MONDAY, APRIL 14, 2014 732-747-8060 $ TDN Home Page Click Here HARP STAR BRIGHTEST IN JAPAN MURTAGH PRIMED FOR PHASE TWO Harp Star (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) may have been Story and Photos by Emma Berry second best in last year=s G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, If there=s one thing that many racing fans will miss the championship race of that division, but she left no this season, it=s the sight of Johnny Murtagh, one of doubt as to her dominance yesterday, making a last-to- the most successful jockeys of the modern era, being first run to claim the G1 Oka Sho, the first leg of the led in on a big-race winner at a major festival. It=s not, Japanese Fillies Triple however, something that bothers the man himself, Crown by a neck over whose agenda it is now to be walking in alongside Red Reveur (Jpn) (Stay those winners. Gold {Jpn}), with Nuovo AIt=s nice to be at the races and seeing all the lads, Record (Jpn) (Heart=s Cry but I don=t miss the riding at all. I was pretty clear when {Jpn}) third. Taking up I made my decision and her usual position at the that was it,@ claims rear of the field, Harp Star Murtagh, now 43, who sat last of 18 through the retired from race riding Harp Star early stages while Red in February to Japan Racing Association Reveur and Nuovo Record concentrate on his stalked the pace. Tipping burgeoning training wide to circle the field coming off the turn, Harp Star operation at Fox Covert charged down the middle of the track and hit the lead Stables on The Curragh. in the closing stages to win in a mainly hands-and-heels AI never felt pressure ride. AIt=s as if she knew that this was a big Group 1 Johnny Murtagh riding,@ Murtagh added. race because she gave it her best,@ said winning rider AI used to always say to Yuga Kawada. AI=ve experienced a lot with her since her myself >This is what you work hard for and this is what 2-year-old races so I=m just glad we were able to win you do.= The hardest part of the riding was keeping my today.@ Cont. p3 weight down. I used to run every day and had that constant battle of being so disciplined for such a long READY TO ACT WINS BEAUMONT period of time, from February, and in the end right up Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence=s Ready to until after Hong Kong in early December. It was a Act (More Than Ready) overcame an erratic stretch run constant, everyday thing and you learned to manage it.@ to win Sunday=s GII Beaumont S. at Keeneland. Cont. p9 Outfooted in the early going, the gray filly trailed the field of seven down the backstretch as Richies Party Girl (Any Given Saturday) took the field through fractions of :23.41 and :47.47. The 9-5 favorite bounded into contention while racing five wide on the turn and was in front with a Ready to Act (outside) furlong to run, but began Coady Photography lugging in significantly. Under an energetic Javier Castellano and with her head turned to the outside, she began inching clear late to best Sweet Whiskey (Old Fashioned) by a half length, with Katie=s Eyes (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) 3/4 lengths back in third. AJavier did a great job once again keeping her straight,@ said winning trainer Chad Brown. AAs you can see, she=s a work in progress. We still have some things to work out with her, but if we do get her running straight down the lane, she=s probably going to gain a few lengths.@ Cont. p3 IN THIS ISSUE CO-PUBLISHERS President: Barry Weisbord [email protected] @barryweisbord Vice President: Sue Finley [email protected] @suefinley BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Beholder Set for Return Director of Business Development: Gary King [email protected] Two-time champion Beholder (Henny Hughes) kicks off her 2014 campaign next week at Santa Anita. 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Page 12 60 Broad Street, Suite 100 • Red Bank, NJ 07701 732-747-8060 | 732-747-8955 (fax) www.thoroughbreddailynews.com www.thetdn.com TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 4/14/14 • PAGE 3 of 12 • thoroughbreddailynews.com Sunday, Hanshin, Japan Sunday, Keeneland OKA SHO (JAPANESE 1000 GUINEAS)-G1, BEAUMONT S. PRESENTED BY KEENELAND -209,990,000, Hanshin, 4-13, 3yo, f, 1600mT, SELECT-GII, $200,000, KEE, 4-13, 3yo, f, a7f (AWT), 1:33.30, fm. 1:28, ft. 1--sHARP STAR (JPN), 121, f, 3, by Deep Impact (Jpn) 1--@READY TO ACT, 118, f, 3, by More Than Ready 1st Dam: Historic Star (Jpn), by Falbrav (Ire) 1st Dam: Always Auditioning, by Mizzen Mast 2nd Dam: Vega (Jpn), by Tony Bin (Ire) 2nd Dam: Nawal (Fr), by Homme De Loi (Ire) 3rd Dam: Antique Value, by Northern Dancer 3rd Dam: Lute String (Fr), by No Lute (Fr) O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm; T-Hiroyoshi ($200,000 yrl '12 KEESEP). O-Klaravich Stables Inc Matsuda; J-Yuga Kawada; -117,763,000. Lifetime & William H Lawrence; B-Fred W Hertrich III (KY); Record: 5-4-1-0. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the T-Chad C Brown; J-Javier Castellano. $120,000. eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Lifetime Record: 6-3-1-0, $236,651. Werk Nick 2--Red Reveur (Jpn), 121, f, 3 by Stay Gold (Jpn)-- Rating: A+. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Desaucered, by Dixieland Band. O-Tokyo Horse Racing; B-Shadai Farm; -44,218,000. Broken and Trained at de Meric Stables 3--Nuovo Record (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Heart=s Cry (Jpn)-- Omega Spirit (Jpn), by Spinning World. O-Reiko Hara; B-Shadai Farm; -26,109,000. 2--Sweet Whiskey, 118, f, 3, Old Fashioned--Baby Margins: NK, 3/4, 1HF. Odds: 0.20, 6.40, 29.90. Betty, by El Corredor. ($75,000 yrl '12 FTKJUL; Also Ran: Horai Akiko (Jpn), Reve d=Etoiles (Jpn), $300,000 2yo 2013 OBSMAR). O-Alto Racing, LLC; Admire Bijin (Jpn), Marble Cathedral (Jpn), Forevermore B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher. $40,000. (Jpn), Lilavati (Jpn), Bel Canto (Jpn), Peisha Felice (Jpn), Nishino Mitisirube (Jpn), Shiny Girl (Jpn), Mozu BRED BY, FOALED & RAISED AT MACHMER HALL Hatsukoi (Jpn), Fukuno Dream (Jpn), Kaunia Kukka SELECT SALES Graduate...Exceeding Expectations (Jpn), Nihonpiro Amber (Jpn), Corin Berry (Jpn). 3--Katie's Eyes, 118, f, 3, Leroidesanimaux (Brz)--Get Click for the JRA chart and video or the free an Eye Full, by Cape Town. ($20,000 wlng '11 brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. KEENOV; $75,000 yrl '12 OBSAUG). O-Ike & Dawn A first-out winner last July, Harp Star flashed her Thrash, Janet & Sam Alley; B-Liberation Farm & talent when winning the G3 Niigata Nisai S. by three lengths in her second start. Dispatched the favorite for Brandywine Farm (KY); T-Grant T Forster. $20,000. the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, Harp Star came up a nose Margins: HF, 3/4, 3HF. Odds: 1.80, 3.20, 6.30. short to Red Reveur. Given a break thereafter, the bay Foaled & Raised by Brandywine Farm (Jim & Pam Robinson) returned with a convincing victory in the G3 Tulip Sho, Also Ran: Richies Party Girl, Tea Time, Conspired, Co over Nuovo Record, Mar. 8, and stamped herself the Cola. Scratched: Spring Again. Click for the brisnet.com favorite to avenge her Juvenile Fillies loss. AI=m relieved chart, the brisnet.com PPs or the free brisnet.com it all went well,@ jockey Yuga Kawada added. AWe sat in catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO. our usual position and were able to race in good rhythm. I was just careful in where to launch our bid. Beaumont result cont. p4 It was the fourth Oka Sho victory as a trainer for former jockey Hiroyoshi Matsuda. His first came with Harp Star=s second dam, Vega, in 1993, followed by A # will distinguish first-time stakes-winners, a @ will the mighty Buena Vista (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}) in indicate first-time graded stakes-winners, a s will 2009 and Marcellina (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in denote a first-time Grade/Group 1 winner, a + will 2011.