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WinStar Stablemates Off to a Flying Start in 2021

Coming off a banner year in which its fillies finished one-two in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks, WinStar Stablemates Racing burst out of the starting gate in 2021 going two-for-two on Friday. The victories included a win by Gulf Coast (Union Rags) in the Cash Run S. at Gulfstream.

“It’s nice to get off to such a great start and we are very excited for 2021,” said WinStar CEO and President Elliott Walden. “To be two-for-two is great for our owners.”

The WinStar racing partnership is an offshoot of WinStar Stablemates, a club formed in 2011 that allowed members inside access to all things WinStar. Hoping to attract new owners into the business, WinStar branched out and started WinStar Stablemates Racing in 2018. The stable won with its first-ever starter, capturing the 2018 Wayward Lass S. at Tampa Bay Downs with Well Humored (Distorted Humor). All of the Stablemates horses are fillies.

The partners don’t actually own the horses. Instead, they lease them for racing purposes for the year. At the end of the year, the fillies will either join the WinStar broodmare band, return to WinStar’s regular stable or be part of the next year’s Stablemates stable.

There are 100 slots available and Walden said about 40 have already been sold for this year. The members share in the ownership of all the horses in the stable and the fees they pay go to offset the training costs.

“With the first Stablemates program we had a fan initiative for about 10 years and thought this was the next step to grow more owners and to educate them,” Walden said. “This is a great opportunity for people to get a taste of what it is like to own high-caliber horses without a lot of cost. It gives people an opportunity to get in and share in the ownership without having to be a Kenny Troutt or a B. Wayne Hughes. Hopefully, our owners will graduate and go on and do their own thing, just the same as if they were involved with West Point or a number of other syndicates.”

WinStar Stablemates Racing had its finest hour in last year’s Coaching Club at Saratoga, where Paris Lights (Curlin) defeated fellow WinStar Stablemates runner Crystal Ball (Malibu Moon) by a neck. Paris Lights has not run back since and Crystal Ball returned to finish fifth in the GI Alabama S. Both will run this year and are again part of the racing partnership. Walden said that Crystal Ball could run within the next four to six weeks and that Paris Lights could return shortly after that. Paris Lights is back in training in South Florida with Bill Mott.

“She came up with a little something behind and needed some time off,” Walden said. “She didn’t need any surgery, but we felt like she was worth waiting on and wanted to do the right thing. We wound up having to give her 60 days off and we kept her in light training at the farm and just sent her back down about a month ago.”

Walden has high expectations for the Grade I winner in 2021.

“With Paris Lights being by Curlin, we are really excited about her 4-year-old year,” Walden said. “They tend to get better with age. She’s a filly who has done nothing wrong and improved in all her starts. I think she’s going to be one of the best fillies in the country this year.”

The 2021 roster for the stable consists of 12 horses. Walden explained that they are all fillies because WinStar owns many of its colts in partnerships with other stables, including the China Horse Club, and because well-bred fillies always have the potential to join the WinStar broodmare band when done racing.

WinStar’s big day on Friday began with Signify (Speightstown), the winner of a $15,000 maiden claimer at Turfway Park. About an hour and 20 minutes later, Gulf Coast squared off against seven others in the Cash Run, a one-mile stakes for 3-year-old fillies. It was her third lifetime start after she broke her maiden at Indiana Downs and then finished second in the Sandpiper S. at Tampa Bay Downs. Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, she won by a half-length. She was purchased for $300,000 at the OBS April Sale.

“What’s exciting is that with her win we now have 12 fillies and three of them are stakes horses,” Walden said. “That’s not an easy feat.”

With the Coaching Club win, WinStar Stablemates Racing had its best year ever in 2020. They won nine races, including the Iowa Distaff S. at Prairie Meadows. They have Paris Lights and Crystal Ball coming back and Gulf Coast is an improving horse. Walden is also looking forward to the debut of Seascape (Distorted Humor), a 3-year-old WinStar homebred trained by Dallas Stewart who is part of the syndicate.

“This definitely could be our best year,” he said. “We have two Grade I fillies and Gulf Coast is now a stakes winner. The best thing about this is the passion these owners have for the industry. It should be a very exciting year for us.”

The post WinStar Stablemates Off to a Flying Start in 2021 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Despite On-Track Success, Irad Ortiz Jr. Says ‘2020 Was Sad For Everyone,’ Hopeful About Year Ahead

WinStar Stablemates Racing's Gulf Coast successfully stretched out after a pair of sprints to start her career and became a stakes winner for the first time in Friday's $75,000 Cash Run at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The one-mile Cash Run for newly turned 3-year-old fillies was the second of three $75,000 stakes on the New Year's Day program, preceded by Imprimis winning the Janus for 4-year-olds and up and followed by Hear My Prayer's victory in the Abundantia for fillies and mares 4 and older, both sprinting on the turf.

Irad Ortiz Jr. swept all three stakes as part of a five-win afternoon to open the calendar year. The Championship Meet's two-time defending leading rider, Ortiz is favored to win a third straight Eclipse Award later this month as North America's champion jockey.

Ortiz began his big day notching back-to-back wins aboard 4-year-old first-time starter and 4-5 favorite Luann ($3.80) in Race 5 and 3-year-old filly Lionessofbrittany ($13.20) in Race 6.

“I have to thank all the trainers and owners for all the opportunities, honestly. Thank God, he keeps me healthy,” Ortiz said. “I'm living my dream right now. I'm so happy, all the trainers and owners they keep riding me. It's been a hard year to follow all the horses, and I just feel blessed.”

Ortiz led all North American jockeys with 300 wins and $21,050,726 in purse earnings in 2020, a year where racing was paused and reshuffled across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ortiz finished with 1,266 mounts, the fewest since his rookie year of 2011 (1,016).

At Gulfstream, he has led the Championship Meet standings with 135 wins in 2018-19 and 115 in 2019-20. He ranks second at the current stand which began Dec. 2, trailing Luis Saez, 34-30.

“Last year, we had a good year, but there were a lot of things going on, honestly. I lost my grandfather. 2020 was sad for everyone. A start like this, hopefully, we can start the new year and forget everything that was bad last year and get going with a regular life, hopefully,” Ortiz said.

“I always come here trying my best on all the horses. You never expect it, they just come up. I just keep riding and riding the whole day,” he added. “I try to win every time. Thank God, we got five winners.”

Gulf Coast ($6.40), a bay daughter of Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Union Rags trained by Rodolphe Brisset, completed the distance in 1:37.46 over a fast main track to win by a half-length over late-running Honorifique. It was 3 ¾ lengths back to Honorifique in third, followed by Shea D Summer, Orbs Baby Girl, Gladys, Sky Proposal and Quinoa Tifah.

“I think everything set up the way we were looking [for]. Irad got her in the clear after the first quarter, I think that was a good move,” Brisset said. “She's a pretty big filly and we were really looking forward to running her a little bit longer than we did the first two times.”

Adios Trippi, racing first time for Gulfstream-based trainer Peter Walder after two starts in the Mid-Atlantic at 2, was quickest from the gate and led through fractions of 23.08 seconds for a quarter-mile pressed by fellow long shot Orbs Baby Girl and 45.71 for the half, when previously undefeated stakes winner and 8-5 favorite Shea D Summer picked up the chase.

Breaking from Post 2 inside all but one of seven rivals, Ortiz let the speed go and raced in mid-pack before tipping into the clear three wide down the backstretch. Gulf Coast began passing horses with little urging around the far turn and was set down at the top of the lane, powering through the stretch to her second win from three starts.

Irad Ortiz swept the three stakes on Gulfstream Park's New Year's Day program, including the Cash Run aboard Gulf Coast

“I had a perfect trip. I broke good and was able to get my filly where she wants to be,” Ortiz said. “She was a little more comfortable outside. We were there and I took my time and when I asked her to run, she was there. She started picking it up from the half-mile all the way to the quarter pole. After that I worked hard on her and she kept going.”

“[Brisset] just told me, 'She's not going to give you anything easy, you're going to have to work for it.' I don't like to get in the horse's way, so I just got her out of there and let her find her stride on the backside,” he added. “We were back a little farther than we wanted early but she was comfortable. He said to ride her with confidence and give her the chance, and she did it.”

Gulf Coast broke her maiden Nov. 10 at Indiana Grand before overcoming some early trouble to be second in the Sandpiper Dec. 5 at Tampa Bay Downs, both going six furlongs. Brisset said Gulf Coast, purchased for $300,000 as a 2-year-old in training last March who began her career on the West Coast with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, will get some time leading up to her next start.

“We ran her back in 26 days, 27 days and that's not usually what we do, but we were looking for some black type,” Brisset said. “She showed class and quality to us, but now we've got the win in a stakes out of the way. I think two turns, yes, but I think six weeks, too.”

Cara Oliver's stakes winner Hear My Prayer ($21), who has typically raced on or near the lead through seven starts, split horses at the top of the stretch and came with a sweeping move on the outside through the lane to reel in Tracy Ann's Legacy and Lenzi's Lucky Lady and edge clear to a 2 ½-length victory in the Abundantia.

The winning time was 55.27 seconds over a firm turf course. It was the fourth career win and third from four starts on the grass at Gulfstream for Hear My Prayer, who is trained by David Fisher.

“She broke good, put me right there. The trainer said she was doing great,” Ortiz said. “She put me in a good position. I held her together and she relaxed and came back to me. She waited for the time to go, when I asked her turning for home, she responded.”

The post Despite On-Track Success, Irad Ortiz Jr. Says ‘2020 Was Sad For Everyone,’ Hopeful About Year Ahead appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘Looking Forward To Running Her Longer’: Gulf Coast Gets Class Test In Friday’s Cash Run Stakes

WinStar Stablemates Racing's Gulf Coast, stakes-placed in one of two juvenile starts, will step up and stretch out for her sophomore debut in Friday's $75,000 Cash Run at Gulfstream Park.

The one-mile Cash Run for 3-year-old fillies is among three $75,000 stakes on the New Year's Day program along with a pair of five-furlong turf sprints, the Abundantia for fillies and mares 4 and older and the Janus for 4-year-olds and up featuring the 7-year-old debut of multiple graded-stakes winner Imprimis.

First race post time is 12:05 p.m.

Gulf Coast, a bay daughter of 2012 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Union Rags, will be racing beyond six furlongs for the first time in the Cash Run, her second straight stakes after running second in the Sandpiper Dec. 5 at Tampa Bay Downs, overcoming some early trouble to get within two lengths of the winner.

The Sandpiper came barely three weeks after Gulf Coast debuted with a come-from-behind half-length maiden special weight triumph at Indiana Downs.

“She ran huge there. She wasn't settled perfectly in the gate and broke maybe a step slow and got bumped pretty hard,” trainer Rodolphe Brisset said. “We don't think the six furlongs is what she wants to do but, at that point, the black type is very attractive.

“She's very well-bred and she was showing all the signs she was ready to run again,” he added. “We decided to go in there and had a rough trip. Were we the best? Maybe, but I think she showed us that she can take the kickback [and] she can come from out of it, so we're really looking forward to running her longer.”

Purchased for $240,000 as a yearling in September 2019 and sold again for $300,000 as a 2-year-old in training in March, Gulf Coast began her career on the West Coast with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. Out of the Candy Ride mare Sweet Success, she trained at Los Alamitos and Santa Anita before being sent to Brisset in Kentucky.

“She seemed like she was working OK when she was at Los Alamitos and when [Baffert] moved back to Santa Anita maybe she didn't like the track, but it didn't look like she was working good enough to run there. So, the ownership and Mr. Baffert decided to send her to us,” Brisset said.

“She actually arrived at our Turfway Park division first, thinking maybe we would run her there,” he added. “I worked her on the synthetic and I don't think she really cared for it, so we just decided to run her at Indiana and she won first time out pretty impressive.”

Brisset said despite her belated start, he wasn't surprised that Gulf Coast won first time out.

“Her works at Santa Anita were good enough where she was fit enough off the plane. I just worked her once and she went an easy three-eighths and just went in,” he said. “She just was showing every sign she was ready to run. Where she belonged we did not know and Indiana was a really good spot. We gave her a chance to show what she can do and she did it. She won pretty nice.”

Brisset was aboard when Gulf Coast breezed four furlongs in 48.55 seconds Dec. 23 at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, the fastest of 11 horses. Two-time defending Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount in the Cash Run from Post 2 in a field of nine.

“We were keeping all our options open in the coming stakes for 3-year-olds. Actually the Cash Run was not really in the plans at first, but when the nominations came out, we thought we were pretty competitive in there,” Brisset said. “Then we worked her and she worked extremely good, and she came out of the work in good shape. We've got Irad, so all the signs are going where we should run. When you have a good jock and you have a horse show you she's doing good I just think it's time to go.”

Brisset said the Cash Run, named for the multiple graded-stakes winning mare whose victories included the 1999 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Gulfstream, is an ideal spot to launch Gulf Coast's season.

“We even feel like she got bigger and stronger and the extra time has been really good for her. I think we're going to bring her there with some confidence and see where she belongs,” he said. “If we think the added distance is going to be good for her, we kind of want to find out in the next two months where to point after that. So, Friday is going to be a good test distance-wise and probably quality-wise, too. She's going to have to face some better fillies, I'm sure, but we will bring her there and see what happens.”

Gulf Coast will face a pair of stakes winners in Quinoa Tifah and the undefeated Shea D Summer. Arindel's Quinoa Tifah won twice in two starts over Gulfstream's main track in 2020 including the seven-furlong Our Dear Peggy in front-running fashion Sept. 26 over Con Lima, who is being pointed to the $75,000 Ginger Brew on turf Jan. 2 at Gulfstream.

Luis Saez rides Quinoa Tifah for trainer Juan Alvarado from Post 6 at co-topweight of 122 pounds.

Shea D Boy's Stable's Shea D Summer, by Summer Front, will try open company for the first time after winning her only two starts of 2020, both against fellow Florida-breds at Gulfstream Park West. She debuted Oct. 7 with a one-length triumph going six furlongs and returned to capture the 6 ½-furlong Juvenile Fillies Sprint Nov. 14 over a sloppy track.

Jose Ortiz gets the riding assignment on Shea D Summer from Post 1.

Rounding out the field are last out maiden special weight winners Adios Trippi, Gladys, Honorifique and Orbs Baby Girl; Lucifers Lair, unraced since running last of five in the Adirondack (G2) Aug. 12 at Saratoga; and Sky Proposal, most recently third to Shea D Summer in the Juvenile Fillies Sprint.

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