New York has its own road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, but it seems to be running through Bensalem, Pa.
Month: January 2021
Saturday’s Insights: Freshly Minted Sophomores Debut
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency
HALF TO RUNHAPPY BEGINS HIS CAREER
8th-GP, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, post time: 3:42 p.m. EDT
PRAYER BOOK (Uncle Mo) gets the new year and his career started for seven-time Eclipse-winning trainer Todd Pletcher. Stonestreet bred the half-brother to champion and triple Grade I winner Runhappy (Super Saver), then sold him for a $500,000 hammer price at Keeneland September and stayed in to race the now 3-year-old in partnership with Harrell Ventures LLC. Stonestreet had purchased his dam for $1.6 million in 2015 just after Runhappy won the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Prayer Book will have to get by Steadfast Stable’s Listowel Lad (Sky Mesa), another firster who is out of a GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. winner in Bit of Whimsy (Distorted Humor). The mare has already thrown two black-type winners from four starters, including GSW & GISP Caroline Thomas (Giant’s Causeway). Listowel Lad debuts for Barclay Tagg, who just lost stable star Tiz the Law (Constitution) to retirement. Flanagan Racing’s Please the Pharoah (American Pharoah) gets another shot here after a no-impact debut Nov. 14. The $320,000 OBS March buy (:21 1/5) is a half to English champion Certify (Elusive Quality) and to additional Grade I winner Cry and Catch Me (Street Cry {Ire}).
GODOLPHIN PAIR FACE OFF
10th-FG, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, post time: 7:21 EDT
Some well-bred first-time starters, including a pair of Godolphin homebreds, make their debuts in this loaded Fair Grounds maiden. The first Godolphin runner is the Mike Stidham-trained and cleverly named GERSHWIN (Distorted Humor), who is out of the operation’s five-time Grade I winner Music Note (A.P. Indy). The mare is a half to another musically named multiple winner at the top level in Musical Chimes (In Excess {Ire}) and produced the 2020 GII Jim Dandy S. winner and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup runner-up in Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper). The Brad Cox trainee Colonel Bowman (Curlin) is Godolphin’s other entrant. The colt looks to become the sixth winner out of GI Ballerina S. winner Dubai Escapade (Awesome Again), who is a half to GISW Madcap Escapade (Hennessy), the dam of GISW Mi Sueno (Pulpit). Cox also sends Jerry Marks Stables LLC’s $180,000 Keeneland September buy Donzi (Distorted Humor), whose dam is a full-sister to GI Oak Leaf S. victress Rigoletta (Concerto), who in turn produced GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Battle of Midway (Smart Strike).
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Luis ‘The Cheetah’ Leon, Former Jockey, Valet Passes At 90
A popular Jockeys' Room valet in Southern California and former jockey, Luis Leon passed away peacefully Dec. 29 at age 90, according to his son David. A contract rider with Rex Ellsworth in the 1950s and '60s, Leon was nicknamed “The Cheetah” and was seldom without a smile.
As a valet, his services were in keen demand and he worked for a number of top riders over the years including Eddie Delahoussaye, Patrick Valenzuela, Martin Pedroza, Rafael Meza, David Flores and many others.
Following his retirement from the Jockeys' Room, Leon and his wife lived on his ranch southeast of San Diego, where he had fruit trees and cattle.
Leon, who had been in failing health the past several years, had suffered a heart attack recently and succumbed to the effects of the COVID-19 virus while hospitalized. Services are pending.
The post Luis ‘The Cheetah’ Leon, Former Jockey, Valet Passes At 90 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
San Gabriel Likely Kicks Off Final Racing Season For 7-Year-Old Stakes Veteran Bowies Hero
Phil D'Amato had four horses nominated to Saturday's Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes but entered two in the 1 1/8-mile turf test for 4-year-olds and up at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.
They are Bowies Hero and Count Again.
The latter is far from the proverbial empty stall, a two-time graded stakes winner that only joined the D'Amato barn recently and won the G2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar, but Bowies Hero has a more intriguing story line.
The 7-year-old bay has a most remarkable record, a tale straight out of racing fiction.
Consider:
After winning a maiden special weight race by 5 ¾ lengths in his first start, going 7 ½ furlongs on turf at Lone Star Park on July 16, 2016, the son of outstanding turf miler Artie Schiller has run only in stakes, 26 in a row.
Artie Schiller defeated Leroidesanimaux in the 2005 Breeders' Cup Mile under the late Garrett Gomez, who would have turned 49 on Jan. 1.
However, Leroidesanimaux won the Eclipse Award that year as top turf horse by three votes over Artie Schiller, a 2001 foal who in 2007 was retired to stud in Kentucky but stood last year in Australia for $11,000.
The Brazilian-bred Leroidesanimaux (king of animals in French) died as a stallion at Newmarket, England, in 2016 at the age of 16.
Bowies Hero has won seven races since his debut victory, including two Grade 1's, the Kilroe Mile in 2018 and the Shadwell Turf Mile in 2019. He worked five furlongs on the training track last Sunday in 1:02.
Add to his remarkable achievement the fact that the Kentucky-bred owned by a partnership that includes Agave Racing Stable, ERJ Racing LLC and Madaket Stables LLC remains a full horse, meaning he still could one day serve at stud.
“Bowies Hero gives his best pretty much every time,” said D'Amato, who fell one victory shy (11-10) of tying Richard Baltas for the training title at the recent Del Mar meet.
Fans should enjoy Bowies Hero while they can because 2021 will probably be the unsung campaigner's final season of racing.
“He's a neat horse to have around the barn but this will probably be his last year of racing,” said D'Amato, who has trained Bowies Hero since just after his first race.
Bowies Hero fancies a stalking style, but has rallied from well off the pace to close with a rush, all save his first race coming at a mile or longer.
He has run in 17 races at a mile, winning six, compiling an enviable overall 8-2-3 record from 27 starts for earnings of $1,588,720.
“Who knows, maybe we can find a stud career for him, but he's doing really well and just a cool horse to train,” D'Amato continued. ”Right after his maiden victory he was bought privately and I've had him ever since.”
And it's been a match made in heaven.
The San Gabriel, race seven: Cleopatra's Strike, Kent Desormeaux, 15-1; Next Shares, Jose Valdivia Jr., 4-1; Bob and Jackie, Heriberto Figueroa, 4-1; Multiplier, Abel Cedillo, 12-1; Count Again, Juan Hernandez, 2-1; Anothertwistafate, Joel Rosario, 5-2; and Bowies Hero, Flavien Prat, 6-1.
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