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In This Issue:
Althiqa, Summer Romance 1-2 in Diana
Trainer Joseph Goes 1-2-3 in Mr. Steele
Express Train Takes San Diego ‘Cap
Wit Sharp Again in Dominating Sanford
Pimlico Cancels Due to Severe Weather
Bango Proves a Firecracker in Good Lord
Golden Vision Upsets in Ballade Stakes
Gulfstream Park Charts
Track Results & Entries
Florida Stallion Progeny List
Florida Breeders’ List
Wire to Wire Business Place
Mandaloun (right) and Hot Rod Charlie (left)/BILL DENVER / EQUI PHOTO Featured BY LYNNE SNIERSON, trainer and jockey their first scores in the Advertisers MONMOUTH PARK PRESS OFFICE __ prestigious race. Bloodstockauction USA With the victory, Mandaloun also earned OCEANPORT, NJ — Juddmonte Farms’ an all-expenses-paid berth in the starting Eagle View Farm Mandaloun came from off the pace to earn gate for the $6 million Longines Breeders’ his first Grade 1 victory in the 54th running Cup Classic (G1) on Nov. 6 at Del Mar Florida Department of Agriculture of the $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes through the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re FTBOA (Grade 1) at Monmouth Park on Saturday In” Challenge Series. as a result of the first disqualification of the Mandaloun, who is conditioned by Ocala Breeders’ Feed & Supply winner in race history. And with the triumph, Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox Seminole Feed the 3-year-old colt gave his owner/breeder, See HASKELL on page 3 Wire to Wire July 19, 2021 Back to Top Page 3 Haskell
Continued from COVER
Flavien Prat and Mandaloun/BILL DENVER / EQUI PHOTO and was ridden by Florent Geroux, actually finished a nose behind Hot Rod Charlie at the wire of the mile-and-one-eighth test. But Hot Rod Charlie, ridden by Flavien Prat, was disqualified and placed last for apparently clipping heels with Midnight Bour- bon past the eighth pole and causing him to go down on the track while unseating jockey Paco Lopez. Following the inquiry the stewards elevated Mandaloun, the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) runner-up to winning Florida-bred Medina Spirit, to first place while placing Hot Rod Charlie last. Due to the incident, Spendthrift Farm’s homebred Following Sea, who was 18¼ lengths back in third, was placed second with 58-1 longshot Antigravity, who another four-and-a-half lengths be- hind, being elevated from fourth to third. “I had my sights on Hot Rod Charlie,” Geroux said. “When Hot Rod Charlie tipped out I decided to go inside. It was a very hard battle. Hot Rod Charlie was going to win by a neck and right at the end my horse came back and made it really close. “Unfortunately for Hot Rod Charlie he came in and Midnight Charlie clipped his heels he got disqualified. I feel bad for the con- nections of Hot Rod Charlie because he ran a hard race and Flavien Prat is a good friend of mine. I kind of feel bad for him. “Honestly, I didn’t know what happened until I came back and looked at the TV. It is not the best way to win but Mandaloun ran a winning race and deserves this.” The Todd Pletcher-trained Following Sea, breaking from the rail under Joel Rosario, took the early lead through honest fractions quarter-mile fractions of :23.82, :47.32, and 1:10.64 for six fur- longs before giving way while racing for the first time in stakes company, trying two turns and the distance for the first time. See HASKELL on page 5
Wire to Wire July 19, 2021 Back to Top Wire to Wire July 19, 2021 Back to Top Page 5 Haskell Continued from page 3 Hot Rod Charlie, who proved his earnings to was the runner-up to Essen- $1,651,252 and has a record tial Quality in the NYRA of five wins with a second Bets Belmont Stakes (G1), and a third in eight starts. and Mandaloun hit the wire “Ultimately I think Brad just a nose apart in the final followed a very good plan. time of 1:47.38 on the fast We got one over the track track. [in the TVG.com Pegasus “We got a really good Stakes],” the Juddmonte trip. I thought it was a lot Farms American division like our Kentucky Derby general manager Garrett trip,” Cox said. “He was O’Rourke said. “He trained saving ground. Florent did up here as well and we’re a good job of getting on the sitting here today so we outside of Following Sea. have to consider it a suc- Turning for home I thought cess. we had a big shot at win- “I know he’s a genuine ning the race. I thought we Grade 1 horse. There’s no ran a winning race. fluke to the way the horse “We didn’t have our runs. It’s good that the horse nose down at the wire but it Mandaloun (inside)/BILL DENVER / EQUI PHOTO justified how good a runner worked out. I’m proud of he is. He’s a beautifully bred the effort and the performance. He’s always been a good colt. He horse and he was extremely well prepared. We’re extremely proud. has always been highly thought of. He deserves a Grade 1 victory. It was an unusual race but we still feel like he ran a winning race He’s a Grade 1 horse and I’m glad it worked out today.” and it tastes the same.” Cox, who won the Belmont Stakes in June with Godolphin Doug O’Neill, the trainer of Hot Rod Charlie, was unavailable homebred Essential Quality, said that he was so focused on Man- for comment. “I’m really proud of his effort. He just clipped heels. daloun that he never saw Midnight Bourbon go down. He added That’s it,” Prat said. that once he saw the replay of the race he was certain that Hot Rod Lopez, who was taken off the track on a stretcher, was treated on- Charlie’s number would be taken down and Mandaloun would be site by Dr. Angelo Chinnici, the Monmouth Park medical director. declared the official winner. “Paco has a soft tissue injury to his right knee and ankle. He Mandaloun, who prepared for the Haskell with a win at the was alert and oriented,” Chinnici said. “He was not taken to the TVG.com Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth in his last starts, is a Ken- hospital. He took off [the rest of the card] as a precaution. He said tucky-bred son of Into Mischief out of the Empire Maker mare he was very disappointed because he thought he had a ton of horse.” Brooch. With the $600,000 winner’s share of the purse, he im- Midnight Bourbon suffered no serious injuries from the fall.
Gulfstream Park Spring/Summer Florida-bred and Florida Sire Stakes Races and Bonuses Date Race Conditions Distance Purse July 31 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Dr. Fager 2yo colts and geldings 6 fur. $100,000 Closed July 31 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Desert Vixen 2yo fillies 6 fur. $100,000 Closed Aug. 14 Benny the Bull (Fla.) 3yo and older 7 fur. $75,000* Aug. 1 Aug. 21 Proud Man 2yo 7 ½ fur. turf $75,000** Aug. 8 Aug. 21 Sharp Susan 2yo fillies 7 ½ fur. turf $75,000** Aug. 8 Aug. 28 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Affirmed 2yo colt and geldings 7 fur. $200,000 Closed Aug. 28 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Susan's Girl 2yo fillies 7 fur. $200,000 Closed Sept. 11 Sheer Drama (Fla.) 3yo and older, fillies and mares 7 fur. $75,000* Aug. 29 Sept. 18 Armed Forces 2yo 1 mi. turf $100,000** Sept. 5 Sept. 18 Our Dear Peggy 2yo fillies 1 mi. turf $100,000** Sept. 5 Sept. 25 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes In Reality 2yo colts and gelding 1 1/16 mi. $400,000 Closed Sept. 25 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes My Dear Girl 2yo fillies 1 1/16 mi. $400,000 Closed Sept. 25 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Wildcat Heir 3yo and older 1 mi. $125,000 Closed Sept. 25 Hollywood Beach 2yo 5 fur. turf $100,000** Sept. 12 (Fla.) = Restricted to Florida-breds * Plus $25,000 Florida Sire Stakes Win Bonus ** Plus $25,000 Florida-bred Win Bonus
Wire to Wire July 19, 2021 Back to Top
Wire to Wire July 19, 2021 Back to Top Page 7 Althiqa, Summer Romance Run One-Two Once More in Diana BY RYAN MARTIN, NYRA PRESS OFFICE ______SARTOGA, NY—Godolphin owned and Charlie Appleby-trained fillies Althiqa (GB) and Summer Romance (Ire) gave the racing public a sense of déjà vu as they replicated an exacta from their North American debut in the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game at Belmont Park on June 5. On Saturday, Althiqa bested her stablemate yet again in Saturday’s 83rd running of the $500,000 Diana (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. Althiqa replicated last month’s score down to the same three-quarter length winning margin from the Just a Game when capturing the Diana. While the result was the same, how it transpired varied. Rather than targeting Summer Romance with an inside stretch rally, Althiqa collared her stablemate from the outside and was wrapped up in the final strides. Breaking from the outermost post in the eight- Althiga/COGLIANESE PHOTO horse field under Manny Franco, Althiqa took to the rear of the field past the grandstand as Summer Romance recorded with Althiqa with all the time she’s been with us, she’s becoming the opening quarter-mile in :23.57. Down the backstretch, Summer stronger physically and mentally. Summer Romance is a lot more Romance maintained her advantage with Vigilantes Way sitting off of a nervous filly,” Chretien said. “It’s a great feeling. It’s my first her flank in second through a half-mile in :48.17 over the good inner time coming to America and [I] don’t know the tracks, but these turf course. horses are smart. You just have to listen to them.” Althiqa began inching her way closer to the front approaching Althiqa, who returned $9.90 in victory, added a third the far turn and made a sweeping five-wide move at the top of the graded/grouped victory to her ledger through a consistent record stretch. Summer Romance was under a full out drive under jockey of six wins, two seconds and three thirds from 11 races and banked Luis Saez as Althiqa loomed large with her outside bid. Just strides $275,000 in victory, pushing her lifetime earnings just shy of the outside the sixteenth-pole, Althiqa took command and completed three-quarter million mark at $741,213. the nine furlongs in 1:47.65. A homebred, Althiqa is by Dark Angel and is the first offspring Summer Romance finished a length-and-three-quarters ahead out of the Shamardal mare Mistrusting, who has a 2-year-old full- of third-place finisher La Signare. sister and a yearling full-sister to Althiqa. Harvey’s Lil Goil, Pocket Square, Magic Attitude, Vigilantes Prior to the Just a Game, Althiqa was third to Summer Romance Way and Lemista completed the order of finish. in the nine-furlong Balanchine (Group 2) on Feb. 18 at Meydan Althiqa and Summer Romance saw an extra furlong from the Racecourse in Dubai after winning her 2021 debut in the Group 2 Just a Game and Franco said he took the added distance into ac- Cape Verdi at one mile over the same course. count when piloting the talented gray filly for the first time. Saez, who maintained the mount aboard Summer Romance from “I just wanted to wait as long as I could because I knew the dis- the Just a Game, was gallant in defeat. tance was further than the last race,” Franco said. “That was the “She was good but she got beat,” Saez said. “I feel like she ran question, but she did it. They didn’t tell me much. They just told her race. I knew the four [Vigilantes Way] had speed and was going me to cover her and follow somebody until I made my move. I think to go with me, but that was the race.” that was the key; that she was so relaxed behind horses and then The Diana was the third stakes victory in the initial three days she gave me a nice move and nice kick.” at Saratoga this year having won the $150,000 Schuylerville with Following the Just a Game, both fillies stayed in New York under Pretty Birdie and Forbidden Apple (G3) with Rinaldi. the watchful eye of Appleby assistant So- phie Chretien to prepare for Saturday’s en- gagement. “We’ve been in America since the first Looking to purchase of May; it’s the 17th of July and we had two big targets in Grade 1s and we just couldn’t do better,” Chretien said. yearlings privately Chretien said Althiqa has improved sig- nificantly since arriving in the United States. “Summer Romance didn’t take the re- 352-266-7841 match with Althiqa. But what I realized
Wire to Wire July 19, 2021 Back to Top Page 8
Wire to Wire July 19, 2021 Back to Top Page 9 Trainer Joseph Goes 1-2-3 in $75,000 Mr. Steele
BY GULFSTREAM PARK both entered under “main track PRESS OFFICE ______only” stipulations and were both scratched. HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – A winner of nine races and a Gulfstream Park’s leading stakes winner from 2017-2019, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. ruled Renaisance Frolic, was making Saturday’s $75,000 Mr. Steele, his second start since finishing finishing first, second and third second in March in the Kitten’s in the mile-and-one-sixteenth Joy Appleton Stakes (G3) won turf event for 3-year-olds and by Gray’s Fable. The gelding older. then finished third May 31 to Sir David Seale’s Renaisance winner Chuck Willis in a Frolic beat Florida-bred stable- $70,000 overnight handicap at mate Max K.O. by a nose while Gulfstream Park. Noble Indy, Joseph’s pacesetter, Renaisance Frolic returned held the show. $6.20. Renaisance Frolic, a 6-year- Bred in Kentucky, Renai- Renaisance Frolic (#3)/RYAN THOMPSON PHOTO old by Paynter ridden by Edgard sance Frolic has plenty of Zayas, covered the firm course in 1:40.87. Florida in his pedigree as he is out of the Florida-bred mare Frolic’s While Noble Indy set an opening quarter in :23.59 and half in Appeal, by the late Florida sire Trippi, who was also bred in the :48.32, Zayas rated Renaisance Frolic along the inside before mov- Sunshine State. ing four-wide around the final turn after Florida-bred Caribou Club The 6-year-old gelding now has nine wins, two seconds and five took a narrow lead into the stretch. But Renaisance Frolic came fly- thirds from 36 starts and the $45,570 first-place check increased ing outside of Max K.O. to get up in time. Caribou Club finished his career bankroll to $463,396. The Mr. Steele was his first stakes fourth and Vow Me Now, who lacked room entering the stretch, was victory since winning the 2018 Bear’s Den at Gulfstream and his fifth. Florida-bred Glory of Florida and Over the Channel com- first win since taking a $50,000 claiming race by a length-and- pleted the order of finish. Doc Amster and Florida-bred Scar were three-quarters at Gulfstream on Feb. Express Train Comes Rolling to Take San Diego ‘Cap BY DEL MAR Rushie, Sheriff Brown and Kiss PRESS OFFICE______Today. Express Train, who was win- DEL MAR, CA—CRK Stable’s ning for the fourth time in 12 Express Train stayed close early, starts, earned $150,000 for his then fired strongly late to cap- victory and pushed his career ture the 80th running of the bankroll to $659,300. $250,000 San Diego Handicap Express Train returned $7.80 (Grade 2) Saturday at Del Mar to win. in 1:43.37 for the mile and one- The San Diego is considered sixteenth distance on the main one of the key prep races for Del track. Mar’s foremost offering—the Juan Hernandez positioned $750,000 TVG Pacific Classic the 4-year-old Union Rags colt (G1) which will be run at a just a half-length off of Florida- mile-and-a-quarter on Aug. 21. bred Rushie, who led the field “I thought he was in a good through quarter-mile splits of spot the whole way, right off :22.97, :47.16 and 1:12.23. Rushie and then when he was Express Train/BENOIT PHOTO When they hit the quarter pole, asked [by Hernandez] in the Hernandez then urged Express Train to the front and got him to stretch, he responded well. The Pacific Classic, that would be the hold well late for a half-length tally. The $500,000 yearling pur- goal if everything works out,” Shirreffs said. chase by Mayberry Farm, located in Ocala, Fla., is conditioned by Express Train is out of I’m a Flake, by Mineshaft and now has John Shirreffs. four wins, four seconds and two thirds with career revenues of “He broke real sharp today and that was the key,” Hernandez $659,300. said. “I stayed aggressive with him; he likes it and runs well when Earlier on the card, George and Martha Schwary Racing’s Ippo- you do. We had a good spot until the quarter pole and then I really damia’s Girl captured the $80,000 Osunitas Stakes, an overnight got after him. He was responding well and then those other horse offering for older fillies and mares by half a length. The 6-year-old came up on him and he dug in again. He’s a tough one.” homebred daughter of Stormy Atlantic raced mid-pack for most of Finishing second in the program headliner was Hronis Racing’s the trip, then swung very wide on the turn and ran strongly through Tripoli, who had three-quarters of a length on race favorite Royal the lane under Joe Bravo. Richard Baltas trains the winner, who re- Ship. They were followed in order by Mo Mosa, Magic On Tap, turned $14.80 for a $2 bet.
Wire to Wire July 19, 2021 Back to Top Page 10 Wit Sharp Again in Dominating Sanford BY BRIAN BOHL, NYRA PRESS OFFICE ______SARATOGA, NY—Wit tracked off the speed before drawing away to a win in hand in his debut last month. On Saturday, the Practical Joke colt went back to the same playbook in his stakes bow, handily besting an 11-horse field by eight lengths in the $150,000 Sanford (Grade 3) for 2-year-olds sprinting six furlongs at Saratoga Race Course. The 106th edition of the Sanford saw Wit, who won a maiden special weight by six lengths going five-and-a-half furlongs on June 5 at Belmont Park, off a step slow as 47-1 longshot Trust Our Journey set the pace, breaking from the inside post as jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. kept Wit to the inside in fifth position as the opening quarter-mile went :22.68 on the good main track. Bred in Florida, Trust Our Journey stayed in front with the half in :46.08 as Wit moved up to third surging along the outside. Ortiz kept Whit to the outside out of the turn and his charge thrived with open running room in the stretch, gaining separation in completing the course in 1:11.20, never being seriously challenged by runner-up Headline Report. Wit (far left, green silks)/DOM NAPOLITANO PHOTO Wit, owned by Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Gainesway Stable, gave Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher he added. his eighth career Sanford victory. The $575,000 purchase at the Pletcher’s first Sanford win came with More Than Ready in 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale was bred in Kentucky by 1999 and his previous score was with Sombeyay in 2018. Rosilyn Polan and returned $4.20 on a $2 win wager. Breeze Easy’s Headline Report, a first-out winner of a maiden “He broke a little better from the gate today. Then Irad hustled special weight in April at Keeneland for trainer Wesley Ward, was him away from there, gathered him up and the horse took him five-and-a-half lengths clear of Dance Code for runner-up honors there,” Pletcher assistant Tristan Barry said. “He probably had to under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. move a little earlier than he wanted just to get to that outside posi- “He ran a great race. Obviously, Todd’s horse was just much the tion, and then he flew on by from there. He’s a very nice horse. I best today and that was it,” Velazquez said. loved what he did.” Ward said Headline Report could target the $300,000 Hopeful (G1) Ortiz won the Sanford for a second straight year after piloting going seven furlongs on Saratoga’s Closing Day Monday, Sept. 6. By Your Side in 2020. The three-time Eclipse Award-winning rider “I was really happy with him. It was a perfect trip. We’ll be back has won this race four times overall with four different trainers. for the Hopeful,” Ward said. “He’s not a great horse breaking out of there,” Ortiz said. “I gave Ottoman Empire, Kavod, Candy Landing, Trust Our Journey, him the time to find his stride and he did. By the half-mile, he Seize the Night, Florida-bred Due Vini, Maryland Brando and started getting into a rhythm and he wanted to improve his position, Lucago completed the order of finish. Catch the Smoke scratched. so I started letting him do it by his own. By the three-eighths pole, Wit is out of Numero D’Oro, by Medaglia d’Oro and with the I had to call his attention and he responded right away. $82,500 for winning the Sanford, now has career earnings of “For a 2-year-old that was very impressive. He’s a nice horse,” $132,000. Severe Weather Forces Pimlico Cancellation Saturday BY PIMLICO PRESS OFFICE______BALTIMORE – A severe weather system passing through the area, producing heavy rain and multiple lighting strikes, forced the cancellation of Saturday’s live race program at Pimlico Race Course. Forecast to bring wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-size hail, the storm rolled in shortly before Saturday’s fifth race and, following a delay, the decision was made to cancel racing out of safety concerns for horses, horsemen and fans. Pimlico/JOHN KRAL PHOTO
Wire to Wire July 19, 2021 Back to Top Page 11
Friday Charts Bango Proves Click Here to View Entries for Gulfstream Park a Firecracker
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