Presented by iStable SPECIAL November 4, 2014 www.PaulickReport.com Horse of the Year? It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over By Ray Paulick Who is Horse of the Year for 2014? Sword Dancer at Saratoga and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont Park. The field he defeated in the That’s an easy one. No one, at least not yet. The year isn’t Breeders’ Cup Turf was a good one and included Prix de over. l’Arc de Triomphe winner runner-up Flintshire. While many of the divisional titles in Eclipse Awards There used to be a prejudice by Eclipse Award voters competition unquestionably were sewn up as a result (members of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, of the two-day Breeders’ Cup championships at Santa Daily Racing Form and NTRA/Equibase) against horses Anita Park, there is no definitive answer about the biggest who were exclusively turf runners, but Wise Dan broke category of all. that mindset the last two years with his back-to-back Horse of the Year titles – aided in part by the absence of There is a new Horse of the Year contender in Bayern, a dominating dirt runner in the 3-year-old or older male who, whether you think should have been disqualified or categories. You have to go back to 1993 and Kotashaan not, was ultra-game in winning the Classic by a nose over to find the last turf horse named North American Horse Taste of New York, with California Chrome just a neck of the Year. back in third and Shared Belief 3 1/2 lengths farther back in fourth after getting roughed up in the early going. continued on Page 5 The Classic was Bayern’s second Grade 1 victory of the year, the other coming against 3-year-olds in the Haskell Invitational. That’s the same number won by Shared Belief, who, along with Moreno, got the worst of the bumper- car action in the opening furlong of the Classic. Both of Shared Belief’s Grade 1 wins came against older horses (Pacific Classic and the Awesome Again). Only three of the last 15 winners of Horse of the Year won as few as two Grade 1 events: Ghostzapper in 2004; Tiznow in 2000; and Charismatic in 1999. California Chrome, the other 3-year-old contender for Horse of the Year honors, has three Grade 1 victories in the Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby and Preakness. How do you weigh that trio against Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Main Sequence, who rolled to his fourth con- secutive American Grade 1 victory for Maria Niarchos- Gouaze’s Flaxman Holdings since being imported from Europe and joining the Graham Motion barn. His wins came in the United Nations at Monmouth Park, ASK RAY QUESTION: Did the stewards make the right call in the Classic? ANSWER: In my experience watching races in Southern California, the stewards seldom disqualify horses for interference at the start, so their decision not to DQ Bayern was consistent. How’s that for dodging the ques- tion? www.PaulickReport.com Page 2 Stallion Spotlight Union Rags By Frank Mitchell A Grade 1 winner at 2 and 3, Union Rags possesses the Union Rags is the leading earner for his sire with nearly best credentials and opportunity of any son of Dixie Union $1.8 million, and the successes of Union Rags in the Cham- to continue this branch of Northern Dancer, which comes pagne at 2 and Belmont Stakes at 3 earned him a spot at through his son Dixieland Band. stud at Lane’s End, where his sire and grandsire stood. One of those sons of Northern Dancer who was a good With a fee of $35,000 live foal, Union Rags has attracted racehorse but notably an even better sire, Dixieland Band sizable books in his first two covering seasons. His first was also fortunate to stand at Lane’s End, where good foals are now weanlings, and some are on offer at Keenel- mares were available to him on a and’s November sale. consistent basis. As a sire of stal- lions, Dixieland Band’s most effec- Among the 25 Union Rags wean- tive sons included Bowman’s Band, lings cataloged in Keeneland’s first the sire of champion Groupie Doll; three books, one of the most inter- Citidancer and Dixie Brass, the esting is Hip 314, a gray colt who sires of 65 stakes winners be- is a half-brother to stakes winner tween them; and Dixie Union, who Quindici Man (Came Home) and caught the fancy of the commer- to graded stakes-placed Spurrier cial market to a degree that none (Dixieland Band). Consigned by Mill of the other sons of Dixieland Band Ridge, this colt is a March 26 foal. managed to do. In addition, Union Rags is the cov- As a result, the death of Dixie Union ering sire for 22 mares in the first in 2010 at age 13 was a loss for three books at Keeneland Novem- the breed and for breeders. The ber. Among those are Hip 346, dark brown stallion has sired 48 Mini Chat, a daughter of champions stakes winners (6 percent from 10 crops of 829 foals), Deputy Minister and Phone Chatter. She has produced two and 451 of his yearlings sold for a gross of slightly more stakes winners, including G1 Norfolk Stakes winner Dixie than $51 million. Chatter (Dixie Union). Of those, no son stood higher in the estimation of racing Another mare of note is Hip 55, Decennial, a stakes-placed fans and breeders than Union Rags. A big horse at 16.3 daughter of Trippi and a half-sister to two stakes winners. hands and very strongly made, Union Rags makes a great Even more importantly, two half-sisters have produced G1 visual impression, and he backed up that eye appeal at the winners Musical Romance (Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare sales and on the racecourse. Sold as a yearling by breeder Sprint) and Rigoletta (Oak Leaf Stakes). PRS Phyllis Wyeth for $145,000, she bought Union Rags for $390,000 as a 2-year-old in training. 10-70% off MY Up to 28% off Up to 40% off ADVANTAGE Exclusive Member Up to 30% off Up to 30% off Discounts Call us toll-free at 866-678-4289 or visit NTRAadvantage.com. www.PaulickReport.com Page 3 Honor Roll Crown Queen follows in ‘royal’ footsteps By Scott Jagow Turf racing was the exclusive target for Crown Queen un- der the tutelage of Royal Delta’s trainer, Bill Mott. After a pair of third-place finishes as a 2-year-old, Besilu’s Ben Leon decided Crown Queen needed more time to mature, and she was put on the shelf for eight months. She re- turned to the races in June, 2014 and hasn’t lost since from four starts. “It’s worked out perfectly,” said Mott. “He made a good call and she’s undefeated this season and now she’s a Grade 1 stakes winner.” Following a Maiden Special Weight victory over a mile in Coady Photo June, Crown Queen beat allowance company the follow- ing month at Saratoga. She then took the G2 Lake Placid (2011, Dark bay mare, Smart Strike–Dela Princess Stakes at 1 1/8 miles, and in October, shipped to Keene- by A.P. Indy. Consigned by Chanteclair Farm to 2011 land, where she won the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth Chal- Keeneland November Sale. Sold to Besilu Stables for lenge Cup at the same distance. $1.6 million) It’s not clear what’s next for Crown Queen, but Leon is con- When you’re a half-sister to two-time Breeders’ Cup cham- fident more good things on are the horizon. pion and Eclipse Award winner Royal Delta, naturally ex- pectations will be high from the very beginning. Despite “She’s answered absolutely every question we’ve asked,” something of a slow start as a juvenile, Crown Queen has he said. “I’m looking forward to her 4-year-old year. That proven in her 3-year-old season that she’s up to the task of should be an exceptional year, I think.” PRS meeting those expectations -- and more. The filly by Smart Strike out of the A.P. Indy mare, Delta RANDOM FACTS Princess, was foaled in February, 2011 by Palides Invest- ments just two weeks after the death of Prince Saud bin by Ray Paulick Khaled, the breeding venture’s founder. As a weanling, The 2013 Keeneland September Yearling Crown Queen sold that year in the Palides Keeneland No- Sale produced Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner vember dispersal for $1.6 million to Besilu Stables. At the Texas Red, 1-2 Juvenile Fillies finishers Take same sale, Besilu went to $8.5 million for her elder half- Charge Brandi and Top Decile, Juvenile sister, Royal Delta, registering one of the highest prices Turf winner Hootenanny, and Juvenile Fillies Turf 1-2 ever paid for a racing/broodmare prospect. finishers Lady Eli and Sunset Glow. OOPPPPOORRTTUUNNIITTYY ++ PPRROOFFIITT DDUUEE NNOORRTTHH GET $1,000 PER SHIPPIN FOR ALLOWANCE STARTERS! OPEN MSW PURSE $56,000, OVER 75% OPEN RACE CONDITIONS WoodbineRacetrack.com 35+ Years As A Breeder "Dr. Steve Sinatra and J. David Smith " We are family call my brothers sisters or Union Rags me “DESERT PARTY” Bodemeister )/$6+83'$7( 1' 2&72%(5 $7)$6,*7,3721 +,*+6(///,1*6,67(5 72'(6(573$57< <($5/,1*62/')25 Currently training with Matt www.PaulickReport.com Page 4 Back Ring Getting to know trainer Bruce Headley What would you be doing if you didn’t become a horse board.