Tag: Racing

It was like the greats that Blue Rose Cen dominated the 174th edition of the Prix de Diane Longines (G1) (French Oaks), a classic that she won for her Spanish 0wner-breeder, Yeguada Centurion, with a four-length triumph over Never Ending Story on Sunday at Chantilly.

Never Ending Story finished a short head in front of third-place finisher Tasmania in the race that crowns the best filly on that side of the English Channel.

The Yeguada Centurion stable of winning owner Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals was also represented in the race by the fourth-place finisher Wise Girl, stablemate of the winner, who is trained by Christopher Head.

Wise Girl led quickly with Blue Rose Cen handy in behind followed by Pensée du Jour. Lindy and Running Lion joined the leading group while favorite Jannah Rose galloped further back. In the home stretch, the situation settled down fairly quickly since Wise Girl did not slow down, leaving room inside for Blue Rose Cen to pass en route to an easy success under Aurelien Lemaitre. Coming from the depths of the pack, Never Ending Story rallied for second ahead of Tasmania. Wise Girl kept a courageous fourth ahead of Elusive Princess in fifth.

Winner of the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac (G1) at age 2 and the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (G1) (French 1000 Guineas) in May, Blue Rose Cen is currently achieving a career comparable to that of the great Zarkava (2008), Divine Proportions (2005), and Allez France (1973) in achieving the classic double.

Blue Rose Cen is a daughter of Churchill out of the Jeremy mare Queen Blossom, winner of the 2018 Santa Barbara (G3) at Santa Anita and 2016 Park Express (G3) at the Curragh. The mare has been through the sales ring three times: in Ireland, the United States, and then England, where Kentucky-based Taylor Made Sales Agency sold her to Durcan Bloodstock on behalf of Pujals for $146,951 at the 2018 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. Prior to that, she sold for $220,000 to Abbondanza & Medallion Racing at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale, where Denali Stud consigned her. Initially, her breeder, Irish National Stud, sold her for $18,936 at the 2014 Goffs Sportsman's Yearling Sale.

Time for the 2,100 meters (about 1 5/16 miles) was 2:05.09 on turf rated as good to soft.

Prix de Diane Quotes

Christopher Head (trainer of Blue Rose Cen, 1st): “It's incredible. I have never trained a filly of this quality. I would like to thank the whole team we work with, from the farrier to the veterinarian, including all the staff at the stable and those who manage communication. I'm thrilled to be able to work with each of them and wouldn't trade them for anyone. All this touches me particularly.

Blue Rose Cen is a flawless filly. She has the physique, the engine, the will and the passion to race. The filly was an excellent 2-year-old and she is capable of being as strong as a 3-year-old. She came to this race with a lot of experience and she never took it hard. Every time we ran it, it was unmarked by a previous run. For the rest of the program, we will first see how it fits. We had a plan in place until the Prix de Diane Longines, where she discovered the distance. We will discuss for the rest of the season, knowing that she should stay in training next year.”

Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals (owner of Blue Rose Cen, 1st): “I am delighted. I have a lot of luck and quality broodmares! I discovered racing in Spain with a friend who had a runner. His filly was beaten but I hung on. And my wife suggested I get a racehorse. But I'm a businessman and I can't buy a single horse: I bought 80!”

Aidan O'Brien (Never Ending Story coach, 2nd): “It's the first time Never Ending Story has run such a long distance and she had a great race. She is a good second behind the winner who is really a very good filly. I think she can improve a bit more. So we are very happy. For the future, she could participate in events like the Irish Oaks (G1)… or other competitions, because we already have Savethelastdance for the Irish Oaks.”

Francis-Henri Graffard (Tasmania coach, 3rd): “Her jockey, Tom Marquand, regrets that the filly did not come out of her stall faster. This fact of the race forced her to find herself among the last. Then in the course, Tasmania took the wake of Jannah Rose before diving along the inside rail to finish. It's amazing the speed at which the filly completed her course! Tasmania is not entered in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), but there are other great races over 2,400 meters. She should have no trouble doing that distance in the future. However, I'm not sure it will have the same acceleration capability when the tracks are deep. Its owners were looking for black type in a Listed, but it was in the Prix de Diane that they finally got it!”

Christopher Head (trainer of Wise Girl, 4th):“Wise Girl was not a leader. She runs in the lead, much like Big Rock. I am delighted with his performance. She presented herself as a maiden-winning filly and she is fourth in the Diane, which is not bad!”

Jean-Philippe Dubois (trainer of Elusive Princess, 5th): “The Prix de Diane Longines is always a good race. Elusive Princess runs well. We'll see how she comes back from this race to decide her future. »

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Consumer Spending outfinished 13-10 favorite Surprisingly to capture the $150,000 Eatontown Stakes (G3) by three-quarters of a length on Saturday at Monmouth Park.

Ridden by Samy Comacho for trainer Chad Brown, Consumer Spending, who had the benefit of a race following a lengthy layoff, added a second graded stakes win to her credentials. The 4-year-old daughter of More Than Ready, owned by Klaravich Stables, tracked the leaders in fourth in the 1 1/16-mile grass race before rallying to the victory

Consumer Spending ($11) finished the distance in 1:42 for her fifth win from 10 career starts. Her record includes her victory in last year's Wonder Again (G2) at Belmont Park.

Vergara, who set the pace to early stretch, held on for third, a head behind Surprisingly. Consumer Spending's stablemate, Gina Romantica, checked in fourth after closely stalking Vergara from second but after a brief duel with that rival was outrun by that rival was outfinished for the show spot.

Bred in Kentucky Forging Oaks Farm, Consumer Spending is out of the Scat Daddy mare Siempre Mia. Offered by Eaton Sales at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearlings Showcase, she sold to Northway Bloodstock for $200,000. The $90,000 winner's share of the Eatontown purse, increased her lifetime bankroll to $557,000.

WINNING TRAINER – Luis Cabrera (assistant to Chad Brown): “There was no pace, so our other filly Gina Romantica was rank coming off that long layoff when she was chasing (Vergara). The winner had perfect trip. This is how she likes to race, even though the fractions weren't fast. She was close. She was right behind the speed so it doesn't matter how slow they were going. She's a quality filly. I worked a lot with her all winter at Payson. She's a classy filly.”

WINNING JOCKEY – Samy Camacho: “I spoke to Chad Brown before the race and he said `see what happens out of the gate.' He wanted to see me first, or if his other filly broke faster, which she did, he wanted me right behind her. That's where I was, laying behind those horses up front. I just did my job. The filly was comfortable behind horses. All the credit to the horse. I was in perfect position. I was waiting for the moment when the guys in front made their move and then I made mine. She really had a lot left and showed her class.”

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With heavily favored first-time starter Mirahmadi commanding nearly all of the betting attention, Kentucky shipper Tranche, dismissed at 20-1, led a field of four rival juveniles on a merry chase as he went on to romp by 7¼ lengths in Saturday's $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Futurity at Santa Anita.

Trained by Luis Mendez and ridden by Edwin Maldonado, Tranche, who was making his third career start, got five furlongs in :57.68.

Ridden by Maldonado to a third-place finish, beaten 9¾ lengths in the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Churchill Downs May 4, Tranche broke like a shot Saturday and never at any point looked a loser in very impressive effort.

“He ran a big race in Kentucky at Churchill Downs and I really liked the horse today,” said Maldonado. “In Kentucky, that winner [Youalmosthadme] was a monster. I think he won by 10 (9¾ lengths) and I knew we had a shot in here, but I didn't think he was going to run this big today. I was feeling great turning for home by myself. I thought, yes, we got a good shot.”

Owned by William Peeples, Tranche, a bay colt by Collected, broke slowly and finished seventh in his 4½-furlong maiden debut at Keeneland April 7, He was the longest shot in the field Saturday, returning $42 for the win.

With the Futurity's winner's share of $60,000, Tranche increased his lifetime earnings to $81,000.

“To be honest, I wasn't really (confident going into this race). In this business when you think you're going to win, it can sometimes go the other way,” said Mendez, who won the 2021 Fasig Tipton Futurity with Big City Lights…“Bill Peeples, I mean everybody on the team loved him, but I was not convinced. That beautiful field of horses was against him, so I was a little worried.

“When I saw him turning for home, he made me excited…I give (bloodstock agent) John Brocklebank the credit for buying these nice horses. He always gives me the credit, but I think if they don't buy a good horse, I don't train.”

Bred in Kentucky by Hidden Brook, Tranche was produced by the Archarcharch mare Theory of Change. Offered by his breeder at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale, Tranche was purchased for $210,000.

Trained by Bob Baffert and named for Santa Anita track announcer Frank Mirahmadi, first time starter Mirahmadi, a $1,050,000 Keeneland September Yearling, obviously came highly regarded but never threatened the winner in an effort that suggested he could improve a great deal next time.

Off at 3-5, Mirahmadi, who was three-deep turning for home, kept to his task and gradually outran third-placed Refocus late to finish second by 1¼ lengths under Juan Hernandez.

Refocus, who was head and head with Mirahmadi while about a length off the winner at the quarter pole, finished 1 ½ lengths in front of Going Mobile.

Fractions on the race were :22.15 and :45.36. The Futurity final time compared favorably to the five-furlong final time of the Fasig-Tipton Debutante, which was run four races earlier and won in :58.41 by the filly Grand Slam Smile.

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In the Monmouth Stakes (G3) on Saturday, Catnip rallied for a half-length victory over Never Explain, as multiple Grade 1 winner Tribhuvan showed the rust from a lengthy layoff by fading to fourth after setting soft early fractions in the nine-furlong grass race.

Ridden by Joel Rosario, Catnip improved to 3-for-3 as a 4-year-old – and since being gelded – in winning the Monmouth Stakes for trainer Michael Stidham in an oddly run race that saw the rider's patience pay off.

Speaking Scout was third, a length back in the six-horse field.

Time was 1:47.40 on a course rated as firm.

“He always had the potential,” said Stidham of Catnip ($14.40), who earned his first graded win. “We ran him in the Virginia Derby (G3) (last year) and it was probably a little premature where he was mentally and physically. So after he had time off before he came back this year we gelded him and that has really helped a lot. He hasn't lost since then. Mentally, he's a little more relaxed, a little more focused, and just a better racehorse.”

Catnip's win gave owners-breeders Susan and John Moore free entry and start fees to the $600,000 United Nations (G1) on Haskell Day, July 22.

“We'll certainly be looking next in the direction of the United Nations,” said Stidham.

Bred in Kentucky, Catnip is a 4-year-old son of Kitten's Joy out of the Silent Name mare Masquerade.

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