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Pharoah Colt MacKinnon Tops 11-Strong Field For El Camino Real Derby

Eleven 3-year-old colts and geldings are slated for a chance to earn 10 Kentucky Derby points and a free Preakness berth in the feature race at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday afternoon, the $100,000 El Camino Real Derby at 1 1/8 miles on Tapeta. The El Camino Real Derby goes as Race 8 on a nine-race program.

Last year, 2021 winner Rombauer took advantage of his free Preakness berth, which has been offered to the winner of the El Camino Real Derby the last four years, and went on to win the second leg of the Triple Crown.

A pair of Southern California shippers make the trip north. The headliner in the field is Doug O'Neill trainee MacKinnon, who won a pair of stakes on turf as a 2-year-old-the Juvenile Turf at Del Mar and the Zuma Beach at Santa Anita-before finishing third in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf last November. Most recently, the son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah finished fourth behind next-out Southwest Stakes victor Newgrange in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on dirt at Santa Anita. Southern California-based jockey Abel Cedillo, who has a total of four mounts on the day, is named to ride McKinnon.

O'Neill saddles a second entrant in Del Mo, who won a maiden special weight at Golden Gate on Jan. 9 and has trained in the Bay Area leading up to the El Camino Real Derby.

Trainer Bob Baffert won the El Camino Real Derby in 2019 with Azul Coast and sends out $620,000 yearling purchase Blackadder in the 2022 edition. In his most recent afternoon appearance, the son of Quality Road broke his maiden in a two-turn race at Santa Anita on Dec. 26. He faces winners for the first time and will be ridden by Edwin Maldonado for the first time. Blackadder is owned by the large partnership of SF Racing LLC, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable and Siena Farm LLC.

Local contenders run deep in the El Camino Real Derby. Temple City colt Boise attempts to rebound after a poor performance in the Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita on turf. Trained by leading Northern California conditioner Jonathan Wong, Boise broke his maiden at Golden Gate and won the Gold Rush Stakes in December over the Tapeta main track.

Dr. Pescado picked up a stakes victory in the Golden Nugget Stakes sprinting on Tapeta last fall and freshens up two months after finishing third behind Boise in the Gold Rush.

C'Mon Man, who rounded out the superfecta in the Gold Rush and was a non-factor in the Eddie Logan, is another 3-year-old from the local contingent entered.

Unraptured, who has always been well regarded by his connections and the Bay Area racing community, is a perfect two-for-two on the Golden Gate Tapeta. He enters fresh off a dominant allowance win. The Tim McCanna trainee possesses the pedigree to be a decent racehorse: he is a half sibling to Grade 3 winner and $500,000 earner Jalen Journey. Another sibling, Derek Adrian, was a Group 1 winner in South America and won 12 races from 16 lifetime starts.

Allowance winner Stormy Samurai stretches out in distance after beating a salty bunch of sprinters, two-turn maiden special weight victor Il Bellator sports an improving pattern leading up to this stakes debut, and maiden Meetmeattheclub is entered ambitiously in search of a massive upset. Nuestro Engriedo, who finished third behind Stormy Samurai in an allowance race two weeks ago, rounds out the field.

First post on Saturday afternoon is 12:45 PM PT. Fans who wish to attend the race card, or any future race programs, can purchase tickets online at Goldengatefields.com.

The El Camino Real Derby (Race 8 of 9. Approximate post time: 4:15 PM PT)

#1 Stormy Samurai (Jockey William Antongeorgi III…trainer Jack Steiner)

#2 McKinnon (Abel Cedillo…Doug O'Neill)

#3 Unraptured (Armando Ayuso…Tim McCanna)

#4 Blackadder (Edwin Maldonado…Bob Baffert)

#5 Nuestro Engriedo (Santos Rivera…Felix Rondan)

#6 Boise (Evin Roman…Jonathan Wong)

#7 Dr Pescado (Pedro Terrero…Felix Rondan)

#8 Meetmeattheclub (Silvio Amador…Dan Franko)

#9 C'Mon Man (Irving Orozco…Bill McLean)

#10 Il Bellator (Alejandro Gomez…Jose Bautista)

#11 Del Mo (Ruben Fuentes…Doug O'Neill)

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Mating Plans: Stoneriggs Farm

With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming weeks. Today we have Robert Slack of Stoneriggs Farm near Paris, Kentucky.

BAJAN GIRL (m, 5, Speightstown–Dazzling {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), to be bred to Curlin

We purchased this mare out of a 2-year-old sale in Ocala, and raced her. She was multiple graded stakes placed before we retired her to Stoneriggs. She is by Speightstown, one of my very favorite sires, and out of Dazzling, who herself was a $1-million yearling, and will be bred to Curlin for her first foal.

CHART (m, 5, Lea–Gauge, by War Front), to be bred to Medaglia d'Oro

Like almost all of our 60 broodmares, this mare is young, and we felt fortunate to purchase her in Keeneland November ($210,000), as she is a Grade III winner from an established Claiborne family. She will be bred to Medaglia d'Oro for her first foal.

PLATINUM PAYNTER (m, 6, Paynter–Platinum Preferred, by Vindication), to be bred to Maxfield

Another recent purchase that we are very happy with is this multiple graded stakes-placed filly. She will be visiting the very much in-demand Maxfield at Darley. She was an outstanding race mare, is an outstanding individual, and we eagerly await the foal from this mating.

I'M BETTY G (m, 8, Into Mischief–Lady in Ermine, by Honour and Glory), to be bred to City of Light

Although only eight years of age, this mare is one of our 'seniors' and is carrying a foal by Improbable and will be bred back to City of Light. Into Mischief is one of our favorite broodmare sires and the fact that 'Betty' is a stakes winner and multiple graded stakes placed, we have high hopes for her.

MONEY FROMHEAVEN (m, 6, Munnings–Smart Policy, by Smart Strike), to be bred to American Pharoah

Munnings is developing into a very important sire, both on dirt and turf, and we are excited to own this young stakes-winning filly who will be bred to American Pharoah. He's having a great year on both surfaces.

NEEDS SUPERVISION (m, 6, Paynter–Moroccan Rose, by Carson City), to be bred to Charlatan

This filly was also an excellent race mare, winning several stakes, and we are excited to be able to breed her to Charlatan, who we consider to be an outstanding first-year sire. We are breeding several mares to him and we consider him to be a very worthy heir to the legacy that his sire has earned.

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: Stoneriggs Farm appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Forbidden Kingdom One to Celebrate at Springhouse

Foaling season is already underway at Springhouse Farm, where breeder Gabriel “Spider” Duignan says they are expecting to see around 50 new foals on the ground this year.

On Saturday, Duignan enjoyed a brief respite from his work on the farm to celebrate a successful day on the racetrack.

Forbidden Kingdom, a son of American Pharoah bred by Springhouse Farm, stamped himself as one to watch on the Triple Crown trail after he upset a trio of Bob Baffert runners in the GII San Vicente S. at Santa Anita. Trained by Richard Mandella and campaigned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm, the chestnut colt broke his maiden at Del Mar last summer and placed in the Speakeasy S. and the GIII Bob Hope S. in the fall before his winning sophomore debut in the San Vicente, where he showed the way down the stretch to win by 2 1/4 lengths and earn a 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

Duignan purchased Forbidden Kingdom's dam, Just Louise (Five Star Day), at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton November Sale for $150,000. The mare had been a precocious 2-year-old in 2010, breaking her maiden on debut and then taking the GIII Debutante S., while her half-sister Sara Louise (Malibu Moon) was a three-time graded stakes winner.

“She was a beautiful-looking mare,” Duignan recalled. “She was barren, which made the price better. When we inquired about her, it sounded like she had no fertility problems; it was just something that commonly happens with young mares. She was a very fast 2-year and it was a great family, a very good-looking family.”

While her first foal fetched $300,000 as a weanling and won on debut, the mare's first three foals did not make any major headlines.

When Just Louise was next bred to Malibu Moon, the mare produced a promising filly in 2018, so Duignan decided to send her to American Pharoah.

“American Pharoah speaks for himself,” he said of his reasoning behind the mating. “He's a fantastic horse and I'm a big believer. I thought that the fact that there was so much speed in her family would suite him well. Physically, I thought they would match up.”

Forbidden Kingdom as a yearling at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Sale | Photos by Z

The resulting colt, Duignan said, was everything he had hoped for and more.

“Forbidden Kingdom was always a beautiful colt, beautiful-bodied and fast-looking. He was very straightforward with a lot of quality. He was one of those that never had a bad stage. He was just born nice and he stayed that way.”

Duignan thought the colt was impressive enough to send to the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Sale, which was held in Lexington in 2020. Despite an uncertain market due to the pandemic, Forbidden Kingdom brought $300,000, selling to Spendthrift and MyRacehorse as one of the top three highest-priced American Pharoah yearlings of the sale.

Just Louise's Malibu Moon filly, who brought $310,000 as a yearling in 2019 and was named Sianara, broke her maiden at Churchill Downs last year and remains in training with Steve Asmussen. The mare also produced a Bolt d'Oro colt who brought $275,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. She now has a Not This Time yearling filly in the pipeline who Duignan said is one to watch.

When the Not This Time filly was foaled in April, Just Louise was bred once to Tiz the Law, but did not catch. Duignan said mating plans are not yet set for her this year.

Forbidden Kingdom is not Duignan's first potential Kentucky Derby starter. He was represented by GI Blue Grass S. winner Brody's Cause (Giant's Causeway), who he bred in partnership with William Arvin, Jr. and Charlie O'Connor's Petaluma Bloodstock, in the 2016 GI Kentucky Derby.

“It's what you're trying to achieve as a breeder, so it's lovely when it happens,” Duignan said of the experience of having a potential Kentucky Derby starter. “It's really fun and hopefully he stays on the right track. You can never know which ones will be special, but he was definitely one that you could hope for because he was a beautiful horse.”

Duignan is also a founding partner in Paramount Sales. In addition to what was an exciting Saturday for Springhouse Farm, Paramount Sales enjoyed a big day with their sales graduate Life is Good (Into Mischief) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. The gifted 4-year-old was part of Paramount's 2019 Keeneland September Sale consignment and sold to China Horse Club and Maverick Racing for $525,000.

Asked if he remembers the impressive colt from the Keeneland grounds, Duignan responded quickly. “I sure do. He was a beautiful Into Mischief with maybe a little bit more leg than some of them. He was very popular at the sales and brought a good amount of money.”

How does Life is Good compare with the rest of the long list of top-performing Paramount sales graduates?

“He ranks well no matter what company you put him in,” Duignan said, chuckling. “He's a monster.”

The post Forbidden Kingdom One to Celebrate at Springhouse appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Pharoah Colt Forbidden Kingdom Denies Baffert Trio In San Vicente; San Felipe Next

In a thoroughly dominant performance, trainer Richard Mandella's Forbidden Kingdom blasted off from the gate and never looked back en route to a 2 ¼ length victory in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita. Ridden by Juan Hernandez, the chestnut son of American Pharoah got seven furlongs in 1:22.75 and stamped himself a candidate for the Grade 1, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 9.

Fresh off a troubled second place finish going seven furlongs in the G3 Bob Hope Stakes Nov. 14 at Del Mar, Forbidden Kingdom made no mistakes today from his rail post position as he carved out sizzling splits of 21.86, 44.49 and 1:09.31.

“He's as quick as they come,” said Mandella, who indicated he would stretch Forbidden Kingdom out to a mile and one sixteenth in the Grade 2, $400,000 San Felipe Stakes here on March 5. “In his last race, he tore a piece of his foot off (after stumbling at the start) and then we had a quarter crack. We had to fix it up and it is good and we hope it stays good.

“We'll have to try two turns down the road here. He's gotten better about everything. He was so professional today, everything went well. He used to get a little antsy in the gate. He's stumbled a few times.”

With odds-on favorite Doppelganger running a disappointing fourth, Forbidden Kingdom was never at any point challenged. Off at 7-2, he paid $9.80, $4.00 and $4.40.

“He has a lot of speed and sometimes he just runs off, but today he was a little different horse,” said Hernandez, who has ridden Forbidden Kingdom in all four of his starts. “It looked like he settled down a little bit more, so that helped a lot…He was really happy and comfortable there, so I just let him run.

“I felt at the quarter pole the other horses were coming from behind, so I just tapped him on the shoulder and I felt how he responded back, he never stopped.”

Owned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm, LLC, Forbidden Kingdom, who is out of the Five Star Day mare Just Louise, picked up $120,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $194,000 while notching his second win.

Bob Baffert stablemates Pinehurst and McLaren Vale ran two-three, separated by neck. Pinehurst, who sat second the entire trip, was off at 9-5 and paid $3.00 and $3.60 with Mike Smith up.

Ridden by Abel Cedillo, McLaren Vale, who sat third throughout, finished a neck clear of stablemate Doppelganger and paid $4.80 to show while off at 8-1.

Ridden by Flavien Prat, Doppelganger, an impressive first-out maiden winner going six furlongs at Los Alamitos Dec. 11, never threatened for the win but hit his best stride late while finishing 20 lengths clear of longshot What in Blazes.

The post Pharoah Colt Forbidden Kingdom Denies Baffert Trio In San Vicente; San Felipe Next appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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