Tag: breeders’ cup classic

Geaux Rocket Ride Succumbs to Injuries

GI Haskell S. winner and GI Breeders' Cup Classic contender Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}–Beyond Grace, by Uncle Mo), who was pulled up with an open condylar fracture earlier this week in routine morning work at Santa Anita, has been euthanized, his connections announced Wednesday afternoon. He had undergone successful surgery Sunday evening, but did not recover as well as hoped, owner Pin Oak Stud had originally said in a Monday update.

Pin Oak gave a final update on X, formerly known as Twitter, late Wednesday, saying, “Our hearts are broken but Geaux Rocket Ride is at peace. We will miss you forever, Rocket.”

Pin Oak's official statement said: “It is with very heavy hearts that we report that, at the recommendation of the medical team, Geaux Rocket Ride has finally reached peace. His mind and his spirit never quit, but his body never recovered from surgery. He had a very rare response post-op and he wasn't able to stand up again. He fought hard and our team of vets tried everything they could.

“We are grateful for Dr. Bramlage, Dr. Carpenter, Dr. Slovis, Dr. Klohnen and all of the other doctors and medical staff who helped Rocket. We are appreciative of all of the support that we've received from everyone. We made sure he knew how loved he was. Geaux Rocket Ride was the first member of our Pin Oak family and he will never be forgotten. We will miss you forever, Rocket.”

Bred by OXO Equine LLC in Kentucky, Geaux Rocket Ride was a $350,000 purchase on behalf of the Pin Oak team at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale in 2021. Sent to Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, he burst onto the scene this January with a 5 3/4-length maiden special weight win at Santa Anita. After winning the Affirmed S. in June, he shipped across the country to Monmouth Park and won the TVG.com Haskell S. He also placed in both the GI Fanduel Racing Pacific Classic and the GII San Felipe S. His final record was 5-3-2-0 with earnings of $980,200.

The Breeders' Cup also released a statement late Wednesday, saying: “The immense effort that went into Geaux Rocket Ride's medical care following Saturday's injury is a testament to his team's deep commitment to his wellbeing. Our thoughts are with Pin Oak Stud LLC, Richard Mandella, and everyone affected by his loss.”

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Catching Up with 2015 Breeders’ Cup Classic Winner American Pharoah

The sport's first Triple Crown winner since 1978, American Pharoah famously went through Fasig-Tipton's Select Saratoga Yearling Sale in 2013 only to be bought back by his breeder to race as a homebred. He spent eight months at Taylor Made Farm before the sale; Mark Taylor, who has had his hands on a lot of nice horses, distinctly remembers him.

“It's kind of a microcosm of this industry: when you think you have it figured out, you don't have it figured out. He was born at Vinery, then went to Tom Van Meter. We got him in December of his weanling year; he stayed with us through the Saratoga sale, so we had him December through August.

“This is no revisionist history; he was not the highest-regarded yearling on our farm.”

Taylor continued: “He was a very, very nice horse, very well balanced. Great body, great muscle, very correct, huge walk, touch long in his pasterns. I've looked back on our notes and he got into Saratoga on his physical. He was a nice horse, but he went up there and, really, everybody looked and said, 'Zayat Stables bred this horse, they're not going to give him away. I'm not really going to risk that much on a Pioneerof the Nile right now.' If you look back on it, Pioneerof the Nile had 2-year-olds when he was a yearling. We must have had 20 people ask what the Zayats would take for this horse; they really did want a lot for the stage Pioneerof the Nile was at in his career and we didn't get him sold.

“In the end, we had the Triple Crown winner right there in front of us, right in front of all the best judges of horseflesh, and no one took a swing. It was amazing. It's a cautionary tale that you have to give every horse a chance.”

American Pharoah (2012 bay horse, Pioneerof the Nile–Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman)

Lifetime record: Horse of the Year, Ch. 2yo colt, Ch. 3yo colt, MGISW, 11-9-1-0, $8,650,300

Breeders' Cup connections: B/O-Zayat Stables, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Victor Espinoza.

Current location: Coolmore America/Ashford Stud, Versailles, Ky.

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A Classic Season for Castellano

ARCADIA, CA – As Javier Castellano gets ready to ride three mounts on Breeders' Cup Saturday, the recently turned 46-year-old is amidst one of the best years of his career. And it almost never happened.

A pair of Breeders' Cup wins at the 2019 Championships put an exclamation point on the Hall of Famer's eighth straight season with more than $20 million in earnings. But, the year 2020, like it was for so many, was more about overcoming adversity for the native of Venezuela.

Castellano was the first jockey to test positive for COVID-19–he wasn't symptomatic, thankfully–during the beginning of the pandemic in March and was on the sidelines again after undergoing hip surgery at the end of the year.

“It was tough, not just for myself, but for everybody in the world in 2020,” Castellano said. “I only missed three months. And it seemed like it was forever.”

Castellano returned to action in 2021, but wasn't exactly welcomed back with open arms. Competing in pound for pound the deepest jockey colony in the nation in New York, Castellano rode 105 winners that season, good for $9,804,024 in earnings. After going just 13-for-142 at the prestigious Saratoga meeting, Castellano's career was suddenly at a crossroads.

Javier Castellano entered the Hall of Fame in 2017 | Horsephotos

“I was devastated. I was ready to give up,” said Castellano, a winner of four straight Eclipse Awards as Outstanding Jockey between 2013-16. “I just came back from everything and people didn't give me an opportunity. One moment I thought, 'I think this is it. I can't keep doing what I'm doing.' I was really really depressed.”

He continued, “They didn't care about who you are or what you did in the past. It's amazing. I was a Hall of Fame rider, a four-time leading jockey in the nation in back-to-back years, had six Travers then, 12 Breeders' Cups and won more than 5,000 races. And it didn't mean anything. You have to prove yourself and that you belong.”

Castellano picked himself up off the mat and hired longtime former racing official P.J. Campo to handle his book. He began to right the ship with 163 victories in 2022. By comparison, Castellano rode a total of 212 winners combined the previous two years.

How did he power his way through?

“Mentally, I had to be strong,” said Castellano, a married father of three. “A lot of discipline and dedication. Do the homework every single day. Regroup and try to be very positive.”

The momentum began to build for Castellano after he won three races on Saratoga's opening day card that summer.

“In 2022, we started rolling a little bit in Saratoga,” Castellano said. “I also went out of town for the right people and won some races. I knock a little bit and the door began to open a little here and there.”

Castellano is no longer the one doing the knocking this year.

He put to bed an 0-for-15 mark on the first Saturday in May with a 15-1 upset aboard Mage (Good Magic) in the GI Kentucky Derby, and, just five weeks later, secured his first GI Belmont S. victory with Arcangelo (Arrogate). Castellano became the first jockey to win two Triple Crown races on two different horses in the same year since Calvin Borel did so in 2009. He's won 16 graded races so far this year, including seven at the top level.

“Thank God, I've been very blessed and very fortunate to have one of the best years of my career,” Castellano said. “It was a great achievement to win the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, two Triple Crown races in the same year. I was always missing something on my resume.”

With Castellano's two Classic winners on a collision course this summer, he stuck with the recently retired Arcangelo, who followed up with a convincing win in the GI Travers S., the rider's record seventh victory in the 'Mid-Summer Derby.' The gray, unfortunately, was scratched from the Breeders' Cup Classic–a race Castellano won aboard the sensational Ghostzapper in 2004–earlier this week after developing a foot issue.

Javier Castellano celebrates aboard Ghostzapper following the 2004 Classic | Horsephotos

“He gave me an opportunity to regroup in my career, and, in my life, and enjoy these beautiful moments with my family,” Castellano said.

As for Arcangelo missing the Classic and now off to begin his career at stud at Lane's End, he said, “This is hard, but one decision I fully support. Arcangelo is safe and sound and that's all I can really think about. He has given me so much and I'm so blessed to have been part of the team.”

Castellano's mounts on Saturday's Championship program at Santa Anita include: GI Beverly D. S. winner and E.P. Taylor S. winner Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf; GII American Turf S. winner and narrow GI Saratoga Derby Invitational S. runner-up Webslinger (Constitution) in the GII Twilight Derby; and Time for Trouble (English Channel) in the 1 5/8-mile GII Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance S.

“It could be a good example for anybody,” Castellano concluded. “You never give up. When you want something in life, you have to work for it. When you work for it, you get it.”

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Arabian Knight Favored at 3-1 from Post 12 for Breeders’ Cup Classic

After firing a five-furlong warning shot at Santa Anita Monday morning, Zedan Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) was installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite while drawing post 12 at the Rood & Riddle Post-Position Draw for Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

The Bob Baffert-trained GI Pacific Classic hero and $2.3-million OBS April breezer will face 12 rivals in the $6-million centerpiece, including fellow sophomore and the rail-drawn GI Belmont S. and GI Travers S. hero Arcangelo (Arrogate), GI Whitney S. winner White Abarrio (Race Day) and G1 Dubai World Cup winner Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}).

All four of Baffert's Classic winners–Bayern (2014), American Pharaoh (2015), Arrogate (2016) and Authentic (2020)–accomplished the feat during their 3-year-old seasons.

“I know this is going to be a tough race, but if he brings his 'A' game, I don't really care who's running against us,” Baffert said.

Despite missing the last two days of training with a foot issue, trainer Jena Antonucci remains confident that Arcangelo is in good form for the Classic.

“He's rather annoyed with us right now, so yes,” she said at the draw.

“He had a warm hind foot and we pulled his shoe off. We'll be patient, always put the horse first and make sure he's 100 percent.”

From the rail out, the complete field for the Classic: Arcangelo (Arrogate), Zandon (Upstart), White Abarrio (Race Day), Missed the Cut (Quality Road), Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits), Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming), Clapton (Brethren), Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), Senor Buscador (Mineshaft), Dreamlike (Gun Runner), Bright Future (Curlin), Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) and Proxy (Tapit).

Breeders' Cup 40, to be held for the 11th time at Santa Anita, will celebrate the return of four winners–Caravel (Mizzen Mast) (Turf Sprint), Cody's Wish (Curlin) (Dirt Mile), Elite Power (Curlin) (Sprint) and Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) (F/M Sprint)–from the 2022 Championships at Keeneland. Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}), winner of the 2021 GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, was entered in the Turf Sprint.

Morning-line favorites for Saturday's nine Breeders' Cup events, in race order, as follows:

Cody's Wish (Curlin) (post three) (9/5) (Dirt Mile); G1 Sun Chariot S. winner Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) (post 6) (5-2) (Filly & Mare Turf); Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) (post 1) (6/5) (Filly & Mare Sprint); Japanese-based G1 Yasuda Kinen winner Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) (post 10) (5-2) (Mile); streaking GI Juddmonte Spinster S. heroine Idiomatic (Curlin) (post four) (5-2) (Distaff); G1 Juddmonte International S. winner Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) (post nine) (5-2) (Turf); 'Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) (post 12) (3-1) (Classic); G1 Nunthorpe S. winner Live In The Dream (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}) (post five) (9-2) (Turf Sprint); and Elite Power (Curlin) (post eight) (9/5) (Sprint).

Morning-line favorites for the 'Future Stars' Friday card, in race order, as follows:

G2 Flying Childers S. winner Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) (post four) (3-1) (Juvenile Turf Sprint); the legendary Beholder's unbeaten GI Del Mar Debutante S. heroine and 'Rising Star' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) (post seven) (4/5) (Juvenile Fillies); unbeaten GI Natalma S. heroine She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}) (post 11) (4-1) (Juvenile Fillies Turf); GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity winner and 'Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner) (post 6) (7-2) (Juvenile); and the Aidan O'Brien-trained G2 Coventry S. winner and G1 Middle Park S. third-place finisher River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) (post two) (3-1) (Juvenile Turf).

Hosted by Britney Eurton and Nick Luck, the draw was held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California.

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