There must have been plenty of frustration in trainer Phil Bauer’s stable as the star mare Play hard had to take a break from competition once after achieving rank 1 coach. However, that disappointment was quickly met with excitement when a new star emerged, Xigera .
“(Xigera) was a pleasure to practice,” Bauer said. “She has a bit of a sassy attitude sometimes, but she loves to get out there and work.”
Daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist Her quick reactions and willingness to train are the key differences between her and Played Hard, and Bauer hopes that will help her hold onto the lead longer.
“Being able to try and keep her fresh between races helps a lot,” Bauer said. “When you compare her to Played Hard, she’s tough. She goes out there every day and trains almost too hard. I think with the longevity of the horse, it’s easier when they cooperate with what you want to do.”
Played Hard won the 2023 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs
It took Bauer a long time to get these two stable stars. A former assistant to coach Kenny McPeek, Bauer established a relationship with Richard Rigney, owner of an extract manufacturer for the beverage industry called Clarendon Flavors.
Rigney is impressed with Bauer and encourages him to go on his own.
“You always think about (leaving on your own), but the numbers are scary because they can fluctuate so much,” Bauer said. “He countered with a private deal, and that was something I couldn’t turn down.”
In 2013, Bauer began training Rigney privately, a rarity in the modern era of American thoroughbred horse racing.
“I definitely wake up every morning counting my blessings,” Bauer said. “It was a very unique situation but it was a great opportunity for me and the Rigney family are great people.”
Rigney and Bauer had moderate success early on, but not to the level they wanted. However, Rigney’s faith in Bauer never wavered and with the pair working with stud agent John Moynihan, they are now consistently finding high quality horses.
“The key is the horse. When (Rigney) realized that, he stuck with me and the team. Now it’s come full circle,” Bauer said. “It’s nice to have that support. Hopefully he’ll set a good example for other owners.”
Phil Bauer (left) and Richard Rigney at the Keeneland Yearling Sale in September 2021
That belief and determination paid off, and may even have influenced Bauer as he tried to solve the puzzle that was the start of Xigera’s 4-year-old season.
Ending 2023 with dominant wins at Mother Goose (G2) and Falls City (G3), hopes were high heading into the new year. However, a disastrous last-place finish of the year in a sloppy renewal of La Troienne (G1), the race for which Played Hard is famous, left Bauer scratching his head.
“All the training at La Troienne signals that she will only be better at 4 than she was at 3,” Bauer said. “She continues to mature physically and mentally, just a horse who loves the game.”
Bauer played cautiously in her next start, the Shawnee (G3) at Churchill Downs June 1. She bounced back with a strong second to Scylla leading Bauer to theorize that La Troienne’s poor performance was due to the condition of the track.
“We didn’t want to hit the panic button after La Troienne, so we just brought her back into training gently—making sure there were no missing parts that we couldn’t notice,” says Bauer. “I don’t want things to be delayed in getting started.”
Xigera wins the 2023 Falls City Stakes at Churchill Downs
With the question answered, Xigera is ready for a rematch with Scylla in the $500,000 Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs on June 29.
“We’ve tightened the screws and gotten back on track for what we think is going to be a strong year for her,” Bauer said. “I think if we can accomplish that goal, it will get us where we want to be: back in the conversation as the leader in the division when we go up against the others again.”
If Xigera lives up to Bauer’s expectations on Saturday, he plans to assign her to the Personal Ensign (G1) on August 23 at Saratoga Raceway. The ultimate goal will be a start in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) on November 2 at Del Mar.
“The breezes showed she was as good as ever,” said Bauer. I’m very excited about this weekend.”
The more horses like Played Hard and Xigera that Bauer trains, the more likely he is to compete at the highest level. Bauer believes that what he learns from training these top horses will help improve all of the horses in his care.
“It’s a game changer when you get athletes like these horses,” Bauer said. “You learn so much from them and it puts you in a position in the game to compete at the highest level. Everyone dreams of doing that. Once that becomes a reality, you’re setting set a new standard”.
