Category: Racing Articles

Living The Life eyes elusive stakes win on dirt

This post is from an article by Steve Andersen from the Daily Racing Form.    It should be noted that Living the Life wore modified eye shields in the Great Lady M Stakes that seemed to cure or diminish her reaction to dirt kick back that has bothered her in previous races on dirt traces.

Living The Life eyes elusive stakes win on dirt
Article by Steve Andersen Daily Racing Form
01/18/2016 3:40PM
By Steve Andersen

“Living the Life has had success on synthetic tracks, but is still looking for her first stakes win on dirt.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Living The Life has been outstanding in sprints for fillies and mares on synthetic tracks in the last two years, having won four such stakes in California, England, and Pennsylvania. What’s missing is the same level of success on dirt.

On Saturday at Santa Anita, Living The Life will start in a stakes on dirt for the fourth time in the $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes. It will be her first time in a dirt stakes since she finished second in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos last July. From trainer Gary Mandella’s perspective, the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes for fillies and mares at seven furlongs is an ideal test for the 6-year-old mare.

“It’s a very good distance for her,” Mandella said.

Mandella is realistic, too. Living The Life ran well to finish second to Fantastic Style at Los Alamitos but was 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint here in 2014 and fifth in the Desert Stormer Stakes here last June.

“Her dirt races have been a bit muddling,” he said. “She got sick immediately after the Breeders’ Cup, and I think it started the days before.”

Mandella said he was not discouraged by the loss in the Desert Stormer. Living The Life closed from 10th in a field of 11 to finish 2 1/2 lengths behind the longshot winner, Amaranth.

“She had a lot of trouble and finished strongly,” he said. “That gave us the reason to try again. She ran great at Los Al. She caught a filly that ran big that day.”

Living The Life has won 9 of 28 starts and earned $791,704. Owned by Hank Nothhaft, Living The Life was sixth in the Goldikova Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar last November. Prior to that race, she won the Presque Isle Masters on a synthetic track at Presque Isle Downs in Pennsylvania for the second consecutive year.

In the Santa Monica Stakes, Living The Life is part of a projected field of seven led by Sunday Rules, the winner of the Kalookan Queen Stakes on Dec. 30. Other candidates are Ben’s Duchess, Kiss At Midnight, Kyriaki, Prize Exhibit, and Tara’s Tango.

On Monday, Ben’s Duchess worked five furlongs in 1:00.20, while Tara’s Tango went the same distance in 1:00.40.”

Photo Coady Photography LTL Win 2 Master Stakes Joe Bravo up

Las Cienegas Stakes Draws 15 nominations including Living the Life

Living the Life with Flavien Prat upHnR Nothhaft Horseracing Living the Life Set to Makes U.S. turf debut in the Las Cienegas Stakes

Living the Life trained by Gary Mandella is targeted to make her second start of 2015 at Santa Anita on April 11th.  This will mark Living the Life’s U.S. turf debut and her first time on the turf since Leicester, 23 Sep 2013 in a 7 furlong affair on the difficult 7 furlong course.  She won impressively pulling away from a field of 16 by 6 lengths at the end.  Living the Life’s connections moved her to the All-Weather surface her next start and never tried her on the grass again.  The Leicester course is often used to prepare horses for the difficult up hill sprint course at Royal Ascot.

41st   Running   Of

Las   Cienegas   Stakes

$100,000   Guaranteed

(Grade   III)

FOR  FILLIES  AND  MARES  FOUR  YEARS  OLD  AND  UPWARD  By  subscription  of  $100  each  to  accompany  the  nomination  or  by  supplementary  nomination  of  $2,000  at

time  of  entry.  $1,500  additional  to  start  with  $100,000  guaranteed  of  which  $60,000  to  the  winner,  $20,000  to  second,  $12,000  to  third,  $6,000  to  fourth  and  $2,000  to  fifth.

123  lbs.  Non-winners  of  a  Graded  stake  since  October  11,  2014  allowed  3  lbs.  Non-winners  of  a  Graded  stake  since  April  11,  2014,  allowed  5  lbs.  Total  earnings  in  non

claiming  races  will  be  used  in  determining  the  preference  of  horses  with  equal  weights.  Starters  to  be  named  through  the  entry  box  by  the  closing  time  of  entries.  A  trophy  will

be  presented  to  the  winning  owner.

ABOUT  SIX  AND  ONE  HALF  FURLONGS  (HILLSIDE  TURF  COURSE)

TO  BE  RUN  SATURDAY,  APRIL  11,  2015

Horse                                                                                      Owner                                                                                                   Trainer

 

AMELIATHEAVIATOR                               b.f.4                        Dennis  Narlinger                                                                       Kristin  Mulhall

 

 

BLINGISMYTHING                                     b.m.5                      Class  Racing  Stable                                                                       J.  Eric  Kruljac

 

 

DIVINA  COMEDIA  (FR)                          gr/ro.f.4                     OBS:  Marsha  Naify                                                                       J.  C.  Canani

 

 

FANTICOLA                                                     dk  b/.m.5                 Fanticola  or  Scardino                                                                       Philip  D’  Amato

 

 

GO  WEST  MARIE                                        ch.f.4                      Peter  Redekop  B.C.,  Ltd                                                                       Eddie  Truman

 

 

HEAVENS  STAIRWAY                              b.m.5                      AJM  Racing,  LLC  or  J  B  K  Stable                                                                       Martin  F.  Jones

 

 

HOME  JOURNEY                                        b.m.5                      GGG  Stables  or  Sarno                                                                       Mike  Puype

 

 

INDECISE                                                         b.m.6                      L.  Jean  Daley                                                                                   Richard  Mandella

 

 

LIVING  THE  LIFE  (IRE)                        b.m.5                      HnR  Nothhaft  Horse  Racing,  LLC                                        Gary  Mandella

 

 

QIAONA                                                               ch.m.5                    Curt  &  Lila  Lanning,  LLC                                                                       Ed  Moger,  Jr.

 

 

SAGEBRUSH  QUEEN                               gr/ro.m.5                   Konecne  or  Mattei                                                                       Jorge  Gutierrez

 

 

SALSITA                                                       dk  b/.f.4                   Kenji  R.  Morinaga,  Jr.                                                                       Ricky  Agarie

 

 

SKY  HIGH  GAL                                       b.m.5                      Hronis  Racing,  LLC                                                                       John  Sadler

 

 

THEATRE  STAR                                     b.m.5                      Glen  Hill  Farm                                                                                                                                  Thomas  F.  Proctor

 

 

UNFORGETTABLE  U                                dk  b/.f.4                   Mojallali  Stables,  Inc.                                                                       Carl  O’Callaghan

 

CLOSED  THURSDAY,  APRIL  2,  2015  WITH  15  NOMINATIONS*

*PENDING  LATE  MAIL

 

 

 

RICK  HAMMERLE

RACING  SECRETARY

 

TORA  YAMAGUCHI

STAKES  COORDINATOR

Winter Adjustment

Trainer Keith Nations has been a regular in the Parx Racing winner's circle since moving to Pennsylvania from California
Trainer Keith Nations has been a regular in the Parx Racing winner’s circle since moving to Pennsylvania from California

This article was published by the “Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred” Magazine in the March, 2015 Issue.

Northern California transplant Nations zooms off to quick start to new year

BY  LINDA  DOUGHERTY.  PHOTOGRAPHS  BY  EQUI-PHOTO,  INC

Off  to  a  hot  start  during  the  frigid month  of  January  was  trainer  Keith

Nations,  who  won  five  times  from the  first  nine  horses  that  he  saddled  at  Parx

Racing.

The  52-year-old  Nations  came  from Northern  California  in  late  2013,  moving

cross-country  in  search  of  better  money and  opportunities.

Unfortunately  for  Nations  and  his  wife, Cheryl,  what  followed  was  the  worst  win-

ter  in  the  Mid-Atlantic  region  in  nearly  acentury.  The  Seattle-based  couple  was  not

accustomed  to  such  extreme  amounts  of snow  and  ice,  but  it  didn’t  dissuade  them

from making the Delaware Valley their new home.

“It  was  the  winter  from  hell,”  Nations said  with  a  laugh.  “I  said  to  myself,  ‘what

did  I  do?’  We  had  a  synthetic  track  at Golden  Gate  Fields  and  never  missed  days

of  training,  while  here  I  had  to  learn  how to  get  a  horse  ready  to  run  despite  all  the

cancellations.  It  was  tough  on  my  psyche.”

When  Nations  arrived  in  Bensalem,  Pa.,he had five horses. In 2014, his first full year

at  Parx,  he  won  26  races  from  90  starts  for a  29-percent  strike  rate.  Thanks  to  several

old  clients  and  some  new  ones,  Nation’s stable  has  expanded  and  he  expects  to  be

conditioning  about  60  horses  by  summer.

One  of  his  top  clients  from  California was  Hank  Nothhaft,  a  Pennsylvania  native

who  lives  in  the  Golden  State  but  is  a board  member  of  the  Pennsylvania  Horse

Breeders  Association  and  owns  part  of several  stallions  at  Northview  PA,  as  well

as plenty of  young homebreds foaled there.

“Hank  influenced  me  to  go  to  Parx, ” Nations  said.  “A  big  attraction  was  the

purses  and  that  Pennsylvania-breds  get  an extra  40  percent.”

Nations started his career in Washington, saddling his first winner at Emerald Downs

in  2001  before  moving  on  to  the  Northern California  circuit.  He  stopped  training  on

his  own  in  2004,  becoming  an  assistant  totrainer  Tom  Wenzel,  who  won  the  2007

Longacres  Mile-G3  with  The  Great  Face.

After  resuming  his  training  career in  2009,  Nations  developed  Bailoutthe-

minister,  a  stakes  winner  owned  by  his other  major  clients,  Theresa  and  Edward

DeNike.  Nations’  best  year  came  in  2012, when  he  won  four  stakes  and  popped  with

26  wins  from  99  starts.  Among  his  top horses  that  season  was  Control  Seeker,

who  won  the  Bull  Dog  Handicap  at  Fresno and  the  Joseph  T.  Grace  Handicap  at  Santa

Rosa  and  finished  the  season  with  a  second in  the  All  American  Stakes-G3  at  Golden

Gate  Fields.

Despite  the  trials  of  winter  in  the  Mid-Atlantic,  Nations  now  believes  the  move

was  the  right  thing  to  do. “By  far,  it  was  the  best  move  I’ve  ever

made,”  he  said.  “There’s  a  lot  of  opportunity  here,  and  it’s  kind  of  cool  to  be  able  to

travel  around  to  all  the  different  racetracks in  the  area.  The  people  at  Parx  have  treated

me  great,  and  my  wife  and  I  are  enjoying ourselves  taking  in  all  the  historical  places

in  the  region.  The  stable  started  out  small,but  it’s  growing  and  now  there  are  West

Coast  people  wanting  to  send  horses  tome.  It  was  a  great  decision.”

 

Rembering Silver Train

by Henry R. “Hank” Nothhaft
A year ago we received the terrible news that Silver Train had died while traveling to quarantine in Brazil awaiting his return to the U.S. Even though he was accompanied by a veterinarian, when he became ill, he died before reaching a equine hospital.

A Pensive Silver Train

He exhibited symptoms similar to colic, was treated accordingly and colic was initially given the cause of death. A detailed necropsy discovered that Silver Train died from a virulent, pathogenic Streptococcus pneumonia that attacked his lungs and other organs resulting in his demise.

Silver Train The Artist

Silver Train produced 7 crops in North American consisting of 412 foals. His 354 foals of racing age produced solid statistics. 80% of the foals of racing age started, while 60% are winners. The average winning distance of this group is slightly less than 7 furlongs indicating a propensity to produce dirt sprinters and milers. He also has many repeat winners and stands second in the Mid-Atlantic this year one win behind Rockport Harbor. Perhaps the standout statistic for Silver Train is his outstanding and improving 17 starts per starter.

Silver Train with his Monet

We miss Silver Train, but are fortunate to have six of his off spring in our stable. 5 will be of racing age this year, with a filly coming along in 2016. She is named Silber Zug out of Aloft by Unbridled Song, which is Silver Train in German. Silber Zug is a full sister to Shenango Valley. We have included a number of our favorite photos of The Train.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Silver Train
Sire Old Trieste
Grandsire A.P. Indy
Dam Ridden In The Stars
Damsire Cormorant
Sex Stallion
Foaled February 11, 2002
Country United States
Colour Brown
Breeder Mulholland Farm
Owner Buckram Oak Farm
Trainer Richard E. Dutrow, Jr.
Record 17: 6-3-4
Earnings $1,259,345
Major wins
Jerome Handicap (2005)
Tom Fool Handicap (2006)
Metropolitan Handicap (2006)
Breeders’ Cup wins:
Breeders’ Cup Sprint (2005)
Last updated on July 22, 2007
Silver Train (foaled February 11, 2002) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Joe Mulholland and family in Georgetown, Kentucky, he was out of the mare Ridden In The Stars and sired by Old Trieste, a son of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee A.P. Indy.
Purchased by the Buckram Oak Farm of Mahmoud Fustok, at age two Silver Train raced four times, winning once and finishing second twice. At age three in 2005, he won three times, including the Grade II Jerome Handicap, plus had three third-place finishes. Ridden by Edgar Prado in the most important win of his career, Silver Train overtook a tiring Lost in the Fog in midstretch and held off a fast charging Taste of Paradise to win the 6 Furlong Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Belmont Park.
Sold in 2006 to Four Roses Thoroughbreds, Silver Train won the Grade II Tom Fool Handicap and the Grade I Metropolitan Mile. In October’s Vosburgh Stakes, he ran a disappointing last in a five-horse field. Believing the horse might be out of his element in attempting a second straight win in the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, trainer Richard E. Dutrow, Jr. opted to run him in November’s Cigar Mile Handicap where he ran third to Discreet Cat. Silver Train was then retired to stand at stud for the 2007 season at the Vinery Kentucky in Lexington. In 2011, Silver Train was purchased by HnR Nothhaft Horseracing LLC and moved to Northview PA. Silver Train was number one in winners among 2nd year sires in 2011.

Kindle, Versatile Stakes Winning Speedster Retired

Kindle winning the Cool Air Stakes at Hollywood Park
Kindle winning the Cool Air Stakes at Hollywood Park

Kindle, a blazingly fast, chestnut mare, by Indian Charlie out of Carson City mare Carson’s Vanity has retired from racing to become a broodmare prospect domiciled at Darby Dan in Kentucky. Kindle was purchased as a yearling at the Keeneland September sale, 2009, for $50,000 by HnR Nothhaft Horseracing, Trained by Gary Mandella, Kindle went on to hit the board in all six stakes attempts, winning the Cool Air Stakes and the Bangles and Beads Stakes. She placed 2nd twice in the Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes, 2rd in the Grade 3 Ken Maddy Stakes and 3rd in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes. Reflecting on Kindle’s career, owner Hank Nothhaft stated, “Kindle was brilliantly fast, extremely exciting to watch as she always ran from the front giving her all in every race. I am thrilled to add this athletic filly to my broodmare band.” She will be bred to two time Horse of the Year and Breeders’ Cup Classic Winner Tiznow in 2015.” Her speed resulted in top five Beyer Speed numbers for turf fillies in 2012 and 2013. Unraced as a two year old and plagued by minor injuries throughout her career, Kindle started 11 times 3 to 6, winning 4, placing 4 times and showing once while winning $243,000. Displaying her versatility, she won races on all-weather, dirt and turf surfaces.

Masterful Performance California-based Living The Life captures Grade 2 for Nothhaft, Mandella

Orignally Printed in November 2014 edition of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Magazine
Around the Ovals
Presque Isle Downs
Masterful Performance
California-based Living The Life
captures Grade 2 for Nothhaft, Mandella
by DAN TORDJMAN

Living the Life by Chapman @ Presque Isle Masters Stakes
Living the Life by Chapman @ Presque Isle Masters Stakes

Living The Life (Ire) was going to need a little luck as she turned for home
in the Grade 2 Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes Sept. 8. That’s at least how
her trainer Gary Mandella felt while watching the highlight of the meeting.
“I could tell there was no pace, especially for a sprint race,” Mandella said.
“Something good was going to have to go her way for her to win.”
After a quarter-mile in :23.46 and a half in :46.44, Living The Life found herself
a few lengths off the pace with a wall of horses in front of her. The daughter of
Footstepsinthesand had her owner Hank Nothhaft and her trainer sweating.
“I had no way of knowing whether she was going to be able to get through
or finish beaten a length for everything,”Mandella said. “It all kind of looked miserable until that split second when there was
a seam between two horses and she just jumped right in there, as brave as any horse
as I’ve ever been around.”
The brave move, guided by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, took Living The Life
from sixth to first in a matter of seconds.Now on the lead, the 4-year-old filly just
had to hold on and she did just that. Disco Barbie, the second choice behind Living
The Life, was caught behind horses herself and rallied to finish second, a half-length
behind. Ageless was a length back in third
in the field of 10. Living The Life completed 6 1⁄2 furlongsin 1:15.26, earning the $240,000 winner’s
share of the $400,400 purse. It was only Living The Life’s second U.S. start after
being purchased by Nothhaft as part of an international search for broodmare prospects. Profiled in the June edition of, California resident
Nothhaft has invested in the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred industry with major interests in the late stallion Silver Train, plus El
Padrino, Smarty Jones and Jump Start. “This filly was purchased in England with the hopes that we could make her a little bit better,” Mandella said. “[Nothhaft’s]trainer over there, Phil McEntee, did a great job of figuring her out, putting a different kind of blinker on her and getting
her a little straightforward.”
Living The Life responded by winning the All-Weather Fillies’ and Mares’
Championship in April at Lingfield before shipping to California, where she
won her U.S. debut in August at Del Mar. She returned to California after the
Masters with eyes on a possible start at the Breeders’ Cup Breeders’ Cup Filly and
Mare Sprint-G1, a race won the past threeyears by Masters winners Groupie Doll
and Musical Romance

Back on Track

Originally Published in the July 2014 Issue of Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Times
Around the Oval PARX
Henry “Hank” Nothhaft calls California home, but has been expanding his racing
and breeding interests in the Keystone State the last several years.
Not only has Nothhaft invested in several stallions that stand in Pennsylvania,
he’s supported them with a well-bred broodmare band. His first homebreds race
this year.
Nothhaft, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a former officer
in the Marine Corps with a background in telecommunications and networking companies, was recently appointed to a four-
year term on the board of the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association.
Nothhaft maintains a string at Parx with trainer Keith Nations, and recently
one of his runners, Ignite, found the winner’s circle. The daughter of Jump Start
rallied from off the pace in a $34,200 allowance against state-breds at 1 mile May
6. Ignite was bred by Barlar and is out of the Distorted Humor mare Perverse.
“This winter was very tough on my Pennsylvania racing plans,” Nothhaft said.
“In order to supplement my stable until my pipeline of Pennsylvania-breds starts
providing most of the racing stock, I have been actively seeking well-bred fillies for
the stable that make sense in the context of races available primarily at Parx.”
Nothhaft said Ignite was noticed by Nations when she debuted at Laurel Park
in October 2013, and they put her on their “maybe” list.
After she was entered next in a maiden claiming race at Penn National (which she
won), Nothhaft approached his blood stock agent Carl McEntee and asked him
to look at her pedigree and give his opinion. Since Ignite was foaled and raised at
Northview PA in Peach Bottom, McEntee was familiar with her and was in favor of
Nothhaft acquiring her.
After finding out the owner of Ignite was a friend, Nothhaft said he didn’t want
to drop a claim slip, and had McEntee approach her connections to purchase her
privately.
“Given her pedigree, we expected her to get better as she got older, and we believed
she would go long, even though she broke her maiden in a sprint,” Nothhaft said.
“Under Keith’s training she has continued to get better and better and is starting to
mature. The fact that she is Pennsylvania-bred is a major plus as far as I am concerned.”
Nothhaft has a pair of homebred 2-year-olds by Smarty Jones training atSylmar Farm in Christiana, Pa., who may
race this year
Smarty’s Legend, a filly out of Randie’s Legend, by Benchmark; and
Dash, a filly out of Aloft, by Unbridled’s Song.
Nothhaft has five homebred yearlings by Silver Train, who will be broken at
Sylmar before joining Nations at Parx. Named Thepennsylvaniakid, Silver Trophy,
Chincoteague, Move and Shenango Valley, Nothhaft said that are all athletic looking
and he has high hopes for their success.