Irad Ortiz Jr., Suspended Three Days for Aqueduct ‘Careless Riding’

Irad Ortiz, Jr., currently the nation's leading jockey in both purse winnings and victories for 2023, waived his right to appeal a three-day “careless riding” suspension imposed by the Aqueduct Racetrack stewards for an Oct. 22 bumping incident that resulted in a victory for Ortiz's mount, an inquiry by the stewards, but no disqualification.

As a result of waiving the appeal, Ortiz will sit out three days starting this coming Sunday, Nov. 5, the day after he rides the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park, plus next Thursday and Friday, Nov. 9 and 10, the next two live racing dates on the Aqueduct calendar.

Riding Mister J T (Stay Thirsty), who was claimed as the 5-2 second favorite out of a $12,500 claiming sprint, Ortiz, according to the Equibase chart, was bottled up “behind a wall of rivals slugging it out on the front nearing the eighth pole, opted to tip out bulling his way out by bumping Striking Speed [Brilliant Speed] twice and nearly forcing that rival to clip heels to make a lane for himself at that station, then forged clear in hand much the best in the late stages.”

Striking Speed faded to seventh and last place.

Ortiz recently was suspended three days at Saratoga Race Course for a “careless riding” foul that did result in the disqualification of his mount from a July 27 win. He also served three days for committing the same type of infraction at Belmont Park June 11 that resulted in an inquiry but no disqualification of his third-place finisher.

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‘Very Positive’ Fasig-Tipton California Sale Topped by $250K Vronsky Colt

by Dan Ross & Jill Williams

A $250,000 colt by late California sire Vronsky led Tuesday's one-session Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings and Horses of Racing Age Sale, topping a dozen lots to sell for six figures. While the $5,751,500 gross for 185 head and $15,000 median (-11.76%) declined somewhat from the 2022 edition, average was up slightly from $30,522 in 2022 to $31,089 (+1.86%) this year. The buy-back rate, 25.7% in 2022, rose to 34%.

“Buy-backs may be up a little bit,” said Fasig-Tipton's California representative Mike Machowsky. “But the guys that breed these Cal-breds are happy to race them. The Cal-bred program is a very strong program and, as you see, we get great horses out here. It's solid. We're very happy and things are going the right way.”

Now in its fifth edition, the sale was headed by a new buyer to the California market in West Point Thoroughbreds. The organization, a major yearling purchaser in Kentucky and New York, was making their first purchase at the California sale.

“We're very pleased we had some new people buying before that we haven't had in the past,” said Machowsky.

“Overall the yearling market was very positive,” continued Machowsky. “It was strong all the way through. People are always looking for quality, what kind of fits their program, whatever they need. We had some very nice horses.

“It's resilient, this business. We'll be looking forward to next year and hopefully the Breeders' Cup [at Santa Anita] will add a little confidence. It turned out to be a really good sale in the yearling market. We're moving upward and next year hopefully we can capitalize on it again. We're here to make it work.”

The horses of racing age portion of the sale was led by Hip 357, an 2-year-old daughter of Outwork named Work It who broke her maiden on debut Sept. 15 at Los Alamitos. G. Chris Coleman picked up the Havens Bloodstock Agency-consigned filly for $85,000.

John Sadler, second from right, and the West Point team | Fasig-Tipton

Sadler Picks Up Vronsky Colt for West Point

West Point Thoroughbreds, which sprung for all or part of 14 yearlings at the recently concluded Keeneland September Yearling Sale, including the $3-million Into Mischief topper, added a California-bred Vronsky colt to the stable Tuesday. Out of Seasontoperfection (Poteen), the Jan. 23-foaled colt topped the Fasig-Tipton sale at $250,000.

Consigned by Harris Farms, Inc. and bred by Old English Rancho and Ken Tevelde, the colt is a half to Sept. 16 E.B. Johnston S. winner Kings River Knight (Acclamation). Trainer John Sadler, representing West Point, said the breeders “stayed in for a leg.”

Sadler trains Kings River Knight.

“We have the half-brother,” said Sadler, “who won three or four stakes this year. This horse looks a lot like the brother so we thought he'd be good for the Cal-bred program.”

In addition to Hip 211, West Point also bought a Violence filly out of Tryst (Candy Ride {Arg}) for $32,000. Consigned by McCarthy Bloodstock, agent, Hip 270 is out of a half-sister to GISW A Z Warrior (Bernardini) and additional GSWs/GISPs JoJoWarrior (Pioneerof the Nile) and E Z Warrior (Exploit).

Knapp Springs for Full-Brother to Finneus

California trainer Steve Knapp, whose Bus Buzz (Stay Thirsty) won Del Mar's Real Good Deal S. Aug. 4 after being purchased out of this same sale for $97,000 in 2021, made the $225,000 winning bid for Hip 165–also by Stay Thirsty–on behalf of owner Todd Sheehan. The Apr. 22 colt, already named Rumble King, is by the current second-leading California sire by 2023 progeny earnings.

A son of stakes-winning My Fiona (Ghostzapper), the colt was bred in California by Terry C. Lovingier and consigned by his Lovacres Ranch, where Stay Thirsty also stands. The colt is a full-brother to Golden State Juvenile S. winner and GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity runner-up Finneus, as well as a half to Melair S. winner Fi Fi Pharoah (American Pharoah).

Knapp was bullish on getting the colt. “He's beautiful and the whole family has won nothing but money. The mama's won almost $500,000 and the two babies have both won stakes races, so it's a good family.

“Stay Thirsty has had a lot of nice babies. Of all the ones they've given me, all of them can run. He's great for California. We like to keep them in California and run for the big money at Del Mar.”

Hip 81 | Fasig-Tipton

Wallers Get Back into Family with Improbable Filly

Eric and Sharon Waller bred and raced GII Sorrento S. winner and MGISP Spectator (Jimmy Creed), but had sold her dam, Diva's Tribute (Henny Hughes) when that filly was just a weanling. They got back into the family for $200,000 with Hip 81, an Improbable half-sister to Spectator.

“Not only did we breed Spectator, but we bred [her first two dams], which is where it all started,” said Eric Waller. “[Spectator's] mother was injured in a paddock accident so she never raced, then I bred her to Into Mischief and that foal had a paddock accident so she couldn't race. We ended up selling the mare at Keeneland before Spectator won a graded stakes, so I wanted to get that family back. This filly is the spitting image of Spectator, so I couldn't let her go.”

Waller lives in California and has “raced Cal-breds my whole life.” He indicated the Mar. 29 filly would go to Phil D'Amato, who also trained Spectator. Richard Barton Enterprises bred the Diva's Tribute filly in Kentucky and his California-based operation, Barton Thoroughbreds, agent, consigned.

Flatter Colt to Gasparrelli

A colt from the penultimate crop of Flatter, who died last year at 23, hammered for $200,000 to Steve Gasparrelli's Slugo Racing. Consigned by Lovacres Ranch LLC as Hip 197, the Apr. 26 colt is out of the winning Arch mare Rapid Repair.

“I like the Flatters,” said Gasparrelli. “They did pretty well at Del Mar, maybe a little more on the turf side but they ran good on dirt, too. Bottom line is the Flatters did pretty good at Del Mar and I like him with an Arch mare.”

Gasparrelli indicated the colt would be sent to trainer Mike Puype, who has all of the approximately 30-strong Slugo stable.

“We probably won't run him early. Puype's pretty conservative so we'll see. We'll let the horse tell us.”

Bred in California by Terry C. Lovingier, the $200,000 colt is out of a half-sister to MGSW & GISP Kitten's Point (Kitten's Joy) from the extended family of GISWs Marquetry (Conquistador Cielo) and You (You and I), as well as MGSW & GISP Five Star Day (Carson City).

“I just liked the horse's conformation,” said Gasparrelli. “He is a nice size, not too big, not too small. And he's a Cal-bred. I'm going more for the Cal-bred angle.”

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Fun to Dream Crowned CTBA Horse of the Year

Grade I winner Fun to Dream (Arrogate) was crowned California-bred Horse of the Year at the CTBA Awards dinner held Monday night. The 4-year-old filly, who is out of the Maria's Mon mare Lutess, was bred by Connie Pageler and trainer Bob Baffert and is owned by Paegler and Natalie J. Baffert. The gray filly was also named Cal-bred champion 3-year-old filly and sprinter, and her dam was named Cal-bred broodmare of the year.

“I did this, it was a crazy thing, I called Garrett O'Rourke at Juddmonte and I told him I'm going to do something really crazy, I'm sending you a mare that I claimed for $8,000,” Bob Baffert, who was voted Trainer of the Year, said. “I told Connie, we're going to breed her to Arrogate, one of the greatest horses I ever trained. And we got lucky. We talked about what to name her and it's fun to dream, that's why we're all in this business. And that's how she got her name.

“Connie sold the mare and I'm going to get crazy again and do a foal share with Justify. So, hopefully, I'll be up here in a couple of years and maybe we can catch lightning in a bottle twice.”In 2022, Fun to Dream had five wins in six starts, including the GI La Brea S., and earned $426,590. Overall, she has six wins in seven starts and earnings of $546,590.

Other 2022 Cal-bred champions:
Champion California-bred 2-Year-Old Male: Giver Not a Taker (Danzing Candy)
Champion California-bred 2-Year-Old Female: Sell The Dream (Munnings)
Champion California-bred 3-Year-Old: Slow Down Andy (Nyquist)
Champion California-bred 3-Year-Old Female: Fun to Dream
Champion California-bred Older Male: The Chosen Vron (Vronsky).
Champion California-bred Older Female: Becca Taylor (Old Topper)
Champion California-bred Sprinter: Fun to Dream
Champion California-bred Turf Horse: The Chosen Vron
Champion Sire of California Conceived Foals by Earnings: Grazen (Benchmark)
Champion Sire of California Conceived Foals by Number of Winners: Grazen
Champion Sire of California Conceived Foals by Turf Earnings: Grazen
Champion Sire of California Conceived 2-Year-Olds by Earnings: Stay Thirsty (Bernardini)
Trainer of the Year: Bob Baffert
Broodmare of the Year: Lutess (Maria's Mon)
Champion Breeder of California Foaled Thoroughbreds by Earnings: Nick Alexander
Scoop Vessels Award: The Derby Room
CTBA Hall of Fame: Joe Harper, Nashoba's Key (Silver Hawk)

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Unique Partnership of Breeders Brings Mind Control to New York

Tenacious to the end, Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stable's Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) closed out his career with a win in the 2022 GI Cigar Mile, his third Grade I win and his 11th black-type victory. In a remarkable 29 starts over five years, Mind Control amassed total winnings of $2,185,834. In that race, as in all of Mind Control's stakes wins, he beat an impressive field of competitors, including favored Zandon, White Abarrio, and Get Her Number. Big numbers, indeed.

Numbers, as it turns out, will also be critical to his next career, as the Red Oak Stables homebred will stand at Rockridge Stud for a partnership that includes Red Oak and Madaket Stable, who raced him in partnership, as well as almost every New York farm invested in the Thoroughbred breeding business, including Irish Hill Farm, Rockridge, Dutchess Views Stallions, Waldorf Farm, and Hidden Lake Farm. Shareholders also include Joe McMahon of McMahon Farm, Saratoga Glen, and New Hill Farm.

Out of a fellow Rockridge homebred Feel That Fire (Lightnin N Thunder), a stakes-winning half-sister to MSW & GSP King For A Day (Uncle Mo) and a full to MSW Ima Jersey Girl, “He is probably one of the better horses, if not the best horse, that has ever come to New York,” said Michael Lischin of Dutchess Views Farms. The winning of the GI Cigar Mile is a great prep for being a stallion.”

Speaking to the TDN after the Cigar Mile, Todd Pletcher, who began training Mind Control in 2020, said, “If you like horse racing, you've got to love this horse. He's cool. He's done it consistently year after year at multiple distances. He's a great horse to be able to train. He's remarkably consistent and shows up every morning.”

“When we got the partnership together, it grew very quickly because, just like anything else, word of mouth goes very quickly,” said Lere Visage, owner of Rockridge Stud. “These are the bigger farms, all bound together to support a horse that they all think is going to be legit and that can improve the state and improve the mare base that we have. There's never been a partnership like that done in New York with any of the farms.”

The partners said they were confident in the quality of Mind Control's first book. Just before breeding season, to boost the stallion's chances, partners and prospective supporters purchased additional mares in Kentucky. And the partners' phones ring constantly, they said.

“Several trainers have booked mares to Mind Control,” said Visage. “They saw him as a racehorse. With that much heart and stamina, this horse is worth taking a look at. Nothing like Mind Control has ever stood in New York.”

In impressive New York style, Mind Control took his first Grade I in the 2018 Hopeful S. at Saratoga and his second in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S., also at Saratoga. In his first start for Pletcher, Mind Control won the GII John A. Nerud S. He won the Parx Dirt Mile two starts later, was third in the 2022 GI Carter H. Two months after that, he beat Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) in Monmouth's GIII Salvator Mile. In his last start before the Cigar Mile, he finished a neck behind the leader in the Sept. 24 Parx Dirt Mile, but was promoted to first via DQ.

“He won from six furlongs to a mile,” said Lischin. “To win a Grade I race at seven furlongs at two and three, and then continue on with stakes wins every year and closing out with a Grade I stakes race at six and over $2 million is a great race record. He beat Knicks Go, Firenze Fire, Instagrand, Zandon, and Hot Rod Charlie, amongst numerous others.”

Bringing the New York farms together as a stallion just like he brought racing fans together in his career, Mind Control has created excitement in the New York Thoroughbred breeding scene.

“He comes with a lot of credentials and that's kind of a solid beginning to a horse,” said Visage. “It is also very exciting to see, and kind of refreshing to know, that the farms can all work together and, you know, support a horse that they feel is worth supporting.”

Mind Control is will stand at $8,500 LFSN.

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