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Jon Kelly Dies; Longtime Horse Owner, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club Board Member

Jon S. Kelly, a native Californian who conquered many business worlds and found a passionate love in horse racing, died Saturday morning at his farm known as Tres Palomas in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., from the effects of a cancer he'd fought for several years. He had turned 84 on Friday.

Kelly had been in hospice care and had family members on hand, including his wife Sarah, when he passed.

Kelly was born in Berkeley, was schooled in the east and at UC Berkeley and showed an affinity for business early on in his professional career. He went into the broadcasting business, established the Kelly Broadcasting Company and wound up owning and operating TV stations in Sacramento and Seattle. Additionally, he founded and ran the Summit Broadcasting Radio Company.

He was also a banker who founded the River City Bank in Sacramento. Further, he was a highly successful real estate executive with multiple projects in Northern California.

Besides his family, his great love in life was Thoroughbred racing and he'd been a horse owner since the early 1960s. Over the years he'd raced hundreds of horses around the world in England, Ireland, Australia and the United States. His best horse was Borrego, now a stallion in South America and the winner of the 2005 edition of Del Mar's $1-million Pacific Classic.

Kelly had been a member of the board of directors of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club since 2008. He was also a member of The Jockey Club. His trainers included Bob Baffert and Richard Mandella in the U.S., Gai Waterhouse in Australia and Jessie Harrington in Ireland. In 2018, he headed a syndicate that purchased a yearling colt at the famed Magic Millions Sale in Australia for a near-record $2 million.

He was on multiple business boards of directors and guided and funded many other charity-oriented groups. He was an official with Big Brothers of America and the Boy Scouts of America.

“He was quite a guy,” said Dr. Greg Ferraro, chairman of the California Horse Racing Board and a longtime Kelly friend. “He could make anyone laugh. He always lifted your spirits.”

Ferraro told of business associates Kelly had worked with 30 and 40 years ago writing him letters recently sending thanks for his council and guidance and how it had shaped their careers and lives. He spoke personally of Kelly sending him to a Louisville hospital for a life-saving operation, then make a huge donation to the hospital in Ferraro's name.

“He didn't make it in his name, which he should have,” said Ferraro, “but that was John. He did so many good things for so many people and he never bragged or looked for credit. He just was a good person who did good things. He was special.”

He is survived by his wife and six children, as well as many grandchildren.

Those wishing to make a donation in his name are encouraged to do so at two of his favorite projects – the Center for Equine Health at the UC Davis School for Veterinary Medicine or the Gregson Foundation, which services backstretch workers and their families.

At his request, there will be no services.

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Observations: Half to Magna Grecia Debuts at The Curragh

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Sunday’s Insights features a half to Group 1 winner Magna Grecia.

1.45 Curragh, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, c/g, 6fT
ST MARK’S BASILICA (FR) (Siyouni {Fr}) is a rare runner for the sire to be housed at Ballydoyle, but as a half-brother to the stable’s 2019 G1 2000 Guineas hero Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) he proved an irresistible draw for Coolmore. The 1.3million gns Tattersalls October Book 1 graduate is unsurprisingly the pick of Wayne Lordan over the yard’s Duke of Mantua (Ire) (No Nay Never), a half-brother to the graded-stakes scorer Turning Top (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}).

2.20 Curragh, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, f, 6fT
ELIZABETHAN (War Front) is the latest progeny out of the four-times group 1 winner Misty For Me (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), which makes her a full-sister to the accomplished U S Navy Flag and Roly Poly. Aidan O’Brien saddles the March-foaled bay, while also in the mix is The Aga Khan’s fellow newcomer Harannda (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), a Dermot Weld-trained daughter of the group 3-winning Harasiya (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) who is a half to Harzand (Ire).

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Starship Jubilee Defeats Sistercharlie In Ballston Spa Battle Of Champions

Blue Heaven Farm's reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Starship Jubilee maintained her winning form, denying 2018 Champion Turf Female Sistercharlie a triumph off a layoff in the 32nd running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Ballston Spa going 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf course on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Kevin Attard, the 7-year-old bay mare was never off the board in her last 11 starts, carrying a three-race win streak into the Ballston Spa after capturing the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf on January 18, the Grade 3 Suwannee River on February 8 (both at Gulfstream Park) and the Grade 2 Hillsborough on March 7 at Tampa Bay Downs.

Starship Jubilee broke awkwardly out of the gate under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano from post 5 and appeared a bit rank passing the grandstand while second to the outside of Call Me Love.

“The horse broke sideways and my [right] foot hit the door,” Castellano said. “It was painful. With the pain, I tried to rate the horse and I think I grabbed a little too much. It looked like the horse was keen, but she wasn't.”

Heading into the first turn, North Broadway controlled the pace leading by 5 ½ lengths through an opening quarter mile in 24.29 seconds and extended her advantage to 10 lengths through a half in 48.18 over a firm turf course.

Starship Jubilee settled in third, just a length ahead of seven-time Grade 1-winning champion Sistercharlie. Approaching the far turn, Starship Jubilee was in an all-out drive under Castellano and took command from North Broadway at the top of the stretch with Call Me Love to her inside in second. The two battled through the final furlong with Sistercharlie flattening in third, but Starship Jubilee came out on top in a final time of 1:41.76, defeating Call Me Love by a neck. Sistercharlie finished another 1 ¼ lengths in third.

Bramble Queen and North Broadway rounded out the order of finish. Main track only entrant Another Broad was scratched.

Starship Jubilee finished third in last year's Ballston Spa beaten a half-length to Significant Form and followed up with graded stakes victories at Woodbine in the Grade 2 Canadian and Grade 1 E.P. Taylor.

Castellano has piloted her to four of her stakes wins.

“I had to fight her a little bit. She's such a great horse; to beat Sistercharlie, she's one of the best fillies in the country,” said Castellano, who previously guided Dacita (2015) and Salve Germania (2009) to Ballston Spa victories. “I think we were in the right time and the right place to beat her today. I give all the credit to my horse.

“Finally, I decided to be a little more patient and relax the horse. The way the race developed was phenomenal,” Castellano continued. “I like the way she did it. We had to take on a number one horse in the country like Sistercharlie. I think it was the right time today and the right place to beat her, not to take anything from my horse. I'm very satisfied with the way she did it today.”

Attard watched the Ballston Spa from his home base at Woodbine in Ontario and was unable to attend Saturday's race to do restrictions concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I thought Castellano rode her perfectly,” Attard said. “[North Broadway] opened up and did the job they intended her to do and set the pace up for Sistercharlie. Going into the turn, Sistercharlie was flanking us the whole way and had dead aim on us. Coming around the turn to the quarter pole, I could see Johnny V start to go to work and she didn't look like she was picking up the bit yet and I thought if we could just stay ahead of her, at this point, we might be able to get the advantage. The favorite didn't kick in and the one horse [Call Me Love] kept battling back. It looked like we were safe and home, but the one wouldn't lay down and made it a good fight to the finish.”

Starship Jubilee was saddled by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey.

“Shug and his crew did an incredible job helping me out,” Attard said. “Considering the situation with COVID this year, it was hard not to be able to send somebody with your own horse. But I was in great hands and that made the whole experience easier to handle. I'm looking forward to getting her home and evaluating what to do next.”

Unbeaten in four starts this year, Starship Jubilee, who returned $8.20 for a $2 win bet, enhanced her record to 36-18-5-while scoring an eighth graded stakes victory in the Ballston Spa and increased her lifetime earnings to $1,608,667. She was claimed for a frugal $16,000 in January 2017.

“I kept saying to the TV, 'give me a little more, mama,' and she did. She pinned her ears back and kept that horse at bay,” Attard said. “She's just a special horse. She's 7 and a lot of horses as they get older lose a step or two, but arguably, this horse has gotten better as she's gotten older. She has the will and desire to win and I'll probably never come across another horse as good as her.”

Bred in Florida by William P. Sorren, Starship Jubilee is by Indy Wind and is out of the unraced Forest Wildcat broodmare Perfectly Wild, whose dam was four-time graded stakes winner Perfect Arc.

Live racing returns on Sunday with a 10-race card which features the Grade 2, $150,000 Bernard Baruch over the Mellon turf course for 3-year-olds and upward. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

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‘Settled Down’ Shirl’s Speight Impressive Winning Marine Stakes For Attfield

Charles Fipke's homebred Shirl's Speight put on another impressive show, this time in Saturday's $125,000 Marine Stakes (Grade 3), at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario.

After a head-turning debut in his career bow on July 4, Shirl's Speight, under leading rider Rafael Hernandez, was at the top his game again in the 1 1/16-mile Marine, for 3-year-olds.

Trained by Roger Attfield, the son of Speightstown came into the main track event off an eight-length score at seven furlongs over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Sent off as the even-money choice in the Marine, Shirl's Speight broke sharply from the outside gate and tracked pacesetter Untitled through early splits of :24.59 and :48.68.

The front-end battle continued through three-quarters in 1:12.34 as the duo further distanced themselves from their five rivals.

Shirl's Speight easily took control soon after, holding a three-length advantage at track announcer Robert Geller's stretch call, going on to record a victory that looked much easier than the 2 ¾-length margin at the wire.

Lucky Curlin, the 2-1 second choice on the tote board, was second, while Queen's Plate-eligible Dotted Line finished third. Untitled was fourth.

The final time was 1:43.42 over the Tapeta.

“Like I said before, he's a horse with a tremendous amount of ability,” said Attfield, who earned his record fifth Marine, and first since 1993 (Cheery Knight). “He just had that one race and he never learned anything from that race. He did get the experience from it, so today was going to be more interesting.”

The Hall of Fame conditioner felt confident in his horse's chances ahead of the race, and even more so after the race was underway.

“He settled down and rated. Once he got to the five-eighths pole, I was pretty sure he'd just keep galloping around there. He's a very nice horse, for sure.”

It was something Attfield discovered well before Shirl's Speight's early July debut.

“I've been excited about this horse from last year, to be honest with you. He was always the workmate with Mr. Hustle, who finished up as [2019 Canadian] champion 2-year-old, and he [Shirl's Speight] always looked like he might be the stronger of the two, and just sprinting. I said, 'He'll stay. This horse will stay.' I was pretty sure he'd stay. But I had to put him away because he got jarred up and he needed some time. I couldn't wait to get him back this spring because I've been thinking about this horse all winter.”

Shirl's Speight paid $4.10, $2.80 and $2.60, combining with Lucky Curlin ($2.80, $2.40) for a $13.10 (7-1) exactor. A 7-1-4 triactor (Dotted Line, $4.40 to show) was worth $38.95 for a $1 ticket, while a $1 Superfecta [7-1-4-6 (Untitled)] came back $108.70.

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