Paynter: Story behind Story

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY - PAYNTER AND THE  VOX POPULI AWARD

Today's presentation of the Secretariat Vox Populi award to a horse who only a few short months ago looked like he wouldn't even be alive seemed almost anti-climactic!

It has been one thing after another!

First, the owners of the horse had planned to be on hand to meet the plane bringing their horse back to his trainer, Bob Baffert, in California.  This would have been a huge celebration in and of itself, but also, the owners wanted to be on hand in person to receive the coveted Secretariat Vox Populi award.  At the last minute on Friday, Justin Zayat, the son and racing manager for Zayat Stables sent their regrets, that they would be unable to attend the ceremonies because his father had fallen and sprained his ankle.  He thanked all who voted for Paynter and all who had been instrumental in his even being on the ballot. 

Other plans were changed as well.  The Secretariat Vox Populi Award was presented by Penny Chenery's son today at Santa Anita, as she is under the weather. 

Somehow, these events and details seem mundane when presented next to what has happened to bring us to this point in the story of a brave horse by the name of Paynter!

Cinder(f)ella

CINDER(F)ELLA!

Updated 12-21-2012
Mucho Macho Man finished out 2012 with two of his best races although coming in second in both:  the G1 Woodward, where he lost by a neck to To Honor and Serve Woodward 2012 Video Replay, and the G1 Breeders Cup Classic, which he lost to Fort Larned by a 1/2 neck.  Breeders Cup Classic 2012 Video Replay  In most write-ups about the Classic, it was said that MMM ran a winning race, and it was probably his best effort.  Throughout 2012, he never ran out of the money, starting 6 times, winning 3, placing second twice, and a third.

Video replays:
Suburban Handicap - July 7, 2012
Gulfstream Park Handicap - March 10, 2012
Sunshine Millions Classic - January 28, 2012

It was announced today that Mucho Macho Man will launch his 2013 campaign as it began earlier this year, with the Sunshine Millions Classic.  In the 2012 renewal, MMM beat Ron the Greek in a 1 1/2 length triumph.  Read more...

Mucho Macho Man has notched career earnings of $2.3 Million, with  18 starts, finishing first in 6, second in 5, and third in 4, with an admirable 83% in-the-money percentage.  Because of his late foaling date, June 15, while he will technically turn 5 in January, his biological age is just under 4 1/2!

Updated August 29, 2012

High-fives from Dean Reeves, owner, and Mike Smith
on Suburban Handicap win, July 7, 2012
(from MMM's Facebook page)

June 15 was Mucho Macho Man's 4th birthday!  This 17.3 hands colt was not much more than a baby when he ran the entire 2011 Derby prep season and completed all three Triple Crown races!

Last year, the story about Mucho Macho Man was the feel-good story of the entire Derby prep season.  From when he was born on Father's Day, June 15, 2008, and they thought he was dead, to his trainer's miraculous brush with death and her heart transplant about the same time, to his breeder's sale of his dam and getting her back -- there are so many heroic aspects to the story of this horse, it's really hard not to root for him.

After a 2-month layoff following his Derby prep season and being only one of 3 horses to complete all three Triple Crown races (a respectable 3rd in the Derby), Mucho Macho Man took a well-deserved couple of months off.  The Village People's favorite horse started back in training in August of 2011.   While it likely didn't change the outcome, he was bumped pretty severely right after coming out of the gate in the Belmont, pushing him over into Animal Kingdom.  He had not raced since the Belmont until the Allowance race, #9 at Aqueduct on Wednesday, Nov. 9. 

A compilation of stories, videos and other race replays appears below.

Pleasantly Perfect

PLEASANTLY PERFECT, b. 1998, didn't do much at all until he was 4 years old. It took him 4 tries to break his maiden, as a four year old, also winning a Grade 2. Then, at 5, he won the Breeders Cup Classic and the Goodwood, with a third in the San Antonio. At 6, he won the Dubai World Cup, the Pacific Classic and the San Antonio, ran second in the San Diego H., and a third in the Breeders Cup Classic. His bankroll when it was all said and done was a tidy sum of $7.8 Million!

He is the daddy of Nonios, Cozi Rosie, My Adonis, Rapid Redux, Setsuko, and his most successful offspring in the U.S. is a daughter, Shared Account, who earned $1.6 Million over two seasons. Retired at the end of 2011, she was booked to Bernardini.

Tough, durable, he is the son of Pleasant Colony who in 1981 won the KY Derby, the Preakness, the Wood, and the Woodward, all Grade 1 races, losing horse of the year honors to John Henry! (Yours truly was on hand for the 1981 Kentucky Derby, as well as the 1980 Kentucky Derby when the filly, Genuine Risk won.  There is a slide show of my trip to see these two races and many of the photos on this blog header are from my trips.)

Who wouldn't want to have a foal from this family? His great grandaddy on his sire's side is the great Ribot; his dam's sire is none other than the last Triple Crown winner, Affirmed. He has no inbreeding through the fifth generation. And this lovely guy stands at Lane's End for a paltry $10,000!

I should have titled this piece, "I just don't get it," because I absolutely just do not get why any buyer would want a yearling or two year old with champagne glass legs, a career that might last 12 months, total, and bypass a chance at a horse that would bring you nothing but sheer fun and joy watching him grow and develop into a mature, race-winning machine!!! This just shows how short-sighted today's buyers are, looking only for the early-maturing, fragile, youngsters that might make it through one season, and then poof, off to the breeding shed to breed more of the same. If I win the lottery, the very first thing I want to do is try to buy one of PP's youngsters and send him/her to Mr. Patience, John Shirreffs! I think that would be nirvana for me!

2003 BREEDERS CUP CLASSIC
Watch as Pleasantly Perfect comes from mid-pack to mow down the leaders, Medaglia d'Oro and Congaree, and win by daylight!

DUBAI WORLD CUP - 2004
Pleasantly Perfect and Medaglia battle it out once again in the stretch for a near-photo finish!


2004 PACIFIC CLASSIC
Pleasantly Perfect once again kicks in with a late run to sail over the finish line in front by daylight!