By Andrea Branchini
On this side of the Atlantic, Gulfstream 2-year-old winner O CAPTAIN (c, 2, Carpe Diem–Mama Nadine {SW}, by A.P. Indy) connects Walt Whitman's most famous poem (“O Captain, My Captain,” on the death of President Lincoln) with Roman bard Horace's “Carpe Diem/Seize The Day,” probably via the 1989 movie “Dead Poets Society,” where an English lit teacher played by Robin Williams inspires his students to great ambitions with the help of both poets.
On the other side of the pond, Thirsk juvenile winner LEOPOLD BLOOM (c, 2, Ulysses {Ire}–Zuhoor Baynoona {Ire} {SW-Eng}, by Elnadim) is tied to his sire's name via the 1920 modernist masterpiece novel by James Joyce, whose protagonist is so called and represents an everyman on a personal odyssey, one June day in Dublin in 1904. ULYSSES (the book) is notoriously not an easy read: this did not prevent the final chapter–the sensual stream-of-consciousness monologue by Leopold's wife Molly– from becoming very popular. I therefore expect that somewhere there is a filly called MOLLY BLOOM waiting in the wings.
8th-Gulfstream, $45,000, Msw, 8-14, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:05.27, gd, 9 1/4 lengths.
O CAPTAIN (c, 2, Carpe Diem–Mama Nadine {SW}, by A.P. Indy) Sales History: $17,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $27,000. O-OGMA Investments, LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Gustavo Delgado.
1st-Thirsk,10,100, Novice, 8-13, 2yo, 7fT, 1:28.00, gd.
LEOPOLD BLOOM (GB) (c, 2, Ulysses {Ire}–Zuhoor Baynoona {Ire} {SW-Eng}, by Elnadim) Sales history: 25,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT; 95,000gns 2yo '21 TATBRE. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $7,531.
O-Dewhurst, Batters & JCH Bloodstock; B-Cheveley Park Stud Limited (GB); T-David Loughnane
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