WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2011 For information about TDN, call 732-747-8060. CLIFFHANGER AT GOODWOOD SUMMER SHOWDOWN In the career of every dominant 3-year-old, there The fifth day of the 2011 Saratoga meet features a comes a time when that superiority has to be tested rematch between Winter Memories (El Prado {Ire}) and against the older generation, and Frankel (GB) (Galileo More Than Real (More Than {Ire}) faces his Ready) in the GII Lake George S. moment of truth A flashy debut winner over this in today=s course last summer, Winter G1 Qipco Sussex Memories was second-best at S. at Glorious even-money to More Than Real in Goodwood. The the GII Breeders= Cup Juvenile G1 July Cup and Fillies, but has been formidable G1 King George this year. The grey rallied five successes of wide to take the GIII Appalachian S. at Keeneland in her Apr. 21 Khalid Abdullah (right) with Frankel Dream Ahead seasonal opener, and showed a More Than Real bests Winter www.ladbrokes.com (Diktat {GB}) and superior turn-of-foot to claim the Memories (green cap) at Nathaniel (Ire) GII Sands Point S. at Belmont on Churchill (Galileo {Ire}) are positive markers for the merit of the Memorial Day (video). The Horsephotos Classic generation, but, in Canford Cliffs (Ire) (Tagula daughter of top turfer Memories of Silver (Silver Hawk) {Ire}), Khalid Abdullah=s effervescent performer has a has pleased trainer Jimmy Toner since her last start. high peak to scale. Frankel did not replicate his AShe=s filled out, she=s matured and developed, and we dramatic G1 2000 Guineas display when extending his couldn=t be happier with the way she is doing,@ Toner unbeaten record in Royal Ascot=s G1 St James=s Palace confirmed. ASo far, so good. We=re ready to go and S. last time June 14, leading some to suggest that he anxious to get started.@ Cont. p3 could be starting to show signs of vulnerability. Jockey Tom Queally is happy that the brilliant homebred Strong Suit (Rahy) (left) strikes in G2 Lennox S. at remains at the height of his powers, but admits that the Glorious Goodwood......p5-6 spectre of trainer Richard Hannon=s star Canford Cliffs G3 Gordon S. - Namibian (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) - p6 looms large in his mind. AThere will be a huge crowd G3 Molecomb S. - Requinto (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) - p7 and it should be a great spectacle,@ Queally wrote in his pre-race blog. AFrankel has shown he=s the best 3-year- old around and now he has to prove it against older horses, namely Canford Cliffs. He hasn=t met a horse of that calibre before, so this will tell us where he ranks among all the milers around today. A lot has been written and said about tactics, but we have options with Frankel, and in the end I=m sure it will be a case of the best horse winning.@ Trainer Sir Henry Cecil added, AEverybody is very excited about the race and it=s important for racing, but I prefer to keep quiet and let the horse do the talking. He=s definitely growing up and is getting much more sensible, so it=s easier to do what you want to do with him. The main thing is that it=s a fair race and the best horse wins.@ Cont. p2 Wednesday, Goodwood, Britain, post time: 3:10 p.m. QIPCO SUSSEX S.-G1, ,300,000, 3yo/up, 1mT SC PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER 1 2 Canford Cliffs (Ire) Tagula (Ire) Hughes Hannon 2 4 Rajsaman (Fr) Linamix (Fr) Jarnet F Head 3 1 Rio de La Plata K Rahy Dettori bin Suroor 4 3 Frankel (GB) Galileo (Ire) Queally Cecil All carry 133 pounds bar Frankel, 125. TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 7/27/11 • PAGE 2 of 11 • thoroughbreddailynews.com G1 Sussex S. cont. Canford Cliffs, who arrived here 12 months ago as the sophomore with it all to prove, duly picked up the elder Rip Van Winkle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) with some style to add to his prior Classic victory in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas. After an easy subsequent success in the G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury May 14 and a comfortable follow-up in Royal Ascot=s G1 Queen Anne S.--when he overturned the great Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa)--a month later, he arrives for this ADuel on the Downs@ with all the confidence of his customarily bullish stable behind him. ACanford Cliffs has completed his preparation and everything has gone smoothly,@ trainer Richard Hannon commented. AWe have done all the talking, and now Henry [Cecil] and I will leave it to the two horses. Obviously, tactics will play an important part, but I=ll leave that to Hughesie. We have a lot of respect for Frankel, but we know the strengths of our horse and, hopefully, we will be the ones celebrating afterwards. We took the scalp of Goldikova, and now we are after Frankel--it doesn=t come any better than this.@ Freddy Head sends across Saeed Nasser Al Romaithi=s Rajsaman (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}), who is likely to be overlooked with the focus on the main two, but who has smart form in his native France to recommend him if they fail to fire. Successful when receiving seven pounds from Byword (GB) (Peintre Celebre) in the G2 Prix du Muguet over this trip at Saint-Cloud May 1, he was third behind Goldikova and Cirrus des Aigles (Fr) (Even Top {Ire}) in the G1 Prix d=Ispahan over an extended nine furlongs at Longchamp three weeks later. AHe=s very well, but whether he=s good enough is another story,@ Head told PA Sport. Godolphin=s Rio de la Plata (Rahy), who justified J “TDN Rising Star” J status when winning the G2 Vintage S. here as a 2-year-old, was far from disgraced when fourth in the Queen Anne last time. Last year=s G1 Premio Vittorio di Capua and G1 Premio Roma winner is no back-number, despite his inflated odds. ARio de la Plata ran well at Royal Ascot and he came out of that race in good shape,@ Saeed bin Suroor commented. AA mile is the best distance for him, and he won two Group 1 races in Italy last season. This looks a very tough race, but he deserves to take his chance, and I am hoping that he can run with credit.@ SUSSEX S. - RECENT WINNERS Yr Winner Sire Trainer ‘00 Giant's Causeway Storm Cat A O'Brien ‘01 Noverre Rahy bin Suroor ‘02 Rock of Gibraltar (Ire) Danehill A O'Brien ‘03 Reel Buddy Mr. Greeley Hannon ‘04 Soviet Song (Ire) Marju (Ire) Fanshawe ‘05 Proclamation (Ire) King’s Best Noseda ‘06 Court Masterpiece (GB) Polish Precedent E Dunlop ‘07 Ramonti (Fr) Martino Alonso (Ire) bin Suroor ‘08 Henrythenavigator Kingmambo A O'Brien ‘09 Rip Van Winkle (Ire) Galileo (Ire) A O'Brien ‘10 Canford Cliffs (Ire) Tagula (Ire Hannon P TDN HEADLINE NEWS • 7/27/11 • PAGE 3 of 11 • thoroughbreddailynews.com Today’s Graded Stakes brought to you by EDT Race Click for TV 9:35a Vintage S.-G2, GOO (brisnet.com PPs) HR/TVG 10:10a Sussex S.-G1, GOO (brisnet.com PPs) HR/TVG 4:55p Lake George S.-GII, SAR (brisnet.com PPs) HR/TVG Click here to download all brisnet.com PPs for today’s graded races. CACTUS RIDGE son HOLLYWOOD HIT stars in Bold Venture S. at Woodbine! Click here for more... P P R E V I E W S P Wednesday, Saratoga, post time: 4:55 p.m. EDT LAKE GEORGE S.-GII, $150,000, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER ML 1 Little Miss Holly K Maria's Mon Lanerie Margolis 12-1 2 Sunlight Sonata Unbridled's Song Maragh Toner 10-1 3 Calmafterthestorm K Broken Vow Garcia McLaughlin 15-1 4 Winter Memories El Prado (Ire) Lezcano Toner Even 5 Bellamy Star Bellamy Road Dominguez Pletcher 5-1 6 More Than Real More Than Ready Velazquez Pletcher 2-1 MTO Marion Ravenwood A.P. Indy Velazquez Motion 8-5 After capping her 2-year-old campaign with a Breeders= Cup victory, More Than Real was out of action for seven months before taking her place in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot June 17. The chestnut was up against it in that bold venture and wasn=t persevered with late, finishing 11th on good-to-soft ground over a right-handed mile. AWe=re trying to get back on course after a failed trip to England, so we=ll hope that she=s back to her Breeders= Cup form,@ trainer Todd Pletcher reported about Bobby Flay=s colorbearer. AShe=s training very well and we=re ready to run.@ Pletcher will also lead over Bellamy Star, who was purchased privately by a partnership that includes Paul Pompa Jr. following her success in Belmont=s Xtra Heat S. for breeder Kinsman Farm. The dark bay was previously conditioned by Carl Domino. AShe=s been very straightforward,@ said Pletcher. AShe=s trained really well, and it would be my guess that she=ll be pretty forwardly placed against this group.@ Sunlight Sonata, second to Bellamy Star last out, will join stablemate Winter Memories in the starting gate. A[She] is a good filly in her own right,@ Toner told Daily Racing Form. AMaybe she goes out there, everybody takes back, and who knows what could happen?@ Look for the K throughout the TDN graded stakes entries, denoting Keeneland sales graduates.