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Consignor, Pinhooker Jerry Bailey Passes Away at 78

Jerry Bailey, whose varied career in the sport included stints as a veterinarian, breeder, owner, pinhooker and consignor, passed away Dec. 17 due to complications from pneumonia after a bout with COVID-19. He was 78.

Bailey started out on the racetrack as a veterinarian and took a position as the resident veterinarian for E.K. Gaylord's Lazy E Ranch in Oklahoma, later adding the role of general manager to his duties.

He moved to Florida in the late eighties and partnered with Ken Ellenberg to start Bailey Ellenberg Select, a partnership that focused on pinhooking. Ellenberg and Bailey bought eventual 1995 Grade I Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch (Gulch) for $40,000 at the Keeneland July yearling sale with the intent to sell him a year later. They had a $125,000 reserve on him at the Keeneland April sale as a 2-year-old, but the bidding stopped at $120,000. After selling a 50% interest in him to Howard Rozin, they campaigned Thunder Gulch through his first three career starts before selling him privately to Michael Tabor.

Bailey would later partner with Lance Robinson, and the two started Gulf Coast Farms. It was another pinhooking operation, but they also got involved in breeding. Their biggest success story as a breeder was Lookin at Lucky (Smart Strike). Consigned by Bailey, he was sold for $475,000 as a 2-year-old at the Keeneland April sale. The winner of the 2010 GI Preakness S., he was named champion 2-year-old in 2009 and champion 3-year-old in 2010.

Bailey was involved with many top horses over the years. He consigned Grade I winners Honour and Glory (Relaunch), Deputy Commander (Deputy Minister), Henny Hughes (Hennessy) and Dubai Escapade (Awesome Again). Dubai Escapade sold for $2 million at the 2004 Barretts 2-year-old sale.

About 10 years ago, Bailey retired from the Thoroughbred game and moved back to his native Oklahoma. While there, he focused on roping competitions.

“Roping to him was what golf is to others,” said his widow, Leslie. “He roped every day there was. He just won a roping competition about five days before he came up sick.

“He was most proud of our success in the Thoroughbred business, his ability to pick out an individual, an athlete, and all his achievements in roping.”

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Joseph Eyes Triple Crown Trail With Make It Big

Red Oak Stables' Make It Big (Neolithic) may have earned a position on the Kentucky Derby trail with his win in Friday's Remington Springboard Mile S. The Saffie Joseph, Jr. trainee accumulated 10 qualifying points to the Derby with his half-length victory over Osbourne (Tapiture) in Oklahoma.

“We are, obviously, very excited. He was stepping up in class, shipping for the first time and going two turns [for the first time]. He handled it all as good as you could ask for,” said Joseph. “He sat in the pocket, made a move down the backside, and was gutsy enough to hold off Osbourne.”

Make It Big, a $120,000 purchase at this year's OBS April sale, opened his career with an 8 1/2-length win against fellow Florida-breds at Gulfstream Oct. 9 and added a victory in the Oct. 30 Ocala Stud Juvenile Sprint–both at seven furlongs–before shipping to Remington Park.

“The [Feb 5 GIII] Holy Bull might come a little quick, but everything is still in play. Maybe, the [Mar. 5 GII Fasig-Tipton] Fountain of Youth,” Joseph said of possible next starts for Make It Big. “We'll talk it over with the ownership group and Rick Sacco, the stable manager. He was the one that recommended, after he won last time, that we should try this race [Springboard Mile]. It turned out a perfect choice of race.”

Joseph said he thinks Make It Big will handle longer distances.

“You would think the more distance the better. That's how he trained. Up until six weeks before he made his debut, he kind of seemed he'd go long, long, long,” Joseph said. “He was lacking that early speed. When we put blinkers on him, they gave him that dynamic, showing some speed. We already knew he had the stamina. He's really turned around.”

Joseph also trains Triple Crown prospect White Abarrio (Race Day), who captured his first two races impressively before finishing third in the Nov. 27 GII Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs.

“He's doing well. We gave him a little freshening,” Joseph said of the colt who worked three furlongs in :36.00 (3/11) at Gulfstream Sunday. “He's most likely going in the Holy Bull.”

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Nevin Taking Her Time With Happy Medium

Jay Em Ess Stable's Happy Medium (Runhappy) equaled his career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure for 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy allowance victory (video) at Aqueduct Saturday. Happy Medium has gone 3-for-4 this year, his only loss coming in his debut where he finished third going seven furlongs at Aqueduct in March.

“He's doing all the right things,” trainer Michelle Nevin said of the sophomore. “We're very happy with him and we are taking each logical step as he's gone along and he's really shown up.”

Happy Medium earned his first 103 Beyer with a 9 1/4-length maiden special weight victory at Belmont in his second start. He followed with a five-length victory over a sloppy and sealed main track at Aqueduct Nov. 13.

Nevin said Happy Medium's effort Saturday was the best of his career.

“Yesterday, he looked more in control of the race every step of the way,” Nevin said. “When he broke his maiden, he did it easily, but it maybe didn't look as impressive as yesterday.”

Looking ahead for Happy Medium, Nevin said, “We'll just get past this, get back to training, and see how we are and then we'll make our decisions down the road a little bit. We're going to have to see how he comes out of this race. It was a huge effort, so I'm not in a rush to pick a spot. Once I feel like he's back on his feet again, we'll see what's available to us.”

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Doswell Does It in Ft. Lauderdale

Joseph Allen homebred Doswell (Giant's Causeway) hadn't seen the inside of a winner's circle since October 2020, however, marked his return with aplomb, scoring by a front-running, 1 1/2-length margin over longshot Atone (Into Mischief) in Saturday's GII Ft. Lauderdale S. at Gulfstream.

Sent to the front by Junior Alvarado straight away, the 9-2 shot showed the way as the stalking duo of GSW Analyze It (Point of Entry) and English Bee (English Channel) kept him in their sights. Still in front and moving well with a half mile left to negotiate, Doswell ramped up the tempo as 17-1 chance Atone burst on the scene approaching the quarter pole, spurted clear in early stretch and finished up with good energy late to win. English Bee held on for third, only a half-length adrift of the runner up.

“He broke good, I put him on the engine a little bit and then tried to slow him down, and he rated kindly for me,” said Alvarado. “When we turned for home, I asked him and he gave me a nice kick. I knew they were in trouble as soon as I started asking him, because he picked it up very quickly and I thought they'd have to be flying at the end to go by.”

A front-running victor in a Belmont allowance in October 2020, the dark bay finished runner up in this race last December before coming home third in the GIII W. L. McKnight S. in January. Sidelined after that effort, he didn't return to racing for nine months before running third in back-to-back optional claiming allowances Oct. 21 at Belmont and most recently, at Aqueduct Nov. 19.

“It was nice and easy,” added Alvarado of Saturday's effort. “Last year, they kind of told me to try to see if he would stalk to make sure he would finish strong, and we kind of took away his main [weapon]. Today, they told me, 'You're in the one [post], just leave out of there rolling,' and that's what I did.”

And is the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf in January in the cards for the 6-year-old?

“We're thinking about it. We'll probably go in it,” said winning trainer Barclay Tagg. “We'll see how he comes out of this. We'll see if he freshens up and if he's got [good] energy. I don't want to take him over there and just make a fool out of him if we can help it.”

Pedigree Notes:

The late, great Giant's Causeway, gone since the spring of 2018, continues to churn out stakes winners. The classy chestnut stood the whole of his career at Coolmore locations around the globe, but had his greatest success as a stallion during his longstanding engagement in Kentucky. The 6-year-old Doswell became the 164th Northern Hemisphere-foaled black-type winner for his sire and the 98th graded.

In contrast to Giant's Causeway was Doswell's broodmare sire Minardi, who was also a European champion raced by Coolmore connections, but hardly took the stallion ranks by storm. From 11 crops, he managed only three stakes winners from Malaysia to Europe, with Doswell's dam his only black-type winner in a major racing country (France). Doswell is the fourth black-type winner out of a daughter of Minardi. Doswell's half-brother Secretary At War (War Front) is one of the others.

In addition to her two stakes-winning sons, Ballet Pacifica has Grade III-placed Entrechat, a full-sister to Doswell, and a placed juvenile full-brother to Secretary At War named Fort Ticonderoga. Her yearling filly is named You're the Top (Into Mischief) and she visited both War Front and Not This Time for next term. Ballet Pacifica is out of Irish champion, three-time U.S. GISW, and $1.05-million broodmare Kostroma (Ire), making Ballet Pacifica a half to 2008 GI Santa Anita Oaks winner Ariege (Doneraile Court).

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
FT. LAUDERDALE S.-GII, $200,000, Gulfstream, 12-18, 3yo/up,
1 1/8mT, 1:45.60, fm.
1–DOSWELL, 121, g, 6, by Giant's Causeway
                1st Dam: Ballet Pacifica (SW & GSP-Fr, GSP-USA,
                $120,100), by Minardi
                2nd Dam: Kostroma (Ire), by Caerleon
                3rd Dam: Katie May (GB), by Busted (GB)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
O/B-Joseph Allen LLC (KY); T-Barclay Tagg; J-Junior Alvarado.
$115,320. Lifetime Record: 12-3-5-3, $314,621. Werk Nick
Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross
pedigree.*Full to Entrechat, GSP, $170,730; 1/2 to Secretary
At War (War Front), SW & GSP, $382,754.
2–Atone, 121, g, 4, Into Mischief–Captivating Lass, by A.P.
Indy. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($130,000
4yo '21 FTKHRA). O-Three Diamonds Farm; B-Godolphin
(KY); T-Michael J. Maker. $37,200.
3–English Bee, 121, h, 5, English Channel–Evil Kitten, by
Kitten's Joy. O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-H. Graham Motion.
$18,600.
Margins: 1HF, HF, 1 3/4. Odds: 4.50, 17.90, 21.20.
Also Ran: Space Traveller (GB), L'Imperator (Fr), Sole Volante, Renaisance Frolic, Breaking the Rules, Order and Law, Media Blitz, Analyze It, King Guillermo. Scratched: Brown Storm (Chi).
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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