[su_box title=”TOP MIDLANTIC-BREDS” style=”glass”]TOP MIDLANTIC-BRED HORSES
- Stellar Wind (41) — Virginia
- Dame Dorothy (31) — Pennsylvania
- Kitten’s Point (18) — Pennsylvania
- Valid (15) — Virginia
- Page McKenney (14) — Pennsylvania
- Favorite Tale (11) — Pennsylvania
- The Big Beast (8) — Maryland
Others receiving votes: Aye a Song, Admirals War Chest, Stiffed, Charitable Annuity, Jack’s in the Deck, Ben’s Cat, Middleburg, Discreet Senorita, Flying Officer, R Frosty One[/su_box]
Breeders’ Cup brings several runners from the latest Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred/The Racing Biz Top Midlantic-bred Poll in action against some of the nation’s — and the world’s — best runners.
Here’s who will be in action this weekend:
- Poll-topper Stellar Wind is a surprisingly long 12-1 in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Friday afternoon. She’s been idle since winning the Grade 3 Torrey Pines at the end of August and enters this event with four graded wins on the year, including the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks. Victor Espinoza will ride for trainer John Sadler.
- Grade 1 Humana Distaff winner Dame Dorothy is 10-1 in the morning line for Saturday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. The Pennsylvania-bred most recently was third in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom at Belmont Park. John Velazquez will ride for trainer Todd Pletcher.
- Virginia-bred Valid provides young jockey Nik Juarez his first Breeders’ Cup mount in the Dirt Mile, also on Friday, where he is 10-1 on the morning line. Valid most recently won the $75,000 Groomstick Stakes at Gulfstream Park for trainer Marcus Vitali and owns three wins on the season, two in graded company.
- Pennsylvania-bred Favorite Tale is 12-1 on the morning line for Saturday’s $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint. The winner of the G2 Smile Sprint Handicap tuned up for the Breeders’ Cup by winning a Parx allowance before being spirited out to freedom despite a quarantine at his Parx Racing base. Javier Castellano will ride for trainer Guadalupe Preciado.
The list included four horses bred in Pennsylvania, two from Virginia, and one Maryland-bred. Four are males, and three are females.
The list is restricted to horses that have run in 2015 and were bred in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Carolinas.
TOP MIDLANTIC-BRED HORSES
(In the list below, click on the green buttons for more info about each horse.)
RANK | HORSE | AGE | SEX | STATE BRED | BREEDING | BREEDER | OWNER | TRAINER | LAST RESULT | SUMMARY | 2015 record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stellar Wind | 3 | F | VA | Curlin-Evening Star, by Malibu Moon | Keswick Stables & Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC | Hronis Racing LLC | John Sadler | Won G3 Torrey Pines on 8/30/15 | Multiple graded winner won G1 Santa Anita Oaks in April | 5-4-0-0, $526,000 |
| 2 | Dame Dorothy | 4 | F | PA | Bernardini-Vole Vole Monamour, by Woodman | Derry Meeting Farm | Bobby Flay | Todd Pletcher | 3rd in G2 Gallant Bloom 9/26/15 | Multiple graded winner won G1 Humana Distaff in May | 6-3-1-1, $477,840 |
| 3 | Kitten's Point | 5 | M | PA | Kitten's Joy-Rendezvous Point, by Kingmambo | George Strawbridge Jr. | Augustin Stable | Graham Motion | Won G3 Dowager Stakes | 4 stakes wins in '15 include two G3 scores | 8-4-0-2, $316,600 |
| 4 | Valid | 5 | G | VA | Medaglia d'Oro-Grand Prayer, by Grand Slam | Edward P. Evans | Crossed Sabres Farm | Marcus Vitali | Won Groomstick Stakes 9/26/15 | 2 time G3 winner in '15 | 10-3-3-2, $314,760 |
| 5 | Page McKenney | 5 | G | PA | Eavesdropper-Winning Grace, by Yarrow Brae | Dr. James E. Bryant & Linda P. Davis | Adam Staple and Jalin Stable | Mary Eppler | 2nd in Roanoke Stakes | Former claimer has placed in 3 graded races this year | 8-3-3-2, $473,100 |
| 6 | Favorite Tale | 4 | G | PA | Tale of the Cat-Tricky Elaine, by Grindstone | Paul Conaway | PJG Stable | Guadalupe Preciado | Won allowance race | G2 winner, G1 placed in '15 | 5-2-1-1, $248,300 |
| 7 | The Big Beast | 4 | C | MD | Yes It's True-VVS Flawless, by Deputy Miniser | Green Willow Farms | Alex and JoAnn Lieblong | Anthony Dutrow | 2nd in G1 Forego | Twice G1 placed in '15 | 4-1-2-0, $260,800 |
Participating Voters: Ted Black (freelance writer), Michael Campbell (Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey), Cindy Deubler (Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred), Linda Dougherty (freelance), Debbie Easter (Virginia Thoroughbred Association), Anne Frederick (Maryland Horse Breeders Association), Cricket Goodall (Maryland Horse Breeders Association), Jim Hague (freelance), Nick Hahn (freelance), Carol Holden (West Virginia Breeders Classics), Jeff Nations (freelance), Kate Painter (West Virginia Thoroughbred Breeders Association), Vinnie Perrone (freelance), Frank Petramalo (Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association), David Richardson (Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association), Brian Sanfratello (Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association), John Scheinman (freelance), Dan Tordjman (freelance), Frank Vespe (The Racing Biz), Bill Watson (freelance), Lydia Williams (freelance), Bobby Zen (freelance).
Note — Not all participating voters will vote in every poll.
