Wandering Eyes

Jacket stretched across his square, rugby flanker’s shoulders, he stands ramrod at the rostrum and extends those long hands, one clasping the head of the gavel as though a mere pipe, in a gesture that somehow combines scorn and supplication. “In fairness,” Alastair Pim says. “We’re not selling chickens.” A bid duly coaxed, he spins round to the rival protagonist. “Last of the big spenders,” he mutters. Then up goes the singsong exclamation: “Goodness gracious me lads, a ridiculous price…” In the moments of the highest theatre–when seven-figure bids strain across ever more agonised intervals, and the Tattersalls ring is both at its most crowded and most silent–Pim waves the gavel as Toscanini did his baton. But that flair, that sense of timing, that blend of authority and mischief: if anything, all these Pim flourishes are still more valuable at the other end of the market. And if that is true even for the bored bystander, then how much more so for the small breeder or pinhooker to whom every extra guinea is precious. “To be honest I get a bigger kick out of getting three grand for a horse that’s worth 300 [gns] than out of getting three million for a horse,” Pim admits. “The other one’s going to make three million anyway. Anybody can sell a good horse. And the guy who gets the three grand will be the more grateful. I remember when Ollie Fowlston first came over to sell in Fairyhouse, he couldn’t believe the farmers coming up after getting their two or three grand and saying: ‘Thanks very much, you did a great job.’ He was flabbergasted. But I think that’s where the work comes in–and the buzz, too, for me.” But then Pim knows just where those people are coming from. Now that another selling year at Tattersalls has drawn to a close, Pim has returned to Anngrove Stud–which he runs with wife Gillian–to resume his own daily battle with the challenges, exasperations and joys of the bloodstock business. The family farm at Mountmellick in Co Laois is home to four stallions, largely oriented to National Hunt but with plenty of dual-purpose eligibility, extending a history that extends from winners of the Queen Mary to the Cheltenham Festival Bumper. Nor is it just the traffic of mares through the farm, year in and year out, that makes Pim even better known and trusted among Irish horsemen than in his sporadic public turns as a Tattersalls auctioneer. Because here is a living, breathing validation of the horsebreeding community’s faith in heredity. Pim’s late father David was, of course, for many years an equally cherished performer at the Tattersalls rostrum. And, from the time Pim first appeared there himself, the voice and mannerisms were uncannily familiar. “He never coached me at all,” Pim says with a shrug, pouring a pot of tea in the charming old kitchen at Anngrove. “I stood up in Fairyhouse one afternoon with Edmond Mahony for an hour and that was it. It’s just in the genes, I suppose. I didn’t set out to be like him but people come round here and say: ‘Jeez you’re the image of your father, and you speak just like him too.’ “Dad did a lot of musicals in Portlaoise, so he was a man for the stage. He had a very good singing voice. He used to sit in the bath with the old cassette tape recorder, and a little microphone, practising his auctioneering.” Whereas his father had been a relatively late starter at the rostrum, young Pim was soon immersed in the environment at the old Ballsbridge sales–moving lots after selling, or twisting his tongue round the arcane conditions listed on vets’ certificates. Eventually he was given a chance selling the “end-of-days” at Fairyhouse: unsold horses brought back in, without reserve, meaning that there was no need to get vendors “on the right step.” After soaking in the Park Paddocks environment as a spotter for a couple of years, he made his debut there at the Horses-in-Training sale where, similarly, reserves were infrequent. If Pim is now himself, at a youthful 52, a timeless presence in one of the crucibles of the game, he is hardly going to get carried away any time soon. “Glorified bingo callers, a friend of Ollie called us,” he says. “But I must say I get a good kick out of it now. When you walk up the back of the rostrum there in Book 1, or December, and see every seat’s taken and the stairs too, you do get a few butterflies. You know what they’re there for. Or usually you do. Occasionally I’ve walked in and didn’t even know I had a good horse coming up, and thought: ‘What the hell are all these people doing here?’ But once you get going, you’re grand. You’re selling a horse for a few quid more, and that’s it.” And that’s because an auctioneer makes no pretence of sharing the wider neutrality of the sales company, which must serve as an impartial broker between purchaser and vendor. Once you are actually up there and inviting bids, your allegiance is unequivocal. “You have to be fair to everybody but my one and only job is to look after the vendor,” Pim emphasises. That said, some bidders can make themselves more equal than others. “I’d always look after the guy who’s looked after me,” he says. “The guy who’s been in from the start, who puts them on [the market] when you need someone to put them on. If he needs to make up his mind, or has someone on the phone, you’d be giving him a bit more time than a guy who has jumped in with one bid.” Pim’s other great genetic legacy was on the rugby field. He only made the bench for Leinster himself, but his father played for the province (albeit disgusted to be dropped the week before they played the All Blacks), as did his brother Chris–for two years as captain–while son Josh has played at senior level for Connacht. Josh is also a dual European eventing gold medallist, while daughters Hannah and Sophie competed nationally. But while Pim views himself as “born and reared to the game”, the fact is that his family had never made horses their business before his father trained a few point-to-pointers, and then brought Lucifer over from the U.S. in 1970. Before that Anngrove had a very long history as a centre of Quaker entrepreneurship, ranging from candles and textiles to brewing and malting. But the farm has since included Monksfield, Welsh Term and Alderbrook on a roster that now comprises Vendangeur (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Tobougg (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}), Aiken (GB) (Selkirk) and Famous Name (GB) (Dansili {GB}) (the latter hosted for the Irish National Stud). “Look, it’s a small, family-run operation,” Pim says. “It’s not easy, and probably getting more difficult, to compete with the big lads. These days in National Hunt we nearly need to stand a Group 1 horse. If I stood one that won a Group 3 over a mile and a quarter, you might get a couple of half-bred mares, but that’d be it. “I was having dinner with an English breeder recently and he was saying that his father would turn in his grave, to see the kind of horses people are breeding to now. All they want is speed, and early 2-year-olds. “There’s absolutely no reason why Famous Name, for instance, shouldn’t produce good Flat horses for an end-user. Commercially, it’s like flicking off a light switch once a Flat horse starts covering National Hunt mares; and, again, once a National Hunt horse starts covering half-breds. People have such tunnel vision.” Famous Name could certainly cope with bigger books, being the most efficient and fertile mating machine the family has ever had. “All he wants is 300 mares,” Pim grins. “That’s all! That wouldn’t be a bother to him. I think he covered 70 last year. He’s a tough, hardy little horse now. Remember he ran as a 2-year-old and finished at seven. He won 21 races. They used to call him ‘the cash machine’ at Dermot [Weld]’s because every time you took him out you brought back money. I’d say you just couldn’t get to the bottom of him. He was sound, his legs are absolutely unbelievable.” The horse’s first big advertisement was the listed success of juvenile hurdler Famous Milly (Ire), but she promptly disappeared after injury on her next start. Similarly Vendangeur had a Grade 1 jumps winner in his first crop, who dropped dead three weeks later. “He’s by Galileo out of an Alysheba mare, the Wildensteins bred him,” Pim says. “As a stamp of a National Hunt horse, he’s just what you want: size, substance, wonderful step to him, and we’re delighted with his foals. “But Cheltenham makes all the difference. It’s a bit like the Oscars. Just to have a runner is like getting a nomination, and a winner is like getting best actor. It can make the difference of 100-plus mares.” Persevere long enough, mind you, and your time will come. Rudimentary covered 310 in his first season here; and Robin Du Pres, 280. And, in a game of such patient cycles, you never know what a horse might yet achieve–as Pim well knows, having in his youth broken in a grey Henbit yearling who, as Kribensis (GB), eventually won fame as a champion hurdler. “Take Monksfield, he didn’t get a lot on the track but ended up being a very good broodmare sire,” Pim notes. “He was the most incredible horse. We had him up at the main yard, in the middle of the mares. You could tease mares outside his box and he’d never bat an eyelid. But when you threw the shank at the door he knew it was him.” Character has never been in short supply at Anngrove. The first thing you notice when you pull up is a sign that cautions: “Stay in the car and beep the horn.” But there is neither bark nor bite to one of the most engaging personalities on the Irish Turf, one whose whole nature follows the deep grain of honesty and empathy into which he was born. “My father always used to say that the less money was involved, the nicer the people,” he reflects. “But if you go from selling million-guinea yearlings in Newmarket to €100 ponies up in Cavan, you keep your feet on the ground. “You’re dealing with a very different man there. But it’s amazing how the blood still gets up. We’ve all been there. With some people, the agents on the phone, they shake their head and you know that’s the end of it. But the ordinary Joe Soap who’s coming up to buy a mare, the excitement takes over: ‘I’ll have another one, I might just get her.’ “But I always say the auctioneer makes very little difference. You might get an extra couple of bids but look, the one thing you’ll do is work hard for the vendor–whether they’re getting 300 or three million.” View the full article

Saturday Flemens Story Track: Kelso – 11:45 Jockey: Brian Hughes The ground may be just soft enough for him but two miles six furlongs should suit but he ran ok in a hands and hells event last time where he could have probably just done with a slight reminder. This race should be more to his liking […] The post Donald McCain – Weekend Runners appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Silver Vase Chase Rene’s Girl looked to have a Grade 1 at her mercy last season only for the ill-fated Finnian’s Oscar to chin her in the final strides at Aintree. Dan Skelton’s mare ran well on seasonal debut at Carlisle behind Mister Whitaker where she lost all chance at the last. She was slightly […] The post Weekend Preview – Henderson’s Charge Champing At The Bit In Challow Hurdle appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Neville Hotels Novice Chase Delta Work had a very fruitful campaign last season which ended on two high notes by landing the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham and then running a fine race to finish runner-up in a Grade 1 novice hurdle at Punchestown. He’s looked a natural over the larger obstacles this season and was […] The post Leopardstown Preview – 29th December appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Red-hot jockey Silvestre de Sousa is in the midst of his best stint in Hong Kong but the Brazilian says he would be happy with just one more winner in his time here. De Sousa has never ridden more than 16 winners in his previous stints in Hong Kong and currently sits on 15 after enjoying a dominant last month, which included winning the International Jockeys’ Championship and the Longines Hong Kong Cup on Glorious Forever. With his contract set to finish at the end of February so he can... View the full article

RACING POST NAP 15:00 Leopardstown The showpiece race of the day and a real market to be laid down for the Cheltenham Gold Cup by landing this valuable prize. Noel Meade’s Road to Respect looks primed to strike in this one. Fourth in the gold cup at last year’s festival but landed two grade 1s […] The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Friday 28th December appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Jockey Zac Purton believes four-year-old series hopeful Superich has “lost some of his zip” but it may not a negative. The Frankie Lor Fu-chuen-trained galloper has finished no worse than third in his seven-start career and could easily be unbeaten this season after running into traffic in two of his three starts. While he has not raced further than 1,400m in his career, Purton believes he is beginning to show signs of a horse that would relish the extra ground that the four-year-... View the full article

Tony Cruz’s mercurial galloper Time Warp will return to the scene of his stunning track record when he lines up in next month’s January Cup at Happy Valley. The five-year-old was one of a host of Hong Kong’s top-liners that trialled for the first time on Friday since the Hong Kong International Races earlier this month. Cruz’s duo of Pakistan Star and Time Warp trialled together, with Pakistan Star getting the better of his stablemate in an impressive hit-out that saw... View the full article

Maximus spearheads Tan's trio in New Year Cup View the full article

CK Ng, Firdaus suspended three months each View the full article

Despite a stunning defeat as the 1-10 favorite in the Dec. 15 GIII Harlan’s Holiday S., Audible (Into Mischief) has been given the green light to make his next start in the Jan. 26 GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. The Harlan’s Holiday was always expected to be a Pegasus prep for Audible, but his camp was non-committal about his next start after the runner-up effort in the 1 1/16-mile race. “At the time, I was definitely discouraged over the defeat,” said Elliott Walden, the president and CEO of WinStar Farm, a co-owner of Audible. “I was disappointed with his race, but when you stand back and look at it, it was on a sloppy racetrack and he had a very wide trip. With those two factors, we will give him the benefit of the doubt. If you stand back and look at his record, it’s pretty solid. He has never been off the board and has won four of seven starts. It’s a pretty stellar record and he deserves the opportunity to go in the Pegasus.” Audible’s defeat in the Harlan’s Holiday was among the biggest upsets in racing this year. In what was supposed to be little more than a paid public workout on his way to the Pegasus, he finished second, a half-length behind 25-1 shot Sir Anthony (Mineshaft). It was the first time Sir Anthony had competed in a graded stakes race. He will not be coming back for the Pegasus. “It was an odd race, a very odd race,” Walden said. “He’s a very talented horse and we believe he’s one of the best horses in the country. Hopefully, it will be fast on Pegasus Day. Javier [Castellano] didn’t think he has handling the track and didn’t put his best foot forward.” The winner of last year’s GI Florida Derby at Gulfstream, Audible seemed to be getting back on track after an injury knocked him out of the GI Belmont S. and sidelined him until Nov. 3. He returned that day with an easy win in the Cherokee Run S. at Churchill and seemed primed to take another step forward in the Harlan’s Holiday. In other news out of the WinStar camp, Walden reports the major Kentucky Derby contender Improbable (City Zip) will not have his 3-year-old debut until March. Undefeated in three starts, he is coming off a five-length win in the GI Los Alamitos Futurity. Though the races have yet to be determined, Improbable will likely have one start in March, another in April and then head to the Derby. With his trainer, Bob Baffert, having several top colts aiming for next year’s Derby, Walden realizes there’s a chance Improbable may have to leave his base at Santa Anita. “We wanted to freshen him up,” Walden said. “He’ll have back-to-back races before the Derby and then, if he’s successful [in the Derby], he could again have back-to-back races. So we wanted to take this time to give him a break. We haven’t talked about any particular races. I am sure Bob would want to split his 3-year-olds up and so would we. We’ll figure all that out when the time comes.” Although WinStar is involved with some other talented 2-year-old colts, Walden said at this point Improbable is the only one the team considers a Derby prospect. Bulletin (City Zip) is two for two and won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Walden said he some day could have a start on the dirt, but he is not viewed as a distance horse. Instead, the goal for next year for Bulletin will be a win at Royal Ascot. “He’s very fast and we are looking at Royal Ascot,” Walden said. “The first part of the year, we’ll start looking at how we get there. We’ll mainly look at the [G3] Jersey S. or the [G1] Commonwealth at Ascot. “We also have a horse we really like named Preamble (Speightstown),” Walden said. “He’s trained by Rodolphe Brisset and is two-for-two. We’re looking at the major one-turn 3-year-old races, like the [GI Woody Stephens] with him. He’s also a very fast horse.” View the full article

Santa Anita Park's 2018-19 winter meeting got off to a record-breaking start Dec. 26, as the track posted all-sources pari-mutuel handle of $20,491,016, a 19% increase over a year ago and an all-time opening day record. View the full article

Joe Harper, Chief Executive Officer of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, will be honored with the Eclipse Award of Merit in recognition of a lifetime of outstanding achievement in Thoroughbred racing, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters announced Thursday. “American Racing has the tradition of Saratoga, the history of the Triple Crown, the majesty of Santa Anita, and the unbridled joy of summer at Del Mar,” said Hall of Fame trainer and four-time Eclipse Award winner Bob Baffert. “Joe Harper is the maestro of that summer celebration, the exuberant leader who makes sure, every year, that Del Mar maintains its special place in racing’s heart. Joe Harper is Del Mar, Del Mar is Joe Harper, and no one deserves the Eclipse Award of Merit more than Joe.” During Harper’s time at Del Mar’s helm, the track underwent an $80-million grandstand reconstruction, introduced its now-signature GI Pacific Classic, added a fall meeting, and hosted its first Breeders’ Cup in 2017. “I’m certainly honored to be selected for an award that has gone previously to so many exceptional people in our wonderful world of horse racing,” said the 75-year-old Harper. “But I’d like everyone to know that I am going to accept it on behalf of the incredible employees of Del Mar who have–for over all the years–been the backbone of our success. My first job at Del Mar was as a cinema photographer during the 1967 summer meet. I saw and could tell right away that this was a family working together for a good cause that they all believed in. I think we’ve been successful in keeping it that way for the half century or so I’ve been involved with it.” In 1978, Harper took on a leadership role at Del Mar after serving at Santa Anita as Executive Vice president of the Oak Tree Racing Association. At Del Mar, Harper first served as executive vice president and general manager. In 1990 he took on the roles of president and chief executive officer. He relinquished the role of president in 2018, but continues as the track’s CEO. He has been a director of DMTC since 1985. “Under Joe Harper’s leadership, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club has been one of Thoroughbred racing’s great success stories for many years,” said Alex Waldrop, President and CEO of the NTRA. “Joe’s acute attention to the customer experience, his ability to assemble an extremely talented management team, and his willingness to adapt to the changes confronting our sport over the years while maintaining the highest standards make him a very worthy recipient of the Award of Merit.” Harper will receive the Award of Merit during the Eclipse Awards Dinner and Ceremony Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

Harper, chief executive officer of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, will receive the Award of Merit at the 48th annual Eclipse Awards honoring the 2018 champions of Thoroughbred racing Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. View the full article

Santa Anita’s opening-day card produced an all-sources pari-mutuel handle of $20,491,016 Wednesday–a 19% increase over last year and an all-time opening-day record. Wednesday’s opening-day crowd of 41,373 contributed to an on-track handle of $3,463,535, a 5% increase over last year’s $3.3 million. On-track attendance was up 3% over last year. “Yesterday’s attendance and handle numbers are the result of many factors, none greater than field size,” said Tim Ritvo, COO for The Stronach Group. “We would first of all like to thank our tremendous fans, not only here at Santa Anita, but around the country as well. They recognize a top-quality product that offers good value and they responded in-kind yesterday. We had tremendous racing and the horsemen obviously responded to the great opportunities our 10-race program offered.” View the full article

Two weeks ago, Ken Ramsey was sitting with family in his lower-level season seats at Rupp Arena, watching the Wildcats, when a cousin made a pitch about a 51-day cruise he was planning. “We got talking about it, and he just begged me to go on this cruise,” said Ramsey. “He brought the itinerary, showed me all the ports. I said, ‘Fifty one days! I can’t take that much time off!’ But I got home and started to think on it. And I came to a conclusion: my money’s making a slave of me.” That confirmed to Ramsey what he’d already been thinking, that it was way past time to drastically reduce the size of his stable and refocus his energies on enjoying life. Over the past five years alone, horses owned by Ken Ramsey and his wife Sarah have made 2,782 starts. Those starters won 601 races and banked $36.5 million. The Ramseys have four Eclipse Awards as the nation’s leading owner and two Eclipse Awards as the nation’s leading breeder. They’ve won four Breeders’ Cup races, placed in 11 others, and three times have led the country’s owners by earnings. They almost single-handedly turned Kitten’s Joy into America’s best turf sire and have raced six Grade I-winning homebreds by him. The operation, in short, has been a juggernaut. So it’s hard to imagine Ken Ramsey even talking about a racing stable of just 10 to 15 horses. But that is the goal, Ramsey said during a recent TDN interview at his Ramsey Farm in Nicholasville, Kentucky. In fact, Ramsey began cutting his numbers in earnest earlier this year. The stable is down by over a third and will continue to shrink, Ramsey said. His broodmare band will ultimately number around 50, he said. “Would you believe that at one point, a year or so ago, we had 747 horses?” Ramsey said. “Right now, as we speak, we are down to 478 horses. And we are selling another 11 broodmares out here at Keeneland [January] and Fasig-Tipton [February]. I’ve got 164 broodmares; 116 racehorses, including 2-year-olds; 77 yearlings; 116 weanlings, two stallions and three teasers. I’ve just got too many.” He added, “I don’t travel around as much as I did at one time. [My wife Sarah] doesn’t like to travel all that much, so it’s just getting it down to a more manageable number. I think we’ll both enjoy it more.” Ramsey has already sent a half-dozen 2-year-olds each to Eddie Woods and Woodford Thoroughbreds and will offer them at next year’s juvenile sales. He figures to lose some runners at the claim box, and will sell privately, as well. He also has floated the idea of conducting a dispersal at either Keeneland or Fasig-Tipton. Ramsey said he’d be active selling at yearling sales in 2019 and, at the bloodstock sales, would offer mares in foal to Kitten’s Joy, as well as a number of mares in foal to outside sires. “My farm manager Mark Partridge and I are working on it right now, trying to figure which stallions will be commercial come November,” said Ramsey. A Public Option… Ken Ramsey is still spry at 83. He speeds his red Lexus around Ramsey Farm’s many roads and knows every nook of the property. He proudly shows visitors the farm’s natural springs, including one that provides water to three nearby fields. On this visit, he ambles into the little shack that cover’s the spring’s source and, bending down, drinks directly from the water bubbling up from the limestone. “Try it,” he said. “That’s the best, purest water you’ll ever taste.” Near another of the springs on his farm is a small covered bridge he had built by Amish workers. “I told them to not nail down the floorboards, ’cause I like to hear them rattle when I drive over them,” he says. According to Ramsey, he’s the largest landowner in Jessamine Co., and in total owns some 2,600 acres in myriad locations. Ramsey has already made some major changes to his operation. For years, the Ramseys stood homebred champion Kitten’s Joy at Ramsey Farm, but last year sold a 50% interest in the stallion to Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms and relocated him there. “We decided to take a little money off the table,” said Ramsey. “You’ve got to stay in the black.” The Ramseys didn’t get entirely out of the stallion business. They still have We Miss Artie at Ramsey Farm, and the Grade I-winning son of Artie Schiller will be represented by first-crop runners in 2019. Though the Ramseys are scaling back, there are no plans to sell Ramsey Farm. In fact, Ramsey just bought adjecent acreage to the property that includes two houses, and, in the midst of estate planning, he says he expects the farm to one day be split among his children and grandchildren, many of whom have shown an interest in racing. That includes grandson Nolan Ramsey, who is currently an assistant to trainer Mike Maker. Ramsey also stresses that this isn’t a portent of him getting out of racing entirely. While he downsizes, he says he’ll put a renewed emphasis on two long-time goals: winning the Kentucky Derby and winning a stakes at Royal Ascot. To that end, he’ll begin breeding what mares he does retain to prominent dirt sires. “We bred to Gun Runner and Arrogate last year, so we’ve got those coming on,” he said. “I probably can’t afford Justify, but I’m real high on him. But I’m going to focus on getting a really good dirt horse and try to win the Kentucky Derby. And if I can’t win the roses, maybe I can at least start smelling ’em! And we’ll try to win a stakes race at Royal Ascot. That’s been on my bucket list for a long time.” Another of Ramsey’s aims, he says, it to figure out how to be utilize the land and facilities at Ramsey Farm. One option is to turn the farm public and open a boarding and sales-prep operation. “I’ve got all the infrastructure I need,” he said. “I’ve got what we call Kitten’s Spa, which is an underwater treadmill and a vibrating platform that’ll really help the yearlings. We’ve also got a training center out here, as well, and could have horses ready to roll for the races. I’ve got three exercise riders coming out here now.” He added, “If someone wants to come out here and lease a few hundred acres and use the facilities, we’d be tickled to death to talk with them about that.” Ramsey is also hoping to possibly attract an outside stallion to stand at the farm. “I’d be interested in partnering in up with someone to stand a stallion if they had one I thought had some promise,” he said. Other big changes are afoot for Ken Ramsey. On the first of the year, Ramsey is turning over all his non-racing businesses to his son Kelly. “I’ve got a lot of real estate holdings and rental properties, and we’re developing a subdivision and two industrial parks,” he said. “And I have six radio stations in the Midwest. I’ve been dabbling in all of it and not doing a good job in any of it.” On the farm, Ramsey says he’s turning the day-to-day operations over to his son Jeffrey, currently the director of publicity and marketing, and to Mark Partridge. “I’ll be dealing strictly with the horses and where to spot them,” said Ramsey. “I’m getting too old to put in 12 hours a day. Hell, my phone starts ringing every day at 6:30 a.m.” In 2019, one of the horses Ramsey will be spotting is Backyard Heaven (Tizway), impressive winner of the GII Alysheba S. in May. Backyard Heaven subsequently disappointed in the GI Stephen Foster and GI Whitney S. Tests revealed foot bruising and he was given time off. “There’s nothing wrong with him and he’s here on the farm,” said Ramsey. “We’ve had him in the spa here and we have a vibrating platform. So he’s been standing on that so his feet are toughened up, and we’ll send him to [trainer] Chad Brown down at Gulfstream in a few weeks.” In some ways, Backyard Heaven is symbolic of Ramsey Farm’s future. He’s a dirt horse from an operation known for its turf stars. And he’s named after the Ramseys’ vacation house in Saratoga, a lifestyle Ramsey is intent on embracing more. “I read Ecclesiastes the other day, and King Solomon says what you should do in life is eat, drink and be merry,” said Ramsey. “You’re not taking any of the money with you, and life’s too short. I’ve got a beautiful lake here on the farm with benches around it, and I drive past on my way to another meeting or whatever, and there are the farm employees out there fishing, enjoying themselves. And I don’t have time to do that. There’s something wrong with that picture, right? Anyway, the stark reality set in and I decided that, after all, I could be mortal. We need to kick back and take life a little easier.” View the full article

With NFL fans accustomed to hearing a brief explanation from officials if replay reverses a call on the field, Turfway Park and the stewards at the Northern Kentucky track are going to try a similar approach. View the full article

What could be that difficult about breeding? You select a stallion that suits the mare and your goals, breed your mare, then keep her fed and watered for 11 months until you’re rewarded with a healthy foal. If only it were that simple. There are many reasons a mare can prove difficult to get into foal, or to stay in foal. It could be as simple function of age. It could be results from a complicated delivery. Or, it could be a multitude of other reasons. Regardless, now is the time breeders should be paying special attention to preparing their breeding stock for the upcoming season, and for those with known issues there are added safeguards and steps breeders can take she gave themselves and their horses the best chance at a successful pregnancy. Issues that Can Impact Conception There are many reasons a horse may have issues getting impregnated, the most basic of which are her age, not breeding her at the appropriate time during her cycle, or poor reproductive health of the mare or stallion. A typical mare’s ovum, or egg, begins to lose viability within just five to six hours post-ovulation, and typically loses all viability within 24 hours. While a stallion’s semen typically remains viable for 48 hours, a reduced number and quality of a stallion’s semen can limit its viability to just a few hours. Age can negatively impact these timeframes for both sexes. The mare’s body condition can also play into her chances of becoming pregnant. Most veterinarians recommend mares to rank around a 5 or a 6 on the Henneke Body Condition Score (BCS). When a mare’s weight and overall health decline, so too does their reproductive efficiency. Outside of age and general health-related issues, endometritis is the most common reason for infertility in mares. This condition, which is an infection or inflammation of the lining of the uterus caused by foreign contaminants such as bacteria or spermatozoa, can either be acute as a result of breeding (both artificial and natural), reproductive examination or as a result of poor conformation. “There are simple, but important steps one can take to improve the chances of conception, including a physical examination of both the mare and the stallion, a careful and thorough reproductive exam of the mare prior to the breeding season and during the estrous cycle during which breeding is to occur and to optimize the overall health of the horse,” said Kristina Lu, VMD, an equine reproductive specialist with Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. Early vs. Late Term Pregnancy Loss Just as there are a number of reasons a mare can be difficult to impregnate, the same can hold true for keeping her in foal. Most pregnancy losses occur in the initial weeks and months of pregnancy. Again, age can play a role. As mares age, they may experience uterine fibrosis, which can lead to a placenta that is less-efficient in getting nutrition to the growing fetus. Other causes for early-term pregnancy loss can be unavoidable complications, such as genetic defects or embryonic abnormalities. They can also be due to uterine infections that may have been low-grade and undetectable at the time of breeding/conception but proliferate in the subsequent weeks and months. Late-term losses can have their own set of culprits. “Placentitis, umbilical cord torsion, systemic illness can all cause late, and in some cases mid-term abortion in mares,” said Lu. “Diseases such as leptospirosis, equine herpesvirus 1 or 4 and equine viral arteritis are threats to a healthy gestation as well, some of which can spread quickly through a herd and may not generate obvious clinical signs other than abortion.” Then there are also those mares that have little trouble carrying a foal to term, only to be prone to dystocias (difficulty giving birth), which can be caused by congenital abnormalities, such as contracted limbs that prevent the foal from properly fitting through the birth canal. This, in turn, can lead to oxygen deprivation in foals. Safeguards to Protect Both Mare and Foal While some complications are simply unavoidable, there are safeguards and protocols that can be implemented to support the gestation and delivery of a healthy foal. “Some simple things horsemen and women can do to protect their mares and future foals are to maintain good general health of a mare, conduct thorough reproductive examinations, monitor the mare’s reproductive tract before and after breeding, ensure regular core vaccinations, consider screening for placentitis if the mare has a previous history and consider vaccinating for herpes or leptospirosis if appropriate,” said Lu. “Breeding as close to ovulation as possible can also be of benefit. On the other hand, repeated breeding during an estrous cycle (average 21 days) may increase opportunity for endometritis in some mares.” Above all else, staying in regular communication with your veterinarian is one of the best forms of protection one can afford their mares. View the full article

Members of the TDN staff reveal what TDN Rising Star they’re most excited to see race in 2019. How can you not be excited about an undefeated juvenile colt, who is a three-time Grade I-winner, is soon-to-be a champion and is trained by Bob Baffert? Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}) has done absolutely everything right and I’m not just referring to the fact he is a perfect four-for-four. The bay has been the consummate professional in each of his racetrack appearances, winning impressively and with ease every time. He has also displayed versatility and the ability to overcome adversity, two important qualities for both a good racehorse and a GI Kentucky Derby hopeful. Drawn in post nine in his six-panel debut at Del Mar Aug. 18, the $110,000 KEESEP buy forced the issue four-wide and blew them away in the lane to graduate by 5 3/4 lengths (video). Given another outside post in the GI Del Mar Futurity Sept. 3, Game Winner put away a strong field that included his more-fancied stablemate Roadster (Quality Road) with ease (video). Navigating two turns for the first time in the Sept. 29 GI American Pharoah S., he handled it with aplomb, shrugging off a talented runner in the stretch to win as he pleased (video). Facing his toughest test yet in the Nov. 2 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, held beneath the same Twin Spires the colt hopes to see on the First Saturday in May, Game Winner overcame another outside post, wide trip and bumping in late stretch to forge clear for a determined score (video). In each of his starts, Game Winner performed like a horse that would only get better with distance. He is bred to run all day being a son of Candy Ride out of an A.P. Indy mare, who is a daughter of MGISW Fleet Indian (Indian Charlie). The bay has the right connections for the job with owners Gary and Mary West and two-time Triple Crown-winner Baffert. Bred by Summer Wind Farm, the colt is one of three horses born at Jane Lyon’s facility to win at the highest level for Baffert this year with the other two being fellow ‘TDN Rising Stars’ McKinzie (Street Sense) and Chasing Yesterday (Tapit). –Christie DeBernardis, Associate Editor View the full article

We’re now 128 days out from the 145th GI Kentucky Derby, and the pecking order is hazily taking shape. The initial Top 12 rankings are largely based on 2-year-old form, but there’s a speculative, forward-thinking element (read: guesswork) built into the equation, with the goal of projecting how these still-developing horses will blossom over the next four months. Get tied on and enjoy the ride. 1) GAME WINNER (c, Candy Ride {Arg}—Indyan Giving, by A.P. Indy) ‘TDN Rising Star’. O-Gary & Mary West. B-Summer Wind Equine (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $110,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 4-4-0-0, $1,496,000. Last Start: 1st, GI Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile , CD, Nov. 2 Accomplishments Include: 1st, GI American Pharoah S., SA, Sept. 29; 1st, GI Del Mar Futurity, DMR, Sept. 3 Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 30. ‘TDN Rising Star’ Game Winner is the undefeated victor of the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and appears to be a lock to earn the divisional championship at the Eclipse Awards. You have to respect those impeccable credentials while also realizing there is active debate as to whether he will turn out to be the best long-range Derby candidate within trainer Bob Baffert’s deeply stocked stable. I assembled this season’s debut Top 12 with him on top only after strongly considering other combinations that involved this week’s 1-2-3 kingpins. This $110,000 KEESEP Candy Ride (Arg) colt bulled his way to an impressive open-length debut win at Del Mar prior to asserting himself in back-to-back, short-field Grade I stakes on the SoCal circuit. Then he roared home with authority as the even-money Juvenile fave despite being bumped at the break and giving up four paths of real estate on both turns. Strongly in his favor is Baffert’s been-there-done-that success in Triple Crown races. But since the advent of the Breeders’ Cup, Juvenile winners are a collective 2-for-34 in the Derby (Nyquist and Street Sense). Game Winner is currently in light training at Santa Anita. 2) SIGNALMAN (c, General Quarters–Trip South, by Trippi) O-Tommie M. Lewis, David A. Bernsen, LLC & Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek). B-Monticule (KY). T-Kenneth G McPeek. Sales History: $32,000 Ylg ’17 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: GSW & MGISP, 5-2-2-1, $448,990. Last Start: 1st, GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., CD, Nov. 24 Accomplishments Include: 3rd, GI Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, CD, Nov. 2; 2nd, GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity, KEE, Oct. 6 Next Start: Aiming for GII Fountain of Youth S., GP, Mar. 2 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 18. While Signalman can’t match the four-for-four and three Grade I stakes wins of the only horse ranked above him in this week’s Top 12, he does have an edge in that he’s broadened his foundation beyond a third-place try in the Juvenile by coming back three weeks later to smartly annex the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. That Nov. 24 neck win resonates as a positive “how he did it” sign of advancement, because this $32,000 FTKOCT General Quarters colt exhibited a high level of comfort while covered up on the inside of a sloppy Churchill Downs surface. He also gets style points for launching a prolonged, confident march five furlongs out that he accentuated with a strong, willing finish, repulsing several potential winning bids before galloping out nicely. Trainer Ken McPeek picked out this relative bargain himself, telling TDN earlier this month that he “put a lot more emphasis on the conformation than the pedigree.” Having accomplished so much at the tail end of his 2-year-old campaign, Signalman is being freshened for the GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park Mar. 2. 3) IMPROBABLE (c, City Zip—Rare Event, by A.P. Indy) ‘TDN Rising Star’. O-WinStar Farm LLC, China Horse Club International Ltd. & Starlight Racing. B-St. George Farm LLC & G. Watts Humphrey Jr. (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $110,000 Wlg ’16 KEENOV; $200,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISW, 3-3-0-0, $269,520. Last Start: 1st, GI Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity, LRC, Dec. 8 Accomplishments Include: 1st, Street Sense S., CD, Nov. 2; Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. Caulfield on Improbable. KY Derby Points: 10. ‘TDN Rising Star’ Improbable’s 1-5 favored win in the GI Los Alamitos Futurity marks him as an aggressive, confident stalker who responds well to rousing while using his energy efficiently. He was hard held to the backstretch (avoiding trouble that affected others on the turn), then picked off dueling pacemakers at will while being driven from the quarter to the eighth pole. He was kept to task while widening by five lengths to the wire, finishing like he had not scraped the bottom of his stamina reserve. Trainer Baffert noted post-win that the three-for-three Improbable “has a long stride like Justify (Scat Daddy). He’s just a smaller version. I’m not saying he’s at Justify’s level yet, but he’s a really good horse.” Baffert has now won the last five Los Al Futurities. The only two of those winners to go on and start in the Kentucky Derby—Dortmund (Big Brown) and Mor Spirit (Eskendereya)—both won Santa Anita’s GIII Robert B. Lewis S. in their next starts. 4) CODE OF HONOR (c, Noble Mission {GB}–Reunited, by Dixie Union) O/B-W. S. Farish (KY). T-Shug McGaughey. Sales History: $70,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISP, 2-1-1-0, $146,750. Last Start: 2nd, GI Champagne S., BEL, Oct. 6 Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 4. Based on his 14-1 adversity-overcoming second in the GI Champagne S. at Belmont Park (lost footing and pitched forward at break; nice five-wide run off turn) Code of Honor appeared poised to enter the Breeders’ Cup as the “wiseguy” horse for the Juvenile. But he spiked a temperature and scratched the night before the race, then trainer Shug McGuaghey kept him out of a planned next start in the GII Remsen S. because he was not totally satisfied with the energy level of this homebred Noble Mission (GB) colt. Code of Honor is now breezing at Payson Park, with an aim on a 2019 Gulfstream return. A fairly late foal (May 23) out of a Dixie Union mare, Code of Honor won on debut at Saratoga, wiring a six-furlong MSW at 6-1. Based on the disparate running styles of his only two races, it will be interesting to see whether he evolves as a pace presence or a stalker/closer. There are more accomplished stakes winners ranked behind him on this list. But the bet here is that Code of Honor will outperform them in the not-too-distant future. 5) COLISEUM (c, Tapit–Game Face, by Menifee) ‘TDN Rising Star’. O-Godolphin LLC. B-Godolphin (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $31,800. Last Start: 1st, Maiden Special Weight, DMR, Nov. 17 Next Start: Aiming for GIII Sham S., SA, Jan. 5 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 0. A horse needs a “Wow!” effort to crack the Derby Top 12 off a maiden win alone, and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Coliseum delivered with a flourish at first asking when unveiled at 1-2 odds in a seven-furlong MSW at Del Mar Nov. 17. Godolphin’s well-meant homebred made all the running with devastating ease, widening under a light hold entering the turn before deftly clicking into a secondary stretch gear—hardly his last—when nudged home by jockey Joe Talamo before being taken in hand 6 3/4 lengths clear of the competition at the wire. Prior to his debut, Baffert told TDN‘s Bill Finley that Coliseum can be a bit of a problem child to train. “He’s a nice horse, but he’s a Tapit and has a lot of typical Tapit issues,” Baffert said. “He can be a head case. In the middle of his works he just wants to take off.” 6) ROADSTER (c, Quality Road–Ghost Dancing, by Silver Ghost) ‘TDN Rising Star’. O-Speedway Stable LLC. B-Stone Farm (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $525,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISP, 2-1-0-1, $72,000. Last Start: 3rd, GI Del Mar Futurity, DMR, Sept. 3 Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 0. For a while last summer, Roadster was the “now” juvenile within the potent Baffert barn. He broke his maiden on debut by an easy 4 1/4 lengths at 4-5 odds at Del Mar July 29, then was bet down to 7-10 favoritism in the GI Del Mar Futurity. This $525,000 KEESEP Quality Road colt managed third but never showed any true pop or spark while finishing behind stablemate Game Winner, and it was later reported he had displaced his soft palate and required surgery to correct it. Roadster has been working steadily at Santa Anita since Nov. 28, and he enters 2019 as a 32-1 shot in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. 7) INSTAGRAND (c, Into Mischief—Assets of War, by Lawyer Ron) ‘TDN Rising Star’. O-OXO Equine LLC. B-Stoneway Farm (KY). T-Jerry Hollendorfer. Sales History: $190,000 Ylg ’17 FTKJUL; $1,200,000 2yo ’18 FTFMAR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $144,000. Last Start: 1st, GII Best Pal S., DMR, Aug. 11 Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 0. To steal a line from Winston Churchill, ‘TDN Rising Star’ Instagrand debuts on the Top 12 list as “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.” That’s because this $1.2-million FTFMAR co-sales-topping son of Into Mischief won his first two starts by a combined 20 lengths and figured to be the slam-dunk favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile before owner Larry Best cut short his reportedly healthy 2-year-old campaign with the aim of having a fresher, sturdier sophomore for 2019. Will the unorthodox game plan work? If Instagrand proves to be a major force on the Triple Crown trail, we might expect other owners and trainers to employ similar sit-it-out strategies in the future. If this highly hyped colt doesn’t deliver (or can’t replicate his form at longer distances), questions will abound over whether his aborted early-career arc cost him a shot at the Classics. 8) VEKOMA (c, Candy Ride {Arg}—Mona de Momma, by Speightstown) O-R. A. Hill Stable & Gatsas Stables. B-Alpha Delta Stables, LLC (KY). T-George Weaver. Sales History: $135,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $151,250. Last Start: 1st GIII Nashua S., AQU, Nov. 4 Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 0. Vekoma shares a name with a roller coaster manufacturer, but this undefeated $135,000 KEESEP Candy Ride (Arg) colt is still climbing his steep, initial upward arc without yet experiencing a dizzying descent. He was a pace-pressing (but slightly green) winner at first asking in a Belmont Park sprint, then pounced to victory again with a stalking attack off the turn (head cocked to the grandstand and on the wrong lead) in the one-turn mile GIII Nashua S. His trainer, George Weaver, told Daily Racing Form that because Vekoma is a May 22 foal, he “still has some maturing to do” and is set to resume training at Palm Beach Downs after a 30-day break. A late January sophomore debut is a possibility. 9) KNICKS GO (c, Paynter—Kosmo’s Buddy, by Outflanker) O-KRA Stud Farm. B-Angie Moore (MD). T-Ben Colebrook. Sales History: $40,000 Wlg ’16 KEENOV; $87,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISW, 6-2-1-1, $672,515. Last Start: 11th GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., CD, Nov. 24 Accomplishments Include: 1st, GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity, KEE, Oct. 6; 2nd, GI Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, CD, Nov. 2; 3rd, Listed Arlington Washington Futurity, AP, Sept. 8 Next Start: Possible for GIII Sam F. Davis S., TAM, Feb. 9 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 18. This $87,000 KEESEP yearling (the first graded stakes winner for Paynter) earned the honor of being a hard-trying overachiever with an improbable bomb of a win at in the GI Breeders’ Futurity S., yet several things not directly related to Knicks Go went right in order for him to pull off that 70-1 wire job (morning line fave scratched due to illness; starting fave got clobbered out of the gate). But certainly more than luck contributed to his next-out, 40-1 second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile when he hopped at the start, rushed to take the lead, then held on for as long as he could into deep stretch against the presumptive Eclipse Award winner. Knicks Go then faltered as the fave in the Nov. 24 Kentucky Jockey Club S., but I’m willing to chalk up that blah 11th to a sloppy track and three hard races in an eight-week span. He’s aiming for a Tampa return. 10) MAXIMUS MISCHIEF (c, Into Mischief—Reina Maria, by Songandaprayer) ‘TDN Rising Star’. O-Cash is King LLC & LC Racing. B-Martha Jane Mullholland (KY). T-Robert E Reid, Jr. Sales History: $165,000 Wlg ’16 KEENOV; $170,000 RNA ’17 FTNAUG; $245,000 RNA 2yo ’18 FTFMAR; $340,000 2yo ’18 FTIMAY. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-3-0-0, $192,100. Last Start: 1st GII Remsen S., AQU, Dec. 1 Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 10. Big, strong, speed-centric ‘TDN Rising Star’ Maximus Mischief earned a trip to Florida for the winter by leaping from the Parx allowance sprint ranks to being a nine-furlong graded stakes winner in New York’s final top-level juvenile test of 2018. This $340,000 EASMAY Into Mischief colt (pinhooked for $165,000 then twice RNA’d at $170,000 and $245,000) accomplished his GII Remsen S. win by establishing a prime stalking spot, then dueling a pair of longshot pacemakers into defeat while vigorously shaken up for the stretch run to stay focused. His connections expressed encouragement that ‘Max’ learned how to relax in his two-turn debut while stepping up in class, and his up-close running style fits the traditional speed-friendly profile of Gulfstream Park, where he is likely to next race. 11) AVIE’S FLATTER (c, Flatter–Avie’s Empire, by Empire Maker) O-Ivan Dalos. B-Tall Oaks Farm (ON). T-Josie Carroll. Lifetime Record: MSW, 4-3-0-0, $251,834. Last Start: 1st Coronation Futurity, WO, Nov. 18 Accomplishments Include: 1st, Cup and Saucer S., WO, Oct. 7 Next Start: Aiming for GII Tampa Bay Derby, TAM, Mar. 9 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 0. Avie’s Flatter is a true outlier to be included on anyone’s Top 12 list. But his credentials aren’t that far-fetched. This Flatter homebred is the heavy favorite to win the Sovereign Award for 2-year-old champion colt in Canada, and although he’s unraced on dirt, Avie’s Flatter made it onto my watch list Sep. 16 with a game, much-better-than-it-looks fourth against a deep field in the GI Summer S.—an extremely ambitious assignment right off his maiden score. He then dismantled Canadian-breds on both dirt and Tapeta in a pair of stakes at Woodbine, and will resurface at Tampa Bay Downs later this winter. “I’ll try to go the same route that I did [in 2015] with Ami’s Flatter (Flatter), who came down to Florida and ended up running second in the [GII] Tampa Bay Derby and third in the [GI] Florida Derby,” owner/breeder Ivan Dalos told TDN earlier this month. 12) CAIRO CAT (c, Cairo Prince—La Belle Cat, by Tale of the Cat) O-Walking L Thoroughbreds, LLC. B-Clifton Farm, LLC (KY). T-Kenneth G McPeek. Sales History: $130,000 Ylg ’17 FTKJUL. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-0-0, $133,750. Last Start: 1st GIII Iroquois S., CD, Sept. 15 Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 10. Cairo Cat outran 18-1 odds winning career start number two going seven furlongs at Saratoga, then exceeded expectations again with a 17-1 first-time-Lasix score in the Sep. 15 Iroquois S. In that 1 1/16 miles Churchill stakes score, he dug in for a rail trip and angled out to nail an aggressively ridden favorite. This $130,000 FTKJUL colt has been unraced since, and is gearing back up for a 2019 campaign at Payson Park. No next-race plans have been confirmed, but his sire, Cairo Prince, was the favored winner of the 2014 GII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream. On the Bubble (in alphabetical order) Bankit (Central Banker): Bulled from last to get second and galloped out past stablemate winner of Springboard Mile S. Gray Attempt (Graydar): Could stretch out in Jan. 25 Smarty Jones S. off Dec. 22 Sugar Bowl S. wire job. Long Range Toddy (Take Charge Indy): Boxed and bottled off turn yet prevailed in Springboard Mile. Network Effect (Mark Valeski): Second in both Remsen and Nashua S. to close out 2018. Mihos (Cairo Prince): ‘TDN Rising Star’ could be aiming for one-turn-mile Mucho Macho Man S. on Jan. 5. Mind Control (Stay Thirsty): GI Hopeful winner missed Keeneland stakes start because of fever; training for comeback in Jan. 1 Jerome S. Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man): ‘TDN Rising Star’ likely to ship our of SA for next stakes start, per Baffert via DRF. War of Will (War Front): Nice turf stakes form while still a maiden, then won in Churchill Downs slop. Aiming for GIII LeComte S. @thorntontd View the full article

CAIRO CAT (c, Cairo Prince—La Belle Cat, by Tale of the Cat) O-Walking L Thoroughbreds, LLC. B-Clifton Farm, LLC (KY). T-Kenneth G McPeek. Sales History: $130,000 Ylg ’17 FTKJUL. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-0-0, $133,750. Last Start: 1st GIII Iroquois S., CD, Sept. 15 Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 10. Cairo Cat outran 18-1 odds winning career start number two going seven furlongs at Saratoga, then exceeded expectations again with a 17-1 first-time-Lasix score in the Sep. 15 Iroquois S. In that 1 1/16 miles Churchill stakes score, he dug in for a rail trip and angled out to nail an aggressively ridden favorite. This $130,000 FTKJUL colt has been unraced since, and is gearing back up for a 2019 campaign at Payson Park. No VIDEO PPS FINISH RACE 1st GIII Iroquois S. 1st Maiden 8th Maiden View the full article

AVIE’S FLATTER (c, Flatter–Avie’s Empire, by Empire Maker) O-Ivan Dalos. B-Tall Oaks Farm (ON). T-Josie Carroll. Lifetime Record: MSW, 4-3-0-0, $251,834. Last Start: 1st Coronation Futurity, WO, Nov. 18 Accomplishments Include: 1st, Cup and Saucer S., WO, Oct. 7 Next Start: Aiming for GII Tampa Bay Derby, TAM, Mar. 9 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 0. Avie’s Flatter is a true outlier to be included on anyone’s Top 12 list. But his credentials aren’t that far-fetched. This Flatter homebred is the heavy favorite to win the Sovereign Award for 2-year-old champion colt in Canada, and although he’s unraced on dirt, Avie’s Flatter made it onto my watch list Sep. 16 with a game, much-better-than-it-looks fourth against a deep field in the GI Summer S.—an extremely ambitious assignment right off his maiden score. He then dismantled Canadian-breds on both dirt and Tapeta in a pair of stakes at Woodbine, and will resurface at Tampa Bay Downs later this winter. “I’ll try to go the same route that I did [in 2015] with Ami’s Flatter (Flatter), who came down to Florida and ended up running second in the [GII] Tampa Bay Derby and third in the [GI] Florida Derby,” owner/breeder Ivan Dalos told TDN earlier this month. VIDEO PPS FINISH RACE 1st Coronation S. 1st Cup and Saucer S. 4th GI Summer S. 1st Maiden View the full article

MAXIMUS MISCHIEF (c, Into Mischief—Reina Maria, by Songandaprayer) ‘TDN Rising Star’. O-Cash is King LLC & LC Racing. B-Martha Jane Mullholland (KY). T-Robert E Reid, Jr. Sales History: $165,000 Wlg ’16 KEENOV; $170,000 RNA ’17 FTNAUG; $245,000 RNA 2yo ’18 FTFMAR; $340,000 2yo ’18 FTIMAY. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-3-0-0, $192,100. Last Start: 1st GII Remsen S., AQU, Dec. 1 Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 10. Big, strong, speed-centric ‘TDN Rising Star’ Maximus Mischief earned a trip to Florida for the winter by leaping from the Parx allowance sprint ranks to being a nine-furlong graded stakes winner in New York’s final top-level juvenile test of 2018. This $340,000 EASMAY Into Mischief colt (pinhooked for $165,000 then twice RNA’d at $170,000 and $245,000) accomplished his GII Remsen S. win by establishing a prime stalking spot, then dueling a pair of longshot pacemakers into defeat while vigorously shaken up for the stretch run to stay focused. His connections expressed encouragement that ‘Max’ learned how to relax in his two-turn debut while stepping up in class, and his up-close running style fits the traditional speed-friendly profile of Gulfstream Park, where he is likely to next race. VIDEO PPS FINISH RACE 1st GII Remsen S. 1st Allowance 1st Maiden View the full article

KNICKS GO (c, Paynter—Kosmo’s Buddy, by Outflanker) O-KRA Stud Farm. B-Angie Moore (MD). T-Ben Colebrook. Sales History: $40,000 Wlg ’16 KEENOV; $87,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISW, 6-2-1-1, $672,515. Last Start: 11th GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., CD, Nov. 24 Accomplishments Include: 1st, GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity, KEE, Oct. 6; 2nd, GI Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, CD, Nov. 2; 3rd, Listed Arlington Washington Futurity, AP, Sept. 8 Next Start: Possible for GIII Sam F. Davis S., TAM, Feb. 9 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 18. This $87,000 KEESEP yearling (the first graded stakes winner for Paynter) earned the honor of being a hard-trying overachiever with an improbable bomb of a win at in the GI Breeders’ Futurity S., yet several things not directly related to Knicks Go went right in order for him to pull off that 70-1 wire job (morning line fave scratched due to illness; starting fave got clobbered out of the gate). But certainly more than luck contributed to his next-out, 40-1 second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile when he hopped at the start, rushed to take the lead, then held on for as long as he could into deep stretch against the presumptive Eclipse Award winner. Knicks Go then faltered as the fave in the Nov. 24 Kentucky Jockey Club S., but I’m willing to chalk up that blah 11th to a sloppy track and three hard races in an eight-week span. He’s aiming for a Tampa return. VIDEO PPS FINISH RACE 11th GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. 2nd GI Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile 1st GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity 5th GIII Sanford S. View the full article

VEKOMA (c, Candy Ride {Arg}—Mona de Momma, by Speightstown) O-R. A. Hill Stable & Gatsas Stables. B-Alpha Delta Stables, LLC (KY). T-George Weaver. Sales History: $135,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $151,250. Last Start: 1st GIII Nashua S., AQU, Nov. 4 Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 0. Vekoma shares a name with a roller coaster manufacturer, but this undefeated $135,000 KEESEP Candy Ride (Arg) colt is still climbing his steep, initial upward arc without yet experiencing a dizzying descent. He was a pace-pressing (but slightly green) winner at first asking in a Belmont Park sprint, then pounced to victory again with a stalking attack off the turn (head cocked to the grandstand and on the wrong lead) in the one-turn mile GIII Nashua S. His trainer, George Weaver, told Daily Racing Form that because Vekoma is a May 22 foal, he “still has some maturing to do” and is set to resume training at Palm Beach Downs after a 30-day break. A late January sophomore debut is a possibility. VIDEO PPS FINISH RACE 1st GIII Nashua S. 1st Maiden View the full article