Chris Block | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘She Gets You Excited’: Travel Column Chasing Oaks Points In Saturday’s Rachel Alexandra

In horse racing, it's never too early to look ahead. Trainer Brad Cox started doing just that shortly after Travel Column's eye-catching Nov. 28 win in the Golden Road (G2) at Churchill Downs.

The path to the April 30 Kentucky Oaks begins in earnest Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, when Travel Column starts as what figures to be a strong favorite in the $300,000 Rachel Alexandra (G2) presented by Fasig-Tipton. Run at 1 1/16 miles, the Rachel Alexandra offers 85 qualifying points for the Oaks, with the winner getting 50 on a 50-20-10-5 scale.

OXO Equine's Travel Column (post 8 at 2-1 with Florent Geroux) was always cut out to be a runner. The daughter of Frosted was sold for $850,000 as a yearling and didn't disappoint in her debut, winning off by 4 ¼ lengths at Churchill in a September MSW, ironically enough on Kentucky Oaks Day. She was a distant third in the Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland after a slow start caused her to rush up early to get into contention, and she predictably flattened out late.

Travel Column announced her presence in the Golden Rod, in what was one of the most impressive performances by a juvenile of any sex all year. Travel Column was sandwiched at the start, raced last-of-9 early, then got caught in traffic entering the far turn. She couldn't get out until midstretch, then hit sixth gear in an instant and won going away. Cox, like everyone else, was impressed—after it was all over.

“I loved her going into the race, I was concerned during the race, and I loved her even more after the race,” Cox joked. “It was a little bit of a worry. We saw it in the Alcibiades too, she breaks a little slow and had to make a premature move. But once she gets going, she's a really, really nice filly and she's shown it time and again.”

Travel Column has kept a steady worktab at Fair Grounds this winter and signaled her readiness for the Rachel Alexandra with a 6-furlong move on January 31 in 1:13. She did it in company with stablemate Essential Quality, who was last year's undefeated 2-Year-old Champion. Travel Column has more than held her own.

“She worked in tandem with Essentially Quality and has worked with him a lot and it's worked out well, they both get plenty out of it,” Cox said. “She holds her own and for her to be able to do it with the 2-Year-Old Champion colt says a lot. She gets you excited for sure.”

Cox won the Oaks in 2018 with Monomoy Girl and last year with Shedaresthedevil, so he knows how to get a 3-year-old filly to peak in the most important race of their lives. He hopes Travel Column will take that next step on Saturday on the road back to Louisville for the big dance on the last Friday in April.

“Hopefully this is the start of a three-race streak,” Cox said. “You just watch your horse and you want them to have a good experience every time you lead them over there. I think she's set up for that on Saturday with the way she's been training. I'm excited about what she's shown us so far as a 3-year-old in the morning.”

Lothenbach Stables' homebred Charlie's Penny (post 9 at 9-2 with Brian Hernandez Jr.) surprised in the local prep, winning the Jan. 16 Silverbulletday going away by 3 ½ lengths, in what was her two-turn debut. The daughter of Race Day entered off a third-place finish in the local 6-furlong Letellier in December and was a 9-1 outsider, but she settled in third early and powered home late over fellow rival Souper Sensational. Block left the Silverbulletday feeling good, but knows Charlie's Penny will need to answer the bell one more time.

“To see her get around two turns was a confidence builder for all of us,” Block said. “She's trained well in between, done what we've asked her to do, and maintained herself well since. She'll have to take another pretty big step forward to be competitive with the likes of Travel Column, and Clairiere, and I look for Souper Sensational to move forward as well. It's a group that will certainly make us all take a look afterwards and see what path to take.”

Stonestreet Stables' homebred Clairiere (post 1 at 5-2 with Joe Talamo) was second to Travel Column in the Golden Rod and is another who will make her 3-yer-old debut in the Rachel Alexandra. The daughter of multiple grade 1 winner Cavorting was spotting experience to Travel Column last time, as she entered off just a debut win at Churchill in October for trainer Steve Asmussen. Clairiere has also been training at Fair Grounds this winter and, if things go according to plan, the two fillies will get very acquainted with each other during the first half of the season.

“She's a very good, lightly-raced filly with a huge pedigree,” Asmussen said of Clairiere. “It's the right spot to start her back and we're really looking forward to it. But obviously we have our eye down the road (towards the Kentucky Oaks) with her too.”

Live Oak Plantation's Souper Sensational (post 2 at 8-1 with Declan Carroll) was second in the Silverbulletday, and like Charlie's Penny, she too had her own questions to answer. The daughter of Curlin entered 2 for-2 for trainer Mark Casse, though both wins were sprinting over the Tapeta at Woodbine. Souper Sensational didn't have a smooth trip in the Silverbulletday, as she was last in the six-horse field, while the pace of :49 4/5 was a crawl early. Casse's local assistant Dave Carroll applauded Souper Sensational's desire.

“It wasn't ideal circumstances that day and she got squeezed back a bit at the start too,” Carroll said. “But she didn't worry about it, laid back and made the one run, and here we are. I think this race will tell us where we are going forward, if she can handle this two-turn trip again, it will give us a lot of options.”

Tom Amoss will start three in the Rachel Alexandra, with Cosmic Racing's Zoom Up (post 6 at 6-1 with James Graham) the most well-regarded off a strong optional-claiming win here January 18, in what was her two-turn debut. The daughter of Upstart hit the board in her first two starts in Kentucky then broke her maiden locally going 6 furlongs by a neck but she looked like an even better horse stretching out last time. Zoom Up settled early, kicked clear in midstretch, and won going away by 2 lengths. It was an effort that had even Amoss taking notice.

“She ran really well and it even surprised me a little bit, by how effortless it was to make the transition from one-turn to two turns,” Amoss said. “She's really improving and her race was impressive, so we're looking forward to the Rachel Alexandra.”

Amoss also will run BCWT Ltd.'s Off We Go (post 4 at 15-1 with Mitchell Murrill), who makes her two-turn debut off a close second in an optional-claimer here January 22 in her 3-year-old debut, and Joel Politi's Littlestitious (post 7 at 12-1 with Colby Hernandez), a distant fifth in the Silverbulletday after setting the pace early.

Brad King, Jim Cone, Scott Bryant, and Stan and Suzanne Kirby's Moon Swag (post 3 at 15-1 with Adam Beschizza) could improve after finishing third, beaten 4 lengths with a troubled trip in the Silverbulletday in what was her two-turn debut. The daughter of Malibu Moon had yet to run past 6 furlongs and took up sharply entering the first turn but ran on through the lane in an encouraging effort.

Completing the Rachel Alexandra field is Norman Stables and Mark Norman's Becca's Rocket (post 5 at 20-1 with Marcelino Pedroza), who broke her maiden here going two turns in November for trainer Scotty Gelner.

In the last 25 years, nine winners of the Kentucky Oaks also participated in the Rachel Alexandra. They include:

2019 – Serengeti Empress, won both

2018 – Monomoy Girl, won both

2015 – Lovely Maria, 2nd in the Rachel, won the Kentucky Oaks

2014 – Untapable, won both

2012 – Believe You Can, 4th in the Rachel, won the Kentucky Oaks

2008 – Proud Spell, 2nd in the Rachel, won the Kentucky Oaks

2005 – Summerly, won both

1999 – Silverbulletday won both

1997 – Blushing K.D., won both

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Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: Memories Of Mom En Route To Kentucky Oaks

The son of a butcher and a baker growing up in Bloomington, Minn., Thoroughbred owner Bob Lothenbach knows how important family is on the road to success. His latest stakes winner, a 3-year-old filly on the Kentucky Oaks trail, is named in honor of his mom, Lorraine, who passed away seven years ago.

Charlie's Penny was named by Lothenbach's daughter, who remembers her grandmother exclaiming “Come on, Charlie!” while playing cards for pennies around the kitchen table.

The filly's 3 ¼-length victory in the Fair Grounds' Jan. 16 Silverbulletday Stakes came as a slight surprise to bettors (she was 9-1) and Lothenbach alike.

“We didn't expect it, that's for sure,” he said. “We didn't know if she would go two turns, but she made it look easy.”

Prior to the Silverbulletday Charlie's Penny had only started in one-turn races, and she had a record of two wins from four starts. While the daughter of Race Day will be tested once again in the Feb. 13 Rachel Alexandra Stakes, trainer Chris Block is optimistic about her talent level moving forward.

“(Jockey) Brian (Hernandez, Jr.) did a fantastic job around the first turn (in the Silverbulletday) getting her out and settled in there behind what was a slow pace, which I think benefited us to a degree,” Block said. “In the middle of the turn, I could see that he had a ton of horse. She ranged up there on the outside turning for home, and I've seen her level off really well going short. I thought if she could do that going long, we're going to be ok.”

Charlie's Penny is out of the unraced Warrior's Reward mare Sweet Lorraine, also named in honor of his mother. Her full sister, cheekily named Mom's Red Lipstick, is also a stakes winner trained by Block, but was foaled in Kentucky. Conversely, Charlie's Penny was foaled in Minnesota as one of Lothenbach's first crop of Thoroughbreds born in his home state.

Charlie's Penny winning the Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds

“That's where I live most of the time, so it just made sense to support my home program,” Lothenbach said. “It's always been a passion of mine, horses, and then the horse racing itself is just fantastic. There's nothing better than spending the day at the track.”

In fact, Lothenbach has been supporting Minnesota horse racing since Canterbury Park in Shakopee first opened in 1985. The longtime racing fan called on three of his friends, each of whom put in $1,000 to claim a horse. The partners made money with that first claim, and Lothenbach was hooked.

Before long, he was purchasing racehorses all on his own.

“That's probably part of the reason I went out on my own, to be able to hear the trainer,” Lothenbach explained, laughing. “I've got four different trainers that say I'm their best client because I never call them. They call me, and we'll cover stuff then. They've got their job to do, and I don't want the communication unless I need it.”

He trusts his trainers and gives them the space they need to do their jobs. That trust has become increasingly important as Lothenbach's racing and breeding stable has grown to over 150 horses.

Block, for example, is especially good at developing younger horses, Lothenbach said.

“Chris is a great developer of horses,” said Lothenbach. “He takes really good care of them. There's a lot of guys that push the babies, and Chris doesn't do that. If they really do show that they have the ability to run at 2, he'll do it, but otherwise he's patient with them.”

Another quality Lothenbach particularly respects in a trainer is a strong work ethic. It was something his own parents instilled in him early in life.

“I never heard college mentioned in our household, it was all about work ethic,” he said. “My dad always said, 'If I teach you a good work ethic, I'll never have to worry about you being able to take care of yourself.'”

That mantra of hard work paid off for Lothenbach, from working 40-hour weeks during his senior year of high school to building his own major printing company from the ground up.

“I started 30 years ago out of my garage with $1,800 to my name,” said Lothenbach. “Back then, the printing industry was pretty old school, and it could take several weeks to process an order. With my company, I told people, 'When you need it, I'll get it for you.' It single-handedly changed the printing industry in Minnesota.

“It was all about service. If I got an order that would normally take 2-4 weeks to finish, I literally would go pick up the paper. I signed a deal with the paper company that if I ordered the paper by 4 p.m., they'd deliver it that night, or I could go pick it up. I'd print overnight, do the binding in the mornings, and then deliver it.

“There were days when I'd sleep there, work 20 hours, get four hours of sleep, and be right back at it.”

The company grew to over 1,300 employees, and Lothenbach was inducted into the Printing Impressions/RIT Printing Industry Hall of Fame in 2013. He sold a majority share in 2016, and now focuses much of his time on other investment projects as well as his Lothenbach Family Foundation.

“I'm really big on literacy for kids, because when I was a kid I really struggled with school and reading, in fact I still do today,” Lothenbach said. “So the foundation supports literacy programs for kids, as well as veterans and a few other charities.

“People helped me get where I'm at, so I try to return the favor.”

Lothenbach admitted that his challenges with reading may be one of the reasons he worked so hard to build his company, and still tries to stay just as busy today.

“Because I had learning disabilities, and because I was a little hellion, I always tried to prove myself,” he said. “I always wanted to be the best at whatever I was doing, since I wasn't the best at school.”

One of his greatest rewards, then, was being able to take his parents out of town to the horse races in Chicago for the first time in 1992. That afternoon, a horse he co-owned, Saint Ballado, won the Grade 2 Arlington Classic. His parents joined him in the winner's circle.

“They just loved it,” Lothenbach said, his voice choking up with emotion. “It was pretty neat.”

Horse racing still brings his family together. Before the pandemic, Lothenbach and his brothers made time to take their 89-year-old father to the races at Canterbury a few times a year.

“He can barely walk, but to be with us and go to the races, he'll do it,” Lothenbach said.

Last year that tradition had to be adjusted a bit, but the family still connects by watching Lothenbach's horses race on television. A trip to this year's Kentucky Oaks with Charlie's Penny would definitely involve the whole family, if at all possible.

“It would be pretty special,” Lothenbach said.

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Fair Grounds: Midnight Bourbon, Mandaloun Expected To Point For Risen Star

Steve Asmussen's assistant trainer Scott Blasi reports that Saturday's Lecomte Stakes (G3) winner Midnight Bourbon came out of the race in fine order. Asmussen indicated following the win that the Winchell Thoroughbreds' 3-year-old son of Tiznow would be pointed to the $400,000 Risen Star (G2) at 1 1/8 miles on February 13 at Fair Grounds In New Orleans, La. Midnight Bourbon earned 10 Kentucky Derby points for his Lecomte win and is currently third in the standings with 16 points.

According to trainer Chris Block, Lothenbach's Stables' Silverbulletday Stakes winner Charlie's Penny also exited her Kentucky Oaks points race is excellent shape.

“So far everything looks good,” Block said. “She ate up last night and this morning, walked real well and she seems bright and not too knocked out. The next logical plan would be to point towards the Rachel Alexandra (G2, $300,000 at 1 1/16 miles on February 13 at Fair Grounds). What has pushed her forward is her mind and her determination. She's not a very big filly, king of average in size and a little bit on the narrow side, but all that is relative to what she can do herself. Yesterday she was helped by the (slow) pace, but so was everybody else, or so I would have thought. She rose to the occasion, now it's time to see if she can take the next step forward. It was really nice to win this race at Fair Grounds. My family used to send horses here for the winter with (the late) Richie Scherer, and management has been very kind to us.”

For her win, the Minnesota-bred daughter of Race Day earned ten points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

Trainer Brad Cox reports that his pair of beaten favorites – Sun Path (fourth in the Silverbulletday) and Mandaloun (third in the Lecomte) – exited their respective races in good order. Sun Path will be given some time to regroup, while Mandaloun will likely get an equipment change next time out.

“I was super disappointed with the outcome of the Silverbulletday,” Cox admitted. “We don't see any physical issue with Sun Path. She appears to have come out of it well as of now. Obviously, we will back up a little bit. We won't run back in four weeks. We'll just try to train up to either the Honeybee (G3, March 6 at Oaklawn Park) or the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2, March 20). They would really be our only options moving forward. We need a little more time between races. She's going to be a little bit of a question mark until we run her again. She was doing so well leading up to this race (Silverbulletday).

“We still think he (Mandaloun) is a very good horse,” Cox said. “He raced wide around both turns. I thought it was a good experience. He showed up. He ran his race. I think we are going to add blinkers. I talked it over with the Juddmonte team and Florent (jockey Geroux). We kind of thought that ever since his first race. He came out it (Lecomte) so far so good. We will definitely look at coming back in the Risen Star.

“Gagetown raced well for his first time around two turns (second in a first level allowance earlier in the card),” Cox said. “Thought it was a good effort. Run was a little spotty. He was a little unsure of what was going on. It looked like he was going to be third, maybe even fourth, but he re-rallied and was actually running at the winner. He's still trying to figure it out. I wanted to get two sprints into him since he broke his maiden first time. I don't really think he's a 6-furlong horse, but I'm not so certain he's like a mile-and-an-eighth horse either. He's somewhere there in the middle.”

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Minnesota-Bred Charlie’s Penny Upsets the Silverbulletday

A dominant debut winner on the Arlington synthetic Sept. 17, Charlie’s Penny was fourth to Souper Sensational next out in Woodbine’s Glorious Song S. a month later. Capturing an optional claimer on the dirt at Churchill Nov. 28, she was third in this venue’s six-panel Letelier Memorial S. Dec. 19.

Stretching out to two turns for the first time here, Charlie’s Penny was away alertly and established herself in third, running off the fence through glacial early fractions. Three wide exiting the bend, the gray motored clear in the lane to register a decisive victory in the Silverbulletday.

Charlie’s Penny is the fourth stakes winner for her sire Race Day and the second out of her dam, following Mom’s Red Lipstick. The winner is the second foal out of Sweet Lorraine, who has since produced a juvenile filly by Munnings and was bred back to Munnings this spring. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

SILVERBULLETDAY S., $150,000, Fair Grounds, 1-16, 3yo, f,
1m 70y, 1:43.80, ft.
1–CHARLIE’S PENNY, 122, f, 3, by Race Day
                1st Dam: Sweet Lorraine, by Warrior’s Reward
                2nd Dam: Twin Appeal, by Successful Appeal
                3rd Dam: Gemini (Arg), by Tough Critic
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-Lothenbach Stables Inc (MN);
T-Chris M. Block; J-Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. $94,500.
Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-1, $173,890. *Full to Mom’s Red
Lipstick, SW-USA, SP-Can, $103,779.
2–Souper Sensational, 122, f, 3, Curlin–Kateri, by Indian
Charlie. ($725,000 Ylg ’19 FTSAUG). O-Live Oak Plantation;
B-Newtownanner Stud (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $30,000.
3–Moon Swag, 122, f, 3, Malibu Moon–Yara, by Put It Back.
($150,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-King, Brad, Cone, Jim, Bryant,
Scott, Kirby, Stan and Kirby, Suzanne; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC
(KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $15,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, 3/4, HF. Odds: 9.20, 1.80, 49.10.
Also Ran: Sun Path, Littlestitious, Barista. Scratched: Divine Comedy, Minute Waltz, Princess Theorem.

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