Bella Luna

Don’t look now, but there is a sire who is quietly building a strong pair of contenders for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. In the past week his progeny, Odysseus and Devil May Care, scored in major preps. His name is Malibu Moon, and I consider him one of the best sires in America and he has done it under the radar of many. Regally bred, the 13-year-old sire is a son of the great A.P. Indy out of a grade 1 winning Mr. Prospector mare named Macoumba. Bred to be a standout on the track, Malibu Moon only raced two times in his career, where he displayed the precociousness of his mother by running 2nd in a maiden in April and then impressively winning a May maiden in racehorse time. Malibu Moon was clearly a horse with a big future, but it would not be on the track, as a fracture in his knee ended his career almost before it began. The big colt was sent to Country Life Farm in Maryland. Country Life Farm is the oldest stud farm in Maryland and is the birthplace of Hall of Fame runner Cigar. It is not a farm with the most expensive sires in the world, however. Malibu Moon took to stud life smoothly at the young age of three. Because of his lack of a racing career, he was not predicted for stardom as a sire. Despite his pedigree and good looks, he began his career at stud for the small fee of $3,000. Standing in Maryland with a small stud fee, Malibu Moon was not sent blueblood mares by any means. Yet despite of this, he was an immediate success, siring multiple stakes winners in his first two crops. In his second crop, he sired the 2004 juvenile champion Declan’s Moon. Suddenly Malibu Moon was a hot commodity. As Business Manager at Country Life Farm, Michael Pons, tells it, “He got too good to stay in the minor leagues, he had to go to the majors.” In American breeding, the majors is the bluegrass of Kentucky. First on to Castleton Lyons in Kentucky and then on to legendary Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, Malibu Moon has made a steady climb up the ranks of American stallions. B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm is the majority owner of Malibu Moon, with both Country Life and Castleton Lyons retaining a one quarter interest in the top stud. At Spendthrift, he now stands for $40,000 and covers a high quality list of mares. Malibu Moon is that rare stud who has proved successful at every level of breeding, from the basement to the penthouse, he continues to shine. In 2009, Malibu Moon was represented by 12 different stakes winners. This represents the fourth consecutive year he led A.P. Indy sires in number of stakes winners. He now rivals the outstanding sire Pulpit, as the leader of the great Seattle Slew-A.P. Indy line. A short list of horses sired by Malibu Moon in his first seven crops include Declan’s Moon, Malibu Mint, Life at Ten, Ah Day, Moon Catcher, Perfect Moon, Malibu Moonshine, Sara Louise, Raw Silk, Malibu Prayer, Luna Vega, By The Light, Bon Jovi Girl, and of course, current sophomore stars Odysseus and Devil May Care. In Odysseus and Devil May Care, Malibu Moon has two horses with a legitimate chance to take home the big prizes at Churchill Downs. I am happy to report that friends of mine have ventured into thoroughbred ownership, and their first horse is a three-year-old son of Malibu Moon. Michael and Lynn Horvath bought stake in a Country Life partnership for a single horse. They were specifically looking for a Maryland based horse out of Malibu Moon. Moon was a sire they had grown to like from their trips to the races. Lacrosse Moon, out of a Temperence Hill mare, fit the bill. The colt has been working steadily and is getting close to a first career start. Look for him to make his career debut at the upcoming Pimlico meet. Considering he is a son of Malibu Moon, they may just have something there. Best of luck Lacrosse Moon. Malibu Moon is one of those rare sires who has not seen his stud fee drop because of the economic downturn. His fee has held steady at $40,000 for several years, and he is the clear king of the heap at Spendthrift Farm. A sire I have long liked and often considered underrated, I think the secret of Malibu Moon is now completely out of the bag Come Oaks and Derby weekend, he may well be the toast of the bluegrass. One thing is for sure, Malibu Moon is a stud.

Here's What I Saw

As far as the big two, Zenyatta won and Rachel did not. While the Zenyatta juggernaut continues to roll on and on, to the tune of an amazing record of 15 wins in 15 starts, Rachel came back from a long layoff to finish 2nd by ¾ of a length to another John Shirreffs trained runner, Zardana. It was not what everyone expected for last year’s Horse of the Year. Rachel was clearly short after six months off and was not pushed too hard by rider Calvin Borel. I have little doubt that she will get a lot out of the loss, and will be much improved for her next race. Unfortunately, that will not come in the Apple Blossom on April 9. Zenyatta will be there after her typical awesome performance, but the connections of Rachel Alexandra feel she is not quite ready for the meeting. Hopefully the two superstars will get a chance to settle things on the track sometime soon. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

Derby Prep Day the 13th

It looks like I picked a good day to start writing for Youbet.com. If you like the greatest of horses returning after several months on the sidelines, if you like crucial preps with countless major candidates for the first Saturday in May, if you like the thrill of many of the greatest athletes in the world giving it everything they possibly have to cross the finish line first, then friends, today is a day for you. What has Zipse at the Track (you can call me ZATT for short) so excited? Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta, the greatest female horses I have ever seen (sorry Ruffian) make their long awaited and agonizingly anticipated returns today in the New Orleans Ladies and the Santa Margarita Handicap respectively. Any day these magnificent horses hit the track it is an instant holiday, and today they both will run. Peaking the interest even more, this will be their only appearance before the big one on April 9. Not taking a backseat to the older females, are three excellent fields of prime Kentucky Derby hopefuls in the Rebel Stakes, San Felipe Stakes, and the Tampa Bay Derby. In these three major preps, no less than 13 of my personal Top 30 horses from the Kentucky Derby master list will be in action today. You may have already guessed that I am expecting Rachel and Zenyatta to win today, so let’s concentrate on the Derby preps. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

Odysseus the Cunning

Consider this a formal warning. He is at it again. Quiet for more than 3,000 years, Odysseus the Cunning has returned to carry out a new master plan. Once again he will use the form of a horse to pull the wool over the eyes of the unobservant. A quick recap of history, or Greek mythology, whichever you prefer to call it, reminds us how Odysseus masterminded the plot that took down Troy. Seeking to gain entrance into Troy, Odysseus ordered a large wooden horse to be built. Its insides were hollow so that soldiers could hide inside. Once the horse had been built, many Greek warriors, along with Odysseus, climbed inside. The rest of the Greek fleet sailed away to deceive the Trojans. One Greek, Sinon, was left behind. When the Trojans came to marvel at the giant horse, Sinon pretended to be angry with the Greeks, saying he had been deserted. He convinced the Trojans that the wooden horse was safe and would also bring them great luck. The Trojans celebrated victory, and dragged the wooden horse into Troy. That night, after most of Troy was sleeping or drunk, Sinon let the Greek warriors out from the horse, and the Trojans were quickly defeated. He may be using a different type of horse to complete his agenda, but the end game is very much the same. The modern day Trojan Horse is a Thoroughbred named Odysseus. Can you see the over confidence here? So sure that his deeds in the Trojan War have been long since forgotten by 21st century America, he flaunts his real name, as if to dare anyone to stop him. His current horse is every bit as impressive as the wooden horse created so many years ago. A half brother to multiple stakes winner Once Around, Odysseus rallied for second in his debut at Aqueduct last Fall, after getting away slowly in the maiden sprint. His connections were patient with the chestnut son of Malibu Moon and he returned with a hard fought half-length win at seven furlongs in a January maiden special weight race at Gulfstream Park. It was after that maiden win that I first became very aware of the Thomas Albertrani colt and the threat which he represents. After Wednesday, I am now even more weary. The Padua Stables’ Odysseus romped home 15 lengths clear of an allowance field at Tampa Bay Downs in near-track record time. This was a field he was expected to handle, but the way he accomplished the task was eye-catching, as he stalked the leader, and then blew his doors off with mild encouragement by rider Rajiv Maragh. Notice that Odysseus the Cunning has stayed off the mainstream radar to this point, but he did not earn his moniker for nothing. He knows he will need to rack up some graded earnings before his raid on Louisville. With that end in mind, expect Odysseus to reappear at Tampa Bay Downs for their upcoming Derby. Following that, you can expect the meticulous plan to continue on, all the way to the Run for the Roses. Will Louisville be wiped off the map, much the same way Troy was thousands of years ago? I certainly hope not, as I have many friends in greater Louisville. In the end, I believe the city on the Ohio River has nothing to worry about, it is the other fine horses and their connections that I fear for the most. Odysseus is most cunning, and much like he had his sights squarely on Troy, he now has Louisville all lined up for a sacking unlike anything seen since the last time he schemed. Does he have the horse to succeed? After Wednesday, I would not be surprised if he does. Consider yourself warned.