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Once again it was Ecurie des Monceaux and its productive 'P' family that stole the show at the Arqana August Yearling Sale, with two closely related lots making seven-figure sums one after another late in the Aug. 18 second session.

Japan's Blast Onepiece, trained by Masahiro Otake, was cut to as short as 16-1 for this year's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe after warming up with a neck victory over Sungrazer in the 1 1/4-mile Sapporo Kinen (G2) under Yuga Kawada.

Now that Coronet has finally acquired the habit, she seems reluctant to return to the role of bridesmaid, comfortably adding Deauville's Aug. 18 Darley Prix Jean Romanet (G1) to last month's Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1) score.

Trainer Chad Brown's dominating Saturday at the races wasn't dampened by soggy weather at Saratoga Race Course, with Dunbar Road posting a win in the Aug. 17 Alabama (G1) just after Regal Glory shared honors with Varenka in the Lake Placid (G2T).

Earthlight roared home in front of Queen Mary Stakes (G2) heroine Raffle Prize to take the Aug. 18 Darley Prix Morny at Deauville for trainer André Fabre.

Ashbrook Farm and BBN Racing's grade 1 winner Concrete Rose will miss the rest of the season due to a hairline fracture in her right foreleg. On Aug. 18, trainer Rusty Arnold confirmed the fracture is expected to heal "100%."

<p>Rowdy Yates and Green Destiny gave jockey Tyler Baze and trainer Steve Asmussen a sweep of the last two stakes of the 2019 Ellis Park meet Sunday at the western Kentucky track.</p> <p>Rowdy Yates continued the domination of L and N Racing and Asmussen by capturing the $84,795 Ellis Juvenile, while Green Destiny drew clear some 50 minutes later when taking the $95,500 Ellis Debutante.</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/preview/asmussen-baze-team-sweep-ellis-juvenile-debutante" target="_blank">read more</a></p>

<p>The long-winded Giovanna Blues came from last to give trainer Francine Villeneuve her first stakes win in Sunday&rsquo;s $104,000 Flaming Page at Woodbine.</p> <p>With Gary Boulanger aboard, Giovanna Blues ($23.20) raced wide in seventh entering the long backstretch in the 1 1/2-mile marathon. She made a three-wide bid into contention on the far turn and then wore down pacesetter Ambitious Moon in the drive to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths in a time of 2:29.54 over a yielding main turf course.</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/preview/giovanna-blues-scores-first-stakes-win-flaming-page" target="_blank">read more</a></p>

1st-Del Mar, $61,351, Msw, 8-18, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:12.42, ft.
STELLAR SOUND (f, 2, Tapit–Siren Serenade, by Unbridled’s Song), the less-fancied of a pair of Tapit fillies making their respective debuts for Don Alberto Stable, covered all the ground but still fought on gamely late to prevail in Sunday’s opener from Del Mar. Away last and breaking outwardly from her wide draw, the homebred had to be asked for more early by Drayden Van Dyke and soon tugged her way up into third while still far out into the track as fellow Don Alberto colorbearer Matera (Tapit)–a $1.4-million half-sister to Liam’s Map trained by Jerry Hollendorfer and the 3-5 favorite–showed the way. Stellar Sound ranged up to join Matera and pace presser Buyer’s Remorse (Liam’s Map) into a :46.13 half, and Matera soon dropped back as the other two were locked in battle past the quarter pole. Buyer’s Remorse was a stubborn foe, but Stellar Sound got the better of her late to score by a half-length. Matera kept on for third. According to Trakus data, Stellar Sound covered 23 ft. (approx. 2 3/4 lengths) more than the runner-up. Don Alberto paid a sale-topping $1.025 million for dam Siren Serenade at the 2017 Keeneland January sale while she was carrying Stellar Sound. Siren Serenade was already the dam of ‘TDN Rising Star’ and Del Mar debut winner and track record breaker Luminance (Tale of the Cat), GISP, $218,858. She has since produced a Malibu Moon filly earlier this term before being bred back to Tapit. Stellar Sound’s second dam is MGISW Versailles Treaty (Danzig), who also produced GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf hero George Vancouver (Henrythenavigator) and GSW and GISP Saarland (Unbridled). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $36,600. Click for the Equibase.com chartor VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Don Alberto Stable; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

 

The post Tapit Filly Overcomes Wide Journey to Score on Debut at Del Mar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

<p>DEL MAR, Calif. &ndash; Omaha Beach could resume training by the end of the week after his summer schedule was disrupted over the weekend by illness, trainer Richard Mandella said.</p> <p>Widely considered one of the nation&rsquo;s leading 3-year-olds, Omaha Beach will miss a scheduled start in the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile at Del Mar on Sunday. Mandella said on Sunday that Omaha Beach had shown improvement over the weekend and that a blood test &ldquo;was good.&rdquo;</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/preview/omaha-beach-could-resume-training-week" target="_blank">read more</a></p>

<p>It was a historic edition of the C$200,000 Prix d&#39;&Eacute;t&eacute; for 4-year-old male pacers on Sunday afternoon at Hippodrome 3R in Trois-Rivi&egrave;res, Quebec, as This Is The Plan turned in the fastest clocking ever on a half-mile track in Canada, taking the race in 1:49 1/5.</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/hippodrome-3r-plan-breaks-canadian-record-prix-d%C3%A9t%C3%A9" target="_blank">read more</a></p>

6th-Saratoga, $90,000, Msw, 8-18, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:15.85, ft.
MRS. DANVERS (f, 2, Tapit–Gracie Square, by Awesome Again)blew the break but made a big late move to fill out the trifecta when favored on debut here July 19, and entered this second attempt with plenty more buzz behind her to go off at a tick under even-money. The grey traveled in fourth early under a tight Joel Rosario hold as Finite (Munnings), who finished ahead of the favorite by a nose last time, showed the way through splits of :22.27 and :45.27. Switched out for clear sailing at the top of the lane, Mrs. Danvers took a few green strides, but soon leveled off and inhaled the leader inside the sixteenth pole to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths with what appeared like further room to improve and mature. Finite was another five lengths clear of $400,000 yearling buy Abilene Trail (Curlin), who was similarly far in front of the fourth finisher. The winner’s dam is out of MSW and GISP Starry Dreamer (Rubiano), making her a half to super sire War Front (Danzig), graded stakes winners Teammate (A.P. Indy) and Ecclesiastic (Pulpit). The unraced Gracie Square produced a Union Rags colt in 2019 and a filly by Uncle Mo earlier this year before being bred back to Munnings. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $60,300. Click for the Equibase.com chartor VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Allen Stable, Inc.; B-Mr. Joseph Allen LLC (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III.

The post Buzzed About Tapit Filly Gets the Job Done Second Out at Spa appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

<p>Driver Art Stafford Jr. notched the 2,000th win of his career when he piloted Happy That ($7.20) to a 1:56 3/5 victory in Sunday afternoon&#39;s (Aug. 18) ninth race at Harrah&#39;s Philadelphia.</p> <p>Happy That, a 4-year-old son of Muscle Hill trained by Martin Davis for owner Jeffrey Startt, made a first-over push from third up the backstretch to reel in and overpower early pace-setter Sleek N Majestic on the far turn. Happy That won the $14,000 conditioned trotting event by 1 1/2 lengths over the late-rallying E Ell Cruze.</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/harrahs-philadelphia-art-stafford-jr-lands-career-win-2000" target="_blank">read more</a></p>

Rupp Racing’s Owendale (Into Mischief) completed preparations for the Aug. 24 GI Runhappy Travers S. with a four-furlong drill in :48.80 (24/90) at Churchill Downs Saturday.

“Our horse is doing really well,” trainer Brad Cox said Sunday. “He breezed great yesterday at Churchill and galloped out well and looked great this morning. He is coming into the race as well as we could ask or expect. He’s on top of his game. He will gallop out on the track Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.”

Owendale won the Apr. 13 GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. before a third-place effort in the GI Preakness S. He will be stretching out to 1 1/4 miles in the Travers following a win in the nine-furlong GIII Ohio Derby June 22.

“He runs like he is a mile and a quarter horse,” Cox said. “If it is a good set up, it is possible. The numbers suggest our horse is a bit faster or just as fast any of these. If he can run his Preakness race or the Lexington race, he is going to be in the mix.”

Sagamore Farm’s Scars are Cool (Malibu Moon) has joined the Travers line-up following the defection of stablemate and GIII Peter Pan S. winner Global Campaign (Curlin). The chestnut colt is coming off a maiden-breaking victory going nine furlongs at Saratoga July 21.

“He’s always been nice. As a 2-year-old, he got hurt, but he looked like he was going to be a nice horse,” said trainer Stanley Hough. “Each race, he’s improved. But in his race here, he looked really good.”

Scars are Cool opened his career with a fourth-place effort in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs May 12. He was third when stretched to a mile in Louisville June 16 before graduating third time out.

The post Owendale Ready for Travers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

<p>SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. &ndash; Somewhat lost in all the commotion surrounding the prevailing weather conditions, breathtaking ending, and ultimate controversy over the final result of the photo finish was the fact both Varenka and Regal Glory ran their eyeballs out before dead-heating for first in Saturday&rsquo;s Grade 2 Lake Placid.</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/preview/regal-glory-varenka-could-see-rematch-keeneland" target="_blank">read more</a></p>

Amalfi Sunrise (Constitution), winner of the Aug. 3 GII Sorrento S., has been taken out of training and will miss an expected start in the Aug. 31 GI Del Mar Debutante as she undergoes diagnostic tests this coming week.

“We’ll know more by Tuesday,” trainer Simon Callaghan said while confirming a story first reported by Daily Racing Form which said the 2-year-old filly was sore behind.

Owned by Doug Branham and Marsha Naify, Amalfi Sunrise was tabbed a ‘TDN Rising Star’ following her debut win at Santa Anita June 23. She romped home by a front-running six lengths in the Sorrento and most recently worked four furlongs in :48.80 at Del Mar Aug. 12.

The post Amalfi Sunrise Out of Debutante appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

<p>Two rich Empire Breeders Classic finals for New York-sired 3-year-old pacers took place on Sunday afternoon at Tioga Downs, and Hickfromfrenchlick (colts and geldings) and Zero Tolerance (fillies) both turned in impressive victories.</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/tioga-hickfromfrenchlick-zero-tolerance-dominate-ebc-finals" target="_blank">read more</a></p>

<p>SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. &ndash; Elate, the 2017 Alabama winner, worked a solid half-mile in 48.44 seconds Sunday morning over the Oklahoma training track in preparation for a start in Saturday&rsquo;s Grade 1, $700,000 Personal Ensign Stakes.</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/preview/elate-channel-maker-work-company-weekend-stakes" target="_blank">read more</a></p>

<p>McWicked put in a big final-half effort from first-over and was victorious in the $170,000 Roll With Joe for free-for-all pacers on Sunday afternoon at Tioga Downs.&nbsp; The final time of the mile was 1:48 3/5.</p> <p>Filibuster Hanover (Yannick Gingras) set the tempo in the race as he made front right off the wings and hit the opening quarter in 26 4/5 and the half in a rated 55 2/5.&nbsp; McWicked (Brian Sears) tucked into third from his outside post six starting position and began his first-up bid nearing that half-mile marker.</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/tioga-mcwicked-home-first-roll-joe" target="_blank">read more</a></p>

<p>SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. &ndash; Dunbar Road came out of her victory in Saturday&rsquo;s Grade 1 Alabama in good order, and while trainer Chad Brown said the Breeders&rsquo; Cup Distaff at Santa Anita is a likely year-end goal, how he gets the 3-year-old fill there is undetermined.</p> <p>&ldquo;We never really planned beyond the Alabama,&rdquo; Brown, who trains Dunbar Road for owner Peter Brant, said Sunday morning.</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/preview/dunbar-road-could-face-older-next-start" target="_blank">read more</a></p>