BECKY THOMAS : MAKING A DIFFERENCE

“Click above to view a few photos of our trip…”

SUMMERHILL
INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME

Ricardo Christian
Assistant Pre-training Manager
Summerhill StudThabiso Mgoza and I had the privilege to spend the last 6 months in ‘racing paradise’. If you have had the privilege to experience the ‘sport of kings’ in the United states then you have an idea of what this journey has been like for us.

Our mentor Becky Thomas, pin-hooker; breeder; trainer and owner of Sequel Bloodstock, generously took on another two Summerhill recruits last year and I am lucky enough to tell the story this time. We left our green pastures in Mooi River, late November and found ourselves surrounded by what Floridians proudly boast to be the ‘training capital of the world’ - and it truly surpasses that. Ocala (Marion County) hosts over 1,200 thoroughbred training centres. Furthermore, the county ranked third nationally a couple of years back (behind two counties in Kentucky) in total value of horses sold.  Horses are big business in Marion County and Sequel Bloodstock is a prime example. Overwhelming, would be too subtle of a word for our first impression.

Upon arrival, we wasted no time and joined the Sequel team in the barns before our first sunrise starting at 5h30am. Becky and her team involved us in all aspects of the farm to get the whole ‘savoir faire’ down to every detail. It was not just eyes and ears; we were hands on from day 1. We walked away with a wealth of knowledge on keeping of barns, maintaining the horses nutritional needs, the racehorse soundness, 2 year old sales, pedigree analysis, training techniques and all the ins and outs of the ‘pin-hooking’ business. Riding her 2 year olds was our most vital part of this training programme and certainly what we valued most out of it. We were lucky enough to have ridden and worked with the progeny of the world’s leading Sires, such as, Bernadini, Distorted Humor, Freud, Elusive Quality, Read The Footnotes, Rock Hard Ten - amongst many. With the help of Becky, our riding has gone from strength to strength. As South African pre-training riders, the US training techniques and riding styles differ so much from our ways back home and in the beginning we really battled with the big 2 year old bruts.

The actual sales in the states was an amazing experience on its own; showing horses to some of the world’s leading trainers, such as Bob Baffert who came to view Sequel’s horses at the Barrets Sales in California.

Our six months in America exceeded our expectations, everything from training on the farm to working at the sales. Becky Thomas gave us an unbelievable opportunity and also taught us not just about horses but about the American lifestyle and the different traditions and cultures.

Becky’s motto was ‘make a difference’ and if Becky only knew what a difference her team and herself have made on our lives and the people we share it with back here in South Africa, then I know this scholarship programme (40 graduates later) is only a start of many successful things to come.

Ricardo Christian

BREED-SHAPING US RACES : MET MILE AND KING'S BISHOP

What A Winter - Cape Flying Championship (Grade 1)
(Photo : Gold Circle)

THE MET MILE AND THE KING’S BISHOP STAKES

While you’d have to respect the Kentucky Derby for the stallions it’s produced in its 136 year history, in modern times, there are no two more influential breed-shaping American races than the Met Mile (Gr1) and the King’s Bishop (Gr1).

The 1996 renewal of the King’s Bishop Stakes at Saratoga (then a Grade 2) has been widely recognized as a vintage edition, mostly because it produced a number of today’s top sires. The first three across the wire - Honour and Glory, Elusive Quality and Distorted Humor - have all sired Eclipse Award winners.

The following year’s Met Mile (Gr1) probably wouldn’t be given a second thought by many, but the last two weeks have shown that it’s a fine sire-producing race in its own right.

Winner Langfuhr, sire of champion Lawyer Ron and others, saw his veteran son Euroears get a deserved first graded stakes success in the Palos Verdes Stakes (Gr2) at Santa Anita January 22.

Western Winter, a son of Gone West who is little known to North American breeders, had two three-year-old Group 1 winners in South Africa - What A Winter won the Cape Flying Championship (Gr1) on January 22, while Covenant took the Klawervlei Majorca Stakes (Gr1) on January 29. Western Winter also concluded South Africa’s recent Cape Premier Yearling Sale as the fifth-leading sire, with 11 of 13 sold for R591,818 - roughly $82,500.)

And Northern Afleet, third by a length in the 1997 Met Mile, landed a lucrative trifecta during last weekend’s Sunshine Millions event. At Santa Anita, his four-year-old daughter Evening Jewel, in return to form, won the $300,000 Distaff, while the gelding Amazombie captured the $200,000 Sprint Stakes. Back east at Gulfstream, his daughter Aegean upset the $200,000 Filly & Mare Sprint.

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News

WORLD'S BIGGEST THOROUGHBRED YEARLING AUCTION

A.P. Arrow
(Photo : Summerhill Stud)

“KEENE AS MUSTARD”

The world’s biggest thoroughbred yearling auction is currently under way on land once owned by the fabled American breeder, James Keene. Over the road from the Lexington airport (itself on land once owned by another legend, Nelson Bunker Hunt, the silver king), the Keeneland sales ring has seen reassuringly solid trade throughout the week.

The part of the sale which most resembles the halcyon days of the old July vendue featuring Northern Dancer, Njinksky, Mr. Prospector, Danzig and Seattle Slew, is what is modernly referred to as Book One.

While the numbers are a far cry from the seven figure averages of those days, so are the times we live in. But if you’re looking for a silver lining, it lies with A.P. Indy and his sons, Bernardini and Malibu Moon. And if you’re South African, it has be with his best racing son in these parts, A.P. Arrow.

Sire	Cat	Ring	Sold	Avg ($)
A.P. INDY (Seattle Slew)	16	15	10	797,500
DISTORTED HUMOR (Forty Niner)	17	14	13	515,000
BERNARDINI (A.P. Indy)	10	8	7	410,714
MALIBU MOON (A.P. Indy)	5	5	4	395,000
MR. GREELEY (Gone West)	12	10	7	368,571
DYNAFORMER (Roberto)	8	8	7	366,429
STREET CRY (IRE) (Machiavellian)	13	9	6	314,167
UNBRIDLE’S SONG (Unbridled)	11	8	8	288,125
EMPIRE MAKER (Unbridled)	10	9	6	277,500
SMART STRIKE (Mr Prospector)	11	7	6	268,333
GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (Storm Cat)	21	20	11	250,000
HARD SPUN (Danzig)	7	7	4	141,250

Editors Note :
A.P. Arrow was A.P Indy’s best racing son worldwide in 2008.

DROSSELMEYER CAPTURES 142ND BELMONT STAKES

Click above to watch
Drosselmeyer winning the 142nd Belmont Stakes (Gr1)
(Photo : NY Daily News - Footage : Belmont Park)

142nd BELMONT STAKES (Gr1)
Belmont Park, 5 June 2010

When Drosselmeyer (Distorted Humor) gave his late surge to post a 13-1 upset over Fly Down (Mineshaft) and First Dude (Stephen Got Even) in yesterday’s third leg of the US Triple Crown, The Belmont Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park, a number of milestones were achieved.

WinStar Farm became the first owner to win two legs of the Triple Crown with different runners since Overbrook Farm accomplished the feat in 1996 with Grindstone and Editor’s Note. Hall of Famer Bill Mott notched his first winner of a Triple Crown race, and fellow Hall of Fame member Mike Smith, who teamed up with Mott earlier on the card to land the Just a Game Stakes (G1) with Proviso, rounded out a Triple Crown career following scores in the 2005 Kentucky Derby (G1) and 1993 Preakness Stakes (G1).

“People don’t know it, but this is the second Belmont winner I’ve saddled,” Bill Mott quipped. “I saddled Victory Gallop (in the 1998 Belmont) for Elliot (Walden, vice president and racing manager of WinStar Farm) when he had a broken leg.” Mike Smith, who called the New York circuit home for much of his career, added, “It was a great trip. It was all about getting into the rhythm and we did it. It worked out. It was incredible. It’s great to come home.”

Drosselmeyer began his career on the grass, finishing third by 3/4 of a length at Saratoga on 16 August, then ran second at even-money to Exhi (Maria’s Mon) on Belmont’s sod on 20 September. Beaten a head on Keeneland’s Polytrack 24 October, the coppery chestnut broke through with six-length triumph in an off-the-turfer at Churchill on 18 November.

Drosselmeyer kicked off his 2010 campaign with a sharp allowance tally at Gulfstream on 31 January and looked like he’d be a major player on the Triple Crown trail, but it took a while for him to fulfill that promise. Fourth as the favorite in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds on 20 February, he finished third by a length in the Louisiana Derby (G2) over the same track on 27 March, which meant he did not amass the requisite earnings to contest the Kentucky Derby (G1).

WinStar secured the roses with Super Saver (Maria’s Mon) on 1 May and, a week later, Drosselmeyer re-surfaced with a no-excuse second to Fly Down in the Dwyer Stakes (G2) around this sweeping oval. Kent Desormeaux had been the colt’s pilot since the Churchill maiden win, but found himself replaced by Mike Smith.

Drosselmeyer, who had been training with bar shoes in front, went postward at 13-1 in the 142nd running of the Belmont Stakes. When the gates opened, First Dude cleared the field from post 11 and settled into an easy tempo, with Drosselmeyer sitting about five lengths back and in the clear on the outside. The imposing First Dude slowed it down up front with his splits of 0:24.15, 0:49.19 and 1:14.94, and hit the half-mile pole in 1:40.25. Smith asked his mount to edged a bit closer heading into the far turn and the pair began a steady advance, ranging up to challenge First Dude in front of the grandstand. The big colt dug in inside, but Drosselmeyer had the momentum. Fly Down launched a late run on the outside to nip First Dude for second. “It was Elliot (Walden)’s idea to go to the Dwyer. We thought about wheeling back into either the Arkansas Derby or Blue Grass, but we just said we should stick with our original plan. I got a little nervous when he ran in the Dwyer and looked like he needed some racing, but it turned out to be a good plan.”

RACE RESULTS

#	Horse	Jockey	Trainer
1	DROSSELMEYER	Mike Smith	Bill Mott
2	FLY DOWN	John Velazquez	Nick Zito
3	FIRST DUDE	Ramon Dominguez	Dale Romans
4	GAME ON DUDE	Martin Garcia	Bob baffert
5	STAY PUT	Jamie Theriot	Steve Margolis
6	INTERACTIF	Javier Castellano	Todd Pletcher
7	STATELY VICTOR	Alan Garcia	Mike Maker
8	ICE BOX	Jose Lezcano	Nick Zito
9	MAKE MUSIC FOR ME	Joel Rosario	Alexis Barba
10	DAVE IN DIXIE	Calvin Borel	John Sadler
11	SPANGLED STAR	Garret Gomez	Richard Dutro Jr
12	UPTOWNCHARLYBROWN	Rajiv Maragh	Kiaran McLaughlan

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News

TOPPER GOES TO SUMMERHILL'S ADMIRE MAIN CONNECTIONS

Click above to watch Azeri selling at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale
(Footage : Keeneland)

KEENELAND NOVEMBER BREEDING STOCK SALE 2009

International connections have been the lifeblood of Summerhill going back twenty years to the time the Maktoum family arrived with their first stallions. More recently, Summerhill has connected with Japan’s headline breeding dynasty, the Yoshida’s, and one of the family was in the news again yesterday.

Multiple champion Azeri made her second appearance of the year in the Keeneland sales ring Monday, and the second time was a charm, with the chestnut mare bringing a final bid of $2.25 million from Northern Farm’s Katsumi Yoshida to top the opening session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in Lexington. Azeri, in foal to Ghostzapper, failed to reach her reserve at $4.4 million at Keeneland in January. She sold yesterday in foal to Distorted Humor. The auctioneer looked to start the action at $1 million, but bidding began at a more modest $300,000. From there, bids came in rapid-fire succession in $100,000 increments, with Blandford Bloodstock’s Tom Goff among the bidders inside the pavilion. Bidding began to stall approaching the $2-million mark, but with encouragement from the auctioneer’s stand Azeri’s price tag inched up to the final figure. Shunsuke Yoshida, on the phone with his father Katsumi, did his bidding behind the pavilion and signed the ticket on the prized mare.

“We didn’t expect that we could buy this mare,” Yoshida said. “We just kept bidding up to our budget, and finally she came to us.”

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News