KY Archives - Page 10 of 15

June 24, 2016June 24, 2016

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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June 17, 2016June 17, 2016

A Big Fan Of Wise Dan

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Wise Dan will make an appearance at Churchill Downs this Saturday! Prior to the race, that was named for him, he will parade for his fans. He has raced at Churchill eleven times and won 7 of those races. I had the pleasure of watching him parade at Keeneland this past October, as seen above. He raced there on 10 occasions with a lot of success as well.

Wise Dan was quite a champion at many more tracks during his racing career. He was bred in Kentucky by Morton Fink, his owner. He was foaled on 2/20/07 . Wiseman’s Ferry is his sire and his dam is Lisa Danielle. He began racing in 2010 and he stayed with the game for 31 starts. During those years he racked up 6 Eclipse Awards, he was Champion Older Horse, Champion Grass Horse and Horse of the Year all in both 2012 and again in 2013. He won the Breeders’ Cup Mile in each of those years as well. He won 23 races total and was second twice as well. Charles LoPresti was his trainer throughout his career and his latest jockey was John R. Velazquez. In 2011 and 2013, Wise Dan won the Grade 2 Firecracker Handicap at Churchill Downs.

Tomorrow, Wise Dan will be present to witness the first ever Wise Dan Stakes! The Firecracker which was inaugurated in 1991 was renamed for the two time champ Wise Dan this year. It is a 1 and 1/16th mile (8.5 furlong) race on the grass, the Matt Win Turf Course, for Thoroughbreds 3 years old or older. The purse in $200,000.

The field is as follows by post/horse/jockey/trainer:

Thatcher Street/Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr./Ian R. Wilkes
The Pizza Man/Florent Geroux/Roger A. Brueggemann
Granny’s Kitten/Gary L. Stevens/Michael J. Maker
Flatlined/Miguel Mena/Charles. L. Dickey
Conquest Typhoon/Joe Bravo/Mark E. Casse
Potomac River/Juan P. Vargas/Jose L. Lopez
R. Great Adventure/Joseph Rocco, Jr./Brian Williamson
Pleuven/Channing Hill/Philip A. Sims
Za Approval/Julien R. Leparoux/Mark E. Casse
Kasaqui/Robby Albarado/Ignacio Correas, IV
Behesht/Corey Lanerie/George R. Arnold

Watch the Wise Dan Stakes, race 7, at Churchill Downs at 9:05 PM EST on 6/18/16. Then, stick around for the next race at the same track. Posting at 9:39 PM is the Stephen Foster Handicap, part of the Breeders’ Cup Win And You’re In series for the Classic. Effinex will be back in action!

Have a happy Father’s Day! More to come next week…

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May 14, 2016May 14, 2016

California Chrome Concisely

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It’s back to work for California Chrome! Today, 5/14/16, Chrome returned to the Los Alamitos Quarter Horse track in California to work 3 furlongs. He was clocked on the fast dirt with a time of 36.20 and rank 13/36. This is his first workout since he won the $10 million dollar Dubai World Cup on 3/26/16.

California Chrome was foaled at Harris Farms in California on 2/18/11. He is the champion son of Lucky Pulpit and Love the Chase by Not For Love. His breeders are Perry Martin and Steve Coburn. Martin and Taylor Made Farm are his current owners. Chrome is trained by Art Sherman and his jockey is Victor Espinoza. California Chrome is a good looking and well behaved horse. That made him attractive to fans early on. Chrome, also known as Junior, was thrust into stardom when he won the Kentucky Derby in 2014. He has had 21 career starts that have made him the wealthiest in earnings for any Thoroughbred in North America, in all of racing history. He has earned $12,532,650 in his lifetime. He holds two Eclipse Awards. Following the Dubai World Cup, Junior came to Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky to rest up but after last weekend’s Kentucky Derby he headed back to California.

California Chrome has many more races to win before he retires to stud. His connections have him pointed towards a 3 race bonus opportunity. Santa Anita and Del Mar tracks will reward an additional $1 million dollars to the horse that can win the Pacific Classic, the Awesome Again Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Chrome was third in the 2014 BC Classic. To prepare for the bonus threesome Chrome will first take on the $200,000 Grade II San Diego Handicap. Following the BC Classic he may race in the inaugural Pegasus World Cup. This race will top the Dubai World Cup by becoming the world’s richest race, offering a purse of $12 million dollars. Here is Chrome’s predicted path:

San Diego Handicap 7/23/16 at Del Mar in California
Pacific Classic 8/20/16 at Del Mar
Awesome Again Stakes 10/1/16 at Santa Anita in California
Breeders’ Cup Classic 11/5/16 at Santa Anita
Pegasus World Cup 1/28/17 at Gulfstream Park in Florida

Earlier this week Longines announced that California Chrome is still tied for the World’s Best Racehorse with Winx. They are both ranked number one with a rating of 126. Last week’s KY Derby win by another California bred horse put Nyquist on the chart in a 4 way tie for rank 2 and an 124 rating.

Let’s hope Chrome continues to be all smiles as he continues his impressive career. I wish that he will sweep all of these races and then I look forward to the day he begins his stud career at Taylor Made. I can’t wait to cast my eyes upon some Chrome babies! Until then keep sharing and as always, thank you for reading my posts!

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May 5, 2016May 5, 2016

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

Trojan Nation/Aaron T. Gryder/Patrick Gallagher/Julie Gilbert and Aaron Sones
Suddenbreakingnews/Luis Quinonez/Donnie Von Hemel/Samuel F. Henderson
Creator/Ricardo Santana Jr./Steven Asmussen/WinStar Farm LLC
Mo Tom/Corey J. Lanerie/Thomas M. Amoss/GMB Racing
Gun Runner/Florent Geroux/Steven M. Asmussen/Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC, Three Chimneys Farm LLC and Besilu Stables
My Man Sam/Irad Ortiz Jr./Chad C. Brown/Sheep Pond Partners, Newport Stables LLC and Jay W. Bligh
Oscar Nominated/Julien R Leparoux/Michael Maker/Ken and Sarah Ramsey
Lani/Yutaka Take/Mikio Matsunaga/Koj Maeda/North Hills Co Limited
Destin/Javier Castellano/Todd Pletcher/Twin Creeks Racing Stables LCC and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners
Whitmore/Victor Espinoza/Ron Moquett/Robert LaPenta, Harry Rosenblum and Southern Springs Stables
Exaggerator/Kent J. Desormeaux/J. Keith Desormeaux/Big Cheif Racing LLC, Head of Plains Partners LLC, Rocker O Ranck LLC, et al.
Tom’s Ready/Brian Joseph Hernandez Jr./Dallas Stewart/GMB Racing
Nyquist/Mario Gutierrez/Doug F. O’Neill/Reddam Racing
Mohaymen/Junior Alvarado/Kiaran McLaughlin/Shadwell Stable
Outwork/John Velazquez/Todd Pletcher/Repole Stable
Shagaf/Joel Rosario/Chad C. Brown/Shadwell Stable
Mor Spirit/Gary Stevens/Bob Baffert/Michael Lund Petersen
Majesto/Emisael Jaramillo/Gustavo Delgado/Grupo 7 C Racing Stable
Brody’s Cause/Luis Saez/Dale L. Romans/Albaugh Family Stable
Danzing Candy/Mike E. Smith/Clifford W. Sise Jr./Halo Farms and Jim and Dianne Bashor
“Also Eligible” Laoban
“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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May 4, 2016May 4, 2016

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

Terra Promessa/Ricardo Sanatana Jr./Steven M Asmussen/Stonestreet Stables, LLC
Weep No More/Corey Lanerie/George R. Arnold/Ashbrook Farm
Lewis Bay/Irad Ortiz, Jr./Chad C. Brown/Alpha Delta Stables
Go Maggie Go/ Luis Saez/Dale L. Romans/Mike Tarp
Dream Dance/Brian Hernandez Jr./Neil J. Howard/Stoneway Farm
Mo Kat/Flaven Prat/Richard Baltas/JK Racing Stable
Mo d’Amour/Joel Rosario/Todd Pletcher/King of Prussia Stable
Royal Obsession/Florent Geroux/Steven M. Asmussen
Paola Queen/Emisael Jaramillo/Gustavo Delgado/Grupo 7 C Racing Stable
Venus Valentine/Shaun Bridgmohon/Thomas M. Amoss/Rosemont Farm LLC
Rachel’s Valentina/John Velazquez/Todd Pletcher/Stonestreet Stables, LLC
Cathryn Sophia/Javier Castellano/John C. Servis/Cash Is King LLC
Land Over Sea/Mario Guiterrez/Doug F. O’Neill/Reddam Racing LLC
Taxable/Mike Smith/Steven M. Asmussen/Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC
“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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April 30, 2016April 30, 2016

Nyquist Loves and Leaves Keeneland

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Over all too soon. Yesterday was the closer for Keeneland’s Spring Meet. Live racing took place from April 8-29, 2016. I was there for the final day of racing and it was too much of a good time to be sad that it was all about to end.

Keeneland’s meet was quite a success story with plenty of excitement and quality races, horses, owners, trainers and jockeys. The handle was up over 23% versus last Spring and the attendance was up over 4%. I had the pleasure of attending 6 times and the weather was quite pleasant each of those days. Keeneland credits the appeal of the Breeders’ Cup, that they hosted in October, with the returning fans and Thoroughbreds. They also believe that having Nyquist, the 2016 Kentucky Derby favorite, living and training on the grounds added a special attraction. I certainly agree. Nyquist had his last Derby prep work at Keeneland on closing day and then shipped to Churchill Downs today. He is featured in most of the pictures throughout this post. I watched him work once again prior to the races yesterday. He breezed a mile in 1:41 with Mario Gutierrez on board.

45 horses that participated in the Breeders’ Cup in October returned to Keeneland this meet to race or train. Ralis is seen in the top photo with Nyquist. Other BC horses on the grounds this meet were Tepin, Ready for Rye, Barbados, Rachel’s Valentina, Nickname, Camelot Kitten, Ma Can Do It, Limosine Liberal, I’m A Chatterbox, Dacita, Azar, Thrilled, Private Zone, Land Over Sea, Bradester, Green Mask, Riker, Recepta, Holly Boss, Dothraki Queen, Fioretti, Gilding By, Red Rifle, Salama, Shinning Copper, Curlina, Right There, Grand Arch, Siding Spring, Catch A Glimpse, Wavell Avenue, Stopchargingmaria, Sheer Drama, Undrafted, Brody’s Cause, Da Big Hoss, Something Extra, Swipe, The Great War, War Envoy, Twilight Eclipse, Super Majesty and Tourist.

As for the people who help make this sport awesome, many big names were present this meet. Javier Castellano was the leading jockey with 17 wins. He won that title last Spring as well. Ken and Sarah Ramsey are owners who won 9 races at Keeneland this meet. They are Keeneland’s leading owners for the 17th time. The leading trainer was won by Michael Maker, his 4th time earning this title. Many more Hall of Fame, Eclipse Award and Graded Stakes winning jockeys, owners and trainers were in attendance for this Spring as well.

I really had a great time at Keeneland, as always. I am really going to miss the track that won’t have live racing again until October. I thought that watching Nyquist work was a real joy. I appreciate that the horse’s connections and Keeneland were kind enough to share the experience. I wrote a story about a prior work a few weeks ago

My Eye On Nyquist

I hope Nyquist wins the Kentucky Derby next week on May 7th. The success of American Pharoah has me eager for another Grand Slam. Nyquist is a champion and he looks ready to win. The 20 horse field won’t be finalized until Wednesday, 5/4/16. Look for me to bring you the information you may need for the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby.

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April 23, 2016April 23, 2016

Tepin, She Can Run…

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Tepin can run but she can’t hide. Well, actually she is very good at that as well. I have seen Tepin before but I was really hoping to see her up closer while she was in town for the Jenny Wiley 1 week ago today, on 4/16/16. Alas, better luck next time. I still got some nice paddock and track photos and she was amazing again as she broke a track record and won by 5 lengths.

Search my site and it is easy to see my interest in Tepin’s star power. I have written about her before. I first took notice of Tepin on 10/3/15 when I watched her win the Grade 1, First Lady Stakes at Keeneland race track in Lexington, KY. That was actually her 14th career start. It was her 2nd race and win at Keeneland, where she broke her maiden as early as 10/6/13. I didn’t have to wait long to see her again. She triumphed in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on 10/31/15, also held at Keeneland.

Tepin has quite the fan following now and she has earned it. This year she has won 3 Graded stakes as a 5 year old and is tied with Songbird for the top rank in the American Graded Stakes Standings. Tepin has had 18 career starts including 10 wins, 3 place finishes and 1 time with a show. She is an Eclipse Winner and she is on a winning steak, 5 races deep. In 2016 she won the Grade 3 Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes at Tampa Bay, the Grade 2 Hillsborough Stakes, also at Tampa Bay and now the Grade 1 Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland. She set a record in the Hillsborough and then again in the Jenny Wiley. Her earnings stand at $2,895,873.

Tepin has Julien Leparoux for her jockey. She is owned by Robert E. Masterson and trained by Mark Casse and his son/assistant Norman Casse. She is the offspring of sire Bernstein and dam Life Happened.

Now what will Tepin do next? She is nominated for the 29th running of the Grade 1, $500,000, Woodford Reserve Turf Classic! Kentucky Derby Day just got a little more fantastic if Tepin runs in the Woodford at Churchill Downs on Derby Day, Saturday, 5/7/16. Fingers crossed she will enter the field of 14 to hit the 1 and 1/18 miles of turf. Wise Dan won the Woodford twice in 2013 and 2014. After that she may head to Great Britain to take on the 1 mile Queen Anne Stakes on opening day of the Royal Ascot meeting on Tuesday 6/16/16.

Watching Tepin win is a joy I could never get tired of. She makes is look so fun and easy. I hope when she is done being a turf star that she will live her life here in Kentucky, where she was bred. Perhaps, then I can meet her on a farm tour and maybe she will breed some other fast fillies! Below, I included the song that came to mind when titling today’s story. Phil Collins and a cute dog too! Thank you for reading. Look for my story next week, please. Keeneland has right under a week to go and I’m going back to bring you more stories and pictures.

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April 15, 2016April 15, 2016

My Eye On Nyquist

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I get no sleep for Nyquist! For the second week straight I have roused myself from my bed to attend the morning workout to see our beloved Thoroughbreds at Keeneland in Lexington, KY. Nyquist certainly is a fan favorite and one of mine as well. I had my weary but enthusiastic eyes upon him before 7 a.m. EST today.

After arriving at the Track Kitchen I ran as fast as I could up the hill, towards the track, to catch today’s first sight of Nyquist. As I approached the barn, where he has been living since the Florida Derby, I saw a large crowd assembled. I though it was odd since he had no other visitors when I saw him just last week but then again, this is Nyquist! Of course he has a snowballing fan base. He is the current Kentucky Derby favorite to win! I stood with the crowd to see Nyquist exit the shed row and followed like a happy lemming as he headed to the track with exercise rider Jonny Garcia mounted. The sun was peaking through the clouds and it was warm for a Spring morning in the Bluegrass.

Nyquist is a bay colt, sired by Uncle Mo. His dam is Seeking Gabrielle by Forestry. Nyquist was bred in Kentucky Summer Hill Farm and born on 3/10/13. He is owned by Paul Reddam of Reddam Racing and trained by Doug O’Neill. Mario Gutierrez is his jockey. Nyquist is undefeated with 7 career wins and an Eclipse Award for 2015 Champion 2 Year Old Colt. He broke his maiden on 6/5/15 at Santa Anita. He has raced only graded stakes since. He won at both Grade 2 races, the Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar and the San Vincente Stakes at Santa Anita. He captured 1st place at four Grade 1 races too, the Del Mar Futurity at Del Mar, the Front Runner Stakes at Santa Anita, the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland and the Xpressbet.com Florida Derby at Gulfstream. The $1 million dollar Florida Derby took place on 4/2/16. Today marked Nyquist’s first breeze since that race. He is now training for the Kentucky Derby to take place on 5/7/16. He will continue to live at Keeneland and he will have 2 more workouts here before he ships to Churchill Downs on 4/30/16. He breezed 5 furlongs today and galloped out to a 6th. He clocked 1:02.60 for the breeze. His connections were very pleased. I though he looked marvelous. I heard another trainer, not in connection with the horse, say she thought he made the workout look easy.

The smile on Garcia and the look on Nyquist’s adorable face lead me to believe, they too were very pleased with the work. The large assembly of fans and media continued to follow Nyquist off of the track and back to the barn. Everyone was overjoyed with the experience.

The fun was far from over. Nyquist was changed out of his tack and into his lovely BC blanket. He cooled off with several turns around the barn. He is quite calm in the presence of all of the paparazzi. Many people huddled up close to hear the words of his connections and to catch a look or a picture.

Then it was bath time! I particularly enjoy watching the baths. Steam rolled off his back end as he was sponged off. Nyquist kept his fancy blanket on. He looked marvelous! His handler booped his nose gently. This horse was very well behaved. Nyquist is stunning and I am so happy I have had the opportunity to have seen him now on two occasions. I know he has what it takes and I wish him well in his next race, the Run for the Roses, the 142nd KY Derby! He certainly looks appropriate flanked in roses!

I visited several other barns and will be at Keeneland the rest of today and all weekend. I am very hopeful to spend some time with Tepin and bring that story to you. She races here tomorrow, 4/16/16. Please, keep reading and tell your friends about this page and my posts on Twitter and Facebook too. Thank you and have a great weekend!

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April 7, 2016April 7, 2016

Keeneland Kickoff

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It’s a chilly start to Spring here in the Bluegrass but it still brings warmth to my heart that my favorite track, Keeneland, in Lexington, KY opens tomorrow! The Spring Meet is open from April 8 to 29, 2016. Live racing takes place on Wednesdays thru Sundays throughout those dates. I have to work all weekend so I made sure I got to participate in some of the pre-race events.

Yesterday morning I arrived before 8 a.m. EST and headed to the Racing Office. The horses enter the race track through an opening, “the gap”, right next to this building. Slowly, a large group of horses and exercise riders assembled. They were mounted and waiting for as far as I could see. The fans, connections of the horses and photographers were looking on with anticipation. At about 8:30 the horses took to the track. Some Thoroughbreds went at a leisurely pace while others sped around like they were floating. I love to catch the pictures with all four hooves in the air.

After the excitement of the workouts I headed to the newly renovated Track Kitchen. I had biscuits and gravy. If you haven’t had Southern food like this you are really missing out.

Next, I went to Kellyn Gorder’s barn. He had just recently returned to the grounds after having a nice season at Turfway and ongoing at Oaklawn race track. I visited with his horses and he was very busy on the computer, phone and with office visits in preparation for more races. Some of his nice horses are pictured below. I gave these cute noses some petting.

After the Gorder barn I went to see the remaining stable area. Keeneland has 57 barns with the capacity to hold 1,951 horses. Horses aren’t the only animals you will find on the grounds. In addition to birds, pet dogs and barn cats I met two busy goats along my adventure. I also saw some cool tack including Nyquist’s bridle and Tepin’s Breeders’ Cup blanket that has been refurbished with silk flowers.

The best part of my trip was looking for our favorite race horses. I went to the Casse Racing barn hoping to find 2015 Eclipse Award Champion Grass Mare and winner of the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Mile, Tepin, but she had moved to Churchill Downs. I was not disappointed in meeting Airoforce, 2nd in the 2015 BC Juvenile Turf, Catch a Glimpse and her teddy bear, 1st in the 2015 BC Juvenile Fillies Turf and Noble Bird, graded stakes winner, pictured below in order on the top row. I went to most of the barns to see what I could but unfortunately several trainers do not label their stalls so I just had to appreciate the unknown beauties as they were.

Saving one of the best for last I finally found the undefeated and 1st place winner of the 2015 Sentient Jet BC Cup Juvenile, Nyquist. He is the favorite for the Kentucky Derby with 5/2 odds currently and he is second on the leaderboard for points behind Gun Runner. He was happily snacking during my visit. I was going to return to see him train this morning but his white blood cell count was slightly elevated so he is going to rest up for now and perhaps train on Friday or Saturday. See how sweet he looks below.

Post time begins at 1:05 p.m. EST on Friday. There are 10 races that day. On Saturday post time is 12:35 p.m. with 11 races. 5 of those are stakes races, numbers 6 thru 10. The 9th race, the 15th running of the Madison Grade I stakes, for fillies and mares 4 and older is packed with multiple graded stakes winners. The 10th race is the 92nd running of The Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. It is a Grade I race with a million dollar purse. The 9 furlong dirt race for 3 year olds posts at 6 p.m. This race gives 100-40-20-10 points to Kentucky Derby Contenders based on a 1st to 4th place finish respectively. There are a lot of great races at Keeneland this meet. I hope each of you has a chance to get in on the action. Catch my blog next week here and on Facebook and Twitter for more Thoroughbred news and events.

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February 24, 2016February 24, 2016

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!

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.

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).

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:

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

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

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.

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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