Stud fee alternative announced for California sire Suances

Rancho Temescal in Piru, California has announced an innovative option for California breeders who support the farm’s stallion, Suances (GB), one of the state’s leading second-crop sires of 2009.

During the 2010 breeding season, breeders may choose either to pay the stud fee of $3,500 (live foal guarantee), or, for the first 20 approved mares, the fee will be waived by naming Red Baron’s Barn as co-breeder (50%) of the resulting foal.

Suances, a Group 1 winner in France and Grade 2 winner in Northern California, was represented by his initial runners in 2008, and has average earnings per starter of more than $31,000 from his first two crops to race. The Most Welcome (GB) sire’s chief earner is the 2009 Grade 2-placed stakes winner Feisty Suances ($202,728).

For more information about this 12-year-old stallion and his 2010 breeding season options, please contact Tim Cohen of Rancho Temescal at (805) 521-0511. — December 28, 2009

Harbor the Gold adds to success with stakes-placed 2YOs

Meeting head-to-head for the third consecutive time in the early stages of their respective careers, the Oregon-bred fillies Rockhill Gold and Storm N the Harbor each scored a stakes placing on December 14 while contributing toward the ongoing success of their mutual sire, Harbor the Gold.

After competing against each other in a pair of 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight races at Portland Meadows on October 27 and November 9, with Rockhill Gold accomplishing her inaugural victory in the latter test, the rivals faced each other again in the track’s $25,350 Janet Wineberg Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, conducted at six furlongs as one of the features on Oregon Championship Day.

Although neither youngster could overcome the front-running favorite, Shame On Rosie, who wound up winning the nine-horse race by a widening six lengths on the fast dirt track, Rockhill Gold finished best of the rest in second after running four-wide in the turn under jockey J. Luis Torres. Storm N the Harbor chased the early pace under Jose Zunino, but gave way late and finished third, a length behind her cropmate.

Rockhill Gold is trained by Sue Utley for her owner and breeder, Burle Oakley. She is the first foal out of the unraced mare Rockhill Jazz, by He’s Tops, and has earned $8,680.

Storm N the Harbor has banked $4,748 for trainer Sharon Balcom, who co-owns the dual-placed filly with Peggy Buckley. The first foal out of Category Five’s winning daughter Storm N Sunny was bred by Dwight Bailey and Emerald Creek Farms LLC.

The stakes placings by his daughters helped strengthen the standing of Oregon’s current leading sire of 2-year-olds, Harbor the Gold. The Bar C Racing Stables resident boasts year-to-date progeny earnings of more than $200,000 from this age group, which includes the multiple stakes winners Koala Beach and Hollywood Harbor. He also reigns as the state’s leading second-crop sire with overall 2009 progeny earnings of more than $360,000. — December 14, 2009

Standout Suances colt garners another stakes placing on turf

The talented Suances (GB) runner Feisty Suances, a Grade 2-placed stakes winner on the all-weather racing surfaces in his native California, continued to experiment on the turf with a solid, third-place effort in the inaugural edition of Hollywood Park’s $53,100 Contested Bid Stakes on December 5. [WATCH RACE VIDEO]

The 3-year-old colt has made 10 starts to date, yielding four wins, three seconds and a third for total earnings of $202,728. All but his two most recent outings have been on the main Cushion Track surface at Hollywood, the Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita Park and the Tapeta Footings surface at Golden Gate Fields. In addition to exhibiting his versatility by winning at least one race on each of those synthetic surfaces, the Darrell Vienna trainee made an auspicious turf debut in the $50,000 Jack Coady Sr. Stakes at Turf Paradise on November 14, finishing second by a nose after enduring a wide trip in the one-mile test.

Partnered with frequent rider David Flores and kept at the grassy distance of a mile for the age-restricted Contested Bid, Feisty Suances stalked the pacesetter from second, made his bid in the final turn, then kept moving forward despite being sandwiched between two closers in late stretch. He wound up finishing third of the combative trio, who were separated at the wire by a nose and a neck; Riviera Cocktail was the winner in 1:34.53.

Feisty Suances was bred in California by owner Red Baron’s Barn. His dam is the winning Good and Tough mare Good and Hot.

His sire is the Rancho Temescal resident Suances, a Group 1 winner in France and Grade 2 winner in California. The 12-year-old son of Most Welcome (GB) is represented by collective progeny earnings of more than $300,000 from his two crops of racing age. — December 5, 2009

Suances filly breaks her maiden in front-running fashion

For California-bred Princess Suances, the third time proved to be the charm on November 25, when the 3-year-old Suances (GB) filly translated a front-running effort at Hollywood Park into a definitive maiden win in her third trip postward.

Making her first start in Inglewood following a seventh-place career debut at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in early August and a narrow second-place showing at Santa Anita Park in mid-October during the Oak Tree Racing Association meet, Princess Suances stretched out from the six-furlong distance of those two earlier races to a one-mile circuit and switched from the main-track synthetic racing surface to the turf.

Trainer Darrell Vienna’s tactics worked to perfection. Ridden by Hollywood leader Joel Rosario in the $38,400 maiden special weight test, the strapping sophomore filly broke eagerly from the outermost stall of the starting gate and encountered no serious threats from her five overmatched rivals as she posted internal fractions of :24.87, :48.72, 1:12.63 and 1:24.49 through the first seven furlongs. She reached the conclusion of the race under a hand ride in 1:36.16 while recording a 2 1/2-length margin of victory, and returned $4, $2.80 and $2.40 to her supporters as the even-money wagering favorite.

Bred and owned by Red Baron’s Barn, Princess Suances has banked $27,000 from her initial three starts. She is the first foal out of the unraced Dixie Union mare Princess Leela.

With four winners from his inaugural 10 starters, led by the Grade 2-placed stakes winner Feisty Suances, 12-year-old Suances holds court at Rancho Temescal in Piru, California. The Group 1-winning son of Most Welcome (GB) has cumulative progeny earnings of more than $290,000 from two crops to race. — November 25, 2009

Oregon leader Harbor the Gold tallies another 2YO winner

In only his third career start, R. A. Laney’s Gold became the sixth juvenile winner of 2009 for the emerging Oregon sire Harbor the Gold when he captured a 5 1/2-furlong contest at Portland Meadows on November 24.

Drawn on the outside of the eight-strong field who had assembled for the $8,000 maiden claiming race, the Rolland Fergason-trained gelding attracted the majority of attention as the 6-5 wagering favorite, due to his runner-up effort at the track, level and distance two weeks earlier under returning rider Troy Stillwell. Unlike that previous race, in which he took an immediate lead and ultimately tired in the stretch, R. A. Laney’s Gold raced in fourth early, moved out four-wide in the turn and took command of the proceedings with an eighth of a mile remaining to run.

Stillwell managed a 1 1/2-length victory aboard the youngster, who stopped the clock in 1:06.71 on the fast dirt track.

R. A. Laney’s Gold was bred in Oregon by Joy Obrist, who now campaigns him in partnership with Debora Fergason. He is the second foal out of the winning Country Light mare Laney, and has earned $3,670 to date.

Thanks to the success of his current 2-year-old runners, topped by the multiple stakes winners Koala Beach and Hollywood Harbor, the Bar C Racing Stables stallion Harbor the Gold leads all Oregon sires by juvenile progeny earnings in 2009, with more than $195,000 accrued by his runners in this age group this year. The 8-year-old son of Seeking the Gold has total progeny earnings of more than $460,000, and also reigns as Oregon’s leading second-crop sire of 2009. — November 24, 2009

Harbor the Gold maiden winner romps by 13-plus lengths

Relishing the move from Emerald Downs to Portland Meadows, the first-crop Harbor the Gold gelding Git Rrr Dun Too turned his Oregon debut into a rout on October 14, when he dominated a maiden special weight sprint by an eye-popping 13 1/2 lengths.

Prior to shipping south, the 3-year-old runner had made a trio of starts in August and September at the $5,000 to $7,500 maiden claiming level, with his best effort in Washington coming in a fourth-place finish on September 24. But the Mark Jones trainee demonstrated an immediate affinity for his new surroundings when rain in the Portland area created a wet fast surface for his local welcome.

Under the guidance of jockey Robert Burney, Git Rrr Dun Too broke from the gate third among the eight starters assembled for the five-furlong test, and quickly set the tone when he took the lead a few strides out. At the three-eighths mark, his advantage was already five lengths clear of his closest rival; in the stretch, it increased to 10 lengths. From that point onward, Burney merely pointed his mount at the wire and the 6-1 gelding took care of the rest. His winning time of :57.43 was just shy of the track’s :57.13 record for the distance.

Bred in Washington by Carol Noonan, Git Rrr Dun Too has earned $3,588 for owners Alan Bozell and Donel Matwiejow. The four-time starter is out of the unraced Jazzing Around mare Jazzy Sue.

His sire is the leader among all Oregon stallions who entered stud in 2005: Harbor the Gold, a winning son of Seeking the Gold. The Bar C Racing Stables resident has accrued more than $440,000 in progeny earnings from his initial two crops of racing age. — October 14, 2009

First-crop Vronsky filly a three-time winner at Turf Paradise

On October 12, the Vronsky filly Shesourkindagal demonstrated her affinity for Arizona soil when she captured a five-furlong race to remain perfect in three main-track sprints at Turf Paradise.

The 3-year-old runner, a member of her sire’s inaugural foal crop, has competed on dirt, turf and all-weather surfaces while making 13 starts at six different racetracks in Arizona and California over the past 12 months. But she has found her best stride in short-distance attempts on a fast strip at Turf Paradise, where she broke her maiden in her fifth start last February. She followed that five-furlong score with a 12 1/4-length romp in a local, $5,000 claiming race carded at six furlongs on March 8.

After making six disappointing appearances elsewhere over the next seven months, placing just twice, Shesourkindagal returned to the site and distance of her maiden win for her most recent outing, in which she faced seven rival fillies and mares in a $3,500 claiming race. Saddled by trainer Matt Williams and ridden by jockey Wilson Dieguez, she overcame a slow start with a powerful late rush and reached the wire with a one-length advantage in a final time of :58.17.

Shesourkindagal was bred in California by her owner, Blahut Stables LLC, and has earned $18,535 while posting three wins and three placings overall. She is the second foal out of Clever Trick’s unraced daughter Clever N Cute.

Vronsky is represented by five winners from seven starters to date, including the stakes-winning juvenile Excessive Passion. The second-crop sire, a 10-year-old multiple winner by Danzig, stands at Old English Rancho in Sanger, California. — October 12, 2009

Suzanne Cardiff-recommended Gayego wins G1 Ancient Title

Long-absent Gayego, a 2008 Triple Crown contender who was selected at auction by bloodstock consultant Suzanne Cardiff, returned to his Southern California roots on October 11 and punched his ticket to the 2009 Breeders’ Cup World Championships with an emphatic victory in the Grade 1 Ancient Title Stakes, a $300,000 feature presented by the Oak Tree Racing Association at Santa Anita Park. [WATCH RACE VIDEO]

Contested over the same Pro-Ride surface and six-furlong distance of the upcoming Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), the Ancient Title served as a homecoming for its 6-5 winner, whom Cardiff had recommended for purchase by former owner Cubanacan Stables during the 2006 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. That original $32,000 auction price is just a small percentage of the Kentucky-bred colt’s $1,299,620 bankroll three years later.

After gaining his early racing experience at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park, Gayego won Oaklawn Park’s 2008 Arkansas Derby (G2) and competed in both the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1). In his final start for his former connections last November, he set a Hollywood track record of 1:13.37 in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance optional claiming win before he was sold to Godolphin Racing and sent to the United Arab Emirates to prepare for a 2009 campaign.

In two March starts at Dubai’s Nad al Sheba racetrack, the Gilded Time colt won a Group 3 race at six furlongs, then ran second in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile. His new connections were further rewarded when the colt won a six-furlong optional claiming race at Saratoga Race Course upon his subsequent return to the United States. Shipped from New York back to California after that August 17 triumph, 4-year-old Gayego closed from ninth to first under Garrett Gomez in the 10-horse Ancient Title, stopping the clock in a swift 1:08.28 for his first Grade 1 score.

Gayego has won seven of 13 starts overall, with three seconds. He is currently trained by Saeed bin Suroor for Godolphin owner Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.

Based in Arcadia, California, Suzanne Cardiff offers pedigree research consultation and other Thoroughbred-related services. — October 11, 2009

Noosa Beach is Harbor the Gold’s first graded stakes horse

Washington’s 2008 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding, Noosa Beach, added to his career credentials on September 27, when he became the initial graded stakes performer for his sire, Harbor the Gold, with his third-place effort in the $278,902 British Columbia Derby (G3) at Hastings Race Course. [WATCH RACE VIDEO]

Shipping north to Canada from his Emerald Downs base for the first time in his nine-race career, Noosa Beach was largely ignored at odds of 29-1 for the 1 1/8-mile dirt test, making him the second-highest longshot in the field of nine runners. Undaunted, the 3-year-old gelding broke second under rider Tony Gutierrez and instantly got involved in the pace scenario from a close-up running position.

After chasing the leader from an outside path through the opening six furlongs, which were clocked in a brisk 1:11.14, Noosa Beach tired in the lane, but re-rallied late to hold on to his hard-fought third, finishing 1 3/4 lengths behind his victorious stablemate, Winning Machine. He collected $27,715 for owner Jeff Harwood, who bred the gelding in Washington in partnership with his wife and trainer, Doris Harwood.

Noosa Beach has competed exclusively in stakes company, winning three of those events, since he broke his maiden by 4 1/2 lengths in his racing debut at Emerald Downs in August 2008. Overall, he has banked $140,840 as the highest earner for his dam, the unraced Basket Weave mare Julia Rose.

He is also the top earner for Harbor the Gold, Oregon’s leading second-crop sire and leading sire of 2-year-olds in 2009. The 8-year-old winner by Seeking the Gold stands at Bar C Racing Stables in Hermiston, and has lifetime progeny earnings of more than $440,000. — September 27, 2009

Koala Beach, by Harbor the Gold, cruises in Gottstein Futurity

In an athletic display aptly described by Emerald Downs announcer Robert Geller as “a walk in the park,” the 2-year-old Harbor the Gold gelding Koala Beach romped to the easiest of wins in the $67,500 Gottstein Futurity on September 26, collecting his second consecutive stakes victory by daylight and padding his sire’s standing as Oregon’s leader by juvenile progeny earnings in the process. [WATCH RACE VIDEO]

After chasing his speedy cropmate, Hollywood Harbor, in three local stakes contests over the summer, Koala Beach broke through for his first black-type score as the 1-2 favorite in the Washington track’s $50,000 Dennis Dodge Stakes on September 13 — a 6 1/2-furlong race which he wired by eight lengths. His Gottstein attempt mirrored those winning tactics.

Koala Beach and jockey Gallyn Mitchell broke on top from the inside post, then deftly controlled a slow pace by setting fractions of :24, :48.20, 1:12.60 and 1:36.60 for the first mile of the 1 1/16-mile dirt race, which had attracted six hapless contenders. The Doris Harwood trainee simply lengthened his stride as the wire approached, and ultimately stopped the clock in 1:42.80 with another eight-length advantage, a record win margin for the 72-year-old race.

“He’s a real versatile horse, and I think he can win at any distance,” Mitchell said of the 1-5 favorite, who elevated his career bankroll to $92,843 with his $37,125 share of the Gottstein purse. From six starts, the youngster has compiled three wins, two seconds and a third.

Bred in Washington by Bar C Racing Stables Inc., Koala Beach is the first foal out of Distinctive Cat’s unraced daughter Kittyzallwet. He is owned by Jeff Harwood.

With year-to-date earnings of $187,301 accrued by his juvenile runners, Harbor the Gold is the runaway leader among all Oregon-based sires in this statistical category. The 8-year-old Bar C Racing Stables resident is also the state’s leading second-crop sire of 2009 and reigning first-crop sire of 2008. — September 26, 2009

Harbor the Gold notches two more first-crop maiden winners

Oregon’s leading young stallion, Harbor the Gold, added another two maiden winners to his first-crop tally during a four-day span at Emerald Downs in mid-September. Wowie Maui and Niftys Hobby, each a member of his inaugural 2006 crop of foals, turned in front-running victories at the Washington oval.

On September 17, David Breiwick’s homebred runner Wowie Maui led a seven-horse field from flag fall to finish in a six-furlong race on the fast main track. Ridden by Juan Gutierrez, the 3-year-old gelding posted fractions of :22.20, :44.80 and :56.80 and a final time of 1:09.40 for his initial career triumph in the $25,000 claiming test for non-winners. The three-time starter and 3-2 second wagering choice held a 2 3/4-length margin over his closest competitor at the end.

A Washington-bred, Wowie Maui is out of the winning Basket Weave mare Summer Straw. He is trained by Joe Toye, and has earned $10,133 to date.

Three days after her cropmate had his photo taken in the Emerald Downs winner’s circle, Niftys Hobby posed for the camera as well. The Washington-bred filly, who is owned and trained by Neil Knapp, validated her 1-5 favoritism with a dominating performance against six rivals in a five-furlong sprint at the $5,000 maiden claiming level. Piloted by jockey Cassie Papineau, she was timed in :22.60 and :46 for the opening half-mile, and ultimately extended her advantage to four lengths at the wire, which she reached in :58.80.

Niftys Hobby, 3, was bred by Marie Monroe, and produced by Slewdledo’s stakes-winning daughter Nifty Nite. In addition to her September 20 win, she has five placings and overall earnings of $9,604 from 13 starts.

Eight-year-old Harbor the Gold has reigned as Oregon’s leading young sire on the strength of his initial two crops to race. The state’s top-ranked 2008 first-crop sire is now the top-ranked 2009 second-crop sire, and is also chief among all Oregon stallions by 2009 juvenile progeny earnings. The winning son of Seeking the Gold stands at Bar C Racing Stables in Hermiston. — September 20, 2009

Koala Beach becomes fifth stakes winner for Harbor the Gold

Finally escaping the enormous shadow of his cropmate, three-time stakes winner Hollywood Harbor, the 2-year-old Harbor the Gold gelding Koala Beach got the opportunity to showcase his own abilities with a dominant, eight-length victory in Emerald Downs’ $50,000 Dennis Dodge Stakes on September 13. [WATCH RACE VIDEO]

The Washington-bred runner finished a distant second to Hollywood Harbor in the track’s 5 1/2-furlong Northwest Stallion Strong Ruler Stakes on July 18 and third to that same rival in the six-furlong Premio Esmeralda Stakes on August 9, but narrowed the final margin between them to 2 1/2 lengths when he ran second in the one-mile Washington Thoroughbred Breeders Association Lads Stakes on August 29.

Favored at odds of 1-2 in the 6 1/2-furlong Dennis Dodge when the connections of Hollywood Harbor decided to skip the race, Koala Beach broke first from the gate and quickly engaged three other speedsters in a four-way duel for the lead. Although his mount ran widest of all, jockey Gallyn Mitchell simply glanced over his shoulder upon exiting the turn and loosened his reins; Koala Beach responded by cruising to the wire unchallenged in a final time of 1:15.60.

Conditioned by leading Emerald Downs trainer Doris Harwood for her husband, Jeff Harwood, Koala Beach has banked $55,718, with two wins and three placings from five starts. He was bred by Bar C Racing Stables Inc., and is the first foal out of Hollywood Harbor’s unraced half-sister, Kittyzallwet, by Distinctive Cat.

Later that day, the 3-year-old gelding Who’s Your Next Ex also represented Harbor the Gold on the Washington Cup VII program with a runner-up effort in the $50,000 Trooper Seven Stakes. Ridden by Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo, he led early and gave way grudgingly late, reaching the wire 1 1/4 lengths behind the 17-1 winner, Quinalt. [WATCH RACE VIDEO]

Who’s Your Next Ex, a stakes winner at 2, has earned $48,143 from 10 starts. Bred in Washington by Kim Smith and produced by the winning Synastry mare Synanita, he is currently trained by Charles Essex for owner Kimberly Nobles.

Harbor the Gold has sired five stakes winners and the collective earners of more than $360,000 from two crops to race. The 8-year-old Seeking the Gold stallion holds court at Bar C Racing Stables in Hermiston, Oregon. — September 13, 2009

Private Gold unveils three stakes-caliber juveniles

On a day set aside at Emerald Downs to highlight the Washington Thoroughbred breeding program, three juveniles by one of the state’s most exciting young sires revealed their talent with inaugural black-type placings. Together, Edaciously, Private Jettz and Private Fortune — each from the 2007 foal crop of Private Gold — occupied half of the on-the-board slots in the 2-year-old stakes races featured on the Washington Cup VII program on September 13.

In the 6 1/2-furlong Dennis Dodge Stakes, runner-up Edaciously and third-place finisher Private Jettz collected $15,708 of the $50,000 in available purse money. Although the winner’s share was taken home by the 1-2 favorite and eight-length winner Koala Beach, owner Michael Pattison’s colt Edaciously got up for second at odds of 8-1 after stalking behind a four-horse duel for the lead that spread across the track in front of him until the field reached the top of the stretch. Angling out for running room under jockey Troy Stillwell, Edaciously passed all but one of his rivals to earn a placing in his stakes debut. [WATCH RACE VIDEO]

The August 2 maiden special weight winner has banked $20,903 from four starts for trainer Charles Essex. He was bred by Dale Mahlum and produced by the stakes-winning Salem Drive mare Majorca.

Holding on for third after participating in the strenuous speed duel was Private Jettz, who was ridden by Juan Gutierrez for trainer Blaine Wright. A two-time winner in claiming company during the current Emerald Downs meet, the 6-1 gelding completed the distance 3 3/4 lengths behind his cropmate.

Private Jettz has earned $19,010 from his four starts as a homebred for John and Janene Maryanski. He is the second foal out of the winning mare Freedom In Flight, by Free At Last.

An hour after the juvenile males held the spotlight, Private Fortune pocketed $8,750 for finishing second by a neck to fellow longshot Have’n a Wild Time in the female counterpart to the Dennis Dodge: the $50,000 Diane Kem Stakes, which attracted 11 fillies for its 2009 edition. The Jim Penney trainee raced evenly in the 6 1/2-furlong test, transferring an early stalking position under Troy Stillwell into a well-timed finish at odds of 35-1. [WATCH RACE VIDEO]

Private Fortune has placed in all four of her starts, but has yet to win. The $16,233-earner was bred by Mr. and Mrs. Frederick L. Pabst, and is campaigned by Blue Ribbon Racing #2. Her dam is the stakes-winning Drone mare Shimmer Of Silk.

The Washington-bred trio became the fifth, sixth and seventh stakes horses for 9-year-old Private Gold, by Seeking the Gold. The El Dorado Farms resident has progeny earnings in excess of $300,000 from two crops of racing age. — September 13, 2009

First-crop Private Gold filly makes it three wins in a row

Primadonna Pearl, the leading earner for the young Washington sire Private Gold, collected her third consecutive victory at Emerald Downs on September 10, when she got up in time to defeat six rival 3-year-old fillies with the meet’s leading jockey, Ricky Frazier, at the helm.

Saddled by trainer Vann Belvoir, the consistent filly captured a six-furlong race while running for a $15,000 claiming price, which were the same conditions surrounding her earlier local wins on July 18 and August 27. Like those two other races, she employed an impressive turn of foot in the stretch to accomplish the deed.

In her most recent outing, she moved from sixth to first for a one-length score in 1:09. The win was her fifth overall from 17 starts, and boosted her career bankroll to $45,700. Among the filly’s seven placings is a third-place finish in the 2008 Lassie Stakes, also contested at six furlongs, at Portland Meadows.

Primadonna Pearl was bred in Washington by Carleen Phyllis Belton and Dan Belton, and produced by Slewdledo’s winning daughter Primadonna Poppy. She currently races for owner Howard Maggard.

The precocious filly is a first-crop daughter of Private Gold, a Grade 3-placed, dual stakes winner by Seeking the Gold who resides at El Dorado Farms in Enumclaw, Washington. — September 10, 2009

Tannersmyman colt achieves Sacramento stakes placing

Autism Awareness, the leading lifetime earner for the stakes-winning stallion Tannersmyman, continued to flaunt his affinity for Northern California racetracks with a runner-up finish in the $80,000 Governor’s Handicap on September 7, closing day of the 2009 California State Fair meet in Sacramento. [WATCH RACE VIDEO]

The 4-year-old colt burst onto the national scene in March 2008, when he captured the $150,000 El Camino Real Derby (G3) on the dirt at Bay Meadows Race Course. He then added to his credentials with a late-running victory in the $150,000 Berkeley Stakes (G3) on the Tapeta surface at Golden Gate Fields in May 2009. Following that 1 1/16-mile race, he shipped south for Hollywood Park’s Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap on July 11, then north for Emerald Downs’ Grade 3 Longacres Mile Handicap on August 16.

After running unplaced in both of those experiments, Autism Awareness returned to his base at trainer Genaro Vallejo’s Golden Gate barn to prepare for the 1 1/8-mile Governor’s Handicap, which attracted five starters for its 59th edition. Paired with jockey Frank Alvarado and assigned top weight of 122 pounds, he stalked the pace from third for the first six furlongs of the dirt test, moved up in the final turn and finished evenly behind the winning favorite, Bold Chieftain, who produced a five-length advantage in the end.

The race marked the first stakes placing for Autism Awareness, an earner of $297,745 from his 25-race career. Altogether, he has compiled four wins and six placings for owner Johnny Taboada, who purchased the colt for a shrewd $1,000 at the 2006 CTBA Sales’ Northern California Yearling Sale. He is the second foal out of the winning Sharp Victor mare Lady Essex, and was bred in California by Jim Eaton, Paul Arndt, Dave Marabela and Mr. and Mrs. Terry Smith.

Woodbridge Farm in Oakdale, California is the home of the fourth-crop sire Tannersmyman. The 11-year-old Lord Carson stallion is represented by cumulative progeny earnings of more than $600,000 to date. — September 7, 2009

Private Gold strikes again with his Emerald Downs juveniles

It was business as usual at Emerald Downs over the weekend of August 29-30, as two fillies from the second crop of Washington’s leading sire of 2-year-olds, Private Gold, extended the stallion’s reign by exhibiting their early talent.

Zenovit, a local winner at the $20,000 maiden claiming level on August 14, returned to the Auburn track 15 days later to score a four-length victory over her cropmate, Private Fortune, and six other starters in a $30,000 claiming event carded at six furlongs for juvenile fillies and conducted on a wet-fast surface. Ridden by jockey Seth Martinez, the Larry Ross trainee stalked in fifth during the opening stages, gained command near the eighth pole and drew off for a clear victory in 1:10.20 at odds of 7-2.

The $18,038-earner was produced by the winning Cahill Road mare Cahilina, and is campaigned by her breeders, Dana Claxton and Riverbend Farm. A Washington-bred, she has two wins and a second from four starts.

Less than 24 hours after Zenovit’s winning performance, the 29-1 longshot Miss Cygogne turned in a respectable third-place effort behind the three-time stakes winner Knight Raider in Emerald Downs’ $54,000 Barbara Shinpoch Stakes. Although she completed the one-mile distance under jockey Cassie Papineau 5 3/4 lengths behind the winning 1-5 favorite, she outran five of her other rivals and effectively pushed her overall bankroll to $19,103. [WATCH RACE VIDEO]

A runaway debut winner against males on July 2, Miss Cygogne next ran third behind Knight Raider in the track’s $31,500 Northwest Stallion Knights Choice Stakes. The four-time starter was bred in Washington by Nina and Ron Hagen, and is currently trained by Bill Thompson for owners Al Adams, David Israel and Gary Borman. Her dam is Cygogne, by Basket Weave.

From two crops of racing age, Private Gold is represented by 13 winners, 12 of whom won at least one race at 2. The 9-year-old Seeking the Gold sire was himself a Grade 3-placed stakes winner at 2, and now holds court at the Hagens’ El Dorado Farms in Enumclaw, Washington. — August 30, 2009

Hollywood Harbor leads huge weekend for Harbor the Gold

Continuing his dominance over the Northwest youth division, speedy Hollywood Harbor stretched out to a mile for the first time on August 29 and completed a rare sweep of Emerald Downs’ initial three stakes for juveniles when he captured the $45,000 Washington Thoroughbred Breeders Association Lads Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths over another runner from the second crop of Oregon sire Harbor the Gold, Koala Beach. [WATCH RACE VIDEO]

Saddled by trainer Chris Stenslie and installed as the 2-5 favorite among eight starters on the heels of his runaway victories in the track’s 5 1/2-furlong Northwest Stallion Strong Ruler Stakes on July 18 and six-furlong Premio Esmeralda Stakes on August 9, Hollywood Harbor set fractions of :22.80, :45.80, 1:10.20 and 1:22.80 over the wet-fast surface before he cruised home unchallenged in 1:36.40, just shy of the stakes record.

“I think he intimidates the rest of the horses because he’s such a good horse,” said winning rider Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo. “He’s so good, and these types of good horses don’t come around too often.”

Hollywood Harbor is out of the multiple stakes-winning Slewdledo mare Miss Slewette. Sold for $21,000 as a yearling, the Washington-bred gelding has earned $70,101 from four starts for owners One Horse Will Do Corp. and John Holmes.

Tracking his cropmate in second throughout was the Doris Harwood trainee Koala Beach, who ran second in the Strong Ruler and third in the Premio Esmeralda for owner Jeff Harwood. The Washington-bred gelding concluded the Lads Stakes under jockey Gallyn Mitchell 9 1/2 lengths clear of the third-place finisher, padding his four-race earnings to $29,540.

A local debut winner on June 28, Koala Beach was produced by the unraced Distinctive Cat mare Kittyzallwet, a half-sister to Hollywood Harbor.

Both the winner and the runner-up were bred by Bar C Racing Stables Inc.

One day after Hollywood Harbor and Koala Beach completed the Lads Stakes exacta, another gelding from their sire’s 2007 crop reached the Emerald Downs winner’s circle. Washington-bred Bogachiel, the first foal out of Swiss Yodeler’s daughter Alpine Song, was a two-length maiden winner at six furlongs for trainer Bonnie Jenne and owner/breeder Frank McDonald. Ridden by jockey Troy Stillwell in the $20,000 claiming race, Bogachiel stopped the clock in 1:10.60 and elevated his three-race bankroll to $8,631.

With six stakes horses and cumulative progeny earnings of more than $327,000 from his first two crops of racing age, 8-year-old Harbor the Gold is Oregon’s leading second-crop sire of 2009. The Bar C Racing Stables stallion is a two-time winner by Seeking the Gold and a half-brother to 1996 Eclipse Champion 2-Year-Old Boston Harbor. — August 30, 2009

Atticus filly nabs second in $100,000 Calder 2YO turf sprint

After recently passing $10 million in lifetime progeny earnings, the California sire Atticus continued to embellish his 2009 list of achievements when his 2-year-old daughter Girl Bar finished a hard-trying second in the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Turf Dash Stakes at Calder Race Course on August 29. [WATCH RACE VIDEO]

Although she faced seven colts in the five-furlong grass sprint, the Florida-bred filly was sent postward for her second career start and stakes debut as the even-money favorite. With jockey Paco Lopez in the irons, she was aggressive throughout from her outside post.

Girl Bar hopped in the air when the starting gate opened, and was quickly rushed into contention by her rider, who moved her up to chase the pace three-wide into the stretch. In the final yards, the duo managed to get within a length of the 45-1 front-runner, Retire to What, but they were left with too much to do and, ultimately, reached the wire a length behind that speedy rival.

The Wesley Ward homebred has now earned $48,000. Under Ward’s training regimen, she broke her maiden last April in her 2 1/2-furlong racing debut on the dirt at Gulfstream Park, but she did not compete again until the Turf Dash, nearly five months later. Girl Bar is the second stakes horse produced by the winner My Kai, a stakes-placed daughter of In Excess (Ire).

Atticus, a Grade 1 winner and millionaire, is also represented this year by his Grade 2-placed dual stakes winner Strawberry Tart, 3, and his 8-year-old veteran stakes winner Atticus Kristy among his 26 stakes horses from nine crops of racing age. The 17-year-old Nureyev stallion stands at Magali Farms in Santa Ynez, California. — August 29, 2009

Private Gold goes on a winning run at Emerald Downs

The Washington stallion Private Gold solidified his position as the state’s leading second-crop sire of 2009 when three of his runners reached the Emerald Downs winner’s circle on back-to-back days in late August. Two of those successful starters were first-time winners, while the third member of the trio captured a fourth career victory; all three winners were bred in the Evergreen State.

Foaled exactly one month apart in 2007, the juvenile geldings Movie Clip and Cougar Guy each broke their maidens just one day apart two years later.

Movie Clip was first to accomplish the feat in a 5 1/2-furlong race on August 27. Saddled by trainer Doris Harwood and ridden by jockey Gallyn Mitchell in the $12,500 maiden claiming event, he outran six contenders and recorded an easy, three-length win in 1:03.60. The four-time starter, who was bred by owner Frank Gaunt and produced by the winning On Target mare Paper Clip, was stakes-placed in July and has earned $12,299 overall.

On August 28, his cropmate Cougar Guy won his racing debut in a $7,500 claiming contest for non-winners. Piloted by jockey Ricky Frazier, he led at every call and drew off to a 3 3/4-length score in a final time of 1:11.40 for the six-furlong distance. Cougar Guy is out of Skywalker’s winning daughter Walkin’ With Angie, and was bred by Mr. and Mrs. Guy Roberts in partnership with Mr. and Mrs. David Thorner. He collected $3,658 for trainer Tim McCanna, who co-owns the youngster with David Thorner.

Adding a feminine touch to the two-day cavalcade of winners was Primadonna Pearl, a 3-year-old filly who became her sire’s leading earner when she won a $15,000 claiming race at six furlongs on August 27. The stakes-placed sophomore was also partnered with Frazier, who moved her from last to first in the nine-horse field for a 1 1/2-length victory in 1:10. Bred by Carleen Phyllis Belton and Dan Belton, Primadonna Pearl has banked $38,770, with four wins and seven placings from 16 starts. She was produced by the winning Slewdledo mare Primadonna Poppy, and is currently trained by Vann Belvoir for owner Howard Maggard.

Private Gold, a 9-year-old dual stakes winner by Seeking the Gold, holds court at El Dorado Farms in Enumclaw, Washington. His oldest foals are 3-year-olds of 2009. — August 28, 2009

Premiere Flyer, by Vronsky, is a Del Mar dual surface winner

Three-year-old Premiere Flyer, a representative from the inaugural crop of the California-based stallion Vronsky, added a turf victory to his earlier Polytrack victory at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club when he romped in a grassy starter allowance on August 19.

The California-bred gelding broke his maiden on July 29, when he defeated nine contenders in a six-furlong maiden claiming event which was contested over the seaside track’s all-weather racing surface. Although he finished a dull fifth in his 6 1/2-furlong optional claiming follow-up on August 9, the Donald Warren trainee moved from the main track to the lawn and regrouped for his 3 1/4-length winning effort just 10 days later.

Premiere Flyer faced six other runners, including four of his elders, in the one-mile starter allowance, which was valued at $36,640. Accompanied by regular rider Victor Espinoza, he captured the race with relative simplicity, closing resolutely from fifth for an uncontested score in 1:35.08.

The $23,040 payday improved his six-race bankroll to $41,240 for his ownership group of E.W. and Judy Johnston and Dolores Riggio. Premiere Flyer is the fourth foal out of the stakes producer Flying in Style, by Flying Sensation, and was bred by the Johnstons’ Old English Rancho.

His sire, Vronsky, won all three of his career victories on the turf in Southern California. The 10-year-old Danzig stallion currently stands at the Old English Rancho facility in Sanger. — August 19, 2009