Tag: Bruce Lunsford

Pegasus World Cup Hopefuls Tune Up

Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector (Bernardini) tuned up for the Jan. 28 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational with a five-furlong drill in 1:01.60 (1/5) at Payson Park Sunday.

“He went very well this morning,” said trainer Bill Mott. “I was happy with him. He galloped out well and cooled out. It's looking like he's coming into the race well.”

Art Collector, winner of the 2021 GI Woodward S. and two-time winner of the GII Charles Town Classic, has been off since finishing fifth in the Oct. 1 GII Lukas Classic. He was originally being considered for the Dec. 3 GI Cigar Mile at Aqueduct and the Dec. 31 GIII Harlan's Holiday S. at Gulfstream, the local prep for the Pegasus.

“We were thinking of the Cigar Mile, but we lost some time with him due to a foot abscess,” Mott said. “Then we considered the Harlan's Holiday, but we felt we just needed more time.”

Jet Set Racing Stable's Super Corinto (Arg) (Super Saver) breezed a half-mile in :49.03 (4/58) at Gulfstream Park Sunday morning in preparation for a start in the Pegasus World Cup.

The work was the fifth in a series of works since the 5-year-old captured a Dec. 8 optional-claiming allowance at Gulfstream. He was a Group 1 winner in Chile before being sent to trainer Amador Sanchez, for whom he finished second behind Chilean Group 1 winner O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) in his U.S. debut Nov. 12.

Both South American imports, who took turns beating each other in Group 1 races before heading to the U.S., are among the 12 horses invited to the Pegasus World Cup.

Ivar (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}) turned in his penultimate work for the Jan. 28 GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational with a five-furlong work in 1:02.00 (2/15) at the Thoroughbred Training Center Saturday.

“Ivar is ready,” said trainer Paulo Lobo. “His work [Saturday] was very good, in company nice and easy, like he likes to do. His final work will be next Saturday here, and then we're going to ship him either that Monday or Tuesday.”

Third in the 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Mile, Ivar was second in last year's GI Woodbine Mile and GI Coolmore Turf Mile before ending the year with a fourth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland in his most recent start.

“I think his race was very good,” Lobo said of the 2022 Breeders' Cup Mile won by European standout Modern Games. “He lost to a very top horse. Javier Castellano was riding him for the first time. He rode a very good race, and since then we've pointed for the Pegasus Turf and we've never missed a day and never had a bad day. Everything that we planned is happening, no problems.”

Lobo said Justify My Love (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}), like Ivar owned by Bonne Chance Farm LLC and breeder Stud RDI LLC,  will compete in the GI Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational on the Jan. 28 undercard.

Justify My Love was a Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed in Argentina before being sent to Lobo last year. Off a nine-month layoff, she was sixth in her first two starts before capturing a Churchill Downs' turf allowance race Nov. 19 in her most recent start.

“She's a very nice filly,” Lobo said. “It took a little while for her to adjust here, but she had a very nice win at Churchill Downs. She's in top form now, physically and mentally. I think she'll run well over there. The race is very tough, but I think she's going to enjoy a mile and an eighth. She's training super, this filly. Super.”

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GISW Art Collector to Claiborne Upon Retirement

Bruce Lunsford's homebred GI Woodward S. winner Art Collector (Bernardini–Distorted Legacy, by Distorted Humor) will stand at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Ky. upon retirement, the farm announced Wednesday.

Winner of the Woodward in 2021 over Maxfield (Street Sense), Art Collector notched a 107 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. It was one of seven triple-digit Beyer figures he received in a career that has thus far recorded a tally of 20-10-1-0 and earnings of $2,332,490.

“We are thrilled to stand another exciting stallion prospect for longtime client Bruce Lunsford,” said Claiborne's Walker Hancock. “Art Collector has the qualities we look for in a stallion and we believe he will be very well received among breeders upon his retirement from racing.”

Art Collector began his career in the barn of Thomas Drury, Jr., for whom he raced at two and three and won both the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. and Runhappy Ellis Park Derby. He moved into the barn of Hall of Famer Bill Mott for his four- and five-year-old campaigns, where his victories included the Woodward and back-to-back scores in both the GII Charles Town Classic S. and Saratoga's Alydar S.

A fee for Art Collector will be announced upon retirement.

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Not This Time Filly Beats Boys, Breaks Track Record in Rising Star Romp

Hoolie Racing Stable and Bruce Lunsford's Botta Swing (Not This Time–Lady of the Glen, by Purim), taking on the boys while looking to carry her sire's hot streak into the juvenile ranks, came out running Sunday, earning 'TDN Rising Star' honors while lowering Woodbine's synthetic track record for 4 1/2 furlongs in the process.

Away in midpack and then scrubbed on to take over with swift strides entering the bend, the chestnut was two clear and cruising midway on the turn as well-backed Ninetyfour Expos (Outwork) was asked to narrow the gap with Wesley Ward trainee Red Hot Rod (Mendelssohn) also in pursuit. Those colts appeared to make contact at the head of the lane, but Botta Swing continued along by herself under confident Patrick Husbands handling. The veteran pilot kept her honest from there, and Botta Swing scampered away four lengths to the good. Red Hot Rod bested Ninetyfour Expos in the battle for second.

The winner's final time of :50.94 bested the previous listed track record of :51 flat earned in 2014 by debut winner and future multiple stakes winner Seffeara (Old Forester). That runner's effort came over Woodbine's old Polytrack surface, which was replaced by Tapeta in 2016.

Hoolie Racing Stable and Botta Swing's conditioner Barbara Minshall also campaigned the brilliantly precocious Dream It Is (Shackleford), a similarly sharp late May debut winner here in 2017 who added the My Dear S. that June before romping by nine lengths in Saratoga's GIII Schuylerville S.

Botta Swing, whose sire will be represented by two very live chances in next Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby, was just a $5,200 KEEJAN '20 in utero purchase. Her dam, who hit the board but never earned her diploma in four maiden claiming attempts routing on the grass, produced an Oscar Performance colt Apr. 11. Botta Swing's second dam was a full to GISW Personal Business, and her fourth dam was a full to none other than Secretariat.

2nd-Woodbine, C$97,600, Msw, 5-1, 2yo, 4 1/2f (AWT), :50.94, ft (NTR), 4 lengths.
BOTTA SWING, f, 2, Not This Time
                1st Dam: Lady of the Glen, by Purim
                2nd Dam: Secret Pact, by Private Account
                3rd Dam: Heavenly Match, by Gallant Romeo
Sales history: $48,000 RNA Ylg '21 FTKFEB; $160,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $48,088. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Hoolie Racing Stable, LLC & Bruce Lunsford; B-Kestrel Stud LLC (ON); T-Barbara J. Minshall.

 

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Art Collector Handles Transition To Mott’s Barn With Grace, Prepared For Biggest Challenge In Classic

Art Collector has been through a lot more changes of scenery than his cohorts in this year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic. Bill Mott will saddle the Bernardini colt in this Saturday's race, and is the third trainer for the horse – no record of course, but more than is typical for a graded stakes level horse.

Speaking at a press conference at Del Mar on Nov. 1, Mott said Art Collector has handled his latest barn switch with ease. Though the basic routine is similar from one top level barn to another, there are changes – to feed, to hay, to equipment and noise levels – that can be upsetting to horses who are easily rattled.

“I guess we have to hope the horse adapts to our style,” said Mott. “Sometimes the horse actually adapts to us as much as we adapt to the horse. The horse fell right into the training regimen we had him in, and he was ready to run when we got him. We just continued on and he has done very well. At the moment, he looks great.”

Art Collector began his career in 2019 with Joe Sharp, then moved to the barn of Tommy Drury for his wins in the G2 Blue Grass and Ellis Park Derby. He finished a disappointing fourth in the G1 Preakness and eighth in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile as a 3-year-old and earlier this summer made a switch to Mott.

Since transitioning to Mott's barn, Art Collector is three for three, with his most recent victory coming in the G1 Woodward over Maxfield and Dr Post.

Having Art Collector in the barn is something of a full circle moment for Mott, whose relationship with owner Bruce Lunsford goes back many years. Mott trained Bunting, the second dam of Art Collector, for Lunsford in the mid-1990s. Lunsford purchased her from the dispersal of Greentree Stable (Mrs. John Hay Whitney) at the 1994 Keeneland November sale, and Mott delivered a few decent allowance race placings with her before she retired to the breeding shed. Bunting would go on to foal Distorted Legacy, who produced Art Collector from a cross with Bernardini.

Mott said he has no concerns about the 1 1/4-mile distance. He saw strong, forward finishes in his previous 1 1/8-mile prep races. He also believes Art Collector has some flexibility in his running style; it's no secret Knicks Go will be the likely Classic pacesetter, and Mott thinks Art Collector will be happy to hang off the pace or stalk if he needs to – which would be a departure from his gate-to-wire wins in the Woodward or the Alydar. A lot of his racing strategy will ride on the post position draw Monday afternoon.

Mott has no illusions that the Classic will be easy work, despite his positive feelings about the colt's development – and he made no bones about the idea that a decent showing here could really boost his prospects for a stallion career.

“We know we're stepping into deep water,” Mott said. “We're trying a new group of horses, and they're the very best we're going to run up against. We're adding another furlong to what he's ever wrong and we've got to figure that out. You never know till they do it.”

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