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.

Legitify Caught Exercising at Santa Anita the Day after the Breeders Cup

And life goes on. Legitify (Justify x Sarrocchi by Galileo) was spotted exercising at Santa Anita this morning. He added a bit of weight during his down time, but I'm sure that will be remedied quickly! 😃 [Images are screenshots from a video taken by partner Debra Krzastek this morning from Clocker's Corner at Santa Anita.]

Blue Curl '22 is Training Well

The reports on Blue Curl '22's (Speightstown x Blue Curl by Curlin) early training is all good! She's reportedly "very intelligent," trains like a dream, and loves her work. She's already under saddle doing light exercise! We were sent a video of her routine and couldn't be happier with what we saw. So far, so good! Here's an image from a video captured by partner Nikt Nieman.

Stable Status

 Where our partnership horses are currently located:

            RACING OR TRAINING

            Lane Way - 6YO - Santa Anita (has won, stakes winner, track record)

            English Jubilee - 2YO - Woodbine Canada (official works, debuted 9/17)

            Lady Blitz - 2YO - Gulfstream Park, FL (has raced, has placed)

            Adaay In Asia - 4YO veteran, sent to West Coast/D'Amato, 7 wins

            Pioneer Prince - 3YO - Santa Anita (two starts, official works)

            Here's The Kicker - 2YO - Gulfstream, debuted 4th 10/22/23

            Simply Enchanting - 2YO Los Alamitos, CA 9/10/23 (official works)

            Guinevere - 2YO (official works, Wesley Ward Barn) Returned 10/21/23  

             Legitify - 2YO - Del Mar (official works, So. Cal.), Returned late Oct.      

             Catalyst/Tamboz '21 - 2YO Ellis Park  (Works, including from gate)

             Fancy Quality - 2YO - Magdalena Farm, Lexington (official works) 

     

            Not currently racing -- resting or maturing)

             Mo Temptation - 3YO (has started, expected back end of Nov., San Luis Rey)

             Seismic Beauty - 2YO new acquisition, Santa Anita    

             Seize The Grey - 2YO - Freshening/TX (has won, stakes placed, Derby points)

             Secret Crush - 2YO (Ocala - not yet sent to trainer) Galloping 1-1/4 miles.  

             A Day To Remember - 2YO (West Coast, started/3rd place)     

             Fireball Birdie - 2YO - Churchill Downs (official works, Kentucky)

             Seismic Beauty - 2YO new acquisition, Santa Anita 

             La Cuvee '21 (unofficial tag) - 2YO (official works, Kentucky?)

            Blue Curl '22 - Yearling, begun saddle work - Two Springs Farm Ocala FL

Fancy Quality

Fancy Quality, trained by Kenny McPeek, performed a moderate work at the Fair Grounds this morning. This is her first official work since August. 

 Fair Grounds 11/4/2023 Dirt 3F 40.80 Breezing 22/24

In other news, Unquestionable, a Wooten Bassett colt -- same sire as our girl -- won the 2023 Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf on Friday! [Photo of Fancy Quality from July of this year.]

Lane Way Scratched from Breeders Cup Turf Sprint

Sadly, the deadline is here this morning and there were no further scratches from the 2023 Breeders Cup Turf Sprint. 

Lane Way has been scratched as the only remaining alternate.

It's been a troubling and frustrating journey, and to have him "almost there" as the only remaining alternate in the race, and then miss out is disappointing, but we have to believe there will be other opportunities ahead, and if we are blessed, maybe he'll have another run at it next year.   

So sorry, Lanie. You were so ready to run your race. With Richard Mandella and Mike Smith on your team, you had a huge shot 

But as in all things, we have to believe these things happen for a reason. Better days ahead, boy. 

Lane Way exercising for the 2023 Breeders Cup Turf Sprint
at Santa Anita in the days leading up to the event
Photo credits Gary Tasich 2023

Lane Way Breeders Cup Turf Sprint Update

Lane Way is now the ONLY alternate on the list for the Breeders Cup Turf Sprint. Twilight Gleaming has scratched. 

And the clock is ticking down... 

Check out these photos from today's paddock schooling session to accustomize him to all the Breeders Cup banners and flowers. He schooled both inside the saddling area and in the outdoor paddock.

Lane Way: Holding Out for a Miracle - Breeders Cup Update

Following our update yesterday, trainer Richard Mandella opted not to breeze Lane Way this morning as he did not want him to do too much ahead of his potential participation in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. The son of Into Mischief galloped on the training track and continues to feel full of himself. 

Unfortunately, there were no defections today and we are still currently listed as third on the also-eligible list for Saturday. We will continue to keep you updated as soon as we know more.

Photo credits Eclipse Sportswire
Lane Way galloping at Santa Anita 11-01-2023
Three days prior to Breeders Cup Turf Sprint
Still on Also Eligible List

Tamboz '21 has now been named Catalyst

Our naming process is complete and our Gun Runner filly has had her official name submitted to the American Jockey Club.

I'll be switching over all the references to "Tamboz '21" in the next few days to "Catalyst," starting with her page (at the top of the site) and then editing all her previous tags to her new permanent name.

We're happy with the name selection. One of the partners even came up with a clever tag line for her:

Catalyst.....Making things happen

Lane Way Breeders Cup Update

There have been no updates or defections as of Tuesday afternoon but our gelding still took to the track for a gallop followed by some paddock schooling on October 31 (Halloween). 

Lane Way is on his toes and feeling good which is all we can ask for. He will have another minor breeze tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m. 

We’ll see how the next few days go and firm up potential plans following the Breeders’ Cup if we do not get into the Turf Sprint.

A Day To Remember Update

A Day to Remember (previously known as "Kindle 21") remains in good order at Sunshine Farm in Bradbury, Ca. Our 2-year-old colt will be targeting an early to mid-December return to Santa Anita. He has been a happy camper during his break.

Photo from February 2023