Ax,= a Family Man for Baffert Cont
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 2018 >AX,= A FAMILY STAKES FILLIES COULD REWARD DODSON AT KEENELAND by Jessica Martini MAN FOR BAFFERT Mark Dodson, who grew up on his father=s Hopefield Farms in Ontario, took something of a hiatus from the sport to build a company and raise a family, but the Canadian businessman returned to the industry six years ago and has enjoyed quick success with a pair of graded stakes-performing fillies, both slated to go through the ring at next week=s Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale in Lexington. Through the Eaton Sales consignment, Dodson will offer stakes winner and multiple graded stakes placed Sister Nation (Into Mischief--Evita=s Sister, by Candy Ride {Arg}) (hip 622), as well as multiple graded stakes placed Banree (Macho Uno--Grand Glory, by Distorted Humor) (hip 730), during Tuesday=s second session of the four-day January sale. Cont. p6 (click here) Ax Man | Benoit IN TDN EUROPE TODAY By Christie DeBernardis SPRATT AND LYONS PUSHING FORWARD When Hal and Patti Earnhardt homebred Ax Man TOGETHER (Misremembered) won his career bow at Santa Anita by Daithí Harvey speaks to David Spratt, an emerging force in 9 1/2 lengths on New Year=s Day (video), it was extra satisfying the Irish racehorse ownership ranks. Click or tap here to go for his trainer Bob Baffert, who bred, trained and owns the colt=s straight to TDN Europe. Grade I-winning sire. The Hall of Famer also conditioned the sophomore=s stakes-winning dam and most of her offspring, including two-time champion Indian Blessing (Indian Charlie). AWe knew he was pretty talented,@ Baffert said. AHe had been working pretty well. The work right before [his debut] he worked with [undefeated GISW and ATDN Rising Star@] McKinzie (Street Sense) and they worked heads up together [five furlongs in :59.20 Dec. 27 at Santa Anita], so that was really encouraging. At Hill >n= Dale growing up, he was always a standout as a foal. He was a nice looking horse and is probably the best one Shameful has had since Indian Blessing.@ The conditioner continued, AHe exploded out of there and handled it pretty well. It didn=t take a lot out of him and he came back well. You could tell after the race that he wasn=t tired. That is a good sign. It means he will be able to stretch out. The [GII] San Vicente [S. Feb. 10] is the most logical spot right now because I can=t see an allowance race coming between now and then.@ Cont. p3 CHAMPION TURF SIRE IN AMERICA 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, AND 2013 The Kitten that Roared. PRESIDENT & CO-PUBLISHER Barry Weisbord @barryweisbord [email protected] SR. V.P. & CO-PUBLISHER Sue Morris Finley @suefinley [email protected] V.P., INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS Gary King @garykingTDN [email protected] EDITORIAL Friday, January 5, 2018 [email protected] Editor-in-Chief Jessica Martini @JessMartiniTDN Managing Editor 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 Assistant Editor Bobby Klatt ADVERTISING [email protected] Director of Advertising Alycia Borer Advertising Manager Lia Best Advertising Designer Amanda Crelin Advertising Assistants Alexa Reisfield What a difference a day makes. Yearlings sunbathe at Sagamore Farm in Michelle Benson Reisterstown, MD on Wednesday, one day before a major snowstorm hit the East Photo Editor/Dir. of Distribution Coast from Virginia to New England. | Jocelyn Brooks Sarah K. Andrew @SarahKAndrew [email protected] Social Media Strategist MINOR SETBACK KEEPS ‘BOLT’ OUT OF SAN VICENTE 8 Justina Severni MGISW Bolt d’Oro (Medaglia d’Oro) will bypass an expected start Director of Customer Service in the Feb. 10 GII San Vicente S. as a precautionary measure. The Vicki Forbes colt came up body sore last week, but his nuclear scan was clean. [email protected] Marketing Manager Alayna Cullen @AlaynaCullen ROAD TO THE MONGOL DERBY: GO BIG OR GO HOME 8 Director of Information Technology The TDN’s Kelsey Riley writes the first installment of her blog Ray Villa [email protected] as she prepares to ride in the Mongol Derby as a fundraising effort for the TRF’s Blackburn program. Bookkeeper Terry May [email protected] WORLDWIDE INFORMATION International Editor Kelsey Riley @kelseynrileyTDN [email protected] 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 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 11 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • JANUARY 5, 2018 >Ax,= A Family Man for Baffert cont. from p1 Ax Man=s dam Shameful has proven to be a blue hen producer for the Earnhardts with eight winners from eight foals to race. Two-time Eclipse winner Indian Blessing was just her second foal and she also produced graded stakes winner Roman Threat (Roman Ruler). AThat mare Shameful is golden,@ Baffert said. AEverything we breed her to, she has gotten a winner. She has been amazing. We are going to breed her to Tapit this year.@ With a future booking to Tapit and previous matings to the likes of Candy Ride (Arg), Empire Maker and Midnight Lute, it was a bit unconventional to breed a mare of Shameful=s caliber to Misremembered, whose oldest foals are now 5-year-olds with the best being MGSP Dazzling Gem. Misremembered | Horsephotos AHal did it as a favor to me because I own the stallion,@ explained Baffert, who has been training for the Earnhardts since 1983. AOne thing I learned in the stallion business is it is really hard to stand one. John [Sikura] did me a favor and stood him at Hill >n= Dale. I asked Hal and Patti to give me some help and gave them some shares in the horse. I was talking to John Sikura and I said, >I see that Indian Blessing and Shameful are going to Misremembered.= He said, >Man, these are the most loyal customers.= I said, >Well, you know they are like family to me.=@ Baffert bought Misremembered=s dam Beyond Perfection (Quack), who won the 1990 GII Del Mar Debutante, for just $7,000 at the 2005 Keeneland January sale in partnership with his friend George Jacobs. AI wanted a good mare to own and I remember watching Beyond Perfection run when I first got in the business,@ the conditioner recalled. AThe Franks [who owned Beyond Perfection] had a dispersal and the mare was 17 and open. I was looking for a mare to breed to Point Given at the time.@ Cont. p4 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 11 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • JANUARY 5, 2018 >Ax,= A Family Man for Baffert cont. AHe was a tall, lanky kind of horse, totally different looking than most Candy Rides,@ Baffert said. AThe guy who broke him He continued, AI studied and studied the book and I thought, for me in Arizona really liked him a lot. I sent him three to break >I=m going to buy this mare. This is probably the only way I am and he was the one I liked the least. Every time I called him I=d going to own this kind of mare, go, >How=s the filly doing?= and just wait until she doesn=t have he would go >She=s okay.= I=d say, any teeth and is old.= (laughs)@ >And how about the other one?= Instead of breeding Beyond He=d say, >She=s okay, but I really Perfection to Point Given, Sikura like that colt.= I thought if he convinced Baffert to send the likes the colt, the other two are mare to Candy Ride, who was useless.@ standing his first year at stud at Baffert even forgot about Hill >n= Dale in 2005. Misremembered for a while AI was going to breed her to when he had to be laid up, Point Given, but John Sikura had which is how the stallion got his just gotten Candy Ride to stand name. at Hill >n= Dale and he said, Misremembered winning the Big Cap | Horsephotos AHe had a high suspensory >Breed her to Candy Ride,=@ Baffert said. AI said, >Yeah, but she that was bothering him and he needed 60 days off, so I sent him has an F nick with Candy Ride.= He said, >Just do it. You know out to a friend=s farm in Temecula,@ Baffert explained. AHe was how good Candy Ride is.= I had seen Candy Ride run and he was out there for a long time and finally George [Jacobs] called me a pretty freaky horse so I said alright. We bred to Candy Ride and said, >How about our horse?= I said, >Oh yeah I forgot he is and we got Misremembered.@ still out there.= He had been out there for about four months. Unlike Ax Man, Misremembered was not a standout from the When we were driving out there, he said, >Did you start, at least not in Baffert=s eyes. misremember him or something?=@ Cont. p5 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 5 OF 11 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • JANUARY 5, 2018 >Ax,= A Family Man for Baffert cont. Kentucky where you can ship your mare 10 minutes, breed her Misremembered soon proved to be worth remembering, and take her back. In California, you have to ship four or five winning the 2009 GII Swaps S. and GII Indiana Derby and 2010 GI hours to breed your horse. We stand Coil up there too@ Santa Anita H.