Top News | Horse Racing Free Tips

Juddmonte’s Scylla Becomes Latest ‘Rising Star’ For Tapit

The latest royally-bred filly to hit the track for owner/breeder Juddmonte Farm, Scylla (Tapit) lived up to her illustrious connections with a 2 1/2-length score on debut at Keeneland Saturday.

Despite being the full-sister to current Taylor Made stallion Tacitus, MGSW & MGISP, $3,767,350, Scylla earned only 5-2 billing–going off as the second choice in the wagering behind the more experienced Zeitlos (Curlin). A step slow from the blocks, the bay found herself in eighth with only a handful of rivals beaten as Miss Arlington (Mark Valeski) paced the field through opening fractions of :22.50 and :46.31. Given her head with room to run around the far turn, Scylla began to pick up the pieces with an impressive move towards the front, challenging new leader Zeitlos with a furlong to run. With more left to give and all the momentum, she cruised by into the final sixteenth and cleared off nicely to the wire to win by open lengths going away under only a mild ride.

The third winner produced from champion older mare Close Hatches (First Defense), herself a full-sister to SW & MGISP Lockdown–the dam of SW Idiotmatic (Curlin)–Scylla traces back to European champion 2-year-old colt Xaar (GB) (Zafonic) as well as G1 Tattersalls Irish Two Thousand Guineas and GI Keeneland Phoenix S. victor Siskin (First Defence). Close Hatches has a 2-year-old full-brother to Tacitus and Scylla still to make the races along with a yearling Constitution filly and a newborn Uncle Mo filly, all of whom remain with Juddmonte. Scylla is Tapit's 52nd 'TDN Rising Star'.

6th-Keeneland, $99,588, Msw, 4-15, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:10.32, ft, 2 1/2 lengths.
SCYLLA, f, 3, by Tapit
                1st Dam: Close Hatches (Ch. Older Mare, MGISW, $2,707,300), by First Defence
                2nd Dam: Rising Tornado, by Storm Cat
                3rd Dam: Silver Star (GB), by Zafonic
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $56,575. O/B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-William I. Mott. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

SCYLLA (Tapit), daughter of champion older mare and MGISW Close Hatches and the full-sister to MGSW & MGISP Tacitus, breaks her maiden on debut at @keenelandracing for @JuddmonteFarms with @jjcjockey aboard! Trained by Bill Mott. pic.twitter.com/xJvzndEAOB

— TDN (@theTDN) April 15, 2023

The post Juddmonte’s Scylla Becomes Latest ‘Rising Star’ For Tapit appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

OBS Spring Under-Tack Show Begins Sunday

The first of seven sessions of the under-tack show ahead of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training begins Sunday morning at 8 a.m.

Hip numbers 1-175 are scheduled to breeze Sunday, followed by hips 176-350 Monday; hips 351-525 Tuesday; hips 526-700 Wednesday; hips 701-875 Thursday; hips 876-1050 Friday; and hips 1051-1222 next Saturday.

The OBS Spring sale will be held Apr. 25 through Apr. 28. Sessions begin daily at 10:30 a.m.

The post OBS Spring Under-Tack Show Begins Sunday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Easy Works for Cox’s Derby Contenders

Two of trainer Brad Cox's four GI Kentucky Derby contenders turned in half-mile works at Churchill Downs Saturday, with GI Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) and GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby third-place finisher Jace's Road (Quality Road) both credited with working, hours apart, in :48.20 (20/99).

Albaugh Family Stables' Angel of Empire worked alongside stablemate Tapit's Conquest (Tapit), who was most recently seventh in the Louisiana Derby, just as the track opened at 5:30 a.m. Sporting blinkers while working outside his stablemate through early fractions of :12.40 and :24.40, Angel of Empire galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.80, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols. Cox's exercise rider Edvin Vargas was aboard for the move.

Two hours later, Vargas was again in the irons when West Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stables' Jace's Road worked in company with Smarty Jones S. winner Victory Formation (Tapwrit).

“It was a solid morning with three weeks out from the Derby,” Cox said. “It's always an exciting time of year and we'll see what happens in 21 days.”

Following Jace's Road's work, Cox's other Derby contenders, GI Toyota Blue Grass S. runner-up Verifying (Justify) and GII Wood Memorial runner-up Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}), galloped about 1 1/2 miles. Both are scheduled to work next Saturday.

The post Easy Works for Cox’s Derby Contenders appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Chez Pierre Right at Home in Maker’s Mark; Modern Games Second

The public bet reigning Eclipse Award-winning turf male Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) like he couldn't lose Friday's GI Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland, but Lael Stables Chez Pierre (Fr) (Mehmas {Ire}) had other designs, as he kicked hard into the stretch and ran out a very easy winner in stakes-record time.

Alertly into stride from gate three, the 5-year-old dueled inside and heads apart with Peter Brant's Dr Zempf (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) around the first turn and tugged his way to the front beneath Flavien Prat to lead passing the five-furlong peg. The Brown trainee, trying a two-turn mile for the first time, proved a handful for Tyler Gaffalione down the backstretch and was allowed to stride to the front with a half-mile to race, but Prat remained unhurried aboard Chez Pierre, who was never off the bridle and re-engaged Dr Zempf going well at the top of the lane. The two-time Arqana sales grad pinched a break in upper stretch and really poured it on from there to prevail by 3 1/2 lengths. The final time of 1:33.46 lowered the previous mark of 1:33.54 set by Perfect Soul (Ire) back in 2004.

“I talked with [trainer] Arnaud [Delacour] that we could find ourselves on the lead, which happened,” said Prat. “But he wasn't really comfortable. He was looking around, and when [Dr Zempf] down the backside made a move, it actually helped me a lot because then I had a target and he was able to settle down and get in a good rhythm.”

Modern Games looked a bit flat-footed when Dr. Zempf rolled to the front and was hard-ridden the remainder, but could do no better than second, just ahead of second pick Up To the Mark (Not This Time) in third.

“He had a good trip,” William Buick said of the beaten favorite. “The winner went well. I was under pressure a little bit earlier than I thought I would be. The pace was even. I'm sure he will improve from this run. I was closing, but I was under pressure quite soon.”

Trained in France by Francis-Henri Graffard after selling for €100,000 at the 2020 Arqana July Sale, Chez Pierre was perfect in a pair of starts at two at Chantilly and added a conditions event at that venue in May 2021 before shipping stateside. A big-figure allowance winner at Tampa in his U.S. bow last March, he was sidelined off a blowout victory in the Henry Clark S. at Laurel the following month and resumed with a keen sixth behind 'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready) in the GIII Tampa Bay S. Feb. 4.

Pedigree Notes:

Chez Pierre is the 13th graded/group winner and fourth top-level scorer for Tally-Ho Stud's Mehmas (by Acclamation {GB}), half of which have come in this country, the other being Del Mar Oaks heroine Going Global (Ire).

Chez Pierre's dam was purchased by Mandore International Agency for €15,000 at the 2015 Arqana February Sale and has since gone on to punch well above her weight in the breeding shed. The half-sister to GIII Buena Vista H. heroine Uraib (Ire) (Mark of Esteem {Ire}) is also the dam of Chez Pierre's year-younger Listed Prix Saraca-winning half-sister Zelda (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}) and produced a full-brother to the latter in 2021.

Friday, Keeneland
MAKER'S MARK MILE S.-GI, $518,575, Keeneland, 4-14, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:33.46, fm.
1–CHEZ PIERRE (FR), 123, g, 5, by Mehmas (Ire)
                1st Dam: Hortensia (Ity), by Orpen
                2nd Dam: Hamsaat (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
                3rd Dam: Steel Habit (Ire), by Habitat
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. (€25,000 Ylg
'19 ARAUG; €100,000 2yo '20 ARQSRM). O-Lael Stables;
B-SCEA des Prairies & Ecurie de Castillon (FR); T-Arnaud
Delacour; J-Flavien Prat. $298,375. Lifetime Record: 7-6-0-0,
$427,791. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Modern Games (Ire), 123, c, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Modern Ideals
(GB), by New Approach (Ire). O/B-Godolphin (Ire); T-Charles
Appleby. $96,250.
3–Up to the Mark, 123, c, 4, Not This Time–Belle's Finale, by
Ghostzapper. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE,
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($450,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Repole
Stable and St. Elias Stable; B-Ramspring Farm (KY); T-Todd A.
Pletcher. $57,750.
Margins: 3HF, NK, 1 1/4. Odds: 9.42, 0.45, 5.39.
Also Ran: Cabo Spirit, Speaking Scout, Dr Zempf (GB), Emmanuel, In Love (Brz).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Chez Pierre Right at Home in Maker’s Mark; Modern Games Second appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post