Sharing with you my fascinating discoveries about Thoroughbred racing, sales, fashion, food, beverage, tips and more.
Happy Easter! We are less than 3 weeks shy of the 143rd running of the 2017 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. The final two prep races were held yesterday so we have come to the end of the road to the KY Derby. We now have our roster of eligible contenders in the Run for the Roses.
Continue reading “Roster for the Roses”
Share This: 
Keeneland’s gateGo baby go! The action is back on the track in the heart of the Horse Capital of the World. Keeneland’s Spring meet kicks off today, April 7, 2017, with race 1 posting at 1:05 P.M. EDT. Going for a strong start, Blue Grass Weekend includes 7 graded stakes races with a collective purse of $2.55 million in purse money.
Continue reading “Keeneland Commences”
Share This: 
I had a very early start, 5 A.M. to be exact, just to make sure I caught the morning workouts for many Thoroughbreds and especially, the undefeated, McCraken. McCraken moved into a barn at Keeneland Racetrack on 3/16/17 after missing the Tampa Bay Derby on 3/11 due to an ankle injury he sustained on 2/28. He currently holds seventeenth place on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard due to the points he received when he won the Sam F. Davis stakes. McCraken is the probable morning-line favorite in next weekend’s Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. He looked like a real champ this morning when he was feeling frisky at bath time after 4 furlongs at :49.40.
Continue reading “My Morning With McCraken”
Share This: 
Wake up sleepy heads! It is well worth being an early riser today. The Dubai World Cup (DWC) card starts at 7:45 A.M. EST on Saturday, 3/25/17! California Chrome represented the United States well last year when he romped in the DWC. Will Arrogate win for America in this year’s race? Which Thoroughbred will pick up 100 points on the road to the Kentucky Derby in the UAE Derby? The “richest day in racing” carries $30 million dollars in prize money and features 9 Group 1 and 2 races. This day of racing is every bit as delightful for me as my love for the University of Kentucky Wildcats is at NCAA tournament time. In Meydan today, we have March Madness!
Continue reading “Meydan March Madness”
Share This: 
It was a big day for Shackleford and Darby Dan Farm yesterday! As part of Horse Country, the same group I book most of my farm tours through, there was a special event, for local fans, on March 18, 2017. Tickets were limited but several area wide farms offered free tours for the day. Hot on the Kentucky Derby trail, I chose Darby Dan Farm!
Continue reading “Shake It Up Shackleford”
Share This: 
With Kentucky Derby points up for grabs, who will grasp them in the Gotham? The Gotham Stakes, won by greats like Secretariat, takes place once again tomorrow. Ten thoroughbreds will face off to try to arrive at the top of the leaderboard on the road to the KY Derby.
Continue reading “Grasping the Gotham”
Share This: 
I can’t type the word TOKYO without first typing TO KY! For the initial time in history, there has been established a special Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. Tokyo Racecourse was literally the road for one special horse in the 143rd KY Derby.
Continue reading “Tokyo To KY”
Share This: 
Good morning race fans! Today, we are treated to another Kentucky Derby prep race that serves the same purpose for the Tampa Bay Derby as well. The 37th Sam F. Davis Stakes will post on 2/11/17 at 4:45 P.M EST. Following last weekend’s upset in the Holy Bull and the the additional points gathered in the Withers and the Robert B. Lewis, the KY Derby leaderboard is looking a little different. A win by McCraken could shoot him into the top 4 on the board.
Continue reading “From Davis to Derby”
Share This: 
The Road to the Kentucky Derby is on fire today! Three races at 3 different tracks are passing out KY Derby qualifying points! Only 37 select races award points, therefore today, 2/4/17, is definitely important. When the day is done, 12 horses will have received points for the day’s races and there will only be 20 races left for the competition to build on. Right now, Classic Empire sits on top of the KY Derby Leaderboard. Today, he will face off against 8 other Thoroughbreds in the Holy Bull Stakes. Is he HOLY BULLetproof?
The Holy Bull stakes was inaugurated in 1996 to replace the former Preview Stakes that had already succeeded the Flamingo Stakes that dated back to 1972. It is a Grade II race for 3 year-olds of 1 and 1/16 miles (8.5 furlongs) on the dirt at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, FL. The Holy Bull derived it’s name from a Thoroughbred, Holy Bull. Holy Bull was foaled in 1991 to Great Above and Sharon Brown. Holy Bull won 13 of 16 starts, many of these wins were major graded stakes races, including a win in the KY Derby. He won Eclipse Awards for Champion 3 Year-Old Colt and the Horse of the Year in 1994. By 2001 he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall Of Fame. Holy Bull was an active stallion at Darley’s Jonabell Farm from 1995 until 2012. He then retired at the same farm. His offspring include several graded stakes winners.
Go For Gin, holds the speed record for the Holy Bull at the current distance with a time of 1:41.62 minutes. He won the Holy Bull in 1994 and has retired to a nice life at The Kentucky Horse Park. I have had the pleasure of visiting with him there. His pictures are featured in this webpost.
The 2017 edition of the Holy Bull Stakes will post at 5:35 P.M. EST. It is race 12, the final race of the day, at Gulfstream Park. The purse this year is $350 thousand dollars. The field is as follows by post/horse/jockey/trainer/morning-line odds:
1. Gunnevera/Javier Castellano/A.Sano/9-2
2. Perro Rojo/Nik Juarez/N.P. Zito/30-1
3. Classic Empire/Julien Leparoux/M.E.Casse/3-5
4. Talk Logistics/Paco Lopez/E. Plesa Jr./12-1
5. Irish War Cry/Joel Rosario/H.G. Motion/15-1
6. Fact Finding/John Velazquez/T.A.Pletcher/6-1
7. Shamsaan/Luis Saez/K.P.McLaughlin/20-1
8. Cavil/Jose Lezcano/K.P.McLaughlin/15-1
9. Fire For Effect/Corey Lanerie/D.L.Romans/20-1
Classic Empire is the favorite to win the Holy Bull. He already has 30 KY Derby points from when he gained 10 points winning the Breeders Futurity and 20 more winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Classic Empire is sired by Pioneer of the Nile, just like the famous champion, American Pharoah. Classic Empire will face off against another horse on the leaderboard, Gunnevera is 5th on the KY Derby leaderboard with 10 points.
The Holy Bull Stakes, the Withers Stakes and the Robert B. Lewis Stakes all offer 10 points to the winner, 4 to 2nd place, 2 to third place and 1 point to the 4th place finishers. All 3 races cover the same distance, surface and are open to 3 year-olds. El Areeb is the favorite in the Grade 3 Withers with post position 4 in the race and tenth on the KY Derby leaderboard. He will face off with 9 other competitors at 4:20 P.M. EST in race 8 on Aqueduct’s card. Also, in the Withers, J Boys Echo and Bonus Points are both on the KY Derby Leaderboard as well.
Meanwhile, the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes will take place at Santa Anita Park. It is race 2 on the card and posts at 3:59 P.M. EST. Only 5 horses are entered. Royal Mo is favored here although Irap and Dangerfield already have KY Derby points too.
It will be outstanding to see who racks up all the points today. I’m hoping Classic Empire keeps proving himself and jumps up to 40 points. Check back often too see my next post and have a fantastic weekend.
Share This: 
The time is near for the premier of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational! It has been one year since Frank Stronach announced his vision at the Thoroughbred Owners Conference at his Gulfstream Park. By May, the stage was set for the inaugural running of the Grade 1, world’s richest race. This Saturday, 1/28/17, history will be made when the 1st winner of the Pegasus takes home $7 million dollars, the share awarded to the 1st place finisher of a race with a $12 million dollar purse.
The Pegasus World Cup will surpass the $10 million dollar Dubai World Cup to become the richest Thoroughbred race world wide. California Chrome won the 2016 Dubai World Cup and he will be hard to beat as he aims for the Pegasus which would push his earnings to $21 million dollars, the highest for any Thoroughbred in history. The Pegasus was created by Frank Stronach, the billionaire tycoon for the manufacturing of auto parts and the founder of The Stronach group. He envisioned this race to benefit the Thoroughbred racing industry. He wanted to showcase the sport in our somewhat off-season in a way to please the fans and attract new attention for racing. He perfectly positioned the race in the calendar during a time that would allow horses to compete with ample recovery time after the Breeders’ Cup and before the Dubai World Cup as well as a final send off for horses retiring to breed which usually follows each February in North America. The Pegasus filled the spot of the former Donn Handicap, inaugurated in 1959. The Donn was held at the same time of the year and had the same distance, grade and track however, it carried a purse of only $500,000. The Pegasus race will be for Thoroughbreds age 4 and upwards. It is 1 and 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on the main dirt track at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, FL. 12 horses were selected from backers whom each invested their own $1 million dollars. Each horse will get a $250,000 dollar return on their investment. 2nd place will take $1.75 million and third place will get their $1 million returned.
The name Pegasus was applied to honor the greatness of horses as Stronach intended when he had a 110 foot, 473 ton, $30 million dollar statue of the mythical winged horse, Pegasus, built at his Gulfstream Park. It is the largest bronze equine statue in the world. The Stronach group owns several racetracks in addition to Gulfsteam; Golden Gate Fields, Pimlico Race Course, Santa Anita Park, Portland Meadows, Rosecraft Raceway and Laurel Park in America. They have foreign investments as well and they own simulcasting and wagering technologies. Additionally, they breed Thoroughbreds and have an aftercare program too. Stronach will be represented by their Stronach Stables, Shaman Ghost, in the Pegasus, with it’s post owned by their own Adena Springs.
For tickets ranging from $100 to over $700 dollars, fans may buy tickets to attend the 12 race card this Saturday at Gulfstream. There will be 6 other stakes this day, 3 of those are graded stakes. Race 1 kicks off at 11:30 A.M. EST. For television viewers, NBC will feature live coverage from 4:30 to 6 P.M. EST. There will be viewers in 122 countries. Race 12 is the Pegasus, with a post time of 5:40 P.M. The field is as follows by post position/horse/jockey/trainer//morning line odds/owner/$1 million investor:
Arrogate is the 4 year old grey son of Unbridled’s Song and Bubbler. He is considered Chrome’s worst competition. Arrogate finished a half length before Chrome in the BC Classic in 2016, a move many consider the fault of Chrome’s jockey whom has vowed to ride Chrome differently in this race. However, Arrogate’s win in the Travers Stakes was a record breaker and he is a fine, fast horse. He has the rail position so he will have to break well to keep from getting pinched. He has a record of 5 in 6 for wins. He has never raced at Gulfstream.
Prayer for Relief is the 9 year old male horse of Jump Start and Sparklin Lil. He has won 8 of 45 starts. His last win was in 2013. He has experience at Gulfstream Park and finished 4th in the Donn in 2015.
Neolithic is a 4 year old colt of Harlan’s Holiday and Swingit. His only 2 wins were his only 2 races at Gulfstream. He has 7 career starts. He has not won a graded stakes and his last race was an allowance. He won that race and he broke his maiden in his first outing, each took place at Gulfsteam.
Noble Bird is a 6 year old horse born to Birdstone and Anyhow. He has won 7 of his 20 races. He has never raced at Gulfstream but he has won a graded stakes race. I witnessed his win in the Hagyard Fayette Stakes this last Fall meet at Keeneland and have fed him a mint. He’s a good boy.
War Story is the gelding of Nothern Afleet and Belle Watling. He is 5 years-old and has finished 1st in 4 of 17 races. He has raced at Gulfstream and he has participated in many graded stakes including two BC races.
War Envoy is 5 years old and he was born to War Front and La Conseillante. He has won just 2 of 21 starts. He has not raced at Gulfstream nor has he won a stakes race. He has raced twice in the BC.
Shaman Ghost is also 5 Years-old. He was sired by Ghostzapper. His dam is Getback Time. Shaman Ghost has raced and won at Gulfstream. He has won graded stakes and holds the 2015 Sovereign Award for Champion 3 year-old colt. He has a record of 6 wins in 13 starts.
Semper Fortis is a 4 year old colt. He is the offspring of Distorted Humor and Rebridled Dreams by Unbridled’s Song. Semper Fortis has never raced at Gulfstream before or won a graded stakes. He has won 2 of 12 races. Primarily, this horse has raced in California.
Keen Ice ran third behind California Chrome and Arrogate in the 2016 BC Classic. He is a 5 year-old horse born to Curlin and Medomak. Keen Ice’s jockey won the 2016 Eclipse Award. Keen Ice has won 2 of 19 races. He was 6th in last year’s Donn. He won the Travers Stakes in 2015 beating the amazing American Pharoah. He has raced 3 times at Gulfstream. His last race was the Harlan’s Holiday Stakes at Gulfstream where he finished 2nd.
Breaking Lucky is a 5 year-old horse sired by Lookin at Lucky. His dam is Shooting Party. Breaking Lucky ran his first race at Gulfstream. He holds a win record of 3 in 16. He has won a graded stakes.
Eragon is a 6 year-old horse born to Offlee Wild and Express Time. He has won exactly half of his 20 starts. This is his first race in North America. He is an Argentina bred horse. He has won three Group 1 races.
California Chrome is the favorite and certainly my favorite. He is the 6 year old flashy chestnut of Lucky Pulpit and Love the Chase. I have written about this horse a lot. Please, search my page for more stories about this 4 time Eclipse Award champion. He has raced and won on many tracks and in 2 countries. Chrome has won 16 of 26 starts. I am hoping he wins once more before retiring to Taylor Made Farm to start his career as a stallion. I am looking forward to bringing him back to my hometown. Unfortunately, wins from post 12 are very rare at Gulfstream due to the track conformation.
Don’t miss your chance to watch California Chrome race one final time! This is a horse people will talk about for the ages. The Pegasus World Cup will also be most historical. I would like to thank The Stronach Group for working towards improvement in recognition for the Thoroughbred industry and supporting aftercare of both jockeys and horses. Check back soon for more adventures in the industry.
Share This: