INTERNATIONAL DIARY
JULY 25, 2009
Whenever the late, great Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray saw a monstrous swing,
connecting with terrific force, and slamming the baseball on a trajectory sure
to clear the outfield, reach the bleachers, or possibly even hurtle onto
Waveland Avenue, he would often exclaim: “It might be — it could be — it is! A
home run — holy cow!”
That metaphor also describes the progress that SEA THE STARS (Cape
Cross [Ire]) has made over the course of his campaign. When the John Oxx trainee
captured the Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1), he hinted that he “might be” the
kind of exceptional talent who could go on to garner the Derby (Eng-G1). When
Sea the Stars exuded class at Epsom, he gave a stronger suggestion that he
“could be” a colt of historic proportions. When he turned in his finest
performance to date in the July 4 Eclipse S. (Eng-G1) at Sandown, Sea the Stars
proved that he is indeed a rare individual, a “home run.”
On cruise control early, Sea the Stars settled well off the dizzying pace set
by the rabbits. As the field straightened into the stretch, regular rider Mick
Kinane gave the supremely confident over-the-shoulder glance, angled out, and
unleashed Sea the Stars. The dual classic hero swept to the front, but was then
tackled by the Aidan O’Brien-trained RIP VAN WINKLE (Galileo [Ire]), who
had been following in his slipstream.
Might Sea the Stars finally have a battle on his hands? Considering the
testing early clip, and Sea the Stars’
sparkling move to take command, it would have been perfectly understandable if
he lacked his typical strength by this point in the race. Indeed, it would have
been natural to see him dig deep, relying on his heart and class to pull him
through.
But Sea the Stars did something unexpected, and far more impressive, in that
10th furlong: he found yet another gear to kick right away from “Rip.” Hardly at
the end of his rope, Sea the Stars had not yet begun to fight when Rip rolled up
to him. Once roused from his idleness, Sea the Stars drove one length clear,
completing the stiff 1 1/4 miles in 2:03 2/5, reportedly a stakes record for one
of the highlights of the English calendar.
The manner and final time of his victory were both remarkable, adding luster
to his historic achievement. Sea the Stars became the first to sweep the
Guineas, Derby and Eclipse since Nashwan in 1989, but that’s just the tip of the
proverbial iceberg. Prior to Nashwan, one has to go back five decades to find
the last three-year-old colt to turn the treble, Blue Peter in 1939.
Before Blue Peter, only two three-year-olds had won the Guineas, Derby and
Eclipse: Flying Fox (1899) and Diamond Jubilee (1900), both winners of the
English Triple Crown. Blue Peter might have garnered the Triple Crown himself,
if the third and final leg, the St Leger, had not been canceled by the outbreak
of World War II.
Sea the Stars’ accomplishment thereby places him in rarefied company. No
wonder owner Christopher Tsui fainted right after the Eclipse; who can blame
him? His homebred has not only won these races; he’s done so in unflappable
fashion, as if we still haven’t gotten to the bottom of him yet.
At the same time, Rip gained plenty of stature in defeat, at last fulfilling
his promise and justifying his connections’ high opinion of him. In addition to
making Sea the Stars pull out a little more, he finished 4 1/2 lengths clear of
champion and Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) hero CONDUIT (Ire) (Dalakhani), who
simply did not have the speed to go with the sophomores at this shorter trip. Conduit,
who was lugging 133 pounds and conceding 11 pounds to the top two, was in turn
five lengths ahead of his nearest pursuer in a strung-out field.
It’s worth remembering that Sea the Stars was originally slated to run in the
June 28 Irish Derby (Ire-G1), until rain fell at the Curragh and prompted a
change of plans. Had the previous weekend been dry in Ireland, Sea the Stars
would have stayed home, and Rip would have been a smashing winner of the Eclipse
— another example of the influence of weather upon history.
The Irish Derby was supposed to be the rematch between Sea the Stars and
Epsom runner-up FAME AND GLORY (Montjeu [Ire]). Without Sea the Stars, it
appeared to be a one-sided affair, and so it was, but Fame and Glory took an age
to hit his best stride for O’Brien. Unlike at Epsom, his Ballydoyle stablemates roared to
the front to set a fast tempo on the good-to-yielding ground. GOLDEN SWORD
(High Chaparral [Ire]), who had been tracking in second, took over from the
exhausted pacemaker and enjoyed a daylight lead into the stretch. Fame and
Glory, steadily working his way into contention beneath Johnny Murtagh, ranged
up ominously behind Golden Sword.
Rather than rocketing right past him, however, Fame and Glory needed a few
seconds to count down to lift-off. When he did ignite in his own good time, the
take-off was impressive, as he ultimately powered home by five lengths. Fame and
Glory was well in hand at the wire, and he gave every indication that he had
plenty of fuel left in the tank.
So, what might have happened if the ground had been suitable, and Sea the
Stars had turned up? Sea the Stars would have sailed past Golden Sword with a
minimum of fuss, while Fame and Glory was still being stoked. Given his tendency
to ease himself up in front, Sea the Stars would probably not have widened his
margin by much, and Fame and Glory would have closed the gap. After that, it’s
arguable. Would Sea the Stars have hurled him back, a la his dismissal of Rip,
or would Fame and Glory have proven irresistible in that 12th furlong at the
Curragh?
Ideally, the two should have squared off in Saturday’s King George VI and
Queen Elizabeth S. (Eng-G1), the traditional summer showpiece featuring the best
three-year-olds and older horses over 1 1/2 miles at Ascot. Unfortunately,
neither is lining up. O’Brien is giving Fame and Glory a break, and Oxx did not
want to run Sea the Stars back three weeks after the Eclipse. In this respect,
Oxx may be benefiting from the example of Nashwan. Gutted by his Eclipse
heroics, Nashwan still managed to win the King George after a battle royal, but
was wiped out afterward, lost his unbeaten mark next time out and was retired.
While I confess to being slightly relieved that Nashwan will stand alone in
the record book as the unprecedented winner of the Guineas/Derby/Eclipse/King
George quadruple, I am nonetheless disappointed that Sea the Stars will
not get the opportunity to equal him. Besides, the King George would have been
the prime spot to squelch any vestiges of a doubt about his proficiency at 1 1/2
miles.
Without Sea the Stars and Fame and Glory, we are left with Golden Sword,
fifth at Epsom and runner-up at the Curragh, to fly the Derby flags in the King
George. The other noteworthy three-year-old engaged, ALWAARY (Dynaformer),
did not take part in any classics. The John Gosden trainee has earned his way in
by finishing a badly troubled third, promoted to second, in the July 9 Princess
of Wales’s S. (Eng-G2) versus older horses at Newmarket. Alwaary was beaten a
little more than a half-length after being shut off, taking up and steering
around rivals, in an effort that was full of promise. He could still be
withdrawn in favor of sticking to his own age group in Tuesday’s Gordon S.
(Eng-G3) at Glorious Goodwood, but as of Friday, Sheikh Hamdan’s team preferred
a crack at the King George.
In a continuation of the recent trend, older horses dominate the
King George entries. Last year’s Oaks (Eng-G1) heroine, LOOK HERE
(Hernando [Fr]), stands to become the first filly to win this prestigious event
since Time Charter (1983), herself an Oaks queen from the previous year. To do
so, Look Here must turn the tables on ASK (GB) (Sadler’s Wells), who
narrowly beat her in the Coronation Cup (Eng-G1). Ask is arguably the least of
the Sir Michael Stoute trio, with the more talented Conduit and TARTAN BEARER
(Spectrum) expected to improve considerably on the step-up in trip. Tartan
Bearer is exiting a close second in the Prince of Wales’s S. (Eng-G1) at Royal
Ascot, while Conduit is coming out of a much deeper race in the Eclipse. FROZEN
FIRE (Montjeu [Ire]), last year’s Irish Derby star, will look to atone for
his two unflattering efforts going left-handed this season, and the O’Brien colt
promises to do much better now that he’s back on a right-handed course.
YOUMZAIN (Sinndar), who has placed in the past two runnings of the King George,
has been denied a third attempt after developing a swollen joint. According to
trainer Mick Channon, Youmzain’s X-rays did not reveal anything worrisome, and
he could be back before the end of the season.
Sea the Stars will now await the August 18 Juddmonte International (Eng-G1)
at York. As another 1 1/4-mile event, the Juddmonte will add nothing to his
reputation, but it does raise the intriguing question of just how one might beat
this all-conquering colt. You can’t defeat him with front-running tactics, for
you’ll have to go too fast to stay ahead of him early. You can’t outkick him
from the rear, for he stays on too strongly to be caught. That leaves two
possibilities, each open to exploration in the Juddmonte.
O’Brien’s Irish Two Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) winner MASTERCRAFTSMAN (Danehill
Dancer), who has been freshened since his game victory in the St. James’s Palace
S. (Eng-G1), represents the first strategy: he has the cruising speed to stay
with Sea the Stars, along with the terrier-like tenacity to never let go, and a
healthy taste for combat. Mastercraftsman has never raced past a mile, though,
and he’s going to have to last every yard of the Juddmonte trip if he has any
hope of outdueling Sea the Stars. Moreover, he was handily beaten by Sea the
Stars in the Two Thousand Guineas. Mastercraftsman has taken a leap forward in
the interim, but it would be going out on a limb to forecast that’s enough to
overturn the form.
The other, more intriguing possibility comes in the shape of the superb filly
GHANAATI (Giant’s Causeway), who has won the One Thousand Guineas
(Eng-G1) and Coronation S. (Eng-G1) in blistering style. The Sheikh Hamdan
homebred holds an early entry for the Juddmonte, but she is headed to
Wednesday’s Sussex S. (Eng-G1) versus males at Glorious Goodwood, and her
subsequent target is yet to be revealed. In the Sussex, Ghanaati will face Rip Van Winkle, who cuts back
to a mile; LORD SHANAKILL (Speightstown), third to Mastercraftsman two
back and most recently successful in the July 5 Prix Jean Prat (Fr-G1); and
possibly top older male miler PACO BOY (Desert Style), a rallying fourth
in the July 10 July Cup (Eng-G1) over six furlongs. Ghanaati’s performance in
the Sussex will therefore serve up some tantalizing collateral formlines with
Sea the Stars.
I would love to see Ghanaati in the Juddmonte for one reason: she is the only
horse we’ve seen all year with a flair similar to Sea the Stars. Ghanaati is on
the bridle while her rivals are under pressure, and she then produces an
explosive kick to put them away. Obviously, she is crushing fillies in her own
division, horses inferior to
those defeated by Sea the Stars, but she is brilliantly fast. Therein lies the
second possibility of an upset: Ghanaati has the ability to travel like a dream
along with Sea the Stars before delivering a slashing turn of foot. It would
take a perfectly-judged ride, lest Sea the Stars be able to come again, but Ghanaati could have the warp speed to swoop wide and late. Like Mastercraftsman,
Ghanaati would be making her first start at 1 1/4 miles, and she couldn’t afford
to lose any of her trademark kick over the longer trip. What delicious irony if
Ghanaati, whose dam is a half-sister to Nashwan, should rise up to defeat his
successor?
The Juddmonte could also figure in the plans of the four-year-old Juddmonte
homebred DOCTOR FREMANTLE (Sadler’s Wells), a narrow winner of the
aforementioned Princess of Wales’s for Stoute last time out. His stock would get
a boost if Princess of Wales’s runner-up Alwaary does well in the King George.
Whether Sea the Stars continues to be bomb-proof in the Juddmonte or not, he
is expected to go on to the September 5 Irish Champion S. (Ire-G1) at Leopardstown and his
long-deferred rematch with Fame and Glory. Unfortunately for Fame and Glory,
it’s a 1 1/4-mile affair, and he’ll have to come up with more gears than we’ve
seen so far.
One rematch that did take place on schedule was the SARISKA (Pivotal)
versus MIDDAY (Oasis Dream [GB]) clash in the July 12 Irish Oaks
(Ire-G1). The two were not separated by much in the Oaks at Epsom, but the heavy
ground at the Curragh exaggerated the differences between them. As a daughter of
Pivotal, Sariska figured to relish the going, and just as surely, Midday was
likely to hate it. In the opening stages, Midday seemed to be moving decently
enough, but the longer she went on the bog, the worse she looked. By about
halfway, Midday was coming under pressure, and turning for home, she was in an
all-out drive. Even so, she could not reel in the longshot pacemaker ROSES
FOR THE LADY (Sadler’s Wells).
Meanwhile, Sariska was literally cantering up behind Midday, with Jamie
Spencer hamming it up in the saddle as he motioned to Fran Berry aboard Roses for
the Lady. Never breaking a sweat, or ever having to lengthen stride, Sariska
sloshed past under wraps. The margin was three lengths, but if Spencer had so
much as chirped to her, it could have been doubled. Sariska has probably
experienced more searching workouts at Michael Bell’s yard.
It would be grossly unfair to suggest that Sariska won only because of the
ground, or that Midday would have beaten her on a fast surface. Sariska is
brawnier and has fewer lifetime starts under her belt, so she’s entitled to have
progressed a lot since Epsom. On a level playing field, Sariska would almost certainly have won. By the same token, however, Midday was significantly
compromised on the ground, as evidenced by the fact that she trudged home 4 1/2
lengths behind Roses for the Lady in third. That result is absurd on its face.
On good going, Midday would traveled better, kicked on for home, and at least
have turned in a more representative effort.
The pair will part ways for now. Midday will likely shorten up to 1 1/4 miles
for the August 1 Nassau S. (Eng-G1) at Glorious Goodwood, but Sariska will
remain at 1 1/2 miles for the August 20 Yorkshire Oaks (Eng-G1). Those are also
prospective targets for the older distaffers DAR RE MI (Singspiel [Ire]),
who is exiting a front-running score in the June 27 Pretty Polly S. (Ire-G1),
and BARSHIBA (Barathea [Ire]), who is in career-best form after romping
in the July 4 Lancashire Oaks (Eng-G2) and the July 18 Aphrodite S.
Unlike their Anglo-Irish colleagues, the French sophomore colts leave
something to be desired, and the July 14 Grand Prix de Paris (Fr-G1) did not
change that impression. Sheikh Mohammed’s CAVALRYMAN (Halling), who was
coming off a six-length score in the Prix Matchem, handled the class rise to
outfinish O’Brien’s Epsom Derby seventh AGE OF AQUARIUS (Galileo [Ire])
by 1 1/2 lengths. The once-promising BEHESHTAM (Peintre Celebre)
disappointed again in a lackluster sixth, and although I won’t write the Aga
Khan colt off just yet, the evidence is starting to mount against him. Alain de
Royer-Dupre had no excuse for the subpar effort.
Cavalryman’s Grand Prix de Paris was more efficient than awe-inspiring. While
the Andre Fabre pupil is on the upgrade, I wonder whether he is as good as his
stablemate CUTLASS BAY (Halling), who has been sidelined since defeating
Cavalryman in the May 12 Prix Greffulhe (Fr-G2). Perfect from three starts, the
Dubai-bred Cutlass Bay has at least as much scope for development, and bears
watching when he returns, perhaps in the August 30 Grand Prix de Deauville
(Fr-G2).
It’s also worth considering how Juddmonte’s FATHER TIME (Dansili
[GB]), an emphatic winner of the June 19 King Edward VII S. (Eng-G2) at Royal Ascot,
might have fared in the Grand Prix de Paris. Rather than going to France as
first mooted, the Henry Cecil trainee is aiming for the August 18 Great Voltigeur S. (Eng-G2) at York. There Father Time could meet Godolphin’s
well-regarded KITE WOOD (Galileo [Ire]), who rebounded from a ninth in
the Epsom Derby to take the July 9 Bahrain Trophy (Eng-G3) at Newmarket. Both
colts are on the path to the season’s final English classic, the September 12 St
Leger (Eng-G1) at Doncaster.
Before leaving the three-year-olds, I must mention the once-beaten WIENER
WALZER (Dynaformer), who captured the July 5 Deutsches Derby (Ger-G1) in
only his fourth career start. The Jens Hirschberger pupil ranks as the 18th
Deutsches Derby winner campaigned by the famed Gestut Schlenderhan, whose
principal, Baroness Karin Von Ullman, died last month. Wiener Walzer is a
magnificent looker on video, and his pedigree suggests that he will get better
with age. Out of a Kingmambo mare, he is bred on the same cross as Gozzip Girl (Dynaformer),
a smashing heroine of the American Oaks Invitational (G1) on the same day as the
Deutsches Derby. Wiener Walzer appeared to be the stable’s second string in the
Hamburg classic, and he will face sterner tests in the future, but he has plenty
of potential.
Hirschberger has also had success with the repatriated GETAWAY (Monsun),
a homebred sporting the colors of Baron Georg Von Ullman. Formerly conditioned
by Fabre in France, Getaway signaled that he may be back to his best when
landing the July 19 Deutschland-Preis (Ger-G1). The six-year-old was making his
second start for Hirschberger, having finished runner-up in his debut for his
new trainer in the June 28 Hansa-Preis (Ger-G2). Getaway traveled smoothly
throughout the Deutschland-Preis, a 1 1/2-mile contest at Dusseldorf, and was
full of run when caught behind the dueling leaders in midstretch. As soon as a
seam opened up, Getaway barreled through, flicking his ears and waiting for his
next command, while convincingly beating a decent group. Fabre had expressed a
very high regard for him last year, only to have him disappoint on the big
occasions. Could Getaway finally reach those heights for Hirschberger?
The highest-profile comeback of late was turned in by Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1)
star GOLDIKOVA (Ire) (Anabaa). A dreadful seventh in the May 17 Prix
d’Ispahan (Fr-G1) in her seasonal reappearance, the four-year-old filly regained
the winning thread against fellow distaffers in the July 8 Falmouth S. (Eng-G1)
at Newmarket. It was not flashy, or imperious, but Goldikova got the job done by
a half-length. She pressed the pace before working her way into the lead, and
with jockey Olivier Peslier just nursing her along, she prevailed over HEAVEN
SENT (Pivotal), SPACIOUS (Nayef) and the three-year-old RAINBOW
VIEW (Dynaformer). The form is solid, considering that Spacious and Heaven
Sent had finished one-two in the June 17 Windsor Forest S. (Eng-G2) at Royal
Ascot, and Rainbow View was coming off a third to Ghanaati in the Coronation.
After the Falmouth, trainer Freddie Head said that a virus had infiltrated his stable earlier in
the season. A nefarious microbe would easily account for Goldikova’s debacle in
May, why she did not reappear until the July meeting, and why Peslier never
asked her for her maximum effort in the Falmouth. The Newmarket race was
workmanlike at best, but in effect, it served as her real 2009 debut. Goldikova
is eligible to improve next time out at Deauville. Although she could mount a
title defense in the August 2 Prix Rothschild (Fr-G1), her principal objective
is the August 16 Prix Jacques le Marois (Fr-G1). Other notables pointing for the
Marois include Dermot Weld’s FAMOUS NAME (Dansili [GB]), mightily
impressive in the Celebration S. and International S. (Ire-G3) in his last two
at the Curragh; d’Ispahan winner NEVER ON SUNDAY (Sunday Break [Jpn]),
most recently a close third in the Prince of Wales’s; and possibly Godolphin’s
GLADIATORUS (Silic [Fr]), if he doesn’t take up his preferred spot in the
August 8 Arlington Million (G1) instead.
The other Breeders’ Cup victor to return to the winner’s circle recently was
DONATIVUM (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux). Last year’s Juvenile Turf hero when
trained by Gosden, the gray gelding was unplaced in his first two tries for
Godolphin, but rallied from the back of the pack to score in the July 4 Prix
de Saint-Patrick at Deauville. How long will it take before he joins Rick Mettee’s satellite
operation here in the United States?
Donativum’s success is part of an overall Godolphin resurgence at present —
a rich vein of form that became inevitable once I questioned the handling of
Gladiatorus in my previous edition.
Among the team’s older horses, KIRKLEES (Jade Robbery) rolled to a
four-length decision over stablemate COVERT AMBITION (Singspiel [Ire]) in
the July 3 Gala S. at Sandown. The five-year-old Kirklees, an Italian Group 1
winner as a juvenile, will bid to continue his good form in Saturday’s York S.
(Eng-G2). The lightly-raced Covert Ambition came right back to finish second to
another Godolphin runner, CRIME SCENE (Royal Applause [GB]), in the July
18 Steventon S. at Newbury. Covert Ambition, who was making only his fourth
career start in the Steventon, is still a four-year-old and should keep
improving. He could be a major player at next winter’s Dubai Carnival at the new Meydan
complex.
Moreover, Godolphin is stocking up on talent. The operation has acquired Two
Thousand Guineas and St. James’s Palace runner-up DELEGATOR (Dansili
[GB]) and St James’s Palace fourth EVASIVE (Elusive Quality), as well as
smashing Queen Mary (Eng-G2) winner JEALOUS AGAIN (Trippi) and LONG
LASHES (Rock Hard Ten), heroine of the Ballygallon Stud S. in her debut.
Rounding out the series of redemptive victories, Juddmonte’s SPANISH MOON
(El Prado [Ire]), who was last seen being banned from Britain because of his
difficulty at the starting gate, ventured to France and plundered the June 28
Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Fr-G1). The Stoute charge deserved a top-level score,
having been an early favorite for the 2006 Derby before suffering an injury, and
having missed by inches in the Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G1) in his last race.
Spanish Moon duly stamped himself as a contender for the October 4 Prix de l’Arc
de Triomphe (Fr-G1), and he could still make a North American cameo at some
point.
At Saint-Cloud, Spanish Moon had 1 1/2 lengths to spare from the smart filly
ALPINE ROSE (Linamix), who in turn bested defending Grand Prix champion Youmzain by the same margin. Such a formline through the
dependable Group 1 place-getter Youmzain reflects great credit on Alpine Rose,
marking her as a serious distaffer for de Royer-Dupre. The four-year-old filly
is slated to take on the undefeated sophomore force STACELITA (Monsun) in
the September 13 Prix Vermeille (Fr-G1).
In our next edition, we’ll recap the King George, the notable action from
Glorious Goodwood and Deauville, the Juddmonte International and Yorkshire Oaks,
and look ahead to the Irish Champion and St Leger.