Thursday’s Insights: Ashland Runner-Up Punchbowl Returns at Keeneland

5th-KEE, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 3:08 p.m. ET
Gold Square's AIR OF DEFIANCE (Quality Road), a $400,000 Keeneland September purchase, is the 3-1 morning-line favorite after running a solid second behind 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) over a muddy strip at Saratoga in his six-furlong debut Aug. 25. The Brad Cox trainee is the second foal out of graded stakes winner Faypien (Ghostzapper). St. Elias and Starlight Racing's It'smyluckytime (Not This Time), a $450,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, makes his first trip to the post for trainer Todd Pletcher. Also debuting is Taylor Creek's Anthem King (Bolt d'Oro), a $300,000 Keeneland September yearling trained by Brian Lynch. Eddie Kenneally saddles Buck Pond Farm's homebred firster Justifreak (Justify), a half-brother to graded winner Fancy Dress Party (Munnings). Legion Racing's Popweiser (Nyquist), debuting for Wayne Catalano, is a half-brother to Grade I winner Search Results (Flatter). He was a $100,000 acquisition at this year's OBS April sale. TJCIS PPS

6th-KEE, $120K, OC 80k/N2X, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 3:40 p.m.
Gary and Mary West's homebred PUNCHBOWL (Uncle Mo) opened her career with a pair of wins at Oaklawn Park this winter and put her name in the mix for the GI Kentucky Oaks with a runner-up effort in the GI Ashland S. She has not been seen since that Apr. 7 race over this same track and distance and returns here as the 4-5 morning-line favorite. The Wests will also have fellow Brad Cox trainee Insignia (Curlin) in the race. The 4-year-old filly, a daughter of multiple graded placed Keep the Peace (Touch Gold), has hit the board in all five of her races to date. TJCIS PPS

The post Thursday’s Insights: Ashland Runner-Up Punchbowl Returns at Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Earning Their Stripes: Kelsey Danner

Last year, we conducted a popular Q and A series called 'Smaller But Still Super,' where we featured veteran trainers who have built a competitive racing stable with relatively small numbers (click here to view the archive). This year, we will highlight trainers who have already cut their teeth as novice trainers, but now have a few years of experience under their belt and are looking to make a name for themselves as they grow their stable. We'll talk about the challenges that come with hanging out your single, advice for trainers setting out on their own, how the incoming class of young trainers differs from previous generations and more.

Kelsey Danner's family has been a fixture on the racetrack for generations, so the horsewoman always knew she would dedicate her life to the industry. She started off working for her father Mark Danner, a trainer on the Kentucky circuit and at Oaklawn Park for nearly three decades, and later got experience working for D. Wayne Lukas, Ian Wilkes and Carl Nafzger. She then spent five years as an assistant for Wayne Catalano.

After 12 years of working as an assistant, Danner made the decision to go out on her own in 2017. She only had 73 starts in her first two years, but got the ball rolling with 19 wins in 2019. Two years later, she surged past her first million-dollar mark with over $1.3 million in earnings, plus 36 wins, and then one-upped herself last year when she surpassed $2 million in earnings.

Danner is based at Palm Meadows in the winter, but travels throughout the year from Gulfstream to the Kentucky circuit, Colonial Downs, and more. With 45 horses under her care, Danner's highest earner is gearing up for her 3-year-old season. NBS Stable and Elements Racing's Danse Macabre (Army Mule) got her first stakes win at Kentucky Downs last summer and was third in the GIII Matron S. in her last start.

What has been the key to your stable's growth since you first opened?

My last few years have definitely been my best years. I'm a bit more content with where I'm at as far as the clientele and the horses I have. For the last three years, I got to have some nicer, young stock and they're still in my barn now, so it has been nice to watch them develop and I've gotten to win a few stakes races.

What do you think makes your training style unique?

I think a lot of my focus is on exercise riders. I have some really good riders and we do things a little bit different in the morning. We will do breezing with groups of four and five horses so that they will get hit with dirt. We spend a lot of time on their backs. Our sets take a little bit longer. We do less sets but for a longer period of time.

What has been the biggest thing you have learned since going out on your own?

Some of this I already knew because not only was I an assistant for years, but I was also the daughter of a trainer. I would say the biggest challenge initially is getting horses, and the second part is maintaining your expenses and your payroll. You need to make sure that you don't spend more than what you're bringing in.

Another important thing is having good-paying clients. They're without a doubt the most important aspect of it and you learn that the hard way.

Do you think most trainers' success is defined by their ability to train or by the quality of the horses they receive?

I would say it's about the quality of the horse. You have to have the stock. It's kind of a chicken-or-the-egg thing. The quality of the horse is pretty much the factor in everyone's success, whether it is owners or trainers.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone going out on their own this year, what would it be?

(Laughs) Don't do it.

I guess it would be to have the experience before you do it. I think right now, with how the racing offices are struggling for entries to fill, be prepared with as much experience as you can get beforehand and make sure you have a decent-sized bank account.

I think a lot of times, you see with young trainers that they were only an assistant for maybe one trainer and only for a few years.

Training requires a lot of experience. There are things that can't be taught. There's not a book on how to train horses. I think that the more experience you have before going out on your own, the better your chance of having mentors. New trainers need people you can call up and ask advice. By building relationships with people that you've worked for previously, that's how you do it.

What is something that you think this incoming generation of trainers does better than the generations before them?

Probably embracing the digital age as far as communication with clients. Clients are more likely to receive videos, pictures, and text messages. I feel like when I was younger, a lot of owners lived near their horses and they would come out to the track more often. I think that now, technology is what the younger generation does more.

Last fall you became a member of HISA's Horsemen's Advisory Group. Why was that something that you wanted to be a part of?

I think that our industry is in the middle of a big change, hopefully for the better. It remains to be seen which way this is going to go, but I thought I would like to at least be part of what the change is going to be so that I could understand it a little bit more and maybe offer some advice or opinion.

Obviously racing need changes. Hopefully HISA is the organization that will help us have more uniform rules and things like that. It's easy to knock it or to sit back and say that it won't work. But I think that without change, we probably won't make it. And it takes the whole industry to get there. So we do need change and I would like to be a part of it. The industry is my career and my livelihood and I hope it lasts for many years to come.

Who is your favorite horse that you've ever had in your stable?

I would have to go with Gladys (Medaglia d'Oro). She was a full-sister to Rachel Alexandra. She was very spirited and had a neat personality.

Is there an up-and-coming horse in your barn that we should know about?

I have a couple nice young horses. Danse Macabre (Army Mule), who won a stake at Kentucky Downs last year, is getting ready to get back next month. Dunedin (Munnings), who finished fifth but only got beat by a neck in the GIII Futurity S., comes back next month too.

Ainsworth Untapable S. winner Danse Macabre is preparing for her 3-year-old debut | Coady

What is your favorite restaurant to go to after a big win?

I like the little Thai joint by Gulfstream.

If you aren't at the track, what can you be found doing?

Right now I'm in the middle of remodeling my house.

If one change was made to racing that would make your life easier, what would it be?

Probably if they got rid of statistics in the racing form. I do think it hurts the industry a little bit because you're more likely to not help the racing office fill races because you're worried about your statistics.

Carl Nafzger used to say that you needed to give a horse five races until you knew what the horse was. One going short, one going long, one on the slop, one from behind, etc.

What is your biggest hot take? It can be racing-related or completely random.

Winning first time out isn't everything. I think it can sometimes damage a horse. There's a lot of pressure that if a horse doesn't win first time out, they're not a very good horse because everyone is worried about percentages.

The post Earning Their Stripes: Kelsey Danner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Aloha West Retired to Mill Ridge

Aloha West (Hard Spun–Island Bound, by Speightstown), winner of the 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, has been retired from racing and will begin his stud career next year at Mill Ridge Farm at a fee of $10,000 live foal.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and trained by Wayne Catalano, Aloha West was also second in last year's GII Stoll Keenon Phoenix S. and third in this year's GI Churchill Downs S. He retires with six wins from 13 starts and earnings of $1,507,290.

“This horse has the potential to be a great stallion as he had two key ingredients, speed and heart. And he is beautiful,” said Catalano.

Aloha West will be available for inspection starting Monday and every day of the Keeneland November sale at 2 p.m.

“This past week we have been syndicating Aloha West and have a foundation group of breeders participating,” said Mill Ridge Farm general manager Price Bell. “He is an exciting stallion prospect to join Oscar Performance as he has speed, pedigree blend, great looks and good price point. Eclipse is a terrific partner, and we look forward to the future for Aloha West and his stallion career. He will reside in the stall of his maternal grandsire, Gone West.”

The post Aloha West Retired to Mill Ridge appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Andthewinneris Leads Home Oscar Performance Exacta in Bourbon

Susan Moulton's Andthewinneris came flying late to win the GII Castle & Key Bourbon S. at Keeneland Sunday, leading home an exacta for his freshman sire while also becoming the Mill Ridge stallion's first stakes winner. The 4-1 shot broke from the far outside in the field of 12, angled over and settled near the back of the field. Still some 10 lengths back approaching the stretch, the bay made eye-catching progress leaving the turn and closed stoutly down the center of the course, hitting the front at midstretch and striding clear in stakes record time.

“100% [I thought he would turn in a winning performance],” said winning trainer Wayne Catalano. “The way the horse was training, I thought we were going to win the race. Obviously, it's horse racing and anything can happen, but I go in thinking we can win. The horses feel it. Everything went like I planned. Today we had pace and everything came together like it should. When you make a plan and everything comes together, it's a great time.”

The Bourbon victory awarded Andthewinneris an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

“He was born on my farm,” said owner/breeder Susan Moulton, who was winning her second graded race of the young Keeneland meet following Manny Wah's victory in the G2 Stoll Kennon Ogden Phoenix S. Friday. “I just bought my farm four years ago. Got my farm manager here, my husband [Shane Sellers], my trainer. We're so happy. What a beautiful race. And I'm still proud of 'Manny' from Friday.”

Andthewinneris became the first winner for his freshman sire Oscar Performance (by Kitten's Joy) when he captured his 5 1/2-furlong debut over the Keeneland lawn in April. Trying the main track in his next start, he was a well-beaten third behind Gulfport in the July 4 Bashford Manor S. Back on the turf and stretching out to 1 1/16 miles, he was outkicked when third as the favorite in the Aug. 31 GIII With Anticipation S. at Saratoga last time out.

Pedigree Notes:

A four-time Grade I winner, Oscar Performance now has 11 first-crop winners. With Deer District's runner-up effort, the stallion has three graded-placed runners, in addition to his graded winner Andthewinneris. His daughter G Laurie was third in the GI Natalma S. and his son Lachaise was third in the GIII Pilgrim S.

Acquired by Moulton for $30,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale, Run Like the Boss, in foal to Cupid, sold for $20,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale. Her now yearling colt by Enticed sold at that same sale for $42,000. The mare produced a filly by Cupid this spring and was bred back to Raging Bull (Fr).

Andthewinneris's third dam, Santona, produced 2003 GIII Pennsylvania Derby winner Grand Hombre (Grand Slam).

Sunday, Keeneland
CASTLE & KEY BOURBON S.-GII, $348,125, Keeneland, 10-9, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:41.27, fm.
1–ANDTHEWINNERIS, 118, c, 2, by Oscar Performance
               1st Dam: Run Like the Boss, by Scat Daddy
               2nd Dam: Seekitana, by Unbridled's Song
               3rd Dam: Santona (Chi), by Winning
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($67,000
RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP). O/B-Susan Moulton (KY); T-Wayne M.
Catalano; J-Flavien Prat. $198,013. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-2,
$282,243. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Deer District, 118, c, 2, Oscar Performance–Eagle Sound,
by Fusaichi Pegasus. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($140,000
Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Bakster Farm LLC; B-Springhouse Farm,
Vision TBs, Bruce Pieratt & Patricia Pieratt (KY); T-Dale L.
Romans. $63,875.
3–Really Good, 118, c, 2, Hard Spun–Means Well, by Smart
Strike. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($130,000 RNA Ylg '21
KEESEP; $125,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Paradise Farms Corp.,
David Staudacher, & Jason Ash; B-Colts Neck Stables LLC
(KY); T-Michael J. Maker. $31,938.
Margins: 2 3/4, 3/4, HF. Odds: 4.09, 5.28, 7.25.
Also Ran: Rarified Flair, Our Dream Rye'd, Boppy O, Reckoning Force, Accident, B Minor, Gigante, Panama (GB), Hendrickson. Scratched: General Jim, Mendel's Secret, Oscar Award, Zaici.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Andthewinneris Leads Home Oscar Performance Exacta in Bourbon appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights