CONUNDRUM QUEEN (Hard Spun) was claimed last out by her new connections trainer Jose Francisco D’Angelo and owners Gu Racing Stable, LLC and ProRacing Stable, LLC. She proved to be an excellent claim winning in her first start back in a starter allowance at a mile on the turf at Gulfstream. The filly was prepped and sold by Kirkwood for $110,000 at Fasig Tipton Timonium.
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CHESS CHIEF named Virginia Horse of the Year
Purchased as a yearling at Saratoga by Kirkwood for trainer Dallas Stewart and the Estate of James Coleman
Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.
The annual Virginia Breeder’s Awards program has been scheduled at Great Meadow Friday May 6th—the evening before the Virginia Gold Cup Races—in a return to more of a “normal times” format for the first time since 2019. The event will take place in a trackside tent on Member’s Hill overlooking the deep stretch and finish line areas where steeplechase horses are set to compete the next afternoon. A list of awards to be presented that night follows.
Horse-of-the-Year honors go to Chess Chief, who was also recognized as Virginia-Bred Older Horse Champion based on two stakes wins and $446,290 in earnings. The Dallas Stewart trainee struck early and late in the year, connecting at Fair Grounds twice in the Grade 2 New Orleans Stakes March 20 and in the Tenacious Stakes December 26. Bred by Morgan’s Ford Farm, the 6-year-old Into Mischief horse heads into spring with $865,338 in winnings overall.
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GODDARD 2nd by a neck in the Sunray Inaugural Stakes
Stakes placed in the Bill Thomas Memorial Stakes at Sunland last out, GODDARD (Tapit) added t his resume with a second by a neck in the Inaugural Stakes at Sunray. He is trained by Todd W. Fincher and owned by B. Ray Willis. He was bred by Winchell Thoroughbreds, LLC. GODDARD was sold by Kirkwood at the 2020 Fasig Tipton sale at Timonium.
MR ALEC wins dramatically over hurdles!
MR ALEC dramatic maiden winner for owner Dick Colton and trainer Arch Kingsley first time over hurdles at Springdale Racecourse in Camden SC Developed for Alec Head at Kip Elser’s Kirkwood Stables. MR ALEC broke his maiden on the flat at Belmont and won a Saratoga allowance race.
Kirkwoood Yearling Purchase wins the CAROUSEL S. at Oaklawn
Courtey of the TDN
CAROUSEL S., $200,000, Oaklawn, 4-2, 4yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:09.26, ft.
1–ACTING OUT, 124, m, 5, Blame–Riding Point, by Speightstown. ($120,000 RNA Ylg ’18 KEESEP; $12,000 3yo ’20 KEEJAN). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN.
O-Sherman Racing, Inc., Zvika Akin & Robert Harkins;
B-Vincent Colbert (KY)
T-Jerry Hollendorfer; Lifetime Record: 12-5-3-0, $323,840.
Acting Out made it two-for-two since joining Hall of Famer trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. Previously campaigned by winning co-owner and former trainer Art Sherman, she was a well-beaten sixth at Del Mar July 29. She returned eight months later to lead gate-to-wire against a similar field Mar. 11 at Oaklawn. Two of those beaten rivals were behind her again Saturday as she stepped back into stakes company for the first time since a second-place finish over the Golden Gate grass last April.
Acting Out got away from the gate in good order to set the early pace and led comfortably throughout. She entered the stretch with a 1 1/2-length advantage and was pushed to the wire by heavily favored SW & MGISP Frank’s Rockette (Into Mischief) to win comfortably.
Acting Out is a half-sister to two other winners and her dam was bred to Seattle Serenade in 2022
STARTWITHABANG graduates in a MSW
STARTWITHABANG (Jump Start) raced 6 1/2 furlongs at Charles Town to a MSW graduation. She came between horses late to win by a neck. She is trained by Anthony Farrior for owner Timothy Freitag. She was bred in MD by Mr. & Mrs. Charles McGinnes.
| Starts | Firsts | Seconds | Thirds | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | $51,379 |
GODDARD stakes placed in the Bill Thomas Memorial Stakes
Winner in allowance company last out, GODDARD (Tapit) swung wide and closed to earn black-type placing in the Bill Thomas Memorial Stakes at Sunland. He is trained by Todd W. Fincher and owned by B. Ray Willis. He was bred by Winchell Thoroughbreds, LLC. GODDARD was sold by Kirkwood at the 2020 Fasig Tipton sale at Timonium.
ACTING OUT wins her 4th
Racing 6 furlongs at Oaklawn, Stakes placed ACTING OUT (Blame) wired the field for win #4. She is owned by Sherman Racing, Inc., Zvika Akin & Robert Harkins and trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.
| Starts | Firsts | Seconds | Thirds | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 4 | 3 | 0 | $203,840 |
2 winners for Kirkwood
Racing at Remington Park, GODDARD (Tapit) got up in the final stride to break his maiden. He raced 7 furlongs on the dirt for trainer Todd W. Fincher
and owner B. Ray Willis. He was bred by Winchell Thoroughbreds, LLC. Since then at Sunland, he has been 1st or 2nd in his last 3 starts and has earned over $75,000.
At PARX, KODAPENDANT (Outwork) swung wide and got his head in front to break his maiden for trainer Robert E. Reid, Jr. and owners LC Racing LLC, Michalee Milam, Smart Angle LLP and Westerly Farm. Off the favorite, he raced a mile and seventy and won by 1 3/4
CONUNDRUM QUEEN wins and DEFENSE WINS adds a stakes placing
CONUNDRUM QUEEN (Hard Spun) broke through the gate, was reloaded and after settling at first in the 2nd flight, she then rallied for the win. CONUNDRUM QUEEN is owned by R. A. Hill Stable and BlackRidge Stables LLC and was bred by G. Watts Humphrey Jr., Susan Keller, Victoria Oliver & G. Watts Humphrey III. She is trained by George Weaver. The filly was sold for $110,000 at Fasig Tipton Timonium.
Much farther west, GSPl DEFENSE WINS (Flatter) added ran third in the Rillito Park Inaugural Stakes. He is now owned and trained by James L. Gilmour. He was a member of the Gulfstream Gallop contingent and sold at Gulfstream in 2019.
| Starts | Firsts | Seconds | Thirds | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 3 | 8 | 4 | $165,842 |