Gulfstream Park cancelled live racing Thursday and Friday due to a series of storms that trained over the area Wednesday–resulting in record rainfall throughout the area along with flooded roads. More rain is expected in the area on the cancelled days. Racing is scheduled to resume Saturday with a first post of 12:40 pm.
In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Behind Enemy Lines (GB) (Sioux Nation) in the Cutler Bay S. at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.
Rockingham Ranch, Talla Racing, LLC and David Bernsen's Behind Enemy Lines (GB) (Sioux Nation) ran like a 1-9 favourite should to give his Coolmore sire his fifth stakes winner and first Stateside in the Cutler Bay S. at Gulfstream on Saturday (video).
Trained by Jack Sisterson, the son of the once-raced Autumn Snow (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) was bred by The Brigadier Partnership. An 88,000gns weanling when picked up by Alex Elliott from Barton Stud at the Tattersalls November Foal Sale, the bay made 90,000gns from J B Bloodstock when re-offered by The Castlebridge Consignment as a Tattersalls October Book 2 yearling. Sent through the ring yet again, this time he did not meet his reserve as a €173,228 Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale buyback (breeze video). As noted by colleague Alan Carasso, Behind Enemy Lines is the second stakes winner to emerge from the inaugural Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale.
Unplaced for Justin Casse and Joseph O'Brien at the Curragh in August, he put it all together over the Dundalk synthetic to win by 4 3/4 lengths in January. Purchased privately by these connections, the Cutler Bay was his American bow.
The second foal, first runner and first winner out of his dam, Behind Enemy Lines is followed by the colt Looking Bere (Fr) (Le Brivido {Fr}), who is catalogued as lot 247 in the upcoming Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale by Dolmen Bloodstock, and a yearling half-brother by Whitecliffsofdover. Second dam Epic Similie (GB) (Lomitas {GB}) was placed in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, while her Manduro (Ger) half-brother Ultra (Ire) won that race in 2015 before standing under the Darley banner in France. Eclipse champion Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is also under the third dam.
Although his eldest foals are just 3-year-olds, Sioux Nation has sired 58 winners from 106 runners worldwide (55%). Stateside, he has three runners and Behind Enemy Lines is his first winner (33%) among that trio.
How Sweet The Sound
Amazing Grace (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}) is no stranger to black-type victories, and, bearing the Moyglare Stud silks, secured a half-length victory in the GIII Orchid S. in Florida on Saturday (video) for trainer Christophe Clement.
Profiled in Emma Berry's Seven Days column earlier this week, the German-bred is starting to pay back her €850,000 Arqana December purchase price. Bred by Dr. Christoph Berglar, she won the G2 Diana Trial in 2021 and the G2 T. von Zastrow Stutenpreis last term. Also Group 1-placed in the G1 Preis von Europa, Amazing Grace is the second foal out of German stakes winner Amabelle (Ger) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). Her dam foaled her winning full-sister, Ad Astra (Ger), the year after producing the Orchid winner, while her 3-year-old full-brother, Astaire (Ire), has yet to race. Amabelle's juvenile has already been named Alvorada (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}), and she has a yearling filly by the 2014 G1 Melbourne Cup hero.
From limited crops, Protectionist has sired 33 winners from 64 runners worldwide (51%). His other stakes winner besides Amazing Grace is G3 Bavarian Classic hero Lambo (Ger). In America, he's been represented by two runners total, and Saturday's winner is his only scorer.
An Island Of Breathing Space
The third and final stakes-winning European to prevail at Gulfstream on Saturday was Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Steven Rocco, and Tango Uniform Racing's Breath Away (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), who scooped the Sanibel Island S. by 2 1/2 lengths (video).
Part of the Highgate Stud breeding programme, she caught the eye of Canirola Bloodstock as a 92,000gns foal at Tattersalls November, and blossomed into a 230,000gns yearling at that venue's October Yearling Sale Book 1 when offered by Taroka Stud. Stephen Hillen was the buyer that day. A winner of her Gulfstream debut back in January, she missed by only a nose in an allowance optional claimer a month later for trainer Christophe Clement.
A full-sister to GIII Wilshire S. heroine Simply Breathless (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), Breath Away is a daughter of Darling Grace (GB) (Nayef), who scored her lone victory as a 3-year-old. Her latest foals are fillies by Advertise (GB) and Bated Breath, foaled in 2021 and 2022, respectively. G1 Falmouth S. heroine Giofra (GB) (Dansili {GB}) is under the third dam.
From just 29 runners in the U.S., Juddmonte's Bated Breath has 17 checks in the winners' column (58%). He's firing in stakes winners at a rate of 38% (11 from 29 runners), with his leading light the 2016 filly Viadera (GB), heroine of the GI Matriarch S. at Del Mar. She is supported by GII Edgewood S. heroine Gift List (GB), the aforementioned Grade III winner Simply Breathless, and Tezzaray (GB), successful in the GIII Jimmy Durante S. and fourth in the GI Del Mar Oaks.
Emperor Of The Mill
Team Valor International's Tuddenham Mill (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) eked out a head victory in a maiden special weight at Tampa Bay Downs on Sunday. Third in a pair of starts for Hankers and Maccas and trainer Kevin Philippart de Foy, Tuddenham Mill switched to the ownership of Team Valor for start three and was eventually transferred Stateside. The 3-year-old was bred by the Imperial Crown Syndicate.
A £29,000 Tattersalls Ireland September yearling, Tuddenham Mill was picked up by Troy Steve Bloodstock from The Castlebridge Consignment. His dam, who won as a juvenile and is a full-sister to GI Suburban H. hero and sire Frost Giant (Giant's Causeway), has a 2-year-old filly by Magna Grecia (Ire) still to come.
Coolmore Stud stallion Holy Roman Emperor sports 25 winners from 49 runners in America (51%). Besides his 11 stakes horses in that jurisdiction, six of his progeny have won stakes (12%), led by top-drawer winners Glorious Empire (Ire), Rockemperor (Ire), and Rich Tapestry (Ire).
Live Thoroughbred racing at Gulfstream Park will resume Thursday, Apr. 6 on the first day of the Royal Palm Meet.
The Royal Palm Meet will get underway with live racing conducted Thursday through Sunday with a first-race post time set for 12:40 p.m. The Royal Palm Meet's stakes schedule includes 42 stakes worth $3.945 million through Dec. 2.
The $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile and the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, contested May 13, will provide the winner of each of the five-furlong turf stakes an automatic berth into one of six stakes for 2-year-olds at Royal Ascot in June, as well as a $25,000 equine travel stipend, in addition to the winner's share of the purse.
The $200,000 GII Princess Rooney, which has been customarily featured on the Summit of Speed program in early July, has been repositioned on the schedule for the upcoming meet. The seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares, a traditional 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, will be renewed on Sept. 30.
The schedule for the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds sired by nominated stallions standing in Florida has also been adjusted to allow more spacing between races. The FSS series will kick off Sept. 9 with the $100,000 Desert Vixen for fillies and $100,000 Dr. Fager at six furlongs. The $200,000 Susan's Girl for fillies and the $200,000 Affirmed at seven furlongs will be contested Oct. 21, while the $300,000 My Dear Girl for fillies and $300,000 In Reality at 1 1/16 miles will be run Dec. 2. The $100,000 GIII Smile Sprint will be run July 1, supported by the $75,000 Bob Umphrey Sprint, a five-furlong turf sprint.
Gulfstream patrons will be able to watch and wager on the full cards of the upcoming Triple Crown events. Daily simulcasting of the Saratoga season will also be offered, in addition to racing signals throughout the country.
Minor ailments held her back from a juvenile campaign, but Shootoutthelights (City of Light) showed she was worth the wait as she lit up the clock with an electrifying cruising speed, and dominated her rivals to become her sire's first 'TDN Rising Star' as a brilliant cap to Gulfstream's Championship meet.
The race was almost over from the jump as the filly rocketed out of the stalls as the 6-5 favorite and out-kicked Queen Karima for the lead. With an opening split posting at a wicked :20.89 and a half in :43.79, Irad Ortiz Jr. said 'go' in the stretch and the pair disappeared from the field, hitting the wire 3 1/2 lengths in front as :55.77 went up for the final time. Queen Karima was a clear second best on the day.
With Shootoutthelights riding two bullet works into this contest–and certainly no secret to the betting public, either–conditioner Wesley Ward had glowing praise for his newest 'Rising Star' and everyone around her:
“Gene Recio did a great job with this filly in Ocala,” he replied after the race. “I am very thankful for Breeze Easy's Mike Hall for letting me train [Shootoutthelights]. She was my pick of all the yearlings they had two years ago.”
He also added: “Minor issues held her back [from a juvenile season] but the owners are very patient.”
What an impressive debut by #3 SHOOTOUTTHELIGHTS ($4.60), who goes wire to wire in race 11 at Gulfstream Park. The 3 year-old daughter of City Of Light was ridden by @iradortiz and is trained by Wesley Ward. That is the last race of the Gulfstream Park Championship Meet. pic.twitter.com/MUAa4f8XP9
Out of Very One S.-placed Donna Getyourgun, the victress was a $525,000 yearling at 2021 KEESEP and is only the third foal in her dam's first six seasons as a broodmare. Her half-sister Mizzen Beau (Mizzen Mast), SW, $205,559 was the flag bearer to the races, a $100,000 OBSAPR grad in her day, and picked up her black-type at Woodbine before retiring to motherhood herself, delivering a colt by Hard Spun this year. Their dam delivered unplaced Shake It Out West (Speightster) in 2018 and was barren a season before having Shootoutthelights in 2020. Donna Getyourgun is also responsible for two other fillies: a 2-year-old by Catholic Boy who changed hands for $19,000 last year at KEESEP to Winner Circle Racing Stable and a yearling by McKinzie. She is due to Silver State for 2023.
Second dam Cryptoqueen claims quite a busy line beneath her with nine winners, including MGSW Clearly A Queen (Lucky North), who claims two stakes runners and is the granddam of MGSW Engage (Into Mischief) and MGSP Commute (Hold Me Back). This is also the extended female family of MGSP British Royalty (English Channel); GSW Savedbythelight (Saint Ballado); and SW Reformer Rally (Dynaformer).
11th-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 4-2, 3yo, f, 5fT, :55.77, fm, 3 1/2 lengths. SHOOTOUTTHELIGHTS, f, 3, by City of Light 1st Dam: Donna Getyourgun {SP, $167,626}, by Stormy Atlantic 2nd Dam: Cryptoqueen, by Cryptoclearance 3rd Dam: Royal Setting, by Raise a Cup
Sales history: $525,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Breeze Easy, LLC; B-Tony Holmes (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward.
