Frankel Half To Bago Scores At Tipperary

3rd-TIP, €17,700, Mdn, 9-26, 2yo, c/g, 7f 110yT, 1:45.58, s/h.
ZABRISKIE (IRE) (c, 2, Frankel (GB)">Frankel {GB}–Moonlight's Box, by Nureyev), a half-brother to the Arc-winning champion Bago (Fr) (Nashwan) and the G1 Prix du Moulin hero and fellow sire Maxios (GB) (Monsun {Ger}), was 10th on debut over this seven-furlong trip at The Curragh Aug. 20 and broke well this time to lead. Hassled by stablemate Spanish Point (GB) (Frankel {GB}) for the entire length of the straight, the €750,000 GOFORB yearling who traded at 9-1 refused to buckle and hit the line with a head to spare and the rest strung out behind. The unraced Moonlight's Box had all the right credentials to excel as a broodmare, being a daughter of the Niarchos flagbearer Coup de Genie (Mr. Prospector) who captured the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Prix de la Salamandre at two before finishing third in the G1 1000 Guineas. A daughter of the G3 Prix d'Aumale winner and top producer Coup de Folie (Halo), she produced four black-type scorers headed by Denebola (Storm Cat) who captured the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and placed in the G1 Prix de la Foret and G1 Prix Morny before becoming the dam of this year's TDN Rising Star Ratiocination (Ire) (Excelebration {Ire}). Moonlight's Box got off to a flying start to her real career, with Bago establishing himself as one of the operation's classiest performers with successes in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris, G1 Prix Jean Prat, G1 Prix Ganay and G1 Criterium International as well as his career-defining victory in the Arc in 2004, Ch. 3-y-o colt-Eur, Hwt. 3yo-Fr at 11-14f, Hwt. 2yo Colt & MG1SW-Fr, MG1SP-Eng, G1SP-Ire, $2,317,015. Her other notable performer Maxios, MG1SW-Fr, $925,402, was also successful in the G1 Prix d'Ispahan as well as the Moulin and now stands at Gestut Fahrhof, while she was also responsible for the SW & MGSP Beta (GB) (Selkirk) and MSP Malicieuse (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Her 3-year-old colt by Galileo (Ire) named Movement (Ire) is as-yet unraced, while she also has a yearling son of Sea the Stars (Ire) and a foal full-brother to Zabriskie. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $10,949. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O/B-Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd. (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien.