Sharing with you my fascinating discoveries about Thoroughbred racing, sales, fashion, food, beverage, tips and more.
Welcome to the 143rd consecutive running of the Kentucky Derby! We have waited a long time to get to this historical moment and the time is upon us this weekend. Who will win The Run For The Roses?
Continue reading “Derby Digest”
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Happy Easter! We are less than 3 weeks shy of the 143rd running of the 2017 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. The final two prep races were held yesterday so we have come to the end of the road to the KY Derby. We now have our roster of eligible contenders in the Run for the Roses.
Continue reading “Roster for the Roses”
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Wake up sleepy heads! It is well worth being an early riser today. The Dubai World Cup (DWC) card starts at 7:45 A.M. EST on Saturday, 3/25/17! California Chrome represented the United States well last year when he romped in the DWC. Will Arrogate win for America in this year’s race? Which Thoroughbred will pick up 100 points on the road to the Kentucky Derby in the UAE Derby? The “richest day in racing” carries $30 million dollars in prize money and features 9 Group 1 and 2 races. This day of racing is every bit as delightful for me as my love for the University of Kentucky Wildcats is at NCAA tournament time. In Meydan today, we have March Madness!
Continue reading “Meydan March Madness”
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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!
Continue reading “Shake It Up Shackleford”
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With Kentucky Derby points up for grabs, who will grasp them in the Gotham? The Gotham Stakes, won by greats like Secretariat, takes place once again tomorrow. Ten thoroughbreds will face off to try to arrive at the top of the leaderboard on the road to the KY Derby.
Continue reading “Grasping the Gotham”
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At long last, there was a nice break in the Bluegrass winter that allowed me to get out and enjoy some of the top stallions that the Horse Capital of the World has to offer. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Darley at Jonabell Farm in Lexington, KY.
Continue reading “Dazzled by Darley”
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Photo: a picture from a print from the Keeneland Jockey Collector Series featuring Mike Smith. The series, released in 2005 and 2006, includes Pat Day, Jerry Baily, Edgar Prado, Robby Albarado and Craig Perret as well. I have all of the prints except the Albarado, darn!
Thoroughbred U is wholeheartedly dedicated to Sport of Kings. I have such a personal passion for the horses that I have a tendency to make the Thoroughbreds the focus. On the day when we remember Zenyatta’s retirement from racing I think it is an important moment to pay due respect to the jockey.
First a bit on Zenyatta, because I simply must. Zenyatta is a Kentucky bred mare born in 2004 to Street Cry and Vertigineux. Zenyatta won 4 Eclipse Awards and 19 of her 20 starts. She is a mare that won both the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic and was 1st and 2nd in the BC Classic itself. On November 17, 2010 she retired to the life of a broodmare at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky. Mike Smith was her jockey for 16 of her outstanding wins. Without further delay, let’s focus on a man behind the mare.
Michael Earl Smith was born in Roswell, New Mexico on 8/10/1965. His father was a jockey. Mike E. Smith took to the sport at a very young age and obtained his license to ride by the time he was only 15 years old. It didn’t take long until Smith was on the move, earning leading jockey titles nationally and additionally finding success overseas.
By 1992, Smith was a Breeders’ Cup winner. He won the BC Mile riding Lure in 1992 and 1993. Two BC wins are enough to impress me. After all, the BC is designed to be the World Champion event for Thoroughbred racing. Smith wasn’t stopping. He holds the record for BC wins now with 25 victories. He has won the BC Classic an outstanding 4 times, including this year’s ride on Arrogate. His BC Classic winners also include, Drosselmeyer, Zenyatta and Skip Away. Smith did so well at the BC this year, he received his third Bill Shoemaker Award, given to the jockey with the most BC points. Scoring provides 10 points to win, 5 to place, 3 to show and 1 point for fourth place. This year, Smith won the BC Dirt Mile with Tamarkuz, the BC Filly and Mare Sprint with Finest City and the BC Classic with Arrogate. Smith was 2nd in the BC Distaff with Songbird, in the BC Juvenile Filles with Coasted and the BC Sprint with Masochistic. He picked up his last 3 points, with a third place finish, in the BC Juvenile Fillies with American Girl.
Smith has won every leg of the Triple Crown. He has won internationally 4 times and there is talk he may be slated to head to Europe with Arrogate in 2017. Smith obtained his 5000th win in 2012, while on Eclipse Award 2011 Champion Sprinter, Amazombie. He is very selective of who he rides for now. He now has 5,360 wins in 32,674 starts. At 51 years old he is going strong.
Photo: From my visit to and story about Old Friends in September of 2015. BC Sprint winner, Amazombie, in the mask and Rapid Redux, who had 22 consecutive wins, thus more than Zenyatta.
Smith obtained his own Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Jockey in 1993 and 1994. 1994 also brought him an ESPY Award for Best Jockey. He holds several other honors and awards and in 2003 he was inducted into the National Museum and Hall of Fame.
Big Money Mike is his nickname due to his success in earnings. Mike E. Smith is entered in several races at Del Mar on 11/18 and 19. Will you bet him to be your money maker? I’ll be keeping my eye on him. He sure caught me by surprise with the romp over California Chrome in the BC Classic. Check back soon for more Thoroughbred related information!
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Undefeated in 2016, our happy boy, California Chrome, is preparing for the last “Cup”le races of his career. Chrome will race for the Breeders’ “Cup” and the Pegasus World “Cup” before retiring to stud.
California Chrome is the favorite to win the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Classic. Chrome has had an amazing career that has done so much for the Thoroughbred industry and for charity. California Chrome has only improved with time over his 5 year life span.
Chrome, also known as Junior, was foaled on 2/18/11. He was born of Lucky Pulpit and Love the Chase. Junior has won 15 of 24 career starts. He is trained by Art Sherman, and his jockey is Victor Espinoza. Bred by Perry Martin and Steve Coburn he is now owned by California Chrome, LLC.
Chrome has won many races and awards. In 2014, after winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, he was given Eclipse Awards for Horse of the Year and Champion 3 Year-Old Colt. He was 4th in the Belmont Stakes in 2014, thus missing a Triple Crown achievement. Chrome ran 3rd in the BC Classic in 2014 and he was recovering from a bruised cannon bone when BC15 took place. I had a couple of visits with him during the end of his recovery, at Taylor Made Farm, in Nicholasville, KY. Taylor Made is part of his current LLC. group of owners and it will be this farm that keeps him in his retirement.
California Chrome has won all 6 of his 2016 races. He won the San Pasqual Stakes, the Trans Gulf Electromechanical Trophy, the Dubai World Cup, the San Diego Handicap, the Pacific Classic Stakes and the Awesome Again Stakes.
I am very interested in California Chrome’s return to KY for two reasons. I will enjoy the ease of local visits and second I am so excited for Chrome babies. I won’t be attending BC16. I did take the week off from work. I’ll head out to see the races at The Red Mile, near home. Unfortunately, I have never seen Junior race live thus I want to slow down time and enjoy the last of his races. He has 2 to go with the BC Classic at Santa Anita in CA on 11/5/15 at PDT 5:35 PM (8:35 PM EST) and the first ever Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream in FL on 1/28/17.
While in CA, California Chrome and his connections are continuing to raise money for charity. Chrome is the richest Thoroughbred in North American history but he gives back too. Espinoza is a very charitable jockey. He generally gives up a percentage of his earning and when he won the Triple Crown last year on American Pharoah he gave all of his earnings away. Taylor Made is also generous with charity. They use Chrome power to raise money for multiple charities. Tomorrow they are allowing for a very nice “An Evening With Team California Chrome” where Perry Martin, Art Sherman, Frank Taylor and Victor Espinoza will all speak and donate all the money from the event to Thoroughbred Charities of America. Chrome has the influence to win the hearts of racing fans and to bring attention and funding to many works of charity.
Without further ado, here are the post positions for the Grade 1 BC16 Classic by post/horse/jockey/trainer:
The BC16 Classic is a dirt race of 1 and 1/4 miles (10 furlongs) with a $6,000,000 dollar purse for Thoroughbreds age 3 and upward. I wish all ten horses a safe ride and I will be pulling for Chrome to win.
Don’t miss a race. There are 13 Breeders’ Cup races in 2016. NBC and NBC Sports Network will cover them all. TVG will show select races. On Friday, 11/4, the Juvenile Turf posts at 2:25 PM PDT, the Dirt Mile at 3:05, the Fillies Turf at 3:50 and the Distaff at 4:35. On Saturday, 11/5, all posted in Pacific Time, is the 12:05 PM Juvenile Fillies, 12:45 Filly and Mare Turf, 1:21 Sprint, 2:05 Turf Sprint, 2:43 Sentient Jet Juvenile, 3:22 Longines Turf, 4:01 Filly and Mare Sprint, 4:40 Mile, and finally the 5:35 Classic. The NBC Sport Network will host a 3 hour show on Friday and a 6 and 1/2 hour program on Saturday. The Classic has a special show from 8 to 9 P.M. EST on NBC. Be careful to watch for variances in time zones!
Please, enjoy the last of California Chrome’s races and all of the 2016 Breeders’ Cup. If you are lucky enough to attend live, share a picture or a comment. Check back for results and more adventures.
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Turn a pity party into paradise! That’s what one trip to the world famous Kentucky Horse Park can do. I finished up a glorious Fall Meet at Keeneland Friday and Saturday which left me pining for more equine action today. Thus I headed out to the KY Horse Park. I wanted to see the progress on the Man o’ War statue at his final resting place.
Born on March 29, 1917 it will soon be time to celebrate the 100th year since this legendary horse was foaled. Man o’ War is one of the very best Thoroughbreds to ever race. “Big Red”, as he was affectionately named, won 20 of 21 career races. He was bred and born in Kentucky at Nursery Stud owned by August Belmont II. Man o’ War was sired by Fair Play, his dam was Mahubah. Man o’ War was sold to Samuel Riddle and lived at Glenn Riddle farm in Maryland. Big Red was trained by Louis Feustel. His jockeys were John P. Loftus and later, Clarence Kummer.
Man o’ War won the Eclipse Award for Champion 2 Year Old Colt in 1990 and 3 Year Old Colt in 1920. He won the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year in 1920 as well. He then retired to Faraway Farm in Lexington, KY and had a highly successful stud career, siring 62 graded stakes winners. His son, War Admiral, won the Triple Crown in 1937. War Admiral died on this very date, 10/30, in 1959. Before that, Man o’ War passed away 11/01/1947 of a heart attack. He was buried at Faraway and later moved to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY in 1977. Man o’ War was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1957. In many publications of Thoroughbred rankings, Big Red is listed as number 1.
When Man o’ War was exhumed his 3,000 pound bronze statue was moved with him. Herbert Haseltine created the bronze sculpture dated 1948 but commissioned as early as 1934. It sits on a marble base. Casting Arts and Technology is currently in the process of removing the original patina to restore the statue.
Man o’ War’s statue is still a beautiful site to behold even while it is a work in progress. The statue and his grave are in the Man o’ War Memorial area just beyond the main gate and to the left. Isaac Murphy, a famous jockey and several of Man o’ War’s descendants are buried there as well.
I really enjoyed my time at the Kentucky Horse Park this morning. I especially loved seeing the retired horses that live in the Hall of Champions and petting a sweet horse in a paddock on the property. Big Red’s statue should be restored any day now and the park is already preparing for their Southern Lights attraction which I posted about last December. I sure do miss Keeneland racing but I’m glad to have the Kentucky Horse Park open on most days annually. There is always something new to see. Check back soon as I post about the upcoming Breeders’ Cup.
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California Chrome is ready again to prove that he is the most awesome male in Thoroughbred racing today! Tomorrow, 10/1/16, Chrome will race in the Xpressbet Awesome Again Stakes. Chrome is undefeated in all 5 of his 2016 races and based on his recent workouts he is looking like every bit of the champ that will keep the wins coming. He is 5 at 5!
California Chrome is the flashy 5 year old son of Lucky Pulpit and Love The Chase. Chrome is a California bred Thoroughbred with some Kentucky connections. In 23 starts he has won 14 times. He won 2 of the 3 legs of the Triple Crown in 2014. He finished 3rd in the Breeders’ Cup Classic as a 3 year old, as well. Chrome earned 2 Eclipse Awards that same year, Horse of the Year and Champion 3 Year Old Colt. With 2 nice finishes at 2nd in 2015, Chrome traveled a bit and then got some rest and relaxation at Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky. That is where I visited him on 2 occasions. He will retire there soon to make beautiful Chrome babies. He is affectionately called Junior and he is both an amazing race horse and just a joy of an animal at the same time. He loves his cookies and hamming it up for the camera and his fans, even babies. Chrome will race in the Awesome Again Stakes, the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the Pegasus World Cup before he returns to his old Kentucky home, to stay.
One race at a time, California Chrome is focused on another win in the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Chrome calls nearby Los Alamitos Race Course his current home. His last race was 8/20/16 when he won the Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar. He has been resting and prepping nicely ever since then. He got in a fast 7 furlongs at Los Alamitos on 9/24/16. This morning he galloped and schooled at Santa Anita. All signs show, Chrome is at his best at age 5. It is worth noting that the Stronach group put up a $1 million dollar bonus for the connections of the horse that could sweep the Pacific Classic, the Awesome Again and the BC Classic. 1 down, 2 to go!
The Awesome Again Stakes was inaugurated as the Goodwood Breeders’ Cup Handicap in 1982. The Goodwood name came from England’s Goodwood Racecourse. In 2008 the race became the Goodwood Stakes. Named once again in 2012, it became the Awesome Again Stakes for Awesome Again, the horse that won the BC Classic in 2008. The race is 9 furlongs (1 and 1/8 mile) on the dirt for Thoroughbreds age 3 and up with a purse of $300,000. Some of my personal winners include Ferdinand and Silver Charm. Last year, Smooth Roller won. Posting at 3:37 P.M PDT (6:37 EST) , the Grade 1, Awesome Again Stakes is the 7th race on a card of 11. The first post is at 12:30 P.M. PDT. It is a Breeders’ Cup “Win And You’re In” berth race for the 2016 BC Classic. NBC will begin its television coverage at 5:30 P.M. EST. The preceding race, the G1 FrontRunner Stakes, brings a BC berth into the BC Juvenile Division race. Actually, every race from the 6th to the 10th is a BC berth. Those should be fun to watch and/or bet as well.
The field for the Awesome Again Stakes is as follows by post/horse/jockey/trainer/owner:
I’ll be pulling for California Chrome for his 6th straight win while I’m praying for a safe ride for all. I believe Chrome will be awesome again. My bet will be placed from Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY where I will be simulcasting and taking in some live racing. Mr. Z returns in race 9 at Churchill Downs tomorrow and I love him. He hasn’t raced since November, 2015. I will always remember the day I met Mr. Z, at D. Wayne Lukas’ barn, in the early morning hours and he gave my bestie a love bite on the arm. That is just too funny for me. Check back soon for more photos and commentary from my adventures and education in racing.
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