Work Outs Going Forward

Since things are starting to heat up with our stable, we're beginning to see a lot more work out activity, and it's becoming difficult to keep up with all the info via individual posts to this site.

In order to keep the noise level down, and to focus on the main topics -- entries, starts, wins/places, and other pertinent news, we are now going to stop posting info on every individual work. This information, however, will still be recorded on each horse's individual page (see tabs at top for each horse or bundled pair, in the case of The Royal Duet--Guinevere and La Cuvee '22) which in most cases will be listed in descending order with the newest work at the top. This will give those interested in work out history the ability to see the history at a quick glance, while cutting down on the frequency of individual posts. 

If there is work out information or a follow-up work out report that's notable (for instance, a stand out bullet, info about accomplished work mates or other important info) we may create an individual post for those instances. 

In the next few months, we're expecting ten horses to begin their 3YO runs, in addition to eight returning horses who have already made at least one start, and two who are expected to debut as 2YOs later in the year.

If you have any suggestions or requests about info you'd like to see here, just reply in comments. 

Thanks for following the Rising Star Thoroughbreds site. 

Lane Way Follow-Up to First Work Back

Lane Way exited his recent work in good physical order and was galloping this morning at Santa Anita. Please note, training will be limited for the remainder of this week and early next week due to rain expected to hit the Arcadia area. There is a possibility that track conditions will be good enough for workers this weekend but we will leave that decision in the hands of trainer Richard Mandella and report back once he is able to breeze. 

English Jubilee Works

Slow work for English Jubilee this morning at Palm Beach Downs in Florida.

Palm Meadows Training Center 1/31/2024 Turf 4F 51.10 Breezing 20/25

This is much slower than her last work two weeks ago on 1/17/2024 at Palm Beach when she ran 4F in 48.05. 

We are hoping there is a reason related to training that she ran a slower work today and will update this post if a report is received.  

Seismic Beauty Lay-Off Update

Seismic Beauty has remained in good order while on stall rest at Julie Adair-Stack’s farm in Rowland Heights, CA. (This is the same farm where Lane Way was rested last year.) 

Our daughter of Uncle Mo is currently hand-walking for 25 minutes daily and continues to be a perfect resident for Julie. We still have approximately two months to go before considering a return to exercise but everything is going as expected with her.

Secret Crush Workout and Tentative Debut Plans

Secret Crush put in another strong piece of work this past Friday from the gate while in company with fellow unraced 3-year-old Refuel. The duo was credited with a final time of :48.52 (bullet drill from 23 works). 

Our son of Candy Ride broke on the inside of his mate and was still just a step slow and green according to trainer Todd Pletcher. Otherwise he was very pleased with the work but reported he feels it will be best to give him one more work, leading us to target the maiden special weight on February 10th at Gulfstream Park versus the option at Tampa on February 3rd.

Pending there are no changes, we should see him back on the work tab Friday or Saturday with entries being taken on Saturday for Feb. 10th. We will report back with news of his entry once it happens.

Adaay In Asia Workout and Update

Adaay In Asia returned to the work tab this morning, covering a maintenance half-mile in :48.20. Under jockey Antonio Fresu (who just rode Simply Enchanting to her huge debut win!), your mare was relaxed throughout and showed plenty of enthusiasm, as per usual. 

Trainer Phil D’Amato reported that our daughter of Adaay exited her recent race in good physical order and that even though there are no races for her in the new Santa Anita condition book, he expects the racing office to write an allowance race towards the second-half of February that she could be eligible for, which would be a great option for us.

With expected weather in the Arcadia area in the coming week, her next breeze could come as early as this Sunday (pending track conditions) where she will work in company and we will report back when she does.

Pioneer Prince Update

Pioneer Prince is currently tack walking as the Mandella barn is still working on his left front foot since having to scratch on January 20th. The barn will continue to monitor his condition, taking it day by day and we will continue to report back on his progress next week.

Catalyst Works

Catalyst, our daughter of Gun Runner out of a Tapit mare, performed a slow work today, but due to her making her second start on Friday and wet conditions, this was probably planned. We'll wait for the report and post it here later. 

 Oaklawn Park 1/28/2024 Dirt 4F 51.80 Breezing 53/71

Workout Report

[As expected...]

Catalyst had her final drill in preparation for Friday’s race, covering an easy half mile in :51.80 over a wet fast track at Oaklawn under Brooke Stillion. Given the track conditions, trainer Steve Asmussen wasn’t looking for anything quick and this was exactly what he wanted. 

Surprise Appearance by Seize The Grey at the Eclipse Awards!

We had quite a surprise last week while viewing the Eclipse Awards when Seize The Grey made a cameo appearance in the televised coverage. His jockey, Jaime Torres, had been nominated for the Eclipse Award for apprentice jockey and they used footage of his race aboard Seize The Grey at Saratoga in the coverage! 

I was hoping to find a video clip to share with you here, but wasn't able to. But I do have a photo of Jaime and "Ceasar" from the same race I can share. Congrats to Jaime for the well-deserved nomination.

I was finally able to track down the footage of the Eclipse Awards nomination for Jaime Torres which includes footage of him riding our boy, Seize The Grey. It's a brief segment, and this link should be set to start right at the beginning of his introduction. This was Jaime's first ride aboard "Ceasar" and his first ride for legendary trainer, D. Wayne Lukas. 

Eclipse Award Nominee for Apprentice Jockey, Jaime Torres

Lane Way First Work Back After Break

Lane Way had his first work back this morning at Santa Anita, covering three furlongs in :37 flat. Working solo under his usual exercise rider Jose Contreras, our veteran caught company from the Gaines barn in the turn. He did everything well down the lane and showed plenty of enthusiasm. The Mandella barn was happy to see him back in action and felt that this drill was a good starting point for him.

Lane Way prior to the Breeders Cup Dirt Sprint last year.
Photo credits Gary Tasich.

Magical Ways Runs 2nd at Aqueduct

Magical Ways (our previously owned gelding sired by Maclean's Music) really showed up for Race 10 at Aqueduct today, finishing a game 2nd in a 13 horse field with a very nice closing run. He only lost by half a length. This was his first start in 2024, and he earned a 94 E-speed figure for his good effort. 

Hope to see him continue to perform on the board or maybe move up to another win next out. :D 

Race summary:

Magical Ways finished 2nd beaten by 1/2 lengths, on January 27, 2024, at AQUEDUCT in Race 10.

Off odds: 9.10

The winning horse was Reddington, a  5YO son of Uncaptured (who is a son of Lion Heart, as is our broodmare, Soulful). 

Photo from a race in 2023

Iconic Photo

It's been almost a year since this photo was snapped at the MRH 2YO Showcase held on the Ocala Breeders Sale grounds in Florida. 

The first three horses picture near to far are: Legitify, Secret Crush and Seize The Grey. Legitify and Secret Crush were friends, having grown up together at their farm, and often shared a paddock together at Wavertree Farm in Ocala.

When the time came they all went in different directions: 

•     Seize The Grey to trainer D. Wayne Lukas at Churchill Downs in Kentucky, 
•     Legitify to trainer Richard Mandella at Santa Anita on the West Coast, and later, 
•     Secret Crush to Todd Pletcher's Palm Beach Downs in Florida

All three are currently training well, though Seize The Grey was the star of his 2YO season when he won at second asking at Saratoga (defeating Dornoch, the full brother to Kentucky Derby winner Mage, and a top Kentucky Derby contender himself for 2024). Seize The Grey went on to finish 3rd in the Skidmore Stakes at Saratoga earning black type, and 4th in the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs, earning Kentucky Derby points for this year. 

Legitify and Secret Crush are both yet to make their first start, though both are training well, and should be debuting in the near future. 

(The chestnut in the far background is believed to have been Kindle '21, now registered as A Day To Remember. He's a son of American Pharoah currently with Mark Glatt on the West Coast.) 

Legitify Workout Report

Legitify breezed a half-mile from the gate in :48.20 this morning at Santa Anita. Breaking a step slow on the inside of stablemates Revised Statute and Beach Boulevard, our son of Justify easily took the better-hand of the trio after a few strides. 

Settling in nicely down the backstretch, our colt got a little tired turning for home which was not unexpected given it was his first gate-drill and half-mile work in some time. In addition, Revised Statute is much further along in his progression breezing five furlongs with Mike Smith in the irons. 

All things remain in good order and the Mandella team remains pleased with his progression.

Good Cop Training at Ocala Stud

One of only two 2YOs we currently have in training, Good Cop -- a son from the first crop of Belmont winner and Kentucky Derby runner-up Tiz The Law -- is shown at Ocala Stud in Florida where he is currently in training and learning the basics of working under saddle and galloping. 

Seize The Grey has Shipped

Seize The Grey has shipped and arrived safely at the D. Wayne Lukas barn at Oaklawn Park. 

We are so excited to see what's ahead for our son of Arrogate as he begins his 3YO campaign!

Follow up Report:

Seize the Grey arrived safely at Oaklawn Park this morning. The Lukas team will evaluate him and get him back into their training program as they see fit. It is a major advantage that our colt is rejoining the barn with some fitness under him and we thank the Highlander Training Center team for the tremendous job they did. We’ll be sharing more from the Lukas team soon.

Catalyst Entered in Career Start #2

Catalyst, our Gun Runner daughter, was officially entered for her second career start in next Friday’s opener at Oaklawn Park, a $115,000 maiden special weight going one mile and one-sixteenth on the dirt. 

Breaking from post 2 in a 9-horse field, Joel Rosario will take over in the irons. Post time for race 1 will be 12:30 p.m. CT. 

Catalyst could have an easy work over the weekend ahead of her race and we will follow-up if she does.

 

Secret Crush Update

Secret Crush remains in good order following his recent five-eighth’s work at Palm Beach Downs. He is scheduled to return to the work tab on Friday, to have his second gate work. Based on that work and how he bounces out of it, trainer Todd Pletcher will determine if we will proceed with the February 3rd option at Tampa Bay Downs.

Catalyst Ships and Gallops at Oaklawn

Following our update yesterday, Catalyst shipped to Oaklawn Park and performed a gallop this morning over the track. As you will see, it was a wet track and the Asmussen barn only allowed her go on the easy side until track conditions improve.

La Cuvee '21 Update - The Royal Duet

La Cuvee ’21, our only as yet unnamed 3YO, is progressing nicely at Stonestreet Farm in Ocala where has been galloping daily, building back his fitness. 

Farm trainer Ian Brennen has been pleased with our colt to this point, reporting that your son of Cotai Glory is scheduled to have his first three-eighths work on Saturday. We will report back once we receive feedback on the work from Ian.

Catalyst Update - Back to Jogging

Catalyst was back jogging on the track at Ten Mile Creek training center this morning. The track was still wet but it's a positive to see horses get back into their normal routine. 

The daughter of Gun Runner will gradually pick up the pace and we will report back in the coming days with additional news from the barn.

Catalyst Update

Following our most recent update for Catalyst, training at Oaklawn Park and the Ten Mile Creek training center has been very limited due to the frozen track and low temperatures. 

The good news is that Catalyst has remained in good physical order but has not been able to train on the track as consistently as we all have hoped. With that said all horses are in the same boat and mother nature is something we can’t control. As we saw, Oaklawn Park was forced to cancel all racing last week but training is expected to get back to a more consistent schedule towards the end of this week. 

We will discuss with trainer Steve Asmussen once horses get back to the track and report back with any news to share in the coming week.

Work and Potential Debut for Guinevere (from The Royal Duet)

Potential debut: January 31st at Turfway Park for Guinevere, our daughter of Justify out of San Saria by Australia. She's half of The Royal Duet package. 

She ran a big bullet this morning at Turfway: 46.80 for 4 furlongs from the gate on the all weather track. That's smoking, and was the fastest time of 24 works. (For comparison, Seize The Grey's fastest work at 4 furlongs is 47.60, but that was on dirt.) 

We'll post more info and update the UPCOMING info above these posts if she is entered.

[Photo from a previous work]

Simple Enchanting in the Media

For her debut win, Simply Enchanting was identified in this article as being on the Blood Horse Maiden Watch featuring a list of notable 3YO maiden winners for the week of Jan.15-Jan.21. 

Blood Horse Maiden Watch

And...

Mo Temptation Update

Mo Temptation has remained in good order at San Luis Rey training center where she will begin to gallop this week, pending track conditions. 

Assistant trainer Kimberley Marrs has been nothing but happy with our daughter of Mo Town as she returned to a steady jogging routine. 

The O'Neill team will still take things slow but after approximately three weeks of galloping, we could see the 4-year-old filly have her first official work back nearer the end of February.

Isle Blue Continues to Work Well

We were sent a training video update today (which, unfortunately, we can't share via link on this site). The word regarding Isle Blue (Blue Curl '22) continues to be encouraging and we look forward to her progress as her 2YO year unfolds.

Report: Isle Blue has started some light speed work and continues to progress very well. Physically, she has always caught the eye and remains looking the part. 

Isle Blue from a previous work

Fancy Quality to Take a Break

Our daughter of Wootton Bassett will be taking 60 days off from training and will ship to Kenny McPeek’s Silverleaf training center in Ocala, FL. Following her R&R, Fancy Quality will be put back under tack at the farm before returning to Kenny.

Kenny believes this filly has talent and we all look forward to her return to training. We will continue to keep you updated with news from the farm in the coming weeks.

Simply Enchanting Post Race Update

We are very pleased to report Simply Enchanting exited her win in good order this morning and received plenty of carrots from the D’Amato barn on this rainy day. She was only hand walked and will likely receive a few additional easy days due to track conditions and availability.

She earned a 79 Beyer Speed Figure which is very respectable on debut in addition to a 15 & 3/4 on Ragozin sheets. While the Ragozin figure isn’t extremely noteworthy, it certainly is a solid figure on debut especially knowing this is probably not her preferred distance. 

While this is a bold comparison, it’s always fun to start dreaming! The 2023 Kentucky Oaks winner, Pretty Mischievous, ran a 15 on debut which was in the summer of her 2YO season and a 13 & 3/4 in her 3YO debut which came in February.

We will let our daughter of Nyquist return to a training routine before building our plan moving forward but the plan remains to stretch her out likely to a flat mile next time out. The new Santa Anita condition book is expected to be released this week and will give us different options to consider. We'll continue to keep you updated on her progress and training in the coming weeks. [Photo courtesy of MRH]

Congrats on Simply Enchanting's debut win:

Congratulations to all the owners of Simply Enchanting on her thrilling debut at Santa Anita Park! Simply Enchanting broke sharply and settled in behind the leaders during the 6 furlong sprint. When the pack turned for home, your filly challenged the leaders to score an extremely exciting victory by a length. Simply Enchanting's drive and determination were on full display during this race, and we look forward to the future with this filly!

Simply Enchanting Photos and Videos from Debut Win!

The excitement about Simply Enchanting's debut hasn't died down yet, as the partnership continues to relish her unexpected win. Of particular note is that 6f is not expected to be this filly's desired distance, and she will more than likely run a flat mile next time out. But this race sure worked for her on her first start. 

Trained by Phil D'Amato and piloted by jockey Antonio Fresu, she made quite an impression with her professional demeanor and determined close. Even though she ran a bit green in this first race, taking interest in the grandstand activity at one point, she still showed the aptitude and flashed the talent to get the job done. 

Below is a link to the video of her race, followed by a series of photos from yesterday taken by partners or supplied by MRH. Simply Enchanting is the dark bay #8 horse with white blinkers and pink saddle cloth. Photo credits for all photos below except those with other notations goes to partner Amy Kelley.

Race video: 

Simply Enchanting debut - Santa Anita R#7 - January 21, 2024

Photo provided by MRH

Photo provided by MRH

Photo provided by MRH

There’s something extra special when a horse graduates on debut and this filly is no exception! Congrats to Simply Enchanting (79 BSF) and the partners @MyRacehorse and Joey Platts with kudos to @PhilDamato11 and his team on the work, her future looks very bright! 🙏🏆🎉… pic.twitter.com/Ey4ZyvOnpE

— Nick J. Hines “Sarge” 🇺🇸 (@Hinesite) January 22, 2024

The Filly Formerly Known as Blue Curl 22...

We had a fun announcement this morning. Our Speightstown x Curlin filly, Blue Curl '22, has now been officially named.

As with all previous changes to a permanent name, her individual page on this site (link at top) will be changed to her official name, along with all previous updates (links on right sidebar). 

This may take a day or two to sort out.

Simply Enchanting Win Video!

Simply Enchanting WINS on debut at Santa Anita! 

Simply Enchanting WINS on Debut! (More info coming)

A very happy and unexpected debut win for our Nyquist filly. This one's always been a special filly, and now she's proven just how special she is!

Seize The Grey Ready to Return to D. Wayne Lukas

Seize the Grey had his final work at Highlander Training Center on Friday morning, breezing his second half mile in :49.64 under his regular exercise rider, Saul De La Rosa. Highlander reported he accomplished this easily yet again and is ready to return to the race track. 

As many of you may know, the Hot Springs, Arkansas area has been dealing with severe weather over the last few weeks. The 10-day forecast has temperatures rising towards the end of next week which will be a blessing to the horses and horseman/horsewomen at Oaklawn. However, additional rain is expected from Monday - Wednesday and as a result, in agreement with the Highlander team, we have requested he remains at Highlander until that storm passes. 

The plan will be to get him back to D. Wayne Lukas towards the end of next week where he will continue to progress in his training.

Secret Crush Training and Potential Debut

Secret Crush continues to train very well. In his most recent work he was paired with a 5YO multiple race winner and Grade 1 stakes placed horse, whom he bested by half a length for five furlongs in 1:00.20. 

Secret Crush is being considered for a debut at Gulfstream Park on the Pegasus Stakes Day undercard, though a later target will most likely be selected to give him the opportunity to perform another work or two. 

Our colt has generated a bit of a buzz at Palm Beach downs and among the partnership, and we look forward to his continued training and impending debut. 

Simply Enchanting Expected to DEBUT Today

 Despite overnight rain, Sunday’s card at Santa Anita remains on schedule. In today's 7th race at Santa Anita, Simply Enchanting, our 3-year-old daughter of Nyquist, is set to make her debut in a six-furlong maiden special weight event. With a post time of 3:41 p.m. PT, Simply Enchanting is the morning-line third choice at odds of 4-1. 

Trainer Phil D’Amato has always considered Simply Enchanting to be a filly best suited for two-turn races, and her pedigree supports this notion. Despite the race being contested over six furlongs, which may be shorter than ideal for her, the connections believe it will provide a valuable learning experience for our young filly. The hope is that she breaks well from the gate and gets a good trip from post position, gate #8 (the outside post).

Simply Enchanting's recent works, particularly her most recent gate drill, have shown improvement and suggest that she might be peaking at the right time for her debut. Her pedigree is noteworthy, as her sister Envoutante has achieved success in multiple graded stakes races going long on the dirt.

Facing a competitive field, Simply Enchanting will need to contend with other promising contenders, such as #6 Show Card and #7 Ms Bo J.

Show Card, a first-time starter bred by Juddmonte, has been working well and caught attention by outworking #4 Bonaqua in their last drill together. Trained by Bob Baffert, who has a strong record with first-time starters, Show Card is one to watch based on the trainer's recent success with maiden victories.

Ms Bo J, on the other hand, is making her second start, following a third-place finish on debut at Santa Anita over six furlongs. With natural speed, she has had a maintenance drill since her last race, and the addition of top jockey Frankie Dettori in the irons adds to her appeal.

As Simply Enchanting embarks on her career, this race serves as an educational opportunity, and her performance will be closely watched to gauge her potential in longer races as she continues to mature.

As always, we wish her a safe race and a productive trip as she begins her journey. 

Photo provided by MRH from her paddock schooling at Santa Anita yesterday. 

Pioneer Prince Scratched from Saturday Race

Pioneer Prince was scratched today, not due to weather, but because he showed some soreness in his left front, although he had put in a good work prior and showed no lameness. 

For the sake of the horse, he will be evaluated to determine if there are any underlying issues that need to be addressed before continuing with training. 

We were able to catch the race, and the announcers mentioned his absence several times as he was anticipated to be highly competitive in the race.

Adaay In Asia Post-Race Update

Adaay in Asia bounced out of last weekend's G3 Las Cienegas well and is already back on the track. She received a 78 Beyer Speed Figure for her effort which was six points better than her recent race at Keeneland but still a tad below some of her initial races in North America. 

Speaking to trainer Phil D'Amato and considering rider Kazushi Kimura's post race thoughts, we will look to stretch her to a mile next time out. 

Training will likely be limited to some extent this weekend due to rain beginning on Saturday, but that shouldn't effect her much given she just started back up on the track.

Photo credit: Benoit Photo 

Lane Way Galloping at Santa Anita

The 7YO star of our stable, Lane Way, was out on the Santa Anita track this morning performing an easy gallop. We very much look forward to seeing him back in action in the coming months. Another run at the Breeders Cup this Fall is not out of the question. 

Lane Way at Santa Anita on January 19, 2024

Simply Enchanting Debut Race

Simply Enchanting was officially entered for her career debut in a maiden special weight on the dirt on Sunday, January 21st at Santa Anita. 

Originally scheduled to be run over six and one-half furlongs, the race was adjusted to six furlongs before a final was called by racing office to attract more horses. 

Breaking from post #8 in an 8-horse field, jockey Antonio Fresu will be in the irons. Run as the 7th race in the card, her race will have a post time of approximately 3:30 p.m. PT. 

Rain is still expected in the Arcadia area over the weekend and we will report back with any changes.

Fireball Birdie Update

Following our most recent update, Fireball Birdie has remained on a galloping routine at Louisiana Downs where he has progressed nicely according to the Asmussen barn. 

However, with recent freezing temperatures, training has been very limited recently and therefore our son of Uncle Mo has been unable to have his first official breeze at the track. 

Once training returns to normal, we should see our newly turned 3-year-old get to the work tab after a bit of training and we will report back once he does.

Simply Enchanting Update and Entry Info

Simply Enchanting remains in great order out of her recent gate drill at Santa Anita Park. 

Looking ahead, we remain on schedule to enter our daughter of Nyquist tomorrow for her potential debut on Sunday. 

The only obstacle we will have to overcome is “Mother Nature”. A pretty significant storm is projected to roll through the Arcadia area beginning Saturday evening and will continue through Sunday. As we have seen in the past with newly implemented protocols in Southern California for safety, it would not be a surprise if Sunday’s card was cancelled. 

We’ll keep you updated on any news over the next 24-36 hours regarding if they will make any decisions prior to entries or proceed with taking entries on Thursday afternoon.

Simply Enchanting getting a little rest before her
hopeful debut, weather permitting.

English Jubilee Works

English Jubilee, our English Channel daughter owned in an Eclipse partnership, has moved from Mark Casse's training site in Florida to Palm Beach Downs, joining a few of our other horses, though in Mark Casse's barn.

She ran a sharp work this morning on turf, details as follows:

 Palm Meadows Training Center 1/17/2024 Turf 4F 48.05 Breezing 9/34

Fancy Quality Scratched from Debut on Thursday

Unfortunately Fancy Quality was off in her hind end coming out of her most recent work and will be scratched from Thursday’s race. 

Trainer Kenny McPeek and his team will be having diagnostics performed and once any additional information is received we will follow up with another update.

Timing couldn’t be worse with her in the entries, but let’s hope this is nothing major and something that will require minimal time. Of course, we always have to do what’s best for the horse. She has clearly shown ability in her a.m. activity so hopefully any patience required will pay off. 

Adaay In Asia - Las Cienagas Stakes Result

Adaay In Asia did not run as we hoped today in the Las Cienagas at Santa Anita, finishing 7th. Ironically, the horse that won, Honey Pants, was a workmate for Simply Enchanting in a recent workout. 

Follow-up Report

Adaay in Asia checked in seventh in her SoCal debut in today’s G3 Las Cienegas. Breaking alertly from post position 12, our mare was prominent for the first few strides before Kazushi Kimura took ahold attempting to get her some cover per instructions in the paddock from trainer Phil D’Amato. She wasn’t far off the pace, only three lengths off the leader as they hit the half-mile pole. As the field neared the dirt crossover, Adaay in Asia appeared to be looming with a nice run while wide but lacked the response needed as they straightened out in the stretch.

Jockey Kazushi Kimura shared his thoughts following the race. Our 5-year-old mare had a good trip behind the leaders but couldn’t quicken in the stretch. It is noteworthy that this was the mare’s first race since October and the D’Amato team certainly weren’t down on the performance after the race though we had been optimistic based off of her training leading up to this race.

We will see how our daughter of Adaay exits today’s race and report back with news from the barn in the coming days.

Secret Crush Works from the Gate

Secret Crush just ran his third consecutive bullet work, this time from the gate for 4F. 

Palm Beach Downs 1/14/2024 Dirt 4F 49.49 Breezing from the gate 1*/21

We'll post the work recap when we receive it.

Follow-up Report

Secret Crush breezed a bullet a half-mile from the gate in :49.49 yesterday morning at Palm Beach Downs while on the outside of Last Episode (unraced $900,000 daughter of Into Mischief). There was some rain and the track was considered muddy. Our son of Candy Ride broke outwards a bit but was sharp out of the gate, quickly taking the upper hand. The duo was asked to finish up which they did nicely in the turn, Secret Crush keeping a head-advantage as they hit the backstretch.

This was your colt's first gate work, though having plenty of schooling and training at the gate leading up to this, and he handled things very well. This was another big step closer to a debut, which will likely come in early February following our conversations with trainer Todd Pletcher. The next condition book is expected to be released soon and pending all continues well he should be ready for the first option available. There is a possibility of considering a maiden special weight on Pegasus day, Jan. 27, but Todd's focus is still on the following option. 

Our son of Candy Ride has certainly been tested in the mornings with the workmates that have been thrown at him and he's been able to handle everything in stride.

Lady Blitz and Here's The Kicker Update from Wavertree

We received updates on both Lady Blitz and Here's The Kicker, both who were sent to Wavertree in Ocala for a freshening. The two share a large grassy pasture for most of the day, and are taken to the barn in the mornings for feeding and a bath, and then walked on the walker for a time. The two seemed to be getting along splendidly based on the photos and videos sent to us.

Lady Blitz (brown with star), our Audible daughter who Ciaran Dunne remarked has been a disappointment for both Wavertree and her partnership based on the extreme promise she showed early on in training, seems to have adjusted well to her break. Since arriving, she has put on quite a bit of weight and seems to be enjoying her time off. They found no physical issues with the mare, so hopefully the freshening and extra time to mature as a now 3YO will help her to get back on track. She is expected to return to training in the next 30-60 days.

Here's The Kicker (grey), a daughter of Liam's Map, will remain at the farm at least another four to five weeks before beginning training under tack again. They also found no physical issues with Here's The Kicker who also seems to be enjoying her winter break. 

Both horses are expected to be presented at the Ocala Showcase at the OBS grounds in mid-February, along with many of the other MRH horses now stabled in central Florida. 

Simply Enchanting: Strong 5F Work From the Gate

Simply Enchanting performed a strong work from the gate this morning at Santa Anita, going 5F in 1:00.40 for the 7th fastest time of 88 works at this distance this morning.

Santa Anita 1/14/2024 Dirt 5F 1:00.40 Handily from the gate 7/88

We'll follow up with a work out report once it's received. 

Work Out Report

Simply Enchanting breezed five furlongs from the gate this morning while on the outside of stablemate Mardy’s Fish. Your daughter of Nyquist was credited with a final time of 1:00.40. Under jockey Ricardo Gonzalez, Simply Enchanting broke very sharply in the middle of a trio and always traveled well in hand today. The horse to her outside was only popping out of the gate and not actually breezing, so this work ended up being a two horse work.

Your filly took the upper hand in the later stages and galloped out strongly through the wire. This was definitely our 3-year-old’s best work since joining the D’Amato barn at Santa Anita and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Often times, we say a gate work can “turn on the lightbulb” and wake a horse up. While this wasn’t her first gate work, this work in particular seemed to do the trick. Pending all continues well out of this breeze, Simply Enchanting will be entered on Thursday for next Sunday’s MSW going 6.5F on the dirt.

Legitify Works at Santa Anita

Legitify turned in another impressive time for his work this morning at Santa Anita, this time going 3F. We'll Post the official work report once it's received.

Santa Anita 1/14/2024 Dirt 3F 36.00 Handily 3/32

Pioneer Prince Works a 6f Bullet

Only two horses ran at this distance today, but Prince ran a nice work. 

Santa Anita 1/13/2024 Dirt 6F 1:13.60 Handily 1/2 

Seismic Beauty Update

The MRH team checked in on Seismic Beauty this morning at Julie Adair-Stack’s farm in Rowland Heights, CA which included an offered farm visit for partners. 

The daughter of Uncle Mo has remained in good order and is currently hand-walking for 15 minutes daily. Seismic Beauty was a sweetheart to all the owners that stopped by and while she was a little suspicious of carrots, she couldn’t resist the cookies given to her by Julie.

Julie couldn’t be happier with our 3-year-old filly’s mental and physical condition and we will continue to report on her progress in the coming weeks. 

Lane Way Back on the Track

Lane Way was back on the track at Santa Anita this morning. No physical issues were identified after filling (swelling) in his ankle and a subsequent PET scan and further examination. As a precaution, his shoes were changed prior to his training restart. 

He'll be returning to his regular training regimen slowly over the next few weeks. 

Adaay In Asia is IN!!!

We are pleased to report that there HAS BEEN A SCRATCH and Adaay in Asia now has a guaranteed spot in the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes at Santa Anita on Sunday! GO ADAAY!

Photo credit Ernie Belmonte/Pass The Wire

Lane Way Update

We are pleased to report that Lane Way transitioned back to galloping this week at Santa Anita. Trainer Richard Mandella will gradually increase the intensity of his gallops in the coming weeks while monitoring him daily but it's great to see him continue to progress in the right direction. He'll remain galloping for likely a few weeks before being ready to return to any speed work but we'll leave those decisions up to our Hall of Fame trainer and we will continue to keep you updated on his progress.

Seize The Grey Update

Seize the Grey breezed a half-mile in :49.40 this morning at Highlander Training Center. Farm trainer Jon Newbold reported that our son of Arrogate went very nicely and pending one more half-mile work next week, he should be ready to return to D. Wayne Lukas’ string at Oaklawn Park.

A screenshot from the workout video is below.

Fancy Quality *DEBUT*

Fancy Quality was officially entered for her career debut next Thursday (1/18/2024) at Fair Grounds, a maiden special weight going one flat mile on the turf. The daughter of Wootton Bassett drew post 4 in a 11-horse field with David Cohen in the irons. Post time for race 9 is 4:45 p.m. CT (3:45 MT).

This is coming off an extremely competitive work from the gate with two other horses last week. 

You can view the workout here (from the gate): Fancy Quality on 01-05-2024 - middle horse

Being her debut, she'll face a lot of firsts -- ten other horses, dirt in her face for the first time, plus potential weather issues and a race that's a mile in distance. 

That said, here are a few additional insights. She's the daughter of one of the hottest sires in the world (Wootton Bassett) who has had big winners across the globe, and she has an assertive personality and is very quick on her feet. As a young filly just imported from France, she was nicknamed "Meg the Colt" by staffers who said she behaved more like a colt than a filly, and she was a huge barn favorite at trainer Kenny McPeek's farm in Ocala, Florida. 

The other 10 horses are all non-winners, though a few have placed. The most experienced horses in the field only have 2 starts. Most are the offspring by quality sires such as American Pharoah, Hard Spun, Medalglia d'Oro, Twirling Candy and Kitten's Joy.

As with all our first time starters, we wish her a very safe and productive trip. 

Fancy Quality on the inside in a three-horse work from the gate
on 1-08-2024 at the Fairgrounds. 

Guinevere Update: New Track and Work

GUINEVERE has now been shipped to Turfway Park where she is anticipated to debut later this month. Her trainer is Wesley Ward and she is one of two horses in The Royal Duet package (see page tab above).

She completed her first work over the track this morning and we'll update this post with further information once it's received.

Turfway Park 1/11/2024 All Weather Track 5F 1:02.60 Breezing 11/22

[Photo from an earlier work at Keeneland]

Simply Enchanting On Track for Debut

Simply Enchanting breezed five furlongs in 1:03 flat this morning at Santa Anita while in company with Honey Pants (stakes-placed daughter of Cairo Prince). With jockey Juan Hernandez aboard, the daughter of Nyquist was asked a bit to keep up with her company but stayed strong throughout the drill. 

Juan reported that our 3-year-old went nicely while being steady and that she should be more comfortable going two turns in the future. 

Trainer Phil D'Amato feels our targeted maiden special going six and one-half furlongs should be a good starting point and plans on breezing her from the gate next week as a final preparation.

A Day To Remember Update!

Our American Pharoah son is back in the Glatt barn at Santa Anita Park and preparing to go back into training. He ran an impressive 3rd upon debut (to a TDN Rising Star!), the same day that Seize The Grey won his 2nd start at Saratoga over Dornoch.

2024 is certainly firming up to be an exciting year! 

Secret Crush Update

More encouraging news on our son of Candy Ride as he completes his second bullet work! 

Workout:

Palm Beach Downs 1/8/2024 Dirt 4F 48.22 Breezing 1*/4

Report:

Secret Crush breezed another half-mile in :48.22 this morning at Palm Beach Downs while on the inside of Tizzy in the Sky (3x winner and recently graded-stakes placed). The duo went head-to-head from start to finish, Secret Crush galloping out with plenty of energy left. 

Our son Candy Ride continues to move along and has certainly caught everyone’s eyes with his activity in the mornings. Every test that has been thrown at him to this stage, he has passed. 

While this is only his third half-mile drill, our 3-year-old colt is showing plenty of promise and we can’t wait to report on his progress over the next few weeks as we inch closer to a potential debut.

Photo is a screenshot from actual work video. Secret Crush is on the inside. 

Secret Crush (inside) works in company with Tizzy In The Sky
(3X winner and graded stakes placed), running head-to-head
throughout the exercise at Palm Beach Downs.

Adaay In Asia: Workout and Report Pre Las Cienagas Stakes G3

Adaay in Asia's workout info this morning at Santa Anita:

Adaay In Asia (GB) (5-Year-Old Mare)

Date: January 8, 2024

Track: SANTA ANITA PARK

Distance: Five Furlongs

Time: 1.00:40 Handily

Track Condition: Fast

Surface: Dirt

Rank: 4/23

_______________________________________

Adaay in Asia had her final work this morning at Santa Anita, covering five furlongs in 1:00.40. Working solo under jockey Kazushi Kimura (booked to ride on Sunday), our 5-year-old mare relaxed nicely and traveled well in-hand, galloping out with plenty left in the tank. 

Both Kazushi and trainer Phil D’Amato were happy with the daughter of Adaay who has been training very well since her transition to California. Phil shared his thoughts via video following today’s breeze which stated his and jockey Kimura's satisfaction with her work and that he expects she'll be "covered up" early and make a late move in the Las Cienagas if all goes well and she is entered. 

Entries for Sunday’s G3 Las Cienegas will be taken on Thursday and we will report back when that happens and update the Upcoming section with post positions and other details. 

Adaay In Asia captured in a January 2, 2024 workout
by photography Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire.

Jockey Kazushi Kimura was the top jockey at Woodbine and had a mount (Mandarin Hero) in the 2023 Kentucky Derby, who he also rode to a close 2nd place finish in the Santa Anita Derby. He was the Canadian Sovereign Award for Outstanding Jockey in 2021 and 2022, an Eclipse Award winner for apprentice jockey in 2019, and a Souvereign Award for Outstanding Apprentice in 2018 in Canada. He recently relocated from Canada and the East Coast to the West Coast. Read more about him here:

Twin Spires: Jockey Profile Kazushi Kimura 

Pioneer Prince Update

Pioneer Prince put up an improved work this morning at Santa Anita, covering six furlongs in 1:15 flat. Breaking off at the 5/8 pole under exercise rider Austin Solis, he was under a good hold throughout the drill and responded when asked by his rider in the stretch. He galloped out nicely past the wire to finish out at the 1/8 pole. 

Trainer Richard Mandella was pleased to see him back to his usual self and reported he was doing much better since have a new pair of shoes applied. 

Following our discussion with Richard, we will see how he exits today’s breeze and consider both a MSW going a flat mile on the dirt on January 19th and a $50,000 maiden claiming going one flat mile on the turf on January 20th at Santa Anita. 

With three races under his belt and his best showing on his form being a fourth-place finish via disqualification, it could be a key time to be aggressive and open up additional conditions. We’ll continue to discuss with Richard and firm up our plans soon. 

Pioneer Prince in an earlier work

Adaay In Asia Visited by Partners

Partner Marcia Cohen McCormack had a visit with Adaay In Asia at Santa Anita (Phil D'Mato's barn)  and snapped these photos. Her report on Adaay: "She was a perfect lady, very friendly and affectionate to all of us who took turns giving her love, kisses and carrots." 

Really happy to see our mare looking so good. The West Coast definitely agrees with her. 

She's on course for the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes this coming Sunday, January 14th. 

Pioneer Prince Worked 6F

Pioneer Prince performs his 3rd work off his layoff after being gelded in late November. He ran 6f at Santa Anita, for the 2nd fastest time at that distance, that day.

Santa Anita 1/7/2024 Dirt 6F 1:15.00 Handily 2/6

Adaay In Asia Nominated to the G3 Las Cienegas Stakes

Adaay in Asia was nominated to the G3 Las Cienegas S. going six and one-half furlongs down the hill on Jan. 14th at Santa Anita along with 17 other horses. Our now 5-year-old will have her final breeze on Monday ahead of next Sunday’s race. 

Mo Temptation Update - Back on the Track

The MRH team went to check in on Mo Temptation this morning at San Luis Rey Downs. Our newly turned 4-year-old started back jogging on Dec. 26th and will pick up galloping in approximately two weeks. Assistant trainer Kim Marrs couldn’t be happier with her physical condition since she came back from Trifecta and we will continue to report on her progress in the coming weeks.

From the video we were provided, we noted that Mo Temptation was feeling very good and quite frisky on the track, appearing happy to be back. 

We'll keep you posted on any future news. 

Photo is a screenshot from the video we were provided. 

Seize The Grey Works a Drill at Highlander

 Seize the Grey put up his second three-furlong drill yesterday morning at Highlander Training Center, covering the ground in :35.92. This final time returned strong for a farm track. 

The team at Highlander led by trainer Jon Newbold, asked your son of Arrogate to pick up the pace a bit following an easy work last week and were very pleased yet again with what they saw. 

Our son of Arrogate should not be far from having his first half-mile breeze and we will continue to report on his progress as he nears a return to the “Coach” D. Wayne Lukas.

A Day To Remember: Follow Up Report

 We are pleased to report that A Day to Remember safely arrived at Santa Anita yesterday and looks well following his additional time at Sunshine Farm. The Glatt barn will gradually get him back on the track and we will follow up on his progress over the coming weeks.

Fancy Quality Work and Debut Plans

Fancy Quality turned in another solid work from the gate this morning at Fair Grounds and was credited with a final time of 1:03.40. Breezing in company with usual workmate, Bad Betty, and Midsummer March (by Mendelssohn out of a Munnings mare), our daughter of Wootton Bassett worked the best of the trio while on the inside. 

The work quickly turned into a two horse competition between Fancy Quality and Midsummer March but Fancy Quality prevailed in holding a minor edge to the wire. 

Trainer Kenny McPeek remains pleased with the progress of your filly, confirming we will target a debut on January 18th at Fair Grounds (see above), pending all continues well. We will follow up in the coming days and we should still expect to see one more work from our now 3-year-old filly in preparation for her debut. 

Photo is a screenshot of the video we were sent of today's work. Fancy Quality is on the inside in the lead. Midsummer March is on the outside, and Bad Betty is the grey running some distance behind them. 

Fancy Quality was the best of three horses working
from the gate at the Fair Grounds on January 5, 2023

You can view the work from the gate by clicking
this link: Fancy Quality Workout 01-05-2023

Seismic Beauty at Julie Stack's Farm

Seismic Beauty was sent to Julie Adair Stack's farm in Rowland Heights where she will begin her R&R. 

In the initial stages, her schedule is going to consist of short periods of walking daily but that time frame will increase over the coming weeks. 

Julie has done a tremendous job for many of the MyRacehorse stable members during their time off and can get horses back under tack as well before returning to the track. We'll report back on her progress in the coming weeks. 

January 2nd was a Three Bullet Day!

January 2nd of this week was marked by quite a milestone as three of our partnership horses all scored bullet (fastest) works on that day for their distance.

They were:

English Jubilee at Mark Casse's training center 

Legitify at Santa Anita (trained by Richard Mandella)

Secret Crush at Palm Meadow Downs (trained by Todd Pletcher)

The same day Adaay In Asia had a very strong work, running the 4th fastest time of 86 works at Santa Anita. She's trained by Phil D'Amao.

Quite a momentous day! 

It's a Bullet Week!

And yet another bullet work, this one from English Jubilee this morning. It's been quite a week for our stable!

English Jubilee (ON) Mark E. Casse     F 3YO 36.70 b 1*/4

Lane Way Update

Lane Way was ponying on the track this morning at Santa Anita Park. Our veteran had shoes re-applied yesterday afternoon and all things look well. Tomorrow, training is expected to be limited, if any, due to what looks to be a quick storm but he will resume ponying or jogging again on Thursday.