mark taylor on abel tasman

39 Pages·2017·13.11 MB·English

SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2019
TDN Q & A: MARK TAYLOR DEBERNARDIS, WOLFE EARN ECLIPSE
AWARD FOR TDN WEEKEND
ON ABEL TASMAN
Christie DeBernardis and Patty Wolfe have earned the Eclipse
Award for Audio/Multi-Media Internet for their piece
chronicling the journey of Cozmic One, first foal of champion
Zenyatta, from the racetrack to the show ring through the
Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) and the careful eye of
17-year-old show rider Isabela de Sousa. The entry appeared
first online in the July edition of TDN Weekend, a publication of
Thoroughbred Daily News and can be viewed here.
The story of Cozmic One is told by DeBernardis, who came up
with the idea, wrote the text, took the pictures and interviewed
de Sousa on camera, and Wolfe, who shot and produced the
video of de Sousa, in which the young rider extols the
By Lucas Marquardt opportunity of second careers for retired racehorses and the
Headlining the Keeneland January Sale this year is the 2017 success of Off-the-Track Thoroughbred (OTTB) programs.
Eclipse Award champion 3-year-old filly, Abel Tasman (Quality (Click to continue to p5)
Road), who sells as hip 288 during the auction=s opening session
this coming Monday. We went out to visit the mare at Taylor
IN TDN EUROPE TODAY
Made Farm last week and to talk to Mark Taylor about the six-
time Grade I winner=s selling points. OP/ED: NATIONS NEED TO WORK TOGETHER
Kevin Blake makes the argument that a protectionist
TDN: You found out, I'm assuming, kind of late in the year that approach is not the way forward in the face of Brexit.
you're going to have Abel Tasman in the consignment. How did Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Europe.
that come about?
MT: Well, we've had a great relationship with the Cleary boys
out at Clearsky, as well as China Horse Club, for a number of
years. China Horse Club bought a really nice mare off of us a few
years ago, named Embellish the Lace (Super Saver), and got to
know them better through that. This year we actually partnered
on a race horse with them, Sassy Sienna (Midshipman), and
we've sold yearlings for them. We sold a really nice War Front
colt in 2017 in September. They're doing big things in the
business and we've been fortunate enough to develop a good
relationship with them. There was a comfort level there. The
Cleary boys, we knew their father and we've been friends with
them and selling horses with them. They sell mostly their own at
the yearling sales, but we help them out and anytime they need
our two cents worth, we're always involved with those guys. I
think that's how it came to fruition, and I think everybody knows
selling these kind of mares is something that Taylor Made puts a
lot of emphasis on and that=s our bread and butter.
Cont. p3

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[email protected] HASKELL MOVES TO SATURDAY
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TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 12 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • JANUARY 5, 2019
TDN Q&A: Taylor on Abel Tasman
(cont. from p1)
TDN: She's a unique mare in her talent. She=s a Grade I winner
at two, three and four. Talk about her accomplishments on the
racetrack and what she was able to accomplish, first as a
2-year-old with Simon Callaghan and then with Bob Baffert.
MT: She's just one of those very rare versatile horses that have
so much talent, that you can't really pigeon hole her. It's very
hard to beat her, because if she goes with you, you're in trouble,
and if you go out and she sits back and relaxes, you're at her
mercy. She's going to run you down in the stretch. Physically,
what I love about Abel Tasman is when you breed to Quality
Road, you're hoping to get one that looks like her. She's very
similar to him in that she's got tons of length. She's got this
beautiful, elegant, long neck. Bob Baffert actually alluded to that
in the one interview I saw. "Got that neck." Beautiful deep
shoulder on her. Very long, mare just covers a lot of ground.
Good hip and she's roomy. It's the way I call it. She looks like one
of those mares that can carry a lot of foal. That's what I like to
see in mares.
Abel Tasman | Coady Photography
TDN: What has her progression been like on the farm since the
Breeders= Cup?
MT: She's been at Clearsky, where she was raised, with Barry
Robinette. He runs the Cleary boys= farm out there. I really like
the way she's going since the Breeders= Cup. She was obviously
light coming in off the track. Tight, fit and been running all year.
But if you can see her transition from then until now, I think
she's put on right at 100 pounds. You think about this mare
when she gets pregnant and what she's going to look like next
summer. She is just going to be awesome. And she's just now
starting to kind of let down and think, maybe it's time to be a
mom now. She's getting turn out time and just getting into that
routine. So, it's been really cool to see her, the way she's
transitioning, starting to head into the breeding season.
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 12 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • JANUARY 5, 2019
TDN: Quality Road had a huge 2018 and has really established MT: We=ve gotten significant interest. She's definitely on the top
himself as a top sire, particularly of females. buyers= radar screens. The one thing that I'm trying to convey to
all of the buyers that have interest is that this isn't a situation
MT: Quality Road is a horse that I think a lot of people always where China Horse Club or the Cleary boys are just trying to buy
believed in. He was such a fantastic racehorse himself. He set one another out. I think they're both there and they're genuine
track records, is very versatile, was fast, he could stretch out to a sellers. I think everybody knows that she's a very valuable mare,
mile and an eighth. Everybody believed in him and I think it took and she's not going to be cheap. But you're not going to be
him a while to just get over the hump, as it does with some of battling where one side or the other says, "Oh, I'm just going to
these great sires. He's showed great promise early, but then in go there and I'm bidding with 50-cent on the dollar or whatever,
2018 it was just, "Wow." I think he's clearly one of the very, very and I'm going to buy everybody out." We saw a little bit of that
best stallions in North America, and he gets respect from around in November, where partners were buying other partners out. I
the world. I mean, he's had really good horses in Europe, so I think that we're dealing in this situation with two very genuine
think that's maybe what differentiates him a little bit, is that he's sellers and she's going to have a fair reserve and that's what I've
a superstar in America, but he's had horses go over to Europe been trying to communicate to everybody that's called me so far.
and run very well, Japan. So I think he's truly an international
sire. Even though Abel Tasman never got to run on the grass TDN: The stockmarket has been schizophrenic, to say the least,
herself, I think her pedigree opens her up to where she can be over the past month. How might that affect the sale, and just
mated with sires from around the world. It wouldn't surprise me what are your thoughts coming to January in general?
at all to see her offspring competing in Group 1s at whatever
racing jurisdiction they end up in. MT: January is a sale where you get the entire spectrum of the
bloodstock world covered. You=re going to have very cheap
TDN: Have you gotten much international interest in her, from horses and you're going to have some very, very expensive
Japan? From Europe? horses. You're going to see that we're dealing with different
strengths at different levels. Cont. p5

TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 5 OF 12 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • JANUARY 5, 2019
I think what we've seen in the global economy, what we've
seen in our stockmarket here domestically, I think that it's a little
bit of a, >we don't know what's in the future or on the horizon.=
Uncertainty is never really a good thing for the horse business. I
think if you look at mares like Abel Tasman she=s sort of
recession proof, because she's collector=s status and those
horses hold their value more. But going into next year, I think
there's strength at the top, but I think that more and more
breeders have to be careful. They've got to make the right
decisions. They've got to make the right culling decisions when
they're selling, and then they have to try to raise the best
product they can. It's not an easy game and when you get below
the top, you've got to really, really try to tighten up all those
different variables that you can control, and then hope you get a
little luck with the vetting and those kinds of things to find
success.

Debernardis, Wolfe Earn Eclipse Award
(cont. from p1)
The video captures Cozmic One and the young de Sousa
together with the rider discussing her process of choosing
Cozmic One, previously owned by Jerry and Ann Moss, as her
next mount in the RRP sponsored Thoroughbred Makeover
competition. De Sousa is then seen riding Cozmic One in a
AI am very grateful to my family, friends and everyone at the
Ademo event@ at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event in
TDN who have supported me and made this possible,@
April 2018, as well as at her home, where Cozmic One resides
DeBernardis continued. AI am also thankful to have met Sergio
with his pal and fellow OTTB Isle of Giants.
and Isabela de Sousa, who inspired this piece and welcomed me
into their home and stable. And, I can't forget Cozmic One, who
attracted many readers to this story and shined a new light on
retired racehorses.@
Wolfe, who produces videos for TDN, added, AI am humbled to
be recognized with this extraordinary honor. Working with the
TDN on their visual media initiative has already been the most
fulfilling (and fun) part of my career. Christie=s vision for this
story was spot on, and I=m grateful we had the chance to help
Isabela and Cozmic One tell their story.@
Judges in the Audio/Multi-Media Internet category were
Ashely Cline, founder and publisher of the equestrian lifestyle
blog, EquestrianStylist.com; Brian Nadeau racing analyst for
Horseplayer Now and Amy Zimmerman, Santa Anita Park Vice
President and Senior Associate Producer for NBC Sports.
AWe are truly honored and humbled that our work was chosen
Also winning 2018 Media Eclipse Awards: Tim Layden of
for an Eclipse Award,@ said DeBernardis, an associate editor at
SI.com will be honored in the Feature/Commentary Writing
TDN. AIt is our industry's highest honor and what we all strive for
category for ARemember Chic Anderson=s Legendary Call of
day in and day out. There are so many talented writers and Secretariat=s Record Run at 1973 Belmont Stakes@ and Jeremy
photographers in horse racing that we are lucky to know and Balan of BloodHorse.com will be recognized in the
work with, so to be selected as an Eclipse winner among such an News/Enterprise Writing category for ASan Luis Rey Horsemen
exceptional group is beyond flattering. Faced Brutal Challenges in Fire.@
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 6 OF 12 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • JANUARY 5, 2019
NBC Sports captured two Eclipse Awards, one for live racing
programming for its coverage of the 2018 Belmont Stakes and in
the television features category for ASan Luis Rey Fires.@
Barbara Livingston=s Eclipse Award-winning photo
Barbara D. Livingston, chief photographer for Daily Racing
Form, won her fourth Eclipse Award for Photography for a
photograph of the GIII Gallant Bob S. at Parx. Inside the final 50
yards of the six-furlong race, Whereshetoldmetogo was in a
furious stretch drive to the outside of the favored Firenze Fire,
when suddenly Whereshetoldmetogo attempted to bite Firenze
Fire. Livingston, standing in the gully at the outside rail to the
left of the wire, caught the action with her Canon 1DX Mark II
and 300mm f2.8 lens in an image displaying the teeth of
Whereshetoldmetogo right below the withers of Firenze Fire.

NYRA 2018 HANDLE TOPS $2.1 BILLION
All-sources handle at race meets at the New York Racing
Association=s Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga
Race Course reached $2,113,408,494 in 2018, according to
figures released by NYRA Friday.
With 10 full race days and three partial cards cancelled due to
weather--and 193 races taken off the turf--average daily handle
over the 219 days of racing in 2018 was $9,650,267. In 2017,
just 98 races were taken off the turf over 225 days of live racing,
leading to all-sources handle of $2,191,731,339. The 2018
season featured 2,038 races at NYRA tracks, or 52 fewer than in
2017.
[phone] | WinStarFarm.com
Empire Maker - Star of Goshen, by Lord At War (Arg)
Fee: $110,000 S&N
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 7 OF 12 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • JANUARY 5, 2019
HASKELL SHIFTED TO A SATURDAY, MOVED
UP A WEEK
by Bill Finley
Traditionally run seven weeks after the GI Belmont S. and four
weeks prior to the GI Travers S., the 2019 GI Haskell Invitational
will be run July 20. The change was made because Monmouth
officials were informed that, if the race were run on its normal
date, it could not televised on the NBC family of networks.
To ensure television coverage, the race had to be moved to
the July 20 date, which is a Saturday. The Haskell has
traditionally been run on a Sunday.
The story was first reported by the Asbury Park Press.
Girvin wins the Haskell | Equi-Photo
AIf we wanted to retain national television coverage for the
race, we had no other choice,@ said Dennis Drazin, who heads
the management group that operates the track. AWe either had
to move the race or lose coverage. This is a our signature race
and it=s a world-class race. This is not a race that we wanted to
be unavailable on a national network. I don=t know this for sure,
but had we gone without the TV coverage, we were worried
that the Haskell might also lose its status as a
>Win-and-You=re-In= race for the Breeders= Cup.@
In addition to having a $1-million purse, the Haskell has
normally attracted many of the top 3-year-olds in training
because of its spot on the calendar. It was far enough removed
from the Belmont, that most trainers of Triple Crown starters
had their horse ready to go for their summer-fall campaigns by
the time the Haskell rolled around. There was also enough
spacing between the Haskell and the Travers that trainers were
usually open to the idea of running in both races.
It=s unclear how the change in dates will affect the type of field
the Haskell gets. The worry is that, if trainers feel that they need
more time for their horses to recover from the Triple Crown
races, they might instead chose the GII Jim Dandy S. at Saratoga.
That race will remain seven weeks after the Belmont. Cont. p8