Munnings on Track for Big Oaks Season
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THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2020 MUNNINGS ON TRACK FOR OWNERS WHO FINISHED BEHIND MAXIMUM SECURITY WANT HIM DQ=D BIG OAKS SEASON by Bill Finley The owners of Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) released a statement Wednesday saying they expect Maximum Security (New Year=s Day) to be disqualified from all his races, which would include the $20-million Saudi Cup. If so, Midnight Bisou would be placed first in the race. Bob Donaldson, the owner of Spun to Run (Hard Spun), who was second behind Maximum Security in the GI Cigar Mile H., also weighed in, saying he wants the New York Gaming Association to disqualify Maximum Security from that race. Midnight Bisou, who was beaten three-quarters of a length in the rich Saudi race, is owned by the partnership of Bloom Racing, Madaket Stables and Allen Racing. Wednesday, Bloom Racing managing partner Jeff Bloom issued a statement. by Katie Ritz Cont. p5 Off a modest initial stud of $12,500 back in 2011, Munnings (Speightstown) has written his own Cinderella story as he's worked his way to the top tier of the general sires list. But this IN TDN EUROPE TODAY year has potential to witness the sire=s biggest breakthrough yet. ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GREEN AND GOLD With a 2020 fee set at $30,000 and five stakes winners already Prominent National Hunt owner JP McManus celebrated four this year, many of the horses ranking beside Munnings in terms winners during the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday. Click or of black-type winners are standing at five and six times his fee. tap here to go straight to TDN Europe. "He's a horse that really in the last two or three years has gained a lot of traction," said Adrian Wallace of Coolmore America. "When you stack him up against sires besides him on the general sires list, he looks to have really good value." His most recent success has been in no small part from two fillies hot on the GI Kentucky Oaks trail. Finite and Venetian Harbor currently rank first and third on Bill Finley's TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10 list. "We're very proud of the people who have bred to him and proud of the owners who are enjoying the ride this year. It's an exciting time for Munnings," said Wallace. A homebred for Winchell Thoroughbreds, Finite broke her maiden at Kentucky Downs last September and never looked back. Undefeated in stakes company, the Asmussen trainee leads all contenders in terms of Oaks points with dual Grade II wins in the Golden Rod S. and the Rachel Alexandra S. "This is a filly that deserves her place on the list," Wallace said. "She's got a very high cruising speed and looks to be very hard to beat as we go farther on into the year." 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European Editor Emma Berry [email protected] Associate International Editor Heather Anderson @HLAndersonTDN Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing Sean Cronin & Tom Frary [email protected] 60 Broad Street, Suite 100 Red Bank, NJ 07701 732-747-8060 | 732-747-8955 (fax) www.TheTDN.com TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 17 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • MARCH 12, 2020 Munnings cont. from p1 He continued, "If any filly can take it up to her, it might be Venetian Harbor." Trained by Richard Baltas, Venetian Harbor broke her maiden second time out by over 10 lengths at two before going on to win the GII Las Virgenes S. by nine in February. "She was ultra impressive in her last start and I think that if she can go on, she'll be a very exciting filly to watch down the road," Wallace said. Finite | Hodges Photo While Munnings himself excelled over seven furlongs, taking the GII Woody Stephens S., GII Tom Fool H., and the GII Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship S., his all-time leading earner, I'm A Chatterbox, achieved her three Grade I wins at distances beyond a mile. "I think that for most of Munnings's progeny, they've got his high cruising speed and they're tough, but they also have the stamina to go a mile and beyond," Wallace noted. "With these two fillies, hopefully, we'll see them go the Oaks distance in the near future." A son of Speightstown, Munnings is out of the Holy Bull mare La Comete, who produced a second stakes winner in Munnings Sister (Speightstown). His second dam, La Gueriere (Lord at War {Arg}) won the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. at Keeneland. "While he has Storm Cat and Mr. Prospector on the top, he's a complete outcross on the dam side, which makes him very attractive for the vast majority of American bloodlines," Wallace said. "Finite is out of a Tapit mare, so he works well with the A.P. Indy and Pulpit lines. And Venetian Harbor is out of a Street Cry (Ire) mare, so he also works well being bred back into Mr. Prospector. He's had good success with Sadler's Wells through El Prado and Medaglia d'Oro, so I think there's great scope to breed into most American bloodlines." Cont. p4 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 17 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • MARCH 12, 2020 Munnings cont. at six years old. These Munnings horses are durable and sound, The two Oaks-bound fillies aren't the only ones succeeding for and they've got that aspect of brilliance to them as well," their sire this year. Munnings already has two other graded Wallace said. stakes-winning older horses. Warrior's Charge became a graded The success of his progeny on the track has not gone stakes winner last month after fighting to take the unnoticed in the sales ring. His yearlings averaged just under GIII Razorback H. $70,000 in 2019 off of a $25,000 stud "What most impressed fee. me about Warrior's Charge "As his quality of mares has gotten was his tenacity,@ he said. better, his sales record has improved. AHe was on the lead for the After everything he's done so far this whole race and coming into year, I'd imagine it would continue the stretch, there was a even more this year," said Wallace. wall of five horses behind "He's definitely on an upward curve him. You expected him to and it will be reflected on demand at get swallowed up, but he the sales." found some inner While Speightstown and his sons determination to stay up by are historically noted as dirt sires, a head." Munnings has had recent success Earlier in the year, Phat with offspring on the turf. Finite Man gave trainer Kent broke her maiden last fall on turf at Sweezey his first graded Munnings | Coolmore Kentucky Downs, and Wesley Ward's stakes win in the GIII Fred Kimari ran second in the G2 Queen Hooper S. Mary S. at Ascot last year before going on to win two "I think it's a testament to the horse, to get his third stakes win consecutive stakes races stateside on the grass. Cont. p5 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 5 OF 17 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • MARCH 12, 2020 "While there is definitely a certain amount of versatility to Owners Want Maximum Security DQd cont. from p1 him, I think he's generally your all-American dirt sire, which is part of what makes him so popular," said Wallace. "Another thing that helps his demand is that everyone can breed to him. He's at a price point where he's very accessible." After a successful year in 2019 with 11 stakes winners, his stud fee was raised from $20,000 to $30,000.