Testimonials

When Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association president Dr. Phil Matthews welcomed the guests to the FTBOA Awards Dinner and Gala at the Circle Square Cultural Center in Ocala on Monday night, March 11, it was no surprise that he began by telling the 350 estimated attendees of the record-setting year Florida-breds and their breeders had experienced in 2012.

“Tweleve Florida-breds won a record 15 Grade 1 races throughout North America last year,” Matthews said. “And among the ten leading states and provinces in North America, only Florida stallions produced more foals in 2012 than in the previous year.” As one who heads an association whose mission is promote the Florida thoroughbred industry, one would expect him to give those comments or other words of similar enthusiasm.

But what one may not expect is for three of the leading trainers in the game to do the same later that same night. But that is exactly what happened when Eclipse Award-winning trainers Bob Baffert and Dale Romans, and prominent Florida conditioner Bill Kaplan did when they addressed the audience in separate speeches.

Baffert was the first to applaud the Florida breeders when he accepted the Florida-bred award as the trainer of Florida-bred Champion Male Sprinter Coil and later Florida-bred Champion Three-Year-OId Filly Eden’s Moon.

“I just want to say how much Florida-breds have meant to me,” Baffert, a trainer of three Kentucky Derby winners (Silver Charm in 1997, Real Quiet in 1998 and War Emblem in 2002), said. “They have helped make my career from horses like Silver Charm right up to Coil and Eden’s Moon last year. I don’t know what you [Florida breeders] are doing down here, but keep it up.”

A few awards presentations later, it came time to present several awards to the connections of Little Mike as the Florida-bred Champion Turf Horse, Florida-bred Champion Older Horse and Florida-bred Horse of the Year.

After Nick Vaccarezza, the son of breeder Carlo Vaccarezza and owner Priscilla Vaccareeza gave a heart-felt speech about the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) winner named for his brother Mike, Romans made it a point to grab the microphone before stepping off the stage.

“I just want to echo what Bob Baffert mentioned,” Romans said. “As most of you know, I’m a Kentucky boy through and through but I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for what you have meant to me and my career. It was actually you who helped me off to a fast start. When I first got my license as a 28-year-old kid, it was Michael O’Farrell and Marion Lewis who walked around the Calder sale all those years ago and helped me pick out a bunch of Florida-breds – and most of them turned out to be winners. Now I’ve had the chance to train some great Florida-bred stakes winners like Joint Effort and now Little Mike and I have to say, the Eclipse Awards got it wrong and you got it right!”

Just a month earlier, Little Mike missed being named the North American Champion Turf Horse after winning the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs, the Arlington Million at Arlington Park and the Breeders’ Cup Turf and Santa Anita, all Grade 1 races and all further than the three Grade 1 turf races won by eventual champion Wise Dan.

Not to be outdone in his appreciation for Florida-breds of course, was Bill Kaplan. Accepting the award for the second consecutive year as the trainer of 2012 of Champion Older Female and Female Sprinter Musical Romance, herself an Eclipse Award winner and Florida-bred Horse of the Year in 2011, Kaplan went right to the point with his comments.

“Musical Romance has meant a great deal to me but so have a lot of other Florida-breds. I’ve trained mainly Florida-breds because – quite simply – I buy only Florida-breds.”

Kaplan’s testimonial may have been the shortest of the three decorated conditioners, but his long history of backing his words by signing auction tickets on horses from the Sunshine State have just an impact if not more.

So the next time you find yourself in the market for a thoroughbred whether at an auction, private sale or through the claiming box, consider the words of three of the most successful trainers in the game and the final comments by Dr. Matthews.

“When it comes to Florida-breds – you can race ‘em or chase ‘em.”

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

First let me again say thank you for coming through so well last year. Havre de Grace and Blind Luck continued their rivalry, the new Santa Anita surface seems to be working, New York has their racinos up and running and Hollywood Park is still open.

This year, I’m toning it down a little bit. Asking for less and hoping that less strain helps you again deliver the items on my wish list and I see them under the tree on Christmas morning – and throughout the entire new year.

I know you’re busy St. Nick, so without further ado:

1 - You keep delivering – and I’ll keep asking. Santa, do what you can to keep Hollywood Park open for another year.

2 - Good TV Ratings for all horse racing telecasts this year. While television ratings for the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands remains solid and competitive with major sports such as NBA basketball and major league baseball, it attracts far more viewers than other horse racing telecasts, network or cable. Even the Breeders' Cup can't compete with Kentucky Derby ratings.

So let's ride the coat tails of the Kentucky Derby itself.

This year NBC will provide live coverage of six major Derby prep races over four weeks leading up to the Run for the Roses on the first Saturday in May. Good ratings will not only help - and further validate horse racing as a big time sport. A solid amount of viewers watching the Arkansas Derby, for instance, should translate to even better Kentucky Derby television ratings. Wouldn't that be nice?

The series will be highlighted by an NBC telecast of the Santa Anita Derby and the Wood Memorial April 7. The 90-minute live telecast will originate from Aqueduct Race Track in New York and Santa Anita near Los Angeles and is the third telecast of the series following the Spiral Stakes from Turfway Park in Kentucky Mar. 24 and the Florida Derby from Gulfstream Park Mar. 31. The Spiral Stakes and Florida Derby will be on NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus) while the Blue Grass Stakes and Arkansas Derby will be on CNBC on April 14.



3 - I’m not going to ask for a Triple Crown winner again. Since Affirmed won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes back in 1978, American racing has gone without a Triple Crown winner the past 33 years. Each year I ask for a Triple Crown winner and each year, I am rejected. Since Big Brown won the Derby and Preakness in 2008, we haven’t even had hope for a Triple Crown winner going into the Belmont.

So maybe Triple Crown winner is too much to put on a Christmas list. All I ask: Don’t take away our hope even before the Derby because of something silly like an equine liver disease. Not silly as in not sereious. Silly as in "What the dog gone it was that all about?" (See Union Rags)

4 - How about if Tim Tebow were to buy a race horse. We’ll take his winning magic as part of the package but you can keep his passing game. Give that to some Pop Warner team.

5 - Bring Frankel the horse to the United States. Although he is the 2011 European Horse of the Year and Champion 3-year-old, he is named after one of the great American horsemen of our time. Frankel the horse is named for the late Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel. A five-time Eclipse Award winner as champion trainer, Bobby Frankel trained many great horses for Frankel’s owner Juddmonte Farm.

6 - I still haven’t seen trainer Dale Romans and Huckleberry Hound in the same place. Coincidence?

7 - I’ve know you to sneak down to races a time or two each year Santa. I’ve see you and Prancer at Silks lounge at Arlington Park betting Saratoga and Del Mar. But let’s face it – neither of you have time to get to the track in the winter. In fact, I’d like to wish for a winter break on all-tracks after the Breeders’ Cup. Tha’t right Santa – no racing from early November through January. I’ve thought this through Santa and know that it will leave money on the table and create holiday hardships for many people who sell mutual tickets, clean stalls or sell hot dogs and maybe we should wait for the economy to get rolling again before we jump into this. But every sport needs some resemblance of a season.

Most major sports in America need some form of contraction to increase interest and eventually profits in the long run. We know pro football doesn’t work in Los Angeles and baseball is a flop in Tampa Bay. Why there is hockey in Dallas and Phoenix is beyond me. The two lowest attended teams in the NHL, neither Dallas or Phoenix average less than 11,500. That is 2,000 less fans per night than the Columbus Blue Jackets. (I played hockey and had to look up the mascot for Columbus.)

Horse racing also needs to get smaller. And I’d start with no winter racing. Sorry Hollywood Park, Santa Anita, Aqueduct, Gulfstream, Churchill Downs, Fair Grounds et. al. Your over supplying the market.

8 - And finally Santa, keep all of the jockeys, exercise riders, trainers, stable hands and of course the horses, safe throughout the year.

Sincerely,

Brock Sheridan

No More Debbie Downers for Shackleford

You have to give credit to trainer Dale Romans and owners Michael Lauffer and Bill Cubbedge. Yes, they deserve all the prestige and riches that come with winning an American sports classic like the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) with their Shackleford. But they should get some additional recognition for the tenacity and faith that they’ve shown through what has been a bumpy Winter and Spring campaign with Shackleford.

With each step leading up to the Triple Crown races, it seems that Romans, Lauffer and Cubbedge were plaqued by many in the racing media and gaming circles playing the role of 2000s Saturday Night Live character Debbie Downer. Rachel Dratch’s Debbie Downer was famous for adding negative comment to otherwise pleasant discussion, thus bringing down the mood of everyone. Of course her commentary was followed by the cartoonish muted trombone sound effect “wah! wa-a-a-a-ah.”

After Shackleford broke his maiden last November at Churchill Downs, Roman’s was giving hints of a potential horse the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands. Early this year, Shackleford was indeed listed on a few Kentucky Derby watch lists. But those were usually very long lists. The likes of Uncle Mo and To Honor and Serve were on the short lists. “wah! wa-a-a-a-ah.”

Shackleford started the year winning an entry level allowance race at Gulfstream Park in the first week of February. It was a solid win over a good field and it was around two turns at 1-1/8 miles. But it wasn’t like winning the grade 3 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park a week earlier. “wah! wa-a-a-a-ah.”

Shackleford’s next race was a bust as he finished fifth, some 23 lengths behind winner Soldat in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II). But Romans, Lauffer and Cubbedge stayed on plan with Shackleford and the Florida Derby (gr. I) would be next.

At odds of 68-1, jockey Jesus Castanon put Shackledford on the lead right from the start of the Florida Derby. It would be a position maintained until last few yards of the 1-1/8 mile Florida Derby as Holy Bull winner Dialed In hit the wire, just a head in front of second-place Shackleford. It was a dynamite performance by the long shot Shackleford.

The Debbie Downers, however, were quick to point out the main track had been beneficial to front runner all that day at Gulfstream Park. Shackleford and mearily benefited from the bias while Dialed In, a closer, had overcome it. “wah! wa-a-a-a-ah.”

And Shackleford would never get such an easy lead in the Kentucky Derby, usually run in not a fast pace, but more frantic during the early and middle parts of the race. “wah! wa-a-a-a-ah.”

But Castanon would hear nothing of the Debbie Downer’s criticism and put Shackleford on the lead in the Kentucky Derby. But he also slowed Shackleford to a pedestrian pace – in fact the slowest 1/1 mile in the Derby since 1947. Shackleford did not win the Kentucky Derby, but certainly ran a credible race, hanging on for fourth.

But again the Debbie Downers would say that the slow pace in the Derby was an anomaly and would surely not happen again in the Preakness. “wah! wa-a-a-a-ah.”

As if all of that wasn’t enough, in the moments just before the start of the Preakness, it appeared Shackleford was anything but ready for the race. He had become very hot while warming up for the Preakness and looked on edge before entering the starting gate. One final “wah! wa-a-a-a-ah.”

In the end, Shackleford was able to silence his critics with the Preakness victory, if only for a while. But in the Pimlico winner’s circle and on the infield podium where the Woodlawn Vase was presented to the winners – Debbie Downer and her trumpet where neither seen nor heard.

Florida Derby Confirms, Changes and Provides Hope For Kentucky Plans

Like ugly pitchers and pretty quarterbacks, everybody loves a late running thoroughbred and an emotional Nick Zito. Who can forget the raspy sounding Zito thanking God and everybody within reach after Strike the Gold won the 1991 Kentucky Derby. Well Dialed In gave horse racing both again Sunday afternoon at Gulfstream Park when he won the grade 1 Florida Derby narrowly over a stubborn Shackleford in second.

“This particular horse [Dialed In], I’ve become attached to," Zito said Monday at his barn at Palm Meadows Training Center. "I’ve had a lot of great horses, but with this particular horse there’s something about him, the horse’s courage, the way he is. More importantly, you’re not supposed to do what he’s done in his young career,“ Zito continued. “It’s almost impossible to do the things he’s done. You get emotional. He defies a speed favoring track – he defies it.”

Zito said Monday that he would not be shipping Dialed In to Kentucky anytime soon and would instead remain at the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida for at least a few more weeks. But there is not doubt they are headed to Kentucky where Zito will be trying to win his third Run for the Roses. Zito won the Kentucky Derby in 1991 with Strike the Gold and again in 1994 with Go For Gin.

Shackleford, the Florida Derby runner-up at odds of 68-1, will be leaving for Kentucky a little sooner according to his trainer Dale Romans. The question for Shackleford will be whether his $212,000 will be enough graded stakes earnings to qualify for the Derby. Shackleford added the $200,000 second-place Florida Derby check to his previous $12,000 earned while finishing fifth in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. 2) won by Soldat Feb. 26.

“We’ll see how everything shakes down and if the $212,000 will be good enough to get in,” Roman’s said Monday. “We won’t run him again. He’ll be pointed to the Derby and if doesn’t get in, we’ll give the Preakness a try.” Shackleford is currently ranked 20th on the list of graded stakes earnings by Kentucky Derby contenders. While that will be the final spot available to enter on May 4 for the Derby three days later, there are plenty of very rich graded stakes between now and the Kentucky Derby and that day. On the positive side for Shackleford, there are several horses ranked above the son of Forrestry that are questionable for the Kentucky Derby. The owners of Comma To The Top, currently sixth on the money list, have said the Kentucky Derby is not in their plans for the colt. Also ranked above Shackleford are three horses that finished well behind him in the Florida Derby.

Florida Derby favorite Soldat is ranked fifth on the list with $540,000 in graded earnings but was fifth in the Florida Derby, beaten more than 10 lengths by Dialed In. Florida Derby third-place finisher To Honor and Serve is ranked tenth with $350,000; and Stay Thirsty, seventh in the Florida Derby, has the 15th highest graded stakes earnings with $260,000.

“My gut tells me, ‘yeah, go on to the Kentucky Derby’” Kiaran McLaughlin, trainer of Soldat, said Monday. “You’ve got the earnings and [the Florida Derby was the] first race he wasn’t first or second. But I’ll have to talk to all the owners.” McLaughlin also said the 3-year-old son of War Front came out of the Florida Derby with no concerns.

Unlike Soldat, To Honor and Serve has not had a good race this year. In his only two races as a 3-year-old, To Honor and Serve has finished third, more than 6-1/2 lengths behind the winner, in both the Florida Derby and Fountain of Youth. Last year To Honor and Serve won the grade 2 Remsen Stakes at 1-1/8 miles over Mucho Macho Man but has yet to match that race as a sophomore. Bill Mott, his Hall of Fame trainer is also not one to be smitten over having a Kentucky Derby starter. In a training career that spans some 40 years, Mott has had only seven Kentucky Derby starters with Hold Me Back, 12th in 2009, as his most successful starter.

Trainer Todd Pletcher has not indicated as to whether Stay Thirsty will be heading to Kentucky for the Derby, but the odds are that he and owner Mike Repole will be looking elsewhere. Stay Thirsty was never a factor while finishing a well beaten sixth in the Florida Derby. Pletcher also trains Derby future book favorite Uncle Mo for Repole, so it not likely they will need Stay Thirsty to get to Churchill Downs for the Derby.

Whether To Honor and Serve, Soldat or Stay Thirsty head to Kentucky or not, one can be assured the list will change many times during the next four weeks leading up to the Derby. Millions of graded earnings have yet to be given away in New York, California, Illinois, Kentucky and Arkansas, so new names on the list of probable Kentucky Derby are likely to appear. Just as names fall of that list for various reasons as well.

Safe be it to say that the connections behind Shackleford will watch their colt fall of and return to the Derby list a few times in the next four weeks.

Emotions Run High During Breeders' Cup Ladies Day

It was a day of feel good stories at Santa Anita during Breeder' Cup Ladies day as European legend Henry Cecil picked up his first Breeders' Cup win from seven previous starts. Cecil has been the champion trainer in Britian nine times but fell on hard times around the new millineum with personal health problems and the loss of three major, long-standing owners who had died. So all of England must have celebrated when Midday took the Emirates Airline Filly and Mare Turf with Midday.

Trainer Dale Romans was a bit emotional after Tapitsfly won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf for owner Frank I. Jones Jr. Jones. Jones has been in horse racing for decades in the Midwest and has had only two trainers. Dale's father Jerry, who passed away in 2000, was the only other one.

Almost making the happy list was the nine-year-old Cloudy's Nite, who missed by the most narrow of margins in the Breeder' Cup Marathon. The tight photo finish also cost jockey Rosemary Homeister Jr. an opportunity to join Julie Krone as the only female to ever ride a Breeders' Cup winner. Krone won the 2003 Juvenile Fillies with Halfbridled.

Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic winner Life Is Sweet seemed happy to leave for the saddling paddock without stablemate Zenyatta along side for a change, but it appears she may have received some running instructions from the big mare. Losing to her stablemate in three of her previous four races, Life is Sweet's late running move down the middle of the Santa Anita stretch looked like a smaller version of Zenyatta coming to the wire.

We get to see the real thing Saturday.

Special get well wishes go out to Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel who has been battling cancer from his home in Southern California for the last six months while still managing his stable. Jay Privman reported on ESPN that Frankel has recently been hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. You can send your well wishes to Frankel on Facebook on the Bobby Frankel Get Well Soon card.