Maximus Aurelius Tops Keeneland August Digital Sale At $40,000

Maximus Aurelius, a 3-year-old colt by Tapit out of champion Close Hatches, sold for $40,000 to Pewter Stable to lead today's Keeneland August Digital Sale, held as part of Keeneland's Digital Sales Ring platform.

Consigned by Juddmonte as a racing or stallion prospect, Maximus Aurelius is a full brother to multiple graded stakes winner Tacitus.

Captain Ginny B, a 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo, brought the sale's second-highest price of $12,000 from JBS Stable. Consigned by Winchester Equine, agent for Michael Scardina, Captain Ginny B is out of the stakes-winning Big Brown mare Red Sashay and from the family of such graded stakes winners as Halory Hunter and Van Nistelrooy. She was offered as a racing or broodmare prospect.

The one-day mixed August Digital Sale grossed $96,000 for nine horses. Summary results are available by clicking here.

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Brown Pleased With Viadera Win In Ballston Spa, Points Jack Christopher To Champagne

Chad Brown saddled a pair of winners Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., with Viadera scoring in the $400,000 Grade 2 Ballston Spa and Jack Christopher impressing on debut to extend the four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer's meet-leading win total to 32 [eight more than Mike Maker and Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher] heading into Day 34 of the 40-day summer meet.

Juddmonte homebred Viadera, a 5-year-old daughter of Bated Breath, was one of three entrants in the six-horse field along with pacesetter Tamahere [4th] and Kalifornia Queen [3rd].

Tamahere set strong splits of :22.60, :47.55, and 1:12.12 on the firm inner turf as Viadera saved ground in third under Joel Rosario. Viadera advanced up the rail through the final turn and angled out in the stretch run to reel in her stablemate and hold off the late charge of High Opinion.

Viadera, who capped her 2020 with a first Grade 1 score in the Matriarch at Del Mar, entered Saturday's test from a troubled fourth in the De La Rose on August 8 at the Spa.

“She had so much trouble in her first start of the year here and I was proud of her to come back on short rest and still get it done,” Brown said.

Viadera is likely to target the $400,000 Grade 1 First Lady on October 9 at Keeneland.

Jim Bakker and Gerald Isbister's Jack Christopher earned a 92 Beyer for his winning debut in a six-furlong maiden special weight for juveniles, powering to an 8 3/4-length score as the even-money favorite.

The Munnings chestnut, a $135,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, exited post 5 in the seven-horse field under Jose Ortiz and settled in second position before taking command.

“I was very pleased. The word was out. He had worked well and he ran to his works, which is always a relief for a trainer,” Brown said.

Brown said Jack Christopher will point to the $500,000 Grade 1 Champagne on October 2 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., a one-turn mile offering a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Brown saddled Royal Flag and Dunbar Road to respective third and fourth-place finishes Saturday in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign presented by Lia Infiniti.

Royal Flag, a 5-year-old Candy Ride chestnut, entered from a score in the Grade 3 Shuvee on July 25 at the Spa, while Dunbar Road, a 5-year-old Quality Road bay, was looking to secure her first win since taking the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap last July.

While multiple Grade 1-winner Letruska won the nine-furlong test gate-to-wire, Royal Flag closed willingly to complete the trifecta, a head in front of Dunbar Road, who was forced in at the start under Flavien Prat, and had to rally six-wide down the lane.

“Dunbar Road had a bit of an unfortunate trip as she fell a little far out of it after missing the break and went quite wide,” Brown said. “Royal Flag had her normal trip that worked out just fine. I was proud of both of their efforts. A really great filly won the race.”

Peter Brant and Robert V. LaPenta's Miles D, a sophomore son of Curlin, garnered a career-best 100 Beyer for his third-place effort in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers. The lightly-race Curlin chestnut, a $470,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, graduated at second asking in June at Belmont and followed with a strong runner-up effort to Dynamic One in the nine-furlong Curlin on July 30 at the Spa.

Brown said he was pleased with the effort.

“He's only run four times and he might be a little bit better at a mile and an eighth,” Brown said.

Brown also confirmed Klaravich Stables' Technical Analysis, last-out winner of the Grade 2 Lake Placid on August 21, will point to the $500,000 Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on October 15 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

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Fulsome Takes Overland Route To Victory In Parx Racing’s Smarty Jones

Juddmonte Farms' homebred Fulsome rallied from last under Florent Geroux to win Tuesday's $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa. The Grade 3 contest is for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles and attracted six runners.

Alonzo finished two lengths behind Fulsome in second, with The King Cheek another half-length back in third, with Ridin With Biden fourth, Fast Bob fifth and The Jones Boy sixth.

Fulsome, a son of Into Mischief out of the Distorted Humor mare, Flourish, covered the 1 1/16 miles on a fast main track in 1:45.57. He paid $3.20 to win as the 3-5 favorite, winning for the fifth time in nine career starts. Among those victories was the listed Oaklawn Stakes on May 1 and the G3 Matt Win Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 29. Fulsome was coming off a third place finish to Mr. Wireless in the G3 Indiana Derby on July 7.

Fulsome is trained by Brad Cox.

The King Cheek jumped out to an early lead under Ruben Silvera, setting fractions of :23.12 and :46.75 for the opening half mile. Alonzo, who was in pursuit of the front-runner from the start, took command into the far turn, the first six furlongs clocked in 1:11.63.

Geroux allowed Fulsome to settle at the back of the pack, then commenced his rally around the far turn, going four wide into the stretch before overtaking Alonzo in mid-stretch, passing the mile marker in 1:38.79.

A local prep for the G1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 25, the Smarty Jones was one of three stakes on the Parx Racing Tuesday card. A fourth stakes, the G3, $200,000 Parx Dash, was postponed until Aug. 31 after heavy rain from Tropical Storm Henri prompted track officials to take all races off the turf.

— St. Omer's Farm and Christopher Feifarek's Beren won the $100,000 Parx Summer Sprint Stakes under Frankie Pennington for trainer Robert “Butch” Reid Jr. Sent off the 2-5 favorite in a field of four 3-year-old sprinters, the Pennsylvania-bred colt by Weigelia won by 6 1/2 lengths over Marvalous Mike, with Privet Moon third. He went six furlongs in 1:10.19. The top three each earn free entry in the G2 Gallant Bob Stakes on the Pennsylvania Derby card.

— Bret Calhoun-trained Lovely Ride won the $150,000 Cathryn Sophia Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, going a mile and 70 yards in 1:42.66 under Reylu Gutierrez. The Candy Ride filly paid $6.80 to win, with favored Leader of the Band finishing second. Lovely Ride is owned by her breeder, Allied Racing Stable. The Cathryn Sophia serves as a  prep for the G1 Cotillion Stakes, also on the Pennsylvania Derby program.

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Dubawi on Top Again as Arqana Lights Up

DEAUVILLE, France–The second and final session of the select part of the Arqana August Sale lit up in ebullient fashion with two seven-figure yearlings, including the €2.4-million sale topper by Dubawi, a half-sister to Group 2 winner Babylone (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

Charlie Gordon-Watson made a significant impact on the day's action when acting for an unnamed client and signed for the filly (lot 108) out of Typique (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) shortly after bidding €525,000 for lot 99, a filly by Frankel (GB).

The sale leader was consigned by Haras d'Etreham for relatively new breeder Thierry Gillier of Haras Voltaire, who bought Typique, a daughter of G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Denebola (Storm Cat), at the Goffs November Sale of 2016 for €450,000 through Laurent Benoit's Broadhurst Agency.

“It's just such a fantastic Niarchos family with Group 1-winning 2-year-olds as the second and third dams, and she's beautiful. She's the best-looking Dubawi filly I've ever seen and the mare's first two foals both look pretty good,” said Gordon-Watson.  “André Fabre loved her and he will train her.”

The filly's page boasts plenty of depth, with Group 1 winners Senga (Blame), Coup De Genie (Mr. Prospector), Machiavellian (Mr. Prospector), Bago (Fr) (Nashwan) and Maxios (GB) (Monsun {Ger}) all prominent. Furthermore, Typique, who achieved little on the racecourse in her two starts, has made a promising start to her broodmare career. Her first foal Babylone (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who is also trained by Fabre, has won three of her five starts in her breeder's colours, most recently landing the G2 Prix de Malleret at Longchamp in July. Her year-younger full-sister Assyrian Queen (Fr) made a promising debut when second at Deauville on Aug. 5.

Nicolas de Chambure, who consigned the filly on Gillier's behalf through his Haras d'Etreham, said, “All the credit is for Haras Voltaire. They did the mating: it's a new owner with a new team on a new farm and it is great to see a result like this. They bought an expensive mare and they have been rewarded for their investment in French breeding. We just feel very grateful that they trusted us with this lovely filly. She is going to a great owner and it is nice to see fillies like this going to people with a long-term plan.”

The same owner/breeder will also take charge of Ecurie des Monceaux's Frankel half-sister to Group 3 winners Fas (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Silva (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who had been signed for by Gordon-Watson just 20 minutes earlier.

He said, “We love Frankel and this is a wonderful family. She's a late foal and she will only improve. She will be trained by John Gosden.”

Born on Apr. 29, the bay is a daughter of Sotka (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), a listed-placed sister to the crack sprinter Sole Power (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}), and she was bred at Monceaux by Zalim Bifov.

A notably livelier second session saw figures largely in line with the last time Arqana's premier yearling sale was held in August in 2019. The day's aggregate of €18,775,000 was up by 2% and the average rose by 4% to €307,787. The median dipped only slightly to €210,000 and the clearance rate was 78% for 61 of the 78 horses in the session being marked as sold. Over the two evenings of trade that make up Part I of the sale, 118 yearlings were sold (75.2%) for €30,342,000, 7% off the 2019 aggregate of €32,655,000 for 112 sold. The cumulative average was €257,136, down 11.8%, while the median dipped 16% at €185,000. The Arqana August Yearling Sale was last year staged in September as the Deauville Select Sale owing to a pandemic-induced delay, and over the first two days there 164 yearlings were sold for an average of €181,049 and a median of €105,000.

 

Siyouni Colt Leaves Them Reeling

It didn't take long for the seven-figure barrier to be breached again and that came a few moments after lot 152 entered the ring. Ecurie des Monceaux already has one Siyouni (Fr) colt from a Galileo (Ire) mare as a poster boy in last season's Arc winner Sottsass (Fr), and hopes will be high that the colt by the same sire out of Highland Reel's full-sister Cercle De La Vie (Ire) can rise to a similar level after being purchased for €1.5 million by Oliver St Lawrence.

Black-type updates are the stuff of dreams for consignors and Henri Bozo and his team gained a high-class boost when Cercle De La Vie's first foal Angel Bleu (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) won the G2 Vintage S. at Glorious Goodwood, beating the G2 Coventry S. winner Berkshire Shadow (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).

“He was a standout colt with a great update,” said St Lawrence of the yearling. “The 2-year-old looks a proper horse and if he could be as good as him then we've done our jobs. I suspect he will be trained in England. He's been bought for Fawzi Nass.”

St Lawrence made his presence felt at last year's Select Sale and he has done the same again with the sale now reverted to its August slot. At the end of the first two days he was the leading buyer, with five yearlings bought for €3,335,000.

He also signed for the most expensive yearling by Coolmore freshman Saxon Warrior (Jpn) at €370,000. Lot 135 was consigned by Haras de Bourgeauville and is a son of the dual listed winner Artistic Jewel (Ire) (Excellent Art {GB}).

 

Dubawi Encore

Juddmonte makes only selective forays into the yearling market and one of the world's best breeding operations dipped in at Arqana for another daughter of Dubawi (lot 117) offered by Haras de l'Hotellerie on behalf of breeders Manfred Wurtenberger and Reinhard Stockli.

It took a bid of €900,000 from Simon Mockridge to secure the half-sister to G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner Wonderment (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). Her dam Wiwilia (GB) (Konigstiger {Ger}) was a dual winner in Switzerland and is a half-sister to the GI Man O'War S. winner Wake Forest (Ger) (Sir Percy {GB}).

“She's a beautiful filly, very easy moving,” said Mockridge, “There are Group 1 winners under the first three dams and she has a lovely outcross pedigree for our broodmare band in time.”

The filly's sale represented the highest price achieved by the Garcon family of Haras de l'Hotellerie in nine years of consigning at Arqana.

“We are very happy that she has been bought by such a good breeder,” said Guillaume Garcon. “It is the first time Juddmonte has bought from us and it is very exciting to know that she is going to such a good place. The last time we sold a yearling by Dubawi he was a Group 1 winner [Mubtaahij (Ire)] and we hope for the same for this filly.”

The Hotellerie team has also sold the two most expensive yearlings in Europe by Coolmore's first-crop sires U S Navy Flag and Mendelssohn over the last two days. The latter, lot 90, was bought for €235,000 by Daithi Harvey and Lindsay Laroche's Highland Yard and will be trained for Laroche by Nicolas Clement.

 

Saint Pair's Kingman for Godolphin

Anthony Stroud had been one of the unsuccessful bidders on the day's top lot but it wasn't long before the agent had his way when in pursuit of Haras de Saint Pair's Kingman (GB) colt (lot 113) out of the listed winner Via Pisa (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}).

Having bought Saturday's session-topper, a Kingman half-sister to Native Trail (GB), for €950,000, the agent went to €850,000 for the colt, bred by Andreas Putsch in Normandy from a half-sister to the treble Japanese Grade 1 winner Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}).

“He's an athletic colt from a very organic farm in Haras de Saint Pair,” said Stroud, who has bought six yearlings for Godolphin over the last two days for €3,220,000.

They included lot 163, a Dubawi half-brother to G3 Prix Miesque winner Devant (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) from Ecurie des Monceaux for €650,000.

The consignor is in its usual slot at the head of the vendors' leaderboard with 28 yearlings sold for €8,507,000.

 

Classy Signings For Coolmore

A yearling by France's champion sire Siyouni was also on the shopping list of the Coolmore team, which stands the stallion's Arc-winning son Sottsass (Fr) and went to €650,000 for another colt by him from the Ecurie Des Monceaux draft.

Lot 160 is the first foal of Correze (GB) (Shamardal), whose lone win may have come in the provinces but she has plenty to recommend her on paper as a daughter of the G3 Nell Gwyn S. winner Cloud Castle (GB) (In The Wings {GB}). She is also a half-sister to three stakes winners from a family which includes the high-class siblings Luso (GB) and Warrsan (Ire).

It was perhaps not a surprise to see MV Magnier come out on top of a bidding duel for Haras de Montaigu's Galileo half-sister to the Derby winner Wings Of Eagles (Fr) (Pour Moi {Ire}).

Having gone to €500,000 to buy the grey filly (lot 120) from the Forien family, he said, “She comes from a great breeder with a great history and she was a lovely filly. Let's hope she can run.”

The family has received further updates this season through the exploits of G2 Prix Greffulhe winner Baby Rider (Fr) (Gleneagles {Ire}), who is out of the filly's half-sister Gyrella (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}).

 

Father And Son Backed By Skiffington

Among three purchases at Arqana August, agent Amanda Skiffington signed for two of the more expensive yearlings of the day by Wootton Bassett (GB) and his son Almanzor (Fr) at €500,000 and €450,000, respectively.

Both were bought for Fiona Carmichael, with the colt by Wootton Bassett (lot 146) being the first foal of listed runner-up Bhageerathi (Ire) (Motivator {GB}). He was offered by Anna Sundstrom of Coulonces on behalf of Haras de Saint Laurent.

“He's just a really lovely colt by a horse I think is a seriously good stallion,” said Skiffington. “That's the sort of price you have to go to to buy a horse like that.”

Lot 121, the Almanzor filly from Haras des Capucines, received a dream update just hours before she went through the ring when her half-sister Who Knows (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) won the G3 Circus Maximus Prix Francois Boutin just across the road for a partnership consisting of Ecurie de Parc Monceau, co-breeder Gerard Larrieu, Eric Puerari and Hubert Guy.

Another half-sister, Poetic Dream (GB) (Poet's Voice {GB}), won the G2 Mehl Mulhens-Rennen and their dam Zain Al Boldan (GB) (Poliglote {GB}) was useful in her day as the winner of the Lingfield Oaks Trial.

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