Month: October 2022

Lesson Horses Presented By Breeders’ Cup: Kazushi Kimura’s First Taste Of Grade 1 Success

You never forget the name of your first lesson horse – that horse who taught you what you need to know to work with every one that follows.

In this series, participants throughout the Thoroughbred industry share the names and stories of the horses that have taught them the most about life, revealing the limitless ways that horses can impact the people around them. Some came early on in their careers and helped them set a course for the rest of their lives, while others brought valuable lessons to veterans of the business.

Question: Which horse has taught you the most about life?

Kazushi Kimura won the Eclipse Award for Apprentice Jockey of the Year for 2019

Kazushi Kimura, jockey: “I won my first Grade 1 with Gretzky the Great. That moment is not going to be forgotten, and I'm always happy to ride for the Casse barn, Gary Barber, and Eclipse Thoroughbreds.

“I've always loved watching him, and riding him in the morning. Even if I couldn't ride the horse because I had a different one, I still loved watching him.

“He always tried to listen to me. Some horses are just tough to ride, and are never going to listen, but Gretzky was so easy to ride. I really like that type of horse.

“I'm always happy to win stakes races, but a graded stakes, especially a Grade 1, is so much different for my career and my achievements. I hope there are more coming.”

About Gretzky the Great
2018, c., Nyquist x Pearl Turn, by Bernardini

Canada's champion 2-year-old male of 2020 broke his maiden in his second career start at Woodbine, then parlayed that into a hard-fought win in the listed Soaring Free Stakes. The horse and Kimura each earned their first Grade 1 victory in the following start, the G1 Summer Stakes, which they won by 3 1/4 lengths.

Gretzky the Great earned a “Win and You're In” berth to the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland by virtue of his Summer Stakes win, and he went on to finish sixth.

At three, Gretzky the Great spent the spring at Turfway Park, where he finished third in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, then he made a winning return to Woodbine that summer in the Greenwood Stakes.

Trained by Mark Casse for owners Gary Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Gretzky the Great retired with four wins in 11 starts for earnings of $379,866. He retired to Ocala Stud in Florida, where he will stand his first season in 2023.

The post Lesson Horses Presented By Breeders’ Cup: Kazushi Kimura’s First Taste Of Grade 1 Success appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Pennsylvania Leaderboard: Blackstone Farm Takes Command Among Keystone State’s Breeders

The incentive structure for breeders in Pennsylvania is among the strongest in North America, and few farms have taken advantage of it over the past few years quite like Blackstone Farm.

Through the end of July, the Pine Grove, Pa.-based operation led the state by breeder's awards compiled by their runners in 2022, with $231,527.

It has been an eventful year for the Blackstone Farm operation, which has not only seen plenty of on-track success by its graduates. In August, a Blackstone-bred colt by Triple Crown winner Justify sold for $1.1 million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale.

Blackstone Farm, along with any breeder in Pennsylvania, is eligible for a 50 percent bonus on purse earnings for a horse bred and sired in the state that runs in a maiden race within the state, and 40 percent for all other races.

For maidens bred in Pennsylvania but sired out-of-state, that bonus is 25 percent of the purse, while all other races are eligible for a 20 percent bonus.

The Blackstone-bred runners were led through the end of July by Divine Miracle, a Distorted Humor gelding who earned $29,824 in breeder's awards through the first seven months of the year.

Divine Miracle, who is trained by Jamie Ness for the partnership of his Jagger Inc., Morris Kernan Jr., and Yo Berbs Racing, was never worse than third in seven starts at Parx Racing through the end of July.

He started the season on a three-race winning streak, starting with a pair of seven-furlong heats: a Jan. 18 starter optional claimer that he won by 1 1/2 lengths, followed by a Feb. 16 starter allowance where he quickly established the lead and held on to win by a half-length. Divine Miracle then stretched out to 1 1/8 miles for a starter handicap, where he battled gamely for the lead throughout the race and held on by a neck.

The gelding picked up three more wins through the end of July, all at a mile or longer. Though he's raced primarily on the dirt, he was scheduled to run on the turf on July 9, but the race was put back on the main track. Divine Miracle responded by leading at every point of call in the 1 1/16-mile starter optional claimer and winning by 9 1/4 lengths.

Nice Ace also racked up awards for Blackstone Farm, bringing in $20,756 through the end of July.

The 4-year-old Noble Mission gelding started the year at Gulfstream Park for owner Robert Bone and trainer Tim Girten, then he moved to Presque Isle Downs in May, where he has spent the rest of the season.

His time at Presque Isle during the 2022 meet has been highlighted by victories in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance race, and a dominant 5 1/2-length score in the Hard Spun Stakes on July 26. Later in the year, Nice Ace added a victory in the Dobbins Landing Stakes to his resume, as well.

The post Pennsylvania Leaderboard: Blackstone Farm Takes Command Among Keystone State’s Breeders appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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MG1SW & BC Mile Entrant Dreamloper Supplemented to KEENOV

Last month's G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp winner Dreamloper (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}–Livia's Dream {Ire}, by Teofilo {Ire}), who is set to contest the $2 million GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Saturday at Keeneland, has been supplemented to Book 1 of Keeneland's November Breeding Stock Sale. Ed Walker Racing, agent will consign her as a racing or broodmare prospect.

Dreamloper, who was bred by Mrs. Olivia Hoare and races in the colors of Jason Fill, has also been pre-entered in the GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, with first preference in the Mile. The Ed Walker trainee also won the G1 Prix d'Ispahan this year, defeating males both there and in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.

From the same family as 2013 G1 Epsom Oaks winner Talent (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), Dreamloper has also captured the G2 Betfair Exchange Dahlia S. and the G3 British Racecourses Join Sunflower Lanyard Scheme Valiant S., in addition to finishing third in the G1 Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot S. She comes into the Breeders' Cup sporting a record of 17-6-1-3 and earnings of $674,624.

“Dreamloper has been amazing,” said her trainer. “She's just got better and better as time has gone on. She was a group winner last season then showed real battling qualities to win the Dahlia S. on her return this season. She was impressive in the Ispahan before that amazing win in the Prix du Moulin. You don't win a Group 1 by 5 1/2 lengths without being very special.

“She's an incredibly good-moving, athletic filly with an electric turn of foot. She's very sound, very tough, and very genuine. She's fabulous.”

Keeneland kicks off Book 1 of the November sale Monday, Nov. 7, at 1 p.m. ET.

The post MG1SW & BC Mile Entrant Dreamloper Supplemented to KEENOV appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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