Teuflesberg, Ravel Updates, and Famous Siblings

An update on Teuflesberg: Bloodhorse is reporting he is to undergo surgery on October 11 to fuse both fractured sesamoid bones in his left front leg. Dr. Larry Bramlage at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, KY, where he is being treated, is optimistic about the colt’s chances of survival—about 75% affirmative—since the breaks were clean, not shattered, and they did not pierce the skin. Again, best wishes for his speedy recovery! I’m not big on Johannesburg offspring (although Baroness Thatcher, La Traviata and Scat Daddy are nice enough); however, with the toughness he has exhibited at the track, I would love to breed him to a nice Danzig or A.P. Indy mare, or maybe an even grittier lesser known broodmare sire.

Oh-so-promising three-year-old Ravel, who jumped off the Triple Crown trail after injuring his left front leg cannon bone while training back in March, returns to the track on Friday, in Keeneland’s eighth race. This is a well-bred colt, by Fusaichi Pegasus out of the A.P. Indy mare Let who was G1 placed and won over $600,000 in 22 starts. She’s a half-sister to multiple Japan G1 winner Eagle Café. All of Ravel's races to date after been on synthetic surfaces.

Some recent workouts and races of note to mention. Tiago’s full-brother, two-year-old Alonzo worked at Hollywood today, handily covering 5 furlongs in a rather pedestrian 1:05.00 (26/26). Be Fruitful, two-year-old full-sister to Corinthian, blazed 3 furlongs from the gate at Belmont yesterday in 35.22 (1/8). Another famous sibling, Hard Spun’s older half-brother Grendel worked for the first time off a break, going 3 furlongs in 37.40 (4/12) at Penn National.

Grasshopper’s full-brother, two-year-old Turf War (coming in off a victory in the Swynford Stakes) finished last as the odds-on favorite in a six-horse field in the G3 Grey Breeders’ Cup Stakes at Woodbine on Monday. The winner—another Street Cry colt, Globetrotter with Jeremy Rose up for Graham Motion.