Gufo takes them to the ‘sword’
Otter Bend Stables LLC’s Gufo (Declaration of War) used its decisive footing to find daylight at the pivotal stage of the GI Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Invitational S. in Saratoga on Saturday and smartly launch home smart to close the progress Mira Misson (Noble Mission {GB}) in waning strides and successfully defended her title in the ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier for the GI Longines Breeders Cup Turf in Keeneland on November 5 . Rising Soldier (GB) (Frankel {GB}) finished well from the back of the pack to complete a 1-3 finish for Christophe Clement’s steady side.
“He’s been a very good horse for the past three years,” said Clement, who also won the Sword Dancer with the Honor Glide in 1999 and with the Winchester in 2011. “He had a great ride today. He’s never been this far back and he’s traveled well. When [jockey] Joel [Rosario] ask him, he explodes in the stretch. I am so happy. I think the horse deserves to win. “
While being favored Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) missed the halftime break and was immediately ridden by Ryan Moore, Gufo left for a run and settled into seventh place, when the free wheel Tribhuvan (Fr) (Toronado {Ire}) setting a moderate pace from the hero Sword Dancer in 2020 Channel Builder (English Channel).
Gufo, blinking for the first time this season, continued to move wrapped and slightly behind midfield and was moved lightly in the middle by Joel Rosario, but the men swallowed 3-2 in man. This year’s hero G2 Hardwicke S. started to sweat, as the 6-year-old was up and down and worked hard to reach the last half mile. Broome was back on the reins by the time the Blade Dance arena had reached its final turn and moved better at range three, but Rosario asked Gufo to speed up a bit and beat Broome on the spot, floating the runner. Aidan O’Brien wide as they near to stretch. Meanwhile, Mira Mission, who raced one out and one back in the Channel Maker lineup for a good part of the journey, passed and easily won Tribhuvan in the top lane. In a couple of strides, it looked like he had won the break, but Gufo leveled and hit the touchline to narrowly score. Broome couldn’t have done better than fourth.
“It was a good trip,” said Rosario. “He really came to [a] run when requested and we are lucky to have it today. He did respond well but you never know if the horse in front will keep going, but he did everything I asked him to do. He looks like he likes it here, he won it last year and did it again this year.”
Never been a factor in finishing 10th at Turf last year, Gufo continued to excel as ever as he rushed home two stages ahead of the GII Pan American S. at Gulfstream on April 2. Runner-up at Belmont’s GI Man o’ War S. over a mile. and three bonuses on May 14, he simply didn’t have too much to do when he finished third ahead of Tribhuvan in GI Resorts World Manhattan S. over £10 on June 11 and when he placed fifth behind Adhamo (Ire) (Intello {Ger}) during the 11-furlong GI United Nations S. round at Monmouth July 23.
Genealogical notes:
Gufo is one of the top seven goalscorers worldwide for the Declaration of War, who has also won prestigious events such as Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, Poule d’Essai des Poulains, Queensland Oaks and Melbourne Cup from just a handful of crops to race. The stallion currently calls Japan home, where it has been represented (until August 26) by seven individual winners from its first local athlete affair.
As a half-brother to the versatile fan-favorite Hogy, Gufo was bred on a variant of a Danzig cross instead of the Seeking the Gold mare which has resulted in offspring resembling Omaha Beach – also the son of War front– As well as Pomeroy (Boundary), winner of the Eclipse Questing Award (GB) (Spin hard) and the Mark of Blessing (Ire) (The Invincible God {Ire}).
Floy is the beating of a longing Conservationists name is a dirty poet, without conception Spin hard for 2022 and most recently served by both and Oscar Performance.
GUFO does it again, guaranteeing consecutive wins in the GI Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer S. in Saratoga! pic.twitter.com/ak7DDyqNce
– TDN (@theTDN) August 27, 2022
Saturday, Saratoga
RESORTS WORLD CASINO SWORD DANCER S.-HOLD$750,000, Saratoga, 8-27, 4yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:28.92, gd.
first-GUFO, 122, h, 5, by Declaration of War
Dam One: Floy, of Petionville
2nd beat: Risen Miss, by Peteski
3rd dam: Eddie’s Star, of the Star of Resurrection
O-Otter Bend Stables, LLC; B-John Little and Stephen Cainelli
(CZK); T-Christophe Clement; J-Joel Rosario. $400,000 dollars.
Lifetime record: 19-9-3-5, $1,983,030. * 1/2 to Hogy (Offlee
Wild), MGSW-USA, SP-Can, $1,339,782. Werk Nick’s review:
D +. Click to view eNicks report & pedigree of 5 children. Click for
the Free Equineline.com catalog style genealogy.
2-Mission Mira118, g, 4, Noble Mission (GB) –Kazamira, by
Transformers. O-Mary Abeel Sullivan Revocable Trust;
B-Mary A Sullivan (KY); T-Ian R. Wilkes. $140,000.
3–Rising Soldier (GB)118, g, 4, Frankel (GB) –Sahrawi (Ger),
by Pivotal (GB). (240,000gns RNA Ylg ’19 TATOCT).
O-Madaket Stables LLC, Michael Dubb, Morris Bailey,
Wonder Stables and Michael J. Caruso; B-Dayton
Investment Company Limited (GB); T-Christophe Clement. 75,000 dollars.
Margins: HF, HF, HF. Odds: 4.40, 18.60, 13.70.
Also Ran: Broome (Ire), Cross Border, Tribhuvan (Fr), Cold Hard Cash, Adhamo (Ire), Rockempool (Ire), Channel Maker.
Click to view Equibase.com chart or PP of TJCIS.com. VIDEO sponsored by TVG.