Arlington International Racecourse Barn Notes: Sunday, July 9

By Bailey Gallison —-

• Earl Hughes Charts New Course
• Grade III Iowa Oaks Gets Babybluesbdancing in Place

EARL HUGHES CHARTS NEW COURSE

Earl Hughes has owned horses at Arlington International Racecourse since 2014, but it wasn’t until March of this year that he officially began training. Formerly employed at AT&T, Hughes retired and became an owner when looking for something to do in his spare time. Having grown up on his father’s farm, it was natural for Hughes to be a hands-on owner and heavily involved with his horses’ training from the start.

“I was always a hands-on kind of owner,” Hughes said. “I was in the barn all the time so I decided I should get my trainer’s license and train them myself. Training is a lot of work. I have about six or seven guys that help me every day so I get a lot of help. It’s a ton of work and a lot more work than I actually anticipated.”

Hughes’ father, Earl Hughes, Sr., owned trotters which was the genesis of his love for horse racing. He started his career as an owner with the purchase of two mares, Five Star Lady and Honkytonkgirl, in March 2014 with plans of becoming a breeder. He later bred Five Star Lady to Maxamax, a son of Mr. Prospector, and produced a foal named Emmastwinklingstar In March of 2015, Hughes claimed his first horse named Kings Fortune, but his career as an owner got off to an inauspicious start – in Kings Fortune’s first race, he refused to leave the gate.

“When I originally started to buy horses I bought two fillies and my original plan was, because I had the farm, just to be a breeder,” Hughes said. “But then I found two other horses that someone talked me into trying them and seeing how they do and we won a few races with them and then claimed a few more. Now we’re up to about 20.”

Hughes names Mean Intentions, a winner of three of his last six races, as one of the top horses in his barn. Future plans for him are likely to include an allowance run going six furlongs. David Pfiefer’s Saidtomyself is another top runner in the Hughes barn, having won two of his last three starts and running a good third when stepping up in class his last out when ultimately losing to V-Leaf Stables, Richard Ravin & Larry Rivelli’s What’s Up Dude.

“The $18,000 allowance-optional [Mean Intentions] ran in last time was a little above his head,” said Hughes. “I wanted to run him in a $10,000 allowance optional-claiming race but there wasn’t one that fit his conditions. He likes to run six furlongs and I don’t want to run him any further than that.”

As Hughes’ claiming operation continues to grow and his approach develops, he remains committed to making the most out of small investments.

“I look for value,” Hughes said. “A horse I can buy low and sell high.”

GRADE III IOWA OAKS GETS BABYBLUESBDANCING IN PLACE

Lizbeth Gore’s Babybluesbdancing, winner of the 2017 Purple Violet Stakes at Arlington International Racecourse, earned her first graded-stakes placing on Thursday night when the Illinois-bred finished second in the Grade III Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows for trainer Terrel Gore.

“We’re very, very happy,” said Gore. “I babied her along, biding my time. This was a big test.”

Instilled at 12-1 by the morning line odds maker, the daughter of Sky Mesa was largely ignored by bettors who let her go to post at odds of 50-1 with Prairie Meadows’ leading rider Ramon Vazquez in the irons. Vasquez, riding the 3-year-old filly for the first time, had just won the Saylorville Stakes one race prior on the card.

“Julio Felix has ridden and worked her a lot,” said Gore. “He deserves a lot of credit for her development. We got in with 115 (pounds) and I didn’t want to give up that advantage. I was looking for a rider who could make the weight, and Ramon didn’t have a mount in the race, so we got him.”

Breaking from the second to last gate in the eight horse field, Vasquez settled his mount mid-pack while keeping four wide on the track. Cruising along comfortably, Babybluesbdancing made up ground on the turn while still keeping wide, and willingly closed through the stretch but could not match strides with the winner, Shane’s Girlfriend.

Babybluesbdancing is the second foal out of the multiple stakes-winning Illinois-bred Bluesbdancing. Purchased by Robert and Nancy Bartels as a 2-year-old in March 2004 at Ocala Breeders’ Company Select Sale for $65,000, the second foal of Casino Blues went back through the sales ring at the end of her racing career but was an RNA of $95,000 at the November 2008 Keeneland Sale. She was bred by her owners under RNB Racing LLC the following spring to produce a colt by First Samurai, but it would be another four years until she produced her winning daughter Babybluesbdancing.

Gore says they will consider the Grade III Monmouth Oaks on August 12 as a possible next start.