Richard Baltas | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘A Good Heart And A Good Soul’: Trainer Barry Abrams, 61, Dies;

Racing hasn't lost its greatest trainer, but arguably its greatest fan.

Barry Abrams died peacefully Friday night at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Arcadia, Calif., after he was taken off a ventilator following a recent fall at home that injured his back. He was 66. Services are pending.

Abrams had courageously battled throat cancer for 15 years. A bear of a man at 6-4, 315 pounds before he was stricken, Abrams bared his soul in a story I authored about his ordeal that appeared in the October-November 2015 issue of North American Trainer Magazine, excerpts of which follow in this item.

Barry Abrams never smoked. He got cancer anyway. Side effects from the treatment over a 10-year period caused him to lose his taste buds, prevented him from swallowing (he used a feeding tube), he couldn't eat, run, go in the ocean or a swimming pool.

“I'm just functioning and happy to be alive,” he said. “I can eat cookies as long as they're liquified and made pudding-like. I can't swallow anything else because I have no salivary glands that create saliva.”

He lost half his voice box during surgeries, reducing his speech to a whisper, but he never complained.

“Ordinarily, you talk about things like saving for the future and making plans for this and that, but facing this, you realize that there could be no future,” he said in the 2015 article.

One of Barry's dearest friends was trainer Richard Baltas, who assisted in the barn operation during Abrams' five-month recovery in 2011. “He's very kind with a good heart,” Baltas said. “Years ago, I wanted to leave Louisiana and come home to California, but I needed a job.

“Barry didn't quibble. He simply asked me, 'How much do you want to make?' and that was it. He came to my wedding on Feb. 26, 2011, when he was sick with cancer. He's done many kind and generous things for me.”

Said Abrams' wife, Dyan: “Barry is so kind and helpful. If you needed the shirt off his back, he'd give it to you. … He's one of the good ones. He's got a good heart and a good soul.”

Trainer Peter Miller was looking forward to winning the Breeders' Cup Mile with a horse Abrams owns in part, Mo Forza. “Barry and I have known each other probably 25, 30 years,” Miller said several days ago. “Barry's a great guy. Everyone loves him, and this horse really helped keep him going.”

A highly accomplished conditioner of both Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds, Barry Abrams will forever be associated with Unusual Heat, a horse he claimed for $80,000 on June 10, 1996. The son of Nureyev would go on to become one of the greatest stallions in California racing history.

With Barry's passing, two questions will forever remain unresolved: did racing love Barry more, or did Barry love racing more?

Call it a dead-heat.

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Grade 1 Winner Lady Prancealot To Be Offered At Keeneland November Sale

Grade 1 winner Lady Prancealot, who was third in the Sept. 26 Grade 1 Rodeo Drive at Santa Anita, will be offered as a racing or broodmare prospect during the premier Book 1 of Keeneland's November Breeding Stock Sale on Nov. 9.

Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, will consign the 4-year-old daughter of Sir Prancealot, who has earned more than $640,000 while competing against the best of her division.

Lady Prancealot's connections all praise the filly for her talent and consistency.

“She's been unbelievably sound,” co-owner Michael Iavarone said. “She hasn't missed a beat. She's pretty much taken us everywhere we wanted to go.”

“Lady Prancealot has taken our partners on a great ride,” said Phillip Shelton, racing manager of co-owner Medallion Racing. “She won our first graded stakes at Keeneland in the G3 Pin Oak Valley View before going on to win the G1 American Oaks. We formed our partnership to have fillies like her and count ourselves lucky that she shows up every time.”

“Lady Prancealot has been unlucky this year,” trainer Richard Baltas said. “She has run big races but never gets any pace to run at. She's all class and just needs some speed up front to get her back in the winner's circle at the top level.”

“Lady Prancealot represents a great opportunity to race or breed in 2021,” said Mark Taylor, Taylor Made's vice president of marketing and public sales operations. “Her race potential speaks for itself, and her female family has been consistently producing top-class horses on both sides of the Atlantic for the last 50 years.”

Lady Prancealot began her career in England, where she was first, second or third in her initial three starts. She arrived in the U.S. and was second in her first two races, the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf and Surfer Girl at Santa Anita. Those performances earned the Southern California-based filly a start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs.

In 2019, Lady Prancealot faced a number of division standouts, winning the G3 Honeymoon at Santa Anita and finishing third to Grade 1 winner Cambier Parc in the G1 Del Mar Oaks Presented by The Jockey Club. Sent to the East Coast, she contested the rich Jockey Club Oaks Invitational at Belmont Park.

During Keeneland's Fall Meet, Lady Prancealot captured the 1 1/16-mile G3 Pin Oak Valley View by three-quarters of a length. That performance set her up for a triumphant return home, where she was the 8-5 favorite for the prestigious G1 American Oaks at Santa Anita and won by a half-length.

This year, Lady Prancealot has competed in Grade 1 and Grade 2 competition in Southern California with a runner-up finish in Del Mar's G2 John C. Mabee on Sept. 5 and a third in the aforementioned Rodeo Drive.

“What differentiates her is she has an explosive turn of foot,” Iavarone said. “I love horses that have that style. You think she has no chance, and all of a sudden here she comes out of nowhere. Horses like that really make the heart beat. They're really exciting. She never not shows up. She puts in her run every single time.”

Lady Prancealot has an international pedigree with winning connections in the U.S. and abroad. Also representing her sire, Sir Prancealot, is Beau Recall, who recently won the G2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile for the second consecutive year to increase her earnings to more than $1.4 million. In August, another daughter, Irish-bred 2-year-old Miss Amulet, took the G2 Sky Bet Lowther at York in England and is considered a top performer in her division.

In the U.S., Sir Prancealot also is represented by Grade 2 winner Madam Dancealot and Keeneland's 2019 Limestone Turf Sprint winner, Ginger Nut.

Lady Prancealot's female family features several successful international runners. Among them are Shadwell Stable's homebred Almanaar, a Group 3 winner in France who became a Grade 1 winner in the U.S. and has competed in the Breeders' Cup World Championships; and Almanaar's dam, Baqah, a Group 2 winner in France and a Group 1-placed runner in England.

“Keeneland is very pleased to offer Lady Prancealot in the November Sale, which is a key source of bloodstock for buyers from around the world,” Keeneland President-Elect and Interim Head of Sales Shannon Arvin said. “Lady Prancealot has a special connection to Keeneland through her victory in the Pin Oak Valley View, and we will be excited to see her in the sales ring.”

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Lady Prancealot, Bodhicitta Give Baltas Strong Hand In Rodeo Drive Stakes

Blessed with a pair of talented turf distaffers, trainer Richard Baltas has a big look at Saturday's Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as his Lady Prancealot, a fast-closing second in her most recent start, has solid distance credentials, while his Bodhicitta is in top form although distance may be a question.

For fillies and mares three and up going a mile and one quarter on turf, Saturday's $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes has attracted a competitive field of seven fillies and mares.

A winner of the G1 American Oaks in her only try at the Rodeo Drive distance five starts back on Dec. 28, Lady Prancealot, a 4-year-old Irish-bred filly, is winless in four graded stakes this year, but she flew late to be beaten a diminishing neck at a mile and one eighth on turf Sept. 5 and merits top billing.

With Umberto Rispoli back aboard Lady Prancealot and Flavien Prat with Bodhicitta, these two ultra-talented reinsmen will most certainly renew their rivalry that resulted in Prat taking a 50-49 photo finish for leading rider honors at the recently concluded Del Mar meeting.

The Rodeo Drive is a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Breeders' Cup Challenge Race qualifier, with the winner to receive a fees-paid berth into the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

LADY PRANCEALOT
Owner: Jerry McClanahan, Michael Iavarone, Parkland Thoughbreds, et al
Trainer: Richard Baltas

A winner of three graded stakes in 16 stateside starts for Baltas, she has been close in nearly all of her races while amassing earnings of $604,841 from an overall mark of 21-5-5-3. With turf master Rispoli back aboard, look for Irish-bred Lady Prancealot to be on the move the final eighth of a mile.

BODHICITTA
Owner: Calvin Nguyen
Trainer: Richard Baltas

A game nose winner of the G2 Yellow Ribbon Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf Aug. 8, this 4-year-old English-bred filly has won three out of her last four starts, all with Prat aboard. Second, beaten 1 ¼ lengths in the G1 Gamely Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf two starts back, she'll try a mile and one quarter for the first time in what will be her 16th career start. With four wins, as many seconds and one third place finish, she has earnings of $265,808.

MAXIM RATE
Owner: Slam Dunk Racing & James D. Branham
Trainer: Simon Callaghan

A winner of two consecutive turf routes at Del Mar, the most recent a neck victory in the CTT & TOC Stakes at 1 3/8 miles on Aug. 16, she brings a solid recent record to the Rodeo Drive party but she'll be facing tougher. Ridden by Rispoli in her last two starts, she'll get the services of eastern-based Luis Saez, as Rispoli appears to have opted for Lady Prancealot. A G3 winner going a mile on turf at age three, her mile and three eighths win on Aug. 16 lends added encouragement at the Rodeo Drive distance.

GRADE I RODEO DRIVE STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 7 of 11 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

1. Tonahutu—Abel Cedillo—122

2. Maxim Rate—Luis Saez—122

3. Bodhicitta—Flavien Prat—124

4. Mucho Unusual—Juan Hernandez—122

5. Pretty Point—Mike Smith—122

6. Lady Prancealot—Umberto Rispoli—126

7. Catch the Eye—Victor Espinoza—122

First post time for an 11-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. Although there is no public admittance, fans can follow a live video stream, free of charge, at santaanita.com

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Honor Roll Presented By The Runhappy Meet At Kentucky Downs: Ms Bad Behavior Has Been All Good For Hubbard

With offspring like One Bad Boy and Ms Bad Behavior, it would be easy to assume that trouble runs in the family of the Stormy Atlantic mare Cumulonimble.

Far from it.

One Bad Boy, the younger of the two half-siblings – both of whom were foaled in Ontario – was a $65,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase by bloodstock agent Brooke Hubbard on behalf of Sayjay Racing in 2017. The Twirling Candy colt traveled north of the border to win last year's Queen's Plate, the most important horse race for Canadian-breds. Through seven career starts, One Bad Boy has earned $556,732.

Hubbard had some inside information while shopping at Keeneland in 2017. One Bad Boy's older half-sister by Blame, Ms Bad Behavior, showed promise in a pair of 2-year-old maiden races in California for trainer Richard Baltas just before the September auction. She had purchased him for Sayjay and Greg Hall for $75,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September Sale.

Ms Bad Behavior would go on fulfill that promise in an 18-race career that would include four wins, seven seconds and three third-place finishes over three seasons. She would retire with earnings of $502,251.

Foremost among the wins was her lone graded stakes victory in 2019 at 7-1 odds in the Grade 3 Three Chimneys Ladies Turf Stakes at Kentucky Downs. Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Ms Bad Behavior controlled the pace, drawing off late to defeat 11-10 favorite Mitchell Road by 1 1/2 lengths.

Even though she didn't qualify for Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund purse enhancements, the Ladies Turf Stakes win was worth $180,420, her richest payday.

Both One Bad Boy and Ms Bad Behavior were trained in Southern California by Richard Baltas and raced for the partnership of Sayjay Racing, Greg Hall and Brooke Hubbard.

One Bay Boy remains in training: he finished fourth Aug. 29 in a Del Mar allowance race, his first start since running third in the Canadian Triple Crown's middle leg, the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie on July 23, 2019.

Ms Bad Behavior was entered in Fasig-Tipton Kentucky's November Sale last year, bringing a final bid of $600,000 from Australia-based Freyer Bloodstock.

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