It is a clear fact about the Thoroughbred industry that it is very unlikely that a horse can reach the top with just one pair of hands.
A Look at Horses’ Past Likes April 22 Winners California Shares (G2) out of money or the May 6 front-runner Kentucky Derby (G1) Forte need to look beyond the surface of their current relationships to find the influence of Athens Woods Farms’ Reiley McDonald.
McDonald said he started Lexington-based Athens Woods after buying it in 2000. The ranch was built on land that had been cattle ranching for centuries, and McDonald’s is committed to raise horses in an uncomplicated way.
“I think it’s one of those old farms that’s under-tended and over-fertilized. I don’t think we’ve done anything special other than get rid of them and leave them alone. Looks like it spawned. out a lot of good horses,” McDonald said.
Reiley McDonald
One of those greats was Defunded, the 5-year-old son of Called in who was the image of consistency for Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman’s Three Amigos partnership, with the help of trainer Bob Baffert. The team purchased gelding for $210,000 from a McDonald’s Eaton Sales shipment at the September 2019 Annual Sale in Keeneland.
From 16 starts, gelding has six wins and he finishes the table only four times. Some of his highlights against the Californian on Saturday include Great Back Stakes (G1) and Natives Stakes (G3) last fall.
McDonald says he remembers buying the Defunded deposit dam, wind caper for $37,000 from Keeneland’s November 2016 Pet Sale.
“I bought her right in the back round, she walked past me and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s a super nice mare.’ It’s not huge but reminds me of a mare I bought five years ago called Scarlet Tango, which turned out to be one of the best stallions we’ve had in the last decade.”
He says that Defunded, although quite nimble, is one of the better ponies Wind Caper produces. He is a half-brother with stakes-put See the roses —another successful runner from the dam has a total of eight ponies.
“We’ve had a lot of good ponies, but this particular one was a little different,” McDonald said. It’s bigger… a beautiful chestnut pony.”
“I think Bobby (Bob Baffert) did a great job with him. He’s not easygoing, like a horse that can fly. Bobby castrated him very early on and I think (about) the first text Bobby sent. back to me after he broke his daughter’s virginity (when I asked), “Is this pony any good? He said, ‘It’s good, but it’s stupid.’… He’s always capable but the point is, he has to have the right mindset. Bobby was able to do it.”
Dial at Darby Dan Farm
McDonald also guaranteed credit to the mare, which he believed could produce a quality foal from any stallion. He was delighted when Wind Caper visited the champion male sprinter of 2021 Jackie’s Warrior at Spendthrift Farm this year.
McDonald said: “She was young and Spendthrift was kind enough to let in an older mare; however, she has good runners. “I’m so emotional because I love Jackie’s Warrior and I think he’ll be Spendthrift’s next big horse.”
Another big name passing through Athens Woods wasn’t bred by McDonald’s, but spent time on the farm as a hobby — here’s his 3-year-old son who won his 1st grade. Violence Forte.
McDonald’s purchased Forte for $80,000 at weaning at Keeneland’s November 2020 Breeding Stock Sale from a Bluegrass Purebred Service shipment, and he did so with the Saratoga Select Annual Sale in mind. by Fasig Tipton.
“I bought it from Bluegrass and Amy Moore bred it,” McDonald said. “I thought I had to pay $150,000 for him, he was beautiful, but what I didn’t envision at the time was that the Violence had cooled down a bit and by the time we sold our annuals, no. someone looking for a Violent pony.”
At the time, there weren’t many descendants of Violent notable so Forte didn’t have enough points to get into Saratoga. McDonald’s rerouted to Keeneland’s September Annual Sale later that year, where he sold the foal for just $110,000 to stall dealer Jacob West, who had been sourcing the foal. and signed tickets for Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable.
“We sold him for a very modest profit, was able to break even, and always when I walked into that horse field he was the first to trot. He was a man of character. and it’s great,” McDonald said. “He’s almost black with white stripes on his face; he’s definitely a special animal. …He’s probably the most beautiful racehorse anyone has ever seen.”
Forte at Churchill Downs
Although he didn’t make much money from the pony, McDonald and his Athens Woods Ranch still played an important role in producing the most likely favorite horse of the Derby. Forte is already a 2-year-old pony champion in 2022, which is certainly not an exaggerated achievement.
McDonald said: “I had one year of his short three-year life. It’s been a privilege to have him and he’s always been the best pony in the field and we had some good horses that year.”
“Fortunately, his boss was not a commercial man but a credit to Jacob West – he bought his client a racehorse.”
