Client Success: Joe Voted MD 2YO Male Champ, Targets Preakness

Joe (c, 3, Declaration of War–Battle Bridge, by Arch)

Joe (c, 3, Declaration of War–Battle Bridge, by Arch) was named Champion 2-Year-Old Male at the fifth renewal of the Renaissance Awards held online last Friday. The ceremony celebrates excellence in Thoroughbred racing and breeding in Maryland over the course of the previous year and honors the new Maryland-bred champions. Throughout the week of February 28, accolades were handed to the top Maryland-bred horses of 2021 through the Maryland Horse Breeders Association’s social media platforms.

Bred and owned by The Elkstone Group LLC, and trained by Michael J. Trombetta, Joe had a breakout year, winning two of his three races. A victory in the Maryland Juvenile Championship Stakes in his last race of 2021 catapulted him to the Champion 2-Year-Old Male award.

The 3-year-old homebred has subsequently followed up with a decisive Allowance Optional Claiming victory at Laurel Park on January 23, kicking off the year 2022 in style. Joe has a current record of 4-3-0-0 and has earned a total of $133,324 in earnings.

The $100,000 Private Terms Stakes, which will be run over 1 1/16 miles on March 19, and the $125,000 Federico Tesio Stakes, which will be run over 1 1/8 miles on April 16 are the races that the connections are eyeing. Both races are at Laurel Park, where Joe has raced in all four of his career races.

The Federico Tesio Stakes will serve as a “Win and In” qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the 147th running of the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (G1) on May 21 at historic Pimlico Race Course. If Joe is successful in winning the Federico Tesio Stakes, he will very certainly aim for the Preakness Stakes.

He is a half-brother to Grade 3 Stakes Placed, track-record setter and OPTIMAL Mating recommendation, Irony of Reality (Animal Kingdom)($197,323). His dam was bred to another son of War Front, War of Will, for 2022.

The OPTIMAL Mating that produced Joe was recommended by Clark Shepherd (Shepherd Equine Advisers), bloodstock agent for The Elkstone Group LLC.

OPTIMAL Mating Analysis – Joe

Horses bred on OPTIMAL Matings have proven to possess more potential to become superior racehorses. In fact, most will break their maiden in the first two starts. Combined with a good physical, good vetting and a price that falls within a budget, OPTIMAL Matings help to focus on buying or breeding better racehorses.

2 Sire Families (12C, 13B) & 4 Racing Families (4R, A4, 5C, 1S)

Good Combination of Female Families

Good Outcross Percentage

Good Linebreeding Balance

Good Grandsire / Granddam Linebreeding Percentages

Good Gender Linebreeding Balance.

Key Linebreedings

3×4 Danzig – gender-balanced through son War Front & daughter Aurora
- Exact position as:
  - Grade 1 Stakes Winner
    - Decorated Invader (Declaration of War o/o Arch mare)
  - Grade 2 Stakes Winner
    - Army Wife (Declaration of War o/o Arch mare)
5×4 Mr. Prospector – through sons Gone West & Seeking the Gold
- Exact position as:
  - Grade 2 Stakes Winner
    - Army Wife (Declaration of War o/o Arch mare)

Similar Breedings

War Front over Arch
- Grade 1 Stakes Winners
  - Decorated Invader (Declaration of War o/o Arch mare)
  - Civil Union (War Front 0/0 Unbridled’s Song mare)
  - Fire At Will (Declaration of War o/o Kitten’s Joy mare)
  - War Flag (War Front o/o Arch mare)
  - Lines of Battle (War Front o/o Arch mare)
- Grade 2 Stakes Winner
  - Army Wife (Declaration of War o/o Arch mare)
- Grade 3 Stakes Winners
  - Blitzkrieg (War Front o/o Arch mare)
  - War Dispatch (War Front o/o Unbridled’s Song mare)
- Listed Stakes Winner
  - Mosler (War Front o/o Arch mare)
Danzig over Arch
- 8 Grade 1 Stakes Winners
- 5 Grade 2 Stakes Winners
- 8 Grade 3 Stakes Winners
- 8 Listed Stakes Winners
War Front over Kris S.
- 5 Grade 1 Stakes Winners
- 1 Grade 2 Stakes Winners
- 3 Grade 3 Stakes Winners
- 3 Listed Stakes Winners
Rahy over Kris S.
- 5 Grade 1 Stakes Winners
- 2 Grade 2 Stakes Winners
- 9 Grade 3 Stakes Winners
- 12 Listed Stakes Winners
Declaration of War over Seeking the Gold
- Grade 1 Stakes Winner
  - Gufo (Declaration of War o/o Petionville mare)
- Grade 2 Stakes Winner
  - Army Wife (Declaration of War o/o Arch mare)
War Front over Seeking the Gold
- Grade 1 Stakes Winners
  - Air Force Blue (War Front o/o Maria’s Mon mare)
  - Omaha Beach (War Front o/o Seeking the Gold mare)
  - Gufo (Declaration of War o/o Petionville mare)
  - Fog of War (War Front o/o Galileo mare)
- Grade 2 Stakes Winner
  - Army Wife (Declaration of War o/o Arch mare)
- Listed Stakes Winners
  - Shea D Summer (Summer Front o/o Empire Maker mare)
  - Mosler (War Front o/o Arch mare)
  - Naval Intelligence (War Front o/o Galileo mare)
  - Invader (War Front o/o Galileo mare)
Rahy over Seeking the Gold
- 8 Grade 1 Stakes Winners
- 5 Grade 2 Stakes Winners
- 9 Grade 3 Stakes Winners
- 13 Listed Stakes Winners
Terpsichorist over Seeking the Gold
- Grade 1 Stakes Winner
  - Gufo (Declaration of War o/o Petionville mare)
- Grade 2 Stakes Winner
  - Army Wife (Declaration of War o/o Arch mare)
- Listed Stakes Winners
  - Gulf Coast (Union Rags o/o Candy Ride mare)
  - Musawaah (Union Rags o/o Seeking the Gold mare)
Rahy over Deputation
- Grade 1 Stakes Winner
  - Carriage Trail (Giant’s Causeway o/o Seeking the Gold mare)
- Grade 3 Stakes Winner
  - Seek and Destroy (Verrazano o/o War Chant mare)

Whether you are new to the game, experiencing more losses than wins or just looking for a new approach, I am confident that I can help you breed or buy a better racehorse. To find out more about OPTIMAL Matings and how they can help your program, please subscribe to my Blog/News page HERE to receive future information on complimentary mating recommendations, sales short lists, stakes winner pedigree analysis, news on personal client success and any other random thoughts or ideas that I may have. Also, receive a complimentary copy of my report “Blind Luck or Designed Luck? – How A Kentucky Derby Winner Was Bred” sent directly to your inbox.

For inquiries or more information about Shepherd Equine Advisers, please contact Clark Shepherd at 859-321-6618, or by email at clark@bloodstock-agent-ky.com.

I would love to hear any comments or questions that you may have. Please submit them below. Maybe we can address them in a future post!