Nessy delivers poignant win

Nessy posted his first graded stakes victory in the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita on Sunday – 24 hours after his Grade 1-winning older full brother Bullards Alley suffered a fatal breakdown in the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes on Saturday afternoon at Keeneland.

Both geldings are by classic sire Flower Alley, who now stands in South Africa, and out of the stakes-winning Kris S. mare Flower Forest.

Flower Forest was purchased as a yearling by Eugene Melnyk, campaigned by him throughout her career, and entered broodmare duty for his operation. Melnyk bred and raced her first stakes performer, Grade 2 winner Karibu Gardens, also by Flower Alley. He also bred Bullards Alley. But when Melnyk elected to disperse his holdings, Sierra Farm bought Flower Forest for $62,000 out of the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale. Bullards Alley, then 2, was purchased for just $11,000 by Wayne Spalding (who later brought in partner Faron McCubbins) out of that summer’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky selected horses of racing age sale.

Bullards Alley, trained throughout his career by Tim Glyshaw, scored his biggest victory in last fall’s Grade 1 Canadian International at Woodbine, romping by 10 3/4 lengths and triggering an $87.90 win payout. He also won the Grade 3 Louisville Handicap at Churchill Downs in 2016 and the Woodchopper Stakes at Fair Grounds in 2015, and placed in six other stakes. Overall, he put together a record of 40-6-5-7, and earned $928,622.

Meanwhile, Sierra Farm is listed as the breeder of Nessy, purchased in utero, and campaigns the horse under the care of Ian Wilkes. Nessy came into the San Juan Capistrano with three graded placings to his credit, most recently a third in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream.

Flower Forest, who has produced seven winners from as many starters, is the dam of an unraced 2-year-old named Fletch. The Jimmy Creed colt was a $70,000 purchase by Bradley Thoroughbreds at the 2017 Keeneland September yearling sale.

Thoroughbreds among eventers

Led by international standout Donner, a number of Thoroughbred ex-racehorses will contest North America’s most prestigious three-day event, the Land Rover Kentucky CCI four-star, beginning Thursday at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky.

Donner, who raced under the name Smart Gorky, competes with American rider Lynn Symansky. The New York-bred gelding, winless in six starts, arrived at her barn in 2008 as a resale project, but she has instead partnered with him for a decade as he has climbed the levels to become one of the most decorated American horses competing in eventing. Donner was part of the gold medalwinning U.S. team at the 2011 Pan American Games, was on the U.S. team at the 2014 World Equestrian Games, helped the U.S. win the Nations Cup at the 2017 Great Meadow International, and last year was named the Equiratings Horse of the Year. He will be making his fourth trip to the Kentucky event, with his best finish his debut outing in 2013. That year he was fifth and was the highest-placed Thoroughbred. Donner and Symansky were 12th in 2015 and 17th in 2016.

Donner is by Gorky Park, who raced in hurdle and steeplechase races in Europe before coming to the U.S. to win the 1991 Continental Cup Steeplechase Handicap for Jonathan Sheppard.

Another Thoroughbred taking yet another shot at the Kentucky event is Kelecyn Cognac, who has been entered for a third time by Canadian Waylon Roberts. The pair was forced to withdraw a week ahead of the event in 2016, and last year was a late scratch after a bout of shipping fever. Kelecyn Cognac, an Australianborn son of Fusaichi Pegasus, was winless while racing as Heir Pegasus. He comes into the Kentucky event on a roll, as he won the advanced division at the Red Hills event two outings back, then placed 13th at the Carolina International CIC three-star.

Three Thoroughbreds who were winners on the track are slated to compete at the Land Rover, along with four unraced Thoroughbreds. The favored pair at Land Rover is Germany’s multiple Olympic gold medalist Michael Jung and his German Sport Horse mare fischerRoscana FST, who has won this event in four consecutive years.