Bolshoi Ballet

Bolshoi Ballet (Ire), the dual Grade I-winning son of Galileo (Ire) and  Alta Anna (Fr) (Anabaa), has been retired from racing to join Coolmore's National roster. He will stand at the McCarthy family's The Beeches Stud in Co Waterford.  Having been named a 'TDN Rising Star' when breaking his maiden at Leopardstown at two, Bolshoi Ballet, bred by Lynch Bages and Rhinestone Bloodstock, then emulated his sire, as well as Yeats (Ire) and High Chaparral (Ire), when winning both the G3 Ballysax S. and G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial the...

At the conclusion of racing on Monday, Saratoga will have handled about $800 million for the meet, the third highest handle figure ever for the track. On-track attendance once again topped one million, and was officially at 1,055,543 after Saturday's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Day card with two racing days to go. Yet, by just about any measure, it was not a good meet. Saratoga came into 2023 with the wind at its back. Every year the racing seemed to get bigger, the handle would grow and more and...

Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will not make the trip to Hong Kong for Sunday week's G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m), South China Morning Post reported Friday. Ninth to Japan's Loves Only Your (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in last year's G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup (2000m), the last of an eight-race campaign that saw him compete on three continents, the bay was given a chance to make a return trip to Hong Kong in the Listed Churchill S. at Lingfield Nov. 12, but he failed to shine, finishing fourth...

The Week In Review, by Bill Finley The Breeders' Cup announced Saturday that it had begun a review process to determine whether or not trainer Bob Baffert will be allowed to compete in this year's championship event. The outcome of that review is pending. "The Breeders' Cup Board has commenced a review process as to whether Bob Baffert will be permitted to participate in this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships," read a statement from the Breeders' Cup. "The process will include an opportunity for Mr. Baffert to present his case...

One of three overseas raiders in the field of eight, Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) looks to ring up another big race in the Empire State for Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby in Saturday's $1-million Jockey Club Derby Invitational S. at Belmont, which offers the winner an all-expenses paid trip to the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar Nov. 6. It has been something of an up-and-down season for the homebred full-brother to MG1SW Wild Illusion (GB), runner-up to Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) in the 2018 GI Breeders' Cup...

GI Belmont Derby hero Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) looks to secure the second leg of NYRA's Turf Trinity Saturday in the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational S. Capturing the G3 Ballysax S. in April, the Aidan O'Brien trainee followed suit with a dominant score in the G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial a month later. Well-beaten as the favorite in the G1 Cazoo Derby June 5, the Coolmore runner rallied to a good-looking score at Belmont July 10 under Ryan Moore, who returns Stateside for this event. "It's a good opportunity...

One horse overshadowed all other news items of the past week as the bloodstock world came to terms with the death of Galileo (Ire) at the age of 23.  Fulsome tributes have been paid to him from across the globe with the overwhelming feeling being that we will never see his like again. It is worth bearing in mind, however, that many of us felt the same when his own extraordinary sire Sadler's Wells died 10 years ago. That colossus of the breeding world appeared in the third or fourth...

Aidan O'Brien will saddle the likely favorite in the GI Belmont Oaks in Coolmore's Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and also sends out the overwhelming morning-line favorite 'TDN Rising Star' Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the GI Belmont Derby a few races later for the same owner. Kicking off this term with a victory in the G3 Ballysax S. Apr. 11, the bay romped by six lengths in the G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial May 9, but failed to fire when seventh as the favorite in the G1 Cazoo...

It has become custom for some to yearn for the glory days of the Epsom Derby, when the blue riband of the English turf sat proud on its Wednesday slot dominating the consciousness of the London area. While it has fallen some way short of its past standard as a national treasure, one of the factors in its relative demise has been lack of competition but this year's Cazoo-sponsored renewal stands up on that score at least. In fact, with all its converging plots there has not been as exciting...

Twenty years ago, Aidan O'Brien won the Derby for the first of his record eight times with Galileo (Ire), whose son Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) is currently ante-post favourite for the Cazooo Derby on June 5. The Ballydoyle trainer also has the favourite for the Cazoo Oaks, Santa Barbara (Ire), who is by another of his Derby winners, Camelot (GB). Issuing an update on the G3 Ballysax S. winner Bolshoi Ballet, O'Brien said, "I am very happy with him, everything has gone well so far. He is a very well-balanced horse....

Is the Derby picture clearer or murkier after the last week? We probably can't say for sure until after Thursday's Dante S., which may or may not feature Ballydoyle's erstwhile favoured one High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). At the moment, of those currently at 20/1 or shorter in the betting, there's certainly the potential for there to be a good story attached to the winner and, let's face it, the great old race in its first year of Cazoo sponsorship, certainly could do with that. Who wouldn't love to see...

   Leopardstown's G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial has a considerable reputation as one of the leading preps for Epsom's blue riband, so it is a surprise that no horse since 2002 has won both this 10-furlong contest and the English Classic. That could change this year, with the current Derby looking a wide-open affair at present and Jim Bolger holding the aces in the 3-year-old colt department. Fresh from winning the G1 2000 Guineas with Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) last Saturday, the master of Coolcullen saddles Mac Swiney...