Thoroughbred Racing 2019

sk8pics

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,554
I thought it was pretty funny in the article the way the Coolmore guy says he's not aware of Pharoah biting Pence. If Pharoah would have left a mark, everyone around Pence would have known it. They make people stand back for the visits, but I think that is more for Pharoah's protection than the fans. :D When I got to go in the stall with him for a VIP event, he posed very patiently with the dozen or so of us there. Never a move towards any of us.
 

Vagabond

Well-Known Member
Messages
25,380
I thought it was pretty funny in the article the way the Coolmore guy says he's not aware of Pharoah biting Pence. If Pharoah would have left a mark, everyone around Pence would have known it. They make people stand back for the visits, but I think that is more for Pharoah's protection than the fans. :D When I got to go in the stall with him for a VIP event, he posed very patiently with the dozen or so of us there. Never a move towards any of us.
Maybe American Pharoah's attitude toward Mike Pence is like that of tribbles toward Klingons: loving to everyone else, aggressive to the perceived enemy. :unsure:
 

aftershocks

Banned Member
Messages
17,317

I think this news shows how highly prized and respected Max is, despite the unfortunate KD disqualification. And it may also be about striking while the irons are still hot (i.e., the as yet positive buzz re Max's run of great performances). It will be interesting to see what happens with Max's in foal dam (Lil Indy) and his weanling full sister, at the Keeneland sale on November 6. :gallopin1

“SF Bloodstock’s Tom Ryan said, 'As the dam of Maximum Security, Lil Indy is a proven producer of a top-class horse. This year, Maximum Security has five triple-digit Beyer numbers – more than any other 3-year-old – while he has beaten a number of outstanding horses.'”

In the comments section to the article, a horse aficionado notes that Max's owners, the Wests, had unfortunately sold his dam, Lil Indy, in 2018 for only 11K, while she was in foal to Max's current weanling full sister. Bad timing, indeed.

And Max's poor sire, New Year's Day, apparently was shipped to Japan this summer, which doesn't tend to bode well for horses who don't have great track records as sires/ dams/ race horses. A commenter notes that New Year's Day hasn't produced notable progeny as a sire, aside from Max. Hope things look up though for Max, his kin, and all involved with his career.

Latest news on Max: He had to scratch from the Pennsylvania Derby in September due to health issues (a condition with a long name that equates to a colon displacement caused by colic, complicated by training). Max is also expected to miss the Breeder's Cup at this point because he lost a lot of weight and training time, so he's not in racing shape. Code of Honor will be leading the Breeder's Cup field. Max's owners are hoping to run him in a Grade 2 prep race at Belmont on October 26, and then at Churchill Downs in a Grade 1 race, the day after Thanksgiving:

Again, I hope things look up for Max, with the bad luck he's had. At least his owners and trainer, Jason Servis, appear to be putting his health first.
 
Last edited:

skipaway

Well-Known Member
Messages
10,693
Maximum Security won in today’s Grade 3 Bold Ruler at Belmont Park. He led the entire way and was pressed hard throughout. He looked great. Will miss him in next week’s Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.
 
Last edited:

sk8pics

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,554
Maximum Security won in today’s Grade 3 Bold Ruler at Belmont Park. He led the entire way and was pressed hard throughout. He looked great. Will miss him in next week’s Breeder’s Cup at Santa Anita.
Oh, I forgot about this! Glad to hear it. I miss seeing him run, and agree about the Breeders' Cup. But I think they are going to run him as a 4-year-old, right? So that's something.
 

skipaway

Well-Known Member
Messages
10,693
Breeders’ Cup is today and tomorrow.
Sharing, daughter of one of my favorite turf mares, Shared Account, just won the Fillies Turf race for my favorite trainer Graham Motion. Very emotional for Graham. Nice start.
 

aftershocks

Banned Member
Messages
17,317
Maximum Security won in today’s Grade 3 Bold Ruler at Belmont Park. He led the entire way and was pressed hard throughout. He looked great. Will miss him in next week’s Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.

Thanks for sharing results. Here's the video of the race:

 

aftershocks

Banned Member
Messages
17,317
This is so sad about Mongolian Groom. I think the horse racing community prefers to turn their heads away and simply blame it as a tragic accident, when more and better safety measures for horses and for jockeys need to be instituted. The horse industry needs to face facts that many owners are negligent, abusive and/or careless about the safety of their horses vs the owners' personal interest in making money.

 

aftershocks

Banned Member
Messages
17,317
Interesting thoughts about Maximum Security's value in light of the Derby DQ. This was written prior to Max's wins in the Haskell and in the recent Bold Ruler Grade 3 prep race at Belmont:

Reminder -- Max's dam, Lil Indy (in foal to top sire Quality Road) will be sold at Keeneland tomorrow, along with Max's weanling full sister:

Max's sire, New Year's Day, is not yet considered to be a prominent sire, aside from siring Max and a couple of recent grade 3 winners (Bourbon Resolution and Fighting Mad), in addition to a grade 1 runner-up filly, Yesterday's News. NYD was retired to stud at age two despite a promising racing career, because of a chip discovered on his sesamoid bone. NYD was trained for owners, the Wests, by Bob Baffert:

Although Max's pedigree is not very highly regarded, NYD's sire is the Irish bred Street Cry, the prominent sire of Street Sense and 2010 Horse of the Year, the great Zenyatta. So Maximum Security is related to Zenyatta. She would sort of be in the 'aunt' category to Max. ;) And on NYD's dam's side (Justwhistledixie), there's a relationship to Ruffian and Fusaichi Pegasus:

NYD has been sold by 'Brazilian interests' to the Yoshida brothers' stud in Japan, for a reported $5 million:
 

aftershocks

Banned Member
Messages
17,317
:lol:

Covfefe's sire's name is Into Mischief, and her dam's name is Antics... :p

Covfefe won Breeder's Cup Filly & Mare Sprint from off the pace:

2019 Breeder's Cup Distaff was another close race with an upset victory by South American horse, Blue Prize, over favorite Midnight Bisou (12-wins; 4-seconds including Distaff; 3-3rds):

 
Last edited:

aftershocks

Banned Member
Messages
17,317
Max's dam Lil Indy (in foal) sold at Keeneland yesterday for $1.850 million (along with weanling full sister to Max). Gary West previously sold Lil Indy for $11K, but that was probably before Max had established himself as one of the best racehorses this season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1wq_dCUEwU The Keeneland auction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekQ4zflSFGk Keeneland preview bio of Lil Indy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adaGZzLKKyI Video promotion of the Keeneland sale in general


It's never that easy to know what kind of returns on investments can be made in the horse industry. That's why the growth of syndicates happened, in order to hedge bets, spread the responsibility and thus compensate for losses. The purchaser of Lil Indy may luck out or not in racing returns. Lil Indy is carrying a foal sired by Quality Road (considered one of the current top sires). Hopefully, the new owners actually care about horses.

I don't think people should be in the horse industry if they are only in it to make money. Sadly, that's probably the main motivation for too many owners. It's the greed for money part of the business that's largely responsible for the pain, suffering and death of so many Thoroughbreds.
 

aftershocks

Banned Member
Messages
17,317

Take Charge Brandi in foal to Justify sold for 3.2 million


American Pharoah filly (out of Leslie's Lady by Tricky Creek) sells for 8.2 million


ETA:
American Pharoah's son, Four Wheel Drive, won the Breeder's Cup Juvenile Turf:
 
Last edited:

sk8pics

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,554
It was announced this week that California Chrome was sold to a farm in Japan to be a stallion. This is a well established farm and Bricks and Mortar is going there as well. The blowback on social media is crazy. Chrome was owned by a consortium and the members voted overall to sell. I have the impression that Taylor Made farm, where Chrome has been, did not really want to sell, but I may be mistaken. But they had marketed him and the farm to the fans with pretty good success. Unfortunately, his first foals have not been well received and he probably was not getting the best mares either, what with all the competition from established sires and two Triple Crown winners down the road, both of whom have better pedigrees. I’m mostly sad because I won’t get to see him again in person. I will always treasure the memory of being allowed to go into his stall with him, feed him a cookie, and pet him on the shoulder while he posed for a picture with me.
 

sk8pics

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,554
What happened to Ferdinand was a long time ago. All of these sales have a return clause. And around 5 stallions have been returned in the last several years and retired to Old Friends.
 

aftershocks

Banned Member
Messages
17,317
^^ It's too bad that Ferdinand was slaughtered before that clause happened -- and it's obviously the reason for the clause. Ferdinand's terrible death placed more attention on the need to protect and to provide care for abandoned Thoroughbreds. It's also nice to hear about some Thoroughbreds being transitioned to hunter-jumpers and/or private recreational ownership at young ages when careers in horse racing don't pan out for them.

Old Friends is doing such a wonderful and very needed job of caring for retired Thoroughbreds -- a worthy cause to donate to this holiday season, and always.
 

sk8pics

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,554
The filly was partly named after Mandy Pope’s mother, Joy. And the America’s part clearly comes from American Pharoah. They may think she is grand, but I don’t think the name is that bad and that they’re necessarily tryin to be grandiose.

I was there when she sold, and she WAS pretty grand!
 

aftershocks

Banned Member
Messages
17,317
^^ Thanks for pointing out the "Joy" reference is related to the horse's owner. :) That brings the name selection into better perspective. However, I still feel the moniker they settled upon is frankly not very creative, specifically in connection with the horse herself.

Also, 'grand' is not the same as 'grandiose.' As well, 'America' is generally associated with the country, and or continents. American Pharoah's name is very specific to him and to his lineage.

Of course, 'America's Joy' is not a horrible name, but it still gives off a certain connotation of grandiosity and/or over-sentimentality. But in fact, the connotation of this beautiful horse being America's pride and joy might be what the owners intend or hope may be in the cards. ;)

There are a number of other possibilities they could have chosen, including: AP's Joy; Pharoah's Joy; Leslie's Joy; Mandy's Joy; Into Joy; Joyful Lady; Joyful Mischief; Lady Mischief; American Tiara; American Epiphany; Joy & Roses; Destiny's Joy; Royal Mischief; Royal Dancer; Star of the Nile; Fate of the Nile; Joy of the Nile; Egyptian Lady; Emeraldof the Nile; Joyful Emerald; Irrepressible Joy; Into Royalty; Destiny's Pyramid; Joy's Pyramid; Destiny's Lady; Royal Etiquette; Danceof the Sahara; Joyful Reign; Feminine Reign; Saharan Dream; Sahara's Joy; Saharan Destiny; Joy's Crown Jewel; AP's Crown Jewel; Joy's Grande Dame; AP's Grande Dame; Dream of the Nile; Joie de Vivre; Royal Genie; Saharan Lady; American Pearl; American Fanfare; Lady's Coronet; Coronation Day; etc.


Here's a nice profile picture of Maximum Security:
 
Last edited:

aftershocks

Banned Member
Messages
17,317
Ah but oops, any suggested horse names must always be checked to ensure those names haven't already been taken: ;)

13-year-old gelding

9-year-old mare

There was also a British horse named Coronation, circa early 20th-century:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Coronation_Derby_winner.jpg

:p
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top
Do Not Sell My Personal Information