Lope de Vega (Ire)

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- It took Teleport (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) a tad over 1:46.07 to break his maiden Sunday in the sixth race, which took a long time to start and even longer to go official. The $100,000 maiden special weight event at Saratoga Race Course provided an unusual situation in which Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher had to wait in the winner's circle to see which of his runners--Teleport or Scope (Gun Runner)--who bumped twice in the stretch, would come away with the victory. Scope and...

DEAUVILLE, FRANCE - Baaeed got off to an electrifying start at the first European yearling sale of the season at Arqana when a filly [lot 68] consigned by Henri Bozo's powerful Ecurie des Monceaux draft sold to Al Shira'aa Racing for €800,000. That result kick-started a busy 10 minutes or so for Bozo, and Monceaux was also responsible for the joint sale-topping Lope De Vega colt [72], who went the way of Godolphin for the same figure on day one of the August Yearling Sale. Trained by William Haggas on...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a pricy breeze-up purchase. 4.38 Deauville, Debutantes, €160,000, 2yo, c/g, 7fT NORTHERN CHAMPION (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is the stand-out among the baker's dozen assembled for this valuable Arqana Series Des Poulains, being TBT Racing's €820,000 purchase from the Arqana May Breeze Up. Ed Walker has...

1st-Curragh, €20,000, Mdn, 8-9, 2yo, 7fT, 1:23.64, gd. GERYON (IRE) (c, 2, Lope De Vega {Ire}--Oboe, by Mizzen Mast), sent off at 18-1 for this hotly-contested maiden, travelled smoothly without cover just off the pace throughout the early stages. Joining Kensington Lane (Starspangledbanner) inside the last half a furlong, the newcomer asserted to score by 1 1/4 lengths. "We have two colts that we like, this fella and Res Ipsa who ran at Leopardstown on Thursday," trainer Ger Lyons said. "Res Ipsa fluffed his lines so I suppose it took...

A horse for course at Saratoga is a good thing to have, and that's exactly what the Miguel Clement stable has as Ozara (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) cruised home to collect the GII Ballston Spa Stakes. While her three wins from as many starts at the New York mecca will be a popular point, Ozara entered into the race with three victories already to her name this year alone--the two in Florida were against optional claiming company Jan. 3 at Tampa Bay Downs and Apr. 26 at Gulfstream Park...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features the well-bred Hawk Mountain. 1.45 Curragh, Mdn, 2yo, 7fT HAWK MOUNTAIN (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) debuts for Ballydoyle in a maiden which has been won in recent times by Delacroix, Diego Velazquez, Al Riffa and Thunder Moon and is a key player as a son of...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the win of Luther (Frankel) in Saratoga's National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes. Frankel Colt Pens His Name Into The Hall Of Fame Paul Hickman and Nicholas Jones's Luther was put up via the disqualification of Zulu Kingdom (Ten Sovereigns) in the GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga on August 1 (video). The Frankel colt is trained by Charlie...

1st-Newbury, £12,000, Mdn, 8-5, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:26.74, g/f. TOULEEN (GB) (f, 2, Lope De Vega {Ire}--Talaayeb {GB} {GSW-Eng, $172,849}, by Dansili {GB}), a daughter of the G3 City of York Stakes winner, was smartly away and able to shadow the leader effortlessly. In command approaching the furlong pole, the 2-1 favourite readily drew away for an authoritative 2 1/4-length success from Secret History (Ardad). The dam, who was handed a TDN Rising Star badge with a win by a similar margin on her debut, was fourth in the 1,000...

With the longed-for rain having arrived across Britain in the last week, Ed Walker has confirmed that progressive four-year-old Almaqam will head to the G2 Sky Bet York Stakes this Saturday.  Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's colt has run just twice this year, notably beating beating subsequent G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes winner Ombudsman in the G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes in May. Walker said of the son of Lope De Vega, "I left him in the King George but didn't feel Ascot was the right track in which to test him...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Sigh No More in the Boiling Springs Stakes at Monmouth. Boiling Springs Stakes To Sigh No More Heider Family Stables' Sigh No More ran out a 1 1/2-length winner of Monmouth Park's Boiling Springs Stakes at the end of last month (video). Conditioned by Brendan Walsh, the daughter of Starspangledbanner was making her second US start. Bred by Barronstown Stud out of the...

Making her mark on a banner day for connections, Godolphin homebred Crimson Rose (Lope De Vega) powered to a four-length victory in Thursday's British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket. The 7-2 chance, a June 19 debut third at Chelmsford last time, was swiftly into stride and stalked the pace in a handy third through the initial stages. Bounding forward from the foot of the hill, she seized control approaching the final furlong and was ridden clear on the rise to outpoint Country Artiste (Supremacy)...

When it comes to Sandown's G1 Coral-Eclipse, there has been a shift of power to the Classic generation in recent times with seven of the last ten going their way. Saturday's renewal will either see a fifth consecutive success for the 3-year-olds or a break in the sequence and the onus is on Ombudsman to reestablish the reputation of the older horses. Godolphin's son of Night Of Thunder is the key protagonist on his emphatic Prince of Wales's Stakes success last month and to date has no blemish on his...