Category: Results

Three year old Pay O’Prado colt JUS LIVELY broke his maiden, won again in allowance company and stepped up into stakes company in the Crescent City Derby at the Fair Grounds. He had a troubled trip in which he was blocked but still ran second to earn black-type in his 4th start. He is owned by Ellen Addison  and is trained by Steven M. Asmussen.

Kirkwood consigned and sold PURE PRAISE at the 2017 OBS March Sale for $110,000. Today the 4-year-old Congrats filly added her third win – this time going a mile on the turf at Tampa. She ran ar first off the pace, then swung wide and rallied to win by a head. She is owned by Lambholm Stable  and trained by Roy S. Lerman.

Kirkwood has many happy associations with the family of BELLERIN (Malibu Moon – Seek to Soar, by Seeking the Gold) through his grand dam Soaring Softly.
Yesterday going a mile on the dirt at Santa Anita, BELLERIN showed early speed and was leading by the first quarter – he and stayed there to score his second win. The gelding was sold by  Kirkwood for $60,000 to trainer Carla Gaines for her client, owner Keith Brackpool.

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.

JUS LIVELY took 1 race to figure out the game then graduated in his next out. He followed that right up with win #2.  The Paddy O’Prado 3-year-old did not have an easy trip through the field, but cleared for a win by 3 lengths. He raced a mile and 70 yards on the dirt at the Fair Grounds. He is owned by  Ellen Addison and trained by Steven M. Asmussen.

3 year old Data Link filly IRISH HUSTLE saved ground early and then moved into contention and cleared the field for the win.  She raced a mile on the dirt in a race pulled off the turf. She was offered as one of Kirkwood’s  Gallop Group at Gulfstream and purchased by current owner  Martin Racing Stable LLC. The filly is trained by W. Bret Calhoun.

Gaining a graded stakes-placing in the  GII Pocahontas S at 2,  SPLASHY KISSES opened her 3-year-old campaign adding more graded black-type to her pedigree page running 3rd in the G3- Sweet Life S  at Santa Anita.

SPLASHY KISSES was one of the five 2-year-olds purchased as yearlings in 2017 under the name Gulfstream Gallop sold at the 2018 Gulfstream auction. The Blame filly was a maiden winner at Del Mar in August and finished second in the GII Pocahontas S. at Churchill Downs.

“We feel great about last year’s results,” Elser said. “That vindicates the project. We have some later-developing horses who ran well first time and look like they are okay. But to have the one filly be graded placed in the first small group of relatively inexpensive horses is very gratifying. I’ve checked with everybody who has one and they are pleased enough. They are going to win their share, they think.”

After putting a toe in the water last year, Elser’s client decided to increase his investment going into the 2018 yearling sales.

Gulfstream Gallop opened its 2018 yearling purchases with a $50,000 colt by Bayern  at the Fasig-Tipton July sale and purchased a colt by Flatter  for the same price at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. It made its biggest purchase of the year with a $65,000 daughter of Street Sense  one of three purchased at the Fasig-Tipton October sale.

WATCH FOR THEM AT GULFSTREAM