America
Journalism adds Haskell to impressive record
By Alan Carasso, TDN
Much as he did in winning the G1 Santa Anita Derby and when managing to win the G1 Preakness Stakes six weeks later, Journalism (USA) (Curlin {USA}) made sure Saturday's G1 NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes was another cliffhanger.
The athletic bay colt started slowly, but found his best stride when it appeared that the race had possibly slipped through his fingers and he crossed the wire with a 0.5l to spare over Preakness runner-up Gosger (USA) (Nyquist {USA}). Goal Oriented (USA) (Not This Time {USA}) led inside into the final furlong and held on for third. The victory earns Journalism an all-expenses-paid berth in the field for the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar this fall. The win was his sixth from nine starts and he took his earnings over US$3.7 million (AU$5.66 million).
“He can be tactical. You can ride him from behind, you can ride him from everywhere,” said jockey Umberto Rispoli.
“But today, I think, he was most special, probably more than the Preakness. Today, coming out of the gate he was upset with the kickback. Something was bothering him. He'd never been worried about the kickback before. So on the backside I decided to take him closer to Gosger, and I know the horse was going to take me wherever I want. I tried to keep him engaged going to the quarter pole. Once I pulled the stick out, he responded as a great horse. I got up in time.”
A crowd of 41,876 was on hand for Saturday's program, the largest since 2015. The total handle of US$21,999,962 (AU$33.6 million) marks the third straight year of record handle for a non-Breeders' Cup event at the Oceanport oval.
Journalism's Haskell success would be tinged with at least a bit of melancholy, as his dam Mopotism (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}), sadly passed away earlier in the week leading up to the race. A US$300,000 (AU$459,000) Fasig-Tipton Florida breezer, Mopotism was Grade 1-placed at two, was third in the G1 La Brea Stakes the following season and won the G2 La Canada Stakes in 2018. Don Alberto acquired the mare for US$1.05 million (AU$1.6 million) at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale and she was barren to Tapit (USA) before being covered by Curlin (USA) in 2021. Mopotism's foal of 2023, the colt Nitro Tap (USA) (Tapit {USA}), fetched US$1.5 million (AU$2.3 million) from Flying Dutchmen at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, and her two youngest offspring are a yearling filly by Into Mischief (USA) and a Flightline (USA) filly foaled on April 30.
Scottish Lassie dominates American Oaks
By TDN
Scottish Lassie (USA) (McKinzie {USA}), winless in three attempts since breaking her maiden in style by 9l in last fall's G1 Frizette Stakes, got back on track in a big way with a daylight decision in Saturday's G1 Coaching Club American Oaks Invitational at Saratoga.
Scottish Lassie showed the way through fractions of 0:23.81 and 0:48.09, began to get away on the far turn and dropped the hammer in the stretch to win by a jaw-dropping 15.5l. Immersive (USA) (Nyquist {USA}) completed the exacta. Dry Powder (USA) (Gun Runner {USA}) was third.
“Oh my God, this is unbelievable, winning a Grade 1 at Saratoga,” winning trainer Jorge Abreu said.
“Winning a claiming race at Saratoga is big, imagine a Grade 1. This horse was ready coming into this race. Turning for home, I was just walking down the stairs crying. I'm not going to lie to you. On the backside, when I saw them making a little run at her, I said there's no way we are going to get beat now, but when she drove away, that was it.”
Fourth, beaten 7l by Immersive at well-backed odds of 7-2 in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Scottish Lassie made two previous starts this season. She finished third as the heavy favourite going a one-turn mile in an optional claimer at Aqueduct May 1, then was third again in the GI Acorn Stakes in the slop at Saratoga on June 6.
“Winning a claiming race at Saratoga is big, imagine a Grade 1. This horse (Scottish Lassie) was ready coming into this race.” - Jorge Abreu
Scottish Lassie is one of two Grade 1 winners for sophomore sire McKinzie (USA). Scottish Lassie's dam Bodebabe (USA) (Bodemeister {USA}) was an US$8,000 (AU$12,200) purchase by Ascot Health Farm at the Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale in 2018. A winner of 6f, Bodebabe’s first foal Take Charge Babe (USA) (Take Charge Indy {USA}) is a dual winner. She has and unraced 2-year-old filly Scot's Law (USA) (Tiz the Law {USA}), a US$50,000 (AU$76,500) Keeneland September yearling purchase by Millard R. Seldin Revocable Trust; and a yearling colt by Corniche (USA).
Bodebabe is a half-sister to Listed Oaklawn Park Dixie Belle Stakes winner Windmill (USA) (Street Sense {USA}) and her dam is a winning full sister to Grade 1 winner Visionaire (USA) (Grand Slam {USA}) and a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Tara's Tango (USA) (Unbridled's Song {USA}).
Ireland
Arc on the table for dual Oaks winner Minnie Hauk
By Tom Frary, TDN Europe
It might not have resembled a Classic on paper, but Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks at least produced a stirring finish as Minnie Hauk (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) overwhelmed her only serious rival Wemightakedlongway (Ire) (Australia {GB}). Giving the impression as she had at Epsom that she does only just enough, the 2-11 favourite had 1.25l to spare over the Oaks fourth, with Ballydoyle's pacemaker Island Hopping (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) 2.5l back in third.
“She wasn't doing a whole lot–I just had to wake her up to get past Dylan (Browne McMonagle), a little bit like at the Oaks at Epsom,” Ryan Moore explained. “She's quite deceptive. She's become more professional and at least we've learned a little bit more about her today. When she got to the front at Epsom, she went asleep on me like at Chester and she'll be better than this. She has the pedigree to go on.”
Trainer Aidan O'Brien added, “She's one of those fillies that you're probably never going to see at her best until the tempo is very strong and very high. She cruises through her races. The boss asked Ryan where to go with her and he said to go to the Yorkshire Oaks, but he also said we could give her a break and train her for the Vermeille and give her a French Arc prep, so all those things are open.”
Minnie Hauk, who was the €1.85million (AU$3.3 million) Goffs Orby Book 1 topper, is out of Multilingual (GB) (Dansili {GB}) whose dual-winning son Tilsit (USA) (First Defence {USA}) was also second in the G1 Prix d'Ispahan. She is a full sister to the G3 Tercentenary Stakes winner Remote (GB) and a half to the brilliant miler and sire Kingman (GB) as well as Frankel's G3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes-placed First Eleven (GB).
The Poule d'Essai des Pouliches-winning second dam Zenda (GB) (Zamindar {USA}) is a half to the high-class sprinter and proven sire Oasis Dream (GB), while the third dam Hope (GB) (Dancing Brave {USA}) is a full sister to the G1 Irish Oaks winner Wemyss Bight (GB).
