GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf | Horse Racing Free Tips

Classical Cat Another Good Omen for Mendelssohn

It's not a too common occurrence for sales-topping purchases to make it on the track despite the world of promise their pedigree, physical, and connections might imply. Further out still is the extraordinary feat of reproducing themselves or–at the very least–producing several runners of equitable talent between them, though stallions have the task on significantly easier asking than do the fillies and mares. Mendelssohn is patiently inching closer to changing that outlook and his Del Mar winner from last Saturday proves the stallion can get a promising runner at any budget; one of the most potent qualities a sire could have, especially early in their career.

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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No Penalties in Breeders’ Cup Scratch Fiasco

A four-month investigation into the dysfunction at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club that led to the winner of last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf having to race for purse money only will not result in any complaints being filed against anyone in the chain of command now that “inconsistent radio communication” has been identified as a key contributing factor.

“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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Modern Games Wins Wild Juvenile Turf for Purse Money Only

For Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby, not to mention the betting public, the lead up to Friday evening's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf could not have been more of a roller coaster. Godolphin's two charges, rail-drawn Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and GI Summer S. winner Albahr (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) to his immediate outside, stepped into the gate the top two wagering choices. But the latter, who had already been acting up before loading, reared in the gate and was briefly cast, perhaps bothering Dakota Gold (Freud) to his outside in the process. Modern Games was let out of the front of his stall, but didn't get far. Albahr was an automatic scratch at that point (he reportedly suffered only minor cuts), but as the rest of the field circled behind the gate waiting for the cue to re-rack, Modern Games–as low as 8-5 in the betting–was also scratched on the tote. That action turned out to be premature, and Modern Games was allowed to run for purse money only after being examined. You can probably guess what happened next…

Modern Games, the handsome chestnut last seen taking the G3 Tattersalls Somerville S. at Newmarket Sept. 23, did not break particularly alertly, but crept closer down on the fence approaching the first bend to sit just north of midpack behind an honest pace. William Buick pushed Modern Games along for more and swung him out after a :46.89 half and into a six-furlong split of 1:11.24. Grafton Street (War Front) took over and briefly opened up, but Buick unleashed Modern Games at the top of the lane and he blew right over the top of his competition, reporting home 1 1/2 lengths to the good and galloping out to a chorus of boos. Tiz the Bomb (Hit It a Bomb) was the “winner” as far as wagers were concerned, with local hope Mackinnon (American Pharoah) crossing the line third and Grafton Street fading to fourth.

“A testament to the horse and William,” said Appleby, now a three-time winner of this race for Godolphin, and possibly a would-be fourth if not for a disaster trip for eventual G1 Derby winner Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) the last time the Breeders' Cup was contested at Del Mar in 2017. “On a big stage like that and things, a quite dramatic incident happening there in the gate. But for him to compose himself and get himself back in there, back in the mindset, and for William to also, like I say, taking on board at one minute you're not sure whether you are or are not in the race that day… But the horse came into the race with a lovely profile. He was a progressive 2-year-old, and he's really pleased us since he's been here. And so we were confident coming into the race that we were going to be a big player anyway.”

Appleby confirmed that Albahr, who was set to be ridden by Frankie Dettori, escaped the incident relatively unscathed, as did his rider.

“He went straight back, I saw him go out there under the pony rider,” Appleby said. “He jogged back to the barn and the team are looking after him. He's got some minor cuts, but no more than that. My vet's there now and just giving him a thorough examination. But, yeah, it looked uglier than, hopefully–we were expecting the worst and luckily horse and rider walk away from it.”

Buick also piloted the team's last Juvenile Turf winner, Line of Duty (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), in 2018.

“He does everything in his stride and not at any stage was I worried that he was not focused,” said Buick of Modern Games. “He remained calm. He remained focused. He didn't change complexion at all. And that makes it much easier.

“In regards to the race, we jumped a tad slow from the gate, but having the one hole you can get a bit more space on the inside and a bit more time. So we managed to get into a nice position. The pace was even, and look, the race–to be honest–was very straightforward. This place, the turf track at Del Mar, a lot of luck is involved in the way the race unfolds, but with a horse like him, you're able to put the luck in your own hands a little bit.”

Appleby and Godolphin have now won six Grade I events in North America this year, plus a Jockey Club Derby with Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), one of the connections' two hopes in Saturday's GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf to go with another pair of contenders for the GI Fanduel Breeders' Cup Mile. Appleby also has at least two more highly regarded juvenile colts for Sheikh Mohammed's operation back at home in four-for-four MG1SW Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and G3 Emirates Autumn S. hero Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).

“I think one of the things Sheikh Mohammed enjoys the most is international competition and certainly with the Dubai World Cup he always loves to see so many participants from so many different places come to run. And the same here with the Breeders' Cup, a world championship whereby this is so exciting to bring European horses over here,” said Godolphin's Jimmy Bell. “It just adds such an element to it. And to be a homebred, to be a part of this thing, I know how proud he is of Charlie and how well he brought these horses over here and knows who to bring and so adept at doing that.”

A second-out winner at Newbury in July, Modern Games was a close second at Leicester Aug. 8 before annexing a Doncaster handicap by daylight Sept. 8. He showed good speed and a strong late kick when dominating the Somerville last out.

Meanwhile, as disgruntled horseplayers took to social media to air their grievances, track officials attempted to sort through the chain of events.

The following explanation was released by the California Horse Racing Board: “Concerning the 10th race at Del Mar today, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf: Prior to the start of the race, #1 Modern Games (IRE) reared up and hit the back of the gate; #2 Albahr (GB) flipped over and became lodged underneath the starting gate. The scratch of #2 Albahr was relayed to the stewards and that horse was taken out of the wagering pools. Albahr appears uninjured. The veterinary staff then relayed a second scratch of #1 Modern Games (IRE) to the stewards based on initial observation. Upon confirmation that #1 also was to be scratched, the stewards removed the horse from the wagering pools. After further discussion among the regulatory veterinarians at the gate and after further observation of #1 Modern Games, that horse was declared fit and racing sound, and this fact was relayed to the stewards, who pursuant to CHRB rule 1974 allowed the horse to run for purse money only. The CHRB and the Breeders' Cup are reviewing the current veterinary and scratching procedures to ensure that this does not occur going forward.”

Rule 1974 stipulates that “If a horse is removed from the wagering pool due to a totalizator error, or due to any other error, and neither the trainer nor the owner is at fault, the horse shall start in the race as a non-wagering interest for the purse only and shall be disregarded for pari-mutuel purposes.”

The Breeders' Cup later followed up with a release noting that the event was being held under the authority of the CHRB.

“We thank the CHRB for their thorough review of this situation, and we regret the impact this has had on the betting public,” said the statement. “The health and safety of our equine and human athletes is our top priority and we are thankful for the safety of all involved.”

Friday, Del Mar
BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE TURF-GI, $920,000, Del Mar, 11-5, 2yo, c/g, 1mT, 1:34.72, fm.
1–MODERN GAMES (IRE), 122, c, 2, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Modern Ideals (GB), by New Approach (Ire)
2nd Dam: Epitome (Ire), by Nashwan
3rd Dam: Proskona, by Mr. Prospector
1ST GRADE I WIN. O-Godolphin LLC; B-Godolphin (IRE);
T-Charles Appleby; J-William T Buick. $520,000. Lifetime
Record: 6-4-1-0, $595,348. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Tiz the Bomb, 122, c, 2, Hit It a Bomb–Tiz the Key, by Tiznow.
($330,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-Phoenix Thoroughbred Ltd;
B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Kenneth G McPeek. $170,000.
3–Mackinnon, 122, c, 2, American Pharoah–Scat Means Go, by
Scat Daddy. ($200,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT; $285,000 2yo '21
FTFMAR). O-ERJ Racing LLC, Madaket Stables LLC & Dave
Kenney; B-International Equities Holding Inc. (KY); T-Doug F
O'Neill. $90,000.
Margins: 1HF, NK, HD. Odds: 0.00, 7.80, 6.30.
Also Ran: Grafton Street, Dakota Gold, Slipstream, Stolen Base, Portfolio Company, Coinage, Dubawi Legend (Ire), Great Max (Ire), Glounthaune (Ire), Credibility. Scratched: Albahr (GB), Detroit City, Ready to Purrform. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

Modern Games's Breeders' Cup victory gives his prolific sire Dubawi his 47th Group 1 victory. The fourth of six foals out of Modern Ideals (Ire), the Godolphin homebred is one of three winners and the leading performer produced by the half-sister to G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere-winning Ultra (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}), G3 Prix Minerve scorer Synopsis (Ire) (In the Wings {GB}) and dual stakes-placed Epic Similie (GB) (Lomitas {GB}), herself the dam of MGSP Figure of Speech (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). The winner is a great grandson of MGSW Proskona (Mr. Prospector), a half-sister to MG1SP sire Keos (Riverman) and G3 Prix Chloe-winning blue hen Korveya (Riverman). The family also includes MG1SW sire Act One (GB) (In the Wings {GB}), G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains third Gharir (Ire) (Machiavellian), G1 Fillies' Mile runner-up Summer Symphony (Ire) (Caerleon) and GI Belmont Oaks Invitational third Summer Solo (Arch). This is also the family of Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Modern Games's 11-year-old mare is responsible for a yearling filly by Exceed and Excel (Aus) and a filly foal by Mastercraftsman (Ire).

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Dubawi Legend Targets Breeders’ Cup

G1 Dewhurst runner-up Dubawi Legend (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is being pointed to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar in November. The Dr. Ali Ridha-owned bay has not been off the board in three runs. He won a novice at Doncaster on July 22, and was found to be below his best after a third in the G3 Acomb S. on Aug. 18.

“He's come out of the race great,” said trainer Hugo Palmer. “He ran an absolute blinder. He showed the world what we have always thought of him, that he is a 2-year-old out of the very top drawer. We've been excited about him for a long time and it was great he came and did that. He's a very exciting horse going forward.

“At the moment we are planning as if we are going to Del Mar for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. He's going to need to be in top order for us to do that but he's come out of the race phenomenally well. He actually put on two kilogrammes for the run. He's a lightly-raced horse and he's had plenty of breaks through the season. The 2000 Guineas is a proper hustle and bustle race. I think the trip to Del Mar will really make him grow up.”

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