Pioneerof the Nile | Horse Racing Free Tips

What’s In A Name? Morgana, Merlin The Wizard, Will Scarlet, Bobsleigh, Shiffrin

Craon's June 16-winning filly Morgana is by supremely established sire Camelot, as she should be. Morgana (also known as Morgan Le Fay) is quite a presence in the legends of the Knights of the Round Table: sorcerer, enchantress, half-sister and rival to King Arthur, apprentice and maybe lover of Merlin, deadly enemy of Queen Guinevere while secretly in love with, of course, none other than Lancelot. Camelot was no convent finishing school: the court had more intrigues and betrayals than the palace of a late Roman emperor. The name of this 3-year-old filly is particularly fitting, as her dam is called Magic Mist. “Fata Morgana” is a form of mirage, well known to sailors looking at the horizon in open sea, probably caused by vapor and condensation: a magic mist indeed, which makes the name of the filly overflowing with sense and significance. Repeat 3-year-old winner Merlin The Wizard, also by Camelot, obviously, is a similarly straightforward case of Arthurian nostalgia. I believe that there is also a Camelot Lady of the Lake in National Hunt: the sire is clearly a good educator–Excalibur is in good hands.

Morgana (Fr), f, 3, Camelot (GB)–Magic Mist (Ire), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). Craon, 6-16, 8 1/4fT, 1:45.73. B-Ecurie Skymarc Farm (FR). *€85,000 RNA Ylg '21 ARQAUG.

Merlin The Wizard (GB), g, 3, Camelot (GB)–Sweet Gentle Kiss (Ire) (GSW-Ity, $212,150), by Henrythenavigator. Kempton, 6-7, 7f (AWT), 1:26.60. Lifetime Record: 3-1-1-0, $9,813. B-Blue Diamond Stud Farm (UK) Ltd (GB). *120,000gns RNA Ylg '21 TATOCT.

Robin Hood is the very model of the well-meaning Great Outlaw, secretly loved by the masses–for stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, and maybe other reasons as well. There is much Sherwood Forest lore in the name of young Longchamp winner Will Scarlet: his namesake was one of Robin's Merry Men (along with Little John and Friar Tuck) and the dam is Lady Marian, the on-off girlfriend of the great man in green tights.

1st-ParisLongchamp, €34,000, Cond, 6-15, 2yo, 7fT, 1:26.60, gd. WILL SCARLET (GB) (c, 2, Masar {Ire}–Lady Marian {Ger} {G1SW-Fr, GSW & G1SP-Ger, $546,566}, by Nayef. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Andre Fabre.

There may be an intriguing connection between the names of multiple 2-year-old winner Bobsleigh and his dam Lady Rosebud, via Orson Welles's masterpiece film “Citizen Kane”, but to disclose it could be a spoiler for the people who have not seen the movie, so here I stop.

1st-Epsom, €75,000, Cond (Woodcote), 6-2, 2yo, 6f 3yT, 1:08.99, g/f. BOBSLEIGH (IRE) (g, 2, Elzaam {Aus}–Lady Rosebud {Ire}, by Sir Prancealot {Ire}), O-The Woodway 20; B-Ms P Walsh (IRE); T-Eve Johnson Houghton.

In the case of Clairefontaine 2-year-old winning filly, Shiffrin and Olympic Glory sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble: Olympian US skier Mikaela Shiffrin has two gold medals to her name and has dominated her sport for some time.

Shiffrin (Ire), f, 2, Olympic Glory (Ire)–Scruples, by Pioneerof the Nile. Clairefontaine, 7-7, 8fT, 1:38.40. B-Haras d'Etreham (IRE).

The post What’s In A Name? Morgana, Merlin The Wizard, Will Scarlet, Bobsleigh, Shiffrin appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Friday Insights: Half To Justify Leads Belmont Maiden Field

3rd-BEL, $90K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 1m, 2:07 p.m.

The only first-time starter facing a field of more experienced maidens, SPELL ON YOU (Curlin) makes her afternoon debut Friday as a homebred for John Gunther, also the breeder of the filly's Triple Crown-winning half-brother Justify (Scat Daddy). Dam Stage Magic, 2018's broodmare of the year, is also responsible for the late GSW The Lieutenant (Street Sense) along with 'TDN Rising Star' Stage Raider (Pioneerof the Nile). Under the tutelage of trainer Jorge Abreu, Spell On You picks up jockey Dylan Davis for her unveiling. TJCIS PPS

The post Friday Insights: Half To Justify Leads Belmont Maiden Field appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Dazzling Blue Dazzles Once Again at Churchill

2nd-Churchill Downs, $127,840, Alw (NW2X)/Opt. Clm ($125,000), 5-19, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:10.28, ft, 8 3/4 lengths.
DAZZLING BLUE (f, 3, Into Mischief–Blue Violet {SW & MGSP, $237,356}, by Curlin) broke her maiden on debut last fall at Churchill Downs when she won by 4 1/2 lengths and then shipped to her trainer's winter base in December where she won the Letellier Memorial S. by 3 lengths at Fair Grounds before going to the bench. Off as the 4-5 favorite here, the bay filly seized the lead down the backstretch after a slow beginning. Rounding the far turn, Dazzling Blue set sail and into the stretch she dropped the hammer on previously unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Sunday Shoes (Pioneerof the Nile) to declare victory by 8 3/4 lengths. The winner's dam dropped a new colt by Bolt d'Oro Feb. 24. Sales History: $500,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $205,920. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Juddmonte; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.

The post Dazzling Blue Dazzles Once Again at Churchill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Matareya Takes Derby City Distaff; Champ Goodnight Olive Endures Brutal Trip

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It was a tale of two trips as Godolphin homebred Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile) delivered a one-length victory over Wicked Halo (Gun Runner) in Saturday's GI Derby City Distaff to kick off the graded action on Kentucky Derby day at Churchill Downs. Heavily favored champion female sprinter Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) was a very unlucky third.

Godolphin was victorious with the Brendan Walsh-trained Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) in Friday's GI Kentucky Oaks. Sheikh Mohammed's operation and Matareya's trainer Brad Cox finished fourth with the Oaks beaten favorite Wet Paint (Blame).

“It was a very big effort,” Cox said. “I'm very proud of her. Flavien (Prat) did a really good job of getting her into position. There were some really good fillies in there.”

Matareya, off at odds of 5-1 in the six-horse field, sat a dream trip beneath Flavien Prat stalking from second. She gained command at the top of the lane and took care of business from there to secure her second career Grade I victory. Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Goodnight Olive, meanwhile, found herself completely boxed in behind the winner while racing on the inside of Wicked Halo for the length of the stretch and never got a chance to run beneath jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr.

“I was stuck, the entire way,” Ortiz said. “I had no place to go. I couldn't get out of there. I had tons of horse, just no place to go.”

Matareya, winner of the GII Eight Belles S. on the Kentucky Oaks program last year, capped a four-race winning streak with her first win at the top level in the GI Acorn S. on Belmont Stakes day June 11. She concluded her sophomore campaign with a third-place finish as the big favorite over a good going in Saratoga's GI Test S. Aug. 6. She resurfaced to finish second to Wicked Halo after leading in the stretch over a muddy track last time in Oaklawn's Mar. 31 Matron S.

Pedigree Notes:

Matareya is one of four Grade I winners for her late sire Pioneerof the Nile. She is one 15 Grade I winners for broodmare sire Bernardini.

Matareya's Grade III-winning dam is a daughter of Golden Velvet, who was stakes-placed in France before adding a pair of graded victories and a runner-up effort in the 2008 GI Ogden Phipps H. Golden Velvet is a daughter of Harbor View Farm's outstanding turfer Caress, who was purchased by John Ferguson on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed's global operation for $3.1 million at the 2000 Keeneland November sale a handful of months after the mare foaled a Pulpit colt. That offspring, Sky Mesa ($750,000 KEESEP yearling), was raced by John Oxley to a victory in the GI Hopeful S. Caress is also the dam of Velvety (Bernardini), whose son MGISW Maxfield (Street Sense) closed out his career with a win in the GI Clark H. and now stands at Darley at Jonabell.

Innovative Idea is the dam of the unraced 3-year-old filly Methodology (Uncle Mo). She is also responsible for a yearling colt and a 2-year-old colt by the same stallion. She visited Curlin for 2023.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
DERBY CITY DISTAFF S. PRESENTED BY KENDALL-JACKSON WINERY-GI, $750,000, Churchill Downs, 5-6, 4yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:21.87, ft.
1–MATAREYA, 123, f, 4, by Pioneerof the Nile
                1st Dam: Innovative Idea (GSW, $229,343),
                                by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Golden Velvet, by Seeking the Gold
                3rd Dam: Caress, by Storm Cat
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $460,350.
Lifetime Record: 11-6-3-1, $1,517,217. Werk Nick Rating:
A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Wicked Halo, 123, f, 4, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Just Wicked (GSW, $208,460), by Tapit
2nd Dam: Wicked Deed, by Harlan's Holiday
3rd Dam: Marfa's Squall, by Marfa
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.
$148,500.
3–Goodnight Olive, 123, m, 5, by Ghostzapper
1st Dam: Salty Strike (MGSW, $485,266), by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Lake Huron, by Salt Lake
3rd Dam: My Rainbow, by Lyphard
($170,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT). O-First Row Partners and Team
Hanley; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Chad
Brown. $74,250.
Margins: 1, 1, 3 1/4. Odds: 5.06, 3.74, 0.57.
Also Ran: Hot and Sultry, My Destiny, Travel Column.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Matareya Takes Derby City Distaff; Champ Goodnight Olive Endures Brutal Trip appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post