Albaugh Family Stables | Horse Racing Free Tips

Cox Pair Heads Alcibiades Dozen

A duo of fillies from the Brad Cox barn coming off dominant maiden victories will attract plenty of attention from bettors in an evenly-matched field of 12 in Friday's opening-day GI Darley Alcibiades S. at Keeneland. The 1 1/16-mile test offers to the winner a fees-paid birth to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Breaking from the rail is Albaugh Family Stables' narrow morning-line favorite Juju's Map (Liam's Map). Hammered down to 7-10 debuting for Cox July 25 at Ellis, the $300,000 Keeneland September graduate made a menacing run to the lead before flattening out late and settling for second. Odds-on again stretching out to a mile there Sept. 3, the bay popped out to the front and never had an anxious moment in the lane, cruising to a 5 3/4-length score under minimal urging from Florent Geroux.

Geroux opted to stay aboard Juju's Map instead of keeping the call on the other half of the Cox tandem, Godolphin's Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile). Backed to 9-5 as part of an entry debuting over 6 1/2 furlongs Aug. 20 at Ellis, the homebred made the lead under her own power, shook off several early challengers and discarded her stablemate in early stretch en route to a geared-down 4 1/2-length graduation.

A pair of fillies drawn wide appear to present the biggest obstacles to Cox, who won the Alcibiades in 2019 with eventual champion British Idiom (Flashback). In the 10-hole is Milam Farm's Penny Saver (Super Saver), who owns the top Beyer figure and Thoro-Graph number in the field for a devastating maiden romp last out. Runner-up as the favorite on debut going five furlongs June 18 at Churchill, the $65,000 Fasig-Tipton October buy was fourth after a slow start stretching out on the Saratoga turf Aug. 8. Turning a corner in the mornings to the tune of an unheard-of five-furlong bullet on the Saratoga training track in :58 4/5 (1/10) Sept. 4, the dark bay backed her works up with a 9 1/2-length tour de force over this trip Sept. 24 in Louisville, earning an 85 Beyer and 6 1/2 Thoro-Graph number.

One stall to her outside is Diamond Wow (Lookin At Lucky), who ships north for Patrick Biancone following a pair of victories to start her career. Unveiled over five furlongs on the Gulfstream turf, the chestnut made the pace and edged clear in the lane to a three-length success. Switched to dirt in the seven-furlong off-turf Our Dear Peg S. there Sept. 18, she showed rating ability, sitting off the pacesetter and taking over nearing the stretch en route to a 1 3/4-length triumph. Biancone reached out to Mike Smith to take over the reins from Romero Maragh for this engagement.

Two other stakes winners rate outside chances in Jim McIngvale's Runup (Runhappy), a three-length upsetter of the Sorority S. at 14-1 Sept. 6 at Monmouth, and Miss Interpret (Street Sense), who captured the washed-off P.G. Johnson S. for Todd Pletcher Sept. 2 at Saratoga.

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Thousand Words A Veritable Picture at Spendthrift

It took just two words for Mark Toothaker to explain why he believes Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) will excel in the Spendthrift stud barn: looks and pedigree.

Those same characteristics are what kept the Albaugh-Spendthrift partnership bidding at the Keeneland September Sale until they brought the colt home for $1 million.

It didn't take long to find an appropriate name for the youngster.

“Eric Gustavon, our president, named him,” Toothaker recalled. “He's such a beautiful horse that the name was easy to come by. A picture is worth a thousand words because there's so much that you could say about this horse with his looks and his pedigree. So it's a cool name for what we hope turns out to be a very good stallion.”

The new Spendthrift colorbearer embarks on his career at stud as a three-time stakes winner and will stand his first season for $7,500.

At the 2018 Keeneland September Sale, Spendthrift and the Albaugh Family Stables were on the lookout for a yearling they could partner on and, as Toothaker recalled, Thousand Words fit the bill.

“We had bought Brody's Cause and Free Drop Billy from the Albaughs and had talked about teaming up if we found something we both landed on,” he said. “The first time we saw Thousand Words, he was such a beautiful yearling and one that we were both definitely on. So it made for a great partnership and we were thrilled to get the horse purchased.”

A member of one of the last crops from the late top sire Pioneerof the Nile, the January foal was bred in Florida by Amy Tarrant's Hardacre Farm and produced by the farm's homebred sprinter Pomeroys Pistol (Pomeroy), a multiple graded stakes winner who was runner-up in both the GI Prioress S. and GI Test S. in 2011.

As the youngster began training with Bob Baffert, the team at Spendthrift anxiously awaited a report from the Hall of Fame trainer.

“When the lightbulb finally came on for Thousand Words, Bob called Flavien Prat and told him `this is your Derby horse for next year,'” Toothaker said. “When Bob starts talking Derby, you start listening, so there was a lot of excitement around here leading up to that.”

After a winning debut in October, the speedy bay next took the GII Los Alamitos Futurity for an undefeated juvenile season.

The colt's sire won the same race in 2008, and Toothaker spoke on other current stallions who have thrived in the Los Alamitos Futurity, which was just downgraded to a Grade II in 2019.

“It's the same race Into Mischief won,” Toothaker noted. “Horses like Mor Spirit and Violence had won that race as well. So there are a lot of really nice horses that have won this race and certainly gone on to make a name for themselves.”

The son of Pioneerof the Nile continued his winning streak in his sophomore debut in the GIII Robert B. Lewis S., but then ran unplaced in his next two starts.

After a short layoff, he gave a runner-up effort behind stablemate and 'TDN Rising Star' Uncle Chuck (Uncle Mo) in the GIII Los Alamitos Derby and then took on Del Mar for a gutsy score in the Shared Belief S. over Honor A. P. (Honor Code) in his final prep before the GI Kentucky Derby.

While he claimed the number four spot in the TDN's Derby Rankings leading up to the first Saturday in September, two slots ahead of stablemate and eventual winner Authentic (Into Mischief), the sophomore reared and fell in the paddock minutes before stepping onto the track and was subsequently a late defection.

Toothaker recalled the unfortunate events of the day. “When we left the backside with Authentic and Thousand Words, we really didn't know which one of the two was our best shot. We were just thrilled that we had two chances and both of the horses were coming into the race fantastic, so we thought, who knows what's going to happen here? And then of course, you know the rest of the story. We're devastated, the Albaughs are devastated, we were 20 minutes from post time for the Derby and now here we are scratched. So it was about as low as you can get at that point.”

While the colt returned for two more Grade I starts in 2020, he ran unplaced in both and Toothaker explained that since the horse had not been the same after the paddock incident, the decision was made for him to retire.

When the announcement was made that the new addition would be a part of Spendthrift's Share The Upside program, Toothaker said they sold out of the program's portion of his book in under an hour.

“It was unbelievable,” he said. “Our phones were just blowing up with texts and calls. We've probably got a waiting list of about 40 people for the Share the Upside portion. So his reception has been unbelievable.”

“He is that million-dollar yearling- he's gorgeous,” Toothaker continued. “He's just so correct. A beautiful head on him with a beautiful neck and shoulder. He's going to get a tremendous chance with the looks that he has and then with Pioneerof the Nile as a sire and out of a dam as good as Pomeroys Pistol. You could look up in a few years, and this horse could be right there at the top of the sire list.”

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Thousand Words Retired to Spendthrift

Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile–Pomeroy’s Pistol, by Pomeroy) has been retired from racing and will begin stud duties this year at B. Wayne Hughes’s Spendthrift Farm. The 4-year-old, a $1-million Keeneland September purchase, was campaigned by Spendthrift and Albaugh Family Stables and was trained by Bob Baffert. He won the 2019 GII Los Alamitos Futurity and 2020 GIII Robert B. Lewis S. and Shared Belief S. He was also second in the GIII Los Alamitos Derby.

Thousand Words retires with four wins and a second from nine starts and earnings of $327,500.

“Thousand Words is a horse we have been high on since the day we partnered with the Albaugh family to buy him at the Keeneland September sale,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “We believed he was one of the best combinations of pedigree and physical we saw that year, which is why he commanded a million dollars. He was forward from the day he started training in Ocala, and Bob Baffert told us pretty early on that Thousand Words was a Derby horse. He was an undefeated Los Al Futurity winner at two and beat Honor A. P. in a final Derby prep race at three. Thousand Words is a terrific package and will greatly complement our stallion roster, especially at his price point. We think breeders are really going to like everything he has to offer as an exciting young stallion prospect.”

Thousand Words will be part of Spendthrift’s “Share the Upside” program. The Share The Upside fee for Thousand Words will be $10,000 for one year. Breeders must breed a mare in 2022 on a complimentary basis. After the breeder has a live foal in 2022, pays the stud fee, and breeds a mare back, he or she will earn a lifetime breeding right beginning in 2023. For breeders not interested in the Share The Upside program, Thousand Words will be offered for $7,500 on a standard stands and nurses contract.

Thousand Words is now available for inspection at Spendthrift by appointment only.

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Thousand Words Retired To Spendthrift Farm, Joins ‘Share The Upside’ Program

Thousand Words, the undefeated Grade 2 winner at two and multiple stakes winner at three, has been retired from racing and will stand stud in 2021 at B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Ky.

The 4-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile will become the newest stallion to participate in Spendthrift's renowned “Share The Upside” program, and he's immediately available for inspection by appointment only.

“Thousand Words is a horse we have been high on since the day we partnered with the Albaugh family to buy him at the Keeneland September sale. We believed he was one of the best combinations of pedigree and physical we saw that year, which is why he commanded a million dollars. He was forward from the day he started training in Ocala, and Bob Baffert told us pretty early on that Thousand Words was a Derby horse,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “He was an undefeated Los Al(amitos) Futurity winner at two and beat Honor A. P. in a final Derby prep race at three. Thousand Words is a terrific package and will greatly complement our stallion roster, especially at his price point. We think breeders are really going to like everything he has to offer as an exciting young stallion prospect.”

The Share The Upside fee for Thousand Words will be $10,000 for one year. Additionally, breeders must breed a mare in 2022 on a complimentary basis. After the breeder has a live foal in 2022, pays the stud fee, and breeds a mare back, he or she will earn a lifetime breeding right beginning in 2023. For breeders not interested in the Share The Upside program, Thousand Words will be offered for $7,500 on a standard stands and nurses contract. As always, Share The Upside opportunities are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Campaigned by Spendthrift and the Albaugh Family Stables, Thousand Words broke his maiden on debut as a 2-year-old, running 6 ½ furlongs in 1:16 3/5 at Santa Anita. In his second start, the striking bay colt stretched out around two turns to capture the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), punctuating an undefeated juvenile season.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Thousand Words opened his 3-year-old campaign with a win in the Robert B. Lewis S. (G3) at Santa Anita, remaining perfect in three starts. Prior to the Kentucky Derby, he defeated leading 3-year-old Honor A. P. in the Shared Belief S. at Del Mar in a final major prep for the Run for the Roses, earning a 104 Beyer and becoming a top-five early choice for the Derby.

Thousand Words retires with four wins and a second from nine starts, with earnings of $327,500. He sold for $1,000,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September sale, marking the first ever seven-figure yearling by sire of sires Pioneerof the Nile. He is out of the multiple Grade 2-winning and Grade 1-placed Pomeroys Pistol, an earner of more than half a million herself on the racetrack.

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