“We were campaigning Sistercharlie at the time, and we knew how good she was because she had run second in the Prix Diane after getting into a lot of trouble. She almost got knocked down, and then looked like she would be absolutely nowhere. And then she came flying and made second. I knew then she just had to be a really good horse. We owned her going into the Prix Diane. And so we were very encouraged and then we brought her back to the United States and she ran in the Belmont Oaks. She lost by a nose. And she had just arrived and really never even had the chance to work or anything.”

Michel Zerolo had recommended Sistercharlie to Brant after her win in a conditions race at Saint-Cloud in April, and bought her for him after her win in the G3 Prix Penelope later than month. It was the first horse he had recommended to him.

Sistercharlie was the first foal out of Starlet's Sister, who has gone on to be a remarkable producer for Henri Bozo's Ecurie des Monceaux. Sistercharlie, the champion turf female in America, was followed by the multiple-group winner and $1 million-plus earner My Sister Nat (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}), and Sottsass (Fr), driving the prices for her subsequent foals into the stratosphere in the Arqana sales ring.

But that hadn't yet happened when Sottsass came up for sale that summer at Arqana, and Brant asked Zerolo to take a look. “Monceaux was selling him; they have the mare, Starlet's Sister, and so Michel Zerolo went to see him and he said he was really beautiful. He was a really big, strong, beautiful horse.”

Champion Sistercharlie wins the 2018 Breeders' Cup F/M Turf | Breeders' Cup/Eclipse Sportswire

Recalled Zerolo, “The obvious thing was that I was going to look at a brother of Sistercharlie, so it was a fairly easy pick. He was a very good-looking horse. He was very athletic. He was he was a good mover. The pedigree was a happening pedigree at the time. And Siyouni was a sire that I love.”

They purchased him for €340,000. Brant left him in France with trainer Jean-Claude Rouget.

Sottsass would go on to wins at two, and three, and four, including three Group 1s. He broke the track record in the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) at a mile and a quarter, won the Prix Ganay, and then Prix de l'Arc Triomphe at four in his final career start. He won at distances from eight furlongs to a mile and a half.

This week, 11 of his first yearlings are expected to pass through the ring at the Arqana August sale. Six of them will be offered by Zerolo and Eric Puerari's Haras des Capucines.

“I've seen a reasonable number of his first yearlings,” said Zerolo. “I wouldn't say they're all of a type. He does get some bays, he gets some chestnuts. I've seen a few that are on the smaller side, more on the Polar Falcon side. Otherwise, they all seem to have a good disposition, good mind, easy horses to be around, good-looking, scopey, correct. Very correct, the way he was.”

Brant named the horse after his friend, Ettore Sottsass, a well-know Austrian-Italian architect, furniture, glass, and home-products designer, whose bright red Olivetti Valentine Portable Typewriter has earned a spot in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “He was one of the great people in design in the 20th century,” said Brant. “And I knew him very well. I collected his furniture and his glass. I like to try to name my horses after 20th and 21st century culture.”

And though Sottsass the horse remained in Europe for his racing career, Brant was on hand for some of his best moments.

“I was there at the French Derby and it was a very, very impressive race,” he recalled. “Jean-Claude Rouget thought he was going to run very well. There were some great horses in there. Persian King was the favourite and there were a number of really well-bred French horses from the big barns and families in France as well as from England. And he just ran a powerhouse.”

The Arc took place during the first fall of the Covid pandemic in 2020, forcing Brant and his wife, Stefanie Seymour, to miss the race.

“My wife and I watched it in Connecticut and we got all dressed up as if we were there,” he said. “But it was a great thrill. I mean, if there were any neighbors close by, they could hear us yelling, that's for sure.”

Sottsass winning the Arc | Scoop Dyga

Brant-currently in the midst of an epic season with another son of Siyouni, Paddington (GB), who he owns in partnership–has heavily supported his stallion with some top mares, including sending him to his Eclipse Award-winning mare Uni in his third year at stud. His pedigree deserves those mares, he said.

“Very few mares have thrown horses like Sistercharlie, Sottsass, My Sister Nat. My Sister Nat (whom Brant purchased privately in October, 2018) lost the Breeders' Cup by a neck and she lost the Flower Bowl by a nose. She was also very, very good. But I think that Sistercharlie could be the best horse that I ever owned. They were all really good-looking. So I'm very anxious to see his babies run next year. We bred 12 mares to him because we really believe in him.”

His offspring will go to Jean-Claude Rouget, Aidan O'Brien and Chad Brown in the U.S., Brant said.

“I'm getting very good reports from the French, English and Irish breeders,” he said. “They look a lot like him. They're scopey, the majority of them are chestnut, as he is. They're very handsome horses with a good head. He stamped that in them. And they look like horses that are going to be Classic kind of horses, seven-furlongs to a mile-and-a-quarter, maybe a mile-and-a-half horses.”

Brant is in Saratoga this week keeping an eye on his U.S. runners, but has an affinity for European racing, and keeps about half his mares in Europe, primarily at Coolmore Ireland.

“I like the racing in Europe very much,” he said, sitting outside Chad Brown's Saratoga barn. “I feel like the facilities where you're training are superb. And I like the way they train those babies going straight and not doing too many turns at the beginning. I believe that horses need to run when they're two years' old and you have less risk of hurting them if there are no turns at the very, very beginning as their bones are getting set. And so I do like it.

“But I come from America and I grew up in Queens, near Aqueduct, and we used to sometimes skip school and go there. I really learned a lot about American horse racing and watched horses like Kelso and Carry Back, the great Dr. Fager, all the great, great horses running against each other. And I really love dirt racing as well. And of course, winning the Kentucky Derby (in partnership) with Claiborne in 1984 with Swale was one of the great thrills of my life. It's hard to top that,” he says, and then laughs a wry laugh. “But the Arc de Triomphe was pretty close.”

And while Sottsass won at two, Zerolo isn't sure that his yearlings are going to be “super-precocious,” he said. “They're going to cater to a type of buyer, people who want Classic horses. But I think they should sell very well. I think they'll make us as proud, and I think they should make Peter and Coolmore proud.”

Additional reporting by Katie Petrunyak

The post Full Circle: First Yearlings for Arqana-Grad Sottsass Sell at Deauville appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Most recently, the Dubawi (Ire) filly Pure Dignity (GB) brought €2,500,000 from Oliver St. Lawrence in 2020, and Parliament (GB), a colt by Fastnet Rock (Aus), sold for €700,000 in 2019. Pure Dignity just won her first start for Roger Varian.

But the 2022 offering might be the most exciting yet: a full-brother to the multiple Group 1-winning Sottsass (Fr), the record-breaking World Champion, French Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner, now standing stud at Coolmore in Ireland. Sottsass himself sold here in 2017 to Michel Zerolo's Oceanic Bloodstock on behalf of Peter Brant for €340,000. And the people who know Sottass well, they will tell you his full-brother is almost a dead ringer.

Michel Zerolo bought both Sottsass and Sistercharlie | Sue Finley photo

“If you compare this yearling with Sottsass, you would find them quite similar,” said Henri Bozo, who will sell Lot 154 under his Ecurie des Monceaux banner on Sunday. Sottsass's regular pilot was by the farm to see the 2021 version, said Bozo. “Cristian Demuro, the jockey, was by to see him the other morning, and he was amazed by how much they looked alike. I think he's got the same head, the same forehand, and the same self-confidence. I think it's striking to people who know Sottsass well.”

One of those people, of course, is Michel Zerolo, both a buyer at Arqana and a seller under his Haras des Capucines banner, the farm and consignment he owns with partner Eric Puerari.

Zerolo bought Starlet's Sister's first-ever progeny, Sistercharlie (Ire), after her win in the G3 Prix Penelope in France, for Brant. Zerolo said she caught his eye when she won a Class 1 race at Saint-Cloud in her prior start, when he first recommended her. “She was mighty impressive that day,” he said. “She had a fantastic turn of foot.”

Zerolo would go on to be proven correct; Sistercharlie would go on to win 10 starts over four years, including the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, to be named the Eclipse Award-winning turf female.

So when Sottsass, her half-brother by Siyouni (Fr) came up for sale in 2017, Zerolo and Brant were back. “He was an obvious one, of course,” said Zerolo.

In looking at Starlet's Sister's 2021 yearling, Zerolo said he sees the similarities as well.

“He's a nice horse,” he said. “He's probably a bigger version of Sottsass, very athletic. They're similar; they're full-brothers, of course. He has more white, and is a slightly lighter chestnut, but other than that, there are a lot of similarities.”

Bozo said that potential French buyers had been visiting the colt along with others in the consignment over the summer, but now, of course, an international marketplace has descended upon Arqana for the sale. “We've seen all the right French people and now we are looking forward to seeing all the foreigners coming here. But they will be present. They will be inside. The market is good and this sale has been extremely successful and good value.”

The Jour de Galop recently called Starlet's Sister the `unicorn of Monceaux,' and Bozo took a moment to reflect upon his good fortune in buying her. “We are very lucky and we do mean it. There was no talent in chasing her, a mare with a good pedigree, by Galileo (Ire) from a family we didn't have. We are always investing in young mares, I'm a big believer in young mares, especially when they are by the right sire lines. She was not expensive, and Hubert Guy keeps reminding me about the time he called me about her, and I must say, it has been a life-changing thing. She has been amazing.”

In the beginning, he said, he was looking to breed her to a proven stallion at an affordable price. “That's why we sent her to Myboycharlie,” he said. “He brought some strength and speed. And that was Sistercharlie. And the story keeps going. It's amazing.”

But for Bozo, who looks every bit the part of a man who could top this sale yet again, humility, gratitude and hard work seem the order of the day.

“We have to be grateful for these mares who have put Monceaux on the map and we keep trying to invest in new bloodlines to improve our work, improve our facilities,” he said. “And it's a non-ending adventure.”

And will Sunday be another chapter?

Zerolo said he felt it would. “He's got a wide appeal, it's a great cross, Siyouni over Galileo, and it has already worked. I would imagine he would appeal to a number of people. Best of luck to Henri.”

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   The renowned owner-breeder, who spent over 20 years away from racing before returning with a bang in 2016, has quickly re-established his operation and in 2020 he reached the pinnacle when Sottsass carried his familiar double green silks to victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

   With a full-brother to Sottsass catalogued for the August Yearling Sale at Arqana, Brant makes for a timely subject for this week's Q&A where he talks all things racing and breeding.

Brian Sheerin: Your colours have been carried by some equine stars. From Triptych to Gulch and more recently Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) and Sottsass (Fr). Have you got a favourite?

Peter Brant: I guess Sistercharlie would be the one. Obviously I had Waya, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame recently, and she was one of the first really great racehorses that we had. We had Just A Game (GB) (Tarboosh), who was a champion and has races named after her, Gulch, and I own lots of good horses in partnership with people but I have to say Sistercharlie was very special. She won seven Grade Is within a year and a half and overcame two cases of pneumonia during that period. She was incredible. She's now in foal to Dubawi (Ire) and is over with Coolmore in Ireland. For both my wife and I, she has a very special place in our hearts.

BS: You went to Dubawi with her? Not a bad choice!

PB: She showed speed and stamina and, with Dubawi, I thought it would give us a chance of getting a Classic horse. We're very excited about that.

Watch Sistercharlie (Ire) win The Flower Bowl, a #WinAndYoureIN for the @MakersMark #BreedersCup Filly & Mare Turf. pic.twitter.com/yJdlGSBRkR

— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) October 6, 2019

BS: Do you keep a lot of mares at Coolmore and what is the breakdown of your broodmare band?

PB: We have about 65 broodmares and it's split roughly half and half between America and in Coolmore Ireland. The majority of our turf mares are in Ireland, although some are in the States, while most of the dirt mares are at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky.

BS: What was the initial lure to European racing? 

PB: The Americans have this thing about turf horses and how they can't mix with dirt horses. Of course, it's all rubbish. I've had great success buying fillies in Europe, bringing them to the United States and in either the first or second generation, getting a great dirt horse. I bred Thunder Gulch and, not only that, but I bred his dam [Line Of Thunder]. What happened was, I bought a mare called Shoot A Line (GB) (High Line {GB}) in England. She had been second in the Gold Cup, won the Cheshire Oaks and lots of other good races, and I brought her back to America to run her. She didn't really do well over here but I bred her to Storm Bird, the result of which was Line Of Thunder, who ended up being the dam of Thunder Gulch. He won the GI Kentucky Derby and was a really great horse. There's a Kentucky Derby winner whose second dam came over from Europe. 

BS: It goes back to the old saying, just because it hasn't been done doesn't mean it can't be done. 

PB: At some point, breeders in Kentucky are going to realise that they have to pay attention to racing on the grass. Turf racing is growing, as are the field sizes, and there's no reason why breeders should be ignoring it. Take Flightline (Tapit) for example, he's got grass in him. It's all about vigour. We need to get new kinds of blood in and, for me, I'm interested in the European stallions. People ask why I go to Europe to breed and it's because owners in Europe, and the Middle East, they've been coming over to the United States for the past 40 years and buying our best yearlings. Those great stallions are coming from that blood that was once here. 

BS: Where do you think of turf racing in America is right now? There is an expanding programme full of lucrative races but there seems to be little interest in turf stallions over there. 

PB: I think it's going to change. If you have a stable of horses you want to run, if you don't have any turf horses, you're going to miss a lot of the best races. Pretty soon, you're going to have at least 50%–if not more–of the programme being grass racing in America. It's a better surface to run on, more natural, and the attrition rate on the dirt is much higher.

BS: You stand Demarchelier (GB), a son of Dubawi, at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky. How has he been received and have you sent many mares to him?

PB: He's been doing very well. I have bred to him quite a bit and he has been getting between 100 and 110 mares a year, so he has a very good chance. If you give a stallion over 60 mares a year they have a really good chance of making it but the idea of breeding 200 mares to a horse, I'm not a big fan of that. The maximum for me would be 140 or 150 mares a season, which is where Sottsass (Fr) is. I just think you should concentrate on the mares a little more because, a lot of the stallions these days, their percentage of stakes winners is smaller than they were back in the day. They didn't breed to as many mares back then, but a horse like Northern Dancer had 20% stakes winners, Mr. Prospector was 18% and today, the best sire might have 9%.

BS: You must be very excited about Sottsass. I understand you've sent a lot of good mares to him. 

PB: Yes I have. His first crop are now weanlings and he has had some very good-looking foals. It's the same with Demarchelier. They all look like him. They are both stamping their stock. I really wanted to stand Demarchelier because he was three-from-three heading into the GI Belmont Derby, where he unfortunately broke down. The winner of the Belmont Derby, Henley's Joy, Demarchelier had beaten him in the GIII Pennine Ridge S. I thought he was a high-class horse and we were expecting big things from him before he got injured. That's why I really wanted to stand him at stud. The people at Claiborne Farm really believed in him and I've bred 10 or 12 mares to him every year now. We gave a very good opportunity to breeders to buy shares in him for a low price if they committed to breed to him, and I think they are going to be very happy. I would be surprised if he didn't do well. 

BS: Getting back to Sottsass, would you be able to tell me some of the mares you sent him?

PB: I bred a lot of stakes-winning mares to him. What I do is, I give the stallion mares over a three-year period and the best mares will probably be sent to him in year two and three so that the quality is maintained and that he doesn't fall off. You know how sometimes you send a young stallion good mares in the first year and then sometimes they go off in the second and third year, that's not good for a horse. I'm very confident that he's got some good mares. I bred the dam of Speak Of The Devil (Fr) [Moranda (Fr) (Indian Rocket {GB})] and many more. He's got some really good mares. 

BS: The family has been unbelievably good to you. We've already mentioned Sistercharlie, Sottsass and as well as that, you did well with My Sister Nat (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}).

PB: Starlet's Sister (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has got to be one of the best broodmares in the world. Look at My Sister Nat, she was beaten a whisker at the Breeders' Cup last year. She's actually in foal to Wootton Bassett (GB). Don't forget, Sistercharlie was the first foal, then there was Sottsass and My Sister Nat. Now I see Pure Dignity (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) broke her maiden pretty impressively for Roger Varian. I know that the 2-year-old by Dubawi is with Jean-Claude Rouget in Deauville and they like him as well. 

BS: And the question on everybody's lips is will you look at the brother to Sottsass (lot 154) that will be on offer at Arqana next week?

PB: I've heard that he's nice and I'm looking forward to travelling over to see the horse. I'm also a little bit of a believer in the fact that Mrs Sullivan has seven sons but only had one John L!

BS: It's shaping up to be a brilliant sale with siblings to Treve (Fr), Wings Of Eagles (Fr), Native Trail (GB) and Sealiway (Fr) also on offer.

PB: It is. I think the catalogue is really good. Of course, now we have Saratoga coming up as well, which has been lucky for me. I like the people at Arqana because they are straight-shooters and very realistic. 

BS: We saw The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), a horse that you have a share in, winning a Group 3 at Deauville during the week. Have you anything to look forward to at Deauville next weekend?

PB: There's a horse that we like very much, Epic Poet (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), and he will run. He won a listed race for Jean-Claude Rouget and is three from four. We're also very excited about Francesco Clemente (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who is in training with John Gosden, and the plan for him is to run in the Great Voltigeur at York next. He's won all three of his starts and won his last race by nine lengths. He's by Dubawi out of the great mare, Justlookdontouch (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who I bought [for 1.2m guineas] at the Ballymacoll dispersal at the December Mares Sale at Tattersalls in December 2017.

BS: I see that both horses hold entries in the Arc….

PB: I think that any time you enter in the Arc, it's ambitious, and for me, it's one of the most difficult races in the world to win. But I don't enter the horses, the trainers do, so I guess there's an outside chance that they could get there. I don't know if they have the experience to go for a race like that but maybe next year. We'll leave it up to the trainers. 

BS: You mentioned about the success you've enjoyed bringing European horses back to America. We saw Lemista (Ire) (Raven's Pass), who won a Group 2 when in training with Ger Lyons in Ireland, landing a Grade III contest at Monmouth Park recently. Could we see more European runners making the switch in the coming months?

PB: I think Dr Zempf (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) could come over, purely because Ger Lyons suggested we do that. Ger thinks he's suited to American racing and I try to listen to my trainers. Like Ger, John Gosden has told me that certain horses would do well in America and he was proved right when we brought them back here. I think the plan will be for Dr Zempf to join Chad Brown later this year and we've got many more in our barn right now that came from Jean-Claude Rouget. 

BS: Speaking of European horses, what is the plan for the Aidan O'Brien-trained Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})?

PB: Stone Age is running in the Saratoga Derby and has already shipped over. He was third in the Belmont Derby, where he ran into a lot of trouble, and Aidan's plan is to try an American jockey on him next time, so John Velazquez will be aboard.

BS: You obviously retain a lot of faith in Stone Age? He looked potentially top-class when he won his Derby Trial at Leopardstown back in May.

PB: My wife and I flew over for the Derby this year and enjoyed a great day out. We got to walk the course with Aidan and that was a great experience. I was actually in shock when I saw the course and how difficult and undulating it is at Epsom. It looked to me that Stone Age just didn't stay on the day and I wasn't that disappointed. To my eyes, he looked the best horse in the Belmont Derby, only he just got stopped in his run and didn't have much luck. We'll see how he does at Saratoga on his next start.

BS: How do you find working with the likes of Aidan O'Brien, Jean-Claude Rouget and Chad Brown? 

PB: I've also got Joseph O'Brien and Ger Lyons. I like the trainers in Europe. I really like their attitude towards training 2-year-olds. They like giving horses experience at two and I'm not big on 2-year-old racing apart from the fact that it gets horses prepared for their 3-year-old campaign. In a sense, if you want a runner in the Kentucky Derby, history shows you that you need a 2-year-old. At the very least you need a horse who's had a few starts at two. There are always issues with horses when they're young, but it never seems to be as bad in Europe. I have a higher percentage of 2-year-olds running in Europe than I do in America.

BS: It's funny you say that because we were at Ballydoyle for the Derby press morning in May and somebody asked Aidan if Stone Age's emergence as a genuine Epsom candidate was surprising given the horse never managed to win at two. Aidan's response to that was, he could have gotten the horse to win at two if he wanted to, but it was always about the future with this horse.

PB: My experience with Aidan over the past four years has just been incredible. I like Aidan so much. He is one of the greatest horsemen ever and I have nothing but the utmost respect for him. I am having more horses with Chad Brown as well and he's meticulous. It's all about finding the talent in his barn–it doesn't matter if it's a $50,000 horse or a $1-million horse. He's also concentrating on the dirt now so hopefully he'll be the coming star in America. We have some great trainers working with us.

BS: You're obviously a hugely successful businessman. Is there anything you've learned from your trainers that you've carried over to your own line of work?

PB: Somebody told me once, so many successful businessmen get into racing but, as soon as they enter the sport, the check their brain in with their coat! I always thought it was a great saying. You could be a brilliant businessman but, once you get into the horse business, you don't know the mane from the tail. Of course, you learn things in terms of business that you apply to anything that you do but, if you don't pay attention in horse racing, you shouldn't be in the game. I was in racing for 21 years at a high level before I got out of it for some time and, the experience and the mistakes that I made back then, I try not to make them now. It's impossible not to make mistakes in horse racing as it's not science–it's just something you get a feel for. There's too many opportunities to make the wrong decisions and you've got to just live it. When you go to these sales and spend a lot of money, what are your chances of having a good horse?

BS: And what would you say the biggest mistakes you've made were?

PB: I would say paying a big price for a late maturing 3-year-old, who was already a stakes winner in Europe, thinking it would excel in America and it didn't. The horse winds up with an attitude, I've got to geld him, that's probably the biggest mistake I've made, paying top dollar for a well-bred 3-year-old with good form in Europe. But it can happen. On the other hand, I bought a yearling who turned out to be Sottsass, which was a very speculative thing to do. Every time you buy a yearling, what are the chances that it will go on to win the Arc? You've got to have luck. I only bought him for one reason–that he was Sistercharlie's brother. That was the only smart part of the decision. The rest was pure luck.

BS: And when you do come across a horse as good as Sottsass, what does it mean?

PB: It meant the world. I was at home in Connecticut and watched the race with my wife. We couldn't travel because of Covid but it didn't even matter to me as I'd been to the Arc many times before and I knew what it meant to me. It was the race of a lifetime. I cherish it.

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3.20 Doncaster, Novice, £7,300, 3yo/up, f/m, 10f 43yT
ROYAL SCANDAL (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) looks to underline the striking impression she made on debut at Newcastle last month under a seven-pound penalty facing a trio of rivals. Racing in the Vestey silks carried to G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. glory by her dam Seal of Approval (GB) (Authorized {Ire}), the February-foaled chestnut is therefore a full-sister to the dual group-placed Promissory (Ire) from the family of Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) who enjoyed one of his biggest days here in September.

 3.25 Saint-Cloud, Debutantes, €27,000, 3yo, 10fT
SAFARIA (Dubawi {Ire}) stands out in this intriguing affair as a daughter of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Flotilla (Fr) (Mizzen Mast) who represents her owner-breeder Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani. Francis-Henri Graffard introduces the February-foaled bay, whose peers include another relative of a Classic heroine in the Niarchos Family's Feel (Into Mischief), a Pascal Bary-trained half-sister to the G1 Prix de Diane winner Senga (Blame).

5.0 Curragh, Mdn, €18,000, 2yo, 6fT
ST KITTS (IRE) (No Nay Never) may not be the pick of Ryan Moore of the Ballydoyle pair, but the newcomer has much to commend him as a son of the G1 Irish Oaks heroine Bracelet (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) by the sire who is off to a flyer this term. The April-foaled chestnut is back-up to the stable's Roscommon fourth Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), a son of the dual group 3-winning sprinter Tickled Pink (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), while among the other newcomers is the Niarchos's Yosemite Valley (GB) (Shamardal), a Donnacha O'Brien-trained half-brother to the stable's G3 Ballysax S. winner Piz Badile (Ire) (Ulysses {Ire}) who was withdrawn from his intended debut at Naas last month.

5.35 Curragh, Mdn, €18,000, 2yo, f, 7fT
DOWER HOUSE (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is another Ballydoyle debutante without the services of Ryan Moore, but as a full-sister to Churchill (Ire) and Clemmie (Ire) she is more of a next-time project given that both her illustrious siblings were only placed on their racecourse bows. Aidan O'Brien's first string is very much the six-furlong course maiden third Never Ending Story (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the first foal out of the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational winner Athena (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) from the family of the opening maiden's protagonist St Kitts and Sea the Stars (Ire) and Galileo (Ire). Jessie Harrington, who took this last year with the future G1 Moyglare Stud S. winner Discoveries (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) as she inched out Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), saddles Yuesheng Zhang's newcomer Danvers Gold (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a daughter of the G3 Cornwallis S. scorer Mrs Danvers (GB) (Hellvelyn {GB}) who cost 320,000gns at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2.

6.25 Newmarket, Novice, £10,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 8fT
PURE DIGNITY (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is yet another by the supersire to catch the eye on Friday, being the €2.5million Arqana Deauville September Yearling Sale topper. Shaikh Nasser Al Khalifa and KHK Racing's half-sister to Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and the similarly high-class Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) finally gets out for Roger Varian and faces four on her debut.

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UNI (GB) (m, 8, More Than Ready–Unaided {GB}), by Dansili {GB}), to be bred to Frankel (GB)

Uni is in foal to Kingman (GB), and she's going back to Frankel. She was a great mile, mile-and-a-sixteenth horse. Frankel gets very classic horses. Their conformation is very complementary to one another. They're both really good-looking horses.

BEAUTY PARLOUR (GB) (m, 13, Deep Impact {Jpn}–Bastet {Ire}, by Giant's Causeway), to be bred to Frankel (GB)

Beauty Parlour won the French Guineas and she's the dam of Blowout (GB). She's going to Frankel. She was second in the Prix de Diane, but she's really a mile to a mile-and-sixteenth horse and Frankel will give her more distance. I like the cross on Beauty Parlour with Galileo (Ire).

DUNBAR ROAD (m, 6, Quality Road–Gift List, by Bernardini), to be bred to Into Mischief

Dunbar Road was just second, beaten a nose in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. She's by Quality Road, and as a maiden mare, she's going to Into Mischief. She's a classic mile-and-an-eighth to mile-and-a-quarter horse. I like to breed Into Mischief to middle-distance to classic-distance horses, to a mare that would stay, so we thought that would be a very good match.

CAFE AMERICANO (m, 6, Medaglia d'Oro–Roxy Gap, by Indian Charlie), to be bred to Tapit

Cafe Americano just had an Into Mischief filly on Tuesday. She will be bred back to Tapit. Tapit crosses really well with Medaglia d'Oro. She is a rangy kind of mare who is tall, and Tapit fit her in the cross and on the conformation. I wanted to have a chance of either a grass or dirt horse from her.

ENCHANTED ROCK (m, 18, Giant's Causeway–Chic Shirine, by Mr. Prospector), to be bred to Gun Runner

Enchanted Rock is the dam of Verrazano (More Than Ready). She was bred to Curlin in 2021, and she's going to Gun Runner. This is the first time I have used him. She's a very big mare and we thought Gun Runner would suit her for a dirt horse. She has been the dam of some good dirt horses, and she has an old King Ranch pedigree. She is a very, very good mare.

NAPLES PARADE (m, 8, Street Cry {Ire}–Treasure Trail, by Pulpit), to be bred to Into Mischief

Naples Parade was one of Ed Cox's mares. She was the sister to Long Island Sound (War Front) and she is out of a half-sister to Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}). She's got a lot of dirt in her family, she's by Street Cry, and Long Island Sound was a turf horse, but that's a good cross with Into Mischief. They suit each other conformation-wise, and Into Mischief gets more stocky-looking horses.

WOW CAT (CHI) (m, 8, Lookin At Lucky–Winter Cat {Chi}), by Cat Thief), to be bred to Into Mischief

We are also breeding her to Into Mischief. She was second in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, she won the Beldame, came from Chile (where she was Horse of the Year in 2018), won a number of Group 1s in Chile and she is one of the best-looking mares we've had. She's a distance horse, a mile-and-a-quarter horse and we want to breed the best mile-and-a-quarter horses to Into Mischief.

Champion Sistercharlie won the 2018 Breeders' Cup F/M Turf | Breeders' Cup/Eclipse Sportswire

PAID UP SUBSCRIBER (m, 10, Candy Ride {Arg}–Shriek, by Street Cry {Ire}), to be bred to Tapit

Paid Up Subscriber is going to Tapit. She is in foal to Into Mischief, and she hasn't foaled yet. Tapit has a tendency to get a distance horse. Plus, she's really a mile-and-a-sixteenth mare with a big girth and Tapit sometimes gets horses who are a little bit smaller. I thought the cross was great in terms of Candy Ride and Tapit.

FIFTY FIVE (m, 8, Get Stormy–Soave, by Brahms), to be bred to Sottsass (Fr)

Fifty Five had a Dubawi (Ire) filly this year. She is going to Sottsass. She was a brilliant miler and it's a little bit of inbreeding to Northern Dancer, which I like far back in the pedigree. There are some good female families in there. I like to cross horses that have great females in their history–super mares that were great racemares and great producers.

BLOWOUT (GB) (m, 6, Dansili {GB}–Beauty Parlour {GB}, by Deep Impact {Jpn}), to be bred to Frankel (GB)

Blowout goes to Frankel. She just won the [GI] First Lady at Keeneland this fall. She was a very, very good seven-furlong to a mile-and-a-sixteenth horse. I like Frankel with the Galileo (Ire) cross with Dansili. It's good Wildenstein blood and it's a classic cross. On conformation, they both suit each other.

HOMERIQUE (m, 7, Exchange Rate–Chiquita Picosa, by Congaree), to be bred to Dubawi (Ire)

She won graded stakes in the U.S. and Europe. She is ready to foal a Kingman (GB) foal and she is going back to Dubawi.

NEWSPAPEROFRECORD (IRE) (m, 6, Lope de Vega {Ire}–Sunday Times {GB}, by Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), to be bred to Kingman (GB)

Newspaperofrecord is going to be bred to Kingman. I like the idea of a miler to a miler, and Kingmans in the U.S. have been running longer. We thought that's a horse we'd like to run in the U.S. That's why we chose him. Last year, she was bred to Frankel (GB).

PRECIEUSE (IRE) (m, 8, Tamayuz {GB}–Zut Alors {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}), to be bred to Wootton Bassett (GB)

Precieuse, who won the French 1,000 Guineas, is in foal to Kingman (GB) and she's going back to Wootton Bassett. She's a quick horse. Wootton Bassett gets a mile to a mile-and-a-quarter horse. We thought the conformation suited the cross very well.

SIGNIFICANT FORM (m, 7, Creative Cause–Church by the Sea, by Harlan's Holiday), to be bred to Sottsass (Fr)

She just had a Dubawi (Ire) colt, and she is going back to Sottsass. She won the Miss Grillo and the Ballston Spa. She's a very rangy horse that's very good with that Siyouni (Fr) blood. It's speed. It carried the distance. We like that for Significant Form. She was limited up to a mile-and-a-sixteenth, but she was top class up to that. We wanted to put some distance into her. She's beautiful. Great conformation.

SISTERCHARLIE (IRE) (m, 8, Myboycharlie {Ire}–Starlet's Sister {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), to be bred to Dubawi (Ire)

It's a great cross, and Dubawi gets some nice speed milers and she was very fast, but this will put a little more speed into her. Sistercharlie's dam has been bred to Dubawi, with success.

Let us know who you're breeding your mares to in 2022, and why. We will print a selection of your responses in TDN over the coming weeks. Please send details to: garyking@thetdn.com.

The post Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift: Peter Brant appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Then there was Radiant Child (Ire) (Charm Spirit {Ire}). He is as well-bred as a horse can be.

Radiant Child's story didn't start well as he never made it to the races. But it will end well. He was placed in a loving home and is now enjoying his second career as a show horse. It shows that any horse, even one who is a half-brother to the winner of the GI Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, as well as to an Eclipse Award winner, can be in need of a soft place to land once retired.

Out of the dam Starlet's Sister (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Radiant Child was purchased for €400,000 at the 2018 Arqana August Yearling Sale by Peter Brant's White Birch Farm and comes from a family that has been very good to the owner. Brant also owned his half-brother, 2020 Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), and his half-sister, Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), the 2018 champion turf female. There's also another talented half-sister that Brant owns, My Sister Nat (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}), the winner of this year's GIII Fasig-Tipton Waya S. for the second time. She has been pre-entered for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

Even when a horse has a superstar pedigree, everything must go right for the horse to be a success on the racetrack. In this case, it didn't. It turned out that Radiant Child had a problem with a tendon in his left hind hock. The Brant team tried everything, including stem cell treatments and gelding the horse, to get him to the races, but, in the end, it was decided that it was in his best interests to retire him without his having had a start.

Brant is one of the most successful owners in the business, but even he will have horses that don't work out. Jean Bickley, Brant's racing manager, said he makes it a priority to find a good home for each and every one. In this case, Brant didn't have to look far. Bickley decided to adopt him.

“When the [2020] season at Payson was ending, the team didn't think he'd ever have the push behind to stay sound so the decision was made to rehome him,” Bickley said. “I'd always loved the horse since we got him, and always said if he ever needed a home I wanted  him. Mr. Brant offered Radiant Child to me because the family is very important to him and he knew the horse would have the best of everything. I've worked for him for 34 years and he's been aware of many of my horse pursuits over the years.”

Donuts are part of Radiant Child's daily menu | Courtesy Jean Bickley

Bickley was looking for a horse she could spend some time with and enjoy.

“My other Thoroughbreds are both older and I was looking for an all-around horse,” she said. “I bought a home in Aiken three years ago so that I could ride out, do a little bit of showing. At this point in my career, I just want to enjoy my horses and maybe show a little. I wanted to have an all-around horse and I thought he fit the bill.”

Radiant Child is now “Dudley,” the barn name given to him by Bickley.

“Dudley is the angel in the film “The Bishop's Wife,” which was my mother's favorite Christmas movie, and Dudley was played by Cary Grant,” Bickley explained. “He's handsome and funny, just like the horse, and charming and everyone liked him. It is the perfect name for him.”

It seems that Dudley has quite the personality. He loves donuts and gets glazed donuts from Dunkin' Donuts every day but Sunday. On Sundays, he feasts on donuts from Krispy Kreme. He's smart and friendly and likes people and other horses. Bickley says he's a dream to own.

“Dudley” loves his donuts | Courtesy Jean Bickley

“Everyone who had him said he was just the kindest, sweetest, smartest horse,” she said. “He's very unique because he's probably the most chill Thoroughbred you will ever see. He is beautiful and he comes from a really good family, so, because of that, he gets a lot of attention. He loves all horses. My other horses are quirky, but he doesn't have any quirks. He's just friendly and fun. He's a good ambassador because he's not at all like what some people think of when they think of the Thoroughbred. He has a laid-back personality and is kind. People have misconceived ideas that these horses come off the track and they are all crazy. He is a very good ambassador for Thoroughbreds and how versatile they are and the variety of things they can do if people just take the time to transition them into new careers.”

Radiant Child is a rookie when it comes to his new career, but he's showing promise. Bickley said she will only enter a few shows a year, ones like the T.I.P. Championships, where Radiant Child won the In-Hand Class for 2-year-old to 5-year-old geldings and colts  out of 20 horses and was third in the Championship In-Hand Class.

The Thoroughbred Incentive Program was launched by The Jockey Club in 2012 as a way to encourage people to adopt off-track Thoroughbreds. More than 58,850 eligible Thoroughbreds have taken part and there have been more than 6,500 horse shows and events that have included T.I.P. classes or awards. Any horse that has been registered with The Jockey Club  or a foreign Thoroughbred stud book recognized by The Jockey Club is eligible to take part. The 2021 T.I.P. Championships included $60,500 in prize money.

Radiant Child also competed in the New Vocations All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show in September.

Bickley would like to see Dudley excel in the show ring, but it's more important to her that he have a good home and a good life. So far, so good.

“He loves this,” she said. “He eats donuts and he hangs out with dogs. He's as happy as a clam.”

The post Half-Brother to Arc Winner, Eclipse Champion Thriving in Second Career appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The cargos are more contested nowadays, he says, with a lot of sharp traders driving up prices. But the fact is that Zerolo recently scaled a new pinnacle, with the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe success of a Deauville yearling bought for an American patron. Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), moreover, is a sibling to the very first horse he found for Peter Brant, Sistercharlie (Fr) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), imported to win seven Grade Is in America.

Zerolo has made a useful habit of landing running with his most important clients. In that respect, in fact, perhaps the pivotal moment of his entire career came at Fasig-Tipton’s July Sale of 1982, when he introduced himself to a trainer who had just begun to build on a reputation initially established through claims and gambles.

“I saw him there, in Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops, and he looked a cool guy,” Zerolo remembers. “I was a kid, but he had no pretense about him and gave me his number.”

Bobby Frankel probably needed reminding of that conversation when Zerolo telephoned with a horse from Europe, but a deal was done.

Trainer Bobby Frankel with his dog Happy at Saratoga | Horsephotos

“And actually he was a decent animal, I think he won a stake at the Fair Grounds,” Zerolo recalls. “But then the second one I sold Bobby, we struck gold. In those days Adrian Maxwell would come to Florida in the winter with a string of horses that were all for sale. And in that group was a Sheikh Hamdan cast-off, a 3-year-old called Al Mamoon (Believe It). He was the horse that got it all started, really.”

In Frankel’s care, Al Mamoon won five graded stakes and also chased home Cozzene (Caro) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile. From that point, Zerolo regularly supplied the great man with ammunition.

“Bobby was a huge factor, in that he just made you look good,” Zerolo says. “He was incredible. You gave this guy some, okay, maybe not average horses, but you give him a ‘B’ horse, or even a ‘C’, and it became an ‘A-plus’. And he was just a gambler from Brooklyn. But do you know what Bobby had? He loved animals. Remember when he didn’t show up at the Breeders’ Cup, because his dog was ill? And when Exbourne (Explodent) foundered, Bobby stayed with him hours and hours. He had that respect for animals; everything was for the horse.”

Zerolo had started out thinking that he might become a trainer himself, but believes now that he would have lacked due patience. As it was, Frankel determined one of the defining tenets of his strategy.

“I’ve always made it a rule of thumb that if I cannot buy the best horses, or the best-bred horses, at least I’m going to put them with the best trainers,” Zerolo says. “Because it’s only a matter of getting an introduction, and your client being able to pay whatever it takes to be there. And that’s a huge help.”

At the time he approached Frankel, Zerolo had only recently gone solo after being introduced to the bloodstock market as American liaison for French agent Frédéric Sauque.

“Frédéric was driven by success, by work; a very inventive, very creative man,” Zerolo says. “It was interesting, because it was the first time in my life I actually made money. All of a sudden I thought, ‘This is an easy game.’ I soon learned that wasn’t the case.”

Nonetheless, he had found his metier. It had been quite an odyssey already. His grandfather had moved to Algeria as a young surgeon, and Zerolo was born and spent his earliest years there. But he has only the dimmest memory of the family’s flight, in 1962, during the War of Independence.

“Basically we left with suitcases, and that was it,” he recalls. “We left everything. It was a very dirty war, like those wars always are. Members of my family were killed. We did feel let down by the French government.”

They settled in Toulon, but the upheavals that shaped the young Zerolo were not over. He was at boarding school in the Massif Central when the radical unrest of 1968 brought everything to a standstill for three months.

“So we were all stuck at this school, with nothing to do,” Zerolo says. “There was no petrol, trains would stop. The teachers couldn’t get in, so we were pretty much left to our own devices. It was magic for us. I must say I was a terrible student anyway. But close by there was a riding academy, and that’s how my passion for horses started.”

Zerolo at his Capucines consignment at Arqana | Zuzanna Lupa-Arqana

The connection was instant, for all that he had no kind of pedigree for horses. His father had entered the family profession, as a surgeon; and while his mother would occasionally ride at their grain and palm oil estates, in the south of Algeria, that was all. Yet soon Zerolo was riding eventers.

“I think it starts with the love of the animal, there’s no doubt about that,” he says with a shrug. “After that, it’s something you either have it or you don’t. And it’s observation, too. I don’t know that I was born with an instinct. You’d like to think so, but mainly you learn by your mistakes-because you make lots of those.”

The door to Thoroughbreds was opened by teenage vacations with his grandparents at Pau. One day a friend there raised a pertinent question: why were they paying to ride at the academy, when they could get paid to ride at the training centre over the street? That transition sowed the seeds for Zerolo, after military service, to begin his Turf vocation in earnest at a stable in Chantilly. Stints followed on stud farms in Ireland and then Kentucky, culminating at Spendthrift. The farm was in its late 1970s heyday, with that paragon John Williams lighting a path for the countless horsemen who have since spread his illumination, as man and horseman, through the industry.

“Rick Nichols was assistant manager, there was Steve Johnson, Allen Kershaw, so many people meanwhile very successful in their own right,” Zerolo recalls. “I was there with Gerry Dilger, Robbie Lyons, all those guys of my generation. And, in the stallion barn, I was there when JO Tobin retired, when Seattle Slew retired; when Affirmed arrived, Caro arrived. John was an incredible mentor to all of us, because he had such a work ethic. He was driven like noone I’ve ever seen. He took on Spendthrift, turned it around and made it what it was.”

As already noted, he first branched out into bloodstock with Sauque; but he also remembers with gratitude the support of Edward Seltzer. “Ed gave me lot of latitude,” he recalls. “He let me learn by experience, and by making mistakes. Such an interesting fellow, both in racing and in breeding.”

As he became established professionally, Zerolo was also putting down some domestic roots-in Miami, with a first wife who already had a couple of children. “All I needed was a dog!” he says. “It anchored me down. But I have always made regular trips back to Europe, maybe every five to six weeks. In fact, today I would say I have more and more of a foothold in Europe-so much so that I think I’m actually going to reverse the poles, and base myself primarily in France.”

His portfolio, after all, has long had its center of gravity there. Very soon after getting started, for instance, he entered partnership with Eric Puerari in the Haras des Capucines; and meanwhile, along with Marc de Chambure, they also developed the European Sales Management draft, dependably one of the elite consignments at the Tattersalls breeding stock sales.

“I was interested in breeding and Eric, who was born into it, really opened my eyes,” Zerolo reflects. “It started gradually. At first it was just an idea of buying and selling horses, trying to build towards the next level. And then an opportunity came to buy into a farm. I don’t know that we really sat down and planned anything: at that age, you don’t really think about it, you run with it. And European Sales Management was the same, a partnership born through opportunity and friendship. There was an economy of scale, and it has worked very well.”

Zerolo and his partner in Capucines, Eric Puerari | Zuzanna Lupa-Arqana

But the trademark of Oceanic Bloodstock itself has become the recruitment of European turf horses eligible to raise their earning power in the United States. Zerolo points to Juddmonte as the blueprint, noting how you need only look at a typical Juddmonte pedigree to find a second or third dam that started out with Sir Henry Cecil, say, or Andre Fabre, before being transferred to Frankel in California.

With Frankel, the trust was such that if the horse passed the vet, Zerolo would be told: “Okay, send me the horse and send the bill to so-and-so.” His owners were so awed by Frankel that none ever declined, except in the famous case of Starine (Fr) (Mendocino). Zerolo kept a stake as she overcame her obscure pedigree to win in Frankel’s own silks at the Breeders’ Cup, where she has now featured as second dam of a winner two years running.

Before Brant came aboard, Zerolo’s principal ally in this kind of enterprise was Martin Schwartz, with the likes of Stacelita (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}) and Zagora (Fr) (Green Tune). But no less crucial was Chad Brown, identified by Zerolo as “a natural successor” to Frankel (whom he had served as assistant). Yes, Brown gained momentum for his own career from the association; but he also confirmed Zerolo in his belief that half the battle is having the right trainer on your team. The other half, a client with sufficient verve and commitment, was where Schwartz came in.

“Marty gave me great opportunities for a long, long time,” says Zerolo gratefully. “He was one of the very few men operating at that level. He’s in the high-speed, high-testosterone finance world. So he needed a sort of a release for his energy: he loves to bet, he loves action, but he has no interest in breeding whatsoever.”

Brant, on the other hand, is fascinated by the whole, acorn-to-oak process. In his initial stint on the Turf, uniquely, he bred both sire and dam of a Kentucky Derby winner, Thunder Gulch (Gulch).
“In those days, he was the young, successful, adventurous man with his cousin Joe Allen,” Zerolo recalls. “All those good horses he was buying, whether dirt or grass, his mindset was the same: let’s go for the best. He’s a fascinating man; a renaissance man. He has led a fascinating life and whether you talk about art, or politics, or horses, he always has a very interesting opinion. And he’s challenging, too: he keeps you on your toes. He does his homework.

“Anyway, after he had disappeared for 20 years, and came back, I reintroduced myself and he said, ‘If you see something interesting, give me a call.’ And yes, the very first call was Sistercharlie. I happened to be at Saint-Cloud when she won a conditions race. Her turn of foot was spectacular. So I called Peter. It took a little bit of time to register, and by that time she had won a Group 3, so she obviously became more expensive. But then she ran in the [G1] Prix de Diane, and should have won, so already there could not be too many doubts about what we’d done.”

And so the dominoes began to fall towards an Arc winner. Sistercharlie’s half-brother had to be on the inspection list at the Arqana August Sale of 2017, and Brant authorized a bid of €340,000.

“I was fortunate that Peter gave me enough credit,” Zerolo says. “That’s always the critical element of the equation, the funds! I mean, he was not cheap. But he was a very good-looking horse. Not particularly like Sistercharlie, actually: he looks very much like his dam.”

Sottsass | Scoop-Dyga

Once again, much has hinged been the genius of a trainer. “Full credit to Jean-Claude Rouget who basically, in his own quote, had to lose other races in order to win the Arc,” Zerolo says. “That took a bit of explanation, to get Peter on board. I think the only time we collectively took a stand with Jean-Claude was that Sottsass would run in the [G1] Irish Champion Stakes. I think Jean-Claude was going for a classic French preparation, but we thought the horse needed a bit of a kick in the ass. That race really woke him up. But Jean-Claude is an extraordinary trainer, a great judge and a born horseman. I mean, he’s won eight Classic races in seven years, something like that.”

Zerolo, naturally enough in view of his success, operates within the orthodoxies: he doesn’t export European horses to run on dirt, instead content to exploit a lack of depth in American grass breeding. He refutes the objection that dirt and turf horses may be more versatile than we allow.

“If it’s not on the page, it doesn’t exist,” he argues. “When you look at a pedigree and you see grass, grass, grass, it’s a grass horse. It’s a different animal, physically. You need a more athletic horse, one who’s lighter on his feet. On dirt you need a strong horse: I mean, they have to dig themselves out from that stuff. Mechanically, it’s a different thing.

“But it is true, going way back when I first started in this business, that we imported a French horse called Perrault (GB) (Djakao {Fr}), who was as grassy a horse as grass could be. And first start on the dirt he wins the Hollywood Gold Cup. But he was built like a bull.”

The paradox is that while the right blood still can’t get commercial traction among American breeders-Zerolo describes standing a grass stallion in the U.S. as “nearly impossible”–the turf program is thriving, ever more competitive and respected. That, of course, is partly down to the efforts of importers like Zerolo and his rivals. But he feels the industry needs to heed the logic and follow through: with a turf Triple Crown, for instance; and a recognition that the training habits passed down through the generations may literally have run their course.

“I don’t see the future of American racing with training horses on the racetrack,” he declares. “I know it’s a big statement. But I think training centers are the way of the future. I think that’s why Peter Brant bought Payson Park. The logistics in America make it difficult. But I think the ‘all-American’ trainer, who would have 20 webbings, five forks, five saddles, and three exercise riders, there’s going to be less and less of that. It’s sad in some ways, yes. But we’re in the era of the super trainers.”

Yet whatever European practice might be usefully emulated here, Zerolo still feels that the Old World must also look to its laurels.

“I think you can safely say that today you will find the world’s best racehorses in Japan,” he suggests. “There’s been a haemorrhage of good pedigrees from America to Europe, and then lately from America and Europe to Japan. So the poles have shifted. It’s incredible what the Yoshida family has built up. I have watched them all along, because I was sort of competing against them in the early 2000s, when buying expensive fillies for Mr. Schwartz. They were pretty much my only competition for good racehorses; not necessarily horses with fantastic pedigrees, but good racehorses with decent pedigrees.”

Even so, his own trade route is more imitated than ever. To a degree, he’s become a victim of his own success. But few others in the business could be so comfortable, so adaptable, in straddling this cosmopolitan market-a natural consequence, perhaps, of that peripatetic, nomadic upbringing.

“Yes, maybe it takes me to my roots,” Zerolo says with a laugh. “But it’s all about opportunities. Before, horses were a lot cheaper. There were very few people doing it. Today there’s less and less slack. There are a lot of talented young men and women making it extremely competitive. Before, you used to be able to buy a Group 3 winner in Europe, and were almost assured, if you went to Bobby Frankel, that it would become a Grade I horse. Now it’s very rare, that magic order: find me a well-bred filly, a Group 3 horse that can run. I used to be able to pick up the phone and call 10 people. Now you have to look at Listed horses, you have to downgrade a little bit.”

Hence the importance of the Arc: raising the bar higher yet. Zerolo is still at the helm, the rest still sailing eagerly in his wake. After all, even for the best, this business remains a constant puzzle.
“Yes, and a constant punishment as well,” he says. “Because as you know, you’re wrong more often than you’re right.”

That’s the same for every horseman, of course. What makes the difference is not just how often you get something right, but how right you get it. And the launch of a €30,000 stallion at Coolmore, 32 years after Al Mamoon went to stud, suggests that Zerolo is still steering a course others will try to follow.

The post Sottsass Keeps Zerolo’s Oceanic Ahead of the Fleet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Sistercharlie once again leads the charge, being arguably the most accomplished of his runners and a seven-time G1 winner. She hopes to improve upon her third at 4-5 odds in last year's edition, while also improving from her two disappointing runs this season – thirds in both the Ballston Spa and Diana at Saratoga.

“I see her really coming around and is training as well as she has all year,” Brown said. “Her last three breezes in particular have been excellent. I think she's going to really appreciate the mile and three-sixteenths and having enough ground to get there. She drew well (in post two).

“I just think she was really rusty that first start back and had not run in a really long time,” Brown continued. “I probably undertrained her knowing that she's six and knowing in the back of your mind that she's had a lot of career breezes and I don't want to get her injured in the morning, so I probably undertrained her a little bit and that was fine, because I knew that first race back wasn't in any way a goal of ours. I think her second race she really ran well (post six) and it set her up for this.”

Rushing Fall, also a previous Breeders' Cup winner when taking the 2017 Juvenile Fillies Turf, is a six-time G1 winner who will be closing out her career by running the farthest she has attempted (9.5 furlongs) in the Filly & Mare Turf. A winner of 11 of 14 lifetime, she has won five of six over this turf course and three of her four attempts at nine furlongs, just short of this trip.

Brown: “I think Rushing Fall drew well and is another one where unfortunately this is it for her. She's had a nice career and hopefully she breaks well and has a nice trip from there. You do (worry about the distance), but we've been in this position before – Dayatthespa comes to mind and she had never tried a mile and a quarter – but sometimes the first time you try it is the best time you'll ever run at it. Frankel used to tell me that.”

My Sister Nat and Nay Lady Nay both exit the Flower Bowl Invitational at Belmont, finishing second and third behind Civil Union, who reopposes on Saturday. My Sister Nat is a half-sister to Sistercharlie with proven G1 form on both sides of the Atlantic, while Nay Lady Nay is the youngest of the quartet, at four years old, and has been incrementally stepping up in class in 2020. Both are graded winners who appear to be in top form, but must take on the tall task of beating their aforementioned stablemates and others at the G1 level.

“(My Sister Nat) may have to be used a bit early to get some sort of position (from post 13 of 14),” Brown said. “I think that's the key. It took her a while to acclimate, but she's coming around quickly and I have never seen her doing this well. On numbers, she's going to have to really take a jump forward to land in the winner's circle. She's very different from Sistercharlie. They might both come off the pace, but that's where it ends. They look different and I think Sistercharlie can get into gear quicker and has a bigger stronger better turn of foot, but My Sister Nat is trying to close the gap a little bit and get into the Grade 1 races now. She's turning six next season and it's quite possible she could run next year.

“(Nay Lady Nay) is going to have to tuck in early,” Brown continued. “She's a long shot as it is. At a mile and three-sixteenths it might be stretching it for her. I think her only chance to grab a piece of this is to tuck in off the break and kind of work her way through traffic during the course of the race. I do think there's a little more there. She just continues to grow and get stronger and does everything you like to see year to year. Some of these horses, they look the same as when they were babies, so I think there's a little more in the tank. Ultimately, I think she's best at a tick shorter than this, which is where we see her fastest numbers.”

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Rushing Fall, an aspirant for the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf for e Five Thoroughbred Racing, went a half-mile in 50.69 seconds in company with Peter Brant's Sistercharlie [50.66] over a soft inner turf.

Rushing Fall, a 5-year-old bay mare by leading Breeders' Cup producing stallion More Than Ready, will look to become only the fifth horse to notch victories in two different Breeders' Cup races. During her juvenile campaign, Rushing Fall won the 2017 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar.

Rushing Fall is unbeaten this year in three starts, all at different tracks, while garnering triple-digit speed figures. Following a 2020 debut win in the Grade 3 Beaugay on June 3 at Belmont Park, she scored back-to-back Grade 1 wins in the Jenny Wiley on July 11 at Keeneland and the Diana on August 23 at Saratoga.

“She's been training well,” said e Five Thoroughbred Racing owner Bob Edwards. “I've been speaking with Chad quite a bit. She's a mare that works better with breaks, so we gave her a little freshening after the Diana. We know she loves Keeneland. I'm looking forward to the Breeders' Cup and hopefully she gets a good trip.”

Rushing Fall, who has earned $2,553,000 while boasting a 14-11-2-0 record, is scheduled to go through the sales ring at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale following the Breeders' Cup, where she will be consigned by Indian Creek.

“It's kind of bittersweet,” Edwards said. “Regardless of what happens, we're still proud of her. She's sound and she's training well. Coming back after last year's Keeneland race [fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 First Lady] she wasn't herself. We felt we had to race her one more year and it's all paid off.

“She's gotten more mature and confident in herself,” Edwards added. “She has a gorgeous blaze, great head, and great body. It's a test going mile and three-sixteenths since she's never gone that long before, but Chad is a phenomenal trainer and he's won this before.”

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano has been aboard Rushing Fall in all of her starts and seeks a 13th Breeders' Cup victory in the Filly and Mare Turf.

Sistercharlie is in pursuit of a second triumph in the Filly Mare and Turf. The seven-time Grade 1 winner was third in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa and Grade 1 Diana, both at Saratoga and will attempt to join Ouija Board [2004, 2006] as the only horses to score non-consecutive wins in the Filly and Mare Turf. Brown's remaining Filly and Mare Turf hopefuls My Sister Nat and Nay Lady Nay, the second and third-place finishers last out in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl on October 10 at Belmont, also worked a half-mile on the inner turf Sunday in company with Eliade and Digital Age, respectively.

Also on the work tab for Brown was Uni, the winner of last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile, who went a half-mile in 50.60 in company with Domestic Spending. Uni seeks a repeat victory in the event coming off a second consecutive triumph in the Grade 1 First Lady on October 3 at Keeneland.

The four-time Grade 1 winning 6-year-old chestnut daughter of More Than Ready was third to stablemate Newspaperofrecord in the Grade 1 Just a Game on June 27 over the Widener turf at Belmont before an uncharacteristic seventh as the favorite in the Grade 1 Fourstardave over the Saratoga Mellon turf.

“Her last couple of works have shown that she's really starting to show her old self,” said Bradley Weisbord, who manages Uni on behalf of owners Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners, Robert LaPenta and Bethlehem Stables. “Going from five to six, some horses may take a few races to knock the rust off. She's got a major turn of foot and it looks like we're going to get firm ground for Saturday. She's won on many different surfaces, but firm turf is where she is best.”

Uni will attempt to become the sixth horse to notch back-to-back Mile victories following Miesque [1987-88], Lure [1993-94], Da Hoss [1996,98], Goldikova [2008-10] and Wise Dan [2012-13].

Digital Age completed his half-mile work in 51.25. Owned by Klaravich Stables, the Irish-bred son of Invincible Sprit won the Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon on September 5 at Churchill Downs last out.

Peter Brant's Editor At Large [Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf], third in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo on October 4 at Belmont Park last out, worked a half-mile in 50.75 in company with Klaravich Stables' Public Sector [Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf], second in the Grade 2 Pilgrim on October 3 at Belmont Park, who was clocked in 50.69. Brown won the Juvenile Turf last year with Structor.

On the main track, Brown sent out Klaravich Stables' Complexity, winner of the Grade 2 Kelso last out, for a half-mile breeze in 49.21. The son of Maclean's Music, who won the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont Park as a 2-year-old, has given first preference to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile over the Sprint. Also for Brown and Klaravich, Reinvestment Risk went a half-mile in 49.04 seconds in preparation for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, which Brown won with Good Magic in 2017. The son of first-crop sire Upstart was a recent second in the Grade 1 Champagne to likely Juvenile favorite Jackie's Warrior.

Peter Brant's Dunbar Road logged a five-furlong work in 1:00.60 for Brown. The winner of last year's Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga is targeting the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff, which she finished fifth in last year.

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Brown said he will pre-enter in seven Breeders' Cup events: the Filly & Mare Turf [Sistercharlie, Rushing Fall, My Sister Nat and Nay Lady Nay]; Mile [Raging Bull, Uni, Digital Age]; Distaff [Dunbar Road]; Dirt Mile [Complexity], Juvenile [Reinvestment Risk]; Juvenile Fillies Turf [Editor At Large]; Juvenile Turf [Public Sector]; and Turf Sprint [Front Run the Fed].

“I think our group is representative of the diversity of our team, being able to work with any kind of horse,” said Brown, who has won 15 Breeders' Cup events. “This is the time to showcase not only your horses but your team's ability to get to the championship day for various owners out there to see.”

Klaravich Stables' Complexity, last out winner of the Grade 2 Kelso at Belmont, worked a half-mile solo in 48.81 Sunday on Big Sandy after missing a work last week.

“He worked this morning and worked great,” said Brown of the 2018 Grade 1 Champagne-winner. “He will be pre-entered tomorrow as long as he comes out of it well.”

A number of notables breezed on the Belmont inner turf Sunday led by Rushing Fall and Sistercharlie, who worked five-eighths in 1:01.85.

Rushing Fall, a five-time Grade 1-winner, captured the Grade 1 Diana last out on August 23 at Saratoga. Sistercharlie, a seven-time Grade 1-winner, was fourth last out in the Flower Bowl in just her second start of the season. Both mares will be retired following the Breeders' Cup.

“They're both training great. Rushing Fall has been a model of consistency all year in works and racing,” said Brown. “Sistercharlie got started a little later than we wanted and was clearly a little rusty and out of form in her first start. In her second start, much improved and we decided to skip the Flower Bowl and go fresh.

“So far, that decision, based on her morning works, is clearly the right one,” added Brown regarding Sistercharlie. “Her last two workouts have been her best two workouts of the year, I thought. She continues to train up to the race the right way.”

My Sister Nat and Nay Lady Nay worked in company in 50.66 as they look to step up against their well-regarded stablemates.

Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners, Robert LaPenta and Bethlehem Stables' reigning Champion Turf Female Uni worked five-eighths in company with Domestic Spending in 1:02.58.

“She worked well. I had her in 1:01 and change,” noted Brown, who advised that Domestic Spending is targeting the nine-furlong Grade 1 Hollywood Derby.

Digital Age [1:02.02] worked in company with Analyze It [1:02.05] through five panels.

Klaravich Stables' maiden winner Public Sector, second last out in the Grade 2 Pilgrim at Belmont, and Peter Brant's maiden winner Editor At Large, third last out in the Miss Grillo at Belmont, worked in company in 1:02.69.

Brown said Public Sector would benefit from an expected stronger pace in the Juvenile Turf.

“He's an improving horse. His maiden win was super impressive at Saratoga,” said Brown. “In the Pilgrim, he got caught in a pace less race. He was really out of sorts that way. He needs some pace to run at. He would be better in a larger field and I like the cutback for him to a mile on a tighter track with even more going on in front of him.

“I'll pre-enter Editor At Large in the Juvenile Fillies Turf,” added Brown. “She worked exceptional today and I want to try and get her in the race if we can.”

On Saturday, Reinvestment Risk, runner-up to Jackie's Warrior in both the Grade 1 Runhappy Hopeful and Grade 1 Champagne, worked a half-mile in 48.20 inside of maiden Miles D on the Belmont main.

“I wanted to make share he kept his attention to business and it worked out really well,” said Brown regarding the rail-skimming work. “He went with a promising maiden – Miles D – and they went well together. He's doing well and we're going to go on to that race [Juvenile].”

Brown said Reinvestment Risk will appreciate the Keeneland main track after a disappoint effort in the Champagne last out at Belmont when 5 ½-length in arrears to a runaway Jackie's Warrior.

“I just don't think he cared for the track particularly at Belmont that day,” said Brown. “That said, the winner was super impressive and it's hard to imagine anyone beating him even if he loved the track that day.

“He's come back and worked well and I think he'll appreciate a different surface at Keeneland,” added Brown. “I have a feeling that track will play a little more like Saratoga.”

Peter Brant's Grade 1 winner Dunbar Road, third last out in the Grade 2 Beldame at Belmont, worked five-eighths Saturday in 1:01.85 on the main track towards her second attempt at the Distaff following a fifth last year.

“Dunbar Road went solo yesterday and she worked well and came out of it well. She's on target for the Distaff,” said Brown.

Klaravich Stables' multiple Grade 1-winner Newspaperofrecord worked a half-mile in 48.40 Sunday on the Belmont main in preparation for a start in the Grade 1 Matriarch, a one-mile turf event on November 29 at Del Mar.

“She did a beautiful half mile on the dirt. She looked great,” said Brown.

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