CHC Inc

Sam F. Davis Winner John Hancock Likely to Bypass Tampa Bay Derby

CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm's John Hancock (Constitution), winner of last weekend's Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa, is unlikely to return for the oval's GIII Lambholm Tampa Bay Derby on Mar. 8, trainer Brad Cox told DRF Sunday. Cox, who indicated that the 8 1/2-furlong race comes up a bit too quickly following the sophomore's latest win, indicated a bevy of options remain, including the Mar. 22 GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby, the GI Arkansas Derby or the GI Curlin Florida Derby on Mar. 29. On Apr. 5, the GI...

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Uncle Mo Colt Rapture Captures Oaklawn Maiden, Becomes a 'Rising Star'

WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s Rapture (c, 3, Uncle Mo--Positively Royal, by Bernardini) had to be used some early on to gain a forward position from an awkward draw, but settled nicely from there just off the speed and responded when asked to finish off his race to graduate by 6 3/4 lengths in his two-turn debut Saturday at Oaklawn Park to earn 'TDN Rising Star' honors. A debut second as the favorite to subsequent strong-figure Tampa allowance winner Vassimo (Nyquist) on his one-mile unveiling at Gulfstream Park Dec. 14,...

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Grade I Winner Americanrevolution Sires First Foal

The first foal by the New York-based Americanrevolution (Constitution) was delivered early on the morning of Jan. 19 at Northview Stallion Station in Warwick, Maryland. Bred by Valencia Leach, the colt is the fourth live produce out of Tiz a Belle (Tiznow), a daughter of the Grade III-placed Mr Hall's Opus (Office), the dam of GIII Palos Verdes Stakes winner Essential Wager (Honor Code) and also hailing from the A.P. Indy sire line. Tiz a Belle's lone foal to the races is the winning Alemam (Catalina Cruiser), an $85,000 Keeneland...

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Stabling 50 At Payson For First Time, Cox Takes Closer Aim At Florida Races

With 50 horses stabled at Payson Park Training Center this winter for the first time in his two-decade career, the 2020 and '21 Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox now has a geographically easier time targeting Florida races. On Wednesday, Cox won with his first Tampa Bay Downs starter since 2019. And since Nov. 30, he's compiled a 1-3-0 record from six starts at Gulfstream Park, where he started only 50 runners over the past five years, generally by shipping in from his customary bases at Fair Grounds and Oaklawn Park,...

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A Lot to Look Forward To for WinStar in 2025

WinStar Farm is hoping to see plenty of activity come out of their stallion division in the near future. In 2025, the farm's flagbearer Constitution, currently ranked a top five general sire, will stand for a fee of $110,000 while his son and fellow WinStar resident Independence Hall will see his first 2-year-olds hit the racetrack. Also this coming year, Life Is Good and Nashville will be represented by their first crop of yearlings while Country Grammer and Two Phil's are expecting their first foals. Meanwhile, three new sires have...

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'Rising Star' Heartland Retired to WinStar

One-for-one Heartland (c, 3, Justify--Sambuca Classica, by Cat Thief), whose debut maiden victory in 2023 stamped him as a 'TDN Rising Star' under Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, has been retired from racing and will stand at WinStar in 2025. His introductory fee will be $10,000 S&N. "One might ask, 'Why stand a maiden winner?'," said WinStar President, CEO, and Racing Manager Elliott Walden. "Well, he looks the part, he's by Justify, and he's a half-brother to Classic Empire. It makes perfect sense to us because we know what we...

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Grade I Winner Americanrevolution Anchors Rockridge Stallions for 2024

Standing in partnership with WinStar Farm, CHC Inc., Taylor Made Stallions, Mill Creek Farm and Fortune Farm, Grade I winner Americanrevolution (Constitution) will stand for a fee of $12,500 in his first year at stud at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, New York. Bred in New York by leading breeders Fred W. Hertrich and John D. Fielding, the chestnut was the top 3-year-old of his generation in the state-bred ranks in 2021, winning the Empire Classic by nearly 12 lengths before validating favoritism in the GI Cigar Mile H. He was...

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Cigar Mile Winner Americanrevolution to Rockridge Stud

CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC's Americanrevolution (Constitution--Polly Freeze, by Super Saver) has been retired from racing and will stand in 2024 at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, NY, his connections announced in a release late Thursday afternoon. The Todd Pletcher trainee was a four-time stakes winner at three, culminating in the $750,000 GI Cigar Mile H. as he registered a Beyer Speed Figure of 105. "This is the best horse to retire in New York in a very long time," said Rockridge Stud's Lere Visagie. "We all know we need...

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Always Dreaming Colt Sparkles In Debut At Keeneland

6th-Keeneland, $96,906, Msw, 4-16, 3yo, 6f, 1:10.01, ft, 4 3/4 lengths. SAUDI CROWN (c, 3, Always Dreaming--New Narration, by Tapit), let go at 5-1, chased pacesetting favorite Briterdayzahead (Girvin) while four wide through an opening quarter in :22.29. Some two lengths back following a half in :45.25, the gray colt reeled in the pacesetter with a furlong to run and strode clear with authority to win by 4 3/4 lengths. Wild Thinker (Lord Nelson) chased him home in second, while Briterdayzahead was third. Salde Callaghan purchased Saudi Crown for $45,000...

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Life Is Good Cruises To Victory in Kelso

'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good got an easy prep for his expected appearance in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in Saturday's GII Kelso H. at Belmont Park, scoring virtually untouched and eased down late. Off at 1-20 with $212,404 of the $251,965 win pool and $353,424 of the $389,409 place pool on his nose, the $525,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase easily out-footed distant second choice Chance It (Currency Swap) and led through an opening quarter in a manageable :23.53. Chance It was pulled up and out of the...

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Sainthood Game to Get Mshawish First Stakes Win in Pennine Ridge

Sainthood, 11th last time in the GI Kentucky Derby, became the first black-type and graded stakes winner for his sire (by Medaglia d'Oro) with a resilient victory in this off-turf prep for the GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. Beaten a head dirt sprinting at Gulfstream Jan. 9, the dark bay scored by a nose around two turns on the Fair Grounds main track Feb. 13. He earned a spot into the Derby starting gate with a runner-up finish in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks over Turfway Tapeta Mar. 27, and...

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Quality Road Firster Gives Family Another 'TDN Rising Star'

WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s debuting Prime Factor (Quality Road), a $900,000 purchase out of the 2019 Keeneland September yearling sale--the joint-second priciest of 63 Quality Road yearlings to sell in 2019--was off as the 21-10 second choice and turned his first trip to the post into a one-horse affair en route to 'TDN Rising Star' honors. Smoothy into stride, the bay sidled up alongside pacesetting Dr. Duke (Ghostzapper) as the top two pulled well clear of the peloton rounding the turn. Prime Factor eased to the front while racing...

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