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Authentic Goes All The Way, Tops Baffert Exacta In Breeders’ Cup Classic

Through all the shadows of controversy and the challenges of the pandemic, Authentic made a clear case for Horse of the Year honors in this Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic. The 3-year-old son of Into Mischief flew out of the gate and led the field all the way around the Keeneland oval to win the $6 million event by 2 1/4 lengths, delivering another major victory to his thousands of owners. The race had to be hand-timed when timers malfunctioned, but was later reported as another track record: 1:59.19.

That time bests the track record set by Triple Crown champion American Pharoah in the 2015 Classic of 2:00.07.

Fans may not have been able to attend this year's Breeders' Cup, but there was plenty of cheering from those on hand when Authentic crossed the wire in front.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert was especially thrilled to see Authentic avenge his last-out defeat in the Preakness, when the filly Swiss Skydiver bested him by a neck. It was Baffert's second Breeders' Cup win on the card, following Gamine in the Filly & Mare Sprint, his fourth Classic win (all with 3-year-olds), and his 17th overall Breeders' Cup victory. The trainer also saddled runner-up Improbable and fifth-place finisher Maximum Security in this year's Classic.

“I tell you what, I needed that, didn't I?” Baffert quipped. “We really were disappointed after the Preakness; I was sort of surprised. He's a quirky horse, but Johnny really knows him well. He's just getting better and better. I'm so happy for the connections, MyRacehorse, and especially Wayne Hughes.”

It was also the second Breeders' Cup win on the day for Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez (Gamine), whose total now stands at 18. Velazquez was grateful to celebrate his first victory in the Classic victory.

“The older I get the more emotional I get,” Velazquez said. “It worked out perfect. Bob said to take him to the lead so he doesn't wander so much and keep his mind on running. It worked out. He did everything I wanted him to do.”

Majority owner B. Wayne Hughes of Spendthrift Farm was in attendance at the Breeders' Cup, though he'd missed the colt's triumph in the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5.

“It's been such an unbelievably surreal year,” said Spendthrift president Eric Gustavson. “To say that the horse has brought us a lot of light and distraction is an understatement… To have the off date Kentucky Derby and then the back to normal Breeders' Cup and to
be able to win those both in one year and with a 3-year-old, man, it's too much.”

Authentic is co-owned by Starlight Racing Stable (Jack Wolf, et. al.), Madaket Stables (Sol Kumin and J. Monteleone), and approximately 5,314 individuals who bought microshares via the upstart ownership group My Racehorse launched by Michael Behrens.

“It's an amazing ride,” Behrens said. “I could never have imagined that it would end like this. I mean, this is the pinnacle of racing. And when we set out to do this a couple years ago the idea was to celebrate this sport with as many people as possible, and to have 5,314 people to have an ownership stake in Authentic, I couldn't have asked for anything better. And the partnership with Spendthrift and Eric and Mr. Hughes, it's been tremendous having this opportunity. And I just, I really can't believe this happened. I mean, I love racing and I want more and more people to be able to experience this and to have this happen? I don't know, it's crazy.”

Authentic was bred in Kentucky by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, and is out of the winning Mr. Greeley mare Flawless. He commanded a final bid of $350,000 at the Keeneland September sale, and has now won six of his eight lifetime starts for earnings of $6,371,200.

Leaving from post nine in the 10-horse Classic field, Authentic burst from the gate and went straight to the lead. Velazquez got him clear of his rivals and made his way to the rail, then took a nice hold with a easy two-length lead. Maximum Security was up on his outside in second while Global Campaign, Tiz the Law, and By My Standards were up close as well. Improbable was sixth in the early going.

“I didn't think there was too much speed in the race, and once I got him running past the wire for the first time, he was looking good for it,” Velazquez said.

Authentic continued to carry his speed all the way around the course, never looking in danger through the stretch and hitting the wire 2 1/4 lengths the best. Improbable checked in second after coming from further off the pace, a length better than Global Campaign on the wire. Tacitus was fourth, and Maximum Security finished fifth.

The remaining order of finish was: Tiz the Law, Title Ready, By My Standards, Tom's d'Etat, and Higher Power.

Other connections had the following comments after the race:

Second-place jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Improbable) – “I had a good trip, a perfect trip. I had him in the clear. He just got beat. It was a great race.”

Second-place co-owner Elliott Walden of WinStar Farm (Improbable) – “He just kind of let the other horse get away and nobody went with him. I don't know what the pace was because they messed up the fractions. But they kind of walked the dog out there. But he ran his race. He was wide both turns but he was second best.”

Third-place trainer Stanley Hough (Global Campaign) – “This horse has been through a lot in his career. We got his foot problems behind him and today was the first time he was really able to show his potential. We are so proud of him and he ran a great race.”

Third-place jockey Javier Castellano (Global Campaign) – “I had a beautiful trip, that's what I was looking for today. I knew there was a lot of speed in the race, but I had to play a little bit to get him to move forward. With this horse I didn't want to be too far back. I thought he ran a good race and I'm satisfied with how he did today. I was happy where I was positioned because they were going pretty quick. Maximum Security is the kind of horse that wants to set the pace. Our horse is a pace-maker too, but the other horses had more speed than my horse. We had a good early position and I'm very satisfied with how he did.”

Fourth-place trainer Bill Mott (Tacitus) – “He ran well. The trip was good. He saved ground around both turns and look like he needed a little room in the stretch. He ran a big race.”

Fourth-place jockey Jose Ortiz (Tacitus) – “He ran well. He sat back today. Relaxed well. I was hoping for a hot pace. I didn't see the fractions, but it didn't feel like it was very hot. So it took the chances away from me. I was expecting a hot pace and to pick up the pieces and close and have a shot to win the race. I was expecting a fast fight. It didn't happen that way but he ran really, really good. He improved a lot from the last two.”

Fifth-place jockey Luis Saez (Maximum Security) – “It was a good trip. He was right there. We came to the stretch and the winner was rolling. It was very impressive. But, he tried. He ran a good race.”

Sixth-place trainer Barclay Tagg (Tiz the Law) – “I was happy with the way he came into the race. I thought he would run his race but (jockey Manny Franco) said he was just too keen and didn't run.”

Sixth-place jockey Manny Franco (Tiz the Law) – “I had an OK trip. I was down inside. My horse never settled for me. He was pulling me the whole way hard. When I sent to looking for him he was done.

(Were you trapped inside?): “I was inside looking for a way to get out to a clear run. I had wait longer than I wanted to. It is what it is.”

Eighth-place trainer Bret Calhoun (By My Standards) – “I thought Gabe (Saez) had him in a great spot early on. Broke sharp, got in a good spot. I thought everything looked pretty good and like Gabe wanted to start picking them up and from the outside they started moving and kind of held him down there. He wasn't able to continue his move picking up horses and kind of had to wait a little longer until they cleared him. I think once he tried to go again, they just smoothed out and out-stepped him there. That next move, they just outstepped him. I don't know if he got a little discouraged having to wait or he lost a little momentum. He got outkicked from there, it looked like.”

“The track (playing to speed), and I didn't want to do anything different and change anything up. We're not that fast to change things up. You can't run with those horses early. It shows what good a race Whitmore ran (in closing to win the Sprint).”

Eighth-place jockey Gabe Saez (By My Standards) – “What can I say? The horses didn't come back. Speed-biased all day long. I got him into a great spot right from the beginning. I was in a great position tracking off the pace. Running around the three-eighths pole, and they weren't stopping. He ran every step of the way. I got a little bounced around the five-sixteenths pole. Franco's horse (Manny Franco, Tiz the Law) kind of came out a little bit, but I was not going to get there today. They were running.”

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‘We Are All In This Together’: Spendthrift Reduces Most Stud Fees For 2021

Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm announced reduced stud fees for most of its current roster of stallions set to stand at the Lexington-based farm in 2021.

“Breeders are the backbone of our industry, and the bottom line is that stud farms only go as breeders go. We are all in this together,” Hughes said. “Our team recognizes the challenges of the times and how the entire breeding community has been affected this year. If we had room to lower a stud fee, we did it. We wish every participant in this great industry the best of luck and the best of health in 2021.”

Reigning champion general sire Into Mischief heads the roster yet again at a previously announced fee of $225,000 S&N and is booked full. He represents the only stallion with an increased fee in 2021.

Perennial leading sire Malibu Moon and popular second-season sire Omaha Beach will both stand for $35,000 S&N. Fellow second-season sire Vino Rosso, last year's Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) hero, will stand for $25,000 S&N. Multiple Grade 1-winning juvenile Bolt d'Oro, 2019 Eclipse Champion Sprinter Mitole, and the Northern Hemisphere's No. 1 Third-Crop Sire Goldencents will all stand for $15,000 S&N.

Spendthrift will also add multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Vekoma new to its stallion ranks. The Met Mile-winning son of Candy Ride (Arg) is set to compete in the Breeders' Cup next month at Keeneland. His fee will be announced upon retirement.

For more information about any of Spendthrift's stallions, please contact Des, Mark, or Brian at 859-294-0030, or visit SpendthriftFarm.com. The below chart includes Spendthrift's current stallion roster and reduced 2021 stud fees:

Stallions	Stands and Nurses Fee
Into Mischief		$225,000 – BOOK FULL
Malibu Moon		$35,000
Omaha Beach		$35,000
Vino Rosso		$25,000
Bolt d'Oro		$15,000
Goldencents		$15,000
Mitole		$15,000
Jimmy Creed		$10,000
Lord Nelson		$10,000
Cross Traffic		$7,500
Maximus Mischief		$7,500
Brody's Cause		$5,000
Cinco Charlie		$5,000
Cloud Computing		$5,000
Coal Front		$5,000
Dominus		$5,000
Free Drop Billy		$5,000
Gormley		$5,000
Hit It a Bomb		$5,000
Mor Spirit		$5,000
Temple City		$5,000
Vekoma – *NEW*		TBA

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Authentic To Carry Silks Of Spendthrift Farm In Preakness Stakes

B. Wayne Hughes, whose Spendthrift Farm is majority owner in Authentic, wanted minority owner MyRacehorse's black and white silks to be worn by jockey John Velazquez in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Authentic carried those colors into the history books as the winner of the only Kentucky Derby not held in the spring. A month later, Authentic will wear Spendthrift's orange and purple silks in the first Preakness Stakes (G1) not held in the spring or summer.

“That will be a lot of fun, we'll look forward to that,” said Mark Toothaker, Spendthrift Farm's stallion sales manager who was on hand to watch Authentic and the Spendthrift co-owned Thousand Words work Saturday morning at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Authentic is a son of the red-hot Spendthrift stallion Into Mischief, whom Hughes raced. Into Mischief is out of the same mare, Leslie's Lady, as Hughes' four-time champion mare Beholder and Mendelssohn, a $3 million yearling campaigned by the partners in the Coolmore international stallion and racing conglomerate.

Spendthrift bought controlling interest in the racing and breeding rights to Authentic before the Santa Anita Derby (G1) from Starlight Racing, with Madaket Stable also a partner. As it turned out, the Santa Anita Derby is Authentic's only defeat to date in six starts, with the wins including Santa Anita's Sham (G3) and San Felipe (G2) and Monmouth Park's Haskell Invitational (G1).

“We felt like this was a horse who had a real chance to win the Derby,” Toothaker said of the purchase. “We thought, 'The timing is great. Let's try to get something done for Spendthrift and Mr. Hughes.' The team was able to put this offer together with Mr. Hughes' blessing and get it done.”

Hughes, meanwhile, had bought into MyRacehorse, founded by Michael Behrens, both financially and by embracing the concept of making micro-shares in racehorses available to the general public for just a couple hundred bucks each.

“I'll have to say there were a few of us kind of grinding our teeth a little bit when Mr. Hughes wanted to run in MyRacehorse's silks,” Toothaker said. “I made the pitch that 'Wayne you've done so much for the game, this is going to be something for history that is going to hang in the Derby Museum.' ”

However, Hughes, a billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist, felt strongly that MyRacehorse's concept could be a game-changer. The result is that Authentic surely set a record for the most owners in a Kentucky Derby winner, with 5,314 investors owning 12,500 shares in MyRacehorse.com's 12 1/2-percent stake in the colt. Each share in Authentic cost $206 for 1/1,000th of the horse, both for racing and breeding.

“He feels it will re-energize the racetracks and get people coming,” Toothaker said, adding of the 86-year-old Hughes, “Wayne grew up in an era when there were tons of people going to the races at Santa Anita. He feels like MyRacehorse gives that opportunity back to racing, that people will return, they'll come. There's nothing like having a horse running, bringing friends and family with them. It's not just one person who signs up for a micro-share; it's all their family that comes with them to the track. His vision is that over time it will explode attendance back to the racetrack as people take part on this. We've been very active at the sale buying another group of yearlings with MyRacehorse that folks will have a chance to participate in — and hopefully see them in the winner's circle.”

The Derby proved a rollercoaster for Spendthrift, which also is partners with Albaugh Family Racing in $1 million yearling Thousand Words. Out of the blue, Spendthrift went from two to one entrant when Thousand Words flipped in the paddock after becoming unruly, with assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes fracturing his wrist in the melee and missing the Derby while going to the emergency room.

“It was just the craziest half-hour you could ever imagine,” Toothaker said. “I actually walked over (from the backstretch to the paddock) with Thousand Words because of the Albaughs. They were in town, they're our partner on that horse. We bought him together as a yearling. So I knew MyRacehorse representatives were walking over with Authentic. To see (Thousand Words) in the paddock, he didn't want to be saddled. I feel terrible for Jimmy, when the horse flipped over Jimmy had to have nine screws put in his arm, putting him back together. You're just sad that 20 minutes before the Derby you don't get a chance to run. It was heart-breaking. You're in the paddock, a little bit stunned that happened. Everybody was just in a fog.

“As we walked through the tunnel onto the track, I told our general manager, Ned Toffey, 'You know, if there are any Derby gods looking down upon us after Thousand Words flipping, maybe he'll give Authentic a little push around there and get us to the winner's circle.' And, boy, I'll tell you what, it sure did.”

While historic Spendthrift Farm had previously stood the sire of Derby winners, Authentic is its first as the owner. In the case of Authentic, Spendthrift is owner of the Derby winner and his dad, the farm's stallion Into Mischief.

“When I saw the opening fractions of 22-and-change, I was very, very worried, knowing you've got to go a mile and a quarter,” Toothaker said. “Certainly as they turned for home, I saw Manny Franco look over his right shoulder. I thought, 'Boy, he's probably loaded on Tiz the Law.' And you hear the announcer give the big call on Mr. Big News, that he's rolling around horses on the outside. You're just looking to see how much fight you have down the stretch.

“Really, in the back of my mind, I'm thinking can we just hang on here to hit the board. When Johnny kind of hit him left-handed, he gave him so much effort down the stretch. It was just a thrill, going from being so depressed in the paddock with Thousand Words to seeing Authentic win. It was the biggest rocket ship of emotions in that 20 minutes there that you can ever imagine. And then thinking of Mr. Hughes and all he's meant to all of our team at Spendthrift and he was able to win that elusive Kentucky Derby was as good as it gets.”

Well, it actually has gotten better. The Derby victory further boosted Into Mischief as a stallion, with five of his yearlings fetching at least $1 million at Keeneland's September yearling sale.

“People questioned whether he could have a horse win a classic, and now he [Into Mischief] checked that box off,” Toothaker said. “It wasn't very many years ago that he was averaging $21,000 per yearling. And after the first two books (of the Keeneland sale), he's averaging $500,000. Into Mischief has climbed the ladder of stallion success, and it's put him in a whole other stratosphere now.”

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Pasture Renovations Will Help Spendthrift Farm Implement Rotational Grazing

Spendthrift Farm is one of Lexington's iconic Thoroughbred breeding and racing operations. Due to recent expansion, the farm wanted to renovate some unused fields and develop them into pastures to use in a rotational grazing system. They turned to forage experts with the Horse Pasture Evaluation Program in the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment for their recommendations.

“The Horse Pasture Evaluation Program is a good tool for all horse farms to use,” said Robbie Moreland, Spendthrift maintenance manager. “It gives us options and guidelines that we can use to develop the land to suit our needs.”

Spendthrift Farm has worked with Krista Lea, UK research analyst, and Ray Smith, UK forage extension specialist, for a number of years to evaluate and renovate fields on their main farm through the program.

“They have done a good job of implementing grazing rotations, as well as removing fescue from some key broodmare fields and having good success with over seeding,” Lea said. “This was our first endeavor with them trying to completely re-establish a pasture.”

The pasture renovation that began in summer 2019 includes 130 acres of an adjoining property the farm purchased a few years back but had not fully incorporated into their operation.

“The land was physically rough, and the grass was consumed by weeds. We decided the best thing to do was just to start completely over again and develop a grass pasture,” Moreland said.

Farm management wanted to establish pastures that were healthy and beneficial for their horses and good for the natural environment. In 2019, they opted to kill off the existing vegetation using tillage, rather than a traditional field burndown with glyphosate. They reseeded the fields with a mixture of bluegrass, orchardgrass and perennial ryegrass. Even though Central Kentucky experienced a drought last fall, the seed germinated and created a lush stand of grass.

Moreland said Spendthrift plans to start fencing the renovated pasture and building a barn this fall, with the goal of allowing horses to graze in the pasture in the spring. Moreland said it was important to the farm to slowly and methodically prepare the ground for grazing.

“We would like to keep these pastures lush,” Moreland said. “To do this, we are going to use it as a pasture rotation with our main farm. The new pastures and barn will be used for our mares and weanlings.”

Spendthrift Farm is just one of the farms the Horse Pasture Evaluation Program advises each year. From its beginnings in 2005 to 2019, the program conducted more than 250 evaluations on horse farms of all sizes and breeds. In 2020, Lea and her student interns have evaluated nearly 30 farms. This is the highest number of operations they have serviced in any one year.

“A high-quality pasture is beneficial to both horses and the environment,” Lea said. “It allows horses to select the best possible forage and stay away from undesirable weeds. We know that good quality pasture maintains a lot of cover, and that reduces soil erosion, prevents nutrients from leaching off that pasture and maintains the soil that is there.”

More information about the program is available here.