Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at both Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits.
Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. To follow is the single entry for Wednesday at Saratoga:
Wednesday, August 23 2023 Saratoga 6 $88k, 2yo, (S), 7f, 4:00 p.m. ET Horse (Sire), Sale, Price ($), Breeze Benzodini (Bernardini), OBSAPR, 45,000, :21.4 Consignor: Hoppel's Horse & Cattle Co Inc, agent Buyer: Ray Bell, agent
Art Collector (Bernardini), a winner of eight stakes, including the 2023 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational and the 2021 GI Woodward S., was euthanized Thursday in Saratoga after developing laminitis.
Horse Racing Nation was first with the story.
“This was sudden and a tough experience for me and my wife,” said owner-breeder Bruce Lunsford. “I can summarize this pretty easily. He gave me my highest highs in this business and now my lowest low. That's as simple as I can put it. He will be in my brain and my thoughts for the rest of my life. He was very special. The biggest win of my life was in the Pegasus down in Miami, so this was a really big loss. And he was going to be a great sire.”
Trainer Bill Mott said the problems started only a few days ago but became more serious by the day.
“He started to develop laminitis a couple of days ago and he went in a hurry,” Mott said. “He had a very good work on the fifth of August and was fine the next day. Then he developed what appeared to be a small foot abscess two days later. We were soaking it and treating it. We didn't think it was going to be anything serious, but it developed into laminitis in all four feet. He was with us in Saratoga and was in his stall. He started to get real uncomfortable on Tuesday. Yesterday was a bad day and it was getting worse and we had to make the decision to put him asleep.”
Art Collector was originally trained by Joe Sharp. He was transferred to trainer Tom Drury for his 3-year-old campaign. His first graded stakes win came for Drury in the 2020 GII Blue Grass S., which, because of the pandemic, was run on July 11. He returned with a win in the Ellis Park Derby before finishing fourth in the GI Preakness S., which began a three-race losing streak.
In July of 2021, Lunsford made the decision to turn the horse over to Mott, who helped turn around the horse's career. He won his first three starts for Mott in a streak that included the Alydar S., the GII Charles Town Classic and the Woodward. He scored another win in the Charles Town Classic in 2022. After winning this year's Pegasus, he finished his career with second-place finishes in the GII New Orleans Classic and the GII Alysheba.
He was being pointed for a return visit to this year's Charles Town Classic. Lunsford said the plan was to retire Art Collector after the Charles Town race and then to send him to Claiborne Farm, where he was to stand at stud.
Art Collector won 11 of 21 starts and earned $4,231,290.
“To win the Pegasus, what a brilliant race that was for him,” Mott said. “It may be the biggest race of the year so far in North America. We all have great memories of that. He won 50% of his races. He wasn't just an average race horse. He was pretty special.”
Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at both Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits.
Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. To follow are the horses entered for Sunday at Saratoga, Ellis and Del Mar:
Sunday, August 6, 2023 Saratoga 2, $136k, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:44 p.m. ET Horse (Sire), Sale, Price ($), Breeze Shore War (Omaha Beach), OBSAPR, 350,000, :10 Consignor: Mayberry Farm, agent Buyer: Bo Bromagen, agent
Ellis 4, $70k, 2yo, 6f, 2:13 p.m. ET Uncle Happy (Runhappy), OBSAPR, 70,000, :10.1 Consignor: Randy Miles, agent Buyer: Colt Pike, agent for C J Thoroughbreds
Saratoga 6, $136k, 2yo, f, 6f, 4:00 p.m. ET Before You Go Go (Mitole), FTMMAY, 310,000, :10.1 Consignor: SBM Training and Sales, agent Buyer: West Bloodstock, agent for Robert & Lawana Low
Helcia (Bernardini), OBSMAR, 600,000, :10 Consignor: Gene Recio, agent Buyer: John C Kimmel, agent for Sean Flanagan
Ruby Queen (Classic Empire), OBSJUN, 130,000, :10.1 Consignor: Paul Sharp, agent Buyer: Jeff Mackor, agent for Gus King
Del Mar 1, $82k, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 5:00 p.m. ET Avoir (More Than Ready), OBSAPR, 72,000, :10 Consignor: Eddie Woods, agent Buyer: Peter Redekop BC Limited
Pacific Rose (Not This Time), OBSMAR, 125,000, :10.1 Consignor: Paul Sharp, agent Buyer: Zap/Murphy, agent CA Racing Partner, Ciaglia & Savide
Del Mar 5, $82k, 2yo, f, 6f, 7:00 p.m. ET Cheeky Gal (Maximus Mischief), OBSAPR, 135,000, :10 Consignor: Ordonez Thoroughbreds, agent Buyer: Peter Miller, agent
Great Forty Eight (Constitution), OBSAPR, 70,000, :10.1 Consignor: Top Line Sales LLC, agent Buyer: Gayle Van Leer, agent
Nothing Like You (Malibu Moon), OBSAPR, 190,000, :10 Consignor: Wildheart Thoroughbreds LLC, agent Buyer: John Rogitz
West Will Power (Bernardini), a last-out winner of the GI Stephen Foster S., worked five furlongs in 1:02.24 (1/4) in company with the stakes-placed Tapit Shoes (Tapit) for trainer Brad Cox over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track Saturday.
West Will Power, owned and bred by Gary and Mary West, is under consideration for either next Saturday's GI Whitney S. or the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Sept. 2 at the Spa.
“It's a very prestigious race. It means a lot,” Cox said of the Whitney. “We'll see how things unfold after this work and make a decision a little bit later. We'll speak with the West team and come up with a plan.”
The Cox-trained Verifying (Justify), a narrow winner of the GIII Indiana Derby, worked a half mile in :48.75 (13/53) in company with the maiden Fighting Back (Lookin At Lucky) over the Oklahoma training track.
Cox said that Verifying will point to the seven-furlong GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Aug. 26 at Saratoga.
“He went a really good half. I wasn't looking to do a whole lot with him, but he was on it,” Cox said. “He was ready to do something.”
Charge It Breezes for Whitney…
'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit), a front-running winner of the GII Suburban S. last out downstate, worked a half mile in :48.77 (28/101) Saturday morning over the main track in his final tune up for next Saturday's Whitney.
“I thought it was excellent,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He did it well in hand and looked good doing it. I've been very pleased with the way he's trained since the Suburban.”
Pletcher continued, “He's a horse that's always trained really strongly and shown hints that he's capable to run a big race. His (GIII) Dwyer was brilliant. His Suburban, I thought, was his most professional race. He's starting to put it all together consistently. It's a very tall order going up against the best older horses in training, but we're happy with the way he's coming into it.”
Pletcher added that fellow 'Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit), fifth in the GI Haskell, will target the GI Travers S. Aug. 26.
