September 5, 1999
In last Sunday's Pacific Classic at Del Mar, Golden Eagle Farm's General Challenge lived up to the promise he so often displayed early in his career. The towering California-bred son of General Meeting defeated seven older runners in the 1 1/4-mile Grade 1 event and displayed the seasoning and maturity his connections have been searching for.
Away a step slow, General Challenge saved ground in fourth early, racing on the heels of pacesetter Smile Again and Barter Town. As the field headed into the far turn, a seam opened up between the tightly bunched leaders. General Challenge saw daylight and pulled jockey David Flores through the opening and straight to the lead.
He grabbed the lead with authority and never looked back. When Flores asked his mount for run in the stretch, General Challenge responded gamely and kicked for the wire in a manner that suggests his playful days on the racetrack are a thing of the past. General Challenge crossed the wire three lengths in front of fast-closing stablemate River Keen (Ire) and 5 1/2 lengths in front of third-place finisher Barter Town.
"He was pulling hard that first part," said a jubilant Flores after the race. "He broke about a half-step slow and I wasn't going to hurry him. But he was fresh and he wanted to go. I had to work with him some. I had to take a hold, but not too much hold. We worked it out. He settled. I had confidence in him today.
"When we made the backside I let him open up some," he added. "Then at the three-eighths pole I just let him roll. Turning for home he felt strong. I didn't think anyone was going to beat him. He changed leads a little late, but I was comfortable with how he was doing. It seems to me he's more focused now. His mind is better."
Trainer Bob Baffert, who also saddled runner-up River Keen, has had high hopes for General Challenge all along.
"This horse has so much talent," he said. "He's truly a gifted animal. What you saw today was just the tip of the iceberg.
"I didn't know how the race was going to shape up," he added. "I figured General Challenge might get squeezed back leaving there. I told David to get him to the first turn and he could take it the rest of the way. It did get a little tight on the first turn."
Next up for the Golden Eagle homebred son of General Meeting is a likely start in the Goodwood Handicap at Oak and then on to the Breeders' Cup Classic at Gulfstream Park Nov. 6
Two days before the Pacific Classic, Del Mar yearling sale graduate Cover Gal kept her perfect record intact through two starts, taking the Generous Portion Stakes in wire to wire fashion. The daughter of Falstaff-Video Menu, by Never Tabled, defeated Excessively Hot by three lengths.
"We got broadsided pretty good coming away from there," related jockey Kent Desormeaux. "Most horses, they'd be three behind if that happened to them. But two jumps later she was in front. She's a big filly and she's tremendously quick."
Trainer Lance Stokes was pleased with Cover Gal's performance.
"This race had been our main goal," he said. "She's still a little green. When the other filly caught her at the head of the stretch I could see that Kent still had a lot of horse."
August 29, 1999
California-breds Enjoy the Moment and Budroyale added more stakes scores to their already impressive totals during the weekend of Aug. 21 and 22.
Farfellow Farms' Enjoy the Moment once again proved she is one of the best sprinting fillies around in 1999 as she led virtually wire-to-wire to capture the grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar. She sped the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15 4/5 to defeat Snowberg and Stop Traffic by 2 1/2 lengths under David Flores. Favored A. P. Assay, who was coupled with Snowberg as the John Toffan and Trudy McCaffery entry, did not have a late bid and wound up fourth in the six-horse field.
"She had a little bit of a foot problem 10 days ago," said trainer Bill Spawr, "but I gave her some time off and she was over it in three days. She became a half-millionaire today. We're going to take her forward and make her a millionaire."
The $90,000 winner's share of the purse has lifted Enjoy the Moment's earnings to $511,520 for nine wins in 14 starts. The Rancho Bernardo was her third graded win of the year, following earlier victories in the grade III Las Flores Handicap at Santa Anita and the grade II A Gleam at Hollywood Park. She also defeated males going six furlongs in the Valiant Pete Handicap on Santa Anita's closing day. Away from home, though, the four-year-old Slew's Royalty filly has not been as effective, running unplaced in the Victoria Lass Handicap at Fair Grounds and the Genuine Risk Stakes at Belmont Park.
Spawr now plans to pull the filly's shoes and give her a few weeks off, but is looking ahead to her fall schedule, which might include an engagement in the Breeders' Cup Sprint.
"We don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but we will look seriously at the Breeders' Cup," he said. "She will have to be supplemented, but the owner is a breeder and, if she could finish in the top three, it will mean a lot to her breeding status."
Budroyale bypassed this weekend's rich Pacific Classic at the seaside track to travel up to Washington State and capture the historic Longacres Mile. Trainer Ted West Jr. blames Del Mar's deep racing surface for the six-year-old gelding's last place finish in the Aug. 7 San Diego Handicap, so he shipped Jeffrey Sengara's colorbearer to Emerald Downs where the racing strip was more to his liking.
There, he faced not only Classic Cat, twice his conqueror at Santa Anita earlier this year, but also had the misfortune to draw the extreme outside post for the grade III event. Budroyale had the class to overcome both obstacles and scored a half-length victory over local favorite Mike K in the quick time of 1:34 3/5. Classic Cat, unraced since defeating Budroyale in the San Bernadino Handicap on April 11, finished eighth and last, 15 lengths behind his old rival. The $137,500 check that Budroyale picked up for his win in the Longacres Mile, boosted his career total to $1,329,810 and strengthened his bid for a state-bred championship at season's end.
Sengara said he had coveted the Mile--centerpiece of the Northwest racing scene--in the worst way since 1981, when as an 11-year-old kid growing up in Vancouver, he accompanied his father to Longacres to witness Trooper Seven's second consecutive victory in that race.
"There was something about that day," he recalled. "It hit me like a ton of bricks. I remember thinking, 'I've got to capture some of that electricity.' It changed my life forever."
Sengara's life was also changed forever when he claimed Budroyale for $50,000 last year. The Cee's Tizzy gelding captured the 1998 San Bernardino Handicap and also took last year's California Cup Classic. This season, Budroyale won the Mervyn LeRoy Handicap by eight lengths and also scored in the Super Diamond Handicap against Cal-breds. He became a millionaire with his gutsy runner-up effort to Real Quiet in the Hollywood Gold Cup in June.
August 22, 1999
Fetching a closing bid of $200,000, a California-bred filly by Bertrando out of the stakes-placed Skip Trial mare When topped the two-day CTBA Del Mar yearling sale earlier this week at the Del Mar HorsePark. Trainer Bruce Headley, as agent, signed the ticket on the filly for a Las Vegas partnership headed by Michael Singh and Irwin Molasky.
Overall, a total of 109 head sold for gross sales of $4,011,000, accounting for an average of $36,798. This year's average marked a 65 percent increase in average compared to last year's sale. The median price came in at $30,000, and 21 head did not sell.
"We're very pleased," said CTBA General Manager Doug Burge. "Bolstered by the state's lucrative incentive program and restricted purses, the demand for Cal-breds continues to run high. We couldn't be more pleased."
As for the sale topper, Headley called her the star of the sale.
"She has power and elegance," he said. "She is as perfect as you can make a racehorse. We were willing to go to any price to get her."
>From the family of graded stakes winner Palliser Bay, the filly is When's second foal and she was consigned by Debbie Sands, agent.
Topping the second session was a $110,000 Cal-bred Memo (Chi) colt. Trainer Richard Matlow, as agent, signed the ticket for the colt which hailed from the Yearsley Bloodstock consignment. The colt is produced from the stakes-placed Cox's Ridge mare Nevis.
Likely catapulted by the results of Del Mar's Real Good Deal Stakes Aug. 16, offspring of Memo (Chi) sold well at the sale and included the second night's topper and a full sister to the Real Good Deal Stakes winner Guillermo. By Memo, Guillermo led a Memo-sired sweep of the seven-furlong stakes event just hours before the start of the sale Monday evening. Owned and bred by Rick and Michael Arthur, Guillermo defeated Enzo the Baker, also by Memo, by four lengths.
Later that evening, hip-number eight, a full sister to Guillermo sold to David and Holly Wilson for $117,000. Produced from the Tsunami Slew mare Rio Tejo, the filly is also a half-sister to San Miguel Stakes winner Rio Oro. She was consigned to the sale by Berkey Bloodstock Services, Inc., agent.
In other racing action, Ivory Bowl, bred and owned by Robert Walter Family Trust, captured the Mid-Peninsula Stakes at Bay Meadows Aug. 15. The daughter of Falstaff-Conquista, by Conquistador Cielo, is trained by Fordell Fierce. Barbara Delima's Mystic Pointe, by No Points, finished second, and SLU Inc.'s Hadl, by Bold Badgett, was third.
Time to Meet, a 3-year-old daughter of General Meeting, won the Floral Fiesta Stakes at the Bay Meadows Fair Aug. 14. Bred by John and Betty Mabee, Time to Meet is owned by Shaun McCarthy and Edward Taylor.
August 15, 1999
With a catalogue chock full of California-breds with fashionable pedigrees and loaded with sire power, this year's CTBA Del Mar yearling sale, held tomorrow and Tuesday evenings at the Del Mar HorsePark, promises to be among the best sales in recent years.
"We are very optimistic about the outcome of the sale this year," said sales committee chairman Ed Gregson. "Richard Matlow (CTBA's yearling inspector) informed me that this was the best group of yearlings he has inspected in quite some time.
"It turned out that eighty percent of the horses we've catalogued this year are Cal-breds," he continued. "We select horses on pedigree and conformation, not on the basis of where they are foaled. Our stallion roster here in California has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years, and the horses that are being produced these days reflect that."
Among the popular and successful stallions represented in the sale this year are California's leading sires General Meeting, In Excess (Ire), Cee's Tizzy and Smokester. General Meeting, through Aug. 5, led all California sires by money won with $2,540,791 according to statistics compiled by The Jockey Club. Cee's Tizzy, sire of Cal-bred star Budroyale, ranks second with $1,299,660. While Pirate's Bounty, who is represented by two hips in the sale, ranks third with $1,287,082-just ahead of Bertrando in fourth with $1,276,080. Bertrando is the sire of seven yearlings slated to sell.
Avenue of Flags, already the sire of 10 stakes winners and two California champions in Fleet Lady and Belle's Flag, is represented by five yearlings. Other California stallions with yearlings in the catalogue are All Thee Power, Bold Badgett, Candi's Gold, Distinctive Cat, Falstaff, Fast Play, Half a Year, High Brite, Lake George, Lil Tyler, Memo (Chi) Moscow Ballet, Mr. Purple, Naevus, Slew the Bride, Strike Gold, Synastry, Tossofthecoin, and Video Ranger. Five yearlings represent flying Continental, the star stallion of the past two sales, this year.
Although the sale this year sports a distinctive Cal-bred flavor, there are a number of promising yearlings by out of state sires that are scheduled to go through the ring. Those include yearlings by the likes of El Gran Senor, Dare and Go, Cobra King, Dayjur, Cryptoclearance, Fastness (Ire), Fly So Free, French Deputy, Gilded Time, Harlan, Odyle, Opening Verse, Rhythm, Sea Hero, Slew O' Gold, Alydeed, and Black Tie Affair just to name a few.
The Del Mar yearling sale kicks off tomorrow night at 7 p.m. For more information, contact the sales office at the Del Mar HorsePark at (858) 794-0312.
In racing action last week, Mucho Daniero, a 1997 Del Mar yearling sale graduate, finished second in last weekend's $100,000 Colorado Derby at Arapahoe Park. The 3-year-old Cal-bred son of Chromite sold in 1997 for $16,000.
On the worktab; General Challenge, winner of the Santa Anita Derby and Affirmed Handicap earlier this year, turned in a blistering work at Del Mar this past week. The chestnut son of General Meeting blitzed seven furlongs in 1:23 25/--prompting trainer Bob Baffert to reconsider a start against older horses in the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar Aug. 29.
August 8, 1999
California breeding received another strong shot in the arm last week when John Toffan and Trudy McCaffery announced that California champion Free House will stand at stud in California next season. The charismatic gray son of Smokester will join one of California's leading sires In Excess (Ire) at Vessels Stallion Farm near Bonsall for the 2000 season.
Produced from the Vigors mare Fountain Lake, Free House retires as the fourth-leading Cal-bred of all time with earnings of $3,178,971 (behind only Best Pal, Snow Chief and Bertrando). Free House was one of the top 3-year-olds in the country in 1997, defeating eventual champion Silver Charm in the Santa Anita Derby and San Felipe Stakes. He ultimately finished third in that year's Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes and barely lost a photo to Silver Charm in the Preakness.
Minor setbacks limited Free House to just four starts at four, but the highlight of the season was a dramatic victory over Gentlemen (arg) in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Free House went on to annex the Santa Anita and San Antonio Handicap this season before injuring a back muscle in losing by a neck to Real Quiet in the Pimlico Special Handicap.
"He belongs in California," said Trudy McCaffery. "He will get the right mares here and we are excited to have him stand at Vessels. It is a marvelous facility."
In racing action, Cal-bred Show Me the Stage continues to rack up stakes wins. Last Saturday, the Louisiana-based runner shipped to Florida and captured the Calder Turf Sprint Handicap against the boys in wire-to-wire fashion. Owned by Brian Cain, Terry Leblanc and trainer Eric Guillot, Show Me the Stage is by Slew the Surgeon out of the Defense Verdict mare Showtime Lady.
Frank Gogliano's Taurus Forus captured the Luther Burbank Handicap at Santa Rosa last week. Bred by Tom Bachman, Taurus Forus defeated Skyward Melody by three lengths on the 1 1/16-mile event. Constantly Classy finished third.
In the Wheat City Handicap at Assiniboia Downs, Cal-bred Smoky Cinder, by Incinderator, won the one mile event for owners Ed and Jim Pawluk. Cover Gal, a 1998 Del Mar yearling sale graduate, dominated a maiden allowance field in her debut to win by 12 lengths. Owned by Bill Peeples and trained by Lance Stokes, the daughter of Falstaff out of the Never Tabled mare Video Menu led throughout and won under wraps.
John and Betty Mabee will receive Rare Lady's Broodmare of the Year honor and Magical Allure's Valkyr Award prior to the start of CTBA's Del Mar yearling sale Monday, Aug. 16. Both awards are voted on by CTBA's membership and presented each year to the recipients' owners.
August 1, 1999
Fire Sale Queen, the $200,000 sale topper at CTBA's April two-year-old sale, ran away with last Friday's CTBA Stakes at Del Mar. In her first race around a turn, the 2-year-old daughter of In Excess (Ire) led throughout the six-furlong race, holding at bay the late rally of 1-5 favorite Queenie Belle to win by a half-length.
"I rode this filly with a lot of confidence," said jockey Martin Pedroza. "I knew she'd run well. My filly was game."
The victory was trainer Brian Lynch's richest win and gave owner Ben Rochelle a rapid return on his April investment at Hollywood Park. Lynch, who won the 1995 Graduation Stakes at Del Mar with Riva Ranger, said Fire Sale Queen did not surface at Hollywood Park due to sore shins and a growth spurt.
"This filly has a future and she will run farther than six furlongs," the trainer related. "She's been training real well and she has matured a lot. This filly's got a future."
Another daughter of In Excess scored in Northern California last week when Fornow captured the 37th running of the Solano County Juvenile Filly Stakes. Owned by Texacali Racing and trained by Jeff Bonde, the $50,000 Barretts March purchase is being pointed to the Mid Peninsula Stakes at Bay Meadows Aug. 15 or to the Generous Portion Stakes at Del Mar Aug. 27.
Joe Turner's Royal Irish, well-backed at 2-1 despite being winless in two starts, broke his maiden in Wednesday's Graduation Stakes at Del Mar. Ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye, Royal Irish surged past longshot Ditka in the stretch and then drew out to be an easy 4 1/2-length winner in the six furlong sprint. Suspicious Minds closed fastest of all to secure second and Ditka wound up third. A son of Proud Irish, Royal Irish is conditioned by Greg Gilchrist and ran the distance in 1:10 1/5.
Goodtimesinexcess, the 7-5 Graduation favorite, pressed the pace of Ditka from the outside until the far turn where he apparently took a bad step, bobbled badly and was eased. The colt reportedly sustained a condylar fracture of the left foreleg and was euthanized.
Last year's California Cup Juvenile Fillies victress Lacaquaria returned to racing in fine fashion Thursday at Del Mar, taking an allowance contest by four lengths without ever being threatened. The daughter of Bertrando, bred and owned by Marshall Naify and Ed Nahem, is certainly destined for bigger things down the road.
In California stallion news: Tricky Creek (Clever Trick-Battle Creek Girl, by His Majesty), a multiple graded stakes winner of $873,288 has arrived at John Zamora's J.Z. Stock Farm near Temecula. The 13-year-old stallion ranked among the nation's leading sires of 2-year-olds last year and will stand the 2000 season for $3,500 foal. Also new to California for the 2000 season if Dee Lance. A multiple stakes winner of $447,154, Dee Lance has taken up residence at Victory Rose Thoroughbreds in Vacavile. A son of Blade, out of the Swoon's Son mare Bedazed, Dee Lance will stand for $1,250.
July 25, 1999
At odds of nearly 14-1 Smooth Player held off odds-on favorite Excellent Meeting at the wire to win the Grade 2 $150,000 Hollywood Oaks by a half-length at Hollywood Park Saturday. After fighting for the lead most of the way with Nanny's Sweep, this homebred of John Spohler and Martin and Pam Wygod kicked clear at the top of the stretch and then held off a strong rally from Excellent Meeting.
Trained by Dan Hendricks and ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye, the three-year-old daughter of Bertrando out of the Pirate's Bounty mare Shy Pirate was timed for the 1 1/8 mile distance over a fast main track in 1:48 1/5 off fractions of :23 2/5, :46 3/5, 1:10 3/5 and 1:35 3/5. Smooth Player was coming off a victory in the restricted California Sires Stakes at Golden Gate in her last start.
"She's a race horse," Hendricks said. "She's a homebred, I trained her mother, and she was a nice race horse herself."
Smooth Player earned $90,000 for the victory and improved her lifetime record to five wins, one second and one third in eight starts with earnings of $273,000.
In other Cal-bred happenings, Love That Red angled in and saved ground swinging wide off the far turn, finishing much the best 3 1/2 lengths ahead of the slight favorite Men's Exclusive in Sunday's $100,000 Answer Do Stakes for California-breds, also at Hollywood Park.
Under Garrett Gomez, the three-year-old gelding by Highland Park was extremely strong through the stretch widening his lead with every stride.
"When I whipped him out, he hit his gears and went about his business," Gomez said. "He (Men's Exclusive) kind of hung with me for a few strides... Finally, he started kicking free, and I was real pleased with the way he did that."
Owned and bred by Terry Wells, Love That Red, adds this stakes victory to the Lazaro S. Barrera Stakes which he won May 31, at Hollywood Park. Duncan said they were going to freshen him for 60 days and look forward to the California Cup on October 30, at Santa Anita.
As they came down the stretch in Sunday's Grade 1 $500,000 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park, it was not only two of the top three-year-olds in the country, but it was two of the top farms in the country fighting tooth and nail to the wire. Cat Thief, the Kentucky invader bred at Overbrook Farm, after sticking close to the lead throughout was passed by Golden Eagle Farm's General Challenge at the top of the stretch. Cat Thief, with Pat Day up then regained the lead midway through the stretch setting up a tremendous head-bobbing duel to the finish, prevailing by just a head.
General Challenge, John and Betty Mabee's three-year-old homebred gelding by General Meeting, under David Flores managed a perfect trip gaining momentum around the turn and moved well toward the finish.
"My horse ran his race and finished pretty strongly," Flores said. "He changed leads perfect."
Trainer Bob Baffert, who was extremely confident going into the race, was not disappointed with the way General Challenge performed.
"I thought he had him there, but that little horse (Cat Thief), we just got flat out run," Baffert said. "He was in a perfect spot. He was there. This is a tough horse."