USA
Another Grade 1 for Godolphin
Being run for just the second time, the US$1 million (AU$1.38 million) Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont Park provides the winner with a fee free entry into the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf. It was won in impressive fashion by Godolphin's Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) who impressed at his US debut charging home from the rear.
A two time Group winner, in the UK, he is a brother to the dual Group 1 winner Wild Illusion (GB) who also raced in the US, running second in the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
Dubawi stands at Darley's Dalham Hall Stud in England for £250,000 (AU$473,000).
Top result for Constitution
Major General (USA) (Constitution {USA}) remains undefeated after taking out the G3 Iroquois S. and the son of Tapit's (USA) G1 Florida Derby winner Constitution (USA) now heads to the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
He is out of the Uncle Mo (USA) winner No Mo Lemons (USA), a half-sister to the dual stakes winner Lemon Juice (USA) (Johannesburg {USA}).
Constitution stands at WinStar Farm in Kentucky and is one of the most exciting young sires in the country. Launched off a US$25,000 (AU$34,000) fee, he stood the 2021 season at US$85,000 (AU$117,000) and is the current leading third-season sire in North America.
Constitution (USA) | Standing at WinStar Farm
Grade 3 winner for first-season sire
Grade 1-winning first-season sire Connect (USA) was represented by his first stakes winner at Churchill Downs on Saturday, his daughter Hidden Connection (USA) too strong as favourite in the G3 Pocahontas S.
She is the 70th stakes winner line-bred to Deputy Minister (Can).
Connect stands at Lane's End Stud in Kentucky for US$15,000 (AU$21,000). By Curlin (USA), he won six of eight lifetime starts, including the G1 Cigar Mile and G2 Pennsylvania Derby.
CANADA
Grade 1 win for Australian dam
Godolphin homebred Walton Street (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) made a winning trip to Canada on Saturday when registering his first Grade 1 win in the G1 Pattison Canadian International.
The son of Australian Group 2 winner Brom Felinity (Encosta De Lago), a G2 Matriarch S.-winning sister to the G1 Australian Guineas winner Delago Brom. He is the first Northern Hemisphere Grade 1 winner for Encosta De Lago as a broodmare sire with another four being stakes winners.
He is a half-brother to six-time Australian winner Macavity (Street Cry {Ire}) and three-time Australian winner Iriomote (Exceed And Excel). A multiple stakes winner herself, Brom Felinity's half-sister is the grandam of My Poppette (Snippetson) and Neo (NZ) (One Cool Cat {USA}).
Town Cruise rolls to Woodbine Mile victory
Town Cruise (USA) (Town Prize {USA}) led throughout to claim victory in the G1 Woodbine Mile, providing Brandon Greer with a maiden stakes winner; a good effort as trainer, owner and co-breeder.
He is also the first stakes winner for the Listed-winning stallion Town Prize (USA), from a family whose closest black type is his dual Listed winning fourth dam Mazatleca (USA) (Ramahorn {USA}).
UNITED KINGDOM
Dark Angel 77 stakes winners
Still green but too good for her rivals in the G2 Mill Reef S. at Newbury, Wings Of War (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) became the 77th stakes winner for Dark Angel (Ire) - sire of Darley sire Harry Angel (Ire), and the fourth stakes winner for Kodiac (GB) (Invincible Spirit's (Ire) half-brother by Danehill (USA)) as a broodmare sire.
Dark Angel stands at Yeomanstown Stud in Ireland for €60,000 (AU$97,000).
Dark Angel (Ire) | Standing at Yeomanstown Stud
Two-winner day for Highland Reel
Highland Reel (Ire) scored a two-winner day in England on Saturday when two from his first crop of Northern Hemisphere juveniles visited the winner’s enclosure.
Running at Ayr, Highland Premiere (GB) registered his third career victory with a win over 1600 metres. The Mark Johnston trained 2-year-old went straight to the front and showed determination in the closing stage as Vaccine (Ire) (Vadamos {Fr}) closed to within 0.25l of him at the line.
An hour and a half later, My Bonnie Lass (GB) won her first race with a win over 1200 metres at Catterick. The filly took the lead a few furlongs in and won comfortably by 2.25l over Better Half (GB) (Bobby’s Kitten {USA}) with jockey Sam James easing her down near the finish.
Highland Reel is the sire of six Northern Hemisphere winners this year.
