Wandering Eyes

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 5th-LRC, $40K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 5:58p.m. ET MO HAWK (Uncle Mo), a son of undefeated stakes winner Princess Arabella (Any Given Saturday), makes his career bow in this spot for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. The $925,000 KEESEP buy breezed four furlongs in :47 4/5 (3/65) in company with Dodger (Bayern) at Del Mar Aug. 31. However, Dodger, who also debuts in this spot, was outworked by his stablemate, completing the half-mile in :48 flat (8/65). Click here for XBTV footage of the work. Jane Lyon’s Summer Wind Farm purchased Princess Arabella, also trained by Baffert, for $725,000 in foal to Tapit at the 2013 Keeneland January Sale. She is also responsible for $750,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale purchase Tapella (Tapit) and MGSP Ulele (Candy Ride {Arg}), who was a $400,000 KEESEP yearling. TJCIS PPs The post Pricey Uncle Mo Colt Debuts at Los Al appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The online auction for Pat Smullen’s fundraiser in aid of Cancer Trials Ireland is now online, and features items like a kicking master class with Ronan O’Gara, and a day’s racing and lunch in the Gigginstown House Stud box at Cheltenham on Gold Cup day. Other items donated include VIP trips to the likes of the Dubai World Cup, Royal Ascot and Hong Kong; tickets to a Liverpool/Manchester United game and visits to the yards of Aidan O’Brien and Willie Mullins. All proceeds from the auction will go to Cancer Trials Ireland, the country’s leading cancer research trials organization. Multiple Irish champion jockey Pat Smullen was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last March. The post Smullen Cancer Trials Ireland Online Auction Live appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

They carry around a long old surname–it’s Belgian, imported by a grandfather who started out in Louisiana with “five acres and a mule”–but it’s not half as long as their perspective. Certainly Barbara and Francis Vanlangendonck have been around this business too long to be in any way inflated by their triumph this time last year, when a Curlin colt they presented at the September Sale made $1.8 million. In fact, in returning to Keeneland with no fewer than 51 yearlings in their Summerfield Sales consignment, they don’t even consider that coup the highlight of 2018. “No, that came at OBS in October,” says Barbara. “Selling a colt for two girls that work for us. One of our clients had given them a mare, and they bred her to Kantharos. The foal was just a stellar animal. Not much pedigree, but Francis got him in front of the right people. The girls said, ‘Well, let’s reserve it for $35,000. Do you think we can get that?’ And he brought $190,000! Changed their world. It was awesome.” The infectious joy of Elizabeth LaPierre and Jennifer Given that day corroborated the sense of “family” that extends beyond the flesh and blood of the principals and their sons, Arthur and Andrew. As Francis said at the time, they can’t ever pay what they feel their staff are truly worth, so the least they could do is provide some keep for a mare, and a slot in the consignment for the colt. That experience could only mean as much as it did to people who pursue a precarious calling with due humility. Little wonder, then, if their expectations have not been distorted by a terrific run of results over the last year or so, notwithstanding another big result at Saratoga: a Frosted colt sold for $500,000 on behalf of their Florida neighbors Lori and Tommy Fackler. “This is a humbling business, we know that,” Barbara says. “We’ve been doing this for a long time. The first sale I worked was 1980, and Francis maybe in ’76. You have some success, and start thinking, ‘Man, I am so smart.’ And God quickly shows you: ‘You know what? You’re not that smart.'” So the dividends the Vanlangendoncks cherish most are those shared with the clients they cherish, too. Ideally, then, the biggest will also be for the best. The Curlin colt, for instance, was bred and raised at Stonestreet. “And when you deal with people like that, it’s such a pleasure,” Barbara says. “They’re horsemen, they understand the game. They know things are going to go right, things are going to go wrong, and they’re going to celebrate either way.” Similarly, with the $1 million American Pharoah colt they sold at Saratoga last year. He was bred by Joanne Nielsen, whose late husband Gerry was as important as anyone in their story. He got Francis started by offering him a partnership in a small Florida farm. Francis retorted that he had $5,000 and a truck, and that was it. So Gerry put up the money for him. They bought 40 acres, then another 40, and continued partnering in mares and so on, for years until Gerry’s death, aged just 69, in 2004. “Broke my heart, I still miss him,” says Francis. “And of course Joanne’s like my sister, and we kept selling for them, and had some success down the years, and their kids became very good friends too. And then she stepped up and bred [the dam of Upstart] to American Pharoah. And I saw the foal and said: ‘Oh my God, this could be serious.'” “He looked exactly like his father,” says Barbara. “Which Baffert denied until after he bought him!” said Francis with a laugh. “It was so exciting, the night of the sale. We all got some ties to wear, and whatnot, and made toasts to Gerry, talking about how much he would enjoy it, and then Gerry Junior comes up in his father’s trademark blue blazer that still had stains on it. And the horse is from a family that he started. It was very emotional, when he made a million: we were all crying, we were hugging, it was good stuff.” So the Vanlangendoncks understand that a Thoroughbred can win no race as prized as friendship. Take another adored patron who passed away: Richard Eamer of Mandysland Farm, who co-founded National Medical Enterprises in California. “He was a very poor as a young man,” Barbara recalls. “His girlfriend had to wait tables so they could buy a beer and a pizza to celebrate his 21st birthday. And he became a billionaire. He was so good to me. Our older son was born deaf, and Mr. Eamer sent the jet for us and flew us back to L.A., so that Arthur could be re-evaluated out there; just to make sure we were doing all the right things. Some of the people we’ve worked for have been such a blessing to us.” All that said, even the most rewarding interactions can only ever be incidental. First and foremost, the Vanlangendoncks have to excel in the service they provide. And while Barbara is a proud Kentuckian, and they have opened a division Bluegrass division to cater to the market there, you can judge their brand from the way she reproves any condescension to their principal address near Ocala. “I’m as blue as U.K. blue can be,” says this accomplished lady, both an arts major and a veterinary technician. “And Kentucky is the most beautiful place in the world. When I cross the state line, I think, ‘I’m home.’ But let me tell you something about these people down in Florida. They learned this business from the end of a pitchfork. They didn’t learn it because great-granddaddy left them 1,000 acres in Bourbon County. I feel that God placed me down here to realize that there’s good horse people everywhere you go.” And now something of that same, hands-on culture has filtered down to their sons. Arthur evidently has the kind of preternatural empathy with animals that sometimes accompanies an early sensory impairment, to the extent that his cool, smiling nature is sometimes borrowed by other barns to assist with fiery horses; while Andrew is immersing himself gratefully in the business after 10 years serving with the Air Force. “It’s really fun to listen to them talk about pedigrees and bloodlines, getting so involved in it all,” says their mother. “Francis and I used to sit out front years ago and just school each other on what works and what hasn’t, and watching them now do the same thing is great.” Having seen so much of the world beyond, Andrew is palpably enthused by his integration in the business. “Besides those military principles, like work ethic and integrity, there’s really not much I could take from my old job and put into this,” he says. “So I’m definitely starting from a blank slate. But I’ve been lucky to pull information from so many experienced individuals: I’ve done work for Eddie Woods and Paul Sharp; Nick De Meric [his godfather] has always been a lifeline; while Dad obviously has a wealth of knowledge I can tap into day-to-day. And the grooms, too: after all, they’ve been doing these things for 20 years. Being older, and trying to move forward, it’s a wonderful, eye-opening experience.” And whatever he has had to learn, some aspects of his military training-discipline, dedication, dependability-can only assist Andrew getting ahead in the business. “It’s the grind,” he acknowledges. “When you’re deployed, it can get a bit Groundhog Day: it doesn’t matter if you just checked the runway an hour ago, when you have planes loading that cost millions of dollars, you check it again. Same with horses. You can’t come in and try to do everything quickly and then get discouraged when it doesn’t happen. It’s the same horse that has to be brought in every day, and fed and checked and turned back out; the same stalls and shedrow to be swept. Yes, you have to enjoy what you’re doing. But the grind is what gets you there.” The ultimate military ethic, of course, is teamwork. And that Kantharos colt is by no means the only evidence that the Vanlangendoncks relish sharing opportunity through the ranks. “We have grooms that bought a filly from us last October for $5,000,” says Francis. “And she sold as a 2-year-old for $150,000. Those guys are living the dream. They’re working the shedrow and grooming and whatnot; they pool the money and buy a horse; and as part of their pay they get to bring her into where they’re working, get her ready, take her to the sale.” After all, nobody knows better than the Vanlangendoncks that a young, unbroken Thoroughbred can be hard to value. Champion Xtra Heat (Dixieland Heat) arrived as a $9,100 weanling, but even then was sold at a loss as a yearling (for $4,700). “I think she had a fragment in every joint, and was about the size of a collie dog,” Barbara says. “But I think that’s what keeps us all going: it’s not just a game for rich people. Because let me tell you, if it can go wrong, it’s gone wrong-for everybody. Lightning, van accidents, tornados, you name it.” “There’s so much luck involved,” agrees Francis. “So all you can ever do is present the horse as well as you can, have a good ethical reputation, and hope for the best.” “So I think what sets us apart is that we live and die with this business,” says Barbara. “This is 100 percent of our income, right here. There’s no trust fund. When we take a person’s horse into the ring, our attitude is that we own a piece of that horse. And you’d rather own a piece of a horse that makes $100,000 than one that makes $20,000. “So it’s very personal. One of us is always in the barn. When a buyer comes to our sale barn and asks for three horses, we show them six. We’d say, ‘We know these people, and we know their kind of horse.’ I’ve often heard Francis say in February that he’s going to sell this horse to so-and-so in the fall. And that’s just what he does.” Five acres and a mule. The principle’s the same, it’s just a question of scale. Neither Francis nor Barbara grew up within this industry. Yet the long and the short of it is that the Vanlangendoncks were born to their vocation. “We love what we do,” Barbara says. “Somebody said to me once that all these people at Keeneland, if they weren’t selling horses, they’d be out there selling pigs. They would be selling something, because they love that part of it. It’s fun. Especially if you’ve got a good horse.” The post Summerfield Hoping for Another Bumper Harvest appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The final entry stage for the Haras de Bouquetot – Criterium de la Vente d’Octobre Arqana ends on Sept. 27. The Criterium, which takes place over a mile at ParisLongchamp on Oct. 5, is worth €275,000 and is open to graduates of the prior year’s Arqana’s October Yearling Sale. Full race conditions are available here. Only horses kept eligible at the prior May 31 declaration stage may be entered at this final stage, and the full list of horses that remain eligible is available here. No fee will be charged until declarations on Oct. 3, when a cost of €500 per horse will be charged. In addition to the €275,000 on offer in prizemoney-which will be paid out to eighth place–coverings to Bouquetot stallions Shalaa (Ire), Olympic Glory (Ire) and Zelzal (Fr) will be awarded to the breeders of the first three horses past the post. The first two runnings of the Criterium have highlighted talented runners: the inaugural winner Dice Roll (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) went on to win the G3 Prix Djebel and was third in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains, while last year’s winner Master Brewer (Fr) (Reliable Man {GB}) was subsequently exported to Hong Kong. The post Final Entry Stage For October Sale Criterium appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Mare Of The Moment is a TDN feature that highlights the success of a broodmare and gives her and her owner recognition for those achievements. In association with the Irish National Stud the mare will receive a personalised headcollar and this month Anna Law (Ire) (Lawman {FR}) is the recipient of Mare Of The Moment. Around the world there are many breeders who deserve respect and admiration, and among those are Paul and Marie McCartan of Ballyphilip Stud in Ireland. In a short space of time, and from a relatively small band of broodmares, the McCartans have bred a number of champions which include Tiggy Wiggy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). It is for the latter that Paul and Marie as well as the mare Anna Law are being recognised as August’s Mare Of The Moment. Although Anna Law was no superstar on the racetrack–she raced a total of four times never entering the fray–she has certainly produced a horse who simply burns up the course whenever he does battle in Battaash. When she went through the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale she may have proved of little interest to those looking for a racing prospect but to the shrewd members of Ballyphilip Stud the 14,000gns price tag is looking like extreme value. Anna Law was quick to repay Paul and Marie as upon her first cover with Dark Angel she produced a colt who went on to sell for 200,000gns and who then went on to become Battaash, the horse who recently crumbled Dayjur’s track record in the G1 Nunthorpe S. during York’s Ebor meeting-a record which had been steadfast for 29 years. Among his other accomplishments for trainer Charlie Hills and owner Sheikh Hamdan of Shadwell Stud, Battaash has won 10 of his 19 starts including the G1 Prix de l’Abbaye, where he heads next, and the G2 Qatar King George S. three times. On a mating with Gutaifan (Ire) Anna Law produced a filly who brought 180,000gns at the 2018 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Book 1, from Phoenix Thoroughbreds which no doubt saw her value as a broodmare as well as a racehorse. The filly is in training with John Quinn and has been named Valletta Gold. With the 2019 edition of that sale to happen in a few weeks’ time we can only wonder what the full-sister to Battaash, who is catalogued as lot 166, will bring when she walks into the Park Paddocks sale ring. The post Mare Of The Moment: Anna Law appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Hanshin and Nakayama Racecourses, including the return of G1SW Mr Melody (Scat Daddy): Saturday, September 7, 2019 11th-NAK, Shion S.-G3, ¥66,600,000 ($623k), 3yo, f, 2000mT MAKE HAPPY (f, 3, Square Eddie–Silar Rules, by Ten Most Wanted), a $650K graduate of last year’s Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale, has won half of her six tries to date, all on the dirt, including a game last-out success at Hakodate June 30 (video, gate 5). The full-sister to 2015 GI Hopeful S. hero Ralis and to MSW & MGSP B Squared tries the turf and 2000m for the first time, but has some turf and stamina influences on both sides of her pedigree. B-Reddam Racing LLC (CA) Sunday, September 8, 2019 3rd-NAK, ¥13,400,000 ($125k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m IMMORTAL SMOKE (c, 2, Into Mischief–Bellini Sunrise, by Machiavellian) was a $375K Keeneland September acquisition last year and is out of winning daughter of SW & MGISP Harbour Club (Danzig), whose other produce include MSW & MGSP Holzmeister (Woodman) and the dams of GISW Game Face (Menifee) and GSW Verdana Bold (Rahy). Mirco Demuro takes the call on the April foal, whose full-brother is cataloged as hip 260 next week at Keeneland September. B-Edward A Seltzer & Beverly Anderson (KY) 11th-HSN, Centaur S.-G2, ¥112.8m ($1.05m), 3yo/up, 1200mT Freshened up following an impressive score in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen last March (see below, gate 3), MR MELODY (c, 4, Scat Daddy–Trusty Lady, by Deputy Minister) resumes in this stepping-stone to the G1 Sprinters’ S. in three weeks’ time. A maternal grandson of MGSW & MGISP Klassy Kim (Silent Screen), Mr Melody is a half-brother to GSP Trendy Lady (Unbridled’s Song) and was bought back for $75K when offered as a foal at KEENOV in 2015. A $100K KEESEP yearling, he blossomed into a $400K OBSAPR breezer. B-Bell Tower Thoroughbreds (KY) MATERA SKY (h, 5, Speightstown–Mostaqelah, by Rahy), a $140K KEENOV weanling and $350K KEESEP yearling, is a Group 3 winner and track-record holder on dirt and was a bang-up second to X Y Jet (Kantharos) in this year’s G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. He has the right to come on from a fifth in defense of his title in the G3 Procyon S. July 7, but tries the turf for just the second time in his career. On pedigree, he is a candidate to handle the surface switch, as his female family includes the likes of champion Bahri (Riverman) and Bahhare (Woodman). B-Lynch Bages Ltd (KY) The post Notable US-Bred Runners in Japan: Sept. 7 & 8, 2019 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute), the five-time Grade I winner and 11-time graded stakes winner, will be offered at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale’s Night of the Stars Nov. 4, according to a press release issued by Elite Sales, who will consign the filly. Campaigned by Bloom Racing, Madaket Stables, and Allen Racing, the four-year-old Midnight Bisou is currently undefeated in six starts in 2019 and has never finished off the board in 17 career starts while earning $3,245,000. “Very rarely is an in-form, young, set-to-be crowned champion offered at public auction,” said Elite Sales’ Bradley Weisbord. “Here is an opportunity to buy the best filly in training, a five-time Grade I winner, and a superstar physical. We’re honored that Bloom Racing has chosen Elite to consign her.” In 2019, Midnight Bisou has scored in the GI Personal Ensign S., running down Elate in a dramatic stretch duel. She has also won the GI Ogden Phipps S., the GI Apple Blossom H., the GII Azeri S., the GIII Molly Pitcher S. and the GIII Houston Ladies Classic S.. Last year at three, after breaking her maiden in the GII Santa Ynez S. at Santa Anita, she rattled off wins in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. and the GI Santa Anita Oaks while under the care of trainer Bill Spawr. Switched to the barn of Steve Asmussen to target the big 3-year-old filly races in the east, she added the GII Mother Goose S. and the GI Cotillion S. Additionally, she placed in four Grade I stakes, including the Coaching Club American Oaks, the Kentucky Oaks, the Alabama S., and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Midnight Bisou is out of GIII Florida Oaks winner Diva Delite (Repent). An RNA at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, she was purchased by Jeff Bloom at the OBS April 2-year-olds in training sale in 2017 for $80,000. “Midnight Bisou has truly been a dream come true for me, my family, and our partners,” said Bloom. “She exemplifies class, beauty, and elegance, and she consistently displays unrivaled determination and dominance on the racetrack. She has an incredibly intelligent eye and confident presence, combined with an engaging and warm personality. She has taken us all on the ride of a lifetime and has forever changed our lives.” The post Midnight Bisou To Sell at Fasig-Tipton November appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

This week on the TDN Writers’ Room podcast, Joe Bianca, Brian DiDonato and Bill Finley welcome Jon Green from DJ Stables to the TDN studios. Green co-authors the TDN’s popular tax column, Proven Strategies, with his father Len Green as part of the accounting firm The Green Group. Their stable will send out A Thread of Blue (Hard Spun) in this weekend’s $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont. Green also provides the team with an update on their Eclipse Champion Jaywalk (Cross Traffic). The quartet discusses the recently concluded Saratoga and Del Mar meets, the latest TDN Rising Star, Three Technique (Mr Speaker), how the first-crop sires are faring, and the upcoming Keeneland September Sales. Listen to it here. The post Listen to the September 5 TDN Writers Room Podcast appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

This week's BackTrack feature offers coverage of the Sept. 2, 1961 Washington Park Futurity at Arlington Park won by Ridan. The story, written by Joe Agrella, appeared in the Sept. 9, 1961 edition of The Blood-Horse. View the full article

Addressing your thoughts, questions and statements about Hong Kong racing. Have something to say? Send a tweet to @SCMPRacingPost.Four placings from eight rides for Blake Shinn in his first meeting at Sha Tin – @LeeMingDonaldWhile he didn’t land a winner, Shinn made an impressive start to his Hong Kong career and he looks set for a big season.Shinn’s horses responded to his efficient style (he gets very low and there are no wasted movements) – finishing second with his first three rides.The 31… View the full article

Just over a year ago, Grant van Niekerk was the toast of Hong Kong racing after landing a winner with his very first ride in the city, a feat he shared with trainer Jimmy Ting Koon-ho in the opening race of last season.Fast forward 12 months and the South African jockey is experiencing a far more modest start to proceedings as he looks to back up an impressive debut season that netted 31 winners.He had only four rides on opening day for a best finish of fifth and his book of six for this Sunday… View the full article

Nunes, Machado to ride at upcoming Group meetings, including Raffles Cup day View the full article

Top Melbourne vets make no bones about horses needing longer rest time View the full article

Early scratching September 6 View the full article

While the $750,000 Jockey Club Oaks lost much of its luster when Concrete Rose was sidelined after winning the first two legs of NYRA's new Turf Tiara series, her lamented absence has created a grand opportunity for eight other 3-year-old fillies. View the full article

After rallying to a half-length victory a year ago, Arklow is back to defend his title in the $1 million Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (G3T) Sept. 7 at Kentucky Downs, for 3-year-olds and older going 1 1/2 miles. View the full article

The late trainer Rick Violette, a fierce advocate for horsemen throughout the country, will be honored posthumously, along with Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, Tim Wilkin and Caton Bredar during the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters 60th annual Awards Dinner Oct. 30. The awards dinner, held during Breeders’ Cup week, will be at The Derby World Famous Restaurant in Arcadia, California. Violette, the trainer of 2018 GI Whitney S. winner Diversify (Bellamy Road) and dozens of other graded stakes winners, will be honored with the Joe Palmer Award for meritorious service to racing. Lukas, one of racing’s most recognized names and faces, will receive the Mr. Fitz Award for typifying the spirit of racing. Wilkin, the longtime racing voice of the Albany Times-Union, will be honored with the Walter Haight Award for career excellence in Turf writing, and Bredar, a decorated journalist with more than 30 years’ experience in print, radio and television, will receive the Jim McKay Award for career excellence in broadcasting. The NTWAB Awards Dinner, traditionally held during Breeders’ Cup week, is the organization’s only fundraiser, and a portion of the proceeds from the event go towards scholarships for prospective Thoroughbred racing journalists and to support Thoroughbred industry charities. For tickets, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/national-turf-writers-broadcasters-annual-awards-dinner-tickets-71549732175. The post Violette, Lukas Honored with ’19 NTWAB Awards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Of the three 3-year-olds in the $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes who made their last start overseas, there's at least one of them that fits into an atypical mold. View the full article

The Headley-Whitney Museum of Art in Lexington will host Andre Pater: An American Journey, an exhibit of the artist’s work from Sept. 14 through Nov. 17. This retrospective exhibition will feature 80 pieces from private collections that highlight various periods of the artist’s career. Subjects range from his sporting pieces, genre and historical works, and his more recent foray into Native American subjects. The exhibition’s opening event will take place Sept. 13 from 5-8 p.m. and there will be an artist talk Sept. 14 at 1 p.m. The book Andre Pater: A Matter of Light will be released in conjunction with the exhibit and will be available in October. The post Headley-Whitney to Host Pater Exhibit appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After finishing fourth in his stakes debut at Saratoga Race Course, Peruvian Boy will return to Arlington International Racecourse in search of his first stakes win when he starts in the $75,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity Sept. 7. View the full article

Half brothers Stormy Liberal and Leinster are expected to meet for the first time Sept. 7 in the $700,000 Runhappy Turf Sprint Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs, and the two have taken different paths until this point. View the full article

Everett Dobson’s Candy Meadows Farm has launched a sales division and will offer its first consignment at next week’s Keeneland September sale. The farm’s September consignment will feature 11 yearlings by sires such as Into Mischief, Curlin, American Pharoah, More Than Ready, Uncle Mo, and Twirling Candy. “We’re very optimistic about our Keeneland consignment,” said Candy Meadows’ Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Matt Lyons. “We have a good group of horses, including some really nice colts in Books 1 and 2. We’re excited about the horses we’re bringing to the market. A lot of the yearlings we are offering are out of young stakes mares that were bought as yearlings, raced, and have come back as broodmares.” Lyons served as Vice President and General Manager of Woodford Thoroughbreds for 10 years before joining Candy Meadows in January. Dobson operates a racing stable under the banner of Cheyenne Stables and is a member of the board of stewards for The Jockey Club and a member of Breeders’ Cup Ltd. He is on the Board of Trustees for TOBA, and Chairman of the American Graded Stakes Committee, as well as Trustee to the Keeneland Association. “We have a diverse operation with quite a large racing stable and we’re building a nice broodmare band,” Lyons said. “We’re looking forward to our first sales consignment and growing the farm and our brand.” The post Candy Meadows Farm to Offer First Consignment at Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

“Inside the Winner’s Circle, Presented by Keeneland” is a series showcasing graduates of the Keeneland September sale who have gone on to achieve success on racing’s biggest stages. Patience and perseverance–both in the auction marketplace and on the racetrack–have anchored the Centennial Farms syndication strategy for nearly four decades, and that modus operandi paid off handsomely last Saturday when Preservationist (Arch) fought through Saratoga stretch traffic to win the GI Woodward S. by a gutsy half length. The victory was even more impressive when you consider that Preservationist, a $485,000 buy at the 2014 Keeneland September yearling sale, is six years old, has only started 10 times, and two months ago had never raced in a stakes at any level. Emory Hamilton, who bred Preservationist (and his first three dams; her grandfather’s King Ranch bred his fourth and fifth dam) said she’s followed Preservationist’s career closely, partly because his dam, Flying Dixie (Dixieland Band), died later in the same year after foaling Preservationist. “I think what would strike anybody is the incredible patience Centennial has had with him,” Hamilton said. “He was a beautiful foal. Jimmy Jerkens has done an amazing job with this horse. I’m not sure anyone else would have kept the horse in training this long. Who knows where he might have ended up in other hands, and for that I’m eternally grateful.” “Preservationist is a big guy,” Don Little, Jr., Centennial’s president and co-owner, told TDN via phone on Tuesday. “He’s got a lot of size in terms of bulk, but he’s very athletic. When you look at him in the paddock compared to other horses, he catches everybody’s eye. He’s imposing, but he’s well put together. He’s more like a football fullback than a halfback.” Little said Preservationist’s light résumé is the result of a series of minor setbacks that the Centennial team always believed could be overcome with a wait-and-see approach. “There was never anything of major concern, but being a rangy, athletic horse of his size, he just needed a little extra time,” Little said. “We always knew the potential was there. Some people could have pushed through [the minor issues]. And I wouldn’t be surprised that if this horse had been in another barn, they might have done that. But that’s not the way we approach it. We were very patient to do what we needed to do, and luckily, it’s come to fruition.” Since its founding in 1982 by the late Don Little, Sr., the Massachusetts-based Centennial has opened the door for numerous owners to enjoy the sport through its partnerships. The syndicate’s strategy is simple, but not always easy to execute: Purchase high-class prospects at the most prestigious public sales, develop them into top-level racehorses, and retire them to successful stallion careers. Little credits Centennial’s racing manager/veterinarian, Dr. Stephen Carr, and its trainer, Jimmy Jerkens, with identifying Preservationist as an auction prospect five years ago. “Preservationist was on our list because he was big, attractive and athletic for his size. Great walk, great presence,” Little recalled. “He had a really strong King Ranch blue-hen type family. In the past, there were numerous times that we weren’t able to afford those types of horses.” But by the time Preservationist, at Hip 643, came up for bidding, Little explained that “Dr. Carr had left the pavilion to look at other horses to keep ahead in the sale, and I was left to bid on him. I literally jumped in at one bid and was fortunate enough that it was $485,000. That was more than we initially going to [pay]. But the way the sale played out, we were able to budget it into the five-horse group that we bought, and when I told Dr. Carr we got him, he was absolutely elated.” Preservationist debuted as the 6-5 favorite the day before the 2016 GI Belmont S, ran second, then didn’t race for more than 18 months. He finally broke his maiden in career start number three at Aqueduct on Jan. 20, 2018, won an allowance race a month later, then was shelved again until early 2019, when he won consecutive 2X and 3X allowance conditions. Preservationist Wins the Woodward | Sarah K Andrew photo That upward trend warranted a Grade II start in the July 6 Suburban S. over 1 1/4 miles at Belmont, which Preservationist won by an emphatic 4 ½ lengths while on the lead for most of the trip under a heady ride by Junior Alvarado, a departure from the horse’s stalking style. But did Preservationist really want to be positioned on the front end for subsequent graded races? That was a topic of shedrow debate between Little and Jerkens going into the nine-furlong GI Whitney S. at Saratoga. In that race, Preservationist was allowed to make the pace, but ended up getting collared by MGISW McKinzie, a ‘TDN Rising Star’ who was the odds-on favorite. “In the Whitney, as Jimmy says, we didn’t quite agree on strategy,” Little said on Tuesday with a laugh. “You can say the horse was green going into that race, even though it’s hard to say that with a 6-year-old. But that was his first time in front of a big crowd in the Saratoga paddock, and he had never gone two turns [the 10-furlong Suburban at Belmont started on the clubhouse bend]. Coming back in the Woodward, it was obvious that he learned from it. That tells you how intelligent a horse he is.” Preservationist was rated back into a ground-saving stalking trip in third for most of the nine-furlong Woodward. He was boxed and blocked for a good portion of the stretch between the quarter and eighth poles, then kicked clear with good energy to win. “Jimmy pointed this horse in the right direction and made some adjustments, and when Preservationist is right, he’s an imposing individual, very competitive, and he rarely lets horses get by him. But he likes to have a target, that’s now obvious,” Little said. The GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont on Sep. 28 is penciled in as Preservationist’s next likely race. Little said he would not commit to pointing ahead to the Breeders’ Cup at the moment. In the meantime, Team Centennial is strategizing anew for this month’s Keeneland yearling sale. “Last year we bought four horses and I think we’re on track to do exactly the same thing this year to try to come up with another Preservationist, Mihos (Cairo Prince), or Wicked Strong (Hard Spun),” Little said, alluding to two other Centennial stakes winners this decade that were purchased as Keeneland yearlings for $320,000 and $375,000, respectively. “We’ve had great success there,” Little said. “And if it takes going into Book 2 or 3, which could very well happen, we’ll take our time to find the ones that we think will fit our program.” The post Patience, Perseverance, and Preservationist appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation has announced it is opening a new sanctuary farm in Taneytown, Maryland. The new farm will provide a home for five of the TRF horses in partnership with Renaissance Equestrian Foundation with the goal of raising visibility for Thoroughbred aftercare, retired racehorses’ potential for second careers and fundraising for the work of the TRF. Renaissance Equestrian Foundation Founder, Stacie Nichols said, “My husband, Tom, and I are very excited about this opportunity to provide a home for these five TRF horses. They each have a story to tell and we will look forward to sharing them through the educational programs of the Renaissance Equestrian Foundation. The TRF horses will serve as teachers to educate the dynamic and diverse horse community of Maryland about the importance of Thoroughbred aftercare and the value of these wonderful animals in a wide variety of second careers– from Pony Club, to trail riding, to companion animals. We plan to reach out to Pony Clubs across Maryland, 4H groups, FFA clubs, boy scouts, girl scouts, school groups and more to raise awareness of the Thoroughbred breed, their unique characteristics, and the opportunities for meaningful careers within the Thoroughbred industry.” Located at 4206 Brown Road, Taneytown, Maryland, the new TRF Sanctuary Farm at Renaissance Farm will open its doors to the public at an inaugural “Open Barn” Sept. 15 from 1-5 p.m. This event is free to attend, family-friendly, and will provide visitors with the chance to meet the Thoroughbreds and learn about Thoroughbred aftercare. For more information, visit: https://www.trfinc.org/event/opening-renaissance-farm/ The post TRF Opens Maryland Sanctuary Farm appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Graded stakes winner Niagara Causeway (Giant’s Causeway–Theoretically, by Theatrical {Ire}), who had been standing at Buck Pond Farm, was euthanized Tuesday after suffering complications from colic surgery. He was 16. Niagara Causeway won the 2008 GIII Tokyo City H. for owner La Bahia Stud, Inc., equaling the track record of 2:29.00 for 12 furlongs. He was also second in the 2006 GIII Cinema Breeders’ Cup H. Niagara Causeway is the sire of 2017 Tropical Park Derby winner Durocher. His final crop of foals is due in 2020. The post Niagara Causeway Dies appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article