HIT IT ONCE MORE 2nd in the Bernardini at Aqueduct

HIT IT ONCE MORE ( Hard Spun) jumped right to the lead in the 1 5/16th mile Bernardini S at Aqueduct. He held on tenaciously, but could not hold off a closer in deep stretch and had to settle for 2nd.   Last year he had no trouble at all wiring the field to win the  Genesee Valley Breeders’ Stakes at Finger Lakes.   The six-year-old horse has 3 prior stakes wins under his belt, the NY Derby, the Albany Stakes and the Haynesfied Stakes. He is owned by Yellow Moon Stables LLC and trained by Gary Sciacca. He has an enviable record of  36 -7-3-5, $585,997 HIT IT ONCE MORE got his early start with Kirkwood and was sold at Timonium as a 2-year-old in training for $90,000.

More gallopers at Gulfstream for Kirkwood

More gallopers at Gulfstream for Kirkwood

Emily Shields
Multiple graded stakes-placed Splashy Kisses was part of the inaugural “Gulfstream Gallop” consignment.

Last year, consignor Kip Elser of Kirkwood Stables and an unnamed client took the unorthodox route of galloping their offerings, rather than sending them through a timed breeze, at the under-tack preview show for the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale of 2-year-olds in training. The experiment proved a moderate success – and not only are Elser and his client back for more this season, the scope of the project has expanded.

Elser and his original client, under the consignment name of Kirkwood Stables, agent for Gulfstream Gallop LLC, have four juveniles consigned to this year’s Gulfstream sale. Meanwhile, another group of clients, under the banner of Kirkwood Stables, agent for Midway Gallop LLC, will offer four juveniles. The eight youngsters, who will open gallop during the pre-sale under-tack show on Monday, March 25, on Gulfstream’s oval two days prior to sale time, are all by different stallions, including first-crop sires Bayern, Tonalist, and Wicked Strong. The Midway Gallop group includes a Ghostzapper colt who is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Time and Motion, from a deep Darby Dan Farm family.

Last year, Elser sent five horses through the ring at Gulfstream as Kirkwood Stables, agent for Gulfstream Gallop LLC. Three of those sold, led by a $120,000 Noble Mission colt to Caves Farm and a $100,000 Blame filly to Dennis O’Neill. The Blame filly, now named Splashy Kisses, is multiple graded stakes placed, further flying the banner for the program.

So, Who’s the Leading First-Crop Sire of 2019: Competitive Edge

So, Who’s the Leading First-Crop Sire of 2019: Competitive Edge

Courtesy of the TDN

Competitive Edge

It’s always among the key questions on everyone’s mind as 2-year-olds begin racing when Keeneland opens in April and the first-year sires have their first chance to show off their progeny. In this ongoing series, we have sought the opinion of several top judges as to who will be on top of the podium when 2019 is in the books.

Kip Elser, Kirkwood Stables

COMPETITIVE EDGE

“I’m hearing a lot of talk about Competitive Edge. People have been talking about him and they’re getting the message out. I have two by Competitive Edge that I really like. They’re good, well-balanced, good-minded horses that are doing everything right.

“For me, the sleeper in this group is Bayern. My Bayern, I like him a lot. If the rest of them are anything like this horse he’s going to be a hell of a sire. I’ll be selling him at Gulfstream. You might not turn the page in your catalogue beforehand to come see him, but they’re going to turn their heads and say, ‘Who’s that?’ That’s why you go to 2 year-old sales. There’s a lot of people that may not have the page turned on a horse when they get there, but there will be horses they’ll see on the racetrack or at the barn and say, ‘Wow, who’s that?’ This is that kind of horse.

“I also have a Tonalist colt that is right there with the Bayern colt. He is big, with a long stride and a good attitude, all the things people look for. It’s a cliche, but those are the things people want and everyone is looking for the same thing.

“The Tonalist will also sell at Gulfstream and they will be in the Gulfstream Gallop group. That is a whole different deal in itself, but I think they will be well received.”