Golden Ticket with Joel Rosario up during the post parade prior to finishing 2nd in the 2013 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.
Photo: Chad B. Harmon
Golden Ticket wins the 2013 Prairie Meadows Handicap.
Photo: Coady Photography/Jack Coady
Golden Ticket - Allowance Win January 26, 2013.
Photo: Coglianese Photos/Leslie Martin
Golden Ticket Keeneland Work 10/20/2012
Photo: Keeneland/Coady Photography
Alpha and Golden Ticket deadheat in the 2012 Travers.
Photo: Coglianese Photos
Alpha and Golden Ticket deadheat in the 2012 Travers.
Photo: Coglianese Photos
Alpha and Golden Ticket deadheat in the 2012 Travers.
Photo: Coglianese Photos
Alpha and Golden Ticket deadheat in the 2012 Travers.
Photo: Coglianese Photos
Alpha and Golden Ticket deadheat in the 2012 Travers.
Photo: Coglianese Photos
Alpha and Golden Ticket deadheat in the 2012 Travers.
Photo: Coglianese Photos
Alpha and Golden Ticket deadheat in the 2012 Travers.
Photo: Coglianese Photos
Alpha and Golden Ticket deadheat in the 2012 Travers.
Photo: Coglianese Photos
Alpha and Golden Ticket deadheat in the 2012 Travers.
Photo: Coglianese Photos
Alpha and Golden Ticket deadheat in the 2012 Travers.
Photo: Coglianese Photos/Courtney Stafford
Alpha and Golden Ticket deadheat in the 2012 Travers.
Photo: Coglianese Photos/Adam Mooshian
Alpha and Golden Ticket deadheat in the 2012 Travers.
Photo: Coglianese Photos
Golden Ticket works at Keeneland, April 7, 2012.
Photo: Keeneland/Coady Photography| Trainer | Kenneth G. McPeek |
|---|---|
| Jockey | Robby Albarado |
| Owner | Magic City Thoroughbred Partners |
| Breeder | WinStar Farm, LLC |
| Golden Ticket View Five-Cross Pedigree | Speightstown | Gone West |
| Silken Cat | ||
| Business Plan | Deputy Minister | |
| Good Mood |
| Sale / Hip | Type | Buyer | Consignor | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KEEAPR2011 Hip 111 |
Two-year-old | Carter Stewart | Niall Brennan Stables, agent | $100,000 |
Michael Langford's Carve, third in the grade II Oaklawn Handicap in April, worked out a nice trip to win the $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (gr. II) at Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino the evening of June 28.
Golden Ticket, who dead-heated for the victory in the 2012 Travers Stakes at Saratoga and who won last year at Prairie Meadows, returns to Iowa and is the 3-1 morning-line choice in the nine-furlong Cornhusker Handicap.
Willis Horton's Will Take Charge seeks redemption in the $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) June 14 against Revolutionary, Departing, Prayer for Relief, and others.
J. Keeler Johnson handicaps the Mountainview Handicap and Penn Mile Stakes. read blog
Champion Will Take Charge fizzled May 2 in the $342,000 Alysheba Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill Downs, as former claimer Moonshine Mullin took a rail-skimming trip to victory.
Will Take Charge, last year's champion 3-year-old male, tops a Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) reunion in the May 2 Alysheba Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill Downs. Four runners from last year's Derby are entered.
Hard-knocking Dads Caps had been three times the bridesmaid in recent starts, but he broke through at the highest level April 5 at Aqueduct Racetrack when stealing the Carter Handicap (gr. I) at odds of 10-1.
Runner-up in the 2013 Carter Handicap (gr. I) and lightly raced since then, California-based Sahara Sky will get another crack at the seven-furlong sprint April 5 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Dogwood Stable's Palace Malice, on the shelf since an even sixth-place finish in the 2013 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), showed no signs of rust with a gritty victory in the $250,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr. II) March 8.
Palace Malice and Itsmyluckyday were among the best of the 3-year-old crop in 2013. On March 8, the two return for the first time in 2014 as part of an eight-horse field set to go in the $250,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap.
Multiple grade I winner Game On Dude and Travers (gr. I) victor Will Take Charge both drew well for the $500,000-added Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (gr. I) to be held Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs.
Eclipse Award hopeful Game On Dude worked a strong four furlongs at Betfair Hollywood Park Nov. 24 and afterward trainer Bob Baffert said he would ship to Churchill Downs Nov. 27 to compete in the Clark Handicap (gr. I).
A trio of contenders for the Nov. 29 Clark Handicap (gr. I)--Golden Ticket, Bourbon Courage, and Finnegans Wake--turned in their final works Nov. 23 for the premiere race of Churchill's autumn meet.
Trainer had been weighing options for Golden Ticket that included a possible run in the Cigar Mile (gr. I) before he settled on staying home for a Clark bid.
After blazing through a half-mile in :44.75, Goldencents still had plenty in the tank to hold off the closing move of Golden Ticket in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.
History was made last year when Alpha and Golden Ticket became the first dead-heat winners of the Travers Stakes (gr. I). The two meet again Nov. 1 in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I).
East meets West when Verrazano, Alpha, and Pants On Fire head to California to do battle with locals Fed Biz, Centralinteligence, and Goldencents in $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.
TimeformUS Weekend Plays: The Jockey Club Gold Cup and The Awesome Again read blog
On the final Saturday of Churchill Downs' "Homecoming" meet, the Louisville track will offer up a competitive field of nine 3-year-olds in the Jefferson Cup (gr. IIIT) and the first edition of the Homecoming Classic Stakes.
Grade I winner Paynter, whose comeback from life-threatening illness more than a year ago was stalled in the Woodward Stakes (gr. I), will attempt to atone at Santa Anita Sept. 28 in a race named for his sire, Awesome Again.
One of the gems on Churchill Downs' new September meet schedule will serve as a well-timed prep for Fort Larned as he prepares for a defense of his 2012 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) victory.
The inaugural Homecoming Classic on Sept. 28 at Churchill Downs still has reigning Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) and Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) winner Fort Larned at the top, but Successful Dan will bypass the race.
Dominating Stephen Foster Handicap Presented by Abu Dhabi (gr. I) winner Fort Larned will be pointed to the Whitney Invitational Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course, trainer Ian Wilkes said on the morning of June 16.
Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Fort Larned put his early season problems behind him June 15 as he scored a front-running victory in the $536,300 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs.
Tom LaMarra and Claire Novak handicap the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. Can Ron the Greek win again? watch video
Earners of a combined $9.5 million will line up including defending winner Ron the Greek, Breeders' Cup Classic victor Fort Larned, impressive Alysheba Stakes winner Take Charge Indy, and Ben Ali victor Successful Dan.
In his final serious preparation for the June 15 Stephen Foster Handicap Presented by Abu Dhabi (gr. I), Fort Larned breezed five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 over Churchill Downs' muddy main track June 10.
Four contenders for the $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap Presented by Abu Dhabi (gr. I), including top-weighted Successful Dan, worked June 8 for the upcoming 1 1/8-mile race at Churchill Downs.
Successful Dan worked a strong six furlongs over the Keeneland Polytrack June 1 after trainer Charles LoPresti changed his mind about vanning to Churchill Downs due to expected showers and thunderstorms.
There was a time when "the other Dan" was Wise Dan, who went on to become Horse of the Year. On April 21 fans will witness the return of the original, Successful Dan, in the $150,000 Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland.
A year after Take Charge Indy left seven other 3-year-olds in his wake with a front-running score in the Florida Derby (gr. I) at Gulfstream Park, he returns as one of the favorites in the $100,000 Skip Away Stakes (gr. III).
Brereton Jones' homebred Mark Valeski overcame traffic troubles and ran down a cavalcade of horses in the stretch of the $148,500 Mineshaft Handicap (gr. III) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Feb. 23.
After a hard-fought finish in the Louisiana Handicap, Mark Valeski and Infrattini will face off once again in the $150,000 Mineshaft Handicap (gr. III) Feb. 23 at Fair Grounds.
by John P. Sparkman
It took five years for that hope to be fulfilled.
Trainers comment on the offspring of Speightstown they have raced. Read the full feature in the Jan. 12, 2013, issue of The Blood-Horse. view slideshow
Fifteen 3-year-olds, including Travers Stakes (gr. I) dead-heat winner Golden Ticket, are entered in the $250,000 Hollywood Derby (gr. IT) Nov. 25 at Betfair Hollywood Park.
Ken McPeek talks about Breeders' Cup contender Atigun and plans for Golden Ticket. Watch Video
Golden Ticket, dead-heat winner of the Travers Stakes (gr. I), was not pre-entered in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) and will be out for an undetermined period of time, trainer Ken McPeek said Oct. 23.
While Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) contender Wise Dan captivated the attention of many on the Keeneland grounds with his morning breeze Oct. 20, Willcox Inn, Atigun, Golden Ticket, and Brown Almighty were also on the worktab.
Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) hopeful Golden Ticket, winner of the Travers Stakes (gr. I) in a dead heat this summer, turned in his second work at Keeneland Oct. 13, breezing five furlongs in 1:00 1/5.
MAHUBAH'S CORNER
Handsome Mike is the fourth graded/group stakes winner of 2012 for Ashford Stud's Scat Daddy.
J. Paul Reddam's Handsome Mike staged a Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) shocker at Parx Racing Sept. 22, taking the $1 million event at odds of 19-1.
Dead-heat Travers winners are set to clash again in Saturday's Pennsylvania Derby.
Godolphin Racing will send out the favorites in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) and $1 million Cotillion Stakes (gr. I) Sept. 22 at Parx Racing.
It was a busy morning for top-tier workers in New York and Kentucky Sept. 15, as Ron the Greek, Flat Out, Atigun and Golden Ticket turned in upstate moves at Saratoga while Dullahan and Little Mike did the same at Churchill.
MAHUBAH'S CORNER
Montana-based Magic City Thoroughbreds cashed in a Golden Ticket of its own Aug. 25 when its colt of that name dead-heated with favored Alpha for the historic Travers Stakes.
For the first time in history, two canoes will float on the infield pond at Saratoga Race Course in honor of Golden Ticket and Alpha.
Steve and Lenny discuss Frankel, the three-year-olds, fillies of summer, and interview Kenny McPeek about Golden Ticket's win. watch video
Evan Hammonds recaps the Travers Stakes, Personal Ensign, Pacific Classic, and more! watch video
Alpha and Golden Ticket, forever linked after their historic draw in the Travers Stakes (gr. I) Aug. 25, could meet again in another $1 million race, the Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) at Parx Racing Sept. 22.
| Ben's Cat |
| Up With the Birds |
| Rachel Alexandra |
| Palace Malice |
| Clearly Now |
| California Chrome |
| Untapable |
| Close Hatches |
| Imperative |
| Bodemeister |
