b'eclipse awardsFeMALe SPrInTer breeDerShamrockJohn D. Rose Guntheranne M. eberhardtBy evan haMMondS By eriC MitCheLLA big finish to the season, culminatingTalk about tough acts to follow. John with a score over a top-flight cast of olderChad Brown won his third title. Gunther and his daughter, Tanya, reveled in runners in the Breeders Cup Filly & Marea year that most other Thoroughbred breed-Sprint (G1) helped earn Shamrock Roseers only see in their dreams and never even the Eclipse Award as the top sprint female.rationally expect to partially realize. The 3-year-old came to hand in August andTrAIner April 7 alone last year would have deliv-climbed the class ladder through early Chad Brown ered enough excitement for the team at the November. Gunthers Glennwood Farm near Versailles, Bred in Pennsylvania by Tommy andKy. That day they watched farm-bred and Lori Facklers Best A Luck Farm and racedfarm-raised Justify win the Santa Anita Der-by Manfred and Penny Conrad, Sham- by (G1) and his paddock mate Vino Rosso rock Rose is the first grade 1 winner andBy Meredith daugherty win the Wood Memorial Stakes presented champion for sire First Dude. She is outFor the third year in a row, trainer Chadby NYRA Bets (G2). The Gunthers dream of the Elusive Quality mare Slews Quality.Brown adds an Eclipse Award to his alreadykept growing, however. Justify, a strapping The Facklers purchased Slews Quality forladen mantel as he repeated as outstandingchestnut son of Scat Daddy out of Stage $35,000 at the 2007 Keeneland Novem- trainer for 2018. Magic, swept the Triple Crown and became ber sale. The Conrads paid $120,000 forIn what became another incredibleonly the second horse to emerge from the Shamrock Rose at the 2017 Ocala Breed- season, Brown sent out the winners of 224series unbeaten. ers Sales April 2-year-old auction.races from 839 starts for total earnings ofJustify would own four grade 1 victories Grade 3-placed at 2, Shamrock Rose$27,546,057. On par with last years tally,before he was retired to stud in July. The had a solid start to 2018, placing in twoBrown again notched 47 graded stakes victo- Gunthers celebrated another grade 1 winner stakes for 3-year-olds. Sent to condition- ries. An impressive 36 of the 47 were earnedjust as 2018 was winding down when Com-er Mark Casses training center for a fewon the turf.petitionofideas, a daughter of Speightstown, months, she came back with a vengeance. Brown once again led all other trainerswon the American Oaks (G1T) Dec. 29 at The new and improved Shamrockon the turf in 2018 with 140 wins from 500Santa Anita Park. Rose returned Aug. 5 in the Malvernstarts and $17,260,362 in total earnings.From 33 starters the Gunthers and part-Rose Stakes for state-breds at Presque IsleIn addition to victories earned across theners were represented by five graded stakes Downs. She drew off to win the mile racecountry, Brown also registered his fourthwinners. They ended the year ranked 10th by 10 14lengths. At Woodbine she facedconsecutive New York Racing Associationby earnings among North Americas leading open company in the Sept. 8 La Lorgnetteyear-end training title in 2018. The condi- breeders, with their runners garnering Stakes and took them wire to wire, secur- tioner saddled 154 winners at NYRA tracks,$6,057,031 in purses.ing the 1 116 -mile race by 4 12lengths. which encompasses Belmont Park, SaratogaThough not considered in Eclipse Shortened to seven furlongs, sheRace Course, and Aqueduct, for earnings ofAward statistics, the Gunthers good fortune surprised many by taking Keenelands$15.62 million. Brown also set a meet recordextended overseas as well, winning at Royal Lexus Raven Run Stakes (G2) Oct. 20of 46 wins at Saratoga, breaking his previousAscot with homebred Without Parole.by 2 12lengths as an 18-1 shot. Casse andrecord of 40 wins set in 2016. the Conrads then went old school andAmong Browns top runners for 2018 ponied up $130,000 to supplement Sham- was e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and rock Rose to the Breeders Cup, despite theStonestreet Stables 2017 champion 2-year-short turnaround. old Good Magic, who posted a runner-up Shamrock Rose was running good,effort behind eventual Triple Crown so good, she charged from last to first inwinner Justify in the Kentucky Derby the Breeders Cup, splitting horses in thePresented by Woodford Reserve (G1). The stretch to take the seven-furlong Filly &colt scored twice at the graded level for anne M. eberhardtMare Sprint in a blanket finish. She edgedBrown during his sophomore campaign, Chalon by a head, who hit the line a neckwinning both the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes better than Anonymity.(G2) and betfair.com Haskell Invitational Shamrock Roses campaign mark wasStakes (G1) before retiring to stud at Hill 4-1-1 from seven starts on the year, withn Dale Farms.John Gunther and daughter Tanya bred Justify.earnings of $848,076. 74 09_EclipseAwards_use.indd 74 3/21/19 2:56 PM'