Keeneland | Horse Racing Free Tips

Twelve Days a Racing: Jared Shoemaker Pipes Up

Jared Shoemaker, co-managing partner of Pocket Aces Racing, grew up in Lexington and fondly remembers going to Keeneland with his extended family from the time he could walk. It was one of his favorite things to do as a child.

By the time he was in high school, he admits to spending a lot of afternoons at the track while supposedly in class. Not one to miss a good day of racing–no matter the reason–he scheduled all of his lectures at the University of Kentucky to be done by noon so he could get to Keeneland by first post.

Shoemaker has spent the last 27 years in northeastern Kentucky, where his wife is from. He invested about 10 years working in college athletics and has been in the pharmaceutical industry full-time since 2008.

Pocket Aces Racing was born over a card game among friends in 2005, hence the double ace silks. They all pitched in and bought a Victory Gallop yearling filly to eventually race at Charles Town. Aptly named 'Victory Morning', the filly won her debut by about 10 lengths in her first start in September of her 2-year-old year. People that had never been owners, and had never even imagined owning a race horse (Shoemaker included), had so much fun with it that they decided to formalize, and turn it into a business.

Almost 17 years later from that four-time winning first filly, the syndicate has grown to over 300 partners and 30 active runners, give or take a few.

Shoemaker joined TDN for a Q&A and some reminiscing. Here are his answers to breeding and racing's most poignant questions for 2022 and into the new year!

TDN: What is your racing or bloodstock highlight for this year?

JS: Temple City Terror winning the G3 Dowager at Keeneland.

TDN: Who is your value sire for 2023?

JS: Temple City

TDN: Who do you predict will be the leading freshman sire next year?

JS: Flameaway

TDN: If you could nominate one candidate (person or horse) to the Hall of Fame, who would get your nomination? Why?

JS: Perry Ouzts – 7,336 says it all. I don't care what level it is; you can't argue with that number of wins.

TDN: What is one positive change you'd like to see in racing next year?

JS: Serious, real, and swift consequences for individuals that tarnish our great sport by cheating. Enough is enough.

TDN: Who is your favorite horse of all time?

JS: Ferdinand. His win in the Derby with Bill Shoemaker aboard is what really elevated my love for racing to the next level.

TDN: What was the most exciting race you saw this year?

JS: It's personal for me – it was Temple City Terror in the Dowager. To win a graded stake at Keeneland [having grown up at the track] is everything for me.

TDN: If you could go back in time and see one race in person, what would it be?

JS: The 1978 Triple Crown Races, but if I have to pick one, the 1978 Belmont.

TDN: If you could only go to one track for the rest of your life, which one would you pick?

JS: Keeneland

TDN: If you could compete in any race in the world outside the US, which one would you want an entry in?

JS: Dubai World Cup

TDN: What was the biggest “surprise” of 2022–be it sales price, track performance, or a stallion?

JS: I don't really think I'd call it a surprise, but I'm happy to see Good Magic at the top of the First-Crop Sire list. It's great to see a son of Curlin off to such a great start as a sire.

TDN: Who would you tab as your favorite 'TDN Rising Star'?

JS: We bought a Siyouni gelding out of the HORA sale at Keeneland last month so I'll go with Intinso who won an allowance at New Castle in late October.

TDN: What is a hill you will die on when it comes to horse racing or breeding?

JS: We have to clean up the sport, but we can't fool ourselves into thinking that getting rid of the cheaters and restoring confidence in the game is the panacea for all our woes.

TDN: Do you have thoughts on what more needs doing?

JS: We have to do a better job attracting new fans and making our sport more accessible. I realize everyone has their fiefdoms they want to protect, but the industry HAS to come together and cooperate to grow our sport.

TDN: Secretariat or Flightline? Care to stir the pot?

JS: Secretariat. Always Secretariat

TDN: The burning question on everyone's mind–do you decorate your house for the winter holidays before or after Thanksgiving?

JS: Always after.

The post Twelve Days a Racing: Jared Shoemaker Pipes Up appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Second Chances: Pricey Curlin 2yo “Acts Like a Filly to be Excited About”

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

Subsequently flattered by Liguria (War Front)'s impressive performance in last weekend's GIII Jimmy Durante S. at Del Mar, Erna (f, 2, Curlin–Jumby Bay, by City Zip) will look to go one better at second asking in the nightcap at Gulfstream Park Sunday.

Off at 11-1 going 1 1/16 miles over the grass on debut at the Belmont at Aqueduct meeting Oct. 22, Erna jumped well from post five and cleared the field of 10 heading into the clubhouse turn. Under a snug hold and in control through fractions of :23.33 and :48.01, the $600,000 OBS April breezer hit the quarter pole as the one to catch and led by a commanding 1 1/2 lengths in the stretch.

The aforementioned Liguria, making her second career start, however, was just getting going down the center. Erna dug down deep and braced for the challenge inside the final sixteenth, but, after swapping to her left lead close to home, just couldn't hold that one off and came up a neck short. Erna received a 70 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

After failing to draw into a pair of spots during Keeneland's fall meeting, Erna made a last-minute trip from trainer Cherie DeVaux's Lexington base to the Big A for her debut.

“I was really impressed with how she ran given the circumstances,” DeVaux said.

“She did not get into either of the races that had overfilled at Keeneland and she had been training there the entire time since she came in after the sale. She had to ship after entries came out on Wednesday to Belmont Park. She arrived Thursday, trained at Belmont on Friday and had to ship over to Aqueduct [to run] on Saturday. So, it was less than ideal circumstances and she ran huge considering all that was thrown at her.”

Erna, the first foal out of the multiple stakes-placed Jumby Bay, brought $600,000 from owner James D. Spry after cruising through a :20 4/5 bullet in Ocala this spring. The daughter of two-time Horse of the Year and perennial leading sire Curlin was previously a $135,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Lehigh Bloodstock.

Jumby Bay, from the family of grassy GI Garden City Breeders' Cup S. heroine Magnificent Song (Unbridled's Song), brought $510,000 from breeder Don Alberto carrying Erna at the 2019 Keeneland November sale.

“At the sale, we were really impressed with her breeze and how she moved,” DeVaux said of Erna. “She looked like she was more turf inclined.”

Erna drew post nine going a two-turn mile for her second career try over the Gulfstream lawn Sunday. Luis Saez has the mount aboard the 5-2 morning-line favorite.

“I think if she either runs the race that she ran last time or improves, she's gonna be hard to beat,” DeVaux said. “She acts like she's a filly to be excited about.”

The 'Second Chances' honor roll is headed by two-time Breeders' Cup winner and new Ashford Stud stallion Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner and Lane's End stallion Honor A. P. (Honor Code), recent GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Cody's Wish (Curlin) and MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags).

This year's GI Carter H. winner and new Darley stallion Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), GI Preakness S. third-place finisher Creative Minister (Creative Cause), Curlin S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Artorius (Arrogate) and Cinema S. winner and GII Del Mar Derby third War At Sea (War Front) have also been featured in the series.

Other standouts include: GSW Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), GSW & MGISP Spielberg (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), MSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}); and GISP A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo).

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Keeneland Catalogs 1,509 Horses to January Sale

Keeneland has cataloged 1,509 horses–broodmares and broodmare prospects, yearlings and horses of racing age as well as stallions and stallion prospects–for the 66th January Horses of All Ages Sale, which will cover four sessions from Jan. 9-12, 2023.

The January Sale catalog now is available online at Keeneland.com. Print catalogs are scheduled to arrive in the mail the week of Dec. 19.

“Because the January Sale is held at the crossroads of racing and breeding seasons, the auction is a terrific opportunity for horsemen to plan for the future, whether they are breeders who seek broodmares and broodmare prospects for the coming breeding season or owners and trainers focused on the track who want to obtain newly turned yearlings and horses of racing age,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said.

Denali Stud, agent, will handle 54 horses cataloged in the Dispersal of successful New York breeder Patricia Generazio. Among them are stakes winner Mischievous Dream (Into Mischief) along with Pure Bode (Bodemeister) and Marquet Legacy (Gio Ponti), who are all cataloged as racing or broodmare prospects.

The most recent graduate of the January Sale to excel at the highest level is Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom), who captured the GI Matriarch S. Sunday for her third Grade I win of the year. In addition, stakes winners of 2022 who were sold as yearlings at the January Sale include Grade I-winning juveniles And Tell Me Nolies (Arrogate) and Blazing Sevens (Good Magic) as well as MGSW Interstatedaydream (Classic Empire).

Each session of the January Sale begins at 10 a.m. ET. The schedule is as follows, with Book 1 settling Monday-Tuesday, Jan. 9-10 and Book 2 going Wednesday-Thursday, Jan. 11-12. The entire January Sale will be livestreamed at Keeneland.com and will be aired on the FanDuel Plus App. Scott Hazelton will report periodically on the first two sessions on FanDuel TV.

The January Sale catalog includes mares in foal to prominent stallions and emerging young sires. Among them is Charlatan, the leading covering sire at Keeneland's November Breeding Stock Sale. Additional covering sires include American Pharoah, Army Mule, Audible, Authentic, Bolt d'Oro, Constitution, Essential Quality, Girvin, Good Magic, Gun Runner, Hard Spun, Justify, Kitten's Joy, Knicks Go, Liam's Map, Medaglia d'Oro, McKinzie, No Nay Never, Not This Time, Quality Road, Sharp Azteca, Uncle Mo and Vekoma.

Among the sires of yearlings in the catalog are Audible, Authentic, City of Light, Constitution, Curlin, Good Magic, Gun Runner, Justify, Maclean's Music, McKinzie, Not This Time, Omaha Beach, Quality Road, Uncle Mo, Vekoma, Volatile and War of Will.

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Appleby Wins Second Consecutive Flat Trainers’ Championship

For the second straight year, Newmarket-based trainer Charlie Appleby was honored with the Derby Award as 2022's champion flat trainer by the Horserace Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA).

The 47-year-old Appleby so far this year has been represented by 150 winners and 225 seconds from 478 starters-a 31 percent win rate-and his runners have earned £6,225,397. Among those victories were 18 European Group winners-three Group 1s-including a one-two finish in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas with Coroebus (Dubawi [Ire]) and Native Trail (Oasis Dream {GB}), a first victory for the conditioner in the prestigious Classic.

The HWPA award completes a clean sweep of the 2022 jockeys', trainers' and owners' championships for Godolphin, who in addition to Appleby also employs jockey William Buick.

“I'm hugely proud of what myself and the team have achieved in backing the Trainers' Championship up for a second consecutive year,” Appleby said. “I'm very lucky to have the team at Moulton Paddocks and Godolphin and I'm extremely appreciative of their dedication.

“Winning the QIPCO 2000 Guineas was the highlight. It's something that personally I hadn't done before and had finished close on a few occasions. It's one of those races that I was very keen to get on the board. That was a very proud day.”

Appleby-trained runners collected three victories at Royal Ascot in the shape of Coroebus (G1 St James's Palace S.), Naval Crown (Dubawi {Ire}) (G1 Platinum Jubilee S.) and Noble Truth (Kingman {GB}) (G3 Jersey S.). He also took the leading trainer title at the Qatar Goodwood Festival and tightened the girth on three winners in this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland-Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf), Mischief Magic (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) (GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint) and Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) (GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf).

“On behalf of all of us at Godolphin, I want to offer huge congratulations to Charlie Appleby on winning the trainers' championship for the second year in a row,” Hugh Anderson, managing director of Godolphin (UK & Dubai), said. “It's a great achievement and testament to his own skill as a trainer – the high points of this season are almost too many to mention but I would point to the three 2000 Guineas with 3 different colts and the Breeders' Cup hat-trick as being particular standouts.”

Appleby received his award on Monday night at the Royal Lancaster hotel in London.

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