Greatest Show in Racing by Ray Paulick

SPECIAL

November 2, 2015

www.PaulickReport.com

Greatest Show in Racing

By Ray Paulick

Let me start by saying that I never met a Breeders’ Cup I didn’t like – and I’ve been to 28 of them. Some years have been better than others, both in the competition on the racetrack and the customer service delivered to the participants and paying customers in the grandstand.
Horse of the Year was likely settled with most Eclipse Award voters when American Pharoah became the first horse to win the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. The only horse with any chance to overtake him was the two-time champion mare Beholder, who ultimately was scratched from the Classic after a post-gallop endoscopic examination showed she had bled.
Having said that, I loved almost everything about the “homecoming” Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland on Friday and Saturday. In a word, it was spectacular. There was one outstanding performance after another on the Keeneland dirt and turf, and the management, staff and outside security, traffic control and customer service team representing Keeneland and Breeders’ Cup were incredibly organized and efficient in helping put on the Greatest Show in Racing.
With his demonstration of complete superiority in the Classic, American Pharoah will be the unanimous choice for Horse of the Year.

At the 2014 Keeneland September Sale, I ran into Fox Hill Farm’s Rick Porter, who mentioned that he was going to send some young horses out to California for the first time.

Continued on Page 5

American Pharoah’s overpowering performance in the Classic gave the 50,155 fans in attendance on Saturday something to tell their children and grandchildren. The Zayat Stables runner by Pioneerof the Nile goes to stud at Coolmore/Ashford with a record unlike any other horse in history: victories in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Classic. The winning margins in those four races were one length, seven lengths, 5 1/2 lengths and 6 1/2 lengths, respectively. He retires with a record of nine wins from 11 starts, his lone defeats coming in his career debut at Del Mar in August 2014 and in the Travers at Saratoga in August 2015. Maybe he doesn’t like August.

While watching American Pharoah train for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert at Del Mar this summer, I’ll never forget what another trainer said about the colt as he breezed by in effortless fashion: “He has an insanely perfect way of going.”

ASK RAY

QUESTION: Aside from American Pharoah, what Breeders’ Cup winner impressed you the most?

ANSWER: That’s a three-way filly dead-heat: Songbird was sensational in the Juvenile Fillies, Tepin ran a monster race in the Mile and Found, running in her fourth Grade 1 over seven weeks in four countries, beat a very good and game Golden Horn in the Turf.

Page 2

Stallion Spotlight

Pioneerof the Nile

By Frank Mitchell

Siring a superhorse takes a stallion to another level in the estimation of buyers and breeders, not to mention the general public. Even with a fully proven stallion like Bold Ruler, we saw the effect in the sales price of $600,000 when Wajima topped the Keeneland July sale as a yearling in 1973 after Secretariat had won the first Triple Crown in 25 years, and Bold Reasoning and Exclusive Native became household names for major buyers when Seattle Slew and Affirmed showed their class. Ironically, two of the three sires of Triple Crown winners in the 1970s, Bold Ruler and Bold Reasoning, were dead by the time their sons won the
Then when American Pharoah showed his G1 form in the latter part of 2014, Pioneerof the Nile took a very healthy bump in stud fee, and now the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup Classic of 2015 are part of racing history.

Right in step with that rise in fee, we will see a rise in both demand and price for stock by Pioneerof the Nile. We have already seen it with the stallion’s yearlings of 2015, and the weanlings will certainly follow suit.

Among the 2015 foals by Pioneerof the Nile cataloged for Keeneland November is a full brother to Cairo Prince, Hip 84. This gray colt is a February foal and, in addition to Cairo Prince, is a half-brother to two stakes performers, including G1-placed Nonna Mia, by Pioneerof the Nile’s sire Empire Maker. They are out of the stakes-winning Holy Bull mare Holy Bubbette. classic series. Only Exclusive Native was alive and well, but his experience of the Triple Crown effect is important. Somewhat like Pioneerof the Nile, Exclusive Native was clearly a sire of substance, even before the Triple Crown winner came along. Like Exclusive Native, Pioneerof the Nile will receive a hefty hike in stud fee, in this case to $125,000, and you can say they both earned the
Three hips earlier is a bay Pioneerof the Nile colt out of a half-sister to those three stakes

Pioneerof the Nile

distinction because it isn’t every

horse who is suited to siring classic stock.

horses. Hip 81 is out of the Forestry mare Heavenly Vi-

sion, a good winner and dam of a winner from her only other foal. And later in the sale is Hip 134, a full brother to G2 stakes winner Midnight Storm, winner of the Del Mar Derby and second in the G1 Shoemaker Mile.
Even before American Pharoah made his debut last season, one of the talking points among the stallions with first-crop racers was that Pioneerof the Nile was getting genuine twoturn horses with class. The first-crop class leader for the stallion was Cairo Prince, a scopy and grand-looking gray who had won the Nashua Stakes at the end of his juvenile season. But other sons and daughters of the stallion quickly came to hand at 3, showing speed, showing stamina, showing class.
These Book 1 offerings will draw plenty of lookers, and with the stallion’s increasing celebrity, the sky is the limit for him. PRS

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Page 3

Honor Roll

Lovely Maria: From $5,000 RNA T o M illionaire

By Scott Jagow

A few weeks later, Clark and Lovely Maria, named by Brereton Jones after a special needs child affiliated with the staff member of a family resort destination, capped off a fairy tale month, winning the G1 Kentucky Oaks.

“I didn’t think this was ever going to happen to me,” said Clark. “This was just a blessing. It doesn’t get any better than this.”

“We’ve named seven horses for people at the Sea View Hotel (in Florida),” Jones said afterwards. “Six of those became stakes horses.”

After Lovely Maria struggled in three subsequent starts, Larry Jones decided she might need a vacation as well, so at the moment, she’s on hold until 2016.

2012 Bay Filly, Majesticperfection - Thundercup, by Thunder Gulch. Consigned by VanMeter Sales to 2012 KEE Nov., $5,000 RNA

“She’s won two Grade 1s, she’s a millionaire, and she’s earned a rest,” he told reporters. “So they’re going to rest

PRS

her up a little bit and see what happens from there.”
Good relationships can go a long way in the Thoroughbred

business. When Lovely Maria, as a weanling, failed to attract a worthy bid in the 2012 Keeneland November Sale, co-breeder Thomas Gaines thought a deal might be in order.

“In lieu of the stud fee, we asked Brere (Brereton Jones, whose Airdrie Stud stands her sire) if we could give him the filly,” said Gaines. “To his credit, he said ‘Fine, I’ll take her.’”

Jones wanted to support his stallion Majesticperfection. Despite what Lovely Maria has become since then, Gaines has no regrets. In fact, Gaines and his breeding partner Olin Gentry, ended up selling Lovely Maria’s dam, Thundercup, privately before the Kentucky Oaks, at least reaping some benefit from the weanling they gave away.

“She brought a fair price,” Gaines said. As for Lovely Maria, her career on the racetrack so far has been more than fair.

After winning her debut race at Delaware Park Sept. 4, 2014, she showed promise to trainer Larry Jones in allowance company for the rest of her 2-year-old season. Then, she flashed signs of having top-class potential as a sophomore, finishing second to stablemate and future Grade 1 winner I’m a Chatterbox in the G3 Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds.

In her next start, she proved Grade 1 worthy, winning by more than three lengths in the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland, giving her 56-year-old jockey Kerwin Clark his first G1 victory.

Page 4

Breeders’ Cup Buzz

Comments from Breeders’ Cup Champions

Bob Baffert, trainer of Classic winner American Pharoah:

“It’s probably the greatest horse I’ll ever be involved with and I’ve had some really nice horses. But I just have never seen anything like him, never trained anything like him…he is a gift from God.”

Edgar Prado, jockey of Runhappy: “From the first time

I got on this horse, I knew he was special. He keeps getting better and better. For me, he’s second to Barbaro.”

Chad Brown, trainer of Filly & Mare Turf winner Stephanie’s Kitten: “She’s

tough, I’ll tell you. Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey deserve a lot of credit because they had a chance to sell her last year and they bought her back and raced her as a 6-year-old, which isn’t a popular thing to do. They were rewarded today.”

Ahmed Zayat, owner of American Pharoah: “A Triple Crown

winner should go out in a way that is appropriate of how he was embraced by the fans and the sport. We’ll sit together and discuss what is an appropriate farewell sendoff in order to pay tribute to such a special animal.”

Aidan O’Brien, trainer of Turf winner Found: “She’s a very spe-

cial mare. To run in two Champion Stakes (Irish and English), an Arc and then to come and win the Breeders’ Cup Turf is quite remarkable.”

Doug O’Neill, trainer of Juvenile winner Nyquist: “From day

one, he had the mind and the stride of a two-turn horse. When he debuted, (winning at 5 furlongs), like, ‘wow.’”

Chad Brown, trainer of Filly & Mare Sprint winner Wavell Avenue: “I

have to give Steve Young a lot of credit – he found the filly at the farm and put her in our care. It was a great find.”

Mark Casse, trainer of Mile winner Tepin: “To be in the same

company with Goldikova, Miesque and Royal Heroine, beating the boys in the Mile, I’m not sure I have the words. Am I dreaming? She just continues to amaze me.”

Ganbaatar Dagvadorj, owner of Mongolian Saturday:

“It’s a big dream as Mongolians to participate in this big event. And as a Mongolian, we ride horses starting at age 4… Being a Mongolian, it’s part of our tradition.”

Robert Masterson, owner of Tepin: “I told everyone that she

was the best filly in the country and she proved it today. She’s great. She’s a Breeders’ Cup champion and she deserves it.”

Mike Smith, jockey of Juvenile Fillies winner Songbird: “Once

we jumped out the gate, it was just a matter of me staying on. She’s so talented and she gives you so much confidence. I almost felt like yawning as we went along. I don’t mean that in a

Maria Borell, trainer of Sprint winner Runhappy: “I think he’s

going to be a brilliant miler. Our plan is to stretch him out. I also want to say we won Lasix free, drug free. I want us to have stronger horses that can run 30, 40 times in the future, like they used to be able to, and not be masked by drugs.””

PRS

bragging way. She gives me that much confidence.”

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Page 5

Continued from Page 1

“Who’s going to train them?” I asked. “Jerry Hollendorfer,” Porter said with a chuckle. “I called him up and asked if he was interested in training a few horses for me. Jerry said, ‘Sure, send ‘em out.’ I said, ‘Don’t you even want to know anything about them?’ He says, ‘If they’re coming from you, I’ll take ‘em.’”

Your dollar is exceptionally $trong in Europe

One of those Porter sent was a filly by Medaglia d’Oro picked out of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale by bloodstock agent Tom McGreevy for $400,000. Named Songbird, she came to the Breeders’ Cup unbeaten and unchallenged in three starts, two of them G1 victories at Del Mar and Santa Anita. Under Mike Smith, Songbird made short work of the Juvenile Fillies field, defeating Rachel Alexandra’s undefeated daughter by Bernardini, Rachel’s Valentina, by an emphatic 5 3/4 lengths. With Rick Porter not afraid to run fillies against colts, people are already talking about Songbird as a potential 2016 Kentucky Derby contender.

“I think we’re a long way off from thinking about that,” Porter said, adding, “but she’s big enough, and she’s showed that she’s talented enough.”

In Ireland, France and Germany:

Fall 2014

Fall 2015

Saturday was a huge day for fillies. Robert “Bat” Masterson’s Tepin, a 4-year-old daughter of Bernstein trained by Mark Casse, destroyed a very good field of turf milers from North America and Europe in the Mile, winning by 2 1/4 lengths. She was coming off a seven-length win in Keeneland’s G1 First Lady. The Mile was the first time she competed against males.

€100,000 purchase price €25,000 annual training fees €20,000 stallion nomination
$131,900
$33,000 $26,400

$115,400
$28,900 $23,000

In Britain:

Fall 2014

Fall 2015

Then the 3-year-old Galileo filly Found carried Michael Tabor’s orange and blue colors to a hard-earned Turf victory over Golden Horn, a Cape Cross 3-year-old colt who won the G1 English Derby and G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

£100,000 purchase price £20,000 annual training fees £25,000 stallion nomination
$166,100
$33,200 $41,500

$158,000
$31,600 $39,500

Most amazing about Found was the fact that she was competing in her fourth G1 race in four countries in seven weeks for trainer Aidan O’Brien. That is an Iron Lady.

Continued from Page 1

“Who’s going to train them?” I asked. “Jerry Hollendorfer,” Porter said with a chuckle. “I called him up and asked if he was interpretation of pre-sale X-rays is just that.
Another 3-year-old filly, Lady Shipman, a daughter of Midshipman trained by Kathleen O’Connell, just missed against males in the Turf Sprint, losing to Mongolian Saturday by a neck.
There’s no absolute right or wrong in this endeavor, of course.

Jackson said the best defense is to hire a veterinarian who is up on their reading.
Speaking of Mongolian Saturday, does anything say “world championships” better than a winning owner and trainer from Mongolia wearing colorful outfits from their native country? Their post-race press conference was easily the most amusing part of the day, though no one was doubting the heritage of horsemanship they brought with them.
“Buying a horse is risky – buyers can reduce some of that risk by undertaking a pre-purchase exam, including radiographic exami-

Contact:

nation, but it does not eliminate the risk, and buyers need to con-

Eimear Chance (ITM)

+ 353 45 44 3072

sider what risk they are prepared to take,” she said. “Veterinarians

[email protected]

Carter Carnegie (GBRI) + 44 207 152 0197

examining repository radiographs should consider the published
Eleven of the Breeders’ Cup race winners on Friday and Satur-

day were bred in Kentucky, with one each bred in Ireland and Ontario, Canada. Winners came from all over: four had their last races in New York, three in California, three at Keeneland,

Capucine Houel (FRBC) + 33 1 49 10 23 33

www.destinationeuroperacing.com

evidence, such as the studies by Kane et al (Equine Veterinary

Daniel Krüger (GTM) rr ph (E
+ 49 162 733 2339

67960and Bramlage (Equine Veteri-
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two in Ireland and one at Woodbine in Canada.

Page 6

Five to Watch

A look at some of the sale’s top hips

By Frank Mitchell

Hip 41 Don’t Tell Sophia (dark bay mare 2008 by Congaree x Lost Expectations, by Valid Expectations): One of the stun-

ning facts about this Grade 1-winning mare is that she sold for $1,000 as a yearling at the 2009 Keeneland September yearling sale. She has now captured 11 of 24 races, including the G1 Spinster Stakes at Keeneland. Also placing second in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, she has earned more than $1.3 million. Don’t Tell Sophia is out of stakes-placed Lost Expectations, dam of one other stakes winner. In foal to Medaglia d’Oro.
Named Canada’s Horse of the Year, champion 3-year-old filly, and champion turf horse in 2014, she has earned $1.4 million and sells as a racing or broodmare prospect.

Hip 142 On Parade (chestnut mare 1999 by Storm Cat x

My Flag, by Easy Goer): A full sister to champion Storm Flag Flying, On Parade was G3 stakes-placed. Their dam My Flag won the G1 CCA Oaks and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. She was one of three G1 winners for the great racehorse and broodmare Personal Ensign, who retired unbeaten. On Parade has produced G2 winner Parading (Pulpit) and G2-placed Protesting (A.P. Indy). She is in foal to War Front on a February cover.

Hip 79 Hard Not to Like (Gray mare 2009 by Hard Spun x Like a Gem, by Tactical Cat): A winner three times at the G1

level, Hard Not to Like is by the highly accomplished international stallion Hard Spun, out of stakes winner $580,000-plus earner Like a Gem. Second dam produced two stakes winners and is a half-sister to G1 winner Firery Ensign.

Hip 199 Spring in the Air (bay mare 2010 by Spring at Last x Unbridled Run, by Unbridled): Winner of the G1 Alcibiades

and G2 Natalma, Spring in the Air was champion 2-year-old filly in Canada in 2012. She has earned $930,318. Spring in the Air is out of Unbridled Run, a half-sister to G2 stakes winners Tejano Run and More Royal. All are out of Runnymede Farm’s great broodmare Royal Run (Wavering Monarch). Spring in the

Hip 114 Lexie Lou (bay filly 2011 by Sligo Bay x Oneexces- sivenite, by In Excess): Winner of the Queen’s Plate and Wood-

bine Oaks, Lexie Lou also ran second in the G1 Hollywood Derby last year to subsequent Horse of the Year California Chrome.

PRS

Air is in foal on a March cover to War Front.