Stonestreet Stables

Stonestreet Stables and George Bolton’s Astrology, an impressive 2 ¾-length winner of Churchill Downs’ Iroquois (Grade III) on Oct. 31, heads a field of seven 2-year-olds entered Wednesday for Saturday’s 84th running of the $150,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (GII) at 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

The Kentucky Jockey Club is co-featured on Saturday’s Churchill Downs racing card with the $150,000-added Golden Rod (GII) for juvenile fillies.  It is scheduled as the 11th event on a 12-race “Stars of Tomorrow II” program devoted exclusively to races for 2-year-olds. Post time for the Kentucky Jockey Club is 5:42 p.m. (all times Eastern) with first post time Saturday at 12:40 p.m.

Last year’s renewal of the Kentucky Jockey Club was won by WinStar Farm’s homebred Super Saver, who returned this spring to take the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI).

Astrology, a clear 6-5 favorite in Churchill Downs handicapper Mike Battaglia’s morning line odds for the Kentucky Jockey Club, is a son of A.P. Indy who has won two of four career starts and will break from post position five.  He will be ridden by Garrett Gomez, who was aboard Astrology for his victory in the Iroquois and won the Kentucky Jockey Club in 1993 aboard War Deputy.

Two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Steve Asmussen, who is closing in on 500 wins for the year to lead the nation’s trainers in total victories in 2010, will saddle Astrology.  He is bidding for a second victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club after saddling Private Vow to win the race in 2007.

The only other graded stakes winner in the field is Gary and Mary West’s Major Gain, who took the Grade III Arlington-Washington Futurity on the synthetic Polytrack surface at Arlington Park on Sept. 11. Trained by Wayne Catalano, Major Gain will be ridden by Robby Albarado and breaks from post position four as the 4-1 co-third choice with Wind River Stable’s Cane Garden Bay.

Another runner of note is Tom Walters’ Santiva, the 7-2 second choice in the morning line. Although a maiden, Santiva ran second in the Breeders’ Futurity (GI) at Keeneland on Oct. 9.  Shaun Bridgmohan has the riding assignment on Santiva, who will break from post position two.

The field for the Kentucky Jockey Club, from the rail out (with jockey and odds), is as follows: Prideofthechapter (Rosemary Homeister Jr., 20-1), Santiva (Bridgmohan, 7-2), Cane Garden Bay (Julien Leparoux, 4-1), Major Gain (Albarado, 4-1), Astrology (Gomez, 6-5), Enable (Michael Baze, 20-1) and Halo’s Thunder (Kent Desormeaux, 10-1). All starters will carry 122 pounds.

Stonestreet Stable’s Kantharos overcame a stumble at the break to cruise to a 9 ½-length victory over Lou Brissie to win the 109th running of the $108,200 Bashford Manor Presented by Fasig-Tipton (Grade III) on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Robby Albarado, Kantharos spotted the field of six a couple of steps at the break as longshots Thewayitusedtobe and Gold for Cash led the field through the first quarter-mile in :21.81

Midway on the far turn, Albarado sent Kantharos after the leaders and quickly assumed command and was never threatened in completing the six furlongs on a fast main track in 1:09.89.  The victory was worth $66,413 and increased Kantharos’ earnings to $95,213 with two victories in two starts.

Kantharos is a Kentucky-bred son of Lion Heart out of the Southern Halo mare Contessa Halo.

It was the third Bashford Manor victory for Asmussen, who won the race in 2004 with Lunarpal and 2007 with Kodiak Kowboy. Albarado won the race for the second time, having scored in 2003 with Limehouse.

Kantharos, who won at first asking by 11 ¾ lengths on May 13, returned $3.40, $2.10 and $2.10. Lou Brissie, ridden by Corey Lanerie, returned $2.20 and $2.10 and finished a half-length in front of Speed Demon, who paid $2.60 to show under Jamie Theriot. It was three lengths back to Saturday Dance, who was followed by Gold for Cash and Thewayitusedtobe.

The 42-day Spring Meet comes to a conclusion Sunday with an 11-race program beginning at 12:45 p.m. (EDT). Highlighting the card is the 20th running of the $175,000-added Firecracker Handicap (GII) that goes as the day’s 10th race (5:26 p.m. post time) and the return to the races of 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird. There’s also a Pick 6 carryover $7,208 on races 6-11 with a mandatory payout.

BASHFORD MANOR QUOTES

ROBBY ALBARADO (jockey, KANTHAROS, winner): “For him stumbling and everything, he picked himself up. He’s a very athletic colt. He put himself in the race easily. At the three-eighths pole he let know me he was ready and he just sprinted home. Very, very impressive. I felt unbelievable from the eighth pole home. It was nothing for him; the sky is the limit. I don’t know how good he can be. I haven’t squeezed him yet and neither has (trainer) Steve (Asmussen). It’s scary good. Saratoga will be exciting. I always say, ‘You need one good horse to go to Saratoga with’ and this might be my one good horse. This is a special colt.”

STEVE ASMUSSEN (trainer, KANTHAROS, first): “He’s a very exciting horse. He is a very straight-forward horse. John Moynihan bought him out of the March OBS sale from Eddie Woods, and he came into the barn a professional. He’s not made a mistake and his two races so far have been exciting. Hopefully we can make some of the right moves with him because he has a tremendous amount of talent. He looked great coming down the stretch and it was such an exciting race. We’ll talk to (owner) Mr. (Jess) Jackson about his next race, but we’ll get him out of the weather and move north with him.”

COREY LANERIE (jockey, LOU BRISSIE, second): “It was a good trip. My horse laid back there and I kept him back three or four wide. I had the winner in my sight the whole time but he was just too much horse today and kicked away from me at the top of the lane.”  

With firm knowledge that the Preakness (Grade I)-winning filly Rachel Alexandra would pass on a possible run in the third jewel of the Triple Crown, trainer Bennie “Chip” Woolley Jr. and jockey Calvin Borel are both enthusiastically looking forward to the Belmont Stakes and a bid to take two-thirds of the crown with Kentucky Derby (GI) winner and Preakness runner-up Mine That Bird.

    Owner Jess Jackson of Stonestreet Stables, co-owner of Rachel Alexandra with Harold McCormick, announced Friday afternoon via press release that the winner of the Preakness and the Kentucky Oaks (GI) would skip the Belmont Stakes on June 6 at New York’s Belmont Park.  Jackson’s statement said that the filly was “healthy,” but “deserves a well-earned vacation.”  Jackson’s statement freed Borel, who had ridden Mine That Bird to victory in the Kentucky Derby but chose to ride Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness, to return to the saddle aboard the Derby winner for the 1 ½-mile “Test of the Champion” next week at Belmont Park.

    Woolley was signing autographs in a gift shop Churchill Downs and Borel was riding at the Louisville track when each received the news.  Woolley got a personal telephone call from Jackson, while the news was relayed to Borel by agent Jerry Hissam after he talked by telephone with Jackson.

    “It showed a lot of class on Mr. Jackson’s part,” said Woolley.  “We really appreciate him letting us known and letting us make our decision.  Now we’re just looking forward to going on to the Belmont.”

“Whatever Mr. Jackson wanted to do, I was a hundred and ten percent behind,” said Borel.  “But I think he did the right call.  I think Mr. Jackson is all about the horse, not the races.  It’s not money – it’s his horse.  I think he has more confidence in his horse and he wants to keep her safe and make sure she’s healthy and everything.  She run hard the other day.  She struggled a lot, like I said when I come back (from the Preakness).  I think he did it for the horse.”

Woolley said the call from Jackson was not a complete surprise.  He thought there was a chance the Steve Asmussen-trained Rachel Alexandra would pass on the Belmont.

“You know it’s grueling to put these races back-to-back,” said Woolley.  :”She run one day earlier than I did in the Derby, but it’s hard to put these races back-to-back and even harder on a filly.  So that really didn’t surprise me and it’s one reason I’ve held out for Calvin, thinking possibly that she might not run.”

    Borel worked Mine That Bird last Monday and said he was very happy with the effort by the Kentucky Derby winner.  He will be the saddle again when Mine That Bird has his final pre-Belmont Stakes work on Monday.

    “With three races back-to-back like that, you just want him to go into the race happy and I think Chip’s got him happy,” Said Borel.  “So we’re to hope for the best and have a good trip and, like I said, I want to thank them for putting me back on the colt and giving me this much time, and thank Mr. Jackson for announcing it today.”

Woolley said the gelded son of Birdstone would work after the break for track maintenance on Monday, June 1.  Mine That Bird is scheduled to fly to New York on Wednesday, June 3.
    
BENNIE “CHIP” WOOLLEY JR. – trainer of MINE THAT BIRD
“Mr. Jackson called me personally prior to releasing it to the media to inform me that they had decided not to run Rachel in the Belmont, and that would release Calvin from any conflict. So, when he called me I called Jerry Hissam (Calvin Borel’s agent) and he’d already talked to Jerry.  He was going to release it to the media, so we gave it a little while before we told anybody else to give him the opportunity.  It showed a lot of class on Mr. Jackson’s part.  We really appreciate him letting us known and letting us make our decision.  Now we’re just looking forward to going on to the Belmont.”
Q: Chip were you surprised to hear that Rachel wouldn’t run and that you’d get Calvin back for the Belmont?
“I actually wasn’t too surprised.  I wondered whether she would go on and run the mile and a half.  You know it’s grueling to put these races back-to-back.  She run one day earlier than I did in the Derby, but it’s hard to put these races back-to-back and even harder on a filly.  So that really didn’t surprise me and it’s one reason I’ve held out for Calvin, thinking possibly that she might not run.”
Q: Let’s talk about your horse and having Calvin back in the saddle for the Belmont…
“You know, we’re tickled with that.  Calvin’s done us a great job.  He won us a Derby and we were committed to letting him ride for us, if possible.  So we’re really glad to have him back.”
Q: Was it a relief to get the call today…would it have mattered to wait three or four more days?
“It wouldn’t really have mattered to wait two or three more days.  One thing that was for sure was the people that were open today would have been open in two or three days.  So, that wasn’t so much of a problem.  We’re just tickled to have Calvin and tickled to have this behind us and move on to the Belmont.”

Q: Your horse just seems to look better and better in the mornings…
“You bet.  He’s looking super.  I actually thought this morning was probably the best day he’s had on the racetrack since he’s been here.  We’re real tickled with him.  He’s just marchin’ around there and feelin’ good.”
Q: You still plan to work him Monday after the maintenance break?
“We’ll work him after the break on Monday, then we’ll ship him Wednesday on an airplane to Belmont.  Calvin will work him Monday right after the break.”

CALVIN BOREL – jockey on MINE THAT BIRD
Q: How did you get the news?
“Jerry was the one that told me.  Mr. Jackson got in touch with him.  First of all, I want to thank Chip and the owners of Mine That Bird for hanging in there.  I want to thank Mr. Jackson for coming out as soon as he did, because I didn’t think we’d get an answer until next Monday and I probably would have sat out the race.  I just want to thank Mr. Jackson for coming out as early as he did with the announcement, and thank Chip and the owners for an opportunity to ride the colt back.  We’re gonna get the job done.”
Q: You had said before that you would like to ride Mine That Bird…did you think you’d be able to do it again?
“It was just a matter of timing.  Chip loves the way I fit the colt.  I couldn’t see why he wouldn’t let me ride the colt back, because I fit him a hundred and ten percent.  I love the filly – she’s the greatest thing in the world, I think.  And I just want to thank Mr. Jackson for making the decision this early so I can give chip an answer at the right time.”
Q:  What about Mine That Bird in the Belmont – it’s a different kind of race, a mile and a half, big turns, big racetrack…
“I’m just going to ride it like it comes up, you know.  It’s nothing different – just turn left when you get in the turns.  It’s like any other racetrack.  I’ll tell you what, the colt worked really good the other morning.  I was very happy with his work.  I worked him real easy and he was bouncin’ – he was a happy camper.  That’s all you want.  With three races back-to-back like that, you just want him to go into the race happy and I think Chip’s got him happy.  So we’re to hope for the best and have a good trip and, like I said, I want to thank them for putting me back on the colt and giving me this much time, and thank Mr. Jackson for announcing it today.”
Q: Were you disappointed that Rachel is not going into the Belmont?
“Whatever Mr. Jackson wanted to do, I was a hundred and ten percent behind.  But I think he did the right call.  I think Mr. Jackson is all about the horse, not the races.  It’s not money – it’s his horse.  I think he has more confidence in his horse and he wants to keep her safe and make sure she’s healthy and everything.  She run hard the other day.  She struggled a lot, like I said when I come back (from the Preakness).  I think he did it for the horse.”
Q: Was it a relief to get the call today:
“It was a big relief.  You know, for Chip and them, to let them know because they sat chilly.  They’ve been good to me and I’ve just got to thank ‘em again.”

The stars of the 2009 Triple Crown season ignored rainy weather at Churchill Downs on Monday as Kentucky Derby (Grade I) winner and Preakness (GI) runner-up Mine That Bird and the Preakness-winning filly Rachel Alexandra turned in workouts over a “sloppy” track.
    Mine That Bird had jockey Calvin Borel, his pilot in the “Run for the Roses”, in the saddle as he breezed four furlongs in :51 in his first serious training move since the Preakness.  Rachel Alexandra cruised a half mile in :50.20 under exercise rider Dominic Terry, with a steady rain pelting the filly during much of her first work since her historic triumph in the second jewel of the Triple Crown on May 16 at Pimlico.
    Two major questions remained without answers following the Memorial Day works.  Will Rachel Alexandra run in the June 6 Belmont Stakes (GI) and attempt to become the first filly to win two legs of the Triple Crown?  And, if she does not run in the 1 ½-mile “Test of the Champion,” would Borel have an opportunity to ride Mine That Bird in the Triple Crown’s final jewel?
    Majority owner Jess Jackson of Stonestreet Stables said a decision of the Belmont Stakes status of Rachel Alexandra would not be made until next week at the earliest.  Rachel Alexandra is scheduled to work then and her camp would know more after that effort...
    “She is recovering nicely from the Preakness,” Jackson said.  “The key thing is her attitude.  She thinks can run through a brick wall.  We have to pull her back because she wants to run.”
    Trainer Steve Asmussen said he was pleased with the work, which came under unusual conditions.  A brief, but heavy, rain shower started to pelt the track as Rachel Alexandra entered the far turn, about an eighth of a mile into her work.
    “She looked beautiful, like Rachel does,” said Asmussen.  “The weather was not exactly cooperating this morning.  We a pretty good shower right in the middle of her breeze, but she handled it well, like she does everything else.  She came back very relaxed and looked good.”
    Jackson huddled after the work with Borel, who has ridden Rachel Alexandra throughout her winning streak of six consecutive stakes races, and Jerry Hissam, Borel’s agent.  Jackson said that Robby Albarado, the rider of his two-time “Horse of the Year” Curlin, could be called on to ride Rachel Alexandra if the decision was made to run the filly in the Belmont and Borel had another Belmont riding commitment.  
    Trainer Bennie “Chip” Woolley Jr. said he was happy with the easy move by Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Serte Equine’s Mine That Bird, which came shortly after the mid-session break for track maintenance.  
Woolley said he and co-owners Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach would wait a few more days before making a decision on a rider for the Belmont Stakes.  The left the door open for Borel to return to the saddle aboard the Kentucky Derby winner if Rachel Alexandra’s camp decides against a Belmont bid.
    Borel was in the irons for the 6 ¾-length romp by the Birdstone gelding in the Kentucky Derby, but chose to ride Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness.  Mike Smith was aboard the Derby winner at Pimlico, but a previous commitment will keep him from riding Mine That Bird in the Belmont.  
   

(November 23, 2008) – Stonestreet Stables LLC’s Curlin, North America’s reigning Horse of the Year and the continent’s richest racehorse of all time with earnings of $10,501,800, will be paraded one final time at Churchill Downs on Saturday, Nov. 29 – closing day of the 26-day Fall Meet.

Curlin, the brilliant winner of seven Grade I events including Churchill Downs’ $1 million Stephen Foster Handicap in June, is scheduled to be paraded on the main track between the fifth and sixth races on the Nov. 29 program. A special salute in the paddock and/or winner’s circle will follow.

The fifth race that day is scheduled for 1:28 p.m. (all times Eastern), and the first of 12 races will be at 11:30 a.m. Grandstand admission gates will open at 10 a.m.

Stonestreet Stables owner Jess Jackson, founder and proprietor of Kendall-Jackson Vineyard Estates, and Curlin’s trainer Steve Asmussen permitted the parade to give area horse racing fans perhaps their final opportunity to see the champion before he is retired to stud duty in 2009. He will stand for $75,000 at Mr. and Mrs. William S. Farish’s Lane’s End Farm near Versailles, Ky.

“We’re thrilled to have another opportunity to showcase Curlin in front of his many fans in Kentucky,” Asmussen said. “For the past two years, he’s given our entire team numerous thrills and great memories. We’ve always considered Churchill Downs to be his ‘home’ track, and we’ll always remember that standing ovation he received after winning the Stephen Foster.”

The 4-year-old son of Smart Strike out of the Deputy Minister mare Sherriff’s Deputy won 11 of his 16 starts with two seconds and two thirds, and is the only horse in North American racing history to earn $5 million in back-to-back seasons. His prize money haul included $5,102,800 in 2007 and $5,399,000 this year.

At age three, Curlin captured a trio of Grade I races that led to Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old Male honors: the Preakness Stakes, the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He also suffered a narrow loss to the champion filly Rags to Riches in the Belmont Stakes (GI) and finished third in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI), which was only the fourth start of his career.

Committed to an aggressive 4-year-old campaign that showcased Curlin to an even greater worldwide audience, Jackson and Asmussen sent the chestnut colt to the United Arab Emirates to win two races, including an emphatic 7 ¾-length score in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup – the most lucrative race in the world with a $6 million purse.

In addition to the Dubai World Cup and Stephen Foster, Curlin’s headline-grabbing 2008 campaign included victories in the Woodward Stakes (GI) at Saratoga and a second straight triumph in the prestigious Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (GI) at Belmont Park. His only two defeats this year came on surfaces other than dirt: a second to 2006 Breeders’ Cup Turf (GI) champ Red Rocks-IRE in the Man o’War Stakes (GI) at 1 ½ miles over the Belmont Park turf course and a fourth-place finish behind European stars Raven’s Pass and Henrythenavigator in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI), which was contested over the Pro-Ride synthetic surface at Santa Anita.

Despite galloping daily at Churchill Downs, it appears that the Breeders’ Cup Classic was the final start of Curlin’s odds-on first-ballot Hall of Fame career.

Churchill Downs’ Nov. 29 closing day program also will double as Stars of Tomorrow II. Staged for the fourth consecutive year, Stars of Tomorrow II will be entirely devoted to races for rising 2-year-old stars. The co-featured races are the open $150,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) and Golden Rod (GII) for fillies. The distance for both races is 1 1/16 miles.

- END -