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On the Horizon
March 18
Aiken Trials
Aiken, SC
March 25
Elloree Trials
March 25
Aiken Spring Steeplechase
April 1
Carolina Cup Steeplechase
April 15
Block House Steeplechase
Oct 28
Aiken Fall Steeplechase
Aiken, SC
Nov 4
Kingstree Trials
Kingstree, SC
Nov 18
Colonial Cup
Camden, SC
Nov TBA
SCTOBA Residency Race
Laurel Park
Dec
SCTOBA Winter Mtg
ElloreeTraining Ctr
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Along with racing at the Aiken Trials (March 18), Elloree Ttrials (March 25), Aiken Steeplechase (March 25) and The Carolina Cup (April 1), the two-year-old in training sales start in March.
The South Carolina training centers are well represented at the Fasig-Tipton Sale at Gulfstream and the Ocala Breeders' Sale.
We are also excited to announce the 2017 South Carolina Residency Stakes will be held at Laurel Park this November.
Jack Sadler, President
SCTOBA
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Racing Across America
This is the time of year when the three-year-old division, for both the boys and the girls, is under daily scrutiny. South Carolina training centers are well represented on both the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks trails. On the Derby Trail, we have
Irish War Cry and
O Dionysus with
Kitten's Cat knocking on the door. On the Oaks Trail,
Chanel's Legacy and
Farrell are highly regarded.
Tapa Tapa Tapa is also working on making her presence felt.
Photo courtesy of Irish War Cry/Facebook
Irish War Cry, undefeated in three starts, stamped himself as one of the Kentucky Derby favorites when he captured the Holy Bull Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park on February 4. Trained by the SCTOBA guest speaker at our January banquet, Graham Motion,
Irish War Cry broke on top and never looked back cruising home a 3 ¾ length winner. He left 2016 Two-Year-Old Eclipse Champion
Classic Empire in his wake.
Irish War Cry learned his early lessons at Webb Carroll and Travis Durr's Webb Carroll Training Center.
Another graduate of the same program,
Kitten's Cat, was victorious in the Kitten's Joy Stakes on the same day. In a prolonged duel,
Kitten's Cat proved best by a head in this three-year-old turf stakes. Even though this race was on the grass, the owners, Ken and Sarah Ramsey, always have the Kentucky Derby on their minds!!
O Dionysus, winner of the Christopher Elser Memorial (South Carolina Residency stakes) in November, followed that win up with seconds in two other stakes races. He found the winner's circle again in the Miracle Wood Stakes at Laurel Park on February 18. Once again,
O Dionysus showed the ability to sit back and come home with a powerful kick. While sixth early on, he switched gears approaching the stretch and came on to win by 3 lengths. This three-year-old colt also is a product of the Webb Carroll Training Center in St. Matthews, SC.
 Chanel's Legacy won the Dixie Belle Stakes at Oaklawn Park on January 21. Third early on, she showed her superiority in the final quarter-mile winning by 2 ½ lengths. On February 11,
Chanel's Legacy
stretched out to a mile in the Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Park. While stalking the leader early on, she took over in the second turn coming home 2 ½ lengths in front. This filly is a product of Cary Frommer's yearling breaking program in Aiken, SC.
Photo credit: Coady Photography
Also firmly entrenched on the Kentucky Oaks Trail is
Farrell. Winner of the Golden Rod Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs in November, she launched her three-year-old campaign coming home first in the Silverbulletday Stakes at the Fair Grounds on January 21. While racing two to three wide, she took the lead turning for home and pulled away to win by 2 ¾ lengths.
Farrell was a student at Franklin "Goree" Smith's Elloree Training Center while learning how to become a race horse.
Tapa Tapa Tapa has her connections dreaming Oaks. She led wire-to-wire at Tampa Bay in the Suncoast Stakes on February 11. Donna Freyer had this filly under her care at Custom Care Equine during the breaking process. With this one mile and forty yard win under her belt, a longer distance should not be an issue.
Another graded stakes winner coming out of South Carolina was
Dickinson. This mare received her early lessons from Tim Jones, head of the Darley operation in Aiken. With a tremendous stretch run, she recorded her initial stakes victory in the Suwanee River Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park on February 11. Fifth at the top of the stretch, she found a path on the inside getting up to win by 1 ¼ lengths.
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South Carolina Residency Stakes To Be At Laurel Park
 The 2017 South Carolina Residency Stakes will take place this Fall at Laurel Park in Maryland. We are excited about this recent development and look forward to this new adventure.
The $75,000 Christopher Elser Memorial, for colts and geldings, will be contested at six furlongs as will the filly counterpart, the Donna Freyer Stakes. These stakes are for recently turned two-year-olds who will have spent 90 days in South Carolina.
Jack Sadler can be contacted at (803) 920-9005 for any questions.
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 Carolina Cup Takes Place April 1
The 85th Annual Carolina Cup Races will be held on April 1 at the Springdale Race Course in Camden. The attendance for this day of racing rivals any other sporting event in South Carolina.
Six races will take place on the flat or over National Fences. The gates open at 9:00 a.m. and post time for the first race is 1:30 p.m. The feature race is the $75,000 The Carolina Cup. It is contested at a distance of 2 1/8 mile3s over National Fences.
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News Bits
Farrell on Target for Kentucky Oaks
The three-year-old filly,
Farrell, has climbed to #2 on esteemed handicapper Mike Watchmaker's list of leading candidates for the Kentucky Oaks.
Farrell, a daughter of
Malibu Moon, won her third stakes in a row capturing the Rachel Alexander Stakes G2 at Fair Grounds on February 25. Owned by Bob Cummings and Annette Bacola's Coffeepot Stables,
Farrell previously captured the Golden Rod Stakes G2 at Churchill Downs last November and the Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds in January. While currently trained by Wayne Catalano,
Farrell is a product of Franklin "Goree" Smith's yearling breaking program at the Elloree Training Center.
After selling an
Uncle Mo colt at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Two-Year-Old in Training Sale for $1 million, Aiken-based Cary Frommer returned this year with another
Uncle Mo offspring. Her Uncle Mo filly topped the sale bringing $1.5 million. Frommer understands today's market demands high class horses. She purchased this filly at the Fasig-Tipton July Yearling Sale last summer. She also purchased a
More Than Ready colt that sold at Gulfstream for $1 million, the third highest price at the sale Tuesday evening.
Another South Carolina trainer, James Layden, sold a
Malibu Moon colt for $300,000.
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Elloree Trials Renewal on March 25
The 55th Renewal of the Elloree Trials will be held at Franklin "Goree" Smith's Elloree Training Center on Saturday, March 25. This event always draws a large crowd and historically has been a great experience for horses preparing to launch their racing careers.
Each year 10-12 races are carded. There is a mixture of Quarter Horse and Thoroughbreds.
Hall of Fame jockey Chris Antley was a graduate of the Elloree Training Center. He was the winning rider on Strike the Gold in the 1991 Kentucky Derby. Antley rode Charismatic to victory in the 1999 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
Gates open at 8:00 A.M.
For more information, please call (803) 897-2626
Photo credit: Maggie Kimmett
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Aiken Trials Just Around the Corner
The Aiken Trials, first run in 1942, will hold its 75th Renewal on March 18 at the Aiken Training Track. This event gives young horses in training the enlightening opportunity to experience every aspect of live racing. The Aiken Trials has become a time-honored tradition as the first leg of Aiken's Triple Crown events, held annually for three consecutive Saturdays in March and April.
Six races will be held. Two-year-olds will cover a quarter mile and older horses go 4 ½ furlongs.
Gates open at 10:00 A.M. with the first race scheduled for 2:00 P.M.
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Aiken Steeplechase Kicks Off Season
The National Steeplechase and Hunt Association's 2017 campaign kickes off in Aiken, SC on Saturday, March 25. This will be the 5ist Renewal of the Aiken Spring Steeplechase. It is held at the Aiken Horse Park.
There will be six races with the first going to the post at 1:00 P.M.. The gates officially open at 9:00 A.M.
Like the Aiken Trials, it is a day filled with racing, tailgating and fun. Please visit the
www.aikensteeplechase.com website for parking and ticketing information.
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