Tag: Preakness Stakes

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My Old Kentucky Home-The Race is On!

My Old Kentucky Home
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The 143rd Kentucky Derby took place a week ago today!  It was every bit as surprising and thrilling as I had imagined.  The race dates back to 1875 but aspects of the race’s traditions were in the making so many years prior.  Great things were happening in KY that built the foundation of the state’s modern day Thoroughbred greatness.  Many of the KY Derby bloodlines and customs were under development at My Old Kentucky Home long before Churchill Downs held its first race.

 

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Shake It Up Shackleford

Shackleford at Darby Dan
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Shackleford at Darby Dan
Shackleford at Darby Dan

It was a big day for Shackleford and Darby Dan Farm yesterday!  As part of Horse Country, the same group I book most of my farm tours through, there was a special event, for local fans, on March 18, 2017.  Tickets were limited but several area wide farms offered free tours for the day.  Hot on the Kentucky Derby trail, I chose Darby Dan Farm!

 

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Transfixed by the Travers

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This year’s Travers stakes is going to be huge!  This race is literally massive in terms of both entries and talent.  The 147th running of the Travers Stakes has 14 contestants.  It is tied for the highest number of entries, that record was established in 1977.  6 of the 14 horses in this field were in the 2016 Kentucky Derby.  Saratoga’s “Midsummer Derby” is shaping up to be one of the finest races of the season.

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The Travers Stakes was inaugurated in 1864.  It is held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, NY.  The race has varied historically but this year the crowd capacity will be capped at 50 thousand fans to watch the $1.25 million dollar Grade 1, of 1 and 1/4 miles (10 furlongs), dirt race for 3 year-old Thoroughbreds.  One of Saratoga’s finest races, the Travers, has acquired the name of the “Midsummer Derby”, traditionally held in August.  The track itself has the nicknames of ” The Graveyard of Champions ” due to the frequency of  major upsets that have occurred at this track and “The Spa” because of the areas historical and rich mineral springs.  The Travers is named for William R. Travers.  He was the owner of the 1st horse to win this race, Kentucky. Travers was also president of the Saratoga Racing Association.

In 1941 there was a Superfecta won by Whirlaway.  A Superfecta is the combination of winning all of the Triple Crown legs and the Travers Stakes. One recent example of an upset at the Travers happened just last year.  After American Pharoah went on an 8 race winning streak, that included sweeping the Triple Crown series, he was 2nd in the 2015 Travers, losing to Keen Ice.  This win by Keen Ice gave his rider the title.  Javier Castellano is the jockey with the most Travers wins, at a total of 5.  American Pharoah redeemed himself in his next race, as if he needed to, winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic.  The combo of the Triple Crown plus the BC Classic is called a Grandslam and American Pharoah is the only horse to have ever achieved the Grandslam.  Whirlaway is the only Superfecta winner.

Another very special horse won the Travers in 1920, Man o’ War.  In his honor, Tiffany and Co. created a trophy, a gold plated replica Man o’ War Cup is given to the winner of the Travers annually.

Please, allow me one more interesting historical fact before we get to the 2016 entries.   There is a nice goose pond infield of the Saratoga track.  A canoe was placed there in 1926.  Since 1961, the canoe is painted in the silk colors of the Travers winner each year.

 

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Finally, here is our enormous field by post/horse/jockey/trainer/owner:

  1. Arrogate/Mike Smith/Bob Baffert/Juddmonte Farms, Inc.
  2. American Freedom/Rafael Bejarano/Bob Baffert/Gary and Mary West
  3. My Man Sam/Manuel Franco/Chad C. Brown/Sheep Pond Partners, Newport Stables, LLC. and Jay W. Bligh
  4. Governor Malibu/Joel Rosario/Christophe Clement/Jump Sucker Stable and Oak Bull Stables
  5. Forever d’Oro/Luis Saez/Dallas Stewart/Charles E. Fipke
  6. Anaximandros/Leonel Reyes/Mikhail Yanakov/Mikhail Yanakov
  7. Exaggerator/Kent Desormeaux/J. Keith Desormeaux/ Big Chief Racing, LLC., Head of Plains Partners, LLC., Rocker O Ranch, LLC, et al.
  8. Destin/Javier Castellano/Todd A. Pletcher/Twin Creeks Racing Stables, LLC. and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners
  9. Gift Box/Junior Alvarado/Chad C. Brown/W.S. Farish
  10. Connect/John R. Velazquez/Chad C. Brown/Warren A. Croll, Jr
  11. Majesto/Ricardo Santana Jr./Gustavo Delgado/Grupo Seven C Stable
  12. Creator/Irad Ortiz Jr./Steven M. Asmusen/WinStar Farm and Bobby Flay
  13. Laoban/Jose L. Ortiz/Eric J. Guillot/McCormick Racing, LLC. and Southern Equine Stable, LLC.
  14. Gun Runner/Florent Geroux/Steven M. Asmussen/Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC., Three Chimneys Farm and Besilu Stables LLC.

Arrogate is the KY bred grey son of Unbridled’s Song and Bubbler.  He has won the last 3 of his 4 career races.  He has never been entered in a stakes race.  Smith has not won the Travers since 1998 and Baffert has not won this race since 2001.  Arrogate has never raced at The Spa.

American Freedom is a KY bred colt, sired by Pulpit, his dam is Gottcha Last.  He has won 3 of his 5 races.  He won 1 of 3 graded stakes.  American Freedom has not raced at Saratoga but while he shares a trainer with Arrogate he has more East coast experience. Bejarano has not won the Travers.

Another KY bred is in post 3.  My Man Sam is the offspring of Trappe Shot and Lauren Byrd.  He has won once in his 6 starts and he participated in 2 graded stakes races including the KY Derby.  He often runs second and he could probably do that once again.  In his last race he was second and that was at Saratoga.  Trappe Shot finished 9th in the 2010 Travers.  Franco nor Brown have historical wins in the Travers. Brown is on a roll at Saratoga.  He got his 1,000th win while racing there on Wednesday.  Brown has 3 entries in the Travers.

Governor Malibu is a NY bred with NY racing experience.  He was 2nd his last trip out and that was at Saratoga in the Jim Dandy Stakes.  He is the son of Malibu Moon and Akilina.  Governor Malibu has won 2 of his 9 starts.  He has placed in 2 of 3 graded stakes. Neither Rosario or Clement have won the Travers.

Forever d’ Oro is the KY bred Colt of Medaglia d’ Oro and Lemons Forever.  He recently finished 3rd at Saratoga.  This was one of his 5 races.  He has won once.  He participated in the Belmont Stakes.  His sire, Medaglia d’ Oro, won the Travers in 2002.  His dam sire, Lemon Drop Kid, won the Travers in 1999.  Forever d’ Oro’s jockey, Saez, won the Travers in 2013.

Anaximandros is a colt by Hard Spun and Dragon Fly.  He is KY bred with a French dam.  He has won 2 of 5 races.  He was 4th his last race which is his only graded stakes experience.  He has not raced at Saratoga.  His jockey nor trainer have ever won the Travers.

Right in the middle sits the favorite, Exaggerator!  Sired by Curlin he is the KY bred colt born to Dawn Raid.  He has more experience then the preceding post positions with 6 wins in 13 starts.  He ran all three legs of the 2015 Triple Crown finishing 2nd, 1st then a disappointing 11th respectively.  He had a triumphant rebound in his very next race when he finished 1st in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational.  Kent Desormeaux won the Travers in 2009.

Destin is a grey colt by Giant’s Causeway and Dream of Summer.  One of my favorite farms, Taylor Made, had a part in his KY breeding.  He has won 3 of 8 races.  He finished 3rd at Saratoga behind Governor Malibu in his last race.  He participated in the KY Derby and the Belmont Stakes.  He finished 2nd to Creator in the Belmont.  He is a multiple graded stakes winner.  Pletcher last won the Travers in 2011. Castellano has won the Travers the most.

Gift Box is a grey ridgling. In his pedigree are Twirling Candy and Special Me.  He has 2 wins of 5 races.  He recently finished 2nd at Saratoga.  He was 3rd in his only graded stakes race.  The jockey nor the trainer has won a Travers Stakes race.

Connect is another colt by Curlin.  He is a KY bred horse with Bullville Bell as his dam.  He is on a streak winning his past 3 races out of a career 4 starts.  He just won at Saratoga last month, besting Gift Box.  He has not entered a graded stakes before.  Connect’s  dam sire, Holly Bull, won the Travers in 1994.  Mike Smith was the jockey for Holy Bull’s win.  Smith is Arrogate’s jockey this time.

Majesto is a KY bred ridgling.  He was born to Tiznow and Unacloud.  He has only finished first in one of his 8 races.  He has two graded stakes races in his resume and one of those was the KY Derby.  His last race was at Saratoga where he finished 6th.  His connections have not won the Travers. Majesto’s dam sire, Unaccounted For was 4th in the 1994 Travers Stakes.

Creator is a grey colt sired by Tapit, thus another KY bred.  His dam is Morena.  He has finished first place in 3 of his 11 starts.  It was not his day in the KY Derby but he was 1st place in the Belmont Stakes.  Most recently he finished 6th at Saratoga in the Jim Dandy.  He has the ability but not the consistency.  His jockey and trainer haven’t won a Travers before.

In the lucky 13 post position stands Laoban.  He is the son of Uncle Mo and Chattertown.  He is a KY bred colt.  He won one time in a career 8 races.  That one time counts big for this race as it was right at Saratoga last month when he conquered the Jim Dandy Stakes.  He has raced in 6 stakes races including the Preakness.  He has the experience.  His trainer and his jockey are looking for their first Travers wins too.

Finally, we end the field with Gun Runner.  Bred in KY by Candy Ride and Quiet Giant this colt has a 5 in 8 record for wins.  He was 3rd in the KY Derby  but holds multiple graded stakes wins.  He has not raced at Saratoga.  Geroux would be happy to get his first Travers title.

Be sure to buy tickets now if you are fortunate enough to be planning to attend.  It is expected to be a sell out.  The card includes 13 nice races.  Four BC Win and You’re In races are up for grabs.  The Travers is the 11th race on Saturday 8/27/16.  It will post at 5:44 P.M. EST.  NBC will provide television coverage from 4:30 to 6 PM.

Thank you to our regular handicapper for allowing me use of his photos.  I fully rely on my own photos and those of close friends and family.  I really appreciate having access to pictures of horses and places I haven’t experienced yet.  Check back regularly for new Thoroughbred posts.

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Classic Chrome

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There is always a special feeling of anticipation when our California Chrome is scheduled to race!  We will get another spectacular view of this champ tomorrow, 8/20/16, in TVG’s Pacific Classic.

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The 26th running of the Grade 1 Pacific Classic Stakes will take place at Del Mar Racetrack in the city by the same name, in California.  The inaugural race took place there in 1991.  The track is 1 and 1/4th miles (10 furlongs) on dirt. Thoroughbreds age 3 and older may compete for the $1 million dollar purse.  This is Del Mar’s finest race to date, I believe .  They will host the Breeders’ Cup for the first time in 2017 and in my opinion, the BC Classic is one of the few races that has nearly as much proven talent.  The Pacific Classic is one of the qualifying races to earn a chance at the BC Classic, “Win and You’re In.”

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Many of the best horses have participated in the Pacific Classic.  Cigar, Shared Belief, Game on Dude, Lava Man, Tinners Way and Beholder are a few of my favorites.  Making a return this year, Beholder with her 8 competitors are just as talented and impressive as the stars of this historical race.  The field is as follows by post/horse/jockey/trainer/owner/age/gender:

  1. California Chrome/Victor Espinoza/Art Sherman/California Chrome, LLC/5YO/male
  2. Hoppertunity/Flavien Prat/Bob Baffert/Karl Watson, Michael Pegram and Paul Weitman/5YO/male
  3. War Story/Ricardo Mejias/Dean Greenman/Loooch Racing Stables, Inc. and Glenn K. Ellis/4YO/gelding
  4. Hard Aces/Santiago Gonzalez/John W. Sadler/Hronis Racing, LLC./6 YO/male
  5. Win the Space/Joe Talamo/George Papaprodromou/Kretz Racing LLC./4YO/male
  6. Imperative/Noberto Arroyo, Jr./Richard Baltas/JK Racing Stables/6YO/gelding
  7. Beholder/Gary Stevens/Richard E. Mandella/Spendthrift Farms/6YO/female
  8. Dortmund/Rafael Bejarno/Bob Baffert/Kaleem Sgah, Inc./4YO/male
  9. Dalmore/Kent Desormeaux/J.K. Desormeaux/ Big Chief Racing, LLC., Rocker O Ranch, LLC. And J.K. Desormeaux/3YO/male

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In post position one is my number one pick, as well as the morning line favorite, California Chrome.  All of the pictures in this story are of Chrome.  Each were taken over a precious weekend when I visited him last year, while he rested at Taylor Made Farm in KY.  He holds 2 Eclipse Awards, has won 13 of 22 races and holds a record for racing earnings. He is the solo California bred horse in the race, sired by Lucky Pulpit and his dam is Love the Chase.

Hoppertunity, bred in Kentucky, is the progeny of Any Given Saturday and Refugee. He has won 5 of 20 career starts.  He was 3rd to Chrome in the 2016 Dubai World Cup.  Last year he ran 4th in the Pacific Classic.  Hoppertunity is a multiple graded stakes winner.

War Story, also KY bred, is the son of Northern Afleet and Belle Watling.  He has placed first in 3 of 12 races. He has had a lot of experience in graded stakes races but not much success.

Another KY boy, Hard Aces is sired by Hard Spun, his dam is All in With Aces.  He has won 7 times in his career of 33 starts.  He is a multiple graded stakes winner. He was 6th place in the Pacific Classic in 2015.  He won his last race/stakes out at Del Mar late July.  Perhaps he is on an upswing in California?

The son of Pulpit and Teamgeist is the lovely grey, Win the Space.  This horse was bred in KY by Spendthrift Farm.  He has won 3 in 12 races.  He has not won a graded stakes race.

Imperative is the KY bred offspring of Bernardini and Call Her.  He has raced 32 times and has 3 wins.  He has not won since 2014 but it was a graded stakes race. He finished 5th in the Pacific Classic in 2015.

Beholder has won an amazing 17 of her 23 races, yet I have never beheld her live myself. She holds 3 Eclipse Awards and finished 1st in the BC Juvenile Fillies, 2012 and BC Distaff, 2013.  She is the only filly in the race.  Beholder holds a high rank in earnings.  She won the Pacific Classic last year.  She is the second choice to win per the odds as I write this. Beholder is the KY bred daughter of Henny Hughes and Leslie’s Lady.

In his last race out, Dortmund ran a close 2nd to Chrome in the San Diego Handicap this past July.  Dortmund is the KY bred son of Big Brown and Our Josephina. He has won an impressive 8 of 11 races.  Dortmund was 3rd in the KY Derby and 4th in the Preakness both up against American Pharoah in 2015.  With plenty of talent and California racing experience this guy brings strong competition and is 3rd for the favorite. He shares his trainer, Baffert, with Hoppertunity.

Finally, the last post position is the baby of the bunch, Dalmore. He has 3 wins in his 11 starts. He is the only Florida bred horse in the race.  He is the son of Colonel John and Silver Breeze. He won in his last race/graded stakes.  He was 5th this year in the California Chrome Stakes.

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I have plenty of nerves built up for this showdown.  Watch the Pacific Classic live on TVG for Del Mar’s 9th of 11 races on 8/20/16 at 6:15 PM PT. Add 3 hours to that for Eastern Time. Go Chrome!

 

 

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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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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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100 Days Till Derby

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Wow!  I still can’t get over the rush of American Pharoah’s Triple Crown and Grand Slam wins.  Meanwhile, today marks only 100 days until the next running of the Kentucky Derby.  Just in time, the early nominees have been announced!  Will we get another big winner?  Will it be Nyquist, pictured above following his undefeated 2015 season after winning the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile?  He does look nice in the crown!

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On Saturday May 7, 2016 Churchill Downs will host the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby.  Early nominees for all 3 legs of the Triple Crown were due on 1/16/16.  Early nominees pay a fee of $600 while later nominees can enter until 3/21/16 but that fee is $6,000.  The fee jumps to a large sum of $200,000 if entered after that.  The deadline for the latest entry is 5/4/16.  Today, the 368 select 3 year-old Thoroughbreds were revealed.  Eclipse Award Juvenile Male, Nyquist, tops the list of contenders. He is owned by Reddam Racing, LCC.  His trainer is Doug F. O’Neill and his jockey is Mario Gutierrez.  He won twice at Santa Anita and twice at Del Mar prior to his BC win at Keeneland.  He had a nice workout at Santa Anita on 1/24/16.  Nyquist is preparing for the Saint Vincente Stakes on 2/15/16 at Santa Anita and he is a top nominee for the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds on 4/2/16.

368 nominees are considered low for an early selection.  Brody’s Cause, Mor Spirit, Greenpointcrusader, Mohaymen, Hit It A Bomb, Ralis and Swipe are some of the other early favorites.  Swipe is seen at the top of the second photo just barely losing to Nyquist at the BC races. Only 3 fillies were nominated.  These little ladies are Northwest Tale, Royal Obsession and Flora Dora.

On the road to the Kentucky Derby, Nyquist leads in points with a score of 30.  He is followed by Exaggerator, Brody’s Cause, Mor Spirit, Flexibility, Swipe, Mo Tom, Airoforce, Mohaymen and Greenpointcrusader for the top 10 of 20 available positions.  Urban Bourbon is nominated from Bourbon Lane Stable.

In regards to trainers, who have nominated horses, Bob Baffert leads with 35 entries.  He was the trainer for our 2015 Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah.  One of his entries this year is Southern Pharaoh, another colt sired by Pioneer of the Nile.  Todd Pletcher, Chad Brown, Mark Casse, D. Wayne Lukas (my favorite with 10 entries) and Mike Maker round out the top trainers, by number of entries.  Kellyn Gorder is entered with Torrontes.

Again we find the American Pharoah connection when we see the owners with the most entries.  It is Zayat Stables that owns 15 entries.  Zayat is followed by Calumet Farm, Charles Fipke and Keeneland’s biggest winners, Ken and Sarah Ramsey.

Following the Kentucky Derby, the 141st Preakness Stakes takes place on 5/21/16 and then the 148th running of the Belmont Stakes is on 6/11/16. The full list of nominees for the Triple Crown is available here: 2016 Triple Crown Nominees

These 100 days are going to be so exciting.  I love watching all of the prep races and the leaderboard on the road to the Kentucky Derby.  Who is your favorite?  Please, share this and share with me.

 

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Kisses for Chrome

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Happy New Year to all of you wonderful horse racing fans!  I hope that each of you have a safe and pleasant evening followed with good luck in all of 2016.  The New Year is a time to reflect on the past and plan for the future.  It is also a time for celebration and tradition.  I will be going to my same favorite bar and grill as I have done for 15 years now.  Many folks will exchange a kiss at the stroke of midnight.  As I think back on this year, I remember a very special kiss.  I stole a kiss from California Chrome!

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That’s right, I kissed Chrome this September.  I was advised after not to do so, by a staff member at Taylor Made Farm in KY, but I have zero regrets and I look forward to the day he retires to stud there and I might sneak another peck!  In fact I am very excited for the new year to see what the future has in store for California Chrome.

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Right after I saw Chrome twice in late September, which I covered in my story below, he shipped back to California in October and began training in November.  After healing his bruised cannon bone in Kentucky, that occurred sometime after his last race in March of 2015, he is just about ready to race again.  The plan for California Chrome appears that he will hopefully race January 9, 2016 at Santa Anita Park in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes for a $200,000 purse.  He may then ship to Dubai for another chance at the $10 million dollar Dubai World Cup at Meydan Grandstand and Racecourse on March 26, 2016.

Kentucky Chromasomes

Chrome has had seven workouts on dirt since 11/14/15.   All of these workouts were at the Los Alamitos Quarter Horse track in California.  His last workout was 12/27/15 and was 7 furlongs.  He is gradually running further.  This champ is the son of Lucky Pulpit and Love the Chase.  Chrome was born in 2011.  He has earned over $6 million dollars in his 18 career starts.  This horse has won 9 times, placed 3 times and showed once.  California Chrome is trained by Art Sherman.  He will use his regular jockey in Santa Anita.  The jockey is Triple Crown winner, Victor Espinoza.  Victor was the jockey when Chrome won the 1st 2 legs on the Triple Crown and then disappointingly came in 4th in the final race, the Belmont Stakes.  Chrome has raced 6 times at Santa Anita in California and has won 3 times there including graded stakes wins.  Chrome placed 2nd in the Dubai World Cup last March.  I am hopeful that in 2016 we will see him excel again.  He was the Eclipse Award winner in 2014 for both Horse of the Year and Champion 3 Year Old Colt.  It would be wonderful if 2016 brought him another Eclipse Award!

The 2015 Eclipse Award finalist will be announced at Gulfstream Park Racing and Casino in Florida on January 6, 2016.  Then the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters and the Daily Racing Form will together vote on the winners.  The winners will be announced at Gulfstream on 1/16/16.  Tickets can be purchased here: Eclipse Award.  The Eclipse Award, founded in 1971, is named for the successful race horse and sire from the 18th century, Eclipse.  These awards are given to both human and horse champions in the Thoroughbred racing industry.  This year there are 17 categories from which a winner will be named for each.

Happy New Year! Leave a comment on which horse you would like to smooch in 2016!  Tomorrow marks the birthday for all Thoroughbreds and for my blog, Thoroughbred U.

 

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Grand Slam? Yes, Ma’am!

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Above: American Pharoah leaves the race track for the last time, retiring to stud as a true champion.

We, the fans of horse racing, ask for the stars and American Pharoah delivers!  Other sports like tennis and baseball have a “Grand Slam” to finish their season and now, for the 1st time in history, so do we!  We waited 37 years to have a Triple Crown winner and the horse to do this was American Pharoah.  In 1984 the Breeders’ Cup Classic was created as the definitive race to highlight the year end champion of international racing.  Going in to this year’s Breeders’ Cup, we knew that we might have the 1st champ to win both the Triple Crown and the BC Classic.  We all waited eagerly and we got our Grand Slam!

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Above: American Pharoah draws the largest paddock crowd at Keeneland, in Lexington, KY, that I have ever seen.  My friends waited 4 hours or better to get a glimpse and it was difficult.

What a year to go with my passion and start blogging on the Thoroughbred industry.  I started the very first day of this year with my brand new computer from Christmas.  My experience has been one joy to the next.  I love the opportunity to share with all of you as others in the industry are so kind to share with me as well.  It has been an amazing year.  Watching American Pharoah’s career is a dream come true for racing fans.  He won the Kentucky Derby by a length, then the Preakness Stakes by 7 lengths and the Belmont Stakes by 5 and 1/2- lengths as fans wept for joy, many having seen such Triple Crown greatness for the 1st time in their lives.  Yesterday, 10/31/15, he won the BC classic in 2:00.07 by 6 and 1/2- lengths!

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Above: American Pharoah parades before taking post position 4 and then he blurs past me shortly after he breaks from the gate already in the lead.

The Breeders’ Cup Classic is a 1 and 1/4 mile race on the dirt with a purse of $5 million dollars.  American Pharoah was the 3-5 favorite to win and he did so beating Keeneland’s track record, for a race of this length, which was 2:05.36.   To learn more about American Pharoah and his connections check out the tags on my blog or read my post Fabulous Pharoah  Too see more of his great BC Classic win, watch this cool video IMG_2961 and see my photos below.

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Above: Victor Espinoza has no use for the whip.  He points at us, the fans, as he sails by the finish line and we can’t even see American Pharoah’s hooves touch the ground.  

Finally, thank you to all of my friends that got me great seats and photos and to Bob Baffert, American Pharoah’s trainer, Victor Espinoza, the amazing jockey, Ahmed Zayat, the owner, all of the fans, the industry employees and connections that helped to make history.  Also, a special thanks goes out to American Pharoah, the horse.  He has some character and true athleticism and passion.  He will retire tomorrow at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud, in Kentucky.  Let’s all hope he has a long happy life and sires many more champions like himself.  This is Espinoza’s 3rd BC win.  Baffert just won his 12th BC race.  The Zayat family is enjoying their 1st BC win.  In the BC Classic Effinex ran 2nd and Honor Code showed 3rd.  Stay tuned for a full Breeders’ Cup post on all of the other great races over the 2 day event.

 

 

 

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