Elite Thoroughbreds - A full service Thoroughbred Breeding Farm in Louisiana

February 26, 2010:
TENPINS TO STAND AT ELITE THOROUGHBREDS

Five time Graded Stakes winner and millionaire TENPINS (Smart Strike-Maid’s Broom, by Deputy Minister) is moving to Elite Thoroughbreds in Folsom, Louisiana for the 2010 breeding season.

TENPINS earned $1,133,449 racing from three to six, earning black type nine times, including a track record setting victory in the G2 Washington Park Handicap. He ran the 9.5 furlongs in 1:55.17 defeating Macho Uno in the process.

With his third crop two-year-olds of 2010, TENPINS ranked among the top 25 Leading North American Freshman and Second Crop sires. He is already sire of four stakes winners, ten stakes horses in his first two crops to race, with progeny earnings over $1.8 million.

The son of Smart Strike out of a Deputy Minister mare is bred on an identical cross to Horse-of-the-Year Curlin. He is a product of the Mr. Prospector/Northern Dancer cross, which has also produced outstanding sires Kingmambo, Distorted Humor, Elusive Quality, Speightstown, Grand Slam and Thunder Gulch.

TENPINS is expected to arrive at Elite Thoroughbreds Saturday afternoon, and will be ready for inspection, Monday, March 1. He will stand for a fee of $3,500 Live Foal.

November 6, 2009:
Courtesy of the Meadowlands
BRAHMS COLT WINS G3 PEGASUS STAKES!
BAD ACTION and jockey Dave Cohen drew clear in the final strides to win the $150,000 Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes at 11-1 odds on Friday night at Meadowlands Racetrack.

BAD ACTION settled at the back of the pack while the quick-footed Lord Justice dictated the early pace and slid into fourth as they reached the half-mile marker in :46. He swung to the outside on the final turn and edged past the drifting Big Top for a half-length victory. Iqbaal, the 4-5 favorite, moved wide on the turn but could not catch the leaders and finished third. Bad Action stopped the teletimer in 1:49 for the 1 1/8 miles on a fast main track and paid $24 to win.

“There was a pretty fast pace out there and he was pretty much against the bit the whole way,” Cohen said. “Gary’s [trainer Gary Contessa] only instruction to me was to get him outside, and I found out today that he has a big run. I know a lot of jockeys say this, but the whole way, I was gathered with horse. I could have made the lead at any time.”

Robbins, Winning Move and Kaplan Racing’s BAD ACTION improved his record to eight wins in 21 career starts. Gary Contessa trains the 3-year-old son of BRAHMS - Lucky Carley, by Sky Classic.

October 30, 2009:
SUPER DERBY WINNER MY PAL CHARLIE RETIRES TO ELITE!
MY PAL CHARLIE has been retired from racing and will return to Louisiana to stand stud in the state where he set a stakes record while winning the prestigious Super Derby (G2) a year ago. In winning Super Derby XXIX, My Pal Charlie joined an impressive list of past winners, such as leading sires Tiznow, Arch, Seeking the Gold and Sunday Silence. MY PAL CHARLIE will stand 2010 at Elite Thoroughbreds in Folsom, La. for a fee of $3,000.

A son of hot sire Indian Charlie, MY PAL CHARLIE hails from the Halo mare Shahalo, making him a full brother to the Florida-based sire Bwana Charlie, a Grade 2 winner of $388,850, and a half brother to Grade 3 winner Bwana Bull. Purchased by B. Wayne Hughes for $300,000 at the 2006 Keeneland September yearling sale, MY PAL CHARLIE raced in the Spendthrift colors under the care of trainer Al Stall Jr.

At three, he broke his maiden and won an allowance race in back-to-back starts at Fair Grounds before finishing second to Grade 1 winner Pyro in the Louisiana Derby (G2) after setting the pace. MY PAL CHARLIE returned to Louisiana later in the season and turned in a breakthrough performance, impressively winning the $515,000 Super Derby (G2) in stakes-record time of 1:48.36 for 1 1/8 miles. He defeated runner-up Macho Again, a Grade 1 winner, by 4 ¼ lengths.

In his final start at three, MY PAL CHARLIE faced older horses for the first time and ran a close fourth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita, finishing just 1 ¾ lengths behind Grade 1 winner Albertus Maximus.

This year as a 4-year-old, MY PAL CHARLIE competed in eight straight graded stakes races at six different racetracks from distances of six furlongs to 1 1/8 miles. He finished third in the Commonwealth S. (G2) at seven furlongs on the Polytrack at Keeneland before finishing second in the Churchill Downs H. (G2) on Kentucky Derby day at seven furlongs over a sloppy Churchill main track. My Pal Charlie then ran a close fourth in the Met Mile (G1) at Belmont, finishing 1 ½ lengths back while recording a 105 Beyer Speed Figure.

He recently finished fourth beaten just 1 ½ lengths in the Forego H. (G1) behind Pyro and multiple Grade 1 winner Kodiak Kowboy.

“MY PAL CHARLIE had great success in Louisiana during his racing career, and we feel like he’ll be popular with the Louisiana breeders,” said Ken Wilkins, stallion director at Spendthrift Farm. “This horse checks all the boxes: he has a fashionable pedigree, is a lovely individual that was sound throughout his career, and most of all he possessed quality speed and performed at a high level on the racetrack.”

Elite Thoroughbreds’ Michelle Rodriguez said: “We’re delighted that MY PAL CHARLIE is coming home to Louisiana. He was a tremendous racehorse and we’re thrilled to stand him at Elite. All breeders are invited to come out and inspect him.”

October 9, 2009:
TETON FOREST TO STAND AT ELITE THOROUGHBREDS
TETON FOREST has been purchased by Michele Rodriquez and Lee Thomas’ Elite Thoroughbreds for stallion duty at the Folsom, La., farm. The 8-year-old son of Forestry will stand for $2,500 in 2010.

A second-crop sire, TETON FOREST is represented by 2009 stakes performers Deltalicious and Smokey Lonesome. Two-year-old Deltalicious has won the Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies Stakes and is twice stakes-placed. Three-year-old Smokey Lonesome has run second in the La Puente and Pasedena Stakes, both on grass at Santa Anita. Teton Forest’s runners have earned nearly $700,000.

TETON FOREST, who stood his previous five years at Spendthrift Farm near Lexington, won the 2004 Jerome Handicap (gr. II) and ran second in that year’s Riva Ridge Breeders’ Cup Stakes (gr. II). A half-brother to grade II winner Tomorrows Cat, he is out of the stakes-winning Al Nasr mare Tomorrow’s Child.

May 25, 2009:
ROSSINI FILLY WINS BOB BRYANT STAKES AT PRAIRIE MEADOWS!
SAKAKAWEA, the 3-year-old daughter of ROSSINI, showed what a determined and game filly she is with her victory in the $62,733 Bob Bryant Stakes going six furlong over the fast main track at Prairie Meadows.

Tracking the pace down the backstretch while out in the five path, SAKAKAWEA moved closer around the turn and was ready to challenge at the top of the stretch. She found herself between horses for the length of the stretch and her chances were not helped by the inside filly coming out and the outside filly coming in. However, SAKAKAWEA had come to win and she overcame all the trouble, dug in and got up to win by a nose.

SAKAKAWEA now has three wins and two seconds in six starts and she has earned $90,730. She races for Black Oak Farm and she is trained by Ray E. Tracy, Jr. Bred in Iowa by Buckboard Stable, she was produced by the Beau's Eagle mare, Sarouka.

November 2008:
Grade 2 Winner Fire Slam to Stand at Elite Thoroughbreds
Multiple graded stakes winner Fire Slam, whose first foal are weanlings, will stand the 2009 season at Elite Thoroughbreds.