'Henley' Fits Perfectly in Turf Trinity
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2019 ‘HENLEY’ FITS PERFECTLY BROMANS TO OFFER A DOZEN YEARLINGS AT SARATOGA IN CHANGE OF TACTICS IN TURF TRINITY by Christie DeBernardis Chester and Mary Broman have dedicated 22 years to the New York breeding program and have enjoyed quite a bit of success with the likes of GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Sprint winner Bar of Gold (Medaglia d’Oro), MGISW Artemis Agrotera (Roman Ruler) and GI Florida Derby hero Friends Lake (A.P. Indy), among others. The couple spent the first 20 years racing everything they produced on their 300-acre farm in Chestertown, N.Y., but starting last term, they began selling off their crops in what Chester Broman refers to as estate planning. Buyers at Fasig- Tipton’s upcoming yearling sales will have a chance to acquire some of New York’s finest with five Broman-bred yearlings in the Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale and an additional seven in the NY-Bred Yearling Sale. Cont. p5 Henley’s Joy | Sarah Andrew IN TDN EUROPE TODAY by Joe Bianca TOO DARN HOT ADDS SUSSEX TO RESUME SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY--Back when the New York Racing Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) made it two Group 1 victories Association announced its bold new initiative for 3-year-old turf on the bounce, taking the G1 Qatar Sussex S. at Goodwood on horses in the summer, a trio of big-money events dubbed the Wednesday after winning the G1 Prix Jean Prat on July 7. Click “Turf Trinity,” many quipped that it would quickly be or tap here to go straight to TDN Europe. reconsidered as the “Chad Brown Trinity”, due to the perennial leading trainer’s particular dominance with grass horses. It only took one race in the series, however, to throw a wrench in that assumption, as longshot Henley’s Joy (Kitten’s Joy) upset the GI Belmont Derby at over 20-1 for Jeff Bloom’s Bloom Racing Stable and trainer Mike Maker. Sunday at Saratoga, the overachieving colt will look to make another early mark on the series as he contests the first running of the Turf Trinity’s second leg, the $1-million Saratoga Derby, which will be run at 1 3/16 miles to mirror the distance of the Triple Crown’s middle jewel, the GI Preakness S. “I’m a big fan,” Bloom said with a laugh about his early impressions of the series. “I think it’s a great idea, just another way to create excitement, interest and support a whole different component of our business in terms of developing young turf horses. It’s something that I think will only grow and become a big thing for the game. Obviously I’m a big fan having taken down the first ever [leg] of it, but I think it’s going to build excitement and you’re going to see a lot of people plan to go after running in and winning these races.” Cont. p3 MAKING . 96.25% Mares Checked In Foal In 2019 INTO MISCHIEF www.spendthriftfarm.com PUBLISHER & CEO Sue Morris Finley @suefinley [email protected] V.P., INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS Gary King @garykingTDN [email protected] EDITORIAL [email protected] Editor-in-Chief Jessica Martini @JessMartiniTDN Managing Editor Thursday, August 1, 2019 Alan Carasso @EquinealTDN Senior Editor Steve Sherack @SteveSherackTDN Racing Editor Brian DiDonato @BDiDonatoTDN News and Features Editor Ben Massam @BMassamTDN Associate Editors Christie DeBernardis @CDeBernardisTDN Joe Bianca @JBiancaTDN ADVERTISING [email protected] Director of Advertising Alycia Borer Advertising Manager Lia Best Advertising Designer Amanda Crelin Advertising Assistants Alexa Reisfield Amie Morosco Advertising Assistant/Dir. Of Distribution Rachel McCaffrey Photographer/Photo Editor Sarah K. Andrew @SarahKAndrew [email protected] Social Media Strategist MGIW 'TDN Rising Star' and GI Whitney S. contender McKinzie (Street Sense) visits Justina Severni Saratoga's main track on Wednesday morning with exercise rider Simon Harris up. Sarah Andrew Director of Customer Service Vicki Forbes [email protected] 4,644 CATALOGUED FOR KEESEP 8 Marketing Manager A total of 4,644 yearlings have been catalogued for the Keeneland Alayna Cullen @AlaynaCullen September Yearling Sale, which will run from Sept. 9-22. Director of Information Technology Ray Villa MEDAGLIA D’ORO BETTER THAN EVER AT 20 9 [email protected] Kelsey Riley checks in on Darley stalwart Medaglia d’Oro. Bookkeeper Terry May [email protected] TODAY’S GRADED STAKES WORLDWIDE INFORMATION EST Race TV International Editor 9:25a Qatar Richmond S.-G2, GOO TVG Kelsey Riley @kelseynrileyTDN 10:00a Gordon S.-G3, GOO TVG [email protected] 10:35a Qatar Nassau S.-G1, GOO TVG 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 | 732-747-8955 (fax) www.TheTDN.com TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 13 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • AUGUST 1, 2019 Henley’s Joy cont. from p1 Henley’s Joy was a $50,000 purchase at OBS April last year, and has so far earned nearly seven figures on the racetrack despite suffering a number of troubled trips going all the way back to his unveiling, where he navigated a slow start and ground loss to score a 14-1 upset on the Ellis lawn. Next time out, the chestnut paid for himself and then some with a neck triumph in the lucrative Kentucky Downs Juvenile S. After that, though, Henley’s Joy won just one of his next eight starts, a stretch that included runner-up finishes by a nose, a neck and a half-length, which Bloom chalked up to bad luck more than anything. “He’s a horse that had exhibited tons of talent, and even going back to his debut race, he had to overcome so much adversity with a poor start, extremely wide trip, bumped,” he said. “If you went back and looked at every single one of his races, including two of his just horrific near misses, he had trips that were so compromised. Every rider that had been on him said the same thing, that he’s one of the good ones, and if not for the bad trip, he would’ve won the race.” Then came the July 6 1 1/4-mile Belmont Derby, Henley’s Joy’s first foray beyond nine furlongs. True to expectation, the Chad Brown barn had four imposing runners in the race, but Bloom and Maker’s ace in the hole was jockey Jose Lezcano, riding Henley’s Joy for the first time in the midst of a brilliant meet that would see him take home his first-ever New York riding title. Lezcano worked out a beautiful trip, saving ground and sitting just off the speed, finding clear sailing in the stretch and just edging past fellow longshot Social Paranoia (Street Boss) to pull off a 3/4-length shocker. “It’s not like he was missing by much running against the best horses,” Bloom said. “He had run against War of Will, and a number of really good horses and had held his own. It simply came down to him getting an absolutely fabulous trip, and things worked out.” Cont. p4 Bloom (center) after the Belmont Derby | Adam Coglianese TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 13 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • AUGUST 1, 2019 Henley’s Joy cont. “We’re pretty high on him right now, he came out of the Bloom, himself a former jockey who piloted 172 winners in his Belmont Derby probably in better shape than he went into it,” brief career, noted that, because of his riding experience, he he said. “If a horse can blossom even more, he’s done it. He’s tends not to be overly judgmental of jockeys when he’s the matured physically and really filled out nicely in the last couple recipient of a bad trip as an owner. of months. That race definitely “I really don’t like to be critical of gave him what I think is a good riders,” he said. “Having been one, I confidence booster. Often times, have a completely different when horses run into trips where perspective and so many things they have problems, they can go happen during the course of the the other way and get dejected, race. It’s really easy for people to sit but it’s been the opposite for him. back, watch a race and have all the He’s relished the fight. He had a answers, but there are split-second beautiful breeze the other day, he’s decisions that are required to be ready, and we’re looking forward made and regardless of to hopefully getting that next leg.” instructions, the complexion of a Henley’s Joy isn’t the only race changes from second to top-level talent who will give second. So I try to remove that Bloom a thrill this summer at the emotional component of it when Bloom with Midnight Bisou | Sarah Andrew Spa. The brilliant Midnight Bisou I’m watching the races.” (Midnight Lute), a four-time Grade As for the Saratoga Derby, Bloom is confident that Henley’s Joy I winner who ran her record to a perfect five-for-five this season will not only replicate his Belmont Derby heroics, but potentially with a victory in the GIII Molly Pitcher S. July 20 at Monmouth, is improve upon them in a race that will include a number of gearing up for a run in Saratoga’s GI Personal Ensign S. Aug. 24. players from the Brown barn as well as European powerhouse Cont.