JOCKEY CLUB WANTS TO GIVE 'UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE' IN BAFFERT VS. NYRA SUIT
by T.D. Thornton
The Jockey Club (TJC) now wants to get involved in trainer Bob Baffert's federal lawsuit against the New York Racing Association (NYRA), which seeks to overturn his banishment from stabling and racing horses at Belmont Park, Saratoga Race Course, and Aqueduct Racetrack. In a June 22 letter to United States District Court (Eastern District of New York), Susan Phillips Read, an attorney for TJC, asked permission to file an "amicus" brief that she believes will "provide the Court with a unique perspective and information to assist in deciding the pending motion for preliminary injunction." Baffert was told by NYRA that he was not welcome to stable or race at the association's three tracks on May 17 in the wake of his disclosure that Medina Spirit (Protonico) had tested positive for betamethasone after winning the GI Kentucky Derby
ECLIPSE TARGET FOR ST MARK'S BASILICA
Dual French Classic winner St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) looks unlikely to have a rematch this summer with Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), with St Mark's Basilica set to target 10-furlong features like the July 3 G1 Eclipse S., Aug. 18 G1 Juddmonte International and Sept. 11 G1 Irish Champion S. The Coolmore partners' St Mark's Basilica has gone unbeaten
in three runs since taking last year's G1 Dewhurst S., adding the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains over a mile on May 16 and stepping up to 10.5 furlongs to take the G1 Prix du Jockey Club three weeks later. He had the G1 2000 Guineas winner Poetic Flare back in sixth in the Poulains, and that colt's owner/breeder/trainer Jim Bolger indicated after Poetic Flare's latest win in the G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot that the colt would stick to a mile for races like the G1 Sussex S. and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois this summer.
NO JULY CUP FOR CAMPANELLE
Stonestreet Stables's Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), the winner of last week's G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, will skip an intended start in the G1 July Cup on July 10 and instead ship back to trainer Wesley Ward's Keeneland base on Wednesday. Campanelle=s new target is the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville, Ward confirmed.
DREAM OF DREAMS "REMARKABLY WELL"
Dream Of Dreams (Ire) (Dream Ahead) exited his popular victory in last weekend's G1 Diamond Jubilee S. "remarkably well," according to Bruce Raymond, racing manager to owner Saeed Suhail. The 7-year-old gelding was winning the Royal Ascot sprinting showpiece after finishing runner-up in the prior two renewals for trainer Sir Michael Stoute.
HIGH DEFINITION AMONG IRISH DERBY ENTRIES
Likely favourite High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is among 17 remaining in Saturday's G1 Irish Derby following Tuesday=s entry stage. Last year's G2 Beresford S. winner High Definition looks to hand his trainer Aidan O'Brien his 15th Irish Derby score, a task that could also be assigned to his stablemates Van Gogh (American Pharoah), Wordsworth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Sir Lamorak (Ire) (Camelot {GB}).
Also among the 17 remaining entries are G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) and the G1 Cazoo Derby second and third Mojo Star (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Listed Cocked Hat S. winner Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will represent Ballylinch Stud and Aquis Farm, with Frankie Dettori set to pick up the mount.
Fernando Vichi (Ire) (Australia {GB}) will look to give Donnacha O'Brien his first Irish Derby as a trainer, while O'Brien's brother Joseph will be represented by Southern Lights (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Earlswood (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) is set to be a first Irish Derby runner for Johnny Murtagh, who won the race four times as a jockey.
DARK ANGEL ON SO. HEMISPHERE TIME
by Paul Vettise
Dark Angel's (Ire) impact during the Royal Ascot carnival further served to fuel interest in a new role for the multiple Group 1 producer, who has risen from modest beginnings to become firmly established among Europe's elite stallions.
The Yeomanstown Stud-based Dark Angel sired a hat-trick of winners during Royal Ascot week and his County Kildare owners have reacted positively to approaches from breeders keen to use the grey's services to Southern Hemisphere time.
The stallion's Down Under profile has been further lifted by his son Harry Angel (Ire), who stood his first season at Darley Australia in 2019 and earlier that year his first season at Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket as the highest-rated sprinter to retire to stud in Britain for more than 30 years.
Harry Angel, who covered 235 mares in his first two seasons at Kelvinside, was the dual Group 1 winner of the July Cup and Haydock Park Sprint Cup and one of eight top-flight individual winners sired by Dark Angel.
His leading performer to date is the flying machine Battaash (Ire), successful four times at the top level, while Raging Bull (Fr), Mecca's Angel (Ire) and Lethal Force (Ire) are all also multiple Group 1 winners.
