Dance to the Music

Rebel's Romance (Dubawi) and Notable Speech (Dubawi) look set to spearhead a top-class team for Charlie Appleby at next month's Breeders' Cup at Del Mar, a meeting at which the Godolphin trainer has excelled since saddling his first winner in 2013. Appleby took his tally of Breeders' Cup winners to 11 at Del Mar last year when Rebel's Romance won the Turf for a second time, having also been successful at Keeneland in 2022. More recently, the seven-year-old gained the ninth top-level victory of his career when heading back Stateside...

Already a stakes winner in her fledgling career, Corsia Veloce (Practical Joke) stayed undefeated in three races as she took the GI Natalma Stakes at Woodbine for trainer Josie Carroll. The Ontario-bred filly was on home turf in Canada Saturday, having broken her maiden on the Tapeta July 6 before stealing a win in the Catch A Glimpse Stakes at 11-1 odds in her first try on the grass Aug. 16. Given only 12-1 odds despite having several familiar rivals behind her in that prior win, Corsia Veloce broke well...

Charlie Appleby and William Buick have teamed to take the GI Rogers Woodbine Mile--a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile--two out of the last three years, and in the form of Godolphin's 'TDN Rising Star' Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) they appear well positioned to add to that total Saturday afternoon in suburban Toronto. When Team Godolphin raid from Europe, you can rest assured that it isn't just for the Tim Horton's. They mean business and their record bears that out. Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi...

Charlie Appleby says it's not easy to come over to North America and win major stakes, even though he makes it look that way. On Saturday at Woodbine, Appleby will send out three horses, all of them in Grade I competition, and each one looks to have an excellent chance. He usually does well when he ships to anywhere in North America, but has been particularly tough at Woodbine, where he is 9-for-17 (53%). All nine of his Canadian winners have come in Grade I stakes. "We have sent the...

Twenty years ago, Dubawi claimed his third Group 1 victory in the Prix Jacques Le Marois. On Sunday, Sajir, his third-generation male-line descendant, claimed his own first top-level win, also in Deauville, when lowering the colours of hot favourite Lazzat in the Prix Maurice de Gheest. In TDN on Friday, Ted Voute told Adam Houghton how the team behind Prince Faisal and his homebred Sajir were "quietly quite excited" in the build-up to a race which could seal Sajir's place at stud. Well, they can be loudly very excited now,...

7th-Del Mar, $71,500, Msw, 7-24, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:04.44, ft, 4 3/4 lengths. DANCE TO THE MUSIC (f, 2, Maclean's Music--Beautified, by Congrats), apparently chilly-on-the-tote at 6-1, caught a flyer out of the gate and never gave her rivals a chance, streaking to a comfortable debut success Saturday at Del Mar. The scopey chestnut jumped right into the bridle and took them along at a good clip, covering the first couple of furlongs in a sharp :22.19. Galloping along on her own courage on the turn, Dance to the...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 7th-DMR, $70K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, post time: 8:06 p.m. ET DANCE TO THE MUSIC (Maclean's Music) was a work in progress when Walnut Stream Enterprises, a partnership led by 2-year-old consignor Paul Sharp, snapped her up for a mere $40,000 at Keeneland September last fall. Seven months later, the long-striding chestnut was hammered down to Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal for $575,000 at OBS this past April after breezing in a bullet :10 flat. "We were looking for horses with nice physicals...