February, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

480 Trainers Accepted to 2021 TB Makeover Class

Edited Press Release

The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) has welcomed 484 accepted applications, representing 480 unique trainers and teams, to the 2021 class of the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America. The Thoroughbred Makeover is the world's largest and most lucrative retraining competition for ex-racehorses, and the 2021 class combined with 322 trainers from the postponed 2020 competition year will make this the biggest Makeover yet.

“After the pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 Thoroughbred Makeover, it was important to us to preserve the opportunity for our 2020 class to compete, and thanks to so many loyal sponsors and donors from the racing, breeding and sport horse worlds, we are going to be putting on the largest retraining competition in history,” said RRP executive director Jen Roytz.

The application process for the 2021 Thoroughbred Makeover required trainers to demonstrate their skills and expertise through competition results, videos and references, as well as a letter from a vet stating that that the applicant has the necessary skills and knowledge to appropriately care for a horse transitioning off the track. The RRP's selection committee took into consideration both candidates' ability to effectively retrain an off-track Thoroughbred and candidates' commitment to the RRP's mission of promoting off-track Thoroughbreds in second careers.

Accepted trainers are encouraged to register their horses at TBMakeover.org as soon as they acquire them. Horse registration closes July 31, but registration upon acquisition allows the RRP to better gather data on horses undergoing the Makeover process.

Accepted trainers for 2021 include Becky Huestis, assistant rider and manager for John Madden Sales; Darby Mazzarisi, champion hunter trainer; and Natalie (Voss) Nevills, a two-time Eclipse Award-winning turf writer for the Paulick Report. They join a diverse class of trainers hailing from 46 states and four Canadian provinces. Trainers range in age from 11 (will be 12 at the time of the Makeover as per rules) to 74.

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Arqana Jump Starts The Season With €250,000 Hurdler

Arqana has an advantage over its counterparts in Britain and Ireland in so far as the company is able to stage a live sale in Deauville this week, with some encouraging returns posted from the first of two sessions of the February Sale on Monday.

Two six-figure lots were at the head of the action, and trade was fairly lively throughout, with the average being boosted by 22% to €13,669, while turnover was also up, by 23%, at €1,654,000 thanks to a much improved clearance rate of 77.5%. From a smaller offering of 156 for the day, 121 horses were sold at a median price of €6,500, up from €5,000 last year.

The colours of British National Hunt owner Robert Waley-Cohen have been carried with great success by some notable French-breds in recent years, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Long Run (Fr) (Cadoudal {Fr}) and Topham Chase victrix Liberthine (Fr) (Chamberlin {Fr}). The latest acquisition by the owner of Warwickshire's Upton Viva Stud was the leading light of day one, the AQPS gelding Hardi Du Mesnil (Fr) (Masterstroke). At €250,000, the 4-year-old half-brother to Gaillard Du Mesnil (Fr) (Saint Des Saints {Fr}), recent winner of a Grade 1 novices' hurdle during the Dublin Racing Festival, had several pursuers, but it was David Powell who lasted longest on Waley-Cohen's behalf.

He said, “He is a horse who deserves a bit of a battle. We are going to let him have a break for a while to strengthen up.”

Hardi Du Mesnil (lot 60) has to date won once on the Flat and, most recently, over hurdles at Pau in January for trainer Matthieu Palussiere.

The 7-year-old race mare Lady Paname (Fr) (Soldier Of Fortune {Ire}) was the day's other six-figure lot, fetching a bid of €120,000 from Sebastien Desmontils of Chauvigny Global Equine standing alongside Pierric Rouxel of Haras de Maulepaire.

Having started her racing career in France under the care of Elie Lellouche, for whom she won and was placed in the G2 Qatar Prix Chaudenay and G3 Prix de Royaumont, Lady Paname was sold to race in America, where she won Grade 3 contests at Belmont and Aqueduct. Sold as lot 160 by La Motteraye Consignment, she is out of the dual winner Business Class (GB) (Aussie Rules {GB}). Her future will now be as a National Hunt broodmare, with Haras de Montaigu's popular young stallion No Risk At All (Fr) slated to be her first partner.

“We bought her for a partnership between Ecurie Drost and Ecurie Tygaly,” explained Rouxel. “We're delighted; she's a mare we've been coveting for a while, and we love her very much. She's going to be a broodmare and we will definitely be sending her to No Risk At All.”

A relatively new name on the breeding front, Austrian-based Sage Stud, made a well-credentialed signing through Chris Richner. The agent went to €85,000 for listed winner Oh Beautiful (Ire), a daughter of Galileo (Ire) in foal to Shalaa (Ire).

The 12-year-old mare (lot 148) has produced two winners from her three foals to race and is out of a half-sister to the storied race mare and producer Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), whose talented dynasty includes the Group 1 winners Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) and Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

“The owners have been in the business for over 30 years and recently bought Sage Stud and completely renovated it,” said Richner. “This is the third year that they have come to Arqana Sales to find quality mares.”

The progressive young steeplechaser Laskalin (Fr) (Martaline {GB}) was only added to the sale as a wildcard last week as lot 70 and he too found favour with a British-based owner, having being bought through agent Guy Petit for €77,000.

“After a rest, he will head to England to join the stable of Venetia Williams,” explained the agent. “He is no longer a novice but he has the ideal profile to deal with big handicaps. We are very pleased to have bought him.”

The 6-year-old, a full-brother to fellow black-type-winning jumper Laskaline (Fr), recently won the listed Prix Bernard de Dufau over fences at Pau for trainer Mikaël Mescam.

The final session of Arqana's February Sale begins on Tuesday at 10am.

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Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 Handles $51,099, Pays Out $2,714

Saturday's Cross Country Pick 5, featuring action from Aqueduct Racetrack and Tampa Bay Downs, paid $2,714.25 for selecting all five winners for the 50-cent wager. The sequence's total pool was $51,099.

Aqueduct kicked off the wager when pacesetter Shamrocked had enough racing luck to hold off a late inside rally from Freudian Sip to secure a fifth lifetime victory in a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares. The Michael Miceli trainee held on to win by a nose and returned $5.30 on a $2 win wager as the post-time favorite.

Action shifted to Tampa Bay Downs for the second leg, where Zenden battled a stubborn Souper Stonehenge to secure a second lifetime stakes win in the Pelican going six furlongs. Trained by Carlos David, the 5-year-old son of Fed Biz returned $16.40 for the triumph, which was his first stakes win since taking the Buffalo Man in December 2018 at Gulfstream Park.

Aqueduct took the reins for the middle leg of the sequence, where a field of eight went into line for a six-furlong allowance optional claiming tilt. Krakow Racing and America's Pastime Stables' Mi Tres Por Ciento secured command in mid-stretch to notch a 13th lifetime victory. Trained by Mertkan Kantarmaci, the Chilean-bred son of Ocean Terrace paid $13 to win.

Glorious Uncertainty Stable's Tiz Herself made her eighth lifetime start a winning one in the penultimate leg which was initially scheduled for the turf at Tampa Bay Downs before being moved to one mile and 40 yards on the main track. The daughter of 2011 Whitney and Met Mile winner Tizway was won by 1 ½ lengths as the lukewarm favorite and returned $8.40 for the win.

The curtain closed on the sequence in the Aqueduct finale, where Apex Predator maintained his advantage every step of the six-furlong journey to secure a maiden win at 23rd asking for trainer Mitchell Friedman. Guided by jockey Dylan Davis, Apex Predator paid $11.40.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

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‘Prancing Around The Barn’: Millionaire Mr. Buff Targets Feb. 27 Stymie

Chester and Mary Broman's long-time New York-bred veteran Mr. Buff has shown no signs of slowing down, winning his 7-year-old debut with a seven-length romp in the Jazil on Jan. 23 at Aqueduct Racetrack. On Saturday, the John Kimmel trainee recorded a strong showing in the morning, putting in a bullet five-furlong breeze in 1:00.40 over the Belmont Park dirt training track.

Mr. Buff, a homebred who has produced a 16-8-4 record in 43 career starts with earnings of nearly $1.3 million, will next target the $125,000 Stymie for 4-year-olds and up going one mile on Feb. 27 at Aqueduct.

“My assistant says he's acting like a 2-year-old; he's got a great look in his eye and his energy level is high,” said Kimmel, who is currently working with his contingent at Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida. “He's been prancing around the barn.”

Mr. Buff has found a comfort zone running in listed stakes, finishing in the money in his last 13 appearances with a gaudy 10-2-1 record dating to the Alex M. Robb in December 2018. Since that victory at the Big A, the only times Mr. Buff has not earned black type have been in graded stakes efforts, which included respective fifth-place efforts in last year's editions of the Grade 1 Whitney, Grade 1 Cigar Mile and Grade 2 Suburban.

The Friend Or Foe gelding has been a force with Kimmel crediting finding the right riders to coax the most out of him. Kendrick Carmouche has been aboard Mr. Buff's last two starts, including a runner-up effort in the Alex M. Robb on Dec. 12.

“I'm sure he'll break through sooner or later [in graded stakes] and I think it's going to come down to having the right guy riding him and not taking him out of his comfort zone,” Kimmel said. “He has good tactical speed and in those races, there's other horses who have that speed and they don't give up quite as easily. I think the main thing is to let him find his own rhythm and don't push him out of his comfort zone. That's what's going to be the riding rule for anyone who gets on him. Kendrick did a great job on him.”

Mr. Buff has historically fared well at Aqueduct, compiling a 9-4-0 record in 13 starts, including last out when he earned a 102 Beyer Speed Figure for his Jazil victory.

“Last time, he stayed in his rhythm and went comfortably and he switched leads on a dime at the top of the stretch and you knew it was over from there,” Kimmel said.

While Kimmel has plans for a consistent presence on the stakes circuit, a pair of talented sophomore fillies will look to make their mark at a higher level as Frost Me and Secret Love breezed in company on Saturday ahead of expected starts in the $100,000 Maddie May for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies on Feb. 20 at the Big A.

Nedlaw Stable and Tobey Morton's Secret Love has a pair of wins and a runner-up effort to her credit through three career starts, including a triumphant stakes debut last out when she outkicked Laobanonaprayer by 1 1/2 lengths in the 6 1/2-furlong Franklin Square on Jan. 16 at Aqueduct.

Whisper Hill Farm's Frost Me is also 2-1-0 in three starts, winning her debut on a race moved off the turf on Oct. 12 at Belmont before running second next out to Laobanonaprayer in the Maid of the Mist at one mile over Big Sandy on Oct. 24. The daughter of Frosted bested optional claiming company by a length in her Aqueduct debut on Jan. 8 going a one-turn mile.

The stablemates were each clocked going four furlongs in :50.85 over the Belmont dirt training track Saturday.

“I've worked them in company many times and I think Secret Love may just be a little quicker than the other, so that might spill out to the race where she goes and the other one might be sitting back,” Kimmel said. “We'll see what happens.”

Kimmel said Frost Me could eventually project as a turf contender later in the year.

“I always wanted to try Frost Me on the grass; I think she might jump-up her ability level when we try her there,” Kimmel said. “She's been putting in the effort, but I think she'll even improve when she gets to the grass.”

The Maddie May, contested at one mile, will mark the first time Secret Love will be tested in a non-sprint.

“I think she can run on anything. She's a nice mover and tries hard,” Kimmel said.

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