Mohaymen Among Six in Fountain of Youth
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016 FIRST LADY OF LA. RACING HITS DERBY TRAIL MOHAYMEN AMONG SIX by Michael Adolphson "They call it the Sport of Kings," Evelyn Benoit said politely. IN FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH "Even though I am a woman, I know the kings are paying attention." To call the native of Houma, Louisiana, the 'First Lady' of Louisiana Thoroughbred racing--as many lovingly do-- seems a tad inadequate. The principal of the powerful breeding and owning operation Brittlyn Stable sits subserviently at no head of state's side in the marsh of bayou horseracing. She is profoundly the potentate of Pelican State racing and the doyenne to breeding in the Deep South. In her fourth decade in the industry, Benoit emanates the enthusiasm of a first-time bettor cashing a $2 win ticket. When seen at Fair Grounds on the weekends, she is a vibrant personality determined to improve the industry on multiple levels. Cont. p3 Mohaymen | Lauren King Shadwell’s unbeaten Mohaymen (Tapit) breaks from the CHROME LOOKS TO SHINE IN THE DESERT outside post six in Saturday’s GII Xpressbet Fountain of Youth S. California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) and Marking (Bernardini) at Gulfstream Park. The grey was last seen taking the GII Holy are two of the headline acts of Thursday’s Meydan card. Bull S. by an easy 3 1/2 lengths Jan. 30, but faces a formidable Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Europe. group of foes here. Trainer Todd Pletcher saddles two-for-two Zulu (Bernardini) on behalf of the Coolmore contingent and Stonestreet Stables. The $900,000 Fasig-Tipton Florida graduate earned the ‘TDN Rising Star’ distinction for a 7 1/4-length optional claiming romp going seven panels in the local slop Jan. 15. Awesome Banner (Awesome of Course) stretches out after commanding victories in the Jan. 2 GIII Hutcheson S. and Jan. 30 GII Swale S. He’ll be joined by fellow Jacks or Better homebred and Stan Gold trainee Fellowship (Awesome of Course), who was third in the Holy Bull. Awesome Speed (Awesome Again), last seen running away with the one-mile Mucho Macho Man S. Jan. 2, has been working very quickly in the interim. “It’s a tough race but I wouldn’t trade places with anybody,” the favorite’s trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “It’s going to be his toughest race to date. Zulu is undefeated. Awesome Banner is undefeated. Awesome Speed is a nice horse. It’s going to be tough and we just hope we keep going and stay the same. We don’t have to improve, but it’s more experience and hopefully we get lucky to win.” ‘Rising Star’ Cherry Wine (Paddy O’Prado) will skip the race after spiking a fever. This smart-looking January miss is from the first crop of WinStar's Fed Biz (Giant’s PRESIDENT & CO-PUBLISHER Barry Weisbord @barryweisbord Causeway), and the first foal out of the [email protected] Empire Maker filly Gunner the Runner. Bred SR. V.P. & CO-PUBLISHER by Becky Thomas and Justin Casse, she is Sue Finley @suefinley boarded at Burleson Farm in Midway, [email protected] Kentucky. V.P., INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS Gary King @garykingTDN [email protected] EDITORIAL [email protected] Editor-in-Chief: Jessica Martini @JessMartiniTDN Managing Editor: Alan Carasso @EquinealTDN Senior Editor: Steve Sherack @Steve SherackTDN Racing Editor: Brian DiDonato @BDiDonatoTDN Associate Editor: Christie DeBernardis @CDeBernardisTDN Assistant Editors: UNFINISHED BUSINESS FOR UNTAPABLE 5 Heather Anderson @HLAndersonTDN When Untapable (Tapit) missed last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Ben Massam @BMassamTDN it proved something of a blessing in disguise, as the Eclipse Award ADVERTISING winner has been kept in training for 2016. Ben Massam chats with [email protected] Director of Advertising: Alycia Borer Ron Winchell. Advertising Manager: Lia Kusch Sr. Ad Coordinator/Dir. of Distribution: Sarah K. Andrew @SarahKAndrew DERBY TOP 12, BROUGHT TO YOU BY WINSTAR 7 Advertising Designer: Amanda Crelin Advertising Assistant: Amanda Foster Speaking of Winchell Thoroughbreds, Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) Social Media Strategist: Nichola Henry has leapt all the way into fifth position on the TDN’s Top 12 Derby MARKETING STRATEGIST Horses. Brittlan Wall @BrittlanWall [email protected] CUSTOMER SERVICE ESPINOZA TO RECEIVE GEORGE WOOLF AWARD 13 [email protected] Triple Crown-winning jockey Victor Espinoza will receive the 2016 George Director of Customer Service: Vicki Forbes Woolf Award as selected by his fellow riders. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Director of IT: Ray Villa [email protected] WORLDWIDE INFORMATION International Editor: Kelsey Riley EST Race TV [email protected] 11:45a Zabeel Mile-G2, MEY TVG European Editor: Emma Berry [email protected] 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.thoroughbreddailynews.com www.thetdn.com HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 13 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • FEB. 25, 2016 Evelyn Benoit cont. Whether chatting with a railbird or an owner of a local professional sports team, it is evident that she passionately supports horseracing because doing so is nothing short of dyed-in-the-wool of who she is. "Racing really has been my life since I was in my 20s," Benoit explained. "I started with two mares in my backyard and after 40 years you don't count the days or the horses, you just take it one day at a time, a step at a time and build on what you have. I breed and raise horses and that prepares you for anything. You have to be able to handle the ups and downs and be seasoned. Sometimes, though, you do have to step back and say 'look at what I have--is this real life?' because, outside of my family, racing has given me the most Evelyn Benoit | Hodges Photography pleasure in my life and I'm so happy to do well." Most of the aforementioned kings took notice this past Saturday when Benoit's Forevamo (Uncle Mo) charged down the New Orleans oval's famously long stretch and nearly caught Gun Runner in the final strides of the GII Risen Star S. at odds of 40-1. The runner-up effort earned him 20 Kentucky Derby qualification points and showed marked improvement from his runner-up allowance effort a month prior. "My husband and I were discussing about buying a new stallion because we have a lot of mares from Star Guitar's family that can't breed to him," Benoit recollected. "We decided we should try to make our own, so I called (trainer) Al (Stall, Jr.) and said we wanted Forevamo (pink helmet) just misses to a 2-year-old colt, so Gun Runner in the Risen Star he hooked us up Hodges Photography with (bloodstock agent) David Ingordo at the Florida sale. We went over a list that we made shorter before zooming in on a few. Then we saw the Uncle Mo and because I really liked Uncle Mo and my husband Maurice's nickname is 'Mo' I decided I wanted that one and was determined to get him. We named him Forevamo because Maurice would sign his letters to me 'Love Forever, Mo'." Cont. p4 HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 13 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • FEB. 25, 2016 Benoit cont. "A few minutes before post time we were 54-1, so I wasn't that nervous because of our odds, but Al kept telling me he was Fashionably bred, Forevamo is conditioned by Stall and earned improving every day and his works were telling him he wanted his lone victory when annexing last season's $200,000 Jean to do more," Benoit continued. "Coming down the stretch, my Lafitte Stakes at Delta Downs family was screaming and it was just such a thrill. It was almost as a maiden. A Florida-bred as good as winning the race and I've never been so happy to be half-brother to 2011's Eclipse second. Al said he came back perfect and I'm excited to champion female sprinter and hopefully run in the (GII) Louisiana Derby (Mar. 26). The horse Breeders' Cup winner Musical has to take us there and Al and I won't put him in anything we Romance (Concorde's Tune), don't feel like he's ready for. That being said, nothing seems to the lightly raced bay colt cost bother him. He is a very laid-back and kind horse." $320,000 at OBS April 2015 Benoit, who renovates classic homes and historical landmarks and is one of a series of throughout the New Orleans area as a hobby, seems to take as upgrades to the Brittlyn roster- much pride in refurbishing things she loves as developing them. One of her current projects is advancing the career of her -along with the private 24-for-30 four-time Louisiana-bred Horse of the Year and purchases of graded leading state-bred Star Guitar. stakes-winning sprinter Clearly "I cannot tell you how gorgeous Star Guitar's babies are," she Now (Horse Greeley) and beamed. "He was a very sound horse and they're beautifully allowance winner Tough Benoit and Star Guitar | Rick built like him. He was tough, sweet and talented horse and I Customer (Giant's Causeway)-- Samuels/Hodges Photography know he will make a great stallion. He has bred about 60-70 per that is already flush with season and the thing about him is he could do it all - in the quality broodmares and popular young stallion Star Guitar deepest mud, the hottest heat, down the longest stretch and in (Quiet American), who stands for $4,000 at Clear Creek Stud the bullring.