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1/ST Donates $50,000 to TAA on Pegasus World Cup Day

1/ST celebrated more than decade long partnership with the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) on Pegasus World Cup Day. For the second consecutive year, the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf was named in honor of the TAA and in a presentation following the race, TAA representatives accepted a check for $50,000 from 1/ST.

“1/ST RACING & GAMING stands behind the efforts of the TAA and we are proud to make continued contributions to ensure our thoroughbred athletes receive the best care following their racing careers,” said Aidan Butler, Chief Executive Officer, 1/ST Racing & Gaming.

Added TAA Operations Consultant, Stacie Clark, “We are proud of our long history and partnership with 1/ST Racing. 1/ST continues to provide the TAA with a foundation of support through which we can promote the great and vital work done by our accredited organizations. We were thrilled to join our partners here once again at Gulfstream Park to enjoy a fantastic day of racing and to support our industry's deserving horses and the accredited organizations they call home.”

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The Kentucky Oaks Top 10 – Feb. 2

With the runnings of the GIII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita and the Martha Washington S. at Oaklawn, there's now a bit more clarity to the division, particularly in California where Las Virgenes winner Faiza (Girvin) look like she is the best of that group. The Martha Washington was won by the Brad Cox-trained Wet Paint (Blame), but she didn't beat a stellar group and will have to wait for another day to make this list. This will be a quiet weekend for the 3-year-old fillies. Gulfstream does offer the GIII Forward Gal S., but it is a seven-furlong race and most of the entrants look to be sprinters.

1) WONDER WHEEL (f, Into Mischief–Wonder Gal, by Tiz Wonderful) O-D. J. Stable LLC. B-Three Chimneys Farm, LLC & Clearsky Farm (Ky). T-Mark Casse. Sales history: $275,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 5-4-1-0, $1,550,725. Last Start: Won GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland Nov. 4. Kentucky Oaks Points: 40. Next Start: Suncoast S., Tam, Feb. 11

The Eclipse Award-winning filly continues to progress while training at Mark Casse's training center. She worked five furlongs in 59 last week and is gearing up for what will be her 3-year-old debut in the Feb. 11 Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs. “After an easy breeze last week, Wonder Wheel is on course to run in the Suncoast Stakes.,” said DJ Stable General Manager Jon Green. “She may be a tad light from a fitness standpoint, but we prefer two-turn options over the other possible preps. Tyler Gaffalione will have the mount in the Suncoast.” The Suncoast will not be an easy spot as the race is also expected to include GII Demoiselle S. winner Julia Shining (Curlin), so it will be a good test for the champion. Wonder Wheel's Eclipse Award was the second in the juvenile fillies category for DJ Stable, which also won the award in 2018 with Jaywalk (Cross Traffic).

2) HOOSIER PHILLY (f, Into Mischief–Tapella, by Tapit) O-Gold Standard Racing Stable, LLC. B-Candy Meadows, LLC (Ky). T-Thomas Amoss. Sales history: $510,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-3-0-0, $432,610. Last Start: Won GII Golden Rod S. at Churchill Downs Nov. 26. Kentucky Oaks Points: 10
Next Start: GII Rachel Alexandra S., FG, Feb. 18

Hoosier Philly had her first published workout of the year last Saturday, breezing four furlongs in 47.40 at the Fair Grounds. “When she worked this past weekend I saw the same horse that I have been seeing since she first came to the track, which is good,” trainer Tom Amoss said. “I am really pleased that she is enthusiastic about her training. I like her development physically, as well.” The Into Mischief filly remains on target for the Feb. 18 Rachel Alexandra at the Fair Grounds. Should she win that day Amoss will need to make a decision about her future plans, which, he has said all along, could include a start in the GI Kentucky Derby. “We're running in the Rachel Alexandra and will see how she does,” Amoss said in regards to the Derby question. “I can't comment beyond that. I haven't thought that much about it.” A very exciting prospect who could ultimately land in the top spot in this poll, her 3-year-old debut will be a must-see event.

3) FAIZA (f, Girvin–Sweet Pistol, by Smart Strike) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Michael L Petersen. B-Brereton C. Jones (Ky). T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $90,000 yrl '21 KEESEP; $725,000 2yo '22 FTMMAY. Lifetime Record: GISW, 2-2-0-0, $222,000. Last Start: Won the GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos on Dec. 10. Kentucky Oaks Points: 0. Next Start: To Be Determined.

With her win in the Las Virgenes, Faiza became the clear leader of the 3-year-old filly division in California. A member of the loaded Bob Baffert stable, she's done nothing wrong. A $725,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Midatlantic 2-Year-Olds Sale, she's now 3-for-3 and her record includes a victory in the GI Starlet S. But while she's getting the job done, she's not blowing anyone away. She won the Starlet by a head and the Las Virgenes by a half-length, each time beating Pride of the Nile. Also, she hasn't been running particularly fast as her 77 Beyer in the Las Virgenes equaled her career best. Then again, she's undefeated, a Grade I winner, cost $725,000 at the sales and is trained by Bob Baffert, all of which makes her a formidable member of this division. Was ridden by Ramon Vazquez in the Las Virgenes, after Flavien Prat was the pilot in her two prior starts.

4) ICE DANCING (f, Frosted–Welcome Dance, by Henny Hughes) O-Perry R Bass, II & Ramona Bass. B-Bass Stables, LLC (Ky). T-Richard Mandella. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 5-2-0-2, $219,600. Last Start: Won GIII Santa Ynez S. at Santa Anita Jan. 8. Kentucky Oaks Points: 12. Next Start: To Be Determined

Ice Dancing | Benoit Photo

After winning the GIII Santa Ynez S. on Jan. 8, she sat out the Las Virgenes because trainer Richard Mandella wanted to space her races apart. Still, she's been busy in the mornings, having had two four furlong works since her last race. She's been a completely new horse after finishing fourth, beaten six lengths, in the GII Chandelier S. in October. Mandella regrouped and put her in a maiden race, which she won by a length. Next up was a convincing 3 1/4 length win in the Santa Ynez. If she doesn't progress from here, her connections can always try her on the turf. She is out of Welcome Dance (Henny Hughes), a two-time stakes winner on the grass who started just once on the dirt.

5) MUNNYS GOLD (f, Munnings–Haraawa, by Medaglia D'Oro) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Robert E. and Lawana L. Low; B-Nicksar Farms; T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $300,000 ylr '21 FTKJUL. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0. Last Start: Won an Allowance race at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25. Kentucky Oaks Points: 0. Next Start: GII Davona Dale S., GP, Mar. 4 or Any Limit S., GP, Mar. 18

After turning in an eye-catching performance in June at Monmouth, where she won by 14 ½ lengths and earned a 101 Beyer figure, Munnys Gold disappeared, only to return last week at Gulfstream in a six-furlong allowance race for Florida-breds. Sent off at 1-20, she won by 6 1/4 lengths and this time got an 88 Beyer. We know she's fast, but is she a two-turn horse, an Oaks candidate? Trainer Todd Pletcher is waiting to find out. “She's a bit headstrong so she'll have to convince me that she wants to stretch out,” Pletcher said. The GII Davona Dale S. at a mile on March 4 is a possibility, but so is the six-furlong Any Limit S. On March 18. If Pletcher chooses the shorter race that would be a pretty good sign that he doesn't think this one is Oaks material.

6) LEAVE NO TRACE (f, Outwork–Tanquerray, by Good Journey) O-WellSpring Stables. B-Red Cloak Farm, LLC (Ky). T-Philip Serpe. Sales history: $8,000 yrl '21 FTFFEB; $40,000 yrl '21 FTMOCT. Lifetime Record: GISW, 4-2-1-1, $598,650. Last Start: 2nd in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland Nov. 4.Kentucky Oaks Points: 15. Next Start: GII Davona Dale S., GP, Mar. 4.

Gearing up for the Davona Dale S., Leave No Trace has had three published workouts this year for trainer Phil Serpe. The GII Gulfstream Parks Oaks will be next and then, if she continues to progress, a run in the Kentucky Oaks. She's come quite a long way after being purchased out of the Fasig-Tipton Midatlantic 2-Year-Olds Sale for just $40,000. Before that, she sold for $8,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February Mixed Sale. After winning the GI Spinaway S., she finished second in the GI Frizette S. and then second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Leave No Trace was the first graded stakes winner for sire Outwork. She was the first Grade I winner for trainer Phil Serpe since Birdonthewire (Proud Birdie) won the 1994 Vosburgh S.

7) JULIA SHINING (f, Curlin–Dreaming of Julia, by A.P. Indy) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Stonestreet Stables LLC. B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (Ky). T-Todd Pletcher. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $194,075. Last Start: Won the GII Demoiselle S. at Aqueduct Dec. 3. Kentucky Oaks Points: 10
Next Start: Suncoast S., Tam, Feb. 11

Curlin has been on quite a run, one that includes being the sire of three of 2022's Eclipse Awards winners. In Julia Shining, he has another horse with a world of potential. A full-sister to Eclipse Award winner Malathaat (Curlin), she's 2-for-2 and coming off a win in the GII Demoiselle S. It's hard to know what to make of that race. She won by just a neck and, as the 55-100 favorite, didn't exactly square off against stellar competition. But with her pedigree and her late-running style, she has looked like a horse who will only get better at three. How good is she? We'll find out soon as she is scheduled to take on champion Wonder Wheel in the Feb. 11 Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs.

8) THE ALYS LOOK (f, Connect–Foul Play, by Harlan's Holiday) O-Ike and Dawn Thrash. B-G. Watts Humphrey (Ky). T-Brad H. Cox. Sales history: $60,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 5-2-1-1, $150,528. Last Start: Won the Silverbulletday S. at Fair Grounds Jan. 21. Kentucky Oaks Points: 24. Next Start: GII Fair Grounds Oaks, FG, Mar. 25

The Alys Look | Hodges Photography / Jamie Newell

Brad Cox has several Oaks candidates, though none that, at least so far, are regarded as among the best in the division. The Alys Look fits that bill. Just a $60,000 yearling buy, she outran stablemate and beaten Juvenile Fillies favorite Chop Chop (City of Light) to win her 3-year-old debut in the Silverbulletday S. at the Fair Grounds. She will no doubt need to improve in order to be able to knock off the best of her division, but one of Cox's strengths is his ability to get horses to peak at the most opportune time.

9) JUSTIQUE (f, Justify–Grazie Mille, by Bernardini) 'TDN Rising Star' O-C R K Stable, LLC. B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock (Ky). T-John A Shirreffs. Sales history: $725,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW & GSP, 3-2-0-1, $132,000. Last Start: 3rd in the GIII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita Jan. 28. Kentucky Oaks Points: 9. Next Start: To Be Determined.

The John Shirreffs-trained filly has run four times and has looked sensational twice and rather ordinary twice. The latest disappointment came in the Las Virgenes where she was a third-place finisher and lost by three lengths. The other sub-par effort came in the Chandelier, where she was a non-threatening third. The connection is that both those races were around two turns where her better starts came around one turn. So is she just a one-turn horse? Maybe. Yet that doesn't make a lot of sense. By Justify out of a Bernardini mare, she's bred to go long and her late-kick closing style also suggest a horse who should like a distance. She missed a scheduled start in the Santa Ynez when sick, so maybe she needed the start in the Las Virgenes. But she still has to prove that she can get a distance. The jury remains out.

10) OCCULT (f, Into Mischief–Magical Feeling, by Empire Maker) O-Alpha Delta Stables, LLC. B-Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC (Ky). T-Chad C. Brown. Sales history: $625,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 3-2-0-0, $107,450. Last Start: Won the Busanda S. at Aqueduct Jan. 14. Kentucky Oaks Points: 20. Next Start: To Be Determined

Looks like the best of the bunch when it comes to 3-year-old fillies training in New York. After breaking her maiden in her second career start, she was a handy winner of the Jan. 14 Busanda S. at Aqueduct for trainer Chad Brown. Brown is shopping for a spot for her next start. Don't get caught up on the fact that she's a New York winter horse. She's obviously got some quality and Brown has used the New York route in the past with a number of good horses.

The post The Kentucky Oaks Top 10 – Feb. 2 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Proven Strategies: Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth

A donation of a horse to a tax-exempt organization can be mutually beneficial. The donor could potentially obtain an income tax deduction, and the organization receives a worthwhile asset. The horse itself also appreciates greener pastures.

This article summarizes the guidelines for horse owners contemplating such a charitable contribution.
Recipient
Be sure that the donee organization qualifies as an eligible charity under the Internal Revenue Code and that your horse will be used by the organization to further its exempt purpose. You can ask to see the “IRS Determination Letter” or look online for the listing of approved charities.

Determining Fair Market Value (FMV)
What is the price your horse could be donated for on the date of your charitable gift? You may want to consider the services of a professional equine appraiser.

FMV will be a function of several variables, including the horse's age, the number of years owned, how the horse has been trained and used, as well as the horse's personality and track record.

The appraisal should include a description of the horse, the dates of the appraisal and donation, the appraiser's name and qualifications, and the appraisal method used.

Potential Income Tax Deduction
Generally, you may deduct the FMV of the horse you are donating, though many caveats apply. The full FMV deduction is available when:

–The horse will be used by the donee charitable organization directly in regard to its stated charitable purpose.

–There is no financial consideration received in return.

–You have used the horse in business activities for the prior 24 months.

Limitations on the Income Tax Charitable Contribution Deduction
If the horse is not used in connection with the charity's purpose, the income tax deduction becomes the lesser of the FMV of the horse or the amount of your cost basis. A horse that you bred yourself or one that is fully depreciated would not give rise to any deduction in such a case.

This same limitation of the lesser of FMV or cost basis also applies to a horse that has been owned for less than 24 months.

Another situation of a reduced deduction arises when a donated horse that has appreciated in value but has been depreciated. In this scenario, the amount of the charitable deduction is reduced by the amount of depreciation that has been taken.

Further, if you donate a horse that has diminished in value, i.e. your cost basis is higher than the FMV, your charitable deduction would be limited to the FMV.

In such a case, you may be better off selling the horse to generate a tax loss, then donating the proceeds to the charity.

How to Report Your Donation on Your Tax Return
When your charitable deduction is more than $500, you will need to include Form 8283 with your tax return. This form asks for how and when you acquired the horse, your basis, the estimated FMV, and the method used to come up with the FMV.

If the charitable deduction to be taken is greater than $5,000, you will need to have your horse appraised at the time of the donation. This attached written appraisal needs to be contemporaneous and signed by the appraiser, along with the appraiser's qualifications and method(s) used to determine the valuation.

The Green Group
Our team here at the Green Group, with our many decades of equine experience, would be glad to walk you through the steps to make sure that you achieve the maximum charitable contribution deduction that you deserve.

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Taking Stock: Mr. Prospector is the Most Influential

A few weeks ago, I was a guest on the weekly Going In Circles podcast, which is hosted by Chuck Simon, the former trainer who's also a top-notch writer at his blog, and Barry “The Sniper” Spears, an excellent handicapper and well-known figure on Twitter. Simon asked for my opinion on which stallion I'd consider to be the most influential of the past 50 years. You can listen to a nine-minute clip of the conversation here. My answer? Claiborne's iconic Mr. Prospector, of course.

The clip generated quite a bit of interest and debate on social media. Simon kept Northern Dancer out of the equation, and I made my selection on North American-based stallions whose careers had begun within the 50-year window. Mr. Prospector, a son of Raise a Native from Gold Digger, by Nashua, was born in 1970–the same year as Secretariat and Forego–and entered stud in 1975 in Florida. This timeframe eliminated not only Northern Dancer but also Raise a Native, another icon.

Mr. Prospector's stud career and substantial influence has been thoroughly documented through the years from the time he went to stud until his death in 1999 at the age of 29. All told, he sired 1,195 foals and 182 black-type winners, a ratio of 15% from foals– not starters. These days top stallions are lucky to hit 10%.

Fifty-odd years since his birth, Mr. Prospector's influence is still palpable. Five of the top 10 sires on the general sire list of 2022– Quality Road, Curlin, Gun Runner, Speightstown, and Munnings–trace in tail-male descent to him, as do four of the top 10 broodmare sires–Street Cry (Ire), Smart Strike, Distorted Humor, and Unbridled's Song.

In 2015, John Sparkman wrote a piece in Daily Racing Form titled “Mr. Prospector line has no American equal” that said in part, “…Mr. Prospector now stands at the head of the most successful classic sire line in the United States. His fifth-generation male-line descendant American Pharoah, who broke a 37-year Triple Crown drought with his Belmont Stakes victory on June 6, is the 32nd American classic winner descending in male line from Mr. Prospector dating back to when his son Conquistador Cielo won the Belmont in 1982.”

According to Sparkman, the Northern Dancer line was second to Mr. Prospector in this timeframe, with 17 Classic winners.

Since then, the Mr. Prospector line is responsible for an additional seven Classic winners in the U.S., the most recent of which was last year's Gl Preakness winner Early Voting (Gun Runner). The Northern Dancer line also has had another seven.

If the Classics are the gauge, Mr. Prospector's impact on them certainly makes him the most influential stallion of the last 50 years.

Florida to Claiborne

Mr. Prospector, who was bred by Leslie Combs ll, topped the 1971 Keeneland July sale at $220,000. He was purchased by A.I. “Butch” Savin's AISCO Stable and trained by Jimmy Croll, but he wasn't a Classic horse himself; he was sprinter, and a brilliantly fast one when he was sound. On the same day that Savin's Regal and Royal won the Gl Florida Derby, defeating Forego by three lengths, Mr. Prospector set the track record for six furlongs at Gulfstream in 1:07 4/5, winning by nine lengths in his third start.

Mr. Prospector, who was unraced at two, would go on to win seven of 14 starts, including the Gravesend and Whirlaway while contemporaries Secretariat won the Triple Crown and Forego three Horse of the Year titles.

Mr. Prospector attained his legendary status in the breeding shed, and improbably at that. Savin retired him to stud inexpensively at his AISCO Stable in Florida, far away from the best broodmares in Kentucky, but Mr. Prospector simply had what it took to overcome lesser mares. From his first crop, he got 1978 Eclipse champion 2-year-old filly It's in the Air, among others. Fappiano, a Grade l winner and top racehorse who became an influential stallion himself, was a member of Mr. Prospector's second crop. Another future successful stallion, Grade l-placed Crafty Prospector, was from Mr. Prospector's fourth crop.

Peter Brant | Sid Fernando

Peter Brant, who picked up an Eclipse award for Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) as top turf filly or mare last week, was among the first owner-breeders to notice Mr. Prospector's prepotency and was instrumental in acquiring Mr. Prospector and moving him to Kentucky for the 1981 breeding season. I spoke last week to Brant, whose White Birch Farm is in Connecticut, of how he was able to move the stallion from AISCO to Claiborne.

“Butch Savin was in the concrete mix business in Connecticut. When he had Mr. Prospector, he lived in Connecticut and also in Boca Raton in Florida. I started to notice this horse was getting some nice horses from some cheap mares, as I was looking up stallion stats to see who to breed to, and this horse was looking very, very good, so I made it my business to meet Butch Savin. I would go down to Boca Raton, because at the time I was playing polo in Wellington. I kind of lived in Florida three months of the year while I was playing polo. So, I would go down to Boca–he had a condominium overlooking the ocean–and I would pick him up; he had a favorite Chinese restaurant and we would go there and sit and talk of the future plans of Mr. Prospector.

“I'd called Seth Hancock up and told him this horse was the real deal, and Seth was interested but the horse was in Florida and the horse was good with cheap mares but would he do well on the Kentucky circuit against those other stallions, especially the ones Seth was carrying at the time,” Brant said.

“Anyway, I'm talking to Butch and I tell him why don't we move the horse to Kentucky, and he says, 'Well, I'm not going to move. I have a farm in Florida.' And I said, 'Why don't you stay in on the horse, and we'll move him to Kentucky?' So, I'm talking to Seth and Butch Savin–it was really like arbitraging Seth and Butch Savin–and it wasn't the easiest job in the world. Finally, Butch agreed to move the horse to Kentucky and said he would stay in on the horse. I was going to keep like a third of the horse, and Seth was going to syndicate the rest of him. You know, Seth did a great job syndicating him–he had the best owners in there. And then Savin says, 'I don't want to stay in on the horse. I'm not, realistically, going to send any mares up to Kentucky.' So, he didn't stay in. And we paid real money for the horse. It was probably between $175,000 to $200,000 per share, and there were 40 shares.

“I ended up keeping a third, and as the prices went up I'd spin off some shares. You know, at one point he was standing for $300,000 no guarantee. He was a very valuable horse, and what made him a great investment for everybody involved was that the shares went to over a million dollars. And what made him even more valuable was he was one of the few stallions who was breeding to more mares back then, and so you basically got an extra season every other year. Back then, horses were breeding 40 to 48 mares, and he was breeding 64, 65 mares, up to 70. And so it was a very good deal, and he also lived a very long life and was fertile for a long time.”

And he sired some of the best colts and fillies of his era, and they in turn became sires and dams of other high-quality stock, and the cycle kept continuing.

And it keeps continuing, which is why Mr. Prospector is the most influential sire of the last 50 years in North America.

Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks.

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