5th-CKO, ¥10,480,000, Maiden, 3yo, 1600mT
DOUBLE JOKE (c, 3, Practical Joke–Double Date, by Rahy) is out of an unraced half-sister to Canadian Horse of the Year, champion 3-year-old colt and dual Grade I winner Peaks and Valleys (Mt. Livermore) as well as MSW & MGSP Alternate (Seattle Slew), whose produce include GISW Higher Power (Medaglia d'Oro), MGSW 'TDN Rising Star' Alternation (Distorted Humor) and SW & GSP Interrupted (Broken Vow). An $80,000 purchase by Paca Paca Farm out of the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, Double Joke switches to the turf after finishing down the field when debuting on dirt at Toyko in October. B-William Humphries & Altair Farm (KY)

The post Practical Joke Colt Turns to Turf in Japan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“With a relatively young group of mares, ideally we'd like to send them to a proven stallion at least once or twice in their first few years, just to get a better handle on their ability as producers,” said Adams. “At a lower stud fee price point that's not always easy to do, especially when you're trying to breed a foal with commercial appeal. But we think we're striking a pretty good balance overall.”

WILD FOR LOVE (m, 12, Not For Love–Sticky, by Concern), to be bred to Tacitus

Wasabi's most proven broodmare is Wild for Love, and she's booked to a first-year stallion we're really excited about in Tacitus. Wild for Love herself brought good money as a 2-year-old and was a pretty solid racehorse. We obtained her privately a couple of years ago, while she was carrying the foal that became the 2021 stakes-winning 2-year-old Local Motive. He's by a son of Tapit, and Not For Love mares have had success with A.P. Indy-line stallions before (see California Chrome), so Tacitus was an easy choice. He's got an outstanding pedigree and a great physical, and he might not have won a Grade I, but he was a top-class racehorse. The fact that he's a Tapit with Storm Cat on his bottom side means this foal will be similarly bred to Local Motive.

YESSHEWILL (m, 10, Giant's Causeway–Wilshewed, by Carson City), to be bred to Rock Your World

Yesshewill was just purchased by Wasabi at Keeneland in November. Unfortunately, she lost the Accelerate foal she was carrying at the time, but she's still a half-sister to a Grade I winner, a Grade II winner, a Grade III winner and another stakes winner, plus two stakes producers.

Having had a handful of foals already, she's another mare that will visit a first-year stallion in 2022 and is booked to Rock Your World. David Ingordo is one of the best judges of young horses out there, and this colt had all the brilliance and versatility you'd want in a sire. His pedigree is also top drawer, and shares some similarities with Gun Runner, who has had his biggest successes so far with mares carrying more Storm Cat blood. We're going to try to duplicate that with Rock Your World by sending him this Giant's Causeway mare, and hope it works as well for him.

HURRYUPANDCOMEBACK (m, 7, Mizzen Mast–Shared Hope, by Gone West), to be bred to Modernist

Hurryupandcomeback produced a $275,000 Saratoga yearling by Army Mule as her first foal, and last year got a shot with a stallion about as proven as you can get in More Than Ready. She's going back to another first-year sire in 2022, in Modernist.

A gorgeous horse by a stallion who has already proven his worth as a sire of sires, Modernist will suit this mare physically as she needs a little bit of leg and substance, which he offers. And her family has already had success with Uncle Mo, as he's the sire of Donna Veloce who appears under Hurryupandcomeback's second dam.

WOWWHATABRAT (m, 10, Louis Quatorze–Kim the Brat, by Smart Strike), to be bred to Jimmy Creed

Wowwhatabrat was a hard-knocking, versatile runner and is a three-quarter sister to a really good colt named Second of June. Her dam is a half to the dam of Any Given Saturday, who is by Distorted Humor, and we have been on record repeatedly as being huge fans of Jimmy Creed (obviously by Distorted Humor), who offers incredible value and is a perfect horse to start off a young mare with given his stats.

So this is a mating which we really love. Unfortunately Wowwhatabrat lost the foal she was carrying last year by Jimmy Creed, but she'll head right back to him this spring and we'll hope for better luck.

BUFF'S IN LOVE (m, 7, Buffum–Who's in Love, by Not For Love), to be bred to Alternation

Buff's in Love was a stakes-placed 2-year-old by a sneaky-good Maryland stallion in Buffum, who died just as he was starting to prove his worth. This will be Buff's in Love's first mating, and she's going to be bred to a proven Grade I sire in Alternation. Buffum is a son of Bernardini, and Alternation's big horse, Serengeti Empress, is out of a Bernardini mare. This year is also when Alternation will have a big crop of 2-year-olds reach the races that was conceived after Serengeti Empress's success, so we think he could be a really smart value play this spring.

WEEKEND MADNESS (m, 6, Include–Weekend Connection, by Pulpit), to be bred to Goldencents

Weekend Madness was a big-money 2-year-old by Include, who is a stallion that we really love as a broodmare sire, and her 3-year-old brother Kavod is on the Derby Trail at Oaklawn this winter. She's going to be bred back to Goldencents this spring. He gets nothing but runners, and Weekend Madness is a half to a couple of stakes horses from the Storm Cat sire line. She's also a big, imposing mare with plenty of leg and substance, which should really suit Goldencents.

SEVILLE'S PRINCESS (m, 6, Seville {Ger}–Rap and Dance, by Pleasant Tap), to be bred to Connect

Seville's Princess also has a close relative on the Derby trail–she's a half to the dam of Grade I winner Rattle N Roll, and as such made perfect sense to send to Connect (sire of Rattle N Roll) this spring.

Connect is off to a very strong start at stud, and she's a young mare who could use a shot with a proven horse. He's also got the bone and substance to beef up her foal, so it's a good match all around.

Let us know who you're breeding your mares to in 2022, and why. We will print a selection of your responses in TDN over the coming weeks. Please send details to: garyking@thetdn.com.

The post Mating Plans: Wasabi Ventures Stables appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The 2008 son of Distorted Humor is produced from the multiple stakes-winning and stakes-producing Seattle Slew mare Alternate, a three-time stakes winner who banked $550,695 and is a half-sister to Peaks and Valleys, a multiple G1 winner, millionaire, and a Horse of the Year in Canada.

“We're excited to bring a horse of Alternation's caliber to Darby Dan,” said Ryan Norton, stallion director at Darby Dan Farm. “He was a top-class horse on the racetrack, he is from an active and accomplished Pin Oak family, and he is already making his presence felt as a stallion, siring the likes of (G1) Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress. He is a great-looking horse and possesses all the qualities to be a top sire.”

Alternation was a multiple Graded stakes winner of $1,064,727 in a stellar racing career. He captured five stakes races in Pin Oak's famed colors, including the G2 Peter Pan Stakes at 3 and the G2 Oaklawn Handicap, G3 Pimlico Special, and G3 Razorback Handicap the following year at 4.

As a stallion, Alternation is represented by multiple G1 winner Serengeti Empress, winner of the 2019 G1 Kentucky Oaks and the 2020 G1 Ballerina Stakes en route to earnings of $2,175,653. Alternation is represented in 2021 by Ballroom Blitz, victorious in the Best of Ohio Distaff Stakes on Oct. 30, Ellanation, winner of the Jameela Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., and La Bolena, a Group 3 winner in Panama. He is also the sire of G3 Super Derby winner Limation and multiple stakes winner Alternative Slew.

For more information about Alternation, to inquire about shares, or to arrange an inspection, contact Ryan Norton at (859) 254-0424, or by email at ryan@darbydan.com, or visit DarbyDan.com.

The post Alternation Relocates To Darby Dan Farm For 2022 Breeding Season appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

“We're excited to bring a horse of Alternation's caliber to Darby Dan,” said Ryan Norton, stallion director at Darby Dan Farm. “He was a top-class horse on the racetrack, he is from an active and accomplished Pin Oak family, and he is already making his presence felt as a stallion, siring the likes of Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress. He is a great-looking horse and possesses all the qualities to be a top sire.”

Alternation was a multiple graded stakes winner of $1,064,727 in his racing career. He captured five stakes races in Pin Oak's famed colors, including the GII Peter Pan S. at three and the GII Oaklawn H. GIII Pimlico Special and GIII Razorback H. the following year at four.

For more information about Alternation, to inquire about shares, or to arrange an inspection, contact Ryan Norton at (859) 254-0424, or by email at ryan@darbydan.com, or visit DarbyDan.com.

The post Alternation Relocating From Pin Oak to Darby Dan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Oklahoma Classics Night includes eight stakes races worth more than $1 million for the top Oklahoma-breds in the game. The first race of the evening is at 7:07pm.

Both Run Slewpy Run and Alternative Slew are from the barn of trainer Jesse Oberlander and both have the same mother (dam), Imadancingslew. Alternative Slew is the second favorite at 7-2 odds and probably would be the favorite as the two-time defending champion, but the 5-year-old mare has had only one race since Dec. 12.

“She almost put her eye out in her stall and almost lost the eye,” Oberlander said of Alternative Slew. “It got infected and we had to give her some time off. She's fine now and we were able to save her eye.”

Her half-sister, Run Slewpy Run, has had three races this meet, including a 2-for-2 run on the turf. This 3-year-old filly by Den's Legacy with Imadancingslew by Evansville Slew won an allowance on the grass to open the meet at 7-1/2 furlongs on Sept. 2 and then followed that with her first stakes win at the same distance greensward, the $70,000 Bob Barry Memorial Stakes on Sept. 24. In between those wins, she ran second in the $50,000 Oklahoma Stallion Stakes on the dirt Sept. 10.

Alternative Slew's sire is Alternation.

“These two are amazing,” said Oberlander of his filly and mare. “And their little half-brother is running in the Oklahoma Classics Juvenile, Dancing Devil.”

Alternative Slew won this race last year on Oct. 16 by 1-3/4 lengths as the 3-5 favorite with Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame jockey Luis Quinonez up. He retains the mount this year. Quinonez moved into second place on the all-time winningest jockey list at Remington Park this meet, passing Don Pettinger. She also won the 2019 edition by 4-1/4 lengths as the even-money favorite. Iram Diego rode her to victory that night. Her half-sister, Run Slewpy Run's two wins on the lawn have been at 7-1/2 furlongs while this race is set for 1-1/16th miles. It will be interesting to see who has the advantage down the stretch.

Mike Jones of Bristow, Okla., owns both horses and is also the breeder.

Another mare that can't be overlooked is Country Daisy, the third horse on the morning-line odds at 9-2, at the rail in post-position one. She ran second to Run Slewpy Run in the Bob Barry Memorial, beaten three lengths as the 2-1 favorite. She beat Alternative Slew in an allowance race on the grass Sept. 1 by five lengths at 7-1/2 furlongs, but that was also Alternative Slew's first race back after more than eight months off.

The National Weather Service is calling for a clear but cool evening Friday night with the high in Oklahoma City reaching 64 degrees. There is no rain in the forecast. Temperatures should be dropping into the 50s during the races.

Here's the field from the rail out with horse, jockey, trainer and odds:

1. Country Daisy, Leandro Goncalves, Ray Ashford, 9-2
2. Twilight Curfew, David Cabrera, Ronnie Cravens III, 6-1
3. Courtly, Ezequiel Lara, Lynn Chleborad, 5-1
4. Leather and Lace, Lindey Wade, Ronnie Cravens III, 20-1
5. Hawaiian Typhoon, Lane Luzzi, Austin Gustafson, 8-1
6. Tic Toc Toccet, Jose Medina, Steve Williams, 15-1
7. Run Slewpy Run, Luis Quinonez, Jesse Oberlander, 3-1
8. Tiztheboss, Chad Lindsay, Miguel Silva, 12-1
9. Alternative Slew, Stewart Elliott, Jesse Oberlander, 7-2

The Distaff Turf is the fourth race of the night with an approximate off time of 8:34pm. All times are Central.

The other stakes events comprising the Oklahoma Classics include:

Race 2 – $145,000 Distaff, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 mile-70 yards

Race 3 – $130,000 Sprint, 3-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs

**Welder, the all-time winningest horse at Remington Park with 16 wins here, will be making the final start of his career in the Sprint. His connections, Ra-Max Farms (Clayton Rash) of Claremore, Okla., and trainer Teri Luneack have indicated he will, after retirement, train to be the farm's pony horse, returning to the racetrack to accompany Ra-Max's racehorses in the post parade and to the gate.

Race 5 – $100,000 Lassie, 2-year-old fillies, 6 furlongs

Race 6 – $175,000 Classics Cup, 3-year-olds and up, 1-1/16 miles

Race 7 – $100,000 Juvenile, 2-year-old colts and geldings, 6 furlongs

Race 8 – $130,000 Distaff Sprint, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 6 furlongs

Race 9 – $130,000 Turf Classic, 3-year-olds and up, 1-1/16 miles (turf)

The post Half-Sisters, Stablemates Face Off In Friday Night’s Oklahoma Classics Distaff Turf appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Hustled from her outside post position, Bye Bye Bertie was caught five-wide into the Club House turn but settled nicely in the run up the backside for Prat. Into the bridle and on the move around the far turn, she was three-deep turning for home and easily blew by Stella Noir and heavily favored Moraz as she marched home under a vigorous hand ride.

“She broke well but we got stuck wide early,” said Prat, who picked the mount up Monday morning from Victor Espinoza, who departed earlier to attend his mother's funeral in Mexico. “We were able to tuck in on the backside and she kicked on very well through the stretch.”

Beaten 12 ½ lengths in a first condition allowance/optional claimer on Aug. 22 at Del Mar, Bye Bye Bertie was entered for an optional $50,000 tag today and was off at 5-1, returning $12.60, $4.40 and $3.00.

“She was quite nervous when we got her,” said Powell. “She's settled quite a bit and we were hoping she'd run well.”

A 5-year-old mare by the Distorted Humor stallion Alternation, out of the Ready's Image mare Dream of Bertie, Bye Bye Bertie has been a popular commodity at the claim box. Haltered for $50,000 three starts back at Churchill Downs on May 31, she was claimed out of a $40,000 win at one mile on turf July 17 at Del Mar prior to her last start on Aug. 22.

Owned by Gatto Racing, LLC, All Schlaich Stables, LLC, Mathilde Powell, Arthur Spencer and James Cahill, Bye Bye Bertie, in her first start at Santa Anita, picked up $37,800 for the win, increasing her earnings to $230,888 from an overall race record of 18-7-1-2.

Forwardly placed into the far turn, Moraz had no answer for the winner and checked in second, 3 ¾ lengths in front of Stella Noir. Third three starts back in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks, she was off at 3-5 with Umberto Rispoli up and paid $2.60 and $2.20.

Sent to the lead from the rail by Edwin Maldonado, Stella Noir was done turning for home and finished three lengths better than longshot Sweet Pearl. Off at 5-1, Stella Noir paid $2.80 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.46, 46.94, 1:12.31 and 1:25.05.

Live racing resumes with first post time for a nine-race card on Friday at 1 p.m.

The post Flavien Prat Pilots Four Winners Monday At Santa Anita appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

In the last couple of instalments, we've observed the Kentucky talent pool in each intake rapidly drying up, so that our review of third- and fourth-crop options respectively encompassed 18 and just six stallions. And we are left with a similar rump among those about to launch a fifth crop of juveniles, with only seven still advertising a fee in Kentucky.

No need, by this stage, to reprise yet again the familiar traps of the commercial model. Suffice to turn back the clock to 2016, not so long ago, when Orb (Malibu Moon–Lady Liberty, by Unbridled)–a Kentucky Derby winner from the family of Ruffian, standing for $25,000 on an exemplary, historic farm; one sagely resistant to the inundation of the market by more industrial rivals–dominated this group with a $148,318 average for his first yearlings. Unusually, moreover, he actually managed to elevate his second crop to a still higher yield at $184,006, when selling no fewer than 66 of 77 into the ring. The world was at his feet. In 2021 Orb is still clinging on at Claiborne, but listed as “private” after receiving a grand total of seven mares last spring.

Nobody's fault, and there are parallels on every farm. Conceivably Orb could yet pull a champion out of his hat. But such is the terrifying commercial vortex that consumes a young stallion who does not make an adequately purposeful start.

Nor, on the other hand, does even the briskest of beginnings guarantee lasting momentum. The champion freshman of this group was Overanalyze, whose 2018 book at WinStar promptly soared to 195. The following season, however, he had plummeted to 43 mares and last spring he was exported to Korea. Shanghai Bobby was on his way to Japan within the year of finishing third in the freshmen championship–despite having meanwhile produced a Royal Ascot winner from his second crop, which also turned out to include elite sprinter Shancelot. A year later Japan would also summon Animal Kingdom, who had finished fourth in the freshman table.

Yet this is also the intake that includes New Year's Day. Having been reduced to a couple of dozen mares at $5,000 in 2018, he was sold to Brazil four months before an upgraded claiming horse named Maximum Security gave him a first graded stakes success. The rest is history, and New Year's Day has since been given a fresh start in Japan.

What a chaotic environment, then, shaped more by luck than judgement, has been heroically negotiated by the handful in this class who have established a viable niche in the Kentucky market.

Violence | Sarah Andrew

As it happens, far and away their most consistent achiever has been a horse who was worn down in the GII Fountain of Youth S., which turned out to be his final start, by none other than Orb. Their fortunes have diverged in their new careers, with Violence (Medaglia d'Oro–Violent Beauty, by Gone West) at Hill 'n' Dale dominating on cumulative results by virtually all indices. He only missed Overanalyze by cents as a freshman, and has since maintained output for 21 black-type winners.

True, he had a quieter year in 2019, prompting an immediate reversal–back to $25,000 from $40,000–of the fee hike he had earned with his across-the-board second-crop championship, on the back of which he had sold his yearlings (conceived at $15,000) for a knockout average of $133,600. But his 2020 campaign has the look of a turning point, crowned not just by a first domestic Grade I winner but by three of them, from consecutive crops: Volatile in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt H., No Parole in the Woody Stephens, and Dr. Schivel in the Del Mar Futurity. Behind Speightstown's four elite scorers, only Into Mischief, More Than Ready and War Front shared this distinction in 2020.

The focus on speed in his elite trio is an interesting development. Violence's own sire, though by an avowed turf influence in El Prado (Ire), operated on dirt and has divided his impact, at stud, not only between surfaces but also between disciplines. And an aristocratic maternal family features a series of crossover influences: second dam by Storm Cat out of Hall of Famer Sky Beauty (Blushing Groom); third a half-sister to the flying Dayjur (Danzig); fourth by Nijinsky out of champion sprinter Gold Beauty (Mr. Prospector).

There will be no break in the traffic for Violence, whose sales performance reflects something of his own exceptional physique. The group of juveniles he is about to launch, indeed, graduate from a book of 214 mares and he only lost momentum after that quiet 2019, with 86 mares last year. You can bet that numbers will be back up now. After sliding to a yearling average of $44,649 with his 2019 blip, this time round Violence rallied to $72,128 for 66 yearlings sold of 88 offered–an especially good performance, of course, in the teeth of the pandemic economy.

I love that Violence's first two dams are both by sires, in Gone West and Storm Cat, out of daughters of Secretariat–whose half-brother Sir Gaylord is responsible for the damsire of El Prado. One way or another, Violence now has all bases covered and can keep consolidating.

Paynter | WinStar

If Violence has always seemed regal, his nearest pursuer in this group has seemed more like the plucky fellow fighting to earn his stripes. Doubtless that partly reflects the grave health challenges overcome by Paynter (Awesome Again–Tizso, by Cee's Tizzy) before he could resume at a high level as an older horse. But we should remind ourselves that he actually started out at WinStar off a higher fee ($25,000) than Violence.

For 2021, he has taken his fourth fee cut to just $7,500–pretty astonishing, really, when he had just been saluted as sire of the fastest miler in Keeneland's history. Now, of course, Knicks Go has followed up his GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile track record in the GI Pegasus World Cup, reiterating his ability to kick again from the front. But this dazzling renewal for the Brad Cox barn is actually the second time that Maryland-bred Knicks Go, whose family is seeded by some pretty exotic names, has demanded a fresh look at his sire.

With three-figure books across his first four seasons, Paynter had been given a solid base and his first yearlings were well supported. They made a fairly quiet start on the track the following year, however, reducing his next book to just 34 mares at half his opening fee. Neither Paynter himself nor his sire had raced at two, so it's hard to know quite what breeders were expecting. But then Knicks Go emerged from his second crop, first as shock winner of the GI Breeders' Futurity and then beating all bar Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. That revived momentum for Paynter, who received 97 and 71 mares in the two years since, and the second coming of Knicks Go will surely repeat the dose at such a low fee.

Because actually Paynter has a solid spread of talent behind his flagship. Knicks Go, remember, sat out most of 2020 and his $608,440 earnings represented only 10 cents in every dollar banked by Paynter in overhauling even Violence, with his three Grade I winners, to top the fourth-crop sires table. Though we've seen that only a handful of elite stallions could match the icing on Violence's cake, their performance otherwise was very similar: Paynter had 222 starters, Violence 225; he had nine black-type winners, against eight for Violence; 18 black-type performers played 15; each had three graded stakes winners and six graded stakes horses; and they respectively notched 115 and 116 winners overall.

The gap between them, of course, remains the one that divides Knicks Go from the rest of Paynter's best stock. Graded stakes winner Harpers First Ride is doing his best, ten-for-18 overall after finishing tailed off in the Pegasus, but Paynter doesn't want Knicks Go to seem so freakish as to become as much of a burden as a benefit. That's why we should respect the breadth of his output, putting him in some pretty august company in the general sires list (among the top 20 active stallions last year).

Paynter's fee cut looks a sensible response to his virtual disappearance as a commercial force with his latest yearlings, processing a handful for a four-figure average. But he can turn that round, too, as people absorb the supporting cast behind his headline act. Either way he certainly looks attractively priced for anyone who might want to breed a runner. And remember his deeds all have an obvious genetic base: he's out of a full-sister to his farm's pensioned legend Tiznow.

Take Charge Indy | Louise Reinagel

This group contains one stallion who has actually managed to reverse the usual tide, Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy–Take Charge Lady, by Dehere) having last year returned to WinStar after a three-year stint in Korea. He had been exported after a tepid reception for his first yearlings in 2016, leggy and immature as they often were, an average of $40,422 representing a limited yield for a rookie who had started out at $20,000.

The three crops he left behind, however, turned out to include the likes of GII Rebel S. winner Long Range Toddy, GII Louisiana Derby winner Noble Indy and GI Preakness S. runner-up Everfast. In 2018, Take Charge Indy finished runner-up in the second-crop table; and the following year he edged out Paynter to top the third-crop championship with five black-type winners. He only mustered one of those last year, but obviously had no juvenile input in play.

He was welcomed back by 144 mares last spring, at $17,500, and a mild trim to $15,000 suggests confidence that breeders will be following through on a pedigree that unites a breed-shaping stallion with a top-class runner who has since become a Broodmare of the Year (also responsible, of course, for Three Chimneys sire Will Take Charge). As with Violence, we get a double dose of Secretariat's daughters through Weekend Surprise, the dam of A.P. Indy, and Sister Dot, who gave us Take Charge Lady's sire Dehere. Indeed, the whole page is saturated with Classic influences and, if his GI Florida Derby success could not disguise the reality that he raced one peg below the very best, then Take Charge Indy could well become one of those whose genes make him eligible to produce runners still better than himself.

That remains to be seen. Strictly, Take Charge Indy still needs his big horse–but the bottom line is that his black-type winners and performers have come at a clip slightly better than both Violence and Paynter. Obviously he has a problem in that there will be few if any headlines coming off the track for a couple years now, so he may need the market to invest his relaunch with something of the glamour generally reserved for total newcomers. But he should be treated with more respect than those, having already demonstrated his competence in the role. And the Classic complexion of his overall pedigree should especially appeal to anyone prepared to retain a filly.

Oxbow | ThoroStride

Another nugget of old-fashioned virtue, and who happens to be even more closely related to a rival in this intake, is Oxbow (Awesome Again–Tizamazing, by Cee's Tizzy) at Calumet. He is by the same sire as Paynter and his dam, like Paynter, is another sister to the great Tiznow. Both horses, moreover, finished second in the GI Belmont S. But Oxbow did so after winning the GI Preakness and running sixth in the Derby, and earlier won the GIII Lecomte S. by 11 1/2 lengths. Unfortunately he derailed in his next start, but he had left no doubt as to his throwback, speed-carrying capacities and you'd be confident that his stock will mature effectively.

That's important, because his sophomores this year represent a book of 187–and they include none other than Hot Rod Charlie, 94-1 runner-up in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. So these might just keep him in the game after he was reduced to a very small book last year, duly trimmed to $7,500 (opened at $20,000). His percentages are unexciting and he appears to have rather shot his bolt as a commercial sire, but that won't stop him producing another Coach Rocks (GII Gulfstream Oaks) or two.

Jimmy Creed | Spendthrift

Jimmy Creed (Distorted Humor–Hookedonthefeelin, by Citidancer) represents a very different firm, in Spendthrift. But actually he has so far had nothing like the kind of industrial output sometimes associated with that farm, while having quietly established himself as a most consistent operator at $10,000, temptingly down from $15,000. In fact, his lifetime ratio of black-type winners and performers to named foals (5.2% and 11.5% respectively) is ahead of all these, even Violence (4.5% and 8.7%).

That makes him a really interesting proposition, as a lively start with his first juveniles (20 winners from 44 starters) turned round his book from 67 in 2017 to 165 in 2018. That gives him a big team of juveniles for the year ahead, including yearlings that sold for as much as $500,000 and an average $46,125, while he had another 253 covers across the next two years to keep the pipeline full. In other words, foals conceived now can hope to ride renewed headlines on the track, where he has already produced four graded stakes winners/four Grade I horses. It's all perfectly feasible of a GI Malibu winner whose dam and half-sister Pussycat Doll (Real Quiet) both won the GI La Brea S.

Alternation | Asuncion Pineyrua

Another by the same sire, Alternation (Distorted Humor–Alternate, by Seattle Slew) resembles Paynter with Knicks Go in needing to show that it is not all about GI Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress. Yes, he only has one other graded stakes winner to this point, but eight black-type scorers overall is a respectable percentage of only 199 named foals.

By this stage he's not really pretending to be a commercial sire but the 40 mares he entertained at Pin Oak last year were sent in the knowledge that his half-brother Higher Power (Medaglia d'Oro) has now earned a place at Darby Dan as a runaway winner of the GI Pacific Classic. Their dam is a half-sister to Canadian Horse of the Year Peaks and Valleys (Mt. Livermore) and it's a regal family all round. He has done it once and, given the chance, there's no reason why he shouldn't do it again.

The only other stallion apparently advertising a fee in Kentucky from this group is Raison d'Etat (A.P. Indy–Sightseek, by Distant View) at Calumet, off the bargain peg of $2,500. He is trading primarily on his genes, rather than the limited use he made of them on the track, but has vindicated the theory to a modest degree with a couple of stakes winners so far.

Bottom line is that some of these survivors may have a lean and hungry look, but they're a deserving bunch overall and much better value than almost all the unproven stallions who dominate the market. Here's hoping they consolidate and can earn a place, next time round, in our concluding look at Established Sires.

CHRIS McGRATH'S VALUE PODIUM: Fourth- & Fifth-Crop Sires
Gold: Paynter ($7,500, WinStar)
   Good base behind his headline act, yet cost shrinking
Silver: Cairo Prince ($15,000, Airdrie)
   Star of his class now a tempting fee
Bronze: Jimmy Creed ($10,000, Spendthrift)
   Pipeline is loaded.

The post Kentucky Sires for 2021: Fifth-Crop Stallions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“He is all class,” said Ryan Norton, Darby Dan’s stallion director. “He showed his talent and his impressive turn of foot in winning the Pacific Classic in the manner that he did. He descends from an outstanding Pin Oak family, has a stallion’s pedigree, and physically, he is a superb individual.”

Purchased by David Ingordo on behalf of Hronis Racing for $250,000 from the 2019 Keeneland April Sale Horses of Racing Age session, Higher Power turned in his final major work before the Classic, working seven furlongs in 1:25.40 at Keeneland Sunday.

Bred in Kentucky by Pin Oak Stud, Higher Power is out of multiple stakes-winning Alternate, who has also produced multiple graded stakes-winning Alternation, winner of the GII Peter Pan S. and GII Oaklawn H., and sire of 2019 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress. Alternate is also a half-sister to 1995 Canadian Horse of the Year and multiple Grade I-winner Peaks and Valleys, from the female family of Grade I-winner Mucho Gusto.

The post Higher Power to Stand At Darby Dan in ’21 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The second choice in the wagering at 3-1, the Tom Amoss-trained 4-year-old filly by Alternation defeated 5-2 favorite Bellafina by about a length, covering seven furlongs in 1:21.63 after setting sizzling fractions of :21.75, :43.74 and 1:08.32. Victim of Love finished third, with 2019 Ballerina winner Come Dancing fourth and Mexican star Letruska fifth in the field of seven fillies and mares, 4 and up.

“This is a win and you're in for the Breeders' Cup. Can't wait,” said Tom Amoss, who trains the 2019 Kentucky Oaks winner, in reference to the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series that will give Serengeti Empress and automatic, fees-paid berth in the Filly & Mare Sprint, to be run at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

Serengeti Empress was winning for the seventh time in 17 career starts. The Ballerina was her second victory of 2020, the filly having won the G2 Azeri at 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn on a sloppy track earlier this year.

After breaking fastest, Letruska battled with Serengeti Empress in the long run down the backstretch and around the turn, with Cookie Dough third and Bellafina fourth and to the outside.

Into the stretch, Letruska began to fade, but Victim of Love came up the rail to challenge and Bellafina applied pressure to Serengeti Empress' right flank. Just when it appeared those two might have a chance to take over, Serengeti Empress spurted clear under an aggressive hand ride from Saez in the final sixteenth.

The post Serengeti Empress Shows The Way In ‘Win And You’re In’ Ballerina appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

The dark bay wasn’t off to the sharpest of beginnings from her rail draw, but was quarter-horsed to the front by Luis Saez to hold a narrow advantage over the pride of Mexico Letruska (Super Saver) through an opening quarter in a blazing :21.75.

Getting scrubbed on and appearing to be in deep water with the others swarming in–including favored California invader Bellafina (Quality Road)–as they hit the quarter pole, Serengeti Empress wasn’t going out without a fight.

Longshot Victim of Love (Speightstown) began to shoot up the inside while Bellafina took dead aim to the outside of Serengeti Empress as they straightened for home.

Last term’s GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff third-place finisher kept on finding while drifting some down the stretch, however, and refused to lose while stopping the timer in a sparkling 1:21.63.

“That was very valiant,” winning trainer Tom Amoss said. “She didn’t break on time. She was a step slow, but when you go seven-eighths and you have that opening on the track before you hit the main track, you get an opportunity to catch up, and she did. She was able to regain her position, but I really thought that opening half-mile in [:43.74] was going to be her doing in. I thought we learned a lot about her today. What we learned is that this is a real good middle-distance filly.”

A too-good-to-lose second behind brilliant two-time champion Covfefe (Into Mischief) in last year’s GI Longines Test S. at the Spa, the Joel Politi colorbearer ran away and hid from them in a sloppy renewal of Oaklawn’s GII Azeri S. Mar. 14, but disappointed in her next two trips to the post.

She entered the Ballerina following double-digit defeats in both Oaklawn’s GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 18 and the GII Fleur de Lis S. at Churchill last time June 27.

The Ballerina was her first start around one turn since last year’s Test.

“Speed is her game, and she used it today,” Amoss said. “She was able to hold off a very good filly from California. I look forward to staying at the seven-eighths distance, maybe getting one more start in her before the Breeders’ Cup.”

Pedigree Notes:

Serengeti Empress is the top runner for four-time graded winner Alternation, whose other graded victor from eight black-type winners is 2018 GIII Super Derby winner Limation. Alternation’s four crops of racing age have averaged only 50 foals each year. The homebred stands at Pin Oak Stud as the fourth generation of his female family to be associated with the Central Kentucky nursery owned by Josephine Abercrombie. Other sires in his immediate family to stand at Pin Oak include Canadian Horse of the Year Peaks and Valleys (Mt. Livermore), as well as Alternation’s current barnmate Broken Vow (Unbridled). Serengeti Empress herself is one of only three reported foals out of the unraced Bernardini mare Havisham, who hails from an Argentinean family although she was foaled in the U.S. Havisham was sold at the 2016 Keeneland November sale when Serengeti Empress was a weanling who brought $25,000 at the same sale. Carrying a full-sister to the Ballerina winner, Havisham brought $12,000 and was subsequently sent to Korea, where her last reported foal is a juvenile filly by Tiz Wonderful.

Saturday, Saratoga
BALLERINA S.-GI, $300,000, Saratoga, 8-8, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:21.63, ft.
1–SERENGETI EMPRESS, 122, f, 4, by Alternation
1st Dam: Havisham, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Love Dancing (Arg), by Salt Lake
3rd Dam: Le Midi (Arg), by Fitzcarraldo (Arg)
($25,000 Wlg ’16 KEENOV; $70,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-Joel Politi; B-Tri Eques Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Thomas M Amoss; J-Luis Saez. $165,000. Lifetime Record: 17-7-3-1, $1,907,653. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Bellafina, 121, f, 4, by Quality Road
1st Dam: Akron Moon, by Malibu Moon
2nd Dam: Akronism, by Not For Love
3rd Dam: Jerry Bomb, by Explosive Bid
($220,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP; $800,000 2yo ’18 FTFMAR). O-Kaleem Shah Inc, Mrs John Magnier, Michael B Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-JSM Equine LLC (KY); T-Simon Callaghan. $60,000.
3–Victim of Love, 120, f, 4, by Speightstown
1st Dam: Spacy Tracy, by Awesome Again
2nd Dam: Tracy, by Theatrical (Ire)
3rd Dam: Daring Bidder, by Bold Bidder
($160,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-Tommy Town Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Daniel J Burke (KY); T-Todd M Beattie. $36,000.
Margins: 1, 1HF, HF. Odds: 3.15, 2.70, 10.90.
Also Ran: Come Dancing, Letruska, Pink Sands, Cookie Dough.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post Serengeti Empress Scores Gutsy Victory in Ballerina appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post