SUN SHINES ON MAN O’WAR HEADLINE ... p5 NEWS For information about TDN, DELIVERED EACH NIGHT BY FAX AND FREE BY E-MAIL TO SUBSCRIBERS OF call 732-747-8060. www.thoroughbreddailynews.com SATURDAY, SEPT. 11, 2004 DEPUTY MINISTER DIES THE DOYEN OF IRELAND? Champion and leading sire Deputy Minister (Vice After his demolition job in the King George, Regent--Mint Copy, by Bunty’s Flight) died Friday at the Godolphin’s Doyen (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) had jockey Ohio State University Veterinary Frankie Dettori in raptures, and the colt could prove Hospital. The 25-year-old had aptly named if he handles the small but been undergoing treatment for a stellar line-up in today’s G1 Irish Cham- mass in his sinus passage. Dep- pion S. at Leopardstown. Godolphin uty Minister had covered 71 have won this with Swain (Ire), Daylami mares at Brookdale Farm this (Ire), Fantastic Light and Grandera (Ire) year, getting 64 in foal. His stud since 1998, and Doyen was heralded as fee was $100,000 for 2004. A equal to those past stars by Sheikh Mo- Deputy Minister champion in the U.S. and Canada hammed after his facile three-length rout www.windfields.com at two in 1981, the dark bay in the G1 King George VI & Queen Eliza- twice led all North American sires by earnings and sired beth Diamond S. at Ascot July 24, just a pair of Eclipse Award winners in Go for Wand and three weeks after he had smashed that Doyen Action Plus Open Mind. Cont. p8 venue’s 31-year-old track record in the G2 Hardwicke S. “He looks magnificent and has A GHOST OF A CHANCE worked really well,” Dettori said. “He gave me the feel A Grade I-winning sprinter, Ghostzapper (Awesome of a champion...I feel he is better now than before the Again) stretched out to two turns for the first time in King George.” Champion S. cont. p3 his career for the Aug. 21 GIII Iselin Breeders’ Cup H. going nine furlongs at HISTORY IN THE MAKING? Monmouth Park and made Despite his major trophy haul over the years, Sir short work of his route de- Michael Stoute’s portfolio lacks the most historic prize but, cruising to a 10 3/4- of them all, but Quiff (GB) (Sadler’s Wells) may be able length score. The four-year- to put that to rights in the G1 St Leger at Doncaster old should have no trouble today. Connections welcomed yesterday’s rain, as she handling the one-turn mile coped so well with the deep and an eighth of today’s GI ground when winning the G1 York- Woodward S. at Belmont shire Oaks by 11 lengths Aug. 18. Ghostzapper Adam Coglianese photo Park. “People don’t realize “She’s a good-ground filly, but the how good he is,” trainer rain will help,” jockey Kieren Fallon Bobby Frankel said. “I guess it’s because he hasn’t won said. “Although it’s going to be the big races yet.” But the bay has done little besides tough against Rule of Law, I’m win. Lightly raced, Ghostzapper has been first in six of pretty confident now the rain has his eight career starts, ending his sophomore campaign come.” Fillies have a sound record Quiff & Stoute Action Plus with a 6 1/2-length triumph in the Sept. 27 GI in this Classic, with seven of the Vosburgh S., then returning to take the July 4 GII Tom last 12 making the frame. But luminaries such as Dimin- Fool H. prior to his Iselin romp. He comes into the uendo, Hellenic (Ire) and Ramruma have failed to beat Woodward off just three weeks’ rest, but Frankel is not the colts, and it has been 12 years since User Friendly concerned about the short break between races. “It (GB) last won in 1992. Unlike those high-class fillies, doesn’t look like [the Iselin] bothered him,” the Hall of Quiff arrives here fresh, having only her fourth start Famer said. “He’s trained well since then.” after her third in the G2 Ribblesdale S. at Royal Ascot Woodward cont. p2 June 17 and Yorkshire Oaks romp. St Leger cont. p4 www.coolmore.com TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 9/11/04 • PAGE 2 of 9 W O O D W A R D S. Pletcher Sends Out a Pair... P P Trainer Todd Pletcher, fresh off a record-equalling season at Saratoga, will take two shots at the favorite. Afraid of Ghosts? Newfoundland (Storm Cat) has not Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. was pointing Saint Liam visited the winner’s circle since (Saint Ballado) to the Woodward before Ghostzapper taking the GIII Skip Away S. at turned to route racing, and decided to stick with the Gulfstream in March, but was sec- plan even after seeing what Frankel’s four-year-old ond by a neck in the July 3 GI could do going a distance, but he’s not optimistic about Suburban H. He looks to rebound his chances. “I don’t like running against Ghostzapper, from a seventh-place showing in but we’ve planned on this race for a while,” he said. the Aug. 7 GI Whitney S., and Saint Liam ended 2003 with an Aqueduct allowance Pletcher felt the $3.3 million Newfoundland Equi-Photo win in December and added a victory in an optional KEESEP yearling had an excuse at claimer at Gulfstream in January. The bay shipped to Saratoga. “He drew post 9 and was about six-wide on Fair Grounds for the Feb. 29 GII New Orleans H. and both turns,” he said. Stablemate Colita (Grindstone) just missed, finishing second by a head to Peace Rules, came back after an eight-month layoff to capture a then set fast early fractions in the Apr. 3 GII Oaklawn Belmont allowance July 4 and most recently finished a H. before fading to third. He has not been out since. He game second at Saratoga July 28. “We’ll take a shot had some quarter cracks,” Dutrow said. “He’s got really with Colita,” Pletcher said. “He’s three-for-three at delicate feet, but he couldn’t be doing any better now.” Belmont and a mile and an eighth is a good fit for him.” Saturday, Belmont Park, post time: 5:46 p.m. EDT WOODWARD S.-GI, $500,000, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m PP HORSE OWNER BREEDER TRAINER/JOCKEY ODDS 1 Colita Team Valor Nuckols Jr & Sons (Ky) Pletcher 15-1 (c, 4, Grindstone--All Sweets, by Dixieland Band) Migliore 2 Saint Liam W K Warren Jr & S Warren E P Evans (Ky) Dutrow Jr 6-1 (c, 4, Saint Ballado--Quiet Dance, by Quiet American) Prado 3 Midway Road W S Farish W S Farish (Ky) Howard 5-1 (c, 4, Jade Hunter--Fleet Road, by Magesterial) Albarado Jr 4 Ghostzapper Stronach Stables Adena Springs (Ky) Frankel 4-5 (c, 4, Awesome Again--Baby Zip, by Relaunch) Castellano 5 Newfoundland Sumaya Us Stable G Watts Humphrey (Ky) Pletcher 6-1 (c, 4, Storm Cat--Clear Mandate, by Deputy Minister) Velazquez 6 Seek Gold R V LaPenta Highfield Farm (Ky) Zito 20-1 (g, 4, Touch Gold--Aly’s Adita, by Alydar) Velasquez 7 Bowman’s Band M S Schwartz J W Rooker (Ky) H Jerkens 8-1 (h, 6, Dixieland Band--Hometown Queen, by Pleasant Colony) Dominguez 8 Presidentialaffair Papandrea & Ciresa Will Run Farm (Pa) Ciresa 12-1 (g, 5, Not for Love--Quite Amazing, by Bear Hunt) Fragoso All carry 126 pounds. TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 9/11/04 • PAGE 3 of 9 IRISH CHAMPION S. Sophomore Jinx... P P Sophomores have found their elders hard to handle in this contest, with Alamshar (Ire), The Flagbearer... Hawk Wing and Galileo (Ire) all fail- Racing Manager Simon Crisford described Doyen (Ire) ing to justify favoritism in the last (Sadler’s Wells) as “Godolphin’s flagship horse” yester- three renewals. A pair of three-year- day. “It is very important to see Doyen go on to the olds go after the top prize this year. next stage,” he said. “We saw him do so well in the Two-for-two at Leopardstown, Grey King George and now we have got to consolidate that-- Swallow (Ire) (Daylami {Ire}) drops he needs to reproduce that effort on Saturday to go on back from the 12 furlongs over to the big autumn campaign. He is in tremendous which he lowered the colors of form.” Tackling 10 furlongs for the first time, he has to North Light (Ire) in the G1 Irish take care of the trip specialist Rakti (GB) (Polish Prece- Derby at The Curragh June 27. In dent). Last year’s G1 Cham- contrast, Azamour (Ire) (Night Shift) Azamour Action Plus pion S. winner looked special steps up from a mile, having won when beating Powerscourt the G1 St James’s Palace S. at Royal Ascot in his most (GB) (Sadler’s Wells) by two recent appearance June 15. He previously had Grey lengths in the G1 Prince of Swallow behind him when third in the G1 2000 Guin- Wales’s S. on his return at eas at Newmarket May 1 and second in the Irish equiv- Royal Ascot June 16, but a alent at The Curragh May 22. combination of bad Powerscourt (#10) Horsephotos draw and soft ground Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland, post time: 3:30 p.m. proved his undoing in BAILEYS IRISH CHAMPION S.-G1, i1,000,000, 3/up, 10fT the G1 Eclipse S. at Sandown last time July 3.