COVER PHOTO: Florida-Bred Baby Yoda by Janet Garaguso CONTENTS PHOTO: Florida-Bred Sabatini by Michael Burns
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FLORIDA THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS’ AND OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION
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George Isaacs
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George Russell
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Francis Vanlangendonck
TREASURER
Joseph M. O’Farrell III
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Nick de Meric
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Lonny Taylor Powell
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Peggy Yost
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Brock Sheridan
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BROCK SHERIDAN Editor-in-Chief Florida Equine Communications
FTBOA Releases New Florida-bred and Florida Sire Stakes Online Registry Search
The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association and Florida Equine Communications continue to develop our online and digital communications with a new website feature announced this month.
With a few clicks of a mouse, Florida Thoroughbred stakeholders can now easily confirm a Thoroughbred’s current FTBOA Florida-bred registration status, Florida Sire Stakes eligibility and verify registered Florida Stallions.
The online Registry Search, located at ftboa. com/registrysearch or accessible from the “Forms/ Search” dropdown menus, allows users to search and sort foaled-in-Florida Thoroughbreds by name, dam name, sire name or by foal crop.
FTBOA icons indicate fully registered FTBOA Florida-breds. The Florida Sire Stakes icon confirms that a Thoroughbred has been fully paid into and is eligible to participate in the lucrative Florida Sire Stakes program. Simplified Yes/No indicators track yearling and/or 2-year-old payments progress to ease verifications as juvenile horses change ownership.
“This all-new registry search is, quite simply, best-in-class at what it offers. We’ve combined three major registry functions into a one-stop shop aimed at eliminating eligibility confusions between the FSS and Florida-bred incentive programs.” FTBOA Associate Vice President of Operations Steve Koch said. “FTBOA’s ongoing technology investments put us far ahead of other regional breed associations for stakeholders’ ease of use and understandability.”
FTBOA released its all-new website at ftboa. com in September, 2023 in tandem with significant enhancements to its subsidiary Wire to Wire news service. In its first year, monthly site views have averaged more than 15,000 plus rapid growth thanks to innovations such as the highly popular Florida-bred Entries and Results interactive resource.
Florida Thoroughbred enthusiasts can subscribe to Wire to Wire, the FTBOA Thoroughbred digest produced five days weekly, by going to the ftboa. com/news and scrolling down to the “Subscribe to Wire to Wire” button towards the bottom of the page.
FLORIDA FOCUS
Compiled by Brock Sheridan
Florida-bred
Gabaldon
Sprints to Upset Victory in
Royal Palm Juvenile
Earns Invitation to Royal Ascot and $10,000 FTBOA
Florida-Bred Bonus
Florida-bred Gabaldon fired an impressive debut to upset the $110,000 Royal Palm Juvenile at odds of 16-1 at Gulfstream Park May 11, earning an invitation to one of six juvenile stakes at Great Britain’s prestigious Royal Ascot meet in June. With jockey Emisael Jaramillo aboard, Gabaldon won the five-furlong contest on turf by a length-and-a-quarter to take down the winner’s share of the $100,000 purse plus a $10,000 Florida-bred bonus presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association. He also banked a $25,000 equine Ascot travel stipend.
Governor Sam and jockey Hector Diaz Jr. burst from post nine but were quickly joined by Gabaldon to their inside after starting from gate seven. Governor Sam and Gabaldon went at each other through a quarter-mile in :21.33 on the firm turf and battled into the turn four lengths clear of Incanto (Ire) and Garden of War, who gave chase together in third.
Governor Sam and Gabaldon continued to race noses apart before Gabaldon sling-shotted out of the bend to quickly take a two-length lead in mid-stretch. Gabaldon cruised home as Reach for the Rose rallied for second, a neck in front of Bright Skittle in third. Garden of War was just a nose farther back in fourth with Incanto (Ire) close by in fifth. Governor Sam, Florida-bred I Know I Know, Classy War, Madroc, Makeit to Cheyenne and Enterdadragon completed the order of finish.
Trained by Jose D’Angelo, Gabaldon stopped the clock in :56.20
and paid $35 to win.
“The horse showed class from the first day. He’s never missed a workout,” D’Angelo said. “We were looking for a horse to run in this race. Now, we are looking for a [top] hat.”
It was a $57,500 payday for owner Alfonso Soued’s Soldi Stable LLC, who purchased Gabaldon for $9,000 at last year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales October Yearling Sale where the gray or roan colt was consigned by Get Away Farm.
Gabaldon is by Gone Astray, who stands at Pleasant Acres Stallions, and is out of the unraced Florida-bred mare Valuable Miss, by Value Plus. Bred in Florida by Carol Ann Reitman, Susan Gannon and Warren Miller, Gabaldon is the first stakes winner for Valuable Miss, who now has four winners from four starters. She has an unnamed yearling filly by Girvin and a weanling filly by Mutasaabeq, both Florida-breds. n
Florida-bred Mystic Lake Sails to Victory in Miss Preakness
C2 Racing Stable LLC and Stefania Farms LLC’s Mystic Lake led from start to finish to dominate the Grade 3 Miss Preakness, winning by six lengths at Pimlico Race Course on May 17.
With Flavien Prat riding for the first time, Mystic Lake burst from post one to quickly put a length lead on the 11 other 3-year-old fillies in the six-furlong Miss Preakness. Mystic Lake continued to keep her length advantage down the backstretch as
Florida-bred Gabaldon | Photo by Lauren King
Florida-bred Mystic Lake | Photo by Jim McCue
Any Limit-winner Launch gave chase in second while just ahead of Fern Creek-winner and 2-1 post time favorite Youalmosthadme and longshot Miss Harriett.
Mystic Lake scampered through a quick quarter-mile in :23 flat and maintained her margin under a motionless Prat around the far turn before darting away from her challengers passing the quarter-pole in :46.44.
Prat threw a cross at the top of the stretch and Mystic Lake responded with a determined four-and-a-half-length victory in 1:11.40 on the fast track.
Youalmosthadme was second, a length-and-a-quarter ahead of Discreet Ops in third. Cap Classique, Lady Moscato, Florida-bred Belle’s Blue Bell, Value Area, Carmelia, Launch, Miss Harriett, Closing Act and Florida-bred Let Them Watch completed the order of finish.
“She jumped very well and got an early good position and she did the rest from there,” Prat said.
“She always runs forward, obviously. Here it was the one-hole. You’ve got to break well, but she did and it turned out well.”
Mystic Lake paid $13.60 to win at 5-1 odds.
It was the second stakes victory of the year for the Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Mystic Lake, who won the $100,000 Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies on Florida Cup Day at Tampa Bay Downs on March 24. She followed that with a second-place finish to Florida-bred Sabatini in the CA$128,250 Star Shoot going six furlongs on the synthetic main track at Woodbine on April 27 in her last race before the Miss Preakness.
“She is just a consistent filly and she ran big today,” Joseph told the Pimlico publicity staff by phone from South Florida. “She has run well on the dirt. She has won her last three on the dirt.
“The only blemish on her record was her first time on the dirt [in her career debut last August at Gulfstream when ninth]. For some reason she did not break that day and ran poorly.
“I am just thankful to get this win. To win a graded stake for the owners. They have been great supporters of us. Her strategy is to go to the lead and go as far as she can and as fast as she can. That is her strategy; there are no two ways about it.
“We were facing some good horses today and we were going to get a class test. She showed up, big time.”
Mystic Lake also counts among her stakes victories the $75,000 Gasparilla going seven furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 13.
She has now won four of nine starts with two seconds and a third. The $90,000 first-place check increased her career revenues to $291,554.
Bred in Florida by Peggy Costanzo of Englewood, Fla., Mystic
Lake is by Mo Town out of Salty Soul, by Itsmyluckyday. Mystic Lake is the only foal out of Salty Soul, who was purchased by South Paw for $30,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
Mytic Lake twice sold at Ocala Breeders’ Sales. She was consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield Sales at the 2022 October Yearling Sale where Tom McCrocklin as an agent purchased her for $3,500. McCrocklin then consigned her at the 2023 OBS March Sale where Turf Express Racing Partners bought her for $130,000. n
Powerful Win By Octane in Big Drama Handicap
Florida-breds Cash In on $20,000 in Top 3 FTBOA Bonus
Arindel homebred Octane made a dramatic return to Gulfstream Park on May 25 with an imposing victory as the 4-5 favorite in the $100,000 Big Drama Handicap, winning by six-and-a-quarter lengths as the 124 pound high weight. Giving away between four and six pounds to his five rivals, the 5-year-old millionaire topped a Florida-bred trifecta in the seven-furlong contest for 3-year-olds and older with Loco Abarrio second and Shaq Diesel third.
The Big Drama purse included a $20,000 Top 3 Florida-bred bonus presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
Florida-bred Octane | Photo by Ryan Thompson
FLORIDA FOCUS
Winning his second handicap in three starts after taking the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 24, Octane earned $59,035 including his $10,000 share of the FTBOA bonus. His career earnings now stand at $1,101,640
With Emisael Jaramillo aboard, Octane and fellow Floridabred Ticking broke best of all in the seven-furlong contest before surrendering the lead to Vivir Con Alegria (Chi) for the run down the backstretch.
Jockey Edgar Perez guided Vivir Con Alegria to a length advantage through a quarter-mile split in :22.61 on the fast track. Octane raced behind him in second with Florida-breds Shaq Diesel and Loco Abarrio running together in third another length farther back.
Jaramillo cued Octane around the far turn and they shot past Vivir Con Alegria with ease as Loco Abarrio took second on the outside passing the quarter-mile marker.
Octane extended his lead in the stretch with little effort after a :45.51 half-mile and continued to run away from his rivals under mild encouragement from Jaramillo.
Vivir Con Alegria was fourth followed by Ticking and Collaborate. Mbagnick (Chi) was scratched.
Octane returned $3.60 to win.
It was a successful rebound for Octane after finishing seventh in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap won by Skippylongstocking going a mile-and-an-eighth on April 20.
Octane improved his career record to nine wins in 20 starts with four seconds and a third. He is by Arindel stallion Brethren out of the winning Aldebarran mare Star Recruit. Star Recruit has produced three foals, all with Brethren, including multiple stakeswinner Gatsby and stakes-placed Jellybean. She was bred to Ocala Stud stallion Colonel Liam in 2023. n
Dean Delivers Romps in Mr. Prospector at Monmouth Park
Stonehedge LLC homebred Dean Delivers returned to the winner’s circle after a stylish victory in the $104,000 Mr. Prospector at Monmouth Park on May 27, winning by eight lengths over a sloppy six furlongs against seven other 3-year-olds and older. The 5-year-old gelding topped a Florida-bred exacta while finishing in 1:10.43 as Gonzalez Racing’s Hollywood Jet was second, two lengths ahead of Little Vic in third.
Dean Delivers and jockey Miguel Vasquez started best of all from post seven with Hollywood Jet to his outside in second. Hurricane J and rider Jorge Delgado raced to the front from the inside coming out of the backstretch chute and led by a length
ahead of the two Florida-breds through a quarter-mile in :21.67.
Dean Delivers and Hollywood Jet went on the attack around the far turn to pass Hurricane J near the quarter pole before finishing the half-mile in :44.74.
Dean Delivers drew off in the stretch and galloped home with an easy victory for the first time since taking the Grade 3 Smile Sprint at Gulfstream Park going six furlongs in July. He was let go at odds of 9-2 in the Mr. Prospector after finishing off the board in two previous starts this year.
He was fifth behind winner Run Classic in the $129,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint on Feb. 24 and fourth in the $100,000 NYRA Bets Sprint won by Mish on Florida Cup Day at Tampa Bay Downs on May 27.
Trained for the first time by Edward T. Allard, Dean Delivers also provided Vasquez with his third victory of the day.
Dean Delivers paid $11.80 to win.
“I didn’t have him before this race but I have trained for [Stonehedge LLC] for years and this is a Florida-bred so they felt they needed to keep him in Florida,” Allard said. “He tailed off there because of the heat. They decided to freshen him up a little bit. I got him about six or seven weeks ago and he has been training dynamite. But it took about a week for him to come alive again with energy and he did with the cooler weather. I think he’s good on a fast racetrack also. I think he just needed a little freshening up and it’s a little cooler here than it is in Florida. So I think the rest and the sloppy racetrack helped him today.”
Bump N Run was fourth with 3-2 favorite Counterspy, Machen’s Ridge, Hurricane J and Florida-bred Khozeiress completing the order of finish.
“He’s a little more mature compared to when I rode him last year and the year before that,” Vasquez said. “But he has always been good. He’s just a very nice horse. Being in a stalking position
Florida-bred Dean Delivers | Photo by Bill Denver/Equi-Photo
like he was in this race is when he is at his best. So I was very happy with the trip I got. The slop helped but this horse was sharp. When he broke well, I knew we would be okay.”
It was the sixth career victory in 22 starts for Dean Delivers, who has eight seconds and two thirds. The $60,000 first-place check increased his lifetime earnings to $562,660.
Dean Delivers is by Stonehedge Farm South stallion Cajun Breeze out of Slick and True by Yes It’s True. Slick and True has five winners from seven starters with Dean Delivers as her only stakes winner. She has an unraced 2-year-old filly, J J’s True Bet, by Gentlemen’s Bet and was bred to both Lone Sailor and Strike Power in 2023. n
Memorial Day Sprint Right Choice for Spirit Wind
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who had Spirit Wind entered in both the Grade 3 Winning Colors at Churchill Downs and the $100,000 Memorial Day Sprint at Lone Star Park on Memorial Day, made the right choice to run the Florida-bred mare in Texas as she lived up to her 1-5 odds to win the six-furlong test on May 27.
Ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, Spirit Wind settled in third, two lengths behind Palacein, winner of the Wilma Mankiller at Will Rogers Downs in her last start, as they went the first two furlongs in :21.77 on the fast track.
Smith sent Spirit Wind at the leader around the far turn and took over at the top of the stretch. Spirit Wind drew off before finishing in 1:09.37, three-and-a-half lengths in front of Accomplished Girl in second. My Friend Amy was third with Reclusive, Adaline Julia, Non Violence, Palacein, Majestic Ways and Appropriate Funds completed the order of finish.
Spirit Wind paid $2.60 to win.
The 5-year-old mare earned $60,000 for owner C2 Racing Stable LLC and increased her career money line to $388,690 from six wins in 10 starts with two seconds and a third. It was her fourth stakes victory after she ended her 2023 campaign winning the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 23.
It was her third start this year after finishing third in Red Carpet Ready’s Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie at Gulfstream on March 9 and sixth in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff won by Vahva at Churchill Downs on May 4.
Spirit Wind is by Double Diamond Farm stallion Bahamian Squall out of the stakes-placed Florida-bred mare Sacred Psalm, by Awesome of Course and she was bred in Florida by Jacks or Better Farm Inc.
Sacred Psalm has produced eight winners from nine starters including Florida-bred stakes-placed runners Guardian Angel, by Jess’s Dream; and Silent Prayer, by Brooks ‘n Down. Sacred Psalm has an unraced 2-year-old colt, Lead Pipe, by Battalion Runner; and an unnamed yearling colt, by Vino Rosso. Both are Floridabreds. n
Florida-bred Whatintheliteral Upsets Astoria With Determined Effort
Florida-bred Whatintheliteral sprinted to the lead from the start and fought off a tenacious Aoraki throughout the stretch to win the $150,000 Astoria by a head at Saratoga on June 6. It was the first career victory for the Jena Antonucci trainee, who defeated six other 2-year-old fillies going five-and-a-half furlongs at odds of 13-1.
Ridden by Javier Castellano, Whatintheliteral exploded from post one and quickly had a length advantage on Aoraki, a first
Florida-bred Sprirt Wind | Photo by Dustin Orona
Florida-bred Whatintheliteral (inside) | Photo by Chelsea Durand
time maiden special weight winner for trainer Steve Asmussen at Churchill Downs in her only start. Whatintheliteral sprinted through the first quarter mile in :22.16 under pressure from Aoraki to her outside with The French Horn and 2-1 favorite The Queens M G giving chase together in third from a length-and-aquarter back.
Aoraki drew even with Whatintheliteral as they turned for home after a half-mile in :45.79 and those two went at each other for the entire length of the stretch. Whatintheliteral gained a narrow advantage just before the wire as they finished in 1:05.06 on the fast track.
Aoraki held on for second, a length-and-a-quarter ahead of French Horn in third. Baytown Butterfly, West Memorial, Biscuitwiththeboss and The Queens M G completed the order of finish. Baytown Cleopatra and Long Neck Paula were scratched.
Whatintheliteral paid $29 to win.
Whatintheliteral debuted on April 7 against maiden special weight fillies at Keeneland but finished fifth, 12 ½ lengths behind The Queens M G and West Memorial. Whatintheliteral improved in her next start on April 24, finishing third, beaten less than a length by Tapit First, again going four-and-a-half furlongs at Keeneland in a maiden special weight for fillies.
Whatintheliteral is by Lord Nelson out of Lilikoi, by Freud and was bred by Bella Inizio Farm LLC. She earned $82,500 for owners horseOlogy Racing and Craig Steinhart to push her career earnings to $89,129.
Whatintheliteral is the first stakes winner for Lilikoi, who has three winners from three starters. Lilikoi has a weanling filly by Greatest Honor bred by Horseology LLC. n
OBITUARY
Cornelius August Link, Jr.
January 4, 1931 — June 22, 2024
Dr. Cornelius August Link, age 93, of Reddick, Florida, passed away on June 22, 2024. He was born on Jan. 4, 1931, in Washington, D.C., a son of Cornelius and Martha Link. He leaves behind to cherish his memory; daughter, Stephanie Link and her partner Santiago Mendoza and sister, Martha Thomas. n
Florida-bred Beauty of the Sea Overcomes Difficult Trip to Win Goldwood
Checked while racing down the backstretch then lacking room at the top of the stretch, Florida-bred Beauty of the Sea found room on the rail to win the $100,000 Goldwood by a length-anda-quarter at Monmouth Park on June 22. In defeating eight other fillies and mares going five-and-a-half furlongs on the turf, Beauty of the Sea won her second stakes at Monmouth after taking the $104,000 Blue Sparkler there last July.
Sent to the post as the 4-5 favorite, Beauty of the Sea raced in third on the rail as Bosserati went to the front, a length ahead of Florida-bred All That Magic in second coming out of the turf chute. As they turned down the backstretch, Bosserati continued to lead All That Magic when Beauty of the Sea hit the rail and had to steady. All That Magic advanced to the outside of Bosserati around the far turn as Beauty of the Sea recovered to track them with a ground-saving trip from a length-and-a-half back in third.
All That Magic challenged Bosserati at the top of the stretch as Lopez moved Beauty of the Sea off the rail, only to be shut off by the two leaders. Lopez steered Beauty of the Sea back inside and she promptly shot to the front in the final sixteenth to win convincingly in 1:02.70 on the firm turf.
Queen of the Mud (Ire) ran late to get second with Bosserati third. They were followed in order by Drifaros, All That Magic, Hollywood Walk, Velikiy, Frau Diablo and La Traviesa.
Trained by Joe Orseno for Ironhorse Racing Stable LLC, Beauty of the Sea paid $3.80 to win.
It was the second win in three starts this year for Beauty of the Sea, who won the $75,000 Golden Beach overnight handicap at Gulfstream Park going five furlongs on the turf on April 28. More recently, she was second to Tony Ann in an upper level, $175,000 optional claiming going five-and-a-half furlongs on the Churchill Downs grass on June 7.
Florida-bred Beauty of the Sea | Photo by Bill Denver/Equi-Photo
Cornelius Link | Family Photo
She has now won half of her 10 career starts with one second and the $60,000 first-place check boosted her earnings to $244,410.
Beauty of the Sea is by Bucchero out of the unraced Floridabred mare Belong to Sea, by Poseidon’s Warrior. She was bred in Florida by Shade Tree Thoroughbreds Inc. Belong to Sea has two winners from two starters with Beauty of the Sea her only blacktype winner. n
Sabatini Continues Florida Success in Woodbine’s Selene
NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods’ Sabatini circled the field coming out of the far turn then drew off to win the US$110,327 Selene (Grade 3) at Woodbine on June 29—continuing a string of success by Florida-breds in the mile-and-one-sixteenth test on the synthetic main track.
The Selene was the second stakes victory in three starts at Woodbine for Sabatini, who won the CA$128,000 Star Shoot going six furlongs there on April 27.
She is the third Florida-bred in the last five years to win the Selene, joining Two Sixty in 2020 and Our Flash Drive in 2021. Florida-breds Dark Ending (2001) and Lady Beverly (1998) also won the Selene.
Sabatini is trained by Canadian Hall of Famer Josie Carroll, who snapped a string of six straight wins in the Selene by dual Hall of Fame conditioner Mark Casse of Ocala, Fla.
Sabatini and jockey Sofia Vives broke sharp from post one then settled along the rail in fourth to follow Waves of Mischief, Red
Samura and Golden Ghost (GB) into the clubhouse turn. Down the backstretch, Waves of Mischief raced to a two-length advantage on Red Samurai in second with Sabatini another two-and-aquarter lengths farther back in third as they finished the first two furlongs in :23.98.
Waves of Mischief continued to show the way through a halfmile in :47.62 as Red Samurai moved to her outside hip into the far turn with Golden Ghost and Sabatini together in third from a length-and-a-half farther back.
Red Samurai and Golden Ghost raced past the quarter-pole heads apart on the lead as Vives took Sabatini into the four path for her run at the frontrunners with Witwatersrand to her outside in fourth.
Sabatini accelerated from her rivals at the top the stretch and was two lengths clear passing the eighth pole with Crevalle d’Oro trying to rally from second and Witwatersrand still third.
Sabatini crossed under the wire two lengths in front of Crevalle d’Oro in a final time of 1:43.07. Witwatersrand was third, followed by Golden Ghost, Shamans Girl, Red Samurai and Waves of Mischief completed the order of finish. Crevalle d’Oro, Witwatersrand and Golden Ghost are all trained by Casse.
Sabatini was sent to the post with 9-2 odds and paid $11.40 to win.
“It’s such a good feeling to have such an honest trying filly and a good barn backing us and great owners,” Vives said. “Hopefully, we can get many more together.
“I had a lot of confidence in this horse. I have a lot of confidence in the barn. And they always bring the horses over at 110 percent.”
Sabatini finished third in a maiden special weight for fillies at Turfway Park in her first career start in March then dominated the Star Shoot with a two-and-quarter-length victory. She was then second, four lengths behind Witwatersrand in the CA$102,000 Ruling Angel going seven furlongs at Woodbine in her previous race on May 18.
“First couple of works, she wowed us from the start,” Carroll said of Sabatini. “You know, just if you look at her physically, she’s outstanding looking and her turn of foot was unbelievable. Great demeanor, great mind. She’s just got all the parts.”
Sabatini is by Uncle Mo out of Gabriellestoblame, by Blame and was bred in Florida by Bridlewood Farm. Sabatini is the only stakes winner for Gabriellestoblame, who has two winners from two starters. Gabriellestoblame has an unnamed 2-year-old filly by Uncle Mo and a weanling colt by Violence.
Sabatini has now earned $138,376 from four career starts with two wins and a second. n
Continued on next page
Florida-bred Sabatini | Photo by Michael Burns
FLORIDA FOCUS
Florida-bred Belle’s Blue Bell Scoops Up Victory in Maryfield
Jacks or Better Farm Inc., homebred Belle’s Blue Bell came from last in a compact race to fight with Daughter of Time at the top of the stretch then pulled away late to win the $100,000 Maryfield at Monmouth Park on June 29. With Joe Bravo aboard, Florida-bred Belle’s Blue Bell finished six furlongs in 1:10.09 to defeat five other 3-year-old fillies on the fast track.
Daughter of Time had a short advantage down the backstretch with Caress and Girvin’s Princess close by in second and third while Belle’s Blue Bell was last but only two lengths off the lead.
Belle’s Blue Bell tried to pounce on the leaders leaving the backstretch after a quarter mile in :22.09 but lacked room until they began to make their way around the far turn. Bravo took Belle’s Blue Bell off the rail and into the three path and she drew even with Daughter of Time and Youalmosthadme with a quarter mile to the finish.
Belle’s Blue Bell and Daughter of Time were head and head until the final furlong when the former pulled away to finish a lengthand-three-quarters in front under the wire. Youalmosthadme was second, a half-length faster than Daughter of Time in third. Girvin’s Princess, Outspoken and Caress completed the order of finish. Calle Amada was scratched.
Trained by Carlos David, Belle’s Blue Bell paid $10.60 to win.
Belle’s Blue Bell has now won two of her last three starts, including a first condition, $50,000 optional claiming on synthetic at Gulfstream Park on March 13 and a first condition, $75,000 optional claiming going six furlongs at Gulfstream on April 14. In her previous start, she was sixth in the six-furlong Miss
Preakness (Grade 3) won by Mystic Lake with Youalmosthadme second at Pimlico on May 17.
Belle’s Blue Belle is by Girvin out of multiple stakes-winning Florida-bred mare Awesome Belle, by Awesome of Course. Belle’s Blue Bell is the first stakes winner for Awesome Belle, who has two winners from four starters. Awesome Belle has an unnamed 2-year-old colt by Greenpointcrusader and an unnamed yearling colt by Ocala Stud’s popular first crop sire Win Win Win.
Belle’s Blue Bell has now won four with two seconds in 10 starts with earnings of $188,660. n
Florida-bred Dancing N Dixie Gets Up in Time to Win Tepin Stakes
Dancing N Dixie rallied from the outside to edge Mo Fox Givin by a neck at the wire and won the $233,418 Tepin for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs June 29.
Trained by Mark Casse and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Dancing N Dixie completed one mile on firm turf in 1:36.04 for owners Gary Barber, Rocky Top Stables and Chris Moore’s LEMB Stables.
Previously, Dancing N Dixie finished third in three consecutive graded stakes events. She finished just a length behind winner Waskesiu in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs on March 9 then was less than a length off of winner Buchu in the Grade 2 Appalachian at Keeneland on April 6. In her last race, the 3-year-old gray filly was just a length-and-a-half behind Dynamic Pricing in the Grade 2 Edgewood at Churchill Downs on May 3.
Pipsy (Ire) set the pace and led the field of eight 3-year-old
Florida-bred Belle’s Blue Bell | Photo by Julia Sebastianelli/Equi-Photo
Florida-bred Dancin N Dixie | Photo by Renee Torbin/Coady Media
fillies through early fractions of :23.83 and :47.76. The closers, including Dancing N Dixie who raced in seventh down the backstretch, began to make their moves around the far turn. Mo Fox Givin found an open seam in deep stretch and spurted to the front nearing the sixteenth pole but it was Dancing N Dixie, who made a sweeping wide move in the stretch and rallied home strongly for the over-the-top win at the wire.
Mo Fox Givin was second, a half-length in front of Kathynmarissa in third. Poolside With Slim (Ire), Just Better, My Brazilian Girl, Simply in Front and Pipsy completed the order of finish. Dozen Diamonds, Kodiac Wintergreen (Ire) and Voodoo Magic were scratched.
Dancing N Dixie paid $11.78 to win.
“She’s a very nice filly and got unlucky in her last two starts,” Ortiz said. “She kept finding more the more I asked her.”
With her win on June 29, Dancing N Dixie improved her career record to three wins and three thirds in 10 starts with purse earnings of $320,550. The victory was worth $135,315.
She was is a graduate of the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sales June Sale where White Type Stables selected her out of the Blue River Bloodstock consignment for $35,000.
Dancing N Dixie is by Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Neolithic out of Foolhearted Woman, by Uncaptured. Dancing N Dixie, who was bred in Florida by the late Freddie Hyatt, is the only winner for Foolhearted Woman. Foolhearted Woman has an unraced 2-yearold filly, Morning Brew, by Curlin’s Honor; and a yearling colt, Freddie’s Honor, by Curlin’s Honor. n
Veteran Mare Bluefield Rolls in Musical Romance
Edward Seltzer’s 8-year-old Floridabred mare Bluefield ran to her 4-5 odds defending her title in the $94,000 Musical Romance at Gulfstream Park on June 29, winning by three-and-a-half lengths with Drayden Van Dyke aboard. She won the Musical Romance last year by four lengths when it was run under overnight handicap conditions. Six fillies and mares went six-and-a-half furlongs in this year’s edition.
In addition to the $49,550 winner’s share of the purse, Bluefield earned a $10,000 bonus for Florida-breds presented by the Florida Thoroughbred
Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
Mojave Desert set the pace in the six-and-a-half furlong Musical Romance with a one-length lead on second-running Cousin Kristi as Bluefield, Hihellohowareyou and Anatomy formed a Floridabred triad in third from another length back.
Cousin Kristi took over from Mojave Desert around the far turn as Hihellohowareyou went three-wide to challenge for the lead and Bluefield saved ground behind them in fourth.
Hihellohowareyou took a short lead from Cousin Kristi to her inside coming out of the turn as Van Dyke took Bluefield widest of all to make her run. Those three battled down the stretch until Bluefield spurted away inside the final sixteenth. She won in a final time of 1:16.50 on the fast track.
Cousin Kristi was second, a length-and-three-quarters ahead of Hihellohowareyou in third, Imonra, Anatomy and Mojave Desert finished in that order. Athena’s Wisdom, Batucada and Floridabred Olga scratched.
Hihellohowareyou earned $4,000 in top 3 Florida-bred bonus money.
Bluefield is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. and she paid $3.60 to win.
“I spoke with Saffie. He told me to ride her with a little bit of finesse and get a good tactical spot and not to be on the lead,” Van Dyke said. “That’s where I found myself. He told me to work my way out if I could. I couldn’t work my out until late, but it worked out really well. She came home with a nice kick.”
It was the second career blacktype victory for Bluefield, who won the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes City of Ocala going seven furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs in December. She was also second to Olivia Darling in the Grade 2 Inside Information at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27 and second to multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Yuugiri in the $100,000 Saylorville at Prairie Meadows in July of last year.
By Field Commission out of Imtheblues, by Pentelicus, Bluefield was bred in Florida by Ed Pendray and Edward A. Seltzer. Imtheblues also produced graded stakes-winning Florida-bred Beat the Blues and has four winners from six starters. n
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Florida-bred Bluefield | Photo by Ryan Thompson
FLORIDA FOCUS
Florida-bred Cagliostro Collects First Stakes Win in Hanshin
Wathnan Racing’s Florida-bred Cagliostro pressed the pace three-wide down the backstretch, put away 8-5 favorite Extra Anejo in upper stretch and turned back a late run by Tumbarumba to win the June 30 $279,875 Hanshin presented by Japanese Racing Association at Churchill Downs.
Cagliostro, who broke through to collect his first stakes win, prevailed by a length and clocked one mile over a fast track in
REMI CARTOON
1:34.87. Flavien Prat rode the winner for trainer Cherie DeVaux. Breaking from post seven in the field of nine older horses, Cagliostro tracked three-wide outside of pacesetters Zozos and Extra Anejo, who ran the first quarter mile in :23.09 and the half in :46.09. Zozos, the defending Hanshin champ, checked out just past the half-mile marker while in tight quarters down along the rail.
Cagliostro, who cut back in distance after running second to Highland Falls in the mile-and-an-eighth Blame (Grade 3) on June 1, put away Extra Anejo nearing the three-sixteenths pole and spurted clear in the stretch. Louisiana-bred graded stakeswinner Tumbarumba put in his usual late charge but could not get to Cagliostro.
Tumbarumba finished a length back in second with Raise Cain third. Three Technique, Charge It, Happy American, Extra Anejo, Frosted Grace and Zozos completed the order of finish. Best Actor and Injunction were scratched.
“He had a really strong performance today,” Prat said. “It was the first time I rode him and he’s a very talented colt and had a nice kick home.”
The $163,680 first prize hiked Cagliostro’s bankroll to $436,668 with a record of three wins, four seconds and a third in 11 starts.
“We thought the cut back in distance would really suit him today to keep him and Pyrenees separated from running against one another in the Stephen Foster,” DeVaux said. “It worked out very well with Pyrenees running second in the Foster. We’re very happy for our entire team and this ownership group.”
Cagliostro paid $10.44 to win.
Cagliostro is a Florida-bred son of Upstart out of the Hard Spun mare A Rosefor Isabelle who was bred by Lance Colwell and Janice Clark. Cagliostro is the only starter in three foals for A Rosefor Isabelle. She has an unraced 2-year-old filly, Hey Finch, by Bucchero and was bred to City of Light in 2023.
DeVaux as an agent purchased Cagliostro for $385,000 at the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale where he was consigned by Two Oaks Equine. TFH
Florida-bred Cagliostro | Photo by Kurtis Coady/Coady Media
Baby Yoda Continues Saratoga Success With Powerful Score in True North
BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred Baby Yoda once again displayed his affinity for Saratoga, improving his record at the Spa to four wins in six starts with a commanding six-length victory in the Grade 2 True North presented by F.W. Webb on June 8. With Eric Cancel aboard, the 6-year-old gelding won his first graded stakes against six other 4-year-olds and older who went six-and-a-half furlongs in the $350,000 contest.
“He likes this racetrack,” trainer Bill Mott said. “He’s done his best running up here. I was a little surprised he was as close as he was. I thought there was maybe a little more speed in the race than that, but he broke well and he put himself right there. He didn’t like the Gulfstream track [over the winter]. He likes it here. He’s just like old men. They get better with time.”
Baby Yoda also built on the recent success by Florida-breds in the True North, joining winners Imperial Hint in 2018 and Firenze Fire in 2020-’21. Florida-breds Benny the Bull (2008), Shake You Down (2003), Gold Beauty (1993) and Moleolus (1979) also won the True North.
Breaking from the outside post seven, Baby Yoda started quickly with Gun It to his inside as those two sprinted clear of Rotknee in third with Nintypercentmaddie also close from post one. Gun It was a length in front of Baby Yoda heading into the far turn after a :21.94 first quarter as Rotknee began to gain on the two leaders while three wide.
Baby Yoda, Rotknee and Gun It were three across the track through a half-mile in :44.04 when Cancel began to cue the Florida-bred gelding at the top of the stretch. Baby Yoda hastened away from the field and was five lengths in front past the eighth pole as Rotknee continued to give chase from five lengths back.
Baby Yoda went past the finish line six lengths in front of a rallying Ninetypercentmaddie in second in a final time of 1:14.62 on the fast track. Gun Pilot, the 3-5 favorite, got up for third followed by Rotknee, Twenty Four, Gun It and Accretive in that order.
“I just tried to sit a patient trip; I had a perfect post for that and I just sat the perfect trip and it worked out well,” Cancel said. “I didn’t want him to get in his way. I wanted to keep him as smooth as possible and that is how it went. He was very comfortable where he was and when I asked him, he just responded.
“I had a lot of horse. I was just waiting,” Cancel added. “I didn’t want to move early, but at the same time, I knew that if they came up to him, he was going to
respond, because he was very comfortable doing it.”
Owned by Pantofel Stable LLC, Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber and Jerold L. Zaro, Baby Yoda paid $20.40 to win.
It was the second straight win for Baby Yoda, who won an upper level, $80,000 optional claiming during the Belmont at Big A meet going seven furlongs on May 3.
He is still remembered by many Saratoga fans for winning a first condition allowance by four-and-a-half lengths there in September of 2021, producing a 114 Beyer Speed Figure. That came after he won a $50,000 starter allowance there in July of that year. His other Saratoga score was in a second condition, $62,500 optional claiming in July of 2022.
“He’s been a superstar for us since day one,” Adam Wachtel said. “He won his first few races for us here at Saratoga and he loves it here, as you can just see. Bill [Mott] felt pretty confident that he would run his race today. Whether that was going to be good enough against a pretty good field was hard to know. But clearly he was ready enough for the task. I’d like to keep running him here at Saratoga. It’s his favorite track. I guess we’ll have to consider the stakes here off this kind of performance.”
His career record now stands at nine wins, four second and four thirds in 25 starts and the True North first-place check of $192,500 pushes in earnings of $837,220.
He is by Prospective out of More Than Speed, by More Than Ready and was bred in Florida by Kathleen Amaya, Alexandro Centofanti and Raffaele Centofanti. More Than Speed has three starters, all winners, with Baby Yoda as her only stakes winner. TFH
Florida-bred Baby Yoda | Photo by Ryan Thompson
Legends of the Sport
“You can do anything you decide to do”
— Amelia Earhart
Trailblazing women in the Florida Thoroughbred industry have been setting milestones and quietly becoming power players in the game. Their efforts and accomplishments have changed the trajectory of the sport forever. The Women Legends of the Sport features these history-making breeders, trainers and executives in Florida.
BREEDERS
BY GARY WEST
Everything changed in 1968, and the changes weren’t insignificant; they weren’t little nudges, one way or another, but were disruptive and transformative. Upheaval ran amok. In 1968, the entire world seemed feverish with anger and discontent.
In New York City, students protesting the war in Viet Nam took control of administration buildings and shut down Columbia University. In Chicago, police violently clashed with protestors outside the Democratic National Convention. It was the same everywhere, from London to Mexico City, but the upheaval was most evident and widespread in America, where the cultural fabric of the country was riven by rage.
At the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, and riots broke out in 60 cities across the country. At the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, Sirhan Sirhan shot and killed Robert Kennedy, who had just won California’s Democratic presidential primary. Nothing, it seemed, was immune; nobody safe; everything uncertain. The nation was in a Robert Altman film.
The tidal wave swept over sports, too. The New York State Athletic Commission stripped Muhammad Ali of his title and sponsored a heavyweight championship fight to fill the vacancy: Joe Frazier knocked out Buster Mathis in the 11th round. But boxing, like everything, was fragmented, and many sanctioning bodies didn’t recognize Frazier as champion until the 1970s.
This was also the year that Harvard “beat” Yale 29-29, as The Harvard Crimson famously described what might have been amateurism’s last hurrah. Both teams were ranked and undefeated, and so, in retrospect that was probably the last significant college football game involving genuinely amateur athletes.
It was a watershed moment in horse racing, too. With a postrace positive for phenylbutazone, Dancer’s Image became the first horse to be disqualified from winning the Kentucky Derby, and six months later, on Thanksgiving Day of 1968, at Bay Meadows in San Mateo, Calif., a 2-year-old named Majestic Prince won his debut by nearly three lengths. The son of Raise A Native had been the sale-topper at the Keeneland Select, where Frank McMahon paid $250,000 ($2.26 million adjusted for inflation) for the strikingly handsome chestnut. Majestic Prince, as you know, went on to win two-thirds of the next season’s Triple Crown. By doing so, he proved to an expanding audience that to own a great racehorse you didn’t have to start at the breeding shed, not if you had enough cash, along with a high tolerance for risk; instead, you could buy a great racehorse, even a Kentucky Derby winner,
just as you could buy an oceanfront home in Palm Beach, or a Bugatti La Voiture Noire or almost everything else, except love, as the lyricist points out.
Yes, in 1968 just about everything was shifting or giving way to change or being displaced. It was arguably the most turbulent, transformative year since World War II: established codes, conventions, routines, institutions and customs all breaking up, fragmenting and roiling; everything becoming more democratic, more commercial, more hostile, more confrontational and, well, more modern. The nation was unmoored.
But that was also the year Charlotte Weber, with her thenhusband, John, bought 1,100 acres from P.A.B. Widener III and began to develop Live Oak Stud.
Amid all the turbulence, with everything in flux all around her, she built an everlasting monument to the racehorse: Live Oak is consecrated to everything that is beautiful and consequential and enriching about horse racing. If you love horse racing and horses, Live Oak sends a tingling through the length of your bones. Remarkably enough, the standards and priorities she brought with her to Florida in 1968 are still in place, just like Widener’s Normandy barn.
Kimberly Cookson, the farm’s director of operations, succinctly describes Live Oak as “historic and majestic.” And that’s certainly true; it is, but only because of Weber’s relentless and enduring commitment. Live Oak has become, as Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse describes it, “iconic,” and Weber has become a pillar of Florida Thoroughbred breeding and racing.
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On an otherwise unmemorable day in 1982, Peter Fuller invited some friends to Suffolk Downs in East Boston for an afternoon of racing and socializing, in other words for a good time. This was still three years before his great filly Mom’s Command would sweep New York’s Triple Tiara, but as the owner of Runnymede Farm in New Hampshire and the breeder of Dancer’s Image, Fuller must have been a dynamic host. His passion for the sport was well known. And the invitation to the racetrack, as it turned out, became an introduction into a world apart from the quotidian.
That was how Marilyn and Gilbert Campbell first connected with horse racing, as spectators and casual horseplayers during an afternoon’s enjoyment at Suffolk Downs. But Fuller’s introduction quickly led to the Campbells’ investment in a young horse named Shananie, a Florida-bred son of In Reality, buying 25%. Fuller retained 50% of the horse; John Costello, the owner-publisher of
the Lowell Sun newspaper, also owned 25%.
Business people with years of accomplishment in their past performances, the Campbells knew little about horse racing other than what they saw that day at Suffolk Downs—the beauty, competition and excitement of it all, spiced with camaraderie.
Gilbert was in construction, residential and commercial, and was a developer; he had been president of the Massachusetts Home Builders’ Association. But unlike many successful people attracted to the sport who get quickly, sometimes impetuously, involved, the Campbells knew what they didn’t know. They didn’t assume their business acumen would automatically and easily transfer to a game that had humbled many bold, sporting investors over many decades. And so they set out to learn.
Shananie was the perfect horse for them. He became their training wheels, enabling them to experience disappointments and detours and successes, all without losing their balance. Shananie won nine races in his four-year career, including the J.O. Tobin Handicap at Delaware Park and the Engine One Stakes at Belmont Park. He earned $175,955; even more, he gave the Campbells a rewarding and enlightening experience.
As they expanded their interests, they moved into breeding, and Shananie continued in his training-wheels role. He became, as you might expect, the first stallion to stand at their Stonehedge Farm South in Williston, Fla., where he proved to be useful and productive. He sired 13 stakes winners, including Garemma, a graded winner of $395,583, as well as multiple stakes winners Ask Shananie ($270,664 in earnings), Shananie’s Boss ($251,276) and Shananie’s Beat ($242,758), whom the Campbells also owned. But that’s allowing the story to move ahead of itself.
The Campbells held onto their mares, knowing they had value as broodmare prospects, and boarded them, along with horses that weren’t in training, at various farms. The Campbells soon realized they needed to look for a place of their own, especially if they were going to take the next step. That realization was their moment on the edge of the precipice. It wasn’t back there at Suffolk Downs when they bought a quarter-interest in Shananie or even when they invested in more racehorses. This was it: They had to decide whether they would buy a small farm for their mares or would take the plunge with a commitment to something much more substantial. They leaped. Looking first in Kentucky for a farm to purchase, they didn’t like what they saw, or rather they didn’t like the weather.
They were still looking in 1988 while attending the Ocala Breeders’ Sale when they heard that Waldemar Farm was on the market. This was where What A Pleasure stood, where Kentucky Derby (G1) winner and champion Foolish Pleasure was foaled and where Tasso took his first steps and, just a few years earlier, his
first lessons on how to be a racehorse, right here, over this training track, on this farm, Waldemar, before going on to win the second Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and earning championship honors.
Edward “Ned” Allard, their trainer from Massachusetts, took the Campbells out to Williston to look at the farm and assess how it might fit their plans. Apparently it fit them perfectly, for they decided that very day to buy it. Originally about 170 acres, Stonehedge Farm South has acquired adjacent properties, built homes and barns and enhanced the training track so that the farm now covers more than 500 acres.
In 2021, after Gil Campbell died at 91, his widow never even considered selling the farm they had built together or all the horses they had acquired together. It was “never a thought.” Marilyn Campbell wasn’t interested in filing away all the knowledge and experience of 40 years into a memory that she would employ only for sentimental recollections.
She likes to imagine, she explains, that Gil “is up there saying, ‘You go, girl.’” And so she goes, adding to her knowledge and experiences so that Stonehedge can continue to be one of the leading Thoroughbred farms in the state, and in doing that she has become a pillar of Florida racing.
After leading all Florida breeders with 103 victories and $3,338,867 in earnings, Stonehedge Farm South was named Breeder of the Year for 2023 by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association board of directors. In the name of Gilbert Campbell, Stonehedge was also Breeder of the Year in 2013 and 2016, and it has ranked in the top 10 among Florida breeders each year since 1997. Seven Florida-bred champions in various divisions have come off the farm in Williston, which is a partner in the state’s leading stallion, Khozan. Moreover, Stonehedge has produced 12 winners and 18 victories in the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes, owning all but one of those winners as well.
Having broodmares with more stamina than quickness, more endurance than precocity, in their pedigrees, Live Oak Stud hasn’t focused on the 2-year-old Florida Sire Stakes, and that’s by design. Charlotte Weber’s design. She has been solely responsible for Live Oak’s direction and future for most of the farm’s 56 years. As one observer put it, Charlotte Weber is Live Oak. As a result, Live Oak Stud has become one of the most consequential and influential Florida farms in history. Last year, it ranked third among Florida breeders, based on both earnings ($2,381,393) and wins (64). Four times Live Oak Stud has been the state’s Breeder of the Year — 2006, 2017 (when it was also the TOBA’s Breeder of the Year), 2019 and 2020. Moreover, Live Oak has bred and raced 10 Florida-bred champions that won 16 championships (Miesque’s Approval and World Approval won multiple titles.) And it has
produced three Florida-bred Horses of the Year — Sultry Song, Miesque’s Approval and World Approval. (Only Tartan Farms has bred more — Dr. Fager and Ta Wee, who both won two titles, along with Codex and Unbridled.)
Weber, who served on the FTBOA board of directors from 2003 to 2009 and from 2010 to 2016, and Campbell, who has sat on the board since 2019, differ in approach and emphasis, but they’ve arrived at the same place. They both breed to race, and they’re passionate about racing. Of most importance, they’re pillars of support for the Florida horse industry.
CHARLOTTE WEBER
On a day after a storm hit Ocala in the small, dark hours with a couple haymakers, Live Oak Stud looks as though it somehow sat out the tempest. No fences are down; no fallen branches impair roadways; no detritus has gathered along pathways. Is it possible the storm detoured around the farm? Probably not. In some lowlying places, sunshine skips over small puddles. So either the storm delivered only a wrist-slap to the area or the Live Oak Stud workers already have nullified the impact. You can confidently bet on the second possibility.
The massive live oak trees that dominate the landscape were here before anybody. Some of them are probably hundreds of years old, but they wear their age well, like their Spanish moss. The live oaks generally behave themselves. They’ll spread their balmiest charms over thousands of spectators during the annual Live Oak International, which is the largest combined driving and show jumping tournament in the country. The live oaks considerately make way for hundreds of horses, as well as herds of Angus, Brahman and Charolais cattle; they’ve made space for 22 homes, spacious barns and the training track built in 1978. Many of the farm’s 55 employees live here. But Live Oak Stud is so vast, having grown over the many years to 4,500 acres, that only the live oaks themselves can be everywhere and watch over everything. And on this day, which is like most, the venerable trees shut out the turbulence. The serenity is expansive, with width and breadth, like a comforter. Somewhere an angry driver leans on his horn, somewhere a disaffected politician yells into a television camera and somewhere the pixels of a Jumbotron explode with
Fortnite chaos. But not here.
Here, the light is soft, the breeze calm and the birdsong faint; and here it’s easy to remember that horse racing is a pastoral sport with a glorious history.
Live Oak evokes memories and images, black-and-white perhaps and gleaned from clippings and tomes rather than experience, of great horses competing at monolithic cathedrals of racing, their grandstand aprons crowded with people standing shoulder-to-shoulder, the men wearing fedoras and the women cloche hats, and all of them hoping they might catch a glimpse of Elizabeth Taylor in the paddock, or perhaps Jacqueline Kennedy, or Bing Crosby or maybe even Mamie and Dwight Eisenhower. Live Oak nurtures a vision of the sport as having a meaningful place in American
“It’s a passion,” Charlotte Weber says, explaining her dedication to Live Oak. The provenance of this passion goes back to when she rode horses as a youngster, although not as often as she might have liked, and to her mother, Ethel Colket, nee Dorrance, who was active in the Devon Horse Show in Pennsylvania. Her father, Charlotte’s grandfather, was a brilliant chemist who developed the method for condensing soup and in doing so transformed Joseph Campbell & Co. into an international powerhouse with an iconic brand, Campbell’s Soup.
And that’s certainly true, but a more succinct and comprehensive description might be that Live Oak is Charlotte Weber.
“My mother died when I was young [in 1965],” she continues, “and so it was a situation where I had all this money, and now what do I do
with it. So I bought a racehorse; I always wanted a horse…. I was told I was crazy, and I said, ‘That’s all right.’ That’s how I started. The horse was a winner for me, and when that happens — well, that’s some pretty tasty pudding.”
A win picture in the offices of Live Oak Stud recalls that first taste of tasty pudding: Llallauco scoring at Monmouth Park in 1967.
Weber’s wealth doesn’t define her. She served on the Campbell Soup board of directors for 24 years; she went to school in Lausanne, Switzerland, and graduated from the University of Paris; she’s a member of The Jockey Club, a trustee of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and a trustee at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of art, where she provided funding for the Charlotte C. Weber Galleries. In 2005, she was honored as the Most Distinguished Woman in Racing. The array of experiences and accomplishments, as well as her gardening, philanthropy, environmentalism and art collecting — they’re all facets of a complex person and a bountiful life, but what most succinctly defines her is right here, giving form and purpose to every acre, nurturing every horse and caring for every person. She is Live Oak, and Live Oak is Charlotte Weber.
“The people here are very proud,” she says, referring to the Live Oak Stud employees. “I believe if you’re neat and tidy in your person, you’ll be neat and tidy in your job…. And the people here take such pride in their work and in the farm that if something falls down, they pick it up, and if something breaks, they repair it. Their tenure is fabulous; they’re fabulous. Most of the people here have been with me 15 or 20 years.”
Weber keeps about 3540 broodmares at the farm, along with their yearlings and weanlings, of course. At any given time, as many as 25 homebreds could be in training, along with a few horses purchased at sales. And then there are the retirees. The horses bred here and foaled here have a home here for life.
“I love it when the new foals are in the fields,” Weber says. “It’s just stunning to see those
babies,… and I like the old boys in the pasture. I shake my bag of mints and they come running up to the fence for a treat and a greeting…. But I like the excitement of the racetrack, too. I’m a racetracker. I used to love to go to the backside and talk to the guys and watch the workouts.”
Live Oak has bred and raced more than 110 stakes winners. At the racetrack, Weber’s nom de course is Live Oak Plantation. She also has two stallions at Ocala Stud — Awesome Slew, whose son Hades won this year’s Holy Bull (G3), and Win Win Win, whose daughter Nooni topped the Ocala Breeders’ Sale in March at $1.8 million and recently won her debut for trainer Bob Baffert at Santa Anita by more than nine lengths.
Joe Ambrosia trains the Weber horses while they’re at the farm, and he vividly remembers Win Win Win, not just because “he looked like a god,” as the trainer put it, and acted like one, too, but also because the horse’s career exemplified Weber’s priorities and her approach. In 2019, seven weeks after finishing about five-and-a-half lengths back in the Preakness (G1), Win Win Win made his turf debut in the Manila at Belmont Park. Checked in traffic, he dropped back to last, but from there, finally getting clear, he popped like a champagne cork, charging through the final quarter-mile in :22.10 to defeat Fog of War, a Group 1 winner from Canada, and Casa Creed, who, of course, has gone on to claim multiple Grade 1 prizes.
A couple weeks later, a minor injury surfaced, and the horse that looked as if he were on the threshold of becoming one of the favorites for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) went to the sidelines. Win Win Win got a break — Weber insists all her horses and employees take meaningful time off from working — and some R&R. And then he was brought back “carefully and patiently,” Ambrosia explains.
Win Win Win returned to the races 11 months later, and a couple months after that he won the Forego (G1) at Saratoga.
“She always puts the horses first,” Ambrosia says. “She’s in it for the love of the game and she makes sure you have all you could possibly need, all the
Win Approval - 2017 National Broodmare of the Year
Photo by Serita Hult
resources necessary, to succeed.”
About 10 days after the Forego, Win Win Win’s injury resurfaced. Rather than risk exacerbating the problem, Weber retired the colt.
“It’s obvious she really cares about her horses,” says Michael Trombetta, who trained Win Win Win and recently received five youngsters from Live Oak into his barn at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland. “The horses from Live Oak are all raised properly and given every opportunity to develop their potential. It’s an unbelievable opportunity to train for her.”
That opinion isn’t consensus, it’s unanimous. Her concern and interests, though, stretch beyond the horses to include all the people involved. “She was very, very helpful,” says Hall of Fame Trainer Bill Mott, who trained Grade 1 winners My Typhoon ($1.3 million in earnings) and To Honor and Serve ($1.8 million) for Weber. “Very helpful, even on a personal level. She’s helped a lot of people in a lot of different ways. She was great to train for.”
Laser Light was Weber’s first racehorse to grab national attention. A homebred, Laser Light won the Remsen (G1) at Aqueduct and finished second in the 1982 Kentucky Derby behind Gato Del Sol. Since then there has been a procession of stakes winners — such as Sultry Song, Solar Splendor, Medieval Man, Brilliant Speed, Za Approval, In The Gold, Awesome Slew, Old Forester, Sky Approval, Golden Hawk, Dynaslew, Revved Up, Global Access, March to the Arch, Our Flash Drive and High Fly, a homebred who won the 2005 Fountain of Youth (G2) and Florida Derby (G1).
Zo Impressive was one of those horses that, had she been anywhere else, might have — well, who knows what she might have done, but it’s rather clear what she wouldn’t have done. She wouldn’t have won the Mother Goose (G1). As a 2-year-old, Zo Impressive just didn’t get the meaning of all this running in circles, and her display of talent suggested her name might be an ironic joke. But Weber said, in effect, no problem, we’ll just give her some time and wait for her to tell us when she wants to be racehorse. A year later, with Live Oak’s red-polka-dots-on-white colors, Zo Impressive was in the winner’s circle at Belmont Park. After the Mother Goose, she ran second in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and fourth in the Alabama (G1).
Then there are the “souper” stakes winners — Souper Sensational, Souper Escape, Souper Tapit and Souper Hoity Toity, their names all alluding, of course, to Campbell’s Soup. Perhaps most notable, though, are the champions Miesque’s Approval and World Approval. As a 2-year-old in 2001, Miesque’s Approval flashed potential, finishing second in the Summer Stakes (G2) at Woodbine and winning the Pilgrim at Aqueduct to begin an admirable career that proved to be a testament to Weber’s
approach. He raced seven years, averaging about six starts a season, with, of course, annual vacations. At 3, he won the Kent Breeders’ Cup (G3) in Delaware; at 4, he was the runner-up in the Canadian Turf Handicap (G2) at Gulfstream and the Maker’s Mark Mile (G2) at Keeneland; at 5, he won only an allowance affair; at 6, he won the Old Ironsides at Suffolk; at 7, he won the Sunshine Millions Turf at Gulfstream, the Maker’s Mark Mile, the Firecracker (G2) at Churchill, the Red Bank (G3) at Monmouth and the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Churchill to be named an Eclipse Award winner and the season’s champion turf horse. After two starts as an 8-year-old and 41 in his career, he retired with earnings totaling $2.6 million.
His career was a long rumble leading to a lightning-bolt crescendo. His younger half-brother, World Approval (they’re both out of the 2017 National Broodmare of the Year Win Approval), had a somewhat different sort of career, a short sputtering fuse leading to an explosion. In his two starts as a juvenile, both on dirt, he was beaten a total of 28 1/2 lengths. Then he moved to the barn of Mark Casse, who moved him to the grass. In March of 2015, making his turf debut, in his first outing as a 3-year-old, World Approval rallied from far back to win by daylight at Gulfstream Park.
“I can still remember that,” Casse says. “When he made that big move and shot to the lead, I turned to Mrs. Weber and said, ‘We’re going to have a lot of fun with this one.’”
More fun than tasty pudding, as it turned out. As a 3-year-old, World Approval won a couple stakes, the American Derby (G3) at Arlington and the Saranac (G3) at Saratoga, but he was just getting warmed up.
“He was a good horse as a 3-year-old,” Casse says, “but we gave him some time off, and then he came back a much better horse at 4.” World Approval won the United Nations (G1) at Monmouth as a 4-year-old, and then at 5 he — well, he became quite simply and clearly the best turf horse in America. He won five of his six starts, his only loss coming at an unfamiliar distance, a-mile-andone-quarter, in the Manhattan (G1). He won the Turf Classic at Tampa Bay, the Dixie (G2) at Pimlico, the Fourstardave (G1) at Saratoga, the Woodbine Mile (G1) in Canada and the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Del Mar on his way to winning championship honors. He retired with 11 stakes victories and more than $3 million in earnings.
“It’s has been a dream to train for her,” says Casse, who has conditioned many Live Oak horses. “I’ve been in Ocala for more than 50 years. We moved here when I was five; so I’ve been here virtually my whole life. And Live Oak has always been very special to me, a special place, an icon. It’s magnificent.”
And that’s certainly true, but a more succinct and comprehensive description might be that Live Oak is Charlotte Weber.
MARILYN CAMPBELL
Marilyn Campbell is all about continuity. The man who trained the first horse she and her husband, Gilbert, ever owned, that man still trains horses for her. The woman who trained their young homebreds when they first decided to emphasize the Florida Sire Stakes, that woman still trains horses for her. And the man who virtually grew up on what was then called Waldemar Farm is still there, the general manager of what has become Stonehedge Farm South.
“I’ve trained horses for a lot of couples, husbands and wives,” says Edward “Ned” Allard. “The thing that was always interesting to me about those two (the Campbells) was this: usually it’s the husband who loves the horses and the racing, and the wife not so much. But that changed with those two. She (Marilyn) loved the horses even more than Gil. And I’ll tell you this, too: She’s as wellversed in racing as anybody I know.”
And so 42 years after he won with the Campbells’ first horse, Shananie, Allard recently won with two Stonehedge homebreds, both of them first-time starters: Sunny Breeze, a son of Cajun Breeze, who scored by seven lengths at Delaware Park; and Popover Gal, a daughter of Khozan, who won her debut at Pimlico.
Kathleen O’Connell has saddled more winners — 2,500 and counting — than any woman in the history of racing, and she credits the Campbells with giving her career impetus. O’Connell trained Blazing Sword for them, a Stonehedge homebred that won the Florida Stallion Stakes Dr. Fager and Affirmed divisions, as well as the Calder Derby (G3), the Widener Handicap (G3) and the Washington Park Handicap (G2) on his way to earning $1.18 million.
“I had 10 horses in my barn at Calder at the time, and they trusted me with some very nice horses,” O’Connell says, recalling her early relationship with the Campbells. “They were wonderful about communicating and about realistically racing their horses where they could succeed. Through them I got noticed…. Marilyn has continued to be very active and very involved. She loves her horses.”
And so 28 years after winning the FSS Dr. Fager with the Campbells’ first “big” horse, O’Connell recently won with another Stonehedge homebred, Khozan’s on Fire, at Tampa Bay Downs. Yes, Marilyn Campbell is all about continuity, which is simply another way of saying she can identify the best path forward and stick to it, confidently.
In 1988, when the Campbells purchased Waldemar and created Stonehedge Farm South, they almost immediately hired Larry King as their farm manager. And he’s the son of Joe King, who for years was the farm manager at Waldemar. This is the farm Larry King rambled over as a kid, or a larger version of it.
He didn’t quite know what to think at first, he recalls, but one day, soon after accepting the position at Stonehedge, he bumped into Marty Wolfson, whose training career was starting to gather momentum. Wolfson assured King he had “one of the best jobs in Florida.” And he was right, King says.
Photo by Tommy Foto
“Everybody here works hard and does a lot of good work,” King continues. “I’ve heard people say the success we’ve had here is because of good bloodlines or because of the rich soil. And that’s all true. But the main reason is we’ve never cut a corner. Everything we do here at Stonehedge is done to raise a good horse. We spend a lot of time with the
Stonehedge is neat as a bandbox, everything efficiently positioned and maintained.
Sunshine pours over the spacious, manicured pastures, and trees genuflect in reverence. It’s home to 40 broodmares, yearlings and weanlings and one stallion, Cajun Breeze, as well as some of the 15 employees. In addition to Khozan, Campbell owns shares in St Patrick’s Day, a full brother to the great American Pharoah. After a few unsuccessful adventures taking mares to Kentucky to breed, these days Campbell sends all her mares to Florida stallions, generally her own. Again, it’s about continuity, about following the path that has led to past successes.
Marlin, for example, who won four
Grade 1 stakes, including the Arlington Million (G1) at Arlington International, and earned more than $2.4 million, was by the Campbells’ stallion Sword Dance (Ire). He scored most of his victories in California for Michael Tabor and D. Wayne Lukas, but he began his journey right here at Stonehedge Farm South.
In 2011, the Campbells’ Watch Me Go, a homebred by their stallion West Acre, won the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) on his way to running in the Kentucky Derby (G1). He earned $628,375 in his career. Also by West Acre, Ivanavinalot swept through the Florida Sire Stakes in 2002 and won five of her first six starts with audacious style. A tornado of a juvenile, she was a day away from departing for Chicago and Arlington International to run in the Breeders’ Cup when O’Connell telephoned the Campbells to explain that the filly had a temperature and hadn’t eaten her breakfast. Plans were scrapped because that’s what they do here; they prioritize the health and safety and future of the horses. It was the wise and prudent decision. Ivanavinalot returned the next season to win the Bonnie Miss (G2) at Gulfstream Park, but, of course, she’s best known as the dam of the great Songbird.
Many homebred stakes winners come easily to mind. Marilyn Campbell can readily recall, for example, Friel’s for Real winning the Pimlico Breeders’ Cup Distaff Handicap (G3) in 2004 and Always Sunshine winning the Tale of the Cat at Saratoga and then going on to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Churchill Downs in 2018. But she prefers to brush nostalgia and sentimentality aside and look forward. After all, what’s essential for continuity is continuing.
“We’re always looking for the next winner, always looking for the big time,” she says. “I’m dreaming right now about the Breeders’ Cup.”
Her Dean Delivers is aimed squarely at Del Mar and the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1). He recently returned from a brief layoff to win the Mr. Prospector Stakes at Monmouth by eight lengths. The performance sparkled, lighting a clear path forward, all the way to California. A graded stakes winner of $562,660, the son of Cajun Breeze will probably make his next start in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1) at Saratoga. Success there will fill out Campbell’s dream with details.
She says her favorite horse is the one running right now, and the ones that are about to run. Dean Delivers, for example, and Fiona’s Magic, who’s trained by Michael Yates, who as a youngster galloped horses at Stonehedge. Yes, there’s that continuity
again. Fiona’s Magic won the Davona Dale Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream to earn a spot in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), where she struggled over the muddy surface. And so the daughter of St Patrick’s Day has come home for a freshening.
“We’re eager to see how Fiona comes back,” Campbell continues. “It was exciting to run in the Oaks — that’s why we do this — and we thought we had a chance, but running in the slop for the first time, she just couldn’t handle it…. And we have all these 2-year-olds we’re looking at. You never know in this business…. You never know which one is going to be a superstar. But we’ll continue to try to breed winners in Florida. That’s what we do.”
Yes, continuity is all about continuing.
Charlotte Weber looks around and sees the sport she loves changing dramatically. Too many people who aren’t horse people are running racetracks, she says; too many people in the game believe it’s all about money.
“This sport is about the horse and the challenge and the beauty,” she says, adding that she believes there could be a “reset” and horse racing could rediscover its traditional values and priorities. She can embrace such a belief because she’s a pillar of support herself and because she knows there are other pillars out there, like Marilyn Campbell. TFH
Next in the series: Executives
Photo by Coady
Chelsea Durand Photo
Jocelyn Brooks Photo
Florida-bred Happy Farm Reunites with Longtime Fan and Friend in Retirement
BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Happy Farm, a 10-year-old Florida-bred graded stakes winner with $870,338 earned in a 52-race career, has been retired from racing. More importantly, he has reunited with his biggest admirer.
Jocelyn Brooks, currently the director of bloodstock at Boardshorts Racing, first encountered Happy Farm as a yearling while employed at Sagamore Farm in Maryland. After following Happy Farm throughout his long career at the track, she has acquired the diminutive gelding and has him turned out and living a comfortable life at a private farm near her home in Lexington, Ky.
Happy Farm is a son of Ghostzapper out of Gospel Girl, by the Florida-bred Horse of the Year Holy Bull, bred by George and Karen Russell’s Rustlewood Farm Inc., located in Reddick, Fla. Gospel Girl also produced stakes-placed females Good Fight, with Afleet Alex; Corey with First Samurai; and Top Blue with Ghostzapper.
Sagamore Farm purchased Happy Farm for $45,000 out of the Summerfield consignment at the 2015 Ocala Breeders’ Sales August Yearling Sale through bloodstock agent Stan Hough.
“Stan Hough called Hunter Rankin [then Sagamore Farm president] and said there was a little Ghostzapper colt that he really liked at the OBS Yearling Sale,” Brooks said. “When he arrived at Sagamore everybody just loved him.”
“He was not the biggest horse. Very typical of a Ghostzapper— kind of short and stout. In the mornings, he just kind of cantered around there. Really didn’t show anything too exciting.”
“The first time we ran him, he ran third at Laurel and we were all like ‘whoa!’ because Happy had never really showed much in the morning. Everybody liked him. But he never acted like he was too interested, and he ran better than anybody expected.”
Happy Farm continued to surprise his connections at Sagamore, winning his next three starts at Pimlico, Belmont Park and Saratoga.
“We then ran him back at Pimlico and he won. Everybody said ‘well, that was cool. Who knew Happy Farm could do that?’”, Brooks said. “Everybody just adored him because he was so snuggly and sweet, cool personality and easy to ride. Everybody at the barn was so excited.
“Then we sent him up to New York and thought we were putting him in a really tough spot and he won in New York. And we all said ‘no way. Happy Farm won at Belmont. This is amazing.”
“Then we bring him up to Saratoga and we had the whole crew
at Saratoga. Who knew he could win at Saratoga, but he did. It was so fun.”
Two starts later, Sagamore lost Happy Farm when he was claimed for $32,000 at Saratoga.
“Hunter said, ‘don’t worry, nobody is going to [claim] him.’ But of course, someone took him, and I cried,” Brooks said. “I’ve been in the business enough years that I have lost plenty of horses to claims and sold a lot of horses. That is the only horse I’ve ever cried over [when lost in a claiming race.]”
Happy Farm would be claimed again two starts later but Brooks continued to follow his career, hoping to one day reunite.
“Every time he got claimed, I would contact someone I knew,” Brooks said. “Whether it was the trainer, owner, the jockey—I just wanted them to know that if Happy ever needed a home or if anything ever happened… let us know. Because everybody at the farm, myself, the riders, everybody loved Happy.
“And then he would get claimed again, and I’d have to find a new connection and bother them.”
Throughout his eight-year career on track, Happy Farm would be claimed a total of 12 times and change barns 16 times.
In 2019, Happy Farm won the Grade 3 Fall Highweight and was second in both the Gravesend and Grade 3 Tom Fool while trained by Jason Servis.
After an 11-month layoff, Happy Farm emerged from the Servis barn in January of 2021 with a fifth-place finish in the $97,000 Gravesend when trained by Linda Rice. A month later, Happy Farm won a $50,000 claiming race for Rice before being transferred to trainer Rob Atras two races later. Atras had Happy Farm for one race, winning a $50,000 claiming in May of 2021, before Rice claimed him back for $50,000. He would be claimed out of his next three starts, the last by trainer Antonio Arriaga for Steve Schauer’s The Players Group in February of 2022.
Happy Farm would be claimed three more times throughout the next 11 races in 11 months. Eventually he was claimed again by Arriaga and The Players Group for $40,000 in June of 2023.
The Players Group would run Happy Farm nine more times, eventually deciding to retire him after he finished fourth at Monmouth Park on June 2.
Just as Brooks had done with all of his previous owners, she had contacted Steve Schauer with The Players Group and told him that if Happy Farm ever needed a home after his last race, she
Continued on page 48
FTBOA Champions
Richard Heysek and FTBOA board president George Isaacs
FTBOA board President George Isaacs presents an award to Susan Chu and trainer Jose D’Angelo
FTBOA CEO Lonny Powell and his wife Karen
Nineteen time award winner Kathleen O’Connell and FTBOA board member George Russell
Rubin M. Sanchez, Stuart Morris, FTBOA board members Francis Vanlangendonck and Nick de Meric
Rubin and Carmen Sanchez
Matt Bryan, Jessica and Representative Stan McClain
of 2023 Gala
John Ropes and friend Dorothy
Leading Freshman Sire St Patrick’s Day
Jena Antonucci
Judith O’Farrell and Carol Curry
Horse of the Year presented to Richard and Cathy Heysek by George Isaacs and trophy hosts Caroline Cassidy and Ava Densmore
Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano, board members George Isaacs and Joe O’Farrell and Kevin Sheilley
Lonny Powell, Representative Stan McClain and Matt Bryan
Matt Bryan and FTBOA CEO Lonny Powell
Miriam Gonzalez and two-time Kentucky Derby winning jockey Jacinto Vasquez
Margaret and Rodney Lundock and FTBOA board member Beckie Cantrell
Alexander Sano and Danny Persaud
Matt Bryan gives a retirement wave
FTBOA CFO Peggy Yost, FTBOA president George Isaac, Susan and Jerry Chu, CEP CEO Kevin Sheilley, Jose D’Angelo and Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano
Dorothy of Dorth Vader Fame
Debbie Green, Billy Hamm, and friends
George Isaacs and Karen and Lonny Powell Horse Capital Television’s Barbara Hooper interviews Kathleen O’Connell
Karen Russell and friends
Tom DiCillo
George Isaacs, Joey Sardisco, Peggy Yost and Jon Rees
Five-time
award winners including Horse of the Year, Richard and Cathy Heysek, FTBOA immediate past president Valerie Dailey and FTBOA’s Steve Koch
Stacey Rollins and Jessica Smith
George Isaacs and guest Dana
Jay Friedman and Marilyn Madsen
Diamond Sponsor Alberto and Katie Rullan, DVMs of Equine Performance Innovative Center and Performance Equine Veterinary Services
Michelle Stone with husband former State Representative Charlie Stone
Fernando de Jesus and Amy and Mike Mangan
Marilyn Campbell
Horse of the Year paparazzi
Kaplan Media’s Kaitlyn Kuchinskas
Alison McPherson of Red Brand, Racharl Metz of Lugano Diamonds and Diamond Sponsors Horse Farms Forever’s Sara Fennesey
FEC Editor-in-Chief Brock Sheridan, Manny Martinez and Jena Antonucci
Legacy Building Solutions’ Susan Fowler and FEC’s Nancy Moffatt
Nicky Wong traveled from Australia
Caroline Cassidy, Jena Antonucci and Ava Densmore
Lonny Powell, Hayden Sands and FTBOA’s Kerrie Riber
FTBOA’s Faith Davis
FTBOA board members Brent Fernung and Marilyn Campbell with Sara Fennessy
Dr. Kent Cantrell and wife, FTBOA board member Beckie Cantrell
Fernando de Jesus, Tami Bobo and Stuart Morris
Debbie Green and Karen Russell
Jose Madera, Dr. Carol Clark, Dr. Marcos Perez, and his wife Hannah Petrek
Susan Chu and son Jerry
Jesus Lopez
FTBOA CFO Peggy Yost, Bruce Andersen, Saffie Joseph Jr, Rich Averill, Commissioner Michelle Stone and former State Rep resentative Charlie Stone
Photos by Katherine Pacheco. Tommy Foto and John Nevarez
Board member Brent Fernung and his wife Crystal, Larry King, Marilyn Campbell and Ava Densmore
Vance and Micheline Jordan
FLORIDA-BREDS AROUND THE COUNTRY APRIL 2024
FLORIDA-BRED FINISHERS – STAKES RACES
FLORIDA-BRED FINISHERS – OVERNIGHT HANDICAP
FLORIDA-BRED FINISHERS – ALLOWANCE
FLORIDA-BRED FINISHERS – ALLOWANCE (cont’d)
FLORIDA-BRED FINISHERS – ALLOWANCE OPTIONAL CLAIMING
FLORIDA-BRED FINISHERS – MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT
FLORIDA-BRED FINISHERS – MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT
FLORIDA-BREDS AROUND THE COUNTRY MAY 2024
FLORIDA-BRED FINISHERS – STAKES RACES
FLORIDA-BRED FINISHERS – ALLOWANCE
FLORIDA-BRED FINISHERS
FLORIDA-BRED FINISHERS – ALLOWANCE OPTIONAL CLAIMING
FLORIDA-BRED FINISHERS – MAIDEN OPTIONAL CLAIMING
FLORIDA-BREDS AROUND THE COUNTRY
FLORIDA-BRED FINISHERS – STAKES RACES
FLORIDA-BRED FINISHERS – ALLOWANCE
FLORIDA-BRED FINISHERS – ALLOWANCE OPTIONAL CLAIMING
FLORIDA-BRED FINISHERS – ALLOWANCE OPTIONAL
FLORIDA-BRED FINISHERS – MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT
LEADING FLORIDA SIRES OF 2024
The following list includes currently active, deceased, and pensioned stallions, with racing results updated through June 30, 2024. Statistics provided by The Jockey Club Information Systems Inc.
1
3
LEADING FLORIDA 2nd CROP SIRES OF 2024
The following list includes currently active,
LEADING FLORIDA 3rd CROP SIRES OF 2024
2024 STAKES WINNERS BY STATE
HAPPY FARM
Continued from page 27
wanted him with her in Kentucky.
“Steve with The Players Group was super, super nice. Really loved the horse and wanted to keep running him but he was now 10,” Brooks said.
“Steve sent me a message after he last race and said he looked me up and had done his research on my background.”
Arrangements were then made to send Happy Farm to Brooks.
“The Reason I gave [Happy Farm] to Jocelyn is that I didn’t feel it was right to keep running him,” Schauer said. “It seems he may have just checked out. He’s a very sound horse but wasn’t putting out the effort like he used to.
“So I said it’s time for him to retire. He’s a really cool horse. I don’t know how to describe him. He seems like he’s part human or something. He understands everything around him.”
Brooks has no immediate plans for Happy Farm but believes he has potential for a new career when he’s ready.
“[Happy Farm] is obviously a sound horse. I’m going to let him have just a little bit of time to get fat and relax without anybody asking anything of him. He’s eligible to do the [Thorougbhred] Makeover next year. So I think it would be really cool to do it again and do it with him.”
Jocelyn participated in the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover with Maryland’s Pride
“It’s a wonderful event. It draws thousands. [Multiple stakeswinning millionaire] Arklow won his division last year. It’s really cool to see such an accomplished horse win a fox hunting competition. It has really drawn a demand for retired racehorses which is so important.”
But for now, Brooks has Happy Farm enjoying a life with little concern except an occasional central Kentucky heatwave.
“He’s turned out with another gelding at a private farm in Lexington. It’s been so hot here that I go out and visit him and squirt him with the hose and he just loves it,” Brooks said.
“It’s funny. He’s had a lot of owners and has spent a lot of years on the track and you don’t know if he’s going to be the same cool kind of guy. But he’s just everything he always was. He’s sweet. He’s smart. Nothing gets him excited. He’s just very even keeled.
“After all these years, he still has that great personality. When I got him, his weight looked great. His coat looked great. You can tell after 10 years and 52 races, he really was handling it all really well.” TFH
TAMMY A. GANTT Associate Vice President Director of Membership
INVEST
The Power of One More
THANK YOU
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Florida legislature identified our economic impact numbers are strong and helped our industry by adding $33.5 million in annual incentive money which now flows toward breeder awards, stallion awards, race incentives and purses. We believe strongly now is the time for you to take the opportunity to invest in bloodstock, ownership, operations, and services.
The word ‘invest’ can seem nebulous, so I want to share some tangible ways we can all help our industry grow. The ‘One More’ campaign asks industry members to take one more action, such as:
Invite one more friend into the world of Thoroughbred breeding and ownership. You know there is always that friend or business associate fascinated with your role in the industry and those friends who talk to you when Derby rolls around. Now is the time to ask them to join us! If you recall, Bill Childs did and his business partners new to racing found themselves in the winner circle with Florida Sire Stakes winning Awesome Strong.
• Breed one more mare
• Drop one more Florida foal
• Take one more friend to the racetrack to see why you love the sport
• Make one more additional bid at a sale
• Train an additional horse in the Sunshine State at one of the more than 100 training centers available
• Keep your ready-to-run racehorse in state just one more month
• Place one more wager at the racetrack which flows toward awards programs
• Watch your horse race live at the track one more time than last year. Make the trip to Florida, drive to Tampa Bay Downs or take the train to Gulfstream Park to watch your horse run.
DEADLINES
Aug. 31
Florida-bred Foal registration
Sept. 7
FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes
•Solicit one new client for your equine product or services
• Help a realtor sell one more Thoroughbred operation to a new industry member If each one of us took a “One More” approach to grow our industry, and used or added to this list, we will maintain growth in the short-term and the long-term.
