HEADLINE THREE CHIMNEYS NEWS The Idea is Excellence. For information about TDN, EXCHANGE RATE call 732-747-8060. 5 SH, including a new SW, in 3 days www.thoroughbreddailynews.com TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2008 TDN Feature Presentation HENRYTHENAVIGATOR HEADS QEII 13 Susan Magnier=s dual Classic hero Henrythenavigator GRADE 1 JOCKEY CLUB GOLD CUP (Kingmambo) heads a cast of 13 remaining entries for Saturday=s G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot after yes- terday=s confirmation and supplementary stage. Fifth in the Sept. 7 G1 Prix du Moulin du Longchamp last time, the Ballydoyle sophomore has recorded four wins at the highest level this term and is joined on the list for the LEMON DROP KID Sony-sponsored event by stablemates Astronomer 15TH STAKES WINNER OF 2008 IS LEMON CHIFFON Royal (Danzig), Honoured Guest (Ire) (Danehill), US WINNER OF THE $100,000 LAS MADRINAS H. Ranger (Danzig) and Minneapolis (GB) (Sadler=s Wells). Stiff opposition includes Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum=s Tamayuz (GB) (Nayef), while trainer Freddy CURLIN HAS FINAL GOLD CUP DRILL Head has supplemented Racinger (Fr) (Spectrum {Ire}). Reigning Horse of the Year Curlin (Smart Strike) Further Gallic spice is provided by Sageburg (Ire) (Jo- worked a half mile yesterday over Saratoga=s Oklahoma hannesburg) and Sabana Perdida (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) training track in preparation for and the baker=s dozen is completed by Festoso (Ire) Saturday=s GI Jockey Club Gold (Diesis {GB}), Nahoodh (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}), Raven=s Pass Cup. The imposing chestnut cov- (Elusive Quality) and Winker Watson (GB) (Piccolo {GB}). ered the distance in an easy :51.85, setting internal fractions of :13 and :25.70 before gallop- PROUD SPELL DONE FOR YEAR Brereton Jones s homebred Proud Spell (Proud Citi- ing out five furlongs in 1:06.15. = zen), second as the heavy favorite in Saturday s GII Fitz Steve Asmussen, assistant to = Dixon Cotillion H. at Philadelphia Park, trainer Scot Blasi, termed the will be given the remainder of the year workout Aperfect,@ adding, AIt off. The three-year-old filly, winner of was his normal work before he Curlin A Coglianese the GI Kentucky Oaks, will be turned runs. He got over the ground out at Jones=s Airdrie Stud in Kentucky really well and we are all excited about Saturday.@ for the next month while connections Curlin is expected to ship to Belmont Tuesday morning. mull over her future. She s been run- Also working for the Gold Cup, GI Travers S. runner- A = ning every month since February against up Mambo in Seattle (Kingmambo) went a half mile in the best fillies in the country, and the :49.64 at Belmont Monday. With regular rider Robby Adam Coglianese last two races she s been just a little Albarado committed to Curlin for the Gold Cup, Mambo = knocked out after the race, and it=s in Seattle will be ridden by Edgar Prado. AWe under- wearing on her just a little bit, Jones explained from stand what a tall order it is to go against a champion @ the Keeneland sales grounds yesterday. ASo we want to like Curlin,@ admitted the three-year-old=s trainer Neil turn her out and let her be a horse for a month. Then Howard. AAnd it is always a big step up when a three- we ll decide whether we re going to race her next year year-old goes up against older horses. We had the = = or not. We love to race. She loves to race, and she s GII Super Derby in Louisiana as an option, but we had a = good at it. So we ll quite possibly be racing her next feeling that Mambo in Seattle would love Belmont Park = year. But we haven t made that firm decision yet. and would love to train here. Plus, it gave us another = @ Trained by Larry Jones, Proud Spell has thus far week after a tough race like the Travers.@ amassed a record of 12-7-3-2 and earnings of Gold Cup hopeful Ravel (Fusaichi Pegasus) went a $2,123,610. Cont. p2 half mile yesterday in :49.92. www.juddmonte.com P TDN HEADLINE NEWS • 9/23/08 • PAGE 2 of 9 Championship Implications... PERFECT DRIFT RETIRED Perfect Drift The announcement, which means Proud Spell will not (Dynaformer--Nice Gal, by Naskra), a GISW who earned start in the Oct. 24 GI Breeders= Cup Ladies= Classic at $4,714,212 to lead the progeny of his sire, has been Santa Anita, adds further intrigue to the three-year-old retired, his trainer Richard Mandella announced. The filly division. With Indian Blessing nine-year-old gelding had finished third in the Windy (Indian Charlie) in contention for fe- Sands H. at Del Mar Sept. 1 in his most recent start. AIt male sprint honors, the title of cham- wasn=t a bad race, but I don=t think I had him at the pion three-year-old filly looks to be highest level, which is where I think he should be,@ between Proud Spell and Music Note Mandella said. AThe only instructions I had were, if I (A.P. Indy), who recently took the didn=t think he could compete a high level and represent Sept. 13 GI Gazelle S. with ease. The himself well, then it=d be time to retire him.@ His owner two have met twice this year. Music Dr. William Reed said the gelding will live at his farm in Note captured the GI Mother Goose Kansas, but is also Alooking around to see what might S. in June, while Proud Spell endured be possible for him to become a pony at one of the a troubled trip. The latter turned the Midwest tracks, probably Churchill.@ Perfect Drift, bred tables in the GI Alabama S. in Au- in Kentucky by Reed in partnership with Stonecrest gust, however, staving off Music Farm, retires with a record of 50-11-14-7. AWe feel Note in the final strides at the Spa. Brereton Jones eternally grateful to him for taking us to places where Asked if year-end honors factored in Horsephotos never had been,@ Reed added. Third in the 2002 his decision making, Jones admitted, GI Kentucky Derby, Perfect Drift won seven graded AYeah, it did. The competition will be between the two stakes in his eight-year career, which was highlighted of them. We have great respect for Music Note--there=s by an upset of eventual Horse of the Year Mineshaft no question about that. We hooked each other fair and (A.P. Indy) in the 2003 GI Stephen Foster H. Through square [in the Alabama] and we were able to beat her-- his 2007 campaign, Perfect Drift was conditioned by nobody had an excuse. If Music Note goes on and wins Murray Johnson, who has left training and is now a [the Ladies= Classic], and the Breeders= Cup has the partner in Equine Products LLC, which sells therapeutic quality it normally has, then, quite frankly, I think she horse products like the Niagara Equissage. The duo had deserves to be the champion. But we=ve run quite a few their best year in 2003 when they won the GII Wash- more times than her and run against the best at differ- ington Park H., the GII Kentucky Cup Classic and the ent tracks, so if she doesn=t win the Breeders= Cup, GII Hawthorne Gold Cup in addition to their Stephen then I think we would deserve to be the champion.@ Foster victory. Two years later, they added a second Jones also said that he was reticent to race over Santa Washington Park triumph, which would be the final win Anita=s new Pro-Ride surface. AIt just didn=t seem fair to of Perfect Drift=s career. He=d subsequently placed in take her out to an artificial surface that she hasn=t been three Grade I stakes, including a third in the 2005 GI running on, especially given as many times as she=s Breeders= Cup Classic. A[Training Perfect Drift] was a started this year,@ he said. AWe took on, really, the very career highlight, and I felt it was something that=d be best fillies--we were the first to beat Indian Blessing-- hard to replicate,@ Johnson said. AHe took us to all parts and it was one top race after another. She is just such of the country and won major races at tracks in the a competitor, and we want to be fair to her.@ Proud Midwest where I had raced for many years.@ Perfect Spell has won four of eight this season. In addition to Drift made four starts for Mandella in 2008, with his the Alabama and Kentucky Oaks, she won the GII Fair third in the Windy Sands as his best effort, as he had Grounds Oaks and GII Delaware Oaks. failed to place in his three previous starts. P TDN HEADLINE NEWS • 9/23/08 • PAGE 3 of 9 RED ROCKS BACK ON TRACK GI Man o= War S. FATTY'S BLOWOUT RAISES OVER $5,000 FOR winner Red Rocks (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) returned to the CHARITY Fatty=s Four Star Blowout, held this year in work tab yesterday for the first time since a hock infec- memory of the late David Mullins, raised more than tion knocked him out of Aug. 16 $5,000 for Central Kentucky Riding for Hope. AWhat a GI Sword Dancer Invitational H. tribute to David this was,@ said Four Star Sales Manag- The five-year-old, winner of the ing Partner Kerry Cauthen.