Laurel River To Test 10-Furlong Waters In Dubai World Cup

Juddmonte Farms' recent G3 Burj Nahaar romper Laurel River (Into Mischief) will bypass the Mar. 30 G2 Godolphin Mile and will instead stretch out to 10 furlongs for the first time in the G1 Dubai World Cup, Garett O'Rourke, the manager of Juddmonte's American operation, told the TDN Thursday morning.

“It's worth a try. There's $12 million reasons to do it,” he said.

The homebred winner of the seven-furlong GII Pat O'Brien S. when under the care of Bob Baffert in 2022, Laurel River was favored in many circles for that year's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile before being withdrawn on the eve of the race.

He joined the barn of leading trainer Bhupat Seemar in the second half of 2023 and made his local debut in the G3 Al Shindagha Sprint over 1200 meters Jan. 26, but weakened out to finish a disappointing seventh after racing handy. Laurel River was given another positive ride by Tadhg O'Shea in the G3 Burj Nahaar on Super Saturday Mar. 2, but this time continued to find and ran up the score to the tune of 6 3/4 lengths.

 

 

“When you have a horse of that age and they've been off a long time–and he had excuses in his first race-you do start to wonder, 'well, was it excuses or was it age catching up with him,'” said O'Rourke. “But Bhupat was pretty confident that the second start of the layoff would be the improvement and it was huge improvement. He's got a little bit of age on him, but he's a relatively fresh horse for that age. It looks like he's still got all of his ability and his enthusiasm for the game and Into Mischiefs, as they usually do, stay sound and have good longevity, so hopefully there's a couple of more years in him.”

While the Burj Nahaar is the course-and-distance lead-up to the G2 Godolphin Mile, connections put their heads together and opted for the less-conventional option in the World Cup.

“The plan all along was to go to the Godolphin Mile, but when Bhupat looked at who was going and saw that Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming) and Isolate (Mark Valeski)–who won it last year and is a confirmed front-runner as well–were both in there, he didn't want to get stuck in a speed duel,” O'Rourke explained.

For obvious reasons, there are plenty of obstacles to overcome.

“I feel like the 10 furlongs is a stretch for him, but that is a speed-favoring track and he might be the lone speed in there,” said O'Rourke. “Bhupat didn't really mind either way whichever way the family wanted to go, but he decided he wanted to get that easy lead. Looking at the field, it'll be the two Japanese horses [Ushba Tesoro {Orfevre} and Derma Sotogake {Mind Your Biscuits) and Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) and it doesn't seem to go very deep after that. If you're going to take a shot, even if there's a doubt about the 10 furlongs, it seems like the year to try it and we're keen to do it. He can have a long rest afterwards.”

On pedigree, Laurel River is a horse who could appreciate the World Cup trip. He is bred on the exact same cross as Juddmonte's GI Kentucky Derby winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Mandaloun and his first two dams are by the operation's Empire Maker and fellow GI Belmont S. winner Touch Gold. Laurel River's dam Calm Water is a full-sister to Emollient, whose big-race victories include the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at nine furlongs on synthetic and a the GI American Oaks and GI Rodeo Drive S. going a mile and a quarter on the grass.

“It would suggest he is capable of doing it, but on pedigree, Elite Power (Curlin) should have gotten a mile and a half,” O'Rourke said with a laugh. “It's an indicator of what the genes should be, but it can't guarantee what the dominant genes are.

“He looks like a miler, he's a very strong, muscular horse. But some of those horses–on dirt anyways–if they're front-runners, they get stronger and they can get further as they get older. I think the key to him is being able to use that speed and get cruising out there in front and I would say, ideally eight to nine furlongs is his best distance. But older, stronger, front-runner–all those things can align and horses can get 10 furlongs with conditions in their favor.”

Win, lose or draw, O'Rourke indicated that Laurel River will train on next season, with an eye on the G1 Saudi Cup. There are no plans to return to the United States, he added.

The post Laurel River To Test 10-Furlong Waters In Dubai World Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Juddmonte Farms Reveals 2021 Mating Plans For U.S. Broodmare Band

Juddmonte is pleased to announce the 2021 mating plans for some of its high-profile horses in the U.S.

In June 2020, Juddmonte suffered a major setback with the loss of champion Arrogate. In his first and only three seasons, he was heavily supported by top Juddmonte families. For 2021, it was imperative that Juddmonte bridged that gap with some other top stallions in Kentucky.

Exciting young stallion Constitution will receive ample support from Juddmonte including Eclipse Award champion older mare Close Hatches, whose first foal, multi-millionaire and multiple graded stakes winner Tacitus, will be competing in the upcoming $20 million Saudi Cup. Also visiting Constitution will be Grade 1 Alcibiades winner Spring In The Air.

Soothing Touch, whose first foal was a four-time Grade 1 winner in Emollient, will be visiting perennial leading sire Curlin. Soothing Touch has a 2-year-old Arrogate filly named Mount Ararat.

Emollient, winner of Grade 1 races such as the Rodeo Drive, Juddmonte Spinster, American Oaks and Central Bank Ashland, will be visiting champion general sire Into Mischief. Also visiting Into Mischief is Hachita, dam of Grade 1 winner Announce and a total of four graded stakes horses.

Winner of the G1 Just a Game, Antonoe, will be visiting perennial leading sire Speightstown. Antonoe's first foal, a now 2-year-old colt by War Front named Parade Square, will be one to watch.

Winner of the G1 Humana Distaff and Madison, Paulassilverlining will be visiting Tapit along with super producer Rising Tornado, herself the dam of champion Close Hatches and the multiple graded stakes-placed Lockdown.

Quality Road, War Front, Munnings, Not This Time and Violence are among other sires that Juddmonte will be using in the U.S. this year.

The post Juddmonte Farms Reveals 2021 Mating Plans For U.S. Broodmare Band appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Oaks Winner Shedaresthedevil Takes On Older Rivals In Sunday’s Spinster

Qatar Racing, Flurry Racing Stables and Big Aut Farms' Shedaresthedevil will take on older horses for the first time Sunday when she heads a field of six fillies and mares in the 65th running of the $400,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1) going 1 1/8 miles on the main track.

Slated as the ninth race on Sunday's 10-race program at Keeneland, the Juddmonte Spinster is a “Win and You're In” race for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) to be run here Nov. 7. First post Sunday is 1:05 p.m. ET with the Juddmonte Spinster going at 5:45 p.m.

Trained by Brad Cox, Shedaresthedevil brings a three-race win streak into the Juddmonte Spinster highlighted by her 15-1 upset in the Kentucky Oaks. Prior to that race, she won the Indiana Oaks (G3) by 5 lengths to mark her second Grade 3 victory of 2020.

Florent Geroux, who has been aboard for Shedaresthedevil's past three starts, has the call Sunday and will break from post position three. Geroux won the 2016 Juddmonte Spinster on I'm a Chatterbox.

Emollient in 2013 is the most recent 3-year-old to win the Juddmonte Spinster.

Chief among Shedaresthedevil's challengers is Karen Eggert and Paul Eggert's Ollie's Candy, who has raced exclusively in Grade 1 company in 2020.

Trained by John Sadler, the 5-year-old Ollie's Candy enters the Juddmonte Spinster off a runner-up effort in the Clement L. Hirsch (G1) at Del Mar, a race she won in 2019. Sunday's race will mark her third venture outside California this year, having posted a runner-up finish in the Apple Blossom (G1) at Oaklawn Park in April and a third, beaten a neck, in the Ogden Phipps (G1) at Belmont in June.

Joel Rosario has the mount and will break from post position two.

The field for the Juddmonte Spinster, from the rail out with riders and weights, is: Saracosa (Martin Garcia, 124 pounds), Ollie's Candy (Rosario, 124), Shedaresthedevil (Geroux, 121), Our Super Freak (Brian Hernandez Jr., 124), Valiance (Luis Saez, 124) and Lady Kate (Tyler Gaffalione, 124).

The post Oaks Winner Shedaresthedevil Takes On Older Rivals In Sunday’s Spinster appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights