Tag: Bloodstock

Grade 1 winner and multiple Grade 1 placed Lexitonian's first foal arrived Sunday, Jan. 29 at Calumet Farm.

The filly, out of Vinca (Oxbow – Elusive Diva, by Elusive Quality), was bred by Calumet Farm, who raced and owns the stallion. Vinca is out of multiple graded stakes winner Elusive Diva and is a half-sister to champion sprinter Roy H.

“We've been excited to see the foals for our homebred Lexitonian and are delighted that the first one is born at Calumet,” said Eddie Kane, general manager of Calumet. He continued, “She has a lot of leg, good bone, and is well balanced. If this is any indicator of what his babies are going to look like, we're going to be off to a great start.”

Lexitonian is a Grade 1-winning son of champion Speighstown. He broke his maiden in impressive fashion in his first start at two at Belmont before going on to win the Grade 3 Chick Lang Stakes and Concern Stakes at three while also hitting the board in the G2 Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland.

At four, he ran second by a nose to Collusion Illusion in the G1 Bing Crosby Stakes. In his 5-year-old campaign he ran second by a head to Flagstaff in the hotly contested G1 Churchill Downs Stakes before scoring a huge victory in the G1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga.

Lexitonian is the first foal out of Riviera Romper (Tapit). She is the daughter of G1 Test winner Swap Fliparoo that Calumet acquired at the 2015 Keeneland November Sale for $310,000.

Lexitonian stands for $7,500.

The post ‘Off To A Great Start’: First Foal Is A Filly For Lane’s End Stallion Lexitonian appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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After another season of proving near-unbeatable within her home state, Amadevil was named 2022 Ohio-bred Horse of the Year by Ohio Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners.

The 5-year-old daughter of Dominus won five of six starts during her 2022 campaign, and she went undefeated in the state of Ohio, racing for the partnership of Blue Snow Racing Stables and David Wolochuk, who also trains the horse. Chelsey Keiser rode Amadevil for each of her Ohio starts.

Amadevil's season started in May at Thistledown, where she led at every point of call to take a six-furlong allowance race by 1 1/2 lengths. She followed up that victory a month later with a convincing 5 3/4-length score in the Best of Ohio Diana Stakes at Belterra Park.

Following her score at Belterra, Amadevil ventured out to Saratoga Race course for the Grade 2 Honorable Miss Handicap, marking both her first graded stakes attempt and her first start outside of her home state. After setting the pace through the opening quarter, jockey Jose Ortiz eased the filly, and she was vanned off due to exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage.

Amadevil returned to her home state for her three remaining starts, all victories, including successful defenses of her 2021 scores in the Michael G. Mackey Memorial Angenora Stakes and Scarlet and Gray Handicap, both at Thistledown.

In addition to earning Horse of the Year honors, Amadevil was also named Ohio's champion female sprinter.

Amadevil's campaign also influenced several other Ohio awards in 2022, including both Stallion of the Year and Broodmare of the Year.

Her sire, Dominus, stands at Duncan Farms in Warsaw, Ohio. He arrived in Ohio ahead of the 2022 breeding season after beginning his stud career in Kentucky at Spendthrift Farm.

Amadevil was bred in Ohi0 by Imagine, out of the unraced Pulpit mare Preachette. Imagine acquired Preachette for $15,000 at the 2015 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, and Amadevil is her first foal to race.

Following is a complete list of Ohio's 2022 year-end champions:

Owner of the Year: Lowell Allen and W. John Bourke

Breeder of the Year: Lowell Allen and W. John Bourke

Trainer of the Year: Jeff Radosevich

Horse of the Year: Amadevil

Owner: Blue Snow Racing Stables and David Wolochuk

Breeder: Imagine

Trainer: David Wolochuk

Stallion of the Year: Dominus

Standing at: Duncan Farms

Broodmare of the Year: Preachette

Owner: Imagine

Champion Handicap Horse: I Wanna Win

Owner: Elkhorn Oaks, Inc.

Breeder: Elkhorn Oaks, Inc.

Trainer: James Jackson

Champion Handicap Mare: I Recall

Owner: Lowell Allen and W. John Bourke

Breeder: Lowell Allen and W. John Bourke

Trainer: W. John Bourke

Champion Female Sprinter: Amadevil

Owner: Blue Snow Racing Stables and David Wolochuk

Breeder: Imagine

Trainer:  David Wolochuk

Champion Male Sprinter: Dougie D Oro

Owner: Jerry S. Sparks

Breeder: Douglas Shanyfelt

Trainer: Jerry S. Sparks

Champion Accredited Male: Relish the Ride

Owner: Aurora Racing

Breeder: Mapleton Thoroughbred Farm

Trainer: Jeff Radosevich

Champion Accredited Female: Aunt Bee

Owner: Built Wright Stables LLC

Breeder: Hal Snowden Jr.

Trainer: Norman L. Cash

Ohio Bred Claimer of the Year: Aunt Bee

Owner: Built Wright Stables LLC

Breeder: Hal Snowden Jr.

Trainer: Norman L. Cash

Champion 3-Year-Old Male: Country Club Bobby

Owner: Bruce Ryan

Breeder: Bruce Ryan

Trainer: Jeff Radosevich

Champion 3-Year-Old Filly: R Three Angels

Owner: Jason DaCosta

Breeder: CFP Thoroughbreds LLC

Trainer: Jason DaCosta

Champion 2-Year-Old Male: Fair and Square

Owner: WinStar Farm LLC and Blazing Meadows Farm LLC

Breeder: WinStar Farm LLC and Blazing Meadows Farm LLC

Trainer: Timothy E. Hamm

Champion 2-Year-Old Filly: Back to Ohio

Owner: Patricia's Hope LLC

Breeder: Trail M Boarding and Guest Farm

Trainer: Larry Rivelli

OTBO Award of Merit: Jeff Radosevich reaching the 3000-win milestone.

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Pete McCormick, a longtime fixture as a bidspotter at Keeneland, died Thursday at age 75.

A native of Ontario, Calif., McCormick was a boy when given his first job in the auction business from the legendary Tom Caldwell, the longtime head auctioneer at Keeneland, who took McCormick under his wing. McCormick also served in the U. S. Marine Corps. At the time of his death, he was living near his family in East Bend, N.C.

Following is a statement from Keeneland president and CEO Shannon Arvin:

“The Keeneland family mourns the passing of Pete McCormick, who was an iconic presence in the Keeneland Sales Pavilion during his four decades as a bid spotter.

“Pete famously said, 'My life is the auction business,' and he was widely respected by colleagues and horsemen for his tireless work ethic, professionalism and devotion to his craft. He would arrive at the sale two to three hours before the auction began to walk the barns, talking to buyers and consignors and getting to know the horses. His extensive knowledge and his demeanor won him a legion of fans, many of them buyers at the highest level, who showed their confidence in Pete by sitting in his area of the ring to place their bids. He was their good-luck charm.

“Keeneland extends its deepest condolences to Pete's family, especially his son, Ken. He will be greatly missed.”

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Epicenter, born and raised at Westwind Farms in Bowling Green, Ky., was honored Thursday night as the Eclipse Award champion for North America's outstanding 3-year-old colt of 2022.

The now-retired Epicenter was campaigned by Ron Winchell, the co-managing partner of The Mint Gaming Hall at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky., and The Mint Gaming Hall Bowling Green. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Epicenter won four of eight 2022 starts, with three seconds, while earning $2,810,000. His only race at three in which he didn't finish at least second was his last start, with Epicenter pulled up after suffering a leg injury in the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland.

“You strive to have a horse like that, but you don't ever expect it,” said Westwind president Mike Harris, who owns the farm with brothers Brent and Kevin. “It made it a fun year. I was quietly confident he'd be champion. I just didn't think anybody had done more than he had.”

Brent Harris and his wife, Beth, attended the Eclipse Award ceremony at The Breakers Palm Beach, Fla., with Winchell including them in the entourage on the stage as he made his acceptance speech.

To Mike Harris' knowledge, the only other champion Thoroughbred born in Bowling Green was My Juliet, a 24-time winner who as a 4-year-old filly in 1976 was voted champion sprinter. She was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2019. My Juliet was bred by the Harris brothers' grandfather, J.R. Bettersworth, and born and raised on the same land that launched Epicenter. Most Kentucky-bred champions are foaled around Central Kentucky and no farther west than Louisville.

The Eclipse Award voting for 3-year-old champion was expected to be a close race with Taiba, who finished a distant third in the Breeders' Cup Classic won by unbeaten Horse of the Year Flightline. Taiba had finished the season with three Grade 1 victories, with Saratoga's prestigious Travers Stakes the only Grade 1 for Epicenter. But the voters clearly regarded Epicenter as the superior horse who probably was the best when second in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Epicenter also won a trio of Grade 2 stakes in the Louisiana Derby and Risen Star in New Orleans and Saratoga's Jim Dandy.

“Handicapping the 3-year-old Eclipse Award was a little bit like watching the Derby,” Winchell said in accepting the award, referencing the fact that Epicenter looked like the Kentucky Derby winner the last eighth-mile until passed in the final strides on the inside by 80-1 Rich Strike. “You couldn't figure out who was going to win until the wire came up.”

Winchell paid special tribute to the Keeneland and Breeders' Cup track team and jockey Joel Rosario for the quick action after Epicenter was injured.

“Their efforts truly saved Epicenter and gave him a chance for a second career,” he said.

The voting turned out not to be close, with Epicenter garnering 155 first-place votes to 66 for Taiba. The Eclipse winners are determined in voting by members of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, Daily Racing Form employees, Equibase field personnel and representatives from National Thoroughbred Racing Association-member tracks.

Winchell purchased Epicenter, a son of the hot young sire Not This Time, from Westwind Farms for $260,000 at Keeneland's 2020 September yearling sale. The colt went on to capture six of 11 career starts, with three seconds, for earnings of $2,940,639. Epicenter is now a stallion at Ashford Stud in Woodford County, the American operation of the international Coolmore breeding and racing conglomerate.

The Harrises sold Epicenter's dam, Silent Candy, to Avenue Bloodstock for $625,000 at Keeneland's November sale with the mare carrying a full sibling to Epicenter. Winchell purchased Silent Candy's yearling daughter sired by Tapiture for $170,000 at Keeneland's 2022 yearling sale. Winchell also campaigned Tapiture, a winner of $1.5 million.

“I've got no regrets,” Mike Harris said of selling Epicenter's mom. “She was too valuable for us to keep. The farm isn't going to breed but about 10 mares this year. But we are going to breed a mare to Epicenter.”

The Harrises still have a current yearling out of Silent Candy, by Outwork.

“We may end up keeping her and racing her ourselves,” Mike said. “We don't have anything else from the family. But we've got time before we have to make up our mind whether to sell or not.”

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