By Heather Anderson
In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This column is highlighted by the victory of Pipsy during the Belmont at the Big A meeting in New York.
Pipsy Soars In New York
Pipsy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who races for Woodford Throughbreds, LLC, earned the first graded win of her career in the GIII Soaring Softly S. during Belmont's spring meeting at Aqueduct on Sunday (video). Trained by Will Walden, the filly is now three-for-four.
The Noel Finegan-bred was a €60,000 Goffs November foal, who was a 45,000gns buy-back during the Tattersalls October Sales and won a pair of races, including the Listed Legacy S. for Ger Lyons and former owner Patrick Cosgrove. Offered during the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, Pipsy changed hands for 700,000gns to these connections and was making her first U.S. start. Her juvenile half-brother Breckenbrough (Ire) (Earthlight {Ire}) has yet to race, while her yearling half-brother is by Ghaiyyath (Ire). Her dam, Experte (Fr) (High Chaparral {Ire}), is a half-sister to G2 Grand Prix de Deauville winner Ziyad (GB) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), who was placed in a trio of top-level races.
Tally-Ho stallion Kodiac has 50% winners to runners in the U.S., and there are 41 winners among his 82 runners in that locale. Pipsy joins seven other stakes winners, giving the son of Danehill a strike rate of 10%.
From last to first, PIPSY, gets the win in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly under Flavien Prat for Trainer William Walden in her US debut! 💨 pic.twitter.com/vzFnryKktH
— NYRA (🌳) (@TheNYRA) May 12, 2024
Musical Earns Santa Barbara Score By A Nose
Michael House's Musical Rhapsody (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) captured the Santa Barbara S. at Santa Anita by a nose this past weekend (video).
Trained by Phil D'Amato, the 5-year-old mare also ran second in the GIII Red Carpet S. and is out of Colour Rhapsody (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}). The €14,000 Tattersalls Ireland yearling buy-back is part of the Helen Keaveney breeding programme, and raced for trainer Gavin Cromwell and Mark and Helen Keaveney to three handicap wins before being purchased privately and sent to America. This is the same family as G3 Lacken S. heroine Only Mine (Ire) (Pour Moi {Ire}).
Coolmore's Holy Roman Emperor has 26 winners from 50 runners (52%) in the U.S. His best are GI Sword Dancer S. hero Glorious Empire (Ire), GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. winner Rockemperor (Ire) and Rich Tapestry (Ire), who won the GI Santa Anita Sprint Championship among his seven stakes winners (14%).
Favorite Musical Rhapsody Prevails By A Nose In Saturday's $100,000 Santa Barbara Stakes pic.twitter.com/zLmkxTidj2
— Santa Anita Park (@santaanitapark) May 12, 2024
Former Oaks Filly Wins At Monmouth
Amo Racing's Maman Joon (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) took her second race in a row with a tally at Monmouth Park on Saturday (video).
Trained by Chad Brown, the Barnane Stud-bred filly was a 400,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling. Thrown into the G1 Oaks on only her second start for former trainer Richard Hannon, she ran with great credit to take fourth, and eventually was transferred to America where she won a Tampa Bay maiden in her sixth lifetime start this April. The half-sister to the stakes winner and three-time group-placed Candleford (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) is out of the Listed Pretty Polly S. heroine Dorcas Lane (GB) (Norse Dancer {Ire}), who earned black type with top three finishes in the G2 Ribblesdale S., G2 Lancashire Oaks, and the G3 Prix de Psyche. Maman Joon's full-sister has yet to race. Under the third dam is G1 1000 Guineas heroine Harayir (Gulch).
The Aga Khan Studs' Sea The Stars has 19 winners from 40 runners (47%) in America, with his seven stakes winners there (17%) led by GII Fort Marcy S. hero Ottoman Fleet (GB).
Invincible Army Filly Claws Out California Win
Keith Johnston's Invincible Molly (GB) (Invincible Army {Ire}) won at Santa Anita recently for trainer Jeff Mullins (video).
Bred by Giggenstown House Stud, the filly changed hands for 7,000gns as a Tattersalls December foal, before becoming an 18,000gns Tattersalls December yearling a year later. Alex Elliott picked up Invincible Molly for 55,000gns out of the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale. A handicap winner for Ralph Beckett and owner G Myddelton from four starts in the UK, the bay was an 85,000gns Tattersalls Autumn juvenile when bought by Johnston last autumn. The fourth foal of the unraced Mollymawk (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), the filly is followed by juvenile colt Red Wine (GB) (Expert Eye {GB}). American-based sire and dual Grade II winner Amira's Prince (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who was third in the GI Gulfstream Park Turf H., is a half-brother to the stakes winner Hen Night (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), third in the G3 Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial and the second dam of Invincible Molly.
Yeomanstown Stud's Invincible Army now has one winner (50%) from two runners in the States. Overall, the young stallion has sired 24 winners from 78 runners worldwide, with his best, the listed winner and multiple group-placed Kitty Rose (GB).
Un espectacular triunfo obtuvo ayer el jinete @HIBerrios en @santaanitapark, en la 3a carrera de atropellada y en el último salto ganó junto a la ejemplar #1 Invincible Molly (GB) (Invincible Army), en un Allowance Optional Claiming para hembras de 3 años por U$55.000
1.200 mts…. pic.twitter.com/Aw8QWNHKZt— 100% hípica (@100xCientoHip) May 12, 2024
Repeat Winners
Chad Brown has been dominating graded stakes with his European imports, but he has enjoyed an exceptional couple of weeks even by his high standards. Program Trading (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), already featured in Making Waves, got his head down on the line for Klaravich Stables in the GI Turf Classic S. at Churchill Downs on Derby Day (video).
E Five Racing's Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a dual graded winner last year, was back in the winner's circle for his 2024 debut (video). Now a winner of three stakes following his Opening Verse S. win, the Chad Brown trainee is just shy of $600,000 in earnings.
Fellow Brown trainee Royalty Interest (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) secured a career high in the GIII Sheepshead Bay S. during the Belmont at the Big A meeting (video). It was the first stakes victory for the Klaravich Stables runner.
In Kentucky, Dynamic Pricing (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) also earned her first stakes victory for Brown and Klarman's Klaravich Stables, in the GII Edgewood S. at Churchill Downs (video).
Saturday's GII Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. heroine Chili Flag (Fr) (Cityscape {GB}) has been a star for Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Michael Kisbert (video). The 5-year-old is trained by Chad Brown and struck in last year's Forever Together S. at Aqueduct last spring.
Gold Phoenix (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), who won the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. last year, added another graded win to his resume in the GII Charles Whittingham S. (video). Trained by Phil D'Amato, he races for Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, and Marsha Naify.
Godolphin's Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who won the GII Elkhorn S. at Keeneland this spring, added another graded laurel with a win in the GII Man O'War S. during the Belmont at the Big A meeting (video) for trainer Charlie Appleby. The gelding will summer in Saratoga.
PHOTO FINISH!
Program Trading wins the G1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic in a thriller. Flavien Prat was aboard the Chad Brown trainee for owner Klaravich Stables. pic.twitter.com/HX2Pt2O6ih
— Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) May 4, 2024
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