Sunday April 24, 2005

Golden Production for Cal-breds

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Apr. 18, 2005) -- Patricia Youngman is assured of making at least one trip to Hollywood Park’s winner’s circle during the 10-race California Gold Rush card on Sunday.

As the owner of Pepper Oaks Farm in Santa Ynez, Youngman will present the trophy to the winner of the $60,000, 6 ½ furlong event for 3-year-old maiden colts and geldings named for her 170-acre establishment.

She hopes she gets to make some more visits during the $1.31 million program for Cal-breds.

“I’ll stand down there in high heels all afternoon if they let me,” she said.

Youngman is the breeder of four horses who will answer the bell that day and the owner of three of those. Most remarkably, three of the four Youngman-bred runners are out of the same prolific mare, born in consecutive years to Strawberry’s Best.

The 17-year-old daughter of the late international racing star Strawberry Road, Strawberry’s Best will be represented in the Gold Rush by:
Run Rebecca Run, her 5-year-old daughter by Swiss Yodeler, in the $150,000, seven-furlong B. Thoughtful Stakes for older fillies and mares;

Trail Mix, her 4-year-old son by Trail City, in the $150,000 7 ½-furlong Tiznow Stakes for 4-year-olds and up;

Circle of Ladies, her 3-year-old daughter by Trail City, in the $60,000, 6 1/2-furlong NTRA Stakes for 3-year-old maiden fillies.

Youngman also is the breeder of 3-year-old Roman Jake, another son of Trail City, out of Golden Doubloon, who will contest the $70,000, seven-furlong Barretts Stakes for 3-year-olds and up.

Strawberry’s Best isn’t the only dam of more than one offspring set to compete on Gold Rush Day.

The others are:
Burning Desire, owned by Harris Farms, who is the dam of Moscow Burning, a 5-year-old mare nominated to the $150,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes, and Tiz Afire, a 4-year-old nominated to the Barretts Stakes;

Chemolo, owned by Madeline Auerbach, who is the dam of Feel the Heat, a3-year-old filly nominated to the Melair Stakes and the $70,000 Warren’s Thoroughbreds Stakes, and Tucked Away, nominated to the B. Thoughtful Stakes.

Gilded Dancer, owned by Al and Sandee Kirkwood, who is the dam of 5-year-old Valentine Dancer, nominated to the $150,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes, and 3-year-old filly Last Dance for Me, nominated to the $200,000 Melair Stakes and the NTRA Stakes.

Interaction, owned by John Elardi’s Southern Nevada Racing Stable, who is the dam of Tiznow Stakes-nominated 4-year-old He’s the Rage, and King of L.A, a 3-year-old nominated to the $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes;

In True Form, owned by Harris Farms, who is the dam of 5-year-old mare In High Form, nominated to the Warren’s Thoroughbreds Stakes, and Lakeside Trail, a 6-year-old nominated to the Barretts Stakes.

But the distinction held by Strawberry’s Best of three Gold Rush kids belongs to her alone. Youngman also is hoping for big things from Very Swiss, a full-sister to both Run Rebecca Run and Circle of Ladies, who is not a Gold Rush participant because of two technicalities.

She’s a 2-year-old, and there are no Gold Rush races for 2-year-olds, and she hasn’t been started in training by Mike Harrington, who trained Swiss Yodeler and now supervises the racing careers of Trail City and Circle of Ladies, as well as Roman Jake.

Run Rebecca Run was bought by Ed Friendly at the 2001 Del Mar yearling sale and is trained by Bob Baffert.

Youngman, a longtime resident of Orange County, claimed some horses in the 1980s but had her heart set on building her own thoroughbred farm in the Santa Ynez Valley.

Pepper Oaks Farm started as a pile of dirt in 1992 and work was completed in 1994. “I gave the farm that name because of all the oak and pepper trees around,” she recalled.

She keeps 200 mares on the lush property, on which such stallions as Swiss Yodeler, Malek and Sharp Victor also reside.

She is the sole owner of both Sharp Victor and Trail City and admits to being surprised at the precocity of some of the foals produced by Trail City, a son of Red Ransom.

“He was a good racehorse going long on turf,” Youngman said of the 12-year-old stallion, whose biggest victory came in the Grade II Arlington Classic on grass in 1996.

“But some of his babies have been 2-year-old sprinters. I’d expect that from Swiss Yodeler’s babies. But Trail City has had some of those, too, along with the ones who like to run long on grass.”

Strawberry’s Best earned only $70,000 on the track, but has been a successful broodmare since Youngman bought her as a 6-year-old.

“She’s a lovely mare,” Youngman said. “Last year was the only time she hasn’t had a foal since I’ve had her. But we recently bred her to Swiss Yodeler again and hoping for the best.”
--Larry Bortstein