Perfect Drift Begins '06 Season at Keeneland

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From The Bloodhorse:
Stonecrest Farm's 7-year-old Perfect Drift will make his season debut in a 1 1/8-mile allowance race over the turf at Keeneland on Thursday.

The gelding has 11 wins in 35 starts and more than $4.2 million in earnings in a career that includes third-place finishes in the 2002 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and 2005 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I). Perfect Drift kicked off his 2005 campaign in similar fashion with a win in a one-mile turf race at Keeneland.

"He's doing very well," said trainer Murray Johnson, who is based at the Trackside training center in Louisville. "We did this last year with him, ran him on the turf at Keeneland. Last year the race we wanted at Keeneland didn't fill, so we had to wait a week. So this year, we're running a week earlier. It's just a prep though.

"We're planning on going in the Woodford Reserve (gr. IT on May 6 at Churchill Downs) after this. We're staying on the turf, because it's softer on his feet. He's a big horse, so the turf will help get him fit. Hopefully things will go well with it. We've gotten a terrible trip the last couple of times we've tried (the Woodford Reserve)."

http://racing.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=33012

Artie Schiller Makes 2006 Debut in Maker's Mark

Artie Schiller, just edged in the voting for last year's champion turf male, heads a small but select field in the Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (gr. IIT) at Keeneland Friday.

The winner of the 2005 NetJets Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT), Artie Schiller garnered 116 votes for divisional championship honors, just three less than Leroidesanimaux.

The 5-year-old horse makes his seasonal debut in the Maker's Mark, one of the highlights of the Keeneland meeting. The mile race on grass is for 4-year-olds and up and carries a $250,000 purse.

Artie Schiller and jockey Garrett Gomez drew the rail in the six-horse field. The son of El Prado has been working regularly at Belmont Park for trainer Jimmy Jerkens and ships to Keeneland with 10 wins in 19 starts. He is owned by William Entenmann's Timber Bay Farm and Entenmann's daughter, Denise Walsh.

http://racing.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=33004


Artie Schiller heads small field in Maker's
Mark Mile Stakes at Keeneland Friday.

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1. They both finished second. n/t

[Justpat]

2. He is one of those Dynaformers who is better on dirt.

It was a good race to get him started without tearing him up.

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3. Good Luck with your horse today...

is that Pancho Martin that trains the 4 horse?

[Justpat]

4. Our horse needs to run for a tag.

He just doesn't cut it even in NY bred company.
He tries.

Frank Martin trained the four horse.He is the old man. He has to be late seventies, maybe even in his eighties now.

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7. He tries. That's all you can ask.

He looked like he gave you a bit of a run at the turn then he got caught behind some horses. I'm gonna look for him next time out.

Is that the same Frank Martin that trained Sham? He's gotta be every bit of eighty.

[Justpat]

8. Yes, it is.

But his stable now consists of a few really cheap claimers and some NY breds.

Bill says that Frank Martin is at least 87-88. Yikes.
I hope we are still going at that age.

[Justpat]

5. Lawyer Ron was looking good in the Arkansas Derby.

Won by several. The one horse was second but didn't challenge LR for the win.

This year's Derby is shaping up to be a good one. I'm excited about a few horses - Barbaro, Brother Derek, Lawyer Ron.
Wow.

The Blue Grass didn't impress me. That horse won't run back to that in the Derby. The rest of the BG field was nowhere.
Sinister Minister will get his head ripped off in the Derby.

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6. Sinister Minister ought to set the early pace of the Derby...

but, that speed will never hold up at CD. Lawyer Ron looked good.

[aaronbees]

9. Just got back from Oaklawn!!

Well, the Lawyer looked good and I got the exacta cold (to make up a few bucks for some other sorry losses and near misses through the day). I don't know ... he looks good to me and has some real heart to win but I didn't like how he muscled up to the lead on the backstretch like that. If he doesn't settle, he's toast in Kentucky because I'm not sure he's got the speed or can quite stay 1 1/4 miles. He also seemed to tire a bit in the stretch and you know, someday Steppenwolfer is going to catch him. I'd love to see Lawyer Ron take the Kentucky Derby, but he's not in my top three or four right now. That said, he's a gorgeious colt. Private Vow ran well and made a good move at Ron on the turn -- watch out for him because that's just his second race back this year.

I'd toss every single Blue Grass Stakes horse from Kentucky consideration. Sinister Minister does ensure a livelier pace, though, which could set things up nicely for a horse like Point Determined, Jazil or Cause to Believe. It'll be ineresting to see how Bro Derek, Barbaro and Sweetnorthernsaint handle a fast pace and can stay off it and rate.

It was a huge crowd and great day of racing. El Chile Dog (love that name!) made my friends happy in the eighth race but did so at the expense of my pic Sea of Trees (love that name too!).

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10. Glad you hit the exacta....

Oaklawn looked great on TV. They have really made that track one of the better racing venues in the country.

I am now looking for a Derby horse that can come from pretty far back and pick up the pieces. I'm leaning toward Jazil right now.

[aaronbees]

16. Oaklawn's very pleasant...

Easy to navigate and friendly. We spent some time lounging on the infield lawn, which gave some good views of the races. The Hot Springs backdrop is quite nice, too. The only quibble I have with Oaklawn is the indoor paddock ... kinda kills the romantic outdoor paddock ambience I like, and it's difficult to get a view of the horses when packed. I hope the Ark Derby gets Grade I status next year -- really deserves it.

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11. Standardbred horse doping scandal.

This investigation has been going on for a couple of weeks. I hope this trainer gets the maximum penalty for what he has done to his horses and to the sport.

From USTA website:
New Jersey State Police Arrest Eric Ledford, Daileys, Witmer

New Jersey State Police have arrested driver Eric Ledford as well as Ryan Dailey, the assistant trainer for the stable of his father, Seldon Ledford, and others in connection with the seizure of various medications at the Ledford stable in New Jersey.

According to an article in today's Newark (NJ) Star Ledger, the state police arrested Eric Ledford in the drivers room at the Meadowlands prior to the start of the card on March 31.

Earlier on the 31st, State Police arrested a veterinarian, Dr. John Witmer, and Dailey and his wife, Ardena and executed a search warrant on their homes and vehicles, as well as the Ledford stable. The charges against all four included possession of illegal substances and conspiracy to rig a public contest. No charges have been filed against Seldon Ledford, although the investigation is continuing, said Lt. John Zulawski, who is in charge of the state police horse racing squad.

Troopers seized what the story referred to as "significant quantities" of the drug Aranesp, said state Deputy Attorney General Christine D'Elia. She said they also confiscated suspicious liquids and syringes from Showplace Farms in Englishtown, where Ledford rents stable space.

http://www.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=14672&z=1

Latest news and related articles:

http://www.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=14867&z=1

[Justpat]

12. I read about this in the DRF this past week.

These kind of people give the rest of us a bad name. They reinforce every horrible stereotype
people have about the sport.

I was also saddened to see that they did away with the strict pre-race security at
Churchill. They claim they didn't have enough vets. What a crock.

If Baffert wins with one of his long shots, you'll know it is back to business as usual.
A lot of trainers shipped out of NY this spring because they didn't want to deal with
the tight pre-race security here. I'm all for it.

[jakefrep]

13. I haven't yet talked to my client...

...who had a horse with Mr. Ledford for a while. He constantly bitched about what he thought were high vet bills. "That damn vet must come EVERY day...."

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14. Jake! How the hell are you?

Kinda funny that owners don't make the connection. Mo matter how good a horseman a trainer is, no one can get the kind of win percentages some of these guys have without cheating.

Something has been funny in Chicago for a while I feel. I know a guy that sent a horse that couldn't compete with MI breds down to a trainer in Chicago. That horse started winning the feature every Friday night at Maywood. I mean he was a monster. After about 6-8 months he can't win a cheap claimer. My friend can't see or refuses to see his horse has been juiced.

Miracles do happen, but, not to the same trainer, week after week, year after year.

How's the stable? Choclatier is gonna stable here in MI this summer. Hazel Park is gonna try to write a race for him.

[jakefrep]

15. I've been pretty good...

..being a CPA, my work has kept me rather heavily occupied the last couple of months.

My client had a top-shelf pacing mare - competing with the likes of Eternal Camnation every week (and well before joining the Ledford barn) - so it's a little bit harder to tell how much "enhancement" she got from Ledford. They can't be too happy in any case.

Our Master Lavec mare should be ready to qualify at Hoosier Park soon, and we have a homebred Lindy Lane two-year-old that looks as if he might have a little bit of talent - we'll see.

I might have to make the trip to Hazel if Chocolatier makes a start there. Dad got to be good buddies with the director of racing there while they were traveling in Italy last summer.

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18. Great. I'll keep an eye out for both of them...

Our Davanti colt is training well and should be ready for a qualifier soon. He has had no problems this year, so far, and I'm guardedly optimistic. The track in my hometown will be holding a couple of the Elite Series races and I hope we can get him in those.

Our 2 YO filly pacers have been training very, very well. It's still a little early to tell how competitive they will be. They are making their first trip off of the farm this weekend. We'll see what they think of all the hustle and bustle and the new sights and sounds of the Adrian Fairgrounds.

If you make it up to Hazel let me know.

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17. Stakes winner saved from slaughter, returned to birthplace

From The Thoroughbred Times:
After Notably Frosty passed through the hands of more than a half-dozen owners since 2003, the striking gray gelding finally earned a trip home when he caught the eye of Kelly Young at the New Holland Sales Stables on April 3.

Young regularly has attended the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, sale for the past 13 years and frequently sees Thoroughbreds purchased for slaughter. Her not-for-profit organization generally has enough money to buy one horse a week. Although she did not know the name or racing accomplishments of the gray gelding in the ring on April 3, she entered the bidding.

"I felt an immediate connection to him when he walked into the ring," said Young, director of Lost and Found Horse Rescue Foundation in York, Pennsylvania. "It was just me and the meat man bidding, and I knew I was supposed to have this horse. I had no idea who he was. He had a ton of presence about him, and I knew he didn't deserve this fate."

Young soon learned the horse's name: Notably Frosty, a ten-year-old Alaskan Frost gelding who won two stakes races and $401,896 in a seven-season career. Thanks to Young's winning $525 bid, the gelding is headed for retirement at his breeders' Ocala farm instead of a slaughterhouse.

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/thisweek/weekview.asp?recno=63149&subsec=