Top News | Horse Racing Free Tips

New Anglo-Australian Partnership For Rodrigo Diaz

British-based Quantum Leap Racing has teamed up with Australian Bloodstock in the 4-year-old Rodrigo Diaz (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) with the aim of sending the 96-rated stayer to the Melbourne Cup.

The winner of four of his 10 starts for David Simcock, Rodrigo Diaz was a 55,000gns Tattersalls December Yearling Sale purchase by Jeremy Brummitt, an agent with a good track record in buying European yearlings for the Australian market. The gelding will now race in a 50-50 partnership between the two syndicates.

Quantum Leap Racing, which was established by Eamonn O'Connor with Brummitt as bloodstock consultant, has horses in training in the UK, France and Australia, and focuses particularly on buying yearlings with middle-distance and staying pedigrees. The syndicate has already enjoyed success in Australia this year with another Tattersalls yearling purchase, Wyclif (GB) (Archipenko), winner of the listed Port Adelaide Cup in May.

Australian Bloodstock also has a dual Australian and European focus and enjoyed Melbourne Cup glory in 2014 with the European-bred Protectionist (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}). The syndicate has also won the G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis in Munich with the David Menuisier-trained Danceteria (Fr) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}).

Unlike Wyclif, who is now trained at Flemington by Danny O'Brien, Rodrigo Diaz will not have a one-way ticket to Australia. He will be campaigned in Melbourne later this year before returning to the UK.

Quantum Leap Racing's Eamonn O'Connor said, “At a time when there is increasing concern about British racing becoming a nursery for the rest of the world, we are pleased to announce this innovative deal, allowing our syndicate to retain a 50% share of Rodrigo Diaz. The intention is to go to Melbourne, where the Racing Carnival is among the best in the world, before returning to the UK to target northern hemisphere Cup races in 2022. We hope Rodrigo Diaz can provide plenty of thrills for both our current syndicate owners and our new partners in both hemispheres.”

He continued, “We are delighted to have done this deal with Australian Bloodstock. Jamie Lovett and Luke Murrell clearly share our enthusiasm for the horse and, having considerable experience in travelling European horses to Australia, his team's experience will be invaluable. This is especially so in a year where many Europeans have decided that the hurdles in getting to the Cup are insurmountable.”

Jamie Lovett of Australian Bloodstock added, “We have long held a good opinion of Rodrigo Diaz and we feel he is the ideal type for the Lexus Melbourne Cup. We have a very high regard for his trainer David Simcock and his regular rider Jamie Spencer.

“The idea of racing in partnership with a progressive syndicate like Quantum Leap Racing who have a similar passion to race horses on the international stage really appealed to us.”

The post New Anglo-Australian Partnership For Rodrigo Diaz appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Con Lima Box to Wire in Saratoga Oaks

Sunday, Saratoga
SARATOGA OAKS INVITATIONAL S.-GIII, $700,000, Saratoga, 8-8, 3yo, f, 1 3/16mT, 1:54.42, fm.
1–CON LIMA, 121, f, 3, by Commissioner
1st Dam: Second Street City (SW, $209,843), by Consolidator
2nd Dam: Trix City, by Carson City
3rd Dam: Always Nettie, by Vice Regent
($15,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV; $19,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP;
$22,000 RNA 2yo '20 OBSMAR). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred
Partners, Joseph F. Graffeo, Eric Nikolaus Del Toro & Troy
Johnson; B-Lisa Kuhlmann (TX); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Flavien
Prat. $375,000. Lifetime Record: 13-7-5-0, $884,865. Werk
Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross
pedigree.
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–Creative Flair (Ire), 121, f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Hidden Gold
(Ire), by Shamardal. O/B-Godolphin, LLC (IRE); T-Charles
Appleby. $70,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 3.05, 7.40, 3.20.
Also Ran: Plum Ali, Gam's Mission, Out of Sorts, Messidor (Ire), Rocky Sky (Ire).

Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Con Lima was afforded an easy lead under Flavien Prat, opened up in the stretch and held sway late to annex the GIII Saratoga Oaks Sunday at the Spa.

Originally just a $15,000 Keeneland November weanling buy, the dark bay was privately purchased out of a sharp main-track graduation for trainer Carlos David last July at Gulfstream and was runner-up in the off-turf P.G. Johnson S. and Our Dear Peg S. Scoring a wire-to-wire 5 1/4-length success in her grass bow Dec. 12 at Gulfstream, she repeated in the Ginger Brew S. and was second in the GIII Sweetest Chant S. before being elevated into a GIII Herecomesthebride S. victory via disqualification. Taking one more crack on dirt in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, she faded to fourth after setting a slow pace, her only finish out of the exacta thus far, but bounced back when returned to the lawn with triumphs in the Honey Ryder S. and GIII Wonder Again S.

Just run down late when second in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. last out, Con Lima was made a narrow favorite over Godolphin invader Creative Flair here and broke a bit outwardly. Easing her way to the front as no one else took the initiative, she clicked off comfortable fractions of :23.64, :50.02 and 1:14.34 with ears pricked. Turning aside a brief bid from Gam's Mission (Noble Mission {GB}) past the three-sixteenths pole, she skipped clear into the final furlong as Higher Truth came off the rail to take her shot. Jumping back to her left lead at the sixteenth marker, it briefly appeared that Con Lima was in danger, but Prat kept her to task to score by a fairly comfortable margin in the end.

“I was analyzing the race beforehand and we were the only speed but I wasn't 100% sure with a couple of the Euros if they would show some initiative,” said winning trainer Todd Pletcher, capping off a weekend that started with his Hall of Fame induction. “I left it in Flavien's hands and Plan A was to break well and see if anybody would try to take the lead away from us and if they didn't, we'd be happy to have it. It worked out really well. He just gradually got up there instead of having to hustle her and use her. She relaxed really well. You could see when she turned up the backside and her ears were flicking back and forth that she was in a happy zone.”

“The speed was pretty much me and the Godolphin filly and it seems she broke a step slow,” said Prat. “I broke better than her and I ended up on the lead. Going to the first turn I felt really comfortable. I was really pleased with the way she was traveling and I felt we were doing some easy fractions. She really kicked on well. I got her ready to kick and she really did. When she swapped leads, she responded well from that point.”

Pedigree Notes:

One of nine stakes winners and three graded stakes winners for 2014 GI Belmont S. runner-up Commissioner, Con Lima is the first foal to race out of her stakes-winning dam. She is followed by a yearling Point of Entry colt named Pico de Gallo and a weanling colt by Lord Nelson. Second Street City was bred to Game Winner this spring.

The post Con Lima Box to Wire in Saratoga Oaks appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Gun Runner’s Wicked Halo Gives Asmussen Full-Circle Win in Adirondack

One day after breaking the all-time North American wins record, Steve Asmussen got right back to business in a big way Sunday at Saratoga, as his Wicked Halo (Gun Runner) shook off intense pace pressure and kicked clear in the lane to capture the GII Adirondack S. Adding to the significance of the moment, Wicked Halo is both by and out of Asmussen trainees, and her dam won the same race at the Spa in 2015.

Unveiled going five furlongs in the mud at Lone Star June 5, the homebred broke on top from the rail, won a pace fight and kept going for a two-length success, with the second and third finishers coming back to win next out. Tried in the Debutante S. three weeks later at Churchill, the gray was not off as well and dictated sizzling fractions before just fading late to be third.

Drifting up a bit to be the biggest price among four rivals who took the bulk of the play here, Wicked Halo was beaten out of the gate by Microbiome, but Jose Ortiz stayed aggressive and sent the Winchell colorbearer through inside of that one to eventually make the front through a scorching :21.55 quarter. Those two continued to spar past a :44.80 half as Mainstay looked to launch a three wide bid approaching the stretch, but that filly soon flattened out and Wicked Halo remained the last pace player standing going by the eighth pole. She slammed the door soon after and hit the line clearly in charge while understandably getting a little leg-weary. Deep-closing longshots Interstatedaydream and Saucy Lady T rallied mildly to get into second and third, respectively. Mainstay was fourth, while race favorite Onetheonesandtwos (Jimmy Creed) never factored, checking in sixth.

The win was Asmussen's second consecutive and fourth overall conquest of the Adirondack.

“Ron [Winchell, owner-breeder] giving us horses like this makes all the accolades possible,” he said. “This filly, her mother won the Adirondack, and what a great sire Gun Runner is proving to be. To duplicate what her mother did is very special.”

Asked about Wicked Halo surviving pace pressure and still emerging victorious, Asmussen said, “That's Saratoga tough. The filly on the outside [Microbiome] outbroke her a little bit. They ride aggressively here and horses either respond or get beat and she responded. For a 2-year-old filly, and the way she acted in the paddock off hard races, it's a level of class that is hard to come by.”

“In these 2-year-old stakes races there's going to be pace because a lot of them break their maiden wire-to-wire or are just sitting off it,” said winning rider Jose Ortiz. “A lot of times, the pace is going to be hot in races like this, and it was hot this time. Tyler [Gaffalione, aboard Microbiome] broke better than me. I put her up there and she responded well. They were going fast, but she was ready. Steve had her ready to run.”

Asmussen added that he's unlikely to run Wicked Halo back in the Sept. 5 GI Spinaway S., saying, “I think we may give her a break. I got overly aggressive with the mother and being fortunate to have the family continuously, you need to learn from it.”

Pedigree Notes:

Wicked Halo's victory gives Three Chimneys Farm's freshman sire Gun Runner two graded stakes winners in as many days, following Pappacap's score in the GII Best Pal S. Saturday at Del Mar. She is the first foal to race out of Just Wicked, a full-sister to Grade II winner My Miss Lilly out of SW Wicked Deed. Just Wicked is responsible for a yearling full-brother to the winner and produced another Gun Runner filly this season before returning to the dual champion once more.

Sunday, Saratoga
ADIRONDACK S.-GII, $200,000, Saratoga, 8-8, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:17.99, ft.
1–WICKED HALO, 120, f, 2, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Just Wicked (GSW, $208,460), by Tapit
2nd Dam: Wicked Deed, by Harlan's Holiday
3rd Dam: Marfa's Squall, by Marfa
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $110,000. Lifetime Record:
3-2-0-1, $144,650. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. *Second SW for freshman
sire (by Candy Ride {Arg).
2–Interstatedaydream, 120, f, 2, Classic Empire–Babcock, by
Uncle Mo. ($105,000 Ylg '20 KEEJAN; $130,000 Ylg '20
KEESEP; $175,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Flurry Racing Stables
LLC; B-William D. Graham (ON); T-Brad H. Cox. $40,000.
3–Saucy Lady T, 120, f, 2, Tonalist–Fila Primera, by War
Front. ($5,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-James K. Chapman &
Stuart Tsujimoto; B-R. S. Evans (KY); T-James K. Chapman.
$24,000.
Margins: 3HF, HF, HF. Odds: 4.70, 16.70, 36.75.
Also Ran: Mainstay, Microbiome, Ontheonesandtwos, J L's Rockette, Shesawildjoker, Boss Lady Kim.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Gun Runner’s Wicked Halo Gives Asmussen Full-Circle Win in Adirondack appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

$590K Medaglia d’Oro Weanling Buyback Wins Spa Debut

6th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-8, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:17.72, ft, 2 1/4 lengths.
DREAM LITH (f, 2, Medaglia d'Oro–Elle Sueno, by Street Cry {Ire}), the longest shot in the field at 36-1, was quickly in stride from an outside post and settled into a tracking spot through fractions of :22.60 and :45.75. She split horses coming off the turn and ground down the lane under a vigorous ride from David Cohen before drawing away late with good energy. She left no doubt about the outcome with 2 1/4 lengths of daylight on Mommasgottarun (Maclean's Music). Dam Elle Sueno has a yearling full-sister to Dream Lith and a 2021 filly by Justify. Bred back to Laoban, she is out of 2009 GI Darley Debutante S. winner Mi Sueno (Pulpit), who is in turn out of 2004 GI Ashland S. winner Madcap Escapade (Hennessy). Sales History: $590,000 RNA Wlg '19 FTKNOV. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Cypress Creek Equine & Arnold Bennewith; B-Southern Equine Stables, LLC (KY); T-Robertino Diodoro.

The post $590K Medaglia d’Oro Weanling Buyback Wins Spa Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post