Tag: laurel river

Juddmonte’s Laurel River Thrashes Foes In Godolphin Mile Prep

Juddmonte Farms' Laurel River (h, 6, Into Mischief–Calm Water, by Empire Maker), favored for the 2022 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile before being ruled out on the eve of the race, flashed some of the form that saw him win the 2022 GII Pat O'Brien S. with a towering, front-running victory in Saturday's G3 Burj Nahaar at Meydan Racecourse, the course-and-distance prep for the G2 Godolphin Mile Mar. 30.

The result represented a complete turnaround from his local debut Jan. 26 when he was an early factor in the G3 Al Shindagha Sprint over 1200 metres, but faded tamely from 2 1/2 furlongs out and finished a distant seventh behind Mouheeb (Flatter).

Drawn wide in 14 for this contest over the mile, the homebred was well into stride and was restrained a bit through the opening exchanges before being allowed to stride into the lead by Tadhg O'Shea after the first 400 metres. Full of run at every stage of the race thereafter, Laurel River had amassed an imposing advantage turning them in and kept on very nicely to take it by eight lengths in good time.

Previously trained by Bob Baffert, the bay won four of his seven starts in the U.S., capped by his 3 3/4-length success in the seven-furlong Pat O'Brien at Del Mar in August 2022. Trainer Bhupat Seemar served as a Baffert assistant for some time.

“He's a high-class horse and, to be fair to him, he hadn't run in 18 months when we ran him over six furlongs,” said O'Shea. “We weren't disappointed the last time, but they're racehorses and not computers; sometimes they just need a run to get back on their A-Game.

“Hats off to Bhupat and the team and to Juddmonte for keeping the faith with him.”

Pedigree Notes

A predominantly breed-to-race operation, Juddmonte purchased Laurel River's second dam Soothing Touch for $550,000 at the 2005 Keeneland September sale, and while she didn't work out as a racemare, she's excelled in the breeding shed.

The mare is the dam of six winners from 10 to race, including her first foal Emollient (Empire Maker), victorious in the 2013 GI Central Bank Ashland S. and the Juddmonte-sponsored GI Spinster, and her four winners as a broodmare include G2 Prix de Malleret winner Raclette (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and French listed winner Ardent (Frankel {GB}). Soothing Touch has also accounted for Hofburg (Tapit), a stakes winner and third in the GI Belmont S; and SW Courtier (Tapit).

The second foal from Soothing Touch, Laurel River has a 2-year-old half-sister by Constitution, a yearling half-brother by the Tapit son and is due to foal a full-sibling to Laurel River this term.

The cross of Into Mischief over Empire Maker mares has resulted in 29 winners from 43 starters and six stakes winners, including GI Kentucky Derby hero Mandaloun, the Grade II winners Occult and Center Aisle and Juddmonte's sadly departed multiple stakes-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Taraz. When extending the cross to Unbridled-line mares, offspring include MGISW champion Covfeve, Grade I winner Gina Romantica and the additional graded scorers Largent and Maximus Mischief.

Saturday, Meydan, Dubai
BURJ NAHAAR SPONSORED BY EMIRATES SKYCARGO-G3, AED1,200,000, Meydan, 3-2, 3yo/up, 8f, 1:36.90, fs.
1–LAUREL RIVER, 126, h, 6, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Calm Water, by Empire Maker
                2nd Dam: Soothing Touch, by Touch Gold
                3rd Dam: Glia, by A.P. Indy
O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Bhupat Seemar;
J-Tadhg O'Shea. AED720,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-US, 9-5-1-
0-1, AED1,034,620. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Qareeb, 126, h, 6, Speightstown–Flip Flop (Fr), by Zieten.
($360,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV; 50,000gns HRA '21 TATAUT).
O-Abubaker Kadoura; B-Lynch Bages Ltd (KY); T-Musabbeh Al
Mheiri. AED240,000.
3–Everfast, 126, g, 8, Take Charge Indy–Awesome Surprise, by
Awesome Again. ($47,000 Ylg '17 KEEJAN). O-Kildare Stud –
Frankie O'Connor; B-Extern Developments (KY); T-Doug
Watson. AED120,000.
Margins: 6 3/4, 3, 2 1/4.
Also Ran: Al Jaddaf (GB), Swing Vote (GB), Asad Zabeel (GB), Celtic Prince (GB), Justice Protecol (GB), King Ottoman, Thegreatcollection, Quality Humor, Southern Artist, Western Writer (Ire), Vagalame (Ire), Hypothetical (Ire), Royal Mews (Fr). Scratched: Sound Money. Click for the ERA chart and video.

 

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Laurel River Set For Desert Debut

Juddmonte's Laurel River (Into Mischief), last seen running out a 3 3/4-length winner of the GII Pat O'Brien S. in August 2022 for Bob Baffert, has been entered for the G3 Al Shindagha Sprint (1200m) and the G3 Firebreak S. (1600m) on 'Fashion Friday' at Meydan Racecourse Jan. 26.

“Everything seems to be fine, we've gotten nothing but good reports from over there,” said Garrett O'Rourke, general manager of Juddmonte USA, who confirmed that the 6-year-old stallion will take part in the shorter of the two races Friday evening.

An impressive maiden winner at second asking in April 2021, Laurel River was second to The Chosen Vron (Vronsky) in the GIII Laz Barrera S. the following month, but went missing off an 11 1/2-length romp in his first start going a mile at Del Mar that September. A facile allowance winner first off an 11-month absence in July 2022, he defeated American Theorem (American Pharoah) and Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) in the Pat O'Brien to earn a berth in that year's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. He was scratched on the eve of the race, for which he would have been one of the top choices.

Laurel River was subsequently transferred to the successful yard of trainer Bhupat Seemar and cleared quarantine last October. He has been in steady work since, but the Juddmonte team are taking a pragmatic approach to what might lie ahead.

“I don't want to get ahead of ourselves. He's been off a long time,” O'Rourke said. “I'd like him to show that he still has the same sparkle, but obviously we expect some rust for as long as he's been off.”

O'Rourke indicated that it will be one step at a time with Laurel River and that near-term options include the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint–a race won last year by Juddmonte's champion Elite Power (Curlin)–and the G3 Mahab al Shimaal (1200m) or G3 Burj Nahaar (1600m) on Super Saturday in Dubai Mar. 2 en route to a possible appearance on Dubai World Cup night four weeks later.

“I'd say he'll dictate where we go,” O'Rourke said. “We have to answer one question first and that's whether he shows his old spark and ability and I think after that, we'll play it by ear. You don't want to pigeonhole yourself into any plan when something different might work out to be the best.

“We've got to get past this performance and move on after that,” O'Rourke continued. “We're just happy that the horse is healthy and happy and working well and wherever it leads us after this weekend, we'll see where we go with him.”

Laurel River will kick off his Dubai campaign on a mark of 116, among the highest-rated dirt horses in the jurisdiction. Isolate (Mark Valeski), winner of last year's G2 Godolphin Mile and on track for the G1 Saudi Cup next month, is rated on 117, while the top dirt sprinter Tuz (Oxbow) is rated 115. The latter, conditioned by Seemar, is also among the entries for the Al Shindagha Sprint.

 

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Laurel River, Bran Scratched for Saturday; Oceanic Draws In

Two main-body entrants in Saturday's Breeders' Cup races, Laurel River (Into Mischief) and Bran (Fr) (Muhaarar {GB}) were announced as vet scratches Friday. The former, a Juddmonte homebred conditioned by Bob Baffert, was set to ride a three-race win streak into the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. He was last seen annexing the GII Pat O'Brien S. at Del Mar Aug. 27 with a career-best 108 Beyer Speed Figure and was the 9-2 co-third choice on the morning line. Hronis Racing's Bran, meanwhile, was 15-1 in a wide-open GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. The John Sadler pupil most recently upset the GII Fanduel Turf Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs Sept. 10. With the scratch of Bran and prior defection of first also-eligible Dancing Buck (War Fancer), Oceanic (Constitution) draws into the Turf Sprint. Owned by Surfside Stables and trained by Jordan Blair, the two-back Da Hoss S. winner was most recently second behind defending champ Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) in the GII Woodford S. over course and distance Oct. 8.

 

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Into Mischief’s Laurel River Impresses in Pat O’Brien

The GII Pat O'Brien S. was billed as a softer spot for GISW Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) to land after facing leading older horses Flightline (Tapit) and Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in his last two starts, but apparently the lightly raced Laurel River (Into Mischief–Calm Water, by Empire Maker) didn't get the memo as he stormed home to take the seven-furlong Del Mar sprint, a “Win and You're In” race for the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Laurel River broke smoothly and immediately attended the pace before relinquishing his spot to track in a close fourth through a quarter in :22.41 and a half in :44.74. With American Theorem (American Pharoah)–winner of the GI Bing Crosby S. over this surface July 30–very wide and threatening with a big move on the outside, Laurel River found on dream seam on the turn, set sail for home and left them all behind, leaving no doubt as to the best horse on the day. American Theorem chased him home, 3 3/4 lengths in arrears, while Speaker's Corner reported home in fourth behind the hard-trying Senor Buscador (Mineshaft). C Z Rocket (City Zip), who won this race in 2020 and was second in the event last year, was eighth. The Pat O'Brien is named for one of Del Mar's founders.

“That feels great, really good, when you ask a horse to run like that,” said winning rider Juan Hernandez. “I asked him and he responded really well. He went between the horses and he showed he's a good horse. Bob [Baffert] told me to ride this horse to win, so that's what I did.”

A 4-year-old homebred for Juddmonte, Laurel River was winning his first black-type race in the O'Brien. He had one outing as a 2-year-old, finishing off the board at Santa Anita. Six months later, at three, he reappeared to break his maiden and finished 2021 with just three more starts, which included a second in the GIII Lazaro Barrera S. and an optional allowance win. Back to the sidelines for the next 10 1/2 months, he made his first start of 2022 July 31 over a mile on this track after two bullet breezes, taking another optional allowance by daylight and getting a 97 Beyer Speed Figure in the process.

Pedigree Notes:

The 114th black-type winner and 52nd graded winner bred in the Northern Hemisphere for Spendthrift's super sire Into Mischief, Laurel River is out of a full-sister to Juddmonte's four-time GISW Emollient (Empire Maker). Like so many of the mares in the Juddmonte broodmare band, Calm Water has a powerhouse family behind her. Her third dam is French champion Coup de Genie (Mr. Prospector), a full-sister to French champion and stellar sire Machiavellian. The family is positively littered with accomplishment, none more important than Coup de Genie's third dam, Natalma (Native Dancer), who produced the great Northern Dancer.

Calm Water is by another Juddmonte homebred in Empire Maker, the late stallion who spent part of his sire career in Japan. Laurel River is the 72nd black-type winner out of one of his daughters. Five of those are by Into Mischief, including MGISW Mandaloun, GSW Center Aisle, and Laurel River. Calm Water has an unraced 2-year-old full-brother to Laurel River named Castlewarden and produced fillies the last two years by Constitution. She was also bred back to Constitution for 2023.

Saturday, Del Mar
PAT O'BRIEN S.-GII, $252,500, Del Mar, 8-27, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:21.37, ft.
1–LAUREL RIVER, 121, c, 4, by Into Mischief
               1st Dam: Calm Water, by Empire Maker
               2nd Dam: Soothing Touch, by Touch Gold
               3rd Dam: Glia, by A.P. Indy
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Bob Baffert;
J-Juan J. Hernandez. $150,000. Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-0,
$314,620. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks
report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com
catalogue-style pedigree.
2–American Theorem, 125, r, 5, American Pharoah–Mighty
Renee, by Maria's Mon. ($190,000 RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP).
O-Kretz Racing LLC; B-Sierra Farm (KY); T-George
Papaprodromou. $50,000.
3–Senor Buscador, 121, c, 4, Mineshaft–Rose's Desert, by
Desert God. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Joe R. Peacock, Jr.;
B-Joe R Peacock Sr. & Joe R Peacock Jr. (KY); T-Todd W.
Fincher. $30,000.
Margins: 3 3/4, 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 6.90, 5.10, 21.00.
Also Ran: Speaker's Corner, The Chosen Vron, Defunded, Get Her Number, C Z Rocket, Principe Carlo, Restrainedvengence.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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