Chris Warren, who has served as Director of Racing for both Delta Downs and Evangeline Downs in Louisiana, will depart his position at those tracks and head home to Ruidoso, New Mexico. His last day will be Friday.
His Beginning
Warren, 64, grew up in Ruidoso, and credits his dad, Bill Warren, for introducing him to the Sport of Kings. He was a contractor, carpenter, and builder by trade. Chris enjoyed watching the races at Ruidoso Downs and earned money in high school by writing and selling a tip sheet he titled “Simon Says.”
“My dad loved horse racing and definitely got me started,” acknowledged Warren.
He worked summers at Ruidoso Downs and attended the University of Arizona Racetrack Industry program in Tucson.
“I remember in 1987 I worked as assistant clerk of scales at Santa Anita,” he said. “The first rider in the room was Billy Shoemaker. That was like a football fan interacting with Tom Brady; he could not have been nicer; it was a big moment for me.”
In addition to Santa Anita, Warren traversed the country in various racing office positions early in his career. His employers included The Downs at Santa Fe and Canterbury Park in Minnesota. He first worked at Delta Downs when he was 22 years old, serving as assistant racing secretary to Jim Grundy. He spent eight years at Delaware Park before returning to Delta Downs in 2001.
Demanding Job Description
The role of director of racing in Louisiana entails a myriad of responsibilities from interacting with horsemen and horsemen's organizations, attending racing commission meetings, overseeing purses and condition books for Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing, and ensuring racetrack safety.
Hiring competent racing office staff is also a key element of the job, and there are far more positions than the average racing fan knows about. Placing judges, entry clerks, starter and assistants, gate crew, jockey room clerk of scales, valets and more. When Boyd Gaming acquired its second track in Louisiana in 2013, Warren was asked to take over the role at Evangeline Downs in addition to Delta.
“In hindsight, I should have said no,” Warren said. “In the beginning, I put a lot of miles making the 120-mile (one-way) commute between the two tracks. Those trips have not been as necessary in the last few years.”
He earned respect from both Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred trainers throughout his tenure.
Kenneth Roberts Sr. has been one of the leading Louisiana Quarter Horse trainers for decades and credited Warren for his commitment to the horsemen.
“I have always had a good relationship with Chris,” Roberts said. “You could call him with concerns, and he listened. His hands were tied sometimes, but he pulled for the horsemen and was there for us.”
Allen Landry, who runs Thoroughbreds at both Delta and Evangeline, echoed the sentiments of Roberts.
“Despite his busy schedule, Chris would always take my call,” said Landry. “He would do his best in taking care of what I asked him to look into. We will miss him.”
The memories are plentiful for Warren for both breeds. Each year, Delta Downs concludes its Quarter Horse meet with the running of the Lee Berwick Memorial Futurity. Named in honor of the late Louisiana horseman who developed the Vinton, La. racetrack and served as its first president. Warren extends an invitation to the entire Berwick family to watch the juveniles compete for the championship. Berwick's widow, Betty, attends and is escorted to the very crowded winner's circle by Warren.
“The race is always exciting and it's nice to spend a few minutes with Betty,” acknowledged Warren. “I will miss her a lot.”
The $1-million Delta Downs Jackpot was held for 15 years, and Warren enjoyed the high profile Thoroughbred event, which served as a springboard to the Kentucky Derby (G1). A total of 16 Delta Jackpot participants made it to the starting gate on the first Saturday of May at Churchill Downs.
“It was cool to follow our Jackpot winners on the Triple Crown trail,” said Warren. “We welcomed many high profile trainers and saw some really great horses, including Exaggerator, Goldencents, and 2010 Eclipse Award [champion sprinter] Big Drama.”
Steve Kuypers, Vice President and General Manager of Delta Downs, praised Warren for his commitment and years of service.
“Chris' dedication and intense passion for the sport had a tremendous impact on Delta Downs, as well as horse racing across the state of Louisiana,” said Kuypers. “His contributions helped make Delta Downs the Number One racetrack in the United States in USA Today's Reader's Choice poll earlier this year. Chris is a great colleague and friend, and he leaves behind an incredible legacy at Delta Downs. We will all miss him greatly and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”
Smooth Transition To Come
John Simon is currently the racing secretary at Delta Downs and will serve as Director of Racing, and Tracey Coonce takes on the same role at Evangeline Downs.
“They have done a great job and get along well with their staff,” said Warren.
Don Stevens, the popular announcer at Delta Downs, also worked closely with Warren.
“I have worked with Chris for over 20 years at Delta Downs,” said Stevens. “His extensive experience in the racing industry, along with his ability to look at things from a unique perspective, have been an asset to Boyd Gaming and he will be sorely missed.”
Warren will return to his home in Ruidoso to the delight of his wife of 40 years, Patricia, and their feline family. He has no plans for retirement and hopes to remain in the racing industry in a smaller capacity.
“I'm looking forward to regrouping, enjoying the holidays, and playing some golf when it gets warmer,” Warren said. “Right now, I have no interest in working full time but hope to do something to help pay the cat food bill.”
Secret Reserve took Sunday's $100,000 Steady Growth Stakes for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds and up, contested at 1 1/16 miles over the Woodbine Tapeta.
It was an early scramble for the lead with Dun Drum emerging on top and Secret Reserve, with Leo Salles aboard, riding the rail to sit second, followed by Perfect Crime and Avoman. Dun Drum was a half-length ahead of Secret Reserve through a quarter in :24.01 and extended that lead to a length over Perfect Crime, while Secret Reserve was a further head back, after a half in :47.74.
Turning for home, Secret Reserve, winless in his past 10 starts, waited for an opening to emerge, as a host of others, including Avoman, Ron's Gizmo, and Grandson, second-last and last, respectively, at the half-mile mark, and 2-1 choice Cruden Bay, all came with a run.
Secret Reserve grabbed a tenuous lead in upper stretch before being headed by a rival, but the 5-year-old son of Giant Gizmo out of the Smart Strike mare Smart Suzie reclaimed the advantage and then dug in to cross the wire a head in front of 14-1 Grandson, who was supplemented to the race. Ron's Gizmo was third and Cruden Bay finished fourth. Artie's Storm, Rapid Test, and Town Cruise were scratched.
The final time was 1:43.91.
“I love this horse,” said Salles. “The trip is working very well. I could save ground all the way. He's not an easy ride, but I could control him well, and he waited for me.”
Secret Reserve, who had posted four thirds from eight starts this year for trainer Mike Mattine and owners Carlo D'Amato and Stacey Van Camp, recorded his fourth stakes score. The dark bay won the 2021 editions of the Elgin and Lake Superior, and last year's Bold Venture Stakes (G3), his most recent victory prior to the Steady Growth.
“He's a nice, honest horse and this year we had a lot of tough results,” said Mattine. “But he finally came through today. The inside was really good the last week or so and he had a good post. He stayed on the rail and saved ground.”
A US$6,764 purchase from the FAV Racing consignment at the 2019 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale, Secret Reserve, sixth in the 2021 Steady Growth, is now 6-1-6 from 21 starts. He was bred by Dr. B. Van Arem
Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Abrumar uncorked a late rally to graduate in Sunday's Race 6 maiden special weight event at Gulfstream Park, where Ken Ramsey's colors were on full display for the fourth time in the Championship Meet.
Edgard Zayas posed for the winner's circle picture atop the highly promising 2-year-old son of Divisidero, but he wasn't the only one wearing the white silks with the red 'R' that have graced winner's circles at tracks from coast to coast for many years. Nearby, 7-year-old Rocco Joseph, who is Joseph's son, stood proudly for the photographer in his black riding boots, crop in hand, clad in Ramsey's familiar silks.
It was Gulfstream's version of the TV reality show “Who Wore It Best?”.
It has become a familiar sight for the last year or two at Gulfstream Park for Rocco Joseph to accompany his parents in the winner's circle in full jockey gear, wearing one of his several replica silks of owners in his father's stable.
“He's obsessed with it. He loves it,” said Joseph, the defending two-time Championship Meet training titlist. “Kids are innocent; they're fearless. I let him be who he is. He loves the sport.”
Considering that his father has won eight consecutive training titles at Gulfstream Park, Rocco Joseph has had plenty of opportunities to sport his many sets of colors.
Judging from Sunday's performance by Abrumar, the younger Joseph could be returning to the winner's circle in the Ramsey colors in the near future.
Abrumar, who overcame a slow start at Woodbine to finish third in his Aug. 20 debut in a seven-furlong maiden test, saved ground while settling a few lengths off the pace before kicking in late to win Sunday's one-mile turf race.
“He was a private purchase by Mr. Ramsey. Brian Russell, his horse scout, found him and went ahead and bought him,” Joseph said. “He ran well obviously his first race. Today, he stepped up. That experience helped him.”
Abrumar ran a mile on firm turf in 1:34.91 to prevail over game pacesetter Paris Surprise by three-quarters of a length.
Abrumar's sire, Divisidero, won his career debut on turf for trainer Buff Bradley in February 2015 and went on to become a multiple Grade 1 winner.
The future is now, even if the future is several years away.
So much of Thoroughbred breeding is based on factors that can only be left up to speculation when a mating decision is made. We can't know if a rookie sire is going to be a star or a dud when they enter the breeding shed for the first time. We can't know what the industry will look like three to four years down the road; which tracks and circuits might rise and fall, and which ones might make drastic changes to their footprint that could change what kind of pedigrees work best on them.
For the rookie sires at least, that leap of faith also brings with it the biggest spoils. If a breeder can't afford to go to a pantheon-level commercial sire – the Into Mischiefs of the world – the next best way to ensure that potential buyers call your horse's number is to breed to a first-year stallion. Blue sky can't be disproven, and the only thing the market loves as much as a sure thing is a mystery box.
This week, let's take a look at two divisions that are perhaps the most fluid on this list. The potential fluctuation of a rookie sire is obvious, but standing out as a good sire of all-weather surface runners is the kind of skill where the payoff is to some degree at the mercy of the direction of the industry.
The drumbeat for synthetic tracks has gotten louder in recent years as a way to address safety concerns, and horses are running for great money over the Tapeta at Woodbine, Turfway Park, and Gulfstream Park, among other spots. Plans call for Belmont Park to add a Tapeta surface as part of its big remodel, which will open up even greater opportunities for a horse that can get a synthetic runner. If a few other significant tracks either flip to a synthetic main track or add it as an alternative surface, it'll be impossible to ignore breeding for intent.
Conventional wisdom suggests a horse bred for turf will be the most likely to carry their skill set over to a synthetic surface. When Keeneland and the California circuits were at the peak of their all-weather periods, turf stalwart Kitten's Joy earned his first leading general sire title. We'll see if that holds true in 2023 and beyond once I crunch the numbers.
To get a look back at the first installment of this season's All-Value Sire Team, and to see the ground rules for how selections are made, click here.
The Rookie:A stallion standing his first season in 2024.
First Team: Two Phil's
Ch. c., 2020, Hard Spun x Mia Torri, by General Quarters Standing at WinStar Farm, KY, $12,500
Two Phil's wins the G3 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park
We only got a glimpse of where the ceiling could have been for Two Phil's before an injury ended his career, but if you believed he had more ladder to climb (like I obviously did, given his placement here), then betting on his talent at a $12,500 stud fee could end up being something of a gift.
Leaving his race record out of it for a moment, I was so impressed by Two Phil's coming out of his stall. When I look at him, I see Hard Spun, but I also see his paternal grandsire Danzig. All three (and the great Danzig son War Front) have a way of tying in from their long necks to their shoulders that seems to be unique to their particular sire line – long neck, lower tie-in that gives them the appearance of stretching forward – and Two Phil's is one of the clearest examples I've seen of that particular stamp.
Furthermore, Danzig maintained a lot of muscle into his later years, and Two Phil's is on to a great start of following in his footsteps. He'd had some time to let down between retiring in June and my visit with him in November, but he didn't look like a horse going through an awkward stage between racetrack life and stallion life. Two Phil's still looked like the guy you want stepping off the team bus first. We know Two Phil's had two-turn chops, but it wouldn't surprise me if he can get a sprinter, given the amount of strength he has in his shoulder and bringing up the rear.
Then, of course, there is what he did on the track.
Two Phil's was a three-time Grade 3 winner at 1 1/16 miles or longer, taking the Grade 3 Street Sense Stakes as a juvenile, and the G3 Jeff Ruby Steaks and G3 Ohio Derby the following season. He also looked clear in the stretch of the Kentucky Derby, and was bested by just a length. I, like many others, went into the Derby thinking Two Phil's was going to be best suited scaling back to a mile in the second half of his sophomore campaign and beyond, but he suddenly became a serious threat for the major 3-year-old route races after the Churchill Downs tilt.
I still hold onto that notion that Two Phil's could have been a heck of a miler if routing didn't work out for him, and we could see that play out with his foals, who will surely be bred for a variety of purposes. Given he was a graded winner at two with a ferocious turn of foot, paired with a very reasonable stud fee, I could see him being a popular target for 2-year-old pinhookers during the yearling sales of 2025.
Two Phil's showed a fair bit of versatility during his on-track career, winning impressively at multiple distances, and over both dirt and synthetic. His dam, the General Quarters mare Mia Torri, also won over both dirt and synthetic, and she was a multiple Grade 3-placed stakes winner over the main track. Both sire Hard Spun and broodmare sire General Quarters were versatile with how they could succeed on the racetrack, and their ensuing foals have largely done the same.
We don't know much what will work best with Two Phil's beyond what we can speculate from what's in front of us, but it sure seems like he's not limited by much in terms of what kind mares would pair well with him. At that price point, he stands to attract a diverse first book of mares.
Second Team: Pappacap
B. h., 2019, Gun Runner x Pappascat, by Scat Daddy Standing at Walmac Farm, KY, $12,500
Pappacap at Walmac 11.13.23
There are few names in the stud book that are hotter right now than Gun Runner, but not everyone can afford that heat bill.
Gun Runner's highly-coveted first sons have begun populating farms around Kentucky, among them Cyberknife, Gunite, Taiba, and Early Voting (for part of his first book, at least), and though they're all standing for less than papa, only one son is standing for $20,000 or less. This is, in fact, your most affordable ticket to the Gun show.
However, “affordable” is not the same as “low quality.” Pappacap was a Grade 2 winner around one turn as a 2-year-old, and he finished second in that season's Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He also earned graded placings as a sprinter, a miler, and a router at three.
The female family has a bit of heft to it, as well, with the Scat Daddy mare Pappascat also producing Grade 3 winner Bobby O. Al Qasr, a Peruvian Horse of the Year and U.S. stakes winner, can also be found on his page.
Walmac Farm staff told me in September that Pappacap's book was already filling up nicely, so I expect he will have a solid pipeline of foals to get him off the mark in his first crop.
Pappacap is a well-balanced individual who I expect will develop quite a bit after his first year at stud. He cuts an athletic frame, much like his sire Gun Runner, and both measure at 16.1 hands, though I wouldn't classify either as particularly leggy. Pappacap's silhouette is remarkably faithful to his sire's, and with a decent sample size of what works with Gun Runner, that could inform shrewd breeders on what kind of mares might best populate the rookie's book.
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The All-Weather Sire:A stallion with proven success getting runners over all-weather surfaces, or a young stallion whose pedigree and on-track performance suggests he could succeed as a sire of synthetic runners.
First Team: Bucchero
Ch. h., 2012, Kantharos x Meetmeontime, by General Meeting Standing at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, NY, $7,500
Bucchero
Talk about a stat boost: Bucchero's runners have hit the board in 52.9 percent of their races over all-weather surfaces, which is an improvement of 5.9 percentages over their 47 percent in the money rate over all surfaces.
Bucchero's percentage of wins from total starts over synthetic of 19.9 percent is better than all significant active Kentucky stallions besides Bolt d'Oro (22.7 percent), Ghostzapper (20.4 percent), and Twirling Candy (20.3 percent).
His in-the-money percentage improvement on synthetic versus his total in-the-money percentage trails only Oscar Performance (whose ITM percentage goes up a whopping 23.3 percent on all-weather surfaces), Flameaway (19.3 percent from a small sample size), West Coast (7.7 percent), and Bucchero's own sire Kantharos (6.2 percent).
One might easily point out that as a former Florida sire, Bucchero has had the benefit of racing state-breds on Gulfstream's Tapeta surface year-round, but the cumulative opportunities over tracks where Tapeta is the primary surface – Turfway, Woodbine, and the not-long-for-this-world Golden Gate Fields – are comparable, if not greater. Other sires have had opportunities to put up similar numbers and the vast majority haven't.
Bucchero moves to New York at an opportune time to continue this run of synthetic success. By the time his first New York-sired foals hit the track in 2027, Belmont Park should have its one-mile Tapeta surface in operation, meaning the opportunities for his state-breds to make a difference on the surface should carry through from his final Florida crops to the Empire State.
However, Bucchero's median yearling price has managed to remain steady as his lull-year crops begin to hit the auction scene, remaining at $16,000 from 2022 to 2023. If his New York-sired yearlings can maintain that median, it would make him competitive with his new contemporaries in that state.
Bucchero sports a masculine build, fitting of both his on-track career as a graded stakes-winning turf sprinter, and the Storm Cat/Tale of the Cat/Lion Heart/Kantharos family tree. He's solid throughout with plenty of bone, but he's not just a cannonball. There's a raciness to him that the right mare could capitalize on to create a potential two-turn athlete.
I keep coming up with different ways to slice and dice the stallion ranks, and Bucchero keeps outkicking his status as a regional sire. I think he'll be just fine in New York, especially as it transitions to a state where Tapeta will soon be a significant part of the picture.
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Second Team: Flameaway
Ch. h., 2015, Scat Daddy x Vulcan Rose, by Fusaichi Pegasus Standing at Darby Dan Farm, KY, $20,000
Flameaway
Once again, we look toward the future. We only have 29 all-weather starts for Flameaway's progeny from his debut class of 2-year-olds, but those youngsters are making it count.
Flameaway is hitting at 55.2 percent in the money on the synthetic from his freshman crop, and he's already getting stars. Freedom Principle broke his maiden over Gulfstream Park's all-weather track, then followed up with a win in the Armed Forces Stakes. Further north, She's Fire finished second on debut on the Tapeta track at Presque Isle Downs, then she came back later this year to win the Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile Stakes by 3 1/4 lengths.
Flameaway himself only had one go on an all-weather track, winning his debut at Woodbine as a juvenile. From there, he proved himself to be a versatile runner, winning stakes races over both dirt and turf. His own sire, Scat Daddy, proved himself able to get an elite horse over any surface during his truncated career.
Flameaway is another stallion whose median sale price has remained consistent between his first and second crops at $25,000, which suggests both buyers and breeders are keeping the faith with him as his first runners play out. We'll need a lot more evidence before Flameaway can be labeled as “proven” for anything, even as a sire of synthetic runners, but if you're going to be good at something early on, it doesn't hurt to be especially good at it.
Check in for future installments to see who made the All-Value Sire Team among stallions of various ages and specialties, including, freshman sires of 2024, sires of sprinters, regional sires, and more.
