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Smaller, But Still Super: Patrick Gallagher

The concept of the super trainer is by no means a new phenomenon in horse racing, but the huge stables run by super trainers have undoubtedly changed the landscape of the sport in many ways, from the backside to the racing entries. Are super trainers bad for the sport? Are there any benefits for an owner in using a “smaller” trainer? We asked these questions and more to a few trainers who may not be considered super trainers in terms of their stall numbers, but they have made the most of the horses they're given to build competitive racing stables over their careers.

For longtime California-based trainer Patrick “Paddy” Gallagher, it all comes back to the horse. “The best part of my job is being around the horses…and spoiling them a bit,” said the amiable Irishman. Once the assistant for Bill Shoemaker, Gallagher went out on his own in 1997 after the legendary jockey retired from a brief stint as a trainer. Some of Gallagher's most notable runners include four-time Grade I winner Magical Fantasy (Diesis {GB}) as well as millionaire Flamboyant (FR) (Peer Gynt {Jpn}), a multiple graded stakes winner who Gallagher still follows today as the gelding excels in a second career.

KP: How did you first get involved in horse racing?

PG: I grew up in Ireland and on school holidays I used to go down and work in the racing yards. After I finished school I needed to get a job so I went back and got a job there and got started on the Curragh. I worked there for a couple of trainers and then I moved to America in 1980.

When I went to California, I worked at Green Thumb Farm in Chino, California. While there, I met some people who worked at the racetrack. I went home for a time but came back and worked for a trainer named John Sullivan for about nine years. When Bill Shoemaker started training, he asked if I would come work for him. He had spoken with Sullivan before he approached me and they both agreed that it was a good move for me, so I ended up working for Bill Shoemaker.

I started with Shoemaker in 1990. After his accident the following year he kept training until around the end of 1997. When he told me that he wanted to retire, he helped me from the get-go in keeping the business going and he was always here at the track when I had runners. He was a big, big help to me.

Ridden by Sarah Pinfield, MGSW Flamboyant takes on his first eventing show this fall at Galway Downs | photo courtesy Paddy Gallagher Racing

KP: How many horses are normally in your stable?

PG: Right now we have around 30. It's usually always between 30 to 45 head.

KP: What do you believe makes your stable unique?

PG: I think in certain ways I'm a bit old-school, but I have a lot of younger staff so they don't let me be too old-fashioned. We like to keep up to date and we just like to take good care of the horses as best as we can and hope that at the end of the day, it shows.

KP: What do you believe are the benefits for an owner in using a “smaller” trainer?

PG: Like everything, it depends on each individual owner and what makes them happy and keeps them comfortable. I'm not as big because I like to be in contact with my owners at all times. I want to be accessible at all times and keep them up to date. I want to make everyone feel comfortable, including the horses.

It comes down to the fact that some people like the bigger operations and others prefer ones not quite so big. I guess that's what keeps the business going. The bigger guys have to have the smaller guys to keep the business going.

KP: Do you think super trainers are bad for the sport?

PG: No, I think super trainers, for one reason or another, get used and get big, so best of luck to them. I don't like to call anyone a smaller trainer because they might be trainers who have less horses, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they're not as good of a horseman as anyone else. I think everyone deserves to have a good horse, whether it's once in a while or all the time. That's what makes the game so great. There are some good horsemen with not a lot of horses who can take on the big guys once in a while and it's great for the game when that happens.

Red Lark (Ire) (Epaulette {Aus}) wins the 2020 GI Del Mar Oaks for Gallagher and owner Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners | Horsephotos

KP: What do you enjoy most about your job?

PG: I enjoy the owners who like their horses and the way they act when they win–hopefully even the way they act when they loose. But the best part is being around the animals, taking care of them, keeping them happy and healthy and spoiling them a bit. We want to bring out the best in them.

It's also important to me that we find a second job for our racehorses so that someone else can experience these horses. It helps us an industry because now you have owners who are not involved in racing and they get to enjoy these Thoroughbreds that are so enthusiastic and eager to please. We had a horse named Flamboyant (FR) (Peer Gynt {Jpn}) who won several graded stakes for us. We retired him when he was eight and he has gone on to be a show-jumping and dressage horse and he is doing really well. He has made the new owners very happy and he still has that same enthusiasm he had on the track. We put a big emphasis on aftercare in our stable.

KP: What is the most frustrating aspect of your job?

PG: I never like to see anything bad happen to anyone's horse. I just like to see horses that are happy and healthy when they're running. Things happen and if you don't say anything about them, it will keep you frustrated. I learned from Bobby Frankel a long time ago that it's not good when you don't talk about things right when they happen. You're better off saying something at the time and then moving on.

KP: What horse has had the most influence on your career?

PG: Where I come from, the obvious horse that comes to mind was a rockstar named Arkle. He represented Ireland as a steeplechaser and he had a big influence on me as a kid. Another horse that always sticks out in my mind is Dubai Millennium. He always to me acted as if there was something special about him.

Thinking back, I've been lucky enough to have success with several fillies and Magical Fantasy might stand out on paper because she won four Grade I races. But for one reason or another, all of the horses I've had in my stable stand out to me. Every one of them deserves the chance to be that superstar. Sometimes it doesn't happen, but I still think they all deserve to be given that chance.

To catch up on our 'Smaller But Still Super' series, click here.

The post Smaller, But Still Super: Patrick Gallagher appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Neige Blanche Takes CTT and TOC Stakes At Del Mar

Madaket Stables, De Seroux, or Naify, et al's Neige Blanche burst between horses in midstretch and powered home to come away a half-length winner of the CTT and TOC Stakes Friday at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

The French-bred 4-year-old filly by the Irish stallion Anodin ran the demanding mile and three-eighths on the turf in 2:17.45, covering the last furlong in a rapid :11 2/5 to outgame several rivals. Juan Hernandez rode the filly for trainer Leonard Powell.

Finishing second in the $85,500 overnight stakes was Haruya Yoshida's Red Lark, who had three-quarters of a length on LNJ Foxwoods' Tapwater.

Neige Blanche was winning the fifth race of her 13-race career, which started in France in 2019. Her $50,400 share of the purse increased her bankroll to $237,280.

Neige Blanche returned $9.40, $4.60 and $3.20 across the board. Red Lark paid $4.80 and $3.20, while Tapwater paid $2.80.

The track's Pick Six Single Ticket Jackpot Wager carried over for the 15th consecutive day and now stands at $1,491,923. It may be leading up to a mandatory payout day, which will take place next Saturday, TVG Pacific Classic Day.

Racing resumes at Del Mar Sunday with a 2 p.m. first post. The feature is the $150,000 Solana Beach Stakes for older fillies and mares at a mile on the turf.

The post Neige Blanche Takes CTT and TOC Stakes At Del Mar appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Equibase Analysis: Red Lark Appears The One To Beat In Buena Vista

A field of 10 is entered to run in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes, a one mile turf test for fillies and mares at Santa Anita Park. Many of them are quite accomplished, including winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks last summer, Red Lark (IRE), who most recently finished fourth in the Grade 1 American Oaks following two and one-half months off.

Mucho Unusual enters the Buena Vista Stakes off wins in the Grade 3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes and the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes and won the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes over the course last summer. Going to Vegas, who finished second in the American Oaks, and Sedamar, who finished second in the Megahertz, are both trying to move up a notch into the winner's circle in this grade 2 event.

Warren's Showtime was victorious in the similar Grade 3 Autumn Miss Stakes at a mile over the Santa Anita turf last October and is yet another with a serious chance at success. Nasty enters the race off a win over the course at the distance in the Lady Shamrock Stakes in December and was close at hand behind Warren's Showtime in the Autumn Miss two races prior to that so adds to the depth of the entrants in this race.

Charmaine's Mia just won the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes at six furlongs and is stretching out to this distance and to two turns for the first time in a stakes. Sloane Garden (GB) won a pair of stakes on grass last spring and summer at Golden Gate Fields including the Luther Burbank Stakes and returns from four months on the bench so could need a race before being competitive against this field. Bohemian Bourbon showed she belongs at the level when third in the Grade 2 Royal North Stakes last summer but her recent fifth place effort in the Las Cienegas following three months off may indicate she's not yet back in top form. Heather's Grey moves into stakes company off a sixth place effort in a sprint and may be overmatched.

Red Lark (IRE) has won only two times in 14 career starts including nine since importing to North America 13 months ago in January, 2020. After moving to turf in her second stateside start and winning, Red Lark (IRE) lost four races in a row, although she was competitive and never worse than fourth in any of those races. Then last summer came a breakout performance in the Del Mar Oaks with a visually impressive stretch run and upset at 19 to 1 odds. That effort yielded a career best 109 Equibase Speed Figure. Sent to Keeneland to run in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes as a prep for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Red Lark (IRE) ran creditably against some of the top turf fillies in the country, ending up fourth and improving to a 111 figure.

Rested two and one-half months and returning at a distance she had never run previously, one mile and one-quarter, Red Lark (IRE) rallied from ninth of 10 to get fourth at the end in the American Oaks and was only beaten a nose for third and less than a length for second. The 104 figure earned in the American Oaks was pretty good considering the layoff and distance. Cutting back to one mile for the Buena Vista, it must be noted Mucho Unusual finished second in the 2019 American Oaks before a big effort when third to multiple stakes winners (Keeper of the Stars and Jolie Olympica) in the 2020 Buena Vista. As such, Red Lark should improve considerably in her second start off a layoff and appears to be the one to beat in this race.

Nasty is a lightly raced, newly turned four year old filly, who has won three of six races on grass to date in her career. The first of the trio was a rousing eight length win last June in her turf debut at Indiana Grand and another win one month later. Following a poor effort in August, Nasty was shipped to California and to the barn of Richard Baltas and she nearly won the Autumn Miss Stakes as she made the lead with an eighth of a mile to go and was beaten a neck and a half-length on the wire off a two month layoff, earning a career-best 104 figure. After a poor effort one race before last, Nasty rebounded in the Lady Shamrock Stakes at the distance of the Buena Vista at the end of December. In that race Nasty duplicated the 104 figure she earned two races earlier while setting a strong pace and holding on gamely over Counterparty Risk, who flattered her when winning the Endeavour Stakes two weeks ago in Florida. The race also produced another next out winner and a near winner so it turns out to be a “KEY RACE” from which Nasty has potential to improve upon and win again.

Mucho Unusual has four wins in eight career tries at this mile turf trip. The most recent of those came just last month in the Megahertz Stakes, her fifth career win in nine races on the Santa Anita turf course she's shown a fondness for. Although the Megahertz effort only resulted in an 88 figure, Mucho Unusual has run well enough to be competitive with Red Lark (IRE) and Nasty if they repeat or improve upon their best efforts. One of those efforts which would make Mucho Unusual a strong contender in this year's Buena Vista came when she earned a career-best 110 figure when third, beaten just one length, in last year's Buena Vista. Mucho Unusual ran similarly well when taking the Rodeo Drive Stakes last September with a 107 figure and then two races later when winning the Robert J. Frankel Stakes with the same 107 figure. Given that strong record of success at the distance and currently in the best form of her career, Mucho Unusual has every right to succeed in this year's Buena Vista Stakes.

The rest of the Buena Vista Stakes field, with their best Equibase Speed Figures, is Bohemian Bourbon (101), Charmaine's Mia (115 sprinting), Going to Vegas (108), Heather's Grey (105), Sedamar (109), Sloane Garden (GB) (99) and Warren's Showtime (107).

Win Contenders, in preference order:
Red Lark (IRE)
Nasty
Mucho Unusual

Buena Vista Stakes – Grade 2
Race 7 at Santa Anita
Saturday, February 20, 2021 – Post Time 6:30 PM E.T.
One Mile on Turf
Fillies and Mares, Four Year Olds and Upward
Purse: $200,000

The post Equibase Analysis: Red Lark Appears The One To Beat In Buena Vista appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Cal-Breds Mucho Unusual, Warren’s Showtime Headline Saturday’s Buena Vista Stakes

A pair of talented California-breds, Mucho Unusual and Warren's Showtime, head a competitive field of 10 older fillies and mares in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes, to be contested at one mile over the Santa Anita turf.

Add in recent Grade 3 winner Charmaine's Mia, Grade 1 winner Red Lark and hard-knocking Going to Vegas, and the Buena Vista, which was first won by the late Julio Canani's Davie's Lamb with Fernando Toro up in 1988, shapes up as a terrific betting race.

Owned and bred by George Krikorian and trained by Tim Yakteen, Mucho Unusual seeks her third consecutive graded stakes victory at the current meeting. A winner of the Grade 3 Robert J. Frankel at a mile and one eighth on turf Dec. 27, she again stalked the early pace and registered a three quarter length victory at 2-5 in the Grade 3 Megahertz at one mile on turf Jan. 18.

A 5-year-old California-bred mare by Mucho Macho Man, out of the Unusual Heat mare Not Unusual, Mucho Unusual will be ridden by Abel Cedillo, as Joel Rosario is away to ride in Saudi Arabia. With four wins from eight tries at a mile on turf, Mucho Unusual is 19-7-3-4 overall with earnings of $822,715.

Third in a pair of ungraded turf stakes at the meet, the one mile Lady of Shamrock on Dec. 26 and the six furlong Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint Jan. 16, Warren's Showtime looms a huge threat as she gets back to what looks to be her preferred distance for trainer Craig Lewis. Although beaten 3 ¾ lengths as the 6-5 favorite Jan. 16, she found her best stride late in a race that appeared to short for her.

Bred by Benjamin Warren, who owns the 4-year-old filly by Clubhouse Ride out of Warren's Veneda, by Affirmative with his wife Sally, Warren's Showtime has ample class and would benefit from a hot pace with Juan Hernandez back aboard. A winner of five out of her nine one mile turf assignments, Warren's Showtime is 16-6-1-7 overall with earnings of $569,431.

A 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare by top sprinter The Factor, Agave Racing Stable's Charmaine's Mia came to play in her Southern California debut on Jan. 9, as she controlled the pace en route to a huge 2 ½ length win in the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes at six furlongs on turf while dismissed at 16-1. Previously headquartered at Woodbine Racecourse in Toronto, she registered a lofty 98 Beyer Speed figure in her first start for Phil D'Amato, who approached the Las Cienegas with a steady diet of drills on Santa Anita's inner dirt training track.

Although ridden in the Las Cienegas by Drayden Van Dyke, she'll be handled by Flavien Prat on Saturday, as Van Dyke will stick with the Paddy Gallagher-trained Red Lark.

A winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks at a mile and one eighth on turf three starts back on Aug. 22, Irish-bred Red Lark was then a close fourth in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II at Keeneland Oct. 10 and was most recently fourth, beaten 2 ¾ lengths in the Grade 1 American Oaks at a mile and one quarter on grass here Dec. 26. Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, 4-year-old Red Lark has a second place finish from two tries at one mile on turf and is one of several who need a fast pace as she cuts back in distance a quarter mile.

Idle since second, beaten two lengths at 14-1 in the Grade 1 American Oaks Dec. 26, the Richard Baltas-trained Going to Vegas has been second in her last four starts, the last three all graded stakes. Like Red Lark, Going to Vegas will be shortening up a quarter mile, but with a one mile turf resume that reads 9-3-3-2, she could certainly make her presence felt with regular rider Mario Gutierrez up. Owned by Harry Bederian, Harout Kamberian, Hagop Nakkashian and Richard Baltas, Going to Vegas, a 4-year-old filly by Goldencents, was claimed for $50,000 seven starts back on June 12 and has been off the board just once in six subsequent races.

THE GRADE 2 BUENA VISTA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 OF 9 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

Bohemian Bourbon—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—120
Mucho Unusual—Abel Cedillo—124
Warren's Showtime—Juan Hernandez—122
Nasty—Ricardo Gonzalez—120
Red Lark—Drayden Van Dyke—122
Sedamar—Ruben Fuentes—120
Going to Vegas—Mario Gutierrez—120
Charmaine's Mia—Flavien Prat—120
Sloane Garden—Tiago Pereira—120
Heathers Grey—Jessica Pyfer–120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com.

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