Salute the Sarge Takes Best Pal ...p. 4 HEADLINE For information about TDN, call 732-747-8060. NEWS www.thoroughbreddailynews.com MONDAY, AUGUST 13, 2007 MERV GRIFFIN DEAD SAOIRSE SHOCKER Entertainment icon and prominent horse owner Merv Jim Bolger has already made headlines this year with Griffin died Sunday morning of prostate cancer. He was a daughter of Mr. Greeley in Finsceal Beo (Ire) and he 82. Griffin had successfully battled the disease for the unleashed another burgeoning starlet by Gainesway’s better part of 11 years, resident in Saoirse Abu in yesterday’s G1 Independent but was admitted to Ce- Waterford Wedgwood Phoenix S. at The Curragh. Sent dars Sinai Hospital in Los off at 25-1 in first-time blinkers, the chestnut toughed Angeles last month and it out up front and drew on extra reserves to forge a took a turn for the worse length victory from likely defeat as Henrythenavigator a few days ago. Among (Kingmambo) swooped. “She is a different type of Mr. the horses campaigned Greeley,” her trainer commented when asked for a by the creator of the hit comparison with Finsceal Beo. “This is a soft-ground game shows Jeopardy! one, although she doesn’t have to have it soft and she and Wheel of Fortune is brave.” Video, courtesy attheraces.com Cont. p3 was Stevie Wonderboy, the son of Stephen Got THE MAIN MAN Even who was awarded Few horses who stamp their class on the best an Eclipse Award after middle-distance contests can do the same at the top capturing the 2005 re- level over a mile, but Manduro (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) Merv Griffin 1926 - 2007 newal of the GI Breeders’ achieved the formidable feat in style yesterday when Horsephotos Cup Juvenile (click here collecting Deauville’s G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le- for video of race and in- Buffard-Jacques le Marois. What was billed as a match terview with Griffin). Stevie Wonderboy was derailed between Baron Georg von Ullmann’s G1 Prince of from the Triple Crown trail by injury and eventually was Wales’s S. hero and the G1 Prix du Jockey-Club winner retired to Airdrie Stud in Kentucky. Other horses to Lawman (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) proved a one-sided wear Griffin’s white silks included Grade III winner affair as soon as Stephane Pasquier pressed the button Skipaslew and this year’s GII San Felipe S. hero Cobalt passing the quarter pole. Powering to an emphatic Blue. The trainer of those horses, Doug O’Neill, com- three-length success, the five-year-old set up a tantalis- mented yesterday on Grif- ing tilt at the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Cont. p2 fin’s passing. “It's obviously a huge loss for the sport,” O'Neill said. “I was blessed enough to know him well over the past few years. He was a huge horse lover. He spread the word of what a great sport horse racing is to anyone who would listen.” Griffin’s champion He added, “For the past cou- Stevie Wonderboy ple of weeks, I knew he was Horsephotos under the weather, but I was shocked when I got the call.” A native of California, Griffin, who owned and operated Griffin Ranch in La Quinta, began his career as a singer for the Freddy Martin Orchestra back in the late 1940s and early '50s before becoming a talk-show host on television with the Merv Griffin Show. From there he became a broad- cast mogul with the creation of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. Rags to Riches to skip Alabama, target Ruffian.....p7 www.overbrookfarm.com TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 8/13/07 • PAGE 2 of 8 Sunday, Deauville, France “He is an easy horse to train,“ conditioner Andre PRIX DU HARAS DE FRESNAY-LE-BUFFARD-JACQUES Fabre commented after his fifth Jacques le Marois LE MAROIS-G1, i600,000, Deauville, 8-12, 3yo/up, success. “Speed is not a concern, as he was champion c/f, 1mT, 1:37.40, gd. two-year-old in Germany and was unlucky here last 1--MANDURO (GER), 130, h, 5, by Monsun (Ger) year and also in the Moulin. Maybe stamina is more of a 1st Dam: Mandellicht (Ire) (MSP-Ger), by Be My Guest concern, but I’m sure he will stay a mile and a half and 2nd Dam: Mandelauge (Ger), by Elektrant (GB) most definitely, his big target is the Arc [Oct. 7], with a 3rd Dam: Mandriale (Ger), by Norfolk (Ger) run beforehand in the G2 Prix Foy [at Longchamp Sept. O-Baron Georg von Ullmann; B-Rolf Brunner; T-Andre 16]. The GI Breeders’ Cup Classic [at Monmouth Oct. Fabre; J-Stephane Pasquier; i342,840. Lifetime 27] is a possibility in time, but we’ll see.” Holocene’s Record: Hwt Older Horse-Fr at 9.5-11f, G1SW-Eng, trainer Pascal Bary was delighted with his runner-up MGSW-Ger, 17 starts, 9 wins, 8 places, i1,437,336. placing. “We were just beaten by a superior horse, but I *1/2 to Mandela (Acatenango {Ger}), SW & G1SP- was thrilled by his performance as he hadn’t run since Ger, GSP-US & Fr, $141,248. the [May 9] G3 Prix de Guiche and this is like winning 2--Holocene, 123, c, 3, Lemon Drop Kid--Witching Hour for me,” Bary explained. Lawman raced close to the (Fr), by Fairy King. O-Niarchos Family; B-Flaxman pace before fading tamely passing the halfway marker Holdings Ltd; T-Pascal Bary; i137,160. and jockey Olivier Peslier reported that the sophomore 3--Turtle Bowl (Ire), 130, h, 5, Dyhim Diamond (Ire)-- was never traveling. Click for the Racing Post chart or Clara Bow (Fr), by Top Ville (Ire). O-Berend van the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. Dalfsen; B-A D D Crichton; T-Francois Rohaut; i68,580. Margins: 3, HF, 4. Odds: 0.90, 26.00, 8.50. Also Ran: Toylsome (GB), Stormy River (Fr), Lawman (Fr). Manduro was campaigned mainly at a mile last term and became the victim of circumstance on several occasions. He often left his run too late, which was in evidence when finding only Librettist too strong in this race last year. Also in the minor positions when third in the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in September, he thrived for a change of tactics on his five-year-old bow when annexing the Apr. 19 G3 Earl of Sefton S. at Newmarket. After recording a facile success in the G1 Prix d’Ispahan at Lonchamp May 21, connections hatched an ambitious plan to demonstrate Manduro’s versatility and he proved the point in Royal Ascot’s G1 G1 PHOENIX S. SAOIRSE ABU (Mr. Greeley) provides a 25-1 shot shocker over favored Henrythenavigator. Prince of Wales’s S. over 10 furlongs June 20, where G2 UAE ROYAL WHIP S. EAGLE MOUNTAIN (GB) he had too many guns for Dylan Thomas (Ire). After (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) comes from off the pace to win. receiving the perfect tow from his pacemaker Toylsome G2 PHOENIX SPRINT S. AL QASI (IRE) (Elnadim) gets (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) here, the bay made light up in time for first victory at this level. work of the latest stage of the plot when taking com- G2 DEBUTANTE S. CAMPFIRE GLOW (IRE) (Invincible mand with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining and drawing away Spirit {Ire}) ekes out a narrow score. in professional manner. TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 8/13/07 • PAGE 3 of 8 Sunday, The Curragh, Ireland Sunday, Cologne, Germany INDEPENDENT WATERFORD WEDGWOOD PHOENIX RHEINLAND-POKAL DER SPARKASSE KOLNBONN-G1, S.-G1, i300,000, Curragh, 8-12, 2yo, c/f, 6fT, i155,000, Cologne, 8-12, 3yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:30.70, 1:18.89, sf/hy. sf. 1--#@sSAOIRSE ABU, 124, f, 2, by Mr. Greeley 1--SADDEX (GB), 132, c, 4, by Sadler’s Wells 1st Dam: Out Too Late, by Future Storm 1st Dam: Remote Romance, by Irish River (Fr) 2nd Dam: Morning Has Broken, by Prince John 2nd Dam: Aviance (Ire), by Northfields 3rd Dam: A Wind is Rising, by Francis S. 3rd Dam: Minnie Hauk, by Sir Ivor ($260,000 yrl ‘06 KEESEP). O-Ennistown Stud; (i115,000 yrl ‘04 DEAOCT). O-Stall Avena; B-White Cloud Bloodstock, Omar Trevino and N and B-The Niarchos Family; T-Peter Rau; J-Torsten P Partnership; T-Jim Bolger; J-Kevin Manning; Mundry; i100,000. Lifetime Record: 11 starts, i177,600. Lifetime Record: 6-2-1-2, i215,174. 6 wins, 4 places, 361,100. 2--Henrythenavigator, 127, c, 2, Kingmambo-- i Sequoyah (Ire), by Sadler’s Wells. O-Susan Magnier; 2--First Stream (Ger), 119, c, 3, Lomitas (GB)-- B-Western Bloodstock; T-Aidan O’Brien; i60,000. First Class (Ger), by Bustino (GB). O-Gestut Ittlingen; 3--Elletelle (Ire), 124, f, 2, Elnadim--Flamanda (GB), by B-Gestut Hof Ittlingen; T-Mario Hofer; i33,000. Niniski. (i26,000 wnlg ‘05 GOFNOV). O-Jesse Club 3--Bussoni (Ger), 132, h, 6, Goofalik--Blumme (Chi), by Syndicate; B-Timothy Gleeson & Miss Ashley Jadar (Chi). (i10,000 yrl ‘02 BBAAUG). O-Stall O’Leary; T-Ger Lyons; i30,000. Kaiserberg; B-Gestut Karlshof; T-Hans Blume; Margins: 1, 1 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 25-1, 1-2, 9-2. i15,000. Also Ran: The Loan Express (Ire), Warsaw (Ire), Captain Margins: 1 1/4, HF, 3/4. Odds: 1.30, 7.50, 4.00. Royale (Ire). Scratched: South Dakota (Ire). Also Ran: Laverock (Ire), Egerton (Ger). Scratched: Saoirse Abu graduated over this course and distance Oriental Tiger (Ger).