Salvaged Vequist Puts Swilcan on Fairway

It's remarkable what people can do nowadays. The company co-founded by Tom McGrath converts glass bottles into lightweight construction aggregate. This stuff starts out as curbside recycling, your emptied beers and so on, and ends up supporting you as you drive over a bridge. But then there's nothing like raising and racing Thoroughbreds to show the latent capacities lurking in refuse material.

Because Vequist (Nyquist), the champion juvenile filly homebred by McGrath's Swilcan Stable, was rejected in the ring twice over. The first time, she was in utero when her dam Vero Amore (Mineshaft) was offered at the Keeneland November Sale of 2017. Still only six, and having run a neck second in the GII Black Eyed Susan S., Vero Amore was valued higher by her owner than by the market and was led away unsold at $135,000. Then McGrath offered Vequist herself back in the same ring, as a September yearling, but again couldn't drum up adequate interest and took her home at $120,000.

“I don't think she even got vetted,” McGrath remembers. “But I'll take good luck any day, you know? The vast majority of people that do this, breeding on a smaller scale, have to be able to turn over in order to have the cash flow. And we're no different. So we just got really fortunate that they both RNA'd when they went through. And then when we sent Vequist down to Barry Eisaman's, he loved her. I was just trying to figure out what other people didn't see that we saw.”

But then Vero Amore had herself confounded the market, found by trainer Robert E. “Butch” Reid, Jr. as a Timonium 2-year-old for just $15,000.

“Butch liked her, it seemed like she was going to be a steal, so he picked her up for me,” McGrath says. “She was only a little peanut, but she has a heart of gold. Small but mighty. She was such a tough competitor, always put a solid effort in.”

Vero Amore made nearly half her career starts at Parx, and it was at McGrath's hometown track that Vequist started out, too.

“Butch always tries to temper my expectations,” says McGrath with a laugh. “So I'm not sure he was giving me the full story the whole time! But I could tell he was excited about her.”

Sure enough, Vequist was beaten only a nose on debut while pulling a city block clear of the third. Promising though that effort was, McGrath was amazed how alertly even Parx maidens are dredged by the sharpest prospectors. After the speed figures came out, Reid called and told McGrath he had been approached about the filly by Gary Barber and Adam Wachtel.

“I have friends that are heavy into those Ragozins, and all the rest of it, but I'd be lost trying to figure them out,” confesses McGrath. “Anyway I guess she put up a really good number in that race, and that got the attention of Adam and Gary. They were really fair, with the offer they made, and it was an easy negotiation. I was thrilled: just based on everything that was happening beyond the racetrack in 2020, it made a lot of sense for us to lay off and open up some of the value. But it was fantastic also to be able to maintain 25% ownership. I really am appreciative of that, and it's been a great partnership with Gary and Adam. It's been a win across the board.”

Tom McGrath with Butch Reid | Courtesy of Tom McGrath

McGrath's one condition was that the filly stay in Reid's barn. His new partners were wise enough to be agreeable to that, too. After all, here was a guy who has been training for 35 years, closing on 800 wins from nearly 5,000 starts. There won't be many mornings when Reid meets a challenge in the shedrow that he won't have seen before. And when he has had the chance, he has seized it. He knows what a good juvenile looks like–he won the GII Remsen S. with Spendthrift's rookie Maximus Mischief (Into Mischief)–but can also reel out the spool to win a GII Breeders' Cup Marathon with a mature stayer like Afleet Again (Afleet Alex).

Actually it had been the sire of that horse that hooked McGrath into the sport. His Bucks County neighbor at the time, Joe Lerro, was an owner of Afleet Alex and after following the spectacular ups and downs of his Triple Crown campaign (or, more literally, the downs and ups), McGrath asked to be told next time there might be an opportunity to get involved.

Poseidon's Warrior | Coglianese

Among the first horses in which he partnered was a $90,000 Speightstown colt, purchased by Chuck Zacney at the same Timonium sale that would produce Vero Amore three years later. In Reid's care, Poseidon's Warrior matured into one of the top sprinters in the land, winning the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. in 2012.

Needless to say, he had started out winning at what was then still known as Philadelphia Park. With Vequist, however, Reid has taken McGrath to another level.

“Butch gets a lot of credit for all of this,” he says. “He's doing the day to day, him and [wife and assistant] Ginny and their crew, they do all the heavy lifting. I get the fun job, pop in once in a while and only have to nod and agree. So I'm absolutely thrilled for them. With Butch, what you see is what you get. He will always give you an honest answer. And he cares for the horses, always puts them first. He and Ginny have been lifelong in this, and deserve all the accolades.”

One thing is for sure: without his new partners, McGrath would never have been pressing to fast-track Vequist to Grade I company for her second start. “Gary and Adam had been looking at those numbers, and knew better than I did what the potential was,” McGrath says. “It was a good move.”

It most certainly was. Vequist won the Spinaway S. at Saratoga by a jaw-dropping 9 1/2 lengths and, while just given the slip in the GI Frizette S., she confirmed herself class leader on the day that mattered. Clinging to the rail as a gap obligingly opened into the stretch, she became the third Breeders' Cup winner out of Parx in three years–following Jaywalk (Cross Traffic) and Spun to Run (Hard Spun)–when scoring decisively in the GI Juvenile Fillies.

“What a day,” McGrath says. “It was my daughter's 16th birthday, and there was the traveling back and forth with the COVID going on, but my wife was just like, 'This doesn't happen often. You have to go.' And even though it had to be a little quieter than other years, Keeneland did a fantastic job and there was still a good atmosphere. The whole experience was tremendous. It's hard to describe the feeling of being there at the finish line in the Breeders' Cup, watching the horse that you bred go across the line like that. I had two fists high in the air. It was one of those moments you'll remember forever.”

The newly anointed champion put in a bullet :59.65 workout at Palm Meadows last weekend as she prepares for her resumption, and hopefully a crack at the GI Kentucky Oaks, in the GII Davona Dale S. next Saturday. In the meantime, however, a no less important appointment looms: any day now, Vero Amore is due to deliver an Accelerate foal at Brookdale Farm, Versailles.

Vero Amore at two | Equi-Photo

All going well, she will then be bred back to Nyquist–not a hard choice, in the circumstances. Since her last visit to the Darley sire she has produced two daughters, a Daredevil yearling and an Astern (Aus) juvenile, offering flexibility to Swilcan's breeding operation whatever the future may hold for Vequist and indeed her dam, who is still only 10.

“We've had some interest, for sure,” McGrath admits. “But if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that while things are exciting, you don't want to make quick decisions. So we're just settling back and seeing how this year starts to play out. The Astern filly will be coming up from Florida to start training with Butch in late March or April: I made a deal with a friend of mine, Glenn Bennett from LC Racing, so he and I are partners on her. We've been fortunate that Vero Amore has had these fillies, that gives us lots of options and we can just figure it out as we go along.”

Indeed, Swilcan Stable has pretty much been a story of one thing leading to another. Once that little nugget Vero Amore had run as well as she did on Preakness eve, for instance, it just looked like it could only be fun to develop her second career, too. And then there was the decision to buy out the other partners in Poseidon's Warrior, and support him at stud with a few homebreds.

Poseidon's Warrior scored a Grade I success from his debut crop in Firenze Fire, homebred by Mr. Amore Stable and still as tough and classy as ever in his fourth campaign last year. After stints in Florida and Kentucky, however, Poseidon's Warrior has now come “home” to Equistar Training and Breeding at Annville, Pennsylvania.

“Unfortunately, we got the deal done pretty late last year, so he came up here pretty much at the last minute,” McGrath says. “And then COVID hit. So hopefully this year will be easier to organize. He was champion freshman in Florida, and has done a lot without a ton of support. We had him at Darby Dan, and I love those guys, but Kentucky just wasn't the spot for him. So now we're just trying to get some awareness about him up here. With the loss of Jump Start, I think he's a good option for folks looking for stallions that have bred Grade I winners. Pennsylvania has fantastic program and, living here like we do, it'll be great to go to the races and see his state-bred runners.”

Vequist dominated the Spinaway | Sarah Andrew

McGrath is also doing his bit for the local economy as President of the expanding AeroAggregates, based at a former locomotive works in Eddystone and now recycling the equivalent of over 140 million glass bottles per annum. The resulting low-density product is around 85% lighter than most quarried equivalents, and also serves the growing imperatives of the environment.

“We take 100% curbside recycled glass, clean it, mill it into a fine powder, put it through a process, and it comes out about 15 pound a cubic foot,” McGrath explains. “So it's a fraction of the weight of stone and perfect for bridge approaches, tunnels, foundations, a multitude of infrastructure applications. Actually we never pitched it as being green. In construction, when you talk about having this great new recycled material, people just say, 'You know what? It's going to be more expensive and it's not going to work as well.' So we just pitched it on its merits the first five years, and only after getting jobs would we say, 'By the way, if you're interested, this is extremely green.' So it's really starting to ramp up now.”

Exciting times, then, whether he's going into work Monday morning or to the races at the weekend–a more fulfilling pastime, by the sound of it, than the one that gave his stable its name.

McGrath remembers his attorney calling to press him for a name, so that he could finalize the LLC before going on vacation. He looked at the office wall, where he had hung a picture of the famous stone bridge linking the first and final fairways at St. Andrews, and blurted: “Swilcan Stable.”

Strictly as a golfer, however, he disowns any eligibility for that august connection. “I have a wife and five kids, and everybody's a golfer, and I'm the worst in the family,” he confides. “If the dog could play golf, too, I'd be worse than the dog.”

McGrath and connections celebrate | Breeders' Cup/Eclipse Sportswire

As it happens, despite having supported Poseidon's Warrior with a handful mares, Swilcan was pretty well down to Vero Amore and her daughters when Vequist started to soar. “We'd only ever been making a claim here, going to a sale there, and we had reduced,” McGrath says. “It was a very uncertain time, and unfortunately we lost a mare over the winter. Now we'll see what the future holds. We've been lucky the way we've done it so far, mostly breeding to race, so I think we're going to continue along and see how that all plays out. After this great experience with Gary and Adam, I think I'll be more open to having partners than in the past. But we're excited. Vequist just seems to find another gear. And if you can run long and run fast, the world's your oyster, right?”

Like everyone who understands this business, McGrath knows you have to work to improve the odds but that you will always still need the breaks.

“While I'd love to pretend that all this makes me smart, actually I've just had to be smart enough to say 'yes' a lot of the time,” he reflects. “The bits of luck, though, like those RNAs: they're incredible, part of the mystery of the sport. No question about it, we've been blessed. We've always been competitive, small as we are, we had the Grade I early on. But then the last year has been just unbelievable. To make it through 2020, such a tough year on everybody, and walk away in the way we did… it's not lost on me how big that is. I'm just very grateful for how it all transpired.”

The post Salvaged Vequist Puts Swilcan on Fairway appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10 for Feb. 11

In the month since we last served up a TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10, there have been a number of stakes for 3-year-old fillies, but not a lot of movement on our list. Sun Path (Munnings) drops off the list after a disappointing fourth-place finish in the Silverbulletday and we'll wait to include Girl Daddy (Uncle Mo) until she has her first official workout in 2021. Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) came out of last weekend looking like the top threat from the West after her win in the GIII Las Virgenes S., but has been sidelined with a knee chip. Charlie's Penny (Race Day), the winner of the Silverbulletday S., is also off the trail after suffering a hairline fracture in her shin.
Fair Grounds will host the GIII Rachel Alexandra S. Presented by Fasig-Tipton this Saturday, which features the return of the Brad Cox-trained Travel Column (Frosted). Meanwhile, the GII Davona Dale S., to be run Feb. 27 at Gulfstream, is shaping up as the best 3-year-old filly race so far this year with several members of the Top 10 slated to take part.

1) VEQUIST (Nyquist–Vero Amore, by Mineshaft)
O-Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable & Swilcan Stable. B-Swilcan Stables (KY). T-Robert E. Reid, Jr. Sales History: $120,000 RNA ylg '19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 4-2-2-0, $1,235,500.
Last Start: 1st GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, KEE, Nov. 6
Accomplishments Include: 1st GI Spinaway S., SAR, Sept. 6, 2nd GI Frizette S., BEL, Oct. 10
Next Start: GII Davona Dale S., GP, Feb. 27
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 24
To the surprise of no one, Vequist was named the champion 2-year-old filly of 2020 when the Eclipse Awards were announced last month. She wrapped up the title when winning the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies over rival Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief). She'll attempt to become the first horse to pull off the Breeders' Cup-Kentucky Oaks double since Silverbulletday, the 1999 Oaks winner. After giving his filly some time off over the winter, trainer Butch Reid has started to get serious with her in the mornings. She's had three listed workouts this year at Palm Meadows, the latest five furlongs in 1:00.95, and will breeze again Saturday. It won't take long to tell how she has progressed since winning the Juvenile Fillies, as she will need to be at her very best to win what will be a loaded Davona Dale.

2) DAYOUTOFTHEOFFICE (Into Mischief–Gottahaveadream, by Indian Charlie)
O-Blazing Meadows Farm & Siena Farm. B-Siena Farms (KY). T-Timothy Hamm. Lifetime Record: GISW, 4-3-1-0, $556,500.
Last Start: 2nd GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, KEE, Nov. 6
Accomplishments Include: 1st GI Frizette S., BEL, Oct. 10, 1st GIII Schuylerville S., SAR, July 16
Next Start: Undecided
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 18
Dayoutoftheoffice returned to the Tampa Bay Downs barn of Tim Hamm last month and breezed five furlongs there Jan. 24 in 1:01. Hamm does most of his winning at B and C level tracks like Mahoning Valley, which makes him easy to root for when he goes up against the Bafferts and Pletchers of the world. Her team reports that they have yet to decide on this one's next start. She hasn't had a work since the Jan. 24 move, which is a concern, but the connections say the Oaks remains a goal.

3) TRAVEL COLUMN (Frosted–Swingit, by Victory Gallop)
'TDN Rising Star' O-OXO Equine. B-Mr. & Mrs. Bayne Welker, Jr. & Denali Stud (KY). T-Brad Cox. Sales History: $850,000 ylg '19 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 3-2-0-1, $209,184.
Last Start: 1st GII Golden Rod S., CD, Nov. 28
Accomplishments Include: 3rd GI Darley Alcibiades S., KEE, Oct. 2
Next Start: GII Rachel Alexandra S. presented by Fasig-Tipton, FG, Feb. 13
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 12
Since his emergence as a top trainer, Brad Cox has always been loaded with 3-year-old filly talent and has won the  Kentucky Oaks twice in the last three years. Travel Column appears to be his best filly at this point. After running third, beaten 7 1/2 lengths in the GI Darley Alcibiades S. in October, she fared much better when winning the GII Golden Rod S. She goes next in Saturday's Rachel Alexandra S. at the Fair Grounds, which should be a good test as she headlines a solid field that includes Golden Rod runner-up Clairiere (Curlin). An $850,000 yearling purchase at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, she is by Frosted out of a Victory Gallop mare and should have no problem getting the Oaks distance of nine furlongs.

4) MALATHAAT (Curlin–Dreaming of Julia, by A.P. Indy)
'TDN Rising Star' O-Shadwell Stable. B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings (KY). T-Todd Pletcher. Sales History: $1,050,000 ylg '19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-0-0, $172,150.
Last Start: 1st GII Demoiselle S., AQU, Dec. 5
Accomplishments Include: 1st Tempted S., AQU, Nov. 6
Next Start: GII Davona Dale S., GP, Feb. 27
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 10
There's a lot to like about the daughter of Curlin who was a $1.05-million yearling buy. Trained by Todd Pletcher, she is undefeated in three starts and has already won at a 1 1/8 miles, which she did in the GII Demoiselle S. The main knock on her is that she isn't that fast. She got a 76 Beyer in the Demoiselle, a slight decline from the 83 she got when winning the Tempted S. She will get a serious test in the Davona Dale and if she were to win that, she'd likely assume the top spot in this and other polls.

5) ZAAJEL (Street Sense–Asiya, by Daaher)
O/B-Shadwell Stable (KY). T-Todd Pletcher. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $84,140.
Last Start: 1st GIII Forward Gal S., GP, Jan. 31
Next Start: Undecided.
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 10.
Like Malathaat, she comes from the team of Todd Pletcher and Shadwell Stable. A homebred, her dam has had four winners from five starters, but Zaajel is her first stakes winner. After toying with her opponents in her debut, she came back to win the GIII Forward Gal S. at Gulfstream at seven furlongs. She still has to prove that she can win around two turns, but based on her breeding that probably won't be a problem. Pletcher said he has not picked out the next start for this filly. It's likely he will want to keep her and Malathaat apart.

6) SIMPLY RAVISHING (Laoban–Four Wishes, by More Than Ready)
O-Harold Lerner, Magdalena Racing & Nehoc Stables. B-Meg Levy (NY). T-Ken McPeek. Sales History: $50,000 ylg '19 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: GISW, 5-3-0-0, $414,200.
Last Start: 4th GII Golden Rod S., CD, Nov. 28
Accomplishments Include: 1st GI Darley Alcibiades S., KEE, Oct. 2, 1st P.G. Johnson S., SAR, Sept. 3
Next Start: Undecided
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 13
Trainer Kenny McPeek seems to be taking his time with this filly. He has yet to announce her first start and she only recently showed up on the work tab. Her first work came last week and it was a four-furlong breeze in :48.89. A $50,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall yearling sale, she appeared to be among the best in her division when winning the GI Darley Alcibiades S. by 6 1/4 lengths, but, subsequently finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and the Golden Rod. McPeek will need to get her to rebound and run back to her best races to have a shot at winning the Oaks.

7) KALYPSO (Brody's Cause–Malibu Cove, by Malibu Moon)
O-David A. Bernsen, Rockingham Ranch & Chad Littlefield. B-Spendthrift Farm (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $240,000 ylg '19 FTKJUL. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 5-2-2-1, $245,600.
Last Start: 2nd GIII Las Virgenes S., SA, Feb. 6
Accomplishments Include: 1st GII Santa Ynez S., SA, Jan. 3, 1st Anoakia S., SA, Oct. 18, 2nd GI Starlet S., LRC, Dec. 5
Next Start: Undecided.
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 18
A $240,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale, she was somewhat of a disappointment when second as the 7-10 favorite in the Las Virgenes. But with race winner Moonlight d'Oro having been sidelined, Kalypso looks as good as any of the fillies based in California. But that might not be enough as that group looks to be weaker than the groups in the East and Midwest. She's been beaten the only two times she has gone around two turns, so that is a concern.

8) SLUMBER PARTY (Malibu Moon–Devilish Lady, by Sweetsouthernsaint)
'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Gary and Mary West Stables (KY). T-Kelly Breen. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $25,800.
Last Start: 1st MSW, GP, Jan. 24
Next Start: Undecided.
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 0.
The 'TDN Rising Star' snuck up on a lot of people when breaking her maiden Jan. 24 at Gulfstream by 7 1/2 lengths for trainer Kelly Breen and owners Gary and Mary West. Sent off at 5-1, she absolutely demolished the competition that day, winning in a manner that suggests there is a lot more to come. It's not impossible to have your first start in January and then go on to win the Kentucky Oaks, but she has a lot of catching up to do. She looks like Breen's best 3-year-old filly since he won the GII Gazelle S. and the Davona Dale in 2017 with Miss Sky Warrior (First Samurai).

9) CURLIN'S CATCH (Curlin–Catch the Thrill, by A.P. Indy)
O-Breeze Easy, Inc. B-Sam-Son Farm (On). T-Mark E Casse. Sales History: $180,000 yrl '19 KEESEP; $430,000 2yo '20 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: SW, 4-2-1-0, $103,454.
Last Start: 1st Suncoast S., TAM, Feb. 6
Next Start: GII Davona Dale S., GP, Feb. 27
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 10.
Another Curlin filly and an Ontario-bred trained by Mark Casse, she started her career off at Woodbine, where she was 0-for-2 over the synthetic surface. Since switching to dirt, she's 2-for-2, including a win in the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs. She probably didn't beat much that day, but looks like a horse on an upper trajectory for trainer Casse and the team at Breeze Easy LLC. She's about to get a serious test in the Davona Dale and will be looking to give the Hall of Fame trainer his first Oaks win. Might also, eventually, wind up in the Queen's Plate S.

10) THE GRASS IS BLUE (Broken Vow–Shine Softly, by Adebaran)
O-Louis Lazzinnaro LLC. B-Phillips Racing Partnership (KY). T-Chad Brown. Sales History: $20,000 yrl '19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 5-3-0-1, $121,978.
Last Start: 1st Busanda S., Aqu, Jan. 24
Accomplishments Include:  3rd Anne Arundel County S., Lrl, Dec. 26.
Next Start: Undecided.
Equineline PPs. KY Oaks Points: 10.
Just a $20,000 yearling buy who debuted in a $25,000 maiden claimer at Monmouth for trainer Jose Delgado, she has come a long way. She now finds herself in the barn of Chad Brown, who got her to win the Busanda S. at Aqueduct in her last start. She remains with Brown's division in New York and will likely target races like the Gazelle S. This is not normally a division where Brown is strong, but this filly may be good enough for him to make some noise on the way to the Oaks.

The post The TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10 for Feb. 11 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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2020 Eclipse Awards: Authentic Voted Horse Of The Year In A Landslide

Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic winner Authentic was named Horse of the Year for 2020 in the 50th annual Eclipse Awards hosted by Spendthrift Farm on Thursday evening but held virtually with no live audience because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

A 2017 foal sired by Into Mischief out of Flawless, by Mr. Greeley, Authentic was bred in Kentucky by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, Inc., owned by Spendthrift Farm LLC, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables LLC and Starlight Racing, and trained by Bob Baffert. After a maiden victory in his career debut as a 2-year-old in 2019, Authentic won five of seven starts in 2021, including three Grade 1 stakes: the TVG.com Haskell Stakes, Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, and Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

He also won the G3 Sham Stakes and G2 San Felipe Stakes at his home base at Santa Anita Park. Authentic's lone defeats came in the G1 Santa Anita Derby and G1 Preakness (to 3-year-old filly champion Swiss Skydiver.

Authentic got 224 first-place votes for Horse of the Year, with Monomoy Girl receiving seven, Swiss Skydiver six and Vekoma one.

Authentic was retired to Spendthrift, where he will stand alongside his sire.

The complete list of 2020 Eclipse Awards winners appears below:

  • Horse Of The Year: Authentic
  • Two-Year-Old Male: Essential Quality
  • Two-Year-Old Filly: Vequist
  • Three-Year-Old Male: Authentic
  • Three-Year-Old Filly: Swiss Skydiver
  • Older Dirt Male: Improbable
  • Older Dirt Female: Monomoy Girl
  • Male Sprinter: Whitmore
  • Female Sprinter: Gamine
  • Male Turf Horse: Channel Maker
  • Female Turf Horse: Rushing Fall
  • Steeplechase Horse: Moscato (GB)
  • Owner: Godolphin, LLC
  • Breeder: WinStar Farm LLC
  • Jockey: Irad Ortiz,
  • Apprentice Jockey: Alexander Crispin
  • Trainer: Brad Cox

In voting that concluded January 4, 2021, Eclipse Awards voters cast their ballots to rank the top three horses and individuals in each Championship division on a 10-5-1 point system.

This voting established the top three finalists in each division, whose names were released on Jan. 16, 2021.

The tallies below represent only first-place votes from members of the consolidated voting entities, NTRA, Daily Racing Form, and National Turf Writers And Broadcasters.

Voter participation rate: 238/249 = 95.58%

Two-Year-Old Male
Essential Quality, 231; Jackie's Warrior, 6; Fire At Will, 1.

Two-Year-Old Filly
Vequist, 212; Aunt Pearl (IRE), 24; Malathaat, 1; Voter Abstention, 1.

Three-Year-Old Male
Authentic, 236; Tiz the Law, 2. 

Three-Year-Old Filly
Swiss Skydiver, 218; Gamine, 20.

Older Dirt Male
Improbable, 218; Knicks Go; 8, Vekoma, 5; Maximum Security, 4; Global Campaign, 1; Tom's d'Etat, 1; Whitmore, 1.

Older Dirt Female
Monomoy Girl, 234; Midnight Bisou, 4.

Male Sprinter
Whitmore, 132; Vekoma, 83; Volatile, 16; Charlatan, 4; C Z Rocket, 3.

Female Sprinter
Gamine, 219; Serengeti Empress, 13; Frank's Rockette, 4; Guarana, 1; Voter Abstention, 1.

Male Turf Horse
Channel Maker, 180; Zulu Alpha, 17; Order of Australia (IRE), 15; Factor This, 7; United, 7; Gufo, 4; Domestic Spending (GB), 3; Arklow, 2; War of Will, 1; Voter Abstentions, 2.

Female Turf Horse
Rushing Fall, 115; Tarnawa (IRE), 106; Magical (IRE), 8; Audarya (FR), 5; Starship Jubilee, 2; Newspaperofrecord (IRE) 1; Sharing, 1.

Steeplechase Horse
Moscato (GB), 155; Snap Decision, 28; Rashaan (IRE), 21; Iranistan,2; Voter Abstentions, 32.

Owner
Godolphin, LLC, 78; Spendthrift Farm, LLC, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables LLC, and Starlight Racing, 56; Klaravich Stables Inc., 47; Gary Barber, 23; Sackatoga Stables, 7; End Zone Athletics Inc., 6; Peter Callahan, 4; Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, LLC, The Elkstone Group LLC, and Bethlehem Stables, 3; Calumet Farm, 1; Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, 1; M and M Racing, 1; Maggi Moss, 1; Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey 1; Gary and Mary West, 1; Voter Abstentions, 8.

Breeder
WinStar Farm, LLC, 128; Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC, 52; Calumet Farm, 45; Godolphin, 6; Charles Fipke, 1; Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, 1; Voter Abstentions, 5.

Trainer
Brad Cox, 106; Bob Baffert, 69; Steve Asmussen, 44; Chad Brown, 8; Christophe Clement, 1; Michael Maker, 1; Peter Miller, 1; Ron Moquett, 1; Bill Mott, 1; Barclay Tagg, 1; Wesley Ward, 1; Voter Abstentions, 4.

Jockey
Irad Ortiz, Jr., 162; Joel Rosario, 54; John Velazquez, 14; Florent Geroux, 3; Tyler Gaffalione, 2; Flavien Prat, 1; Luis Saez, 1; Voter Abstention, 1.

Apprentice Jockey
Alexander Crispin, 79; Yarmarie Correa, 74; Luis Cardenas, 38; Charlie Marquez, 15; Cristian Torres, 3; Sunday Diaz, Jr. 1; Voter Abstentions, 28.

Media Eclipse Awards
Media Eclipse Awards also are given in the categories of photography, audio and multi-media Internet, news/enterprise writing, feature/commentary writing, television–feature, and television–live racing programming to recognize members of the media for outstanding coverage of Thoroughbred racing. The 2020 Media Eclipse Awards winners, determined by a judges' panel for each category and previously announced, are:

Photography – Alex Evers, Paulick Report, “A Derby Without Fans,” Sept. 21, 2020.

News/Enterprise Writing – Natalie Voss, Paulick Report – Multi-part Series: “A Decade In, How Are We Doing With Thoroughbred Aftercare?” Dec. 2, 2019; “Emptying The Ocean With A Teaspoon: The Challenges Of Aftercare,” Dec. 3, 2019; and “Aftercare Should Not Be An Afterthought: Solutions For The Future,” Dec. 4, 2019.

Feature/Commentary Writing – Natalie Voss, Paulick Report, “'An Angel On His Shoulder': This Thoroughbred's Fate Was Written In Ink,” May 13, 2020.

Television – Feature – NBC Sports, “Riders Up: The World's First Sports Bubble,” Oct. 2, 2020 on NBCSN; Produced by the Hennegan Brothers.

Television – Live Racing Programming – NBC Sports, “The Breeders' Cup World Championships,” Nov. 7, 2020; Billy Matthews and Lindsay Schanzer, producers.

Audio/Multi-Media Internet – Thoroughbred Daily News (TDN), “To Hell and Back: Belmont Marks A Deserved Triumph for New York City,” June 19, 2020; Joe Bianca, writer and narrator, Patty Wolfe, producer.

The Eclipse Awards are sponsored by Spendthrift Farm, Roberts Communications, Four Roses Bourbon, Daily Racing Form, Breeders' Cup, FanDuel Group, The Stronach Group, TVG, Dean Dorton, Stonestreet Farm, Keeneland, Racetrack Television Network, Jackson Family Wines, Florida HBPA, Runhappy, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, Hallway Feeds, and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

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Vequist & Essential Quality Take Home Juvenile Championships

Vequist (Nyquist) cemented her status as the leader of what appeared to be an open division earlier in the fall with a decisive score in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 6.

The dark bay finished second in her July 29 debut at Parx, but her connections clearly had plenty of faith in her after that effort, sending her to Saratoga for the GI Spinaway S. Sept. 6. She demolished the field that day, earning her diploma by 9 1/2 lengths and becoming her freshman sire's first Grade I winner. Second to Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief) as the favorite next out in Belmont's GI Frizette S. Oct. 10, Vequist turned the tables on that rival next out at the World Championships at Keeneland, winning by two lengths at odds of 6-1.

Essential Quality (Tapit) started on his path towards the roses and stamped himself as the top juvenile male of the year with a perfect 2020 season. Tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' off a dominant graduation in his Sept. 5 unveiling at Churchill Downs, the Brad Cox trainee scored another good-looking win in Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. Oct. 3. The gray returned to that venue for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 6, where he rallied from well back to register a 3/4-length victory.

Owned and bred by Godolphin, Essential Quality is out of GSP Delightful Quality (Elusive Quality), a half-sister to champion juvenile filly Folklore (Tiznow), whose own half-sister Rhodochrosite (Unbridled's Song) is the dam of 2020 Japanese Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

The post Vequist & Essential Quality Take Home Juvenile Championships appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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