Saturday’s $500,000, Grade 1 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes at Woodbine isn’t North America’s oldest top-level prize by any means; it first achieved Grade 1 status in 2016.
Month: September 2022
Ed Brown Society Receives Grant From Bluegrass Community Foundation, Lexington Black Prosperity Initiative
The Lexington Black Prosperity Initiative (LBPI) and the Blue Grass Community Foundation (BGCF) have announced an award of $50,000 to further the mission of the Ed Brown Society.
The award was made thanks to pooled funding from LBPI, BGCF and the Walton Family Foundation, through the Better Together Grants program. The Ed Brown Society (EBS) will use these funds to provide scholarships and professional development opportunities to students of color pursuing professional careers within the equine industry.
Upon receiving this award on Tuesday, EBS Chairman Greg Harbut said: “We're excited about what this award will mean to the development of the next group of Ed Brown Scholars that we will be announcing soon. The highest level of commitment an entity can show to the work of the Ed Brown Society is demonstrated by becoming an Ed Brown Partner. 1/ST and Churchill Downs have each made that commitment. Yet, today is a milestone moment because, with this tremendous gift, the Lexington Black Prosperity Initiative and the Blue Grass Community Foundation have earned the distinction of the Ed Brown Partnership designation. We are delighted to now have an Ed Brown Partner at home, in Lexington – The Horse Capital of the World.”
About the Ed Brown Society
Founded by Living The Dream Stables, the Ed Brown Society (EBS) celebrates the rich history of African-Americans in the equine industry while creating opportunities for young people of color to gain industry exposure, training and experience, through academic scholarships, development programming and professional internships. EBS focuses on identifying and qualifying students of color, with demonstrated interest, skills and commitment, to become successful professionals in all aspects of the equine industry. For more information about EBS visit www.EdBrownSociety.org.
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Breeders’ Cup Winner Modern Games Headlines Woodbine Mile
Automatic Breeders' Cup berths are on the line as star-laden editions of the Ricoh Woodbine Mile, Pattison Summer Stakes, and Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes headline Saturday's outstanding card of racing at Woodbine.
The 26th running of the Mile, worth $1 million and contested over the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course, has attracted an accomplished field of 11 hopefuls. The Mile and a replay of the Pattison Summer will be showcased on a live broadcast airing on TSN4 and TSN5 from 5-6 p.m. ET.
Under the terms of the Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Series, the Woodbine Mile winner will be entitled to a fees-paid berth for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile, to be run on November 5 at Keeneland. The winner of the $500,000 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes, for 2-year-old fillies, will be entitled to a fees-paid berth for the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf on November 4, while the winner of the $500,000 Pattison Summer Stakes, for 2-year-olds, receives the same opportunity for the $2 million Juvenile Turf, also on November 4.
Once again, the Mile has attracted a formidable group of turf talents, a combination of local and international standouts, accompanied by some of the highest profile trainers and jockeys in the sport.
From a Breeders' Cup victor, to a local defending Mile winner, to a two-time Canadian Horse of the Year, to four Irish-breds and two Brazilian-breds, this year's race serves up several intriguing storylines.
Godolphin's Modern Games (IRE) will be making his first appearance back in North America since his memorable Breeders' Cup triumph. Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby will be looking to duplicate their Woodbine success from 2021, as they hit the Pattison Canadian International, Summer and Natalma trifecta.
William Buick will make the trip to ride for Godolphin and Appleby on Saturday.
“We feel that Modern Games will be suited to the E.P. Taylor Turf course because of his versatility,” said Appleby. “He has shown he can perform on tracks internationally and in Europe.”
The son of Dubawi (IRE)-Modern Ideals, who sports a record of 5-2-1 from 10 starts, won four straight races starting last September through to this May.
As for the 3-year-old's best attributes, Appleby landed on a trio of skills.
“His professionalism that he has shown to date, versatility and class,” said the trainer, who chose Modern Games' Grade 1 triumph at Longchamp this May as the horse's most impressive win to date. “He's a progressive horse that every time he was set a challenge, he stepped up again.”
Owned by Bonne Chance Farm and Stud R D I, Ivar (BRZ), a two-time Breeders' Cup Mile participant, brings a record of 6-0-2 from 12 starts into the Mile. Trained by Paulo Lobo, the 6-year-old son of Agnes Gold (JPN)-May Be Now arrives at Saturday's race off a win in the $100,000 Jonathan Schuster Memorial Stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis, posting a one-length score in the 1 1/16-mile trek, in a track-record time of 1:39.49.
“When he would race in Argentina, he knows very well how to run a mile with one turn,” said Lobo. “It [E.P. Taylor] reminds me a little bit of the course at San Isidro in Argentina, which he used to run on. He's very accustomed to that, so I believe he will enjoy the course at Woodbine.
“His turn of foot is what comes to mind first for me,” continued Lobo. “He can really put in a powerful late run. Hopefully, there can be some strong early pace and it will set up nicely for him.”
Well-travelled Wakanaka (IRE), owned by Team Valor and Gary Barber, took to the E.P. Taylor Turf Course on July 24 and delivered her connections, including trainer Bill Mott, an impressive win in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly Stakes. The 4-year-old daughter of Power (GB)-Storyline (IRE) sports a record of 7-4-1 from 13 career starts.
Trainer Mark Casse, who won back-to-back runnings of the race, in 2016 with Tepin and in 2017 with World Approval, will chase his third Mile victory with a pair of runners.
March to the Arch, a 7-year-old son of Arch-Daveron (GER), ran second in the 2020 Mile and was fourth last year. The Live Oak homebred, who has three stakes triumphs on the Woodbine green, is 8-5-4 from 33 starts.
Casse's other chance for Mile glory comes in the form of Get Smokin, a graded stakes winner in both 2020 and 2021. The 5-year-old chestnut son of Get Stormy-Hookah Lady is 4-5-2 from 20 starts for Ironhorse Racing Stable, BlackRidge Stables, T-N-T Equine Holdings, and Saratoga Seven Racing Partners. This will be the gelding's first test over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.
Finest Sound, a 5-year-old son of Exceed And Excel-Amplifier, is chasing his first stakes win for owner-breeder Sheikh Mohammed Obaid al-Maktoum. His resume includes a trio of runner-up finishes in group events, including the Group 1 Jebel Hatta Sponsored by Emirates Airline. The Simon and Ed Crisford trainee has recorded 16 top-three efforts from 20 starts and has posted a win, two seconds and a third in his past four engagements.
Team Valor International's Homer Screen (BRZ) won five of his six starts in Brazil before heading to the U.S. to compete. The late-closing 6-year-old son of Adriano-Smile Jenny (BRZ) is 5-1-0 from 10 lifetime races. The chestnut, trained by Neil Drysdale, was second, at 28-1, in the Grade 3 American at Santa Anita on June 19.
Mighty Heart, two-time (2020-21) Canadian Horse of the Year, will look to get back to his winning ways in the Mile. Trained by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Josie Carroll, the 5-year-old son of Dramedy-Emma's Bullseye has contested nine consecutive graded events, winning the Grade 2 Autumn last November at Woodbine. The one-eyed bay, bred and owned by Larry Cordes, is 6-2-5 from 20 starts.
A five-time winner, along with two thirds, from 12 starts, Shirl's Speight rhymed off three straight trips to the winner's circle from January 15 to April 15, capped off by a gutsy nose nod in the Grade 1 Makers Mark Mile. Under the tutelage of dual Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield, the 5-year-old son of Speightstown-Perfect Shirl won his debut, a 7-furlong race over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, on July 4, 2020, by eight lengths.
Local hero Town Cruise, a 7-year-old son of Town Prize-Candy Cruise, wired last year's field in the Woodbine Mile, delivering Brandon Greer, who trains, owns, and co-bred with his father Terry, the biggest win of his career. The chestnut gelding has fashioned a record of 6-2-1 from 17 career starts. Daisuke Fukumoto, aboard for last year's 8-1 victory, gets the call on Saturday.
Owned by Bruno Schickedanz and trained by Norm McKnight, War Bomber (IRE), a 4-year-old son of War Front-Sun Shower (IRE) rolls into the Mile off an 18-1 upset in the Grade 3 main track Seagram Cup on August 14 at Woodbine. The bay gelding, claimed by Schickedanz for $25,000 last August, brings a mark of 5-0-1 from 11 starts into Saturday's race.
The Ricoh Woodbine Mile program will also feature the Grade 3 $150,000 Seaway Stakes, for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up. Ten starters will chase top prize in the 7-furlong main track event.
Previews of the Summer and Natalma will be posted and distributed tomorrow.
First race post time on Saturday is set for 1:10 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action through HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app. For more information, visit Woodbine.com.
$1 MILLION RICOH WOODBINE MILE (Grade 1) – Race 9
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Mighty Heart – Justin Stein – Josie Carroll
2 – Ivar (BRZ) – Joe Talamo – Paulo Lobo
3 – Wakanaka (IRE) – Manuel Franco – William Mott
4 – Finest Sound (IRE) – Andrea Atzeni – Simon Crisford
5 – Modern Games (IRE) – William Buick – Charles Appleby
6 – Shirl's Speight – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Roger Attfield
7 – Homer Screen (BRZ) – Joe Bravo – Neil Drysdale
8 – Get Smokin – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse
9 – War Bomber (IRE) – Sahin Civaci – Norm McKnight
10 – Town Cruise – Daisuke Fukumoto – Brandon Greer
11 – March to the Arch – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
$500,000 JOHNNIE WALKER NATALMA (Grade 1) – Race 10
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Cairo Consort – Antonio Gallardo – Nathan Squires
2 – Collecting Flatter – Justin Stein – Josie Carroll
3 – G Laurie – Manuel Franco – Graham Motion
4 – Last Call – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard
5 – Adora – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
6 – Wickenheiser – Luis Contreras – Kevin Attard
7 – Courtly Ro – Kazushi Kimura – Kevin Attard
8 – Star Candy – Declan Carroll – Mark Casse
$500,000 PATTISON SUMMER (Grade 1) – Race 7
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Mysterious Night (IRE) – William Buick – Charles Appleby
2 – Ninetyfour Expos – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse
3 – Appraise (IRE) – Manuel Franco – Chad Brown
4 – Chiseler – Patrick Husbands – Barbara Minshall
5 – Sammy Stone (S) – Declan Carroll – Catherine Day Phillips
6 – Philip My Dear – Kazushi Kimura – Kevin Attard
7 – Stayhonor Goodside – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse
$150,000 SEAWAY STAKES (Grade 3) – Race 8
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Beyond Mybudget – Declan Carroll – Mark Casse
2 – Emmeline – Justin Stein – Mike Mattine
3 – Nazuna (IRE) (S) – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse
4 – Hai Bobbi (S) – Leo Salles – Abraham Katryan
5 – Souper Sensational – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
6 – The Grass Is Blue – Manuel Franco – Graham Motion
7 – Hazelbrook – Jason Hoyte – Lorne Richards
8 – Dreaming of Drew – Kazushi Kimura – Barbara Minshall
9 – Lady Speightspeare – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Roger Attfield
10 – Golden Vision – Rafael Hernandez – Tino Attard
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Mike Maker Earns Record Seventh Training Title At Kentucky Downs; Gaffalione Leading Rider
There was one record that was made to be broken at the 31st FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs.
Over and over again as a matter of fact.
Mike Maker, who has made it a habit of winning the training title at the boutique meet in the south-central part of the Bluegrass State, did it again. When the seven-day season ended on Wednesday, Maker continued his dominance with his record seventh training title.
Tyler Gaffalione held on to win the riding title. The 28-year-old jockey won his second championship at the track with nine wins from 66 starts. He also had 17 seconds (seven of them in the last two days of the meet) and three third-place finishes.
Maker won 12 races, a meet record. The old record of 10 wins, set by Wayne Catalano in 2013, was broken when Maker won his 11th race on Sunday. Then he broke his own record on Wednesday when Intrigue won the closing-day opener.
“That's a good thing, it doesn't happen very often,” Maker, a man of few words, said with a smile. “All kidding aside, it has been a fabulous meet.”
Maker started 65 horses during the 73 races at the meet and also had 11 seconds and six thirds and his horses won a record $2,340,436. Maker broke his own record of $1,529,053, which he set in 2017 when he had eight wins.
Wesley Ward finished second in the training standings with six wins from 31 starts.
The 53-year-old Maker was born in Garden City, Mich., but calls Louisville home. This was the third straight year he has won or shared the training title at Kentucky Downs. He finished in a three-way tie with four wins with Steve Asmussen and Brendan Walsh last year. He won it outright in 2020 as well as every year from 2015-2018.
This is a meet that Maker has always pointed to.
“We love everything about Kentucky racing,” Maker said. “Whether it's here, Turfway, Ellis … Kentucky is home and Kentucky is where all my favorite tracks are. The way I look at it, Kentucky Downs has been about 10 percent of my business the last, seven, eight years. Cram that 10 percent into five days for years, that is pretty remarkable.”
Maker won two of the biggest races on the Kentucky Downs calendar when Red Knight won the G2, $1 million Kentucky Turf Cup and Somelikeithotbrown took the G3, $1 million WinStar Mint Million. Maker's Atone finished second in the Mint Million and Field Pass was fourth.
“Basically, we try to put them where they fit here and try to win as many as we can,” Maker said. ”We don't have a numbers goal (for wins). When you run 10 to 17 horses a day on average, you hope to win 20 to 25 percent. The competition here is brutal. When you run against the Steve Asmussens and Brad Coxs and Chad Browns, it's very tough.”
Gaffalione had a strong start, winning three races on opening day, Sept. 1, and three more on Sept.8. His horses earned $2,218,906, the second highest total in Kentucky Downs history behind Joel Rosario, whose mounts won $2,952,097 last year. Rosario and Gerardo Corrales tied for second in the standings with seven wins.
“It was crucial,” Gaffalione said of the quick beginning. “We slowed down the last couple days, so that start definitely helped us. It always gives you confidence. It was nice knowing the horses were running for me.”
Four of Gaffalone's wins came on horses trained by Maker. He gave credit to his agent, Matt Muzikar, for getting him on the right horses.
“I am very proud of this accomplishment,” he said. “A lot of the credit goes to the horsemen bringing their horses over here ready to run. The horses really showed up, big time. It's such a tough meet and you had to have everything go your way.”
Six owners won a meet-high two races apiece. They are Brownwood Farms, Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, Godolphin, NBS Stable, Paradise Farms Corp. and Three Diamonds Farm.
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