Seize the Grey Owners Enjoy Memorable Blue Grass Experience

While they may not have received the end result they were hoping for, nearly 300 owners enjoyed a memorable weekend at Keeneland as their horse Seize the Grey (Arrogate) ran in the GI Blue Grass S.

A $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase for MyRacehorse trained by D. Wayne Lukas, Seize the Grey was coming into his Grade I debut off a third-place performance in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks S. The colt's connections were hoping that he would be able to run in the money in order to acquire enough points to earn a spot in the GI Kentucky Derby, but he proved to be overmatched this time around and finished seventh.

While his 27 points probably won't get Seize the Grey into the Kentucky Derby starting gate, his 2,000-plus owners have plenty to look forward to going forward and many will look back on an eventful weekend in Lexington.

Almost 300 MyRacehorse partners descended upon Lexington hailing everywhere from Washington and Virginia to Michigan and Florida. On Saturday, MyRacehorse hosted a tailgate at Keeneland so that owners could meet up ahead of the big race.

“It's hard to get everyone together, so we threw a tailgate so they could come at their leisure before going inside,” said MyRacehorse's Caitlin Dunne. “Usually the only time we can get everybody together is the winner's circle, so if that happens, it's great. But if not, the biggest thing for us is getting to celebrate the experience of ownership. We've had this horse since he was a yearling so it has been fun for everyone to get to see him go from this pudgy little colt to this big, beautiful Arrogate colt.”

Owners who arrived in Lexington ahead of Saturday's race were also able to watch Seize the Grey train in the morning.

“He shipped in on Wednesday and every morning we wanted to be able to get owners out to come watch him train,” Dunne said. “D. Wayne and his assistant have been all-stars. They would bring him into the paddock every morning and stand him in front of the owners so they could take pictures with him.”

Diana Kramer, a lifelong racing fan from Evansville, Indiana, is one of the many owners of Seize the Grey. She first learned about MyRacehorse in 2020.

“I started doing some research on it because I always wanted to get involved if I could afford it,” she explained. “I bought in on Authentic, so we kind of started at the top there.”

Kramer was a fan of Hall of Famer Arrogate during his time on the racetrack, so when a son of his became available through MyRacehorse, she jumped at the chance to become involved. While Seize the Grey probably won't be running in the Kentucky Derby, Kramer and several other MyRacehorse partners already have plans for the first Saturday in May.

“There's a bunch of us that owned Authentic and became friends,” said Kramer. “We all hang out and usually have a Derby party. We have an auction for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. Last year we raised $6,000. It's a great way to meet other people who love racing and learn more about the industry.”

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Blacker Joins Light Up Racing Board

Racing analyst and reporter Christina Blacker has joined the board of directors of Light Up Racing, an organization formed to enhance the public perception of the Thoroughbred industry.

“I am grateful to be a part of Light Up Racing's mission,” Blacker said. “It is one that is very close to my heart and one I've put a lot of time and effort into over the years. Horse racing is a beautiful sport filled with equally beautiful, deeply caring and hard-working individuals, but is not actually what we, as a collective, are currently being portrayed as. It is a difficult assignment to be sure, but I am fully committed.

“This is an industry-wide problem and should be met with an industry-wide approach. A lot of important and necessary work is being done at the highest levels, but all of us possess the ability to have a positive effect, and it is our duty to not stand by and leave it to others. Highlighting the good being done, and the good that already exists, is something each of us can take part in.”

Blacker, who currently serves as a host, analyst and reporter with FanDuel TV, began her broadcasting career in 2004 and has worked with HRTV, TVG, and NBCSports. She is also a Keeneland Sales representative, a spokesperson for Equibase “Race Lens,” a pivotal figure in digital creation and ambassadorship for MyRacehorse, in addition to co-founding “I Am Horse Racing,” a non-profit organization dedicated to amplifying the voices of the

sport's unsung heroes.

“Christina Blacker's credibility within the industry, coupled with her unparalleled media expertise, makes her an invaluable asset in our mission to enlighten, engage, and evolve the narrative surrounding horse racing,” said board chairman Price Bell. “Christina has a proven track record of, not only illuminating the sport's finest aspects, but also addressing its challenges with integrity and insight. We are very excited to have her as part of the team.”

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Straight No Chaser, Off Since Breakthrough Performance on Preakness Undercard, Back Galloping at Santa Anita

Straight No Chaser (h, 5, Speightster–Margarita Friday, by Johannesburg), unraced since posting a powerhouse, front-running victory in the GIII Maryland Sprint S. on last spring's GI Preakness S. undercard, is on the comeback trail for trainer Dan Blacker.

After stopping the clock for six furlongs in a razor sharp 1:08.27 and earning a career-best 107 Beyer Speed Figure in that 7 1/2-length decision at Pimlico, an undisclosed party agreed to purchase a minority interest in the MyRacehorse colorbearer. The deal, however, was called off after a positron emission tomography (PET) scan in a pre-purchase exam in June revealed “some abnormalities in a sesamoid,” per Blacker.

“Even though the horse was sound, it was the early stages of something that would've likely developed into an issue,” Blacker said. “And when you're dealing with sesamoids, it's significant. As a trainer, that's why the PET scan has been such a game changer for us at Santa Anita. It could show the initial stages of a training injury like this.”

He continued, “For me, it was an easy decision giving him time off. We had hoped to give him 90 days initially, but when we rescanned him (after 90 days), there was still activity in that same spot. So, we just gave him more time. The unfortunate thing with sesamoids is that they take time.”

In Straight No Chaser's case, six months' time, to be exact. Given the green light to resume training following a clean PET scan, the bay is now nearing his first workout back at Santa Anita, Blacker reports.

“He's been training as good as ever,” Blacker said. “He looks super out there on the track. Obviously, we've lost a bit of time training wise just because all of the wet weather recently, but he's getting close to being ready to breeze. He certainly looks as good if not better than ever. We'll let the workouts be the real judge of where he's at though.”

Hailing from the second crop of Speightster, Straight No Chaser is one of two graded winners for the late son of Speightstown, who was euthanized following a stall accident at Northern Dawn Farm in Ontario in 2022.

Bred in Kentucky by John Eaton and Steve Laymon, he was produced by the winning Johannesburg mare Margarita Friday. She is also responsible for the stakes winner Hangover Saturday (Pomeroy). This is the extended female family of two-time champion sprinter Housebuster.

Straight No Chaser brought $110,000 from MyRacehorse as a Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old following a :10 2/5 breeze for consignor Paul Sharp.

He currently sports a career record of 7-4-0-1 and earnings of $245,800. His resume also includes a debut maiden win over the Del Mar lawn, a pair of optional claiming wins at Santa Anita and Oaklawn and a third-place finish as the favorite in last year's GIII Palos Verdes S.

Straight No Chaser's aforementioned win in the Maryland Sprint was further flattered when the distant third-place finisher that day Nakatomi (Firing Line) subsequently placed a close third in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita.

“It's great as a trainer when you have patient owners and I'm really grateful to have owners like MyRacehorse,” Blacker concluded. “To me, he's always been a horse that is gonna keep improving with age. I'm excited to get him back to the races.”

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Saturday Insights: Full-Brother To MGSW Three Witches Ready To Party At Fair Grounds

8th-FG, $57K, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 4:30 p.m. ET.
Bred by Machmer Hall, SHIRE'S END (Into Mischief) takes to the turf in New Orleans under the guidance of trainer Brendan Walsh. A $450,000 buy at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, the colt is a full-brother to MGSW/GISP Three Witches, who went to RIFA Mustang Europe for $1.7 million at last year's Keeneland November Sale, then won the GII Santa Monica S. at Santa Anita a week ago. Dam Layreebelle (Tale of the Cat) is also responsible for GII La Canada S. winner Spellbound (Bernardini)–dam to MGSW Soothsay (Distorted Humor)–and GIII Dwyer S. winner Kid Cruz (Lemon Drop Kid). TJCIS PPS

8th-GP, $89K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 3:37 p.m. ET.
On the main track in Hallandale, Secret Crush (Candy Ride {Arg}) makes the races for the MyRacehorse contingent.

Purchased for $300,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Sale, the Todd Pletcher trainee is out Elarose (Storm Cat), who went to Chiyoda's Dr. Masatake Iida in 2018 at Keeneland November for $450,000 while in foal to Quality Road.

Elarose is part of a deep family anchored by her dam, Take Charge Lady (Dehere). Her half-siblings include GI Florida Derby champ Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy), GI Travers S. victor Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song), GI Beholder Mile winner As Time Goes By (American Pharoah) and the dam of champion of 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway) and 2023 top five first-crop sire Omaha Beach (War Front). TJCIS PPS

9th-TAM, $53K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 4:45 p.m. ET.
Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables bought Oversubscribed (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) at the 2022 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for 400,000gns. Trained by Chad Brown, the filly's extended female family includes French Group 3 winner In Clover (GB) (Inchinor {GB}), the dam of G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines S. heroine We Are (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), G1 Prix du Cadran S. hero Call The Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and G1 Prix Rothschild S. victress With You (GB) (Dansili {GB}). TJCIS PPS

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