just like that

Crew at Shadybrook Farm down in Ocala must be pretty pumped. Bo Yates, who runs the operation (and is pictured at right with Nautical Agent), consigned Stardom Bound to the March OBS 2y0 sale earlier this year and yesterday she won the Grade One Del Mar Debutante. He bought the Tapit filly last year at Keeneland for $50,000 and turned her around for $375,000, which isn't the worst return on your money if you can get it. Bo breaks and trains for T Street, too, and he's been a great guy to have on the team. Honest, straight-shooter that works hard and has a good head for the game. I remember talking to him about this filly right after the sale, and he didn't have more to say than that she seemed to have a nice enough frame that would fill out with time. He likes to buy later, usually less mature or smaller foals (she was born in April), out of young mares with a bit of black type and then pray like heck that the develop nicely in time for the spring sales. Obviously, to flip her for the $375,000 suggests that she came along just fine (If I recall correctly, I think she worked a big 3/8ths at the sale). Judging by Monday's race, she continues to keep on the improve. I'll do my best to keep his ego in check now that he's gone big time. That's assuming, of course, that he'll keep taking my calls.

Props, too, to Anak Nakal, who won the PA Derby on Monday. He's by Victory Gallop, sire of the one and only, Nautical Agent. Like Nautical, Anak Nakal isn't the most talented horse, but the sucker just keeps trying and grinding along. Yesterday, he got up to nip IEAH's Acai right at the wire. Those guys are still swimming in cash from the score pulled off selling breeding rights to Big Brown to Three Chimneys, so don't feel too bad for them.

Speaking of Big Brown, how great is it that he'll run back at Monmouth Park next week? I hope they get a big crowd out to watch him take on some real turf stock in that race they put up. Now, my contention is that they played it all wrong asking for the $500,000 pot that MP is offering, because you know that some decent runners will show up for that kind of money. If the goal is to maintain the smoke and mirrors act, you ask for $150,000 and then just deal with Hotstuffandthensome coming back on two weeks rest. Given the 4-5 weeks or so that the race has been on the calendar means that some quality turf runners will take him on, and likely take the lion's share of the purse, too. Should make for great TV. "Yeah, well, the Breeders' Cup has always been our primary goal for the year, so this was just a chance to get a race into him and have him set for a big day out at Santa Anita. He faced some tough, older turfers, so we're really okay with the fourth place finish. We got what we needed and we love the people here at Monmouth Park. Oh, btw, tell track management to ship the few crab cakes we didn't eat up in the parterres back to me in Long Island. Man, were those good." Meanwhile, Three Chimneys is holding a $50m bag and will be stuck mapping out how they'll get out on that nut. Poor Big Brown will be seeing 250 mares a year right off the bat, I'd bet.