“It's the plan and he could run on any type of surface, but he's better with some give in the ground and the wetter the better, like when he won the Prix Perth at Saint-Cloud,” Irwin said. “We have skipped some other races he could have run in waiting for the race next weekend figuring it would be really wet again.”

“I think at this point we're looking at it as much, if not more, as a test to see how he handles that [quicker] going at this point of his life, as our goal next year is the G1 Dubai Turf. This will be a good test to see how he handles that type of track. That mile up the straight at Ascot is more like a mile and eighth and that's the distance of the Dubai Turf.”

The post Facteur Cheval to Queen Elizabeth II on British Champions Day appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Mansa Musa was last seen finishing a good second in the G3 Round Tower S. and now Barry Irwin, who heads Team Valor, the part-owners of the speedy juvenile, is dreaming of a tilt at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Irwin said, “I think six furlongs for him at this moment is just a little too far against the really good horses. The horse that beat him [Letsbefrankaboutit (Ire) (Sioux Nation)] the other day looks pretty smart.

“We're going to run him back one more time going six furlongs at Fairyhouse on September 18 because that is the most suitable race and if he performs well enough we will send him over to America for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (Turf) Sprint.”

He added, “That is five furlongs around a turn and it is one of those races where if you get the right draw, then he is a very speedy horse and I think he could do something in a race like that.

“In his first race he showed a ton of speed and it just caught up with him in the last furlong, he went from first to last in a heartbeat. But he has a tremendous amount of early speed for a horse of his size.”

Mansa Musa was bought back at the Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale earlier in the year and is another success story for Dias and Star Bloodstock on the track with the horses they failed to sell. 

Geanari (Ire) (Inns Of Court {Ire}), who Dias also bought back for just £3,000 at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale this year, has not managed to win in six starts this term but has achieved black-type and climbed to a rating of 99.

The post Breeders’ Cup Ambition For Mansa Musa appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Of the 2017 lots offered, 128 were sold, which represented a clearance rate of 59% and an aggregate spend of €2,056,250. The average for day one of first sale for 2023 at Goffs was €16,064 with Cox explaining that the nice horses had no trouble in finding new homes.

He said, “A few people said to me that the horses we had here stood out. The Sottsass was a good, straightforward colt who had good X-rays and a good scope. He was a homebred of China Horse Club and sold very well to Tally-Ho Stud. He'd plenty of fans–he had six or seven vets and there was plenty of action on him.”

Baroda offered 11 horses on Wednesday, of which nine were sold to the tune of €321,000 at an average of €35,667. They included another China Horse Club homebred by New Bay (GB) (lot 186), knocked down to Camas Park for €85,000, and a Magna Grecia (Ire) filly (lot 200) snapped up by MAB Agency for €58,000.

Cox added, “The New Bay was another homebred by China Horse Club and the sire is flying so he definitely attracted plenty of attention before selling to Camas Park. The Magna Grecia filly was lovely. She's a homebred by the Niarchos family and the half-sister [Burning Topic (Ger) (Ulysses {Ire})] is doing well in France.”

He added, “This is a sale where, if you put a good foal in here, it will stand out and sell well. We're happy with how the day went.”

Rogues Snap Up Night Of Thunder Colt

One of the major subplots to the 2022 sale season was the strength of Night Of Thunder (Ire)'s progeny at public auction and the Rogue's Gallery Syndicate, best known for owning listed winner Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), gave €110,000 for a colt by the Darley sire.

The Night Of Thunder colt was consigned by Ringfort Stud and signed for by the syndicate's Tony Elliott, who was standing alongside bloodstock agent Billy Jackson-Stops. Elliott revealed that lot 109 would be offered for resale later in the year.

He said, “This horse has been bought to pinhook. We had three for pinhooking last year and we've three this year as well. We've got some nice horses.”

Elliott added, “We thought he was the standout and it was exactly what we wanted to give for him. That would have been our last bid I reckon.

“We're really pleased to get him because he's a lovely-looking horse and, being by Night Of Thunder, he could be anything. Sometimes we buy them back into the syndicate, which we did last year with a Zoustar (Aus).

“If we really like this lad and he's going the right way we could look at buying him back into the syndicate. There's two syndicates–a pinhooking syndicate and a racing one. We've got some nice horses for the coming years.”

Shared Wish For Shamrock Thoroughbreds And Team Valor

The Joseph O'Brien-trained Dundalk winner Tosen Wish (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) (lot 35) provided some early interest when selling for €100,000 to Shamrock Thoroughbreds and Team Valor.

Tosen Wish overcame a 469-day absence to win a seven-furlong handicap off 82 at Dundalk last week, justifying 9-4 favouritism in the process.

The 4-year-old, who is now two from three, boasts a rating of 89 and will be aimed at a turf campaign by Ado McGuinness, according to the trainer's assistant Stephen Thorne.

He said, “Tosen Wish won well on the polytrack at Dundalk last week. He'd been off for a good while but we made plenty of enquiries about him and put the picture together and I think he's a nice lightly-raced horse moving forward. We've partnered up with Team Valor on this one so it is an exciting new partnership and hopefully he will be lucky for us.”

Asked how the new partnership with Barry Irwin's Team Valor came about, Thorne added, “We made contact with him and we've had a few conversations with him. He's obviously seen the success Ado has had on the track. He's a dual Group 1-winning trainer now and we're delighted to have Team Valor on board. We were waiting to find the right type of horse to pitch to Barry and he obviously liked him. He was a standout at this sale by a mile. I thought we'd get him a little cheaper but there was strong competition in the ring. We've no major plans but I think he'll be a nice horse for the turf.”

Tosen Wish was consigned by Castlebridge, who also offered the placed Arabian Legend (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) (lot 37), sold for €48,000 to Italian owner Mr. Ciampoli to be trained by Grizzetti Galoppo.

Another horse with form, the Cormac Farrell-trained and consigned Seven Hills (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) (lot 40C), who placed a couple of times at Dundalk, sold for €40,000 to the New Racing Factory.

Walk In The Park Colt Comes Up Trumps

The Flat-bred weanlings may have dominated but once again the progeny of Walk In The Park (Ire) proved to be in high demand with Coolmore's Gerry Aherne going to €56,000 to secure a well-bred colt (lot 209) by the sire from Thistledown Stud.

The colt is out of a sister to Felix Desjy (Fr) (Maresca Sorrento {Fr}), a classy performer for Gigginstown House Stud and Gordon Elliott at one point, and was the highest-priced National Hunt-bred lot through the ring on Wednesday.

The post Sottsass Colt Leads The Way For Baroda Stud At Goffs February Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

An impressive winner of a 10-furlong novice at Goodwood in May, Crystal Estrella will remain in training with Stoute, resuming her career under the banner of Barry Irwin's operation, who recently stated their intention to concentrate on racing in Europe rather than America.

Just as he did on Thursday when facilitating the sale of Grenoble (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) for 130,000gns, Jason Singh of Tattersalls took instruction on the phone to secure the sales-topper on behalf of Team Valor.

The wildcard entry (798B) boasts a big pedigree and, while she is already rated 89, is open to improvement having raced only three times in her career.

She is a half-sister to Crystal Pegasus (GB) (Australia {GB}), a seven-time winner, including the Listed Mornington Cup in Australia, and black-type performer Crystal Hope (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). Her granddam Crystal Star (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) is the dam of Crystal Ocean (GB) the Champion Older Horse in Europe back in 2019, and other high-class performers Hillstar (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), Crystal Capella (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and Crystal Zvezda (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Barry Irwin of Team Valor, talking on the telephone, said of the fifth-highest price of the entire three-day sale, “I like the way she finished her races out, especially in the last 150 metres or so. She looks like she is a solid middle-distance filly on the way up. I like her pedigree, she looks as though she is a big, good-looking filly who will improve this year and especially next year.”

He added, “She has a half-brother who won four in a row, including two listed races in Australia. He could possibly win a group race and that will help a little bit. The second dam was very good. I am going to send her back to Sir Michael, I am going to think about what I want to do. He knows her, and I will talk to him, I have not done so yet. It is hard to find fillies like her. I am happy to have her.”

The entire turnover for the 2022 July Sale rose by a whopping 36% to 16,743,285gns from 12,301,300gns. The median was also up by 25%, from 12,000gns to 15,000gns, and the average rose 41% to 32,199gns, but the clearance fell slightly (2%) to 92%.

The day three stats were also on the rise as turnover this year ended up at 4,168,500gns compared to 2,904,100gns in 2021. That equates to a 44% rise. The median for Day 3 was up 25% to 15,000gns and the average was up 62% to 29,989gns while the clearance rate fell by 2% to 96%.

At what is set to be a record-breaking @Tattersalls1766 July Sale, the big prices keep coming as @TeamValor buys the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Crystal Estrella, from the family of Crystal Ocean, for 275,000gns. pic.twitter.com/NPmYelot1o

— TDN (@theTDN) July 8, 2022

Royal Ascot Winner Latin Lover Makes 210,000gns

He provided his young trainer Harry Eustace with the thrill of a lifetime when rocketing to Royal Ascot success last month and Latin Lover (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) made more headlines, but this time off the track, after selling for 210,000gns.

Winner of the Palace Of Holyroodhouse S. at the Royal meeting, where he showed a deadly turn of foot inside the last furlong to weave his way through traffic and win by half a length, Latin Lover (lot 710) was sold online via Ahead All.

Predictably, the interest in Latin Lover was huge. With a rating of 89, the progressive 3-year-old appealed to just about every jurisdiction and after a lengthy battle in the ring, the winning bid was struck off-site.

The buyer's representative said, “Latin Lover looks strong and a good example of one by Starspanglebanner. He won well at Royal Ascot last month in a big field of 27 runners.

“He has improved after being gelded last year and is concentrating more on the job as a 3-year-old. His performances are getting better. He is a good size and I expect him to make up into a good sprinter.”

Latin Lover was consigned by Glenvale Stud at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale in 2020 and was bought by De Burgh Equine for £21,000. He is out of Blue Dahlia (Ire), who is by Shamardal, and is the dam of four individual winners.

Qatar at the Double

Qatar Bloodstock and Andrew Balding enjoyed some good days on the track with G1 Racing Post Trophy and G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. winner Elm Park (GB), who was bred by the trainer's mother Emma at Kingsclere Stud. The son of another former Kingsclere star Phoenix Reach (Ire), Elm Park retired to Haras du Saz in the south-west of France and the most notable English runner from his few first-crop 3-year-olds to have made it across the Channel is Upton Park (Fr), who was bought as a yearling by David Redvers for €8,500 at Arqana. Following his two wins at two and three from just four starts, Upton Park (lot 827) returned to the ring at Tattersalls to fetch a top bid of 150,000gns from Ibrahim Saeed Al-Malki.

“He won very well at Newbury and he's progressing which is what I am looking for,” said the trainer. “He will end up in Qatar and will probably be aimed at the Qatar Derby. I like big, scopey horses.”

The preceding lot, Spartan Army (Ire) (Highland Reel {Ire}), will also leave the Qatar Racing fold, having been sold from Joseph O'Brien's stable for 170,000gns to race on for Alan King.

“He will have a dual-purpose campaign,” said agent Jerry McGrath, who signed for him on behalf of an undisclosed client. “He will be going jumping but hopefully he's not finished on the Flat. He's by an exciting young sire who looks like he's doing well with his jumpers.”

Salvator Mundi to Qatar

Leading Qatari trainer Gassim Al Ghazali has been a regular at the horses-in-training sales over the years and, after a pandemic-enforced hiatus, this year he has returned in person to continue the restocking of his Doha stable. Along with agent Will Douglass he bought seven lots this week, waiting until near the end of the sale to secure the one at the top of his list, the 3-year-old Galileo (Ire) colt Salvator Mundi (Ire), from John and Thady Gosden's stable.

Offered as lot 806 for owner/breeder Bjorn Nielsen, the half-brother to listed winner Chartreuse (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) has won his last two starts over 1m4f and 1m6f to climb to a rating of 91, and was eventually sold for 205,000gns.

“He's a progressive horse and we like buying from Mr. Gosden because they are well-bred and well-produced. They are looked after and respected, and there are miles left in the tank,” Douglass said. “This horse has a proper pedigree. He'll go straight to Qatar and he was a bit of a stand-out in here.”

Horse Watchers Reinvest Raasel Prize-Money

Not long after recording their best day on a racecourse when 10,000gns purchase Raasel (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) scorched along the Sandown turf in landing the G3 Coral Charge, The Horse Watchers, who have made a habit of unearthing jewels at the horses-in-training sale, paid 70,000gns to add Aphelios (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) to their team.

The most The Horse Watchers had ever spent on a horse prior to Friday was 50,000gns but Chris Dixon, who along with his brother Martin is a key cog in the wheel of the syndicate, revealed that the group of owners were happy to reinvest some of the prize-money for winning the Coral Charge.

Aphelios (lot 654), signed for by Jason Kelly Bloodstock and The Horse Watchers, is a half-brother to black-type performer Land Of Legends (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), and won for Harry and Roger Charlton.

Dixon joked, “We are rolling up the prize-money we won with Raasel last week–we do like to gamble so it's in our nature.”

Prior to Raasel's Sandown victory, Dixon took part in the TDN's weekly Q&A series, where he outlined what the syndicate's approach was to recruiting horses at the sales.

Along with Aphelios, Kelly and The Horse Watchers also bought Nasim (GB) (Galileo Gold {GB}) (lot 437) for 32,000gns from Andrew Balding and paid the same amount for Marco Botti's Mobashr (lot 554), both on Thursday.

St Lawrence Strikes Again

It was a busy few days in Newmarket for Oliver St Lawrence and the leading bloodstock agent picked up another top-notch prospect for Bahrain in four-time winner Roxzoff (Ire) (Zoffany  {Ire}) for 150,000gns.

St Lawrence paid 100,000gns for Nietzsche's Star (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) and 120,000gns for Rollajam (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) at the sale on Thursday and once again flexed the muscle he has behind him when securing the highly touted Charlie Hills-trained 3-year-old.

Roxzoff (lot 636) will team up with Sheikh Nasser, whose representative Yousif Taher, said, “He is a good horse who we think will suit racing in Bahrain and I came especially for this horse. He is well handicapped and improving and will race for Sheikh Nasser's Victorious Racing.”

De Vega Snapped Up For Saudi Arabia

Puerto De Vega (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (lot 645) won the fourth race of his career at Epsom off a rating of 78 just over a week ago, which was a timely boost to his date with the sales, with the Ballylinch Stud-bred and owned gelding selling for 80,000gns.

Another rock-solid horse to be on his way to Saudi Arabia, Puerto De Vega was described as an ideal type for Carnival races by Andre Pereira, the acting agent who snapped up the gelding from The Castlebridge Consignment.

Pereira said, “He is a lovely horse, a beautiful type, very correct and a great physical. He has proven form, and by Lope De Vega and out of an Exceed And Excel mare.

“He goes to Saudi Arabia for the Carnival season. Hopefully, if he adapts well out there, he will make up into a horse for the World Cup meeting. I am very happy to get him.”

Record Trade

“Records across the board are always welcome and the 2022 Tattersalls July Sale has achieved unprecedented figures for all the key indicators,” said Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony as the sale concluded on Friday evening. “The sale turnover has exceeded 16 million gns for the first time, an average price in excess of 30,000gns is also a first for this fixture and the median of 15,000gns is another sale record and a clear indication of a sale which has shown extraordinary strength and depth from start to finish.

“The top price of 540,000 guineas paid for the outstanding Shadwell mare Rihaam is also a July Sale record, but perhaps the most important statistic is the clearance rate which for the fourth consecutive year was more than 90%, and on day two of the sale was a truly extraordinary 99%. Demand at all levels of the market has been typically international with buyers from every continent in the world all contributing to the record-breaking trade and particularly notable has been the strong Australian contingent headed by Zhang Yuesheng's Yulong Investments. Domestic buyers, both Flat and National Hunt, have also been competing strongly all week and the sustained demand for well-bred fillies and mares is another positive not only for the Tattersalls July Sale but also for the wider industry.”

The post Crystal Estrella Shines As Record-Breaking July Sale Concludes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Trained on her first two starts by Andrew Kinirons, La Petite Coco's initial foray for this stable resulted in a 4 1/4-length defeat of the subsequent G1 Irish 1000 Guineas fourth Belle Image (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) over a mile at Killarney last May and her next stop happened to be her last defeat as she was second in the 10-furlong Listed Naas Oaks Trial the following month. After a return confidence-boosting win at Killarney in a conditions event over 11 furlongs in July, she registered a 5 1/2-length success in Cork's G3 Give Thanks S. in August before inching out Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Blandford here in September, where last year's Pretty Polly heroine Thundering Nights (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) was three lengths back in third. “The plan was to start mid-season and I didn't think it was outrageous giving her an Arc entry the other day,” Twomey added. “The Yorkshire Oaks, the [QICPO Champions] Fillies and Mares at Ascot and the Breeders' Cup are on her agenda, as a mile and a half is her optimum.”

Barry Irwin was keen to praise Twomey. “He's a fantastic trainer. When we bought the filly we sent her directly to Paddy, we had good hopes but we didn't know that she was this good,” he said. “Today I thought that if she really is as good as he thinks we could win it but I can't believe she hung in there, at the end she was running on fumes. She's a gutsy horse. I've backed off from racing in the United States, I'm not happy with it there. I think it will be getting better, but we've had some issues with guys taking an edge. I have a lot more faith in what's going on here and it's more fun. I've been coming here since 1971, raced a few horses and we've decided to send a few more over here. Our partners enjoy it, I've got 12 people here right now on a trip. We went to Paddy's yesterday and now we're going to England and France. I'm trying to promote to have more racing over here. I've just a few with Paddy but I'm sure we'll have more.”

William Haggas said of My Astra, who had booked her ticket with a 12-length success in Ayr's Listed Rothesay S. and proved to be one of the few who came from far back to get involved in a finish during the weekend, “She ran a great race and was probably beaten by a better one. She was a little bit wide, but I think she needs a bit of space. I didn't see her coming at Ayr and she bolted up, so I wanted to see her confirm that and she did. She wants sloshing soft and Danny [Tudhope] said this is a bit tacky. I think we'll drop Purplepay (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) back to a mile and try and find a group one race race for her, but it might be a bit difficult. She has penalties now she's won a group two.”

Rosscarbery's disqualification came as a result of Lordan weighing in five pounds light and it is believed that a malfunction of the scales was to blame. Twomey said, “The clerk of the scales told Wayne that he was five pounds too heavy, so he made him take down the saddle and take out the weights and then get back on the scales. He did that and the clerk of the scales then cleared him. He weighed him out with the correct weight and sent him out to the race. Then when he came back the clerk of the scales told him he was five pounds light. I brought the saddle from the weighing room to the filly and put it on. I was under pressure for time, as I had two runners and they took a lot of time messing around, putting in weight and taking out weight. The same saddle that went out came back in and I guess we will have to appeal it. It's a glitch with the clerk of the scales, it's an issue with the IHRB and I'd say my owner won't be impressed.”

Pedigree Notes:

La Petite Coco is the first runner from three live foals out of the unraced La Petite Virginia, who is a half-sister to the G1 Deutsches Derby hero Lavirco (Ger) (Konigsstuhl {Ger}) and his G2 Deutsches St Leger-winning full-brother Laveron (Ger) who was also third in the domestic Derby. La Petite Virginia is out of La Virginia (Ger) (Surumu {Ger}), who is also the second dam of the G3 Badener Stutenpreis winner and G1 Premio Lydia Tesio runner-up Lacy (Ger) (Authorized {Ire}) and the G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten winner Langtang (Ger) (Campanologist).

La Virginia's group 3-winning full-sister La Colorada (Ger) produced the triple group 1-winning champion and leading sire Lomitas (GB), with this being the dam line of Gestut Fahrhof's blue hen Love In (GB) whose descendants include another Deutsches Derby hero in Lagunas (GB), the leading sire Lord of England (Ger) and the G1 Prix de l'Opera heroine Lady Marian (Ger) (Nayef). La Petite Virginia also has the unraced 2-year-old filly La Petite Sissi (Ire) (Ivawood {Ire}).

Sunday, The Curragh, Ireland
ALWASMIYAH PRETTY POLLY-G1, €300,000, Curragh, 6-26, 3yo/up, f/m, 10fT, 2:13.86, yl.
1–LA PETITE COCO (IRE), 138, f, 4, by Ruler Of The World (Ire)
     1st Dam: La Petite Virginia (Ger), by Konigstiger (Ger)
     2nd Dam: La Virginia (Ger), by Surumu (Ger)
     3rd Dam: La Dorada (Ire), by Kronzeuge (Fr)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Team Valor International LLC; B-Mr B Schone (IRE); T-Paddy Twomey; J-Billy Lee. €180,000. Lifetime Record: 8-5-1-0, $396,444. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–My Astra (Ire), 138, f, 4, Lope de Vega (Ire)–My Titania (Ire), by Sea the Stars (Ire).
1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Sunderland Holding Inc (IRE); T-William Haggas. €60,000.
3–Thunder Kiss (Ire), 138, m, 5, Night of Thunder (Ire)–Desert Snow (GB), by Teofilo (Ire).
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Newtown Anner Stud (IRE); T-Ger Lyons. €15,000.
Margins: HF, 1 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 9.00, 2.75, 20.00.
Also Ran: Concert Hall (Ire), Purplepay (Fr), Dreamloper (Ire), Lyrical Poetry (Ire), Tranquil Lady (Ire), *Rosscarbery (Ger). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
*Rosscarbery finished third, but was disqualified and placed last.

The post Ruler Of The World’s La Petite Coco Back With A Bang In Pretty Polly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Having dramatically outrun odds of 25-1 to be runner-up at Churchill Downs last May behind the subsequently stakes-placed Ontheonesandtwos (Jimmy Creed) for owner Leonard Mattingly and trainer Chris Melton, the $10,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling graduate was acquired by these high-profile connections a short time thereafter, according to Team Valor's Barry Irwin.

“She's tall and immature. She had a few issues and we gave her plenty of time,” he explained. “We were actually going to run her next week going a mile, but we started getting worried that the race wouldn't fill, so we sprinted her even though she doesn't want to sprint.”

Green Up's most recent breeze, a five-furlong bullet at Palm Beach Downs in 1:01 Mar. 6, had the Virginia-bred sitting on ready. Irwin said the drill was very much in character.

“Her works are unbelievable,” he said. “She goes out there, she stays with her company and just before the wire, she moves a little bit ahead and then on the gallop out she opens up 12 or 15 lengths every time.”

Off to an uneventful beginning for the in-form Irad Ortiz, Jr., Green Up tracked longshot pacesetter Teasing (Tapit)–a full-sister to GI Belmont S. winner Tapwrit–through solid opening splits. Easing alongside that one as the quarter pole loomed, Green Up quickly put daylight on her rivals and stopped the timer in 1:10.04 while never asked through the final eighth of a mile.

“It was as much as I expected and I expected a lot,” Irwin commented. “About three weeks ago, Todd called me and goes, 'this Green Up, she's a graded stakes winner, she's unbelievable.' He says, 'I know trainers never call people up with anything but bad news, so I want to call you with some good news and tell you what a good filly you've got. Pretty exciting to have one like this.”

The winning jockey added: “She did everything right. She did it the right way. She put me in a good position. She did everything so easy. Going to the turn, I just rode her, biding my time. When I asked her she responded really well. She took off.”

A May 9 foal, Green Up is out of an unplaced half-sister to the solid Midlantic handicap horse Just Call Kenny (Jump Start)–also a paternal descendant of A.P. Indy–who counted the GIII Philip H. Iselin S. as his major career victory and who won the 2014 Spectacular Bid S. over this main track. Green Up holds an entry for the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks and is the second Rising Star for Upstart, who is already represented on the Oaks trail by GII Davona Dale S. heroine Kathleen O.

4th-Gulfstream, $53,000, Msw, 3-13, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:10.04, ft, 6 3/4 lengths.
GREEN UP, f, 3, by Upstart
1st Dam: Green Punch, by Two Punch
2nd Dam: Green Jeans, by Green Dancer
3rd Dam: Duds, by Ack Ack
Sales history: $10,000 Ylg '20 EASOCT. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $44,360. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-Team Valor International LLC; B-Althea Richards (VA); T-Todd A Pletcher.

The post Upstart Filly Runs To The Money, ‘Rising Star’ Honors appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

I love and have loved the Olympics since childhood, reveling in the stories of such greats as Jesse Owens, Bob Mathias and Jim Thorpe. Their drive, their talent and their stories live within me and have done so since I was a little kid.

While Track and Field is my favorite sport, horse racing is a close second. I participated in T&F in high school and college, as did my father and brother. The gratification and excitement I felt from competing in athletics, however, pales in comparison to the thrills and satisfaction I have experienced in horse racing.

Watching a steed you are involved with roaring down the stretch on the lead generates a high that beats the short pants off of Athletics.

Satisfaction, however, is more difficult to achieve in horse racing compared with almost any other sporting enterprise, because so many people are involved in racing a horse and the animal itself cannot communicate in the traditional sense with its human caretakers.

On the other hand, when a horse does win a race, the satisfaction is greater because it is so difficult to achieve, especially at the highest levels of the game.

As I have been involved in racing, one way or another, for more than half a century and now am in my seventh decade, I have been struck by a change among owners that is not only profoundly disturbing but possibly a sign that the game may not survive as we have known it.

What I have noticed is not peculiar to horse racing, but to many other aspects of modern society as well, particularly it seems in Western Civilization.

Today we live in a society that cares less for rules and more for winning at all costs. We see this trend not only in sports, but in the financial and pharmaceutical communities where ethics have been stretched to the limits. And the crossover from members of these businesses into racing and their great impact on the track, in the sales ring and at the windows has been something only a blind person could have missed.

I question where the satisfaction comes from in winning races for these owners in this modern era. I question where the good vibes are derived.

I know exactly where it comes from for me. When I am involved in a winner, especially one that achieves a great victory as a result of developing a horse and following a game plan that was months in the making, the satisfaction comes from a job well done with a horse in which I believe.

When our homebred Animal Kingdom won the Kentucky Derby a decade ago, the satisfaction was even greater than that of a usual winner of the Run for the Roses, as his victory was not diminished by connections of the also-rans complaining about troubles in the race.

To achieve complete satisfaction in winning an important race is very, very difficult. I will never stop thanking my lucky stars it happened in the race we all want to win the most. For me it was a miracle, a blessing and a moment of sheer satisfaction.

In today's environment I wonder where the satisfaction comes from for those owners who have chosen to be involved with trainers that cheat. It seems obvious to me that certain owners gravitate to certain trainers because they share the same “win at all costs” attitude. They share the same disdain for the rules. And they look at themselves as “sharps” in a world of “chumps.”

In this regard, I am a true chump. A chump is a poor bastard that follows the rules, even knowing that if you take an edge your chances of success will increase dramatically.

Today's “enlightened” owner, as a now deceased ex-trainer referred to trainers who cheat using modern methods that include Performance Enhancing Drugs, either knows that the trainer he chooses is a cheater, strongly suspects he is a cheater or is an outright enabler of the cheating trainer.

The satisfaction for these owners comes from a) having pulled off a stroke against horses trained and owned by chumps, b) cashing bets based on information that their steeds are juiced to the gills, c) knowing that the improved form of their horses will translate to big prices at public auction or d) the cherry on top of the cake, a lucrative stallion syndication deal.

The normal, garden-variety satisfaction that Little League parents and coaches feel when their team wins or their kid safely runs out a bunt is not what motivates today's modern owner, who relies on trainers that cheat to win.

I fear that the modern dilemma will lead to the demise of the sport for a few reasons. First, owners that do not cheat are fed up with losing to owners that do and could leave the sport. Secondly, until HISA is up and running, I see absolutely no prospect of positive change, because there is no major racetrack or regulatory agency in any locale that is actively investigating cheating on their grounds.

Racetracks want the horses that cheaters train so they can fill their races. Regulators are like politicians in that their only motivation in life is to keep their jobs.

With no racing press to speak of, save a couple of online outfits, there are precious few journalists remaining to keep the cheaters' feet to the fire.

If my fellow chumps continue to be robbed by owners that employ, sponsor or enable cheating trainers, we chumps may just come to the sad conclusion that not enough satisfaction remains to be had in order to continue to underwrite the sport of horse racing in North America.

And I write this as an owner who has been winning most of the year at a 25 percent clip in major races around the globe. I am not complaining as a loser, I am complaining as a winner.

Barry Irwin is the founder and CEO of Team Valor International

The post Irwin: What Satisfaction Is There For Owners Who Employ Cheating Trainers? appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

In her fourth start of 2021, Oleksandra, who is currently in foal to Into Mischief, broke a step slow from the gate, bumping into favorite Raging Bull, and was last for the first six furlongs of the one-mile Poker. Jockey Joel Rosario did not panic, though, content to let his mount run at the back of the pack and allow the race to develop in front of them. Get Smokin, winner of the Seek Again Stakes in his previous start, took the lead within the first furlong, with Raased and Tell Your Daddy running close behind, and he held onto that advantage until the final turn.

Favorite Raging Bull found himself boxed in for much of the race, but, as the field entered the stretch, he made his move on the rail, just to the inside of Get Smokin. At the back of the field on that last turn, Rosario took Oleksandra to the outside, moving down the center of the course as Raging Bull began to overtake Get Smokin. Raging Bull got to the lead in that last furlong, but Oleksandra moved past him, taking over first place and determinedly holding off Raging Bull to win the G3 Poker by a head. The final time for the mile was 1:32.11.

Behind Oleksandra and Raging Bull came Front Run the Fed, Sanctuary City, Get Smokin, Penalty, Tell Your Daddy, Raased, and Veronesi.

Oleksandra paid $36.80, $7.30, and $5.40. Raging Bull paid $2.60 and $2.10. Front Run the Fed paid $3.00 to show.

Trainer Neil Drysdale was pleased with Oleksandra's career finale. “Things haven't gone exactly smooth this year for her. We ran in Kentucky and realized she doesn't like the soft going. So, then we decided not to run here [in the Jaipur] because it was raining a lot here too at the time. Since she's more relaxed this year, we decided to try her at a mile hoping she could get the distance, and she did. She's pregnant [in foal to Into Mischief], so this was her swan song. She'll go out on a high note.”

Joel Rosario was not deterred by that slow start. “She always comes out of there like that [slow] but then she can be a little aggressive after. She relaxed very nicely. Neil Drysdale is a tremendous trainer.”

Foaled in Australia, Oleksandra is a daughter of 2011 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom out of the Caesour mare Alexandra Rose. Bred by her owner Team Valor, this 6-year-old mare was a $1.45 million RNA at the November 2020 Keeneland Breeding Stock sale. This victory in the G3 Poker Stakes is her first win of 2021 and her eighth career victory in 20 starts for career winnings of $705,748.

The post Mother-To-Be Oleksandra Beats The Boys In Poker Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Having proven himself a genuine pattern-race performer when beating Nayef Road (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) by four lengths in Newmarket's 13-furlong G3 Bahrain Trophy in July 2019, Spanish Mission also garnered the Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont that season before trying staying trips. Second in Sandown's G3 Henry II S. over two miles in early July, the bay was sixth in the G1 Goodwood Cup later that month before leaving David Simcock and marking his debut for this stable with a comprehensive win in the Listed Chester S. in August. Proving that the near two-and-a-quarter-mile trip of the Doncaster Cup held no fears when following up at the St Leger meeting, he was seventh in the G2 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup on testing ground at Ascot in October. Runner-up in the 15-furlong Red Sea Turf H. at Riyadh Feb. 20 before his Dubai Gold Cup effort.

Underlining just what a stamina influence Noble Mission has been in this instance, the first foal out of the listed-winning dam Limonar (Ire) (Street Cry {Ire}) was the Listed Rose Bowl S.-winning sprinter Mokarris (More Than Ready) who was also runner-up in the G2 Gimcrack S. Limonar is a half-sister to the GI Shoemaker Mile winner Talco (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}) and to the dam of the recent G3 Prix de la Grotte third Silvestri (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) who lines up in Sunday's G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches. This is also the family of the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hero Bachelor Duke (Miswaki) and the G1 National S.-winning sire Fatherland (Ire) which includes Sonnyboyliston (Ire) (Power {GB}) who was third in this month's G3 Ormonde S. Her 2-year-old colt is by Mastery, while she also has a yearling son of Uncle Mo.

Friday, York, Britain
MATCHBOOK YORKSHIRE CUP-G2, £120,000, York, 5-14, 4yo/up, 13f 188yT, 2:59.56, gd.
1–SPANISH MISSION, 130, h, 5, by Noble Mission (GB)
     1st Dam: Limonar (Ire) (SW-Fr, $124,447), by Street Cry (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Trylko, by Diesis (GB)
     3rd Dam: Gossamer, by Seattle Slew
($125,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP; 60,000gns RNA 2yo '18 TATBRE). O-Team Valor LLC & Gary Barber; B-St. Elias Stables, LLC (KY); T-Andrew Balding; J-William Buick. £68,052. Lifetime Record: SW-US, 16-6-3-2, $1,432,645. *1/2 to Mokarris (More Than Ready), SW & GSP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Santiago (Ire), 127, c, 4, Authorized (Ire)–Wadyhatta (GB), by Cape Cross (Ire). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Lynch Bages Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £25,800.
3–Sir Ron Priestley (GB), 130, h, 5, Australia (GB)–Reckoning (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (70,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT). O-Paul Dean; B-Mascalls Stud (GB); T-Mark Johnston. £12,912.
Margins: 2 3/4, 1, 9HF. Odds: 5.5, 2.25, 1.20.
Also Ran: Wells Farhh Go (Ire), Nayef Road (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

The post Noble Mission’s Spanish Mission Takes the Yorkshire Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“I had run horses in the Derby before and I always said, 'Right around the 3/8ths pole you start sorting out the men from the boys.' My other horses had always started backing out at the 3/8ths pole, whereas Animal Kingdom seemed like he was really getting rolling,” Motion said.

“At the 16th pole, my feelings switched to, 'This would be really cruel if they took this away from me now.' It looked like he was home free… I've had it happen to me so often, but never in a race of that scale. I just was thinking, 'This would be so cruel.' I think that's the way trainers look at things.”

Motion said what made Animal Kingdom a champion was the horse's generosity.

“He was very generous,” the trainer said. “I don't think he ever ran a bad race for me that was his fault. He, basically, did everything we asked him to do and he was just an extremely talented and generous horse.

“There's plenty of horses out there that have the ability, but you've got to be prepared to give that ability… That's not something that every person or every animal can do.”

Ten years on, Motion has deep memories of the day he won his first and, so far, only Kentucky Derby.

There was the security guard that initially blocked him from entering the paddock before the race — “the poor gentleman that stopped me has never forgiven himself and he always apologizes profusely whenever I see him” — the fact Motion and his family needed fellow trainer Dale Romans' help to find the winner's circle and the “remarkable” trophy reception afterward in the Kentucky Derby Museum.

“We have plenty of pictures. We have half of the garland of roses that we put away in a frame. and (Animal Kingdom's owner) Team Valor have the other half. Obviously, the trophy is extraordinary. It's just something I never anticipated that I would have,” Motion said.

Yet, it's something no one can ever take away.

“People probably don't appreciate quite how hard it is to get there and what it takes to get there,” Motion said. “So many stars have to align in order to win that race on that given day because you only get one shot with each individual horse.

“It took a really special horse to do it the likes of which I'm unlikely to have again. He was an extraordinary animal.”

The post ‘So Many Stars Have To Align’: Graham Motion Looks Back At Animal Kingdom’s Kentucky Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post