West Will Power | Horse Racing Free Tips

West Will Power Will Stand at Stud in Korea

Ben Glass, the stable manager for Gary and Mary West, has reported that GI Stephen Foster S. winner West Will Power (Bernardini–Wild Promises, by Wild Event) has been sold to a Korean farm, where he will stand at stud next year.

Glass said the deal was brokered by bloodstock agent Jun Park. Glass did not know what farm had bought West Will Power, but according to a Tweet from Korea Racing his new home will be Songma Farm.

On July 1, West Will Power picked up the biggest victory of his career, winning the GI Stephen Foster S. by a half-length, picking up his first Grade I win in the process. Afterward, however, he suffered a soft tissue injury and his retirement was announced in early August.

“He had an injury after that race, I believe in his left front pastern,” Glass said. “Dr. (Larry) Bramlage said it would take considerable time to heal, if it would heal at all. We didn't want to bring him back as a 7-year-old and maybe hurt him. He ran so well for us and was a homebred, so we decided the best thing to do was to retire him.”

Trained by Brad Cox, West Will Power was 7-for-17 during his career and earned $1,745,390. He also won the GII New Orleans Classic S. and the GII Hagyard Fayette S.

“He had a very nice career and that he's a homebred made it even nicer,” Glass said. “That's because we got the breeders' awards. We were really happy with him and the career he had.”

Glass said he tried to find a U.S. stallion farm that would agree to take West Will Power, but was unsuccessful.

“Sadly, Kentucky farms did not reach out to us and I tried quite a few,” he said. “I think with his age, being six, that probably stopped most of them. I tried hard to sell him throughout the whole United States. If this injury had happened earlier in his life I think we would have found a home for him here. But with his being six, then breeding at seven, his first foals would have been born when he was eight and wouldn't have run until he was 10. That's one of the reasons there wasn't a great deal of interest.”

The Wests have sent other stallions to Korea, including Concert Tour (Street Sense), the winner of the 2021 GII Rebel S. and the 2021 San Vicente S.

“We've sent a couple other horses to Korea,” Glass said. “We get pictures back and they just look gorgeous. They take great care of them and they are really coming on when it comes to their breeding program.”

The post West Will Power Will Stand at Stud in Korea appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Rattle N Roll Keeps On Shakin’ For McPeek

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Rattle N Roll (Connect)'s very promising and then down-a-bit career path is on a solid upward trajectory approaching the historic $1 million GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.

With six wins–five of them in graded stakes–and just over $1.6 million in earnings, Rattle N Roll has been a big success for the Mackin family's Lucky Seven Stable. After a two-month break from competition, the chestnut will face seven others in the 1 1/4 miles Gold Cup, long one of the premier races in the country for older horses.

From the rail out, the complete field for the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
1 – Proxy (Tapit)
2 – Unbridled Bomber (Upstart)
3 – Warrior Johny (Tapit)
4 – Rattle N Roll (Connect)
5 – Clapton (Brethren)
6 – Tyson (Tapit)
7 – Duke of Love (Cupid)
8 – Bright Future (Curlin)
*All starters will carry 126 pounds.

With a late-running style, Rattle N Roll benefits from some speed to take aim at. McPeek said that 10 furlongs should be within his range.

“You don't know how the pace of that race will unfold,” McPeek said. “He's not run that distance but I don't have any doubt he's going to like it. In hindsight, a year ago he won the St. Louis Derby but he could have run in the Travers. I'm excited to see him go that far.”

McPeek has targeted the Gold Cup for Rattle N Roll, who has won three of five starts this year. He opened the season with a non-threatening fourth in the GII New Orleans Classic on Mar. 25. A month later at Keeneland, Rattle N Roll won the GIII Ben Ali. He moved on to Baltimore to win the GIII Pimlico Special by a nose and ran his win streak to three in the GIII Blame on June 3 at Churchill Downs. On July 1, he ended up a half-length behind West Will Power in the GI Stephen Foster at Ellis Park.

Rattle N Roll (outside) wins the GIII Pimlico Special | Horsephotos

“He ran pretty steady and hard this spring,” McPeek said. “He had some back-to-backs and then I just thought that waiting for the Gold Cup would be a good idea. He's been up here all summer and thrived.”

Rattle N Roll has had five works during his time at the Spa.

McPeek said that even in defeat, Rattle N Roll was impressive.

“I think his last race, when he was beaten West Will Power, that was his best race,” McPeek said. “He ran super that day. It was quite hot that day down at Ellis, too.

Bred by St. Simon Place, Rattle N Roll is out of the Johannesburg mare Jazz Tune. He brought $55,000 as a weanling at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale and McPeek purchased him as a yearling for $210,000 at the Keeneland September Sale.

“You could see that he would develop into a big, handsome older horse,” McPeek said. “He's a little bit different-made than most. He stands over himself. He's a little upright, but has been smart from the beginning.”

Rattle N Roll made the second start of his career at Saratoga on Aug. 26, 2021 against maidens going 1 1/8 miles. McPeek said he bolted after getting hit in the left eye in the second turn and did not finish the race. He broke his maiden at Churchill Downs on Sept. 23 and picked up a GI victory in the Breeders' Futurity. A foot injury kept him out of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Last year, he was tested on the Triple Crown trail, but was well-beaten in the GII Fountain of Youth, the GII Louisiana Derby and the GI Blue Grass. McPeek changed course a bit and the colt won the American Derby, the St. Louis Derby and the GIII Oklahoma Derby.

The post Rattle N Roll Keeps On Shakin’ For McPeek appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

West Will Power Retired

West Will Power (Bernardini–Wild Promises, by Wild Event), last-out winner of the GI Stephen Foster S., has been retired from racing after suffering a soft tissue injury, trainer Brad Cox confirmed Tuesday. The news was first reported by Dave Grening of Daily Racing Form.

A homebred for Gary and Mary West, West Will Power hit the board in 15 of 17 starts, with seven wins and earnings of $1,745,390. In addition to his victory in the July 1 Stephen Foster, the 6-year-old also won this year's GII New Orleans Classic and last year's GII Fayette S. He was second in the 2022 GI Clark S. He was also runner-up in the 2023 GIII Razorback H. and 2021 GIII Philip H. Iselin S. and was third in the 2023 GII Alysheba S.

West Will Power, who had been pointing towards Saturday's GI Whitney S., worked five furlongs in 1:02.24 (1/4) Saturday at Saratoga.

Stud plans for the son of graded stakes winner Wild Promises–a half-sister to multiple graded winner Icy Atlantic (Stormy Atlantic)–have not yet been made.

The post West Will Power Retired appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Saturday’s Saratoga Notes: Cox and Pletcher Runners Headline Worktab

West Will Power (Bernardini), a last-out winner of the GI Stephen Foster S., worked five furlongs in 1:02.24 (1/4) in company with the stakes-placed Tapit Shoes (Tapit) for trainer Brad Cox over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track Saturday.

West Will Power, owned and bred by Gary and Mary West, is under consideration for either next Saturday's GI Whitney S. or the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Sept. 2 at the Spa.

“It's a very prestigious race. It means a lot,” Cox said of the Whitney. “We'll see how things unfold after this work and make a decision a little bit later. We'll speak with the West team and come up with a plan.”

The Cox-trained Verifying (Justify), a narrow winner of the GIII Indiana Derby, worked a half mile in :48.75 (13/53) in company with the maiden Fighting Back (Lookin At Lucky) over the Oklahoma training track.

Cox said that Verifying will point to the seven-furlong GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Aug. 26 at Saratoga.

“He went a really good half. I wasn't looking to do a whole lot with him, but he was on it,” Cox said. “He was ready to do something.”

Charge It Breezes for Whitney…

'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit), a front-running winner of the GII Suburban S. last out downstate, worked a half mile in :48.77 (28/101) Saturday morning over the main track in his final tune up for next Saturday's Whitney.

“I thought it was excellent,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He did it well in hand and looked good doing it. I've been very pleased with the way he's trained since the Suburban.”

Pletcher continued, “He's a horse that's always trained really strongly and shown hints that he's capable to run a big race. His (GIII) Dwyer was brilliant. His Suburban, I thought, was his most professional race. He's starting to put it all together consistently. It's a very tall order going up against the best older horses in training, but we're happy with the way he's coming into it.”

Pletcher added that fellow 'Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit), fifth in the GI Haskell, will target the GI Travers S. Aug. 26.

The post Saturday’s Saratoga Notes: Cox and Pletcher Runners Headline Worktab appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post