$30 MILLION WITH RESTRICTED PURSES AND INCENTIVE AWARDS
$3.95 MILLION - GOLDEN STATE STAKES PROGRAM
A Restricted Stakes Schedule for Registered California-Bred or California-Sired Horses
MAIDEN BONUS PROGRAM
A $12,500 bonus will be made available for owners of registered California-Bred or California-Sired maidens in Maiden Special Weight races at Santa Anita Classic Meet and a $15,000 bonus at Del Mar Summer Meet, 2026. Only races at 4 1/2 furlongs or longer will qualify. In the event of a dead heat, the bonus will be split amongst the winners.
CALIFORNIA’S 2025 HORSE OF THE YEAR
LOVESICK BLUES winner of the Gr1 Bing Crosby Stakes, July 26th
GOLD RUSH DAY PROVIDES SUCCESSFUL SHOWCASE
This year’s edition of California Gold Rush Day, held exclusively for horses bred in the Golden State or sired by in-state stallions, featured ve stakes races, robust eld sizes, and resulted in total handle exceeding last year’s event by nearly 15%.
All told, it was another successful showcase for breeders and owners of Cal-breds. In addition to the $550,000 o ered in the stakes, total purses for the 10-race card were just shy of $850,000.
Recaps of the ve stakes races can be found throughout this issue. But the other ve races were just as important for connections and provided a cross-section of the local horse population, from a pair of rst-condition allowances and two maiden special weights to maiden claimers.
e ve non-stakes averaged almost nine starters per race. Four of those races were won by owners/ breeders–Six S Racing Stables’ Kikuride, Reddam Racing’s Free Closer, Harris Farms’ Start the Ride, and Oracle of Paradise, bred by a partnership that includes owner Phil Lebherz. e maiden claiming race was won by Trojan Ma a, bred by Old English Rancho, which also bred Crystal Water Stakes winner Flyover.
Connections of Gold Rush winners quickly set their sights on the upcoming summer meeting at Del Mar, which will continue its tradition of spotlighting Cal-breds.
Here is the Del Mar stakes schedule for Cal-breds:
Aug. 15
Sept. 4
Sept. 7
DOUG
The official magazine of California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, a non-profit corporation dedicated to the production of better Thoroughbred horses for better Thoroughbred racing, published by Blood-Horse, LLC.
Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect policies of the CTBA or this magazine. Publication of any material originating herein is expressly forbidden without first obtaining written permission from California Thoroughbred. All advertising copy is submitted subject to approval. We reserve the right to reject any copy that is misleading or that does not meet with the standards set by the publication.
Acknowledgment: Statistics in this publication relating to results of races in North America are compiled by the Daily Racing Form Charts by special arrangement with Daily Racing Form Inc., the copyright owners of said charts. Reproduction forbidden.
OFFICERS
CHAIRPERSON
JUSTIN OLDFIELD
PRESIDENT
DOUG BURGE
VICE CHAIRPERSON
TY GREEN
TREASURER
GEORGE SCHMITT
SECRETARY
ADRIAN GONZALEZ
DIRECTORS
Gloria Haley, Pete Parrella, Sue Greene, Terry C. Lovingier, George F. Schmitt, Ty Green, Justin Oldfield, Adrian Gonzalez, Dan Harralson, Dr. Stacy Potter, Jonny Hilvers, Katherine Fisher
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
CONTROLLER
THOMAS R. RETCHLESS
SALES
LORETTA VEIGA
REGISTRAR/INCENTIVE PROGRAM MANAGER
DAWN GERBER
ADVERTISING MANAGER/PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
LORETTA VEIGA
MEMBERSHIP AND SALES ASSISTANT
DEBBIE WINICK
WEBSITE MANAGING EDITOR
KEN GURNICK
RACETRACK LIAISON
SCOTT HENRY
California Thoroughbred (ISSN 1092-7328) is published monthly, except for two combined issues in Apr/May and Sept/Oct, plus one special issue in December, in Lexington, KY by Blood-Horse LLC, 821 Corporate Dr., Lexington, KY 40503. Periodicals postage paid at Lexington, KY and at additional mailing offices.
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COPY EDITOR
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ART DIRECTOR
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PHILIP TRUMAN
Breeder Alfred Pais and Vahe Melikyan own Unrivaled Time, who captured the Snow Chief Stakes Presented by City National Bank on Gold Rush Day.
AIR FORCE RED
Air Force Blue – Mesana, by Mizzen Mast
Fee: $2,500 LFG
KING OF JAZZ (ARG)
Giant’s Causeway – Kiss Me Sweet (ARG), by Lode
Fee: $1,000 LFG
ORIGINAIRE (IRE)
Zo any (IRE) - Polly Perkins (IRE) by Pivotal (GB)
Fee: Complimentary
ROUSING SERMON
Lucky Pulpit – Rousing Again, by Awesome Again
Fee: $1,500 LFSN
GATO DEL ORO
Medaglio D’oro – Funny Feeling, by Distorted Humor
Fee: $2,500 LFG
MO THE BEHOLDER
Uncle Mo – Leslie’s Harmony, by Curlin
Fee: $2,500 LFSN
OSCAR NOMINATED
Kittens Joy – Devine Actress, by Theatrical (IRE)
Fee: $1,500 LFSN
A Full Service Thoroughbred Facility
Centrally Located to All Southern California Racetracks OFFERING
Breeding, Boarding, Mare & Foal Care, Lay-Ups, Breaking, Training, Sales Prep, 5/8 Mile Race Track
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CTBA MOVES ITS OFFICE
The California oroughbred Breeders Association has moved from its longtime o ce on Colorado Place to its new location at 44 East Foothill Blvd, Suite 204 in Arcadia. e new o ce is on the south side of Foothill just east of Santa Anita Avenue and is within three miles of Santa Anita Park. e phone number remains the same: (626) 445-7800.
e CTBA moved to its Colorado Place o ce, across the street from the Santa Anita backstretch, in 1957 after renting space on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. e new building eventually housed the Carleton F. Burke Memorial Library as well as the CTBA o ce sta . At the time that included departments not only for executive, administration, and registration, but also for pedigree research and sales catalogs, magazine production, and a separate sales company that began as a joint venture between the CTBA and Fasig-Tipton.
Computerization, modernization, and changes within the racing and breeding industry led to a reduction in sta over the years, at the same time as the value of the property on which the building stood rose substantially. e CTBA board of directors decided that selling the building was the most responsible thing to do for its membership, and the funds that sale generated are being used as an endowment for programs bene tting the members and California breeders.
at endowment had an immediate bene t late last year with three new programs the CTBA unveiled. e rst is a foal incentive program that awards $1,000 per foal beginning with mares bred this year and when resulting foals of 2027 are registered with both e Jockey Club and CTBA, with a cap of 25 foals per breeder. e second waives the $100 registration fees for members for foals born in 2025-27. e third is a pilot program for broodmare quality enhancement that pays up to $3,000 in transportation expenses to bring mares sold for $20,000 or more and 12 years old or younger to California to be bred to California stallions.
Cal-breds Win Listed Stakes
California-breds Hey Jessie and Boss Sully won listed stakes in May at Santa Anita. Hey Jessie captured the $100,000 Santa Barbara Stakes May 3, and Boss Sully followed with a win in the $102,500 Siren Lure Stakes May 10.
Stalking the early pace in the 11⁄2-mile Santa Barbara on the turf, Hey Jessie dueled with pacesetter and odds-on favorite Resolve down the backstretch. She grabbed the lead in upper stretch, lost it to Cailin Dana, and then regained it to score by three-quarters of a length in 2:29. Emisael Jaramillo rode Hey Jessie for owner/breeder Say Jay Racing and trainer Sean McCarthy.
“It was a dog ght from the quarter pole home, and I didn’t know if we would be able to do it or not,” McCarthy said. “But she just dug in and showed all the heart she has and got the job done.”
Stephen Young’s Say Jay bred Hey Jessie in California from his homebred Cee’s Tizzy mare Bea’s Cee. Hey Jessie is a 4-year-old daughter of leading California sire Grazen. Hey Jessie also won the 2024 Soviet Problem Stakes.
Joel Rosario, on his rst day riding back at Santa Anita full time, piloted Boss Sully to a win in the Siren Lure at six furlongs on the turf. Boss Sully led throughout and crossed the wire 11 2 lengths in front of Unconquerable Keen, with Artislas third. Sent o as the 3-1 favorite, Boss Sully stopped the timer in 1:08.42.
Brian Koriner trains Boss Sully for owners Rusty Brown, Alan Klein, and Philip Lebherz. PT Syndicate #1 LLC bred Boss Sully, a 6-year-old gelded son of Street Boss—Eternally, by Candy Ride. e Siren Lure was Boss Sully’s rst stakes win, though he is multiple stakes-placed.
CAL-BRED BRINGS SIX FIGURES
A California-bred daughter of Knicks Go sold for $110,000 in May at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old sale. Rudy Rodriguez purchased her from the consignment of Randy Miles, as agent for Smith, Cianello, and Hodge.
DP Racing bred the filly from its homebred Quality Road mare Kylee Rose. The second dam is Del Mar stakes winner Maxxi Arte.
Boss Sully, ridden by Joel Rosario, gets his first stakes win in the Siren Lure
Mary Ellen Locke Retires IN Memoriam
Mary Ellen Locke, the California oroughbred Breeders Association registrar and incentive program manager, retired May 27. She has been with the CTBA since 1981.
A horse owner all her life and a multiple winner at national Quarter Horse shows in trail and other disciplines, Locke rst encountered the CTBA through membership in the Loping Lads and Lassies 4-H club, sponsored by the CTBA. She went on to get a degree in agricultural business management from Cal Poly Pomona before initially joining the CTBA to help with computer data entry for the incentive program.
Locke segued into working as an assistant to longtime CTBA registrar Gale Knox and took over those duties when Knox retired in 1988. During her tenure, Locke has overseen many changes and improvements to the CTBA registration and incentive program, including when California Cup was added in 1990. She and her assistant, Dawn Gerber, are regularly available by phone, email, and in person when someone needs help with
any part of the registration process.
Gerber will be taking over Locke’s duties, though it’s hard to conceive of Locke not being involved with horses. She formerly bred, raised, and showed miniature horses and still owns a Quarter Horse, one of her former show horses. Locke has expressed interest in possibly helping with a therapeutic riding program, which would simply continue her lifetime of service to the equine industry.
George Fasching
Anyone familiar with Santa Anita probably also knows Fasching’s Car Wash, located on the corner of Santa Anita Avenue and Colorado Boulevard in Arcadia. George Fasching, who died April 14 at age 97, was not only a major local businessman, but he also loved horse racing. The car wash to this day offers a discount on Tuesdays, a traditionally dark day at the racetrack.
Born in Long Beach, Fasching graduated from Alhambra High School. He had a long career in the gas station business, owning several locally before buying what became Fasching’s Car Wash in Arcadia in 1977. He was also involved in the local community, serving as mayor of Arcadia in 1992 as well as on the Arcadia City Council from 1990-94.
Fasching remained an avid fan of racing throughout his life and owned a few horses over the years. His survivors include his wife, Geri; four children; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
CAL-BREDS WIN EARLY JUVENILE RACES
California-breds Dream Quest and Saluto won the rst two races for 2-year-olds at Santa Anita. Dream Quest captured a 41⁄2-furlong race for 2-year-old llies April 30, and Saluto won a 41 2-furlong race for both sexes May 1. Leading throughout as the 1-2 favorite, Dream Quest edged irsty Caitlin by a head while ridden by Tiago Pereira and stopped the timer in :53.67. Steve Knapp trains Dream Quest and owns her with John Moroney and breeder Terry Lovingier. Dream Quest is a daughter of Drain the Clock—Dream Collector, by Collected. Lovingier also bred irsty Caitlin. Saluto, a son of Stay irsty—Bella Ciao, by Flatter, came out of the same program, being bred by Lovingier and trained by Knapp. With Antonio Fresu in the irons, Saluto dominated on the front end, winning by nine lengths in :52.30. Lovingier owns Saluto with Cinema oroughbreds, Diane and John Mihaljevich, and John Moroney. Lovingier also bred second-place King Kameha.
Dream Quest defeats Thirsty Caitlin in Santa Anita’s first 2-year-old race
California stallion Collected was represented by a Canadian champion when Mansetti was named Canadian Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male. Mansetti won three stakes in 2025, including the King’s Plate. Jungle Racing LLC bred Mansetti in Ontario from the Sky Mesa mare Gidget Girl. Al and Bill Unwelling raced the colt, who was trained by Kevin Attard. Collected is standing his first season in California in 2026 after earlier standing in Kentucky. He returned to California, where he was based for his racing career. Bob Baffert trained Collected, who won the 2017 Pacific Classic (G1) among his seven stakes and earned $2,975,500. Collected is standing at Rancho San Miguel.
Cheekaboo comes between horses to win the Honeymoon Stakes at Santa Anita in 2016
10 YEARS AGO
Chatbot Assistant
Added to Catalog App
An updated version of the Equineline Sales Catalog app includes a chatbot assistant. Called HipIQ, the chatbot enables users to ask how-to questions and perform speci c tasks within the app, such as, “How do I share a short list” or “Show me all colts by stallion X.” HipIQ works via text or voice.
e new app version also has improved annotations with more accurate high-frequency pencil tracking, pressure sensitivity for line width, and a higher resolution for better zoom response. In addition, email is now compatible with all mainstream email platforms and apps, ensuring that sales horse information can be shared with almost anyone.
e Equineline Sales Catalog app provides catalogs for all major North American and worldwide oroughbred auctions. It can be downloaded free from the iPad App Store or at apple.co/425rSIy.
QUALIFYING CLAIMING LEVELS
The following claiming levels for California owners premiums and stallion awards are currently in effect:
SANTA ANITA/$40,000
LOS ALAMITOS/$40,000
When California-bred CHEEKABOO captured the $201,380 Honeymoon Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita June 19, 2016, she presented her sire, Unusual Heat, with a Father’s Day present. Though the 3-yearold filly had become a stakes winner in the Campanile Stakes earlier in the year, this was her first graded stakes victory. With Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith aboard, Cheekaboo raced in seventh early, angled out for the stretch drive, and surged forward between horses to defeat Be Mine by a head, with Stays in Vegas a nose back in third. Cheekaboo completed 11⁄8 miles on turf in 1:46.86 and paid $49.60 to win. “This is just a great Father’s Day gift,” said Joe Ciaglia, who owned Cheekaboo with Sharon Alesia and Mike Burns. Madeline Auerbach, Richard Rosenberg, and Barry Abrams bred Cheekaboo (later was sold to Japan for $300,000) out of the Souvenir Copy mare Sandy Cheeks.
25 YEARS AGO
Trainer John Dolan and owner Sam Longo claimed California-bred LAZY SLUSAN for $62,500 in mid-2000, and she quickly proved worth the price. Lazy Slusan became a multiple grade 1 winner July 29, 2001, by adding the Milady Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G1) at Hollywood Park. With Victor Espinoza aboard, the 6-year-old mare raced in fifth early after being
bumped at the start of the 11⁄16 miles. Four wide in the stretch, she scored by 21⁄2 length over Lady Melesi, with Feverish third, in a time of 1:42.25. Earlier that year, Lady Slusan won the Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (G1) and ultimately earned a total of $1,150,410. The Robert H. Walter Family Trust bred the daughter of Slewvescent—Three Flights Up, by Topsider. Lazy Slusan went on to become a grade 1 producer via her Empire Maker filly Last Full Measure.
50 YEARS AGO
Sent away at 10-1, California-bred HIDDEN WORLD led nearly the entire one-mile distance to win the Pacifica Stakes at Golden Gate Fields June 5, 1976. The colt defeated heavily favored Delta Junction by 11⁄2 lengths in 1:381⁄5. Jockey Enrique Munoz rode Hidden World in the stakes for 3-year-olds on behalf of trainer Robert King and owner Bay Area Stable. Hidden World over a four-year career raced extensively in Northern California, Arizona, and Canada. In 59 starts, he won seven with 13 seconds and eight thirds for earnings of $106,980. In addition to the Pacifica, Hidden World captured two editions of the Continental Handicap, the 1977 Klondike Handicap, and the 1978 Westerner Handicap, all at Northlands Park. Connie M. Ring bred the son of Corn Off the Cob—Tritoma, by Count Fleet, and he was foaled at her Three Rings Ranch in Beaumont.
Collected
Kona Gold, Shirre s Among Hall of Fame Inductees
California-based Kona Gold and the late trainer John Shirre s are among those selected for induction this year into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame. e Class of 2026 will be inducted Aug. 7 in Saratoga and also includes Gulch, Mongo, trainer Christophe Clement, trainer David Whiteley, Prince Khalid bin Abdullah, Dr. Robert Copelan, Seth Hancock, G. Watts Humphrey, and Joseph Widener.
e late Bruce Headley trained Kona Gold and owned him in a partnership that included Irwin and Andrew Molasky and Michael Singh. A gelded son of Java Gold—Double Sunrise, by Slew o’ Gold, Kona Gold won the Eclipse Award for champion sprinter in 2000. at year, he set the Churchill Downs track record of 1:07.77 for six furlongs in winning the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1).
Kona Gold raced from 19982003 with a record of 14 wins from 30 starts and earnings of $2,293,384. He set a track record for 51 2 furlongs at Santa Anita and won a total of 10 graded stakes. Kona Gold, who was ridden in all 14 of his victories by Hall of Fame jockey Alex Solis, won multiple editions of the Bing Crosby Handicap (G2), Potrero Grande Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G2), and El Conejo Handicap (G3). Kona Gold’s longevity and excellence at the highest level was evident in his
ve consecutive appearances in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, and after his retirement he became a pony in the Headley barn.
Shirre s, who died earlier this year, trained the winners of 596 races, including 113 graded events, for total purse earnings of $58,581,916. He won the Kentucky Derby (G1) in 2005 with 50-1 longshot Giacomo and later became the conditioner of Hall of Fame member Zenyatta. Shirre s trained that four-time Eclipse Award winner to 19 consecutive victories, including 13 grade 1s, from 2007-10. Named Horse of the Year in 2010 and champion older female each year from 2008-10, Zenyatta put on a performance for the ages at Santa Anita when she defeated males in the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). Shirre s also won that year’s Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (G1) with Life Is Sweet.
At the Grade 1 level, Shirre s won ve editions of the Santa Margarita Handicap and Vanity Handicap; three runnings of the Lady’s Secret, Santa Anita Derby, and Clement L. Hirsch Stakes; and two renewals of the American Oaks, Apple Blossom Handicap, and Santa Maria Stakes. Shirre s trained nine horses who earned more than $1 million: Baeza, Express Train, Giacomo, Gormley, Hollywood Story, Life Is Sweet, Manistique, Tiago, and Zenyatta.
Champion sprinter Kona Gold, trained by Bruce Headley, earned more than $2 million
Trainer John Shirreffs with his most popular charge, champion Zenyatta
CTBA working for you
To further assist the membership of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association (CTBA) and subscribers of its official publication, California Thoroughbred, this monthly editorial page provides readers with updates about the association’s current policies, latest news, and upcoming events in the Golden State.
California Legislature Honors
Mario Gutierrez
Two days after California-bred California Chrome won the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), another Derby winner, jockey Mario Gutierrez, was honored in Sacramento.
e Latino Spirit Awards, established in 2002, are held in conjunction with Cinco de Mayo. Gutierrez, who piloted I’ll Have Another to win the 2012 Kentucky Derby, was one of 10 honored this year by the California Senate and Assembly. California Gov. Jerry Brown attended the dinner held the night before in conjunction with the awards.
e timing couldn’t have been better, as many wanted to talk about the state’s own California Chrome. is is the rst time that the Latino Spirit Awards have honored a racing gure. Gutierrez’s photo will hang in the Capitol Rotunda for a month along with the other honorees.
Gutierrez was born in Mexico and initially began his riding career in his native country. He later was a huge success at Hastings Racecourse in Canada before switching his tack to Southern California.
GOT CHROME?
In the run-up to California Chrome’s successful victory in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association spread the word via a colorful button. With a tagline: “Got Chrome? California does! It pays to be Cal-bred” the CTBA promoted California Chrome and the California breeding industry.
Belmont Stakes
People who “liked” the CTBA’s Facebook page received one of the buttons, as did some lucky fans who flocked to California Chrome’s final work at Los Alamitos April 26.
Then it was off to Kentucky, where CTBA’s Doug Burge and several board members also passed out buttons on the famed Churchill Downs backstretch. The buttons proved so popular that they also passed them out at Pimlico before the Preakness Stakes (gr. I).
Santa Anita closing day 15161718
Paul Reddam, owner of I’ll Have Another, noticed the youngster’s ability and suggested him to trainer Doug O’Neill for I’ll Have Another in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita. Gutierrez never lost on the colt in four starts—the Lewis, Santa Anita Derby (gr. I), Kentucky Derby, and Preakness Stakes (gr. I).
NEW
Nor Cal Auction Bonus—$250,000
CTBA Sales is offering a “$250,000 G1 Bonus” for the Aug. 12 CTBA Northern California Yearling and Horses of Racing Age Sale to be held at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. The bonus money will be paid out to the registered owner at time of
Los Alamitos opening day
CTBA MEMBERS
$100,000 Bertrando Stakes Los Alamitos
Syd Belzberg (Budget Stables) Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
Nels Erickson Reno, NV
Thomas Glosser Whittier, CA
Mary Lou Griffin Buckley, WA
Tiffany Teresi, Dawn Howe, and Mary Valente (Partnership) Acampo, CA
Chris and Jena Raymer Catoosa, OK
Charles Robin Brentwood, CA
CTBA FUTURE EVENTS
CTBA Northern California Yearling & Horses of Racing Age Sale Tuesday, August 12 Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton Contact Cookie Hackworth cookie@ctba.com / 800.573.2822 ext. 243
For further information, contact: Cookie Hackworth cookie@ctba.com 800.573.2822 ext. 243
YES, THIS TIME
BY TRACY GANTZ
Unrivaled Time is not only a good name for a racehorse; it also perfectly describes the colt’s existence. Breeder and co-owner Alfred “Sonny” Pais bred his mare Margot Machance to Kentucky stallion Not is Time just as the sire began his upward trajectory that has this year exploded into the stratosphere.
“She was about 12, and if I was going to send her to Kentucky, this was the time to do it,” Pais said.
A friend of Pais’ had bred to the stallion, and Leonard Powell, trainer of Unrivaled Time, had trained Margot Machance and recommended that Pais try her with a Kentucky stallion. Powell not only liked Not is Time, but he also said that he loves Giant’s Causeway, his sire.
Pais bred, owned, and stands the multiple stakes-winning California-bred Brickyard Ride. Margot Machance had already produced a couple of nice winners for Pais by Clubhouse Ride, the sire of Brickyard Ride. Pais foaled Unrivaled Time in California and made him a Cal-bred.
Unrivaled Time, a graded stakes winner last year at 2, added more black type to his resume with a gritty victory in the $127,500 Snow Chief Stakes Presented by City National Bank May 23 at Santa Anita. Meanwhile, Not is Time leads the national sire list with runners such as Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Magnitude.
When Unrivaled Time was a weanling, Pais sold an interest in him to Vahe Melikyan, who races in the name of Innergy Racing Corp.
“I just looked at the horse, and I went with my feeling about him,” Melikyan said. “I own part of some babies by Brickyard Ride as well.”
Melikyan and Pais, along with Zephyr Racing, also raced Irish-bred Nitti, who won the
UNRIVALED TIME, BY NOT THIS TIME, GETS A HEAD VICTORY
2025 San Juan Capistrano Stakes (G3T).
He’s a Knockout, undefeated in two starts, went o as the 3-2 favorite in the Snow Chief, for 3-year-olds at 11⁄8 miles on turf. Unrivaled Time, winner of the 2025 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3T), thus far in 2026 had nished third in the Jan. 8 Eddie Logan Stakes and was unplaced in the Feb. 22 Pasadena Stakes. He went o as the 2-1 second choice.
With Armando Ayuso in the irons, Unrivaled Time raced next to last by the
stands the rst time, around the clubhouse turn, and onto the backstretch. e colt found his best stride going into the second turn. ough racing wide, he passed several rivals. He still had three to catch in the stretch, but he never gave up and nipped Trump Era, who had set all the pace, right at the wire by a head in 1:48.04. Ventry Strand also closed from well back to take third.
“It wasn’t the plan to be that far back—I wanted to be closer to the pace,” said Powell. “Armando let him gather himself. I was very happy at the half-mile. I could see that the horse was taking him forward into the turn. Not so happy to be losing so much ground in the nal turn, but that’s the only way to be moving forward at that point in the race. Once he leveled o , I knew he was going to get there.”
Unrivaled Time has made all six of his starts on turf, which could set him up for the open series of stakes for 3-year-olds on turf at Del Mar.
Unrivaled Time edges Trump Era in Snow Chief Stakes Presented by City National Bank
Owners Vahe Melikyan and Sonny Pais flank presenter Doug Burge of the CTBA after the Snow Chief
CHAMPION ROUTES
MOHAVEN PROVES SHE CAN SUCCEED AT TWO TURNS
BY JACK SHINAR
It remains to be seen how often Legacy Ranch’s champion lly Mohaven will be asked to cover route distances in the future. But at least trainer John Sadler knows he has that option in his back pocket should he need it.
In her rst try around two turns, Mohaven demolished her rivals with a front-running six-length romp in the $125,500 Melair Stakes for Golden State Series-eligible 3-year-old llies May 23 at Santa Anita. e dark bay or brown daughter of Yaupon was timed in 1:44.89 for the 11 16-mile event.
Mohaven had never run longer than seven furlongs previously—when she won the Generous Portion Stakes by 41 4 lengths at Del Mar Oct. 31. But Sadler said after the Melair that Mohaven would return to the seven-furlong distance for her next start, the Fleet Treat Stakes for 3-year-old llies, also at Del Mar, July 24.
“I think this horse is more of a sprinter,
but she got the job done today,” said Sadler, who also won the prior race, the Crystal Water Stakes, with Flyover on the California Gold Rush Day program. “ ere are just so many of these ‘x’ type of races, so you want to be on the card.”
Mohaven is by a grade 1-winning sprinter and a son of Uncle Mo. Standing at Spendthrift Farm, Yaupon was the leading rst-year crop stallion in North America in 2025, and sired recent Wood Memorial (G2) winner Albus. Mohaven is the rst foal out of Bahama Mischief, by Into Mischief.
Bred by Richard Barton Enterprises, Mohaven was purchased by Pete and Evelyn Parrella’s Legacy Ranch for $200,000 at the Fasig-Tipton California fall yearling sale.
Sent o at odds of 3-5 in the eld of six, Mohaven took the lead in the opening strides from second-choice Run With Liberty and settled along the inside with Cecilia Street and Lino’s Angel to her outside.
Mohaven, ridden by Emisael Jaramillo, was able to gain a gradual two-length advantage into the far turn while setting a comfortable pace—:47.40 for the half-mile and 1:11.40 for six furlongs. Cecilia Street, after applying pressure on the backstretch, was having trouble keeping up rounding the bend, and Mohaven hit the homestretch well in front. She was under strong handling through the drive, leading by ve lengths at the eighth pole and widened her edge from there.
“She’s just a very classy horse,” Jaramillo said after winning aboard Mohaven for the second time in as many tries. “Very easy. We were in a great ow from start to nish.”
Cecilia Street, at 14-1, held second by a neck from Run With Liberty. e latter was undefeated in two prior starts, both on turf at one mile, for trainer Je Mullins. ough given a ground-saving trip by Kyle Frey, she was unable to make any impact on the winner.
With Jaramillo riding, Mohaven, named last season’s Cal-bred champion 2-year-old lly, was coming o a ve-length score in the $126,000 Evening Jewel Stakes April 4. e Melair was her third stakes triumph and fourth win overall from seven lifetime starts. e $75,000 winning share increased her overall earnings to $334,750.
“It’s very important to our program to support the Cal-breds,” said Terry Knight, farm manager for Legacy Ranch. “ is was logical place to try her. A little out of her comfort zone, I think, two turns. I just wanted to get around the rst turn, then I thought we’d be okay.”
Mohaven, a champion Cal-bred in 2025, is having a splendid 2026 as well
Mohaven’s connections in the winner’s circle include trainer John Sadler (second from right), Legacy Ranch manager Terry Knight (behind jockey), and jockey Emisael Jaramillo
DEPEND ON HER
GRAND SLAM SMILE PROVED HER CONSISTENCY YET AGAIN
BY JACK SHINAR
The ultra-dependable mare Grand Slam Smile doesn’t always dictate the pace to win races, but as her rivals in the $101,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes May 23 at Santa Anita can attest, she’s very di cult to beat when she does.
As she was on her way to her 10th lifetime stakes win, four challengers were within striking distance in the nal furlong of the one-mile turf test for Golden State Series-eligible llies and mares. But none could reach even terms as the heavily favored Grand Slam Smile gamely held on for another front-running victory with regular rider William Antongeorgi III aboard.
“She just ran a helluva race,” said winning trainer Sean McCarthy afterward. “ at was a good eld, and they made a run at her. She’s got a heart as big as her body. She just laid it down and wouldn’t let them by.”
A 5-year-old homebred racing for the Idaho-based Larry and Marianne Williams, Grand Slam Smile boosted her career bankroll to $984,120 while registering her 12th win overall from 21 races with six seconds and three thirds. By Smiling Tiger out of Royal Grand Slam, by Grand Slam, the chestnut mare is the leading all-time earner for the Williams team. Equally adept on both turf and dirt, Grand Slam Smile has won three of ve starts— all on grass—in 2026.
A California-bred divisional champion in 2023 and 2024,
Grand Slam Smile faced last year’s 3-yearold champion California lly, Om N Joy, in the Fran’s Valentine. It was Om N Joy’s rst start on turf since she was a maiden in January 2025, however, and bettors supported Grand Slam Smile at 1-2 odds.
She broke midpack in the eld of seven but quickly established a comfortable lead along the inside while controlling the pace. Grand Slam Smile rolled through soft quarter-mile fractions—:24.03, :48.25 and 1:12.66—while the stalking 62-1 outsider Mars Magic drew to within a length of the leader at the quarter pole.
Prancingthruparis and Quick Kate were also advancing, while Take Another Card rallied from the back of the pack. Meanwhile, Om N Joy, pulling early while racing on the outside of the eld, never appeared comfortable in her return to the grass and backed out of contention on the nal turn.
Antongeorgi gave Grand Slam Smile a nudge leaving the bend and some right-handed encouragement through the lane. Mars Magic and Prancingthruparis fought on, but could not match Grand Slam Smile in deep stretch while Quick Kate and Take Another Card continued to close in. Grand Slam Smile found more approaching the wire, edging the fast-closing Take Another Card by a half-length, with Quick Kate a neck farther back in third.
e nal time was 1:35.94.
A longtime Northern California rider, Antongeorgi moved to the Midwest earlier this year and has been competing at Churchill Downs and Horseshoe Indianapolis.
“She broke great and was really relaxed on the lead,” he said of the winner. “I knew she would be. I was super con dent in her. I knew she had a lot more to give when we turned for home.”
Having proven herself repeatedly in the Cal-bred ranks, the only thing that has eluded Grand Slam Smile in her career has been a graded stakes win. She has tried graded company three times and nished third each time, most recently in the Royal Heroine Stakes (G3T) April 25.
“She trains like a great horse and is just ultra-consistent,” said McCarthy, who has trained Grand Slam Smile since Steve Specht’s retirement last year. “I couldn’t be more proud of her.”
Grand Slam Smile gets her 10th stakes win by taking the Fran’s Valentine Stakes on turf
Trainer Sean McCarthy and his wife, Kim, stand right of jockey William Antongeorgi III in the winner’s circle
MINDING HIS BUSINESS
OLD PRO BIG CITY LIGHTS ADDS ANOTHER STAKES
BY TRACY GANTZ
California-bred Big City Lights has the right temperament for his job.
“He’s a very relaxed horse when he gets on the track,” said owner William Peeples. “He’s not hard to handle at all o the track either.”
at has proved an asset for the 7-yearold entire horse. Big City Lights has an added advantage in Richard Mandella, a Hall of Fame trainer whose patience led to such achievements as e Tin Man running through age 9 and Redattore competing through age 8.
ough Peeples had family commitments over the Memorial Day weekend and missed witnessing the $100,500 or’s Echo Stakes in person May 23, he enjoyed it from afar. Big City Lights capably handled his ve rivals at Santa Anita, adding still another stakes to his growing list.
Kazushi Kimura, who had won twice before with Big City Lights, including a smart allowance prep May 2, returned in the saddle for the six-furlong or’s Echo. Big City Lights, a ve-time stakes winner who would have several more black-type wins if not for e Chosen Vron, went o as the 9-10 favorite.
When the gate opened, Book Smart quickly took the lead and tried to control the pace, while irsty Rebel went with him on the front end. As Book Smart completed the rst quarter-mile in :22.54 and a halfmile in :44.62, Kimura moved Big City Lights into third on the rail and Lonesome Stew raced alongside the favorite.
“To tell you the truth, I was a little worried he might get blocked in there,” Peeples said. “But I think the jockey sensed where the opening was going to be and put him in the right place to come through.”
Kimura shifted Big City Lights o the rail on the turn and then was able to angle him outside of the top pair in the stretch. Big City Lights got through between Book Smart and a tiring Lonesome Slew and drew o for a 11⁄2-length win over Book Smart in 1:09.32. irsty Rebel held on for third.
Peeples said that Mandella texted him the next day to tell the owner that Big City Lights came out of the race well.
“He looks even better as he gets older, body-wise,” Peeples said. “I think he’s
been carrying his weight much better than in the past.”
Big City Lights’ looks impressed Peeples and John Brocklebank, who helps the owner buy horses, from the time they rst saw him. Peeples said he was surprised they were able to purchase him for only $22,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton California yearling sale but speculates that it was because he was late in the sale. Breeder Bar C Racing Stables consigned Big City Lights.
“He had some relatives in the sale that got purchased before he came up,” Peeples said.
eir patience was rewarded. e son of Mr. Big—Champagne Exchange, by Exchange Rate, has now won nine of 17 starts, with four seconds and two thirds, for earnings of $711,960.
Peeples said that he plans to keep Big City Lights in training for as long as the horse enjoys his job. Mr. Big’s death in 2024 was a loss to the California breeding industry, and Big City Lights could eventually make a good replacement.
Big City Lights (left) draws off to defeat Book Smart in the Thor’s Echo Stakes
BENOIT PHOTOS
Terry Lovingier of the CTBA presents the Thor’s Echo trophy to jockey Kazushi Kimura
SENSE OF HISTORY
FLYOVER HAILS FROM LONGTIME CALIFORNIA BREEDER OLD ENGLISH RANCHO
BY TRACY GANTZ
Judy Johnston and her daughter Mimi Hilvers have a deep sense of and love for California breeding history. After all, the Johnston family’s Old English Rancho has been at the forefront of California breeders for decades.
After Flyover captured the $101,000 Crystal Water Stakes May 23 at Santa Anita, mother and daughter were justi ably proud of the fact that this was their fourth consecutive Crystal Water Stakes.
“We’ve won four in a row,” said Judy Johnston. “Kings River Knight won three, and Flyover just won this one.
Flyover’s emergence as a bona de stakes horse comes at the perfect time. Kings River Knight retired in 2025 after a stellar career that earned him back-to-back champion Califor-
nia-bred turf horse honors. Along came Flyover, with Leonard Miranda bringing the band back together when he bought into the horse earlier this year. Now the ownership mirrors that of Kings River Knight: e Ellwood Johnston Trust (breeder Old English Rancho), Kenneth Tevelde, and Miranda’s Integrity oroughbred Racing LLC.
John Sadler trained Kings River Knight for much of his career and has conditioned Flyover throughout. A 5-year-old
son of Om—First Class Flyer, by In Excess, Flyover didn’t make his rst start until April 2025 at age 4.
“He had a shin as a young horse,” Sadler said. “I had him in one time. I sent him out, and he came back in later.”
Sadler and the owners’ patience paid o , as Flyover quickly won his rst two races. While he hasn’t won every time, he put in back-to-back allowance/optional claiming victories late last year and then nished unplaced in a couple of open races, one a grade 2, before his two Cal-bred stakes scores.
e rst came in the March 22 Sensational Star Stakes down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course. at prompted his connections to try for a bit longer on the turf in the mile Crystal Water.
“He tries hard—he’s pretty versatile,” said Sadler. “ is is probably as far as he wants to go. He might even be better shorter, but he’s a good, honest racehorse. e California state-bred program is one of the best in the country. ese days are great for the breeders.”
Bettors liked Flyover’s chances, sending him o as the 4-5 favorite in the eld of seven. e competition included stakes winners Santa Barbarian, On the Whim, and Curlin’s Kaos and stakes-placed Prince Dolce and Stamp My Passport.
Like Kings River Knight, Flyover prefers to set the pace. Jockey Antonio Fresu let him run on the lead right from the start of the Crystal Water.
“He’s a very fast horse, so today the key was to relax him as much as I could,” Fresu said. “You could tell he was okay the rst part, but at the rst turn he really started pulling on me. I tried to ease o the reins to just get him to relax. He was always a handful, but in control.”
Flyover remained in front for the entire journey, ultimately crossing the nish line a length in front of On the Whim in 1:33.50. Prince Dolce nished third. Now an earner of $299,138, Flyover descends from Winning in Style, his third dam and the dam of Acclamation. e 2011 Eclipse Award-winning champion older male for Old English, Acclamation sired Kings River Knight.
John Deere’s green and yellow color scheme, the leaping deer symbol, and JOHN DEERE are trademarks of Deere & Company.
Blast From the Past
Quick at the Distance
MARATHONS BECAME QUICKEN TREE’S FORTE
BY MARY FLEMING
Owner/breeder Lou Rowan shows Quicken Tree the trophy the gelding earned in the 1968 Jockey Club Gold Cup
Editor’s Note: Quicken Tree, perhaps the pinnacle of Lou Rowan’s California racing and breeding program, endeared himself to fans during his racing career in the 1960s. He proved so popular that when this magazine ran a poll of readers’ favorite California-breds in 1982, he remained among the top 10 of all time.
True, Quicken Tree couldn’t compete with the likes of Swaps, Native Diver, and Ancient Title in popularity, but he was well remembered more than a decade after his nal race. Upon his death, he was buried at Santa Anita and is still there today, alongside Lamb Chop and Roving Boy.
Eclipse Award-winning writer Mary Fleming, a magazine sta member in 1982, wrote perhaps the de nitive article on Quicken Tree in the October 1982 issue of what was then e oroughbred of California. e resident historian, Fleming delved into Rowan’s backstory, including how he purchased Mother Wit as an unraced 3-year-old at a sale for just $14,000, eventually bred her to Royal Orbit, and got Quicken Tree in 1963. Both Rowan and Quicken Tree are longtime members of the California Hall of Fame.
What follows is Fleming’s 1982 account of Quicken Tree’s racing career.
The result of the Royal Orbit—Mother Wit union was dropped at Rowan’s Summit Lake Farm on April 18, 1963. As both sire and dam were blaze-faced chestnuts, this generously marked colt came by his ashy coloring honestly, and if anything, he had a little more ash than his lineage called for, with four long, white stockings. His owner named him Quicken Tree, for an ash that is also known as a rowan tree. It was an inspired name, Rowan felt, and one that he hoped would bring the horse good luck.
Quicken Tree becomes a stakes winner in a division of the 1966 Escondido Handicap at Del Mar
Rowan (left) poses with Quicken Tree and jockey Raul Caballero after the Escondido
From the beginning, Quicken Tree was going to need all the luck he could get, for it was clear he would do nothing to help himself. e life of a oroughbred from birth through training is lled with ever-changing sights, sounds, places, and experiences—all of which must be learned and accepted. But for Quicken Tree, nothing came easily, nothing evolved into simple routine. Life was one traumatic event after another.
“Everyone’s patience was sorely tried by Quicken Tree,” Rowan recalled. “He was almost impossible to deal with as a young horse. He was terribly nervous, almost a basket case when we started to break and train him at Fresno. I remember having to take him back to the farm for R & R several times as a yearling and early 2-year-old, just to settle his nerves.
“We do try to give our horses as much time as we think is expedient, but this horse you had to give time to. He wouldn’t let you do anything else. And you couldn’t make him do anything. You had to teach him, and he was a slow learner.”
Where he came by this hysterical set of nerves that would send him careening
blindly into the side of a barn at the sound of a tractor was to remain a mystery. Royal Orbit was once described as a “high-spirited” horse, but one who was soothed by the presence of a pony on long walks. Mother Wit had no problems along those lines, nor did any of her o spring other than Quicken Tree. Rowan did recall that one of her granddaughters, however, exhibited similar nervous tendencies.
Everyone’s patience was sorely tried by Quicken Tree. He was almost impossible to deal with as a young horse. He was terribly nervous.”
—Lou Rowan
On one early jaunt back to Summit Lake, it was suggested that perhaps gelding the colt would have a bene cial e ect. It did, but only in that Quicken Tree never became studdish or mean. His traumatized nervous system re-
mained in its original frazzled state.
“I honestly don’t know how he got to be that way,” Rowan said, frowning at the thought. “It was not a bit of meanness—it was always just nerves. ey were beyond his control.
“I remember the rst day that he ran at Santa Anita, he cleared the paddock. Just sort of galloped backwards, scattering the ladies and gentlemen.
“But once he started racing, I got a good report from the people who handled him.
ey all said he had a marvelous way of moving and that if he ever got his act together, he would be all right. Everybody knew he had a nice way of going, but then the world is full of those kinds of horses.”
Quicken Tree was reasonably sound, but because of his unique set of self-imposed problems, racing at 2 was out of the question. Former rider-turned-trainer Clyde Turk was conditioning the Rowan stable then, and it was his chore to get the difcult gelding postward—a feat he nally managed on Jan. 25, 1966. Like Rowan, Turk remembers well the incident in the paddock prior to the race. He added some hair-raising details to the telling of it.
Quicken Tree (left) defeats He’s a Smoothie in the 1967 Display Handicap at Aqueduct
BOB COGLIANESE/NYRA
“We just had a terrible time with him that day,” Turk said. “He was real rough at rst, and we had to keep working with him all the time. For schooling, we even put a curb bit on him to make him behave himself. Before that rst start, he threw his jock in the paddock—didn’t hurt him, though—and then ran through the owers and all over the place.”
“He would do these silly things out of hypertension,” added William Canney, who assisted Turk then and later handled Quicken Tree on his own. “But no, he wasn’t mean and he wasn’t crazy—just nervous.”
ose nerves got the better of Quicken Tree when he nally faced the starter. At 64-1, few liked his chances going six furlongs against maidens, and that consensus proved right. He stood frozen in the gate long after the rest of the eld had made their exit. Quicken Tree stumbled into action at last, only to trail all the way to the nish—hardly an auspicious debut.
A week later the wiry gelding was viewed as even more hopeless at 86-1, but he made a good show of it after all, much to everyone’s surprise, and nished a closing
second. In that race, he gave the public its rst glimpse of his amboyant come-frombehind style.
Quicken Tree won his fourth race, a 11⁄16-mile a air in which he put on another dazzling display of acceleration in the nal quarter. It was a feat he would not duplicate
for seven months, until September at Del Mar. In between, his record with spotty, his class and quality suspect. It was clear that he had some talent, but his e orts at that time were such that he dropped into the claiming ranks and ran for tags of $12,500 to $15,000. Quicken Tree did not win any of those races, nor was he claimed. Turk related what happened next.
“After I ran him for $15,000—and I’m sure glad now that no one claimed him— Mr. Rowan decided he wanted to run him in the Del Mar Derby. I didn’t think he was quite that good then, but I gured if he wanted to, we’d go ahead.
“ at race was the rst time I knew we had a good horse. He reared up in the gate, and the other horses must have been out there about 20 lengths in front of him before he got going. If he’d got away at all with the eld, he’d have won easily.”
It must have been surprising to see Quicken Tree numbered among the Derby entries, but Rowan’s faith paid o . With 106 pounds up and odds of 53-1, he “rallied steadily” to fourth, beaten less than ve lengths by Drin after having literally been left at the gate.
Quicken Tree defeats Funny Fellow in the Jockey Club Gold Cup under jockey Bill Hartack
Rowan and co-owner Wheelock Whitney (left) accompany Quicken Tree and Hartack to the Belmont Park winner’s circle
MIKE SIRICO
BOB COGLIANESE/NYRA
NYRA/PAUL SHAFER
Trainer Bill Canney shares a moment with Quicken Tree at Belmont
Rowan admitted that the people around Quicken Tree were not all that high on him prior to that race. He told of a deal in which the gelding was o ered for sale in a $25,000 package along with the 4-yearold Poacher’s Pocket, and how a potential buyer backed out before signing the check. at same man, said Rowan, later claimed Poachers’s Pocket at Del Mar for $15,000. e son of Royal Orbit–Mrs. Rabbit went on to run ve more seasons and earn barely $30,000.
So Rowan found himself strapped with a horse who, despite his uncontrollable nerves, might in the long run be worth owning. Quicken Tree’s performance in the Del Mar Derby was encouraging, but it was his win next time out in a division of the Escondido Handicap, carded for non-stakes winners, that set the seal on his future. (His half brother Ask Father ran eighth in that race.) He ended the season with a smashing triumph in Bay Meadows’ Tropicana Hotel of Las Vegas Handicap. e next year, a part interest in Quicken Tree was sold to Minneapolis sportsman/businessman Wheelock Whitney, and he thereafter ran for the Rowan and Whitney Stable.
In 1967, it was clear that Quicken Tree was nally learning his lessons. Although still not a paragon of consistency—he lost many races after failing to negotiate tra c—his class was beginning to show. It was a grueling campaign that saw the gelding go postward 20 times from Jan. 2 through Dec. 9, from California to New York. Fifteen of those races came in major stakes events.
Quicken Tree’s star was only beginning to ascend when he crossed paths brie y with Native Diver that year. L.K. Shapiro’s great runner was coming to the end of a brilliant career in 1967; in fact, he would be dead before the season was out.
Quicken Tree was no match for e Diver in four meetings, although he was closing ground at the nish each time. In the Del Mar Handicap that summer, the roar of the crowd once again belonged to the black gelding as he streaked through the stretch in record time. Excitement was such that only a few could have noticed the blazed and blinkered face moving swiftly into third as they ashed across the line. at was to be Native
Diver’s last race, for he lost a battle with colic only a week later. But for Quicken Tree, things were just falling into place.
Late that year, Quicken Tree made the rst of his four trips to New York—a sporting gesture on the part of Rowan and Whitney, since California runners back then had a pretty bleak record
around those parts. In the 13-furlong Gallant Fox, Quicken Tree ran second to Niarkos (another California invader) while nishing 22 lengths in front of third-place Bol ’n Jac and 40 lengths ahead of favored Proud Clarion [that year’s Kentucky Derby winner]. e added distance of Aqueduct’s two-mile
“Everything was put together correctly for this kind of
horse,” said Rowan
Quicken Tree’s wins in his native state included a division of the 1967 Inglewood Handicap at Hollywood Park
Display Handicap worked to his advantage. He won convincingly over Canadian champion He’s a Smoothie
From that point on, Quicken Tree continued to add his to his growing list of accomplishments. Every year he improved, winning ever more important
races against increasingly distinguished company, and always with that wonderful style in which he would make up an apparently impossible amount of ground to the roaring approval of his fans.
In 1968, he reached maturity as a runner. His credits that season included a divi-
sion of the marathon San Luis Rey Handicap and a world-record performance in the nine-furlong Del Mar Handicap—a mere sprint for Quicken Tree. Again he traveled to New York in the fall, this time to take the 12-furlong Manhattan Handicap and to best an injured [1967 Horse of the Year] Damascus in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at two miles. When asked later if he felt the Quicken Tree could have handled Damascus had the latter remained sound, Rowan replied with an emphatic yes.
“I am a great fan of Damascus,” he said, “but I think Quicken Tree could beat any horse going two miles—at least any horse I’ve ever seen.”
By the end of 1968, Quicken Tree was honored on the Daily Racing Form Free Handicap for older males at 124 pounds, behind only [1968 Horse of the Year] Dr. Fager and Damascus.
At 6 Quicken Tree’s list of credits kept expanding. His victory in the 11 2-mile San Luis Obispo Handicap was almost routine, and for the second time New York’s Display Handicap was his. e following year, 1970, he was superb. Although he won only two races all season, they were races that mattered— the Santa Anita Handicap and the San Juan Capistrano. e former both Rowan and Canney numbered among his best.
“It was an unexpected thrill,” Rowan said. “I thought he had eliminated himself at the start—he actually walked out of the gate. Before the race I had high hopes. I knew that he was capable of being right there, but when I saw that he was about a sixteenth of a mile behind going into the clubhouse turn, I was discouraged. I didn’t think that on a fast track you could give away that much ground and win it. He must have run some incredible fractions because he was going away at the end.”
In the San Juan Capistrano, Quicken Tree again put the crowd on its collective feet with his dramatic stretch rally to hit the wire on even terms with Fiddle Isle, who then was ranked among the nation’s nest grass runners. Horse of the Year Fort Marcy was another nose back in third. Rowan was, of course, pleased to have a share in the winner’s purse, although he later lamented that “all he needed was
Quicken Tree put on an amazing last-to-first run to win the 1970 Santa Anita Handicap
By the grandstand the first time in the Santa Anita Handicap, Quicken Tree was running last, some 20 lengths behind
another sixteenth of a sixteenth and he would have won it all!”
e year 1970 saw a new generation of handicap horses come to California. Cougar II and Daryl’s Joy, both imported 4-year-olds, hit their best strides at Del Mar, and even the hard-trying Quicken Tree found them di cult to handle. It was probably with relief that his connections put him on board a plane for New York, where the two-mile races, a world of his own, awaited him.
In New York, however, the high-strung gelding‘s career came to an end—ironically, not on the track, but in a stall.
“It was just one of the 101 things that can happen to a horse,” said Canney years later. “He was coming up to a race and feeling good. One day he was playing in his stall (at Belmont), and he kicked the corner of the door jam. I just put him on a plane and headed home.”
“ e story goes,” added Rowan, “that the stalls are slightly narrower at Belmont than they are at Santa Anita. His habit was to roll and get up, and then kick and play. He’d judge it perfectly here, and most of the time in New York. But that day he didn’t, and he just hit it hard enough to crack a little piece o the sesamoid.”
X-rays revealed the injury to the right hind leg, and it was clear surgery was needed to set things right. Back in California, Dr. Robert Baker performed the operation on Oct. 14 at his Chino clinic. It was termed a success. Afterward, Quicken Tree was moved to Santa Anita, where he would be under around-the-clock observation during his recovery period.
Several days after the surgery, however, unforeseen complications set in, and despite every e ort to save him, Quicken Tree died in his stall on Oct. 22. e cause of death was enteritis— in ammation of the intestinal track.
e enteritis was in no way related to the original sesamoid injury and served only to point out, once again, just how
fragile a oroughbred can be.
Rowan immediately asked that Quicken Tree be buried at Santa Anita, the site of many of his most memorable triumphs. Track o cials agreed, and the gelding was interred alongside champion Lamb Chop under a grove of palms just o the far turn. It was an honor he deserved.
“He was tall, lean—kind of ugly to be honest,” Canney recalled recently. “He had a U-neck, a dropped hip, that big, white spot on his neck, and a slab head. But he was honest, and he would run as hard as he could every time. He was ambidextrous—dirt or turf, it
made no di erence to him.”
As for Quicken Tree’s problems in the gate, Canney o ered an explanation.
“He was a nervous wreck, especially when he was younger. Haven’t you ever been so nervous that you couldn’t move? at was how it was with Quicken Tree in the gate. When they rang that bell, it was a real e ort for him just to walk out, let alone run.”
“You wouldn’t call him a model,” said Rowan, “yet if you looked at him work, he was as good a mover as you will ever have seen—maybe the best. If you took him apart, everything was put together correctly for this kind of horse. He didn’t have a particularly big girth, but it was very symmetrical. He gave one the impression of a stayer right away.
“He had tremendous personality. He had the capability of changing from almost a basket case to a pretty tractable horse who loved to y and who was just as much at home in New York as he was here. With age, he seemed to become more and more of a professional. I think if he had lived, he would probably have been a better horse at 8 because he was getting better all the time.”
Quicken Tree ended his career with 15 wins and 74 starts and earnings of $718,303. Although he set records at nine and 10 furlongs, it was for his unbeatable performances at two miles that he will long be remembered as perhaps the best stayer ever bred in the Golden State.
Any brilliant speed he might have had as a runner was negated by his inordinately high-strung temperament, so out of necessity his forte became the marathon. Some might say he was limited. But to watch him in the course of a race overcome the trauma of the gate, to almost feel the grace and uidity of his stride and the ease with which he covered the ground as the furlongs passed—to experience this was to know that here indeed was an extraordinary horse.
Upon his death and at Rowan’s request, Quicken Tree was buried at Santa Anita just off the far turn
BILL
$W\RXUÀQJHUWLSVYLHZ
TRAINER IS EXCELLING WITH CALIFORNIABREDS
AGGIE ORDONEZ
BY DEBBIE ARRINGTON
As a little girl, Aggie Ordonez made Hialeah her playground. e daughter of a successful jockey-turned-trainer, she had the run of the racetrack.
Now a stakes-winning trainer herself, Ordonez is having the time of her life, thanks to talented California-bred siblings Vodka Vodka and Om N Joy. (And it’s her pet labradoodle, Daisy Doodle, who gets to play in the Santa Anita paddock.)
“It feels like it’s all come full circle,” said Ordonez, among the most popular people at Santa Anita. “I
grew up in the major leagues of horse racing. I spent years in the minor leagues. Now, to step up at such an iconic place as Santa Anita, it felt like I was coming home. I was back in the majors.”
At age 58, she’s not afraid to swing for the fences, particularly with her star Cal-breds.
“I have respect for the working man’s horse,” she said. “Cal-breds are our life source. … ey make us proud. at makes it all the more enjoyable to win with a Cal-bred, especially against open company.”
At Santa Anita, Ordonez has 17 horses, mostly Cal-
breds and double her usual count. Boosted by a stellar 2025, her career earnings topped $4.6 million with 190 wins from 1,451 starts. is year could be her best.
Her current pair of Calbred aces have combined for more than $1 million in earnings. Vodka Vodka has $569,950 with ve wins from 13 starts, including victories in the Unusual Heat Turf Classic Stakes Presented by City National Bank at Santa Anita and the $250,000 Sunland Park Stakes on dirt. In between, he nished second in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1). Half-sister Om N Joy has banked $496,703 with ve wins from 16 starts. Both are out of the Hard Spun mare Margie’s Minute and bred by Jerry and Connie Baker.
A 5-year-old gelding by Stay irsty, Vodka Vodka is co-owned by the Bakers, McLean Racing Stables, and Ordonez. He’s the only horse she currently owns.
“It was love at rst sight,” said the trainer of Vodka Vodka, “and three times love at rst work.”
e Bakers o ered her a share and she bought in. So did Ian McLean, Ordonez’s longest client.
“I love celebrating big events in horse racing,” Ordonez said. “I hooked up with people who enjoy them as well.”
Ordonez met the Bakers over another Margie’s Minute o spring, Sugar Kisses. Trainer Carla Gaines sent the Smiling Tiger lly north to Ordonez in 2021.
“We won with her,” Ordonez said. “ e Bakers
Aggie Ordonez fell in love with Vodka Vodka at first sight
COURTESY OF AGGIE ORDONEZ
and I hit it o so well, we became very good friends. It was a match made in heaven. ey feel like family.”
Om N Joy, a 4-year-old lly by Om, races for the Bakers along with partners Michael Golovko and Terrence J. Scanlan.
Last year, Om N Joy gave Ordonez her rst stakes victory (Evening Jewel Stakes at Santa Anita) and rst graded stakes victory (Torrey Pines Stakes-G3 at Del Mar). e Torrey Pines also capped a ve-race win streak for Om N Joy, the champion Cal-bred 3-year female of 2025.
“We had more than 100 people in the winner’s circle,” she said. “ e whole grandstand was shaking.
“ e popularity she’s getting is so unexpected and crazy good,” she added. “I’ve loved every step along the way, and it just keeps getting better.”
Early in 2026, Om N Joy’s schedule included two grade 1 attempts: a third in the Beholder Mile at Santa Anita and a creditable fth in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn.
Both Vodka Vodka and Om N Joy bene t from Hall of Fame rider Kent Desormeaux, Ordonez explaining, “He has so much talent and knowledge, it’s an honor to have him on my horses.”
A trainer for 30 years, Ordonez relocated her small stable to Southern California after two decades at Golden Gate Fields. In Northern California, she served as Brent Sumja’s assistant before launching her own stable in 2004.
Ordonez has always felt at home at racetracks. Her father, jockey Pete Anderson, rode Forego, Cannonade, Bold Bidder, Sword Dancer, and some of Hall of Fame trainer Woody Stephens’
stars. After retirement, Anderson became a stakes-winning trainer, based at Hialeah.
“My dad and I were very, very close,” she said. “He taught me, if you keep your horses happy and healthy, they’ll give you their heart.”
An excellent student, Aggie earned a full scholarship to Tulane University in New Orleans and graduated in 1990 with a political science degree. But her rst job was in racetrack publicity at Calder Race Course in her hometown of Miami. She eventually worked in public relations for all three south Florida tracks plus Arlington Park near Chicago while galloping horses on the side.
On the suggestion of a friend, she started training, rst at Woodlands in Kansas City, then Remington Park in Oklahoma and Turf Paradise in Arizona.
“I started as a kid who wanted to see the country,” she said. “I had four or ve horses and groomed them myself.”
With 70 horses, Sumja invited her to become his assistant at Golden Gate in 1997. At her father’s urging, she took the job. At Golden Gate, she also met her husband, horseman Victor Ordonez.
Just as Sumja was ready to retire in 2004 and turn over a string to Aggie, she discovered she was pregnant.
“I was a full-time mom and at Golden Gate every morning at 5 a.m.” said Ordonez, who brought baby Peter to the barn each day. (Peter is now 21.)
Ordonez, who will spend her fth summer at Del Mar, transitioned south sooner than other small barns.
“I could see the writing on the wall,” she said of Golden Gate, which closed in 2024.
Keeping her home in Martinez, Ordonez embarked on the SoCal circuit while living in an RV borrowed from one client and parked on another client’s property.
“It was the only way I could do it; we scrimped and saved,” recalled Ordonez, who now shares a condo near Santa Anita. “Most importantly, I had the support of great clients and truly wonderful friends, particularly Ian McLean and Connie and Jerry Baker.” at’s made this current success even sweeter.
“I wouldn’t take back a single moment,” she said. “It’s been a blast.”
Clubhouse Ride—Kiama: Kikuride (75-29), f, 4 yo, Santa Anita Park, AOC, 5/23, 6 1/2f (T), 1:15.20, $40,200.
Distorted Humor—English Garden: Clouseau (37-22), g, 6 yo, Santa Anita Park, SOC, 5/16, 1mi, 1:35.70, $24,420.
Elusive Warning—Swiss Please: Sharp Warning (3-2), g, 9 yo, Miles City, STR, 5/3, 5 1/4f, 1:02.20, $3,300.
Elusive Warning—Swiss Please: Sharp Warning (3-2), g, 9 yo, Miles City, STR, 5/16, about 6f, 1:23.30, $3,850.
Gato Del Oro—Princess Rahy: Donttellmewhattodo (14-4), f, 3 yo, Santa Anita Park, AOC, 5/2, 6f, 1:11.31, $40,200.
Grazen—Stash: Lonesome Stew (74-29), g, 6 yo, Santa Anita Park, ALW, 4/25, about 6 1/2f, 1:13.48, $52,260.
Grazen—Irish Winnie: Irish Royalty (74-29), g, 6 yo, Santa Anita Park, AOC, 5/2, 6f (T), 1:08.73, $53,040. Grazen—Bea's Cee: Hey Jessie (74-29), f, 4 yo, Santa Anita Park, STK, Santa Barbara S., 5/3, 1 1/2mi (T), 2:29.00, $60,000.
Grazen—Lavender Touch: Lavender Love (74-29), f, 4 yo, Santa Anita Park, AOC, 5/15, 1mi, 1:36.60, $52,260.
Grazen—Dim Lights: P Twentytwo (74-29), g, 4 yo, Energy Downs 307 Horse Racing, STK, Jack Greer Memorial S., 5/25, 5f, 59.30, $26,600. Harbor the Gold—Clever Bird: The G M (8-4), g, 5 yo, Santa Anita Park, AOC, 5/25, 5 1/2f, 1:04.08, $40,200.
I'll Have Another—Radish: Accidental Genius (25-13), g, 4 yo, Century Mile, AOC, 5/22, 6f, 1:11.18, $12,900.
Lord Nelson—Sweet Treat: Petite Treat (72-36), f, 4 yo, Santa Anita Park, AOC, 4/26, 6f (T), 1:09.35, $40,200.
Misremembered—Looking At Thelake: Worth Looking (12-4), g, 6 yo, Lone Star Park, SOC, 5/9, 6 1/2f, 1:17.58, $8,820.
Mr. Big—Champagne Exchange: Big City Lights (32-10), h, 7 yo, Santa Anita Park, AOC, 5/2, 7f, 1:22.05, $53,040.
Mr. Big—Steamy Novel: The Big Cheeseola (32-10), g, 6 yo, Santa Anita Park, STR, 5/10, 6f, 1:10.20, $11,520.
Mr. Big—Champagne Exchange: Big City Lights (32-10), h, 7 yo, Santa Anita Park, STK, Thor's Echo S., 5/23, 6f, 1:09.32, $60,000.
Not This Time—Margot Machance (GB): Unrivaled Time (195-60), c, 3 yo, Santa Anita Park, STK, Snow Chief S. presented by City National Bank, 5/23, 1 1/8mi (T), 1:48.04, $75,000.
Om—Scathing: Jaguar Jon (56-17), g, 4 yo, Santa Anita Park, AOC, 4/24, 6f, 1:10.75, $40,200.
Om—First Class Flyer: Flyover (56-17), h, 5 yo, Santa Anita Park, STK, Crystal Water S., 5/23, 1mi (T), 1:33.50, $60,000.
Om—Lucky Christiana: A Great Shaking (56-17), f, 3 yo, Santa Anita Park, SOC, 5/24, 5f (T), 56.86, $25,200.
Goldencents—Lovefromafar: Oracle of Paradise (212-73), c, 3 yo, Santa Anita Park, MSW, 5/23, 1mi (T), 1:36.72, $39,000.
Grazen—Shes All Wound Up: Never Catch Me (74-29), g, 4 yo, Turf Paradise, MCL, 4/22, 6f, 1:10.33, $6,000.
Grazen—Lady Sweetness: Jimmy Winkfield (74-29), g, 4 yo, Santa Anita Park, MSW, 4/26, 6f (T), 1:10.67, $39,000.
Grazen—Heat the Rocks: Christa McAuliffe (74-29), f, 3 yo, Santa Anita Park, MSW, 5/9, 6f, 1:10.28, $39,000.
Grazen—Shikhara: Otto's Magic (74-29), g, 4 yo, Santa Anita Park, MSW, 5/22, 6f, 1:11.30, $39,000. He Be Fire N Ice—Wild Phoebe: He's a Gangster (5-2), g, 4 yo, Santa Anita Park, MCL, 5/3, 5 1/2f, 1:05.50, $9,600.
Listing—Silver Score: Prime Listing (4-1), c, 2 yo, Santa Anita Park, MSW, 5/24, 4 1/2f, 52.96, $39,000. Mrazek—Walkingonadream: Fight Back (9-3), g, 5 yo, Santa Anita Park, MCL, 4/26, 1mi, 1:38.36, $12,600.
Oscar Nominated—Santa Lucia: Just a Hunch (7-2), f, 3 yo, Miles City, MSW, 5/10, 5 1/4f, 1:03.70, $3,300. Passion for Gold—Kera Kera: Family Passion (16-5), f, 4 yo, Will Rogers Downs, MCL, 5/2, 5 1/2f, 1:07.21, $8,820.
Passion for Gold—Lady Pepperdine: Ophir Gold (16-5), g, 3 yo, Los Alamitos, MCL, 5/17, 4 1/2f, 53.42, $4,260.
Q The accompanying list includes runners that are both California-foaled and California-sired winners in 2025 of all recent North American races, except straight claiming races.
QAbbreviations used for the class of race are similar to those used by Equibase: Alw–allowance; Hcp–overnight handicap; names of stakes race are spelled out, with the grade of the race, when applicable, in parentheses.
Pavel—Taffeta: Tate Batz (21-8), f, 3 yo, Santa Anita Park, MCL, 5/16, 6f, 1:13.05, $9,600.
Pavel—Quant Savant: She's No Quant (21-8), f, 3 yo, Santa Anita Park, MSW, 5/22, 6f (T), 1:09.17, $39,000.
Pavel—No
Closing Costs: Free Closer (21-8), f, 2 yo, Santa Anita Park, MSW, 5/23, 4 1/2f, 52.77, $39,000.
Straight Fire—Tryst: Courtside Action (9-4), g, 3 yo, Santa Anita Park, MCL, 4/30, 6f, 1:11.15, $21,000.
Tamarando—Fast Breaking News: Matt At Five (12-4), g, 3 yo, Santa Anita Park, MSW, 5/10, 6f (T), 1:09.15, $39,000.
Tap Back—Star of Munster: Midnight Cowgirl (13-1), f, 3 yo, Santa Anita Park, MCL, 5/9, 6f (T), 1:09.80, $21,000.
Tom's Tribute—Sheeza Milky Way: Maddie Tee (12-4), g, 3 yo, Santa Anita Park, MCL, 5/10, 6f (T), 1:10.55, $21,000.
Vronsky—Halo Indygo: Danzig Til Dawn (19-6), m, 5 yo, Santa Anita Park, MCL, 5/8, 1mi, 1:41.09, $9,600.
Vronsky—Sea Royalty: Vronaway (19-6), f, 4 yo, Santa Anita Park, MCL, 5/16, 6f, 1:11.78, $9,600.
West Coast—Zuzu's Petals: Surfin the Coast (65-33), f, 3 yo, Santa Anita Park, MCL, 5/2, 6f, 1:12.45, $21,000.
SAND COLIC IN HORSES
Horses that graze in sandy or silty paddocks can accumulate sand in the digestive track, which can cause colic
SAND CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS IN A HORSE’S LARGE COLON
BY HEATHER SMITH THOMAS
Sand colic is generally due to obstruction of the horse’s gastrointestinal tract by sand accumulation. When grazing sandy pastures or eating hay or grain o the ground, horses often pick up bits of sand or silt. In sandy soil, grass may be pulled up, and the horse may ingest small amounts of sand clinging to the roots. Fed on the ground, a horse may eat a little sand as he cleans up the last wisps of hay or kernels of grain. Even if the horse was fed in a bucket or feed rack, he may eat spilled feed from the ground.
Sand moves through the digestive tract with food and is passed in the feces. If sand accumulates, however, it can weigh down the intestine, impair motility, and cause an impaction. Irritation of the intestinal lining can lead to diarrhea, weight loss, and colic in some horses, but this is rare. Sand can collect in the colon to form a blockage.
David Freeman, MVB, MRCVS, PhD of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, at the University of Florida said sand impaction is a well-recognized cause of colic in horses.
“Horses that live in sandy areas ingest variable quantities of sand, and it will accumulate to some extent in the gastrointestinal tract,” Freeman said. “Why it becomes a clinical problem in some horses and not others is still not understood. Some horses deliberately eat sand, possibly out of curiosity or boredom. Some unintentionally eat sand along with their feed.
“Sand colic is thought to occur mainly in areas like Florida that have a lot of sand. As someone once said, Florida is just a kitty litter box—nothing but sand—and horses in Florida are prone to getting sand impactions. I worked in other places for 30 years before I came to Florida, however, and I would say that the risk is no greater in Flor-
ida than anywhere else I’ve worked.”
Sandy soil is present in many regions. “ ere is also a possibility that sand is not the issue, per se,” Freeman said. “ e problem may be the horse that likes to eat sand. Some horses do; they tend to nibble dirt or eat new green grass right into the ground. I think they are trying to eat the new green immature shoots that are sweet. ey have good incisors for nipping that new grass right at the ground or even roots and all.”
If horses are fed hay in a sandy lot and they are eating o the ground, they will also ingest some sand.
“When sand becomes a problem, it is usually in the colon,” Freeman said. “Sand moves through the rest of the tract fairly
quickly, but when it gets to the last segment of the large colon, it tends to settle out. is is probably because motility patterns of the large colon allow it to do that.”
DIAGNOSIS
“We take a lot of abdominal radiographs of horses, not just to check for sand, but also for other things,” said Freeman. “Occasionally, we nd quite a bit of sand, even when we are not looking speci cally for that. I think some horses tolerate a certain amount of sand in the tract without showing any signs, and I think it probably varies from horse to horse. Some of them can handle quite a bit of sand and others can’t. We don’t deal with a lot of sand im-
pactions, and it amazes me that we don’t see more of it.
“One of the most common mistakes made with the management of horses with suspected sand impaction is failure to consider other possible causes of colic—acute or chronic. e error is focusing only on sand because the horse in question has unlimited access to a sandy environment with little ground cover and no measures taken to prevent sand impaction. In such cases, however, the intake of sand may be considerably less than expected.
“One screening method to see if the horse is passing sand is to collect some of the horse’s feces and do a swirl test. You pick up a fecal sample with a plastic rectal sleeve or plastic bag, then turn it inside out so it contains the sample, pour some water into it, and mix the water with the feces. After you shake it up and then let it settle, the sand (being heaviest) will tend to gravitate down into the ngers of the sleeve or bottom of the bag. is test is more a measure of sand elimination than it is of sand accumulation and can be negative in approximately 50% of the cases with actual sand impaction.
“All it tells you is that the horse has eaten sand and that it has made its way through the gastrointestinal tract. It doesn’t tell you how much sand the horse still has in the tract or whether or not he will colic. It is a rough indicator, however, because if there is a lot of sand in the feces, there is probably also sand in the colon.”
ere are other ways to make a diagnosis, as well. e veterinarian can listen to the ventral abdomen with a stethoscope.
“You can hear the sand moving, and it sounds like the sea moving o a sandy beach,” said Freeman. “Sand will also show up on radiographs because it is so dense. Not all horses with sand in the gastrointestinal tract show signs of colic, however. Horses with diarrhea and weight loss are a diagnostic challenge because those signs can be caused by di erent diseases. You will be treating them medically, so it is important to have an accurate diagnosis.
This radiograph shows a sand-filled colon extends over a large area under the ribs.
Radiographs are useful if you suspect sand might be a problem; you can see the outline of an accumulation of sand in the large colon in the ventral part of the abdomen.
“Radiographs can also be misleading, however, because they only provide a two-dimensional image of the accumulated sand and might overestimate the sand burden. Ultrasound examination is excellent in colic diagnosis, but is not very helpful in diagnosing sand impaction, largely because sand can generate a similar image as gas in the large colon. However, ultrasound examination can be used as a screening tool or to assess response to treatment following radiographic and combined ultrasonographic demonstration of the impaction. Surgery is the de nitive diagnostic procedure, but many cases do not require surgery.”
TREATMENT
“When dealing with horses that have eaten sand, we usually try to treat them medically (to move the sand on through),” said Freeman.
Horse owners should try to minimize ingestion of sand through management changes. is could involve using mats or feeders rather than feeding on the ground.
“Horses need to be removed from the sand source during treatment and preferably housed in a stall with concrete oor or oor mats,” said Freeman. “Access to good-quality hay is recommended, but preferably after the signs of colic have resolved. Feeding hay can hasten removal or elimination of any remaining sand.”
In situations where you can’t prevent sand ingestion, such as in horses on sandy pastures, feeding the horse ber products like psyllium may help. ere are numer-
ous psyllium products on the market that have been fed to horses for several years. Psyllium husk is a natural, soluble ber derived from Plantago ovata seeds, usually fed as a powder, mixed with the horse’s grain.
“ e thought is that it picks up and binds the sand in the gut and enables it to more readily pass on through,” Freeman said. “Sometimes it is in pelleted form,
In general, psyllium is a laxative, something we borrowed from human medicine.”
—Dr. David Freeman
which the horse willingly chews because it is very palatable. e problem with this is that the pellets are a bit like candy to the horse and you need to restrict intake. If the horse consumes too much, it can cause gastric impaction.
“In general, psyllium is a laxative, something we borrowed from human medicine.
is high- ber product may help collect sand particles and make it easier for the horse to pass the sand on through the tract and may stimulate motility. But horses normally eat a lot of ber, so addition of psyllium may not increase the total ber content (in the tract) a lot. e other problem with using psyllium in the horse is that it might actually be broken down by the bacteria in the hindgut.”
is digestion process in the colon might reduce the amount of psyllium that can carry sand on through.
“It is important for owners to understand
that some horses are prone to sand colic,” Freeman said. “If at all possible, these horses should be fed up o the ground, with something underneath the feeder that catches the hay or grain. Secondly, there is no magic bullet for treatment and prevention. Psyllium may work in some horses and not in others.”
Other treatments include mineral oil and magnesium sulfate and other laxatives. ese probably work best if combined with psyllium.
Owners and veterinarians should be aware of the limitations of psyllium in treating sand impactions.
“Some studies have raised concerns about its e cacy in removing sand from the equine colon, and safety issues need to be considered,” said Freeman. “Psyllium pellets are available, but care must be taken to make sure horses do not consume these beyond the recommended doses. Psyllium itself can form impactions—in excess of the recommended dosage—and cause gastric and small-intestine obstruction.”
Sometimes veterinarians get very aggressive with psyllium treatment via stomach tube.
“I’ve seen that actually impact in the small intestine,” said Freeman. “Psyllium binds with water and makes a big mass, which can create a problem.”
Freeman noted that he once treated a small-intestine impaction that occurred after psyllium had been given by stomach tube for three or more consecutive days. Interestingly, in horses that have developed psyllium-related obstructions, sand was not found in the large intestine of those horses.
“ is again emphasizes the importance of an accurate diagnosis by radiographs before aggressive treatment of any form is undertaken,” Freeman said. “ e development of sand impaction in any individual horse is a complicated process that requires more than simply exposure to sand. Many horse-related factors may be involved, as with any form of colic.
“As far as the surgery goes, it is usually very successful to relieve sand impaction and generally goes well. It’s not that complicated, but the surgeon should remove as much as possible. e large impactions can be more di cult to manage because the intestine is very heavy when it is lled with sand. is makes the surgery technically
Sand will gravitate to the bottom of a fecal sample in water, giving an indication of sand content
DR. ALLEN LANDES
more di cult, but these horses respond quite well.”
It is important for owners to know that sand impaction is not a death sentence. If they can get the horse to surgery, there is usually a good outcome.
“Some surgeons put some psyllium inside the colon itself before closing it after surgery, to remove any more sand that might remain because it is impossible to remove it all,” Freeman said. “You always leave some sand behind after surgery, but this is not a problem, and it is passed afterward if it’s only a small amount.”
Once you have to deal with sand impaction, there is always a risk for recurrence, since you are dealing with an animal that obviously eats sand or eats it in such a way that it becomes impacted. People are afraid that this horse will do the same thing again.
STUDIES AND TRIALS
Freeman has performed surgery on horses that were treated with psyllium but failed to respond.
“After we removed the sand by surgery, we would advise the owners that ideally the horses should not go back into sandy paddocks,” he said. “But this was not always possible, so we recommended that they continue with psyllium. en these horses would come back, some time later, with another sand impaction, even though they were on psyllium.
“Psyllium treatment is controversial. I did a research study on psyllium and found it had no e ect on sand elimination compared with no psyllium in normal, hay-fed ponies. is was a test of psyllium on removal of accumulated sand, which might not apply to horses that are ingesting small amounts of sand and fed psyllium at the same time.”
e psyllium might then be able to carry enough of the sand through that it wouldn’t be so apt to accumulate to problematic levels. His study was looking at the recommended dose of psyllium as a means of treating an established sand impaction.
A study in Finland looked at radiographs to monitor the resolution of sand accumulation in horses that had a naturally developed sand burden. ese horses already had a clinical problem. e researchers used abdominal radiography to see if this would be an e ective way to follow the
course of treatment or the elimination of sand.
“ ey found that radiography was a good way to monitor the resolution of sand impaction, but they didn’t always get a consistent response with psyllium,” Freeman said. “It worked in some horses but not in others. When it didn’t work, they found they had to treat those horses with something else—usually with mineral oil.”
e oil helps lubricate the contents of the gastrointestinal tract and get things moving through more readily.
“ e criticism of mineral oil is that when you give it to a horse with sand in the colon, it might not always penetrate the sand,” Freeman said.
Skeptics point to what would happen if you poured mineral oil on a pile of wet sand on the ground. It would tend to ow over the surface and not permeate the mass. e combination of mineral oil and psyllium might work better, said Freeman. Mineral oil in the gastrointestinal tract has better opportunity to mix with the contents due to motility in the tract.
“ e same is true of psyllium and magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) or any other laxative,” he said. “ e combinations might work better in the really tough cases.”
Another study in Vienna, Austria, looked at horses fed sand, in two groups.
“One treatment was mineral oil only, and the other was mineral oil and psyllium,” Freeman said. “ e group that received the combination of oil and psyllium did the best, as far as eliminating the sand.”
Freeman noted some problems with that study.
“One is that the individual horse responses were highly variable,” he said. “ ere will probably be a lot of variability in the way
di erent horses respond. is may be due to di erences in motility in their intestinal tracts, or a variety of reasons.
“ e other concern I have with that study is that they did not have a control group; there was not a group of horses that had accumulated sand but received no treatment. It is always standard, when you do a research project, to compare the group treated with a group that is not treated. It is always possible that some of the treatments may be doing the opposite of what you expect them to do or that the treatments have the same results as no treatment at all.”
Researchers also did not look at psyllium as the only treatment, Freeman noted, “just looked at psyllium and oil combined. But in general, it makes sense to use combinations of laxatives.”
Whether or not psyllium is good alone, or whether or not it works well with oil as a combination, this study has come the closest to demonstrating some bene ts from the combination. But it is not 100% clear.
A combination of probiotics and prebiotics in conjunction with psyllium might improve motility. Decreased motility due to sand may lead to impaction. As the tract slows, digestion su ers, and the microbe population in the hindgut is altered, which in turn might have a negative e ect on digestion and motility. But evidence is lacking.
“In future studies, we need a model of sand intake on a daily basis—to resemble the typical situation where horses and continually exposed to sand—and then try to see what treatment best increases sand excretion in those horses,” Freeman said. “Many horses are excreting sand in their feces, but you don’t know how much is being left in the tract.”
2026 LEADING BREEDERS IN CALIFORNIA BY EARNINGS (THRU
NEW BENEFITS FOR CTBA MEMBERS
2 SPECIAL PRINTED EDITIONS California-Bred Champion & California Thoroughbred Breeding Farms
CURRENT CTBA MEMBERS ALSO RECEIVE:
• Complimentary printed Stallion Directory and Industry Directory
• Two Club House passes for admission to participating racetracks during live race meets
• Elimination of the $100 foal registration fee for members in good standing beginning for foals born in 2025 and registered as Cal-Breds in 2026. The same $100 savings will be applied for foals born in 2026 and 2027. Cal-Bred application is still required.
• Legislative Updates
• Advertising Discounts
Contact Debbie Winick at: Email: debbie@ctba.com or phone: (626) 445-7800 ext 243 44 E Foothill Blvd Ste 204, Arcadia, CA 91006 www.ctba.com
Leading California Sires Lists
2026 LEADING SIRES IN CALIFORNIA BY AVERAGE EARNINGS PER RUNNER
Sire
1 Pavel, 2014, by Creative Cause 2110$898,508 $42,786
2 Grazen, 2006, by Benchmark 7432$1,646,314 $22,247
3 Clubhouse Ride, 2008, by Candy Ride (ARG) 7537$1,455,700 $19,409
4 Collected, 2013, by City Zip 12758$2,178,623 $17,155
5 Stanford, 2012, by Malibu Moon 6331$958,910 $15,221
6 Tamarando, 2011, by Bertrando 12 5 $179,748 $14,979
7 Om, 2012, by Munnings 5622$832,533 $14,867
8 Sir Prancealot (IRE), 2010, by Tamayuz (GB)8141$1,167,290 $14,411
9 Gato Del Oro, 2014, by Medaglia d’Oro12 5 $172,345 $14,362
10I’ll Have Another, 2009, by Flower Alley5630$788,003 $14,071
11Mr. Big, 2003, by Dynaformer 3215$417,125 $13,035
12Tom’s Tribute, 2010, by Lion Heart 12 6 $155,253 $12,938
13Acclamation, 2006, by Unusual Heat20 6 $248,480 $12,424
14Vronsky, 1999, by Danzig 19 8 $231,609 $12,190
15Smiling Tiger, 2007, by Hold That Tiger8639$1,044,445 $12,145
16Stay Thirsty, 2008, by Bernardini 12846$1,537,555 $12,012
17Cat Burglar, 2010, by Unbridled’s Song2611$307,373 $11,822
18Richard’s Kid, 2005, by Lemon Drop Kid18 7 $206,618 $11,479
19Dads Caps, 2010, by Discreet Cat 3822$436,045 $11,475
20Curlin to Mischief, 2011, by Curlin 22
21Bluegrass Cat, 2003, by Storm Cat 18 6 $198,273 $11,015
2026 LEADING TURF SIRES IN CALIFORNIA
Sire RnrsStrtsWnrsWinsEarned
1 Grazen, 2006, by Benchmark 48951113$860,227
2 Sir Prancealot (IRE), 2010, by Tamayuz (GB)501231520$793,780
3 Clubhouse Ride, 2008, by Candy Ride (ARG)38861213$652,305
4 Collected, 2013, by City Zip 3567 79 $637,583
5 Smiling Tiger, 2007, by Hold That Tiger2951 57 $423,952
6 Om, 2012, by Munnings 2851 46 $384,235
7 I’ll Have Another, 2009, by Flower Alley1429 11 $242,790
8 Stay Thirsty, 2008, by Bernardini 2534 33 $199,755
9 Mo Forza, 2016, by Uncle Mo 1725 33 $194,061
10Acclamation, 2006, by Unusual Heat 9 29 34 $192,812
11Pavel, 2014, by Creative Cause 1328 33 $176,350
12Cat Burglar, 2010, by Unbridled’s Song
13Curlin to Mischief, 2011, by Curlin
14Stanford, 2012, by Malibu Moon 1928
15Richard’s Kid, 2005, by Lemon Drop Kid1124 22 $120,490
16Catholic Boy, 2015, by More Than Ready2150
17Halladay, 2016, by War Front
18Jack Milton, 2010, by War Front
19Tamarando, 2011, by Bertrando
20Tom’s Tribute, 2010, by Lion Heart
2026 LEADING SIRES IN CALIFORNIA BY MONEY WON
1 Collected, 2013, by City Zip 12737258$2,178,623
2 Grazen, 2006, by Benchmark 7421632$1,646,314
3 Stay Thirsty, 2008, by Bernardini 12838546$1,537,555
4 Clubhouse Ride, 2008, by Candy Ride (ARG)7524237$1,455,700
5 Sir Prancealot (IRE), 2010, by Tamayuz (GB)8126141$1,167,290
6 Smiling Tiger, 2007, by Hold That Tiger8625639$1,044,445
7 Stanford, 2012, by Malibu Moon 6320831$958,910
8 Pavel, 2014, by Creative Cause 217310$898,508
9 Om, 2012, by Munnings 5615322$832,533 10I’ll Have Another, 2009, by Flower Alley5623730$788,003 11Catholic Boy, 2015, by More Than Ready8728534$766,831 12Midnight Storm, 2011, by Pioneerof the Nile7221935$740,950 13Majestic Harbor, 2008, by Rockport Harbor 7 17 4 $498,435
14Dads Caps, 2010, by Discreet Cat 3812322$436,045 15Mr. Big, 2003, by Dynaformer 3210215$417,125 16Mo Forza, 2016, by Uncle Mo 3072 7 $322,633
17Cat Burglar, 2010, by Unbridled’s Song267611$307,373 18Jack Milton, 2010, by War Front 2563
$269,264 19Acclamation, 2006, by Unusual Heat2063
20Curlin to Mischief, 2011, by Curlin
21Vronsky, 1999, by Danzig
22Tough Sunday, 2012, by Grazen
23Richard’s Kid, 2005, by Lemon Drop
2015, by Union Rags
Back, 2017, by Einstein (BRZ)
Proof, 2004, by Benchmark
2013, by Square Eddie
Way, 2009, by Empire Maker1038
Charlie, 2010, by Midnight Lute
42 Northern Causeway, 2008, by Giant’s Causeway
for Gold, 2007, by Medaglia d’Oro1947
44Misremembered, 2006, by Candy Ride (ARG)1241
Leading California Sires Lists
2026 LEADING SIRES IN CALIFORNIA BY MEDIAN EARNINGS PER RUNNER
1 Pavel, 2014, by Creative Cause 2110$898,508 $13,430
2 Mo Forza, 2016, by Uncle Mo 30 7 $322,633 $9,400
3 Clubhouse Ride, 2008, by Candy Ride (ARG)7537$1,455,700 $9,305
9 Collected, 2013, by City Zip 12758$2,178,623 $6,495
10Mr. Big, 2003, by Dynaformer 3215$417,125 $6,419
11Smokem, 2015, by Union Rags 15 7 $162,732 $6,298
12Stanford, 2012, by Malibu Moon 6331$958,910 $6,240
13Gato Del Oro, 2014, by Medaglia d’Oro12 5 $172,345 $6,150
14Idiot Proof, 2004, by Benchmark 12 6 $125,450 $5,825
15Sir Prancealot (IRE), 2010, by Tamayuz (GB)8141$1,167,290 $5,610
16I’ll Have Another, 2009, by Flower Alley5630$788,003 $5,305
17Om, 2012, by Munnings 5622$832,533 $5,150
18Vronsky, 1999, by Danzig 19 8 $231,609 $4,700 Conquest Farenheit, 2014, by Scat Daddy15 4 $117,883 $4,700
20Curlin to Mischief, 2011, by Curlin 22 7 $248,280 $4,530
21Cat Burglar, 2010, by Unbridled’s Song2611$307,373 $4,514
22Tamarando, 2011, by Bertrando 12 5 $179,748 $4,390
2026 LEADING SIRES IN CALIFORNIA
BY AVERAGE EARNINGS PER START
1 Pavel, 2014, by Creative Cause 2173$898,508 $12,308
2 Grazen, 2006, by Benchmark 74216$1,646,314 $7,622
3 Clubhouse Ride, 2008, by Candy Ride (ARG) 75242$1,455,700 $6,015
4 Collected, 2013, by City Zip 127372$2,178,623 $5,857
5 Om, 2012, by Munnings 56153$832,533 $5,441
6 Stanford, 2012, by Malibu Moon 63208$958,910 $4,610
7 Mo Forza, 2016, by Uncle Mo 3072$322,633 $4,481
8 Sir Prancealot (IRE), 2010, by Tamayuz (GB)81261$1,167,290 $4,472
9 Jack Milton, 2010, by War Front 2563$269,264 $4,274
10Mr. Big, 2003, by Dynaformer 32102$417,125 $4,089
11Smiling Tiger, 2007, by Hold That Tiger86256$1,044,445 $4,080
12Cat Burglar, 2010, by Unbridled’s Song2676$307,373 $4,044
13Curlin to Mischief, 2011, by Curlin 2262$248,280 $4,005
14Stay Thirsty, 2008, by Bernardini 128385$1,537,555 $3,994
15Acclamation, 2006, by Unusual Heat2063$248,480 $3,944
16Richard’s Kid, 2005, by Lemon Drop Kid1855$206,618 $3,757
17Vronsky, 1999, by Danzig 1963$231,609 $3,676
18Dads Caps, 2010, by Discreet Cat 38123$436,045 $3,545
19Midnight Storm, 2011, by Pioneerof the Nile72219$740,950 $3,383
20I’ll Have Another, 2009, by Flower Alley56237$788,003 $3,325
2026 LEADING SIRES IN CALIFORNIA BY NUMBER OF WINNERS
1 Collected, 2013, by City Zip 1274358$2,178,623
2 Stay Thirsty, 2008, by Bernardini 1283646$1,537,555
3 Clubhouse Ride, 2008, by Candy Ride (ARG)752937$1,455,700
Sir Prancealot (IRE), 2010, by Tamayuz (GB)812941$1,167,290 Smiling Tiger, 2007, by Hold That Tiger862939$1,044,445
6 Grazen, 2006, by Benchmark 742832$1,646,314
7 Stanford, 2012, by Malibu Moon 632531$958,910 Catholic Boy, 2015, by More Than Ready872534$766,831 Midnight Storm, 2011, by Pioneerof the Nile722535$740,950
10I’ll Have Another, 2009, by Flower Alley562230$788,003
11Om, 2012, by Munnings 561722$832,533
12Dads Caps, 2010, by Discreet Cat 381522$436,045
13Mr. Big, 2003, by Dynaformer 321015$417,125 14Pavel, 2014, by Creative Cause 21 8 10$898,508 Cat Burglar, 2010, by Unbridled’s Song26 8 11$307,373
16Mo Forza, 2016, by Uncle Mo
17Jack Milton, 2010, by War Front
Curlin to Mischief, 2011, by Curlin
Vronsky, 1999, by Danzig
Smokem, 2015, by Union Rags
2026 LEADING SIRES IN CALIFORNIA BY NUMBER OF RACES WON
Races
Sire RnrsSrts
1 Collected, 2013, by City Zip 12737258$2,178,623
2 Stay Thirsty, 2008, by Bernardini 12838546$1,537,555
3 Sir Prancealot (IRE), 2010, by Tamayuz (GB)8126141$1,167,290
4 Smiling Tiger, 2007, by Hold That Tiger8625639$1,044,445
5 Clubhouse Ride, 2008, by Candy Ride (ARG)7524237$1,455,700
6 Midnight Storm, 2011, by Pioneerof the Nile7221935$740,950
7 Catholic Boy, 2015, by More Than Ready8728534$766,831
8 Grazen, 2006, by Benchmark 7421632$1,646,314
9 Stanford, 2012, by Malibu Moon 6320831$958,910
10I’ll Have Another, 2009, by Flower Alley5623730$788,003
11Om, 2012, by Munnings 5615322$832,533 Dads Caps, 2010, by Discreet Cat 3812322$436,045
13Mr. Big, 2003, by Dynaformer 3210215$417,125
14Cat Burglar, 2010, by Unbridled’s Song267611$307,373
15Pavel, 2014, by Creative Cause 217310$898,508
16Vronsky, 1999, by Danzig 1963 8 $231,609
Misremembered, 2006, by Candy Ride (ARG)1241 8 $85,455
18Mo Forza, 2016, by Uncle Mo 3072 7 $322,633
Jack Milton, 2010, by War Front 2563 7 $269,264
Curlin to Mischief, 2011, by Curlin 2262 7 $248,280
Richard’s Kid, 2005, by Lemon Drop Kid1855 7 $206,618
Smokem, 2015, by Union Rags 1545 7 $162,732
2026 LEADING LIFETIME SIRES IN CALIFORNIA
Stallion (Foreign Foaled), Year, Sire
1 Grazen, 2006, by Benchmark 1433466325-70%236-51%40-9%29-6%5-1%$32,249,179 1.330.99
2 Bluegrass Cat, 2003, by Storm Cat 1750845701-83%477-56%125-15%38-4%6-1%$51,491,288 1.131.41
3 Collected, 2013, by City Zip 5 72359297-83%196-55%60-17%22-6%7-2%$21,088,457 1.121.39
4 Mr. Big, 2003, by Dynaformer 1319253186-74%120-47%27-11%12-5%3-1%$14,770,585 1.100.90
5 Clubhouse Ride, 2008, by Candy Ride (ARG) 9 33294212-72%143-49%34-12%7-2%3-1%$17,138,238
6 Stay Thirsty, 2008, by Bernardini 1171783614-78%417-53%132-17%25-3%3-0%$42,688,751 1.031.21
7 I’ll Have Another, 2009, by Flower Alley 1145492461-94%336-68%82-17%7-1%2-0%$59,316,047 1.021.04
8 Pavel, 2014, by Creative Cause 4 145643-77%25-45%13-23%2-4%0-0%$2,643,773 1.011.22 Sir Prancealot (IRE), 2010, by Tamayuz (GB) 9 59530408-77%247-47%114-22%17-3%6-1%$21,305,579 1.010.91
10Southern Image, 2000, by Halo’s Image 1820354286-81%204-58%54-15%8-2%1-0%$17,054,862 0.991.08
11Jack Milton, 2010, by War Front 8 24194144-74%95-49%19-10%6-3%2-1%$9,229,150 0.951.04
12Jersey Town, 2006, by Speightstown 1124265190-72%141-53%35-13%8-3%3-1%$11,776,365 0.930.96
13Acclamation, 2006, by Unusual Heat 1123253181-72%109-43%15-6%7-3%1-0%$10,900,223 0.921.07
14Idiot Proof, 2004, by Benchmark 1414193111-58%79-41%20-10%2-1%0-0%$6,525,828 0.890.86
15Cyclotron, 2000, by Grand Slam 1610164113-69%86-52%1-1%3-2%1-1%$6,843,394 0.881.01
16Midnight Storm, 2011, by Pioneerof the Nile 6 43260192-74%132-51%29-11%6-2%2-1%$10,603,449 0.861.02
17Smiling Tiger, 2007, by Hold That Tiger 1056562387-69%253-45%55-10%13-2%1-0%$23,381,927 0.850.94
18Graydar, 2009, by Unbridled’s Song 1040399302-76%201-50%53-13%7-2%1-0%$17,222,686 0.841.18 19James Street, 2007, by El Prado (IRE) 97 6732-48%14-21%2-3%1-1%0-0%$1,871,414 0.800.83 20Desert Code, 2004, by E Dubai 1414193150-78%111-58%22-11%4-2%0-0%$8,406,599 0.780.97 Passion for Gold, 2007, by Medaglia d’Oro 6 1810758-54%28-26%6-6%0-0%0-0%$1,710,676 0.780.84
22Tamarando, 2011, by Bertrando 7 117554-72%35-47%7-9%4-5%0-0%$3,092,595 0.771.16
23Om, 2012, by Munnings 4 4317396-55%49-28%10-6%3-2%1-1%$3,401,743 0.761.01
Richard’s Kid, 2005, by Lemon Drop Kid 101615598-63%68-44%10-6%0-0%0-0%$5,421,732
25Surf Cat, 2002, by Sir Cat 1511161108-67%69-43%11-7%2-1%2-1%$4,871,411 0.721.10
26Anthony’s Cross, 2008, by Indian Charlie 10 9 9262-67%39-42%5-5%2-2%0-0%$2,662,908 0.710.91
27Bold Chieftain, 2003, by Chief Seattle 12 9 11179-71%53-48%9-8%1-1%0-0%$4,533,435 0.700.80 Stanford, 2012, by Malibu Moon 6 45272195-72%136-50%39-14%2-1%0-0%$9,360,523 0.700.83
29Catholic Boy, 2015, by More Than Ready 4 50201168-84%96-48%31-15%2-1%0-0%$6,142,679
30Smokem, 2015, by Union Rags
31Rousing Sermon, 2009, by Lucky Pulpit
32Dads Caps, 2010, by Discreet Cat
33Cat Burglar, 2010, by Unbridled’s Song 6 1911172-65%56-50%16-14%1-1%0-0%$3,269,727
34Merit Man, 2010, by With Distinction
35Tom’s Tribute, 2010, by Lion Heart
36Gig Harbor, 2008, by City Zip 101010264-63%41-40%4-4%0-0%0-0%$2,448,342 0.580.75 Govenor Charlie, 2010, by Midnight Lute 8 108354-65%29-35%15-18%1-1%0-0%$1,820,891 0.580.72
38Forest Command, 2005, by Monarchos 12 6 7645-59%25-33%3-4%0-0%0-0%$1,535,051 0.570.66
39Many Rivers, 2005, by Storm Cat 13 7 9672-75%42-44%9-9%0-0%0-0%$2,624,045 0.560.76
40He Be Fire N Ice, 2008, by Unusual Heat 98 6947-68%25-36%5-7%0-0%0-0%$1,681,361 0.520.70
41Conquest Farenheit, 2014, by Scat Daddy 5 136744-66%25-37%7-10%0-0%0-0%$1,334,917 0.500.95
42Jeranimo, 2006, by Congaree 98 7153-75%31-44%5-7%0-0%0-0%$1,832,875 0.490.81
43Boat Trip, 2009, by Harlan’s Holiday 88 6040-67%19-32%2-3%1-2%0-0%$1,112,839 0.420.63
44Texas Ryano, 2011, by Curlin 6 105844-76%20-34%4-7%0-0%0-0%$870,096 0.400.95
45Mo Forza, 2016, by Uncle Mo 2 5210336-35%8-8%1-1%0-0%0-0%$421,043 0.390.90
46Halladay, 2016, by War Front 2 357029-41%3-4%1-1%0-0%0-0%$376,853 0.380.91
47Northern Causeway, 2008, by Giant’s Causeway 9 17156111-71%66-42%6-4%0-0%0-0%$2,968,826 0.350.81
48Pontiff, 2010, by Giant’s Causeway 69 5134-67%10-20%2-4%0-0%0-0%$547,940 0.280.55
49Dosificado (CHI), 2012, by Scat Daddy 5 125826-45%9-16%1-2%0-0%0-0%$209,209 0.210.73
These statistics are for active California-based sires with a minimum of 50 foals of racing age, ranked here by their lifetime Average Earnings Index (AEI.) The statistics shown here are compiled by The Jockey Club Information Systems (TJCIS). While every effort is made to prevent errors and omissions, California Thoroughbred cannot guarantee their complete and total accuracy. Sires that are dead, pensioned, or no longer standing in California remain on these lists until their last Cal-bred crop turns 3 years old. Statistics are from all available Northern Hemisphere racing with earnings adjusted for Hong Kong and Japan. Stakes winners and wins follow TJCIS stakes rules. Percentages are based upon number of named foals of racing age.
UNCLAIMED OR UNCASHED CHECKS
The Following Breeders Awards are being held by the CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS ASSOCIATION for the following individuals:
Adena Springs
Michelle Friedman
Domingo Rio
Bada Beng Racing
Alphalete LLC
BG Stables
Rusty Brown & Debi Brown
BG Stables & Hector Palma
Michelle Casey
BG Thoroughbred Farms
Ron Charles & Sam Gordon
Hector Castrellon
Johnny Coito & Nicole DePalma, Rich & Joyce Osborne & Lee Treacy
Johnny Coito & Nicole DePalma, Rick & Joyce Osborne & Lee Treacy
Mauro Comensoli
Mary Ellen Conway
C Punch Ranch Inc
Donald J. Crevier
Crown Racing Stables Ltd.
Brian Cunningham
Daphne A. Daphne
Roberta Edwards
Greg Davis
Bill Delia
John Elder
Matthew Dohman
Double JH Stable, Inc.
John Elder & Thomas Roberts
Dunn Bar Ranch LLC
Englekirk LLC
Equine Formula 1, LLC/Eric Yohan Knipe
Equine Formula 1, LLC/ Eric Yohan Knipe
Reid Harlan France
Five J Racing
GRD Two Racing
Halo Farms
Harry Forman, Samuel Wenguer & Art Guglielmi
Raul Rosas
Martin Mueller, Davis Racing LLC & Take One Racing LLC
Nevada Equine LLC
Michelle Friedman
Aase Headley
Scott Herbertson
John Rauen, Linda Molle, Ester Mitchell & Michael Jameson
2001 Offield Family Trust
Sareen Family Trust
Leigh Ann Howard
Dennis Gellerman, Mersad Metanovic & Trevor Lottes
ROBINS RANCHES HAS SOLD EQUESTRIAN PROPERTY FROM PLEASANTON UP TO VACAVILLE. FROM DANVILLE TO DISCOVERY BAY. ROBIN IS A EXCEPTIONAL HORSE PROPERTY SPECIALIST. ROBIN HAS BEEN SELLING EQUINE PROPERTY FOR OVER 25 YEARS.
ROBIN’S RANCHES (AGENT)
AGENT BRE #01039978
TOWN AND COUNTRY REALTY. CLAYTON, CA 925- 550- 2383
Turning California bloodlines into nationwide contenders
FINNEUS Stay Thirsty – My Fiona, by Ghostzapper
BY SIX TIME LEADING CALIFORNIA SIRE AND MULTIPLE G1SW STAY THIRSTY. TWO-YEAR-OLD CALIFORNIA CHAMPION OF 2022.
Stakes Winning 2-Year-Old and Winner of $328,216. Out of a GHOSTZAPPER California Broodmare of the Year MY FIONA and California Champion Filly. 1st Golden State Juvenile S. (def. SLO DOWN ANDY). 2nd Del Mar Futurity (G1) (to PINEHURST, def. PAPPACAP); Best Pal S. (G2) (to PAPPACAP); King Glorious S.; Turf Paradise Derby. 3rd California Cup Derby.
CHAMPION BLOODLINES PROVEN PERFORMANCE GRADED STAKES WINNER OF $379,700.
By QUALITY ROAD – Sire Of Multiple Grade 1 Winners. Out Of The Multiple Stakes Winner, Graded Stakes Producing Mare HOT SPELL (By SALT LAKE) – A Fast, Durable Mare From A Proven Family Of Sprinters And Middle-Distance Horses.
Brilliant racing career that demonstrates his natural talent, durability, and competitive Spirit, Speed, Stamina & Versatility.
CALIFORNIA’S LEADING SIRE. 6 OF LAST 8 YEARS BY EARNINGS. LEADING CA SIRE BY EARNINGS & WINNERS IN 2024. SIRE OF 61 STAKES HORSES INCL. G1 CIGAR MILE WINNER MIND CONTROL ($2,071,834).
Defeated 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner WHITE ABARRIO and Blue Grass S. (G1) winner ZANDON.
8 blacktype stakes horses in 2024 and leading CA 2-year-old sire of 2024, 5 SHs, incl. 5 ¼-length CTBA S. winner IN THE AIR TONIGHT ($120,400), runner-up Thirsty Mama and 3rd THIRSTY IN VEGAS. California’s leading active lifetime sire.
