Tag: Aloha West

Aloha West Retired to Mill Ridge

Aloha West (Hard Spun–Island Bound, by Speightstown), winner of the 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, has been retired from racing and will begin his stud career next year at Mill Ridge Farm at a fee of $10,000 live foal.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and trained by Wayne Catalano, Aloha West was also second in last year's GII Stoll Keenon Phoenix S. and third in this year's GI Churchill Downs S. He retires with six wins from 13 starts and earnings of $1,507,290.

“This horse has the potential to be a great stallion as he had two key ingredients, speed and heart. And he is beautiful,” said Catalano.

Aloha West will be available for inspection starting Monday and every day of the Keeneland November sale at 2 p.m.

“This past week we have been syndicating Aloha West and have a foundation group of breeders participating,” said Mill Ridge Farm general manager Price Bell. “He is an exciting stallion prospect to join Oscar Performance as he has speed, pedigree blend, great looks and good price point. Eclipse is a terrific partner, and we look forward to the future for Aloha West and his stallion career. He will reside in the stall of his maternal grandsire, Gone West.”

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Aloha West to Stand at Mill Ridge After Breeders’ Cup

Mill Ridge Farm will add a second stallion to its roster for 2023 in this year's defending GI Breeders' Cup Sprint champion Aloha West (Hard Spun–Island Bound, by Speightstown), according to Mill Ridge's general manager Price Bell.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and trained by Wayne Catalano, Aloha West is from the family of Fappiano, out of a winner of the six-furlong GIII Winning Colors S. at Churchill.

“Aloha West himself very much resembles this side of his family with the speed of Speightstown and his physical quality and presence,” said Bell. “Also, the granddam is a daughter of A.P. Indy, and this provides a wonderful pedigree blend of Danzig through Hard Spun, Gone West through Speightstown, and A.P. Indy. These are three of the most influential sire lines today.”

A $160,000 2018 Keeneland September yearling, Aloha West was initially owned by Gary West and trained by Bob Baffert. Turning in impressive works at two, he was injured prior to his first start, requiring surgery. He was turned over to Catalano for his 3-year-old year, and didn't make his debut until February of his 4-year-season, breaking his maiden in his first start. He was purchased by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners after his next outing. He went on to win five of nine starts that year, culminating with a win in the GI Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint over champion Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music).

“This history of brilliance in training also resembled that of Speightstown, who showed promise as a 3-year-old and was injured and missed his entire 4-year-old season before returning as a 6-year-old and winning the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint,” said Bell. “With the speed Aloha West demonstrated winning the Breeders' Cup Sprint, and influence from Speightstown and the Fappiano family, as well as his physical good looks, we expect he will be attractive to commercial breeders.”

Mill Ridge was formerly the home of champion sires Diesis (GB) and Gone West, but the farm took a hiatus from the stallion business for several years until Oscar Performance's arrival in 2019.

“To stand another Breeders' Cup winner in Aloha West is a great addition to the farm,” said Bell. “He will be located in the Gone West stallion barn and paddock. We are so excited to announce Aloha West as our next Mill Ridge stallion. With his will to win, pedigree blend and outstanding physical presence, we believe breeders will be drawn to him. We think he has an opportunity to contribute to our breed.

“Over the years, we have stood a number of horses, including Bien Bien and Valiant Nature,” said Bell, who added that as a smaller stallion operation, they needed to choose carefully. “In the end, we can't make mistakes,” he said. “We have to carve our niche. The Amermans gave us a tremendous opportunity in Oscar Performance, who we raised, and we had the confidence we could buck the trend and stand a turf horse in America because he had the pedigree, the looks and the race record.” Oscar Performance is currently the ninth-leading first-crop sire by earnings, and has three offspring pointing to next week's Breeders' Cup: GII Castle & Key Bourbon S. winner Andthewinneris; Lachaise, third in the GII Pilgrim S.; and G Laurie, third in the GI Natalma S.

Aloha West's stallion career will be managed in the same way, said Bell. “There are a ton of programs going to lifetime breeding rights, and share the upside, which are great programs and which have changed the market,” he said. “We're trying to go the other way and have a traditional 40-share syndicate, with a diverse group of breeders. We're all on the journey together, paying the bills, and giving him the best chance possible. We are trying to price our horses as fairly as possible so everyone can `share the upside.' We said we were going to breed Oscar Performance to 150-160 mares, and we'll do the same in Aloha West.”

Bell said that the Eclipse partners would stay in on the stallion. “There is a broad group of Eclipse partners in this horse and they're excited to try and experience the next stage of a horse's career in being a stallion,” he said. “Eclipse is excited to provide that opportunity and they're some of the best at bringing people into the business.”

Bell said that half of Aloha West would be syndicated. “We all believe in these horses for a variety of reasons and believe they should be given an opportunity at stud, while leaving enough opportunity for others who also believe.

“Aloha West was a great racehorse–a tough, hard knocking, great racehorse,” said Bell. “If we're trying to further the breed, we need a greater body of work than just one race. For us, Aloha West and Oscar Performance have given us the confidence that they can contribute to the breed.”

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Derby Winner Among Keeneland BC Workers

Reigning GI Kentucky Derby hero Rich Strike (Keen Ice) tuned up for his appearance in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 5 with a five-furlong drill over the Keeneland main track early Tuesday morning.

With Gabriel Lagunes in the irons for trainer Eric Reed, the chestnut broke off in :26.20 and completed his work in 1:02.60 before galloping out three-quarters of a mile in 1:15.60.

“Slow and steady,” Reed said of Rich Strike, a latest near-miss second to Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) in the GII Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs Oct. 1. “I don't want to get him too sharp too soon. I got what I wanted this morning, and he'll get back to work Thursday with a jog or light gallop. I just have to keep him on the ground for the next 11-12 days.

“I was going to work Wednesday, but with rain in the forecast there was a chance that if I did not work today, I might not be able to go until maybe Friday,” Reed added. “He's a couple days ahead of schedule, so I may have to come back with a little three-eighths [next week].”

 

 

 

Edgeway Works For Sadler, Flightline Gallops

It was another light piece of work for 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) Tuesday, as the untested 4-year-old colt galloped a mile and a quarter over the Keeneland main track shortly after the track opened, but stablemate Edgeway (Competitive Edge) was asked for something a bit more, as she drilled a half-mile in :46 flat following the renovation break. It was the fastest of 18 moves at the distance.

The Hronis Racing colorbearer, who will look to improve on her runner-up effort to Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, was put through her paces by Juan Leyva and went in fractions of :23.40 and :34.20 before pulling up five furlongs in :58.60.

“She went real nice this morning and got over the track well,” said Leyva, himself a winner of the Filly & Mare Sprint when defeating the Sadler-trained Switch (Quiet American) aboard 20-1 Musical Romance (Concorde's Tune) back in 2011. “The track was nice and tight. She will probably work again Monday.”

Sprint Rivals Sharpen Up

Aloha West (Hard Spun) and Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music), first and sixth, respectively, in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar, tuned up for their rematch with works at Keeneland Tuesday morning.

Last seen narrowly prevailing in the July 2 Kelly's Landing S. at Churchill, Maryland-bred Aloha West went a sharp five-eighths of a mile in a bullet :58.60 (1/6) and galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.40. A couple of hours earlier, Jackie's Warrior worked inside of his stablemate County Final (Oxbow) and went five furlongs in :58.60 in fractional times of :24, :35.60 and :46.60 before pulling up six furlongs in a strong 1:12 flat.

 

 

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Stars Come Out on a Steamy Wednesday Morning at Belmont Park

ELMONT, NY – With the rising sun making its way through cloudy skies, GI Belmont S. longshot Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) began to get into his gallop on the clubhouse turn on a steamy Wednesday morning at beautiful Belmont Park.

Sporting plenty of trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.'s flashy yellow-and-blue stable colors, the GI Preakness S. fifth-place finisher continued to catch the eye upon return while jogging along the outer rail with his neck arched. He stood briefly by the gap and soaked up plenty of attention from a handful of photographers as he headed off.

Unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings) certainly made his presence felt while stepping onto the track at 7:13 a.m. The blaze-faced, 3-year-old chestnut puts his perfect three-for-three record on the line for Chad Brown in Saturday's GI Woody Stephens S.

Fellow 'Rising Star' We the People (Constitution) made his way through the tunnel about 40 minutes later. Trainer Rodolphe Brisset was all smiles in the irons aboard the GI Belmont S. morning-line favorite as he jogged alongside the pony. The runaway GIII Peter Pan S. winner–equipped with a pair of cotton balls in his ears–had his mind on the task at hand while understandably getting a little hot, cruising down the lane under a very snug hold.

Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Aloha West (Hard Spun), meanwhile, got plenty of love from his groom while exiting the track by the gap. He meets the powerhouse duo of unbeaten 'Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) and the streaking Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) in a GI Hill 'n' Dale Met Mile for the ages. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, responsible for 2017 Belmont S. winner Tapwrit (Tapit), will also be well-represented in the main event with the filly Nest (Curlin).

The aforementioned Flightline, last seen romping in Santa Anita's GI Runhappy Malibu S. Dec. 26, was one of the first to train after arriving from John Sadler's Southern California base Tuesday afternoon.

With GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) opting for some lighter exercise on the training track following a very powerful and visually impressive gallop on Tuesday, champion Letruska (Super Saver) enjoyed the spotlight on the main track after the break ahead of her title defense in Saturday's GI Ogden Phipps S. Things did not go exactly as planned, however, for the five-time Grade I winner after a little schooling session in the paddock.

With what appeared to be a chord from her exercise rider's walkie talkie swinging between her legs, Letruska was seemingly undeterred and galloped lightly down the sun-splashed stretch. She was pulled up just past the wire while being met by the outrider as training hours began to wind down.

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