Tag: Zandon

White Abarrio Dominates Whitney for Richard Dutrow Jr. Barn

White Abarrio (c, 4, Race Day–Catching Diamonds, by Into Mischief), making his second start for conditioner Richard Dutrow Jr., dominated the field by open lengths in the GI Whitney S. at 10-1 odds, and has secured his spot in the gate for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. Zandon (Upstart) held on for second while Cody's Wish (Curlin) won the photo for third. The final time was 1:48.45.

Sales history: $7,500 Ylg '20 OBSWIN; $40,000 2yo '21 OBSMAR. O-C Two Racing Stable and Antonio Pagnano; B-Spendthrift Farm, LLC (KY); T-Richard Dutrow, Jr.

 

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Cody’s Wish, Zandon Work for Whitney; Elite Power, Forte Fine Sunday

Godolphin's Cody's Wish (Curlin) had his final work ahead of the Aug. 5 GI Whitney S. Sunday at Saratoga, going four furlongs in :48.28 (9/69) over the Oklahoma training track. With Neil Poznansky aboard, the multiple Grade I winner clocked the first quarter-mile in :24 2/5 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 and seven furlongs in 1:27.

“I thought it was perfect. If there is such a thing as a perfect work,” trainer Bill Mott said. “Neil did a perfect job. The warm-up was good, the breeze went well, he went off easily enough. He was off in :12 and 2 or 3. He came home well. He let him off the bridle a little bit at the eighth pole and he finished up his last quarter very nicely. We didn't make him gallop out too much today, obviously. We're right on top of the race.”

Cody's Wish will be looking for his seventh straight victory while seeking his first win beyond a mile in the nine-furlong Whitney, which is a 'Win and You're In' challenge race for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. He is coming off a win in the June 10 GI Metropolitan H. and will look to be the first horse to record the Met Mile-Whitney double since fellow Godolphin colorbearer Frosted in 2016.

Another Mott trainee on a win streak, Elite Power (Curlin), who extended his string of victories to eight with a gritty victory in Saturday's GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. was doing well Sunday morning, according to his trainer.

“He looked great this morning,” Mott said. “I was very impressed just because I feel that when you have a sloppy or muddy track like that, it gives the advantage to the horse three in front turning for home. If you have to make up that much ground on a sloppy or muddy track, it can be difficult, so I give the horse a lot of credit for being able to do that. The horse he beat was running and he's a very good horse, too. He's in good form. I have to be pleased and I am pleased.”

Elite Power is expected to start next in the Aug. 26 GI Forego S.

Also exiting his victory at Saratoga Saturday in fine shape was GII Jim Dandy S. winner Forte (Violence).

“He came back very well and his energy level is good,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “He had a well-deserved nap this morning and I liked the way he looked last night after the race and this morning.”

Forte remains on target for the Aug. 26 GI Travers S. where he will attempt to follow in the footsteps of Pletcher's previous winners of the race, Flower Alley and Stay Thirsty, both of whom won the Jim Dandy before taking the Midsummer Derby.

“It's exciting and we've been fortunate that both our Travers winners came out of the Jim Dandy,” Pletcher said. “We'd love to do it again.”

Jeff Drown's Zandon (Upstart), also aiming for the Whitney, worked a half-mile in :49.24 (24/69) Sunday over the Spa's main track.

“The breeze went super and the horse is doing great. I'm looking forward to running him,” said trainer Chad Brown, who is in search of his first Whitney win.

Winner of last year's GI Toyota Blue Grass S. and third in the GI Kentucky Derby, Zandon was second in last year's Jim Dandy and third in the Travers. He comes into the Whitney off a runner-up effort behind Cody's Wish in the Met Mile.

“I was very pleased with his effort [in the Met Mile],” Brown said. “He showed a lot of heart to be second. Clearly, he was second best in the race. Cody's Wish is arguably the best dirt horse in training in this country, so a lot of respect for him. Our horse is doing fine and I think he's better around two turns. He's got a tall order here. It probably won't be a big field, but it's a very strong field with Cody's Wish and some other top horses. He's got his work cut out for him, but I really like the way the horse is going and I like him at a mile and an eighth. I think that's his best distance. I'm just hoping he runs the race of his life and is able to spring an upset.”

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Saturday Insights: Zandon Makes His Return

8th-AQU, $84K, OC, 4yo/up, 1m, 5:06 p.m.
ZANDON (Upstart), last seen running fourth Dec. 3 in the GI Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, returns to the scene on Saturday in this spot for owner Jeff Drown. Receiving Lasix for the first time, the Chad Brown trainee will be ridden by Flavien Prat and will leave from gate two. Zandon's 3-year-old campaign included a victory in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S., and a pair of third-place finishes in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Runhappy Travers S. His dam Memories Prevail (Creative Cause) produced a 2-year-old filly named Remembering (American Freedom) that sold last year for $200,000 at the Keeneland September sale to Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bridlewood Farm. TJCIS PPS

4th-AQU, $70K, Msw, f, (S), 3yo/up, 6f, 2:56 p.m.
Also on the card in Ozone Park is first-time starter Angelique (Army Mule). The WinStar and Siena Farms-owned filly gets Lasix as she takes on fellow state-breds for Todd Pletcher with Irad Ortiz aboard from post six. A $300,000 SARAUG buy out of Whispering Angel (Hard Spun), she's a half-sister to GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby victor Wells Bayou (Lookin At Lucky). The female side of this family includes MGISW Big Brown (Boundary). TJCIS PPS

1st-OP, $90K, Msw, f, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:30 p.m.
Owned by His Royal Highness Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud, Loupit (Tapit) begins her career routing in Hot Springs on Saturday. A $250,000 OBSMAR purchase from last year and out of Courtisane (Arg) (Silver Finder), the bay filly counts GSW Madame Stripes (Arg) (Equal Stripes (Arg) as a half-sister. Trained by Kenny McPeek and under Lasix, she will have Francisco Arrieta in the irons from post five.  TJCIS PPS

 

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Unique Partnership of Breeders Brings Mind Control to New York

Tenacious to the end, Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stable's Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) closed out his career with a win in the 2022 GI Cigar Mile, his third Grade I win and his 11th black-type victory. In a remarkable 29 starts over five years, Mind Control amassed total winnings of $2,185,834. In that race, as in all of Mind Control's stakes wins, he beat an impressive field of competitors, including favored Zandon, White Abarrio, and Get Her Number. Big numbers, indeed.

Numbers, as it turns out, will also be critical to his next career, as the Red Oak Stables homebred will stand at Rockridge Stud for a partnership that includes Red Oak and Madaket Stable, who raced him in partnership, as well as almost every New York farm invested in the Thoroughbred breeding business, including Irish Hill Farm, Rockridge, Dutchess Views Stallions, Waldorf Farm, and Hidden Lake Farm. Shareholders also include Joe McMahon of McMahon Farm, Saratoga Glen, and New Hill Farm.

Out of a fellow Rockridge homebred Feel That Fire (Lightnin N Thunder), a stakes-winning half-sister to MSW & GSP King For A Day (Uncle Mo) and a full to MSW Ima Jersey Girl, “He is probably one of the better horses, if not the best horse, that has ever come to New York,” said Michael Lischin of Dutchess Views Farms. The winning of the GI Cigar Mile is a great prep for being a stallion.”

Speaking to the TDN after the Cigar Mile, Todd Pletcher, who began training Mind Control in 2020, said, “If you like horse racing, you've got to love this horse. He's cool. He's done it consistently year after year at multiple distances. He's a great horse to be able to train. He's remarkably consistent and shows up every morning.”

“When we got the partnership together, it grew very quickly because, just like anything else, word of mouth goes very quickly,” said Lere Visage, owner of Rockridge Stud. “These are the bigger farms, all bound together to support a horse that they all think is going to be legit and that can improve the state and improve the mare base that we have. There's never been a partnership like that done in New York with any of the farms.”

The partners said they were confident in the quality of Mind Control's first book. Just before breeding season, to boost the stallion's chances, partners and prospective supporters purchased additional mares in Kentucky. And the partners' phones ring constantly, they said.

“Several trainers have booked mares to Mind Control,” said Visage. “They saw him as a racehorse. With that much heart and stamina, this horse is worth taking a look at. Nothing like Mind Control has ever stood in New York.”

In impressive New York style, Mind Control took his first Grade I in the 2018 Hopeful S. at Saratoga and his second in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S., also at Saratoga. In his first start for Pletcher, Mind Control won the GII John A. Nerud S. He won the Parx Dirt Mile two starts later, was third in the 2022 GI Carter H. Two months after that, he beat Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) in Monmouth's GIII Salvator Mile. In his last start before the Cigar Mile, he finished a neck behind the leader in the Sept. 24 Parx Dirt Mile, but was promoted to first via DQ.

“He won from six furlongs to a mile,” said Lischin. “To win a Grade I race at seven furlongs at two and three, and then continue on with stakes wins every year and closing out with a Grade I stakes race at six and over $2 million is a great race record. He beat Knicks Go, Firenze Fire, Instagrand, Zandon, and Hot Rod Charlie, amongst numerous others.”

Bringing the New York farms together as a stallion just like he brought racing fans together in his career, Mind Control has created excitement in the New York Thoroughbred breeding scene.

“He comes with a lot of credentials and that's kind of a solid beginning to a horse,” said Visage. “It is also very exciting to see, and kind of refreshing to know, that the farms can all work together and, you know, support a horse that they feel is worth supporting.”

Mind Control is will stand at $8,500 LFSN.

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