LA-Breds To Race For Nearly $6m In Stakes Purses This Year

The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association will have a nearly $6,000,000 stakes schedule this year the LTBA announced Tuesday. Offered over 67 stakes races, of which 33 will offer a purse of over $100,000, the purses are part of a continuing program to support accredited Louisiana-breds along with incentives for breeders and stallion owners.

“We are proud to offer a dynamic stakes program that provides a year-round schedule for Accredited Louisiana breds,” said LTBA secretary-treasurer Roger Heitzmann III. “Our owners and trainers have found this to be a tremendous benefit, and we are thankful to have four tracks that do great job of supporting Louisiana breds”

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KTBIF Awards Over $16 Million to Kentucky Breeders for 2023

Edited Press Release

Awards are on the way to Kentucky's Thoroughbred breeders participating in the commonwealth's Thoroughbred Breeders' Incentive Fund (KTBIF) program. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) announces the release of $16.2 million through the KTBIF.

“Our horse farm families are the backbone of our racing industry, and I'm proud to support the Incentive Fund that keeps mares and foals in Kentucky,” said Gov. Andy Beshear.

According to the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, the Kentucky Equine industry generates $6.5 billion and supports more than 60,000 jobs.

In fact, 2023 was a good year for business. Highlights include:

  • Kentucky-bred horses won 63% of all graded stakes races in the U.S.
  • Kentucky-bred horses won 298 graded stakes races with 68 of them held at one of Kentucky's five Thoroughbred racetracks.
  • Kentucky-bred horses have won the last nine Kentucky Derbies and last seven Kentucky Oaks.
  • Kentucky-bred horses took home the hardware in all three legs of the Triple Crown: Mage (Good Magic) won the Kentucky Derby; National Treasure (Quality Road) won the Preakness and Arcangelo (Arrogate) won the Belmont S.
  • Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) won the Kentucky Oaks.
  • Kentucky-bred Cody's Wish (Curlin) won the 2023 Horse of the Year Eclipse Award Winner.
  • Mage and Pretty Mischievous both will receive a $50,000 KTBIF bonus.

The KTBIF was implemented in 2005 to ensure the strength of Kentucky's equine industry by awarding funds to individuals who choose to breed a Thoroughbred mare in Kentucky. To qualify, the mare must be bred to a Kentucky registered stallion, remain in the state during her full gestation and foal in Kentucky.  Final award amounts are then based on the foal's eventual earnings at the racetrack.

The KTBIF is funded through a percentage of the sales tax paid when a stallion is bred to a mare in Kentucky. Since the fund's inception, more than $234 million has been distributed to Kentucky breeders for winning eligible races worldwide.

A list of the 2023 award winners, along with the amount awarded and other interesting statistics, can be found on the KHRC website by clicking here.

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For WinStar’s New Recruits, Walden Says the Numbers Stand Out

Elliott Walden has nothing but confidence in WinStar Farm's two new stallion recruits for 2024 and he has the numbers to show it. The speedy Two Phil's (Hard Spun) posted some eye-catching figures this year as a 3-year-old, including 105 Beyer Speed Figures in both the GIII Ohio Derby and his runner-up performance in the GI Kentucky Derby. Meanwhile his new studmate Country Grammer (Tonalist), winner of the G1 Dubai World Cup, retired as the third highest-earning North American-bred horse of all time–behind great company in Arrogate and Gun Runner– with earnings of over $14.9 million.

With stud fees set at $12,500 for Two Phil's and $10,000 for Country Grammer, Walden said he believes the future is bright for this pair and the breeders who are finding value in WinStar's newcomers.

“We've been very excited with how they've been received,” said Walden. “Both horses bring something a little bit different to the table. Country Grammer is a Seattle Slew-line horse through Tonalist and Tapit and he comes from a great Juddmonte family, so he brings stamina to mares that have a little kick to them and he's going to give a great physique. Two Phil's is a horse that people are really responding to. They know how good of a racehorse he was and for $12,500, when the other 3-year-olds in the crop are probably going to be standing for three times that, he provides great value.”

Trained by Chicago native Larry Rivelli, Two Phil's was the feel-good story of the Windy City as he claimed four stakes wins and earned over $1.5 million for fellow Chicagoans Philip Sagan and Patricia's Hope LLC, with Madaket Stables also joining the ownership group this year.

The son of Hard Spun came on WinStar's radar after his dominating score in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks, where his 5 ½ Ragozin figure ranked him at the top of the list of Kentucky Derby contenders. The colt's second-place performance on the first Saturday in May confirmed WinStar's belief in his ability.

“He was up close to a very fast pace,” Walden recalled. “To turn for home and take the lead, obviously he had to be exhausted because it was a very fast pace, but he just tried to hang on and fought Mage (Good Magic) all the way to the wire. Then when you look at the gallop out, he actually comes back and gallops out in front.”

In Two Phil's final career start in the GIII Ohio Derby, he recorded a near six-length win over Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo), a colt co-owned by WinStar that had finished second by a head to MGISW Arcangelo (Arrogate) in his prior start in the GIII Peter Pan S.

“That just shows the kind of quality that Two Phil's had as a racehorse,” said Walden. “He had form on multiple surfaces and on multiple racetracks. He also won a graded stake in the slop as a 2-year-old. He was just a racehorse.”

While Two Phil's racing career is reminiscent of his sire's–as Hard Spun also recorded two stakes wins as a juvenile and won the same Derby prep at three–it is the sire line in and of itself that Walden said made Two Phil's a good fit for their stallion program.

“We've been looking for a Danzig horse for a long time,” he explained. “Danzig is a horse that keeps giving in this industry. When you see Danzig in a pedigree–Uncle Mo, War Front, now Omaha Beach is coming on–you need to take notice. Hard Spun is a very underrated stallion and the thing that Two Phil's brings is that he's a very good-looking son of Hard Spun. He's well-balanced, has a great head and good topline and he's well-sprung on his hocks. I think he'll compliment mares just because of his size and his balance.”

Country Grammer ahead of his victory in the 2022 G1 Dubai World Cup | Dubai Racing Club

Country Grammer is another horse that Walden said has caught the eye of breeders visiting the stallions at WinStar.

“We did a showcase last summer of Life is Good, Nashville and Country Grammer and there were as many people that were as taken back with Country Grammer as they were Life Is Good and Nashville,” he recalled. “We know how popular Life Is Good and Nashville have been, so we're really excited about Country Grammer for 2024. He's a big, scopey horse that has a long, sloping shoulder. He's the kind of horse that you would expect to run two turns and I think he'll compliment mares because he'll help mares get the kind of physical that breeders would want at the sales.”

A $450,000 2-year-old at the OBS Spring Sale, Country Grammer started out in the Chad Brown barn and was originally campaigned by Paul Pompa. After breaking his maiden at two, the colt went on to claim the GIII Peter Pan S. the following year. He caught the eye of the WinStar team while spending time at the farm on a layoff. Following the passing of Paul Pompa, WinStar acquired the colt at the 2021 Keeneland January Sale.

From there, the son of Tonalist was sent to Bob Baffert and collected victories in the 2021 GI Hollywood Gold Cup S., the 2022 G1 Dubai World Cup over a field that included Life is Good, Midnight Bourbon and Hot Rod Charlie, and the 2022 GII San Antonio S. He also placed in four additional Grade I contests over his five-year career, including a runner-up effort in this year's G1 Saudi Cup.

“He ran at a high level on the East Coast, West Coast and the Middle East for a long time,” said Walden. “In this day and age when soundness and race record is important, I think he's a high-quality horse. He comes from a great Juddmonte family–the family of Obligatory (Curlin) and Bonny South (Munnings) that has been giving good runners for a long time. It's really exciting to have a horse like him at the price that we have him at for 2024.”

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Ken Freirich’s Better World Records Pledges Breeders’ Cup Match

Thoroughbred owner and songwriter/executive producer Ken Freirich of Better World Records will make a $20,000 donation to Breeders' Cup Charities if the 40th Day $20,000 match goal is met during the final stage of the program, the Breeders' Cup said in a release Friday.

Breeders' Cup Limited has pledged to match up to $20,000 of funds raised on the 40th day which, in conjunction with Mr. Freirich's donation, could see $60,000 being raised on the final day alone.

“Breeders' Cup Charities is so thankful to Mr. Freirich and Better World Records for supporting 40 Days of Giving with such generosity,” said Stefanie Palmieri, Vice President of Events at Breeders' Cup Limited.

The $20,000 match donation from Better World Records on behalf of Random Acts of Kindness celebrates the new single “Free to Roam,” a top 20 Billboard AC hit.

“I am thrilled to partner with the Breeders Cup to support their charitable mission on this wonderful occasion, the 40th Running of the Breeders Cup,” said Freirich. “I really was moved by the 40 Days of Giving program and hope to inspire others to give to these very deserving Thoroughbred industry nonprofits.”

Click here for more information about the 40 Days of Giving.

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