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Preview Pimlico’s Preakness

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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

  1. Cherry Wine/Corey Lanerie/Dale Romans/William Pacella and Frank L. Jones, Jr./20-1
  2. Uncle Lino/Fernando Hernandez Perez/Gary Sherlock/Tom Mansor, Purple Shamrock Racing and Gary Sherlock/20-1
  3. Nyquist/Mario Gutierrez/Doug O’Neill/Reddham Racing/3/5
  4. Awesome Speed/Jevian Toledo/Alan Golberg/Colts Neck Stables/30-1
  5. Exaggerator/Kent Desormeaux/Keith Dersormeaux/Big Cheif Racing, Head of Plains Parteners, Rocker O Ranch, et al./3-1
  6. Lani/Yutaka Take/Mikio Matsunaga/Yoko Maeda/30-1
  7. Collected/Javier Castellano/Bob Baffert/Speedway Stable/10-1
  8. Laoban/Florent Geroux/Eric Guillot/McCormick Racing and Southern Equine Stable/30-1
  9. Abiding Star/J.D. Acosta/Edward Allard/Stonehinge, LLC/30-1
  10. Fellowship/Jose Lezcanno/Mark Casse/Jacks or Better Farm/30-1
  11. Stradivari/John Velazquez/Todd Pletcher/John Gunther, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and John Magnier/8-1

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:

  • the food of the day, crabcakes
  • the flower, Black-Eyed Susans
  • the blanket is actually made of Viking Poms
  • the race is “The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans”
  • the song, “Maryland, My Maryland”
  • the trophy, a silver replica of the 1860 Woodlawn Vase
  • the track record, 1:55 set by Secretariat
  • the drink is also the Black-Eyed Susan
  • post time is 6:45 PM EST
  • NBCSN will televise starting at 2:30 PM EST
  • NBC will televise starting at 6:30 PM EST
  • Pimlico starts racing at 10:30 AM EST that day and the Preakness is the 13th race
  • the race is 1 and 3/16 miles or 9.5 furlongs on the dirt
  • the race is for 3YO Thoroughbreds

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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Derby Deciphered

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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

  1. Trojan Nation/Aaron T. Gryder/Patrick Gallagher/Julie Gilbert and Aaron Sones
  2. Suddenbreakingnews/Luis Quinonez/Donnie Von Hemel/Samuel F. Henderson
  3. Creator/Ricardo Santana Jr./Steven Asmussen/WinStar Farm LLC
  4. Mo Tom/Corey J. Lanerie/Thomas M. Amoss/GMB Racing
  5. Gun Runner/Florent Geroux/Steven M. Asmussen/Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC, Three Chimneys Farm LLC and Besilu Stables
  6. My Man Sam/Irad Ortiz Jr./Chad C. Brown/Sheep Pond Partners, Newport Stables LLC and Jay W. Bligh
  7. Oscar Nominated/Julien R Leparoux/Michael Maker/Ken and Sarah Ramsey
  8. Lani/Yutaka Take/Mikio Matsunaga/Koj Maeda/North Hills Co Limited
  9. Destin/Javier Castellano/Todd Pletcher/Twin Creeks Racing Stables LCC and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners
  10. Whitmore/Victor Espinoza/Ron Moquett/Robert LaPenta, Harry Rosenblum and Southern Springs Stables
  11. Exaggerator/Kent J. Desormeaux/J. Keith Desormeaux/Big Cheif Racing LLC, Head of Plains Partners LLC, Rocker O Ranck LLC, et al.
  12. Tom’s Ready/Brian Joseph Hernandez Jr./Dallas Stewart/GMB Racing
  13. Nyquist/Mario Gutierrez/Doug F. O’Neill/Reddam Racing
  14. Mohaymen/Junior Alvarado/Kiaran McLaughlin/Shadwell Stable
  15. Outwork/John Velazquez/Todd Pletcher/Repole Stable
  16. Shagaf/Joel Rosario/Chad C. Brown/Shadwell Stable
  17. Mor Spirit/Gary Stevens/Bob Baffert/Michael Lund Petersen
  18. Majesto/Emisael Jaramillo/Gustavo Delgado/Grupo 7 C Racing Stable
  19. Brody’s Cause/Luis Saez/Dale L. Romans/Albaugh Family Stable
  20. Danzing Candy/Mike E. Smith/Clifford W. Sise Jr./Halo Farms and Jim and Dianne Bashor
  21. “Also Eligible” Laoban
  22. “Also Eligible” Cherry Wine

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:

  • American Pharoah won last year
  • The record is held by Secretariat who finished in 1:59.40
  • The largest margin is 8 lengths held by 4 horses: Old Rosebud, Johnstown, Whirlaway and Assault
  • The song is My Old Kentucky Home
  • The Drink is the Mint Julep
  • The official flower is the red rose, thus “The Run for the Roses” and a garland of roses is draped on the winning horse
  • The purse is $2 million dollars
  • The trophy is 22 inches tall and gold on a jade base
  • May 17, 1875 was the inaugural race

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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Observations On The Oaks

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It’s just a few days now until the Bluegrass State hosts the 142nd running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks!  Friday, 5/6/16 at 5:49 P.M. EST be sure to watch the run for the lillies at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY.

The Kentucky Oaks is a 1 and 1/8 mile (9 furlong) race on a dirt track at Churchill for 3 year old fillies.  Competition began with the Pocahontas race on 9/12/15 at Churchill Downs and ended with the Beaumont at Keeneland 4/17/16.  30 races are qualified to provide the points needed to receive a nomination for the KY Oaks.  14 horses have been selected with an additional “also eligible” horse.  Post positions have been drawn and the field is as follows:  Post position. Horse/Jockey/Trainer/Owner

  1. Terra Promessa/Ricardo Sanatana Jr./Steven M Asmussen/Stonestreet Stables, LLC
  2. Weep No More/Corey Lanerie/George R. Arnold/Ashbrook Farm
  3. Lewis Bay/Irad Ortiz, Jr./Chad C. Brown/Alpha Delta Stables
  4. Go Maggie Go/ Luis Saez/Dale L. Romans/Mike Tarp
  5. Dream Dance/Brian Hernandez Jr./Neil J. Howard/Stoneway Farm
  6. Mo Kat/Flaven Prat/Richard Baltas/JK Racing Stable
  7. Mo d’Amour/Joel Rosario/Todd Pletcher/King of Prussia Stable
  8. Royal Obsession/Florent Geroux/Steven M. Asmussen
  9. Paola Queen/Emisael Jaramillo/Gustavo Delgado/Grupo 7 C Racing Stable
  10. Venus Valentine/Shaun Bridgmohon/Thomas M. Amoss/Rosemont Farm LLC
  11. Rachel’s Valentina/John Velazquez/Todd Pletcher/Stonestreet Stables, LLC
  12. Cathryn Sophia/Javier Castellano/John C. Servis/Cash Is King LLC
  13. Land Over Sea/Mario Guiterrez/Doug F. O’Neill/Reddam Racing LLC
  14. Taxable/Mike Smith/Steven M. Asmussen/Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC
  15. “Also Eligible”Dothraki Queen/Gary Stevens/Kenneth G. McPeek/Magdalena Racing

Terra Promessa has had 5 career starts and won her last 4 races including two Grade 3 races, The Honeybee and the Fantasy Stakes.  She is sired by Curlin.

Weep No More raced for her first time at Churchill but she broke her maiden at Tampa Bay and has not lost a race since then.  In 4 of her 5 career starts she has won including her last race, the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes.  In that race she beat Rachel’s Valentina and Cathryn Sophia.

Lewis Bay has always been 1st or 2nd place in her 5 career starts.  Her last 3 races were all Grade 2.  In her final race, the Gazelle Stakes, she beat both Royal Obsession and Mo d’Amour.

Go Maggie Go has only raced twice.  That being said she is undefeated and the only horse in the Oaks with that title.  She beat Paola Queen in the Grade 2, Gulfstream Park Oaks.

Dream Dance has raced 9 times before.  She has finished all over the board but has the experience of  4 graded stakes and she did win her last race, an allowance, at Keeneland.

Mo Kat is one of 2 Uncle Mo sired fillies in the Oaks.  The Kentucky Derby is heavy with Uncle Mo progeny as well.  She has had 7 starts and though she has not won since her maiden she has placed or showed in 3 graded stakes.

Mo d’Amour is the other Uncle Mo offspring in this field.  She has raced 6 times with 3 wins and 2 times in 3rd.  Two of these races were graded stakes.

Royal Obsession has had only 4 starts but has won twice and been 2nd in another race.  She has been beaten by Venus Valentine before in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes and Lewis Bay in the Gazelle.

Paola Queen has 5 races behind her.  It took her the 1st four times to break her maiden but then she jumped right into a second place finish in the Gulfstream Park Oaks.  Maybe her time has come?

Venus Valentine has been 1st, 4th or 5th in her last 5 of 6 races.  She was the winner of the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra however.  In her other graded stakes race, her last race, she came in 5th.

Rachel’s Valentina is the favorite.  Her dam is Rachel Alexandra, winner of the 2009 KY Oaks.  No Oaks winning dam has ever foaled an Oaks winning filly.  This could be the 1st time? In her 4 career starts she has won twice and placed twice.  Her last 3 races have all been graded stakes races.  Pictured above is from her 2nd place finish behind Songbird in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies races. Land Over Sea and Dothraki Queen finished behind her.

Cathryn Sophia won her 1st of 4 races but in her 3rd graded stakes she was 3rd in a tight finish with Weep No More and Lewis Bay.  She probably still has what it takes.

Land Over Sea is trained by Doug O’Neill who also trains the KY Derby Favorite, Nyquist.  She is experienced with 8 starts.  7 times she has finished in the top 3.   Her last 3 races were all graded stakes.  This horse has the practice and she won her last time out at the Grade 2, Fair Ground Oaks.

Taxable has only 3 starts to her name.  She broke her maiden at Churchill.   She shares her trainer, Asmussen, with Terra Promessa.  Taxable was 2nd behind Terra Promessa in the Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes.

Finally, should there be a scratch, Dothraki Queen may get a chance at the Oaks.  She has raced 6 times before.  Her first race, after her maiden, put her on the path to the Oaks.  She won the Pocahontas, the 1st of 5 stakes races but she has never been 1st since and in her last race, the Appalachian stakes, she was 8th.

Fun Facts:

  • Lovely Maria won last year
  • Rachel Alexandra has the largest winning margin at 20 1/4 lengths
  • The 1st race was May 19, 1875
  • The official drink is the Grey Goose Oaks Lilly
  • The Song is My Old Kentucky Home
  • The flower is the Stargazer Lilly, the winner will be blanketed in these
  • The Charity is “Bright Pink”, to raise funds for fighting breast and ovarian cancer
  • The prizes: a sterling silver statue kept at the Kentucky Derby Museum and engraved with all the winners names, 12 Julep Cups to share and purse money
  • The purse is 1 million dollars
  • The color is pink
  • The channel to watch is NBCSN from 12:30 to 6 PM EST
  • Race 1 of the 13 race card at Churchill posts at 10:30 A.M EST

Enjoy the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby Post positions were announced as I was writing this.  That story shall follow tomorrow.  Keep Thoroughbred U bookmarked as a quick reference for the information you may need.

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A Pinch Of Luck

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As I write this, we have just 67 full days until the Kentucky Derby and 17 days until my favorite holiday, Saint Patrick’s Day!  There are many reasons I love this holiday.  One is directly connected to my love of Thoroughbred horse racing.

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Generally, when 3/17 roles around, the weather in the Bluegrass is improving. Then 3 weeks later, Keeneland opens for the live Spring Meet leading right into the KY Derby, the 1st Saturday of May.  I have the house decorated for St. Patrick’s now but it is pretty easy for me to pull that off as my home is fairly Irish themed to begin with.  Getting ready for St. Patrick’s Day is so easy and that’s a huge part of the appeal to me.  However, getting ready for racing and KY Derby takes a lot more planning.  I’ve been watching the road to the KY Derby since it started, 9/12/15, where it will end, at Churchill Downs on 5/7/16.  21 Derby prep races are finished now.  Only 14 races remain to determine which horses will have the points needed to place them in the 20 available post positions.  There is still way too much in the air to cover all the Thoroughbreds in a blog but only 4 in the current top 20 of the leaderboard will have riders dressed in green!  These 4 are ready for St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick was a 5th century missionary and bishop in Ireland.  He is believed to have died on 3/17 and that is why he is celebrated on this day.  Ireland has fun folklore and superstition including fairies and leprechauns.  Legend has it, that for St. Patrick’s Day, you must wear green to be invisible to the leprechauns which will pinch you if they see you.  In fact, people will pinch you as well if your not in green, as a reminder.  Mor Spirit, Exaggerator, Greenpointcrusader and Swipe have the fortune of being owned by green silk farms.

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Mor Spirit is the Pennsylvania bred colt of sire, Eskenderey and dam Im a Dixie Girl by Dixie Union.  He is 4th on the KY Derby leaderboard with a score of 24 points.  He is trained by Bob Baffert.  Baffert has trained several KY Derby winners.  He was 2nd with Cavonnier in 1996.  Silver Charm won in 1997.  He trained 3rd place winner, Indian Charlie in 1998.  That same year he trained the 1st place winner Real Quiet.  In 2001 Congaree showed 3rd.  The following year, 2002, he worked with War Emblem to come in 1st.  Pioneer of the Nile was 2nd in 2009.  He trained 2nd place Bodemeister in 2012.  In 2015 he was responsible for both Dortmund, in 3rd, and American Pharoah, the huge winner!  Mor Spirit is owned by Michael Lund Peterson.  Peterson’s silks are green and white with stripes in V like formations on the front and horizontal stripes on the sleeves.  His jockey is Gary L. Stevens.  Stevens was 1st 3 times in the KY Derby.  He won in 1988 with Winning Colors, in 1995 with Thunder Gulch and 1997 with Silver Charm.  Mor Spirit got his points in 3 races.  On 11/28/15 in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes(G2) at Churchill Downs he ran 2nd for 4 points.  On 12/19/15 he was 1st in the Los Alamitos Futurity(G1) at Los Alimitos for 10 points.  Then on 2/6/16 he got 10 points for winning the Robert B. Lewis Stakes(G3).  In 5 career starts he has always achieved 1st or 2nd place.

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Exaggerator is 9th on the leaderboard with 16 points.  He has had 7 career starts.  I saw him run at the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland, seen above.  That is where he picked up 2 points for his 4th place finish in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on 10/31/15.  Before that he was 2nd at the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity also at Keeneland on 10/3/15, earning 4 points.  He earned 10 points finishing 1st at the Delta Down Jackpot Stakes at Delta Downs on 11/21/15.  Exaggerator is the KY Bred son of Curlin and Dawn Raid by Vindication.  Curlin was 3rd in the KY Derby in 2007.  Exagerrator has Kent J. Desormeaux for a rider.  Desormeaux has had several KY Derby successes.  In 1990 he was 3rd with Pleasant Tap.  Real Quiet was 1st in 1998.  In 2000 he was 1st with Fusaichi Pegasus.  He was 1st again on Big Brown in 2008.  He finished 3rd in 2004, 2010 and 2012 on Imperialism, Paddy O’ Prado and Dullahan respectively.  The brother of the jockey is the trainer, J. Keith Desormeaux.  Big Cheif Racing, LCC. own Exaggerator.  They have a green cap and a green silk with a white hoop with green sleeves with a white hoop.

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Greenpointcrusader finished 7th at the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland, pictured ahead of the pack above.  He gained no points for that effort but he got 10 points for winning the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park on 10/3/15 and 4 points for placing 2nd at the Holly Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park om 1/30/16.  His score of 14 puts him 12th on the leaderboard.  He is KY bred.  His sire is Bernardini.  His dam is Ava Knowsthecode by Cryptoclearance, who was 4th in the 1987 KY Derby.  Greenpointcrusader has John R Velazquez for a jockey.  The rider was 2nd in the KY Derby on Invisible Ink in 2001 and 1st in 2011 with Animal Kingdom.  He is trained by T. Dominick Schettino and owned by St. Elias Stable, MeB Racing Stables, LCC and Brooklyn Boyz Stables.  This partnership uses a green cap with a green silk having 2 white hoops on the sleeves.

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Lucky 13 on the leaderboard is Swipe.  He is sired by Birdstone who ran 8th in the 2004 KY Derby.  Swipe is KY bred and his dam is Avalanche Lily by Grand Slam.  Swipe is also trained by J. Keith Desormeaux.  His owner is also Big Chief Racing, LCC with James C. Justice and Billy R. Shelton.  Having the same owner, they use the same silks as Exaggerator.  Swipe, seen above was also in the Sentient Jet BC Juvenile.  He placed 2nd scoring 8 points and then was 2nd again in the Front Runner at Santa Anita on 9/26/15 for 4 more points.  He has a career of 7 starts.  He has not raced in 2016 but he did have a workout on 2/27/16 at Santa Anita.  Swipe has Victor Espinoza for a jockey.  He was 3rd in the KY Derby with Congaree in 2001.  He won the KY Derby in 2002 on War Emblem.  He has won the KY Derby back to back the past 2 years with California Chrome in 2014 and American Pharoah in 2015.

These KY Derby contenders are rocking the green.  Don’t forget to wear green on St. Patrick’s or you may suffer a pinch.  To be safe, wear it all month.  I will!

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Chrome Shall Transcend

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California Chrome is set to transcend in tomorrow’s Trans Gulf Electromechanical Trophy race!  Chrome has traveled to Dubai, United Arab Emirates for the 2nd time in his brief but exciting 5 years.  Tomorrow’s (2/25/16) prep race is a handicap race meant to give Chrome both the practice he needs and the rest time he wants prior to his second chance at bringing home the Dubai World Cup!

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The Dubai World Cup (DWC), operated by Emirates Racing Authority,  was created in 1996 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.  He is the ruler of Dubai, the founder of Godolphin Racing and the owner of Darley.  The DWC is the end of the UAE racing season at Meydan Racecourse. The season is from 11/5/15 to 3/26/16 this time.  Prior to 2010, this race was held at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse on the same grounds.  Since the remodel, Meydan has a hotel with suites that face the racecourse, golf, a museum, dining and a theatre.  The grandstands hold 60,000 fans.  There is a dirt track and a turf track.  Prior to 2015 the Meydan dirt track was a synthetic material called Tapeta.  The DWC is the world’s richest race. The purse money on DWC day, the last Saturday of March annually, is $30 million dollars of which $10 million is the prize for just the one race!  The entire DWC Carnival has a purse of $40 million dollars.  The Carnival is mixed in with the regular season and is featured on 11 days of international racing ending with the DWC, sponsored by Emirates.  Admission to the grandstands and paddock views are free through the regular racing season.

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California Chrome is the 5 year old champ of sire, Lucky Pulpit, and dam, Love the Chase.   He has had 19 career starts.  He is owned by California Chrome, LCC, which is Perry Martin and Taylor Made Farm.  He was bred by Martin and Steve Coburn.  Chrome ran second in the DWC in 2015.  Prince Bishop was the 2015 winner.  Chrome was with his regular jockey, Victor Espinoza, when he last raced in Dubai as he will again this year.  Chrome has won the 2014 Kentucky Derby, the 2014 Preakness Stakes, the 2014 Eclipse Award Horse of the Year Award and the 2014 Eclipse Award Champion 3 Year Old Colt Award.  He ran 3rd in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2014.  After he ran at Meydan on 3/28/15 he suffered a few injuries and some time in recovery,  He raced again on 1/9/16 and was victorious in the Santa Anita San Pasqual Stakes (G2).

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Last year Chrome did not participate in a prep race in Dubai prior to his effort in the DWC.  The most popular prep race is Super Saturday, ran at Meydan 3 weeks prior to the DWC.  Chrome will not race on Super Saturday.  Tomorrow, the feature race is The Zabeel Mile (G1).  Chrome won’t be in that race either.  Rather, his connections have chosen the same prep race used by Curlin who won the DWC in 2008.  Chrome will race the 6th race tomorrow, the Trans Gulf Electromechanical Trophy Race (TGET).  The purse is $150,000 dollars.  His owners thought that since he didn’t have a prep last year and placed 2nd they would prep him this time but they didn’t want a race that was too difficult and they wanted him to have more recovery time.  The 2016 TGET is a 1 and 1/4 mile (about 10 furlongs) dirt handicap race for horses 3 years old and upwards.  Chrome will carry the most weight, about 15 pounds more than his 7 competitors.  Chrome drew the rail in the following field:

  1. California Chrome(USA)-5YO
  2. El Tren(IRE)-5YO
  3. Good Contact(USA)-4YO
  4. Hunting Ground(USA)-6YO
  5. Pit Stop(IRE)-5YO
  6. Plantagenet(SPA)-9YO
  7. Storm Belt(USA)-7YO
  8. Success Story(KOR)-5YO

Look out for Hunting Ground whose sire, Street Cry, won the DWC in 2002!

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I have faith that Chrome can win the TGET and then he will be ready for the DWC this time!  Several Thoroughbreds with USA roots have won the DWC.  The inaugural race in 1996 was won by Cigar.  In 1998 Silver Charm won.  Captain Steve took the Cup in 2001.  Pleasantly Perfect was victorious in 2004.  Roses In May was the big winner in 2005.  Electrocutionist who won in 2006 was foaled in the USA.  2007 saw USA trained Invasor win.  Curlin grabbed the title in 2008.  Well Armed was the champ in 2009.  Finally, 2013 shared ownership with the Australian’s with Animal Kingdom.

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Let’s hope it is time for California Chrome to win some more!  Victor Espinoza wants to be the 1st jockey to win the Triple Crown and the DBC.  He is already the 1st jockey to win the Grand Slam, the Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup Classic.  Chrome’s owners want him the win the TGET and the DWC followed by the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita to make him the USA’s #1 Thoroughbred in all time earnings and then to stand stud at Taylor Made Farm.  I wish Chrome all the success in the world and I am looking forward to his return to Taylor Made.  I will be watching TVG at 12:55 P.M. EST on 2/25/16 to see Chrome transcend!

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High Flying, Adored

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I would certainly love to hop on a plane and head to some place warmer with live racing right now.  Perhaps I would go to Santa Anita, Gulfstream Park, maybe even Dubai?  While I may be dreaming of a snowbird get away it is a busy time at Blue Grass Airport for arrivals too.  This coming Monday and Tuesday, February 8 and 9, 2016, Fasig-Tipton will hold it’s Kentucky Winter Mixed sale here in Lexington, KY.

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When you build an airport in the horse capital of the world you don’t just design any ordinary airport but rather it is a special airport worthy to handle the needs of regular passengers, world wide equestrians and of course, horses!  The Army began using this airport in 1942 and by 1946 the airport went commercial.  Blue Grass Airport sits right in the middle of horse country.  Many flight patterns go directly over Keeneland race track which is across the street and nearby Calumet Farm.  In 2008 the bronze equine sculptures featured in the 2 pictures above and 1 photo below were put on the grounds at the doors to the terminal.  Gwen Reardon designed this paddock scene.  She is the same artist that created the works at Thoroughbred Park, which I featured in an earlier story.  The Kentucky Horse Park has a life sized piece of her art too.  My favorite bronze is the piece below.  It looks like James E. “Ted” Bassett III playing groom.  He is a former chairmen of the board at Keeneland and former president of the Breeders’ Cup.  I like to eat my breakfast with him at Keeneland’s track kitchen, on special occasions, and I read his biography from cover to cover.  I have watched his story played over and again on KET (Kentucky Educational Television).  I own his autographed book too!

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Other lovely pieces of equine art are found inside and on the grounds of the airport.  The floor of the terminal lobby has a concentric designed chart depicting the lineage of 800 Thoroughbreds over 300 years.  There is also a nice stained glass piece depicting Big Lex created by John F. “Zig” Zeigler.  Big Lex is a blue horse who is the mascot for the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau.  He is blue from grazing on Kentucky bluegrass.  He can be seen all over Lexington, even on my refrigerator and my car.

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One of my favorite works, at the airport, is the enormous trompe l’oeil mural painted by Eric Henn.  It is painted on the retaining wall on the edge of the runway facing Keeneland.  I have a print which I have yet to get framed seen below.

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It is nice that all of this beauty is at the airport for the travelers.  I hope as all the visitors make their way into Lexington this weekend to prepare for the Winter Mixed Sale they take time to appreciate the art.  The sale has horses foaled in France, Great Britain, Ireland, Argentina, Ontario, Louisiana, Virginia, New York, Ohio, Maryland, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Iowa, West Virginia, Indiana, Texas, California, New Jersey, Michigan, Minnesota and of course, Kentucky!  H.E. Sutton Forwarding Company, also known as Tex Sutton or I prefer the name, Air Horse One, can help them ship here.  They have a specially equipped Boeing 727-200 that holds 21 horses loaded 3 wide and 7 deep.  The company’s symbol features Pegasus, a winged horse.  The plane is labeled “First Class Equine Air Travel”.  The individual stalls have seat belts and each horse is served hay and water.  Human attendants accompany the horses in the aisles.  The horses fly faced forward and the tallest horses are placed in the center stalls.  See American Pharoah fly here: Air Horse One

I’m pretty excited thinking about the horses that will be shipping in for the sale.  There are 528 entries cataloged.  Hips 1 thru 296 will show on Monday and 297 thru 528 will be featured on Tuesday.  The sale starts at 11 a.m. EST each day.  See the catalog here:  Fasig Tipton KY Winter Mixed 2016.  The sale will feature a nice variety including horses of racing age, in-foal mares, 1 or more mares with foals, short yearlings and broodmare prospects, some with graded stakes credentials.  Hip 255 is Trojenna, a mare by Lawyer Ron with a brand new Mucho Macho Man filly, so cute!  Fasig-Tipton held it’s Midlantic Winter Sale last month.  In that sale a yearling colt by Curlin was the sale topper at a price of $76,000.  The KY Winter Mixed sale has 4 horses sired by Curlin.  These are Naked Watch (hip 98), Princess Rocket (136), Split It (213) and Charismata (362).  There are 4 yearlings by Grade 1 winning, Graydar in the sale.  I met him at Taylor Made Farm this summer, so handsome.  Check out some of Graydar’s 1st crop; hips 140, 149, 274 and 454.  Look how sweet Graydar is below.

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I hope the KY Winter Mixed sale is a big success.  I would love to watch this sale’s grads race or breed new champs in the future.  I can’t attend myself, due to my job, so if you make it out please tell me all about it.  Who do you think will fetch the best price?

Here’s a You Tube from one of my favorite movies, “Evita”.  When I think about Air Horse One, I think of this song.  I love dreaming about all of favorite horses high flying around the world and how they are truly adored!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7b_p00PiXE

 

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A November to Remember

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There truly is no rest for the weary.  On the final day of last month we all watched in awe and disbelief as we finally got our Grand Slam, with American Pharoah winning the Breeders’ Cup following his Triple Crown victory.  The very next day, in the same city, we kicked off with Fasig-Tipton’s one day November Sale and in the following day we moved right into Keeneland’s November Breeding Stock sale for 12 days.  What a whirlwind!

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On November 1, 2015 Fasig-Tipton sold 92 horses for over $43 million dollars combined.  The top sale was Angela Renee.  She is a grade 1 stakes winner who sold for $3 million dollars.

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Today is the lucky Friday the 13th and the last day of this Keeneland sale.  I got to attend on a few fine days and it was fantastic.  I saw so many beautiful Thoroughbreds and met some nice, helpful people as well.

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One of my favorite horses is so far the sales topper.  She is Take Charge Brandi!  I met her this summer at D. Wayne Lukas’ barn at Churchill.  He was there to watch her at auction.  See his picture from Keeneland’s October meet below.  I was able to pet her pretty face, also seen below.  She is a chestnut filly who was born in Kentucky on 2/7/2012.  She has had 11 starts and is a multiple graded stakes winner.  Take Charge Brandi took first place in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies race in 2014 and won an Eclipse Award that same year for Champion 2 year old filly.  She was purchased at the Keeneland 2013 September Yearling Sale by Willis Horton.  She last raced in the Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing in September where she did not finish.  She has lived at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Lexington, KY since and she has now been purchased for this farm where she will be bred to Curlin.  He raced in all 3 legs of the Triple Crown, improving with each race, coming in 3rd, 2nd and then 1st in 2007.  He won the Breeders’ Cup Classic that same year.  Curlin has 4 Eclipse awards and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.  His stud fee is $100,000.  That is half as much as American Pharoah’s fee at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud.  Hill ‘n’ Dale owns 20% of Curlin.

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My other favorite trainer, Kellyn Gorder, was working with Cowboy Rhythm when he won at Keeneland on 10/18/15 by 3 and 1/2 lengths.  Cowboy Rhythm is a 3 year old colt and he sold at Keeneland during session 9 for $335,000.  He was sold by WinStar Racing to Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.  I was with Cowboy Rhythm in the paddock and winners circle the day he won at Keeneland.  See the picture I took below.

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That same session another horse I enjoy sold for $550,000.  He is Donworth.  Day 9 of this year’s November sale saw 16 horses go for 6 figures when last year there were no horses that sold in that price range on the 9th session.  Donworth placed 2nd in the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland this past April.  His trainer was Graham Motion.  He won his 1st and 4th career starts.  He was sold in the Regis Farm dispersal by Three Chimneys Farm to Doug O’Neill.  I went out to see Donworth in the barn before he went into auction. See him below.

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By the close of day 11 yesterday, we could already call the sale a success.  This year’s sale is a day longer than in 2014.  The gross accumulation is 5.8% ahead of 2014 already.  2,735 horses have been sold versus 2,512 in 2014.  The total for these sales is over $217 million dollars this year versus last year’s $205 million.  I am excited to see what this day brings.  It is always a good time at Keeneland.  So pretty and so tasty too.  Nom, nom, bread pudding!  Thank you for reading and sharing!

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