Barn Tour: Walsh discusses his Ky. Oaks contender + 11 others

One factor behind the growth in earnings was that his stable has expanded to about 80 horses in training, Walsh told Horse Racing Nation on Monday.

“We've just obviously got a lot more runners than what we used to have,” he said. “And it's been growing, and we've had more runners, and obviously the more runners, the better chances of getting good horses. Thankfully, we've had some very good horses the last few years. We've been lucky enough to come up nearly every year, which is always good. Long may it continue.”

Walsh was in Palm Meadows ahead of expected starts this weekend at Gulfstream Park. He discussed his top horses for HRN’s Barn Tour series.

Pretty Mischievous. The Into Mischief filly, a Godolphin homebred, is well on her way to the Kentucky Oaks (G1) after winning the Rachel Alexandra (G2) on Feb. 18 and moving into second place in the qualifying standings with 63 points. “She worked back on Saturday, seems to have come out of the race really well,” Walsh said. “She should run back in either the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) or the Ashland (G1).”

Temple City Terror. Now a 7-year-old mare, she won her last two starts of 2022, the Long Island (G3) and Dowager (G3). Walsh plans to enter her in the Hillsborough (G2) on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs for her 2023 debut. “She did great last year towards the end of the year. She went through a sale, and she was sold, and we were lucky enough that the new owners were gracious enough to send her back to us to keep her in training as a 7-year-old. So looking forward to a good year with her.”

Business Model. The 5-year-old gelding also will run this weekend at Tampa Bay Downs, in the Challenger (G3). He tries his first graded stakes and is looking for his first win since July. “We tried the (Tapeta) with him the last day (at Gulfstream on Jan. 28), and it didn't work. His start before that, he was drawn 1 in a big field down in New Orleans and got stuck down inside, and it just didn't work out for him. Didn't run a bad race, ran OK. So we're putting him back on the dirt anyway on Saturday at Tampa. We'll see how we go.”

Moon Swag. Fourth last out in the Houston Ladies Classic (G3), the 5-year-old mare won a black-type stakes at Fair Grounds to close out 2022. “She's going to run in the Azeri (G2) at Oaklawn,” Walsh said. “She won a stake at Christmas time, ran back in Sam Houston the last day in the Ladies Classic, was a little slow out of the gate and just came a little later on but gave herself a little bit too much to do. So hopefully, she can get out of there a little better on Saturday, and she shouldn't be too far away.”

Gilmore. The 3-year-old son of Twirling Candy was one of two Walsh entries in the John Battaglia Memorial on Saturday, finishing sixth after a runner-up effort in the El Camino Real Derby. “We'll talk with the owners and see where we're going to go next with him. He just ran, so we haven't really made any decisions.”

Good Heart. The Good Samaritan colt was 10th in the Battaglia and is winless since breaking his maiden on turf in his first start. “Same thing, you know, he ran Saturday night. So we'll probably come back in an allowance race at Keeneland, back to turf.”

Ensemble. The 5-year-old mare was seventh in Saturday's The Very One (G3) after starting her year with an allowance win. “Just got in a little traffic trouble and got shuffled back, and by the time she got home again, it was too late. Again, we've just got to see with her.”

Lady Rockstar. The 5-year-old mare was second in the Suwanee River (G3) and third in the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational (G3) before a sixth-place finish in last weekend's The Very One. “Same thing again, she got in a little traffic trouble as well. So again no decisions there on what we're going to do with her next.”

Princess Theorem. The 5-year-old daughter of Nyquist was third in Saturday’s Honeybee (G3). “Ran really well. We're very, very happy with her. Best race of her career so far. So we'll try maybe to come back in something. She seems to like Gulfstream, so we'll try to come back in a stake back here.”

Santin. Now 5, the son of Distorted Humor had a good 2022, winning two Grade 1s, namely the Turf Classic and the Arlington Million. But he closed the year with two losses, also in graded stakes. “Santin is in Turfway right now. He's training away with a view to a possible run in the Kentucky Cup Classic, the older race for boys on the 25th at Turfway.”

Prevalence. After winning the Commonwealth (G3) at Keeneland, the 5-year-old has gone 0-for-5, including a ninth-place finish in an allowance Saturday. Walsh said no decision has been made on his next start.

New Year’s Eve. The 4-year-old daughter of Kitten’s Joy, winner of last year’s Edgewood (G2), hasn’t raced since finishing fourth in a listed stakes at Kentucky Downs in September. She’s been working at Palm Meadows. “She is nearly ready to run back. We'll possibly run her in the filly and mare stake at Fair Grounds on the 25th.”