ride and the Mineshaft (2003 Horse of the Year) mare Sea Gull. “It would be the ultimate for her. It's quite a family. She's been an improving horse over the years, and it would be well deserved.”

Cammarota Racing's Miss Marissa, who is trained by Jim Ryerson and will be ridden by Daniel Centeno, completes the field and will leave from post 7. The 4-year-old daughter of He's Had Enough captured last year's Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan and enters from a front-running score in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap on July 10.

The Personal Ensign is slated as Race 10 on the 13-race card. First post is 11:35 a.m. Eastern. For the third consecutive year, FOX will air the Runhappy Travers as the centerpiece of a 90-minute telecast beginning at 5 p.m. The networks of FOX and FOX Sports will air 7.5 total hours of live racing and analysis on Runhappy Travers Day, with coverage scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. on FS1. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Letruska To Face Top-Class Field In Personal Ensign appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post