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| Staff Writer |
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It’s no easy feat to own horses capable of winning at Stakes level, but that’s precisely what David A. Bernsen has achieved.
The co-owner of Roy H and Stormy Liberal, who remarkably won two successive Breeders’ Cup Sprint and Turf Sprint races in 2017 and 2018, Bernsen’s stable of horses has gone from strength to strength. In 2019, Storm the Court captured the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and was named Champion American2YO, with the three stable charges collecting four Eclipse Awards.
Two of his horses that are due to head over to the Middle East in the next few weeks are Newgrange and Hamwood Flier. Both would have been travelling looking for success. Still, unfortunately, Hamwood Flier’s plan for the 1351 Turf Sprint was derailed with a minor injury requiring 30 days off; the second year in a row, Hamwood Flier has had to withdraw shortly before the Saudi Cup undercard race.
Before the big races in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, we managed to catch up with Bernsen to get his views on his charges and a couple of other Dubai hopefuls and bring a sense of what makes him tick.
She was once touted as a horse capable of winning the Kentucky Derby. However, an unfortunate injury in the Arkansas Derby as the heavy favourite scuppered any chances Newgrange had of racing in one of the world’s most prestigious races.
Purchased at Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age sale as a 3YO to Bernsen and partner Rockingham Ranch, Bernsen and his team decided to move Newgrange out of the Bob Baffert barn and pair him with fellow legendary trainer Phil D’Amato.
Since moving to D’Amato, it hasn’t been all plain sailing, but with those injuries now behind him, he is a horse that is getting better with age.
Having just recently won the Gr.2 San Pasqual Stakes in a dominant fashion for the second time in his career, which was preceded by an even more impressive performance drawing away in the Gr.2 San Antonio, in consultation with his co-owner and trainer D’Amato, Bernsen is now eyeing up further glory in the Middle East, and there is every reason for Bernsen to be optimistic.
“He’s absolutely 100%; he’s better than ever. Physically, he’s grown slightly, and we finally seem to have figured out the secret. We are paring him in his last two races with Irad Ortiz Jr and Victor Espinoza, along with Phil’s precise instructions on riding him and unlocking Newgrange’s natural talent.
It’s a testament to the patient approach that both Bernsen and D’Amato have taken that Newgrange is now ranked as the seventh-best horse in America and seems to be fulfilling all of the promises of his 3YO campaign. With confidence high, Newgrange’s next assignment will see him head to the Dubai World Cup, where a prize pool of US$12 million awaits. However, before Newgrange can take his place in the lineup and depart for Middle Eastern shores, there is the small matter of vaccinations to take care of.
Set to run in the race last year, Newgrange wasn’t able to compete due to a vaccination mix up, something Bernsen is adamant about avoiding this time around…” Trust me, there are about 10 people from the shipping company to the vet to the trainer, and not to mention myself, who are across this.”
This will be Bernsen’s fifth trip to Dubai but the first time that a runner will sport his colours in the biggest race of the Dubai Carnival. To ensure that he arrives fully thriving, much meticulous planning has gone into
the big day.
“We were going to focus on the Pegasus, but we decided to bypass that and the Saudi Cup to ensure that we gave the Dubai World Cup our best shot.”
Bernsen commented that he came out of his last race so well that they will be using the iconic Gr.1 Santa Anita Handicap, also known as ‘The Big Cap’, on 2nd March as a prep race for the Dubai World Cup.
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Newgrange received an invitation to compete in the first round of invites sent to Dubai, so all seems to be going according to plan.
For fans of Newgrange, Dubai could be just the start, and Bernsen has big plans for one of his stars. Regardless of the outcome in Dubai, it looks like Newgrange will be aimed at the Breeders’ Cup Classic later in the year.
“Assuming he comes out of the Dubai race healthy, we would look to give him a break before targeting the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He has performed well at both Santa Anita and Del Mar in the past and could warm up for the Breeders’ Cup Classic by featuring in the Pacific Classic before then running him once at Santa Anita.”
With two successive victories, Newgrange appears to be going from strength to strength and could well become the third American horse in the last four years to secure Dubai World Cup glory. With the perfect preparation ahead of him, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Bernsen inside the winner’s circle again and for Newgrange to take his form to even greater heights.
Bernsen had hoped that this year’s Middle Eastern adventure would kick off with success in Saudi Arabia.
Set to feature in the 1351 Turf Sprint, Hamwood Flier, a graded stakes performer who has previously tasted stakes glory was heading to Saudi Arabia looking to scoop the biggest prize of her career.
Having been bred in Ireland, she originally raced for the Queen of Irish racing, Jessica Harrington, before she was then brought privately by Bernsen and Gary Hartunian. Despite winning two of her first three American starts,
she has found life in some of America’s biggest races difficult and has now gone five starts without a victory.
According to Bernsen, the plan has always been to make her a sprinter, but efforts are now being accelerated to make her a specialist over shorter distances, which Bernsen thinks will suit.
“She boasts a tremendous amount of early speed and would tend to open up on the field by eight to ten lengths and would then hang on. However, when we put her in with tougher competition, she didn’t hang on, and the distances just seemed too far for her. Once we decided to make her a sprinter, we decided to take her back to George Papaprodromou.”
After a brief spell with Phil D’Amato, she has now returned to the barn of Papaprodromou, with whom she has enjoyed her best results. Having turned down previous invites to Saudi Arabia, Bernsen felt racing in the Middle East under the expert tutelage of Papaprodromou could be right up her street, and he ‘regrets the decision of not taking her there last year.’
When last seen in the Clockers Corner Stakes, she was defeated by three lengths, but according to Bernsen, the plan was never for her to win the race. She ultimately came through the race unscathed but unfortunately suffered a minor injury that would require a month off.
Bernsen felt the 1351 could have been to Hamwood Flier’s liking.
“Her early speed should suit her much better in an international field rather than American West Coast sprinters. West Coast sprinters are able to put their foot on the pedal and won’t let up, whereas the European horses are looking for cover. There’s one thing I can guarantee, and that is that she will be in front. How long she remains in front, well, that is the big question, but she will be in front.”
Our new goal is to get her back to Europe for Royal Ascot and Goodwood, then sell her in the Tattersalls December Sale.
While Newgrange is the headliner, Bernsen hopes a few other horses in the stable can do enough to be invited to Dubai World Cup races. First up is Eastern Ocean who is trying to follow the path of Bernsen’s Opry, a horse claimed for a mere US$25,000.
Three races after being claimed, Opry received an invitation to the Dubai Gold Cup, but like Newgrange, he was caught up in the vaccination snafu.
Bernsen noted, “I strongly feel Eastern Ocean will excel the longer they go. Our trainer, Peter Eurton, has been teaching him to relax and stay. This is what we did with Opry, and Eastern Ocean is a far more talented athlete. We have some high hopes for him to eventually get two miles.”
A couple of 3YOs to note are Count Dracula whose next start with be the John Battaglia Stakes at Turfway Park, and Common Defense who will start in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park, both trained by Kenny McPeek and both nominated to the
UAE Derby.
When looking to the future, there is a chance that once Hamwood Flier leaves America, she may never return. “We have had multiple breeders and racing outfits contact us about buying a percentage of her for both racing and breeding purposes, but I’m a racing guy and not a breeder. I like to find horses and race them, increase their value and then sell them.”
This approach can be perfectly summed up with how Bernsen likes to buy his horses. Despite his enormous success, he doesn’t often buy horses from the sales ring and instead buys his horses through claims at private sales.
Having developed a complex algorithm based on factors that, if applied, may indicate potential improvement, which equates to higher purse opportunities alongside resale value, Bernsen runs the rule over every horse he potentially buys and physically
watches the races before selecting the optimal trainer for the specific horse.
In trying to find the perfect gem of a horse, the algorithm may select 4 or 5 horses a week from every horse running in America. On average, he passes on eight out of every ten horses at the following stages (video review or trainer consultation). Ultimately, of the two, on average, that makes the final cut, one may be purchased or claimed.
Every horse within his stable must pass Bernsen’s strict criteria before he decides to buy it. Whereas for some owners, buying horses is a pastime or hobby, for Bernsen, it is a passion he takes enormous pride in.
With a promising few weeks ahead, it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone to see his colours come out on top in some of Dubai’s biggest races.
By Dean McHugh