A VISIT WITH CURLIN, GIANT'S CAUSEWAY, A.P. INDY AND MORE...

Tapit
(Image : South Winds Thoroughbreds / USA PCE)

Video Updates from Kentucky…

In a continuation from yesterday’s video updates from Mick Goss, Alec Hogg and Barry Irwin in the US, here are a few more clips featuring visits with Curlin, Giant’s Causeway, A.P. Indy, Arch and Tapit as well as clips of Teams Valor and Denali and Secret Heart.

Click below to watch :

CURLIN
GIANT’S CAUSEWAY
A.P. INDY
ARCH
TAPIT
TEAMS VALOR AND DENALI
SECRET HEART

(Footage courtesy of Alec Hogg)

EXPERIMENTAL FREE HANDICAP RATINGS FOR 2010

Barry Irwin of Team Valor with Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner, Pluck
(Image : Bleacher Report/VTA Blog)

“You’ve got an
Uncle in the Furniture Business…”

The Americans have just issued their Experimental Free Handicap ratings for 2010, for two-year-old colts and fillies. The top rated colt, Uncle Mo, ranked two pounds above the norm, making him something of a standout.

Interesting, the joint fourth rated colt, Pluck, is out of the South African-bred mare Secret Heart, and belongs to one of South African racing’s greatest admirers, Barry Irwin of Team Valor International. Here they are, together with a schedule of the stallions represented. Inevitably, the stallion list is headed by Lion Heart, a horse Coolmore banished to Turkey.

2010 EXPERIMENTAL FREE HANDICAP - COLTS

Wt	Horse	Sire
128	UNCLE MO	Indian Charlie
123	TO HONOR AND SERVE	Bernardini
122	BOYS AT TOSCONOVA	Officer
121	COMMA TO THE TOP	Bwana Charlie
121	PLUCK	More Than Ready
120	J P’S GUSTO	Successful Appeal
120	JAYCITO	Victory Gallop
120	KANTHAROS	Lion Heart
119	J.B.’S THUNDER	Thunder Gulch
119	SOLDAT	War Front
116	ROGUE ROMANCE	Smarty Jones
116	SANTIVA	Giant’s Causeway
115	ASTROLOGY	A.P. Indy
115	MAJOR GAIN	More Than Ready
115	MUCHO MACHO MAN	Macho Uno
115	WILLCOX INN	Harlan’s Holiday
114	GOURMET DINNER	Trippi
114	MADMAN DIARIES	Bring The Heat
114	RIVETING REASON	Fusaichi Pegasus
114	STAY THIRSTY	Bernardini
112	CALEB’S POSSE	Posse
112	MOUNTAIN TOWN	Cape Town
112	PREMIER PEGASUS	Fusaichi Pegasus
112	RUSH NOW	Tiznow
111	CLEARANCE CLARENCE	Cryptoclearance
111	MAYBESOMAYBENOT	Sunday Break (JPN)
111	SWAY AWAY	Afleet Alex
110	AIR SUPPORT	Smart Strike
110	BANDBOX	Tapit
110	COZY KITTEN	Kitten’s Joy
110	ROUGH SAILING	Mizzen Mast
110	TIZ BLESSED	Tiznow
110	VENGEFUL WILDCAT	Vindication
110	WINE POLICE	Speighstown

2010 EXPERIMENTAL FREE HANDICAP - FILLIES

Wt	Horse	Sire
123	AWESOME FEATHER	Awesome of Course
120	MORE THAN REAL	More Than Ready
120	TURBULENT DESCENT	Congrats
119	A Z WARRIOR	Bernardini
119	R HEAT LIGHTNING	Trippi
118	DANCINGHERDREAMS	Tapit
118	KATHMANBLU	Bluegrass Cat
118	RIGOLETTA	Concerto
118	TELL A KELLY	Tapit
118	WICKEDLY PERFECT	Congrats
116	BIG TIZ	Tiznow
116	POSITION LIMIT	Bellamy Road
116	WINTER MEMORIES	El Prado (Ire)
115	INDIAN GRACEY	Indian Ocean
114	DELIGHTFUL MARY	Limehouse
114	DIXIE CITY	Dixie Union
113	FULL MOON BLUES	Petionville
113	JORDY Y	Congrats
113	MAY DAY ROSE	Rockport Harbour
112	BELIEVE IN A. P.	A. P. Indy
112	HARLAN’S RUBY	Harlan’s Holiday
112	NEVERSAIDIWASSWEET	Eurosilver
112	WONDERLANDBYNIGHT	Sky Mesa
111	BOUQUET BOOTH	Flower Alley
111	FOREST LEGEND	Forest Camp
111	LE MI GEAUX	First Samurai
111	NIJI’S GRAND GIRL	Candy Ride (Arg)
110	GRANDACIOUS	Grand Slam
110	HOLIDAY FOR KITTE	Kitten’s Joy
110	JUST LOUISE	Five Star Day

2010 EXPERIMENTAL FREE HANDICAP - SIRES
(3 or more represented)

Stallion	Colts	Fillies	Total
LION HEART (Tale of the Cat)	1	5	6
TAPIT (Pulpit)	1	5	6
* CONGRATS (A.P. Indy)	1	4	5
* BERNARDINI (A.P. Indy)	3	1	4
* FIRST SAMURAI (Giant’s Causeway)	3	1	4
STORMY ATLANTIC (Storm Cat)	2	2	4
YES IT’S TRUE (Is It True)	1	3	4
AFLEET ALEX (Northern Afleet)	1	2	3
ARCH (Kris S.)	0	3	3
FUSAICHI PEGASUS (Mr. Prospector)	3	0	3
HARLAN’S HOLIDAY (Harlan)	2	1	3
MORE THAN READY (Southern Halo)	2	1	3
* SHARP HUMOR (Distorted Humor)	3	0	3
SMART STRIKE (Mr. Prospector)	2	1	3
TALE OF THE CAT (Storm Cat)	2	1	3
THUNDER GULCH (Gulch)	3	0	3
TIZNOW (Cee’s Tizzy)	2	1	3
WEST ACRE (Forty Niner)	1	2	3

* Freshman Sire

PLUCK TO STAND AT VINERY STUD

Click above to watch Pluck winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf…
(Photo : Sky Sports - Footage : Breeders Cup)

PLUCK (USA)
More Than Ready (USA) - Secret Heart (SAF)

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (Gr 2, 8f) winner Pluck (2 c Secret Heart, by Fort Wood) is scheduled to stand alongside his sire More Than Ready (USA) at Vinery Stud in Australia following his recent acquisition.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the Team Valor-homebred came with a big finish in the straight to land the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf having previously won the Summer Stakes (Gr 3, 8f) at Woodbine in Canada.

The colt has since been transferred to Graham Motion and could be targeted towards Europe with the Irish 2,000 Guineas a possible option.

A decision as to when Pluck will retire to stud will be made following his three-year-old campaign.

His dam Secret Heart is a stakes winner in South Africa, by Champion sire Fort Wood, and is a half-sister to the Champion South African 3-year-old Filly of 2004, Promisefrommyheart. His granddam Secret Pact is a stakes winning half-sister to champion London News.