The Kentucky Derby is big news and possibly the best-known horse race globally. It is short and sweet, but the sheer excitement of those two minutes motivates vast crowds of spectator’s time after time. Whether they are at the track in person or watching television, the atmosphere is electric, and the event wouldn't be complete without a flutter on the winner.
Month: April 2022
Messier Among Three For Trainer Tim Yakteen In Santa Anita Derby
Recently transferred from Bob Baffert to Tim Yakteen following a 15-length score on Feb. 6, Messier, never worse than second in five starts, heads a field of six sophomores going a 1 1/8 miles in Saturday's Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby at Satna Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.
The Santa Anita Derby, which has produced 19 Kentucky Derby winners, will reward the winner with 100 qualifying points to the Run for the Roses, with 40, 20 and 10 points going to the second through fourth place finishers.
Favored in all five of his races, Messier, who was ridden for the first time by John Velazquez, earned a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure in the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 6. His 15-length victory was accomplished in gate to wire fashion and followed a second-place finish at the same distance in the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 11.
An Ontario, Canadian-bred by Empire Maker out of the Smart Strike mare Checkered Past, Messier was purchased as a yearling for $470,000. A winner of Del Mar's G3 Bob Hope Stakes three starts back at seven furlongs on Nov. 14, Messier will be ridden for the second consecutive time by John Velazquez.
Owned by SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stable, LLC, et al, Messier, who is named for the NHL Hall of Fame Center, is 5-3-2-0 with earnings of $285,600.
A front-running winner of a pair of graded stakes, the G2 San Vicente at seven furlongs and the G2 San Felipe at 1 1/16 miles on March 5, Richard Mandella's Forbidden Kingdom will get a big class test and will undoubtedly ensure a fast pace on Saturday.
Second, beaten 3 ½ lengths by Messier in the seven furlong Bob Hope three starts back, Forbidden Kingdom was sensational in the San Felipe, which was his first two-turn assignment. By 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah out of the Five Star Day mare Just Louise, Forbidden Kingdom is 5-3-1-1 and has been ridden throughout by Juan Hernandez.
A $300,000 yearling purchase, Forbidden Kingdom, who posted a 98 Beyer in the San Felipe, is owned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm, who teamed for victory in the 2020 Kentucky Derby with Authentic. The leading money earner in the field with $434,000, he's 5-3-1-1 overall.
The biggest question mark in Saturday's Derby is Taiba. A brilliant first-out maiden winner, scoring by 7 ½ lengths going six furlongs as the 1-2 favorite here on March 5, the chestnut colt by Gun Runner earned a huge 103 Beyer. Originally trained by Baffert, he's owned by Zedan Racing Stables, Inc. and is one of three Derby entrants to be saddled by Tim Yakteen.
A $1.7 million 2-year-old in training sale purchase, Taiba is out of the Flatter mare Needmore Flattery. With John Velazquez sticking with Messier, Taiba will be handled by Mike Smith and could prove bothersome to Forbidden Kingdom early as he battles for a berth in the Kentucky Derby.
Yakteen's third entrant is Baffert alum Armagnac, who broke his maiden impressively two starts back at a mile and one sixteenth, but was subsequently distanced by Forbidden Kingdom in the G2 San Felipe March 5 at odds of 9-2. Owned by SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, LLC, et al, Armagnac is a colt by Quality Road out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Kitty Wine.
Doug O'Neill will be seeking his third win in America's most important Kentucky Derby prep with Calumet Farm homebred Happy Jack, who was most recently third to Forbidden Kingdom in the San Felipe Stakes and Win the Day, a one mile maiden special weight winner here on March 6.
THE GRADE 1 SANTA ANITA DERBY WITH JOCKEYS, WEIGHTS & MORNING LINE IN POST ORDER
Race 6 of 12 Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT
- Happy Jack—Abel Cedillo 124 – 20-1
- Armagnac—Drayden Van Dyke 124 – 20-1
- Forbidden Kingdom—Juan Hernandez—124 – 6-5
- Messier—John Velazquez—124 – Even
- Win the Day—Umberto Rispoli—124 – 20-1
- Taiba—Mike Smith—124 – 4-1
First post time for a 12-race card that will include a total of seven stakes on Saturday is at 12 noon. Admission gates open at 10 a.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.
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Burkina Faso Tops Inaugural Arqana Pop-Up Sale
Arqana's first Pop-Up Sale was topped by lot 1, Burkina Faso (GB) (Mukhadram {GB}). In foal to Zarak (Fr), the half-sister to Group 2 winner Angel Power (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) was knocked down to Anita Wigan for €185,000.
Second on the buyers' sheet was Impaire Et Passes (Fr) (No Risk At All {Fr}) (lot 3) at €155,000, who went to Highflyer Bloodstock. The 4-year-old gelding ran second in an AQPS contest at Moulins last year.
The third and final lot that sold was lot 5, a breeding right in Belardo (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). Outsider Bloodstock snapped up that breeding right for €9,500.
The gross was €350,000. For the complete results, please visit Arqana's website.
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Santa Anita Derby Win Would Trigger $4 Million Stallion Bonus For Forbidden Kingdom’s Connections
The Kentucky Derby dream isn't the only thing on the line for owners of Forbidden Kingdom in Saturday's Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. Victory for the son of American Pharoah at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., would also trigger a $4 million stallion bonus payout to his connections.
The brainchild of the late B. Wayne Hughes, the Future Stallion Bonus was designed as a special incentive for selected MyRacehorse runners to provide owners any early benefit of achieving success on the racetrack. Forbidden Kingdom is co-owned by Spendthrift Farm LLC and MyRacehorse, the racehorse ownership group offering SEC-qualified fractional ownership opportunities.
“We selected a few really well-bred colts and attached a pre-payment of potential stallion value as a way of providing a more immediate financial return for winning a Grade 1,” said Michael Behrens, founder and CEO of MyRacehorse.
Forbidden Kingdom was purchased for $300,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Showcase in Kentucky, with MyRacehorse securing 51 percent and Spendthrift 49 percent. To date, Forbidden Kingdom has career earnings of $434,000 and has Grade 2 victories in the San Vicente and San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita.
As part of the initial offering, MyRacehorse offered 1,020 shares of Forbidden Kingdom to retail investors via the MyRacehorse app and website for $229. The stallion bonus amounts to an early payment of $2,040,000 for the 51% owned by MyRacehorse and will be distributed pro rata to the nearly 500 MyRacehorse partners. The revenue per share tied to the bonus would be $2,000, which, for one owner who purchased 50 shares of the colt in 2020 could lead to a five-figure payout. The pre-payment will be paid back from the proceeds of a future stallion/breeding deal.
“Most partners get involved in racehorse ownership for the joy, excitement and thrill of owning an elite racehorse, but of course we all hold out hope of a healthy financial return. This bonus would be the first realization of the potential stallion value of Forbidden Kingdom, and another chapter in this remarkable journey,” said Chris Ransom, head of finance at MyRacehorse.
Heading into Saturday's race, Forbidden Kingdom takes on a very competitive field including the highly touted and accomplished Messier, a colt named after Hall of Fame hockey star Mark Messier.
“To be the best, you have to beat the best and the projected field for the Santa Anita Derby is definitely top of the class,” said Roderick Wachman, head of bloodstock and stable management for MyRacehorse. “If Forbidden Kingdom does come out victorious this Saturday, he would solidify himself as a top-tier stallion prospect. He would be the best son of American Pharoah, with incredible speed and two-turn dirt success making him an extremely desirable stallion prospect.”
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