It took until nearly the end of the catalogue, but the latest member of the Centennial Farms roster is on exciting prospect! The acquisition team zeroed in on the best-of-the-best in the prestigious Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, allowing us to procure a stunning son of Candy Ride. Learn more about the Big Red Spring, LLC and contact us to join the fun.
Surrounded by graded stakes winners, Candygram made his stakes debut in Belmont Park’s State Dinner Stakes to close out our thrilling spring/summer meet in Elmont. The colt found himself in tough – every other member of the field had already scored in elite company. Undeterred, he acquitted himself well with a runner-up effort after being hung wide. The second place finish added important black-type to his record.
Sometimes there are no words – just gratitude and awe. Preservationist’s stakes debut as a long time coming, and he didn’t disappoint. Preservationist blew the doors off of a talented field, including G1 winners Catholic Boy and Pavel, in the G2 Suburban. Everything about the performance was sublime, including the authoritative margin of victory (4 1/2-lengths) and sparkling final time (1:59.99). The performance, beneath regular rider Junior Alvarado, instantly stamped him as one of the nation’s best older horses. We couldn’t be more grateful to the phenomenal horsemen and women, headed by Jimmy Jerkens, Paula Parsons, and Dr. Carr, who have developed Preservationist, and the partners who let it happen. Read more:
Surely in some language the name “Jerkens” translates to “patience.” 6yo career top (and what a top it was) from Preservationist.
— Marcus Hersh (@DRFHersh) July 6, 2019
Preservationist finally delivers on that limitless potential and rewards @J_JerkensRacing‘s and @Centennial_Farm‘s patience. That was a beautiful ride by @juniorjockey who didn’t panic when Catholic Boy make that early move. 1 1/4 miles in 1:59 4/5 is pretty impressive.
— David Aragona (@HorseToWatch) July 6, 2019
Nice to see the patience that @J_JerkensRacing and @Centennial_Farm displayed with Preservationist pay off in a Suburban (how is this not a G1) Stakes. Nice ride by @Juniorjockey as well.
— David Grening (@DRFGrening) July 6, 2019
Rocketry’s furious outside rally, on a track playing kindly towards the rail, fell just a half-length short in the prestigious G2 Woodford Reserve Brooklyn Invitational, one of the most beloved races on the NYRA calendar. The terrific performance wrapped an outstanding annual celebration with Centennial Farms’ team and partners centered around Belmont Stakes weekend.
Unraced since February. Tough group. Rail draw. Slop. No problem. Preservationist rallied up the rail and powered home to an impressive 1 1/2-length score at Belmont Park. It is endlessly gratifying to see this talented horse display the talent we have long believed he had. Everyone at Centennial Farms is grateful to have such incredible partners who have been happy to let him develop at his own rate and world-class horsemen and women orchestrating that possibility.
Sometimes all you can say is wow! Candygram delivered that kind of performance at Belmont Park, powering clear to a 5 1/2-length victory despite drifting out and being geared down late. The victory drew rave reviews and stamps this talented colt as one to watch down the line.
Candygram (2-1) drifts out in stretch but was still quite impressive taking this second-level allowance, running a mile in 1:34.45 under a hold from @Juniorjockey and he galloped out like a train for @J_JerkensRacing and @Centennial_Farm
— David Grening (@DRFGrening) May 17, 2019
That was a seriously impressive score by Candygram. He dueled Its All Relevant into the ground and kicked for home better than the closers. There could be graded stakes on the horizon for this guy if he keeps it up.
— David Aragona (@HorseToWatch) May 17, 2019
That was a HUGE win for @Centennial_Farm’s Candygram for @J_JerkensRacing and @Juniorjockey. Tough as it’s coming up, they still have to consider the Met Mile.
— Andy Serling (@andyserling) May 17, 2019
The Palm Meadows-based horses and the Jimmy Jerkens crew that cares for them have made their way back to beautiful Belmont Park for the season. It didn’t take long for them to make it to the winner’s at Aqueduct. Candygram, who ran well in two Gulfstream Park efforts, cruised to a comfortable 5 1/2-length allowance victory. The victory places Centennial Farms’ at an impressive 30% win rate as racing action prepares to move back to Elmont through mid-July.
Six-year-old Preservationist, making his second start following an eleventh-month layoff, rewarded the faith of his patient team with a thrilling victory at Aqueduct! Everyone at Centennial Farms is grateful to have phenomenal partners who understand the value of waiting in order to get Preservationist back to the races. Paula Parsons and her team have done their usual outstanding work during his visits to Middleburg, allowing Jimmy Jerkens and the New York-based crew to capitalize. Here’s hoping he continues to deliver!
The victory by Preservationist also marked Centennial’s fourth of the young year… from just eight starts! Two other on-the-board performances have our top three percentage sitting at 75%.
Following a couple hard-luck efforts at Aqueduct and Gulfstream Park, popular Illudere came through with an exciting victory to kick off his four-year-old season. His win continued a remarkable run for the Centennial Farms team and partners – our third win from from five starts to kick off 2019, with a second and a third!
What a way to kick off the new year! Mihos proved his status as a Thoroughbred Daily News “Rising Star” was on the money, digging in to prevail in his stakes debut. BloodHorse and TDN have more on the thrilling victory.
Mihos’s victory was one of two races to kick off the new year for our team and partners. The patient partners behind Preservationist welcomed their promising horse back to the races at Aqueduct. The talented six-year-old finish third to a stakes winner, sprinting in the slop, making his first start in eleven months.
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