Sheldon (KY)CH , C, foaled March 16, 2011 ( Purim - Golden Disk, by Diesis (GB)) Jockey: Junior Alvarado Trainer: James J. Toner Owner: Ninety North Racing Stable Breeder: Lisa Turney & Tim Turney Career Record: 11 ; 1 - 1 - 3 Next Possible Start: Unknown |
The next horse to be featured on " The Horse Spotlight " Series is Sheldon, who is owned by 90 North Racing. He has ran eleven times winning once and has earned $181,590.
2 Year Old Season
Sheldon ran three times as a two year old. He debuted in a maiden special weight on September 8th, 2013 at Belmont Park in New York. He finished third behind Little Boss and the winner Otoy. Sheldon ran again in the Grade 3 Pilgrim Stakes on October 6th 2013. He broke from the number 3 position and settled quickly in the back of the pack. For the first quarter mile, Sheldon stayed by the rail in the second to last position. After a half a mile he still remained in the same position. As the field turned for home Sheldon was urged on by his jockey and started to pass a few horses. He stayed on the rail and ended up crossing the wire in sixth place. In his last start of his two year old season, Sheldon ran in a maiden special weight at Aqueduct on November 6th. He finished third behind Smooth Daddy and the winner Patent.
2 Year Old Season
Sheldon ran three times as a two year old. He debuted in a maiden special weight on September 8th, 2013 at Belmont Park in New York. He finished third behind Little Boss and the winner Otoy. Sheldon ran again in the Grade 3 Pilgrim Stakes on October 6th 2013. He broke from the number 3 position and settled quickly in the back of the pack. For the first quarter mile, Sheldon stayed by the rail in the second to last position. After a half a mile he still remained in the same position. As the field turned for home Sheldon was urged on by his jockey and started to pass a few horses. He stayed on the rail and ended up crossing the wire in sixth place. In his last start of his two year old season, Sheldon ran in a maiden special weight at Aqueduct on November 6th. He finished third behind Smooth Daddy and the winner Patent.
3 Year Old Season Sheldon's first start in 2014 was a maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park on February 22nd at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf. He ended up finishing sixth. Sheldon tried again in another maiden special weight on March 8th at a mile and an eigth. He finished fifth. Once again Sheldon ran in a maiden special weight at Belmont Park on May 18th at a mile and a quarter on the turf. The chestnut son of Purim finished second, beaten by Special Agent. His last MSW was on June 12th at a mile and a quarter at Belmont Park. He finished first, finally breaking his maiden! |
Next, Sheldon went back to graded stakes company in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby on July 5th. Breaking from the number 2 position, Sheldon had a clean break and settled towards the back of the pack. After a quarter of the mile, which was ran in 23.65, Sheldon remained in the back second to last position. Sheldon remained in the same spot as the field pasted the half mile marker. At the mile marker Sheldon was let loose and started to make his run. he was moved from the rail to the outside and crossed under the wire in fifth. On August 16th, Sheldon ran in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes. He had a good break from the number 5 position and got in between horses. With a mile left to go, Sheldon was in fourth with a gap between him and the top three runners. At the half marker, which was run in 48.93, there was still a 5 length gap between Sheldon and the horse in third, Adelaide. As the field hit the 3/4 marker Sheldon was now saving ground, but still in fourth. As the field turned for home, Sheldon stayed on the rail in the pack, but shot through an opening to finish third. Sheldon's last race of 2014 was the Grade 3 Hill Prince. He broke clean from the number 2 spot and went in between horses to get in second place. The opening quarter was run in 26.20, with Sheldon in second. Soon after, Sheldon took the lead from Smooth Daddy, who battled to get it back and did quickly. As the field hit the half mile marker, Sheldon was still in second. At the top of the stretch, Sheldon made his move, but quickly was passed by other horses. he crossed under the wire in 7th.
4 Year Old Season Sheldon has only run once in 2015. On May 7th, he ran in an allowance with optional claim race at Belmont Park. From the number 3 position, Sheldon broke a little late. He went straight to the back of the field to be the earlier trailer. At about the quarter mark, Sheldon was able to get into fourth. He remained in the same position as the field passed the first half mile marker. Sheldon was still on the outside in fourth as the field made their move into the far turn. Around the far turn, Sheldon faded to last. He finished fifth out of five horses. |
I was able to talk to Kathryn Sharp, the Chief Operation Officer of 90 North Racing over email and I asked her a few questions about Sheldon.
Q: What is Sheldon like around the barn?
A: Sheldon is an incredibly intelligent horse, at least by the metrics owners and trainers care most about: he takes care of himself and doesn’t get into too much trouble. Fairly soon after training you will find him napping in his stall, occasionally with his head hanging out of the stall onto the straw bedding so he can see when the wagon of food is approaching. He’s pretty low-maintenance. If a horse could be described as “chill,” that’s Sheldon. He’s still playful though and has an “oral fixation,” meaning he is very active with his mouth. That’s the reason we can get so many funny photos of his myriad expressions!
Q: Have you been happy with the way he (Sheldon) has been running?
A: Last year was a banner year for Sheldon. It took him quite a few tries to break his maiden, which he finally did, convincingly, in June. He backed it up with a hard-closing 5th in the inaugural running of the G1 Belmont Derby. In that race he beat Breeder’s Cup Classic runner-up Toast of New York, Breeder’s Cup Turf Sprint winner Bobby’s Kitten, G1 Winner Pornichet, and was just edged out at the wire by Group Stakes winner Gailo Chop. In August, he finished 3rd behind arguably one of the best turf stayers in the world, Adelaide, in the prestigious G1 Secretariat. The fact that our lovable Sheldon, purchased for only $50k (a modest amount in racehorse terms), was competing and beating horses with much richer pedigrees and purchase prices, made us incredibly proud. His talent really surprised us and far exceeded expectations. His last two races were clunkers. In October, he broke keenly in the Hill Prince and led the field much of the way around the mile and an eighth course before fading in the stretch. He had missed a breeze going into the race which made him too sharp, and we found a small chip in his ankle after this race, which was removed. He was given a few months of turnout to recover from that surgery and a full 3YO campaign. In his first race back last week, he looked poised to make his move at the top of the stretch, but flattened unexpectedly midway through the lane. We determined after the race that Sheldon was displacing easily and likely displaced during the race. This morning he had a myectomy at a nearby clinic and should return to training in a couple days. We’re hoping this should help him going forward and that this last race will be one we can draw a line through.
Q: What can he improve on?
A: We would like to teach him to be a bit more tactical in his races, meaning that if there’s not much pace in a given race, he can sit a little closer but still settle and be able to finish as strongly as he does when he closes from the clouds. We’ve found that when he has open space ahead of him, he tends to get eager and the jock has to restrain him. This is not an unusual challenge for distance turf horses and is often something that can improve with age and experience.
Q: Does he have any nicknames?
A: His friends call him ‘Shelly’. I call him ‘Shelbubs,’ but ‘Sheldon’ is a name that doesn’t call for much shortening. It’s simple, to-the-point, and perfectly captures the Sheldon-ness of his personality. :-)
Q: What are the plans for his future?
A: His future plans are very short-term right now. He’ll recover from this surgery and our goal is to have a strong showing in allowance company before he jumps back up into stakes races. After nearly 7 months off and a minor surgery, we want to make sure we can get our boy back to his peak form before asking too much of him. Should he return to his form from last year, we have a number of big turf races to point towards this summer. But first things first: let’s get him healthy and happy!
Q: Do you plan on having him run as a five year old?
A: Sheldon is still a colt (ungelded) at this point, so our long term goals are still up in the air. I would hope to have him on the track as long as he’s sound and happy to race, but the horse tells you that, not the other way around.
Q: Are there any goals you have for him this year?
A: I would like to see an effort this year that backs up his performances from last year. Even if he doesn’t win the next race, I want to see him driving down the stretch with his typical determination and heart. He truly is a joy to watch on the racetrack when he’s in form, because he gives you everything. No matter what level they are running at, you’re lucky to have a horse like that in the barn.
Q: What is your favorite thing about Sheldon?
A: Sheldon really is a special horse. Justin and I handpicked him because his pedigree so closely resembles another special horse to us: Two Months Rent, our 4k GSW Purim gelding who went on to win nearly $300k and showed similar determination and guts on the racetrack. I’m also a sucker for big chestnuts and to me his personality is so entertaining and unique, the fact that he can run is just the cherry on top of an amazing horse. I also named him and plan to have him as part of "the family" for as long as I can!
Q: Does Sheldon get along well with other horses and people?
A: Sheldon is playful more than cuddly but he’s not aggressive or stud-ish, so he absolutely gets along with pretty much anyone! It’s fun just hanging out around him.
Q: Does Sheldon enjoy running?
A: As I mentioned above, when Sheldon runs his race I have to imagine he’s enjoying it. He really digs in and the way he gobbled up the field in his Belmont Derby stretch run tells me he wanted to get there. After his win last June, he was so proud of himself. He held his head high around the barn and just could not stop “talking” about it!
Q: Anything else you would like to add about Sheldon?
A: We have many well-bred horses in the barn, and I don’t usually play favorites, but for Sheldon I make an exception. He means a lot to me and to all his owners and I think his personality and running style have earned him a lot of fans. His popularity proves that horses that aren’t winning stakes can still do a lot for the sport and the fans, though of course we still hope to get that stakes win!
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I would like to thank Kathryn Sharp for answering all my questions. I am a huge fan of Sheldon so it was great to learn more about him. I can't wait for his next race. Good Luck to Sheldon & the rest of the 90 North Racing Team!
-Madison Moran
@madihmoran_ on instagram
Q: What is Sheldon like around the barn?
A: Sheldon is an incredibly intelligent horse, at least by the metrics owners and trainers care most about: he takes care of himself and doesn’t get into too much trouble. Fairly soon after training you will find him napping in his stall, occasionally with his head hanging out of the stall onto the straw bedding so he can see when the wagon of food is approaching. He’s pretty low-maintenance. If a horse could be described as “chill,” that’s Sheldon. He’s still playful though and has an “oral fixation,” meaning he is very active with his mouth. That’s the reason we can get so many funny photos of his myriad expressions!
Q: Have you been happy with the way he (Sheldon) has been running?
A: Last year was a banner year for Sheldon. It took him quite a few tries to break his maiden, which he finally did, convincingly, in June. He backed it up with a hard-closing 5th in the inaugural running of the G1 Belmont Derby. In that race he beat Breeder’s Cup Classic runner-up Toast of New York, Breeder’s Cup Turf Sprint winner Bobby’s Kitten, G1 Winner Pornichet, and was just edged out at the wire by Group Stakes winner Gailo Chop. In August, he finished 3rd behind arguably one of the best turf stayers in the world, Adelaide, in the prestigious G1 Secretariat. The fact that our lovable Sheldon, purchased for only $50k (a modest amount in racehorse terms), was competing and beating horses with much richer pedigrees and purchase prices, made us incredibly proud. His talent really surprised us and far exceeded expectations. His last two races were clunkers. In October, he broke keenly in the Hill Prince and led the field much of the way around the mile and an eighth course before fading in the stretch. He had missed a breeze going into the race which made him too sharp, and we found a small chip in his ankle after this race, which was removed. He was given a few months of turnout to recover from that surgery and a full 3YO campaign. In his first race back last week, he looked poised to make his move at the top of the stretch, but flattened unexpectedly midway through the lane. We determined after the race that Sheldon was displacing easily and likely displaced during the race. This morning he had a myectomy at a nearby clinic and should return to training in a couple days. We’re hoping this should help him going forward and that this last race will be one we can draw a line through.
Q: What can he improve on?
A: We would like to teach him to be a bit more tactical in his races, meaning that if there’s not much pace in a given race, he can sit a little closer but still settle and be able to finish as strongly as he does when he closes from the clouds. We’ve found that when he has open space ahead of him, he tends to get eager and the jock has to restrain him. This is not an unusual challenge for distance turf horses and is often something that can improve with age and experience.
Q: Does he have any nicknames?
A: His friends call him ‘Shelly’. I call him ‘Shelbubs,’ but ‘Sheldon’ is a name that doesn’t call for much shortening. It’s simple, to-the-point, and perfectly captures the Sheldon-ness of his personality. :-)
Q: What are the plans for his future?
A: His future plans are very short-term right now. He’ll recover from this surgery and our goal is to have a strong showing in allowance company before he jumps back up into stakes races. After nearly 7 months off and a minor surgery, we want to make sure we can get our boy back to his peak form before asking too much of him. Should he return to his form from last year, we have a number of big turf races to point towards this summer. But first things first: let’s get him healthy and happy!
Q: Do you plan on having him run as a five year old?
A: Sheldon is still a colt (ungelded) at this point, so our long term goals are still up in the air. I would hope to have him on the track as long as he’s sound and happy to race, but the horse tells you that, not the other way around.
Q: Are there any goals you have for him this year?
A: I would like to see an effort this year that backs up his performances from last year. Even if he doesn’t win the next race, I want to see him driving down the stretch with his typical determination and heart. He truly is a joy to watch on the racetrack when he’s in form, because he gives you everything. No matter what level they are running at, you’re lucky to have a horse like that in the barn.
Q: What is your favorite thing about Sheldon?
A: Sheldon really is a special horse. Justin and I handpicked him because his pedigree so closely resembles another special horse to us: Two Months Rent, our 4k GSW Purim gelding who went on to win nearly $300k and showed similar determination and guts on the racetrack. I’m also a sucker for big chestnuts and to me his personality is so entertaining and unique, the fact that he can run is just the cherry on top of an amazing horse. I also named him and plan to have him as part of "the family" for as long as I can!
Q: Does Sheldon get along well with other horses and people?
A: Sheldon is playful more than cuddly but he’s not aggressive or stud-ish, so he absolutely gets along with pretty much anyone! It’s fun just hanging out around him.
Q: Does Sheldon enjoy running?
A: As I mentioned above, when Sheldon runs his race I have to imagine he’s enjoying it. He really digs in and the way he gobbled up the field in his Belmont Derby stretch run tells me he wanted to get there. After his win last June, he was so proud of himself. He held his head high around the barn and just could not stop “talking” about it!
Q: Anything else you would like to add about Sheldon?
A: We have many well-bred horses in the barn, and I don’t usually play favorites, but for Sheldon I make an exception. He means a lot to me and to all his owners and I think his personality and running style have earned him a lot of fans. His popularity proves that horses that aren’t winning stakes can still do a lot for the sport and the fans, though of course we still hope to get that stakes win!
-
I would like to thank Kathryn Sharp for answering all my questions. I am a huge fan of Sheldon so it was great to learn more about him. I can't wait for his next race. Good Luck to Sheldon & the rest of the 90 North Racing Team!
-Madison Moran
@madihmoran_ on instagram