Georgie's Sweetie

River Edge Farm yearling sale graduate Lucky Mr. K
won his debut as the 4-5 favorite on June 23 by nearly
5 lengths becoming Benchmark’s sixth 2-year-old
winner from 10 starters. The handsome bay colt was a
$32,000 purchase by Sierra Sunset.

Third in her career debut, Georgie’s Sweetie relished
the added distance and cruised to a 2 ¾ length victory
in her next start on June 24 in time of 1:04 4/5 for the
5 ½ furlongs. The promising daughter of Tribal Rule
bred by owner George Schwary, is a full sister to
G1 winner and California champion Georgie Boy.

Pressing the pace on the outside in second, Buck’s Bro
battled between horses down the stretch and prevailed
by a neck to win a $51,514 allowance at 6 furlongs on
June 10 defeating sons of Street Cry, Candy Ride and
Wiseman’s Ferry.

The victory was the second win in four starts this year for
Tom Grether Farms’ homebred by Benchmark out of
the Bertrando mare, Business Model.

Mounting a rally from seventh, Bench Points split horses
in midstretch and rolled to a 1 ¾ length maiden special
victory in :58 4/5 on June 6 while running the final eight in
:11 4/5. Owners Crevier, Mariani, Martin and Zuraitis
will also be the recipients of a $20,000 maiden bonus.

Bred by Gary Rocks, Bench Points is the first foal from
Mo Chuisle, an unraced daughter of Free House and
graded winner Visible Gold.

As the even-money favorite, Taro was successful in
her 2-turn debut May 23 at Hollywood Park, posting a
1¼ length victory at 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

Winner of her first start last June at Hollywood Park,
Taro opened her 3-year-old season with a third-place
finish in the April 24 Warren’s Thoroughbred Stakes
where she became Bertrando’s 100th stakes performer.
A full sister to stakes winners Liberian Freighter and
Frankelstein, Taro races for her owner/breeders Pam
and Martin Wygod.

Maiden special winners at Hollywood Park and Prairie
Meadows on May 14 solidified Benchmark’s number
one ranking as California’s leading sire by winners (47)
and races won (57) as of May 17.

At Hollywood Park, Missdealornodeal earned a diploma
in her second start while banking a $20,000 maiden bonus
and River Edge sale yearling Locked In won his Midwest
debut, earning $15,210 in his third start.

Returning as the favorite following a near 8-month layoff,
Teamwork overcame a slow start and traffic problems to
win the feature race at Hollywood Park on May 14.
His time for the 6 furlongs was 1:09 3/5. With a 9-2-4-1
record and earnings of $105,440, Teamwork is the 115th
6-figure earner to represent his sire Bertrando.

A multiple stakes winner from Tribal Rule’s first crop,
Tribesman set all the fractions to win the allowance
feature May 13 at Golden Gate in 1:09.26, less than a
second off his own track record of 1:08.32 established
in 2007. Bred and raced by Kjell H. Qvale, Tribesman
has won or placed in 17 of 23 starts, earning $494,303.

Looking like he could enjoy running 1 ½ miles on
June 5, Alphie’s Bet broke last from the gate but
rallied strongly around the final turn to win Hollywood
Park’s $200,000 Snow Chief Stakes on April 24 by
just over 2 lengths as the 7-10 favorite.

Now 2-for-3 at 1 1/8 miles, Alphie’s Bet has three
wins in seven starts and earnings of $261,320 for
owners Peter Johnson Sr. and Teresa McWilliams,
who bred the colt, and trainer Alexis Barba.

For statistics through April 18, Benchmark was represented
by 38 winners of 45 races, $745,096 including 2-year-old
R La Patrona, a three-length debut winner at Turf Paradise
on April 16.

Breaking from the rail, Joseph Duffel’s homebred
Candied Hearts sprinted clear to win a $37,200 maiden
special by a neck on April 15. Her time of 21.36 was the
fastest two furlongs among this year’s “baby” race winners
at Santa Anita. The precocious Tribal Rule filly trained
by Jose Lima also earned a $20,000 maiden bonus.

Green Lantern Stables’ homebred KARELIAN won
the $300,000 Maker’s Mark Mile-G1 on April 9 defeating
three-time G1 winner COURT VISION by 1 1/4 lengths
in 1:33 1/5 just a tick off the stakes record.

The 8-year-old son of BERTRANDO trained throughout
his career by Rusty Arnold has won 10 times in 21 starts
for earnings of $738,675.

At Keeneland’s 2009 November Sale, River Edge Farm
manager Russell Drake purchased Royal Corona,
dam of the April 8th Vinery Madison Stakes-G1 winner
Dr. Zic for $42,000 on behalf of Herman Sarkowsky
and Martin J. Wygod. She produced a Candy Ride filly
in February and is back in foal to Dixie Chatter.

Tribalicious

A close fourth in his March 13 career debut on
Santa Anita’s main track, Danzing Tribal was
the 8-5 favorite in his March 27 turf debut and ran
to his odds, winning the $46,792 maiden special
by 5 ¼ lengths in 1:12 3/5. The Kentucky-bred son
of Tribal Rule bred by Sid and Jenny Craig was
a $37,000 purchase at Barretts earlier this year
by co-owner Six-S Racing Stable.

Tribalicious wins under a hand ride

Defying her odds, Tribalicious clearly enjoyed her
first turf experience, gaining the lead in mid-stretch
and charging for the wire to score a length victory in
a $46,400 allowance on March 26 for owner/breeder
Baseline Equine LLC. The 3-year-old daughter of
Tribal Rule has won twice in three starts at Santa
Anita for earnings of $57,040.

An astute claim by trainer Lloyd Mason in her debut
last November, Puerto Nuevo won her next two starts
for owners Edward and Theresa DeNike: a maiden
special which qualified for a $10,000 bonus and a
starter allowance in her first start at 3. A fourth place
finish in her next start was followed by a $33,008 open
allowance win (pictured) at Golden Gate on March 20.

Unfazed by a trip that found him three and four-wide much
of the way, Peter Johnson Sr. and Teresa McWilliams’
Alphie’s Bet had plenty in reserve to gain the lead in the
final sixteenth and draw clear as much the best in Santa
Anita’s $150,000 Sham Stakes on March 6. His final time
of 1:48.72 is the third fastest in the stakes’ 10-year history.

Second in the California Breeders’ Champion Stakes while
still a maiden, Alphie’s Bet won his 3-year-old debut on
the turf for trainer Alexis Barba and has earned $141,320
in 5 starts. Bred by McWilliams, Alphie’s Bet is the first
foal from his dam Miss Alphie, a half-sister to Australian
Group 1 winner Absolut Glam.

In his second start following a 10-month layoff, Tribal Justice
returned to the winner’s circle on February 24 after winning a
6 ½ furlong open allowance race “down the hill” in 1:13 flat.
His time for the final sixteenth was 5 4/5 seconds.

Winner of the Grey Memo Stakes last April on Hollywood Park’s
main track, Tribal Justice has won four of nine starts, $115,280
for owners Gary and Cecil Barber. He is Tribal Rule’s fourth
non-claiming winner at Santa Anita’s current meeting and one of
11 winners from his sire’s first 28 starters in 2010.

When two-time Eclipse award winner Gio Ponti engaged
the front-running Karelian, the 8-year-old son of Bertrando
refused to defer to last year’s champion older male and turf
champion, fighting on bravely with Rosemary Homeister, Jr.
aboard to win the $150,000 Tampa Bay Downs Breeders’
Cup on February 20 by a nose for trainer Rusty Arnold.

It was the third stakes victory for the Green Lantern Stables
homebred who has won nine of 20 starts and $558,675.

With 16 winners and 18 races won as of February 14,
Benchmark tops two leading sire categories in California
and ranks second by progeny earnings ($343,265). His
winners this year, include Markmelauras, wire-to-wire
winner of the Sun City Stakes at Turf Paradise, Lady Alex,
back-to-back allowance winner at Santa Anita and Fair
Grounds allowance winner Handleman.

Leaving New York

Tribalicious

In front-running victories, Leaving New York and Tribalicious
won their second starts in maiden specials thus qualifying their
owners for $20,000 Maiden Bonuses. Leaving New York broke
on top and led throughout the 8 furlongs to earn a Valentine
Day’s check of $27,000 for owner Sheehy LLC.

Tribalicious also displayed tremendous determination pressing
the pace in second before pulling away to a half-length victory in
a 6 ½ furlong test on February 12 for owner/breeder Baseline
Equine LLC. Both 3-year-olds are from Tribal Rule’s fourth crop
of 22 foals which has produced 6 winners and four stakes-placed
2-year-olds from eight starters.

Steve Margolis trainee Handleman broke on top and was never
challenged, increasing his margin in the final furlong to win the
February 12 feature, a $41,000 allowance at 6 furlongs by just
over 3 lengths on a sloppy track in 1:10 4/5 after setting early
fractions of :22 and :45 4/5.

A $67,000 Keeneland September yearling, Handleman has two
wins and five seconds in eight starts while earning $92,040 for
owner Gold Square LLC.

An allowance winner on the turf as the favorite in her Santa Anita
debut on January 13, Lady Alex was the even-money favorite on
the main track, facing open allowance company for the first time
on February 5. Taking the lead with a furlong to go, the 4-year-old
daughter of Benchmark “powered” to a 5-length victory. The first
foal from stakes winner Go Ask Daisy, Lady Alex has finished first
or second in 7 of 10 starts, $113,920.

John Scott emerged as the leading California-bred 2-year-old
last summer at Del Mar with back-to-back sprint victories in his
first two starts including the I’m Smokin Stakes for owners
Harris Farms and Scott Gross. In his third start, the Norfolk
Stakes-G1 at 1 1/16 miles, John Scott rallied from last to
fourth, defeated 2 1/2 lengths by the winner and eventual
Eclipse award champion Lookin At Lucky while sustaining a
condylar fracture in his left hind leg.

A fast-closing second in the California Breeders’ Champion Stakes
while still a maiden, Alphie’s Bet found the turf to his liking and rallied
wide in the stretch to win a $46,200 maiden special at one mile for
trainer Alexis Barba on January 15. In addition to the winner’s share
of the purse, the 3-year-old Tribal Rule homebred earned a $20,000
Maiden Bonus for owners Peter and Teresa McWilliams.

Posting her second allowance win on the turf since breaking her maiden
at Del Mar last August, Lady Alex won the sub-feature at Santa Anita on
January 13 as the favorite in excellent time of 1:36 for the mile.
At Golden Gate, Benchmark 3-year-old Puerto Nuevo scored her second
career win in three starts with a come-from-behind victory at 6 furlongs in
the feature race on January 15. Three additional winners for Benchmark in
California (Jan. 13-15) include Santa Anita debut winner Scratchthemoon.

Represented by 92 winners of 182 races in 2009, Benchmark
led all California sires by winners/races won, and his progeny
earnings surpassed $3,000,000 for the fourth time in four years.

His five stakes winners last season include 3-year-old graded
winner Grazen and Cal-Cup Juvenile winner Bench the Judge.

In 1999, a Bertrando filly, Leanessa sold for a sales-topping
$200,000 at the Del Mar Yearling Sale. Winner of 4 of 8 starts
and $165,022 for trainer and co-owner Bruce Headley, she was
retired following her 4-year-old season. Her first foal to race,
2009 Malibu Stakes winner M One Rifle is the third Grade I
winner produced by a daughter of Bertrando, the leading dam
sire of California-bred earnings in both 2008 and 2009.

Among California’s 2009 leading sires, Tribal Rule ranked
fourth with an Average-Earnings Index of 1.61 when bred
to mares with a Comparative Index of 1.11.

His four crops to race have produced 11% stakes winners
from starters, the highest percentage among California sires
having at least 150 Northern Hemisphere foals of racing age.