Tuz, Mixto Carry World Cup Night Hopes For Calumet Farm

[Wandering Eyes]

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — When one thinks of the Calumet Farm of old, legends of the American turf such as Citation, Whirlaway, Tim Tam and the great Alydar come to mind.

The Lexington breeding and racing operation now owned by successful businessman Brad Kelley, Calumet has the distinction of being represented by a couple of horses at Saturday's Dubai World Cup meeting–one a product of their breeding operation and the other who will carry the farm's black colors and gold chevrons in the main event.

Calumet is the breeder of defending G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen hero Tuz, whose sire Oxbow was purchased by Kelley and his team for $250,000 as a yearling at Keeneland September in 2011 before going on to win the GI Preakness Stakes in 2013. Tuz cost his connections just $7,000 at the 2018 September Sale, began his career in Russia and has become one of the world's top six-furlong horses.

“It's always nice to have a horse you bred that goes on and does well,” said Calumet's General Manager Eddie Kane, who signed the ticket on Oxbow. “Breeding is why we're in the game and it's especially nice to have a horse by Oxbow, who we bought as a yearling. It's always fun to see that.”

Runners bred by Calumet accumulated better than $13 million in earnings in 2024, second only to Godolphin among breeders in North America.

Calumet sourced Mixto (Good Magic) at the 2022 OBS April Sale, his successful young sire having since been represented by a Kentucky Derby and a Belmont Stakes winner. Calumet parted with $140,000 in a post-sale transaction despite the colt perhaps not showing his true ability while breezing over the synthetic track.

“Mr. Kelley likes the offspring of Good Magic and [Mixto] didn't have the greatest workout (video), but [2-year-old consignor] Paul Sharp, who is a very good horseman, said, 'Eddie, I promise you, he's much better on the dirt.'” Kane related. “So that helped us in our decision making to go on and buy the horse. [Trainer] Chief Stipe [O'Neill] has liked him from the get-go.”

Though he required seven tries to break his maiden, Mixto has always been treated like a top-class galloper and validated his connections' confidence with a 22-1 boilover in the GI Pacific Classic over the World Cup distance of 10 furlongs at Del Mar last summer, defeating GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Full Serrano (Arg) (Full Mast).

Kane is looking for a similar effort from their charge this weekend, whose rider knows his way to the Meydan winner's enclosure.

“Hopefully he runs good and it's nice to know that Frankie Dettori is going to ride him for us,” said Kane.

The Italian reinsman has won the World Cup no fewer than four times, including with American shipper Country Grammer in 2022.

The post Tuz, Mixto Carry World Cup Night Hopes For Calumet Farm appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

View the full article