HEADLINE NEWS • 10/5/08 • PAGE 2 of 26
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HEADLINE THREE CHIMNEYS NEWS The Idea is Excellence. For information about TDN, Two new GI 2YOs for Sky Mesa call 732-747-8060. incl. Frizette-G1 winner (see p. 6) www.thoroughbreddailynews.com SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2008 JUVENILES SHINE ON SUPER SATURDAY A trio of juveniles stepped up with prime-time perfor- Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe mances as graded stakes went off at a rapid pace in the U.S. yesterday. Square Eddie (Smart Strike), a European import making his U.S. bow in the GI Lane=s ZAR WARS End Breeders= Futurity at She is the filly who has everything, with miler speed Keeneland, was the first to take and inherent stamina combining to lethal effect so far in centerstage. The J. Paul Reddam her faultless career. His Highness the Aga Khan=s colorbearer passed his two-turn Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar) will head to post for today=s debut with flying colors, airing by G1 Qatar Prix de l=Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp as 4 3/4 lengths over Terrain (Sky the shortest-priced filly in recent memory following Mesa). He earned an automatic another dazzling display after a tardy start in the berth to the Oct. 25 GI Breeders = course-and-distance G1 Prix Vermeille 21 days ago. Cup Juvenile with the victory. Three Troikas (Fr) was the last to complete the Square Eddie AEnglish racing is a little different Vermeille--Arc double in the same year in 1979, while EquiSport style than what we have in Amer- Urban Sea is the only member of her sex to beat the ica,@ Reddam explained. AHis last race in a Group 3 [second in the G3 Sirenia S. at Kemp- colts since 1993. Zarkava=s Vermeille performance put ton Sept. 6] he really showed a lot of courage coming to bed any doubts about her ability to get a mile and a to the wire. I thought, really on pedigree, he could go half, following successes in this track=s G1 Poule farther. We thought he would be good in American d=Essai des Pouliches over a mile May 11 and G1 Prix racing.@ According to Reddam, he will start next in the de Diane over 1 5/16 miles at Chantilly June 8. Despite Juvenile. With only a debut maiden win at Delaware the historical portents, trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre is in Park to her credit, Puglisi Racing=s Sky Diva (Sky Mesa) a confident mood. AShe is a very rare filly and her big certainly looked like the goods in Belmont=s GI Frizette quality is to make a difference in a couple of strides,@ S., bounding under the line a 3 3/4-length winner under he commented. AI know why she started slowly in the a motionless Edgar Prado. She is likely to make her next Vermeille and we have solved it, so that shouldn=t hap- start in the GI Breeders= Cup Juvenile Fillies Oct. 24. pen again. She has to face colts for the first time, but I Vineyard Haven (Lido Palace {Chi}), owned in part by am confident she should run her race as she is a very trainer Bobby Frankel, validated his GI Hopeful S. score rare filly.@ Arc cont. p2-3 with a dazzling performance in the GI Champagne S. at Belmont. Following the victory, Frankel told Daily Rac- ing Form that Vineyard Haven is hesitant to run in the Breeders= Cup Juvenile due to the synthetic surface at Santa Anita. Saturday’s Grade I/Group 1 Winners Winner Race Paco Boy (Ire) (Desert Style {Ire}) Prix de la Foret - LCP Bannaby (Fr) (Dyhim Diamond (Ire) Prix du Cadran - LCP Halfway to Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) Sun Chariot S. - NKT Square Eddie (Smart Strike) LE Breeders’ Futurity - KEE Sky Diva (Sky Mesa) Frizette S. - BEL Thorn Song (Unbridled=s Song) Shadwell Turf Mile - KEE Vineyard Haven (Lido Palace {Chi}) Champagne S. - BEL Folk Opera (Ire) Singspiel (Ire) E.P. Taylor S. -WOX Marsh Side (Gone West) Canadian Int. - WOX P TDN HEADLINE NEWS • 10/5/08 • PAGE 2 of 26 Two Mighty Arrows... Aidan O=Brien, who registered a first success in this landmark 12 months ago with Dylan Thomas (Ire), has both Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor=s top-class duo Duke of Marmalade (Ire) (Danehill) and Soldier of For- tune (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to go to war with this time. The former has followed an almost identical path to last year=s winner so far this season, but, unlike that admi- rable performer, has gone unbeaten at four. He emu- lated Dylan Thomas in winning Longchamp=s G1 Prix Ganay Apr. 27 and the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. July 26 at Ascot, but went one better than his predecessor in the G1 Prince of Wales=s S. at the Royal meeting June 18 and G1 Juddmonte International staged at Newmarket last time Aug. 23. Soldier of Fortune, fifth in last year=s Arc, took the G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom June 6 before finishing runner-up to Youmzain (Ire) (Sinndar {Ire}) in the June 29 G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. Johnny Murtagh had to pick be- tween the two heavyweights and decided to stick with his beloved Duke. AIt was a difficult choice, because they are two outstanding horses and I know Aidan has been training Soldier of Fortune for the race,@ Murtagh explained. AHe ran a great race last year, but got a little bit squeezed and he=s coming here fresh. The ground at the moment would be in his favor, but the Duke can overcome anything and, with five Group 1s this year, he can pull it out of the bag. He=s like Dylan Thomas-- he=s hardy and tough and takes whatever you throw at him, so I couldn=t desert him.@ Trainer Aidan O=Brien previously suggested that Duke of Marmalade could pass the race if the going was unsuitable, but he is now Look Who’s Back... confident of a run today. AI think the ground is going to Returning for another tilt at the big prize are Jaber be okay and Duke would be fine if it=s on the slow Abdullah=s Youmzain, Baron Georg von Ullmann=s Get- side,@ the conditioner commented. AHe=s very tough and away (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) and Khalid Abdullah=s Zam- consistent and very good, while Soldier is a horse that bezi Sun (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who were second, fourth tries very hard, so the plan was to give him a high- and eighth in 2007, respectively. Getaway has failed to summer break and we had this race in mind for him for make the impact he promised to earlier this term, but a very long time.@ was firmly in control at the end of the Aug. 31 G2 Grand Prix de Deauville last time, and represents the A Perfect Vision?... Andre Fabre stable successful seven times since 1987. No analysis of this race can be carried out without a Zambezi Sun also returned to winning ways last time in thorough look at the G2 Prix Niel, the course-and-dis- the Sept. 14 G2 Prix Foy, but bids to become the first tance trial for the three-year-olds staged three weeks since Sagace (Fr) in 1984 to follow up success in that back. A total of nine of the 13 three-year-olds to have track-and-trip trial for older horses with glory here. won the Arc since 1990 prepped there and this year=s Youmzain, who was just a head away from immortality Niel winner is Vision d=Etat (Fr) (Chichicastenango {Fr}). 12 months ago, beat Soldier of Fortune in the Grand Jacques Detre and Eric Libaud=s bay was returning from Prix de Saint-Cloud before disappointing when 9 1/2 the mid-summer break traditionally given to winners of lengths third in the King George. The owner=s Racing the June 1 G1 Prix du Jockey-Club. He bids to emulate Manager Bruce Raymond said, AAt Saint-Cloud every- Peintre Celebre, Montjeu (Ire) and Dalakhani (Ire) in thing was in his favor, but he got hampered in the King completing the Jockey Club--Arc double in the same George and hung in and put in a bad run. Every bit of season since 1997. AHe has made the perfect recovery rain will help and if you take Zarkava out, you wouldn=t from the Niel, after which I was worried he might be a know who is going to win.@ Jockey Richard Hills added, bit stiff as the ground was fast,@ trainer and co-owner AI rode him work two weeks ago and he worked ex- Libaud said. AThat didn=t happen, as he is now stronger tremely well. He ran exceptionally well last year and I=m and more mature, and will be even more so as a four- hoping for a bit more rain. I=ve got a great draw in year-old. There is no pressure, as there was only one three, so I can just sit and take my time. The filly Jockey-Club for him, but there will be several Arcs.@ [Zarkava] is exceptional and what she did last time was breathtaking, so she=ll take all the beating.@ P TDN HEADLINE NEWS • 10/5/08 • PAGE 3 of 26 RECENT ARC WINNERS ‘04 Bago (Fr) Nashwan Pease ‘03 Dalakhani (Ire) Darshaan (GB) de Royer-Dupre Year Winner Sire Trainer ‘02 Marienbard (Ire) Caerleon bin Suroor ‘07 Dylan Thomas (Ire) Danehill O’Brien ‘01 Sakhee Bahri bin Suroor ‘06 Rail Link (GB) Dansili (GB) Fabre ‘00 Sinndar (Ire) Grand Lodge Oxx ‘05 Hurricane Run (Ire) Montjeu (Ire) Fabre ‘99 Montjeu (Ire) Sadler's Wells Hammond Sunday, Longchamp, France, post time: 4:40 p.m.