mike maker | Horse Racing Free Tips

Turfway Park to Remain Open for Year-Round Training

Following the close of the Winter/Spring Meet at Turfway Park Apr. 1, the barn area and racetrack will remain open for year-round training and stabling, it was announced Tuesday.

Trainers wishing to fill out a stall application can visit www.TurfwayPark.com or contact Peggy Pate at Peggy.Pate@turfwaypark.com. Stall applications are due by Mar. 24.

This year, Turfway Park finished construction on a new dormitory for backstretch workers and five new barns. The track can stable approximately 1,000 horses.

Local trainers expected to remain stabled at Turfway Park and race on the Kentucky circuit include Jeff Greenhill, Will Walden and Ethan West. They'll join Kentucky mainstays Steve Asmussen, Brad Cox and Mike Maker who are all expected to keep a string of horses stabled in Northern Kentucky.

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Art Collector in Fine Shape After Pegasus Win

Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector (Bernardini) exited his win in Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational in fine shape, according to trainer Bill Mott.

“He's happy. He was bright and alert and seemed to be feeling pretty good about himself,” Mott reported from Payson Park Sunday morning.

Art Collector, winner of the 2021 GI Woodward S., had been a solid stakes performer before his emphatic 4 1/2-length victory in the Pegasus Saturday.

“It's strange. I knew he was doing well going into the race. I felt like he was training well, but you can't really predict the outcome in a race like that,” Mott said. “There's some nice horses in there and you don't know much about the rest of them. I knew our horse was doing well. Did he exceed expectations? I wouldn't say that because I didn't know what to expect.”

Plans for the 6-year-old remain up in the air.

“Anytime you've got a well-bred horse that's a Grade I-stakes winner, I think going to stud is always an option, and it's just a matter of timing when you do it. I can't say what was going on in [Lunsford's] head. I don't think that was the first thing that was on his mind though,” Mott said. “I think Bruce kind of entered the new year thinking he enjoys seeing him on the racetrack and I think he was prepared to continue on that route for the rest of the year if things got going well.”

Trainer Mike Maker reported Sunday that Three Diamonds Farm's Atone (Into Mischief) was also doing well following his breakthrough victory in Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.

“He came out of it in good order,” Maker said. “It's impossible not to be impressed by the way he ran.”

Maker mentioned the Mar. 25 GII Muniz Memorial Classic at Fair Grounds and May 6 GI Turf Classic at Churchill Downs as possible upcoming targets for Atone.

Atone capped a huge day at Gulfstream for Maker, who also ran sixth in the Pegasus Turf with 74-1 long shot King Cause (Creative Cause). Earlier in the day, Maker won the GIII Fred W. Hooper with Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro) and finished first, second, third and fifth in the GIII William L. McKnight led by winner Red Knight (Pure Prize).

On the day, Maker had three wins, one second and two thirds and earned $846,300 in purses. Prior to that he had a record of 29-4-3-4 with $154,615 in purses earned at the Championship Meet, which opened Dec. 26.

“It was a great day,” Maker said. “We were kind of in a slump there and to break out of it in that fashion felt great.”

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More Maker in Pegasus World Cup Turf

Trainer Mike Maker had already saddled the first three finishers in the GIII William L. McKnight as well as the winner of the GIII Fred W. Hooper S. earlier on Gulfstream Park's card, and he added his second $1-million GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S. trophy Saturday as well-backed Atone (Into Mischief) kicked home impressively from midpack to best GISW Ivar (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}) by 3/4 of a length. Speaking Scout (Mr Speaker), a last-out winner of the GI Hollywood Derby, was third.

The winner, bet down to 7-2 off a 12-1 morning line, most recently took an Aqueduct optional claimer going this distance Nov. 10. Acquired for $130,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton July HRA sale after originally racing for his breeder Godolphin, the bay was fourth in this race last year amidst four other graded stakes placings. He was second in the GIII WinStar Mint Million S. at Kentucky Downs Sept. 10, and was eighth two back in Keeneland's GI Coolmore Turf Mile S. Oct. 8. Ivar was second in that race.

With 2022's Eclipse-winning jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. seeking a fourth win (third graded and second for Maker) on the card, Atone found a good midpack spot along the fence behind solid splits of :23.26, :47.30 and 1:11.36 with Ivar on his right flank. Ivar moved first as Atone had to wait for clear sailing, but Ortiz seemed unconcerned as he eased his mount to the outside as noses pointed for home. Ivar briefly looked the winner as he struck the front in midstretch, but Atone gobbled up ground to reel him in late.

“It was perfect, every step of the way,” Ortiz said of his trip. “I was so happy. I was following a live horse, Wit (Practical Joke), and then by the three-eighths pole the horse that I had to beat was outside of me, so I had to take two or three strides to let him move before I made my move. I waited, but at the same time I tipped my way out so when I hit the clear my horse was there. All the credit goes to the horse.”

The 30-year-old added, “I'm just enjoying the moment and what is happening in my career right now. I have to thank my agent Steve Rushing for doing a great job and thanks to all the owners and trainers for supporting me. They make me the happiest man in the world to be honest. I'm living the dream.”

Maker won the second running of this race in 2020 with Zulu Alpha (Street Cry {Ire}), and for good measure, just minutes before Atone's victory, took a state-bred Aqueduct maiden special weight with sophomore colt Maker's Candy (Twirling Candy).

“It feels great to win. It doesn't get old,” said Maker. “Irad looked like he wanted to be forwardly placed out of the gate and it looked like a couple of others had the same idea. He settled in nice, saved some ground and got lucky to get some racing room when it counted… He was a hard-luck horse last year. He's always been right there, and today was his day.”

He added, “It's been a great day, and I've got two more tonight at Turfway.”

Carl Fiebig, a partner in Three Diamonds Farm, said “All the credit goes to Mike and his staff. Irad is an Eclipse Award winner for a reason. It was flawless execution. Most importantly, for the Wycoffs, this win is for them. We're glad to be a small part of this. For myself and my family to be a part of this, I just want to thank Jordan and Kirk [Wycoff] who put a lot of energy, money and everything into this business and I'm glad to see them rewarded on days like this.”

Pedigree Notes:

A product of two of the most important stallions of the last few decades, Atone is his sire's 59th Northern Hemisphere graded winner, but just the second from that group out of an A.P. Indy mare. A.P. Indy is the broodmare sire of 121 graded/group winners worldwide.

Atone's dam, a daughter of GISP Folk, was a stakes winner and graded-placed routing on the dirt. She has a 3-year-old filly named Rekindled (Nyquist) who has been working towards a debut at Tampa Bay Downs, and Captivativ Lass sold to Mark Dodson at KEENOV '21 for $50,000 carrying an English Channel colt. She was bred back to Good Magic. Douglas Arnold bought Atone's 4-year-old half-sister Way of Life (Street Boss) for $11,000 at the recent Keeneland January sale in foal to Astern (Aus).

Saturday, Gulfstream
PEGASUS WORLD CUP TURF INVITATIONAL S. PRESENTED BY QATAR RACING-GI, $981,400, Gulfstream, 1-28, 4yo/up, 1 1/8mT, 1:46.19, fm.
1–ATONE, 123, g, 6, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Captivating Lass (SW & GSP, $133,225), by A.P. Indy
                2nd Dam: Folk, by Quiet American
                3rd Dam: Polish Style, by Danzig
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN,
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($130,000 4yo '21 FTKHRA). O-Three
Diamonds Farm; B-Godolphin (KY); T-Michael J. Maker;
J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $558,000. Lifetime Record: 23-7-4-4,
$1,179,146. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ivar (Brz), 123, h, 7, Agnes Gold (Jpn)–May Be Now,
by Smart Strike. O-Bonne Chance Farm, LLC & Stud R D I, LLC.;
B-Stud Rio Dois Irmaos (BRZ); T-Paulo H. Lobo. $186,000.
3–Speaking Scout, 123, g, 4, Mr Speaker–Miss Scout,
by Pleasant Tap. ($10,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $3,000 Ylg '20
OBSOCT). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Mike Abraham
(KY); T-H. Graham Motion. $93,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1HF, NK. Odds: 3.80, 3.70, 24.00.
Also Ran: Lady Speightspeare, One More Bid, King Cause, Master Piece (Chi), Wit, Good Governance (GB), Hurricane Dream (Fr), Decorated Invader, City Man. Scratched: Steady On, Who's the Star. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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GISW Fire At Will to Sequel New York for 2023

Breeders' Cup winner and recent Fasig-Tipton Digital sales stallion prospect Fire At Will (Declaration of War–Flirt, by Kitten's Joy) has officially been retired and will stand at Sequel New York near Hudson for the 2023 season.

The Three Diamonds Farm runner broke his maiden at second asking in Saratoga's With Anticipation S. at two while on the main track and quickly made it three in a row, taking the GII Pilgrim S. on Belmont's lawn prior to his victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland. He won the latter by three lengths, propelling him to the Eclipse Awards as a finalist for the 2-year-old champion male, eventually won by Essential Quality (Tapit).

“[Fire At Will] is absolutely the fastest 2-year-old I have ever trained on the turf,” said conditioner Mike Maker.

Fire At Will switched to the dirt again for his first start at three, finishing off the board in the GII Fountain of Youth S., then quickly rebounded to a third-place finish in Keeneland's GIII Transylvania S. on the grass. Fire At Will retires with a record of 6-3-0-1 and earnings of $675,932.

Bred in Kentucky by Troy Rankin, Fire At Will was purchased as a yearling at the 2019 Keeneland September sale by Three Diamonds Farm for $97,000. His dam is a half-sister to GISW Decorated Invader (Declaration of War) and they hail from the same family as successful sire Stormy Atlantic. Bidding for Fire At Will's digital sale closed Jan. 11.

“Recent Fasig-Tipton Digital sale graduate Fire At Will presents a great opportunity to breeders in New York,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “He was a brilliant Breeders' Cup winner at two and has an outstanding pedigree. Becky Thomas and her team at Sequel have added another really exciting stallion prospect for the 2023 breeding season.”

Fire At Will will be available for inspection at Sequel, along with fellow Sequel stallions Keepmeinmind, Honest Mischief, Freud, and Mission Impazible, this coming Saturday, Jan. 21, from 11 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. His fee for the upcoming season will be $6,000.

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