Spendthrift Farm | Horse Racing Free Tips

Runhappy Gets First Graded Win from ‘Rising Star’ Following Sea

'TDN Rising Star' Following Sea (Runhappy) made the grade with a dominating win in Saturday's GII Vosburgh S., a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar.

Following Sea cleared the field of four from his outside draw and it was smooth sailing from there. The Spendthrift Farm homebred, off at odds of 5-2, cut out fractions of :22.59 and :45.24, and, after leaving the rail open as he cornered for home, hit the gas in the stretch to win for fun by 4 3/4 lengths.

Vosburgh defending champion and fan favorite Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior) was second after breaking through the gate prior to the start as the favorite. Big figure earner Baby Yoda (Prospective) was a disappointing third in his stakes debut.

Following Sea, a blowout maiden winner and 'Rising Star' for Bob Baffert on the GI Arkansas Derby undercard, made three prior starts for Todd Pletcher. An eye-catching allowance winner at Belmont June 3, he stretched to two turns for the first time with a well-beaten third–elevated to second via disqualification–in the GI TVG.com Haskell S. July 17. Following Sea was a well-beaten third behind heavyweights Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) and Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in a very live renewal of the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. last time Aug. 28, which has produced five next-out winners.

“I thought he ran great,” Pletcher said. “We just wanted to take advantage of the outside post and see how everything unfolded. He really took all the strategy out of play in the first 50 yards. He broke great, put himself right on the front and it seemed like he was in hand throughout.

Pletcher continued, “We left the paddock with the idea that we won't take anything away that comes easily. If he breaks well, that's great. If he gets in a speed duel, that's okay, too. So, I said to use judgement and it looked like he made a decision pretty easily. When he made the lead that easily I was pretty confident. He looked like he kicked on pretty well and Joel [Rosario] wrapped up on him pretty late.”

As far as the Breeders' Cup Sprint goes, Pletcher said, “We'll play it by ear and see. I'll talk to the guys at Spendthrift and we'll come up with a plan. It's got to be in play.”

Pedigree Notes:

Following Sea is the fifth stakes winner and first graded winner for young sire Runhappy. This is the 35th stakes/13th graded winner for broodmare sire Speightstown.

Quick Flip–a winner of her first three starts at two, including Tampa's Sandpiper S.–was purchased by Spendthrift Farm carrying Following Sea in utero for $230,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale. She is a half-sister to SW & MGSP Qahira (Cairo Prince) and SW Stormin' Lyon (Storm Boot), and hails from the family of GISW Mitterand (Hold Your Peace).

In addition to the stakes-placed Inspeightof (Orb), Quick Flip's most recent produce includes the 2-year-old, stakes-placed Into Mischief filly Gimmick, purchased by bloodstock agent Mike Ryan for $450,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase, and a 2021 Hard Spun colt. Quick Flip was bred to Authentic for 2022.

Saturday, Belmont Park
VOSBURGH S.-GII, $232,500, Belmont, 10-9, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:09.20, ft.
1–FOLLOWING SEA, 118, c, 3, by Runhappy
                1st Dam: Quick Flip (SW), by Speightstown
                2nd Dam: Motel Lass, by Bates Motel
                3rd Dam: Devil's Lass, by Devil's Bag
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES
WIN. O/B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Joel
Rosario. $137,500. Lifetime Record: MGISP, 6-3-1-2, $513,020. Werk
Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Firenze Fire, 124, h, 6, Poseidon's Warrior–My Every Wish, by
Langfuhr. O/B-Mr Amore Stables (FL); T-Kelly Breen. $50,000.
3–Baby Yoda, 118, g, 3, Prospective–More Than Speed, by
More Than Ready. O-Wachtel Stable, Barber, Gary, Pantofel
Stable, LLC and Zaro, Jerold L.; B-Kathleen Amaya, Alexandro
Centofanti & Raffaele Centofanti (FL); T-William Mott. $30,000.
Margins: 4 3/4, 2HF, 4 3/4. Odds: 2.50, 1.15, 1.50.
Also Ran: Good Effort (Ire). Scratched: Jalen Journey.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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‘A Very Special Animal’; Lord Nelson Euthanized After Laminitis Returns

Spendthrift Farm's Lord Nelson, the three-time Grade 1-winning son of Pulpit and a freshman sire of 2021, had to be euthanized Thursday after a long battle with laminitis. He was 9.

“Upon consulting with a veterinarian team consisting of Dr. Scott Morrison, Dr. Jim Morehead, and Dr. Caleb Harms and our stallion manager Wayne Howard, it was determined that the only humane course of action we had was to euthanize Lord Nelson following his latest difficult battle with laminitis,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “It's pretty well chronicled his long fight with the disease. After several encouraging years, it unfortunately caught up with him and we couldn't allow him to suffer after we had run out of medical options.

“It is a very sad day at Spendthrift. Lord Nelson was an unbelievably courageous horse and I think he'll always be remembered by the entire team at Spendthrift and anyone who ever got to be around him. Just a very special animal and we will miss him,” Toffey said.

Lord Nelson was one of the fastest sprinters in recent history on the racetrack, capturing three consecutive Grade 1 wins in 2016. He turned in a near-record-setting performance in the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) at Del Mar, running six furlongs in 1:07.65, which was 0.05 seconds off the track record of 1:07.60 set in 1973, when times were recorded in fifths. He also won the seven-furlong Triple Bend Stakes (G1) and the six-furlong Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. (G1), both at Santa Anita.

This year, Lord Nelson's first crop of 2-year-olds have begun racing and include recent impressive Churchill Downs maiden special weight winner Trafalgar, Ellis Park allowance winner Bueno Bueno, and dominant debut Gulfstream Park maiden special weight winner Basking.

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Lord Nelson Euthanized

Spendthrift Farm's MGISW Lord Nelson (Pulpit–African Jade by Seeking the Gold) was euthanized Thursday after a long battle with laminitis. He was 9-years-old.

“Upon consulting with a veterinarian team consisting of Dr. Scott Morrisson, Dr. Jim Morehead, and Dr. Caleb Harms and our stallion manager Wayne Howard, it was determined that the only humane course of action we had was to euthanize Lord Nelson following his latest difficult battle with laminitis,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift's general manager. “It's pretty well chronicled his long fight with the disease. After several encouraging years, it unfortunately caught up with him and we couldn't allow him to suffer after we had run out of medical options.”

He continued, “It is a very sad day at Spendthrift. Lord Nelson was an unbelievably courageous horse and I think he'll always be remembered by the entire team at Spendthrift and anyone who ever got to be around him. Just a very special animal and we will miss him.”

Lord Nelson won seven of his 13 starts for trainer Bob Baffert and Spendthrift, earning $958,271. The flashy chestnut closed his career with a trio of Grade I victories in the Triple Bend S., Bing Crosby S. and Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. in 2016. He was forced to miss that year's Breeders' Cup and the 2017 breeding season with a leg infection became laminitis. Lord Nelson's oldest foals are 2-year-olds and he currently has three winners.

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Thoroughbred Owners And Breeders Among 2,755 Billionaires Ranked By Forbes

As owners of the French luxury brand, Chanel, brothers Alain and Gerard Wertheimer are among the world's most fashionable Thoroughbred owners and breeders. According to the latest World's Billionaires List published by Forbes, they are also the richest.

According to Forbes, Alain and Gerard Wertheimer each have a net worth of $34.5 billion putting them at No. 41 on the list of 2,755 billionaires worldwide.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is atop the list with an estimated net worth of $177 billion.

Racing primarily with homebreds in Europe and the U.S. under the stable name Wertheimer et Frere, the brothers are best known for campaigning Goldikova, three-time winner of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile. Their current stable star is Todd Pletcher-trained Happy Saver.

At least a dozen others from the Forbes Billionaires List have been identified as Thoroughbred owners or breeders. (Note: The list does not include members of Arab country ruling families, including the Maktoums of Dubai.)

Next on the list among individuals affiliated with Thoroughbred racing and breeder is financier George Soros, whose Soros Fund Management in 2008 launched SF Racing and SF Bloodstock, now operated by Gavin Murphy and Tom Ryan. Forbes estimates a net worth of $8.6 billion for the Soros, putting him at No. 288.

Cable television magnate John Malone is ranked 316^th on the Forbes list with an estimated net worth of $7.8 billion. One of America's biggest landowners, Malone owns Bridlewood Farm in Ocala, Fla., and Ballylinch Stud in Ireland.

Tamara Gustavson, daughter of the late B. Wayne Hughes, is ranked 496^th on the list with an estimated net worth of $5.6 billion. With husband Eric, Tamara Gustavson now operates Spendthrift, which Forbes estimated has a $400 million value. A Forbes-produced video explains how they arrived at that estimate, based on leading stallion Into Mischief, other bloodstock holdings and the farm's property and buildings.

Wayne Hughes, who died in August, remained on the Forbes list, ranked 925^th with an estimated net worth of $3.3 billion. A self-made billionaire, Hughes created Public Storage, the largest self-storage company in the U.S.

Vincent Viola is ranked 807^th on the list with an estimated net worth of $3.7 billion acquired in part from his electronic trading startup, Virtu Financial. Owner of the NHL's Florida Panthers, Viola co-owned Vino Rosso, winner of the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic in 2019.

Another owner of sports teams, Gayle Benson, ranks 891^st on the Forbes lislt with an estimated net worth of $3.4 billion. Benson, widow of Tom Benson, owns the NFL's New Orleans Saints and NBA's New Orleans Pelicans. Her GMB Racing campaigned Tom's d'Etat, winner of the G1 Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs in 2019.

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Brad Kelley, owner of Calumet Farm, has an estimated net worth of $2.6 billion, putting him 1,205^th on the list of the world's richest people. Kelley, who lives in Tennessee, made his fortune in the tobacco industry.

Gerald Ford, who races as Diamond A Racing Corporation, is 1,249^th on the list with an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion. Ford built his wealth through acquisition of distressed banks.

Kevin Plank, who created the Under Armour sportswear brand and owns Sagamore Farm in Maryland, has an estimated net worth of $2 billion putting him at No. 1,580.

Charlotte Weber, an heir to the Campbell Soup Co., is listed as No. 1,833 with an estimated net worth of $1.7 million. Owner of Live Oak Plantation, Weber's homebreds have won a host of Grade 1 races, and she's won two editions of the G1 Breeders' Cup Mile with World Approval and Miesque's Approval.

Kenny Troutt, owner of WinStar Farm, founded long-distance company Excel Communications more than 30 years ago. Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.5 billion, putting him at No. 2,035 on their list.

Also having an estimated net worth of $1.5 billion is Seth Klarman, whose Klaravich Stables has developed into one of the industry's leading owners, winning Horse of the Year for Bricks and Mortar in 2019 and voted an outstanding owner Eclipse Award with William H. Lawrence, his partner on a number of runners. Klarman manages one of the financial market's largest hedge funds, Boston-based Baupost.

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