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Mating Plans: Machmer Hall

With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming weeks. Today Carrie Brogden discuses mating plans for a few members of the 109-mare-strong Machmer Hall broodmare band.

TIZ DIXIE (m, 9, Tiznow — Comeon Dixie, by Mr. Greeley), to be bred to Constitution

We bought this 9-year-old mare as a maiden for Golden Pedigree for $5,500 and we subsequently did the mating and then foaled and raised her first foal, a colt by Constitution who became stakes winner Never Surprised (Constitution). He just ran second in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S.

When Golden Pedigree liquidated their broodmare band due to an illness, we bought her privately. As far as a mating plan, it seemed like a no-brainer to book her back to rising supersire Constitution.

MISS SHOP (m, 19, Deputy Minister –Shopping, by Private Account), to be bred to Into Mischief

We owned and raced her half-sister, Shop Again (Wild Again), when Miss Shop won the 2007 GI Personal Ensign S. at Saratoga, so when Miss Shop came through the back ring as a graded stakes producer, I just had to have her.

We bred her to Into Mischief for her second year with us and the resulting yearling filly might be the best Into Mischief filly we have had (and we have had a LOT of Into Mischief foals!). Even though he has sadly passed out of our comfort range in terms of stud fee, how could we not make an exception and breed back to him just one last time hoping to duplicate the filly we currently have on the ground?

2021 Into Mischief filly out of GISW Miss Shop as a weanling | photo courtesy Carrie Brogden

SPECIAL ME (m, 16, Unbridled's Song — Delta Danielle, by Lord Avie), to be bred to Twirling Candy

Special Me is the dam of Grade I-winning Lane's End stallion Gift Box (Twirling Candy), so I'm not sure why we have not repeated this breeding sooner. Currently in foal to Into Mischief, this three-time graded stakes producer who we bought as a maiden mare for just $6,000 will be bred back to Twirling Candy, who has been a superstar for us as Gift Box, Rombauer, Fore Left, Trophy Chaser and Sweetontheladies were all Machmer Hall-raised or pinhooks for us.

LAYREEBELLE (m, 16, Tale of the Cat — Voodoo Lily, by Baldski), to be bred to Candy Ride (Arg)

The dam of GSWs Spellbound (Bernardini) and Kid Cuz (Lemon Drop Kid) and the granddam of GSW Soothsay (Distorted Humor), Layreebelle is a homebred out of our former pensioner Voodoo Lilly, the granddam of Justify. After hurting her shoulder as a yearling, Layreebelle (named for my kids Layne, Reece and Isabelle) has been quite the producer for Machmer Hall.

She is currently in foal to Candy Ride (Arg), who I believe is one of the top values at stud, especially if you have a mare that throws size and bone–which she does. She is booked right back to this lovely, well-priced stallion who throws so much heart with runners of all shapes and sizes.

DEFY (m, 8, Into Mischief — Shy Lil, by Lil's Lad), to be bred to Charlatan

This stakes-winning Saratoga yearling is currently in foal to one of my favorite proven stallions, Speighstown. After having two Speightstown foals in a row for two proven-sired foals, we looked for a “sizzle” first-year sire. Defy is booked to Charlatan, who in my opinion is one of the top physicals to go to stud this year.

QUEENIE'S PRIDE (m, 11, Special Rate — Solo Rolo, by Air Forbes Won), to be bred to Silver State

We bought this young, multiple stakes producer privately after watching her daughter Joy's Rocket (Anthony's Cross) win a stake at Keeneland. She's bred very modestly but is producing impressive runners from very inexpensive stallions.

'Queenie' is currently in foal to Vino Rosso. This 15'2-hand mare could double as a quarter horse and since she is proven, we decided to breed her back to a stallion that could give her some stretch and speed. Enter GI Met Mile winner, Silver State!

FANCY KITTEN (m, 8, Kitten's Joy — Endless Fancy, by Ghostzapper), to be bred to Independence Hall

Fancy Kitten is a stakes-placed Kitten's Joy mare whose first foal was a very solid 2-year-old colt in Japan last year. She is currently in foal to Mendelssohn, who I would hope is the heir apparent to Into Mischief.

We wanted a young stakes mare to breed to Independence Hall, who I believe is the best-priced first-year stallion for his looks, race record and sire.

MISS SOUTHERN MISS (m, 8, More Than Ready — Miss Atlantic City, by Stormy Atlantic), to be bred to Essential Quality

We bought this stunning stakes-winning mare privately and realized that she needs a bit of stretch in her matings. She's currently in foal to a super consistent and now great-priced proven guy, Medaglia d'Oro. After mating her to three proven sires to give her a good start to her career, we are opting to send her to champion 2-year-old and first-year stallion Essential Quality.

2021 Audible filly out of Homesteading | Mathea Kelly

HOMESTEADING (m, 10, Unbridled's Song — Homebound, by Dixie Union), to be bred to Audible

We bought this young Unbridled's Song mare in foal and she had a disappointing foal, but she had been bred to the same sire line three times in a row. We thought that maybe the mating was just not a good one because the mare is super pretty.

We decided to breed her to Audible to see if the change in sire line was what she needed. From the moment her 2021 filly by Audible was born, we have just said, 'Wow, wow, wow.' Like so many Audible weanlings I saw and short listed at the mixed sales, her 2021 baby is nothing short of spectacular. It was a no-brainer to breed her back to that sire and hope she runs to her looks.

ASTRAY (m, 8, Bernardini — Away, by Dixieland Band), to be bred to Hard Spun

We bought Astray as a maiden mare. She is one of the prettiest Bernardini mares I have ever seen but is also from a beautiful family. She is currently in foal to Authentic, along with four other Machmer Hall mares, but we really wanted to give her a shot at another proven sire after her Curlin colt did so well at Keeneland September [sold for $470,000].

She is booked back to Hard Spun, who does not always get you a “sales horse” but there is no doubt that he always throws a racehorse. He's great value for a proven sire and we have him booked to two of our young, pretty mares.

STORY UNTOLD (m, 11, Old Fashioned — Shappy, by Really Secret), to be bred to Tiz the Law

We bought Story Untold as a weanling to pinhook and unfortunately she fractured her knee in a paddock accident as a yearling, rendering her an instant broodmare to join the band.

Story Untold's first foal Arella Rockstar (Astrology) was a graded stakes winner and she had a lovely Bernardini yearling at Keeneland September. She's currently in foal to Candy Ride (Arg) and is booked back to Tiz the Law. How can you not admire what Tiz the Law did as a racehorse and his sire continues on his march to stardom. We figured that Story Untold had the bone and size that Tiz the Law would want physically and hopefully his extraordinary talent on the racetrack will translate onto his babies.

WEIGHT NO MORE (m, 18, Pure Prize — Aunt Nola, by Olden Times), to be bred to Goldencents

This multiple stakes-horse producer has been with us since 2010 when we bought her and her third foal at the same mixed sale. That foal, Skinny (Private Vow), went on to become her first stakes horse.

To look at this plain Jane mare, you would never think that she throws the beautiful athletes that she has for us. Her striking daughter Bayerness (Bayern) went on to be a listed stakes winner and was graded stakes placed at Saratoga. Her Goldencents yearling filly sold back to those same connections at the Keeneland September Sale.

I have long thought that Goldencents has been an incredible value sire. You just have to breed him to a mare that throws a lot of leg, like Weight No More, and he seems to throw the body and the heart. We have booked this girl back to Goldencents as her filly was one of my favorite yearlings we had last year.

TWO SHAKES (m, 6, Exchange Rate — Perfectforthepart, by Dynaformer), to be bred to Maxfield

We probably overpaid for this stakes-placed filly as a broodmare prospect, but damn she is good looking. Her first foal, a yearling colt by Constitution, is everything you would want in a first foal and she is a pretty enough mare to go back to a stallion that has been so good to us, Flatter. She is due in February and now that she will have two proven sire babies in front of her, we turned to a beautiful son of Street Sense, Maxfield.

Let us know who you're breeding your mares to in 2022, and why. We will print a selection of your responses in TDN over the coming weeks. Please send details to: garyking@thetdn.com.

The post Mating Plans: Machmer Hall appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Colonel Liam Goes Back-To-Back For Emotional Irad Ortiz In Pegasus World Cup Turf

Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam became the first back-to-back winner of the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf this Saturday, getting a good trip from Irad Ortiz, Jr. to defeat his stablemate Never Surprised by just over a length. It was the second year in a row that Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher saddled the top two finishers in the $1 million contest at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Sent off as the 6-5 favorite despite not running in 239 days, Colonel Liam completed nine furlongs over the firm turf course in 1:49.95. The 5-year-old son of Liam's Map has now won seven of his 10 career starts for earnings of over $1.8 million.

Ortiz was emotional after the victory, his third win in the Pegasus Turf (he won it in 2018 with Bricks and Mortar). The jockey acknowledged that January had been “a tough month” for him, personally. After returning from a 30-day suspension, Ortiz suffered a knee injury at Gulfstream that initially looked as though it may force him to miss Pegasus day. Instead, the faith of his doctor got Ortiz back in the saddle and Colonel Liam carried him to the winner's circle.

Never Surprised broke on top of the 12-strong Pegasus Turf field, pulling away to lead by as much as two lengths through early fractions of 25.43 and 49.39 seconds. Colonel Liam was in the clear while three-wide for most of his trip, and Ortiz allowed him to join his stablemate on the far turn.

Battling through the length of the stretch, Colonel Liam prevailed in the final sixteenth and pulled away to win by about 1 1/2 lengths. Never Surprised had to settle for second, while Space Traveller came flying up the inside late to nab third.

Bred in Kentucky by the Phillips Racing Partnership, Colonel Liam is out of the unraced Bernardini mare Amazement, herself out of two-time G1-winning millionaire Wonder Again. Purchased for $50,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling sale, Colonel Liam commanded $1.2 million as a 2-year-old at OBS April the following year.

Though he didn't debut until his 3-year-old season, Colonel Liam won at first asking. That year, he won the listed Tropical Park Derby in December and finished fourth in the Saratoga Derby Invitational. In 2021, Colonel Liam kicked off the season with a win in the Pegasus Turf, then added wins in the G2 Muniz Memorial and the G1 Turf Classic before finishing off the board in the G1 Manhattan. Pletcher trained him up to the Pegasus off that long layoff, and the horse improved his overall record to seven wins from 10 starts to earn over $1.8 million.

The post Colonel Liam Goes Back-To-Back For Emotional Irad Ortiz In Pegasus World Cup Turf appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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All Pletcher in Pegasus Turf as Colonel Liam Defends Title

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL–Heading into this year's GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S., defending champ Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) was clearly the one to beat despite coming back off a 239-day layoff. The Robert and Lawana Low runner once again proved he was all class when coming from off the pace to best stablemate Never Surprised (Constitution) in Gulfstream's marquee test on the turf.

While best known for his dirt runners, trainer Todd Pletcher once again showed he not only knows how to prepare top turf runners, but also underscored the influence of his former top-shelf trainees who have gone on to stamp themselves as stallions, including Colonel Liam's sire Liam's Map and Constitution, sire of Never Surprised.

Colonel Liam broke well and was eased into a stalking fourth as stablemate Never Surprised rushed to the front from post 12 to set an opening quarter in :25.43. Still drafting between rivals through a slightly swifter half in :49.39, the grey began to make a move for the front through following three quarters in 1:13.31. Narrowly behind last-out Tropical Park Derby winner Never Surprised straightening for home, Colonel Liam surged ahead midstretch and shook clear late to best his barnmate by a length. Space Traveller (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), far out of it in the early going, closed with purpose up the inside to finish a neck back in third.

“He didn't lose a step,” said winning rider Irad Ortiz Jr., who also took the day's feature of the day, the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational with Life Is Good. “He's healthy and he's strong. He did everything right. I asked him a little early and when I asked him to go, he just went on.”

Added Pletcher of the race favorite, “I was actually pleased with how well he was traveling early on. You could see he got in a good position and had a lot of horse. He moved to Never Surprised early and kept finding more, and Never Surprised dug in. It was great race for both horses.”

As for the race setup, Pletcher explained, “It unfolded the way we expected it to. It looked like the fractions were reasonable. Colonel Liam was traveling really well in behind. You could see he was going well. Irad kind of went after Never Surprised in the middle of the turn and both horses fought on gamely. I'm proud of Never Surprised. He fought back.”

Colonel Liam, a $50,000 KEESEP yearling that flourished in a $1.2-million OBSAPR juvenile, won three of five starts in 2020, including a victory in Gulfstream's Tropical Park Derby. The grey kicked off his 4-year-old campaign with a neck win over stablemate Largent (Into Mischief) in last year's Pegasus Turf before following up with a confident score in the GII Muniz Memorial Classic S. at the Fair Grounds in March. He made it four straight with a dead-heat win with Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the nine-furlong GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Turf Classic S. in May. Given plenty of support at 7-2 in his most recent start in the GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan S. in June, he faded to finish a well-beaten eighth. He had eight works since arriving in South Florida for his return.

“You just hope you've done enough with him. He has talent,” Pletcher said. “We need everything to go exactly as planned. We didn't have time for a prep race. We put all of our chips in this race. I'm glad it worked out.”

Pedigree Notes:
When Colonel Liam won this race last year, it was his first graded win, but he was the third Grade I winner for his young sire. Saturday, a more accomplished Colonel Liam was capturing his third career Grade I event, while Liam's Map has since added another GISW to make it four for his sire career and has also added three more graded winners in the past year for a total of seven. Overall, Liam's Map has had 13 black-type winners in his three crops to race thus far. Two of those Grade I winners–Colonel Liam and 'TDN Rising Star' Wicked Whisper–are out of Bernardini mares. The late Bernardini, who died last year at 18, has 61 stakes winners out of his daughters.

A $1.2-million OBS 2-year-old in 2019 after working a quarter in :20 4/5, Colonel Liam is one of two winners out of his unraced dam, whose 2-year-old Arrogate colt was a $70,000 RNA at Keeneland September. Amazement has a yearling colt by Copper Bullet and was bred back to Liam's Map. She is out of MGISW Wonder Again, who raced for the Phillips family of Darby Dan.

Darby Dan has a long association with Colonel Liam's family, going all the way back to his seventh dam. Darby Dan's founder, John Galbreath, entered into a partnership on 13 broodmares–one of which was the 1947 French-bred mare Skylarking II (Mirza {Fr})–with Prince Aly Khan, then purchased her outright when the Prince was killed in a car accident. Her daughter, Soaring (Swaps), became a foundation mare for Darby Dan and is Colonel Liam's sixth dam. Generations of Darby Dan principals bred each of Colonel Liam's first six dams, as well as Colonel Liam himself.

Saturday, Gulfstream
PEGASUS WORLD CUP TURF INVITATIONAL S. PRESENTED BY BACCARAT-GI, $982,300, Gulfstream, 1-29, 4yo/up, 1 1/8mT, 1:47.48, fm.
1–COLONEL LIAM, 123, h, 5, by Liam's Map
               1st Dam: Amazement, by Bernardini
               2nd Dam: Wonder Again, by Silver Hawk
               3rd Dam: Ameriflora, by Danzig
($50,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $1,200,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR).
O-Lawana L. & Robert E. Low; B-Phillips Racing Partnership
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $531,000. Lifetime
Record: 10-7-0-1, $1,810,565. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Never Surprised, 123, c, 4, Constitution–Tiz Dixie, by
Tiznow. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($30,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV;
$200,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable; B-Golden
Pedigree LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $177,000.
3–Space Traveller (GB), 123, h, 6, Bated Breath (GB)–Sky
Crystal (Ger), by Galileo (Ire). (85,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT).
O-Clipper Logistics; B-El Catorce Partnership (GB);
T-Brendan P. Walsh. $88,500.
Margins: 1, HF, NK. Odds: 1.60, 3.60, 12.20.
Also Ran: Atone, Cross Border, Sacred Life (Fr), Doswell, Hit the Road, Channel Cat, Field Pass, March to the Arch, Flavius.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Quality on TAP on Pegasus Day

One can always count on Todd Pletcher to make a show of force on the big days. This Saturday's Pegasus World Cup Invitational card is no different, with the Hall of Fame trainer offering strong representation in all three of Gulfstream's Pegasus events.

“It's a really marquee day for the Championship Meet at Gulfstream,” Pletcher said. “The Pegasus has attracted some of the best horses in training since it's been in existence. It's early enough in the season for horses that want to go to stud like Gun Runner did and Knicks Go is doing, and its useful in kicking off the upcoming season. It's a significant event that has etched out its spot on the calendar.”

Looking for his first GI Pegasus World Cup victory, Pletcher offers the uber-talented 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief), who has done very little wrong in his career, winning five of six career starts, with his only loss coming at the hands of Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial at Saratoga last summer.

Following his narrow defeat, the WinStar Farm and CHC LLC runner has proven unstoppable, rolling over older rivals in both the GII Kelso H. followed by the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar last November.

“The Breeders' Cup was kind of a relief for me because I was expecting him to win,” conceded Pletcher. “Any time you are in that type of situation, you can be a little anxious. But, we knew he'd go fast. There were a few other fast horses in there, so he had to go pretty quickly into the first turn to clear, so when they're throwing up those kinds of fractions, you're just hoping he hasn't gone too fast. But, he's such a gifted horse that he's capable of doing that. Like everyone else, we were very impressed, and we were happy it went according to plan.”

When asked if he thought the strapping 4-year-old could handle the extra yardage while trying nine furlongs for the first time in his career, Pletcher didn't mince words.

“I don't know that we have seen his best distance,” he stated. “He is like a lot of really good horses that do a lot of things very well. He's shown how fast he is. And in the [BC Dirt Mile] he has shown that he has that high-cruising speed and the ability to carry it over a distance. So, in his training, I have not seen any limitations to what he may be able to do. He still has to prove that at [Gulfstream], but when you watch him train, he never stops. It gives us optimism that he'll handle the extra ground.”

According to Pletcher, a win on Saturday could pave the way to an international sojourn.

“If this goes well, the plan is to take a look at the [10-furlong G1] Dubai World Cup [Mar. 26].”

Arguably known best for his powerful arsenal of dirt horses, Pletcher shows he is equally adept at handling a top turf runner, and gets to prove it yet again with the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational's defending champion and morning-line favorite Colonel Liam (Liam's Map). Campaigned by Robert and Lawana Low, the grey won four stakes in 2021, including the GI Turf Classic–albeit in a dead heat–at Churchill Downs last spring. He went to the sidelines after an eighth-place finish in the 10-furlong GI Manhattan S. June 5.

“Last year, we had just a little bit more time and we were able to run him in the Tropical Park Derby,” said Pletcher, explaining the lead up to last year's race. “He won that and it set him up nicely for this race. This year, the way the calendar came up, we just didn't have time for a prep. But, he's a willing work horse and we've done plenty with him.”

In this year's Turf, Pletcher is also represented by Repole Stable's Never Surprised (Constitution), who has never finished worse than second in seven career starts. The 7-2 second choice on the morning line, the bay enters this year's Turf off a pair of impressive victories–in the Nov. 26 Gio Ponti S. at the Big A and most recently in the Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream one month later. He drew post 12 in the nine-furlong event.

“He's a free-running horse with natural speed,” said Pletcher. “It's not an ideal post for him, given his style. But, if he'll settle like he did the last time, I think he's a horse that could be dangerous.”

Also likely to garner healthy respect at the windows for the inaugural running of the PWC Filly and Mare Turf, the Low's Sweet Melania (American Pharoah) has already proven she was more than capable of handling several of these rivals when winning Gulfstream's GIII Suwanee River S. Dec. 18. Left in her wake that day were Shifty She (Gone Astray, 2nd), In a Hurry (Blame, 3rd) and Alms (City Zip, 7th).

“I was really pleased with her last race, I thought that was one of her better races,” he said. “She's been very consistent throughout her career, but I thought that was an especially good performance from her. I actually think she's coming into this a little better than she was for that race.”

On the Pegasus undercard, Pletcher also offers a one-two punch in the GIII Fred W. Hooper S. with Fearless (Ghostzapper) and Liam (Liam's Map). Fearless, who has won four of five starts at Gulfstream, is coming off a four-length score in the GIII Harlan's Holiday S. after finishing second in a Nov. 21 overnight handicap at Gulfstream while coming off a six-month layoff. Liam returned off over a year on the bench to win in a Gulfstream optional claimer at a mile Dec. 15.

“He's a horse that I think kind of benefitted from the race off the layoff and then made a move forward in the Harlan's Holiday,” Pletcher said of Fearless, who was initially being considered for the PWC. “He seems to really like Gulfstream. He always runs well over that track. He's held form since then and has been training sharply.”

In other stakes action, Pletcher is also represented by Always Shopping (Awesome Again) in the GIII La Prevoyante S.; Abaan (Will Take Charge) in the GIII W. L. McKnight S. and A G Indy (Take Charge Indy) in the GII Inside Information S.

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