WinStar veterans under Dubai World Cup night consideration

Battle of Midway's next target leaving a gritty win last weekend in Santa Anita's San Pasqual (G2) isn't set, but co-owner WinStar Farm's assistant racing manager and director of bloodstock services, Sean Tugel, said a pair of lucrative races could be on deck.

Tugel said the 5-year-old son of Smart Strike could proceed to the March 9 Santa Anita Handicap (G1), remaining on the West Coast, or ship overseas for the Godolphin Mile (G2) on the March 30 Dubai World Cup night card.

Battle of Midway moved from un-ranked to No. 4 in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll with a victory, in which he rallied to top McKinzie in the slop.

“Wow,” Tugel said, recalling the San Pasqual. “Serious racehorse there. That just goes to show why so many people wanted to breed to him. Just pure heart and determination. He’s just 100 percent racehorse. That’s what we want them all to be like.”

It was the third win is six starts for Battle of Midway since returning to racing in August. Following his 2017 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile win over Sharp Azteca, he was sent to stud at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky., but proved subfertile. He went back to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer in Southern California in hopes of this type of campaign.

Battle of Midway also picked up victories in the Comma to the Top Stakes and the Native Diver (G3), in which he dueled with Dabster throughout in a three-horse race at Del Mar.

Other Dubai possibilities

WinStar’s Pegasus World Cup contenders Audible and Yoshida – both owned in partnership with China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners and Starlight Racing – are being considered for the Dubai World Cup. 

Audible finished fifth in the Pegasus World Cup while rain pelted Gulfstream Park. He was second in his final prep for the race, the Harlan’s Holiday (G2), also run over a sloppy Gulfstream track. 

“I don’t think Audible really likes that type of racetrack,” Tugel said. 

The Todd Pletcher trainee made a winning comeback on the Breeders’ Cup undercard in the Cherokee Run Stakes, that day winning on a fast track. It was his first start since third in the Kentucky Derby. 

Yoshida finished sixth in the Pegasus World Cup Turf, which marked his return to the grass after winning the Woodward (G1) at Saratoga and running fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He picked up his first top-level score in the Old Forester Turf Classic (G1) on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Trainer Bill Mott also conditioned Yoshida to a close fifth in the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot.

“There’s no reason to make any excuses,” Tugel said of the Pegasus World Cup, “but both horses came out of the race pretty well.”

Quip readies for 4-year-old debut

Quip, owned by WinStar, China Horse Club and SF Racing, has been working at Payson Park Training Center with trainer Rodolphe Brisset. The WinStar homebred made a splash on the 2018 Triple Crown trail when he won the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) and ran second in the Arkansas Derby (G1). He skipped the Kentucky Derby before finishing eighth in the Preakness Stakes in his most-recent start.

Tugel said “Option A” for Quip is the 1 1/16-mile Mineshaft Handicap (G3) run Feb. 16 at Fair Grounds. The WinStar homebred last worked six furlongs Monday in 1:15 flat, which followed his first two five-furlong works since returning to the work tab in December.

Also among WinStar’s older horses is Abounding Joy, campaigned by WinStar Stablemates Racing. The 4-year-old Quality Road filly is 2-for-3 and last raced in May. Her lone loss was on debut and she finished second to Brisset stablemate Talk Veuve to Me, who later won the Indiana Oaks (G3).

Abounding Joy is pointing toward the six-furlong Minaret Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 16.