Best Horses To Never Win A Stakes Race

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Re: Best Horses To Never Win A Stakes Race

Postby Shawklit Won » Fri Oct 01, 2021 9:56 pm

Thanks Mahubah. I hope that is the case. Maybe a second career as a hurdler or a show horse or something. Beats the alternative.

I thought he was a good racehorse.
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Re: Best Horses To Never Win A Stakes Race

Postby Shawklit Won » Sun Mar 06, 2022 2:36 pm

Dark Vader is racing again. In fact, he just won an allowance race at Santa Anita on 2/27. He did not race at all in 2021, probably due to an injury suffered in 2021, but he has been in a couple of races this year. Still do not get the gelding of DV.
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Re: Best Horses To Never Win A Stakes Race

Postby madelyn » Sat Mar 12, 2022 4:21 pm

It could be a question of age and value - he had reached a point he proved to have questionable value as a stallion. Stallions can be a PITA. As they get older gelding becomes a more and more dangerous procedure.
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Re: Best Horses To Never Win A Stakes Race

Postby Shawklit Won » Wed Mar 16, 2022 1:34 pm

madelyn wrote:It could be a question of age and value - he had reached a point he proved to have questionable value as a stallion. Stallions can be a PITA. As they get older gelding becomes a more and more dangerous procedure.


Thanks. I guess that Dark Vader's value as a stallion would not be that much. He still has not won a stakes race although he has placed in some graded stakes. I think that his sire, Tale of Ekati, is not particularly fashionable, and he has missed a lot of racing due to injuries, so soundness could also be an issue.

I like Dark Vader and I think he was better than his more expensive stablemates at first. I hope it all works out for him.
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Re: Best Horses To Never Win A Stakes Race

Postby Shawklit Won » Sun Mar 27, 2022 8:47 pm

Another thing about Dark Vader that I think hurt his value as a stallion: His sire, Tale of Ekati, is a grandson of Storm Cat. There are so many good sires from the Storm Cat sire line that it would be hard to get many breeders interested in him. Into Mischief alone has a bunch of sons that breeders would no doubt prefer.

Not This Time is off to a very good start at stud and breeders may end up wanting to breed to his sons. Then there is Justify, Mendelssohn, etc. Tale of Ekati may be a bargain at 5K, but there is and will be a lot of competition between the Storm Cat's.

It would have helped if Dark Vader could have won some graded stakes races, but it still would have been tough.
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Re: Best Horses To Never Win A Stakes Race

Postby Shawklit Won » Wed Mar 30, 2022 5:16 pm

Speaking of Dark Vader, he is entered in the 400K Oaklawn Mile Stakes (grade 3) at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, 4/2/2022. The early line has him at 12 to 1, but you never can tell.
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Re: Best Horses To Never Win A Stakes Race

Postby Shawklit Won » Wed Mar 30, 2022 5:57 pm

Shawklit Won wrote:Speaking of Dark Vader, he is entered in the 400K Oaklawn Mile Stakes (grade 3) at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, 4/2/2022. The early line has him at 12 to 1, but you never can tell.



I just noticed that Dark Vader is also entered in a 1 mile 72K AOC race at Santa Anita on the same day, Saturday, 4/2/2022. I suspect that Dark Vader's connections will opt for the allowance race at Santa Anita. He just had a workout there, and being gelded, there will be no stud career for him, so he doesn't need the prestige of a graded stakes race.

There is a 100K claiming price on him, but I doubt that he is in any danger of being claimed being that he is a 7 year old gelding. DV needed to have the claiming price on him in order to be entered in the race. Otherwise he has won too many allowance races for the condition (N2X). Dark Vader has won 3 allowance races, two at Santa Anita and one at Del Mar.
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Re: Best Horses To Never Win A Stakes Race

Postby Shawklit Won » Sat Apr 02, 2022 8:17 pm

Dark Vader did race in the allowance race at Santa Anita. Apparently he bounced after winning a race in the same condition (N2X) last time out. Today he finished last in the 5 horse field. Only difference was the claiming prices he had on him in order to be in those races. Last time it was 80K. This time it was 100K.
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Re: Best Horses To Never Win A Stakes Race

Postby Shawklit Won » Tue Apr 19, 2022 8:42 pm

A tale of two horses: Dark Vader was bought for 150K at a two year old in training sales and Draft Pick was bought for 450K at the yearling sales at Keeneland, I think. Both colts ended up in the same barn. The reason for the higher price for Draft Pick was that he had a pedigree that was considered more fashionable, with a high priced sire (Candy Ride). Dark Vader's sire was Tale Of Ekati, who's price is now only $5,000.

Despite the more fashionable pedigree of Draft Pick, once they started racing, Dark Vader appeared to be the better racehorse when they first started racing. Dark Vader beat Draft Pick twice in maiden races and outworked him in at least one workout. It took Draft Pick 6 maiden races to win a race. It took Dark Vader 4 races including a stakes race to win one.

Right after winning his first race, Draft Pick was entered in a graded stakes race, the grade 3 Affirmed Stakes. That same weekend, instead of Dark Vader being entered in the Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita, he was shipped across the country to race in the non-graded Easy Goer Stakes at Belmont Park. I wonder if he was shipped to keep him away from Draft Pick, considering their racing histories.

Apparently, Draft Pick caught a weak field in the Affirmed Stakes where he won with a time of 1:44.34 for 8.5 furlongs. Dark Vader finished 3rd in the Easy Goer Stakes where the winning time was 1: 41.41 at the same distance, a much faster time than in the Affirmed Stakes. Neither Draft Pick nor Dark Vader ever won a graded stakes race after that although both horses came close at times. For example, Dark Vader finished second by a neck in the $300,000. grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows.

Dark Vader is still racing at the age of 7 and recently won an allowance optional claiming race at Santa Anita with a purse of $70,560. Draft Pick raced through 4 years of age and is now at stud in Peru. Dark Vader was gelded when he was 6 years old and will race as long as he can effectively. After that, who knows what will happen to him. It sure pays for a horse to have parents that are in fashion.
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Re: Best Horses To Never Win A Stakes Race

Postby Shawklit Won » Fri May 06, 2022 11:04 pm

Shawklit Won wrote:A tale of two horses: Dark Vader was bought for 150K at a two year old in training sales and Draft Pick was bought for 450K at the yearling sales at Keeneland, I think. Both colts ended up in the same barn. The reason for the higher price for Draft Pick was that he had a pedigree that was considered more fashionable, with a high priced sire (Candy Ride). Dark Vader's sire was Tale Of Ekati, who's price is now only $5,000.

Despite the more fashionable pedigree of Draft Pick, once they started racing, Dark Vader appeared to be the better racehorse when they first started racing. Dark Vader beat Draft Pick twice in maiden races and outworked him in at least one workout. It took Draft Pick 6 maiden races to win a race. It took Dark Vader 4 races including a stakes race to win one.

Right after winning his first race, Draft Pick was entered in a graded stakes race, the grade 3 Affirmed Stakes. That same weekend, instead of Dark Vader being entered in the Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita, he was shipped across the country to race in the non-graded Easy Goer Stakes at Belmont Park. I wonder if he was shipped to keep him away from Draft Pick, considering their racing histories.

Apparently, Draft Pick caught a weak field in the Affirmed Stakes where he won with a time of 1:44.34 for 8.5 furlongs. Dark Vader finished 3rd in the Easy Goer Stakes where the winning time was 1: 41.41 at the same distance, a much faster time than in the Affirmed Stakes. Neither Draft Pick nor Dark Vader ever won a graded stakes race after that although both horses came close at times. For example, Dark Vader finished second by a neck in the $300,000. grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows.

Dark Vader is still racing at the age of 7 and recently won an allowance optional claiming race at Santa Anita with a purse of $70,560. Draft Pick raced through 4 years of age and is now at stud in Peru. Dark Vader was gelded when he was 6 years old and will race as long as he can effectively. After that, who knows what will happen to him. It sure pays for a horse to have parents that are in fashion.




Dark Vader is racing in another AOC race (N2X) on Sunday (5/8) at Santa Anita, and there is a price on him again of 80K. Maybe that is why he was gelded during his inactive 2021 season. Now he can enter those AOC (N2X) races even though he has won 3 allowance races by having an 80K tag on him. He still could enter those races if he wasn't gelded, but then he might get claimed by someone who wants to make him a stallion after his racing days are over.

Just hope for all the best for Dark Vader. Hope he ends up on a nice farm later on.
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Re: Best Horses To Never Win A Stakes Race

Postby Shawklit Won » Fri May 13, 2022 9:19 pm

Dark Vader finished 5th in his latest allowance race at Santa Anita on the 8th of May. So, he is 1 for 4 this year. I guess it is not easy for a 7 year old gelding to compete in allowance races at Santa Anita. Still think he is a good horse. Hope it all works out for him.
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Re: Best Horses To Never Win A Stakes Race

Postby Shawklit Won » Fri Jun 10, 2022 2:19 pm

A drop in class for Dark Vader. He is entered on 6/12 in a Santa Anita AOC race for horses that have never won a race other than and 50K claiming price, which should be easier than previous races for horses that have never won 2 races other than and claiming price of 80K or 100K. That is probably how it will go for Dark Vader now. Race in class that he can be competitive and drop in class when he can't.

Looks like a sad end for a nice racehorse. Probably will end up in regular claiming races. I think he was gelded to race in the type of races he has been racing in without as much chance of being claimed. Good for the short term, but not the long term for Dark Vader.

Hope he somehow eventually winds up on a nice farm when he can't race anymore.
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Re: Best Horses To Never Win A Stakes Race

Postby Shawklit Won » Sun Jun 12, 2022 5:02 pm

Shawklit Won wrote:A drop in class for Dark Vader. He is entered on 6/12 in a Santa Anita AOC race for horses that have never won a race other than and 50K claiming price, which should be easier than previous races for horses that have never won 2 races other than and claiming price of 80K or 100K. That is probably how it will go for Dark Vader now. Race in class that he can be competitive and drop in class when he can't.

Looks like a sad end for a nice racehorse. Probably will end up in regular claiming races. I think he was gelded to race in the type of races he has been racing in without as much chance of being claimed. Good for the short term, but not the long term for Dark Vader.

Hope he somehow eventually winds up on a nice farm when he can't race anymore.


Dark Vader was claimed today. I guess the former handlers could get away with the 80K claiming price, but 50K was too low. Dark Vader finished 3rd today in the allowance optional claiming race for horses that have never won a race other than and the claiming price. Hope this is a good thing for him.
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Re: Best Horses To Never Win A Stakes Race

Postby Shawklit Won » Sun Jun 12, 2022 9:24 pm

Shawklit Won wrote:
Shawklit Won wrote:A drop in class for Dark Vader. He is entered on 6/12 in a Santa Anita AOC race for horses that have never won a race other than and 50K claiming price, which should be easier than previous races for horses that have never won 2 races other than and claiming price of 80K or 100K. That is probably how it will go for Dark Vader now. Race in class that he can be competitive and drop in class when he can't.

Looks like a sad end for a nice racehorse. Probably will end up in regular claiming races. I think he was gelded to race in the type of races he has been racing in without as much chance of being claimed. Good for the short term, but not the long term for Dark Vader.

Hope he somehow eventually winds up on a nice farm when he can't race anymore.


Dark Vader was claimed today. I guess the former handlers could get away with the 80K claiming price, but 50K was too low. Dark Vader finished 3rd today in the allowance optional claiming race for horses that have never won a race other than and the claiming price. Hope this is a good thing for him.


Dark Vader's claim was voided. Something to do with the vet. Maybe DV is injured. One thing, now that he has had a 50K price on him, he might race in starter races. Then he can't be claimed as long as he races in the starter races.
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Re: Best Horses To Never Win A Stakes Race

Postby Shawklit Won » Tue Jul 26, 2022 7:00 pm

Dark Vader finished 3rd in an allowance race at Del Mar Sunday. He was also claimed for 40K. It was a conditioned allowance race optional claimer (N2X) and because Dark Vader, (a 7 year old gelding) has won 3 allowance races, he had to have a claiming tag on him to enter the race. Dark Vader has also placed in 3 graded stakes races.

That may be the last time anyone ever sees Dark Vader at Del Mar or Santa Anita for that matter. The trainer who claimed Dark Vader races most of his horses at Emerald Downs. I hope everything works out for DV. I don't feel real optimistic
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