Airdrie Stud’s Pride on Display at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale

For over a half century, Airdrie Stud has grown into one of the most recognizable names in the breeding industry. Well known for producing future stakes horses, developing stallions or selling livestock, the Midway, Kentucky operation has become part of the very fabric of racing. And while the nursery, founded in 1972 by Governor Brereton Jones and his wife Elizabeth, has been a fixture at the yearling sales for much of its history, its return to the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale offers a departure from its sale's program in recent times.

Hailing from one of its most prolific families, Airdrie is represented by a single yearling in next week's sale, a colt by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah out of Indian Pride (Proud Citizen). Offered as Hip 79 on Monday, the Feb. 6 foal is the first foal out of TDN Rising Star Indian Pride, a daughter of Airdrie's accomplished mare Ms. Cornstalk (Indian Charlie).

“If you bring a horse to Saratoga, they better be special and I think this horse fits the bill,” Airdrie Vice President Bret Jones affirmed.

Further explaining the colt's allure, he said, “He has a lot of Indian Charlie in him. Indian Pride was all Indian Charlie–a big, strapping, powerful type that Indian Charlie would so often throw. And a lot of his brilliance as well. This colt has such a great mind, like you would hope you'd get from American Pharoah, who was such an intelligent horse. It's that combination of brilliance and thankfully, the class as well.”

While American Pharoah's racetrack accomplishments have become the stuff of legend, the colt's dam Indian Pride was hardly a secret in her own career debut for trainer Chad Brown in the summer of 2019. Sent off the 3-5 favorite negotiating six furlongs at Saratoga, she blew the doors of her competition with an eye-catching eight-length score in 1:09.45. (video) Subsequently third in Keeneland's GII Raven Run S. later that October, the Airdrie homebred rebounded to take a 6 1/2-panel Belmont allowance in her 4-year-old bow in June. In what would be her final career start, the bay triumphed in Saratoga's Shine Again S.

“A big reason that we brought this colt here is that Indian Pride ran in New York,” explained Jones.

He continued, “The best way to explain it is she's just different. I honestly think she is as good as any of the fillies we were lucky enough to win the Kentucky Oaks with [Airdrie had three winners–Proud Spell, Believe You Can and Lovely Maria].”

And according to Jones, Indian Pride's talent was plainly obvious very early on in her career.

“The first time we breezed her with Wayne Mackey, she went :24 and galloped out in :36 just as easy as you can ever see a horse do it,” he recalled. “Generally, our 2-year-olds are going in :26 or :27 the first quarter. So that was kind of our 'a ha' moment.”

“She got very sick before what was supposed to be her first start, to the point where we almost lost her. She had pneumonia. We weren't sure she could even get back to the races if she did pull through. It was a long path. She finally did start, the following year at Saratoga. We never had a horse produce a debut like she did. It looked like she was just breezing.”

Despite the high hopes of being able to catch up on lost time with the uber-talented filly, the wheel of fate would once again take another turn.

“We really thought we'd win the Ballerina with her as a 4-year-old,” Jones admitted. “She won the Ballerina prep, [the Shine Again], in 1:21 3/5. Heading to the Ballerina, we thought we had a big shot to win it but, unfortunately, she got sick again. It was never musculoskeletal–it was just lousy luck.”

Weighing in on who the filly would go to in her first season following her retirement from the track, the Airdrie team decided to send her to a stallion that was up to the quality that they felt she possessed while never fully able to demonstrate on the track.

“We felt she such was such a brilliant filly that we bred her to what we thought was about as brilliant a horse as we had ever seen–American Pharoah,” he said.

This story, however, really begins well before Indian Pride ever set foot on the racetrack with Ms. Cornstalk, who was also bred by Airdrie. After RNA'ing for $35,000 at Keeneland in January, she was subsequently withdrawn from the September sale and ultimately retired to the breeding shed at two.

Her inability to find a buyer in the ring, however, proved to be a stroke of very good fortune for the Airdrie team.

Her first foal, Biofuel (Stormin Fever), earned the juvenile filly championship in Canada in 2009 before following up with another divisional title and Horse of the Year honors at three.

“Ms. Cornstalk was just so special,” Jones said. “We bred her as a 2-year-old because she never made it to the races. Her first foal was Biofuel, which gave us her first champion when she was only five.”

He said, “She was unbelievably good to us. We didn't necessarily breed her to stallions that went on to great success. We ended up keeping Biofuel because she was by Stormin Fever and we didn't think she would bring what we thought she could at the sales.”

Two years later, Ms. Cornstalk would foal Tu Endie Wei (Johar), Canada's 2-year-old Champion Filly in 2011. Both Biofuel and Tu Endie Wei were campaigned by Brereton Jones and trained by Woodbine-based Reade Baker.

“The only other horse that I can remember that had as impressive a career debut as Indian Pride was Tu Endi Wei, who debuted in a stakes race [Woodbine's 2011 My Dear S.],” Jones recalled. “She made a Zenyatta-like move from the back where she came down the middle of the track and won going away. She was just so impressive early on that she probably had the championship sewn up then.”

Sadly, Ms. Cornstalk died shortly after foaling a colt by Airdrie stallion Upstart earlier this season. Tu Endie Wei died in 2013.

“That was a very tough loss for all of us,” said Jones of the recent loss of Ms. Cornstalk. “We still have Biofuel and several of her daughters that are all being bred to very nice stallions. So, I think this family can go on rewarding us.”

In stark contrast to the caliber of sires that Ms. Cornstalk had visited early in her career, Airdrie has gone completely the opposite route with what it considers to be her most brilliant offspring. In addition to American Pharoah, Indian Pride produced a colt by Constitution this season and was bred back to Into Michief.

Constitution is ascendant and Into Mischief is as good a stallion as there is in the world,” he said.

“With American Pharoah, we thought breeding the most brilliantly talented filly we've had to the most brilliantly talented sire we've seen, made sense,” he said. “That might be overly simplistic. It probably is, but I can promise you that the colt is just might be a little bit different himself.”

He added, “I really think he's a wow horse. He's the type of horse that when you see him, you'll think about him the rest of the day. He's just that type of physical. He's got this big, gorgeous, strapping Indian Charlie body. He's been a total class act since the day he was born. If you combine that physical and that charisma, he's just the type that stays on your mind.”

Looking forward to a return to the Saratoga sale, Jones is optimistic that the colt will be well received at a venue that can be unforgiving for a lesser animal but also explosive for the right one.

“We haven't had a horse up there in a very long time,” he said. “But I think this colt will be worth the wait.”–@CBossTDN

The post Airdrie Stud’s Pride on Display at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Retired Jockey Rosa da Silva Honored With Avelino Gomez Memorial Award

Eurico Rosa da Silva, one of Canadian Thoroughbred racing's most accomplished riders and popular personalities, has been named the 2021 recipient of the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award.

The coveted Gomez Award is given to the person, Canadian-born, Canadian-raised, or regular rider in the country for more than five years, who has made significant contributions to the sport.

It is named in memory of one of the sport's most heralded and loved performers. The Cuban-born Gomez died of complications after a three-horse accident in the 1980 Canadian Oaks.

The 46-year-old da Silva, now retired, is no doubt a worthy recipient of the award.

Da Silva won a slew of several impressive awards and high-profile races over the course of an outstanding career, including a pair of Queen's Plate triumphs, and stirring upset scores in the Grade 1 Ricoh Woodbine Mile and Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International.

His catchphrase, “Good Luck To Everybody,” was always accompanied by a wide smile, words, and a look that embodied an unabashed love for all things horse racing.

Da Silva now has another reason to flash that winning smile, as this year's Gomez honoree. He ranks the distinction as one of the most treasured moments associated with his life in the saddle.

“What a nice surprise. Jessica Buckley [Woodbine Entertainment SVP, Standardbred & Thoroughbred Racing] called and told me. I was so happy. I didn't expect this, but I feel very lucky. This is a great award. I am so thrilled. I feel like I know Avelino. I have heard so many stories about him. I've heard how great he was as a rider and how the fans loved him. So, to win this award that is named after one of the best riders, it is amazing.”

Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, da Silva launched his career in his homeland before moving to Macau. He counts the Brazil Derby, a two-mile Group 1 turf race, among his most memorable early triumphs.

Upon his arrival at Woodbine in 2004, da Silva's stated goal was to become the racetrack's leading rider. He wasted no time in putting his plan in motion.

He recorded his first Woodbine victory on May 20, 2004, teaming with Point Hidden, a bay son of Tale of the Cat, for a half-length win over five furlongs on the main track.

From there, da Silva began his steady ascent in the jockey standings.

Da Silva first topped the standings in 2010 and won the riding title from 2015-2019. In 2018, he set the record for most wins in a single meet at Woodbine with 237 victories.

A seven-time Sovereign Award winner as Canada's Outstanding Jockey, he has victories in all three legs of the Canadian Triple Crown, including consecutive editions of The Queen's Plate in 2009 and 2010, with Eye of the Leopard and Big Red Mike, respectively.

In 2017, he teamed with longshot Bullards Alley to win the Grade 1 Ricoh Woodbine Mile. Two years later, he engineered another upset, this time with El Tormenta in the Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International. He was a part of the Horse of the Year campaigns by Pink Lloyd (2017), Up With the Birds (2013), Biofuel (2010), and Fatal Bullet (2008).

Da Silva, who won his final stakes race with Pumpkin Rumble in the 2019 Valedictory Stakes, also made a name for himself on the international stage.

A lifetime winner of 2,286 races, da Silva bested his rivals to reign victorious in the 2017 World All-Star Jockeys Championship in Japan.

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Now, he can add another cherished piece of hardware to his trophy case.

“When I look back on my career, I wanted to be a good rider, but I also wanted to help in the community as well,” said da Silva, who released his autobiography, 'Riding For Freedom,' in late 2020, and now works as a Certified Mind Coach. “The fans, the community around Woodbine, all of it is important to me.

“This honor made me reflect on my career and all the great people and horses I connected with. What it makes me think about is every day that I walked into the jocks' room and how happy I was to do that. So many great riders, like Avelino, were there. I was proud to be able to walk into that room and be part of one of the toughest jockey colonies in the world. Woodbine is so competitive. When you are able to accomplish your dreams, it is very rewarding.”

To commemorate his contributions to the sport, a life-size statue of Gomez, who called Toronto home and raised a family there, keeps watch over Woodbine's walking ring. A replica is presented to each year's honoree.

Although presented annually on Woodbine Oaks day at Woodbine (August 1 this year), this year's ceremony will take place on September 19 at Woodbine. With attendance currently limited to due COVID restrictions, the September date will allow more fans to share in the festivities.

Da Silva joins Ron Turcotte, Johnny Longden, Sandy Hawley, Don MacBeth, Chris Rogers, Jeff Fell, Lloyd Duffy, Hugo Dittfach, Robin Platts, Larry Attard, Don Seymour, David Gall, Richard Grubb, Irwin Driedger, David Clark, Jim McKnight, Chris Loseth, Richard Dos Ramos, Robert Landry, Francine Villeneuve, Sam Krasner, John LeBlanc Sr., George Ho Sang, Jack Lauzon, Robert King Jr., Stewart Elliott, Emile Ramsammy, Steve Bahen, Mickey Walls, Patrick Husbands, Quincy Welch, Gary Stahlbaum, Gary Boulanger, Emma-Jayne Wilson, and Frank Barroby as Gomez honorees.

The post Retired Jockey Rosa da Silva Honored With Avelino Gomez Memorial Award appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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