Tag: Top News

Sale-Topping Sierra Leone ‘Guns’ To Rising Stardom

When you sell for a sale-topping $2.3m as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton's New York Saratoga Sale to connections like White Birch Farm and M. V. Magnier, the expectations are going to be sky high. And while Sierra Leone (c, 2, Gun Runner–Heavenly Love, by Malibu Moon) proved he still has a lot to learn but still showed enough ability in the end to graduate at first asking and become the latest 'TDN Rising Star' for Three Chimney's super-stallion Gun Runner.

Facing a field of mostly more experienced runners, the 3-1 shot had to contend with another million-dollar purchase in Change of Command (Into Mischief) from the inside along with the younger half-brother to dual GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Cody's Wish in Hunt Ball (Into Mischief). A step slow from a middle gate, Sierra Leone was quickly outrun into the opening furlong and dropped back to beat only runner while taking dirt from nearly the entire field. Caught in tight quarters into the turn in this one-mile event, he had to back out and faced a wall of horses with a quarter mile to run. Jockey Manny Franco moved to angle his mount to the outside but Sierra Leone ducked out sharply on the wrong lead, lugged back in toward the rail and then drifted back out before finally swapping leads right at the furlong marker. Finally in the clear, he came sweeping past the inside leaders and won going away despite still needing to be straightened out when passing horses.

The second foal out of GI Darley Alcibiades S. winner Heavenly Love, Seirra Leone is from the extended female family of Japanese Horse of the Year Zenno Rob Roy (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) and from a third dam that also produced the dams of no fewer than three Group winners in Japan. The dam's yearling Nyquist colt brought $250,000 at last month's Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale and she returned to Gun Runner for a full-sibling to Sierra Leone in 2024.

7th-Aqueduct, $85,000, Msw, 11-4, 2yo, 1m, 1:36.94, ft, 1 1/4 lengths.
SIERRA LEONE, c, 2, Gun Runner
                1st Dam: Heavenly Love {GISW, $346,200},
                                by Malibu Moon)
                2nd Dam: Darling My Darling, by Deputy Minister
                3rd Dam: Roamin Rachel, by Mining
Sales History: $2,300,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $46,750. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Mrs John Magnier, Michael B Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing, LLC and Peter M. Brant; B-Debby M. Oxley (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.

 

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Dettori Magic Grants Frankel First Breeders’ Cup Winner With Inspiral In Filly & Mare Turf

Cheveley Park Stud homebred INSPIRAL (GB) (Frankel {GB}–Starscope {GB}, by Selkirk) became the first Breeders' Cup winner for her Juddmonte sire with a narrow victory over dual Group 1 winner Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the $2-million GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Saturday. It was the second win in the race for Cheveley Park's Thompson family, who also took the 2016 edition with Queen's Trust (GB) (Dansili {GB}).

One of the back-markers crossing the dirt in the 1 1/4-mile contest, the 5-2 favorite found plenty of friendly cover in the master hands of Frankie Dettori who was looking for his 15th Breeders' Cup success. Glued to the rail into the clubhouse turn behind a half-mile in :46.90 as four-time Grade I winner and last year's runner-up 'TDN Rising Star' In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) showed the way, the filly was in a good rhythm on the backstretch. Creeping closer on the far turn, Dettori shook his filly up at the quarter pole and she produced a killer burst of speed to win coming over the top of the field in the lane to just pip stretch leader Warm Heart, who had saved all the ground, by a neck in the final two jumps. The Coolmore runner was a length better than the remainder. 2022 Canadian Horse of the Year Moira (Ghostzapper) just nosed out G1 Hong Kong Vase heroine Win Marilyn (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) for third.

Dettori, who will not be retiring as originally planned and has instead relocated to the Southern California jockeys' colony, said, “She jumped good. I got squeezed out [after the break]. I really wanted to be where William [Buick on With The Moonlight (Ire) (Frankel {GB})] was, but he got there before me.

“She needs a quarter of a mile to get really in top gear. She was flying. For the team, this was always the plan. Give credit to everyone — John, Thady, and the Cheveley Park team that supplemented for this race. Coming in here this week, I thought she's my best ride, and she proved me right.”

Said John Gosden, “They [Cheveley] bred her, and the whole team there with Richard Thompson here, Patricia's son, it's a wonderful achievement for them.”

Added Cheveley's Richard Thompson, “This is such a special feeling, obviously, winning the Breeders' Cup with Inspiral. Chris is sitting next to me here. He runs the stuff for us, the family, my mother, et cetera. To have a homebred filly win the Breeders' Cup is just–six in Group 1, it's the pinnacle of everything we strive for at Cheveley, to breed a filly like this.”

Said Cheveley Park Stud's manager director Chris Richardson, “Pleased to say she stays in training, which is very exciting. I think her last performance in the Sun Chariot S. at Newmarket was one of the most impressive up until today.

“John has done a magnificent job in getting the filly, who is quite a high-strung filly — always has been, ever since she was a foal — to perform today at the highest level is a huge accolade to Patricia Thompson and the Thompson family.”

Unbeatable as a juvenile and named the Cartier Champion 2-Year-Old Filly after four victories by a combined 11 1/4 lengths including the G1 Fillies' Mile, Inspiral picked up right where she left off with another Group 1 victory, this time in Royal Ascot's Coronation S. in June of 2022. Second in the G1 Falmouth S. last July, she claimed her first of two G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois in France in August. At year's end, she became only the third filly to also be named the Cartier Champion 3-Year-Old Filly. This term, Inspiral missed in the G1 Queen Anne S. by a neck in June, and resumed with another Prix Jacques Le Marois score in August. Most recently, she landed the G1 Sun Chariot S. at Newbury on Oct. 7. Saturday's contest was her first start beyond a mile. Earlier in the day, the Cheveley colors had been borne by Regal Jubilee (GB) (Frankel {GB}) to victory in the Listed Montrose Fillies' S. at Newmarket.

Already a five-time Group 1 winner, the filly had been due to run on QIPCO British Champions Day last month, but the heavy ground put paid to that plan. Next year's Breeders' Cup at Del Mar is a possibility, as well.

Added Gosden, who trains with his son Thady, “She was poising for the Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot, but the rain arrived, and the terrain came too deep. She was in the race and we didn't even declare her to run. We said, right, we're coming here.

“The way she came and finished and the way she galloped out, she's probably saying that the trainer has been running her over the wrong distance the last year.

“Whether you go for the like of the [G1] Lockinge or the Queen Anne or she's meant to stay in training. I could see the [G1] Juddmonte International being a very key race for her next year. I think, if she's in great order next year, there will be no question but to consider Del Mar very seriously. Particularly since the trainer and his wife love coming back to California.”

Pedigree Notes:

Through the Filly & Mare Turf, Juddmonte's Frankel has only had five Breeders' Cup starters. She is one of his most decorated progeny, however, and one of 33 top-tier winners. With her victory on Saturday, she is tied with Frankel's 2022 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Tromphe winner Alpinista (GB) for most top-drawer victories at six.

Runner-up in the G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Coronation S. in the Cheveley red-white-and-blue, Inspiral's dam Starscope is a half-sister to listed winner Solar Magic (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and has also foaled the stakes-placed Celestran (GB) (Dansili {GB}). Starscope's Ulysses (Ire) yearling colt brought 160,000gns from Stetchworth and Middle Park Studs out of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and has since been named Stetchworth Friend (GB). Her winning 8-year-old daughter Lunar Corona (GB) (Dansili {GB}) will be consigned by Cheveley in foal to Twilight Son (GB) (lot 1431) as part of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale next month.

Third dam Mystic Goddess, who won the Listed Sweet Solera S. and was placed thrice in Group 3s, is a half-sister to Italian champion and Group 1 winner Sanam (Golden Act), while she threw two-time Group 1 winner and eventual Cheveley Park stallion Medicean (GB) to the cover of Machiavellian. The Thompsons first got involved with the female family when they purchased Inspiral's fourth dam Rose Goddess (Ire) (Sassafras {Fr}) for $450,000 out of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale carrying to Diesis (GB) in 1988.

Saturday, Santa Anita Park
MAKER'S MARK BREEDERS' CUP FILLY & MARE TURF-GI, $1,840,000, Santa Anita, 11-4, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/4mT, 1:59.06, fm.
1–INSPIRAL (GB), 124, f, 4, by Frankel (GB)
                1st Dam: Starscope (GB) (MG1SP-Eng, $251,626), by Selkirk
                2nd Dam: Moon Goddess (GB), by Rainbow Quest
                3rd Dam: Mystic Goddess, by Storm Bird
O/B-Cheveley Park Stud Limited (GB); T-John H. M. Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. $1,040,000. Lifetime Record: MG1SW-Eng, MG1SW-Fr, 13-9-2-0, $3,639,932. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Warm Heart (Ire), 120, f, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
                1st Dam: Sea Siren (Aus) (Hwt. Older Mare-Ire- at 5 – 7 f., MG1SW-Aus, SW & MGSP-Ire, $1,743,772), by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
                2nd Dam: Express A Smile (Aus), by Success Express
                3rd Dam: Hold That Smile (Aus), by Haulpak (Aus)
O-Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan P. O'Brien. $340,000.
3–Moira, 124, f, 4, by Ghostzapper
                1st Dam: Devine Aida (MSW & GSP, $273,215), by Unbridled's Song
                2nd Dam: Passion, by Came Home
                3rd Dam: Rajmata, by Known Fact
($150,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Madaket Stables LLC, SF Racing LLC and X-Men Racing; B-Adena Springs (ON); T-Kevin Attard. $180,000.
Margins: NK, 1, NO. Odds: 2.50, 4.20, 13.50.
Also Ran: Win Marilyn (Jpn), In Italian (GB), Lumiere Rock (Ire), With The Moonlight (Ire), Lindy (Fr), State Occasion (GB), Didia (Arg), Fev Rover (Ire), McKulick (GB).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Happily Ever After for Cody’s Wish Fairy Tale in Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile

What a way to kick off Saturday's Breeders' Cup action as the sport's favorite fairy tale got its happily-ever-after ending. Cody's Wish (Curlin–Dance Card, by Tapit) made it back-to-back GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile wins in a dramatic running of the first World Championships race on the card Saturday. Cody's Wish had captured the heart of the racing world last year as the story of his incredibly special connection with Cody Dorman, a boy suffering from Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, emerged and grew. There were few dry eyes among those who witnessed the bay's win in the 2022 Dirt Mile, but in 2023, the sport instead held its collective breath as the fan favorite got mugged at the start and had to survive both a photo finish and an inquiry for the stretch run.

“Sometimes wishes do come true,” said Hall of Famer Bill Mott.

After training exceptionally all week, Cody's Wish got squeezed at the break from both sides in the Dirt Mile and was quickly relegated to the rear of the field. Meanwhile, GI Preakness S. winner National Treasure (Quality Road) went straight to the lead through early fractions of :22.51 and :46.02, as last-out GII Charles Town Classic winner Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) stalked from second. Still sixth and far back but in the clear with just a half to go, Cody's Wish unleashed a monster move. He split horses, weaving in and out, and finally dipped inside Skippylongstocking as he set his sights on National Treasure, who was still strong and comfortable in front.

“I didn't feel I had the luxury to go around the horses since these are Grade I horses,” said jockey Junior Alvarado. “He was helping me. I was like, 'Let me try to cut the corner a little bit, save some ground since it's moving forward.' I did all that, and right when I tip him out, he was there for me.

“When I got to the other horse, at that point, I just kind of let him know, 'Listen, my job is done right here. Just take me to the last part.' Since I know him, I knew he wasn't going to let that other horse go by once he got in front.”

Cody's Wish (outside) and National Treasure | Horsephotos

Cody's Wish angled outside to collar National Treasure, but the sophomore didn't relent. The two battled down the length of the stretch, bumping repeatedly. The Godolphin homebred got there by a nose, but had to endure a long inquiry as stewards reviewed the contact and finally upheld Cody's Wish as the winner, much to the relief of the crowd. Final time for the race was 1:35.97 as Skippylongstocking held third.

“The fact that he split horses in the turn could have made the difference,” said Mott. “I think, if he goes around, he loses another half-length or so.

“It was a great ride and a great run by the horse. It was a good effort.”

The Dirt Mile marked the eighth win in the last nine starts for Cody's Wish, who was coming off a GII Vosburgh S. victory Oct. 1 after his first loss–a third when stretching out to nine furlongs in the GI Whitney S. Aug. 5 in a less-than-ideal trip–since March, 2022. 'Cody' has captured seven graded stakes, including five Grade Is, and is undefeated in eight starts at a mile. In addition to his 11 visits to the winner's circle, he has never finished worse than third.

The race was Cody's Wish's swan song, as he will be retired to Godolphin's Jonabell Farm near Lexington. Mott and Alvarado also teamed up Friday with Just FYI (Justify) to win the GI NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, while Mott later got an additional Breeders' Cup win Saturday with Elite Power (Curlin) in the GI Sprint. Godolphin got a second homebred 2023 Breeders' Cup winner shortly after the Dirt Mile with Charles Appleby trainee Master of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the $2-million Mile.

Bill Mott and Cody Dorman in the winner's circle | Horsephotos

Mott, who was winning his 14th Breeders' Cup with the 2023 Dirt Mile (and later his 15th with the Sprint), reflected on where his other wins, including the 1995 Classic with Horse of the Year Cigar's unbeaten 10-for-10 season, ranked in comparison.

“I think, if it's not the best, it's certainly a dead heat,” said Mott. “It's probably one of the most memorable rides that we've all been on, and I think it's meant so much to so many different people.

“Sometimes it's a small group that gets to enjoy the win, but I think this one's been for a lot of people. We're very thankful for the Make-a-Wish Foundation that brought everything together. Godolphin has been terrific. I mean, the team at Godolphin has been so giving and open, and they were all about it, about this whole story, and they made the story.”

Kelly Dorman, whose son, Cody, is behind the dual Dirt Mile winner's name, added: “It's a blessing I can't–I don't even know if I could– even start to describe. In a lot of ways, I think that horse probably saved Cody's life. I know him and the horse has made a lot of lives better.

“First and foremost, the blessing is today Cody's Wish put his head in Cody's lap. The next blessing is all the people we got to meet, like these guys sitting right here, the fans, the entire horse racing nation has been incredible to us. We're so thankful and grateful for that.”

 

Pedigree Notes:

Two-time Horse of the Year, 2007 Breeders' Cup Classic winner, and extraordinary sire Curlin added to his laurels in a big way Saturday. The Dirt Mile started the day for him with a sixth individual Breeders' Cup win and he later added two more with Idiomatic in the GI Distaff and Elite Power in the aforementioned Sprint. It was the second consecutive year Curlin had three Breeders' Cup winners, a record he set in 2022 and matched this year. That gives Curlin eight individual Breeders' Cup wins, making him the all-time and undisputed leader among Breeders' Cup sires. To add to the embarrassment of riches, none of the three sires who trail him in second were themselves Breeders' Cup winners, unlike Curlin. The remarkable son of Smart Strike will stand for $250,000 in 2024 at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. With seven U.S. champions, Curlin has 98 black-type winners worldwide and 55 graded winners, 21 at the highest level.

Dance Card, winner of the 2012 GI Gazelle S. and third in the 2013 GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in the Godolphin colors, produced Cody's Wish and MGSW Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro). Her 2-year-colt Hunt Ball (Into Mischief) is also in the Mott barn and has twice placed in two starts. She has a yearling filly by Street Sense and a weanling filly by Gun Runner. Dance Card, who was picked up for $750,000 by John Ferguson on behalf of Godolphin out of the Fasig-Tipton February 2-year-old sale in 2011, has been bred back to Curlin for a full-sibling to Cody's Wish in 2024.

Broodmare sire Tapit, who will stand for $185,000 next season at Gainesway, is one of only three sires in Breeders' Cup history to have seven Breeders' Cup wins as a sire. He's done mighty nicely as a damsire as well with 93 stakes winners out of his daughters. Two of the best this year out of his daughters–GI Belmont/GI Travers winner Arcangelo (Arrogate) and GI Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief)–both scratched earlier this week from the Classic and the Distaff, respectively.

Saturday, Santa Anita Park
BIG ASS FANS BREEDERS' CUP DIRT MILE-GI, $890,000, Santa Anita, 11-4, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:35.97, ft.
1–CODY'S WISH, 126, h, 5, by Curlin
                1st Dam: Dance Card (GISW, $502,200), by Tapit
                2nd Dam: Tempting Note, by Editor's Note
                3rd Dam: Tempt, by Devil's Bag
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Junior Alvarado. $520,000. Lifetime Record: 16-11-1-4, $3,106,030. *1/2 to Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro), MGSW, $970,133. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–National Treasure, 123, c, 3, Quality Road–Treasure, by Medaglia d'Oro. ($500,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $170,000.
3–Skippylongstocking, 126, c, 4, Exaggerator–Twinkling, by War Chant. ($15,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $37,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Daniel Alonso; B-Brushy Hill, LLC (KY); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.. $90,000.
Margins: NO, 3 3/4, 6HF. Odds: 0.80, 4.80, 11.60.
Also Ran: Charge It, Zozos, Stage Raider, Shirl's Bee. Scratched: Algiers (Ire), Practical Move.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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War Front’s Seal Team Proves Narrowly Best in Twilight Derby

ARCADIA, CA – The lightly raced Bass family homebred Seal Team (GB) (War Front) sliced his way through traffic at the top of the stretch and made his graded stakes debut a winning one in Saturday's GII Twilight Derby at Santa Anita.

The 7-1 shot broke sharply and was a bit headstrong while racing in tight quarters heading into the clubhouse turn. He began to settle beneath Umberto Rispoli from there and raced on the inside in eighth through fractions of :23.56 and :47.18. Traveling well with a wall of horses in front of him at the top of the stretch, the bay threaded the needle beautifully as they straightened and produced a powerful run down the center to score by a half-length in the nine-furlong affair.

First-time gelding Silver Knott (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), beaten just a nose as the favorite in last fall's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, nosed out unlucky favorite Webslinger (Constitution) for second.

“We have always had big hopes for this horse,” winning trainer Richard Mandella said. “We thought he would be a good one. I didn't tell Umberto (Rispoli) a thing in the paddock. I just wished him luck.”

Seal Team, a debut second sprinting on the Del Mar lawn last November, got his picture taken in two of his previous three starts this term, including an optional claimer over this same course and distance last time Oct. 8.

Pedigree Notes:

Seal Team becomes the 64th graded/group winner (115th stakes winner) worldwide for leading sire War Front.

The two-time graded winner Mrs McDougal, a sales-topping $1.6-million purchase by agent Steve Young on behalf of the winner's connections at the 2018 KEEJAN sale, is also represented by the unraced 2-year-old colt Gun Barrel City (Frankel {GB}); a yearling colt by Curlin who RNA'd for $175,000 at KEESEP; and a Connect colt of this year. She was bred back to Charlatan.

 

Saturday, Santa Anita
TWILIGHT DERBY-GII, $254,000, Santa Anita, 11-4, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:47.29, fm.
1–SEAL TEAM (GB), 124, c, 3, by War Front
                1st Dam: Mrs McDougal (MGSW & GISP, $496,736),
                                by Medaglia d'Oro
                2nd Dam: Distorted Passion, by Distorted Humor
                3rd Dam: Arianna's Passion, by Unbridled's Song
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Perry R.
and Ramona S. Bass II; B-Bass Stables, LLC (GB); T-Richard E.
Mandella; J-Umberto Rispoli. $150,000. Lifetime Record:
5-3-1-1, $260,960. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Silver Knott (GB), 124, g, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–God Given
(GB), by Nathaniel (Ire). (725,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT).
O-Godolphin, LLC; B-St Albans Bloodstock LLP (GB); T-Charles
Appleby. $50,000.
3–Webslinger, 124, g, 3, Constitution–Arana, by Hard Spun.
($45,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP; $25,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $45,000
RNA 2yo '22 OBSAPR; $50,000 2yo '22 OBSOPN). O-D. J. Stable
LLC; B-Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey (KY); T-Mark E. Casse.
$30,000.
Margins: HF, NO, NO. Odds: 7.30, 3.30, 2.50.
Also Ran: Reiquist, Almendares (GB), Watsonville, Panic Alarm (Ire), Be Your Best (Ire), Reincarnate, Packs a Wahlop, Maltese Falcon (Ire), Mondego (GB), California Bay.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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