The Royal Duet - La Cuvee 21 at Stonestreet

La Cuvee ’21 has been doing well since returning to the track at Stonestreet farm. Our Cotai Glory colt is currently galloping a mile and a quarter and moving well according to farm trainer Ian Brennen. In addition to galloping, he has continued on the Aquaciser a few times a week. 

We took a follow-up set of X-rays a few weeks ago and everything continues to look good. Ian reported he is likely two weeks away from his first easy breeze.

La Cuvee 21 at Stonestreet Farm, approximately 12-31-2023

Seize The Grey has First Breeze After Freshening

Seize the Grey had his first three-furlong breeze this week at Highlander Training Center. Farm trainer Jon Newbold oversaw the work and reported, “The colt worked a nice and easy 3/8ths this morning and looked good doing it.” 

Our soon to be 3-year-old continues to progress in the right direction. As mentioned, the plan is for him to put in a few half-miles before shipping back to D. Wayne Lukas' barn at Oaklawn Park.

There are no definite plans for our soon-to-be 3YO, since everything will depend on how he trains back, but...Oaklawn does host the Arkansas Derby which awards considerable points toward the 2024 Kentucky Derby for 1st through 5th place. Here's a photo of Ceasar from this morning.

Ceasar at Highland Training Center 12-30-2023

The Royal Duet: Guinevere Workout

Guinevere breezed a half-mile from the gate this morning at Keeneland, covering the four furlongs in :49.40 while on the outside of Mourne Mountains (two-time runner at the MSW level). Entering the final stretch with two lengths to make up, our 2-year-old filly quickened in the final stages to finish head-to-head at the wire with her workmate. 

With a series of half-mile drills including three gate works under her now, we are not too far away from a potential debut with your daughter of Justify. We’ll talk further with trainer Wesley Ward but there are a few options towards the latter half of January at Turfway that she could potentially be ready for pending all things continue well. Once we have a finalized target, we will pass along that information.

Seismic Beauty Update: Lay-Up

Seismic Beauty is being placed on lay up for at least a three-month period. She will remain on stall rest for the first 90 days and then hand walking can begin. She will start with 10 minutes a day and increase by five minutes each additional week up to 30 minutes. 

This, of course, means that she is completely out of contention for this spring's Kentucky Oaks and other major 3YO stakes this Spring and Summer, and will probably not begin her career until at least the late Summer or Fall. It's disappointing, but the welfare of the horse MUST always come first.

We will follow up with further reports during her R&R.

Adaay In Asia Update

Adaay in Asia has been able to have two additional half-mile drills, including one last week before the rain where she covered a half mile in :49.60. 

This morning, she breezed a sharp half-mile in :48 flat (the final time was not posted) and galloped out in a 1:00 and change. The daughter of Adaay left the half-mile pole on the keener side which is nothing new but did settle down the backstretch for rider Hector Berrios. She was very enthusiastic down the lane, striding out nicely. 

Adaay in Asia remains on schedule for our targeted G3 Las Cienegas Stakes on January 14th and she could have one or two additional works ahead of this race.

Catalyst Update

Catalyst was out galloping a mile and a quarter this morning at Oaklawn Park and has remained in good order according to the Asmussen barn. Steve is taking his time with our daughter of Gun Runner who could return to the work tab later this week but that decision will be left up to Steve. We will report back once she breezes.

UPDATE: Catalyst Breezes December 28, 2023

Catalyst had her first work back this morning at Oaklawn Park, covering a half-mile in :50.40 while on the outside of Twirled (3x winner). Under jockey Erik Asmussen, our daughter of Gun Runner traveled easily throughout the drill under no urging, finishing head-to-head at the wire with her mate. 

This was a solid first breeze back for our soon to be 3-year-old who has handled everything out of her debut in good order. 

We will discuss a race plan with trainer Steve Asmussen in the coming week and follow up in our next update but our next possible options would come on Jan. 12 or Jan. 19.

[Photo below is a screenshot from the workout this morning. Catalyst is on the outside.]

Secret Crush Performs 3rd Official Work & Video

Secret Crush, our late-to-the-party 2YO colt (by Candy Ride out of a daughter of Take Charge Lady sired by Storm Cat) has now performed his third official work since 12/11/2023 and this time stretched out to 4f on dirt at Palm Beach Downs for a nice time of 49.80, which was the 11th fastest of 21 works.

We are excited to see him advancing in his workouts and moving forward as he approaches his 3YO season. 

We'll follow up with the next report when we receive it. 

UPDATE: MORE INFO AND VIDEO OF WORK

A further report and a video of the work was post on YouTube so we are making it available here.

Secret Crush picked up the pace yesterday morning at Palm Beach Downs, covering a half-mile in :49.80. He breezed on the outside of stablemate Sixty Degrees and the pair worked head and head to the wire. On the gallop out, our son of Candy Ride proved best taking over a length advantage. This was great to see, as it was the first time Secret Crush had been asked for anything in his works. He will remain on a weekly work schedule and should return with his second half-mile next week.

Blue Curl 22 Update

Blue Curl ’22 (temporary name) galloped twice around the track this morning at Two Springs Farm. Chetley Breeden remains pleased with the daughter of Speightstown who is moving along nicely in her training. Blue Curl '22 will become a 2YO on January 1, 2023.

Screenshot from the video we were sent of
Blue Curl 22's work

Mo Temptation Update

Mo Temptation has been doing well at San Luis Rey since shipping back to the O'Neill barn in early December. Assistant trainer Kimberly Marrs reported our daughter of Mo Town will start back on the track this coming week. The O’Neill barn is taking its time with her so Mo Temptation will likely jog for 3-4 weeks before moving forward. 

We'll report back with any news to share in the coming weeks.

Fancy Quality Potential Debut Target

Trainer Kenny McPeek has been pleased with the daughter of Wootton Basset's works and expects her to be ready for a debut in mid-January, with a MSW turf going a mile on January 18th looking to be a likely target.

Lane Way Featured in Santa Anita Calendar

So proud of this guy. He's an absolute trooper. 

Special Message from Simply Enchanting

Simply Enchanting sent us a Christmas card! (This was a first. :) ) Merry Christmas, everyone.

Merry Christmas!

 

Simply Enchanting to Bypass Friday's Race

The good news: She's not injured and nothing is amiss.

The bad news: Simply Enchanting will bypass her debut originally to be run on Friday, December 29th.

 Here's the official update:

We opted to bypass the maiden special weight on Friday for Simply Enchanting, as our week of training was disrupted quite a bit due to the rain. Horses were unable to train on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and were only able to jog this morning. 

Trainer Phil D’Amato thinks the best decision is to be patient, allowing him to get additional breezes into her and not rush to get her final breeze in. We completely agree with the decision we finalized on with Phil and our partner, Joey Platts as we believe this will give your daughter by Nyquist the best chance for her debut.

We're in 100% agreement. Considering the late date, look for Simply Enchanting to be making her first start as a 3YO in 2024.

Wishing you the Happiest of Holidays and Looking Forward to a Brand New Year!

 

English Jubilee is Back from Freshener in Florida

English Jubilee (English Channel x Kitten's Joy daughter) is back from her freshener in Florida with a 3F work this morning. :D Casse Training Center - 12/21/2023 - Dirt 3F - 37.20 - Breezing - 3/4

LEGITIFY: Unofficial Work

LEGITIFY (by Justify out of a daughter of Galileo) was back on the track at Santa Anita with a short unrecorded work this morning. We were sent the video and were very happy with what we saw. We'll post more updates as he progresses. Richard Mandella is his trainer. 

[Photo of an earlier work. Legitify is the chestnut horse on the outside.]

Pioneer Prince Update and Status Change

Pioneer Prince (Pioneerof the Nile) was back after about 30 days off with a pretty nice work at Santa Anita going 49 flat for 4 furlongs. The reason for his absence was for recovery purposes. Our ridgeling is now a gelding. 

Exciting Update for Simply Enchanting

Simply Enchanting had her first work at Santa Anita this morning, breezing five furlongs from the gate in 1:00.80 (21/88) while on the outside of stablemate, Aint No Joke. Under jockey Santiago Gonzalez, your daughter of Nyquist broke well and showed decent early foot as the pair went down the backstretch. Simply Enchanting finished about a neck back from her mate as they completed the five furlongs at the eighth pole since, galloping out six furlongs to the wire. 

Trainer Phil D’Amato thought this was a solid work in what was a demanding drill over a new surface against a mate who has run twice of late. He did report this wasn’t his ideal plan given she worked from the gate last week at Los Alamitos but due to the incoming weather, he wanted to be sure he got a second gate work in with a potential debut on the horizon. 

Phil is going to keep his eye on a maiden special weight on Friday, December 29th at Santa Anita which will be contested going six furlongs on the dirt. He'll play the weather by ear this coming week but if she bounces out of the work well and has no hiccups throughout the week, he feels it would be good to get a run into her. By no surprise, both rider and Phil believe her future is going to be around two turns, but your filly has not been slow by any means in her a.m. activity which gives the barn confidence sprinting her first time out.

Simply Enchanting from August of 2023
(post growth spurt)

Simply Enchanting Ships to Santa Anita and Runs First Work Over Track

SIMPLY ENCHANTING, our 2YO Nyqyist daughter, has been shipped to Santa Anita where she ran her first work over the track this morning -- from the gate -- in a very nice time. Needless to say, we're super pleased with her progress. 

This one's a very special filly who shares Laurie's birthday, and who we met at Ocala in February. She had to be taken out of training earlier this year when she went through a rapid growth spurt that put a strain on her developing joints. 

She restarted training this past Fall and ran her first official work at Los Alamitos on October 15th. Phil D'Amato is her trainer. 

Work stats for this morning: 

Santa Anita - 12/17/2023 - Dirt 5F - 1:00.80 - Handily from gate - 16th/66

M

Meeting Simply Enchanting at Ocala in February

Simply Enchanting after her growth spurt and before
shipping West to trainer Phil D'Amato

Lady Blitz Update: Back at Wavertree

Lady Blitz has settled in at Wavertree and has now been there for approximately 10 days. Your daughter of Audible will get some much-deserved turnout time as we will allow her to decompress from the racetrack and get some weight back on her. Ciaran and our team will regroup every 30 days but plan on giving her a total of 60 days off.

The Royal Duet - Another Nice Work from Guinevere

Guinevere had another nice time on her work this morning from the gate at Keeneland. She's been looking great after her break to let her grow up and mature a bit. It will remain to be seen if she's got the talent to go to Royal Ascot in 2024, but that was the plan. We'll see how things go this spring. [Photo of earlier Dec. work] 

Keeneland - 12/15/2023 - Dirt - 4F in 47.40 - Breezing from gate - 6th/28

Photo of Guinevere from an earlier December 2023 work.

Fancy Quality Update

Fancy Quality breezed a half-mile in :51.80 on Saturday morning at Fair Grounds (Louisiana) while working in company with her usual stablemate Bad Betty. Similarly to last week, our daughter of Wootton Bassett took the upper hand in the final stage of the drill, her workmate was clocked in :52 flat for the four furlongs. Our filly’s exercise rider did not ask for much and the McPeek barn reported she is handling things well. Fancy Quality could have her first five furlong drill next week and pending a few additional breezes including a gate-work, we are not too far from a potential debut at Fair Grounds.

Adaay In Asia Targeting a Grade 3 Stakes

Adaay in Asia had her first breeze at Santa Anita Park this morning, covering four furlongs in :48.80 under jockey Kyle Frey. The daughter of Adaay was on the muscle from the get-go and hooked up with some company from other barns around the turn. She traveled well through the stretch while never being asked for anything. “She’s an A+ workhorse,” said trainer Phil D’Amato. “If I wanted her to breeze a bullet every week she could.” We plan to target the G3 Las Cienegas Stakes on January 14th which will be contested down the hillside turf course at Santa Anita. This was a major reason why the filly shipped west and we are excited to see how she handles it. We still have a month to go for that race so trainer Phil D’Amato will keep her on a weekly work schedule while not needing to do anything too serious from a work standpoint. She’s a filly that gets plenty out of her daily gallops. Also note, it is the time of year when rain will start to come in Arcadia and our first expected storm is projected next week which could affect her work schedule in the short term.

Lady Blitz and Here's The Kicker Take a Break

Lady Blitz (Audible) and Here's The Kicker (Liam's Map) have both been sent from Palm Beach Downs to Wavertree Training Center in Florida for a freshener. We'll keep you posted on any news. 

Lane Way Update - And a Sigh of Relief

We recently had a scare when Lane Way showed some filling (swelling) on an ankle. He was immediately taken out of training and scheduled for a PET scan. 

Things seemed questionable for our soon-to-be 7YO horse, but we are extremely pleased to report Lane Way’s scan returned free of any issues! We weren’t sure what to expect but we couldn’t be happier to receive this news! 

Lane Way returned to the track today to jog alongside the pony. He was feeling fresh and very happy to get back on the track following a few days off. Unfortunately, this has set us back from our short-term plans of the G2 Joe Hernandez on Dec. 30th at Santa Anita. The Mandella team will continue monitor his ankle as he gets back into training but this will hopefully only be something that effects our immediate plans. 

We’ll continue to update you with more information and his progress over the coming weeks.

Catalyst Back on the Track After December 8th Debut

Catalyst was in good order and back on the track jogging today after her debut (7th) last Friday, December 8th. She'll begin regular workouts again next week. 

A Big Work from Seismic Beauty

Seismic Beauty breezed a stellar half-mile in :47 flat this morning at Los Alamitos. The daughter of Uncle Mo looked well from the get-go and did everything by herself under no urging. She followed up with a big gallop out, carrying her speed well past the wire. 

Assistant trainer Mike Marlow was extremely pleased with today’s drill. While she has never put in a poor work since returning to the barn, this was the work we have been waiting for from your filly. 

Next week, it is possible she will work in company now that she has a steady foundation under her and we wouldn’t expect it to be too long before she is ready to ship to Bob at Santa Anita. We can’t wait to see her progress in the coming weeks.

Fireball Birdie Update

Following a few days at Churchill Downs, Fireball Birdie shipped to Louisiana Downs and settled in nicely in his new digs with trainer Steve Asmussen. Steve reported that our son of Uncle Mo was moving forward in his training while currently galloping as you can see in the video above. Pending a few additional weeks of galloping, we could see Fireball Birdie have his first speed work towards mid-January. We will continue to report on his progress and follow up with any news from the barn.

Simply Enchanting is Galloping at Santa Anita

Simply Enchanting galloped for the first time this morning at Santa Anita. Everything remains well for the daughter of Nyquist.

Mo Temptation Back at San Luis Rey

Mo Temptation has settled back into her home at San Luis Rey in great order and assistant trainer Kimberly Marrs is very happy with how your filly looks. Given we have had two setbacks with this filly, Kim is going to take things slow and give your daughter of Mo Town every chance to succeed. We want to thank the team at Trifecta for doing a phenomenal job with and preparing her for her return to the track.

Secret Crush does First Official work

Secret Crush had his first official breeze this morning at Palm Beach Downs, covering three furlongs in :39.88. Since this was his first work for trainer Todd Pletcher, this was a fairly easy drill from your colt by intention. Secret Crush did everything in hand and relaxed in the bridle, continuing past the wire at a steady tempo with a nice gallop out.

Speightstown - Sire of Blue Curl '22 (now Isle Blue) - Passed Today at Winstar Farms

Sire-of-sires Winstar Farms Champion Speightstown Euthanized

Catalyst Debut Recap

Catalyst finished eighth on debut this evening at Oaklawn Park. 

Things never really went our filly’s way as she got nervous in the gate leading her to miss the break. After breaking last, jockey Cristian Torres had to immediately go to plan B, easing her to the rail and trying to save as much ground as possible. 

It took her a few strides to fully get comfortable as she experienced a serious amount of kick back but did find a steady rhythm as they entered the backstretch. She gradually moved up positions while on the rail but was unable to sustain any serious run when things mattered most. 

We were hoping for a better end result but as per a previous video with trainer Steve Asmussen, we knew she was likely going to benefit from having this race under her belt. Having a horse ready on debut as a 2YO is a challenge in itself and in this case going two turns added another element to that challenge. 

This performance certainly doesn’t change our viewpoint on what we hope to see from this filly down the line and we expect to see a much improved performance with more experience and fitness. The team will make sure she bounces out of the race in good order and then develop a plan with Steve moving forward. 

We'll follow up in the coming days with any post-race updates.

Lane Way - Stormy Liberal Stakes Photos

A few shots of Lane Way in the saddling paddock area before the 2023 Stormy Liberal Stakes at Del Mar with trainer "Pappa" Mandella and jockey Mike Smith. Photo credits Terri Ibers (partner).  

Fancy Quality Workout

Fancy Quality breezed a half-mile in :50.20 this morning at Fair Grounds. 

Working on the inside of Bad Betty, her workmate took a two lengths lead down the backstretch. Our daughter of Wootton Bassett traveled easily and cruised entering the final stretch. Under no urging, Fancy Quality showcased a nice stride and crossed the wire with a 5+ lengths advantage. 

The McPeek barn was pleased with today’s drill as she continues to respond well to training every week.

Catalyst Runs a "Blow Out" Work

In her anticipated "blow out" before her debut on Friday, Catalyst ran the 2nd fastest time of 124 works! Very encouraging sign. We're looking forward to her debut with great anticipation.

Oaklawn Park 12/3/2023 Dirt 4F 48.40 Handily from the gate 2/124

Seismic Beauty Work and Update

Seismic Beauty breezed a half-mile in :48.80 this morning at Los Alamitos. As you will see in the video above, your daughter of Uncle Mo did everything on her own and traveled nicely throughout the drill. She galloped out strongly past the wire with plenty of enthusiasm. At this stage, the Baffert barn couldn’t be happier with our filly as she continues to progress and handle everything well.

Lady Blitz will Take a Break at Wavertree

Lady Blitz exited her last race in good physical order though it was another underwhelming performance. She was sent back to Palm Beach Downs for a short time, and while she has returned to a normal training schedule at Gulfstream Park, MRH has decided to give our daughter of Audible a break from training. There is no particular reason why the break is necessary outside of the fact that she has not performed to expectations through five races. She has had a fairly extensive campaign as a two-year-old and at this stage with no changes, she would need to run for a tag to be competitive which we prefer to not do at this stage. Lady Blitz will return to Wavertree Stables in Ocala where she went through the breaking and pre-training process. Farm trainer Ciaran Dunne was always high on Lady Blitz so we felt it made the most sense for her to spend her turnout period with him and have her prepped there before returning to the track. Given there are no physical set backs, we will likely give her 60 days off before returning to training. We, like many in the partnership, are in full agreement with this plan. Hopefully the added time to mature will be a big benefit, and Ciaran Dunne can get her back on track and ready to begin her 3YO campaign this spring.

Lane Way Runs 3rd in the Stormy Liberal

We're proud of Lane Way's performance today in the less-than-ideal distance, but he's now had his out that should set him up fitness-wise for the longer stakes at the end of December, the G2 Joe Hernandez Stakes. It was a masterful ride by Mike Smith who kept Lane on the rail and cruising along with that huge stride of his. He had a bit of trouble in late stretch when he got blocked in on the rail behind another horse and had to shift to the outside, which could have cost him some time, but it appeared he came back well from a race her really needed. 

Lane Way gets some Press Prior to his Next Stakes Run

In advance of his run in the Stormy Liberal stakes today, Lane Way is getting some press. Here's one story, which probably has it called for the shorter distance. 

Lane Way, Daniel's Magic will have to Hurry in the five-furlong Stormy Liberal Stakes

Catalyst Update - Set for Debut

Catalyst last breezed 5 furlongs in 1:01.80 on Monday at Churchill Downs. Our 2YO Gun Runner filly performed a solid work in company with stablemate Guarani. She could have one final blowout ahead of her debut. 

This morning, Steve Asmussen entered our daughter of Gun Runner in Friday's maiden special weight going a mile on the dirt. Details are as follows: Friday, December 8, Oaklawn Park, R#10, Post #8 of 12, Cristian Torres up, 4:40 CT (3:40 MT).

Simply Enchanting Works 5 Furlongs

Simply Enchanting had her first five-furlong drill this morning at Los Alamitos working on the inside of stablemates Our Consigliere and Shikhara ‘21. Our 2-year-old was in blinkers today, showcasing a nice stride in the final furlongs and re-engaged past the wire. The trio was clocked in 1:01 flat and the D’Amato barn was pleased with what they saw. 

Simply Enchanting is inching closer to a career debut which will likely come at the Santa Anita meet which begins on Dec. 26. She still has a few more works to go, including a gate work. She is ready for according to the barn.

Seize The Grey Back to Work After Freshening

More news on Seize the Grey! Our son of Arrogate started back jogging at Highlander Training Center the morning on November 27th and was on the track this morning (see photos below). 

He looked well and happy to be back on the track. The team at Highlander couldn’t be happier with the way our colt is doing. He'll continue with a jogging routine for approximately two weeks before starting to gallop. 

Spring 2024...here he comes!  

Seize The Grey back to work at Highland Training Center
11-27-2023

If the Kentucky Derby was Run Today, we'd have a Horse in the Gate!

Seize The Grey currently is in the gate for the 2024 Kentucky Derby! How fun is that?

Of course, this picture is going to change dramatically in the next six months, and there are some very good horses notably absent because they haven't yet earned enough points (like Dornoch -- Mage's full brother). Some of the horses currently "in" won't continue down the road to the first Saturday in May,  some who haven't yet made the list will do so this spring, and some we haven't even heard of yet will toss their hat in the ring in the coming months, too. 

It's going to be a very fun and exciting spring. Meanwhile, Ceasar says "Hi" and he's enjoying his vacation. :) 

Secret Crush Ships to Todd Pletcher

 Secret Crush has shipped to Todd Pletcher at Palm Beach Downs in Florida this morning. 

Fireball Birdie Ships to Steve Asmussen

 Fireball Birdie shipped to Steve Asmussen at Churchill Downs this morning. 

Pioneer Prince Update - Change of Status

A decision was made to geld Pioneer Prince, who was a ridgling. According to the follow-up report after the procedure on November 26th, "Everything went to plan for our 3-year-old who was very alert in his stall."

Arrogate vs. Justify

Fellow partner Elizabeth Hobby-Wicker put this list together. I thought it gave an interesting insight into Arrogate's (Seize The Grey's sire) success especially as compared to Justify, who's also been a hot sire lately. 

She said: "I keep track of Arrogate and Justify offspring. The ones that don't have (Arrogate) are the Justify ones. This is just since the beginning of October. Several 2nd places too but I deleted those so it wouldn't be quite so long. And these are only the major tracks and Horseshoe Indy (because it's close to me)."

Oct 3rd - Horseshoe - race 1 #2 Happy Helen (Arrogate) (1st)
Oct 4th - Belmont - race 5 #2 Hard to Justify (1st)
Oct 6th - Keeneland - race 8 #10 Buchu (1st)
Oct 7th - Belmont - race 5 #5 Just F Y I (1st)
Oct 13th - Belmont - race 1 #6 Pandagate (Arrogate) (1st)
Oct 14th - Belmont - race 5 #1 Purloin (Arrogate) (1st)
Oct 14th - Santa Anita - race 10 #4 Arrowthegreat (Arrogate)(1st)
Oct 15th - Belmont - race 7 #5 Straight Arrow(Arrogate) (1st)
Oct 18th - Keeneland - race 6 #5 Skratch Kat (Arrogate) (1st)
Oct 22nd - Santa Anita - race 8 #6 Central Dispatch (Arrogate) (1st)
Oct 25th - Keeneland - race 1 #10 The Gatekeeper (Arrogate) (1st)
Oct 27th - Belmont - race 6 #3 Living Magic (1st)
Oct 27th - Keeneland- race 3 #8 Celtic Charm (1st)
Oct 29th - Belmont - race 10 #10 Straight Arrow (Arrogate)(1st)
Oct 29th - Churchill - race 10 #8 Liberal Arts (Arrogate)(1st)
Nov 3rd - Churchill - race 4 #2 Skratch Kat (Arrogate) (1st)
Nov 3rd - SantaAnita - race 6 #12 Just F Y I (1st)
Nov 3rd - SantaAnita - race 7 #12 Hard To Justify (1st)
Nov 10th - Churchill - race 9 #2 Bright Spark (Arrogate) (1st)
Nov 11th - Del Mar - race 2 #3 Pilot Commander (1st)
Nov 17th - Horseshoe race 3 #13 Happy Helen (Arrogate) (1st)
Nov 19th - Churchill - race 1 #3 Enclosure (Arrogate)(1st)
Nov 23rd - Churchill - race 2 #11 Red River Magic (1st)
Nov 23rd - Churchill - race 12 #7 Legadema (Arrogate) (1st)
Nov 23rd - Del Mar - race 6 #2 Linda's Gift (Arrogate) (1st)
Nov 25th - Churchill - race 1 #12 Raguel (1st)
Nov 25th - Churchill - race 9 #7 Just Steel (1st)

Just to recap, that's SIXTEEN wins by Arrogate offspring for the month of October just from this limited sampling of tracks. 

Mo Temptation Heading Back to Doug O'Neill

We are pleased to report that Mo Temptation has completed her R&R at Trifecta and is scheduled to ship back on Friday to Doug O’Neill’s barn at San Luis Rey Downs. 

Everything went as planned for our daughter of Mo Town following her lay up on Aug. 10th and the team has been pleased with her progress. Our Mo Town 3-year-old is ready to start back light training under tack following her Aquatred work and we will report back with her ongoing training in the coming weeks. Upon arrival at San Luis Rey, she will likely tack-walk for a few days before heading to the track.

Catalyst Works Prior to Debut

Catalyst worked this morning prior to her anticipated debut on Friday. 

Churchill Downs 11/27/2023 Dirt 5F 1:01.80 Breezing 3/4 

We are expecting that this was an easier work pending her first race this weekend, but we'll edit this post to include the full report once it's received.

Lane Way Work Pre-Stakes

Lane Way had his final blowout this morning at Del Mar, covering three furlongs in :36.80. Breaking off from the pony at the 3/8 pole, our veteran showcased his long stride in the final stretch and galloped out with plenty of enthusiasm. Trainer Richard Mandella reported that all systems are a go for the son of Into Mischief who will be entered on Wednesday for Saturday’s Stormy Liberal S. at Del Mar. We will report back when entries are official.

Fireball Birdie Set to Ship

Fireball Birdie (nicknamed "Firebird") has been scheduled to ship to trainer Steve Asmussen at Churchill Downs on Tuesday, November 28th.

We'll post a follow up once he arrives safely. 

Seismic Beauty Runs a Bullet

In her first work back since July, our Bob Baffert trained Seismic Beauty ran a bullet work this morning at Los Alamitos, covering 3F in 35.60 handily for a ranking of 1/5.

We're very excited to have our Uncle Mo filly back on track and working toward her debut.   

Lane Way Nomination

Lane Way was officially nominated to the $100,000 Stormy Liberal Stakes to be run on December 2nd at Del Mar. 

Nominations closed with a total of 14 horses including Lane Way. Official entries will be taken on Wednesday. We'll report back with an update at that time.

Adaay In Asia Workout

Adaay in Asia had her first work at Del Mar this morning, breezing a half-mile over the turf course. Working in company with stablemate Tony Ann, the duo was credited with a final time of :50.60. 

She galloped out with plenty of enthusiasm under exercise rider Tony Gutierrez who has been getting on her daily since shipping to Del Mar. Tony has a way with those horses who have a tendency to be on the aggressive side when it comes to their training and for those that were part of Going to Vegas may remember him as her regular pilot in the mornings.

Fancy Quality Update

Fancy Quality moved onto her first half-mile on Saturday over the Fair Grounds main track, covering the four furlongs in :51.60. 

Working with her usual workmate Bad Betty, this work was kept on the easier side by the McPeek barn since this was her first half mile work. 

The team remains pleased with the way she handles training and we will keep you updated as the intensity increases.

Secret Crush Update - Change of Status Coming Soon!

Secret Crush had a nice work yesterday morning at Wavertree Stables, covering a half-mile in :50.40 while on the outside of his workmate. Farm trainer Ciaran Dunne said our Candy Ride colt has been doing very well of late and this was exactly what he was looking from him in this breeze. 

Pending that he continues to look good over the weekend, we will be looking into making arrangements to ship to trainer Todd Pletcher.

Secret Crush is our last remaining 2YO at Wavertree. We are very appreciative of the efforts of Ciaran and the staff at Waverly in prepping our six 2YOs and giving them such a stellar foundation for their careers. 

Those other five in our "Wavertree Class of 2023" include: 

• Seize The Grey (now stakes placed and a winner at Saratoga trained by D. Wayne Lukas)
• Lady Blitz (trained by Todd Pletcher)
• Legitify (now in training with Richard Mandella)
• Simply Enchanting (now in training with Phil D'Amato)
• A Day to Remember (now with trainer Mark Glatt)

Legitify Update

Legitify has been dealing with a case of the 2-year-old growing pains as he goes through the training process. 

While he was close to picking up speed works again, he gave the Mandella team some signs that they needed to slow down. As we reported previously, he was up to galloping two miles on a daily basis, and with that increased intensity his body started to respond differently. He was not moving as fluidly on the track but jogged sound on the road which gave the Mandella team a bit of concern there could be an issue rooting higher up, like a shoulder, but we ensured that area was clear by completing a bone scan on Monday. 

This caused your son of Justify to miss two days of training and while his shoulder region was clear, his ankles did show some minor uptake. This is the most common area we find when completing bone scans due to the concussion of training, but the severity is minimal. 

It was recommended to ease off for the next two weeks while still remaining in training and he was galloping at a lighter pace this morning. 

We'll continue to keep you updated and hope to see him back picking things up in a few weeks. 

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving.

Legitify is the outside chestnut with the star.
Work out from August.
Justify x Sarrocchi by Galileo

Catalyst Update and Future Plans

Catalyst breezed five furlongs in 1:01 flat on Monday at Churchill Downs while in company with stablemate Copper Em (2yo winner on debut at Ellis Park and stakes-placed at Kentucky Downs). Trainer Steve Asmussen reported this was an improved work from her last breeze. This week’s breeze was her second over the track which does make a big difference, especially for a younger horse. 

Steve opted to bypass the potential race target this weekend at Churchill in order to give her a few additional works. In addition, he feels she is going to be best around two turns which does not come by surprise given her pedigree. 

Our current plan is to target a maiden special going a flat mile on Dec. 8 at Oaklawn Park. This will give her one to two additional works leading up to her debut. Entries will be taken a week out, Dec. 1.

 

Catalyst (formerly known as "Tamboz 21)
Gun Runner x Tamboz by Tapit

Lane Way Update - Stormy Liberal Stakes

Lane Way breezed this morning at Del Mar, covering five furlongs in 1:00.60. Working solo, team Mandella reported that Lane Way is doing great and continues to be thriving at the seaside oval. He could have one final blowout ahead of next Saturday’s Stormy Liberal S. which remains his target. Nominations will be released later this week and entries will be taken on Wednesday. We will report back with nominations when they are made official.

Seismic Beauty Update

Seismic Beauty has been galloping daily over the past few weeks and is doing well according to Bob Baffert's assistant trainer, Mike Marlow. Now that she has had the necessary amount of jogging and galloping, she is inching closer to her highly anticipated first work back which could happen as early as this weekend. We will follow up with an update when she does.

Simply Enchanting Update

Simply Enchanting breezed four furlongs in :49.40 this morning at Los Alamitos. Working on the inside of stablemate Shikhara '21, our daughter of Nyquist was a step best early on before the duo got on even terms at the wire. Simply Enchanting regained the advantage on the gallop out. 

With three half-miles under her belt, she should be ready to breeze five-eighths next week.

The Royal Duet - La Cuvee 21 Update

La Cuvee ’21 continues to move forward during his R&R at Stonestreet Farm. Our son of Cotai Glory currently uses the Aquacizer six days a week, jogging for 10 minutes while in it. As with Mo Temptation, the Aquacizer offers a concussion-free, intense aerobic workout in cold water (50-55 degrees). 

Farm manager Ian Brennan reported that he is looking good. He'll be reassessed next week to determine if he can start back in light training under tack. We will follow up with any news to share.

The Royal Duet - La Cuvee 21
using the aquacizer pool

The Royal Duet - La Cuvee 21
leaving the aquacizer

Seize The Grey Update

Seize the Grey has remained in great order while enjoying his paddock turnout at Highlander Training Center. 

This morning, which was the start of his fourth week of freshening, the in-ground Aquatred was incorporated into his daily routine to maintain fitness. He continues to be turned out for the afternoon. 

Following 7-10 days of this routine, they will look at getting Seize the Grey back under tack by December 1st which is just over the 30-day mark of arriving at Highlander (arrived 10/28/23).

We'll keep you updated with any further reports.  

Seize The Grey
using in-ground Aquatred
at Highlander
during freshening 11-20-2023

Lady Blitz Race Recap

Sadly, Lady Blitz finished sixth in today’s maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park, beaten by 7 lengths. 

Breaking very well from the rail with the scratch of the #1 Tinta Roja she sat right behind the early leader #5 Time is Magic. Turning for home, our 2-year-old was stuck on the inside and seemed to struggle keeping up with the pace being pushed back to eighth-place. 

She re-engaged in the final stretch and looked poised to turn in a big performance, but was not a factor in the late stretch, finishing 6th of an 11 horse field. 

Jockey Edgar Zayas discussed with our team following the race and reported that he was positioned well early on but didn't respond when he needed her to change gears. 

Edgar felt she handled the track well but recommended the turf next as most current Tapeta races will be run on turf as the Championship meet begins on the 6th. (She was tried on turf as an experiment in her 3rd start on the Saratoga turf track and finished dead last. It was considered a failed experiment.)

Coming off a solid final breeze and getting more distance today, we hoped to see some improvement but it did not happen. We follow up in the coming days after the Pletcher team has had time to formulate a plan for going forward, but clearly Lady Blitz has not been able to live up to expectations at this point in her career.  

The Royal Duet - Guinevere

Guinevere is "back to work." 

Keeneland     11/18/2023     Dirt     4F     49.00 Breezing from the gate 13/40

Report:

Guinevere breezed a half-mile from the gate in :49 flat this morning over the Keeneland main track. Working on the outside of unraced 2-year-old filly Timeforgoodtime, our daughter of Justify broke well and stayed consistent throughout the whole drill, re-engaging past the wire. 

Admittedly, this was more than we were expecting to see  and a serious first step for our 2-year-old who returned to training not too long ago with trainer Wesley Ward. 

Wesley was pleased with what he saw today, reporting that Guinevere was very professional and did everything right. She still has a ways to go before she'll be ready to debut, but we will continue to keep you updated on her progress in the coming weeks.

Guinevere work out (outside horse with blaze)

Here's The Kicker Update

Here’s the Kicker arrived at Palm Beach Downs this morning and will have her first day on the track tomorrow. As previously mentioned, it could take a little time before seeing our daughter of Liam’s Map return to the work tab but our plan is to breeze her on the turf when course conditions are suitable.

Adaay In Asia Shipped to Del Mar

Adaay in Asia exited her first breeze in Southern California in good physical order and shipped to Del Mar yesterday. Our 4-year-old had her first day on the track today and we will report back once she breezes over the seaside oval.

Fancy Quality Work Out

Fancy Quality (by Wootton Bassett) breezed another three furlongs in :37.80 this morning at Fair Grounds, working in company with Bad Betty. 

Fair Grounds 11/18/2023 Dirt 3F 37.80 Breezing 9/16

While the final time came back similar to last week, the duo galloped out a half-mile as they continue to move forward. 

The McPeek barn remains pleased with our 2-year-old filly and expects her to move to half-mile drills starting next week pending everything remains in good order.

Lane Way Pointed Toward Stormy Liberal Stakes at Del Mar

Lane Way is being  pointed to the Stormy Liberal Stakes at Del Mar's Bing Crosby Meet on December 2nd. We'll post further updates as we get them. 

Guinevere (from The Royal Duet) Returns with a Nice Time in a Work from the Gate

She's back! She's at Keeneland. And she's working from the gate.

Keeneland     11/18/2023     Dirt     4F     49.00 Breezing from the gate 13/40

Expectations have been high for our Justify filly, who had to take a break this summer at partner Gainesway Farms in Kentucky to give her a chance to grow and mature. Now she's returned to Wesley Ward's Keeneland barn, where we have high hopes that she may pursue that Royal Ascot dream that eluded her last year. 

We're expecting an update from the management team shortly and we'll post it below once we receive it. 

Guinevere
Justify x San Saria by Australia (Galileo)

Adaay In Asia Adjusting Well to New Trainer and New Coast

Adaay in Asia had her first breeze in Southern California on Wednesday, covering a bullet three furlongs in :35.40. 

Adaay in Asia was tugging the entire way and galloped out strong. The D’Amato team reported she is a tough filly in regards to her training and are working on getting her to relax a bit but otherwise are very happy with her overall condition. 

Phil is still looking to ship her down to Del Mar in order to breeze over the grass but that may come after her next work.

Los Alamitos 11/15/2023 Dirt 3F 35.40 Handily 1*/7

Fireball Birdie Getting Set to Go to Steve Asmussen

Fireball Birdie (by Uncle Mo) is about 2 weeks out from going to trainer Steve Asmussen. Here are a few screen shots from his video update today. Looking good!

Introducing GOOD COP

Well, we did it. We said no more horses unless the right Eclipse horse came along...and he did!

How about a son of multiple G1 and classic winner, TIZ THE LAW, a Belmont winner who himself is 

a son of Constitution by Tapit. And he's from a solid blacktype dam line. 

He'll be a 2YO this coming New Years Day, so could be running as soon as next Summer or Fall. 

Check out all the information on his page here:  GOOD COP

GOOD COP
Tiz The Law x Fun Finder by Cross Traffic

Simply Enchanting Update

Simply Enchanting recorded her second half-mile work yesterday morning at Los Alamitos and was credited with a final time of :50.60. Our daughter of Nyquist worked on the outside of Lewis Bere (winner in France back in April and now stateside) and always traveled comfortably. While the final time came slower than last week, Simply Enchanting did everything the right way and finished up nicely through the wire. She continues to progress from a fitness standpoint and it won't be long until she has her first five-furlong work. In addition to the intensity of her breezing increasing, Simply Enchanting will begin doing more from the gate.

Catalyst Work Out and Potential Debut

Catalyst had her first breeze over the Churchill Downs main track this morning, working five furlongs in 1:01.20. Our daughter of Gun Runner breezed on the outside of her usual workmate Contour and was urged by her exercise rider to keep up with the pace. She galloped out nicely head-to-head with her workmate past the wire. 

This was a serious drill for the duo as the Asmussen team reported that both were nearing their debut. Pending everything remains in good order, Catalyst could target a maiden special weight going seven furlongs on Nov. 24th at Churchill Downs. 

She may have one final blowout ahead of this targeted race but we will let the final decision to Steve.

Fancy Quality Update

Fancy Quality remained on schedule and breezed three furlongs in :37.80 on Saturday morning at Fair Grounds. Working in company with her workmate Bad Betty, the daughter of Wootton Bassett picked up the pace nicely this week and continues to build up her foundation. 

Pending everything remains in good order, the McPeek barn could have a stronger three-furlongs drill, galloping out four furlongs at the end of the week.

Mo Temptation Update

Mo Temptation is now returning from her break and has recently started on the Aquatred during her final weeks at Trifecta Equine Athletic Center. 

An Aquatred is an exerciser used in water where the horse's legs are submerged. This greatly reduces stress on a horse’s joints as well as less physical impact, while the water provides greater resistance. It is a great way to incorporate exercise back into a horse’s routine while eliminating concussion to the joints. 

The Aquatred will strengthen her hind end and back, build a stronger topline, and improve balance and joint mobility along with preparing their cardiovascular system for her return to full training. 

Our daughter of Mo Town is expected to return to Doug O’Neill’s barn at San Luis Rey Training Center (which is conveniently located across the street from Trifecta) before the month ends. 

We'll follow up once she gets the green light to return to full training.

Mo Temptation at Del Mar earlier this year

Lane Way and Pioneer Prince Work in Same Set at Del Mar

Lane Way and Pioneer Prince both performed works this morning at Del Mar. Pioneer Prince is entered in a race on Friday. Lane Way is expected to be entered for an allowance on Sunday.

Pioneer Prince:  Del Mar 11/13/2023 Dirt 4F 48.80 Handily 8/20

Lane Way:  Del Mar 11/13/2023 Dirt 4F 47.40 Handily 4/20

Pioneer Prince Entered

Pioneer Prince will try his hand on dirt going 1 mile at Del Mar on Friday, Nov. 17th. 

He's in R#5, Post #5 /6 with regular jockey Mike Smith up. 3:30 MT 

[Screenshot of a video of his gallop at Santa Anita this morning.]

Catalyst Galloping at Churchill

Since our last update, Catalyst has transitioned to Churchill Downs with trainer Steve Asmussen as she nears her debut. 

She was spotted galloping this morning and has settled in well. A video was provided to us, which, sadly, we can't share to our site. 

We continue to look forward to the debut of our 2YO filly by Gun Runner X Tamboz - Tapit. 

Secret Crush Performs Speed Work

Secret Crush (Candy Rice x Elarose - Storm Cat), the last of our 2YOs still at Wavertree in Ocala, recently had his first easy speed work on the outside of a farmmate (by Omaha Beach) at Wavertree Farm track. 

Our son of Candy Ride was able to pick up the pace nicely down the lane for :13 and change for a furlong, with a nice gallop out. Farm trainer Ciaran Dunne shared his thoughts in the accompanying video (which, sadly, we can't share) and was pleased with what he saw, reporting that it was everything he was looking for at this stage. 

Secret Crush exited his work in good order and we expect to see more intensity in his breezes as weeks go by.

English Jubilee to Ocala, Florida

English Jubilee has arrived at Casse Farm to get a short break in Ocala, Florida, as she has shown she's not a fan of the synthetic surface at Woodbine and their turf season has come to an end. 

She has a strong juvenile foundation under her belt and we look forward to her 3YO season.

Catalyst it is!

The Jockey Club has now approved the name "Catalyst" for our filly (Tamboz '21), so there will be no second name change. The page and all labels stay. Yay!

Official Notice:

We are excited to announce that the name Catalyst for our Gun Runner filly has officially been approved after our appeal with the Jockey Club!

We are thrilled to watch our first daughter of Gun Runner continue to develop with Hall of Fame trainer, Steve Asmussen. The fun is just getting started with this young filly.

Wrench in the Name Works for "Catalyst"

Sadly, the Jockey Club has rejected the submission of the name "Catalyst" for our Gunner Runner x Tapit filly, due to it being to similar in sound to an existing name "Katalust." 

MRH has filed an appeal and we are awaiting the outcome since Katalust is an 8YO horse and they are unlikely to ever be in the same race together to cause confusion (which is the point of having unique names for every current Thoroughbred registered in North America).

If the JC refuses the appeal, then the option may be to go to the second name choice for this filly -- Lady Gunner. If that happens,  and this or another name becomes her official name instead of Catalyst, I'll be changing her page name and all the tags on this site yet again to reflect her permanent name. (Guess I jumped the gun this time, but didn't anticipate this outcome, since there were no other horses named "Catalyst" registered.)

I don't think at this point there will be time for MRH to conduct another naming round, because she appears to be preparing for a start in the near future, but we'll see what's decided. 

Seismic Beauty Update

Seismic Beauty has remained in good order while galloping on a daily basis at Los Alamitos. The daughter of Uncle Mo is building her foundation and should be ready to begin some light-speed work in the next few weeks.

Fireball Birdie Update

Fireball Birdie ("Firebird") transitioned into light training under tack with Becky Maker and things are  moving along as expected. 

Our colt looks well physically and the time off has done him some good from a maturity standpoint, being a May foal. We'll follow up with more news once he's started training under tack at the farm.

Fancy Quality Update

Fancy Quality returned to training with Kenny McPeek initially at Keeneland towards the end of October before shipping to Fair Grounds where she had her first very minor breeze on Saturday. 

Our 2YO daughter by Wootton Bassett went in company with stablemate Bad Betty and the duo was credited with a final time of :40.80. This was intended to be an easy work and if anything she is ahead of schedule in terms of returning to the work tab. 

Catalyst Update

Tamboz ’21 had her second five-furlong breeze yesterday morning at Ellis Park and continues to make headway each week. Your daughter of Gun Runner worked in company with a 2-year-old filly, Contour, and the duo was credited with a final time of 1:01.80. 

The Asmussen team remains pleased with her progress, and following her second gate work which could happen next week, we will start looking at some potential target debuts. 

We also wanted to provide a naming contest update. The winning name ‘Catalyst’ was rejected due to similarity of a name already in use (Katalust.) MRH has reached out to Jockey Club to inquire about overturning the verdict and will report back once we know any news.

Lane Way Returns to the Work Tab After Breeder Cup Near Miss

Lane Way returned to the work tab this morning at Santa Anita Park and was credited with a final time of 1:00.20. Our gelding always traveled well throughout the work and continued past the wire to complete six furlongs in 1:14.40.

In regards to race options, we have contemplated looking at the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship (nominations here) which is scheduled to be run on Nov. 18th. We did nominate to this spot but are unlikely to truly consider it. With potential weather this time of year, trainer Richard Mandella and our team do not feel it is worth the expense with some uncertainty of race conditions.

We will have two main options during the fall meet at Del Mar; a unique allowance optional claiming $100,000 which is open to horses that have not won $65,000 twice since July 7th or that have never won four races. Given Lane Way meets the conditions due to not having won twice since July 7th meaning he will run protected (not eligible to be claimed.) The interesting part of this race consideration is it is on the dirt. 

Obviously, we were only one horse away from running in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint but we have talked about trying him back on the dirt at some point, but it was always a tough decision to make that change given his form on the turf and the options we had in front of us. 

Our second option to consider is on Dec. 2nd, the $100,000 Stormy Liberal S. going five furlongs on the turf. The safe plan would be to go into the Stormy Liberal S but with only a $30,000 purse difference between the two races, taking a shot in the dirt allowance race could open up a few doors for us moving into the 2024 season if it were to go well. 

Lane Way has always worked well over the dirt and perhaps a little better over the Del Mar main track. He started his career there where he faced off against some quality horses like Nadal, Exaulted, and Charlatan. We are still in the early discussion with trainer Richard Mandella and would expect his class to show in either spot but the one thing we do know is that our gelding is ready to run!

We’ll make a final decision following his next work.

Lane Way the Great  :)

Lady Blitz Workout Report

Lady Blitz remained on schedule and breezed a half-mile in :50.12 at Gulfstream Park on Saturday morning. Our daughter of Audible breezed in company with an unraced stablemate Hazon and has remained in good order. We remain on target for a maiden special weight going one mile and seventy yards on the Tapeta on November 19th. Lady Blitz will have one final breeze next weekend and we will report back after she does.

Simply Enchanting Upate

Simply Enchanting (Nyquist x Enchante by Bluegrass Cat) had her first half mile work on Sunday morning at Los Alamitos and was credited with a final time of :48.60. 

Our 2YO filly worked in company on the outside of her recent work mate Our Consigliere. 

Trainer Phil D’Amato felt this was a nice step forward for your filly as she finished up through the wire with good energy. 

While this was still only her first half-mile work, we are making solid progress since joining the D’Amato barn.

Rest in Peace, Cody Dorman

Heartbreaking news this morning. Cody Dorman, the boy Cody's Wish was named for and who shared a special bond with the horse since he was a young colt, has passed. We're so thankful he got to see his champion run his last race -- the 2023 Breeders Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita -- and that it was an amazing winning one. 

We are all going to miss Cody and his appearances with the horse he loved so much. Cody's Wish's legacy to us will always be so much more than just his future foals, no matter how many champions he produces. 

I'll post a video and the family's message below. It has two parts.