Seven Days: Bringing Out The Big Guns

A few weeks ago the bookmaker Fitzdares made Dubawi (Ire) favourite to be champion sire this year for the first time, and perhaps no horse deserves it more than Darley's utterly dependable 20-year-old. However, the race to the top will not be easy, particularly judging by the apparent strength in depth of the challenge of Frankel's offspring for this year's major races.

Though the reigning champion, as well as the Gosden stable and owner-breeders Cheveley Park Stud, were dealt a blow by the withdrawal of Inspiral (GB) from Sunday's QIPCO 1000 Guineas, the season is but young. The G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot now seems to be the favoured target for Inspiral's reappearance, and naturally she also holds entries for the Irish 1000 Guineas and the Oaks.

In the meantime, Frankel has not been short of promising 3-year-olds to represent him in the past week, with a number of them signalling the blossoming of the Gosden yard, which had been a little slower to spring to life this season compared to last. The six winners from Clarehaven Stables over the last seven days included a Saturday double from Nashwa (GB) and Magisterial (GB), both by Frankel and both with Epsom on their agenda.

Nashwa represents the 'Cracksman cross' of Frankel on Pivotal (GB), the filly's dam, Princess Loulou (Ire) having been bought as a yearling from breeder David Brown of Furnace Mill Stud for 310,000gns. Having raced for the partnership of Imad Al Sagar and Saleh Al Homaizi, finishing runner-up in the G1 Prix Jean Romanet and then landing the Listed Gillies Fillies' S. on her final start, Princess Loulou is now wholly owned by Al Sagar. The Kuwaiti owner-breeder has continued to be a significant solo presence among the British ranks and earlier this year bolstered his team at Blue Diamond Stud with the appointments of Teddy Grimthorpe and Ted Voute. Nashwa's odds quartered for the Oaks following her facile win on Saturday, and she would be fully deserving of a place at Epsom in a bid to give her owner his chance of celebrating a third Classic success following Authorized (Ire) in the Derby and Araafa (Ire) in the Irish 2000 Guineas.

Owner-breeder Bjorn Nielsen has made no secret of how he yearns to win the Derby, and he has a potential candidate this year in Magisterial, the Frankel colt out of Hoity Toity (GB) (Darshaan {GB}). Epsom omens can be found not too far away in his pedigree as Magisterial's half-sister Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) is the dam of the 2016 Oaks heroine Minding (Ire), by Frankel's sire Galileo (Ire), and indeed that mighty racemare's full-sister Tuesday (Ire) is currently favourite for this year's Oaks following her maiden win at Naas in March.

A Day At The Races

Second-favourite to Tuesday in the Oaks betting following the most visually impressive performance of last week is another Gosden trainee, Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Bred under a foal-share arrangement between her sire's owner, the Tsuis' Sunderland Holdings, and Lordship Stud, the statuesque filly was let go as a yearling for 60,000gns at October Book 2. She now has two wins to her name from two starts, and carried seven pounds more than her 11 rivals on Friday for her initial victory at Wolverhampton last November, which makes her nine-and-a-half-length win even more noteworthy. 

“Not many horses take my breath away,” said Frankie Dettori after dismounting from Emily Upjohn, who takes her name from a character in the Marx Brothers film A Day At The Races and hails from the immediate family of Sea The Stars's Derby winner Harzand (Ire). The jockey, who would know better than anyone, added ominously, “Enable was big and it never stopped her.”

John Gosden has won the Oaks three times in the last eight years, starting with another daughter of Sea The Stars, Taghrooda (Ire). The stable looks well placed to add Thady Gosden's name to a Classic roll of honour this season, even without Inspiral lining up this Sunday at Newmarket. 

Frankel Abounds

Godolphin weren't exactly short of Derby entries, with 13 remaining in the list, but that number was boosted by one last Tuesday when a rare well-bred colt without an entry, Nahanni (GB)–yep, you've guessed it, another son of Frankel–landed the 'win and you're in' Listed Cazoo Blue Riband Trial at Epsom. Out of a Street Cry (Ire) half-sister to Godolphin's St Leger winner Mastery (GB) (Sulamani {Ire}), Nahanni is already a winner over the Derby distance, but at least four of his Charlie Appleby stable-mates remain ahead of him in the betting. 

Friday's G3 Classic Trial at Sandown went the way of yet another Frankel, the Juddmonte homebred Westover (GB), who narrowly came out on top after a tussle with Cash (Ire) (Shamardal). Trained by Ralph Beckett, Westover is a full-brother to Monarchs Glen (GB), one of Frankel's earliest stakes winners. Their dam Mirabilis (Lear Fan)–a Grade III winner in 2006 for the man whom Frankel was named–is a half-sister to the G1 Prix de Diane winner Nebraska Tornado (Storm Cat).

It was disappointing to see only three runners for the G3 Gordon Richards S. on Sandown's Friday card and, with two of those being by Frankel, it was no surprise to see him with yet another back-type victor to his credit. This time it was his 4-year-old son Mostahdaf (GB), owned and bred by Shadwell, and it was another good result for the resurgent Gosden stable, which was also previously home to Mostahdaf's dual Group 1-winning half-sister Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

Mountain High

Among a potentially strong team of older horses for Frankel this season is Kirsten Rausing's treble Group 1 winner Alpinista (GB), who looks set to return in the G1 Coronation Cup, in which she could face last year's Derby winner Adayar (Ire), who shares her sire. 

Alpinista was the first foal of her dam Alwilda (GB), a Listed-winning daughter of the late Lanwades sire Hernando (Fr) and Albanova (GB) (Alzao), who, like her grand-daughter, also won three Group 1 races in Germany. 

Alwilda's second foal, a 3-year-old filly named Alpenblume (GB) (Kendargent {Fr}), has been entrusted by her breeder to second-season Chantilly trainer and old family friend Tim Donworth, who on Sunday sent the filly out to win on debut at Le Pin au Haras.

Interestingly, Scandinavian legend cites Alwilda as a princess-turned-pirate, and she was the inspiration for the tragic poem Il Re Torrismondo, by Torquato Tasso. Food for thought for future mating plans when last year's Arc winner retires to stud.

Ascot Pointers

While Frankel's runners have been dominating the news this week, the name currently at the head of the general sires' list in Europe is Dark Angel (Ire), and he was represented by a hotly anticipated runner on Thursday when Battaash's full-brother The Antarctic (Ire) overcame a little unrest in the stalls to win well on debut for Aidan O'Brien. 

The colt, out of Anna Law (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), was the first of two winners on the Tipperary card for his breeder Ballyphilip Stud. The second came in the following race when Messa Concertata (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}), who is also out of a Lawman mare, took the 3-year-old maiden for Joseph Murphy. 

While it seems fair to assume that O'Brien will be aiming The Antarctic towards Royal Ascot, one of his winners last week who confirmed his ticket to Berkshire was New York City (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who has the G1 Commonwealth Cup on his agenda after winning the Listed Committed S. at Navan. Both Aidan and Joseph O'Brien will now be high on the Christmas card list for the Cantillon family of Tinnakill House, who bred New York City from the G1 Falmouth S. winner Rajeem (GB) (Diktat {GB}), whom they purchased from Darley for €26,000 in 2015. Earlier that year the mare had foaled subsequent G2 Duke Of York S. winner Invincible Army (Ire), a full-brother to New York City who is now at Yeomanstown Stud alongside Dark Angel. The Tinnakill team also bred Joseph O'Brien's globetrotting stable star State Of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), winner of the G1 Cox Plate and GI Saratoga Derby.

A True Gem

Moyglare Stud has enjoyed a decent start to the season, with Group 3 winner Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who remains in the picture for Sunday's 1000 Guineas, and first-time-out juvenile winner Tough Talk (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). Better still, on Saturday Eva Bucher-Haefner's operation had the first two home in the Listed Vintage Crop S with full-siblings, the third-generation homebreds Kyprios (Ire) and Search For A Song (Ire), both by Galileo and aged four and six respectively. 

They are but two of eight black-type winners for their dam Polished Gem (Ire) (Danehill), two of whom, Search For A Song and Free Eagle (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), are Group 1 winners. Now a true blue hen for Moyglare, Polished Gem's sole win in five starts came in a Leopardstown maiden, and she was outshone on the track by her full-sister, the GI Matriarch S. winner Dress To Thrill (Ire), who won six stakes races and was runner-up in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. Less fortunate at stud, however, Dress To Thrill left six foals, only two of whom won, before she died as an 11-year-old. 

Another of their siblings, Trust In Luck (Ire) (Nashwan), features as the grand-dam of the G1 National S. winner Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}).

Chez Pierre Remains Unbeaten

Mehmas (Ire) hasn't put a foot wrong since retiring to Tally-Ho Stud, and has been both the leading first- and second-crop sire in Europe. His statistics in the U.S. make for interesting reading, too, albeit from a small sample to date, though it's easy to see that changing in the coming years, especially with the renewed participation of American buyers at European yearling sales.

Over the weekend, Chez Pierre (Fr), who was unbeaten in France when trained by Francis Graffard, has kept a clean sheet since being sold to race in the States, winning at Tampa Bay in March before landing his first stakes success in the Listed Henry S Clark S. at Laurel Park for Lael Stables and trainer Arnaud Delacour.

Chez Pierre is the third black-type winner in America for Mehmas following GI Del Mar Oaks victrix Going Global (Ire), who is a winning machine across the Atlantic with six graded stakes to her name, and the listed winner Quatroelle (Ire). 

Malavath (Ire), who has to have a decent chance of giving Mehmas his first Classic winner in Sunday's 1000 Guineas, was second in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, while Tetragonal (Ire), Keeper Of Time (Ire) and Optimising (Ire) are also stakes placed. In total, of Mehmas's 14 runners in America, eight have won.

Rogue In Vogue

There aren't too many Dubawi fillies who change hands for 35,000gns, but that was the price paid for Rogue Millennium (Ire), who was bought by Billy Jackson-Stops on behalf of trainer Tom Clover and owners The Rogues Gallery from the Shadwell draft last December.

In a good week for the Newmarket trainer, the 3-year-old out of the G3 Cumberland Lodge S. winner Hawaafez (GB) (Nayef) made her debut at Wetherby and hinted at a bright future ahead with a decisive win. Her page also has plenty of depth to it, featuring Group 1 winners Moonlight Cloud (GB), Generous (Ire) and Imagine (Ire).

It wasn't only the Clover stable celebrating the victory as Robbie Mills of RMM Bloodstock consigns Rogue Millennium's half-sister by Awtaad (Ire) to this week's Guineas Breeze-up Sale at Tattersalls as Lot 315. With a perfectly-timed update, let's hope she posts a similarly well-timed breeze on the Rowley Mile on Tuesday morning. 

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More Trainers Testify Against Fishman As Trial Continues

Two current trainers testified Jan. 27 at Dr. Seth Fishman's horse doping trial that they raced horses on illegal performance-enhancing drugs that came from the accused veterinarian.

The testimony from Adrienne Hall and Jamen Davidovich highlighted the seventh day of Fishman's trial on adulteration and misbranding conspiracy charges. Fishman was one of 27 individuals charged in the case and is the first on trial. Those charged include two prominent trainers–Jason Servis, who is awaiting trial, and Jorge Navarro, who pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Hall, of Monroe, New Jersey, trains horses at the Sunshine Meadows harness track in Florida and last raced a Standardbred last month in New Jersey. Davidovich, also an owner, raced primarily in the Mid-Atlantic in 2020-21. He has starts this year in New York and Ohio and says he approaches the sport now more as a hobby.

Both told the jury of eight women and four men how they went about getting in touch with Fishman in 2017 and 2018 with the sole intention of obtaining from PEDs that wouldn't show up in post-race testing.

“His reputation preceded him,” Davidovich, 31, of Pennsylvania said.

Hall testified Fishman gave her a PED called VO2 Max, which she used to dope a horse and win a harness race in March 2019. Prosecutors have elicited testimony that VO2 Max increases horses' oxygen levels that enable them to run faster and longer but at risk to their safety and well-being.

The jury heard a portion of an FBI wiretap that captured Hall excitedly telling Fishman about the first-place finish.

“I wish you could have seen the race,” Hall says to the veterinarian. “He was so fantastic. He dominated. He was a completely different animal. I was so happy.”

Hall added the horse's final quarter time was 27 seconds.

“What is it usually?” Fishman asks.

“Usually it's :28 or :29 and struggling,” she responds.

Hall testified that the PEDs were a gift from Fishman. She said she believed that was the case because Fishman wanted her to connect him to two trainers she knew.

One of those trainers was Todd Pletcher, the Hall of Famer who runs a large stable.

His name was revealed under cross-examination by Fishman attorney Maurice Sercarz.

Prosecutor Sarah Mortazavi, who initially questioned Hall, never asked Hall to reveal the names during her direct examination.

At the start of her direct testimony, Hall had said that before she got her trainer's license, she worked at two Thoroughbred farms and for Pletcher's stable in an administrative position, not with horses.

Hall told Sercarz that even though she told Fishman she would contact Pletcher, she never did.

Mortazavi then asked why that was when she questioned the witness again.

“He would never take my advice or opinion,” Hall testified, referring to Pletcher. “I would never approach him about something like that.”

Hall was on the witness stand, testifying against Fishman as part of a non-prosecution agreement with prosecutors. They agreed not to prosecute her for doping horses.

Davidovich was testifying without any such agreement. Instead, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify and then was compelled to testify by Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil under a grant of immunity. Under a grant of immunity, a witness can't be charged with any crimes he or she admits to.

Hall and Davidovich could, however, potentially face sanctions from regulators after their testimony. Servis and Navarro have been suspended from racing, as have other indicted individuals.

Davidovich told the jury Fishman began supplying him with PEDs after a meeting at a sushi bar in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He said there was a third person at the meeting, a person he described as “my owner.”

Asked by prosecutor Anden Chow how the subject of PEDs came up, Davidovich responded, “We were talking about different things to make the horse run better.”

Davidovich said that as they got to know each other, Fishman complained to him about Navarro. Prosecutors say Fishman was one of Navarro's suppliers of banned PEDs.

“He said Navarro owed him a lot of money, and he was going to cut him off if he didn't pay,” the witness testified. “He also said he didn't want [Navarro] taking down the whole ship because he had a loud mouth.”

Davidovich said Fishman was referring to a video shot at Monmouth Park in which Navarro and one of his owners bragged after winning a race that Navarro was the “Juice Man.”

Davidovich said he stopped doping horses in 2018 after meeting Dr. Steve Allday, a well-known Thoroughbred veterinarian.

“He was the first person in the business who took me under his wing and taught me a different way of being involved in horse racing,” he testified.

He added: “I know what I did was wrong, and I wanted to move forward in a different way.”

   The Thoroughbred industry's leading publications are working together to cover this key trial.

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Observations: Brother To Invincible Army Debuts at Dundalk

4.27 ParisLongchamp, Debutantes, €27,000, 2yo, c/g, 8fT
CHANCELLERY (IRE) (Medaglia d'Oro) starts out for Godolphin and Andre Fabre three months after topping the Arqana Breeze Up Sale at £675,000. From the family of Aljabr (Storm Cat), the March-foaled bay meets Hypotenus (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), the Wertheimers' full-brother to the G3 Prix d'Aumale scorer Soustraction (Ire) and a half to the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Matematica (Ger) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) who debuts for their trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias.

4.30 Dundalk, Mdn,  €12,000, 2yo, 6f (AWT)
NEW YORK CITY (IRE) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) debuts for Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor and Smith and is a 600,000gns Book 1-bought full-brother to the G2 Duke of York S.-winning sire Invincible Army (Ire). Aidan O'Brien readies the February-foaled bay, whose dam Rajeem (GB) (Diktat {GB}) sprang a 50-1 upset in the 2006 G1 Falmouth S.

5.02 ParisLongchamp, Debutantes, €27,000, 2yo, f, 8fT
AGAVE (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is a significant Juddmonte homebred on the card, being a daughter of the G2 Prix de Pomone third Contribution (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) who is in turn a half to the mighty Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). Andre Fabre introduces the February-foaled homebred is joined by stablemate Mqse De Sevigne (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), Baron Edouard De Rothschild's half-sister to the four-times group 1 winner Meandre (Fr) (Slickly {Fr}).

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Wallace Station: A Savory Blend of Thoroughbed Hospitality and Culinary Acclaim

From the TDN Look

After following a roundabout encircling a giant bronze statue of Secretariat, a 16.9 mile historic road called Old Frankfort Pike twists and turns alongside ancient limestone rock walls and fenceline that holds some of the best Thoroughbred breeding stock in the country.

The byway connecting Lexington and Frankfort has been named one of ‘America’s Most Outstanding Scenic Byways’ and is often referred to as ‘Thoroughbred Alley’- a nod to the industry that has been a part of the area’s history even before Kentucky was admitted to the Union in 1792. Three Chimneys, Darby Dan, Darley America, Lane’s End, and Stonestreet are just a few of the imposing gates tourists often slow beside to take a snapshot, leaving the locals shaking their heads at the habitual delay.

About halfway between the two cities, just outside of Midway and past Three Chimneys Farm, sits an aged but well-preserved building, an antique in a postcard from a bygone century. For many that pass, it receives nothing more than a glance. But on a warm, sunny day, a line stretching out the door and around the corner indicates that the place is worth notice.

The building that is home to Wallace Station has received a spot on the National Register for Historic Places, but the restaurant itself has won the praise of both Lexington natives and world-renowned culinary professionals.

Wallace Station had its biggest claim-to-fame when it was featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, but most days, guests include various staff from nearby farms relaxing on their lunch break.

Owner Ouita Michel is world-renowned for the family of restaurants she has built in Lexington over the past two decades. Her businesses have been featured in the New York Times, Southern Living, and the Food Network. But Michel said she believes that the horse racing community is the heartbeat of Wallace Station.

Michel was born and raised in Lexington, but she said that her true introduction to the world of Thoroughbreds didn’t happen until she moved back to the heart of horse country after a stint in New York City and was introduced to a certain horse racing ambassador upon her return.

“To be honest, I didn’t know much about the Thoroughbred industry until I moved to Midway about 20 years ago,” Michel said. “I started learning the history from Michael Blowen, who owns Old Friends (equine retirement farm). Michael and his wife Diane moved to Midway the same year as my husband and I. They were some of our very first customers, and Michael gave me an education in Thoroughbred history. It was amazing to know right where we were living was where it all started.”

Michel grew up downtown on State Street. Her father was a professor at the University of Kentucky’s medical school. Michel would grow up to become a Kentucky Wildcat, making a name for herself on campus by winning the National Debate Tournament her senior year. From there, she made the move to New York City.

“My family really wanted me to go to law school,” she recalled. “But I got my first restaurant job in New York City, and the rest is history.”Michel honed her new trade for several years in Manhattan, working at various restaurants and attending the Culinary Institute of America. While there, she met her husband Chris.

“I came back to Kentucky to plan my wedding. My mom was so worried we were going to have a New York wedding. She begged me to come home,” Michel said with a laugh.

Upon her return, Michel said she knew immediately that Kentucky was where she belonged.

“Once I got back to Lexington, I just really loved it,” she said. “I loved how accessible everything was. I also had a strong feeling that when I owned a restaurant, I wanted to cook for people that I knew and loved, for my family and my friends.”

To read the rest of this story at the TDN Look, or to watch the video or hear it as a podcast, click here.

 

 

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