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Horologist Named New Jersey-Bred Horse of the Year

There's A Chance Stable, Medallion Racing, Abbondanza Racing LLC, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Paradise Farm Corp. and David Staudacher's Horologist (Gemologist) has been crowned the Horse of the Year and champion older female by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey.

Bred by Holly Crest Farm, Horologist began her 4-year-old campaign in California under the care of Richard Baltas, but was ultimately turned over to Bill Mott, for whom she posted a two-length victory in the GIII Molly Pitcher S. The 2019 GIII Monmouth Oaks heroine would go on to finish third to champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GI La Troienne S. in September before posting her most important career victory to date in the GII Beldame S. at Belmont Park, her first black-type success beyond the borders of the Garden State.

John Bowers, Jr. was the breeder of two divisional champions. His homebred Royal Urn (Kantharos) was named champion sprinter and top older male in a campaign that featured a trio of stakes victories, while Pickin' Time (Stay Thirsty) was champion 2-year-old on the strength of scores in the Smoke Glacken S. at Monmouth and in the GIII Nashua S. at Aqueduct. Both Royal Urn and Pickin' Time are sons of Bowers, Jr.'s mare Born To Royalty (King of Kings {Ire}), who was named Broodmare of the Year for 2020. She is the dam of a yearling New Jersey-bred colt by Tonalist.

The other New Jersey-bred champions included: Pianzi (Shanghai Bobby), champion 3-year-old; Bramble Bay (Bullet Train {GB}), champion turf runner; Hey Chub (Carson City), stallion of the year.

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Colonel Liam Progressing Towards March On New Orleans

Robert and Lawana Low's GI Pegasus World Cup Turf hero Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) breezed a half-mile in :48.40 for trainer Todd Pletcher at Palm Beach Downs Feb. 20 and is penciled in for his next start in the GII Muniz Memorial S. going nine furlongs over the Stall-Wilson turf course at the Fair Grounds Mar. 20, the Lowses bloodstock advisor and racing manager Jacob West said Monday.

The $50,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $1.2-million OBS April breezer got about three weeks off following his neck defeat of stablemate Largent (Into Mischief) in the Pegasus and returned to the worktab with a smooth four-furlong gallop in :48.50 Feb. 13.

“He has trained well since the Pegasus and the plan is to go to the Muniz Memorial at the Fair Grounds Mar. 20 and then kind of see where we go from there,” said West. “The [GI] Old Forester [Turf Classic at Churchill Downs May 1] was the immediate goal and Todd was wondering whether we should do something between that and the Pegasus. He bounced out of [the Pegasus] in good shape. The plan is to ship over to the Fair Grounds and it's a plan very similar to what Chad did with Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway). It works out pretty good with timing and schedule like that.”

Similar to that future Horse of the Year, Colonel Liam has excelled at middle distances to this point in his career, but West is confident that the gray colt will stay further if asked to do so.

“If you go back and watch the replay of the Pegasus, he leveled out at the eighth pole and actually bumped with [stablemate] Social Paranoia (Street Boss). That kind of bumped him onto his left lead, and then once Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] got him switched back over to his right lead, he really finished with a fury and he galloped out big,” West offered. “Pedigree-wise, you wouldn't think that stretching out and going a little bit further would be that big of an issue. Physically he looks like he can get just about any distance.”

He continued, “If anyone can get a max effort out of a horse, it's Todd Pletcher, and Irad has that experience with Bricks and Mortar at the longer distances. He's a tactical rider and we have a tactical horse that seems to handle a lot of different scenarios and he always kind of shows up. I don't think distance will ever been an issue and we're hoping we have that dilemma come Breeders' Cup time on which race we should go into.”

Colonel Liam is but one of a very exciting collection of 4-year-old turf horses that includes Saratoga and GI Hollywood Derby hero Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Gufo (Declaration of War), a fast-finishing third at Del Mar; Decoraded Invader (Declaration of War); and MGSW Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute).

“There is plenty of depth in the division, for sure. Right now, we're at the top, but that could obviously change, so we are taking nothing for granted,” he said.

WATCH: Colonel Liam storms home in the Pegasus World Cup Turf

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Speightstown Filly Romps to ‘Rising Star’ Honors in Fair Grounds Opener

Carribean Caper (f, 3, Speightstown–Checkupfromzneckup, by Dixie Union) kicked off Saturday's loaded GII Risen Star S. card with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance in the lid lifter at Fair Grounds.

The 3-1 chance broke sharply and forced the issue on the outside from second through an opening quarter in :22.24 over the “good” going. Always traveling like the winner, she poked her head in front approaching the quarter pole, and with a shake or two of the reins from Colby Hernandez, took off in a flash to win going away by a geared-down eight lengths over Famous Attraction (Into Mischief).

The four-time winner and stakes-placed Checkupfromzneckup was purchased by breeder WinStar Farm for $825,000 carrying Carribean Caper in utero at the 2017 KEENOV Sale. Her Into Mischief 2-year-old filly brought $600,000 from Stonestreet Stables as a Keeneland September yearling. She had a filly by Tapit in 2020 and was bred back to Quality Road.

Second dam Unbridled Lassie has a well-beaten third-place finish in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks on her resume.

This is the extended female family of Broodmare of the Year Weekend Surprise, dam of the legendary A.P. Indy and Classic winner Summer Squall. MG1SW and two-time highweight Wolfhound is also on Carribean Caper's page.

1st-Fair Grounds, $60,000, Msw, 2-13, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:09.88, ft, 8 lengths.
CARRIBEAN CAPER, f, 3, Speightstown
1st Dam: Checkupfromzneckup (SP, $187,470), by Dixie Union
2nd Dam: Unbridled Lassie, by Unbridled
3rd Dam: Lassie Connection, by Seattle Slew
Sales history: $250,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $36,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-Columbine Stable LLC.; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Albert M. Stall, Jr.

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Third Shoemaker Award for Ortiz

Irad Ortiz, Jr. earned his third Bill Shoemaker Award following his two wins on Breeders’ Cup championship weekend. Ortiz won the GI Sprint aboard Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) and the GII Juvenile Turf Sprint with Golden Pal (Uncle Mo).

The Shoemaker Award goes to the jockey who won the most races in the 14 World Championship races with the tiebreaker being a 10-3-1 point system for second- through fourth-place finishes. Ortiz was one of five jockeys to win two races during the championship weekend. In addition to his two victories, Ortiz also had a second- and third-place finish, allowing him to outfinish Joel Rosario, Florent Geroux, John Velazquez and Pierre-Charles Boudot.

Ortiz also won the Shoemaker Award in 2018 and 2019.

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