TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020 SANDIN OUT TO A FLYER WITH PICO D=ORO SAUDIS NOT READY TO PAY by Jessica Martini MAXIMUM SECURITY=S Gerry Sandin, who grew up near Bay Meadows Racetrack and played Little League with future trainer Bill Morey, always knew CONNECTIONS he wanted to own racehorses one day. The California native finally made the dream a reality when he purchased a son of Curlin at the OBS March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale this year and he was cheering the colt on from his Bay Area home when Pico d=Oro became his first winner while breaking his maiden in stakes company in the Runhappy Juvenile S. at Ellis Park Sunday. AThat was my first win and it happened to be a stakes win,@ Sandin, a global operations manager for Apple, said while still savoring the victory Monday afternoon. AIt was a pleasant surprise--I was on a high for the second half of Sunday, it was tough to go to sleep last night.@ Sandin traces his love of racing back some three decades to time spent at Bay Meadows as a kid. Cont. p3 IN TDN EUROPE TODAY Maximum Security | Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia GOFFS ORBY YEARLING CATALOGUE OUT by Bill Finley The catalogue for the 2020 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale has been The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA) announced Monday released. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Europe. that it will continue to withhold payment from the $20-million Saudi Cup to the connections of Maximum Security (New Year=s Day) as it continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the horse and former trainer Jason Servis. While that money is being withheld, a decision has been made to go ahead and pay the owners who had horses finish second through 10th in the Feb. 29 race. Shortly after Saudi Cup, Servis was among 27 people indicted on federal charges involving the doping of race horses. In April, Saudi authorities announced they would withhold paying out the purse to all connections while an investigation was ongoing. The Saudi Cup winner is due to collect $10 million. Monday=s announcement revealed for the first time that there was an Aobjection to the participation@ of Maximum Security after the race. It did not spell out who lodged the objection and when. The JCSA said the objection and the indictments were what led to the investigation. It also appears that no final decision will be reached until the case against Servis is adjudicated in the U.S. courts, as the JCSA said their investigation has been hampered by not being a party to the legal proceedings that are ongoing. Cont. p3 PUBLISHER & CEO Sue Morris Finley @suefinley [email protected] SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Gary King @garykingTDN [email protected] EDITORIAL [email protected] Editor-in-Chief Jessica Martini @JessMartiniTDN Managing Editor Tuesday, August 11, 2020 Alan Carasso @EquinealTDN Senior Editor Steve Sherack @SteveSherackTDN Racing Editor Brian DiDonato @BDiDonatoTDN Deputy Editor Christie DeBernardis @CDeBernardisTDN Associate Editors Christina Bossinakis @CBossTDN Joe Bianca @JBiancaTDN News and Features Editor In Memoriam: Ben Massam (1988-2019) ADVERTISING [email protected] Director of Advertising Alycia Borer Advertising Manager Lia Best Advertising Designer Amanda Crelin Advertising Assistant/Dir. Of Distribution Rachel McCaffrey Advertising Assistants Amie Newcomb Kristen Lomasson Photographer/Photo Editor Sarah K. Andrew @SarahKAndrew [email protected] Greg Lemond poses on the Champs Elysees, the site of his victory in the closest and most exciting Tour de France in history, when he came from behind to beat Laurent Social Media Strategist Fignon on the final day of the 1989 Tour by just eight seconds. Lemond will be the Justina Severni featured speaker at The Jockey Club Round Table August 16. Story on page 6. | Getty Director of Customer Service Images Vicki Forbes [email protected] FASIG-TIPTON CONSOLIDATES MIXED SALES 6 Marketing Manager The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Sale will be combined into the Alayna Cullen @AlaynaCullen company’s Midlantic December sale and will be held in Timonium Dec. 7 and 8. Director of IT/Accounting Ray Villa [email protected] [email protected] DIXIANA FARM TO SPONSOR QEII CHALLENGE CUP 7 William and Donna Shively’s Dixiana Farm will sponsor the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup. Keeneland’s prestigious WORLDWIDE INFORMATION race for 3-year-old turf fillies will be run this year on Oct. 10. 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 732-747-8060 | 732-747-8955 (fax) www.TheTDN.com TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 10 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • AUGUST 11, 2020 Saudis Not Ready to Pay Maxiumum questions unanswered, including the results of drug tests performed on Maximum Security before the race. Security=s Connections (cont. from p1) The statement read: AThat investigation remains ongoing but has been hampered by the Covid-19 crisis and the fact that the Sandin Out to a Flyer with Pico d=Oro JCSA is not a party to the ongoing legal proceedings in the USA. (cont. from p1) Therefore, unless and until the evidence that supports the AMy uncle used to work at the front gate at Bay Meadows, so sealed indictment in the U.S. proceedings is placed in the public before I was even of legal age, he would let me in,@ Sandin domain, that evidence is unavailable to the JCSA=s investigation recalled. AI would go watch them in the paddock, I would and to any JCSA inquiry. The JCSA is bound to reach a fair and handicap them, learned to read the Daily Racing Form and Andy reasonable decision on the objection and circumstances of Beyer=s Speed Figures. The first time I was there at Bay Maxiumum Security=s running in the race and it cannot do so Meadows and saw those horses turning for home and the without the consideration of relevant evidence that has been thundering as they were charging down the stretch, I was gathered by the prosecution authorities in the U.S. proceedings hooked.@ in respect of the sealed indictment. Therefore, the JCSA cannot Sandin didn=t have to look far to find a trainer when he was properly conclude its investigation and any inquiry by its ready to buy a horse, even if he did eschew his longtime friend=s Stewards= Committee cannot be commenced without initial advice. consideration of all relevant evidence, including that gathered ABilly Morey and I are old friends,@ Sandin said. AWe grew up by the prosecution authorities in the U.S.@ right around the corner from one another in the California Bay That could mean that the payment of the purse will be area. His dad was a [CTBA] Hall of Fame trainer [William Morey, withheld until Servis=s case has made its way through the courts, Jr.] in Northern California. I always knew that he would follow in something that could stretch on for a couple of years. his father=s footsteps in a training career. He always told me the The JCSA said it would make no further comment until the best way to get involved was just to buy a piece of a horse so conclusion of the investigation, which leaves a handful of you could understand the operational side of this business.@ TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 10 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • AUGUST 11, 2020 Sandin continued, AI never invested early on, but just last year Billy made the move out to Lexington and I was ready to make my initial investment as a solo operator.@ Of the decision to forego a partnership, Sandin explained, AI wanted to make sure we did it the right way. As a solo operator, you get to call all of the shots, you get to pick your races and everything else.@ The two friends traveled to Ocala in March and purchased a pair of juveniles, first going to $255,000 to acquire Pico d=Oro (hip 241) and then going to $35,000 for a daughter of Malibu Moon (hip 530) now named Luna Tigress. Pico d=Oro | Coady Photography By Curlin out of Michelle d=Oro (Bernardini), a daughter of multiple Grade I winner Champagne d=Oro (Medaglia d=Oro), Pico d=Oro was an easy choice for Sandin. AOne of the first horses that I saw at Bay Meadows was A.P. Indy,@ Sandin explained. AI saw him race there and I=ve always been enamored with the A.P. Indy bloodlines. Most of the horses that I do buy will somewhere have that bloodline in them because I=m a huge fan. With Pico especially, the cross between Curlin and a Bernardini mare, to me, is the best nick in the business.@ Pico d=Oro came in slightly under Sandin=s budget at OBS, but bidding didn=t go without some anxious moments. APico came through the ring and I started bidding on him,@ Sandin said. AMy initial bid was $235,000 and someone got over me at $245,000 and I went to $255,000 and the announcer is saying, >Going once, going twice...= and then the color commentator guy interrupts and says, >Folks, we have a son of Curlin here, you really ought to pay more for this horse.= And I am thinking, >What are you doing? Drop the gavel! Drop the gavel!= My heart was beating 1,000 beats a minute. Luckily, nobody bid further. I only had a budget of $300,000.