2006 Kentucky Derby Winner Barbaro To Rest at Churchill Downs

Posted on Tuesday, January 29th, 2008

Churchill Downs has been selected as the final resting place for 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, who was euthanized one year ago after a lengthy battle with laminitis. The announcement was made Tuesday, January 30, by Barbaro’s owners, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, at a Churchill Downs news conference.

Barbaro’s remains were cremated following his death on January 29, 2007, and his ashes will be interred outside of Gate 1 at Churchill Downs, in a large elevated space enclosed by bricks that is currently used as a garden. The site, which will be open to the public, will include a larger-than-life-sized bronze statue of the Kentucky Derby 132 winner that will be commissioned by the Jacksons and loaned to Churchill Downs as part of Barbaro’s official memorial site.

“Churchill Downs is deeply honored to be selected as the final resting place for Barbaro, who first captured our hearts with his impressive win in the 132nd Kentucky Derby and who demonstrated strength and determination in his long battle to overcome both injury and illness,” said Steve Sexton, president of Churchill Downs and executive vice president of Churchill Downs Incorporated. “Barbaro took his place in history on the first Saturday in May 2006 with a brilliant Kentucky Derby victory, but his accomplishments as a racehorse are certainly rivaled by the courage and resolve he displayed after his injury. We are grateful to the Jacksons for entrusting their beloved Derby champion to us.”

“Gretchen and I are pleased to be collaborating with Churchill Downs in this wonderful project,” said Roy Jackson. “In the year that has just preceded, we have spent much time thinking about Barbaro’s memorial and where it would be best placed. Churchill Downs became the obvious site for us. It was here that he ran his best race. It was here where we spent our most memorable day as horse owners and breeders. It was here where his racing fans could visit daily, and it was here at Churchill Downs where he was cordially invited to rest. We look forward to working with Steve Sexton and his team.”

In the coming weeks, Churchill Downs will install a bronze marker in the garden outside Gate 1 to designate the area where Barbaro’s ashes and bronze statue will be located.

The Jacksons are currently considering a select group of artists for the project and plan to make a final decision on the artist and statue design in the next few months. The Jacksons and Churchill Downs anticipate the statue’s completion and the formal unveiling and dedication of the Barbaro memorial site sometime in 2009.

To date, Barbaro will become the only horse buried on the grounds of Churchill Downs. The adjacent Kentucky Derby Museum has the remains of four Kentucky Derby winners interred on its property — Sunny’s Halo (1983), Carry Back (1961), Swaps (1955), and Broker’s Tip (1933).

Following Tuesday’s news conference, the Jacksons participated in an autograph signing session at the Kentucky Derby Museum, which was open to the public.

www.churchilldowns.com

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Curlin Not To Be Auctioned

Posted on Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008

Special Judge Roger Crittenden disallowed to auction off ownership stake of William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham Jr. in 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin. During a 90-minute hearing on Tuesday, it was concluded that the plaintiffs did not have enough information about the assets of attorneys Gallion and Cunningham to force the auction.

The ruling comes in a lawsuit against Gallion and Cunningham, who were Curlin’s original owners through Midnight Cry Stables. They, together withMelbourne Mills Jr., are accused of bilking former clients out of at least $42 million in a $200 million settlement involving the diet drug fen-phen.

Their criminal trial is set for May 12. They have pleaded not guilty and are being held in the Boone County jail.

William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham Jr. sold an 80% stake in Curlin to a group led by Jess Jackson, the founder of Kendall-Jackson Winery and owner of Stonestreet Stables, and his wife, Barbara Banke, in February 2007. Jackson has since bought out two partners and became Curlin’s majority owner.

A state judge ordered Cunningham’s and Gallion’s assets, including Midnight Cry Stables, turned over to the plaintiffs to satisfy a $42 million judgment stemming from the lawsuit.

Lexington attorney Angela Ford who represents the plaintiffs said Gallion and Cunningham and the companies and foundations they ran have refused to turn over financial information since the judgment. “To date, there’s not been any answer served by any of the entities,” Angela Ford said. “And they haven’t turned over any assets.”

Ford sought to foreclose on Curlin after accusing Gallion and Cunningham of trying to sell the 20% stake in the horse.

Andre Regard, the attorney representing Tandy LLC, the parent company of Midnight Cry Stables, said Tandy and other companies aren’t party to the lawsuit and not required to turn over information to the plaintiffs.”We’re bringing these LLCs into court when they aren’t really plaintiffs,” Andre Regard said.

Judge Crittenden ordered Ford to issue requests for specific information about the companies and foundations and also ordered attorneys for Gallion and Cunningham to turn over to him their fee arrangements for a private review. He said any money paid to the attorneys but not spent could be turned over to the former clients. “That money may have been paid, but it still belongs to the defendants,” Crittenden said of legal fees paid by Gallion and Cunningham.

Curlin, who won Horse of the Year and top 3-Year-Old Male honors at the 37th Eclipse Awards Monday night, has been in training at the Fairgrounds in New Orleans.

Richard Getty, the attorney for Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables, echoed comments Jackson made Monday night about Curlin racing as a 4-year-old. JessJackson is considering running Curlin in the Dubai World Cup in March.

“I don’t think the horse is training for no particular reason,” Richard Getty said after the court hearing. “The horse is training because we expect to do something with it.”

Curlin won $5.1 million in purses in 2007, winning the Preakness Stakes and the Jockey Club Gold Cup before his Breeders’ Cup Classic win at Monmouth Park last October.

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Curlin Wins Horse of the Year; 2007 Eclipse Award Winners Announced

Posted on Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008

Winners of 2007 Eclipse Awards were announced Monday night, January 21, in the 37th Annual Eclipse Awards Ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

With an overwhelming vote of 249, Preakness Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Curlin got the 2007 Horse of the Year honors outnumbering Rags to Riches (12 votes), 2006 Horse of the Year Invasor (2 votes), Corinthian, English Channel and Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense with 1 vote each.

The 2007 Eclipse Award winners are:

Two-Year-Old Male: War Pass, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Champagne Stakes winner as well as one of the 2008 Kentucky Derby contenders.

Two-Year-Old Filly: Indian Blessing who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Monmouth Park.

Three-Year-Old Male: Curlin whose 2007 campaign included winning the Arkansas Derby and the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Three-Year-Old Filly: Rags to Riches who beat the boys in the Belmont Stakes.

Older Male: Lawyer Ron, Woodward and Whitney winner.

Older Female: Ginger Punch, Breeders’ Cup Distaff champion.

Male Sprinter: Midnight Lute, Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner.

Female Sprinter: Maryfield, Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner.

Male Turf Horse: English Channel.

Female Turf Horse: Lahudood.

Steeplechase Horse: Good Night Shirt

Owner: Shadwell Stable.

Breeder: Adena Springs.

Trainer: Todd Pletcher.

Jockey: Garrett Gomez, leader in earnings last year.

Apprentice Jockey: Joe Talamo

The 2007 Eclipse Award winners were voted upon by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form (DRF) and National Turf Writers Association.

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2007 Eclipse Awards on January 21

Posted on Sunday, January 20th, 2008

The 2007 Eclipse Award winners together with the 2007 Horse of the Year finalists will be announced at the 37th Annual Eclipse Awards Ceremony on Monday, January 21 at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

Curlin is the favorite to win Horse of the Year. Unraced as a 2-year-old, Curlin had an impressive 2007 campaign. Curlin has won the Arkansas Derby, Jockey Club Gold Cup, the Preakness Stakes in May and captured the Breeders’ Cup Classic five months later.

In addition to likely being named Horse of the Year, Curlin also is one of three finalists for Top 3-Year-Old Male. Also nominated in that category are Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and Hard Spun.

Belmont Stakes winner, Rags to Riches is the favorite to win Top 3-Year-Old Filly. Also in that category are Octave and Panty Raid.

Top older male nominees include 2006 Horse of the Year Invasor, Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile champion Corinthian, and Woodward and Whitney winner Lawyer Ron.

Older female nominees is topped by Breeders’ Cup Distaff champion Ginger Punch. Hystericalady and Nashoba’s Key were the other female candidates.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner and one of the 2008 Kentucky Derby contenders War Pass is the Top 2-Year-Old Male favorite. Also nominated were Kodiak Cowboy and Pyro.

Indian Blessing, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, is among the nominees for Top 2-Year-Old Filly along with Country Star and Proud Blessing.

Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Midnight Lute is nominated for Top Male Sprinter. Idiot Proof and Fabulous Strike were also nominated.

Top Female Sprinter finalists include Dream Rush, Maryfield and River’s Prayer.

Breeders’ Cup Turf winner English Channel headlines the nominees for Top Male Turf Horse. After Marker and Kip Deville also are listed in that category.

Female Turf Horse nominees are Lahudood, Nashoba’s Key and Precious Kitten.

Good Night Shirt, McDynamo, Planets Aligned are in the Steeplechase Horse category.

Owners who are included in the finalists are Maggi Moss, Shadwell Stable, Stronach Stables.

Top Breeders Eclipse Award category include Adena Springs, William S. Farish and Martin and Pam Wygod.

Curlin’s trainer Steve Asmussen has been nominated in the Trainer category along with 3-time Eclipse winner Todd Pletcher and Kiaran McLaughlin.

Leader in 2007 earnings jockey Garrett Gomez is the favorite to win top Jockey. Robby Albarado, Curlin’s regular rider, and John Velazquez also were nominated.

Nominated in the Apprentice Jockey are Tyler Pizarro, Alonso Quinonez and Joe Talamo.

All awards are voted on by turf writers and racing secretaries at National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) tracks.

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Precious Kitten Wins 2007 Matriarch Stakes at Hollywood Park

Posted on Sunday, November 25th, 2007

Precious Kitten trained by Bobby Frankel took a commanding 1 1/4 length lead to win the $500,000 Matriarch Stakes at Hollywood Park on Sunday, November 25th.

This is the fourth consecutive win in the Matriarch Stakes and a record eighth triumph in the past 11 years for trainer Bobby Frankel. He trains the 4-year-old filly Precious Kitten for owners and breeders Sarah and Kenneth Ramsey.

Ridden by Rafael Bejarano in the race for fillies and mares 3-year-old and up, Precious Kitten covered the mile in 1:33.63 and paid $7.60, $3.20 and $2.40. Precious Kitten improved her career mark to 7-8-1 in 19 starts with earnings of $1,419,688.

Coming in a second place finish, Wait a While, who was scratched out of the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf by trainer Todd Pletcher due to the poor turf conditions, returned $2.80 and $2.10 in her first start since running third in Belmont Park’s Flower Bowl Invitational on September 29th.

The French filly, Lady of Venice, finished third and paid $2.80 to show. Following her are: Live Life, Dance Away Capote and Naissance Royale.

In the 8th race at Hollywood Park, Daytona, with jockey Mike Smith aboard, won the Hollywood Derby. He covered 1 1/4 miles on turf in 1:59.75 and paid $13.20, $7.40 and $5.40. Medici Code came in second and returned $11.40 and $7. Bold Hawk finished third and paid $4 to show.

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Anak Nakal Wins $250,000 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs

Posted on Saturday, November 24th, 2007

Anak Nakal, ridden by Julien Leparoux for two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Nick Zito, placed his name among the early contenders for the 2008 Kentucky Derby when he held off Blackberry Road for a half-length victory in Saturday’s Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes for 2-year-olds at Churchill Downs.

The son of Victory Gallop, Anak Nakal, covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.16 and paid $18.40, $8.80 and $5.80. Blackberry Road with jockey Calvin Borel came in second and paid $7.80 and $4.40. Racecar Rhapsody under Robby Albarado almost missed the runner-up spot by a head and paid $4.40.

They were followed by Real Appeal, Halo Najib, Mythical Pegasus and Cool Coal Man.

“He is a long-striding horse and that’s why I was kind of asking him (leaving the backstretch) because he does not have much of a kick but he just keeps on going,” Julien Leparoux said. “He is kind of a grinder. The pace in front of me was ideal and the race set up perfect for me.”

24-year-old Frenchman Julien Leparoux won three of the last four races on the 12-race closing day program at Churchill Downs, including both the Kentucky Jockey Club and the Golden Rod Stakes, to edge Calvin Borel 27-26 for his third “leading jockey” honors in the 21-day Fall Meet at Churchill Downs. He won his first Fall Meet crown in 2007 by riding Aquarian to defeat Calvin Borel and Revenge Is Sweet by a head in the meet’s final race.

Steve Asmussen edged Dale Romans 14-13 for honors as the meet’s leading trainer. It is his second Fall Meet title and fourth overall.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey won their 12th “leading owner” title and their sixth in the Fall Meet.

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Preakness Stakes winner Curlin wins the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic

Posted on Saturday, October 27th, 2007

Curlin, 2007 Preakness Stakes winner, dominated Monmouth Park Saturday, October 27th to win the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

2007 Breeders’ Cup World Championship Race Results

OCEANPORT, NEW JERSEY (TICKER) — Curlin answered any questions of who should be Horse of the Year.

Putting an exclamation point on a sensational year, Curlin pulled away to win Saturday’s $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Monmouth Park.

In a race billed as the “War at the Shore,” Curlin won the battle, roaring past Hard Spun and Lawyer Ron around the final turn en route to reaching the the winner’s circle by 4 1/2 lengths in North America’s richest race.

Read full story: "Preakness Stakes winner Curlin wins the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic"...

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