Tag: Bob Baffert

Dubai World Cup Winner Country Grammer Retired To WinStar

2022 G1 Dubai World Cup winner Country Grammer (Tonalist) has been retired at the age of six. He will stand the 2024 season at WinStar Farm for an introductory fee of $10,000 LFSN.

Campaigned by Commonwealth, WinStar Farm, and Zedan Racing, the Bob Baffert-trained colt started three times this year, finishing second for the second year in a row in the G1 Saudi Cup but failing to hit the board in both his Dubai World Cup defense and the GII Hollywood Gold Cup S. May 29.

Bought for just $110,000 by WinStar at the 2021 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, Country Grammar retires with a record of 17-5-6-1 and career earnings of $14,801,320.

“Being a Grade I winner on the biggest stage in Dubai, beating 24 individual Grade I winners in his career, and being the third-highest earner of all time, Country Grammer makes for a special stallion prospect,” said Elliott Walden, president, CEO, and racing manager of WinStar Farm. “He is a real throwback to the great horses of our time, and he retired sound.”

For more information on Country Grammer, contact Liam O'Rourke, Olivia Desch, or Ben Hanley at (859) 873-1717, or visit WinStarFarm.com.

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Saturday Runners Return Fine, Look To The Future

Three conditioners divided-up the five graded stakes races on Pacific Classic Day. Bob Baffert and Phil D'Amato won two each and Doug O'Neill grabbed the other one. It should come as no surprise to anyone that the three winning trainers top the trainer standings at Del Mar heading into Sunday's racing.

Bob Baffert was in the grandstand Sunday morning watching some of his horses work. Back at the barn, his Pacific Classic winner, Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) was resting-up from his race; Baffert indicating the 'TDN Rising Star' came out of the race fine.

“That was a good race for him,” Baffert says. “He ran hard.”

Arabian Knight punched his ticket to the Breeders' Cup Classic with his wire-to-wire win Saturday and time will tell as to whether or not he'll run in a prep before the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita in November.

“We don't know what we're going to do there yet,” Baffert says. “We'll give him a couple weeks.”

Same could be said for his rival Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}), who came up a neck short. It was a winning effort and for that he got to sleep in.

“We haven't had him out of bed yet,” trainer Richard Mandella said Sunday morning, “but he looked good last night. I think he'll be all right.”

The third-place finisher in the Pacific Classic also came out of his race in good order. Trainer Doug O'Neill says Slow Down Andy (Nyquist) will be pointed to the Breeders' Cup but he did not mention a prep race.

O'Neill's assistant, Leandro Mora, was very proud of  Andy'.

“He just needs a little change in luck,” Mora says with a smile. “We need Baffert to go somewhere else. He sure can do those big races.”

On the East Coast, all was well with the runners from Saturday's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said he was pleased with the effort from Bright Future (Curlin) and that he emerged from the race in good order.

“He looks excellent and came out of the race well,” said Pletcher. “Happy guy.”

Trainer Michael Stidham expressed a strong sense of pride in Godolphin's homebred Proxy (Tapit) who, despite lacking racing room down the backstretch, was able to launch a strong stretch drive to come up a nose shy of the victory.

“He certainly stamped himself in that top group to go to the Breeders' Cup,” Stidham said. “I would say right now, we're looking at just going straight to the Breeders' Cup.”

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Arabian Knight Gives Baffert Record-Breaking Win in Pacific Classic

Sent off as the 2-1 favorite despite a below-par third behind the re-opposing Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GI TVG.com Haskell S. July 22, Zedan Racing Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) became the first 3-year-old since Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}) in 2014 to best his elders in the GI FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic at Del Mar, earning a spot in the field for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita in the process.

“Those two horses (Arabian Knight and Geaux Rocket Ride) are really good horses,” winning Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said. “The wire couldn't come soon enough. I know it was crazy to come back here and run him at a mile and a quarter, but if you're going to get beat, I'd rather get beat in a Grade I. I loved the way he digs and fought and he's going to get better.”

Kicked straight into the lead from an outside gate by Flavien Prat–who was the passenger aboard Flightline in last year's history-making Pacific Classic, the $2.3-million topper from the 2022 OBS April Sale made the running once guided down onto the fence as Geaux Rocket Ride tracked from just behind while also hugging the inside.

Controlling the pace down the backstretch and around the second turn, Arabian Knight began to feel pressure from Slow Down Andy (Nyquist) as Geaux Rocket Ride was poised to pounce. It appeared as if the front-runner was in hot water, but he continued to find at the rail and was home narrowly best over Geaux Rocket Ride to give trainer Bob Baffert his record-setting seventh win in the race, breaking a tie with the late Bobby Frankel.

A 'Rising Star' on debut over Breeders' Cup weekend at Keeneland last fall, Arabian Knight splashed home an easy winner while making his two-turn debut in Oaklawn's GIII Southwest S. Jan. 28. He returned from the shelf with a third-place finish as the favorite in the Jersey Shore centerpiece last time.

“He's a nice horse and he showed it today,” Prat said. “He was running easily for me all the way around. He's lightly raced and I think this race will only make him better. It's an honor to win a big race like this.”

Pedigree Notes:

A 15th Grade I winner for the outstanding Uncle Mo, Arabian Knight is out of Borealis Night, herself a $450,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, who was fourth in a lone racetrack appearance for owner/trainer Ralph Nicks in late 2018 and was scooped up by Nathan McCauley's River Oak Farm for just $50,000 at the Fasig-Tipton February a few months later.

The mare had some pedigree underneath her as a half-sister to the three-times graded-placed Kinsley Kisses (Congrats) and GSP Spooky Woods (Ghostzapper) and that helped earn her a date in the breeding shed with Uncle Mo. Consigned to the 2019 Keeneland November Sale, Borealis Night was hammered down to Corser Thoroughbreds for $285,000 and the operation recovered a fair bit of that outlay when Scott and Evan Dilworth paid $250,000 for the colt at Keeneland September in 2021.

Prepared by Top Line Sales, agent, for last year's OBS April Sale, the bay breezed an eighth of a mile in :9 4/5 and went on to top the event on a bid of $2.3 million from Gary Young, agent for Zedan Racing Stable. The latter also purchased Princess Noor (Not This Time) off Top Line for a sales-topping $1.35 million at OBSAPR in 2020.

The first daughter of Astrology to be represented by a stakes winner, Borealis Night is also the dam of a yearling colt by Quality Road.

Saturday, Del Mar Thoroughbred
FANDUEL RACING PACIFIC CLASSIC S.-GI, $1,002,500, Del Mar, 9-2, 3yo/up, 1 1/4m, 2:03.19, ft.
1–ARABIAN KNIGHT, 118, c, 3, by Uncle Mo
                1st Dam: Borealis Night, by Astrology
                2nd Dam: Winter Forest, by Forestry
                3rd Dam: Shivering Six, by Saratoga Six
1ST GRADE I WIN. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($250,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $2,300,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Corser Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat. $600,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $1,244,275. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Geaux Rocket Ride, 118, c, 3, Candy Ride (Arg)–Beyond Grace, by Uncle Mo. ($350,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL). O-Pin Oak Stud LLC; B-OXO Equine LLC (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella. $200,000.
3–Slow Down Andy, 124, c, 4, Nyquist–Edwina E, by Square Eddie. O/B-Reddam Racing, LLC (CA); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $120,000.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, 1. Odds: 2.10, 2.20, 11.30.
Also Ran: Senor Buscador, Skinner, Defunded, Piroli, Tripoli, Order and Law, Stilleto Boy. Scratched: Katonah.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Vino Rosso’s Wine Me Up Gutsy on Del Mar Unveiling

3rd-Del Mar, $84,500, Msw, 9-2, 2yo, 6f, 1:11.43, ft, 1 1/2 lengths.
WINE ME UP (c, 2, Vino Rosso–Deanaallen'skitten {SW, $374,246}, by Kitten's Joy) found his feet after bobbling a touch at the jump and took no time getting to the front, speeding through :22.01, and :45.44 early splits as D'Oro Dash (Bolt d'Oro) hounded him from second as part of the lead trio. Vying with challengers through the turn, Wine Me Up had to dig, but found more in the stretch to kick away from his longtime shadow and score by 1 1/2 lengths.

Out of an accomplished racemare, the victor is the fifth to get his picture taken for the dam and has a yearling full-brother waiting in the wings. That sibling is thus far the last registered offspring as Deanallen'skitten did not catch in 2023. She visited Highly Motivated for 2024. Wine Me Up is Vino Rosso's ninth winner among multiple on the day. 'Insights' runner Arthur (Uncle Mo) finished eighth while $1.25m FTSAUG purchase Mc Vay (Constitution) placed one above him. Sales history: $115,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $300,000 2yo '23 OBSOPN. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $49,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman; B-Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

 

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