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All Eyes On Sodashi In Champions Cup

The world's best-known–not to mention most-talented–white Thoroughbred, Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) gets a different sort of test when she tries the dirt for the first time in Sunday's G1 Champions Cup (ex Japan Cup Dirt) at Chukyo Racecourse, a race won in scintillating fashion by her sire 20 years ago.

Named the champion of her generation when capping a perfect freshman campaign in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies last December, Sodashi resumed with a victory in the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) over the metric mile Apr. 11, but did not see out the 12 furlongs of the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) May 23, finishing eighth to Uberleben (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}). Given a break, Sodashi defeated history-maker Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the Aug. 23 G2 Sapporo Kinen (2000mT), but weakened to 10th after racing prominently as the odds-on favourite in the G1 Shuka Sho (2000mT) Oct. 17.

In addition to her sire's dirt exploits, her equally popular dam Buchiko (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) was a four-time winner on the main track and is a half-sister to Yukichan (Jpn) (Kurofune), a three-time stakes winner on the dirt.

“On her pedigree, it looks like she'll be able to perform on dirt, and in her training uphill she's been running well and posting good times,” said trainer Naosuke Sugai of the rail-drawn Sodashi. “I think she's well prepared for her first run on dirt over 1800 metres. I hope she can be well forward and not use up too much, too soon.”

SODASHI just drew Gate 1 for the G1 1800m Champions Cup on Sunday, her first run on Dirt https://t.co/UM4jbg0AuO

— Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) December 2, 2021

Chuwa Wizard (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) rallied from midfield to scoop this valuable prize last year before venturing abroad to be ninth in the Feb. 20 Saudi Cup and runner-up in the G1 Dubai World Cup the following month. Sixth to T O Keynes (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) in the Listed Teio Sho at Ohi in June, the 6-year-old prepped for this with a sound third–with T O Keynes fourth–in the Listed JBC Classic at Kanazawa Nov. 3.

American Pharoah is represented by a pair of runners, each drawn awkwardly. Danon Pharaoh (Jpn) has gate 14 and made the Listed Diolite Kinen in March his one success from four runs this term. He exits a seventh after racing handy to the pace in the JBC Classic. Drawn widest of the 16 is Cafe Pharoah, a low-odds sixth behind Chuwa Wizard last December after winning this track's G3 Sirius S., and who took out this year's G1 February S. at Tokyo. But has generally struggled over the NAR tracks and was fifth to Casino Fountain (Jpn) (Casino Drive) in the Listed Kashiwa Kinen at Funabashi in May, and is best forgiven for a ninth-place effort when trying the grass for the first time in the G3 Hakodate Kinen in July. The 4-year-old makes his first start since.

The relatively lightly raced Sunrise Hope (Jpn) (Majestic Warrior) has risen through the grades this term and is understandably well in the market off his last-out success in the Sirius S. Oct. 2.

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Incident That Left Jockey Paralyzed Was ‘Completely Avoidable,’ Veteran Racing Analyst Tells High Court

Testimony in the paralyzed jockey Freddy Tylicki's lawsuit against Graham Gibbons continued on Thursday in London's High Court, with veteran racing analyst Jim McGrath revealing that he believes the incident was “completely avoidable,” according to The Sun.

Tylicki, a former champion apprentice, has been confined to a wheelchair since a racing incident at Kempton in October of 2016. The 35-year-old has filed a £6 million (about US$6.77 million) lawsuit against jockey Graham Gibbons, with Tylicki alleging that rider's negligence breached the “duty of care” owed by one jockey to another.

Gibbons denies the charges.

Tylicki took the stand earlier this week to relive the moment of his life-altering injuries, watching video of the incident from multiple angles. Similar video was shown in court on Thursday, with McGrath singling out a specific point at which Gibbons' actions affected the incident.

“I don't think there is any question that Mr. Gibbons had the opportunity to correct his horse,” McGrath said. “My experience as a race reader and commentator and my knowledge of the rules and, crucially in this incident the length of time it took to unfold and the position of the incident in this race, are all important matters.

“Putting that all together – to me it was a completely avoidable incident.”

The trial continues.

Cigar Mile Entrant Following Sea Has ‘Shown He Can Run With The Very Best’

Spendthrift Farm's Following Sea, a Kentucky homebred, will look to bolden his potential stallion credentials in Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by NYRA Bets at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Following Sea defeated multiple graded stakes-winner Firenze Fire in the Grade 2 Vosburgh on Oct. 9 at Belmont Park en route to a troubled third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint on Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

Following Sea had to steady in upper stretch of the Breeders' Cup when a seam along the rail was closed off by pacesetting favorite Jackie's Warrior, forcing Hall of Famer John Velazquez to angle the horse several paths wide. He made up enough ground to round out the trifecta at 20-1 odds, finishing 1 ½ lengths to Aloha West and Dr. Schivel.

“Take nothing away from the first and second horses because they obviously finished beautifully,” said Spendthrift Farm general manager Ned Toffey. “But if that hole stays open, he would have had to have his running shoes on. It would have been nice to see what would have happened. He looked poised to roll through there. He's a horse who has shown us a lot of talent and shown he can run with the very best in the country. We always need a little luck in this game and with that, he's more than capable of coming away with a win.”

After an open-length maiden score at Oaklawn Park for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Following Sea was transferred to Pletcher and made his debut for the stable a winning one, defeating winners going 6 ½ furlongs on June 3 over the Belmont main track.

Following Sea made his graded stakes debut in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational six weeks later at Monmouth Park, where he was elevated to second via disqualification after finishing a distant third. He then rounded out the trifecta in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial in August at Saratoga behind talented sophomores Jackie's Warrior and Life Is Good.

As one of the more prominent racing and breeding operations in North America, Spendthrift Farm's racing program is centered around making colts under their tutelage into stallion prospects.

Toffey said the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park could be one of the major goals for Following Sea's 4-year-old season.

“Our goal is always hoping that any colt in our program can earn his way into our stallion barn. I think that's what we're looking to do with Following Sea, so his campaign will be shaped around that.” Toffey said. “Certainly, the subject of 'stallion-making races' is an interesting one. If you ask stud farms and breeders, the Met Mile would be very high on that list. That would be one goal we would have in mind. Obviously, there's the Breeders' Cup as well. But as always, we're going to listen to Todd, and Todd will listen to the horse.

“This game is a little tricky to look too far ahead in, but we just have to see how things unfold,” Toffey continued. “He's a fun horse to have in the barn. He's given Todd every indication that he's ready to run a good race.”

A win would also provide Following Sea's second-crop sire Runhappy with his first Grade 1 victory as a sire. The medication-free stallion, who stands at Claiborne Farm, was voted 2015 Champion Sprinter and has seen his offspring garner much success in their second year of racing age.

“Following Sea has gone a long way to keep Runhappy in the forefront. He's shown that he's a horse that doesn't take a backseat to too many,” Toffey said.

Following Sea is out of the Speightstown mare Quick Flip, a stakes-winner during her juvenile season who also produced Gimmick, an Into Mischief filly, who broke her maiden this summer at Saratoga. Quick Flip is scheduled to be bred back to Into Mischief, who has been the leading sire for three years running.

Into Mischief stands at Spendthrift Farm for a $250,000 stud fee and has been the pride and joy of the Lexington, Kentucky farm.

“He's a remarkable horse, that's for sure,” Toffey said of Into Mischief. “We've been very fortunate to have him in our barn. What I see the most is that they're really good-minded horses. They tend to enjoy their job. They like going to the track and train and are very workmanlike and at the same time very talented.”

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Shoplifted, Gold Double To Stand At Valor Farm In Texas

Valor Farm is pleased to announce two new stallions, Shoplifted and Gold Double, for the 2022 breeding season, further bolstering the most accomplished stallion roster in Texas.

Shoplifted is a son of one of the breed's all-time leading sires, Into Mischief, who is on his way to topping the North American general sire list for the third consecutive year. A $525,000 yearling who sold for $800,000 as a 2-year-old, Shoplifted earned nearly $600,000 on the track while making six starts against Grade 1 competition for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Shoplifted hit the board in three of those Grade 1 races: he ran second in the Grade 1 Runhappy Hopeful Stakes in his second lifetime start and third in both in the G1 Woody Stephens Stakes and G1 H. Allen Jerkins Stakes. He also won the $400,000 Springboard Mile Stakes at Remington Park.

Shoplifted was retired from racing after finishing a close second to graded stakes winner Dennis' Moment at Keeneland in October. The 4-year-old is out of the winning Yes It's True mare Shopit. He will stand for a fee of $5,000.

Gold Double, a winning son of leading sire Medaglia d'Oro out of graded stakes winner Fiftyshadesofgold, has also been retired from racing to stand his first year at stud at Valor Farm. A homebred for Valor Farm's owner Douglas Scharbauer, Gold Double will stand for a fee of $1,000.

Gold Double hit the board in all five of his career starts, including a maiden win at Fair Grounds, and he brings a powerful pedigree to the Texas breeding program as the only known son of Medaglia d'Oro, one of the world's top stallions, standing in the state.

Gold Double is out of Texas-bred Fiftyshadesofgold, who earned $420,521 in nine starts with wins in the Debutante Stakes and G3 Eight Belles Stakes at Churchill Downs and a runner-up finish in the G2 Fair Grounds Oaks.

Gold Double's pedigree mirrors the long and successful history of Valor Farm. Fiftyshadesofgold, the 2014 Texas Horse of the Year, is by Valor stallion My Golden Song, perennially one of the leading sires in the Lone Star State. The dam of Fiftyshadesofgold, Hadif Cat, is by Hadif, who helped put Valor Farm on the map as one of Texas' top sires of the 1990s and into the 2000s. The pedigree of Fiftyshadesofgold also includes Grade 2 winner Alysbelle, a full sister to the great Kentucky Derby winner, Horse of the Year and Hall of Famer Alysheba, who was campaigned by Douglas' mother, Dorothy, and sister, Pamela, as part of the noted breeding and racing program with his father, Clarence.

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