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After Disappointing 2021 Debut, Decorated Invader Could Target Shoemaker Mile

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Trainer Christophe Clement said Grade 1-winner Decorated Invader could be a possibility for the $100,000 Seek Again on Saturday in a one-mile turf contest for 4-year-olds and up at Belmont Park after breezing five furlongs in 1:02.87 yesterday over Belmont’s inner turf course.

Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, William Freeman, William Sandbrook and Cheryl Manning, Decorated Invader might skip the Seek Again and be shipped out to California, with Clement saying the Grade 1, $300,000 Shoemaker Mile on May 31 at Santa Anita is also under consideration.

“We can run him back either this weekend or go to California, we just have to think about it,” Clement said. “The race in California is also a mile, so we’ll see.”

Decorated Invader, who won the Grade 1 Summer as a juvenile going one mile in September 2019 over Woodbine’s turf course, twice won graded stakes in his sophomore campaign. Back-to-back wins in the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge last June at Belmont, as well as in his next start in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame going 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga Race Course, helped give the Declaration of War colt four stakes wins in his career.

In his 2021 debut, Decorated Invader ran third off a nearly five-month layoff in the Danger’s Hour on April 10 going one mile over the Aqueduct Racetrack turf.

Clement said he expected more from that effort but is looking forward to the upcoming start, regardless of which coast he chooses for the Kentucky bred.

“I was actually very disappointed; he had trained OK, but I was unhappy with the race, unhappy with the trip and unhappy with everything, but that’s OK, we just turned the page and moved on,” Clement said.

Creative Cairo, who also covered five furlongs in 1:02.87 Saturday on the inner turf, broke her maiden last out in her second start, edging Miss Bonnie T by a nose in a 1 1/8-mile turf route on April 10 at the Big A. The 3-year-old Cairo Prince filly, who garnered a 74 Beyer for the win, is now on target for the Grade 3, $200,000 Wonder Again on the opening day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival on Thursday, June 3.

Owned and bred by Brereton C. Jones, Creative Cairo made her debut in March, running fourth in a one-mile turf contest at Gulfstream Park.

“She worked yesterday morning very well and now we’ll get ready for the Wonder Again,” Clement said. “We’re very happy with her, so we’ll just have to keep going.”

Clement said Plum Ali, owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables, is also on target for the Wonder Again.

Plum Ali, who won the Mint Juvenile Fillies in September at Kentucky Downs and won her only previous Belmont start with a victory in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo in October at Belmont, capped her 2-year-old year with a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November at Keeneland.

Plum Ali returned to run third in her 2021 bow in the Grade 2 Appalachian on April 3 at Keeneland. Plum Ali breezed a half-mile in 50.55 seconds on Sunday over Belmont’s inner turf course.

Bach Stables’ Bye Bye handled the step up in class with aplomb Saturday, holding off Invincible Gal’s late charge to win her stakes debut by a neck in the Grade 3, $100,000 Soaring Softly over firm going on Belmont’s Widener turf course in her stakes debut.

Making just her third start overall – and just second on turf – Bye Bye earned an 83 Beyer for the effort, improving her number in every start. Jockey Eric Cancel piloted Bye Bye to victory from the outermost post in the 11-horse field, with Clement saying a day later he was happy to see that effort.

Clement said he was still unsure of Bye Bye’s next start, though the sophomore Into Mischief filly, unraced as a juvenile, has won her last two starts.

“I was very happy and for Bach Stables, they deserve it,” Clement said. “I was thrilled. She was good enough to win. She keeps improving. She was training well coming into the race. I don’t know yet where we’ll go next, but we’ll just enjoy it and go from there.”

The post After Disappointing 2021 Debut, Decorated Invader Could Target Shoemaker Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

‘Big Machine’ Rebel’s Romance Settling In Well Ahead Of Belmont Stakes

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A talented quartet of Charlie Appleby-trained Godolphin runners – Rebel’s Romance, Desert Peace, Summer Romance and Althiqa –have settled in comfortably in New York in preparation for starts during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival that runs from June 3 through Saturday, June 5, headlined by the 153rd running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

The festival will encompass 17 total stakes, including eight Grade 1s on Belmont Stakes Day, capped by the “Test of the Champion” for 3-year-olds in the 1 1/2-mile final leg of the Triple Crown.

All four of Appleby’s runners, who arrived in New York on May 2, are expected to compete during the festival, with Group 2 UAE Derby-winner Rebel’s Romance pointed to the Belmont Stakes on June 5.

The geldings Rebel’s Romance and Desert Peace were initially based in Dubai, while the fillies Summer Romance and Althiqa, shipped from the U.K.

“They’re settling in great and are very relaxed and happy in their routine,” said travelling assistant Sophie Chretien. “It’s very nice here. The people are taking good care of us and the horses are very happy in the barn. It’s a little like being in the country which is what they need. There’s a bit of grass to pick in the morning, fresh air and they’re really settled.”

Chretien is joined on the journey by Michael Metcalfe, exercise rider for Rebel’s Romance and Summer Romance, and Patrice Pot, who gallops Desert Peace and Althiqa.

On Sunday, Rebel’s Romance and Desert Peace went out at 7:30 a.m. for a jog and a mile canter on the 1 1/2-mile main track, with a similar routine followed later in the morning by the two fillies.

Chretien said the serious work will begin next weekend, with all four horses expected to breeze.

“Next week, the boys will have their first piece of work together on the main track, and the girls will go on the turf together,” said Chretien. “We have three weeks to hit the target now.”

Rebel’s Romance, a sophomore son of Dubawi, is an Irish homebred out of the Street Cry mare Minidress. A winner of 4-of-5 starts, Rebel’s Romance made the grade last out with a 5 1/2-length romp in the 1 3/16-mile UAE Derby on March 27 at Meydan.

Chretien said the sizable Rebel’s Romance is taking well to the expansive Belmont main track.

“I think he’s moving well over it. The rider is very happy with him,” said Chretien. “He’s a big boy. When he won the [UAE] Derby, he needed time to get into his rhythm. He’s a big machine. The big track will suit him. He needs to be able to use his stride. The longer distance will be good for him.”

Desert Peace, a 4-year-old son of Curlin, was a $1.3 million purchase at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The Kentucky-bred was a nose winner last out traveling one-mile on May 11 over the Meydan main track.

There is no specific target confirmed yet for Desert Peace, but the Grade 2, $300,000 True North, a 6 ½-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and up on June 4 is a possibility.

Summer Romance and Althiqa, who finished first and third last out in the nine-furlong Group 2 Balanchine on February 18 at Meydan, are targeting the Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Just a Game, a one-mile turf event for older fillies and mares on June 5.

Jockey assignments have yet to be arranged for the Godolphin contenders.

For information and details on Belmont Stakes Racing Festival hospitality offerings, ticket packages and pricing, visit BelmontStakes.com. For full terms and conditions, visit https://www.belmontstakes.com/tickets.

For comprehensive information on health and safety protocols in effect for the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, please visit: https://www.nyra.com/belmont/visit/plan-your-visit.

The post ‘Big Machine’ Rebel’s Romance Settling In Well Ahead Of Belmont Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale Kicks off Monday

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TIMONIUM, MD – The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, which was pushed back to late June in 2020 due to the pandemic, returns to its traditional mid-May spot on the calendar with bidding at the first of two sessions getting underway at 11 a.m. Monday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds.

“We are very optimistic about the sale,” Fasig Midlantic Sales Director Paget Bennett said at the sales barns Sunday morning. “We have a great group of horses here and there is a lot of interest. We were very busy on Friday and that’s a good sign. Every day we have more people and different people coming to look. I think that tells us there is a lot of interest. We will find out at 11 a.m. tomorrow.”

Randy Miles’s annual consignment in Timonium is a homecoming of sorts for the Virginia native and the horseman is looking for a strong market this week.

“I think the sale is going to be big,” Miles said. “I don’t want to say a record, but it’s going to be big. I think there is going to be a lot of competition for the high-priced horses and then we’ll see if the buyers spill off on to the others. But there is going to be a lot of competition for the good ones.”

Miles continued, “People love to come up here this time of year. You can’t beat this weather and it’s a fun place. I love coming here. I have heard a lot of people say, ‘This is the first time I’ve been here.’ Like [bloodstock agent] Kerri Radcliffe. She is here for the first time and she said this is the coolest place.”

Last week’s under-tack preview, held over Timonium’s dirt track, saw 11 horses share the furlong bullet of :10 flat and a pair of juveniles work co-fastest quarter-miles in :21 2/5.

“People have a lot of confidence in the dirt track,” Miles said. “If you sit up there and watch the breezes, you can see the good ones separate themselves. So it’s easier on the buyers. And you want someone who is going to spend $300,000 on a horse to get what they thought they were buying.”

Prospective buyers were out in force on a sunny, picture-perfect morning in Timonium Sunday.

“It’s been really good,” Wavertree Stable’s Ciaran Dunne said of action at the barns. “We have probably had more activity than we have had in years past. A lot of new faces which is kind of fun and interesting. We have 11 horses, but the views are spread evenly through them.”

Dunne continued, “I think it will be a very good sale. This has historically always been a market where you could move them from $5,000 to $500,000 and I don’t see that changing. I think something else that helps is that it’s sort of a last stop for all of us and people are realistic with their reserves to move horses along. I think people know that coming in, so they are confident in bidding that they have a chance.”

The Maryland State Fairgrounds is within easy driving distance of several racetracks, which makes the Midlantic auction a must-attend for trainers in nearby racing jurisdictions.

“We will see more trainers here than we will see at any of the other 2-year-old sales,” Dunne said.

Among the many trainers out at the sales grounds this weekend were Mark Hennig, Steve Asmussen, Brad Cox, Mike Maker, George Weaver, Ron Moquett, Dave Donk, Graham Motion, Tom Morley, Linda Rice, Gary Capuano, Mike Maker, Kelly Breen and Pat McBurney.

Demand for juveniles was high throughout the market at the season’s first three major auctions and consignors look for that trend to continue in Maryland.

“The first three sales we’ve been to have been unbelievable with buyers’ attendance and clearance rates and everything,” said Top Line Sales’ Jimbo Gladwell. “I don’t see any reason for this sale to slow down. I think if your horse works good and vets good, you’re going to see a very active market.”

For many consignors, the Midlantic auction is the next stop after a record-setting OBS April sale last month.

“I was surprised by the depth at OBS,” Dunne admitted. “I thought with the loss of the Koreans we would really struggle with that lower and middle tier of the market. They had a limit to what they would spend, but they pushed everybody else up a jump or two. And with the volume that they bought, I thought it would have a detrimental effect, but I was surprised that that part of the market really didn’t suffer.”

Consignor Bobby Dodd is taking a cautious wait-and-see approach to the market in Timonium.

“I think for the right horse, there will be a lot of money,” Dodd said. “But I also think there will be a lot of people shopping in that $50,000 to $100,000 range. I think there will be, I hope.”

During last year’s Midlantic sale, 303 horses grossed $23,572,500. Under a cloud of pandemic-induced uncertainty, the sale average of $77,797 was down 13.7% from the 2019 record figure of $90,104 and the median dipped 7% to $40,000.

Donato Lanni, bidding on behalf of Michael Lund Petersen, made the auction’s highest bid when going to $1.1 million to acquire a colt by Uncle Mo from Pike Racing.

The Midlantic sale continues with a second and final session Tuesday, also beginning at 11 a.m.

The post Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale Kicks off Monday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Rombauer in Good Order, Ships to Belmont Monday

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After a few hours of sleep, trainer Michael McCarthy was back at Pimlico Race Course Sunday morning, quietly talking about Rombauer (Twirling Candy)’s emphatic victory in the 146th GI Preakness S. Saturday and looking ahead to the June 5GI Belmont Stakes. Bred and raced by John and Diane Fradkin, Rombauer rallied to a convincing 3 1/2-length score Saturday and stopped the clock in 1:53.62, the eighth-fastest time since the race distance was changed to 1 3/16 miles in 1925.

While McCarthy, 50, acquired plenty of experience in Triple Crown races during his long tour as an assistant to Hall of Fame-elect trainer Todd Pletcher, Rombauer was his first starter in the series since he opened his own stable in 2014. The well-respected, low-key, California-based horseman started receiving congratulatory calls and texts as soon as the race was over.

“It’s been great,” McCarthy said. “It’s nice to see this all kind of come together. The horse justified what I thought of him all along.”

The Fradkins and McCarthy have decided to ship Rombauer to Belmont Park Monday and are seriously considering running him in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont.

“We will go ahead and go to Belmont,” McCarthy said. “We will get there and see how he is and where he is at and go from there.”

Elsewhere in the Preakness aftermath, Steve Asmussen, the Hall of Fame trainer of Winchell Thoroughbreds’ runner-up Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow), said Sunday that the Belmont is under consideration for his trainee.

“Proud of his effort,” Asmussen said. “He had every chance yesterday and he ran second. He’s a good horse who needs to continuously get better, but we have a lot of confidence that he will, pedigree-wise, and who he is physically and the fact that he has continuously improved to this point.”

Midnight Bourbon left Pimlico to van back to Churchill Downs right before dawn Sunday morning. Asked if the Belmont might be in his plans, Asmussen said, “Of course it is. All major 3-year-old races are under consideration for the rest of the year. Let’s get him back to normal circumstances just to see where we’re at with him. That also gives us time to see everything that’s out there and knock out a plan for him for the second half of the year.”

The highly-scrutinized pair of Bob Baffert trainees, GI Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protonico) and Concert Tour (Street Sense), exited their respective third and ninth-place efforts in good order according to assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes. Both boarded a van bound for Churchill at 10 a.m. Sunday morning.

“We will evaluate everything and Bob will see what direction he wants to go with them,” Barnes said.

Added Barnes of Medina Spirit’s run, “He ran his race. The second quarter is what got us. Once they threw up that 46 [:46.93 seconds], it was a bit much. We just need to give him a little bit more time between races. Bob knows what to do and I will feed him the information and he will tell us what to do.”

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