Fair Grounds stakes winners share Juddmonte connection

Western Reserve and Honorable Duty may have crossed paths on their way to and from the racetrack Saturday at Fair Grounds. The two geldings scored in back-to-back stakes, taking the Buddy Diliberto Memorial Stakes and Tenacious Stakes, respectively.

But it wasn’t the first time the two were in such close proximity. The geldings were both bred by Juddmonte Farms from some of that operation’s most noteworthy families; were born at that operation’s Kentucky base in spring 2012; and were originally raced by Juddmonte and trainer Bill Mott before being sold to their current connections.

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Honorable Duty, by Distorted Humor, is now trained by Brendan Walsh for DARRS Inc., which purchased him for $130,000 out of the 2015 Keeneland November breeding stock sale, where Juddmonte regularly culls racing-age horses. Mill Ridge Sales has handled recent consignments for Juddmonte. Honorable Duty was unplaced in two prior stakes tries this season before taking the Tenacious by three-quarters of a length.

Honorable Duty is out of the unraced A.P. Indy mare Mesmeric, whose dam is blue-hen Toussaud. Toussaud produced Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker, Grade 1 winner and multiple stakes producer Honest Lady, Grade 1 winners Chester House and Chiselling, and Grade 2 winner Decarchy for Juddmonte.

Western Reserve, by Indian Charlie, also went through the Keeneland November ring, selling for $87,000 to Marc Detampel out of this year’s Mill Ridge consignment. Previously stakes-placed, the gelding immediately rewarded new owner and trainer Brad Cox by taking the Diliberto Memorial by a nose for his first stakes score.

Western Reserve is the lone winner out of Group 3 winner and multiple Grade 1/Group 1-placed Visit. Visit is out of Broodmare of the Year Arrive, sister to Broodmare of the Year Hasili. Hasili is the dam of champions Intercontinental, Banks Hill, and Champs Elysees, Grade 1/Group 1 winners Cacique and Heat Haze, and Group 2 winner Dansili.