Tag: Kenny McPeek

Smile Happy To Whitney; Rattle N Roll To Wait For JCGC Or Pacific Classic

Trainer Kenny McPeek confirmed Lucky Seven Stable's Smile Happy (Runhappy) for next Saturday's GI Whitney S. at Saratoga Race Course, but his stablemate for the same owner, Rattle N Roll (Connect), will take his show on the road.

Both horses last raced in the GI Stephen Foster S. July 1 at Ellis Park. McPeek said Rattle N Roll will target either the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga or the GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Both races are run at 10 furlongs September 2 and are “Win and You're In” qualifiers for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Smile Happy, who captured the GII Alysheba S. May 5 at Churchill Downs, got his first glimpse of the Oklahoma training track Friday.

“He galloped really well this morning over the Oklahoma track,” McPeek said. “This was his first day here. We stood him in the gate, backed him out and gave him some gate schooling. He did well.”

Smile Happy last breezed July 22 at Churchill Downs, completing a half-mile move in 49 seconds.

“We've had plenty of work into him at Churchill. He had a work days ago with a long, strong gallop and I don't know that we'll breeze him at all,” McPeek said.

McPeek described the 4-year-old as a quirky horse that likes doing things his own way.

“He's a bit of an alpha. He wants to run the show, but the talent is unquestioned,” McPeek said.

McPeek said Smile Happy will be ridden by jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr.

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McPeek Duo Looms Large in Stephen Foster

Kenny McPeek has managed to keep Lucky Seven Stable's talented pair Smile Happy (Runhappy) and Rattle N Roll (Connect) away from the same starting gate until now, but on Saturday the stablemates will meet for the first time in the GI Stephen Foster S. Set to run this year at Ellis Park, the mile-and-an-eighth contest drew a field of eight and is a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders Cup Classic.

Smile Happy and Rattle N Roll share more than a few similarities, but the main parallel is that the 4-year-olds are both on skyrocketing career trajectories with the potential for big summer campaigns ahead.

A 'TDN Rising Star' and the winner of the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. at two, Smile Happy was a contender leading up to the Kentucky Derby last year, but he settled for eighth on the first Saturday in May. After a long layoff, the son of Runhappy returned a winner at Oaklawn in March and finished third in the GII Oaklawn Mile S. before his breakout performance in the GII Alysheba S., where he earned a 110 Beyer Speed Figure.

“This is a fantastic, talented horse,” said Kenny McPeek. “As a 2-year-old he didn't win a Grade I, but the Kentucky Jockey Club showed he had such raw talent. He needed an extended vacation after the Derby last year. He had a slight case of distal bone bruising, which is difficult to get a horse to rebound from quickly. We gave him a lot of time and he's come back a better horse. The race in the Alysheba showed how freaky talented he is.”

Allowing Smile Happy the time off to improve physically has been one key to his success this year, but another factor has been figuring the colt out mentally. McPeek explained that this trainee can be quirky, noting that the colt doesn't respond well to disruptions in his routine and requires some extra attention on race day.

“During the post parade, he wants to back up and then not come back to the gate,” McPeek shared. “So we learned a little trick to get him back to the gate. The race at Oaklawn [Oaklawn Mile] was a little bit short for him, but then we spaced off that and came into the Alysheba and now we've got the gate trick worked out. He tests you, this horse, but my goodness he's so talented. Figuring him out in the mornings has been tricky because at Oaklawn he didn't want to train, at Fair Grounds he trained well, and then we've figured out his number at Churchill. I don't see this horse training anywhere but Churchill probably for the rest of his career. When it's open, he'll be there.”

Rattle N Roll gets a pre-race mint and pep talk from his groom, Peter Soria | Sara Gordon

Fellow Lucky Seven Stables colorbearer Rattle N Roll also showed potential as a juvenile when he claimed the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, but he struggled to find the winner's circle early in his 3-year-old season. While he did not make the Kentucky Derby, he later claimed a trio of summer derbies including the GIII Oklahoma Derby.

After a brief layoff over the winter, Rattle N Roll returned this spring to run fourth in the GII New Orleans Classic S. at Fair Grounds and then launch a winning tear over the course of six weeks, claiming the GIII Ben Ali S., GIII Pimlico Special S. and GIII Blame S.

“He's been a good horse from the beginning,” McPeek said. “When he won a Grade I at Keeneland, we knew we had our hands on a really good one. He's a get-the-job-done type of horse. When Flavien Prat rode him in the Pimlico Special, he nailed it right on time. Then when he came back in the Blame at Churchill, once again, he got the job done. He had a really troubled trip in that race and won anyway. He's a very workmanlike, easy horse to be around.”

Never one to adhere to a training rule book, McPeek 'wowed' the crowd at Churchill Downs when Rattle N Roll won the Blame S. just two weeks after he got the nose at Pimlico. McPeek explained the reasoning behind the quick return to the races.

“I think today, especially with the no Lasix in a lot of these graded races, if you've got a horse and it's sturdy enough and they're eating well and they're doing well, I don't see any reason why they can't run or shouldn't run,” he said. “I'm not one that subscribes to, 'They have to be spaced six weeks in between races to run their best race.' I do believe that people buy their horses to race them as opposed to watching them train and then running sparingly. I suppose I'm going to be criticized by some by doing that and that's fine as long as we run well and we win.”

Some might even scratch their head at McPeek's choice to enter this duo in the same Grade I contest, but the veteran trainer said that he believes the race is the best spot for each colt as individuals.

“I think it was obvious that the race for Smile Happy was the Stephen Foster and we've been plotting for this one for a couple of months,” he shared. “We'd like to go Stephen Foster to Whitney. With Rattle N Roll and the series of wins he's had, the options for him were I could have taken him to the [Prairie Meadows] Cornhusker H., which would have been another Grade III, or I could have taken him to the Suburban S. in New York, which is a Grade II. It's a lovely race, but it's not two turns so I was a little bit concerned about changing his routine from two turns to one turn.  With a clear mind, it was the right spot for both horses.”

Rattle N Roll and Smile Happy were part of the first crop of yearlings that McPeek bought for the Mackin family's Lucky Seven Stable in 2020. Rattle N Roll was a $210,000 Keeneland September purchase for McPeek and Smile Happy was a $185,000 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings buy for Lucky Seven.

The Mackins have had success in the sport both individually and as a family over several decades, but campaigning a pair of top-level older dirt colts ranks near the top of their accomplishments.

“The Mackin family has been in the game for 30 or 40 years,” McPeek shared. “They love racing, between Mike, Craig, Jeff, Jay and their sister Kim. Their mother and father made seven, but both have passed away. I'm sure that their mother and father would be really thrilled to know the kind of success they're having and we're going to try to keep it going for them. They're wonderful people and really deserve this kind of success.”

Smile Happy looks to get his first Grade I win in Saturday's GI Stephen Foster S. | Sara Gordon

McPeek will be looking to earn his first Stephen Foster victory on Saturday.

Rattle N Roll drew the fourth position and will team up with his regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. Alongside him in the five hole, Smile Happy will be ridden by Corey Lanerie, who was aboard for the colt's sophomore campaign last year.

The field also includes GII Oaklawn H. one-two-three finishers of Godolphin's Proxy (Tapit), Last Samurai (Malibu Moon)–who subsequently ran fourth in the Alysheba–and California-based Stilleto Boy (Shackleford). Ron Moquett's Speed Bias (Uncle Mo), who came close to besting Rattle N Roll in the GIII Pimlico Special, dominant GII New Orleans Classic winner West Will Power (Bernardini), and Lothenbach Stables' Happy American (Runhappy) round out the race.

Also on Saturday at Ellis Park, McPeek will be represented in the GII Wise Dan by Camp Hope (Summer Front). The 5-year-old Walking L Thoroughbreds representative was winless in his first four starts this year, but he scored in an allowance optional claimer at Churchill Downs in June.

“He's been really solid,” McPeek reported. “He won the Bryan Station S. at Keeneland as a 3-year-old. He didn't have a great 4-year-old year, but he seems to be coming back to form as a 5-year-old and his last race was superb. Brian [Hernandez Jr.] has figured him out and really rides him well.”

Camp Hope will have to take on Set Piece (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who is defending his Wise Dan title from 2021 and comes in off a win in the GIII Arlington S. on June 3. The 7-year-old Juddmonte homebred is trained by Brad Cox, who has won three of the last four editions of the turf contest.

GIII Arlington S. runner-up Get Smokin (Get Stormy) and third-place finisher Harlan Estate (Kantharos) will also vie for contention in the 10-horse field.

Rounding out the graded stakes action at Ellis on Saturday, the GII Fleur de Lis S. drew seven fillies and mares headlined by Grade I winners Pauline's Pearl (Tapit) and A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo).

The McPeek-Mackin partnership will be represented by one last stakes contender over the weekend and it's one that McPeek is more than happy to discuss.

V V's Dream was Mitole's first North American winner when she dominated in her juvenile debut on May 19 at Churchill Downs. Completing five furlongs in :57.91, her 6 1/4-length score earned 'TDN Rising Star' honors.

“V V's Dream is any kind of horse,” said McPeek. “I mean, that filly is really high-level talented.”

The $190,000 Keeneland September purchase is owned by Mike Mackin's MJM Racing and she will return to the starting gate on Sunday for the Debutante S.

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‘We Have Come Here to Win’: Internationals Take on Ascot

NEWMARKET, UK– They've arrived. The young, the fast, the young and fast. From America, Australia, and Sweden, members of the international contingent for this year's Royal Ascot are now safely ensconced in temporary lodgings, their presence in the UK adding an extra sparkle to what is always one of the most special weeks of the sporting year. 

Cannonball (Aus) (Capitalist {Aus}) and Artorius (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) have separate sprint engagements, in the G1 King's Stand S. and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S. respectively, and with no fear of rivalry next week, the two made happy companions as they strolled along Newmarket Heath on Thursday morning.

A day after Cannonball's strong work on the track at Ascot, his co-trainer Peter Snowden remains delighted with the colt's preparation for his first start outside Australia next Tuesday. It's hard to fault the three-year-old. With a gleaming deep chestnut coat and relaxed demeanour, he looks to have taken the travel and change of scenery in his stride, and he will have Brett Prebble, who won the G3 Maurice McCarten S. on Cannonball in March, back in the saddle.

A year apart in age, Artorius and Cannonball previously shared the same training duo Anthony and Sam Freedman, with the latter having been moved to the Snowdens after his last start of 2022. For the next couple of weeks they are stabled alongside each other in a wing of Charlie Fellowes' Bedford House Stables. 

Sam Freedman has returned to Newmarket with Artorius, who spent a fair portion of last year in Europe, finishing third in both the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. and G1 July Cup before going on to Deauville to run sixth  behind Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest.

There's talk of “unfinished business” from Freedman, who says that the four-year-old colt is thriving. He currently tops the market for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S. a week on Saturday. He's not the only Aussie challenger for that prize as The Astrologist (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}), who has been in town for a while at Marco Botti's yard, will make his third British start at Ascot, having most recently finished runner-up to Jumbly (GB) in the G3 John of Gaunt S. at Haydock last weekend.

Coolangatta (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) has kept her distance from Newmarket despite it being the former home town of her co-trainer David Eustace. His father James was spotted on board his hack as Cannonball and Artorius sauntered past on Thursday, perhaps keeping tabs on one of the filly's main opponents for the King's Stand on Tuesday.

Artorius and Cannonball on Newmarket Heath on Thursday | Emma Berry

 

Over on the other side of town in the Heath Stud yard at the National Stud are George Weaver's two juveniles No Nay Mets (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Crimson Advocate (Nyquist), each of whom won their respective Royal Ascot qualifying races over five furlongs at Gulfstream Park on May 13. Under the watchful eye and guiding hand of Blair Golen, riding the saintly Angus, borrowed for ponying duties from Jamie Lloyd, the filly then the colt had a gentle canter on the 'Between the Ditches' turf gallop and seemed unfazed by their new surroundings.

More on his toes on his first morning out on the Heath was the Kenny McPeek-trained Classic Causeway, ridden by the evergreen 72-year-old Danny Ramsey. Last year's G1 Belmont Derby winner looks set to take on Adayar (Ire), Luxembourg (Ire)  and co in what will be an intriguing edition of the G1 Prince of Wales's S., some 23 years after his late sire won the St James's Palace S., ushering in a run of five Group 1 victories through the summer of 2000.

Meanwhile, No Nay Mets is set to take part in what looks to be one of the hottest contests of the week, the G2 Norfolk S., a race his sire won a decade ago. Prior to that, he has an engagement in the Goffs London Sale on Monday.

“We have just been getting him accustomed to things,” said Golen. “Everything we run on in America is pretty much flat, so we have been taking him out on the seven-furlong stretch here to get him used to things.

“We have come here to win. In American racing, there is very rarely a big field, so that is a big challenge. Luckily, we have Frankie Dettori riding him and, if anybody knows how to ride the course, it is definitely him. So I think that is to our advantage. It means everything to have him riding and, if that makes Wesley Ward jealous, then even better.”

While McPeek arrives in the UK on Friday, Ward touched down on Wednesday afternoon, shortly before his horses arrived at Stansted airport and made the brief onward journey to Chelmsford City Racecourse, where they will stay until early next week. 

The quartet of runners, which was joined by a stable pony who is reportedly named Shanahan, contains one whose progress from his dazzling debut will be of huge interest next week and beyond. American Rascal (Curlin) is of course a son of the much vaunted Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy), a dual winner at Royal Ascot in the G2 Queen Mary S. and G1 King's Stand S. Her firstborn has big shoes to fill.

Keeping Norfolk S. entrant American Rascal company is the Chasemore farm-bred Fandom (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), who has returned to not far from where he was born to run, most probably, in the Windsor Castle S.

The maiden Bundchen (Gun Runner) is Queen Mary-bound with the help of Joel Rosario, while Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}), who was runner-up in that race two years ago, returns for the King's Stand. 

Ward has stolen a march on all visiting trainers for Royal Ascot by saddling 12 winners at the meeting since his first–and second 24 hours later– in 2009. No Nay Never was his next four years later. 

Recalling his meeting the late Queen in the royal box following that victory in 2013, Ward said, “What was great about it was she did most of the chatting. When you first get up there you are nervous and she just starts firing questions at you and it puts you so at ease. She was just picking my brain and asking all these questions about how I train, how I came here and asking about all the success I had.

“It was unbelievable how much knowledge she had, not just of racing but myself–I couldn't believe the Queen of England even knew who a trainer like myself from a different country like America was and what I had accomplished.

“You would think she would just be coming to the races and focused on English racing and everything else she had going on in her life. She was just a wonderful person.”

She was indeed. The final Group 1 race of the meeting will be named in perpetuity in memory of the monarch who, for almost 70 years, cleared her diary for the week of Royal Ascot. The pandemic interrupted Queen Elizabeth II's attendance in recent years, and her absence from the royal procession next week will be keenly felt. The show goes on, however, and from the opening race named to commemorate Queen Anne, who founded the racecourse that is now one of the most famous in the world, right through to the longest Flat race in the calendar, the Queen Alexandra S., action of the highest calibre will be played out in front of a global audience.

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Churchill Downs Unveils New Safety Initiatives

In the wake of 12 horses suffering fatal injuries since Apr. 27 and after a Thursday meeting with horsemen, Churchill Downs announced new safety initiatives that will go into effect immediately.

They are:

  • A pause of track-based incentives such as trainer start bonuses and purse pay-out allocations to every race finisher through last place. Purse pay-outs will now be limited to the top five finishers. Churchill Downs officials will engage in ongoing discussions with horsemen to determine ways to reallocate these funds to best serve industry needs. With record-high purses, Churchill has been able to allocate purse money to all starters. For example, the 12th-place finisher in last Saturday's $225,000 Keertana S., Sinfiltre (Uncle Mo) earned $2,070 despite losing by 22 1/4 lengths.
  • Restricting the number of starts per horse to four starts during a rolling eight-week period.
  • Ineligibility standards for poor performance. Horses that are beaten by more than 12 lengths in five consecutive starts will be ineligible to race at Churchill Downs until approved by the Equine Medical Director to return.

Of the 12 horses who have died thus far at the meet, the new rules would have been applicable to only one, Kimberley Dream (Colonel John). The 5-year-old mare was beaten by 12 lengths or more in five straight races before breaking down in a race on May 27, the most recent fatality to occur at the track. During that stretch, she was beaten an average of 26 lengths per race.

The Thursday morning meeting also included a presentation by California-based equine surgeon Dr. Ryan Carpenter. He provided educational information and tools to trainers and practicing veterinarians about advanced interventions that can be considered for certain equine injuries.

“The attending veterinarians and trainers at Churchill Downs are incredibly capable and knowledgeable,” said Dr. Will Farmer, Equine Medical Director for Churchill Downs Incorporated, in a statement released by the track. “We feel a duty to provide the latest information on surgical interventions from an expert who experienced the challenges in California a few years ago that we currently face today. Any decision must be made first and foremost with the long-term well-being of the horse in mind. It is imperative that all available, educated and informed options can be efficiently, confidently and thoroughly relayed to the owners.”

Trainer Dale Romans was among those who attended the meeting, which was held at the backstretch recreation center. The Romans-trained Rio Moon (Bal a Bali {Brz}) is among the horses who have died, suffering a fatal injury in a May 14 race.

“It was packed. Standing room only,” he said. “It was the first horsemen's meeting I've ever been to that had that kind of turnout. Everyone is concerned.”

While Romans said he wasn't sure what kind of impact the new rules will have, he said he is confident that track management will do everything in its power to get the situation under control.

“People should just be glad that Churchill is on top of it,” he said. “They will do everything they can to keep every horse healthy and safe. This could help. I'm sure Churchill is studying this to try to find the common denominator. They must have found something where they think these rules will help. I trust in Churchill. This is a safe racetrack. It has always has been one of the safest tracks in the world. At Churchill, horses come first and horse racing comes second. The trainers here may be Churchill loyalists, but that's ok because they've earned our loyalty.”

Romans said a slew of breakdowns in a short period of time is always a possibility.

“In my opinion, this is a statistical anomaly,” he said. “We have a rash of breakdowns right now and then we might go for a very long time without one.”

Trainer Kenny McPeek did not attend the meeting, but touched based afterward with his assistant, who did. Like Romans, he wasn't ready to point any fingers.

“The unfortunate part of our sport is that horses do get injured,” he said. “Their efforts are genuine and they are trying to find some solutions. But I don't think it's ever going to be a zero game. Every time I breeze a horse or run a horse, I want them to come back good. You're always keeping your fingers crossed that nothing goes wrong. But it does sometimes. I don't want to jinx myself but my horses have done great over this track this spring. We've had a large group of horses at Churchill and we haven't had any issues. I think the track has been fantastic all spring.”

One issue not addressed by Churchill was the ratio between claiming prices and purses. Some in the industry believe that horsemen have an incentive to run unsound horses in claiming races when the purses are lucrative. At Churchill, $20,000 claimers run for a purse of $52,000 or 2.6 times the claiming price. The Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) had proposed a rule that the purse of a race could not be more than 1.6 times the claiming price. But that rule was rescinded in 2021 after HISA received negative feedback.

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