Flightline Wins 2022 Horse of the Year
As expected, Flightline was crowed Horse of the Year at last night's 52nd Annual Eclipse Award while, closer to home, there were familiar names in action at Turf Paradise
Epicenter Voted Champion 3-Year-Old Male; Nest Tops 3-Year-Old Fillies
Todd Pletcher wins 8th Outstanding Trainer Eclipse; Irad Ortiz Jr. Named Outstanding Jockey
PALM BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 26, 2023) – The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB) announced this evening that Flightline, who captivated Thoroughbred racing fans with three dominating performances in New York, California, and Kentucky last year, was named the 2022 Horse of the Year at the conclusion of the 52nd Annual Eclipse Awards ceremony, presented by John Deere, Keeneland, and The Jockey Club, at The Breakers Palm Beach.
The Eclipse Awards, honoring excellence in North American Thoroughbred racing, are voted on by the NTRA, consisting of member racetrack racing officials and Equibase field personnel, Daily Racing Form (DRF), and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters.
Owned by Hronis Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Woodford Racing, LLC, and trained by John Sadler, Flightline received 239 out of a possible 246 first-place votes for Horse of the Year. As a 4-year-old, Flightline, a son of Tapit out of Feathered by Indian Charlie, won the Hill ‘N’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park, the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar by an astounding 19 ¼ lengths, and capped off his career by winning the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland in November by a stakes record 8 ¼ lengths. Flightline, who won all six of his career starts, was also voted Champion Older Dirt Male.
Flightline was joined by Malathaat, as one of the three finalists for Horse of the Year. Owned by Shadwell Stable and trained by Todd Pletcher, Malathaat won the Champion Older Dirt Female Eclipse Award capped off by her victory in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at Keeneland. Malathaat earned her second Eclipse Award, having been crowned last year’s Champion 3-year-old Filly.
Pletcher, with training operations in Florida, Kentucky, and New York, won an unprecedented eighth Outstanding Trainer Eclipse Award, having previously won the honor from 2004-2007, 2010, and 2013-2014. In 2022, Pletcher finished second among all trainers in total earnings with more than $30.4 million. He won 223 races and saddled three champions. In addition to Malathaat, Pletcher also trained Champion Two-Year-Old Male, Forte, winner of the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), and Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, Nest, who won three Grade 1 stakes races and finished second in the Belmont Stakes (G1).
Winchell Thoroughbred’s Epicenter was voted Champion Three-Year-Old Male. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Epicenter finished second in both the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and the Preakness Stakes (G1), but won his next starts at Saratoga, capturing the Jim Dandy (G2) and the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1).
D.J. Stable’s Wonder Wheel won the Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Eclipse Award. Trained by Mark Casse, Wonder Wheel clinched the trophy with back-to-back Grade 1 victories at Keeneland, taking the Darley Alcibiades and the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
New York-based rider Irad Ortiz Jr. won the Outstanding Jockey Eclipse Award for the fourth time in the last five years, sweeping the honor from 2018-2020.
Two-Year-Old Male: Forte
Two-Year-Old Filly: Wonder Wheel
Three-Year-Old Male: Epicenter
Three-Year-Old Filly: Nest
Older Dirt Male: Flightline (4)
Older Dirt Female: Malathaat (4)
Male Sprinter: Elite Power (4)
Female Sprinter: Goodnight Olive (4)
Male Turf Horse: Modern Games (IRE) (3)
Female Turf Horse: Regal Glory (6)
Steeplechase Horse: Hewick (IRE) (7)
Owner: Godolphin LLC
Breeder: Godolphin LLC
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Apprentice Jockey: Jose Antonio Gomez
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Horse of the Year: Flightline (4)
Locals in Action at Turf Paradise
Names familiar to racegoers at Hastings were in action at Turf Paradise on Thursday. Second-season handler Jamie Pearman continued her good form when saddling Hastings’ favourite KHAIKY’S COMMAND to land a six-furlong claiming contest for fellow owners Jo and Gloria Russo. Bred in BC by Paul Caravetta, the veteran’s win under rider Alex Cruz was his 15th in 49 career starts.
Hastings’ trainer Cindy Krasner is also enjoying a good week in Arizona. She saddled Dennis Tucker’s STEAL HOME, a winner at Hastings last season, to finish third in a $21,000 Allowance contest on Thursday to give her a winner, second and third from four runners this week.
Finally, last season’ Sadie Diamond and Supernaturel winner U DID IT (above) made her Phoenix debut on Thursday, finishing second to Let’s Declare Peace in a valuable allowance contest for owner John Anderson and trainer Frank Lucarelli. U DID IT, who also finished second in last season’s Century Casino Oaks in Edmonton and third in the BC Cup Hong Kong Jockey Club Handicap at Hastings, was bred in BC by Christine Ammann and trained last year at Hastings by the season’s leading handler, Edgar Mendoza.
Turf Paradise Renovates Racing Surface
After an especially wet winter forced Turf Paradise to cancel numerous races, the Phoenix racetrack took the bold step of renovating its racing surface.
The renovation was overseen by Turf Paradise Track Consultant Steve Wood, one of the most renowned racetrack experts in the country. Mr. Wood is a former track superintendent for Oak Tree, Del Mar, and Santa Anita race meets.
In order to give the racing surface a fresh start, 19,000 tons of existing dirt and sand was removed from the main track. Crews also lowered the drain inside the rail by 8 inches to ensure proper drainage.
Crews then added 12 hundred tons of quality sand and 450 yards of organics. Wood used the highest-grade sand (#10 Mesh) available with the smallest grain diameter. The track was surveyed with a sonar grader and rechecked with a handheld laser. While the materials are new and high quality, Wood said the overall composition should be familiar enough to the horses accustomed to racing at Turf Paradise.
Wood notes that the surface was surveyed within a third of an inch, “And is as perfect as we can get it.” Crews also surveyed both chutes and added sand to them as well.
The training track was rebuilt with the materials removed from the main track and that track has been surveyed as well. The sand was also repurposed to improve the bridle paths on the backside.
Turf Paradise General Manager Vince Francia said, “Maintaining the best and safest racing surface for our horses and jockeys is the priority.”
So as to prevent any major disruptions to the racing schedule, the track renovations were completed in three and a half days. And to ensure continued track quality, grade markers have been posted every 8th of a mile.
Click here to see a short video on some of the renovation efforts.
Turf Paradise at 19th Ave and Bell opened its doors in 1956 and is Arizona’s First Sports franchise. It is home to Unibet Sports Book and operates more than 40 Off Track Betting locations in Arizona.
Three-to-Follow for 2023
We’ve decided to pick the brains of some familiar Hastings faces to see what horses they’ll be looking out for this season.
First up with his Three-to-Follow for next season is Hastings Racing Club’s Matt Elder.
Matt, along with fledgling trainer Mark Freeman, forms part of the Hastings Racing Club management team continuing the fine work begun by Richard Yates following his untimely passing in 2019.
Matt, who has several interests in horses at Hastings, is a keen punter and a fan of hard-knocking claimer types. He’s included the Club’s PRINCE CAIRO in his Three-to-Follow and is keen to let everyone know that there are still shares available for the coming season. Racing club members enjoy what many consider to be the best value in sport — an opportunity to become closely involved in the group ‘ownership’ of several horses for a modest outlay. There’s backstretch access and plenty of opportunity to meet new friends with a passion for the ‘Sport of Kings’. New members should bring carrots.
ADDENDUM, 2020, dk b f by Mucho Macho Man – Amazing Storm (Awesome Again)
Owner: Freedom Farms Ltd, Wayne Oliver, Peter Tom
Breeder: Whitewood Farm
Trainer: Tara Neigel
A graduate of the annual CTHS Yearling and Mixed Sale, ADDENDUM made her racecourse debut in October and ran with plenty of stable confidence. Sent off as second favourite under a patient Kerron Khelawan, the two-year-old daughter of Breeders Cup Classic winner MUCHO MACHO MAN ran with terrific promise, staying on to finish a deserved second behind the Rob Maybin-trained NEIGHNEIGH. There were six lengths back to the third.
The progress continued later the same month when Addendum broke her maiden at just the second time of asking. Ridden with some confidence by Kerron Khelawan, the pair made pretty much every yard of the running as an odds-on favourite to beat MILITARY CROSS comfortably by 1½ lengths. She’s definitely one to watch out for this year.
BOITANO, 2019, b g by Nyquist – Calla Lily (Pulpit)
Owner: Roger Snow, Don Danard, Conrad Rozenek
Breeder: Godolphin
Trainer: Mel Snow
Purchased form Godolphin with the BC Derby in mind, BOITANO arrived at Hastings in midsummer after spending the early part of the year in Florida at Tampa Bay and Gulfstream Park. The son of Kentucky Derby winner and leading stallion NYQUIST, Boitano made his Hastings debut in an allowance event in August. Lobbing easily in behind what was an unsuitable and painfully-slow pace under Kimal Santo, the 3yo came with a powerful late effort to finish a closing third to the Craig Macpherson-trained JUST JIMMY. The encouraging effort convinced connections to take their chance in the BC Derby and Boitano didn’t disappoint. Again manoeuvring his way from the rear, and making a five-wide challenge under Santo to join the action at the business end, he was gaining with every stride and finished third behind winner REGL RIOT and second-placed AROLLERCOASTERRIDE. The result proved Boitano belonged among the best of the Hastings sophomores last season. Subsequently, he landed an allowance contest comfortably next time before heading to Century Mile. In Edmonton, he failed to fire behind Hastings’ star AT ATTENTION before, dropped back to a mile, he closed out his 2022 campaign as runner-up in a ‘non-winners of three’ Allowance contest. Boitano’s held-up-towards-the-rear style of running will make for some exciting and possibly frustrating days ahead on the East Van bullring, but he remains a talented performer and there is a feeling we are yet to see the best of him.
PRINCE CAIRO, 2018, dk b g by Cairo Prince – Spring Jump (Jump Start)
Owner: Hastings Racing Club
Breeder: Woods Edge Farm LLC
Trainer: John Snow
PRINCE CAIRO joined the Hastings Racing Club team at the beginning of last season after being previously campaigned by the late Glen Todd’s North America Thoroughbred Horse Company (he was bought by NATHC for $70,000 as a Keeneland September yearling).
The four-year-old (now five) quickly became a club favourite, racking up three second-place finishes on the bounce with rider Scott Williams, before coming unstuck in the BC Cup Classic in August. Following another sub-optimal Allowance outing the same month ‘George’, as he’s known to club members, returned to optional claimer company (at the $16k level) and rallied late to finish a close third to STORMY BLUE and PAY MY WAY.
Prince Cairo then closed out the year with two excellent runs in October – a second place to BOITANO at the beginning of the month and then, on closing day, finally getting his deserved first victory of the year when besting the useful Arollercoasterride and Pay My Way by a head and a neck in a thriller. There will hopefully be plenty more thrills to come this season but, win, lose or draw, ‘George’ will be cheered to the rafters every time!
Thunderbird Show Park
Top class showjumping returns to Thunderbird Show Park in April as the leading equestrian venue gears up to celebrate its 50th year. Click on the picture to find out more.
The U.S. Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association has announced the schedule for its 2023 educational seminars. These events feature various topics for prospective, new, and established Thoroughbred owners and breeders.
The 2023 schedule is listed below:
March 19-20 – Ocala, Florida
June 23-24 – Toronto, Canada
July 27-28 – Del Mar, California
August 10-11 – Saratoga Springs, New York*
October 23 – Lexington, Kentucky
*Tentative dates for Saratoga; All others confirmed
“We are excited to announce some great venues for the 2023 educational seminars” said TOBA Director of Marketing, Events & Partnerships Samantha Smith. “We hope to reach more people by expanding the agenda to both ownership and breeding topics at each seminar, as well as offering a variety of locations across the U.S. and Canada.”
Specific topics, speakers, and sponsors for each seminar will be announced individually closer to each event. Each seminar for this year will cover topics pertaining to both Thoroughbred owners and breeders. Possible topics may include, but not limited to: racing and stable management, common training practices, common breeding practices, foaling and farm management, owner and trainer communications, horse selection with a bloodstock agent, common veterinary concerns, nutrition and health topics, partnerships, pedigree theory, conformation analysis, and equine business matters such as accounting and insurance.
Educational seminars are open to both members and non-members, with discounts for members of TOBA or any hosting/sponsor organizations. Meals, materials, and a TOBA gift bag are included with registration.