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Saudi Crown, Bold Journey On To Dubai, Skelly Back To The States

Trainer Brad Cox confirmed that FMQ Stables' Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming), a brave third in the G1 Saudi Cup after setting bruising fractions up front, has shipped to Dubai and has settled in at Meydan Raceourse. The $45,000 Keeneland January short-yearling turned $240,000 OBS April breezer holds an entry for the G1 Dubai World Cup, where he would face a rematch with the two horses that finished ahead of him last weekend–Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) and Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}). But Cox aid that the tentatively target is the Mar. 30 G2 Godolphin Mile.

“We were very proud of his effort and he came out of the race in good order,” trainer Brad Cox said by phone Monday. “So we packed him up, he landed safely in Dubai, and we are leaning towards the Godolphin Mile.”

The grey colt saw out nine furlongs well enough to take out last year's GI Pennsylvania Derby, and although well-beaten in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, rebounded with a strong victory in the GIII Louisiana S. to punch his ticket to Riyadh. Hard-sent to the lead in the Saudi Cup, Saudi Crown covered the opening 800 meters in :46.01–with no run-up–and held on stubbornly to be right in the finish. But it will be less distance and not more on Mar. 30.

“When you're running against the best horses in the world,” Cox said, “we think that the answer to that question is to run him over a mile.”

Among the horses he could face is defending champion Isolate (Mark Valeski), a meritorious sixth in the Saudi Cup.

 

 

 

As a result of his outstanding third-place effort behind Japan's Remake (Jpn) (Lani) and top American sprinter Skelly (Practical Joke) in Saturday's G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, Pantofel Stable, Adam Wachtel and Gary Barber's Bold Journey (Hard Spun) has been invited to run in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen Mar. 30. The 5-year-old arrived in the Emirates in good order Monday, Wachtel said.

“He came out of the race in good order, little bit scraped up, there was a little collision there at the gate, but nothing at all serious,” Wachtel said of the Bill Mott trainee.

The New York-bred, who was briefly on the Triple Crown trail in 2022, has found his best form over six furlongs, and won three straight in the Big Apple in late fall and early winter, including the GIII Fall Highweight H. Nov. 24 and the Dec. 30 Gravesend S. He settled well back in the run in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint, as Skelly locked horns with the top Saudi-based sprinter Rebellious Stage (Justify), but came with a solid rally nearer the inside to fill third spot, beaten three lengths for all of it.

“We thought if he performed well he might get an invite and that it might make some sense for a couple of reasons: we are already kind of there and we established that he is a serious sprinter,” Wachtel said. “I feel like he's improving and he did us very proud and I think he earned the right to run in a race like [the Golden Shaheen].”

Wachtel is looking forward to the opportunity, even if pre-existing commitments will mean he will be in abstentia.

Bold Journey and Saudi Crown galloping in Riyadh | Horsephotos

“We're pretty excited about it, he seems to be turning into the horse we'd hoped he would,” Wachtel said. “I don't know if he's good enough to do what he just did in Dubai, but we think it's a great move. I hope that at the end of the year, we're in the conversation as one of the best sprinters in the country.  Hopefully he'll take to Dubai as he did to Saudi Arabia and he'll come running down the lane.”

The Wachtel part-owned and Mott-conditioned Long On Value (Value Plus) missed by a zop in the 2017 G1 Al Quoz Sprint, while Gray Magician (Graydar), also campaigned by Wachtel in partnership, completed a U.S.-bred 1-2 behind Plus Que Parfait (Point of Entry) in the 2019 G2 UAE Derby.

Skelly, a game second after making the running last Saturday, is booked on a Chicago-bound flight this coming Thursday and will therefore pass on the Golden Shaheen, trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday.

“I thought he gave it a great effort. We want to get him back in a winning spot and there is a valuable spot at Oaklawn to do just that,” Asmussen said, likely referring to the $500,000 GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. Apr. 13. “We were very proud of his effort, but we thought it was very important to get him back winning and he's won seven in a row at Oaklawn. If he had won, we would probably have gone on, but he didn't, so we'll bring him back home.”

Asmussen indicated that the same two-race sequence in the Middle East in a strong possibility for 2025.

Among those also returning to the states are Saudi Cup fourth National Treasure (Quality Road) to point for a summer campaign; narrow Saudi Derby runner-up Book'em Danno (Bucchero), who is reportedly headed to the $600,000 GII Pat Day Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard May 4; and White Abarrio (Race Day), 10th in the Saudi Cup who has a repeat in the GI Whitney S. as a long-term objective.

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Timberlake Fine After Rebel Win, Next Start Undecided

WinStar Farm's Timberlake (Into Mischief) exited his win in Saturday's GII Rebel S. in fine shape, according to Jorgito Abrego, Oaklawn Park assistant to trainer Brad Cox.

“He looks good,” Abrego said. “Looks very happy.”

Timberlake, winner of last year's GI Champagne S. and fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, collected 50 qualifying points for the victory and has 66 overall to rank number one on the Kentucky Derby leader board released Saturday by Churchill Downs. The Rebel was his first victory around two turns.

“I'm very happy,” said Abrego, who saddled Timberlake with Cox in Saudi Arabia for Saturday's G1 Saudi Cup. “First time running as a 3-year-old. It's a good start for getting him to the Kentucky Derby.”

Timberlake is expected to ship back to Cox's Fair Grounds base Monday and his next start is still to be determined.

The Rebel victory continued Cox's domination of Oaklawn's Derby prep races. Since 2021, the trainer has won seven of the track's last 15 points races. He won Oaklawn's first 2024 Kentucky Derby points race, the Jan. 1 Smarty Jones S., with Catching Freedom (Constitution).

“I love it,” Abrego said with a laugh. “Keep it going. Never stop.”

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The Week in Review: HISA Needs to Expand Oversight to Include 2-Year-Old Sales

The team at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company does everything it can to run a clean sale. Under OBS's conditions of sale, no medication may be administered within 24 hours of a horse's under-tack performance, 10 to 15% of the horses who are going to sell are tested, and in 2019, OBS prohibited the use of bronchodilators like Clenbuterol at all of its sales.

It may not be enough.

The Jeffrey Englehart story has suggested that may be the case. Englehart bought a Classic Empire colt at the OBS auction last year on June 15. Some five months later the horse, which was unraced and unnamed, broke down while working at Finger Lakes and had to be euthanized. In such a case, the deceased horse is tested by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), an arm of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA). The horse, identified as Fast Heart 2021 (the dam is Fast Heart and the horse was born in 2021), tested positive for Clenbuterol.

Englehart, facing a possible suspension of up to two years, was adamant that he never gave the horse the drug and speculated that Fast Heart 2021 was given Clenbuterol leading up to the sale in hopes that it would help the horse to work faster and sell for more. Last week, HIWU cleared Englehart after the results of a segmented hair test showed that the Clenbuterol was in fact given to the horse prior to Englehart taking possession.

The colt was purchased for $4,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale Oct. 26, 2022. The purchaser was Juan Centeno, who entered the horse back in the Ocala sale. Centeno sells under the name of All Dreams Equine. Since the story broke, Centeno has not responded to attempts made by the TDN to get his side of the story.

Englehart bought two horses from Centeno's consignment. On his own, Englehart said he paid to have a segmented hair test done on the other horse, a filly named She She's Shadow (Bucchero). According to Englehart, that horse also tested positive for Clenbuterol.

Englehart charged that Clenbuterol use is “rampant” at 2-year-old sales.

“I think if they did a hair test on every horse (entered in a 2-year-old sale) 70 to 80% would be positive for Clenbuterol,” Englehart said.

That may or may not be the case, but if a PED can result in a horse working just a fraction of a second faster than it would have without drugs, it could be a powerful incentive to cheat; one that can means tens of thousands of dollars to the seller.

Still another problem revolves around the use of  bisphosphonates, a controversial group of drugs used in older horses to tackle issues like navicular disease, but also used in younger horses to treat things like sore shins. Once administered, they can stay in a horse's system for years, which could mean a horse given bisphosphonates before a sale could turn up positive long after it was purchased and the current trainer would be vulnerable to suspensions and fines.

HISA and HIWU were created eliminate doping and abuse in Thoroughbred racing, which nearly everyone admits is a problem. Cheating isn't necessarily limited to the racetrack, but that is where HISA focuses almost all of its efforts. Horses aren't subjected to HISA rules and HIWU drug testing until they have had their first officially timed and published workout. That's when they become “covered” horses. As long as they don't own or train any active racehorses, 2-year-old consignors also will not be “covered” or subject to HISA/HIWU oversight and regulations.

The Englehart saga is evidence that this is a problem that needs to be rectified. That hasn't been lost on HISA.

As reported by the Paulick Report, Ann McGovern, who oversees the HISA Racetrack Safety Program, gave a presentation in June at the Track Superintendent Field Day held at Horseshoe Indianapolis. When asked about the issue of HISA having no jurisdiction over 2-year-old sales, McGovern said that in her own opinion, “It's a place that needs regulation, absolutely.”

In September, colleague T.D. Thornton wrote that HISA had initiated discussions with sales companies in an attempt to bring about voluntary compliance with medication rules and regulations.

HISA and its CEO Lisa Lazarus have plenty on their plates and making changes to what is already a complicated set of protocols and regulations is not something that can be done easily. But HISA is doing an incomplete job if it ignores such an important part off the sport as 2-year-old sales or, for that matter, all sales. At the very least, a horse should become a covered horse as soon as they turn two.

If HISA were in charge of policing the June OBS sale would the Fast Heart 2021 story have turned out any differently? That's hard to say. But with HISA staying away from sales, it stands to reason that the would-be cheaters have less to worry about if they try to beat the system.

If HISA is going to clean up racing, clean up all of racing. Huge money is involved when it comes to 2-year-old sales and getting a horse to work as fast as it can is the primary goal of many consignors. Hopefully, very few will use performance-enhancing drugs on horses about to be sold as 2-year-olds, but the incentive to do so is obviously there. HISA needs to take on a larger role that includes 2-year-old sales.

A Banner Day for the Coach

It wasn't a perfect afternoon Saturday at Oaklawn for Wayne Lukas, whose best 3-year-old colt, Just Steel (Justify), was a disappointing seventh in the GII Rebel S., dimming Lukas's hopes of winning his first GI Kentucky Derby in 25 years. But the Hall of Famer still did plenty right on Saturday. He now has a contender for the GI Kentucky Oaks after Lemon Muffin (Collected) upset the GIII Honeybee S. at odds of 28-1.

The filly was only in the race because Lukas continues to take chances that most modern-day trainers won't. Not only was Lemon Muffin still a maiden after five starts, she had never gone beyond six furlongs. But Lukas went into the race brimming with confidence.

“Watch out here,” Lukas said prior to the race. “This one has some ability. Running her in the Honeybee is not the big, giant step some might think. She is just dying to go two turns. She's got a lot of ability and is a competitive, hard-trying filly. This isn't the big step forward you might think from looking at her on paper.”

On the same card, Lukas won an allowance race with Seize the Grey (Arrogate) and finished second in the Carousel S. with Backyard Money (Midshipman)

The ever-optimistic Lukas predicts that he is going to have a big year, in large part because of the horses being funneled his way by John Bellinger and Brian Coelho, who race under the name of BC Stables LLC.

“[Bellinger and Coelho] have a beautiful set of 2-year-olds that are being prepped right now,” Lukas said. “It's an extremely good set. They've got Gun Runners, Justifys, Into Mischiefs, Quality Roads. I am going to go out on a limb and say this is my best set of 2-year-olds in years and years. We should have a helluva Saratoga. I'm getting great reviews out of Ocala on those 2-year-olds.”

No Excuses For White Abarrio

White Abbario (Race Day) threw in an absolute clunker when finishing 10th in Saturday's G1 Saudi Cup. According to co-owner Mark Cornett, the horse came out of the race fine and no one has come up with an explanation as to why he didn't fire.

“He came out of the race perfectly,” Cornett said. “He cooled out in 10 minutes and wasn't blowing, wasn't doing anything. It was like he never ran.”

The owners were contemplating a start in the G1 Dubai World Cup, but that's no longer in their plans. White Abarrio will be shipped home Feb. 29.

“We'll give him some time off, but not too much because he didn't even run,” Cornett said. “We're going to come home and re-group. We don't know yet where he's going to run. Our big goal for the summer will probably be the Whitney again. How we get there, I don't know yet. Probably we could have him ready for the Met Mile. The only thing about that is it's going to be run at Saratoga, so it's going to be a little bit different race.  They run the mile races there out of the [Wilson] chute and I'm not a fan of that.”

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Rebel Goes to Timberlake in Classy Effort

Two turns? It turns out there's no problem.

When Timberlake (c, 3, Into Mischief–Pin Up {Ire}, by Lookin At Lucky) finished a somewhat rank, then flat, fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile last November, questions swirled about his ability to get two turns. Trainer Brad Cox brushed the questions aside and let the horse do the talking. A freshened Timberlake, making his first start of the year in Oaklawn's GII Rebel S. Saturday, captured the $1.3-million race by a resounding two lengths over Kenny McPeek trainees Common Defense (Karakontie {Jpn}) and Northern Flame (Flameaway). The Rebel offered points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale.

When the Rebel gates flew, Timberlake broke smoothly to tuck in nicely behind the speed in fourth. 'TDN Rising Star' Carbone (Mitole) led the way, with Northern Flame just behind and Woodcourt (Ransom the Moon) pressuring from third. Timberlake held his spot as Common Defense slipped through on the inside and Mena (Hard Spun) ranged up to his outside. Up front, Carbone notched the first quarter in :23.20 and the half in :47.67 as Timberlake sat loaded and patient a few lengths back. The winner swung wide on the turn, took several strides to swap to his correct lead, drifted out under a left-hand stick, and corrected in the lane. Jockey Cristian Torres stayed busy late, keeping Timberlake's mind on business, and the pair edged clear, holding a rail-rallying Common Defense at bay by two lengths.

Timberlake has done very little wrong in his eight-month career. A June debut at Ellis Park saw him break a step slow and finish several spots off the board behind Rhyme Schemes (Ghostzapper), who later won the GII Saratoga Special. A month later, Timberlake made good on the $350,000 WinStar Farm shelled out for him at the previous year's Keeneland September sale as he ran away by 9 1/4 lengths to win at seven furlongs and nab the 'TDN Rising Star' tag reserved for special prospects. A second in the GI Hopeful S. and that fourth in the Breeders' Cup were sandwiched around a daylight victory by the bay in the GI Champagne S.

The Rebel marked Timberlake's first start of the year; he had been ranked ninth on the most recent TDN Sophomore Top 12 going into the Rebel. He was the sole Grade I winner in Oaklawn's Saturday feature and also owned the highest speed figures with a pair of 93 Beyers.

Pedigree Notes:

Bred in Kentucky by St. Elias, Timberlake is one of 68 graded winners for Spendthrift's five-time leading sire Into Mischief, who also sports a gaudy 145 black-type winners worldwide. While Timberlake is the only Into Mischief stakes winner out of a Lookin At Lucky mare, he also has GSW Bye Bye out of a mare by Smart Strike, Lookin At Lucky's sire, and a great number of black-type winners hailing from the Mr. Prospector broodmare line. The latter includes 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic, who stands beside his sire at Spendthrift. Lookin At Lucky, who is not standing this Northern Hemisphere season but remained in Chile, has 11 stakes winners out of his daughters.

Pin Up (Ire), dam of Timberlake, won twice at marathon distances in England. Her dam, by Sadler's Wells, is a full-sister to Irish champions and G1SWs Yesterday (Ire) and Quarter Moon (Ire), as well as a half-sister to $5.2-million Fasig-Tipton broodmare Betterbetterbetter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Pin Up produced a 2022 colt by Army Mule, who brought $30,000 from Tate Shaw at last October's Fasig-Tipton yearling sale, and a 2023 colt by Known Agenda.

Timberlake traces tail female to Mumtaz Mahal (GB) (The Tetrarch {GB}), who was known as the “Flying Filly,” and was one of the Aga Khan's foundation mares. Mumtaz Mahal, born in 1921 yet whose influence is still felt today, is Timberlake's 10th dam.

 

Saturday, Oaklawn
REBEL S.-GII, $1,250,000, Oaklawn, 2-24, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.00, ft.
1–TIMBERLAKE, 119, c, 3, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Pin Up (Ire) (SP-Eng), by Lookin At Lucky
                2nd Dam: All My Loving (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
                3rd Dam: Jude (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
($350,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). 'TDN Rising Star' O-WinStar Farm
LLC; B-St. Elias Stables, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Cristian A.
Torres. $618,750. Lifetime Record: GISW, 6-3-1-0, $1,094,350.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Common Defense, 117, c, 3, Karakontie (Jpn)–Allusion, by
Street Cry (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($9,000 RNA Wlg '21 KEENOV). O-David A. Bernsen, Tony &
Michael Holmes & Norevale Farm; B-Tony Holmes, Norevale
Farm & Union Dale (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $206,250.
3–Northern Flame, 122, c, 3, Flameaway–Darling's Darling, by
Bernardini. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($425,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG). O-Jack Oxley, Harold Lerner LLC,
AWC Stables & Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek); B-Debby
Oxley (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $103,125.
Margins: 2, 3, 1. Odds: 0.80, 27.20, 15.20.
Also Ran: Woodcourt, Dimatic, Carbone, Just Steel, Next Level, Lagynos, Magic Grant, Mena, Tejon Pass. Scratched: Time for Truth. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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