GODDARD now a stakes winner!

GODDARD (Tapit) was sold by Kirkwood for $250,000 as a two-year-old at the 2020 Fasig Tipton sale of 2-year-olds in Training at Timonium. He was selected by Kip as a yearling.

Winner of an allowance race at Albuquerque last out, GOODARD has been stakes placed throughout the southwest. Today he added his first stakes win  – the Labor Day Weekend Stakes at Ruidoso Downs.  He broke well, engaged the leaders and dueled to the wire to win by 1/2 a length.

Goddard is trained by Todd W. Fincher and owned by  B. Ray Willis. He was bred by Winchell Thoroughbreds, LLC.

Starts Firsts Seconds Thirds Earnings
16 5 4 4 $182,008

Justa Warrior ‘Justifies’ Favoritism In Debutante

Justa Warrior ‘Justifies’ Favoritism In Debutante

STARTED AT KIRKWOOD!

Justa Warrior | Coady

Her maiden-breaking score, a five-length romp at Ellis Park July 22, was enough to secure 5-2 favoritism for Justa Warrior Sunday afternoon in her jump up to stakes company. With an extra furlong-and-a-half to work with, she settled three wide behind the pace of Mor Lively (Mor Spirit) through fractions of :22.39 and :45.71. Fanned five wide at the top of the stretch, Justa Warrior assumed command and took over, holding off a charging Pachuca (Ghostzapper) in the final sixteenth to lead by a length on the wire.

Her family is a who’s who list of ‘TDN Rising Stars’ that includes her dam, GISW and $1.25 million 2011 Fasig-Tipton November purchase A Z Warrior (Bernardini), and a trio of her dam’s half-sisters (GISP Jojo Warrior {Pioneerof the Nile}, GSP J Z Warrior {Harlan’s Holiday}, and GISP E Z Warrior {Exploit}). A Z Warrior has since produced a full-brother to today’s winner, as well as a weanling colt by Uncle Mo. She was bred back to Curlin for a 2023 foal. Justa Warrior is the third black-type winner for freshman Coolmore stallion Justify (by Scat Daddy). Click for the Equibase.com chart.

RUNHAPPY ELLIS PARK DEBUTANTE S., $122,500, Ellis, 8-14, 2yo, f, 7f, 1:25.89, ft.
1–JUSTA WARRIOR, 120, f, 2, by Justify
                1st Dam: A Z Warrior (GISW, $286,906), by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Carson Jen, by Carson City
                3rd Dam: Calamitous Jen, by Deputy Minister
($150,000 Ylg ’21 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN.
O-Stone Bridge Farm; B-Triemore Stud (KY); T-John Alexander
Ortiz; J-Reylu Gutierrez. $72,660. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0,
$108,660. *1/2 to Cole Porter (IRE) (Galileo (IRE)), SP-Sin,
$215,874.

TAPPLE CIDER graduates at Saratoga

TAPPLE CIDER (Tonalist) overcame a bump at the start and then settled comfortably on the race before launching a 5 wide drive to the wire. She won by a neck racing 1 1/16 on the inner turf.  TAPPLE CIDER is owned by Sackatoga Stable.
Sold to Sackatoga Stable for $290,000 as a two year old
Consigned by Kirkwood Stables

Virginia Horse of the Year Chess Chief 3rd in the Alydar at Saratoga

Purchased as a yearling at Saratoga by Kirkwood for trainer Dallas Stewart and the Estate of James Coleman. 
Today 3rd in the Alydar Stakes at Saratoga
Chess Chief (outside) wins the 2021 Tenacious Stakes at Fair Grounds
Chess Chief (outside) wins the 2021 Tenacious Stakes at Fair GroundsHodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.

The annual Virginia Breeder’s Awards program has been scheduled at Great Meadow Friday May 6th—the evening before the Virginia Gold Cup Races—in a return to more of a “normal times” format for the first time since 2019. The event will take place in a trackside tent on Member’s Hill overlooking the deep stretch and finish line areas where steeplechase horses are set to compete the next afternoon. A list of awards to be presented that night follows.

Horse-of-the-Year honors go to Chess Chief, who was also recognized as Virginia-Bred Older Horse Champion based on two stakes wins and $446,290 in earnings. The Dallas Stewart trainee struck early and late in the year, connecting at Fair Grounds twice in the Grade 2 New Orleans Stakes March 20 and in the Tenacious Stakes December 26. Bred by Morgan’s Ford Farm, the 6-year-old Into Mischief horse heads into spring with $865,338 in winnings overal

JUSTA WARRIOR exciting 2 year old winner at Ellis Park

Courtesy of the TDN
STARTED AT KIRKWOOD!
5th-Ellis, $60,000, Msw, 7-22, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:03.88, ft, 5 lengths.
JUSTA WARRIOR (f, 2, Justify–A Z Warrior {GISW, $286,906}, by Bernardini) capped off her worktab with a strong half-mile from the gate in :48 1/5 July 12 and was off as the 5-2 second choice to open her account at first asking. Away in good order from a middle gate, the $150,000 Keeneland September yearling took up a pace-pressing role to the outside, eased to the front with a furlong and a half to race and–despite a few swishes of her tail–pulled away to score by five emphatic lengths to become the fifth winner for her freshman sire (by Scat Daddy).

A Z Warrior, the first-ever ‘TDN Rising Star’ for her sire, won the 2010 GI Frizette S. and was sold on for $1.25 million at Fasig-Tipton November in 2011. A half-sister to fellow ‘Rising Stars’ Jojo Warrior (Pioneerof the Nile), E Z Warrior (Exploit) and J Z Warrior (Harlan’s Holiday), A Z Warrior is the dam of Cole Porter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), SP-Sin, $215,874, as well as the course-record setter in Japan Conch Pearl (American Pharoah). Her most recent produce include a yearling full-sister to Justa Warrior and a suckling colt by Uncle Mo. Sales history: $150,000 Ylg ’21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $36,000. O-Stone Bridge Farm
B-Triemore Stud (KY)
T-John Alexander Ortiz

FLAMING EAST graduates at Laurel

FLAMING EAST (Divining Rod) got his start at Kirkwood.  In his thrid start, racing 7 furlongs on the dirt at Laurel,  he was held off a front duel and bided his time to then clear the field and win by 1 3/4th of a length. He is trained by Lacey Gaudet and owned by  Squire Thoroughreds LLC. Breeder: Candyland Farm

GODDARD adds more black-type

Stakes placed in the Bill Thomas Memorial Stakes at Sunland last out,  GODDARD (Tapit) followed that with a second by a neck in the Inaugural Stakes at Sunray. Today he added to his resume with a 3rd in the SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS S at Sunray. He adds black-type once a month!

Goddard is trained by Todd W. Fincher and owned by  B. Ray Willis. He was bred by Winchell Thoroughbreds, LLC. GODDARD was sold by Kirkwood at the 2020 Fasig Tipton sale at Timonium.

Starts Firsts Seconds Thirds Earnings
13 3 4 4 $117,528

LE VERGER graduates 2nd out in Japan

Purchased from Kirkwood for $100,000 by Okada Stud at Fasig Tipton Midlantic 2021
Courtesy of the TDN
3rd-Niigata, -9,900,000 ($77,494), Maiden, 1200m, 1:12.1, ft.
LE VERGER (f, 3, Maclean’s Music–Wine Train, by Tiz Wonderful) finished a midfield seventh on her Mar. 5 debut at Hanshin and was the 9-1 fourth choice to show the necessary improvement at second asking. Beaten for speed, Le Verger found a spot slightly ahead of midfield and raced in clear air around the turn. Pulled out towards the center of the strip with a quarter-mile to run, the bay let down nicely, hit the front with about 100 meters to travel and proved 1 1/2 lengths too strong for the competition.

The winner’s dam is a daughter of the stakes-winning Stage Stop (Valid Expectations), herself responsible for SW & GSP Stageplay (Curlin). Wine Train was sold for $25,000 at KEENOV in 2019 and produced the Carpe Diem filly Rafanelli in 2020. She was most recently bred to Instagrand.
Sales history: $31,000 Ylg ’20 KEEJAN; $50,000 RNA Ylg ’20 KEESEP; $100,000 2yo ’21 FTMMAY.
Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $40,644.
O-Normandy Thoroughbred Racing
B-Robert & Lawana Low (KY)
; T-Haruki Sugiyama.