May, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

DahlBury Named New Sponsor of G1 Coronation Cup

DahlBury was announced as the new sponsor for the 1 1/2-mile G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs on Ladies Day, June 3. The vision of owner/breeder Simon Davies, Chief Executive Officer of the global telecommunications firm Spectra Group (UK) Ltd., DahlBury's stallion roster is based at Chapel Stud in Worcestershire. Middle distance and staying horses for both the Flat and National Hunt are the focus of the stud, which stands Planteur (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), Walzertakt (Ger) (Montjeu {Ire}), and Bangkok (Ire) (Australia {GB}).

Simon Davies said, “We are delighted to be sponsoring the Coronation Cup, which is one of the top races of its kind and is the ideal showcase of what we're trying to achieve with DahlBury, we want to help break the myth that middle-distance racehorses can't retire to stud, stand under both codes and be commercial.

“We're investing in British Thoroughbreds, and we hope that our operation will help to challenge some of the currently-held notions around 'dual-purpose' sires. We believe that middle-distance sires have a lot more to offer in this country, you only have to look at the success that they are having in Japan at the moment.

“Planteur has had an incredibly successful couple of years on the back of the successes of Trueshan and his other stakes winners and we hope that this venture is the start of something really exciting for British racing.”

Phil White, London Regional Director at The Jockey Club, added of the 120th edition of the historic race, “We're delighted to have DahlBury on board as sponsor for the G1 Coronation Cup, in what is a historic year both for Epsom Downs and for racing as a whole.

“We are honoured that Her Majesty The Queen has chosen to be at The Cazoo Derby during the central weekend for the celebrations of her historic reign, which we are hoping will put more eyes than ever before on this fantastic sport.

“DahlBury has a fantastic vision for how they can contribute to British racing and breeding, and it is fitting that they have chosen to sponsor the Coronation Cup, which is one of the premier middle-distance races in the calendar.

“There have been some fantastic winners of this race over the years, and we hope that this partnership will act as a platform for further success in this division down the line.”

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Beguine Getting Chance On Big Stage For 95-Year-Old Owner

Though it will be the biggest field for the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) in nearly three decades, Charles Matses' homebred Beguine doesn't have to worry about getting the chance to run.

That wasn't the case two weeks ago, when the daughter of Gun Runner was ranked 15th in points for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and, as the lone also-eligible, didn't draw into the main body of the field, which is restricted to 14 horses.

“When it's all said and done, maybe it was a blessing we didn't get in the Oaks,” trainer Dan Peitz said Thursday morning outside Barn D at Pimlico, where Beguine is bedded down for Friday's Black-Eyed Susan, the highlight of a 14-race program featuring six stakes, four graded, worth $1.05 million in purses. “We had a little more time, and this is definitely a softer spot.”

Peitz watched as Secret Oath powered to a two-length win in the Oaks over favored Nest, earning her another chance at facing males in Saturday's 147th Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown. The next day, he saw Rich Strike draw into the Kentucky Derby (G1) following the defection of Ethereal Road and then spring an 80-1 upset.

“When that horse drew in off the also-eligible to win the Derby, everybody was firing me up. They said, 'Hey, they let him in and they wouldn't let you in.' I would have only paid 80 bucks, not 160,” Peitz joked. “I've just maintained that same feeling that if it was meant to be, we would have got in. The Black-Eyed Susan was always our backup plan, and it's a great race.”

Beguine has settled in well since shipping in Tuesday from Kentucky to Baltimore, where the forecast calls for high temperatures in the 90s both Friday and Saturday after some cooler temperatures to start the week.

“She seems awfully happy. She is knocking her feed tub out,” Peitz said. “It's just whether we are good enough or not. I think we are going to run well; what that means, I'm not sure. She shipped right in here, galloped and was nice and relaxed. I think she is going to run big. The only thing that bothers me is how hot it's going to be. Everything else says she's sitting on a good race.”

Beguine went unraced at 2 and needed three tries to break her maiden, graduating when stretched out from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles in a March 5 maiden special weight at Oaklawn Park. She came back and ran a gutsy second, beaten a neck, in the April 9 Fantasy (G3) at Oaklawn, her stakes debut.

Out of the Eltish mare Shananies Song, Beguine will have the services of jockey Jose Ortiz from Post 5 of 13, the biggest field since 1994 when there were also 13 horses. Matses, 95, is a longtime owner and breeder who in 1954 founded Charles Construction Co., a full-service general contracting firm located in North Andover, Mass. specializing in commercial and healthcare construction.

Matses' best horse was Miss Indy Anna, an Ontario-bred that New England Hall of Famer Ned Allard trained to seven wins from 10 starts including the Columbia (G3) at Pimlico and Churchill Downs Budweiser Breeders' Cup Handicap (G3) in 1993. That same year she also won the Dearly Precious at Monmouth Park and Lewis Morris at the Meadowlands, and ran second in the Test (G1) and Meadowlands Budweiser Breeders' Cup Handicap (G3).

“He's like, 'What are you telling everybody I'm 95 for?' Um, because you are? That's the whole story to me, that at 90 or 91 you say, 'I think I'm going to send my good mare to Gun Runner,'” Peitz said. “I told him most people at your age are getting rid of their mares. They're not even breeding anymore and you're still going to a top stallion trying to get a good horse and, lo and behold, you have one.

“He's been doing this on his own for a long time,” he added. “I told him, 'Hell, Charlie, you're 95 and you've still got mares that you're breeding. That's a pretty good story.”

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Treasure Trove Making Return Trip To Friday’s Pimlico Special

His connections may be different, but James Wolf's Treasure Trove will find himself in familiar surroundings when he makes his return to graded-stakes competition in Friday's historic $300,000 Pimlico Special (G3) at Pimlico Race Course.

The 6-year-old gelding is the only one of 11 horses entered that ran in last year's Pimlico Special for 3-year-olds and up at 1 3/16 miles, the same distance as Saturday's $1.65 million Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.

Treasure Trove, then trained by Mike Maker, pressed the early pace before tiring to be seventh behind stablemate Last Judgment. Laurel Park-based trainer Anthony Farrior got the son of Tapizar for $32,000 three starts later out of a 1 1/16-mile claiming event at Keeneland.

“Hopefully, this year it falls apart,” Farrior said Thursday morning. “We know we don't have the best horse, but if the race falls apart we can pick up some pieces.”

Treasure Trove drew Post 9 and is rated at 12-1 on the morning line. Jevian Toledo will be aboard for the seventh straight race, the most recent a three-quarter-length optional claimer going 1 1/8 miles April 21 at Laurel.

“He just needs to get him covered up. Toledo's been riding him and he knows him. If he lets him get out early, he'll run off with him. He ran off with him two races ago and ran third, and he probably should have won,” Farrior said. “He always breaks slow. He's not a real good gate horse so he breaks slow, and he can tuck in. He likes to be in trouble. It seems like he runs better if you get a hold of him and if he runs against the bit he runs a lot better.”

Treasure Trove has raced seven times since the claim with two wins, one second and one third. He also finished fourth behind stakes winners Galerio and Forewarned in the Feb. 19 John B. Campbell at Laurel. Forewarned will break from Post 5 in the Pimlico Special, also at 12-1 in the program.

“He was a little funny in behind when we first got him and he's kind of worked his way out of it,” Farrior said. “It just seems like he's getting better with time.”

The 2-1 program favorite for the Pimlico Special is Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable and LNJ Foxwoods' Vindictive, a three-time winner from six starts who drew the rail for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who also entered stakes-placed Untreated. Among other rivals are 2021 Dwyer (G3) winner First Captain, trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, and Panamanian Group 1 winner and U.S. Grade 3-placed Capocostello.

“I grew up in Kentucky and I've always had claimers. I've claimed a lot of horses, so claiming one at Keeneland for [$32,000] and running him in a graded-stakes race on Preakness weekend and not be 50-1 is pretty good,” Farrior said.

“He came out of the last race really good. We skipped an allowance race because we kind of wanted to try him in a stakes race,” he added. “Mr. Wolf is a native of Maryland and he wanted to run one on the big day, so we'll give it a shot.”

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Preakness Hero Rombauer Seeks New Kentucky Home

Last year's edition of the GI Preakness S. marked one of the best days of John Fradkin's life when Rombauer (Twirling Candy-Cashmere, by Cowboy Cal), a second-generation homebred for the California native and his wife Diane, took the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Going off as the fifth choice, Rombauer stormed past favorites Medina Spirit (Protonico) and Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) in the stretch to win by 3 1/2 lengths. It was the first Preakness victory for trainer Michael McCarthy and jockey Flavien Prat and the first Grade I win for his breeders and owners, the Fradkins.

“It was a glorious day,” John Fradkin said as he reflected on last year's achievement. “At the time I was not expecting to win, but I didn't think it was impossible. I knew the horse was doing really well and I knew he would run the race of his life, but I didn't think he would improve as much as he did.”

Since that unforgettable day, Fradkin has learned just what is meant when it is said that racing is a game of highs and lows. After another big-hearted effort to run third in the GI Belmont S., Rombauer enjoyed a 90-day layoff and returned to the racetrack last fall. He was preparing for bids in the G1 Dubai World Cup and GI Pacific Classic when he took a bad step during training and was officially retired early this year.

While the Fradkins were disappointed in how their stable star's racing career was put to a sudden end, they now have big plans for the Classic winner. This month, they launched a campaign for Rombauer's stud career and are hoping to send him to the big leagues in the Bluegrass.

“We would really like to see him stand in Kentucky,” Fradkin said. “He got hurt at a very inopportune time where it was too late to do anything for this year's breeding season. To give him the best chance, it made sense to do it right and wait until next year. Everyone likes first-crop stallions and I don't think it's impossible for him to get 150 mares in 2023.”

Rombauer won first time out as a juvenile, speeding home in :22.93 going a mile on the turf at Del Mar. Also at two, he ran second in his dirt debut in the GI American Pharoah S. and was fifth in the 2020 GI TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He was successful on the Tapeta at Golden Gate in his winning sophomore debut in the El Camino Real Derby and was third in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. ahead of his victory at Pimlico, which was the sixth-fastest running of the Preakness at its current distance.

Rombauer bests Medina Spirit and Midnight Bourbon in the 2021 Preakness S. | EquiSport Photos

“I always had high hopes for him,” Fradkin noted. “He seemed to always have the look of eagles and he was a good mover. He was also really intelligent, even from the times when I played with him in the field. Eddie Woods really liked him so I always had high hopes, but he obviously surpassed all our hopes.”

While Fradkin pointed to Rombauer's versatility and precocity as some of his best credentials as a future stallion, he said the 4-year-old's most attractive quality for breeders will be his pedigree. He explained how Rombauer is bred on a similar cross to hot sire Gun Runner, noting the success Candy Ride (Arg) and his sons have had with Storm Cat-line mares, and he also talked about the quality surrounding Rombauer's female family.

Rombauer's second dam, Ultrafleet (Afleet), was purchased by the Fradkins as a yearling for $10,500 in 1993. She never placed in a race, but went on to become a highly-successful broodmare. She produced five-time graded winner California Flag (Avenue of Flags) and MGSW Cambiocorsa (Avenue of Flags), the dam of four stakes winners including Grade II winners Moulin de Mougin (Curlin) and Schiaparelli (Ghostzapper). Cambiocorsa's GISP daughter Vionnet (Street Sense) produced European highweight and multiple Group 1 winner Roaring Lion (Kitten's Joy).

“Even if I didn't have anything to do with this horse, I would look at that pedigree and think, wow that's an amazing family,” Fradkin said. “It's done a lot of everything. Rombauer is a Classic winner on dirt. Roaring Lion is a Classic winner in Europe going a mile and a half. Then you have California Flag who won a Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Basically this family can do it all.”

Fradkin said he believes that Rombauer's dam, Cashmere (Cowboy Cal), has inherited her family's potent genetics. She has produced five winners from five to race. Three of those won as first-time starters. The mare's 3-year-old daughter Republique (Strong Mandate) just won on debut at Gulfstream in April and she also has a promising 2-year-old Cairo Prince colt named Alexander Helios in training with Michael McCarthy.

“There's a lot of precocity there and there's a good chance that Rombauer can pass that on,” Fradkin said. “I think if he gets a shot in Kentucky, he has a good chance to succeed. There's so much in that family that you know is going to come out eventually.”

Rombauer currently resides at WinStar Farm. There has already been interest in the stallion prospect, but Fradkin is biding his time and waiting for the right offer to come in.

“We're looking forward to supporting him and cheering on a whole crop of baby Rombauers in the future,” he said. “It's not all about the money. There is reason to believe that Japanese interests will come to look at him in September, but I would accept a lower offer from Kentucky because it would be more fun for us. If you look at history, almost every male Preakness winner who wasn't a gelding got a chance to stand in Kentucky, so why not Rombauer?”

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