Grade I winner Heatseeker, who was scratched from the June 28 Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I), has been retired from racing due to an injury to the medial branch of the suspensory ligament in his left foreleg. Even though he is jogging and galloping sound, the injury would require at least a six-month layoff.

Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, 5-year-old Heatseeker won or placed in 14 of 17 races and earned $1,177,776.

“We are extremely disappointed as we had our sights set on the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I), where we figured to be one of the favorites based on Heatseeker’s dominance of his division this year,” said owner William de Burgh. “I am very grateful to Jerry and his stable team. We all had a lot of fun with Heatseeker, and I know it is a huge disappointment to them as well. Horses like him do not come around very often.”

Heatseeker began his racing career in his native Ireland. From three starts at 2, he won twice and placed in the Laing O’Rourke National Stakes (Ire-I).

After coming to North America, Heatseeker developed into one of the top older males. In 2008, he won the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) in track-record time, plus the Californian Stakes (gr. II) by 5 1/4 lengths in track-record time over Tiago. Also this year, Heatseeker earned a -3 rating from Jerry Brown’s Thoro-Graph Sheets and twice recorded 110 Beyer Speed Figures, the co-highest of the year at more than a mile on dirt. He set two track records in 2007.

“Heatseeker had just come into his own,” Hollendorfer said. “He is by far the best horse that I have trained. Rarely will you see a horse with the brilliance to set a track record for seven furlongs in 1:20 and change, and then be equally as brilliant being able to set a track record at a mile and a quarter.”

Bred by Richard F. Barnes, Heatseeker is by Giant’s Causeway out of the Defensive Play mare Rusty Back. Stud plans have not been decided.
(Source: The Blood-Horse)

Vinery Stables’ Efficient Edge launched his winning bid with a quarter-mile to run, led by one length in early stretch, and drew off to a 5 ¼-length score in the first race on Sunday at Churchill Downs to become the first winner for Grade 1 winner and freshman sire The Cliff’s Edge.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Efficient Edge covered the five-furlong maiden claiming race in 1:00.01 under Shaun Bridgmohan. He is out of Grade 3-placed stakes winner Efficient Frontier, by Mt. Livermore, a half sister to Grade 2 winner Navesink.

The Cliff’s Edge, a seven-year-old by Gulch out of the Danzig mare Zigember, stands for $10,000 at Vinery in Lexington. He has 71 two-year-olds in his first crop.

The Cliff’s Edge won four of 13 career starts and earned $1,265,258 for owner Robert LaPenta. He finished on the board 11 times and won three graded stakes, including the 2004 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland Race Course before finishing fifth to Smarty Jones in the Kentucky Derby (G1). In three subsequent starts, he finished second in the Dwyer (G2), Jim Dandy (G2), and Travers (G1) Stakes prior to suffering a condylar fracture of the right front ankle during a third-place finish to Funny Cide in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

Birdstone notched his first winner when his son S. S. Stone won at Hollywood Park June 29 in his initial race.

The colt, out of the Dixieland Band mare Sing and Swing, was bred in Kentucky by Marylou Whitney, who raced Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Birdstone. S.S. Stone races for Robert LaPenta and is trained by Doug O’Neill.

S. S. Stone was purchased at the Keeneland September sale for $135,000 and was an RNA at the Fasig-Tipton Florida February sale of 2-year-olds on a bid of $300,000.

Birdstone, by Grindstone-Dear Birdie, by Storm Bird, stands at the Beck family’s Gainesway Farm near Lexington for $10,000.
(Source: The Blood-Horse)

Grade 1 winner Roman Ruler, a career earner of $1,220,800, will shuttle to South America for the upcoming Southern Hemisphere breeding season to stand at Damasia and Pablo Zabaleta’s Haras Vacacion in Argentina.

A six-year-old by Fusaichi Pegasus out of multiple Grade 1 producer Silvery Swan, by Silver Deputy, Roman Ruler stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms in Lexington for $30,000. A half brother to Grade 1 winner and sire El Corredor, Roman Ruler has 155 yearlings in his first crop.

Roman Ruler won five of 10 career starts, including four graded stakes victories. Roman Ruler captured the 2004 Norfolk (G2) and Best Pal (G2) Stakes as a juvenile and won the $1,015,000 Haskell Invitational Handicap (G1) and Dwyer Stakes (G2) as a three-year-old in 2005.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

Sapphire Prince earned a 1¼-length win in the first race at Great Leighs on Thursday and became the first winner for New York-based freshman sire Read the Footnotes.

Florida-bred Sapphire Prince, who is out of the winning Houston mare Anna Jackson, covered six furlongs in 1:15 on the synthetic Polytrack surface for owners Ian Beach and John Fletcher and trainer John Best.

Read the Footnotes is a seven-year-old by Smoke Glacken out of the Al Nasr (Fr) mare Baydon Belle. He stands at Sequel Stallions New York for $8,500. Read the Footnotes has 53 two-year-olds in his first crop.

Read the Footnotes won five of eight career starts and earned $450,660. Winner of the 2004 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), he was among the early favorites for the Kentucky Derby (G1) after his fourth-place finish in the Florida Derby (G1) but finished seventh in the classic. He also won the ’03 Remsen (G2) and Nashua (G3) Stakes, both at Aqueduct, as a two-year-old.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

Even the Score notched his first winner when the 2-year-old filly Enjoy the Score broke her maiden June 26 at Louisiana Downs in her second start. The filly was bred in Louisiana by Millennium Farms. Even the Score, by Unbridled’s Song, stands at Ro Parra’s Millennium Farms near Lexington.

Produced from the Distorted Humor mare Time to Enjoy, Enjoy the Score ran five furlongs in :59.28 and won by 2 ¼ lengths as the even-money favorite. She had finished second in her first start.

Enjoy the Score is owned by Dwight Fugate and trainer Jerry Hardin.

The filly’s dam was also bred by Parra. Enjoy the Score is just her second foal.

Enjoy the Score was sold by Cashmark Farm, agent, at the Fasig-Tipton Texas April sale, where Hardin purchased her for $19,000.

Ten-year-old stallion Even the Score, a multiple grade II winner, stands for $7,500.
(Source: The Blood-Horse)

Soldier’s Tale’s new owners the Sangster family have decided not to race the seven-year-old again and he will shortly begin quarantine procedures before taking up stud duty in Australia.

With the yard of his trainer Jeremy Noseda under a cloud at the moment, Soldier’s Tale was pulled out of last Saturday’s Golden Jubilee Stakes.

He had not raced since winning the same event a year ago and while Noseda initially hoped his charge might run in the July Cup, this now looks to have been shelved as he heads off to the Sangster family’s Swettenham Stud at Nagambie in Victoria.

Adam Sangster, who bought Soldier’s Tale, told The Age in Australia: “He had a bit of a virus and that forced us to miss his run at Royal Ascot. With the firm ground around at the moment, we decided to end on a winning note.”
(Source: At The Races)

Release

Thoroughbred Breeders NSW Limited (TBNSW) has announced that there has been a changing of the guard on their Committee.

After more than 14 years of service on the TBNSW Committee including the past year as President, Mr John Muir has stepped down.

The Committee would like to express their sincere gratitude for the time that John has devoted to the industry and the efforts he has made on behalf of NSW breeders over the past 14 years.

A unanimous vote saw the reins handed over to Mr Trevor Lobb, General Manager, Bloodstock, of Darley Australia and former Vice President of the Association.

In accepting his appointment as President, Trevor said “I am honoured to be have been chosen by my colleagues to undertake this role. On behalf of the Committee I would like to congratulate our outgoing President on the superb job he has done and thank him for his tireless dedication to our industry”.

The role of Vice President and Treasurer also changed hands today with Mr Derek Field, General Manager of Widden Stud taking over from Ms Judy Marheine.

Trevor Lobb thanked Ms Marheine for her significant contribution during her time as Vice President and Treasurer and is pleased to advise that Judy will remain as a Committee member.
www.tbnsw.com.au

Horse Greeley, the 2006 Del Mar Futurity (G2) winner, will begin his stud career in 2009 at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky.

The four-year-old Mr. Greeley colt out of Grade 1-placed winner Chile Chatte, by Storm Cat, finished third to Johnny Eves in the 2007 Malibu Stakes (G1) in his final start for owner Martha Parfet and trainer Richard Mandella.

Horse Greeley will stand for a syndicate. No stud fee has been announced.

“He is an extremely good-looking horse and has been since the day he was foaled,” Mandella said. “He is big, strong, has good bone, and a great mind. Horse Greeley also had a lot of talent, which he showed us, but [he] was the victim of some bad luck his three-year-old year.”

Horse Greeley won a 6 1/2-furlong maiden race by four lengths at Del Mar prior to his 1 3/4-length triumph in the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity over eventual Grade 1 winners Great Hunter and Stormello. He did not manage a victory in three subsequent starts.

Bred by Parfet and her late husband, Ray, Horse Greeley won two of six career starts and earned $225,460.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

Eric Hamelback on Wednesday was named general manager of Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs Farm in Paris, Kentucky.

Hamelback joined Adena Springs in 1996, serving as the farm’s yearling manager and assistant farm manager before leaving in 2002 to become general manager at Live Oak Stud near Ocala. He rejoined the Adena Springs organization in 2005, serving as Assistant Manager at Adena Springs South in Williston, Florida before being named to his new position.

“I am very pleased to welcome Eric as General Manager of Adena Springs,” Stronach said. “I am confident that Eric’s experience and commitment to the Adena philosophy will allow him to guide our farm successfully into the future.”
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

Hat Trick, a Japanese record-setting champion miler by Sunday Silence, will stand the Southern Hemisphere at Independent Stallions Victoria in Nagambie, Australia. He entered stud this year at John T.L. Jones III and Robert Trussell’s Walmac Farm near Lexington and stood for $15,000. His Australian fee will be $16,500 (about $15,700), which includes GST.

“Every son of this great sire (Sunday Silence) that has stood in Australia has left a group I winner, and I believe he is an outstanding prospect on pedigree, performance, and type,” said Independent Stallions’ Mike Becker.

Seven-year-old Hat Trick, who is out of the grade II winner Tricky Code (by Lost Code), won eight of 21 races and earned $3,122,708.
(Source: The Blood-Horse)

Adieu, a Grade 1 winner and Eclipse Award finalist as a two-year-old in 2005, died on June 17.

Dermot Ryan, manager of Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, said he would wait for an official report before commenting on the cause of her death.

Adieu delivered her first foal, a healthy Giant’s Causeway filly, on January 24.

“She’s a lovely filly,” Ryan said of the foal.

Adieu, an El Corredor mare out of Irene’s Talkin, by At the Threshold, scored wins over eventual champion Folklore in the 2005 Astoria Stakes at Belmont Park and Spinaway Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course before winning the Frizette Stakes (G1) at Belmont.

Trained by Todd Pletcher for owners Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith, Adieu also won the 2006 Delaware Oaks (G2) as a three-year-old. She won five of ten starts and earned $907,934.

Coolmore also recently lost Tacha, the dam of European champion and Irish freshman sire One Cool Cat.

Ryan said Tacha hemorrhaged and died after producing a healthy Johannesburg filly on May 1.

The 16-year-old Mr. Prospector mare out of Savannah Dancer, by Northern Dancer, was purchased privately from WinStar Farms in 2003 when One Cool Cat was Europe’s champion two-year-old colt.

WinStar principals Bill Casner and Kenny Troutt bought Tacha for $2.2-million in foal to Seattle Slew at the 2000 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale.

Demi O’Byrne bought One Cool Cat, by Storm Cat, on Magnier’s and Tabor’s behalf for $3.1-million at the 2002 Keeneland July selected yearling sale. One Cool Cat stands at Coolmore’s base in County Tipperary, Ireland. His first crop features eight winners, including four stakes winners, through June 18.

Bred and raced by Allen Paulson, Tacha won one of nine career starts.

Ryan said La Traviata, the beaten favorite in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, has been retired to Ashford. The four year-old Johannesburg filly out of Piedras Negras, by Unbridled, is in foal to Mr. Greeley.

La Traviata won her first three starts, including two stakes, by a combined margin of 27 1/2 lengths. Her only loss was a sixth-place finish in the Filly and Mare Sprint.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

First-crop sire Strong Hope, a grade II winner, was represented by English winner Art Preview June 23. Making his first start, the colt captured a five-furlong race at Lingfield in :59.15 under 129 pounds for owner R. A. Green.

Bred in Kentucky by Ponchartrain Stud, Art Preview is the sixth winner from seven starters produced from French group placed Elle Est Revenue (by Night Shift). Art Preview was bought for $103,688 at the Tattersalls 2-year-old sale in May.

Art Preview is the second winner by Strong Hope, whose first, the filly Delicada, won May 30 in Mexico. Bred in Kentucky by Liberation Farm and Oratis, Delicada is the second winner from two starters produced from the stakes-placed Ogygian mare Wave Me Home.

Strong Hope (Grand Slam—Shining Through, by Deputy Minister) stands for $30,000 at the Hancock family’s Claiborne Farm near Paris, Ky.
(Source: The Blood-Horse)

Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour, the dam of consecutive Belmont Stakes (G1) winners Jazil in 2006 and Rags to Riches ’07, will not breed this year so that she can have an early cover date in 2009.

John G. Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms and Mike Moreno’s Southern Equine co-own the 12-year-old Deputy Minister mare. Sikura said Better Than Honour lost her A.P. Indy foal late in term and rather than breed her in June, the team opted for an earlier breeding in 2009.

“Everything is A-OK with her diagnostically, but we felt that she wanted more time after losing her foal,” Sikura said. “We want to do right by the horse, and we’re looking forward to breeding her.”

Better Than Honour also produced Peter Pan Stakes (G2) winner Casino Drive, whose connections returned the Mineshaft colt to the United States from Japan in an attempt to give his dam her third consecutive Belmont winner, but a bruised foot forced Casino Drive’s scratch the morning of the race.

“I wouldn’t allow myself such a sense of greed that winning back-to-back Belmonts wasn’t enough,” Sikura said. “It’s a stretch to even say it was disappointing [Casino Drive] didn’t run because that family doesn’t owe us anything. It was unfortunate more than anything.”

Sikura owns Better Than Honour’s first foal, the winning Storm Cat mare Teeming, and her first foal is the A.P. Indy filly Cascading. Sikura has not decided whether his Hill ‘n’ Dale will consign Cascading at one of this year’s yearling sales.

“She’s nominated to keep our options open, but I’m inclined to keep her,” Sikura said. “It’s such a selective family and so hard to get into.”

Better Than Honour’s last two foals are both by Giant’s Causeway. The two-year-old, now named Man of Iron, shipped to Ireland in 2006. The yearling, which Hill ‘n’ Dale and Southern Equine co-bred, remains in North America.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

Release

Champion Three Year-Old and Chilean Horse of the Year Trotamondo (Chi) has been released from quarantine and arrived safely at Yarraman Park last week with inspections now available by appointment.

“He is a very attractive horse with a great temperament and we’re pleased with his condition coming out of quarantine which can be a bit of an ordeal for some horses,” said Harry Mitchell.

“They’ve obviously looked after him very well and he’s got such a lovely genuine nature, you can see how he’d adjust to the travel and new surroundings in his stride.”

A son of champion sire Hussonet (USA), whose service fee for this spring has been elevated to $137,500, Trotamondo has something in common with our own Hussonet superstar Weekend Hussler in that he was a devastatingly good three year-old.

After showing promise at two from a handful of starts, Trotamondo returned at three to dominate his peers in commanding fashion, winning each of five starts in his Classic year.

“There’s no doubt he was an outstanding racehorse when you go back through and look at all his race footage,” said Mitchell.

“Nothing got near him at three apart from his last race, when he probably didn’t get the distance, but had way too much class and still won.

“He was such a professional with great natural ability and turn of foot combined with a terrific attitude, all the attributes you expect to see in a champion.”

Trotamondo broke his maiden over 1300 metres at his first run back from a spell when bolting in by an amazing 20 lengths and was immediately stepped up to the Group One Dos Mil Guineas over 1600 metres and emerged triumphant.

Sent out favourite on the strength of his previous win despite taking on seasoned stakes horses, Trotamondo delivered the goods in no uncertain terms cruising away to win his first Group One by three and a quarter lengths eased down.

Tackling the second leg of the Chilean Triple Crown at his next appearance in the Group One Gran Criterium, Trotamondo started joint favourite with the previously unbeaten filly Ecelenza and left her lamenting as he dashed away to win by two and a quarter lengths.

After scoring a facile three length win in a Listed event as a final lead-up, Trotamondo took his place in the final leg of the Chilean Triple Crown, one of Chile’s richest races, the St Leger over 2200 metres.

The rising star cemented his claim to champion status in posting a remarkable win after being set alight in the middle stages of the race by regular rider Gonzalo Ulloa.

In a lightning move, Trotamondo was taken from worse than midfield to hit the front with 800 metres to run and fought on to defy the late finish of Entrevistado to win by half a length with nearly ten lengths back to the third horse.

The victory earned him a $US400,000 bonus for capturing the Chilean Triple Crown, a performance achieved previously in 2000 by Lido Palace a horse that subsequently campaigned in North America where he won five races, three of them Group Ones.

Crowned Champion Three Year Old and Chilean Horse of the Year, Trotamondo was subsequently sold to North America interests and from a limited number of starts claimed a major win in the Group Three Native Diver Handicap a Hollywood before going amiss.

Secured for Yarraman Park and due to stand his debut season at a fee of $22,000, Trotamondo is unique among the sons of Hussonet retiring to stud in Australia this season in that he is from a North American bred mare in Movie Producer.

A juvenile winner in the US, Movie Producer is a full sister to US Group Two winner Parlay Me and is a grand-daughter of another US Group Two winner in Smashing Gail. At stud, Movie Producer has proven a resounding success as the dam of Trotamondo and his Group One winning half-sister Madame Victoire.

With a recognized international pedigree, Group One performance and the unmistakable good looks of his sire, Trotamondo is the complete package for breeders seeking to utilize a son of Hussonet this spring.
www.yarramanpark.com.au

Copper Sunrise led at every call to win by 2 3/4 lengths in a maiden special weight race at Canterbury Park on Saturday and become the first career winner for freshman sire Eavesdropper.

Copper Sunrise, who is out of the stakes-winning Lac Ouimet mare Near Silver, was hustled to the lead, repelled a rival’s bid in the stretch, and pulled away under steady urging to win the five-furlong race in 1:00.55 on a track rated as fast for owner R.E.V. Racing and trainer Valorie Lund.

Eavesdropper, an eight-year-old by Kingmambo out of the Secretariat mare Weekend Surprise, stands for $7,500 at Walmac Farm in Lexington. A half brother to 1992 Horse of the Year and leading sire A.P. Indy and 1990 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Summer Squall, Eavesdropper has 53 two-year-olds in his first crop.

Eavesdropper won three of 16 starts and earned $167,794 in three racing seasons. He won the 2004 Harvey Arneault Memorial Handicap at Mountaineer Park and finished third that year in the Fall Highweight Handicap (G3).
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

King Combo edged away in the stretch and earned a one-length win in a maiden claiming race on Friday at Calder Race Course to become the first winner for freshman sire Black Mambo.

Trained by Joe Calascibetta, King Combo ran 4 1/2 furlongs in :54 on a fast track.

Black Mambo stands for $5,000 at Bridlewood Farm. The Kingmambo horse out of stakes-placed winner Lassie’s Lady, by Alydar, has 73 two-year-olds in his first crop.

Black Mambo is a half brother Grade 2 winner and sire Bite the Bullet and Group 3-placed winner Love Me True, dam of multiple Group 1 winner Duke of Marmalade. Notable members of the female family include European highweight and sire Wolfhound, 2000 champion older horse Lemon Drop Kid, and 1992 Broodmare of the Year Weekend Surprise, dam of ’92 Horse of the Year and leading sire A.P. Indy and ’90 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Summer Squall.

Black Mambo concluded his racing career in ’04 with three wins in 21 starts and $100,790 in earnings. A $1.1-million purchase by Irish bloodstock agent Demi O’Byrne at the ’00 Keeneland September yearling sale, Black Mambo finished second in the ’04 Reappeal Stakes at Calder for trainer Frank Gomez and owner William Murphy.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

Grade II victor Teton Forest found his first stakes winner when his son Smokey Lonesome won June 19 at Hollywood Park in his second start. The 2-year-old gelding rallied to win the $48,000 maiden event in near track record time over the Cushion Track surface.

Smokey Lonesome’s gutsy late surge stopped the clock in :56.99 for the five furlongs, a time that fell just a quarter of a second off the track record of :56.74. Bred in Kentucky by Sandra Dozier Hill and Charles Hill, the gelding won the race for the partnership of Bruce Chandler, Richard Matlow, and Stuart Tsujimoto.

Smokey Lonesome is the first stakes winner out of the Alysheba mare Exclusive Symbol.

Freshman sire Teton Forest, out of the Al Nasr mare Tomorrow’s Child, becomes the first graded stakes-winning son of prominent stallion Forestry to sire a winner. The talented miler raced in the colors of B. Wayne Hughes and stands for $5,000 at Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm near Lexington.
(Source: The Blood-Horse)

Grade 2 winner and freshman sire Saarland registered his first winner on Thursday when Collegiate prevailed in her career debut at Belmont Park.

The two-year-old filly scored by 2 1/4 lengths for owner Team Valor International and trainer Mark Hennig, completing the five-furlong race, the second race on Thursday’s card, in :57.53 over a fast track.

Team Valor bought Collegiate for $400,000 from the consignment of her breeder, Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, in the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale.

Saarland stands for a private fee at Darby Dan in Lexington. Collegiate was his fifth starter.

Cynthia Phipps bred and raced the nine-year-old Unbridled horse out of multiple Grade 1 winner Versailles Treaty, by Danzig. Jackson purchased a majority interest at the conclusion of his racing career.

Trained by Shug McGaughey, Saarland won the 2001 Remsen Stakes (G2) and finished second in the ’03 Metropolitan Handicap (G1). He won five of 21 career starts and earned $595,250.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)