Todd Minikus and Cordonos.
Lexington, KY – May 15, 2015 – Speed was the name of the game Friday afternoon during the $20,000 1.45m Bluegrass Classic. Forty-seven horse and rider combinations entered into the speed class during the Kentucky Classic. It came down to a foot race with Todd Minikus and Cordonos, owned by Matthew de Grande of Long Valley, NJ, taking the victory in a wire-to-wire speed round, beating out Shane Sweetnam and Beluga for the blue ribbon ride.
Capturing a ribbon during the $20,000 Bluegrass Classic was no easy feat with only 11 of the 47 entries jumping Bernardo Cabral’s course without error. Shane Sweetnam was only the third to take on the track, executing his plan perfectly to set the pace as the trailblazer. Sweetnam and Beluga, a 10-year-old mare owned by Spy Coast Farm, LLC of E Setauket, NY, opted for the inside track, a decision that only four other riders would take.
“I thought Bernardo did a nice job with the course,” Sweetnam remarked. “There were options for inside turns, and I went for the inside route. She is a good mare, but she doesn’t have the biggest stride in the world. I didn’t want her getting too flat, so that is why I did the turns with her.”
Sweetnam exited the ring, happy with his time of 62.530 seconds, but had the inkling that it would not hold for the first place finish. He had stuck to the regular number up the first line, as well as through the double combination, leaving a window for defeat.
“I actually executed my plan perfectly, but I felt I would get beat-and I did get beat,” Sweetnam admitted. “There were a few people that were faster than me but had one down. When I came out I thought that I would have a top three finish because I had left two areas where someone could catch me.”
His time to beat would continue to hold for 40 trips, with riders compensating accuracy for speed and pulling rails in an attempt to catch the Irish rider. Roberto Teran and Farina, owned by Ark Partners LLC of Wellington, FL, put in a clean round in a quick 63.168 seconds, but the 6/10ths of a second would put him just behind Sweetnam.
It was not until Todd Minikus and Cordonos, the second to last combination to take on the track, gave it a shot, that defeat seemed plausible. Minikus left out a stride down the first line, as well as through the combination, using pure speed rather than the inside options to take the victory away from Sweetnam. They tripped the timers in a blazing 60.766 seconds.
“I watched Shane go and he had a heck of a round,” Minikus said. “He did an inside turn to the vertical and to the oxer, which I was too chicken to try. I saw that there was a window by leaving out strides, so I used raw speed around instead of going inside, and I just nipped him. Purina-power wins again!”
Minikus continued, “Cordonos is a horse that won that first grand prix in Wellington this year and then had some nice results the rest of season. He had a little streak where he had the fastest time with one down quite a few times, bad racing luck. Today, the jump gods were with him, so he ended up with a nice win.”
Both Minikus and Sweetnam plan on competing in Saturday night’s $127,000 Hollow Creek Farms Grand Prix CSI3*.
“I think tomorrow night will be a good class, and we will see if Quality Girl has her jumping shoes on for tomorrow,” Minikus concluded.
Sweetnam will show $34,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic sixth place-finisher, Chaqui Z, during the CSI3* event, and looks forward to the points earned towards the Longines Rider Ranking List.
The jumper action at the Kentucky Spring Classic will continue tomorrow with one of the highlight events, the $127,000 Hollow Creek Farms Grand Prix CSI3*, with the $50,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix CSI3* closing out the show on Sunday afternoon
For more information about the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows, please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.
Kentucky Horse Shows 2015 Horse Show Series Fast Facts
Events: 2015 Kentucky Spring Horse Shows
What:
The Kentucky Horse Shows 2014 series includes two weeks of top hunter/jumper competitions during the month of May. The Kentucky Horse Show Series is the host of the Hagyard Challenge Series and Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby Series.
Where:
Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY, site of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™, home to the United States Equestrian Federation.
When:
KENTUCKY SPRING HORSE SHOW – May 6-10, 2015
$34,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic CSI2*
$85,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix CSI2*
$25,000 Bluegrass Classic
$25,000 U25 Classic
$15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby
$5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby
WCHR Recognized Hunter Competition
KENTUCKY SPRING CLASSIC – May 13-17, 2015
$34,000 Welcome Speed CSI3*
$34,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic CSI3*
$127,000 Hollow Creek Farm Grand Prix CSI3*
$50,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix
$20,000 Bluegrass Classic
$5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby
Sponsors:
A special thanks to the generous sponsors of the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows: Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, Hallway Feeds, Hollow Creek Farm, Audi of Lexington, Sleepy P Ranch, CWD, Farm Vet, Dietrich Insurance, Take2 Thoroughbred Program and the Official Hotel The Clarion.
Hours:
8am – 5pm daily
Parking:
Horse Show Exhibitors may purchase a weekly parking pass at the main Horse Park entrance for $15.00. Dogs are permitted at the Kentucky Horse Park on a leash.
Directions:
The Kentucky Horse Park is located 8 miles northeast of Lexington, Kentucky at Exit 120 on Interstate 75.
Information:
Before Show – (859) 233-0492, Email: hakshows@earthlink.net
During Show – Telephone: (859) 254-3343, Fax: (859) 231-6097
Stabling – Email Tom Blankenship at tomblank@bellsouth.net
Stable office – Before Show: (843) 269-4737, During Show: (859) 255-0605
Prize List Advertising – Email Cindy Bozan at cindy@kentuckyhorseshows.com or call (859) 608-3709
Vendors – Email Cindy Bozan at cindy@kentuckyhorseshows.com or call (859) 608-3709
Shownet – www.shownet.biz
Website: www.kentuckyhorseshows.com
Shopping:
Vendors offering equestrian equipment, apparel, jewelry and home furnishings are located adjacent to the Stonelea Ring.
Hotels:
CLARION HOTEL (Formerly Holiday Inn North) – 859-233-0512 – Approximately 4 miles (OFFICIAL HOTEL)
Discover the place where elegant comfort in an ideal location meets excellent service and affordability. At the Clarion Hotel Lexington, you’ll find well-appointed accommodations with options of double/doubles, double queens, king rooms or suites, exceptional amenities such as our free hot breakfast buffet, and Southern hospitality at its finest. The best hotel for Keeneland – located in the heart of Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region – home of the Kentucky Horse Park, the Lexington Convention Center, University of Kentucky, and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail – our Lexington hotel is on Newtown Pike at Exit 115 on I-75, close to all the big attractions, and is the perfect place to stay whether you’re here to get down to business or have some fun. Best of all, bring your furry friends for any trip because the Clarion Hotel in Lexington is also pet-friendly.
CAMPGROUND RESERVATIONS:
Reservations may not be made through the Horse Show office. To reserve a campsite at the Kentucky Horse Park for any of the horse shows, please call the Campground store at (800) 370-6416 or 859-259-4157 or email Sherry Logan at sherryd.logan@ky.gov. Be specific as to the show name and the dates you wish to stay. Check-in time is 2:00 p.m. and check-out is 12:00 noon. You must make arrangements with the Campground store if you plan to arrive earlier than 2:00 p.m. or stay later than 12:00 noon. Vehicles that are not removed from a campsite by check-out time will be towed.
Management:
Kentucky Horse Shows, LLC
P. O. Box 11428
Lexington, KY 40575-1428
859-233-0492 (phone)
859-233-0495 (fax)
email: hakshows@earthlink.net
website: www.kentuckyhorseshows.com
Media Contact:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12230 Forest Hill Blvd.
Suite 214
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
www.phelpsmediagroup.com