Group 1 Winner Without Parole to Race in North America

John and Tanya Gunther's group 1 winner Without Parole made the journey across the Atlantic in search of firm turf and a fresh start in North America. The son of champion Frankel has landed in New York and taken up residence in the barn of three-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown, who sent the 4-year-old to Saratoga Race Course for a bit of a freshening. 

"He was at Belmont and I went to see him Aug. 30 or 31," said Tanya Gunther. "He worked three furlongs on Monday in Saratoga. They took him up there for a few works until he's ready to work with the other horses at Belmont because most of them are race ready, whereas he's got some partners over there at Saratoga. We had given him a little break, so he's just coming back from that."

The fifth foal out of the Lemon Drop Kid  mare Without You Babe, Without Parole was bred in Great Britain by John Gunther and impressed on debut at 2 in England for trainer John Gosden. A half brother to 2016 Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Tamarkuz , he won his first four starts in the U.K., culminating in an impressive half-length victory over Gustav Klimt in the St. James's Palace Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot. 

Without Parole started three more times in group 1 races in Europe to close 2018. He returned to the turf March 30 at Meydan to contest the Dubai Turf Sponsored by DP World (G1), finishing fifth behind Japanese champion Almond Eye.  

Returning to Europe for his next start, Without Parole finished off the board in the May 18 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes (G1) at Newbury. Following the defeat, Gunther said the decision was made to give the colt some time off, a choice that prompted them to move up their original race schedule and send the colt stateside sooner rather than later.   

"Early on, we had thought about bringing him here, so we just brought that plan forward by giving him a break and bringing him early so he could get used to the surroundings," said Gunther, who said she would like to see Without Parole target a start in the Breeders' Cup World Championships in the fall. 

"I know Chad has some ideas (about future races), but it's just about if we have the time to get him there," Gunther explained. "We're going to wait till we get a little further along. He's won a group 1 already, so we will be targeting those assuming we have time to get him ready. We'd like to have a prep race before the Breeders' Cup and try to aim toward that. But when you come off a break, it's all about being ready in time.

"Hopefully he will have a prep race over an oval track, which is a different thing for him. In Europe, it depends on what track you're at, but you don't often have an oval. This will give him the chance to get used to that and also having a pony—all those kinds of things that are different here." 

As for the transition from Europe to North America, Gunther said she's been pleased with how quickly Without Parole has taken to his new home. She continues to hold out hope that a more temperate climate will be to the colt's advantage when he makes his return to the track. 

"He looked great. He carried good weight from the flight over, and he was chill as anything," Gunther said. "He moved really well over the Belmont track, which was nice to see. I thought he galloped really well and looked super happy. I think he also liked the setting. He's a gregarious horse. He seemed to really like being able to see other horses go by, being able to eat hay and watch it all happen. He seemed to really enjoy it there. I was really happy to see him so settled in there. 

"It's nice for us to be racing over here where hopefully he can get the firm turf. When you race in Europe, you realize how difficult it is to get the turf the way you want. There are many things you can't control in the horse world, but weather is always the top one when it comes to turf racing."