VIDEO ALERT! MOR SPIRIT shows us why he is a Kentucky Derby Contender 2016

VIDEO ALERT! 

MORE SPIRIT HAS THE ENDURANCE AND SPEED TO BE A TRUE CONTENDER

         RACE REPLAY: 2015 Los Alamitos Futurity Featuring Mor Spirit, Toews On Ice

         Mor Spirit broke sharply, but backed off of the main group of pace setters in sixth place. The riddling was under firm restraint on the outside while pulling top jock Gary Stevens the long way around the Los Alamitos oval. 
       After going widest of all around the final turn, Mor Spirit settled into a long ground-eating stride and picked off his rivals. He ducked in slightly, but was immediately straightened by Stevens. Mor Spirit caught his stablemate Toews on Ice and powered by, giving trainer Bob Baffert an exacta finish. It was six lengths back to the third place horse, I'malreadythere.

                      RACE REPLAY: 2016 Robert B. Lewis Stakes Featuring Mor Spirit

      He's now got three triple-digit Equibase Speed Figures. The 108 he earned for the Robert B. Lewis was a new two-point, career-best from the 106 he earned for the Los Alamitos Futurity. He's fast, he finishes strongly and Mor Spirit continues to get better.

      "He wasn't even blowing after the race. I haven't been able to get him tired in the morning yet," Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens said after the Lewis. "Every time we step forward I hope I can find the bottom... but I don't want to find the bottom of him until it's time. I haven't got close to that yet and that's a good feeling.

        "He seems to just do just enough for what's in front of him; he likes a target. I think as he faces better horses, he'll only get better."

MOR SPIRIT! A Pedigree to Brag about: A first born of I'm a Dixie Girl

        Alive in the Spirit a Colt filled with the Holy Spirit!

         The Pennsylvania-bred colt has already outrun most of his immediate family in terms of class and distance. The 650,000 purchase by Bernard Schiappa and M. Petersen at 2015 Fasig-Tipton Florida sale of 2-year-olds in training.

        Mor Spirit is out of the Dixie Union mare Im a Dixie Girl. She is the dam of five winners from six starters. Mor Spirit is her only stakes horse, and the average winning distance of her other four winners is 6.4 furlongs. Her only other winner beyond a mile is Sheikinator, by Curlin. Sure enough, Mor Spirit is out of Im A Dixie Girl, a precocious daughter of a precocious stallion. Im A Dixie Girl was a sprint stakes winner in August and September of her juvenile season, which also saw her finish second in the GIII Astarita S. Although her sire Dixie Union was by no means a one-dimensional 2-year-old, he won four of his six starts at that age. 

       It is well worth pointing out that Dixie Union’s broodmare daughters are having a very rewarding time with their 2015 2-year-olds, with their stakes winners also featuring the very promising GII Remsen S. winner Mohaymen and the fast British Group 2 winner Besharah. Im a Dixie Girl, out of the stakes-winning Allen’s Prospect mare Im Out First, is a half-sister to stakes winner First Ascent. 

       Im Out First is a half-sister to Evening Star, the dam of last year’s champion 3-year-old filly, Stellar Wind. Im Out First is also a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Zenith, the dam of Grade 1-winning juvenile Great Hunter, who also won the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis.This is also the family of Curlin’s daughter Stellar Wind, winner of the GI Santa Anita Oaks and second in the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff. 

        His first two dams were sired by those Triple Crown stalwarts Seattle Slew and Alydar. Also, his third dam Stellar Odyssey had Kentucky Derby winners as her sire and half-brother, as she was by the 1964 winner Northern Dancer out of Queen Sucree, dam of the 1974 winner Cannonade. Stellar Odyssey was also a half-sister to Kennelot, dam of the 1985 Kentucky Derby runner-up Stephan’s Odyssey. With so much potential stamina in his pedigree, Eskendereya was likely to benefit from some speed in his mates. 

       Mor Spirit’s second dam, the Virginia-bred Im Out First, packed 10 starts into her first season, but proved durable, gaining her four stakes victories at the ages of four and five. She was very effective over 1 1/16 miles, so Mor Spirit has a fair chance of staying a mile and a quarter.

        Mor Spirit’s fifth dam Indian Nurse established a thriving family, thanks mainly to her daughters Native Nurse (dam of the Grade I winners Love Sign and Melodist) and Hill Indian (ancestress of the Grade I winners Star of Cozzene and Matty G.).

         Mor Spirit is sired by Eskendereya, Mor Spirit is from the Giant’s Causeway stallion’s second crop. Eskendereya’s only other graded stakes winner is Isabella Sings, the winner of the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes on turf. As a racehorse this son of Giant’s Causeway appeared to have the 2010 GI Kentucky Derby at his mercy, after he had won all three of his starts earlier in the year. He had been notably impressive in taking the GII Fountain of Youth S. by eight and a half lengths and the GI Wood Memorial by nine and a half. Unfortunately, just a week before the Derby, Eskendereya was found to have a slight filling in his left front leg, from the ankle to the knee. 

       

Kentucky Derby Contender "MOR SPIRIT": 8 Days until the Derby

PHOTO BOMB! ITS MOR SPIRIT RACING REDEEMED CAN BOB BAFFERT STRIKE TWICE?

       Bob Baffert’s got nothing left to prove in thoroughbred racing. He’s done it all after capping a Hall of Fame career by winning last year’s Triple Crown with American Pharaoh  How do you top that? The Triple Crown was the cherry on top of all the Breeders’ Cup victories, all the wins in races like the Santa Anita Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup and Del Mar’s Pacific Classic.

      Baffert’s been there, done that. He’s won the world’s richest race, the Dubai World Cup with Captain Steve in 2001, and visited the winner’s circle at the Haskell Invitational and Travers Stakes. Heck, he’s won the Haskell so many times (eight) the track should rename the race after him. But leave it to Baffert’s youngest son, Bode, to come up with something his dad hasn’t done.

      “Bode says to me, ‘You haven’t won the Melbourne Cup,’” Baffert said. “Well, that’s not going to happen, because I am not going to win the Melbourne Cup. I might travel to go see it one time, but ...” So the Melbourne Cup will have to wait while Baffert saddled a pair of horses in the $350,000 Grade I Los Alamitos Futurity, a race Baffert has won a record eight times, including last year’s thrilling three-horse photo finish with Dortmund.

     Not surprisingly, Baffert’s had the two morning-line favorites – Mor Spirit (8-5) and Toews On Ice (9-5), the latter of whom is named after Chicago Blackhawks standout Jonathan Toews. Mor Spirit comes in off a second-place finish in the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club on Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs, and Toews On Ice has won three consecutive races. Of Mor Spirit, Baffert says, “I think he’s a nice horse. I thought he’d win (the Jockey Club), but he came up a little short.”

     Whether he’s good enough to give Baffert another Kentucky Derby victory May 7 is up for debate. Only one trainer, Ben A. Jones with six, has won more Derbies than Baffert’s four. Another Derby victory that would break a tie for second all time with his good friend D. Wayne Lukas and Henry J. Thompson is what will keep Baffert focused despite the fact he’s already reached the mountaintop.

     “To me, my favorite of all is still the Kentucky Derby,” he said. “The Kentucky Derby will always keep me going. When you win it, you can’t wait to get back and win it again.”As successful as Baffert’s been at Churchill Downs, he can’t help but wistfully think about how much greater things could have been. He could easily have eight or nine Kentucky Derby victories, especially when you consider the second best horse he’s trained behind American Pharaoh, Point Given, finished fifth in the Run for the Roses in 2001.

     "I think the Kentucky Derby – the classics – are what really keep us geared up and get those competitive juices flowing if you can have a horse good enough to run in those races," Baffert said. Mor Spirit didn't take to a sloppy track in the Santa Anita Derby, essentially passing tiring horses to finish a well-beaten second in his final Triple Crown prep. "Really, you know, we work hard trying to get there," Baffert said. "And so, you know, you get to the point where you were sort of expected to get there. But it’s not easy. "It’s hard, so when you have a horse like Mor Spirit and Cupid that look like they’re going to be competitive, it’s like, it’s an honor to be saying hey, you know what? 

       Maybe there’s a little hope – a little dream there."

MOHAYMEN HAS A LINE OF GREATNESS TRUE BLUE PEDIGREE!

KENTUCKY DERBY CONTENDER MOHAYMEN HAS A TRUE BLUE PEDIGREE!

       Taking another step forward on the road to the 2016 KENTUCKY DERBY, Mohaymen (by Tapit) won the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream on Saturday with a visually impressive closing rush that left him alone at the finish, pricking his ears, in a time of 1:42.07 for the 1 1/16 miles.

     The colt's name translates as “dominant,” and his results on the track say the same thing. The son of two-time leading sire Tapit is unbeaten in four starts, and the Holy Bull was the Mohaymen's third consecutive G2 stakes victory, all at distances from 8 to 9 furlongs, with the Nashua (8 furlongs) and Remsen (9) preceding the colt's success on Jan. 30.

     The strikingly handsome gray is a shade darker than his famous sire at this stage but is otherwise remarkably like Tapit in profile and racing style. Mohaymen has speed, has a kick, is tractable and versatile.

       Bred in Kentucky by Clearsky Farms, Mohaymen is yet another high-class son of leading sire Tapit and is out of the graded stakes winner Justwhistledixie, by Dixie Union. The dam was a very appealing sales yearling who brought $425,000 at the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale out of the Hermitage Farm consignment, selling to West Point Thoroughbreds and partners.

     Winner of a maiden in her third start for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who also trains Mohaymen, Justwhistledixie went on a tear, winning five consecutive races, four stakes, including the G2 Bonnie Miss and Davona Dale at Gulfstream.

     Finley said that “Justwhistledixie was probably the most talented filly we had who never won a Grade 1. We had to scratch her out of the Kentucky Oaks when she came up with a ‘hot nail' in a foot, but she ran a great second in the Acorn Stakes not long after.”

      Justwhistledixie had tremendous athletic ability, and West Point is a racing partnership primarily focused on finding and developing racehorses. So after the filly's racing career was over, the partners sold her to Clearsky Farms in a private transaction.

      And just like she has done at every other stage of her life, Justwhistledixie has become a huge success as a broodmare. The mare's first foal was a bay colt by Street Cry who sold for $425,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September sale to Ben Glass, agent for Gary and Mary West. Named New Year's Day, the colt raced in the Wests' pink and black silks to win two of his three starts, including the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He stands at Hill ‘n' Dale Farm outside Lexington for $5,000 live foal.

PLEASE COMMENT ABOUT THIS TAPIT COLT WHO IS A DEFINITE CONTENDER IN THE 142ND RUN FOR THE ROSES!

VIDEO ALERT!!! KENTUCKY DERBY CONTENDER MOHAYMEN WINS 3 STAKES RACES.

        MOHAYMEN THE EAST COAST BOY KEEPS WINNING!

                       RACE REPLAY: 2015 Remsen Stakes Featuring Mohaymen

        As a two-year-old Mohaymen was ridden in all of his races by the Venezuelan jockey Junior Alvarado. .On November 28 Mohaymen  at Aqueduct racetrack started as the favorite for the Grade II Remsen Stakes over nine furlongs. After tracking the leader Donegal Moon, he moved into contention on the final turn, took the lead a furlong out and won by one and a half lengths from Flexibility. After the race McLaughlin revealed that the horse had run on Lasix after bleeding in the Nashua Stakes. Alvarado commented "He got outrun the first part and I didn't want to rush him too much; he can get a little tough... I just tried to find my way and every time I pushed the button, he's there for me. He makes my job a lot easier."

                             RACE REPLAY: 2016 Holy Bull Featuring Mohaymen

      In the early part of 2016, Mohaymen was sent to race in Florida and was based at the Palm Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach. On his first appearance of the year the colt contested the Grade II Holy Bull Stakes over eight and a half furlongs at Gulfstream Park on January 30 and started the odds-on favorite against five opponents headed by the Champagne Stakes winner Greenpointcrusader. After tracking the leaders in the early stages he went to the front approaching the turn and drew away to win by three and a half lengths from Greenpointcrusader. Alvarado said "Mentally, he's so mature. He does whatever I want... I could have gone around (again) easily with him. I still had plenty of horse. 

                        RACE REPLAY: 2016 Fountain of Youth Stakes Featuring Mohaymen

On February 27, over the same course and distance, Mohaymen started 2/5 favorite for the
Fountain of Youth Stakes in which his five opponents included the Swale Stakes winner 
Awesome Banner and the previously unbeaten Zulu. He raced just behind the leaders before 
taking moving up to challenge Zulu approaching the final turn. He took the lead in the 
stretch and won by two and a quarter lengths from Zulu with Fellowship four lengths back 
in third place. After the race McLaughlin indicated that the colt would run next in the 
Florida Derby even though it might entail a clash with Nyquist. He commented "He's always 
been a real gentleman, does everything right, and sometimes by Tapit, they don't do that. 
So we're lucky we've had quite a few good ones by Tapit, but this is a special one."

Comment please so there can share their feelings and thoughts with you about this Derby Contender

DERBY COUNTDOWN MOHAYMEN 9 DAYS UNTIL THE KENTUCKY DERBY

       AS THE DERBY DRAWS CLOSE SO DOES    MOHAYMEN!

http://tinyurl.com/jcj32qc

      Mohaymen is a gray colt (officially "gray or roan"), bred in Kentucky by Clearsky Farms. He was sired by Tapit, who won the Wood Memorial Stakesand started second favorite for the 2004 Kentucky Derby. Tapit has become a successful breeding stallion with other progeny including Hansen, Untapable, Stardom Bound and Tonalist.

     Mohaymen's dam Justwhistledixie was a successful raceme whose wins included the Davona Dale Stakes and the Bonnie Miss Stakes in 2009. Mohaymen was her third foal, the first being New Year's Day who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in 2013. Justwhistledixie was a descendant of the American broodmare Bold Irish who was the female line ancestor of numerous major winners including Ruffian, Pine Bluff and Fusaichi Pegasus.

      In September 2014 the yearling was consigned to the Keeneland sales and was bought for $2.2 million by Hamdan Al Maktoum's Shadwell Estate Co. The colt was sent into training with Kiaran McLaughlin. Mohaymen (مهیمن) is an Arabic word meaning "dominant".

     Taking into conservation the birth order of Mohaymen he is the 3rd foal born to Justwistledixie and the odds of # 3 horses winning the Derby decrease while the odds of a #3 foal coming in 2nd increase. Mohaymen is in the green bar category!

Danzing Candy and the Family Tree: Its A Boy !!!!

        Danzing Candy's Family Tree and why he is on 

the Road to the Kentucky Derby

         

Danzing Candy (Twirling Candy - Talkin and Singing, by Songandaprayer) was bred by Halo Farms (Ted Aroney) and is raced in conjunction with Jim and Diane Bashor.  Trainer Clifford Sise Jr.  sent Danzing Candy out for his racing debut at Del Mar’s 2015 fall meet. The colt raced greenly and was unplaced behind Uncle Lino.  A month later, Danzing Candy won his maiden at Santa Anita and hasn’t put a hoof wrong in three starts over the track.  The dark bay has a 4-3-0-0 ($308,650) race record and owns 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

Sire:

TWIRLING CANDY (Candy Ride (ARG) - House of Danzing, by Chester House) is one of four sophomore sons of Candy Ride.  Look up the word versatility in the dictionary and you’ll find a photo of Twirling Candy. The dark bay son of Candy Ride won or placed over dirt, turf, Polytrack and Cushion Track. He was victorious from 6 ½ furlongs to 1 1/8 miles.A winner of seven starts in eleven attempts, the son of Candy Ride set a new track record of 1:19.70 for seven furlongs at Santa Anita in the 2010 Malibu Stakes (G1) in his final start as a three-year-old.  He followed that up the following year with a new stakes record of 1:46.93 for 1 1/8 miles in the Strub Stakes (G2).  Twirling Candy also recorded victories in the Del Mar Derby (G2) at 1 1/8 and the one mile Oceanside Stakes, both over the Del Mar lawn. He also captured the 1 1/8 mile Californian Stakes over Cushion Track. 

Twirling Candy gave a good account of his abilities in two of his three endeavors at 1 ¼ miles.  After his record setting triumph in the Strub Stakes, Twirling Candy regressed in the Santa Anita Handicap, to place fifth in one of only two off the board finishes in his career. In his final two starts, Twirling Candy finished third, beaten a nose and neck in a thrilling edition of the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) and lost the head bob in the Pacific Classic (G1). Considered one of the best older horses in California, Twirling Candy sustained a tendon injury prepping for the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.  He retired with an 11-7—1-1 ($944,900) record.Twirling Candy took up stud duties at Lane’s End in 2012 for an initial fee of $15,000.  His first crop propelled their sire to a firm second place behind Uncle Mo in the Freshmen Sire standings last year by earnings, winners and stakes winners.  Twirling Candy has maintained his record as a superb young sire. He is again second to Champion Uncle Mo on the Second Crop Sire list, but he has a higher win percentage of starters/winners than the Champ.   It’s no surprise to see Twirling Candy doing so well at stud. He is one of three foals out of House of Danzing to race. His full brother Dubai Sky captured the Spiral (G3) and Kitten’s Joy Stakes last year. A half-brother, Ethnic Dance (Tribal Rule), won a division of the Del Mar Derby.  Twirling Candy’s second dam is a half-sister to Chocolate Candy (Candy Ride), runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby. 

Female Family

Danzing Candy’s female family consists of national and international hardy turf routers.  Prominent runners descended from the same distaff line include Champion Three Year Old Stage Door Johnny, leading broodmare sire Speak John, multiple Group winner and stallion Vision D'etat and the poplar California sprinter, Love That Red.

TALKING AND SINGING (Songandaprayer - Bendita, by Baldski) never busted out of the maiden ranks during her nine race career. She did pick up a purse three times over the Polytrack at a mile and 1 1/16 miles.  She also finished second in one of three starts over the lawn. The Chestnut mare never had the opportunity to race on dirt.  

Danzing Candy is Talkin and Singing’s second foal and first to earn blacktype. His older half-brother Karaoke Cat (Tale of the Cat) competes in the sprint claiming ranks at Golden Gate. He’s hit the board in 12 of 20 starts in three years of racing.  A two-year-old unnamed ¾ brother to Danzing Candy sold at this year’s Fasig Tipton Sale for $650,000 to Godolphin.  Danzing Candy is also the proud big brother of a new Twirling Candy colt.

Talkin and Singing hails from a robust distaff family that likes to win. Seven of her eight half siblings raced and all except one visited the winner’s circle. Talking and Singing’s half-brother BETTER TALK NOW  (Talkin Man) had his photo taken in 14 of 51 starts. The valiant gelding participated in five editions of the Breeders’ Cup Turf, winning in 2004 and placing in 2006. During his nine-year career, Better Talk Now raced at the highest levels from 1 1/16 miles to 1 ½ miles over the lawn, earning over $4 million dollars. Not bad for a gelding who was a $10,500 RNA yearling.

DAM SIRE

       SONG AND A PRAYER (Unbridled's Song - Alizea, by Premiership) doesn’t typify the usual son of Unbridled’s Song, who is renowned for stamping his offspring – that is, his babies look like and perform similar to their large, gray sire.

 Songandaprayer is a bay stallion and was more precocious than many of Unbridled’s Song’s progeny. Songandaprayer’s offspring follow in their sire’s hoof prints and are overwhelmingly precocious sprinter/milers. Anything beyond 1 1/16 miles is a tough assignment for them and he has produced no winners at 1 ¼ miles and beyond. 

 Songandaprayer is a young broodmare sire of seven stakes winners, three of them, including Danzing Candy and Sunny Ridge, have earned graded stakes status. None have won beyond 1 1/16 miles. 

 Danzing Candy’s second damsire, BALDSKI (Nijinsky II - Too Bald, by Bald Eagle) won a minor stakes at a mile. He stood his entire stud career at Farnsworth Farm in Florida. He is the damsire or second damsire of 90 stakes winners.  Baldski is the second damsire of Kentucky Oaks heroine Lovely Maria, multiple stakes winner and sire Include, multiple stakes winner Bsharpsonata and her precocious younger half-brother Backtalk. Bald ski’s daughters bore winners at all distances, with the majority winning up to 1 1/18 miles. 

Outlook:

Twirling Candy is a young sire and many of his offspring haven’t had the opportunity to travel a route of ground.  Other than Danzing Candy, Twirling Candy’s few offspring that have progressed to middle distances (1 1/16 miles, 1 1/8 miles) have hit the board but they have not won.  Eventually with maturity, they should stretch to 1 1/8 miles and Twirling Candy may someday be represented by the rare winner at 1 ¼ miles.  On the distaff side, we have a conundrum. Songanaprayer’s offspring are distance challenged beyond a mile, yet Danzing Candy’s immediate distaff line is filled with long-winded turf routers. On paper, the 2016 KENTUCKY DERBY contender should be most efficient at 1 1/16 miles and shorter, although he could be contentious at 1 1/8 miles in the right situations

Danzing Candy is a confirmed front runner with a high cruising speed. His only loss was in his debut, when the colt understandably raced greenly.  Danzing Candy has run unpressured on the lead and widened his advantage in each of his victories.  The Dark Bay colt’s leg extension is average and he moves smoothly with no obvious paddling or drifting. Danzing Candy has the physical demeanor of a middle-distance runner. While he does have a strong, well balanced physique, he isn’t overly muscled and resembles his sire, Twirling Candy.

Here’s an interesting comparison. The last two Kentucky Derby winners, American Pharoah and California Chrome, both had high cruising speeds. Neither had a classic-oriented pedigree. Both colts likely carried the large heart (X-Factor) gene. American Pharoah certainly carries it.  In the absence of an EKG heart score, the only outwardly physical characteristic of a large heart is leaf-like ears that curl (bend) at the tips. Current examples are American Pharoah, Zenyatta, and Shared Belief. In photos, Danzig Candy appears to have the same characteristic

Danzing Candy has yet to be tested this year and the lightly raced colt is maturing at the right time.  Was the San Felipe indicative of the colt’s talent or did he take advantage of the speed bias?  With the defection of NYQUIST  to the Florida Derby, his nemesis SWIPE  out of the Derby, and the defeat of Mor Spirit in the San Felipe Stakes, California’s three-year-old division has become wide-open. Questions still surround Danzing Candy, namely, can he sit behind horses if necessary, how will he react in a prolonged battle, and how far will he run? We’ll find out the answer to at least one of those questions in the Santa Anita Derby.