Tag: Cupid

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Parlay The Pennsylvania Way At Parx

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The party is in Pennsylvania this weekend!  As we inch ever closer to the 2016 Breeders’ Cup, much of the talent has gone north for the biggest day in racing that Pennsylvania has ever created.  Parx Racing will host 12 races on Saturday, 9/24/16, including 3 stakes, the Gallant Bob Stakes, the Cotillion Stakes and the Pennsylvania Derby!  A fan and friend attended Parx this time last year and shared her photos above.

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Parx Racing and Casino is located in Bensalem, PA.  The track originated in 1974 and it was called Keystone Racetrack until 1984.  At that time, the name changed to Philadelphia Park until 2010 and then the name was changed again to Parx, as it is today.  The combination of the stakes races, that take place at Parx this Saturday, will make PA Derby Day, the biggest purse day ever for this track.  I met To Honor and Serve this past June.  He won the PA Derby in 2011 and he holds the record finish time at 1:47:1.   He is now a stallion at Gainesway Farm in Lexington, KY.

Gates open at Parx at 10 A.M. EST with the 1st race posting at 12:25 P.M..  Race 9 is the 1st stakes race of the day.  It is the 25th running of the Grade 3, Gallant Bob Stakes, with a post time of 4:14 P.M.  The Gallant Bob was inaugurated in 1979.  It is a 6 furlong dirt race with a purse of $300,000.  12 horses are entered, listed by post:

  1. Full Salute
  2. Yellow Chips
  3. Mind Your Biscuits
  4. Threefiveindia
  5. Navy Hymn
  6. Noholdingback Bear
  7. Counterforce
  8. Awesome Speed
  9. Cocked and Loaded
  10. Cardio Cowboy
  11. Klingon Warrior
  12. Who’s Out

 

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Race 10 posts next, at 4:55 P.M.  This is the 50th running of  the Grade 1, Cotillion Stakes.  The Cotillion was 1st ran in 1969.  The 1 and 1/16th mile (8.5 furlongs) dirt race is for 3 year old fillies.  It carries a purse of $1 million dollars.  I’m a Chatterbox won in 2015.  6 fillies are entered.  Keeneland’s September Yearling Sales Graduate, Carina Mia will race.  Her banner as is the former winner’s, are shown in the photo above.  The full field is listed by post position:

  1. Carina Mia
  2. Cathryn Sophia
  3. Disco Rose
  4. Land Over Sea
  5. Songbird
  6. Queen Esther

Songbird is the favorite.  She is undefeated in 10 starts, 9 of which were graded stakes wins.  She earned the 2015 Eclipse Award for Champion 2 Year Old Filly.  That same year Songbird won the 14 Hands Winery BC Juvenile Fillies race.

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Finally, race 11, posting at 5:45 P.M., is the 40th running of the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby!  Inaugurated in 1979, this year’s PA Derby has it’s largest purse ever at $1.25 million dollars.  The race is 1 and 1/8th miles (9 furlongs) on dirt for horses age 3.  Frosted won in 2015.  12 horses are entered with the favorites being more Keeneland September Yearling Sales Grads, Exaggerator and Nyquist.  The two have raced against one another 6 times prior.  Kentucky Derby winner, Nyquist, won the 1st 4 times.  Preakness winner, Exaggerator, has won the last 2 in the ongoing duel.  The entire field by post is as follows:

  1. Awesome Slew
  2. Exaggerator
  3. Summer Revolution
  4. Connect
  5. Cupid
  6. Wild About Deb
  7. Gun Runner
  8. My Man Sam
  9. Nyquist
  10. Sunny Ridge
  11. Discreet Lover
  12. Hit It Once More

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There are still a few days left in the Keeneland sale where I have had the privilege of attending on several sessions.  The sale ends Sunday, September 25th.  I hope that the pictures I captured of the 2016 yearlings will be the Thoroughbreds that go on to race in favorite prep races for the BC like those happening at Parx this weekend.  I will keep posting on the events I can make it to, like the sale, and I would appreciate some feedback from those who can make it to races I won’t be at this time, like the PA Derby Day.  KY bred horses have won the PA Derby more than horses from any other state.  I’m attending something pretty huge on Monday.  Any guesses?  I’ll let you know after I make the trip!

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Greetings from Gainesway

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It is my first day of vacation and I started it out on the right hoof foot!  Earlier in the week I logged on to Horse Country and booked a tour to Gainesway Farm.  This is the home of many Thoroughbreds including Tapit, seen above!

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The tour started in the office before 12:30 pm.  Marilyn Brashear, the receptionist, and two sweet dogs offered a warm welcome as we collected in the seating area.  We were surrounded by lovely equine art and many framed cover shots from Bloodhorse magazine.  Ian Tapp, with Sales and Bloodstock Development, fetched us and led us onto the beautifully maintained grounds.  He explained that the area had once belonged to the Shawnee Indians.  Several generations of horseman have owned the land, Ben Ali Haggin, C.V. Whitney, John Hay Whitney, John R. Gaines, Graham Beck and Antony Beck.  The farm has rolling hills and plenty of bluegrass, clover and rye making it a great place for Thoroughbreds to thrive.

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During the 1980s, the eight stone barns, a few seen above, housed as many as 52 stallions.  Now they have eight available sires living on the farm.  These lucky sires are Afleet Alex, Afleet Express, Birdstone, Empire Maker, Hat Trick, Karakontie, Tapit and Tapizar.  The stalls are clean and well ventilated to keep a comfortable environment for their tenants year round.

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Entering barn three, I met Afleet Alex.  When he raced he won the 2nd and third legs of the Triple Crown after a third place finish in the 2005 Kentucky Derby.  He won an Eclipse Award that same year.  His progeny include Texas Red, Materiality, Afleet Express and many more.

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Next, I had the pleasure of viewing Birdstone.  He was a Belmont Stakes winner in 2004.  Swipe, Mine That Bird and Summer Bird are some of his well know offspring.

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Then, Empire Maker made an appearance.  The name is so appropriate.  The empire he produced includes Bodemeister and Pioneer of the Nile.  The later is the sire of the only Grand Slam winner, American Pharoah.  When Empire Maker was racing he was 2nd in the Kentucky Derby and he won the Belmont Stakes.

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With much built up anticipation, Tapit finally hoofed it on over.  He is the beloved sire of Juba, Twitter’s favorite horse!  Tapit is stunning, as he looks snow white.  He is the leading sire for 2014 and 2015.  He is well on his way to the 2016 title as well.  He sired the adorable, Lani.  Some of his other crops include Creator, Frosted, Tapizar, Tonalist, Untapable, Mohaymen, Cupid and many more.

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Our next stop was the breading shed.  As MTV Cribs would have put it, “this is where the magic happens”.  Tapp went into a lot more in depth information on that subject.  I admit, it is quite the process and it was educational.  We learned about resident teasing stallion, Bud.  He has an important job to do up to three times per day during the busiest of seasons.

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As the tour was about to wrap we walked thru the barn that houses Afleet Express and To Honor and Serve.  Afleet Express is a multiple graded stakes winner including both the Pegasus Stakes and the Travers Stakes in 2010.   He began his stud career in 2011.  His graded stakes winning filly Diva Express frequents Churchill Downs.

To Honor and Serve won the Cigar Mile in 2011 and the Woodward Stakes in 2012 as well as a few more multiple graded stakes.  He came to Gainesway in 2013 and his crop produced some pricey Thoroughbreds at the sales.

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The Gainesway tour was wonderful.  I would love to see their mares, weanlings and yearlings too.  It was such a neat experience to view these champion sires up-close.  If you find yourself in Lexington, KY, I recommend checking the place out yourself.  Enjoy my photos and check back soon for my next Thoroughbred story.

 

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Lucky 13

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I am on pins and needles about all of the fun things going on this weekend.  I am a marshal in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade this Saturday!  It is March Madness time and I love the Kentucky Wildcats, go Big Blue Nation!  Finally, we have 2 of the 13 remaining Kentucky Derby prep races this Saturday too!

On March 12, 2016 we have the Tampa Bay Derby and the San Felipe Stakes.  We can watch some of our favorites and plenty of our less well known 3 year olds battle it out for KY Derby points to become one of the 20 contenders.  Each of these races will reward 50 points to the winner, 20 points for 2nd place, 10 points for third place and 5 points for the 4th place finisher.  Currently, Mohaymen is at the top of the leaderboard with 70 points followed by Gun Runner with 51 points and Shagaf with 50 points.  That being said, the winner of these races will take a nice jump near the top of the leaderboard.

The 36th Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, Grade II,  will be held at Tampa Bay Downs in Florida, race 11,  at 5:24 P.M EST on 3/12/16.  The purse is $350,000 and the race is 8 and 1/2 furlongs on the dirt.  This race was inaugurated in 1981.  Last year’s winner, Carpe Diem, was my 2015 KY Derby pick.  However, he ran 10th and American Pharoah kept on winning!  In 2007 Street Sense won both the Tampa Bay and Kentucky Derbys.  Street Sense still holds the speed record for the Tampa Bay Derby.  This year, the Tampa Bay Derby has 10 horses in competition.  Riker and Brody’s Cause competed against each other before, as seen in the photo above, in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in 2015.  Currently, Destin has 1 point on the leaderboard.  Riker has 10 points and Brody’s Cause has 14.  The full field, by post position, followed by jockey and trainer, is as follows:

  1. Morning Fire – Daniel Centeno – Keith Nations
  2. Rafting – Edgar Prado – H. Graham Motion
  3. Outwork – John Velazquez – Todd Pletcher
  4. Economic Model – Irad Ortiz,Jr, – Chad Brown
  5. Star Hill – Julien Leparoux – George Arnold, II
  6. Riker – Florent Geroux – Mark Casse
  7. Destin – Javier Catellano – Todd Pletcher
  8. Brody’s Cause – Corey Lanerie – Dale Romans
  9. Tale Of S’avall – Joe Bravo – Barclay Tagg
  10. Awesome Banner – Antonio Gallardo – Stanley Gold

As a side note, tune in earlier, at 3:54 P.M. to see Silver Magnolia in the Florida Oaks, race 8 and at 4:54 P.M. to watch Tepin in race 10, the Hillsborough Stakes, both at Tampa Bay.  Neither are  KY Derby prep races but Silver Magnolia won by 8 and 1/2 lengths in her last race at Tampa Bay.  While, Tepin is 5 years old and she is awesome.  She has won multiple graded stakes including the Breeder’ Cup Mile.  I really enjoy watching her.  The entire race card at Tampa Bay on Saturday should be fun.  It will be the biggest day of racing ever at that track.  Saturday is Festival Day at Tampa Bay with a total purse of $760,000.

Switch over to the West coast for the next KY Derby prep race at 6 P.M EST.  Watch the San Felipe Stakes, Grade II,  at Santa Anita in California, part of Big ‘Cap Day!  This is the 7th race on the card for Santa Anita on 3/12/16.  The purse is $400,000.  This 8 and 1/2  furlong race on dirt has 7 horses entered.  The San Felipe was inaugurated in 1935.  Consolidator owns this race’s speed record, established in 2005.  Dortmund won the San Felipe stakes in 2015 and then showed third in the KY Derby.  In 2014 California Chrome won both the San Felipe and the KY Derby!  Right now, I Will Score has 2 points towards the KY Derby.  Uncle Lino has 4 points, Exaggerator has 16 points and Mor Spirit already holds 24 points.  Exaggerator was in the pack photographed above as well.  I focused on Exaggerator and Mor Spirit in my last story, seen here:

A Pinch Of Luck

There are some strong contenders in the San Felipe Stakes field, listed here:

  1. Uncle Lino – Fernando Hernandez Perez – Gary Sherlock
  2. Danzing Candy Mike Smith – Clifford W. Sise, Jr.
  3. Mor Spirit -Gary L. Stevens – Bob Baffert
  4. Cupid – Martin Garcia – Bob Baffert
  5. I Will Score -Rafael Bejarano – Jerry Hollendorfer
  6. Smokey Image – Victor Espinoza – Carla Gaines
  7. Exaggerator – Kent J. Desormeaux – J. Keith Desormeaux

I am thrilled to see how these last lucky 13 KY Derby prep races resolve.  I hope you all have a great weekend at the races.  If you are lucky enough to see these races live, tell us about it.  I would love for you to share your stories.  Please, follow and like my pages on Facebook and Twitter.  Thank you in advance!

Update: Cupid has scratched.

 

 

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