June 14, 2020. The even-money favourite at Woodbine is #1, NEXT, a Wesley Ward first-time starter for breeder Silverton Hill, LLC.
The performance was nothing to write home about and Ward sent him to the sidelines in Kentucky. The son of Not This Time – Bahia Beach by Awesome Again returned at Kentucky Downs in a maiden turf sprint and won at 3-to-1. Following an 11 3/4 length win in a Keeneland allowance race, Next tried the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at the same track but finished 11th.
Next had eight more races for Ward and showed plenty of talent, winning the War Chant Stakes worth $150,000 on turf at Churchill Downs as a three-year-old. But when he went on a losing skid, his owner and trainer dropped him into a $62,500 claiming race. He was drubbed more than 23 lengths and was claimed by septuagenarian Michael Foster and trainer Doug Cowans.
Foster and Cownas wanted to give the gelding some confidence and actually dropped him to $50,000 claiming for a turf race at nine furlongs on May 22 at Churchill ‒ and they watched him lead all the way to win.
From there, Next became a folk hero, called a ‘throwback’ to yesteryear when there were a lot more marathon races. He won nine of his next 11 starts at distances from 1 1/2 miles to 1 3/4 miles and took his last seven straight by more than a total of 90 lengths.
Foster and Cowans and Next’s favourite jockey Luan Machado have collected more than $1 million with the grey. This Saturday, Next gets a shot at the elite in the $7 million BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC (G1).
Not only did Next begin his career at Woodbine, but the remarkable gelding was created by a line of Canadian-bred broodmares and sires.
Take a look:
Next’s 4TH DAM, REGAL GAL (foaled 1973), an Ontario-bred by Viceregal – Impetuous Lady, was bred by E.P. Taylor and she won the Star Shoot, Fury, Duchess and La Prevoyante Stakes at Woodbine and became a Grade 3 winner in the U.S.
Regal Gal produced Grade 3 winner HOLY MOUNTAIN and Grade 2 winner RELAXING RHTYHM, one of the first offspring of the great EASY GOER. A white-faced chestnut purchased as a yearling by Stronach Stables, Relaxing Rhythm won the Star Shoot Stakes at Woodbine before taking the Molly Pitcher Breeders’ Cup Stakes (G2). She won eight of nine and over $338,000. Regal Gal also produced Honest Gal, the dam of Iskandar Elakbar, third in the Queen’s Plate in 1990, winner Shar Dawn Aye, and others.
NEXT’S THIRD DAM, RELAXING RHYTHM (1994), had eight winning foals including Rampart Stakes (G2) winner Spring Waltz, stakes-placed Marimba Rhythm and the unbeaten Singing Saint. Relaxing Rhythm’s first foal was the almost-white POP PRINCESS, an Ontario-bred by Alphabet Soup, who won four of 11 races and $181,000.
Next’s 2ND DAM, POP PRINCESS (2000), an Ontario-bred who raced for Stronach, produced four winners including Zindra, the dam of current three-year-old New York stakes winner CARA’S TIME. Pop Princess is also the dam of…
NEXT’S DAM, BAHIA BEACH, a stakes-placed filly who was foaled at Adena Springs Kentucky and sold at the Stronach two-year-old sale for $115,000. Bahia Beach had two winning foals before Next, a foal of 2018.
Next is by Not This Time, who is the sire of the favourite in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, COGBURN.
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