kakadu | Horse Racing Free Tips

Not all Thoroughbreds excel in the family business. A glance at any catalog page highlights the overachievers' accomplishments with barely, if any, mention of relatives that were less than stellar on the track.

A look at the bloodlines of second-crop sire Protonico is a prime example of the genetic mysteries that propel Thoroughbreds in vastly different directions. A multiple graded stakes winner and near millionaire, Protonico has quickly gained attention as the sire of Medina Spirit, who crossed the wire first in this year's Kentucky Derby. While he capitalizes on that new-found fame, his younger half siblings Kakadu and Lock Keeper have become champions in the eyes of their owners.

Protonico (2011 by Giant's Causeway), Kakadu (2013 Tizway mare) and Lock Keeper (2016 Quality Road gelding) are offspring of the A.P. Indy mare Alpha Spirit, who was unplaced in two starts. Like her aforementioned offspring, she raced as a homebred for Oussama Aboughazale's International Equities Holding. In contrast to Protonico, the records of Kakadu and Lock Keeper are nearly identical to their dam. Their connections recognized they were better suited to a non-racing line of work and channeled them to T & B Sporthorses of Brooke Schafer and Tay Wienold for initial reschooling in Lexington.

Kakadu now is being refashioned as an eventer by Lexington-based Heather Goumas. The mare has a natural inclination for the jumping portion of the sport, which also includes the precision movements of dressage. Lock Keeper is continuing his education with Emily Joyce in Massachusetts with a dressage focus.

Goumas and Joyce knew their show prospects were closely related to some of racing's biggest names but neither was aware that the winner of America's most legendary race is their horses' “nephew” Medina Spirit.

“That is excellent; that is pretty neat,” said Goumas, who was knowledgeable of Kakadu's bragging rights as the dam of American Pharoah's first foal named First Pharoah. First Pharoah's unique status made him a headliner for awhile but his stout build made him an unlikely racing candidate. He, too, found his way to life as a pleasure mount after Kakadu's subsequent reproductive difficulty left First Pharoah as her only offspring.

The lofty lineage of Kakadu and Lock Keeper certainly is a conversation piece but it is their demeanors that have charmed their owners.

Kakadu, now known as Luna, was originally purchased for Goumas's 16-year-old daughter. When their personalities did not quite click, her daughter switched to showing Goumas's Warmblood mount instead while Goumas continues with Kakadu.

“With mares especially you have to find the right fit,” Goumas said. “She and Luna are both pretty sassy.”

Goumas lovingly explained that sassiness.

”Just recently I had Kakadu in the (barn aisle) cross ties and she deliberately swatted her tail at my daughter when she walked by,” Goumas said. “When I gently brush her knees, she squeals and stomps her foot. She very plainly says 'this is what I like, this is what I don't like.' She is sweet, too, and really curious. She is very interested and is always looking for the next jump.”

A through-the-ears shot of Lock Keeper in his new job.
Photo courtesy Emily Joyce

Lock Keeper, whose barn name is Keeper, has endeared himself to those at his stable with his “puppy dog” ways and eagerness to learn according to Joyce.

“He is very calm,” Joyce said. “Most people could not believe that he was only four when I got him last year. He is so willing under saddle. He is generally better behaved than most horses who are much older than him. He is not spooky. He would rather go up to something and sniff it. If you leave something near his stall door, it will be in his mouth and he will shake it up and down. He is a very bright, curious horse.”

Both Goumas and Joyce emphasized team work and a steady program to fully transition racehorses into their new assignments.

“It was important to me to get a horse who had been restarted and had come from a reputable home,” she said. “I have the right boarding facility and the right trainer to develop a program for him. Horses like a routine and like to work.”

The post Lost And Found Presented By LubriSYNHA: Relatively Speaking, Even Non-Winners Can Have Bragging Rights appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The eponymously-named First Pharoah has a distinction shared by no other Thoroughbred. As the first offspring of Triple Crown hero American Pharoah, the colt made headlines soon after he was born on Jan. 3, 2017. Three years later, First Pharoah has displayed more of a likeness to his dam rather than favoring his sire, who quickly proved himself as a source of quality runners.

First Pharoah showed little promise in training, so late last year owner/breeder Oussama Aboughazale (of International Equities Holdings and Sumaya U.S. Stable) sent him to Brooke Schafer and Tay Wienold to redirect his talent. The Lexington-based business partners are experienced in schooling off-track Thoroughbreds in general and members of the First Pharoah clan in particular. The women were first introduced to the family when a friend recommended them for First Pharoah's dam Kakadu. A well-beaten ninth as a 2-year-old in her only start, Kakadu retired to the broodmare ranks but she experienced reproductive problems and never produced another foal. With Schafer handling the ground work and flat work and Wienold doing the jumping, Kakadu made a seamless transition to show horse. Now seven, Kakadu's specialty is eventing, combining refined movements of dressage with jumping in open fields and arenas.

Aboughazale was so impressed with the refashioned Kakadu that he channeled First Pharoah and Kakadu's half-brother Lock Keeper (by Quality Road) to them. Schafer and Wienold transformed Lock Keeper's laid-back personality and athleticism into a willing pleasure mount and sold him to an amateur rider who enjoys dressage with him. As a racehorse, he was unplaced in two starts as a 3-year-old in 2019.

First Pharoah's evolution has been slower than his relatives because of his physique. He is built like his dam with a stout body reminiscent of larger breeds so he was given plenty of downtime to develop into his frame.

“We ride him lightly just to keep him reminded about his job and to slowly mold him into the sport horse we know he is capable of becoming,” Schafer said. “Tay rode him first and he rode beautifully. She said he is one of the most comfortable horses she has ever sat on. She looked at me grinning during the first ride and said 'I could sit this trot all day.' ”

First Pharoah, pictured in late August

During this growing phase, First Pharoah mostly has been doing a whole lot of nothing while socializing with pasture mates and human friends.

“He is like a playful teenager who enjoys challenging his buddies to a game of tag when he's feeling frisky,” Schafer said. “He loves his horse companions dearly and gets very attached to every horse we put with him. He lives outside 24/7 in a field with a large run-in shed but loves to come in on hot days and take a nap in his stall. He gets checked daily and gets lots of treats from the neighbors.”

Schafer and Wienold balance their sport horse business and recreational riding with full-time jobs. Schafer is a speech pathologist in a Central Kentucky public school system and supplements her income by selling her customized painted drinking glasses and other equine-centric artwork. Wienold is an accountant who moonlights with a monogramming service. In their OTTB endeavors, they have established a reputation for transforming their projects into reliable mounts for other activities and placing them with suitable owners. Both strive for the perfect match and offer advice for those obtaining an OTTB with fundamental retraining.

“Take your time and start with the basics,” Schafer said. “Most Thoroughbreds are started in professional programs and know how to tie, lunge, get bathed, stand to be mounted, etc. But just because they do, don't assume they know how to do that in a new environment. Take the time to get to know the horse before you give them too many new pieces of information.

Behind the ears of First Pharoah

“Horses love routine and the more you can work with them on a daily basis, the better. I like to learn about my horses by working with them on the ground before we ride them. I like to know their personalities and what they are comfortable with. By knowing this, I feel like it gives Tay and I a better expectation of what we may encounter under saddle.”

The post Lost And Found Presented By LubriSynHA: First Pharoah Didn’t Rule The Track, But He’s On To Something New appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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