FUTURE STARS

STOP THE PRESSES! NEWSPAPEROFRECORD headlines first Breeders’ Cup day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even if you have had dozens, even hundreds of racehorses in the past, when a special one comes along, it is hard to keep that grin off your face.

Seth Klarman, who races as Klaravich Stable (familiar red and white silks) has raced horses for decades (most with business-type names) but NEWSPAPEROFRECORD’S scintillating 6 3/4 length romp on the Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday left him speechless. Almost.

“We’ve never won a BC race and we think she is our most exceptional horse to date,” said Klarman.

The large 2-year-old filly with her distinctive wide forehead and roman-shaped nose was a rare overseas purchase by Klarman. The daughter of Lope de Vega (Ire), a Group 1 winning son of Shamardal who has 5 crops racing, was a 200,000 guineas purchase (about $278,000) from the Tattersalls October yearling sale last year.

She won the first two races of her career by a total of 13 1/2 lengths. Irad Ortiz was merely a passenger as the filly strolled to the lead over soft turf and simply widened.

Trainer Chad Brown said he may even have his first visit overseas with a runner now. “It might be close for me bringing her over there,” said Brown. “All the credit goes to [bloodstock agent]  Mike Ryan who found her.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Woodbine based/trained MY GAL BETTY, starting from post 13, was mid-pack and three wide early in the 1 mile race could not make any headway and wound up ninth for trainer Roger Attfield and owner Bill Werner.

The time of Newspaperofrecord’s romp was 1:39, a full second faster than the Juvenile Turf won by Line of Duty.

The Frankel filly EAST ran a remarkable race from come from post 14 to be 2nd.

It will be interesting to see who wins the Eclipse Award for Champion 2yo filly – Jaywalk or Newspaperofrecord, as one raced on dirt and the other on the grass.

HE DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO LOSE – HE’S GAME WINNER! (well, he used to be HONORARIUM)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bob Baffert has another star in the barn, another 2-year-old who is set to head to the Kentucky Derby. Another unbeaten star.

GAME WINNER, owned by Gary and Mary West (who own Breeders’ Cup Classic contender West Coast) powered away after a tough stretch battle to win the Juvenile in 1:43.75, a shade slower than Jaywalk’s Juvenile Fillies time but earned the hard way.

The son of Candy Ride (Arg) – Indyan Giving by A P Indy raced in mid-pack and wide all the way but joined front runner Knocks Go, winner of the Breeders’ Futurity, and engaged in a thrilling stretch battle. Eventually, this super bay colt edged clear under Joel Rosario.

A $110,000 yearling purchase at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale bred by Summer Wind Equine, the bay colt was named HONORARIUM at the time. Woodbine racing fans of a certain age will remember the Luxton family’s stakes placed mare of the same name who raced in the late 1990s.

But his name was changed to GAME WINNER and what a name it is. His catalogue page from the sale last year is below. The colt was bought by agent Ben Glass for the Wests.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JUVENILE FILLIES

JAYWALK, the cleverly named grey 2yo by first crop sire Cross Traffic (Unbridled’s Song), screamed to the lead in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies out of the gate. Coming off a fast, front running win in the Frizette at Belmont, Jaywalk fended off Bellafina, Serengeti Empress, both favourites, and then took off to win big.

Owned by Cash Is King and D J Stables (Leonard Green), Jaywalk was a $190,000 yearling purchase and she is trained by John Servis.

Her dam Lady Pewitt, by Orientate, raced once, earned $3,000. She has had a few other foals to race including multiple stakes winner Danzatrice.

The second dam is unraced Spin Room by Spinning World.

 

JUVENILE TURF

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LINE OF DUTY (Ire) by Galileo, won a messy Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf as horses were going inside and out from the quarter pole to the wire. The time of this race of 1:40 was one second slower than that of Newspaperofrecord.

Line of Duty, who was well bet by the 42,000 fans in attendance and thousands elsewhere,  was way out into the course in the stretch, but then dived inside to brush with a very unlucky Uncle Benny (Declaration of War), who had trouble through the races.

LINE OF DUTY,  a Group 3 winner in Europe for Godolphin trained by Charlie Appleby, is from a mare by Rock of Gibralter, Jacqueline Quest, who was Group 1 placed and this is her 4th Galileo foal and first stakes winner. William Buick rode the winner.

 

MORE NEWS – BULLETIN BEGINS THE BREEDERS’ CUP IN NEW TURF SPRINT

BULLETIN sped to the lead in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, a $1 million race that is ungraded since this was its first running.

The City Zip colt had raced just once, a fast maiden win at 5 furlongs at Gulfstream Park for trainer Todd Pletcher and he ran the same race over much softer turf in his second start. Owned by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club et al, the $250,000 yearling purchase is from the mare Sue’s Good news by Woodman.

Canadian bred SERGEI PROKOFIEV, by Scat Daddy, was outrun and finished 8th.

 

THOROUGHBLOG HAS 3 OF 5 WINNERS ON FIRST CUP DAY – WHAT IS IN STORE FOR THE BIG DAY?

No one was getting rich betting the first 5 Breeders’ Cup races  with two big favourites winning and the longest price being 5 to 1 on Jaywalk.

That is unless you had exotics in which tons of longshots finished 2nd and 3rd to fill exactas and trifectas.

With 9 races set to begin at 12 noon today (and a Woodbine 1st race post at 12:20), there will be lost of spots to try and scoop up a winning ticket:

 

RACE 3 – FILLY & MARE SPRINT – 7 FURLONGS **POST 12 NOON

1 – #13 MARLEY’S FREEDOM 8/5

2 -#1 SELCOURT 4/1

3 – FINLEY’SLUCKYSHARM 10/1

MARLEY’S FREEDOM is a monster ‘on paper’ with Mike Smith for trainer Bob Baffert. Won Ballerina at Saratoga with flair.

Canadian owned SELCOURT is very fast, perhaps the speed of all the speed, and it is her first race since March (she runs well fresh) FINLEY loves Churchill Downs. Canadian owned SHAMROCK ROSE has suddenly blossomed into a very good one for the Conrads but would need to run a lifetime best for the 3rd straight race.

 

RACE 4 – TURF SPRINT – 5 1/2 FURLONGS

1 – #8 CHANTELINE 15/1

2- #2 BUCCHERO 10/1

3 – #10 HAVANA GREY 20/1

The top 4 finishers from last year’s Turf Sprint are in here, but the turf will not be firm. Those top 4 are Stormy Liberal, Richard’s Boy, Disco Partner and Bucchero. Need speed but also stamina as there could be a real fracas up front. Trainer Jason Servis has 3 in the race and all are interesting.

Havana Grey has looked super this week as has the very fiesty CHANTELINE.

Fascinating that Euro colt Lost Treasure raced 4 times in 21 days recently! He is 1st Lasix and has blinkers off.

The race is extremely difficult to decipher.

 

RACE 5 – DIRT MILE

1 – #1 CITY OF LIGHT 5/2

2 – #6 SEEKING THE SOUL 5/1

3 – #7 FIRENZE FIRE 6/1

Think City of Light may enjoy a good trip along the inside near the pace of Catalina Cruiser who has never been beaten, by the way. How I throw out a 4 to 4 colt with big Beyer Figures, who knows.  He is just no value at 8 to 5.

 

RACE 6 FILLY & MARE TURF  1/8 MILES

1 – #3 WILD ILLUSION 7/2

2 – #10 MAGIC WAND 5/1

3 – #14 EZIYRA 15/1

The European gals look a bit better here with the US horses questionable at the distance or on less-than-firm turf. Trainer Dermot Weld has never won a Breeders’ Cup race and while Eziyra is not the most robust or beautiful horse, she was 3rd to Enable and loves to win races.

 

RACE 7 – SPRINT

1 – #5 IMPERIAL HINT  9/5

2 -#9 ROY H 5/2

3 #8 LIMOUSINE LIBERAL  6/1

Re-match of last year’s Sprint when Roy H  caught Imperial Hint at Del Mar and foiled my big pick of that day. I am back on this little powerhouse as he has been wild this week. Rider could not pull him up after last workout. His sire stands in Alberta! Limousine Liberal loves Churchill and had bad trip last time.

 

RACE 8 – MILE

1 – #7 EXPERT EYE 8/1

2 #8 I CAN FLY 10/1

3 #13 GUSTAV KLIMT 10/1

The 2 also-eligibles drew in as Polydream and Hunt were scratched. Easily the most difficult race of the two days to figure out. Euro’s are all ones to respect. Oscar wants firm grass.

 

RACE 9 – DISTAFF

1 – #10 BLUE PRIZE 6/1

2 – #11 MONOMOY GIRL 2/1

3 #2 ABEL TASMAN 7/2

If you can toss the dreadful run by Abel Tasman in the Zenyatta, then she would be a possible key horse of all these Saturday races. What to do with that last race, though. Blue Prize has looked super this week.

 

RACE 10  TURF

1 #2 ENABLE 1-1

2 – #12 WALDGEIST

3 – #5 MAGICAL 10-/1

She looks as good on track this week as she does on paper. Incredible filly has galloped and did some work with Dettori up in last few days.

Canadian-bred Channel Maker is a hard trying guy.

 

RACE 11 – CLASSIC

1 – #14  ACCELERATE 5/2

2 – #7 WEST COAST  5/1

3 – #4 GUNNERVERA 20/1

4- MIND YOUR BISCUITS

5- YOSHIDA

Think the older horses will be too much for the 3yos. From watching all week (the 3 hour show Players Show with Caton Bredar, Joe Kristofek and Michelle Yu) Yoshida impressed, as did Gunnevera, Catholic Boy and the Biscuit.

Super handicapping/betting race. The horse that wins should hit 109-115 Beyer Figure range. These are not American Pharoah-type horses but there are some good hard knockers in the group.

Good luck!!