Rags-to-Riches Tales Unfold at Breeders' Cup

One European owner who holds the Breeders' Cup in the highest regard is Steve Parkin, whose Clipper Logistics vehicle has four runners to cheer this weekend, all appearing to hold credible chances.

The first of the quartet to test their mettle at Santa Anita Park is Band Practice in the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T). The Archie Watson-trained filly, a listed winner at Chantilly last time, hails from the last of three crops by the late, lamented Tally-Ho Stud stallion Society Rock who, incidentally, is also represented by three-time group 2 scorer A'Ali in the race.

Two hours later the Bungle Inthejungle filly Living In The Past, who carried the all-grey Clipper Logistics silks to victory in the Lowther Stakes in August, is set to contest the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T).

Parkin has two chances in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) Nov. 2 as the outright owner of Space Traveller, who read the script by winning the Clipper Logistics Boomerang Solonaway Stakes (G2) on Irish Champions Weekend, and as joint-owner with George Turner of Suedois, who was fourth to Space Traveller last time and ran a cracker in this race when staged at Del Mar two years ago.

While Suedois was a €165,000 (US$185,031) in-training purchase by Jason Kelly and Nick Bradley at the Arqana Arc Sale, the three other Clipper Logistics color-bearers were bought as untried youngsters by Parkin's racing manager Joe Foley and they showcase his keen eye for top-class talent at middle-market prices.

Band Practice was a €50,000 ($58,965) Goffs November foal, Living In The Past was a €65,000 ($74,620) Goffs Sportsman's yearling, while Space Traveller was the 1,438th lot at the 2017 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, bought for 85,000 guineas ($118,016) from Book 3.

Some of those auctions are not the most glittering fixtures on the circuit and, to emphasize how Foley manages to find treasure in less obvious places, the above trio are all by sires who stood for £10,000 or less in the year they were conceived.

Freshman Battle to Follow

Santa Anita looks set to be an important battle-ground this weekend in a closely-run contest for leading first-season sire honors in North America, with Triple Crown hero American Pharoah —who signed off his career with victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) four years ago—taking into the meeting an advantage of around $70,000 in progeny earnings over the less trumpeted Constitution .

American Pharoah, who has fielded 20 winners from 52 runners according to BloodHorse statistics through Oct. 30, is set to be represented by Another Miracle and Four Wheel Drive in the Juvenile Turf Sprint on Friday and Sweet Melania in the Juvenile Fillies Turf later on the card.

Unfortunately for the sire's prize-money takings in 2019, son American Theorem—second to exciting TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) contender Eight Rings in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) last time out—is skipping the Breeders' Cup in favor of a break before his 3-year-old season.

American Pharoah's debut crop, bred off a fee of $200,000 at Ashford Stud, has yielded four graded winners as well as American Theorem and Monarch of Egypt, both runners-up at the highest level. His progeny earnings stand at $1,574,393.

Besilu Florida Derby (G1) and Donn Handicap (G1) winner Constitution, meanwhile, has posted 16 winners from 51 runners and the earners of $1,502,327 from a first crop conceived at WinStar Farm at $25,000—a price that dropped to $15,000 for the last breeding season but has hastily been revised to $40,000 for 2020.

The sire has one up on American Pharoah in that he has already delivered a grade 1 winner—Tiz the Law in the Champagne Stakes—but that colt is missing the Breeders' Cup in favor of the grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Nov. 30.

His other graded winners Amalfi Sunrise and By Your Side, and Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) runner-up Gouverneur Morris, are also bypassing the meeting.

That leaves Constitution's sole representative at this year's Breeders' Cup as grade 3-placed Our Country (a half brother to Bye Bye Hong Kong, a Windsor listed winner for Andrew Balding and King Power Racing this season) in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf presented by Coolmore America (G1T) on Friday.

With the right results at the Breeders' Cup, some of the chasing pack in the freshman sire standings could bridge the gap on American Pharoah and Constitution.

Lane's End stallion Liam's Map , in fourth place with nine winners from 35 runners and $983,679 in progeny earnings, has a leading fancy for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) in grade 1 Frizette Stakes heroine Wicked Whisper.

Palace Malice , in Three Chimneys' corner, is in eighth place with 13 winners from 49 runners and $832,296 in earnings and has two darts to throw at the meeting: grade 3 scorer Structor in the Juvenile Turf and grade 2-placed Crystalle in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Structor is out of a sister to More Than Real, who was successful in the 2010 Juvenile Fillies Turf (G2).

From Low Prices To the Limelight

Several horses who have had to overcome indifference in the market place have managed to make their way to the bright lights of the Breeders' Cup.

Among the rags to riches stories on the home team are Classic contender Mongolian Groom, an $11,000 yearling purchase who proved a damp squib of a pinhook when sold to Mongolian Stable for just $1,000 more as a 2-year-old at Ocala.

Just $6,500 was ventured on future dual grade 1 heroine and Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) entrant Spiced Perfection when she was bought as a yearling, but she did at least reward her speculators a little more when resold for $50,000 at the Barretts Equine Limited March Selected 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale as a juvenile.

Juvenile Fillies hope Lazy Daisy and Juvenile runner Storm the Court were also pinhooked for pennies as short yearlings and made fair profits for early connections when resold as 2-year-olds at the Ocala Breeders' Sales April Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. Lazy Daisy, a daughter of Paynter , went from $2,000 to $39,000, while Storm the Court, by Court Vision , was found for $5,000 and moved on for $60,000.

Turf Sprint victory for Shekky Shebaz would be some Cinderella story too. The son of Cape Blanco was bought by his former trainer Adam Rice for just $5,000 when he went under the hammer as hip 3,450 deep into the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, and failed to reach his reserve when bidding stalled at $72,000 as a 2-year-old at the Fasig-Tipton July Mixed Sale, even after he had won a maiden special weight at Presque Isle Downs.

Shekky Shebaz has continued to show talent, and was sold to a partnership including Michael Dubb and moved to Jason Servis in the summer, presumably leaving Rice—brother-in-law of top jockey Jose Ortiz—with a handsome profit. Ortiz's brother Irad takes the ride on Saturday.

If you were wondering what a son of Cape Blanco was doing competing in a grade 1 over five furlongs, bear in mind the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (G1) winner may be by Galileo but he is out of Laurel Delight, a specialist over the minimum trip and a half sister to lightning-quick Paris House.

And, more to the point, Shekky Shebaz is out of a mare whose lone victory came over four furlongs.

The most successful social climber among the European contingent at Santa Anita might be Croughavouke, who contests the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

She was bred by Joe Fogarty of Kilfeacle Stud and offered by the nursery at the Goffs Sportsman's Yearling Sale, only for her to return home unsold after bidding stalled at just €4,500 ($5,166).

Fogarty showed owners and agents what they had missed when son Aidan prepared Croughavouke to win a Limerick maiden in July, following which she was sold privately to join Jeff Mullins in America to race for Red Baron's Farm and Rancho Temescal, for whom she has finished second in listed races on her last two starts.

Croughavouke is a daughter of Dandy Man, from whom Kilfeacle Stud also bred Hong Kong Sprint winner Peniaphobia. The stallion also has Dr Simpson in the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Dandy Man stands at Ballyhane Stud, of course, so it really could be a weekend to remember for the operation's owner, Joe Foley.