Buff Bradley | Horse Racing Free Tips

Catching Up with 2012-13 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Winner Groupie Doll

Fan favorite and beloved Bradley family member Groupie Doll won two Eclipse Awards, two Breeders' Cup races, four Grade Is, and nine graded stakes; she set two track records, including at Churchill Downs in the GI Humana Distaff; and she sold to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm for $3.1 million. But it's not the accolades that mean the most to co-breeder, co-owner, and trainer Buff Bradley, he said. It was the special ride she gave the Bradley family during a difficult time.

“Winning the Breeders' Cup was great and awesome and wonderful for myself, my family, and my career. Really, being able to see something that we bred and foaled and raised do that was very special.

“Everybody says, 'You did good with that filly [as her trainer],' but I had more pleasure from being a co-breeder and attending her foaling. That meant more to me than anything.

“My father and I got to share a lot of good racing over the years from maiden claimers all the way up to Grade Is with [Bradley family homebred] Brass Hat, but when the Breeders' Cup with Groupie Doll came about, it was very special for me because my dad had been diagnosed with dementia and I knew this might be his last hurrah with a horse.

“That was something that could keep my dad going and have him communicate with me, so it was really special to win that first one. The second year my father wasn't able to travel, but they had a party in Frankfort.

“My ex-wife, Kim, and I–we're still good friends–always go back and talk about her. I could tell you 100 stories about Groupie Doll since I was there since her first breath.

“We didn't really want to sell her ever, but we'd had several offers that kept coming. Right after her maiden win, I finally told my dad what we needed to do is sell 10% of her to our best partners and that was Carl Hurst and Brent Burns. We sold 10% to each of them so we could have some fun with them and that way we could say we already sold her and get people off our backs about selling her.

“Kim and I were talking just the other day about Groupie Doll. In between her Breeders' Cup wins, I had her turned out with Brass Hat. Once, from our house, we were watching them run in the paddock. As we watched them, Brass Hat would keep cutting the corner on her and make her run around him. In the end, she was blowing and he wasn't! We had to cool them out. I wanted to take him back to the track [he was retired], but Kim said it was time for her to go back. It was a lot of fun to see those two.

“When Groupie Doll was born, I told Kim, 'We're going to keep this filly, she'll be part of the broodmare band.' We kept moving forward and won the two Breeders' Cups, but before the second one, I told the family she would be worth more than we could afford. We were so happy to see Mandy purchase her. I was able to keep Groupie Doll in my barn after that and race her two more times for Mandy. Now she's at Gainesway and I haven't seen her in a while, but I used to visit her sometimes when she was at Timber Town. I'd go out in the field and she'd even talk to me a little bit when she walked toward me. She knows I have a peppermint for her.”

Groupie Doll (2008 chestnut mare, Bowman's Band–Deputy Doll, by Silver Deputy)

Lifetime record: Ch. female sprinter (twice), MGISW, 23-12-4-4, $2,648,850

Breeders' Cup connections: B-Fred Bradley & William Bradley (KY); O-Fred F. Bradley, William B. Bradley, Carl Hurst, and Brent Burns; T-William 'Buff' Bradley; J-Rajiv Maragh.

Current location: Gainesway, Lexington, Ky.

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Trainer Chelsey Moysey Off To Fast Start At Oaklawn Park

Chelsey Moysey has won 3 of 7 starts at the 2021-2022 Oaklawn meeting that began Dec. 3 and the fast break from the gate coincides with a change of scenery.

She saddled her first career winner in 2019 at Belterra Park in Cincinnati and her second came later that year at nearby Turfway Park in Kentucky. Moysey spent much of 2020 in Kentucky before shifting her summer/fall base to the mid-Atlantic for the first time, specifically Delaware Park, after the 2021 Oaklawn meeting ended in May. Spurred by her success at Delaware Park, Moysey already has a career-high 19 victories overall this year after winning 11 races in 2020 and two in 2019.

“I feel like it was definitely a great career move for me,” said Moysey, 28, a former assistant to the now-retired Buff Bradley. “It makes it a little easier. It's where you can expand and still keep your numbers without having everything claimed from you in two weeks. It's exhausting.”

All three of Moysey's Oaklawn winners, Substantial ($19.60), favored Little Burrito ($4.60) and Izzybella ($24.40), raced in 2021 at Delaware Park. Its meet ran May 26-Oct. 30. Substantial and Little Burrito are owned by the trainer's major client, Lewis Mathews of Bismarck, Ark. Izzybella is owned by a new client, Al Klerlein, who operates a structural steel fabrication and erection company in Delaware.

Moysey said among Delaware Park's biggest perks is location. Although stabled there, she also ran horses at Parx, Monmouth Park, Charles Town, Laurel, Penn National and Belmont Park.

“Everything's under three hours,” Moysey said. “You have all the options. If you can't find a race in one spot, you can find it in another. It was neat. I shipped all over the place.”

Moysey finished the Delaware meeting with 10 victories, including her first career stakes score in the $50,000 White Clay Creek. Through nine days of Oaklawn's scheduled 66-day meeting, Moysey is already poised to surpass her victory total from the 2021 meeting. She was 4 for 42.

“You always hope for a good start, but I didn't expect it to be this good,” Moysey said. “Last year, I think I went 0 for 23 before I even won.”

Red Hot Mess is among 15 horses Moysey has at Oaklawn. Purchased for only $20,000 in May at Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic 2-year-old in training sale, Red Hot Mess is entered in a 1-mile allowance race Friday. Moysey said it could be an audition for the $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes Jan. 29, which is Oaklawn's first of three Kentucky Oaks points races. Red Hot Mess is a daughter of 2011 Preakness winner Shackleford.

Another 2-year-old Moysey has for Mathews is recent addition Vodka N Water, a Fed Biz colt who, despite being a maiden, earned $100,710 in seven starts this year and was twice stakes placed, including the $150,000 Bashford Manor (G3) June 26 at Churchill Downs.

Mathews purchased Vodka N Water, previously with Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, for $45,000 at Keeneland's November Breeding Stock Sale. Vodka N Water is being pointed toward an entry-level allowance race next month, Moysey said.

“We're going to stretch him out two turns and see what happens,” Moysey said.

Moysey has eight career Oaklawn victories.

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Kentucky HBPA Donates To Governor’s Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund

The Kentucky HBPA, on behalf of its member owners and trainers at the state's five Thoroughbred tracks, is donating $25,000 to the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund set up by Governor Andy Beshear's office.

The fund is assisting those impacted by the devastating tornadoes that ripped through eight southwestern Kentucky counties Dec. 11-12, killing at least 77 people and demolishing entire towns.

“Our mission since inception has been helping those in need,” said Rick Hiles, President of the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association. “Our motto is 'horsemen helping horsemen,' but we're also Kentuckians helping Kentuckians. It's just hard to fathom the extent of the needs facing the tens of thousands of people whose world has been upended.”

KHBPA Vice President Frank L. Jones Jr. said that while there are numerous worthy fund-raising campaigns and programs doing great work, the HBPA board felt the organization's contribution would reach the farthest through the state's fund.

“The Governor and First Lady's initiatives give everybody an avenue to go forward with contributions that will be put to the best use throughout the region, with 100 percent of donations going to assist our fellow Kentuckians,” Jones said. “That includes the many affected children and teenagers, who have a real champion in First Lady Britainy Beshear, including her overwhelmingly successful toy drive.

“Our Kentucky HBPA members are proud to be even a small part of the relief and recovery efforts.”

HBPA members are encouraged to donate or volunteer for the overall relief effort. Donations to the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund can be made at https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Finance/WKYRelief.

Kentucky HBPA board member Buff Bradley spent Wednesday in Bremen in Muhlenberg County helping a cattle farmer cut trees off the damaged fencing so it could be replaced and clearing the considerable debris from hay fields. Bremen (2020 census population 172) suffered 11 deaths, including a 5-month-old baby.

“You get there and everything is so devastating and so sad,” said Bradley, who joined the work team assembled by his longtime friend, Franklin County extension agent Keenan Bishop. “Every time you drive a few feet farther, you think, 'How did anybody live there?' It was so touching and sad. But it kind of restored my faith in humanity. My buddy counted 11 vehicles that came by to offer us food and drinks; they were just driving up and down these rural roads. The sheriff stopped by. It was Democrats and Republicans; everybody came together. Two different guys stopped and said, 'Can we help?' They started sawing and helping us drag that stuff off the fence. They didn't even know who they were helping.

“The farmer probably was in his mid 30s or 40. He just had his head down — his whole livelihood was out there. When we left, he had his head a little higher. Pictures don't do it justice, and you're thankful you could help. You'd see a family out in front of their house, and they have a wagon with all their belongings in it. When you see how much everybody is doing, it's pretty cool: some good out of all the bad that happened. My buddy and I were in tears reflecting about it on the drive home.”

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‘It Would Mean The World To Me’: Trainer Matt Hebert Ships From Texas To Saratoga For Quick Call

It's a long journey from Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas to Saratoga Race Course – 1,444 miles to be exact – but trainer Matt Hebert said he has enough confidence in Rebel Posse to send the two-time winner for Thursday's Opening Day's Grade 3, $120,000 Quick Call at Saratoga.

“I like him a lot. It's a lot to ask a horse to ship that far, but I think we fit in there,” Hebert said.

When stepping up to graded stakes company for the first time in the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for sophomores, Rebel Posse faces a salty group which includes highly-regarded Golden Pal who runs for the first time since capturing last year's Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland. He also will take on stakes-winner Jaxon Traveler, who has never finished worse than second in seven lifetime starts.

Rebel Posse, owned by C J Thoroughbreds, Mike Renfro and Francis Hartman, is unbeaten when sprinting on the grass. He broke his maiden at third asking when making his turf debut at Sam Houston on March 4. After a close second in an off-the-turf allowance event at Lone Star, Rebel Posse returned to the green with vigor when defeating winners traveling five furlongs on June 6 at the Texas oval.

Hebert said the extra half-furlong should suit Rebel Posse.

“I think the extra distance compared to the five eighths is going to be good,” Hebert said. “With that extra sixteenth of a mile, he should have something to run at. The way he runs and can relax a bit, it should be beneficial.”

Before going out on his own, Hebert worked as an assistant to recently retired Kentucky horseman Buff Bradley, for whom he helped oversee the campaign of dual Breeders' Cup-winner Groupie Doll.

Hebert, who sends out his first starter at a NYRA track in Rebel Posse, said it would be a thrill to win a race at Saratoga.

“It would mean absolutely everything. It would mean the world to me and everyone who helped me get to this point. This will be my first trip up here, so it's super cool,” Hebert said. “I worked for Buff for about six or seven years at Churchill, Keeneland and Gulfstream in the winter. After he sold Groupie Doll, he gave me a couple of his homebreds and said, 'Good luck.'”

Since going out on his own, Hebert has been primarily based on the southwest circuit. He recently completed the Lone Star Park meet, which finished on July 11, with a 33-5-5-5 record.

“It was kind of circumstantial,” Hebert said of how he got plugged into the Texas circuit. “We wintered at old Evangeline in Louisiana and would ship to Houston and did pretty well. When they tore the old Evangeline down, we had to stable at Houston and we just fell into the circuit. I've done Lone Star the past two years, and we did Remington this year. We did well in each spot and we picked up some clients along the way.”

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