Racing News

Offspring of Defensive Play Daughters Score Major Wins in Australia
    Early November saw three offspring of daughters of former Woodstead stallion Defensive Play, who recently moved to Montana, score major wins in Australia, including the victory by Efficient (NZ) in the $5.1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (G1) at Flemington on November 6. The four-year-old gelding is the third offspring of Zabeel (NZ) to win the prestigious race. He earned $2,761,500 for the half-length victory in the 3,200 meter turf race. In addition, Defensive Play is the damsire of two other Australian group winners. Sirmione, a four-year-old son of Encosta de Lago, won the $750,000 L K S MacKinnon Stakes (G1) at Flemington on November 3 and then finished 12th of 21 runners in the Melbourne Cup three days later; and Zarita, a three-year-old filly by Pentire, won the $278,837 Longines Wakeful Stakes (G2) on the same November 3 card.

Other News with a Washington Flair...
    Allaire Farms’ most recent stallion addition Polish Miner was represented by a new winner when his three-year-old daughter Knownowthisistrue, out of Biogio’s Girl, by Exclusive Era, won a mile ($54,600) maiden special weight race at Aqueduct on October 25. The New York-bred filly has earned $47,372.

Acquiesce, a three-year-old daughter of Langfuhr, won her second race on October 29 when she took a mile allowance at Mountaineer Park. The Kentucky-bred filly is a half-sister to Washington champion and $145,220 stakes winner Graceful Cat and grade two stakes winner Stalcreek.

My Cousin Matt, an eight-year-old son of El Dorado Farms’ Matty G, won his 11th race and upped his earnings to $992,474 with his victory in a six furlong allowance/optional claiming test at Delaware Park on October 28. The Florida-bred gelding is out of Conquistamiss, by Conquistador Cielo. Matty G had his eighth juvenile winner of the year when Brother G., a colt of Sister Quick, by Ide, won a 6 1/2 furlong maiden test at Philadelphia Park on November 3.

Clair Annette, a four-year-old Washington-bred filly owned and bred by Nina L. Egbert, won her second race in four starts when she came home first in a six furlong allowance at Turf Paradise on October 27. The daughter of Beau Genius is out of Washington-bred stakes winner Windsong Maria, by Exclusive Bidder, who has also produced twice state champion and freshman sire Makors Mark and stakes-placed Windsong At Last.

Highland Games, the four-year-old gelded son of Game Plan—Evergreen Beauty, by Hurlingham, that won the $31,400 Black Mountain Stakes at Turf Paradise on October 27, was bred in California by Terry L. Brooks and McMurry Thoroughbred Services. The new stakes winner is a half-brother to a stakes-winning trio of full brothers – Mr. Makah, Colony Lane and Larron.

Multiple stakes winner Lafleur kept his 2007 unbeaten record intact when the eight-year-old Washington-bred horse won a 5 1/2 furlong allowance race by 7 1/4 lengths at Lethbridge on October 28. It marked his sixth win this year and 24th over all in 33 starts and upped his earnings to $132,453. Bred by Earl Crofoot, the son of Tamourad—Meritable’s Flash, by Meritable, races for trainer Allen Fogle.

Catmantoo, a four-year-old half-brother to 1999 Washington champion two-year-old colt and Gottstein Futurity winner No Curfew, won his fourth race, a 1 1/16 mile allowance race at Hawthorne Race Course on October 26. Bred in Kentucky by Barbara Ratcliff’s Coal Creek Farm, Canmantoo is a son of Vision and Verse out of Promiscuous Angel, by Deputy Minister.

Affordable Price, a stakes-winning daughter of former Washington sire Drouilly (Fr) bred by Dan J. Agnew and Northwest Farms, was twice in the racing news in late October. First, on October 28 at Aqueduct, her grandson Fishy Advice – a five-year-old son of Woodman out of her stakes-winning daughter Lady Skywalker – won the Grade 3 Knickerbocker Handicap to increase his earnings to $353,845. Three days later, three-year-old Buy the Barrel, a daughter of E Dubai out of Affordable Price, finished second in the $56,260 Ghost and Goblins Stakes at Delaware Park.

Juvenile runner Hesademon won his third stakes race when the Alberta-bred son of El Dorado Farms’ Liberty Gold took the $16,681 Bullys Futurity at Lethbridge on October 27. Out of the Tough Knight matron Demonite, Hesademon won the about six furlong race by 1 3/4 lengths for owner-breeder-trainer Dale Hillyard.

Suave Jazz, a four-year-old Florida-bred son of Suave Prospect, won his 11th race in 28 starts when he took the $100,300 Vincent A.Moscarelli Memorial Stakes at Delaware Park on November 3. The earner of $442,186 was produced out of the Jazzing Around matron Cavite Starlet, dam also of stakes-placed Honorable Star.

2007 stakes winner Celtic Dreamin, a three-year-old California-bred gelding by Game Plan bred by Petra Lewin’s Rainbow Meadows Farm, finished second by a half-length in the $250,000 California Cup Classic Handicap at Santa Anita’s Oak Tree meeting on November 3. Bold Chieftain, who was ridden by Russell Baze, won the nine furlong stakes. Another Baze, Michael Baze, was aboard Romance Is Diane when she won the $150,000 California Matron Handicap on the same card. Michael was also astride WTBA sales graduate Switzerland when the four-year-old son of Swiss Yodeler—Kid Friendly, by Pentelicus, bred in California by David and Elaine Parks won the opening race, a $50,000 starter stakes, on the same card.

2007 Emerald Downs champion three-year-old male runner Mulcahy “finished full of run” to be third, only a neck and half-length behind winner Putmeinyourwill, in the $60,000 Seabiscuit Handicap at Bay Meadows on November 3. The Washington-bred gelding and WTBA sales graduate, who races for Harley Hoppe and trainer Howard Belvoir, earned $7,200 for his efforts. Bred by Terry and Mary Lou Griffin, the son of Tribunal—Briar de La Rose, by Regal Companion, has earned $145,449.

Two offspring of daughters of Woodstead Farm stallions finished second and third to winner Chatain in the $60,000 William Livingston Stakes at The Meadowlands on November 3. Finishing second by a head was Mr. Umphrey, a son of Jules out of Polish Delight, by Katowice, and behind him in third was Divisa, a son of Smoke Glacken out of Divided We Fall, by You and I.