Tag: Wet Paint

Easy Win for California Shipper Adare Manor in Apple Blossom

Michael Lund Petersen's Adare Manor (m, 5, Uncle Mo–Brooklynsway, by Giant Gizmo), who so often shows her best on the front end, took her California tactics on the road with a 5 1/2-length score in Oaklawn's $1.25-million GI Apple Blossom S. Saturday while conceding between one and six pounds to her rivals. Flying Connection (Nyquist), who shipped in from Sunland Park after three straight stakes wins in New Mexico for the red-hot Todd Fincher barn, closed late to nab second over Mar. 24 Shantel Lanerie S. winner Free Like a Girl (El Deal). Last year's GI CCA Oaks winner Wet Paint (Blame), previously unbeaten in three stakes at Oaklawn, never got involved and finished sixth.

The 3-5 choice, Adare Manor showed old habits die hard as she went clear early under Juan Hernandez, running comfortably with her ears flicking back and forth, and set fractions of :23.68 and :46.95 while Honor D Lady (Honor Code) applied pressure to her outside. Even while Honor D Lady loomed and last summer's GIII Molly Pitcher S. winner Shotgun Hottie (Gun Runner) threw her hat into the mix, Adare Manor never looked seriously threatened. She quickened on the turn, kicked clear with ease and opened up by daylight to hasten home an authoritative winner while Hernandez took a peek under his right arm as the pair's distance on the field remained intact. She got the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.48.

“[Trainer Bob Baffert] had her ready today,” said Hernandez. “They had a lot of confidence in her. I just felt it right away when I jumped on her. She was so calm and she was ready to run great. She loves a mile and a sixteenth. If you saw her, she's huge. She's really a big filly, so she needs a lot of distance in her races.”

A $375,000 Donato Lanni purchase at the 2021 OBS June sale after working a furlong in :10 1/5, Adare Manor won the GIII Las Virgenes S. at three by 13 lengths, had a five-win streak going at four that included the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. and three other graded races, and kickstarted her 5-year-old campaign with a 102 Beyer as the runner-up in the GI Beholder Mile S. at Santa Anita Mar. 9. Seven of her eight career wins have been on the front end, with the lone exception being a stalking trip in last summer's Clement L. Hirsch.

Pedigree Notes:

Adare Manor is one of 49 graded winners and 100 black-type winners overall for exceptional Coolmore America stallion Uncle Mo, a regular among North America's leading sires. She is the second of her sire's progeny to win the Apple Blossom following Unbridled Mo's victory in 2018. She is, however, the lone stakes winner to date out of a Giant Gizmo mare. The latter was relocated to Panama following the 2019 breeding season after standing at Canada's Gardiner Farm. Uncle Mo does have four stakes winners out of mares by Giant Gizmo's sire, the late Giant's Causeway, who was a fellow Coolmore sire, as well as Mar. 30 GI Florida Derby third Grand Mo the First.

Stock in Brooklynsway has risen dramatically since Adare Manor's assent up the stakes ranks. Winner of the 2016 GIII Doubledogdare S. at Keeneland, she was a $170,000 RNA at Fasig-Tipton's November sale in 2017, then went through the same ring in 2020 at the Winter Mixed Sale, where Town & Country picked her up in foal to Into Mischief for $95,000. Adare Manor, then a short yearling, sold at the same sale to Walmac Farms and Gary Board for $180,000 before being pinhooked the next year. Brooklynsway has a 2-year-old filly by Ghostzapper named Nosleeptilbrooklyn, who went to Boardshorts Stables at Keeneland September for $500,000, and a yearling full-brother to Adare Manor. The mare was a $1.2-million RNA at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale; she has aborted her 2024 Tapit foal.

 

Saturday, Oaklawn
APPLE BLOSSOM H.-GI, $1,250,000, Oaklawn, 4-13, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:42.48, ft.
1–ADARE MANOR, 123, m, 5, by Uncle Mo
       1st Dam: Brooklynsway (GSW-USA, MSW &
                 GSP-Can, $724,597), by Giant Gizmo
       2nd Dam: Explosive Story, by Radio Star
       3rd Dam: Maya's Note, by Editor's Note
($180,000 Ylg '20 FTKFEB; $190,000 RNA Ylg '20 FTKSEL;
$375,000 2yo '21 OBSOPN). O-Michael Lund Petersen; B-Town
& Country Horse Farms, LLC & Gary Broad (KY); T-Bob Baffert;
J-Juan J. Hernandez. $675,000. Lifetime Record: 16-8-5-0,
$1,736,600. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Flying Connection, 118, f, 4, by Nyquist
                1st Dam: Free Flying Soul (MSW & MGISP, $423,177),
                                 by Quiet American
                2nd Dam: Ruby Surprise, by Farma Way
                3rd Dam: Santa Rosalia, by Bold Bidder
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($250,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Brad King,
Randy Andrews, G. Chris Coleman, Jim Cone, Suzanne Kirby
and Lee Lewis; B-Liberty Road Stables (KY); T-Todd W. Fincher.
$225,000.
3–Free Like a Girl, 117, m, 5, by El Deal
                1st Dam: Flashy Prize, by Flashy Bull
                2nd Dam: Rich Peace, by Rizzi
                3rd Dam: Lockpeace, by Hold Your Peace
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($5,500 Ylg '20 ESLYRL). O-Gerald Bruno,
Jr., Chasey Deville Pomier and Jerry Caroom; B-Kim Renee
Stover & Lisa Osborne (LA); T-Chasey Deville Pomier.
$112,500.
Margins: 5HF, 3/4, 2. Odds: 0.70, 26.20, 58.30.
Also Ran: Shotgun Hottie, Taxed, Wet Paint, Bellamore, Misty Veil, Honor D Lady.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Nyquist’s Randomized Goes Wire-to-Wire in Alabama

When Joel Rosario won his first GI Alabama S. back in 2010, he had to come from the tail of the field on Blind Luck (Pollard's Vision) in a race run at a crawl and culminating in a pulsating, driving finish with an upstart filly named Havre de Grace (Saint Liam). Leaving little to chance in pursuit of a second victory in the meet's premier race for the sophomore filly set, the Dominican native kicked Klaravich Stables' Randomized (Nyquist) straight into the lead from a wide alley Saturday afternoon and bossed his nine other rivals from the front in the 10-furlong affair, presented by Keeneland Sales.

Beautifully into stride from the eight hole, Randomized made a bee line towards the fence and raced eagerly under the wire for the first time as the outposted Defining Purpose (Cross Traffic) did the chasing to her outside. The opening quarter split was strong enough–:23.45–but Rosario had Randomized nicely in hand with a one-length advantage turning up the Saratoga backstretch. The $420,000 Keeneland September purchase switched off well, covering an internal half-mile in :48.88, and was urged along mildly rounding the turn as Brian Hernandez, Jr. began to get serious atop Defining Purpose. Favored Wet Paint (Blame), who had raced closer to the pace than usual, was beginning to find her best stride at the fence as Randomized rolled out into the four path in upper stretch, but she found plenty in the final furlong and was home a clear-cut winner.

A debut third sprinting here last July, Randomized graduated by an imposing 5 1/2 lengths going Aqueduct's one-turn mile Mar. 31, but was no better than a distant sixth of eight when tried in the GI Acorn S. at Belmont June 9. The bay regrouped in the restricted Wilton S. going Saratoga's modified one-turn mile July 14 and made every yard, earning a field-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure in the process.

Chad Brown was giving full marks to owner Seth Klarman for the decision to run Saturday.

“I wasn't real confident [about the 10 furlongs]. I was confident that she would run a real good race,” said the trainer, who saddled Dunbar Road (Quality Road) to win the 2019 Alabama, also her fifth career start. “I was really just going to rest her for the [GI] Cotillion [S.] at a mile and a sixteenth. As it got closer and I reported she was breezing well, I said, 'let's at least enter and look at the pace scenario.' We talked about it the other day and he said, 'if you're willing to do it, I have a good feeling about this.' He was right.”

Pedigree Notes:

Randomized is the ninth graded winner for Darley America's Nyquist and his third Grade I scorer, joining first-crop produce Vequist and Gretzky the Great, and she is the 15th worldwide elite-level winner produced by a daughter of the late Elusive Quality.

Richard and Connie Snyder's Cove Springs acquired French Passport, a half-sister to MGSW/MGISP Smooth Air (Smooth Jazz), GSW Overdriven (Tale of the Cat) and the dam of MGISW Got Stormy (Get Stormy), for $200,000 in foal to American Pharoah at the 2018 Keeneland November Sale. Klaravich also owns the 2-year-old half-brother to Randomized, Marginal Cost (Justify), who fetched $10,000 less than his half-sister at KEESEP last year. French Passport is also responsible for a Frosted filly that is cataloged to sell with Hidden Brook as hip 1711 at Keeneland next month and a weanling filly by Maxfield.

Saturday, Saratoga
ALABAMA S. PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SALES-GI, $600,000, Saratoga, 8-19, 3yo, f, 1 1/4m, 2:03.07, ft.
1–RANDOMIZED, 121, f, 3, by Nyquist
1st Dam: French Passport, by Elusive Quality
2nd Dam: Air France, by French Deputy
3rd Dam: Twin Propeller, by Known Fact
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($420,000 Ylg
'21 KEESEP). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Cove Springs, LLC (KY);
T-Chad C. Brown; J-Joel Rosario. $330,000. Lifetime Record:
5-3-0-1, $465,850. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Wet Paint, 121, f, 3, by Blame
1st Dam: Sky Painter (GSP, $169,755), by Street Cry (Ire)
2nd Dam: Skylighter, by Sky Mesa
3rd Dam: Painted Lady, by Broad Brush
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $120,000.
3–Defining Purpose, 121, f, 3, by Cross Traffic
1st Dam: Defining Hope (MSW, $306,238), by Strong Hope
2nd Dam: On the Point, by Point Given
3rd Dam: Longingtobeme, by Belong to Me
($14,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEEJAN). O-Katsumi Yoshida; B-Colette
Marie VanMatre (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $72,000.
Margins: 4, 1HF, 8HF. Odds: 7.10, 1.90, 14.20.
Also Ran: Sabra Tuff, Gambling Girl, Taxed, Sacred Wish, Fireline, Julia Shining, Chocolate Gelato.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

 

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Defining Purpose Has Written A Rags-To-Riches Story

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y. – Katsumi Yoshida's Defining Purpose (Cross Traffic) brings a solid resume and a sounds-like-fiction backstory to the GI Alabama S. on Saturday.

Now owned by one of the world's top breeding operations, Yoshida's Northern Farm, the gray 3-year-old filly was rejected by buyers when she was offered at sale as a short yearling at Keeneland in January 2021. Colette VanMatre, the Indiana businesswomen who runs a tiny breeding business, decided she would race Defining Purpose. Last year, VanMatre reached out to trainer Kenny McPeek, who agreed to assess the filly and deemed her a racing prospect.

On VanMatre's request, McPeek brought in partners, including Magdalena Racing, run by his wife Sherri. Defining Purpose broke her maiden at Churchill Downs in her second start on Nov. 17 and secured some black type on Dec. 31 with a win in the Year's End S. at Oaklawn Park. Three races later, she pulled off a 20-1 upset in the Grade I Ashland S. at Keeneland on April 7. When Yoshida completed the private purchase for over $1 million after her seventh-place finish in the GI Kentucky Oaks, Defining Purpose had earned $556,188 in purse money for the VanMatre-McPeek group.

Yoshida left her in McPeek's care and he saddled her for a 1 ¼-length score in the GIII Indiana Oaks on July 8.

Among the fillies, Defining Purpose is scheduled to face in the historic Alabama is the Godolphin homebred Wet Paint, whom she has finished behind in three races this year.

McPeek, twice a winner of the Alabama, said the race was not part of his long-term plan for Defining Purpose.

“Actually, I was probably leaning against it until she ran so well in the Indiana Oaks,” he said. “Then, as she's gone on, physically and timing-wise it looks like it's an ideal spot for her. Having a chance to see who she might run against is going to be interesting. Look, she deserves a chance in another Grade I.”

With the Ashland victory, Defining Purpose had plenty of points to qualify for the Kentucky Oaks. As is her style, she was prominent early under Brian Hernandez, Jr., but weakened in the stretch.

“She ran kind of flat that day. She didn't fire her best shot,” McPeek said. “She does better when we space her races pretty good. I think that five, six, seven weeks is really good for her. She's had a pretty good spacing for this one.”

Defining Purpose came to Saratoga after her Indiana Oaks triumph over Taxed (Collected), who she will face again the Alabama, and has worked three times.

VanMatre is a commercial property manager in the Indianapolis metro area. About 15 years ago, she became interested in trying to develop a second business that she could do in retirement. VanMatre had a friend who bred dogs and since she was a fan of racing, decided to breed Thoroughbreds. In 2010, she purchased for $2,000 On the Point (Point Given), an unraced 3-year-old Pennsylvania-bred, who has become the foundation mare of VanMatre's On the Point Stable.

On the Point's first foal did not make it to the races, but the second, the Indiana-bred 2014 filly Defining Hope became a successful race horse for the breeder and now owner. In the care of trainer Barbara McBride, she compiled a record of 5-2-2 from 12 starts, was the top state-bred filly at 2 and 3 and earned $306,238. She was retired at the end of 2017 and joined her dam in VanMatre's broodmare band. Following the recommendation of Cecil Seaman, she sent Defining Hope to Cross Traffic in 2019 and the mating produced the second foal, Defining Purpose. Her 2-year-old filly Defining Joy (Runhappy) is being prepared for the races by McPeek. She was bred back to Cross Traffic this year.

“The contract was already signed for a repeat on Cross Traffic,” VanMatre said. “I really liked what I got with Defining Purpose. That decision was already made before she won the Ashland.”

VanMatre intended to sell Defining Purpose, who is a Kentucky-bred foaled at Margaux Farm, as a short-yearling, but ended up retaining her as an RNA when bidding stopped at $14,000. In an interview after the Ashland victory, VanMatre said, “When she didn't sell and meet her reserve, I thought, there's a reason–there's a purpose–that she's still mine.” VanMatre had a name for her youngster and set out to find a trainer for her. She compiled some names of candidates and asked for advice. VanMatre said that Michael Hardy, the former general manager at Margaux and now head of sales at Goffs, pointed her toward McPeek.

Defining Purpose | Mike Kane

“He said, 'Well, based on your list, I think Kenny would make the best match for you,'” she said. “I thought so, too, because he really is all about developing the bloodline, and he's just a good horseman.”

VanMatre contacted McPeek, who said he would take a look at Defining Purpose.

“She came into us as kind of nondescript 2-year-old filly,” McPeek said. “I didn't know a lot about her when she came in or the breeder.  When she sent her to us, she kept saying 'What do you think? What do you think?' We worked her a couple times and the filly is a pretty nice filly. She's doing everything right. She's willing and she's fast and she showed some early talent.”

McPeek agreed to train her and to Matre's request to find some partners. He established her value based on how she looked and trained and Magdalena and James Ball bought in.

“When we went to run her, I looked and saw that she was $14,000 as a short yearling,” McPeek said with a chuckle. “That kind of surprised me because I thought she was worth a lot more than that. And obviously she is.”

After the maiden win, McPeek ran her back nine days later in the GII Golden Rod S., where she was fifth of eight. From there, she was off to Oaklawn and showed herself to be a stakes-caliber runner against the likes of Wet Paint (Curlin) and Taxed.

“She jumped through a lot of hoops and seemed like the more we asked her the better she did,” he said.

McPeek felt that she fell off form a bit in two races over wet tracks at Oaklawn, but wanted to try her in the Ashland.

“I told the group, 'Look, if she's ever going to win a Grade I, if we space her here, I think this is the best shot she'll have.' And she pulled it off. She keeps that the rest of her life.”

Following the Ashland, McPeek was approached by a representative of Yoshida. The sale was finalized after the Kentucky Oaks.

“Mr. Yoshida elected keep her with me a little longer,” McPeek said. “I'm not sure how many years she'll race but we're thrilled to keep her in the barn.”

Much has changed with Defining Purpose since McPeek took VanMatre's call.

“She's gone from $14,000 RNA to a seven-figure-plus filly and now with a shot to win a second Grade I,” he said. “The Alabama, I've won it a couple of times. I think she's the kind of filly that could handle it.”

VanMatre will be watching the Alabama back in Indiana. Her plan to get into something she could carry on into retirement has gone from a small investment 13 years ago into a big payoff in 2023.

“Yeah,” she said, “it's kind of surreal.”

 

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Taxed For $50,000? Great Deal For Bahde

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.–Credit owner Richard Bahde with nailing the description of Taxed's (Collected) climb from modest beginnings to a start Saturday in the historic GI Alabama S. at Saratoga Race Course.

“It is a Cinderella story. It's something that doesn't happen very often,” Bahde said. “I'm sure that over time there have been $50,000 claiming horses that have gone on to win graded stakes races, but there's just not that many.”

Veteran trainer Randy Morse claimed the gray filly for Bahde at Churchill Downs on Nov. 20 in her third career start and first in claiming company. She won that race, has since won the GII Black-Eyed Susan and has placed second in a pair of GIII starts.

“When we talked about possibly claiming her, we did a lot of research, of course, looked at her previous two races and just felt like there was something there,” Bahde said. “As it turned out, there was really something there.”

In the 1 1/4 miles $600,000 Alabama for 3-year-old fillies, Taxed will reconnect with a pair of familiar foes: the Godolphin homebred Wet Paint (Blame) and Katsumi Yoshida's Defining Purpose (Cross Traffic).

“Pretty Ironic,” Morse said. “Go all the way to New York and go look at the same horses I was running against all winter at Oaklawn Park.”

Taxed was fourth in Defining Purpose's victory in the Year's End Stakes on Dec. 31, then second to Wet Paint and three-quarters of a length ahead of Defining Purpose in the Martha Washington S. on Jan. 28. Wet Paint won the GIII Honeybee on Feb. 25 with Defining Purpose sixth and Taxed ninth after pressing the pace from her outside post.

Morse watched Taxed fade in the stretch and figured it was time to make a change with the oh-so determined, sometimes rank filly.

“She was just always on the bit too much,” he said.

When Morse suggested to Bahde that they take the blinkers off for the GIII Fantasy on April 1, the Omaha, Neb. resident resisted an experiment in a $600,000 stake.

“I was a little reluctant, quite honestly,” Bahde said. “He said that we've got one last breeze before the Fantasy, let's take those blinkers off for the breeze and see what happens. We did and [jockey Rafael] Bejarano was over the moon. He said, 'What a change. What a change. This horse was far more relaxed and finished so strong.' It was decided right then and there that the blinkers were coming off. She's run, just terrific every race since the blinkers came off.”

“She wants to get into the bit, but she's learned to rate and wait for the signal to go and then she's just full of run. It was a great move by Randy. And I know it's made a big difference.”

Although Wet Paint prevailed in the Fantasy, beating Taxed by 2 1/2 lengths, Morse said that the equipment change has helped transform the filly into a more balanced athlete.

“She's a different horse than she was at Oaklawn, I can tell you that,” he said. “She's, bigger, stronger. She's just mature. She seems like she knows her job now, a lot more so than she did back then.”

Trainer Kenny McPeek took Defining Purpose back to Kentucky where she won Keeneland's GI Ashland by a half-length. She was a well-beaten seventh in the GI Kentucky Oaks on May 5. Wet Paint went straight to the Kentucky Oaks, where she was fourth as the favorite. Taxed tied in points with champion Wonder Wheel for the final berth in the Oaks field, but lost the tie-breaker on earnings and landed on the Oaks also-eligible list. Unlike the Derby, the field stayed intact and she did not draw in.

Two weeks later at Pimlico, Taxed turned in a textbook performance to win the GII Black-Eyed Susan by 3 3/4 lengths over Hoosier Philly. Morse said it was the best race of her career.

After considering the GI Coaching Club American Oaks on July 22 at Saratoga, Morse and Bahde settled on the GIII Indiana Oaks on July 8 at Indiana Grand–an easy ship from Churchill Downs–for Taxed's first start of the summer. She drew the rail in the field of seven and at the end of a frustrating trip under Bejarano was second to Defining Purpose by 1 1/4 lengths.

“She didn't break good and she got boxed in behind horses with a slow pace,” Morse said. “I'm not saying she would have won, but I think if he if he could have got her out it would have been a lot closer race. Put it that way. If you watch the replay, he was trying to get outside. He couldn't even do that. He was just struck.”

By the time Taxed as able to make her run, Defining Purpose and Brian Hernandez Jr. had a safe advantage.

The Black-Eyed Susan at 1 1/8 miles was the longest race of Taxed's career and Morse figures the extra furlong on Saturday is within her range.

“I don't think it'll be a problem. You never know till they do it,” he said. “That's the way she's been training. Her works, she just gallops out strong. She'll never seem to get tired.”

Bejarano will be aboard for the Alabama. Taxed shipped from Kentucky to Saratoga Sunday night.

Bahde has been involved in racing for better than 20 years and he graduated from Nebraska bullrings to major U.S. tracks with Morse handling his stock. The Black-Eyed Susan was his first graded stakes victory. The Alabama will be his first start in a Grade I race anywhere.

Ten years ago, Bahde's Kid Sidney (Lemon Drop Kid) was third in each of his three starts at Saratoga. In recent years, Bahde has sold his beer distribution business and spends his free time managing a small racing stable and some breeding stock. Taxed is taking him back to Saratoga for one of the Spa's marquee events late on a Saturday afternoon in August.

“These are very exciting times,” he said. “You never expect to have a horse this talented, that just seems to be getting better.

“You can't even dream of this when you race sort of in my world, which isn't high-level racing. I don't spend a lot of money at auctions for horses. I try to do it on a budget and to be able to land with a horse like Taxed is really a dream come true.”

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