"Jim Bell called me and said, 'Thank you for the job you've done, but we've decided to change trainers,'" Biancone said. "Kiaran McLaughlin is very lucky to receive a horse as good as that; the second best 2-year-old in the country. I wish them good luck. We all loved the horse, but there are no hard feelings at all."The move comes on the heels of a reported sales boycott by Henny Hughes' owner Sheikh Mohammed and Godolphin against stallions owned by Coolmore Stud, whose Michael Tabor is one of Biancone's biggest clients. Henny Hughes was bred in Kentucky by Rob Whiteley's Liberation Farm, Trackside Farm, owned by Tom Evans and Pam Clark, and CHO, owned by Arthur Seelbinder.
Trainer Patrick Biancone said today he was informed by Darley Stable on Monday that they are transferring Champagne (gr. I) and Hopeful (gr. I) runner-up Henny Hughes to the barn of Kiaran McLaughlin.Under Biancone's care, Henny Hughes captured the Tremont Stakes by 15 lengths and the Saratoga Special (gr. II) by nearly four lengths prior to his second-place finishes behind undefeated First Samurai.Following the Tremont, the son of Hennessy was sold to Darley by Lance Robinson's Gulf Coast Farms and Martin L. Cherry. Robinson had purchased Henny Hughes at the 2004 Fasig-Tipton Ky. Yearling sale for $180,000.
