Juddmonte

The high-class but lightly-raced Laurel could bid to get her season underway in the Duke of Cambridge S. at Royal Ascot, according to Barry Mahon, Juddmonte's European racing manager.  Laurel has not been seen since disappointing when well-fancied for last year's Lockinge at Newbury. As a three-year-old, she was beaten less than a length in the Sun Chariot S., on what was just her third ever run, and connections are keen to see what she is capable of given the chance. "Laurel is on target for Ascot when I was...

Jean-Pierre Dubois's homebred 3-year-old filly Sparkling Plenty (Fr) (Kingman {GB}--Speralita {Fr}, by Frankel {GB}), unsuccessful in three black-type outings this term, added to her victory in last season's Listed Prix Delahante with a power-packed display--coming from last to first and outclassing five rivals--in Sunday's G2 Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly. Sparkling Plenty, the well-backed 21-10 favourite coming back off a sixth in last month's G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, was under a firm hold and anchored at the tail of the field through halfway in this one-mile distaffers' test. Nudged...

Juddmonte homebred SCYLLA (f, 4, Tapit--Close Hatches, by First Defence) gave notice she'll be one to watch in the older mare division this year with a facile score in Churchill's GIII Shawnee S. Saturday. It marked the first stakes victory for the 'TDN Rising Star' following a seven-length blowout and 93 Beyer figure in a one-mile optional allowance over the surface on GI Kentucky Derby day. Last year's GII Mother Goose S. and GIII Falls City S. winner Xigera (Nyquist), fifth behind Juddmonte's champion Idiomatic (Curlin) in the May 3...

Sent off at 4-1 with 'TDN Rising Star' Sweet Rebecca (American Pharoah) taking the lion's share of the pari-mutuel action in Monday's GII Wonder Again S. at a rainy Aqueduct Racetrack, Juddmonte's beautifully bred Segesta (Ghostzapper) was given a heads-up ride by Irad Ortiz, Jr. to cause a mild upset. Quickly into stride from the inside gate in a scratched-down field of six, the dark bay--whose dam was highly impressive in winning the GI Just A Game S. for this barn in 2017--led into the first turn, but Ortiz, Jr....

Juddmonte homebred Batten Down (Tapit), a full-brother to multiple graded winner Tacitus, worked five furlongs in company in 1:01.09 (1/4) over the Oklahoma training track in Saratoga Monday, but trainer Bill Mott is still considering whether the sophomore will line up for the June 8 GI Belmont S. Batten Down, with jockey Junior Alvarado up, went on the outside of stablemate Arthur's Ride (Tapit) as NYRA clockers caught them through splits of :12.54, :24.80, :36.99 and through five-eighths in 1:01.99 before galloping out in 1:14.19 and 1:28.94. The pair stayed...

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott has plenty to look forward to at next month's Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, with at least five trainees eyeing stakes engagements during the lucrative weekend. Juddmonte homebred Batten Down (Tapit) is the latest addition to the prospective field for the GI Belmont S. with Mott confirming the 10-furlong test is next. "I don't know if he'll get in or not--he's only broken his maiden," said Mott. At fourth asking Apr. 30 at Aqueduct, the full-brother to the Mott-trained MGISP and current sire Tacitus drew...

The much-missed Arrogate continues to add 'Saturday afternoon horses' to his tally with his final crop. Seize the Grey captured Saturday's GI Preakness S., giving Arrogate a second Classic winner in just three crops.  A Kentucky Oaks winner in his first crop. A Belmont and Travers winner in his second. A Preakness winner in his third. Three additional Grade I winners, two of them at age two. Like a streaking star, Arrogate's racing career blazed brilliantly--leaving all who witnessed it in awe--and now his all-too-brief stud career is doing the...

Recent G2 Middleton S. heroine Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) is targeting the G1 Pretty Polly S. at the Curragh on June 29. The Juddmonte homebred, who is trained by Ralph Beckett, was also under consideration for the G1 Coronation Cup on May 31 at Epsom. In 2023, the filly was second in the G1 Irish Oaks and the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. "You're always hoping with a filly like her that she'll improve from three to four, that's not a given but I think we all felt...

Godolphin homebred Devoted Queen (GB) (Kingman {GB}--Fintry {Ire}, by Shamardal) registered victories over seven furlongs at Newmarket in October and over one mile at Kempton in April and maintained her umblemished record, racing in a first-time hood, with a two-length tally in Friday's Listed Sky Bet Michael Seely Memorial at York. Employing patient tactics towards the rear through halfway, she made smooth headway into contention approaching the final quarter-mile and kept on powerfully under late urging to win, going away, by two lengths from Spiritual (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) for...

Juddmonte's G1 Irish Oaks and G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares runner-up Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}--Emulous {GB}, by Dansili {GB}) had failed to get her nose in front since attaining 'TDN Rising Star' status at Salisbury in September 2022, but bounced back from six straight stakes defeats to outshine all four rivals with a dominant display in Thursday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' S. at York. Positioned in a handy third through the halfway mark of this extended 10-furlong contest, the 5-2 second favourite loomed large racing hard...

Bouncing back from a return sixth in the seven-furlong G3 Ballylinch Stud "Priory Belle" S. at Leopardstown last month, Juddmonte's illustriously-bred Wendla (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}--Intercontinental {GB}, by Danehill) benefitted from a masterclass from Colin Keane to cause a minor upset back at that venue in Sunday's G3 Al Shira'aa Racing "Mutamakina" S. Always at the fore with the pace modest, the Ger Lyons-trained daughter of the operation's high-class Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine led the sprint for home in the mile test and had enough in hand to...

Connections of Task Force (GB) are keen to give the colt plenty of time to recover from his run in the G1 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday, feeling there will be lots to come from their charge later in the year. The Juddmonte homebred proved himself a smart sprinting two-year-old for the Ralph Beckett yard last season, winning his first two starts before signing off with a runner-up finish behind Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) in the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket. Sent off at 16/1 when returning...