Tag: Jeff Drown

GISW And Classic-Placed Zandon Retired To Spendthrift Farm

Grade I winner Zandon (Upstart–Memories Prevail, by Creative Cause) has been retired and has arrived at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky ahead of stallion duty in 2024, the farm announced. The dark bay will stand for $12,500 stands and nurses and will participate in Spendthrift's “Share the Upside” program on a limited basis for a fee of $15,000 for two years.

“We are excited about Zandon and the ability to offer a Grade I winner with his physical through our Share The Upside program. He's what they should look like,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “You won't find many Grade I winners in town that look and move the way he does. He's a big, classy individual with a beautiful, smooth gait, which is likely why he was able to remain so sound through the rigors of competing against the best of his generation for two straight years. We believe breeders are really going to like him, and we invite them to come out and see for themselves.”

Bred by the late Brereton Jones, the dark bay brought $170,000 as a Keeneland September yearling and was put into training with Chad Brown. A winner of his Belmont debut, the Jeff Drown runner was also second in the GII Remsen S. as a juvenile and was third in the GII Risen Star S. in his 3-year-old bow. A winner of the GI Blue Grass S., he was favored in the GI Kentucky Derby and would go on to place third in May of 2022. Throughout the rest of the year, he would add three more graded placings in the GII Jim Dandy S., GI Travers S., and the GI Pennsylvania Derby.

He rolled a trio of twos in his first three starts this term, in the GIII Westchester S., GI Metropolitan H.  in June, and in the GI Whitney S. at Saratoga in August. The GII Woodward S. went his way in October, and he was retired after a start in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic with a record of 14-3-6-3 and $2.2 million in earnings.

The second foal and one of three winners for his unraced dam, Zandon is a half-brother to Panamanian Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Sol Principe Gris (Summer Front). His dam is a half-sister to MGSW and MGISP Cairo Memories (Cairo Prince), as well as the SW Cariba (Cairo Prince). Under the third dam is Grade II winner Hello Liberty (Forest Camp), who was second in the GI Acorn S.

Spendthrift announced in September that Zandon would join Taiba (Gun Runner) and Arabian Lion (Justify) as new stallions at their Kentucky base in 2024.

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Long Weekend, Keeneland’s Haggin Turf Course Hosts A Trio Of Graded Races

Keeneland's lawn debuted during the 1985 Fall meet in an era when American turf courses were just coming into vogue.

According to a back issue of the track's media guide, through 2016 they had two names for their grass course. The Keeneland Course referred to the one with rail up, while the normal configuration with it down was called the Haggin Course.

Named for Louis Lee Haggin II, who was not only Keeneland's President from 1940-1956, but the decade before had purchased the 550-acre Sycamore Farm in Woodford County. Serving as board chairman of the Keeneland Association beginning in 1970, he was a decedent of the gold rusher and California stud farm innovator James Ben Ali Haggin.

As for the Keeneland turf course records, they recognized various distances and rail settings, but for the 2016 Fall meet, the inside rail was replaced on the Haggin Course with a portable fence that can be placed a variety of distances to protect the inside portion of the course. So, beginning with the 2017 Spring meet, Keeneland amalgamated records into one set based on distance.

Now that we mowed through a bit of turf history, the Haggin will take center stage starting on Friday, as the Association cards a trio of graded grass races which will headline another weekend of racing action.

On Friday at Keeneland, a key distance test will be renewed when turf specialists contest the GIII Sycamore S. going 12 furlongs. Grizzled veterans like GISW Red Knight (Pure Prize) and MGISW Channel Maker (English Channel) are present, but so are up and comers like MGSP Limited Liability (Kitten's Joy) and GSP Red Run (Gun Runner). Add in Godolphin homebred Bold Act (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), who is group stakes placed in England and France for trainer Charlie Appleby, and this should set up as quite a late scramble.

Lindy | Coady Photography

Heading to Saturday in the Bluegrass, it is the annual invitation-only GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. for 3-year-old fillies. The nine-furlong run over the Haggin includes several invaders with European form. Elusive Princess (Fr) (Martinborough {Jpn}) made her U.S. debut a good one when she captured the GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational Aug. 4 after running second in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary S. at ParisLongchamp May 14 and when she was fifth behind G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines heroine Blue Rose Cen (Churchill {Ire}) in the G1 Prix de Diane S. June 18 at Chantilly.

Shifting from Jean-Philippe Dubois to Arnaud Delacour, the bay filly will face another who recently changed yards in Lindy (Fr) (Le Harve {Ire}). She made the switch from Christophe Ferland to Brendan Walsh over the summer after finishing second in the G1 French 1000 Guineas S. to Blue Rose Cen and then a well-beaten eighth in the Prix de Diane. Under Walsh, she successfully shipped into Kentucky Downs and won an optional claimer at a short price going a mile.

Other imports into this field include Sounds of Heaven (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who was third at the Royal Meeting in the G1 Coronation S. for Jessica Harrington, French stakes winner for Jean-Claude Roget Elounda Queen (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and finally, Mawj (Ire), who was last seen winning the G1 1000 Guineas S. at Newmarket May 7 for Godolphin and trainer Saeed bin Suroor. Incidently, this will be bin Suroor's first trip to Keeneland since 2014.

“You have to send the right horse to run here,” bin Suroor said. “This is the right place for her. This was the plan to come here and then go to the Breeders' Cup. Either the [GI Breeders' Cup] Mile or the [GI Breeders' Cup] Filly & Mare Turf. I want to see how she runs here and then on to L.A. Mawj had a little chest infection before Ascot [in the summer] and she had a break,” bin Suroor said of the five months between starts.

As for the American contingent, Chad Brown will be well-represented with pair of entries in GSW Liguria (War Front) and GISP Prerequisite (Upstart). Brown has won four of the last five editions of this race.

Finally, on Sunday it will be time to go sprinting at Keeneland when the GII Franklin S. goes off at five and a half furlongs for older females. MGISW Caravel (Mizzen Mast) returns to her favorite course, the site of her upset win last fall in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, as she attempts to repeat in the Franklin S. for trainer Brad Cox. The accomplished 6-year-old, who will be offered at the Keeneland November Sale, will once again face GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint victoress Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}). The 4-year-old bay filly is looking to get back on track for Wesley Ward after an unsuccessful trip to Del Mar July 28 in the Daiseycutter S. Also of note is the presence of GII Ladies Turf Sprint winner Bay Storm (Kantharos), who had her own way at Kentucky Downs, and the untested Godolphin homebred from England for Charlie Appleby, Star Guest (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Eternal Hope | Chelsea Durand

The stakes docket is not restricted to just Central Kentucky as both Aqueduct and Woodbine host their own graded races on Saturday.

With rain in the forecast later in the day and Sunday's GIII Knickerbocker S. moved to next week as a consequence, we will get to see the GII Sands Point S. early on the Belmont at the Big A card. Out of 10 entrants and three also-eligibles, Neecie Marie (Cross Traffic) will get another crack at Godolphin's Eternal Hope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who bested her by only a neck in the Sept. 16 GIII Jockey Club Oaks Invitational.

Joining the fray are a pair of alums who ran second and third in last month's Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs. Jeff Drown's Root Cause (Into Mischief) and Don Alberto homebred Alpha Bella (Justify) have proved they can handle nine furlongs as they look to win their first graded race.

Ranging up the Canada, Woodbine has a pair of Grade IIIs scheduled over their Tapeta on Saturday when SW Mouffy (Uncle Mo) takes on MGSW Souper Hoity Toity (Uncle Mo) in the Ontario Matron S. and GSW Loyalty (Hard Spun) battles MGSW Our Flash Drive (Ghostzapper) in the Ontario Fashion S.

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GISW Zandon Powers Home A Winner In The Woodward S.

A groomsman no more. After three consecutive second-place efforts from as many starts this season, Jeff Drown's Zandon (Upstart) finally got his place at the altar with a come-from-behind victory in the rescheduled GII Woodward S. at Belmont's Aqueduct meet.

Not seen in the winner's enclosure since a victory in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. on the 2022 Kentucky Derby trail, the 4-year-old continued to throw good performance after good performance throughout the rest of last year and into his season's campaign. Just this year alone, he's finished behind the likes of Sunday's GII Vosburgh S. winner Cody's Wish (Curlin), runaway GI Whitney S. hero White Abarrio (Race Day) and MGSW Repo Rocks (Tapiture). Always just a step after some of the best of his generatio, Zandon seemed poised to deliver when bet down to even money Sunday.

Away in orderly fashion under jockey Flavien Prat, the Chad Brown trainee was caught in a mid-pack scrum into the first turn and had to check back off of heels while in tight between horses. Taken back to race a solo sixth, Zandon chased in pursuit of pacesetter Pipeline (Speightstown) up the backstretch as the opening half went in :46.66. The field stayed together with only one trailing runner with four furlongs to run but Prat stayed motionless until the quarter pole when, still faced with a wall of horses in front of him, Zandon began to pick up the bridle. Angled outside of the frontrunners at the head of the lane, the favorite got clear running room and made the most of it, striking the front at the sixteenth pole and opening up daylight on a pair of closing longshots to win going away.

“He's been a horse that's been knocking on the door and he's had a little bit of bad luck running into really, really top horses in some of these races,” said winning trainer Chad Brown. “I felt a little bad for him because he's run such fast numbers in defeat that would have been good enough to win a lot of these races any other year when you really look at it. He's always run into really top class horses along the way. Like I've said before, one thing I'll always point out is even in a lot of runner-up finishes, look at the horses that were behind him. I mean, he's beat a pile of good horses in those valiant runner-up races. This horse is a really consistent horse and has been a pleasure to train.”

“He'll probably have his last career start in the Breeders' Cup Classic,” Brown continued. “Obviously, it's going to be a much, much tougher race than today, but at least we're going in off of a decisive victory and a horse that's had a very consistent year. That's all you can ask for and anything can happen in a horse race.”

Saturday, Belmont at the Big A
WOODWARD S.-GII, $400,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-1, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:48.48, ft.
1–ZANDON, 122, c, 4, by Upstart
                1st Dam: Memories Prevail, by Creative Cause
                2nd Dam: Incarnate Memories, by Indian Charlie
                3rd Dam: Witness Post, by Gone West
($170,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Jeff Drown; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $220,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 13-3-6-3, $2,140,000. *1/2 to Sol Principe Gris (Summer Front), Ch. 2-year-old Colt-Pan, MSW-Pan, $102,210. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Film Star, 122, c, 4, Flatter–Rebelle, by Hard Spun. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($300,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Ronald P. Stewart; B-Indian Creek & Mill Pond Bloodstock (KY); T-Linda Rice. $80,000.
3–Law Professor, 122, g, 5, Constitution–Haunted Heroine, by Ghostzapper. O/B-Twin Creeks Farm (KY); T-Rob Atras. $48,000.
Margins: 4 1/4, NK, 1. Odds: 1.00, 13.20, 17.10.
Also Ran: Charge It, O'Connor (Chi), Tyson, Costa Terra, Pipeline. Scratched: Algiers (Ire), Un Ojo.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Saturday Insights: Zandon Makes His Return

8th-AQU, $84K, OC, 4yo/up, 1m, 5:06 p.m.
ZANDON (Upstart), last seen running fourth Dec. 3 in the GI Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, returns to the scene on Saturday in this spot for owner Jeff Drown. Receiving Lasix for the first time, the Chad Brown trainee will be ridden by Flavien Prat and will leave from gate two. Zandon's 3-year-old campaign included a victory in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S., and a pair of third-place finishes in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Runhappy Travers S. His dam Memories Prevail (Creative Cause) produced a 2-year-old filly named Remembering (American Freedom) that sold last year for $200,000 at the Keeneland September sale to Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bridlewood Farm. TJCIS PPS

4th-AQU, $70K, Msw, f, (S), 3yo/up, 6f, 2:56 p.m.
Also on the card in Ozone Park is first-time starter Angelique (Army Mule). The WinStar and Siena Farms-owned filly gets Lasix as she takes on fellow state-breds for Todd Pletcher with Irad Ortiz aboard from post six. A $300,000 SARAUG buy out of Whispering Angel (Hard Spun), she's a half-sister to GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby victor Wells Bayou (Lookin At Lucky). The female side of this family includes MGISW Big Brown (Boundary). TJCIS PPS

1st-OP, $90K, Msw, f, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:30 p.m.
Owned by His Royal Highness Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud, Loupit (Tapit) begins her career routing in Hot Springs on Saturday. A $250,000 OBSMAR purchase from last year and out of Courtisane (Arg) (Silver Finder), the bay filly counts GSW Madame Stripes (Arg) (Equal Stripes (Arg) as a half-sister. Trained by Kenny McPeek and under Lasix, she will have Francisco Arrieta in the irons from post five.  TJCIS PPS

 

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