Jojo Warrior is running January 17th in the La Canada Stakes. She will be ridden by Martin Garcia. She is trained by Bob Baffert and owned by Winstar Farm LLC or Zayat Stables LLC.
Courtier is running January 24th in the Kitten's Joy Stakes. He will be ridden by Joel Rosario. He is trained by Bill Mott and owned by Juddmonte Farms Inc.
American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile - Little Princess Emma, by Yankee Gentleman) – A deserving winner of the Eclipse Award as Juvenile Champion, considering his back-to-back, impressive Grade 1 wins. Those victories were also flattered by Texas Red and Calculator’s subsequent races. Having said that, my head tells me that classic distances might be a little farther than his best.
Miss Mandate is running January 31st in the Las Virgenes Stakes. She will be ridden by Joe Talamo. She is trained by Mark Casse and owned by Gary Barber.
Pioneerof the Nile—Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman
Putting him at No. 2 despite his injury, not scheduled to make his 3-y-o debut until March, and his one-dimensional style of running, all of which leave questions about how he will make the transition from 2 to 3. But superseding all that is the colt’s extraordinary talent and star potential and the subsequent success of the opponents he dominated last year, including Texas Red and Calculator. Haven’t seen Baffert this excited about a young horse in a long time. It’ll be interesting to see if the others have caught up with him come March. If he comes back the same as he was and learns to sit off the pace a little, we could have a bon a fide superstar on our hands. Baffert said he expects him to START breezing by the end of the month.
American Pharoah, whose two wins in three races include Grade I triumphs in the Del Mar Futurity and Santa Anita’s FrontRunner, is one of 15 nominees trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who has nine Triple Crown wins on his career résumé. The total includes three victories in the Kentucky Derby, five Preakness triumphs and one win in the Belmont Stakes. Also among Baffert’s nominees is Kaleem Shah’s unbeaten Dortmund, WINNER of the Grade I Los Alamitos Futurity.
Pioneerof the Nile—Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman
Returned to the work tab with an easy 3f breeze in :36 1/5 with jockey Martin Garcia aboard. Great to see him finally back in action, and judging from the photos posted on the Internet, he looks spectacular. Question now is how far he can carry his speed and whether he can rate off the pace. Great Grandsire Ecliptical is a half-brother to the dam of Preakness WINNER Codex, Oaklawn Handicap WINNER Eminency, and $960,000 earner Talakeno, a long-distance grass horse. Traces to the best of Fred Hooper blood – Tri Jet , winner of the Whitney in track-record time and Hawthorne Gold Cup, and Crozier, winner of the Santa Anita Handicap, second in the Kentucky Derby to Carry Back, and the sire of Hall of Famer Precisionist.
Pioneerof the Nile—Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman
Baffert said the champ likely will make his 3-year-old debut in the March 14 Rebel Stakes. He turned in his second 3f work, going in :36 2/5 and galloping out a half-mile. As with the other horses making just two starts, there is no room for error and everything will have to go perfectly. We also have to see if he can WIN from off the pace, so there are still plenty of questions. He is only up this high because he may be freaky talented. His tail-female line is all Fred Hooper breeding and that is unlike any other family. It is an entity unto itself, and while many Hooper horses have been brilliant, they haven’t established any line of note.
Courageous Julie is running February 15th in the Bayakoa Stakes. She will be ridden by Alex Birzer. She is trained by Wayne Lukas and owned by Zayat Stables LLC.
Pioneerof the Nile—Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman
I have to admit I’m not entirely comfortable with anyone at No. 1 after Texas Red’s setback and after prolonged thought and meticulous scrutiny I decided to go by raw talent and the potential to be something very special. He looked super breezing a half in :47 2/5, out in 1:00 2/5. He galloped out so strongly, the clockers gave him a 5f work even though Baffert said all along he was working a half. Watching his last two wins, it’s really amazing just how flawless he is in every respect. He does everything so smoothly and effortlessly, has tremendous extension to his stride, and never deviates an inch off his path . From the head-on, his legs are perfectly placed beneath him, he keeps his head as straight as can be, and even when Victor Espinoza for some reason hit him 10 times right-handed in the Del Mar Futurity with a clear lead, he remained dead straight on his course. I also like the way he tosses his ears back and forth throughout the race as if he’s having a good time out there and using little energy. So although he is living on the edge with no room for even the slightest setback, I’ll take a chance that he will return as good as he was last year and will show he can rate off the pace the way he rates on the lead.
Nice Number is running February 21st in the Bayou Stakes. She will be ridden by Brian Joseph Hernandez Jr. She is trained by Brad Cox and owned by Right Time Racing LLC.
Pioneerof the Nile—Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman
With Texas Red’s setback, an ugly Fountain of Youth, and not having any horse excite me so far, I have to focus on potential and the hope that American Pharoah will return the same special horse we saw last year. And working 6f in 1:12 2/5 in only his fourth work back is encouraging. You know you have a special young horse when as early as March of his 2-year-old year the farm owner/trainer watches him work, realizes the responsibility of training such a special horse, and says to the owners as the horse is galloping out, “Figure out who you're gonna send him to and get him outta here.” As for his layoff, he certainly wouldn’t be the first horse to make his 3-year-old debut in March and go on to win the Derby, and judging by the way he’s looked in the morning, you have feel that his injury is behind him and will be a non factor. Of course, he still has to show he can rate off horses, but there is no indication he won’t be able to adjust to any pace scenario. With him there is the hope of seeing great things. Until he proves otherwise or someone comes along to get me excited, I have to keep him on top.
Blackstone Farm on Thursday Feb. 26 2015 PHOTO Amazing night, lovely colt by @WinStarFarm stallion Pioneer OfThe Nile out of La Boheme by Giant' Causeway.
Pioneerof the Nile—Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman
CONTINUES to train like a champ, drilling a sharp 7f in 1:23 4/5, galloping out a mile in 1:38. Just watching him work is a treat, as he makes a striking appearance even galloping to the post and moves with such efficiency and BALANCE he shows all the signs of being something special. Of course, he still has to go out there and show it, traveling all the way to Oaklawn Park and racing over a strange surface, albeit one that has his trainer’s name written all over it. Depending on how he handles the track, it’s either go 4 weeks to the Arkansas Derby and 3 weeks to the Kentucky Derby or 3 weeks to the Santa Anita Derby, Blue Grass or Wood Memorial and 4 weeks to the Derby. There is no doubt Baffert will have him razor-sharp and dead-fit for the Rebel, where he will have the services of a pacesetter in Take Charge Brandi, which would be just what he needs to get him to sit back behind a horse for the first time.
Hip No. 34, a colt by Pioneerof the Nile —Lady Bonita, by Smart Strike. Consigned by McKathan Bros., agent. "He went in :10 2/5 and galloped out as good as anything. He's a big, two-turn, Derby-looking horse," J.B. McKathan. "We trained Pioneerof the Nile, so I have been around a few of them. He's a super nice colt. He is a spitting image of his sire. They look exactly the same."
Comments
Pioneerof the Nile—Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman
Putting him at No. 2 despite his injury, not scheduled to make his 3-y-o debut until March, and his one-dimensional style of running, all of which leave questions about how he will make the transition from 2 to 3. But superseding all that is the colt’s extraordinary talent and star potential and the subsequent success of the opponents he dominated last year, including Texas Red and Calculator. Haven’t seen Baffert this excited about a young horse in a long time. It’ll be interesting to see if the others have caught up with him come March. If he comes back the same as he was and learns to sit off the pace a little, we could have a bon a fide superstar on our hands. Baffert said he expects him to START breezing by the end of the month.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/kentucky-derby-dozen/archive/2015/01/27/derby-dozen-january-26-2015-presented-by-shadwell-farm.aspx##ixzz3QAX9br00
Pioneerof the Nile—Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman
Returned to the work tab with an easy 3f breeze in :36 1/5 with jockey Martin Garcia aboard. Great to see him finally back in action, and judging from the photos posted on the Internet, he looks spectacular. Question now is how far he can carry his speed and whether he can rate off the pace. Great Grandsire Ecliptical is a half-brother to the dam of Preakness WINNER Codex, Oaklawn Handicap WINNER Eminency, and $960,000 earner Talakeno, a long-distance grass horse. Traces to the best of Fred Hooper blood – Tri Jet , winner of the Whitney in track-record time and Hawthorne Gold Cup, and Crozier, winner of the Santa Anita Handicap, second in the Kentucky Derby to Carry Back, and the sire of Hall of Famer Precisionist.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/kentucky-derby-dozen/archive/2015/02/03/steve-haskin-s-derby-dozen-for-february-3-2015.aspx##ixzz3QiMMc8mW
Pioneerof the Nile—Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman
Baffert said the champ likely will make his 3-year-old debut in the March 14 Rebel Stakes. He turned in his second 3f work, going in :36 2/5 and galloping out a half-mile. As with the other horses making just two starts, there is no room for error and everything will have to go perfectly. We also have to see if he can WIN from off the pace, so there are still plenty of questions. He is only up this high because he may be freaky talented. His tail-female line is all Fred Hooper breeding and that is unlike any other family. It is an entity unto itself, and while many Hooper horses have been brilliant, they haven’t established any line of note.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/kentuckhttp://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/90055/american-pharoah-remains-sharp-for-returny-derby-dozen/archive/2015/02/10/derby-dozen-february-10-2015-presented-by-shadwell-farm.aspx##ixzz3RNFS6Fv5
Date: February 15, 2015
Track: PALM BEACH DOWNS
Distance: Five Furlongs
Time: 1.00:22 Breezing
Track Condition: Fast
Surface: Dirt
Rank: 3/9
Pioneerof the Nile—Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman
I have to admit I’m not entirely comfortable with anyone at No. 1 after Texas Red’s setback and after prolonged thought and meticulous scrutiny I decided to go by raw talent and the potential to be something very special. He looked super breezing a half in :47 2/5, out in 1:00 2/5. He galloped out so strongly, the clockers gave him a 5f work even though Baffert said all along he was working a half. Watching his last two wins, it’s really amazing just how flawless he is in every respect. He does everything so smoothly and effortlessly, has tremendous extension to his stride, and never deviates an inch off his path . From the head-on, his legs are perfectly placed beneath him, he keeps his head as straight as can be, and even when Victor Espinoza for some reason hit him 10 times right-handed in the Del Mar Futurity with a clear lead, he remained dead straight on his course. I also like the way he tosses his ears back and forth throughout the race as if he’s having a good time out there and using little energy. So although he is living on the edge with no room for even the slightest setback, I’ll take a chance that he will return as good as he was last year and will show he can rate off the pace the way he rates on the lead.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/kentucky-derby-dozen/archive/2015/02/17/steve-haskin-s-derby-dozen-for-february-17-2015.aspx#ixzz3S22nP2Wh
Pioneerof the Nile—Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman
With Texas Red’s setback, an ugly Fountain of Youth, and not having any horse excite me so far, I have to focus on potential and the hope that American Pharoah will return the same special horse we saw last year. And working 6f in 1:12 2/5 in only his fourth work back is encouraging. You know you have a special young horse when as early as March of his 2-year-old year the farm owner/trainer watches him work, realizes the responsibility of training such a special horse, and says to the owners as the horse is galloping out, “Figure out who you're gonna send him to and get him outta here.” As for his layoff, he certainly wouldn’t be the first horse to make his 3-year-old debut in March and go on to win the Derby, and judging by the way he’s looked in the morning, you have feel that his injury is behind him and will be a non factor. Of course, he still has to show he can rate off horses, but there is no indication he won’t be able to adjust to any pace scenario. With him there is the hope of seeing great things. Until he proves otherwise or someone comes along to get me excited, I have to keep him on top.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/kentucky-derby-dozen/archive/2015/02/24/derby-dozen-february-24-2015-presented-by-shadwell-farm.aspx#ixzz3SgxRKItO
Amazing night, lovely colt by @WinStarFarm stallion Pioneer OfThe Nile
out of La Boheme by Giant' Causeway.
Pioneerof the Nile—Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman
CONTINUES to train like a champ, drilling a sharp 7f in 1:23 4/5, galloping out a mile in 1:38. Just watching him work is a treat, as he makes a striking appearance even galloping to the post and moves with such efficiency and BALANCE he shows all the signs of being something special. Of course, he still has to go out there and show it, traveling all the way to Oaklawn Park and racing over a strange surface, albeit one that has his trainer’s name written all over it. Depending on how he handles the track, it’s either go 4 weeks to the Arkansas Derby and 3 weeks to the Kentucky Derby or 3 weeks to the Santa Anita Derby, Blue Grass or Wood Memorial and 4 weeks to the Derby. There is no doubt Baffert will have him razor-sharp and dead-fit for the Rebel, where he will have the services of a pacesetter in Take Charge Brandi, which would be just what he needs to get him to sit back behind a horse for the first time.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/kentucky-derby-dozen/archive/2015/03/03/derby-dozen-march-3-2015-presented-by-shadwell-farm.aspx#ixzz3TLnefW10
Date: March 3, 2015
Track: GULFSTREAM PARK
Distance: Four Furlongs
Time: 48:05 Breezing
Track Condition: Fast
Surface: Dirt
Rank: 4/31
"He went in :10 2/5 and galloped out as good as anything. He's a big, two-turn, Derby-looking horse," J.B. McKathan. "We trained Pioneerof the Nile, so I have been around a few of them. He's a super nice colt. He is a spitting image of his sire. They look exactly the same."
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/90443/horses-to-watch-at-f-t-florida-sale#ixzz3TRNJ5Acn