Kentucky Derby | Horse Racing Free Tips

Four Baffert Derby Hopefuls Moving to Other Trainers

Four of Bob Baffert's GI Kentucky Derby prospects will be transferred to other trainers, according to a press release issued by Baffert Thursday morning.

'TDN Rising Star' Messier (Empire Maker), 'Rising Star' Doppelganger (Into Mischief) and McLaren Vale (Gun Runner) are being sent to trainer Tim Yakteen, and will remain in Southern California. Blackadder (Quality Road) has already left California and will be sent to the barn of Rodolphe Brissett in Kentucky.

Yakteen is a longtime former assistant of Baffert's, having last worked for him in 2004.

Under the suspension imposed upon Baffert by Churchill Downs, the four horses would not have been eligible to earn Kentucky Derby qualifying points or to race in the Derby had they remained with Baffert.

All four are owned in partnership by the conglomerate nicknamed The Avengers, which includes SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables et al.

“The most important thing to me is that Messier, Doppelganger, McLaren Vale, and Blackadder–some of the top talents in racing this year–are able to compete,” said Baffert

“I encouraged the owners to move them, not only because it is best for these horses and their future in racing but also for fans of the sport who are excited to watch them run. I know that they are in good hands training with Tim and Rudy, and I look forward to cheering them on,” Baffert added.

Reached by phone Thursday, SF's Tom Ryan said that the decision came at the behest of Baffert.

“Bob was very influential in this decision,” he said. “He felt these horses were primed to take on the challenges ahead in the next round of Derby preps, and Bob felt strongly that for the horses–first and foremost–and for the sport that if these horses have the level of talent they believe they have it's only right that they have a berth in the starting gate the first Saturday in May. The Kentucky Derby is an important race.”

Messier, the winner of the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. in dominating fashion, is expected to go next in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Apr. 9 at Santa Anita; McLaren Vale, third in the GII San Vicente S., will likely head to the same race, said Ryan. Doppelganger, coming off a second-place finish in the March 5 GII San Felipe S., is being pointed to the Apr. 2 GI Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn.

“The Santa Anita Derby will probably be the best prep of the season,” said Ryan. “McLaren Vale is a big, 16′ 3″, 1,300-pound colt and he's quite claustrophobic. We tried to put him on an airplane to Arkansas and he didn't tolerate it, so he'll probably stay home and run there.”

The Arkansas Derby was also once under consideration for Messier.

“Part of the decision was would Doppelganger or Messier go there,” said Ryan. “The right thing to do is to give them individual targets. He's a very nice colt, and it feels like he's come out of his last race very well and is moving forward. Johnny [Velazquez] will ride.”

Blackadder, who broke his maiden on the dirt and won the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate on synthetic, will either target the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 9 on the former or the Apr. 2 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway on the latter.

“He's a versatile colt, bred to go on both surfaces,” said Ryan, noting that the team was probably leaning toward the Turfway race.

As for the long-term future of the horses, Ryan said he couldn't predict if they would return to Baffert or stay in their new barns.

“This is week by week,” he said. “It's a big decision. For today, we'll continue to monitor the situation as time unfolds. We'll see what happens.”

Baffert and his legal team have filed suit against Churchill Downs over the ban, along with Churchill CEO Alex Rankin.

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Gary Stevens Talks Secret Oath, Jockeys Leaving California On Writers’ Room

Ever-popular retired Hall of Fame jockey and current television analyst for Fox Sports and the New York Racing Association Gary Stevens joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland Tuesday afternoon for an expansive discussion on an array of racing topics and issues. Sitting down with Joe Bianca and Bill Finley as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Stevens gave a huge personal endorsement to star 3-year-old filly Secret Oath (Arrogate) as she prepares to take on males, analyzed the shuffling of the California jockey colony, talked about his role on the acclaimed Fox/NYRA broadcast and much more.

When it comes to Secret Oath, who's undefeated by 23 combined lengths in her last three starts and set to try the boys in the Apr. 2 GI Arkansas Derby, Stevens has a unique perspective. It was he who in 1988 piloted Winning Colors (Caro {Ire}) to only the third win by a filly in the GI Kentucky Derby. Like Secret Oath, Winning Colors was trained by the legendary D. Wayne Lukas, never afraid to try something unconventional with his horses.

“Wayne has never been afraid to jump outside the box, and I think in today's times, with a lot of negativity going on surrounding our industry, this is a feel-good story,” Stevens said. “And Wayne has always been about this sport. He's 100% the best ambassador that we've ever had. People have asked me, 'Is [Secret Oath] anything like Winning Colors?' I actually think from what I'm seeing in the mornings, she may be better than Winning Colors. She's got a different style, she loves to sit off the pace and be a stalker and accelerate. She's got brilliant acceleration for a dirt horse–almost like a turf horse. When she drops [her head] and puts in her kick, she gets it over with in a hurry. Now, granted, she's been running against fillies, but I think there's a lot more in the tank than what we've seen.”

Stevens was later asked about the recent news that Southern California's top two jockeys, Flavien Prat and Umberto Rispoli, would be moving their tack to New York this spring, and whether or not he was surprised.

“No, I wasn't at all,” he said. “I thought that this move would have come a couple of years ago, to be quite honest with you. We've all seen the success Flavien has had when he's traveled to the East Coast. He and Umberto are climbing into what I consider the toughest jockey colony, possibly in the world. But you've got to think about the future, and I'm not going to sugarcoat anything. We see the smaller field sizes in Southern California, and that's one reason I'm in Arkansas right now with Geovanni Franco and Tiago Pereira. They're very good riders who were sixth, seventh on the list of people's choices, and when [tracks] are running shorter fields and multiple trainers have multiple entries in these short fields, it doesn't leave a lot of crumbs for the rest.”

Elsewhere on the show, which is also sponsored by Coolmore, West Point Thoroughbreds, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, XBTV, Canterbury Park and Legacy Bloodstock, the writers reacted to a Franklin County judge denying Bob Baffert a stay of his suspension, celebrated the drastically improved breakdown record of California tracks, and Finley reads an extraordinary reply to his story on Jorge Navarro starting his prison sentence.. Click here to watch the podcast; click here for the audio-only version.

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CHRB Elaborates on Specifics of Baffert Suspension

Earlier this week, a Kentucky judge denied trainer Bob Baffert's attempts to stay a 90-day suspension related to Medina Spirit's betamethasone-positive disqualification from the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC).

While the appeals process plays out, the question now is: What will happen to the nearly 100-horses in Baffert's California-based stable if the suspension goes into effect on April 4.

As the TDN previously reported, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) will honor the 90-day suspension metered down to Baffert through a system of reciprocity between jurisdictions.

That honor system is laid out in CHRB rule 1484: “If any applicant for a license or any licensee is under suspension, set down, ruled off, excluded from the inclosure, or otherwise barred from any racing occupation or activity requiring a license, it is prima facie evidence that he or she is unfit to be granted a license or unfit to hold a license or participate in racing in this State as a licensee during the term of any suspension or exclusion from racing imposed by any competent racing jurisdiction.”

On Tuesday afternoon, the CHRB elaborated further on the specifics of any such suspension.

Citing CHRB rule 1843.3 which deals with disciplinary actions stemming from medication violations, licensed trainers suspended for 60 days or more shall be banned from all CHRB licensed facilities.

“In addition, during the period of suspension, such trainer shall forfeit all assigned stall space and shall remove from the inclosures all signage, colors, advertisements, training-related equipment, tack, office equipment, and any other property,” the rule states.

The CHRB also prohibits a trainer suspended for more than 30-days from transferring the horses to any licensed family member, or to any other licensee employed by the suspended licensee within the previous year.

“'Licensed family members' means any person who holds an occupational license issued by the CHRB and who is related to the suspended licensee, or the licensee whose license is revoked, by blood, or by marriage or domestic partnership, or who is related by blood to the spouse or domestic partner of such licensee,” the rule adds.

As written, the rules do not preclude a licensed trainer with no immediate ties to Baffert from assuming the running of his stable in whole or in part, including employees, should the relevant owners in Baffert's barn agree to such a replacement, explained an expert on these matters who asked to remain anonymous.

There would, however, be a set of strict stipulations governing such a scenario, the expert explained.

Baffert would not be allowed to directly contact that trainer for the period of the suspension, for example. And all financial duties of the day-to-day running of the barn—such as payroll and other routine stable costs—would also be the replacement trainer's sole responsibility.

The KHRC has yet to weigh in officially on this particular matter. In its original ruling, the KHRC ruling states that, “Entry of all horses owned or trained by Mr. Baffert is denied pending transfer to persons acceptable to the stewards.”

The TDN emailed the KHRC for clarification on who the Kentucky stewards deem acceptable but has not yet received a response.

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First-Time Pinhookers Hoping Nyquist Colt Pays at Gulfstream

When Danzel Brendemuehl purchased a colt by Nyquist for $275,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings Sale, she lay the groundwork for a pair of first-time pinhookers who will be hoping the move hits pay dirt when the youngster returns to the sales ring as hip 62 next Wednesday at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale. Brendemuehl signed the ticket on the yearling in the name of Don Cox's Sausalito Partners and Colleen Smith's Breckenridge Bloodstock, but pretty soon another name was added to the partnership when Dr. Bramdeo Singh joined the group.

Cox, who has been involved in horse racing on and off since the 1980s, has a handful of racehorses and broodmares, but his first foray into pinhooking came almost by accident when he was attending the California yearling sale last fall.

“This is my first time pinhooking,” Cox confirmed. “This opportunity just came up over at Pomona. I don't know, you get over there and you might have a cocktail or two and you're talking to everybody and you meet more and more people in the horse industry and it's an auction–sometimes you do things you wouldn't normally do. I jumped in with Danzel and Colleen and I guess somehow after that there was a fourth partner who wanted in, but I own one-third of him.”

While the Nyquist colt will be Cox's first official pinhook, the California resident did come close a few years ago.

“Danzel has been breaking horses for me for a few years and she bought a couple to pinhook a few years ago,” he explained. “We bought a Ghostzapper filly and a Goldencents colt and we were going to pinhook those. But, long story short, I said, 'Why pinhook them? I will just keep them and race them.' I bought both of those. I haven't had much luck with them yet, they both got hurt, but they are getting back to the track soon.”

Moderate to bad luck seems to be a theme for Cox's racing stable.

“One of my friends had a horse ranch, that's kind of how I got into it back in 1985,” Cox said. “I was working at the ranch and I just loved the animals. So they sold me one for $500 and I went down to Caliente with him and he won the race by 11 lengths. But they told me he would never be able to race again. I was a novice, I said, 'What do I do?' We gave him to a kid from the area to use as a riding horse. That was my first experience.

“Ever since then, unfortunately, we have given five or six horses away,” Cox said. “One of them went to Huntington Beach Equestrian Center and the people love him. One of them went to a little girl who sent us a nice letter about how much she loves him. We always get them re-purposed for a good cause. I don't like to hurt anything or put anything down. Of course we'd like to make some money, but so far we've mostly been donating.”

Cox is a vendor for the Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions chain of stores.

“My business is going great guns and that pays for all of my vets. The disposable income pays for my horse fun,” he explained.

Dr. Bramdeo Singh, who serves as medical director of Montefiore Nyack Hospital in New York, has been active in the Standardbred industry over the years, but jumped at the chance to return to Thoroughbred racing when he met Brendemuehl through a mutual friend.

A native of British Guyana, Singh's roots in Thoroughbred racing run deep.

“My grandpa had one of the most famous horses in that country, so that gives me goose bumps hearing the stories,” Singh said. “That's why my first love is the Thoroughbreds. There is just a thrill about being around the horses and watching them go fast.”

But when the family relocated to the U.S., Singh's love of racing took a slight detour.

“I came to this country when I was seven years old,” Singh said. “My dad took me to Yonkers Raceway. I've lived in Yonkers all my life pretty much. And I was a Standardbred fan. But I was always a fan of the Kentucky Derby, so this was my chance to get into the Thoroughbred business.”

Brendemuehl made several purchases at the California sale last September and Singh eventually invested in a package of three pinhooking prospects–one for each of his children–but he said the Nyquist colt was always at the top of his list.

“I noticed Danzel had bought a few in the California sale and on paper the Nyquist was the best looking,” Singh said. “I was a big Nyquist fan because he was undefeated when he won the Derby and I liked him in the Derby. So when I had a chance to own one of his offspring, I was all in. I asked her if I could get a share and she said of course. In the videos that she sends me of the three yearlings, this one stands out by far.”

The bay colt, who sells under Brendemuehl's Classic Bloodstock banner, is out of Soul Crusader (Fusaichi Pegasus) and is a half-brother to stakes-placed There Goes Harvard (Will Take Charge). He is from the family of Grade I winner Killer Graces and graded winner Chocolate Ride.

So far, Singh has only seen the 2-year-old from afar and his schedule is unlikely to allow him to travel to South Florida for the Gulfstream sale next week.

“I've just seen the videos,” he said. “I haven't had the chance yet to see him in Florida. I'm a medical director by day with three kids. So with my schedule I probably won't make it to the sale. But with my other two, one is selling in Maryland and I may try to go there.”

Singh has been getting positive reports on the colt.

“Danzel told me he is the best horse she's had by far. And that speaks volumes,” he said. “And the videos are like poetry in motion. He just looks so fluid.”

Both Cox and Singh make it clear that Brendemuehl is the lynchpin to their involvement in the pinhooking venture.

“In this business, trust is a big factor and she is one of the most honest people I know,” Singh said of Brendemuehl.

Cox agreed.

“I don't think I would do it with anybody other than Danzel,” he said. “I really like her and she's as honest as the day is long.”

Nyquist has already developed quite a resume for himself at the Gulfstream sale. Bloodstock agent Dennis O'Neill purchased the future Derby winner for $400,000 at the 2015 auction. The stallion was represented by the sale topper a year ago when his colt out of Spinning Wheel (Smart Strike) sold for $2.6 million.

In addition to hip 62, the 2022 Gulfstream catalogue also includes a daughter of Nyquist (hip 15) who sells with the Wavertree Stables consignment responsible for the 2021 sale topper and a son of the Derby winner (hip 31) who sells with Cary Frommer.

The under-tack show for the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale will be held Monday beginning at 9 a.m. The auction will be held Wednesday in the track's paddock with bidding scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

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