Making Waves: Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Our series featuring notable success for European sires in North America, with this week's highlight being the victory of Grade I winner Shantisara (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}) in the GII Hillsborough S. at Tampa Bay Downs.

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Robert LaPenta's Shantisara is no stranger to the winner's circle, and the 2021 GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. heroine secured her first victory since 2021 with a 1 1/4-length triumph in the Hillsborough S. on Saturday (video).

Now a 5-year-old, the mare was bred by Oliver Donlon, and sold for 10,000gns as a Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up graduate in 2020. Sent to the yard of Daniele Zarroli, she made her first two starts for Ladritta SRL, winning her second, a Chantilly maiden claimer by five lengths in November of 2020. After taking a 2000-metre conditions race in December for Frederic Rossi in the colours of Patrick Dreux, she was runner-up in another conditions race, and Sol Kumin bought her before racing her once in his silks with Rossi to an eighth-place finish in the Listed Prix de la Californie on Valentine's Day in 2021.

With LaPenta and Michael Dubb added as owners, Shantisara triumphed in the GIII Pucker Up S. for Chad Brown at Arlington Park that August, before taking the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. in New York and her Keeneland Grade I later that autumn. Defeated by subsequent Eclipse champion Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) in the GI Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland in April, she returned with a fifth in the Fall Harvest S. there. Shantisara was second in the GIII Pegasus Wold Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational on Jan. 28 prior to the Hillsborough.

The only foal to make it to the races for Kharana (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}), who died in 2020, Shantisara is a granddaughter of the stakes-winning Khanata (Riverman), who was third in the G2 Pretty Polly S., while this is also the female family of champion and notable sire High Chaparral (Ire) (Sadler's Wells).

The Hillsborough heroine is one of three winners from three to race Stateside for Rathasker Stud stallion Coulsty. Of the other two, Coulthard (Ire) placed third in the GIII Green Flash H. at Del Mar.

The Doctor Is In

'TDN Rising Star' Dr Zempf (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) made his American bow a winning one in an allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park on Friday (video). The Peter Brant colourbearer stamped his sigil on the 7 1/2-furlong turf contest by 2 1/2 lengths. It was the 4-year-old gelding's fourth win in 10 starts.

Consigned by breeder Chris Wright's Stratford Place Stud to the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1, the grey caught the eye of Demi O'Byrne, who signed on behalf of Brant's White Birch Farm to the tune of 420,000gns. Ger Lyons saddled Dr Zempf to a 2 1/4-length 'Rising Star'-worthy tally over yielding going at the Curragh in June of 2021, and he was not disgraced when fourth in the G2 Railway S. there later in the month. Less than a length off of Ebro River (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) in the G1 Phoenix S., Dr Zempf was unplaced behind Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) in the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket.

Back to winning ways at listed level at Leopardstown last April, he earned his first Group 3 badge with a two-length score in the Ballycorus S. two starts later on June 9. Third to 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner Order Of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in the G2 Minstrel S. in July, Dr Zempf lost all chance in his final European appearance when rearing at the beginning of the G2 City Of York S. and trailed in eighth behind subsequent 2022 Breeders' Cup Mile third Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Gelded over the winter and switched to the Chad Brown barn, Friday was his first start in over 180 days.

Out of G3 Prix Eclipse heroine Souvenir Delondres (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), Dr Zempf is followed by the 3-year-old filly Visiting Hours (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and a juvenile colt named Phoenix Passion (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}). From the same clan as G1 Sussex S. winner and sire Noalcoholic (Fr) (Nonoalco), Phoenix Passion was picked up by George Gill's Opulence Thoroughbreds for 125,000gns out of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2.

Yeomanstown Stud's kingpin Dark Angel sports a record of 23 winners from 41 to race (56%) in the U.S., and 12 stakes horses (29%). Five of his progeny have won stakes Stateside (12% of 41 runners), led by three-time Grade I winner and Gainesway sire Raging Bull (Fr), dual Grade I winner Althiqa (GB), and GI Shoemaker Mile S. hero Hunt (Ire).

Zoffany Colt Game Over KY All-Weather

The much-missed Zoffany (Ire)'s Dark Side (Ire) found a 1 1/16th all-weather contest to his liking at Turfway Park on Friday (video), eking out a slim neck victory in the Qatar Racing colours. It was the first start in America for the Brendan Walsh trainee.

A product of Ann Marshall and Frank Dunne's Hamwood Stud Unlimited Company in Ireland, Dark Side hammered for 125,000gns to David Redvers, the racing manager for Qatar Racing, as part of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2021. Consigned by Bill Dwan and Andrew Mead's The Castlebridge Consignment, he was the third most expensive Zoffany yearling to be offered at that year's Tattersalls October Sale.

Put into training with Joseph O'Brien, the Feb. 28 foal was second on debut at Cork in September, and was later sixth in a hot Curragh maiden on Sept. 25 behind future G1 Criterium International second Espionage (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and runner-up Sierra Blanca (Ire) (No Nay Never), who was subsequently second to Cairo (Ire) (Quality Road) in the G3 Killavullan S. a month later. In his final Irish start, Dark Side was second again over 8 1/2 furlongs back at Gowran Park on Oct. 18.

Dark Side is one of four winners for his dam Shreyas (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}), who won a Group 3 in Ireland as a 3-year-old, and would later add a pair of listed victories and two more group placings at four. Her 2-year-old filly Porters Place (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) most recently sold for 70,000gns to Paddy Twomey as a Tattersalls October Book 2 yearling, and her latest offspring is a full-sister to Porters Place. He is kin to Group 1 winners and sires Youmzain (Ire), Creachadoir (Ire), and Pilsudski (Ire).

Zoffany's American strike rate stands at 25 winners from 51 runners (49%). There are also four stakes winners from those 51 (8%) for the late Coolmore sire, led by GII Hollywood Turf Cup hero Oscar Dominguez (Ire), GIII Marshua's River S. heroine Zofelle (Ire), and Zoffarelli (Ire), who won the GIII La Jolla H.

Shades Of Violet In Florida

Juddmonte stallion and GI Breeders' Cup Mile hero Expert Eye (GB) gained his third American winner with Violet Gibson (Ire) in her very first start at Gulfstream Park on Saturday (video). Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., the Mike Ryan homebred came calling late to win the 7 1/2-furlong affair over the firm turf by a head.

Bred in Ireland by Ryan's St. Croix Bloodstock, Violet Gibson is out of the unplaced Soul Of Houdini (Perfect Soul {Ire}), responsible for five winners from five to race, counting Saturday's scorer. Tracing to bluehen Coup De Folie (Halo) (Coup De Genie, Machiavellian, Exit To Nowhere, Hydro Calido, etc.), Soul Of Houdini's latest is a yearling filly also by a Juddmonte stallion in Bated Breath (GB).

Through Monday, Expert Eye, who has his first 3-year-olds this term, has 29 winners from 70 runners worldwide (41%) with the Flat season just around the corner. Joining Violet Gibson and Saturday's winning listed stakes second Beautifulnavigator (Ire) as his third winner of three runners Stateside (100%) is Isabel Alexandra (Ire), who landed a maiden special weight in Indiana last autumn.

Tampa Bay Royalty

Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables celebrated a winner at Tampa Bay Downs in the form of Royalty Interest (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) (video). The daughter of listed winner Dusky Queen (Ire) (Shamardal) was making her racetrack debut in Saturday's finale–a one-mile turf race, where she exploded away in the stretch to win by 3 1/4 lengths for Klarman's go-to trainer Chad Brown.

Bred by China Horse Club International in France and consigned by Henri Bozo's Ecurie des Monceaux, the bay was picked up for €50,000 out of the 2021 Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale. She is the third winner from three to race for Dusky Queen, herself a half-sister to two stakes horses, including the three-time grade/group-placed Achnaha (Ire) (Haatef). Royalty Interest's juvenile full-brother brought €10,000 out of the same sale last year from the buying entity the Six of Us, and she also has a Siyouni (Fr) yearling half-brother.

The late Le Havre, who stood at Sumbe's Haras de Montfort et Preaux before passing away last March, has a strong record Stateside. Eight of his 18 runners have won (44%), and another three have gained black-type laurels (16% of runners) in America. All three have ticked the graded stakes box, led by Suedois (Fr) in the GI Turf Mile S. at Keeneland, four-time graded heroine Rymska (Fr), and GIII Red Carpet H. victress Orglandes (Fr). The latter pair were also trained by Brown.

Honourable Mention

The breeze-up sales are nearly here, and lot 44 in the Tattersalls Craven Sale received an update last week, when his older half-brother, The Right Stuff (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), posted a 3 3/4-length victory for Holly and David Wilson in an allowance optional claimer at Turf Paradise.