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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – While most of the racing world is focused on the 150th GI Kentucky Derby to be run Saturday at Churchill Downs, the final stop on the Triple Crown series–the 156th GI Belmont S., some six weeks hence on June 8–is already at the top of the charts for plenty of people in this horse-centric upstate city. In order to accommodate the massive makeover of Belmont Park, New York Racing Association officials decided last year to stage the 2024 and 2025 runnings of the Belmont S. at Saratoga Race Course, the oldest and most popular track in the country. NYRA has scheduled the Belmont Stakes Festival, which will feature 24 stakes races with purses totaling $10.25 million, for June 6-9 at Saratoga. Even though Thoroughbred racing has been conducted at the Spa since 1863 and its world-renowned summer meet features the $1.25-million GI Travers S., the addition of the Belmont S. is nothing short of enormous. The daily limit of 50,000 admission tickets and seating sold out at Taylor Swift concert-level speed, as did hotel rooms and short-term rentals in the city and region. “We're used to the Travers,” said Jack Knowlton, the Saratoga resident and businessman who heads Sackatoga Stable. “I say that the Belmont at Saratoga is going to be four days of the Travers on steroids. We have our Travers and it's a big deal every year, but if there's a big horse, or, on the rare occasion where there is a Triple Crown, it's absolutely crazy. That's what this is going to be.” Knowlton has more than a casual connection to the sport. Sackatoga's Funny Cide (Distorted Humor) won the Derby and GI Preakness S. in 2003 and its Tiz the Law (Constitution) prevailed in the 2020 Belmont and Travers. He compared the anticipation for the Belmont to 2015 when Triple Crown winner American Pharoah came to Saratoga for the Travers and was upset at the fabled “graveyard of favorites” by Keen Ice. Sending the Belmont upstate instead of staging it at nearby Aqueduct Racetrack, which no longer has the seating to accommodate a major event, has provided a multi- million-dollar package for the region. Marianne Barker is in her 46th season operating the Impressions of Saratoga gift and souvenir shop on Broadway and said the news of Belmont at Saratoga has been good for business for months. “Because it's so novel, that none of those races have ever been here before. Just the fact that it's something new and pretty monumental,” she said. “Yeah, people are really excited. Even if they're just here for a long weekend, I'd say that every other person that comes into the store is like, 'So, are you guys ready for the Belmont? What's it going to be like? Is it going to be crazy? Are you going to be nuts?' We're like, 'Well, we sure hope so.'” Among the merchandise that Impressions has carried since deep winter has been a Belmont at Saratoga poster created by local artist Greg Montgomery, famous for his distinctive Travers posters. Barker and her partner in Impressions and The Dark Horse Mercantile, Maddy Zanetti, know that the news of the temporary relocation of the Belmont has registered well beyond the Capital Region of upstate New York. “We were in Maine for a small tradeshow about a month and a half ago and even people there were like, 'Oh my God, you guys, it's going to be great for you,'” she said. “The buzz is out.” The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, located across Union Avenue from the track, is at the forefront of a community-wide embrace of Saratoga's Belmont S. “It certainly is everywhere,” said museum director Cate Masterson. “The New York Racing Association has been visiting Saratoga quite regularly since their announcement and with the Chamber of Commerce, Discover Saratoga, the Downtown Business Association, they've included, not only all the non-profits, but also the businesses. They've done regular meetings to just see what can happen and the buzz is there. Everyone's talking about it.” The museum, which will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2025, has developed a program of special events for the festival. It includes an evening of Belmont stories from retired NYRA track announcer Tom Durkin; the Belmont Gala at the Canfield Casino that will benefit the museum and Hall of Fame; a morning tour of the Old Tavern Farm; a Saturday Morning Social at the museum; and a Handicapping 101 evening organized by retired jockey and television personality Donna Barton Brothers that will benefit Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga. “It's an extremely exciting time because it's historic,” Masterson said. “We're thrilled. The community has definitely, I would say, rallied around the fact that the race is coming. And the four-day Belmont Stakes Festival is really nice.” The Discover Saratoga tourism organization has been working on the Belmont-at- Saratoga project for months and it has a prominent position on its website. Among the elements being discussed are watch parties. “We want to create events, not only for our visitors, but also our locals,” said Darryl Leggieri, the Discover Saratoga president. “We want them to feel like they're a part of it, too. Creating free events, a festive atmosphere in downtown, trying to engage all of our members, all of our restaurants and retailers and have some live entertainment and just really making it fun so that people have a great experience in Saratoga Springs.” NYRA's original plan was to start the Belmont Park tear-down and rebuild immediately after the 2024 Belmont S., move the race to Saratoga for 2025 and have Belmont Park ready for the 2026 race known as “The Test of the Champion.” At the end of the last summer's Saratoga meeting, NYRA CEO David O'Rourke said that the Belmont was likely to be held in Saratoga in 2024 as well, providing a bigger window for the work at Belmont Park. In early December, the switch was made official. “I can just tell you that my phone has been ringing off the hook for the past like six months about reservations,” said Pennell's Restaurant owner Bruce Cerone. “I'm at the point I can't even take any more reservations for that weekend.” Cerone's popular restaurant, a fixture in Saratoga for a century, has a strong year-round business. The Belmont at Saratoga festival is a present for the already vibrant economy of the city and region. “Honestly, for myself, it's a great thing,” he said, “but people were going crazy about it, especially the rental market in my neighborhood. It's definitely a bonus for everybody.” Siro's Restaurant, which has operated on a seasonal basis next to the track since 1945, will have its outdoor facility of a bar, raw bar and live music open throughout the festival. “We can fit 1,500 to 2,000 people and we will have the inside bar open, too,” Siro's general manager Kevin Decker said. “We're the first stop after the track. It's going to be very exciting and we're looking forward to it. All of Saratoga is.” Decker said his newest venture, as a co-owner with Lucas White, The Wild Horse bar, on Caroline Street downtown will be open with entertainment for the festival. Barker said she fully expects the Belmont at Saratoga memorabilia sales to surpass the Travers in her shops. “I do just because it's so unique. It's on track for doing better than Travers,” she said. “Travers is huge, needless to say, but being that this is only going to happen twice and how Saratoga is excited about history and history-making events, I think it's going to be gigantic.” The post Belmont Buzz Hits Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
If you consider yourself a baseball fan and are of a certain vintage, the term Iron Horse will conjure up thoughts of one of the most legendary baseball players to ever grace the diamond: The Iron Horse himself, Lou Gehrig. Jonathan Eig, author of Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig, described the term Iron Horse as “a type of courage to persevere and to keep yourself going and to never give up.” Harlan Malter, Founder and Managing Partner of Ironhorse Racing Stable is a self-proclaimed sports fanatic and played college baseball at New York's Columbia University. “I enjoyed going out to Saratoga each summer with my family. It is one of the reasons that makes Saratoga extremely special,” recounted Malter. “As a sports fan, horse racing was simply part of that landscape for me. Seattle Slew in 1977 and Alydar in 1978 got me hooked. New York racing really captivated me. Whenever I had time between school and baseball, you could find me at the closest New York City OTB or track.” When uncovering more about Harlan Malter, you begin to see dichotomies reveal themselves. These include his love of New York, even though he grew up in Boston; and the most obvious being that while one of his heroes, Lou Gehrig, was known as a man of few words, Harlan Malter is not. His passion for racing erupts out of him like a volcano and when he opines, his words are often both insightful and inspiring. “Only sports can produce things like a last-minute field goal, a three-point buzzer beater, or a walk-off home run,” he says. “Horse racing is one of those sports. The moment your horse enters the gate or crosses the wire produces one of those feelings. You can't make that feeling up.” Those feelings are shared by the over 165 partners with Ironhorse Racing Stable, including Beth Shireman, who just returned from visiting one of her horses in the stable area at Churchill and watching her horse Indy Magic break his maiden at first asking at Keeneland. “Connecting with these horses is one of the best parts of being part of this partnership,” Shireman says. “I have access to the farms and stable areas for visits. They will steal your heart. You get to know your horse very well and feel like a proud parent on race day.” Zach Silka, who started following racing as a horseplayer and recently witnessed his horse Kid Cairo break his maiden on debut and then saw his other horse Beauty of the Sea win the Golden Beach Handicap at Gulfstream the very next day, reflects this common theme. “The people and the horses are the best parts of Ironhorse Racing Stable,” he said. “Harlan is our fearless leader, our trainers are great, and meeting so many other partners from around the country who are passionate about horse racing has been a cool experience. Then, to have your horses run on consecutive days at the same track, let alone to win both races, was something I could have never expected.” You cannot profile Harlan Malter or Ironhorse Racing without highlighting Bucchero, the original iron horse for the stable. The $43,000 2-year-old purchase went on to make 31 starts and win over $947,000. He knocked down the GII Woodford S. twice, in 2017 and 2018. The Indiana-bred phenom also took Malter to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint twice and all the way across the pond to Royal Ascot. “My first win as a racehorse owner was a four claimer at Penn National,” said Malter. “Then came Bucchero. He took me to tremendous places. I couldn't have imagined getting to run in the Breeders' Cup and Royal Ascot.” Those experiences were the inspiration for Ironhorse Racing Stable, said Malter. “We started slowly as a small group of friends. After having Bucchero, we wanted to create a syndicate that could compete at the national/global level that was built with the partners' interests as the priority. This is how we developed the `No Markup' model. We wanted to differentiate ourselves from other national syndicates by building partnerships that reflected a true ownership experience. As a sole owner, I went to the sales and paid the auction price for the horse, not a penny more. I wanted to be able to give this same opportunity to our partners. So, we typically assemble our partners before the sales and then go and buy the best possible horse within our budget. This is how typical owners buy horses, and there is no reason partnership participants can't have that same opportunity.” Silka was drawn to how the partnerships were constructed. “I wasn't interested in micro shares or joining a syndicate that marked up the sale price of the horse. I wanted a true partnership experience and to learn as much as I could about the horse ownership side of things,” he says. The Ironhorse Racing partnership closely reflects how Malter's other business, financial planning, works. “We don't mark up stocks like brokers did 20 years ago. We now align our interests with our clients. If the portfolio grows, we will all make more money. I wanted to bring that model to horse ownership. We look to buy value, pick our spots, always be opportunistic, and maximize every single dollar.” Ironhorse is compensated for its management by retaining 10% of all earnings and 10% of the proceeds when the horse is sold. Other costs are a straight pass-through to the penny. By incorporating the tools offered by Horsebills.com, each partner receives an invoice just as if her or she were a full owner, broken down in accordance with their percentage ownership. Partner Robbie Estes said he found this approach very appealing. “Both my wife and I are retired CPAs,” said Estes. “The Ironhorse financial model makes sense to me. Horse ownership is expensive. Harlan Malter's approach makes it understandable, as predictable as possible, and efficient.” When asked about who a good prospect for the partnership group is, Malter replied, “Partners who are looking to run on the national level with a group that gives them the opportunity to buy exactly the way they would if they went to a sale to buy a horse 100% on their own. We pride ourselves on communication, with a dedicated portal where we provide the same type of trainer communication an owner would get if they owned the horse themselves.” Since 2007, Malter and Ironhorse Racing have put together a team of trainers across the country and have recently put their first horse in training in the United Kingdom. Trainers like Mark Casse, Joe Orseno, Chief Stipe O'Neill, Michael Trombetta, Kelsey Danner, and James Ferguson in the United Kingdom are part of the team that keeps over 25 horses in the stable producing for its partners. “Utilizing a network of farms and training centers to help develop our purchases and breed some solid homebreds has kept the winners' circle photos coming,” commented Malter. Ironhorse's model focuses on yearlings and 2-year-olds. You can find the Ironhorse silks breaking from starting gates in just about any racing jurisdiction. The current star of the stable is Get Smokin (Get Stormy). “He won the $1.7-million GII Kentucky Turf Cup last year. He is our type of horse…a hard-knocking runner who shows up every time. We also have 3-year-old stakes winner Mattingly (Bucchero), stakes winner Beauty of the Sea (Bucchero), and many promising 2-year-olds in the pipeline,” said Malter. Multiple opportunities at various price points is what drew Shireman into the group. “Harlan purchases horses from various sales in the U.S. and Europe–yearlings, 2-year-olds-in-training, broodmare prospects. I can pick my favorite, or mix and match. I choose my own adventure within a budget I am comfortable with.” Besides success on the racetrack, communication and education have also played a significant role in the growth of Ironhorse. With a robust social media presence, dynamic website, and the use of technology-driven applications like Slack and Horsebills, Malter can deliver a modern racehorse owner experience. “Along with learning the ins-and-outs of their individual horses, they receive updates on the entire stable,” he explained. “We give insights on each horse, race strategy, development plans, etc. We are all owners of these horses, and we want each partner to feel part of the process from that perspective, not just coming along for the ride.” There are millions of sports fans across the world, but few get to participate on the field, court, or rink. As Malter so poignantly stated about the uniqueness of owning a Thoroughbred racehorse, “You never know where a horse can take you.” For more information, visit www.ihracing.com. The post Partnerships: Ironhorse Racing Stable, Presented by Taylor Made Partnerships appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Aidan O'Brien trainee Whistlejacket (Ire) (No Nay Never–Adventure Seeker {Fr}, by Bering {GB}) debuted with a runner-up finish in an Apr. 21 six-furlong maiden at the Curragh and made no mistake dropped down in trip for Monday's Listed GAIN First Flier S. back at the Co. Kildare venue. Sharply into stride to race on the front end from flagfall in this black-type bow, the 500,000gns Tattersalls Book 1 graduate was shaken up soon after passing the quarter-mile pole and surged clear under continued urging inside the final furlong to easily account for Arizona Blaze (GB) (Sergei Prokofiev) by 3 3/4 lengths. “He's progressed from his first run and did it nicely,” O'Brien commented. “He's a fast horse, five or six furlongs would be no problem, and he has loads of speed for five. He's after having two runs now so he probably doesn't need to run again before [Royal] Ascot.” Whistlejacket is the latest of nine foals and sixth scorer out of Listed Prix de Liancourt victrix and G3 Prix Cleopatre runner-up Adventure Seeker (Fr) (Bering {GB}), herself a half-sister to G3 Princess Margaret S. third Along Again (Ire) (Elusive City). The April-foaled chestnut is a full-brother to G1 Phoenix S.-winning sire Little Big Bear (Ire) and a half to G3 Hobart Cup runner-up Andrea Mantegna (Giant's Causeway). Whistlejacket's third dam is storied champion All Along (Fr) (Targowice). Monday, Curragh, Ireland GAIN FIRST FLIER S.-Listed, €40,000, Curragh, 5-6, 2yo, 5fT, 1:04.72, sf. 1–WHISTLEJACKET (IRE), 131, c, 2, by No Nay Never 1st Dam: Adventure Seeker (Fr) (SW & GSP-Fr, $155,312), by Bering (GB) 2nd Dam: American Adventure, by Miswaki 3rd Dam: All Along (Fr), by Targowice 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (500,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Peter M Brant, Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Camas Park, Lynch Bages & Summerhill (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €24,000. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $29,882. *Full to Little Big Bear (Ire), G1SW-Ire, GSW & G1SP-Eng, $549,583; and 1/2 to Andrea Mantegna (Giant's Causeway), GSP-Aus, $352,585. 2–Arizona Blaze (GB), 131, c, 2, Sergei Prokofiev–Liberisque (GB), by Equiano (Fr). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (36,000gns Wlg '22 TADEWE; £82,000 Ylg '23 GOFFUK). O-Amo Racing Ltd & Giselle De Aguiar; B-Andrew Bengough & Partners (GB); T-Andrew Murray. €8,000. 3–Monotone (Ire), 131, c, 2, Verbal Dexterity (Ire)–Yes Oh Yes, by Gone West. 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€4,000 RNA Ylg '23 GOAUYR). O-Mrs J S Bolger; B/T-Jim Bolger (IRE). €4,000. Margins: 3 3/4, 2 3/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.83, 2.00, 20.00. Also Ran: Gran Habano (Ire), Morning Vietnam (GB). Scratched: Usdi Atohi (Ire). The post Little Big Bear’s Brother Makes Stakes Breakthrough at The Curragh appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Aidan O'Brien has suggested that he left City Of Troy (Justify) “too fresh” ahead of what turned out to be a bitterly disappointing return in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday but went on to explain that last season's European Champion Two-Year-Old remains on course to run in the Derby. City Of Troy trailed home in ninth, beaten 17 lengths by the winner Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), despite being sent off at odds of 4-6 for the 2,000 Guineas. He can now be backed at odds as big as 8-1 for the Derby. Speaking to the Nick Luck daily podcast, O'Brien said, “He's still on the same plan. Obviously we always make a plan and sometimes every part of the plan doesn't go right. Next time, we will know an awful lot more. The plan is that he will go straight to the Derby.” O'Brien added, “Thinking back on it, maybe I had him too fresh and hadn't enough done with him through the whole winter. Our ground has been very bad and very deep here and, listen, that's what's going on in my mind. He just jumped and ran fresh and then just blew out. I think that that's the reason and obviously we'll know more the next time. “When he went into the stalls, he stood straight up straight away. For me, that meant that he was too fresh. Obviously, when that happens, their heart rate will rise straight away. He landed and the gates opened, so he was racing straight away. “He was always very natural at home and always done everything very easy. If he was a horse who hadn't as much ability, he'd probably be finding his work harder than he was finding it. That's what I am putting it down to.” It wasn't all doom and gloom for Ballydoyle at Newmarket as stablemate Ylang Ylang (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) enhanced her reputation by finishing fifth in the 1,000 Guineas on Sunday. According to O'Brien, all roads will now lead to the Oaks at Epsom, for which Ylang Ylang heads the market at 7-2. O'Brien said, “She was working like an Oaks filly more than a Guineas filly-working like a filly who could run a very big race in a Guineas and we felt that was what she did. She looked like a filly that would definitely step up to a mile-and-a-quarter and usually, if they have enough class over a mile-and-a-quarter, they have a good chance of getting a mile-and-a-half at Epsom.” The post City Of Troy Remains On Course For The Derby Despite 2,000 Guineas Flop appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
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