War Front

1st-Belmont, $63,000, Msw, 9-18, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:12.01, ft. ZAINALARAB (f, 2, War Front--Delightful Joy {GSW, $179,200}, by Tapit), whose $1-million purchase price out of last year's Keeneland September sale was the second-highest for her hugely successful stallion, got the Belmont fall meet off on a chalky note, grinding her way past her chief market rival Exact (Competitive Edge) for a narrow victory. Allowed to sit the box-seat trip as Exact made the running in advance of the blinkered Jade Empress (Shanghai Bobby), Zainalarab was pulled off the fence in...

by Brian DiDonato, Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis LEXINGTON, KY--A Tapit filly out of GISW Embellish the Lace (Super Saver) topped the opening session of Keeneland's September yearling sale on a $1.25-million bid by Claiborne Farm's Bernie Sams. The bay was consigned to the auction as hip 149 by Bluewater Sales LLC, Agent XVI, on behalf of breeder China Horse Club. While stringent COVID-19 protocols put in place to allow the world's largest yearling sale to be held at all may have dulled some of the electricity typically felt in...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday's Insights features a son of MG1SW Rizeena (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}). 1.10 Doncaster, Mdn, £30,000, 2yo, 8fT Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum's LATEST GENERATION (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a son of G1 Moyglare Stud S. and G1 Coronation S. heroine Rizeena (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), gets a second chance to shed...

SPOTLIGHT ON RUNHAPPY BABY IN LOADED SARATOGA MAIDEN 6th-SAR, $72K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 3:57 p.m. ET HAPPYMAC (Runhappy), an $800,000 RNA at the OBS June Sale (:20 3/5), looks like the one to beat in this extremely deep baby race at the Spa. The half-brother to runaway GII Amsterdam S. winner and GI Breeders' Cup Sprint runner-up Shancelot (Shanghai Bobby) fired a five-furlong bullet from the gate in :59 2/5 (1/12) at Saratoga Aug. 17. Happymac, drawn widest of all in post 10 for the Heiligbrodts and Hall of Famer...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Fresh from an impressive tally in Royal Ascot's Listed Chesham S., Coolmore's Battleground (War Front) emulated last year's winner of that contest--Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal)--by doubling up in Tuesday's G2 Veuve Clicquot Vintage S. at Goodwood. Employing patient tactics trapped three wide in sixth after a level break in the seven-furlong contest, the 13-8 favourite made smooth headway on the bridle in the straight to challenge at the quarter-mile marker and he was driven out once seizing control soon after to deny G2 Superlative S. runner-up Devious Company (Ire) (Fast Company...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency HALF TO GIRVIN DEBUTS AT ELLIS 3rd-ELP, $37K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 2:46p.m. Winchell Thoroughbreds went to $525,000 to acquire the well-related MIDNIGHT BOURBON (Tiznow) at Keeneland September and he makes her career bow in this test. The bay is a half-brother to GI Haskell S. winner Girvin (Take of Ekati), GSW Cocked and Loaded (Colonel John) and MGSP Pirate's Punch (Shanghai Bobby). TJCIS PPs   SON OF CURVY MAKES CAREER BOW IN SOCAL 1st-DMR, $50K, Msw, 2yo, 1mT, 5:00p.m. Richard Mandella unveils the son of...

DONCASTER, UK-- They say good things come to those who wait and few people in the bloodstock world have had a more anxious wait for action this spring than the European breeze-up consignors, who have seen their regular sales slots pushed back by at least two months in a world sent awry by the COVID-19 pandemic. A collectively large sigh of relief was heard on Wednesday as first Goffs UK then Arqana posted results far exceeding most expectations.  The words 'resilience' and 'extraordinary' were used freely by vendors and buyers...

As the action switched from the Goffs UK catalogue to Arqana at Doncaster, Grove Stud's daughter of War Front (lot 224) lit up the ring with a £650,000 final bid from Kerri Radcliffe and U.S.-based owner Larry Best of OXO Equine. The $185,000 Keeneland September yearling is out of the GIII Orchid S. winner Beauty Parlor (Elusive Quality)--not to be confused with the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Beauty Parlour (GB) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).