Bernardini

In "Art Collector Puts Sire Back in the Frame" (TDN 7/16/2020) Chris McGrath comments that "Whatever the reason, I am convinced that compounded, proven distaff influences represent a far better foundation for a pedigree than the supposed alchemies flimsily peddled between given sire-lines." I couldn't agree more, which is why I created the Reine de Course (Queens of the Turf) series of influential mares and have been updating it for the past 40 years. As Bull Hancock famously said, "the family is stronger than the individual." At the end of...

Maybe he was just born too beautiful, and too rich, to be setting the alarm every single morning and riding the same suburban train to work. He can leave the maximisation of income, the humdrum consistency, to lesser creatures. Like some aristocratic dilettante touched by genius, however, Bernardini (A.P. Indy) remains ever capable of producing a masterpiece. The Darley stallion had lately become so slack--only two graded stakes winners in each of the past two years--that this spring he suffered his third consecutive cut, to just $40,000, having commanded a...

On a day when Chad Brown secured his 100th and 101st Grade I victories, Dunbar Road--already a Grade I winner herself--added to the haul in an event that was downgraded from highest-level status a couple years ago. Saving all the ground tucked just behind the speed early, the prohibitive favorite split rivals under confident handling heading for home. Saracosa tried to shadow that one's move, but Dunbar Road simply outclassed her competition to win geared down by as much as she pleased. An eight-length debut winner at Gulfstream last March,...

Bruce Lunsford homebred Art Collector (Bernardini) put his name in the hat for the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby with a victory in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Saturday. Engaged in a three-way duel for control through the opening stages, the 2-1 shot ended up a close third just off MGSW filly Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) and Shivaree (Awesome of Course) as the first quarter went in :23.25. Maintaining that position while running off the fence through a :46.61 half-mile, the dark bay ranged up menacingly outside of...

There is paying your dues and then there is the story of Tom Drury, Jr. Thirty-eight years after he started his training career at age 18, Drury will go into Saturday's GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland with an outstanding chance of winning a prestigious $600,000 race that could be a gateway to the GI Kentucky Derby. His Art Collector (Bernardini) is the co-second choice on the morning line at 5-1 and is coming off a 6 1/2-length win in an allowance race at Churchill Downs. A win would...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Hakodate, Hanshin and Tokyo Racecourses: Saturday, June 13, 2020 8th-TOK, ¥14,360,000 ($134k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 2000mT LOUD AND CLEAR (c, 3, Giant's Causeway--Melody Maiden, by Saint Ballado) improved for a solid debut fourth over this distance Apr. 4 to graduate last...

4th-Gulfstream, $40,000, Msw, 5-24, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:10.83, sy. GRAND CRU CLASSE (f, 3, Bernardini--Christmas Lass, by Lemon Drop Kid), a $335,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic pick-up last year off a :22 1/5 breeze, sported a steady series of drills at Payson Park but was let go at 6-1 for this first go as the money poured in on regally bred sixth-time starter Doll Collection (Tapit--Groupie Doll). Away last but not by much, Grand Cru Classe was scrubbed on to vie for position early before eventually settling in along the fence as...

6th-OP, $60K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 4:36 p.m. ET Phoenix Thoroughbred III Ltd's INIS GLUAIRE (Bernardini) debuts for trainer Steve Asmussen. The dark bay, who realized an $825,000 final bid at last year's OBSMAR sale after completing an eighth of a mile in :9 4/5, is a son of Inish Glora (Regal Classic), a two-time Sovereign Award-winning turf female in Canada and dam of five winners from seven to race, including MSW Roan Inish (Elusive Quality) and GSP In Equality (Quality Road). The Apr. 6 foal, bred by Robert Costigan in...

Capezzano (Bernardini) was a revelation at last year's carnival when winning three straight including the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 by 9 1/2 lengths over Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}), but the 6-year-old gelding had been off since coming up lame after a last-place finish in the G1 Dubai World Cup. The dark bay had never won first-up but he put that stat firmly behind him with a seven-length victory in stakes record time in Thursday's G3 Firebreak S. going a mile on the dirt. Bouncing away from gate five,...

1st-Saratoga, $90,000, Msw, 8-4, 2yo, f, 7f, 1:23.94, ft. DAPHNE MOON (f, 2, Cairo Prince--Crozat, by Street Sense) scored a decisive debut victory at the Spa in Sunday's opener, becoming the seventh individual 2-year-old winner on the year for trainer Jeremiah Englehart. Rating behind the leaders in mid-pack along the rail, she steadily advanced on the inside following fractions of :23.11 and :46.35. Looming wide around the turn, the dark bay surged down the center of the straight and collared Weekend Fun (More Than Ready) in deep stretch for a...

2nd-WO, C$71K, Msw, 2yo, 6f (AWT), post time: 1:33 p.m. ET RED STORM RISEN (Stormy Atlantic) ships in from Fair Hill for trainer Graham Motion as the 5-2 morning-line pick. The Sam-Son homebred is out of the the MSP Strike Red (Smart Strike), who debuted with a 5 1/2-length victory over the local turf course and posted three wins and a stakes placing from just five trips to the post. Strike Red is a full-sister to MSP Red Strike and a half to GSP Scarlet Butterfly (Theatrical {Ire}), in turn...