Tag: Top News

The Lieutenant, Justify’s Ill-Fated Half-Brother, Represented By First Winner At Saratoga

Nearly three years following the tragic slaughter of The Lieutenant, as well as three other stallions located at Haras Barlovento in Peru, where he was standing for the 2019 southern hemisphere season, the New York-based half-brother to Triple Crown champion Justify (Scat Daddy) was represented by his first winner at Saratoga.

A graded stakes winner who retired with a 4-2-1 record from 15 starts and $345,882 in earnings, The Lieutenant stood just a single season at Sequel Stallions New York where he bred a reported 46 mares before shipping south to Peru where, just four months later, he would be killed in a break in along with three other stallions at Haras Barlovento, which has since closed its operation.  His only crop of foals, numbered just 32, included Sunday's winner Vacation Dance.

After failing to meet his reserve at OBS March (:10), Vacation Dance brought $90,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale (:10.1) earlier this year. Making his career debut Sunday at 8-1, he was slow into stride and settled mid-pack in fifth while racing in the clear to the outside. Under a ride midway around the turn, Vacation Dance bid three wide past the quarter pole to take command at the top of the lane and, despite drifting out in the final furlong, he held steady to the line to just hold off Disarmed (Maclean's Music) by a head.

From the extended family of GI Woodward S. winner Art Collector (Bernardini), Vacation Dance has a yearling half-sister by Mucho Macho Man and a weanling half-sister by Heart to Heart. His dam was sent to Combatant for the 2023 season.

1st-Saratoga, $88,000, (S), Msw, 9-4, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:03.52, fm, head.
VACATION DANCE (c, 2, The Lieutenant–Matinee Express, by Zensational) Sales History: $45,000 Ylg '21 EASOCT; $140,000 RNA 2yo '22 OBSMAR; $90,000 2yo '22 EASMAY. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $48,400. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Sleeping Giant Stables, LLC, America's Pastime Stables & KimDon Racing, LLC; B-Harry Landry & James Hogan (NY); T-John C. Kimmel.

 

 

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Imbriale to Keep Belmont Announcing Duties; Mirahmadi To Take Over at Saratoga, Griffin at Aqueduct

While retaining announcing duties at Belmont Park, John Imbriale will retire as the full-time announcer at the New York Racing Association at the end of 2022, the organization announced Sunday. Frank Mirahmadi will take over the race calling duties at Saratoga Race Course and Chris Griffin will become the primary track announcer at Aqueduct Racetrack beginning in 2023.

Imbriale's 43-year tenure with NYRA dates to 1979 when he won a New York Daily News contest, which gave him the opportunity to call a race and work with the NYRA press office.  He has served as NYRA's full-time track announcer since January 2020.

“NYRA is the pinnacle of this wonderful sport, and these last three years have been filled with incredible moments and races that I will never forget,” said Imbriale. “I'd like to thank the fans at Saratoga for truly embracing me, and I look forward to being in the booth the rest of the year and at Belmont Park moving forward.”

Mirahmadi has been the track announcer at Santa Anita Park since 2018 and Monmouth Park since 2015.

“I felt the history and tradition of Saratoga Race Course the moment I entered the gates for the first time 25 years ago,” said Mirahmadi. “It is a magical place, and I am beyond grateful to follow in the footsteps of John Imbriale next summer at the Spa.”

Griffin has served as track announcer at Parx Racing since 2021. He previously worked as track announcer at Sam Houston Race Park, Gulfstream Park West and Portland Meadows. A native of Santa Monica, California, Griffin was backup announcer to Imbriale at the 2021/22 Aqueduct winter meet.

“Aqueduct Racetrack plays a central role in New York's Thoroughbred racing ecosystem, and it was a privilege to be able to call races there last winter,” said Griffin. “I thank NYRA for this opportunity and can't wait to get back to the Big A to begin this new role.”

The post Imbriale to Keep Belmont Announcing Duties; Mirahmadi To Take Over at Saratoga, Griffin at Aqueduct appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Tapit’s Flightline In A Race Of His Own In Pac Classic

The $1-million question heading into Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI TVG Pacific Classic was if unbeaten superstar Flightline (Tapit) could handle the 1 1/4-mile Classic distance.

Here's a scary thought: he may be even better going longer.

Stopping the timer just .17 seconds off Candy Ride (Arg)'s track record for 10 furlongs established in the 2003 renewal, the dominating last out GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. winner absolutely crushed his five rivals by a geared-down record margin of 19 1/4 lengths–yes, you read that correctly–in a performance for the ages while making his two-turn debut in the Del Mar centerpiece. Country Grammer (Tonalist), winner of this term's G1 Dubai World Cup, was second.

“Did I think he could do that–win like that? Kinda yeah,” winning trainer John Sadler said after saddling his fourth Pacific Classic winner. “You don't want to say it in front of the race, but now that he's done it. The thing about him is that he's fast and he can carry it. Some horses are fast, but they can't go on. This horse can. He's an exceptional horse.”

Off at his 1-5 morning-line quote, the Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing colorbearer cruised up to the front while racing about four wide heading into the clubhouse. Flavien Prat positioned Flightline in a perfect spot in second just off outsider Extra Hope (Shanghai Bobby) through early fractions of :23.42 and :46.06. Flightline could wait no longer as they hit the backstretch and tugged his way to the front. Prat didn't get in his way and let last term's GI Runhappy Malibu S. winner do his thing from there and this is where it got fun. Very fun.

About a little over a length in front with a half-mile remaining, the $1-million FTSAUG graduate hit the gas while Prat continued to sit chilly heading into the far turn, opened an “embarrassing lead” per legendary announcer Trevor Denman leaving the quarter pole and was in a race of his own down the Del Mar stretch in an absolute masterful performance.

“As soon as I looked back and saw how far in front he was, I wrapped up on him,” Prat said. “Obviously, this is the best horse I ever rode.”

Pedigree Notes:

Summer Wind Equine's Jane Lyon has steadily acquired a stellar broodmare band since buying her first Thoroughbred mares in 1995. Although it may be hard to believe, her first Grade I winner as a breeder didn't happen until just five years ago with Moonshine Memories (Malibu Moon). She's added quite a few more in the last five years, with Flightline–rumored to be the most valuable stallion prospect in history–undoubtedly the greatest feather in her cap to date. Click for a feature on Lyon's beginnings in TDN Weekend.

Lyon bought Feathered, Flightline's dam, for $2.35 million at the 2016 Keeneland November sale, and never was a mare more worth every penny. Her granddam is dual GISW Finder's Fee (Storm Cat), her great-granddam is GISW Fantastic Find (Mr. Prospector), and her great-great granddam is the unparalleled Phipps mare Blitey (Riva Ridge), whose descendants include champion Heavenly Prize; MGISWs Dancing Spree, Finder's Fee, and Good Reward; and GISWs Furlong, Oh What a Windfall, Dancing Forever, Persistently, and Instilled Regard.

Feathered has a 2-year-old full-brother to Flightline named Olivier, who was a $390,000 RNA at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. The colt has been working at Keeneland and Lyon reportedly has retained him in partnership. Feathered also has a yearling colt by Curlin named Eagles Flight, a filly foaled May 17 by Into Mischief, and has been bred back to Tapit. Flightline is one of 95 Northern Hemisphere-bred graded winners for Tapit and one of 152 black-type winners for the perennial leading sire, who stands at Gainesway.

Saturday, Del Mar
TVG PACIFIC CLASSIC S.-GI, $1,000,500, Del Mar, 9-3, 3yo/up, 1 1/4m, 1:59.28, ft.
1–FLIGHTLINE, 124, c, 4, by Tapit
                1st Dam: Feathered (GSW & MGISP, $577,474), by Indian Charlie
                2nd Dam: Receipt, by Dynaformer
                3rd Dam: Finder's Fee, by Storm Cat
'TDN Rising Star'. ($1,000,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG). O-Hronis
Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC, West
Point Thoroughbreds & Woodford Racing, LLC; B-Summer
Wind Equine LLC (KY); T-John W. Sadler; J-Flavien Prat.
$600,000. Lifetime Record: 5-5-0-0, $1,394,800. Werk Nick
Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Country Grammer, 124, h, 5, Tonalist–Arabian Song, by
Forestry. ($60,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $450,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR;
$110,000 4yo '21 KEEJAN). O-Commonwealth Thoroughbreds,
LLC, Winstar Farm LLC & Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Scott &
Debbie Pierce (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $200,000.
3–Royal Ship (Brz), 124, g, 6, Midshipman–Bela Val (Brz), by
Val Royal (Fr). O-Fox Hill Farms, Inc. & Siena Farm LLC;
B-Haras Belmont (Brz); T-Richard E. Mandella. $120,000.
Margins: 19 1/4, 7, HF. Odds: 0.30, 3.80, 10.20.
Also Ran: Express Train, Extra Hope, Stilleto Boy.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Quality Road Colt Scores in Del Mar Debut

6th-Del Mar, $82,500, Msw, 9-3, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:16.62, ft, 1 1/2 lengths.
NATIONAL TREASURE (c, 2, Quality Road–Treasure, by Medaglia d'Oro) dispatched at 3-1 in this debut, was hustled out of the gate by John Velazquez, hitting the front just before the first quarter went up in a lively :21.89. Hounded by Practical Move (Practical Joke) through a :44.37 half-mile, the $500,000 FTSAUG buy showed the way into the lane and held off a late bid from stablemate Massimo (Uncle Mo) to score by 1 1/2 lengths. Practical Move held third. This is the extended female family of GISW Leofric (Candy Ride {Arg}). The winner has a yearling half-brother, Pirate (Omaha Beach), and a weanling half-sister, Renoir (Authentic), while his dam was bred back to Quality Road for a full-sibling to National Treasure in 2023. Sales History: $500,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $48,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC & Catherine Donovan; B-Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

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