Europe
Primetime Emmy wins Group 3 in France
By Sean Cronin, TDN Europe and Renee Geelen, TTR
Australian-bred TDN Rising Star Primetime Emmy (Extreme Choice) bounced back off a first defeat in Deauville's G3 Prix de Cabourg seven weeks ago to register a career best with a last-gasp victory in Saturday's G3 Prix Eclipse Tattersalls at Chantilly.
She's a Southern Hemisphere 3-year-old but was born on January 27, 2024, so is also a Northern Hemisphere 2-year-old. On Sunday afternoon, Australian time, Newgate Farm's Henry Field hinted that she might end up in their The Everest slot.
"We've already contacted IRT (International Racehorse Transport) to see whether there is time to get Primetime Emmy to Sydney for The Everest," Field told racingandsports.com.au.
Henry Field | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
"Logistically, it might be impossible but we are exploring all our options and we should know one way or the other in the next 24-48 hours. After watching The Shorts yesterday, I couldn't imagine anything out of that race troubling Ka Ying Rising.
"Primetime Emmy going lickety-split with 42.5kg on her back might be the only chance Australia's got. Fundamentally, it is Matthew's decision what he does with this filly but sometimes you have to think outside the square. If we can get this filly to The Everest, we will start a worldwide search for a jockey who can ride the her as close to 42.5kg as possible."
Sandblom spoke to TDN post-race before this idea was proposed.
“It's quite some journey to come to Europe from Australia, but I love racing and watching the horses in France,” said Hollymount Stud's Matthew Sandblom. “I like that the horses aren't over-trained here, which can sometimes happen in Australia. I told Francis [Graffard] that the one thing Australian horses have is that quality acceleration and she showed that today. Extreme Choice makes me look like an excellent breeder when it's simply the sire who is exceptional. At the monent, I'm focusing on broodmares capable of producing 2-year-old winners.”
Settled behind the leaders in fourth after an alert getaway, the 9-5 favourite came under pressure to go second approaching the final furlong and kept on in determined fashion to usurp the hitherto unbeaten Scythe (Victor Ludorum) by a short-head in a bobbing finish, with the duo 3.5 lengths clear of the remainder headed by Spanish raider Belisa Bay (Bayside Boy).
Pedigree: Primetime Emmy, who becomes the 17th Group winner for her sire, is the third stakes scorer out of Listed winner Princess Emmy (King's Chapel), who also produced G3 Chairman Stakes winner Thurlow (Sebring) and his Listed Anzac Day Stakes-winning full-brother Three Kings.
Their second dam, Listed Canterbury Belle third Hoot N' Holler (Kashani), is the leading performer out of Snow White (Sun And Shine), herself the second dam of G3 Frank Packer Plate victrix Dream Machine (Nothin' Leica Dane). Princess Emmy, who hails from the immediate family of G1 Queensland Oaks heroine Travel Light (Bellissimo), has a yearling colt by Tiger Of Malay to come.
America
The Puma wins GI Pennsylvania Derby
By Steve Sherack, TDN
The Puma (Essential Quality) had to wait for the third Saturday in September for his Derby victory.
Scratched from the GI Kentucky Derby with swelling in his leg due to a skin infection, The Puma dug down gamely to fend off favoured 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Further Ado (Gun Runner) by a half-length in a thrilling renewal of the GI Pennsylvania Derby on a beautiful, late summer afternoon at Parx Racing Saturday. It was another 1.1 lengths back to Sassmaster (Curlin) in third.
The Puma and Further Ado were also one-two in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby Mar. 7, the first career victory for the former.
“You always want to win the Grade I,” winning trainer Gustavo Delgado said. “For all the people, the family, it's very good. The best race for me is right now. Very happy and very exciting. Right now, we will wait before thinking about the Breeders' Cup. We will go back to Saratoga, and we will meet with my partners and my son (assistant trainer Gustavo, Jr.) and then decide.”
Off as the 5-2 second choice, The Puma raced in eighth with Further Ado placed in a stalking, inside fourth as longshots Talk to Me Jimmy (Modernist) and Ponder and Dream (Uncle Lino) showed the way through fractions of :23.27 and :47.69.
Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano took the overland route beneath The Puma and caught the eye with a powerful, sweeping move on the far turn while Flavien Prat waited for racing room with Further Ado.
The Puma struck the front at the top of the stretch and Further Ado was tipped out and the Tampa Bay Derby rematch was on.
The Puma had the jump, however, and opened up a three-length advantage at the stretch call. Further Ado kept on coming in the stretch with massive strides, but fell just short in a race that didn't deserve a loser.
The Puma is campaigned by a large partnership group, led by the Delgado Family's OGMA Investments, High Step Racing (Randy Guy, Joe Noble, Kevin Avera, Jim Ferreira and former Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Todd Perry), TCC Stables, YNG Stables and Jose Aguirre's JR Ranch.
“We are excited,” Guy said. “It's been a long ride. We scratched on the day of the (Kentucky) Derby, and it was frustrating. But it was the best thing. I was not overconfident coming here, but I knew he had that performance in him. We will let the boss (Gustavo Delgado) decide his future. He is the original Puma, before the horse came. What Gustavo is great about is letting the horse tell him what he wants to do. We knew he was happy coming into this race and it showed.”
The Puma, also a painful second, beaten only a nose in the GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park March 28, rolled a pair of fours earlier this summer in the GI NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes at a sloppy Monmouth Park July 18 and the GI DraftKings Travers Stakes at Saratoga last time August 29. He raced in first-time blinkers in the Pennsylvania Derby.
Pedigree: The Puma, a US$95,000 (AU$133,000) RNA as a Keeneland September yearling turned US$150,000 (AU$210,000) OBS April purchase by Ramiro Restrepo's Marquee Bloodstock, is one of eight black-type winners and the lone graded winner for sophomore sire Essential Quality. He is the first Grade I winner for the two-time champion and Darley stallion.
The Puma, bred in partnership by Hidden Brook Farm and Brian Kahn, is the first foal out of Eve of War (Declaration of War), a runaway debut winner for owner/breeder Jeff Treadway and trainer Todd Pletcher at Gulfstream Park back in 2020. She finished a career-best third in that term's GIII Monmouth Oaks.
Eve of War also has a yearling colt by Nyquist (scratched out of Keeneland September) and a Practical Joke colt of this year in the pipeline. She was bred back to Sierra Leone. Eve of War RNA'd for US$245,000 (AU$344,000) carrying The Puma at the 2022 Keeneland November sale.
Bodacious Bay wins G1 Cotillion Stakes
By Patrycja Szpyra, TDN
It was her big unveiling in elite company and it couldn't have been a better result for a debuting lady.
Fresh off a private purchase, a trainer change, and heading right into Grade I competition proved to be no problem for Bodacious Bay (Not This Time) as she comfortably held off Always a Runner (Gun Runner) to win the GI Cotillion Stakes at Parx.
Last seen running second to My Miss Mo (Uncle Mo) in the GIII Monmouth Oaks July 25, that effort ended up being her final start for trainer Rodolphe Brisset before being moved to Saffie Joseph Jr.. Before that she'd broken her maiden two back June 26 against Churchill Downs maidens by four lengths on a sloppy track and had two runner-up finishes May 22 and April 26–this latter contest being on unveiling at Oaklawn.
Taking command from the overland route while the pacesetter tired to her inside, Bodacious Bay kicked away from the battle for the minors even as GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Always a Runner seemed to be mounting a menacing late rally. The 4-5 favourite never managed to seriously cut into the margin as the victress came in with air to spare as a 5-1 upset. GI Alabama Stakes runner-up Measure (Essential Quality) came on late to miss second by a head and Tap to Open (Tapit) was fourth.
“I was loaded the whole way,” said winning rider Micah Husbands. “I was just sitting there on a lot of horse. By the half-mile pole, she wanted to go a little earlier than I thought, and I didn't want to get in her way, so I just let her cruise up and tried to bide my time. She finished it off like a monster.
“I thought there was going to be more speed, and I thought I would be covered up more, but it didn't work out that way. So, I just tried to keep clear and not go after my stablemate (My Miss Mo), and she did it proper.”
Joseph Jr. minced no words about his charge's talent after the race, but wasn't prepared to plan out a path to the World Championships at Keeneland in October, saying, “This was a huge win, and I think next year we could have the best filly in the country. A lot of good fillies are going to retire, and our filly is just now getting good. The owners will talk it over and make a decision, but we feel like we have a filly that is hard to find these days. She is special.”
“I don't know (if Bodacious Bay will go to the Breeders' Cup),” Joseph Jr. continued. “Nitrogen is super. After that you would say it's wide open. We will enjoy this and give it a couple weeks and then decide. She will go back to Saratoga (Sunday morning) and we will stay there until the Breeders' Cup.”
Pedigree: Grade I success could hardly come as a surprise for 3-year-old filly Bodacious Bay as she is out of a graded winning half-sister to GI Spinaway victress Sippican Harbor (Orb). That sister later replicated her success on the track in the form of her son, GI Florida Derby hero Commandment (Into Mischief).
The winner is the third stakes runner for Bodacious Babe (Mineshaft) behind graded winner Royal Spa (Violence) and 2-year-old half-brother stakes placed Social Symbol (Violence), but is the first Grade I winner for the broodmare. After the juvenile, their dam produced a yearling filly by Curlin as well as a 2026 colt by Justify. Bodacious Babe was bred back to Elite Power for 2027.
Not This Time's sustained meteoric rise into stallion superstardom saw no speed bumps with this performance as Bodacious Bay became his 15th elite-level offspring and the fifth individual Grade I winner of 2026. Like many great stallions, his offspring can run on anything and everything with his heaviest hitters including the likes of Up to the Mark, multiple Group/Grade I winner Magnitude, GI Travers winner Epicenter, and world-record setter Cogburn–four of whom have since joined the breeding ranks.
Talented fillies and mares like Breeders' Cup champion Cy Fair, the late Claret Beret, Sacred Wish, Princess Noor, and In Our Time, among others, claimed their Grade I rosettes on both surfaces and at a variety of distances. In this family reunion, Bodacious Bay fits in just fine.
