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Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners Founder Aron Wellman Joins Writers’ Room

Fresh off a Group 2 win last week at Royal Ascot, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' founder Aron Wellman joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland Wednesday morning to talk about his ownership strategies, how he talks to new partners about concerns in the industry and much more.

Asked about Eclipse's ever-evolving purchasing power, Wellman, who called in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week said, “We made a point when we launched Eclipse about 10 years ago to really try to prove ourselves at being good at just about everything in terms of trying to buy horses. We believe that a good horse can come from anywhere at any time. I really cut my teeth early on in the game by starting to claim horses, because that was the immediate-action way to go. Then it evolved into trying to buy horses privately, going overseas and getting them to the States. We've been very fortunate to get support from our partners at the yearling sales as well as the 2-year-old sales and have been very lucky to buy Grade I winners and Classic winners out of them. It's tough to be really, really elite at all of those avenues by which you can acquire horses. But we've certainly done our best to provide our partners with a variety of opportunities year in and year out and the track record, fortunately, has spoken for itself that our partners continue to believe in the process.”

Wellman also commented on the challenges he faces in recruitment considering the scandal that has surrounded racing for the last few years, saying, “It's certainly a barrier to entry. It's a conversation that I have with just about every prospective partner that comes through Eclipse's doors. I think that the industry is slowly but surely making good strides towards appropriate reform. It's never enough and it's never fast enough, but on the Eclipse side, we try our best to surround ourselves with good people. We've always believed in that philosophy. I am a big proponent of the industry getting more serious about the penalties handed down to trainers who are violating the rules. We can't allow anyone, I don't care who you are, how big you are or how small you are, to operate by a different set of rules. There's no question that we need a unified, centralized governing body here in the United States to oversee the industry. For too long, we've swept issues under the rug. We've protected guys because we were concerned about the public image and guys that are too big to fail. Thinking maybe it would be worse for the industry to expose them rather than to protect them. But we've been accomplices for too long. We've aided and abetted for too long. It's really high time that we took swift and serious action.”

Elsewhere on the show, which is also sponsored by West Point Thoroughbreds, the Minnesota Racehorse Engagement Project and Legacy Bloodstock, the writers discussed a bombshell investigation of Bob Baffert in the Washington Post, talked about a possible hope for Arlington Park's survival and projected the successes and challenges of fixed-odds wagering. Click here to watch the podcast; click here for the audio-only version or find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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Next Targets Named For Quick Suzy

Royal Ascot winner Quick Suzy (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) is bound for the G1 Cheveley Park S. on Sept. 25, with the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar in November the long term aim. Acquired privately with the help of Joseph Burke by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners prior to her second in the May 16 G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S., she will remain with trainer Gavin Cromwell. Second at first asking at Tipperary in April, the G2 Queen Mary S. heroine was first past the post at The Curragh on May 3 prior to the Fillies Sprint S.

“Now she's won a Group 2 there's not much point heading for something like the Lowther with a penalty so the Cheveley Park looks the next logical race, she's had four runs already,” said Burke. “I told Gavin after Naas that after Ascot she'd probably be heading to America, but Aron [Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners] said they are doing such a good job there was no reason to take her away from Gavin–which I was delighted to hear.

“After the Cheveley Park there's then five weeks until the Breeders' Cup, where she's got five weeks in between, so it fits in nicely and she'll run in the Juvenile Sprint Turf.”

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Turf Venture Reaps Ascot Glory For Eclipse Thoroughbreds

ASCOT, UK–The G2 Queen Mary S. victory of the well-named Quick Suzy (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) brought not only the diverse training skills of Gavin Cromwell to wider attention but also a welcome touch of internationalism to the Royal Meeting. The latter is usually a given, but with restricted travel in the last two seasons, there have been fewer overseas travellers than usual, though those who have made the trip have largely been well rewarded at Britain's showcase meeting.

Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Stables enjoyed success in the same race last year with Campanelle (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) but this time around had to settle for second when the front-running Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {Fr}) was overhauled in the final furlong by the filly owned by fellow American enterprise Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

“We wouldn't be here if it were not for the great efforts of Aron Wellman and his team at Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners,” said a delighted Mariam Zerehi, the sole representative of the ownership group who had made the trip from the U.S. to savour the moment of a winner at Royal Ascot.

She continued, “They are really great at picking quality horses and they are true horsemen. They care about what races they put the horses in and making sure they don't step them up too quickly. Aron and his team work relentlessly so we can have these types of moments, which are so elusive.”

Zerehi, who is involved in around 30 horses with Eclipse, was making her first trip to Ascot, having missed out on the experience of watching Sharing (Speightstown) compete last year.

“We had Sharing last year in the Coronation Stakes and she placed second but none of us were able to be here to witness that so I am just happy to be here,” she said. “This is a really big moment because we are in a very different place today than we were just a year ago. I think this Royal Ascot represents a lot of hope and optimism that we are all moving in the right direction, so that's special to be a part of–it's not just an ordinary Ascot for me.”

Having undergone “extensive Covid testing” to be able to make the trip from Los Angeles, Zerehi added, “I have to say, standing here right now, it was all worth it.”

She continued, “I was a little nervous watching the filly being saddled as she was a little fresh and I was worried that she was unsettled, but I spoke with Gavin and he said 'No, she's ready to go.' And obviously he knows better than I, and he was right.

“For Eclipse, we've been moving more into turf racing. Dirt is great and that's what the Americans do best and know best, but we've had some really good success with our turf horses in recent years and this might be another confirmation that we are going in the right direction with our selections.”

The result was also cause for celebration in County Kildare, at Oghill House Stud to be precise, where Quick Suzy was bred by a trio of Hyland brothers–Pat, Hugh and James–along with a couple of their nephews.

It is six years since the farm celebrated the listed Windsor Castle S. victory of Washington DC (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), who was bred at Oghill House in partnership with Chris and James McHale. There will have been widespread delight throughout the Hyland family at this latest triumph, especially as the story involves their farrier Liam O'Donovan, who bought the filly for her original owners, the Dunphy family, for whom she made her first two starts, while it was the Hylands' longtime ally Joseph Burke who recommended her to Aron Wellman.

“She was sold privately off the farm as a yearling and the man I must mention is Liam O'Donovan, as he's a brilliant judge of a horse and he bought her for the Dunphys,” said Burke.

“Liam kept sending me videos of her when she was in pre-training and then in training, and once she won her second start at the Curragh I could then approach Aron and say, 'Look, I've known her from the start and I know all her history,' and when I asked him if he was interested he was just brilliant, he said yes straight away.”

Burke continued, “Obviously Aron knows more about these things than I do but he had no hesitation when I recommended that we keep Gary [Carroll] on board. He said, 'Book him, make sure he knows,' and that was for the last race. He was 100% behind keeping Gary on board for Ascot. Gary had so much confidence in the filly and I firmly believe there's nothing better than a guy getting up and thinking 'this is a machine, she's going to win.' And he's ridden her like that.”

Quick Suzy was making her second start in the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners silks having been runner-up in the G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint at Naas on her most recent outing.

Burke added, “Aron rang last night and he couldn't have been better. He just said, 'Go and enjoy the day. We've got her stakes-placed and if she wins, great, and if she doesn't we'll regroup afterwards.' And how many people say that to you really?”

In the aftermath of victory, Burke was also quick to remember one of Quick Suzy's co-breeders, the much-loved Pat Hyland, who died in February at the age of 78.

He said, “Pat loved nothing more than Royal Ascot. He dressed up at home and he watched every single bit, the fashion included, and he would have been so delighted to see her win like that today.”

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‘Naturally Talented’ Annex, Maiden Winner Avenue Among Eclipse Horses Pointed To Turf Triple Series

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, a racing partnership started in 2012 by Aron Wellman, has NYRA's Turf Triple series in mind for several of their talented sophomores.

Launched by NYRA in 2019, the Turf Triple series showcases the best 3-year-old turf runners.

The Turf Triple for sophomores begins with the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational at 1 1/4-miles [2,000 meters] on July 10 at Belmont Park. The series continues with the Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby Invitational at 1 3/16-miles [1,900 meters] on August 7 at Saratoga Race Course and concludes with the $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational at 1 1/2-miles [2,400 meters] on September 18 at Belmont Park.

The Turf Triple series for fillies kicks off July 10 at Belmont with the Grade 1, $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational at 1 1/4-miles [2,000 meters]. The series continues with the Grade 3, $700,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational at 1 3/16-miles [1,900 meters] on August 8 at Saratoga and is completed by the $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks at 1 3/8-miles [2,200 meters] on September 18 at Belmont.

Unbeaten in three lifetime starts at Gulfstream Park, dual stakes winner Annex broke his maiden going one mile on January 16 and followed with a victory in the 1 1/16-mile Palm Beach on February 1, where he came from 22 lengths off a torrid pace for a head win over stakes winners Scarlett Sky and Chess's Dream. He tracked a moderate pace from fourth in the one-mile Cutler Bay on March 27 en route to a neck win.

Annex, a son of third-crop sire Constitution trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott and owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners in partnership with LNJ Foxwoods, will make his next start in the Grade 2, $500,000 American Turf on May 1 at Churchill Downs en route to the Belmont Derby.

“He will run in the American Turf and from there hopefully go into the Turf Triple series,” Wellman said. “The pace was pretty fast in the Palm Beach but he made up all of that ground and deserves a lot of credit for making such a big run. The pace was against us in the Cutler Bay, so he had to show some versatility and overcome a slow pace, which he did.

“He's naturally talented, but still a bit green and not focused,” Wellman continued. “As he matures and develops, I think you'll see him get even better.”

Wellman said the ownership team has long considered the Turf Triple series a potential target for Annex.

“He's a high energy horse and we're hoping that he continues to progress to where we can still consider these races,” said Wellman. “Our goal all along was to point for these races. He's certainly bred to handle the distance and everything points to him being able to excel going nine furlongs and beyond.”

While Annex has yet to race past 1 1/16 miles, recent maiden winner Avenue, owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners in partnership with Robert V. LaPenta, William Freeman and Michael Valdes, graduated at nine furlongs on April 8 at Keeneland by four lengths.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the Quality Road colt finished second and fifth in two starts against maiden special weight company at Gulfstream Park, before shipping to Kentucky for his first career win.

Wellman said the decisive victory will propel him to graded stakes company in the Grade 2, $200,000 Pennine Ridge on May 29 at Belmont Park. The Pennine Ridge-Belmont Derby double has been swept recently by Oscar Performance [2017] and Catholic Boy [2018].

“From Day One we knew he would go two turns,” Wellman said. “At Gulfstream, the turf course is tight and on the speed-favoring side, so a mile and a sixteenth plays more like a mile. We had a lot of confidence in him going into his win at Keeneland, a course that he would be better suited for. We'll likely point him for the Pennine Ridge and from there on to the Turf Triple series.”

Bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds, Avenue is out of the graded stakes-placed Dixie Union mare Magic Union who also produced graded stakes-placed Tizamagician. He was bought for $450,000 from the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Another rising turf star for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners is Aviano, owned in partnership with William T. Freeman and Valdes, who was third in an off-the-turf allowance event at Keeneland on April 10. After a trio of strong placings, the son of Medaglia d'Oro broke his maiden at fourth asking going 1 1/16 miles on February 28 at Gulfstream Park defeating highly regarded Alexander Valley by a neck.

“He's definitely a quality horse,” Wellman said. “We tried facing winners and it got rained off the turf. He's one that we would like to think could get into the series, but how we get there we're still unsure.”

A $775,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale purchase, Aviano is out of the multiple-stakes winning Rockport Harbor mare Bryan's Jewel.

In the 3-year-old filly department, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners color-bearer Con Lima is scheduled to return to grass after finishing fourth as the favorite in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks last out on March 27 on the main track.

Wellman said Con Lima, who is owned in partnership with Joseph Graffeo, Del Toro, Erik Nikolaus and Troy Johnson, will remain in Florida for and target the $75,000 Honey Ryder on May 1 at Gulfstream Park going 1 1/16 miles.
“We tried to see if she could be as effective on the dirt, but she proved that she is definitely superior on grass,” Wellman said. “She'll stay in Florida for the time being and point for the first of May with the intention of possibly going to New York in the summer.”

Bred in Texas, the daughter of Commissioner previously raced for trainer Carlos David, for whom she broke her maiden by 5 ¼ lengths last summer at Gulfstream Park. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners purchased a majority of the filly following the maiden score and transferred her to Pletcher.

Con Lima ran second in off-the-turf editions of the P.G. Johnson at Saratoga and the Our Dear Peggy at Gulfstream. She picked up three turf victories this winter in Florida, including stakes triumphs in the Ginger Brew on January 2 and the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride on February 27, where she was elevated to first via disqualification.

Spanish Loveaffair, who was disqualified from victory in the Herecomesthebride, is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners in partnership with Michael Hernon and Gary Barber. The daughter of Karakontie enjoyed a successful 2-year-old campaign, which included a win in the Sharp Susan on August 29 at Gulfstream Park and a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Jessamine at Keeneland for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.

Last out, Spanish Loveaffair was sixth in the one-mile Grade 2 Appalachian on April 3 at Keeneland

“She never lifted a hoof that day, but she was dealing with a sinus infection,” Wellman said. “Thankfully we put that behind her and it explained her race at Keeneland. We'll see how she does in the near future.”

Mia Martina was eased in her dirt debut in the Grade 3 Gazelle on April 3 at Aqueduct. Trained by Graham Motion, the daughter of second-crop sire Not This Time won her first two career starts and made her stakes debut when a late-rallying fourth in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks on March 6 at Tampa Bay Downs.

Wellman said Mia Martina, owned in partnership with Gianni Fittipaldi, will likely point for the Grade 3, $200,000 Wonder Again on June 3 at Belmont Park, a key prep for the Belmont Oaks Invitational on July 10.

“The Gazelle was an experiment to see if she could be as potent on dirt as she is on turf, which didn't work out. She could potentially come back in the Wonder Again,” Wellman said.

This year, past winners of Turf Triple series races for fillies are incentivized by a pair of lucrative bonus opportunities at the upcoming Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course meets.

The “New York Stakes Turf Bonus” will provide $315,000 to the owner and $35,000 to the trainer of any previous winner of the Belmont Oaks, Saratoga Oaks or Jockey Club Oaks who captures the 2021 edition of the Grade 2, $750,000 New York, a 10-furlong turf test for older fillies and mares to be held June 4 at Belmont.

The “Flower Bowl Bonus” will provide $300,000 to the owner and $30,000 to the trainer of any previous winner of the Belmont Oaks, Saratoga Oaks or Jockey Club Oaks, who captures the Grade 1, $600,000 Flower Bowl, an 11-furlong test for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up on September 4 at Saratoga. The Flower Bowl is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” event offering a berth in the Grade 1 Filly and Mare Turf in November at Del Mar.

Eligible to cash in on the bonus this year are Godolphin homebred Antoinette, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, who won the 2020 Saratoga Oaks and Lael Stables' Magic Attitude, conditioned by Arnaud Delacour, who bested Antoinette in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks.

For more information on the Turf Triple series, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/turf-triple-series.

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