War Front | Horse Racing Free Tips

War Front’s Halladay all the Way in Fourstardave; Brown Foursome Strike Out

When last seen, Harrell Ventures LLC’s Halladay (War Front) was wrangled back off the pace and ultimately ran fourth in the GII Bernard Baruch H. July 26, allowing Somelikeithotbrown (Big Brown) to post a relatively hassle-free, front-running victory. With that failed experiment in the rear view, it was back to pedal-to-the-metal tactics in Saturday’s GI Fourstardave H. and the gray colt repelled a late bid from defending champion Got Stormy (Get Stormy) to land the spoils. Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) rallied to complete the trifecta. The victory earns Halladay a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland Nov. 7.

Not the quickest away from the machine, Halladay was asked to pick up the bit and secured the front passing under the wire for the first time, as Got Stormy, Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Emmaus (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) did the early chasing. The opening quarter-mile was up in a manageable :23.85 with Luis Saez, fresh off a five-timer earlier in the week, sitting hard against Halladay. In the meantime, Got Stormy had fallen into the box seat stalking Halladay through the half-mile that was up in :47.19. The 4-year-old still held the call approaching the lane and was forced into an internal two furlongs in :22.96 and things began to look dicey, as Tyler Gaffalione had Got Stormy ready to pounce after popping off the inside in upper stretch. The mare, who’d been off form in three starts this season, had aim entering the final eighth of a mile and got to the saddle towel of Halladay, but the latter pulled out extra and scored going away. Champion Uni (GB) (More Than Ready), favored at 2.15-1 raced well back and failed to make any late impact in seventh, while second choice Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) finished best of the Chad Brown quartet in fifth.

“We thought we were the speed in the race and we wanted to go ahead and let him do his thing, but he actually didn’t break cleanly and it took him four or five strides to get his legs underneath him,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, winning the Fourstardave for the third time (Red Giant, 2008; Sidney’s Candy, 2011). “Once he was able to get there, he pricked his ears and settled and relaxed nicely and kicked strong coming for home. At the three-sixteenths pole, Got Stormy made a big run at him and I thought it was going to be a close finish from there, but he was able to find a little more.”

Winner of last year’s Tropical Park Derby, Halladay couldn’t find the front and settled for fourth in the GIII Tampa Bay S. Feb. 8 before wiring a Gulfstream allowance over a mile Apr. 4. He accounted for future GI United Nations S. hero Aquaphobia (Giant’s Causeway) in the May 9 Sunshine Forever S. in Hallandale ahead of his Baruch effort.

Pedigree Notes:

With the victory, Halladay–who was purchased privately by bloodstock agent Steve Young after he RNA’d as a Keeneland September yearling–becomes the 22nd G1/GISW and 51st graded/group winner for his hugely successful stallion. He is the first North American Grade I winner bred from a daughter of Tapit and third top-level winner overall out of one of the Gainesway inmate’s producing mares (Gran Alegria {Jpn}; Qafila {Aus}). Tapit is now the broodmare sire of 17 GSWs overall.

Halladay’s dual Grade III-winning dam hails from her sire’s first crop that also included Grade I-winning fillies Stardom Bound, Careless Jewel and Laragh. Hightap was led out unsold on a bid of $130,000 when offered in foal to Gun Runner at Keeneland November in 2018 and produced a filly in 2019. She changed hands for $85,000 in foal to Union Rags at KEENOV last year, foaled a filly earlier this year and was bred to Hard Spun and Arrogate this breeding season.

Saturday, Saratoga
FOURSTARDAVE H.-GI, $400,000, Saratoga, 8-22, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:33.32, gd.
1–HALLADAY, 118, c, 4, by War Front
                1st Dam: Hightap (MGSW, $300,345), by Tapit
                2nd Dam: Don’tellmichelle, by Regal Classic
                3rd Dam: L’Insatiable, by Caveat
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($225,000 RNA
Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-Harrell Ventures, LLC; B-Gainesway
Thoroughbreds Ltd. & Winchell Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Luis Saez. $220,000. Lifetime Record:
14-6-2-4, $517,485. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Got Stormy, 118, m, 5, Get Stormy–Super Phoebe, by
Malabar Gold. ($23,000 Ylg ’16 KEESEP; $45,000 2yo ’17
EASMAY). O-Gary Barber; B-Mt. Joy Stables, Pope McLean,
Marc McLean & Pope McLean Jr. (KY); T-Mark Casse. $80,000.
3–Casa Creed, 118, c, 4, Jimmy Creed–Achalaya, by Bellamy
Road. ($15,000 Ylg ’17 OBSWIN; $105,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP).
O-LRE Racing LLC & JEH Racing Stable LLC; B-Silver Springs
Stud, LLC (KY); T-William I. Mott. $48,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 5.30, 10.70, 10.60.
Also Ran: Emmaus (Ire), Raging Bull (Fr), Without Parole (GB), Uni (GB), Valid Point, Chewing Gum. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post War Front’s Halladay all the Way in Fourstardave; Brown Foursome Strike Out appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Hit It a Bomb Gets First Stakes Winner with Weston in Best Pal

Weston became his sire (by War Front)’s first winner at Santa Anita in June, and the Spendthrift freshman’s first stakes and graded stakes winner Saturday, while also providing young trainer Ryan Hanson with his first graded trophy. The bay defied 21-1 odds to run away with a 4 1/2-furlong heat June 21 over the much pricier Ambivalent (Constitution), and was backed as the best local hope to defeat heavily favored Wesley Ward trainee Roderick (Into Mischief).

Bouncing out abruptly, Weston was shuffled back in the early scramble for position but moved back up to be part of the leading vanguard with Girther along the rail and the chalk three deep. Roderick backed out of it abruptly heading for home, and Weston and Girther battled it out at the top of the lane as Ambivalent appeared a major danger for the stretch drive. Ambivalent shifted in sharply and bumped with Sonic Brees, however, effectively leaving the top two to sort it out. Girther looked the winner until late, as Weston made one last lunge to notch the decision. Ambivalent was subsequently disqualified from third to fourth.

“Boy, I had to work hard for that one. But I’m glad I did,” said winning rider Drayden Van Dyke. “I was happy to win it for Ryan Hanson. He’s such a kind man and a good horse trainer. And this horse showed some class, too. Ryan told me he never got to paddock him [before the race], but he was just standing in there like an old pro. I knew I got there in the end and I’m real glad I did.”

Hanson added, “He broke sharp, just like we wanted him to, but then it looked like he just sat there for a minute. I got a little nervous when he got shuffled back, but then he got back up there and fought on. The time was not very impressive, but that doesn’t matter. I didn’t think we were going to win it. I thought we’d be second to the Peter Miller horse [Girther], who had had a trip over the track. But I’m just really happy. We’ll see how he looks tomorrow and let him tell us what to do [regarding the GI Mar Futurity Sept. 7]. ”

Saturday, Del Mar
BEST PAL S.-GII, $151,000, Del Mar, 8-8, 2yo, 6f, 1:12.72, ft.
1–WESTON, 120, g, 2, by Hit It a Bomb
                1st Dam: Elke (MSP, $122,970), by Dixie Union
                2nd Dam: Call to the Post, by Mt. Livermore
                3rd Dam: Trumpet’s Blare, by Vice Regent
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($7,000 Ylg
’19 KEEJAN; $7,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-Chris Drakos & Ryan
Hanson; B-EVADI Farm Team (KY); T-Ryan Hanson; J-Drayden
Van Dyke. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $120,000.
Werk Nick Rating: F.
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Girther, 120, c, 2, Brody’s Cause–Tea Dancer, by Afternoon
Deelites. ($2,500 Wlg ’18 KEENOV; $4,000 Ylg ’19 OBSOCT;
$20,000 2yo ’20 OBSMAR). O-Altamira Racing Stable; B-Farm
III Enterprises LLC (FL); T-Peter Miller. $30,000.
3–Sonic Brees, 118, r, 2, Maclean’s Music–Miss Hetty, by
Congrats. ($80,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-William Strauss, Kyle
Suarez & Darin Tsukashima; B-Springhouse Farm, Olin Gentry
& John F. Goldthorpe (KY); T-Doug F. O’Neill. $18,000.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 5.10, 32.90, 22.00.
Also Ran: Ambivalent, Schnell, Herd Immunity, Roderick.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Pedigree Notes:
A winner of both of his Irish starts at two for Aidan O’Brien and owner/breeder Evelyn Stockwell, Hit It a Bomb overcame the 14 hole to take the 2015 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland. He was twice Group-placed back overseas as a sophomore, is a full-brother to Europe’s 2016 champion 2-year-old filly Brave Anna.

Weston is the 19th graded stakes winner out of a Dixie Union mare. Dam Elke was MSP as a juvenile, and was successful both dirt sprinting and turf routing. Third dam Trumpet’s Blare was a GISW juvenile. Weston has a yearling half-sister by Tapiture and a foal half-brother by Speightster.

Runner-up Girther’s sire Brody’s Cause also stands at Spendthrift and is represented by first 2-year-olds this year.

The post Hit It a Bomb Gets First Stakes Winner with Weston in Best Pal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Tyros Number 14 For Aidan As War Front’s Military Style Makes All

Thursday’s G3 Japan Racing Association Tyros S. lost a potential major player after Jessie Harrington deemed the ground too fast for the likely favourite Cadillac (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and with the surface slick at Leopardstown it was a front-runner who prevailed in Military Style (War Front). This year more than any other it seems that the Foxrock venue is favouring those on the front end when the going is riding as it was here, but such is the blueblooded nature of the winner it is dangerous to argue that he will not turn out ultimately the best. As he clung on by a neck from his deeply promising stablemate Van Gogh (American Pharoah), the son of the 2014 G1 Fillies’ Mile heroine Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who is in turn a full-sister to the G1 Epsom Oaks heroine Forever Together (Ire) brought up a 14th edition for Aidan O’Brien. Not given an easy time under Emmet McNamara, the 7-1 shot saw off all-comers for a game score as the 4-1 favourite Masen (GB) (Kingman {GB}) made it a tight finale just half a length away.

Military Style, who had beaten the subsequently listed-placed Eastern Voice (Ire) (Vocalised) on debut over six furlongs at Naas June 20 before looking in need of this extra furlong when third in the G3 Marble Hill S. at Cork July 5, was not surprising those closest to him. “It was a very good run first time and they usually improve plenty for their first start, then he was beaten only a length in the Marble Hill so he was entitled to have a chance,” McNamara said. “He’s improved for the step up to seven and it’s beautiful fast racing ground which suited him. The plan was to go forward and if I found him in front to go on, as he had the experience and we went a good even pace. He toughed it out well and is very genuine. He’s not short of pace, but a mile shouldn’t be a problem as he relaxes.”

Together Forever is making a fast impact at Coolmore, with this breakthrough second foal following the Listed Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial runner-up King of Athens also by War Front. Sent back to him again to produce another colt in 2019, she has since visited Justify twice and has thrown a colt this year. The aforementioned Forever Together captured the Oaks two years ago and her and the dam are half-sisters to the sire Lord Shanakill (Speightstown) who captured the G1 Prix Jean Prat, G2 Lennox S. and G2 Mill Reef S., and full-sisters to the listed-placed €3.2million 2018 Goffs Orby-topping Do You Love Me (Ire). The third dam is the infuential Chain Fern (Blushing Groom {Fr}), an unraced full-sister to the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine and broodmare supreme Al Bahathri. With his pedigree, Military Style could be one to reap dividends across the Atlantic as a relative of the GI Yellow Ribbon S. winner Spanish Fern (El Gran Senor) and GI Santa Anita H. hero Heatseeker (Ire) (Giant’s Causeway).

Thursday, Leopardstown, Ireland
TYROS S.-G3, €59,000, Leopardstown, 8-6, 2yo, 7f 20yT, 1:28.07, gd.
1–MILITARY STYLE, 131, c, 2, by War Front
1st Dam: Together Forever (Ire) (G1SW-Eng, SW-Ire, $318,729), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Green Room, by Theatrical (Ire)
3rd Dam: Chain Fern, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Emmet McNamara. €30,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $50,877. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Van Gogh, 131, c, 2, American Pharoah–Imagine (Ire), by Sadler’s Wells. O-Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier & Mrs David Nagle; B-Barronstown Stud (KY); T-Aidan O’Brien. €10,000.
3–Masen (GB), 131, c, 2, Kingman (GB)–Continental Drift, by Smart Strike. O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Ger Lyons. €5,000.
Margins: NK, HF, 3/4. Odds: 7.00, 6.00, 4.00.
Also Ran: Charterhouse (GB), State of Rest (Ire), Vafortino (Ire), Southern Cape (Ire), Reve de Vol (Ire), Mac Swiney (Ire), Swiss Ace (GB). Scratched: Cadillac (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

The post Tyros Number 14 For Aidan As War Front’s Military Style Makes All appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Classic Winner War of Will to Claiborne Upon Retirement

Claiborne Farm has purchased an interest in Classic winner War of Will (War Front–Visions of Clarity {Ire}, by Sadlers Wells), who will stand at the Paris, Kentucky farm upon the conclusion of his racing career. The winner of a trio of a trio of graded events at three, including the GI Preakness S., the Gary Barber-campaigned colt most recently scored in the GI Maker’s Mark Mile over the Keeneland turf July 10. War of Will’s 2021 stud fee will be announced following the Breeders’ Cup.

“War of Will has an outstanding pedigree, and combined with his race record, he should be very appealing to breeders,” said Claiborne’s Walker Hancock. “He’s a Classic winner on dirt at three and a Grade I winner on turf at four, which places him in rare company. War Front is one of the most successful sires of his generation and there is no doubt he is becoming a sire of sires. We believe War of Will has the capability to follow his father’s success.”

To date, 4-year-old War of Will has earnings of over $1,796,000 and four graded stakes wins for trainer Mark Casse.

“I am very proud to be standing War of Will at Claiborne alongside his famous father,” said Barber. “War of Will has a special place in my heart having brought so much joy to me and my family. He is a once in a lifetime horse.”

Runner up in the GI Summer S. at Woodbine at two, the bay kicked off his 3-year-old campaign with back-to-back wins in the GIII LeComte S. followed by the GII Risen Star S. Seventh in a roughly-run edition of the GI Kentucky Derby, he took the Preakness by 1 1/4 lengths and added a third-place effort in the GI Pennsylvania Derby later in the season.

“I’ve been fortunate enough in my career to be around a lot of good horses, but I have to put War of Will right there at the top. He has a special place in my heart,” said Casse. “He’s a class act. There’s a reason we call him WOW. It’s not just because of his initials. Everything he does is a WOW. The way he looks. The way he trains, and his pedigree. I’m excited to see him go to Claiborne and follow in his father’s footsteps.”

Looking ahead, Casse added, “Our plan is to point towards the Woodbine Mile next, and then, hopefully, the Breeders’ Cup.”

Bred in Kentucky by Flaxman Holdings, War of Will is out of Visions of Clarity, a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner and GI Breeders’ Cup Mile hero Spinning World. Visions of Clarity is also responsible for Group 1 winner Pathfork (Distorted Humor) and multiple stakes winner Tacticus (A.P. Indy). War of Will is one of sire War Front’s 21 Grade I/Group 1 winners.

The post Classic Winner War of Will to Claiborne Upon Retirement appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post