Making the Grade: Bond Holder (también en Español)

Bond Holder pulled off the feat of breaking his maiden in a Grade 1 race when he won the FrontRunner Stakes (Photos courtesy of Benoit & Associates).

Making the Grade, which will run through the 2014 Belmont Stakes, focuses on the winners of the big races, usually from the previous weekend, who could impact the next Triple Crown. We’ll be taking a close look at impressive winners and evaluating their chances to win classic races based upon ability, running style, connections (owner, trainer, jockey) and pedigree.

This week we take a closer look at Bond Holder, winner of the FrontRunner Stakes on Sept. 28 at Santa Anita Park.

Bond Holder
Bay Colt
Sire (Father): Mineshaft
Dam (Mother): Cielo Girl, by Conquistador Cielo
Owner: J. Paul Reddam
Breeder: Lazy Lane Farms (Ky.)
Trainer: Doug O’Neill

With zero wins to his credit in four starts, Bond Holder looked a bit out of place in the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes on Santa Anita’s Super Saturday card. But after he crossed the finish line first to punch his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile many racing fans probably experienced a similar “Aha!” moment, as so often happens in horse racing. It’s sometimes easy to see why a horse makes perfect, logical sense after a race … but much harder to identify them beforehand. Bond Holder falls into this category.

Ability: Other than a fifth-place finish in his career debut – in a stakes race – Bond Holder’s races had been encouraging. Following his debut, he finished third, third and second in three races this summer at the competitive Del Mar meet.

All four of his previous races came on synthetic surfaces, and Bond Holder’s sire, Mineshaft, was a monster on dirt. So it stood to reason that switching to dirt for the FrontRunner could give him a significant boost. So, too, could added distance. His first three races came in sprints. His most recent race – and also his best prior to the FrontRunner – was a runner-up finish by less than two lengths when stretching out to a mile. It’s worth noting at this point, too, that his sire also was a horse that excelled at longer distances.

In each of his four previous races, Bond Holder dropped well back early and did his best running late. In fact, in the one-mile race, Bond Holder rallied strongly and was cutting into the winner’s lead but simply ran out of real estate.

As out of place as it seemed to see a maiden (horse without a win in his career) in a Grade 1 race, Bond Holder had shown his connections he was headed in the right direction. He rewarded their faith handsomely with the $150,000 winner’s share of the $250,000 purse.

Bond Holder charged from last early to take command in deep stretch before powering clear to win by 2 ¼ lengths at 10.90-to-1 odds. He posted a career-best Equibase Speed Figure of 86 and punched his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile visa the “Win and You’re In” challenge series. You can bet he won’t be overlooked in the Juvenile on Nov. 2

Running style: So far, Bond Holder has shown only one dimension in his racing career. He drops to near the back of the field early in his races and reserves his energy for one, big run late in the race.
This can be especially effective when stretching out in distance on the Triple Crown trail. But horses that excel when rallying from far back often are at the mercy of pace. If the leaders leisurely chug along early, chances are they will be very tough to catch in the late running. If there is a spirited battle for the lead that results in a swift pace, the late runners are the beneficiaries.

Closers are not always as effective as Bond Holder was in the FrontRunner on Santa Anita’s dirt main track that often rewards speed. Because of this, Bond Holder is a Juvenile contender who would be helped tremendously if there are several speedy types entered in the race, which will be at the same track and 1 1/16-mile distance of Bond Holder’s FrontRunner score.

Connections: Bond Holder shares the same connections as 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner I’ll Have Another. He is owned by J. Paul Reddam, trained by Doug O’Neill and has been ridden in each of his starts by Mario Gutierrez.

In fact, Dennis O’Neill, Doug O’Neill’s brother, plucked both I’ll Have Another and Bond Holder out of OBS 2-year-olds in training sales.

Dennis O’Neill signed for I’ll Have Another, purchasing him for $35,000 out of the 2011 OBS spring sale of 2-year-olds in training and landed Bond Holder for $125,000 at the 2013 OBS March sale of selected 2-year-olds in training. Let’s just say Dennis O’Neill has a pretty nice eye for a quality horse.

Reddam has raced Thoroughbreds since he claimed his first horse in 1998. He won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in 2004 with Wilko and the Breeders’ Cup Turf in 2007 with Red Rocks among a long line of stakes winners. He is the president of CashCall, a finance lending company.

Doug O’Neill took out his trainer’s license in 1994 and for years was best known as the trainer of Southern California superstar gelding Lava Man. O’Neill claimed Lava Man for $50,000 and he went on to win seven Grade 1 races and earn more than $5 million in O’Neill’s care.  O’Neill won the 2005 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with Stevie Wonderboy, the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Sprint with Thor’s Echo and the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in 2007 with Maryfield.

Mexico native Gutierrez ascended to national prominence as the rider of I’ll Have Another for his effectiveness under pressure in the 2012 Triple Crown and his personable nature. Gutierrez, 26, is a proven big-race rider at a remarkably young age.

Pedigree:  Bond Holder is by 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft, whose four Grade 1 wins during his championship campaign came at 1 1/8 miles, 1 3/16 miles and twice at at 1 ¼ miles. Mineshaft is by 1992 Horse of the Year A.P. Indy – winner of that year’s Belmont Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Classic – who in turn is by 1977 Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year Seattle Slew. It’s safe to say that Bond Holder gets a healthy dose of stamina from this terrific sire line.

Cielo Girl, by Conquistador Cielo, is the dam (mother) of Bond Holder. She was a stakes winner at a mile but was probably at her best sprinting as her three other stakes wins came at seven-eighths of a mile or shorter. Her sire, Conquistador Cielo, won the 1982 Belmont Stakes just five days after defeating older horses in the prestigious Met Mile. He was a rare combination of speed and stamina.
Bond Holder’s female family features a very respectable number of stakes winners through four generations, including Group 1-winning sprinter Var, but it’s not a bottom half of the pedigree that jumps out as powerful. But between a sire known for stamina and a solid female family, there is plenty of reason to hope Bond Holder will continue to improve as he matures and the races get longer.