Cover image courtesy of Sarah Andrew
America
Wallace selected Deterministic, wins Group 1
by TDN America
In perhaps the most fitting end to a dramatic weekend of racing in upstate New York, Deterministic (USA) (Liam's Map {USA}) held on for a last-gasp victory in the G1 Manhattan Stakes Sunday at Saratoga, giving Miguel Clement his first top-level victory just two weeks after taking over the stable following the passing of his father, longtime New York conditioner Christophe Clement.
“I'm very fortunate and very lucky we have a great team. Very much Dad's legacy,” Clement said. “It is beyond emotional, the last two weeks, to be honest with you. Both professionally and personally. A massive emptiness to win this race without my Dad, but life goes on.”
Deterministic, a US$625,000 (AU$963,000) Keeneland September graduate, had been purchased on behalf of St. Elias Stables by bloodstock agent Michael Wallace, who passed away on Saturday.
“It is beyond emotional, the last two weeks, to be honest with you. A massive emptiness to win this race without my Dad, but life goes on.” - Miguel Clement
“He was relaxed and into his stride like I had him at Aqueduct. Just an amazing horse. Whenever I got to the top of the lane, I asked him to quicken, and he quickened right away. He heard those horses coming, but he was just floating along. He was just running, man,” said winning rider Kendrick Carmouche.
“I am just very happy for Miguel and the Clement family. They've been through a lot in the last couple weeks and last six months–whatever you want to call it–we've all been through that and it's a hard thing to go through. But the good thing is, his daddy left him a legacy and he's going to make sure he stays strong with it and keeps pushing hard. I'm just glad that I'm part of the team.”
The consistent–and versatile–Deterministic has now hit the board in 10 of 12 lifetime starts.
“To be honest, when he ran poorly in the Wood Memorial, we were all devastated,” said Clement. “Even before that, I had a small inclination because I took him on the infield and he moved like a dream, but there was no chance after winning the Gotham that we could tell someone, 'hey, he actually moved remarkably well on the grass.' Dad was already stereotyped and labeled as a turf trainer, so if I did that after the Gotham, before running in the Kentucky Derby potentially, it would have been the end of us, so I kept my mouth shut.
“I thought his (Determinstic's) last work on the turf course was remarkable on the Oklahoma. He has handled all different surfaces, ground, distances–today was a very good race. Kendrick seems to be getting along with him. He has tactical speed, and speed is always dangerous on the turf.”
Miguel Clement | Image courtesy of New York Racing Association
One of 13 graded winners for Liam's Map, Deterministic is the stallion's sixth winner at the top level. He is the ninth Grade I winner for his broodmare sire, Speightstown (USA). Deterministic is the only stakes winner out of Giulio's Jewel (USA), who died in 2022. The mare was a half-sister to graded-placed Duff One (USA) (Harlan's Holiday {USA}).
Electric mare beats the boys in Jaipur
By TDN America
Ag Bullet (USA) (Twirling Candy {USA}) stamped her ticket to the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint with a powerful victory over the boys in the G1 Jaipur Stakes at Saratoga Sunday. The race had originally been scheduled for the loaded G1 Belmont Stakes card, but was moved to Sunday after heavy rains hit the upstate track Saturday. The transfer allowed jockey John Velazquez to pick up the mount from Flavien Prat, who was in Kentucky to ride Final Gambit (USA) (Not This Time {USA}) in the G3 Matt Winn Stakes on Sunday.
“Over the moon. It's been an up and down thing with this filly. She was overachieving last year. We tried to get the Grade I and were second, third and third, and now she's got a Grade I win and she's a very valuable filly,” said winning trainer Richard Baltas.
“I'm going to run her in Kentucky Downs in the race she won last year,” Baltas said of a return to the G2 Ladies Turf Sprint. “Maybe she is a five-and-a-half [furlong] horse. I always wanted to stretch her out to six and a half [or] a mile, but she might be better sprinting. We could run her one more time (other than Kentucky Downs before the Breeders' Cup), but I'm not in any rush.”
One of 25 graded winners for Twirling Candy (USA), Ag Bullet is the stallion's 10th winner at the top level. Her dam, Noble Grey (USA) (Forestry {USA}), was purchased by Elena and Hollie Crim's H & E Ranch for US$70,000 (AU$107,000) at the 2013 Keeneland January sale. The winner's third dam, Peaceful Intention (USA) (Hold Your Peace {USA}), produced the dam of graded winners Abraaj (USA) and Leelanau (USA), as well as graded winner How About Now (USA), the dam of graded winner Lovely Lil (USA).
Japan
Jantar Mantar returns in Yasuda Kinen
By TDN Europe
Jantar Mantar (Jpn) (Palice Malice {USA}) kicked off his 4-year-old campaign in the best possible fashion when running out a comfortable winner of Sunday's G1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo, a 'Win and You're In' for the G1 Breeders' Cup Mile.
Sidelined since a down-the-field finish in December's G1 Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin, the son of Palace Malice showed no signs of rustiness on his belated return with a sharp exit from the stalls in the hands of Yuga Kawada. Jantar Mantar moved up to challenge the long-time leader entering the final furlong and from there he quickly skipped clear to win by a length and a half from longshot Gaia Force (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}). Race favourite Soul Rush (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}), reappearing after his G1 Dubai Turf defeat of Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) back in March, was a neck further back as he finished third for the second consecutive year.
“The colt broke well and was in a good position in third to start, but then he got a little overexcited as horses came from behind so I got a little worried,” Kawada said of his fourth Yasuda Kinen winner.
“I was still in doubt as to how he would respond at the stretch, but considering the circumstances, he really put in a good performance in the end and really exceeded my expectations as to how strong he is. He was unable to race to his standard at all last time, but I'm glad that he was able to show his true form today. I knew he would become a potential miler when he won the Asahi Hai as a 2-year-old and was certain he was the best miler in Japan when taking the NHK Mile Cup title.”
“He (Jantar Mantar) really put in a good performance in the end and really exceeded my expectations as to how strong he is.” - Yuga Kawada
Trained by Tomokazu Takano, Jantar Mantar was named Japan's champion two-year-old colt of 2023 after winning each of his three starts, culminating with his maiden top-level victory in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes. Having kicked off his three-year-old season with back-to-back defeats, including a third-place finish in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas), he then doubled his Group 1 tally with a commanding performance in the NHK Mile Cup.
On Sunday, the Shadai homebred became the first NHK Mile Cup winner to also land the Yasuda Kinen, further enhancing an excellent record which has seen him miss the frame just once in eight starts, having clearly not been himself when well beaten at Sha Tin.
India Mantuana (USA) (Wilburn {USA}), the dam of Jantar Mantar, produced the best effort of her career when winning the G3 Red Carpet Handicap at Del Mar in 2018. She was purchased by Shadai for US$100,000 (AU$154,000), pregnant to Accelerate (USA), at Keeneland January in 2020. She unfortunately aborted that foal and was bred to Palace Malice prior to her export to Japan.
Her dam is Listed winner Speed Wagon (USA) (Tomorrows Cat {USA}) who in turn is out of Listed winner Rajica (USA) (El Baba {USA}). Deny Knowledge (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai) shares a fifth dam with Jantar Mantar.
