Sunday Insights: Well-Bred Son Of Tapit And Lady Take Charge Debuts At Oaklawn

5th-OP, $115K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 3:22 p.m. ET.
A $700,000 Keeneland September purchase by Willis Horton Racing and trained by Eddie Milligan Jr., WILL TAKE IT (Tapit) is the first to the post out of unraced Lady Take Charge (War Front).

The latter was the top-priced foal at the 2015 Keeneland November Sale when she was hammered down to Whisper Hill Farm for $3.2 million. Eclipse Award winner Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway), a daughter of Lady Take Charge's half-sister Charming (Seeking the Gold), was the overall topper when sold to John Sikura and Hill 'n' Dale Equine for $6 million.

Last year, Lady Take Charge produced a full-sister to Will Take It, who went to Sinandigan Stable at the Keeneland September Sale for $1.3 million.

The extended female family runs through influential second dam MGISW Take Charge Lady (Dehere), who is responsible for GI Florida Derby champ Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy), Horton's champion 3-year-old colt Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song), GI Beholder Mile winner As Time Goes By (American Pharoah), and Take Charge Brandi's half-brother and top-five first-crop sire Omaha Beach (War Front). TJCIS PPS

5th-AQU, $85K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 2:14 p.m. ET
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Don Alberto and Bridlewood Farm homebred Carolo Rapido (Curlin) is out of GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss). She was a Blandford Bloodstock buy last year during Fasig-Tipton's Fall Mixed Sale for $1.2 million while in-foal to Gun Runner. TJCIS PPS

6th-OP, $115K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 3:50 p.m. ET.
SF Bloodstock bred Guarani (Speightstown), who will be making his first start for Three Chimneys Farm after they purchased him for $425,000 at Keeneland September. The Steve Asmussen trainee is out of MGSP Czechers (Indian Charlie), who also produced his full-brother, G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen S. hero Switzerland. TJCIS PPS

 

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Restrepo And Partners Buy Horse To Run At St. Moritz White Turf Meet

For the last three or four years, bloodstock agents Ramiro Restrepo, Bo Bramagen, and Clay Scherer had talked about attending the White Turf races in St. Moritz, Switzerland as fans. The races are among the most unique in the world. They're held every February and run over a frozen lake that is packed down with snow, creating a spectacle unlike anything, anywhere in the world of horse racing. The races have been held since 1907.

“We always thought that the St. Moritz white turf races were so cool, so appealing,” Restrepo said.

In a few months, the three will be in St. Moritz, but not as fans but as owners. At this week's Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale 2023 they bought a horse named Cumulonimbus (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) with the specific goal of sending him to Switzerland to compete in the biggest race of the meet, the Feb. 18 Grosser Preis von St Moritz. The horse cost 150,000 guineas.

The race will be contested at a mile-and-a-quarter and the purse is 100,000 Swiss Francs, which equals about $110,000 U.S.

“Last year, we decided to forget about going in there as fans,” said Restrepo, part owner of 2023 GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic). “We decided why don't we try to win this thing. We spent the year putting our heads together and tried to figure out the best way to approach it.”

Part of that approach is to involve a large contingent of friends and colleagues. The three decided to sell 50 shares in the horses and Restrepo said that about 40 have already been sold.

“We wanted to put forth a strong investment to acquire a prospect who we could have some fun with running in Switzerland and, also, going forward, run in a couple of other international races and just have fun,” Restrepo said. “We want to put 40-50 horsemen together and put aside the competition and the egos. We want this to be more a brotherhood and sisterhood of horsemen, whether its consignors, owners, breeders, someone who works for a sales company. We just want to make this a fun thing. We spend all year fighting each other in sales ring and on racetrack. Here is a chance for all of us to come together under one banner as equal shareholders and have a great time competing in a unique international race.”

But how do you find the right horse for a race that is not run on dirt, grass or a synthetic surface, but on snow? What is there to go on?

The group put European bloodstock expert Martin Buick, the brother of jockey William Buick, in charge.

“Martin Buick helped us out through the process,” Restrepo said. “We were going through potential horses in this horses of racing age sale and looked at previous horses that won this race and their ratings. We did our homework and Martin was our eyes and ears on ground.”

Restrepo said winners of the Grosser Preis von St Moritz tend to be close to the pace early because those in the back can be hindered by what can be a heavy kickback of snow. Considering the conditions, you also need a horse with proven stamina. Restrepo believes that Cumulonimbus is a perfect fit for the race.

“This one fell in our lap,” Restrepo said. “He has the style for it. He's won handicaps with Frankie Dettori and Hollie Doyle up, so you know he has some class. He just kind of fit the bill.”

Cumulonimbus has been turned over to U.K. based trainer George Baker, no stranger to the White Turf races. He won the 2020 Grosser Preis von St. Moritz with Wargrave (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

“This is something fresh, something new that we wanted to try,” Restrepo said. “What could be better than to spend a weekend of racing with a good group of people? This race is a bucket list item for a lot of people. It's easy to see why and we'd love to win it.”

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Sibelius Neutralizes Switzerland In Golden Shaheen Thriller

The connections of SIBELIUS (g, 5, Not This Time–Fiery Pulpit, by Pulpit) have enjoyed themselves as much or more than anyone in the build-up to  the Dubai World Cup program and as night began to fall over Meydan Saturday, the chestnut just kept coming up the fence beneath Ryan Moore and dropped his head on the wire just ahead of defending champion Switzerland (Speightstown) to take the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Nakheel. Drawn the fence and over a dirt surface that had been playing kind enough to front-runners, Sibelius broke well but was outfooted and raced in about fifth position while hugging the fence. Fourth as Hopkins (Quality Road), Sound Money (Flatter) and Gunite (Gun Runner) lined up at the head of the lane, Moore–who had early won the G2 Dubai Gold Cup going two miles on the grass–was relentless, pumping with his left arm while using a right-handed stick and he managed to shove Sibelius across the line first in the tightest of tight photos. Sales history: $100,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV; $62,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEEJAN; $75,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP. O-Jun H Park & Delia Nash; B-Taylor Brothers Properties LLC, Pollock Farms, Patrick H. Payne et al; T-Jeremiah O'Dwyer.

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Fasig-Tipton To Sponsor Best Turned Out Award At Meydan This Season

The Best Turned Out Award at Meydan Racecourse will be sponsored by Fasig-Tipton in 2023, the Dubai Racing Club announced on Friday morning. There will be a cash prize presented to the groom of each award winner prior to each race as well as other merchandise throughout the season. Graduates of the American sales company to find success in Dubai include G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen winner Switzerland (Speightstown), as well as dual Golden Shaheen winner Mind Your Biscuits (Posse).

“Fasig-Tipton are hugely influential across the world of Thoroughbred sales and racing,” said Major General Mohammed Essa Al Adhab, General Manager of Dubai Racing Club. “We are delighted to have them on board to sponsor the Best Turned Out at Meydan Racecourse, an accolade which means so much to the grooms and stable staff who do so much to prepare our horses for racing.”

Boyd Browning, President & Chief Executive of Fasig-Tipton, added, “We are very pleased to work with the Dubai Racing Club to present the Best Turned Out award this season, highlighted by the Dubai World Cup Carnival, as well as one of international racing's great meetings, the Dubai World Cup, on Mar. 25.

“It will be exciting to see many of the world's top racehorses compete at Meydan and to reward those who take such great care of them.”

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