George Krikorian has been around the game of racing for a long time and has owned a lot of good horses. But a win in the Breeders' Cup has eluded him. He's 0-for-11. But he has two strong candidates this year in Just FYI (Justify) in the GI Juvenile Fillies and War Like Goddess (English Channel) in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, where she will tackle males for the second straight year.
Will this be Krikorian's year? Those were among the questions our team asked Krikorian on this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland. He was the Green Group Guest of the Week.
“I'm pretty excited to be here and to have this opportunity and with two horses,” he said. “This is the first time that's happened for me. So it's going to be a pretty special weekend.”
In War Like Goddess, Krikorian owns one of the biggest over achievers in the sport. She sold for $1,200 as a weanling before RNA'ing for $1,000 at Keeneland September 2018. She showed up next at the 2019 OBS June Sale, where bloodstock agent Donato Lanni convinced Krikorian to take a shot on the filly. He bought her for $30,000. All she's done since is earn $2,495,184 and win eight stakes, including three Grade I's.
“You have to give kudos to Donato Lanni because he called me one day and said, 'I've seen this horse and she should not be in this sale and she's going to be overlooked,'” Krikorian said. 'He said, I see in the future that she could be a very special horse.' I told him that I knew that he didn't mind taking the time it takes for a horse to develop. And so that's exactly what we did. We took our time. Just as he predicted, she turned out to be an incredible horse.”
George Krikorian Joins the TDN Writers' Room from Thoroughbred Daily News on Vimeo.
Just FYI is 2-for-2 and coming off a win in the GI Frizette. Despite her strong credentials, this might be a tough spot for her and only because she'll have to take on Tamara (Bolt d'Oro), considered by many to be the most likely winner of any Breeders' Cup race.
“I know that Tamara is going to be a tough, tough horse,” Krikorian said. “The bottom line is you're challenged by any horse that's in a race like this. I think that Just FYI has shown to be a incredibly talented horse and I think that she's going to be a very tough competitor in that race.”
Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, West Point Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm, XBTV.com and 1/ST Racing, the team of Zoe Cadman, Bill Finley and Randy Moss went through all the Breeders' Cup races, offering their insights and handicapping opinions. Both Moss and Finley loved longshot Roses for Debra (Liam's Map) in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Moss had a less positive take on the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, calling this one of the weakest Classic fields ever assembled. Yet, everyone agreed that this might be the best field ever assembled for the Breeders' Cup Turf. Moss also made a compelling case why Elite Power (Curlin) should turn the tables on Gunite (Gun Runner) in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint.
To watch the podcast as a video, click here. For the audio version, click here.
The post George Krikorian Joins TDN Writers’ Room Podcast Breeders’ Cup Preview Show appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
There is something extra special when a flashy Quarter Horse palomino stands out amid hundreds of world-class Thoroughbreds and their ponies at this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park.
Pin Oak Stud's Geaux Rocket Ride, the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational winner severely injured during a seven-furlong breeze at Santa Anita on Oct. 28 while preparing for the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic, was euthanized on Wednesday following post-surgical complications.
Jim and Dana Bernhard, who purchased the Versailles, Ky., farm from the estate of Josephine Abercrombie last November, issued the following statement through Pin Oak Stud's social media account late Wednesday afternoon:
“It is with very heavy hearts that we report that, at the recommendation of the medical team, Geaux Rocket Ride has finally reached peace. His mind and his spirit never quit, but his body never recovered from surgery. He had a very rare response post-op and he wasn't able to stand up again. He fought hard and our team of vets tried everything they could.
“We are grateful for Dr. Bramlage, Dr. Carpenter, Dr. Slovis, Dr. Klohnen and all of the other doctors and medical staff who helped Rocket. We are appreciative of all of the support that we've received from everyone. We made sure he knew how loved he was. Geaux Rocket Ride was the first member of our Pin Oak family and he will never be forgotten. We will miss you forever, Rocket.”
Geaux Rocket Ride, a 3-year-old colt by Candy Ride out of the Uncle Mo mare, Beyond Grace, was bred in Kentucky by Larry Best's OXO Equine and purchased by Jim Bernhard for $350,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Yearling Sale. Trained by Richard Mandella, Geaux Rocket Ride debuted with an impressive 5 3/4-length maiden win at Santa Anita Jan. 29, then finished second in the G2 San Felipe Stakes, beaten 2 1/2 lengths by Practical Move.
Practical Move went on to win the G1 Santa Anita Derby, but Geaux Rocket Ride was forced to miss that race because of a fever and unable to garner enough qualifying points to contest the Kentucky Derby. Practical Move was entered in the Derby and scratched, also because of a fever. The latter colt returned in the fall but sustained what officials suspect was a cardiac-induced sudden death while training for the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Tuesday.
Geaux Rocket Ride returned with a victory June 4 in the Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita, then shipped to Monmouth Park in New Jersey for the Haskell on July 22. Sent off at 12-1 odds under Mike Smith, Geaux Rocket Ride sat just off the pace before taking command into the stretch and defeating G1 Kentucky Derby winner Mage by 1 3/4 lengths. Arabian Knight finished third. The latter is the morning line favorite for the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Arabian Knight turned the tables on Geaux Rocket Ride in his next start, the G1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Sept. 2, going wire to wire to win by a neck. Geaux Rocket Ride was gaining on Arabian Knight in deep stretch but his late bid was denied.
Geaux Rocket Ride had his training interrupted briefly with a fever in October, then had what was to be his final Breeders' Cup Classic workout delayed by a day when Mandella said he was exhibiting “tender feet” after being reshod.
Geaux Rocket Ride suffered the injury to his right foreleg at the top of the stretch of his Oct. 28 workout with Smith aboard and quickly pulling the horse up. Officials described it as a condylar fracture that broke through the skin, with surrounding ligament damage in the lower leg. Dr. Ryan Carpenter performed arthrodesis surgery on the damaged leg on Oct. 29, but the following morning Pin Oak Stud posted a cautionary update.
“Rocket is having an unexpected response to the surgery and isn't recovering as we hoped,” the farm statement read. “He appears to be in no pain and is eating. Our boy is still fighting hard so we will keep fighting for him. Under Dr. (Ryan) Carpenter's recommendation, he is moving to another facility better equipped to handle his post-op recovery.”
Breeders' Cup released the following statement: “The immense effort that went into Geaux Rocket Ride's medical care following Saturday's injury is a testament to his team's deep commitment to his wellbeing. Our thoughts are with Pin Oak Stud LLC, Richard Mandella, and everyone affected by his loss.”
The post ‘He Fought Hard’: Unable To Stand After Surgery, Geaux Rocket Ride Euthanized appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
