Tag: west point thoroughbreds

First Captain Sails to Dwyer Win

West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm, Bobby Flay and Woodford Racing's First Captain (Curlin) remained unbeaten with an authoritative victory in the GIII Dwyer S. at Belmont Park Monday. Sent off the 2-5 favorite, First Captain raced at the back of the five-horse field as Ridin With Biden (Constitution) set the pace under a snug hold through an opening quarter in :23.47. The pacesetting longshot was still a length in front after a half in :46.67, but First Captain was tipped out for clear sailing at the top of the lane and loomed an ominious presence outside the tiring frontrunner. The long-striding colt took a moment to put it all together before rolling to the lead with a furlong to run and pulled away to score by 1 3/4 lengths.

“He was behind horses and took some dirt,” winning jockey Jose Ortiz said of his trip. “They were running. They went [:46.67] and when I put him in the clear, it took me awhile to get into high gear, but when he did it, he used that beautiful stride of his. He went by them as he is supposed to and he galloped out really good. I think he's going to improve with distance.”

West Point Thoroughbreds president Terry Finley expects First Captain to only improve from here.

“He's never going to be a horse that just dazzles you, but you can tell he's just starting to get going,” said Finley. “We're very happy with him. We would have loved to have got him a little farther in his third start, but it just wasn't to be. We were going back and forth to run in the [July 30 nine-furlong] Curlin S. [at Saratoga], but this spot came up and it was too attractive. Now, I guess we can go to the [July 31 GII] Jim Dandy S. or wait for the [Aug. 28 GI Runhappy] Travers S.”

First Captain, a $1.5-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, debuted a winner going seven furlongs at Belmont Apr. 24 and was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' after being headed and battling back to win a one-mile allowance May 29.

His charge's progression through his first three starts has impressed trainer Shug McGaughey.

“He was a lot more steady today,” McCaughey said. “I knew he was winning his first two races on ability, but I didn't really know what to think of him. Today, he showed me something, especially that two turns is going to be in the bag, I think. I liked the way he took the dirt; he took it a lot better today than he did the last time. He was a little farther back than I thought he would be. But that's why they are what they are.”

Of a potential next start in the Jim Dandy, McGaughey said, “We'll take a look at it. I'll see how he comes back and how he is when he gets up there. That would be the best-case scenario. I'm glad to get this one.”

Pedigree Notes:

Breeder Bobby Flay purchased First Captain's second dam Lacadena privately after the stakes-placed mare RNA'd for $1.4 million at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Her daughter America, who RNA'd for $725,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September sale, won the GIII Turnback the Alarm H. and was third in the GI Mother Goose S. and GI Delaware H. First Captain is her first foal. She also has an unraced 2-year-old filly named American Caviar (Curlin), a yearling colt by Uncle Mo and she produced a Curlin filly this year. America RNA'd for $3.1-million while carrying the Uncle Mo colt at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November sale.

Lacadena is also the dam of Paris Bikini (Bernardini), who produced last year's GI Coaching Club American Oaks winner Paris Lights (Curlin). Paris Bikini has a weanling filly by Uncle Mo and a yearling colt by Always Dreaming.

First Captain's third dam, Butterfly Blue (Ire), is a half-sister to broodmare of the year Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister).

First Captain is the 44th graded winner for Curlin. He is the 113th graded winner out of an A.P. Indy mare and the fourth sired by Curlin. The same cross produced last year's GI Woodward S. winner Global Campaign (Curlin).

Monday, Belmont Park
DWYER S.-GIII, $242,500, Belmont, 7-5, 3yo, 1m, 1:36.19, ft.
1–FIRST CAPTAIN, 118, c, 3, by Curlin
1st Dam: America (GSW & MGISP, $580,532), by A.P. Indy
2nd Dam: Lacadena, by Fasliyev
3rd Dam: Butterfly Blue (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($1,500,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG). O-West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm LLC, Bobby Flay & Woodford Racing, LLC; B-B Flay Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III; J-Jose L Ortiz. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $237,600. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
2–Ridin With Biden, 118, c, 3, Constitution–Allemande, by Medaglia d'Oro. ($80,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $85,000 2yo '20 EASMAY). O-Cash is King LLC & LC Racing; B-William Harrigan & Mike Pietrangelo (KY); T-Robert E Reid Jr. $50,000.
3–Snow House, 118, c, 3, Twirling Candy–Structure, by Bernardini. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Brad H Cox. $30,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, 7HF. Odds: 0.40, 11.70, 3.05.
Also Ran: Gershwin, Civil War.
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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First Captain Takes Next Step in Dwyer

Two-for-two 'TDN Rising Star' First Captain (Curlin) takes the next logical step in Monday's GIII Dwyer S. at Belmont Park. The $1.5-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga co-topper defeated subsequent winner and 'Rising Star' recipient Mahaamel (Into Mischief) in their respective debuts going a furlong shorter here Apr. 24, then doubled up in a track-and-trip allowance in the slop May 29, good for a 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

First Captain is owned by a powerful conglomerate led by West Point Thoroughbreds and conditioned by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey.

“We're super excited and it's a wonderful and really powerful partnership assembled,” West Point's Terry Finley said. “We've got Siena Farm, who we owned part of the [2017 GI] Kentucky Derby winner [Always Dreaming] with, Woodford who are a part of the Lanes' End partnership and, of course, [First Captain's breeder] Bobby Flay. He breeds really good horses and is just one of the many class horses he bred. I remember when his mother ran and Bobby owned her, too. Everyone is excited. This is what you go to these yearling sales for.”

The First Captain team is hopeful their charge can stake his claim on a wide-open 3-year-old division during this second half of the season.

“We know that there are moving parts in every division,” Finley said. “You have horses that come back from the Triple Crown in races like the Haskell and Jim Dandy. We'd like to think that he would be able to throw his hat in the ring. The beautiful part of our industry is that it doesn't matter what we think or what we say, what matters is what the horse does on the track. Opinions don't matter, it's all about getting to the wire first.”

Juddmonte homebred Snow House (Twirling Candy) appears to be First Captain's main challenger. After finishing fourth on debut over the Fair Grounds turf in March, he has reeled off back-to-back wins of his own for Brad Cox, at Keeneland Apr. 21 and in a Churchill optional claimer May 29. Godolphin's Gershwin (Distorted Humor–Music Note) scratched out of Delaware's GIII Kent S. Saturday for this. He was last seen taking the rained-off GIII Penn Mile in the slop May 28.

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More Than Ready Filly Romps to Rising Star Debut at Belmont

West Point Thoroughbreds and Jimmy Kahig's Ready A.P. (More Than Ready) stormed to a dazzling 8 1/4-length debut win at Belmont Park Thursday to become the latest 'TDN Rising Star.' The dark bay filly, sent off the 3-5 favorite, was away slowly and trailed the field in the early going. She rushed up into contention entering the far turn and inhaled the leader nearing the stretch before striding home powerfully without ever being asked. One Track Mine (Mineshaft) was second.

Ready A.P. was a $125,000 purchase at last year's Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase. Her second dam is multiple graded stakes winner Carmandia (Wild Rush). She has a yearling half-sister by Kantharos and a foal half-brother by Sharp Azteca.

5th-Belmont, $75,000, (S), Msw, 7-1, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:06.88, ft, 8 1/4 lengths.
READY A. P., f, 2, by More Than Ready
                1st Dam: Girlaboutown, by A.P. Indy
                2nd Dam: Carmandia, by Wild Rush
                3rd Dam: Her Secret, by Mining
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $41,250. O-West Point Thoroughbreds and Jimmy Kahig LLC; B-Chester Broman & Mary R. Broman (NY); T-Christophe Clement. *$125,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or free Equineline catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Old Friends Welcomes Retired Millionaire Ring Weekend

Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement farm in Georgetown, KY, has welcomed new retiree Ring Weekend.

Owned and campaigned by West Point Thoroughbreds and trained by Graham Motion, the Grade 1-winning gelding retired from racing in 2018 and was originally sent to retrain for a second career with Olympic gold medalist Phillip Dutton, but a recent injury prevented his further progress.

“Ring showed incredible promise as an Event prospect, so I was devastated when he sustained a career-limiting injury during his turnout,” said Dutton. “I wish Ring Weekend all the best in his new prestigious retirement home,” Dutton added, “and thanks to everyone that followed and supported him—he's a remarkable horse.”

Following his recovery Ring Weekend was sent to Julie Lake's Ship Oak Farm in Massachusetts where he spent 14 months as a pleasure horse, but soundness issues again hampered his success.

“Ring spent his days hacking out on miles of trails, galloping along Crane beach in Ipswich, and learning to walk out with the Myopia hounds,” said Lake. “But after careful consideration by everyone who loves him, the decision was made to relocate him to Old Friends where he can truly retire and live out his life without any more work or stress.”

By premiere sire Tapit, out of the Cryptoclearance mare Free the Magic, Ring Weekend had both longevity and versatility on the race track. In all he captured six graded stakes in his six-season career, winning on both the dirt and turf. His victories as a 3-year-old include the G2 Tampa Bay Derby on dirt and G3 Hill Prince Stakes on turf. At 4 he scored big in the G1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes at Santa Anita before being laid up for more than a year with hoof issues. But he returned to form at age 6 to take the G2 Dixie Stakes and the G2 Bernard Baruch Handicap at Saratoga, both on the turf.

Ring Weekend retired with an overall record of 8-5-4 from 33 starts and earnings of $1,571,576.

“Ring Weekend took his partners on a great ride, competing at 14 different tracks and in 25 stakes races,” said Erin Birkenhauer, Racing Manager/Director of Communications for West Point Thoroughbreds. “The West Point team is incredibly appreciative of the work done by Graham and Anita Motion, Phillip and Evie Dutton, and Julie Lake over the past few years. They are all true ambassadors for off-the-track Thoroughbreds,” Birkenhauer continued. “Many thanks to Michael Blowen and the team at Old Friends for welcoming Ring with open arms. We can't wait to visit him at his forever home.”

“Ring Weekend had the most elegant way of going and was a pleasure to watch,” said Anita Motion. “He retired from racing in 2018 with earnings of more than $1,500,000 and the decision to send him to Phillip and Evie Dutton to try as an event horse was unanimously made by the West Point partners. He showed promise from the beginning but then sustained a freak injury. We are truly grateful to Old Friends for accepting him, and we hope that this will mean his many fans and admirers can visit, I know we will.”

“We're so excited to be associated with Ring Weekend and all of his previous caretakers–Graham and Anita, Julie Lake, West Point, and Philip Dutton,” said Old Friends Founder and President Michael Blowen. “I was at Saratoga when Ring Weekend won the Bernard Baruch and it was thrilling. Almost as thrilling as the sunny Saturday afternoon he arrived at Old Friends.”

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