The Tdn Oaks Top 10 for March 4
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THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2021 THE TDN OAKS TOP 10 THE GREAT ONE, A TRUE HEART HORSE FOR COTEAU GROVE FARMS by Christie DeBernardis FOR MARCH 4 Horses often hold a special place in the hearts of their breeders. After all, the breeder is almost like the parent as they are the ones who bring that horse to life and give them their start in the world. But some horses are a little extra special to their creators for one reason or another and GII San Felipe S. contender The Great One (Nyquist) is one those for his breeders, Keith and Ginger Myers of Coteau Grove Farms in Sunset, Louisiana. In 2008, the Myerses started their broodmare band with eight mares purchased at the Keeneland November Sale. The first of those eight to foal was a mare named Character Builder (Coronado's Quest), who they bought for $65,000 in foal to El Corredor. The resulting foal, who was the first born on Coteau Grove Farms, was Little Ms Protocol, the dam of The Great One. Cont. p3 Clairiere | Hodges Photography by Bill Finley IN TDN EUROPE TODAY It wasn't that long ago that the picture for the 3-year-old fillies KING AND BROMLEY BREEZING INTO CHELTENHAM seemed pretty straightforward. Vequist (Nyquist) was the clear Trainer Alan King and bloodstock agent Anthony Bromley are leader of the division and there appeared to be a handful of sourcing top-class jumpers from the breeze-up sales. other top fillies that could challenge her supremacy. Has that Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Europe. ever changed. Vequist did nothing right in her 3-year-old debut in the Davona Dale S., finishing ninth, 26 lengths behind the winner. Second choice Millefeuille (Curlin) didn't fare much better, finishing seventh. The winner, Wholebodemeister (Bodemeister), paid $107.60. Meanwhile, GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief) has not had a published workout since Jan. 25. And Malathaat (Curlin), the winner of the GII Demoiselle S., missed some training time and only recently returned to the work tab. The bottom line is that this division is a mess. Hopefully, the picture will look better after this weekend, which features the Busher Invitational at Aqueduct, the GIII Honeybee S. at Oaklawn and the GIII Santa Ysabel S. at Santa Anita. 1) CLAIRIERE (Curlin--Cavorting, by Bernardini) O/B-Stonestreet Stables (KY). T-Steve Asmussen. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-1-0, $270,492. Last Start: 1st GII Rachel Alexandra S. presented by Fasig-Tipton, FG, Feb. 13. 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Director of IT/Accounting Ray Villa [email protected] SCOTT STEVENS RETIRES 7 [email protected] Veteran jockey Scott Stevens, one of only 35 riders in history WORLDWIDE INFORMATION to win in excess of 5,000 races, has announced his retirement International Editor after being involved in a Feb. 24 spill at Turf Paradise. Kelsey Riley @kelseynrileyTDN [email protected] European Editor Emma Berry [email protected] Associate International Editor Heather Anderson @HLAndersonTDN Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing Sean Cronin & Tom Frary [email protected] 60 Broad Street, Suite 100 Red Bank, NJ 07701 732-747-8060 | www.TheTDN.com TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 14 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • MARCH 4, 2021 The Great One, A True Heart Horse for Coteau Grove Farms (cont. from p1) AIn those first mares we bought in 2008, was a mare named Character Builder,@ Keith Myers said. AShe had the first foal born on this farm, which was Little Ms Protocol, the dam of The Great One. My wife is a nurse and she is so passionate about the horses. They are all like children. She delivered Little Ms Protocol. We had a vet there as well, but she did everything. She imprinted her and stayed the whole night with her. Little Ms Protocol had a great career in Louisiana as a racehorse before she went to be a broodmare. So, we had a personal attachment through that which makes The Great One even more special.@ The Great One | Benoit As they were brand new to the breeding business, the Myerses raced all of their homebreds themselves at first to establish their brand in the state, which included Little Ms Protocol. The chestnut carried the Coteau Grove Farms colors to nine wins-- seven of which were stakes--from 30 starts, all of which took place in Louisiana. She placed in 12 additional races for earnings of $731,290. AWhen we see him run, we see the determination and the competitiveness that Little Ms Protocol had,@ Myers said. AWhen she was neck and neck coming down the stretch, more than a few times, we have seen her reach forward and try to bite the horse next to her coming down the stretch. When I see how he comes on at the end, I see a lot of Little Ms Protocol in him. I am sure a lot of that is in our minds because we love Little Ms Protocol so much, but it makes it extra special for us.@ A $125,000 OBSOCT yearling buy, The Great One brought $185,000 from Dennis O'Neill at the OBS June Sale, which was held in July last year, and sent to trainer Doug O'Neill. His connections thought highly enough of him to debut him in the grassy Speakeasy S. at Santa Anita in September, but he proved the turf was not for him, finishing sixth. Cont. p4 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 14 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • MARCH 4, 2021 Fourth to recent GIII Southwest S. runner-up Spielberg (Union Rags) next out going a mile on the Del Mar main track Nov. 1, The Great One filled the same spot going a mile on the lawn there 28 days later. Second to Spielberg in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity S., he dominated next out in a one-mile maiden special in Arcadia Jan. 23, graduating by 14 lengths. Keith & Ginger Myers | Photo Courtesy of the Myerses AWe will for sure be watching Saturday,@ Myers said. AWe already have our calendars blocked out for the First Saturday in May, as well! That [running the GI Kentucky Derby] would be huge, especially thinking about it in the context of a Louisiana-bred.@ While The Great One will attempt to fly the Coteau Grove Farms banner on the Derby trail this year, another talented colt looks to continue to make his mark--and that of his breeders--in the older male sprint division. That colt is Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Star' No Parole (Violence). A $75,000 KEESEP purchase by Maggi Moss, No Parole crushed his competition at the start of his career, winning three Louisiana-bred events, including a stake, by a combined 34 lengths. Extended to two turns for last year's GII Rebel S., the bay proved to be distance-limited, finishing eighth, but bounced back with a pair of victories, including the GI Woody Stephens S. last June. Off the board in his next two starts in graded company, No Parole kicked off 2021 with a facile victory in the LA-Bred Premier Sprint S. Feb. 10. AHe was the first Grade I winner we bred. It is so exciting,@ Myers said. AWe watch him very, very closely and when he is finished on the track, we will certainly be interested in where he goes next [as a stallion].@ Cont. p5 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 5 OF 14 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • MARCH 4, 2021 The Myerses were very busy at the November breeding stock sales, buying a substantial group of mares to improve their breeding program in the hopes of producing more Louisiana- breds of the same quality as No Parole and The Great One. They purchased 13 mares at Keeneland and two more at Fasig-Tipton through bloodstock agent Andrew Cary. Their purchases were topped by a trio of $500,000 mares in Miss Hot Legs (Verrazano, KEENOV)--a half-sister to champion Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil); the well-bred Contributing (Medaglia d'Oro, KEENOV), who was in foal to Speightstown; and Prado's Sweet Ride (Fort Prado, FTKNOV), who was carrying a foal by Justify.