Katsumi Yoshida | Horse Racing Free Tips

Belmont Oaks Winner Magic Attitude Came To Delacour Barn With ‘Precise Instructions’ From France

The English-bred Magic Attitude wasn't a complete unknown entering Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., having won a Group 3 race in France and finishing second in a Group 1 before being shipped across the Atlantic.

But in her North American debut, the sophomore Galileo filly showed that her talents translate across the world, rallying from last-of-five for a 2 1/4-length victory in the 42nd running of the Belmont Oaks going 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf.

Magic Attitude earned a 93 Beyer Speed Figure in her first race since being transferred to the care of trainer Arnaud Delacour, who said she traveled well to her base back at Fair Hill in Maryland, where she recorded all four of her works before her Belmont Oaks triumph.

“It looks like she came out of the race very well and she went back to Fair Hill and looked great this morning,” Delacour said. “I was very happy with her. Yesterday, even the horse to her inside [Setting the Mood] was a little bit fractious in the gate and was rattling a little bit, and it didn't bother her even a little bit.”

Bred in Great Britain by Katsumi Yoshida, Lael Stable's Magic Attitude is a full-sister to 2018 Group 2 Prix de Sandringham winner Mission Impassible, who is also multiple Grade/Group 1-placed. She came to North America with experience running against high caliber competition, winning the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux in May at France's famed Longchamp course when racing off a nearly eight-month layoff for former conditioner Fabrice Chappet.

Magic Attitude, out of Group 1-winner Margot Did, then ran second in the 10-furlong Group 1 Prix Saint Alary in June at Chantilly in a race won by the undefeated Tawkeel, who then captured the Group 2 Prix de la Nonette at Deauville.

In her previous effort before her Belmont Oaks victory, she competed in the Group 1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly, where she ran a strong fifth, defeated three lengths to Fancy Blue in the 1 5/16-miles test known as the French Oaks.

“She came with very precise and accurate instructions for her training and the way she runs,” Delacour said. “Fabrice knew her well and gave us the right instructions and everything has gone according to plan already.”

Magic Attitude could potentially make a start in the in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf on November 7 at Keeneland, with Delacour saying the Grade 1, $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on October 10 at Keeneland could be a potential prep if she continues to train forwardly.

“The Queen Elizabeth could be a spot to bring her back in, but it's coming back a little quick, so everything would have to go right between now and then, but we'll definitely look at the race,” Delacour said.

Delacour won his third career Grade 1 race, with his previous two both coming in 2016 with A.P. Indian, who won the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap and the Forego during that campaign's summer meet at Saratoga Race Course.

“It's great and means a lot, because it's our first Grade 1 for Lael Stables and we've had a lot of seconds,” said Delacour, referring to 2018 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint runner-up Chalon and 2017 Grade 1 First Lady runner-up Hawksmoor. “It means a lot to win a Grade 1.”

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Magic Attitude Takes Belmont Oaks With Last-To-First Stretch Run In U.S. Debut

Trainer Arnaud Delacour expressed some concerns about the lack of pace before Saturday's Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. He was right, as the Godolphin homebred Antoinette maintained an easy lead, setting slow fractions for most of the mile and one-quarter turf test for 3-year-old fillies under John Velazquez.

But, it turns out, Delacour needn't have worried. Magic Attitude, the Lael Stables runner he sent out for her U.S. debut as an even-money favorite, easily ran down Antoinette with a powerful stretch run to win going away by 2 1/4 lengths with Javier Castellano in the saddle.

Antoinette held second, with Neige Blanche third, Setting the Mood fourth and Key Biscayne the trailer in the field of five.

Magic Attitude, a daughter of leading sire Galileo bred in England by Katsumi Yoshida, covered the distance in 2:01.14 on a firm inner turf course. The victory was her third in seven career starts, the first six of which came in France under the tutelage of Fabrice Chappet. Produced by the Exceed and Excel mare Margot Did – winner of the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes in England – Magic Attitude paid $4.30 for the win and earned $137,500 from the Belmont Oaks $242,500 purse.

Antoinette, coming off a front-running victory in the Saratoga Oaks Invitational, went straight to the front, getting the opening quarter-mile in :24.89 and the half in :49.99 while racing off the rail. Setting the Mood, along the inside, Neige Blanche between horses, and Key Biscayne to the outside, raced as a team just behind the front-runner, who passed the six-furlong marker in 1:14.17.

Put under an early hold by Castellano, Magic Attitude rated patiently in last until reaching the quarter pole after Antoinette clocked the opening mile in 1:37.91, swung out at the top of the stretch and quickly ran past her rivals on the far outside, hitting the front with an eighth of a mile to go and winning easily.

“I really like the way she did it,” said Casellano. “Watching the replays, it seemed like she could be a little bit keen. She always seemed to break well out of the gate and get good forward position in Europe. Today, she broke OK. I tried to cover up a little bit. It was her first time in the country and a mile and a quarter and you always have to save something for the end. She sat beautifully behind the speed. She had a nice rhythm. When I asked her turning for home at the quarter pole, she just took off really well. I was very excited to see the way she did it today.”

Delacour said Magic Attitude came out of quarantine with a fever and missed some training after traveling from France to the U.S. Winner in one of three starts last year at 2, the bay filly won the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux in her 3-year-old debut at Longchamp, then finished second to Tawkeel in the G1 Prix Saint Alary and fifth, beaten three lengths by winner Fancy Blue, in the G1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) at Chantilly on July 5.

“The pace was a little bit of a concern,” said Delacour. “With a five-horse field, you never know what's going to happen, but it didn't change her running style as that's how she likes to race. Javier timed it perfectly and she came with a good kick.

“Two starts ago [in the Prix Saint Alary], they were surprised because she was a little revved up and she never settled. They couldn't cover her up and she was pretty aggressive. Ever since, they've been trying to get her to relax. So, we tried to work her in the same way in the morning and put her behind horses and come with a nice run and that's what she duplicated in the afternoon. It was very exciting.”

Delacour was uncertain about Magic Attitude's next start. “We'll see. One race at a time,” he said. “The Queen Elizabeth [on Oct.10 at Keeneland] is in 21 days and might be coming back too quick. We'll let her tell us.”

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Group 1-Placed Magic Attitude Will Make North American Debut In Saturday’s Belmont Oaks

Lael Stables' Magic Attitude, a Group 3 winner in France, will make her North American debut in Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational, a 10-furlong inner turf test for sophomore fillies at Belmont Park.

The Belmont Oaks Invitational is the first of seven Grade 1 events during the 27-day Belmont Park fall meet, which kicks off on Friday and runs through Sunday, November 1.

In addition to 22 graded stakes, the lucrative meet will also include seven Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” qualifiers to the two-day Breeders' Cup 2020 World Championships to be held November 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course.

Following opening weekend at Belmont, live racing will be conducted Thursday through Sunday with the exception of Columbus Day weekend, when live racing will be offered on Monday, October 12 and will resume on Friday, October 16.

By Galileo and out of the Group 1-winner Margot Did, Magic Attitude was bred in Great Britain by Katsumi Yoshida and is a full-sister to 2018 Group 2 Prix de Sandringham winner Mission Impassible, who is also multiple Grade/Group 1-placed.

Magic Attitude presents an impressive ledger that includes a victory in the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux in May when racing off a nearly eight-month layoff for former conditioner Fabrice Chappet.

She followed in June with a second in the 10-furlong Group 1 Prix Saint Alary at Chantilly in a race won by the undefeated Tawkeel, who exited that effort to win the Group 2 Prix de la Nonette at Deauville.

Last out, in the Group 1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly, Magic Attitude finished a strong fifth, defeated three lengths to Fancy Blue, in a loaded edition of the 1 5/16-miles test known as the French Oaks.

New trainer Arnaud Delacour said Magic Attitude has matched strides with some of the top sophomore fillies in Europe in her brief career.

“She's right there with them. When she ran in the Prix de Diane all the form was very solid,” said Delacour. “It was a very good edition of the French Oaks this year and the fillies that finished in front and around her have come back and won graded stakes, so the form is excellent.”

Fancy Blue, victorious in the Prix de Diane, came back to win the Group 1 Nassau at Goodwood ahead of a third in the Group 1 Matron at Leopardstown. The fourth [Raabihah] and sixth-placed [Ebaiyra] finishers exited the Prix de Diane to win a Group 3 and Group 2 respectively.

Magic Attitude was transferred to the care of Delacour in the summer where she has trained at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland.

“She arrived here in late July. We liked her right away,” said Delacour. “She's not very big, but she's very athletic. She moves very well on the grass.”

The talented bay has breezed four times at Fair Hill, including a half-mile work in 50 flat on September 11 over the dirt.

“She's training very well,” said Delacour. “We've gotten to know her a little bit. It looks like she needs to be covered up, so we put her behind a pacesetter to let her relax and then gallop out strong.”

While Magic Attitude demonstrated ability to run well off the layoff in her Group 3 score, Delacour said Saturday's test, to be contested off a two-month layoff, will be a different experience.

“That win was coming off the winter with a trainer that knew her,” started Delacour, regarding the Prix Vanteaux. “When she came to us she was ready to run. We just had to maintain her, so I don't think that the time off should be a problem.”

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will guide Magic Attitude from post 2.

Madaket Stables, Laura De Seroux, and Marsha Naify's Neige Blanche will make her second start in North America for trainer Leonard Powell.

The French-bred daughter of Anodin graduated in November on the synthetic surface at Marseille-PV when traveling 10 furlongs and followed in December with an allowance score at the same track and surface.

In June, when making just her second start on turf, Neige Blanche captured the 11-furlong Group 3 Prix Cleopatre over soft going at Lyon-Parilly. She was subsequently transferred to the care of Powell in California where she ran a closing fourth last out on debut in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks on August 22 over nine furlongs of firm turf.

Powell said he hopes the added distance on Saturday will benefit.

“It was her first race stateside and although the pace wasn't very strong, she was a little outpaced the first part of the race but it was still a promising debut and she finished very well,” said Powell. “I'm hoping the mile and a quarter on the big track at Belmont Park will be to her liking. Hopefully, she will not be too far back as it's going to be a small field.”

Neige Blanche will exit post 4 under Jose Lezcano.

Godolphin's versatile Hard Spun bay Antoinette will remain on turf after capturing the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Oaks last out on August 16 over firm footing.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Antoinette captured the off-the-turf Tepin in December at the Big A ahead of third-place efforts on the dirt in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks in March and the Gardenia in May at Oaklawn Park.

Following a third in the Grade 3 Wonder Again in June on the Belmont turf, Antoinette returned to dirt and finished a good third in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 18 preceding her Saratoga Oaks effort.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez retains the mount from post 5 as Antoinette looks to improve on a record of 8-3-0-4 that includes purse earnings of $483,750.

Rounding out the field are Arindel's Key Biscayne [post 3, Manny Franco], who was third last out in the Saratoga Oaks for trainer Juan Alvarado; and Paul Pompa, Jr.'s Setting the Mood [post 1, Luis Saez], winner of an off-the-turf maiden in May at Gulfstream Park for trainer Todd Pletcher.

The Belmont Oaks Invitational is slated as Race 5 on Saturday's 10-race program, which offers a first post of 1:00 p.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the 27-day fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, NYRA Bets is currently offering a $200 new member bonus in addition to a host of special weekly offers. The NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Familiar Names Front and Center at JRHA Select Yearling Sale

As reported in more detail by European Editor Emma Berry in Tuesday’s TDN European Edition, members of the final crop of the late Deep Impact (Jpn) predictably dominated the yearling section of the JRHA Select Sale Monday on the island of Hokkaido, accounting for the day’s top six sellers and eight of the top nine. Lot 114, the second Japanese foal from Sheave (Mineshaft)–the dam of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss)–led the way on a record final bid of ¥510 million ($4,766,356), as the offspring of American-bred and -raced mares acquired by the Yoshida family lit up the board one after the next.

Sheave, an unraced daughter of GSW & GISP Belterra (Unbridled), was bred by the late Bob Manfuso and was carrying a full-sister to Cathryn Sophia when she was acquired privately and exported to Japan. In February 2017, she produced Sharie al Malika (Jpn), who was a close second on debut in a Nakayama dirt maiden this past March. Sheave is the dam of the 2-year-old colt Satono Sky Turf (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and her colt foal by Heart’s Cry (Jpn) sells Tuesday as lot 383.

The session’s second-dearest offering at ¥400 million ($3,738,318) was lot 56, a colt out of Forever Darling (Congrats), who won the 2016 GII Santa Ynez S. for owner/trainer Richard Baltas and partners before continuing her career in the colors of Katsumi Yoshida. Forever Darling is a daughter of MSW & MGISP Darling My Darling (Deputy Minister), whose half-brother Zenno Rob Roy (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) won the 2004 G1 Japan Cup en route to Horse of the Year honors. Forever Darling’s first produce, Mon Favori (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}), won a newcomers’ event on turf over 1200 meters June 20 at Hakodate, scoring by five lengths in 1:08.7 (see below, gate 9). Daughters of Congrats have produced eight winners from nine starters in Japan, including Group 2 winner Hartley (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

During her racing career, Teddy’s Promise (Salt Lake) registered her biggest victory in the 2011 GI La Brea S. and her Deep Impact foal of 2019 (lot 36) was the session’s most expensive filly on a bid of ¥240 million ($2,242,991). Teddy’s Promise is the dam of two winners from as many to race in Japan, most prominently My Rhapsody (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}), victorious in Group 3 company last year and ninth, but not beaten far, behind Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact) in this year’s G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby). Teddy’s Promise’s current 2-year-old, a filly by 2015 Derby hero Duramente (Jpn), fetched ¥52 million last year.

In other results of note, lot 108, a Deep Impact son of GI American Oaks winner Cambina (Ire) (Hawk Wing) and kin to two group-placed runners, hammered at ¥200 million ($1,869,159); lot 92, a Deep Impact half-brother to Classic winner and Three Chimneys stallion Palace Malice (Curlin) made ¥190 million ($1,775,701); lot 23, a colt by Duramente out of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Proud Spell (Proud Citizen), sold early in the session for ¥160 million ($1,495,328); a Deep Impact daughter of GI Beverly D. S. winner Euro Charline (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) realized ¥145 million ($1,335,141) as lot 171; and lot 106, a Screen Hero (Jpn) half-brother to recent Listed Japan Dirt Derby winner Danon Pharaoh (Jpn) (American Pharoah) fetched ¥96 million ($897,197).

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