Max Player Brings a Touch of Class to New Jersey Breeding Program

MIDDLETOWN, NJ–The Kentucky breeding industry didn't bite on 2021 GI Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Max Player (Honor Code–Fools in Love, by Not For Love), not exactly a surprise considering he was overshadowed during his career by stars such as Flightline (Tapit), Tiz the Law (Constitution), Authentic (Into Mischief), Epicenter (Not This Time) and others. When that happens, it usually means that the horse will land in one of the stronger regional markets, like New York or Pennsylvania. Not Max Player. He's been retired to owner George Hall's Annestes Farm in New Jersey. He will represent the first stallion ever to stand at Hall's farm.

It is a bit of a gamble. Monmouth Park is set to run for just 51 days this year and there will be 10 days of turf racing at the Meadowlands after that. New Jersey-breds do run for good money. At the 2023 Monmouth meet, the purse for a New Jersey-bred maiden race was $72,000. But with so few opportunities for Jersey-breds to run in restricted state-bred races, it's a constant struggle for the New Jersey breeding industry to convince people to breed in the state.

“I know breeding is important to people in this state,” Hall said. “It's just a matter of finding a way to get all the pieces to fit together.”

Could Max Player be one of those pieces?

In 1987, when there was year-round racing in the state, the New Jersey foal crop numbered 1,075. In 2023, it was all the way down to 110. Nine stallions stood in the state in 2023. The hope for Max Player is that his status as a Grade I winner will set him apart from the rest and that he will be the first choice among breeders and owners who remain interested in the New Jersey program.

Max Player is the first Grade I winner to stand in the state since 2004, the last year Evening Kris, the winner of the 1988 GI Jerome H., stood at Walnford Stud.

“Any time you bring a Grade I winner to your state it is a big deal, especially here because we have not had many,” said Mike Campbell, the executive director of the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey. “It shows that George Hall and his partners have faith, not only in New Jersey racing, but also New Jersey breeding. We're happy he's here and hope he does well.”

Max Player had talent, but what he lacked was consistency. In just his third career start, he won the GIII Withers S. during the COVID year of 2020. He then ran third in both the GI Belmont S. and the GI Travers S. before finishing fifth in the GI Kentucky Derby, run in September because of the pandemic. It was more of the same when he finished off the board in the GI Preakness S. and, the following year, the Saudi Cup and the GIII Pimlico Special.

And then he turned into a star, at least for two months. He won the 2021 GII Suburban S. by a neck over G1 Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) and came back two months later to win the Gold Cup over 2020 Gold Cup winner Happy Saver (Super Saver) in his next start.

“Winning a Grade I, especially one at Saratoga, is very tough,” Hall said. “You know you're going to be facing the best competition. To win that race, it was an amazing experience.”

After the Gold Cup win, Max Player again finished out of the money in his next four starts. His final appearance on the racetrack came in a Feb. 25, 2023 allowance race at Oaklawn in which he lost his action and had to be vanned off the track.

He was sent to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington after the Oaklawn race and was treated for an infection. He then spent time at Spy Coast Farm in Lexington for rehabilitation, and made a full recovery.

It was already too late for the 2023 breeding season, so Hall took a step back while deciding what to do. In the end, he owned a farm in New Jersey and thought there was an opening in the state for a Grade I-winning stallion.

“In terms of New Jersey, New Jersey-breds get bonuses and I have the farm here,” Hall said. “If I didn't have the farm, we probably wouldn't be here. It was pretty easy to just bring him up here and stand him here. If a stallion farm in Kentucky said they really wanted Max and were going to support him, I would have considered that. In the absence of that, I wanted to bring him up here. Hopefully, New Jersey breeding will get better now that Max is here and, hopefully, some other strong sires will come to New Jersey.”

Max Player's stud fee is $5,000, which, Hall hopes, people will come to realize is a bargain.

“He's got a Grade I, two thirds in Grade I races, he won graded stakes as 3-year-old and as a 4-year-old,” Hall said. “And the Grade I's were not run of the mill Grade I's. They are some of the biggest races on the calendar. That's our pitch.”

Hall's goal is for Max Player to attract 25 mares this year, a number he believes will increase once his foals hit the track and find some success.

“If he hits a home run, we will keep him in New Jersey,” Hall said. “That would be great and would mean more mares will come into the state. I'm not going to move him. He's here. It would be great if New Jersey racing and breeding could advance because of Max.”

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Horologist Named 2020 New Jersey-Bred Horse Of The Year

There's A Chance Stable, Medallion Racing, Abbondanza Racing, LLC, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Paradise Farms Corp, and David Staudacher's Horologist has been named 2020 New Jersey-bred Horse of the Year and champion older female by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey.

Horologist started her championship campaign in California with trainer Richard Baltas and was ultimately transferred to the care of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott in June. Under Mott's supervision Horologist won the $250,000 Grade 3 Molly Pitcher Stakes at Monmouth Park and the $150,000 G2 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park. Horologist also finished second in the $100,000 Nellie Morse Stakes at Laurel and third in the $500,000 G1 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The daughter of Gemologist out of Cinderella Time, by Stephen Got Even finished 2020 with $345,334 in earnings. She has won seven of 20 career starts with earnings of $715,439. Horologist was bred in New Jersey by Holly Crest Farm.

John Bowers, Jr.'s homebred Royal Urn was named champion sprinter and champion older male after his successful campaign that finished with three stakes wins.

The son of Kantharos out of the King of Kings mare, Born to Royalty won the $75,000 John J. Reilly Handicap and $75,000 New Jersey Breeders Handicap at six furlongs by a combined six lengths. Royal Urn showed his versatility and stretched out to one mile and one sixteenth in the $100,000 Charles J. Hesse III Handicap for his third stakes win of 2020. Royal Urn finished his championship campaign with $172,250 in earnings under the care of trainer Kelly Breen.

Hope Haskell Jones and Isabelle de Tomaso's homebred Pianzi is the champion 3-year-old after his three consecutive wins from July 17 to Aug. 30. The son of Shanghai Bobby out of Faker, by Petionville broke his maiden in his second start of the year on July 17 by 4 3/4 lengths. Trained by Cal Lynch, Pianzi came back on Aug. 8 and won his nw1x condition and his nw2x condition on Aug. 30. Pianzi finished 2020 with earnings of $132,815.

Pickin' Time gave breeder/owner John Bowers, Jr. and trainer Kelly Breen their second champion as he took home the honor of champion 2-year-old.

Pickin' Time had a successful campaign, winning three races at distances ranging from 4 1/2 furlongs to one mile. The son of Stay Thirsty out of Born to Royalty, by King of Kings (Ire), broke his maiden in his first start at Monmouth Park going 4 1/2 furlongs on July 4.  Pickin' Time finished second in the $100,000 Sapling Stakes at one mile before cutting back to six furlongs and winning the $75,000 Smoke Glacken Stakes at Monmouth Park. The champion 2-year-old saved the best race of his campaign in the $100,000 G3 Nashua Stakes winning the one-mile event over the Aqueduct oval by 2 1/4 lengths. Pickin' Time finished his 2-year-old season with earnings of $193,025.

Ballybrit Stables, LLC's homebred Bramble Bay is the champion turf runner after her three-win season.

Bramble Bay won over the Gulfstream Park turf course in May prior to shipping to Monmouth Park and winning the $75,000 Jersey Girl Handicap at one mile on the turf. The daughter of Bullet Train out of Regal Rose, by Empire Maker is trained by Michael Dini. Bramble Bay earned $119,830 during her championship campaign and has career earnings of $196,988.

Born to Royalty was honored as Broodmare of the Year in 2020. John Bowers, Jr. owns the 19-year-old mare by King of Kings out of Teenage Queen. Teenage Queen, also owned by John Bowers, Jr., was named New Jersey's Broodmare of the Year in 2007. Born to Royalty is the broodmare of Royal Urn, champion sprinter and champion older male, and Pickin' Time who is the champion 2-year-old of 2020.

Born to Royalty has produced 10 foals ,of which nine have started, including a yearling New Jersey-bred colt by Tonalist.

Hey Chub is the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey's Stallion of the Year for the fifth time in his career. The 21-year-old son of Carson City out of Donna Doo by Spend A Buck was a multiple stakes winning New Jersey-bred who hit the board in 30 of his 36 starts and earned $441,755.

Hey Chub has sired stakes winners Chublicious ($653,393), winner of the 2017 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes, 2018 New Jersey-bred champion sprinter Brother Chub ($542,336) along with stakes placed Chubbiana ($119,872).

The post Horologist Named 2020 New Jersey-Bred Horse Of The Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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