THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2020 FAMILY VALUES FAVOR SWISS SKYDIVER TO TAKE ON BOYS IN THE BLUE GRASS by Bill Finley UNCLE CHUCK The filly Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) will be out to make history Saturday when she takes on males in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland. No filly has ever won the prestigious race. Trainer Kenny McPeek had nominated Swiss Skydiver for both the Blue Grass and the GI Ashland S. for fillies. He waited until Wednesday morning, shortly before the draw, to make his decision. He said a major factor was that he has another filly for the Ashland in Envoutante (Uncle Mo). "In any other year, this would have been an easier decision, but I have Envoutante running in the Ashland and I think she has a big chance there," he said. "I hate running entries where you know you are going to beat yourself with one or the other. [Owner] Peter Callahan is as game as Dick Tracy and I am too. I do think it will be fun. If she can jump through this hoop, great. If she can't, we will backtrack and go to the [GI] Alabama or Uncle Chuck | Benoit just wait for the [GI] Kentucky Oaks." Cont. p8 by Chris McGrath IN TDN EUROPE TODAY "Bob's your uncle." It's one of those baffling British expressions, of no coherent origin. You use it much as the EXCELEBRATION COLT TOPS GUINEAS SALE French would say: "et voila!" Typically, it rounds off some Lot 108, a colt by Excelebration (Ire), brought the highest price during Wednesday’s Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up Sale. Emma counsel so elementary that the dividends are almost Berry has the details. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN mechanical. Do this simple thing, and "you're all set". Europe. For instance: go to a horse sale; buy a colt with Classic pedigree; put him into training with a silver-haired dude in California--and Bob's your uncle. Not that it can have been terribly easy for Bob Baffert to show his most avuncular side just lately. A few weeks ago, for any of his unbeaten sophomores even to prove the best in their own shedrow seemed likely to certify something close to greatness. But now Nadal (Blame) has been retired; Charlatan (Speightstown) is out of the GI Kentucky Derby; and Authentic (Into Mischief) has met his match out on the track. Moreover positive tests for lidocaine now menace the immaculate records of both Charlatan and the breathtaking filly Gamine (Into Mischief) with a first blemish. With the confirmation this week of what had previously been a prematurely leaked report, at least Baffert has been able to publish the case for his exculpation. In the meantime, however, he had already reminded us that this cluster of scintillating talents, back in the spring, was never just a happy coincidence but simply the latest proof of his program's historic efficacy. See p3 PUBLISHER & CEO Sue Morris Finley @suefinley [email protected] SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Gary King @garykingTDN [email protected] EDITORIAL [email protected] Editor-in-Chief Jessica Martini @JessMartiniTDN Managing Editor Thursday, July 9, 2020 Alan Carasso @EquinealTDN Senior Editor Steve Sherack @SteveSherackTDN Racing Editor Brian DiDonato @BDiDonatoTDN Deputy Editor Christie DeBernardis @CDeBernardisTDN Associate Editors Christina Bossinakis @CBossTDN Joe Bianca @JBiancaTDN News and Features Editor In Memoriam: Ben Massam (1988-2019) ADVERTISING [email protected] Director of Advertising Alycia Borer Advertising Manager Lia Best Advertising Designer Amanda Crelin Advertising Assistant/Dir. Of Distribution Rachel McCaffrey Advertising Assistants Amie Newcomb Kristen Lomasson Photographer/Photo Editor Sarah K. Andrew @SarahKAndrew Danon Pharaoh (Jpn) (American Pharoah) wins Wednesday's Japan Dirt Derby with [email protected] Ryusei Sakai up. See page 14 for result. | Horsephotos Social Media Strategist Justina Severni KEENELAND TO REFUSE VANMETER ENTRIES 8 Director of Customer Service Tom VanMeter will not be allowed to enter any horses for races or Vicki Forbes sales at Keeneland, the association announced Wednesday. [email protected] SHARED SENSE ACES INDIANA DERBY TEST 11 Marketing Manager Godolphin homebred Shared Sense (Street Sense) made his graded Alayna Cullen @AlaynaCullen stakes debut a winning one, taking the GIII Indiana Derby. Director of IT & Accounting Ray Villa TODAY’S GRADED STAKES [email protected] EST Race Click for TV [email protected] 9:25a Bahrain Trophy S.-G3, NMK -------------- TVG 9:40a Tattersalls Musidora S.-G3, YOR -------------- TVG WORLDWIDE INFORMATION 10:00a Tattersalls July S.-G2, NMK -------------- TVG International Editor Kelsey Riley @kelseynrileyTDN 10:15a Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S.-G2, YOR -------------- TVG [email protected] 11:10a Princess Of Wales’s Tattersalls S.-G2, NMK -------------- TVG 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 15 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • JULY 9, 2020 Uncle Chuck cont. from p1 Next, however, he must earn some starting points for the For the conveyor belt is still turning, and could yet draw him Derby-in which regard, Uncle Chuck (Uncle Mo) is one step this year alongside Ben Jones with a sixth Derby winner. ahead after likewise proceeding to Los Alamitos to follow up an Because if Nadal and Charlatan could be counted unfortunate, impressive debut success at Santa Anita. in having to settle for a Uncle Chuck beat only three rivals division apiece of the GI in the GIII Los Alamitos Derby, but Arkansas Derby for their the whole crop may not contain Grade I success over nine many capable of matching the furlongs on the first Saturday sheer extension he showed in in May, then neither of the striding clear of barnmate fresh troops now trying to fill Thousand Words (Pioneerof The their shoes were ready even Nile). And there's no doubting his to contest a maiden until genetic eligibility to add substance June. Potentially, then, the to the style with which he has coronavirus "giveth" as much announced himself. as it "taketh" away. The emergence of Uncle Chuck True, most programs would extends a golden run for his function pretty well with breeders at Stonestreet. Only a few material like Cezanne days previously their homebred (Curlin), who topped the Cazadero (Street Sense) had Bob Baffert | Fasig-Tipton Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale positioned himself in the vanguard last year at $3.65 million. Last week this colt maintained his of the next generation with an impressive success in the special aura as the parting gift of his late consignor, J.J. Crupi, GIII Bashford Manor S. at Churchill. when passing a two-turn test in allowance company. Cont. p4 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 15 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • JULY 9, 2020 Uncle Chuck cont. Instead the principal credits to their dam Forest Music (Unbridled's Song) were listed as the Grade III winner That performance had itself prolonged celebrations after the Kentuckian (Tiznow) and a couple of other winners including G2 Queen Mary S. success of Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), an Electric Forest (Curlin), who had won on debut that spring only artful purchase at Tattersalls last fall. The same day that to disappoint on her only subsequent appearance. After the Campanelle scored at Royal Ascot, moreover, Gamine added sale, however, she confirmed her caliber in three further starts, that incredible 18 3/4-length romp in the GI Acorn S. to the winning an allowance and then finishing second and first at produce record of Stonestreet mare Peggy Jane (Kafwain). Grade III level. Cont. p5 (Albeit strictly Peggy Jane represents the "Grace" division of Barbara Banke's operations.) Gamine, though a famous pinhook as a 2-year-old, had first been sold through Summerfield at the 2018 Keeneland September Sale. And it was the same consignment, on the same day, that processed Uncle Chuck as Hip 1378--towards the very end of the fifth session--for $250,000 to Three Amigos (namely Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman). That was pretty deep in the sale for a half-brother to none other than Maclean's Music (Distorted Humor), who had managed a breakout Classic success from his first crop when Cloud Computing won the GI Preakness S. the previous year. In fact, the notorious brevity of his racetrack career (comprising a single start, and a record Beyer for a debutante) appears to have allowed Maclean's Music to slip off the catalog page altogether. Maclean=s Music | Hill >n= Dale TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 5 OF 15 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • JULY 9, 2020 Uncle Chuck cont. Samurai), a five-time stakes winner on turf; and a useful juvenile So Forest Music's record as a producer is actually pretty in Shooter (Dehere), who scored by eight lengths on debut and outstanding: of five foals to have made the starting gate, all are followed up in the GIII Sapling S. before rather losing his way. winners; three are now graded stakes winners; and the other Flamboyant starts are actually pretty standard in this family. two include an authentic freak in Maclean's Music. And that's all Maclean's Music wrote the book, with that 114 Beyer; perfectly consistent with her own racing record, and the family Kentuckian won first time out by 11 lengths; and their sibling she is now decorating afresh. Electric Music, as noted, also landed running. Their mother, Speed was her forte, and sufficient class not only to win two moreover, notched a 105 Beyer when romping by 8 1/2 lengths graded stakes--notably making all in the GII Honorable Miss S.-- on debut.