2nd-SAX, $61K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 4:31 p.m.
Kaleem Shah's THALES (Quality Road) gets his start for Simon Callaghan Friday. The half to SW and MGISP Standard Deviation (Curlin), who sold for $240,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October sale, realized a $1.25 million final bid following a :20.3 quarter at the OBS Spring sale last season. The ridgling was the highest-priced colt and the second highest priced offspring by the Lane's End stallion last term. Pegram, Watson & Weitman's Essential Wager (Honor Code) also represents a sale's coup for his sire. One of three Bob Baffert trainees in this seven-furlong test, the son of GSP Mr Hall's Opus (Officer) brought $300,000 at the OBS Spring, the second highest-priced offspring by his sire in 2020. Baffert is also represented by $360,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling buy Miacomet (Flatter) and Vetoed (Bayern). TJCIS PPs
5th-SA, $61K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1mT, 6:05 p.m.
Magnier, Tabor, Smith et al's BALLET DANCING (Medaglia d'Oro) makes her career bow in this test for conditioner Simon Callaghan. The $800,000 KEEESEP purchase is out of GSP Fully Living (Unbridled's Song), who is out of a half-sister to Champion juvenile filly Halfbridled (Unbridled). Don Alberto's Magical Sign (Gun Runner) kicks off for trainer Mike McCarthy. A half to MGSP Moraz (Empire Maker), the filly is a granddaughter of Macoumba (Mr. Prospector), the dam of the late leading sire Malibu Moon. TJCIS PPs
In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Niigata, Tokyo and Hanshin Racecourses. The last mentioned is the site of Sunday's G1 Shuka Sho, featuring G1 Oka Sho (1600mT) heroine Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) against Uberleben (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}), the G1 Yushun Himba (2400mT) winner, squaring off over the metric 10 furlongs:
Saturday, October 16, 2021 5th-NII, ¥13,400,000 ($118k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m TOSEN EL DORADO (c, 2, Candy Ride {Arg}–Almudena {Per}, by Silver Planet {Arg}) is out of a winner of the G1 Polla de Potrancas (Peruvian 1000 Guineas) who produced US-bred Peruvian champion grass horse More Than Words (More Than Ready) and champion 3-year-old filly and fellow Potrancas victress Cascanueces (Smart Strike). Almudena, the broodmare of the year in Peru for 2017, was acquired privately by this breeder in 2018 and foaled this colt in April 2019 before being exported to Japan. B-Mr Takaya Shimakawa (KY)
Sunday, October 17, 2021 4th-TOK, ¥13,400,000 ($118k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1300m MOODY NILE (f, 2, American Pharoah–Henny Jenney, by Henny Hughes) realized $200K as a Keeneland September yearling last fall, but breezed a quarter-mile in the bullet time of :20 4/5 at OBS March over the winter and was knocked down for $600K, the priciest of her Triple Crown-winning sire's 20 juveniles to sell (22 ring) this year and second most-expensive purchase out of the sale. The Apr. 1 foal is the second from her MSW/GSP dam, a half-sister to MSW & GISP Zeewat (Harlan's Holiday) and SP I'm Wanted (Posse), who is also responsible for Moody Nile's year-older full-brother Primary Colors, a debut third at Belmont this past June. B-Camas Park Stud (KY)
5th-TOK, ¥13,400,000 ($118k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400mT CANDY DRIVE (c, 2, Candy Ride {Arg}–Supreme, by Empire Maker), a half-brother to GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. hero and future Claiborne stallion Silver State (Hard Spun), was led out unsold on a bid of $95,000 at KEESEP last fall, but improved dramatically and realized a final bid of $500K at OBSMAR after working an eighth of a mile in a smooth :10 flat. Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings went to $800K for the SW & GSP Supreme in foal to Giant's Causeway at KEEJAN in 2013. The mare is out of Mon Belle (Maria's Mon), whose full-brother Monarchos won the 2001 GI Kentucky Derby. B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings (KY)
9th-HSN, ¥30,400,000 ($268k), Allowance, 2yo, 1400mT JASPER KRONE (c, 2, Frosted–Fancy Kitten, by Kitten's Joy), a $25K KEESEP yearling turned $90K OBS March breezer, opened his account with a 1 3/4-length victory at Niigata Aug. 21 (see below, gate 14) and gave a good account of himself when a close third facing winners for the first time at Nakayama Sept. 25. Jasper Krone is the first produce for his stakes-placed dam, a $10K purchase by Machmer Hall out of the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed sale. B-Machmer Hall & Godolphin (KY)
Woodbine Entertainment has opened the “Finish Line O&T Lounge” at Woodbine Racetrack. Located at the wire in the second level of the grandstand, the area is exclusively for owners, trainers and assistant trainers during live race days. Food, beverages, free programs, wagering terminals, and customer service assistants will be available inside the lounge on each racing day.
A special ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held Saturday, Oct. 16.
In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.
After finishing a well-beaten third behind potential GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile favorite Corniche (Quality Road) sprinting on debut at Del Mar Sept. 4 (video), the promising War At Sea (c, 2, War Front–Serene Melody, by Street Cry {Ire}) stretches to two turns at Santa Anita Friday.
Off at 24-1 in his unveiling for the patient Ron Ellis barn, War At Sea chased from an inside fifth as Corniche threw it down through an opening quarter in :21.72 in a stretched-out field of 10. With the subsequent unbeaten GI American Pharoah S. winner in a race of his own turning for home and on his way to 'TDN Rising Stardom,' War At Sea continued on down the lane to pick up the show slot, eight lengths adrift the $1.5-million OBS April topper. War At Sea earned a very solid 78 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.
“Obviously, the horse that beat him is one of the top 2-year-olds in the country and might even be favored in the Breeders' Cup, so he got beat by a good one,” Ellis said.
“I was very impressed with the way he ran. He had trained like he's a really good horse and I think the more distance, the better for him. He's not really a sprinter and I knew that first time out, but he showed a little bit more than I thought he would at 5 1/2 [furlongs].”
War At Sea has breezed five times since his debut, including a four-furlong drill in :47 4/5 (9/46) in Arcadia Oct. 11. He's listed at odds of 4-1 on the morning-line while facing nine rivals going a mile at Santa Anita Friday.
“Because I wasn't expecting much from him as a sprinter, I didn't wind him up real tight for that first start,” Ellis said. “We've tightened the screws just a little bit–I got him geared to improve with each race. We've got long-term goals with him. He probably was only 85% first out and he's probably at 90% now. After this race, he should be at a 100%. Just trying to have him get a little better with each race.”
Produced by a stakes-winning daughter of the brilliant Serena's Song (Rahy), War At Sea, bred in Kentucky by Lewis Thoroughbred Breeding, brought $525,000 from Doubledown Stables, Inc. after powering through an eighth in :10 from the Eddie Woods consignment at OBS March earlier this year. This is the female family of Grade/Group 1 winners Sophisticat (Storm Cat), Honor Code (A.P. Indy), et al. The War Front/Street Cry cross is also responsible for MGSW War Decree.
“I was very surprised that a horse of his size and pedigree to go farther could do that [go in :10 flat],” Ellis said. “I loved him at the sale.”
“The War Front colt was very backward as a yearling,” Woods said earlier this spring. “They didn't feel like he was going to bring what he should [as a yearling], so we were very lucky to get him from Mr. Lewis. He's trained beautifully all year. He's gotten better and better as we've gone along. We've always thought he was a serious horse.”
Previous standouts featured in 'Second Chances' include: GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. (Honor Code), GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner and Royal Ascot G2 Norfolk S. runner-up Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags), GIII Las Virgenes S. heroine Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner and MGISP Spielberg (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), and MSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).
