Wandering Eyes

Louisville takes center stage this week ahead of the GI Kentucky Derby, but about an hour away is a case study in the unpredictably of the sport and the importance of life after racing. Currently residing at New Vocations at Mereworth Farm in Lexington is Thirtysevenliveson, a horse who in his day had all the qualifications and connections to be a Derby contender. While one of Thirtysevenliveson’s half-brothers actually won the Derby and another finished third, soon this perfectly pedigreed and sentimentally named steed will be adopted out through the rehoming program to someone looking for a pleasant trail riding horse, even though he himself got his early lessons alongside a future Triple Crown winner. The reality is, even if a horse is perfect on a paper, finding the winner’s circle at all, much less the heralded one at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May, requires beating the odds. “We are dealing with a numbers game,” said Anna Ford, the Thoroughbred program director for New Vocations. “There is only one Derby winner a year out of 20,000-30,000 foals. That leaves a lot of other horses. There are plenty that go on to win other major races and go on to the breeding shed, but there are a lot of horses that need aftercare services. Most of them are not well known, in fact the majority of them aren’t. It’s unusual that you can adopt the brother of a Derby winner.” Although Thirtysevenliveson’s uninspiring racing career makes him the rule rather than the exception, his story–which began several years before he was even born–still makes him unique. Countless hours are dedicated every year to solving the Rubik’s Cube that is betting the Kentucky Derby, but sometimes it is for naught. Such was the case when Mine That Bird (Birdstone) romped to victory in the 2009 edition of the Run for the Roses at odds of 50-1. Finishing almost seven lengths behind him in second was Ahmed Zayat’s highly-touted Pioneerof the Nile (Empire Maker). Although Mine That Bird, a bay gelding who was both small and plain, had stunned the majority of the 153,563 people in attendance that Derby day, he had been the champion juvenile in Canada the year before and also went on to run second behind future Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d’Oro) in the GI Preakness Stakes as well as third in the GI Belmont S. His dam also proved she wasn’t a one hit wonder. Mining My Own (Smart Strike) produced a flashy chestnut colt by Even the Score the year Mine That Bird made headlines during the Triple Crown. Named Dullahan, he would go on to be a multiple Grade I winner in his own right and finished third in the 2012 Kentucky Derby. Meanwhile, in 2013, a colt being offered at the Keeneland September yearling sale caught the eye of Zayat and his team. Hip 216 was by Giant’s Causeway and out of Mining My Own–in other words, he was a half-brother to Mine That Bird and Dullahan. A large chestnut with lots of chrome, he looked more like the second of his famous siblings. The Zayats bought him for $675,000, and he got his early lessons with none other than American Pharoah–the Zayat homebred by Pioneerof the Nile who would finally end the Triple Crown drought in 2015. “He was always a special horse,” said Justin Zayat, Ahmed’s son and the racing and stallion manager for Zayat Stables. “He was actually training on the farm with American Pharoah, and he was one of the leaders. American Pharoah was the king, but he was the runner up, along with Mr. Z (Malibu Moon) and El Kabeir (Scat Daddy). He was very highly touted. Around the time the 2012 Mining My Own colt needed a name, Ahmed Zayat had made an unlikely friendship with Nick Modico, who loved horse racing and had been the captain–and No. 37–on John F. Kennedy Catholic High School’s 2008 state champion baseball team. Modico also had Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. “He used to send my dad these messages on Twitter, and long story short my dad ended up answering him and they made a connection,” said Zayat. “He was battling cancer at the time, and my dad offered to fly him to the Breeders’ Cup that year but he couldn’t because of his health. “So, my dad let him name one of the best horses in that crop. He came up with that name, and it gave me goosebumps. He loved the sport, and we wanted to honor him and give him a boost by having a horse to name and follow.” When it was time for Thirtysevenliveson to go to the racetrack, the Zayats initially chose Dale Romans as his trainer. He was ready to debut in September of his 2-year-old year, but it still came too late in one regard. Nick Modico had died that spring, and never got to see his horse run. “We sent Thirtysevenliveson to Dale because he had trained Dullahan, and Dale’s dream has always been to win those roses,” said Zayat. “We thought it would be a good match for him. When the horse made his debut at Churchill Downs, it was special. Dale had customized baseball jerseys with the number 37 and Nick’s last name on the back, and a bunch of people were wearing them in the paddock. I remember seeing people crying. It was so sad that he had passed away, but his namesake was running.” Unfortunately, as the statistics show, at the racetrack Thirtysevenliveson was never able to show off the talent he had shown at the farm. His best finish was a second place effort in his third career start. Overall, he hit the board twice in eight starts and was retired with $21,910 in earnings. “It turned out the horse had some physical issues, a bunch of ankle issues, over the years,” said Zayat. “His last trainer before we sent him to New Vocations was Bill Mott because we thought turf might better for him. We paid a lot of money for him, and he was a beautiful physical, but it just turns out being a racehorse wasn’t in his best interest. So, we did what was right for him.” Thirtysevenliveson arrived at New Vocations last August. After being gelded, he was given the winter off to acclimate to his new life. “Not all of them get a few months off, but he in particular had some wear and tear from racing that just needed to calm down for a few months,” said Melissa King, the facility manager and trainer at New Vocations. “He is a big, lean horse to begin with, and they tend to deflate after they are gelded, so it just took him a little longer to pick up weight and settle into life off the track. “He can be a little silly in the field because he is more of a dominant horse. I tend to take the excessively dominant ones and give them a more dominant friend and let them sort it out. That has helped pushed him down a peg.” Now a 6-year-old, Thirtysevenliveson recently began his retraining, and he instantly showed his worth to those at New Vocations with his willing nature. “I was really impressed with him under saddle,” said King. “He didn’t do anything wrong. He hadn’t been sat on in eight months, and he went right out there in our arena, which can be a little scary to some horses because of the flowers and other things all around, and he didn’t look at anything. I think he will probably make a really good trail horse. I don’t foresee him being one that is very reactive or spooky, which is very good. “Thankfully, he has the mind for trail riding because when their legs say trail riding only and their mind says, ‘I am a superstar,’ it can get difficult to find a home that appreciates those superstar tendencies.” Other things that work in Thirtysevenliveson’s favor besides his mind include the fact he is big enough for both men and women to ride and is in general a lower maintenance kind of horse. “It’s nice that he is so big,” said King. “He’s a good-sized horse and would make a good guy horse. We have a lot of midsized horses, and guys are usually too big for them. Even without his famous brothers, being big takes you far. He has pretty decent feet, and other than just needing a ton of food, he’s a decently easy keeper.” Those at New Vocations estimate that Thirtysevenliveson will be available for adoption between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, and as with all of their horses, they will work to find him the perfect match. “We have had Derby runners before go through the program, but we have never had a sibling to an actual winner, and it’s pretty cool,” said Ford. “We are excited to see what special person gets this special horse.” Regardless of who that turns out to be, the Zayats, who have been longtime supporters of the program, are confident that they have done the right thing for their horse. “We have a great relationship with New Vocations,” said Zayat. “This is not our first time sending a really special horse to them–in fact they had one of our first horses that ever ran in the Kentucky Derby, Z Fortune. They do an outstanding job and the horses have a great career after, so it was a no-brainer. We need more places like that because it is important to support horses at the end of their careers. “At the end of the day, the horses make this entire sport. Without them, none of us would be doing any of this, so we always have to take care of them. Nick’s mom will still message us asking about how the Thirtysevenliveson is doing. He deserves a really good home where people are going to love him, take care of him, and have fun with him. For Thirtysevenliveson, we pray he has a good home, and going through New Vocations, we are 100% sure that he will.” View the full article

‘TDN Rising Star’ Justify (Scat Daddy) was assigned gate seven and was made the 3-1 favorite on Mike Battaglia’s morning line for Saturday’s 144th running of the GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Owned by China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing and WinStar Farm, the $500,000 Keeneland September grad is undefeated and really untested in his three career appearances to date, including a sound defeat of Bolt d’Oro (Medaglia d’Oro, 8-1) in the GI Santa Anita Derby Apr. 7. The strapping chestnut, who took the Churchill strip for the first time Tuesday morning, will be looking to give trainer Bob Baffert a fourth win in the ‘Run for the Roses’ and is one of two undefeateds in the race alongside fellow ‘TDN Rising Star’ Magnum Moon (Malibu Moon, 6-1). Both Justify and Magnum Moon will try to break the so-called ‘Apollo’ curse in trying to win the Derby without making the races at two. Raced by Robert and Lawana Low, the $380,000 KEESEP purchase drew in the auxiliary gate in stall 16. Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy), one of three in the race for his late sire and recent tearaway winner of the G2 UAE Derby, was made the 5-1 second choice on the morning line. The 2016 Keeneland September sales topper at $3 million drew gate 14 and it waits to be seen what sort of trip he will sit. He’s proved before he can take back and make a run, but should connections elect to go forward, he could be looking at a three- or four-wide run into the first turn. That owes to the fact that Promises Fulfilled (Shackleford) and Flameaway (Scat Daddy) have drawn three and four, respectively, and even Justify could be part of the early mix. Trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle three runners in addition to Magnum Moon, the lowest price of which is once-beaten GI Xpressbet Florida Derby hero Audible (Into Mischief) and who will settle midfield from gate five for Javier Castellano. The two-time Derby-winning conditioner will also send out GII Wood Memorial S. winner Vino Rosso (Curlin) and GII Louisiana Derby hero Noble Indy (Take Charge Indy). Justify most resembles Curlin entering the Derby and that stallion is also represented by three runners, led by reigning juvenile champion Good Magic, who drew gate six and was posted at a generous 12-1 on the morning line. Solomini races for the American Pharoah connections and has consistent form throughout his career. He exits a third to Magnum Moon in the GI Arkansas Derby. KENTUCKY DERBY 144 1 Firenze Fire (Poseidon’s Warrior), Lopez, Jason Servis, 50 2 Free Drop Billy (Union Rags), Albarado, Romans, 30 3 Promises Fulfilled (Shackleford), Lanerie, Romans, 30 4 Flameaway (Scat Daddy), Lezcano, Casse, 30 5 Audible (Into Mischief), Castellano, Pletcher, 8 6 Good Magic (Curlin), Ortiz, Brown, 12 7 Justify (Scat Daddy), Smith, Baffert, 3 8 Lone Sailor (Majestic Warrior), Graham, Amoss, 50 9 Hofburg (Tapit), Ortiz Jr., Mott, 20 10 My Boy Jack (Creative Cause), Desormeaux, Desormeaux, 30 11 Bolt d’Oro (Medaglia d’Oro), Espinoza, Ruis, 8 12 Enticed (Medaglia d’Oro), Alvarado, McLaughlin, 30 13 Bravazo (Awesome Again), Lukas, Contreras, 50 14 Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy), Moore, O’Brien, 5 15 Instilled Regard (Arch), Van Dyke, Hollendorfer, 50 16 Magnum Moon (Malibu Moon), Saez, Pletcher, 6 17 Solomini (Curlin), Prat, Baffert, 30 18 Vino Rosso (Curlin), Velazquez, Pletcher, 12 19 Noble Indy (Take Charge Indy), Geroux, Pletcher, 30 20 Combatant (Scat Daddy), Santana Jr, Asmussen, 50 AE Blended Citizen (Proud Citizen), Frey, O’Neill, 50 View the full article

Like everything else in the brief career of grade 1 winner Justify, his first morning at the site of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) was handled with beyond-his-experience poise. View the full article

JAMES WATT (IRE) (c, 2, Morpheus {GB}–Tomintoul Singer {Ire), by Johannesburg), sent off as the 6-4 favourite, was slowly away and free behind the leaders before being shuffled back to last by halfway. Picking up when switched out soon after, the £17,000 DBSPRM yearling and £26,000 DONBRE 2yo gained the upper hand with 150 yards remaining and knuckled down to record a comfortable two-length success from Wedding Date (GB) (Dandy Man {Ire}). In doing so, he became the first winner for his first-season sire Morpheus, Frankel’s half-brother by Oasis Dream (GB) who stands at Tally Ho Stud for €4,000. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. O-Men Fae The Clyde; B-Tally-Ho Stud (IRE); T-Michael Bell. View the full article

With the rain seemingly never-ending in Europe, Tuesday’s G3 Prix Penelope at Saint-Cloud proved another stamina test and that played into the hands of Luminate (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) as she maintained her unbeaten record with a game display. Not seen since beating the colts convincingly in the G3 Prix de Conde over nine furlongs at Chantilly in October, Highclere Thoroughbred Racing’s bay tracked the leader Tosen Gift (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) racing enthusiastically in the hands of Olivier Peslier. As that rival folded with two furlongs remaining, it was Homerique (Exchange Rate) who had first run with Luminate taking time to extend. Peslier refused to panic on the 6-5 favourite and after raising his whip was able to coax her past that rival in the final 50 metres for a half-length success, with seven back to Tosen Gift in third. Freddie Head admitted to concern as the finish unfolded. “She is a filly who does not show much in the morning, so there was a question mark today. I was a little bit worried when the other filly hit the front, but we all know Olivier Peslier has no nerves,” he said. “He was biding his time, as this filly stays very well and I have no doubt that she’ll stay a mile and a half later on. For the time being, we’ll stay at this trip and we have a choice between the [G3 Prix] Cleopatre or the [G1 Prix Saint-Alary]. At this stage, I would favour the Cleopatre as the easier way in order to keep her fresh for the [G1 Prix de] Diane the next time. It’s good that this kind of syndicate is as enthusiastic as they are–they come racing and to watch her train in the morning–and it is a good example for France.” Luminate, who also scored over a mile on debut at Deauville in August, draws her stamina from her Aga Khan damline. Another of an endless line of shrewd bargain purchases by John Warren, she is out of Kalandara who is a half-sister to none other than the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf and G1 Champion S.-winning sire Kalanisi (Ire) (Doyoun {Ire}), as well as the talented G2 Scottish Derby winner and G1 St. James’s Palace S. runner-up Kalaman (Ire) (Desert Prince {Ire}) and the Listed Prix Melisande scorer and G2 Prix de Malleret second Kaloura (Ire) (Sinndar {Ire}). Connected to the G2 Queensland Guineas-winning sire Saxon (Aus) (Danehill), she was sold at the 2013 Goffs November Mares Sale to Philip and Jane Myerscough’s Kildare-based Colbinstown Stud for just €35,000 after failing to get off to a satisfactory start as a broodmare. She also has a 2-year-old filly by Lope de Vega (Ire) named Chamundi Hills (Ire) who was purchased by Godolphin for 370,000gns at Tattersalls October, and a yearling full-brother to Luminate. Tuesday, Saint-Cloud, France PRIX PENELOPE-G3, €80,000, SCD, 5-1, 3yo, f, 10 1/2fT, 2:13.08, sf. 1–LUMINATE (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Lawman (Fr) 1st Dam: Kalandara (Ire), by Rainbow Quest 2nd Dam: Kalamba (Ire), by Green Dancer 3rd Dam: Kareena (Ire), by Riverman (€85,000 Ylg ’16 GOFORB). O-Highclere Thoroughbred Racing; B-Philip & Jane Myerscough (IRE); T-Freddy Head; J-Olivier Peslier. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, €93,500. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Homerique, 126, f, 3, Exchange Rate–Chiquita Picosa, by Congaree. ($34,000 RNA Wlg ’15 KEENOV; 22,000gns RNA Ylg ’16 TATOCT; €75,000 2yo ’17 ARQMAY). O-Ecurie De Montlahuc; B-Nicky Drion & Francois Drion (KY); T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €16,000. 3–Tosen Gift (Ire), 126, f, 3, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Miracolia (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire). (€98,000 Ylg ’16 GOFORB). O-Japan Health Summit Inc; B-Kildaragh Stud (IRE); T-Satoshi Kobayashi. €12,000. Margins: HF, 7, 6. Odds: 1.20, 2.40, 2.70. Also Ran: Tempel (Fr), Sweety Dream (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

LOUISVILLE, Ky – With the ‘First Saturday in May’ quickly approaching, TDN Senior Editor Steve Sherack caught up with the connections of GI Kentucky Derby contenders to get their first impressions. “When we were prepping him for the sale, he reminded us of Beholder. He had a whole lot of her characteristics, manners and everything up to that. He was always a nice individual and very classy as a yearling. He brought a little bit more than we expected, but we’re not going to complain about that. When you start prepping them for the sale, you can tell more about them. He moved well out in the field and we had no complaints of him growing up.” –breeder Fred Mitchell of Clarkland Farm on GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner/G2 UAE Derby hero Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy), a half-brother to champion Beholder (Henny Hughes) and 2016 $3 million KEESEP sale topper. “Bolt d’Oro was a very nice horse and he always was one of our best yearlings. That’s why we sold him-we sell the ones that can bring a lot. He was always a standout. “Noble Indy was a very nice physical and well-balanced. He was a horse that we offered for sale wanting $50,000 for. Our general manager David Hanley and myself felt like he was a nice horse and that we should get a fair price or we shouldn’t sell. He RNA’d for $45,000. Always liked him as a physical and he was very straightforward.” —Elliott Walden on the WinStar Farm-bred duo of MGISW Bolt d’Oro (Medaglia d’Oro) ($630,000 FTSAUG yearling) and GII Twin Spires.com Louisiana Derby winner and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Noble Indy (Take Charge Indy) ($45,000 RNA KEESEP yearling). “I want them to finish in a dead-heat! I bought Audible and Vino Rosso, and had both of them on the farm. Both horses were very straightforward and acted real well. A good horse usually gives you no problems. A bad horse shows up like a bad penny right away. And these horses looked like they were gonna be good ones. Audible proves that you don’t have to go :10 flat [he breezed in :10 2/5 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream 2yo Sale]. He galloped out real strong and looked like the real deal.” —Jimmy Crupi of New Castle Farm, who pinhooked GI Xpressbet Florida Derby winner Audible (Into Mischief) ($175,000 FTNAUG yearling; $500,000 FTFMAR juvenile) and selected GII Wood Memorial S. hero Vino Rosso (Curlin) ($410,000 KEESEP yearling) on behalf of Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable. View the full article

The John Size-trained Calculation has shown a liking for Sha Tin’s all-weather track and is the one to beat in Wednesday night’s Class Two Victoria Racing Club Trophy (1,650m). After arriving from Ireland with a victory on the polytrack to his credit, the four-year-old has now had two starts on the dirt in Hong Kong for a dominant win over this distance in March before a narrow second to the talented Pick Number One last start. That most recent run was over 1,200m, which is probably... View the full article

Trainer Frankie Lor Fu-chuen helped Derek Leung Ka-chun snap a mid-season slump at Sha Tin on Sunday and they combine again with Turin Redstar at Wednesday night’s all-dirt meeting. Leung endured a 55 race run of outs before Midnite Promise’s win in the opening race, going without a winner for a seven-meeting stretch that lasted more than a month. “There was a suspension in there too, so it seemed like longer,” Leung said. “That’s just how it goes in Hong... View the full article

Tony Cruz has ruled out a Royal Ascot trip for Pakistan Star, citing expenses and a quick turnaround, but the trainer confirmed Beauty Only would head abroad for a second shot at the Yasuda Kinen in Tokyo next month. Cruz floated a trip to England’s biggest race meeting after Pakistan Star’s resounding win in the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup on Sunday, but the trainer confirmed the wildly popular galloper would be staying put at Sha Tin. All is forgiven as the real Pakistan Star stands... View the full article

MULTIPLE Group I-winning trainer Robert Smerdon was in the habit of cheating amid a widespread practice of giving horses covert race-day treatments, an inquiry has heard. View the full article

Less than a week after Beckford won a Churchill Downs stakes sprinting on the turf to prep for a group 1 at Royal Ascot, Bucchero will look to do the same when the veteran is expected to face 10 rivals in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes. View the full article

Less than a week after Beckford (GB) won a Churchill Downs stakes sprinting on the turf to prep for a group 1 at Royal Ascot, Bucchero will look to do the same when the veteran is expected to face 10 rivals in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes. View the full article

West Coast sensation Gas Station Sushi will aim to keep moving forward in the May 4 Eight Belles Stakes (G2) for 3-year-old fillies on the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) undercard. View the full article

Always Dreaming will make his second start of the season May 4 in the $400,000 Alysheba Stakes Presented by Sentient Jet (G2) at Churchill Downs. View the full article

The G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) and the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) will be sponsored by the United Arab Emirates using the international title The Emirates for the May 13 Classics held at ParisLongchamp through 2024, France Galop announced on Monday. The prize money on offer has also been increased, to €600,000 for the colts’ race and to €500,000 for the filly equivalent. In 2021, the purses receive another boost to €650,000 and €550,000, respectively. The Poules return to ParisLongchamp after two years at Deauville, as renovations were undertaken on the Parisian course. Also on the programme is the President of the UAE Cup, an international Arab horses championship, endowed by the United Arab Emirates with €100,000. View the full article

The Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) traditionally receives the most media coverage of any horse race in the world, and the upcoming 144th run for the roses on May 5 at Churchill Downs will be no exception. View the full article

LOUISVILLE, Ky – Fresh off the heels of notching his second career GI Kentucky Derby victory with Always Dreaming (Bodemeister), trainer Todd Pletcher’s troops were out in full force on a sun splashed and chilly Monday morning at Churchill Downs. Retired Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day held court (perhaps reliving Lil E. Tee’s memorable upset beneath the Twin Spires back in 1992) during the track renovation break shortly after 7 a.m. Bloodstock agent and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds advisor Mike Ryan made his way through the crowd on the backstretch-pretty large for this early of Derby week-to get a closer look at last year’s champion 2-year-old colt and $1 million KEESEP grad Good Magic (Curlin) as the 15-minute training window for Derby/Oaks horses, held an hour earlier than years past, was quickly approaching. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, aboard his stable pony, and Calumet Farm homebred Bravazo (Awesome Again), led the cavalry charge as the floodgates opened at 7:30 a.m. Lukas was all smiles as he exchanged pleasantries with WinStar Farm’s Elliott Walden as his aforementioned former protege’s loaded quartet–all equipped with white bridles, of course–made their way out. All four showed great energy in their gallops, led by the unbeaten GI Arkansas Derby hero and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Magnum Moon (Malibu Moon), GI Xpressbet Florida Derby winner Audible (Into Mischief), GII Wood Memorial S. hero Vino Rosso (Curlin), GII Twin Spires.com Louisiana Derby winner and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Noble Indy (Take Charge Indy). They all had their final breezes at Churchill Downs Friday. Trainer Mark Casse stood on the track by the chute as his long-striding ‘TDN Rising Star’ Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d’Oro) continued her preparations for the Oaks. Casse will also be represented by the tenacious GII Toyota Blue Grass S. runner-up Flameaway (Scat Daddy) in the Derby. Keith Desormeaux exercise rider Peedy Landry, the regular morning partner of 2016 GI Preakness S. winner and Derby runner-up Exaggerator (Curlin), was aboard the stretch-running GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. winner My Boy Jack (Creative Cause) for his Monday morning gallop. Free Drop Billy (Union Rags), winner of last term’s Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity, had a nice bounce in his step as he jogged the wrong way. Combatant (Scat Daddy), fourth in the Arkansas Derby, was the lone Derby worker of the day, covering four furlongs for trainer Steve Asmussen in :49.60 (8/19). With the Derby/Oaks training period winding down, a large group of media flocked back to Barn 40 to get a closer look at the Pletcher runners as they were getting cleaned up. Bloodstock agent Jacob West was among the crowd keeping a close eye on Magnum Moon (he picked out the striking bay on behalf of the Lows for $380,000 as a KEESEP yearling) while Pletcher observed from inside his shedrow while chatting with Walden. View the full article

With her sea legs under her, Rushing Fall is expected to be even more formidable May 4, when she heads a field of 11 for the $200,000 Edgewood Stakes Presented by Forcht Bank (G3T) at Churchill Downs. View the full article

2nd-WDS, £7,400, Cond, 4-30, 2yo, 5f 21yT, :59.95, gd. EMARAATY ANA (GB) (c, 2, Shamardal–Spirit of Dubai {Ire} {SW-Eng}, by Cape Cross {Ire}), sent off at 12-1, was marginally in front of the recent course-and-distance winner Blown By Wind (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) throughout the early stages. Mastering that rival once and for all inside the final furlong, the homebred asserted to win by 2 1/4 lengths. “He did it very nicely and showed professionalism–he couldn’t have done better,” jockey Tom Queally said. “It was a likeable performance and one he can build on, as he has a good pedigree and ticks a lot of the right boxes.” The useful dam, who won the mile-and-a-half Listed Princess Royal S., is all about middle distances as a half to the G3 Prix de Flore and G3 Prix Corrida scorer Trumbaka (Ire) (In the Wings {GB}). Also connected to the Italian champion and sire Antheus, she has a yearling filly by New Approach (Ire). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $6,598. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. O-Mr Ahmad Abdulla Al Shaikh; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited (GB); T-Kevin Ryan. View the full article

Look through the Derby field and you’ll see the name WinStar on four of the entrants. While that would be a great year for any entity, it’s more remarkable still for the fact that the central Kentucky nursery bred and race one (Noble Indy) with a stallion they stood, bred and sold one as a yearling (Bolt d’Oro), bought another as a yearling (Justify), and bought the fourth as a 2-year-old (Audible). We sat down with WinStar’s CEO, Elliott Walden, at the farm this week to talk about their remarkable 2018 Derby lineup. TDN: Have you taken a moment to sit back and realize the enormity of this achievement? EW: There’s not much time to sit back and do anything around here. It’s always go, go, go, but we’re not one to really rest on our laurels. The thing that we are–that I do remind myself of–is just to be grateful for the opportunities that we have. You know, we have a great owner in Kenny Troutt and he provides us with a tremendous amount of resources. A lot of people don’t have that opportunity. So we’re very blessed to have a great owner who gives us the chance to do what we love. TDN: You have said that Bolt d’Oro was the best of the crop that you raised here on the farm that year. Did you realize right from the start? EW: Yeah, he was always a very good looking foal. He’s by Medaglia d’Oro, so he’s by a stallion that’s considered one of the best three or four or five stallions in the business. He’s out an A.P. Indy mare named Globe Trot. He was always bred to be special. And it doesn’t always work out that you get a great physical when you do these matings, but he was always a horse that stood out at whatever juncture of his career. He was a good physical. TDN: And yet, you offered him for sale. EW: Our philosophy here is build around sustainability for the farm. Sometimes that means that we sell horses as yearlings. Typically, we’ll sell 90 to 95% of our yearlings. And a lot of people have the misconception that we try to keep our best and then sell the rest, but two things with that. One, we’re selling 95%, 90%. We sold 95 yearlings last year. So, we sell most everything. Bolt d’Oro was a horse that we had identified as a special colt and decided to take him to Saratoga and he was more mature than some and we felt like he would stand out very well at Saratoga. And I thought he was a horse that could sell extremely well and, like I said, our goal is sustainability around here for the farm so that we can be here 10, 20, 30 years later. Sometimes, to do that, you have to sell your best. That was the reason he was in the sale and he sold great. We were very happy with the whole process and excited to see him turn out and be a Grade I winner. TDN: Take us through your purchase of Justify at the Keeneland September sale as a $500,000 yearling. EW: He was a $500,000 yearling very early in the sale. I think he was hip 50. Really, the team that we have that looks after the buying is built around, from a WinStar perspective, David Hanley, who helps me a great deal with buying the horses. He has a great eye for a horse, he’s a tremendous horseman, and we make a lot of the decisions together. Michael Wallace from the China Horse Club and Tom Ryan from SF Bloodstock also are involved. He was a colt that just everybody loved. David and Michael and Tom were especially taken with him. He was just a horse that every time we talked about the horses that were the best in the sale, he was at the first of the list. We were pleased to get him for what we got him for. We valued him somewhere between five- and six-hundred thousand. We were fortunate to get him. TDN: You also spent $500,000 for Audible as a 2-year-old at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale. What did you see in him at Gulfstream that day? EW: We had watched him work. I’d been down in Florida a couple weeks watching him prep breeze and I thought he breezed very well before the day that he breezed. Again, David and Michael and Tom were down at the sale and he was a horse that we liked both physically and on the racetrack as well. So he was a horse that we had identified as a possibility and it’s easy to look back now and say, “Oh, we knew he was a great horse.” But any time you buy yearlings or 2-year-olds, you’re taking a risk and it’s a lot easier on the 20-20 vision in hindsight than it is on the front side. We liked him, we liked the chance of getting him in the fold and he was a horse that we felt like ticked a lot of boxes for us. We look for a horse with some physical presence. We look for a horse with some pedigree and kind of look through it with a lens of: if they can run, what will they look like if we get them over to the stallion barn. So, that’s the question we ask ourselves when we’re looking and putting horses in training. TDN: So, when the time comes, you must be looking forward to standing top-class sons of Scat Daddy and Into Mischief? EW: Well, we don’t have Scat Daddy anymore; unfortunately, he died at an early age so it’s really exciting to get a really good son of Scat Daddy, especially one that looks like Justify and also runs on the dirt because a lot of his offspring have been turf-inclined. So, we’re really excited about that day when it comes, but right now, we’re focused on the Kentucky Derby. TDN: WinStar bred and offered Noble Indy, who failed to sell at Keeneland. Best RNA ever? EW: Well, he might be the best RNA ever if he wins the Kentucky Derby. But up until now, he’s just a very nice horse. He was a horse that we took up in book three, I believe, and he was by a young freshman sire named Take Charge Indy. It was his first crop and I think people are a little bit unsure of first-crop sires. Sometimes people get in a real momentum thing and people start talking about a particular horse and they carry on and have a great sale. Other times, people talk middle-of-the-road. So much of buying a horse at a horse sale is about emotion and about what you hear somebody else say. Noble Indy was a very nice colt, and we felt very confident that he would sell when we brought him up there. We put a reserve of $50,000 on him so we didn’t think that was unreasonable. We got him back for $45,000, at that point because of the fact that we have a racing stable, we’re not afraid to put him in the racing stable and see what happens. He’s just exceeded our expectations at that point and I’m really excited about running him against the likes of a Justify or an Audible or a Mendelssohn. I think he’s a horse that’s flying under the radar a little bit and hopefully will give a good showing on Saturday. TDN: Is this year’s Derby a good representation of WinStar’s diversity and full portfolio of services? EW: It is gratifying to the team and every facet of the farm is involved in this year’s Kentucky Derby. Noble Indy is by Take Charge Indy, who we stood here, sold to Korea and so Larry (McGinnis) and the stallion barn had a play in that. We bred two colts that are in the Kentucky Derby in Bolt d’Oro and Noble Indy. So our broodmare team, Jeff Danford and his team, touched them along the way. Bolt d’Oro was a horse that went through our yearling program and was sold at the sale. He is another colt that grew up through the farm. So it is exciting and gratifying that everybody on the farm is involved. And there’s a real excitement from every division. View the full article

B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm announced April 30 that it will stand grade 1-winning juvenile and Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) contender Free Drop Billy at the end of his racing career. View the full article

GI Kentucky Derby contender Free Drop Billy (Union Rags–Trensa, by Giant’s Causeway), winner of last year’s GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity, will stand at Spendthrift Farm at the end of his racing career, the nursery announced Monday. The sophomore is owned by Albaugh Family Stables, which also campaigned Brody’s Cause (Giant’s Causeway), who now stands at Spendthrift. “We are delighted to be working with the Albaugh family again to stand Free Drop Billy,” said Ned Toffey, General Manager at Spendthrift Farm. “He’s a great-looking horse who’s proven to be talented, precocious and consistent and he’s from a proven sire’s family. He’s a very complete stallion prospect, and he’ll make a great addition to our roster.” Free Drop Billy was second in the GIII Sanford S. and GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga last summer before his four-length victory in the Breeders’ Futurity. Second behind Audible (Into Mischief) in the Feb. 3 GII Holy Bull S. and third behind Enticed (Medaglia d’Oro) in the Mar. 10 GIII Gotham S., he was most recently third behind champion Good Magic (Curlin) in the Apr. 7 GII Toyota Blue Grass S. On the board in seven of eight starts for trainer Dale Romans, the chestnut colt has two wins to date and earnings of $625,220. “We are thankful for the opportunities Free Drop Billy has afforded us,” said Jason Loutsch of Albaugh Family Stable, “and we are extremely excited about his future stallion career at Spendthrift. Since his debut win, we have saddled him seven times in graded stakes competition across multiple tracks and he hit the board in six of those starts. He is the most honest and workmanlike horse we have ever owned. He just loves to train and always gives a big effort.” Out of graded stakes placed Trensa, Free Drop Billy is a half-brother to Group 1 winner Hawkbill (Kitten’s Joy). He was purchased for $200,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. View the full article

Monomoy Girl landed in the far outside post of the 14-horse field entered for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) but was still installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite to take the signature test for 3-year-old fillies. View the full article

In his first timed move since running fourth in the Arkansas Derby (G1), Combatant put in a typical week-of-the-race move for trainer Steve Asmussen, rolling through a solo four-furlong breeze in :49 3/5 Monday morning. View the full article

Spendthrift Australia will add two new stallions to their roster for 2018 in Overshare (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) and Gold Standard (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}). Trained by team Hawkes, Overshare was a juvenile winner and proved quite smart at three winning the G3 Zeditave S. and the Listed McKenzie S. both over 1200m. “We cannot wait to get him to the farm for breeders to see because we feel that he ticks all the boxes,” said Spendthrift Australia’s general manager Garry Cuddy. “He’s by a champion sire, he’s a multiple stakes-winning sprinter, and he definitely looks the part.” Purchased as a yearling for A$320,000 at Inglis Easter, Overshare is being offered on Spendthrift Australia’s ‘Share the Upside’ program at a fee of A$15,400 Inc. GST for a one-time only payment on live foal. He will also stand for A$11,000 Inc. GST on live foal terms. Also retiring to the farm this year is Group 2-winner Gold Standard (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}). Bred in Victoria by Mr. Robert Crabtree and acquired by the Waterhouse/Bott Stable from the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale, Gold Standard finished second on his only start at two, and returned at three to win the G2 Stan Fox S. at Rosehill, leaving a number of future Group 1 winners in his wake, before finishing fourth in a very competitive running of the G1 Golden Rose S. “Sebring is a sire that we have a lot of time for and we are very excited to offer breeders his well-performed son,” said Cuddy. Gold Standard will be offered on the Share the Upside program for A$7,700 Inc. GST for a one-time only payment on live foal. He will also stand for A$5,500 Inc. GST for breeders wishing to breed on live foal terms. The two rookies join the existing team of Jimmy Creed, Warrior’s Reward, Swear (Aus) and Hampton Court (Aus). View the full article