Oscar Performance, who won the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in 2016, will stand for a fee of $25,000, live foal in 2024. He currently is a top second-crop stallion with five black-type winners and two graded stakes winners so far this year. Aloha West, who captured the 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, will stand his second year next year for a fee of $8,500, live foal.

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The Coolmore partners' runner won his first three starts and had been the 3-1 morning line favourite for Friday's contest. He also finished third to Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) in both the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. and looked primed for a big effort. River Tiber was due to be ridden by Ryan Moore. Moore will instead pilot fellow Coolmore runner Unquestionable (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who was second in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. He had been due to be ridden by Frankie Dettori.

The team of runners from Ballydoyle has also been depleted by Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) being declared a non-runner in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Turf.

River Tiber is not the only high-profile European raider to be scratched on Friday morning. Givemethebeatboys (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}), trained by Jessica Harrington, is out of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint earlier on the card, the result of a vet scratch, confirmed by his part-owner Con Marnane. Following his withdrawal, the Donnacha O'Brien-trained Asean (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) has been bumped up from his reserve slot to take his place in stall 14 under Tyler Gaffalione.

Enhanced veterinary protocols are in place for the Breeders' Cup meeting, with on-site examinations having been taking place on site at Santa Anita from last Friday. Dr Will Farmer, the co-team lead for the Breeders' Cup veterinary team, explained the process for race-morning scratchings to the TDN at Santa Anita on Friday morning.

He said, “We have seven teams of veterinarians that went out and did the stall-side and trot-up exams on all runners today. They were examined this morning.

“Any time that there is a question that arises from these large event days, we have a second team of veterinarians who come in as kind of a referee, as a second pair of eyes. So we have the pair that would look at the horse and if there are any questions or disagreements between the two veterinarians, that second team, which is comprised of CHRB and Breeders' Cup veterinarians on that panel. They would go in and do their exam and confer with the first team of veterinarians that had looked at the horse, and then ultimately come with whatever recommendation or decision that had to be made.”

Dr Farmer added, “The safety of the horse is at the forefront of every decision we make. Whether it's the trainer or the veterinarian scratching the horse, we're all aligned in doing what's in their best interest.

“Scratch decisions are informed by multiple hands-on veterinary inspections in addition to observation of the horse at the jog in the stabling area and on the track while training in the days leading up to the World Championships.”

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The GII Miss Grillo S., a pathway to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, brings together a cast of 12. Only Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott's Gala Brand (Violence) has graded experience. The chestnut filly delivered in her second start when she faced males and won the GIII With Anticipation S. Aug. 31 at Saratoga over next-out GI bet365 Summer S. hero Carson's Run (Cupid).

From the inside gates, Appellate (Constitution) from the Todd Pletcher barn and Hard to Justify (Justify) from Chad Brown's shedrow will tussle once again. The latter won on debut by a head over the former July 23 at Saratoga, but the Pletcher trainee made a start since Sept. 3 upstate and gained some valuable grass experience as a runner-up once again.

Meanwhile, Gainesway homebred Memorialize (Karakontie {Jpn}) for Graham Motion is looking to build on her own maiden victory, this one at second-asking, when the chestnut filly won confidently by three lengths Aug. 20 at Saratoga.

The boys get their chance later on the BAQ card when the GII Pilgrim S. goes off with GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf implications at stake. Leading the way is 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road), who absolutely rolled from seemingly nowhere Sept. 2 at Saratoga to break his maiden by a neck at second asking.

“His last breeze was very good. He's training well and came out of his race in good order,” said the colt's trainer, Todd Pletcher. “He got a very wide trip, which maybe turned out to be a blessing with all that was going on at the eighth pole. Turning for home, I thought he had way too much to do, and he really kicked in late. He's had a little bit of experience, so hopefully that pays dividends.”

A pair of runners who might fly under the radar are Liam's Journey (Liam's Map) for Mike Maker and Fulmineo (Bolt d'Oro) for Arnaud Delacour.

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“We are delighted to welcome Prevagen, one of America's most dynamic brain health support providers, as an official partner of this year's World Championships,” said Heather Higgins, Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for Breeders' Cup Limited. “Prevagen's commitment to the name-in-title partnership of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, and their support of our historic 40th running celebration through the Memorable Moments campaign, are great ways to kick off this new partnership.”

Prevagen will also partner with Breeders' Cup in “Memorable Moments presented by Prevagen,” a televised series of vignettes highlighting Thoroughbred racing history that has been made since the first running of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in 1984.

“Memorable Moments presented by Prevagen” will appear during the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In broadcasts on NBC, FOX, and CNBC and during the Breeders' Cup itself.

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“This is, perhaps, the most powerful stallion family in the world today,” said noted pedigree expert Alan Porter.

The Kentucky-bred is out of the unraced Flirt, a half-sister to Grade I winner Decorated Invader (Declaration of War). This represents the family of Stormy Atlantic (Storm Cat).

Victorious in his second start at two in Saratoga's With Anticipation S., the dark bay added a score in the GII Pilgrim S. and followed up with a win at the world championships. At three, he finished off the board in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S., and subsequently came home third in the GIII Transylvania S. To date, he has earned $675,932 on the track.

Added Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales, “Fire At Will has the credentials to be a successful sire in the United States or abroad. He's a Breeders' Cup winning juvenile from an elite sire line and from one of the top sire-producing female families in the stud book. On top of all that, he is an outstanding individual physically. Stud farms from around the globe should give him a serious look.”

Fire At Will is available for viewing beginning this Saturday, Jan. 7 at Bluewater Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. To learn more, visit the auction page.

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Charlie Appleby and his team, moreover, will be perfectly aware that others must be expected in future. Before the afternoon was out, indeed, their second runner had been thwarted in a desperate finish by their rivals at Ballydoyle. By barely a nose, then, Appleby was denied a fifth win from five consecutive Breeders' Cup starters–and duly found himself stranded on “just” seven winners overall from 13 runners. One day he will have to sit down and ask himself what on earth went wrong with the other six.

In the meantime, his record suggests a nearly surreal immunity to the trademark hazards of this business. Remember that last year he even achieved the memorable paradox of winning with a horse that had been scratched. And whether or not he can maintain the Midas touch on Saturday, or in future years, Appleby will surely never forget a moment that beautifully condensed his Breeders' Cup journey to this point.

That came after the GI Juvenile Turf Sprint when William Buick, having picked off his rivals from last place with nearly mechanical dash, in turn began plucking cremon yellows from the blanket over the withers of Mischief Magic (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) and throwing them into the air as they were led into the winner's circle. The flowers floated down out of the blue like autumn leaves and, strewn in the wake of the horse, were trampled into the dirt track as though their path was literally paved with gold.

And, to a degree, that was the case for all three European winners on a card that nowadays plays very congenially to their strengths. The expansion of the turf program at the Breeders' Cup may have terminally eroded international competition on dirt, to the extent that Arazi–author of the most memorable juvenile performance in the history of this meeting–would nowadays almost certainly have stuck to the grass. Whether that amounts to a net loss or gain is a debate for another day. As it was, with a fairly seamless climate further conspiring in their cause, all three races on “the weeds” were duly harvested by the two great powerhouses of the European Turf.

They had claimed one apiece, Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) picking up the gauntlet from Mischief Magic in the GI Juvenile Fillies Turf, until squaring up for a decider in the GI Juvenile Turf. Aidan O'Brien and his Ballydoyle team doubtless felt that they were overdue a break, if only in terms of their rivalry at this carnival, and it duly came as Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) stole a decisive march on Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) after both had been craving the first split.

O'Brien has ample mitigation in hardly matching Appleby's ratio across a much longer history at this meeting, not least in having sometimes brought horses here as a speculative postscript to a long season in Europe. Appleby, conversely, was fortunate to launch his career even as the turf program was opening up, and quickly learned to target specific types at a vulnerable sector of the American talent pool.

All the same his staggering record here is, of course, but one dimension of the way Appleby has turned round the fortunes of his stable after his predecessor had brought it to a humiliating nadir. No need to dwell on that, now, but it is worth reminding ourselves that his promotion from anonymity, to many, had seemed a rather stubborn reaction to the bitter crisis of 2013. Appleby had learned his vocation almost exclusively within the stable, and the Sheikh's solution represented a striking vote of confidence in the ability of his team to regroup.

Nobody should be deceived that there was any complacency in the camp. After this latest vindication of Appleby's appointment, however, Godolphin managing director Hugh Anderson stressed that it did not really appear a gamble at the time. For one thing, everyone could see that this was an exceptional horseman. Barely less important, however, was the sense that the young man's innate modesty was shored up by attributes tailormade for such onerous responsibility. Anderson speaks of his “unflappable” temperament, of an “eternally cheerful” outlook and, above all, an exemplary touch with his staff.

So it is that he has arrived here having retained the trainers' championship, those laurels this time being shared by Buick. Besides their talent, both are united by an understated sense that the best way to manifest their gratitude for opportunities received is via deeds rather than words.

It was characteristic, as such, that Buick was so reluctant to accept much personal credit for what appeared, on the face of it, a really flamboyant ride on Mischief Magic. Appleby, who has developed such an acute instinct for the type of horse best adapted to the hustle and bustle of the racing environment over here, had been confident that it would really stimulate Mischief Magic. Sure enough, Buick could even be seen taking a pull at the reins as his mount surged through the traffic turning in. By Buick's own account, however, the horse had made all the decisions for him: unable to go the early pace, he began to engage even as the pace told on the leaders, and then switched leads with alacrity to settle the issue. The way the pair sidestepped their way through, nimbly moving in and out, seemed to obey a choreography as inexorable as a country dance.

A footnote of congratulation, by the way, to connections of runner-up Dramatised (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}). They were deflated by Mischief Magic's astonishing late pounce, but with a filly this Grade I placing was a huge “win” all day long—and a fine piece of training.

But the man of the day was O'Brien, adding another increment to the legacy he has long been creating for the breed. With America waiting to anoint a horse with greatness after six career starts, let's remember the collective debt of future breeders to the regime developed between O'Brien and his patrons. Ballydoyle horses have their potential and genetic wares “proved” in a way today wholly unfathomable to most horsemen this side of the water.

Meditate was a natural, winning on debut on Apr. 10. She completed a hat-trick at Royal Ascot, while this was her third Group 1/Grade I start of the autumn. Victoria Road, conversely, has been one of those O'Brien projects where you see a horse learn with each rite of racetrack passage: though up and running in May, he took five attempts to break his maiden before the bulb really switched on.

For all his mastery, O'Brien has always shown a nearly pathological dread of vanity. They may serve very different masters, who set their different agendas in camps far apart, but the two trainers who dominated proceedings here on the turf are united by a scrupulous and authentic emphasis on teamwork.

True, one might doubt whether both would share too earnestly the curious tradition, unique in the racing year, that they have travelled here in common cause, as members of “Team Europe”. Be that is it may, however, this was a day when all Europeans could agree that the grass really is greener on the other side.

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Leading the Coolmore partners septet after their quarantine period was Group 1 winner Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and G3 Derby Trial S. hero Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who both line up in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf and will leave from stalls four and three, respectively. Second in the 2021 Turf to Godolphin and Charlie Appleby's Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) at Del Mar, Broome took the G2 Hardwicke S. from six starts this term and enters the Breeders' Cup having run eighth in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe last out at the beginning of October.

“Looking at the team, we have two horses in the Turf,” O'Brien said. “Broome ran very well in the race last year. Conditions have not always been in his favour, but I think he will enjoy the ground if it's quick.

“His one flaw is he misses the break. He's a late loader, but he can get on the back foot. We are trying to do things to help him break better. He broke badly at Del Mar under Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] and he rides him again. That day he gave him a chance and said he couldn't believe he got beat.

“Stone Age ran well [when fifth] in the heavy [G1 Champion S.] and is comfortable over a mile and a half, but I think there'll be no more rain this week and the going will be different for him.”

Already a Breeders' Cup winner after taking the GI Mile in 2020, Order Of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) aims to take his second Mile. The 5-year-old entire ran second in the G1 Prix du Moulin to Dreamloper (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) in September and he was third to the re-opposing Annapolis (War Front) and Ivar (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}) in the GI Coolmore Turf Mile S. over this course and distance on Oct. 8. He exits stall 10 in the 16-horse field.

“We have Order Of Australia in the Mile, going for a repeat of two years ago,” O'Brien said. “I was very happy with his run at Keeneland and he was drawn out a bit. I've taken my time with him all year and have just gently turned the screw on him and his last work was very pleasing. We bred him and still own a leg in him.”

O'Brien also has a pair of fillies entered in the GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in listed winner and G1 Irish Oaks runner-up Toy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and G1 Cazoo Oaks victress Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Ryan Moore will be aboard Tuesday and will leave from barrier five, while Wayne Lordan has the call on Toy. The latter pair have drawn gate seven.

O'Brien said, “Tuesday is very well, she has a nice draw. It was bad ground when she ran in France [G1 Prix de l'Opera], but her work has been very good.

“Toy has made very good progress since her last race, she has a good draw and the trip and ground should be fine for her.”

Consistent filly Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never), who is four-for-six, flies the flag for O'Brien in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Besides winning her first four starts in succession, including group victories in the G3 Coolmore Stud Fillies Sprint S., G3 Albany S., and the G2 Debutante S., the dark bay rolled a pair of twos in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and the G1 Cheveley Park S. both in September.

“Meditate is one I really like stepping up in trip and I think that, coupled with going round a bend, will help her,” he said. “She's a No Nay Never out of a mare by Dalakhani (Ire) and we are still learning about these No Nay Nevers who are fast, precocious horses. Meditate has plenty of stamina on the dam's side, we are still working out about what we do with her next year.

“She's never lost a kilo since her last run, we've given her the chance to back out in her work but there are no negative signs. She's also got a good mind and is a hardy filly whose constitution will also help her with the distance.”

The master of Rosegreen also saddles G3 Prix de Conde hero Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. He's drawn in stall one and will be ridden by Ryan Moore.

“Our 2-year-old colt [Victoria Road] came from a good bit back at Chantilly and we think he could develop into a [G1] French Derby horse,” O'Brien said. “The main thing is that we don't want him to get lost early in his race on Friday, but I feel it's only when he goes further that we will see him in a better light.”

O'Brien also reflected on the strong European Breeders' Cup participation, and added, “It's always good to see Charlie Appleby with his team at the Breeders' Cup. He's a very good trainer, he's doing a great job and has an adept team of horses and people to bring with him.

“We love coming to Keeneland because its weather can be similar to ours and everyone here is horsey minded, like we are in Ireland. You have to be tactically quick around here, but you need to be able to finish off your race as well.

“We will be looking at the ground, but in my opinion I prefer it quick because Flat horses should be all about speed.”

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Away well, Major Dude was reined by hot-handed Irad Ortiz, Jr. into the first turn to sit in a joint third behind a pace that seemed hot enough visually over the soft going (:24.10, :49.73, 1:15.84). He mounted an outside move to take over at the head of the lane, but was immediately tackled by odds-on Chad Brown pupil I'm Very Busy. That one seemed to have all the momentum, but Major Dude had the heart and edged away in the shadow of the wire to prevail by daylight. New York-bred longshot Lachaise was rolling late, but ran out of ground and settled for third.

“First of all, at the half-mile, I think I can go by those horses whenever I want to,” said Ortiz. “I feel like my horse switched off on the backside and saved a lot of energy for the end and I took some time.

“It was a longshot, the other horse [Movisitor], so coming back, I took my time and when I asked him to go by [Trevor] McCarthy's horse, I didn't go by that easy, so I had to start working a little earlier than I thought. But finally going to the quarter-pole, he made the lead, I asked him and he responded really well and moved forward. Then the other horse was beside me and when he felt that, he fought back.”

Ortiz won two graded stakes Saturday, including the GI Woodward S. aboard Pletcher-trained Life Is Good (Into Mischief); and he was completing a graded double for himself and Pletcher in the Pilgrim after booting home Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke) in the GI Frizette S.

“He's a colt that we've really liked from the very beginning,” Pletcher said of Major Dude. “He was one of the first to come in [this year]. He was training well on the dirt and we gave him a couple opportunities and we just kind of got the feeling that we weren't getting everything that we thought we had. So, I saw a couple of Bolt d'Oros were running well on the turf and said, 'Let's work him on the turf.' Then it was like, 'OK, that's what we were hoping to see.' I'm not surprised he stepped up today. He's always been a very professional, straightforward colt. I'm happy he found what he was looking for.”

Pletcher confirmed that the Nov. 4 Juvenile Turf would be next.

Sunday, Belmont at the Big A
PILGRIM S.-GII, $200,000, Belmont at the Big A, 10-2, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:46.60, yl.
1–MAJOR DUDE, 120, c, 2, by Bolt d'Oro
                1st Dam: Mary Rita (SP), by Distorted Humor
                2nd Dam: Possibility, by A.P. Indy
                3rd Dam: Personal Ensign, by Private Account
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($550,000
Ylg '21 FTSAUG). O-Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Clearsky Farms
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $110,000. Lifetime
Record: 4-2-0-1, $165,250. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–I'm Very Busy, 120, c, 2, Cloud Computing–Two Kisses, by
Kissin Kris. 'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED
BLACK TYPE. ($50,000 Ylg '21 EASOCT; $135,000 2yo '22
OBSMAR). O-Team Hanley, Richard Schermerhorn & Paul
Braverman; B-Glenn E. Brok LLC (PA); T-Chad C. Brown.
$40,000.
3–Lachaise, 120, r, 2, Oscar Performance–Elusive Rumour, by
Elusive Quality. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($180,000 RNA Ylg '21 SARAUG). O/B-Lawrence Goichman
(NY); T-Jorge R. Abreu. $24,000.
Margins: 1, 1HF, 2 3/4. Odds: 10.20, 0.75, 14.00.
Also Ran: Noble Huntsman, Ramblin' Wreck, Dataman, Battle of Normandy, Movisitor, Bramble Blaze, Fly Right, Torigo. Scratched: Vacation Dance.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.

Pedigree Notes:

Major Dude becomes the fourth stakes winner for his highly regarded freshman sire, and the second to make the grade following in the hoofsteps of Boppy O, who exited a 10th-place run in the Sanford to upend Saratoga's GIII With Anticipation S. Aug. 31 in this same division. Both Bolt d'Oro and the runner-up's sire Cloud Computing stand at Spendthrift Farm.

This is the 54th graded winner worldwide out of a mare by top broodmare sire Distorted Humor, who also sired the dam of aforementioned Life Is Good. Standouts bred on the Medaglia d'Oro–Distorted Humor cross include Hong Kong Horse of the the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) and domestic MGISWs Elate and New Money Honey.

Major Dude's third dam is the great Personal Ensign. His dam, fourth behind Untapable (Tapit) in the 2014 GII Fair Grounds Oaks, was acquired by the Cleary family's Clearsky Farms for $230,000 at KEENOV '16. Her subsequent two foals, by Into Mischief, fetched $850,000 and $1,025,000, respectively. The  BSW/Crow Colts Group, Spendthrift Farm and Gandharvi bought Mary Rita's yearling colt by Audible for $150,000 recently at Keeneland September. The dam was unsuccessfully bred to Authentic after that, and visited Charlatan this past season.

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Classical Cat (Mendelssohn–Conquest Strate Up, by Not Bourbon) streaked home on debut a gutsy 2 1/2-length winner for Michael House and conditioner Philip D'Amato, in a race under keen observation admittedly more for who finished behind him–this year's $3.55 million Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in Training topper, Hejazi (Bernardini).

Himself a modest $65,000 purchase at Keeneland September last year by a friend of House, the Mendelssohn colt needed some early correction after the break, but once he was given a target and his cue to strike the lead, Classical Cat would not be stopped. For House, it was quite the thrill to see his horse put his best foot forward right at first asking.

“It sure was fun…we were telling [Classical Cat] all week that he cost $5 million so he wouldn't feel bad,” House joked, on his way to the barn when the call went through Monday. “[Philip D'Amato] was very positive and confident in him. He'd been doing everything right. He wasn't too worried about the other competition, probably not as much as we were.”

Classical Cat wasn't the only runner House had that day, either. Across the country at Saratoga, his co-owned filly Nest (Curlin) put on a masterclass in the GI Alabama S. and all but began the process of etching her name onto the plaque for the divisional title. House admitted that, while they'd wanted to go, the lure of seeing their horses at Del Mar–where they were conveniently close for himself and his wife–proved too strong, and they'd stayed home to see their local runners on the card.

“We'd flown out before to see her run, but we had so many entries that day. So, we saw her on tv before our horses ran here.”

On the end of the call, and clearly ready to head out with his bag of carrots, House quickly included that, while his colt wasn't displaying his sire's liking of loudly announcing his presence at every opportunity, there was a strong trait he liked.

“He's the sweetest guy in the barn. He's got the sweetest disposition. We've been babying him,” House said. “[Classical Cat] is a big, good looking colt…Mendelssohn was a great racehorse himself and now he's starting to show it as a sire.”

Said sire (by Scat Daddy) bucked the trend of multi-million dollar auction horses never quite reaching their full potential. The $3 million KEESEP topper in 2016–the same sale which yielded Triple Crown hero Justify (Scat Daddy) and MGISW Good Magic (Curlin), to name a couple–earned over $2.5 million in his career, crowned by victories in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and G2 U. A. E. Derby. The latter was an 18 1/2-length romp as his final prep for the GI Kentucky Derby, where he was eased to last after being banged around. He went on to hit the board in the GII Dwyer, GI Runhappy Travers, and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes before calling it a career after placing fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic and fourth in the GI Cigar Mile.

Retired to stud for 2019, Mendelssohn came armed with one of the best female families in the Stud Book as a son of the venerable Leslie's Lady (Tricky Creek), making him a half-sibling to Hall of Famer Beholder (Henny Hughes) and now three-time reigning champion general sire, Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday).

Well-received in the ring, his offspring got off to a quiet initial start with several hitting the board over every surface–from the all-weather at Woodbine to French turf courses and the Saratoga main track–but none were getting their picture taken. Then, once the parade of debut winners began, the performances got better and flashier with a 'TDN Rising Star' among them.

Pink Hue | Sarah Andrew

Pink Hue showed grit and heart in her unveiling over a route of ground on the grass, becoming Mendelssohn's seventh individual winner at that point, but his first and for now only, to receive the nod from the TDN. A $310,000 KEESEP grad, purchased by Mike Ryan as agent for e Five Racing, the filly has an Into Mischief-sired, winning older sibling named Man of Promise, who annexed the G3 Emirates Skycargo Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint as well as placing third in the G1 Azizi Developments Al Quoz Sprint. Her dam, a Speightstown mare named Involved, is a half-sister to GIII Bay Shore victor Skip to the Stone (Skip Trial) and the stakes-placed stakes producer My Heavenly Sign (Forest Camp).

As of this running, Mendelssohn tallies nine individual winners and will have two chances Aug. 26 at Saratoga to become the sire of black-type horses. The powerful partnership of WinStar and Siena Farm will send New York-bred Miracle to post in the state-restricted Seeking the Ante S. from the barn of Rudolphe Brisset. The $360,000 OBSMAR speedster was a six-length debut winner July 27 at the venue. Prior to the training sale, she'd passed through the ring as a yearling at SARAUG 2021 for $250,000 to Bay Hill Stables, and as a weanling at FTKNOV 2020 for $110,000 to American Equistock.

The second opportunity will come later in the card when owner/trainer Uriah St. Lewis sends out his New York-bred Belt Parkway in the Funny Cide S. A $160,000 SARAUG purchase by Christophe Clement, acting as agent, the colt resurfaced in the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 'Timonium' sale in May and went to Trin Brook Stables for only $30,000. Belt Parkway comes in off a nose unveiling victory in a dirt dash at Parx.

With many juveniles filling maiden special entries in the coming days in addition to the stakes action, the slow start looks to be in Mendelssohn's rear view mirror. If his siblings are used as an auspicious indicator of things to come, further successes will arrive in due time and on their own time.

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“Various witnesses indicated that they made calls over the radio that were not heard or received by the intended recipients,” stated a California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) summary report issued Thursday that cited findings from supervising investigator Michael Barker. “At some points witnesses resorted to cell phone communication to ensure their messages were relayed.”

The stylish win by Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Juvenile Turf was overshadowed by the 12-minute fiasco at the starting gate that preceded the running of the race. Modern Games had to compete for purse money only because of a series of miscommunications that involved the Del Mar stewards, the veterinary team at the gate, and the track's mutuels and tote departments.

It was a disconcerting optic to witness on-track patrons letting loose a chorus of boos as Modern Games crossed the finish wire first. But it was apparent that no one at Del Mar that day was deriding the horse, but rather the bewildering series of blunders that led to the colt being removed from the wagering pools, reinstated in the betting, and then finally being deemed good to start while running as a non-betting entity.

The error was costly in terms of lost betting handle, customer ill will, needless confusion, and the erosion of confidence in the officials responsible for overseeing and regulating the Breeders' Cup races at Del Mar.

Yet the CHRB report did not directly address any of those broader issues in its three-page summary of the report.

Here's how the CHRB described what transpired in the Mar. 3 report summary (the timeline does not differ substantially from how the CHRB explained it back on Nov. 6, 2021):

“Albahr (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was in the number two stall. Albahr reared up over the starting gate, then fell back on to his side, with his legs caught under the number three stall. During this time, the horse in the number one stall, Modern Games, went through the front gate after the gate was opened by starting gate personnel and was uninjured. The veterinarians on scene initially believed that Modern Games had forced his way through the starting gate, and they made the decision to scratch him.

“When informed by gate personnel that Modern Games did not force the gate doors open, the veterinarians inspected him and advised the stewards that Modern Games was fit to run.

“Concurrently, the stewards were advised of the scratch of both Albahr and Modern Games by the veterinarians. The stewards called the scratch into the tote room and both Modern Games and Albahr were removed from wagering. The stewards were then informed that Modern Games was not injured and was fit to race. The stewards called the tote room to inform them what was occurring and requested that the tote room hold off on the scratch of Modern Games, who has already been removed from the wagering pools.

“Modern Games was then placed back into the pari-mutuel pool. Subsequently, the stewards determined that pursuant to CHRB Rule 1974, Modern Games would be required to run for purse money only. The tote room was then informed of the decision and Modern Games was again removed from the pari-mutuel pool.”

The investigation noted that “the regulatory veterinarians' hurried recommendation to scratch Modern Games could potentially have been avoided if a protocol requiring one person on the veterinary staff and one person in the pari-mutuel department be in charge of scratches had been in place.”

The CHRB report stated that the board “considered the merit of applying CHRB Rule 1697 to the recommended scratch by the regulatory veterinarians.”

That rule reads in its entirety, “After entering the racecourse track for the post, a horse shall only be declared by the stewards when they consider such horse unfit to run in the race. No horse determined to be a starter shall be excused or declared from the race. Any horse which breaks through the gate or runs off without effective control shall be examined by the racing veterinarian and determined to befit to compete before being permitted to start.

But, the report noted, the CHRB didn't apply that rule because: “1) The difficulty of proving a violation given that a condition precedent to a violation of this rule is that a horse actually broke through the gate; and (2) more importantly, animal welfare is of paramount importance in the CHRB's application of rules and creation of protocols.”

So instead of penalties or sanctions, the CHRB report came up with the following recommendations:

1) There is one designated Racing Veterinarian and he or she is the only person who can recommend a scratch to the Stewards and the only person who can communicate a scratch to the Stewards.

2) The tote company and the pari-mutuel department must each designate one person who can effectuate a scratch or purse money only designation by the Stewards. Both must agree before either action can take place.

3) A horse cannot be placed back into the mutuel pools after it has been scratched without approval of all three Stewards.

4) A Pari-mutuel Committee meeting should be held to consider changes to pari-mutuel regulations. Issues that may be considered include but are not limited to: (a) advisability of a purse-money-only designation and (b) requiring ADW companies to follow the example of brick-and-mortar wagering facilities in California by providing bettors with the opportunity to name alternate selections for scratched horses in Pick “n” wagers involving four or more races.

5) Associations, particularly on days when there are large crowds and competing bandwidth, must provide an adequate communication system for racing officials.”

The report stated that, “While the CHRB does not typically release an investigation report, especially when it does not result in a complaint, given the widespread public interest, a summary of the investigation is provided.”

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