What Was Your Favorite Moment of 2023: Mark Taylor

As 2023 draws to a close, the TDN is asking industry members to name their favorite moment of the year. Send yours to suefinley@thetdn.com

There are so many great moments from 2023. It really is hard to choose. I would say that from a “Taylor Made” perspective it has to be selling the highest-priced yearling in North America. The Curlin colt out of the legendary Beholder was raised and prepped beautifully by the team at Spendthrift. Having the opportunity to represent Spendthrift on a horse of that quality was a blessing for our whole Team!

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Gandharvi Adds Case Clay To Its Team As Business Consultant

Amid the speed-filled tempo of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale this week, it's all about equine and human partnerships for Gandharvi Racing as they add Case Clay as a Business Consultant to their team.

Mind you, this isn't about making a splash or just putting together some haphazard deal. No, the intent behind this organization's latest move tunnels much deeper into the recesses of history.

As the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day. Neither was a racing stable. Like city-planning in the ancient world or otherwise, success just doesn't come easy. When it comes to competing in international racing circles, it takes a multipolar pivot across continents.

The underpinnings of such a capital venture were stabilized for Gandharvi founder Kuldeep Singh Rajput the moment he found out that he had deep family ties to racing's past in India.

“I have the horse racing and breeding bug, which was probably given to me by my great-grandparents, who were breeders,” said Rajput.

Though he is based in Boston, Massachusetts, Rajput is just such an internationalist. He built a successful career in biotech, and now he's parlaying his good business sense by carefully assembling a team with the intent to draw in more fans into the world of bloodstock and racing partnerships.

Gandharvi, which invested in its first horse in 2021, has aspirations to build a very strong broodmare band and has made no bones that it will focus its operations on developing fillies, which could yield a farm in the future. For now, the tailwinds are behind Rajput. Considering the current equine climate across the poles of this sport, holding your line in this game becomes a tall order for a solo yachtsman, but he isn't going alone.

To get there, the outfit's vessel is fitted with a strong frame of experience. Led by the Lexington, Kentucky-based Kiwi, Mick Wallace as their full-time Chief Operating Officer and Godolphin Flying Start grad Caitlin Smith, who anchors several of their operations from her base in Sydney, Australia, they are lending a hand in the growth department.

As the team assembled this week in Saratoga Springs, Gandharvi is expanding their roster by announcing Clay would be coming on as a blue chip adviser.

“I want Gandharvi to be around for the long term, and Case [Clay] will help us with that, beginning with the development of our five-year-plan,” said Rajput. “Also, he has relationships all over the world in this business and we respect that he will service them as well.”

With his diverse background, which was honed while working for his family at the fabled Three Chimneys Farm and even after it was sold to the Torrealba Family as their Chief Commercial Officer, Clay made the move last year to go out on his own as the principal of Case Clay Thoroughbred Management, LLC. For Gandharvi, part of Clay's specialty will be to focus on building toward the future.

“I'm excited about the opportunity to lend a hand to Gandharvi with their strategic plan and advice from a business standpoint. My current clients and business relationships are very important to me, so I'm glad that Kuldeep and I could arrange it so my current Case Clay Thoroughbred Management will run as business as usual, while still being able to help his organization in whatever way I can.”

With the addition of Clay, Gandharvi is continuing to pursue expanding global partnerships. Rajput himself has connections who regularly reach out with interest, but they might not have the foggiest how they can participate. He knows that if you make racing fun for everyone, including friends, family, etc., you can offer them a high-quality experience with both racing and breeding. Gandharvi will be searching for partnerships with the more well-established Thoroughbred operations to share in this journey.

They've already accrued progress along the way down under and in North America. In New Zealand, Ulanova (Santos {Aus}), a 2-year-old chestnut filly who won a Group 3 back in February at New Plymouth before running second in the G1 Sistema S. at Pukekohe Park, is continuing to make a name for herself. She is a finalist for the Champion 2-year-old category for New Zealand's Horse of the Year Awards.

The stable also established part-ownership in Australia's MG1SW Forbidden Love (All Too Hard {Aus}). Also of note, at the Magic Millions National Broodmare sale, Gandharvi purchased Nomothaj (Snitzel) for $1.1 million. The Listed winner has produced only one foal so far, a colt by Exceed And Excel, who sold at this year's Magic Millions National Yearling sale for $575,000.

When it comes to their North American activities, Gandharvi Racing bought into GI Breeders' Cup Sprint hero Aloha West (Hard Spun) through a partnership with Eclipse Thoroughbreds, and in conjunction with Michael Dubb, they campaigned GSW Battle Bling (Vancouver {Aus}). The stable made news last year when they purchased 18 yearlings during the Keeneland September sale for $7.605 million.

Back at the Saratoga Yearling Sale on Monday evening, in the spirit of budding partnerships, Gandharvi got on the board with Brook Smith's Rocket Ship Racing to land for $900,000 a filly by Constitution (hip 118).

“Gandharvi is all about bringing partners together and having fun racing,” said Rajput to TDN's Jessica Martini after the ticket was signed. “And I think it's a match made in heaven. We agreed on the same filly. It's all about partnerships and we are looking forward to it.”

Hopeful that North American success will come with a budding equine portfolio that will likely include a boutique broodmare band, Gandharvi will look to continue to add fillies and colts to race within a bevy of expanding partnerships. Now with Case Clay's assistance, the future is looking even more bright, but Gandharvi is always mindful that a racing stable isn't built in a day.

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Sam’s Treasure Switches to Dirt and Romps in Saratoga Maiden

by Bill Finley & Patrycja Szpyra

As he often does with his 2-year-olds, trainer Wesley Ward started Sam's Treasure (Munnings) off in a grass race, in this case a five-furlong maiden on May 11 at Belmont. She finished second, 2 3/4 lengths behind the winner–Cynane (Omaha Beach) had the distinction of being her sire's first winner and was Royal Ascot-bound for a time–but there was nothing about the performance to suggest that she could develop into a top horse. Maybe Ward should have been thinking dirt all along.

In a much improved effort, Sam's Treasure dominated nine rivals to win the $136,500 six-furlong race by 5 3/4 lengths. She tracked pacesetter Life's Joy (Mitole) down the backstretch, took over on the turn and then drew clear of her rivals to post a dominant victory. After being steadied early and losing ground, Colonial Rose (Constitution) managed to recover well enough to safely secure runner-up honors, but long behind the winner.

Sam's Treasure was ridden by John Velazquez, who was subbing for the injured Jose Ortiz.

The field included Camera (Curlin), a first-time starter from the Todd Pletcher barn who cost $1,050,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. The daughter of MGISP Cassies Dreamer (Flatter) bobbled a few steps out of the gate and never recovered. She finished ninth as the 70-100 favorite.

“Earlier on we had her on both surfaces,” Ward said of Sam's Treasure. “I just thought she's a big filly. She came to hand early but the races at Keeneland are at 4 1/2 furlongs and a horse needs to be a little quicker than she is to win those. The Belmont race came up. I like to run horses on grass there because it's a kind and forgiving surface. If she didn't win, I thought that would still set her up nicely for Saratoga and it did.”

Sam's Treasure, also a Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate, was picked out at the sale by the team of Ben McElroy, Ward and Mike Hall, the managing director of the owner, Breeze Easy LLC. She sold for $700,000.

 

“She was beautiful here last summer at the Saratoga sale,” Ward said. “We went around and looked at all the horses and this was Ben McElroy's pick as well. We kind of pushed Mike Hall into buying her because it was a lot of money for her.”

At the time of the sale, Hall's partner in Breeze Easy was Sam Ross. Ross died in September at the age of 79.

“Unfortunately, Sam died last year so Mike Hall named her Sam's Treasure after Sam,” Ward said. “And Sam's Treasure came through for him today. Sam is shining down on us. Mike is someone you really want to get behind and win for. It's so hard to win, especially here at Saratoga. To have a filly as promising as this, I'm really excited.”

Bred by Baron Thoroughbreds in Kentucky, Sam's Treasure is the second offspring for her dam, Malibu Treasure, but the first to make the races ahead of elder half-brother Buckeye Don (Speightstown). The mare had back-to-back colts by Promises Fulfilled, a yearling and a 2023 foal. Hailing from a Graded stakes-placed and multiple stakes-winning half-sister to G1SP & MGSW Choctaw Nation, Malibu Treasure can also claim GSW Her Temper; GISW El Deal (Munnings); and GSW Thunder Achiever as members of her extended female family.

6th-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 7-23, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.22, ft, 5 3/4 lengths.
SAM'S TREASURE (f, 2, Munnings–Malibu Treasure, by Malibu Moon) Sales history: $700,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $75,750. O-Breeze Easy, LLC; B-Baron Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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$1 Million Curlin Filly Looks To Get Picture Taken At The Spa

6th-SAR, $136K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 4:06 p.m.
CAMERA (Curlin) will make her debut on Sunday at Saratoga Race Course for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. A $1,050,000 buy last August at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling sale, the bay filly out of Cassies Dreamer (Flatter) hails from a female family which includes More Than Real (More Than Ready) and Structor (Palice Malice), winners of the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf and BC Juvenile Turf, respectively. The Todd Pletcher trainee, who gets the services of Irad Ortiz, clocked 1:00.55 in her last workout July 15 at Saratoga (5f, 1/31). TJCIS PPS

8th-DMR, $82K, Msw, 2yo, 5f, 8:38 p.m.
Heading out west to Southern California, SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Robert E. Masterson, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan, Catherine and Tom Ryan have Rothschild (Uncle Mo) making his first start at Del Mar. The $700,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase out of GISP Still There (Union Rags), trained by Tim Yakteen and ridden by Kyle Frey, prepped for this spot July 14 at Santa Anita with a breeze of :47.60 (4f, 7/74). TJCIS PPS

 

 

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