Bobby Frankel : Derby History
A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Frankel was inducted into racing's Hall of Fame in 1995 and has won the Eclipse Award for outstanding trainer five times, including four consecutive in 2000-2003. In 2004 he finished second among all trainers with earnings of $15,605,911, despite having 105 fewer wins than list topper Todd Pletcher, and in '03 he had 25 Grade One wins. He has trained seven champions, including 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, and his major clients include Prince Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farm and Edmund A. Gann. He has had two runner-up finishes in the Derby: Aptitude (2000) and Empire Maker (2003), from his seven starters in the race.
Ramon Dominguez : Derby History
Twenty-eight year old Ramon Dominguez, a native of Venezuela, began riding at age 16 in his home country. He moved to the United States in 1995, riding at Hialeah Park in Florida. He won 383 races in 2004, and carried with it a 28% victory rate. He also led the national standings in both 2001 and 2003, when he had 431 and 453 victories, respectively. This past year he scored his first Breeders' Cup victory aboard Better Talk Now in the Breeders' Cup Turf (GI). Dominguez has ridden one Derby starter, Tapit in 2004. He has won three riding titles in Maryland, where he currently resides, in 2001.
Gary and Mary West : Derby History
Gary and Mary West, residents of Nebraska, are Chairman, Vice Chairman, and majority owners of West Corporation, a leading provider of outsourced customer solutions founded in 1986. West Corporation services include customer acquisition and retention, worldwide conferencing and accounts receivable management. The West's became involved in racing in the early 1980's and have had numerous stakes winners including: High Limit, Buddha, Dollar Bill, Mass Media, Sweet Lips, Baptize, Mongoose, Callide Valley, and Rockamundo. Currently, they have over 20 broodmares in Kentucky. They also stand 2 stallions; Buddha in Kentucky and Mongoose in Florida.
Brookfield Farm (KY)
Brookfield Farm is the small Kentucky breeding operation of Clifford and Elizabeth Barry. Clifford is also the general manager of Pin Oak Farm, where High Limit's sire, Maria's Mon, stands stud. The Barrys purchased High Limit's dam Known Romance when she was in foal with her first offspring. Barry sold Known Romance and High Limit, prior to his being weaned, privately to Domino Farm. Domino in turn sold the colt at the September Keeneland yearling sale.
05.06.05 - Spanish Chestnut Due In Saturday Morning 05.01.05 - Sunday Barn Notes 04.30.05 - Saturday Barn Notes 04.29.05 - Friday Barn Notes 04.28.05 - Thursday Barn Notes 04.17.2005 - High Limit, Consolidator Derby-Bound After Blue Grass Runs 04.16.2005 - Bandini Earns His Way Into Derby With Blue Grass Triumph 04.05.2005 - Unbeaten High Limit Breezes Six Furlongs At Churchill 03.31.2005 - High Limit Well After Churchill Work, Bound For Toyota Blue Grass 03.12.2005 - High Limit Raises Stakes With Victory In The Louisiana Derby 03.09.2005 - High Limit Heads Louisiana Derby Field
Gary and Mary West's winner of the Louisiana Derby (GII) has three wins in four career stars, finishing second to Derby 131 rival Bandini last time out in his only career setback. The Wests are looking for their first win in the Kentucky Derby, as is Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel, who has come close in recent years with runners-up Empire Maker and Aptitude and third-place finisher Peace Rules. High Limit is a son of Maria's Mon, the sire of 2001 Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos. Jockey Ramon Dominguez has been aboard the colt in all four of his races and finished ninth aboard Tapit in his Kentucky Derby debut in 2004.
High Limit is a son of the champion two-year-old colt Maria's Mon. With his son Monarchos winning the 2001 Kentucky Derby, he secured himself a place in history as a sire. Besides Monarchos, he has sired 16 additional stakes winners, including See How She Runs, winner of Oaklawn's Fantasy Stakes (GII), and Wander Mom, who took the My Charmer (GIII). As a racehorse, Maria's Mon was a precocious animal, as he was the only two-year-old to win multiple Grade 1 stakes in 1995, by virtue of his victories in the prestigious Futurity (GI) and the Moet Champagne Stakes (GI) at Belmont Park. He raced just twice after his freshman campaign, before retiring due to injury. He comes from the same female family as Marfa, winner of both the Santa Anita Derby (GI) and Jim Beam Stakes (GII) at age three.
High Limit is only the second foal, and the sole winner, from his dam Known Romance. Also unraced, Known Romance, is a half-sister to the minor Maryland stakes winner Spartan Cat. Their dam, Spa Romance, has thrown a few foals that have shown an affinity for two-turn dirt races. Something you don't see very often in a pedigree is a horse being inbred to a mare, but High Limit is, on his dam's side, to Tamerett. Tamerett produced five stakes winners from just eight foals. Among the daughter of 1958 Derby winner Tim Tam's offspring are Known Fact, champion three-year-old colt in England; multiple Grade One winner Tentam; and the filly Secrettame, the dam of Gone West.
Dosage Index: 2.50
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