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French Guineas Target For Miss Amulet

Trainer Ken Condon is looking ahead to next spring’s G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches with Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) after Doreen Tabor’s G2 Lowther S. winner ran a fine race in third in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

“The mile was always a question mark, but to my eyes she got it well, and we were delighted with her,” said Condon. “She’s had a busy season, but she’s retained her form well, and there is plenty to look forward to next year.

“I think her main aim early on will be the French Guineas–we think that might suit her better. I know all the Guineas are run over a mile, but some tracks are stiffer than others. The winner the other night [Aunt Pearl] is obviously very good–she set sensible fractions, and we knew then it would be difficult to come from behind, but we were delighted with how our filly finished off and put a bit of daylight between the fourth, who won the Prix Morny [Campanelle].

“She’s been on the go since the first week racing resumed. She’s been to England twice–that was her eighth run, so credit to her, she has exceeded all expectations. We know if she doesn’t stay a mile we have the option of coming back in trip, but I had a quick exchange with Michael Tabor after the race and I think the French Guineas is where we are going.”

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Cry Wolf: Are Domesticated Horses Less Fearful Of Predators?

A study out of Poland sought to determine if domesticated horses responded to predators they have never encountered the same way their wild ancestors did: by fleeing. The research team hypothesized that horses would express anxiety when exposed to vocalizations of predators and that horses with Thoroughbred breeding would be more responsive to the cues as they are known for their sensitive nature.

Drs. Iwona Janczarek, Anna Stachurska, Witold Kędzierski, Anna Wiśniewska, Magdalena Ryżak and Agata Kozioł used 19 Polish horses in the study and concluded that the horses reacted more strongly to the growl of a leopard than the howl of a wolf, though they were unfamiliar with either predator. The scientists report that this may indicate that the horse is more afraid of a sound from an unknown predator that one known to their ancestors. The behavioral responses of the horses were less distinct then the physiological changes, the team noted.

The horses used in the study were between 6 and 10 years old; they were divided into three groups based on the amount of Thoroughbred in their pedigree: Six horses were 75 percent Thoroughbred; seven were half-Thoroughbred; and six were 25 percent Thoroughbred.

Individually, the horses listened to recordings of the gray wolf howling and a leopard growling for five minutes. The study team monitored salivary cortisol levels of the horses 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after the conclusion of the vocalizations. Each horse's heart rate was continually monitored through the test.

The study team hypothesized that the horses with more Thoroughbred in their breeding would react more strongly to the vocalizations since Thoroughbreds are known for their sensitivity. They were correct: the horses with more Thoroughbreds in their pedigree had stronger internal reaction to the predator's vocalizations. This suggests that the response is partially genetically coded and that the horses were more interested in the sounds rather than frightened by them.

This may also indicate that horses that are handled and trained by humans may be able to manage their emotions. Domesticated animals may not be able to coexist with predators like wolves being reintroduced into their environment and care should be taken to protect them.

Read the article here.

Top Win Contenders in Mrs. Revere Stakes

Saturday’s $200,000, Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill Downs features a group of seven fillies, all 3-year-olds.

Silvano Colt Leads National 2YO Sale Opener

A colt by recently pensioned South African champion sire Silvano (Ger) took top billing during the first of two sessions of the Bloodstock South Africa National 2-Year-Old Sale on Thursday. Offered by Wilgerbosdrift Stud as lot 100, the fourth foal out of the dual Group 1 winner Europa Point (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) was bought by Form Bloodstock for R1.1 million ($70,494/£53,710/€59,723) and was the only seven-figure transaction of the day. The colt’s third dam, Sheroog (Shareef Dancer), is a full-sister to Colorado Dancer (Ire), the dam of Dubai Millennium, and thus it is also the family of leading South African sire Fort Wood.

Silvano also supplied the session’s top-priced filly, lot 54, who was bought by John Freeman for R360,000 ($23,070/£17,581/€19,545). The Ridgemont Highlands-consigned filly is the fourth foal out of the Group 1-placed Careful Hiker (SAf) (Spectrum {Ire}), herself a daughter of the South African champion broodmare Our Table Mountain (Fusaichi Pegasus), a half-sister to American turf champion Artie Schiller.

On the first day of trade, 162 of the 184 2-year-olds offered were sold for an aggregate of R18,680,000 ($1,196,113/£911,770/€1,014,215). The average and median both ticked up 11.7% at R115,309 ($7,383/£5,628/€6,255) and R67,500 ($4,322/£3,294/€3,661), respectively.

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