Fasig-Tipton to Sponsor Fair Grounds Fillies Races

Fasig-Tipton will be the title sponsor of Fair Grounds Race Course's 2023 series for 3-year-old fillies. The “Fasig-Tipton Tremé Triple” consists of the Silverbulletday S. on Jan. 21, the GII Rachel Alexandra S. on Feb. 18, and the GII Fair Grounds Oaks on Mar. 25.

The name of the series is a tribute to the historic Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans that borders Fair Grounds Race Course.

“We are very excited to expand our partnership with Fair Grounds Race Course to sponsor the Louisiana's 3-year-old filly series that leads to the Kentucky Oaks,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said. “This series is synonymous with the sport's best fillies, many of which we have had the honor of selling as yearlings and 2-year-olds, or subsequently at our November Sale at their conclusion of their careers. It's a very natural partnership for us.

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After Clairiere Comes La Crete: Cavorting’s Second Foal Nominated To Silverbulletday

Mapping out a talented horse's racing career can be difficult, but it helps to have a scout show the way. Clairiere's sensational 3-year-old surge for the Kentucky Oaks began with a win in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) at Fair Grounds, and now her half sister, Stonestreet Stable's La Crete who is nominated and expected to run in the Silverbulletday, looks to take a very similar path.

The nominations for the 30th running of the $150,000 Silverbulletday have been released, and 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Oaks points have helped entice 13 sophomore fillies for this 1 mile 70 yards main track contest. The Silverbulletday is one of six stakes on the “Road to the Derby Day” card at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, which takes place on Jan. 22. First post will be at 12:05 pm CT.

Unlike her sister who imposes her will in the late stages of a race, La Crete showed early interest winning a Nov. 20 maiden special weight at Churchill Downs when she held the lead through all points of call. The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro's forward style could prove a major advantage, given the success of early speed thus far at the Fair Grounds. Like her millionaire half-sister, La Crete is trained by Steve Asmussen.

However, if past tactics of other nominees holds up, La Crete will likely have early company. Nominated by Al Stall Jr., Columbine's Stables Fannie and Freddie has shown her pressing tactic,s most recently beaten a neck when earning 4 Oaks points in the Untapable on the locally contested “The Road to the Derby Kickoff Day” card on Dec. 26.

Todd Pletcher leads all trainers with three Silverbulletday nominees: Red Oak Stables' Goddess of Fire, Repole Stables' Gratitude, and Westerberg Limited, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B.Tabor, and Derrick Smith's Sweet as Pie.

All horses nominated for the 109th running of the $1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) are also eligible for the $200,000 Lecomte Stakes (G3) with the top four finishers receiving Kentucky Derby points (10-4-2-1). Standouts include Epicenter, Pappacap, Tiz the Bomb, Smile Happy, Rattle N Roll, Cyberknife, Oviatt Class and Zandon.

Finishing third in the Clark (G1), Midnight Bourbon is prepped and ready for his consistent nemesis, Mandaloun, who makes his return in the $150,000 Louisiana Stakes (G3) at 1 mile 1/16. Having raced five times prior, Midnight Bourbon tallies three higher finishes of their five prior bouts.

Michelle Lovell and Griffon Farms' Just Might and Susan Moulton's Manny Wah have both been nominated by their respective trainers–Michelle Lovell and Wayne “Catman” Catalano–for the 69th running of the $100,000 Duncan F. Keener Stakes 5 1/2 furlong turf sprint. Just Might has won the last two, but Manny Wah had the upper hand winning last year's edition of the Kenner.

The 36th Running Of The $100,000 Colonel E.R. Bradley Stakes going 1 1/16 miles over the Stall Wilson Turf Course has taken 36 nominations. Among many standouts: Hugh Robertson nominates Mr. D (G1) winner, Wolfe Racing's Two Emmys; Steve Asmussen nominates the “Buddy” Diliberto winner, Winchell Thoroughbreds' Halo Again; Cherie Deveux nominates David Ingordo and Gmack Racing's last out 2nd-level allowance winner Own Agenda; and Michael Maker nominates Three Diamonds Farm's Field Pass, last seen winning the Seabiscuit (G2) at Del Mar.

Nominations for fillies looking to prove their prowess going 1 1/16 miles over the turf have closed for the 23rd running of the $100,000 Marie G. Krantz. Narola and Anderson Farms Ontarion's Summer in Saratoga won with last-second dramatics last out in the Blushing KD and is nominated by trainer Joe Sharp.

“The Road to the Derby Day” at Fair Grounds takes place on Jan. 22 with a first post of 12:05 pm CT. The post position draw will take place on Saturday, Jan. 15. For a complete list of the nominees for the six stakes races courtesy of Equibase, along with past performances, click here.

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Moonlight D’Oro, Charlie’s Penny Both Off Oaks Trail Due To Injury

Recent stakes winners Moonlight d'Oro and Charlie's Penny have both been taken out of consideration for the 2021 Kentucky Oaks due to injury.

According to bloodhorse.com, G3 Las Virgenes Stakes winner Moonlight d'Oro was diagnosed with a chip in her right knee. The Spendthrift Farm and MyRacehorse-owned filly will undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove the chip, and is expected to require 60-90 days off after the procedure.

“There was a little bit of heat, they took an X-ray, and found a small chip,” Michael Behrens, founder and CEO of co-owner MyRacehorse, told bloodhorse.com. “This is why we're with (trainer Richard) Mandella's team; he always does right by the horse and cares about what is best for the horse. He thinks it's best for the horse to do the surgery now and shut her down, and we're going to do what's best for her. We're hopeful this will be just a small setback.”

Lothenbach Stables' homebred Charlie's Penny, easy winner of the Silverbulletday Stakes, has been diagnosed with a hairline fracture to her shin, reports the Daily Racing Form. Trainer Chris Block reported that x-rays were taken after a small bump on her shin was found, but it took a second round of x-rays to uncover the small fracture. The Race Day filly will head to Florida for 90 days off.

“It's a tiny fissure line but it's there, and I'm glad we caught it when we did,” Block told drf.com.

Read more at bloodhorse.com and drf.com.

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Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: Memories Of Mom En Route To Kentucky Oaks

The son of a butcher and a baker growing up in Bloomington, Minn., Thoroughbred owner Bob Lothenbach knows how important family is on the road to success. His latest stakes winner, a 3-year-old filly on the Kentucky Oaks trail, is named in honor of his mom, Lorraine, who passed away seven years ago.

Charlie's Penny was named by Lothenbach's daughter, who remembers her grandmother exclaiming “Come on, Charlie!” while playing cards for pennies around the kitchen table.

The filly's 3 ¼-length victory in the Fair Grounds' Jan. 16 Silverbulletday Stakes came as a slight surprise to bettors (she was 9-1) and Lothenbach alike.

“We didn't expect it, that's for sure,” he said. “We didn't know if she would go two turns, but she made it look easy.”

Prior to the Silverbulletday Charlie's Penny had only started in one-turn races, and she had a record of two wins from four starts. While the daughter of Race Day will be tested once again in the Feb. 13 Rachel Alexandra Stakes, trainer Chris Block is optimistic about her talent level moving forward.

“(Jockey) Brian (Hernandez, Jr.) did a fantastic job around the first turn (in the Silverbulletday) getting her out and settled in there behind what was a slow pace, which I think benefited us to a degree,” Block said. “In the middle of the turn, I could see that he had a ton of horse. She ranged up there on the outside turning for home, and I've seen her level off really well going short. I thought if she could do that going long, we're going to be ok.”

Charlie's Penny is out of the unraced Warrior's Reward mare Sweet Lorraine, also named in honor of his mother. Her full sister, cheekily named Mom's Red Lipstick, is also a stakes winner trained by Block, but was foaled in Kentucky. Conversely, Charlie's Penny was foaled in Minnesota as one of Lothenbach's first crop of Thoroughbreds born in his home state.

Charlie's Penny winning the Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds

“That's where I live most of the time, so it just made sense to support my home program,” Lothenbach said. “It's always been a passion of mine, horses, and then the horse racing itself is just fantastic. There's nothing better than spending the day at the track.”

In fact, Lothenbach has been supporting Minnesota horse racing since Canterbury Park in Shakopee first opened in 1985. The longtime racing fan called on three of his friends, each of whom put in $1,000 to claim a horse. The partners made money with that first claim, and Lothenbach was hooked.

Before long, he was purchasing racehorses all on his own.

“That's probably part of the reason I went out on my own, to be able to hear the trainer,” Lothenbach explained, laughing. “I've got four different trainers that say I'm their best client because I never call them. They call me, and we'll cover stuff then. They've got their job to do, and I don't want the communication unless I need it.”

He trusts his trainers and gives them the space they need to do their jobs. That trust has become increasingly important as Lothenbach's racing and breeding stable has grown to over 150 horses.

Block, for example, is especially good at developing younger horses, Lothenbach said.

“Chris is a great developer of horses,” said Lothenbach. “He takes really good care of them. There's a lot of guys that push the babies, and Chris doesn't do that. If they really do show that they have the ability to run at 2, he'll do it, but otherwise he's patient with them.”

Another quality Lothenbach particularly respects in a trainer is a strong work ethic. It was something his own parents instilled in him early in life.

“I never heard college mentioned in our household, it was all about work ethic,” he said. “My dad always said, 'If I teach you a good work ethic, I'll never have to worry about you being able to take care of yourself.'”

That mantra of hard work paid off for Lothenbach, from working 40-hour weeks during his senior year of high school to building his own major printing company from the ground up.

“I started 30 years ago out of my garage with $1,800 to my name,” said Lothenbach. “Back then, the printing industry was pretty old school, and it could take several weeks to process an order. With my company, I told people, 'When you need it, I'll get it for you.' It single-handedly changed the printing industry in Minnesota.

“It was all about service. If I got an order that would normally take 2-4 weeks to finish, I literally would go pick up the paper. I signed a deal with the paper company that if I ordered the paper by 4 p.m., they'd deliver it that night, or I could go pick it up. I'd print overnight, do the binding in the mornings, and then deliver it.

“There were days when I'd sleep there, work 20 hours, get four hours of sleep, and be right back at it.”

The company grew to over 1,300 employees, and Lothenbach was inducted into the Printing Impressions/RIT Printing Industry Hall of Fame in 2013. He sold a majority share in 2016, and now focuses much of his time on other investment projects as well as his Lothenbach Family Foundation.

“I'm really big on literacy for kids, because when I was a kid I really struggled with school and reading, in fact I still do today,” Lothenbach said. “So the foundation supports literacy programs for kids, as well as veterans and a few other charities.

“People helped me get where I'm at, so I try to return the favor.”

Lothenbach admitted that his challenges with reading may be one of the reasons he worked so hard to build his company, and still tries to stay just as busy today.

“Because I had learning disabilities, and because I was a little hellion, I always tried to prove myself,” he said. “I always wanted to be the best at whatever I was doing, since I wasn't the best at school.”

One of his greatest rewards, then, was being able to take his parents out of town to the horse races in Chicago for the first time in 1992. That afternoon, a horse he co-owned, Saint Ballado, won the Grade 2 Arlington Classic. His parents joined him in the winner's circle.

“They just loved it,” Lothenbach said, his voice choking up with emotion. “It was pretty neat.”

Horse racing still brings his family together. Before the pandemic, Lothenbach and his brothers made time to take their 89-year-old father to the races at Canterbury a few times a year.

“He can barely walk, but to be with us and go to the races, he'll do it,” Lothenbach said.

Last year that tradition had to be adjusted a bit, but the family still connects by watching Lothenbach's horses race on television. A trip to this year's Kentucky Oaks with Charlie's Penny would definitely involve the whole family, if at all possible.

“It would be pretty special,” Lothenbach said.

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