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Keepmeinmind Likely for Arkansas Derby

Though he has an option for the $800,000 GII Toyota Blue Grass S. Apr. 3, Keepmeinmind (Laoban) is more likely to remain at trainer Robertino Didoro's Oaklawn base and await the $1-million GI Arkansas Derby Apr. 10, the conditioner told the Oaklawn notes team Thursday.

“It could change, but right now I'm pointing towards the Arkansas Derby,” Diodoro said. “Just being here, not having to ship.”

Second in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity last October and third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile as a maiden, Keepmeinmind rallied from last to graduate in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. at Churchill in late November. Stabled in Hot Springs since December, the colt was to have made his sophomore debut in the GIII Southwest S., but when that race was pushed back by nearly two weeks due to extreme winter weather, Diodoro elected to wait for the GII Rebel S. Mar. 13. Keepmeinmind finished sixth, beaten eight lengths, behind undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Concert Tour (Street Sense).

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Idol Has Foundations To Keep Believing

The old school has found a new Idol. The son of Curlin made his breakthrough a couple of weekends ago in a race cherished by traditionalists, and did so with genes of which much the same might be said. Indeed, if the GI Santa Anita H. winner can go on from here–and he has still only made six starts–to lead the older-horse division, then we'll be looking at one of the most eligible stud prospects on the scene.

Even traditionalists, of course, must accept that the world moves on. Or, at least, that the world changes. The two mares who stand opposite each other in the family tree of Marion Ravenwood, the dam of Idol, would possibly no longer be registered with names that have obtained a somewhat different resonance over the couple of generations since. To breeders, however, Gay Hostess and Gay Missile are just two of the timeless brands pegging down a pedigree that preserves pretty seamlessly the kind of quality you used to be able to lock in, simply because books were so small that only eligible mares could reach top-class stallions.

Gay Hostess is Marion Ravenwood's fourth dam; while Gay Missile, of course, is third dam of her sire A.P. Indy. Apart from the random connection of :gaiety,” their real bond is that each consolidated in the American breed a concentration of Classic influences from the Old World, notably by duplicating one apiece of the most important European mares of the interwar era.

In the case of Gay Missile, it was Lavendula (Fr), whose pedigree combined virtually all the foundation mares assembled by the 17th Earl of Derby in creating arguably the most important stud in the breed's history. Two of Lavendula's daughters had produced Turn-To (Ire) and My Babu (Fr) to become grandsire and damsire, respectively, of Gay Missile.

Gay Hostess, for her part, replicated Mumtaz Mahal (GB)–whose daughters had produced dual Classic winner Sun Princess (GB) and the breed-shaper Mahmoud (Fr). The former became the dam of Royal Charger (GB), sire of Gay Hostess; while the latter sired her granddam. Gay Hostess was out of Your Hostess (Alibhai {GB}), a sister to Kelso's sire, Your Host, and half-sister to the dam of Flower Bowl (who was herself by Alibhai, and gave us both Graustark and His Majesty). And Gay Hostess herself became a Classic icon: dam of Hall of Famer Majestic Prince (Raise A Native); second dam of French Derby winner Caracolero (himself by Graustark, and so highly inbred); and third dam of Epsom Derby winner Secreto (Northern Dancer).

I know, I know. So far as Idol himself is concerned, for many people these are just parchments of scroll. But blue-hens like Gay Hostess and Gay Missile don't just fall out of the sky. And, because of his family's exemplary stewardship since its arrival in America, Idol is now extending the legacy of Gay Hostess exactly a century since the foaling of Mumtaz Mahal in 1921.

Marion Ravenwood's third dam Meadow Blue was a full sister to Majestic Prince, i.e. by Raise A Native out of Gay Hostess. Though unraced, like Gay Hostess herself, she produced some significant daughters from just half a dozen named foals. Two were only modest winners on the track but proved a sound conduit of her genetic quality: Mangala (Sharpen Up {GB}) produced G2 Queen Anne S. winner Allied Forces (Miswaki); and Really Blue (Believe It) became the dam of none other than Real Quiet (Quiet American), who matched Majestic Prince as a Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner. (Really Blue is also the second dam of Grade II winner/GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up Real Cozzy (Cozzene).)

Two other daughters of Meadow Blue, meanwhile, were group-placed on the track: one went on to produce a Listed winner at Newmarket (over two miles); the other was Nureyev's Best (Nureyev), who won a listed race and finished third in a Group 3 in France.

Nureyev's Best had not achieved a great deal in her second career, however, by the time Narvick International bought her at Keeneland November as a 12-year-old for $170,000. Unfortunately, the obvious mating, with Real Quiet's sire Quiet American, produced a filly that brought her Tuscany-based breeders no more than €32,000 as a Deauville yearling.

As Andujar, she showed only glimpses of ability for Carlos Laffon-Parias as a 3-year-old but then, astutely imported to California by Paul Reddam and Mark Schlesinger, progressed extremely rapidly for Doug O'Neill: she quickly broke her maiden, followed up in an allowance, and then won the GII Milady H. by seven lengths before finishing off with two Grade I podiums. Offered at Fasig-Tipton the following November, she made no less than $2.5 million from My Meadowview Farm.

Marion Ravenwood is Andujar's first foal. She showed a fair level of ability for Graham Motion, racing as a homebred in the My Meadowview silks, winning four of 10 starts, including a stakes over a mile on dirt at Aqueduct. But while she was given every opportunity, in her coverings, Andujar only really came up with one, fleeting excitement in third foal Abstraction (Pulpit), who won the Federico Tesio S. at Pimlico but disappeared after then running third in the GIII Matt Winn S.

Overall, it seems, the family was not quite doing enough to prevent Marion Ravenwood being culled, with a Pioneerof the Nile cover, to Ashview Farm for $400,000 at Keeneland November in 2017.

She left behind a weanling colt by Curlin, who was sold through Denali in the same ring the following September, for $375,000 to John S. Holmes–and this, of course, has turned out to be Idol. His blossoming since, for Calvin Nguyen and trainer Richard Baltas, duly makes the Lyster family's purchase of the mare look very smart business.

They had already been drawn to the pedigree, buying Marion Ravenwood's half-sister Judy Legend (Medaglia d'Oro) out of the same ring two years previously for $180,000 as a 4-year-old maiden. (She had been unable to break her maiden in seven starts, but we've seen the depth of the family tree.) Gray Lyster of Ashview Farm remembers asking Joe Miller and Lincoln Collins, representing Len Riggio of My Meadowview, about Marion Ravenwood's Curlin weanling.

“I'm good friends with Joe and Lincoln and they were very high in their reports,” Lyster says. “You know, sometimes the market really can slaughter those mares that are getting traded when they've had two or three foals without something obvious on the page. But they were very positive on the Curlin, so we were kind of lucky. We knew already that her half-sister was really nice-looking, and it turned out that this was just a gorgeous A.P. Indy mare.”

Ashview got a first dividend on their investment when selling the Pioneerof the Nile colt, acquired in utero and co-bred with Colts Neck Stables, for $250,000 as a weanling. And they were wise enough, too, to send Marion Ravenwood back to Curlin: last September the resulting filly made $350,000 from Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Repole Stable, just days after Idol had run a promising second on debut.

“I was trying to tell people looking at her about the full-brother that had just run second on debut,” Lyster says. “But I know how people will roll their eyes and say: 'A fall 3-year-old, second? Okay, great, sell your magic beans somewhere else.' To the point that with people you didn't know, you didn't even tell them, because they don't want those B.S. updates! But I had watched the race and thought: 'Oh my gosh, this horse came flying.' That was only six furlongs, remember.”

Marion Ravenwood has a yearling colt by Violence and has been covered by Quality Road this time around. “The Violence is beautiful and will likely be pointing towards Keeneland September,” Lyster says. “The mare was empty on one try to City Of Light, very late last year, so we got her a good early cover this time. Judy Legend, who has a Runhappy yearling on the farm, was the same: took last year off on a very late cover, and is in foal early to Frosted now.”

Turning up a Grade I mare at this farm comes as no surprise, Ashview being widely respected as one of the very best operations of its size. (Graduates include champions Runhappy (Super Saver) and Johannesburg (Hennessy). And you have to like the mates chosen for her, too: Violence brings in three extra strands of Somethingroyal (plus one extra to her sire Princequillo); and Quality Road has two apiece of Somethingroyal and Princequillo.

This drills down into a genetic seam that means Marion Ravenwood doesn't depend solely on that aristocratic bottom line. Her sire A.P. Indy continues posthumously to develop his reputation as a top-class broodmare sire, and that has always seemed, to me, to be rooted in the 2×4 replication of Somethingroyal behind his dam Weekend Surprise: as dam of both Weekend Surprise's sire Secretariat and of Gay Missile's sire Sir Gaylord. (Basically anything to do with Somethingroyal translates into distaff gold.)

And Somethingroyal's sire is also drawn in twice by Marion Westwood's damsire Quiet American. The fact that both Quiet American himself and his sire Fappiano are out of daughters of Dr. Fager is so exotic that it tends to distract from the fact that both these Dr. Fager mares are out of daughters of the matriarch Cequillo–who was, of course, by Princequillo.

Quiet American's grandsire Mr. Prospector also doubles up Raise A Native who, as noted already, sired Marion Ravenwood's third dam. And the mating that produced Idol himself obviously gives us another line of Mr. Prospector, Curlin being by Smart Strike.

Smart Strike has been a significant contributor to the diversification of the Mr. Prospector legacy. Not just through Curlin, but also through Lookin At Lucky and English Channel, his influence has been branded by tough two-turn horses that thrive with maturity. (Tom's d'Etat certainly enhanced that reputation on the track, and will hopefully now do the same at WinStar).

In that context, you would have to think that Idol is only just getting started. For a horse with this kind of pedigree to be winning a Grade I barely five months after breaking his maiden must be auspicious; moreover the Big 'Cap looked much worthier of its heritage than has sometimes been the case since being squeezed by gaudy new prizes elsewhere. Runner-up Express Train (Union Rags) appears to be repaying a typically artful grounding by his trainer, while this was a first defeat for the next home, hot favorite Maxfield (Street Sense).

Exciting times, then, at Ashview. The farm is also co-breeder of the 3-year-old Untreated (Nyquist), who recently broke his maiden by 8 3/4 lengths at Tampa Bay on the local Derby undercard. “He was really impressive,” Lyster said. “We've been hearing good things about him for a while and I believe Todd Pletcher and Team Valor have some pretty high hopes.”

And it does feel as though Idol, though a year older, is himself only just getting going. “After his first couple of races, I began to think that this was going to become a serious older horse,” Lyster says. “I don't know whether it was the rider change [to Joel Rosario in the Big 'Cap] or just learning more about the horse. But he looks like a big horse that takes a little while to get going, and when he hit that eighth pole, he laid his head down like he hasn't done before. He was really motoring. And there are a couple of big races in California this year, at that distance, so we'll see–fingers crossed!”

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Notable US-Bred & -Sired Runners in Japan: March 20 & 21, 2021

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo and Hanshin Racecourses:

Saturday, March 20, 2021
1st-CKO, ¥9,680,000 ($89k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m
NEFERTARI (JPN) (f, 3, American Pharoah–What a Spot, by Arch) finished a close third on career debut going this trip at Hanshin Nov. 22 (video, gate 8) and was a midfield eighth when last seen over that track and distance Dec. 20. The late April foal is out of a winning half-sister to GISWs Coil (Point Given) and Chiropractor (Kitten's Joy); MGSP Decorating (Galileo {Ire}); and MSP Ellyb (Pioneerof the Nile) and was acquired in utero for $225K at the 2017 Keeneland November sale. The filly's third dam produced champion Possibly Perfect (Northern Baby). Christophe Lemaire has the call. B-Hattori Bokujo

11th-HSN, Wakaba S.-Listed, ¥38m ($349k), 3yo, 2000mT
AMERICAN MACH (c, 3, Kitten's Joy–Cat On a Tin Roof, by Catienus) failed to handle the local dirt track in a pair of starts at this venue late last year, but has–not surprisingly–gone much better on the grass, including a near-miss second over the course and distance Feb. 28 (see below, gate 10), enough to earn a green light for this test as a four-start maiden. The $310K KEESEP acquisition is a full-brother to SW Sniper Kitten and is out of a full-sister to MSW and English G1SP Cannonball. The female family inclides GSW/GISP Emotional Kitten (Kitten's Joy) and MSW & GISP Unspoken Word (Catienus). B-Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey (KY)

Sunday, March 21, 2021
3rd-HSN, ¥9,680,000 ($89k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m
ROSE EMPEROR (c, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Arch Support, by Arch) has one previous start to his credit, a strong runner-up effort over this track and distance on debut Feb. 14 (see below, gate 10). A $220K KEESEP RNA turned $350K OBS March breezer (:10 1/5), the dark bay colt is out this breeder's Arch Support, runner-up to the exceptional Winter Memories (El Prado {Ire}) in the 2010 GIII Miss Grillo S. on the Belmont Park turf course. Yutaka Take sees fit to ride. B-Lee Pokoik (KY)

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Enhanced Purses Attract New Trainers To Belmont’s Spring/Summer Meet

Trainers Jim Chapman, Saffie Joseph, Jr. and Brittany Russell are among a number of conditioners that will have a presence at Belmont Park for the first time at the upcoming 48-day Belmont Park spring/summer meet that runs from Thursday, April 22 through Sunday, July 11.

The spring/summer meet will offer its highest ever overnight purse schedule supported by significant monetary increases across most race categories, including maiden special weight races featuring a purse of $90,000, while horsemen participating in the claiming ranks will compete for purse money ranging up to $100,000.

A total of 59 stakes races worth $16.95 million in purses will highlight the meet, including the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes set for June 5.

The 49-year-old Chapman, currently based in Kentucky, said he will have 12 stalls at Belmont and will focus on 2-year-old maiden races.

“If I can take down one of those $90,000 purses with one of my $10,000 horses, that's a homerun to me,” said Chapman. “I'm going up there to sell horses, too. I'm taking my best horses to New York.”

A multiple graded stakes-winning trainer, Chapman sports a ledger of 1,960-294-268-239 with more than $8.8 million in purse earnings. A former rider, Chapman is best known as the trainer of Caller One, who took back-to-back editions of the Group 1 Golden Shaheen in 2001-02 in Dubai.

An astute judge of young racing stock, Chapman's best sales success came at the 2002 March Barretts Equine Limited Selected 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale with the eventual multiple graded stakes winner Atlantic Ocean, a Stormy Atlantic mare campaigned by Bob Baffert.

“I bought Atlantic Ocean for $31,000 at Keeneland and she brought $1.9 million at the sale,” said Chapman.

Chapman said he will look to capitalize on a bumper crop of yearling sale purchases now gearing up in Kentucky for their juvenile debuts this spring.

“I have 56 juveniles. I buy everything at Keeneland. Whether I buy in November and keep some and then flip some back in September as yearlings, I just try to keep the wheel turning,” said Chapman. “I have some Frosted 2-year-olds that are really nice. I have a Fast Anna colt that will come to New York. There are some by Gun Runner and Empire Maker that will be ready later on.”

The Fast Anna colt, Actualize, has already posted a pair of works at The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington, Kentucky. Out of the Hard Spun mare Beijos Do Brasil, Actualize was purchased for $12,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

“You never know when they're that big and good looking if they're going to be big and slow or big and fast. But he is big and fast,” said Chapman.

Chapman said he has the right stock to be competitive in the New York market and looks forward to the opportunity.

“This year I've bought a different caliber of horse and I have a lot of them,” said Chapman. “I have horses that will fit up there and the money is a little bit better, so I'll bring my better horses. I love being up there in New York.”

Chapman said he will look to win early at the Belmont meet and get the jump on some of the higher-priced yearling sale purchases who tend to debut later in the summer, at Belmont or Saratoga.

“It's not always the best horse that wins those early races. It's often the well-schooled ones,” said Chapman. “I have enough 2-year-olds that I can see who does and doesn't want to do it. It may be a different story at Saratoga when the bigger horses start popping up, but maybe I can stir up some dust before those ones start going. And maybe I have some that will keep up and can go to Saratoga.”

Chapman said he will ship to New York following opening weekend at Keeneland, which kicks off April 2.

“It's a different surface up there and you want to get a couple works over it,” said Chapman. “The starting gate is a little roomier than the gates they'll have used in Kentucky. When I go up there, I want to make it count when we run.”

The veteran conditioner said owners Stuart Tsujimoto, along with Vanessa Camperlengo, co-founder of Classic Legacy Thoroughbred Aftercare, made the New York venture possible.

“They've really helped me this year. Stuart has been the backbone of my deal since I stopped riding and started training in California,” said Chapman. “Vanessa has got more involved and has 25 horses with me. They trust me with their horses and it makes it easier. They're the reason that I'm able to do this.”

Joseph, Jr. attracted national attention when Math Wizard scored an upset victory in the 2019 Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby. A native of Barbados who began training in south Florida in 2011, Joseph, Jr. enjoyed success in his home country, conditioning 2009 Barbados Triple Crown-champion Areyoutalkintome.

The veteran conditioner will have a notable presence on the Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino card on April 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack, with four possible starters, led by Mischevious Alex in the Grade 1, $300,000 Carter for older sprinters and Drain the Clock in the Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Shore for sophomore sprinters.

Joseph, Jr. said Grade 1-placed New York-bred Ny Traffic and New York-bred maiden claimer Michael's Bad Boy are in line for a return on the Wood Memorial card, while he will also saddle Gibberish in the Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap for older filly and mare sprinters on April 2.

“He's at his best at one turn,” said Joseph, Jr. of Mischevious Alex, who won the 2020 Grade 3 Gotham at the Big A. “At six furlongs he's really lethal because he has speed and stays strongly. But he's won at seven furlongs and I don't think that will be a problem for him.”

Joseph, Jr. will look to fill 12 stalls at the Belmont spring/summer meet. The multiple graded stakes-winning conditioner said he is also hoping to take advantage of a “Ship & Win” program for horses based at Oaklawn Park who ship to compete at Aqueduct and Belmont Park.

Horses that made their previous start at Oaklawn may be able to take advantage of the program, which includes a 30 percent purse bonus for their first start for horses who last ran at Oaklawn in 2021 before shipping to New York. NYRA will also provide a $1,500 stipend for a start during either the Aqueduct spring or Belmont spring/summer meets, excluding stakes races, for eligible horses.

“We'll bring a variety of horses from claimers to stakes horses. We want to be active in all the divisions there,” said Joseph, Jr. “We'll be much more active in New York this year from Belmont on through Saratoga. The [ship and win] incentive for Oaklawn is enticing. Our claiming owners are interested in that. We're looking for horses to bring back to New York. In general, we're going to hopefully run a lot of horses starting from the Wood.”

Joseph, Jr. won a pair of races last summer at Saratoga and said he is planning on bringing stronger stock to the Spa this year in search of a first NYRA circuit stakes win. The 40-day Saratoga summer meet, which will feature 76 stakes worth $21.5 million in total purses, runs from July 15 through September 6.

“Saratoga is a perfect place to have a horse. The weather is brilliant,” said Joseph, Jr. “Last year, we just got our feet wet and learned what type of horses we need to bring. It was good to get off the mark. I think this year we'll have a pretty good Saratoga all being well.”

Joseph, Jr. said maintaining a New York presence is important as he looks to build his stable and attract new owners.

“The spring and summer meets in New York have the best outfits,” said Joseph, Jr. “You have Chad Brown, Todd Pletcher and all the biggest names. To win among them and do well will attract a different kind of clientele. Plus, the owners we have now already want to race their horses in New York.”

The Maryland-based Russell is currently fifth in the Laurel Park trainer standings with a record of 32-11-8-5 and purse earnings of $422,259.

Russell, who will have 10 Belmont stalls, earned her first win with her first career starter – Oh My – in February 2018 at Laurel Park. She previously worked for trainers Ron Moquett, Jimmy Jerkens, and Brad Cox before going out on her own.

“We're hoping to improve the quality of the horses coming in at the beginning of the year here and it seemed like a good time to take a shot,” said Russell. “We ran a few in New York last year but always shipped, so maybe this will be a better way to do it.”

Russell enjoyed stakes success at the Big A in January when Maryland-bred Hello Hot Rod shipped to win the Jimmy Winkfield. The up-and-coming conditioner, who has worked hard to grow her stable to 40 horses, also notched a pair of wins last summer at Saratoga, including an allowance score with So Gracious.

“That's why we do this – to win at the bigger race tracks and especially in New York,” said Russell. “That's where the owners want to be racing, with the bigger purses and at the big meets. Just shipping up and having some luck in the small portions that we have so far, people notice that. It's big for my career.”

Russell said upgrades to the top-class facilities at both Belmont and Saratoga made the decision for her to bring stock full time to New York easier. Her Belmont barn will be overseen by assistant Amanda Olds, while Russell said she will shuttle back and forth between Maryland and New York.

“I spent time in New York when I worked for Brad Cox and I really enjoyed training there,” said Russell. “It's a nice place to train horses and my assistant is really familiar with New York as well. The whole thing just works for the plans we have right now.”

Belmont provides numerous options for trainers to exercise their horses. In addition to the historic main track, the 430-acre facility boasts a one-mile training track, two covered jogging barns featuring a synthetic surface and a quarter-mile pony track.

Russell said if all goes well at the Belmont spring/summer meet, she will look to extend her stay in the Empire State to Saratoga.

“We'll take it one step at a time and hopefully we can win a few races at Belmont. I'd love to go to Saratoga but I want to make sure we have the right horses to go,” said Russell. “I got some better younger horses last year. Laurel is a great place for a lot of these horses, but it's also really nice to have the New York option because it's not far from Maryland. If the horses don't fit up there, we still have Maryland and hopefully, we'll have another one to take its place in New York.”

NYRA made a significant capital investment at Saratoga ahead of last year's summer meet to enhance safety and upgrade the heavily-trafficked main track, including the addition of a rider safety rail, and a modernized drainage system creating a more consistent surface for horses and riders.

Capital improvements are continuing at Saratoga in advance of the 2021 summer meet with work taking place at the Oklahoma Training Track to renovate the track base layer and cushion, and add modernized drainage and a rider safety rail.

Russell said the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale in August could also provide an opportunity to look for horses outside of her current Maryland focus.

“I have a few New York-breds in the barn and I think being there will make it more attractive for us to look,” said Russell. “I'm still programmed to look for Maryland-breds but when we go to the sale now, it will give us a reason to look outside that and see what New York-breds are there.”

Her husband, jockey Sheldon Russell, sits second in the Laurel jockey standings with a record of 122-30-26-11.

“Sheldon will be based in Maryland but hopefully as COVID restrictions lift there will be a few that he can come up and ride,” said Russell.

On Sunday at Laurel Park, the Russell family trainer/jockey combo combined to win an open maiden special weight with Cash is King and LC Racing's Dream Big Dreams. The colt was named by Cash is King's managing partner Chuck Zacney.

“Chuck said he wanted to use that name for one that we liked,” said Russell. “It's fitting that it was that colt that won because we think he has a future ahead of him. Maybe that's one that Sheldon can come up to New York and ride.”

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