Educational Archives - Page 22 of 34

September 16, 2016September 16, 2016

Tepin is Pretty in Pink

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She’s sexy and she knows it! Fan favorite, Tepin, will race again on Saturday. This is one special mare. I last saw her win the 28th Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland’s Spring Meet, this past April. I got her picture, above, as she walked towards the paddock with a smile on her face. She raced from post position 8 that day and broke a 20 year stakes record by finishing 5 lengths ahead after covering 1 and 1/16 miles in 1:40.53. She will break from post 8 once again this weekend. Post 8 is assigned a pink saddle cloth. Turf queen, Tepin, will be the only lady in the field. I’m betting we might see Miss Pretty in Pink race on to her 8th straight win.

Tepin was bred in Kentucky and she was born in March of 2011. She is the offspring of Bernstein and Life Happened. Last year, Tepin won the Breeders’ Cup Mile and earned her 1st Eclipse Award. She has won 12 of 20 career starts and she began a winning streak, when I first saw her race, that has not stopped. She won the Grade 1, First Lady Stakes, in October 2015 at Keeneland. That is when she first caught my eye. I saw her win the BC Mile that same month and then I saw her win the Jenny Wiley, all at Keeneland. There have been 4 other wins mixed into the streak. Her last win was on her 1st international trip. Tepin won the Grade 1, Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot Racecourse in England this past June. She was the 1st American based horse to win the Queen Anne and she beat a field of male horses, which is becoming rather usual for her. I have written about her before, so use the search button on my website for additional background information. Now, Tepin has shipped to Canada to continue her reign as an international superstar.

The race I don’t want to miss on Saturday, 9/17/16, is the Ricoh Woodbine Miles Stakes. This race will take place at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto in the Providence of Ontario of Canada. It is the 12th and final race at Woodbine on Saturday. The post time is 6:39 PM EDT, which, conveniently for me, makes it the same time for EST. This race was inaugurated in 1988. It is a 1 mile turf race with a $1 million dollar purse for horses age 3 and older. It is part of the BC “Win and You’re In” challenge for an automatic berth into the BC Mile. Wise Dan holds the speed record, in the Woodbine Mile, with a time of 1:31.75. He won both the Woodbine Mile and BC Mile in 2012 and again in 2013.

Tepin’s regular jockey, Julien Leparoux, won the Woodbine Mile in 2011 with Turallure. Leparoux is an outstanding jockey and he won Eclipse Awards in 2006 and 2009. Tepin’s trainer, Mark E, Casse, nor her owner, Robert E. Masterson have won the Woodmile Mile yet.

The 8 horse field is a follows by post/horse/jockey/trainer/age:

Tower of Texas/Eurico Rosa Da Silva/Rodger L. Attfield/5 YO
Mutakayyef/Dane O’Neill/William J. Haggas/5 YO
Arod/Oisin Murphey/Peter W. Chappel-Hyam/5 YO
Glenville Gardens/Gary Boulanger/Sid C. Attard/4 YO
Full Mast/Joel Rosario/William I. Mott/4 YO
Passion for Action/Luis Contreras/Michael P. De Paulo/4 YO
Mr. Owen/Jamie P. Spencer/Francois Rohaut/4 YO
Tepin/Julien Leparoux/Mark E. Casse/5 YO

I hope Tepin beats the boys again! It’s Tepin Time!

Meanwhile, I’m back at the Keeneland Sales in Lexington, KY which continue thru Sunday, September 25th. I was present 2 of the 3 days of Book 1. Today book 2 of 6 is taking place. Book 1 went well with the number of yearlings sold at 346 versus 443 in 2015. The price fell to a little over $120 million dollars versus more than $134 million in the prior year. However the average and median prices rose to more than $347 thousand dollars and $300 thousand dollars respectively. The biggest seller so far went for $3 million dollars. I’ll share more photos and news and the conclusion of the entire yearling sale.

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September 9, 2016September 9, 2016

Buying the Best Breeding

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Get into the game! Do you want to buy or see the graded stakes winners of the future? If so, plan to head to Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale in Lexington, KY. Keeneland prides itself on being the auction company to graduate the best yearlings in the world.

These are a few of the pictures I took at the sale last September. Thoroughbreds sold at Keeneland are having a fantastic year. In 2016, more of their grads have gone on to win Grade or Group 1 stakes races than from any other auction house. Every winner, of each of the 2016 Triple Crown Series, was once sold at Keeneland’s yearling sale in September of 2014. Nyquist won the Kentucky Derby, Exaggerator won the Preakness Stakes and Creator won the Belmont Stakes. It would take too long to name drop all of the talent that came out of that sale. The 73rd annual sale should lead to greatness as well.

The sale starts with Book 1 on Monday, 9/12/16, at 11 am EST. All of Book 1 sale dates start at 11 am. There are 6 books in the sale that concludes on Sunday, 9/25/16. Books 2 thru 6 sales start at 10 am daily with the exception of Thursday 9/15 when there will be no sale. The schedule is as follows by book, dates and hip numbers:

9/12 hips 1-202, 9/13 hips 203-405, 9/14 hips 406-607
9/16 hips 608-1007, 9/17 hips 1008-1407
9/18 hips 1408-1817, 9/19 hips 1818-2227
9/20 hips 2228-2637, 9/21 hips 2638-3047
9/22 hips 3048-3456, 9/23 hips 3457-3861
9/24 hips 3862-4178, 9/25 hips 4179-4479

The sale will include the best sire power. 53 Tapit yearlings will go thru the auction. Pioneer of the Nile is represented by 60 of the yearlings there. Fine yearlings by Scat Daddy, Bodemeister, Tiznow and Violence will be available as well. Several more yearlings by other outstanding sires are also cataloged. Search the entire catalog here: Keeneland September Yearling Sale

If you can’t make the sale you can go to the Keeneland website to watch the entire sale or TVG and TVG2 will show parts of the sale. I will be in attendance on several days and I will post frequent pictures and news to Twitter. Follow me at Thoroughbred U . Check my webpage over the next few weeks to see more photos and sales recap information.

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September 3, 2016September 26, 2016

Celebrating Secretariat

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What would a blog site dedicated to sharing educational information about Thoroughbreds be without multiple references to his legacy and a post all about Secretariat? Without further ado, I bring you a Big Red story.

Secretariat was one of, if not, the greatest Thoroughbred race horses in all of history. Born in Virginia, in March of 1970, this amazingly conformed red chestnut horse by Bold Ruler and Somethingroyal by Princequillo grew to be one of the most treasured animals to ever live. Secretariat became a racing legend. He swept the Triple Crown in 1973, he raked in 5 Eclipse Awards and he became a Hall of Famer. In 21 starts he won 16 races. Secretariat raced from August of 1972 until October of 1973. He ended his racing career on top having won his last 2 races and setting yet another time record.

By 1974, Secretariat produced his first foal and in 1975 he turned out his first crop from his stud career at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky. His legacy is strong today. In fact he is in the bloodline in so many of the best horses today including 6 of the 9 horses in today’s Woodward Stakes.

Secretariat was so great that his entire team became rather famous. His connections are his owners, Meadow Stables with Christopher and Penny Chenery, groom, Eddie Sweat, exercise riders, Jim Gaffney and Charlie Davis, trainer, Lucien Laurin and jockey, Roy Turcotte. Some of these folks will be making an appearance at this year’s Secretariat Festival!

The 9th annual festival will be held in downtown Bourbon County September 16-18, 2016. From Thursday thru Sunday Paris, KY is hosting a festival in honor of Big Red. There will be farm tours, art, food, bourbon, a parade, an auction, autographs, entertainment and more. See the full schedule here: Secretariat Festival. Admission to the festival is free but some activities are for ticket holders only and some fees are included with ticketed events. Most event are in Paris but some of the tours are not and require meeting at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. Claiborne Farm where Secretariat lived his stud career and was buried in October, 1989 is one of the several farm tours. Ashford Stud where Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah is a stallion is also on the list of tours.

The Grade 1 Woodward Stakes, when it was held at Belmont Park, is one of the few races that Big Red didn’t win. That race took place in 1973. Today is an honor that many of his offspring will run that same race, now held at Saratoga. He is in the pedigree of Tapin Mojo, Catholic Cowboy, Bradester, Samraat, Tale of Verve and Frosted. Frosted is the favorite to win. It would be thrilling to see one of Secretariat’s current racers win today!

The $600,000 Woodward Stakes wild be held at Saratoga today. The race is 1 and 1/8 miles (9 furlongs). It is part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” challenge. NBC sports network will televise the Saratoga from 5 P.M. to 6 P.M. EST. The Woodward is the 10th race on the card and will post at 5:46 P.M. EST 9/3/16. It is for horses 3 years and older. The race is named for William Woodward, Sr. who developed Belair Stud producing 2 Triple Crown winners, Gallant Fox and Omaha. Be sure to tune in today and thanks for following.

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August 25, 2016August 28, 2016

Transfixed by the Travers

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This year’s Travers stakes is going to be huge! This race is literally massive in terms of both entries and talent. The 147th running of the Travers Stakes has 14 contestants. It is tied for the highest number of entries, that record was established in 1977. 6 of the 14 horses in this field were in the 2016 Kentucky Derby. Saratoga’s “Midsummer Derby” is shaping up to be one of the finest races of the season.

The Travers Stakes was inaugurated in 1864. It is held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, NY. The race has varied historically but this year the crowd capacity will be capped at 50 thousand fans to watch the $1.25 million dollar Grade 1, of 1 and 1/4 miles (10 furlongs), dirt race for 3 year-old Thoroughbreds. One of Saratoga’s finest races, the Travers, has acquired the name of the “Midsummer Derby”, traditionally held in August. The track itself has the nicknames of ” The Graveyard of Champions ” due to the frequency of major upsets that have occurred at this track and “The Spa” because of the areas historical and rich mineral springs. The Travers is named for William R. Travers. He was the owner of the 1st horse to win this race, Kentucky. Travers was also president of the Saratoga Racing Association.

In 1941 there was a Superfecta won by Whirlaway. A Superfecta is the combination of winning all of the Triple Crown legs and the Travers Stakes. One recent example of an upset at the Travers happened just last year. After American Pharoah went on an 8 race winning streak, that included sweeping the Triple Crown series, he was 2nd in the 2015 Travers, losing to Keen Ice. This win by Keen Ice gave his rider the title. Javier Castellano is the jockey with the most Travers wins, at a total of 5. American Pharoah redeemed himself in his next race, as if he needed to, winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The combo of the Triple Crown plus the BC Classic is called a Grandslam and American Pharoah is the only horse to have ever achieved the Grandslam. Whirlaway is the only Superfecta winner.

Another very special horse won the Travers in 1920, Man o’ War. In his honor, Tiffany and Co. created a trophy, a gold plated replica Man o’ War Cup is given to the winner of the Travers annually.

Please, allow me one more interesting historical fact before we get to the 2016 entries. There is a nice goose pond infield of the Saratoga track. A canoe was placed there in 1926. Since 1961, the canoe is painted in the silk colors of the Travers winner each year.

Finally, here is our enormous field by post/horse/jockey/trainer/owner:

Arrogate/Mike Smith/Bob Baffert/Juddmonte Farms, Inc.
American Freedom/Rafael Bejarano/Bob Baffert/Gary and Mary West
My Man Sam/Manuel Franco/Chad C. Brown/Sheep Pond Partners, Newport Stables, LLC. and Jay W. Bligh
Governor Malibu/Joel Rosario/Christophe Clement/Jump Sucker Stable and Oak Bull Stables
Forever d’Oro/Luis Saez/Dallas Stewart/Charles E. Fipke
Anaximandros/Leonel Reyes/Mikhail Yanakov/Mikhail Yanakov
Exaggerator/Kent Desormeaux/J. Keith Desormeaux/ Big Chief Racing, LLC., Head of Plains Partners, LLC., Rocker O Ranch, LLC, et al.
Destin/Javier Castellano/Todd A. Pletcher/Twin Creeks Racing Stables, LLC. and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners
Gift Box/Junior Alvarado/Chad C. Brown/W.S. Farish
Connect/John R. Velazquez/Chad C. Brown/Warren A. Croll, Jr
Majesto/Ricardo Santana Jr./Gustavo Delgado/Grupo Seven C Stable
Creator/Irad Ortiz Jr./Steven M. Asmusen/WinStar Farm and Bobby Flay
Laoban/Jose L. Ortiz/Eric J. Guillot/McCormick Racing, LLC. and Southern Equine Stable, LLC.
Gun Runner/Florent Geroux/Steven M. Asmussen/Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC., Three Chimneys Farm and Besilu Stables LLC.

Arrogate is the KY bred grey son of Unbridled’s Song and Bubbler. He has won the last 3 of his 4 career races. He has never been entered in a stakes race. Smith has not won the Travers since 1998 and Baffert has not won this race since 2001. Arrogate has never raced at The Spa.

American Freedom is a KY bred colt, sired by Pulpit, his dam is Gottcha Last. He has won 3 of his 5 races. He won 1 of 3 graded stakes. American Freedom has not raced at Saratoga but while he shares a trainer with Arrogate he has more East coast experience. Bejarano has not won the Travers.

Another KY bred is in post 3. My Man Sam is the offspring of Trappe Shot and Lauren Byrd. He has won once in his 6 starts and he participated in 2 graded stakes races including the KY Derby. He often runs second and he could probably do that once again. In his last race he was second and that was at Saratoga. Trappe Shot finished 9th in the 2010 Travers. Franco nor Brown have historical wins in the Travers. Brown is on a roll at Saratoga. He got his 1,000th win while racing there on Wednesday. Brown has 3 entries in the Travers.

Governor Malibu is a NY bred with NY racing experience. He was 2nd his last trip out and that was at Saratoga in the Jim Dandy Stakes. He is the son of Malibu Moon and Akilina. Governor Malibu has won 2 of his 9 starts. He has placed in 2 of 3 graded stakes. Neither Rosario or Clement have won the Travers.

Forever d’ Oro is the KY bred Colt of Medaglia d’ Oro and Lemons Forever. He recently finished 3rd at Saratoga. This was one of his 5 races. He has won once. He participated in the Belmont Stakes. His sire, Medaglia d’ Oro, won the Travers in 2002. His dam sire, Lemon Drop Kid, won the Travers in 1999. Forever d’ Oro’s jockey, Saez, won the Travers in 2013.

Anaximandros is a colt by Hard Spun and Dragon Fly. He is KY bred with a French dam. He has won 2 of 5 races. He was 4th his last race which is his only graded stakes experience. He has not raced at Saratoga. His jockey nor trainer have ever won the Travers.

Right in the middle sits the favorite, Exaggerator! Sired by Curlin he is the KY bred colt born to Dawn Raid. He has more experience then the preceding post positions with 6 wins in 13 starts. He ran all three legs of the 2015 Triple Crown finishing 2nd, 1st then a disappointing 11th respectively. He had a triumphant rebound in his very next race when he finished 1st in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational. Kent Desormeaux won the Travers in 2009.

Destin is a grey colt by Giant’s Causeway and Dream of Summer. One of my favorite farms, Taylor Made, had a part in his KY breeding. He has won 3 of 8 races. He finished 3rd at Saratoga behind Governor Malibu in his last race. He participated in the KY Derby and the Belmont Stakes. He finished 2nd to Creator in the Belmont. He is a multiple graded stakes winner. Pletcher last won the Travers in 2011. Castellano has won the Travers the most.

Gift Box is a grey ridgling. In his pedigree are Twirling Candy and Special Me. He has 2 wins of 5 races. He recently finished 2nd at Saratoga. He was 3rd in his only graded stakes race. The jockey nor the trainer has won a Travers Stakes race.

Connect is another colt by Curlin. He is a KY bred horse with Bullville Bell as his dam. He is on a streak winning his past 3 races out of a career 4 starts. He just won at Saratoga last month, besting Gift Box. He has not entered a graded stakes before. Connect’s dam sire, Holly Bull, won the Travers in 1994. Mike Smith was the jockey for Holy Bull’s win. Smith is Arrogate’s jockey this time.

Majesto is a KY bred ridgling. He was born to Tiznow and Unacloud. He has only finished first in one of his 8 races. He has two graded stakes races in his resume and one of those was the KY Derby. His last race was at Saratoga where he finished 6th. His connections have not won the Travers. Majesto’s dam sire, Unaccounted For was 4th in the 1994 Travers Stakes.

Creator is a grey colt sired by Tapit, thus another KY bred. His dam is Morena. He has finished first place in 3 of his 11 starts. It was not his day in the KY Derby but he was 1st place in the Belmont Stakes. Most recently he finished 6th at Saratoga in the Jim Dandy. He has the ability but not the consistency. His jockey and trainer haven’t won a Travers before.

In the lucky 13 post position stands Laoban. He is the son of Uncle Mo and Chattertown. He is a KY bred colt. He won one time in a career 8 races. That one time counts big for this race as it was right at Saratoga last month when he conquered the Jim Dandy Stakes. He has raced in 6 stakes races including the Preakness. He has the experience. His trainer and his jockey are looking for their first Travers wins too.

Finally, we end the field with Gun Runner. Bred in KY by Candy Ride and Quiet Giant this colt has a 5 in 8 record for wins. He was 3rd in the KY Derby but holds multiple graded stakes wins. He has not raced at Saratoga. Geroux would be happy to get his first Travers title.

Be sure to buy tickets now if you are fortunate enough to be planning to attend. It is expected to be a sell out. The card includes 13 nice races. Four BC Win and You’re In races are up for grabs. The Travers is the 11th race on Saturday 8/27/16. It will post at 5:44 P.M. EST. NBC will provide television coverage from 4:30 to 6 PM.

Thank you to our regular handicapper for allowing me use of his photos. I fully rely on my own photos and those of close friends and family. I really appreciate having access to pictures of horses and places I haven’t experienced yet. Check back regularly for new Thoroughbred posts.

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August 19, 2016August 24, 2016

Classic Chrome

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There is always a special feeling of anticipation when our California Chrome is scheduled to race! We will get another spectacular view of this champ tomorrow, 8/20/16, in TVG’s Pacific Classic.

The 26th running of the Grade 1 Pacific Classic Stakes will take place at Del Mar Racetrack in the city by the same name, in California. The inaugural race took place there in 1991. The track is 1 and 1/4th miles (10 furlongs) on dirt. Thoroughbreds age 3 and older may compete for the $1 million dollar purse. This is Del Mar’s finest race to date, I believe . They will host the Breeders’ Cup for the first time in 2017 and in my opinion, the BC Classic is one of the few races that has nearly as much proven talent. The Pacific Classic is one of the qualifying races to earn a chance at the BC Classic, “Win and You’re In.”

Many of the best horses have participated in the Pacific Classic. Cigar, Shared Belief, Game on Dude, Lava Man, Tinners Way and Beholder are a few of my favorites. Making a return this year, Beholder with her 8 competitors are just as talented and impressive as the stars of this historical race. The field is as follows by post/horse/jockey/trainer/owner/age/gender:

California Chrome/Victor Espinoza/Art Sherman/California Chrome, LLC/5YO/male
Hoppertunity/Flavien Prat/Bob Baffert/Karl Watson, Michael Pegram and Paul Weitman/5YO/male
War Story/Ricardo Mejias/Dean Greenman/Loooch Racing Stables, Inc. and Glenn K. Ellis/4YO/gelding
Hard Aces/Santiago Gonzalez/John W. Sadler/Hronis Racing, LLC./6 YO/male
Win the Space/Joe Talamo/George Papaprodromou/Kretz Racing LLC./4YO/male
Imperative/Noberto Arroyo, Jr./Richard Baltas/JK Racing Stables/6YO/gelding
Beholder/Gary Stevens/Richard E. Mandella/Spendthrift Farms/6YO/female
Dortmund/Rafael Bejarno/Bob Baffert/Kaleem Sgah, Inc./4YO/male
Dalmore/Kent Desormeaux/J.K. Desormeaux/ Big Chief Racing, LLC., Rocker O Ranch, LLC. And J.K. Desormeaux/3YO/male

In post position one is my number one pick, as well as the morning line favorite, California Chrome. All of the pictures in this story are of Chrome. Each were taken over a precious weekend when I visited him last year, while he rested at Taylor Made Farm in KY. He holds 2 Eclipse Awards, has won 13 of 22 races and holds a record for racing earnings. He is the solo California bred horse in the race, sired by Lucky Pulpit and his dam is Love the Chase.

Hoppertunity, bred in Kentucky, is the progeny of Any Given Saturday and Refugee. He has won 5 of 20 career starts. He was 3rd to Chrome in the 2016 Dubai World Cup. Last year he ran 4th in the Pacific Classic. Hoppertunity is a multiple graded stakes winner.

War Story, also KY bred, is the son of Northern Afleet and Belle Watling. He has placed first in 3 of 12 races. He has had a lot of experience in graded stakes races but not much success.

Another KY boy, Hard Aces is sired by Hard Spun, his dam is All in With Aces. He has won 7 times in his career of 33 starts. He is a multiple graded stakes winner. He was 6th place in the Pacific Classic in 2015. He won his last race/stakes out at Del Mar late July. Perhaps he is on an upswing in California?

The son of Pulpit and Teamgeist is the lovely grey, Win the Space. This horse was bred in KY by Spendthrift Farm. He has won 3 in 12 races. He has not won a graded stakes race.

Imperative is the KY bred offspring of Bernardini and Call Her. He has raced 32 times and has 3 wins. He has not won since 2014 but it was a graded stakes race. He finished 5th in the Pacific Classic in 2015.

Beholder has won an amazing 17 of her 23 races, yet I have never beheld her live myself. She holds 3 Eclipse Awards and finished 1st in the BC Juvenile Fillies, 2012 and BC Distaff, 2013. She is the only filly in the race. Beholder holds a high rank in earnings. She won the Pacific Classic last year. She is the second choice to win per the odds as I write this. Beholder is the KY bred daughter of Henny Hughes and Leslie’s Lady.

In his last race out, Dortmund ran a close 2nd to Chrome in the San Diego Handicap this past July. Dortmund is the KY bred son of Big Brown and Our Josephina. He has won an impressive 8 of 11 races. Dortmund was 3rd in the KY Derby and 4th in the Preakness both up against American Pharoah in 2015. With plenty of talent and California racing experience this guy brings strong competition and is 3rd for the favorite. He shares his trainer, Baffert, with Hoppertunity.

Finally, the last post position is the baby of the bunch, Dalmore. He has 3 wins in his 11 starts. He is the only Florida bred horse in the race. He is the son of Colonel John and Silver Breeze. He won in his last race/graded stakes. He was 5th this year in the California Chrome Stakes.

I have plenty of nerves built up for this showdown. Watch the Pacific Classic live on TVG for Del Mar’s 9th of 11 races on 8/20/16 at 6:15 PM PT. Add 3 hours to that for Eastern Time. Go Chrome!

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August 10, 2016August 10, 2016

Tapit On Top

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Tapit, the sire of my favorite horse, Juba, stole the show, once again, at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale. The two day sale ended last evening with 9 Tapit offspring selling. Both his average and median prices beat out the other sire’s yearlings at the sale.

Tapit is a 15 year old super sire. He is a grey horse that has sired many other greys and he is nearly white in appearance. He lives at Gainesway Farm in Lexington, KY. I visited him, at his farm, this past June. Tapit is the son of sire Pulpit and dam Tap Your Heels. Tapit was KY bred at Oldenburg Farms,LLC and owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, LLC. His trainer was Michael W. Dickinson. Tapit only had 6 starts in his racing career. 2 of his 3 wins were in graded stakes races. He won the Laurel Futurity at Laurel Park and the Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct in 2003 and 2004 respectively. Tapit retired to stud in 2005 and by 2008 his first crop was racing. He immediately shot up to leading freshman sire that year. Tapit was the leading Champion North American sire in 2014 and 2015 and he is leading again in 2016. He holds the highest stud fee in the country at $300,000. He has a slew of successful offspring including Frosted. Frosted won the race I wrote about last week, the Whitney Handicap.

It makes sense, that with the success on the track that Tapit’s offspring have shown it seems everybody wants a Tapit yearling. Fasig-Tipton’s sale on August 8th and 9, 2016 was no different. There were 252 yearlings cataloged in the Saratoga Selected Yearling sale that was held in Saratoga Springs, NY. 11 of those were sired by Tapit. 9 of his yearlings sold with an average price of over $700,000 and a median price of over $600,000. His top seller, hip 140, sold for $1.25 million dollars. Only one horse sold for more in the two day sale. That was Medaglia d’Oro’s, $1.45 million dollar filly, hip 191. Tapit still had Medaglia d’Oro and all the other sires beat with a total of over $6.42 million dollars in sales. Medaglia d’Oro’s yearlings totaled over $3.65 million.

Overall, I wasn’t so pleased in the trend but that may just be a matter of personal opinion. The previous year, the sale sold 156 versus 145 Thoroughbreds. The sale total, despite more horses sold, dropped by more than a million dollars. The average price dropped by more than $30 thousand dollars and the median price dropped by $12.5 thousand dollars. While only 26 horses did not sell in 2015 there were 47 horses that did not get sold this year.

The same auction house will feature the Fasig-Tipton New York Bred Yearling sale on August 13th and 14, 2016. Tapit is a good ol’ Kentucky boy, thus he won’t have any yearlings in this sale. Perhaps that will give my partnership’s entry an advantage on Sunday. However, Tapit is the dam sire of hip 387, a filly by Violence. Violence has 6 yearlings in this sale and I’m expecting those to do very well. I hope the right matches get made and we all get to enjoy some fantastic racehorses in the following years. Check back next week for more info on Thoroughbred action!

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August 5, 2016August 8, 2016

Waiting on the Whitney

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Woo hoo for the Whitney! The 87th running of the Whitney Handicap will take place tomorrow, August 6,2016 at Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, NY. If I could click my heels and go anywhere right now, I’d be at “The Spa”.

The Whitney Handicap was inaugurated in 1928. It has been at various tracks for different genders, ages and distances historically. Tomorrow, the Whitney will take place on Saratoga’s dirt track. It will be a race of 9 furlongs (1 and 1/8 mile) for horses 3 years old and upwards. 6 Thoroughbreds will compete for the “Win and You’re In” automatic entry into the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the $1.25 million dollar purse. The winner will also receive a blanket made of Marylou Whitney pink roses and a sterling silver chalice trophy with the Whitney family crest.

Considered one of the top Grade 1 races, the Whitney is named for the Whitney family. Historically this family’s contributions to Thoroughbred racing have shaped the industry and blessed us with a vast number of graded stakes winners. Marylou Whitney continues the tradition. She has a home in Saratoga as well as a farm in my hometown, Lexington, KY. The Whitney’s have won their own stakes race 4 times.

Last year’s Whitney winner was Honor Code. Kelso and Discovery each won the race 3 times.

The 2016 Whitney field is as follows by post/horse/jockey/trainer/owner/age:

El Kabeir/Ricardo Santana, Jr./John P. Terranova/Zayat Stables, LCC./4
Comfort/John R, Velazquez/Todd A. Pletcher/Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners/4
Upstart/Irad Ortiz Jr./Richard A. Violette, Jr./Ralph M. Evans and WinStar/4
Frosted/Joel Rosario/Kiaran P. McLaughlin/Godolphin Racing, LCC./4
Noble Bird/Julien R. Leparoux/Mark E. Casse/John C. Oxley/5
Effinex/Mike E. Smith/James A. Jerkens/Tri-Bone Stables/5

El Kabeir is a beautiful grey colt by Scat Daddy and Great Venue. El Kabeir ran his first 2 of 15 career starts at Saratoga. He is a multiple graded stakes winner though he has not won in 2016.

Comfort is a colt by Indian Charlie and Unkatzable. Comfort has only raced 7 times and never at Saratoga nor has he won a graded stakes. His jockey/trainer combo won the Whitney in 2013 with Cross Traffic.

Upstart is the son of Flatter, whom I wrote about in my last story when I met him while touring the stallions at Claiborne Farm. Upstart’s dam is Party Silks. Upstart won his maiden at Saratoga on his first start. He has raced at that track 3 times of his 14 career races. He is a multiple graded stakes winner. He was fourth in last year’s Travers.

Frosted is the favorite for the Whitney. He is another lovely grey colt. He is the offspring of Tapit and Fast Cookie. He raced at Saratoga in 3 of his 16 starts. He placed 2nd the 1st two times at that track and third the last time out there. Those races were a maiden, the Jim Dandy and the Travers respectively. He is coming off a strong win at Belmont in June. In 2015 he finished the Belmont 2nd to our Grand Slam winner, American Pharoah. Frosted’s trainer, McLaughlin, won the Whitney with Invasor in 2006.

Noble Bird is the gorgeous horse in the photo. I met him at Keeneland this past April. I caught him with his tongue out as he ate a peppermint. He is the son of Birdstone and Anyhow. Noble Bird is trained by Casse, whom works with one of my favorite fillies, Tepin! She is a Saratoga sales grad. Noble Bird has raced at Saratoga once before in his 16 starts. He is a multiple graded stakes winner.

Effinex is the son of Mineshaft and What A Pear. Effinex has the most experience with 24 career starts. He has raced twice at Saratoga, where he finished 2nd in the Woodward Stakes. He is a multiple graded stakes winner. He was second to American Pharoah in last years BC Classic. His jockey, Smith, won the Whitney in 1993 with Brunswick. The father of James A. Jerkens, the trainer of Effinex, trained Onion who beat the amazing Secretariat in 1973’s Whitney.

As if the Whitney isn’t enough action, there are 11 races on the card Saturday. 5 of those are stakes races and there is another stakes on Sunday. Then the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale takes place August 8th and 9th while my most favorite horse, Juba, races at Saratoga on the 8th as well.

I part own 5 horses that will be auctioned off at the sale. 3 will go on Monday and the 4th and 5th on Tuesday. This sale is one of the first of the season and finest of sales for yearlings. 252 select yearlings have been catalogued for the 96th Saratoga Sale.

Juba is trained by Jerkens, just like Effinex and has the same jockey, Velazquez ,as Comfort. Juba is a 5 year-old grey son of Tapit and Adoradancer. That is the same sire that Frosted has.

If you are at Saratoga tell me all about it. If you’re watching from a television or computer tune in to NBC Sports for race 10, the Whitney, at 6:18 pm EST on 8/6/16. Find Juba, in race 8 at 5:02 pm EST on 8/8/16. I’m hoping to see it on TVG. Finally, follow along with the Fasig-Tipton sale on http://www.fasigtipton.com

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July 28, 2016

Covering Claiborne

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The Bluegrass State is getting a big dose of some much needed rain today. It was not the best weather for touring but I had a great visit to Claiborne Farm, nonetheless.

Claiborne Farm was established in Paris, KY in 1910 by Arthur B. Hancock. Over a century later it is still operated by the Hancock’s. Seth Walker Hancock, Jr. is the 4th generation Hancock horseman and manager. The farm sprawls across 3,000 acres. The pamphlet, provided at the tour, states Claiborne has had 22 Racing’s Hall of Fame horses, 63 Champions, 17 Horses of the Year, 22 Kentucky Derby winners, 19 Preakness Stakes winners, 22 Belmont Stakes winners, and 29 Breeders’ Cup winners. It also pointed out that half of all Triple Crown winning horses have been sired by their stallions.

Though it has 50 barns my hour long tour just featured a few of those. The first stallion I was introduced to was Orb. Orb is only 6 years old. He won the Kentucky Derby in 2013. He was sired by Malibu Moon and his dam is Lady Liberty. Orb’s 1st crop were foaled in 2015. Kevin, the tour guide, held Orb still so I could pet him. Kevin lives on the farm. His father and grandfather both worked there too. He has an abundance of detailed information on the stallions.

Flatter came out of his stall for a visit. He was foaled in 1999 and Claiborne was his breeder. His sire was A.P Indy and his dam was Praise by Mr. Prospector. Mr. Prospector is buried in 1 of the 3 horse cemeteries on the property. Flatter is the sire of multiple graded stakes winners including Upstart.

Lea is adorable and loves to savor his peppermints. He packs them in his gums and sips water to enjoy the flavor. Lea is a multiple graded stakes winner and is 7 years old. He is the progeny of First Samurai and Greenery. This is his first year at stud.

Blame by Arch and Liable is 10 years old. In 2010 Blame won the Breeders’ Cup Classic and an Eclipse Award for Champion Older Horse. His breeder was Claiborne. He has sired multiple graded stakes winners since 2011.

War Front is the most expensive stud on the farm. The son of Danzig and Starry Dreamer was born in 2002 and won multiple graded stakes. He retired to stud in 2007. Air Force Blue and Hit It A Bomb are some of his 2015 champion offspring. I gave a big hug and he stuck his tongue out! As Twitter’s famous Woodbine Racetrack barn cat, Gator Kitten (@Gatorkitten) would say, he is “to sassys”!

The tour concluded with a visit to one of the cemeteries. Secretariat is one of the most well know Thoroughbreds buried there. He was purchased in 1972 to stand at Claiborne Farm. His stall is currently empty. It is waiting for a pretty special stud to come along.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Claiborne Farm. I hope you like the stallion pictures. Tours are available 7 days a week for most days of the year. To arrange your own visit go to Claiborne Farm . Thanks for reading my story. Check back soon for more Thoroughbred news and adventures.

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July 22, 2016July 22, 2016

Where Our Chrome Is In A League Of His Own

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After much anticipation, our champ, California Chrome, returns to race tomorrow, 7/23/16! In his last race, on 3/26/16, in the $10 million dollar Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in UAE, Chrome finished in first place. I feel strongly that he will be triumphant again Saturday when he races at Del Mar.

Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, CA was inaugurated in 1937. The San Diego Handicap, a stakes race for Thoroughbreds ages 3 and older, began at Del Mar the same year. This race has a purse of $200,000. It is a Grade II race on the dirt at a distance of 1 and 1/16 miles, 9 furlongs. The San Diego Handicap is a favorite prep race for the $1 million dollar Pacific Classic which takes place at Del Mar as well. Del Mar has a few slogans. Most people are familiar with “Where the Turf Meets the Surf”, as Del Mar sits beautifully right on the beach. More recently, the track goes by “Cool as Ever”, to attract a new, young and fashionable crowd. I like my new slogan, “Where Our Chrome is in a League of His Own”!

A field of 7 horses will compete at 6:10 p.m. PT (9:10 p.m. EST) in race 9 tomorrow in the San Diego Handicap. The contenders are as follows by post position/horse/age, gender, state of birth/jockey/trainer/owner/sire,dam

Hard Aces/6YO, H, KY/Santiago Gonzalez/John W. Sadler/Hroni’s Racing, LLC/Hard Spun, All In With Aces
Dortmund/4YO, C, KY/Gary L. Stevens/Bob Baffert/Kaleem Shah, Inc/Big Brown, Our Josephina
Soi Phet/8YO, G, CA/Kent J. Desormeux/Leonard Powell/Benowitz Family Trust, Mathilde Powell, Paul A. Viskovich/Tizbub, Summer Jersey
Crittenden/4YO, G, KY/Martin Garcia/Eoin G. Harty/Godolphin Racing, LLC/Distorted Humor, Calla Lilly
Follow Me Crev/4YO, G, KY/Alonso Quinonez/Vladimir Cerin/Holly and David Wilson/Quality Road, Vicki Vallencourt
California Chrome/5YO, H, CA/Victor Espinoza/Art Sherman/California Chrome, LLC/Lucky Pulpit, Love the Chase
Win the Space/4YO, C, KY/Mike E. Smith/George Papaprodromou/Kretz Racing, LLC/Pulpit, Teamgeist

Hard Aces has won just 6 of 32 races. He has raced at Del Mar. His trainer, John W. Sadler, won the San Diego in 2013.

Dortmund is probably Chrome’s strongest competitor. He has a 8 in 10 record and has experience at Del Mar as well. His trainer, Bob Baffert and owner, Kaleem Shaw, won the San Diego in 2014. His jockey, Gary L. Stevens won the San Diego in 2015.

Soi Phet has a 5 in 33 record. He has not raced at Del Mar.

Crittenden has raced and won at Del Mar. He has a 4 in 15 career. Martin Garcia, his jockey, won the San Diego in 2014.

Follow Me Crev has a 5 in 17 record. He has raced 5 times at Del Mar.

I believe California Chrome will win as he is the favorite and looks to be the strongest contender. He has won 12 times in his 21 career races. I am ready to see him with lucky 13! He has raced at Del Mar 3 times. His jockey, Victor Espinoza, won the San Diego Handicap in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2013.

Win the Space has won 3 of 11 races. He has started at Del Mar 3 times. His jockey, Mike E. Smith won the San Diego in 2006.

Good luck to California Chrome! I hope he wins this race. He is expected to do so. He is our 2014 Horse of the Year and is on top and on the road to grabbing that title in 2016. He has just these last 5 races. After the San Diego Handicap, he will race in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar on 8/20/16, the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on 10/1/16, the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on 11/5/16 and finally, the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream on 1/28/17. Following that, he will retire to stud at Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky.

Enjoy week 2 of Del Mar and opening day of Saratoga. I won’t make it to the track this weekend so tell me all about your adventures. I will post again next week. Until then, have fun at the races!

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July 13, 2016July 13, 2016

Yearning For Yearlings

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The official start of the yearling sales season kicked off yesterday, 7/12/16, at Fasig-Tipton in Lexington, KY. This sale came one day after the Summer Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale. I was especially excited to attend day 2 because it marked the first time I part owned a Thoroughbred at an auction.

I was not on hand, due to my day job, for the horses of racing age sale. That sale was quite a success. Compared to last year, more horses were sold fetching a higher overall price, a higher average price and far fewer unsold horses. 72 horses sold versus 65 the prior year. The total sale brought in over $5 million dollars compared to less than $4 million in 2015. The average price per horse rose by over $8.5 thousand dollars. Finally, only 19 horses did not get sold this July, where as last year 31 did not sell. The sale topper was the 7-year-old mare, Storm Lucy at $575,000. Malibu Moon and War Front sired 5 Thoroughbreds each in that sale making them the top sires by numbers in the sale. Taylor Made Sales Agency was the top consignor.

The July Selected Yearling sale did not exceed 2015’s results. The number of horses sold declined, as did the total price as well as the average price while the number of horses that failed to meet the reserved price increased. The 2016 sale sold 183 Thoroughbreds versus 205 the year before. Last year’s sale made over $20 million dollars while this year brought just over $17.6. On average horses dropped from $97 thousand dollars to $86 thousand each. This year 110 horses were not sold versus only 83 the prior Summer sale. Seen above is the sales ring screen showing an Uncle Mo filly bringing in $250,000. A colt sired by Curlin, hip 222, was the sale topper at a price of $475,000.

Wearing hip 235, pictured above, is a horse that I part owned thru a pinhook partnership I bought into last Fall. He came in with a 4 way tie of top selling horses. This colt, sired by Graydar, brought a price of $200,000. He sold to Twin Creeks Racing Stable, LLC. I loved his unique coloring, best seen in the sunlight. I can not wait to see how well he does on the track later in life!

Hips 338 seen at top left was sired by Speightstown and sold for $350,000. On the right is hip 326, another horse sired by Curlin, who sold for just $90,000. He is in front of the walking ring screens as hip 324 by Stay Thirsty who sold for $260,000.

Touring the grounds a bit I saw some interesting reminders of the exciting sales graduates that Fasig-Tipton has sold before. On July 19, 1975 the Lexington location of this great auction company sold the amazing Seattle Slew for just $17,500. He went on to win the Triple Crown in 1977. He has a whole building complete with art named for him as seen above. Below, we see a reminder of American Pharaoh, our last Triple Crown winner. He was featured as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale in New York in 2013 and bought back by his owner. This is where the next major yearling sale will take place on August 8 and 9th, The Saratoga Sale. My group has several horses in that auction so I will be following it closely.

I hope you all enjoy the yearling auctions. Check back with me weekly for more Thoroughbred news or adventures.

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