ftboa.com • Saturday & Sunday • Sept. 5 & 6, 2020 FEC/FTBOA PUBLICATION FLORIDA’SDAILYRACINGDIGEST Florida-bred Thousand CLICK Words and Florida HERE Training Centers Showcased on Derby Day In This Issue: Derby Events And Virtual Party Packs BY TAMMY A. GANTT _______ Kentucky Derby Program The first and last horse to win Kentucky Derby Picks the Kentucky Derby for Fred Derby Story: South Bend Hooper was Hoop Jr in 1945. The horse set him on a path to becom- TCA Awards Grants ing one of the giants in the thor- Nineteen Noms For Woodbine Mile oughbred history. Living to 102, Hooper did not have much left Smile Sprint Headlines at Gulfstream to accomplish in the racing Serengeti Empress is Ready for Derby City world. He had even received the highest honor in the Chase to the Championship industry, the Eclipse Award Gulfstream Park Charts of Merit in 1992. Even from that perch Track Results & Entries among racing’s legends, Florida Stallion Progeny List there was one goal that he Florida Breeders’ List did not accomplish. Even with the likes of Hall of Wire to Wire Business Place Famer Susan’s Girl, champi- on sprinter Precisionist, and star juvenile Copelan, he Featured Advertisers did not produce a Kentucky Derby winner Florida Department of Agriculture from his 1,100 acre Circle FTBOA H Farm in Ocala. Hoop Jr Ocala Breeders’ Feed & Supply was an early foray into the Seminole Feed sport before he settled in Stonehedge Farm South Florida and the horse had been bought out of a sale in Kentucky. Thousand Words may make FOR ADVERTISING that dream come true on Saturday INFORMATION when he loads into the gate in post position 10. Bred at Amy Tarrant’s or to subscribe, please call Hardacre Farm, the very site of Antoinette at 352-732-8858 or Florida-bred Thousand Words/BENOIT PHOTO email: [email protected] See FLORIDA CONNECTIONS on page 3 Back to Top Page 3 Florida Connections Continued from COVER the original Circle H Farm, the talented Thousand Words might provide the seventh Derby winner for Florida. Needles was the first Florida-bred to earn the roses in 1956 and the performance drew attention to the fledging upstart state raising thoroughbreds that could outrun their pedigrees thanks to the combination of top notch horsemen, limestone rich soil and spring fed aquifers. Carry Back, Foolish Pleasure, Triple Crown winner Affirmed and Unbridled join him over the decades. One of the oldest living Kentucky Derby winners, the now almost toothless Silver Charm was the last Florida-bred to win in 1997. His success carried the hopes and dreams of many Central Florida horsemen like Scott and Diana Dudley (Parks), Dana Barnes, Janie Roper, the McKathan Brothers and Mary Lou Wootton that are now household names in Florida’s thoroughbred busi- ness. Sold for $1 million as a yearling and in the gifted hands of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, Thousand Words may be Florida’s best chance yet to bring the Derby trophy home. Thousand Words was installed Amy Tarrant/COGLIANESE PHOTO at 15-1 odds in the morning line, but already had moved to 9-1 odds by Friday morning. The attention may be because of his sire Pioneerof the Nile who sired Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Handicappers that see wagering value in his odds tout the classic stamina. Pioneerof the Nile placed second in the Derby in 2009.Thousand Word’s grand- sire Empire Maker was also runner up in the race in 2003, later winning the Belmont Stakes (G1). The fifth Derby winner from Florida, Unbridled is his great-grandsire. The Florida-bred has proven he can go a mile and a sixteenth in three stakes already. He received his schooling and early training in the Ocala area at Barry Berkelhammer’s AbraCadabra Farms located in Ocala. Along with longtime business associate Gary Mottola, they have overseen the growth of the farm to more than 240 acres and the business has produced six Kentucky Derby starters and six Breeders’ Cup contenders. A closer look at his dam’s line shows that he has more in com- mon with the 12th Triple Crown winner. Quality sprinters are strongly represented which was also true in Pharoah’s pedigree. His dam Pomeroy’s Pistol won three graded sprints. Her sire Pomeroy won two G1 sprints and her grandsire Boundary was a graded stakes-winning sprinter who also sired 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown. Three of the horses that are likely to set the early pace are coming from the outside from starting positions 16 through 18. With riders Mike Smith, Manuel Franco on the favorite and John Velasquez deciding whether to move their horses, respectively Honor A.P., Tiz the Law and Authentic, may move forward or take a turn or two wide. Horses breaking from midgate set up well to take the lead or drop back to midpack. Smith and Velasquez breaking from either side of the Belmont Stakes winner and favorite might also break quickly enough to pinch Tiz the Law back at the start. Several of the horses starting from posts along the rail are typi- See FLORIDA CONNECTIONS on page 5 Back to Top Affirmed* 1978 *Triple Crown winner Carry Back 1961 Needles 1956 Foolish Pleasure 1975 Silver Charm 1997 Unbridled 1990 FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FLORIDA THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS’ AND CONSUMER SERVICES AND OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION Nicole “Nikki” Fried, Commissioner Lonny T. Powell, CEO For Information: Jacqueline Basha, Tammy A. Gantt, Associate Vice President Division of Marketing and Development Membership Services & Events (850) 617-7286 – Direct Line 352-629-2160 • Fax: 352-629-3603 [email protected] 801 SW 60th Ave. • Ocala, FL 34474 www.FDACS.gov www.ftboa.com • [email protected] Back to Top Page 5 Florida Connections Continued from page 3 cally late closers and their riders will be making decisions as the will saddle the son of Karakontie (JPN), who will be ridden from gate opens whether to be in a forward position early in the race or post 12 by Luca Panici. He was sold for $20,000 by New Hope AB to drop back as the pace is established. The dynamics of the race LLC at the April Sale after working an eighth in :10 2/5 at the shape up for a horse comfortable to take the Under Tack Show. The Reeves have always lead from a mid-gate post, rate or drop back had great Florida success, having owned and make a late runs which is a perfect sce- Breeders’ Cup Classic winning Florida-bred nario for the Florida-bred. Thousand Words Mucho Macho Man. coming from the middle of the new starting West Point Thoroughbreds and Pearl gate has the talent to sprint to the lead, rate or Racing’s Winning Impression will leave from fall back setting up a scenario that could get post 14 and be ridden by Joe Rocco for trainer him to the winners circle. Dallas Stewart. The son of Paynter, third in Additional Florida connections in the race the Arkansas Derby (G1), was purchased out include six Ocala Breeders’ Sales graduates of the Off the Hook consignment at the April including Eclipse champion Storm the Court, Sale for $77,000 after an eighth in :10 1/5 at Money Moves, South Bend, Sole Volante and the Under Tack Show. Winning Impression. They are looking to join Off The Hook is the combination of previous OBS grad-Derby winners Lil E. Tee Venezuelan trainer and horseman, Carlos (1992), Silver Charm (1997) and I’ll Have Morales, and New York based entrepreneur Another (2012). and horse racing enthusiast, Joe Appelbaum David A. Bernsen LLC, Exline-Border After receiving his early training at Barry Barry Berkelhammer/SHERIDAN PHOTO Racing LLC, Dan Hudock & Susanna Eisaman’s Eisaman Equine, Max Player has Wilson’s Storm the Court is looking to return to the form that won been a consistent performer as he heads into the race with two the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and earned the Eclipse Award as third place finishes in the G1 Runhappy Travers Stakes and G1 2-year-old champion. At three, he’s been third in the San Felipe Belmont Stakes. He rolled in the Withers Stakes to victory at a (G2), third in the Ohio Derby (G3) and second last time out in the mile-and-an-eighth on dirt back in June. La Jolla Handicap (G3) at Del Mar. The son of Court Vision was Authentic comes to the race with a power house of connec- consigned to the April Sale by Bryan and Holley Rice’s Woodside tions. Schooled at the Eddie Woods training center in Ocala by Ranch, Agent, and worked an Under Tack quarter in :21 2/5 before seasoned horseman Eddie Woods, trained by Bob Baffert and he was purchased for $60,000 by Marette owned by Spendthrift Farm, Starlight Racing, Farrell, Agent for Exline-Border Racing LLC. MyRaceHorse Stable and Madaket Stables, Trained by Peter Eurton, he comes into the the veteran connections have the G1 Haskell Derby with a 9-2-1-3 record and earnings of Stakes winner primed for tough competition. $1,310,451. He’ll break from post four in the If he can get back to the winners circle like 18 horse field and be ridden by Julien he did on Jan. 18 in the LeComte Stakes, Leparoux. Enforceable may be a force to reckon with. His Robert V. LaPenta and Bortolazzo Stable siblings New Year’s Day, Mohaymen, and LLC’s Money Moves will break from post Kingly are all graded stakes winners and he is seven under Javier Castellano for trainer Todd trained by Ocala-based trainer Mark Casse.