Brian’s Iron Mike wins the 1st running of the Monte Man Stakes at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.
Hat Racing has a serious 3-year-old who you might not have known before today. Brian’s Iron Mike, a son of Iron Fist, powered home down the rail to upset Bertie’s Galaxy in the 1st running of the 6-furlong Monte Man Stakes for older Louisiana-breds. It was his first stakes win, and his trainer Allen Landry reports he will look for his second in the Louisiana Champions Day Sprint on Dec 10.
Drawn on the rail to the inside of the .90-1 favorite Bertie’s Galaxy, Brian’s Iron Mike took a hard right out of the gate, bumping that rival and forcing him to revert to off the pace tactics. Scarlettsblackjack seized the opportunity and led the field around the sloppy track in 21.53 and 44.94 seconds through the first two calls. The front half of the field bunched up at the turn, and Brian’s Iron Mike waited for an opening to make his move. First passing Takes Two to Tango who raced in third from go to whoa, Brian’s Iron Mike slid down the rail past Scarlettsblackjack, who held on for second. Winning by 1 3/4 lengths and stopping the clock at 1:10.32, the roan gelding rewarded his $2 backers with $11.60.
“He broke good,” jockey Joe Stokes said. “There was a lot of speed in the race. Coming down the lane it got a little tight but when it opened up, I asked him and he went.”
“Coming off of that long race against Who Took the Money (at Delta Downs), we knew he would be fit,” Allen Landry said. “He shows up every time.”
With a 4-3-2 record 10 races into his career, Brian’s Iron Mike has the form to keep piling on to his $177,500 lifetime earnings.
(Sunset, La.) – Coteau Grove Farms and Whispering Oaks Farm announced today the purchase of Coteau Grove’s Grade 1-winning homebred No Parole (Violence). No Parole will stand at Whispering Oaks Farm in Carencro, Louisiana, for $3,500 live foal, stands and nurses. Coteau Grove’s bloodstock advisor Andrew Cary (Cary Bloodstock) brokered the deal.
No Parole winning the G1 Woody Stephens S. Susie Raisher photo.
“No Parole was our first Grade I winner as a breeder and that is so exciting for us.” said Ginger Myers. “We’ve been interested in where he would go next when his racing career was completed. To be able bring him back to Louisiana and stand him close to home at Whispering Oaks is a dream come true for us.” said Keith Myers. “We look forward to supporting him with quality mares from our farm.”
Whispering Oaks Farm also stands the highly promising young sire Iron Fist (Tapit), who currently sits 2nd on the freshman sire list in Louisiana, as well as the graded stakes-winning One Liner (Into Mischief). “We are very excited to be standing Louisiana-bred Grade 1 winner No Parole at Whispering Oaks,” said Whispering Oaks owner Carrol Castille. “We are big supporters of the Louisiana breeding industry and it’s great to be able to keep a homegrown Grade 1 winner like this here to stand at stud. He showed tremendous talent and fits in perfectly with the other stallions on our roster. We look forward to supporting him with our own mares and think he’ll be very popular with Louisiana breeders as well.”
No Parole was purchased for $75,000 as a yearling by Maggi Moss from the consignment of Select Sales as agent for Coteau Grove Farms at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Greg Tramontin purchased an interest in the horse early during his racing career.
“I’ve said it before – he was the horse of a lifetime,” said Moss. “We had many generous offers on this horse, but it was my preference to see him go back to his breeders. I know they will take care of him, give him every opportunity at stud, and give him a great life.”
Trained by Tom Amoss, No Parole began his career in devastating fashion, winning his first three starts by a combined 34 lengths, Including the Premier Night Prince Stakes at a mile. After an impressive allowance victory over open company at Oaklawn Park, No Parole’s finest hour arrived when he dominated a strong field in the Woody Stephens S. (G1) at Belmont Park, winning wire-to-wire by 3 3/4 lengths in 1:21.41 for the 7 furlongs, defeating Grade 1 winners Echo Town and Mischevious Alex.
“No Parole was one of the most brilliant racehorses I’ve ever trained,” said Amoss. “I am very excited for him to go to stud and I will be supporting him as a stallion.”
No Parole kicked off 2021 with a facile victory in the Premier Sprint S., running the fastest 5 furlongs of the meet at Delta Downs.
“No Parole was incredibly fast, and did it effortlessly,” said Cary. “That kind of speed is rare in a stallion prospect. His career debut at Fair Grounds, which he won by 14 1/4 lengths, was simply breathtaking. I encourage breeders to watch his first 3 races as well as his Grade 1 win in the Woody Stephens win, where he went 1:08 3/5 for 6 furlongs. This horse had immense natural ability, and has the potent combination of athleticism, pedigree and performance that should make him highly appealing to Louisiana breeders, especially with what we feel is a reasonable fee for a first-year horse with his credentials and name recognition.”
The 2020 Louisiana Horse of the Year, No Parole retires with 6 wins in 13 starts and earnings of $369,866.
He was produced by the stakes-winning mare Plus One (Bluegrass Cat), a mare acquired by Cary for Coteau Grove at the 2014 Keeneland November Sale for $67,000 (In-foal to Violence). She has also produced the multiple winner Violent Ways (Violent), who earned over $195,000. She is currently in-foal to leading sire Tapit and is booked to the current leading first crop and juvenile sire sensation Gun Runner for 2022.
OPELOUSAS, LA – Evangeline Downs wrapped up its 2021 Thoroughbred season on Saturday night with an 11-race program that featured the $60,000 D. S. ‘Shine’ Young Futurity for colts and geldings and recognition of the top horsemen for the meet.
The D. S. ‘Shine’ Young was won by Whispering Oaks Farm’s Fiesty Fist. The 24-1 longshot was ridden to victory by jockey Kevin Smith, who got a leg up from trainer Steven Flint before the 5-1/2-furlong test for 2-year-olds.
Breaking from post nine in a 10-horse field, Fiesty Fist sat off the early pace of 22.08 seconds for the opening quarter mile and 45.92 for the half set by True Deal. As the field turned for home, True Deal held a narrow lead while riding the rail as Fiesty Fist and Tambourine Star were closing in during the final furlong. At the wire, Fiesty Fist passed the pacesetter by just a half-length to claim victory while Tambourine Star settled for third, another head behind the runner-up.
The final time for Fiesty Fist was 1:05.39 while racing over a track listed as muddy.
The win by Fiesty Fist was the second of his three-race career. He broke his maiden at first asking on May 20 before finishing sixth in the Louisiana Cup Juvenile at Louisiana Downs on August 21. He earned $36,000 for his win on Saturday while raising his overall bankroll to $50,400.
Bred in Louisiana by Carrol J. Castille, Fiesty Fist is a 2-year-old bay gelding by Iron Fist, out of the Roman Ruler mare Sheza Roman Ruler.
Fans who backed Fiesty Fist at the wagering window were rewarded to payoffs of $51 to win, $27.80 to place and $15.60 to show. True Deal paid $5.40 to place and $3.60 to show. Tambourine Star was worth $3.20 to show.
The first two starters for Louisiana stallion Iron Fist (Tapit-Successful Outlook), have both broken their maidens in their first attempts.
Saturday, June 5th, 2-year-old Louisiana-bred filly, Buckley Bunny (Iron Fist-Slamming) won her first start, a maiden special weight at Evangeline Downs. The grey filly trained by Steven B. Flint, trailed early, but with a late burst of speed, won going away by 2 lengths.
Two weeks earlier, the first starter for Iron Fist, 2-year-old Louisiana bred filly, Feisty Fist, also broke her maiden in her first start.
Iron Fist stands at Whispering Oaks Farm LLC in Carencro, Louisiana.
The first starter for Louisiana stallion Iron Fist, two-year-old Feisty Fist (Iron Fist-Sheza Roman Ruler, by Roman Ruler) won a maiden special weight at Evangeline Downs, May 20th in his first start!
The Steven B. Flint trainee piloted by K.J. Smith took the 4 ½ furlong sprint in :54.46 to win by a length.
The two-year old gelding is a homebred for Carrol Castille and is from the first crop by Iron Fist, who stands at Castille’s Whispering Oaks Farm LLC in Carencro, Louisiana.
The morning after the victory, a very happy Flint talked about how much this win means. “It’s a long process. Carrol purchased Iron Fist with a stallion career in mind. We are very fortunate that he first continued his successful racing career becoming a millionaire. Then he began his stud career. Carrol has been building his broodmare band with top quality mares. This is at least a three year process. Last night was very satisfying. This horse [Feisty Fist] was not bred for 4 ½ furlongs. All of his [Iron Fist] babies are correct, strong, smart and athletic. We are very proud…very proud. He got a lot of peppermints last night.”
Additionally, a two-year-old filly by Iron Fist, Silver Fist, sold at the recent Fasig Tipton Mid-Atlantic sale for $80,000 after clocking 10.2 in the pre-sale under-tack show, and will be another Iron Fist runner to watch at the tracks this summer.
Grade 3 winner Iron Fist has been retired from racing, and will debut during the 2018 breeding season at Whispering Oaks Farm in Carencro, La., for an advertised fee of $6,500.
The 5-year-old Tapit horse retired with eight wins in 23 starts for earnings of $1,014,199. He won the Grade 3 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap, along with the non-graded Governor’s Cup Stakes, Maxxam Gold Cup Stakes, and Evangeline Mile Stakes. His six graded placings include a third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity.
Whispering Oaks Farm acquired Iron Fist privately in the middle of his 2017 campaign, having previously run for the partnership of Stonestreet Stables and Regis Racing. He was trained first by Jerry Hollendorfer, then by Steve Asmussen. Iron Fist is out of the Grade 3-winning Orientate mare Successful Outlook, who is the dam of five winners from six runners. He is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Sweet Lulu, and a full to Grade 2 winner Anchor Down.
Iron Fist was a $1.55-million purchase by Stonestreet and Regis Farms at the 2013 Keeneland September yearling sale.
You must be logged in to post a comment.