In recent years as Woods Edge has turned its focus toward selling its own foals, more and more of their six and even seven-figure Keeneland September scores are coming from their own homebreds. The results are showing up on the racetrack too. Just this month, Woods Edge celebrated its first Grade I winner.

Du Jour (Temple City) had been knocking at the door of Grade I status for some time before his victory in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. He came on the scene with a win in the GII American Turf S. in 2021 and since then has been a competitive turfer first in New York and then back in California, but the Bob Baffert trainee finally earned his breakthrough victory in his 6-year-old debut in the Kilroe on March 3.

It was almost a Grade I double for the farm that day because in the next race at Santa Anita, Reincarnate (Good Magic) came up only a few lengths short in the GI Santa Anita H., finishing third behind fellow Baffert trainee Newgate (Into Mischief).

The winner of the 2023 GIII Sham S., Reincarnate was Woods Edge Farm's first Kentucky Derby starter. He didn't perform as hoped at Churchill Downs, but came back to win the Los Alamitos Derby later last summer.

O'Callaghan picked Reincarnate's dam Allanah (Scat Daddy) out of the back ring at Keeneland in 2018. She was in foal to Street Boss and he bought her for $105,000.

Reincarnate as a yearling ahead of the Keeneland September Sale | Thorostride

“She was a nice Scat Daddy mare, a big, strong gray mare and a good walker,” O'Callaghan recalled. “She was a stakes winner herself and she had a bit of family. She's the kind of mare we're looking for in Book 2–in our budget but has some credentials. $105,000 was about the top of what we would give that year.”

O'Callaghan sent Allanah back to first-crop sire Good Magic and the resulting foal was Reincarnate, who was a show-stopper from the start and sold for $775,000 at Keeneland September to the partnership of SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables.

“He was a killer,” the Irishman said proudly. “Really just an absolute stunner, this big, beautiful gray horse. Every time you looked at him he was better. He looked like a horse who would win a Grade I, so I hope he can eventually get it done.”

While Reincarnate was a knockout for Woods Edge, Du Jour proved to be a bit of a head-scratcher.

O'Callaghan bought his dam Guiltless (Bernardini) at the 2015 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. He tried to flip the maiden mare in the U.S. the following spring, but ended up buying her back for $60,000.

“She was a Bernardini and she was from the family of Ghostzapper, but she was small,” he recalled. “If you're small at Tatts, you're definitely small for here.”

The horseman wasn't all the sorry about keeping the young mare and just two years later, she produced Du Jour. He was a big, strong-looking colt and O'Callaghan had high hopes for him, but an injury that had left a scar in a joint kept him off many buyers' lists come September.

“I remember coming back down from the ring after selling him for $19,000 thinking, 'How the hell did I just sell that horse for $19,000? What's going on here?' He had a clean sheet and he was a great-looking animal. But Carlos Morales and Joe Appelbaum bought him in the back ring and they were rewarded.”

Du Jour would go on to sell for $280,000 the following spring as a 2-year-old, but looking back now, O'Callaghan doesn't mind being on the unprofitable end of the deal. He's been on the other side of a good pinhook many a time and as a consignor, understands the importance of being practical when it comes to his clearance rate.

“It's important to peg it right,” he said. “You don't have to give 'em away, but you can't be looking for the last penny either. Set them where you think they'll sell and just go on with it. Let people bid for them. If you're in the selling game, I believe it's important to be known as a seller.”

O'Callaghan, a trusted source for many buyers at the Keeneland September Sale, has long been regarded for his eye for horseflesh and the record of his yearling program. Graduates include the likes of future Grade I-winning stallions Knicks Go, Drefong, Eskendereya and Street Boss.

The variation in focus from pinhooks to homebreds was slow at first, but it gained momentum after positive early results. The commercial operation is now up to foaling out 40 of their own mares this spring.

The reasoning behind the shift? O'Callaghan noticed the market's demand for quality increasing and knew the pinhooking game at the level he hopes to compete at would only become more challenging as the trend continues.

“We don't want to be too one dimensional,” he explained. “It's a quicker turnaround with the pinhooks and a slightly better cashflow situation, but it's just becoming a very high risk, expensive game to play with the way the market is going. I'm not trying to criticize the market. There's a lot of money out there and a lot of demand for quality, but the buyers want it all. When you have a lot of those expensive foals, some of them won't quite finish out like you maybe thought they would and then you'll always come up with a few veterinary issues so all of a sudden you're in trouble with a quarter-million dollar foal. Your back is to the wall.”

O'Callaghan is still busy buying weanlings every November, but the homebreds growing up back at the farm give him the flexibility to find the right additions for their program.

“We were giving yearling prices year on year for these foals and a couple would work, but then you'd have to eat a couple that really hurt you,” he said. “We were under too much pressure to have to fill the barns with bought foals. At least this way we have 20 or 30 homebreds at home and we can be a bit more selective on what we're buying and more disciplined on what we spend. We don't have to chase them as hard.”

One of the early success stories as O'Callaghan began making a pointed effort to develop his own broodmare band was the Speightstown mare Nefertiti, whom he bought in foal to Into Mischief for $125,000 in 2014. That resulting foal was Engage, who sold for $200,000 as a yearling and became a two-time graded stakes winner and earner of over $800,000.

But O'Callaghan found it difficult to work the breeding stock sales shopping for both mares and pinhook prospects, trying to catch mares in the back ring while also chasing down weanlings. Luckily he soon obtained a secret weapon of sorts in his wife Jenny.

Du Jour scores in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. | Benoit

A graduate of the Godolphin Flying Start program who also hails from Ireland, Jenny was working at WinStar Farm when the pair got to know each other. They were married in 2017 at Woods Edge.

Jenny began helping O'Callaghan at the November Sale each fall, focusing on finding mares that would fit their program. There were several years where she herself was pregnant, due right after the first of the year, so she planted a chair in the back ring at Keeneland and did her shopping from there.

“We called it the mare chair,” Jenny recalled with a laugh. “I would sit in the back ring and Peter would be back and forth chasing after foals going to the barn. I'd be in the mare chair and call him every time there was a nice mare in the back ring. Later on when I wasn't pregnant, we wanted to make it a priority. So I would go look at the mares and create a shortlist. That made it much tidier and we were able to stretch a little bit more because we had done our homework.”

The results from the team's new sales strategy are starting to show. In 2021 when Reincarnate brought 775,000, they had two more homebreds sell for half a million in September. A City of Light colt out of Miss Mo Kelly (Congrats) brought $500,000 and another colt by the same sire and out of Ghostslayer (Ghostzapper) sold for $1.05 million. Ghostslayer, a $110,000 Keeneland November buy for Woods Edge in 2018, also produced a $700,000 Arrogate colt in 2022.

Their numbers are growing too. In 2013, 9 of the 50 yearlings Woods Edge sold at Keeneland September were homebreds. Last year, there were 18 homebreds from 51 sold.  Also last year, Woods Edge purchased eight mares out of Keeneland November.

“We've been getting more aggressive the last two or three years,” Jenny noted. “We stay within our budget and we can compromise on most things, but we never compromise on looks. We always try and get the sire line, the race record, the family and the looks, but that's a million-dollar mare. We'll never sacrifice the looks, so sometimes we have to go all the way down to the maiden-winning fillies in the racehorse section.”

“I think everybody is migrating toward that,” O'Callaghan added in reference to making the physical aspect a priority. “All the people who used to flip mares and cover them, they've all learned that too. Unless the mares are good-looking, those guys really don't get much profit on them now. If they are good-looking, they get well-paid for them. I think the game has changed in that direction.”

O'Callaghan had plenty of experience developing his eye for a good physical long before Woods Edge opened its doors. Back home in Ireland, his parents Gay and Annette O'Callaghan own Yeomanstown Stud, home of the ultra-successful sire Dark Angel (Ire). When O'Callaghan was growing up, his father would travel to Keeneland every year to shop for mares and pinhooks. After finishing school and spending three seasons at Ballydoyle, O'Callaghan came to the U.S. upon his father's suggestion. He worked a season at Nick de Meric's and then came up to Lexington to learn from his father's longtime friend Gerry Dilger.

In 2001, O'Callaghan was set to come back home. But his father proposed that he stay an extra week or two to look around for a farm to lease. Gay joined him when he got to town for the November Sale and they went searching for properties with realtor Arnold Kirkpatrick.

“They were all quite nice, but it was difficult to find anything particularly outstanding,” O'Callaghan recalled. “Then Arnold said he was going to show us one more place, but that it was not for lease. So we drove to Woods Edge and did a handshake deal with him on the spot to buy the place. It was a stunning farm and a great location. Everything came with it; it was absolutely turnkey. So all of a sudden we were going from leasing a hundred acres to owning 350.”

Peter and Jenny with Ghostslayer's 2024 filly by Flightline | Sara Gordon

Woods Edge quickly grew from there. They purchased an annex to the property on Old Richmond Road a few years later and then added a 300-acre location next to Juddmonte Farm on Jacks Creek Pike.

With Woods Edge now foaling over 60 mares each year between their own broodmare band and client mares, the ample space of the farm's sprawling pastures provides an ideal setup to raise their foals on open, rested pasture space.

O'Callaghan jokes that the farm is “horse heaven” because any member of the equine species that resides on the property far outlives their life expectancy. When he purchased the original Woods Edge acreage, the farm came with two ponies. He was told not to worry about them because they were already quite old. One pony lived for another 15 years and the other, Misty, still resides on the farm today at the age of 34. The tiny old mare earns her keep as an excellent babysitter for the weanlings and a reliable source for snail-paced pony rides for the O'Callaghan clan.

The O'Callaghans have three boys ages five, four and two and they also have a daughter on the way.

Balancing a hectic schedule with three young kids and a business with several dozen employees is no easy task, but the O'Callaghans appreciate the family aspect of their chosen industry.

“I think we work really well together,” Jenny said. “We do all our matings together and we make major decisions together. Peter is the day-to-day and definitely the talent, but I learn from him every day. I think with this industry, you just have to live for it. It's all-consuming. We're on the farm every day and the kids love it. We hope that they can enjoy it as much as we do. When we go past Keeneland on the way to school they ask if we can go to the sales. They associate Buckles the Keeneland mascot with Santa.”

“Every year after we finish up the November Sale, we go to the farm and go through the homebreds,” she continued. “We're so proud of the stock that we have and just pinch ourselves because of the job that Peter and his team do every day. [Our farm] is just huge, open fields. All day, every day, the horses come up for a couple of hours in the morning just to be checked and handled and then they go straight back out again. They are big and strong and fluffy and everything a beautiful horse should be. We go through the stock and think, 'This is just the dream.' Not everything is perfect, but on the whole we're really pleased with where our program is going and what we're producing.”

There's plenty to look forward to as the year progresses. While Du Jour continues to make a name for himself in the turf division and Reincarnate searches for that Grade I victory, a pair of Woods Edge-bred sophomore fillies have bright futures ahead. Midshipman's Dance (Midshipman) won the Mockingbird S. early this year and was fifth in the GIII Honeybee S. while Our Pretty Woman (Medaglia d'Oro) is two for two for Courtlandt Farms and Steve Asmussen and is pointing for the GII Fair Grounds Oaks.

While their strategies may evolve, the foundation that Woods Edge was built on hasn't cracked. The philosophies that were set in place more than 20 years ago, when Woods Edge first hung its banner out at Keeneland, still hold firm today.

“I've always been very forthright and honest with all the clientele that buy off Wood Edge for the last 20 plus years,” said O'Callaghan. “It's important to feel that they know that they can trust what we're offering and trust what we tell them.”

“It's a small business, but it's also a relationship business,” he continued. “We've kind of stood the test of time, but it's only because we have good relationships with people. We are as straight as a gun barrel with anyone that asks us anything about any of the animals. We're not going to sell anyone a horse with an issue. We just won't. We want to come back the next year and be able to look whoever it is in the eye and know that we did right by them.”

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“CZ Rocket has captured the affections of countless race fans throughout his many years on the track,” said Nicholson. “After such a successful career, this special gelding has earned the right to enjoy being pampered and celebrated here at Old Friends. We are grateful to his connections for seeking such a well-deserved happy retirement for him.”

“”We are very grateful to Peter Miller and Tom Kagele for donating C Z Rocket to Old Friends,” added Blowen.

C Z Rocket last raced at Oaklawn Park Feb. 19, finishing sixth against a starter allowance field.

“Tom [Kagele] and I talked to each other after the race and we both agreed,” Miller told the Paulick Report after the race. “We said, 'It's time, he's done enough. He's sound, healthy, and happy. Let's not push the envelope.'”

The gelding retired with a record of 46-13-9-7 and earnings of over $2.1m.

“CZ was a special horse that took us to two great finishes in the Breeders' Cup and became one of the best claims of all times,” continued Miller, who also donated Stormy Liberal (Stormy Atlantic) to Old Friends in 2019. “He was a pleasure to be around and train. We chose Old Friends for his retirement because of the care and love these horses receive and the chance for the public to visit and enjoy this magnificent animal as much as we did.”

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Baffert's Feb. 23 filing in United States District Court (Western District of Kentucky) asked for the reassignment based on the following reasoning:

“The Plaintiffs in this case are a group of disgruntled gamblers who placed bets on the 2021 [GI] Kentucky Derby and lost. In this action, they attempt to do what courts throughout the country have routinely rejected: they seek to recoup their gambling losses through a myriad of frivolous claims,” the Baffert filing stated.

“Plaintiffs initially filed this case in the Central District of California, only to voluntarily dismiss it when threatened with a Motion to Dismiss and Rule 11 sanctions. Plaintiffs then refiled the case in the District of New Jersey and Baffert filed a Motion to Dismiss in New Jersey.

“Rather than addressing the merits of Baffert's Motion to Dismiss, the District Court in New Jersey issued an Opinion and Order [on Feb. 20] transferring the case to the Western District of Kentucky,” the filing continued.

“One of the primary reasons the Court in New Jersey transferred this case to the Western District of Kentucky is that an almost identical case was previously been decided by the Hon. David J. Hale. In the prior case, Mattera, et al. v. Robert A. Baffert, et al., Judge Hale considered similar claims made by a group of disgruntled gamblers against Baffert involving the same 2021 Kentucky Derby.

“In transferring this case to the Western District of Kentucky, the New Jersey Court relied heavily on the fact that Judge Hale had previously considered the similar matter and that judicial economy and the interests of justice 'strongly' favored this case being assigned to him,” the filing continued.

“In sum, the District of New Jersey transferred this case to the Western District of Kentucky because it was that Court's determination that this matter should be resolved by the 'same decision-maker' that ruled in the Mattera action. That decision maker is Judge Hale. The Opinion from the New Jersey Court repeatedly cites to the fact that the case at bar involves the

same allegations, facts and defendants as the matter previously decided by Judge Hale…

“Given that one of the primary reasons that this case was transferred to the Western District of Kentucky was because of Judge Hale's familiarity with the issues in this case, the interests of judicial economy and justice dictate that the matter be reassigned to him,” Baffert's filing concluded.

The plaintiffs in the case had yet to file a legal response to Baffert's motion as of 3 p.m. on Feb. 26.

The original version of the suit was led by Michael Beychok, the winner of the 2012 National Horseplayers Championship. It was filed four days after Baffert's May 9, 2021, disclosure that Medina Spirit had tested positive for betamethasone after crossing the finish wire first in the Derby.

The Beychok-led class-action group of horseplayers alleged they were cheated out of their property by Baffert on the basis that his betamethasone-positive trainee purportedly prevented them from cashing winning tickets on the runner-up.

Baffert has not only denied those allegations and asked for the case to be dismissed, but his legal team has also stated in court documents that the plaintiffs have twisted their case so far from reality that their alleged misstatements amount to libel.

The Mattera v. Baffert case that got tossed out of court by Hale on July 20, 2023, for failure to state a claim is currently being appealed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. That suit alleged negligence, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment because the plaintiffs' losing pari-mutuel bets on the 2021 Derby weren't honored as winners.

Last week, when transferring the case led by Beychok out of New Jersey, U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz wrote that, “[T]he Western District of Kentucky has already resolved, on the merits, a case that is closely similar to this one…. There are, in short, fundamental similarities between the [Mattera] case and this lawsuit…. Having the same court handle both cases would help ensure that like cases–and these are very much like cases–are treated alike. That is a fundamental goal of our justice system.”

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The open houses will be held at the farm's stallion complex on Paynes Mill Road in Versailles, Kentucky. Visitors are welcome without an appointment to view the WinStar roster for the 2024 season, led by Constitution ($110,000 S&N) and Life Is Good ($85,000 S&N).

Breeders will also be able to see WinStar's newest additions for 2024: Country Grammer ($10,000 S&N) and Two Phil's ($12,500 S&N).

The open house events will include lite fare and refreshments for those in attendance.

For more information about the open houses, or about WinStar's 2024 stallion roster, contact WinStar Farm at (859) 873-1717.

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The story was first shared by the TDN's T. D. Thornton on Oct. 20, detailing the life-changing ramifications for Pimental and his wife, Diana, stemming from Golovkin testing positive for 193 picograms per milliliter of methamphetamine following his sixth-place finish in a May 29 sprint at Monmouth Park.

A July 28 visit from HIWU agents not only made the Pimentals aware of the meth positive but subsequently revealed Levothyroxine in their truck during a search conducted by the agents, resulting in John facing a three-year period of ineligibility (18 months per violation) and a fine of $25,000 ($12,500 per violation) after agreeing to a “case resolution without hearing.” It was the only option he felt was feasible after being unable to afford hiring a lawyer to contest the HIWU's charges of two violations of “banned substances” under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA)'s Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program.

But what about Golovkin? Claimed for $5,000 on the day he tested positive, he raced twice more over the next two months for new connections before the ruling against John voided the claim, resulting in the bay gelding's return to the Pimentals' barn. It was just Golovkin and his stablemate, Richard the pony, left in a nearly empty barn on the Monmouth backstretch.

Acknowledging the rule violations and accepting his consequences led to John signing away his licensure, forbidding him from working in any capacity that puts him in contact with HISA-covered horses. Meanwhile, the Pimentals were restricted to visiting and feeding their remaining horses at the track just twice a day until new homes were found for them.

The Pimentals had been having a hard time finding Golovkin a home due to his mandatory 60-day period of inactivity as a result of the positive, until the TDN story came out. That's when bloodstock agent Lauren Carlisle stepped in.

Already in conversation with her friends Radhika Clark, Director of Operations for Morning Line Club; Sarah Thompson, bloodstock agent for Equix; and Hagyard's Dr. Megan Cassidy about rehoming another horse, Carlisle forwarded the article to the group and the wheels were set in motion.

“I read it and I was pretty upset about the circumstances and the way it affected the Pimentals and this horse, in particular. I had copied the article, sent it to the group and I said, “We need to try to help this horse, this is not a good situation,” she recalled.

They immediately leapt into action, sending texts, making calls and replying to tweets to any and all connections that could possibly get them in touch with the Pimentals. Concurrently, Carlisle reached out to Glenn Brok at Brooke Ledge Horse Transportation.

Despite the late hour, Brok called within minutes and Carlisle proceeded to explain the situation. By the next morning, he'd been in touch with Diana and connected her with Carlisle.

The plan was set, Golovkin would be heading to Kentucky.

“The horse couldn't race for 60 days because of the positive and no other trainer wanted to take that horse in, understandably, but it was just a lose-lose situation for everybody. Diana was very thankful and appreciative. She did confirm with me that she wants the horse to be retired and not race again. She was very up front about that,” said Carlisle. “She said that [Golovkin] has been through a lot and she's happy that he's going to have a new home. I texted her when the horse got here and I sent her pictures, so she's been very communicative that way. She's the one that told me how much he likes peppermints and carrots.

Golovkin | Sara Gordon

“I told her, 'Keep my phone number. If you need help with anything else, please don't hesitate to reach out.'”

From the very beginning, Clark and her mother, Sonia, had offered their farm as Golovkin's soft landing. In less than a week after Carlise's initial call with Diana, Brook Ledge had a spot open up in one of their vans and Golovkin was on his way, free of charge thanks to the support of the transportation company.

“I had several people reach out. [Fasig-Tipton's] Jesse Ullery called me the next morning. He'd seen what I'd put on Twitter trying to find their phone number and he wanted to help. Kirsten [Johnson] with KESMARC called and said if the horse needs any sort of rehab, she will help with that. There have been a lot of people that just wanted to help this horse,” said Carlisle. “The whole thing is unfortunate, but it doesn't mean that a horse has to be stuck at a racetrack in a stall.”

Golovkin arrived at the Clarks' farm the morning of Thursday, Oct. 26. After getting a quick bath upon arrival, the gelding settled into his new stall and joined the herd that includes 3-year-old Elegance (Into Mischief), a fellow Off-the-Track-Thoroughbred, and a few other retirees.

“He has a really good personality. As soon as I was in the stall with him, he was super playful. He just wants to play! He came off the trailer without a scratch on him, so you know he traveled well and you can tell he was really well cared for by Diana and John. He's in really great body condition, he looks awesome, so that's a testament to them. They did everything they could for that horse,” said Clark. “Dr. Cassidy looked at him and took some X-rays. There are a couple things we're going to verify and re-check but so far, we're pretty happy with him and we're just going to give him some time to settle in.”

The four industry women that came together initially to bring Golovkin home were all on hand the day after he arrived and the gelding was more than content to soak up all of the attention.

“I'm going to mess with him a bit here and see what he can do. But past that, we'll reach out to some people. If he is eligible for a second career then that's what he's going to do. If he needs to just hang out in a field all day, he's got the field, it's here. Either way he'll have a home and he'll always have a place to come back to if he needs it,” said Clark.

As the gelding now fondly known as 'Go-Go' stood in the aisleway of the barn, a hind foot resting and head low as the farm dogs wandered around him, it's easy to see why he meant so much to the Pimentals, even more so after all they've been dealt this year.

“I understand they're trying to create rules and enforce them, but at the end of the day, now you've got a horse that's pretty much stranded. That's not helping the animal, which is who we're trying to protect. It's a little bit ironic,” said Carlisle. “Radhika and her mom Sonia, they really stepped up in giving him a place to go and not asking any questions about it. Megan is going to come back out to do another physical on the horse and she's offering her time at no charge. These are the people that need to be recognized.”

Thornton followed up with the Pimentals, in a TDN story published Oct. 25, revealing that Alan Foreman, an attorney who is the chairman and chief executive of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, is handling their defense and has managed to get John's signed admission withdrawn so the case can proceed to a hearing.

Meanwhile, the pony Richard is heading to Tampa Bay Downs this winter with trainer Gerald Bennett. The Pimentals will be making their way to Florida as well, where Diana has a job in the Tampa Bay racing office for the upcoming meet.

“We are all working against each other here and there's a lot of competition in our industry with people wanting to win races and just be better, but when the time comes that somebody needs help or a horse needs help, it's not even a question. Everybody chips in to help. That's just a testament to the people that work in this industry,” said Carlisle.

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The board's unanimous approval included a conditional “optional dates” placeholder for Ellis Park's July and August calendar that has to be solidified into a three-dates-per-week commitment before the end of this year.

The gaming company Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), which owns Ellis, Churchill Downs Racetrack, and Turfway Park, had requested additional time to figure out if swapping Fridays for Mondays will be feasible for 2024.

So Ellis got awarded 18 mandatory dates (which will be run on Saturdays and Sundays) and 30 optional dates. Waqas Ahmed, the KHRC's executive deputy director, told commissioners that he expected Ellis would eventually end up picking up seven more mandatory dates from that optional allotment of 30.

“The obvious goal at Ellis is to run three days a week,” Gary Palmisano, Jr., CDI's  executive director of racing, said during the KHRC meeting. “As we approached the race dates application deadline, the idea was tossed around of potentially running Saturday, Sunday, Monday rather than [this season's] Friday, Saturday, Sunday.”

Leaving that placeholder for now, Palmisano said, “is going to allow our team a little bit more time to conduct some due diligence [and] make sure the horsemen are on board; make sure test barn workers can get there; make sure we can actually cover potential Monday racing.”

CDI must notify the KHRC by Dec. 31 as to how it will satisfy the commission's condition that calls for “at least” three days of racing per week at Ellis in 2024.

Assuming Ellis ends up with 25 mandatory dates, the total number of race dates in Kentucky will rise slightly in 2024 compared to the assigned dates for 2023, up from 211 to 215. The total mandatory dates for the other tracks are Churchill (83), Turfway (67), Keeneland (33) and Kentucky Downs (7).

Here's a chronological look at the state's 2024 Thoroughbred schedule:

Turfway: Jan. 3-Mar. 30 on a Wednesday-Saturday evening schedule.

Keeneland: Apr. 5-26 on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule.

Churchill Downs: Apr. 27-June 30 on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule, with exceptions on GI Kentucky Derby week and the Memorial Day holiday week.

Ellis Park: July 4-Aug. 27 with Saturdays and Sundays anchoring the schedule, plus additional dates to be announced and an opening-day Thursday card on Independence Day.

Kentucky Downs: Aug. 29-Sept. 11 for seven dates with three “optional” dates in case of rainouts.

Churchill: Sep. 12-29 on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule.

Keeneland: Oct. 4-26 on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule.

Churchill: Oct. 27-Dec. 1 on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule.

Turfway: Dec. 4-28  on a Wednesday-Saturday evening schedule with a Christmas Day  exception.

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The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) has been a pioneer in aftercare for retired racehorses since its founding in 1983. Joined by TRF Board Member Katie LaMonica and Warden Abby Caudill of Blackburn Correctional Complex, the Keeneland team presented the TRF with a donation of $4,000 toward the care of the TRF herd in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The TRF currently operates three farms in Kentucky, caring for 70 horses, including 40 at the TRF Second Chances farm at Blackburn Correctional Complex and 9 at the TRF Sanctuary Farm at Chestnut Hall.

The TRF will also host a table on the apron during Sunrise Trackside Saturday, Oct. 21 between 8 and 10 a.m.

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“This is Apprentice Jockey Axel Concepcion's second incident within a week of causing interference that resulted in a horse falling and a rider to be unseated,” stated the Oct. 6  stewards' ruling.

Delaware stewards Joelyn Rigione, Robert Colton and William Troilo cited Concepcion's actions aboard Speargun (Khozan) in the sixth race at Delaware Oct. 4 as the cause of a spill that dropped Golden Gulley (Goldencents) and jockey Jeiron Barbosa as the midpack horses raced in tight formation around the far turn. Both the fallen horse and its jockey appeared to escape serious injury, according to the stewards.

Concepcion's agent in Maryland, Tom Stift, confirmed to TDN that Concepcion plans to lodge an appeal and is in the process of hiring an attorney to contest his most recent 30-day suspension.

Concepcion had elected not to appeal the first 30-day suspension for “extremely careless” riding that stemmed from a Sept. 21 incident at Delaware that  resulted in the euthanization of a horse that had fallen, plus an emergency decision by the stewards to halt the race and declare it a “no contest” for wagering purposes.

“Both of them weren't intentional if you watch them,” Stift said. “The end result was bad in the first one, but it was just something that could have happened to anybody because the horse was lugging in so hard. It wasn't like he was trying to come down on people. I can't really say it was as bad as [the stewards] said, but we took the days without appealing.”

Under Delaware rules, not lodging that appeal cut the suspension from 30 to 21 days.

The ruling for that first Sept. 21 incident stated that Concepcion failed “to control and guide his mount, Backwoods Boogie (Red Rocks [IRE]), leaving the starting gate, impeding several horses, and causing the horse Trumpence (Eskendereya) to fall, which resulted in a fatal injury to Trumpence.

The Sept. 21 report for race seven submitted by the Delaware stewards stated that Trumpence, ridden by Kevin Gomez, “clipped heels past the finish the first time” and that “horse and rider were down and not moving.”

The warning lights and siren were activated, and “The gate crew was out on the track also, diverting the field to the outside. Horse was euthanized on the track when he couldn't get up, Jockey Kevin Gomez after some time was able to stand and be escorted to the ambulance,” the report stated. (Gomez resumed riding the next afternoon at Delaware, winning with his first mount.)

Concepcion's suspension for the Sept. 21 incident didn't go into effect until Oct. 7.

In the interim, he was involved in another spill-marred race Oct. 4 in which the stewards alleged he was again at fault.

“The second one, it's mitigating circumstances,” Stift said. “It could have been caused by somebody on the inside, so that's why we're appealing that one.”

The Delaware stewards described the sixth race Oct. 4 like this in their daily report:

“Golden Gulley (Barbosa) clipped heels around the 3/8 pole and fell. Stewards reviewed the incident and determined that #5 Speargun (Concepcion) ran into a tight spot as #8 It's Sizzling Time (Gomez) was running by appearing to come in slightly as #7 was pushed out slightly causing him to clip heels. #7 Golden Gulley was captured by the Outrider, no report on his condition but appeared not injured. Jockey Barbosa was off the rest of his mounts complaining of soreness.” (Barbosa resumed riding Oct. 6 at Laurel and won three races.)

The ruling suspending Concepcion for a second time stated that, “After reviewing the race, the Stewards found Mr. Concepcion to use poor judgment in riding his horse (Speargun) into a very tight spot in the middle of the far turn causing his horse to push a rival over heels resulting in the rival to fall and unseating the rider.”

Beyond the spill, the sixth race at Delaware Oct. 4 was also fraught with technical difficulties.

According to the Equibase chart, “There was no head on replay so notes are from pan view.”

The stewards' report also stated that, “There was a Tote delay, Stewards board locked up and could not remove the inquiry sign, placing Judge's computer board also locked up.”

Concepcion turned pro Jan. 1 in his native Puerto Rico. He won 21 races there before earning his first mainland U.S. victory Feb. 19 at Fair Grounds. He shifted his tack to Laurel a week later, and has since been among the leaders at the Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course meets while also picking up victories at other mid-Atlantic region tracks.

Asked how Concepcion was taking the suspension, Stift said, “He's upset, because he was going to go to Kentucky. So now that's on delay. He's still going, but not right away. He has an opportunity to ride for [trainer] Brad Cox, and Brad's son [Bryson] is going to be his agent. I'm actually in Puerto Rico with his family right now. We're out on a boat. Even though he's leaving me, we're still all really good friends and I hope the best for him.”

Bryson Cox told TDN that Concepcion's starting date for riding in Kentucky after serving his 21-day reduced first suspension was supposed to dovetail with the Oct. 29 opening day of the Churchill Downs meet. Cox said he now must wait and see how the appeal turns out before he can start booking Concepcion on mounts.

“We'll come up with a game plan. I would definitely like to get him into a rotation with some Kentucky-based trainers in November, and the plan is to go on to Turfway from there,” Cox said.

Cox, who has been a jockey agent for one year, also represents Chris Landeros.

Cox said he and Concepcion became acquainted when the rider followed him on Twitter earlier this year. Cox had been perusing the Puerto Rican races and noticed Concepcion was winning races in bunches. A few weeks later, he saw Concepcion win with a 10-pound allowance in New Orleans, and he wished him well on his planned move to Maryland in the spring. They stayed in touch over the summer.

“As time went on, I kept watching him, and obviously his success and stats speak for themselves,” Cox said. “He seems to be a pretty talented rider for an apprentice. I asked him what his plans were this winter, what he wanted to do, and he told me he wanted to branch out from Maryland and Delaware, the mid-Atlantic. And I said, 'I think Turfway would be a great spot for you. You could get in with some Kentucky-based people and see how it goes and roll from there,' And he was all for it.”

Cox continued, touching on specific trainers who might offer opportunities: “I've had my Dad and Joe Sharp watch him some. Chris Hartman. I know Axel is 1-for-1 with Mike Maker; he won a Maryland-bred stakes with Field Pass (Lemon Drop Kid) at Laurel” in the $75,000 Find S. on Aug. 18.

“Here it's one of those circuits where you're going to get on as many horses you work in the morning it seems like,” Cox said. “So it's dependent on how hard he wants to work in the mornings, and I know he's got a great work ethic to build business over time.”

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(4) Two Item Saver a convincing winner of race 3 with jockey @VCheminaud aboard! (2) Yes Day and (1) New Beat follow. pic.twitter.com/fJZSdIIJfj

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