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Grade 1 Winner Honor A. P. Retired Due To Injury; To Stand At Lane’s End

Lane's End farm announced today that Honor A. P. will retire from racing and stand the 2021 season at their Versailles farm. The 3-year-old colt retires as a Grade 1 winner and the top earner of his leading second-crop sire Honor Code.

In his most recent start, Honor A. P. dealt with an unlucky trip to finish a quickening fourth in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, posting a 99 Beyer and traveling an incredible 49 more feet than the winner Authentic. This in turn means that the colt ran the fastest race of the field when accounting for ground loss.

“Honor A. P. is a horse with an immense talent,” said trainer John Shirreffs. “He was so forward and precocious that he broke his maiden second time out by over five lengths going two turns. Honor A. P. showed brilliance as a 2-year-old from the first time I saw him train and replicated it as a 3-year-old defeating the future Kentucky Derby winner. He ran a super race in the Derby and we later found that he came out of the race with an injury, so all things considered, what he accomplished was something special.”

As a 2-year-old, Honor A. P. broke his maiden at Santa Anita by over five lengths posting a 91 Beyer, one of the highest of his generation. His first start as a 3-year-old was in graded stakes company when he finished second in the G2 San Felipe Stakes. In his next start, he won the G1 Santa Anita Derby posting a 102 Beyer, becoming the only horse to defeat subsequent Kentucky Derby winner Authentic while also defeating G2 Pat Day Mile Stakes winner Rushie. The G1 Santa Anita Derby has long produced breed-shaping sires with past winners including A.P. Indy, Sunday Silence, Affirmed, Pioneerof the Nile and more. In his next start, the Shared Belief Stakes, he posted another 102 Beyer making him one of four 3-year-old colts in 2020 to post multiple triple-digit Beyers beyond a mile.

“Honor A. P. was a 'wow' horse from the beginning. He was the highest priced yearling in Honor Code's first crop. He was a standout 2-year-old at April Mayberry's, and the most recognizable horse in training at Santa Anita,” said Bill Farish. “His stunning good looks paired with his obvious talent make him just the type of prospect we are looking for at Lane's End.”

Honor A. P. is out of the multiple Grade 1 winner Hollywood Story, who earned $1,171,105 in her career and he is a half-sibling to three black-type winners. Hollywood Story is by Wild Rush, making Honor A. P.'s pedigree free of Mr. Prospector on his dam's side to five generations. His sire Honor Code is one of just four second-crop sires including Liam's Map and Constitution to produce a Grade 1 winner in 2020. To date, Honor A. P. is Honor Code's highest priced yearling commanding a final bid of $850,000 from David Ingordo for Lee and Susan Searing's CRK Stable at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale.

“Like any owner in this game, Susan and I have long dreamt about having a leading Derby contender,” said Lee Searing. “Honor A. P. has given us the journey of a lifetime and we are excited to stay involved in his next career as a stallion where we know he'll be in great hands at Lane's End.”

Honor A. P. will be available for inspection at Lane's End farm in the coming weeks and a stud fee will be determined.

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Stablemates Authentic, Maximum Security Hold Strong Atop NTRA Polls

While trainer Bob Baffert has been working the yearling sales in recent days seeking out his next stable star, the Hall of Fame conditioner has been able to lay claim to having the top-ranked runners in two of racing's glamour divisions.

For the second straight week, Kentucky Derby winner Authentic leads the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Three-Year-Old Poll while his stablemate, champion Maximum Security, heads up the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll.

Authentic captured the September 5 Kentucky Derby in frontrunning fashion to give Baffert his record-tying sixth triumph in the 10-furlong classic. The son of Into Mischief earned 23 first-place votes and 356 points to lead the poll with Tiz the Law, beaten favorite in the Kentucky Derby, sitting second with 14 first-place votes and 347 points.

Owned by Spendthrift Farm, My Racehorse, Madaket Stables, and Starlight Racing, Authentic is expected to contest the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on October 3.

Blue Grass Stakes winner Art Collector, who had to miss the Kentucky Derby due to a minor foot injury but is also on track for a start in the Preakness Stakes, remains third with 263 points, one point ahead of Grade 1 winner Honor A. P. (262).

Kentucky Oaks runner-up Swiss Skydiver (140 points) is fifth, just ahead of Thousand Words (139), while Oaks heroine Shedaresthedevil sits seventh with 97 points

Gamine, the beaten favorite in the Kentucky Oaks, moves up two spots this week to eighth with 86 points followed by King Guillermo (78 points) and Max Player (77) completing the top 10.

Maximum Security, who captured the Grade 1 Pacific Classic Stakes on August 22, holds a commanding advantage in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll with 27 first-place votes and 347 points. The 4-year-old son of New Year's Day has won his last six starts including victories in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational and Grade 1 Cigar Mile last season.

Multiple Grade 1 winner Vekoma remains in second with 7 first-place votes and 263 points followed by Tom's d'Etat (3 first-place votes, 227 points), who on Monday turned in his first workout since finishing third in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes on August 1.

Champion Monomoy Girl moves up to fourth with 211 points on the heels of her victory in the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes on September 4 while Whitney Stakes-winner Improbable (197 points) ranks fifth.

By My Standards, who captured the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes on the Oaks undercard, remains sixth with 158 points followed by champion Midnight Bisou (156 points) and Tiz the Law (131). Authentic (116 points) and multiple Grade 1 winner Rushing Fall (85) round out the top 10.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in both the Top Three-Year-Old Poll and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through the conclusion of the Breeders' Cup in November.

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Due To Air Quality Concerns, Santa Anita Will Push Opening Day Back To Sept. 25

The opening day of Santa Anita's Autumn season will be pushed back a week until Friday, September 25, due to the impact of Bobcat Fire on the air quality and surrounding community.

“Our local community has been deeply impacted by the Bobcat Fire burning for more than a week in the mountains behind us,” said Aidan Butler, Executive Director of California Operations for The Stronach Group. “The current weather pattern has kept the smoke in the valley and the air quality is quite poor right now. The Red Cross is using Santa Anita as the evacuation zone for people – including many of our horsemen – whose homes are less than two miles from here. As excited as we are to welcome back live racing, we are first and foremost committed to safety. This is the responsible decision to make at this time so people can plan accordingly.”

“The stakes races set for this weekend will be brought back next weekend,” said Steve Lym, Santa Anita's VP – Racing & Racing Secretary. “The smoke has impacted some training schedules, so postponing until next weekend will allow everyone a chance to be ready to go. We are planning on filling extra races throughout the meet to give our horsemen the opportunity to run their horses.”

The Opening Week now will feature a blockbuster schedule of outstanding stakes action, offering over $2-million in purse money. The stakes schedule includes seven races which are “Win and You're In” races for the 2020 Breeders' Cup World Championships. The stakes races originally slotted for this weekend will be run as follows: the Chillingworth on Friday, September 25, the Speakeasy on Saturday, September 26 and the Tokyo City Cup on Sunday, September 27.

Entries for Opening Day, September 25, will be drawn on Sunday, September 20, as scheduled. First post will be 12:30 p.m. PT.

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Medaglia d’Oro Half-Sis to Sergei Prokofiev to Shadwell

Hip 319, a Medaglia ‘Oro half-sister to Group 3 winner Sergei Prokofiev (Scat Daddy), rolled to the top of the leaderboard about midway through the second day of bidding at the Keeneland September sale after selling to Shadwell Farm for $1.6 million. The Apr. 27 foal was bred in Ontario and consigned to the sale by Anderson Farms and was produced by Orchard Beach (Tapit), a $200,000 graduate of the 2012 September sale, whose produce have now accounted for better than $4 million in turnover at this auction since 2017. Sergei Prokofiev was a $1.1-million acquisition by M.V. Magnier out of the 2017 September sale, while the mare’s foal of 2017, a Hard Spun filly named Turko Beach, made $950,000 in 2018. Early Warning (Air Force Blue) was purchased by David Redvers for $400,000 at this venue 12 months ago. On Monday it was announced that Sergei Prokofiev would stand at Whitsbury Manor Stud.

Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Estate Company, perennially among the leading buyers at the September sale, purchased a pair of fillies by Medaglia d’Oro during Monday’s second session of the auction. Shadwell’s Kentucky manager Rick Nichols warmed up with the $425,000 purchase of hip 231 and then refused to be denied when bidding $1.6 million to acquire a daughter of the Darley stallion out of Orchard Beach (Tapit) from Dave Anderson’s Anderson Farms consignment later in the session.
“She was a beautiful filly, extremely well bred and conformationally correct,” Nichols said after signing the ticket on hip 319. “It’s one of those you kind of got to have.”
Sheikh Hamdan’s operation purchased 18 yearlings for $11,070,000 at last year’s September sale and was the auction’s second leading buyer.
“[Sheikh Hamdan] told me this morning to try to concentrate on getting some really nice fillies,” Nichols said. “We send all of our really good fillies to England and he promises that he’s going to send them back, but he never does. So our broodmare band is starting to get a little old and we need to rejuvenate it a little bit. We are looking for a nice colt, but mainly our focus will be on some nice fillies.”
Asked if the Shadwell game plan was to buy fewer horses this September, Nichols said, “Yes. We are looking for quality not quantity.”

Anderson Farms Hits Another High Note With Orchard Beach

The Anderson Farms-bred mare Orchard Beach (Tapit) has been quite the blue hen for the operation, producing Dave Anderson’s first million-dollar sale in Sergei Prokofiev (Scat Daddy). She provided the Canada native with a new high Monday when her yearling filly by Medaglia d’Oro (Hip 319) hammered for a $1.6-million to Shadwell Farm.

“It means everything,” Anderson said. “I am very emotional right now. I bred the mother and now I bred this filly. She is probably the most athletic filly that I’ve ever had on the farm. I came in here fairly confident, hoping everyone would feel the same way I do. I am just thrilled that Mr. Nichols bought her for Shadwell. I want to thank Mr. [Joe] Allen for being the underbidder on the filly. So many wonderful people I respect, came by to see the filly and bid her. It means a lot to a little guy from Canada.”

The Ontario-based Anderson Farms purchased Hip 319’s second dam Song and Danz (Unbridled’s Song) for $400,000 with Orchard Beach in utero. Orchard Beach was winless in two starts on the track, but has more than made up for it in the breeding shed. Her first foal, GSW Sergei Prokofiev, sold for $1.1-million to M.V. Magnier at the 2017 renewal of this auction and her second foal, a Hard Spun filly now named Turko Beach, brought $950,000 from Shawn Duggan. She is also responsible for a now-2-year-old colt named Early Warning (Air Force Blue), who sold for $400,000 last year.

“It has been a long time,” Anderson said of his increasing success. “We try hard. I don’t necessarily have the resources to buy the top stock, so I just do the best I can.”

As for this filly in particular, Anderson said, “From the day she was born she was meant to be a sale topper. Not only is she athletic, but she has unbelievable racehorse mind. She wants to do it. She dragged that showman around for three days and never turned a hair. It was amazing to watch. I could sit there for a year and watch that filly walk back and forth.”

Anderson Farms is also responsible for the likes of Canadian Horse of the Year and GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d’Oro) and one-eyed Grade I winner Hard Not to Love (Hard Spun). —@CDeBernardisTDN

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