First Foals for Millionaire Sleepy Eyes Todd

MGSW Sleepy Eyes Todd (Paddy O'Prado) was represented by his first two foals on the same day-a filly and a colt-at Francisco Bravo's River Oaks Farms in Sulphur, OK, on Jan. 29.

The filly is the first foal out of three-time winner Maddie's Music (Maclean's Music) and the colt is out of Taylor Lake (Parading), who also produced the SW Barrister Tom (Artie Schiller). Both mares are owned by David Cobb, who campaigned Sleepy Eyes Todd in the name of his Thumbs Up Racing Stable.

“We knew we'd get some beautiful babies by Sleepy Eyes,” Cobb said. “But we are amazed at how beautiful his babies are. We can't wait to see the rest of them.”

Sleepy Eyes Todd, who was a $9,000 KEENOV weanling in 2016, won the 2020 GII Charles Town Classic and GIII Mr. Prospector S. and won or placed in five other black-type events and logged a record of 20-8-3-1, $2,051,725. He stands at Swifty Farms in Seymour, IN, for a fee of $3,500.

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Sleepy Eyes Todd to Stand in Indiana

Thumbs Up Racing, LLC's Sleepy Eyes Todd (Paddy O'Prado–Pledge Mom, by Wild Rush), winner of the 2020 GII Charles Town Classic S. and GIII Mr. Prospector S., has been retired and will stand the 2022 breeding season at Swifty Farms in Indiana. The 5-year-old, second in his Charles Town Classic title defense in late August, retires with a record of 20-8-3-1 and earnings of $2,051,725.

“[Indiana] is the perfect place for us, and I'm excited to get going with Sleepy's stallion career,” owner David Cobb of Thumbs Up Racing said.

“I could have taken him to a number of places, but I really do believe that regional breeding programs are the best game in town, and Indiana has a very strong program. I spoke with a number of Indiana connections, including Christine Cagle of Springcliff Farm and Jerri Harmon, Swifty's new stallion manager, and it just felt right to bring him to Indiana.”

Sleepy Eyes Todd will stand the 2022 breeding season for $3,500 (stands and nurses).

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Sleepy Eyes Todd Returns From Dubai, Heads To Fonner Park For Saturday’s Bosselman Stakes

Sleepy Eyes Todd is back in Grand Island, Nebraska for the 46th running of the $75,000 Bosselman Pump-Pantry/Gus Fonner Stakes on Saturday, April 24 at Fonner Park.

Sleepy Eyes Todd, who drew the ninth post position Thursday morning, is one of a full field of 10 horses entered in the 1 1/16th mile race.
The defending champion cruised to a 6 1/2 length win in last year's Bosselman. That was just the beginning of a big run for Sleepy Eyes Todd. He went on from there to win stake races at Charles Town, Keeneland and Gulfstream before taking his act overseas.

Sleepy Eyes Todd, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Paddy O'Prado and Pledge Mom, finished fifth in the $20 million Saudi Cup Feb. 20 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse and then was 10th in the $12 million Dubai World Cup on March 27.

“It's always special when the defending champion returns, but it's next to unthinkable that the same horse, Sleepy Eyes Todd, returns having run against arguably some of the best horses in the world in his last three races,” Fonner Park CEO Chris Kotulak said.

Since winning the Bosselman, Sleepy Eyes Todd has gone on to earn over $1.5 million. He now has eight wins in 18 career starts and has earned a total of $1,889,825 for trainer Miguel Silva and owner Thumbs Up Racing.

Kotulak said Having Sleepy Eyes Todd back at Fonner will draw even more attention to Fonner Park.

“This is quite a treat for our fans to come see, but our off-track mutuel handle has quadrupled since all of the world watched Fonner Park last year,” Kotulak said. “But you can bet that thousands of eyes across the nation will be watching and wagering on Sleepy Eyes Todd again this Saturday.”

Sleepy Eyes Todd, who will be ridden by six-time Fonner Park champion jockey Jake Olesiak, has been installed as a 1-1 morning-line favorite, but he will be challenged by nine others who also have their eyes on winning the Bosselman. That field includes shippers Box Seat (5-1), Downtowner (5-1) Mo Mosa (5-1) and Minecraft Maniac (10-1)

Shades of Victory, the winner of the Dowd Mile at Fonner Park on April 10, is 15-1. Poderoso Equis, who was second in the Dowd, is 25-1.

Trainer Marissa Black has her duo of Blue Harbor and Mr. Tickle entered for the second straight year. Blue Harbor, second in the Bosselman last year is 12-1 and Mr. Tickle, third a year ago, is 25-1. Most Amusing, trained by Nebraska Hall of Fame trainer David C. Anderson, is also 25-1.

The giant Saturday also features a mandatory payout in the Dinsdale Auto Late Pick 5 Jackpot wager. There is a carryover into the Friday, April 23rd racing of over $110,000. First post Saturday is 1:30 p.m. CT. The Late Pick 5 Jackpot involves the final five races on the card.

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Dubai World Cup: ‘Underdog’ Sleepy Eyes Todd ‘Tries His Eyeballs Out Every Time’

Thumbs Up Racing's Sleepy Eyes Todd continues to grow his fanbase heading into the toughest test of his career, the 10-furlong, $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) on March 27. While his propensity to pose for the morning racing media and genuine nature around the barn have earned him points with onlookers and horsemen, alike, it is his grit and consistency that flock favor to those only aware of his performance record. All of the above will likely come into play if the roan warrior is to be successful on the big day.

“He's a gentleman,” said trainer Miguel Angel Silva. “He feels really good to be around. Even though he's a stallion, he acts like a good friend. He's just gentle with everyone and he doesn't like to do anything bad or stupid to the groom or gallop-people. He's a cool guy and he likes the (media) cameras.”

A five-time stakes winner who has shown marked versatility in trip and track, the photogenic son of Paddy O'Prado is not considered a favorite in the market for the Dubai World Cup, but is respected by many as one they know will have a say in the outcome. He exits a strong-closing fifth in the $20 million Saudi Cup in Riyadh, suffering traffic issues, and has won graded stakes at nine furlongs and seven furlongs.

“We didn't get the trip we wanted in Saudi,” Silva explained. “It's just racing luck and hopefully he can have better luck this time and maybe we can get the win. This time, like last time, I would like to see him five or six lengths behind the speed, but you never know what's going to happen during the race. That was the plan last time and all of a sudden we were dead-last and had to come running.”

The eight-time winner from 17 starts will be reunited with jockey Alexis Moreno, who was aboard in the Saudi Cup. While he has yet to prove himself at the G1 level, he has been successful against G1 horses with the proverbial world watching.

On the Breeders' Cup World Championships undercard at Keeneland in November, he defeated a talented Lafayette Stakes (Listed) field, including next-out Cigar Mile (G1) winner True Timber and Burj Nahaar (G3) victor Midnight Sands. In December's Mr. Prospector (G3), he turned back G1 winners Diamond Oops and Mind Control, as well as multiple G2 winner Firenze Fire. Those efforts have been par for the course for a runner who has consistently and successfully taken his show on tour, including winning last year's Charles Town Classic (G2) over nine furlongs. He will have to stretch another furlong in Dubai, attempting 1 1/4 miles for the first time.

“I would love to see him finish the way he did on Breeders' Cup day,” Silva said. “He tries his eyeballs out every time. He's a hard-working horse who's always the underdog and we just love him. He's had issues in the races, but always managed to come back and perform well.

“He's training amazing right now and he really likes this track. The transition from Saudi to here has been great and we've had no issues so far. It's a little more similar to a U.S. track and he loves to train and gets over the track. The works have been a little bit longer with him (to build stamina), but I don't see any problem with the distance. He has been, in the last couple races, one of the only horses who is finishing in the race. In Saudi, he was the only horse really closing in on the frontrunners. If anything, the distance will be good for him.”

The ride Sleepy Eyes Todd has taken the Mexico City native on has undoubtedly been a memorable one. A second-generation horseman who has worked his way from hotwalker to head trainer, Silva is not quick to take any part of this experience for granted.

“It is an amazing experience to have him and I've been trying to take it all in,” Silva said. “Hopefully we will get more horses who have this kind of quality of racing in them after this, but we'll see. We are trying to enjoy it and are going step by step with the horse heading into the race.

“I have climbed the ladder and found my own path. It has been like a family business to work with horses, from my grandfather to my dad and to me and my brothers—we all belong to these beautiful animals.”

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