Aron Wellman | Horse Racing Free Tips

Point Of Honor Chasing Elusive Winner’s Circle Photo In Sunday’s Beldame

Graded stakes-winner Point of Honor has displayed consistency all year long, but seeks a first win of 2020 when taking on Grade 1-winner Dunbar Road in Sunday's 80th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Beldame for older fillies and mares over the main track at Belmont Park.

The Beldame is named in honor of August Belmont, Jr.'s champion filly who earned 1904 Horse of the Year honors by winning prestigious races like the Alabama, the Gazelle and the Carter against males. The 1 1/8-mile test is one of three graded stakes carded for Sunday's program which also includes the Grade 2, $150,000 Miss Grillo for juvenile fillies at 1 1/16 miles over the turf and the Grade 3, $150,000 Belmont Turf Sprint for older horses going six furlongs over the turf.

The Beldame has seen numerous fillies and mares come through with victories en route to champion honors over the years including Champion Older Females Lady's Secret (1986), Personal Ensign (1987-88), Hidden Lake (1997), Beautiful Pleasure (1999), Riboletta (2000), Ashado (2005), Fleet Indian (2006), Havre de Grace (2011) and Royal Delta (2012). Fillies such as Go for Wand (1990), Saratoga Dew (1992), Heavenly Prize (1994), Serena's Song (1995) and Yank's Music (1996) have won the Beldame against elders to became Champion 3-Year-Old Filly in their respective years. Other all-time great distaffers to have won the Beldame include Gallorette (1946), Cicada (1962), Gamely (1968-69), Shuvee (1970), Susan's Girl (1972, 1975), and Desert Vixen (1973-74).

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Stetson Racing's Point of Honor has been a hard-knocking filly in 2020, finishing in the money in all four of her starts this season but is still seeking her first victory of the year. The George Weaver trainee has not won since taking the Grade 2 Black Eyed Susan last May at Pimlico and arrives at the Beldame off three straight placings against Grade 1 company. Her last effort was a third in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on August 1 at Saratoga, where she finished 6 ½ lengths behind Vexatious and 2019 Champion Older Filly Midnight Bisou.

“She seems to respond well to space in between races,” said Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. “She's been able to sustain a pretty solid campaign this season, and even though she hasn't won, she's run some pretty exceptional races.”

Point is Honor is by multiple champion-producing stallion Curlin, who also produced Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' three-time Grade 1 winner and 2015 Beldame runner-up Curalina.

“I'd say that they're similar in the sense that they're elite fillies with an incredible amount of class, intelligence, stay and can manage to put together incredible campaigns like the two of them did at three and four,” Wellman said. “We're just fortunate to have had two daughters of Curlin of this caliber. We've campaigned Point of Honor ambitiously and she's come so close to winning a Grade 1. It would be a huge honor to have a race like the Beldame on her resume.”

No plans have been made concerning a 5-year-old campaign from Point of Honor, but Wellman said that she has been nominated to go through the sales ring at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale on November 8.

“We keep an open mind as it relates to these types of situations with top tier fillies like Point of Honor,” Wellman said. “Right now, our main focus is the Beldame which is an important race and a historic race, and we would love to prove victorious there and take things step by step. In addition, we'd love for her to earn her way to the Breeders' Cup, but for now the Beldame is our main focus.”

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, a three-time Beldame winner, has piloted Point of Honor in eight of her 10 lifetime starts and will return, riding from post 4.

“Javier knows her so well,” Wellman said. “She's definitely a filly that strategically is more effective when you let her find herself early in the race. I think we'll keep her with the same tactics employed and hopefully some speed manifests and sets it up. She was beaten a nose in the Ogden Phipps, which was a mile and a sixteenth. We get a little more real estate to work with this time around.”

Peter Brant's Dunbar Road arrives at the Beldame off a three-length victory in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap on July 11, where she won under a hand ride by jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. Trained by Chad Brown, who won the 2018 Beldame with Brant's Chilean-bred Wow Cat, the 4-year-old daughter of Quality Road is unbeaten in both of her starts this season. Prior to the Delaware Handicap, she emerged from a 6 ½-month layoff to take the May 23 Shawnee at Churchill Downs, defeating Grade 1-winner She's a Julie and graded stakes winner Chocolate Kisses.

Dunbar Road, who has been favored in seven of her nine lifetime starts, also will attempt to keep an unbeaten record over Big Sandy intact having bested a first-level allowance field last May en route to her first graded stakes score in the Grade 2 Mother Goose one month later. She subsequently struck Grade 1 gold in taking the Alabama over Point of Honor and next-out Grade 1-winner Street Band.

Only dollars short of millionaire status, Dunbar Road boasts the highest lifetime earnings in the field with $998,040 and a record of 9-6-1-1.

Jockey Jose Ortiz, who piloted Beldame winners Belle Gallantey (2014), Elate (2017) and Wow Cat (2018), will seek his sixth victory aboard Dunbar Road from post 2.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will saddle New Jersey-bred Horologist for the ownership group of There's a Chance Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds and Medallion Racing.

The 4-year-old Gemologist bay made her debut for Mott in style two starts back when taking the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher on July 18 at Monmouth Park while garnering a career-best 102 Beyer. While conditioned by original trainer John Mazza, Horologist won the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks last August en route to a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx Racing. She arrives at the Beldame off a third in the Grade 1 La Troienne at Churchill Downs, where she finished 4 ½ lengths to 2018 Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Monomoy Girl.

Jockey Junior Alvarado will be aboard for the first time from post 5.

Trainer Todd Pletcher is tied for the most Beldame victories with former mentor Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas with five wins apiece, but a win with Nonna Madeline would make him the standalone winningest trainer in the race's 80-year history.

Pletcher's quintet of Beldame winners include Ashado (2005), Fleet Indian (2006), Unbridled Belle (2007), Life At Ten (2010) and Princess of Sylmar (2013).
Owned by Teresa Viola Racing Stables and St. Elias Stable, Nonna Madeline will attempt to make amends after a disappointing eighth as the lukewarm favorite in the Grade 3 Shuvee on August 30 at Saratoga. The two-time graded stakes placed daughter of Candy Ride won the restricted Summer Colony at the Spa two starts back over graded stakes winners Golden Award and Bellera.

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Nonna Madeline is out of the multiple black type-producing Storm Cat mare Cool Storm and is a half sister to graded stakes winner Nonna Mela. Purchased for $130,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Nonna Madeline hails from the prestigious broodmare line of La Troienne and is a direct descendant of champion Numbered Account.

Jockey Manny Franco will make his debut aboard Nonna Madeline from post 3.

Completing the field is St. George Stable's Letruska, who will attempt to mimic her victory in the Grade 3 Shuvee last out. Sure to show speed, the 4-year-old daughter of Super Saver won the Shuvee in gate-to-wire fashion and displayed the same frontrunning style in her triumphs in the June 27 Added Elegance at Gulfstream Park and the Copa Invitacional del Caribe on December 9 at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska was unbeaten when campaigned in Mexico, where she was a two-time Group 1 winner.

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche has the mount from post 1.

The Beldame is slated as Race 8 on Sunday's 10-race program, which offers a first post of 12:50 p.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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$2 Million Tapit Colt Headlines Day 2 Of Keeneland September Yearling Sale

A partnership of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Robert LaPenta, Gainesway, and Winchell Thoroughbreds paid $2 million for a colt by leading sire Tapit out of Grade 1 winner Tara's Tango to top Monday's second session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, which was marked by competitive bidding and the sale of nine yearlings for $1 million or more.

For today's final session of the two-day premier Book 1, Keeneland sold 100 yearlings for $44,535,000, for an average of $445,350 and a median of $360,000. Cumulatively, 209 horses have grossed $85,215,000, for an average of $407,727 and a median of $330,000. Fourteen yearlings sold for $1 million or more through the first two sessions and were purchased by 13 different domestic and international buyers.

Monday's session closed with four million-dollar horses sold within the last 11 hip numbers.

“It was a frantic end to the session, and we appreciate Barbara Banke for her support of Keeneland and congratulate her on having another top-priced horse,” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell said, referring to the breeder of the session topper. “Under the current circumstances, we are very pleased with the session. We are back to that great intensity of bidding, the going back and forth. The atmosphere and electricity returned, so that is wonderful.”

“For 30 minutes at the end of the sale we felt like there was no COVID,” Keeneland President-Elect and Interim Head of Sales Shannon Arvin said.

Eaton Sales, agent for Banke's Stonestreet Bred & Raised, consigned the session topper. By Unbridled's Song, Tara's Tango is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Visionaire and Grade 3 winners Scarlet Strike and Madison's Luna.

Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners signed the ticket for the colt.

“Partnerships are so prevalent in today's market,” Wellman said. “It is wild to think how far partnerships have come. We had a fabulous relationship with Cot Campbell of Dogwood Stable going back to when Eclipse first started. To think how the partnership model has evolved and that now we as a partnership company are partnering with moguls in the industry. It speaks volumes.

“Barbara Banke has been gracious about staying in as a partner,” he continued. “She adores this colt. Hopefully between all of us we have plenty of good mojo. All I care about is that you are interviewing our partnership after (the colt) wins a Grade 1.”

Larry Best's OXO Equine acquired a filly by Into Mischief for $1.9 million. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, she is out of the stakes-winning Medaglia d'Oro mare Taylor S, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and sire Liam's Map and Grade 3 winner and sire Not This Time.

“Book 1 has been unbelievably strong,” said Best, who paid $1 million for an Into Mischief colt on Sunday. “It blew away my expectations. Keeneland should be very happy.”

Taylor Made was the session's leading consignor, recording sales of $6.92 million for 14 horses.

Three of Monday's seven-figure horses are by Into Mischief, sire of recent Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve winner Authentic. Into Mischief was the leading sire by gross on Monday, with 11 yearlings selling for $8.25 million. He is also the leading sire by gross for Book 1, represented by 20 yearlings that brought $13,085,000.

Another three of day's top-priced horses are by Medaglia d'Oro.

Shadwell Estate Company Ltd. of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum paid $1.6 million for a filly by Medaglia d'Oro who is a half-sister to English and Irish stakes winner Sergei Prokofiev.

Rick Nichols, Vice President and General Manager of Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Farm in Lexington, signed the ticket.

“She is a beautiful filly – the kind you have to have,” Nichols said. “Sheikh Hamdan told me this morning to try to concentrate on getting some really nice fillies. We send all of our good fillies to England, and he keeps promising to send them back (but he doesn't). Our broodmare band is starting to get a little old, and we need to rejuvenate it a little bit. I am pretty sure she will stay (in the U.S.) because the (offspring of) Medaglia d'Oro seem to do better here.”

Anderson Farms, agent, consigned the filly, whose dam is the Tapit mare Orchard Beach. In 2017, Sergei Prokofiev sold for $1.1 million at the September Sale.

“I'm very emotional right now,” David Anderson said. “I bred the mother and I bred this filly and she's probably the most athletic filly I've ever had on the farm. We came here fairly confident that everyone would feel the same way I do, and I know that Mr. Nichols bought her for Shadwell. I want to thank Mr. (Joe) Allen for being the underbidder on the filly. There were many wonderful people that I respect that came by to see the filly and bid on her. It means a lot to a little guy from Canada.”

Robbie Medina, agent, spent $1.4 million for a Medaglia d'Oro filly who is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Salty. Baccari Bloodstock, agent, consigned the filly, whose dam is the stakes-placed Dixie Union mare Theycallmeladyluck.

A colt by Curlin and a filly by American Pharoah sold for $1.2 million each.

The partnership of Repole Stable, St. Elias, Gainesway, John Oxley and Grandview spent the amount on the Curlin colt, whose dam is multiple Grade 1 winner Midnight Lucky, by Midnight Lute. Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency, agent, consigned the colt, who is from the family of Grade 1 winners Hookedonthefeelin, Pussycat Doll and Jimmy Creed.

Mike Rutherford purchased the American Pharoah filly, who was consigned by Betz Thoroughbreds, agent. Out of Grade 1-placed winner Modification, by Vindication, she a half-sister to undefeated Amsterdam (G2) winner Yaupon.

Rutherford said his current racing stable consists of six offspring of American Pharoah, the 2015 Triple Crown winner.

“She is beautiful, gorgeous. Best filly I have seen,” Rutherford said about his latest acquisition. “Let's hope she can run.”

Medaglia d'Oro also sired a filly that sold for $1.1 million. Indian Creek, agent, consigned the daughter of the stakes-winning Indian Charlie mare Thirteen Arrows. Out of multiple Grade 1 winner Stop Traffic, Thirteen Arrows is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and sire Cross Traffic.

Two fillies by Into Mischief brought $1.025 million apiece.

Don Adam's Courtlandt Farm purchased the first, whose third dam is Hall of Famer Personal Ensign. Clearsky Farms, agent, consigned the filly, who is out of the winning stakes-placed Distorted Humor mare Mary Rita.

“We've looked at a few Into Mischiefs,” Courtland Farm Manager Ernie Retamoza said. “Yesterday, we got outbid on the colt that brought $1 million. We're a big fan of Into Mischief. We thought (this filly) had a lot of substance and a lot of class, and she's the kind of filly we want in our race program.

“It seems like for all the better ones you have to go further than you thought you'd want to go. But that's the way the sale is going. Everybody is on the same ones it seems like.”

BSW/Crow acquired the second seven-figure Into Mischief filly, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Gift Box and Grade 2 winner Stonetastic. She is out of the Unbridled's Song mare Special Me.

Liz Crow, who signed the ticket for an undisclosed client, said she first saw the filly at the farm before the sale.

“She has a great attitude, just the way that she carried herself and presented herself with a lot of class,” Crow recalled about that visit. “She did the same here. Every time I saw her she just was classier than the last time.”

The filly was consigned by Machmer Hall Sales, agent for Machmer Hall I.

“This means so much because I bought Special Me (at the 2009 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale for $6,000) as a broodmare prospect,” Carrie Brogden of Machmer Hall said. “It has been a whole progression of seeing and raising all of her foals. She is a great mom and is easy to get in foal and raises nothing but runners. She is the little mare that could.”

BSW/Crow was the session's leading buyer, spending $2.84 million for four horses.

The September Sale takes a one-day hiatus tomorrow then resumes Wednesday with the first session of the two-day Book 2 beginning at 10 a.m. ET.

To view the full results, click here.

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Ollie’s Candy Has Some Questions to Answer in Phipps

With divisional heavies the likes of Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute), Serengeti Empress (Alternation) and the comebacking Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) all eye-balling a potential clash in the GII Fleur de Lis S. at Churchill Downs in two weeks’ time, Saturday’s GI Ogden Phipps S. may lack a ‘marquee’ name, per se, but it remains a competitive affair that offers the winner a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland Nov. 7.

Ollie’s Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}), winner of last year’s GI Clement L. Hirsch S., was fourth in last year’s Distaff, but has not lost a step at five. A distant third to Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) in the Mar. 14 GI Beholder Mile S., the homebred was given an enterprising ride by Joel Rosario in the GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 18, leading on a supersonic pace only to be nabbed on the line by Ce Ce. She is a deserving favorite, but must prove she can handle this track’s one-turn route configuration and there figure to be no breathers this time around either.

Somewhat surprisingly, Point of Honor (Curlin) makes her first appearance at Big Sandy, having won the 2019 GII Black-Eyed Susan S. at Pimlico while finishing runner-up in the GI CCA Oaks and GI Alabama S. at Saratoga. A useful second in a seven-furlong handicap at Tampa Mar. 7, the chestnut found herself as many as 23 lengths off the pace in the Apple Blossom after a slow start, was very wide on the turn and ran on gamely to be third, beaten under three lengths.

“We hope for a better trip,” said Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ President Aron Wellman. “She got pinched at the back and lost all position. She was hung wide and had to weave her way through traffic and still ran very, very well in a highly-rated Apple Blossom. I was proud of the effort that day and I’m hoping for a better trip.”

The beautifully bred Pink Sands (Tapit), a daughter of GISW Her Smile (Include), was a listed winner last season, but has discovered her best form this year at five with swooping successes in the one-mile GIII Rampart S. in December and in the GII Inside Information S. the following month. She, too, would benefit from any speed duel up ahead of her and a board finish at this level would enhance her already considerable value going forward.

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