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On ‘Cruise’ Control in the Woodbine Mile

Town Cruise (Town Prize) went from gate to wire in the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile, springing an 8-1 upset and earning a spot in the gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. Breaking on top from his rail draw, the gelding clicked off an opening quarter in :24.08 and a half-mile in :47.10. Showing the way into the lane, the bay kept on finding more in the lane, rolling clear to score. Space Traveller (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) was the runner-up. This was the first graded stakes win for trainer, owner and co-breeder Brandon Greer. It was also the first Grade I for winning rider Daisuke Fukumoto.

“It feels a little surreal at the moment, but I'm absolutely thrilled with him,” said Greer. “This horse is amazing. I absolutely love him. I could see him digging in, that's something that he's been able to do very well this year. Dig in the late stages, even though he's been in the front. I found it a little difficult to believe right until the final sixteenth and then I can see the other horses just didn't have enough to catch up there.”

“This is fantastic,” said winning Fukumoto. “I am still in awe, it's an unbelievable feeling. Winning a Grade I is my dream, and I got a good horse this year so far. He's been good all year so far. For me, I am just crazy happy. I had pretty good confidence. I just knew for a shot I had to take [the] front. He went good, I took the lead, and wait and wait and he finished well.”

Town Cruise finished off 2020 with a pair of fourths at Woodbine, one on turf Oct. 25 and one on synthetic Nov. 20. Kicking off this term on a winning note in a grassy Woodbine allowance June 13, he captured an optional claimer on the local lawn July 4 and was run down by Olympic Runner last out after setting the pace in the GII King Edward S. Aug. 15.

Pedigree Notes:

Town Cruise is the first black-type winner and first graded scorer for his sire Town Prize, a son of Speightstown. He is the fifth Grade I scorer, 10th graded winner and 25 black-type victor out of a daughter of Candy Ride. Brandon and Terry Greer purchased his dam Candy Cruise for $4,267 at the 2007 Canadian September Yearling Sale. Town Cruise is her third foal and she has only produced two foals since, the unraced 3-year-old filly Seriously Sweet (Society's Chairman) and an unraced juvenile filly by Frac Daddy. She failed to get in foal to Frac Daddy in the two subsequent years and did not get in foal to Seattle Serenade last year.

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Shantisara Wears Down Higher Truth in the Jockey Club Oaks

Former French runner Shantisara won a gritty battle with stablemate Higher Truth to take the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. at Belmont Saturday. Higher Truth seized the early advantage with Shantisara glued to her outside hip in second through a :25.51 opening quarter and :51.70 half-mile. They continued in this manner with a pair of rivals hot on their heels through five-eighths in 1:18.12. Moving up to look her barnmate in the eye turning for home, Shantisara battled Higher Truth to the wire, forging clear in the final strides to score.

“Shantisara is an improving horse,” said trainer Chad Brown. “I just have to say that I'm so appreciative to the ownership group. The three groups that own her have been super patient and let me develop her at our pace and her pace. She's really shown some promise. We were even tempted to take a shot up at Saratoga. We talked about it and figured we would just go to Arlington. She needs a bit more seasoning over here and that's when we were able to hook her up with Flavien [Prat] and it just took the filly up another notch. I'm really proud of her development. She and Higher Truth both look like really promising horses going into next year.”

Shantisara started her career in France with trainer Frederic Rossi, winning two of her five starts there. Privately purchased by these connections and sent to Brown, she finished second in the Boiling Springs S. at Monmouth June 26 and captured Arlington's GIII Pucker Up S. next out Aug. 14.

Pedigree Notes:

Shantisara is one of four black-type winners for her sire Coulsty. She is the only runner produced by Kharana, who has only had three live foals and has not been bred since she had the winner. Her second dam is SW & GSP Khanata (Riverman).

Saturday, Belmont Park
JOCKEY CLUB OAKS INVITATIONAL S., $671,000, Belmont, 9-18, 3yo, f, 1 3/8mT, 2:16.91, fm.
1–SHANTISARA (IRE), 121, f, 3, by Coulsty (Ire)
               1st Dam: Kharana (Ire), by Dalakhani (Ire)
               2nd Dam: Khantala (Ire), by Zafonic
               3rd Dam: Khanata, by Riverman
(10,000gns 2yo '20 TATGBR). O-Michael Dubb, Madaket
Stables LLC & Robert V. LaPenta; B-Mr Oliver Donlon (IRE);
T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $375,000. Lifetime Record:
GSW, 8-4-2-0, $488,108.
2--Higher Truth (Ire), 121, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Wannabe Better
(Ire), by Duke of Marmalade (Ire). (500,000gns Ylg '19
TATOCT). O-Michael J. Ryan, Jeff Drown, & Team Hanley;
B-Churchtown House Stud (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown.
$130,000.
3–Harajuku (Ire), 121, f, 3, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Phaenomena
(Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Flaxman Holdings, Ltd.; B-Flaxman
Stables Ireland Ltd (IRE); T-Andre Fabre. $70,000.
Margins: HF, 2, 1 1/4. Odds: 4.70, 2.20, 2.75.
Also Ran: Creative Flair (Ire), Madone, Baby Blythe. Scratched: Be Up.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Walton Street Airs in Canadian International

Walton Street (GB) (g, 7, Cape Cross {Ire}–Brom Felinity {Aus}, by Encosta de Lago {Aus}) sat in a perfect spot beneath Frankie Dettori chasing well-clear 41-1 longshot leader Primo Touch (Midas Touch {GB}) from second, crept closer on the far turn, gained command as they cornered for home and drew clear in the stretch to win for fun by 5 3/4 lengths in Saturday's GI Pattison Canadian International S. at Woodbine. Desert Encounter (Ire) (Halling) was second; Primo Touch stayed on for third. The 4-5 favorite completed 1 1/2 miles in 2:29.07.

The lightly raced 7-year-old gelding recorded his breakthrough first group success in the G2 Dubai City of Gold S. at Meydan Mar. 6. He was freshened off a fourth-place finish, beaten 3 1/2 lengths, in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic Mar. 27 and entered off a third-place finish in the G1 Longines Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten Aug. 8. His resume also includes a close second, beaten just a neck, in the 2019 G3 Prix Valparaiso Sporting Club at Deauville and a third-place finish in the 2018 G3 Geoffrey Freer S. at Newbury. He was receiving first-time Lasix in the Canadian International.

“I think to be honest it worked out perfectly how we thought it would,” said Alex Merriman, assistant to trainer Charlie Appleby. “I thought he would go forward and slot in. Frankie has his game plan, and turning in he always knew he was gonna kick on and he's gone and seen the race on nicely.”

He added, “He was in great form in Dubai and he ran a great one in Germany last time and he's put in a good performance here today. He's been with us a long time. He's a favourite in the yard and it was nice to see. He's a lovely horse.”

Dettori won his record fourth Canadian International following successes with Mutafaweq (2000), Sulamani (2004), and Joshua Tree (2010).

Pedigree Notes:

Walton Street is 14th Grade/Group 1 winner for the high-class Cape Cross (Ire). He is the top performer out of the Australian G2 Matriarch S. winner Brom Felinity (Aus) (Encosta De Lago {Aus}), a sister to G1 Australian Guineas victor Delago Brom (Aus). The mare has to date produced four winners in Australia, Britain, Dubai and France, including the six-time scorer Macavity (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}). Grandam Brompton Cross (Aus) (El Qahira {NZ}) was, like her daughter, a Group 2 winner at Flemington, her biggest success coming in the Edward Manifold S. Brom Felinity was sold by Godolphin in July 2016 for 15,000gns to Ebor Bloodstock. The mare's current yearling, a colt by Oasis Dream (GB), fetched 34,000gns at last year's Tattersalls December Sale. She had a filly by Oasis Dream this year.

Saturday, Woodbine
PATTISON CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL S.-GI, C$608,400, Woodbine, 9-18, 3yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:29.07, gd.
1–WALTON STREET (GB), 126, g, 7, by Cape Cross (Ire)
1st Dam: Brom Felinity (Aus) (GSW-Aus, $441,177), by Encosta de Lago (Aus)
2nd Dam: Brompton Cross (Aus), by El Qahira
3rd Dam: Reiko (NZ), by Sir Godfrey (Fr)
1ST GRADE I WIN. O-Godolphin Racing LLC; B-Darley (GB); T-Charles Appleby; J-Lanfranco Dettori. C$360,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-UAE, SW & GSP-Eng, G1SP-Ger, GSP-Fr, 19-7-4-4, $962,153. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Desert Encounter (Ire), 126, g, 9, Halling–La Chicana (Ire), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). (32,000gns Ylg '13 TAOCT). O-Abdulla Al Mansoori; B-Tally Ho Stud (IRE); T-David Simcock. C$120,000.
3–Primo Touch, 126, g, 6, Midas Touch (GB)–Mary's Derby Rose, by Sightseeing. ($2,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Kirk Sutherland; B-JEOG Racing LLC (KY); T-Harold Ladouceur. C$60,000.
Margins: 5 3/4, 4 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 0.85, 7.35, 41.35.
Also Ran: English Conqueror, Belichick, Corelli, Bluegrass Parkway, Fantasioso (Arg). Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Barbara Banke Named First Female Chairman of Breeders’ Cup

The Breeders' Cup Board of Directors unanimously elected Barbara Banke as Board Chairman Friday night, the organization announced Saturday. Banke, the owner of Stonestreet Farms in Lexington and chairman of Jackson Family Wines, becomes the first woman to chair Breeders' Cup Limited and succeeds Fred Hertrich III.

Banke, whose will serve a two-year term as Chairman, was first elected as a Breeders' Cup Member in 2012 and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2014. Gainesway Farm's Antony Beck was elected for a two-year term as Vice Chairman.

“It is a great honor to be named Chairman of the Breeders' Cup Board of Directors, and I look forward to serving with my fellow Directors and Members in continuing the mission and vision of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in support of our nominators and our racing fans around the world,” said Banke. “I also congratulate our new Vice Chairman Antony Beck and greatly look forward to working together closely. In addition, I extend my warmest thanks to Fred Hertrich, who provided the Breeders' Cup with outstanding leadership throughout his tenure as Chairman. Fred's vision was key to several successful strategic initiatives over the last few years, including advancements in equine safety and integrity efforts, innovative approaches to improving the fan experience, and the successful running of the 2020 World Championships amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As Chairman, I look forward to working closely with stakeholders across the industry to ensure a bright future for Breeders' Cup Limited, the World Championships, and the sport of Thoroughbred racing.”

In addition to her tenure as a leading owner and commercial breeder, Banke is a steward of The Jockey Club (TJC) and a member of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA), the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame, and Keeneland's Advisory Board of Directors. Banke has also been a strong proponent of industry safety initiatives, including the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition and the passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA). Under her direction, Stonestreet has bred and raised horses that have won more than 120 stakes races. Among Stonestreet's top runners have been two-time Horse of the Year Curlin and additional Horse of Year Rachel Alexandra. Outside of the Thoroughbred industry, Banke began heading up Jackson Family Wines in 2011 and led the company as the nation's largest seller of premium wines. She is also a lawyer and a philanthropist.

“The Directors have made a very wise choice in electing Barbara Banke as the next Chair of the Breeders' Cup,” said Hertrich. “In her service as a Member and a Director, Barbara has instituted bold and innovative approaches to help strengthen and enhance the stature of the Breeders' Cup as 'the best of the best.' On a personal note, I have immensely enjoyed working with our industry stakeholders, our Members, and fellow Directors during my four years as Chairman.”

During his four years as Chairman, Hertrich led the Breeders' Cup in advancing equine safety and integrity efforts across the industry. As a founding member of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, Breeders' Cup implemented a ban on all race-day medications from the World Championships. Hertrich also led Breeders' Cup's strong support of the passage of the HISA by Congress in 2020.

Additionally, during Hertrich's tenure as Chairman, the Breeders' Cup World Championships purses and awards were increased to more than $31 million, and a 14th race (the Juvenile Turf Sprint) was added to the Championship roster. Breeders' Cup also set wagering and overall handle records during Hertrich's term. The highest all-sources handle in Breeders' Cup history ($174,628,986) was set in 2019 and record on-track Breeders' Cup handle ($24,181,317) was set at Del Mar in 2017. Hertrich also led the company in safely holding the 2020 World Championships at Keeneland amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following Friday's election, the Board of 14 Breeders' Cup Directors is as follows: Barbara Banke, Stonestreet Farms (Chairman); Antony Beck, Gainesway Farm (Vice Chairman); Jimmy Bell, Godolphin America; Alan Cooper, Niarchos Family/Flaxman Holdings Ltd.; William S. Farish, Jr., Lane's End Farm; Drew Fleming, Breeders' Cup Limited (President), Eric Gustavson, Spendthrift Farm; Walker Hancock, Claiborne Farm; Fred Hertrich III, Watercress Farm; Bret Jones, Airdrie Stud; Clem Murphy, Coolmore Stud; Gavin Murphy, SF Bloodstock; Alex Solis II, Solis/Litt Bloodstock; and Elliott Walden, WinStar Farm.

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