Tag: Jack Christopher

Sunday Insights: ‘TDN Rising Star’ Returns On Keeneland Sunday Card

4th-KEE, $110K, OC, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 2:36 p.m.

Unraced since her 'TDN Rising Star' debut at Churchill Downs last September, TWIRLING GOOD TIME (Twirling Candy) returns to the races Sunday for Rigney Racing and trainer Phillip Bauer. Stretching out from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles, the $250,000 KEESEP grad will look to carry the speed that saw her go nearly gate-to-wire in her four-length win while posting an 86 Beyer Speed Figure. Out of Celebrategoodtimes, a Harlan's Holiday mare who has produced five foals and as many winners, Twirling Good Time counts both GISW and sire Street Boss (Street Cry {Ire}) and MGISW and sire Jack Christopher (Munnings) as extended family members. TJCIS PPS

 

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Brook Smith Joins TDN Writer’s Room Podcast

The families and children who rely on the Backside Learning Center have a GI Kentucky Derby horse to root for. Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), the winner of the GII Risen Star S. at the Fair Grounds, is partially owned by Brook Smith, who is part of a partnership led by Coolmore. Smith has been a generous supporter of the Backside Learning Center and, through the Purses for a Purpose program, donates a portion of his earnings every time a horse of his picks up a check. Smith joined this week's TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland to talk about Sierra Leone, how he got involved with Coolmore and his philanthropy. He was the Green Group Guest of the Week.

“I have had some good fortune and had a lot of great, amazing people around me,” he said. “But, for me to really enjoy something it has to have some kind of social component to it. I mean, what's the point otherwise? I started learning more about the backside learning center and realized the backside is the backbone of the racing industry. Those are the workers that get up early and they have a tough job. It's a tough duty. They have the business and the industry in their blood. And the budget that the Backside Learning Center had was kind of anemic, especially when you consider all the money that flows through the industry. So, when I sat down with a few of the folks there, I said there's got to be a program where the owners can and should contribute a percentage of their purses to elevate the foundation. I was looking at what the backside learning center's programing is, and how they ran their, their nonprofit. I thought this deserves, a few more logs on the fire. So we came up with this Purses for a Purpose.”

His association with Coolmore started when he invested in a business partially owned by Charlie Pearson, who is John Magnier's son-in-law. From there, Smith connected with the Coolmore team and that led to him owning a piece of Sierra Leone and Hall of Fame (Gun Runner), who was seventh in the Risen Star.

“They're great folks, good friends and we started doing some business together and have had success,” Smith said. “One thing led to another, and I was introduced to the Coolmore ecosystem. Their breeding, farming operation in Ireland is second to none. And they are just amazing people that are wildly successful. Somewhere along the way, they asked if I would you be interested in maybe becoming one of their partners? I thought, 'Wow, that's a great opportunity? Coolmore, they play at the top.'”

Sierra Leone is the first legitimate Kentucky Derby contender Smith has owned. How has he kept his feet on the ground?

“I'm just trying to have fun with it and enjoy it,” he said. “And I can use the opportunity to be a voice for places like Purses for a Purpose and maybe a few other non-profits. It's not just coveting the moment, but reveling in it and reveling in it with everybody involved. These things can change in a step. I'm just hopeful that the horse stays sound and healthy. He seems the type.”

During the stallion spotlight segments of the podcast, the crew sang the praises of Coolmore stallion Jack Christopher , who stands for $40,000, and the WinStar stallion Audible, who stands for $15,000.

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, Coolmore,  the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, 1/ST Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds, and XBTV.com, the team of Randy Moss, Bill Finley and Zoe Cadman reviewed the major races run last week, which included Sierra Leone's win in the Risen Star and the victory by Tarifa (Bernardini) in the GII Rachel Alexandra Stakes. The team looked back at the career of Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), who had to be euthanized after getting cast in her stall. Moss and Cadman explained why they voted for her for champion female sprinter over Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper).

To watch the Writers' Room podcast video, click here. To listen to an audio version, click here.

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Novel Promotion Rewards Coolmore Breeders with Justify Season

Coolmore's Ashford Stud will enter breeders who have booked mares to Corniche, Epicenter, Jack Christopher, or Tiz the Law into drawings to award four no-guarantee nominations to Justify in a promotion called “THE JUSTIFY 4.” There will be a separate drawing for each of the four stallions, with one no-guarantee nomination awarded among each pool, for a total of four.

The drawing will be held on Apr. 26.

The farm said that the event was being held “to celebrate Justify's phenomenal year in 2023.”

Justify is the cumulative leading third-crop sire by earnings in a group that includes strong competition from sires including Good Magic, Bolt d'Oro, Mendelssohn, and City of Light. He was the leading second-crop sire of 2023, not only by earnings, but in every black-type category. His six individual Grade I winners equaled the annual combined total of the rest of his crop year.

His appeal is global; in 2023 alone, he was the sire of dual Grade I winner Just F Y I, the favorite to be named Champion Juvenile Filly; Hard to Justify, the winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf; Opera Singer, winner of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac; Aspen Grove (Ire), winner of the GI Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational S.; Arabian Lion, winner of the GI Woody Stephens S.; and City of Troy, winner of the G1 Dewhurst S. Already in 2024, his Storm Boy (Aus) has won the A$3-million The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic in Australia.

“In a very competitive market, we hoped that this promotion would remind breeders of the incredible potential and upside of our younger stallions,” said Coolmore's Charlie O'Connor. “And who better to remind them of that than Justify? This is an amazing opportunity for breeders to use these stallions who are all Grade I winners on dirt.

“Justify has enjoyed a sensational year,” continued O'Connor. “He's the first sire in North America since Mr Prospector to sire four Grade I-winning juveniles in a single season. His two Breeders' Cup winners are amongst the three finalists for Champion 2-Year-Old Filly at the upcoming Eclipse Awards, City of Troy and Opera Singer have been crowned European Champion 2-Year-Old Colt and European Champion 2-Year-Old Filly, while Ramatuelle was crowned French Champion 2-Year-Old. And if all that's not enough, he was also Champion First-Crop Sire in Australia. We think 'THE JUSTIFY 4' concept is a novel idea which is sure to catch the imagination of breeders given four seasons to this great stallion are up for grabs.”

Justify's 2024 stud fee was initially listed at $200,000, but was later switched to private.

The terms and conditions of the event are as follows:

  • For each qualifying mare contracted to any of the four stallions by Apr. 26, 2024, a ticket will be entered with no limit on the number of tickets per client.
  • One ticket will be drawn for each of the four stallions with the prize being a no-guarantee 2024 season to Justify in each case.
  • The mare nominated must be approved and fit for breeding purposes. Mares over 17 or barren for the last two years are excluded.
  • The qualifying mare must be bred before the nominated mare can be bred by Justify.
  • All Coolmore employees and related parties are ineligible for these draws as are any of the partners in the participating stallions. In the event of a dispute, Coolmore is the final arbitrator.

Corniche, Epicenter, and Jack Christopher are all standing their second season at stud with first weanlings arriving now. Corniche is the Breeders' Cup-winning Champion Juvenile; Epicenter is the Eclipse Award winning Champion 3-Year-Old and Travers winner; and Jack Christopher is a three-time Grade I winner. Tiz the Law was a Grade I-winning 2-year-old who went on to win the GI Florida Derby, Belmont S., and Travers S. He has first 2-year-olds this year.

To participate in this draw, breeders may call the following Coolmore connections: M.V. Magnier, 011-353-86-821-6827; Dermot Ryan, 859-333-2562; Aisling Duignan, 859-333-2566; Charlie O'Connor, 859-333-2066; Adrian Wallace, 859-327-8302; Robyn Murray, 859-619-8770; Michael Norris, 859-753-1521; Blaise Benjamin, 859-333-2591; Charles Hynes, 859-753-3736; David O'Loughlin, 011-353-86-249-0821; or Christy Grassick, 001-353-86-255-1126.

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First Foal Reported For Jack Christopher

Ashford Stud's three-time Grade I winner Jack Christopher (Munnings) was represented by his first reported foal when a filly was born Jan. 11 at River Valley Farm in New York.

The filly is the first produce from the unraced She's a Go Go Girl (Union Rags), who was acquired by Whitecloud Bloodstock for $30,000 at last year's Keeneland November. The deeper female family includes Grade II-winning juvenile filly Magicalmysterycat (Storm Cat).

“We couldn't be happier with this filly,” said Dr. Scott Ahschwede who bred her along with his wife Dr. Patricia Ahschwede and fellow veterinarian Dr. Scott Pierce. “A pretty first foal with leg and size. A great start to our season.”

Winner of the GI Champagne S. as a juvenile, Jack Christopher won the GI Woody Stephens S. and GI H. Allen Jerkens S. over seven furlongs at three.

“Jack Christopher was an exceptional talent,” said his trainer Chad Brown. “I've never had a dirt horse with such brilliance. He never disappointed us in a workout or a race and was just a pleasure to train.”

Jack Christopher is one of 73 stakes winners for his sire, who also stands at Ashford.

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