Saturday’s Insights: Well-Bred Homebreds Debut

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4th-Churchill Downs, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 12:35 p.m.
Mike Rutherford’s homebred BIG LAKE (American Pharoah) debuts for trainer Steve Asmussen. The chestnut colt is the first foal out of Resistivity (Student Council), who was third in the 2014 GII Forward Gal S. Brad Cox saddles Godolphin firster Essential Quality (Tapit), a son of graded placed Delightful Quality (Elusive Quality). TJCS PPs

5th-Saratoga, $72k, Msw, 2yo, 7f, post time: 2:01 p.m.
Shadwell Farm’s homebred MUNQAD (War Front), a half-brother to GIII Gotham S. winner Shagaf (Bernardini), debuts for trainer Todd Pletcher. Olympiad (Speightstown), a $700,000 KEESEP yearling purchase for Grandview Equine and Cheyenne Stables, will look to improve on his third-place effort in his six-furlong debut at Saratoga Aug. 1. Trainer Shug McGaughey sends out Courtlandt Farms homebred firster Greatest Honour (Tapit). The bay colt is out of Tiffany’s Honour (Street Cry {Ire}), a daughter of blue hen mare Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister). TJCIS PPs

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Shadwell Farm’s Tamarkuz Notches First Winner At Colonial Downs

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Tamarkuz of Shadwell Farm was represented by his first winner at stud on Wednesday when Cool Enough won a maiden claiming race at Colonial Downs, BloodHorse reports.

Cool Enough led every step of the way in the 5 1/2-furlong race that was rained out from the turf to the main track, and the gray or roan filly's lead extended to 5 1/4 lengths at the wire under jockey Forest Boyce. They stopped the clock in 1:05.13 over a fast main track for owners Rashid's Thoroughbred Racing and Kingdom Bloodstock, Inc., and trainer Phil Schoenthal.

A Virginia-bred from the program of Morgan's Ford Farm, Cool Enough is out of the unplaced Macho Uno mare Make Waves. The dam ran as a homebred for the Morgan's Ford operation, as did second dam Skipstone. Cool Enough was already a historic horse for Tamarkuz, as the stallion's first starter back in May at Churchill Downs.

Tamarkuz, a 10-year-old son of Speightstown, stands at Shadwell Farm in Lexington, Ky., for an advertised fee of $10,000.

A winner in eight of 20 starts for earnings of $1,840,444, Tamarkuz is best known on the racetrack for his victory in the 2016 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita Park. Prior to moving to the U.S., Tamarkuz picked up victories in the U.A.E. in the Grade 2 Godolphin Mile, and the G3 Firebreak Stakes and Burj Nahaar. His U.S. resume also includes runner-up efforts in the G1 Forego Stakes and G2 Kelso Handicap.

Bred in Kentucky by John D. Gunther, Tamarkuz is out of the unraced Lemon Drop Kid mare Without You Babe, making him a half-brother to Without Parole, a Group 1 winner at the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting. His extended family includes Grade 1 winner Stay Thirsty and Grade 3 winner Andromeda's Hero.

Read more at BloodHorse.

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Agreement To Stand Invasor In Uruguay Extended Through 2021

Invasor, North America's 2006 Horse of the Year, will remain in Uruguay for at least two more Southern Hemisphere breeding seasons after an agreement was reached between owner Shadwell Farm and Haras Cuatro Piedras, the South American publication Turf Diario reports.

The initial agreement called for the 18-year-old son of Candy Stripes to stand at the Uruguayan farm for three seasons from 2015 to 2017, and the deal was renewed for another three seasons through 2020. As the final year approached on the second deal, the two sides agreed to keep him there for one additional season, bringing the total to seven.

When the deal is fully terminated at the end of 2021, Turf Diario reports that Invasor will return to Shadwell's Kentucky base, likely to be pensioned from stud duty.

Invasor was born in Argentina, but was sent to Uruguay as a 2-year-old to begin his racing career. He was a force in his new home, taking down Uruguay's Triple Crown and being named Horse of the Year in both Uruguay and his native Argentina.

His performance caught the attention of Shadwell Farm, which purchased the colt ahead of his 4-year-old campaign. Once again, Invasor was dominant, taking home Horse of the Year honors in 2006 with an undefeated North American campaign of Grade 1 victories including the Breeders' Cup Classic, Pimlico Special Handicap, Suburban Handicap, and Whitney Handicap.

The wins continued during a brief 4-year-old campaign, which saw wins in the G1 Donn Handicap and an electric finale in the Dubai World Cup. Invasor retired with 11 wins in 12 starts for earnings of $7,804,070, and he was named to the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame in 2013.

Invasor entered stud at Shadwell Farm for the 2008 breeding season, and he moved to Haras Cuatro Piedras in 2015. He covered 37 mares during last year's Southern Hemisphere season, which is above average for a Uruguayan stallion with U.S. ties.

After underwhelming at stud in North America, Invasor has carved out more success in Uruguay, siring Group 2 winner Mourinho and Group 3 winner Lamborghini. He currently sits 13th on Uruguay's general sire list for 2020.

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Turf-Bred Altaf Going After Kentucky Oaks Points In CCA Oaks

When reading the pedigree of Shadwell Farm's Grade 1, $350,000 Coaching Club American Oaks aspirant Altaf, one would be led to believe that she would likely find a home on grass. But such has not been the case thus far.

Following a seventh-place effort on debut over the lawn at Gulfstream Park, the bay daughter of Medaglia d'Oro raced at Churchill Downs over the main track, which appeared to make a huge difference as she powered home a 5 ¼ length-victor under jockey Joel Rosario.

Trained by Chad Brown, Altaf is out of the Smart Strike broodmare Fawaarek, who was a winner on grass. Her grand dam was three-time turf Grade 1-winner and 2002 Champion Turf Mare Golden Apples, who produced graded stakes winner on turf Habaya, as well as turf graded stakes-placed Hatheer.

“Golden Apples was a very good turf mare. I guess the Medaglia d'Oro is coming out in her a bit,” said Shadwell Farms' general manager Rick Nichols. “She had worked well on the grass. Chad thought that's where she should start out at. But she didn't seem to like it all that much. The jockey [Joel Rosario] liked her the day he rode her, but he too didn't think she cared for it that much. We brought her back on the dirt and it was impressive.”

How impressive? Enough to really catch Nichols' attention.

“Once you've seen as many horses as I have over the years, it's hard for me to be too impressed, and I was impressed,” Nichols said.

The Coaching Club American Oaks, offering 100-40-20-10 points to the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, will be quite the step up in class from Altaf's maiden victory. But Nichols said that his filly is up for the task. Brown won last year's CCA Oaks with Guarana, who in her prior start won the Grade 1 Acorn off of an impressive maiden victory.

“It's a big step, but I like the fact that we have a nice small field and Chad is very, very pleased with her,” said Nichols. “He loves her. He's always thought a lot of her. After that race, we all like her a little bit more.”

A big run on Saturday could result in Altaf targeting the lilies on the First Friday in September for the Kentucky Oaks.

“If she wins on Saturday and comes out of it well, we'll speak to Sheikh Hamdan and I'm sure he would love to give her a try in the Oaks,” Nichols said.

Altaf will be ridden by Joel Rosario from post 3.

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