Indian Charlie Euthanized Perfect Shirl to Skip
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011 732-747-8060 $ TDN Home Page Click Here INDIAN CHARLIE EUTHANIZED PERFECT SHIRL TO SKIP PELLEGRINI Airdrie Stud's top stallion Indian Charlie (In Excess Charles Fipke=s GI Breeders= Cup Filly & Mare Turf {Ire}--Soviet Sojourn, by Leo Castelli) was euthanized at heroine Perfect Shirl (Perfect Soul {Ire}) will not contest the age of 16. He had been battling cancer. ALosing Saturday=s G1 Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini at Indian Charlie after a challenging battle with San Isidro as originally Hemangiosarcoma and planned. The plane that its complications has was scheduled to take been a shock to us all,@ a the 4-year-old to farm release read Argentina experienced yesterday. AHe was mechanical problems, dearly loved by everyone and connections were that cared for him on a not satisfied with daily basis. ACharlie@ has alternative been a shining star at arrangements. AShe=s Airdrie for many years not going because the now. His personality, new route would have Horsephotos Indian Charlie toughness, and utter involved a stop in Chile, Sid Fernando, bloodstock Airdrie Stud @ determination remained advisor to Fipke, told the TDN. A[Trainer Roger] Attfield with him throughout treatment. He won many hearts at made the decision not to go, and Chuck agreed.@ Hagyard=s, and received an endless supply of much Perfect Shirl was scheduled to depart Wednesday, deserved carrots and peppermints while there. Our however, Attfield=s traveling assistant was unable to thanks go out to everyone involved with this fine accompany the filly on that flight, forcing a redirection stallion, and to our shareholders and breeders who of plans. According to Attfield, the filly will be given faithfully supported Indian Charlie over the years. We the rest of the season off at Payson Park in Florida, would sincerely like to thank Dr. Nathan Slovis and his before gearing up for a 2012 campaign. team at McGee Medical Center for their unrelenting efforts to try and save our stallion.@ All horses in the TDN are bred in North America, Campaigned by Hal Earnhardt & John R Gaines unless otherwise indicated Racing LLC, Indian Charlie won his first four starts, including the GI Santa Anita Derby in a stakes-record time of 1:47. Retired to stud in 1999, the stallion is credited with four Eclipse winners to date, including last year=s GI Breeders= Cup Juvenile hero Uncle Mo. Indian Charlie=s recent progeny record Indian Charlie includes 15 stakes Airdrie Stud winners of 2011--seven graded, as well as a 2011 yearling crop that has averaged over $200,000 in the sales ring. Cont. p2 TDN TODAY Headline News..................... 6 pages www.claibornefarm.com TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 12/16/11 • PAGE 2 of 6 • thoroughbreddailynews.com Indian Charlie Euthanized cont. from p1 Indian Charlie was bred in California by Hal Earnhardt, and was the third foal produced by Earnhardt's graded stakes winner Soviet Sojourn. Turned over to trainer Bob Baffert, Indian Charlie romped by 12 lengths over Cal-breds at Del Mar in his career opener, but didn't see action again until February. After a nine-length score in a state-bred allowance, the bay colt annexed an open NW1X in March 1998, then dismissed stablemate Real Quiet and Artax as the 9-5 choice in the GI Santa Anita Derby. His unbeaten record made him the favorite for the GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, but Indian Charlie was unable to resist Real Quiet under the Twin Spires, and wound up settling for third in what turned out to be his career finale. He retired to Airdrie Stud in 1999 with a bankroll numbering $616,120. Having stood his first season for $10,000, Indian Charlie had 15 winners when his initial crop hit the races in 2002. He was 10th on a freshman sire list that included Distorted Humor, Awesome Again, Elusive Quality and Tale of the Cat as the top four names. The best runner from his first crop turned out to be Grade I winner Pampered Princess, and his second featured champion $1,704,513-earner Fleet Indian. A steady stream of solid performers followed, and Indian Blessing, a Hal Earnhardt homebred, was tabbed as the nation's champion 2-year-old filly following her 2007 Breeders' Cup victory. She was also named champion female sprinter for 2008 before retiring with $2,995,420. The brilliant Uncle Mo became his sire's second Breeders' Cup winner with a comprehensive Juvenile triumph at Churchill in 2010, and Indian ECLIPSE AWARD WINNING Charlie stood for $75,000 in 2011. He is also TRAINERS SINCE 1990 resonsible Canadian champion Indian Apple Is and Grade II winner Two Trail Sioux. 1990 Carl Nafzger To date, Indian Charlie has been represented by 1991 Ron McAnally 57 black-type winners. He has also been represented by 1992 Ron McAnally Canadian champion sprinter Indian Apple Is and 1993 BobbyFrankel Panamanian champion Indiano. His progeny have 1994 D. Wayne Lukas earned $40,821,937 to date. 1995 William I. Mott 1996 William I. Mott 1997 Bob Baffert 1998 Bob Baffert 1999 Bob Baffert 2000 Bobby Frankel 2001 Bobby Frankel 2002 Bobby Frankel 2003 Bobby Frankel 2004 Todd Pletcher 2005 Todd Pletcher 2006 Todd Pletcher Check out the new TDN blog at 2007 Todd Pletcher http://www.thetdnblog.blogspot.com/ 2008 Steve Asmussen In today: 2009 Steve Asmussen On ‘Redux’ and ‘Records’, by Brian DiDonato 2010 Todd Pletcher P TDN HEADLINE NEWS • 12/16/11 • PAGE 3 of 6 • thoroughbreddailynews.com FEATURE PRESENTATION • GI CASHCALL FUTURITY THE FRENCH CONNECTION Desormais (War Front--Desert Princess {Ire}, by Desert King {Ire}), an impressive four-length maiden winner in France negotiating 1 1/4 miles in his third career start over Marseille Pont de Vivaux=s all-weather course Nov. 15, dives right into the deep end in Saturday=s loaded GI CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park. Purchased privately by Aron Wellman and Lee Midkiff=s Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, the blaze- faced bay had his passport stamped last Wednesday and has Aron Wellman quickly settled into his new digs eclipsetbpartners.com at Paddy Gallagher=s barn since clearing quarantine. Bred in Kentucky by Ponchartrain Stud, he was formerly campaigned by owner Maurice Lagasse and trainer Jacq Rossi. AHe=s an interesting colt,@ Wellman commented. AHe comes from a very obscure, relatively low-level track, without question. What really intrigued me about him was that he won going 1 1/4 miles in November of his 2-year-old year. It=s rare to see those races written, let alone see a colt win so impressively at that distance. I was impressed by his stamina and the amount of energy he displayed.@ The Los Angeles native continued, ASecondly, he did it around a very tight left-handed synthetic course from the 13 hole, no less. It=s a very American-style racecourse over there; I liked that he handled it so well. He switched leads right on cue every time, which is another unique thing for a European horse to do.@ It also didn=t hurt being by the very promising second- crop stallion War Front, already the sire of Grade I winners Summer Soiree and The Factor, Wellman reports. APersonally, I=m a big fan of his,@ the 34-year-old said of the Claiborne resident. AHe=s obviously gotten off to a great start at stud. If [Desormais] was by some obscure turf stallion from France, I would=ve probably been less inclined to buy him, but because he=s by a prominent young U.S.-based stallion who=s proven he can throw Grade I horses in this country on all surfaces, it certainly gave me that much more confidence to take a chance.@ TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 12/16/11 • PAGE 4 of 6 • thoroughbreddailynews.com TDN Feature Presentation cont. The stakes will be high for Desormais in his U.S. debut. Drawn widest of all in post 13 in tomorrow=s main event, he will be facing a very seasoned group, including GI Del Mar Futurity hero Drill (Lawyer Ron), GIII Hollywood Juvenile Championship S. winner and GI Dixiana Breeders' Futurity runner-up Majestic City (City Zip) and GIII Hollywood Prevue S. second-place finisher Brother Francis (Lion Heart). AHow he stacks up here remains to be seen,@ Wellman admitted. AClearly, going from the South of France at essentially a no-name racetrack in Marseille and beating maidens to running at Hollywood Park in a Grade I $750,000 race--it=s an understatement to say that we=ve provided him with an ambitious challenge. It=s a situation where we=ve got very little to lose and a whole lot to gain. One way or another, I=m not going to hold the result against him if he doesn=t fare favorably, because this is a long-term play.@ Wellman and Midkiff=s fledgling operation is quickly making a name for itself. Launched earlier this fall, Eclipse hit the ground running with one of its initial private acquisitions, subsequent GIII JP Morgan Chase Jessamine S. runner-up Sweet Cat (outside) battles on and GII Breeders= Cup gamely in the Juvenile Fillies Turf Juvenile Fillies Turf third- Horsephotos place finisher Sweet Cat (Kitten=s Joy). The racing partnership=s first winner Patrioticandproud (Proud Citizen) added black-type in his next start when third in Woodbine=s Display S. Nov. 27. Eclipse currently owns a half dozen juveniles, two yearlings and a weanling. AWith the exception of not winning the race, it worked out really well,@ Wellman reflected of Eclipse=s Breeders= Cup experience at Churchill Downs.