Keeneland September Sale | Horse Racing Free Tips

Nothing Plain About Bob Baffert

When Bob Baffert won a record seventh GI Kentucky Derby May 1 with Medina Spirit (Protonico), I couldn't help but think back to the first time I met the conditioner.

Walking through the Keeneland barn area one mid-April morning in 1990, Baffert asked if I knew where the clockers were located at the track. We introduced ourselves to each other and I offered to show him the route to the press box, where the clockers were situated during training hours.

Baffert was in the process of switching from Quarter Horses to Thoroughbreds and had travelled to Keeneland with the first horse he hoped to run in the Derby–Thirty Slews.

Impressive winner of his first two starts in California the previous month, Baffert already had his sights set on racing's biggest prize. He shipped the son of Slewpy east to run in the Lexington S.

Thirty Slews ran third that day, behind Home At Last and Pleasant Tap, and shipped back to California while Unbridled won the Derby.

Though over the next three decades Baffert would strive–quite successfully–to find horses that could stay the Classic distance, it was apparent Thirty Slews could not.

He made 18 starts subsequent to the Lexington and only left California one other time. But the one time he did was monumental for Baffert.

Following a win in the 1992 Bing Crosby H., Thirty Slews was shipped to Florida, where he won the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Gulfstream Park for owners Mike Pegram, Mitch Degroot and Dutch Masters III.

Sent off at 19-1, Thirty Slews just got up by a neck over Meafara, who led every step of the way–except the last step.

Thirty Slews, the first Thoroughbred Baffert purchased at public auction ($30,000 at Keeneland September), had provided him with his first Grade I win.

It is interesting to think about this: Had Thirty Slews won the Lexington, Baffert may have run him in the Derby. A colt who was unraced at 2 and would have entered the starting gate on the first Saturday of May making just his fourth start.

Of course, no horse had won the Derby without racing as a juvenile since 1892 until Baffert did it with Justify in 2018, who would go on to become a Triple Crown winner.

And, it is Baffert who has redesigned the path to the Derby, proving you can run for–and win–the roses with fewer starts before the race than trainers thought horses needed not that many years ago.

Baffert took Thirty Slews, a $30,000 yearling, and turned him into a Grade I winner.

He took Medina Spirit–a $1,000 yearling turned $35,000 2-year-old–into a Derby winner.

A few races before Medina Spirit led every step of the way to win the Derby, Baffert trained Gamine won the GI Derby City Distaff, giving the trainer a record 220 Grade I wins.

Medina Spirit would give Baffert Grade I victory number 221.

But as he crossed the finish line, I was thinking about Baffert's first Grade I winner and the day I met the trainer at Keeneland.

With seven Derby scores, Baffert passed trainer “Plain Ben” Jones.

Since that spring day I first met Baffert 31 years ago, he has proven there is nothing plain about him.

He proved it once again May 1.

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Half-Brother to Justify Primed for Gulfstream Debut

He has bred a Triple Crown winner, but John Gunther has yet to have his first superstar as an owner. He's hoping that may soon change.

Gunther is the owner and breeder of Stage Raider (Pioneerof the Nile), a half-brother to Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy), who will make his debut in Saturday's sixth race at Gulfstream. And while no one is predicting that Stage Raider will win the Triple Crown, both Gunther and trainer Chad Brown are optimistic that the 3-year-old colt has above average talent.

“He seems to have plenty of ability,” Brown said. “Being a half-brother to a legendary horse, the expectations are lofty. In his works, he seems to have plenty of ability and definitely belongs in the 'A' circuit in a race like this with these kinds of horses.”

Gunther is primarily a breeder, so it was no surprise when he entered Justify in the 2016 Keeneland September sale, where he sold for $500,000. Less than two years later, Justify completed the Triple Crown sweep with a win in the GI Belmont S. and was soon thereafter retired. The dam, Stage Magic, was named the 2018 Broodmare of the Year.

“To me, it's far more exciting to be able to keep them and race them,” Gunther said. “I love racing but having the operation like ours, especially one our size, you need that cash flow. You have to sell them just to keep the operation profitable going forward. You have to take your yearlings to market.”

That doesn't mean he is willing to give them away. Stage Raider was entered in the 2019 Keeneland September sale, but did not meet his reserve price of $950,000.

“I felt the price we had on him at the sale was a reasonable price, seeing that he is a half-brother to Justify,” Gunther said. “He was not small, he was medium-sized. I think when a lot of people looked at him they thought of Justify, who was probably one of the best yearlings we've ever consigned at the sale. Justify was so big and strong when he was at the sale and I think people were expecting there would be a little more size with this horse.

“What we usually do is if they don't sell, we race them,” he said. “We are always excited to race them. That's just the business we are in. I wish I could afford to race them all.”

When Gunther doesn't get his price at the sales, he will normally race the horses himself. He owns another half-brother to Justify, a horse named One More City (Will Take Charge). A 4-year-old who has yet to race, he RNA'd at the 2018 Keeneland September sale for $1.75 million. He has had three published workouts, none since May.

Stage Raider was sent to Brown last summer and had his first workout for him Sept. 29 at Saratoga. While sensing that the colt had promise, Brown wasn't satisfied with how he was developing mentally.

“When he first came into us, he was a bit immature,” Brown said. “It took a while for him to get things together mentally. The owners, the Gunthers, have been very patient and are never in a rush.”

Brown said that Stage Raider started to put it together in recent works, in particular his last two. He worked five furlongs in 1:01 Jan. 16 at Palm Meadows and seven days earlier went a half-mile out of the gate in :48.

“I've been really pleased with his training over the last month,” he said. “He's really come together mentally. He's always been a good mover on the track.”

On paper, it looks like Brown has chosen a particularly tough race for Stage Raider's debut. Todd Pletcher will send out Ghazaaly (Curlin), a $1.05 million purchase at Keeneland September. Godolphin has a well-bred first-time starter in Prevalence (Medaglia d'Oro) and Shug McGaughey has the first-timer Marching (Liam's Map). Traveller (Tourist) is another Pletcher-trainee making his debut and has a pair of bullet workouts at Palm Beach Downs. He is a half-brother to Grade I winner Eight Rings (Empire Maker).

“I am nervous, of course,” Gunther said. “He's a half-brother to Justify, so there are a lot of expectations out there. Talking to Chad, he seems very pleased with the way he is coming along. He seems to be improving week to week, so we are keeping our fingers crossed and will see how he handles that first start. I'm just hoping for the best.”

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Friday’s Insights: 650K Candy Ride Debuts at Santa Anita

9th-SA, $61K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 7:30p.m.
Hronis Racing LLC and David Michael Talla’s ROCK YOUR WORLD (CandyRide {Arg}) kicks off his career for John Sadler. Coming off a steady stream of breezes in preparation for this unveiling, the February foal was a $650,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, the co-second highest price for the stallion in 2019. Joel Rosario gets the call. TJCIS PPs

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Talented Tatweej Prepared For ‘Coming Out Party’ In Saturday’s Harlan’s Holiday

Alshareef Hazzaa Shaker Alabdali's Tatweej is scheduled to make his stakes debut in Saturday's $100,000 Harlan's Holiday at Gulfstream Park, where the 4-year-old son of Tapit will put a streak of three commanding victories on the line.

The Harlan's Holiday, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds and up, is one of four graded stakes on Saturday's card, headlined by the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2), a key prep for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Jan. 23.

The late-developing Tatweej, who was purchased for $2.5 million at the 2017 Keeneland September sale, has run four times, all at Gulfstream Park, where he finished third in his June 21 debut. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt, who obviously benefited from the experience, went on to win his next three starts at Gulfstream, all going away at the one-turn mile distance under Edgard Zayas.

“He's a very well-bred horse and always showed some talent. It took a little while to kind of get to the races, but he's been ultra-consistent since he has,” Pletcher said. “This is kind of his coming out party, so to speak, if he's able to handle this step up.”

Tatweej broke his maiden by 3 ¾ lengths on a fast track before winning a first-level optional claiming allowance by 2 ½ lengths over a good track and capturing a second-level optional claiming allowance by 2 ¾ lengths over a sloppy surface.

“He seems to like Gulfstream,” Pletcher said. “It will be an opportunity to get him stretched out around two turns and see how he can handle that and the step up in the class.”

Zayas has the return call aboard Tatweej, who will be taking on six rivals with vastly more stakes experience.

Phat Man, a 6-year-old gelding owned by Marianne Stribling, Force Five Racing LLC and Two Rivers Racing Stable LLC, will seek to improve on a second-place finish in last year's Harlan's Holiday, in which he finished between victorious war horse, War Story, and bad-boy-turned-Grade-1-winner Bodexpress.

The son of Munnings went on to capture the Fred Hooper (G3) to give trainer Kent Sweezey his first graded-stakes success and finish second in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2).

“A couple of guys who know the sheets always said he was running really good numbers at a one-turn mile,” Sweezey said. “But I thought he ran a great race going two turns in this same race last year.”

Phat Man didn't see action again until returning from an eight-month layoff in the Nov. 7 Lafayette at Keeneland, where he raced extremely wide from his far-outside post position before finishing sixth, four lengths behind victorious Sleepy Eyes Todd.

“He was hung out wide.” Sweezey said. “He's huge. He's the biggest horse I've been around. He's massive. I thought he got a little tired which goes to show you he needed one under his belt.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., who was aboard in last year's Harlan's Holiday and Hooper, returns to the saddle Saturday.

John Fanelli and partners' Math Wizard will seek to win his first race in six starts since capturing the 2019 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx. The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained 4-year-old colt's best performance this year was a second-place finish behind Global Campaign in the Monmouth Cup (G3) in July.

Tyler Gaffalione is scheduled to ride the son of Algorithms for the first time.

Tax, a multiple graded-stakes winner for R. A Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Hugh Lynch and Corms Racing Stable, is scheduled to return from a seven-month layoff Saturday. The 4-year-old gelding has raced only once since finishing a troubled ninth in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream last January, finishing fifth in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) May 2.

Tax won the Withers (G3) and finished second in the Wood Memorial (G2) last year before finishing 15th in the Kentucky Derby (G1). The son of Arch went on to win the Jim Dandy (G2) at Saratoga a few months later.

Luis Saez, who rode six winners on last Saturday's Claiming Crown program, has the call aboard Tax.

Roseland Farm Stable's Royal Urn will seek his first stakes victory in open company for trainer Kelly Breen. The 4-year-old son of Kantharos, though, is in career form, having captured three stakes for New Jersey-bred horses at Monmouth Park this year.

Joe Bravo, who was aboard for one of those stakes triumphs, has the call Saturday.

Trainer Steve Budhoo's Eye of a Jedi, who finished off the board in last year's Harlan's Holiday, enters this year's race off back-to-back victories. The son of Eye of the Leopard closed strongly to defeated multiple grades-stakes winner Diamond Oops in the mile Coaltown Handicap June 13 before stretching-out to 1 1/16 miles to win the Sea of Tranquility Stakes a month later.

Marcos Meneses, who was aboard for the Coaltown Handicap score, has the call aboard the Kentucky-bred 5-year-old gelding.

Gelfenstein Farm Inc.'s Identifier, who registered a 60-1 upset victory in last season's Hal's Hope (G3), is coming off a distant second-place finish behind next-out Grade 1 stakes winner Bodexpress in a Gulfstream Park West optional claiming allowance.

Jose Ortiz is scheduled to ride the 4-year-old son of Creative Cause for the first time Saturday.

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