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.

The post First Foals for Millionaire Sleepy Eyes Todd appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“[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).

The post Sleepy Eyes Todd to Stand in Indiana appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

After racing at nine different racetracks, 10 different states and two different countries, the 5-year-old son of Paddy O'Prado is ready to set down some roots. The $2 million-earning stallion arrived at the Seymour, Ind., farm over the weekend and already has his owner, David Cobb, revved up for the prospects of his new chapter.

“(Indiana) is the perfect place for us, and I'm excited to get going with Sleepy's stallion career,” says Cobb.

Lightly raced, the stallion retired sound and healthy. Cobb notes that after battling through some tough races, including the Saudi Cup, where the big gray had to overcome trouble at the start and a big crowd to finish a fighting fourth, it was time to look at a cushier life as an exciting new stallion for Indiana.

“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,” says Cobb. “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.”

Both Cobb and Sleepy Eyes Todd's longtime trainer, Miguel Silva, plans to breed their mares to the gray stallion to take advantage of the Indiana-sired program.

“The biggest benefit to Indiana is the close proximity to Kentucky,” Cobb said. “And I believe that Kentucky breeders are looking for better bargains.”

Sleepy Eyes Todd finished his career with 20 starts, eight wins, three seconds and one third, and earnings totaling more than $2,051,000. Bred by Two Hearts Farm LLC and Kristen Goncharoff, he won the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector Stakes going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park. He followed up his win in the G2 Charles Town Classic Stakes with a win in the Lafayette Stakes, presented by Keeneland Select. He finished fourth in the G1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes, fifth in the Saudi Cup and a game tenth in the Dubai World Cup earlier this year.

“Sleepy has definitely shown that he is game enough to race on any track, any continent and any distance,” Cobb said. “That's what I'm hoping Indiana breeders are looking for.”

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

The post Grade 2 Winner Sleepy Eyes Todd Retired To Swifty Farms In Indiana For 2022 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

The Hagyard Fayette, scheduled for 1 1/8 miles over the main track, will go as the ninth race with a 5:16 p.m. ET post time. First post is 1 p.m.

The stakes will mark the final start of Code of Honor's career. Owned and bred by W.S. Farish, Code of Honor at 3 won the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) via disqualification and captured the Travers (G1). Winner of a total of six graded stakes in his career, he was second in the 2019 Kentucky Derby (G1).

Trained by Shug McGaughey, the 5-year-old by Noble Mission (GB) comes into the Hagyard Fayette off a fourth-place finish in the Woodward (G1) at Belmont on Oct. 2. Code of Honor worked Monday at Keeneland, covering 4 furlongs in :49.60 over a fast track.

Tyler Gaffalione, the Fall Meet's leading rider, will have the mount Saturday on Code of Honor and break from post seven.

Also figuring to attract attention in the race are Night Ops, Sleepy Eyes Todd and the 3-year-old King Fury.

Steve Landers Racing's Night Ops, second in the Ben Ali (G3) here this spring, has posted a 7-0-4-2 mark in 2021 and exits a fourth-place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on Sept. 4 in his most recent start. Trained by Brad Cox, Night Ops will be ridden by Florent Geroux and break from post four.

Thumbs Up Racing's Sleepy Eyes Todd, who went from last in a 12-horse field to win the Lafayette here last fall on the Breeders' Cup undercard, was second to Art Collector in the Charles Town Classic (G2) in his most recent start.

An earner of more than $2 million, Sleepy Eyes Todd finished fifth in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) and 10th in the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) before returning to the U.S. in April. Trained by Miguel Silva, Sleepy Eyes Todd will break from post position one and be ridden by Ry Eikleberry.

Fern Creek Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury enters Saturday's race off a 13-length victory in the Bourbon Trail on Sept. 25 at Churchill Downs. Trained by Kenny McPeek, King Fury won the Lexington (G3) here this spring. King Fury will break from post six and be ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr.

A total of 10 3-year-olds have won the Hagyard Fayette with the most recent being Blame in 2009.

The field for the Hagyard Fayette, with riders and weights from the inside, is: Sleepy Eyes Todd (Ry Eikleberry, 121 pounds), Manhattan Up (Chris Landeros, 121), Militarist (Martin Garcia, 121), Night Ops (Florent Geroux, 121), Independence Hall (Javier Castellano, 121), King Fury (Brian Hernandez Jr., 120), Code of Honor (Tyler Gaffalione, 121), Fort Peck (David Cohen, 121), Major Fed (Ricardo Santana Jr., 121).

The post Code Of Honor Headlines Keeneland’s Closing Day Fayette appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Trained by Bill Mott, Tacitus has earned more than $3.7 million in his career with five placings in Grade 1 events and three Grade 2 victories. In his most recent start, Tacitus finished fourth behind top 2021 Breeders' Cup Classic contender Knicks Go in the Grade 3 Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs.

Other nominees of note with Keeneland success include Steve Landers Racing's Night Ops, who was second in the Grade 3 Ben Ali this spring; Thumbs Up Racing's well-traveled Sleepy Eyes Todd, winner of the Lafayette Presented by Keeneland Select here last fall; and Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury, winner of the Grade 3 Stonestreet Lexington this spring and recent 13-length winner of the Bourbon Trail at Churchill Downs.

Closing day of the Keeneland meet will feature two other stakes: the 17th running of the $150,000 Bryan Station for 3-year-olds going a mile on the turf and the new $150,000 Bowman Mill for 2-year-olds going 6 furlongs on the main track.

Homewrecker Racing's Point Me By, winner of the Grade 1 Bruce D. Stakes at Arlington Park on Aug. 14, tops a list of 38 nominees to the Bryan Station. Eddie Kenneally trains Point Me By.

Other nominees of note are Madaket Stables and Ecurie Ades-Hazen's Grade 3 Virginia Derby winner Wootton Asset (FR), trained by Graham Motion, and trainer Rusty Arnold's duo of Calumet Farm's Cellist, third in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby, and Ashbrook Farm's Ginsburned, who was third in the Bruce D.

Robert and Lawana Low's My Prankster, fourth in the Grade 1 Champagne in his most recent start for trainer Todd Pletcher, tops the list of 20 nominations for the Bowman Mill.

The post Tactius Heads List Of Nominees For Fayette At Keeneland appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Sleepy Eyes Todd – trying to become the first repeat Classic winner since Researcher in 2010 – was sent to the lead and carved out opening fractions of 23.80 and 47.90 for the first quarter and half mile under rider Ry Eikleberry, with Art Collector glued to his flank for much of the early running.  With Saez and Art Collector seizing the lead, they appeared poised to draw off for a convincing win but were fought every step of the way by the world traveling Sleepy Eyes Todd before prevailing by a length and a half at the wire.

“I thought I had him [Sleepy Eyes Todd] turning for home,” said Saez.  “He looked like he was going pretty well and that's why I tried to attack pretty early.  Art Collector gave me that kick but he was fighting in the stretch.  It was just a great finish.”

In winning the Classic, Art Collector gave his Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott his first victory at the West Virginia oval.

California shipper Rushie finished 5 1/2 lengths back of Art Collector in third with another west coast presence in Restrainedvengence rounding out the superfecta.

On the wagering front, the $7,179,783 wagered on Friday night's Charles Town Classic card established a new single card handle record for the track, shattering the previous mark of $5,720,375 set on the 2019 Classic card.

“We couldn't be happier with the way the night unfolded, the way our horseplayers and fans responded and the record handle that resulted,” said Charles Town's Vice President of Racing and Sports Operations Erich Zimny. “It's a testament to the job that our Director of Racing, Charlie McIntosh, and the racing office staff did in putting such a deep and competitive card together that we can't wait to expand upon in 2022.”

The post Art Collector Takes Charles Town Classic As Solid Favorite appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

In addition to his two Grade 1 winners, Pletcher also has multiple graded stakes winner Dr. Post and Moretti nominated to West Virginia's richest race – an event he will try and win for the third time after taking it with Caixa Eletronica in 2012 and again with Stanford in 2016.

Thumbs Up Racing's Sleepy Eyes Todd will attempt to buck recent history and do something the last seven horses to attempt the feat have failed to accomplish – win the Charles Town Classic in consecutive years, with Researcher still standing alone as the race's lone back-to-back winner. The five-year-old son of Paddy O'Prado has banked over $1 million in 2021 despite not finding the winners' circle by virtue of his fourth place effort in the Pegasus World Cup (G1) and fifth place finish in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1).

Bill Mott, who would be sending out his first Classic starter since he saddled Ron the Greek to a third-place finish behind Game on Dude and Clubhouse Ride in the 2013 Classic, has a pair of possible runners in Bruce Lunsford's talented homebred Art Collector as well as multiple graded stakes winner Modernist. Art Collector took the 2020 Blue Grass (G2) at Keeneland and most recently led at every call to win the restricted Alydar Stakes at Saratoga in his first start for Mott.

Multiple graded stakes winner Warrior's Charge headlines a trio of nominations from trainer Brad Cox, a list that also includes Plainsman and Night Ops, second to the aforementioned Art Collector in the Alydar. Owned by Ten Strike Racing and Madaket Stables, Warrior's Charge was most recently seen finishing second to top older horse Maxfield in the Stephen Foster (G2) at Churchill Downs.

Among the other noteworthy nominees for the Charles Town Classic include 2021 New Orleans Classic (G2) winner Chess Chief, 2020 Pimlico Special (G3) victor Harper's First Ride, Tom Durant's multiple graded stakes winner Silver Dust and a pair of west coast invaders in 2019 Nashua (G3) champ Independence Hall and American Stakes (G3) winner Restrainedvengence as well as 2020 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) runner-up Jesus' Team and Ny Traffic, who came within a nose of upsetting eventual Horse of the Year Authentic in the 2020 Haskell (G1).

The Kentucky Oaks (G1) field is represented in the Charles Town Oaks nominations by three fillies who are possible for the race, including 2021 Fantasy (G3) winner Pauline's Pearl, Honeybee (G3) heroine Will's Secret and the Florida based Competitive Speed from the barn of trainer Javier Gonzalez.

Trained by the newly crowned all-time leading trainer in the history of North American thoroughbred racing, Steve Asmussen, Pauline's Pearl would be Asmussen's third ever starter in the Charles Town Oaks after winning the inaugural edition of the race with Four Gifts in 2009 and sending out runner-up Wicked Whisper in 2020.

The Monmouth Oaks (G3) is also well represented in the Charles Town Oaks nominations with the top five finishers under consideration for the Mountain State's only graded race for fillies lead by the first three under the wire – SMD Limited's Leader of the Band, lightly raced Edie Meeny Miny Mo and Midnight Obsession. Leader of the Band and Midnight Obsession are both trained by Charles Town native John Servis.

Entries for the August 27 Charles Town Classic card will be taken on Tuesday, August 24.

Nominations for three more unrestricted stakes all worth $150,000 and all run at seven furlongs – the Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon Stakes for older fillies and mares, the Russell Road for older horses and the Robert Hilton Memorial for three-year-olds – close this upcoming Friday, August 13.

The post Happy Saver, Mind Control Top Nominees To Aug. 27 Charles Town Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Riding the wave of an unprecedented 2020 extended season of Thoroughbred horse racing, Fonner Park concluded the 2021 season with over $4.65 million in on-track mutuel handle.

Comparing numbers to 2019, rather than the 2020 season (when Fonner Park was closed to the public after the first four weeks due to the pandemic), Fonner was up 19 percent in parimutuel handle of Fonner Park guests betting on Fonner Park races.

The handle for out-of-state wagers on Fonner Park in 2021 was roughly $15.5 million, an increase of 447 percent compared to $2.8 million in 2019. The overall national horse racing industry handle was up approximately 12 percent for March and April, but Fonner Park was up 19 percent on-track.

“This year I spent extra on marketing to the horseplayers across the nation who got exposed to Fonner Park last year during the pandemic. I wanted to remind them that we were back and still a good bet,” said Fonner Park CEO Chris Kotulak. “In 2021 average field size bumped to 7.9 from 7.3 in 2020 and large fields are always a draw to the bettor regardless of quality.”

Sleepy Eyes Todd went on to win three stakes races after his 2020 Bosselman/Gus Fonner Stakes win. Remarkably, he returned to defend his title off three multi-million-dollar, G1 races in three previous months. As a 2-5 favorite, he was beaten by 9-2 second-choice Mo Mosa, ridden by Armando Martinez and trained by Michael Maker.

Mo Mosa was named 2021 Horse of the Meet and First Alternate was the unanimous choice for champion older filly or mare after winning three stakes races in as many starts for trainer Stetson Mitchell.

“She's a blessing to me and my family and the special kind of horse horsemen pray for,” said Mitchell said.

By winning the final race of the year, Jake Olesiak won his sixth title as champion jockey, with a total of 46 wins, one more win than Armando Martinez.

David C. Anderson won his 15th champion trainer award at Fonner Park, with 36 wins from 169 starts. D and L Farms (Darcy and Lee Burghardt) won 15 races from 39 starts and earned leading owner honors.

The 2021 Feat of the Meet award was voted as Fonner Park's presence on the national stage with 2021 export handle five-times greater than 2019.

“I am convinced that the success and future of Fonner Park is directly attributed to our passionate community of staff, horsemen and race fans. Without our strong community support we could not survive,” Kotulak remarked.

Fonner Park

The post Fonner Files: Fonner Park Rides The Wave Of Success As Meet Closes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

In 2021, one Thoroughbred ran in all three of the most important multi-million-dollar races in a three-month span: the $3-million Pegasus World Cup, the $20-million Saudi Cup and the $12-million Dubai World Cup. That's quite a feat.

The horse that won the Bosselman Pump and Pantry / Gus Fonner Stakes in 2020 is back to defend his crown in 2021; that's nice, although not quite as significant.

But, what's so incredibly remarkable is that both endeavors tie to the same horse: Sleepy Eyes Todd. And, what is even more impressive is that Fonner Park – “The little track that could” – is back in the horse racing limelight.

Fonner Park forged through an unthinkable 2020 racing season that found the tiny five-eighths-mile racetrack on the world stage as one of a very few tracks to continue racing during a global pandemic. Sleepy Eyes Todd also achieved the unforeseen after his 2020 Bosselman /Gus Fonner win by racking up three more mighty stakes wins on the way to his recent trilogy of appearances against some of the best Thoroughbreds throughout the world. Stranger things have happened in horse racing, although this is certainly one of the most unexpected turn of events.

But can Sleepy Eyes Todd win this race in a stroll with his eyes closed? Many will think so and believe him to be a deserving heavy favorite. However, will the weight of the grandstand and the toll of traveling nearly 20,000 miles by air and 635 miles by trailer from Dallas to Grand Island be just enough to open the door for his rivals? It sure could.

That's why they open the starting gate and run the races on the racetrack and not off past performances.

And, order of finish is how they payout the purse money, not off reputation. Hats off to the connections of Sleepy Eyes Todd for returning to Fonner Park as part of his planned 2021 racing campaign, and kudos to the connections of those who entered to race against a foe who is the returning champion. There are hundreds of ways to lose a horse race and only a few ways to win. And there is no predicting the pendulum of luck.

Safe travels to the horses and riders and thank you to all the horsemen, staff, fans and friends of Fon for yet another memorable season. We couldn't have done it without all of you.

P.S. Don't forget about the mandatory payout in the Dinsdale Late Pick 5; the Saturday carryover starts at $129,454.

The post Fonner Files: One For The Ages, Again, At Fonner Park appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

The late sportscaster Dick Enberg used to exclaim, “Oh my!” The late, great football announcer Keith Jackson was known to pop with an, “Oh Nellie!” If they were to opine down from the heavens, I'm certain Harry Caray would chime in with a “Holy Cow!”

All exclamations would apply after a look at the field for the 2021 Bosselman / Gus Fonner Stakes, the ninth race this Saturday at Fonner Park.

The last 365 days have been a wild ride for Sleepy Eyes Todd, who bloomed after his 2020 Bosselman/Gus Fonner win, and Fonner Park continues to shine.

Sleepy Eyes Todd has run against some of the best horses in the world in his last three races, and Fonner Park continues to remain popular in 2021 after exploding onto the scene in 2020 when there was a dearth of wagering opportunities.

The day gets a cherry on top with a mandatory payout in the Late Pick 5 Jackpot. Saturday afternoon is the place to be at Fon.

Sleepy Eyes Todd in the Fonner Park winner's circle following the 2020 Bosselman/Gus Fonner Stakes.

The post Fonner Files: It Really Did Just Get Better At Fonner Park appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post