Juveniles
Progressively International
Chris McGrath applauds the recent Breeders’ Cup changes:
… there is a case for wondering whether the latest such initiative will prove one of the most significant in the history of the international sport. For with a single stroke, the Breeders’ Cup has dismantled the barriers that have historically confined European participation to a minority blessed by unusual luck or resources.
The main criticism of the Challenge series, from the start, was the asterisk attached to Win and You’re In. Removed, the event truly goes global.
I’ve been looking forward to seeing several Euro juveniles at Churchill Downs this November, none more than Frankel, so dominating in his first two starts. But I may have to wait another year, writes Nick Luck on BC360: “Given the colt’s likely intended path through European Classics in 2011, however, an appearance at Churchill this time around is pretty unlikely.”
Real-time gets richer: Twitter unveiled significant updates to the service last night, which will be in place for all users in the next couple weeks. The new right pane will display videos and photos alongside the stream, which opens up some intriguing possibilities for on-the-scene tweeting from Louisville.
Weekend Notes
Please Henry Cecil, writes Steve Dennis, run Prix Vermeille winner Midday in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe before the Breeders’ Cup: “She’s a virtual shoo-in at Churchill Downs, so why not give the Arc a crack on the way?
What makes a horse do this? As in the Yorkshire Oaks, Sariska refused to leave the starting gate in the Vermeille, compelling her connections to retire the 4-year-old filly immediately after the (non)race. “I’m proud of everything she has achieved but she does not want to play ball on the track,” said trainer Michael Bell, who reported on his website earlier in the week that Sariska had performed well in gate work at Lingfield. John Sparkman addressed the subject last month, noting that “when a horse reveals temperamental quirks, racing folk are always quick to look to the pedigree to find reasons for such behavior.” Sariska’s half-sister Gull Wing did pull the same stunt. An expression of the genes or equine will? Fascinating, either way.
At Belmont on Saturday, Heisman, a 2-year-old full-sibling to Any Given Saturday, won his first race running the final quarter in :28 seconds. That is not notable. It is though that Heisman was starting off a sixth-place finish in his debut, a six-furlong Saratoga maiden special won by Stay Thirsty, who finished second to Sovereign Default in his first start and second to Boys at Tosconova in the Hopeful Stakes. The hype was all about Boys after the Hopeful, but Stay Thirsty — a Bernardini baby, half-brother to Andromeda’s Hero and Superfly, with enough class to run well against his precocious peers — seems more likely to develop into an interesting 3-year-old.
The Keeneland September sale kicked off tonight and people in the blugrass must be relieved that big spenders are still around. The average price of the 69 yearlings sold was $347,319, up 49% over 2009, the median $250,000, up 25% (stats via Keeneland’s sortable auction results). And more good news: “The buy-back rate was 25.8%, down significantly from 41.2% in 2009.” Neither Sheikh Mohammed nor Coolmore was particularly active (the former purchased a Bernardini colt for $450,000, the latter an A.P. Indy for $600,000), but Shadwell bought six for a gross total of more than $2.8 million, including a striking Bernardini colt for $800,000. Of the young sires represented, the 2006 champion 3-year-old was the most successful both by number sold (three) and gross (almost $1.4 million).
First punch in another round of racetracks versus ADWs? TVG declined to show all but three races from opening day at Belmont Park, citing contractual obligations. “We have a plethora of tracks running today that are exclusive to TVG,” said TVG executive Tony Allevato. “NYRA is not an exclusive track.”
Euro Babies
Bookmakers wasted no time knocking down odds on Frankel for the English classics after the 2-year-old colt (named for the late trainer) beat two rivals by 13 lengths in the Conditions Stakes at Doncaster. “He has a long way to go but at home he’s giving me the feeling of better than average,” said trainer Henry Cecil. “He could be special but he’s not yet.” Cecil might have learned more about his promising charge’s abilities today had maiden winner Farhh not been scratched at the gate for acting up.
Trainer Freddie Head is talking less cautiously about Moonlight Cloud after the filly won by six lengths at Longchamp on Thursday. “The best two-year-old I have ever trained,” said the man who launched two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Goldikova on her stellar career as a juvenile in September 2007. Moonlight Cloud looked even better an hour later, when Putyball, second to the filly last month, won her conditioned one-mile race by a neck.
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Jessica Chapel writes and edits in Massachusetts. Railbird is a Thoroughbred horse racing blog published from June 2004 to July 2019. More / Contact
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