WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014 732-747-8060 $ TDN Home Page Click Here SOVEREIGN AWARD FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FEATURE PRESENTATION • GII HOLY BULL S. The Jockey Club of Canada has announced finalists in 11 equine and five human categories for the Sovereign Awards. Among the finalists for 2-year-old filly champion is GI Breeders= Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Ria Antonia (Rockport Harbor), while Queen=s Plate winner Midnight Aria (Midnight Lute) highlights the sophomore male WICKED STRONG LOOKS TO INSPIRE finalists. River Seven By Catlyn Spivey (Johannesburg), who The Boston Marathon bombing that killed three and won the injured 260 people on Apr. 15 shook America, but no GIII Commonwealth Turf one was more effected than the New England S. at Churchill Downs Midnight Aria residents. Since that time, and was second in both Michael Burns funds have been developed the Prince of Wales S. for victims, and many have and Breeders= S., is a finalist in both the 3-year-old male rallied together to restore the category and in the champion turf male division. city. With the anniversary of Finalists for leading breeder are: Adena Springs, the tragedy fast approaching, Chiefswood Stables Ltd., William D. Graham and horse racing gives Boston one Sam-Son Farm, while the leading owner finalists are more reason to be hopeful, in Bear Stables Ltd., John C. Oxley, Sam-Son Farms and a possible GI Kentucky Derby Tucci Stables. The winners will be announced at contender, Wicked Strong ceremonies to be held Friday, Apr. 11, on the eve of (Hard Spun). the opening of the 2014 racing season at Woodbine Don Little, Jr. of Centennial Racetrack just outside Toronto. Farms purchased Wicked Strong at Keeneland For a complete list of finalists, p6. Share this story. September seven months before the Boston tragedy. The colt was already given a name before the purchase, Don Little but Little had other plans. centennialfarms.com AI wasn=t crazy about the name Moyne Spun. His dam was Moyne Abbey and he=s by Hard Spun, so that really wasn=t too catchy,@ he explained. AWe were in the process of changing it, but Boston Strong was taken. Since >wicked= is the absolute adjective of New Englanders and Bostonians, it fit perfectly.@ The Massachusetts-based Centennial Farms went to $375,000 for the colt at the 2012 Keeneland September sale, but the name had little to do with the colt=s appeal. AHe has a very athletic build and he was a great mover on the walk,@ said Little. AHe gives you a sense of presence. His eye is very aware and you can just sense his intelligence and that he=s all business. He also has, what I like to call, the lucky spots on his shoulder.@ Cont. p5 In This Issue EPC Meets 60 Broad St., Suite 100 Red Bank, NJ 07701 The European Pattern Committee met last (732) 747-8060 week and announced changes to 2014 pattern (732) 747-8955 (fax) races, including an upgrade for the British www.thoroughbreddailynews.com Champions Long Distance Cup. www.thetdn.com European Pattern Committee Page 3 CO-PUBLISHERS Chairman Brian Kavanagh hripressoffice.ie Barry Weisbord, President [email protected] • @barryweisbord Sue Finley, Vice President [email protected] • @suefinley Stakes Fields BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Fields were drawn yesterday for the G2 Al Fahidi Fort at Meydan Thursday Gary King, Director of Business Development and for the GIII John B. Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston Saturday. [email protected] EDITORIAL Fields page 4 [email protected] Jessica Martini, Editor-in-Chief Alan Carasso, Managing Editor Steve Sherack, Racing Editor Brian DiDonato, Racing Analyst/Soc. Media Dir. Vorda Has Guineas Target Justina Severni, Associate Editor Christie DeBernardis, Assistant Editor Trainer Philippe Sogorb confirms Vorda (Fr) Heather Likins, Assistant Editor (Orpen) will be pointed towards the G1 QIPCO Catlyn Spivey, Assistant Editor 1000 Guineas. ADVERTISING [email protected] Alycia Borer, Director of Advertising Page 5 Lia Kusch, Senior Advertising Designer Sarah K. Andrew, Senior Advertising Vorda Racing Post Coordinator/Director of Distribution Amanda Crelin, Advertising Designer Amanda Foster, Advertising Assistant CUSTOMER SERVICE [email protected] Bill Oppenheim Vicki Forbes, Director of Customer Service Bill Oppenheim continues his look at APEX ratings, focusing this week solely INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY on 2013 figures. Robert Williams, Director of IT [email protected] Page 7 Gregg Casillo, DB Administrator, Programming [email protected] WORLDWIDE INFORMATION Kelsey Riley, International Editor OBS January Mixed Sale Starts [email protected] The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company, looking to follow up on a record-breaking Sean Cronin, Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing Tom Frary, Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing 2013, kicks off its 2014 season today with the first session of its January Mixed [email protected] Sale. Page 1 (atw) TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 1/22/14 • PAGE 3 of 11 • thoroughbreddailynews.com EUROPEAN PATTERN COMMITTEE MEETS The EPC has also rubber-stamped the necessary Courtesy PA Sport changes to the program ahead of the inception of the The British Champions Long Distance Cup is the most two-day Irish Champions Weekend to be staged at notable upgrade in the British calendar following the Leopardstown and The Curragh on September 13-14. European Pattern Committee's recent annual meeting. A total of 10 group races will be run, including five at The two-mile event takes place on Champions Day at Group 1 status, with the Champion, Matron and Ascot Oct. 18 and will now be run as a Group 2 event Moyglare Stud S. all switching to a later date to feature after being upgraded from Group 3 status, as will as part of the new two-day spectacular. As a Leopardstown=s Solonaway S. Sept. 13. consequence, the Sun Chariot S. at Newmarket will Salisbury's Dick Poole S. is another contest to be move to Oct. 4, a week later than usual, to maintain augmented by the the current three-week gap between that race and the EPC, switching Matron S. from listed to Changes to the venue of a number of end-of-season Group 3 status, group races in France, most notably the G1 Prix along with the Royal-Oak, were also approved in anticipation of the Vintage Crop S. at closure of Longchamp for redevelopment after the Navan. 2014 running of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. However, in a The EPC also confirmed its intention to toughen up blow for Chester, their stance on quality, with 43 races at risk of the Dee S. has downgrading in 2015, including the Bahrain Trophy at European Pattern Committee Chairman Brian been downgraded Newmarket and the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Kavanagh hripressoffice.ie to listed level from Curragh. Group 3, while the Italian racing has been plagued by funding issues in Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot has also undergone the recent years and the EPC has decided that a final same demotion. ultimatum will be presented to the authorities The Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown, stipulating certain conditions in relation to the payment the Prix Noailles at Longchamp and the Goldene of prize-money, including the payment of all arrears by Peitsche at Baden-Baden have all been changed to the end of March 2014. Should they fail to comply, Group 3 from Group 2 after having failed to achieve the Italy would cease to be a member of EPC from the start required rating parameter for the previous three years. of 2015. Cont. p4 TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 1/22/14 • PAGE 4 of 11 • thoroughbreddailynews.com "The European Pattern Committee made a number of important decisions last Thursday, including an BLACK-TYPE PREVIEWS upgrading of the programme on QIPCO British Thursday, Meydan, UAE, post time: 11:50 a.m. EST Champions Day, the approval of the Pattern race AL FAHIDI FORT S.-G2, $250,000, NH4yo/up, SH3yo/up, 7fT programme for the inaugural running of Irish Champions SC PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT Weekend and a further strengthening of the 1 1 Anaerobio (Arg) Ctchr In the Rye (Ire) Soumillon De Kock 126 2 2 Fulbright (GB) Excd & Excl (Aus) Barzalona Appleby 126 Committee's Ground Rules,@ EPC Chairman Brian K Kavanagh said. "As a consequence, there will be an 3 3 Mshawish Medaglia d'Oro Dettori Dlzangles 126 4 4 Mustaheel (Ire) Lawman (Fr) Ffrench Al Raihe 126 overall reduction of black-type races in Europe this year, 5 5 Pearl Flute (Ire) Piccolo (GB) Spencer Graffard 126 and a total of 43 races, including six Group 1 races, will 6 6 Kavanagh (SAf) Tiger Ridge Thulliez De Kock 126 be subject to review after their 2014 running.@ 7 7 Heavy Metal (SAf) Silvano (Ger) Geroudis Tarry 131 Kavanagh continued, "The Committee greatly regrets 8 8 Tamaathul (GB) Tiger Hill (Ire) Hanagan Al Raihe 126 the situation which has developed in Italy, but is now 9 9 Iguazu Falls Pivotal (GB) de Vries Harmash 126 10 10 Dux Scholar (GB) Oasis Dream (GB) Dobbs Watson 126 setting out clear criteria which must be met in order for 11 11 Dafeef (GB) Medicean (GB) O'Neill Watson 126 Italy to retain its membership of the European Pattern 12 12 Roi De Vitesse (Ire) Chineur (Fr) Bentley Jan 126 and the black-type status of its races. The Committee 13 13 Gale Force Ten (GB) Oasis Dream (GB) Cosgrave De Kock 126 has also agreed that the European programme for 14 14 Le Drakkar (Aus) Anabaa O'Shea bin Huzaim 126 sprinters, stayers and 2-year-olds would benefit from a Saturday, Sam Houston Race Park, post time: 11:15 p.m. EST special review and will convene a further meeting in JOHN B.