Hopeful S. (gr. I)
(gr. I , 7f ,)
CIRCULAR QUAY
(CH h,
120
lb) $150,000
Thunder Gulch —Circle of Life , by
Belong to Me
B—Doreen Tabor,
KY.;
O—Tabor, Michael B. and Doreen;
T—Todd A. Pletcher
Scat Daddy
(DK B/ h,
120
lb) $50,000
Johannesburg —Love Style , by
Mr. Prospector
B—Axel Wend,
KY.;
O—Scatuorchio, J. T. and Pletcher, J. and T.;
T—Todd A. Pletcher
Unbridled Express
(GR/RO h,
120
lb) $25,000
Unbridled's Song —Skye Castles , by
Sky Classic
B—Bernard S. Flint,
KY.;
O—Conway Hillerich Racing, Flint, Bernard, S., Flay, Bobby, Jayeff B Stables;
T—Bernard S. Flint
Margins: 4¼, 1, 3½. Others: Pegasus Wind 120($12,500) , Irish Ace 120($7,500) . Winning Jockey, Garrett K. Gomez.
Circular Quay not only won the Sept. 4 Hopeful Stakes (gr. I) closing day at Saratoga, but he won big. Trailing by about 101/2 lengths after the first four furlongs, Circular Quay kicked it in high gear in the stretch and won the seven-furlong race by 41/4 lengths.
It’s safe to say that Circular Quay’s grade I score at Saratoga was in his genes. Circular Quay’s sire, Thunder Gulch, captured the 1995 Travers Stakes (gr. I) at the Spa, and the colt’s dam, Circle of Life, took the 1999 Spinaway Stakes (gr. I) at the upstate New York track. Better yet, Thunder Gulch’s sire, Gulch, took the 1986 Hopeful.
Circular Quay (pronounced key) races for Michael Tabor and his wife, Doreen, who is the breeder of the undefeated runner. Named after the attractive hub in Sydney, Australia, Circular Quay captured the July 8 Bashford Manor Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs in his previous start in his second outing.
Tabor, a resident of Monaco, bought Circle of Life for $700,000 at the 1999 Fasig-Tipton Florida March sale of 2-year-olds in training through Demi O’Byrne, agent. Robert N. Scanlon consigned as agent.
Circle of Life, who was bred in New York by John Franks, was sold as a yearling at the 1998 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling sale, where Scanlon bought her for $105,000 from Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.
Tabor, who along with O’Byrne is an associate of John Magnier and partners’ Irish-based Coolmore Stud, keeps Circle of Life at Creekview Farm near Paris, Ky. Circle of Life is in foal to Giant’s Causeway, who stands at Coolmore’s North American satellite, Ashford Stud, near Versailles, Ky. A leading sire, Giant’s Causeway was bred by Tabor in partnership with Orpendale and raced for Tabor and Magnier’s wife, Sue Magnier. Giant’s Causeway sired last year’s Hopeful winner First Samurai.
Thunder Gulch, who raced for Tabor, has sired 54 stakes winners, including additional 2006 added-money winners Balance (gr. I), Seductively (Can-III), Imana (Aust-III), Love Locket, Legal Control, Pipers Thunder, and Pasikatera (in Australia). Thunder Gulch stands at Ashford. His 2006 fee was $25,000.—D.S.
