Shalaa Scorches Morny Rivals Avanzare Victorious
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MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015 732-747-8060 $ TDN Home Page Click Here SHALAA SCORCHES MORNY RIVALS ‘PHAROAH’ CONFIRMED FOR TRAVERS After the disappointment of Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Cross {Ire}) suffering defeat in unsuitable conditions in Nile) was confirmed for the Aug. 29 GI Travers S. after midweek, it was a bold call of John Gosden to let Al impressing connections with a seven-furlong work at Shaqab Racing=s Shalaa (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) take Del Mar Sunday. The Zayat Stables= runner worked in his chance in a rain-affected G1 Darley Prix Morny at 1:23.20 under Martin Garcia, registering splits of Deauville on Sunday, but the prolific G2 July S. and :23.00, :47.20, :58.80 G2 Richmond S. winner rewarded the bravery with and 1:10.60 and another merciless display of speed to enhance his galloping out a mile in already stellar reputation. 1:36.40. It was the Rain in the morning at fastest of two at the Deauville led to an distance at Del Mar anxious wait for his fans, Sunday and his six- but after a course walk furlong time bettered Gosden opted to let him the day=s bullet move of loose and a sense of 1:12.20 at that caution pervaded for the distance. American Pharoah | Benoit first half of the race, with AHe was more Frankie Dettori holding on aggressive today, trainer Bob Baffert said after the Shalaa | Scoop Dyga @ to a narrow lead from the work. AHe didn=t work all that fast last week and he same operation=s second-string, Gutaifan (Ire) (Dark wanted to get into it today. We wanted to see where Angle {Ire}). Still enthusiastic enough to pull that rival his energy level is--to be sure he still has it. It=s out of his comfort zone by the furlong pole, Shalaa-- incredible that he does after all this. Then again, he=s an who was sent off a generous 7-10--gradually pulled incredible horse.@ clear under hand riding to score by a comfortable 1 Shortly after the work, Zayat Stables tweeted 3/4-length margin, with Tourny (Fr) (Country Reel) best AAmerican Pharoah is Saratoga bound!@ of the French duo well adrift five lengths behind in American Pharoah, who completed his Triple Crown third. AWe had some reservations about the ground, and sweep with the June 6 GI Belmont S., returned to if he was not handling it Frankie was asked to take care action with a facile victory in the Aug. 2 GI William Hill of him, but he did tolerate it even though it was far Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. from being his favorite,@ his conditioner said. AHe=s a Cont. p3 very good horse and his class won it for him. He=s probably the fastest 2-year-old I=ve handled since Oasis Dream, and I think he could be in that class next year.@ Cont. p6 AVANZARE VICTORIOUS John Youngblood and Donato Lanni=s Avanzare (Grand Reward), off since winning the GII Arcadia S. at Santa Anita in January, returned to the races in style, holding off Talco (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}) for a neck victory in Sunday=s GII Del Mar Mile. Taken in hand shortly after breaking from his outside post, Avanzare was angled to the inside and found the rail while racing near the back of the field into the first turn. He tugged his way closer down the backstretch under a snug hold by Gary Stevens. Swept out some six wide at the top of the stretch, Avanzare had clear running room down the center of the course as favored Bal a Bali (Brz) (Put It Back) was buried along the rail and crying out for racing room. Avanzare bound to the lead and determinedly held off the late-flying Talco. AIt was a good run for him,@ said Stevens. AI had to give up some ground to keep him in a good spot, but he's a big, strong horse and he got it done today.@ Cont. p4 IN THIS ISSUE President & Co-Publisher: Barry Weisbord [email protected] @barryweisbord Sr. V.P. & Co-Publisher: Sue Finley [email protected] @suefinley V.P., International Operations: Gary King Smart Transition Sizzles [email protected] @garykingTDN EDITORIAL Arnold Zetcher’s Smart Transition (Smart Strike), winner of [email protected] Editor-in-Chief: Jessica Martini the Curlin S., tuned up for Saturday’s GI Travers S. with a bullet Managing Editor: Alan Carasso five-furlong drill at Saratoga Sunday. "If American Pharoah Senior Editor: Steve Sherack [runs], we're going to have to step up quite a bit," trainer John Racing Editor: Brian DiDonato Shirreffs admitted. "I think it's good. It's good for racing. We're Associate Editor: Justina Severni Smart Transition|A Mooshian Associate Editor: Christie DeBernardis feeling good about being in the Travers." Assistant Editor: Heather Anderson Page 3 Assistant Editor: Ben Massam Beholder Fine After Classic ADVERTISING [email protected] "She is tired this morning and she came out of it better than I Director of Advertising: Alycia Borer Art Director: Lia Kusch did," trainer Richard Mandella said a day after Beholder (Henny Sr. Ad Coordinator/Dir. of Distribution: Hughes)’s jawdropping victory in Saturday’s GI TVG Pacific Sarah K. Andrew Classic. Mandella said the Sept. 26 GI Zenyatta S. could be next Advertising Designer: Amanda Crelin on the mare’s schedule. Advertising Assistant: Amanda Foster Beholder | Benoit Social Media Strategist: Nichola Henry Page 4 CUSTOMER SERVICE [email protected] Group 1 Win for Odeliz Dir. of Customer Service: Vicki Forbes Odeliz (Ire) (Falco), improving on a fourth-place effort in the INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY G1 Prix Rothschild three weeks ago, registered the 35-1 upset to Director of IT: Robert Williams win Sunday’s G1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet. “She's been a [email protected] progressive filly and has come a long way for us,” said trainer Director of Internal IT: Ray Villa Karl Burke. “She did not run as a 2-year-old, as she was big and [email protected] needed time, but she has been good since and I always thought Odeliz | Scoop Dyga she would do well over a mile and a quarter." WORLDWIDE INFORMATION International Editor: Kelsey Riley Page 7 [email protected] Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing: Dawn First in Futurity Sean Cronin & Tom Frary [email protected] Herald the Dawn (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) won the G2 Futurity, eight years after his sire won the event for trainer 60 Broad Street, Suite 100 Red Bank, NJ 07701 Jim Bolger. “He's a late-May foal and he didn't come to hand as 732-747-8060 | 732-747-8955 (fax) quickly as Dawn Approach, but he's making up for it now,” www.thoroughbreddailynews.com Bolger said. Herald the Dawn | Racing Post www.thetdn.com Page 9 Headline News • PAGE 3 of 13 • thetdn.com Monday • August 24, 2015 SMART TRANSITION WORKS FOR TRAVERS FEATURE PRESENTATION • GI TRAVERS S. Arnold Zetcher=s Smart Transition (Smart Strike) worked five furlongs at Saratoga Sunday in a bullet :58.55 in preparation for the Aug. 29 GI Travers S. AHe worked really well,@ trainer John Shirreffs said. AWe were hoping he=d work a little bit between a minute and 1:01, somewhere around there. He went a little faster than expected, but that=s all right. He=s been training well right along.@ Pharoah Confirmed for Travers (cont. from p1) Unraced at two, Smart Sunday=s work was American Pharoah=s second since Transition was fourth in the July the Haskell. He went four furlongs last Sunday in :47.60. 4 GIII Dwyer S. and is coming off Smart Transition | AToday was very positive,@ Baffert said. AWe=ll see a 4 3/4-length victory in the Adam Mooshian how he comes out of this, how he cools out. His bags July 31 Curlin S. are packed; he=s ready to go. We=ll see. Maybe we=ll AYou never know exactly where a horse is going to wait until tomorrow to see how he is. We=ll see.@ go, but he=s been a horse that=s been very impressive American since his 2-year-old year,@ Shirreffs said. AHe stood out Pharoah=s among the 2-year-olds that we had. In some of his participation would races he was very unfortunate; he didn=t get the ride or increase the purse the trip he needed. In the Curlin, he got the perfect trip. for the Travers It couldn=t have gone any better for him and he showed from $1.25 million what he was capable of. If we get another good trip, I to $1.6 million, think he should run very well.@ with attendance Shirreffs admitted the presence of Triple Crown already capped at winner American Pharoah would make Smart a sold-out 50,000. Transition=s task in the Travers even more difficult. AThis is a great AIf American Pharoah [runs], we=re going to have to day for racing fans step up quite a bit,@ Shirreffs said. AI think it=s good. It=s in Saratoga, across Zayats and Baffert watch work | Benoit good for racing. We=re feeling good about being in the the state of New Travers.@ York and throughout our nation,@ said Christopher Kay, Chief Executive Officer and NYRA President. AWe are honored that the Zayats are bringing Triple Crown JAPAN INJURED champion American Pharoah to historic Saratoga Race Barry K. Schwartz=s Japan (Medaglia d=Oro--Maya, by Course, and plan to run >The People=s Horse= in the Capote), who worked Saturday at Saratoga in nation=s Mid-Summer Derby.