Cover image courtesy of Shadai Stallion Station
Maximum Security continues winning ways in Pacific Classic
It was a gate-to-wire G1 TVG Pacific Classic victory for Maximum Security (USA) (New Year’s Day {USA}) on Saturday at Del Mar for the 4-year-old’s fourth career Grade 1 victory.
Making his second start for Bob Baffert, the colt easily handled the 2000 metre distance when breaking on top and staying there throughout. He had Sharp Samurai (USA) (First Samurai {USA}) alongside as they went down the homestretch for the first time with Midcourt (USA) (Midnight Lute {USA}) attending them closely alongside Higher Power (USA) (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}).
Higher Power tried to add to the pressure down the backside as he ranged up outside First Samurai but by the time they hit the final 500 metres, it was all between Maximum Security and First Samurai.
That colt yielded at the top of the stretch with last year’s Champion 3-Year-Old galloping home to win by 3l, with Midcourt finishing third 2.75l behind Sharp Samurai.
It was the sixth consecutive victory for the son of Shadai Stallion Station resident New Year’s Day.
A homebred for co-owners Gary and Mary West, Maximum Security is one of three winners from three to race out of Lil Indy (USA) (Anasheed {USA}), a half-sister to three-time Grade 1 winner Flat Out (USA) (Flatter {USA}) and stakes-winner Our Best Man (USA) (Runaway Groom {USA}).
Maximum Security provided a timely update for his Keeneland September Yearling Sale-bound full sister, who sells with Taylor Made Sales as Lot 256 next month.
The winner of nine of his 12 races is set to retire to Coolmore’s Ashford Stud at the end of his racing career.
Halladay upsets Fourstardave
The only stakes on Saturday’s Saratoga card, the G1 Fourstardave S. was billed as an interesting race with a bevy of top contenders. It didn’t disappoint with Halladay (USA) (War Front {USA}) pulling a slight upset to earn an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Mile in November.
The grey War Front (USA) son was given an easy lead in the 1600 metre race with two horses vying for second about 1l behind him. Luis Saez gave Halladay a breather mid-race and that gave him all the energy he needed to put in a strong run in the stretch. Last year’s winner Got Stormy (USA) (Get Stormy {USA}) attempted to catch the leader with 200 metres left to go as Halladay wandered a bit.
However, when she reached his tail, the colt found another gear to pull away and win by 1.25l with that same distance the margin between Got Stormy and third-placed Casa Creed (USA) (Jimmy Creed {USA}).
Halladay is the 22nd Group or Grade 1 winner for War Front, who has seen 11 horses go to the winner’s circle in stakes races in four different countries this year.
"We thought we were the speed in the race and we wanted to go ahead and let him do his thing, but he actually didn't break cleanly and it took him four or five strides to get his legs underneath him,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “Once he was able to get there, he pricked his ears and settled and relaxed nicely and kicked strongly coming for home. At the three-sixteenths pole, Got Stormy made a big run at him and I thought it was going to be a close finish from there, but he was able to find a little more."
The 4-year-old colt is the first stakes winner out of Tapit’s (USA) Grade 3 winner Hightap (USA), who has five winners from five to race. Halladay also hails from the family of Western Australian stakes-winner Money Exchange (Magic Of Money) with that gelding’s granddam sent to Australia in the late 1980s.
Halladay provided a timely update for his yearling half-sister by Gun Runner (USA), who is scheduled to go through the ring as Lot 1396 at next month’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Tawkeel continues rolling in Deauville
The undefeated Tawkeel (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) added a fifth win to her resume on Saturday for Hamdan Al Maktoum in the G2 Shadwell Prix de la Nonette.
Racing on ground labelled “very soft” in the 2000 metre race, Tawkeel tracked Storm (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who had a clear lead. While that rival was easy to overcome for the lead, Tawkeel then had to deal with Tickle Me Green (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), who wasn’t going to let her have an easy run.
In the closing stages, Tawkeel inched away to build a 0.5l lead by the wire with Nathaniel’s (Ire) Alkandora (GB) 0.75l back in third.
“Turning for home, it looked to me as though she was going to win as easily as she did in the Saint-Alary, but she had to fight,” trainer Jean-Claude Rouget told Thoroughbred Daily News. “I felt it was the combination of two factors as she definitely needed the race and the ground was too soft for her. I didn’t want to be too hard on her in morning work at home and, anyway, in the end, she won safely and the essential has been done.”
All going well, the filly will be seen on Arc weekend in the G1 Prix de l’Opera, with Rouget pointing to that race as her big target.
A Shadwell homebred, Tawkeel is out of Rafaadah (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), herself a granddaughter of dual champion Joanna (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}).
Joanna is one of two stakes winners for her own dam alongside New Zealand Group 1 winner Willie Cazals (Ire) (Aussie Rules {Ire}) with Australian stakes-winner Tales Of Fashion also in the family.
Safe Voyage much the best at York
On the final day of the Ebor Festival, Safe Voyage (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) made easy work of the G2 Sky Bey City of York S. with a 3.5l romp with Jason Hart aboard.
Staying at the 1400 metre distance that had seen him already take home a stakes win in 2020, Safe Voyage broke strongly and went straight to the lead over Queen Jo Jo (GB) (Gregorian {Ire}). Drifting to the centre of the track and making his way to the stand’s side rail one in the long home straight, Safe Voyage was always in command under Hart.
Hart started working on his mount with 400 metres left to go and it looked for a stage like he may have to fight for the win. That was put to bed in the final 100 metres when he started lengthening his margin over One Master (GB) (Fastnet Rock) to cross the line 3.5l in front with that filly 0.75l in front of Queen Jo Jo.
Safe Voyage is one of two winners out of the stakes-placed Shishangaan (Ire) (Mujadil {Ire}), who is one of three stakes horses for the stakes-placed Irish Flower (Ire) (Zieten {USA}).
Mac Swiney fitting winner of Futurity
The first stakes winner inbred 2 x 3 to Galileo (Ire) proved to be the best in that stallion’s sponsored G2 Irish EBF Futurity S. on Saturday with Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) taking out the race at the Curragh on Saturday.
A homebred for trainer Jim Bolger, the colt easily handled the soft going over 1400 metres as he raced just behind the leading Ontario (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Jockey Kevin Manning started edging his mount as they hit the 500 metre mark with Mac Swiney taking a bit to find another gear as Ontario continued rolling in front with Cadillac (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) just behind him.
As they passed the final furlong marker, the pair split the leader and both made a run for the line with Mac Swiney coming out the best and Cadillac finishing another 0.5l in front of Ontario.
“He did it well on the ground he wouldn’t really appreciate,” Una Manning told Thoroughbred Daily News. “The plan now is to go for the [G1] National S. When he won here the last time [Bolger] said he was his Derby horse. It seemed to be a strong race. Hopefully, we can get a good result in the National S. now and go from there.”
By New Approach (Ire), Mac Swiney is one of two winners from two to race out of Teofilo’s (Ire) Halla Na Saoire (Ire), who is a half-sister to the dam of Teofilo’s Group 1 winner Parish Hall (Ire) and from the family of Sea The Stars’ (Ire) champion filly Taghrooda (Ire).
Mac Swiney is one of four winners from 17 winners bred with Galileo in both the second and third generation and one of four winners by a Galileo son out of a Galileo granddaughter.
Pretty Gorgeous gets revenge in Debutante
Second to Shale (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) last out, Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}) reversed the placings on Saturday when leading home an O’Brien 1-2-3 in the 1400 metre G2 A.R.M. Holding Debutante.
Racing in midpack closest to the outside rail, the 2-year-old Joseph O’Brien-trained filly was always within a few lengths of the leading Finest as Shane Crosse let Pretty Gorgeous get comfortable. He moved her a bit closer with 500 metres to run and didn’t start asking Pretty Gorgeous for her best until the final 300 metres as Shale took the lead with the eventual winner right behind her.
It was a kind ride by Crosse, who obviously had the best mount as he gave her mostly a hand ride in the closing stages to win by 2.5l over Donnacha O’Brien’s Shale with Aidan O’Brien’s Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) third.
“She’s a very good filly,” the winning trainer told Thoroughbred Daily News. “We were a bit worried about the ground today, but she obviously handled it. Being by Lawman, we thought that gave her a chance. We felt that she’d definitely get closer to Donnacha’s filly after her run in Leopardstown, as we thought the Curragh would be more suitable for us.”
By Lawman (Fr), Pretty Gorgeous was a €55,000 ($AU90,578)weanling at Arqana who was sold at Tattersalls’ October Yearling Sale the following year for 525,000 gns.
The filly is a half-sister to Toronado’s (Ire) stakes-winning son Alwaab (Fr) and a granddaughter of Listed winning Cayman Sunset (Ire) (Night Shift {USA}), who is also the granddam of dual Group 1 winner Qemah (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).
Thorin continues success in France
The German-bred Thorin (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) became his dam’s third stakes winner on Saturday in Deauville with a victory in the G3 Shadwell Prix Daphnis.
Running over 1600 metres, Thorin broke well and raced in midpack as King’s Command (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) set the lead with a trio of horses right behind him. The leader was given an easy lead until they swung into the stretch and he quickly folded under pressure with the field swamping him.
As he was going backward, Tammani (GB) (Make Believe {GB}) took over the lead to his outside but that was short-lived with Thorin making a big run on that rival’s outside to take the lead with 200 metres left to run.
A few taps on the shoulder by Andrassch Starke had Thorin extending his stride and his lead to 1.25l at the line over Tammani with Kenway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) in third.
This was the fourth win in six starts for the German-bred colt, who is a half-brother to Germany’s 2011 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Tai Chi (Ger) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and that colt’s Group 3 winning half-sister Taraja (Ger).
Thorin’s stakes-placed half-sister Takenja (Ger) (Dubawi {Ire}) was sent to Australia in 2015 and scored a victory in her first start here.
