This Side Up: One Last Apple from the Cox Orchard

How aptly we talk of our walk of life as the Turf. Because raising a horse is just like raising a lawn. Take a microscope out there, if you like, but no human being has actually seen grass grow. Yet one morning toward the end of winter, the birdsong sounds different and you realize you left your coat on the peg without thinking about it. And you look at that lawn and, no argument, it's time to take the mower out of its stable.

That moment remains a long way off, for many, but Saturday all can share a cheering sense that the vital forces of Nature are perceptibly astir in the sophomore class of 2021. Because both coasts, in their southernmost exposure, provide comfortingly familiar staging posts on a journey that we resume in growing hope, through the striving of science, that our world may be slowly settling back on its axis by the first Saturday in May.

Gosh, it certainly seems an age since Tiz the Law (Constitution) and Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) respectively won the GIII Holy Bull S. and GIII Robert B. Lewis S. The unprecedented detours on the Triple Crown trail, in the meantime, have taught us afresh how the cyclical challenges we set the adolescent Thoroughbred, long enshrined in the calendar, assist horsemen from one generation to the next in consistent measurement of the breed.

It's not just individual racehorses that come under examination, after all. Each resembles the blades of grass that together make up the lawn. For many of us, the interest lies in the way their roots are entwined–and what that can teach us for future cultivation.

All families evolve through the same, patient rhythms; through horsemen responding to the prompts of Nature. Sometimes these harmonies yield lush, seamless swathes; but there are also occasions when some sparse or choked tangle of briar will nourish a blossom as sudden and brilliant as it appears unexpected. In both cases, the underlying, seasonal processes are just the same.

Greatest Honour this week at Gulfstream | Ryan Thompson

Take two horses whose contrasting antecedents bring them similar opportunity in these races. The Courtlandt Farms homebred Greatest Honour (Tapit), who represents the Shug McGaughey barn at Gulfstream, could be named a feasible Classic type when still in the womb. Two of his first four dams are Broodmares of the Year, and the family has duly been seeded by such venerable distaff influences as Street Cry (Ire), Deputy Minister and Blushing Groom (Fr). Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), on the other hand, made $17,000 as a short yearling. In the two years since, however, it has become feasible to recognize a born aristocrat in the horse reappearing at Santa Anita.

He owes that transformation, however, to exactly the same diligence, patience and expertise that first created the line tracing from Best in Show now to Greatest Honour. In fact, Hot Rod Charlie is the final bequest of a man who–with the help of those storied farms, Claiborne and Hermitage–was perhaps the most accomplished small breeder of his generation.

Edward A. Cox, Jr. operated what we nowadays call a boutique program. Yet he was co-breeder of Woodman (Mr Prospector); partner in Swale (Seattle Slew); and breeder of Marquetry (Conquistador Cielo) and star European miler Shaadi (Danzig). His Turf career comprised two cycles, with a hiatus between 1998 and 2006. Soon after his comeback he sent Bill Landes, the long-serving Hermitage manager, over to the January Sale to give $250,000 for Glacken's Girl (Smoke Glacken), who had won her only two starts as a juvenile. Cox sent her to Indian Charlie; and the resulting filly, Indian Miss, to veteran Chicago trainer James DeVito. Indian Miss showed ability but also had to be retired after only two starts, because of a chip in her knee. Cox would have culled her for $10,000, but nobody had more than $5,000 so he experimented with matings that wouldn't necessarily have occurred to everybody: Eskenderaya, for instance, in her second year; Oxbow in her fifth.

Her son by Eskendereya made just $20,000 as a yearling. Then, knowing himself doomed by illness, Cox staged his second dispersal in 2018. It was deeply poignant for everyone involved, but he was the kind of gentleman who wanted to leave everything shipshape for his family. At Keeneland that November, 20 head of horse made $3.7 million–including $240,000 from WinStar for Indian Miss (with an Into Mischief cover).

Mitole clinched his championship in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Sprint | Horsephotos

What a great buy that turned out to be. For the colt by Eskendereya was none other than Mitole, who had disappeared after winning a couple of stakes the previous year. His subsequent return and championship campaign saw Indian Miss return to the same sale, this time round, to be cashed in to OXO Equine for $1.9 million.

Her value had been enhanced, moreover, just a couple of days previously by a revelatory performance from her Oxbow 2-year-old. This had been the very last horse sold by Cox. As a weanling, he had been so immature that Landes urged his patron to give him extra time. But time, finite for us all, soon became a scant resource. Around Christmas, though Cox was still sounding pretty good, he called and said: “Landes, get him sold.”

Landes felt the horse was just beginning to turn round when they took him over to Fasig that February, but it took the astute eye of Bob Feld to pick him out of Jim Herbener's consignment. And by the time the rangy, maturing colt was pinhooked through Small Batch Sales in the same ring that October, he was a half-brother to a champion.

In a sane world, Oxbow should have appealed as the icing on the cake: the perfect foil for two dams confined to an aggregate four starts. He's by Awesome Again out of a sister to Tiznow, and showed due toughness and class when sixth, first and second in his Triple Crown series. But that stuff is obviously far too worthy for the commercial guys, and Dennis O'Neill was able to get the colt for $110,000.

A tolerable yield, no doubt, through eight months–but Feld deserved better yet for his acuity. Because he not only found a half-brother to an imminent champion for just $17,000; he also sold on a potential Derby horse.

For this, of course, is Hot Rod Charlie. He took four attempts to break his maiden, but had just been learning the game on turf and/or in sprints. Fitted with blinkers, he then stepped up for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and, though dismissed at 94-1, made his challenge a good deal more smoothly than Essential Quality (Tapit) and was only run down late by the eventual champion.

Medina Spirit (red cap) was second to 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good in the Sham | Benoit

True, one of his principal opponents in this race had to squint upwards to see even Hot Rod Charlie on their first hammer prices. Medina Spirit (Protonico) made just $1,000 as a short yearling; nor did he seem much more eligible for the Baffert barn, when returned to OBS as a 2-year-old and realizing $35,000 for pinhooker Christy Whitman. Yet his first two starts have proved that even the big-money horses must need this trainer more than he needs big-money horses.

By the same token, his breeder Gail Rice has already shown that you don't need big-money mares or matings to produce a good one, having bred 2020 GI Ashland S. winner Speech (Mr Speaker) out of a $7,500 dam. At the other end of the scale, however, this field also contains 'TDN Rising Star' Roman Centurian (Empire Maker), whose family is full of such familiar Phipps names as second dam Finder's Fee (Storm Cat). He duly cost $550,000 as a yearling and, much like Greatest Honour on the opposite shore, seems equivalent to an ancient and beautifully manicured arboretum, relative to some of these exotic new blooms.

But all these families, to thrive, need to have been tended with the same devotion and flair. And actually Medina Spirit has some pretty noble roots: his third dam is a half-sister to High Yield (Storm Cat) out of a half-sister to Paul Mellon's charming Forest Flower (Green Forest), a 2-year-old champion filly in Britain out of a Classic-placed Nijinsky mare.

As it happens, High Yield made his first sophomore start in this same race, then still known as the Santa Catalina S., finishing second. How surprised his co-owner would have been, to discover that the prize would someday bear his own name. But none of these things happen overnight. Lewis helped to make Baffert; and maybe having High Yield on the page is helping Baffert make Medina Spirit.

Hot Rod Charlie (inside), as a 2-year-old working with older horse and MGSW Wildman Jack | Breeders' Cup/Eclipse Sportswire

As ever, we seek regeneration both among the horses themselves and also in their owners and breeders. Hot Rod Charlie's enthusiastic ownership group, for instance, includes five recent graduates of the Brown University football team. They will be encouraged that “Chuck” still looked green on hitting the front at the Breeders' Cup, even with all that grounding. On the other hand, it may prove that he will need plenty of help from Oxbow to adapt his speedy family to Classic racing.

Whatever happens, let's celebrate him first and foremost as a last bequest. Landes already feels blessed that Mitole carved so apt a memorial to Cox, but for Hot Rod Charlie to stay on the Derby trail would represent a wonderful codicil. Testament, too, to his own skill–something that warrants stressing, given how it is exceeded only by his modesty and humor.

Familiar attributes, those, in many who have contributed most to the communal, evolving lore of horsemanship; attributes, that is, that accrue naturally when you're daily dealing with a charge as captivating, and exasperating, as the Thoroughbred. Landes always knew that this backward, goofy weanling was going to end up turning himself round. On his late patron's behalf, then, let's borrow the formula by which he would very occasionally, in his understated way, indicate satisfaction: “Landes, you raised a good horse.”

The post This Side Up: One Last Apple from the Cox Orchard appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Baffert Duo Spielberg, Medina Spirit Take On Competitive Field In Bob Lewis

Although Bob Baffert will be packing a heavy one-two punch with Spielberg and Medina Spirit, Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes has attracted a very competitive field of eight sophomores, with no clear-cut standout. To be contested at a mile and one sixteenth over Santa Anita's main track, the Lewis is a key prep to the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 3. Originally titled the Santa Catalina, the Lewis will be run for the 83rd time on Saturday.

Named in honor of the prominent late owner and philanthropist Robert B. Lewis, who along with his wife Beverly, owned two Kentucky Derby winners, Silver Charm in 1997 and Charismatic in 1999, the Lewis winner will receive 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. The second place finisher will receive four, third place nets two points and the fourth place finisher will get one point.

Spielberg comes off a gutty nose victory at the same distance in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 19, which was his sixth career start. The win no doubt took on added luster when the runner-up, Doug O'Neill's The Great One, came back to demolish a field of maidens by 14 lengths this past Saturday.

Purchased for $1 million as a Keeneland September Yearling, Spielberg, a chestnut colt by Union Rags, out of the Smart Strike mare Miss Squeal, has been favored in four of his six starts and he'll be making his fifth graded stakes appearance. Owned by SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm, LLC and Robert Masterson, Spielberg will be ridden back by Flavien Prat and be trying to provide Baffert with his third consecutive Lewis win and his record ninth overall.

A first-out maiden winner going 5 ½ furlongs at Los Alamitos Dec. 11, Medina Spirit far outran his 9-1 odds in finishing a fast closing second, beaten three quarters of a length by his highly regarded stablemate Life Is Good in the G1 Sham Stakes going one mile on Jan. 2. Owned by Zedan Racing Stables, Inc., Medina Spirit, a Florida-bred colt by the Giant's Causeway stallion Protonico, was purchased for a modest $35,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company July 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale, 2020.

Second the entire trip in the Sham, Medina Spirit hit his best stride late and earned a lofty 99 Beyer Speed figure in the process. He'll be ridden back by Abel Cedillo, who comes of a fabulous three-day week at Santa Anita in which he posted nine wins.

Dismissed at 94-1, Doug O'Neill's Hot Rod Charlie made the lead a furlong from home and finished second, beaten three quarters of a length in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Nov. 6 at Keeneland, earning a 94 Beyer. A one mile maiden winner here two starts back on Oct. 2, this colt by Oxbow is vastly improved, has been training impressively and will get the first time services of Joel Rosario. Owned by Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, LLC and Strauss Bros Racing, Hot Rod Charlie closed much ground at Keeneland and will hope to be rolling late with plenty of pace to exploit in the Lewis.

A $500,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase, C R K Stable's Parnelli could likely pose significant trouble for anyone with front-running aspirations. A galloping 5 ¾ one mile maiden winner two starts back at Del Mar Nov. 28, this colt by Quality Road was a bit rank while under restraint early in the Sham on Jan. 2 and was never a factor thereafter. With a win, three seconds and a third, Parnelli, who is trained by John Shirreffs, will be ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli.

Owned by Reddam Racing, LLC and trained by Doug O'Neill, Wipe the Slate could also add plenty of fuel to the early pace fire, as he comes off an impressive 3 ¼ length maiden win going seven furlongs here on Dec. 26. A Kentucky-bred colt by Reddam's 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, Wipe the Slate looms a legitimate contender in his third start with Mario Gutierrez riding back.

THE GRADE III ROBERT B. LEWIS STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 8 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

  1. Medina Spirit—Abel Cedillo—120
  2. Rombauer—Mike Smith—120
  3. Parnelli—Umberto Rispoli—120
  4. Hot Rod Charlie—Joel Rosario—20
  5. Roman Centurian—Juan Hernandez—120
  6. Waspirant—Ricardo Gonzalez—120
  7. Wipe the Slate—Mario Gutierrez–120
  8. Spielberg—Flavien Prat—124

First post time for an eight-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. All of Santa Anita's races are offered free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can watch and wager at 1st.com/Bet.

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Charlatan Likely to Saudi Cup Next

After Charlatan (Speightstown) worked a half-mile Saturday in :49.80 at Santa Anita, trainer Bob Baffert reported that his Grade I winner will likely make his next start in the Feb. 20 Saudi Cup. Charlatan is coming off a dominant win against a quality field in the Dec. 26 GI Runhappy Malibu S., his first after being sidelined following the GI Arkansas Derby May 2.

Charlatan has been invited to the GI Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 23 at Gulfstream, but will likely pass that race. Should Charlatan pass the Pegasus, the role of favorite will go to Knicks Go (Paynter), who will be ridden by Joel Rosario.

“He breezed today and it was a very, very nice work,” Baffert said of Charlatan. “We are leaning toward the Saudi Cup. I don’t want to bring him back too quick. He came out of the Malibu really well. He always showed that he was a brilliant horse.”

Continued Baffert, “When he won the Malibu he wasn’t really super keyed up for it. He ran a lot better than I thought he would. I thought he could win and I thought he would run well.”

So far as his top 3-year-old colts go, Baffert has begun plotting a course for Life is Good (Into Mischief) and Medina Spirit (Protonico), the one-two finishers in the GIII Sham S.

“Life is Good came out of his race really well,” he said. “We are looking, maybe, at the [GII] San Felipe [S. Mar. 6] for him. That could change. He will be nominated to everything, but it will either be the San Felipe or the [GII] Rebel [S. Mar. 13] for him.”

“I don’t know what we’re going to do with Medina Spirit. He will also be nominated to everything. What I usually do this time of year with horses like him that are breezing, they are all nominated everywhere and whoever breezes the best gets on a plane.”

Gamine (Into Mischief), the leading contender for the Filly & Mare Sprinter title, recently returned to the Baffert stable after spending time at Trifecta Farm and has yet to resume serious training. She won the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in her most recent start.

“We gave her a little break and it looks like she filled out a bit,” Baffert said. “I’ll probably aim her for the [GI] Derby City Distaff S. at Churchill during Derby week.”

In Varda (Distorted Humor), Kalypso (Brody’s Cause) and Frosteria (Frosted), Baffert has a trio of contenders on the road to the Apr. 30 GI Kentucky Oaks. He said Varda and Kalypso will likely go next in the GII Las Virgenes S. Feb. 6. He said he would find a maiden race for Frosteria before putting her back in stakes competition.

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Baffert: Life Is Good And Authentic Both Showed ‘Raw Talent’ In Sham

Life Is Good continued on the path of 2020 Horse-of-the-Year-in-waiting Authentic when he won Saturday's Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., although the three-quarter length margin of victory wasn't as large as his odds of 20 cents on the dollar might have warranted.

But Bob Baffert will take it.

All was well Sunday morning as the two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer pondered his next move with both Life Is Good and Sham runner-up Medina Spirit, which he also conditions.

“They both came back well so we're pretty happy about both of them,” Baffert said as he embarks yet again on the Triple Crown trail.

“The San Felipe (on March 6) is a race we're considering, but I might keep them separated,” Baffert added. “I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. It's a long way off, but they both ran really well.

“One might go out of town or they might stay here. I don't know yet. It's too far out. The important thing is they ran well and we thought they would and they ran fast.”

Life Is Good led throughout after breaking from the outside post position in a compact field of five. The bay Into Mischief colt set fractions of 23.56, 46.67, 1:10.66 and 1:23.24 under Mike Smith, who had a four-length lead entering the stretch and never touched him with the crop, although he did have to show it to him when Medina Spirit closed the gap as his touted stablemate drifted out in the final sixteenth.

“I always tell Mike to try and save something,” Baffert said. “Life Is Good wasn't as tired as I thought he could have been. He needs to learn to relax a little bit better, but he will. He'll mature, just like Authentic.

“When he won the Sham last year, he was sort of puzzling, zig-zagging all the way down the stretch, but they're babies.

“Still, you can see their raw talent.”

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