Tag: Top News

Fandom Returns a Winner for Wesley Ward and Stonestreet in Palisades

Unraced since fading from contention in last summer's G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot, FANDOM (GB) (c, 3, Showcasing {GB}–Brogan {GB}, by Pivotal {GB}) returned a winner at the same meet where he broke his maiden while under wraps last spring, taking the Palisades S. at Keeneland Sunday. Racing wide under Jose Ortiz, who was winning his third consecutive race on the card, the 7-1 shot closed with a strong late surge to get by a group of runners on the line that included MGSW No Nay Mets (Ire) (No Nay Never). The latter got outpunched late after sizzling fractions of :21.59, :44.53, and :56.55.

“Last summer at Saratoga he had a lung infection, so we sent him back to [owner] Barbara [Banke's] farm to Ian [Brennan] and they got him healed up,” said winning trainer Wesley Ward of the 170,000gns Tattersalls yearling purchase. “They trained him all winter long and did a fantastic job. The first day he got here I knew all I had to do was put him on cruise control.”

Fandom's dam, a half to 2023 G1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park S. winner Lezoo (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}), has produced fillies the last two years in the UK: a now-2-year-old by Masar (Ire) and a yearling by Zoustar (Aus).

 

 

PALISADES S., $207,688, Keeneland, 4-7, 3yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.83, gd.
1–FANDOM (GB), 118, c, 3, by Showcasing (GB)
               1st Dam: Brogan (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
               2nd Dam: Roger Sez (Ire), by Red Clubs (Ire)
               3rd Dam: Stately Princess (GB), by Robellino
(170,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN.
O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Chasemore Farm (GB);
T-Wesley A. Ward; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $113,150. Lifetime
Record: 3-2-0-0, $145,375.
2–Mansa Musa (Ire), 118, c, 3, Ten Sovereigns (Ire)–Sundiata
(GB), by Showcasing (GB). (60,000gns Wlg '21 TADEWE;
55,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT; €49,383 RNA 2yo '23 GOFFDU).
O-Team Valor International LLC and Gary Barber;
B-Middlelane Farm (IRE); T-William I. Mott. $36,500.
3–Refuel, 118, c, 3, Hard Spun–Quick Flip, by Speightstown.
($550,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Repole
Stable and St. Elias Stables LLC; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher. $22,813.
Margins: NK, 3/4, NK. Odds: 7.75, 15.86, 5.70.
Also Ran: No Nay Mets (Ire), Mattingly, Silent Heart, Shards, My Boy Prince, Aspenite, Coin Miner, Ceepeegee, Committee of One. Scratched: Sketch (Ire), Works for Me.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

 

The post Fandom Returns a Winner for Wesley Ward and Stonestreet in Palisades appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

OBS Spring Kicks off Busy Under-Tack Week

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company launched an action-packed week of under-tack shows ahead of its Spring 2-year-olds in Training Sale, which will run from Apr. 16 through Apr. 19.

A total of eight juveniles–half fillies and half colts–led the way Sunday morning with joint :9 4/5 moves. WinStar's freshman sire Improbable was the only sire to be represented by a pair of session-topping workers–Hip 131, a colt out of I Know That Mom (Distorted Humor) (S G V Thoroughbreds LLC), and Hip 133, a colt out of MSW and MGSP I'm Betty G (Into Mischief) (Wavertree Stables). Also among the fastest eighth-working colts Sunday was Hip 87, a Florida-bred colt by Neolithic out of Harbor Sunset (Fast Anna) (Grassroots Training & Sales LLC), in addition to a Florida-bred son of Army Mule, Hip 108, out of GSP Hermione's Magic (Forest Wildcat) (Envision Equine, Agent).

Leading the fillies Sunday were Hip 28, a daughter of Gun Runner out of Forest Valentine (Forestry) (de Meric Sales, Agent VIII) ; Hip 32, a Florida-bred by Girvin out of Foxy Mischief (Into Mischief) (Six K's Training & Sales LLC, Agent VI) and Hip 102, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Authentic out of GSP Heavenly Hill (City Zip) (Grassroots Training & Sales LLC).

The connections of Hip 173 (Grade I Investments) hope that lightening can strike twice for Florida's freshman sire Win Win Win, who had a filly bring $1.8 million to top the final session of the OBS March sale. Out of Lookin At Lucky's Jilly, the Sunshine State-bred filly is from the family of Grade I winners Roman Ruler and El Corredor.

A pair of juveniles posted a session-heading :20.3 quarter miles Sunday. Hip 166 (Tom McCrocklin), a filly by Uncle Mo, recorded the day's co-fastest time at the distance. A half-sister to GISP Be You (Curlin), the May 16 foal is out of Jacaranda (Congrats), herself a half-sister to Group 2 scorer Boynton (More Than Ready), in addition to dual Grade I winning sire Constitution. A colt by freshman sire Mr. Money (Hip 9) equaled the day's fastest time for Omar Ramirez Bloodstock. The Florida-bred is out of Fast City (Half Ours).

Sessions begin each day at 8 a.m. The breeze schedule for the remaining days are–hips 174-345 on Monday; hips 346-518 on Tuesday, hips 519-690 on Wednesday; hips 691-863 on Thursday; hips 864- 1035 on Friday; and hips 1036-1208 on Saturday.

The post OBS Spring Kicks off Busy Under-Tack Week appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The Queens M G Becomes First Winner For Thousand Words

1st-Keeneland, $74,144, Msw, 4-7, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :52.44, ft, head.
THE QUEENS M G (f, 2, Thousand Words–Show Queen, by Grindstone) became her freshman sire's first winner Sunday. One of the longest shots on the board at 45-1, she flashed early speed from the far outside gate but was quickly confronted by West Memorial (Caracaro) to her inside on the run around the far turn. That pair opened up a sizable gap to the rest of the field with The Queens M G just getting the better of the photo finish to win at first asking. West Memorial was valiant in defeat on the rail and it was 11 lengths back to Island Ride (Catalina Cruiser) in third. The first winner sired by MGSW Thousand Words, The Queens M G counts GSW/GISP and $5m FTKNOV broodmare Untouched Talent (Storm Cat) and GI Arkansas Derby winner Bodemeister (Empire Maker) among her extended family members. Also under that third dam is MGISW and $3m FTKNOV purchase She's A Julie (Elusive Quality). Show Queen is due to Independence Hall this spring. Sales History: $3,500 Ylg '23 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $45,880. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Israel Acevedo; B-T.F. VanMeter,Samuel Hernandez, Jesus Torres, Justin Vinalay (KY); T-Israel Acevedo.

 

The post The Queens M G Becomes First Winner For Thousand Words appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Stronghold Captures Imagination In Santa Anita Derby

Sent off as the 11-5 second choice, Rick and Sharon Waller's Stronghold (Ghostzapper) outbattled even-money favorite Imagination (Into Mischief) through the final eighth of a mile to take Saturday's GI Santa Anita Derby, earning 100 points towards the GI Kentucky Derby.

The last-out winner of the GIII Sunland Derby, the homebred was beaten for speed and settled just off the pace in fourth as Tapalo (Tapiture) set the pace from Imagination and E J Won the Cup (Omaha Beach). Content to allow those up front to do the dirty work as they went a good gallop, Stronghold was held together on the turn by Antonio Fresu, who went for his mount in earnest at the quarter pole and split horses in upper stretch. As E J Won the Cup and Tapalo began to back out of it, Imagination and Stronghold were left to settle it, and though neither gave an inch, Stronghold surged by in the shadow of the wire.

“We thought we needed a top three performance to get to the Kentucky Derby,” winning trainer Phil D'Amato said. “We were definitely hoping to get on the winning end here. I think this was a great education for him, and a nice test that he's going to need to win a race like the Kentucky Derby.”

The win was the first at Grade I level in America for Antonio Fresu.

“I loved the way Phil D'Amato was training him the last couple of works,” the Italian said. “The horse was getting so much confidence and he was getting so much better than before. Today he proved to be a very good horse. Still, when he hit the front, he didn't want to stay alone, he was waiting for some company. He got the job done and I want to dedicate this to my friend that passed away. I felt like he was there with me today. Stefano Cherchi was an amazing guy and I want to dedicate this to him.”

A maiden winner at second asking going Churchill's one-turn mile Oct. 1, Stronghold was a distant runner-up to 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist) in the GIII Bob Hope S. at Del Mar Nov. 19 before just getting reeled in late by Wynstock (Solomini) in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 16. Sent to the Land of Enchantment for his sophomore debut, Stronghold proved too strong for his rivals at Sunland Park, taking that track's repositioned Derby by 2 1/2 widening lengths Feb. 18.

Pedigree Notes:

Hill 'n' Dale's Ghostzapper, the veteran son of Awesome Again out of Broodmare of the Year Baby Zip, may be among the elder statesmen in Kentucky's sire ranks, but he still cranks out top horses, among them 55 graded winners and 100 black-type winners worldwide. While Stronghold marks his only stakes winner of 2024 to date, Ghostzapper's other best runners most recently have included 2022-23 Eclipse champion female sprinter Goodnight Olive, 2022 Canadian Horse of the Year Moira, 2021 G1 Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide, and triple Grade I winner Guarana. No fewer than nine of Ghostzapper's stakes winners are out of Distorted Humor mares, with GISWs Guarana and Molly Morgan, as well as 2023 GSWs Rhyme Schemes and Two Ghosts, all bred on the same cross as Stronghold, who is the first stakes winner for Distorted Humor's son Jimmy Creed as a broodmare sire. Jimmy Creed stands at Spendthrift.

Stronghold is a fourth-generation homebred for the Waller family. Eric and Sharon Waller lost his dam, Spectator, after she foaled Stronghold–her only produce–in 2021. They had sold her dam, the unraced Diva's Tribute, to Richard Barton Enterprises in 2015 at Keeneland November for just $4,700. After Spectator won the 2017 GII Sorrento S. and placed twice in Grade Is, Diva's Tribute went through Keeneland's ring again in 2022 and hammered for $175,000 to Calvin Nguyen. She produced a Maxfield filly last year for Nguyen and partner Joey Tran before being bred to Idol for 2024. –Jill Williams

 

Saturday, Santa Anita
SANTA ANITA DERBY-GI, $751,500, Santa Anita, 4-6, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:49.98, ft.
1–STRONGHOLD, 124, c, 3, by Ghostzapper
                1st Dam: Spectator (GSW & MGISP, $323,551),
                                by Jimmy Creed
                2nd Dam: Diva's Tribute, by Henny Hughes
                3rd Dam: Swiss Diva, by Swiss Yodeler
1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Eric & Sharon Waller (KY); T-Philip
D'Amato; J-Antonio Fresu. $450,000. Lifetime Record: 6-3-3-0,
$827,200. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Imagination, 124, c, 3, Into Mischief–Magical Feeling,
by Empire Maker. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($1,050,000 Ylg '22
KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables
LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Robert E.
Masterson, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan and
Tom J. Ryan; B-Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Bob
Baffert. $150,000.
3–E J Won the Cup, 124, c, 3, Omaha Beach–Firsthand Report,
by Blame. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1
BLACK TYPE. ($150,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $95,000 Ylg '22
KEESEP). O-Superfecta King Stable (Margolis); B-Hoolie Racing
Stable, LLC (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $90,000.
Margins: NK, 3 1/4, 4HF. Odds: 2.20, 1.00, 23.40.
Also Ran: Curlin's Kaos, Tapalo, Wynstock, Mc Vay, Tessuto.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Stronghold Captures Imagination In Santa Anita Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights