Sharing with you my fascinating discoveries about Thoroughbred racing, sales, fashion, food, beverage, tips and more.
On the Monday preceding the Thanksgiving holiday, I seized the day (a little Carpe Diem pun) and took a tour at WinStar Farm. This modern but magnificent horse farm has been on my to do list since I began my website nearly three years ago. Good things do come to those who wait because WinStar just keeps adding champions to their sire roster. At over 20 stallions there was so much to see so I’ve selected some to share.
Continue reading “WinStar Wonderment”
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Good morning, racing fans! The action never stops. Last weekend was a wrap for the Triple Crown series. Congratulations to Tapwrit for winning the Belmont Stakes. Now, we can turn our attention towards the collecting of contenders for the next Breeders’ Cup World Championships as the Challenge Series is underway.
Continue reading “Churchill’s Champions”
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Here we go, racing fans! Up next, is the second jewel. Will we get a Triple Crown winner? History would predict it is unlikely but the fans know what they want. The early favorite for the Preakness Stakes is no other than, Always Dreaming, winner of the Kentucky Derby. Check out his competition here.
Continue reading “Preakness Perspective”
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Welcome to the 143rd consecutive running of the Kentucky Derby! We have waited a long time to get to this historical moment and the time is upon us this weekend. Who will win The Run For The Roses?
Continue reading “Derby Digest”
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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”
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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.
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The results are in! Last night, the 2016 Eclipse Award winners were announced. Congratulations to the connections of all the 46th annual award winners.
The Eclipse Awards were originated in 1971. These awards are given to the most elite of North American Racing in 17 horse and human categories as well as media and people worthy of lifetime achievement recognition. The name Eclipse was derived in honor of the great sire Eclipse. Eclipse was foaled during a solar eclipse in 1764. He was sired by Marske and his dam was Spilletta. Eclipse did not race until he was 5 years-old. He was undefeated. He won 18 races consecutively and then retired because he had no one to race with. 8 of his 18 wins were walkovers. He simply had no competition entered in his races because no one dared to try to match him. Therefore, he retired to stud in 1771. He was an amazing stallion. His offspring, of up to 400 winners, have gone on to make him part of the pedigree in most Thoroughbred horses. Secretariat and Phar Lap got their oversized heart from the Eclipse line.
On January, 21, 2017 the 2016 Eclipse Awards winners were announced beginning at 8 P.M. EST at Sport of Kings Theater, part of Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Tickets to attend were $425 or it could be watched via TVG2 or multiple streaming services. Last night’s awards were presented to the best horses, jockeys, trainers, owners, breeders, racing media, handicapper and 2 awards of Merit. The panel of judges was appointed by the Daily Racing Form, the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). The awards were organized by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and presented by the Breeders’ Cup, the Daily Racing Form and the Stronach Group.
Prior to last evening’s presentation the recipients were announced in the following categories:
Last night we discovered those honored with the remaining awards:
Thank you for all the award recipients for their contributions to the Thoroughbred industry. Also, thank you for the money they raised last night at the live auction during the ceremony. Over $80 thousand dollars were collected for Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. I am proud of all the fine people and horses that make my favorite sport better.
Thank you for continuing to read and share my webpage. My next post will get us up to speed on the upcoming Pegasus World Cup.
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Christmas came early for 8 lucky Thoroughbreds yesterday. Two races held at Los Alamitos, in California, on December 10th were the end of the road to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks for this year. Fortunately, on 1/7/17 prep races continue as they will until mid April.
I covered the top of the KY Derby leaderboard in my last post. The Grade 1 CashCall Futurity held yesterday awarded 10 points to Mastery, 4 points to Irap, 2 points for Dangerfield and 1 point to Bobby Abu Dhabi. This resulted in some changes in the top of the leaderboard bumping Mastery into 5th place and knocking Klimt out of the top ten. The KY Derby top ten as 2016 ends:
Changes in the top ten KY Oaks contenders were similar. The Grade 1 Starlet Stakes gifted 10 points to Abel Tasman, 4 to American Gal, 2 to Mopotism and 1 point for Tapped. This moved Farrell from the 8th to 9th position as Abel Tasman took over the 8 spot and Ever So Clever fell to 12th as American Gal filled in the 11th position. The current KY Oaks contenders:
Unlike the KY Derby where the favorite is my favorite, Classic Empire, I’m uncertain as to which filly in this field I’m a fan of? The KY Oaks was inaugurated on 5/19/1875. The 143rd Oaks will be held 5/5/17.
Champagne Room won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and that is where she picked up 20 of her 21 points. Valadorna was second, American Girl was third , Daddys Lil Darling finished fourth, Noted and Quoted was 7th, Dancing Rags ran 8th and Yellow Agate finished 10th. Therefore, Champagne Room beat many in this field once but she didn’t win it by lengths. She has finished in the top 4 in her 5 career races, 4 of which were graded stakes. She got just 1 point when she finished fourth in the Chandelier Stakes. Noted and Quoted won that race.
Daddys Lil Darling has worked hard for her 20 points. She has finished in the top 4 of 4 KY Oaks prep races. She was 1st in the Pohahontas, 2nd in the Alcibiades and the Golden Rod and 4th in the BC Juvenile.
Miss Sky Warrior has finished 1st in the last 3 of her 4 starts. The last 2 were graded stakes and she took her Oaks points when she won the Demoiselle Stakes.
Dancing Rags won the Alcibiades but finished near the back in the BC Juvenile. She has won 2 of her 4 starts.
Yellow Agate has only raced 3 times. She won the Frizette Stakes grabbing 10 points but then did poorly in the BC Juvenile.
Shane’s Girlfriend is undefeated in her 2 starts. She won the Delta Downs Princess Stakes less than a month after breaking her maiden.
Noted and Quoted has raced 5 times. She got her Oaks points when she won the Chandelier but she did not excel in the BC Juvenile.
Abel Tasman won the Starlet yesterday. It was her 1st graded stakes race. She has won 3 of her 4 lifetime races.
Farrell is my homegirl, LOL. All 4 of her starts have been at Churchill Downs. I saw her there this Fall. It is her picture at the top of the post. She broke her maiden that day. The following month she won the Golden Rod Stakes.
Valadorna broke her maiden her 2nd time out. That was on opening day at Keeneland. Her next race was the BC Juvenile Fillies where she took 2nd place. She has not raced since.
With just 9 preps finished and 21 to go I have a while to go before I pick my favorite KY Oaks horse. 2017 is going to be very interesting! Keep checking my page out as we continue down the road. Who do you like?
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Classic Empire, takes to the dirt at Churchill Downs for the Bashford Manor Stakes.
In the days leading up to the 2016 Kentucky Derby some 2 year-old Thoroughbreds were already in training for 2017’s big race. 3 days short of the 142nd Run for the Roses, on May 4, 2016, Classic Empire broke his maiden at Churchill Downs.
Classic Empire was foaled to Pioneer of the Nile and Sambuca Classica on 3/21/14. Classic Empire has an outstanding pedigree. He is the half brother of American Pharoah by his sire. His dam carries Secretariat in her genes. Classic Empire was bred in KY by Steven and Brandi Nicholson. He is owned by John C. Oxley who purchased him for $475,000 in the 2015 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Oxley’s silks are gold and blue blocks with white stripes on the sleeves and a gold cap. This colt is trained by Mark E. Casse and his current jockey is Julien R. Leparoux.
Classic Empire parades out before the 2016 Bashford Manor Stakes.
Classic Empire is at the top of the leaderboard for the $2 million dollar, Grade 1, 143rd KY Derby. The KY Derby selects its field of 20 horses using a tiered point system they apply to certain qualifying races. Most of the early races award 10 points to win, 4 to place, 2 to show and 1 point for a finish at 4th place. Some important stakes and the later races carry more points, except for the final prep. Nine of these 37 races have already taken place. The first race was held at Churchill on 9/17/16. The last will be held at Keeneland on 4/15/17 and the KY Derby will take place on 5/6/17.
Classic Empire has 30 points. In second, on the leaderboard, is Practical Joke with 14 points. The next 5 horses have half as many points as Classic Empire. I first saw Classic Empire when I went to Churchill Downs for my extended birthday celebration. On 7/2/16, Classic Empire won the Grade 3 Bashford Manor Stakes. He has finished 1st in 4 of his 5 career starts. He did not finish the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes when he was stopped by the outriders after unseating his jockey, Irad Ortiz, Jr. That allowed Practical Joke to win the Hopeful. Classic Empire got his 1st 10 points when he won the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland on 10/8/16. He gathered a whopping 20 points when he won the Grade 1 Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Classic Empire blurs through the finish in the Bashford Manor.
The next KY Derby prep race in on 12/10/16. 5 preps take place throughout January. Trainer Casse has reportedly said that Classic Empire will winter in Florida. He will be stabled at Gulfstream Park. The Holly Bull, another KY Derby prep race, takes place at Gulfstream on 2/4/17. Perhaps that will be Classic Empire’s next race?
In the mean time, I will be looking forward to racing at Los Alamitos, in Cypress, California. The 12/10/16 Grade 1 Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity is a one and 1/16th mile race that carries a $300,000 purse and KY Derby points. It is a dirt race for 2 year old colts. Who will pick up the next 10/4/2/1 points and how will the leaderboard change? Then on 12/17/16, California Chrome, who has stabled at Los Alamitos for 3 years will race there himself for the first time. This was a tremendous surprise to Chrome’s fans, after the BC Classic, as we thought his next and last race would be the Pegasus World Cup in January. The Winter Challenge is a race that Los Alamitos developed specifically to attract Chrome to race there once before he headed off for the Pegasus and following retirement. I can never get enough of California Chrome. Check back, you know I will roll out a nice story for my fellow Chromies!
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Photo: Love The Chase
Don’t blink! The 2016 Breeders’ Cup finished up on Saturday and in the next moment the Thoroughbreds shipped away. Some we will see on the track again, some retired and others were sent promptly to Kentucky for the November sales.
Photo: Stopchargingmaria
On November 4th and 5th, Santa Anita Park in California hosted the Breeders’ Cup. 13 races took place yielding the following results by race and winning Thoroughbreds:
Photo: Baffled
There were a whole lot of upsets and close calls but it is all part of the game! The results of these races lead to updates in bloodlines all over the world and the new information was influential at the following sales.
Photo: Cassett
The November Sale at Fasig-Tipton in Lexington, KY was quite the success. Held at 4 P.M. EST on 11/7/16 there were 175 hips cataloged. 88 horses were sold and 34 did not meet the reserve. The others scratched prior to the sale. The auction grossed over $54 million dollars which is up over 22% versus the prior year. The average price rose nearly 30% versus last year to about $615 thousand dollars. The median price went up almost 60% to more than $377 thousand dollars. The horses that didn’t make the reserve, the minimum price per the seller, was down to less than 28% versus 34% in 2015. 15 horses sold for a million dollars or more.
Photo: Peace And War
The 2016 November Breeding Stock Sale at Keeneland in Lexington, KY was held starting at 11am on 11/8/16. It will continue thru November 20th. Day 1 of Book 1 went very nicely. Day 1 included 239 hips. 115 Thoroughbreds were sold. Over $50 million dollars were grossed. The average price was more than $436 thousand dollars. The median was $260 thousand. 10 horses sold for 7 figures.
Photo: from left to right Dust And Diamonds, Celestine, Tapicat
It was a good couple of days to catch the action in Lexington, KY. I can’t wait to see what the remainder of the sales yield. I hope we have a knockout November! Check back at least weekly and I’ll do my best to keep you updated on new adventures with race horses.
Photo: clockwise from top left Summer Soiree, Secret Gesture, Princess Sylvia, My Conquestadory
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