First Crop Yearlings Outstanding TAYLOR MADE
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Wednesday, Thoroughbred Daily News June 5, 2002 TDN For information, call (732) 747-8060. HEADLINE NEWS BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN T R I P L E T H R E A T S With the scratches of two previous Group winners, P P the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. at Sandown yesterday after- noon was left with just four runners, but the race did All Systems Go for War Emblem not lack for excitement as with Potemkin (Ire) The Thoroughbred Corp.’s War Emblem (Our Emblem) (Ashkalani {Ire}) had to survive a lengthy stewards’ completed his major preparation for his Triple Crown enquiry to earn his first Group victory. Shadowing bid with a five-eighths work at Churchill Downs yester- Tarfshi (GB) (Mtoto {GB}) in second early, he had the day morning. The nearly black colt covered the distance narrow call over that filly approaching the quarter-mile in 1:01, galloping out in 1:14. “It was nice,” said marker, but jinked right at that point, taking her ground trainer Bob Baffert. “I was a little bit worried about the and also that of Imperial Dancer (GB) (Primo Dominie heat, but it looked like he was still full of himself. We {GB}), who was being brought up the inner. Potemkin didn’t let him gallop out too strong.” Baffert will saddle was judged to have caused accidental interference by a Triple Crown the stewards as they concluded that the result was hopeful for the unaffected by the incident. “He drifted left the last two third time in five times he ran and we were expecting that today, so he years, following just surprised us here,” said winning jockey Dane Silver Charm O’Neill. “He’s starting to hit winning form now, so let’s (1997) and Real hope it continues.” Potemkin showed promise last year, Quiet (1998). “I winning the Listed Fairway S. in June before finishing think he’s ready,” third in the G2 Prix Eugene Adam at Deauville in July. he said. “If he Last time, he had showed a tendency to swerve under were a big heavy pressure when beaten 3/4-length by Asian Heights (GB) horse, it [the Triple in the Listed Berkshire S. at Windsor May 26. Crown campaign] War Emblem Breezing Horsephotos Tuesday, Sandown, Britain would have zapped BRIGADIER GERARD S.-G3, £40,000, Sandown, 6-4, him pretty good. But he’s a very light horse; he’s very 4yo/up, 10f 7ydsT, 2:09.67, gd/fm. tough. He’s got a long, very fluid and efficient stride 1--@POTEMKIN (IRE), 122, c, 4, by Ashkalani (Ire) and he covers a lot of ground. He’s got a lot of heart 1st Dam: Ploy (Ire), by Posse and a lot of stamina, so he’s got all the ingredients.” 2nd Dam: Sunny Valley (Ire), by *Val de Loir War Emblem is scheduled to fly to New York this morn- 3rd Dam: Sunland (GB), by Charlottesville (GB) ing, as are Belmont challengers Perfect Drift (Ir£30,000 yrl ‘99 GOFORB). O-Michael Pescod; (Dynaformer) and Wisemans’ Ferry (Hennessy). B-Kilcarn Stud; T-R Hannon; J-D O’Neill; £24,000. Maryland’s hero Magic Weisner (Ameri Valay) com- Lifetime Record: GSP-Fr, 10-3-3-1, £65,247. *1/2 to pleted his preparations with a five-furlong work at Poliuto (Ire) (Last Tycoon {Ire}), G1SW-Ity, $124,633. Laurel Monday morning. The GI Preakness runner-up 2--The Mask (Fr), 122, h, 6, Saint Estephe (Fr)--Mare stopped the clock in 1:01 and will be vanned to aux Fees (GB), by Kenmare (Fr). O-F Pype; B-Yan Belmont Friday. Houyvet; £9,200. Essence of Dubai (Pulpit) posted 1:03 4/5 for his five- 3--Imperial Dancer (GB), 122, c, 4, Primo Dominie (GB)-- furlong breeze yesterday at Belmont. Gorgeous Dancer (Ire), by Nordico. (40,000gns yrl Also breezing at Belmont, Sarava (Wild Again) sailed ‘99 TATOCT; 60,000gns 2yo ‘00 TATAUT). O-Imper- through a half in :48 3/5. “Sarava is what I call a :12s ial Racing; B-Launceston Stud; £4,600. horse,” said trainer Ken McPeek. “He’ll grind out each Margins: 1, 1, NK. Odds: 7-2, 20-1, 6-5. eighth in 12 seconds and he’ll keep coming. He’s got to Also ran: Tarfshi (GB). run the race of his life in the Belmont and I think he’s Scratched: Carnival Dancer (GB), Exaltation (Ire). going to.” Of the sons of sire of sires Storm Cat currently standing at stud, EXPLOIT is the only undefeated North American TAYLOR MADE First crop yearlings outstanding (859) 885-3345 Graded Stakes Winner at 2. fax (859) 885-1533 TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 6/5/02 • PAGE 2 of 5 But there's more. Hawk Wing is by Woodman, and La FROM THE DESK OF... Lorgnette's only other SW was Alexandrina, a Conquis- tador Cielo mare who was a SW at two. Now, Conquis- Bill Oppenheim tador Cielo is notorious (in certain circles) as a good damsire of two-year-olds, yet this two-year-old SW BIG CLASSIC WEEKEND produced the 12-furlong Canadian International winner, Thornfield; OK, he was by Sky Classic, but even so. After War Emblem's Kentucky Derby win, Andrew Hawk Wing's three-quarters sister who was a two-year- Caulfield wrote about the power of Mr. Prospector, old SW produced a Group 1 winner at 12 furlongs. particularly in American racing. This coming Saturday, Case closed: on the dam's side, he gets the trip. But the line goes for a huge trans-Atlantic double: War what really locks it up for Hawk Wing is that I have an Emblem goes into the Belmont with a big shot to be the ante-post voucher on High Chaparral at 20-1. That is first Triple Crown winner in 24 years, and Mick Kinane the kiss of death. has selected unlucky English 2000 Guineas second Hawk Wing, over stablemate and second favorite High GONE WEST - THE SPOILER? Chaparral, as his mount in the Epsom Derby. If there is to be a spoiler to thwart Bob Baffert's third War Emblem, as we all know by now, is by Our Em- assault on the Triple Crown (Silver Charm 1997, Real blem, a subject which has now been discussed suffi- Quiet 1998), it's most likely--in my book, at least--to be ciently, including by me, that it won't be necessary to the Wayne Lukas-trained Proud Citizen, second in the review those details this week; you should have it all Derby and third in the Preakness after what I thought memorized by now. Hawk Wing is by Woodman, and was a troubled trip from an outside post. He was never there has been a lot of entertaining debate--including, closer than three off the rail, and I felt he would have no doubt, in Mick Kinane's mind--about whether he will given War Emblem a serious fright with a better trip. stay 12 furlongs. Several good Woodmans have, most Proud Citizen is maybe not even the best of a very notably 1991 Belmont (and Preakness) winner Hansel-- good crop of three-year-old colts by Gone West--a who, incidentally, was not out of a mare with an obvi- much better-known son of Mr. Prospector than was ous staying pedigree herself. Our Emblem--this year, though he's won the GII The way I read the form book, if Hawk Wing doesn't Lexington S. and placed in the Derby and Preakness. get the trip, it will not be because of his dam's side--he It's a tossup between him and Came Home, 6-for-8 is a mortal lock to stay 12 furlongs on that side of the lifetime and a GISW at two (Hopeful) and three (Santa pedigree. The dam is La Lorgnette, winner of the 1985 Anita Derby). He's a devastating miler--unfortunately a Queen's Plate, beating the best colts in Canada over 10 category not as well served in American racing as it furlongs. She is by Val de l'Orne out of a Nijinsky mare, ought to be--and will be a hugely popular addition to out of an Argentinian-bred mare called *La Sevillana. the Lane's End stallion barn when his racing career is That mare was champion two-year-old and finished. three-year-old filly in Argentina in 1968-69, when she Besides these two, let me just mention a few other won both the Argentine 1000 Guineas and Oaks; she colts in this crop by Gone West. There is Castle did win there at 12 furlongs, but whether that was in Gandolfo, Group 3 winner and twice Group 1-placed at the Oaks or not, I'm not certain. In any case, she did two, who has been 12th in the Kentucky Derby and win over that distance, and she was by Court Harwell, sixth in the French Derby this year. Two other Aidan who was a son of Prince Chevalier, himself a son of O'Brien trainees, G3 Tetrarch S. second Creekview and Prince Rose, who also sired Princequillo. So, yes, that Nostradamus, contested (unsuccessfully) the G1 Prix part stays. Jean Prat at Chantilly on French Derby day last Sunday. Champion Older Horse See Lemon Drop Kid’s first Winner of 5 Grade 1 Races foals at http://www.lanesend.com/ including the Belmont Stakes news/02foal_photos.html LEMON DROP KID Kingmambo–Charming Lassie BOX 626, VERSAILLES, KY 40383 Defeated 21 Grade 1 Winners (859) 873-7300 FAX (859) 873-3746 E-MAIL: [email protected] Earned $3,245,370 WEB SITE: lanesend.com TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 6/5/02 • PAGE 3 of 5 The Thoroughbred Corp.’s Johar (out of champion St.