Daily Racing Form

September 5, 2010

California bill could raise purses 20-25 percent
By Steve Andersen
DEL MAR, Calif. – Legislation passed last Tuesday that raises the takeout on exotic wagers placed on California races will result in an overnight purse increase of 20 to 25 percent this winter, if signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, according to industry officials.

The legislation, approved by the state Assembly and Senate on Monday and Tuesday, is in the process of being sent to the governor’s office. A spokesman in the governor’s press office said on Thursday that the governor had not acted on the bill. He has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the measure, and there are indications that will support the bill.

“I’d be hopeful for a signature,” the California Horse Racing Board’s chairman, Keith Brackpool, said on Friday.

In his speech introducing the bill last Tuesday, sponsoring senator Ron Calderon of Montebello said the legislation was developed “in close consultation” with the governor’s office.

Last November at Hollywood Park, while attending a then-retirement celebration for Zenyatta, Schwarzenegger said he intended to aid California horse racing with legislation in 2010. “We have to find a way to generate significant finances,” Schwarzenegger said at the time. “I want to do it before I leave office.”

Schwarzenegger’s term ends in early January.

The senate bill will raise the takeout on two-horse exotic wagers by 2 percent, from the current 20.68 percent, to 22.68 percent, and increase the takeout on bets requiring three or more horses by 3 percent, from 20.68 percent to 23.68 percent. Takeout rates for win, place, and show betting will remain unchanged, at 15.43 percent.

The bill specifically states that revenue from additional takeout be dedicated to overnight purses. The additional purse money is estimated at 20 to 25 percent above current levels, track officials said.

“It’s significant,” said Del Mar’s chief financial officer Mike Ernst.

How the money will be distributed will depend on discussions between the racetracks and the Thoroughbred Owners of California, which bargains on behalf of horsemen regarding purses.

Hollywood Park’s racing secretary, Martin Panza, said he would like the increase to be dedicated to lower-level claimers, or even to restructure the percentages paid to winners and also-rans.

“The lower-level races need some money to keep those people in business,” Panza said. “We’ll address allowance [races] to stay competitive with the rest of the country.”

Using the current Del Mar meeting as an example, a 20-percent increase in overnight purses would raise prize money offered for sprinting maiden $32,000 claimers from $22,000 to $26,400, for maiden special weight races around two turns from $52,000 to $62,400, and for a first condition optional claimer for sprinters from $54,000 to $64,800.

If signed, the legislation takes effect on Dec. 26. Since the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting does not begin until late April, Panza said he will have a few months to understand better the financial ramifications before finalizing proposals for his meeting.

“After two months, we’ll have a good idea of what the current economic trends are and we’ll go from there,” he said. “

“We have a shot to increase purses a significant amount, and we want to do it the right way. Personally, I don’t think we should pay 60 percent to the winner, I think we should pay more to fourth or fifth and maybe sixth. We can spread it out a little more.”

Earlier this week, Southern California racing secretaries and representatives of Thoroughbred Owners of California met to discuss purses on the circuit.

“There are a lot of things on the table,” said Rick Hammerle, Santa Anita’s racing secretary. “We’ve never been in this situation before. If there a time to make a change, now is the time.”

September 5, 2010

Price was right for half-brother to Lava Man
By Steve Andersen
DEL MAR, Calif. – Enriched appeared in the entries for an $80,000 claimer for maidens at Hollywood Park in May 2009 when trainer Doug O’Neill approached longtime friend Mark Verge about a potential claim.

“I told him, ‘I don’t have Doug O’Neill money,’ ” Verge recalls. Enriched won that race by 7 3/4 lengths, and won two of his next four starts before appearing in an optional claimer for a $32,000 claiming price at Santa Anita last November.

O’Neill called Verge again. This time, the price was more reasonable. Verge called a few partners, and had a surefire sales pitch. “They said, ‘A half to Lava Man? We’re in,’ ” Verge remembers.

Since then, Enriched, a 5-year-old California-bred gelding and a half-brother to the seven-time Grade 1 winner Lava Man, has earned $308,496. On Aug. 28, Enriched won the first stakes of his career in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on turf.

The Del Mar Mile is part of the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program, guaranteeing the winner an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6, pending the payment of nomination and entry fees. Enriched was not nominated to the Breeders’ Cup as a young horse, O’Neill said last weekend, leaving Verge and the other partners – Glenn Sorgenstein, Joshua Kaplan and Neil Haymes – looking toward other options.

Three races at Hollywood Park – the $150,000 Oak Tree Mile on turf on Oct. 9, the $100,000 California Cup Mile on Oct. 30 and the $250,000 Citation Handicap in late November – are being considered.

“I think we’ll stay in town,” Verge said. “I think we’ll go to the back-to-back races in L.A.”

There have even been discussions about a trip to Hong Kong for the $2 million Hong Kong Mile on Dec. 12, although Enriched’s lone stakes win to date may not be enough to merit that trip.

In the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile, Enriched had an easy two-length lead, through a slow pace of 23.97 and 48.53 seconds, and held off a late run from Meteore to win by three-quarters of a length.

Enriched was bred by Carol Lingenfelter at her farm in Sanger, Calif. She campaigned Enriched with trainer Craig Dollase until he was claimed. In the start before Enriched was claimed by O’Neill and the current partnership, the gelding finished third in the California Cup Mile at Santa Anita.

“I think Doug always thought he was a nice horse,” Verge said. “After we claimed him, he said, ‘We’ve got something here.’”

So far, that has resulted in a stakes winner who has earned more than $300,000.

Cindago has a winner

Cindago sired his first winner on Thursday when Courtside won a $32,000 claiming race for maidens at Del Mar.

Courtside ($4.80) ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.85 in his second start for owner-breeders Lee and Susan Searing CRK Stable and trainer John Sadler.

CRK Stable campaigned Cindago, who won 2 of 3 starts and $98,180 in a career cut short by injury. Cindago, 7, stands at Legacy Ranch in Clements, Calif. Earlier this year, his fee was $2,500.

Good Journey, who stands at Magali Farms in Santa Ynez, Calif., had his first winner in North America when the filly Farallon won a $32,000 claiming race for maidens at Golden Gate Fields on Aug. 26.

Farallon, who races for owner-breeder Pacific Ridge Stable and trainer Bud Klokstad, made her debut on Aug. 26.

Good Journey, 14, began his career in Australia and was moved to California for the 2007 breeding season. In Australia, Good Journey sired Grand Journey, the winner of the Group 1 Australian Derby in 2008.

Earlier this year, Good Journey stood for $7,500 at Magali.
 

August 29, 2010

Sugarinthemorning validates owner's opinion
By Steve Andersen

It was Social Belle’s figure that caught Stephen B. Weissman’s eye on a Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita in March 2002. Her speed figures, to be exact.

The mare was in the first race at Santa Anita on a Saturday, a $20,000 claimer, and Weissman saw the then 5-year-old as a broodmare prospect, one who had recorded Beyer Speed Figures of 93 and 103 in two of her first three starts.

“She was going downhill and I bought her for $20,000,” he said. “The mare was beautiful. I thought, How can she not produce?”

Weissman, a retired attorney from Dana Point, Calif., was proven correct, but he had to wait longer than expected. Earlier this month at Del Mar, Sugarinthemorning, by Candy Ride out of Social Belle, won her debut in a maiden race for statebred 2-year-old fillies.

Weissman and Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally saw enough from the filly that day to consider Sugarinthemorning a candidate for the $250,000 Darley Debutante, a Grade 1 over seven furlongs next Saturday.

“Something about her is very elegant, very classy,” Weissman said. “I think she ran through the stretch with her ears up in the air.”

With $30,000 in earnings, Sugarinthemorning is Social Belle’s richest runner of three horses to reach the races. The 13-year-old mare has not been bred every year since she her retirement from racing.

Social Belle was covered by Candy Ride in 2007, but Weissman said he was “summarily rejected” by leading Kentucky farms when he inquired about sending the mare to several stallions last fall for the 2010 breeding season.

So, Social Belle stayed in California. She was bred to Stormy Jack, a Bertrando horse who stands for $2,500 at Harris Farms in Coalinga, Calif. Stormy Jack is best known as the sire of Bob Black Jack, who set a six-furlong world record (since broken) of 1:06.53 in the 2008 Sunshine Millions Dash at Santa Anita.

“No one wanted to breed to her,” Weissmann said. “I said, ‘ [Sugarinthemorning] is outstanding.’ They said, ‘Not interested.’

“I had no where to go. So I said, ‘Let’s breed to a sire that produced the fastest horse that ever ran.’ That’s who she’s in foal to now. Now, I’m getting calls.”

Weissman co-owns Sugarinthemorning with his 13-year-old granddaughter, Samantha Clement. They were in attendance for the maiden win, which the loquacious Weissman is quick to point out had a faster final time – six furlongs in 1:10.41 – than the 1:10.81 clocking by maiden 2-year-old males on that program.

“She’d never had dirt in her face until then and she got blocked on the rail,” Weissman said. “She never changed leads.”

McAnally saw enough to aim Sugarinthemorning for the Darley Debutante, expected to attract division leader Wickedly Perfect, who won the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes on Aug. 6.

McAnally was impressed with Sugarinthemorning’s maiden win.

“She ran a very nice race,” said McAnally. “She’s a pretty filly. She layed in behind horses and picked them up in the stretch.”

Weissman had horses with the late Hall of Famer Charlie Whittingham in the 1980s and early 1990s, and with McAnally since the mid-1990s. Weissman has owned such stakes runners as Stephanie Byrn, who was third in the 1982 Hollywood Starlet, and the McAnally-trained Domonation, who won a division of the Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar in 1999.

Maybe Sugarinthemorning will make that list by the end of her career.

“You have few things in life with such passion as racing,” Weissman said. “In racing, people abuse you. They say, ‘Why are you in this? What are you doing?’ If you stand tall, you will have a moment in the sun.”

August 22, 2010

Barretts California Cup, Wygod dispersal catalogs available
By Glenye Cain Oakford
Catalogs for the Barretts California Cup yearling sale and the complete dispersal of Pam and Marty Wygod’s West Coast breeding stock, both scheduled for October, are now online at www.barretts.com.

The dispersal from the Wygods’ River Edge Farm, is set for 3 p.m. on Oct. 12 at Barretts in Pomona, Calif. It will include 61 mares and 35 foals born this year. All will sell without reserve. The Wygods were California’s leading breeders from 2006 to 2008 and have bred such Grade 1 winners as Idiot Proof, Key Phrase, Officer, and others.

Their dispersal features Grade 1-placed Lacquaria, in foal to Tribal Rule; Lasting Beauty, dam of Idiot Proof; No Trouble Tweenus, dam of Sophie’s Trophy; Pretty Amazing, a 4-year-old full sister to Idiot Proof, in foal to Dixie Chatter; Grade 1 winner Private Persuasion; Sweet Paradise, dam of Leesider, in foal to Betrando; Wisdom Keeper, a stakes-producing full sister to Private Persuasion, in foal to Bertrando; Anachristina, dam of graded-placed Liberian Freighter, in foal to Tribal Rule; and Blonde Fever, dam of the Grade 1-placed and Grade 2 winner Feverish.

The dispersal’s foals include a Bertrando full sister to Idiot Proof; a half-sister to Sophie’s Trophy; a Bertrando filly out of Grade 1 winner Private Persuasion; a full brother to Leesider; and a half-brother to Feverish.

The California Cup sale will begin immediately following the Wygod dispersal and has 241 yearlings in the catalog. The California Cup auction will continue on Oct. 13.

Photographs that consignors have submitted of their yearlings will be available online starting Sept. 6.

August 15, 2010

Vessels influence will be long remembered
By Steve Andersen
Formally, his name was Frank Vessels, but it was hard to imagine anyone calling him that. From the time of his youth spent around Los Alamitos Racecourse, he was better known as Scoop.

Scoop Vessels, who died Wednesday at 58, was a third-generation horseman whose family founded Los Alamitos Race Course in Los Alamitos, Calif.

It was Scoop Vessels who picked up the family’s Quarter Horse breeding tradition at Vessels Stallion Farm in Bonsall, Calif., after his mother’s death in the early 1990s, and turned the northern San Diego County farm into a showcase venue.

Scoop Vessels branched into Thoroughbred racing and breeding in that decade and found immediate success, standing In Excess, a leading stallion in California. In more recent years, it was Scoop Vessels who took a role in racing management, being elected to the Jockey Club in 2004 and serving as president of the American Quarter Horse Association that year. In 2006, he was president of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association.

Sadly, it was Scoop Vessels’s death in a plane crash in southeast Oregon on Wednesday that has left people in many parts of the horse world mourning the loss of a friend and colleague.

Vessels was traveling from Redding, Calif., to Montana for a fishing trip when the plane he was piloting crashed. Sam Cannell, a friend of Vessels who owned Quarter Horses with him, also died in the crash.

“It breaks my heart that’s he’s gone,” said Mike Pegram, who owned In Excess when the horse went to Vessels. “But when you think of him, you smile.”

Vessels was the rare horseman comfortable in the circles of Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred enthusiasts, and as eager to hear the opinions of the working man as the executives in the board room.

“He was almost superhuman when it came to furthering American Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred horse racing,” AQHA executive vice-president Don Treadway said in a phone interview on Thursday.

“The other thing about Scoop, he wanted people to appreciate horses. If their interest was outside of racing, he was okay with that.”

Vessels was instrumental in the development of the all-time leading Quarter Horse stallion First Down Dash, and In Excess, both of which are still active and have played vital roles at Vessels Stallion Farm.

First Down Dash has record progeny earnings of $72.5 million and was syndicated in the early 1990s for $7 million. The 26-year-old stallion remains in high demand.

“He managed the best American Quarter Horse that ever lived,” said Ben Hudson, the publisher of Texas-based TRACK magazine.

In Excess is one of three Thoroughbred stallions that stood at Vessels this year. He stood for $12,500 in 2010, one of the higher stud fees in the state. Wednesday at Del Mar, the In Excess gelding Goggles McCoy won the Real Good Deal Stakes. The stallion has more than 60 stakes winners.

In Excess was syndicated in the 1990s, when the stallion was being pursued by Kentucky farms. Pegram owned a leading share in In Excess, and wanted the horse to remain in California.

“I had a horse I didn’t know what to do with and Scoop was looking to branch out,” Pegram said. “I said, ‘How will we keep this horse in California?’ Scoop said, ‘We’ll syndicate him.’ I said, ‘Can we do it?’ He said, ‘We’ll try.’ He always underpromised and overdelivered. What you saw was what you got.”

Through adulthood, Vessels gave up one form of racing for another. As a young man, he was passionate about off-road auto racing, winning the 1980 Baja 1000, which was featured on “Wide World of Sports.” He retired from off-road racing in 1996.

Pegram said that Vessels’s casual demeanor, blue jeans, open collar and husky appearance deceived some people.

“He was so laid-back, but people didn’t know how astute he was,” Pegram said. “Everything he did, he did successfully. He had passion. He knew what he wanted to get out of life.”

Not long ago, Vessels called Pegram concerned about several issues confronting California. “He said, ‘What are we going to do about California racing?’” Pegram recalled. “He said, ‘We can’t go on like this.’ He took it upon himself to do that. He was a breeder. He took the legacy of his family seriously. He only ever got involved in things he cared about.”

Pete Parrella, a California owner and breeder of Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds, said Vessels’s contribution will be remembered for a long time.

“For him to blossom the way he did, and earn the respect the way he worked for not only the Quarter Horse industry, but the Thoroughbred industry, we owe him a great deal of gratitude,” Parrella said. “I don’t think we’ll appreciate that until time goes on. We’ll look up and think, ‘Where’s Scoop?’”

A memorial service for Vessels will be held at Vessels Stallion Farm in Bonsall, Calif., at 4 p.m. on Monday.

California yearling sales start in Pleasanton
By Steve Andersen

Tuesday’s Northern California yearling sale at Pleasanton, Calif., is the first yearling sale of the year in California, and follows a 2009 sale that showed growth for consignors.

Last year, 110 horses sold for a gross of $566,000, an increase of 12 percent over 2008. The sale averaged $5,145, an increase of 8 percent. The 2009 average was lower than the record of $8,192 set in 2006, but reversed two years of decline.

Tuesday’s sale features 155 horses, nearly all of whom are California-breds. The sale begins at noon at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. The one-day sale features sizeable consignments from Harris Farms, Sam Hendricks, Oak Hill Farm, River Edge Farm, Colleen Turpin-Boyce, and Woodbridge Farm.

Last year, the sale-topper was a Benchmark colt sold for $32,000. Later named Lucky Mr. K, he won a maiden special weight race at Hollywood Park earlier this summer and was eighth in the Graduation Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 4 after a wide trip. At the 2009 sale, three other horses sold for $25,000 or more.

Inspection of the yearlings for Tuesday’s sale is scheduled for Sunday and Monday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and again on the morning of the sale. The sale features the first crops of Don’tsellmeshort, Istan, Jet West, and Under Caution, and second crops of Lucky Pulpit, Pomeroy, and Uncle Denny.

Don’tsellmeshort was the champion 2-year-old colt in California in 2003, and has four colts and five fillies in the sale.

The California Cup Yearling Sale at Barretts in Pomona, Calif., will be Oct. 12-13.

August 8, 2010

New Purses for Cal Cup
By Steve Andersen
The California Cup races at Santa Anita on Oct. 30 will be worth less money this year, and offer a different set of races than previous runnings.

Purses for four stakes have been reduced from $25,000 to $50,000 each, and one stakes and two starter handicaps have been eliminated, replaced by maiden special weight races.

The conditions of the 2010 California Cup races were recently released by the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association and the Oak Tree Racing Association.

The most significant purse cut occurred in the Classic over 1 1-8 miles, which has been cut from $200,000 to $150,000. The Mile, on turf, has been cut from $125,000, to $100,000, while the Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies have been reduced to $75,000, from $100,000. In addition, the distances of the juvenile races have been lengthened from seven furlongs in 2009 to 1 1-16 miles this year.

The $75,000 Distance Handicap for fillies and mares over 1 1-4 miles on turf, and two $50,000 starter handicaps – over six furlongs and 1 1-2 miles on turf – have been dropped. The maiden special weight races will be six-furlong races for 2-year-olds and 2-year-old fillies, and a race for 3-year-olds and up over about 6 1-2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.

Doug Burge, the general manager of the CTBA, said the Distance Handicap was expendable because the race conditions were similar to the Matron, which is run over 1 1-16 miles for fillies and mares on the main track.

“It was somewhat competing with the Matron, even though one is on the turf and one on the dirt,” he said. “We seemed to struggle with that race.”

The purse cuts were a result of an overpayment from recent runnings of the Cal Cup, Burge said. “We’re trying to have the day pay for itself,” Burge said. “That’s the main reason for the purse decrease.”

Burge said the purses for the maiden races may be increased from $40,000 to $50,000, following recent discussions with Thoroughbred Owners of California. If the maiden races are increased to $50,000, total purses for the day will be worth $850,000 compared to $966,000 last year. The 2009 program also included a $16,000 starter allowance race over 1 1-8 miles on turf.

Burge said prize money for the Cal Cup is derived from handle generated on race day and some monies from the CTBA race fund.

“Given what we expect to be generated in purses and what the race fund can allocate, we feel at $850,000, we’d be in good shape,” he said.

Burge said one selling point for the maiden races is a $20,000 bonus available to state-breds that win maiden special weight races, a program that was enacted last fall. The bonus is paid in addition to the published purse of a race.

“The bonus program is really stimulating people to run in maiden special weight races,” he said. “Given that and that we needed to replace races that we’ve had a hard time with in the past, we elected to write the three maiden races.”

July 17, 2010

Whatsthescript gets back on track
By Steve Andersen
The career direction of Whatsthescript, the five-time stakes winner and 2010 stallion, is uncertain, but that is not a worry for owner Tom Stull.

After standing his first season at stud at Stull's Tommy Town Thoroughbreds earlier this year, Whatsthescript was put back in training in the spring. In his comeback in the Battlefield Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 10, Whatsthescript closed from seventh in a field of eight to finish third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths by Violon Sacre.

The race left Stull encouraged that the 6-year-old Whatsthescript could be effective on the track in the second half this year. His future as a stallion will be determined later, depending on how his career proceeds.

"I don't know what I'll do," Stull said. "I hope I get that far and he does that well. I hope to have a tough decision."

Whatsthescript has won 6 of 20 starts and $917,964. His most recent stakes win was the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile Handicap on turf in August 2008, but he kept good company in a five-race campaign last year. In 2009, Whatsthescript was third in the Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes and Oak Tree Mile and ended the year with an eighth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita.

Earlier in his career, the Irish-bred Whatsthescript, by Royal Applause, won three stakes on turf at 2 and 3, while trained by Manny Marques and Doug O'Neill. John Sadler trained Whatsthescript in 2008 and 2009.

At stud, Whatsthescript was bred to 26 mares at an advertised fee of $4,000. The stallion was not as well supported as Stull would have preferred.

Stull said that Whatsthescript emerged from the 2009 season with a soft-tissue injury, which led him to send the horse to the East Coast and away from California's synthetic tracks.

"Any horse I get with a soft-tissue injury, I send them back to the dirt tracks," he said. "I don't like [synthetic tracks] personally. There are too many soft-tissue injuries."

Stull said he has sent an increasing number of claimers to Eastern tracks because the cost of keeping a cheaper horse in training in California has become too prohibitive.

"It's very difficult, and it's tough on us breeders," he said. "A lot of people are leaving the game because the expenses are too high and there is not enough reward. The purse money here, unless you're running a big horse, is nothing. You pay $90 to keep horses in training, and if you're lucky you break even.

"I would run here if the purses were equal to back East, even though the training bills are higher."

Stull said that he and trainer Gary Contessa will plan a graded stakes race for Whatsthescript's next start. Two possibilities over 1 1/16 miles on turf on Aug. 1 are the $200,000 Oceanport Stakes at Monmouth Park and the $150,000 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga.

"We were really excited with his [comeback] race," Stull said. "We didn't know what to expect. He loves to work and was a gentleman. We didn't know what he would do on the track. Gary was really happy."

* Stull's U R All That I Am, winner of two stakes at Hollywood Park earlier this year, is a candidate for the $75,000 Osunitas Handicap for fillies and mares at Del Mar on Saturday. The California-bred 4-year-old filly has won 8 of 16 starts and $325,628. She was third in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes at Hollywood Park in her last start on July 3.

The Osunitas is run over 1 1/16 miles on turf and is restricted to horses that have not won a first-place purse worth $50,000 to the winner at a mile or farther this year.

July 10, 2010

Dancing in Silks returns to training

By Steve Andersen

Reigning Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Dancing in Silks has resumed training with Carla Gaines and is expected to make a comeback by the end of the Del Mar meeting in late summer, Gaines said Friday.

Dancing in Silks has not started since finishing fifth in the Grade 2 San Carlos Handicap at Santa Anita in February. The loss ended plans for a trip to Dubai for the $2 million Golden Shaheen sprint in March and led Gaines and owner Ken Kinakin to give Dancing in Silks a break during the spring.

"I think he was just tired," Gaines said.

A 5-year-old gelding, Dancing in Silks won the BC Sprint at Santa Anita last November, his fourth consecutive win in a streak that included wins in the Pirate's Bounty Stakes at Del Mar and the California Cup Sprint at Santa Anita.

For his accomplishments, Dancing in Silks shared the 2009 California-bred horse of the year title with California Flag, winner of the BC Turf Sprint last November.

But Dancing in Silks's campaign in late 2009 and early 2010 took its toll on his ability. He began 2009 with a third-place finish behind eventual Golden Shaheen winner Kinsale King in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Handicap in January.

Gaines emphasized Friday that Dancing in Silks was not injured following the San Carlos. She said the Pirate's Bounty Stakes over six furlongs on Sept. 8 is likely to be the first start of Dancing in Silks's comeback.

"He's doing great," she said. "He's been doing some slow breezes that aren't being timed."

By Black Minnaloushe, Dancing in Silks has won 7 of 15 starts and $1,468,622. Gaines has the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs in November as a year-end goal for Dancing in Silks.

155 yearlings cataloged for sale

The Northern California yearling sale in Pleasanton, Calif., on Aug. 17 will feature 155 yearlings. The sale sponsor, the California Thoroughbred Yearling Association, recently published the catalog on its website.

The sale is in its seventh year and showed an increase in average prices last year compared to the corresponding sale in 2008, which was held at Santa Rosa.

The 2009 sale finished with 110 horses selling for a gross of $566,000, an increase of 12 percent over 2008. The average grew by 8 percent, to $5,145, while the median of $3,250 was an increase of 30 percent. The sale had shown declines in average prices in the two preceding years.

The 2010 sale features yearlings by Benchmark, Bertrando, Decarchy, In Excess, Old Topper, and Tribal Rule, all of whom are among the state's leading stallions by progeny earnings this year.

Woodbridge Farms, agent, has the largest consignment, with 23 yearlings. Colleen Turpin-Boyce, agent, has 19 yearlings, followed by Sam Hendricks with 18 and Harris Farms with 16.

Marty and Pam Wygod's River Edge Farm has 12 yearlings in the sale. Last month, the Wygods announced they were dispersing their California-bred holdings of broodmares, weanlings, and yearlings at a sale at Barretts in Pomona, Calif., in October.

River Edge has consigned to the Northern California yearling sale in the past. Last year, River Edge sold the sale-topper for $32,000, a Benchmark colt later named Lucky Mr. K. Last month, Lucky Mr. K won a maiden special weight race at Hollywood Park

 July 3, 2010

River Edge stallions on the move
By Steve Andersen
Farm owners Donald Cohn and Marty Wygod had forged a relationship in the Thoroughbred stallion business long before Thursday's announcement that three, and perhaps all four, of the stallions from Wygod's River Edge Farm in Buellton, Calif., will stand at Cohn's Ballena Vista Farm in Ramona, Calif., in 2011.

Wygod announced last month that he was dispersing his California-based Thoroughbred holdings, and said at the time he hoped the stallions Benchmark, Bertrando, Dixie Chatter, and Tribal Rule would stay in the state.

Thursday, Wygod announced that Cohn had purchased Benchmark and a majority interest in Dixie Chatter and Tribal Rule. Furthermore, Wygod said that Bertrando, a former leading stallion in California, is also expected to stand at Ballena Vista in 2011, pending the formal approval of the Bertrando syndicate.

Last year, it was announced that Idiot Proof, a Grade 1 winner campaigned and bred by Wygod and his wife, Pam, would begin his stud career at Bellena Vista in 2010.

For Ballena Vista, the addition of the River Edge stallions is a significant boost. Last fall, Ballena Vista lost the stallion Deputy Commander because of declining health. A Grade 1 winner on the racetrack, Deputy Commander's last full season at stud was 2007. In subsequent years, he suffered from physiological and neurological problems that required hospitalization.

The relocation of the River Edge stallions was part of an active week of stallion relocations in the state. Unusual Heat, the leading stallion by progeny earnings in 2008 and 2009 and the leader this year, is moving from Old English Rancho in Sanger, Calif., to Harris Farms in Coalinga for the 2011 breeding season.

By gaining the River Edge stallions, Ballena Vista adds three of the 10 leading California-based stallions by progeny earnings. Through Wednesday, Benchmark, 19, was third, with $1,336,310, trailing Unusual Heat ($2,272,162) and Stormin Fever ($1,387,646). Bertrando, 21, was fifth, with earnings of $1,105,442, while Tribal Rule, 14, was seventh, with $954,452. Dixie Chatter began his stud career earlier this year.

Wygod said last month that he is focusing his Thoroughbred breeding operation in Kentucky but plans to continue racing in California. He will have a dispersal of approximately 100 California-based broodmares, weanlings and yearlings at Barretts in October.

"I really think the commitment that Don Cohn is making is going to be a major positive for the breeding industry," Wygod said on Thursday. "He's really stepped up and made a major commitment -- financially and with the assets he has at Ballena Vista."

Cohn was traveling on Thursday, but issued a statement, saying, "I am thrilled with the fortuitous opportunity to stand stallions of the quality of Dixie Chatter, Tribal Rule, and Benchmark. My staff and I are looking forward to maintaining the high level of excellence that Marty and River Edge have brought to the California industry in recent years."

Heat heads to Harris Farms

Unusual Heat, whose progeny have thrived on California's synthetic tracks in recent years, was the most expensive stallion in the state in 2010, standing for $20,000.

No fee was announced in conjunction with the move to Harris Farms, according to a statement issued this week.

This year, Unusual Heat's leading money earner has been Acclamation, who is owned by Old English Rancho. Acclamation won the Grade 2 Jim Murray and Grade 1 Charles Whittingham handicaps at Hollywood Park in May and June and was scheduled to start in Saturday's $750,000 United Nations Handicap at Monmouth Park.

After discussions with Old English Rancho, stallion co-owner Madeline Auerbach decided to move Unusual Heat to a farm with a larger support staff. She said on Friday that the owners of Unusual Heat and Old English Rancho parted amicably.

Unusual Heat, 20, holds the single-season record for progeny earnings by a California stallion of $5,827,513, set in 2008. He was relocated to Harris Farms along with the broodmare operation of Auerbach and trainer Barry Abrams, who are partners in the syndicate that owns Unusual Heat.

June 27, 2010

Cal-bred bonus puts owners in the black
By Steve Andersen
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - They're out.

The partnership that owns Lucky Mr. K, winner of Wednesday's third race at Hollywood Park, has already recovered the $32,000 they paid for the colt at the 2009 Northern California yearling sale and a chunk of their subsequent costs.

Lucky Mr. K earned $24,600 for his impressive win, and the partners will receive an additional $20,000 as part of a bonus paid to California-breds who win maiden special weight races in Southern California.

The bonus, approved last year through legislation, was very much on co-owner Alan Klein's mind as he left the winner's circle Wednesday.

"We just got our money back on the first shot," he said.

More importantly, Lucky Mr. K ran like a colt who will be competitive in upcoming stakes.

Trained by Jeff Bonde, Lucky Mr. K was the 4-5 favorite in his debut. Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Lucky Mr. K was fifth on the backstretch, took the lead before the eighth pole, and drew clear convincingly to win by 4 1/2 lengths, finishing 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:05.28.

"This is going to be a good horse," Klein said.

The partnership has two $100,000 stakes for California-breds in mind for Lucky Mr. K at the upcoming Del Mar meeting -- the Graduation Stakes over 5 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 4, and the I'm Smokin Stakes over six furlongs on Sept. 6.

"It makes a lot of sense," Klein said.

Klein co-owns Lucky Mr. K with Phil Lebherz, Angelo Ferro, and Rusty Brown.

Last summer, the colt topped the Northern California sale. Consigned by River Edge Farm, agent, the colt is by River Edge stallion Benchmark and is out of the Deputy Minister mare Brief Interlude.

Lucky Mr. K is a half-brother to Ran for the Dough, who won 3 of 29 starts and $225,186. Ran for the Dough was third in the 2004 Solana Beach Handicap at Del Mar. Brief Interlude was unraced.

The bonus program was designed to increase the number of California-breds running in maiden special weight company instead of maiden claiming races. The number of horses winning the higher-class races has surprised promoters.

At the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting earlier this year, 40 California-breds won maiden special weight races compared with 30 in the 2008-09 meeting.

In Northern California, the bonus to a California-bred who wins a maiden special weight race is $10,000. There were 19 such winners at Golden Gate Fields from Dec. 26 through April 18 compared with 4 over a similar period in 2008-09. Those are the most recent statistics compiled by the CTBA, according to executive director Doug Burge.

"It's significantly higher than we imagined, both north and south," Burge said. "We've had good numbers at least through the first four months of the year."

CTBA officials have said that they hope the bonus will serve as an incentive for people to breed Thoroughbreds in California. In recent years, the number of Thoroughbreds bred in the state has declined.

Cayoke gets first winner as stallion

A win by Carat for C.C. in a maiden race for $8,000 claimers at the San Joaquin County Fair in Stockton on June 19 gave the stallion Cayoke his first winner.

Carat for C.C. won a six-furlong race by a half-length in her ninth start for owner-breeder Bud Coppess.

Cayoke, 13, won 13 of 40 starts and $500,209. He won three stakes in France, including a Group 3 race in 2000, and two stakes in California -- the Harry Brubaker Handicap at Del Mar and the El Cielo Stakes at Santa Anita, both in 2004.

Cayoka stands for $1,000 at Abbott Ranch in Oro Grande, Calif.

June 20, 2010

Wygods will not be easily replaced
By Steve Andersen
The announcement last week by owners and breeders Marty and Pam Wygod that they plan to disperse a majority of their California-bred holdings at Barretts sales in Pomona, Calif., this fall and put their River Edge Farm in Buellton, Calif., on the market was met with disappointment and concern by the owners of three of the state's leading farms.

Pete Parrella, who operates Legacy Ranch in Clements, Scoop Vessels of Vessels Stallion Farm in Bonsall, and Tom Stull of Tommy Town Thoroughbreds in Santa Ynez, each said that the Wygods operation at River Edge Farm was held in the highest regard by peers, and that its absence will leave a void in the state's Thoroughbred breeding industry.

Marty Wygod said on Wednesday that his family's Thoroughbred breeding holdings will be concentrated in Kentucky in the future, and that the Barretts dispersal will feature approximately 100 broodmares, weanlings and yearlings. He and his wife will continue to race in California, where they reside in Rancho Santa Fe, near Del Mar.

Well-known for racing Life Is Sweet, the winner of the 2009 Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic at Santa Anita, Marty Wygod, 70, said he will retain ownership interests in the four stallions currently residing at River Edge Farm. Wygod owns Benchmark and Tribal Rule and is a partner in the ownership of Bertrando and Dixie Chatter. The stallions will be relocated to other farms in 2011; Wygod said he is hopeful they will stay in California.

Stull considers River Edge a neighbor, and one whose operation was admired for its quality and success.

"It's kind of a shock that he's getting out of the [California] business," Stull said. "That's a hard blow for California. My wife and I are kind of sad he's shutting that down. For all California, he's been one of the leading operations for quite a while."

Parrella is vice president of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, and through that role is actively pursing ways to increase financial opportunities for owners and breeders. Last year, the CTBA was proactive in developing a bonus program that pays a California-bred who wins a maiden special weight race in Southern California a $20,000 bonus above the purse. A win in the same category is worth $10,000 on the Northern California circuit.

The loss of Wygod, Parrella said, "is another hurdle we have to climb. He's a good breeder in California. It sure doesn't help. He's had a lot of success with his California-breds and he's had great success with his stallions."

Parrella said a group of leading farm owners is planning a roundtable discussion on the state of California racing and breeding at Del Mar on July 24. One topic will be ways to enhance financial opportunities for breeders at a time when the state's annual Thoroughbred foal crop is declining. In addition, Wygod's dispersal is likely to be discussed.

"We've got to give breeders a chance to recoup some of their investment for breeding in California," he said.

Vessels compared the Wygod's success to that of the late John and Betty Mabee's Golden Eagle Farm in Ramona from the 1980s until earlier this decade.

"Marty and Pam have been so good putting quality racehorses on the racetrack, representing California," Vessels said. "The Mabees were that way for years. Marty Wygod picked up where they were and went on from that.

"We want to be like that. They're going to be really missed."

Vessels said the idea of shifting some of his farm's Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse operation to other states has crossed his mind in the past, particularly if Texas were to ever receive enhanced purses through alternative forms of gaming.

He said costs, particularly California's labor laws, make it difficult for farm owners.

"California is not helping their horsemen very well," he said. "At some point, it doesn't make any sense to have a farm in California. Eventually, people have to look at what the Wygods have done and maybe considering doing it themselves. I think there are some opportunities in Kentucky. Now might be the time to make that kind of move. It doesn't surprise me that people as sharp as the Wygods have decided to leave California."

The Wygods ranked 17th in national earnings for owners in 2009, with $2,754,324. Over the years, their California-bred stakes winners have included Carribbean Pirate, Echo of Yesterday, Feverish, Idiot Proof, Officer, Private Persuasion, Pirate's Revenge, Proposed, Silent Sighs, Smooth Player, and Unfurl the Flag. The late Pirate's Bounty stood at River Edge and was the state's leading stallion by progeny earnings three times in the 1990s. Bertrando earned that title twice in the 2000s.

Marty Wygod said on Wednesday that the decision to disperse his California-bred holdings was not made at the spur of the moment.

"We've been transitioning most of our mares to Kentucky in the last five years," he said. "We have more and more stallions that we have an interest in. Our primarily focus will be breeding in Kentucky. We'll still be racing to a degree in California."

He said he hopes that River Edge Farm will remain in the horse community, particularly with a person who has an interest in Thoroughbreds.

"I'd like to sell it to someone who wants to buy it as a horse farm," Wygod said. "If it can stay that way, that's what I would prefer."

June 13, 2010

Maturity enables Acclamation to step up
By Steve Andersen
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - There were clues throughout 2009 that Acclamation was capable of reaching racing's highest level. He was second in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby and third in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in the final four months of the year, tantalizingly close to a stakes win but failing to carry his speed to the line.

The questions have changed this spring. Acclamation has no trouble staying in front. Now, it's a matter of how much further improvement the 4-year-old Acclamation can show.

Owned by breeders Bud and Judy Johnston, Acclamation won his first stakes in his 11th try in the Grade 2 Jim Murray Handicap over 1 1/2 miles on May 15. He essentially repeated the performance with a front-running win in the Grade 1 Charles Whittingham Handicap over 1 1/4 miles on June 5.

Bud Johnston visited Acclamation at trainer Don Warren's stable at Santa Anita last Wednesday, and was amazed at how the colt handled his latest win.

"We can hardly keep him on the ground," he said. "He came out of it exceptionally well. He's really becoming a nice horse."

Acclamation's win in the Whittingham, by a comfortable 1 1/2 lengths, made the colt the second California-bred to win a Grade 1 race this year. The 3-year-old filly Evening Jewel won the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland in April.

In the near future, Acclamation may start again at Hollywood Park or in New Jersey. Johnston said the $750,000 United Nations Stakes, a Grade 1 over 1 3/8 miles on turf on July 3, or the $150,000 Sunset Handicap over 1 1/2 miles on turf here on July 18 are being considered.

Bud Johnston credited Acclamation's recent success to a case of growing up.

"He was a 4-year-old 14 days before the race the other day," Johnston said. "He just turned 4! We saw a big difference in his maturity in the last three or four months."

Acclamation was bred at the Johnstons' Old English Rancho in Sanger, Calif., the product of the mating of Unusual Heat and Winning in Style, an unraced mare bred by Old English Rancho.

Unusual Heat was the leading stallion in California by progeny earnings in 2008 and 2009, and is on course to claim that title this year. Through Wednesday, Unusual Heat had 2010 progeny earnings of $2,096,483, well clear of second-place Stormin Fever, with $1,208,193. Unusual Heat set a record for single-season progeny earnings by a California stallion of $5,827,513 in 2008 and had earnings of $5,184,194.

Unusual Heat, a 20-year-old horse by Nureyev, stands for $20,000 and was bred to approximately 80 mares this year, Johnston said.

Acclamation has won 4 of 19 starts and $497,048. She is the most successful of Winning in Style's foals, which includes the stakes-placed Strut Your Stuff ($233,137) and Always in Style ($108,498).

"I have six females that are either out of his dam or daughters of his dam," Johnston said. "Most of them are in foal to Unusual Heat. Wonder why?"

June 13, 2010

Sahadi fondly recalls Golden Ballet
By Steve Andersen
Southern California trainer Jenine Sahadi could not grab her phone fast enough after Drosselmeyer's win in the Belmont Stakes on June 5. She had to get in touch with retired Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron and retired racing veterinarian Jack Robbins to share old memories.

Sahadi and McCarron teamed to win four stakes in 2000 and 2001 with Golden Ballet, Drosselmeyer's dam, who was bred in California. Robbins and Sahadi are close friends.

"She was so magnificent," Sahadi said. "She was gorgeous to look at. I called Doc, and said. 'I trained the dam of a Belmont winner.'

"I think it's fabulous. I was so stoked that it was Bill Mott and WinStar Farm," referring to Drosselmeyer's trainer and owner. "They are great for racing."

Sahadi trained Golden Ballet for Bill Heiligbrodt and the Team Valor partnership. The highlights of Golden Ballet's time with Sahadi were wins in two Grade 1 stakes at Santa Anita -- the Las Virgenes Stakes and Santa Anita Oaks.

The preceding year, Golden Ballet was beaten in two lowly two-furlong races in the spring of 2000 at Santa Anita.

June 6, 2010

Antares World tries her luck in Oaks
By Steve Andersen
A tour of central California stallion farms earlier this week kept breeders Larry and Marianne Williams and their farm manager Dan Kiser on the go for several days.

This weekend, they plan to stop that travel, head back to headquarters in Parma, Idaho, and watch one of their leading fillies attempt an upset in Sunday's $150,000 Hollywood Oaks at Hollywood Park.

Antares World, a California-bred filly owned and bred by the Williamses, makes her second start in a graded stakes in the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks, her most difficult career assignment to date. Antares World is part of a five-horse field led by Blind Luck, winner of the Kentucky Oaks and the leading 3-year-old filly in the nation.

"We're hoping for a fair pace and then maybe we can get a little lucky," Kiser said.

Trained at Golden Gate Fields by Steve Specht, Antares World is making her second trip to Southern California this weekend. She finished eighth in the Grade 2 Providencia Stakes on turf at Santa Anita in April, pulling jockey Frank Alvarado through the first part of that race. Antares World rebounded to win the Golden Poppy Stakes on turf at Golden Gate Fields on April 17, her most recent start and her second stakes win.

Specht knows he's facing an outsanding filly in Blind Luck on Sunday, but says it's worth the gamble.

"I didn't come down to run second," Specht said. "I came down to win it. Hopefully, we can get her to settle, get a jump on them, and hold off Blind Luck."

Last December, Blind Luck won the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet by seven lengths.

Last December, Antares World had yet to win a stakes. By Decarchy out of the Spinning World mare Alashir's World, Antares World needed three races to beat maidens, then won an optional claimer and was second in the Corte Madera Stakes over a mile at Golden Gate Fields last December.

She won the California Oaks over a mile on Jan. 1 for her first stakes win. The win came a year after Kiser and the Williamses began hearing good reports from Idaho trainer Dru Hall about Antares World's early training.

"Dru Hall had her in Boise at the start of her 2-year-old season and he was telling me she was something special," Kiser said.

Alashir's World won 2 of 6 starts and $76,200 for the Williamses in 2002 and 2003. She was eighth in her only stakes appearance, the Harold Ramser Stakes at Santa Anita in 2003, her final career start.

Alashir's World was bred to Decarchy earlier this year. The mare foaled a Stormin Fever filly earlier this year and has a yearling filly by Salt Lake.

Similar to the other Williams-owned mares, Alashir's World splits her time between California and Idaho. The family's Tree Top Ranches is located in Parma, approximately 40 miles west of Boise. The Williamses have 20 mares that are bred in California.

"We send the mare to California a month before they foal," Kiser said. "They spend eight months in Idaho and three or four months in California. We breed to a lot of different sires in California."

Larry Williams is the former owner of Idaho Timber and owns a cattle ranch in eastern Oregon. The Williamses have campaigned such runners as Lucky Pulpit ($209,928), now a sire at Harris Farms in California, Yodelan Dan ($398,682), and the five-time stakes winner Lady Railrider ($396,700).

A win on Sunday in the Hollywood Oaks, or even another stakes win later this year, would put Antares World on the esteemed list.

May 30, 2010

Right horse wins for Tommy Town
By Steve Andersen
INGLEWOOD, Calif.- It was not easy for California breeder Tom Stull to watch the Fran's Valentine Stakes at Hollywood Park last weekend.

As much as he focused on the filly he owns, U R All That I Am, he also kept his eye on You Lift Me Up, the race's heavy favorite whom he bred and then lost via claim in 2008.

The result was not what bettors expected. U R All That I Am had an ideal trip under jockey Rafael Bejarano and won the one-mile turf race by 2 1/4 lengths over Woman Warrior. You Lift Me Up could only finish fourth.

The win left Stull elated, thinking that his family's Tommy Town Thoroughbreds in Santa Ynez, Calif., has a filly in U R All That I Am who can be competitive in turf stakes for statebreds, and possibly against graded stakes company later this year.

"She'll be a good one," he said after leaving the winner's circle. "I'm really impressed. I didn't know she'd run quite like that."

A winner of 8 of 15 starts and $307,628, U R All That I Am has won three stakes at Hollywood Park in the last year, a far cry from the modest start to her career in a maiden claimer at Golden Gate Fields in 2009. Last November, U R All That I Am won the Cat's Cradle Stakes for statebreds. Last month, she won the B. Thoughtful Stakes for statebred female sprinters over 7 1/2 furlongs on California Gold Rush Day.

But the Fran's Valentine was her first win on turf in her second appearance on the surface. She was a fast-closing second, beaten a head, by Unzip Me in the Irish O'Brien Stakes on turf at Santa Anita in March. The result left Stull disappointed, but the form has held up. Unzip Me has since won two turf sprint stakes for females.

"She should have beaten" Unzip Me, Stull said. "She came flying. I was happy she took to the turf again. She'll run either way."

Stull and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer are considering a quick comeback for U R All That I Am in the $60,000 Redondo Beach Stakes over a mile on turf next Saturday, or the Grade 2, $150,000 Royal Heroine Stakes over a mile on turf on July 3.

"It's a little quick back for her," Hollendorfer said of the Redondo Beach. "The only other race is the Royal Heroine. It will be a pretty quick jump. We'll look at both of those. It seems like she's doing very well on grass."

U R All That I Am is by Valid Wager out of Fort Silver, by Fort Calgary. Fort Silver, 20, has produced five stakes winners, including Enzo the Baker, Random Memo, Princess V, Vito Corleone. U R All That I Am has earned the most prize money of Fort Silver's foals.

You Lift Me Up, who is by Lord Carson, has earned $447,043. She was claimed away from Tommy Town for $32,000 in June 2008, and has since won three stakes and placed third in the Grade 2 Beverly Hills Handicap in 2009. All of that has been a big surprise to Stull.

"We didn't have a clue she was that kind of filly," he said. "She hadn't shown that much."

Stull may not own You Lift Me Up, but he does benefit from her success through breeder awards.

Earlier this week, Stull's racing presence expanded further when a few of the Tommy Town Thoroughbred 2-year-olds began arriving at the track. There will be 48 juveniles headed to the track this year, he said. Chances are some of them will be heard from in coming months.

May 23, 2010

Snow Chief's will to win stands out
By Steve Andersen
Mel Stute's tribute to the late champion Snow Chief took place at his Southern California home on Wednesday, five days after the horse died of an apparent heart attack at Eagle Oak Ranch in Paso Robles, Calif.

Stute dug out a box of videotapes of Snow Chief's three-year career and relived the memories. "He was a gutty little horse," Stute said.

And, he was so much more. Snow Chief was a classic winner, a multi-millionaire, a blue-collar feel-good story, and a fan favorite.

In 24 starts, he won 13 races throughout the United States, and earned $3,383,210. Along the way, he earned the respect of racing fans everywhere for his courageous style of racing. He won the Florida Derby and Santa Anita Derby in consecutive starts in 1986, finished 11th in the Kentucky Derby, but rebounded to win the Preakness Stakes two weeks later.

Perhaps his best performance came the following February, when Snow Chief outgamed 1986 Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand to win a memorable Charles H. Strub Stakes by a nose. About the only things Snow Chief did not accomplish was winning the Kentucky Derby or becoming a successful stud.

"I couldn't believe he wasn't a sire because everything that he did, he did sensationally," Stute said.

Still, Snow Chief remained a popular draw for racing fans, getting a warm reception when he was paraded at Hollywood Park before the 2007 Snow Chief Stakes.

"He looked like they should run him," Stute said.

Snow Chief was the champion 3-year-old male of 1986, but the form that led to that title started late in his 2-year-old season. In the final months of 1985, Snow Chief won the Grade 1 Norfolk Stakes in October, and the Grade 1 Hollywood Futurity in December. The Futurity was the first of a five-race winning streak that led to him going off as the 2-1 favorite in the Kentucky Derby.

Through early 1986, Snow Chief had won the California Breeders' Champion Stakes for statebreds, the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby at now defunct Bay Meadows, the Grade 1 Florida Derby, and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.

"He was the only horse, I think, that ever won the Santa Anita Derby and Florida Derby," Stute said.

His memory is correct. Not many horses are tried in both races, considering the distance between tracks and the looming Kentucky Derby as a focus for horsemen.

In the Kentucky Derby, Snow Chief was within a length of the lead on the turn, but faded to finish 19 1/2 lengths behind Ferdinand, whom he had beaten in the Santa Anita Derby.

"He tried every time he ran except the Kentucky Derby, and I don't know what happened then," Stute said.

Stute's faith in the colt did not waver. He brought him back in the Preakness and turned the tables on Ferdinand. Snow Chief won by four lengths, and he was not done in the month of May. Just nine days later, Snow Chief won the $1 million Jersey Derby at Garden State Park over Mogambo.

"He won something like $1 million in May and he didn't win the Derby," Stute said.

Racing for Carl Grinstead and Ben Rochelle, Snow Chief made six starts at 4. In the Strub. Snow Chief just refused to quit or be passed. He later won the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap, and was third in the final start of his career, the Grade 1 Californian Stakes at Hollywood Park in June. Snow Chief was later diagnosed with a tendon injury.

At stud, he sired the Grade 2 stakes winner College Town and had progeny earnings of more than $5.6 million. But he will not be remembered for that. The tough racehorse that was Snow Chief still fills the mind.

May 16, 2010

California Cup program being tweaked
By Steve Andersen
The California Cup program will revert to a late October date this year, from an early October running in 2009, and is likely to comprise a different lineup of races, according to Doug Burge, general manager of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association.

The races are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 30, on the final weekend of the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting. Last year, the event was held at the start of the month, to be positioned away from the Breeders' Cup, which was run at Santa Anita on the first weekend of November. This year, the Breeders' Cup is at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5-6.

"Historically, we've had the best success with the California Cup when the Breeders' Cup wasn't in California, and, secondly, when it's at the end of the meeting," Burge said.

He said a later California Cup date allows for more prep races to be run at the Los Angeles County Fair meeting at Fairplex Park and in the early weeks of the Oak Tree meeting.

The California Cup also will probably offer less purse money than last year, Burge said. In 2009, California Cup purses were worth $1 million, but this year a figure in the $800,000 range is more likely. The Classic, run over 1 1/8 miles, will be worth $150,000 to $200,000, Burge said. Last year, the race was worth $200,000.

"We have to take into consideration economics," he said.

Burge said that the lineup of races, particularly the minor events, is still under discussion, with plans expected in time for an early June announcement. This year, the starter handicaps for claimers may be dropped, but maiden races could be added to the card, similar to what is offered during the California Gold Rush program at Hollywood Park each April.

In addition, there may be one fewer six-figure stakes for older fillies and mares. In 2009, the program had three races for older females - the $100,000 Distaff on the hillside turf course, which drew 10 runners; the $100,000 Matron over 1 1/16 miles on the main track, which drew five; and $100,000 Distance Handicap over 1 1/4 miles on turf, which also drew just five runners.

Burge said there have been discussions about eliminating the Distance Handicap, which he said targets "very close to the same horses" as the Matron.

The 2009 California Cup was supposed to include 10 races, but offered nine. A $50,000 starter handicap over six furlongs did not draw sufficient entries. Some entrants to that race started in the $100,000 Sprint, which was won by eventual Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Dancing in Silks. A starter handicap over 1 1/2 miles on turf drew just five starters.

That may have been the last time those races are run.

"We haven't finalized it yet, but we're taking a look at the races that are offered with the trouble we had last year filling a few of the races," Burge said. "We're looking at tweaking that and possibly eliminating two or three races and replacing those with races that we have a better chance of drawing better support."

Burge said the addition of maiden races on the California Cup program should ensure more attractive fields, which would entice interest from bettors, and that the races are likely to be well-supported by owners and trainers. Since last October, the owners of California-breds that win maiden special weight races in Southern California have been awarded a $20,000 bonus above purse earnings.

"This has been successful in getting people to run in maiden special weight races," Burge said. "If we're able to offer a $40,000 to $50,000 purse and a $20,000 bonus, you're getting everyone's attention.

"You try to offer races for as many horses as possible," he said. "We're still trying to finalize the actual stakes schedule for the day.

May 2, 2010

Uncle Don rewards owners' patience
By Steve Andersen

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - It was always a gamble worth taking, especially for three men with time on their side.

When Uncle Don, a gelding, arrived at owner Don Valpredo's farm near Bakersfield in 2008, his racing future looked bleak, and his right front tendon looked just as bad. There was talk of making him a pony.

Friends Tony Romero, Alan Rodriguez, and Ulises Olguin had a different perspective. Uncle Don deserved another chance, they thought, and they were ready to make the commitment. The previous owners offered them the horse and a chance.

Two years later, Uncle Don's career as a pony is still on hold. His comeback, however, is very much underway. On April 24, Gold Rush Day, Uncle Don won his third consecutive race in the Grey Memo Stakes at Hollywood Park.

Romero, best known as the regular exercise rider for the seven-time Grade 1 winner Lava Man, was in the winner's circle, beaming. Of all the people involved, he knows Uncle Don best, as the man who grooms him and rides him during morning exercise and confers with trainer Richard Rosales.

For Olguin, who manages Valpredo's farm, and Rodriguez, who works in the farm's office, there was the pride of seeing such a lengthy project succeed.

"He ran beautifully," Olguin said Friday, recalling the race. "I knew he could run."

The win has led to talk of a stakes appearance later this year, an idea that seemed farfetched in early 2008, when Uncle Don's tendon injury surfaced after eighth- and 10th-place finishes in 2007.

From Olguin's perspective, the problem seemed manageable, to an extent.

"We had to blister it and work with it and make it tight," he said. "I come from Caliente, and you deal with these problems all the time."

Uncle Don returned to racing Jan. 30 of this year, finishing second by a neck at 26-1 in a $25,000 claiming race for maidens at Santa Anita. After finishing second by a length in a similar race Feb. 15, he won a maiden claimer by 6 1/2 lengths March 7 and a starter allowance by 3 1/2 lengths March 31.

In the Grey Memo Stakes, restricted to statebreds who were eligible for a first-condition allowance race, Uncle Don was the 2-1 favorite. Ridden by regular rider Joel Rosario, Uncle Don led throughout and won by 1 1/2 lengths, increasing his earnings to $71,520 this year.

"I didn't expect he'd run that way," Romero said, looking back on the three-race winning streak. "I thought he'd run cheap."

Uncle Don was not bred to run cheap. Uncle Don is by Lemon Drop Kid out of Soviet Problem, the 1994 California-bred Horse of the Year who ran second in that year's Breeders' Cup Sprint. Uncle Don was bred by Valpredo, John Harris, and Rob Johnson and raced for them and trainer Doug O'Neill in 2007.

The comeback impressed Harris, who owns Harris Farms in Coalinga, Calif.

"Ulises proposed giving him a try," Harris said. "Nine out of 10 that try it don't work, but with Uncle Don it worked. Ulises is a real horseman."

Rosales trains Uncle Don, a 5-year-old gelding, and is stabled adjacent to O'Neill, for whom Romero rides in the mornings. Friday, Romero finished his work for O'Neill and then focused on Uncle Don, jogging him for the first time since Friday's race.

While Romero does the bulk of the daily work, he consults with Rosales about some aspects of training. The next goal, they agree, is an allowance race against open company, possibly on grass, then perhaps a stakes.

"I think the owners are real pragmatic about it," Rosales said. "They'll take it step by step. They've showed incredible patience."

Romero is already expecting more. He said he believes Uncle Don has yet to reach his potential.

"He's still doing pretty good, not 100 percent, maybe 80 percent," he said. "I think he can be a stakes horse. He's bred for that."

Romero, 37, displays his allegiance on the back window of his SUV. He has a custom-made sign that reads "Tony Romero, Exercise Rider Lava Man."

"Lava Man was my favorite horse," he said.

A few more performances from Uncle Don similar to the Grey Memo Stakes and Romero's car could need to be updated.

April 18, 2010

Duffel still getting it done at 86
By Steve Andersen
ARCADIA, Calif. - Joe Duffel was as sharp with the wisecracks Thursday as his stable has been with wins recently.

Duffel, an 86-year-old California owner and breeder, has won with five of his last six starters at Golden Gate Fields and Santa Anita this month, including wins by 2-year-olds at Santa Anita on Wednesday and Thursday.

"I usually don't talk to you poor people when I'm rich," he joked with a reporter Thursday afternoon. "I'm fat as a hog."

Duffel can rightfully boast of success. Before Mahmoud Memory, a California-bred, won a maiden claimer at Golden Gate Fields on April 3, Duffel's runners had one win this year.

Mahmoud Memory's win was followed by victories from El Gran Bull at Golden Gate Fields on April 9, Theatrical Pro in a maiden special weight at Santa Anita on April 10, Auntie Maud in a two-furlong maiden race at Santa Anita on Wednesday, and Candied Hearts in the same division at Santa Anita on Thursday.

"It's really something," he said. "You talk about luck, it hit me all at once. I put a lot of money in horse racing. I'm very grateful to have a winner or two."

Duffel bred all five of the runners, and they are all California-breds with the exception of the Kentucky-bred Theatrical Pro.

Duffel may not own the 2-year-old winners much longer. Auntie Maud and Candied Hearts are entered in the Barretts May sale of 2-year-olds in training in Pomona on May 10.

Duffel has been through this before. In 2007-08, he campaigned Nevada Worrier, who was winless in four two-furlong races at Bay Meadows and Santa Anita in the spring. Duffel offered Nevada Worrier at the Barretts May sale that year but bought him back for $22,000. Nevada Worrier later won the Cavonnier Stakes at Santa Anita and the Golden Bear Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.

On Wednesday, Auntie Maud, a half-sister to El Gran Bull by Northern Devil, pulled a 24-1 upset with a half-length win over Spark City, finishing two furlongs in 21.66 seconds. For two-furlong races at Santa Anita, jockeys cannot carry whips, and horses are not fitted with blinkers.

On Thursday, Candied Hearts, a filly by Tribal Rule, beat open company with a neck win over Cabo San Lucas in 21.36 seconds. Both horses are trained by Jose DeLima, who says he has been most impressed by Auntie Maud.

"Nothing bothers her," he said of Auntie Maud. Candied Hearts "needs more time and is a little nervous."

Duffel will go to the sale with the intention of selling the juvenile winners but could buy them back.

"It's a decision to be made," Duffel said. "I asked Jose, and he said, 'Let's see how they come out of the race and see what comes up for races for them.' It's kind of exciting to have that problem."

Duffel has already made a decent amount of money. Both winners earned $21,840.

"The opportunity to pick up some money was great," he said.

Early reports from Randi Sackett, who runs Duffel's farm, were favorable.

"Randi thought they were the best," Duffel said of the 2-year-olds. "She's very good. She's entitled to all the credit. Jose did a wonderful job."

Duffel has horses with DeLima and Bruce Dillenbeck in Northern California. He has a farm in Wheatland, Calif., and has some mares in Kentucky. At his age, he stays active in construction business and farming.

"I don't tell anyone how old I am," he said. "They'll treat me like an old man."

The old man did not feel so old this week.

"It kinds of renews your faith in the horse business," he said.
 

April 11, 2010

Evening Jewel gives owner a lift
By Steve Andersen
ARCADIA, Calif. - The filly stretched and strained and a lead that was a length in early stretch was down to a neck at the finish of the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland last weekend.

The wire arrived just in time for Evening Jewel, who had lost the lead in major stakes earlier this year but not on the afternoon of April 3. The prestigious victory was a milestone win for the filly, and one owners Tom and Marilyn Braly of Indian Wells, Calif., cherished more than ever.

"It's been a fairly tale," Tom Braly said Thursday.

The filly, bought privately in spring 2009 and a stakes winner against California-breds later that year, provided the Bralys with a sporting distraction at a welcome time. Tom Braly has been fighting cancer in recent years and has undergone treatment in recent months.

"I have cancer, and my health hasn't been very good," he said. "The horse has been the greatest therapy."

The thrill of the Ashland win was still with Braly almost a week after the race. The Ashland was Evening Jewel's third consecutive appearance in a graded stakes. After finishing second in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita in January, Evening Jewel suffered a heartbreaking loss by a nose to division leader Blind Luck in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes in February.

In the Ashland Stakes over 1 1/16 miles, Evening Jewel was sent off at 5-1. Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Evening Jewel never led by more than a length and was in front by that margin at the eighth pole. In the final furlong, the lead dwindled to a neck, but Evening Jewel held off It's Tea Time. She Be Wild, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2009, finished third.

"She's been unbelievable," Braly said. "She's done everything right; you can't fault the horse."

Braly admired Evening Jewel's poise at Keeneland, particularly in the track's paddock, which is often full of racegoers.

"That saddling area is very unique," he said. "Everybody and their brother is out there. She handled it very well."

Braly, 72, the owner of an insurance company, and his wife have been involved in racing for 30 years, and for the last six years with Jim Cassidy, who trains Evening Jewel. The two men have yet to decide on Evening Jewel's next start, though the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on April 30 is a main topic of discussion.

Another option is to stay in Southern California for the $150,000 Melair Stakes for statebred 3-year-old fillies at Hollywood Park on April 24 and then shift Evening Jewel to turf. There is the factor of travel for Tom Braly himself.

"The trip [to Kentucky] was pretty hard on me personally, so we need to decide in the next week or two," Braly said.

The Bralys bought Evening Jewel on the advice of handicapper and clocker Gary Young, who spotted her in Florida. Evening Jewel, by Northern Afleet, was bred by Betty and Larry Mabee's Golden Eagle Farm in California and sold for $8,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale. She was entered in a Florida 2-year-olds in-training sale last year when the Bralys reached a private deal.

Evening Jewel is out of Jewel of the Night, whose dam, Jeweled Lady, produced Saucey Evening, the champion California-bred 2-year-old filly of 2008.

The early impressions of Evening Jewel were favorable.

"In August, we knew we had something the way she was going," Braly said.

About that time, she was a frequent subject on a blog Braly published, called Tom's Tidbits. The blog was a Christmas gift from a daughter a few years ago and focused on the couple's racehorses, their travels, and, poignantly, Tom's health.

Last fall, Evening Jewel's maiden win on Breeders' Cup weekend was a blog subject, with Braly unable to hide his enthusiasm. Last December, Evening Jewel won her first stakes in the California Breeders' Champion Stakes at Santa Anita.

"She's my home run," Braly said. "Which I've always wanted to have."

April 4, 2010

Los Angeles fair looks to raze some barns
By Steve Andersen
The landscape of the grounds at Barretts Sales at Fairplex Park in Pomona, Calif., may literally change in the next year.

The Los Angeles County Fair, which owns Barretts, has submitted a conditional-use permit application to the city of Pomona, with the intention of demolishing three of the nine sale barns for alternative uses, according to the fair's chief executive, Jim Henwood. He said the application requests the right to change the use of all nine barns, but that the county fair intends to keep six barns to house horses for sales.

Henwood said on Thursday that the earliest the transformation could take place would be early next year.

The barns that may be eliminated are along White Avenue, a four-lane, heavily traveled road adjacent to the property. Henwood said Los Angeles County Fair officials have been talking with an auto-supply company about taking over the space.

Henwood emphasized that the Los Angeles County Fair is committed to maintaining Barretts as a sales venue.

"The truth is we'd like to stay in horse sales and the horse business as long as possible," he said.

He said the request for permit change for all nine barns was made "just in case the market doesn't want us around."

The Fairplex Park racetrack, which is adjacent to Barretts and runs the Los Angeles County Fair race meeting each September, is no longer used for year-round training. Funding allowing year-round training ended last year. The Fairplex Park track will open for training in the weeks ahead of the September meeting.

"We have two or three barns that are in surplus," Henwood said. "We don't see any way now that we're out of training that those barns would be a value to horse racing. We're hedging our bets so to speak on where the industry goes in the future."

Even with six barns, there would still be ample space for horses during sales or for horses in the Fairplex Park barn area during the county fair meeting, Henwood emphasized.

"We have to seek ways that are best to go about our business," he said.

Henwood said Fairplex Park has no plans to change from its current plans of conducting four sales a year - a mixed sale in January, 2-year-old in-training sales in March and May, and a yearling sale in October.

"That's our model," Henwood said.

New purchase going to Baffert

A California-bred Pure Prize colt bought for $100,000 at the Barretts March sale of 2-year-olds in training, will be trained by Bob Baffert, according to Bob Ike of Summit Racing. The colt could be ready to start at the upcoming Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting that begins on April 21, Ike said.

The Summit Racing partnership bought the colt, and has since added a partner in George Jacobs, according to Ike, a public handicapper.

The Pure Prize colt, tentatively named Prize Fight, was the most expensive California-bred colt at the March 22 sale. A California-bred Lemon Drop Kid filly was bought for $125,000 by Narvick International.

Ike said the Pure Prize colt impressed scouts in pre-sale training.

"I thought he had a good way of going," he said. "He kind of acts like a horse that won't take too long to get to the races."

March 26, 2010

Alphie's Bet takes breeder to top level
By Steve Andersen
In the 1980s, Teresa McWilliams attended a California horse sale and was quickly in an awkward situation.

McWilliams, a real estate agent in the Santa Barbara area, took a fancy to a few of the yearlings available and bought one - and then another, and then another.

"I got so excited I put my hand up six times," she recalled recently. "I didn't know what I was doing. It was pretty this, pretty that. That's how I started, that was about 25 years ago.

"I called my bank manager and said, 'I don't have this much in my checking account. I need to put some money in my account,' " McWilliams said. "He said, 'Why?' I said, 'Are you sitting down? I just bought six racehorse yearlings.' "

The spur of the moment activity that led to those purchases has given way to a more calculated breeding program. The plan is working. McWilliams will have her first starter in a Grade 1 stakes in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby next Saturday with the California-bred Alphie's Bet, a colt she bred.

Co-owned by Peter Johnson Sr. and McWilliams, Alphie's Bet approaches the Santa Anita Derby in the best form of his career. On March 6, Alphie's Bet won the Grade 3 Sham Stakes over 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita. The course and distance of the Sham are the same as the Santa Anita Derby. Another big result from Alphie's Bet could result in McWilliams having her first starter in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 1.

The success of Alphie's Bet has been more than McWilliams expected.

"I was surprised by how well he ran," she said of the Sham. "This was the first time I'd seen him in the middle of the pack."

Alphie's Bet, who is by Tribal Rule out of Miss Alphie, closed from sixth in a field of 10 to win the Sham Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths, finishing in 1:48.72. The colt has won 2 of 5 starts and $141,320. Winless in his first two races, Alphie's Bet was second behind Caracortado in the California Breeders' Champion Stakes on Dec. 26 and followed that promising performance with a victory in a one-mile turf race for maidens on Jan. 15.

Trained by Alexis Barba, Alphie's Bet made his first start against open company in the Sham Stakes. Barba and McWilliams have had a lengthy partnership. Barba was the assistant to the late Eddie Gregson, who had McWilliams's horses in her first years as an owner. Gregson bred Pine Away, Alphie's Bet's second dam.

McWilliams has a lifelong history with racehorses.

Born in Poland, McWilliams was a young girl in 1939 when her family fled Poland hours in advance of the German army's arrival. The family escaped through Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Italy before arriving in England where they stayed until 1949, the year they emigrated to the United States.

In Poland, her father had a prominent racing stable.

"He had some very good horses," McWilliams said. "He tried to hide them and put them behind plows during the war."

Barba keeps Miss Alphie at River Edge Farm in Buellton, Calif., where Tribal Rule stands at stud. Miss Alphie, who is by Candi's Gold, had one victory in seven starts for McWilliams. Alphie's Bet is Miss Alphie's first foal to race. The family includes a 2-year-old Benchmark filly and a yearling colt by Unusual Heat.

McWilliams said she relies on the advice of River Edge Farm manager Russell Drake for breeding matters.

"We had some nice horses, and this is a nice family," McWilliams said.

It may soon be a family that produced a Kentucky Derby starter.

March 14, 2010

Grazen begins stud career for free
By Steve Andersen

Grazen will have a quiet and inexpensive first season at stud this winter and spring at Tommy Town Thoroughbreds in Santa Ynez, Calif.

A 4-year-old colt, his promising racing career was cut short by a tendon injury suffered while leading in deep stretch of the California Cup Classic at Santa Anita last October. The injury forced Grazen's retirement but has not affected his ability to breed mares.

"He's enjoying his new occupation," owner-breeder Nick Alexander said Thursday.

Alexander's goal is to attract as many mares as possible for Grazen, who stands for free, although the prospects must undergo a selection process.

"We weren't doing it for the money," Alexander said. "We made it complimentary to approved mares. Someone who has a mare that was winless in 20 starts and hasn't produced a winner, we would say no.

"It's not the best time to be in the breeding business. We'll be pleased with whatever we get, whether it's a dozen or 20."

The California stallion market is crowded, and the number of mares being bred in the state is down from last year, making it even more difficult for stallion owners to attract appropriate mares. As a result, Alexander does not expect a large book.

"He's covered four mares, and so far two have been pronounced in foal," Alexander said. "We'll breed seven mares of our own to him, and hopefully we get a little attention."

Grazen, who is by Benchmark, seemed to be just getting his racing career started when he was injured.

A winner of 4 of 7 starts and $245,400, Grazen won the Grade 3 Affirmed Handicap at Hollywood Park last June and the El Cajon Stakes at Del Mar in September. He also was second in the Grade 2 Swaps, losing by 1 3/4 lengths to Misremembered.

Grazen's injury was too severe for him to attempt a comeback, Alexander said.

"I don't think we'll try," he said. "He'll be pasture-sound. He's had four series of stem-cell procedures for the tendon."

Alexander said a 2-year-old full sister to Grazen, Hazy, will soon be sent to Tommy Town for early training and should be at trainer Mike Mitchell's stable at Hollywood Park by May 1.

Hazen, Grazen's dam, is in foal to Heatseeker, expected to deliver a foal soon, and will be bred back to Benchmark in California this spring.

Desert Code's fee set for $2,000

Desert Code will stand at stud for $2,000 at Harris Farms this year, the farm announced earlier this week.

The winner of the 2008 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, esert Code was retired earlier this month. By E Dubai, Desert Code won 7 of 24 starts, including five stakes, and earned $1,088,939.

Filly gives Onebadshark first win

Onebadshark was represented by his first winner when Jaws n' Paws won a maiden special weight over six furlongs at Santa Anita on March 7.

Trained by Brian Koriner, Jaws n' Paws was making her career debut. She actually became loose briefly behind the gate before the race but did not get far and was quickly caught.

Onebadshark, by Diligence, stands for $1,500 at Running Luck Farm in Parlier, Calif. Onebadshark won 6 of 23 starts and $218,912, with two stakes wins - the Big Jag Handicap at Bay Meadows and the Sam Whiting Handicap at Pleasanton. His oldest foals are 3-year-olds.

March 7, 2010

Farms finding ways to sweeten deals
By Steve Andersen
ARCADIA, Calif. - For California's stallion farms, 50 is the new 100 - at least in terms of the number of mares a stallion can attract.

A little marketing and salesmanship from the state's stallion farm operators have been necessary to lure a dwindling number of mare owners. While some stallions, such as Unusual Heat, who led the state's stallions in progeny earnings in 2008 and 2009, can attract full books, many will have book sizes ranging from 40 to 70, depending on bloodlines and race records and how their progeny have fared.

Managers at several leading farms said Thursday that bookings for stallions are down in the first month of the breeding season, but some expressed hope the 2010 season could finish close to 2009 figures.

According to Jockey Club figures, there were 2,828 registered foals in California in 2008, the most recent year that statistics are available. The figure represented a 12.4 percent drop from the 3,069 in 2007.

Some managers fear the figure could be close to 2,000 for the 2011 crop. To combat the loss of mare owners, many stallions are being offered at reduced fees, and some farms have opted for promotions.

At River Edge Farm in Buellton, Calif., a 10 percent discount on stud fees is available if paid by Nov. 1, and a discount is offered to mare owners who breed four or more mares.

Farm manager Russell Drake said bookings "have been down a little bit since last year, but things are starting to pick up a little bit. I don't know if we'll get back to where we were a year or two ago. There are people calling every day. I think they're getting motivated."

The farm's freshman stallion, Dixie Chatter stands for $5,000 and could have a book of 70 or 80 mares. The farm's veteran, former California leading stallion Bertrando, may have a 50-mare book.

"His age hasn't been him bothered in the breeding shed," Drake said of Bertrando. "If we got about 50 [mares], that would be good for a 20-year-old."

Like many farms, Drake is not hearing from as many breeders as he has in past years. A poor economy in California has drained some enthusiasts of the discretionary dollars needed to fund a racing stable or breeding operation.

Drake offered the scenario of a construction executive with a stake in Thoroughbred breeding as someone who has dropped out.

"The guy that had four or five horses that was a contractor, he's history," Drake said.

At Rancho Temescal in Piru, the farm has developed a promotion for Suances, its top stallion.

Suances stands for $3,500, but the fee is free if the mare owner agrees to name farm owner Jed Cohen's Red Baron Barn as co-breeder on the resulting foal. Under that scenario, the mare owner and Red Baron would share in the resulting breeder awards.

At Poplar Meadows in Sanger, the farm has put together a $125,000 incentive package to lure mare owners to the second-year stallion Bedford Falls, who stands for $2,500.

The breeders of the first 10 resulting foals to win maiden races will be entitled to a $5,000 bonus. The breeder of the first black-type stakes winner from the 2011 crop will receive a $12,500 bonus, and the breeder of the first graded stakes winner will receive a $25,000 bonus. There are also bonuses to the owner of the first stakes winners from that crop.

Despite those elaborate plans, some farms are finding that lower fees can attract as much attention.

At Magali Farms in Santa Ynez, stud fees were reduced before the breeding season, farm manager Tom Hudson said.

"Unfortunately, people still want a deal," he said. "I'm getting a lot of phone calls."

He said Decarchy, the sire of Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint winner Quisisana, will probably get 40 to 50 mares.

Dave McGlothlin, the horse division manager at Harris Farms, compared dealing with mare owners to an old game show.

"It's like Monty Hall," he said. "Let's make a deal."

He said some of the farm's stallions - such as Lucky J.H., Stormy Jack, and Swiss Yodeler - are close to their 2009 book sizes, even though none has attracted more than 50 mares.

"I think we're pleasantly surprised it's as good as it is," said farm owner John Harris. "We're off where we'd like to be, or from the historic numbers. We've priced them pretty realistically."

February 28, 2010

Florida gives Barretts sale a boost
By Steve Andersen
Barretts Sales in Pomona, Calif., will offer 133 horses at its March select sale of 2-year-olds in training March 22, a slight increase from a 2009 catalog that had 122 horses.

The increase can be attributed to support from Florida-based consignors, said Kim Lloyd, Barretts vice-president of sales.

"That will add some depth to the quality of the sale," he said.

In 2009, the sale saw 51 horses sell for an average of $123,280, down from the 73 horses that sold for $178,027 in 2008. The 2009 sale topper was a Tiznow colt purchased for $650,000.

The colt, named Hurricane Hal, was purchased by Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Stable and was unplaced in two starts at Churchill Downs last fall. Hurricane Hal had his first work of 2010 at Sam Houston Race Park last week.

Barretts is located on the Los Angeles County fair grounds, adjacent to the Fairplex Park racetrack. The Fairplex Park racing surface is scheduled to open for training for the sale horses this Friday, Lloyd said.

Six champs back for more in 2010

Six of the seven California-bred division champions from 2009 are expected to race this year.

In 2009, two horses shared the title of California-bred horse of the year: Dancing in Silks, the winner of the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita in November, and California Flag, who won the BC Turf Sprint. Dancing in Silks was the champion older male and sprinter, and California Flag was champion turf horse.

The other champions were Repo, 2-year-old filly; Caracortado, 2-year-old male; Excessive Blend, 3-year-old filly; The Usual Q.T., 3-year-old male; and Lethal Heat, older female.

Three have already started. Caracortado, who has emerged as a Kentucky Derby candidate in recent weeks, won the Grade 2 Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 13 and is being pointed for the $150,000 San Felipe Stakes on March 13.

Dancing in Silks has been unplaced in two sprint stakes at Santa Anita, including a fifth in the Grade 2 San Carlos Handicap on Feb. 20.

Dancing in Silks was considered for the $2 million Golden Shaheen in Dubai on March 27, but because of the recent losses he is likely to stay home for a campaign geared toward the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs in November, trainer Carla Gaines said Thursday.

The Usual Q.T., the champion

3-year-old male and the winner of four turf stakes last year, was last of nine in the Sunshine Millions Classic on the main track Jan. 30 but bled in the race. Trainer Jim Cassidy said he intends to start The Usual Q.T. in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf at Santa Anita on March 6.

California Flag has not started since finishing fifth in the Hong Kong Sprint in December, but is on schedule for the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint on turf in Dubai on March 27, trainer Brian Koriner said.

Lethal Heat, unraced since finishing seventh in the BC Ladies' Classic in November, will resume training in April with a return to racing at Del Mar, trainer Barry Abrams said.

"We decided to give her a good freshener," Abrams said.

Lethal Heat was winless in eight starts but placed in six stakes last year.

Repo had her first work of 2010 last weekend and will return to racing at the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting, trainer Doug O'Neill said. The winner of two sprint stakes last summer, Repo has not started since finishing 11th in the Grade 1 Oak Leaf Stakes in October.

Excessive Blend is the only champion not returning to the track. The winner of two stakes at Del Mar last summer, she was retired after suffering an injury last summer. Owner Warren Williamson has bred Excessive Blend to Lemon Drop Kid.

February 21, 2010

Ernest Auerbach, Betty Mabee will be fondly missed
By Steve Andersen
ARCADIA, Calif. - Between them, Ernest Auerbach and Betty Mabee had some of their happiest times around Thoroughbreds and the people that care for them.

The two San Diego County breeders died earlier this month, and their families and employees remembered them on Thursday for their massive contributions to the sport.

Auerbach operated EA Ranches, while Mabee was the matriarch of Golden Eagle Farm, which at its height was the most powerful racing and breeding operation in the state.

Auerbach's red and yellow silks were a fixture at California tracks. He owned such multiple stakes winners as Queen of Wilshire and Star Cross, and was the owner-breeder of the five-time stakes winner Belle's Flag, a California-bred who won 7 of 15 starts and $570,297.

A native of New York, Auerbach died of pancreatic cancer on Feb. 1 at his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif. He was 93.

Auerbach spent his professional life in real estate, constructing homes and office buildings in Southern California. He bought a 1,000-acre farm in Ramona, Calif., in 1977.

"Starting with the people involved with racing, the jockeys, trainers, the exercise riders, he loved the whole scene," said his daughter, Heidi Farkash. "He loved the horses. He really loved the animals."

Auerbach had his first major success when Lottery Winner won the 1993 Goodwood Handicap. Many of his runners, including Belle's Flag, were trained by Darrell Vienna.

Farkash said her father was diagnosed with his illness less than two weeks before his death, and had spent time at the farm in recent months.

"We only did find out that he was ill a week and a half before he passed away," she said. "Despite his age and gradually slowing down, he was at the ranch with me 2 1/2 weeks before he passed away. He was driving himself, going to his office and going to the club to play bridge."

The family plans to continue operating the farm, according to Farkash.

The Mabee name has been synonymous with Del Mar racetrack for decades. Betty Mabee's late husband, John, developed Golden Eagle Farm in Ramona, and was chairman of Del Mar racetrack.

Betty Mabee died last Monday at her home in Rancho Santa Fe after an extended illness. She was 88.

After John Mabee's death in 2002, Betty Mabee became a director at Del Mar, a position she relinquished in 2008 when she became director emeritus.

Golden Eagle Farm is best known for breeding and owning the popular 1990s star Best Pal, who won the inaugural Pacific Classic in 1991 and 11 other stakes in California.

Betty Mabee attended the races at Del Mar as recently as 2008, to present the trophy in the John Mabee Handicap, and was a frequent visitor at the farm through that year, according to farm general manager Janine McCullough.

On one visit, McCullough remembers Mabee ordered lunch for the entire team and then sat down with the ranch hands to dive into pizza.

"All the employees had come up to see her," she said. "Even in her frail conditions she sat out and had pizza with all the guys."

Earlier this decade, she and McCullough had planned a trip to Keeneland to look at broodmares, but the trip never happened. Betty Mabee had a twisted ankle, and McCullough was briefly in a wheelchair because of a riding accident.

Undeterred, Mabee and McCullough bid from home in the San Diego area.

"She said, 'Janine, I think we're a little too banged up to go there,' " McCullough said. "She put the big TV on and it was like were sitting at Keeneland. She was like, 'I want that horse and I want that to happen.' "

The Golden Eagle operation has been downsized in recent years, as John and Betty Mabee's son Larry has continued the family's involvement at a smaller level.

When permits are approved, the farm will relocate from Ramona to Rancho Santa Fe. Golden Eagle Farm will have 14 horses at the track this year, continuing a decades-long legacy.

February 7, 2010

Square Eddie retired to stud after injury
By Steve Andersen
ARCADIA, Calif. - Square Eddie, the winner of the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity in 2008 in his American debut, has been retired to stud with a suspensory injury, owner Paul Reddam said on Friday.

The injury was detected on Thursday, two days before Square Eddie was scheduled to start in the $200,000 Strub Stakes at Santa Anita.

Reddam said that he will breed mares to Square Eddie at Vessels Stallion Farm in Bonsall, Calif., this year and that the 4-year-old colt will stand for a private fee to other breeders.

"We aren't going to market him hard, but if anyone wants to do a deal, I'll do a private deal," he said.

By Smart Strike, Square Eddie won 2 of 12 starts and $819,366. He beat maidens in his debut at Salisbury, England, in July 2008 and won the Breeders' Futurity over 1 1/16 miles by 4 3/4 lengths.

He later placed in three stakes at 2 and 3, finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in 2008, second in the Grade 3 San Rafael Stakes in January 2009, and third in the Grade 2 Lexington Stakes in April 2009.

Reddam and trainer Doug O'Neill had hoped to start Square Eddie in the 2009 Kentucky Derby, but he was withdrawn in the days before the race when he injured a cannon bone that had troubled him during the winter of 2008-09.

Square Eddie made four more starts, with his final out a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes in December. Reddam said that Square Eddie was troubled by a breathing problem in the Malibu Stakes, which he and O'Neill believed had been solved in advance of the Strub.

"He was diagnosed with a small airway disease, and that was treatable," Reddam said. "He's been training perfectly. We were quietly confident that he'd pull a shocker [in the Strub].

"We thought the horse that ended his 2-year-old season is finally back and, boom, now he has an injury. When he came back from training on Thursday he was off, and has a high suspensory issue."

Square Eddie is the second 4-year-old by Smart Strike to go to stud in California this winter. Papa Clem, the winner of two stakes, was sent to stud at Legacy Ranch in Clements, Calif., in late January.

Quisisana breaks through

Jan VandeBos waited nearly four years for an afternoon like Jan. 30 at Santa Anita. VandeBos and her husband, Robert Naify, had patiently watched Quisisana win 4 of 9 starts, but never succeed in a stakes.

Quisisana reached that milestone in the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint for California-breds and Florida-breds. Quisisana ran the most exciting race of her life, prevailing by a nose over Fair Grounds invader Dubai Majesty.

"She is tough as nails on the track, but one of the sweetest fillies in the world to be with," VandeBos said in an e-mail earlier this week. "It has been a great joy raising her and seeing her develop so beautifully."

Trained by Mike Puype, Quisisana was acquired privately by the couple from breeder Todd Gerbovaz as a yearling. Quisisana has won 5 of 10 starts and $275,758. Puype said the $100,000 Irish O'Brien Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares on the hillside turf course on March 20 is a possibility for her next start.

"We've given her a lot of time," VandeBos said in the winner's circle after the Filly-Mare Sprint.

Puype said Quisisana's consistency in main-track sprints is one of her finest attributes.

"She's had a few issues and things physically," he said. "The common denominator is she's 5 for 5 at six or 6 1/2 furlongs on the main. It's what she wants to do."

As enthusiastic as VandeBos is about racing, she dedicates time to her horses after their racing careers. Working with Tom Hudson of Magali Farms, VandeBos has sought homes for her horses as hunter-jumpers, eventing, and trail horses.

"We are hoping that through education and awareness, many other former racehorses will be able to progress to the next stages of their work lives," she wrote.

January 31, 2010

Papa Clem joins high-end crowd
By Steve Andersen

The $7,500 that mare owners will pay to breed to Papa Clem in the upcoming breeding season immediately puts the 4-year-old toward the top of California's most expensive stallions.

Papa Clem, the winner of the Arkansas Derby last year, and the Grade 2 San Fernando Stakes earlier this month at Santa Anita, was retired last weekend because of an ankle injury. He will stand at Legacy Ranch in Clements, Calif.

Papa Clem's fee is the highest among stallions standing their first season in California in 2010. First-year stallion Dixie Chatter, along with Kafwain and Southern Image, who have arrived from other states, will all stand for $5,000 this year.

Unusual Heat, the state's leading stallion by progeny earnings in 2008 and 2009, has been booked full at a cost of $20,000 per breeding. He is the most expensive sire in the state.

The decision to stand Papa Clem at Legacy Ranch was made earlier this week by owner Bo Hirsch. The stallion was being sent to the farm on Thursday afternoon.

"This happened so quick," said Legacy Ranch's owner, Pete Parrella. "We're very excited about it, to have a stallion like this. This is great for California. Hopefully, we can get enough support to make this work.

Parrella says the timing of Papa Clem's retirement, weeks before the start of the breeding season in mid-February, worked in favor of California's breeding industry. If Papa Clem had been retired last fall, he might have gone to stud in other states, such as Kentucky or Maryland, Parrella said.

"It's a little late in the season, and Bo is a California guy," Parrella said. "We had the right people in the meeting that sold him on the idea."

Papa Clem won 3 of 13 starts and $1,121,190. His biggest win was the Arkansas Derby, which was followed by a fourth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, finishing 6 3/4 lengths behind Mine That Bird.

Papa Clem lost his next five starts before winning the Grade 2 San Fernando by a half-length. Trainer Gary Stute had hoped to run Papa Clem in the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6 or the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 27 this year, but the ankle injury put an end to that.

Bred by Hirsch, Papa Clem is by Smart Strike, the same sire as a two-time Horse of the Year, Curlin, and is out of Miss Houdini, whom Hirsch campaigned. Miss Houdini had a limited career, but did win the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante over seven furlongs in 2002.

Smart Strike is the sire of Lookin at Lucky, the champion 2-year-old male of 2009, who is based at Santa Anita.

"We've had many opportunities to bring another stallion to Legacy Ranch," Parrella said. "We didn't want to compete with a stallion in the $2,500 range. We were waiting for something that would make more sense for us and California."

Parrella is a member of the board of directors of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association and Thoroughbred Owners of California and has first-hand knowledge of how the economy has affected breeding and owning of racehorses.

He is hoping that the arrival of Papa Clem as a stallion will lead state breeders to increase their activity in coming months.

"We've given California an opportunity," he said. "We've talked about how the great stallions are getting older. We need new blood. Some of us thought about buying a stallion, and here is this deal that fell in our lap.

"Now it's time to put up. It's time to support this horse. It's time to get the breeding in California stabilized. Hopefully, this will help."

January 24, 2010

Craig dispersal to fatten Barretts average
By Steve Andersen
ARCADIA, Calif. - The stable that Jenny Craig and her late husband, Sid, built over the last 25 years is being downsized. While some of their lesser horses have been claimed recently in Southern California, the first stage of the downsizing will occur through a reduction of their holdings on Monday and Tuesday at the Barretts January mixed sale in Pomona, Calif.

The Craig consignment, conducted through Grant Hofmans, agent, comprises 43 horses - 12 broodmares, 12 horses of racing age, 11 2-year-olds and 8 yearlings.

"It's kind of a bit of everything," said Hofmans, who directs the stables at the Craig-owned Rancho Paseana, near Del Mar.

Hofmans said that Craig is not leaving racing, but going through a "restructuring" of her racing program.

"We're going with quality over quantity," he said.

"She wants to stay in the game, but get the numbers down. She has 75 horses now. We've really trimmed her broodmare band down. We'll buy her some better-quality broodmares and have a smaller racing operation.

"I think she wants to get to eight top-quality broodmares and race their offspring. She wants to stay in the game but not have to make so many day-to-day decisions."

With her husband, who died in 2008, Jenny Craig raced such notable horses as Paseana, who won Eclipse Awards as the outstanding older female in 1992 and 1993, and Dr Devious, the winner of the 1992 Epsom Derby. In 2003, the Craigs won the Pacific Classic at Del Mar with Candy Ride, a victory they considered among their favorites because of the track's proximity to their Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., home. Their other stakes winners included Alpride, Bienvenido, Brave Act, Different, Exchange and Tossofthecoin.

In the past year, Craig, well known for the weight-loss company she owned with her husband, has raced Chocolate Candy, who was fifth in the Kentucky Derby, and she has a hopeful for this year's Triple Crown in Sidney's Candy, who is expected to make his 3-year-old debut in February.

At this week's Barretts sale, the influence of Candy Ride on the Craig's racing and breeding operation will be widely felt.

All but one of the yearlings and 2-year-olds being offered are by Candy Ride, and 10 of the horses of racing age are by Candy Ride. Six of the 12 broodmares being sold are in foal to Candy Ride. Jenny Craig retains a majority share in the stallion, who stands in Kentucky.

Hofmans said he has had a lot of interest in the consignment, which will sell without reserve. The yearling portion of the consignment includes a Candy Ride filly out of Alpride, a two-time Grade 1 winner, and a Candy Ride colt out of Ivory Tower, a champion in Argentina who was stakes-placed in the United States.

"It depends on the market," Hofmans said, when asked about prices. "People have flown out from Kentucky to look at them. It's going to depend on the individual. There are a couple of nice 2-year-olds in there."

The dispersal is likely to greatly aid the sale's bottom line. Last year, the sale averaged $6,101 with 202 horses listed as sold. The two January sales with the highest average prices in the last decade occurred when prominent dispersals were part of the catalog. In 2001, the sale averaged $14,047 when Ron Gomez and Frank Cossey conducted dispersals. The sale averaged $9,544 in 2007, the year that Granja Vista Del Rio, Pepper Oaks Farm and the estate of Edward Nahem conducted dispersals.

January 17, 2010

Fan club still growing for A Jealous Woman
By Steve Andersen
ARCADIA, Calif. - Some of the facts are a little fuzzy.

How many people were in the winner's circle at Santa Anita last Sunday when A Jealous Woman won her third straight race? Keith Lineman, one of the five men who own A Jealous Woman, counted 82. Trainer Bill Spawr thought that figure was low. "Somebody said it was more than 100," he said.

Regardless of how many showed up, Santa Anita may need larger accommodation for A Jealous Woman's next race.

What started out for the five-man partnership as a way to be more heavily involved in the sport has become an excuse to get family and friends together at the races.

"We've all loved the racetrack together," said co-owner Richard Reid. "We wanted to get involved in some way. This came up. It was tough in the beginning - a lot of bills and nothing coming back."

A Jealous Woman is putting a big dent into those costs. In her four career starts, A Jealous Woman has earned $97,520 for Reid, Lineman, Don Ladd, Martin Mueller, and Nick Tamborrino.

Reid, who lives in La Crescenta, Calif., Lineman, and Tamborrino worked together as postal workers. For the retired Reid, 59, owning a filly such as A Jealous Woman represents a lifelong involvement in the sport.

"I've been going to the races since the 1950s, since my grandparents took me," he said.

The partners bred A Jealous Woman with Kim Thorson. It was Thorson who arranged the breeding of A Jealous Woman, who is by Muqtarib out of the Fly So Free mare Miss Free Bird. Later, the partnership bought out Thorson.

Miss Free Bird won her only start, in 1998, and has produced four foals to race. A Jealous Woman is the most successful of those. The partnership sold one horse as a yearling a few years ago - the four-time winner Roar of Eagles - but vowed to keep the next for themselves.

A Jealous Woman, 4, made her debut for Spawr last summer, finishing second at Hollywood Park. She emerged from that race with bruised feet that kept her out of racing for the rest of the summer. Last fall, when A Jealous Woman went back into training, she developed the habit of "running off" during morning workouts, Spawr said.

Jockey Richard Migliore, who has since moved back to his native New York, worked with Spawr to teach A Jealous Woman patience.

"Richard did a lot with her," Spawr said. "She wanted to go in 22 [seconds]. He worked with her in the mornings and got her to come back to him. I really owe him a lot."

A Jealous Woman beat maidens at Hollywood Park on Nov. 22 and returned to win an allowance race against statebred females on Dec. 20. Last Sunday, A Jealous Woman won a first-condition allowance race against open company. Ridden by Joe Talamo, A Jealous Woman led throughout a one-mile turf race, winning by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:34.52. All three of her wins have come on turf.

A Jealous Woman's winning streak suggests that she will be starting in stakes later this year, though Spawr, realizing her potential, says he is in no hurry to try such a spot.

The Sunshine Millions races for California-breds and Florida-breds at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita on Jan. 30 will not include A Jealous Woman, he said.

"We've got all her conditions and we'll space her a little bit," he said. "She's had three races that were good races."

For Reid, the early days of A Jealous Woman's career have been a dream. This is much farther than Reid and the partners expected to progress.

"Early on, we thought she had a way about her, but nothing close to this," he said.

January 10, 2010

Unusual Heat repeats as top California stallion
By Steve Andersen
ARCADIA, Calif. - Unusual Heat successfully defended his title as California's leading stallion by progeny earnings in 2009, but his progeny earned slightly less than last year.

Last year, Unusual Heat's progeny earned $5,184,194, shy of the 2008 figure of $5,827,513, a record for a California-based stallion. In 2009, Unusual Heat reached a new level with his first Grade 1 male winner, The Usual Q.T., in the $300,000 Hollywood Derby in November.

The Usual Q.T. won four consecutive stakes from October through the end of the year - the California Cup Mile, Grade 2 Oak Tree Derby, Hollywood Derby, and Grade 3 Sir Beaufort Stakes - to lead all Unusual Heat progeny with season earnings of $498,670.

Unusual Heat's 2009 progeny earnings left him 29th on the nation's overall list, well behind Kentucky-based Giant's Causeway, who had progeny earnings of $11,079,918. In 2008, Unusual Heat ranked 20th on the national list.

In 2009, Unusual Heat had 141 runners win 75 races. He had nine stakes winners. Similar to 2008, Unusual Heat's 2009 runners showed ability on synthetic tracks and turf courses throughout California.

For the second consecutive year, Unusual Heat had a commanding lead on the state's list. Silic finished second in 2009 with progeny earnings of $3,729,851, but $3,297,720 of that came from Gladiatorus, who won Group 1 races in Dubai and Italy. Rounding out the top five were Benchmark ($3,006,436), Stormin Fever ($2,612,483), and In Excess ($2,484,901).

Fitting for a stallion at the top of the list, Unusual Heat's stud fee of $20,000 is the highest among California's active stallions. Unusual Heat was bred to 80 mares last year, with 70 foals expected in his 2010 crop.

Unusual Heat will be bred to a similar number of horses this year, according to Madeline Auerbach, one of the principal partners in the syndicate that owns the 20-year-old stallion.

"It looks pretty consistent," Auerbach said.

Standing at Old English Rancho in Sanger, Calif., Unusual Heat is not booked full, Auerbach said, though California breeders are known to book matings closer to the start of the breeding season in February than breeders in other regions.

"We still have some spaces open," Auerbach said. "I think some of the breeders that have supported him have new stallions they need to support."

Unusual Heat's 2009 progeny earnings put him in elite company among California stallions. He joined Cee's Tizzy as the only stallion with two consecutive seasons of progeny earnings of $5 million or more. Back in 2000 and 2001, Cee's Tizzy was led by Tiznow, winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic in those seasons.

State's first-year stallion leaders

The state's leading first-year stallion rankings are more confusing. Southern Image led all California stallions with earnings of $378,927, but has yet to stand a season in the state.

Southern Image arrived in the state last fall, having previously stood in Kentucky. He will stand for $5,000 at Rancho San Miguel this year.

The leading freshman stallion based in this state throughout his stud career is Ministers Wild Cat, who had 2009 progeny earnings of $166,292 and ranked second on the state's freshman sire list.

Ministers Wild Cat, who stands at Tommy Town Thoroughbreds in Santa Ynez, Calif., for a $4,000 fee, had 25 horses win 10 races in 2009. His leading progeny earner was Royalty Gone Wild, who earned $26,520 and was third in the Generous Portion Stakes for statebred 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar.

Southern Image, 9, was 25th overall on the national freshman stallion list, while the 10-year-old Ministers Wild Cat was 39th. Offlee Wild led the freshman list with earnings of $1,951,283.

January 3, 2010

Headley, M One Rifle have deep ties
By Steve Andersen

ARCADIA, Calif. - A trainer cannot be any more responsible for a stakes winner than Bruce Headley is for M One Rifle, the California-bred who won the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.

Headley not only bred M One Rifle in partnership but bought both the gelding's sire (One Man Army) and dam (Leanessa) as yearlings.

"It's the first time I've ever done that," Headley said.

From that mating, Headley and partners Ed Bernstein, Brian Greenspun, and Irwin Molasky have a 4-year-old Califrornia-bred with two stakes wins and plenty of options for the future.

The success of M One Rifle, who has won 4 of 8 starts and $378,572, represents both a bargain and a payback for Headley.

Leanessa was the sale topper for $200,000 at the 1999 Del Mar yearling sale, which is no longer held on an annual basis. She won 4 of 8 starts and $165,022.

"She got hurt when she was a youngster," Headley said.

M One Rifle is Leanessa's third foal and first to race.

One Man Army was bought for a bargain $35,000 at the 1995 Keeneland September yearling sale. On the same day, for the same amount at the same sale, Headley bought Kona Gold, who went on to become the 2000 champion sprinter.

Headley recalls outbidding fellow Southern California trainer Richard Matlow for One Man Army. In subsequent years, Headley and Matlow traveled to the sales together and scouted horses as a team. The partnership lasted until a few years ago when Matlow became ill. He died last March.

One Man Army won 2 of 24 starts and $83,454, finishing third in a division of the 1997 Oceanside Stakes on turf at Del Mar in his only stakes appearance.

One Man Army also is the sire of Soldier's Kiss, who won the 2005 Fleet Treat Stakes for statebreds and has earned $188,878. M One Rifle is One Man Army's first Grade 1 stakes winner and is highly likely to be his last. The stallion's oldest foals are 3-year-olds this year; he has subsequently been pronounced sterile.

In recent years, One Man Army was based at Terry Paine's KingsWay Farm in Temecula, Calif. Paine said Thursday that he was able to pasture breed One Man Army to a mare who is in foal.

Earlier this week, Headley said he is considering two Grade 2, $150,000 races in January for M One Rifle - the San Fernando Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 16 and the Palos Verdes Handicap over six furlongs on Jan. 23.

M One Rifle has never run beyond seven furlongs, but Headley said he has the sort of physical frame that can work over longer distances.

"He's not a heavy muscled horse like Kona Gold," Headley said. "He's more elegant like the mare and the sire."

E Z Warrior to stand at Applebite

E Z Warrior, winner of 3 of 15 starts and $238,468, will enter stud this year at Applebite Farms in French Camp, Calif., the farm announced.

E Z Warrior, 6, ended his racing career in October. He won two stakes in Southern California - the Grade 3 Hollywood Juvenile Championship in 2006 and the San Miguel Stakes at Santa Anita in 2007. Both races were run over six furlongs.

Campaigned by Zayat Stables, E Z Warrior was third in the Grade 1 King's Bishop Stakes at Saratoga in 2007.

According to a statement from Applebite, E Z Warrior will stand for $2,500, with "generous considerations" to approved mares. By Exploit, E Z Warrior is out of Carson Jen, who also is the dam of J Z Warrior, a stakes winner who earned $328,118.

December 26, 2009

Familiar names added to stud roster
By Steve Andersen

The 14 stallions who will stand their first seasons at stud in California in 2010 represent a wide variety of prospects for mare owners. There is a Santa Anita Handicap winner, a California-bred millionaire, and multiple stakes winners on turf among the stallions, who are starting their careers or relocating from other states in the new year.

Southern Image, who won the 2004 Big Cap, returns to the state of his biggest success, having stood in Kentucky last year. Idiot Proof, a leading sprinter of 2007, enters stud, while the turf stars Whatsthescript and Dixie Chatter launch their stud careers.

Here is a glance at those, and other stallions, new to the state in 2010.

First-year stallions

Brave Cat (Lion Heart-Clever Squaw)

Farm: Sue Hubbard and Associates

Fee: Free

This unraced 3-year-old is by a stallion who has sired the graded stakes winners Azul Leon, Heart Ashley, and Soul Warrior. His sire Lion Heart won the Grade 1 Hollywood Futurity in 2003 among his five stakes wins, and was second in the 2004 Kentucky Derby. Brave Cat's dam was unraced, and is out of the multiple graded stakes winner Tricky Squaw, who has produced a stakes winner in Tricky Six.

Brave Cat went through the sales ring twice, selling for $200,000 at the 2007 Saratoga summer yearling sale and $320,000 at the 2008 Barretts March sale of 2-year-olds in training.

Bushwacker (Outflanker-Musical Score)

Farm: Lovacres Ranch

Fee: $3,000

Bushwacker won 5 of 25 starts and $285,840 in a five-year career highlighted by a win in the Grade 3 Vernon Underwood Stakes at Hollywood Park in 2007. He was second in the 2004 Hollywood Prevue Stakes and third in the Sunshine Millions Sprint. He was unplaced in the final start of his career, the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen in March 2008.

He is the most successful foal of his dam, who has produced three other winners.

Bushwacker excelled in sprints, winning at distances ranging from 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 furlongs. He was stakes-placed at seven furlongs in the Prevue.

Dixie Chatter (Dixie Union-Mini Chat)

Farm: River Edge Farm

Fee: $5,000

One of the more prominent members of the 2010 new stallion cast, this colt won stakes at 2, 3, and at 4 earlier this year. At 2, he won the Grade 1 Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita; at 3, he won a division of the Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar; and earlier this year, he won the Grade 2 Arcadia Handicap at Santa Anita. The latter two races were on turf.

Back in March, he was third behind leading turf male Gio Ponti in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile.

This colt is from a strong female family. His dam Mini Chat is out of Phone Chatter, the champion 2-year-old filly of 1993.

Drum Major (Dynaformer-Endless Parade)

Farm: E.A. Ranches

Fee: Private

A 7-year-old, Drum Major is the rare Dynaformer horse standing at stud in California. He won 6 of 25 starts and $423,836, racing primarily on the East Coast and in Kentucky.

Drum Major won the Grade 3 Knickerbocker Handicap at Aqueduct in 2006, and placed in two graded stakes on turf during the 2007 Saratoga meeting - a second in the Fourstardave Handicap and a third in the Bernard Baruch Handicap.

Earlier in his career, he won two turf stakes in south Florida - the Axthelm Handicap at Calder and the Lure Stakes at Gulfstream Park. He raced over five years, finishing his career last April in an optional claimer at Keeneland.

Idiot Proof (Benchmark-Perfectly Pretty)

Farm: Ballena Vista Farm

Fee: $1,500

A crack sprinter, this horse ended his career earlier this year with 5 wins in 17 starts and earnings of $1,294,484.

The highlights were wins in the Grade 3 Jersey Shore Breeders' Cup Stakes at Monmouth Park in 2007, when he ran six furlongs in a track record 1:07.47, a win in the Grade 1 Ancient Title Stakes at Santa Anita that year, and a second to Midnight Lute in the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Monmouth.

Overseas, he finished second in the Dubai Golden Shaheen in 2008. A California-bred, this horse is by Benchmark, one of California's leading stallions.

Mister Acpen (Golden Voyager-Gruta Azul)

Farm: Spoiled Rotten Ranch

Fee: $1,250

He's a little older than most freshman stallions, but this 11-year-old horse ended his career in 2007 after a two-hemisphere career of 9 wins in 40 starts and earnings of $428,236. He won the Chilean Derby and Chilean 2000 Guineas in South America and won the Grade 3 Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Handicap in 2003, a season that included a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Charles Whittingham Handicap and a third in the Grade 2 Citation Handicap.

Spoiled Rotten Ranch's website indicates that a 2-for-1 offer is in effect for breeders that bring two mares to breed to the stallion.

Rivergrade Boy (Grand Slam-OK to Dance)

Farm: Lovacres Ranch

Fee: $2,500

This 4-year-old won 3 of 25 starts and $144,334, with his best result in a stakes a second-place finish in the 2007 Beau Brummel Stakes at Fairplex Park. Racing exclusively in Southern California, his biggest win came in an optional claimer at Santa Anita in October 2008. He also won a maiden claimer and a starter allowance early in his career before he started racing in stakes.

His dam, OK to Dance, was a two-time stakes winner in 2001 who won 4 of 19 starts and $198,425. Her wins came in the Palisades Stakes at Keeneland and the Gaily Gaily Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Roi Charmant (Evansville Slew-Cantina)

Farm: Victory Rose Thoroughbreds

Fee: $1,000

A winner of 8 of 27 starts and $337,678, this 8-year-old horse had a seven-year campaign that included four stakes-placings - a second in the San Miguel Stakes at Santa Anita in 2004; a second in the Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar, and a third in the Grade 2 Potrero Grande Breeders' Cup Handicap, both in 2005; and a second in the Daytona Handicap in 2006.

This year, he was unbeaten in four starts, winning sprints on turf and dirt for $40,000 and $50,000 claimers at Hollywood Park and Del Mar. Through his career, he won from six to seven furlongs on dirt, turf and synthetic tracks.

Roman Commander (Deputy Commander-Jettin Diplomacy)

Farm: Milky Way Farm

Fee: $2,500

The biggest win in this 5-year-old's career occurred in the 2006 Real Quiet Stakes at Hollywood Park, his lone stakes win in a nine-race career that included two wins and earnings of $231,860.

He was busy at 2 and 3, making 17 starts, including nine races as a juvenile. He did not race after his 3-year-old season, a campaign that included a second in the Derby Trial Stakes at Fairplex Park. His best result in a graded stakes was a third in the Grade 1 Hollywood Futurity in 2006.

His dam, Jettin Diplomacy, is a full sister to Roman Envoy, a gelding who earned $700,831.

Time to Get Even (Stephen Got Even-Tomisue's Pleasure)

Farm: Lovacres Ranch

Fee: $4,000

Recently retired after a career of 3 wins in 16 starts and earnings of $150,084, this horse had his best performance with a win in the Grade 3 Laz Barrera Stakes at Hollywood Park in 2007. More recently, he ran in claiming sprints and optional claimers earlier this year, winning a $40,000 claimer at Hollywood Park. His wins ranged from six to seven furlongs.

His dam, Tomisue's Pleasure, is out of the graded stakes winner Summer Matinee ($277,870), a five-time winner.

Stephen Got Even is the sire of the champion Stevie Wonderboy and 2009 Wood Memorial winner I Want Revenge.

Whatsthescript (Royal Applause-Grizel)

Farm: Tommy Town Thoroughbreds

Fee: $4,000

Arguably the best turf horse in California in 2008, this 5-year-old Irish-bred won 6 of 19 starts and $907,964 in a four-year career that started in Ireland.

A winner of five stakes, he won two major stakes in 2008 - the Grade 2 American Handicap and the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile - before finishing third in the Breeders' Cup Mile that season.

This year, he was winless in five starts, but was third in three graded turf stakes - the American Handicap, Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes, and Grade 2 Oak Tree Mile. He won at distances from seven furlongs to 1 1/8 miles.

Relocated stallions

Kafwain (Cherokee Run-Swazi's Moment)

Farm: Tommy Town Thoroughbreds

Fee: $5,000

This 9-year-old has moved to California following success by his son The Pamplemousse, who dominated the local 3-year-old division at Santa Anita in the spring, winning the Sham Stakes and San Rafael Stakes.

Kafwain previously stood at Hurstland Farm in Midway, Ky., for $6,500. His other notable foals have included the graded stakes winners Don't Forget Gil ($318,867) and Massive Drama ($236,232), and the multiple stakes winners Kadira and Yonegwa.

A winner of 4 of 11 and $715,848, he won two stakes at 2 - the Grade 2 Norfolk and Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes - and was second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Arlington Park.

Snorter (Awesome Again-Retiro Park)

Farm: Madera Thoroughbreds

Fee: $2,000

A recent arrival from British Columbia, this 9-year-old entered stud in 2008. His oldest foals are yearlings in 2010. In Canada, Snorter stood for $2,000.

On the racetrack, Snorter won 5 of 26 starts and $242,593, with his most prestigious win coming in the Grade 3 Berkeley Breeders' Cup Handicap at Golden Gate Fields in 2004. He was also third in the Grade 3 Seabiscuit Breeders' Cup Handicap at Bay Meadows that season. At 5, he won an allowance race over 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park.

His dam, Retiro Park, did not race, but is a sister to Meadow Star, the champion 2-year-old filly of 1990.

Southern Image (Halo's Image-Pleasant Dixie)

Farm: Rancho San Miguel

Fee: $5,000

The winner of the 2004 Santa Anita Handicap, Southern Image stood for $7,500 at Taylor Made Farms in Kentucky last year. A 9-year-old, he won 6 of 8 starts, 4 stakes, and $1,843,750 in a three-year racing career. His other major stakes wins include the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes in 2003, and the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic and Grade 1 Pimlico Special, both in 2004.

His oldest foals are 2-year-olds this year, and include the stakes-placed runners Privilaged, who was third in the Jack Goodman Stakes at Santa Anita in October, Winning Image, and Best Be Quick.

December 13, 2009

Whatsthescript to stand for $4K
By Steve Andersen
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Whatsthescript, the winner of 6 of 19 starts and $907,964, will enter stud at Tommy Town Thoroughbreds in Santa Ynez, Calif., next year, the farm announced earlier this week.

Whatsthescript is currently in training with John Sadler. A 5-year-old by Royal Applause, Whatsthescript won five stakes, including two Grade 2 stakes in 2008, the American and Del Mar Mile handicaps on turf. During that season, he was second in the Grade 1 Eddie Read Handicap and third in the Breeders' Cup Mile.

This year, Whatsthescript has run exclusively in graded stakes, with his best result a third in the Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar.

Whatsthescript races for Tommy Town's owners, Tom and Debbie Stull. He will stand for $4,000.

Loveacres gets three new stallions

Terry Lovingier has added three stallions to his San Diego County farm for the 2010 breeding season, he said on Thursday.

Lovingier's Lovacres Farm will stand Bushwacker, Time to Get Even, and Rivergrade Boy.

Time to Get Even will stand for $4,000. He was recently retired after a career of 3 wins in 16 starts and earnings of $150,084, highlighted by a win in the Grade 3 Laz Barrera Stakes at Hollywood Park in 2007. By Stephen Got Even, Time to Get Even ran in claiming sprints and optional claimers earlier this year.

Bushwacker, who won the Grade 3 Vernon Underwood Stakes at Hollywood Park in 2008, will stand for $3,000. By Outflanker, Bushwacker, 7, was second in the Hollywood Prevue Stakes in 2004 and third in the Sunshine Millions Sprint in 2006. He was unplaced in the final start of his career, the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen in March 2008.

Rivergrade Boy, by Grand Slam, won 3 of 25 starts and $144,334. His best result in a stakes was a second-place finish in the 2007 Beau Brummel Stakes at Fairplex Park. Rivergrade Boy, 4, will stand for $2,500.

Lovingier will now have five stallions at his farm. The three new additions joined Awesome Gambler and Rio Verde. Lovingier said that the stallion Nineeleven was sold to a farm in Mexico earlier this year.

He said the expansion of his stallion roster at the 500-acre farm "just kind of happened."

Lovingier, 52, lives in Los Alamitos and has a construction firm that specializes in oil refineries. Earlier this year, he said he was reducing that work commitment to spend more time with horses. That commitment is to focus on California racing and his farm, he said.

"I've been buying broodmares for a while," he said. "Having a strong broodmare band is the big thing. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying here in California."

Lovingier emphasizes 2-year-old racing in his stable. Earlier this year, he campaigned Unbridled Meeting, who won the CARF Debutante Stakes at Golden Gate Fields and was third in the Generous Portion Stakes at Del Mar, and Grace Upon Grace, who finished second in the Willard Proctor Memorial Stakes at Hollywood Park and the Graduation Stakes at Del Mar.

Both horses were turned out in the fall. Unbridled Meeting just returned to training and could start at the upcoming Santa Anita winter-spring meeting.

Lovingier expects to have 40 2-year-olds racing in California in 2010, when juvenile racing begins in March.

"I've got a bunch of new partners running with me," he said. "I've got at least 40 I think will be competitive. I've got partners on most of them.

"We're ready to go. My filly crop is super strong next year."

December 6, 2009

The Usual Q.T. reignites his owner's passion
By Steve Andersen
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - For the second time this decade, Don Van owns the horse of a lifetime.

In 2003, he and a few partners claimed Moscow Burning for $25,000 at Bay Meadows. Over the next three years, she earned more than $1 million and was named the California-bred Horse of the Year for 2004.

Van and a different set of partners are trying to top that these days with The Usual Q.T. Back in the summer, The Usual Q.T. was still a maiden after five races. Last Sunday, The Usual Q.T. won his fifth consecutive race in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby, his third consecutive stakes win.

"Talk about the little guy getting lucky," said Van, 69.

Van's family bred The Usual Q.T., a gelding by Unusual Heat out of Lunge, by Western Fame, after claiming Lunge for $20,000 with partners Michael Nentwig and George Saadeh at Hollywood Park in 2004.

After Moscow Burning was retired, Van admits that his interest in racing waned. After all, what's so interesting about an everyday claiming race after a horse such as Moscow Burning goes from a claimer to the winner of the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay Handicap at Belmont Park in 2004.

"I got Moscow with a $25,000 claim," he said. "I never tried to have a good horse. I didn't want to go to the Derby and all that. Frankly, Moscow was so exciting. Racing wasn't that much fun."

The Usual Q.T. has changed that, but he was a source of frustration at the start of his career for the partners, which includes Jeffrey Byer and trainer Jim Cassidy. The Usual Q.T. was second in three of his first four races, losing twice by a head. He finished fifth in a main-track sprint at Hollywood Park in early July, his last loss.

It all turned around at Del Mar. A win in a maiden race for statebreds on turf on Aug. 5 was followed by a convincing four-length score in an optional claimer for statebreds on Sept. 2.

The Usual Q.T.'s rapid development continued at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting, where the gelding won the California Cup Mile on Oct. 3 and the Grade 2 Oak Tree Derby in a 10-1 upset on Nov. 7.

In the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby, The Usual Q.T. was third early, took the lead in the final furlong, and won by 1 1/2 lengths over Battle of Hastings. The win gave The Usual Q.T. the distinction of being the second California-bred to win a Grade 1 in 2009, preceded by Dancing in Silks in the Breeders' Cup Sprint in November.

Don Van, whose formal name is Don Van Kampen, missed the Hollywood Derby because of illness but watched on television.

"He's a special horse," he said. "I am enjoying my racing again."

Cassidy admitted to having a lump in his throat after the Hollywood Derby, amazed at how far The Usual Q.T. had developed since early August.

"I knew he had talent," Cassidy said. "I thought he'd be in the Cal-bred ranks. It's rewarding when the things you do pay off."

For 2010, Cassidy has lofty goals for The Usual Q.T., including the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Stakes at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby program. In January, The Usual Q.T. will be considered for the San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita and the Sunshine Millions Turf at Gulfstream Park.

"My ultimate goal is to run in the Woodford and the Breeders' Cup," Cassidy said. "That might sound over the top right now. I've always wanted to win the Woodford. It's as a close as I'll get to winning the Kentucky Derby."

November 29, 2009

Dancing in Silks will prep at Santa Anita
By Steve Andersen
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Dancing in Silks is expected to make his next start at Santa Anita in early 2010, and has the Golden Shaheen Sprint in Dubai in late March as a long-term goal, trainer Carla Gaines said earlier this week.

After Dancing in Silks's upset win in the BC Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 7, Gaines said the Dubai race was a possibility for the 4-year-old California-bred gelding. The race remains firmly in her plans, but he needs a prep first.

"We'd like to get a race into him," she said.

The options at Santa Anita in early 2010 include the $150,000 Palos Verdes Handicap over six furlongs on Jan. 23, the most likely scenario, or the $150,000 San Carlos Handicap over seven furlongs on Feb. 20.

Owned by Ken Kinakin, Dancing in Silks won his first start in a graded stakes in the BC Sprint, his third consecutive stakes win. A winner of 7 of 13 starts and $1,447,622, Dancing in Silks won the California Cup Sprint in early October.

Dancing in Silks, a son of Black Minnaloushe, is the only California-bred to win a Grade 1 race this year. He could have company on Sunday if The Usual Q.T. can win his fifth consecutive start in the $300,000 Hollywood Derby at Hollywood Park. By Unusual Heat, The Usual Q.T. has won the California Cup Mile in October and the Grade 2 Oak Tree Derby at Santa Anita on the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup undercard.

Southern Image relocates to California

Southern Image, who won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap and $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic in 2004, will stand at Rancho San Miguel in San Miguel, Calif., in 2010, the farm announced this week.

Southern Image, 9, will stand for $5,000, as the property of a syndicate. In 2009, Southern Image stood at Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky for a fee of $7,500. He has served as a shuttle stallion between North America and Australia in recent years.

Southern Image's oldest foals are 2-year-olds. Through Thursday, his progeny have earned $304,786, ranking him 23rd on the first-crop stallion list. Offlee Wild, the sire of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner She Be Wild, heads the list at $1,831,561.

By Halo's Image, Southern Image is now the leading freshman stallion in California. Among stallions based in California throughout the year, the highest ranked sire of 2-year-olds is Ministers Wild Cat, who has progeny earnings of $147,589, and is 38th on the overall list.

Southern Image is the sire of Privilaged, who finished third in the Jack Goodman Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 31. Privilaged was scheduled to start in a $40,000 allowance race over 1 1/16 miles at Hollywood Park this past Friday.

Southern Image won 6 of 8 starts and $1,843,750. He won the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes in 2003, and three lucrative stakes in 2004 - the Sunshine Millions, Santa Anita Handicap, and the Grade 1 Pimlico Special.

Camille C tries turf in Miesque

Camille C, the winner of the Generous Portion Stakes at Del Mar in September, could move closer to becoming the statebred 2-year-old filly champion if she wins Sunday's $100,000 Miesque Stakes at Hollywood Park.

Trained by Marcelo Polanco for his brother Carlos, Camille C is making her turf debut in the Grade 3 Miesque, which is run over a mile. This fall, Camille C has placed in two stakes, finishing second to La Nez in the California Cup Juvenile Fillies and third in the Anoakia Stakes against open company.

November 1, 2009

La Nez's dam was a real bargain buy
By Steve Andersen
ARCADIA, Calif. - The foundation for Eric Kruljac's first Breeders' Cup starter next weekend cost about the same as a European vacation.

Way back in 1995, Kruljac recalls that he and a former partner paid $3,000 to buy the yearling filly Iza Bay, the dam of La Nez, who is among the pre-entries for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita on Friday.

Only Kruljac, and a select few others, know how much of a bargain that has become.

La Nez has won 2 of 5 starts and $150,600 this year, but she was bought privately last Monday by Tom Arndt (A&R Racing) and Joe Mozino (Class Racing Stable). Kruljac bred La Nez, with his son Chance, and owned the filly at the time of the sale with Nezi Simmons.

La Nez will make her first start for Arndt and Mozino in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, with Kruljac staying on as a trainer. He is optimistic that the California-bred filly can produce a surprising result as an expected longshot.

"I think she can do anything," he said.

La Nez is one of five California-breds pre-entered in the 14 Breeders' Cup races next Friday and Saturday. Lethal Heat is pre-entered in Friday's Ladies' Classic and Saturday's Turf Sprint. California Flag is a leading contender in the Turf Sprint.

There are two Cal-breds pre-entered in Saturday's Sprint - Dancing in Silks and Cost of Freedom. Dancing in Silks is also pre-entered in the Turf Sprint. Trainer Carla Gaines has listed that race as a second preference.

La Nez, by Storm Creek, will be making her turf debut in the Breeders' Cup, and Kruljac is counting on her breeding to carry her through. Iza Bay won an allowance race on the hillside turf course here in 1998.

"Her mother freaked on the turf," Kruljac said of Iza Bay. "She was the longest shot on the board."

Kruljac retains ownership of Iza Bay's foals. He has a yearling full sister to La Nez, a weanling half-sister by Marino Marini, and Iza Bay has been bred back to Marino Marini, Kruljac said.

While La Nez's breeding has inexpensive roots, the families of California Flag and Lethal Heat have been more prominent among statebreds lately. California Flag is by Avenue of Flags, out of Ultrafleet, the 2008-09 California broodmare of the year. The award was voted on by members of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association.

Ultrafleet, 17, is owned by John and Diane Fradkin. She is also the dam of the California-bred graded stakes winner Cambiocorsa, who won 9 of 18 starts and $522,055.

John Fradkin leased Ultrafleet to Keith Card for a year, and the resulting breeding produced California Flag, who races for Card. More recently, Ultrafleet produced a 2008 Vindication colt, who was listed as not sold for $47,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale; and a Harlan's Holiday filly born earlier this year. She has been bred back to Bernardini.

Lethal Heat's dam, Lethal Leta, was fourth in the balloting for the broodmare of the year title. Lethal Heat is known among the partnership that owns her and trainer Barry Abrams as the "best horse in the country not to win a stakes this year." She is winless in seven starts this year, but has been second or third in six stakes.

Abrams wanted to take two chances to change that during the Breeders' Cup, kicking around the idea of running her in Friday's Ladies' Classic and Saturday's Turf Sprint. But since the Turf Sprint drew 22 pre-entries, and Breeders' Cup rules state that a horse cannot be entered in two races if the entry denies another horse a chance to win, Lethal Heat may have to try only the Ladies' Classic.

A win there would a milestone enough, for Lethal Heat and California-breds in general.

October 25, 2009

Exceeding begins enjoying life on farm
By Steve Andersen

Vassar Photography
Exceeding, 9, ended his career with 14 wins in 42 starts and $550,701.

Exceeding, 9, ended his career with 14 wins in 42 starts and $550,701.P

ARCADIA, Calif. - There are no grand announcements when old geldings such as Exceeding leave the racetrack, as the 9-year-old did earlier this month at Santa Anita.

Instead, the California-bred Exceeding was quietly shipped to a farm in central California, where he has started his retirement. His absence will be felt in trainer Bill Spawr's stable and by Chuck Allen, Tom Acker, Jon Lindo, and Bob Verratti, the group that owned him at the end of his career.

Spawr was Exceeding's sixth and final trainer, and Spawr had him for the final 14 starts of his 42-race career. Through that span, Exceeding ran primarily in claiming races, and won four times.

"He was wonderful to be around," Spawr said.

Bred by the List family's Double Bar S Ranch, Exceeding ended his career with 14 wins in 42 starts and earnings of $550,701. Along the way, there was success in stakes: he won the $100,000 California Sprint Championship over five furlongs on turf at Bay Meadows in 2005, the final victory in a four-race win streak.

There were notable performances in other major races for statebreds, such as a second in the Real Good Deal Stakes for Double Bar S and trainer Bob Baffert in 2003 and third-place finishes in two stakes in 2007 for the breeders and trainer Brian Koriner.

Best of all was the courage he showed, breeder Dawn List said.

"We always knew he was a good horse and had a lot of heart," said Dawn List. "It was the best part about him."

Exceeding did not start for 18 months, from November 2005 until May 2007 because of an injury, but returned to win seven more times in his career.

List said Exceeding got in shape by swimming.

"He was a swimming fool," List said. "It was no strain on joints. I'm very proud that we bred such a nice horse."

Exceeding's best season was 2008, when won 7 of 17 starts and $256,848, racing for trainers Jerry Hollendorfer, Steve Knapp, and Spawr, who claimed him for $50,000 at Del Mar in July 2008.

This year, Exceeding won a $20,000 claimer at Santa Anita in February, but spent most of the summer racing in $10,000 claimers. Spawr and the partners knew it was time to end his career this fall.

"He retired sound," Spawr said. "We didn't want to run him for $10,000. Even the jockeys said he started getting smarter. It was as if he was saying, 'If I run slow, I can get back quicker.' "

A few days ago, Exceeding was already adapting to life on a 1,500-acre farm in Santa Ynez, Calif. He is under the care of Kelly Schreiner and Roger Hunter.

"He's hanging around in a round pen, coming down from his racing days," Schreiner said. "He's been upset this week. They just moved some cattle from the upper pastures to the lower pastures and he doesn't like the cattle too much. He sees them, and thinks, What are they?"

Schreiner first saw Exceeding when he won the California Sprint Championship at Bay Meadows and thought of claiming him later in his career. She wound up with him after all, and hopes to start training him for a show jumping career in the spring.

"I'll start him out on a lunge line and see what he wants to do," she said. "If not, he'll have a home here."

October 18, 2009

Idiot Proof joins Ballena Vista's 2010 roster
By Steve Andersen
Idiot Proof, a millionaire who set two track records on opposite sides of the country in 2007, has been retired from racing and will stand at Ballena Vista Farm in Ramona, Calif., in 2010, the farm announced earlier this week.

Idiot Proof ended his career with 5 wins in 17 starts and earnings of $1,294,484. He made the final start of his career in the Icecapade Stakes at Monmouth Park last month, finishing fourth.

Campaigned by breeders Pam and Marty Wygod, Idiot Proof had his best season as a 3-year-old in 2007, winning 4 of 8 starts and $803,136. The campaign was highlighted by wins in the Grade 3 Jersey Shore Breeders' Cup Stakes at Monmouth, where he ran six furlongs in a track record 1:07.47; a win in the Grade 1 Ancient Title at Santa Anita, where he ran six furlongs in 1:07.57; and a second to Midnight Lute in the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Monmouth.

Trained for most of his career by Clifford Sise, Idiot Proof made one international start, finishing second to Benny the Bull in the $2 million Golden Shaheen Sprint in Dubai in early 2008.

The 2007 Ancient Title was Idiot Proof's final win. A 5-year-old, Idiot Proof is by Benchmark, who stands for the Wygods at River Edge Farm in Buellton, Calif. Idiot Proof is out of Perfectly Pretty, a 10-year-old Bertrando mare who was a winner on the track.

Idiot Proof will stand for $1,500, according to a statement released by Ballena Vista.

His arrival for the 2010 breeding season comes two weeks after Ballena Vista lost Deputy Commander because of declining health.

Bill allows bonus for maidens

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill last weekend providing funding for the state's newly created maiden bonus program for California-breds.

The legislation approves an existing program that began Sept. 30. The program pays $20,000 to the owners of California-breds that win maiden special weight races in Southern California and $10,000 to owners whose horses win such races in Northern California. Promoters with the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association are hoping the legislation will spur interest in owning California-breds and offset the highest costs of getting yearlings to the races.

Assembly Bill 1578 will take effect Jan. 1. Until then, the program will be financed by the California Marketing Committee, which was launched in the late 1990s as a promotional tool for the state's racing industry.

Dancing in Silks eyes two BC races

California Cup Sprint winner Dancing in Silks is being considered for two Breeders' Cup sprints Nov. 7 - the $2 million Sprint and the $1 million Turf Sprint - trainer Carla Gaines said.

Dancing in Silks, 4, has won 6 of 12 starts and $367,622. He has won his last three starts, including an optional claimer and the restricted Pirate's Bounty Handicap at Del Mar.

The Grade 1 BC Sprint would be Dancing in Silks's first start in a graded stakes. The Turf Sprint is in its second year and is not graded.

If he starts in the Turf Sprint, Dancing in Silks will face fellow California-bred California Flag, who may go favored. Trained by Brian Koriner, California Flag earned an automatic berth to the BC Turf Sprint with his win in the Grade 3 Monrovia Handicap here Sept. 30.

October 11, 2009

Cal Cup changes appear necessary
By Steve Andersen
ARCADIA, Calif. - The start of October has been a rough time for California's Thoroughbred industry.

The nine races in the California Cup program at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting on Oct. 3 drew just 63 starters, including three races with five runners. In the $200,000 California Cup Classic, the day's richest event, two of the six runners did not finish because of injuries. Grazen, the 4-5 favorite, suffered a bowed tendon; Blackbriar, a fatal sesamoid injury.

Two days later, the California Cup yearling sale at Barretts last Monday saw averages prices drop 25 percent from 2008, from $16,689 to $12,413. The fall in business was not a surprise, but was still painful to officials with Barretts and the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, which jointly conducted the sale.

"When you look at every other sale across the country, the number seems to be between 25 and 35 percent, depending on which market you look at," said CTBA executive director Doug Burge. "We would have loved to have not shown that much of a decline.

"Unfortunately, in the economic climate, we'll have to get through it."

The sale topper was a California-bred Tiznow filly purchased by Budget Stable for $120,000. She was the only horse to surpass six figures, which did not surprise Kim Lloyd, the vice president of sales at Barretts. "We expected to take a hit," he said.

The yearling sale suffered a sharp decline for the second consecutive year, results that have coincided with a recession that has placed a premium on discretionary income for horse owners.

"We were at the beginning of the economic swoon and we're still in it," Lloyd said.

Burge is hoping that a newly created bonus program, which pays $20,000 to the owners of California-breds that win maiden special weight races in Southern California, and $10,000 to owners whose horses win such races in Northern California, will spur interest in owning California-breds. Such bonuses could offset the high cost of getting an inexpensive yearling to the races.

"I think the response to our new program was good. There was a buzz on the sale grounds," he said. "We just announced it. We've tried to advertise it as much as possible. I think the real advertisement is when we send the checks out."

There is concern among CTBA officials about the short fields for the California Cup, with discussions expected with track officials about possible revisions to the 20-year-old program.

One possible change is the inclusion of maiden and first-level allowance races similar to the four races run each April on California Gold Rush Day at Hollywood Park. While those Gold Rush races may not be proper stakes, they are typically well-supported. Earlier this year, those races attracted fields of 8, 9, 12, and 13.

Also, the Matron, run over 1 1/16 miles on the main track, and the Distance Handicap, run over 1 1/4 miles on turf, may be too similar to continue running both races.

"I think there is too much overlap," Burge said. "There is a need to revamp the Cal Cup."

Deputy Commander euthanized

Deputy Commander, a Grade 1 winner on the racetrack and a sire in Kentucky and California, was euthanized on Oct. 7 at Ballena Vista Farm, near Ramona, Calif., because of declining health, the farm announced earlier this week. he was 15.

Deputy Commander's last full season at stud was 2007. In recent years, he suffered from physiological and neurological problems that required hospitalization. His health declined in recent months, the farm said in a statement.

By Deputy Minister, Deputy Commander won 4 of 13 starts and $1,906,640.

October 4, 2009

Barretts sale may offer up some bargains
By Steve Andersen

After more than a year of diminishing results at horse sales throughout the country, consignors are braced for disappointment at Monday's California Cup yearling sale at Barretts in Pomona, Calif.

"It's a little scary," said Russell Drake, who directs the River Edge consignment.

"I don't think it's going to be pretty," said Sam Hendricks, who has a 35-horse consignment.

For buyers, though, there could be ample opportunities to grab a bargain in a one-day sale dominated by California-breds. The California Cup yearling sale is the most prominent yearling sale in California.

Promoters are hoping that the worst is behind the sale. Last year, the sale averaged $16,689, a 16 percent decline from 2007. With Monday's sale starting just days after the marathon Keeneland September yearling sale ended with a decline in average price of 36 percent, to $60,734, consignors and promoters are guarded.

"We took a hit last year," said Kim Lloyd, the vice-president of sales at Barretts. "Hopefully, it won't be as deep as it was as at Keeneland. How much money we have, we'll find out. I'm a glass-half-full kind of guy."

Even though the sale had a modest average last year, it has produced a few notable runners. Sunday's Grade 1 Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita has two sale graduates - Fairway Road (a $27,000 buy-back in October, and a $40,000 purchase at 2 in May) and Whispering Hush ($70,000 yearling). Whispering Hush's half-sister is Hip No. 127 on Monday.

Sunday's Grade 1 Norfolk Stakes has one sale graduate - Seattle Ruler (a $27,000 yearling), who won the Barretts Juvenile Stakes at Fairplex Park last month. Seattle Ruler's half-brother is Hip No. 248 on Monday.

Lloyd is banking on buyers taking an added interest in California-breds following the development of an incentive program launched on Wednesday that pays $20,000 to a California-bred horse who wins a maiden special weight at a Southern California Thoroughbred meeting. A bonus of $10,000 is available to the owner of a California-bred winning a maiden special weight in Northern California.

The bonus is designed to reward owners who run horses in better -class races. Aside from that, Lloyd said it will also help owners defray costs of getting horses to the races.

"I think the incentive payments have people's attention," Lloyd said. "The expenses are pretty difficult."

The first such bonus was earned on Wednesday, when Killer Bear, a Northern Devil colt, won a six-furlong maiden special weight at Santa Anita for owners Stephen Young and Steve Knapp, who is also trainer. Killer Bear earned $24,000 of the $41,200 purse and an additional $20,000 through the incentive program.

Of course, any horses bought on Monday will not earn such bonuses until next spring. There are 281 horses in the catalog of the one-day sale, which begins at 11 a.m. Pacific.

Drake is overseeing an 18-horse consignment for Marty and Pam Wygod's River Edge Farm.

"We've got some pretty nice yearlings in here, but who knows the way sales are going," he said. "I don't know how they'll do.

"If anybody is looking for a decent yearling that has good conformation and good balance, I think they'll sell pretty well. I think below that, it won't be that good. There are a lot of horses here."

Drake nominated a Benchmark-Common Truth colt, a Tribal Rule-Smooth Customer colt, and a Bertrando-My Sweet Barbara colt as three from his consignment that could attract support from buyers.

Hendricks, who has a consignment for a variety of clients, said a Benchmark-Eleanor Rose colt, a Bertrando-Shescominundone colt, and a Lemon Drop Kid-Victoria Ridge filly have caught her eye. The Lemon Drop Kid filly "could be my top horse," she said.

The Benchmark-Eleanor Rose colt is the dam's first foal. She won five races and earned $204,780 in a career highlighted by a win in the Work the Crowd Handicap at Golden Gate Fields.

September 27, 2009

Major agent at Barretts is hopeful
By Steve Andersen
With a consignment of 55 horses, bloodstock agent Andy Havens is responsible for nearly 20 percent of the 281 horses that will be offered at the California Cup yearling sale at Barretts in Pomona, Calif., on Oct. 5.

In light of a soft bloodstock market, Havens and his clients are gambling heavily on the Barretts sale through an economic climate that could politely be described as a buyer's market.

Havens has seen that first hand in recent weeks, spending time at the Keeneland September yearling sale, which has encountered widespread drops in average and gross prices compared with 2008. The same is expected to occur at Barretts, but Havens is braced for that.

"I've got to be optimistic," he said by phone from Kentucky on Thursday. "I'm at Keeneland right now. It's down and it's not like it was, but people are selling a lot of horses. The market hasn't gone away. It's gotten more selective.

"My group in California is the best I've had. I've got an extraordinary number of interesting Cal-breds, by Olmodavor, Tiznow, and Empire Maker. They're all Cal-breds and that's what guys are wanting."

The California Cup yearling sale is a joint effort between Barretts and the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association. The event is being held two days after the California Cup races at Santa Anita in an effort to lure buyers to both events. This year, the catalog has been increased, from 234 horses in 2008. Last year, 149 horses were sold for an average of $16,689, a decline of 16 percent from 2007.

The 2008 sale was conducted in late September, at the height of economic turmoil that gripped the nation. The economic situation has not brightened considerably since then, particularly in California, which has led Havens and his clients to take a realistic approach to this sale, particularly on reserve prices.

"When the time comes, everyone is aware of the commercial reality of the market," he said. "It's been like this for 12 months. Daily life has been affected by this. When reserve time comes and we have that discussion, every agent has to have a pretty heavy dose of reality.

"You really don't know what will happen. A lot of the traditional ways that you read buyer interest is kind of out of the window. You're kind of guessing. A lot of it depends on the options that the breeders have. Some may have to sell the horse or a guy is happy owning the horse. Some horses will be a lot more affected than others."

In his consignment, Havens has a mix of 46 California-breds and nine Kentucky-breds. The California-breds include fillies by Empire Maker, Olmodavor, and Tiznow. Havens described the Tiznow as a "legitimately good Tiznow."

The filly is out the first foal out of the Lion Hearted mare Storm Hearted, 7, who was winless. The yearling filly was registered as a California-bred after Storm Hearted was bred back the following year to a California-based stallion.

"I'm hoping there is enough interest to bring some positive response," Havens said. "No one has known what to make of these markets."

Promoters of California-bred racing are banking on a newly formed maiden bonus program to boost interest in statebreds. Beginning on Wednesday, the owner of a California-bred maiden winner in Southern California will receive a $20,000 bonus above purse earnings. The same race in Northern California will provide owners with a $10,000 bonus.

The bonus program is a joint operation between the CTBA and the Thoroughbred Owners of California.

"I'm really hoping that will have an impact," Havens said. "A $20,000 bonus is pretty substantial money."

September 4, 2009

Our New Recruit loses his battle with colic
By Steve Andersen
DEL MAR, Calif. - Our New Recruit, the winner of the $2 million Golden Shaheen in Dubai in 2004 and a stallion whose oldest foals are 2 this year, died on Aug. 29 after a bout with colic at Legacy Ranch in Clements, Calif, according to farm owner Pete Parrella. Our New Recruit, 10, had his first winner at Del Mar on Aug. 19 with the maiden claimer At the Front.

Parrella said that Our New Recruit had battled colic in the past.

"We'd saved him two or three times," Parrella said. "This was an unfortunate situation where we couldn't save him.

"We had him on a special diet. I guess some of them just have it. It's just a shame."

By Alphabet Soup, Our New Recruit raced for Lee and Susan Searing's CRK Stables and was trained by John Sadler. Our New Recruit won 6 of 19 starts and $1,470,915. The Golden Shaheen was by far Our New Recruit's biggest win. He later won the restricted Pirate's Bounty Handicap at Del Mar in 2004 but battled injury in 2005 and stood his first season at stud in 2006.

Parrella said that there are 16 2-year-olds in Our New Recruit's current crop, and as many as 40 yearlings.

Legacy stands Cindago, whose oldest foals are yearlings this year. There is the chance the farm could add a stallion before 2010 to replace Our New Recruit.

"We're going to support [Cindago]," Parrella said. "If the opportunity came up and somebody was looking to move a stallion to California, we would sure consider it. It would have to be the right fit, the right stallion."

A stakes winner for pocket change

Marcelo and Carlos Polanco could have paid cash for Camille C at the Barretts January mixed sale earlier this year. The 2-year-old filly cost a mere $4,200. There are trifectas that pay more.

At the time of the sale, it would have seemed impossible that such a filly would be in the winner's circle of the $100,000 Generous Portion Stakes at Del Mar on Wednesday.

Trainer Marcelo Polanco signed the ticket that day, but the filly races in the name of his brother, Carlos.

"I bought on instinct," said Carlos Polanco, the younger brother of Marcelo. "She's so beautiful, so tame. She's the perfect girl."

Camille C, by Roman Dancer, needed four races to beat maidens, racing only in maiden special weight races for California-breds. She finally won over 5 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park on July 18.

In her stakes debut, Camille C finished fourth in the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes on Aug. 7, 10 1/4 lengths behind the winner, Mi Sueno. In the Generous Portion over six furlongs, Camille C took the lead from the start, led by as many as two lengths, and won by 1 1/4 lengths over 8-5 favorite Whispering Hush, a maiden after two starts.

Camille C has won 2 of 6 starts and $118,520.

Camille C was bred by Rod and Lorraine Rodriguez. Camille C is out of the Rahy mare Paris Operetta, and is the dam's sixth named foal, five of which are winners. Camille C is by far the most successful of the group, which includes the three-time winner Song of Versailles ($58,125).

Paris Operetta did not race. Her dam, Paris Opera, won eight stakes at Aqueduct, Calder and Rockingham and earned $638,225.

Marcelo Polanco said Camille C will be pointed for the $100,000 California Cup Juvenile Fillies over 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 3. It will be her first start beyond 6 1/2 furlongs.

"I think she can relax," he said.

August 30, 2009

Unusual Heat rallies past Silic in standings
By Steve Andersen
Unusual Heat led California's stallions in progeny earnings in 2008, and he retook the lead in those rankings for 2009 with Mama Rosa's win in a maiden race on turf at Del Mar on Thursday.

Through Thursday, Unusual Heat has 2009 progeny earnings of $3,533,133, edging in front of Silic ($3,495,108), who led the sire standings since March when Gladiatorus won the $5 million Dubai Duty Free on the Dubai World Cup undercard.

Unusual Heat, who stands at Old English Rancho in Sanger, Calif., has been creeping closer to Silic, and was helped when Unusual Suspect won the $150,000 Cougar II Handicap at Del Mar earlier this month.

The two stallions have had widely diverse seasons. Unusual Heat has had 129 runners win 61 races, including eight stakes winners. His leading earner is Hot n' Dusty with $276,056. Silic has had 35 horses win 11 races. Gladiatorus has earned $3,261,499 of the stallion's total.

In 2008, Unusual Heat had progeny earnings of $5,827,517, a record for a California-based stallion. To have any chance of surpassing that mark, Unusual Heat's progeny must thrive in stakes in coming months.

Sunday, Unusual Suspect, a 5-year-old horse by Unusual Heat, starts in the $250,000 Del Mar Handicap over 1 3/8 miles on turf. The race is part of the Breeders' Cup Win and You're In Program for the BC Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 7, but Barry Abrams, who trains and co-owns Unusual Suspect, is more interested in starting Unusual Suspect a day earlier in the $500,000 BC Marathon on the main track.

Abrams said that Unusual Suspect will start in the $200,000 California Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Oct. 3 as a prep race.

Sunday, Abrams is hopeful that Unusual Suspect can hit the board.

"If he gets a good trip, I know he can handle the distance," he said. "I'm hoping to finish in the top three."

Abrams is part of the syndicate that owns Unusual Heat. He thinks the stallion will have a better 2009 than 2008. Abrams said he is hopeful that the stallion's 4-year-old daughter Lethal Heat, who was entered in Saturday's Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on turf, can start in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 6.

"I think we have better horses than last year," he said. "We should close out the year stronger than last year."

Memo headed home

The California stallion career of Memo has ended. The 22-year-old stallion is in the process of being sent to his native Chile where he will continue to stand at stud and eventually be retired, according Pat Thompson, who owns Ridgeley Farm in Hemet, which is where Memo stood in California.

Thompson said on Friday that Memo was sent to Miami to complete quarantine requirements to be shipped to the Southern Hemisphere.

"He's probably still in Miami," she said. "They said they would call when he left and arrived in Chile, and I haven't heard anything.

"They wanted to breed him again down there and they want him to be home when they retire him. He was their champion 2- and 3-year-old."

Memo produced such notable horses as McCann's Mojave, the winner of the Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulstream Park in 2007, and Grey Memo, the winner of the Godolphin Mile in Dubai in 2002.

"It was a sad day when he loaded up to go," Thompson said.

Thompson said Ridgeley plans to add a stallion for 2010.

"We haven't formulated all those plans this year," she said. "We are looking for another stud, but we haven't gotten anything in black and white."

August 23, 2009

Bootleg Annie getting better with age
By Steve Andersen
DEL MAR, Calif. - Bootleg Annie has had 10 trainers. She has been claimed five times and has raced at six tracks in Arizona and California.

Those circumstances sound like the career path of an older cheap claimer. Bootleg Annie is not one of those. She is getting older - she's 5 this year - but the story is getting more interesting by the month, and her record is getting better.

Sunday, she will attempt to win her third stakes in the $100,000 Solana Beach Handicap at Del Mar. This year, which ranks as the best of her career, she has won 4 of 7 starts and $201,928, a campaign highlighted by a front-running victory in the Fran's Valentine Stakes at Hollywood Park in April. The $50,000 that Al and Sandee Kirkwood paid to claim her in February 2008 has long since been recovered.

"She's a tough little yard dog," current trainer Kathy Walsh said affectionately after watching Bootleg Annie win in an allowance race at Hollywood Park on July 9. "She's a lovely old mare."

And the nine trainers that had Bootleg Annie before Walsh - Jeff Mullins, John F. Martin, Ron Stevens, Dan Morgan, Jerry Hollendorfer, William E. Morey, O.J Jauregui, Craig Lewis and Roy Lumm - must wonder how all this has occurred.

The $50,000 claim the Kirkwoods paid is the highest transaction price of Bootleg Annie's career. The low was $5,000 when she went from the possession of owner Robert Lazen and Stevens to owner Denny McGuire and Morgan at Turf Paradise in February 2007.

Four races later, she won the Wende Stakes at Turf Paradise during a span in which she reeled off six consecutive wins. By the time the winning streak was over, she was back in California, at Bay Meadows. She has not left the state since, racing in mid-priced claimers for most of 2007 and 2008.

Bootleg Annie was transferred from Lumm to Walsh earlier this year, and has won 4 of 5 starts for Walsh. The only blemish was a sixth-place finish at 17-1 against open company in the Redondo Beach Stakes at Hollywood Park on June 6.

She is a leading contender in the Solana Beach, which is run over a mile on turf for statebred fillies and mares.

The success has been a surprise to breeders Richard and Yvetta Wira, who owned Bootleg Annie when she went into training. The early assessment from trainer Jeff Mullins was not favorable, and Bootleg Annie was sent to Northern California. She made four starts for the Wirases and Martin before being sold privately.

Mullins, who trained Bootleg Annie only before her career began, advised the Wirases to sell and move on.

"Jeff said, 'There is not much we can do. Let's sell her inexpensively and let someone else try and go with her,' " Yvette Wira said on Thursday. "We took his advice, unfortunately."

For the Wirases, there is the consolation of breeder awards. They sold Bootleg Annie's dam, Shu Biz Annie, in foal to Tapit, for $28,000 to Bigheart Thoroughbreds at the 2008 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

Bootleg Annie is one of the most successful horses the Wirases have bred. They bred Summer Wind Dancer, a winner of 5 of 18 starts and $898,762, including four stakes.

Shu Biz Annie, who won 10 of 28 starts and $158,676, has produced four other foals, including two winners, but none has earned more than $38,000.

Bootleg Annie is the family star, and could improve on her career mark of 14 wins in 28 starts and earnings of $373,358.

August 16, 2009

Northern California yearling sale rebounds
By Steve Andersen
Well, at least the sale wasn't down.

Tuesday's Northern California yearling sale at Pleasanton showed moderate gains over the corresponding sale at Santa Rosa in 2008.

The sale finished with 110 horses selling for a gross of $566,000, an increase 12 percent over last year. The average grew by 8 percent, to $5,145, while the median of $3,250 was up 30 percent. The increase in average price reversed two years of decline.

The sale is still far from its record average of $8,192 set in its third year, 2006, but was higher than the 2008 average of $4,761. The disappointing result that year had promoters with the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association questioning whether to continue the event.

For this year, the sale was moved from Santa Rosa to Pleasanton, where it had been held in the past, and the response was favorable, according to CTBA executive director Doug Burge.

"What was encouraging was we weren't sure what to expect," Burge said. "The sale was very well attended by trainers and owners from both north and south. It's an open sale, so obviously the results are a function of the product brought to the sale.

"It was encouraging. It was good to go forward and not backward."

The sale topper was a Benchmark colt sold for $32,000 to Sierra Sunset LLC. Consigned by River Edge Farm, agent, the colt is out of the unraced Deputy Minister mare Brief Interlude and is a half-brother to Ran for the Dough. A California-bred filly, Ran for the Dough won 3 of 29 starts and $225,186. She was third, beaten a head, in the 2004 Solana Beach Handicap at Del Mar.

Three other horses sold for $25,000 or more - a Perfect Mandate filly for $27,000, a Redattore filly for $26,000 and a colt by Tannersmyman for $25,000.

This year's sale offered a smaller catalog, 185 horses compared to 206 horses last year. The percentage bought back fell, from 39 percent in 2008 to 24 percent this year.

"The real positive, granted we did have less horses, was the gross was up," Burge said. "We had a drastic decline in number of buybacks. That's a significant turnaround.

"The consignors, going into the sale, were very surprised at how busy they were. Quite a few people did very well. Some maybe are not as satisfied."

Burge said the sale will remain at Pleasanton, closer to a core of owners and trainers who base their stables at Golden Gate Fields and Pleasanton.

"It was close to where the buyers were," he said. "It showed in the number of attendees."

Burge is hopeful that the uptick in business will carry over to the California Cup yearling sale at Barretts on Oct. 5. "I'm a little more optimistic than I was," he said.

By then, a bonus program paying $20,000 to the owners of a statebred that wins a maiden special weight on the Southern California circuit (and a $10,000 bonus in Northern California) should be in effect. The bonus is currently working its way through the state Senate.

The legislation would permit the CTBA to redirect part of the money it distributes to owners toward the bonuses. The bonus would be in addition to purse earnings and is seen by the CTBA as an enticement for owners to acquire better quality California-breds and race them in maiden special weight races and not maiden claiming races.

The bonus is scheduled to take effect with the start of the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting on Sept. 30.

August 9, 2009

Hoping return to Pleasanton will boost sale
By Steve Andersen
Larry Ullmann said he is pleased with his consignment for Tuesday's Northern California yearling sale at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton.

"I've got a full sister to Run Brother Ron," he said. "I've got a Pure Prize, who is a nice filly. I just scoped her. She's clean. I've got a Good Reward."

Run Brother Run, a two-time stakes winner, was bred by Ullmann and has earned $158,836. Horses like his little sister are vital to the success of the Northern California yearling sale, which has recorded disappointing results in recent years.

Last year, the sale was held at Santa Rosa, and saw 104 horses sell for $471,700. The average was $4,536, a drop of 22 percent from the 2007 sale, which was held at Pleasanton. The sale is operated by the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association and has a catalog of 185 horses. Last year, the sale had a catalog of 208 horses, down from 264 in 2007 when the average price was $5,839.

Ullmann applauded the move back to Pleasanton this year. He said the Pleasanton venue is better because of its access to the Bay Area, and that more trainers are based there and can inspect yearlings this weekend and not on Tuesday morning.

"The money is here," he said. "It's a question of whether the people come out. I think we'll have an advantage at Pleasanton that we didn't have at Santa Rosa. We've got 30 more trainers on the grounds, within walking distance. Santa Rosa did a helluva job. It was just too far."

The one-day sale, which begins at noon, includes primarily California-breds. Ullmann, who races as SLU Inc., has a seven-horse consignment through Old English Rancho. Ullmann's group includes four fillies and three colts. The full sister to Run Brother Ron (Hip. No. 120) is by Perfect Mandate out of the stakes-placed Aloha Mangos, and is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Aloha Mangos Kitty.

The Pure Prize filly, a Kentucky-bred, is out of Storm Kisu, who was third in the 2001 California Cup Distaff at Santa Anita. The Good Reward filly, also a Kentucky-bred, is out of the unraced mare Bobbie's Badgett, a full-sister to Bold Roberta ($449,704) and Roberta's Mango ($254,203), mares that Ullmann bred and raced.

"I'm not concerned too much about the money," he said. "It's getting the people there for the sale. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. We need this sale.

"I consign everything up here. I try to support this sale."

Other prominent consignors include Jack and Barb Hatch's Green Acre Stables, Harris Farms, San Hendricks, Sue Hubbard, Mary Knight, River Edge Farm, Colleen Turpin-Boyce, Wheatland Farms, and Woodbridge Farm.

There is one filly by Unusual Heat, the state's leading stallion in 2008. The Unusual Heat filly (Hip No. 171) is consigned by Harris Farms, agent for Exclusively Ours Thoroughbreds.

The sale includes yearlings from the first crop of stallions Beau Soleil, Good Reward, Lucky Pulpit, and Uncle Denny.

The Lucky Pulpit foal is a filly consigned by Harris Farms. Her second dam is Soviet Problem, who earned $905,546 and was the California-bred horse of the year in 1994.

The Northern California sale is the first of two yearling sales in the state, followed by the California Cup yearling sale at Barretts in Pomona on Oct. 5. The California Cup yearling sale is a joint venture between the CTBA and Barretts.

August 2, 2009

$15K buy in Utah turns into major bargain
By Steve Andersen

DEL MAR, Calif. - There is still a bush track circuit in Utah, and occasionally it yields a stakes-worthy horse for the California tracks.

Dewey's Special, bought for a mere $2,200 as a 2-year-old at the 2007 Barretts January mixed sale, was based at Dixie Downs in St. George, Utah, later that year when owner Dustin Moore watched him in a workout. Moore saw enough to pay $15,000 in a private deal.

"They thought they ripped me off," Moore said.

More than two years later, Dewey's Special became a stakes winner in the $100,000 California Dreamin' Handicap over 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar on July 26. Not bad for a cheap horse intended for dusty tracks in Utah.

The only problem was it took Dewey's Special five starts and more than a year before he won his first race.

Since that maiden race win at Santa Anita in February 2008, Dewey's Special has won 3 of 5 starts and has not been worse than third. Trained by Ron Ellis, Dewey's Special was second in the $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes at Hollywood Park in April 2008, but missed the next year because of injury.

"That's what I like about Ron, if something comes up we gave him time off," Moore said. "If we hadn't given him time off, who knows what we would have had."

This year, Dewey's Special is unbeaten in three starts. He won an allowance race for statebreds on May 6, an allowance race against open company on June 21, and the California Dreamin' by three-quarters of a length over Nitro Active.

Dewey's Special has won 4 of 10 starts and $223,280, not a bad investment for a $15,000 buy-in. For Moore, it was the right amount at the right time.

"Where I grew up, you don't spend a lot on a horse," Moore said.

Dewey's Special is by Skimming out of the unraced Prized mare Shewalksinbeauty. Dewey's Special was bred by Cardiff Farm and is the dam's only stakes winner.

Moore, 37, is a third-generation horseman. His grandfather, Dewey, ran horses and had cattle in Utah. His father, Gabby, continued the tradition. Dustin Moore has a software background. A few years ago, he sold a company that provided yellow pages software to websites. In recent years, he has avidly followed racing.

This fall, Dewey's Special will be pointed for the $125,000 California Cup Mile on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 3.

"We think on turf he's stayed a little sounder," Moore said. "He comes back better. I think a mile is right up his alley."

Trail Mix still going strong at 8

Trail Mix, an 8-year-old gelding, shows no signs of slowing with age. Thursday, he won an optional claimer for statebreds over five furlongs on turf, his first win of 2009 and his 11th win in 41 career starts.

Claimed for $10,000 in March 2008, Trail Mix ran for a $25,000 claiming price on Thursday. He rallied wide under apprentice jockey Christian Santiago Reyes to win by a length.

Bred by Patricia Youngman, Trail Mix is with the final stable of his career, said co-owner and trainer Librado Boracio. He would like to retire the horse when he can no longer race.

"I want him to be happy," Boracio said. "He's a joy to have around the barn."

Boracio, 45, has just three horses in training. He says that Trail Mix reminds him of Is It True Mex, a turf sprinter who ran on this circuit earlier in the decade.

"He has so many similarities," Boracio said. "He's a turf sprinter, a big heart, and a class horse."

July 26, 2009

Kafwain makes his move
By Steve Andersen
Kafwain, the sire of The Pamplemousse, a leading 3-year-old earlier this year, has joined the stallion roster at Tommy Town Thoroughbreds in Santa Ynez, Calif., the farm announced earlier this week. Kafwain will stand for $5,000. In 2009, he stood for $6,500 at Hurstland Farm in Midway, Ky.

Tommy Town owners Tom and Debbie Stull purchased Kafwain from Darley Stud last fall, and moved him to Hurstland for the 2009 breeding season. According to Tommy Town manager Mike Allen, Kafwain was bred to 65 mares earlier this year. Allen thinks he will be bred to more mares in California.

"We wanted to see how we could do in Kentucky and what kind of book he would get," Allen said. "We think we can do better here. It would be nice to get 100 mares. If we got 75 or 80 we'd be pretty happy. I think he'll match up with California mares.

"We thought he was an up-and-coming sire. He'll be a standout."

Kafwain, 9, has sired the earners of more than $3.7 million, including the graded stakes winners Don't Forget Gil (the winner of the Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs earlier this year), Massive Drama (Grade 3 Hollywood Prevue Stakes in 2007), and The Pamplemousse. Earlier this year, The Pamplemousse won the Grade 3 Sham Stakes and the Grade 3 San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita. He was considered to be a leading candidate for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby before being sidelined by injury.

This year, Kafwain has sired the winners of $1.26 million.

On the racetrack, Kafwain won 4 of 11 starts and $715,848, racing as a 2- and 3-year-old in 2002 and 2003. Trained by Bob Baffert for The Thoroughbred Corp., Kafwain won two stakes at 2 - the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs and the Grade 2 Norfolk Stakes over 1 1/16 miles. He was second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile to eventual champion Vindication at Arlington Park that season.

In 2003, he won the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes over seven furlongs and was third behind Buddy Gil in the Santa Anita Derby. Kafwain is out of the stakes winner Swazi's Moment, by Moment of Hope.

First winner for freshman sire

Tommy Town freshman sire Ministers Wild Cat had his first winner, Minister's Fate, in a $12,500 claiming race for maidens at the Solano County Fair in Vallejo, Calif., on Wednesday.

Owned by Tommy Town Thoroughbred and trained by William Morey, Minister's Fate was making her first start and scored a half-length win in the five-furlong race. Minister's Fate is out of the Gone West mare Western Fate, who did not race. Western Fate is a half-sister to the Grade 2 winner Points of Grace.

Ministers Wild Cat stood for $7,500 in 2009, but a fee has not been determined for the 2010 season. By Deputy Minister, Ministers Wild Cat is out of Hollywood Wildcat, the 1993 champion 3-year-old filly. On the racetrack, Ministers Wild Cat won 6 of 22 starts and $368,729, including stakes at Golden Gate Fields and Woodbine.

Allen said 2-year-olds by Ministers Wild Cat are expected to start for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and John Sadler at Del Mar.

The stakes-placed juveniles Grace Upon Grace and Sweet Tigger are among 13 nominees to Wednesday's $100,000 Graduation Stakes at Del Mar. The race is restricted to California-bred and California-sired 2-year-olds and is run over six furlongs. Yogaroo, ninth in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, is also expected to start.

July 19, 2009

Lovingier likes both his babies
By Steve Andersen
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - When the breeder and owner Terry Lovingier first saw Unbridled Meeting shortly after she was born in April 2007, he did not see a potential racehorse, but a filly he might give away.

When Lovingier saw Grace Upon Grace, he wanted to fast forward the calendar to 2009 and get the colt's career underway.

Over the next 10 days, Grace Upon Grace and Unbridled Meeting will be Lovingier's best chances for a stakes win at Del Mar. Unbridled Meeting is being pointed for Friday's $100,000 California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes. Grace Upon Grace will start in the $100,000 Graduation Stakes on July 29.

Lovingier said he would not be surprised if either won, especially Unbridled Meeting, whom he decided to keep long ago.

"When she was born, I had her ranked fairly low," he said. "By darn, if she didn't get a little bit better and a little bit better. I'd have probably have given her away in the first year and a half."

Grace Upon Grace, by the Lovingier-owned stallion Rio Verde, was fourth in the Grade 3 Hollywood Juvenile Championship on July 12, a race that Lovingier and trainer Walther Solis decided to try when the race drew a small field. Only five started, and Grace Upon Grace was third on the turn before finishing fourth, 6 1/4 lengths behind the filly Necessary Evil.

"He started running at the half-mile mark and made his run a little early," Lovingier said. "He was our number one pick as a 2-year-old. He was the only one we left as a colt. I think he'll get a little better. I think he'll run a good race in the Graduation."

Lovingier, 52, lives in Los Alamitos and has a construction firm that specializes in oil refineries. He said he is in the process of cutting his work commitment to spend more time with horses.

"I cut my days in half," he said. "I'll save the rest for horse racing."

In the last few years, Lovingier has switched his approach to breeding. He still breeds extensively in California, to his stallions Nineeleven and Rio Verde, and the young California-based stallion Awesome Gambler, but also to stallions in Kentucky.

He has bred mares to Kentucky stallions Hold That Tiger, Golden Missile, Kafwain, Lion Heart, Rockport Harbor, and Tapit. He has six yearlings by Tapit, including five fillies.

"If I had a problem with a mare, I'll ship them back" to Kentucky, he said. "I've not bred as many as I have in the last few years. I probably bred 40 or 50 mares to Rio Verde and 20 mares to Nineeleven. I bred a lot of my mares to Awesome Gambler, and he's not my sire."

Unbridled Meeting is out of Cheerful Meeting, a General Meeting mare who was lost to colic earlier this year, Lovingier said. He has a yearling full brother to Unbridled Meeting at his farm, in Murrietta, Calif.

Unbridled Meeting, co-owned by Templeton Horses, won her third start, by four lengths in a five-furlong maiden race at Hollywood Park on June 4.

"She had a little throat problem," he said. "We expected her to win earlier than she did."

Grace Upon Grace is owned by a partnership. He won his debut over 4 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park on April 22 and returned to finish second in the Proctor Stakes, the first stakes for 2-year-olds in Southern California, on June 4.

If one of them were to win this month, it would be a milestone for Lovingier and underscore his favorite aspect of the sport.

"I like getting them from the start," he said. "I love raising the babies more than anything."

July 12, 2009

Bill adds bonuses for maiden wins
By Steve Andersen
Legislation that would award the owners of California-breds that win maiden special weight races throughout the state with hefty bonuses is working its way through the legislature and could take effect this fall, according to Doug Burge, general manager with the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association.

The legislation would permit the CTBA to redirect part of the money it distributes to owners toward the new bonuses. Under the plan, the owner of a California-bred that wins a maiden special weight on the Southern California circuit would receive a $20,000 bonus in addition to purse earnings. A California-bred horse that wins a maiden special weight race on the Northern California circuit would receive a $10,000 bonus.

The bonus is seen by the CTBA as enticement for owners to acquire better quality California-breds and race them in maiden special weight races instead of maiden claiming races.

Burge said the bill is not expected to face any opposition in state government. The bill passed the state Assembly in May and was approved by the Senate Governmental Organization Committee by a vote of 11-0 on Wednesday. It is expected to be heard by the full Senate in coming weeks.

If approved, the bill would not take effect until Jan. 1, but Burge said that the racing industry intends to implement the plan on Sept. 30 to coincide with the start of the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting by using money from the California Marketing Committee. The CTBA has reached an agreement with the Thoroughbred Owners of California and racetracks to launch the plan in late September. The marketing committee uses some of its budget to enhance overnight purses on major racing days, such as the American Oaks program last weekend and the Pacific Classic program at Del Mar on Sept. 6.

"We want to start sooner than later," Burge said. "The whole premise of this is to create a maiden bonus program to significantly reward a California-bred that breaks its maiden" in a special weight race.

If the plan had been in place earlier this year, Burge said that the owner of a California-bred winner of a maiden special race at Santa Anita would have earned a purse of $27,600 and an additional $20,000 paid by the CTBA within 30 days of the race.

With yearling prices depressed in the state and breeding farms reporting a decline in mares bred this year, the new program is considered a way to boost interest in the state's breeding program.

"This should generate more interest in breeding and developing young horses," Burge said.

Burge said that the minimum maiden claiming price for statebreds is being raised from $40,000 to $50,000 later this year. He said that winners of such races would still be eligible for a starter allowance against open company for horses that won their maidens for a claiming price of $40,000 or less and have not won two races.

Bootleg Annie targets Solana Beach Handicap

Bootleg Annie, who won the Fran's Valentine Stakes for statebred females at Hollywood Park in April, won a $75,400 allowance race over a mile on turf at Hollywood Park on Thursday.

The victory gave Bootleg Annie wins in half of her 28 career races and earnings of $373,358. A 5-year-old mare trained by Kathy Walsh for Al and Sandee Kirkwood, Bootleg Annie ran in claiming races in Arizona, California, and Washington until earlier this year.

Bootleg Annie, by Go for Gin, has won 4 of her last 5 starts. Walsh said that Bootleg Annie will be pointed to the $100,000 Solana Beach Handicap for statebred females over a mile on turf on Aug. 23.

June 28, 2009

Dixie Chatter retired to stud at River Edge
By Steve Andersen
Dixie Chatter, a stakes winner each of the last three seasons, has been retired from racing and will stand the 2010 breeding season at co-owner Marty Wygod's River Edge Farm in Buellton, Calif., Wygod said on Thursday.

Dixie Chatter made the final start of his career in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Hollywood Park on May 25, finishing fifth, two lengths behind Thorn Song. Dixie Chatter emerged from that race with a tendon injury, according to Wygod and trainer Richard Mandella.

A 4-year-old by Dixie Union, Dixie Chatter was recently sent to River Edge Farm, Mandella said. Dixie Chatter retired with 4 wins in 13 starts and earnings of $464,606.

At 2, he won the Grade 1 Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita, but was kept out of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Monmouth Park because of illness. He was later diagnosed with an injury to a hind ankle that kept him out of training for two months in the winter of 2007-08.

Last year, Dixie Chatter won a division of the restricted Oceanside Stakes on turf at Del Mar. Shortly after that race, owner-breeder Herman Sarkowsky sold a share of Dixie Chatter to Marty and Pam Wygod. Dixie Chatter was later third in the Grade 2 Oak Tree Derby at Santa Anita in October.

Earlier this year, Dixie Chatter won the Grade 2 Arcadia Handicap and was third in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile, both on turf at Santa Anita.

By Dixie Union, Dixie Chatter is out of the Deputy Minister mare Mini Chat. He joins a stallion roster at River Edge that includes Benchmark, Bertrando, and Tribal Rule. A fee for Dixie Chatter will be determined within a month, Marty Wygod said.

"We need a good stallion like him in California," he said.

Consignor shifts base to Del Mar

Murray Smith, a prominent consignor to 2-year-olds in training sales, has relocated her operation from Ocala, Fla., to Del Mar, Calif.

Smith, 47, said she toured the Del Mar area after the Barretts May sale of 2-year-olds in training and decided to make the move after returning to Florida.

"For the first time, I said, 'I don't want to be here,' " she said.

Smith said she has put her 52-acre Ocala training center up for sale. The farm has 36 stalls.

"I built it from the ground up," she said.

Smith consigned the sale topper at the Barretts March sale in 2005 and 2008. She sought advice from Barretts and Del Mar racetrack officials before reaching her decision to move.

Smith said she plans to attend yearling sales to seek prospects, but has not finalized how she will operate her pinhooking operation in California. One option is to prepare the young horses at the Rancho Paseana training center, near Del Mar.

"Right now, my plan is not concrete," she said. "I'm soaking in all of Del Mar."

In addition to consigning horses, Smith has owned some horses she has been unable to sell, such as Wild Fit, the winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante in 2005, and Glitter City, who was second in the Landaluce Stakes at Hollywood Park last summer. Wild Fit was later sold for $3 million.

Smith said wants to attract new owners to the sport.

"I want to bring some new blood into Thoroughbred racing," she said. "I think I can help the business as a whole. I'm going to go buy yearlings. I want to buy 2-year-olds at the sales and get people some action."

June 21, 2009

A historic first for Cal-bred
By Steve Andersen
First, he made a habit of winning stakes throughout the nation with California-breds. Then, he bred and trained a California-bred filly who set a world record for 4 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland in April 2007.

This week, breeder-trainer Wesley Ward's California-bred 2-year-olds went international - and made history.

Tuesday, the Ward-trained California-bred Strike the Tiger won the Windsor Castle Stakes at the Royal Ascot meeting in England, becoming the first American-trained winner of that historic race meeting.

The next day, Ward won the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes for 2-year-old fillies with Jealous Again, a Florida-bred.

Reached by phone Thursday evening in London, where he and a group of friends and family were celebrating the success, Ward was somewhere between enthusiastic and giddy over the week's events.

"That was fantastic," he said of Strike the Tiger's win. "We were so excited."

Strike the Tiger, a gelding, is by Tiger Ridge out of the In Excess mare R Lucky Strike. Tiger Ridge, a 13-year-old half-brother to the stallions A.P. Indy and Summer Squall, stood at stud in Florida for several years but is now at stud in South Africa.

R Lucky Strike was bred to Tiger Ridge in 2006 and was later sent to California. R Lucky Strike foaled Strike the Tiger on Feb. 9, 2007. Later that year, R Lucky Strike was bred to Tribal Rule. She has a yearling filly by that stallion.

It is the female side of Strike the Tiger's family that has strong roots in California racing and breeding.

R Lucky Strike, 6, had 1 win in 3 starts and earnings of $37,666, all in 2005. She won her debut at Del Mar in a maiden special weight race, finished fourth in the Generous Portion Stakes for statebred 2-year-old fillies, and was fifth in an allowance race at Fairplex Park in September 2005, her final start.

Strike the Tiger is her first foal. Ward said Thursday that R Lucky Strike is at his farm in Ocala, Fla.

R Lucky Strike is out of Osho Togo, a Strike Gold mare who won 3 of 13 starts and $59,150 in 2001 and 2002. Trained by Doug O'Neill, Osho Togo was a California-bred who won three claiming races. She was claimed for $10,000 in her final start in early 2002.

Long before Tuesday's milestone win, Ward had significant success with other California-breds. He trained the multiple stakes winner Men's Exclusive, who earned more than $1.4omillion racing in the late 1990s and earlier this decade. Earlier this decade, he trained the mare Bear Fan, who won five stakes and earned $808,150. Last year, one of his leading 2-year-olds was the California-bred filly My Sweet Natalie, winner of two stakes at Calder.

Ward also bred and trained One Hot Wish, a California-bred by Bring the Heat that ran 4 1/2 furlongs in a world-record time of 48.87 seconds at Keeneland in April 2007.

For Ward, an era ended when he relocated his family and racing and breeding operation to Florida a few years ago. Asked on Thursday if he had any horses remaining in California, Ward said, "Not a one."

June 7, 2009

Fantastic Look a quality mare to the end
By Steve Andersen
The final foal produced by Grade 1 winner and producer Fantastic Look is a California-bred colt by Salt Lake who is considered something of a bonus at Golden Eagle Farm in Ramona, Calif.

The colt was born May 29. Sadly, a few hours later Fantastic Look died of injuries suffered while foaling, according to Golden Eagle Farm general manager Janine McCullough. The mare was 23 and had been bred and raced by the Mabee family, which owns Golden Eagle Farm.

The Salt Lake colt has been transferred to a nurse mare and is responding well, McCullough said.

"He's got four white socks and he's full of beans," McCullough said.

Fantastic Look produced a California-bred filly by Salt Lake in 2007 and that foal was expected to be her final one. The Mabee family had wanted a filly, and Fantastic Look was then retired from breeding.

The mare was a product of the Mabees's nationwide racing and breeding program. They campaigned Fantastic Look, who earned $681,247 in a career highlighted by a victory in the Grade 1 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park in 1989. The family owned the mare until her death, basing her in Kentucky until a few years ago when she was moved to California.

Retirement from breeding did not suit Fantastic Look a few years ago, McCullough said.

"She was coming off her feed," McCullough said. "She wasn't social anymore. I talked with the vets, and we decided to breed her because she was happier when she was pregnant. She looked awesome until the day she left us."

The colt's foaling on May 29 had a surprise element. The mare had been transferred to a different paddock than her normal one and delivered the foal when the farm's veterinarians were on the opposite side of the property, attending to horses.

"She foaled all by herself," McCullough said.

It was later that night that she took a turn for the worse, McCullough said.

Toward the end of her life, Fantastic Look was bred every other year.

"I usually stop breeding them when they get to 19 or 20 years old, but she seemed to fall apart when we left her open," McCullough said.

Fantastic Look's 2-year-old filly is named Saltendepity and worked three furlongs in 35.80 seconds at the San Luis Rey Downs training center in San Diego County on Wednesday. Saltendepity is one off 14 2-year-olds that Golden Eagle Farm hopes to have on the track this year.

Saltendepity is based with Paul Schiewe at San Luis Rey and will be transferred to Ben Cecil during the summer.

McCullough said Golden Eagle is excited about the prospects for the Kentucky-bred Betty's Baroness, a half-sister to the California-bred millionaire General Challenge by Smarty Jones.

While the 2-year-olds are preparing to race, the farm's emphasis is changing. In 2007, Larry Mabee, who operates Golden Eagle with his mother, Betty, said the farm planned to downsize, leaving its Ramona base for a smaller farm in Rancho Santa Fe, near Del Mar.

The Mabees had hoped to have completed the move by this summer, but McCullough said the earliest Golden Eagle can start operating at the new property is in the second half of 2010. There have been delays dealing with county and Rancho Santa Fe officials, McCullough said.

McCullough said Golden Eagle has sold a 220-acre parcel of its property, which was known as the yearling division, to a family that intends to start a Thoroughbred retirement farm.

The sale, completed last month, has led to the consolidation of operations onto a 550-acre main property.

May 31, 2009

Owner shifts focus from Chevys to Beamers
By Steve Andersen
After more than two decades in racing, Nick Alexander decided to shift his emphasis a few years ago. Out went the claimers, and the turnover associated with that aspect of the sport, and in came the broodmares and a small farm in the Santa Ynez Valley in central California.

Alexander, the 66-year-old owner of a BMW dealership in Los Angeles, decided to go boutique.

"We've had mostly claiming horses for 28 years," he said in the Hollywood Park paddock last weekend. "I was getting older and it wasn't working the other way."

The new philosophy could produce a graded stakes winner this month when Grazen starts in the Grade 3, $100,000 Affirmed Handicap on June 20. And the promising 3-year-old has a connection to Alexander's old way of doing business. Grazen's dam, Hazen, was a claimer that Alexander campaigned with trainer Mike Mitchell, with whom he has been associated since the early 1980s.

Hazen is part of Alexander's 16-strong broodmare band at his Horse Haven farm in Santa Ynez. He bought the farm earlier in this decade. "We've turned a walnut orchid into a horse farm," Alexander said.

To build his team, Alexander went to the Keeneland November sale and bought a few broodmares. He has since bred the mares back to California-based stallions such as Benchmark, Bertrando, Game Plan, Old Topper, Salt Lake, Tribal Rule, and Unusual Heat. Bloodstock advisor Kathy Berkey has helped Alexander plan the matings.

Alexander called the 16 broodmares "a comfortable number."

"We can have 12 to 14 foals a year," he said.

Hazen was purchased privately by Alexander at the end of her racing career, after she was claimed from Alexander. She won 8 of 30 starts and $200,188 and is the dam of two-time winner Ruby Haze, who has earned $33,120.

Hazen also is the dam of a 2-year-old colt by Unusual Heat, a yearling full sister to Grazen, and a Tribal Rule suckling, and she has been bred back to Heatseeker in Kentucky.

Grazen, by Benchmark, has won 2 of 3 starts and $75,400. After finishing 10th in his career debut at Santa Anita last September, Grazen rebounded to win the NTRA Stakes for California-bred maidens on Gold Rush Day on April 25. His victory in an allowance race over 1 1/16 miles on May 23 stamped him as a prospect for the Affirmed.

"That was a good race," Alexander said. "We raced the mare on the turf and she was a come-from-behinder. We've gotten a kick out of the fact that [Grazen] shows speed."

Grazen led throughout the May 23 race and repelled a bid in early stretch from the 7-year-old gelding Ukiah to win by three-quarters of a length. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 90 in his first route race.

"It was like a workout," Mitchell said. "He came out of it pretty good."

Mitchell supported Alexander's move to quality over quantity. "He's paying some good stud fees," he said. "He really deserves a good horse."

The prospect of a graded stakes win is new territory for Alexander.

"The Affirmed scares me," he said. "Historically, I haven't had a stakes horse, so it's a big leap for me. We've had mostly claiming horses for 28 years. We've had a couple of horses stakes-placed."

Alexander spends two days a week at the farm and plans to spend more time there. He has turned over the day-to-day operations of his car business to his daughter.

"It's allowed me to spend more time with the horses," he said.

May 1, 2009

Thor's Echo breeder Warner dies at 65
By Steve Andersen
Steve Warner, whose involvement in racing evolved from that of a fan to the owner of a backstretch feed company business and later to the breeder of a Breeders' Cup winner, died April 25 after a bout with cancer.

A native of Philadelphia, Warner was 65. He was a fixture on the backstretches of Southern California in recent years, making the rounds on behalf of Steve Warner Thoroughbred Maintenance, his feed company.

Warner took enormous pride in his success as a breeder. Warner was a co-breeder of Thor's Echo, winner of the 2006 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs, and Dancing Edie, winner of the Grade 1 John Mabee Handicap at Del Mar in 2006 and a starter in the 2006 BC Filly and Mare Turf.

"It's unbelievable that this could be happening to us," Warner said at the time.

In an interview with Daily Racing Form last summer, Warner said he never had more than three or four mares at a time.

Thor's Echo, the champion sprinter of 2006, was bred by Warner in partnership with Carlton Block, Harry Forman, and Carl Smith as a result of the mating of Swiss Yodeler and Helen of Troy. Smith, a groom for trainer Mike Harrington, had a season to Swiss Yodeler but did not have a mare. Warner and his partners suggested Helen of Troy.

"It was all through charity and good feelings," Warner said last summer, recalling the mating.

Warner and his partners sold Thor's Echo after the horse's first few races and sold a majority of Dancing Edie after she began to blossom.

Warner also campaigned Smokin Charlotte, winner of the 2002 Fran's Valentine Stakes at Hollywood Park.

Last summer, Warner was excited about the prospects of Serena's Echo, who is now a 3-year-old full sister to Thor's Echo, and of a yearling half-brother to Thor's Echo by Unusual Heat.

In recent months, Warner was unable to spend time at the races because of his illness.

The feed company will continue operating, according to Rick Rudman, who worked alongside Warner and will maintain the business. Rudman had a first-hand account of Warner's success as a breeder, frequently hearing the pride-filled stories.

"He started out selling feed, and his horses just grew and grew with broodmares," Rudman said.

Warner came to racing through the garment industry and was a lifelong follower of the sport. Rudman remembers Warner telling a story of a high school teacher who wrote in his graduation yearbook, "See you at the races."

A day after Warner's death, Gale in the Vale, partially owned by his Fast Lane Farms, won a $12,500 claiming race at Hollywood Park.

Warner is survived by is wife, Andrea, and two children. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made to a racing-related charity.

Barretts sale catalogs 263

Redattore, the sire of Snow Chief Stakes winner Compari, is represented at the Barretts May sale of 2-year-olds in training on May 11. Redattore is the sire of Hip No. 234, a colt out of the Crafty Prospector mare Darling Clementine

Barretts recently released a supplemental catalog of 13 additional 2-year-olds that will be sold May 11, bringing the number cataloged to 263. The one-day sale features juveniles from several nationally prominent consignors.

Training previews are scheduled for Thursday and Friday at Fairplex Park, beginning at 10 a.m. each morning.

Compari won his stakes debut in the Snow Chief Stakes on April 25 and is expected to start in a graded stakes in June at Hollywood Park.

April 19, 2009

Georgie Boy top star for Gold Rush
By Steve Andersen
Georgie Boy's perfect year has a chance to continue in the $150,000 Tiznow Stakes on California Gold Rush Day at Hollywood Park next Saturday.

A winner of two stakes at Santa Anita earlier this year - the Sunshine Millions Dash and the Grade 2 San Carlos - Georgie Boy is the best-known name among the probable starters for the 10-race Gold Rush program for statebreds.

Garrett Gomez, Georgie's Boy's regular rider, is scheduled to ride.

Trained by Kathy Walsh for breeder George Schwary, Georgie Boy, 4, has been the top sprinter in California this year. Georgie Boy has won six stakes in his career, including the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity in September 2007.

Walsh had considered sending Georgie Boy out of town this spring for the Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland on April 11 and the Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park on May 25, and may still ship to New York.

"We'll run him and then we'll see," Walsh said.

The Tiznow Stakes is one of six races worth $150,000 or more on the Gold Rush program.

The richest race of the day is the $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes for 3-year-olds. Feisty Suances and Unbridled Roman, fifth and sixth in the Santa Anita Derby on April 4, and the two-time stakes winner Triumphant Flight are the leading contenders.

The top race for females is the $200,000 Melair Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Beltene, the winner of the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Oaks over six furlongs in January, will attempt to rebound following two losses in March.

There are two $150,000 turf races - the Khaled Stakes over 1 1/8 miles and the Fran's Valentine Stakes for females over 1 1/16 miles.

The Fran's Valentine field will include Bel Air Sizzle, who won the Valentine Dancer Stakes and was second in the Grade 2 Santa Ana Handicap during the Santa Anita meeting.

Mr. Wolverine, who won the 2008 Khaled Stakes, may start, though trainer Jorge Gutierrez is considering a race at Golden Gate Fields the same day and the Tiznow Stakes. Mr. Wolverine was second in the Sensational Star Handicap at Santa Anita on March 29 in his first start of 2009.

Golden Doc A will make her 2009 debut in the $150,000 B. Thoughtful Stakes for fillies and mares over seven furlongs. She won the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes in 2008, and has not started since finishing 10th in the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill Downs last November.

"This is the first time she's run off a layoff," trainer Barry Abrams said. "I expect a good race."

Smaller catalog for Barretts sale

The Barretts May sale of 2-year-olds in training on May 11 will have 250 horses, considerably fewer than the 2008 sale of 329 horses.

The 2008 sale averaged $53,173, a decline of 15 percent from a record sale in 2007 that averaged $62,604. The 2008 sale had an average price that was 1 percent higher than the 2006 average of $52,573.

Last year, the sale topper was a Harlan's Holiday filly that sold for $700,000.

This year's sale will have training previews on May 7 and 8 at Fairplex Park, which like Barretts is on the Los Angeles County fairgrounds in Pomona. The sale includes consignments from locally and nationally prominent horsemen. The sale includes one colt and one filly by Unusual Heat, the leading sire in California in 2008.

April 12, 2009

Calif. farms struggling for stallion bookings
By Steve Andersen
The breeding season reaches its unofficial halfway point this week, and the last two months have not been an easy time for many Thoroughbred breeding farms in California.

An economy in a recession, combined with the high costs of keeping Thoroughbreds in California, has resulted in many stallions having smaller books of mares this year. The expected cutback in mares bred has led to concern that the state's Thoroughbred crop will fall in coming years and affect the number of racehorses available for the state's two major circuits.

According to Jockey Club statistics, the number of mares bred in California has been dropping in recent years. There were 4,911 mares bred in 2006, 4,700 in 2007, and 4,023 in 2008. The figures is expected to drop again this year.

The outlook on the current breeding season varies among four farm managers and owners contacted this week. Some were resigned to managing stallions that will have smaller crops this year. Others were surprised that some mare owners were content leaving mares barren this year to reduce costs.

At Tommy Town Thoroughbreds in Santa Ynez, farm manager Mike Allen described business as "pretty slow."

He has taken to heavily discounting some of the farm's stallions to attract clients, all the while trying to coax breeders not to give up.

"I've had some people call and they say, 'Do you know anyone who wants the mare and the foal?' " he said. "It's pretty unusual. It doesn't make sense to me. If you're going to pay board for another year, it would make sense to breed the mare. I've offered some clients reduced breedings or free breedings."

Allen said that the farm has foaled 82 mares this year.

"Normally, we'd have 140 mares," he said. "I hope it's better next year."

At River Edge Farms in Buellton, the presence of the prominent stallion Tribal Rule has helped lure mares. Tribal Rule, who stands for $7,500, an increase from $5,000 last year, will be bred to more than 100 mares this year, according to farm manager Russell Drake.

Overall, Drake expects a decline, with less support for well-known stallions such as Benchmark and Bertrando.

"I don't think it's quite as good as it was last year," he said. "Benchmark and Bertrando have been slacked off."

Fees for Benchmark and Bertrando have been cut. Benchmark is $4,000, down from $10,000, while Bertrando was cut from $12,500 to $10,000.

"I think everyone is trying to find the best deal they can," Drake said. "I think there are less people breeding this year. I've never seen people have horses and not breed them, and we're seeing a little of that. Next year will be the telling story."

Drake is in the fortunate position of having three well-regarded stallions. He worries for other farms, with lesser stallions.

"If there are those that aren't doing as much, there are a lot that aren't doing anything," he said.

The stallion Marino Marini and freshman stallion McCann's Mojave have helped Rancho San Miguel in San Miguel stay close to last year's figure for mares bred, according to farm manager Clay Murdock.

"We're hanging in there," he said. "You'd always like more. I'm trying to be realistic with this market."

Murdock said that McCann's Mojave should attract about 50 mares, while Marino Marini will be bred to 60 to 70 mares. Formal Gold, 16, who stands for $5,000 will have a book of 25 to 30 mares, down from about 45 in 2008, Murdock said.

"It doesn't do any good to sit back and sing gloom and doom," he said. "You have to work harder for the mares and rely on your old clientele. I'm sure my boss wishes there was more."

Scoop Vessels, who owns Vessels Stallion Farm in Bonsall, said some mare owners have changed their minds in recent weeks and may indeed breed mares this year. But time is running out to make plans for this season. The farm expects to breed mares until early June.

"We did a lot of talking," he said. "It seems to be turning in the last three weeks or a month. People are thinking of breeding their mares.

"Thoroughbred-wise, we cut our fees quite a bit and that has helped. We're not having the best of seasons."

The farm also has a nationally prominent Quarter Horse division.

Vessels said that In Excess's fee was cut to $12,500 this year, having been as high as $20,000 in past seasons. Vessels predicted that In Excess will be bred to 75 mares.

"It's pretty cut and dry," he said. "The upper-crust horses will do okay, maybe not as good, the young horses starting out aren't going to struggle."

A newly enacted bonus that pays the owners of a California-bred who wins a maiden special weight race in Southern California an additional $20,000 (or $10,000 in Northern California) was described by Vessels as a "pretty big Band-Aid."

"It helps," he said. "The incentive program is very good and a California-bred can do quite well. This is another boost in that program."

April 5, 2009

Gladiatorus turns Silic into hot commodity
By Steve Andersen
Until last weekend, Silic was living a somewhat quiet existence as a stallion at Getaway Thoroughbred Farm in Romoland, Calif.

Business has picked up noticeably since Silic's son Gladiatorus pulled an upset in the $5 million Dubai Duty Free at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse on the undercard of the Dubai World Cup on March 28.

"The phone has been ringing off the hook," said farm manager Nadine Anderson. "We've had interest in standing the horse in the Southern Hemisphere. We're definitely booking a lot of mares."

Silic, 14, stands for $3,500 and will have a book limited to 60 mares, Anderson said. He joined Getaway's stallion roster in late 2006, having previously stood in Kentucky.

Silic's first crops in California will be small. Anderson said that farm owner Dinesh Maniar enjoys studying pedigrees and has been very selective regarding which mares are chosen.

"We didn't breed many mares to him the first year, and the second year he bred 24," she said of the 2007 and 2008 breeding seasons.

"We haven't really pushed him. A lot of people are calling. It's been good and gives me a chance to look at some pedigrees. We'll close his book at 60. We're creeping up on that.

"That's the way the farm is. [Maniar] doesn't want a great big commercial enterprise. He'd rather breed a small group of mares than a bunch of mares."

Silic won the Breeders' Cup Mile at Gulfstream Park in 1999, the year he won the Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile at Hollywood Park. He successfully defended his title in the 2000 Shoemaker and ended his career with a record of 8 wins in 15 starts and earnings of $1,422,299.

"We bought a bunch of mares to support the horse," Anderson said. "We bought some imported mares from England and are trying to do a very strong turf program for him."

Gladiatorus, 4, has won 9 of 12 starts. A Kentucky-bred, Gladiatorus won 6 of 9 starts in Europe in 2007, including three listed stakes in Italy, He missed all of 2008, but is unbeaten in three starts this year in Dubai, all on turf. Gladiatorus races for Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed al-Maktoum.

Getaway also stands Best Minister, by Deputy Minister. Best Minister's oldest foals are yearlings this year.

"I can hardly wait till next year," Anderson said, in anticipation of Best Minister's first runners.

Getaway has a five-eighths-mile training track as well as a stallion operation. One 2-year-old at the farm this spring is a full sister to Bob Black Jack, the California-bred horse of the year in 2008. The filly is scheduled to be sent to trainer Jim Kasparoff at Hollywood Park on Monday, Anderson said.

Lucky J.H. sent to stand at Harris Farms

The multiple stakes winner Lucky J.H. will stand at Harris Farms this spring after being retired in late March because of an injury, the farm announced on Friday.

Lucky J.H. won 8 of 20 starts and $632,065. He was being trained for a start in the $125,000 Sensational Star Handicap on March 29 when a suspensory injury was detected.

Trained by Carla Gaines and owned by Harris Farms owner John Harris, Lucky J.H., 7, won four stakes - the Tiznow Stakes and Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap in 2006, and the Sensational Star and Impressive Luck handicaps in 2008.

"I hate to have to stop on him now as he had a big year ahead in 2009, but due to a training injury, we have sent him to the farm to embark on a new stallion career," Harris said in a statement.

By Cee's Tizzy, Lucky J.H. will stand for a private fee, the farm said.

March 29, 2009

Two Cal-bred stakes winners retired
By Steve Andersen
Christiana's Heat and Lucky J.H., California-breds who won stakes on the hillside turf course earlier at the Santa Anita meeting, have been retired after sustaining injuries.

Lucky J.H., the winner of 8 of 20 starts and $632,065, recently suffered a suspensory injury, according to trainer Carla Gaines. The injury was detected a few days after Lucky J.H. worked five furlongs in 59 seconds at Santa Anita on March 20. Lucky J.H. was being prepared for a start in Sunday's $125,000 Sensational Star Handicap for statebreds when the injury was diagnosed.

"He's never had any ligament problems," she said. "He's had some feet problems."

Owned by breeder John Harris, Lucky J.H. won four stakes, beginning with the Tiznow Stakes and Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap at Hollywood Park in 2006. Last year, he won the Sensational Star Handicap in April and the Impressive Luck Handicap here in December. Both of those races were over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita.

By Cee's Tizzy, Lucky J.H. made only four starts in 2008, a season plagued by quarter cracks. This year, he made two starts, finishing 12th in the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Turf and fifth in the Crystal Water Handicap.

Christiana's Heat ended her career as a winner. Shortly after a victory in the Irish O'Brien Stakes on March 15, she was diagnosed with swelling in a leg, trainer Steve Knapp said.

"She came out of the race with a little filling," he said. "Four days later, we X-rayed it. She'd hurt a sesamoid. It was time to retire her."

Knapp estimated that Christiana's Heat would have needed at least six months off before resuming training, meaning she would not have started until late this year at the earliest.

Because she is 5, the decision was made to retire her. Christiana's Heat won 5 of 24 starts and $332,332. By Unusual Heat, Christiana's Heat is owned by Albert and Kathleen Mattivi. In addition to her victory in the Irish O'Brien for statebred fillies and mares, Christiana's Heat placed in three stakes on the hillside turf course between last October and January.

Knapp said that Christiana's Heat will be sent to Kentucky and bred to Yes It's True.

Sale goes back to Pleasanton

The 2009 Northern California yearling sale, to be held Aug. 11, has been shifted back to the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton after being held at Santa Rosa last year.

The sale was conducted at Pleasanton from its inauguration in 2004 until 2007, then was shifted to Santa Rosa. Last year, officials with the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, which operates the sale, said that one of the reasons for the venue shift was a move from temporary stalls at Pleasanton to permanent stalls on the backstretch of the Santa Rosa fair.

In a statement on the CTBA's website, the association said that Pleasanton officials will provide "the safest portable stalls available" for this year's sale. The 2009 sale has an entry fee of $300 and a minimum commission of $500. The entry deadline is April 3.

The sale had a poor year in 2008, with 104 horses selling for an average of $4,536, a decline of 22 percent from 2007.

The Northern California sale has always been geared toward a regional market, with prices that reflect that. In 2006, the sale average $8,192, the highest figure since the one-day event was launched.

Over the years, the sale has produced such stakes winners as Bai and Bai (who earned $724,983), Sierra Sunset, and Autism Awareness.

March 22, 2009

At new barn, Singletary also at crossroads
By Steve Andersen
Five years after the biggest win of his career, the Breeders' Cup Mile, Singletary faces a pivotal year as a stallion in 2009.

His first 2-year-olds, a crop of 46, will reach the racetrack this year, and the success of those horses will determine how much enthusiasm breeders show for the stallion next year.

Singletary also has switched farms. He is standing his first season at Harris Farms, near Coalinga, Calif., having previously stood at Cardiff Stud Farm in Atascadero, Calif.

Singletary stands for $2,500, and has been bred to a small book of mares.

"It's been slow," said Dave McGlothlin, manager of Harris Farms. "He's in the bubble year of his stallion career with his first crop of 2-year-olds. We're hopeful that a few of them are able to hit the board and show some of the talent that he had.

"If they do well at Del Mar, I'll be very happy."

A 9-year-old by Sultry Song, Singletary won 8 of 22 starts and $1,754,312. Aside from the BC Mile at Lone Star Park in 2004, Singletary won six other stakes, including the Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile and Arcadia Handicap at Santa Anita.

With his success concentrated on turf, Singletary may not be the first choice for some main-track-oriented California breeders, but Billy Koch, the founder and managing partner of the Little Red Feather syndicate which campaigned Singletary, is hopeful the stallion's foals will run well on the state's synthetic tracks.

"Hopefully, they'll be able to run on any surface," he said.

Koch, an avid promoter of Thoroughbred racing in California, is forming a partnership of three 2-year-olds by Singletary who will race later this year under the Little Red Feather banner. Koch said that some of the owners involved with Singletary's campaign earlier this decade will be partners on the 2-year-olds, who will be trained by Bob Baffert, Marty Jones, and Mike Puype.

The ownership group includes Steve Sahadi, who operates Cardiff. The 2-year-olds are bound for San Luis Rey Downs in San Diego County in coming weeks to continue preparation for their careers, Koch said.

"They're nice-looking California-bred babies," Koch said. "Hopefully, they'll be ready by late summer or early fall."

Koch said that Little Red Feather has retained an ownership share in Singletary during his stallion career.

Singletary was one of seven stallions who entered stud in California in 2006 whose first foals will reach the racetrack this year. The group includes Excessive Barb, Emeritus, Ministers Wild Cat, Our New Recruit, Race for Glory, and Strive.

Big-money victory

By trainer Steve Knapp's estimation, Christiana's Heat's victory in the $125,000 Irish O'Brien Stakes last Sunday was worth much more than the first-place purse of $75,000.

The turf sprint for California-bred fillies and mares was Christiana's Heat's first stakes win, and greatly enhanced her value.

"She's worth a couple hundred thousand and maybe $300,000 as a broodmare," Knapp said. "She loves the sprints."

Christiana's Heat, 5, races for Albert and Kathleen Mattivi and has won 5 of 24 starts and $332,332. Christiana's Heat is by leading California sire Unusual Heat out of the Tiffany Ice mare Silverstrike.

In the Irish O'Brien, Christiana's Heat stalked the pace on the hillside turf course and outgamed Waveline to win by a nose. Christiana's Heat finished third in three turf sprint stakes from early October until January.

Knapp said the Fran's Valentine Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on turf at Hollywood Park April 25 may be Christiana's Heat's next start.

February 15, 2009

Impressive winner Maui Mark not for sale
By Steve Andersen
ARCADIA, Calif. - The answer was quick and to the point, especially for the loquacious Howard Zucker.

"No."

That was Zucker's response when he received a phone call on Friday morning, inquiring about a potential sale of Maui Mark, the winner of Thursday's seventh race.

Maui Mark returned from a layoff of more than eight months to win the second race of his career in the optional claimer for California-breds. The victory has Zucker, who trains the 4-year-old gelding, and the partnership that owns him, eager to see what Maui Mark can accomplish this year - for them.

"He's not for sale," Zucker said. "I wouldn't take an offer on a horse that's not for sale. It's a jinx."

Maui Mark ran six furlongs in 1:09.26, closing from fourth in a field of 11 to win by a length over Buck's Bro.

"He did it without a whole lot of training, just a couple of months of breezes," Zucker said.

Bred by Steve Warner's Fast Lane Farms, and co-owned by him and others, Maui Mark made four starts last year, with his only win occurring in a maiden special weight race for statebreds at Santa Anita.

Zucker described Maui Mark as "a little erratic" last year, but said the gelding has settled down.

The victory on Thursday has Zucker hoping to run Maui Mark in the $150,000 Tiznow Stakes at 7 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park in late April, which is part of the California Gold Rush Day of stakes for statebreds.

"I think that will be perfect for him," Zucker said.

Maui Mark is likely to have a prep race in a first-condition allowance against open company in March. Such a race would offer a $48,000 purse, with an additional $14,400 available to California-breds. Essentially, it would be a $62,400 purse for horses such as Maui Mark.

"I'm going to look for a race over 6o1/2 or seven [furlongs] against open company," Zucker said. "With the bonus, it will be well worth it."

Maui Mark is by Unusual Heat, the leading sire in California, with 2009 progeny earnings of $669,738 through Thursday. In 2008, Unusual Heat set a single-season record for a California sire with progeny earnings of $5,827,513.

Maui Mark is out of Dalymount, a 13-year-old mare by Man From Eldorado. Dalymount was winless in one start. She has done much better as a broodmare. Aside from Maui Mark, who has earned $70,080, she is the dam of Cinder Cone, who has earned $106,519.

A full brother to Maui Mark, the California-bred Cinder Cone finished second in an optional claimer at Laurel last month. He was trained by Zucker for a partnership that included Fast Lane Farms until the middle of last year.

Barretts sale lists only 123 horses

The Barretts sale of selected 2-year-olds in training on March 10 will have a small catalog.

The sales company in Pomona, Calif., recently released its catalog online, listing 123 horses. There are 17 California-breds in the sale.

By comparison, the 2008 sale had a catalog of 190 horses, with 73 horses selling for an average of $178,027. There were 59 horses listed as not sold and 58 withdrawn.

The 2009 catalog is the smallest since 166 horses were offered in 2002. Since then, the sale has offered between 174 horses (in 2004) and 206 horses (in 2003).

The upcoming sale will be supported by such prominent consignors as Jerry Bailey Sales Agency, B.C.3 Thoroughbreds, Wavertree Stable, Andy Havens Bloodstock, Eddie Woods, and Scanlon Training Center.

Bailey led all consignors last year, selling six horses for $450,000. Stonestreet Stable led all buyers, buying three horses for $1.76 million. Stonestreet bought the sale topper, a Silver Deputy filly purchased for $800,000. Her name is Candescent and she has yet to start.

February 1, 2009

Beltene's breeder feels seller's remorse
By Steve Andersen
ARCADIA, Calif. - Watching Beltene go undefeated in three starts, including a win in the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Oaks at Santa Anita last weekend, has been tough on breeder Charlotte Wrather.

Wrather sold Beltene for $30,000 at the 2007 California fall yearling sale at Barretts in Pomona. She has turned out to be a bargain for La Canada Stable and trainer Jack Carava.

"I had planned to keep her," Wrather said Friday from her home near Santa Barbara. "The economic situation forced us to sell a few horses in training. I wasn't happy with the price I got for Beltene."

Fortunately for Wrather, she may not be left out. Wallis of Windsor, the dam of Beltene, is due to foal a full sibling to Beltene soon.

"I hope I get a filly in a few weeks," Wrather said.

Wrather, who campaigned the multiple stakes winner Cheroot, breeds primarily to race. Beltene is by leading California stallion Unusual Heat. Wallis of Windsor, 12, is by Wavering Monarch and did not race.

"I don't like to breed to sell," Wrather said. "Beltene wouldn't have been bred if I only bred commercially."

Before she was sold, Beltene showed promise. She was an eager filly when she was being broken, Wrather said.

"She was a filly that couldn't do enough, always wanted to do more than she was asked to do," Wrather said. "You had to stop her in the round pen. She wanted to go and go and go. It was a little unexpected."

Beltene made her debut in a $40,000 claiming race for statebred maidens at Hollywood Park on Dec. 11, closing from fifth to win by 2 1/2 lengths. She won her second start, a six-furlong starter allowance, by two lengths at Santa Anita on Jan. 10.

In the Sunshine Millions Oaks for California-breds and Florida-breds over six furlongs, Beltene was dismissed at 10-1. She closed from seventh in a field of nine to win by a head over Hooh Why, a Florida-bred invader from Tampa Bay Downs.

Before the Sunshine Millions Oaks, Carava expressed some concern about the two-week turnaround between the starter allowance and the stakes.

"I didn't think it was a stretch from an ability standout, but the standpoint of coming back in two weeks," he said. "She's a pretty resilient horse. I may have underestimated her internal fortitude."

Beltene has earned $163,770. Carava said the $100,000 Santa Paula Stakes, a Grade 3 for 3-year-old fillies over 6 1/2 furlongs on March 29, is Beltene's next major goal.

"She came back in good shape," Carava said Friday. "I'll probably stick to my original plan and give her a bit of time off."

Meanwhile, Wrather will wait at home and see what Wallis of Windsor delivers. Prior to Beltene, Wallis of Windsor produced the Memo colt Scandalous, a winner of $115,160 and the NTRA Stakes for California-breds on California Gold Rush Day at Hollywood Park in 2007. Wrather campaigned Scandalous early in his career.

Following Beltene, the mare produced another Unusual Heat filly, a 2-year-old this year, who was purchased for $40,000 at the California fall yearling sale at Barretts by Venneri Racing and Eagle Oak Ranch.

Wrather will keep the upcoming foal, hoping the foal can follow the success of Scandalous and Beltene.

January 11, 2009

Unusual Heat leaves competition in dust
By Steve Andersen
There seemed to be two lists of leading stallions in California in 2008 - Unusual Heat and the rest.

Unusual Heat, 19, finished 2008 with progeny earnings of $5,827,513, a record for a California-based stallion. The previous mark of $5,597,979 was set by Cee's Tizzy in 2000, the year his son Tiznow won the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Unusual Heat did not have a Breeders' Cup winner in 2008, but had progeny that thrived throughout California in races large and small. They seemed to show a particular affinity for the state's synthetic racetracks.

On the national list, Unusual Heat ranked 20th. Smart Strike, the sire of defending Horse of the Year Curlin, led the general sire list with progeny earnings of $12,413,093.

In 2008, Unusual Heat had 140 runners that made 905 starts and won 138 races. He had 11 stakes winners, and 4 graded stakes winners.

Among Unusual Heat's leading runners were Golden Doc A, who won the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita; Lethal Heat, the winner of the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks in June; Mr. Chairman, the winner of the $250,000 California Cup Classic at Santa Anita in October; Bel Air Sizzle, the winner of the Melair Stakes at Hollywood Park in April; and America's Friend, who won the Solana Beach Handicap at Del Mar in August.

Lethal Heat led Unusual Heat's progeny with 2008 earnings of $426,528.

Among California stallions, Unusual Heat finished nearly $2 million clear of second-ranked Stormin Fever ($3,888,594), who was followed by Deputy Commander ($3,852,212), In Excess ($3,185,482), and Salt Lake ($3,163,658). Bertrando, who led the 2007 list, finished seventh in 2008, with progeny earnings of $3,136,438.

Stormin Fever only recently joined the list of California stallions and has yet to have a crop of California-breds.

Unusual Heat stands at Old English Rancho in Sanger, Calif. Owned by a syndicate led by Madeline Auerbach, and trainer Barry Abrams and his family, Unusual Heat stands for a private fee.

Unusual Heat, who is by Nureyev, raced in Ireland and California in the 1990s. His first foals reached the racetrack in 2001, the year he had progeny earnings of $69,956. He cracked the seven-figure mark in 2003 and has surpassed that every year since.

In 2007, Unusual Heat had progeny earnings of $3,542,981, ranking fourth among California-based stallions. It was his best season at stud - until 2008.

Momentum leading freshman sire

Momentum, who is also by Nureyev, led the state's freshman stallions with progeny earnings of $173,640, slightly more than Marino Marini, at $161,368.

Momentum had 17 runners, with 6 winners. He ranked 44th on the national freshman sire list, well behind leader Tapit, who had progeny earnings of $2,811,337. Tapit was represented by Stardom Bound, the nation's leading 2-year-old filly.

Momentum's leading earner was Lidstrom, who earned $28,800. He won his only start in a maiden race at Hollywood Park in July.

Paul Reddam raced Momentum in the United States, and has been an enthusiastic supporter of the stallion. Momentum, 11, stands at Vessels Stallion Farm in Bonsall, Calif., for $5,000.

A few years ago, Reddam guaranteed that other breeders would be satisfied with their foals sired by Momentum, offering to buy back those horses as yearlings for up to three times the stud fee. For the 2007 foals, Reddam committed to buying back yearlings at three times the $5,000 stud fee, or $15,000. For the 2008 foals, Reddam instructed mare owners to name a stud fee, ranging from $3,000 to $15,000. He committed to buying back the unwanted yearlings for three times the named fee.

Reddam said the stud fee varied considerably, with some at $3,000 and some at $15,000.

January 4, 2009

Gamez adamant about keeping bargain buy All Saint
By Steve Andersen
ARCADIA, Calif. - Barely a week had gone by after All Saint's win in the California Breeders' Champion Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26 when the race photos were hanging on the walls of owner Eddie Gamez's home in Pomona, Calif.

Gamez could not wait to commemorate the victory. He had paid a grand total of $2,700 for All Saint at the 2007 Barretts October mixed sale and had watched the colt produce his biggest moment as an owner.

"We've never had anything that good," he said. "We've had some regular horses. When we started to break him, we knew he was an awesome horse."

All Saint gave Gamez and trainer Triphon Dahl their first stakes win in the Champion Stakes, for California-breds. The colt will appear in a graded stakes at Santa Anita in coming weeks - the $100,000 San Rafael Stakes over a mile for 3-year-olds on Jan. 17, or the $200,000 Robert Lewis Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 7.

While Gamez, 31, and Dahl, 44, are virtually unknown in Southern California racing circles, Gamez said his colt has been the source of attention from other horsemen in the last year. He said he turned down offers of $100,000 before All Saint's debut and $300,000 in the fall.

"When he first started working we got offers like $100,000," Gamez said. "When we didn't sell people said, 'You guys are crazy.' We knew he was special.

"After he ran on the turf at Hollywood Park, I got another call offering $300,000. We turned that down. We've never had anything like that and we didn't want to give him away."

Gamez says All Saint has always been a sound horse.

"He's not a big, heavy horse and that's probably why we're having good luck with him," he said.

Gamez has been around the racetrack since he was a child, but mostly behind the scenes. His father, Pat, is a blacksmith at Santa Anita. Eddie Gamez has the same job, working at farms in Southern California. Gamez said he is not licensed to shoe horses at California tracks, but may seek accreditation some day.

Eddie Gamez is a third-generation blacksmith. His late grandfather was a blacksmith at Caliente racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico.

Gamez bought All Saint and his dam, Santa Patricia, on the same day at Barretts in October 2007. He paid just $1,000 for Santa Patricia, an 8-year-old mare by Free House.

Santa Patricia made one start, finishing sixth in a maiden race at Santa Anita in January 2005. She was bred to Skimming that year, a mating that produced All Saint. Santa Patricia's dam, Sixy Saint, was a minor stakes winner who won 5 of 12 starts and $239,913.

Bred by John and Cheryl Toffan, All Saint has won 2 of 7 starts and $122,400.

Santa Patricia will not have a 2009 foal, and will be bred this year, Gamez said.

"We've got her in Pomona, at a friend's house," he said. "We're thinking of breeding back this year."

All Saint needed four races to beat maidens, finally doing so in a one-mile race for California-breds at Santa Anita on Oct. 17. He followed that with a fifth in an optional claimer on turf at Hollywood on Nov. 6 and a second in an allowance race for statebreds there on Nov. 23.

Despite his modest purchase price, All Saint has never run for a claiming tag. The distances of the upcoming stakes, and the presence of more established 3-year-olds, does not concern Gamez.

"He won going a mile and won pretty easily when he broke his maiden," he said. "I think he can go two turns."

December 21, 2008

No clear target for Star Nicholas's next start
By Steve Andersen
Star Nicholas's victory in the On Trust Handicap at Hollywood Park on Dec. 14 left trainer Peter Eurton at a loss.

The victory was certainly welcome, but Eurton is unsure what to do with the 5-year-old gelding.

"I don't know where I'll go next," Eurton said. "I think he's strictly a [synthetic-track horse] up to a mile and a sixteenth. I'm kind of being vague, because I don't have plans set in stone."

Star Nicholas has been well regarded since he was 3 but needed time to recover from a variety of injuries.

"He had problems with everything," said co-breeder and co-owner Pete Cristofi.

Star Nicholas made his debut in March 2007 as a 4-year-old and made only three starts that year, failing to win. This year, Star Nicholas has won 4 of 10 starts and $163,691, nearly all of his career earnings of $173,251.

"He's always acted like a horse that could run," Eurton said. "We had a lot of things wrong early on, always bone issues from a shoulder, to a shin that was really nagging. Now, things have come together."

Eurton said the Sunshine Millions stakes at Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park on Jan. 24 are not a good fit for Star Nicholas. The $300,000 Sprint over six furlongs at Santa Anita may be too short.

"I don't think he'd get up," Eurton said.

The $1 million Classic over 1 1/8 miles on dirt at Gulfstream Park is on the wrong surface.

"I don't want to do dirt with him," Eurton said.

The $500,000 Turf over 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita is a possibility.

"I could go grass," Eurton said.

Co-owned by King Max Farms, Ron Mostero, and Robert Nugent, Star Nicholas is the second stakes winner for the stallion Poteen, 14, who stands at Old English Rancho in Sanger, Calif. Poteen's first stakes winner was Epitome of a Lady, who won the Harvest Stakes at the Big Fresno Fair earlier this fall. Star Nicholas is out of the Royal Roberto mare Viznaga, who had 1 victory in 19 starts and earned $15,480.

She is the dam of the nine foals to race; Star Nicholas is the most successful.

Star Nicholas also is Cristofi's first stakes winner since Maheras, the crack sprinter from the mid-1970s. Maheras won such races as the Palos Verdes and San Simeon handicaps at Santa Anita and the Albany Handicap at Golden Gate Fields.

Running Horse adds pair of stallions

Blazonry, winner of the Grade 2 Laz Barrera Stakes in 2003, and Southern Africa, who won the Grade 3 Lone Star Derby in 2005, will stand the 2009 breeding season at Running Horse Equine Training Center in Stevinson, Calif.

Blazonry, 8, previously stood at Hopewell Farm in Kentucky for $5,000. A winner of 2 of 8 starts and $105,454, Blazonry's oldest foals are yearlings this year. Blazonry is by Hennessy.

Southern Africa, 6, won 5 of 28 stars and $739,368, racing in the United States and England. In this country, his career highlights were wins in the Borderland Derby at Sunland Park in 2005, the Lone Star Derby at Lone Star Park, and the Ralph Hinds Pomona Invitational at Fairplex Park in 2006. By Cape Town, Southern Africa raced for Al and Sandee Kirkwood for most of his career.

Both stallions stand for $2,500, with a discounted fee of $1,500 available for the first 20 mares. In addition, the first 20 mares to each stallion will pay $10 in mare care charges for the time they are based at the farm, according to Robert Harmon, who is managing the stallions.

December 14, 2008

Dancing in Silks learns not to be so speed crazy
By Steve Andersen
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Dancing in Silks has changed in the last four months, and just in the nick of time, too.

Gone is the speedy run-off, who won 2 of his first 4 starts but sometimes ran too quick for his own good.

"For a while, he was a little speed crazy," trainer Carla Gaines said. "Now, he's learning to settle. It's taken him a while."

Gaines is hopeful that Dancing in Silks can use his newfound patience to win the longest race of his career in Sunday's $75,000 On Trust Handicap at 7 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park. He has certainly shown the ability to run with top-class horses. On Oct. 25, Dancing in Silks was second to the Grade 1 winner Into Mischief in the seven-furlong Damascus Stakes at Santa Anita.

Gaines considered the Damascus as the ideal setup for the On Trust Handicap, which is restricted to California-breds. She is hoping to use the On Trust as a prep to the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint for California-breds and Florida-breds at Santa Anita on Jan. 24.

"I thought he ran great last time," Gaines said of the Damascus. "The timing came up good for him. He seems to run better with a lot of space between races of six to eight weeks."

Owned by Ken Kinakin, Dancing in Silks has won 3 of 7 starts. He won the NTRA Stakes, a $63,000 maiden race for statebreds at Hollywood Park in April, and was later third in the Real Good Deal Stakes for statebred 3-year-olds at Del Mar in August.

Dancing in Silks has won three races against older horses - the NTRA Stakes, an allowance race for statebreds, and an optional claimer against open company at Del Mar in September.

Sunday's race is dominated by 3-year-olds. The undefeated Bamaha Breeze makes his stakes debut after winning five races for trainer Steve Miyadi. Bamaha Breeze, based in Northern California, won an allowance race for statebreds at Santa Anita last February and is expected to set the pace.

Nikki'sgoldensteed, the winner of the Turf Paradise Derby last February, makes his second start after a layoff of nearly eight months. Nikki'sgoldensteed was fifth in an optional claimer here on Nov. 1, closing some ground through the stretch.

"We brought him [to Hollywood Park] 10 days ago and he's doing great," trainer Bob Hess Jr. said. "I don't know if it's the climate or coincidence."

November 16, 2008

Ten Most Wanted on the move again
By Steve Andersen
Ten Most Wanted, a millionaire and Grade 1 winner on the racetrack earlier this decade, will stand at stud at his third farm in four years in 2009 at Magali Farms in Santa Ynez, Calif.

Considering the effort made to acquire the stallion in recent months, and the impression that his first 2-year-olds have left on some California horsemen, he may have found a long-term home.

Ten Most Wanted's oldest foals are 2-year-olds, a few of which have given the indication that they might be promising 3-year-olds.

"He was a brilliant racehorse," said Magali farm manager Tom Hudson. "One reason we did purchase him, or think of buying him, is I had two in training. I liked them a lot."

Hudson's opinion was confirmed by trainer Doug O'Neill, who has three 2-year-olds by Ten Most Wanted for Paul Reddam. Reddam was part of the partnership that campaigned Ten Most Wanted.

"Doug said, "I think they'll be good 3-year-olds,' " Hudson said. "We both saw the exact same things - big, bulky, late-maturing kind of horses."

By breeding Ten Most Wanted to mares that have speed-oriented pedigrees, Hudson is hoping to capitalize on the stallion's stamina. Ten Most Wanted won 5 of 13 starts and $1,718,460 in a three-year career from 2002-04. He won the Grade 1 Travers Stakes and Grade 2 Super Derby at 3, the year he was second to Empire Maker in the Belmont Stakes.

"We think he'll be an asset to the state of California," Hudson said. "I really believe in the horse."

Ten Most Wanted was bought this fall by Rich and Gaby Sulpizio, who operate Magali Farms. Ten Most Wanted brings to seven the number of stallions at Magali, joining Atticus, Decarchy, Event of the Year, Good Journey, Lit de Justice, and Mr. Broad Blade.

Ten Most Wanted is similar to Good Journey and Atticus in that they stood at other farms and were brought to Magali early in their stallion careers.

Hudson began to inquire about Ten Most Wanted's availability in late summer, and needed time to complete the deal. At the time, Ten Most Wanted was standing at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson, N.Y., as part of a syndicate. He stood there in 2007-08, having previously been at stud in Kentucky.

Ten Most Wanted is by Deputy Commander, who resides at Ballena Vista Farm in Ramona, Calif. Deputy Commander was not bred to mares earlier this year after developing an infection in his jaw and mouth. Earlier this year, Ballena Vista owner Donald Cohn said he was hopeful that Deputy Commander would stand at stud in 2009.

Hudson considered the success that Ballena Vista had with Deputy Commander and was further intrigued by Ten Most Wanted.

"This is his best son," Hudson said of Ten Most Wanted. "I thought surely I could get 50 or 60 mares at $5,000 to make it worthwhile."

Hudson had a firsthand account of Ten Most Wanted's progeny through two 2-year-olds by the stallion that were based at Magali Farms earlier this year. The juveniles were owned by Jim Chisholm, part of the group that campaigned Ten Most Wanted.

Hudson was particularly impressed by a colt named Ten Sheets to the Wind, who only recently arrived to trainer Mike Puype's stable at Hollywood Park. "He's a big, powerful-moving horse," Hudson said. "He'll need to take his time to get there. He's far from starting."

A Ten Most Wanted filly owned by Chisholm, named Ten Salty Sally, has arrived at Puype's stable but has yet to begin workouts.

Ten Most Wanted will stand for $5,000, which Hudson feels fits with California's breeding market. Price them too high and mare owners will demand discounts, he said.

"It's kind of the California price," Hudson said. "Why mess with that?"

November 2, 2008

Plenty of quality statebreds for sale
By Steve Andersen
The November breeding stock sales in Kentucky this month will include a California-bred millionaire, a Grade 1 winner bred in California, and a half-sister to one of the finest statebreds in history.

Between Sunday's Fasig-Tipton selected fall mixed sale and the 15-day marathon Keeneland sale that begins on Monday, there are nearly 100 California-breds available. Several truly belong in sales with international attention.

Sunday's Fasig-Tipton sale includes three prominent older females bred in California - Memorette, Overly Tempting, and Somethinaboutlaura.

Memorette, who sells in foal to Empire Maker, earned $896,753 in her career, winning three stakes, including the Grade 2 Beverly Hills Handicap in 2007. Overly Tempting earned $286,693 and placed in three stakes.

Somethinaboutlaura was a fixture in California stakes for fillies and mares from 2005-07. She earned $1,129,365 before being retired earlier this year. A 6-year-old, she sells in foal to Stormy Atlantic after a career of 18 wins in 34 starts, and 14 stakes wins.

The Keeneland November breeding stock sale that begins on Monday has 96 California-breds, most of whom are broodmares.

The most visible broodmares sell in the first few days. The first California-bred through the ring is La Feminn, who won 6 of 8 starts and $366,438. A three-time stakes winner, she sells in foal to Dixie Union.

Romance Is Diane, the winner of the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet in 2006, sells on Monday, less than a month after her most recent start, a second against males in the California Cup Classic. A 4-year-old filly, Romance Is Diane has won 5 of 16 and $712,718. She sells as a racing or broodmare prospect.

Other California-bred broodmares offered at Keeneland include Tizsweet, a 10-year-old sister to Tiznow, a leading sire and the winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2000-01; Gentle Charmer, the winner of the 2007 California Cup Distaff; and the stakes-placed Andover the Cash.

Lucky Primo done till 2009

Lucky Primo, the winner of the California Cup Juvenile last month and one of the top 2-year-old state-bred males, will not race again this year.

Trainer Marty Jones said that Lucky Primo was turned out earlier this week.

"We're giving him a little break and we'll bring him back as a 3-year-old," Jones said. "I'll give him about 30 days."

Jones said that Lucky Primo was not injured. Owned by breeder Joshua Litt, Lucky Primo has won 2 of 4 of $119,104. He was third in the I'm Smokin Stakes at six furlongs for statebreds at Del Mar on Sept. 1 in his stakes debut.

In the California Cup Juvenile at 1o1/16 miles, Lucky Primo rallied from sixth in a field of 13 to win by 1o1/2 lengths. The colt, by Atticus, is expected to race during the upcoming Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, Jones said.

Barretts shortens training preview

Barretts has announced that its March sale of 2-year-olds in training in 2009 will have only one training preview, a shift from recent years when two training previews were conducted.

The training preview will be held on March 5, five days before the sale is conducted on Tuesday, March 10.

In a statement, Barretts president Jerry McMahon said the move to a one-preview format will allow the sale company more flexibility in re-scheduling in the event of poor weather.

There may be a restriction on the use of whips at the training preview. McMahon said in a statement that discussions are being held among the companies that hold the leading 2-year-olds sales in the nation - including Fasig-Tipton, Keeneland, and Ocala Breeders' Sales - about uniform rules for whip use in training previews.

October 26, 2008

Expectations for Barretts sale in line with market
By Steve Andersen
A weak equine sales market and a poor economy will lead to a quiet two days at the Barretts October mixed sale in Pomona, Calif., on Monday and Tuesday, according to sale management.

"My guess is that it will be a buyer's market," Barretts president Gerald McMahon said. "The breeding stock market on the lower end is very soft. It might be a good time to get some value."

The October mixed sale has frequently been one of the lesser sales at Barretts, but last year's sale was boosted by two major consignments - a reduction from Golden Eagle Farm and a dispersal by owner Stan Fulton. The two-day sale saw 392 horses sell for $3,818,200, an average of $9,740. The gross increased 85 percent from 2006, while the average was up 74 percent.

At the 2007 sale, six horses sold for $100,000 or more. The sale-topper was Tenga Cat, a 4-year-old colt who was purchased for $250,000 by Grant Truman. In four starts this year, all in stakes, Tenga Cat's best finish is a second in the Joe Hernandez Stakes at Santa Anita in March. Tenga Cat has not started since July.

This year, the sale offers a catalog of 513 broodmares, horses of racing age, stallions, weanlings, and yearlings. There are two dispersals - Shields Thoroughbreds, which offers 18 broodmares and weanlings through consignor Andy Havens, and Tricar Investment Inc., which offers six broodmares and two stallions.

Overall, there is a large concentration of broodmares and yearlings.

"I think people will want to sell," McMahon said.

The October sale is the final sale of the year at Barretts. The company launches its 2009 sale calendar with the January mixed sale of horses of racing age on Jan. 26-27.

No change to March sale dates

McMahon said that Barretts will hold its annual March sale of selected 2-year-olds in training on March 10, 2009, and not later that month as had been previously discussed.

The sale is typically held on the second Tuesday of the month. McMahon said the March 10 date puts Barretts between two major Florida 2-year-olds in training sales. While that may put stress on consignors who need stable staff for sales in California and Florida simultaneously, McMahon said a late March date could leave Barretts with fewer buyers if they had already completed their 2-year-old acquisitions.

Feisty Suances gives sire first winner

Feisty Suances gave the stallion Suances his first winner, when he won at Del Mar in August. Thursday at Santa Anita, Feisty Suances won again, in a starter allowance over a mile for 2-year-olds.

Owned by the Cohen family's Red Baron's Stable, Feisty Suances has earned $30,420. He is the stallion's lone winner from his first crop. Suances stands at the Cohen family's Rancho Temescal in Piru, Calif.

Suances stood for $2,500 during the 2008 breeding season. The stallion has had three starters to date.

* The Hollywood Park fall meeting that runs from Wednesday to Dec. 21 has two $100,000 stakes for California-breds over 7 1/2 furlongs - the On Trust Handicap on Dec. 14 and the Cat's Cradle Handicap for fillies and mares on Dec. 20.

October 19, 2008

Claim cost breeder a shot at Cup
By Steve Andersen
ARCADIA, Calif. - Of the eight California-breds pre-entered for Breeders' Cup races at Santa Anita next weekend, six are owned by their breeders.

John Harris really wishes that number were seven.

Harris is the breeder of Cost of Freedom, a top candidate for Saturday's $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint. Cost of Freedom, bred at Harris's farm in Coalinga, Calif., was claimed from him for $50,000 at Del Mar on July 28. Since then, Cost of Freedom has won an allowance race at Del Mar on Aug. 9 and the Grade 1 Ancient Title Stakes here on Sept. 27 for owners Gary and Cecil Barber and trainer John Sadler.

For Harris, there is the consolation of stallion and breeder awards, but he and trainer Carla Gaines would certainly prefer to have Cost of Freedom in their stable.

"You hate to lose a horse, but as a breeder, with pride of ownership, you like to see them doing well," Harris said on Thursday. "We thought we'd run him for $50,000 and we thought we wouldn't lose him. That's racing. You can never look back."

Cost of Freedom has arguably the best chance among the California-bred pre-entrants. He is the only statebred pre-entered for the Sprint. The other pre-entrants are Atka in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, Tiz Elemental in the Filly and Mare Sprint, Saucey Evening in the Juvenile Fillies or Juvenile Fillies Turf, Add Heat in the Marathon, California Flag and Idiot Proof in the Turf Sprint, and Bold Chieftain in the BC Mile.

Aside from Cost of Freedom, only Saucey Evening does not race for her breeders, Betty and Larry Mabee's Golden Eagle Farm. Saucey Evening was purchased by George Strawbridge for $160,000 at the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale.

Cost of Freedom, by Cee's Tizzy, has won 6 of 10 starts and $344,152. In the BC Sprint, Cost of Freedom will attempt to become the second Cal-bred to win the race in the last three years. Thor's Echo, the champion sprinter of 2006, won the BC Sprint at Churchill Downs that year.

Plagued by physical problems at times during his career, Cost of Freedom surprised Harris when he won. In his second start, at Del Mar in August 2006, Cost of Freedom won a $40,000 claiming race for statebred maidens, but was off for the next 18 months, until March of this year.

"He got to the races at 3 and it was nip and tuck whether he would get to the races at all," Harris said. "We had to stop on him."

Cost of Freedom was turned out with a ligament problem in a knee, Harris said. Since his return earlier this year, Cost of Freedom has not been worse than third in eight starts, winning five races. For Harris and Gaines, Cost of Freedom won three races earlier this year, including an allowance race for statebreds at Santa Anita. He was second in the Tiznow Stakes on the California Gold Rush Day program at Hollywood Park in April.

Cost of Freedom is out of the Moscow Ballet mare Freedom Dance. She is the dam of Never Ever, a winner of $148,680 who was trained by Sadler; the winner Two Tone Roan, still owned by Harris; and the unraced 2-year-old filly Freedom High.

Freedom High worked at Santa Anita last month but later developed pneumonia and is being treated at the Alamo Pintado Equine Clinic in Los Olivos, Calif. Harris said Freedom High may survive and become a broodmare, but that her career as a racehorse is in jeopardy.

At least Cost of Freedom is still racing. Harris knew he was taking a risk by dropping Cost of Freedom into a $50,000 claimer. Cost of Freedom won the race by a half-length and was taken by Sadler. The subsequent success has surprised Harris. "We knew he was good, but we didn't know he was that good," he said.

If he wins the BC Sprint on Saturday, Cost of Freedom could earn the Eclipse Award as champion sprinter.

October 12, 2008

Lucky Primo gives Litt a stakes win
By Steve Andersen
ARCADIA, Calif. - The farther Joshua Litt gets from racing on a regular basis, the better he does in the game.

In his first try as a Thoroughbred breeder, Litt, a former trainer, is the co-owner of the stakes winner Lucky Primo, winner of the $125,000 California Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita last Sunday.

"I guess I had to stop training to get a good horse," he said earlier this week.

Litt had a public stable for nine years, until 2006, but admits it was never that successful or robust. He took over a horse transportation company in 2007, which he continues to operate through a partnership.

"I never had a lot of horses," said Litt, 38. "I never made a lot of money. I couldn't make a decent living.

"I really like owning horses, whether it's a piece or whatever. I wanted to get stabilized in something. I always want to stay in the horse racing field."

Litt trained Live Free or Die, the dam of Lucky Primo. He thought enough of the mare to try her as a longshot in the Grade 1 Santa Monica Handicap at Santa Anita in 2003. She was near the pace for the first half-mile of that race before fading to finish seventh. Live Free or Die was retired in late 2004.

"We won some races, but she had too many problems to keep running," Litt said.

Litt bred Live Free or Die to Atticus in partnership with his brother, Jason, and Dennis O'Neill, a bloodstock agent and the brother of prominent trainer Doug O'Neill. The mating was planned in 2005, when Litt was starting to wind down his training career.

Atticus, who stands for $5,000 at Magali Farms, was a Grade 1 winner in his career and earned more than $1.2 million.

From the time that Lucky Primo was born in January 2006, Joshua Litt was hearing favorable reviews about the colt, including from Tom Hudson, the Magali farm manager.

"Tom Hudson raved about that horse," Litt said. "I was always a little excited about it."

Lucky Primo was sent to trainer Marty Jones earlier this year. In his debut at Hollywood Park on July 13, Lucky Primo finished seventh against open company in a maiden special weight race. It remains the only disappointing race of his career.

Lucky Primo won a maiden race for statebreds at Del Mar on Aug. 15 and was a fast-closing third in the I'm Smokin Stakes at six furlongs for statebreds on Sept. 1.

In the California Cup Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles, Lucky Primo rallied from sixth in a field of 13 to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Triumphant Flight, winner of the Barretts Juvenile Stakes at Fairplex Park in September.

"I was pretty impressed and a little starry-eyed," Litt said of the win.

Lucky Primo has won 2 of 4 starts and $119,104. Lucky Primo is a candidate for the $100,000 Real Quiet Stakes at Hollywood Park on Nov. 8.

"I've put a lot of faith in Marty and let him manage the horse," Litt said.

A start in the Real Quiet would test Lucky Primo against open company, although the race may not draw the toughest field. The Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita on Oct.o25 will draw some of the circuit's top

2-year-olds.

"That looks like a spot that would work for us down the road," Litt said of the Real Quiet. "He certainly looks like he could handle that."

October 5, 2008

At Barretts, a buyer-friendly market
By Steve Andersen
POMONA, Calif. - When a Tribal Rule colt sold for $90,000 midway through California’s fall selected yearling sale at Barretts last Tuesday, consignor Andy Havens could only shrug. The colt would bring the highest price in his 29-horse consignment, but he was hoping for more.

"Somebody got a good buy," Havens said. "He was a profitable horse, but he didn’t bring what he could have in a stronger market."

Havens’s sentiment was prevalent among consignors on Tuesday here at the leading yearling sale in California.

Reflecting a national trend, the one-day sale showed declines, with the average price falling 16 percent, to $16,689. Sales in other regional markets have shown declines this year.

"It’s a weak market," Havens said. "There is no doubt. The good ones I had had a lot of interest. They’re solid. I’m surprised that more low-end horses didn’t bring more buyers. The balance of power has changed."

Buyers dictated the market, forcing consignors to lower expectations. As a result, the buyback rate fell, from 40 percent in 2007 to 28.4 percent this year.

"Hopefully, they’ll buy them, do well and come back and buy more," said Havens, who led all consignors, selling 19 horses for $368,000. "I’ve had very few buybacks. They’re realistic sellers. We’re trying to get through this and come out on the other side."

The Tribal Rule colt was purchased by Northern California trainer Jeff Bonde on behalf of a yet-to-be-formed partnership that will be led by Philip Lebherz, Bonde said.

The colt is out of the In Excess mare Never to Excess.

"He was a man among boys here," Bonde said. "I was hoping for $60,000, but it didn’t go that way. That was as far as I’d go."

Overall, the one-day sale saw 149 horses sell for $2,486,600. There were 59 horses bought back and 26 withdrawn from a catalog of 234 horses. Last year, with a larger catalog, 169 horses were sold for $3,369,600, with 113 bought back and 35 withdrawn. The median fell from $11,000 in 2007 to $9,000 this year. The sale company reduced the catalog this year by 84 horses in an effort to increase quality. The sale is conducted as a partnership between Barretts and the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association.

Only one horse sold for more than $100,000 - a Speightstown filly purchased for $130,000 by Patrick Sheehy’s Super Horse Inc. from the consignment of Tom Bachman’s Pegasus Ranch.

Sheehy, who owned Leesider, the winner of the $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes for statebreds in 2007, described the Speightstown filly as, "The nicest filly in the sale. It’s a new sire, but he’s doing okay. I’d like to have gotten the filly cheaper. It’s a long time since we had a good horse."

Sheehy said the filly will race in California or Europe.

"Hopefully, she’ll run next year," he said. "I think good horses can run anywhere."

A downturn in the market was by no means a surprise to Barbara Butterworth, who consigned 13 horses through her West 12 Ranch. She sold 12 horses for an average of $19,750.

"The horses were selling right where we thought they’d sell," Butterworth said. "I was off by $2,000 on one. A lot of this has to do with pretty realistic expectations. Let the market take it the rest of the way."

Prior to the sale, Barretts president Gerald McMahon predicted a "buyers’ market."

"I think our market held up really well in light of what we were up against," McMahon said. "We’ll accept the declines in averages as a result of the financial market."

McMahon said he feared the sale could suffer a decline in average price of as much as 30 percent.

"When you look, 30 to 35 percent is what everyone is getting with in Europe, Maryland and the latter days of Keeneland," he said.

Greater participation from Southern California trainers helped to prevent further declines, according to Kim Lloyd, a former trainer who is vice-president of sales for Barretts. The leading buyer was owner-trainer Mike Harrington, who purchased five horses as agent for $139,500.

Lloyd can be found frequently in the barns at Southern California tracks, promoting the sales.

The trainers "thought there were good horses they could buy and have some fun next summer at Del Mar," Lloyd said.

The sale was formed in 2005, merging the Del Mar yearling sale conducted by the CTBA with a yearling sale conducted at Barretts each fall.

McMahon and CTBA general manager Doug Burge said the sale’s format could be changed for 2009. The options include expanding the sale to two days in some form, including a preferred session on one day and an open session.

"We have some ideas on how to stimulate this," Burge said. "We’ll see a trend in a couple of years, a decrease in quantity and an increase in quality. If we can get the horses in the sale and get the breeders thinking commercially, we can have a promising future."

September 28, 2008

Expectations in check for Barretts fall yearling sale
By Steve Andersen
California's fall selected yearling sale will be held at Barretts in Pomona on Tuesday amidst a rough season for yearling sales.

On a national basis, the Keeneland September yearling sale earlier this month showed double-digit declines in number sold and median and average prices. In August, the Northern California yearling sale in Santa Rosa had a 22 percent decline in average from $5,839 in 2007 to $4,536 this year.

Those declines have Barretts organizers and consignors concerned about how the market will fare on Tuesday.

"You have to be concerned about the trend at the lower end of the market," said Barretts president Gerald McMahon. "I would think it would be a buyer's market."

Barretts sponsors the sale in conjunction with the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association. Those organizations have taken steps to make this year's sale more attractive, reducing the size of the catalog from 318 horses last year to 235 horses.

The 2007 sale was considered a disappointment by sale organizers. The average price of $19,909 was down 21.3 percent from 2006. For this year, consignors do not expect prices to rise.

"I think there is some good news and some bad news," said Andy Havens, whose 2007 consignment led the sale.

"Barretts has really addressed the market conditions and has reduced the number of horses significantly from last year. I think that's really the right thing to do, to support the upper level of the market rather than to expect the current situation to carry them with another 100 or 120 horses. I think they've assembled the right number."

But Havens does not feel that is enough to show increases.

"The reality of the market, after the sales we've had so far, we're going to have to anticipate some level of softness," he said. "They were off more in the lower ranges than the upper ranges. I don't think people will feel as quite as bullish. It's the general feeling of the economy.

"The market is still here. It's not gone. There are a lot of people still buying horses."

Last year, Havens sold the sale topper, a Friends Lake colt that was purchased for $150,000. Of course, he is hoping to achieve the same milestone with his 29-horse consignment.

"I have some better pedigrees than I usually have," he said. "I've got a Johannesburg [filly], Indian Charlie [colt] and a Medaglia d'Oro [colt] that are pretty strong horses for out here. They're Cal-breds and that ought to help. I'm really happy with the group that I have."

This is the third year that Tat Yakutis has offered a consignment at the fall sale through her Yakutis Enterprises, agent. Yakutis, who has a background in production of racing television programming, has a 13-horse consignment following the withdrawal of two horses.

She said her clients have lowered their expectations for the sale to some degree.

"There are going to be some serious bargains," she said.

Yakutis points to an In Excess filly as one of her more promising yearling. "She's a big, 980-pound In Excess filly," she said. "It's a nice group of yearlings. There are only four fillies. We're strong on the colt side."

Yakutis was on the backstretch at Santa Anita this week, lobbying support for her consignment. In her view the key to a successful sale will be the purchasing power of Southern California horsemen.

"We're hoping we get some positive response from those who said they'd attend," she said. "We're keeping our fingers crossed. I'm sort of the eternal optimist, but there is great caution. We'll kind of charge forward and do the best job presenting the horses. We hope we get a lot of local support."

September 21, 2008

Butterworths enjoy switch from stallions to broodmares
By STEVE ANDERSEN
POMONA, Calif. - A few years ago, the chaos of running a stallion farm finally got to breeders Matt and Barbara Butterworth. There had to be a more enjoyable end to Thoroughbred breeding, they thought.

"Standing a stallion is a lot of work," Barbara Butterworth said earlier this week. "It's hard to get good help at the farm. The stallion is only as good as the management at the farm. It's stressful. It's a go, go, go time during the breeding season. We decided we needed to change our direction."

The couple shifted to acquiring broodmares on behalf of clients and then selling the resulting foals at yearling sales. At the California fall selected yearling sale at Barretts on Sept. 30, their West 12 Ranch will offer 13 yearlings as agent for clients.

The consignment includes nine fillies and four colts, including a full brother to 2008 Turf Paradise Derby winner Nikki'sgoldensteed; a Marino Marini filly that is the first foal out of Thermal Ablasion, who earned $454,247; and a Benchmark filly who is a half-sister to Frumious, a 2-year-old filly. Frumious was stakes-placed at the Vallejo County Fair in Solano earlier this year and is entered in a maiden race at Golden Gate Fields on Sunday.

"Every year, it's a culmination of a master plan," Barbara Butterworth said of the consignment. "Last year's consignment was exciting. This year, I look at them and say, 'Stay calm.' "

The Butterworths own a few of their horses, but primarily consign for others. They travel to Kentucky each November to buy broodmares and bring the mares back to California. This year's consignment to the California yearling sale is currently spread across the state. Four are based at West 12, which is in Lodi, Calif., between Sacramento and Stockton. The rest are at other farms and will be sent to the West 12 stable at Barretts in coming days.

"I've seen seven of the 13 in person, and I'm happy with six of them," Butterworth said.

But how will they sell?

That depends on whether any strength can be detected in the California yearling market, which has largely seen declines in the last year. Furthermore, a weakened economy has given Barbara Butterworth a cautious approach to the sale. She said the Northern California yearling sale that had declines last month "doesn't tell you anything" because it was an open sale that catered to a lesser class of horse.

"People call and say, what about the economy?" she said. "It will be a buyer's market. It doesn't mean that the horses won't sell. We ask our clients to put on a reasonable reserve. Everyone is different financially."

Late last week, she was already in sale promotion mode, mentioning a Benchmark filly, a Marino Marini filly, and a Yonaguska colt as ones with promise. How they do will be key to the success of the consignment, and how much buyers will need to spend for racing prospects.

Council Member to stand at Special T

Council Member, a horse by Seattle Slew who won two stakes in England, has been retired and will stand the 2009 breeding season for $4,000 at Special T Thoroughbreds in Temecula, Calif., the farm announced earlier this week.

Council Member, 6, raced for Mickey and Karen Taylor and won 5 of 24 starts and $347,306. Earlier this year, he was fourth in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile. In England, Council Member won two listed stakes at seven furlongs in 2005 - the Guisborough Stakes at Redcar and the King Charles II Stakes at Newmarket.

August 31, 2008

Northern sale the subject of debate after poor session
By STEVE ANDERSEN
The future of the Northern California yearling sale will be discussed by promoters and consignors later this year after a disappointing sale on Tuesday in Santa Rosa, Calif.

The one-day sale saw 104 horses sell for a gross of $471,700, an average of $4,536 and a median of $2,500. The gross fell 47 percent, and the average fell 22 percent from the 2007 sale, which was held in late September in Pleasanton.

The sale-topper was a Salt Lake filly who sold for $37,000. Last year, the sale-topper was a Siberian Summer colt purchased for $40,000.

"It was a really soft sale," said Doug Burge, executive director of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association. "Overall, the prices reflect the lack of demand and desirability for the product that was offered. Combine that with the future cost of getting these horses to the track and the uncertainty of racing in Northern California.

"We'll look at everything and sit down with the people and see what would like us to do. The results were disappointing to everyone involved. We'll discuss what the future will be in regards to having a sale up north. Do the breeders and consignors want to have a sale up north?"

Burge said a meeting would likely be held in the fall, after California's fall selected yearling sale at Barretts on Sept. 30. The breeders' association and Barretts are co-sponsors of that sale, which has a different format than the Northern California sale. The Northern California sale is an open sale, while the Barretts sale has a screening of pedigrees and an inspection of yearlings earlier in the year.

Burge and other officials of the breeders' association hoped that a move to an August date and a change of venue would boost the Northern California sale. This was the fifth year for the sale, and the first year it was held at Santa Rosa. The sale began earlier this decade in response to a request from Northern California breeders to have a regional sale and to not have to ship their horses to Southern California.

"We do this as a service to Northern California breeders," Burge said.

Ten Churros looking a solid purchase

The purchase of Ten Churros earlier this summer has proven to be a successful gamble for Hal and Patti Earnhardt and trainer Bob Baffert. Ten Churros won the Generous Portion Stakes for statebred fillies at Del Mar on Wednesday.

After Ten Churros won a $40,000 claiming race for maidens at Hollywood Park in June, Baffert was approached by a bloodstock agent informing him that the filly was for sale. A private deal was finalized and the High Brite filly was transferred to Baffert's stable from the Jeff Mullins barn. The filly was owned by a partnership at the time.

Ten Churros finished fourth as the 5-2 favorite in the CTBA Stakes on July 18, fading from contention in the final furlong. She was sharper in the Generous Portion Stakes, drawing off in the final furlong to win by 2 1/2 lengths.

"We thought she'd be tough in these stakes," Baffert said of the sprints for statebred fillies at Del Mar. "We bought her to win the first Cal-bred stakes. At least we one won."

The private purchase was the second time that Ten Churros has changed hands. Bred by John Harris, she was sold to Close Creek Farm, agent, for $10,000 at the 2007 Barretts October yearling sale. She was withdrawn from the Barretts May sale of 2-year-olds in training earlier this year from the consignment of B.C.3 Thoroughbreds, agent.

Racing for Mullins, Ten Churros finished sixth in a maiden special weight at Hollywood Park on June 5 in her debut, and returned three weeks later to win the maiden claimer.

August 24, 2008

Changes may spark rebound for yearling sale
By STEVE ANDERSEN
A change of venue, date, and catalog size may help to revive the Northern California yearling sale, which is being held Tuesday at the Sonoma County fairgrounds in Santa Rosa.

California's yearling consignors can do with a dose of good news.

Last year's sale, held at the Alameda County fairgrounds in Pleasanton in late September, saw average price drop 29 percent to $5,839. Overall, 154 horses sold for $899,200, down 36 percent from a record 2006 sale. The sale-topper was a Siberian Summer colt that sold for $40,000.

The Northern California sale has always been geared toward a regional market, with prices that reflect that. In 2006, the sale averaged $8,192, the highest figure since the one-day event was launched in 2004. The 2006 sale-topper was a Benchmark colt who sold for $72,000.

In 2006, the sale was conducted in August, which the sponsors of the sale, the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, thought was a better fit for the regional and national calendar this year.

"Historically, the August dates generated better results," said CTBA executive director Doug Burge. "The consignors would prefer to have this sale in late August," prior to Keeneland's September yearling sale.

The move to August keeps the sale away from another CTBA-affiliated event, the California October yearling sale at Barretts, which this year will be held on Sept. 30. Last year, the two events were held a week apart.

Burge said the Santa Rosa barns will provide a better layout than Pleasanton, which restricted sales horses to temporary stalls.

"We have the entire barn area and there is plenty of room to show," Burge said. "We have the permanent racing stalls, which I think is a plus."

This year, the catalog has been reduced from 264 in 2007 to 206. In 2006, there were 246 horses in the catalog.

"I think that will help better meet the demand that is there," Burge said of the smaller catalog. "We may still have an oversupply problem. We've been able to address that with a smaller catalog."

Despite its small stature, the sale has produced its share of notable horses. Autism Awareness, by Tannersmyman, was sold for $1,000 at the 2006 sale, and won the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby earlier this year. Sierra Sunset, bought for $40,000 in 2006, has earned $428,696. He has three stakes wins, including the 2007 California Cup Juvenile and the Grade 3 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park earlier this year.

"This sale in particular, a lot of it has to do with the success we've had selling yearlings at reasonable prices," Burge said. "They've turned profits for their owners. It's given us a lot to promote."

That may not translate to good news for consignors who are selling horses for low prices, but some do have the fallback comfort of breeder awards.

A more worrisome factor for consignors and sale organizers is the condition of the California economy and the future of racing in Northern California. Another regional auction, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. yearling sale earlier this week in Florida, showed declines in median and average. And there is concern about the stability of Northern California racing following the closure of Bay Meadows last Sunday.

"We won't know the effect of the economy and the uncertainty of racing up north until after the sale," Burge said.

Several of the state's leading sires are represented, including Benchmark, Bertrando, Cee's Tizzy, and In Excess. The largest consignments are from Sam Hendricks, with 20 horses; Mary Knight, with 18; Colleen Turpin-Boyce, Old English Rancho, and Woodbridge Farm, with 15 each; and Green Acre Stables and Harris Farms, with 14 each.

August 17, 2008

Penpont's foals elevate Unusual Heat as stallion
By STEVE ANDERSEN
Even the most dedicated racing fan is forgiven for not recalling the racing career of Penpont in the late 1990s.

The appearance of her name on a breeding line is another matter.

While Penpont had only 1 win in 17 starts, she has been a star broodmare. Recently, Penpont was honored as the 2007-08 California Broodmare of the Year in voting of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association members.

Penpont has been represented by two graded stakes winners in the last year - Unusual Suspect, the winner of the Grade 3 Hollywood Turf Express last November, and Golden Doc A, the winner of the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes in February.

Penpont's success has been a family affair. A 14-year-old New Zealand-bred mare by Crested Wave, Penpont is owned by the brothers David and Barry Abrams and Barry's wife, Dyan. From 2000 to 2007, they bred Penpont annually to their stallion Unusual Heat, who rose from a modest start to become the state's leading stallion by progeny earnings this year.

Penpont's foals have played a major role in that development. She is the dam of Master Heat (who earned $157,764), Solid Fuel ($168,093), Rushen Heat ($151,168), Unusual Suspect ($504,866), and Golden Doc A ($496,189). Rushen Heat, Unusual Suspect and Golden Doc A have raced this year.

This year, for the first time, Penpont did not produce a foal, according to Barry Abrams, who besides co-owning Penpoint is a Southern California trainer. Abrams said that Penpont's 2008 foal was stillborn.

Because she would have been bred at a later date, Penpont was left open this year, according to Barry Abrams. "We gave her a year off," he said.

There also has been concern about Penpont's health. She has battled founder, although Barry Abrams said the situation has improved.

"It looks like she's recovering," he said.

Penpont raced in New Zealand and California. She earned $31,722.

Golden Doc A was Penpont's first stakes winner, in the Generous Portion Stakes for California-bred 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar on Aug. 29, 2007. It was the start of a remarkable three months for the mare's foals. Golden Doc A later won the Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita in October, and finished third in the Grade 3 Miesque Stakes on turf at Hollywood Park on Nov. 24.

On the same Nov. 24 program, Golden Doc A's older full brother Unusual Suspect won his third stakes of the autumn, and first at the graded level, in the Hollywood Turf Express. Preceding that race, Unusual Suspect won the Bay Meadows Derby and the California Cup Mile. This year, Unusual Suspect has not had the same success, going winless in seven starts.

Golden Doc A has been in the best form of her career this year. Owned by Ron McCauley since last winter, Golden Doc A won the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes over a mile at Santa Anita in February and later finished second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and Grade 2 Beaumont Stakes at Keeneland. She was also fourth in the Kentucky Oaks and Acorn Stakes.

Golden Doc A has been working regularly in recent weeks for Abrams at Del Mar, and is a candidate for the $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes for 3-year-old fillies over a mile on Aug. 31.

The mating of Unusual Heat and Penpont has at least two more opportunities for success. Penpont is the dam of a yearling colt by Unusual Heat and a 2-year-old named Mama Rosa, who is unlikely to start until the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, Abrams said.

Penpont is scheduled to be bred to Unusual Heat in 2009.

August 10, 2008

Three sisters of Thor's Echo big for small farm
By STEVE ANDERSEN
Fast Lane Farms, the breeding operation of horseman Steve Warner, has never been a big outfit.

"We've never had more than three or four mares," said Warner, whose principal business provides feed at Southern California Thoroughbred tracks.

Warner was the breeder of two starters at the 2006 Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs - Thor's Echo, who won the Sprint, and Dancing Edie, who finished eighth in the Filly and Mare Turf.

Warner owned a minority share in Dancing Edie at the time, but had sold Thor's Echo. It did not detract from his enthusiasm when Thor's Echo won, or from his sadness when Helen of Troy, the dam of Thor's Echo, was lost to laminitis earlier this summer.

Her death hit Warner hard.

"She was in pretty bad shape, let me tell ya," Warner said. "We tried everything for her."

Helen of Troy, 12, was based at Old English Rancho in Sanger, Calif., at the time of her death. She produced her final foal in 2007, a filly by Swiss Yodeler who is a full sister to Thor's Echo and will be named Thorellen, Warner said. Helen of Troy was not bred that year because of her health.

Thorellen is one of three full sisters to Thor's Echo owned by Fast Lane Farms, including the 2-year-old Serena's Echo and the 5-year-old Helen's Echo. Those fillies have become the focus of the Fast Lane Farms racing and breeding operation.

Serena's Echo, who has not started, had several workouts at Hollywood Park earlier this year, but none since early June. She has been turned out, Warner said. The mare Helen's Echo was unplaced in her only start, which came at Santa Anita in January 2006. She produced an Unusual Heat colt earlier this year, and has been bred back to that stallion. Unusual Heat is the leading sire in California by progeny earnings.

Thor's Echo, who has won 5 of 22 starts and $2,441,992, is winless in four starts since winning the Grade 1 Frank De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel in November 2006, a victory that essentially clinched his title as the champion sprinter that year. In early 2007, Thor's Echo was sold to Zabeel Racing International of Dubai and made two starts in that country, finishing sixth in stakes.

This year, back in the United States for Zabeel and back with trainer Doug O'Neill, Thor's Echo has been fourth in the Grade 2 True North Handicap at Belmont Park on June 7 and fourth in the Grade 2 Alfred Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga on July 26.

"Thor's ran a good race the other day," Warner said. "He missed third by a nose up there at Saratoga."

Warner's connection to Thor's Echo is limited to cheerleading and being the recipient of breeders awards, along with his partners Carlton Block, Harry Forman, and Carl Smith. The mating came about five years ago through a conversation that Warner had with trainers Mike and Patricia Harrington, who campaigned Swiss Yodeler in the late 1990s.

Smith, a groom for the Harringtons, had a breeding season to Swiss Yodeler, but did not own a mare. Smith had groomed Swiss Yodeler during his racing career and received the season from Heinz Steinmann, who owns Swiss Yodeler. When Warner heard that Smith was looking for a mare to breed to Swiss Yodeler, he and his partners suggested Helen of Troy.

"It was all through charity and good feelings," Warner said of the mating.

The resulting foal led to a piece of California racing history.

* The Barretts 2008 fall selected yearling sale, to be conducted on Sept. 30 in Pomona, has 235 horses cataloged. The sale catalogs are available online at Barretts.com.

August 3, 2008

Thanks for the memories, Lava Man
By STEVE ANDERSEN
DEL MAR, Calif. - When it was finally over on Wednesday, the day that Lava Man's retirement was announced after 10 days of speculation, co-owner Jason Wood sat down at his Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., home and sent out an e-mail to about 30 family members and friends.

Wood highlighted the 2005 Hollywood Gold Cup, the first of the gelding's three consecutive wins in that Grade 1 race, the two wins in the Santa Anita Handicap in 2006 and 2007 and the 2006 Pacific Classic as personal favorites.

"All you can say is, 'Thanks, Lava Man,'" Wood wrote in his message.

The raw statistics of Lava Man's career emphasize Wood's feelings - 17 wins in 46 starts, seven Grade 1 wins, and earnings of $5,268,706. He retires as the third-richest California-bred in history behind Tiznow ($6,247,830) and Best Pal ($5,668,245). Not bad company.

What cannot be quantified is his impact on the sport in California. In an age when champion horses sometimes make fewer than 10 career starts or race longer than a year, Lava Man became a familiar name to California sports fans from 2005 to 2008, and not just racing fans who congregate at Del Mar, Hollywood Park and Santa Anita.

* Lava Man's lifetime past performances

If you popped into one of those places on, say, July 9, 2005, the date of Lava Man's first win in the Hollywood Gold Cup, or Aug. 20, 2006, the afternoon that Lava Man won the Pacific Classic, or March 3, 2007, when he defended his title in the Santa Anita Handicap, you saw a performance to remember.

Trained by Doug O'Neill for Wood and Steve, Dave and Tracy Kenly, Lava Man won the 2005 Gold Cup by 8 3/4 lengths, a record margin. After the race Steve Kenly, who never tired of talking about Lava Man, was nearly speechless.

"I was shaking," he said at the time. "We could hardly see straight. It's a rarity to get a horse like this."

The day Lava Man won the Pacific Classic, he broke the will of his seven rivals with a romping move on the final turn that gave him an insurmountable three-length lead. He had been third in the race in 2005 and was then vanned off afterward, exhausted. The Pacific Classic win remains a personal favorite for Tony Romero, the exercise rider who was almost exclusively Lava Man's partner after he was claimed for $50,000 in August 2004.

"I felt good when he won all those races," Romero said on the Del Mar backstretch earlier this week.

When Lava Man defended his title in the 2007 Santa Anita Handicap, he fought off a stubborn Molengao to win by three-quarters of a length before an adoring ontrack crowd of 43,024. As he galloped back to the winner's circle, Lava Man was greeted by waves of cheering that started on the far reaches of the clubhouse, went through the box seats and finally to the grandstand before reaching a crescendo.

Lava Man won only one more race, the 2007 Gold Cup. He lost the final six races of his career, the last of which was a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Eddie Read Handicap at Del Mar on July 20. Last week, while being examined at the Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Clinic in Los Olivos, Calif., veterinarians said that Lava Man's ankles were suffering from wear and tear, Steve Kenly said.

The 7-year-old, bred by Lonnie Arterburn and Eve and Kim Kuhlmann, had reached the end of his career.

The evolution of Lava Man from $50,000 claimer to Grade 1 winner took less than 11 months from August 2004 to July 2005. Lava Man spent the next years proving he was so much more.

July 26, 2008

Babs Moossa keeps surprising
By STEVE ANDERSEN
DEL MAR, Calif. - Ted Aroney had just about given up on Babs Moossa when the gelding made his third start in a $12,500 maiden claimer at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, Calif., on June 25.

"I was rooting for a tag," Aroney said, hoping the gelding would get claimed.

Babs Moossa's four-length win in the race was a minor consolation. At least Babs Moossa improved on sixth- and second-place finishes in maiden claiming races at Golden Gate Fields in the spring.

What has happened since is far from what Aroney or trainer Jerry Hollendorfer envisioned. Following the Pleasanton race, Babs Moossa won the Solano County Juvenile Stakes at Vallejo on July 12 in odd circumstances, then returned to win the second stakes of his career in the $136,000 Graduation Stakes for California-breds at Del Mar on Wednesday.

"He's definitely matured in the last two months," Aroney said. "Jerry has done a wonderful job with the horse."

Babs Moossa needed all 5 1/2 furlongs of the Graduation to catch Triumphant Flight, a colt by Chullo, in the final strides. Babs Moossa won by a nose, taking the lead in the final strides. The style of the win suggested he should have no difficulty with the six-furlong distance of the $100,000 I'm Smokin Stakes for statebreds here on Sept. 1, his next expected start.

While Babs Moossa displayed his experience in the Graduation, he was the beneficiary of a wild finish to the Solano County Juvenile. Babs Moossa was third in early stretch in that race over 5 1/2 furlongs when front-runner Cross Fire, the 3-5 favorite, ducked in and fell over the inside rail. Babs Moossa went on to win by two lengths, earning a first-place purse of $41,450.

He earned $81,600 for winning the Graduation, improving his career earnings to $132,450.

"He's made $130,000," said Dan Ward, Hollendorfer's assistant. "Not bad for a maiden twelve-five."

Aroney bred Babs Moossa, who is by Crowning Storm out Moossa's Girl, by Candi's Gold. Crowning Storm, 12, won 2 of 9 starts and $92,940 for Sid Craig, racing from 1998 to 2000. Crowning Storm placed twice in Grade 3 races - the 1998 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs and the 1999 Affirmed Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Craig died last Monday after a five-year battle with cancer. Craig and Aroney campaigned horses together in recent years.

Moossa's Girl, 9, raced for Aroney's Halo Farms, whose burgundy and gray silks are among the most recognizable in California racing. Moossa's Girl made only six starts as a 2-year-old and ended her career with a two-length win the fillies division of the 2001 California Sires Stakes at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting. The race is no longer run.

Moossa's Girl is the dam of one other winner, Crowning Moossa, and was bred to Benchmark earlier this year, Aroney said. She does not have a yearling or a foal by her side, Aroney said. The mare is kept at Legacy Ranch in Clements, Calif.

Crowning Storm was sent to stud in Argentina in 2005 and his oldest foals there will be 2-year-olds next year, Aroney said.

Aroney retains the Northern Hemisphere breeding rights to Crowning Storm, but said there is no decision about whether he will return to this part of the world for the upcoming breeding season.

"This will be his last crop" in California, Aroney said of the current 2-year-olds. "He stands in Argentina. The Crowning Storms can run. Sid Craig stood him with me. He'd be very happy. We'll miss him a lot."

Swiss Yodeler relocates

Swiss Yodeler, the leading stallion in California in 2006, has been moved to Harris Farms in Coalinga, Calif., the farm announced Friday.

Swiss Yodeler had stood at Pepper Oaks Farm in Santa Ynez, Calif., since he entered stud in 1999. Patricia Youngman, the owner of Pepper Oaks Farm, said in June that she would no longer stand stallions at that farm.

Heinz Steinmann, who campaigned Swiss Yodeler during his racing career in the late 1990s, has retained ownership in Swiss Yodeler.

Swiss Yodeler, 14, is the sire of Thor's Echo, the 2006 champion sprinter and the winner of the Breeders' Cup Sprint that year. Thor's Echo was entered in the Vanderbilt Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday.

Swiss Yodeler has sired 19 stakes winners and winners off more than $16.6 million in purses. According to a statement from Harris Farms, the stud fee for the 2009 season will be announced in September.

July 6, 2008

Momentum's early returns encouraging
By STEVE ANDERSEN
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Momentum, the California-based first-year stallion, cracked the national top 10 in progeny earnings earlier this week when the colt Lidstrom won his debut in a maiden race Wednesday at Hollywood Park.

The stallion's success is even more remarkable considering he has sired three winners from just six starters in a crop of 27 registered foals.

Momentum, who stands at Vessels Stallion Farm in Bonsall, Calif., will have larger crops of 2-year-olds in 2009 and 2010, and many of them are likely to race for the stallion's owner, Paul Reddam.

Not only has Reddam supported Momentum with his own mares, but financially guaranteed that other breeders would be satisfied with their Momentum foals by offering to buy back those horses as yearlings for up to three times the stud fee. The offer was extended for the 2006 and 2007 breeding season.

For the 2007 foals, Reddam committed to buying back yearlings at three times the $5,000 stud fee, or $15,000.

For the 2008 foals, the program changed. Reddam instructed mare owners to name a stud fee, ranging from $3,000 to $15,000. He committed to buying back the unwanted yearlings for three times the named fee. The stud fees varied considerably, he said.

"There were a bunch of people at $3,000 and a lot at $15,000," Reddam said.

It is unclear how many yearlings that Reddam will wind up buying back from other breeders this year. He estimates he will buy back 10 yearlings this year and approximately 25 next year.

"I stuck my neck out with the triple buyback guarantee," he said. "We'll end up buying a few. It depends on whether he can keep his success going."

Reddam said Momentum has 50 yearlings this year and is expected to have a crop of 80 foals this year. Next year, the figure will drop. "This year, he hardly bred any mares," Reddam said. "I probably bred 25 mares myself. There were no financial incentives."

Through Thursday, Momentum has progeny earnings of $92,340. He is the highest-ranked California-based stallion on the list of first-year sires. The red-hot Lion Heart, based in Kentucky, leads the national list with progeny earnings of $254,641.

Lidstrom, named after Detroit Red Wings captain Niklas Lidstrom, was bred by Reddam and is trained by Craig Dollase. The colt was favored in Wednesday's 5 1/2-furlong race, and rallied from fifth in a field of 11 to win by 2 1/4 lengths. The winning time of 1:05.44 was not quick, but Reddam and Dollase were encouraged by the style of the victory.

Dollase trained Momentum for Reddam during the American part of the stallion's career, which included a victory in the 2001 Native Diver Handicap and second-place finishes in the Hollywood Gold Cup, Pacific Classic and Goodwood Breeders' Cup Handicap in 2002. A stakes winner on turf in England at 3, Momentum, now 10, won 4 of 17 starts and $664,817.

Eventually, Reddam and Dollase would like to try Lidstrom on turf.

"He's bred to run on," Dollase said. "He reminds me a lot of his dad. He handles himself with a lot of class, a good-moving horse."

In the short-term, Lidstrom will be pointed to the $125,000 Graduation Stakes for 2-year-old California-breds over 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on July 23.

"Hopefully, we'll see some bigger and better races from him," Reddam said. "He really has some grass action. We're kind of high on that one."

June 29, 2008

Pepper Oaks Farm is closing
By STEVE ANDERSEN
Pepper Oaks Farm in Santa Ynez, Calif., which has stood leading California sire Swiss Yodeler since he went to stud in 1999, is closing on Tuesday, farm owner Patricia Youngman announced Thursday.

In her announcement, Youngman said she was disgruntled over the direction of the sport in general and scolded the sport for failing to have "vision and unity."

In a brief interview on Friday, Youngman deferred to her statement. She said the farm will not be developed.

"This is going to be my home," she said. "I have horses, and they will live at my place."

Swiss Yodeler, the leading sire in California in 2006 in progeny earnings, will be relocated to another California farm for the 2009 breeding season, but no plans have been finalized, according to Mike Harrington, who trained Swiss Yodeler and is active in the stallion's management.

Harrington is an avid supporter of Swiss Yodeler, having owned, bred and trained several of the sire's offspring.

Swiss Yodeler is the sire of Thor's Echo, who won the 2006 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs. Thor's Echo was named champion sprinter for 2006, Swiss Yodeler's first champion.

Swiss Yodeler is owned by Heinz Steinmann, who will decide where the horse stands, Harrington said.

"There are several farms interested, but we haven't made a determination yet," Harrington said. "It will be in California. It will be up to Mr. Steinmann. It's his horse. We've had three people call us, and I'm sure there'll be more."

Through Thursday, Swiss Yodeler ranked seventh among the state's stallion in progeny earnings, at $1,267,983.

Youngman's decision to close Pepper Oaks comes two years after she announced that she was reducing her breeding holdings through sales. In late 2006, she said that the other stallions that stood at Pepper Oaks would be relocated or pensioned. Swiss Yodeler was the only active stallion on the property in 2007 and 2008.

In 2006, Youngman said she wanted to redirect her effort to promote racing and race a small stable. At the 2006 October breeding sale at Barretts, Pepper Oaks sold 15 horses for $61,200.

In a statement that announced the cessation of activity at Pepper Oaks, Youngman said she will continue to race "one or two horses."

"However," she said, "the current problems within the industry and its failure to do more to enhance its position in the marketplace along with the lack of vision and unity required by its current leaders in all areas to ensure a bright future for the sport leaves me saddened and concerned as a business owner," she said.

"I hope racing can find its way and regain its position as a leading sport and entertainment alternative for fans and families."

On Friday, she said she "weighed everything for a long time" before making the announcement to close the farm.

The loss of Pepper Oaks Farm is a blow to the state's breeding industry, which has lost several other farms in recent years to development.

Youngman's decision did not surprise Harrington.

"She cut back a couple of years ago, and she indicated this spring she wasn't continuing on for long," he said. "She has other things she wanted to do. It's a beautiful farm, and it's a shame that such a beautiful farm won't have [breeding] horses on it."

June 22, 2008

Gold Cup an ambitious target for McCann's Mojave
By STEVE ANDERSEN
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - When McCann's Mojave won the Grade 3 Berkeley Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on May 26, trainer Steve Specht immediately knew his next goal - the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup at Hollywood Park next Saturday.

The margin of victory, 3 1/2 lengths, was the widest of McCann's Mojave's 34-race career, which includes 12 wins and earnings of $1,468,565.

"Specht was adamant that we need to take a shot," owner-breeder Mike Willman said. "He really ran well the other day."

Specht had simple reasons for his confidence, beginning with the Gold Cup purse: "It's a lot of damn money, it's a short field, and the horse is coming off a big race."

An 8-year-old California-bred horse by Memo, McCann's Mojave will make his 13th consecutive appearance in a stakes in the Gold Cup, and his first in a Grade 1 since a fourth-place finish in the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap in March 2007. In that race, McCann's Mojave was beaten 2 1/2 lengths by Lava Man, another California-bred. Lava Man has won the last three runnings of the Gold Cup, but his participation this year was doubtful as of Friday, according to trainer Doug O'Neill.

While McCann's Mojave will be a longshot in the Gold Cup, neither Specht nor Willman is worried about the race distance of 1 1/4 miles.

"The way he ran in the Big Cap last year, we're not concerned about the mile and a quarter," said Willman, the director of publicity at Santa Anita.

The Berkeley Stakes is McCann's Mojave's only win in four starts this year, which includes a troubled fifth in the Sensational Star Handicap at Santa Anita in April and a 10th in the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic at Santa Anita in January, a race Willman dismisses.

McCann's Mojave won the 2007 Sunshine Millions Classic for California-breds and Florida-breds at Gulfstream Park in a 33-1 upset. The race remains the richest win of his career, which includes a victory in the $250,000 California Cup Classic in 2005.

McCann's Mojave has even beaten expected Gold Cup favorite Heatseeker in the past. McCann's Mojave was fourth in the Grade 3 Morvich Handicap at Santa Anita last fall, while Heatseeker was only seventh.

The result does not leave Willman expecting a handy victory from McCann's Mojave in what will be arguably the toughest race of his career.

"I know he's a different horse now," Willman said of Heatseeker. "Our horse has earned the shot."

Modest expectations for Barretts sale

The Barretts summer sale of horses of racing age and 2-year-olds in training in Pomona on Tuesday is not expected to reach the record levels of the 2007 sale.

Last year's auction featured a dispersal of Meadow Creek Farm, which was led by the sale of the

3-year-old Laddies Poker for $525,000. Overall, 89 horses were sold for a record gross of $1,680,200, a gain of 48 percent, and a record average of $18,879, an increase of 99.7 percent.

Tuesday's sale features a main catalog of 94 horses, and a supplemental catalog of 30 horses. There is a training preview for the 2-year-olds on Monday.

"This is just a service market," Barretts president Gerald McMahon said. "It's kind of a meat-and-potatoes sale."

The horses of racing age include Leesider, who won the $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes for statebred 3-year-olds at Hollywood in 2007, but has been running in claiming races recently. The 2-year-olds include the California-bred filly Aromatica, the winner of a two-furlong maiden race at Santa Anita in March, who was sixth against males in the Willard Proctor Memorial Stakes on May 25.

May 23, 2008

Sherlock got quite a bargain at yearling sale
By STEVE ANDERSEN
The California October yearling sale was about half over last fall when the filly Listisimo went into the ring. At the time, it did not seem like an important moment.

Listisimo was purchased for $2,500 by trainer Gary Sherlock as something of a gamble. It has already paid off.

Listisimo, a rare California-bred More Than Ready filly, won a $49,200 maiden special weight race at Hollywood Park on Wednesday, a performance that has Sherlock convinced that she will play a factor in the statebred stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar.

Making her second start, Listisimo ran 4 1/2 furlongs in 52.55 seconds, winning by 1 1/4 lengths over Seattle Sweetie.

"She won easily," Sherlock said. "I think she wants to go further."

Sherlock bought Listisimo from a reduction of holdings of the Mabee family's Golden Eagle Farm. Sherlock owns the filly with Tom Grether Farms.

"They didn't put a reserve on her," Sherlock said of Golden Eagle. "I was in the right place at the right time. I liked her."

Listisimo is out of the Boston Harbor mare Harbor Princess. More Than Ready stands at Vinery Stud in Lexington, Ky., for a $60,000 fee.

Debut time at hand

By any measurement, it is early in the season for 2-year-old racing. Many of the best prospects will be unveiled over the next three months, particularly as the opening of the Del Mar meeting on July 16 nears. Regardless of what California-breds emerge in coming weeks, Sherlock has a filly who should be well-suited for races such as the $125,000 CTBA Stakes over 5 1/2 furlongs on July 18 and the $100,000 Generous Portion Stakes over six furlongs on Aug. 27, both for statebreds.

Another filly capable of starting in those races is Gonging Wild, who set a two-furlong track record of 20.87 seconds at Santa Anita in April.

Gonging Wild will make her stakes debut in Sunday's $75,000 Cinderella Stakes at Hollywood Park. The Cinderella, which drew a field of eight 2-year-old fillies, including five California-breds, will be Gonging Wild's first start for Sundance Racing Stable and trainer Paul Aguirre.

Gonging Wild raced for Galley Farm and trainer Adam Kitchingman when she won her debut at Santa Anita. While Galley Farm retains an ownership interest in the filly, Kitchingman is no longer the trainer.

Gonging Wild is by Expressionist, and was that stallion's first winner. Gonging Wild was purchased privately by Sundance Racing Stable shortly after the maiden win. The Sundance partnership is a group of Aguirre's clients, the trainer said.

Aguirre is taking a cautious approach to Sunday's race. He fears that she may not be ready for a top race, and is already looking toward Del Mar.

"I think we're going into the race a little short," he said. "Our goal is to get her ready for the Del Mar Cal-bred stakes. I don't think she can win. She seems like she's got some quality and can hit the board."

Idiot Proof back in training

Idiot Proof, the runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Sprint last October and the Golden Shaheen Stakes in Dubai in March, has resumed training with Clifford Sise at Hollywood Park.

Owned by breeders Marty and Pam Wygod, Idiot Proof is not likely to start until later this summer. The Wygods and Sise are hoping to run Idiot Proof twice at the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita this fall - a defense of his title in the Grade 1 Ancient Title Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Sprint on Oct. 25.

May 16, 2008

Barretts falls short of 2007
By STEVE ANDERSEN
Compared with 2007, Tuesday's Barretts May sale of 2-year-olds in training failed to keep pace. The sale had a 15 percent decline in average price, a 4 percent drop in median, and a 31 percent reduction in gross receipts.

The figures seem discouraging but sale officials insist they were not surprised by the results.

"A lot more horses stayed east this year," Barretts president Gerald McMahon said. "I think it was a factor of expenses and risk-reward. We didn't have as deep of a top end."

In fairness, the 2007 sale was a hard act to follow, with a record gross of $11,331,300 and a record average of $62,604. This year, the gross was $7,816,400, with 34 fewer horses sold, and the average was $53,173. Tuesday's average was 1 percent higher than the 2006 average of $52,573.

This year, there were six horses that sold for $250,000 or more. Last year, there were 13 horses that sold for $250,000 or more, compared with just four in 2006.

"It was incredible last year," McMahon said. "We were hoping we could build on that. We saw early on that we didn't have the horses coming out. There were a lot of buyers here for the same horses and weakness for the middle and lower horses. Buyers are pretty selective."

Jess Jackson led all buyers at Tuesday's sale, acquiring four horses for $1.6 million. Jackson bought the Harlan's Holiday filly that topped the sale at $700,000. The owner of reigning Horse of the Year Curlin, Jackson has a history of buying expensive horses at this sale. He also acquired the 2003 sale-topper for $375,000, at a time when he was building his racing holdings.

Jackson said the Harlan's Holiday filly will be sent to trainer Steve Asmussen at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky-bred filly, consigned by Murray Smith, agent, zipped a quarter-mile in 20.80 seconds in a training preview on May 8, the fastest two-furlong workout of the sale prospects. The filly is out of the unraced Septieme Ciel mare Leading the Way, 12. The second dam, Fit to Lead, won seven races, including five stakes, and earned $595,776.

The Harlan's Holiday filly was purchased for $150,000 by M.S.T.S. at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling sale last July.

"She's ready to run now, but that's not the point," Jackson said. "I want to baby her and put her into Steve Asmussen's care. We want a two-turn horse that runs in her fourth year.

"She's a two-turn prospect and has a natural gait. She does things easily. You can't ask for anything more."

Smith said the filly was injured in a paddock accident in Florida earlier this year. "Her leg got caught in a fence early this year," she said. "I lost some time."

Smith was the second leading consignor, selling four horses for $965,000. Jerry Bailey Sales Agency, acting as agent, led all consignors, selling seven horses for $1,009,000. Bailey's leading sale was a Mr. Greeley colt purchased for $300,000 by Jackson.

Jackson paid $300,000 for two other prospects - a Fusaichi Pegasus colt and a Lion Heart filly.

The leading California-bred in the one-day sale was an In Excess filly purchased for $115,000 by Dolantori Racing from the consignment of Sam Hendricks, agent. Cat Dreamer, who held the 4 1/2-furlong track record of 50.84 seconds at Hollywood Park earlier this month, sold for $110,000 to Gary Broad. A California-bred, Cat Dreamer started in a $40,000 claiming race for maidens when he set the track record on May 8.

April 20, 2008

Owner keeps an eye on one that got away
By STEVE ANDERSEN
Bob Bone will have an interesting perspective on the $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes at Hollywood Park next Sunday.

When he stands in the paddock, Bone will be focused on Overland, a Harlan's Holiday colt that will be his starter in the race for 3-year-old California-breds.

Do not be surprised if Bone peeks across the paddock occasionally to check on Bamaha Breeze, a colt he bred and saw claimed away for $20,000 in January.

Bamaha Breeze is unbeaten in four starts, three of which have come for trainer Steve Miyadi, who took him from Bone.

Bone thought he was getting away with sneaky move when he put Bamaha Breeze into a low-priced claimer for his career debut. But he got caught.

"I thought we were taking a little edge," he said. "I wouldn't have entered him for maiden 20 if I thought he'd be like this. It's disappointing but it's part of the game. If I enter him for $20,000, it's my own deal. I don't get upset or cry about it. I've claimed some good ones and some bad ones."

Bone, of Shingle Springs, Calif., has been active claiming horses for years. He is well-known for claiming Choctaw Nation for $40,000 in 2004 and watching the horse develop into a multiple stakes winner and millionaire.

Bone thinks Overland can be a factor in the Snow Chief Stakes, the richest race on the California Gold Rush program, which includes 10 stakes for statebreds.

So far, Overland has been a successful acquisition for Bone and partner Jim Vlahos. They claimed Overland for $32,000 at Golden Gate Fields last November and have watched him earn $29,320 since.

Overland, trained by Steve Sherman, has won 2 of 7 starts and $40,420. For Bone and Vlahos, Overland has won a starter allowance, finished eighth in the $150,000 California Derby, and second in two optional claiming races around two turns.

The second-place finishes were a disappointment to Bone, even though Overland was closing late.

"I think we made a good claim," Bone said. "I really expected him to win both times, but he got behind a slow pace. In the California Derby, he was a little disappointing. I think he's one of those horses that the further he goes, the better.

"He'll be a little outmatched, class-wise," Bone said of the Snow Chief, which is run over 1 1/8 miles. "I think a lot of them won't get the distance, but he'll get the distance for sure. He'll come running and pick up horses. I don't know if he's talented enough."

Bone was attracted to Overland because of his breeding. The colt is out of Lookn at a Blurr, by Murrtheblurr. Lookn at a Blurr is the dam of Lookn Mighty Fine, another remarkable claim for Bone earlier this decade.

Bone claimed Lookn Mighty Fine in Fresno in October 2000 for $6,250 and watched her develop into the winner of the Sun City Handicap at Turf Paradise in 2001 before losing her for $62,500 in summer 2001. A year later, Bone claimed Lookn Mighty Fine again, this time for $50,000. She later won the 2002 Las Madrinas Handicap at Fairplex Park before Bone lost her in an $80,000 claiming race.

Overland is by Harlan's Holiday, who stands in Kentucky. Overland was registered as a California-bred after Lookn at a Blurr was bred back to a California stallion.

As for Bamaha Breeze, he still generates breeders awards for Bone.

"When people claim from me, I wish them great luck, except when I run against them," he said. "Then, I wish them good luck."

April 13, 2008

Moscow Ballet leaves behind decades of success
By STEVE ANDERSEN
Moscow Ballet, who was euthanized at Harris Farms in Coalinga, Calif., on April 4 at the age of 26, had a significant impact on California racing throughout his more than two decades at stud.

The stallion was euthanized because of degeneration in his hind end, Harris said.

"He couldn't get up and couldn't get down," Harris said. "He had a good life. He looked really good until the last three or four weeks."

Moscow Ballet stood his first season in 1986, as a 4-year-old, and his first crop included Dominant Dancer, the winner of the Grade 1 Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita in 1989. In 2006, two of his females - Dancing Edie and Moscow Burning - finished first and second in the Grade 1 John Mabee Handicap at Del Mar. Moscow Burning had been named California-bred horse of the year two years earlier.

Through his stallion career, Moscow Ballet had one home - at Harris Farms.

"It's unusual to stand a stallion as long as we did, for more than 20 years," owner John Harris said.

It was Harris who walked out of the winner's circle after the 2006 John Mabee and said, "He's still got it," about Moscow Ballet.

Moscow Ballet was a stakes winner in Ireland as a 2-year-old in 1984, winning the Group 3 Railway Stakes. He made one start at 3, but was unplaced.

At stud, he sired more than 750 foals with progeny earnings of more than $20 million. Moscow Ballet was by Nijinsky out of the Cornish Prince mare Millicent, who did not start. Millicent was a half-sister to Mill Reef, the star European 3-year-old of 1971.

Moscow Ballet ranked 13th on the 1989 juvenile sire list, helped by Dominant Dancer's major win. She was the first of three Grade 1 winners for the stallion. The others were Dancing Edie and Golden Ballet, who rose from the lowly two-furlong maiden special weight races at Santa Anita in 2000 to win the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes and Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks in 2001.

Moscow Ballet had six California-bred champions: Dominant Dancer, Golden Ballet, Moscow Burning, Moscow Changes, Soviet Problem, and Teresa Mc. It was Soviet Problem who came closest to giving Moscow Ballet a Breeders' Cup winner, finishing second by a head in the 1994 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs after leading by a length in the stretch. She was named the California-bred horse of the year that season.

While Golden Ballet was the champion state bred 3-year-old filly of 2001, Moscow Ballet's other statebred champions came in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Dominant Dancer was the top 2-year-old filly of 1989, Teresa Mc was the champion 3-year-old filly of 1991, and Moscow Changes was the leading 2-year-old male of 1992.

Moscow Ballet stood for as much as $15,000, Harris said. In 2007, his final full season at stud, he stood for $3,000.

"It's hard to stand one for a whole lot in California," Harris said. "He got fairly good mares."

This year, Moscow Ballet was bred to "a few mares, but we didn't get any mares in foal," Harris said.

The stallion is the broodmare sire of 11 stakes winners, including Leave Me Alone, the winner of the Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga in 2005; Spot the Diplomat, the winner of two stakes for California-bred males at Del Mar in 2006; and Stage Luck, the winner of the 2008 Affectionately Handicap at Aqueduct.

Stage Luck is by Unbridled's Song out of Golden Ballet, and was purchased by Darley Stable for $1.6 million at the 2005 Keeneland September yearling sale.

"I think he'll be a good broodmare sire," Harris said of Moscow Ballet. "We've got several Moscow Ballet mares."

April 6, 2008

Insurance program to aid farms
By STEVE ANDERSEN
ARCADIA, Calif. - Bud Johnston does not need a reminder about the exorbitant costs that California horse farm owners pay for worker's compensation. The figure for his Old English Rancho in Sanger, Calif., is easy to remember.

"It's $1,000 a day, and that's before we open the door or buy a bale of hay," he said Friday morning at Santa Anita.

For Johnston's operation, and other California Thoroughbred farms, relief could be on the way. A captive insurance program developed by the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association and modeled after an existing program for Thoroughbred trainers in the state is nearing completion and could be put in place later this spring, according to CTBA executive director Doug Burge.

Burge said Friday that farms could have savings of "15 to 20" percent off current policies, many of which are purchased through the government-backed State Fund insurance system.

For Johnston, and other farm owners, the savings cannot occur fast enough.

"It's ridiculous," Johnston said of the cost. "I hope it accomplishes what they believe it will."

The program will be limited to farms that are CTBA members and will be brokered by MOC Insurance Services of San Francisco, which developed the program for trainers.

Scoop Vessels, former president of the CTBA and the owner of Vessels Stallion Farm in Bonsall, Calif., said the new program will benefit his operation.

"Once it comes rolling out, we'll take a hard look at it," Vessels said. "For a majority of the people, it could be [a savings of] 10 to 15 percent daily, which is quite a bit in today's market. That's a pretty good deal. Anything we can do to help the farm nowadays, it's tough out there."

Burge said the program could be in place within 30 days and could offset increases in labor, fuel, and hay costs that currently burden farms.

"It's our goal and intention to offer the farms a competitive alternative to the current situation, which basically has the State Fund as the only entity that has written worker's compensation insurance," he said.

Filly gives Momentum his first winner

The freshman stallion Momentum was represented by his first winner when Aromatica won a two-furlong race for 2-year-olds at Santa Anita on March 28.

A filly racing against males, Aromatica was timed in 21.01 seconds, winning by a length. Owned and bred by Francoise Dupuis, Diane Keith, and Michael Neumann, Aromatica is trained by Jean-Pierre Dupuis. The filly is out of Doman's Magic, by Magical Mile.

Momentum is by Nureyev out of the Foolish Pleasure mare Imprudent Love. Momentum raced in England and the United States, winning 4 of 17 starts and $664,817. A two-time stakes winner, Momentum ran second in the Pacific Classic and Hollywood Gold Cup in 2002.

Owned by Paul Reddam, Momentum stands for $5,000 at Vessels and had more than 100 foals in his last two crops, Vessels said.

As part of a promotion to attract mares to the stallion, Reddam offered a deal to breeders that yearlings could be sold back to the farm this year for $15,000 without obligation, or three times the $5,000 stud fee. Vessels said that there have been "quite a few" breeders who had taken advantage of the promotion.

The promotion is no longer being offered, Vessels said.

"We do have a lot of interest in him," Vessels said. "It was pretty forward thinking on [Reddam's] part, along with the horse doing his part of being a nice stallion. Paul stepped out of the box in regards to deal making. We had a couple years of 100 mares, that's pretty good."

March 30, 2008

Barretts sets up new auction
By STEVE ANDERSEN
Taking advantage of the Breeders' Cup being run in Southern California, Barretts unveiled plans on Friday to host a sale of selected horses of racing age in Pomona, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 26.

The evening sale will be held a day after the second and final day of the Breeders' Cup at the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita.

"We expect it to be a fairly small sale," said Jerry McMahon, president of Barretts. "Somewhere around 50 to 75 horses would be a decent target for us. We're looking for high-quality horses that need to be marketed at that time of year."

The newly formed sale, which will be called Barretts Classic, will be the first of as many as three days of sales at Barretts that week. The annual fall mixed sale will be held on Oct. 27 and possibly Oct. 28, if there are sufficient horses available, McMahon said.

The Barretts Classic sale could become an annual event, since the 2009 Breeders' Cup is also scheduled for the Oak Tree meeting, McMahon said.

"We have to get out and tell the story and hope that enough like people like the concept," McMahon said. "Our early discussions with a few industry people seem very supportive. We have to get out and sell the horses."

The Barretts Classic sale will have a nomination deadline of Sept. 5.

McMahon said the upcoming May sale of 2-year-olds in training on May 13 will include approximately 330 horses.

Tommy Town adds Buck to roster

Buck, a winner of 2 of 5 starts, including the final race of his career, has entered stud during the current breeding season at Tommy Town Thoroughbreds in Santa Ynez, Calif., the farm announced earlier this month.

Buck, who is by Unbridled's Song out of the Wild Again mare Kate Again, will stand for $2,500. Buck ended his career last December, winning an allowance race over 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita. A $375,000 purchased at the 2003 Keeneland September yearling sale, Buck raced in California, making two starts in 2005 and three starts last year.

He joins a stallion roster at Tommy Town that includes Cat Dreams, Hold for Gold, Mambo Train, Ministers Wild Cat, Old Topper, Proud Tower Too, and Uncle Denny.

Sale's top-price statebred turned out

A California-bred Victory Gallop filly bought for $170,000 at the Barretts March sale of selected 2-year-olds in training earlier this month has been turned out and will be pointed to a campaign in the second half of the year, according to new trainer Bob Baffert.

The filly was purchased by David and Elia Sivage's D and E Racing, Baffert said. She was the most expensive California-bred purchased at the one-day sale on March 12.

"She doesn't look like a sprinter," Baffert said. "She moves nice. We liked her at the sale, but she's been turned out. I hope she can run."

Consigned by Kirkwood Stable, agent, the Victory Gallop filly is out of the 18-year-old mare Devil's Nell, who was stakes-placed at Santa Anita. The Victory Gallop filly is a half-sister to Kiss the Devil, a two-time stakes winner who earned $381,629.

The filly was purchased for $62,000 at the California October yearling sale last year by Thor-Bred Stables.

The leading California-bred male at the sale, a colt by Include, was purchased for $100,000 by WinStar Farm. Consigned by NexStar, agent, the colt was purchased at the California October yearling sale for $50,000 by Oakmont Thoroughbreds.

Yearling sale changing location

The Northern California yearling sale will be held on Aug. 26 at the Sonoma County fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. The sale had been previously held at the Alameda County fairgrounds in Pleasanton.

Nominations for the sale, which is administered by the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, close on June 2

March 23, 2008

Idiot Proof extends Wygods' empire globally
By STEVE ANDERSEN
The breeding operation of Marty and Pam Wygod stretches from California to Kentucky, and it includes River Edge Farm in Buellton, Calif., the ownership of Kentucky-based stallions After Market and Yankee Gentleman, and numerous top-level mares in that state.

In the next week, the Wygods' racing stable will go global when Idiot Proof starts in the $2 million Golden Shaheen for sprinters in Dubai.

For the Wygods, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., the California-bred Idiot Proof is the leading horse in a stable that in recent years has included the Grade 1 winner After Market, the 2004 champion 2-year-old filly Sweet Catomine, and other major stakes winners in this decade such as Silent Sighs, Smooth Player, and Tranquility Lake.

Last year, their stable had two finalists for Eclipse Awards - Idiot Proof as outstanding sprinter and After Market as outstanding turf male.

Idiot Proof, the runner-up to Midnight Lute in the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Monmouth Park last October, will enter the Golden Shaheen on a three-race losing streak. His last win came in the Grade 1 Ancient Title Stakes at Santa Anita last fall. Trained by Clifford Sise, Idiot Proof, 4, has lost twice this year, finishing third in the El Conejo Handicap at Santa Anita on Jan. 1 and second in the Phoenix Gold Cup at Turf Paradise on Feb. 16.

In the Golden Shaheen, Idiot Proof will try to become the second California-bred to win the six-furlong dirt straightaway race, joining Proud Tower Too, the 2006 winner.

"I think he'll run very big," Marty Wygod said. "He's a funny horse. There are tracks that he likes and tracks that he doesn't like. He prefers plain dirt. It depends on how he ships and how he reacts. I think he's just coming into his own."

The Wygods bred Idiot Proof at River Edge Farm. He is by their homebred stallion Benchmark, one of three River Edge stallions that have thrived in recent years. Bertrando, the champion older male of 1993, led California stallions in progeny earnings in 2007 with $4,235,168. At the age of 19, he remains in high demand among California breeders.

The upstart has been Tribal Rule, 12, whose racing career was cut short by injuries. A winner of 2 of 4 starts and the leading freshman sire in California in 2006, Tribal Rule stood for no breeding fee for his first three years at stud. A breeding season now costs $5,000. Wygod said there has been interest from Kentucky farms about relocating the Storm Cat horse.

Wygod said that River Edge farm manager Russell Drake "can't understand why all the owners of Kentucky farms are so friendly to him."

Speaking of Tribal Rule, Wygod said, "What he's been able to accomplish has shocked me. I didn't have the same confidence as Russell did."

For now, Tribal Rule is not leaving the state, though Wygod wonders if California can support such a promising stallion.

"I think I'd like to keep him here if I can stand him at a price close to what he would stand for in Kentucky," he said. "I think $10,000 is about as high as California will go."

Wygod said he will breed 20 of his mares to Tribal Rule and that the stallion will have a book of more than 140 mares this year, a large number for a California stallion.

The Wygods bred Tribal Rule as well as his dam, Sown, a half-sister to the late stallion Pirate's Bounty, who stood at River Edge and was a leading sire in California.

After Market and Yankee Gentleman were bred by the Wygods.

After Market, who stands for $30,000 at Lane's End in Versailles, Ky., is by Storm Cat out of Tranquility Lake, a half-sister to Benchmark. Tranquility Lake's full-brother Jalil was sold by the Wygods for $9.7 million at the 2005 Keeneland September yearling sale to Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai and is a probable starter in the $6 million Dubai World Cup next Saturday.

Yankee Gentleman, who stands for $7,500 at Airdrie Stud in Midway, Ky., is by Storm Cat out of the Gradeo1 winner Key Phrase, who is a half-sister to Tribal Rule.

"All the families come back to claiming horses we had 30 years ago," Wygod said. "It's all come together with the old families."

February 17, 2008

Drop in foal crop raises field size worries in California
By STEVE ANDERSEN
ARCADIA, Calif. - The 3,223 California-breds registered with the Jockey Club from the 2006 crop marked an 11 percent decline from the 2005 crop and the lowest number of foals registered in the state in nearly a decade.

Earlier this week, the Jockey Club released its online fact book, which included state-by-state foal crops for 2006, the most recent available. California ranked third in number of foals behind Kentucky (10,346) and Florida (4,296), a position it has held annually since relinquishing second to Florida in 1994.

The 2005 California-bred foal crop reached 3,636. There were 3,783 foals in the 2004 crop, according to Jockey Club statistics.

The sharp drop in California-bred foals in 2006 has the attention of California Thoroughbred Breeders Association executive director Doug Burge, who acknowledges that the economic climate in California has contributed to the decrease.

Burge said the loss of some farms to development and the high cost of operating a breeding farm in California have taken a toll at a time when purses are not growing substantially. At the same time, purses in New Mexico, where some of the lesser mares from California have been sent, are booming because of growth in purses from racetracks aided by slot machines.

"If you look at the mares bred, the one thing that is a little concerning is that we've taken 1,000 mares out of production in the last two to three years," Burge said. "There is a good argument that most of that is a shuffling off from the bottom end, a culling from an economic standpoint.

"It costs more now than ever to raise and develop a young horse. If it's not making it from an economic standpoint, you will see a demise."

"A lot of the regional markets are experiencing similar trends as we are. It's not just a major issue here in California. It does get down to the economics."

Since 1968, according to records available on the Jockey Club's website, California's annual foal crop has ranged from a low of 3,128 in the 1997 crop to a high of 6,061 in 1985. As recently as the 2003 crop, there were 3,865 foals registered in the state.

Burge said the development of an incentive awards program for owners of California-breds in the late 1990s spurred growth through the first half of this decade, but that the advantages from that program have dissipated.

Along with the Thoroughbred Owners of California and the racetracks, the CTBA has held discussions on ways to increase ownership of statebreds, Burge said. Field size at the state's racetracks could be at risk. Burge said that 50 percent of starters on both the Northern and Southern California circuits are California-breds.

"What we're looking at are ways to stimulate the production of not only better horses but to reverse that trend [of smaller foal crops] and get back to where we need to be," Burge said.

"I think the optimum number, with the amount of racing dates we have and the dependency we have in California on the local horse, is probably 3,500-plus."

Burge said that farm operation costs have hurt foal crops. One way to help alleviate those costs is to help farms band together for issues such as workers' compensation insurance policies.

"We've lost a number of farms to development and horses to other states that are subsidized by slot machine money," Burge said. "We're looking for ways to assist here."

Burge said that the preliminary figures for the 2007 foal crop are more encouraging. In conversations with the Jockey Club, he said he found the foal crop could reach 3,300.

February 10, 2008

Lava Man targets unprecedented feat
By STEVE ANDERSEN
ARCADIA, Calif. – When Lava Man makes his expected return to racing this spring after a layoff of nearly six months, he will begin a campaign that could lead to an unprecedented fourth consecutive title as outstanding California-bred older male.

Last week, as Lava Man returned to trainer Doug O’Neill’s stable at Hollywood Park, he was named the champion California-bred older male of 2007, a title he won in 2005 and 2006. He joins Ancient Title (1974-76) and Best Pal (1992, 1994-95) as three-time winners. In addition, Lava Man is a finalist for the horse of the year title, along with the champion sprinter Idiot Proof and the outstanding older female Nashoba’s Key.

Lava Man won the California-bred horse of the year title in 2005-06. The only three-time winners of that award are Snow Chief (1985-87) and Best Pal (1990-92). The award will be announced at the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association’s awards dinner in Pasadena on Feb. 18. CTBA members vote on the year-end champions.

Lava Man has not started since finishing sixth in the California Cup Classic on Nov. 3. The loss was his third straight, a disappointing end to an otherwise outstanding campaign. Early in the year, Lava Man successfully defended his title in the Santa Anita Handicap and won a record-equaling third Hollywood Gold Cup in June. But as the year progressed, his form tailed off and he was sent to a local farm for a break in the fall.

O’Neill said that Lava Man has shown signs of enthusiasm since returning to the stable.

"He looks fantastic," O’Neill said. "I’m very happy with the time off, what it’s done for him. We’re seeing all the signs of a champion Thoroughbred on the comeback trail."

Owned by the Kenly family’s STD Racing and Jason Wood, Lava Man is expected to return to racing at the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting. The long-term goal is the Hollywood Gold Cup, with a possible start to the campaign in the Khaled Stakes for statebreds on turf in late April. Lava Man won the 2006 Khaled.

"That’s got our name written all over it," O’Neill said. "We’ve been lucky, with other horses, of using a grass route as a prep. That might weigh into it. I’d definitely say Santa Anita is out."

The six horses that accounted for the eight divisional titles are expected to race again this year.

Georgie Boy, the champion 2-year-old male, starts in Sunday’s $150,000 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita.

Spring Awakening, the champion 2-year-old filly, and Romance Is Diane, the champion 3-year-old filly, have been turned out for the winter, with plans to return at Hollywood Park in the summer, according to Mike Mitchell, who trains both fillies.

Idiot Proof, who was also named champion 3-year-old male, will start in the Phoenix Gold Cup at Turf Paradise next weekend.

Nashoba’s Key, also named champion turf horse, is being considered for the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap at Santa Anita in March.

At the Feb. 18 ceremony, three breeder awards will be presented to Marty and Pam Wygod, who own River Edge Farm in Buellton, Calif. Their stallion Bertrando led the general progeny earnings list, while Tribal Rule was the leading sire of 2-year-olds by earnings. The Wygods were leading breeders in money earned.

In other awards, Ed Moger Jr. will be honored as outstanding trainer, the stallion Decarchy will be recognized as leading freshman sire, and the stallion Swiss Yodeler will be honored as the sire of the most winners.

The CTBA’s Hall of Fame will induct breeder John Harris, trainer Mel Stute, jockey Russell Baze, and the champions Flying Paster and Decidedly.

January 19, 2008

Barretts starts year with realistic mind-set
By STEVE ANDERSEN
ARCADIA, Calif. - Barretts conducts the first of its six sales for 2008 with the two-day mixed sale in Pomona, Calif., on Tuesday and Wednesday, an event that will be hard-pressed to repeat the success of 2007, according to the sale company's president, Gerald McMahon.

Last year, boosted by the dispersal of Granja Vista del Rio Stable, the sale's average price grew 21 percent, to $9,544, and the $560,000 price paid for the stakes-winning mare Selvatica set a sale record.

This year's sale, which features 524 horses, does not feature a dispersal of the same strength.

"I don't think we have a dispersal that will ring the bell," McMahon said. "This is more normal."

The sale is dominated by 224 broodmares and 145 yearlings. The broodmares include Delta Belle, by Mr. Prospector, who is being sold in foal to Good Journey. Delta Belle is out of Without Feathers, the winner of the Grade 1 Monmouth Oaks in 1987. The yearlings include Ministers Power, a half-brother to the multiple stakes winner Epic Power, who is by Ministers Wild Cat.

Barretts offers two mixed sales each year, in January and October; two sales of 2-year-olds in training, in March and May; a horses of racing age and 2-year-olds in training sale in June; and a yearling sale in the fall.

In 2007, five of the six sales at Barretts showed an increase in average. The May sale had a record average of $62,604, while the June sale, boosted by a small dispersal from Meadow Creek Farm, had a record average of $18,879.

"We've been kind of lucky to have some good dispersals," McMahon said. "It seemed like last year every sale had a component that was pretty exotic."

The only declining market in 2007 was the yearling sale, held in conjunction with the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association. The average price fell 21 percent from 2006, to $19,909.

The sale calendar ended with a strong October mixed sale, which had an average price of $9,740, an increase of 74 percent over 2006. The sale was boosted by a reduction of Golden Eagle Farm horses and a dispersal of holdings from prominent owner Stan Fulton.

McMahon said that the first sale of 2-year-olds in training, on March 12, will have a catalog of approximately 190 horses, down about 10 from last year. He said that is a reflection on the number of top-class horses available for that sale.

McMahon says predictions are hard to make for the 2-year-old market.

"The market is very selective, and those sales are kind of reflective of that," he said. "The March sale is always a high-wire act. The top performers and top-rated horses always do well.

"May is a middle market and has been pretty strong. It has kind of a little more depth because it doesn't have the expectations" of the March sale.

McMahon said the yearling sale is tentatively set for Sept. 30. The sale has a narrow window for potential dates, between the massive Keeneland September yearling sale and other autumn sales in Florida and Maryland.

"We're looking hard at it and trying to pick a date that makes sense," he said. "The calendar is chock-full. That market is a challenge because of the caliber of competition across the country for buyers.

"It's hard to know what effect Keeneland has on the market. Some people say if you sell before, they'll wait, and if you wait, the money will be gone.

"Racing here is really demanding, and a lot of local owners and trainers chose to buy at other market as opposed to here."

January 11, 2008

Bertrando, Decarchy lead sire lists
By STEVE ANDERSEN
ARCADIA, Calif. - Bertrando has truly become a heavyweight among California stallions.

In 2007, for the second time in three years, he led California stallions in progeny earnings, with $4,235,168.

Lately, at Marty and Pam Wygod's River Edge Farm in Buellton, Calif., where the 19-year-old stallion is based, he has been sporting, well, a larger look.

"He's a little heavier weight-wise than he normally is, but I probably did that to him," farm manager Russell Drake said. "When they get older, I tend to feed them a little more."

Bertrando, who ranked 45th on the 2007 national list, led by Smart Strike ($14,358,570), was the only California stallion to surpass $4 million in progeny earnings in 2007. He was followed on the list by In Excess ($3,797,819), Deputy Commander ($3,692,200), Unusual Heat ($3,542,981), and 2006 leader Swiss Yodeler ($3,403,662).

Bertrando's 2007 earnings were much higher than when he topped California's general list in 2005 with earnings of $3,644,295.

In 2007, Bertrando's leading money winner was Bilo, who earned $327,780 and won the Grade 1 Triple Bend Handicap at Santa Anita and the California Cup Sprint at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting for trainer Marty Jones. Bilo was campaigned by the late Ed Nahem, who was part of the partnership that campaigned Bertrando on the racetrack. Nahem retained an ownership share in Bertrando during the horse's stallion career.

Nahem died in November. Bilo was subsequently sold to the partnership of Scott and Wayne Anastasi and Don Capen and is being pointed for the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic at Santa Anita on Jan. 26, according to new trainer Mike Mitchell.

Bertrando, who stands for $12,500, was bred to "80 to 90 mares" in 2007, according to Drake. He expects a similar number for 2008.

"It seems like everyone's a little slow about booking," he said. "He's got 70-plus right now. A lot of people wait until their mare foals. It's not like you're in Kentucky when if they're going to breed to a good stallion you've got to book in October or November."

Drake thinks that Bertrando's legacy could be his results as a broodmare sire.

"The thing I love about Bertrando is that some of his broodmares are fabulous, and you can breed them to anything and get a decent-looking foal," he said. "I think someday his broodmare part will be a strongest point."

Decarchy top freshman stallion

Decarchy was the leading freshman stallion in California in 2007 with progeny earnings of $289,243. He ranked 30th on the national list, led by Posse, with $1,765,638.

Decarchy stands at Rich and Gaby Sulpizio's Magali Farms in Santa Ynez. His freshman stallion title was a delightful surprise to farm manager Tom Hudson.

"We thought they'd be better later horses, as 3-year-olds," he said. "We didn't think he'd produce a lot of 2-year-olds, so he shocked all of us that he's produced as many runners as he has."

Timehascometoday was Decarchy's leading earner, with $73,998.

The success has led to added interest in the 11-year-old stallion, Hudson said. Decarchy was bred to "60 mares or above every year" since he entered stud in 2004, Hudson said. In 2008, Hudson expects that number to rise.

"Now that they're running, the phone is ringing off the hook," Hudson said. "He'll probably get 80 to 100 mares. He's done very well. We won't go over 100. We're believers in keeping the numbers reasonable."

Decarchy will stand for $5,000.

In 2006, Tribal Rule was the top freshman stallion in the state, with progeny earnings of $344,419, while in 2005 Royal Cat led with progeny earnings of $121,971.

Proud Tower Too stands for $5,000

Proud Tower Too, the winner of the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes in 2005 and the Group 1 Golden Shaheen in Dubai in 2006, will stand at Tommy Town Thoroughbreds for $5,000, the farm announced recently.

Proud Tower Too was retired in late 2007 because of a recurring tendon injury. Owned and bred by Tricar Stable, Proud Tower Too won 7 of 22 starts and $1,735,572. A 6-year-old, Proud Tower Too finished second in the Grade 2 San Carlos Handicap last February in the final start of his career.

* Trickey Trevor, a graded stakes winner, will stand his first season at stud this year at Victory Rose Thoroughbreds in Vacaville, Calif.

A winner of 20 of 47 starts and $701,224, Trickey Trevor, 9, won the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Handicap in 2006 and the Oakland Stakes at Golden Gate Fields in 2007.

Two stallions who previously stood at Windfall Farms, Crafty C.T. and Muqtarib, will relocate to Victory Rose and stand for $3,500.

December 30, 2007

Bob Black Jack's win boosts demand in sire
By STEVE ANDERSEN
ARCADIA, Calif. - Not long after Bob Black Jack walked off the Santa Anita racetrack after winning Wednesday's $138,375 California Breeders' Champion Stakes, the phone began ringing at Harris Farms in Coalinga, Calif.

Callers were inquiring about breeding to Stormy Jack, the sire of Bob Black Jack, who had just zipped seven furlongs in 1:20.37, winning the race for statebreds by 6 1/4 lengths.

"I think we got four or five calls in the hour after the race," farm owner John Harris said.

"He won the stakes about as impressive as any California-bred winner in some time."

Bob Black Jack's win came at an ideal time for Stormy Jack, one of the top freshman stallions in California this year. Bob Black Jack was Stormy Jack's first stakes winner, and pushed his progeny earnings to $190,870. He is second on the state's freshman stallion list to Decarchy, who has progeny earnings of $278,483.

Stormy Jack, 10, stands for $2,500. By Bertrando, Stormy Jack won 8 of 21 starts and $5967,673 in a four-year career from 1999 to 2003.

Campaigned by Jack and Florence Arnold and trained by Bob Baffert, Stormy Jack won four stakes - the 1999 I'm Smokin Stakes, 2000 Real Good Deal and Oceanside Stakes, and 2001 On Trust Handicap. He was second in the Grade 3 Los Angeles Handicap at Hollywood Park in 2001, his best result in a graded stakes.

In his first crop, Stormy Jack has had 34 2-year-olds, with 8 starters and 5 winners. The stallion is owned by Gary and Marlene Howard and Bruce Dunmore, who bred Bob Black Jack. Harris said the Howards and Dunmore approached him about standing Stormy Jack at Harris Farms in 2008.

Stormy Jack had stood at the Howards' Hideaway Farms near San Jacinto, Calif., which was sold to owner-breeder Ben Warren earlier this year. The Howards now operate a training center on that property on behalf of Warren.

Gary Howard is hopeful that the stallion can attract 40 to 60 mares in 2008.

"They've shown a lot of speed and they like synthetics," he said of Stormy Jack's offspring.

Dunmore is fighting bone cancer, which is in remission, Howard said.

"Of all the gratifying things about this, that probably means the most," Howard said.

Bob Black Jack has won 2 of 4 starts and $131,625 for owners Tim Kasparoff and Jeff Harmon. He is the first stakes winner for trainer James Kasparoff, Tim's brother.

The colt made his first start at Del Mar on July 29, finishing second in a six-furlong race for statebred maidens. He returned to win a similar race by 2 3/4 lengths on Aug. 26.

Bob Black Jack made his stakes debut in the Grade 3 Hollywood Prevue Stakes over seven furlongs on Nov. 22, finishing fourth, five lengths behind the winner, Massive Drama.

He was the 2-1 second choice in the California Breeders' Champion Stakes and led throughout, pulling clear in the final furlong.

"It was pretty exciting for me," James Kasparoff said. "He's a very talented colt. He likes to train. I really thought that if he ran his race, he'd do pretty well against those horses."

Kasparoff said that Bob Black Jack will be pointed for the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Dash over six furlongs for California-breds and Florida-breds at Santa Anita on Jan. 26. To the trainer, the race is an ideal fit for a colt that sometimes can be tough to handle.

"It's here and it's pretty realistic for the horse," Kasparoff said. "We don't have any grandiose ideas of putting him on the Derby trail. He might be better around one turn.

"He's a pleasure to be around when he's not trying to bite you."

December 9, 2007

Proud Tower Too injury leads to his retirement
By STEVE ANDERSEN
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Proud Tower Too, the winner of the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes in 2005 and the $2 million Golden Shaheen Sprint in Dubai in 2006, has been retired because of a recurring tendon injury, trainer Sal Gonzalez said Friday.

Owned and bred by Daniel Cardenas's Tricar Stables, Proud Tower Too won 7 of 22 starts and $1,735,572. The 5-year-old horse was in training with Gonzalez at Sunland Park in New Mexico this fall when the injury was detected. Proud Tower Too finished second in the Grade 2 San Carlos Handicap in February in his final start.

The recent setback is a recurrence of a tendon injury first discovered in March. At the time, Gonzalez said that Proud Tower Too would need a six-month break.

"We put him back in training in September," Gonzalez said. "I worked him and he had a filling in the tendon. We decided to just stop on him.

"He gave us the most satisfaction from a racehorse. We're very grateful for him. He was a very good racehorse."

Gonzalez said that negotiations are taking place with a California farm for Proud Tower Too to stand at stud in 2008.

Barretts steroid ban expanded

The Barretts sales company, which announced earlier this week that it will ban anabolic steroids from sale yearlings and weanlings beginning with auctions in 2008, will implement a similar program for its popular 2-year-olds in-training sales in 2009, president and general manager Gerald McMahon said on Friday.

Barretts joins Keeneland, Fasig-Tipton, and Ocala Breeders' Sales as major auction companies that are banning the use of steroids in weanlings and yearlings within 45 days of a sale.

McMahon said that Barretts is working with officials from the California Horse Racing Board on details of the testing.

Racing board officials have said they hope to have a steroid ban in place for racehorses by July 2008, well before the Breeders' Cup is held in late October at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting.

The board in late November moved forward with a proposed rule to set threshold limits for four anabolic steroids - nandrolone, boldenone, testosterone, and stanozolol - which will be tested from urine samples.

The 2-year-old sales at Barretts will comply with those rules at the 2009 in-training sales, the first held after the rules go into effect, McMahon said.

"Right now, our plan is to move forward as racing moves forward," McMahon said.

At the recent racing board meeting, chairman Richard Shapiro called for a ban of the use of steroids at 2-year-old in-training sales.

"As quickly as possible, we need to extend the restrictions to the 2-year-olds in-training sales, so that horses being sold are under racetrack conditions and scrutiny," he said. "Buyers can have confidence that horses are being sold with the highest level of integrity."

The use of anabolic steroids in yearlings and weanlings "is not a major issue in California," McMahon said. "In the national context, this is something that everyone is moving forward on and we want to be part of that."

McMahon said the first Barretts sales that will be affected by the steroid rule is the 2008 California October yearling sale.

Barretts has moved the dates of its sales in January and March to accommodate a revamped racing schedule at Santa Anita that includes Monday racing.

The January mixed sale, originally scheduled for Jan. 21 and 22, will be conducted on Jan. 22 and 23.

The March sale of 2-year-olds in-training has been pushed back one day from March 11 to March 12. The sale preview days will be March 4 and 10.

December 2, 2007

Unusual Heat's stock is rising
By STEVE ANDERSEN
Two stakes wins by the outstanding 3-year-old Unusual Suspect in November have helped push his sire, Unusual Heat, higher in California's stallion rankings. The timing could not be better.

As breeders consider what stallions to choose for their mares for the upcoming breeding season, Unusual Heat is in a tight race for second among state stallions ranked by progeny earnings.

Through Thursday, Bertrando led with earnings of $3,962,851, but Deputy Commander ($3,395,944), In Excess ($3,352,458), and Unusual Heat ($3,348,188) were all having excellent seasons.

Unusual Heat, who stands at Old English Rancho in Sanger, is co-owned by trainer Barry Abrams, who has gambled heavily on the success of the stallion in recent years. Many of the horses in Abrams's stable are by Unusual Heat.

The success of Unusual Heat, combined with a conservative approach to book size by the partnership that owns the 17-year-old stallion, is likely to lead to a price increase for the 2008 breeding season. The partnership includes Russell Wolkoff, Madeline Auerbach, and Abrams's brother, David.

Though Abrams was reluctant to state a specific price for 2008 earlier this week, Unusual Heat stood for $15,000 in 2007. The figure could rise to $20,000 for 2008, though Abrams said a "private treaty" negotiation will be offered to some mare owners.

In addition, Abrams said the partnership will limit the stallion to 60 to 70 mares and that few vacancies exist. In 2007, the stallion was bred to approximately 60 mares.

"The book is nearly full," Abrams said. "We don't have many openings left."

Unusual Heat, by Nureyev, is having a particularly strong year as a sire of turf runners. Unusual Suspect won the California Cup Mile at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting on Nov.o3 and the Grade 3 Hollywood Turf Express on Nov. 24. Unusual Heat is also the sire of synthetic-track stakes winners Runforthemoneybaby (California Cup Juvenile) and Golden Doc A (Generous Portion and Anoakia). Golden Doc A is a full sister to Unusual Suspect.

Abrams and his partners will breed 25 of their mares to Unusual Heat this year, he said. He wishes the state had more mares that could support stallions with a stud fee at Unusual Heat's level. Many California breeders ship mares to Kentucky to be bred in that state, leaving California stallion owners to compete against one another for the remaining quality mares.

"In California, there are probably 100 mares that people can breed to a $15,000 or $20,000 stud fee," Abrams said.

While that may be underestimating the depth of California's broodmares, competition can be fierce for stallion owners, particularly with established stallions such as Bertrando, Benchmark, In Excess, and Swiss Yodeler, and the up-and-coming Idiot Proof available.

Unusual Suspect has won 6 of 19 starts and $469,136. He closed from last of nine in the Turf Express to finish a nose in front of the California-bred Bonfante. Unusual Suspect avoided the trouble that plagued several rivals in early stretch, but Abrams is quick to point that his colt had to run the final quarter-mile in approximately 22 seconds to reach the wire first.

Abrams said that Unusual Suspect will be considered for two stakes for 3-year-olds on Santa Anita's opening day - the $250,000 Malibu Stakes over seven furlongs or the $100,000 Sir Beaufort Stakes over a mile on turf.

Auction raises $75K for lobbyists

The California Thoroughbred Breeders Association's stallion season auction has raised more than $75,000 for the organization's political action committee fund, according to a statement on its website.

Seasons were sold to such stallions as Decarchy, Deputy Commander, In Excess, Salt Lake, and Swiss Yodeler.

The political fund is used to support legislation that favors California Thoroughbred breeders.

November 25, 2007

McCann's Mojave on way back to Sunshine Millions
By STEVE ANDERSEN
McCann's Mojave's victory in the $150,000 All American Handicap at Golden Gate Fields on Nov. 17 was not the richest win of the 7-year-old horse's career. The purse was just a fraction of the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic that McCann's Mojave won in a 33-1 upset at Gulfstream Park last January.

The Grade 3 All American was not his most prestigious victory, a distinction achieved with a victory in the Grade 2 Potrero Grande Breeders' Cup Handicap at Santa Anita in 2004.

But the win had its own significance to owner-breeder Mike Willman. McCann's Mojave not only became a multiple graded stakes winner with the victory, but showed that he has rebounded from a bleeding incident earlier this year that left Willman and trainer Steve Specht concerned about the horse's future.

"I kind of had butterflies," Willman said of his feelings before the race. "Not only did he not bleed, he ran one of the best races of his career."

By Memo, McCann's Mojave, 7, won the All American Handicap at 1 1/8 miles by a neck over Putmeinyourwill. The win was the seventh stakes victory in a career that includes 11 wins in 29 starts and earnings of $1,346,555.

Even though he just won a graded stakes, McCann's Mojave will revert to statebred company for the next few months, Willman said. The next goal is the $100,000 On Trust Handicap for California-breds at 7 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park on Dec. 22. Then, Willman and Specht are hopeful that McCann's Mojave can defend his title in the Sunshine Millions Classic for California-breds and Florida-breds at Santa Anita on Jan. 26.

McCann's Mojave will be looked upon as a top hope for the California-bred team in the Sunshine Millions Classic, since the multimillionaire Lava Man is sidelined following a poor run of form.

The All American was McCann's Mojave's second start since a last-place finish in the Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap at Golden Gate Fields on June 2, the day he bled. He was fourth beaten a length in the Grade 3 Morvich Handicap on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on Oct. 27.

In addition, the All American was McCann's Mojave's first start on a synthetic track. The early indications are that he may like the Cushion Track surface at Santa Anita.

"When he came down for the Morvich, they said that he skipped across the Cushion Track and loved it," Willman said. "I think everything is fine."

Willman said that McCann's Mojave will race through 2008 and is expected to go to stud in California in 2009.

Shaggy Mane to stay in training

Shaggy Mane, the winner of the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint at Gulfstream Park last January, will stay in training in 2008, trainer Don Chatlos said Friday.

Her first goal will be a defense of her Sunshine Millions title at Santa Anita on Jan. 26, Chatlos said.

Owned by a partnership that includes IEAH Stables, Shaggy Mane ended 2007 with an eighth in the Presque Isle Downs Masters in September and seventh in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Monmouth Park on Oct. 26.

A winner of 6 of 13 starts and $391,671, Shaggy Mane is winless in four starts since the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint, but was a game second to fellow California-bred River's Prayer in the Grade 1 Princess Rooney Handicap at Calder in July.

Chatlos said that the 2008 Princess Rooney will be Shaggy Mane's main goal next summer, with the hope that she can gain a Grade 1 stakes win.

October 7, 2007

Sellers concerned by yearling sale dip
By STEVE ANDERSEN
Andy Havens perhaps had a better sale than anyone at Tuesday's California October yearling sale at Barretts in Pomona, Calif.

Havens led all consignors, selling 31 horses for $706,700, including a Friends Lake colt that topped the sale at $150,000.

But even Havens left the sale confused about the California yearling market. Significant declines in average price, median, and gross and an increased buy-back rate left consignors disappointed in the sale results.

In the one-day sale, 169 horses were sold for $3,364,600, an average price of $19,909 and a median of $11,000. The gross fell 22.3opercent, while the average was down 21.3 percent from 2006. The median showed the most significant loss, down 31.2 percent from $16,000 in 2006.

"I had a strong top end, so from that standpoint the horses that were really nice horses brought good value," Havens said. "I experienced pretty much the same level of buy-back as everyone else did, and that was the disturbing part to me.

"I don't like buying back horses. I'm usually pretty good at appraising them. On reflection, I was pretty disturbed. I thought we were reasonable. We didn't have people to pick up the lower end of horses. I don't know the point we could have sold them."

The sale results have left some observers wondering about the overall health of the yearling market in California. As a venue, Barretts certainly had little trouble selling 2-year-olds in training in the spring. The March sale earlier this year had an average of $219,773, a gain of 42 percent over the 2006 sale; while the May sale had an average of $62,604, a gain of 19 percent over 2006.

This was the third year of the California October yearling sale, a joint venture between Barretts and the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association.

The lower figures on Tuesday alarmed Barretts president Gerald McMahon.

"In our first year in this same concept and dates, we had a lot of enthusiasm and started off well," he said. "We didn't get a lot of return buyers each year, and now we're not seeing a lot of demand for the horses.

"We've got a disconnect except for the cases when [buyers] compete for a horse."

McMahon said Barretts and the CTBA accepted about half of the horses nominated to Tuesday's sale.

"We didn't say this is a select market," he said. "We take the best half of what is offered, and this is the result."

One factor working against the yearling market is the desire of California racehorse owners for immediate action. Claiming activity is very popular in Southern California.

"They're looking for ready-made racehorses, a 2-year-old, claimer, or European or Argentine horse," McMahon said of horse owners. "This has been going on. The only solution is to compete for buyers by upgrading your horses."

That can be frustrating for Havens, who also consigns extensively to Barretts's March and May sales.

"I had some pretty nice horses," he said of Tuesday's sale. "I know what they're worth, and we didn't get them sold."

Havens said yearling buyers may have been suffering from "sales fatigue" after the marathon Keeneland September yearling sale in Kentucky and the less prestigious Northern California yearling sale conducted by the CTBA on Sept. 25. "There are a whole lot at the same time," he said.

Havens said that some of the horses that were bought back Tuesday were later sold privately. The others will be raced by their owners or offered at sales of 2-year-olds in training, he said.

"Some will be 2-year-olds in training, and will be good 2-year-olds in training," he said.

September 30, 2007

Brocklebank ready to buy and sell at Barretts
By STEVE ANDERSEN
By Thursday evening, John Brocklebank had been back to his Utah home for two days, fresh from a two-week stay at the Keeneland yearling sale.

He said he had yet to take his suitcases out of the car. There was little need to. Brocklebank was scheduled to go back on the road this weekend, heading toward Pomona, Calif., for Tuesday's Barretts October yearling sale.

"Life in the fast lane, sometimes," he said jokingly.

Brocklebank will play a prominent role in California's premier yearling sale as a consignor. His B.C.3 Thoroughbreds operation with partner Shane Chipman has 27 yearlings in the sale, some consigned on behalf of outside clients and some being pinhooked.

Plus, Brocklebank plans to be active as a buyer. At the 2006 October yearling sale, he led all buyers, paying $405,000 for seven yearlings. Brocklebank bought the sale topper, a Cape Town filly, for $240,000. She was pinhooked to the Barretts March sale earlier this year and was purchased for $800,000 by John Ferguson, agent for Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum.

As a consignor, Brocklebank sold two horses for $112,000 last October, good enough to rank among the 10 leading consignors, a group led by Andy Havens.

"We tested the water a little bit last year," Brocklebank said of his 2006 consignment.

For this year's sale, Brocklebank said he expects to sell the horses that are being pinhooked.

"Those are going to be sold," he said. "We bought some in January and some privately. They are the sort of horses that I like and hopefully someone else will, too.

"I like Cal-breds, and the yearlings that we're offering are an awful nice group. We want to be as popular selling yearlings as we are with 2-year-olds. We've got some nice outside consignments, too."

Brocklebank nominated two fillies - one by Old Topper (Hip No. 75) and one by Swiss Yodeler (Hip No. 88) - as prominent members of his consignment.

As a buyer, Brocklebank has spent time on the Barretts website, inspecting photographs of yearlings to gain a preliminary opinion of the sale horses. He said he is the sort of buyer that prefers to see yearlings in person and not form an opinion from a pedigree.

"I'm a horse buyer and not so much a catalog guy, but it looks like on paper there are some good horses," Brocklebank said.

Last year's October yearling sale had an average price of $26,362, an increase of $50 from 2005, but showed a 19 percent decline in gross, to $4,336,900, and a 17 percent drop in number sold, from 207 to 171. The number of horses bought back reached 33 percent, or 108 of the 327 yearlings cataloged. In 2005, 26.8 percent of the yearlings offered were listed as not sold.

The sale is a joint operation between Barretts and the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association.

Last Tuesday, the CTBA conducted its annual Northern California yearling sale, which saw lower-than-expected returns. The average at that sale fell 28.6 percent from 2006, to $5,843, and the gross of $1,351,600 fell 33.4 percent.

Those results, combined with mixed returns at the 2006 October sale, has led Barretts president Gerald McMahon to be cautious regarding Tuesday's sale.

"I don't really have a strong sense of whether we'll grow from last year's numbers," he said last week. "When you look at the overall marketplace, no one is predicting too much growth in yearling prices, especially in the regional market. You start with last year's number and hope you hit those.

"This is the market for a vast number of market breeders in California. Everybody is behind this sale. Trying to get improvement every year, if we can, is what breeders are trying to do and what we're trying to do."

September 23, 2007

Optimism meets reality at sale
By STEVE ANDERSEN
Larry Ullmann had a quick answer when asked to describe the eight horses he is offering in Tuesday's Northern California yearling sale at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton.

"I think I have the best consignment in the sale," he said. "I hope it goes well."

Ullmann, and his wife, Sheila, who operate as SLU Inc., have consigned the horses through Old English Rancho in Sanger, Calif. The group includes six yearlings who have stakes-winning half-brothers or sisters or are out of dams who were stakes winners or stakes-placed.

For the Northern California yearling sale, the Ullmanns' consignment represents an important element of quality.

Sponsored by the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, the one-day sale was launched in 2004, and had its highest average price in 2006: $8,192. The 2006 sale grossed $1,351,600, with 165 horses listed as sold and 58 bought back. The 2006 average grew 8.6 percent over 2005. The sale-topper was a Benchmark colt sold for $72,000.

Ullmann is not predicting that he has the sale-topper in his consignment, but he expects his yearlings to greatly surpass the 2006 average.

"I've told a lot of people that I think I should get $120,000 to $130,000 for the horses," Ullmann said. "If it's a good horse, they'll buy it.

"I've supported the sale every year, and I hope it continues to grow," he said.

Like many California breeders, Ullmann is banking on success by those yearlings on the racetrack to help his bottom line. Yearlings may not sell for great sums in this state, but they can go on to earn significant purses, and therefore reward breeders with stallion and breeder awards.

At the 2006 Northern California sale, Ullmann sold the Perfect Mandate colt Run Brother Run for $40,000. So far this year, Run Brother Run has won two stakes - the Beau Brummel Stakes at Fairplex Park and the Everett Nevin Alameda County Futurity - and earned $101,707.

At Tuesday's sale, Ullmann is offering a half-sister to Run Brother Run by Royal Cat, an 11-year-old stallion by Storm Cat who stands for $3,500 at Old English Rancho. Ullmann said he owns a 50 percent stake in Royal Cat. Ullmann raced the yearling filly's dam, Aloha Mangos, by Bold Badgett, who placed in six stakes and earned $194,245.

"I'm betting on the family, and the family produces runners," he said.

Later in the sale, Ullmann is offering a colt by Cahill Road who is a half-brother to Amber Hill, a stakes winner of $261,143. He also is bringing a Royal Cat colt who is out of the stakes winner Takes Two to Mango, the dam of the stakes winner Two to Get Ready.

Ullmann has shifted his emphasis in recent years from breeding and racing to breeding, racing and sales. He owned Bold Roberta, a stakes winner who earned $449,704. She is now in Kentucky, in foal to Borrego, he said.

Ullmann, 74, lives in San Ramon, Calif., not far from Pleasanton. Retired from his former business since the early 1990s, he concentrates on his racing holdings, hoping that the yearlings he sells can be successful.

"I'm trying to breed, race and sell," he said. "If they go with the right people, I'll do all right. That's all you can do right now."

The sale has a catalog of 264 horses, but as of Thursday 21 had been withdrawn. The sale includes the first crop of yearlings by the stallions Cat Dreams, Champali, Islander, Jackpot, Joey Franco, Marino Marini, Momentum, Popular, Sky Terrace, Spinelessjellyfish, Tenpins, and Toccet.

One notable yearling is Hip No. 58, a full sister to the multiple-stakes-winning sprinter Vaca City Flyer, a winner of $460,550. The yearling filly is consigned by Mary Knight, agent.

September 9, 2007

Cal-breds skipping Kentucky for local sales
By STEVE ANDERSEN
The mammoth Keeneland September yearling sale, which runs from Tuesday through Sept. 25 and comprises 5,553 yearlings, will be held largely without California-breds this year.

Last year, 35 California-breds were cataloged, with 20 selling for an average of $32,410. The most expensive yearling among the group was an In Excess filly purchased for $110,000. She has yet to start.

This year, there are only 14 California-breds in the sale and most are sired by stallions that stand in Kentucky. Only four California-based stallions are represented in the yearling group.

The lack of California-bred yearlings can be partially attributed to the schedule of yearling sales in California.

Over the next month, two major yearling sales will be conducted in California - the Northern California yearling sale at Pleasanton Sept. 25 and the California October yearling sale at Barretts in Pomona on Oct. 2.

Both sales showed growth in 2006 and may be prove to be more attractive to yearling owners who do not want their prospects lost in the flurry of activity in a major Kentucky sale. Buyers that attend the California sales are looking, in part, for California-breds. The same cannot be said of buyers at Keeneland.

In addition, the markets are completely different. The Northern California sale caters to buyers unwilling to spend as much as a Keeneland buyer. Some yearlings at the Barretts October sale would fit at Keeneland. The 2006 Barretts October yearling sale had an average of $25,362 and a sale-topper of $240,000, figures that would be suitable to the final days of the Keeneland sale.

At Keeneland, none of the 14 California-breds will be sold this Tuesday or Wednesday, the most prestigious days of the sale. The first California-bred through the ring may turn out to be the most expensive of the group.

An In Excess filly who is a half-sister to the millionaire Brother Derek, the multiple stakes winner Don'tsellmeshort, and the stakes-placed Swissle Stick is Hip No. 1126 and will be sold Thursday.

Consigned by Brookdale Sales, agent for breeder Mary Caldwell, the In Excess filly is also a half-sister to Mike and Leo, a winner of $202,489.

Cris Caldwell, Mary's son and one of Keeneland's auctioneers, said that California breeders should be more active at major sales such as Keeneland in an attempt to improve the statebred program.

"We think it's incumbent for California breeders to breed a horse that can sell back there in Kentucky," he said.

The filly's pedigree will attract attention.

Brother Derek, a winner of 6 of 16 starts and $1,593,458 for Cecil Peacock, was the champion 3-year-old California-bred male of 2006. He won the 2006 Santa Anita Derby and was fourth in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Brother Derek is being pointed for a 2008 campaign. He has not started since finishing third in the Strub Stakes at Santa Anita in February.

The other three California-based stallions with California-breds in the sale are Marino Marini, whose first foals are yearlings this year, and the veteran stallions Event of the Year and Beau Genius.

The Beau Genius colt sells as Hip No. 5382 on Sept. 25 and is out of Miss Lawless, a half-sister to Joey Franco, the 2003 California-bred horse of the year.

The Golden Eagle Farm of Betty Mabee and her son Larry is beginning the first phase of a massive reduction this fall, and is offering four yearlings at Keeneland. The Mabees have one California-bred in that group, a filly by More than Ready out of the unraced 10-year-old mare Jeweled Lady. Jeweled Lady is a full sister to General Challenge and Western Hemisphere. General Challenge earned $2,877,178, won three Grade 1 stakes, and was a two-time statebred champion.

August 31, 2007

Penpont's foals could have big weekend
By STEVE ANDERSEN
DEL MAR, Calif. - Penpont left the racetrack in 1999 as something of a dud. There really is no other way to describe a mare that managed only a victory in a $20,000 claiming race for maidens.

Apparently, she saved her brilliance for her offspring. Penpont's five foals, all sired by Unusual Heat, have earned $600,641.

That bankroll could grow considerably this weekend. Penpont's 3-year-old Unusual Suspect, a winner of $196,136, seeks his first stakes win in Sunday's $400,000 Del Mar Derby. On Monday, the 2-year-old Golden Doc A is entered in the I'm Smokin Stakes for California-breds.

It will be the second start in a week for Golden Doc A, who is co-owned by breeders David, Dyan, and Barry Abrams and Madeline Auerbach, the team behind Unusual Heat. Golden Doc A won Wednesday's Generous Portion Stakes for statebred fillies.

Penpont's other foals include the 4-year-old maiden Rushen Heat, a winner of $18,128; the 5-year-old Solid Fuel, a winner of $168,093; and the 6-year-old Master Heat, who has earned $152,084.

Deciding to mate her to Unusual Heat was something of a gamble, said Barry Abrams, who trained the New Zealand-bred Penpont for his brother David.

"We bred everything we had" to Unusual Heat, Barry Abrams said. "We never checked pedigrees."

Barry Abrams said that Golden Doc A is not a certain runner for the I'm Smokin Stakes because of the quick return.

"I'll wait until Monday and decide," he said.

The success of horses such as Golden Doc A and Unusual Suspect has vaulted Unusual Heat to sixth place among California stallions, with progeny earnings of $2,036,732. The leader is Bertrando with $2,926,435.

With a $15,000 stud fee, Unusual Heat is one of the more expensive stallions in the state. There is a possibility that the fee could rise, according to Auerbach, who co-owns Golden Doc A and is a partner in Unusual Heat.

"I think he's having an awesome season," Auerbach said of the stallion. "He was $15,000 last year and he'll probably go up. We've got the rest of the year to go."

Auerbach said that Unusual Heat, who is by Nureyev, was bred to a full book of mares last year.

"He's got all he can handle," Auerbach said. "We don't go begging."

Statebreds shoot for Debutante

There are three California-bred fillies in Monday's $250,000 Del Mar Debutante - Comical Vacation, Spring Awakening, and Treadmill. One of them could become the fifth California-bred to win a Grade 1 this year in the seven-furlong Debutante.

Comical Vacation, by Comic Strip, was a troubled third in the CTBA Stakes on July 20 and returned to win a maiden race for statebreds by an easy 4 1/4 lengths on Aug. 6. Trained by Jeff Mullins, Comical Vacation was purchased for $50,000 at the Barretts May sale of 2-year-olds in training.

Spring Awakening, by In Excess, is making her stakes debut in the Debutante. Trained by Mike Mitchell for a partnership that includes breeder Jerry Frankel, Spring Awakening has one victory in two starts. She beat statebred maidens by 5 1/2 lengths in a 5 1/2-furlong race on July 23.

Her 3-year-old full-sister, Mary Ellise, won a six-furlong maiden race for statebreds by 2 1/2 lengths in Thursday's first race.

Treadmill leads the group in accomplishments. Owned by breeder Paul Reddam and trained by Craig Dollase, Treadmill has won 2 of 3 starts and $132,000. She beat maidens at Hollywood Park in her debut, finished second to Debutante entrant The Golden Noodle in the Landaluce Stakes, and returned to win the CTBA Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs.

Those fillies are trying to become the first California-bred to win the Debutante since Batroyale in 1995.

August 19, 2007

She's an Eleven back at track
By STEVE ANDERSEN
She’s an Eleven, the winner of the 2006 Melair Stakes, has returned to training after showing no interest in being bred earlier this year, trainer John Sadler said earlier this week.

The 4-year-old filly was sent from Kentucky to Sadler’s stable in late June and has already worked a half-mile for an expected comeback. Owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stables, She’s an Eleven has won 2 of 8 starts and $216,954.

A California-bred, She’s an Eleven has not started since finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Hollywood Breeders’ Cup Oaks at Hollywood Park in June 2006. She’s an Eleven was in training earlier this year when the decision was made to retire her.

She was scheduled be bred to Empire Maker at Juddmonte Farms earlier this year, but would not cooperate with the stallion, Sadler said.

"We didn’t get her in foal," Sadler said. "She was too stubborn in the shed and she was in a good place with good people. We brought her back with the intent of racing this fall."

Sadler said the $150,000 California Cup Matron over 1 1/16 miles at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting on Nov. 3 is a "short-term goal."

Jet West retired to stud

Jet West, the winner of 7 of 22 starts and $554,345, has been retired and will stand the 2008 breeding season at Applebite Farms near French Camp, Calif.

A 6-year-old, Jet West won two stakes in his career – the 2005 California Cup Sprint at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting and the 2004 Earlene McCabe Derby at Cal-Expo in Sacramento.

Jet West was third in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen at Nad Al Sheba in 2006 and placed in two stakes at Santa Anita in January 2006 – third in the Grade 3 El Conejo Handicap and second in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Handicap.

Owned for much of his career by Bruch Hochman and trained by Ted H. West, Jet West battled colic that nearly cost him his life in the fall of 2006. He returned to make two starts this year, finishing sixth in the Sam Whiting Handicap at Pleasanton on July 7 and 10th in a $50,000 claimer at Del Mar on July 30.

Hochman claimed Jet West for $62,500 at Del Mar in 2005.

Jet West is by Western Fame out of the stakes winner Jetinwith Kennedy, the 2005 California broodmare of the year. Jet West is a half-brother to the stakes winners Jetin Excess ($281,950) and Jetinto Houston ($282,885).

318 cataloged for October sale

The California October yearling sale at Barretts in Pomona, Calif., on Oct. 2 will comprise 318 yearlings, Barretts announced earlier this week.

The sale is co-sponsored by Barretts and the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association. Catalogs are available online at Barretts.com. This will be the third year of the sale, which replaced the Del Mar yearling sale on the California calendar in 2005.

This year’s one-day sale has a slightly smaller catalog than in 2006, when 327 yearlings were offered. At that sale, 171 yearlings were sold for an average of $25,362, a figure that increased $51 from the 2005 sale.

The 2006 sale-topper was a California-bred Cape Town filly that sold for $240,000. She was purchased for $800,000 at the Barretts March sale of 2-year-olds in training by John Ferguson, acting on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed. The filly has yet to start.

This year’s sale includes yearlings by many of the state’s leading stallions as well as stallions based in other states.

August 12, 2007

Smaller Golden Eagle to focus on breeding
By STEVE ANDERSEN
DEL MAR, Calif. - Golden Eagle Farm, a mainstay in California racing since the late 1950s, is being downsized over the next year and will sell its flagship farm in Ramona, Calif.

But Larry Mabee, the son of the late founder of the farm, John Mabee, insists Golden Eagle is not abandoning horse racing. Earlier this week, Larry Mabee and his mother, Betty, announced the farm's future plans, which include an eventual relocation to a 29-acre farm in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., not far from Del Mar.

Golden Eagle, which has bred more than 150 stakes winners, will keep a small number of broodmares, focus on quality, and will have a small stallion roster, Larry Mabee said.

"I look at it as a new era and a continuation of being in the horse business, but on a different scale," he said earlier this week.

The plan is a massive change from the days when Golden Eagle Farm was among the nation's top breeders. Golden Eagle won Eclipse Awards as champion breeder in 1991, 1997, and 1998. Golden Eagle campaigned such popular horses as Best Pal, Dramatic Gold, Excellent Meeting, General Challenge, General Meeting, and many others.

Since John Mabee's death in 2002, Golden Eagle's presence as a racing entity has shrunk significantly.

"Dad had an agenda and he raced lots and lots of horses," Larry Mabee said. "If he bought a stallion, he'd buy some mares. Mother and I have talked on and off - why can't we have a few nice mares and not all the headaches?"

Mabee said he and his mother recently reached the decision to downsize the Golden Eagle holdings.

"I sat down with her and said, 'It's time,'" Mabee said. "She had a big grin on her face.

"It's not the end of an era. The Golden Eagle banner will still be out there. It's my desire to buy quality mares and quality stallions. If I can find another stallion, I'd look at that."

Mabee was at Del Mar on Aug. 4 to present the trophy for the Grade 1 John Mabee Handicap, won by Precious Kitten. He carried a digital camera and snapped pictures of friends and acquaintances to show to his mother, who did not attend.

"Mom is a little 86-year-old lady and I'd like to see her do better," he said. "We have 24-hour day care but she doesn't have the stamina to go to the races anymore."

The Ramona farm, in eastern San Diego county, covers 568 acres and was home to three stallions earlier this year. Last week, Golden Eagle announced that High Demand and Souvenir Copy had been sold, leaving Salt Lake as the family's only stallion. Salt Lake will relocate to the Rancho Santa Fe farm.

Mabee said the new property will have space to accommodate three stallions.

"You have to have the right one," Mabee said. "Just to have a stallion to have it, I'm not interested in that. I want to have quality breeding. It's a five-year program to prove one."

The Mabees purchased the new property in May and it includes a two-story house, a 21-stall barn, and housing for staff, Mabee said. It has not been occupied since the early 1990s.

"It's one of those things that come along once in a lifetime," Larry Mabee said. "I saw it and thought, 'I need to do this,' and I did."

The farm will sell 160 horses at various sales in California and Kentucky this fall, and more next year. The family will retain approximately 25 broodmares.

"This is not a dispersal, just a reduction," Mabee said. "I've said in the past, I'd rather be breeding than racing."

August 5, 2007

Small ranch bred a star in 'Laura'
By STEVE ANDERSEN
Allan Lilley admits that he and his wife, Antoinette, had more enthusiasm than expertise when they decided to become Thoroughbred breeders in the early 1990s.

The couple had a few mares retired from racing, and the intricacies of breeding initially escaped Allan Lilley.

"I didn't look at their pedigrees," he said earlier this week. "That's how we got our feet wet. I wouldn't think of doing that now."

Today, the stakes are much higher for their still small operation. The Lilleys, who live in Tracy, Calif., are on the verge of becoming the breeders of a millionaire in Somethinaboutlaura, who is entered in Sunday's $300,000 Clement Hirsch Handicap at Del Mar.

A winner of 15 of 27 starts and $913,315, Somethinaboutlaura would become the seventh California-bred female millionaire if she pulls an upset win in the Grade 2 Clement Hirsch, which is run at 1 1/16 miles.

The Lilleys have minimal ties with Somethinaboutlaura, occasionally attending her races when she starts in Northern California. They no longer own her dam, Crystals of Ice, who was one of their first racehorses when they launched a small stable in the late 1980s. Crystals of Ice died after the Lilleys sold her, Allan Lilley said.

The couple claimed Crystals of Ice at the county fair in Vallejo, Calif. Today, the couple has three broodmares boarded at Woodbridge Farm and a few runners based in Northern California.

There is no longer a Lilley Ranch. Allan Lilley underwent open heart surgery in 2004, and the couple decided that the physical work involved in raising horses would be too much of a burden.

They sold their farm on the outskirts of Tracy and moved into the town, Allan Lilley said.

"I have a mechanical aorta valve that works just fine," Allan Lilley said of his health. "It sounds scary, but they say it will last 50 years. That means it will work until I'm 110."

Lilley, 63, is retired from a job as the manager of a Wal-Mart and spends time focusing on the couple's horses.

"We just bought a filly that we're racing," he said. "When she retires, we'll turn her into a broodmare. We breed basically to sell. We don't breed to race."

Somethinaboutlaura was sold by the Lilleys as a weanling. By Dance Floor, she seemed to be anything but a millionaire candidate at the start of her career. After finishing 11th in a maiden claimer at Del Mar in 2004 in her debut, she won 5 of 6 starts in 2005, a sequence that ended with her first stakes win in the Palo Alto Handicap at Bay Meadows.

In early 2006, she was purchased for $375,000 by a partnership that includes trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. Since joining his stable, she has run in 17 consecutive stakes, won nine of them, and never been worse than fifth.

Somethinaboutlaura has won her last three starts, a streak that includes a defense of her title in the Grade 2 A Gleam Handicap at seven furlongs at Hollywood Park on July 6.

Sunday's race is tougher, with the presence of fellow California-bred Nashoba's Key, who is unbeaten in five starts, and the three-time Grade 1 stakes winner Balance.

"She's in pretty tough," Lilley said. "That Balance will be tough to beat."

Somethinaboutlaura "is just something else," he said. "She's very, very competitive. They could see that when they were breaking her because of her competitive nature. That's exactly the way the mother was. She had a few physical problems, but she had the desire.

"I think 1 1/16 miles is a shade longer than she likes. She's won 1 1/16 miles, but not at this level. I don't sell her short."

July 22, 2007

With each generation, family's success grows
By STEVE ANDERSEN
DEL MAR, Calif. - Lewis Cenicola has found a way to keep a steady supply of top California-breds for his small stable.

Grow your own.

In Sunday's $100,000 Fleet Treat Stakes at Del Mar, Cenicola starts Cathrine's Hope, a 3-year-old filly who represents the fourth generation of his involvement in the family.

Cenicola trained Cathrine's Hope's third dam, Charmarita; her second dam, Dad's Penelope; and her dam, the graded stakes-placed Cookin Vickie. He even recalls riding Charmarita at the end of his jockey days in the late 1970s.

As the generations have passed, the results have gotten better for Cenicola and his wife, Donna.

Cookin Vickie, a winner of 4 of 28 starts and $232,627, was second in the Grade 2 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting in 1999. Owned by Cenicola and his wife, Cookin Vickie has produced two foals to race - Dark Nose, a winner of $111,940, and Cathrine's Hope, who has earned $115,660.

Cathrine's Hope is by In Excess and is seeking her first stakes win in the seven-furlong Fleet Treat Stakes for statebred fillies. She won her last start, an allowance race for statebreds at Hollywood Park on June 15.

"The only two bad races she's run was when she ran around two turns," Cenicola said. "She looks like a come-from-behind sprinter."

Cookin Vickie, who is by Far Out East, has a yearling full brother to Cathrine's Hope that Cenicola will have in training next year, and a weanling filly by Bertrando who is a full brother to Dark Nose. "She's a fantastic filly," Cenicola said of the weanling.

Cookin Vickie has been bred to Benchmark.

With Cookin Vickie, Lewis and Donna Cenicola have a foal-sharing agreement with clients Larry and Ann Jett. Lewis Cenicola said that Larry Jett, a commercial real estate developer, pays for the stallion fees and that the Cenicolas and Jetts share the ensuing costs.

Because of Cookin Vickie's success with her first two foals, the partners are considering sending her to Kentucky to be bred next year.

"We're going to Kentucky in September and we'll look at some farms," Cenicola said.

Cookin Vickie is one of three foals out of Dad's Penelope who have earned more than $100,000, including Two Times Won ($174,352) and Ruthie Jane ($104,200).

Cenicola trained all of them. He said that Two Times Won, who finished second in the Pro or Con Handicap at Santa Anita earlier this year, may be retired and bred next year, adding yet another broodmare to his small band.

Dad's Penelope, 21, has a weanling filly by Jackpot and has been bred back to Quick Action. Cenicola was pleasantly surprised that she was pronounced in foal earlier this year despite her advanced age.

Dad's Penelope is the dam of Won More Penny, a 3-year-old filly who was second in the 2006 CTBA Stakes at Del Mar for the Cenicolas. Won More Penny has been sidelined since finishing fifth in the Generous Portion Stakes at Del Mar last summer, but is nearing a return to training, Cenicola said.

Cenicola said he has been offered significant money for members of the family, but has not felt the urge to sell.

"I would sell if the price is right," Cenicola said. "You can't fall in love with a horse. I have nothing to lose. I own the family. People say you can go broke breeding horses, but I've been pretty lucky."

Cookin Vickie and her latest foals are continuing that trend.

July 15, 2007

Cal-breds keep piling up Grade 1 wins
By STEVE ANDERSEN
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - In 2006, seven California-breds combined to win a record 10 Grade 1 stakes. The year proved to be a showcase for the state's breeding program. Judging from recent events, it may only have been the prologue.

Throughout the nation on July 7, California-breds won three Grade 1 stakes, a single-day record for the statebred program. At Hollywood Park, Nashoba's Key won the Vanity Handicap and Bilo won the Triple Bend Handicap. At Calder, River's Prayer won the Princess Rooney Handicap. River's Prayer was fully extended to beat another California-bred in Shaggy Mane, who finished second.

Add the Grade 1 wins by Lava Man in the Santa Anita Handicap in March and Hollywood Gold Cup in June, and four statebreds have combined to win five Grade 1 races this year.

The figure may grow by the end of this month. The Del Mar meeting, which runs from Wednesday through Sept. 5, features seven Grade 1 races, and statebreds are top contenders in several of them.

Lava Man, the top older male in California, will attempt to defend his title in the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 19, a Grade 1 race and the richest of the meeting.

The California-breds Bordonaro and Greg's Gold are among the probable starters in the $300,000 Bing Crosby Handicap at six furlongs on July 29. Greg's Gold won the race in 2005, while Bordonaro was second last year.

The wildly fast filly One Hot Wish, who set a world record of 48.87 seconds for 4 1/2 furlongs in her debut at Keeneland in April, is expected to start in Friday's $125,000 California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes for statebred fillies as a prep to the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs on Sept. 3.

Dancing Edie may defend her title in the $400,000 John Mabee Handicap on Aug. 4, a Grade 1 for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

The races below the top tier will also be influenced by California-breds.

The Aug. 5 running of the Grade 2 Clement Hirsch Handicap for fillies and mares may feature the statebreds Nashoba's Key or Somethinaboutlaura, who won the Grade 2 A Gleam Handicap at Hollywood Park on July 6. Nashoba's Key is a possible for the Mabee or the Grade 2 Palomar Handicap on Sept. 1.

With the Breeders' Cup looming in October, some top California-breds may skip Del Mar entirely. The meeting's top sprint for females, the $200,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap on Aug. 17, may not include River's Prayer or Shaggy Mane.

Trainer and co-owner Paula Capestro said River's Prayer may wait for the Sen. Ken Maddy Handicap on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in late September as a prep to the newly created $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Monmouth Park on Oct. 26.

"The other option is the Rancho Bernardo," Capestro said. "We're giving her a couple of weeks off. She pulled up great. She's not stressed at all."

Shaggy Mane is likely to skip Del Mar in favor of the $400,000 Northwestern Pennsylvania Stakes at the new Presque Isle Downs in Pennsylvania on Sept. 15, trainer Don Chatlos said.

"I really want more time between this race and the next race," Chatlos said. "That will give us six or seven weeks to the Breeders' Cup. We don't want to knock her out."

Aside from the CTBA Stakes on Friday, there are seven other stakes for statebreds at the Del Mar meeting.

Idiot Proof, the winner of the Grade 3 Jersey Shore Breeders' Cup Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 4 in track-record time, is a candidate for the $100,000 Real Good Deal Stakes at seven furlongs on Aug. 10.

His 2-year-old full brother, High Intellect, is a leading candidate in the $125,000 Graduation Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on July 25.

June 22, 2007

Meadow Creek horses on block
By STEVE ANDERSEN
A dispersal of Meadow Creek Farm's holdings, including a 2006 Royal Ascot winner, will be part of Tuesday's Barretts summer sale of horses of racing age and 2-year-olds in training in Pomona, Calif.

The Meadow Creek dispersal is part of a 21-horse supplement to the main catalog of 141 horses. The main catalog comprises 23 horses of racing age and 118 2-year-olds in training.

The one-day sale, which will be held on the Los Angeles County Fair grounds, begins at 1 p.m.

The four-horse Meadow Creek dispersal, consigned by Andy Havens, agent, includes Gilded, a 3-year-old filly who won the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2006; Bodes Galaxy, the runner-up in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York, England, last August; and Laddies Poker, a sharp maiden winner on turf at Santa Anita in April.

Laddies Poker was the morning-line favorite for the Will Rogers Stakes at Hollywood Park in May, but was scratched on the morning of the race because of illness, trainer Vladimir Cerin said at the time.

At the time, Cerin described Laddies Poker as "an important horse." Earlier this week, Cerin declined to say if he would bid for Laddies Poker.

"I'll see what the price is," Cerin said, smiling. "I'm not divulging my plans.

"He got sick and we missed the last race. Once they decided to sell the horse, I backed off on his training. We've just been jogging."

A training preview, which will extensively showcase the 2-year-olds for sale, is scheduled for Monday at the Fairplex Park racetrack, which is adjacent to the sale grounds.

The 2006 Barretts summer sale saw 120 horses sell for an average of $9,453, a decline of 13.1 percent in average over the 2005 sale. The 2006 sale-topper was a 2-year-old Comic Strip filly purchased for $67,000.

Dancing General retired due to injury

Dancing General, winner of the Pro or Con Handicap for statebred females at Santa Anita in April, has been retired after injuring a leg in a bizarre accident at Hollywood Park on May 31.

In her final start, an allowance race, Dancing General finished second by a nose, but struck the inside rail and nearly fell on the first turn of a two-turn turf race. The incident occurred when Dancing General was unable to avoid a section of temporary turf course rail that was placed farther out onto the course than other sections to cover a wet portion on the course, track officials said at the time.

Trainer Rafael Becerra initially said Dancing General did not suffer an injury, but a few days later said that she needed to be retired.

"She's got a little damage there in the pastern," Becerra said. "It would take six months to heal. What's done is done. She never had a pimple on her."

Owned by Stan Fulton, Dancing General, 5, ended her career with 4 wins in 12 starts and earnings of $324,800. Becerra was hoping to start Dancing General in stakes for state-bred fillies and mares on turf this summer. Bred by Golden Eagle Farm, Dancing General is by General Meeting, out of the Nureyev mare Dance with Shadows.

Dancing General may be offered at auction in the fall.

Stravinsky filly runs at Ascot

Waveline, a California-bred 2-year-old filly by Stravinsky, finished seventh in the Group 2 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot on Friday. Her chances were hampered in the six-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies when jockey Jimmy Fortune lost an iron after the start.

Owned and bred by Paul Reddam, Waveline is out of Teresa Ann, who was subsequently bred back to California-based stallion Momentum, Reddam said. Reddam owns Momentum, who stands at Vessels Stallion Farm in Bonsall, Calif.

June 10, 2007

Lucky J. H. nearly back
By STEVE ANDERSEN
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - One indication that Lucky J. H. is nearing a comeback after a yearlong layoff occurred on Thursday after a half-mile workout at Hollywood Park.

The 5-year-old horse was feeling so good that he tried to bite his workmate after breezing a half-mile in 48.60 seconds, trainer Carla Gaines said.

Gaines and owner-breeder John Harris are hoping that Lucky J. H.'s enthusiasm continues when he returns to racing later this summer.

The Harris-Gaines team has two promising California-breds on the verge of comebacks this year. The other is Spot the Diplomat, the winner of two stakes for 2-year-old statebreds last year, who also worked on Thursday.

"We're hoping to make the first part of Del Mar," Harris said of when the two will race. "It's taken a little longer than we thought to get them back to a race. What they had were not super-serious injuries, but they had problems that took time to resolve. We're excited to have them both back."

Spot the Diplomat worked a half-mile on Thursday but was not given an official time by clockers.

"They both had beautiful works," Gaines said.

If Lucky J. H. and Spot the Diplomat return to their previous form, they will add depth to their respective divisions among statebreds and possibly race against open company.

Lucky J. H. was sidelined last summer with an injury to the joint above his ankle, Harris said. The injury curtailed his best season. He was unbeaten in three starts, including two stakes.

"There were no chips or fractures or anything," Gaines said. "He just needed a break."

Lucky J. H. won the Tiznow Stakes for statebreds and the Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap last spring. He was under consideration for the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar when he was taken out of training.

"He's been pretty conservatively managed," Harris said. "He's won his last three outs but he hasn't been in many races. You always worry if they can come back at the same level."

A winner of 5 of 11 starts and $330,435, Lucky J. H. has been a stakes winner or stakes-placed in every season of his career.

At 2, he was third in the California Breeders' Champion Stakes at Santa Anita. As a 3-year-old in 2005, he finished second in the Snow Chief Stakes for 3-year-old statebreds at Hollywood Park.

By Cee's Tizzy, Lucky J. H. returned to Gaines's stable May 23, having undergone preliminary training at Harris Farms.

While a race has not been picked for Lucky J. H., Harris and Gaines have an obvious target for Spot the Diplomat - the $100,000 Real Good Deal Stakes for 3-year-old statebreds over seven furlongs on Aug. 10. Later in his career he may start on turf.

"I think he's a versatile horse and he should like the turf," Harris said. "If I would pick a distance, I would think that seven furlongs would be his niche."

Spot the Diplomat, by Worldly Manner, won 3 of 6 starts and $206,280 last year. He won three consecutive races last year - a maiden race, the Graduation Stakes over 5o1/2 furlongs, and the I'm Smokin Stakes over six furlongs. The stakes were run at Del Mar and restricted to statebreds.

Last fall at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting, Spot the Diplomat finished third in the Grade 2 Norfolk Breeders' Cup Stakes and seventh in the California Cup Juvenile as the 9-5 favorite.

"After that race, it was as if he said, 'Guys, I'm tired,' " Gaines said. "He has no major physical issues. He was just a tired 2-year-old."

June 3, 2007

Suit Yourself's breeder gets third-generation thrill
By STEVE ANDERSEN
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The boisterous lady watching the sixth race in the turf club restaurant at Hollywood Park on Wednesday had a good excuse for cutting loose.

Judith Carmel admits she was too proud to stay quiet while watching Suit Yourself top a field of California-bred 2-year-old maidens over five furlongs.

"I was the only one yelling in the whole turf club," she said.

Carmel has a right to be a vocal supporter. Suit Yourself traces back to Carmel's start in horse racing in the late 1980s, to her granddam Aurora Winners, one of Carmel's first horses. Carmel bred Suit Yourself's dam, Amawfe, and also bred Suit Yourself, a colt by Tribal Rule.

"Three generations - that's pretty rare in California," she said.

Suit Yourself's victory has left Carmel and trainer Mike Puype with a decision on which stakes to try in coming weeks. The options include the $100,000 Hollywood Juvenile Championship over six furlongs on July 4 or the $125,000 Graduation Stakes for statebreds over 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on July 25, or both.

Puype will make the call. "That why he's paid to be the trainer," Carmel said.

Puype said he will wait a few weeks before deciding.

"You have to be careful with them," Puype said of promising 2-year-olds. "They're young horses."

Having a juvenile such as Suit Yourself in the stable is something of a change for Carmel, who co-owns Suit Yourself with her son Brad. Over the years, Judith Carmel has had numerous claimers and many high-priced runners, and has kept a few broodmares.

Carmel is best known as the owner of Flick, who raced until he was 10. Carmel retired Flick earlier in his life, but she said he was unhappy on a farm and was sent back into training. After winning as a 10-year-old, Flick was retired again.

"I couldn't take a chance that something would happen," Carmel said.

Flick resides at Rancho Cuidar in Santa Ynez, Calif., where he is a riding horse, Carmel said.

A Los Angeles resident, Carmel travels to the major farms in Santa Ynez regularly to check on the progress of her mares and young foals. Amawfe, by Man from Eldorado, is at Magali Farms where she has been bred back to Good Journey after foaling a filly by Atticus earlier this year.

"I go once a month and stay on top of everything in every regard," Carmel said. "I'm very excited about Suit Yourself."

Suit Yourself's granddam, Aurora Winners, is 19. She has a Bertrando filly by her side and was bred back to Tribal Rule, Carmel said. Aurora Winners resides at River Edge Farm in Buellton, Calif.

Tribal Rule is one of the top young stallions in the state. He led the state's freshman stallions in 2006 with progeny earnings of $344,419. Carmel watched Tribal Rule during his career earlier this decade, and wanted to breed her mares to him. "He had heart and talent," Carmel said.

The retirement of Aurora Winners because of a leg injury prompted Carmel to become a breeder.

"I didn't know what to do," she said. "I got into breeding."

Amawfe made only two starts, winning her second time out at Del Mar. She has produced three foals, all winners.

Suit Yourself made his second start in Wednesday's race after running third in his debut on May 2. Suit Yourself drew the rail Wednesday and led throughout, even though Puype and Carmel believe that is not the colt's best style.

"He hasn't trained to be on the lead," Carmel said. "It's nice that he's flexible at his age."

June 3, 2007

Lava Man gets back to work
By STEVE ANDERSEN
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Lava Man and Obrigado left for Dubai in mid-March as early season major stakes winners seeking international glory. They will start in Saturday's $300,000 Charles Whittingham Handicap at Hollywood Park in an effort to restore their reputations.

Lava Man, winner of the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap in March, finished last of 16 in the $5 million Dubai Duty Free over about 1 1/8 miles on turf on March 31. Obrigado, winner of the Grade 2 San Luis Obispo Handicap in February, finished 13th in the $5 million Dubai Sheema Classic over about 1 1/2 miles on turf.

They are two of the leading contenders in the Grade 1 Whittingham, which is run over 1 1/4 miles on turf. The other probable starters are After Market, Lang Field, On the Acorn, and Red Fort. On the Acorn won the San Juan Capistrano and Jim Murray handicaps this spring.

Lava Man worked six furlongs in 1:14 on Friday, the second fastest of 15 recorded works at the distance.

"He galloped out a mile and a quarter in a pretty good clip," trainer Doug O'Neill said.

Lava Man won the Whittingham and three other Grade 1 races last year. O'Neill is optimistic that the Whittingham will not tax Lava Man in his comeback.

"The one thing about the turf races, especially the turf marathons, is that they turn it into a half-mile dash," O'Neill said. "It's not like you have to be involved gate to wire, all the way around."

Obrigado was considered for the Murray last month until trainer Neil Drysdale decided to give him more time between starts.

"He was quite stiff after the trip" to Dubai, Drysdale said. "In the last 10 days, he started to do well."

Dancing General hits temporary rail

A section of temporary turf course rail that was placed farther out onto the course than other sections to cover a wet portion of the course nearly caused an accident in Thursday's first race when favorite Dancing General struck the inside rail and nearly fell.

The temporary rail sections were placed at uneven positions from the permanent inside rail because of a "damp spot" on the first turn, according to track vice president Eual Wyatt. He said the rail was moved out "to guide horses around" the area. Wyatt said he was not sure if a faulty sprinkler had caused the damp spot. No rain has fallen here in weeks.

The rail was adjusted after the race and did not pose a problem to the runners in the seventh race, the only other turf route on the program.

Dancing General recovered to finish second, a nose behind Nakaba, but the incident angered trainer Rafael Becerra, who said Dancing General could have been injured.

Dancing General was racing in fourth along the rail on the first turn when she struck the rail and stumbled badly. The two fillies racing in front of Dancing General - Sweet Belle and Velvet Moonlite - did not hit the rail.

After the race, two turf course employees were seen adjusting the temporary rails, which were 20 feet from their permanent inside position.

"It wasn't the way it was supposed to be," Becerra said. "The whole thing was messed up."

Dancing General, who was ridden by Richard Migliore, raced in last down the backstretch and rallied to reach contention in the final quarter-mile. As of Friday, the 5-year-old mare showed no problems.

"She walked fine," Becerra said. "She's not lame or anything. That's a good sign."

Don'tsellmeshort back from layoff

Don'tsellmeshort, a three-time stakes winner in 2003, makes his first start since January 2005 in Sunday's first race, an allowance over 6 1/2 furlongs.

A winner of 4 of 18 starts and $402,365, Don'tsellmeshort has been sidelined by two injuries, trainer Dan Hendricks said. A 6-year-old, Don'tsellmeshort was initially sidelined with a saucer fracture and was nearly ready for a return to racing when he suffered a strained ligament.

The lengthy layoff has left Hendricks unsure what to expect from the normally speedy Don'tsellmeshort.

"The track hasn't been real kind to front-runners," he said. "He's always been a front-runner and how the track will play is anyone's guess."

Owned by Cecil Peacock, Don'tsellmeshort was considered for stud duty while he was away from racing, Hendricks said.

"He didn't get enough interest at stud, so we decided to give him a comeback," Hendricks said.

Sunday's field includes Gotaghostofachance, winner of the Grade 3 Sport Page Handicap at Belmont Park in 2005, and Bold Chieftain, a stakes winner at Golden Gate Fields last October.

Crossing the Line targets American

Crossing the Line, winner of his U.S. debut in a six-furlong optional claimer on turf Thursday, may return in the $250,000 American Handicap over 1 1/8 miles on turf on June 30, trainer John Sadler said.

Bred in New Zealand, Crossing the Line ($6) showed an impressive rally to win Thursday's fifth race in 1:07.98, closing from last in the final quarter-mile to win by 2 1/4 lengths.

Crossing the Line has been in the United States for three months. He has won 3 of 4 starts. He arrived at the same time as the Australian import Parmar Day, who won his U.S. debut in the Bullet Stakes last month.

"He worked with Parmar Day and he was always going the better of the two," Sadler said of Crossing the Line. "I thought [Thursday's race] might be a little too short for him. He's a middle-distance horse."

Later on the program, Andrea, another New Zealand-bred making her first start in this country, won a one-mile allowance race on turf. Andrea, a 6-year-old mare trained by Roger Stein, has won 6 of 38 starts.

Michael Baze extends jockey lead

Jockey Michael Baze won four races Thursday, extending his lead in the jockey standings as the meeting neared the halfway point.

Baze has won 35 races, and through Thursday had a six-race lead on 17-year-old Joe Talamo. David Flores is third with 20.

Thursday, Baze won the second aboard Deputy Lad ($6), the third aboard Lady in Love ($11.20), the fourth on Bullysima ($14), and the eighth on Livia La Vida Loca ($14.60). None of them was favored.

Baze is seeking his first riding title. The meeting concludes July 15.

Trainer Patterson dies at 67

William F. Patterson, who trained in California and Mexico until the mid-1980s, died of natural causes in Harbor City, Calif., on May 26, according to his son Billy Patterson. He was 67.

A native of Tampa, Fla., Patterson moved to California during childhood, his son said. Patterson began training at Caliente Racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico, and later moved to California, where he trained throughout the state. He retired in 1986.

Funeral services are pending.

May 27, 2007

Unusual Heat hits triple; book limited to 60 mares
By STEVE ANDERSEN
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The stallion Unusual Heat was the key to finding winners at Hollywood Park on Thursday.

Unusual Heat was the sire of three winners on the eight-race program - Spenditallbaby in an optional claimer over six furlongs on turf, Unusual Beauty in an allowance race over six furlongs, and Sararah Jr. in a maiden claimer over 5 1/2 furlongs.

Such milestones are rare in Thoroughbred racing and will be even more unusual for Unusual Heat in the future. The stallion is being limited to a book of 60 mares this year, a small number in the current marketplace.

The decision to limit Unusual Heat's book was made by the stallion's owners, David and Barry Abrams, Madeline Auerbach, and Russell Wolkoff. They stand Unusual Heat at Old English Rancho in Sanger, Calif., for a fee of $15,000.

"We're being conservative," Auerbach said of Unusual Heat's book size. "I've never had a stallion before and I listen to everybody. This happens to make sense to me."

Unusual Heat's stud fee is one of the highest among the state's Thoroughbred stallions. In Excess leads the list at $25,000. In 1998, when Unusual Heat stood his first season, the fee was waived.

"The fee was please," Auerbach recalled a few years ago.

The fee was $5,000 in 2004 and has risen in recent years. Through Thursday, Unusual Heat ranked 13th on the state's stallion progeny earnings list with $887,584. Bertrando leads the list at $1,597,606.

In 2006, Unusual Heat ranked 14th on the state's stallion progeny earnings list with $1,882,879, well behind leader Swiss Yodeler, at $4,880,827.

Unusual Heat, 17, has had the support of the Abrams brothers and Auerbach through his stallion career. They raced him at the end of his career after claiming him for $80,000 in 1996. Earlier in his career, Unusual Heat, who is by Nureyev, won three stakes in Ireland.

This year, the Abrams and Auerbach sent 10 mares to the stallion, Auerbach said.

"We went outside with the others," Auerbach said.

Thursday's milestone was nearly a day of four winners. In the first race, Powerofvoodoo, trained by Barry Abrams, finished second by 1 1/4 lengths in a maiden race on turf.

"It should have been four" winners, Abrams said.

"We'll settle for three," Auerbach said.

Idiot Proof set for Carry Back

Idiot Proof, the winner of a $60,384 allowance race for 3-year-olds against open company Wednesday at Hollywood Park, will make his next start in the $300,000 Carry Back Stakes over six furlongs at Calder on July 7, trainer Clifford Sise said.

Owned by breeders Marty and Pam Wygod, Idiot Proof has yet to win a stakes. By Benchmark, Idiot Proof has won 3 of 5 starts and $147,272. He was second in the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Dash at Gulfstream Park in January in his stakes debut and fifth in the San Pedro Stakes at Santa Anita in April. In both races, he contended for the early lead and faded in the final furlong.

"I thought he ran against a couple of pretty good horses in the San Pedro," Sise said.

In Wednesday's race, Idiot Proof stalked pacesetter Jack the Duffer for the first quarter-mile while racing on the inside, took the lead on the rail, and pulled away under jockey David Flores to win by 2 3/4 lengths without being asked.

"At least we knows he's versatile," Sise said.

Sise would like to see what the colt could do if he would draw an outside post.

"Going three-quarters, if he can get an outside post, he can rate a little better," Sise said. "He's always been drawn where he has to go early."

May 20, 2007

May sale has second solid year
By STEVE ANDERSEN
After two consecutive successful years, the Barretts May sale of 2-year-olds in training, held last Tuesday in Pomona, appears to be gaining momentum on the roster of juvenile sales.

In 2006, the sale-topper was a surprising $2.5 million Red Bullet colt. The average that year reached a record $52,573.

This year's sale had a different complexion in that one horse did not dominate the event. The sale-topper brought $650,000, but the sale set records for gross and average ($62,604). There were 13 horses that sold for $250,000 or more, compared to four in 2006.

"Sellers are getting more comfortable that you can bring a horse here," said Barretts president Gerald McMahon. "The colt we sold last year for the sale-topper illustrated that."

This year, McMahon said, "we pretty much knew we had a lot more horses at the top of this market than we had before. The question was would we have buyers for them."

There were buyers, and many were California-based owners, including Dennis and Michael Narlinger's JMJ Racing, which bought the $650,000 Sky Mesa colt which topped the sale; Michael Moreno's Southern Equine Racing Stable of Louisiana, which has a presence in California; Marsha Naify, the president of the Thoroughbred Owners of California; and bloodstock agent Dennis O'Neill, the brother of leading trainer Doug O'Neill.

"California has been driving the whole [2-year-old] market this year," McMahon said. "Californians have been prominent at every market. We were concerned they would get their orders filled everywhere else."

Naify bought the sale's leading California-bred, a Tribal Rule colt, for $430,000. He was the lone California-bred among the 13 that sold for $250,000 or more. The unraced Red Bullet colt that topped the 2006 sale is a California-bred.

The Tribal Rule colt was consigned by Excel Bloodstock and had been purchased for $60,000 at the California October yearling sale at Barretts by consignor Bruno DeBerdt.

Barretts officials asked DeBerdt to put the colt in the more prestigious March sale, "but I didn't want him to be overshadowed," DeBerdt said.

Naify was advised on the purchase by trainer Bruce Headley, who described the colt as "the perfectly made horse that has the classic look."

"He has the correct conformation," Headley said. "I looked at him about five times."

The sale included scores of pinhooked yearlings, some of which did not sell.

Owner Brett Kelly bought back a Street Cry colt for $450,000 that he bought as a yearling for $18,000. Kelly later talked with trainer Neil Drysdale and said that the colt will be trained by Drysdale.

"I probably should have had him in the March sale, but the March sale didn't give him enough time," Kelly said.

A Booklet colt that was purchased for $500,000 last September was withdrawn in the hours before it was scheduled to be sold, according to consignor John Brocklebank. Brocklebank said it was unclear who would train the colt.

"There were a couple of little issues that were unclear on the horse's vet report," Brocklebank said. "They decided to withdraw him."

Brocklebank's B.C.3 Thoroughbreds led all consignors, selling 27 horses for $1,434,500.

The sale's success from the last two years is not likely to lead to a significant expansion for 2008, McMahon said. This year, there were 406 horses in the catalog, but 140 were withdrawn. There were 94 horses bought back, or 31.7 percent of the ones that went through the ring. Last year, 27.5 percent were bought back.

"It probably doesn't need to be expanded," he said. "The format is really good in terms of what it takes to market a horse after you get the breezes done."

McMahon said that some of the withdrawn horses could appear in the summer sale of horses of racing age and 2-year-olds in training on June 26.

May 13, 2007

Flying First Class a miracle colt
By STEVE ANDERSEN
Flying First Class will be a longshot in Saturday's $1 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. Considering the injuries that his sire and dam have overcome in recent years, it is a wonder that Flying First Class even exists to run in a classic race.

A California-bred, Flying First Class represents the first Preakness starter for California owner and breeder Bud Johnston, who owns Old English Rancho in Sanger.

Even Johnston admits that getting to the Preakness with a colt by the stallion Perfect Mandate out of the broodmare Flying in Style is just short of an equine miracle.

Flying in Style is lucky to be alive. She suffered a broken hip in a 2001 race, and was tied to a stall wall for three months before she recovered sufficiently to be able to lay down, Johnston said.

"Just out of stubbornness, I tried to save her, and she's the dam of Flying First Class," Johnston said.

Her 2003 mating to Perfect Mandate came after the stallion had missed a year of stud duty after being kicked. He later missed the 2005 breeding season after suffering a badly broken ankle while exercising, an injury so severe that a full year passed before Johnston believed the now 11-year-old stallion would survive.

"It's an amazing story that she's made it as a broodmare and he's making it as a sire," Johnston said.

But they have, and Flying First Class is already a stakes winner, having won the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs on April 28. He will be an outsider in a Preakness field led by Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense.

Perfect Mandate did not amount to much as a racehorse. He made two starts, never won, and finished second in the Sunny Slope Stakes at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting in 1998.

When he went to stud at Old English Rancho in 2000, Perfect Mandate was part of Johnston's effort to find "young stallions" to fit his farm, which had relocated from Southern California to central California.

By Gone West, Perfect Mandate was trained by D. Wayne Lukas, who trains Flying First Class.

"Wayne said to me, 'He was one of the fastest horses I've ever had my hands on,' " Johnston said. "I thought he deserves a chance at stud."

Perfect Mandate had early success as a stallion, siring the stakes winners Allswellthatnswell and Razen Hazen. But the injury he suffered in 2005 was life-threatening and remains a major concern for Johnston and the farm staff.

The accident occurred while Perfect Mandate "was playing" while being exercised in an arena at the farm, Johnston said. The subsequent operation required screws and plates to stabilize the injury, Johnston said.

"It took a whole year [before we knew] we were going to be able to save him," he said.

Perfect Mandate recovered well enough to resume breeding a full book of mares this year, having been bred to "a few mares" last year, Johnston said. Johnston set an early limit of 30 mares for 2007, but increased that figure after he saw that Perfect Mandate could handle the breeding process.

"He's able to mount the mares and he protects it very well," Johnston said of the injured leg. "You wouldn't be able to do that with any horse. He lies down a lot.

"He's very healthy right now. I think we limited his book to 70 to 75 mares. I was going to limit it to 30 mares because I wasn't sure if he'd handle it. I think it will probably eventually go so arthritic that it will probably shorten his life, but right now he's fine. Sometimes, the ones you least expect to make it, do."

May 6, 2007

Tiz Elemental injured
By STEVE ANDERSEN
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The excitement surrounding the stakes double for owner Warren Williamson and trainer Carla Gaines on the California Gold Rush program April 29 at Hollywood Park turned out to be short-lived.

Earlier this week, Tiz Elemental, winner of the $200,000 Melair Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the Gold Rush program, was found to have a bone chip in a knee, Gaines said. The injury is expected to keep Tiz Elemental out of training until late fall.

"Could we have had fun with her as a 3-year-old?" Gaines said. "That's the thing about this game - as soon as you get excited it knocks you down a notch."

Tiz Elemental, who is by Cee's Tizzy, has won 3 of 5 starts and $237,680.

Her season "has been a success," Gaines said. "In her maternal line, they get better as they get older. Let's hope that happens with her."

The news is much brighter regarding Nashoba's Key, the winner of the $150,000 Fran's Valentine Stakes for the Williamson-Gaines team. Friday, Gaines was contemplating what sort of race would best fit Nashoba's Key, who is unbeaten in three starts and made her stakes debut in the Fran's Valentine.

One possibility is the $150,000 Beverly Hills Handicap on July 1, a Grade 2 over 1 1/4 miles on turf.

"If she improves, I think she can run with those kind of horses," Gaines said. "She's got such ability."

Nashoba's Key, who is by Silver Hawk, beat a strong group in the Fran's Valentine under jockey Garrett Gomez. Dancing General and Memorette, the second- and third-place finishers, are stakes winners.

"Garrett pulled her up and said, 'That was a lot of fun and she had fun, too,'" Gaines said. "He had a big grin on his face."

Both Nashoba's Key and Tiz Elemental are homebreds for Williamson, who campaigned their Irish-bred dams.

Blending Element, the dam of Tiz Elemental, and Nashoba, the dam of Nashoba's Key, were purchased by Williamson from Ireland and later trained in California by Gaines.

Blending Element, 14, won three stakes, including the Yerba Buena Breeders' Cup Handicap. She excelled in races at 1 1/8 miles and beyond on turf.

Nashoba, 11, won 3 of 5 starts, but did not appear in stakes while running in California in 1999-2001.

Both Blending Element and Nashoba's Key are in Kentucky. Blending Element will be bred to Quiet American or Street Cry, while Nashoba will be bred to Artie Schiller, Gaines said.

Gold Rush winners plot next moves

There were six major stakes on the Gold Rush program, and the other four winners may race throughout the country in coming months.

Greg's Gold, winner of the Tiznow Stakes over 7 1/2 furlongs, is being considered for the $150,000 Aristides Breeders' Cup Handicap over six furlongs at Churchill Downs on June 3, trainer David Hofmans said Friday.

The Tiznow Stakes was Greg's Gold's first stakes win since the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Handicap at Del Mar in 2005.

Leesider, winner of the $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes, the richest race of the Gold Rush program, may start in the $100,000 Affirmed Handicap, a Grade 3 over 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-olds at Hollywood Park on June 17.

"It'll be tougher than the Cal-bred race, but it's something to look at," trainer Paddy Gallagher said.

Epic Power, winner of the $175,000 Khaled Stakes on turf, may be given a break, trainer Jack Carava said. Epic Power won the California Cup Mile last fall.

Somethinaboutlaura, winner of the B. Thoughtful Stakes, may start in the $175,000 Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park on June 3. Somethinaboutlaura was third in the 2006 Milady.

April 29, 2007

Memorette moving closer to $1 million
By STEVE ANDERSEN
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Memorette will start as a favorite in Sunday's $150,000 Fran's Valentine Stakes at Hollywood Park, a race that will probably help trainer Bill Currin reach one of the two goals he has set for the 5-year-old mare in 2007.

A winner of 4 of 25 starts and $746,753, Memorette is the most accomplished among the eight filly-mare entrants in the Fran's Valentine, which is run over 1 1/16 miles on turf.

But Currin is aiming higher. "I have two tasks with her," he said. "One is to make a million dollars. The other is to win a Grade 1."

The Fran's Valentine Stakes has a first-place purse of $90,000, which would help the goal of reaching seven figures in earnings. If Memorette runs well in the Fran's Valentine, she could start in the Grade 1 Gamely Breeders' Cup Stakes at Hollywood Park on May 28, Currin said.

"We won the Fran's Valentine last year and we thought it would be a good place to go again this year," Currin said. "She's in very top form and I expect her to run quite well."

Memorette has made two starts this year, finishing second in the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf at Gulfstream Park in January and third behind Gamely hopeful Citronnade in the Grade 2 Santa Ana Handicap at Santa Anita in March.

"That race was like a Grade 1," Currin said of the Santa Ana.

In the Fran's Valentine, Memorette has a formidable opponent in Dancing General, the winner of the Pro or Con Handicap for statebreds at Santa Anita on April 8. Trained by Rafael Becerra, Dancing General won her first stakes in the Pro or Con, which was run over a mile, a distance that was probably at the shorter end of her best trip.

"This distance is better for me," Becerra said of the 1 1/16 miles of the Fran's Valentine. "She did what she was supposed to do last time. She's sharper since her last race."

The Fran's Valentine is the stakes debut for Nashoba's Key, a 4-year-old by Silver Hawk trained by Carla Gaines. She won two turf races earlier this year - a maiden race over a mile and an allowance race over 1 1/8 miles. Both races were against California-breds.

Nashoba's Key drew the rail and will be ridden by Garrett Gomez, who was aboard for her previous wins.

Three other mares are each coming off a win in an optional claimer - Gentle Charmer, Easy Obsession, and Yearly Attitude. Easy Obsession is seeking her first win on turf, but has run well on the surface.

April 15, 2007

Bring the Heat a hot commodity
By STEVE ANDERSEN
The weather conditions did not match the mood at Abbott Ranch in tiny Oro Grande, Calif., on Thursday afternoon.

While the wind kicked up, with gusts as high as 40 miles per hour, and a rare rain shower blew through the high desert town, ranch owner Buck Abbott was in high spirits.

Earlier in the day, across the nation, One Hot Wish, by Abbott Ranch stallion Bring the Heat, won a maiden race at Keeneland by 12 3/4 lengths, finishing 4 1/2 furlongs in the world-record time of 48.87 seconds. She will be sold Tuesday at Keeneland's 2-year-old sale.

Through the afternoon, the remarkable win was all Abbott could talk about.

"I've had five different calls in the last two hours from people who want to breed to him," Abbott said.

Bring the Heat, 9, stands for $2,500, live foal, one of four stallions at Abbott Ranch. Abbott said the stallion is owned by trainer Wesley Ward, the breeder and co-owner of One Hot Wish.

Bring the Heat has not been bred to many mares so far this year.

"I had four horses that just came in and Wesley bred a bunch of his own," Abbott said. "He's by In Excess and a big, good-looking horse."

Abbott said Bring the Heat was late getting started in the breeding season after arriving at his farm in March.

The victory by One Hot Wish is the most substantial accomplishment for Bring the Heat as a stallion. Through Thursday, Bring the Heat ranked 60th among 2007 progeny earnings for California stallions, with $101,396. The list is led by Bertrando, with $1,068,233.

Bring the Heat won 3 of 7 starts in 2001 and 2002, racing for a partnership while trained by Ward. Bring the Heat finished third in the 2001 Real Good Deal Stakes for California-breds at Del Mar, and was last of 10 in the Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap at Golden Gate Fields in 2002, the final start of his career.

By In Excess, out of One Hot Mama, Bring the Heat is a full brother to Excessively Hot, a winner of $226,404.

The win by One Hot Wish is certain to bring more attention to the stallion, but long-term breeding plans are unclear. Abbott predicts that Ward will raise Bring the Heat's fee for 2008.

He said Ward told him on Thursday not to breed any more outside mares to Bring the Heat this year. Abbott said that may be impossible.

"I told Wesley, 'I've got five mares to breed to him,' " he said on Thursday. "I can't turn them down."

Dancing General aims for Gold Rush

Dancing General, who won her first stakes in the $107,200 Pro or Con Handicap against statebred fillies and mares on April 8, is being pointed for the $150,000 Fran's Valentine at Hollywood Park on April 29, trainer Rafael Becerra said.

The Fran's Valentine Stakes is part of the 10-race California Gold Rush program for statebreds.

Dancing General, 5, has won 4 of 10 starts and $279,720 for owner Stan Fulton. Bred by Betty Mabee, Dancing General is by General Meeting and out of the Nureyev mare Dance With Shadows.

With those bloodlines, Becerra is convinced that Dancing General wants more ground than the Pro or Con distance of a mile. The Fran's Valentine is run over 1 1/16 miles on turf.

"She can go up to a mile and a quarter," he said. "It was very important for her to win that stakes, especially since she is a mare."

Dancing General was second in the California Cup Distance Handicap over 1 1/4 miles on turf at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting in 2005.

April 8, 2007

Breeders reclaim 8-year-old Debonair Joe
By STEVE ANDERSEN
ARCADIA, Calif. - Joe Valenti finally got his wish at Santa Anita on Wednesday.

For nearly a year, Valenti and trainer Craig Lewis had debated whether to claim Debonair Joe, an 8-year-old gelding they bred. They raced him in 2001-02.

Wednesday, Lewis and Valenti agreed to claim the California-bred Debonair Joe for $40,000 and then watched him win a six-furlong race.

"I've wanted to claim him for a long time," Valenti said Thursday, but he said Lewis wasn't sure. "Finally, he listened to me. I felt he was going to win and he did. I just liked the horse, and I've always liked him."

Debonair Joe's victory Wednesday was the ninth of his 47-race career, which began in 2001 and includes two graded wins - the Grade 3 Vernon Underwood Stakes and Grade 1 Malibu Stakes in consecutive starts in December 2002.

At the time, Debonair Joe had been trained by Juan Pablo Silva for three months after being taken in a $12,500 claiming race from Valenti and Lewis at Fairplex Park in September 2002.

While losing an eventual Grade 1 winner was a setback, it was not as if Valenti and Lewis were completely left out. They still received breeder awards as Debonair Joe's career progressed.

Debonair Joe has never regained the form of those stakes wins. He has placed in six stakes since December 2002, including a runner-up finish in the California Cup Sprint at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting last October.

In January, Debonair Joe was claimed by Cecil and Gary Barber and trainer Peter Miller for $40,000. In four starts for them, ending with Wednesday's win, Debonair Joe earned $61,631.

"He made us a lot of money," Miller said.

Wednesday's race was the first time that Debonair Joe had appeared in a claiming race since he was claimed by the Barbers. Miller feared they might lose the gelding.

Lewis, well known as the owner-trainer of 1995 Santa Anita Derby winner Larry the Legend, said he is somewhat in awe of what Debonair Joe has accomplished through his career.

"Any horse that can survive in this game until they're 8 and keep winning is a remarkable animal," Lewis said. "Every time he's run for a claim, we thought about claiming him back. In horse racing and life there are a lot of similarities: you can't say you're not going to do this. Joe Valenti and I bred the horse and we've always been very fond of him. He's a neat horse, a warrior, and we have deep respect for him."

Valenti said he is taking a cautious approach to Debonair Joe's future, and has not ruled out retiring him to Warren's Thoroughbreds in Hemet, Calif., where Valenti keeps his horses. Valenti's farm, Mira Loma Thoroughbred Farm, was sold for development earlier this decade.

"He won't run in any more claimers," Valenti said. "I'll retire him if I have to."

Valenti said that Debonair Joe will be given a physical, including X-rays, to check his condition.

"I don't like to rush my horses," he said. "I want to give them 30 to 45 days. He probably won't run until Hollywood."

When he does, Debonair Joe will be back with the men who started his remarkable career.

April 1, 2007

Shaggy Mane will tread lightly toward Cup
By STEVE ANDERSEN
ARCADIA, Calif. - The newly created Eclipse Award for female sprinters has given trainer Don Chatlos a lofty goal this year for his star filly Shaggy Mane.

Along with the partnership that owns the 4-year-old California-bred - IEAH Stables, Jim Kwong, and Sanford Robbins - Chatlos is convinced that Shaggy Mane can compete for the new Eclipse Award, which will be awarded for the first time after the 2007 season.

Chatlos plans to give Shaggy Mane every chance to earn that coveted prize.

In her lone start of 2007, Shaggy Mane went wire to wire to win the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27 by 7 3/4 lengths. The Filly and Mare Sprint, restricted to California-breds and Florida-breds, is the most prestigious victory in Shaggy Mane's nine-race career, which includes six wins and earnings of $281,483.

Following that race, Chatlos plotted a tentative schedule for the first half of 2007 that will include just two more starts - the $300,000 Humana Distaff, a Grade 1 over seven furlongs at Churchill Downs on May 5, and the $500,000 Princess Rooney Handicap, a Grade 1 over six furlongs at Calder on July 7.

"We gave her a little time off after the Sunshine Millions," Chatlos said. "It looked like she did it easy, but I didn't want to take any chances that it knocked her out.

"Our main goal is the Princess Rooney at Calder. If we can knock that out we would be in great shape."

In the autumn, Chatlos is hoping that Shaggy Mane can start in the inaugural running of the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint over six furlongs at Monmouth Park on Oct. 26.

Chatlos is banking on Shaggy Mane's ability at six furlongs to help her chances in the Princess Rooney and BC Filly and Mare Sprint.

"I don't know that the top fillies in the country are six-furlong fillies," he said. "They may be better at seven-eighths. Our filly can go 21 and 43 and keep going."

Shaggy Mane set a blistering pace in the Sunshine Millions of 21.66 and 44.24 seconds and finished in 1:09.31. The Sunshine Millions was her second stakes win; last October she won the William P. Kyne Handicap at Bay Meadows. The Kyne was Shaggy Mane's fifth consecutive win, a streak that began in an $8,000 maiden claimer at Pleasanton last July.

She was claimed by Kwong from a $12,500 claimer at Santa Rosa last August and trained by Lloyd Mason until Robbins and IAEH Stables joined the partnership last fall.

Chatlos began training Shaggy Mane in the fall, before she finished fifth in the Cat's Cradle Handicap at Hollywood Park in November.

Shaggy Mane is by top California stallion Bertrando out of the Bel Bolide mare Witchy. Shaggy Mane, who was bred by Jack and Florence Arnold, comes from a family of winners. Witchy, 13, won 6 of 17 starts and $170,277 in her career.

Witchy is out of Tiny Kristin, who had four other foals earn $100,000 or more - Kinky Kinky ($261,858), McNasty ($124,059), Stormy Jack ($596,673), and T.K.'s Bert ($124.977).

Shaggy Mane is the leading runner in 2007 for Chatlos, who is best known for wining the 2004 Breeders' Cup Mile with Singletary.

She has been the highlight of his 2007 season and he is convinced that a conservative course is the best option for the quick filly.

"Our plan is to keep her races spaced by two months," he said. "She's honest. She's put on a lot of weight and she's progressing."

* An article last Sunday on the Barretts March sale of 2-year-olds in training, held on March 20, misstated the gross and average prices for the seven California-breds sold at the auction. The gross was $1,400,000, not $1,640,000, and the average was $200,000, not $234,285.

March 25, 2007

Cal-breds outperform average at Barretts
By STEVE ANDERSEN
ARCADIA, Calif. - The 17 California-breds offered at Tuesday's Barretts March Sale of 2-year-olds in-training comprised less than 10 percent of the catalog, but they still had a significant impact on the one-day sale.

Among the 17, seven listed as sold, is a Cape Town filly that went for $800,000, the most expensive female purchased at the sale. The seven that were sold grossed $1,640,000 for an average of $234,285. There were six listed as not sold and four were withdrawn.

Overall the sale averaged $219,773 per lot, an increase of 42 percent over 2006, and the sale-topper was a Kentucky-bred Officer colt purchased for $1.4 million.

The Cape Town filly was purchased by John Ferguson Bloodstock on behalf of the Sheikh Mohammed. She is expected to remain in the United States, Ferguson said. (Ferguson also bought the sale-topper, and led all buyers with five acquisitions for total of $3,950,000.)

The Cape Town filly has a history of bringing top prices at Barretts. She topped the California October yearling sale last fall, selling for $240,000 to John Brocklebank, who said he acted on behalf of a group of investors.

Brocklebank, a Utah-based pinhooker, consigned the filly to Tuesday's sale through B.C.3 Thoroughbreds, which he operates with Shane Chipman.

She worked once in a pre-sale training preview, zipping a quarter-mile in 21 seconds on March 12.

Bred by Craig and Rebecca Shields of Santa Ynez, Calif., she is a half-sister to Race for Glory, the winner of the 2003 Cavonnier Stakes at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting.

The Cape Town filly was not the only successful yearling-to-juvenile pinhook among the California-breds.

Becky Thomas of Ocala, Fla., who consigns through her Sequel Bloodstock, sold a Bertrando colt for $210,000 who was purchased last October for $42,000, and sold a Kafwain filly for $185,000 who was purchased at the October yearling sale for $115,000.

The Bertrando colt was purchased by John Sadler, agent, and is likely to be campaigned by one of his clients. The colt is out of the unraced Tale of the Cat mare, Cat on Ice, who has yet to produce a winner.

The Kafwain filly was purchased by West Point Thoroughbreds. The filly is out of Courtly Kathy, a multiple stakes winner at Canterbury Park in the 1990's.

Thomas indicated that she would return to Barretts in October and attempt to do it all again. She said she had one more 2-year-old that she purchased last October to offer at the Barretts May sale of 2-year-olds in training on May 15.

"I think you can buy here and sell here," Thomas said.

Considering the results of recent Barretts March sales, those California-breds deserve to be followed. In 2005, Brother Derek was sold for $275,000 and later won the 2006 Santa Anita Derby. Last year, Notional was sold for $235,000. He has won two graded stakes this year - the San Rafael and Risen Star stakes - and will reappear in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.

Not all of the expensive California-bred yearlings were sold on Tuesday. A Tribal Rule filly that was purchased for $100,000 by Jon Kelly last October was bought back on Tuesday after bidding stalled at $70,000. The filly was consigned by Sam Semkin, agent.

The list of withdrawn California-breds includes an In Excess colt bought by Omar Aldabbagh for $75,000 last September at Keeneland and To B. Devon, who was purchased for $50,000 last October.

To B. Devon finished second in a two-furlong maiden race at Santa Anita on Wednesday.

March 18, 2007

Cape Town filly has tough act to follow
By STEVE ANDERSEN
ARCADIA, Calif. - Keep an eye on the California-breds that sell for big prices at Tuesday's Barretts March sale of 2-year-olds in training. Recent history indicates that one of them could become a major stakes winner.

In 2005, the California-bred Brother Derek was sold for $275,000. He won the 2006 Santa Anita Derby. Last year, Notional was sold for $235,000. He has won two graded stakes this year - the San Rafael and Risen Star stakes - and is among the top Kentucky Derby hopefuls.

At this year's sale, there are 17 California-breds among the 200

2-year-olds on offer - nine colts and eight fillies.

The most prominent California-bred in the sale is a Cape Town filly who topped the Barretts California yearling sale in October at $240,000. Bought by pinhooker John Brocklebank on behalf of a group of investors, the filly has been intended for the March sale since her purchase.

Brocklebank said the filly has been training well. The all-important presale breezes, including one scheduled for Sunday, will be vital in impressing buyers, he said.

"When I first got her I was really excited, and I had to pull the reins on myself a little bit," he said. "She's been very, very consistent. I think she's a very talented filly."

The Cape Town filly is out of Charming Gal, the dam of 2003 Cavonnier Stakes winner Race for Glory. Brocklebank admits he has high hopes that she will be a sought-after 2-year-old on Tuesday.

"Maybe for resell, we overpaid a little bit," he said. "That tells you what kind of individual she was. Whether other people go to the next level, I don't know that, but she is an awful good filly."

Brocklebank said a reserve will be determined "as the sale progresses."

"Right now, I think she'd sell herself," he said last week. "I'm very pleased with her."

Brocklebank has the largest consignment for the sale, offering 19 2-year-olds through his B.C. Thoroughbreds, which is operated in partnership with Shane Chipman. They have one other California-bred, a Mutakddim colt bought for $32,000 last October.

The Cape Town filly is one of three California-breds in the sale that sold for $100,000 or more as yearlings. Becky Thomas's Sequel Bloodstock is offering a Kafwain filly purchased for $115,000 at Barretts last October. The filly is out of the Midwest stakes winner Courtly Kathy.

A California-bred filly by Tribal Rule purchased by Jon Kelly for $100,000 at Barretts last October is part of the consignment of Sam Semkin, agent. The filly is out of the stakes winner Miss Inn Zone, who is the dam of the stakes winner Zoning In. Tribal Rule was the leading freshman stallion in California by progeny earnings in 2006.

The number of California-breds in the Barretts sale is down from the last two years. There were 27 offered in 2005 and 34 in 2006.

The presence of the six-figure California-bred yearlings in the sale is an encouraging sign to Doug Burge, the general manager of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association.

"What's promising is some of the top yearlings that were sold to Florida pinhookers are cataloged," he said. "I hope we see them in the sale and they do well. I hope we have another Notional."

Barretts president Gerald McMahon said many California-breds that could have been considered for the March sale weren't quite ready and are being prepared for the May 2-year-olds in training sale.

"You have to be ready early to be ready for the March," he said. "A lot of local horses are started later in terms of getting broken and trained."

March 11, 2007

Two who slipped through the cracks
By STEVE ANDERSEN
ARCADIA, Calif. - When Bettersweetmoment and Phar to Win start in stakes for California-breds next weekend, rivals owners and trainers can only shake their heads and move on. The ex-claimers could have been their horses.

Considering how their careers began, both Bettersweetmoment and Phar to Win have made remarkable ascensions to this level. Bettersweetmoment has won 8 of 11 starts, while Phar to Win has won 5 of 8. They won optional claiming races a few hours apart on March 1 to emphasize their excellent form.

Bettersweetmoment will make her stakes debut in Saturday's $125,000 Irish O'Brien Stakes for statebred fillies and mares on the hillside turf course. She has won her three starts since being claimed for $25,000 by James and Marcia Equils and trainer Steve Knapp at Hollywood Park last December.

Phar to Win will start in the $100,000 Crystal Water Handicap for statebreds over a mile on turf next Sunday, March 18.

While Bettersweetmoment has been claimed three times in her career, Phar to Win has raced throughout his career for breeders Betty and Robert Irvin. The Irvins and trainer Ray Bell did start Phar to Win in a $35,000 claimer for maidens last July, when the horse returned from a 20-month layoff. It is the only time he has run for a claiming price.

Phar to Win beat maiden claimers that day and won his next three starts, including the California Cup Starter Handicap last November.

When Phar to Win won an optional claimer over 1 1/4 miles on turf on March 1, it ended a two-race losing streak - a second in an allowance on turf and a seventh in an allowance on dirt.

Bell dismissed the loss on dirt. "I think we'll have to throw that out," he said. "We never did find a reason why he didn't run well. He had been so consistent for so long. I'm guessing that, maybe, he didn't like the track."

The March 1 victory impressed Bell, and put the Crystal Water Handicap and the $175,000 Khaled Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Hollywood Park on April 29 on Phar to Win's schedule.

"It was the best run of his career and one of the easiest in how he came out of it," Bell said of the March 1 race. "The ultimate goal is the Khaled Stakes."

A 5-year-old gelding by Avenue of Flags, Phar to Win has earned $157,680.

Bettersweetmoment scored the biggest payday of her career on March 1, earning $39,000 for winning the optional claiming race. A 4-year-old filly by Game Plan, she caught Knapp's eye when she won her first four starts, from October 2005 to January 2006.

"I like horses that win a lot of races," he said. "I took a shot."

Bettersweetmoment made her first two starts for breeders Larry and Sandy Fisher and Barry Shapiro. They lost her via a $20,000 claim in November 2005 to Bob Bone, who owned her for two starts. Bone lost Bettersweetmoment to the Rising Sun Racing Stable via a $40,000 claim in January 2006. She made four starts for Rising Sun until Knapp claimed her for $25,000.

"She won't run against claimers anytime soon," Knapp said. "I think she's worth $100,000."

After the Irish O'Brien, he may consider the B. Thoughtful Stakes over 7 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park on April 29 for Bettersweetmoment. The B. Thoughtful and the Khaled stakes are part of the California Gold Rush program for statebreds.

March 4, 2007

Top mares leave bright lights for bluegrass
By STEVE ANDERSEN
Valentine Dancer was retired in early 2006 as one of the greatest California-bred racemares in history. She earned more than $1.1 million and won lucrative stakes at Del Mar, Hollywood Park, and Santa Anita.

When her owner-breeders, Al and Sandee Kirkwood, sat down to decide a mating, one thing did not enter their minds - leaving Valentine Dancer in California.

Valentine Dancer, 7, had outgrown her roots. She was sent to Kentucky and bred to the top stallion Storm Cat. The foal is due on March 16.

"We didn't feel there was a California stallion that was a good cross for her," Sandee Kirkwood said recently. "That's why we chose Kentucky. We pretty well exhausted California as far as breeding goes."

The Kirkwoods are just one of many owners who are sending stakes-winning California mares out of state to be bred. Although California farms stand several notable stallions, such as In Excess, Benchmark, Bertrando, and Swiss Yodeler, they do not have the kind of stallions that can keep the state's best mares at home.

Put another way, the most successful and attractive girls are leaving Hollywood for Kentucky, and their owners do not have plans to bring them back.

This year, other top California-bred mares will be bred to the major Kentucky stallions A.P. Indy, Bernardini, Empire Maker, Giant's Causeway, and Ghostzapper.

Leave Me Alone, the winner of the Grade 1 Test Stakes in 2005, was bred to A.P. Indy last week. Later this year, Proposed, the winner of the Grade 2 Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap in 2006, and Silent Sighs, the winner of the 2004 Santa Anita Oaks, will also be bred to A.P. Indy.

Alphabet Kisses, the winner of the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes in 2004, and the multiple stakes winner House of Fortune will be bred to the first-year stallion Bernardini.

Last year, Golden Eagle Farm bred the stakes winner Western Hemisphere to Unbridled's Song and has booked her to First Samurai this year. Also last year, the Grade 1 winner Dream of Summer was bred to Forestry, and will be bred later this year to a Kentucky stallion. The stakes-winning turf sprinter Cambiocorsa is going to Ghostzapper, and the 2006 stakes winner She's an Eleven will be bred to Empire Maker.

There is little that can be done to reverse the trend of top mares leaving the state, breeders say. Doug Burge, the executive director of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, said it is simply a case of breeding the mares to the nation's leading stallions.

"These mares are extremely valuable from a commercial standpoint and justify being bred to the top stallions in the country," said Burge. "It's not anything unusual.

"Unfortunately, we're in the same situation as every other racing state outside of Kentucky. You're looking at playing at an international level and not a regional level."

Those hoping to race homebreds say breeding a top Cal-bred mare to a Kentucky sire gives the offspring a better chance of racing at the highest levels than keeping the mare in-state.

"We're breeding to race," Sandee Kirkwood said.

Valentine Dancer "was our home run," she added. "We'd like to win some of the bigger 3-year-old races and a Breeders' Cup."

Kentucky stallions were the best decision for Proposed and Silent Sighs, said Russell Drake, the farm manager at River Edge Farm in Buellton, Calif. Marty and Pam Wygod own the mares and River Edge.

"We felt they deserved a better shot of coming up with something special," Drake said. "They're both pretty nice mares. We might be a little bit over-breeding, but they were decent racehorses and are beautiful mares with great conformation."

Those breeding to sell say that breeding a mare who is proven on the track to a California sire, rather than a Kentucky sire, results in less-valuable offspring.

Leave Me Alone, for example, may be sold in foal to A.P. Indy at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale later this year, according to trainer Eric Kruljac. He advised owner Steve Mitchell on breeding plans for the 5-year-old Leave Me Alone, and said California stallions were not considered.

"There is so much more of a commercial market in case we try to sell in November, or if we sell the foals along the way," he said. "At least in the near future she'll stay in Kentucky.

"I think In Excess is a wonderful sire. Benchmark has done well, and Cee's Tizzy has had some marvelous horses. But from a market standpoint, if you want the option of selling in foal, if they're not by a Kentucky sire, you won't get that kind of money."

The California-bred Summer Wind Dancer, the winner of the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap in 2004, was sold in foal to Unbridled's Song at the 2005 Keeneland November breeding stock sale to Roy and Gretchen Jackson for $650,000. At the same sale, Golden Eagle sold Yearly Report, the winner of the Grade 2 Delaware Oaks in 2004, for $825,000 to B. Wayne Hughes. Yearly Report was in foal to Gone West at the time.

California breeders say the state does not have a stallion that can attract the state's best mares - nor is it capable of supporting such a stallion. Currently, the most expensive stallion in the state is In Excess, who is offered privately at a fee of up to $25,000. Swiss Yodeler, whose progeny topped California's 2006 general list, has a $10,000 stud fee.

"If you stood a horse here for $50,000 to $100,000, I don't know if you could get enough mares to him," said Drake of River Edge Farm. "There are enough people that are good breeders in California to support a good stallion, but would they do it for three or four years? You've got to put a lot of good mares to him for a number of years."

Drake said some of the Wygod-owned Kentucky-based mares have been sent to California this year to be bred to Benchmark at River Edge. They include mares by Deputy Minister, Gone West, Kris S., Pine Bluff, Storm Cat, and Tale of the Cat.

For some mares, a trip to Kentucky is not a one-way ticket.

Super High, a six-time stakes winner, has a yearling California-bred filly by the Kentucky-based stallion Victory Gallop and is in foal to Unusual Heat, one of California's top stallions. Because Super High foaled the Victory Gallop filly in California and was bred back to a California-based stallion in 2006, the Victory Gallop filly can be registered as a California-bred.

Super High is owned by breeder John Harris, who said he prefers to have the mares he sends to be bred in Kentucky foal in California.

Alphabet Kisses is an exception to Harris's philosophy. She is due to produce a foal by Awesome Again in April and will be bred back to Bernardini.

"We'll bring her back to California sometime," Harris said.

With top-class mares leaving the state, farm managers have had to campaign more vigorously to draw quality mares to their stallions. One top mare who is staying home is Romantic Fibs, the dam of Romance Is Diane, who won the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet in December. Romantic Fibs is boarded at Magali Farms in Santa Ynez, Calif., and she is expected to deliver a Bertrando foal this spring and will be bred back to In Excess.

"She could have easily gone to Kentucky," said Tom Hudson, the Magali farm manager. "We've got to have good mares for our stallions or we're not going to make it."

February 25,  2007

She's an Eleven retired, going to Empire Maker
By STEVE ANDERSEN
ARCADIA, Calif. - She's an Eleven, the winner of the Melair Stakes last April, has been retired and will be bred to the Kentucky-based stallion Empire Maker in coming weeks, trainer John Sadler said

A California-bred, She's an Eleven, 4, won 2 of 8 starts and $216,954 for Lee and Susan Searing's CRK Stables. The $200,000 Melair Stakes for California-breds at Hollywood Park was her only stakes win. She's an Eleven later finished fifth in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico and fourth in the Gradeo2 Hollywood Breeders' Cup Oaks at Hollywood Park last June.

"She caught a bad track at Pimlico and got hurt at Del Mar" last summer, Sadler said. "We always thought she was a very good filly."

She's an Eleven made her final start in the Hollywood Oaks, and was back in training briefly in recent months. "We had her back in training and we decided to retire her," Sadler said.

She's an Eleven was bred by Old English Rancho and Joe Turner. She is by In Excess out of She's a Sensation.

Two sale-toppers may meet

Leesider and Swift Demand, colts that topped two California yearling sales in the second half of 2005, have won maiden races in recent weeks and could meet in the $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes at Hollywood Park on April 29.

Leesider topped the 2005 northern California yearling sale at Pleasanton, drawing a winning bid of $50,000.

Thursday at Santa Anita, he beat maidens in his fourth start, running a mile in 1:39.59. Trained by Paddy Gallagher for Super Horse, Inc., Leesider rallied from fifth to finish a half-length in front of Steamy Story.

"He's going to be all right," jockey Alex Solis told Gallagher after the race. "He wants to go a mile and an eighth."

By Bertrando, Leesider finished sixth in his first two starts and second in his most recent start before Thursday's win.

"He needs to step up for something like the Snow Chief," Gallagher said. "He's been a slow learner."

Swift Demand, the $290,000 sale topper at the 2005 California October yearling sale at Barretts, beat statebred maidens in his career debut at Santa Anita on Feb.o15.

Owned by CRK Stables, Swift Demand rallied from last after a slow start to win the maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs by a head over Victory Joe. Swift Demand was timed in a quick 1:16.88.

Sadler said the Kentucky Derby is not an option at this point for Swift Demand, who is by High Demand.

"He'll go forward with a plan of trying to be ready for the Snow Chief Stakes," Sadler said. "That's probably the more realistic idea. He's probably too far behind to catch up with the top of his class."

Cal-breds to cash in at Hollywood

The $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes is the feature on the $1.31 million California Gold Rush program on April 29, the first weekend of the Hollywood Park meeting.

There are 12 stakes or added-money races for California-breds during the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting, which runs from April 25 to July 15.

Ten of those races are on Gold Rush Day, which has the same lineup as the 2006 running. After the Snow Chief, the next-richest race of the day is the $200,000 Melair Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. There are four races worth $150,000 for older horses, two on turf and two on dirt.

After Gold Rush Day, there will be only two stakes for statebreds the rest of the meeting, each worth $75,000 - the Quicken Tree Stakes over 1 1/2 miles on turf on May 25 and the Valkyr Stakes for fillies and mares over six furlongs on June 24.

February 18,  2007

McCaffery and her horses left their mark
By STEVE ANDERSEN
ARCADIA, Calif. - Trudy McCaffery, the California horsewoman who died earlier this week after a lengthy illness, was well known for the numerous stakes horses that she campaigned in partnership with John Toffan.

In the late 1990's, they campaigned several stakes-winning California-breds, including two-time statebred horse of the year Free House.

One of six horses to hold that title for at least two years, Free House was considered a personal favorite by McCaffery. He is best known for finishing second or third in all three legs of the 1997 Triple Crown, and winning the 1997 Santa Anita Derby and the 1998 Pacific Classic.

Free House, who died in 2004, was named statebred horse of the year in 1997 and 1998.

"She loved that horse," Paco Gonzalez, the trainer of Free House, recalled at his barn on the Santa Anita backstretch on Friday.

McCaffery and Toffan bred primarily in Kentucky, but they made their mark with California-breds. Together, they won three California Cup races - the 1997 Mile with Gastown, the 1998 Classic with Bagshot, and the 1999 Juvenile with Spacelink. Bagshot was also second in the 1998 Classic to Budroyale.

Free House stood at stud at Vessels Stallion Farm in Bonsall, Calif. Farm owner Scoop Vessels said that Free House was one of three horses that he pursued for his farm in late 1999, along with Charismatic and Silver Charm. Free House was the only one that he acquired.

"Free House was her boy," farm owner Scoop Vessels said of McCaffery. "She'd come out and visit him quite often. She was instrumental in keeping that horse here in California. She was pretty bullish on the California Thoroughbred breeding."

McCaffery was well known for her work in racing management and charitable organizations, such as Kids to the Cup, which gave children and teenagers access to the sport. It was in those capacities that she made scores of friends. Many gathered in her honor for a memorial reception at Santa Anita on Friday evening.

"She was one of the very unique ones," Vessels said by telephone from Mexico on Friday. "I respect very much people that give of their time for something that has given so much joy. A lot of people take and don't give back. She would raise her hand for so many things, to be part of the policy making."

John Harris, a prominent breeder and the vice chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, wrote in an e-mail earlier this week that McCaffery was a "true friend" to the sport of horse racing. "She served tirelessly for the good of the industry," he said.

California breeder John Barr recalls presenting McCaffery and Toffan with a horse of the year award for Free House at a ceremony in Sacramento. At the time, Barr only casually knew McCaffery, largely through her appearances in the winner's circle.

"She's was a fantastic force," Barr said. "She used to call Bob Lewis the Energizer bunny. If there is a 'bunnyette,' she was a bunnyette."

Like many racing fans, Barr became an admirer of Free House.

"I thought he was fantastic," Barr said. "He knew what he was supposed to be doing, and he really wanted to win. I thought he was very good at intimidating other horses down the stretch. I don't mean he'd savage them, but he'd look them in the eye.

"To [run second or third] in all three races of the Triple Crown is a hell of an accomplishment. He was Trudy's favorite horse. No question about it."

Barr invited McCaffery to serve on the board of directors of the California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association in the late 1990's. "I served with her on the CTBA board and the Oak Tree board," he said. "She left too damned early."

February 11,  2007

Moscow Burning, House of Fortune near first mating
By STEVE ANDERSEN
ARCADIA, Calif. - The California-bred champions House of Fortune and Moscow Burning will be bred to leading stallions on opposite sides of the world in coming weeks.

Moscow Burning, the California-bred horse of the year in 2004, will be bred to Deep Impact or Agnes Taychon, according to officials with Shadai Farm in Japan.

Moscow Burning was sold to Shadai for $1 million at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale in 2006. The leading California-bred female with all-time earnings of $1,417,800, Moscow Burning, 7, is already based in Japan.

A decision on the actual mating will be made closer to the breeding date.

Deep Impact, by Sunday Silence, is entering his first year at stud. The Japanese Horse of the Year in 2005 and 2006, Deep Impact was syndicated last fall for more than $42 million. The highlights of his career include wins in the 2005 Japanese Triple Crown and the 2006 Japan Cup.

Agnes Taychon, also by Sunday Silence, is an 8-year-old who won the Japanese 2000 Guineas. Agnes Taychon entered stud in 2002.

Aside from being named horse of the year in 2004, Moscow Burning won two other statebred titles that year - outstanding older female and outstanding turf horse. For the 2006 season, she was named outstanding turf horse.

Moscow Burning, bred by Harris Farms and the Ken Maddy Trust, won major stakes such as the California Cup Distance Handicap in 2003 and 2005, the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay Handicap at Belmont Park in 2004, and the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf in 2006.

She ended her career in late October with a fourth-place finish in the California Cup Distance Handicap.

Moscow Burning raced for Don Van Kempen, who claimed her with partners for $25,000 in 2003.

House of Fortune, the statebred champion 2-year-old filly of 2003, will be bred to Bernardini in Kentucky, trainer Ron McAnally said. Bernardini won the Eclipse Award as the nation's champion 3-year-old male of 2006.

House of Fortune, 6, won 8 of 22 starts and $989,185 for owner Arnold Zetcher. She won seven stakes, including the Grade 2 Hollywood Breeders' Cup Oaks in 2004, the Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park in 2004, and the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff in January 2006.

By the California champion Free House, House of Fortune was bred by John and Michele Treasure, who sold the filly a week after she was foaled in 2001. House of Fortune was sent to Kentucky late last year.

Lava Man repeats as state's horse of the year

Lava Man was named the California-bred horse of the year for 2006 earlier this week, becoming the sixth horse in history to win at least two consecutive horse of the year titles.

Lava Man joins Crystal Water (1976-77), Snow Chief (1985-87), Best Pal (1990-92), Free House (1997-98), and Tiznow (2000-01) as repeat California-bred horses of the year.

Lava Man was nearly unbeatable in 2006, winning 7 of 8 starts and $2,770,000. All of his victories came in stakes, with the lone loss a seventh in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs in November.

Bred by Lonnie Arterburn and Eve and Kim Kuhlmann, Lava Man has won 15 of 36 starts and $4,079,706. He races for the Kenly family's STD Racing and Jason Wood, who claimed him for $50,000 in the summer of 2004.

Lava Man is in training with Doug O'Neill, preparing for a start in the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 3. Last year, Lava Man became the first horse to win the Big Cap, Hollywood Gold Cup, and Pacific Classic in the same year.

February 4,  2007

McCann's Mojave 45th Cal-bred to top $1 million
By STEVE ANDERSEN
ARCADIA, Calif. - A decision on the next race for Sunshine Millions Classic winner McCann's Mojave will be made in coming days after owner-breeder Mike Willman travels to northern California to see the horse, Willman said Thursday.

McCann's Mojave pulled a major upset in the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic for California-breds and Florida-breds at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27, the most lucrative victory of his career.

Willman said that the horse returned to racetrack training on Thursday after being shipped from Florida to trainer Steve Specht's base at Golden Gate Fields earlier this week.

There is a chance that the 7-year-old McCann's Mojave will be pointed for the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 3, but Willman, the director of publicity at Santa Anita Park, said that no decision will be made until he visits Specht and they discuss options.

"We didn't discuss any race specifically, but it would enter the discussion,&