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‘Huge Year Ahead Of Him’: Trainer Desormeaux Bullish On Sham Contender Oviatt Class

Oviatt Class was an apparent “steam horse” in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 5, the “wise guys” bearing down on him at the windows and sending him off at 9-1, less than half his morning line program odds of 20-1.

Paring of his price in part was due to the scratch of 9-5 morning line Juvenile favorite Jack Christopher.

Oviatt Class did finish an eventful fifth, beaten 8 ½ lengths by undefeated Bob Baffert trainee Corniche, a prohibitive favorite to be named Eclipse Award winner as champion 2-year-old male at the 51^st annual Eclipse dinner Feb. 10 at Santa Anita.

One person more disappointed in Oviatt Class than his mutuel backers in the Juvenile was his trainer, Keith Desormeaux, who hopes the son of the A.P. Indy stallion Bernardini makes amends in Saturday's Grade 3 Sham Stakes, the West's first significant offering on the Triple Crown trail.

Oviatt Class has victimized himself with tardy starts or wide trips in each of his five races, including a third by 3 ¾ lengths behind Corniche in the G1 American Pharoah at Santa Anita last Oct. 1, rallying from seventh and last at the half-mile marker.

“Maybe the horse is just not the greatest gate-breaker,” said Desormeaux, who has given his brother, Hall of Fame member and three-time Kentucky Derby winner Kent a leg up in all of the bay colt's starts, “but I don't consider that a problem for him.

“As far as him coming wide, I think that's more due to Kent's style. The horse didn't run his race at Del Mar (in the Juvenile) and I still haven't figured it out.

“We were so excited and pumped up expecting a huge race based on the way he'd been training, and that wasn't only my opinion. He was 20-1 on the morning line and ended up 9-1, so he was a hot horse, an insider's horse, and I think the gamblers were right on, but he didn't produce and I don't have an answer.

“The horse is doing great and I think he's got a huge year ahead of him, so we've taken our time, let him freshen and the Sham seems like a good spot to get it rolling.”

Oviatt Class was bought for $60,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sales and is owned by financial magnate James E. Downey of Newport Beach, Calif. The horse could become another of Keith's burgeoning bargains, already more than doubling his purchase price with earnings of $137,620.

“I met James through a friend,” Keith said. “He had owned horses some 30 years ago and with Oviatt Class, it looks like he's hit a home run in his first at bat on his return.”

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Keith, a regular at Santa Anita in recent years, now also operates in Kentucky and his home state of Louisiana, where this interview was conducted by phone, before he departed for Santa Anita where he will be on hand for the Sham.

“To tell you the truth, I'd prefer to be based at Santa Anita full time,” Keith said, “but the economics necessitates me splitting the stable, and I'm doing the best I can in this manner.”

Little wonder Keith has a fondness for Santa Anita. With Kent in the saddle for his brother, Texas Red won the 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Exaggerator the 2016 Santa Anita Derby, before going on to capture the Preakness.

As to the revival of Kent's riding career at age 51 after overcoming a myriad of personal and substance abuse issues, Keith, who turns 55 on Jan. 27, offered this: “Kent's so talented and his ability has always been there.

“It's personal BS that's a problem. He's got to take care of that and I don't have the answers, but the riding ability is God-given and an absolute gift. He's got it working full force right now.

“Hopefully, we can see that on Saturday.”

The Sham goes as race seven of 10 with a 12 noon first post time. Here's the field: Mackinnon, Juan Hernandez, 3-1; Oviatt Class, Kent Desormeaux, 7-2; Newgrange, John Velazquez, 2-1; Rockefeller, Flavien Prat, 8-5; and Degree of Risk, Umberto Rispoli, 12-1.

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Well-bred Medaglia d’Oro Filly Sharp on Debut

7th-Churchill Downs, $119,047, Msw, 11-20, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:45.44, ft, 2 1/4 lengths.
LA CRETE (f, 2, Medaglia d'Oro–Cavorting {MGISW, $2,063,000}, by Bernardini), a half-sister to Clairiere (Curlin), GISW, $1,290,992, took care of business impressively on debut going a tough, two-turn distance of 1 1/16 miles here. Facing only seven rivals, the 8-5 favorite caught a flyer beneath Joel Rosario and shot out to the front. The Stonestreet homebred showed the way while uncontested through fractions of :23.53 and :47.84. She let it out a notch rounding the far turn, kicked for home with a five-length advantage and was geared-down late en route to a 2 1/4-length victory over Opening Night (Flatter). Cavorting, a three-time GISW carrying the yellow-and- burgundy Stonestreet silks and a $360,000 KEENOV weanling purchase, had a colt by Curlin in 2020. She was bred to Into Mischief for 2022. The aforementioned Clairiere, a very good fourth after a wide trip in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff earlier this month, also won her debut over this same course and distance last fall. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $69,460. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.

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Belle Street, Half Sister To Eight Belles, Leads Saturday Session At Keeneland

Gary Broad/Walmac Farm paid $550,000 for the 3-year-old Street Sense mare Belle Street, a half-sister to Grade 2 winner and Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up Eight Belles, who is carrying her first foal by Bernardini, to post the highest price of Saturday's fourth session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in Lexington, Ky.

Saturday marked another day of robust trade at the November Sale when 252 horses sold for $19,981,500, for an average of $79,292 and a median of $65,000. During the fourth session last year, total sales reached $13,141,000 for 226 horses, for an average of $58,146 and a median of $43,500.

Cumulative sales this year are $146,615,500 for 838 horses, for an average of $174,959 and a median of $120,000. Through the same period last year, the gross was $115,669,000 for 747 horses, for an average of $154,845 and a median of $90,000.

Godolphin consigned Belle Street, who is out of stakes winner Away, by Dixieland Band, and also from the family of Grade 3 winners Sky Captain and Belong to Me.

“She's a good-looking mare from a very good family,” Michael Banahan, Director of Farm Operations, Godolphin USA, said. “We didn't anticipate she was going to make that much money. But it's been so strong here since the sale started. She made well over her reserve. You can probably put an extra 20-35 percent on top of what we were valuing the mares at. It's just an unbelievably strong market.

Leading sire Bernardini, who died in July, stood for Godolphin at Darley at Jonabell.

Banahan said the Godolphin consignment is “part of what we do every year, trying to streamline our broodmare band.” Selling mares such as Belle Street represents an opportunity for breeders to buy mares from top-quality Godolphin families.

“Anytime we've brought mares to the sale, even when we haven't sold them ourselves, people are very keen to try to get into these families,” Banahan said. “They've done well for other people as well. That's why they are so popular.”

Gainesway Farm paid $340,000 for the day's second highest-priced horse, Trophy Wife, a 12-year-old daughter of Giant's Causeway, who has produced two stakes-placed runners, High Tech and Power Move, and is in foal to Mastery.

Claiborne Farm, agent, consigned Trophy Wife, whose dam is Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) winner Pleasant Home, by Seeking the Gold. The family also includes Grade 1 winner Guarana and Grade 2 winner Country Hideaway.

Multiple stakes winner and Grade 3-placed I'm Betty G, a 7-year-old daughter of Into Mischief in foal to Improbable, sold to Stoneriggs Farm for $275,000. Consigned by Bluewater Sales, agent, she is out of Lady in Ermine, by Honour and Glory, and from the family of stakes winners Sadler's Sarah, Commonsensical and Truth and Nobility.

Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, was the session's leading consignor with sales of $2,571,000 for 23 horses.

Taylor Made consigned the session's fourth highest-priced horse, stakes winner and Grade 3-placed Ask Bailey, a 4-year-old daughter of Run Away and Hide cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect, to Mulholland Springs for $255,000. Ask Bailey is a half-sister to Grade 3-placed Codoy and from the family of Grade 1 winners Graydar and Ron the Greek and Grade 2 winner Musket Man. Her dam is Puype's Dream, by Kris S.

Taylor Made also sold the $210,000 top-priced weanling, a filly by Nyquist purchased by Bolter Bloodstock. Out of Chifa, by Orientate, she is from the family of Grade 1 winners Dream Tree and Golden Ticket and Grade 2 winners Academy Award and Magical Feeling.

Code of Honor LLC/L.E.B., agent, paid $1 million for eight horses to lead buyers.

The November Sale resumes Sunday at 10 a.m. ET and continues through Friday, Nov. 19.

The Nov. 19 session will conclude with a single dedicated portion of horses of racing age following the conclusion of breeding stock. A total of 285 horses of racing age have been cataloged to the closing day and will follow the total of 148 head of breeding stock in the catalog.

Keeneland will accept supplements to the horses of racing age section through mid-November.

Click here for the online catalog for the horses of racing age in Session 10 of the November Sale. The entire auction is streamed live on Keeneland.com.

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Art Collector All the Way in Woodward

The controlling speed of Saturday's GI Woodward S. on paper, Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector (Bernardini) made best use of his best asset and took them gate-to-wire to earn an overdue Grade I victory. Favored Maxfield (Street Sense) completed the exacta, while Dr Post (Quality Road) flashed home from the tail to be third.

Looking to remain perfect in three starts since an amicable trainer switch from Tommy Drury to Bill Mott, Art Collector bounced beautifully from gate three and was soon in front for Luis Saez, as 64-1 Mo Gotcha (Uncle Mo) applied some token pressure with Forza di Oro (Speightstown) also prominent to the outside. Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) and Maxfield also raced in close attendance in a tightly bunched pack, while Dr Post, who veered inward at the break, brought up the rear.

Art Collector lobbed them along through an opening four furlongs in a very manageable :47.78 and the Woodward was very much his race to lose after a three-quarter split of 1:12.12. Maxfield was nipping at the front-runner's heels as they hit the two-furlong pole, but Saez hadn't spent a penny on Art Collector, who kicked when asked for an effort and won with relative ease. Maxfield, arguably better when able to settle a bit farther back and finish up, was forced to race closer to the pace than is his custom and fought on bravely in an out-of-his-element performance. Dr Post came home on his incorrect lead to be third.

“It was a wonderful race,” said Saez. “I had a lot of confidence in my horse. He always tries so hard. He always comes with a run and finishes with run and today he ran his race. We expected to be on the lead. He broke so well and he was able to control the pace.”

Winner of the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. last July, Art Collector prepped for a possible start in the GI Kentucky Derby with a facile score in the Runhappy Ellis Park Derby early the following month, but was withdrawn from the Run For the Roses in the week leading up to the race with a minor foot issue. Fourth in the GI Preakness S. and eighth to Knicks Go (Paynter) in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, Art Collector was shelved, returning to be sixth in the June 25 Kelly's Landing S. at Churchill. Turned over to Mott thereafter, he wired the field in the Aug. 6 Alydar S. at Saratoga and was exiting a 1 1/2-length success in the GII Charles Town Classic Aug. 27.

A Breeders' Cup appearance would be in the Classic and not the Dirt Mile, Mott said.

“I'll talk to [owner] Mr. [Bruce] Lunsford. He makes the final decision, but I don't know what we have to lose,” the conditioner said. “I'd run him a mile and a quarter. A mile and an eighth hasn't been a problem for him, so why would I cut him back?”

Pedigree Notes:

Art Collector has legitimate claims to carry the torch going forward for the late Bernardini, who is now the sire of 16 Grade I/Group 1 winners worldwide, 13 of whom have accomplished the feat north of the equator. Distorted Humor is now the broodmare sire of 13 Grade I winners.

Art Collector is the lone winner from his stakes-winning and turf Grade I-placed dam, a half-sister to Lunsford's GSW/MGISP Vision and Verse (Storm Cat), runner-up in the 1999 GI Belmont S. and GI Travers S. Distorted Legacy is also a half-sister to Performing Diva (Storm Cat), third in the 2005 GII Darley Alcibiades S. and SP Broadway Express (Broad Brush), the dam of GSP Character Builder (Coronado's Quest).

Now 14, Distorted Legacy is the dam of the 2-year-old colt Legionnaire (Into Mischief), a yearling colt by the Spendthrift maestro and a filly foal by Justify. She was covered by Medaglia d'Oro this past breeding season.

Saturday, Belmont
WOODWARD S.-GI, $500,000, Belmont, 10-2, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:49.22, ft.
1–ART COLLECTOR, 124, c, 4, by Bernardini
1st Dam: Distorted Legacy (SW & GISP, $421,466), by Distorted Humor
2nd Dam: Bunting, by Private Account
3rd Dam: Flag Waver, by Hoist the Flag
1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-W. Bruce Lunsford (KY); T-William I.
Mott; J-Luis Saez. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 15-8-1-0,
$1,535,305. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+.
2–Maxfield, 124, c, 4, Street Sense–Velvety, by Bernardini.
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $100,000.
3–Dr Post, 124, c, 4, Quality Road–Mary Delaney, by Hennessy.
($200,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $400,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-St.
Elias Stable; B-Cloyce C Clark (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $60,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1, 2HF. Odds: 2.75, 0.90, 10.40.
Also Ran: Code of Honor, Forza Di Oro, Mo Gotcha. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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