Abbondanza investments paying off
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
ARCADIA, Calif. – The Abbondanza Racing partnership, a group of friends from the Del Mar area, has an annual draft of racehorses at the Kentucky sales each November.
There are no fantasies involved.
In November 2016, the group bought Goodyearforroses for $200,000. In her first start for Abbondanza, Goodyearforroses won the Grade 3 Robert Frankel Stakes a month later at Santa Anita.
The team had a similar result Saturday when Midnight Crossing won the Frankel Stakes in her California debut and first start for trainer Richard Baltas. Midnight Crossing, purchased for $240,000 at the Keeneland November sale, led throughout the $100,345 Frankel Stakes to score a half-length win over 8-5 favorite Elysea’s World.
Abbondanza owns Midnight Crossing with Medallion Racing. The Abbondanza team is led by Bing Bush, an attorney in Del Mar. Midnight Crossing was the group’s first runner from a recently acquired group of five horses.
“Our plan is to try and improve,” Bush said after leaving the winner’s circle. “We have a bigger bankroll [this year]. We’ll see how it goes.”
Unlike some partnership groups, Abbondanza does not solicit investors, Bush said. “Everyone is friends of friends,” he said.
The group will be at Santa Anita frequently in coming weekends. Free Rose is scheduled to start in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf Saturday. Free Rose, a 5-year-old gelding, gave Abbondanza its first big success in the summer of 2016 with consecutive wins in the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap and Grade 2 Del Mar Derby.
Trained by Baltas, Free Rose has not raced since finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile last June.
Reverse, a 4-year-old filly owned by Abbondanza and Medallion, is a candidate for the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes on Jan. 13 or the Kalookan Queen Stakes sprint a day later. Queen Blossom, bought by Abbondanza and Medallion for $220,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky sale last month, will have her first start for Baltas in the Astra Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf for fillies and mares Jan. 14.
Queen Blossom finished fourth in the Astra Stakes at Santa Anita last February when trained by Graham Motion for Gary Barber and the Team Valor International syndicate.
