Bellamy Road | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Nice Shoulder And Hip, Good Bone’: Vekoma’s First Foal A Filly At Crowning Point Farm

The first reported foal by Spendthrift Farm's Vekoma, the Met Mile (G1) and Carter Handicap (G1) winner by Candy Ride, is a filly that was born early Saturday at Crowning Point Farm in Paris.

“She's a nice filly, we thought she was a colt because of how big she was from a maiden mare. She has a nice shoulder and hip, good bone and appears to be correct. We are very happy,” said Julie Rini of Crowning Point.

Bred by Loren Nichols, the bay filly is the first foal out of the Bellamy Road mare Bella Alicita, who was stakes placed as a juvenile and is from the immediate family of graded stakes winner Blazing Fury.

Campaigned by trainer George Weaver for R. A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables, Vekoma was an undefeated graded stakes winner at two and four and captured a major Kentucky Derby prep race at three.

After winning on debut in 1:08 4/5, the fast son of Candy Ride earned his first graded win in the Nashua (G3) at Aqueduct to close out his juvenile season. Vekoma scored a decisive win in Keeneland's Blue Grass (G2) at three, and he proved to be one of the best horses in North America as a four-year-old, winning a pair of Grade One races in New York in 2020. Vekoma dominated the Carter (G1) before taking the prestigious Met Mile (G1), and he also captured the Sir Shackleford S. at Gulfstream. His –½ Ragozin number earned from his Carter performance remains the only negative number run on Ragozin this decade.

Vekoma retired to Spendthrift with earnings of $1,245,525 and proved popular among breeders, covering 222 mares in his first book in 2021. The 6-year-old chestnut is set to stand his second season at stud for a fee of $17,500 S&N.

For more information about Vekoma, please contact Des, Mark, or Brian at 859-294-0030, or visit SpendthriftFarm.com.

The post ‘Nice Shoulder And Hip, Good Bone’: Vekoma’s First Foal A Filly At Crowning Point Farm appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Bellamy Road to Old Friends

Bellamy Road (Concerto–Hurry Home Hillary, by Deputed Testamony), a daylight winner of the 2005 GI Wood Memorial S. and favorite in that year’s GI Kentucky Derby, has been pensioned to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility based in Kentucky.

Owned by the late George Steinbrenner’s Kinsman Stable and trained by Nick Zito, the Florida-bred posted four wins from seven starts and earnings of $811,400.

Bellamy Road stood at Dutchess Views Farm in New York since 2016. The 19-year-old previously stood at Kentucky’s WinStar Farm and Hurricane Hall. His nine graded stakes winners include Grade I winners Constellation, Diversify and Toby’s Corner.

“Bellamy Road has always had a special place in my heart,” said Kinsman President Jessica Steinbrenner, daughter of George. “His Wood Memorial is the most exciting race that I have ever been to. I remember going back to the hotel afterward and being escorted through the kitchen because of all the people gathered outside. To this day, I still watch his Wood Memorial on YouTube, and to hear the announcer say ‘a dazzling performance by a dazzling 3-year-old’ brings me to tears every time.

“Bellamy is a rock star,” Steinbrenner continued. “He deserves a retirement where his fans can visit and reminisce. It’s exciting to think he will be amongst the other great retired racehorses residing at Old Friends.”

“Jessica is following in her father’s footsteps,” Zito said. “George would have done the same thing. They’re very special people.”

Old Friends’s Michael Blowen concluded, “We want to thank Jessica Steinbrenner for trusting us to care for her great horse. I know she went out of her way to make sure he’d get to us. Thanks also to Elliott Walden at WinStar who expedited everything, and to everyone at Dutchess Views for taking such great care of him.”

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GR1 Winner Bellamy Road Pensioned To Old Friends

Grade 1 winner and Grade 1 sire Bellamy Road has been pensioned to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility based in Georgetown, KY. Michael Blowen, founder and President of Old Friends, made the announcement this morning.

A Florida-bred son of Concerto out of Hurry Home Hillary, Bellamy Road, now 19, retired from racing in 2007 following an illustrious career.

Owned by the late George Steinbrenner's Kinsman Stable and trained by Nick Zito, Bellamy Road broke his maiden in his first start at Delaware Park in 2004. He earned his first stakes next time out, capturing the GR3 Miller Genuine Draft Cradle Stakes at River Downs.

In 2005, he roared back as a 3-year-old setting a stakes record in the GR1 Wood Memorial, a race he won by a record 17 ½ lengths. The victory made him the odds-on favorite for that year's Kentucky Derby, where he finished 7th behind winner Giacomo.

His last start was the 2005 Travers at Saratoga, where he finished second to Flower Alley. Plagued by injuries, Bellamy Road retired that year with four wins from seven starts and earnings of $811,400.

Since 2016 Bellamy Road has stood at Dutchess Views Farm in Pine Plains, N.Y., He had previously stood at Kentucky's WinStar Farm and Hurricane Hall.

At stud Bellamy Road sired numerous stakes winners, including 2011 Wood Memorial winner Toby's Corner and the GR1 winning filly, Constellation.

His son, Diversify, GR1 Whitney Handicap winner and 2018 New York-bred Horse of the Year, also currently resides at Old Friends.

“Bellamy Road has always had a special place in my heart,” said Kinsman President Jessica Steinbrenner, daughter of George. “His Wood Memorial is the most exciting race that I have ever been to. I remember going back to the hotel afterward and being escorted through the kitchen because of all the people gathered outside. To this day, I still watch his Wood Memorial on YouTube, and to hear the announcer say 'a dazzling performance by a dazzling 3-year-old' brings me to tears every time.

“Bellamy is a rock star,” Steinbrenner continued. “He deserves a retirement where his fans can visit and reminisce. It's exciting to think he will be amongst the other great retired racehorses residing at Old Friends.”

“Jessica is following in her father's footsteps,” added trainer Nick Zito. “George would have done the same thing. They're very special people.”

“We were privileged that Kinsman, WinStar, and the other syndicate members sent Bellamy to us, and have allowed us to stand him in New York for so long,” said Dutchess Views Farm's Michael Lischin, on behalf of the Syndicate Manager, Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions LLC. “He is sound and could continue as a stallion but the consensus was that, at his age, it would be in his best interest to retire him to a magnificent facility like Old Friends while he is still healthy and happy. We thank the Syndicate and Old Friends for doing what was right for Bellamy Road.”

“We want to thank Jessica Steinbrenner for trusting us to care for her great horse,” said Old Friends's Blowen. “I know she went out of her way to make sure he'd get to us. Thanks also to Elliot Walden at WinStar who expedited everything, and to everyone at Dutchess Views for taking such great care of him.”

Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions Announces 2021 Stud Fees

New York stallion farm Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions has released its 2021 stud fees and roster. Headlined by War Dancer (War Front) at $7,500, the stallion roster includes five stallions that previously stood with Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions and one new sire, Lookin At Lee (Lookin At Lucky), a multiple Grade I-placed placed millionaire and 2017 GI Kentucky Derby runner-up who will begin his career at the Saratoga area stallion station and stand for $6,500 LFSN.

He joins a roster that boasts leading New York sire Big Brown (Boundary, $5,000), current leading New York freshman sire War Dancer, perennial leading New York sire of winners Bellamy Road (Concerto, $5,000) and 2019 leading New York freshman sire Majestic City (City Zip, $2,500). Weekend Hideaway (Speightstown, $2,500) will have his first runners hit the track in 2022.

The stallions are physically located at Irish Hill Century farm located at 221 Burke Road, Stillwater, NY 12170 and are available for inspection by potential breeders on request. Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions will work closely with breeders to mitigate any COVID-19 impacts while offering incentives for qualifying mares and multiple mare discounts across the entire roster. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions will be holding a Virtual Stallion Show this year, which will be made available on Facebook, Twitter and on the farm’s website.

The post Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions Announces 2021 Stud Fees appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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