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Horologist Named 2020 New Jersey-Bred Horse Of The Year

There's A Chance Stable, Medallion Racing, Abbondanza Racing, LLC, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Paradise Farms Corp, and David Staudacher's Horologist has been named 2020 New Jersey-bred Horse of the Year and champion older female by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey.

Horologist started her championship campaign in California with trainer Richard Baltas and was ultimately transferred to the care of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott in June. Under Mott's supervision Horologist won the $250,000 Grade 3 Molly Pitcher Stakes at Monmouth Park and the $150,000 G2 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park. Horologist also finished second in the $100,000 Nellie Morse Stakes at Laurel and third in the $500,000 G1 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The daughter of Gemologist out of Cinderella Time, by Stephen Got Even finished 2020 with $345,334 in earnings. She has won seven of 20 career starts with earnings of $715,439. Horologist was bred in New Jersey by Holly Crest Farm.

John Bowers, Jr.'s homebred Royal Urn was named champion sprinter and champion older male after his successful campaign that finished with three stakes wins.

The son of Kantharos out of the King of Kings mare, Born to Royalty won the $75,000 John J. Reilly Handicap and $75,000 New Jersey Breeders Handicap at six furlongs by a combined six lengths. Royal Urn showed his versatility and stretched out to one mile and one sixteenth in the $100,000 Charles J. Hesse III Handicap for his third stakes win of 2020. Royal Urn finished his championship campaign with $172,250 in earnings under the care of trainer Kelly Breen.

Hope Haskell Jones and Isabelle de Tomaso's homebred Pianzi is the champion 3-year-old after his three consecutive wins from July 17 to Aug. 30. The son of Shanghai Bobby out of Faker, by Petionville broke his maiden in his second start of the year on July 17 by 4 3/4 lengths. Trained by Cal Lynch, Pianzi came back on Aug. 8 and won his nw1x condition and his nw2x condition on Aug. 30. Pianzi finished 2020 with earnings of $132,815.

Pickin' Time gave breeder/owner John Bowers, Jr. and trainer Kelly Breen their second champion as he took home the honor of champion 2-year-old.

Pickin' Time had a successful campaign, winning three races at distances ranging from 4 1/2 furlongs to one mile. The son of Stay Thirsty out of Born to Royalty, by King of Kings (Ire), broke his maiden in his first start at Monmouth Park going 4 1/2 furlongs on July 4. Pickin' Time finished second in the $100,000 Sapling Stakes at one mile before cutting back to six furlongs and winning the $75,000 Smoke Glacken Stakes at Monmouth Park. The champion 2-year-old saved the best race of his campaign in the $100,000 G3 Nashua Stakes winning the one-mile event over the Aqueduct oval by 2 1/4 lengths. Pickin' Time finished his 2-year-old season with earnings of $193,025.

Ballybrit Stables, LLC's homebred Bramble Bay is the champion turf runner after her three-win season.

Bramble Bay won over the Gulfstream Park turf course in May prior to shipping to Monmouth Park and winning the $75,000 Jersey Girl Handicap at one mile on the turf. The daughter of Bullet Train out of Regal Rose, by Empire Maker is trained by Michael Dini. Bramble Bay earned $119,830 during her championship campaign and has career earnings of $196,988.

Born to Royalty was honored as Broodmare of the Year in 2020. John Bowers, Jr. owns the 19-year-old mare by King of Kings out of Teenage Queen. Teenage Queen, also owned by John Bowers, Jr., was named New Jersey's Broodmare of the Year in 2007. Born to Royalty is the broodmare of Royal Urn, champion sprinter and champion older male, and Pickin' Time who is the champion 2-year-old of 2020.

Born to Royalty has produced 10 foals ,of which nine have started, including a yearling New Jersey-bred colt by Tonalist.

Hey Chub is the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey's Stallion of the Year for the fifth time in his career. The 21-year-old son of Carson City out of Donna Doo by Spend A Buck was a multiple stakes winning New Jersey-bred who hit the board in 30 of his 36 starts and earned $441,755.

Hey Chub has sired stakes winners Chublicious ($653,393), winner of the 2017 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes, 2018 New Jersey-bred champion sprinter Brother Chub ($542,336) along with stakes placed Chubbiana ($119,872).

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Distaff Notes: Ce Ce Should Be ‘Forwardly Placed,’ Alvarado Feeling ‘Really Good’ About Horologist

Ce Ce – Bo Hirsch's Ce Ce got her first sampling of the main track at Keeneland at 6 o'clock Tuesday morning galloping under exercise rider Osman Cedeno for trainer Michael McCarthy. Ce Ce had galloped on the all-weather training track Monday morning following her arrival from her Southern California base.

Ce Ce, who will be ridden by John Velazquez in Saturday's $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff drew post position one and is 12-1 on the morning line.

“I was hoping for somewhere between four and eight,” McCarthy said. “Coming out of a seven-eighths race (the Derby City Distaff in which she finished fourth), I expect her to be forwardly placed just in behind the first flight.”

Dunbar Road – Peter Brant's Dunbar Road, one day after arriving from New York, jogged a circuit of Keeneland's main track. The 2019 Alabama winner has pleased trainer Chad Brown with her preparation and will run in the Longines Distaff for the second consecutive year, having finished fifth of 11 in 2019 at Santa Anita. She enters off a lackluster performance in the Beldame at Belmont, finishing third by 5¼ lengths after going off as the even-money favorite.

“I don't know what happened in her last race,” Brown said. “The only thing I can say—I know it's an unpopular excuse—but maybe she didn't like the track. She trained really, really well, but then just never picked her feet up in the race. I was so shocked by it. She's come back and trained brilliantly.

“She has a run at Keeneland before, last year, and I thought she ran quite well,” Brown continued. “She had a tough, tight trip down inside and should have won the Spinster.”

This season, Dunbar Road has raced just three times, winning the Shawnee Stakes at Churchill Downs in May before landing July's Delaware Handicap by 3 lengths.

Harvest Moon – Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor's Harvest Moon was back on the main track at 6 o'clock to gallop a day after jogging on Keeneland's all-weather training track.

Trained by Simon Callaghan, Harvest Moon drew post two for Saturday's Distaff and will be partnered as she has in her past four starts by Flavien Prat. Harvest Moon is 12-1 on the morning line.

“That should be OK,” Callaghan said. “All the speed is to her outside and she should be able to get a good position.”

Horologist – New Jersey-bred Horologist—owned by Medallion racing, Abbondanza racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, There's A Chance Stable, Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher—will attempt to give trainer Bill Mott a record-extending sixth win in the Longines Distaff on Saturday and drew post four of 10 in the race. Junior Alvarado will ride, seeking his first Breeders' Cup trophy.

“I feel really good about her,” Alvarado said. “She ran a big race at Belmont. They were going pretty quick and I was worried, but when I asked her, she really kicked for me and came home fast. I know it's a good race, but I have a lot of confidence in her and I think she could be one of my best chances on Saturday.”

Alvarado has five mounts in this weekend's Championship races.

Lady Kate – Lady Kate jogged and galloped at Churchill Downs and will train again there Wednesday prior to shipping to Keeneland. All Breeders' Cup entrants for Saturday's races must be at Keeneland by 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Lady Kate, fourth behind Distaff entrants Valiance and Ollie's Candy in Keeneland's Juddmonte Spinster Stakes Oct. 4, drew the No. 6 post position in the field of 10.

“We are happy with the post position,” trainer Eddie Kenneally said. “It is a strong, deep race with very good fillies and mares and we are not under estimating any of them. This is the biggest race of her career and she is coming into it phenomenal. She couldn't be doing any better and she couldn't look any better.”

Monomoy Girl – The 2018 Longines Distaff winner Monomoy Girl left the barn to gallop with regular exercise rider Fernando Espinoza at 7:50 a.m. and continues to impress as she attempts her second victory in the 1 1/8m race. She missed all of 2019 because of a series of minor setbacks, but has been perfect in three starts this year, including the La Troienne on the Kentucky Oaks undercard Sept. 4 in her most recent start.

“We considered the Spinster (Oct. 4) after the La Troienne, but we thought with the timing it worked out better to go straight into the Distaff given the fact that we have spaced her races out this year,” trainer Brad Cox said. “It seems to be working well. We wanted to stay on the same pattern. She couldn't be doing any better.”

Ollie's Candy – Paul and Karen Eggert's Ollie's Candy galloped 1 1/2m on the main track under Juan Leyva for trainer John Sadler.
Rated as a 10-1 chance on the morning line for the Distaff, Ollie's Candy will break from post nine under Joel Rosario.

“The post is fine,” Sadler said. “It is a little bit outside but I prefer it to being inside.”

Fourth in the Distaff last year at Santa Anita, Ollie's Candy is winless in 2020 but has three runner-up finishes and two thirds from five starts that all came in Grade 1 races.

“It is tremendously frustrating being a head or neck from winning Grade 1s,” Sadler said. “Her owner (Paul Eggert) has a saying that maybe she is saving her luck for the big day.”

Ollie's Candy has raced at five tracks in 2020, most recently at Keeneland where she was second in the Juddmonte Spinster Oct. 4.

“I don't think she cares that much for the main track at Santa Anita,” Sadler said. “She has run all over … Oaklawn, Belmont, Keeneland … and even though she hasn't won, I think her form is better and her speed figures are better.”

Point of Honor – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Stetson Racing LLC's Point of Honor galloped 1 3/8m over Keeneland's main track Tuesday morning in preparation for a start in the Distaff.

Despite finishing 1-2-3 in 10 of 11 career starts, including five Grade 1 placings, Point of Honor was rated at 30-1 following Monday's post position draw for the particularly deep Distaff field.

“She's shown up every time. Even though she's not winning, she hits the board,” trainer George Weaver said. “You always see her face coming down the lane.”

Weaver understands the imposing challenge the 4yo daughter of Curlin will face while meeting the likes of Monomoy Girl, the 8-5 morning line favorite who won the 2018 Distaff and is undefeated this year, and Swiss Skydiver, the 2020 Preakness winner who is rated at 2-1.

“They don't give these races away. They're championship races. You don't find easy spots,” he said. “Throughout the year, you might find an easy one, but this is where everyone comes together, which makes it a special event.”

Swiss Skydiver – Peter Callahan's Swiss Skydiver made her usual early appearance Tuesday morning with regular rider Robby Albarado on board and jogged once around before an easy 1 1/2m gallop.

The Daredevil filly has only made one start at Keeneland in her career when second in the Blue Grass to Art Collector in July, but she does hold a bit of a home-court advantage in the Distaff.

“She's stabled here a lot in her career, that bottom barn has been our base for a long time,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “She knows the routine of walking up the hill. Robby's getting on her all week. He wanted to, which I like. She's just doing pretty basic stuff.”

Swiss Skydiver, who was second in the Kentucky Oaks, enters the Distaff off her victory against males in the Preakness Stakes, which was a very satisfying victory for McPeek.

“It was pretty awesome,” McPeek said. “We stuck our necks out because we thought she deserved a chance. It was a tough call because we had to decide to go against straight 3-year-olds or go against older horses. We felt like the upside was there and she came through for us. It was very cool.”

Valiance – The winner of Keeneland's Spinster on Oct. 4 got reacquainted with the track Tuesday morning after arriving Monday from trainer Todd Pletcher's Belmont Park base.

“I love the way she has been training,” Pletcher said. “She was very enthusiastic this morning.”

Valiance has won six of eight career starts by racing just behind the leaders in the early parts of the race.

“I think (the eight of 10) post position in the Distaff is fine,” Pletcher said. “With a mile and an eighth race, you have time to get over and see how the race unfolds. What is important for her is to get in a good steady rhythm. There is enough pace in there, so I suspect she will be in the second tier.”

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Distaff Notes: McPeek Comfortable Choosing ‘Lighter’ Breeders’ Cup Race For Swiss Skydiver

Ce Ce – Bo Hirsch's Ce Ce galloped on the Keeneland training track the morning after arriving from her home base at Santa Anita.

“All of my horses shipped well and came out of their last works well,” said trainer Michael McCarthy, whose other Breeders' Cup pre-entrants are Speech (Filly & Mare Sprint), Rushie (Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile) and Rombauer (TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance).

Ce Ce, fourth in the Derby City Distaff on Sept. 5 in her initial trip to Kentucky, had worked 5f in 59 3/5 at Santa Anita on Friday.

Dunbar Road – Peter Brant's Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff contender Dunbar Road walked the Belmont Park barn of trainer Chad Brown one day after breezing 5f in 1:00 3/5 and then shipped from New York to Kentucky.

Per her conditioner, the daughter of Quality Road is among the remaining nine of Brown's 11-strong Breeders' Cup brigade that arrived late Monday morning. Front Run the Fed (Turf Sprint) and Raging Bull (Mile) were already on the grounds in Keeneland's Barn 64 and each jogged.

Harvest Moon – Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor's Harvest Moon jogged on the Keeneland training track for trainer Simon Callaghan.

Harvest Moon had worked 5f in 1:01 at Keeneland Saturday and today's activity marked her return to the track.
“She came out of the work well,” Callaghan said. “She may do the same thing tomorrow (come to the training track) because the conditions are expected to be the same.”

Horologist – Bill Mott-trained Beldame winner Horologist had an easy day of it on Monday, sticking to Barn 60 at Keeneland one day after breezing 4f in 47 2/5.

“She worked yesterday, like Frank's Rockette,” said Riley Mott, assistant trainer. “She came back good and just walked. All in all, we're in good shape.”

Frank's Rockette, who breezed the same distance in 49 flat, will enter the Breeders' Cup Sprint in lieu of the Filly & Mare Sprint, per Mott.

Lady Kate – Lady Kate, fourth in Keeneland's Spinster on Oct. 4, is scheduled to arrive at Keeneland Wednesday morning after training at Churchill Downs. The 4yo daughter of Bernardini breezed 4f in :48 1/5 at Churchill Downs on Oct. 31.

“She is doing great and we are looking forward to the Breeders' Cup,” trainer Eddie Kenneally said.

Monomoy Girl – The 2018 Longines Distaff winner Monomoy Girl had her first gallop over the Keeneland track Monday morning. She put in her final work at her Churchill Downs base Saturday and then vanned over to Keeneland Sunday afternoon.

“I don't think I've seen her gallop any better,” trainer Brad Cox said. “She looked really good.”

Ollie's Candy – Paul and Karen Eggert's Ollie's Candy jogged once around the main track at Keeneland with Juan Leyva, assistant to John Sadler aboard.

Ollie's Candy, runner-up here in the Juddmonte Spinster Oct. 4, had worked 6f in 1:11 on Saturday that was her second work since the Spinster. Monday's exercise marked her return to the track.

Sadler is expected to be at the barn Tuesday morning.

Point of Honor – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Stetson Racing LLC's Point of Honor galloped 1 1/4m over Keeneland's main track in preparation for a start in the Longines Distaff.

“She's going to be a bit of a long shot in this race, but she's training as well as she ever has,” trainer George Weaver said.

Swiss Skydiver – Peter Callahan's Preakness Stakes winner Swiss Skydiver made a favorable impression coming on to the track a little before 8 a.m. and jogging once around the main track under jockey Robby Albarado.

Trainer Kenny McPeek said the decision to go into the Distaff was easy compared to deciding whether to go in the Preakness against straight 3-year-olds or the Spinster against older fillies and mares.

“This was a relatively easy decision compared to the Preakness,” McPeek said. “I like to keep my horses within their generations. I like to think of the 2-year-old year as the high school level, the 3-year-old year as the college level and 4-year-olds and up is the pros. The Classic is a very deep field of quality older horses. The Distaff seems a little lighter. I think she's ready to show how good she is against older horses.”

Valiance – Valiance, who capped a three-race winning streak with her victory in the Spinster at Keeneland on Oct. 4, arrived at Blue Grass Airport across the road from Keeneland at approximately 10 a.m. Also in the group from Belmont Park were trainer Todd Pletcher's Breeders' Cup pre-entrants Mutasaabeq (Juvenile Turf), Union Gables (Juvenile Turf Sprint) and Likeable (Juvenile).
Halladay (Mile) was expected to arrive from Belmont on a later flight Monday afternoon.

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Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: Stomach Cancer Can’t Keep Melen Down

“This isn't a sad cancer story,” warned Steve Melen, part-owner of Horologist ahead of the filly's upcoming engagement in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. “It's about five different stories in one that started with the purchase of a racehorse.”

The trajectory of Melen's life first shifted when he was diagnosed with Stage 3 stomach cancer in his late 30s. Melen went from having everything he'd wanted in life—a great job, a house on a hill, a newborn daughter, and a beautiful wife—to undergoing surgery to remove his stomach, spleen, and half of his pancreas, followed by chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Melen became addicted to the painkillers during his recovery. He required two stints in rehab to get back on track, but the multiple health issues eventually led to the breakdown of his first marriage. There were days Melen wasn't sure where to turn.

He desperately needed something to be excited about again.

In 2011, two years after his initial diagnosis, Melen took a leap of faith and reached out to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer to inquire about racehorse ownership. Melen had traveled to the Kentucky Derby in 2006 with a friend who was a co-owner in the Hollendorfer-trained Derby contender Cause to Believe.

“I was kind of, well, not kind of down, I was really down,” Melen explained. “Racing was such an exciting, motivational thing, I just felt like I needed to be a part of it.”

A few weeks later, Melen got the call and agreed to purchase part of filly named Killer Graces. She broke her maiden in a stakes race in her second career start, and she wound up winning the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet in December of her juvenile season.

Through Killer Graces and subsequent racehorses, Melen reconnected with his childhood sweetheart and later married her. The long-time financial advisor was able to step out of the office and work for his own clients from home, and he felt like his life really started to get back on track.

“Being a financial advisor was not a motivating factor for me to stay alive,” Melen admitted. “I used to have fun out drinking with friends, now I've been sober for 7 years so I'm not the party guy anymore. But these horses, these are exciting, and we all need that sort of exciting.”

Melen kept horses with Hollendorfer for seven years and expanded out to other ownership groups. He later hooked up with several other partners, including Bing Bush's Abbondanza Racing for horses like the multiple graded stakes-placed Excellent Sunset and Motion Emotion.

“It's expensive but I want to be part of it, and I still get excitement when I own 10 percent,” Melen said. “I'm really into it for the excitement, not for any financial return.”

Several years into his racing journey, Melen decided to write a book about the way the sport has impacted his life. Titled Killer Graces: My Path From Pain To Power And Breakthrough Living, the book is described as “a story of both weakness and strength as Steve navigates a world of pain, drugs, alcohol, marital problems, and anxiety, all rooted in his earliest days as a child of adoption. Join Steve on his journey of self-discovery as he shares that it took a life-threatening illness to bring these issues to light so the true healing process could begin.”

The book has only been out for a month but has already sold about 500 copies, and has been exclusively rated “5 stars” on Amazon.

“I wrote the book because I wanted to spread the positive energy,” Melen explained. “Horses sure sparked a lot of really good things in my life. Something about what I'm doing, the energy and the support, the horse racing and everything has given me life that is super unique, and I've got a very happy, awesome, loving situation.”

Of course, life without a stomach isn't easy. He must give himself B12 shots once a month, since that vitamin is absorbed in the stomach, and meals are eaten in much smaller portions. Melen's esophagus has significant scarring, and he was in the hospital as recently as last Friday to have it stretched so that he can breathe more easily.

His weight has also been difficult to maintain: Melen is 6'1”, but weighs just 135 lbs.

“My friends all call me a unicorn,” Melen said, laughing good-naturedly. “I should have been dead twice, maybe three times. I had a 12 to 14 percent chance of living, but here I am. I really believe that following the races has a lot to do with that.”

Over the past several months, Melen has been especially thrilled to follow the progress of Horologist. He leapt at the chance to buy into the graded stakes winner via Abbondanza in late 2019, and the 4-year-old daughter of Gemologist has added wins in the G3 Molly Pitcher and G2 Beldame to her resume this season. Now trained by Bill Mott, the filly also ran third in the G1 La Troienne at Churchill Downs two starts back.

Up next, Horologist will start in the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland on Nov. 7. It will be Melen's first starter in the Breeders' Cup, and despite the challenges of COVID-19, the owner won't miss the opportunity to watch the race live.

“The journey won't be easy, but I'm not gonna miss out,” said Melen. “You think the COVID is gonna stop me from going to the Breeders' Cup? I've cheated death already, so I'm going to the Breeders' Cup this year!”

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