Month: January 2021

Constitution Colt Flies Home to Become a ‘TDN Rising Star’

Sent off at debut odds of 28-5, LNJ Foxwoods’ Annex (Constitution) came with a telling turn of foot inside the final furlong to break his maiden extremely impressively in Saturday’s seventh race from Gulfstream, earning the ‘TDN Rising Star’ tag.

Bet down from a morning line of 12-1, the bald-faced chestnut was void of early speed and settled last but two as a good pace developed on the front end. Traveling well within himself entering the final half-mile, Annex was quietly ridden on the turn, but was angled out sharply into the four path nearing the entrance to the stretch. He still had a bit of work to do as they hit the furlong marker, but he hit another gear and covered his final furlong in a slick :11.17 (final quarter :22.86) to win stylishly. The final time was 1.53 seconds faster than the slower-paced split of race three.

Bred on the same cross over Unbridled as this sire’s star-crossed GSW Amalfi Sunrise, Annex is out of a half-sister to MGISW You (You and I), in turn the dam of GSW You And I Forever (A.P. Indy) and SW & GSP Causeway’s Kin (Giant’s Causeway). Annex was bought back on a bid of $65,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September sale, while his dam produced a colt by Honor Code in 2019 and a filly by the same stallion last year. You Make Me Sing was most recently bred to champion Mitole.

7th-Gulfstream, $40,000, Msw, 1-16, 3yo, 1mT, 1:34.93, fm, 1 length.
ANNEX, c, 3, by Constitution
1st Dam: You Make Me Sing, by Unbridled’s Song
2nd Dam: Our Dani, by Homebuilder
3rd Dam: Lovely Briar, by Briartic
Sales history: $65,000 RNA Ylg ’19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $24,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-LNJ Foxwoods; B-William Harrigan & Mike Pietrangelo (KY); T-William I Mott.

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Longtime Racing Executive Nat Wess, 81, Succumbs In Minnesota

Nat Wess, one of the premier publicists in horse racing in the 1970s and '80s when he served as director of publicity at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif., died on Thursday in Minnesota. He was 81.

Wess had been hospitalized since Dec. 31 after suffering a hip fracture and requiring surgery. While hospitalized, he tested positive for COVID-19, according to an email distributed to members of the Minnesota Racing Commission shared with the Paulick Report.

While he began his career as a publicist, working first at Santa Anita and then moving to cross-town rival Hollywood Park, Wess would go on to other racetrack and association management positions, including assistant general manager at Canterbury Park in Minnesota and general manager of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association.

But it was promoting racing that Wess was best known for, especially during his years at Hollywood Park, when “giveaways” and the launch of the Pick 6 routinely brought weekend crowds of 50,000-plus (the first giveaway, when all paid attendees received a free tote bag, brought out a record 80,348). During his tenure at Hollywood Park, daily average attendance hit a highwater mark of 31,150 in 1980.

Wess left his mark on two other big events. In the early days of the Claiming Crown, when it was held at Philadelphia Park (now Parx Racing) and Canterbury, he  promoted it tirelessly on behalf of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. During his time at the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, Wess was part of the braintrust that created the California Cup, an event that had its 31st running two days after his death.

Wess, who always appeared to be a bundle of nervous energy, is remembered by racing writers for the patience, helpfulness and kindness he showed to those who were just beginning their careers. He was an old-school promoter, learning the ropes from the late Bob Benoit and employing props and publicity photos to promote big races and star horses

He is survived, by Ellen, his wife of 58 years, daughter Deborah and son David. A private memorial service for family will be held, and a public memorial is being planned for summer.

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OBS Winter Mixed Sale Supplemental Catalog Available Online

The supplemental catalog for the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s 2021 Winter Mixed Sale is now available online.

Six horses have been supplemented to the Preferred Session, for a total of 183 horses cataloged as Hips 1-183. The session will begin Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 10:30 a.m.

The addition of 26 supplements swells the Horses of Racing Age Session to a total of 121, cataloged as Hips 251-371, beginning immediately following the Preferred Session.

Thirteen horses have been added to the Open Session, which gets underway Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 10:30 a.m. with a total of 351 horses cataloged as Hips 451-803.

The Racing Age section’s optional Under Tack Show is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 25 at 9:00 a.m.

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Bellamy Road to Old Friends

Bellamy Road (Concerto–Hurry Home Hillary, by Deputed Testamony), a daylight winner of the 2005 GI Wood Memorial S. and favorite in that year’s GI Kentucky Derby, has been pensioned to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility based in Kentucky.

Owned by the late George Steinbrenner’s Kinsman Stable and trained by Nick Zito, the Florida-bred posted four wins from seven starts and earnings of $811,400.

Bellamy Road stood at Dutchess Views Farm in New York since 2016. The 19-year-old previously stood at Kentucky’s WinStar Farm and Hurricane Hall. His nine graded stakes winners include Grade I winners Constellation, Diversify and Toby’s Corner.

“Bellamy Road has always had a special place in my heart,” said Kinsman President Jessica Steinbrenner, daughter of George. “His Wood Memorial is the most exciting race that I have ever been to. I remember going back to the hotel afterward and being escorted through the kitchen because of all the people gathered outside. To this day, I still watch his Wood Memorial on YouTube, and to hear the announcer say ‘a dazzling performance by a dazzling 3-year-old’ brings me to tears every time.

“Bellamy is a rock star,” Steinbrenner continued. “He deserves a retirement where his fans can visit and reminisce. It’s exciting to think he will be amongst the other great retired racehorses residing at Old Friends.”

“Jessica is following in her father’s footsteps,” Zito said. “George would have done the same thing. They’re very special people.”

Old Friends’s Michael Blowen concluded, “We want to thank Jessica Steinbrenner for trusting us to care for her great horse. I know she went out of her way to make sure he’d get to us. Thanks also to Elliott Walden at WinStar who expedited everything, and to everyone at Dutchess Views for taking such great care of him.”

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