Joe Kelly Award and more: The week in social media

Monday Morning Qb won the Heft Stakes. Photo by The Racing Biz.

A talented Maryland-bred colt is under consideration for a start in the Preakness Stakes, a Pennsylvania-bred colt stood out in the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, and nominations are now open for the Joe Kelly Unsung Hero Award.

Here is the 411 on what racing fans in the Mid-Atlantic region have been talking about on social media this past week:

Joe Kelly Award

The Maryland Million Ltd. Board of Directors is now accepting nominations for the 2020 Joe Kelly Unsung Hero Award. An award given annually, the Joe Kelly Unsung Hero Award was created in honor of Joe Kelly, who was the first (and so far, only) publicist of the racing program for Jim McKay Maryland Million Day, which is held each October.

A close friend of Jim McKay, who started the Maryland Million Day of races, Kelly was involved in Maryland Million day from the time of its inception in 1985 until his death in 2012. Those eligible to receive the Joe Kelly Unsung Hero Award must be “honest, hardworking, and humble,” according to the application, as well as passionate about the sport of thoroughbred racing. A nominee should also be an individual whose dedication and effort in the sport often go unnoticed, so that they may be properly recognized and celebrated for their contributions to the sport. The person chosen as the recipient of the award will receive a $1,000 honorarium to go along with the recognition that they will receive for all their hard work.

The deadline for nominations is due on October 1. More information about nominating people for this award can be found at the Maryland Million website.

Monday Morning Qb may audible to Preakness

Maryland-bred colt Monday Morning Qb, who was last seen finishing a strong second to undefeated Happy Saver in the Federico Tesio Stakes, is now under consideration for the October 3 Preakness Stakes.

By Anchor & Hope Farm’s stallion Imagining, Monday Morning Qb came off a seven-month layoff to claim a valiant second in the Federico Tesio Stakes earlier in the month at Laurel Park, which serves as the final local prep race for the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes. As a result, the bay colt is now under serious consideration for the upcoming Triple Crown event.

Bred by Bowman & Higgins Stable and Cary Frommer, Monday Morning Qb is owned in partnership by Cash is King LLC and LC Racing LLC. Conditioned by Robert “Butch” Reid, Jr., Monday Morning Qb was ridden in the Tesio by jockey Victor Carrasco. A $25,000 purchase as a yearling in the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale, the colt has already banked earnings of $140,000 with two wins from five starts. Should Monday Morning Qb compete in and win the Preakness Stakes, he will be worthy of the $500,000 bonus awarded to Maryland-Bred/Maryland-Sired runners.

To see other runners under consideration for the Preakness, see our Triple Crown Trail page.

A pricey PA-bred at Keeneland

The Keeneland September Yearling Sale is currently underway in Lexington, Ky, and the single Pennsylvania-bred in Book 1 of the sale commanded a lofty final bid of $450,000.

Bred by Blackstone Farm LLC, the bay colt was foaled and raised at the farm in Pine Grove, PA. Sired by Medaglia d’Oro, who stands at Darley Stud in Lexington, Ky for a stud fee of $200,000, the colt is out of the English Channel mare Seanchai who has already produced one winner (New Jazz) in England from two foals to race.

Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, the bay colt was marked as Hip 369 in the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Shadwell Estate Company, Ltd. made the purchase.

LATEST RACING NEWS