Ireland
G1 Pretty Polly Stakes won in a nail-biter by Whirl
By Tom Frary, TDN Europe
As if Saturday's action at The Curragh hadn't already championed Coolmore's stratospheric Wootton Bassett (GB), along came Whirl (Ire) to hammer home the point in a thrilling renewal of the feature G1 Pretty Polly Stakes. Outgunning Juddmonte's accomplished Kalpana (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}) following a prolonged tussle between the elite mastercraftsmen Ryan Moore and Colin Keane, Ballydoyle's Oaks runner-up followed on where the stable's 2-year-old colt Dorset (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and 2-year-old filly Beautify (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) had led earlier in the afternoon.
Reminding the world that he remains a racing fan, Aidan O'Brien was quick to pay tribute to the actors involved in this enticing duel. “That's what you want to come racing to watch, one we'll remember for a long time,” he said. “They went at it all the way and eyeballed each other and it was ding-dong. Those kind of races are few and far between. When you have that type of quality horse lining up and two riders like that. On ground like this, in a place like this, it's a very special weekend. One to celebrate and enjoy–a great spectacle.”
“That's what you want to come racing to watch, one we'll remember for a long time.” - Aidan O'Brien
Of the winner, who also took the G3 Musidora Stakes at York in May before going down fighting to Minnie Hauk at Epsom, he added, “She's very special and very tough. She doesn't blow and is one of those hard and genuine racing machines with big lungs–she's all muscle and bone. It's hard coming back from a mile and a half to this trip, a bit like walking a tightrope but Ryan got it spot-on again.
“She's an incredible filly. She's just progressed and she loves getting into a fight,” O'Brien added. “She's absolutely concrete, really. She can go anywhere now. She can come back here to the Oaks, she can go to the Nassau. I'd imagine if Minnie Hauk comes back to the Oaks and she's well she'll be let go by herself and this filly could do other things.”
Aidan O'Brien | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Whirl is the first foal out of Galileo (Ire)'s fairly modest performer Salsa (Ire), whose credibility is significantly boosted by the fact that she is a full-sister to the Group 1 winners Hydrangea (Ire), Hermosa (Ire) and The United States (Ire). The former is now the dam of G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes runner-up Wingspan (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Listed Tetrarch Stakes scorer Officer (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), with Hermosa responsible for G3 Hampton Court Stakes winner Trinity College (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Pivotal (GB)'s G2 Prix du Gros-Chene-winning second dam Beauty Is Truth (Ire) is out of the G3 Prix du Bois winner Zelding (Ire) (Warning {GB}), linking the winner to the likes of Last Tycoon (Ire).
G2 Airlie Stud Stakes won by Beautify
By Tom Frary, TDN Europe
Making it a quickfire double on The Curragh's Saturday card for the lethal combination of Aidan O'Brien, Ryan Moore and Wootton Bassett (GB), Beautify (Ire) ended the unbeaten run of Lady Iman (Ire) (Starman {GB}) in a demanding renewal of the G2 Airlie Stud Stakes.
“Ryan was very impressed. He said he'd love to go up to seven with her, that's a very good sign when you hear him talking like that,” the Ballydoyle handler said. “Obviously she's a Moyglare-type filly when Ryan says that, but obviously gets six very strong and travelled very strong. Ryan said she really got going inside the furlong marker and started to really open up.”
“Wootton Bassett is an incredible stallion–the speed that they have and they also stay, it's incredible,” O'Brien added. “It's very unusual, loads of speed and trips seem to be no problem to them either. It's an important race at a great track–a very important race for a filly.”
Beautify's dam Words (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) is one out of five black-type winners out of Moonstone (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), the heroine of the Irish Oaks who was bought out of the Britton House Stud dispersal of 2006. Words, whose daughter Library (Galileo {Ire}) captured the Listed Naas Oaks Trial and was placed in the Irish Oaks, is therefore a half-sister to Galileo (Ire)'s G3 Chester Vase winner and Derby runner-up US Army Ranger (Ire).
Susie Song denies Wootton Bassett
By Tom Frary, TDN Europe
Denying a whitewash for Wootton Bassett (GB) on The Curragh's Saturday card, Moyglare Stud's homebred 2-year-old filly Suzie Songs (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) did the unexpected and upset Ballydoyle's 2-9 favourite Flushing Meadows (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the G3 Jebel Ali Racecourse and Stables Anglesey Stakes.
For once, Colin Keane was able to get the better of Ryan Moore on the afternoon in the one race that looked least likely. “She's a nice filly with a bit of size and scope and is bred to go further,” the winning rider said. “She wants it and seven or a mile is where you'll see best of her.”
Lyons has a specific target in mind. “I thought it got to her today, so we'll give her a wee break and we'll come back for the [G1] Moyglare [Stud Stakes]. It's a race I'd love to put on the CV,” he said. “He said: “Colin said in Cork that she wanted further and sticking to the original plan her next race would have been seven, but this presented itself during the week with no entries, so here we are.”
Suzie Songs is the first foal out of Galileo (Ire)'s mile-and-a-half maiden winner Florence Camille (Ire), a full-sister to the Listed Cheshire Oaks scorer Thoughts Of June (Ire). The second dam is the GI Del Mar Oaks and GII Sands Point Stakes heroine Discreet Marq (USA) (Discreet Cat {USA}), bought by the operation for US$2.4million (AU$3.7 million) at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Sale.
America
Mindframe wins G1 Stephen Foster Stakes
By Alan Carasso, TDN
Repole Stable and St Elias Stable's Mindframe (USA) (Constitution {USA}) was his own worst victim in last year's GI Belmont Stakes and GI Haskell Stakes, his inexperience costing him victories in both of those marquee events for the 3-year-old generation.
He got the monkey off his back, at least to some extent, when proving best in a thrilling four-way go in the GI Churchill Downs Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard, and in the $1-million GI Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs Saturday afternoon, cemented his position as one of the top handicap horses in the country with a one-length defeat of Sierra Leone (USA) (Gun Runner {USA}). The victory earns Mindframe, who retires to Claiborne Farm once his racing days are over, a guaranteed spot in the field for this year's Classic at Del Mar, the same race won en route to a championship by Sierra Leone last fall.
Mindframe single-handedly honours the tremendous Maryland-based program of his late breeder Larry Johnson. A son of Pink Ribbon Stakes winner Walk of Stars (USA) (Street Sense {USA}) and a half-brother to stakes placed Hollywood Walk (USA) (Animal Kingdom {USA}), Mindframe is out of a half-sister to another tremendous Johnson homebred, Strike The Moon (USA) (Malibu Moon {USA{), winner of the 2011 Charles Town Oaks and placed no fewer than five times at the graded level.
Thorpedo Anna back to her best
By TDN America
And just like that, last month's GI La Troienne is suddenly a distant memory. That mysterious May 2 effort, a seventh-place finish and her only off-the-board result in 13 prior starts, was righted Saturday as reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (USA) (Fast Anna {USA}) got things back on track with a really never-in-doubt win in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis Stakes, a 'Win and You're In' race for this November's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar.
Named last year's Horse of the Year and Champion 3-year-old Filly, Thorpedo Anna went undefeated against her own sex and put in a stunning effort when defeated just a head in the GI Travers Stakes against the boys. She capped the year with a 2.5 length win in the Distaff to finish the season nearly flawless. Two for two up until the La Troienne this season including an easy win in the GI Apple Blossom Handicap Apr. 12, the 'Grizzly' bounced back on short rest on the Kentucky Oaks undercard but finished an underwhelming last of seven in a race which saw her bumped heavily into the first turn. Trainer Ken McPeek opted to rest his star filly after that performance, targeting the Fleur de Lis.
