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Half-Brother To Tepin Set To Debut Friday In Ireland

Harvard, a half-brother to Eclipse Award winner Tepin, will make his debut on Friday at Leopardstown in Ireland, Racing Post reports.

The 2-year-old Galileo colt will race for the Coolmore partnership of Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, and Michael Tabor, and he is trained by Aidan O'Brien. Wayne Lordan will have the mount.

The entries for the race can be viewed here.

Coolmore has invested heavily into the accolades of Tepin and her bloodline since the mare's Hall of Fame-caliber racing career. The group privately purchased her dam, the unraced Stravinsky mare Life Happened, in 2016. A year later, they dropped $8 million to take Tepin herself back to Europe, where both mother and daughter have joined the broodmare band of Coolmore's all-world sire Galileo.

In addition to Tepin, Life Happened is the dam of multiple Grade 2 winner Vyjack and Grade 2-placed Prime Cut. She was a finalist for Kentucky Broodmare of the Year in 2016.

Tepin, a 9-year-old Bernstein mare, was named champion turf female in 2015 and 2016, with notable victories in the 2015 Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland, as well as the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, Jenny Wiley Stakes, First Lady Stakes, and Just a Game Stakes. Arguably her greatest achievement, though, came when she traveled to England for the world-class Royal Ascot meet and beat the world's best turf milers – male or female – in the G1 Queen Anne Stakes.

Tepin retired with 13 wins in 23 starts for earnings of $4,437,918. She sold to Coolmore in 2017 pregnant to leading sire Curlin, and she produced a filly for Coolmore the following year.

Harvard is the second Irish-born foal out of Life Happened to reach the racetrack, following the War Front filly Repossession, who sold to LNJ Foxwoods as a yearling for $750,000 and finished out of the money in her lone start as a juvenile last year.

What The Beep Provides ‘Emotional’ Upset In Colonial’s Camptown Stakes

On Wednesday at Colonial Downs, What the Beep pulled off an upset with a one-length victory over heavy favorite Tan and Tight in the $60,000 Camptown Stakes for Virginia-bred or -sired fillies and mares. The homebred daughter of Great Notion was ridden by Forest Boyce for trainer Karen Godsey, who bred and broke the 5-year-old mare on her Eagle Point Farm.

“This is very emotional for me,” said a tearful Godsey. “Her mother (Toccoa) was my first winner. To win a race like the Camptown, which my grandfather helped to start, is important to me. We mainly race here and the rest of the year I am breaking horses on the farm.”

What the Beep won the M. Tyson Gilpin Stakes here last summer but hasn't raced since an off-the-board finish in an allowance race at Laurel last October.

“She got a little cut on her leg and we almost missed that last race,” Godsey explained. “So she came home and got to spend the whole winter being a horse, hanging out, and ran around an 80-acre field with all her brothers. It's nice she gets to do that, come back here and run like this. It's kind of what her momma did. I would take her home every winter and come back here and win every summer. She's a happy horse.”

The bay mare led every step of the way getting the 5 ½ furlongs over firm turf in 1:02.95 after setting fractions of 22.38 seconds, 44.37 seconds and 56.31 seconds.

The Camptown was the fourth victory in 16 starts for What the Beep who could race next to defend her title in the M Tyson Gilpin Stakes. She earned $36,000 for the tally to boost her bankroll to $189,503 and paid $15.20, $4 and $2.20.

Tan and Tight, the 2-5 post-time favorite, stalked the pace and made a mild rally in the stretch but was no threat to the winner returning $2.20 and $2.20. Bella Aurora ($2.20) finished third in the six-horse field, followed by Solarte, Determined Love and Chasing Midnight to complete the order of finish.

A compact field of four went to the gate in the $60,000 Edward P. Evans Stakes for Virginia-bred or -sired runners with heavily favored Largent, owned by Twin Creeks Racing Stables and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. The son of Into Mischief covered the mile over firm turf in 1:36.14. He was trained by Todd Pletcher who picked up his third victory in the first two nights of racing at Colonial this season. Tyler Conner had the winning ride.

“I wanted to be a little closer than I was (early in the race),” Conner said. “I let him settle where he's happy. My man Trevor (jockey McCarthy) had me in a little tight. I didn't want to take back and go around. So I just went with the momentum and hoping he's split somewhere and I could get through.”

Largent's tally was his fourth in six starts and the $36,000 winner's share boosted his bankroll to $134,670. He paid $2.40 and $2.10. There was no show wagering in the race.

Embolden, the 2019 Jamestown winner, was beaten just a length in the mile race and paid $2.10. Carbon Data and River Deep completed the order of finish.

Also of note on the card was the 3rd race, a first-level allowance race won by Robert LaPenta, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Chrysalis Stable's Farmington Road, who was making his turf debut after racing on the Triple Crown trail earlier this year. Pletcher and Conner partnered here as well with the son of Quality Road who had last raced in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, finishing eighth in a 10-horse field.

Colonial Downs will race a special make up card this Sunday at 5:30 PM.

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Glorious Goodwood: Fancy Blue wins Nassau Stakes for Donnacha O’Brien

Fancy Blue wins the Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood for 22-year-old trainer Donnacha O'Brien.

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Grayson Grass Challenge: Indiana Grand Partners With Research Foundation For Handicapping Challenge

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announced today that it will be the beneficiary of the “Grayson Grass Challenge,” sponsored by Indiana Grand Racing & Casino.

The Grayson Grass Challenge will be a five-week handicapping contest starting the week of August 10 whereby participants in the challenge submit selections on two specified turf races each week at Indiana Grand through the week of September 7. Each contestant will be given a $500 bankroll provided by Indiana Grand, of which $100 can be wagered each week. The bankroll can be used for win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, and superfecta wagers. At the end of the five weeks, all remaining bankroll plus winnings from the contestants will go to Grayson.

“Our sport is not possible without healthy horses, and Grayson funds research projects that facilitate wellness among all horses, including racehorses,” said Eric Halstrom, vice president and general manager of racing for Indiana Grand. “I wish our expert handicappers the best of luck in their efforts to raise money for such an important cause.”

“We are excited to work with Indiana Grand and all contest participants as part of the Grayson Grass Challenge,” said Jamie Haydon, president of Grayson. “We are thankful to all parties for their enthusiasm in supporting equine health and wellness.”

The field for the Grayson Grass Challenge will consist of four individuals: Nick Luck, international racing broadcaster; Gabe Prewitt, analyst for Scioto Downs and Pompano Park; Ellis Starr, national racing analyst for Equibase; and Daniel Tordjman, America's Best Racing handicapper and manager of Partnerships & Sponsorships. Indiana Grand will also participate with an entry of rotating picks from Nancy Holthus, paddock analyst; Rachel McLaughlin, racing analyst and production manager; and Bill Downes, track announcer.

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