Sharing with you my fascinating discoveries about Thoroughbred racing, sales, fashion, food, beverage, tips and more.
Are you ready for The World’s Richest Race? Don’t despair. Read on and I’ll break it down and make it real simple for you. This is your portal to The Pegasus World Cup.
Continue reading “Portal To The Pegasus”
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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.
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Happy Birthday celebrations are coming up for all Thoroughbreds in North America. On January 1st, our country’s race horses will all turn one year older, as does this blog, Thoroughbred U. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing weekly over the past 2 years and am readily looking forward to all that 2017 has to bring. Not to delay, the first day of 2017 brings us an opportunity to indulge in one of our very favorite sports, horse racing. When your eating your traditional cabbage, potatoes and black-eyed peas you’ll be getting lucky. No better way to test that new luck than a wager in the San Pasqual Stakes!
Santa Anita, now in Arcadia, California, was first constructed in 1907. It has experienced many changes but has retained a strong and rich racing history. In 1935 the Santa Anita Handicap was inaugurated. This race has seen many famous contenders. That same year, the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes got its start. This stakes race has proven to be a great prep race for many fine horses.
The 2017 edition of the San Pasqual will take place on 1/1/17 at 4 P.M. live in California or at 7 P.M. in my EST zone. Gates open at 10:30 A.M. and the 1st race is at 12:30 P.M. The 8th race on a card of 9 is the San Pasqual. It is a dirt race of 1 and 1/16 miles, 8.5 furlongs, for Thoroughbreds 4 years and older. The purse is set at $200,000. Last year, California Chrome won the San Pasqual and began a fantastic streak of many wins.
In the history of the San Pasqual, Bob Baffert is the trainer with the most wins. He started gathering his San Pasqual successes in 1999 with Silver Charm. I visited Silver Charm on one warm and wet day where he lives at Old Friends in Kentucky. Baffert won again in 2002 and 2003 with Wooden Phone and Congaree respectively. He won in 2013 with Coil and in 2015 with Hoppertunity. This year he has hopes of winning again with the favorite, Arrogate. Then he plans to race Arrogate against the amazing California Chrome in the first ever, Pegasus World Cup on 1/28/17 at Gulfstream Park, in Florida.
The 2017 running of the San Pasqual Stakes has a small field as follows by post position/horse/jockey/trainer/owner/and morning line odds:
Prospect Park is sired by Tapit, though he is not grey himself. His dam is Quiet Romance and he was foaled in 2012. He has only won 3 of his 14 starts and none of those wins were made in 2016. He has raced exclusively in CA and many times at Santa Anita.
Accelerate is the 2013 offspring of Lookin at Lucky and Issues. He has 2 stakes races in his career, the The Los Alamitos Derby Stakes, where he won and the BC Dirt Mile where he finished 3rd. He has finished first in 3 of his 7 races.
Dalmore has a record of 3 wins in 14 starts, just like Prospect Park. Dalmore is the product of Colonel John and Silver Breeze, delivered in 2013. He frequents the CA racing circuit and he won the Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita on 7/2/16.
Midnight Storm was born to Pioneer of The Nile and My Tina in 2011. He has won 9 of 20 starts and his last 5 starts were in California. He last raced at Del Mar in the Native Diver Stakes on 11/27/16 and he won after finishing 3rd in the BC Mile earlier that month. It find it noteworthy that Native Diver won the San Pasqual in 1966.
Arrogate was foaled to Unbridled’s Song and Bubbler in 2013. He is a lovely grey horse. He has won the last 5 of his 6 races, 3 of those wins were at Santa Anita. 2 of his wins were in stakes races, The Traver’s Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He had a work out on 12/27/16 and he was looking fine covering 6 furlongs in 1.12:20.
Happy New Year, Happy birthday and all the other happy that I wish for each of you! May all of you have safe passage into the new year and many blessings throughout. I’ll continue to post my Thoroughbred thoughts and experiences as we continue to grow.
Update: Arrogate scratched due to rain.
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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 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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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:
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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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 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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The 141st running of the Grade I Preakness Stakes will take place this Saturday, 5/21/16. I will be betting on Nyquist (update: that is him pictured above), our latest Kentucky Derby winner! He was just announced as the morning line favorite with 3/5 morning-line odds immediately following the post position draw. Here is the full field:
Post Position: Horse/Jockey/Trainer/Owner/M-L Odds
While the Preakness Stakes is eligible to 14 Thoroughbreds only these 11 will be participating. That is 3 more than last year’s small field when American Pharoah became the 14th horse to take the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. He went on to win at the Belmont Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Classic to become our 12th Triple Crown winner and our first Grand Slam winner. The competition is tough to see if Nyquist can follow in those horseshoes.
Cherry Wine was an “also eligible” as the 22nd horse in a 20 post position race for the Kentucky Derby but he did not get his chance that day. He is a lovely grey late bloomer. It took him 5 starts to break his maiden. His last 2 of 8 career races were graded stakes. He finished 4th in the Rebel Stakes and then 3rd in the Blue Grass Stakes. In all he has 2 wins, 1 place and has come in third twice. American Pharoah won from post position 1 in last year’s Preakness.
Uncle Lino wasn’t in the Kentucky Derby. His last race out was the California Chrome Stakes. He finished 1st place with his only win since he broke his maiden his second start. Out of his 7 races he has been twice at each 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. He has has finished in the top four of all three of his graded stakes, Robert B. Lewis, San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby. His sire is Uncle Mo, making him a half brother to Nyquist and Laoban and Abiding Star.
Nyquist is the favorite and I have written about him a few times if you want a more complete history on him check on my webpage, ThoroughbredU.com. He is undefeated in 8 starts and he wants to keep that title. He just won the KY Derby by 1 and 1/4 lengths on 5/7/16. California Chrome won the Preakness from post position 3 in 2014. Secretariat liked this post in 1973.
Awesome Speed has finished 1st in 4 of his 6 career starts however, he was 4th in his only graded stakes race, the Fountain of Youth. His connections have noted that he has bumped around a lot in his last couple of races. He is a pacemaker in his running style.
Exaggerator ran an exciting late sprint to earn 2nd to Nyquist in the KY Derby. He is 1 of only 3 horses from that race to step up to the Preakness challenge. His sire, Curlin, won the 2007 Preakness. To read more about Exaggerator, look back to my KY derby story.
Lani is the final horse to return from this past KY Derby. This lovely grey son of Tapit finished 9th in the KY Derby. Lani is described in more detail in my former KY Derby story. His dam sire, Sunday Silence, won the Preakness in 1989.
Collected is trained by Bob Baffert. Baffert has won the Preakness with Silver Charm, Real Quiet, Point Given, War Emblem, Lookin At Lucky and American Pharoah. In 6 career starts, Collected has 4 wins and a finish in 2nd place as well. He has won 2 of his 4 graded stakes races. These were the Cecile B. DeMille, Sham, Southwest and Lexington Stakes.
Laoban was the other “also eligible” that missed the KY Derby by a post. One of the 4 sired by Uncle Mo he is a front runner but also he has never won a race! Despite that, his connections have raced him 5 times and 3 of those where graded stakes, the Sham, Gotham and Blue Grass Stakes.
Abiding Star is the 4th and final horse sired by Uncle Mo in this race. He has had an amazing 11 career starts in which he has won 5 times and finished at 2nd and 3rd place each once. It took him 7 times to break his maiden. He has never ran in a graded stakes race, however he is on a five race winning streak.
Fellowship is trained by Mark Casse. He is the trainer of one of my favorite Thoroughbreds, Tepin. Fellowship has had a total of 12 starts. He has finished 1st two times and 2nd and 3rd three times each. He raced at Churchill Downs on KY Derby day in the Pat Day Mile where he finished fourth. That race was his fourth graded stakes race. He is of the Secretariat lineage.
Stradivari is the final horse in the Preakness. He has only been in 3 races. He won the last two. These were not stakes races. To my personal surprise, his trainer Todd Pletcher, despite all his fame, has never won the Preakness. Pletcher was 3rd in 2000 with Impeachment.
Preakness Fun Facts:
I hope everyone finds this info useful and helpful for their Preakness Stakes planning. Check back after the race for another blog post. Go, Nyquist, go! Let’s wish the rain holds off this year.
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It is hard to contain my enthusiasm with only 2 days to go until the 142nd Kentucky Derby. Post time is 6:34 P.M. EST on 5/7/16 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. The KY Derby Undercard can be watched from 12 PM to 4 PM on NBCSN and then NBC will broadcast coverage from 4 PM to 7:30 PM EST.
The Longines Kentucky Derby has taken place annually since 1875. The race is held on the first Saturday of May. The track is dirt and is raced 10 furlongs, 1 and 1/4 miles. Contenders are 3 year old Thoroughbreds that were selected from a points system in 35 qualifying races. Points are awarded to the 1st four finishers on those races. The first race, on the road to the KY Derby, was the Iroquois held at Churchill Downs on 9/12/15. The last race to qualify in was the Lexington at Keeneland on 4/16/16. Last evening 22 horses drew post positions. 20 will race, the final 2 are “also eligible” if there is a scratch before 9 A.M EST on 5/6/16. The field is as follows:
Post position. Horse/Jockey/Trainer/Owner
Trojan Nation has not even broken his maiden in 6 starts but he received his qualifying Derby points when he finished 2nd in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct on 4/9/16. His dam sire, Summer Squall, was 2nd in the KY Derby in 1990. Ferdinand was the last horse that won the KY Derby from post position 1 and that was back in 1986.
Suddenbreakingnews has raced 8 times with 7 times winning or placing. He is experienced in 3 graded stakes races that are all KY Derby select races. He got his points in the Arkansas Derby, 2nd, and the Southwest Stakes, 1st, while he was a disappointing 5th place finisher in the Rebel Stakes. His dam sire, Afleet Alex, was 3rd in the 2005 KY Derby.
Creator also has 8 starts behind him. He has finished in the top 3 in 7 races. He is a lovely grey son of Tapit. Juba, my favorite horse is sired by Tapit. Lani and Mohaymen are also sired by Tapit. Creator did better in both the Rebel, 3rd, and the Arkansas Derby, he was the winner, than Suddenbreakingnews who ran 5th and 2nd respectively.
Mo Tom has finished 1st or 3rd in 6 of 7 races. He is the offspring of Uncle Mo as are Nyquist and Outwork. Mo Tom ran in 4 KY Derby qualifying graded stakes races and gathered points in each of them. He was 3rd in the KY Jockey Club, 1st in the LeComte, 3rd in the Risen Star and 4th in the Louisiana Derby.
Gun Runner, son of Candy Ride, has participated in 5 races and won all but the KY Jockey Club Stakes when he came in 4th, right behind Mo Tom. He beat out Mo Tom in 2 other graded stakes when he won both the Risen Star and the Louisiana Derby. He shares a trainer with Creator. California Chrome won the KY Derby from post 5 in 2014!
My Man Sam has only raced 4 times. It took him twice to break his maiden and he placed twice since then. He has only been in one graded stakes and he finished 2nd. It was the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on 4/9/16 that gave him his KY Derby points.
Oscar Nominated has finished 4th or better in his 7 races. In his 3rd stakes race he won the Grade 3 Spiral Stakes and earned his KY Derby points. The Ramsey’s are frequent winners at Keeneland and Churchill but they have never had a KY Derby horse yet.
Lani is another Tapit colt. He is also a champ on an international level. He has raced 6 times in Japan and in the United Arab Emirates. It was his win in the U.A.E. Derby that qualified him to “Run for the Roses. In all 142 KY Derbys he is only the 2nd Japan based entry. Ski Captain was the other Japan based horse. He came in 14th in 1995 in the KY Derby with the same jockey as Lani has now, Take.
Destin has 3 wins and 1 show finish is his 5 starts. Two of his 3 graded stakes races were part of the KY Derby prep series. He was 4th in the LeComte, where Mo Tom won, and he was 1st in the the Tampa Bay Derby. He is a pretty grey.
Whitmore will be have the winner of the past 2 KY Derbys on his back, Espinoza! Espinoza won with California Chrome and again with American Pharoah. Whitmore has 2 firsts, 2 seconds and 1 third place finish out of his 6 races. 4 of his races were KY Derby prep stakes. He earned no points in the Delta Downs Jackpot where he finished 5th. He was 2nd in both the Rebel Stakes and the Southwest Stakes. In the Arkansas Derby he finished 3rd. He lost to Suddenbreakingnews in the Southwest but beat him in the Rebel. Whitmore beat Creator in the Rebel too.
Exaggerator has had a whopping 9 starts in his lifetime. 5 of these races were for KY Derby points. He was 1st in the Santa Anita Derby and the Delta Downs Jackpot. He took second in the Breeders’ Futurity. He was 3rd in the San Felipe Stakes and 4th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He has beat out Whitmore in the Delta Down Jackpot. Nyquist beat Exaggerator in the San Vicente Stakes. Exaggerator’s sire Curlin was 3rd in the 2007 KY Derby.
Tom’s Ready has had 9 starts too. He is a Pennsylvania bred horse. His dam sire, Broad Brush, was 3rd in the 1986 KY Derby. He is owned by the same owner as Mo Tom. He hasn’t won since he broke his maiden his 3rd time out. He participated in 4 KY Derby preps. He finished 8th in the KY Jockey Club. He was 2nd in the LeComte and the Louisiana Derby and 7th in the Risen Star. He finished behind Mo Tom in the KY Jockey Club and the Risen Star but bested him in the LeComte and the Louisiana Derby. Gun Runner has beat him in 3 prep races. Tom’s Ready beat Destin in the LeComte.
Nyquist is the favorite to win and I have agreed with that for some time. I have seen Nyquist on several occasions and written a great deal about him. He is pictured at the top. He is undefeated in seven races. He drew lucky post 13 which is the post he won from in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, where I first saw him. Three of his races were in the KY Derby prep series, the FrontRunner Stakes, the BC Juvenile and the Florida Derby. He has beaten Exaggerator in the San Vicente and Mohaymen in the FL Derby.
Mohaymen is another lovely grey sired by Tapit. He has raced 6 times and was undefeated until his last race. Nyquist beat him in the Florida Derby where he can in a very unexpected 4th place. His other 3 Derby preps were the Remsen Stakes, the Holly Bull Stakes and the Fountain of Youth Stakes where he dominated them all.
Outwork is a fine colt of Uncle Mo. He has only 4 career starts. He did 2 KY Derby preps. He was 2nd in the Tampa Bay Derby and 1st in the Wood Memorial Stakes, when he beat Trojan Nation. Outwork drew post 15, the post that American Pharoah won from last year! Outwork’s dam sire, Empire Maker, was 2nd in the 2003 KY Derby.
Shagaf has the same trainer as My Man Sam and the same owner as Mohaymen. Shagaf took on two KY Derby prep races in his slim 4 starts. He won the Gotham Stakes but he scored no points in his 5th place finish in the Wood Memorial Stakes. Trojan Nation beat him in his last race.
Mor Spirit is trained by Baffert, winner of last year’s KY Derby. He has 3 1st place finishes and 4 2nd place races in his 7 starts. 5 of these were KY Derby prep races. He was 2nd in the KY Jockey Club, San Felipe Stakes and Santa Anita Derby. Mor Spirit was 1st in the Los Alamitos and Robert B. Lewis Stakes. He has beaten Mo Tom, Tom’s Ready,Exaggerator and Gun Runner.
Majesto has raced 6 times. It took 5 times out to break his maiden but then his next time out he was 2nd in the Florida Derby. Nyquist beat him out that day but he still bested Mohaymen.
Brody’s Cause also has had 6 starts. 4 of them were on the road to the KY Derby. He won the Breeders’ Futurity and the Blue Grass Stakes. He was 3rd in the BC Juvenile and a sad 7th in the Tampa Bay Derby. He has lost to Nyquist, Outwork, Exaggerator and Destin. He has beaten My Man Sam.
Danzing Candy has put in 5 races with 2 KY Derby preps. He won the San Felipe Stakes but was 4th in the Santa Anita Derby. He has lost to but also beaten both Exaggerator and Mor Spirit.
Finally, if there is a scratch by tomorrow morning there are 2 also eligibles and I will add an update if that happens.
KY Derby Fun Facts:
I hope everyone has an opportunity to do something special for the Kentucky Derby. I will be cheering for Nyquist as I could never get enough of watching him win. Just as I mentioned with my KY Oaks story, you may want to bookmark Thoroughbred U for a quick reference for this information on race day. Who is your Derby favorite?
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Wow! I still can’t get over the rush of American Pharoah’s Triple Crown and Grand Slam wins. Meanwhile, today marks only 100 days until the next running of the Kentucky Derby. Just in time, the early nominees have been announced! Will we get another big winner? Will it be Nyquist, pictured above following his undefeated 2015 season after winning the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile? He does look nice in the crown!
On Saturday May 7, 2016 Churchill Downs will host the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby. Early nominees for all 3 legs of the Triple Crown were due on 1/16/16. Early nominees pay a fee of $600 while later nominees can enter until 3/21/16 but that fee is $6,000. The fee jumps to a large sum of $200,000 if entered after that. The deadline for the latest entry is 5/4/16. Today, the 368 select 3 year-old Thoroughbreds were revealed. Eclipse Award Juvenile Male, Nyquist, tops the list of contenders. He is owned by Reddam Racing, LCC. His trainer is Doug F. O’Neill and his jockey is Mario Gutierrez. He won twice at Santa Anita and twice at Del Mar prior to his BC win at Keeneland. He had a nice workout at Santa Anita on 1/24/16. Nyquist is preparing for the Saint Vincente Stakes on 2/15/16 at Santa Anita and he is a top nominee for the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds on 4/2/16.
368 nominees are considered low for an early selection. Brody’s Cause, Mor Spirit, Greenpointcrusader, Mohaymen, Hit It A Bomb, Ralis and Swipe are some of the other early favorites. Swipe is seen at the top of the second photo just barely losing to Nyquist at the BC races. Only 3 fillies were nominated. These little ladies are Northwest Tale, Royal Obsession and Flora Dora.
On the road to the Kentucky Derby, Nyquist leads in points with a score of 30. He is followed by Exaggerator, Brody’s Cause, Mor Spirit, Flexibility, Swipe, Mo Tom, Airoforce, Mohaymen and Greenpointcrusader for the top 10 of 20 available positions. Urban Bourbon is nominated from Bourbon Lane Stable.
In regards to trainers, who have nominated horses, Bob Baffert leads with 35 entries. He was the trainer for our 2015 Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah. One of his entries this year is Southern Pharaoh, another colt sired by Pioneer of the Nile. Todd Pletcher, Chad Brown, Mark Casse, D. Wayne Lukas (my favorite with 10 entries) and Mike Maker round out the top trainers, by number of entries. Kellyn Gorder is entered with Torrontes.
Again we find the American Pharoah connection when we see the owners with the most entries. It is Zayat Stables that owns 15 entries. Zayat is followed by Calumet Farm, Charles Fipke and Keeneland’s biggest winners, Ken and Sarah Ramsey.
Following the Kentucky Derby, the 141st Preakness Stakes takes place on 5/21/16 and then the 148th running of the Belmont Stakes is on 6/11/16. The full list of nominees for the Triple Crown is available here: 2016 Triple Crown Nominees
These 100 days are going to be so exciting. I love watching all of the prep races and the leaderboard on the road to the Kentucky Derby. Who is your favorite? Please, share this and share with me.
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Congratulations are in order again as American Pharoah sweeps in one award after another. My last post was on the morning of January 16th. That evening we had the Eclipse Award Ceremony and today we received news of the Longines Awards. American Pharoah won at each event.
The 45th annual Eclipse Awards were held at Gulfstream Park in Florida this past weekend. Winners were chosen in 17 horse and human categories. The finalist were announced on January 6th. All the nominees can be seen in my prior story.
Here are the winners:
As you can see, American Pharoah and his connections won Horse of the Year, 3 year Old Male, Trainer, Owner and Breeder. Pretty impressive but there is more…
American Pharoah has long been acknowledged as a national champion but today he was recognized internationally! On 1/19/16 American Pharoah was named Longines World’s Best Racehorse 2015 at the Claridge’s Hotel in London, England.
Longines is a Swiss watchmaking company. They have historically been associated with sporting events including world equestrian sports. They made their 1st chronograph (a stopwatch) engraved with a mounted jockey in 1878. 3 years later, those chronographs were in use at tracks everywhere to time performance measures. Longines is the official partner and watch of the International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities (IFHA).
The IHFA had it’s earliest beginning in 1961 when horse racing authorities from the United States, Ireland, Great Britain and France came together to form standards to select the best horses. They held the 1st annual International Conference in Paris, France in 1967 with representation of world wide racing authorities. By 1977 the International Classifications were published. In the 1990s North and South America, South Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand came together with racing officials and handicappers to develop the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings, which in 2012 became the World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. The best horse that is 3 years old and up from participating countries, where it was raced or trained, is selected annually. The season runs from 1/1 thru 12/31. The top Grade/Group 1 international races are rated. These ratings are not the same ratings used in many other horse ranking systems. American Pharoah won with an 134 rating. He is followed by Golden Horn (130), Shared Belief (126), Treve (126), Able Friend (125) and Solow (125). Best race and best jockey are selected as well. The Longines World’s Best Horse Race 2015 is the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in France followed by the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Further race categories are chosen by surface and distance. The top jockey is Lanfranco Dettori of Great Britain followed by our Victor Espinoza and 5th for Javier Castellano, which is quite different from the Eclipse Award results. To enjoy some of the excitement, see the great new YouTube below.
Congrats again to American Pharoah, Victor Espinoza, Bob Baffert and Zayat Stables for all the amazing races and accolades. American Pharoah is not racing anymore but he has an exciting new career as a stallion. I am looking forward to his progeny. I love seeing everyone’s #APandMe photos on Twitter and Facebook. Please, keep sharing and hopefully I will go meet the champ soon!
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