Tag: Garrett O’Rourke

Kentucky Oaks Future Wager Favorite Impel Pointing for Ashland

Unbeaten Juddmonte homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' Impel (Quality Road), favored at 7-1 in last weekend's lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager pool, is being aimed to make her stakes debut in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. on opening day at Keeneland Apr. 5.

“Brad is saying that he wants to go to the Ashland with her next, which she would have to do and perform well there to get to the Oaks,” Juddmonte USA General Manager Garrett O'Rourke said.

Brad, of course, is two-time GI Kentucky Oaks-winning trainer Brad Cox (Monomoy Girl 2018 & Shedaresthedevil 2020).

“If things don't go right, there's no pressure to keep moving forward,” O'Rourke continued. “If they do go right, well, it sets her up, you know? We'll see what happens.”

Betting on the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager totaled $69,717 ($48,334 in the win pool and $21,384 in exactas). Last year's champion 2-year-old filly Just F Y I (Justify), unraced since capping her perfect season with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita, closed as the second choice at 8-1. Just F Y I was scratched due to a fever just hours before what was to be her much-anticipated 3-year-old debut for Bill Mott in the GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream Mar. 2.

“Obviously, look, I was a little surprised that's the way people bet it,” O'Rourke said. “It puts the pressure on when I saw that she was favored.”

O'Rourke added with a big laugh, “Also, remember, it wasn't a huge pool, so it only would've taken one or two of Brad's exercise boys to just put a few bets on her and ruin the price for the rest of us.”

Impel earned her 'Rising Star' badge with a visually impressive debut victory at a generous 7-2 sprinting at Fair Grounds Jan. 1. She aced her two-turn test with an explosive stalk-and-pounce 8 1/2-length victory in a deep optional claimer going 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park Mar. 3. She earned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure in the latter. Impel returned to the worktab with a four-furlong breeze in :49.80 (52/74) at Fair Grounds Mar. 15.

Impel's leading sire Quality Road is responsible for 15 Grade I winners worldwide, including 2017 Kentucky Oaks heroine Abel Tasman. Juddmonte acquired Impel's Claiborne Farm-bred and stakes-winning dam/GII Gallant Bloom H. runner-up Your Love (Flatter) for $480,000 out of the ELiTE consignment on behalf of the late Paul P. Pompa, Jr. and WinStar Farm at the 2019 Keeneland November sale.

Your Love, a half-sister to GSW & MGISP Well Monied (Maria's Mon); GSW & GISP Happy American (Runhappy); MSW & GSP Jimmy Simms (Lost Soldier); and a full-sister to GSW & GISP Economic Model, is also responsible for a yearling filly by Curlin. After losing her pregnancy to Not This Time this year, Your Love recently checked back in foal to the promising young Taylor Made stallion, per O'Rourke. Impel is her first foal.

“She's come along beautifully,” O'Rourke said of Impel. “She's a lovely, big scopey filly. The well-bred ones that look good are the ones that are supposed to be good. It's nice when they are. I guess there was always a doubt in the back of mind about her staying. Her mother was a sprinter and the Quality Roads can go both ways. She was so impressive when she broke her maiden and also when she went the two turns so readily.”

O'Rourke concluded, “But from here on in, she's gonna have to step it up to be confident that she's an Oaks winner.”

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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.

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Laurel River Set For Desert Debut

Juddmonte's Laurel River (Into Mischief), last seen running out a 3 3/4-length winner of the GII Pat O'Brien S. in August 2022 for Bob Baffert, has been entered for the G3 Al Shindagha Sprint (1200m) and the G3 Firebreak S. (1600m) on 'Fashion Friday' at Meydan Racecourse Jan. 26.

“Everything seems to be fine, we've gotten nothing but good reports from over there,” said Garrett O'Rourke, general manager of Juddmonte USA, who confirmed that the 6-year-old stallion will take part in the shorter of the two races Friday evening.

An impressive maiden winner at second asking in April 2021, Laurel River was second to The Chosen Vron (Vronsky) in the GIII Laz Barrera S. the following month, but went missing off an 11 1/2-length romp in his first start going a mile at Del Mar that September. A facile allowance winner first off an 11-month absence in July 2022, he defeated American Theorem (American Pharoah) and Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) in the Pat O'Brien to earn a berth in that year's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. He was scratched on the eve of the race, for which he would have been one of the top choices.

Laurel River was subsequently transferred to the successful yard of trainer Bhupat Seemar and cleared quarantine last October. He has been in steady work since, but the Juddmonte team are taking a pragmatic approach to what might lie ahead.

“I don't want to get ahead of ourselves. He's been off a long time,” O'Rourke said. “I'd like him to show that he still has the same sparkle, but obviously we expect some rust for as long as he's been off.”

O'Rourke indicated that it will be one step at a time with Laurel River and that near-term options include the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint–a race won last year by Juddmonte's champion Elite Power (Curlin)–and the G3 Mahab al Shimaal (1200m) or G3 Burj Nahaar (1600m) on Super Saturday in Dubai Mar. 2 en route to a possible appearance on Dubai World Cup night four weeks later.

“I'd say he'll dictate where we go,” O'Rourke said. “We have to answer one question first and that's whether he shows his old spark and ability and I think after that, we'll play it by ear. You don't want to pigeonhole yourself into any plan when something different might work out to be the best.

“We've got to get past this performance and move on after that,” O'Rourke continued. “We're just happy that the horse is healthy and happy and working well and wherever it leads us after this weekend, we'll see where we go with him.”

Laurel River will kick off his Dubai campaign on a mark of 116, among the highest-rated dirt horses in the jurisdiction. Isolate (Mark Valeski), winner of last year's G2 Godolphin Mile and on track for the G1 Saudi Cup next month, is rated on 117, while the top dirt sprinter Tuz (Oxbow) is rated 115. The latter, conditioned by Seemar, is also among the entries for the Al Shindagha Sprint.

 

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Mullion, Full-Brother to Mandaloun, to Stand at Sequel New York

Mullion (Into Mischief–Brooch, by Empire Maker), a full-brother to GI Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun, will stand at Sequel New York in partnership with Juddmonte in 2024. The 4-year-old, nosed out of a debut win at Ellis Park in August of 2022, returned from 14 months on the sidelines to graduate by 10 lengths going one mile at Churchill Downs Nov. 5. The victory earned the well-bred colt the 'TDN Rising Star' designation and an impression 4-Ragozin Number.

“Mullion is a beast to look at. He showed freakish brilliance, so much so that we were pointing him to the GI Malibu after his 10-length romp at Churchill. He was a rare talent,” said trainer Brad Cox.

Garrett O'Rourke, general manager of Juddmonte USA, added, “I believe that this horse has the kind of credentials that can make him a successful stallion which is why Juddmonte is supporting him.”

Mullion, whose stud fee is still to be announced, will be available for inspection at Sequel New York's Stallion Open House Jan. 27 at 167 Maple Lane, Hudson, NY 12534 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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