What's New:

 

Story Sets Em Straight, Icabad Crane Third:

 

After running 2nd by a head in the G1 Jamaica Hcp, the G2 Virginia Derby and the G2 Colonial Turf Cup as a 3 yr old in '09, Straight Story finally got his elusive first stakes win.  Off as the even money favorite in the $100,000 West Point Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on the turf August 19th at Saratoga, jockey Javier Castellano allowed Straight Story to stalk the pace on the outside up the backstretch.  Straight Story assumed the lead going into the far turn and was never threatened thereafter.  Fellow Gallagher's Stud-bred Icabad Crane closed from last to be third.  The West Point was Straight Story's first race since a 4th place (2 lengths) finish behind Chinchon, Take the Points and Winchester in the G1 1 3/8 mile United Nations July 3rd which was his third race in 5 weeks.  Previous to the UN, he was beaten a head in his seasonal return in an AOC at Belmont, then won a state-bred allowance at Belmont and an open AOC at Mommouth Park.  Straight Story, a 4 yr old son of Giants Causeway o/o 2nd generation Gallagher's Stud-bred MSW & GSP Eventail, was a $400,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by Mike Ryan agent for Richard Santulli and is trained by Alan Goldberg for Mr. Santulli.  His record now stands at 15-5-5-0 with earnings of $556,390.

Meanwhile Icabad Crane, a 5 yr old gelded son of Jump Start o/o 2nd generation Gallagher's Stud-bred Adorahy, closed from 10 lengths back on a speed favoring turf to finish 3rd, 2 1/4 lengths behind Straight Story.  Before the race trainer Graham Motion said he thought he owed Icabad Crane another try on the turf as his only other grass start was over a soft course at a time that he wasn't at his peak.  MSW & G1SP Icabad Crane was a $65,000 FT Sar Preferred yearling purchase by Jim Crupi and a $120,000 OBS April 2 yr old to Aaron Cohen agent for Mr. Mack

 

Siete Machos Wires 'Em Again:

 

When Siete Machos makes the lead early, he's a tough horse to beat.  That was the case at Del Mar on August 8th in a 1 mile turf affair for $40,000 claimers.  Allowed to set steady fractions, the bay son of Roman Ruler and Biogio's Kids had plenty left for the stretch as he pulled away to win by 4 1/4 lengths.  Siete Machos was claimed by Roddy Valente and Charles Casale and will return to New York to be trained by Bruce Levine.  He has a record of 14-3-3-1 with earnings of $77,960.

 

 

Tulipmania Wires Allowance Field:

 

Breaking from the inside post for the 1 1/16 mile NW2X on the grass at Belmont on July 4th, Tulipmania, a 5 yr old homebred mare by Empire Maker out of MSW and GSP Eventail, easily grabbed the lead going into the first turn.  From there jockey David Cohen was able to control the pace and allow her to gallop along till they came off the turn when he asked her for run.  She pulled off to a 3 length advantage at the top of the stretch and was able to hold off the late charge of the runner up.  Tulipmania is a half sister to MGSP Straight Story and she has a record of 15-3-7-0 with earnings of $143,796 for trainer Tom Bush.

 

Trust Fund Kid Breaks Her Maiden In 2nd Start:

 

In her first start, 5 weeks previous, home-bred 3 yr old filly Trust Fund Kid missed the break and found herself 10 1/2 lengths off the pace after a half mile.  She wound up seventh that day, racing in heavy traffic to finish just 3 3/4 lengths off the winner in the grassy 1 mile MSW event.  After the race jockey Rajiv Maragh said "That was an eductional race, next time she'll win".  The next time was July 4th at Belmont in another MSW, this time at a mile and a sixteenth.  Trust Fund Kid broke sharply under Maragh, settled on the rail and calmly allowed the pacesetters to pass her and gain a 2 length advantage.  Sensing a slow pace and wanting to give her room this time, Maragh moved Trust Fund Kid into contention midway around the far turn where she switched to her right lead and stayed on it through the turn and into the stretch.  After gaining a length advantage she put her head up and began looking for other horses.  When she saw the runner up advancing on her outside, she put her head back down and dug in to hold off the challenger by a half length.  Trust Fund Kid is by Lemon Drop Kid out of turf GSW Careless Heiress and is a half sister to MSW, GSP You Go West Girl ($503,583) and SP Schatzeli.  She has a record of 2-1-0-0 and earnings of $22,385 for trainer Chad Brown.

 

Major Star Shines:

 

Gallagher's Stud-bred Major Star won a 5 1/2 furlong sprint at Finger Lakes on June 17th by 10 1/2 lengths.  The 3 yr old son of Aldebaran o/o Attagal broke his maiden in a 5 1/2 furlong MSW race at Aqueduct March 6th in his 5th start.  Major Star was a $60,000 KEESEP sale yearling to Black Swan Stable and is trained by Mike Ferraro.  He has earnings of $43,337 in seven starts.

 

 

Film Score Debuts To Rave Reviews:

Film Score, a 3 yr old gelded son of Street Cry o/o SW Soundtrack, defied his 10-1 odds to post a 3/4 length victory over GSP Mata Keranjang in a 10 furlong maiden at Newmarket on May 28th.  Kept free of traffic and in a stalking position, Film Score ran down the favorite in the final furlong.  The Godolphin owned runner was piloted by Frankie Dettori and is trained by Mahmoud Al Zarooni.  Gallagher's Stud purchased Film Score's dam in foal to Street Cry in the '06 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Film Score was a $400,000 Keeneland September Sale yearling to Darley and was transferred to the Godolphin Stable early in 2010.

 

Potomac Moon Airs In Maiden Win:

Potomac Moon, a 3 yr old gelded son of Malibu Moon o/o Blond Lady, easily broke his maiden when dropped to open maiden $10,000 at Aqueduct on March 12th.  Jockey David Cohen rode the rail in fourth and fifth up the backstretch and into the turn, launched his bid for the lead midturn, gained it at the top of the stretch and hand rode Potomac Moon home to win by 8 lengths.  Potomac Moon is owned by James Calcanes and is trained by Joe Aquilano.  He is a half brother to SW Bestowed and SP Aristo who both raced for Gallagher's Stud.

 

The Year in Review:

 

2009 proved to be a banner year for racehorses bred by Gallagher's Stud not only in terms of gross earnings but also in quality of races.  Gallagher's Stud-bred horses ran in 13 graded stakes in 2009 including six Grade or Group I races.  Gallagher's Stud ranked first by an incredible margin in money earned per start, ($8,700), among NY breeders who had at least 100 starts.  Gallagher's Stud ranked 4th in total money earned at $1,531,233 in just 176 starts.  The three breeders ranked above Gallagher's Stud in total earnings had at least 580 starts in 2009 which indicates the quality of the horses we breed and our commitment to produce horses that can win at the highest level.

 

Breeder                           Starts      Money               Money Per Start           

Sez Who Thoroughbreds    812        $2,131,810         $2,625

Chester & Mary Broman      580       $1,884,513         $3,249

Flying Zee Stables             649       $1,704,900         $2,627

Gallagher's Stud                176       $1,531,233         $8,700

Thomas/Lakin                   528       $1,427,292         $2,703

Ken & Sarah Ramsey          262       $  971,255          $3,707

 

 

Leading the charge was Straight Story, a big blaze-faced 3 yr old son of Giants Causeway o/o MSW & GSP Eventail who was bred and raced by Gallagher's Stud.  Straight Story quickly became one of the top 3 yr old turf horses in the US when (after first winning a 1 1/16 NW1X at Belmont in 1:40 4/5) he lost 2 stretch duels by a head to Battle of Hastings in the Grade II Colonial Turf Cup and the Grade II Virginia Derby.

After an unplaced performance in the Grade II National Museum of Racing at Saratoga where he led through fractions of 1:10 2/5 and 1:33 4/5, Straight Story led everyone into the yielding Belmont stretch before being overtaken by '08 and probable '09 NY Bred Turf Champion Banrock in the 1 1/8 mile Ashley T Cole Stakes.  In the Grade I Jamaica Handicap at Belmont in October, Straight Story sat just off the pace but once again came up a head short in a stretch duel with Take the Points.  Straight Story finished the year with earnings of $348,640 for owner Richard Santulli and trainer Alan Goldberg. To watch Straight Story in the Colonial Turf Cup click here: Straight Story

Meanwhile in France another 3 yr old colt would make his name in Group competition.

Oiseau de Feu (Firebird) a son of Stravinsky o/o Slewadora (a third generation Gallagher's Stud-bred), won the Group III Prix Paul de Moussac at 1 mile on the turf at Chantilly.  Next up for owner Bernard Weill and trainer Jean Claude Rouget would be the Group I Prix Jean Prat also at Chantilly.  Oiseau de Feu, as usual, broke slowly and was still fifth in the straight when he unleashed a furious rally that saw him finish second, a short head behind winner Lord Shanakill.  Previously Oiseau de Feu had finished third in the Group III Prix de Fountainebleau and later he would finish a close up fourth in the Group I Prix de Moulin de Longchamp.  To watch Oiseau de Feu's close second in the Group I Prix Jean Prat click here: Oiseau de Feu    Oiseau de Feu breaks along rail and his

jockey has yellow silks w/red cap.

Across the channel in England, Classic Vintage was busy stamping himself as one of the top three year old handicap horses in Europe.  Trained by Amanda Perrett for R & P Scott, A & J Powell and Gallagher's Stud, the rangy son of El Prado o/o GSW Cellar's Shiraz won handicaps at Salisbury in June and at Glorious Goodwood in July, both at a mile and a half.  He just missed bya length being stakes placed in the listed Windflower March Stakes in August at Goodwood.  Perrett believes the late blooming colt will only get bigger and stronger with time.

 

Based on the way You Go West Girl finished up the 2009 racing season, it's no wonder owner Craig Bernick and trainer Tom Proctor want to keep her in training in 2010. After winning a season opening allowance at Tampa Bay, You Go West Girl ran a close third to Ariege in a Keeneland allowance and consecutive third place finishes in stakes to GSW's I Lost My Choo and Cherokee Queen.  According to her owner, You Go West Girl is a "non-sweater" which limits her ability to race in the summer months but the return of cooler weather and a change of jockey to Jose Lezcano allowed her brilliance to show in her last three starts of the year.  You Go West Girl chased down the top NY Bred fillies and mares in September in the John Hettinger at Belmont in 1:48 flat for the 1 1/8 race and she came back a month later to blow away the field with a tremendous closing kick on the soft Belmont sod on NY Showcase Day in October.  Sensing that the bay by Mr. Greeley o/o GSW Careless Heiress was peaking, Proctor entered her in the Grade III Cardinal Hcp at Churchill Downs on November 21st where, after a protracted stretch duel, she was beaten a head by Grade I winner Acoma.  With her second in the Cardinal, You Go West Girl went over the half million dollar mark in earnings.

53 - that is the number of lifetime starts for the durable Borrowing Base, a six yr old daughter of Personal Flag o/o SW Bonita Chica.  That durability has led to a multiple stakes winning career and $510,471 in earnings including a win over graded stakes winning colts Atoned and Malibu Moonshine on the dirt in the Power Lunch Stakes at Aqueduct November 29th.  Borrowing Base also placed in 2 turf stakes in 2009, the open Donor Stakes at Belmont and the Signature Stallions Stakes at Saratoga.  Owner Lisa Arakri and trainer Patrick Quick have decided to give the distance loving mare one more start in early 2010 before retiring her to the breeding shed.

 

A well bred filly that could be a stakes winner was what Al Weiss and John Confort were looking for when they paid $265,000 for a Medaglia d'Oro filly o/o of Adorahy and that's what they got.  The big long-striding filly that they named Our Golden Dream is a half sister to SW and G1SP Icabad Crane and from the immediate family of GS Winning millionaire Rutherienne.  She started the year off with a second in a first level allowance race at Aqueduct and two starts later broke that condition at Belmont.  One month later she came from well off the pace to win the Dam Little Stakes at a mile on the Belmont turf in 1:34 4/5.  Wheeled back three weeks later in the open John Hettinger at Saratoga, Our Golden Dream encountered traffic trouble but still finished within 2 lengths of winner and 2008 Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Maram.  Our Golden Dream also placed second in the Shopping For Love Stakes at Belmont in October for trainer Tom Bush who believes the filly's best racing days are ahead of her.

 

Aristo, a six year old daughter of Gallagher's Stud stallion Adcat and o/o stakes producer Blond Lady by Rubiano, got 2009 off to a good start by winning a January 23rd allowance at Aqueduct and followed that up with a strong second to MSW Weathered a month later in the open Rare Treat Stakes.  Aristo was retired in the summer with earnings of $141,942 and two stakes placings for Gallagher's Stud and trainer Tom Bush.

 

Other winners who contributed to the race record of horses bred by Gallagher's Stud were: Tulipmania, Marula, Lemon Punch, Burnished Coper, Miss Freud and Reward Pending.