Pimlico: $708,857 Rainbow 6 Jackpot, $115,038 Late Pick 5 Carryover When Racing Resumes Friday

Live racing returns to Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., on Friday, May 28, to kick off Memorial Day weekend with the Maryland state-record 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot carryover having swelled to $708,857.82 after going unsolved during Sunday's program.

Three of six horses were live to take down the jackpot heading into Sunday's ninth-race finale, won by Ran Char ($27.20). A total of $120,537 was bet into the popular multi-race wager, which began with a carryover of $670,306.25 from Saturday. Multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $19,275.78.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out only when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 60 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 40 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Introduced in Maryland April 2, 2015 on opening day of Pimlico's spring meet, the Rainbow 6 had its previous state record carryover reach $345,898.33 spanning 31 racing programs before being solved by one lucky bettor for a life-changing $399,545.94 payout April 15, 2018 at Laurel Park. The winning ticket was purchased through Maine off-track betting.

Post time for the first of nine races Friday is 12:40 p.m. The Rainbow 6 spans Races 4-9 and includes the featured eighth race, an entry-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up sprinting six furlongs on the main track. Among the field are Palatial Times, most recently fifth in the Chick Lang (G3) May 15 at Pimlico; recent Pimlico allowance winners Heir Port and Cry No More; Exculpatory, a dramatic March 5 debut winner at Laurel Park that was fifth last out May 11 at Parx; and Subject to Change, a 4 ¾-length debut winner May 15 at Charles Town.

There will also be carryovers of $115,038.40 in the 50-cent Late Pick 5 (Races 5-9) and $5,876.76 in the $1 Super Hi-5 (Race 2). Tickets with four of five winners in Sunday's Late Pick 5 each returned $559.90.

In addition to Friday, Pimlico will also host live race cards Saturday, May 29 and Sunday, May 30 as well as a special Memorial Day holiday program Monday, May 31.

Bandits Warrior Honors Sister with Debut Triumph Sunday
Following in the family tradition of her 11-time stakes-winning older half-sister, Anna's Bandit, No Guts No Glory Farm's Maryland homebred Bandits Warrior sprinted to a decisive 2 ½-length debut victory Sunday at Pimlico.

Stable rider Xavier Perez was aboard for breeder, owner and trainer Jerry Robb as Bandits Warrior ($9.80) broke running from Post 4 in the 4 ½-furlong maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies. The winning time was 52.59 seconds over a fast main track.

“That's my baby right there. She was born on our farm, and we are so thrilled,” Robb's wife, Gina, said. “You can't be any happier. She's done everything right.”

By Mosler, Bandits Warrior was never threatened posting splits of 23.50 and 46.64 seconds. She put away Tessa P midway around the turn when the 6-5 favorite attempted to mount a challenge, then kept late-running Buy the Best at bay through the stretch.

“She's been breaking good out of the gate but she's never been asked to run in the morning,” Perez said. “Before the race, we wanted to keep her face clear. She's been doing everything good coming out of the gate in the morning. As soon as she popped out of the gate with her head in front I moved on her a little bit to get to the lead and by the three-eighths pole she took it.

“She started playing with her ears and when [Tessa P] came to her a little bit, I just let her open up a little bit and smooched at her,” he added. “What you saw inside the sixteenth pole when [Buy the Best] to make a run, she broke again and pulled away from her a little bit.”

Perez, also the regular rider for Anna's Bandit and fellow multiple stakes winner Street Lute, proudly patted the neck of Bandits Warrior three times as they approached the wire. It was the 995th career victory for Perez.

“She's got a long way to go to do what Anna has done, but she showed that she's got her bloodline,” Perez said. “I'm proud of her. I'm proud of all my kids. They're all my kids. I'm fortunate to be able to ride every day for Jerry in the morning and I'm blessed to be able to be in the winner's circle for him.”

Bandits Warrior is out of the No Armistice mare Onearmedbandit. West Virginia-bred Anna's Bandit, a 17-time winner of $782,655 in lifetime purses from 36 starts who is nearing her 7-year-old debut after more than 10 months away, also won in her unveiling – May 6, 2016 at Laurel Park – beating two of her stablemates in the process.

“She probably trains a little better than her sister,” Robb said of Bandits Warrior. “Her sister, when she won her first start, surprised everybody. I think we had three in the race, we bet on the other two and she won by [6 ¾]. She just never showed anything in the morning. This one, she showed good works in the morning.”

Buy the Best, among five first-time starters in the field of seven, was 4 ¾ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Cabra Chica. Mama G's Wish, another Robb-trained homebred, was fourth with Tessa P fifth.

“I think [Bandits Warrior is] a little better-looking filly than Anna was as a baby. When Anna got off the trailer as a baby I said, 'Put her back on.' True story,” Robb said. “She just didn't look the part, but she grew into it,” Robb said. “This filly does everything right. I wasn't sure how fit she was, but she ran big. And fast. So, we're happy.”

Notes: Five-pound apprentice Charlie Marquez doubled Sunday aboard Rockstar Girl ($7.60) in Race 1 and Dancing Til Dusk ($4.80) in Race 3 … Perpetrate ($100.80) edged Order for Porky to spring a 45-1 upset in Race 5, a 1 1/16-mile starter-optional claimer on the grass that marked the season debut of 2019 Maryland Million Turf winner Mr. d'Angelo. Unraced since finishing fourth in defense of his win last fall, Mr. d'Angelo got squeezed out of the gate and trailed the field early before making a belated run to be fourth … Robert D. Bone's Eastern Bay ($5.20), exiting a third in the April 24 Frank Y. Whiteley, swept to the lead at the top of the stretch and edged clear for a three-length victory over Whiskey and You in Race 8, a fourth-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up. Winner of the Polynesian and second by a nose to Laki in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) in 2020, Eastern Bay ran six furlongs in 1:10.78.

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Hello Hot Rod Chasing Preakness Berth In Saturday’s Federico Tesio

It will be more than just a homecoming when stakes winner Hello Hot Rod returns to Maryland for only his second start of the year in Saturday's $125,000 Federico Tesio at Pimlico Race Course.

The Maryland-bred son of Mosler comes in off three consecutive victories, but has gone unraced since Jan. 31. He will be making his debut in the colors of owner George Sharp, who purchased Hello Hot Rod for $335,000 at auction in February from previous co-owner and trainer Brittany Russell. Among his rivals will be former stablemate Maythehorsebwithu. And, there is a Triple Crown berth on the line.

“We know he gets along well there,” trainer Shawn Davis said. “He's had several thoughts and hopes but the way he's trained and the way he's worked up to it, this is the first time I thought he'd been ready for any race since we've had him. I think he'll be coming in there pretty tough.”

The 40th running of the 1 1/8-mile Federico Tesio serves to headline a Spring Stakes Spectacular program of six stakes worth $650,000 in purses. For the sixth straight year, it will serve as a 'Win and In' qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated 3-year-olds to the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1) May 15 at Pimlico.

Named for the noted Italian breeder, owner and trainer whose homebreds Nearco and Ribot dominate Thoroughbred bloodlines around the world, the Tesio debuted at Pimlico in 1981 and stayed every year but two through 2015. Laurel Park hosted the Tesio in 1987 and 1989 and each year since 2016.

Hello Hot Rod, a younger half-brother to multiple stakes-winning filly Hello Beautiful out of the mare Hello Now, made each of his first three starts at Laurel. He lost his debut in a waiver maiden claimer last October by a neck before back-to-back wins in maiden and allowance company – the latter going a mile – by a combined 6 ½ lengths.

Nine days following a victory in the seven-furlong Jimmy Winkfield at Aqueduct, Hello Hot Rod was sold at Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky February mixed sale for more than 30 times the $10,000 that Russell and Dark Horse Farm paid for him as a yearling.

Various circumstances kept Hello Hot Rod from returning to the races until now, but he has a string of six steady works since March 9 in Kentucky at both Keeneland and The Thoroughbred Center, where his most recent drill of four furlongs in 47.60 seconds came April 17, fifth-fastest of 49 horses.

“He's trained really well. Because of the ice storms and sale and different things we had some setbacks with him, but nothing serious,” Davis said. “The horse, his last couple works he's done really well in them and he'll be ready for the Tesio.”

Hello Hot Rod was already Triple Crown-nominated when he was purchased, and Davis said the Preakness bid did play a part both in the sale and choosing the Tesio, which will be his first attempt around two turns.

“That does factor in. We'll just have to see how he does and how he comes out of the race and everything,” Davis said. “What I liked about the horse since we got him is when you look at his form and everything, he'd never been trained really hard and he looked like he had quite a bit of ability. At this point to us as we've been working with him, he seems like he's got a lot of class. We know that he's done well so far and we're hoping that he's got the class he needs to go forward.”

Feargal Lynch is named to ride Hello Hot Rod from Post 5 in a field of eight.

Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables' Maythehorsebwithu was among nine Triple Crown nominees at the late March 29 deadline. He will be making his ninth start, fourth straight in stakes and fifth overall in the Tesio. He has progressively gone from 5 ½ furlongs in his Delaware Park debut last summer to 1 1/16 miles in the March 13 Private Terms at Laurel, his two-turn debut, where ran second by a half-length to Shackled Love.

“There's a little bit more of a run to the first turn over here, so you just hope that he gets a good spot and settles into that first turn and can just get comfortable,” Russell said. “Hopefully he just keeps running like he has.”

A dominant front-running winner of the one-mile Miracle Wood by four lengths Feb. 20 at Laurel, Maythehorsebwithu has been second in his other two stakes attempts including a neck loss to multiple stakes winner Kenny Had a Notion in Laurel's seven-furlong Spectacular Bid Jan. 16.

Maythehorsebwithu had an easy five-furlong breeze in 1:01.80 Sunday at Pimlico, where he has joined Russell's on-track string. Her husband, jockey Sheldon Russell, gets the return call from far outside Post 8.

“He had an easy day [Monday] because he worked on Sunday and he came out [Tuesday] morning and had his back all up and he was playing around and had lots of energy. It's just exciting to see him kind of touting himself like that again,” Russell said. “He doesn't really seem like he cares that he's at Pimlico and all that. He's been a lot of fun thus far, so you hope that he just keeps stepping forward.”

This year's early Triple Crown nominations opened Jan. 11 at a cost of $600, due by Jan. 23. The second and final deadline in late March came at a cost of $6,000.

“We felt this horse would be more of a sprinter type and the longer we've had him and the more we've got to know him and race him, we've been just delighted with the results,” Russell said. “I love our horse. I feel good about the position we're in regardless, so I'm just excited to have our guy to walk over.”

Also a late Triple Crown nomination was Phillip Ward's Tiz Mandate, whose lone victory came in his unveiling last Nov. 22 at Laurel, a six-furlong maiden special weight sprint he won by a neck. He ran fifth in a strong edition of the Heft Stakes Dec. 26 that included No Cents, Kenny Had a Notion and Singlino to cap his juvenile year.

Tiz Mandate opened 2021 running fourth in the Spectacular Bid, beaten 3 ¼ lengths, then rallied to be second behind Maythehorsebwithu in the Miracle Wood. In both starts, the Strong Mandate ridgling got away slowly, something trainer Damon Dilodovico hopes to remedy with the addition of blinkers for the Tesio.

“We're hopeful that will help him out getting away from the gate,” he said. “He was primed for a big effort last time. Obviously your heart just sinks when you spot decent horses as many lengths as he spotted them. But I think it was just all about his focus. It was non-existent that day. We're hoping that the blinkers will have him more focused.”

Jevian Toledo will be up for the third straight race on Tiz Mandate, who has yet to try two turns, breaking from Post 2. They breezed a half-mile together in 50.60 seconds April 19 at Pimlico with Laurel's main track currently closed to workers during evaluation and renovation.

“He just does not seem to get tired. He just keeps looking for more. Once you start running against some of these horses, maybe that'll change,” Dilodovico said. “The way he's coming into this race is not the fairest way to bring him into it, but we still have confidence in him. So, we'll see what happens.”

ZWP Stable, Inc. and Non Stop Stable's Shackled Love is entered for a shot in the Tesio. The gelded son of Preakness winner Shackleford had a maiden win and two seconds among his first five starts before stepping up to stakes company in the Private Terms. He pressed pacesetting even-money favorite Maythehorsebwithu from the gate, took a narrow lead in mid-stretch and dug in to the wire for a 21-1 upset.

“It's amazing how things sometimes work out,” trainer Gary Capuano said. “We stuck him in and looked at the race. His numbers fit with the race and he's been improving, so it was worth taking a shot. He had a good post position, the whole thing. It looked like he could be competitive in there if he ran his race.”

Apprentice Charlie Marquez climbs back aboard from Post 7.

Completing the field are Excellorator, Zertz and Royal Number, respectively third, fifth and sixth in the Private Terms; and The Reds, exiting a fifth in the one-mile Gotham (G3) March 5 at Aqueduct for New York-based trainer John Kimmel.

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Sires for 2021: The Regional Scene

After completing our marathon tour of covering options in the Bluegrass, today we take a tour of the main regional hubs. Clearly, it would be impractical to go into anything like the same depth and, besides, local breeders know their own markets best. But while we will only visit some of the principal centers, and pick out only one or two names in each, bloodstock investors anywhere can acknowledge the professionalism that unites horsemen, coast to coast, and think about the possibilities of diversification or experiment–above all in those programs that are incentivizing investment so successfully.

For one thing, many stallions discarded prematurely by Kentucky will deservedly flourish as bigger fish in smaller ponds. I'm sure that can still be the case, for instance, with Fed Biz–the son of Giant's Causeway making a fresh start at Highfield Stock Farm in Alberta. He has made a highly respectable start on the track, with only Cairo Prince in their intake exceeding his nine stakes winners to date, but just ran out of commercial oxygen where he was. Access to this true aristocrat, who beat Goldencents in a Del Mar track record, gives local breeders an exciting chance to raise the bar at $4,000.

Equally, of course, there have been many cases of sires working the reverse passage after starting out with regional mares–some, indeed, becoming massive influences–and those who have transferred Laoban to the Bluegrass from New York will be hoping that he can follow suit.

So we know for a fact that there will be stallions offering good value out there. Let's look for one or two nuggets.

FLORIDA
The big news round here is unmistakably Khozan (Distorted Humor), who maintains the highest fee in the state after winning its 2020 championship with only his second crop on the track. Nationally he stands fifth, by cumulative earnings, among his intake.

The late Awesome Again is an influence in Florida with Awesome Slew and Awesome of Course | Matt Wooley/EquiSport Photos

Royal Delta (Empire Maker)'s half-brother, a $1-million Fasig-Tipton Florida 2-year-old, would hardly be the first to become a significant influence after derailing so early in his track career. We'll see how far he can go, but it's surely only a matter of time before he makes a graded stakes breakthrough after five black-type winners last year. The great thing is that his stock should continue to thrive: being out of an elite producer by A.P. Indy, he's hardly confined to “Florida speed.”

But the word is out and he welcomed 181 mares to Journeyman Stud last year. And he can't be the only show in town. Even within his own class–i.e. about to launch a third crop of juveniles–The Big Beast (Yes It's True) is matching Khozan's ratio of winners and he, too, has two graded stakes performers to date. And, of course, he is less than half the price.

Brethren, by the same sire as Khozan and now with a first graded stakes winner in Cookie Dough (and overall 10.7% black-type horses-to-starters), and First Dude (Stephen Got Even) punched their $7,500 weight for second and third in the earnings table, albeit arguably nobody gives value more consistently than Adios Charlie (Indian Charlie) at just $4,000. His latest flagbearer Jean Elizabeth has been beaten once (by a nose) in her last 10 starts, including two at graded stakes and six at black-type level.

On the same Ocala Stud roster there's now a chance to tap into one of the great modern families through Seeking the Soul (Perfect Soul), while the first four dams (Live Oak family) of Awesome Slew (Awesome Again) are all graded stakes performers and producers. But don't forget another heir to the same, sadly departed sire: Awesome of Course (Awesome Again–Mais Oui, by Lyphard), even though he is now an acknowledged veteran quietly plying his trade to tiny books at $2,000.

Awesome of Course has real breadth of achievement, crowned by four graded stakes winners and five Grade I performers including Breeders' Cup champion Awesome Feather. In 2020 he numbered Florida Derby runner-up Shivaree among eight 90+ Beyers, so he's still keeping up an absolutely excellent output for this kind of fee.

Gunnevera | Sarah Andrew

In terms of fresh blood, meanwhile, it's good to see some promising two-turn stallions around the state (and some decent turf quality, too). The closing kick of Gunnevera (Dialed In–Unbridled Rage, by Unbridled) became so familiar–he was still picking up the pieces in the G1 Dubai World Cup at five, his sixth elite podium–that we tend to forget how he was already rolling in time to win the GII Saratoga Special S. And though he arrives at Pleasant Acres for $6,000 as a famous rags-to-riches story, you couldn't ask for better seeding of his family: first four dams by Unbridled, Graustark, The Minstrel and Turn-to.

Pleasant Acres Stallions is also home to Bucchero (Kantharos–Meetmeontime, by General Meeting), who has covered 291 mares in his first two years in the breeding shed, tops among all Florida-based stallions. Bucchero is a half-brother to the dam of dual-surface Grade I winner and Hill 'n' Dale-based World of Trouble (Kantharos), and he was the leading Florida stallion by average and median at last month's OBS Winter Mixed Sale, his first yearling through the ring having sold for $45,000, nine times his stud fee.

In the market backwaters, meanwhile, there's something pretty remarkable astir in Cajun Breeze (Congrats–Cajun Dawn, by Awesome Again), who is operating on private-treaty terms at Stonehedge Farm South. His track career (four-for-33) gave him highly marginal claims to one at stud, but the fact is that he has had a stakes winner from each of his three crops to date, despite an aggregate of only 31 runners (of which 19 are winners). He just came up with his fourth black-type winner in Cajun Brother, winner of the $75,000 Sunshine Sprint S. I can't really figure it out, either, even if the fourth dam is the very productive Fred W. Hooper mare Queen Pat (Crozier), but something seems to be working and people are gradually cottoning on: Cajun Breeze inched up to 45 mares last spring.

And I'm sorry, but I can't resist stressing that the venerable Greatness (Mr. Prospector–Harbour Club, by Danzig)–with another small firm, in Solera Farm–offers something pretty unique, nowadays, as a son of one breed-shaper out of mare by another, with next two dams by Graustark and, wait for it, Bold Ruler! His books/crops have largely dried up but he has sired some very tough and talented runners in his time (Lady's Island, aged six, won her latest graded stakes just before Christmas before selling for $310,000 at FTKFEB) and, if you could get a filly out of him, how could you price that bloodline at just $2,500? So please do the whole breed a favor and get a last residue of Greatness while we can!

NEW YORK
A changing of the guard here, with stalwarts Bellamy Road (Concerto) and Frost Giant (Giant's Causeway) pensioned even as the heavily subscribed young sensation Central Banker (Speightstown) charged into the slipstream of veteran Big Brown (Boundary) in the state championship–with only a third crop of juveniles in play. With six stakes winners to date, Central Banker stands fifth nationally, among his intake, in cumulative earnings.

Leading the next cycle, the imaginatively promoted War Dancer (War Front) duly became champion freshman, highlighted with a one-two at Saratoga. No less than anywhere else, however, newcomers will doubtless be in strong demand as everyone seeks out the next Laoban.

The most obvious candidate appears to be Solomini (Curlin), as a notably accomplished juvenile for a sire sooner associated with two-turn maturity, from the family of Frosted and Midshipman; so obvious, in fact, that he corralled the biggest book in the state (123) for his debut season alongside Central Banker at McMahon of Saratoga.

Bustin Stones | Sarah Andrew

But your heart meanwhile goes out to some who are doing pretty well from limited opportunity. Yes, there is bound to be much interest in Mr. Monomoy (Palace Malice) at Waldorf Farm, yet poor old Bustin Stones (City Zip–Shesasurething, by Prospectors Gamble) will be entitled to glare at breeders driving the van past him at just $2,500.

He doesn't have his new neighbor's glamorous pedigree–Mr. Monomoy is, of course, a Grade II-winning half-brother to Monomoy Girl (Tapizar)–but he was a very fast horse (GI Carter H., 109 Beyer) who once again came up with his mandatory stakes winners in 2020 (plus seven 90+ Beyers), while confined to a much smaller pool of talent than those he annually joins in the top echelons of the prize money table.

Above all, simply in terms of bang for buck, it feels crazy that you can now get to a stallion as accomplished as Freud (Storm Cat–Mariah's Storm, by Rahy) for just $5,000 at Sequel Stallions. I know he will probably benefit from suitably restrained management, now that he's 23, but Speightstown just got a big fee increase–and he's three weeks older!

Freud | Sarah Andrew

Freud remains an Empire State legend, as a six-time champion and brother to Giant's Causeway, and proved as potent as ever in 2020 with a state-high five stakes winners, eight stakes performers and 15 Beyers of 90+ from fewer runners than Big Brown and Central Banker, the only pair to exceed his earnings. His lifetime numbers put a whole bunch of expensive Kentucky stallions in the shade, with 55 winners and 109 performers at black-type level clocked at a ratio, against named foals, of six and 12% respectively; while his 10 graded stakes scorers include four at the elite level.

We've often spoken about the self-fulfilling prejudice against ageing stallions, and I guess some people would be embarrassed to pick one as “exposed” as Freud as the best value in the state against all these sparkly new stallions. But that's just what he is, and you know it. (If, that is, you want to breed yourself a racehorse.) In fact, there can't be much better value around, coast-to-coast, than Freud at a fee so much lower than all those Kentucky rookies with little realistic prospect of getting anywhere near his record.

A son of Freud's illustrious brother who has been around for a while without ever gaining much profile, meanwhile, is Giant Surprise (Giant's Causeway–Twisted Sis, by A.P. Indy) at Rockridge. His public career lasted 70 seconds in a Saratoga maiden, flimsy-enough grounds for a place at stud, but he has never failed to sire winners at a good percentage from a marginal foothold (including in 2020, with 20 from 37 starters) while his handful of black-type winners are headed by an earner of over $800,000. His dam is by A.P. Indy out of a Grade I winner and, still only 11, he is going to pull a smart one out of his hat someday at just $2,500.

MID-ATLANTIC
There's a big, Jump Start-sized hole hereabouts, as can be seen from the seventh consecutive championship posthumously secured by the Pennsylvania legend in 2020. Warrior's Reward, the strapping son of Medaglia d'Oro brought to the same state in 2018, did reiterate his credentials among active sires and remains in corresponding demand; while those eager to maintain the A.P. Indy connection, and at a very competitive rate, will see Friesan Fire ticking along reliably at Country Life. But a more recent recruit to the same roster has made an auspicious start in the quest to fill the gap.

Mosler | Ellen Pons

Mosler (War Front–Gold Vault, by Arch) has built quickly on his regional freshman title with Hello Hot Rod gamely holding out to complete a hat trick in the Jimmy Winkfield S. the other day. He's the second stakes winner to emerge from Mosler's debut crop, following Miss Nondescript in the Maryland Millions Lassie S., likewise a dirt sprint. But clearly his stock can be expected to emulate his own versatility in terms of surface, once given the chance, and there's a broader sense that he is only just getting going: he's had 13 winners so far from just 28 starters among 71 named foals in his first crop.

Grade II-placed and equal to four campaigns on the track, Mosler offers a conduit to the genes and physique that qualified him as a $1.05-million yearling. He's a half-brother to dual Grade I winner Contested (Ghostzapper) out of a half-sister to Pomeroy, winner of marquee Saratoga sprints in the Forego and King's Bishop, and ultimately traces to triple Classic winner Imprudence (Fr). The big dynamo in his pedigree, however, is the replication of grandsire Danzig behind his damsire, Arch, who was out of Danzig's daughter Aurora.

Mosler, standing at $4,000, will do well to consolidate on his freshman title as impressively as Golden Lad (Medaglia d'Oro), who arguably warranted a rise from $5,000 at Northview after finishing behind only set-your-clock studmate Great Notion (Elusive Quality) in Maryland earnings last year. Out of a stakes-winning half-sister to Dialed In (Mineshaft), he has scored some big sales and is motoring along with three-figure books.

The last word here, however, is reserved for one of the most remarkable stallions in the whole country in Fiber Sonde (Unbridled's Song–Silken Cat, by Storm Cat), who continues to turn out remarkable results from Beau Ridge Farm in West Virginia at a fee of just $1,000. In 2020, this unraced half-brother to Speightstown (Gone West) had eight black-type winners among 53 overall from 96 starters; while his lifetime stakes horses represent 12.2% of named foals.

John McKee bought him for just $8,000 in 2007 and there can't be many horsemen around who have secured–or offered–more horse-per-dollar in recent times. My respect to you, sir!

CALIFORNIA
The most accomplished trainer in the land keeps producing champions out of its most beautiful track, which has itself addressed some big challenges in impressive fashion. So it would certainly be heartening to see some fresh blood invigorating the Cal-bred program. The rookie stallions launched over the past couple of years are working from a small footprint of cheaply bred horses, however, and only a handful appear to be starting up this spring.

Cat Burglar | Elizabeth Hay

A couple of those about to launch their first juveniles have had plenty of support, however, including Danzing Candy (Twirling Candy) at Rancho San Miguel, who herded up 329 mares in his first three books. Hopes must also be high at Barton Thoroughbreds for Cat Burglar (Unbridled's Song–Be My Prospect, by Forest Wildcat), who launches his first juveniles this year. A hard-knocking, Grade II-placed campaigner from the family of Eight Belles (same sire) and Belong to Me (Danzig), he has been priced to have every chance at $2,500 and it's surely auspicious that he welcomed his biggest book yet in his third year.

New blood is never confined to outright rookies, however. Stay Thirsty (Bernardini) has shown the kind of demand that can be achieved by incomers, though he will only have his first state-bred runners this year; it'll be 2022 before Californian dollars start to put some perspective on the Japanese riches amassed by I'll Have Another (Flower Alley); and 2023 before another globetrotter, Sir Prancealot (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), can test a reputation established by migrants on local tracks. That reputation is sufficient to have secured him the premier fee in the state, and the one thing nobody should have any reservations about is his own sire. (Tamayuz belongs to the modern European breed's royal family and has himself proved an admirable achiever, given the mares operating at his level of the market.)

Clubhouse Ride | Horsephotos

The developing story among those who have been here from the outset remains Clubhouse Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}–Seeking Results, by Seeking the Gold), listed at $3,500 by Legacy Ranch. He continues to discover striking quality from small numbers, and has already maintained his momentum in 2021 with Brickyard Ride (now six-for-12) showing blistering pace to win his stakes debut (Beyer 99) in the California Cup Sprint. This is a barnmate of graded stakes winner Warren's Showtime, who made the podium in the GI Del Mar Oaks last summer; and also of Margot's Boy, who missed the GII Del Mar Derby only by a head. All three are in the care of Craig Lewis, who supervised their sire's millionaire career through 43 starts, including Grade I podiums at ages two and six.  Clubhouse Ride is out of a half-sister to GI Jockey Club Gold Cup winner River Keen (Ire) (Keen {GB}) from an interesting family, so it's no mystery. His books are going up now and he has really earned his stripes.

Another whose stature grows by the year is Smiling Tiger (Hold That Tiger–Shandra Smiles, by Cahill Road), who produced another five stakes winners in 2020. A multiple Grade I winner himself, he has already produced one to emulate that distinction in Spiced Perfection, and at $7,500 is taking an important role in a new phase for Harris Farms following the loss of Unusual Heat and Lucky Pulpit in 2017.

But the old guard remains admirably represented there by Vronsky (Danzig–Words of War, by Lord At War {Arg}) at $3,500. This very well-bred veteran's average crop only comprises a couple of dozen foals, but he has had a Grade I winner in his time and has certainly made a very sprightly start to 2021: The Chosen Vron following through an impressive debut score by tailcoating an exciting Baffert pair in the GII San Vicente S. last weekend, while the farm's homebred Closing Remarks won the $200,000 California Cup Oaks last month. We know that some of these expensive Kentucky start-ups won't even manage his last month's work in their whole careers, but this is not supposed to be an easy business at any point of the compass.

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Maryland Invader Hello Hot Rod Holds On Stubbornly In Jimmy Winfield

Hello Hot Rod dug in gamely to best Return the Ring by a head in Sunday's 37th renewal of the $100,000 Jimmy Winkfield, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Trained and co-owned by Brittany Russell with Dark Horse Racing, the Mosler colt made a victorious stakes debut while running his win streak to three following a pair of scores at his Laurel Park base, including a last-out optional-claiming mile on December 13.

Jockey Trevor McCarthy, aboard Hello Hot Rod for the first time from the inside post, revved the engines out of the gate and angled his colt out a few paths to set the opening quarter-mile in 23.86 seconds on the fast main track.

Return the Ring, under Dylan Davis, and the Kendrick Carmouche-piloted Pico d'Oro took up stalking positions outside of Hello Hot Rod as the half-mile ticked by in 48.16. Hello Hot Rod continued to lead through the turn as Carmouche attempted a wide bid with Pico d'Oro outside of the well-rated Return the Ring.

Davis asked Return the Ring for his best out of the turn and hooked up with a stubborn Hello Hot Rod, who continued to find more. Pico d'Oro rallied in vain down the center of the track but was always third best as Hello Hot Rod, briefly headed by Return the Ring, pinned his ears and refused to be denied a narrow win in a final time of 1:26.30.

Return the Ring completed the exacta by a half-length over Pico d'Oro. Scotch Rock's and Magnificent Chrome rounded out the order of finish. Weyburn was scratched.

McCarthy, who picked up the mount from the trainer's husband Sheldon Russell, said Hello Hot Rod fought bravely for the win.

“Sheldon told me that he's game as can be, he'll give you a hundred percent and he likes to fight,” said McCarthy. “When he hooks one, he'll keep giving, and that's what he did today. Thank you to Brittany and Sheldon, it's good to win one for good friends.

“He [Return the Ring] kind of came back on again, so a big effort by the other horse,” added McCarthy. “I think he got more involved. When the other horse got in front he said, 'No thanks, you're not beating me.'”

The Eddie Barker-trained Return the Ring entered from a debut maiden win sprinting six furlongs on November 28 at the Big A and Davis said the added furlong may have been his undoing.

“He actually got in front for a little bit the last part, but the last four, five jumps before the wire, that seven-eighths was getting to him a little bit,” said Davis. “He ran a great race and stepped up. He added a little more distance. He was trying really hard. Eddie did a great job getting him here. I think he's going to run good in the future. The winner was just a little bit of a better horse.”

Out of the Tiznow mare Hello Now, Hello Hot Rod is a half-brother to the Russell-trained multiple stakes winning filly Hello Beautiful. Bred in Maryland by Hillwood Stables, Hello Hot Rod banked $55,000 in victory while improving his record to 4-3-1-0. He returned $4.80 for a $2 win ticket.

Purchased for $10,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale, Russell said she's looking forward to testing Hello Hot Rod's stamina.

“I don't think stretching out would be an issue,” said Russell. “We considered other spots going further in distance, but this looked like a good spot to get the year started. It's nice to win another one with him and use it as a stepping stone to other things.”

Live racing resumes Thursday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

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