New issue of NAT features Groupie Doll's Buff Bradley

Trainer Buff Bradley.

The latest issue of North American Trainer is out -- click here to read it online.

The magazine features a cover profile on trainer Buff Bradley, one of the most genuine, down-to-earth people in the racing industry and co-breeder (with his father Fred) of last year’s champion sprint filly Groupie Doll, who figures to make her final start for the Bradleys and her co-owners Carl Hurst and Brent Burns in today’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. The mare is slated to sell as hip number 350 at Keeneland on Wednesday, November 6th.

Groupie Doll with assistant trainer Matt Hebert -- her groom -- at Ellis Park this summer.

Groupie Doll is led into the Keeneland paddock by brothers Gabe (left) and Matt Hebert.

Poser!

"Here, be sure to get a good one from this angle, too."

Groupie Doll plays with her Jolly Ball at Churchill Downs while Bradley chats on his phone.

Buff Bradley also trained his father’s homebred Brass Hat, a Grade 1 winner who earned over $2 million -- an earnings mark that Groupie Doll is less than $75,000 away from achieving.

Brass Hat at the Bradley family farm in October, 2013.

The always-popular Sid Fernando column is on page 96 of this issue, and other articles include profiles on owners of recent Grade 1 winners plus our usual array of nutrition and veterinary write-ups.

Harlan’s Holiday, a well-respected U.S. sire with 40 stakes winners to date, passed away yesterday in Argentina, where he was standing the Southern Hemisphere breeding season, at the age of 14. His death came on the day paternal grandson Goldencents won the Grade 1 Breeders Cup Dirt Mile and almost a year to the day son Shanghai Bobby won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile en route to the two-year-old championship.

Harlan’s Holiday’s Northern Hemisphere home during the last few years of his life was WinStar Farm, which features in this issue of Trainer as well.

There are 27 mares in foal in foal to Harlan’s Holiday catalogued at the upcoming Keeneland sale and four at Fasig-Tipton, plus 16 foals (15 at Keeneland, one at Fasig-Tipton) from his penultimate crop. One of the weanlings is hip 249, a February-foaled half-brother to Grade 1 winner/millionaire Rail Trip, with 2013 Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice under the second dam.

Harlan's Holiday, 1999-2013.

Old Timers Solid in the Sycamore

Today’s feature at Keeeneland was the Grade 3 Sycamore Stakes over a mile and a half on the Haggin turf course. The race had lost its defending champ, ten-year-old Cloudy’s Knight, when the popular gelding retired this week, but several other old fogies made it into the gate, with the average age of the runners 5.88 years old. The field of twelve had earned over $7.66-million combined (it would have been over $10-million had Cloudy’s Knight run!). I’m posting photos of them in appreciation of these grand old warriors.

The retiree Cloudy's Knight, photographed in November of 2009, a few days prior to his second-place effort by a nose in the Breeders' Cup Marathon..

Brass Hat (1st), a nine-year-old gelding who was registering his first win this season, was the senior citizen of the group, and third betting choice.

Brass Hat in the paddock.

The only horse under the age of five was four-year-old Southern Anthem, who ran second at odds of 54.6-to-1.

Four-year-old Southern Anthem.

The favorite, eight-year-old Musketier (Ger) (3rd), was making his first start since defeating Brass Hat in the Fifth Third Elkhorn S.-G2 over course and distance in April.

Musketier entering the paddock.

Yate’s Black Cat (5th) was one of two seven-year-olds in the field.

Handsome Yate's Black Cat.

The other, three-time Grade 1 stakes winner Presious Passion (9th) – he of the catch-me-if-you-can racing style – was second choice on this, his first appearance on a Kentucky racetrack.

Presious Passion in the paddock...

...and leading the field the first time under the wire.

As you can see, Brass Hat barely broke a sweat in securing the win by a length in 2:30.73.

Brass Hat awaiting win circle photo #2 after winning the Sycamore.

After posing for the traditional graded stakes race winner’s circle photo on the grass course, jockey Calvin Borel did something I’d never seen before when he hopped on the bareback Brass Hat for a win photo in the regular winner’s circle.

Calvin Borel posed bareback on Brass Hat.