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  • Luftikus sire of Joyful Kiss 1st Alw (May 23, 7th CT). Owner, Winfred L. Hess, Jr.; Breeder, Ann M. Casey...
  • Tribal Rule sire of Italian Rules 1st Alw (May 24, 7th BHP). Owner, Barber, Gary and Cecil; Breeder, Nick Cafarchia...
  • Hard Spun sire of Gleaning 1st Mdn (May 23, 4th PID). Owner, Robert T. Manfuso; Breeder, Nursery Place & Robert T. Manfuso...
  • Wando sire of Deb's Girly Girl 1st Alw (May 24, 6th RD). Owner, Deborah F. Metz; Breeder, Deborah F. Metz...
  • Benchmark sire of Planet Sunshine 1st Alw (May 24, 5th GG). Owner, Thomas A. Shapiro; Breeder, Thomas Shapiro...
  • First Samurai sire of Nakano 1st Alw (May 24, 8th CRC). Owner, Thoroughbred Futures Racing; Breeder, Hubert Vester...
  • Medaglia d'Oro sire of Dealer 1st Alw (May 23, 8th CT). Owner, Coleswood Farm, Inc.; Breeder, Family Broodmare, LLC...
  • Strut the Stage sire of Head Honcho 1st Alw (May 23, 7th WO). Owner, Annecchini and D'Alimonte Holdings Inc. and Kingfield Farm; Breeder, William D. Graham...
  • Flower Alley sire of Bouquet Booth 1st Alw (May 24, 7th CD). Owner, Right Time Racing LLC; Breeder, Brookdale & Dr. Ted Folkerth...
  • Holy Bull sire of Catalan 1st Alw (May 24, 8th BEL). Owner, Elizabeth Loftus; Breeder, B. P. Walden & Dr. S. Marcum...
  • Successful Appeal sire of Warning Song 1st Alw (May 24, 6th PRM). Owner, Maggi Moss; Breeder, Bloodstock Holdings LLC...
  • Petionville sire of Wups 1st Thoroughbred Maiden Derby (May 23, 9th BOI). Owner, Paul Treasure; Breeder, Michael Iavarone...
  • Posse sire of Parody 1st Alw (May 23, 4th PEN). Owner, Midwest Thoroughbreds, Inc.; Breeder, Don Mattox & Pam Mattox...
  • Latent Heat sire of Heated Troubles 1st Mdn (May 24, 5th RD). Owner, Ashleigh Stud; Breeder, Ashleigh Stud, Frank Ramos & JackieRamos...
  • Proud Citizen sire of Citizen Kat 1st Alw (May 23, 7th PEN). Owner, Midwest Thoroughbreds, Inc.; Breeder, Mark Reid & Charles Zacney...
  • Hard Spun sire of Ribbon Taffy 1st Mdn (May 23, 5th IND). Owner, Pucek, John Paul and Marcinek, Paige; Breeder, Matthew R. Herbener...
  • Chapel Royal sire of Mr Rodriguez 1st Mdn (May 24, 2nd BEL). Owner, Imperio, Michael and Loftus, Elizabeth; Breeder, Jill Imperio & Daniella Corian...
  • Mancini sire of Ride Around Sally 1st Alw (May 23, 6th IND). Owner, Joe Uliano; Breeder, Spade Stable...
  • Canadian Frontier sire of Golden Frontier 1st Alw (May 24, 3rd CD). Owner, George Fister; Breeder, Brereton C. Jones...
  • Philanthropist sire of Rob the Cradle 1st Alw (May 23, 2nd WO). Owner, Andrews, Denny and Paradox Farms Inc.; Breeder, Gardiner Farms Limited...
  • Arch sire of Wiki 1st Alw (May 24, 2nd PID). Owner, Midwest Thoroughbreds, Inc.; Breeder, Stuart S. Janney, III LLC....
  • Smoke Glacken sire of Walker Bay 1st Alw (May 24, 8th CD). Owner, Hammersmith, Dennis L. and Paden Racing, Inc.; Breeder, Brian O'Rourke & Derry Meeting Farm...

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Undefeated Shakespeare, Sweet Symphony to face new challenges

Posted: Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Shakespeare and Sweet Symphony will carry unbeaten records along with question marks into their starts for trainer Bill Mott on Saturday on the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships preview card at Belmont Park.

Shakespeare will stretch out beyond 1 1/8 miles for the first time in the 1½-mile Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1), while Sweet Symphony will face older rivals for the first time in the Beldame Stakes (G1).

Both horses are undefeated in four career starts.

Shakespeare blew past Grade 1 winner Meteor Storm (GB) at the top of the lane to win the Belmont Breeders' Cup Handicap (G2) by 3¾ lengths on September 11 in his graded stakes debut.

The four-year-old son of Theatrical (Ire) won a 1 1/16-mile allowance race on July 27 at Saratoga Race Course in his only other start this year after missing more than a year with a knee injury.

"Shakespeare has to go an additional three furlongs than he has ever been before," Mott said. "I'm confident that he's a very good horse, but I think that the mile and a half is something that he has to try to prove that he can do. We've tried horses in the past that appeared able to get the trip, but the last eighth of a mile might get them in the end. I'd feel very confident in saying that he'd be a very top quality horse at a mile and a quarter, but let's just see how he does this weekend and then we'll know if we have a horse for the Breeders' Cup."

Sweet Symphony has answered every challenge in a career that began less than five months ago, including a runaway victory by 6¼ lengths in the Alabama Stakes (G1) on August 20 at Saratoga in her stakes debut.

The three-year-old daughter of A.P. Indy will cut back to 1 1/8 miles and one turn in the Beldame, which also is expected to draw 2004 champion three-year-old filly Ashado.

"I was actually quite confident in her going [into the Alabama], but we're meeting a new group and cutting back an eighth from a mile and a quarter, which it seems she was very good at," Mott said. "She's doing well, and she seems to be top class. I don't know how much better she has to get from her Alabama win. It seems to me that if we can just get her to reproduce that, she'll be a big factor in whatever she may go in."

Mott acknowledged that Sweet Symphony is racing for divisional honors, in addition to a berth in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).

"I think we really have two objectives on the line here," Mott said. "Number one, we're preparing for the Breeders' Cup, but number two I think we're looking at a divisional championship. If she wins the Beldame or the Breeders' Cup, you'd really have to consider her for a divisional championship."—Jeff Lowe

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