Month: December 2023

Pennsylvania Leaderboard: Juveniles Provide Quick Returns For Keystone State Breeders

The breeding game is rooted in patience, but any long-term strategy is best balanced out with some short-term yields, and a high-performing Pennsylvania-bred and -sired juvenile can provide just that.

Through the first 10 months of the year, no 2-year-old displayed that better than Notice of Action, a Hoppertunity colt who brought in a combined $178,800 in state incentive awards to his various connections through Oct. 31. That made him the second-highest earner of Pennsylvania incentives in 2023 through that time period, trailing only the 4-year-old Twisted Ride at $178,944.

Notice of Action went unbeaten in three starts through the end of October, all at Parx Racing, running for owner Andy Hawthorne and trainer Bobbi Anne Hawthorne.

The colt put the Pennsylvania-bred juvenile ranks on notice in his debut, a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on Aug. 21, where he led at every point of call and drew away to win by four lengths.

After an eye-popping debut, Notice of Action rocketed up the class ladder to test the Prince Lucky Stakes, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for Pennsylvania-bred and -sired juveniles on Sept. 23. He was never far off the pace in the Prince Lucky under jockey Andy Hernandez, and after drawing clear in the stretch, he fended off a late charge from Lost and Confused to prevail by a half-length.

Notice of Action closed out the run with a six-furlong allowance optional claiming race on Oct. 25, where he decimated the field by five lengths.

In addition to the purse money, Notice of Action earned the Hawthornes $12,000 in owner bonuses. Depending on the track within the state, owner bonuses can tack on a boost of up to 40 percent on an overnight race's purse.

Notice of Action was bred in Pennsylvania by Bryan Minnich, out of the unraced Jump Start mare Be a Gem. His three-race winning streak earned Minnich $67,920 in breeders' awards.

For horses bred and sired in Pennsylvania, breeders earn a 50 percent bonus on purse earnings for maiden races run within the state. Runners bred in the state but sired by a horse standing elsewhere are eligible for a 25 percent bonus. For all other races within the Keystone State, runners bred and sired in Pennsylvania can earn a 40 percent bonus, while those by out-of-state sires earn their breeders a 20 percent bonus.

The colt also earned Northview Stallion Station, owner of sire Hoppertunity, $16,080 in stallion awards.

The owner of a Pennsylvania-based stallion at the time of a foal's conception is eligible for stallion awards generated by that foal. Stallion owners receive 10 percent of the purse earned when a registered Pennsylvania-bred and- sired runner finishes in the top three in any pari-mutuel race within the state.

Another six-figure earner of Pennsylvania incentives was Aoife's Magic, who brought in a combined $138,600 awards through the end of October.

The daughter of Smarty Jones won both of her starts in that timeframe, both at Parx, taking a maiden special weight by 10 3/4 lengths, then winning the Imply Stakes by 4 1/4. David Dotolo trains Aoife's Magic for owner A and J Racing Stable.

Aoife's Magic was bred in Pennsylvania by Mohns Hill Farm, which picked up a $45,120 breeder's award for the filly's first two wins. Patricia Chapman, owner of champion Smarty Jones, earned $10,680 in stallion awards from her success.

Leading 2-Year-Old Earners Of 2023 Pennsylvania Incentives, Through Oct. 31

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Suave Richard’s Regaleira First Filly To Take G1 Hopeful Stakes

Suave Richard (Jpn), Japanese Champion Freshman Sire elect, sired his first Group 1 winner with the victory of his Regaleira (Jpn) in the 2000-metre G1 Hopeful S. at Nakayama on Thursday. The filly is the first of her sex to land the race since it was upgraded to Group 1 level in 2017.

Jointly favoured with Susumu Fujita's Group 3 winner and €2.1 million Arqana August yearling buy Shin Emperor (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) at 2-1 in this contest, the filly hesitated at the break, and soon trailed third last as Velociraptor (Jpn) (Suave Richard {Jpn}) showed the way with a battling Ammothyella (Jpn) (Bricks And Mortar), the other filly in the field. Rounding the first bend, the Northern Farm-bred settled nicely, as several rivals ahead of her had a rough time of it. The first 1000 metres was covered in 1:00 by Velociraptor, while still pressed by the persistent Ammothyella. Regaleira was already making up ground from the rear as the field entered the final turn. Winding her way towards the front, she was forced widest of all entering the home straight as Shin Emperor got first jump on the field, quickly seized the advantage and set sail for home.

Regaleira was also letting down strongly with Sunrise Zipangu (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) to her inside. She drew even with Shin Emperor, who immediately fought back, but she just edged that determined foe to win by a three-quarters of a length in 2:00.20, a new stakes record. Sunrise Zipangu was third two lengths behind, another three-quarters of a length in front of Admiral Ship (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}). Tariff Line (Jpn) (Satono Diamond {Jpn}) went wrong on the bend and was pulled up by Tom Marquand.

The first six home all broke :36 seconds for their respective final 600 metres, but Regaleira showed the fastest turn of foot, finishing in :35 flat. Her owner, Sunday Racing, has indicated that the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) versus males is under consideration next year.

“We had to travel near the rear because the filly missed her break, but she was very calm after that,” Christophe Lemaire said of the great granddaughter of the blue hen Wind In Her Hair (Ire) (Alzao). “She responded well at last two corners and, after I steered her to the outside, displayed an incredible late charge. I look forward to her performances next year, and I think a longer distance would also suit her.”

A first-out winner over 1800 metres at Hakodate in July, the bay took third in the Listed Ivy S. at Tokyo over that trip when resuming on Oct. 21. The Hopeful was her first foray into group company.

Pedigree Notes

A member of the first crop of G1 Japan Cup and G1 Osaka Hai hero Suave Richard, Regaleira is one of two stakes winners besides G2 Keio Hai Nisai S. winner Corazon Beat (Jpn). He stands firmly on top of the Japanese first-season sires' list by earnings with over ¥400,000,000 (£2,224,532/€2,558,377/$2,834,795) to his credit and 21 winners so far. Other progeny to have claimed black-type are G3 Sapporo Nisai S. second Power Hall (Jpn), and G2 Hai Nisai S. third Namura Hooker (Jpn).

The third foal out of the Harbinger (GB) mare Roca (Jpn), Regaleira is also the third winner for her, and is a half-sister to the G3 Mainichi Hai third Douradores (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}). Her dam, too, was a first-out 1800-metre scorer as a juvenile, although in her case, she trotted up at Kyoto before running third in the G3 Daily Hai Queen Cup when unveiled at three later in her career. Since foaling the winner, Roca has a yearling filly by Cheval Grand (Jpn), from the Heart's Cry (Jpn) branch of the Sunday Silence line, and a weanling filly by Stay Gold (Jpn) horse Indy Champ (Jpn). Out of a Dance In The Dark (Jpn) half-sister to a quartet of stakes winners led by the late dual Japanese Horse of the Year and supersire Deep Impact (Jpn), she was covered by Leontes (Jpn) this spring.

 

Thursday, Nakayama, Japan
HOPEFUL S.-G1, ¥135,800,000, Nakayama, 12-28, 2yo, 2000mT, 2:00.20, fm.
1–REGALEIRA (JPN), 121, f, 2, by Suave Richard (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Roca (Jpn), by Harbinger (GB)
                2nd Dam: Land's Edge (Jpn), by Dance in the Dark(Jpn)
                3rd Dam: Wind in Her Hair (Ire), by Alzao
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. 1ST GROUP 1 WIN.
O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Tetsuya Kimura;
J-Christophe Lemaire; ¥71,260,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1,
¥154,039,000. Click for the
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick
   Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Shin Emperor (Fr), 123, c, 2, Siyouni (Fr)–Starlet's Sister(Ire),
by Galileo (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (€2,100,000 Ylg
'22 ARQAUG). O-Susumu Fujita; B-Ecurie Des Monceaux (Fr);
¥28,360,000.
3–Sunrise Zipangu (Jpn), 123, c, 2, Kizuna (Jpn)–Saimaa (Ire), by
Zoffany (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK
   TYPE. (¥64,000,000 Ylg '22 JRHAJUL). O-Life House; B-Oiwake
Farm (Jpn); ¥18,180,000.
Margins: 3/4, 2, 3/4. Odds: 2.10, 2.10, 127.70.
Also Ran: Admiral Ship (Jpn), Mr G T (Jpn), Sirius Colt (Jpn), Shonan la Punta (Jpn), In the Moment (Jpn), Di Speranza (Jpn), Velociraptor (Jpn), Hortbagy (Jpn), Win Maximum (Jpn), Ten Ace One (Jpn), Century Bond (Jpn), Ammothyella (Jpn). DNF: Tariff Line (Jpn). Scratched: Gonbade Qabus (Jpn), Sunrise Earth (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video.

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Beholder’s $4 Million Baby Learning the Ropes in Ocala

A son of two fan-favorite Hall of Famers, the impeccably-bred colt by champion Curlin and out of champion Beholder was sure to bring the house down when he entered the ring this summer at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale and the striking chestnut did not disappoint as the hammer dropped at $4 million to Donato Lanni on behalf of Zedan Racing, making the Spendthrift-bred, Taylor Made-consigned colt the highest-priced horse to sell at Saratoga in over two decades.

Since then, the youngster's pedigree has grown even more impressive as his elder sister Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) won the GI Del Mar Debutante S. in jaw-dropping fashion. The 'TDN Rising Star' was the heavy favorite going into the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, but finished seventh and came out of the race with a small fracture in a hind splint bone.

In the meantime, Zedan Racing's $4 million purchase–who was the first of Beholder's babies to go to public auction–was sent to Eddie Woods Stables and has slowly been learning the ropes of the racetrack in sunny Ocala. The colt is now just days away from turning two and veteran Woods says that his charge is taking every step in the right direction.

“We've taken him through the paces slowly,” Woods reported. “He's now been galloping on the track about three weeks. He's jogging about half a mile and he's cantering a mile and we'll kind of keep it at that for a while. We're probably going to be giving him a little bit of a break here after a while just to get over the breaking process.”

The yearling earned a bit of a reputation in Saratoga when he was on his toes in the sales ring and put in one hair-raising rear, but Woods said that the colt has been nothing but straightforward in his demeanor. One only needs to watch as the young athlete steps through the gate without so much as batting an eye to agree.

“He was a little wiry one day in public so everyone just thinks that's the way they are and it's not always the case,” Woods said. “He's a good-feeling horse and he'll be on it a little bit, but he behaves himself well and he's good in traffic. He moves well and he's been a pretty straightforward kind of colt.”

Fans of this exciting prospect and his talented family will have to wait well into 2024 to see him near his debut.

“He's not a horse that is going to be running four-and-a-half or five furlongs or anything like that,” Woods said. “He won't run until probably Del Mar or something. You can put in a lot of unnecessary miles on him, so we'll just give him a chance to grow up and get over being broken and just be a horse.”

Woods has had plenty of sons and daughters of leading sire Curlin at his successful training facility and he's trained almost as many seven-figure yearlings, but he said this is the first foal from Beholder's impressive family that he has had the privilege of working with and added that this colt might have the highest price tag in his stable's history.

“We've had a lot of expensive horses, but we haven't had a $4 million one here before,” he noted. “So it's pretty cool. He's a lovely-looking horse.”

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NYRA To Race 195 Days Between Aqueduct, Saratoga In 2024

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has announced its 2024 racing schedule, which includes 195 live race days at Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course.

The ongoing construction of a new and re-imagined Belmont Park will require significant adjustments to the customary NYRA schedule. Most notably, as previously announced, the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will be held at Saratoga Race Course from June 6-9. In addition, the fall and spring/summer meets traditionally held at Belmont will take place at Aqueduct Racetrack in 2024.

Following the conclusion of the 2023 Aqueduct fall meet on December 31, the 47-day winter meet begins Monday, January 1 and continues through Saturday, March 30. Live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday for the first three weeks of January and Friday-Sunday from January 26 through the first week of March. Aqueduct will host a Presidents' Day card on Monday, February 19. Four-day race weeks resume on March 7.

The 16-day Aqueduct spring meet will run from Thursday, April 4 through Sunday, April 28. The NYRA circuit will then remain at Aqueduct for the 31-day Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet, which will open on Thursday, May 2 and continue through Sunday, July 7. Racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday throughout the spring/summer with the exception of a Memorial Day program on Monday, May 27.

The 40-day summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course will open on Thursday, July 11 and continue through Labor Day, September 2. Following the four-day opening weekend, live racing will be conducted Wednesday-Sunday with the exception of closing week, which will conclude on Labor Day, September 2.

The NYRA circuit will then return downstate for the 31-day Belmont at the Big A fall meet, which will open on Friday, September 13 and continue through Sunday, November 3. Apart from the opening weekend, racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday throughout the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

2024 will conclude with a 26-day fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack, which will open on Thursday, November 7 and continue through Sunday, December 29. Apart from closing week, live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday throughout the Aqueduct fall meet.

For the 2024 calendar of live race dates, visit NYRA.com/2024.

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