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One Of Bloom’s ‘All-Time Favorite Horses,’ Millionaire Snapper Sinclair Readies For 2021 Debut

Millionaire Snapper Sinclair is scheduled to make his 2021 debut in Thursday's seventh race at Oaklawn, a 1-mile allowance for older horses.

Snapper Sinclair hasn't started since finishing second in the $250,000 Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) Dec. 5 at Aqueduct for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and owner Jeff Bloom, who also campaigned champion and multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Midnight Bisou.

Snapper Sinclair has only won five times in a 29-race career, but the 6-year-old son of City Zip has bankrolled $1,438,260. The horse has several near misses on his stakes-heavy resume, including runner-up finishes in the $750,000 Tourist Mile (beaten three-quarters of a length) Sept. 7 at Kentucky Downs, the first division of the $100,000 Fifth Season Stakes (beaten a neck) last year at Oaklawn and the $350,000 Essex Handicap (beaten a head) in 2019 at Oaklawn. Snapper Sinclair also was beaten a nose in the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds in 2018 at Fair Grounds.

Snapper Sinclair recorded his biggest career victory to date in the 2019 Tourist Mile over Kentucky Downs' European-style turf course. Bloom said “a little bit of everything” has kept Snapper Sinclair in training. The flashy bay has been based at Oaklawn since mid-December.

“He's healthy, he's sound,” Bloom said. “I feel like we're just inches away from a viable stallion career. He finished second in the Grade 1 Cigar. If he wins that race, it's a game changer for him. He's just such a fun horse to have and we like to race a lot. To be able to race with a horse as honest as Snapper Sinclair, it's part of why you keep coming back for more with this kind of thing. Snapper will always be one of my all-time favorite horses. He's a barn favorite for Steve and his crew. At the end of the day, it comes down to as long as Snapper wants to continue doing what he does and he stays sound and healthy, then so be it. Let's do it.”

Snapper Sinclair was an allowance winner at the 2019 Oaklawn meeting. He has had only two starts in allowance company since the summer of 2019, the last a third-place finish in a 1-mile grass event Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs. Seven-time Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr. is named to ride Snapper Sinclair, the 6-5 program favorite, Thursday. The race also attracted Grade 3 winner Plainsman, the early 5-2 second choice.

“In talking to Steve about it, it's kind of like Snapper sort of deserves a spot like this to kind of kick things off,” Bloom said. “He's shown up to every tough spot out there over the course of his career … none of these races are gimmies, but it's softer competition and, hopefully, we get that win for him. He's always knocking on the door. It would be nice to get him another confidence booster, get him a win, walk him into the winner's circle and then start planning his course of action following this spot.”

Probable post time for Thursday's seventh race is 4:09 p.m. (Central).

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True Timber ‘Slightly Off,’ Ruled Out Of Pegasus World Cup

Trainer Jack Sisterson revealed via Twitter on Wednesday that Grade 1 Cigar Mile winner True Timber will be forced to miss this Saturday's G1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. The 7-year-old son of Mineshaft came up “slightly off” after training on Wednesday, Sisterson wrote, and the trainer “elected to defer to caution and not compete in the Pegasus.”

Sisterson added: “Although it would have been a life changing experience having a runner in the Pegasus, True Timber gave us the excitement leading up towards the Pegasus. Best of luck to all the runners in the Pegasus. We and True Timber will be rooting for you!”

Owned by Calumet Farm, True Timber's record includes five wins, five seconds, and nine thirds from 29 starts for earnings of $1,215,150.

The remaining Pegasus field includes: Knicks Go, Sleepy Eyes Todd, Harpers First Ride, Code of Honor, Jesus' Team, Tax, Math Wizard, Mr Freeze, Independence Hall, Kiss Today Goodbye, and Coastal Defense.

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‘I Just Want To Stay In The Fight’: Carmouche Reflects On Remarkable 2020 Season

Just one live race day, the New Year's Eve card at Aqueduct Racetrack, remains in 2020 to complete a remarkable year of racing action on the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit. The NYRA Press Office checked in with a selection of New York-based racing personalities to get their reflections on the memorable campaign.

Kendrick Carmouche, a native of Vinton, La., began riding in his home state at the age of 16 before switching over to the Mid-Atlantic circuit. He found immediate success there, winning seven riding titles at Parx Racing and earning a spot in the Philadelphia racetrack's Hall of Fame. Since moving his tack to New York in the winter of 2015, Carmouche has piloted more than 30 stakes-winners and this year won his first Grade 1 aboard True Timber in the Cigar Mile. Additionally, he secured his first riding title in the Empire State when leading all other jockeys during the fall meet at the Big A.

Q: What was your favorite moment this year?

Carmouche: Winning on True Timber was not only the biggest moment of the year, but the biggest moment of my career. Winning a title in New York, also, caps off a year of hard work and the pandemic, all in one.

Q: Was there a particular ride that made you most proud?

Carmouche: Battle Station winning the Lucky Coin. That was a good way to end the meet at Saratoga. He's a horse who I really like. He put me in a perfect spot that day. He's a horse that I previously rode, and we just picked up where we left off. I rode him as a 2-year-old and I won the first couple of times on him. I didn't get back on him until he was five, so it's really been a lot of fun.

Q: Who was your favorite horse to ride this year at NYRA?

Carmouche: Tribecca. I've got to give him props. The past few years, he's one of those horses that every time you get on him, you know you have a shot to win. He's just an amazing and cool horse. He rides me, and I ride him. That's the way it works. We're both on the same page, we know each other well and know what the other one wants.

Q: The new track at Saratoga got a lot of buzz over the summer from jockeys and horsemen alike, how did you feel about the new surface?

Carmouche: I think the track was wonderful and the crew did a good job. When they come into the jock's room and ask us about it, we try and give them our honest opinion of what we feel on a racehorse and they try to make sure that the horses and jockeys are both safe.

Q: Talk about the relationship with have with your agent Kevin Bubser and how he's helped you along in your career.

Carmouche: I first met him at Delaware Park. He was a casino dealer and we became best friends. He said he didn't want to be a dealer anymore, so I brought him over to the racehorse world, which he was already introduced to when he was a young kid, and he just fell right into place. Me and my former agent taught him a couple things and left him in Philadelphia. I'm very pleased with the job he's done with my book. He's a very good guy and a very nice guy. I'm happy that we both got our first G1 and first riding title together. You can't ask for anything more.

Q: What is it that keeps you going?

Carmouche: The competition. I love the competition. You know that every time you come here that you have to ride your absolute best to beat these guys and they have to do the same and ride their best to beat me. When I came up here years ago, I was searching for the opportunity to build my riding career and get better and better. That's the whole point of stepping up to the next level. Everyone was suffering during the pandemic. My whole thing was, I wanted to get back to work and do what I always do, win races, try to find a way to win. I love getting better at winning races. I just want to stay in the fight. They got me in the fight right now, and I want to stay in the fight.

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Cigar Mile Scratches Resurface in Mr. Prospector

Grade I winners Firenze Fire (Poseidon’s Warrior) and Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) were both scratched from GI Cigar Mile Dec. 5 after heavy rains soaked the Aqueduct main track and will instead start in Saturday’s GIII Mr. Prospector S. at Gulfstream.

A Grade I winner at two, Firenze Fire won several graded stakes during his tenure for Jason Servis and was transferred to Kelly Breen after the former was federally indicted and removed from the racetrack. Fourth in the slop in the GI Carter H. in his first start for his new conditioner June 6, the homebred won the GII True North S. June 27 and was fourth in Saratoga’s GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. July 25. Failing to fire when 11th in a sloppy renewal of that venue’s GI Forego S. Aug. 29, the bay captured Belmont’s GI Vosburgh Invitational S. Sept. 26 and was third in the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint S. at Keeneland Nov. 7.

“Whitmore was able to get through [in the Breeders’ Cup],”owner Ron Lombardi said. “We were just behind him, but it closed up on us and we couldn’t get there. He ran a great race. He always does. He tries all the time. The slop is obviously difficult for him. That’s what led to the decision to skip the Cigar Mile and ship him to Florida.”

After closing 2019 with his second Grade I win in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S., Mind Control kicked off 2020 with a pair of victories at Aqueduct in the GIII Toboggan S. Jan. 18 and the GIII Tom Fool H. Mar. 7. With racing shut down due to COVID-19, he was next seen in the Vanderbilt, where he finished third, and was eighth in the Forego. Third when given a big class break in Monmouth’s Mr. Prospector S. Sept. 12, the homebred could only manage ninth behind the re-opposing Sleepy Eyes Todd (Paddy O’Prado) last time in Keeneland’s Lafayette S. Nov. 7.

“It’s been a little bit of a hard luck year,” said trainer Greg Sacco. “He started out the year super and then COVID hit. The Carter got pushed back and he hit the slop and he hates the slop. We ran him back in the Vanderbilt and he ran super. We were back on track and we hit the slop again. We brought him back to Monmouth to give him an easier race to give him a confidence booster. He got a rough trip that day and got checked back on the backstretch. The race at Keeneland, a horse gave way right in front of him and Johnny [Velazquez] had to snatch him up. We’ve been sort of a victim of circumstances this year.”

The versatile Diamond Oops (Lookin At Lucky) will look to defend his title in this race. Fourth in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. Jan. 25, the gelding was subsequently shelved and resurfaced in a local handicap, finishing second June 13. Back to winning ways in the GII Twin Spires Turf Sprint S. at Churchill Sept. 4, the bay followed suit with a win in Keeneland’s GII Phoenix S. back on dirt Oct. 2 and was sixth in the BC Sprint there.

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