The 6-year-old is co-owned by Eugene Joyce and will stand for a fee of $1,500. A limited number of lifetime breeding rights are also available.

Although Wyoming has a long history of horse racing and is the final resting place of the sport's first Triple Crown winner, Sir Barton, the state's live racing scene nearly disappeared until HHR was legalized a decade ago. Since then, horse racing has seen a resurgence with $5.2 million awarded to owners, breeders and stallion owners who participated in the Wyoming Breeders Awards Program in 2022.

“I was around Dennis' Moment early in his career and was really impressed with his brilliance, looks and class,” said Corey Johnsen of CJ Thoroughbreds. “It is an honor to own him now and be able to offer a stallion of his quality to breeders in Wyoming and the region. The Cheyenne location makes him accessible to mare owners in Colorado and Nebraska.”

Golden Creek Equine encompasses 100 acres near Cheyenne with another Wyoming location of 2,400 acres.

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Bred by Tolo Thoroughbreds in Kentucky, the now-5-year-old was a $400,000 yearling purchase by Albaugh Family Racing at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. Debuting at Churchill Downs in June at two, the Dale Romans trainee clipped heels and unseated his rider, then reappeared a month later to blow the doors off the competition by 19 1/4 lengths at Ellis Park, resulting in his 'Rising Star' moniker. Dennis' Moment quickly added the GIII Iroquois S. at Churchill and was sent to the 2019 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile as the odds-on favorite, only to stumble badly out of the gate and lose all chance. He was raced sparingly the next three seasons, winning an optional allowance at Keeneland at four prior to placing in the GIII Mr. Prospector S. at Gulfstream. Dennis' Moment retires with a record of 14-3-2-3 and earnings of $302,962.

Hailing from the family of French, U.S., and Japanese Grade I/Group 1 winner Golden Pheasant (Caro {Ire}), Dennis' Moment is out a granddaughter of MGSW Seewillo (Pleasant Colony). His own dam, Transplendid, sold for $1.4 million at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November sale.

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At the break in the seven-furlong G3 stakes, Wind of Change showed his head in front first, taking a one-length lead inside the first furlong. Into the first turn, Wind of Change maintained that advantage over Doc Amster and Officiating, setting fractions of :22.18 for the first quarter and :44.75 for the half mile. Into the far turn, Officiating went three-wide, going to the outside of Wind of Change and Doc Amster as they hit the top of the stretch.

In the Gulfstream straight, Officiating and Doc Amster passed Wind of Change, with Dennis' Moment and Endorsed on the outside challenging. Officiating pulled clear with a furlong to go and held off a late surging Endorsed to win the Mr. Prospector by three-quarters of a length. Endorsed was second, with Dennis' Moment holding on for third. Doc Amster, Wind of Change, Flap Jack, and Poppy's Pride rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the seven furlongs was 1:22.28. Find this race's chart here.

Officiating paid $16.80, $6.00, and $3.60. Endorsed paid $3.20 and $2.40. Dennis' Moment paid $2.60.

Bred in Florida by owner Vegso Racing Stable, Officiating is by Blame out of the Dixie Union mare Come a Callin. He is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. The 3-year-old colt was a $100,000 RNA consigned by Eaton Sales at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. With his win in the G3 Mr. Prospector, Officiating has three wins in 10 starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 14-3-4-2 and career earnings of $206,547.

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• Dennis' Moment is one of the two in the former group, having won at the seven furlong distance in his most recent race and with a previous graded stakes win in his career as he captured the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes in the fall of 2019.
• Officiating won at this distance one race before last, the win coming in the non-graded Bear's Den Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
• Doc Amster won last month at Gulfstream Park at the shorter distance of six furlongs and is trying this seven furlong trip for the first time.
• Then there's Endorsed, with the highest career earnings in the field at $455,375. His best effort at this level came when second in the Grade 3 Westchester Stakes in June of last year, and he enters the Mr. Prospector Stakes off a fast closing third place effort in his most recent start.
• Poppy's Pride won four in a row between September and December of last year but has run poorly in two starts since returning from an eight month layoff in September.
• Wind of Change (BRZ) finished fourth in last year's Mr. Prospector and enters this year's race off a runner-up finish two months ago.
• Flap Jack rounds out the field, not having won in nine races since June, 2020 and still eligible to run in a second level allowance race.

Main win contenders:

Officiating took seven tries to earn his first win, doing so on turf this past March. Following his maiden win and after missing by a neck in a non-graded stakes race on turf and a mediocre third place effort on dirt, he was privately transferred to the barn of trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. Then, after fourth and third place finishes on turf, Officiating was entered in the Bear's Den Stakes, scheduled for turf, but stayed in the race which was moved to dirt due to weather, earning a career best 110 Equibase® Speed Figure and winning authoritatively by three and one-half lengths.

In his most recent race and following the Bear's Den, Officiating tried the Tapeta all-weather surface and two-turns in the Showing Up Stakes last month and ran poorly, demonstrating only he did not like the surface nor the distance. Cutting back to the distance of the Bear's Den while moving back to the surface of that race, it can be assumed Officiating can duplicate his effort in that race which is good enough to win. There is also little doubt about his being able to run as well considering his last two workouts on dirt coming into the race have been excellent.

Dennis' Moment was thought to be a top 2-year-old in the summer of 2019 following his 19 length win in July with a 106 figure, virtually unheard of for a young two year old. He won the Iroquois Stakes two months later but after finishing last of eight in that year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Stakes he was given time off to mature. When returning in the Fountain of Youth Stakes last February, 2020, Dennis' Moment was sent to post as the heavy favorite but finished 10th and last.

Rested another nine months, he ran poorly one year ago and was again given time off. This time the rest helped greatly as Dennis' Moment missed by a head in a six furlong sprint. Two races later in October, Dennis' Moment earned his first win in 25 months in a highly rated race at Keeneland at the distance of the Mr. Prospector, duplicating the 106 figure earned in the summer of 2019. With logical improvement off that effort in his fourth start off the rest and at the same distance of his last effort, Dennis' Moment has every right to earn a graded stakes win for the second time in his career.

The rest of the field, with their best Equibase Speed Figures, is Doc Amster (103), Endorsed (110), Flap Jack (101), Poppy's Pride (97) and Wind of Change (BRZ) (114).

Win Contenders, in preference order:

Officiating
Dennis' Moment

Mr. Prospector Stakes – Grade 3
Race 10 at Gulfstream Park
Saturday, December 11 – Post Time 4:32 PM E.T.
Seven Furlongs
Three Years Olds and Upward
Purse: $100,000

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Endorsed, who was claimed for $100,000 out of a third-place finish in an Aug. 26 optional claiming allowance at Saratoga, has been winless in three starts for trainer Mike Maker, finishing third in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes, fourth in the Phoenix (G2) at Keeneland and a close third in an optional claiming allowance at Churchill while being ridden by Gaffalione for the first time.

“Since Mike took over his training, he's really coming into his own. He's had three big performances in his last three races against top-quality horses,” Gaffalione said. “It seems like he leaves himself with too much to do. I'm hoping the extra difference will help him out and he gets a clean trip.”

The 5-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro is graded stakes-placed and has run respectably in a few Grade 1 stakes, but he is still seeking to win his first stakes in a steady 23-race career.

Albaugh Family Stables LLC's Dennis' Moment enters the Mr. Prospector coming off his first win since capturing the 2019 Iroquois at Churchill Downs. The Dale Romans-trained son of Tiznow captured a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance at Keeneland.

Corey Lanerie has the call aboard Dennis' Moment.

Drain the Clock was nominated to the Mr. Prospector, but trainer Saffie Joseph has opted to run the Grade 1 winner in a Friday optional claiming allowance off a layoff and run Daniel Alonso's Wind of Change and Vegso Racing Stable's Officiating in Saturday's stakes.

Wind of Change, who won the ungraded Mr. Prospector at Monmouth in May, is coming off a second-place finish in an optional claiming allowance in his first start on Gulfstream's Tapeta course.

“I thought he handled it well. Obviously, going in there was a bit of unknown because he had never been on it. Overall, I thought it was a good race,” Joseph said. “The horse that beat him [King of Dreams] came back and won a stake. A good horse beat him.”

Joseph expects Wind of Change to be a forward factor in the Mr. Prospector.

“His best style of running is on lead, so we're trying, hopefully, to go to the lead,” he said.

Edgard Zayas has the mount aboard the Brazilian-bred 6-year-old.

Officiating, who made a strong middle move on Tapeta before fading in the Showing Up, won the off-the-turf Bear's Den at seven furlongs over a sloppy track in his previous start.

“He's kind of a weird kind of horse. We've only had him for four starts, and he's trained really well on the dirt. We only ran him once on dirt, and it was on the slop, and he handled it well. He won a stake,” Joseph said. “His previous races on dry dirt, he's never hit the board. It's kind of an experiment. He's training so well on the dirt. I want to give him one try.”

Luis Saez is scheduled to ride Officiating for the first time.

Calumet Farm's Flap Jack, Russell Staggs' Doc Amster and Stonehedge LLC's Poppy's Pride round out the field.

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Equibase reveals that Dennis' Moment has breezed at Churchill Downs three times since his return, the latest a half-mile move in 48 seconds on Oct. 10. Jason Loutsch, racing manager for the Albaugh Family Stables, said Dennis' Moment could be pointed to the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park.

“We elected to make the right decision, always take care of the horse first, and give him some time off. Hopefully, the bone bruising is gone now and he comes back and is the old Dennis,” Loutsch told Horse Racing Nation.

Dennis' Moment has been a favorite of Romans' since prior his debut on June 23, 2019, in which he clipped heels and unseated jockey Robby Albarado. The colt rebounded with a 19 1/2-length triumph at Ellis Park on July 27, then set a stakes record when geared down to win the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes on Sept. 14.

Sent off as the favorite for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Dennis' Moment went to his knees at the start and never recovered, finishing last in the eight-horse field. The bone bruising seems to be to blame for the colt's poor performance in the Fountain of Youth, but Loutsch believes Dennis' Moment can come back to have a strong 4-year-old campaign.

“Absolutely, he's that kind of horse,” Loutsch said. “If he continues to feel good and go forward, there is no reason to think he can't compete at that level.”

Read more at the Horse Racing Nation.

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This colt gave a literal quality to their topsy-turvy fortunes when rearing and toppling in the Derby preliminaries, sending Bob Baffert’s lieutenant Jimmy Barnes to hospital and himself back to the barn in mild disgrace. For the Albaugh family, the sudden deflation must have taken them back to the numbing split-second when Dennis’ Moment (Tiznow), stumbling out of the gate, threw away a juvenile championship at the Breeders’ Cup last fall.

Yet between those dispiriting bookends, their stable has been achieving some quite remarkable things–so much so, in fact, that success for Thousand Words in the GI Preakness S. would perhaps put Dennis Albaugh in contention for an Eclipse Award of his own.

Last month, in the space of three days, Dale Romans saddled two Ellis Park debut winners to follow up in graded stakes at Churchill: Sittin On Go (Brody’s Cause) in the GIII Iroquois S.; and Girl Daddy (Uncle Mo) in the GIII Pocahontas S. In the process, each earned the first 10 starting points for the 2021 Derby and Oaks, respectively.

By the time those gates are secured and opened, perhaps, we might finally be restored to those simple indulgences past that now seem so decadent; measurable, as well as anything, by the notion of a crowded infield on the first Saturday in May. But if the whole of society can’t get ahead of itself, right now, then certainly nor can those whose aspirations are contingent on a conveyance as unpredictable as the Thoroughbred.

The Albaughs won’t need telling that, not least after Sittin On Go’s success earlier on the card intimated that the force might be with Thousand Words in the GI Kentucky Derby. In the event, they were reserved the cruellest portion of the hollowness that must have filtered from the deserted grandstands into the hearts of all those whose privilege, in making that coveted walkover, had been rendered so bittersweet.

But our business is all about the long game. And the kind of calls that these guys are making will surely flatten even such bumps in the road as unaccountable as the slips and flips of Dennis’ Moment and Thousand Words. Because even with an unbeaten colt and filly on track for the Breeders’ Cup, the Albaugh family’s potential impact on next year’s Classic scene could prove to be broader still.

The way Not This Time has started at Taylor Made, we could be looking at one of the most exciting young stallions of recent times. I can’t resist repeating that I’ve been in his corner throughout, annually banging the drum in our midwinter stallion survey. And he has overcome even that ruinous disadvantage to set a searing pace in the freshman’s championship. His 13 scorers from just 27 starters to date are headed by the brilliant Princess Noor, at $1.35 million the most expensive 2-year-old by a rookie ever sold at OBS.

While there’s plenty of Nerud-Tartan dash in his family (two of Ta Wee’s five named foals put her 2×3 behind his second dam), the beauty about Not This Time is that he is so eligible to consolidate this early promise–in terms both of build and pedigree, as a Giant’s Causeway half-brother to Liam’s Map.

In his own track career Not This Time had already introduced the Albaughs to the rough with the smooth: he won an Ellis Park maiden and the Iroquois, just like Sittin On Go, but then narrowly failed to run down Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) at the Breeders’ Cup (ceding first run, the pair seven lengths clear) before being forced into premature retirement by injury.

He’s out of the family’s foundation investment, Miss Macy Sue (Trippi), a $42,000 2-year-old who became a graded stakes sprinter. Mr. Albaugh bought out his racing partner and resolved to give the young mare every chance with her first covers: A.P. Indy, Unbridled’s Song, Medaglia d’Oro, Giant’s Causeway. And that’s what I love about this operation: they came into the business with no pretensions, from Iowa, but bank on old-fashioned quality in a way that reproves many a Bluegrass horseman who cheapens the breed in slavish pursuit of fashion.

Now it turns out that you can have the best of both worlds. The Albaughs appear to have produced a legitimate commercial heir to Giant’s Causeway; and, in the sire of Sittin On Go, may yet give us a second.

Brody’s Cause, similarly, would succeed for the best of reasons: he was bought as a yearling as the son of a proven stallion, from a regal family. Go back to his fifth dam, in fact, and you’ll find a Bold Ruler half-sister to Somethingroyal.

He stands at Spendthrift–the family’s partner, incidentally, in pushing a seven-figure boat out for Thousand Words as a yearling–and the Albaughs supported him at market by giving $65,000 for his very first foal, a January 11 colt bred by and delivered at Wynnstay Farm, as a weanling at the Keeneland November Sale. Returning him to the same ring last September, they set a reserve at the same price, only for bidding to stall at $62,000. That’s how Sittin On Go is still in their stable; that’s how these ups and downs can even out.

Let’s not forget that Thousand Words had soured in the spring and would not have lined up for a May Derby, either. Turning him round to beat poor old Honor A. P. (Honor Code) in their Derby prep has been an achievement commensurate with the Preakness record beckoning Baffert. But Romans, the family’s principal trainer, may yet prove equal to an equivalent challenge with Dennis’ Moment, who returned to the worktab just this week.

That colt, remember, is by Tiznow–who shared one of the great Breeders’ Cup duels with Giant’s Causeway. Proper stallions, these, as favored by proper horsemen. Between Romans, bloodstock agent Barry Berkelhammer, and Albaugh’s son-in-law and racing manager Jason Loutsch, this is an exemplary crew. And if Mr. Albaugh is already building a legacy, that’s because his team are using durable, high-caliber materials: proven stallions, deep families, speed that will stretch through a second turn.

So there’s one picture that really would be worth a Thousand Words–and that’s one that shows him draped in a blanket of Black-Eyed Susans.

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