So this happened: Overnight, Cruella – a 6-year-old mare – came up with a huge mammary gland infection. This is strange for a mare that is not lactating and has never been in foal, but there you go: 40.5 degree fever and a mammary the size of a testicle. Sometimes this stuff happens and nobody knows why. So we started her on antibiotics and dexamethasone, the anti-inflammatory wonder drug. She’s much better now!
Horses available
A 25% share is still available of our EXOSPHERE yearling out of Risque de Verlas, a stakes-winning Verglas mare. This gelding, eligible for French premiums, is from a winning family, and he’s a half-brother to our own Ray of Hope, who has won seven times with earnings of over 200,000 euros.
The price of the share is 10,500 euros, which includes his gelding and boarding costs through the end of December. We expect him to be ready to run around September 2020.
Contact us for further information.
grarick@gallopfrance.com
The starting line-up for Cagnes-sur-Mer: Older Horses
Quiet Zain (Youmzain out of a Sulamani mare), a six-year-old two-time Quinte winner, carries Bryan Gusdal’s colors. Effective on any ground or surface, QZ is a bulldozer of a horse who runs 2,400 meters and possibly longer. He will make his Cagnes debut on either Jan. 14 or Jan. 18.
Pantomime (Mastercraftsman out of a Green Desert mare), now eight years old, runs for Paul Philippeau, Brian Dunn, Kay Minton and Roger Straus. She’s a big grey mare who runs from the front and wants either top of the ground or fibersand. Can run anything from 2,400 and longer. Nicely placed at 28 in the handicaps, she’ll start on Jan. 20.
Prix Bouches du Rhone winner’s circle 
Prix Canebiere: Mickael Forest
Ray of Hope (Layman out of a Verglas mare) loves Cagnes, and at age 10, he’ll be having his final season in the sun. Ray has won five handicaps in Cagnes sur Mer and if he wins one more, he’ll hold the record! He’s ready to go for it! He’s a great horse and he certainly isn’t showing his age. He is a specialist at 2,000 meters on the fibersand. He carries a 28.5 rating into the meeting and will start on Jan. 21.
The starting line-up for Cagnes-sur-Mer: Five-Year-Olds
Dubai Empire (Motivator out of a Langfuhr mare) runs for Bryan Gusdal. An impressive big chestnut, Dubai is a lovely horse and has run some great races for us but hasn’t managed to win yet! We’re expecting to remedy that situation in Cagnes, because he’s in great form and should easily be able to run to his rating of 32. Best on the fibersand at 2,400 meters and maybe more, his first outing is Jan. 29.
Folle Passion (Motivator out of a Dashing Blade mare) carries the silks of Susanne Born. Another impressive big chestnut, Passion is another distance specialist, happy from 2,000 meters on up. He likes heavy turf but can also handle the fibersand, and is nicely placed in the handicaps at 30.5. His first Cagnes target is Jan. 18.
The starting line-up for Cagnes-sur-Mer: Four-year-olds
Aborigene (George Vancouver out of a Johannesburg mare) runs for Jacques Jarnet and Paule Descargues. So far Aborigene has been the little horse that could. He runs on the turf from 2,000 to 2,400 meters and now we’ll have to see if his small size stops him from being effective against older horses. But he has a great attitude and leaves his heart on the track every time, so we’re expecting him to do well. Working off a rating of 29, his first run will be Jan. 23.
El Viso (Camelot our of an Elusive City mare) is owned by Bryan Gusdal and Kay Minton. He seems to have plenty of ability but is a very nervous horse at the track, so hopefully the Cagnes experience will agree with him. He runs 2,000 meters and longer, and we’re still testing his distance limits. He likes to come from behind and loves the fibersand. Fairly rated at 28.5, his first run will be Jan. 18.
Glorious Emaraty (George Vancouver out of a Kheleyf mare) carries Roger Straus’s silks with co-owners Brian Dunn, Kay Minton and Susanne Born. Another horse with plenty of ability who has been reluctant to show it so far, Glorious is our only sprinter in Cagnes this year. That gives him plenty of options on both surfaces at distances from 1,300 to 1,500 meters. His last run in Deauville was promising, and he will debut in Cagnes on Jan. 14 or 15, still working off a prohibitively high rating of 34.5.
Midas Girl (Dabirsim out of a Kodiac mare) will carry Kay Minton’s colors with co-owner Tim Rarick. Her last run in Deauville was impressive as she closed from dead last to finish third in a maiden. She was running sprint distances in England but that was clearly not her sport, despite having speed breeding. We think her distance is 2,000 meters and if she can confirm her Deauville run, she will make money in Cagnes. She is running off an initial rating of 32.5, which is higher than it should be, so will run the claimer on Opening Day, Jan. 13.
Starstruck (Masterstroke out of a Montjeu mare) will carry the colors of Roger Straus and is co-owned by Susanne Born, Brian Dunn and Manuela Groll. She’s been an absolute star in 2019 winning three races for us, but that means she’s coming into Cagnes with a high rating of 34. She’s a gazelle on heavy ground and runs any distance from 2,200 meters on up, the longer the better. She has already beaten older horses, so she comes with solid experience. Her comeback race will be Jan. 18.
The starting line-up for Cagnes-sur-Mer: Three-year-olds
Hermano Bello will carry the colors of Manuela Groll and is co-owned by Susanne Born and Francis Gourlier. Hermano will eventually be a long-distance horse but he’ll start out running 2,000 meters in Cagnes and working toward a handicap mark. He’s still a colt, and we’re still learning about him, but we expect him to be able to run on both fibersand and turf surfaces. First outing Jan. 18.
Space Ace will carry the silks of Bryan Gusdal and is co-owned by Roger Straus and David Crompton. We have high hopes for this filly, who will debut for us in Cagnes. She is a winner and placed six times from eight starts in England and is an exciting prospect. We will start her at a distance of 1600 meters (1 mile) and for now, we will keep her on the fibersand. First outing on Jan. 18.
Grey wins the Prix de Pont Vivaux
Grey Sensation easily took control in the stretch, with plenty to run on, of the Prix de Pont Vivaux in Lyon today. After placing seven times this year, Grey was finally able to get across the finish line first. After his 13th run this year, he solidified himself as the prize money leader at the stable of Gina Rarick and places himself well for the winter meeting coming up in Cagnes-sur-mer.
Relive the race through the YouTube video below.
Kicking Off Cagnes
Grey Sensation will debut High Street Racing’s new yellow and green colors on opening day of the Cagnes sur Mer winter meeting on Saturday when he takes on 14 rivals in the Prix du Val Carei. The 1600-meter (one-mile) handicap, with a value of 19,000 euros will be a drop down in distance for ‘Grey’, who will carry co-highweight of 60 kilos (130 lbs.).
Trainer Gina Rarick was unconcerned on both scores. “He’s run well at this distance in the past and the weight will not be a factor as there is only 3 lbs.separating top from bottom.”
Alexis Badel returns to the saddle on Grey Sensation, having ridden him twice before but not last time when he finished a strong closing third in a 1900-meter handicap (one-mile, 1 1/2 furlongs) at Deauville. Grey Sensation will break from the 12 post in the 15-runner field. He was scheduled to arrive at Cagnes sur Mer early Friday morning after a 14-hour van ride from Maisons-Laffitte along with High Street Racing’s second horse, Bleu Astral, and four other Gina Rarick trainees. The fourth race on Saturday’s card, the Val Carei will go off at 2:15 pm (1:15 pm GMT, 8:15 am EST).
Heading South
High Street Racing twin standardbearers, Bleu Astral and Grey Sensation, are headed to Cagnes-sur-Mer for the winter meeting at the Hippodrome de la Cote d’Azur, where the syndicate’s brand new yellow and green colors will be unveiled on Saturday.
The occasion will be the Prix du Val Carei, a 1600-meter (one-mile) fibresand handicap worth 19,000 euros in which Grey Sensation will fly the High Street flag. A fast closing third in his last start in a 1900-meter (one-mile, 1-1/2-furlong) fibresand handicap at Deauville on Dec. 11, the Aussie Rules 4-year-old has maintained his form over the Maisons-Laffitte gallops since then and a good effort is expected in his Cagnes debut.
Both Grey Sensation and Bleu Astral will be loaded into the van for the 945-kilometer (547-mile) trip south on Thursday afternoon along with five other Gina Rarick trainees. The team is scheduled to arrive at Cagnes between 6 and 7 a.m. on Friday.
“Both horses are training well,” Gina reports. As for Bleu Astral, “His objectives are a claiming race on Saturday, Jan. 23 and a conditions race on Monday, Feb. 22. He’ll have another one in between those two somewhere.”
Both horses worked on the straight gallop Saturday morning, and both showed they were ready to race. “They’ll get one more work before getting on the truck as long as the weather leaves the track in good shape. If not, they’ll shipp off this work and stretch their legs down south.”
Welcome Grey Sensation!
Grey Sensation is the latest addition to the High Street Racing stable. The 3-year-old gelding joined Bleu Astral in the High Street fold on Monday in a private deal from previous owner Michael Nelmes-Crocker.
The move is a cosmetic one for Grey Sensation as he has been under the care of High Street trainer Gina Rarick at Maisons-Laffitte since Sept. 24. He showed immediate improvement after the move, earning a check in all four of his subsequent starts, most recently on December 11 when he was a fast finishing third in a 1900-meter handicap on the Deauville fibresand.
“He’s extremely consistent, sound and tough and is effective over any distance from 1500 meters to 2000 meters (7 1/2 to 10 furlongs),” Gina said. “He seems to love the fibresand but he’s also fine on turf where he needs the top of the ground.”
Like his High Street Racing stablemate Bleu Astral, Grey Sensation is the son of a French 2000 Guineas winner, in this case Aussie Rules, who also won the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland. Out of a mare by Royal Hunt Cup winner Imperial Ballet, Grey Sensation possesses a solid one-mile pedigree that frequently translates into a more versatile foundation.
For his High Street Racing debut, trainer Rarick will aim him at a 1600-meter (one-mile) handicap at Cagnes-sur-Mer on Saturday, January 16, opening day at the Hippodrome de la Cote d’Azur, and the first of 19 days of racing at the seaside winter meeting which runs through February 27. We hope all High Street Racing shareholders- and prospective shareholders- will be able to join us at Cagnes for a closer look at both Grey Sensation and Bleu Astral.
