Thoroughbred Daily News

WinStar Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' Nashville (Speightstown) was represented by his first foal when a filly was born Monday, Jan. 8, at Maryland's Murmur Farm. Bred by Wasabi Ventures Stables LLC, Robert Angelo, Terry Schuck and Greenspring Mares, the filly is the first foal from Maryland-bred stakes winner Why Not Tonight (Tapiture).

“She's a leggy, correct filly with plenty of quality, and we are ecstatic with her as the first foal out of Wasabi's first stakes winner,” said George Adams of Housatonic Bloodstock. “We'll be breeding multiple mares back to Nashville this year.”

The brilliantly fast Nashville won his maiden by 11 1/2 lengths at first asking at Saratoga, covering 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:14.48 and followed up with an equally dominating allowance win at Keeneland before winning the 2020 Perryville S. in 1:07.89, a time significantly faster against the clock than that of the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint (1:08.61). He also won a Fair Grounds allowance in 1:08.61 in 2022, the fastest time at the six-furlong distance in over two years.

“We are thrilled to receive the first live foal report for Nashville,” said Elliott Walden, president, CEO, and racing manager of WinStar Farm. “He was extremely well received in his first season at stud in 2023 and he will be very busy again in 2024. With the recent loss of our beloved Speightstown, news of Nashville's first foal has brought plenty of smiles around WinStar.”

Having bred 204 mares in his first year at stud in 2023 and with his in-foal mares fetching up to $850,000, Nashville is standing the upcoming breeding season at a fee of $15,000 S & N.

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Headley Bell has run Nicoma Bloodstock for 40 years, planning matings for clients at his Mill Ridge Farm and beyond. “It's like being an artist,” says Bell. “You're crafting, and planning matings is part of that whole creation.” Bell said he uses various tools for his matings, including TDN's statistics on percentages of black type to foals, mare produce records, five-cross pedigrees, and examines patterns of broodmare sires with certain families. Finally, he takes physical traits of mares into consideration to determine, he said, “who that mare really is.” He does the same with sires. Bell then grades his clients' mares into A,B, and C categories, values them, and tries to find a stud fee of around one-fifth the value of the mare.
He shared matings with six Nicoma clients in a conversation with the TDN, which we share here.

JAMM LIMITED
This is the Tolie Otto family, and we raced Keeper Hill together. Sadly, Tolie died this year, but her daughter Audie has been running it for several years now, and they have four mares with us.

Justaroundmidnight (Ire), 17, Danehill Dancer (Ire)—Strategy (GB), by Machiavellian. To be bred to Up To The Mark.This is a mare that we bought back in 2012, and we bred Duopoly from her, who was a Group 1 winner by Animal Kingdom. She had a lovely Omaha Beach yearling that we sold this year, and she's currently not in foal, but we've chosen Up to the Mark with this mare. I didn't know the horse until the end of the year like most people probably because that's when he really did his thing, but he really was brilliant. And I believe Not This Time and Liam's Map are going to have a lot of influence, and this is a good son of Not This Time. And obviously, he ran on the grass, and it's a good pedigree blend that blends well with this mare, a first-year stallion. She's a commercial breeder, this is a Group 1-producing mare and it's a good value point.

Smart Shopping, 10, Smart Strike—Shop Again, by Wild Again. To be bred to Life Is Good.
We bought her dam, Shop Again, some years ago, and she was a foundation mare for the Ottos. And this is her 2013 daughter by Smart Strike that Ms. Otto raced, who was trained by Brendan Walsh. She showed form and we thought she was an Oaks filly, but she ended up injuring herself. Her first two foals are stakes-caliber, and show some quality. This is a foundation-replacing mare for Audie, and she's currently in foal to Life is Good. Life is Good and Flightline are the best two horses I've seen for a long time.

She's in foal to Life is Good and we're going to repeat the mating, not just because it's Life is Good, but, it blends very well with this particular mare and we pick up a lot of features that we like in that combined pedigree blend. And that's really all you can do, is try to put enough good ingredients into the stew and get lucky. Because the reality is that you don't look like your brother or your sister, and the idea to think that you can replicate something is not realistic. So you try to put as many things as you can into the stew, and that's what Life is Good, for me, does. So we're sending her foundation mare back to Life is Good.

NANCY DILLMAN
Nancy Dillman is a dear friend a client for 40 years. She bred Diminuendo from the first crop of Diesis (GB), and we bred Havre de Grace together.

Mademoiselle Coco, 11, Medaglia d'Oro—Easter Brunette, by Carson City. To bred to Cody's Wish.

She's a half-sister to Havre de Grace, and this family has always bred a little small, and so we want to try to put a little size into her, if we can. She's currently in foal to Essential Quality and has an Essential Quality '23 foal as well. We had obviously great luck with Havre de Grace and Nancy likes first-year stallions whenever possible. She's a commercial breeder, and so we're breeding her back to Cody's Wish. Again, it's a pedigree blend with Medaglia d'Oro and the Mr. Prospector line works well with other things within that family, and Cody's Wish is a brilliant horse.

Seastone, 7, Cairo Prince—Church By The Sea, by Harlan's Holiday. To be bred to Epicenter.
She's a half-sister to Significant Form. She has a Maxfield 2023 foal and is in foal to Epicenter, who is a son of Not This Time. We like that blend. And so we're going to go back to Epicenter with Seastone.

JERRY AND JOHN AMERMAN
The Amermans breed to race, one of those rare items today. And they've really built their entire program, of which there are about 10 mares now, off of two foundation mares–a mare called Miss Chapin, who's a very good producing mare, and then Devine Actress, who's the Dam of Oscar Performance and Oscar Nominated, among others.

Dream Fuhrever, 14, Langfuhr—Society Dream (Fr), by Akarad (Fr). To be bred to Oscar Performance.
One of the mares that I'm suggesting for Oscar Performance is the dam of Endlessly (Oscar Performance), who is a granddaughter of Miss Chapin. She's by Langfuhr, so the Northern Dancer line. Endlessly was the top two-year-old by Oscar Performance who was three-for-three before running in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and ended up being beaten three lengths there after going off as one of the favorites in that race. But breeding back Dream Fuhrever to Oscar Performance is a natural thing to do. You had to get lucky the first time, and we did.

Catch the Eye, 8, Quality Road—Turns My Head (Ire), by Montjeu. To be bred to Oscar Performance.
Another is a 2016 Quality Road mare by the name of Catch the Eye, who's from a European family, a Montjeu mare from the family of Egyptian Queen.  She has a '23 Caravaggio foal and is in foal to Oscar Performance. Quality Road has done well with Oscar Performance, it seems, and so we're breeding her back to Oscar Performance.

CLOVER HILL FARM
Sadly, we lost Lynn Schiff whom I'd been working with for 15 years or so, and her daughter, Maggie Gieseke, now runs the operation. Mom (Alice Chandler) was a magnet for women because she was such a strong woman herself, and so a lot of our clients are women, which is fantastic. Clover Hill bred the Breeders' Cup winner Ria Antonia and has about five mares. They're commercial breeders. And a few years ago, while Lynn was still with us in 2017, we bought three mares, and two of which have really worked out very well.

Wild Silk, 11, Street Sense—Spun Silk, by A.P. Indy. To be bred to Cody's Wish.
One of those three mares is Wild Silk. We paid $70,000 for her, and she is the dam of Red Carpet Ready, by Oscar Performance, who has earned nearly $600,000. She is a daughter of Street Sense, but also has a blend of Wild Again in the family and she provided a Hyperion-line blend of pedigree that crosses so beautifully with Oscar Performance and really crosses beautifully with Kitten's Joy through Lear Fan. We've gone back to Oscar Performance a couple of times. She is in foal to Liam's Map now, and Not This Time and Liam's Map are very strong sources that I'm using quite a bit. They're going to go to Cody's Wish with this mare. She can use some size and blend-wise, we're happy with that.

Maya Princess, 11, Street Sense—Hartfelt, by Kafwain. To be bred to Jack Christopher.
Here is another daughter of Street Sense and we bought her in foal to Ghostzapper in 2017. We were very fortunate that she produced a beautiful Ghostzapper that Phil Bauer and Richard Rigney bought and named Mariah's Princess, who earned $250,000 as her first foal. She has an Essential Quality filly foal and is in foal to Charlatan and is going to Jack Christopher. They are commercial breeders. Charlatan was a brilliant horse, and again, provides a pedigree blend, and Jack Christopher also is a brilliant horse. And we would just as soon not be in a sire's first book. I said that Nancy Dillman wants to be in the first year, but I don't mind being in another year, because if you believe in the horse, it's worth the gamble, really, because you're not up there against 200 other foals.

FRANK GARRISON
Frank Garrison is an old college friend who owns a couple of mares together with us, and is godfather to Price. These are ones we share.

Humor Me Dixie, 6, Distorted Humor—Dixie City, by Dixie Union. To be bred to Oscar Performance.
Humor Me Dixie is a mare that we bought in 2020 with an outstanding blend of family. Distorted Humor is a great broodmare sire with the El Prado/Medaglia d'Oro line in particular. She's in foal to Upstart, and we are going to breed her to Oscar Performance. The Hyperion line that you're picking up through Oscar Performance, I think will blend well and add some size to the mare.

Proximity Bias, 8, Flatter—Sidle, by Seeking the Gold. To be bred to Liam's Map.
We bought this mare in 2016 from a family I'm very fond of, the Stroll family, which I think is a very tough family. We bought her in foal to Practical Joke in '20 and sold that Practical Joke to Steve Asmussen, and he's made her a stakes winner of $150,000 for which we're most appreciative. And she has a '23 Oscar Performance and in foal to Oscar Performance and is going back to Liam's Map.

BYRON NIMOCKS
Byron Nimocks is from Rye, New York and is fairly new to the business. We share five mares together, and last year was the first time we bought any mares.

Patna, 5, Into Mischief—Barbadia, by Speightstown. To be bred to Blame.
Most importantly, she is from the Willstar family of Juddmonte's, which is one of their foundation families. And it has Nureyev in it, and I can't get enough of Nureyev. Theatrical is by Nureyev, which is Oscar Performance's broodmare sire. She was a maiden at the time we bought her, and we bred her to Twirling Candy. We're going to go to Blame this year. Chris McGrath described Blame so well in his Value Sires, and we believe he is a value sire also, and we're going to go to Blame and see if we can breed a race horse.

Tea Olive, 5, First Samurai—Conquest Superstar, by Super Saver. To be bred to Aloha West.
We bought this mare last year as a maiden. Gatewood (Bell) had bought her as a yearling. Gatewood's a second cousin and worked with me at Nicoma for a while. It was in the slop at Keeneland, but she beat Gunite in her first start, which I thought was pretty impressive. She earned about a $100,000. We had bred her to Speaker's Corner. Unfortunately, she aborted. And we're going to come back to Aloha West. For us, we believe that Aloha West resembles his broodmare sire, Speightstown, more than his sire Hard Spun. He gives you a great pedigree blend with the Hard Spun–some Danzig, some Gone West, and some A. P. Indy. He was a very fast horse, obviously. He won the Breeders' Cup Sprint. And we're excited about his future and we're going to send what we believe is an exciting mare to him in Tea Olive.

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A total of 416 entries have been received for the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale to be held at the auction house's Newtown Paddocks complex Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 5 and 6, 2024. Bidding begins each morning at 10 a.m. ET.

The first 300 horses will be offered during the Monday session, while hips 301 and through the conclusion of the supplemental catalogue will sell Tuesday.

“Positioned right before the start of breeding season, Kentucky Winter Mixed annually offers a healthy and active marketplace,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “We have an attractive group of racing and broodmare prospects catalogued, and good quality and depth among the covering sire and yearling sire ranks.”

Entries remain open for the supplemental catalogue and Fasig-Tipton will accept additional entries over the next few weeks.

“We have a good number of supplemental entries already in the pipeline and we encourage sellers to consider additional entries- especially horses with a significant pedigree or racing update in the coming weeks,” noted Browning.

The Winter Mixed Catalogue is available for viewing online. Print catalogues will be available beginning Jan. 15 and the catalogue will also be available via the Equineline sales catalogue app.

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The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) has launched #LoveofTheHorse, a social media promotion in conjunction with the 53rd annual Eclipse Awards. The promotion encourages fans and enthusiasts to share photos of themselves that demonstrate their connection and love of the equine.

Participants are encouraged to use the hashtags #LoveOfTheHorse and #EclipseAwards and tag NTRA on Facebook, X and Instagram. The NTRA will share many of the contributions and a few will be featured during the Eclipse Award ceremonies Thursday, Jan. 25 from The Breakers Palm Beach, hosted by Britney Eurton, Acacia Courtney Clement and Nick Luck.

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Having been announced as one of the newest members of the stallion roster at Darley Japan, Palace Malice remained in a rich vein of form with his young progeny, as US-bred Noble Roger was given a perfect steer by Yuga Kawada to take out Monday's G3 Shinzan Kinen at Kyoto. It was the sire's second pattern winner in the last month, adding to the success of the American-conceived, but Japanese-foaled Jantar Mantar (Jpn) in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity.

Looking to build on a smart debut victory going a mile at Tokyo Nov. 12, the $70,000 OBS April juvenile settled back in the field as they went a good gallop on the pointy end. Slipped a bit of rein on the turn, Noble Roger crept into contention while securing a clear, albeit deep, run around the turn and had every conceivable chance five wide into the lane. Popped the question by Kawada in the straight, Noble Roger responded in kind, outfinishing favored Ecoro Bloom (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) to score comfortably. Water Licht (Jpn) (Drefong) was up for third at cricket-score odds.

“It was quite difficult at times, but I think it was a race that showed his high level of ability,” Kawada told Netkeiba. “I was able to find a spot in the middle of the pack and built the race from there. Everyone has been using the inside [of the track] since opening day, so I deliberately chose the outside here. I am glad this horse has become a stakes winner.”

The 14-year-old Palace Malice, winner of the GI Belmont S. over a mile and four furlongs and the GI Metropolitan H. going eight furlongs, is now the sire of 12 black-type winners, six at the graded/group level.

Everett Dobson's Candy Meadows purchased Noble Roger's dam for $180,000 as a foal at the 2014 Keeneland November Sale and raced her to a pair of victories and three placings in black-type company. Noble Ready is a full-sister to Grade II winner Zindaya, the dam of the outstanding multiple graded stakes-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), Godolphin's 3-year-old filly Regal Gallery (Ire) (Frankel {GB})–a 450,000gns TATOCT yearling–and a 2-year-old sister to Carl Spackler that made the same amount from A.C. Elliott, agent, at Tattersalls last October. Noble Ready is a half-sister to Western Aristocrat (Mr. Greeley), who won the 2011 GI Jamaica H. in New York for Jeremy Noseda and is now a leading sire in India.

Noble Ready is the dam the 2-year-old colt Sock It to Me (Violence), a $50,000 purchase at last year's Keeneland September Sale, and was sold to Saudi Arabian interests for $25,000 in foal to Mystic Guide at last year's Keeneland November Sale.

父の仕事始めを控えまた新たに
孝行息子がその名を上げる#ノーブルロジャー#川田将雅#シンザン記念
父パレスマリスは2024年度から日本で供用。同産駒にジャンタルマンタル。https://t.co/NckxvYYsye pic.twitter.com/IpuaSsT3B2

— netkeiba (@netkeiba) January 8, 2024

Monday, Kyoto, Japan
NIKKAN SPORTS SHO SHINZAN KINEN-G3, ¥78,230,000, Kyoto, 1-8, 3yo, 1600mT, 1:34.50, gd/fm.
1–NOBLE ROGER, 126, c, 3, by Palace Malice
1st Dam: Noble Ready (MSP), by More Than Ready
2nd Dam: Aristocratic Lady, by Kris S.
3rd Dam: American Dynasty, by Quiet American
1ST STAKES WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. ($70,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Normandy Thoroughbred Racing; B-Candy Meadows LLC (KY); T-Tatsuya Yoshioka; J-Yuga Kawada; ¥41,651,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, ¥48,851,000. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ecoro Bloom (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Daiwa Major (Jpn)–Sugar Shock, by Candy Ride (Arg). (¥84,000,000 Ylg '22 JRHAJUL). O-Masatoshi Haramura; B-Northern Farm; T-Yukihiro Kato; J-Christophe Lemaire; ¥16,186,000.
3–Water Licht (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Drefong–Water Peony (Jpn), by Victoire Pisa (Jpn). O-Masato Yamaoka; B-Fushikida Farm; T-Hiroshi Kawachi; J-Hideaki Miyuki; ¥10,093,000.
Margins: 1.1/4, HD, HF. Odds: 3.90, 1.80, 206.60.
Click for the JRA chart.

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Maggie Sweet has been named the new chief operating officer of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF), the Saratoga-based operation announced Monday.

“We are thrilled to welcome Maggie Sweet to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation as our new Chief Operating Officer,” said Patrick H. Mackay, Chairman of the Board of Directors at TRF. “Maggie's desire to support equine welfare, coupled with her extensive leadership experience, will undoubtedly contribute to the continued success and growth of our organization. Her skills and enthusiasm align seamlessly with our commitment to providing a dignified retirement for these magnificent animals.”

Sweet served the Todd Pletcher Racing Stables in a variety of roles for over a quarter-century, most recently as its COO, a position from which she stepped down in September 2023.

As COO, Sweet will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the organization, implementing strategic initiatives, and fostering collaborative relationships with stakeholders and donors.

“I am honored to join the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and be part of an organization that is making a significant impact in the lives of retired racehorses,” said Sweet. “I look forward to working with the talented team at the TRF and contributing to the ongoing success of their vital mission.”

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The Coolmore team went to $1.6 million to secure the broodmare prospect Prank (Into Mischief–Callingmissbrown, by Pulpit) (hip 77) during Monday's first session of the Keeneland January sale. The 4-year-old bay, a half-sister to GI Belmont S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following a scintillating debut victory at Saratoga in 2022, but was injured and never raced again. She was consigned to the sale by Gainesway, which campaigned her in partnership with LNJ Foxwoods and StarLadies Racing.

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The third annual 'Art of Racing', an annual partnership between 1/ST, the Maryland Jockey Club and the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) announced the launch of its 2024 program Monday.

The 'Art of Racing' commemorates the Preakness S., and beginning Monday and continuing through Mar. 11, artists nationwide may submit their original, two-dimension visual art celebrating the second leg of the Triple Crown.

In the past two years, more than 300 entries from 19 states have been received each depicting different elements of Thoroughbred racing as reflected in the Preakness. The public is encouraged to take part in the open voting phase from Mar. 12 to Mar. 26 to cast their vote for their favorite piece of art.

The winning artist will be awarded a $4,000 prize and two tickets to Preakness 149 on Saturday, May 18. In addition, their work will be reproduced on a curated collection of Preakness 149 merchandise that will be available for purchase online and onsite during Preakness weekend. Proceeds from merchandise sales will be directed–for the third consecutive year–to the Park Heights Renaissance, a non-profit organization pursuing employment opportunities and affordable housing for Park Heights residents.

“As we kick off the third-annual Art of Racing competition, we're thrilled to invite artists nationwide to capture the Preakness Stakes through their unique perspectives,” said Audra Madison, Director of Marketing, Maryland Jockey Club. “Once again, we look forward to blending artistic achievement with the vibrant world of Thoroughbred horse racing.”

The winner of last year's competition was Justin Johnson, a Baltimore-based artist, whose original illustration titled “The Face of Victory” was selected from among the 207 total submissions.

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An online community meeting for members will be hosted by the Board of Directors of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) on Thursday, Jan. 11 at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the reports recently released on behalf of the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA).

The MTROA has been examining options for the future of the Thoroughbred racing and breeding in the state, specifically facilities and operating models. The reports are to be considered by the Maryland General Assembly, which begins its 2024 legislative session Jan. 10.

MTROA Chair Gregory Cross and Alan Foreman, a member of the Board of the MTROA, will make presentations and field questions from attendees.

Registration is required. Join-in instructions will be provided by email following registration.

Read T.D. Thornton's Week In Review for further analysis.

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Jockey Edwin Maldonado sustained a shoulder injury during training hours on Saturday and is expected to be out for the next two to three weeks, his agent Tony Matos told the Santa Anita notes team.

Maldonado, 41, was injured when he was unseated from his mount on the track. He was sent to a local hospital to be assessed and was later released.

“We have an appointment tomorrow and will know more then. But right now it sounds like it will be about two to three weeks,” Matos said.

Through Friday's action, Maldonado had recorded six victories from 15 rides thus far during the Classic Meet at Santa Anita. He is the regular rider of Spendthrift Farm's Ruby Nell (Bolt d'Oro), who he has piloted to wins in the Unzip Me S. back in October and the Dec. 31 Lady of Shamrock S.

Maldonado has been riding professionally since 2002. He has won 1,544 races while banking more than $53.7 million in purse earnings according to Equibase statistics. Maldonado was scheduled on four mounts for Sunday's nine-race card.

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A combination of snow, rain and freezing temperatures over the course of the weekend prompted officials at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, to cancel Sunday's live racing program after the opening race of the afternoon.

“At Oaklawn, the safety of our equine and human athletes will always take priority,” said track president Louis Cella. “In consultation with our jockeys, horsemen, and outside engineers, we chose to cancel the remainder of the card so that we can prepare for next week's racing, highlighted by Saturday's Mockingbird S.”

Racing is expected to resume next Friday, Jan. 12, with a scheduled first post of 12:30 p.m. CT.

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5th-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 1-7, 3yo, 5f (AWT) (off turf), :56.20, ft, 2 1/4 lengths.
KING JULIEN (c, 3, Kingman {GB}–Deer Valley {SW, $180,910}, by Speightstown) received some support at 5-1 while debuting for trainer Brian Lynch in a 5 1/2-furlong test over the Saratoga sod last August, but faded to finish a well-beaten seventh. Sent off the 2-1 second choice while getting blinkers on for his off-turf Tapeta debut, the dark bay prompted favored Bourbon Boss (Street Boss) through a snappy opening quarter in :21.78. Inching into the lead approaching the far turn, the colt maintained the tempo turning for home, dispensed of the pesky Bourbon Boss in the stretch and came home a comfortable 2 1/4-length winner. Having failed to produce a live foal over the past two seasons, Deer Valley was bred to Good Magic in 2023. She is a half-sister to Grade I-winning Crisp (El Corredor), who in turn is the dam of Japanese Derby (Dirt) victor Danon Pharoah (American Pharoah). The winner is a half to Wide West (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), SW, $105,185. Sales history: $300,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $42,788. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuelTV.
O-Boardshorts Breeding and Racing; B-Glen Hill Farm (KY); T-Brian A. Lynch.

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According to a report by Marcus Hersh of the Daily Racing Form, Two Emmys (English Channel), the winner of the 2021 GI Mr. D. S., suffered a fatal injury during a workout Sunday morning at the Fair Grounds.

Two Emmys was a newly turned 8-year-old.

Hersh broke the news on X, writing “Confirmed tragic news circulating that Two Emmys was euthanized this morning after breaking his leg during a workout. Per trainer H Robertson the fracture occurred the knee, very unusual, & likely happened after another horse “bounced him off the fence” in upper stretch.”

At deadline for this story a call to trainer Hugh Robertson seeking additional information had not been returned.

Hersh also wrote that James Graham was aboard for the workout and took off his Sunday mounts because of overall soreness.

Two Emmys was the type of blue-collar horse that becomes a fan favorite. He was bought for $4,500 at the 2017 Keeneland September Sale. He went on to win eight race and earn $985,083. His most recent win came in the Dec. 23 Buddy Diliberto S. at the Fair Grounds. His graded stakes wins included the GIII Fair Grounds S. and the GII Muniz Memorial Classic S.

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It was a good day at the office Saturday for the Brad Cox barn, as it swept the two added-money features on the card at Aqueduct.

Gold Square LLC's Drum Roll Please (Hard Spun) stamped his authority on the $150,000 Jerome S., scoring by 3 3/4 lengths over a track that produced very slow times all afternoon. The $250,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling was awarded a Beyer Speed Figure of 80 after stopping the clock in 1:41.91 and plans call for the chestnut, a latest third to Dornoch (Good Magic) and 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) in the GII Remsen S. Dec. 2, to remain in New York with his next start likely to come in the nine-furlong GIII Withers S. Feb. 3.

“He's lightly raced and the experience he gained yesterday was the main thing,” said Cox's Belmont-based assistant Dustin Dugas. “After Javier won on him [maiden victory over the Jerome course and distance Oct. 6], he was really excited about him and even after the Remsen, he said he would make the trip to ride him again. He really fits the horse well.”

Dugas said the longer the better for Drum Roll Please.

“The way he trains, it seems like he's the type who can go all day,” said Dugas. “He's a chunk and he's a fun horse. He's always been spunky in the mornings.”

Godolphin homebred Comparative (Street Sense) made it a clean sweep for the stable in the Ladies' S. later on the program. The full-sister to MGSW Shared Sense earned her first black-type victory by covering the mile-and-an-eighth distance in 1:55.83.

“I like her a lot and she's such a cool filly,” said Dugas. “She's happy to train and loves to do it. I'm not sure where she'll go next. Brad will talk with Godolphin and review it with them and go from there.”

Dugas was highly complimentary of the ride Manny Franco put on Comparative.

“Manny fits her so well, and he's such a strong rider,” said Dugas. “She needs that. She's a very nice filly, but she needs a strong, special rider. You always heard everyone talk on the backstretch about how strong Manny is, but I think everyone is noticing now. He's shining.”

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Achieving the mark of 'TDN Rising Star' means that you have done something out of the ordinary. Though he may have been green at the start of Aqueduct's fourth race on a slop-filled Sunday afternoon, by the time it was over, Crimson Light (c, 3, City of Light–Crimson Frost, by Stormy Atlantic) proved he earned the title. The colt definitely fit the mold when he came back from a seemingly insurmountable distance to graduate.

The Todd Pletcher trainee debuted with Lasix as the even-money choice here, but he hopped so badly at the start that he spotted the field at least 15 lengths. With Kendrick Carmouche aboard, the bay steadily began to pick up steam into the far turn even though the cameras were focused on the leaders. Rolling from the back of the pack, the bay moved to the center of the course down the lane, briefly was bumped by Shore Time (Not This Time), but was able to get up in the shadow of the wire. A claim of foul by Shore Time's rider was dismissed by the stewards and the result stood.

Crimson Light is his dam's first offspring, but he does have a 2-year-old unraced half-brother named Guns and Ships (Gun Runner), who was purchased for $310,000 by Greg Tramontin at Keeneland September. Crimson Frost initially went to S.F. Henderson for $10,000 at '15 Keeneland September before selling to Amy Moore for $250,000 at the '20 Keeneland November Sale while the winner was in-utero.

This is the fourth 'Rising Star' for sire City of Light, with the last being GISW Fierceness, who is a Eclipse Award finalist for the 2-Year-Old Colt category.

4th-Aqueduct, $70,000, (S), Msw, 1-7, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 1:22.04, sy, head.
CRIMSON LIGHT, c, 3, by City of Light
1st Dam: Crimson Frost (MSW & GSP, $476,278), by Stormy Atlantic
2nd Dam: Rock Jasmine, by Horse Chestnut (SAf)
3rd Dam: Ski Racer (Fr), by Ski Chief
Sales History: $280,000 Ylg '22 SARAUG. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $38,500.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Whisper Hill Farm, LLC; B-South Gate Farm (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

WOW! #1 CRIMSON LIGHT ($4.20) veered in after the break, hit the rail, and was well out of it early. The debut runner was still at the back of the field heading into the stretch, but absolutely flew down the lane to get up in time to win the 4th at Aqueduct. pic.twitter.com/5Zz6h7fh6Z

— TVG (@TVG) January 7, 2024

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'The Week in Review', by T.D. Thornton

A few items that stand out after sifting through Friday's “Pimlico Plus” report issued by the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA). The ambitious $400-million plan, which is subject to legislative approval, re-imagines the state's racing consolidated at one publicly funded track in Baltimore, the closure of Laurel Park, the construction of a new training facility in the state, and 1/ST Racing and Gaming ceding control of day-to-day Maryland racing to a non-profit entity.

Triple Crown traditionalists who are already in a tizzy about the GI Belmont S. needing to relocate to Saratoga Race Course and change its distance for 2024 because of the complete overhaul of Belmont Park had better brace for a radically nomadic renewal the sport's signature series in 2025.

If the proposed re-imagining of Pimlico Race Course gets green-lighted by the Maryland legislature as per the MTROA's desired timetable, and if the New York Racing Association (NYRA) confirms the expected Belmont-at-Saratoga festival again for next year, the 2025 series of spring Classics could feature the GI Kentucky Derby run per usual at Churchill Downs, followed by the GI Preakness S. at Laurel Park (the placeholder host during Pimlico's reconstruction), and the Belmont S. at Saratoga for the second season in a row (at the truncated distance of 10 furlongs because NYRA doesn't want to start what is traditionally a 12-furlong race on the Spa's far turn).

Even assuming that a modernized Belmont Park is ready to take back its namesake stakes in 2026, the Maryland time frame still has Pimlico's construction ongoing through at least that year, meaning the earliest return to Triple Crown normalcy, in terms of host tracks and race distances, could be 2027.

In addition, the 150th running of the Preakness will occur in 2025, but the festivities will likely be muted because of the temporary move. The anniversary will certainly be recognized, but don't expect a Preakness-at-Laurel celebration to have the same cachet Churchill will enjoy this year when it unveils long-planned facility upgrades and partners with the city of Louisville for an extended Derby 150 bash. It will be tough for whoever controls the rights to the Preakness to take advantage of the historical hoopla associated with its big anniversary if the race gets moved to temporary digs 28 miles south of Baltimore.

The Preakness is only one day, but the turf racing season in Maryland usually lasts for more than six months. Consolidating racing at Pimlico will mean limiting grass racing to one smaller course that won't get much of a break during the sweltering summer months.

    When Laurel's expanded turf course opened in 2005, it was billed as a game-changer for Maryland racing, and it has proven to be an investment that paid off handsomely in terms of delivering more grass opportunities, boosting field sizes and generating handle.

While Pimlico's existing (and proposed new) turf course is seven furlongs in circumference, roughly the same as Laurel's (seven furlongs and 254 feet), the key difference is width–Pimlico's existing/proposed width will remain at 70 feet according to the MTROA report, while Laurel's is a generous 142 feet wide, allowing for the ability to move portable rails out 17, 35, 53, 70 and 87 feet to provide six different running lanes.

Just last month, the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) issued a press release that underscored how the “Laurel turf is integral not only to the Maryland racing product but the overall mid-Atlantic racing product.”

According to the MTHA's count, in 2023 Laurel ran 273 turf races, the most since 2019 and the highest number among all racetracks in the mid-Atlantic region. Average field size for the course was 9.2 horses per race over six-plus months of usage, while the average field size for dirt races at Laurel between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30 was only 6.8.

Pimlico, which conducted short meets in May/June and September 2023, ran 72 grass races, giving Maryland access to 345 in-state turf events. But the actual number of turf races at Pimlico isn't as important as the break its meets afford Laurel's course, which had shown signs of strain in previous years when Pimlico didn't run during the summer.

Pimlico's ability to carry on Maryland's reputation as a strong grass-racing state is dubious given the course's size and a calendar that will give it a summer break only when the Timonium fair is in session at the end of August and early September.

The turf course at Colonial Downs is 180 feet wide and 180 miles south of Pimlico. Over the course of a 27-date 2023 summer meet, the Virginia track ran 213 turf races, the second-highest in the region, according to the MTHA's numbers.

To Maryland, Colonial looms as a horse-siphoning threat in both the short term (for the several years Laurel will race almost non-stop while Pimlico gets rebuilt) and over the long term, when Pimlico takes over with a turf course that isn't as expansive or versatile as the one it's replacing.

Whether Pimlico's main track and turf course remain in their existing locations or get rotated to better fit within the redesigned property's footprint (both options are outlined by the MTROA), one of the report's “Guiding Principles” states that “The dirt track shall be engineered to be 'synthetic-ready' allowing the quick and economical transition from dirt cushion to a synthetic cushion.” The proposed new training facility is also supposed to have this “synthetic ready” infrastructure in place.

Wanting both Pimlico and Maryland's new training center to have the option of switching over from dirt to a synthetic surface in the future seems to be a good idea from a planning perspective, because it's unknown at this point if a federal mandate requiring synthetics might be in the pipeline from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act Authority. But claiming that having such infrastructure is going to position Maryland to be able to “quickly and economically” pivot from one surface to the other understates the difficulty of taking on this sort of after-the-fact conversion.

More than two decades of synthetic-surface history in North America has shown that making a switch is, by its very nature, neither fast nor cheap.

When Woodbine Racetrack changed from Polytrack to Tapeta during the winter of 2015-16, the work took three months, was purposely scheduled for the offseason, and had to include a settling-in period before horses were allowed on it. Turfway Park made the same surface switch in 2020, but had the luxury of an April-to-November time window between race meets to get the project done properly. To a certain degree, both those tracks were “synthetic ready” because they were switching from Polytrack to Tapeta. The cost for each project was measured in seven digits.

Can you imagine if “Pimlico Plus” reopened in 2027 with a dirt surface, and at some point soon after that the entity running the operation decided Maryland's only racing venue needed to cease racing for a while in order to switch over to synthetic?

By all means, build the base and its infrastructure to the best possible standards with a focus on safety. But if a synthetic surface is in Pimlico's future, decide on that right from the outset without making it seem like a subsequent change from dirt could realistically be “quickly and economically” accomplished.

When Laurel closed for five months in 2021 to replace its main dirt track with an entirely new dirt surface, Maryland racing had Pimlico to fall back on so racing on the circuit wouldn't go dark. If Pimlico becomes the state's sole Thoroughbred track, there will be no Plan B for Maryland racing if it needs to repair or switch surfaces.

The post ‘Pimlico Plus’ Concerns: Roving Preakness, Future Of Turf Racing, Synthetic Readiness appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale begins Monday in Lexington and continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m. Following on the heels of an apparently softening market at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale two months ago, consignors expect to see that all-too familiar polarization continue at the first auction of 2024.

“If you take a nice physical over there–the same as in November–it will stand out and should bring plenty of money,” said Hunter Simms of Warrendale Sales. “I think last year was a good year overall and I don't see any reason why that shouldn't lead to good demand in January.”

Reflecting on the November market, Simms said, “Judging from what we had and looking at the prices of what sold, the higher quality stuff brought very, very good money. The horses that people could fault, whether it was in produce records or older mares with a late cover date, maybe she has had four or five foals and there was no black-type, or if you had a foal and there were maybe some conformational faults or the sire didn't hit with 2-year-olds right off the bat necessarily, those were more of an uphill battle to get sold. It seemed like buyers were a little bit more reluctant to spend big money on those kinds of horses.”

Simms continued, “All of last year, the upper end of the market was very strong, but it was that middle to lower end where it was tough to get a lot of movement on horses, to get multiple buyers. I think that trend will continue. We've seen that trend for a few years now. It all reverts back to, if you have the physical, the right sire, and all of the pieces, your outcome should be good.”

The overall economy may offer a bright spot heading into the four-day January sale, according to Simms.

“I know interest rates are starting to creep down off that seven or eight percent,” he said. “Hopefully that will get some new people into the game that might want to start buying.”

Zach Madden of Buckland Sales agreed the January sale will continue the trend of polarized strength at the top and a weakening in lower strata of the market.

“I think it's going to be the same song and dance,” Madden said. “The stuff that is of quality is going to be very well received and I think foals that vet and walk well and have the pedigree and all of that will be hopefully strong. I think that we are just going to continue to see the same polarization of stuff that people really, really want and they go after and they pay top dollar for and then the sort older or “exposed” mares that just don't have much going for them or are in foal to a stallion that isn't making a lot of noise right now–man, that was really tough there in November and, candidly, I expect that to be worse next week. But I still think the top quality is going to bring a bunch of money and the stuff that is perceived to not be that will be a little softer.”

The 2023 November sale ended with figures down from the auction's strong 2022 renewal causing some jitters from consignors, but Madden saw reasons for optimism, particularly in the foal market.

“I know a lot of people were kind of doom and gloom over the market in general, but stepping out of the middle to top-end type of foal, they were bringing really good money,” Madden said. “I think there was an over saturation of buyers and not enough quality offerings. Why that is? I have no idea. But as people got their sea legs into books three and four, buyers who were looking at that $100,000 and down foal, I felt like that was really competitive. And I think a lot of people didn't fill their orders, so I do think that will be strong.”

Madden continued, “I sort of think that 'sky is falling' mentality overshadowed the, 'Hey, the foal market is pretty good.' It's obviously one sector of the whole market, but everybody wants to talk about how bad stuff is, and at the end of the day, I still feel like that quality and the foal market are going to be two strong things, hopefully, leading into next week.”

In all, 962 head grossed $45,408,300 through the ring last year for an average of $47,202 and a median of $19,000.

Ancient Peace (War Front), a supplement after breaking her maiden just weeks before, brought the 2023 January auction's top price when selling for $650,000.

The most recent supplements to this year's January catalogue include Sophia Mia (Pioneerof the Nile), whose first foal Speed Boat Beach (Bayern) captured the Dec. 26 GI Malibu S., and who sells in foal to Not This Time; and the 5-year-old mare Angel Nadeshiko (Carpe Diem), who won the Dec. 30 GIII Robert J Frankel S.

The final 10 supplements announced last week bring the total January catalogue to 1,477 horses.

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Announcer Frank Mirahmadi said it best: friends in the morning, but rivals in the afternoons. Muth (Good Magic) put away stablemate Pilot Commander (Justify) en route to an authoritative victory in the GII San Vicente S. to open his 2024 season.

First or second for all four starts in his juvenile season, including victory in the GI American Pharoah S. two back and a runner-up effort behind fellow Eclipse finalist Fierceness (City of Light) in the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile, the betting public heralded this contest as Muth's to lose.

Sent off the overwhelming 2-5 favorite, he was content to track Slider and Pilot Commander as that pair stepped out fastest to his inside. Still widest of all as :45.27 and 1:09.76 splits floated by, he challenged his stablemate coming off the bend from four wide, and cleared the embattled dup with a furlong to go. He was ridden out to a 2 3/4-length victory as Pilot Commander go the best of the photo with Slider.

“I was happy with their performance. I thought Muth was going to be up there early like he was at Del Mar, but the other horse (Pilot Commander) was quicker away from there. I thought he would be stalking but Juan, he just took back and rode Muth with a lot of confidence. He knows his horse really well. I'm just glad it worked out,” said Bob Baffert.

He added, “Zedan Racing, he gives us all this ammo to work with. He handles the wins and the losses the same way and he let me name this horse after my good friend Aaron Muth, so it is fun for him.”

Champion Two-Year-Old Male finalist #3 MUTH ($2.80) easily wins the $200,000 San Vicente Stakes (G2). The 3YO Bob Baffert trainee gets his second graded stakes victory with @JJHernandezS19 up. pic.twitter.com/yh53g2O76U

— TVG (@TVG) January 6, 2024

Pedigree Note

Muth is the first offspring to the races for the winning Hoppa, who has since produced two half-sisters to the Eclipse finalist–a 2-year-old by Violence and a yearling by Tacitus. She is due this spring with a full-sibling to the victor.

While his pedigree is quiet immediately up front as he and MSP March to Victory (Dixieland Band) are the only black-type earners, Muth does hail from the extended female family of GSW Wandering Star, who herself went on to produce G1SW-Eng War Command (War Front) and GSW-Fr Naval Officer. That extended family also includes New Zealand champion G1SW-NZ Rollout the Carpet (Aus) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}).

Saturday, Santa Anita Park
SAN VICENTE S.-GII, $200,500, Santa Anita, 1-6, 3yo, 7f, 1:23.01, ft.
1–MUTH, 124, c, 3, by Good Magic
                1st Dam: Hoppa, by Uncle Mo
                2nd Dam: Handoverthecat, by Tale of the Cat
                3rd Dam: Frayne, by Red Ransom
($190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $2,000,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR). 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $120,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 5-3-2-0, $716,600. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Pilot Commander, 120, c, 3, Justify–Rebuke, by Carson City. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($145,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $700,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR). O-CSLR Racing Partners LLC; B-AR Enterprises, Inc. (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $40,000.
3–Slider, 124, c, 3, Jimmy Creed–Days Like This, by Congrats. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($240,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Hall Racing LLC, Pearl Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds; B-Jason Hall, Stephen Baker, Herschel Martindale, and Mike Riordan (KY); T-John W. Sadler. $24,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, HD, 5 3/4. Odds: 0.40, 2.90, 8.00.
Also Ran: Boltage, Moonlit Sonata, Formidable Man.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Spendthrift Farm's Greatest Honour sired his first reported foal Jan. 5 when KatieRich Farms in Midway announced that I Love Nola had delivered a colt by the well-bred son of Tapit.

“This colt has the longest legs we've ever seen on a newborn foal. He has an extraordinary hip and a beautiful head. This is the biggest foal the mare has had. We are very, very happy,” said Martha Rattner, whose Rattner Bloodstock LLC bred the foal.

Greatest Honour, hailing from a half-sister to champion Rags to Riches; Irish Highweight Man of Iron; GSW-US and G1SP-Jpn Casino Drive; GISW Jazil; and the dam of GISW Streaming (Smart Strike), covered 178 mares in his 2023 introductory season, and will stand his second at stud for a fee of $7,500 S&N.

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Trainer Joe Cantey, who teamed up with owner John Ed Anthony to win a slew of major races, including the GI 1980 Belmont S., passed away Friday at the age of 82 in his hometown of Camden, S.C.

The news was confirmed by his ex-wife, Charlsie Cantey.

The cause of death was lung and mouth cancer.

“Everything he touched pretty much turned to gold,” Charlsie said. “When he set his mind to do something, he exceeded it by leaps and bounds.”

Cantey started out handling horses for Bert Firestone as they wintered in South Carolina. He would also go on to work for trainer Evan Jackson. He decided that he wanted to go out on his own and set his sights on coming to New York.

“Joe applied for stalls with Kenny Noe and he didn't get them,” Cantey recalled. “He got a plane and went to New York. He met with Noe and said I really want these stalls and I want to train horses in New York. Kenny was so persuaded by that he gave him some stalls. He got better owners and better horses and worked his way up going to work John Ed Anthony and Loblolly Stable and did a damn fine job there.”

With Cantey in charge, Loblolly Stable turned into a force on the New York circuit and at Oaklawn Park. Their best horse may have been Temperence Hill, who upset Genuine Risk to win the 1980 GI Belmont S. With wins that same year in the GI Travers S. and the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, he was named 3-year-old male champion of 1980. Their other big star was Cox's Ridge, whose biggest win came in the 1978 GI Metropolitan H. They campaigned still another Grade I winner in Majesty's Prince, a star on the grass who won two runnings of the GI Rothman's International, two runnings of the Man o' War S. and two runnings of the Sword Dancer, one a Grade I race, the other a Grade II race.

“I think about him all the time and I always have,” said Eddie Maple, who was Cantey's primary rider. “He was such a big part of our lives back in the seventies and eighties. We were pretty tight. He was an all-around horseman. He picked it up from the guys who were around Camden, like Frank Whiteley. We had a good relationship and it spilled over into our personal lives. He would do anything for anybody.”

Cantey's last year of training was in 1987 while he was still in his prime. Charlsie Cantey said he decided to just walk away.

“He just said I've had enough,” she said. “When we first got married and were living in Camden, he said, 'Let's go to New York and try our hand at it and then come back to Camden. He loved this town and wanted to come back here. It's not like he got fired or anything. What I want people to know about Joe is that if he stayed in New York, I don't know how far he would have gone. He was a brilliant horse trainer. He just had had enough of New York.”

According to Equibase records, which go back only to 1976, Cantey had 444 career winners Charlsie Cantey said she believes he had his first winner in 1970 or 71.

Upon retirement he opened up his own gun club and got heavily involved in competitive sporting clay competitions and ran tournaments all over the world.

Cantey is survived by Charlsie Cantey, his wife Amy and children J.B. and Ashley. Funeral arrangements are incomplete.

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