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Forego Victor Win Win Win to Stand at Ocala Stud

Live Oak Plantation homebred Win Win Win (Hat Trick {Jpn}–Miss Smarty Pants, by Smarty Jones), who capped his career with a head-turning last-to-first victory in Saratoga’s GI Forego S. Aug. 29, will take up stud duties next year at Ocala Stud for a fee of $5,000 LFSN. He will stand as property of a partnership between Live Oak, Ocala Stud and Airdrie Stud.

“We are very excited to add Win Win Win to our roster,” said Ocala Stud’s David O’Farrell. “He’s a big, grand-looking horse with a lot of presence. His record-setting speed, versatility, and classic bloodline which consists of three Kentucky Derby winners give Win Win Win a great opportunity to become a top sire.”

Conditioned by Mike Trombetta, Win Win Win was a debut winner at two who took Tampa’s Pasco S. by 7 1/2 lengths last January before finishing third in the GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby and second in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. After contesting both the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S., he showed off his versatility with a score in Belmont’s Manila S. last July. He ran down GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Complexity (Maclean’s Music) and three other Grade I winners from what seemed like an impossible spot in this August’s Forego.

“The combination of Win Win Win’s tremendous talent and the opportunity he will receive at Ocala Stud is why we’re so excited to partner on his stallion career,” said Airdrie Stud’s Bret Jones. “No one will give this horse a better chance to succeed than Ocala Stud and we look forward to doing our part by supporting him heavily in each of his early years at stud. I know the Live Oak team has always believed he was a genuine star, and we are grateful to Mrs. Weber for letting Airdrie play a role in his exciting future.”

A descendant of the potent Halo sire line, Win Win Win’s second dam is SW and GSP Devotion Unbridled (Unbridled), who in turn produced GSW Unbridled Humor (Distorted Humor).

For more information about Win Win Win or to schedule an inspection, contact David or Joe O’Farrell at (352) 237-2171 or visit www.OcalaStud.com.

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Vorticity Retired From Racing; Stud Deal Pending

Matthew Schera’s stakes-winning and MGSP 7-year-old Vorticity (Distorted Humor–Tar Heel Mom, by Flatter) has been retired. A $220,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic juvenile purchase in 2015, and later that year annexed the Marylander S. before seconds in the GIII Jerome S. and GIII Withers S. as an early season 3-year-old. He added a third in the 2018 GII Pat O’Brien S., and retires with a record of 18-4-6-3 and earnings of $347,040. “I look at a lot of stride data, and Vorticity had a very large stride and he had a very efficient way of going,” Schera noted in a release. Out of MGSW and GISP Tar Heel Mom (Flatter), Vorticity is a half to GSW and MGISP Scrappy T (Fit To Fight). A stud deal is pending for the dark bay, who was catalogued as a stallion prospect to the Keeneland November sale as hip 3371 and consigned by South Point Sales. Inquiries can be made to South Point’s Mike Recio at 859-221-1809 or mike@southpointky.com. Additional information, including videos, is available here.

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Vekoma Scratched from Breeders’ Cup Sprint After Spiking Fever

Dual 2020 Grade I winner Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}), the heavy favorite for Saturday’s GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint, has been scratched from the race after spiking a fever, it was announced early Wednesday morning by trainer George Weaver.

“Last night, the horse spiked a fever on us,” Weaver told TVG, “and we needed to treat him with the doctor last night and he just wasn’t fit to go train today. Being this close to a race, he’s not fit to run either so we’re not going to be able to participate.

“The horse had been doing fantastic and it almost felt like it was destiny for him to run in this race and put a crown on this year’s achievements. [I’m] very disappointed but I’m glad that the horse is going to be okay.”

Vekoma has won all three of his 2020 starts–including the July 4 GI Met Mile and the June 6 GI Carter H.–in impressive fashion, notching Beyer Speed Figures of 110 in the Carter and 104 in the Met Mile.

He is scheduled to stand at Spendthrift Farm in 2021. Weaver said the ownership ground would discuss whether Vekoma would make another start before retirement.

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Baffert Issues Statement on Medication Issues

In a statement circulated to the media Wednesday morning, Bob Baffert pledged to do everything possible to ensure that he receives no further medication positives, saying that he wanted to be a positive influence on horse racing.

Baffert, who has seen medication positives over overages three times in the last six months, outlined several steps his barn was taking.

The statement in full reads:

“2020 has been a difficult year for everyone. It has been no exception for my family, my barn, and me. I am very aware of the several incidents this year concerning my horses and the impact it has had on my family, horse racing, and me.

“I want to have a positive influence on the sport of horse racing. Horses have been my life and I owe everything to them and the tremendous sport in which I have been so fortunate to be involved.

“We can always do better and that is my goal. Given what has transpired this year, I intend to do everything possible to ensure I receive no further medication complaints. As such, I want to announce that, beginning immediately, I plan to implement the following procedures in an effort to make my barn one of the leaders in best practices and rule compliance:

I am retaining Dr. Michael Hore of the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute to add an additional layer of protection to ensure the well-being of horses in my care and rule compliance.
I am increasing the training and awareness of all my employees when it comes to proper protocols.
I am personally increasing my oversight and commitment to running a tight ship and being careful that protective measures are in place.

“I want to raise the bar and set the standard for equine safety and rule compliance going forward. For those of you that have been upset over the incidents of this past year, I share in your disappointment. I humbly vow to do everything within my power to do better. I want my legacy to be one of making every effort to do right by the horse and the sport.”

Baffert’s most recent medication issue was Gamine’s positive test for betamethasone, a corticosteroid, when she was third in the GI Kentucky Oaks Sept. 4. Gamine also tested positive for lidocaine at Oaklawn May 2, as did Charlatan the same day.

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