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Guarana Has Sights On Fourth Grade 1 In ‘Win And You’re In’ Ballerina At Saratoga

Following a gritty effort to win the Grade 1 Madison on July 11 at Keeneland, Three Chimneys Farm and Hill n Dale Equine Holdings' Guarana is scheduled to seek a fourth career Grade 1 triumph in the $300,000 Ballerina presented by NYRA Bets on August 8 at Saratoga.

The seven-furlong event over the main track for older fillies and mares is a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” event and provides an automatic entry towards the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on November 6 at Keeneland.

“I think that's a logical target,” said Doug Cauthen, Vice Chairman of Three Chimneys Farm. “Like with all of them, we let them guide us there but it's definitely on the radar. Hopefully, she can have a good summer and fall.”

Trained by Chad Brown, Guarana boasts a consistent 6-5-1-0 record with three of her victories taking place against Grade 1 competition. In her most recent effort, the Ghostzapper filly commanded the pace early on and was confronted to the outside by Mia Mischief at the top of the stretch who appeared to be in winning contention at the three-sixteenths. Guarana refused to be denied and battled back along the rail to win by a half-length.

“I think she gained even more fans for her courage,” said Cauthen. “It's hard to get passed up and then come back. She was definitely more than game that day. She's really a very special filly and special to everybody here because she's a homebred and she's just brilliant.”

Following a sensational career debut last April at Keeneland, Guarana followed up by defeating Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress in the Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont Park en route to a two-turn score in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at the Spa.

“She's multi-dimensional,” Cauthen said. “She showed that talent last year winning one turn races and winning going two turns at Saratoga as well.”

Guarana is out of the Distorted Humor broodmare Magical World whose dam was the 2005 Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Pleasant Home. Her fourth dam was Grade 1-winner Maplejinsky, who produced Hall of Famer and 1994 Champion Older Female Sky Beauty.

“She's got a lot of the scope and the mare has plenty of scope and quality,” Cauthen said. “She [Magical World] is a Distorted Humor mare that's bigger than most Distorted Humor mares. Just quality and class that runs through the line.”

Fans of Guarana can look forward to seeing her Pioneerof the Nile half-brother debut later in the year. This year, her dam gave birth to a Gun Runner colt and is currently in foal to Quality Road.

“She has a Pioneerof the Nile 2-year-old with Chad that from all hopes is special, but he's got to go out there and prove it. I think he'll be a late summer, early fall horse if all goes well,” Cauthen said.

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‘She Is Back In Top Order’: Enable Cruises To Third King George VI & Queen Elilzabeth Victory

Under rainy skies, Prince Khalid Abdullah's 6-year-old mare Enable (GB), ridden by Frankie Dettori, overpowered Sovereign (IRE) and Japan (GB) en route to a record third win in Saturday's 1 ½-mile King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes (G1) at Ascot in the United Kingdom. The 5 ½-length victory earned Enable a guaranteed starting position into the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) through the international Breeders' Cup Challenge.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 6-7.

Enable becomes the fourth horse this year to gain a “Win and You're In” berth for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf. She joins Nao Da Mais (BRZ), who won the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini (G1) in Argentina, Lord North (IRE), who captured the Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot and Chrono Genesis (JPN), who took the Takarazuka Kinen (G1) in Japan.

Enable, the 2018 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf winner and a two-time champion of the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), trained by John Gosden, improved her record to 14 wins in 17 starts. She captured the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2017 and in 2019.

Dettori also tied Lester Piggott with a record seven wins in the King George VI.

Making her second start of the year since her defeat to Ghaiyyath (IRE) in the Coral-Eclipse (G1) at Sandown on July 5, Enable faced just two Aidan O'Brien-trained rivals in Japan, last year's Juddmonte International (G1) winner, and Sovereign, the 2019 Irish Derby (G1) winner. A third Ballydoyle runner, 2019 Investec Derby (G1) winner Anthony Van Dyck (IRE), was scratched earlier Saturday morning.

Sent off as the 4-9 favorite, Enable raced in second behind Sovereign, who extended to a six-length in the early going. On the turn for home, Dettori began to urge Enable. Closing the gap into the final furlong, Dettori peered over his left shoulder at Japan, who was not responding to encouragement from jockey Ryan Moore. The daughter of Nathaniel then swept past Sovereign to a commanding victory.

“Enable has really, really trained beautifully for this race,” said Gosden. “I made it very clear to everyone that she wasn't tuned properly for a mile and a quarter [in the Eclipse] at that pace, but the race put her right. I told Frankie to ride her with a lot of confidence and travel for a long as he could, and she did.

“She is back in top order, no doubt about that. We have been thrilled with her at home. I never expect things like that but I was expecting to see that, but life can be full of disappointments.”

“Obviously, we knew Sovereign was going to make the running and it was a bit of a cat and mouse situation with me and Ryan for the first couple of furlongs,” said Dettori. “He was happy to let me go, so I followed the pacemaker and, in fairness, it was a very even gallop. I was trying to time it so I did not hit the front too early and I couldn't hear a lot, so I looked around and I saw Ryan in trouble. Then it was a matter of hoping that, if I pressed the button, she would pick up and she did.”

In winning her 11th Group 1 race, Enable covered the 1 ½ miles in 2:28.92 over a course listed as good to firm.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Enable to start in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, which will be run at 1 ½ miles over the Keeneland turf course. Breeders' Cup also will provide a travel allowance of US$40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships.

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Strawberry Red Gives Rivera ‘Trifecta’ as Winning Owner, Trainer, Jockey

Luis Rivera Jr. said the credit for Strawberry Red’s victory in Friday night’s third race at Monmouth Park belonged to the horse’s owner, trainer, and jockey. In other words, to him.

Prat Rides Four Winners, Sweeps Both Stakes As Del Mar Resumes Racing

Three-time Del Mar riding champ Flavien Prat overcame a battle with COVID-19 and returned to riding at Del Mar in Del Mar, Calif., on Friday. He underscored his return to good health, good horses and good luck with a four-win afternoon including a sweep of the two stakes races on the program, the track's first since Sunday, July 12.

The 27-year-old Frenchman gave flawless rides to his quartet of winners, which included a 2 1/4-length tally on Red Baron's Barn or Rancho Temescal's Big Sweep in the $125,000 Fleet Treat Stakes and a late-running neck score aboard Andrew Farm and O'Connor's Jo Jo Air in the Daisycutter Handicap.

Prat, who had ridden at Del Mar only on Opening Day, July 10, previously, was the track's leading jock last summer and projected himself back into the fray for this go round. He now has five winners to rank second on the riders' roster to Del Mar newcomer Umberto Rispoli and his eight firsts.

Big Sweep ran the seven furlongs of the Fleet Treat in 1:24.44 and paid $4.60 and $3.00 in a four-horse field that did not allow for show betting.

Jo Jo Air covered five furlongs on grass in :56.29 and paid $9.20, $4.80 and $3.60 across the board.

Finishing second in the Fleet Treat for California-breds was KMN Racing's Been Studying Her and third was Brown, Klein or Lebherz's Smiling Shirlee.

The runner-up in the $65,000 Daisycutter was LNJ Foxwoods' Lighthouse, while Fairview's Tomlin pulled in third.

Del Mar will continue its four-day weekend Saturday with an 11-race card starting at 2 p.m. A trio of stakes will be offered on the afternoon, including the $150,000 San Diego Handicap featuring the return to racing of champion Maximum Security.

FLAVIEN PRAT (Jo Jo Air, winner) — “It all fell into place. I watched videos of her races. She broke well and relaxed. We were right in behind the favorite (Stealthediamonds) and I felt good. Then she gave me her big kick. A good race for her.”

BLAKE HEAP (assistant to Wesley Ward, Jo Jo Air, winner) – “She shipped in from Kentucky before this was scheduled for last week (Saturday, July 18). So when it got cancelled, we've had her here for two weeks now. The extra week gave her time to acclimate and get a work over the (turf) course (July 19, 4f, :48.80) so it worked out really well. We knew the three (Stealthediamonds) was going to go fast early so I just told (Flavien Prat) to see how she breaks and save some running for the last. She's going back to Kentucky on Monday and Wesley will decide where she goes from there.”

FRACTIONS: :22.24 :44.83 :56.29

The stakes win was the second of the meet for rider Prat and his first in the Daisycutter. He now has 46 stakes wins at Del Mar. It was also his fourth victory on the day's card.

The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Ward, but his second in the Daisycutter (2015, Shrinking Violet). He now has nine stakes wins at Del Mar.

The winning owner is Richard Brodie (Andrew Farm) of Warren, MI and Mrs. Charlie O'Connor.

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