A Publication of the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association PAThoroughbred pabred.com September 2020 pabred.com Issue 78 REPORT Northview PA Under Transition Loving the PA- Wellbourne Farms of Pennsylvania LLC will carry on the unparalleled stallion and Bred Racing broodmare services the Mid-Atlantic region has become accustomed to at the Pennsylvania facility. Program Page 10 Thirty years ago, a 4-year-old who has earned six figures would have been a multiple stakes winner. In 2020 that is far from the case, Page 3 especially when the horse can PA-Breds at the earn bonuses in the lucrative Yearling Sales Pennsylvania-Bred program.. Page 11 PA Day At the Races Social Media Entries, past performances postings and the entire program for the Labor Day Monday, Sept. Spinaway, Boisterous, All the Way Jose, 7 card that features five Jump Start and Fortheluvofbourbon have stakes can be found online. had featured posts in recent weeks. Page 33 Page 5 Millionaires Row The Pennsylvania Horse Racing Association’s series on Pennsylvania-Bred millionaires A Letter from celebrates and remembers some of the greatest racehorses the Executive Secretary Page 25 keystone state has produced. Up Brian Sanfratello this month are Bessarabian, Tom’s Ready and Master Command. 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OFFICE DEPOT BIG ASS FANS Office Depotoutfits offices with BAF is committed to Energy Efficient Air everything from office and computer movement and providing comfort to the supplies to paper and office furniture. equine industry. Equine members will From farm office to home office, you are receive up to a 25% discount on qualifying eligible for up to a 70% discount! purchases for all Equine Facilities and Personal Residences. Call 866-678-4289 to start saving! www.NTRAadvantage.com PA Horsemen Loving PA-Bred Racing Program by Nikki Sherman Thirty years ago, a 4-year-old horse who has earned 2020 full brother to Word On a Wing certainly carries the highest hopes for Pewter Stable. six figures would have been a multiple stakes winner. “I think overall Winchill is doing really well,” says DeMasi proudly. “[His In 2020 that is far from the case, especially when that babies] come to hand quickly enough but I think that they benefit from a bit more maturity to them. They’re smart and overall they’re fairly correct-look- horse’s connections can confidently place him in races ing individuals. I think that his babies tend to favor the mothers a little bit in that offer bonuses like the lucrative Pennsylvania-Bred terms of the looks. So if you’ve got a big, rangy mare you’re probably going to get a big, rangy baby.” program. While Word On a Wing has stayed in sprint Word On a Wing is a prime example, races on the dirt, his female family is primarily earning $156,950 despite never having turf and DeMasi is curious if the gelding would contested a stakes race in eight career handle added ground. starts. “[Winchill’s first winner] You Must Chill actu- The PA-Bred son of young sire Win- ally won [on the grass] on the west coast and chill has practically never finished off the then won the PA-Bred allowance on the dirt right board in eight starts, with only a disqual- before we went on the break with COVID. He’s ification last fall. Throw that race out, and the only one I know of that runs long. I haven’t Word On a Wing has a record of 7-5-1-1 had any myself yet that I would say are routers, and average earnings per start of over although I wonder if Word On a Wing would do $22,000. The gelding notched his first both. But it’s kind of like, if it ain’t broke don’t fix career victory by 16½ lengths in a maid- it. I’m a little hesitant to go hunting grass for him en special weight in February 2019. He when he’s just fine on dirt.” also captured his first PA-Bred allowance condition, first open allowance, Other Pennsylvania horsemen have taken full advantage of the PA-Bred second open allowance and second PA-Bred allowance--an incredible av- racing program. Wendy Mutnik’s homebred Final Shot is a leader in the erage of nearly 6½ lengths per win. Those last two victories have come Parx standings this season with two allowance wins and earnings of over since Parx Racing reopened after the COVID-19 shutdown. $76,000. And in January, Bobby Mosco claimed Admiral Abe for $25,000 for Stefcon Racing, then just before the shutdown in March snuck in his “As Pennsylvania breeders, we like to support the Pennsylvania pro- first open allowance victory, ironically just ahead of Final Shot. Admiral Abe gram so you try to at least get your conditions,” notes trainer Kate DeMasi. also has two 2020 wins and boasts earnings of $77,255. “As far as running out of state [in stakes races], I don’t think there’s a big “I think the PA-Bred program is great,” says fellow Parx trainer Ed Colet- incentive. You’re going to probably run against tougher horses and as a ti Jr., who conditions recent Iroquois Award winners Midtowncharlybrown breeder you’re not going to get anything in terms of your bonus money.” ($496,548), Midnightcharly ($354,308) and Dixie Serenade ($339,485). Word On a Wing was a welcome face when he arrived at Parx last “It helps the breeder as well as a person who just likes to own horses. year. He is a third-generation member of the DeMasi barn on his mother’s The ability to be able to win a PA-Bred 1xmc [‘A-Other-Than’], then if the side and DeMasi also trained his father, Winchill. His maternal grandmother horse is good enough win the open 1xmc, then do it again in the PA 2xmc Merry Princess was a three-time stakes winner in the early 2000s and and open 2xmc is so helpful for people to be able to recoup some of their while his dam Merry’s Pegasus, a daughter of Fusaichi Pegasus, won but investment, plus hopefully pay the bills on the horse.” one race (at Atlantic City in 2009), she has more than made up for it in It also helps to have a quality horse with plenty of potential and talent. producing Word On a Wing. Word On a Wing certainly has just that and according to DeMasi he has “My groom rubbed the mother and Winchill so he rubbed both parents,” shown that ability and work ethic from the very beginning. However with says DeMasi. “He’s really a combination of horses that we’ve had over the her lifetime of experience she knows better than to get too excited too early. years. It’s really very exciting to see him develop into the horse that he is. “I’ve always been a believer that you’ve got to let them take you where [Merry’s Pegasus] foaled a full sibling this year.” they need to go,” she notes. “What they do in the morning is different than Merry’s Pegasus’ first foal Merry Giant (by Red Giant) won three races what they show in the afternoon. The proof is always in the pudding when and her filly Tarafirma (by Any Given Saturday) won four including a they get to racing. But I think we always thought that he was talented but first-level open allowance on the turf at Penn National. DeMasi has contin- you never know what they’re going to be until you get them up against the ued working on Tarafirma’s second allowance condition this year. But that competition. But he kept stepping up to the plate every time.” n PA THOROUGHBRED REPORT 3 2020 Pennsylvania-Bred Stakes Schedule $80,000 Marshall Jenney $80,000 Banjo Picker Sprint Stakes Handicap 3 & up, 6 furlongs 3 & up, 5 furlongs, turf Monday September 7 $80,000 Mrs. Penny Stakes $80,000 Storm Cat Stakes 3 & up, fillies & mares, 1 ⁄16 miles, turf 3 & up, 11⁄16 miles Early nominations PENNSYLVANIA’S DAY AT THE RACES AT DAY July 27 $80,000 Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial Stakes Late nominations August 24 3 & up, fillies & mares, 6 furlongs $80,000 Shamrock Rose Stakes TBD 2YO fillies, 6 furlongs $80,000 Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes TBD 2YO, 7 furlongs PA Day will be held on Labor Day, Monday September 7th at PARX Racing with over a half million in purses! The card will feature five PA-Bred Stakes and as usual the balance will consist of Pa Restricted Races. With the threat of the spread of Covid-19, there will be no luncheon. The abil- ity of owners and their guests to attend and even be in the paddock or winner’s circle will depend on protocols in place at that time.