Tag: Cypress Creek Equine

Friday Insights: Mendelssohn Filly Steps To The Rostrum For Oaklawn Debut

1st-OP, $115K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:30 p.m. ET.
Under the baton of Ken McPeek, MIDSUMMER MARCH (Mendelssohn) debuts for Walking L Thoroughbreds. The dark bay initially sold to Sycamore Hall for $280,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale before hammering down for $425,000 during the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Sale, which was the highest priced yearling for her sire in 2022.

Bred by David Fennelly's Mountmellick Farm, the filly is out of GIII Torrey Pines S. winner Munny Spunt (Munnings), who sold for $340,000 at Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale in foal to Justify, subsequently died but not before foaling a colt named Just Munny. Midsummer March's dam is a half-sister to MGSW Blues Street and GSP Beale Street, both by Street Cry (Ire).

Also set for her first start is Cypress Creek Equine's Off the Lam (Curlin). Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, the homebred is out Argentinian multiple group stakes winning mare Sarasota (Arg) (Luhuk), who is responsible for GII Honeymoon H. heroine Sarah's Secret (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) and GI Carter H. victor Salutos Amigos (Salute the Sarge). TJCIS PPS

2nd-GP, $89K, Msw, 3yo, 5fT, 12:39 p.m. ET.
With the same Hard Spun-Speightstown cross as GI Breeders' Cup Sprint champ Aloha West, firster Refuel makes his inaugural trip to the post for Repole and St. Elias. A $550,000 Keeneland September buy, the chestnut was the second-highest priced Hard Spun yearling in 2022.

The Todd Pletcher trainee is out of SW Quick Flip who went to Spendthrift Farm for $230,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale. At the time, she was carrying GSW/GISP Following Sea (Runhappy), who incidently was third to Aloha West at the Breeders' Cup.

The dam of GSP Gimmick (Into Mischief), Quick Flip is a half-sister to MGSP/SW Qahira (Cairo Prince) and MGSP/MSW Factor It In (The Factor). TJCIS PPS

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Bolt d’Oro Filly Harnesses Lightning Late In Spa Thursday Opener

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y–As part of his wife Audrey's birthday celebration Thursday, Martin Schwartz took her to the winner's enclosure after the opener at Saratoga Race Course. They know the space well, but It was their first visit there in four years.

The Schwartzes walked their 2-year-old filly Gold Lightning (Bolt d'Oro) in from the track after she won the 1 1/16-mile turf maiden by 2 1/4 lengths. She reached the wire on the inner turf course 1:45.93 and paid $31.40.

Under jockey Manny Franco, Gold Lightning delivered a solid off-the-pace run between horses in the stretch to overtake Positive Carry (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) at the sixteenth pole.

Martin Schwartz said he had no idea what to expect from the bay filly he purchased as a yearling for $150,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October sale. He said that trainer Brad Cox told him Wednesday that the filly was going to compete Thursday, regardless of whether the race was run on turf as scheduled or moved to the main track, as has happened so often during this wet Saratoga summer.

“All I know is where she was broken, at Paul Sharp's farm in Ocala, he really liked her and he's a hell of a horseman,” Schwartz said. “So I was hoping, but it's been a little while in between drinks.”

Gold Lightning was Schwartz's first winner in nine starts in 2023 and the 137th of his career–36 in graded stakes–outside of partnerships. His last winner at Saratoga, where he has not had many starters in recent years, was Mascha (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) July 31, 2019.

Schwartz found great success buying fillies racing in Europe and importing them to the U.S. He said he has returned to that formula and made some purchases this year. Gold Lightning came out of yearling auctions.

“I bought some in '21 and '22,” he said.

Schwartz noted, with a laugh, that about a dozen years ago he said in a magazine article that he was not going to go back into yearling market.”

“Somehow, I lost my mind and bought them again,” he said.

Gold Lightning, bred by Cypress Creek Equine LLC., is out of Acting Class by Distorted Humor.

“I'm hoping this is a start of something big,” Schwartz said. “I went back to buying horses in Europe, I was so depressed this past month. I spent a boatload of money.”

After she broke in at the start, Franco set Gold Lightning up near the rear of the field of nine. Sitting fourth, 3 1/2 lengths back, at the top of the stretch, she darted through the field willingly to get to contention and then the lead.

“She seems like she's very straightforward,” Franco said. “She did everything the right way. I just was a passenger on her today.”

1st-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 8-31, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:45.93, gd, 2 1/4 lengths.
GOLD LIGHTNING (f, 2, Bolt d'Oro–Acting Class, by Distorted Humor) was overlooked at the windows as a 14-1 first time starter here. The bay colt raced greenly into the first turn, but settled midpack up the backstretch. Heading into the lane, she began to uncork a strong turn of foot and passing Sassy Princess (Cairo Prince) she graduated by 2 1/4 lengths over the late running Positive Carry (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}). Acting Class was in-foal with the winner when she was sold to Bluewater for $180,000 at the '20 Keeneland November Sale. Gold Lightning is a half-sister to Classy Act (Into Mischief), MGSP, $328,443. Her dam foaled a colt May 14 by Medaglia d'Oro and she visited Keepmeinmind for next year. Sales History: $150,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,750. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Martin S. Schwartz; B-Cypress Creek Equine, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.

Race report by J. N. Campbell

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Raise Cain Eyes Blue Grass, Mr. Swagger, Clear the Air Likely for Wood

Andrew Warren and Rania Warren's Raise Cain (Violence), who romped home in the Mar. 4 GIII Gotham S., will likely forego a return trip to Aqueduct and make his next start in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 8, according to trainer Ben Colebrook.

Raise Cain had his first work since the Gotham when going four furlongs in :49.00 (1/3) at Keeneland Mar. 22.

“He's been training great and put on weight,” said Colebrook. “He'll breeze again [Thursday] at Keeneland. I think he really gets it now and now he's confident and feeling good. I think he's sitting on a big race wherever we go. It's exciting.”

Colebrook continued, “I don't think the Blue Grass will be a full field and it's one of those things where if we can run in our own backyard, it will take a strong reason for us to go to the Wood. But, it could still happen if something changes with defections and it's still on our radar. We're taking it day by day.”

Two horses who finished behind Raise Cain with troubled trips in the Gotham are expected to line up fo rthe Apr. 8 GII Wood Memorial.

Victoria's Ranch's Mr. Swagger (Maclean's Music), sixth over a muddy and sealed main track in the Gotham, is expected to return to Aqueduct for the Wood.

A maiden winner in his 6 1/2-furlong debut at Aqueduct Jan. 28, the Juan Avila trainee was making just his second career start in the one-mile Gotham. He worked six furlongs in 1:19.47 (1/2) over a muddy Parx surface Saturday.

“He's perfect,” Avila said. “He went easy and strong and finished up very nice. We are ready for the Wood Memorial and I think he's ready for a nice race.”

Mr. Swagger, who added blinkers when exiting post three in the Gotham, was bumped at the break and prompted the pace from fourth position at the half-mile call, but failed to fire after saving ground through the turn.

“In the Gotham, I said to Carlos [Olivero] that I want to see Mr. Swagger be in last place, but he was much closer,” Avila said. “Hopefully, this time he can stay back.”

Avila said Mr. Swagger will keep the blinkers on for the Wood Memorial.

Also expected in the Wood Memorial line-up is Cypress Creek Equine's Clear the Air (Ransom the Moon), who maintained rail-skimming position from seventh in the Gotham before going four wide in upper stretch and checking around the three-sixteenths pole. He continued to find more down the lane and finished 10 3/4 lengths in arrears of the victorious Raise Cain.

“It wasn't really what we drew up on paper going into it,” trainer Will Walden admitted. “I know when you get a bunch of horses running around in the slop, it almost never goes according to plan. Raise Cain got some momentum. He went inside and we went outside. The hole we were going for closed at the three sixteenths. When you get fully stopped on a big horse, it can be hard to re-rally. But he started picking off horses and started to get going. But by that time, it was too late in the game. If he doesn't get stopped, I think he ends up second or third.”

A maiden winner going six furlongs at Turfway in January, Clear the Air was a troubled fourth in a one-mile optional claimer at Turfway Feb. 11 before his Gotham effort. He worked four furlongs in :48.00 (3/77) at Turfway Saturday.

“He's a big, long stretchy horse and he's very efficient,” Walden said. “The way he breezes and gallops out, he looks like a two-turn horse. He also did run two turns at Turfway going a mile. That was again a horrible trip. He never got out of cover until well inside the sixteenth pole. But the two turns that day never seemed to be an issue. He looked loaded the whole time.”

Walden said he expects to see continued improvement in his charge.

“He won't officially be a 3-year-old until May 5,” Walden said. “I've felt all along that this horse has all the talent in the world. I believe he has graded-stakes type of potential. I don't know exactly when the lightbulb will fully go off. He's still big and green, but if things go right for him, he can put it together. It wouldn't shock me if he went up there and ran really big.”

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Courier-Journal Reports New Details in Laoban Suit

The Louisville Courier-Journal is reporting that Laoban (Uncle Mo)'s death last year resulted after the stallion was injected with a cocktail of vitamins and minerals they called the “Black Shot,” which was meant to increase his interest in breeding after he struggled to cover mares toward the end of the season.

The Courier-Journal based much of its reporting on insurance documents it obtained regarding the death of the stallion that stood at WinStar Farm. Part-owners Cypress Creek Equine and Southern Equine Stables filed suit last month in Fayette Circuit Court in an effort to have the insurance company, The North America Specialty Insurance Company (NAS), pay off a claim they submitted after the horse died.

In March, it was reported that Cypress Creek Equine, LLC was suing the insurance company for an undisclosed sum that includes mortality coverage, compensatory damages, court costs and attorney fees.

NAS has alleged that three of the four substances given to Laoban had been administered after their expiration date and that one of them had expired nearly nine years ago. The insurance company has charged that the “acts, errors and omissions” of attending veterinarian Dr. Heather Wharton were a matter of failing to provide proper care for the horse and that she took risks not covered in the policy.

“WinStar has been in the Thoroughbred business for over 20 years,” WinStar CEO and President Elliott Walden said in a statement to the paper. “Laoban's passing was a traumatic experience and felt by everyone at the farm. As we stated at the time, insurance companies in general have a self-serving interest in denying claims and blaming others. We resolved by mutual agreement any concerns that were brought to us and closed the chapter of this tragic loss a long time ago.”

Citing the insurance documents, the Courier-Journal reported that Laoban mounted three mares on May 22, 2021, but “failed to finish his job” and failed again the following day when matched with two more mares. He was treated with the shot the next day and, according to the insurance company, died within minutes of being given the injection. The incident was on videotape.

Laoban was eight at the time of his death. He entered stud in New York at Sequel Stallions for a fee of $7,500, but was relocated to WinStar based largely on the performance of his first crop to the races in 2020. That group included Simply Ravishing, the winner of the 2020 GI Darley Alcibiades S. He also sired Grade II winner and multiple Grade l-placed Keepmeinmind.

Sequel Stallions' owner Becky Thomas, who retained partial ownership of Laoban after WinStar became its syndicate manager in October 2020, told the Courier-Journal that the stallion's death was a “very unfortunate accident.” She confirmed she had settled with WinStar.

Laoban's stud fee was increased to $25,000 upon the move to WinStar. He sired 219 registered foals. He was bred to 126 mares in 2021.

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