Competitive Filly Sprinters Kick Off Spa Juvenile Action

5th-SAR, $100k, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 3:21 p.m. ET

Split divisions of juvenile filly sprinters get the Saratoga baby race season underway on opening day Thursday, with this latter half appearing to be clearly the saltier spot on paper. Heads turned when a filly by thus-far unheralded freshman sire Valiant Minister hammered for $360,000–120 times the Bridlewood Farm resident's stud fee–at OBS April, but one viewing of OUTFOXED's breeze-show effort quickly explains why. The dark bay barreled through a powerful :20 4/5 quarter-mile work, sparking a bidding war that ended with Solis/Litt as the last entity standing on behalf of LNJ Foxwoods. The Bill Mott trainee shows a modest local worktab, but did work a half-mile in :49 flat (3/12) from the gate on the Oklahoma training track June 25. Two other debutantes have live looks in Solasta (Goldencents) and Echo Zulu (Gun Runner). The former, owned by Jeff Drown and Don Rachel, is a half-sister to GISW Mia Mischief who cost $300,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling buy. The bay has breezed sharply for Jeremiah Englehart, including a best-of-31 bullet half-mile from the gate over this strip in :47 3/5 July 1. The latter, who goes out for L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds, is a half to last summer's GI H. Allen Jerkens S. hero Echo Town (Speightstown) and GSW J Boys Echo (Mineshaft). She sports a four-furlong gate bullet of her own, going the distance in :47 2/5 (1/44) June 15 at Keeneland. One of only two horses in the 10-horse group with racing experience, Pop-A-Top's Lady Scarlet (Union Rags) gets the slight nod on the morning line at 5-2 after showing good speed and finishing a clear second for Brad Cox in the opener June 4 at Churchill. TJCIS PPs

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Taking Stock: Maclean’s Music is the Model for Valiant Minister

Last week, I stopped by John and Leslie Malone's 2,200-acre Bridlewood Farm in Ocala before attending the OBS June sale and got a good look at an intriguing freshman sire who'd topped the June sale six years earlier at a then-record price of $680,000. By Candy Ride (Arg) from the unraced Deputy Minister mare Spooky Minister, Valiant Minister was bred by John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale and had breezed a bullet eighth in :9 4/5 for consignor Eddie Woods. He was purchased on the advice of Donato Lanni by Charles and Susan Chu, who race as Baoma Corp., with Bob Baffert, and he's an eyeful. Standing about 17 hands, Valiant Minister is an imposing horse with plenty of athleticism to go with his size and substance. That he's a rare gray for his sire like Grade l winner Leofric, who is in his second year at Rockridge Stud in New York, adds to his attraction.

“I wasn't really interested in standing him at first, until I saw him get off the van,” said George Isaacs, longtime manager of Bridlewood for Arthur Appleton and his family before the Malones bought the showcase property in 2013. “I'd told Mrs. Chu not to send him, but she did anyway, and when he stepped off that van, he was impressive. He stands out.”

Isaacs is a tall and lanky figure in his early 60s who sports a ubiquitous baseball cap and a short-cropped beard and tells it like it is, politely but with no holds barred. And he's no one's fool. An accomplished horseman with a record of success in Florida, Isaacs has a keen sense of Ocala breeding history, and he knows how to run a business. The moment he saw the horse in front of him, he knew he'd have to take a shot with him.

“I called Eddie Woods and asked him if he remembered the colt,” Isaacs said. “Eddie told me he was the fastest 2-year-old he'd ever had. And with the horses Eddie's had through the years, that said a lot.”

Isaacs's initial reticence stemmed from Valiant Minister's race record. He'd raced only once, at four. Susan Chu entered the business nine years ago with Lanni picking her stock, racing Grade l-placed Grade lll winners Super Ninety Nine (Pulpit) and Chitu (Henny Hughes) under her Tanma Corp. banner with Baffert in 2013 and 2014 before husband Charles came aboard and they became Baoma Corp. Valiant Minister and Drefong (Gio Ponti), both 2-year-olds of 2015, were part of the couple's new joint venture, and the success certainly continued with the latter, who won the Gl Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita in 2016–the season he was named champion sprinter–and the Gl Forego S. at Saratoga the following year.

Valiant Minister got hurt shortly after he sold at OBS June and didn't make it to the races until January of 2017, missing his entire 2-year-old and 3-year-old seasons. However, he made the most of his lone start, winning a Santa Anita maiden special wire-to-wire in 1:08.84 by 2 1/4 lengths from a stablemate, Baoma's Lord Simba, who won a Grade lll race a few months later to validate the class of Valiant Minister–who'd earned an excellent Ragozin speed figure as it was for his winning effort. Valiant Minister was subsequently injured in a stall accident and never raced again.

“When I saw that monster performance on tape, I knew he had all sorts of ability, but hearing about him from Eddie and seeing the horse in front of me convinced me pretty quickly,” said Isaacs.

Isaacs had developed a relationship with the Chus over the last few years, initially standing Chitu at Bridlewood after Barry Eisaman had recommended Isaacs to the couple for their initial foray into the breeding side of the game.

“Charles and Susan Chu are a dynamic couple who want to do things the right way. They love their horses, they have the capital behind them, and they are committed to quality, which is our philosophy at Bridlewood,” Isaacs said.

The couple had sold Drefong to Japan, where the stallion was recently represented by his first winner, and after supporting Chitu for several years are now focused on making Valiant Minister. Their burgeoning broodmare band boards at Bridlewood, which otherwise exclusively houses the Malones's high-grade commercial breeding stock. The farm, with an excellent dirt and turf course plus an uphill Tapeta gallop modeled after those in Europe, does have a separate training division under farm trainer Meda Murphy that prepares client 2-year-olds, and graduates of the program include such Grade l winners as Gun Runner, Tapwrit, Catholic Boy and Maxfield, among others.

Standing stallions at Bridlewood, where Skip Trial (Bailjumper) and Put It Back (Honour and Glory) once served mares and where Hill 'n' Dale stalwart Stormy Atlantic (Storm Cat) was foaled, raised, and initially entered stud, wasn't a part of Isaacs's business plan for the Malones, but with the Chus committing about 30 mares to support their own studs, he'd decided to venture back into the stallion business primarily for them.

Non-Stakes Winners

As a student of the game, Isaacs is aware that it's a longshot to make any stallion, much less a lightly raced one that never won a black-type race, but Isaacs has also seen these types of horses succeed in Florida dating back to the middle of the last century when the commercial breeding industry in Ocala began. The most recent notable example is Journeyman Stud's Khozan (Distorted Humor), a winner of both of his starts. Any Florida list would also include the prolific 2-year-old sire An Eldorado (Vaguely Noble {Ire}), unplaced in one start, from the 1980s; Big Burn (Never Bend), unplaced in three starts, from the 1970s; and unraced West Acre (Forty Niner) from the beginning of this century, among quite a few others. And I'm not including here horses like Sovereign Dancer (Northern Dancer) and Crafty Prospector (Mr. Prospector), who weren't stakes winners but were graded-placed when they began their careers in Florida before moving on to Kentucky, or early Florida stallions like Beau Gar, a non-stakes winner of 15 starts who sired Beau Purple, who thrice defeated the great Kelso, and Handsome Boy, who beat Buckpasser, in the 1960s. Beau Gar also sired the dam of Onion, who conquered Secretariat in the 1970s.

Claiborne's Danzig (Northern Dancer), an undefeated winner of three starts, is the outstanding example of a non-stakes winner in Kentucky, but Claiborne had previously stood Drone (Sir Gaylord), an undefeated winner of four starts but no stakes, and stakes-placed Nantallah (Nasrullah), and the iconic farm currently stands Flatter (A.P. Indy), who didn't win a black-type race while taking four of six starts, but did place in a graded race, like Sovereign Dancer and Crafty Prospector.

The recently deceased Malibu Moon (A.P. Indy), a cornerstone for Spendthrift under B. Wayne Hughes, only made two starts, winning once, and Maclean's Music (Distorted Humor), who stands at Hill 'n' Dale and is currently represented by Grade l winners Drain the Clock and Jackie's Warrior–one-two in the recent Gl Woody Stephens–won his only start, and it, too, was a “wow” outing like Valiant Minister's.

Aside from their lone races, Maclean's Music and Valiant Minister are linked by Sikura, who stands the former, bred the latter, and began the career of Valiant Minister's sire Candy Ride, whose sons at stud in Kentucky were profiled in this space two weeks ago. Sikura's belief in Maclean's Music was vindicated off the bat when the horse got Gl Preakness S. winner Cloud Computing from his first crop and then followed up with Grade l winner Complexity from his third crop before his most recent duo, members of his fifth crop, and his success is the model that Isaacs hopes to follow with Valiant Minister.

To date, Valiant Minister is represented by only one starter, Signora Minister, who was second in a Santa Anita maiden special in her debut two weeks ago. The filly was an OBS March $25,000 sale, which is reasonable for a $3,000 stallion like her sire, but Valiant Minister has some bigger guns in the pipeline, including a filly and a colt that breezed well and made $360,000 and $350,000, respectively, at OBS April–eye-opening prices. Both were bred by Baoma Corp., which also bred a Valiant Minister yearling filly that made $120,000 at OBS October.

To make a horse like Valiant Minister, it takes heavy owner participation plus savvy management, which the Chus and Isaacs are providing. In fact, Isaacs said that this spring Baoma bred all of its mares at Bridlewood to Valiant Minister to shore up his difficult fourth year at stud, which is one heck of a gamble, but one that's admirable, too. Not many would do it.

We're about to see if it pays off over the second half of the year.

Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks.

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Not This Time, Valiant Minister Colts Fastest At OBS Spring Sale’s Fifth Under Tack Session

Colts by Not This Time and Valiant Minister breezed quarters in :20 3/5 to share honors for the fastest work at the distance at the fifth session of the under tack show for Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2021 Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

  • Hip No. 925, consigned by Pick View LLC, Agent, is a bay colt by Not This Time out of stakes winner In a Jif, by Saintly Look, from the family of graded stakes winner Chin High.
  • Hip No. 996, a gray or roan colt by Valiant Minister consigned by S G V Thoroughbreds LLC (Steven Venosa), Agent, is out of La Nonna, by Unbridled's Song, from the family of champion Apelia.

Five horses worked quarters in :21 flat.

  • Hip No. 840, a dark bay or brown colt by Medaglia d'Oro consigned by Eddie Woods, Agent, is a half brother to stakes placed Tapped out of graded stakes winner Gemswick Park, by Speightstown.
  • Hip No. 952, consigned by Pick View LLC, Agent, is a dark bay or brown filly by Frosted out of Jeanne's Speight, by Speightstown, a full sister to stakes winner Going to Kukaro.
  • Hip No. 998, a bay filly by Uncaptured consigned by Victory Stable, Agent, is out of La Parcela, by El Corredor, a half sister to graded stakes placed stakes winner Aheadbyacentury.
  • Hip No. 1009, a dark bay or brown colt by Practical Joke consigned by Eddie Woods, Agent, is a half brother to graded stakes placed stakes winner Battle Force out of stakes placed Leo's Pegasus, by Fusaichi Pegasus.
  • Hip No. 1011, consigned by Blue River Bloodstock, Inc., Agent, is a bay filly by Hit It a Bomb out of Lightning Twice, by Malibu Moon, a full sister to graded stakes winner Kauai Katie.

Five youngsters tied for the session's fastest eighth, stopping the timer in :9 4/5.

  • Hip No. 866, consigned by Off the Hook LLC, Agent, is a dark bay or brown filly by Temple City out of Grande Mocha, by Grand Slam, from the family of graded stakes winner Golden Sonata.
  • Hip No. 889, Make Out, a bay filly by Outwork consigned by Bobby Dodd, Agent, is out of Hatteras, by Stormy Atlantic, a daughter of graded stakes winner Summer Wind Dancer.
  • Hip No. 917, consigned by Scanlon Training & Sales, Agent, is a dark bay or brown filly by Uncaptured out of Hug Me Tight, by With Distinction, a half sister to graded stakes winner Wall Street Wonder.
  • Hip No. 955, a chestnut colt by Practical Joke consigned by Julie Davies, Agent, is out of graded stakes winner Jenny's So Great, by Greatness, from the family of grade one stakes winner Supah Gem.
  • Hip No. 975, consigned by S G V Thoroughbreds LLC (Steven Venosa), Agent, is a dark bay or brown filly by Fury Kapcori out of Kiana Believes, by With Distinction, a half sister to stakes placed Houngun.

The under tack show continues Saturday morning at 8 a.m. with Hip No.'s 1015 – 1217 scheduled to breeze.

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Valiant Minister Colt Works a Bullet at OBS Friday

A colt from the first crop of Florida stallion Valiant Minister was one of two to breeze a bullet quarter mile in :20 3/5 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale under-tack show Friday. Hip 996 will attempt to follow in the hoofprints of his Bridlewood-based sire, who topped OBS's 2015 June sale after a bullet work, selling to Charles Chu of Baoma Corp. For $680,000 after breezing an eighth in :9 4/5.

“I remember Valiant Minister when he sold here,” said SGV Thoroughbreds' Steve Venosa, who consigns Hip 996. “Eddie Woods had him and he topped the sale. He went out to Bob [Baffert] and unfortunately the horse only had one race, but he ran tremendous.”

Donato Lanni purchased Hip 996's dam La Nonna (Unbridled's Song) on behalf of Baoma Corp. for $72,000 at Keeneland January. This colt is her first foal and Venosa snatched him up for $40,000 at the OBS October Sale.

“I came into the October Sale at OBS and Lisa McGreevy at Abbie Road Farm had him,” Venosa said. “I went to look at all of the Select horses and I really loved this colt. He was the only horse I wanted to buy and I bought him for my partnership.”

The horseman continued, “He was always very forward from the first day we put the tack on him. He did everything right and had a great mind about him.”

Venosa was very pleased with the colt's sharp work Friday (video).

“You never know until you lead one up there,” Venosa said. “The track has been interesting this week. The first day was canceled because we had a lot of rain. Then Monday the track didn't look like it's normal self early, but it righted itself the second day. It's been kind of crazy. I think the wind yesterday really affected a lot of horses.”

He continued, “We were watching the weather and monitoring the rain coming. We had two going today and crossed our fingers the weather would cooperate. We were going back and forth between working a quarter or an eighth, but we figured we'd go ahead and send him a quarter. He is plenty fit enough. We knew he'd go up there and perform and he did.  Everybody back at the barn was excited. We have a great team and you are only as good as your team.”

The other :20 3/5 worker Friday was Hip 925, a colt by Not This Time, from the Pick View consignment.

“We were expecting a really good work out of him,” said Pick VIew's Joe Pickerell. “He is a big, strong, mature, classy colt, who has been one of our fastest horses on the farm all year. We were pretty confident he would work well if he duplicated what he has been doing all year.”

There were also five fillies to work a bullet eighth in :9 4/5: Hip 866, a daughter of Temple City (video); Hip 889, a filly by Outwork (video); Hip 917, an Uncaptured filly (video); Hip 955, a daughter of Practical Joke (video); Hip 975, a filly by Fury Kapcori (video).

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