#FTGulfstream: Kip Elser of Kirkwood Stables on the reception of “Gulfstream Gallop” horses

Courtesy of the DRF
Joe Nevills , 2018-03-28 – DRF Breeding Live

#FTGulfstream: Kip Elser of Kirkwood Stables on the reception of “Gulfstream Gallop” horses

Kip Elser and his unnamed “contrarian” partner picked up a lot of ink heading into this year’s Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale for their plan to buy a handful of yearlings for the express purpose of galloping them through this particular breeze show.

The five “Gulfstream Gallop LLC” horses went through their paces on Monday, and went under the microscope from buyers in earnest yesterday. I spoke with Elser yesterday afternoon about his slate of juveniles and how they were received, and this is what he had to say…

“It’s been mostly positive. We won’t be able to tell how it’s been received until they go in and put their hand up, but off the early indications, we’re getting plenty of looks, and plenty of looks by good, solid judges that are perfectly capable of picking a horse that went steadier than the general population.”

Though advertised as an untimed gallop, the horses went through the straightaway at a decent clip – far from dialed all the way in, but certainly not a leisurely lope. Elser said the speed of the gallop was for a reason.

“Yes, they went a fairly good clip, but we were told that they really had to go fast enough for the video and motion analysis people to be able to run their programs. We aimed to go down there a quarter in 26 or so to give those people enough information. I don’t even know how close we got to it, but that was the plan. We’re doing something different, but we’re trying not to alienate anybody.

“They’re horses with good bottom in them, and they should be able to go right on and fit into anybody’s program.”

MUCHO GUSTO settles for 3rd in the Sundland Park Derby G3

Courtesy of the TDN
‘TDN Rising Star’
 Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) had to settle for the show position in the  GIII Sunland Park Derby. He went to the lead and was pressed by one or another continuously through quick fractions and could not hold on for the win. Following his impressive debut win at Los Alamitos with a victory in the GIII Bob Hope S. Nov. 17, the $625,000 EASMAY buy suffered his lone loss when second to stablemate and fellow ‘Rising Star’ Improbable (City Zip) in the GI Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 8. The chestnut rebounded with a decisive score in the 1 1/16-mile GIII Robert B. Lewis over a sloppy Santa Anita surface Feb. 2.
T: Bob Baffert
Owner: Michael Lund Petersen
Lifetime: 5 3 1 1 $310,800

MUCHO GUSTO LOOMS LARGE IN SUNLAND DERBY

Courtesy of the TDN

Mucho Gusto Looms Large in Sunland Derby

Mucho Gusto | Benoit

By Christie DeBernardis

‘TDN Rising Star’ Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) will be the horse to beat Sunday when he lines up for the GIII Sunland Park Derby. Following his impressive debut win at Los Alamitos Sept. 20 with a victory in the GIII Bob Hope S. Nov. 17, the $625,000 EASMAY buy suffered his lone loss when second to stablemate and fellow ‘Rising Star’ Improbable (City Zip) in the GI Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 8. The chestnut rebounded with a decisive score in the 1 1/16-mile GIII Robert B. Lewis over a sloppy Santa Anita surface Feb. 2 and enters this nine-panel test off a six-furlong breeze in 1:13 3/5 (2/11) at Santa Anita Mar. 18.

Also making the trip in from California is Anothertwistafate (Scat Daddy), whose three wins came over the Golden Gate synthetic. A non-factor ninth when making his career bow in a six-furlong test on the dirt at Santa Anita Nov. 3, the dark bay donned cap and gown by four lengths when extended to 1 1/16 miles at Golden Gate Dec. 9. Wiring the field for a five-length score in an optional claimer over that strip Jan. 4, the $360,000 OBSOPN purchase romped by seven lengths last time in that venue’s nine-furlong El Camino Real Derby Feb. 16. He is already proven at this distance, so the real question with this runner is whether he can run on dirt or is a synthetic specialist.

New Mexico native Hustle Up (Abstraction) is a perfect four-for-four at Sunland Park, including a win in the local prep for this test, the Mine That Bird Derby Feb. 24. Closing out his juvenile campaign with a win in the state-bred Steve Prather S. at Zia Park Dec. 10, the gelding followed suit with a win in the NM-bred Red Hedeman Mile S. here Feb. 2. Going straight to the lead in the Mine That Bird Derby, he bested the Steve Asmussen-trained Wicked Indeed (Tapit) by a length and Walker Stalker (Stroll) was another four lengths back in third.

‘We’re Not Here Trying To Re-Invent The Wheel’: Kirkwood Stables’ Gulfstream Gallop Consignment Returns For Second Year

Courtesy of the Paulick Report

‘We’re Not Here Trying To Re-Invent The Wheel’: Kirkwood Stables’ Gulfstream Gallop Consignment Returns For Second Year

by  | 

Kirkwood horses galloping at Springdale Training Center

Kip Elser’s Kirkwood Stables is far from the first consignment to gallop its horses through a juvenile sale’s breeze show instead of going all-out under the clock. It wasn’t even the first consignment to do it at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Selected 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale.

Still, there was something about the notion that felt novel when the Camden, S.C., operation debuted its “Gulfstream Gallop” consignment in 2018, consisting of horses acquired as yearlings for the sole purpose of turning in an untimed gallop during the South Florida auction’s under-tack show.

The intentions of Elser and his partners to return to the sale in 2019 were made clear during last year’s yearling season, when Elser signed a handful of tickets as agent for “Gulfstream Gallop” and “Midway Gallop.” After sending five horses galloping through last year’s Gulfstream sale, Kirkwood Stables returns with nine gallopers under multiple entities.

“We did it with a small group of horses last year,” Elser said. “This year, we have a slightly larger group, and you’re always hoping to improve your stock. I hope the public thinks we’ve upgraded a bit.”

The Gulfstream Gallop program was born two years ago when Elser and an anonymous partner secured a draft of yearlings to point at the 2018 sale, with the goal of demonstrating that a quality 2-year-old does not have to go through the rigors of preparing for and executing an eighth-mile drill to prove its worth. Three of the five horses that were offered sold in the ring at the Gulfstream sale, led by a colt from the first crop of Noble Mission who went to Caves Farm for $120,000.

After the initial class of gallopers, Elser said others expressed interest in joining the program. The other half of the Gulfstream Gallop team did not want to take on partners, but he believed there was room in the market for more horses in a similar program, so Elser and Joe Miller of bloodstock agency Kern Thoroughbreds bought a second set of yearlings in 2018 under the “Midway Gallop” banner.

Kirkwood Stables consigns at major 2-year-old auctions throughout North America, and its horses entered elsewhere go through the usual regimen of training for the breeze show. Why is the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale targeted for the gallopers? Elser said it’s a combination of timing and surface.

“I don’t think it would work on synthetic, and I don’t think it would work later in the year after people started running 2-year-old races,” he said. “That’s how we got to Gulfstream. Something would have to change for me to change my thinking.”

Of the five members of the original Gulfstream Gallop class, four have raced, two are winners, and the other two are placed.

The standard-bearer among the group is Splashy Kisses, a Blame filly who finished second in the Grade 2 Pocahontas Stakes and third in G3 Sweet Life Stakes. She was purchased for $100,000 by bloodstock agent Dennis O’Neill, on behalf of Erik Johnson’s ERJ Racing. Phoenix Thoroughbreds and Dave Kenney later joined the ownership group, with Doug O’Neill handling the training duties.

“They were very happy with the way she looked in the gallop, and they liked the stallion, Blame, as well, and just liked her as an overall athlete,” Doug O’Neill said. “I think you can see a lot by watching them gallop and seeing how they look individually, so I don’t think you necessarily need to see them fly down there an eighth of a mile. At the same time, I can see how you can fall in love with one that’s flying down there in :10-flat, so I can see both sides.

“On that particular filly, she’s such a big filly, it was probably in her best interest [to gallop in the breeze show],” O’Neill continued. “I’m glad they ended up not breezing her and just galloped her.”

Elser obviously felt vindicated that one of the Gulfstream Gallop horses had made a dent at the graded stakes level, but he stayed realistic about how much it would help the current class of gallopers when their time comes in the sale ring.

“It’s never easy,” he said with a laugh.

Defying the stopwatch at one of the country’s highest-stakes juvenile sales has generated a fair number of inquiries from curious horsemen and media members, and Elser has had to be the mouthpiece for the program from its inception. He’s not worried about being shoehorned as “the gallop guy,” though. In fact, he welcomes the discussion, and what it could lead to in the future.

“I’m not sick of it at all,” Elser said. “It should generate interest. It should generate questions. That’s why we’re here, to present the case. We’re not here trying to re-invent the wheel. I’m not trying to train or sell anyone else’s horse. I’m showing how I think we can do it, and still give the buyer a representative look at the horse.”

Mucho Gusto on Schedule for Sunland Derby

Courtesy of the BloodHorse Mucho Gusto wins the Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Park
Mucho Gusto wins the Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Park

BENOIT PHOTO

Mucho Gusto on Schedule for Sunland Derby

Also shipping from California is El Camino Real Derby winner Anothertwistafate.

Last seen drawing off in the stretch to a 4 3/4 length victory in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) Feb. 2 at Santa Anita Park, Michael Lund Petersen’s Mucho Gusto appears to be on schedule for his racing return March 24 in the $800,000 Sunland Park Derby (G3) at Sunland Park.

While missed racing and training days at Santa Anita to address equine safety make his Robert B. Lewis score seem like a long time ago, Mucho Gusto has dutifully delivered five quailty workouts at the Arcadia, Calif. track since winning the 1 1/16-mile event. The colt earned a  bullet Feb. 28 among 20 workers at a half-mile and followed that effort with a pair of five-furlong moves before going six furlongs March 18 in 1:13 3/5.

While Mucho Gusto appears to be in his comfort zone, shipping to Sunland is most assuredly in the comfort zone of trainer Bob Baffert. The Hall of Fame conditioner has won 14 stakes in 40 starts at Sunland, including Sunland Derby wins in 2014 with Chitu  and 2013 with Governor Charlie.

As a son of Mucho Macho Man —Itsagiantcauseway, by Giant’s Causeway, trying his longest distance to date in the 1 1/8-mile Sunland Derby does not figure to be a problem for the two-time grade 3 winner. Last year Mucho Gusto won the seven-furlong Bob Hope Stakes (G3) and finished second to stablemate Improbable in the Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity (G1), which, like the Robert B. Lewis, is contested at 1 1/16 miles.

The 8-5 morning-line favorite, regular rider Joe Talamo will make the trip to New Mexico to ride Mucho Gusto and the pair will break from the rail.

Sunday’s race is a Road to the Kentucky Derby series race, awarding Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers on a scale of 50-20-10-5.

Starting in post 2 is second-choice Anothertwistafate, who has rolled to three straight victories on the all-weather surface at Golden Gate Fields. The son of Scat Daddy capped that stretch with a seven-length score in the El Camino Real Derby, securing 10 Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying points in the process.

Juan Hernandez, who has been on board for each of Anothertwistafate’s four starts, will make the trip to Sunland. Anothertwistafate will return to dirt for the first time since finishing ninth in his career debut in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.

New Mexico-bred Hustle Up, a veteran of 10 career starts, won the Feb. 24 Mine That Bird Derby—the local prep for the Sunland Derby. In the 1 1/16-mile race, the son of Abstraction scored a frontrunning win, opening up three lengths in the stretch on his way to a clear victory.

Trainer Steve Asmussen sends out the runner-up from the Mine That Bird in Wicked Indeed, a Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred son of Tapit . The race’s third-place finisher, Walker Stalker, will try to improve off that effort for trainer Jose Gonzalez.

After an off-the-board finish in his stakes debut in the Southwest Stakes (G3) last month at Oaklawn ParkCutting Humor will look to return to the form that saw the son of First Samurai  win or place in each of his first four starts. Owned by Starlight Racing, the dark bay colt is trained by Todd Pletcher.

ENTRIES: SUNLAND PARK DERBY (G3)

Sunland Park, Sunday, March 24, 2019, Race 11

  • Grade III
  • 1 1/8m
  • Dirt
  • $800,000
  • 3 yo
  • 5:30 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Mucho Gusto (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joseph Talamo 122 Bob Baffert 8/5
2 2Anothertwistafate (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 122 Blaine D. Wright 3/1
3 3Hustle Up (NM) Shane Laviolette 122 Todd W. Fincher 5/1
4 4Wicked Indeed (KY) Luis Contreras 122 Steven M. Asmussen 6/1
5 5Cutting Humor (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate John R. Velazquez 122 Todd A. Pletcher 8/1
6 6Walker Stalker (NM) Alejandro Medellin 122 Jose R. Gonzalez, Jr. 15/1
7 7Pasamonte Man (NY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Ken S. Tohill 122 Joel H. Marr 20/1
8 8Collusionist (CO) Alfredo J. Juarez, Jr. 122 O. A. Martinez, Jr. 25/1
9 9Diamond Blitz (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Kent J. Desormeaux 122 J. Keith Desormeaux 15/1
10 10Eye Cloud (KY) Isaias D. Enriquez 122 Tracy A. Norris 30/1