In an exhibition of pure sprinting prowess, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum's Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) brought all his power to bear on his rivals on Friday to register back-to-back successes in Goodwood's G2 King George Qatar S. Despite the contrasting ground conditions to the easy turf he encountered 12 months ago and the obvious questions posed by defeat in the June 19 G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, the bay attracted heavy support as the 8-11 favourite and was in front before he had raced two...
The 17th edition of the Claiming Crown, held Saturday at Gulfstream Park, generated total handle of $10,118,000--up 0.57% from 2014 despite rainy conditions which caused four races to be taken off the turf. Gulfstream was hosting the event for the fourth year. "We're extremely pleased with the success of Saturday's Claiming Crown," said P.J. Campo, General Manager of Gulfstream Park and Vice President of Racing for The Stronach Group. "We had big fields and tremendous participation from horsemen throughout North America. We're confident the numbers would have been even more...
5. LET'S BE FRANK, SA, 3/20-3rd, 1 mile (turf) (Video) Beyer Speed Figure - 83 (2nd) (c, 3, by Liam's Map--Proudly (Kor), by Alternation) O/B-Nice Guys Stables (Ky). T-Michael McCarthy. J-Hector Berrios. It won't tell you much that his dam Proudly earned 3.6 million South Korean won, which currently translates into $2,422. More telling is that Proudly has a recognizable full sister: Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress. The unraced Darley-bred dam of both females, Havisham, was four when she was unloaded for $5,000 and in 2016 had just dropped her...
Over 200 two-year-olds, one of them a St Mark's Basilica half-brother to G1 Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck (Galileo), have been catalogued for the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale. Breezes will take place over the Deauville turf on Thursday May 7 from midday, before the sale begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 9. Set to sell as lot 174, the bay is also a half-brother to G1 Railway Stakes heroine Bounding (Lonhro), while multiple group winner and sire Kuroshio is under the second dam. Other choice lots include lot 19, a...
Code Review (Uncle Mo) was the subject of much pre-race chatter and lived up to the hype on Gulfstream debut Jan. 25, making all the running en route to a 1 1/2-length victory and 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard plaudits. The bay was given an entry for Saturday's Virginia Derby, but connections opted to ship in for this considerably softer spot, for which he was made the 1-5 mortal. Code Review hopped slightly as the gates flew back, but he quickly stepped away to a clear lead before Tyler...
2nd-CNL, $80k, OC 62k/N1X, 3yo, 1m, 1:00 p.m. ET. Code Review (Uncle Mo) takes on winners for the first time after delivering a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' performance at first asking going six furlongs at Gulfstream Park Jan. 25. The full-brother to the ill-fated GII Jim Dandy S. winner Laoban earned a 78 Beyer Speed Figure for the front-running victory. He fired a four-furlong bullet in :46 4/5 (1/63) at Gulfstream Mar. 1. Code Review, a $200,000 FTKNOV weanling turned $575,000 KEESEP yearling, is campaigned in partnership by...
2nd-TAM, $60k, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 12:45 p.m. ET ACE FROM SPACE (Into Mischief) brings both an imposing pedigree and worktab into this career debut. The Stonestreet homebred is the latest runner out of the SW & GSP Glinda the Good (Hard Spun), whose four winners includes dual Grade I-winning champion and leading sire Good Magic (Curlin). Glinda the Good is herself a half-sister to GSW and stakes-producing Take the Ribbon (Chester House) and SW & GSPs Flash Forward (Curlin) and Flash Mash (Smarty Jones). Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the call...
By now, no doubt, it must be among my most wearily familiar complaints. Only last week, in fact, I was again lamenting the days when old-school trainers would start Classic campaigns round one turn, gaining sharpness and conditioning without entering a stress zone. Nowadays those benefits are forfeited by the twin imperatives of hiding horses in their stalls, even as they need GI Kentucky Derby points. Those points being unavailable in sprints, the defining test of the American Thoroughbred has duly been shorn of raw speed. Other traditionalists presumably shared...
HOT SPRINGS, Ark.--A strong tradition for any Kentucky Derby hopeful along the campaign trail to May is passing the two turn test. With distance in mind, owners and trainers are looking for their nominees to stretch their legs, embrace the debate that comes in the form of traffic and find ways to grind out a hard-earned victory. At Oaklawn Park in the GII Rebel Stakes on Sunday, WinStar, First Go Racing and CHC Inc. owned colt Class President (Uncle Mo--Top Quality, by Quality Road) proved best at the wire as...