MONDAY, 3 AUGUST 2020 GRASS IS GREENER AT KENTUCKY DOWNS WATCH ME WINS By Kelsey Riley THE ROTHSCHILD The most savvy European horse people have long had autumn dates annually etched onto their calendars at courses like Woodbine, Arlington, Keeneland and Belmont, where sizable purses are up for the taking for those enterprising enough to travel. As the tempo begins to climb toward those fall features, however, there is another American racecourse that has gotten first run, and it is possible you have never even heard of it. Beginning on Sept. 7 through Sept. 16, The Runhappy Meet at Kentucky DownsBsituated 2 1/2 hours southwest of Lexington on the Tennessee borderBwill stage its annual turf-only meet over six days offering $10 million in purses on the grass with the maximum payout available to Kentucky-breds. Cont. p7 Watch Me | Scoop Dyga IN TDN AMERICA TODAY Alexander Tamagni-Bodmer and Regula Vannod=s Watch Me CLEMENT L. HIRSCH GOES TO FIGHTING MAD (Fr) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) had the obvious form claims for Fighting Mad (New Year’s Day) saluted in the GI Clement L. Sunday=s G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville and all went to script Hirsch S. at Del Mar on Sunday evening. The race is a “Win and for last year=s G1 Coronation S. winner as she outbattled Half You’re In” qualifier for the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Click or tap Light (Ire) (Shamardal) and Know It All (GB) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) here to go straight to TDN America. for the win. Tracking Godolphin=s Summer Romance (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) throughout the early stages, the 7-10 favourite got the split on the rail to edge ahead approaching the 300- metre marker and stayed on to score by 3/4 of a length from Half Light, who denied Know It All for second by a short head. AIt was not easy today and we=ve been lucky the gap opened on the inside so we could save every inch of ground,@ a relieved winning rider Pierre-Charles Boudot explained. AIf I=d had to come around them, it might have been a very different outcome as she was struggling bit at the end. Maybe she needs further now.@ Watch Me came to the fore with success in the G3 Prix Imprudence over seven furlongs at Maisons-Laffitte last April and may have been unlucky when subsequently sixth in the G1 Poule d=Essai des Pouliches at ParisLongchamp the following month. Taken to the G1 Coronation S. in a daring move which demonstrated the regard in which she was held by Francis-Henri Graffard, she justified that bravery by upsetting Hermosa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Royal Ascot feature before earning a break. Cont. p2 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 16 • THETDN.COM MONDAY • 3 AUGUST 2020 G1 Prix de Rothschild Cont. from p1 she has had a sound excuse and it=s a great credit to the team.@ Back with a fourth in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois over this Godolphin=s Lisa-Jane Graffard said of the up-and-coming track and trip in August, the chestnut was trying 10 furlongs for runner-up, who was stepping up off a win in the G3 Hamburger the first time when beaten just under a length in third in the Stutenmeile, AHalf Light produced another fantastic G1 Prix de l=Opera back at performance and we are thrilled ParisLongchamp on Arc day. with her. She never runs a bad Finely-tuned for this with a win race and it was excellent work in the course-and-distance by her trainer to bring her back Listed Prix de la Calonne July 12, from Germany and get her fresh she may have been fortunate and ready for this. We will see that the rail opened up when it how she comes out of today did as Summer Romance tired before deciding where we go quickly but there were no from here, but everything she excuses in behind and it would has done so far has been be hard to argue that she was brilliant. She is by Shamardal not the best on the day. and from the family of Galileo AShe deserved this--it=s very and Sea the Stars, so she has hard to win two of these but she really exciting breeding potential proved in the Opera in October Pierre-Charles Boudot celebrates after winning the Prix Rothschild for Godolphin.@ that she was not finished,@ aboard Watch Me | Scoop Dyga Graffard commented. AShe stays Pedigree Notes 10 furlongs, which gives her more options and we=ll see how she The dam Watchful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is a half-sister to the comes out of this. She can run in the Jacques le Marois, the [G1] group and Grade III-placed Rabi (Ire) (Alzao) and the G3 Jean Romanet or the Opera. Every time she has been beaten, Coventry S.-placed Kawagino (Ire) (Perugino). Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 16 • THETDN.COM MONDAY • 3 AUGUST 2020 G1 Prix de Rothschild Cont. Also Ran: Speak of the Devil (Fr), Norma (GB), Summer Romance The third dam Sharaya (Youth) landed the G1 Prix Vermeille (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com and is also the ancestress of the G2 Centaur S. winner Sans catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. Adieu (Jpn) (French Deputy), as well as of the listed scorer and G1 Nunthorpe S. runner-up Hamish McGonagall (GB) (Namid IT=S FRANKIE AGAIN AS MISS YODA STARS {GB}). Also connected to the G1 Irish Oaks heroine Shawanda Capping a week to remember even by his exalted standards, (Ire) (Sinndar {Ire}) and the G1 Yorkshire Oaks and Vermeille Frankie Dettori dropped in on Dusseldorf to whip up the crowd heroine Shareta (Ire) (Sinndar {Ire}), her 2-year-old colt by the as he steered the Westerberg colour-bearer Miss Yoda (Ger) same sire named Watch Him (Fr) (Elvstroem {Aus}) was bought (Sea the Stars {Ire}) to glory in the G1 Henkel-Preis der Diana. On by Amanda Skiffington for i100,000 at the Arqana Deauville the front from the outset and allowed her own terms, the June 5 October Yearling Sale. Her yearling colt is again by Elvstroem. Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial winner was only headed briefly in early straight as Silence Please (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) loomed Sunday, Deauville, France but when shaken up forged a 3/4-of-a-length success from PRIX ROTHSCHILD-G1, i180,000, Deauville, 8-2, 3yo/up, f/m, Zamrud (Ger) (Samum {Ger}), who nosed out Virginia Joy (Ger) 8fT, 1:34.05, gd. (Soldier Hollow {GB}) for the runner=s-up spot. 1--WATCH ME (FR), 130, f, 4, by Olympic Glory (Ire) AShe jumped good and I wanted to be in front--after that she 1st Dam: Watchful (Ire), by Galileo (Ire) was flowing with a lovely action,@ commented Dettori who in 2nd Dam: Sharakawa (Ire), by Darshaan (GB) the last eight days had won on the household names Enable 3rd Dam: Sharaya, by Youth (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) (i30,000 RNA Ylg >17 ARAUG). O-Alexander Tamagni & Mme and ridden a winner for The Queen on his home track at Regula Vannod; B-Mme Antoinette Tamagni-Bodmer & Newmarket. AWhen I turned for home she was thinking of going Cocheese Bloodstock Anstalt (FR); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; back to the stables, so she stopped a bit but I told her to J-Pierre-Charles Boudot. i102,852. Lifetime Record: concentrate and away she went.@ Cont. p4 G1SW-Eng, 9-5-0-2, i625,144. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2--Half Light (Ire), 130, f, 4, Shamardal 1st Dam: Northern Melody (Ire), by Singspiel (Ire) 2nd Dam: Allez Les Trois, by Riverman 3rd Dam: Allegretta (GB), by Lombard (Ger) O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Henri-Alex Pantall. i41,148. 3--Know It All (GB), 122, f, 3, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) 1st Dam: Common Knowledge (GB), by Rainbow Quest 2nd Dam: Highbrow (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB) 3rd Dam: Highclere (GB), by Queen=s Hussar (GB) O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-Qatar Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Johnny Murtagh. i20,574. Margins: 3/4, SHD, 2. Odds: 0.70, 8.10, 12.00. John Gosden won his first German Oaks | Scoop Dyga GETTING AHEAD OF THE FIELD STARTS IN THE PADDOCK Cairn Gorm For that extra bit of backup FEED THE Prix de Cabourg, Group 3 and support while raising your Champions, Saracen are DIFFERENCE here to help. Congratulations to his Owner/Breeders, Breeders know they Hunscote Stud and all their team. can rely on us. Call a member of our dedicated specialist Thoroughbred team. POLLY BONNOR Tel: +44 7973 802 210 CATHERINE RUDENKO Tel: +44 7419 359252 DANIELA NOWARA Tel: +33 676 17 88 99 ROSIE MARGARSON Tel: +44 7736 617985 contact the Office Tel: +44 1488 73456 or visit www.saracenhorsefeeds.com/thoroughbred Partnering with TDN EUROPE • PAGE 4 OF 16 • THETDN.COM MONDAY • 3 AUGUST 2020 G1 Henkel Preis der Diana Cont. Losing her unbeaten tag on her third and final juvenile start when runner-up in the G3 Zetland S. over 10 furlongs at Newmarket in October, Miss Yoda had returned to garner the Oaks Trial despite not handling Lingfield=s undulations and all Epsom aspirations were dashed there and then. Instead tried in Royal Ascot=s G2 Ribblesdale S. June 16, she was sixth there and Senior Vice President Gary King was too keen when fourth in the 13-furlong G3 Bahrain Trophy Twitter: @garykingTDN back at Newmarket July 9.