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Vexatious, True Timber Work Toward Breeders’ Cup Assignments At Keeneland

Calumet Farm's Vexatious, winner of the Personal Ensign (G1) at Saratoga over champion Midnight Bisou, continued working toward a probable start in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) on Nov. 7 with a half-mile breeze in :50.20 Saturday morning shortly after the track opened for training.

“She always goes at 5:30,” trainer Jack Sisterson said. “She wants to go early and loves being outside. When the weather is nice, she will spend a lot of time out in the paddock.”

Saturday's work was the fifth half-mile breeze for Vexatious since finishing fifth behind champion Monomoy Girl in the La Troienne (G1) last month at Churchill Downs.

Sisterson also worked Calumet's True Timber, who is under consideration for the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) on Nov. 7. True Timber worked 5 furlongs in company in 1:02.60 over the fast main track.

Sisterson took over the training of True Timber following Kiaran McLaughlin's retirement from training. True Timber has run three times for Sisterson, beginning with a third-place finish behind top Breeders' Cup contender C Z Rocket going 6½ furlongs here in July.

A millionaire, the 6-year-old True Timber has eight graded stakes placings on his resume but no graded victories.

“He's a horse that deserves to win a big race; he tries hard every time,” Sisterson said. “He's probably not a three-quarters horse and it was my mistake to run him in the (6-furlong) Vosburgh (G1) and he drew the rail. He had run so well in the (7-furlong) Forego (G1) beaten a little more than a length when he was third.”

Also working toward a possible Breeders' Cup engagement was Southern Equine Stable's Keepmeinmind.

Runner-up in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) here on Oct. 3, Keepmeinmind worked a half-mile in :49.20 with jockey David Cohen aboard.

“He worked fantastic,” trainer Robertino Diodoro said of the work at 7:30 a.m. following the first track maintenance renovation break. Keepmeinmind is targeting the $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance on Nov. 6.

At The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington, Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) winner Ivar (BRZ) worked a half-mile in preparation for the Fan Duel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) Presented by PDJF.

“He went a half in an easy :50 like we planned,” trainer Paulo Lobo said via text about Ivar, who is owned by the partnership of Bonne Chance Farm and Stud RDI.

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Equibase Analysis: Notable Exception Could Post The Upset In American Pharoah Stakes

The Grade 1, $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes is a “Win and You're In” for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile the first full weekend in November at Keeneland Race Course. Of the eight entrants, only one (Waspirant) has won a route race of a mile or more, doing so last month to break his maiden in his second career start, and only one (Weston) has won a stakes race, having proven victorious in the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at seven furlongs in August. However, the other six all have the potential to take that leap forward and run well enough to win, such as Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity runner-up Spielberg, who is still a maiden as he finished second in his only other race to date.

Get Her Number led from the start in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes just 19 days ago and settled for fourth at the end but was beaten just a pair of noses for the runner-up spot. Dyn O Mite was much further back in fifth in the Del Mar Futurity while Rombauer was sixth in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf and both hope to be more competitive. Notable Exception is a truly unknown quantity as he is the only horse not to have run locally as he broke his maiden in his debut 22 days ago at Arlington Park in Illinois. Touchdown Brown rounds out the field and enters the race off a half-length defeat in the I'm Smokin Stakes (restricted to California bred horses) around one turn three weeks ago.

In spite of only having run once and not having run around two turns, Notable Exception is my top choice to win this year's American Pharoah Stakes. In his debut on September 4, Noble Exception demonstrated a lot of physical and mental quality as he battled for the lead from the start then relinquished it briefly before a half-mile had been run. Reasserting himself on the turn, Notable Exception drew off to a three length lead with an eighth of a mile to go before extending the lead to five and one-quarter lengths at the end. Since that time, Notable Exception returned to trainer Jack Sisterson's base at Keeneland and put in a strong :59.8 five furlong workout to signal he's getting stronger every day as a two year old should be at this time of year. The 64 Equibase Speed Figure was unremarkable compared to some of the others in this race, but 2-year-olds have been known to improve markedly from one race to the next and that is what I am expecting of this colt. Most of all, Notable Exception has a pedigree which tells me he will run very well in this mile and one-sixteenth race. Using STATS Race Lens to look at what other foals of sire Street Sense have done, I note that thirteen sons and daughters of the sire have run in stakes races for two year olds, with four individual horses having emerged victorious. Perhaps as telling is the fact that Notable Exception has a half-brother (same dam) who won three of his first four races in 2017 and 2018 including the Shared Belief Stakes. As Notable Exception was particularly impressive winning his only race and with no doubts about his ability to stretch out to this distance and run well, I think he can win this race.

Waspirant finished fourth in his debut, in a sprint, at 30 to 1 odds on August 8 then returned just 21 days later at a mile and was an entirely different horse. In that second career start, Waspirant stalked the pacesetter by a half-length through the opening half-mile, was second with an eighth of a mile to go then got up late to win by three-quarters of a length. That was a pretty professional effort for a horse making only the second start of his career. Improving to an 81 figure, Waspirant now adds blinkers, likely as a result of a suggestion by jockey Umberto Rispoli, who missed winning the riding title at the recently concluded Del Mar meeting by one win (behind Flavien Prat). The blinkers should help Waspirant keep down distractions and so he should improve. That improvement, coupled with the fact he is the only horse in the field with a win around two-turns on dirt, Waspirant should be a strong contender down to the wire in the American Pharoah Stakes.

Touchdown Brown won impressively in his debut in June, at four and one-half furlongs, earning a phenomenal 96 figure which was stakes quality. Entering the Graduation Stakes for his next start, Touchdown Brown finished last of seven while never threatening as the six to five betting favorite. Blinkers were added for his following race on September 4 in the I'm Smokin Stakes and the colt responded with a very game effort when beaten only a half-length, rebounding to a 95 figure while four lengths clear of the next horse. Interestingly enough, blinkers come off for the American Pharoah but that's likely a method to curtail the colt's early speed and get him to relax as he may have other company near the front. Still, Touchdown Brown may not be a need-the-lead type as he rallied from third in his debut win without blinkers. As a son of Cairo Prince, there's little doubt Touchdown Brown will run even better at this longer distance as per STATS Race Lens the sire has produced five dirt route stakes winners from 13 individual horses which have competed at this level. With the ground saving rail and a potential pace battle on the front end, Touchdown Brown could be rallying strongly to win.

Spielberg and Get Her Number are notable for a couple of reasons but I feel they don't have the same probability to win compared to Notable Exception, Waspirant or Touchdown Brown. Both fit as proven competitive in stakes but both wear blinkers and appear to have the same need-the-lead style which means they could run faster than average in the early stages and be vulnerable to being passed late. Spielberg finished second in his debut with an 85 figure then second again in the Del Mar Futurity. In both races he was beaten by Dr. Schivel, whose connections recently announced is getting the rest of the year off to prepare for the Road to the Kentucky Derby in 2021. Get Her Number won his debut at five furlongs on turf in August with an 86 figure then stretched out to a mile, also on grass, in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes three weeks ago. In that race Get Her Number led easily in the early stages then had to fight head-and-head starting with a quarter mile to go, eventually settling for fourth but beaten by a pair of noses for the runner-up spot. Also worth mentioning is Weston, who won at four and one-half furlongs in his debut in June with a 93 figure, but then in spite of winning the Best Pal Stakes at six furlongs regressed to an 84 figure then again to 77 when third and nearly four lengths behind runner-up Spielberg in the Del Mar Futurity earlier this month.

The rest of the field, with their best Equibase Speed Figures, is Dyn O Mite (84) and Rombauer (85).

Win Contenders:
Notable Exception
Waspirant
Touchdown Brown

American Pharoah Stakes – Grade 1
Race 8 at Santa Anita
Saturday, September 26 – Post Time 7 PM E.T.
One Mile and One Sixteenth
Two Year Olds
Purse: $300,000

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Monomoy Girl Takes On ‘Bisou Upsetter Vexatious In Friday’s La Troienne

Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stables' Monomoy Girl, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2018, headlines of a field of eight for Friday's 35th running of the $500,000 La Troienne presented by Oak Grove Racing & Gaming (GI) at Churchill Downs.

The La Troienne, for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on the main track, is one of six graded stakes on Friday's 13-race program that begins at 11 a.m. (all times Eastern) and is headlined by the 146th running of the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI). The La Troienne will go as the day's 11th race with a 4:50 p.m. post time.

Also on the program is the 17th running of the $400,000 Alysheba presented by Sentient Jet (GII) for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on the main track, the 65th running of the $300,000 Eight Belles presented by TwinSpires.com (GII) for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs on the main track, the 36th running of the $300,000 Edgewood presented by Forcht Bank (GII) for 3-year-old fillies going a mile on the turf and the 26th running of the $250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint presented by Sysco (GII) for 3-year-olds and up going 5 ½ furlongs on the grass.

Trained by Brad Cox, Monomoy Girl has won five Grade I races in her career that has produced more than $3 million in earnings. Two of her biggest victories came at Churchill Downs where she won the 2018 Kentucky Oaks and the 2018 Breeders' Cup Distaff (GI).

Winner of the Ruffian (GII) in her most recent start, Monomoy Girl will be ridden in the La Troienne by Florent Geroux and break from post position eight.

Among the competition lined up to face Monomoy Girl is defending champion She's a Julie and Vexatious, who upset Midnight Bisou in Saratoga's Personal Ensign (GI) on Aug. 1.

Bradley Thoroughbreds, Tim and Anna Cambron, Denali Stud, Rigney Racing and Madaket Stables' She's a Julie notched her second Grade I victory in the Ogden Phipps at Belmont in June. Trained by Steve Asmussen, She's a Julie will be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. and break from post position six.

Calumet Farm's Vexatious, fourth in the 2017 Kentucky Oaks in her lone main track try at Churchill Downs, was second in the Ruffian to Monomoy Girl before winning the Personal Ensign. Trained by Jack Sisterson, Vexatious will break from post position two under Tyler Gaffalione.

The field for the La Troienne, with riders and weights from the inside, is: Horologist (John Velazquez, 120 pounds), Vexatious (Gaffalione, 123), With Dignity (Julien Leparoux, 118), Saracosa (Martin Garcia, 118), Risky Mandate (David Cohen, 118), She's a Julie (Santana Jr., 123), Lady Kate (Javier Castellano, 118) and Monomoy Girl (Geroux, 123).

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Jack Sisterson Talks Vexatious, Returning Calumet to Glory On TDN Writers’ Room

Two years ago, when it was announced that legendary Calumet Farm was hiring Jack Sisterson as its primary trainer, there was skepticism. At just 33 years old, with only experience as an assistant to his name, it was fair to question whether or not Sisterson was prepared to carry the flag for such a powerful racing and breeding brand. Those questions have now been answered–resoundingly in the affirmative, as just a short while later, Sisterson has not only proved equal to the task, but appears on his way to the even larger accomplishment of restoring historic Calumet to the glory of its heyday.

Still in the afterglow of pulling off a colossal upset of champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) with Calumet’s Vexatious (Giant’s Causeway) in the GI Personal Ensign S. at Saratoga, Sisterson joined the TDN Writers’ Room podcast presented by Keeneland Wednesday to talk about his first Grade I victory, his hands-on education in racing and the bright future for him and Calumet.

Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Sisterson spoke on how he adapted his training approach to fit Vexatious, who is reaching her career peak at the age of six.

“She has an extremely high cruising speed, and she can carry that over a distance of ground,” he said. “What we found with her, she’s a filly that loves to train at 5:30. She goes right out when the track opens, because that’s what she wants. She’s very businesslike and wants to get on with it. And when I initially got her, if I asked her to go three-quarters of a mile in a workout, she would put so much effort into it that she was doing too much in the mornings and not leaving it for the afternoon. So we decided to back up all of her works to half a mile and crossed our fingers that would result in her being a little bit more energetic in the afternoons. It’s slightly worrisome when you just breeze them half a mile–do they have enough foundation in them to compete at that classic type of distance on the dirt? But with her, she puts so much effort into her gallops and half-mile breezes that she’s in that happy stage of her career at the moment.”

Asked about the process that led to his hiring by Calumet, Sisterson credited former boss Doug O’Neill and compared the aura of Calumet to another iconic brand from his upbringing playing soccer in England.

“Initially, when I had this small conversation with them, I’d never been to the farm before,” he said. “I was working for Doug at the time, who still to this day is very supportive of everything I do, which I’m very grateful for. It was Doug who pushed me out there, saying, ‘If you don’t do it, I’m going to do it.’ Being from England and a soccer player, when you grow up, there’s Manchester United, at the top of the league with so much history and success. I assumed Calumet was the Manchester United of farms. Why would they want someone like me? I’m nobody. It was honoring, humbling. I’m just a very, very, very small piece of so much hard work that goes in behind the scenes that people don’t see.”

It was soccer that first brought Sisterson to the United States and sent him on his path to stardom in the Thoroughbred racing world. Having a lifelong passion for both sports, Sisterson killed two birds with one stone by enrolling at the University of Louisville, which led to a first racing gig working alongside a Hall of Fame trainer.

“From as far as I can remember, there was racing on TV or we were going to some big racing events in the Northeast of England,” he recalled. “I fell in love with it from day one and always wanted to have some involvement in it. I was fortunate enough to be offered a soccer scholarship at Louisville, which offered the equine program. And in return, I worked summers for Todd Pletcher. That was my first introduction to the American side of racing.”

Elsewhere on the show, the writers analyzed last weekend’s major stakes action, previewed Saturday’s GI Runhappy Travers S. and took stock of where the 3-year-old picture stands exactly one month away from the GI Kentucky Derby. Then, in the West Point Thoroughbreds news segment, they reacted to the news of increased restrictions on out-of-state jockeys attempting the ride in the Derby, even as fans are still slated to be on track with much more lax requirements. Click here to watch the podcast on Vimeo, and click here for the audio-only version.

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