George Strawbridge

Graded stakes winner Will Then gave trainer Jonathan Thomas his 300th career victory when she charged home an authoritative victress of the China Doll Stakes Sunday at Santa Anita. The even-money favorite settled into second as Amorita bound out to the early lead and was clear through fractions of :23.67 and :48.14. Will Then inched up closer to the pacesetter on the far turn and surged to the lead at midstretch before drawing clear under a hand ride for an easy victory. "I think she really ran awesome," said winning...

There was a hint of Spring despite the expected February cold at Chantilly on Friday and also a sign of the initial shoots of the upcoming Flat season with some big operations represented on the course's Polytrack. Among them was George Strawbridge's homebred Kryon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}--Darkova, by Maria's Mon), a Victoria Head-trained half-brother to Wootton Bassett's champion Almanzor (Fr) who made his 3-year-old bow a relatively impressive one in the colts' division of the fixture's pair of 9 1/2-furlong maidens. Not seen since finishing third on his...

When Rashmi (Oscar Performance), the latest ingenue to punctuate a dynasty of George Strawbridge-bred starlets, made short thrift of the latest running of the GIII Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita, her win affirmed the charmed run enjoyed by her trainer, Jonathan Thomas, shows no outward signs of lost momentum. Will Then (War of Will) cruising away with the GIII Jimmy Durante Stakes. Truly Quality (Quality Road) showing rare quality in the GII Hollywood Turf Club Stakes. Mrs. Astor (Lookin At Lucky) doing double Grade III duty in the Red Carpet...

Oscar Performance (Kitten's Joy) was an outstanding turf horse, winning four Grade I's on the grass. And he's been a quality stallion, with his progeny headlined by the likes of Grade I winner Trikari and four other graded winners. Like most horses labeled `turf sires,' Oscar Performance, who stands at Mill Ridge Farm, was always going to be up against it in a country where breeders and buyers aren't necessarily looking for grass horses. European buyers don't need to buy horses by American turf stallions when they have so many...

George Strawbridge's Augustin Stables capped a trio of graded wins over the week at Del Mar when Will Then (War of Will) powered to a 2 1/4-length victory in the GIII Jimmy Durante Stakes at the seaside oval Saturday. The filly joined stablemates Mrs. Astor (Lookin at Lucky), who won the Nov. 24 GIII Red Carpet Stakes, and Truly Quality (Quality Road), who won the GII Hollywood Turf Cup Friday. All three homebreds are trained by Jonathan Thomas. "I really have to give kudos to Mr. Strawbridge and his breeding...

If you're feeling a little deja vu about the result of Friday's GII Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes at Del Mar, there's a good reason. Hot on the heels of Mrs. Astor (Lookin At Lucky)'s win Sunday in the GIII Red Carpet Stakes over a route on Del Mar's turf course, trainer Jonathan Thomas gave another leg up to rider Vincent Cheminaud on another homebred for George Strawbridge, Jr.'s Augustin Stables, again over a route of ground on the grass. This time it was Truly Quality (g, 4, Quality Road--Truly Together,...

Ten Years on from the G1 Prix de l'Opera victory of her half-sister We Are (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), George Strawbridge's Friendly Soul (GB) (Kingman {GB}--In Clover {GB}, by Inchinor {GB}) stepped up to emulate her feat in ParisLongchamp's Longines-sponsored contest on Sunday. Brought through the educative stepping stones of Ascot's G3 Valiant Stakes and Deauville's G2 Prix Alec Head by John and Thady Gosden, the 9-1 shot tracked the early leader in second travelling sweetly. Committed by Kieran Shoemark two out, the 3-year-old responded generously to assert her superiority and...

   Firmly back on track following her blip in the Musidora, George Strawbridge's Friendly Soul (GB) (Kingman {GB}--In Clover {GB}, by Inchinor {GB}) backed up her latest win in Ascot's G3 Valiant Stakes with another in Sunday's G2 Sumbe Prix Alec Head at Deauville. Returning to the 10-furlong trip over which she had impressed in Newmarket's Listed Pretty Polly Stakes and disappointed in York's Oaks trial in May, the John and Thady Gosden-trained homebred was sent to the front soon after the start by Kieran Shoemark as she had been...

Bouncing back from her disappointing effort in the G3 Musidora Stakes, George Strawbridge's Friendly Soul (GB) (Kingman {GB}--In Clover {GB}, by Inchinor {GB}) relished the drop to a mile to boss Ascot's G3 Longines Valiant Stakes on Saturday. Only seventh in that York Oaks trial in May, the homebred half-sister to the group 1 winners With You (GB) (Dansili {GB}), Call The Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and We Are (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) who had previously impressed when taking Newmarket's Listed Pretty Polly Stakes earlier that month was soon in front...

We already knew we were dealing with an Oaks filly in Juddmonte's Kalpana (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}) prior to Sunday's Listed William Hill Pretty Polly S. at Newmarket, but now we have another after George Strawbridge's Friendly Soul (GB) (Kingman {GB}--In Clover {GB}), by Inchinor {GB}) took her measure in an epic renewal of the 10-furlong Classic trial. To the fore soon after the start under Kieran Shoemark, the 10-1 shot who scored on debut  at Kempton in December had everything on the stretch bar that 4-6 favourite heading...

We have heard much about Christopher Head as he has stamped his name firmly in the book of young trainers to follow, and it will undoubtedly be wise also to pay attention to his sister, Victoria Head, who trains in her own right in Chantilly.  It is exactly two years since the 28-year-old sent out her first runner for Jean-Louis Bouchard, and her stable has now grown from five horses in her debut season to 25. She is currently operating at a strike-rate of 25 per cent, with six winners...

George Strawbridge's homebred 'TDN Rising Star' Epictetus (Ire) (Kingman {GB}--Thistle Bird {GB}, by Selkirk) had finished of the board in his three latest starts and returned to form with a bang to deny fellow Rising Star Nostrum (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in Friday's G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred S. at Goodwood. Last term's G1 Futurity Trophy second, who annexed Epsom's Listed Blue Riband Trial on sophomore return, was swiftly into stride from the inside gate and raced under a firm hold in third through the early fractions as Nostrum set the tone up...