Ceiling Crushers Dominates the G3 Torrey Pines at Del Mar

Ceiling Crusher Roming in the G3, $151,150 Torrey Pines S. at Del Mar.                                                                    Benoit Photo

Del Mar, CA (September 2, 2023) – Ceiling Crusher, bred, foaled, raised, and sold by Harris Farms, romped to victory in the Grade 3, $151,150 Torrey Pines Stakes going one mile over the fast main track at Del Mar.

Strutting her stuff in front of the Pacific Classic Day crowd, the 3-year-old filly was hustled away from the outside post to gain position going into the first turn. She did as asked and put down a zippy opening quarter of 22.14. She was not left to an easy lead, but she galloped along in front, passing the half in 46.29. The challenges began around the final turn and she was looked in the eye nearing the top of the stretch. She didn’t blink. Jockey Edwin Maldonado asked her for another burst of speed and she made quick work of her rival. She galloped in the easiest kind of winner by six lengths. Final time was 1:37.41.

Ceiling Crusher has won five of her six starts and she has earned $374,400 for the partnership of Wonderland Racing Stables, LLC, Todd Kaddy, Tim Kasparoff, and Ty Leatherman. Trained by Doug O’Neill, she was produced by the winning Indian Charlie mare, Palisadesprincess. She has a 2-year-old colt named Majestic Palisades by Majestic Harbor, a yearling colt by Desert Code, and she foaled a filly by Smiling Tiger in 2023.

John Harris Tribute Video from Edwin J. Gregson Foundation

John C. Harris was honored at a charity fundraising dinner hosted by the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation one Thursday, August 17, 2023, at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, located just a few miles east of Del Mar Racetrack.

Enjoy the video tribute from the night’s festivities! 

$100,000 Harris and Parker-bred Colt Tops Northern California Sale

The sale topper at the 2023 California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Northern California Yearling and Horses of Racing Age Sale, was bred, foaled and raised at Harris Farms in partnership with Gary Parker.

Entering the ring as Hip 114 from the Harris Farms’ consignment, the bay colt by Vronsky was sold to PT Syndicate #1 and Meister for a final hammer price of $100,000.

The colt is the third generation bred by the farm and he comes from a family those who have followed California racing and breeding will remember well. He is the first foal of the Acclamation mare, Back to the River, who is a half-sister to the graded stakes winner and $632,065 earner Lucky J. H and to the dam of the stakes winning, graded stakes placed, Super Patriot. She is also a full sister to the stakes-placed Alsatian.

His third dam is the stakes winning, graded stakes-placed mare, Margaret Booth, who was a half-sister to two California champions in Cacoethes and Fabulous Notion. Cacoethes was campaigned to multiple group victories in Great Britain before repatriating to win the G1 Turf Classic at Belmont Park. Fabulous Notion was a multiple graded stakes winner and she was also victorious in the Hollywood Starlet prior to it attaining G1 status.

This family also includes California champion Ismene and a host of other black-type performers.

Here is a photo of the sale topper as a foal. He knew how to pose for a photo right away!

Harris Farms’s Consignment at 2023 Northern California Sale

Harris Farms-bred and Northern California Sale Catalog Cover Girl Ceiling Crusher winning the $150,000 Evening Jewel Stakes          Benoit Photo

Harris Farms proudly offers the following consignment at the 2023 Northern California Yearling Sale being held on Tuesday, August 15 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton.

Property of Harris Farms, Inc.

Hip 65 Dark Bay or Brown Colt by Uptown Rythem out of Southern Preacher
Hip 79 Bay Colt by Vronsky out of Tizn’t Caught
Hip 108 Chestnut Filly by Smiling Tiger out of Artistic Sway
Hip 114 Bay Colt by Vronsky out of Back to the River
Hip 119 Dark Bay or Brown Filly by Desert Code out of Bert’s Melody
Hip 153 Dark Bay or Brown Filly by Conquest Farenheit out of Fast Breaking News
Hip 169 Chestnut Colt by Om out of Indycat

Harris Farms Inc., Agent

Hip 6 Bet the Om by Om out of Lit de Bet
Hip 56 Chestnut Colt by Clubhouse Ride out of Shortbread Scotty – OUT
Hip 83 Csikom by Om out of Tuscany Rain
Hip 107 Chestnut Colt by Smiling Tiger out of Aptiseno – OUT
Hip 118 Thirsty for a Win by Stay Thirsty out of Berenike
Hip 124 Chestnut Colt by Conquest Farenheit out of California Ruby – OUT
Hip 174 Your Sweet Baby by Danzing Candy out of It’sallyoursbaby

Horses of Racing Age

Hip 86 Buttonwood Tree, 2019 by Stanford out of Wall St Widow (past performances) – OUT

Closing Remarks Wins G2 Yellow Ribbon

Closing Remarks wins the G2, $250,000 Yellow Ribbon H. at Del Mar                                                                        Benoit Photo

Harris Farms’ homebred Closing Remarks earned her second career Grade 2 victory with her gallant effort in the $251,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2) going a mile and one-sixteenth over the firm turf course at Del Mar.

The daughter of Vronsky had a busy winter and spring at Santa Anita with a victory in the Royal Heroine S. (G2) and two additional graded stakes-placings. Making her first start at Del Mar since her second-place finish in the G1 Del Mar Oaks in 2021, Closing Remarks continued showing her fondness for the seaside layout.

Getting an untroubled and ground saving trip that began from the inside post, Closing Remarks was given a heady ride by Umberto Rispoli. Coming off the turn, they pair moved off the rail and found a clear path for their closing challenge. She caught the leader inside the final furlong and drove strongly to the wire to win by a neck.

“Being on the rail obviously, basically, what you want to do is get the best out of it,” said Rispoli. “I was trying to get her in a nice position. I knew Ganadora was going to be on the lead. The best was going to be a matter of finding a way to go at the top of the stretch. I think she (Closing Remarks) has been very alive her past couple of races. Today she improved and can compete with those horses. A huge win for Mr. Harris. Carla (trainer Gaines) gives a good prep in the morning and well done to the team.”

“Umberto (Rispoli) is the best,” said Gaines. “If there is any space he’s going to get through and that’s what he did. In grass racing you always want to save ground and he’s a master at it, so I just left it up to him. She didn’t have to make up quite as much ground as in her previous races and she loves this turf course.”

Closing Remarks is out of the Unusual Heat mare, Orange Cove. She takes her career earnings to $711,320.

Clovisconnection Wins Robert Dupret Derby

 

Courtesy of DRF.com SANTA ROSA, CA (Aug. 12, 2023) – The three-race winning streak California-bred Clovisconnection has compiled in Washington State and on the California fairs this summer is only a foreshadowing of what the gelding can accomplish later, to the mind of trainer Blaine Wright.

“He will be a super, super route horse,” Wright said late Saturday afternoon after Clovisconnection won the $76,350 Robert Dupret Derby at 1 1/16 miles on turf at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, Calif.

“He’s a great sprinter, but he’ll be a route horse.”

Clovisconnection led throughout the Dupret Derby for his sixth win in nine starts for owners and breeders William and Judy Hedrick. The Dupret Derby was the longest race of Clovisconnection’s career and his first start around two turns.

 

Clovisconnection was fifth in the Gold Rush Stakes at a mile on the synthetic track at Golden Gate Fields last December in his final start at 2, but a much brighter second in the Silky Sullivan Stakes for California-breds at a mile on turf at Golden Gate Fields on April 30.

In the Dupret Derby, jockey William Antongeorgi had Clovisconnection in a forward position a few strides from the gate from the outside post in a field of eight. Clovisconnection set a solid pace of 23.51 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.80 for a half-mile, leading by at least a half-length.

Clovisconnection extended his advantage to a length on the turn.

“I thought the way he kicked at the three-eighths pole, they’d have to come and get him,” Wright said. “The whole deal was whether he could handle the distance.”

Sent off favored, Clovisconnection ($5.80) won by 1 1/4 lengths over 9-2 Cal-bred Cousin Richie, finishing in 1:42.71.

Cousin Richie finished three-quarters of a length in front of 27-1 Cal-bred Trinidad. Druidic finished fourth, followed by Phosphorescence, Sea Dog, Rodrigoknows and Happy Does.

Bob’s Blue Moon, the winner of two sprints in recent months, was scratched early Saturday. His absence affected the race since Bob’s Blue Moon was expected to show speed and could have challenged Clovisconnection.

Clovisconnection, by Vronsky, has earned $206,380. The current streak of wins includes two $50,000 stakes for 3-year-old sprinters at Emerald Downs – the Auburn Stakes at six furlongs on June 18 and the Irish Day Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on July 16.

Cal-breds Cousin Richie was second and Trinidad third.

Harris-bred Sawasdee Gallops to Del Mar Allowance Victory

Del Mar, CA (August 5, 2023) – Sawasdee, the Harris Farms-bred son of Desert Code, is enjoying the finest season of his racing career. The 5-year-old gelding’s third win in his last four starts came in the 7th race at Del Mar, an $85,000 allowance going five furlongs over the firm turf course.

Breaking strongly, Sawasdee gained the lead before the first chart call. He carried the advantage around the turn and zipped away when asked at the top of the stretch. He was kept to his task by jockey Abdul Alsagoor and the two came home best by four and one-half lengths.

Sawasdee has finished in the top three in all seven of his starts this year and he has taken his lifetime bankroll to $191,600. He races for Giddyup JR. LLC and he is trained by Kristin Mulhall. He is the third generation of his family bred at Harris Farms. His dam is the winning Congaree mare, Scary Fast.

First Starter First Winner for Freshman Sire Om

Sacramento, Ca (July 30, 2023) – Multiple Graded Stakes winner Om can add sire to his list of achievements when his first starter, Harris Farms-bred Zen State, came home best in his career debut in the 4th race at Sacramento going five furlongs.

Breaking from the inside post, the 2-year-old gelding chased a zippy foe in the early going. He caught the leader around the final turn and was met at the top of the stretch by another challenger. They battled it out until Zen State got the best of his rival inside the final furlong and he drew away late to win by two lengths.

Zen State races for the partnership of CYBT and Michael Nentwig and he is trained by Ruby Thomas. He is out of the Tiznow mare, Tizn’t Caught.

His yearling half-brother by Vronsky is Hip 79 in the Harris Farms consignment at the 2023 Northern California Yearling Sale being held on Tuesday, August 15 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton.

Harris Foaled and Raised The Chosen Vron Wins G1 Bing Crosby Stakes

The Chosen Vron (blaze) Winning the G1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar.                                                            Benoit Photo

Courtesy of Del Mar (July 30, 2023) – The chestnut Cal-bred The Chosen Vron, a win machine of the first degree, won his eighth straight race Saturday at Del Mar, but this time he did it with — and to — the big boys.

The racy chestnut gelding took on one of the strongest Bing Crosby fields assembled at the seaside track in recent times and came away a head winner after a stirring stretch duel in the $403,500 headliner that carried a Grade I ranking and a $240,000 winner’s prize.

Hector Berrios, who has now won eight straight races on the son of Vronsky, guided his mount through problems at the far turn and into the winner’s circle. Trainer J. Eric Kruljac, who called the shot to take his Cal-bred terror out of state-bred races and take on the best of the best, met them there with a smile that wouldn’t stop.

The Chosen Vron, who now has won 13 of his 17 lifetime starts, became a millionaire with total purses of $1,032,678. The vast majority of all his glory has been earned facing his California brethren, but today it was a different story.

Finishing second in the six-panel test was Ilium Stables’ Anarchist, while running third was race favorite Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal’s Dr. Schivel. Only a head separated those two competitors who were part of a thrilling race finish.

Final time for the “Win and You’re In” dash was 1:09.24. Twelve horses in all ran in the 78th edition of the race named to honor the track’s founder. The winner paid $11.00.

The Chosen Vron now has earned himself a guaranteed spot and a free ticket into the $2-million Breeders’ Cup Sprint on November 4 at Santa Anita.

The Chosen Vron was foaled and raised at Harris Farms. Bred by the Tiz Molly Partners, he is by Vronsky out of the winning Tiz Wonderful mare for whom the partnership was named.

Smiling Tiger Sons 1-2 in R. J. Speers Memorial Stakes

Winnipeg, Manitoba (July 19, 2023) – The last time Smiling Tiger son’s Magic Tiger and Tiger Dad met, Tiger Dad was winning the Free Press Stakes at Assiniboia Downs and Magic Tiger finished third. The two squared off again tonight in the $50,500 R. J. Speers Memorial Stakes and Magic Tiger turned the tables, earning his first stakes victory.

Scoring his tenth career victory, but first in a stakes, Magic Tiger let the pacesetters go on early. He closed in behind the group as the field rounded the far turn. Full of run, he rallied under a rail skimming ride to win the seven and one-half furlong contest by one length. Tiger Dad, who had pressed the pace throughout, fought every stride to prove best of the rest finishing second.

To view the race from the break, click here. To view the paddock and pre-race action, scroll video below to the 3:31.00 mark.

Magic Tiger races for the partnership of Wind Dancer Stable and Bill Meikie and he is trained by Wendy Anderson. The 5-year-old gelding was bred by Robert Heinz and Michelle Machado in California. He is out of the winning Lucky Pulpit mare, Funny Gal.