Newgate Fires Bullet For Dubai World Cup

Newgate (Into Mischief), recent winner of the GI Santa Anita H., was one of nine American horses to turn in breezes Saturday morning both domestically and abroad in advance of the Dubai World Cup meeting at Meydan Racecourse in two weeks' time.

An $850,000 Keeneland September yearling, Newgate returned to the worktab for the first time since the Mar. 3 Big 'Cap, covering five furlongs in a bullet :58.20 (1/77) in the company of GIII Native Diver S. winner Mr Fisk (Arrogate) at Santa Anita. Frankie Dettori, who won his fourth World Cup aboard the Bob Baffert-trained Country Grammer (Tonalist) in 2022, has the riding assignment in the $12-million feature.

Stablemate Hopkins (Quality Road) went five-eighths of a mile in :58.80 (2/77) and will have Luis Saez aboard for the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, a race in which he was beaten just one length into fourth in 2023.

“We had a great day breezing,” trainer Bob Baffert told SF Racing's Tom Ryan, who added, “Two healthy and happy horses. We look forward to getting them to Dubai with Jimmy and Humberto “Beto” to acclimate them to the Meydan surface and surroundings. It's very exciting, and we are very grateful to have the caliber of horse to get invited to participate in such valuable and prestigious events.”

Also turning in a work at Santa Anita was Two Rivers Over (Tamarkuz), who covered five furlongs in 1:00.40 (19/77) and is expected for the G2 Godolphin Mile, an event won by his sire in 2015. Trainer Doug O'Neill has tabbed Edwin Maldonado to ride.

Crupi (Curlin) will attempt to give trainer Todd Pletcher a maiden victory in the World Cup and the 4-year-old, third to National Treasure (Quality Road) and Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) when last seen in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. Jan. 27, went five furlongs in 1:00.91 (1/7) at Palm Beach Downs Saturday morning. Luis Saez, who guided Crupi to victory in Saratoga allowance company last summer, made the trip up to breeze Crupi and has the mount at Meydan.

Jose D'Angelo breezed his two big-night entries about 10 miles north of Palm Beach Downs at Palm Meadows. Caramel Chip (Midshipman), fourth to Sibelius (Not This Time) in the Feb. 10 Pelican S. at Tampa, was the fastest of 92 workers going a half-mile as he stopped the clock in :47.45. While he stretches out in distance for he Godolphin Mile, his Gulfstream Park Sprint-winning stablemate Run Classic (Runhappy) will take on defending champ Sibelius in the Golden Shaheen. The Tom Durant galloper went in :48.95 (22/92). D'Angelo reports that Cristian Demuro rides Caramel Chip, while Florent Geroux will hop aboard Run Classic.

Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) has been doing the bulk of his training towards the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on the turf, but he turned in his final piece of work over the dirt course at Payson Park. The 8-year-old breezed a half-mile in :49.20 (11/63), with part-owner Lee Einsidler commenting, “He went great and he's doing fantastic.”

A pair of U.S.-trained horses who made the short trip over to Dubai after placing in races on the Saudi Cup program were out over the Meydan main track Saturday morning.

Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming), third to Senor Buscador in the G1 Saudi Cup, went a half-mile under the lights in a reported :48.50. He takes on defending champion Isolate (Mark Valeski) in the Godolphin Mile. Bold Journey (Hard Spun) went a similar distance in a reported :48.46 after daybreak for trainer Bill Mott. The New York-bred faces a rematch with Japan's Remake (Jpn) (Lani) in the Golden Shaheen after closing nicely for third to that rival in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint Feb. 24.

Pandagate (Arrogate), last-out winner of the Gander S. at Aqueduct works Sunday at Payson Park towards a potential appearance in the G2 UAE Derby, per assistant trainer Miguel Clement.

 

 

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Casa Creed On Track For Al Quoz Sprint

LRE Racing LLC and JEH Racing Stable's four-time Grade I winner Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) has recovered from the fever that forced him to miss last weekend's G2 1351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia and is now being prepared for an appearance in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on the Dubai World Cup undercard Mar. 30, co-owner Lee Einsidler confirmed Thursday.

“You know, it's funny, if the Saudi race had been in Florida, we wouldn't have had to miss it,” Einsidler said of last weekend's contest, in which Casa Creed was beaten a neck in 2022 and a head in 2023. “He had a fever for one day and we were on the cusp, but we didn't want to put that stress on him of shipping halfway around the world if he wasn't 100%. We didn't want him to get off the plane in Saudi Arabia not feeling good. He's been training great, he'd been training up to the [Saudi] race great, but we had the fortunate alternative of going to Dubai, so we said let's just wait.”

Casa Creed was a close fifth behind A Case of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) in the 2022 Al Quoz.

Casa Creed, co-owned by New York radio personality Mike Francesa, returned to the worktab at Payson Park Feb. 23, breezing an easy half-mile in :50.20 for trainer Bill Mott.

“The plan was never to go to Saudi Arabia and then to Dubai,” Einsidler continued. “The plan was to go to Saudi and come home like we did last year, so we'll just go straight to Dubai instead. We're very excited. I've never been, so there's a good chance that my son Jeffrey, who is totally into it with me, is going to come with me.”

A two-time winner of the GI Jaipur S. over six furlongs and the two-time defending champion of the GI Fourstardave H. going a mile, the 8-year-old Casa Creed holds a special place in Einsidler's heart.

“He's meant so much to us in our lives. You think about a horse like Casa Creed every day,” he said. “He's just been so special to us. From the time we got him, he told us all that he loves to be a racehorse and for me, racing is the ultimate escape from the daily trials and tribulations of life. He's been a great separation from things you deal with in your life.”

Casa Creed has provided Einsidler, the CEO of the Casamigos brand of tequila, a measure of peace and joy after tragically losing his son Aaron in August 2020.

“Casa Creed brought us and continues to bring us so much joy and so much pleasure and excitement,” he said. “We're just thrilled to have him as part of our life. To be running at eight years of age and competing at the highest level, it's a dream come true for a horse owner, it's so rare. We've been truly blessed.”

Tentative plans call for Casa Creed to pass this year's Jaipur, as it has been shortened to 5 1/2 furlongs during the Belmont at Saratoga meeting and he is a candidate for the $350,000 GIII Poker S. on the Belmont S. undercard the same afternoon, June 8. The long-term goal would be the Fourstardave, where Casa Creed was third in 2020 and 2021 before winning the prestigious race the last two seasons.

“That would be just ridiculous,” Einsidler exclaimed. “Just to be in the race five times is incredible, to win it for a third time would be an amazing accomplishment.”

Luis Saez has ridden Casa Creed in his last 11 starts and has a return call for the 1200-meter Al Quoz.

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Spa Notebook: Lovell Looking To Two Turns for Damon’s Mound

Trainer Michelle Lovell, who sent out 'TDN Rising Star' Damon's Mound (Girvin) to win Saturday's GII Saratoga Special S., said Sunday that she was not ruling out either the seven-furlong GI Hopeful S. Sept. 5 or the Oct. 5 GI Champagne S. at the Belmont at the Big A meet going a one-turn mile, but is more inclined to get the colt some two-turn route experience for his next appearance.

“Everything's on our radar,” said Lovell. “We'll see how he is. He's never had a bad day, so I don't expect him to.”

Damon's Mound was awarded an 86 Beyer Speed Figure for his defeat of fellow 'Rising Star' Gulfport (Uncle Mo) Saturday.

“He's been so great,” said Lovell. “Everything went to perfection. Even the way the race set up. We were really happy to track the frontrunners. [Jockey] Gabriel [Saez] put an excellent ride on him. The rest is history. It's in the history books.”

Lovell is a former jockey and posted three runner-up efforts at Saratoga during her time in the saddle, but was thrilled to finally have her picture taken Saturday.

“We celebrated at dinner,” said Lovell. “I took my groom and some friends and just had a nice dinner. I had so many congrats from so many people. Saratoga is super special, obviously, that's an understatement. Getting to [be in the winner's circle] was awesome.”

Breeders' Cup Mile Likely Plan For Casa Creed…

After finishing third in the GI Fourstardave H. in each of the past two seasons, LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable's Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) finally got over the hump Saturday with a last-to-first defeat of odds-on 'TDN Rising Star' Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) at the Spa. The 6-year-old was earning his third career top-level success on the weekend, having most recently successfully defended his title in the six-furlong GI Jaipur S. on the Belmont S. undercard June 11. But where it comes to a future appearance on Breeders' Cup weekend, part-owner Lee Einsidler is fairly certain of where the entire will end up.

“[The Turf Sprint] is only 5 1/2 [furlongs] sprinting at Keeneland, which is a little short for him,” Einsidler said. “From what we saw yesterday, if all goes according to plan, I'm sure we'll show up in the Mile as long as he's training great and feels great.”

Casa Creed has faced the starter in the Mile the last two years, finishing 12th to Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) at Keeneland in 2020 and eighth behind Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) last year at Del Mar. Einsidler, who owns Casa Creed in partnership with New York sports radio personality Mike Francesa, is confident his charge can go better this time around.

“[Trainer] Bill Mott and I were in his stall a few weeks ago and he said 'Lee, he's better today than he's ever been in his entire career.' He's just been flourishing,” Einsidler recalled. “They say a lot of horses are at their best at five. Yesterday was the best performance of his career and he's a 6-year-old. He's just amazing. I'd say right now, he's at the total top of his game.”

Casa Creed, who was just touched off in the G3 1351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia and was a sound fifth in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint, could make one interim start prior to the Breeders' Cup, but could also be trained straight into the race, Einsidler said.

“If he's telling us he has to run, we'll run him there which is fine because you got four weeks to the Breeders' Cup and a trip over the course,” Einsidler said. “He's run there before, but now he's much better today than he was then. So, I think the idea of running him over there makes all the sense in the world, but if Mott wants to wait and train him up to the Breeders' Cup, that's why he's in the Hall of Fame. He makes those decisions.”

   And 2022 may not be the end of the road.

“If he stays sound and he's doing great, we'll run him next year,” said Einsidler. “There's a stallion career somewhere for him, but I'm all about racing so that's what we're going to do.”

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Gormley Takes up Twin Legacies

While it's obviously an extremely poignant day to be reflecting on a breakout success for one of the youngest stallions at Spendthrift, then at least those now mourning the farm's owner know that his own legacy to the breed could scarcely be more secure. For the same cannot quite be said of the horse who started it all for B. Wayne Hughes, Malibu Moon, whose loss earlier this year has now obtained a tragic symmetry.

Between the farm's consecutive bereavements, there's no denying that the equine patriarch cannot yet match the human one in being guaranteed a lasting say in the development of the 21st Century Thoroughbred. How apt, then, if High Oak's performance in the GII Saratoga Special S. last Saturday should prove to be the moment his rookie sire Gormley announced himself a legitimate heir to a stallion whose overall resumé surely merits his own branch of the A.P. Indy line.

Malibu Moon, of course, had long shown an inconvenient propensity to concentrate his elite stock among fillies. Though no two horses did more for his career than Declan's Moon, a champion juvenile from his second crop, and 2013 GI Kentucky Derby winner Orb, they were the only two males among his first 10 Grade I winners.

And Declan's Moon was a gelding, which left a lot of eggs in Orb's basket. We know what happened there. Despite his exemplary breeding (family of Ruffian) and management, Orb's slow start at stud was ruthlessly punished by commercial breeders. By 2020 he found himself reduced to a pitiful book of seven mares, and earlier this year he was sold to Uruguay.

In the meantime Malibu Moon maintained his conveyor belt of fillies: Life At Ten, Carina Mia, Ask The Moon, Malibu Prayer, Devil May Care. By the time he left us in May, towards the end of his 22nd breeding season, he was depending on a group of inexpensive young sons to contest the succession.

Calumet, for instance, were giving a chance to Ransom The Moon and Mr. Z, while there were high hopes in California for Stanford. And then, standing right alongside his venerable father at Spendthrift, there was Gormley.

He had been launched in trademark Spendthrift fashion, with a debut book of 180 in 2018 at $10,000. Though he maintained traffic at 127 and 72 mares through the next two years, this time round he was offered at just $5,000 for that ticklish fourth season–a fee that earned Gormley a place on the value “podium” in our annual winter survey of Kentucky stallion options.

Things began well, on the face of it, a $550,000 colt at OBS March proving the highest by a freshman sire–and a notable pinhook, Eddie Woods having taken him aboard as a $160,000 yearling the previous September. Similar touches were landed at Timonium, where a couple of Gormley's other sons realized $450,000 and $425,000, having respectively reached $49,000 (RNA) and $140,000 in their previous visits to the ring.

Clearly, however, those were only the headline acts. As usual when sheer volume gives the market so much choice, plenty of vendors found things tougher. On the other hand, there's no denying the athletic appeal of that first crop. If $37,544 had been just a workable average at the yearling sales, then 59 sold of 73 represented brisker trade than for many with a higher notional yield. (I always feel stallions are flattered by the exclusion of RNAs from their averages, as these will typically include their weakest stock.) Interestingly as many as 52 Gormleys went to the juvenile sales, a tally exceeded in the intake only by Klimt (68) and Practical Joke (56). The market consensus, plainly, was that they were built for the job.

Moreover the $550,000 colt, aptly named Headline Report by purchasers Breeze Easy, promptly gave Gormley his first winner, as his first starter, over 4.5 furlongs at Keeneland in April. And he then held out best behind the dazzling Wit (Practical Joke)–himself performing a very similar service to his own sire, as the most expensive yearling in an even bigger debut book–in the GII Sanford S. at Saratoga. With High Oak, Gormley has now found another colt with the potential to square up to Practical Joke's flagship.

True, we must also give an honorable mention to Saturday's runner-up Gunite, a son of class leader Gun Runner, whose graded stakes on either coast the previous weekend represented remarkable laurels for a late-maturing, two-turn horse.

Not that Gormley himself should be expected to produce merely precocious types. Yes, he won his first two juvenile starts, including the GI Frontrunner S. And yes, he did not last long after a midfield Derby finish. Yet a pedigree of such depth and quality would not only have entitled him to keep progressing, but will hopefully prove a genetic repository for his foals to do the same.

It also has a conspicuous flavor of grass, which might yet be drawn out in Gormley's stock despite Malibu Moon having confined all 17 of his Grade I winners to dirt. Don't forget that the first two dams of Malibu Moon himself were both Group 1 winners in France, while his mother's half-brother Septieme Ciel was perhaps the most accomplished turf performer by Seattle Slew. And these chlorophyll elements are handsomely complemented by Gormley's own family.

Indeed, given the vexing situation in Chicago, it is bittersweet to recall that his fourth dam is none other than Estrapade, now destined to remain the only female to win the GI Arlington Million. She was six when doing so and, as a daughter of that very hardy influence Vaguely Noble (Ire), she really pegs down Gormley's bottom line. Her half-brother Criminal Type (Alydar) put together his Horse of the Year campaign at five, while the mating that produced Gormley's third dam Troika was with an even sturdier animal in the globetrotter (and fellow 12f winner) Strawberry Road (Aus), who kept going until he was eight.

Estrapade had a troubled breeding history and Troika was one of only two foals to make the racetrack, where she won four of eight on turf. Unfortunately her own breeding career would prove still more curtailed, confined to a single starter, Miss Mambo (Kingmambo), who was Classic-placed over a mile in France before being imported to join the Castleton Lyons broodmare band. Once again she would only really be redeemed by a single foal, a series of duds having followed a very promising first one.

That was Race To Urga (Bernstein), who was on a roll of four–on turf, of course, given her background–and had just won her first stakes when her career was cut short by injury. Her first date was with Malibu Moon: Castleton Lyons had a leg in the horse, and indeed hosted him between his Maryland and Spendthrift stints. And the result was Gormley.

The literal bottom line, then, is just layer after layer of grass: all his first four dams, and those seeded by Vaguely Noble, Strawberry Road, Kingmambo and Bernstein (sire of two GI Breeders' Cup Mile winners). Throw in that cluster of toughness and stamina around Estrapade and Strawberry Road, and there's no way anyone should be treating Gormley as just a mass-output sire of commercial juveniles.

The classy genetic brands packed behind him were always evident in his physique, which earned him a slot in Book I at Keeneland. Admittedly he failed to reach his reserve at $150,000, evidently a victim of one of those exasperating scopes that often give buyers needless jitters. But he was good enough for David Ingordo, which would be good enough for most of us, and was duly secured privately by Jerry and Ann Moss for whom he supplemented his big juvenile score in the GI Santa Anita Derby.

It's fitting that Gormley's first star should be supervised by Bill Mott, who also trained Estrapade's daughter Troika.

Bred by Catherine Parke of Valkyre Stud, High Oak is out of the 17-year-old Elusive Quality mare Champagne Sue, a moderate dirt sprinter recruited for $80,000 at the Keeneland November Sale of 2010. She hasn't produced anything of this caliber, which must augur well for Gormley, though there plenty of potential has always lured in a family developed by the late equine insurance agent, William Carl: two half-sisters won graded stakes and another produced GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect), herself dam of another Breeders' Cup winner in Sharing (Speightstown). Deeper in, this is also the family of New Year's Day (Street Cry {Ire}) and Mohaymen (Tapit).

With a grandson of Mr. Prospector as damsire, High Oak replicates that ubiquitous presence behind Gormley (as noted, granddam Miss Mambo is by Mr. P.'s son Kingmambo; while Mr. P. also gave us the dam of Malibu Moon). But while High Oak's first and second dams are by extremely familiar distaff influences (Elusive Quality and Dixieland Band), the third is by a pretty arcane one in Nalees Man, a largely forgotten Louisiana sire by Gallant Man out of a sister to Shuvee. (The fourth dam, in contrast, introduces a name for the ages in Turn-to!)

All in all, both on paper and visually, High Oak must have every chance every chance of stretching out the dash he has shown in his first two starts. Certainly he was well found at $70,000 last September by Lee Einsidler (who races him with Mike Francesa), having been picked up from Valkyre in the same ring the previous November by Donarra Farm as a $37,000 weanling.

Mott certainly has a barn full of momentum for the second half of the season. The race previous to the Saratoga Special was won by Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), the sophomore “sleeper” everyone has been anticipating so long; while I'm told that White Frost (Candy Ride {Arg}), the only American filly to have beaten Con Lima (Commissioner) on grass, is making a good recovery from the injury that has sidelined her since. Now Mott also has the chance to polish the legacy of Malibu Moon.

With the genetic goods for distance, maturity and indeed different surfaces, Gormley has made an auspicious start with seven scorers from 21 starters to date, already including a Grade II scorer and runner-up. Of course, these remain the very earliest of days. And it must be said that for now he's only just keeping step, by earnings, with Stanford. The Tommy Town sire, from the family of Pulpit and Johannesburg, has had no fewer than nine winners from just 14 starters to date. Mr. Z is up and running, too, with four from 12.

But this week of all weeks, we have to hope that Gormley can keep their sire's flame alive at Spendthrift. As part of its “Safe Bet” program, after all, he exemplifies the enterprise and dynamism of the extraordinary man who relaunched the farm. This had guaranteed at least one graded stakes winner for Gormley in 2021, failing which no covering fee would be charged to those backing him for his fourth crop. A classic Hughes initiative–and it's a comfort that he had, at least, been able to welcome Gormley keeping his part of the bargain so soon.

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