(Beyer Figures of Breeders’ Cup/Churchill Stakes winner courtesy of Daily Racing Form)
**Full coverage of all things Breeders’ Cup and Woodbine in tomorrow’s Enews/Blog posting
LUCKY SHAMROCK!
Canadians Manfred and Penny Conrad celebrate first Breeders’ Cup win
MANFRED and PENNY CONRAD bought their first Thoroughbred eight years ago, a couple of broodmares on the advice of trainer Andrew Smith. In that short period of time, the Wellesley, ON couple, well known for their philanthropic work in the Waterloo region, have had horses in the Queen’s Plate and Kentucky Derby.
Yesterday, they won their first Breeders’ Cup race with their first-ever starter.
The fittingly-named SHAMROCK ROSE came from 14th in the first Cup race on Saturday, the Filly and Mare Sprint, and snuck between horses to win a 4 horse photo for the Canadian couple.
It has been a remarkable run for Shamrock Rose, who was bought at last April’s 2yo sale in Ocala for $120,000.
The breeders are Tommy and Lori Fackler of Best A Luck Farm in Reddick, Florida. She is from the 4th crop of millionaire FIRST DUDE (Stephen Got Even) who had 3 very good runners in Breeders’ Cup races yesterday.
Shamrock Rose won first time out in her career in the Ontario Debutante Stakes last September and was 2nd in the Mazarine to Wonder Gadot and 6th in a turf allowance.
She raced in New York and Maryland in the spring and was just a fringe player and she was given 3 months off.
In 4 races since August, she has not lost – Presque Isle takes race 74 Beyer for Pennysylvania breds, Woodbine’s La Lorgnette over Miss Mo Mentum and then the Raven Run at Keeneland at 18 to 1. Two weeks back and she won the F & M Sprint.
In 10 races she has won 5 times, earned over $950,000 and had 8 different jockeys.
Watch her 2-year-old workout video here -=
Conrad Farms’ Shamrock Rose ($53.80) split horses in deep stretch and nailed Chalon in the shadow of the wire to win the 12th running of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) by a head to kick off the second day of the 35th Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs on Saturday afternoon.
Trained by Mark Casse and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Shamrock Rose covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.13 (92 Beyer Figure) over a fast main track. It is the fifth Breeders’ Cup victory for Casse and Ortiz and the second consecutive win in the race for Ortiz, who rode Bar of Gold to her upset victory at Del Mar last year.
Now a winner of four consecutive starts, Shamrock Rose is a Pennsylvania-bred daughter of First Dude out of the Elusive Quality mare Slew’s Quality. It is her first Grade 1 victory.
Selcourt shot to the lead from her inside post and led the field of 14 through fractions of :21.89 and :44.99. Going into the far turn Happy Like a Fool took over for Selcourt with Chalon moving three wide to challenge and Ortiz beginning to pick off horses from the back of the pack on Shamrock Rose.
Chalon spurted to the front at the eighth pole and appeared home free until Shamrock Rock emerged from the onrushing pack to prevail at the wire. Anonymity was neck behind Chalon in third with favored Marley’s Freedom another head back in fourth.
Race Quotes:
Winning trainer Mark Casse (Shamrock Rose) – “Was I surprised we won? It was a tough race, but
she’s a good horse. I told (jockey) Irad (Ortiz Jr.) I don’t know if she’s good enough, but she’ll give you
everything she has. And, she’s good. It goes back to Allen Jerkins who always said ‘run them when
they’re good’ so we came back in two weeks.”
Winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Shamrock Rose) – “I let her be happy. She settled nice for me.
She was like fourth and when I dropped in and got through horses, she came running.”
SLEW’S QUALITY is an unraced daughter of Elusive Quality who has a Woodbine runner in Bet on Mike:
Shamrock Rose 2015 10 5 2 1 $917,687 8
Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint[G1]
Lexus Raven Run S.[G2]
Malvern Rose S.
Ontario Debutante S.
La Lorgnette S.
Bet On Mike 2014 14 3 2 1 $95,786
Quality Silver 2012 13 1 3 3 $44,099
Quality Cat 2010 36 3 9 5 $81,385
Quality Harbor 2009 31 4 5 1 $99,712
ACCELERATE STATES CASE FOR HORSE OF THE YEAR – IS IT JUSTIFIED?
ACCELERATE stayed wide and close to a fast pace and surged to the lead to win the 35th Breeders’ Cup Classic…Cindy Pierson Dulay photo
WAGERING ON 2-DAY BREEDERS’ CUP RACES 5TH HIGHEST
Think fans have reached saturation point?
Following back-to-back Breeders’ Cup wins by Roy H and Stormy Liberal and a history-making win in the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf by 4-year-old European super filly Enable (GB), the first horse to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Longines Turf in the same year, Accelerate’s victory in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic capped a perfect day of racing at Churchill Downs in the 35th Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
Total handle for the two-day event of was $157,445,841, the fifth highest since Breeders’ Cup adopted a two-day format in 2007. Total handle on Saturday’s nine Breeders’ Cup races was $96,018,060, a 4% decrease from the $99,833,643 bet on the nine Breeders’ Cup races in 2017. Common-pool handle on Saturday’s 12-race Breeders’ Cup card was $105,229,197.
Saturday’s attendance was 70,423 and the two-day attendance total was 112,672, the third highest in Breeders’ Cup history. (Attendance in 2017 at Del Mar was capped at 37,500 each day for the comfort of Breeders’ Cup guests.)
“Once again the Breeders’ Cup proved a fitting showcase for world championship performances and the best in international racing,” said Breeders’ Cup President and CEO Craig Fravel. “We want to thank our gracious hosts from Churchill Downs, the greater Louisville community, our fans around the world as well the owners and breeders who participate in our racing programs for an incredible week capped by two extraordinary days of racing.”
This year was the ninth time the Breeders’ Cup has been held at Churchill Downs. The Breeders’ Cup will return to Santa Anita in 2019, and will be held at Keeneland in 2020 and at Del Mar in 2021.
Breeders’ Cup Two-Day Attendance and Handle (common-pool) history:
2017, Del Mar – 70,420 – $166,077,486
2016, Santa Anita Park – 118,484; $156,861,811
2015, Keeneland Race Course – 94,652; $149,869,035
2014, Santa Anita Park – 98,319; $151,158,813
2013, Santa Anita Park – 94,628; $160,704,877
2012, Santa Anita Park – 89,742; $144,272,332
2011, Churchill Downs – 105,820; $161,512,867
2010, Churchill Downs – 114,353; $173,857,697
2009, Santa Anita Park – 96,496; $153,271,176
2008, Santa Anita Park – 86,588; $155,740,328
2007, Monmouth Park – 69,584; $129,197,262
