Her Emmynency transferred from Stidham to Mulhall

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Less than two weeks after winning the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland, the 3-year-old filly Her Emmynency has been taken from trainer Mike Stidham by owner Ike Thrash and sent to Southern California.

Her Emmynency, who won the $500,000 QE II on Oct. 10 as a 17-1 shot, is among 10 horses being sent to trainer Kristin Mulhall at Santa Anita.

“There were no blow-ups or harsh words or anything of the kind,” said Stidham, whose stable has been based primarily in Chicago and New Orleans during his 35-year training career. “He just said he was making a change.

“Obviously this hurts. Just when you think you’ve accomplished some good in this game, something like this happens to bring you back to reality.”

Thrash, a 62-year-old Mississippi businessman, runs his horses in his name and that of his wife, Dawn. They have been prominent owners on the North American racing scene while switching trainers with some frequency. Before Stidham took over the stable in the fall of 2012, Jeff Thornbury was their trainer. Before that, it was John Sadler, who won the Arkansas Derby with Line of David and the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante with Tell a Kelly for the Thrashes, both in 2010, before being fired. Previous trainers for the Thrashes have included Wes Hawley, Stig Rasmussen, and Gary Palmisano.

Soon after the QE II, Stidham said Her Emmynency was scheduled to go on a break before gearing back up for a 4-year-old campaign. Under Stidham’s care, the Successful Appeal filly overcame a bout with colitis as a 2-year-old to become a major player in her division.

Mulhall said Friday morning from Santa Anita that Her Emmynency was among several of the Thrash horses to arrive the previous day and that the rest were to arrive soon. She said Her Emmynency will be pointed to the Grade 1 Matriarch for fillies and mares on the turf on Nov. 29, closing day of the meet at Del Mar.

Mulhall, 33, has about 36 horses in training at Santa Anita. She also has a smaller string of about 10 horses at Gulfstream Park in South Florida. A daughter of Richard Mulhall, the noted horseman who died in May, she has nine graded stakes wins in a training career that began in 2002.

Felds have ties to five BC horses

Bob Feld and his 28-year-old son, Sean, are eagerly awaiting this Breeders’ Cup, and for good reason: They have had a role in five horses making it this far.

The Felds are bloodstock agents who either bred, pinhooked, or were instrumental in the purchase of Beholder (Classic), Pricedtoperfection (Juvenile Fillies Turf), La Piba (Juvenile Fillies Turf), Sky Marshal (Juvenile Turf), and Bradester (Dirt Mile).

“We’re not nearly as big as some other agencies, so this is a huge deal for us,” said Sean Feld.

The Felds have had a similar hand in horses winning seven BC races, which includes Beholder in her 2012 and 2013 triumphs.

Hancock rooting for Cocked and Loaded

Even without having a horse in the Breeders’ Cup, trainer John Hancock has a strong rooting interest. Hancock, a lifelong racetracker based at Ellis Park in western Kentucky, sold BC Juvenile contender Cocked and Loaded privately to Richard Ravin and Vince Foglia shortly after the Colonel John colt won his April 9 debut at Keeneland.

“If they let this horse catch his breath down the backside, I don’t think they’ll catch him,” said Hancock, whose primary business is developing and selling young horses. “A big race from a horse like this obviously gives you credibility and helps business down the road.”

Non-Breeders’ Cup stakes schedule

Here is the schedule for the seven supporting stakes to be run here next week (actual race placements are tentative):

◗ $100,000 Lafayette, Thursday, race 8

◗ $100,000 Bryan Station, Friday, race 4

◗ Grade 2, $200,000 Fayette, Friday, race 5

◗ Grade 2, $200,000 Marathon, Friday, race 10

◗ $100,000 Perryville, Saturday, race 1

◗ $100,000 Juvenile Dirt Sprint, Saturday, race 2

◗ $100,000 Fort Springs, Saturday, race 12