RANDAROO ON A ROLL HEADLINE p6 NEWS For information about TDN, DELIVERED EACH NIGHT call 732-747-8060. BY FAX AND INTERNET www.thoroughbreddailynews.com SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2004 MANDELLA GETS HIS WORLD CUP FREE FOR ALL In the inaugural running of the Dubai World Cup in A camera couldn’t separate Paolini (Ger) (Lando 1996, reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic hero Cigar {Ger}) and Right Approach (GB) (Machiavellian), result- outgamed trainer Richard Mandella’s Soul of the Matter ing in a dead heat in the $2-million G1 Dubai Duty Free, to win by a half length. the first in the history of the The California conditioner World Cup meeting. It was would finish second and Paolini’s first trip to the win- third the following year ner’s circle since 2001; he and sent out the runner- had finished second in last up in 1999. But yester- year’s Duty Free to Ipi day, the Hall of Fame Tombe (Zim), who had been trainer got the monkey off Right Approach (red bridle) & Paolini trained by Mike de Kock. his back, as defending DRC/Andrew Watkins That South African condi- Pleasantly Perfect outgames Breeders’ Cup Classic tioner was responsible for Medaglia d’Oro champ Pleasantly Perfect the co-winner Right Approach, bred in England by The DRC/Andrew Watkins (Pleasant Colony) turned Queen, but now campaigned by a partnership which back an extremely game includes golfer Lee Westwood. Medaglia d’Oro (El Prado {Ire}) to win the $6-million event. World Cup cont. p2 SUMMER TIME Earning his first Group 1 win at the ripe old age of Saturday, Nad al Sheba, Dubai seven, Polish Summer (GB) (Polish Precedent) got up in DUBAI WORLD CUP-G1, $6,000,000, NAD, 3-27, the shadow of the wire to best Hard Buck (Brz) (Spend 3yo/up, 2000m, 2:00.24, ft. a Buck) by a half length in the G1 Dubai Sheema Clas- 1--PLEASANTLY PERFECT, 126, h, 6, by Pleasant Colony sic at Nad Al Sheba. The Juddmonte Farms homebred 1st Dam: Regal State (G1SW-Fr, $102,762), by Affirmed proved he could compete at this level last season, 2nd Dam: La Trinite (Fr), by Lyphard running fourth in this event, then getting second in the 3rd Dam: Promessa (Ire), by *Darius II G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in June and in the G1 ($725,000 yrl ‘99 KEESEP). O-Diamond A Racing Hong Kong Vase in December. After opening 2004 with Corp; B-Clovelly Farms; T-Richard Mandella; J-Alex a nose victory over Bright Sky (Ire) in the Mar. 6 G3 Solis; $3,600,000. Lifetime Record: GISW-US, Prix Exbury, the veteran was sent off the choice of the 15-8-2-1, $6,699,880. *1/2 to Hurricane State U.S. bettors yesterday. Dubai Sheema Classic cont. p3 (Miswaki), GSW-Fr. 2--Medaglia d’Oro, 126, h, 5, El Prado (Ire)--Cappucino A NEW STAR HAS RISEN Bay, by Bailjumper. O-Edmund A Gann; B-Albert & It was a race American horses have excelled at, but Joyce Bell; T-Robert Frankel; J-Jerry Bailey; few expected California raider Our $1,200,000. New Recruit (Alphabet Soup) to take 3--Victory Moon (SAf), 126, h, 5, Al Mufti--Dancing the 1200-meter G1 Dubai Golden Flower (SAf), by Dancing Champ. O-Mad Syndicate; Shaheen. With a late flourish that his B-Litchfield Stud Clos; T-Mike de Kock; J-Weichong rivals couldn’t counter, however, the Marwing; $600,000. five-year-old John Sadler trainee--still Margins: 3/4, 5, 7 3/4. Odds: 5-2, 6-5, 7-2. Our New Recruit searching for his first stakes win-- Also Ran: Grand Hombre, King’s Boy (Ger), Domestic DRC/Andrew Watkins staged the upset over fellow coun- Dispute, Fleetstreet Dancer, Admire Don (Jpn), Regent tryman Alke (Grand Slam), powering Bluff (Jpn), Dinyeper (GB), State Shinto, Silent Deal (Jpn). clear to win the world’s richest sprint by two lengths. TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 3/28/04 • PAGE 2 of 8 Always Well Meant... Another Perfect Performance... Purchased by trainer Richard Mandella for $725,000 Medaglia d’Oro showed his expected speed from the out of the 1999 Keeneland September yearling sale, outside, but allowed Fleetstreet Dancer (Smart Strike) Pleasantly Perfect required plenty of TLC early in his to set the fractions as Pleasantly Perfect raced unusu- career, the result of an inflamed heart which always ally close to the early pace while hugging the inside rail. kept the bay short on conditioning. While some of his Fleetstreet Dancer still held the call as the field rounded peers were preparing for the Kentucky Derby in 2001, into the three-furlong stretch, but was overtaken by Pleasantly Perfect was just making it to the races, but Medaglia d’Oro at the 400-meter marker. Jockey Alex he started just once before being sidelined yet again, Solis asked Pleasantly Perfect to go with the race favor- this time with a respiratory illness. He began to show ite and his mount responded in kind, drawing on even signs of life the following season and posted four wins terms at the furlong grounds before outstaying his rival from eight starts, including the first to the wire. “It was a dog fight all of his two victories in the GII Good- the way down the stretch,” Solis wood Breeders’ Cup H. All systems commented. “I wanted to make sure seemed go for a crack at the Breed- Medaglia d’Oro didn’t get away from ers’ Cup Classic, but a slight bleed- me. When I cracked [Pleasantly Per- ing incident cost him that chance fect] 100 meters to the post, he and he was instead put away for the took off again.” season. Third in the GII San Antonio H. and fourth in the GI Santa Anita Bittersweet Victory for Mandella... H. to kick off his five-year-old cam- Trainer Richard Mandella had never paign, Pleasantly Perfect was beset won the World Cup, but it wasn’t for by a foot injury which cost him his lack of trying, or for lack of success summer, but he returned to double for that matter. He saddled the sec- up in the Goodwood before running Pleasantly Perfect (left) and Medaglia d’Oro ond and third-place finishers in 1997 down Medaglia d’Oro and Congaree storm down the Nad Al Sheba stretch (Siphon {Brz} and Sandpit {Brz}) and to win the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic Horsephotos was runner-up again in 1999 (Malek Oct. 25. Given three months off, he {Chi}). But the conditioner was in- took this year’s GII San Antonio by four lengths Jan. 31 formed just after last night’s event, that his mentor, and would have gone favored in the GI Santa Anita H. trainer Lefty Nickerson, had passed away Friday eve- Mar. 6, but he spiked a fever and was instead trained ning. Mandella dedicated the victory to Nickerson, for up to the world’s richest horse race. As it turned out, it whom he worked for one year. Mandella indicated that might have been a blessing in disguise as he attempted Pleasantly Perfect would now get a rest, with a long- to become just the second horse to complete the Breed- term goal of the Breeders’ Cup Classic in late October. ers’ Cup Classic/Dubai World Cup double. No Disgrace in Running Second... Click here for the emiratesracing.com chart. Click here Medaglia d’Oro turned in a valiant effort in defeat, for the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. with jockey Jerry Bailey offering no excuses. “It was a great race, he ran his heart out tonight,” he said. “He All horses in the TDN are bred in North America, set up comfortably, he was very positive, he kicked unless otherwise indicated once and kicked again when I asked him to do so.” (859) 233-4252 FAX (859) 987-0008 www.claibornefarm.com TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 3/28/04 • PAGE 3 of 8 Saturday, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai Saturday, Nad Al Sheba DUBAI GOLDEN SHAHEEN-G1, $2,000,000, NAD, DUBAI SHEEMA CLASSIC-G1, $2,000,000, NAD, 3-27, 3-27, 3yo/up, 1200m, 1:10.30, ft. 4yo/up, 2400mT, 2:31.09, gd/fm. 1--#@sOUR NEW RECRUIT, 126, h, 5, by Alphabet Soup 1--sPOLISH SUMMER (GB), 123, h, 7, by Polish Precedent 1st Dam: Delta Danielle (MSP, $184,820), by Lord Avie 1st Dam: Hunt the Sun (GB), by Rainbow Quest 2nd Dam: Domasco Danielle, by Same Direction 2nd Dam: Suntrap, by Roberto 3rd Dam: Golden Delta, by Gold and Myrrh 3rd Dam: Sunny Bay, by Northern Bay ($40,000 wnlg ‘99 KEENOV; $47,000 yrl ‘00 O-Prince Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms (GB); KEESEP; $120,000 2yo ‘01 BESMAR). O-C R K T-A Fabre; J-G Stevens; $1,200,000. Lifetime Stable; B-Thomas A Groul; T-J Sadler; J-Alex Solis; Record: 22-6-10,0, $2,206,924. $1,200,000. Lifetime Record: MGSP-US, 16-5-7-2, 2--Hard Buck (Brz), 123, c, 4, Spend a Buck--Social $1,423,120. Secret (GB), by Secreto. O-Team Victory; B-Haras Old 2--Alke, 126, c, 4, Grand Slam--Pasampsi, by Crow Friends (BRZ); T-K McPeek; J-J Velazquez; $400,000. (Fr). ($125,000 yrl ‘01 KEESEP). O-K English & A 3--Scott’s View (GB), 123, g, 5, Selkirk--Milly of the Braun; B-White Fox Farm; T-Todd Pletcher; J-J Vally (GB), by Caerleon. (21,000gns yrl ‘00 TATOCT).