Her Emmynency
Her Emmynency Retired, Auntjenn Filling Impressive Shoes
Ike and Dawn Thrash’s Grade I winner Her Emmynency has been retired and will be sent to Kentucky at the end of the week where future plans for her post-racing career will be worked out, trainer Kristin Mulhall said. The 4-year-old daughter of Successful Appeal had gone winless in three starts since winning the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (GI) at Keeneland in October and subsequently moving back to California and to Mulhall’s care late last year, and most recently finished last in the Yellow Ribbon Stakes (GI) at Keeneland.
“She’s retiring sound,” Mulhall said. “She’s just not really interested anymore. We did fix a little breathing issue she’d had for a while, but that’s not why we’re retiring her. (The Thrashes) love their horses and want to do what’s right, so she leaves for Kentucky on [July] 27th. It’s like she knows. She’s so happy and mellow now. Sometimes, they just don’t want to be racehorses and It think with a Grade I she’s done more than enough.”
Her Emmynency, who is out of the Joyeaux Danseur mare Chic Dancer, was purchased by the Thrashes for $115,000 as Keeneland September yearling in 2013. She began her career in California with trainer Mike Stidham, where she broke her maiden at first asking over Del Mar’s turf before winning the Surfer Girl Stakes and finishing second in the Del Mar Oaks (GI) a year ago. Overall, she ends her career with a record of 11-4-2-0, $560,595.
And maybe to help ease the pain of retiring one, the Thrashes were represented by a nice maiden filly winner on Saturday when Auntjenn won Del Mar’s fourth race, a six-furlong maiden special weight race in her second career start. The bay filly from the outstanding first crop of Uncle Mo defeated a nice field of five other juvenile fillies by 6 1/2 lengths.
“In her first race, she was looking around at the other horses a lot,” Mulhall said. “So we put blinkers on her.”
Next stop for the filly, who was a $160,000 Keeneland September yearling less than a year ago, will most likely be stakes company.
“Not sure if it will be the Sorrento [GII on Aug. 6] or the [Del Mar] Debutante [GI on Sept. 3] because it depends on how she trains … but, yeah, we’ll look at a stakes.”
Beholder, Stellar Wind on Target for Hirsch
After her aborted work on Saturday due to track condition, Spendthrift Farm’s multiple champion Beholder put in her final breeze for next week’s Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (GI), logging five furlongs in :59 1/5, breezing, at Del Mar Sunday under regular rider Janeen Painter. The 6-year-old daughter of Henny Hughes rocked off splits of :24 1/5 and :47 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:11 3/5.
“It was meant to go a little easy and finish the way we do most of the time,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “I went a little quicker than we planned, but she does that often. I got her in :58 3/5, she’s ready.”
Beholder will be looking for her second straight win in Saturday’s Hirsch and will again use the race as a prep for the August 20 Pacific Classic (GI), where she will also be defending her title and likely meet up for the first time with California Chrome and Dortmund, the top two finishers in the San Diego Handicap (GII) on Saturday.
Also working for the Hirsch on Saturday was last year’s champion 3-year-old filly, Stellar Wind, who logged five furlongs in 1:00 under regular jockey Victor Espinoza.
“A maintenance work,” trainer John Sadler said. “A routine work so we’re on to next Saturday. She had her stronger work a week ago so she’s ready.”
Nyquist Ready for Haskell
Nyquist
Putting in his last drill before shipping East to Monmouth Park and his next start in Sunday’s $1 million Haskell Invitational Handicap (GI), Paul Reddam’s Kentucky Derby (GI) winner Nyqvist worked just before the first race at Del Mar on Sunday, going a mile in an easy 1:39 2/5 in company with stablemate Sorry Erik. With jockey Mario Gutierrez aboard, the son of Uncle Mo clicked off splits of :25 4/5, :50 2/5 and 1:14 2/5 and came home the last quarter in :24 4/5.
“I’m very happy with it,” trainer Doug O’Neill said. He broke of nice and relaxed, settled in nicely and when Mario called on him he finished up well. He did everything we wanted and did it the right way.”
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily state or reflect those of US Racing.
