Tag Archives: Deerslayer

The American Dream – Launch

Posted on by
Reply

just over a year ago i replied to a tweet…..This tweet was to put Wildcard racing on the Global map.. this tweet would lead to an amazing adventure….. This tweet a year later would lead to a big step in to really putting WRS on the map……

watch Deerslayer winning here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlmEt-mh348&feature=plcp

 

So the tweet was simple @amyweaverracing Just claimed Deerslayer would anybody want a share…. I had experience of Deerslayer and little did i know at the time , what a good eye Amy weaver had for a horse and what amazing ideas she had…. I took a gamble did a deal with Amy deerslayer came to Wildcard racing…. sadly not many saw my vision of what a horse he was…. he ran a few times in England winning a claimer at lingfield but it was the call i had from Amy Weaver that set this whole adventure off….

Do you fancy sending Deerslayer to America…..you dont have to think about things like that, when i comes to horses and plans i am a yes man…. if you dont take the chance you will never know, if you fail at least you had the balls to try…..

So to cut a long story short Deerslayer did the business in America on Belmont night…. Amy weaver racing and Wildcard racing had gone global…. picking up $35,000 in the process.

The day after a plan was hatched , a plan to do it all again, bigger, better, more owners…. more people who think my Amy and myself…. people wanting something new… something Global. Not many people can say they are winning owners in the UK and USA… we can not many can say they won a claimer worth $32,000 we can…

So on Saturday October 13th the American dream was launched…. we thought if we are going to do this we do it properly… we had the sponsors box at Newmarket on future champions day. Food , drink, great views and to our delight people…. future owners, excited about our plans and our ideas…

After a bite to eat we let them in on our plans… 3 horses will go state side, £6900 all inc,,, 10% in the overall package, on a may look like a lot of money but when you work out that you will own 3 horses and run for prize money over $30,000…. there is def a pot of gold at the end… The uptake was amazing, people had caught the bug that Amy and myself have… the chance to live the dream, do something new…. take a chance. We proved in June that we have the knowledge and ability to send a horse 3000 miles and come back with the prize…

2 horses have already joined team Weaver/WRS Marchwood and Marford Missile.. both tick all the boxes and will def win races out stateside… there will be one more bought at the HITS sale at newmarket….. then off they go!!!!

Even if your not a shareholder i hope you follow our adventure on twitter and on my blogs…. share our passion our dream.

Its amazing what one tweet can do…… Think out side the box.

 

WRS June 2012

Posted on by
Reply

June gave WRS our biggest victory to date….. and put us on the global map. All thanks to Deerslayer and Amy Weaver..

Deerslayer – He finally did the business for wrs stateside, Rudy had found him the perfect race, a massive $33,000 pot…. race time in UK was 1220 am, I managed to stay up and cheer him home. Hitting the front 2f out he showed all his ability to hold off the late challenge. Deerslayer was claimed after the race for $20,000 and the plan was complete… Thanks to all involved.

Henry Bee- He continues to be a consistent performer but still that elusive win escapes him… We went to Redcar as fav in a poor maiden, this being his downfall as he was out on his own a long time and started to wander, getting caught close home. A few days ago we headed north to Musselburgh and bumped into a nice filly of Mark Johnston…. Was one of henrys best performances to date going down by a half a length….

Woolfall Sovereign – We have not had the ground to run him on in June, he was set to run at Thirsk until bad weather halted that

Siberian Belle – She has come down with an infection after being bitten, so has been in and out of action… won’t be long till we see her again on track.

Somethingboutmary -  Races for novices are not easy to find, we found a perfect one at Newcastle, just 4 runners. Hot fav to beat, Mary prepped and ready to roll….. but our little diva of a filly decided that the stalls were not for her and refused to go in…. looking at the race we missed a golden opportunity. So she has been sent to Gary witherford http://www.garywitheford.co.uk/ to pass a stalls test and make sure this does not happen again. Gary has worked with the best so she is in good hands

York evening Press on Deerslayer 22/6/12

Posted on by
Reply

Deer do reaps US rewards

10:43am Friday 22nd June 2012 in Turf Talk Photograph of the Author By Steve Carroll, Sports reporter

Deerslayer during the race at New York’s lauded Belmont track Deerslayer during the race at New York’s lauded Belmont track

IN the old days they would have called this a plot. Buy a horse, train him to win a nice race over the pond and then cash in on the sale.

It didn’t turn out quite as easy as that for York owner Andrew Bonarius, and his city-based Wildcard Racing syndicate, but, six months later than originally planned, Deerslayer finally got to have his day in the sun at one of America’s most prestigious meetings.

Back in December, The Press reported how the six-year-old, trained by Amy Weaver at Newmarket, had been shipped to the States – with the $65,000 Gravesend Handicap at Aqueduct, in New York, as his aim.

 

But his race was over before it even began.

“It was all set up. He was going to run in that handicap and then be sold but it didn’t come off,” said Bonarius.

“He was being ridden by Michael Luzzi and he got rid of him on the way down to post. He ran through a fence on the far side and then ran through the tractor shed.

“He damaged his front leg and he was quite badly bruised. There was a bit of concern about whether he would pull through.

“To be honest, he nearly died that day and there was a 50/50 chance that they were going to put him down at one point.

 

“If we had taken a little weedy horse out there I don’t think we would have seen him again but Deerslayer is built like a shirehorse. He hadn’t broken anything but the vets were a bit unsure about whether there were any problems internally and with his ribs.

“It took about five or six weeks before we were able to get him back on the racecourse.”

Having won six times in 15 starts in Britain, the £10,000 bargain basement buy returned successfully to the track and, after narrowly being touched off for victory in a photo finish, Deerslayer’s American trainer, Rudy Rodriguez, found the race that Bonarius was looking for – a claimer staged just after the prestigious US Triple Crown Belmont Stakes at the famous New York racecourse.

“It was race 12, immediately following the Belmont,” added Bonarius. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t be there. We have a little one on the way but I watched it at home at 12.20am.

“It was fantastic and, when you put a plan together, great to run on that sort of day. It’s the same sort of prestige as running on Derby day here.”

Deerslayer, ridden by Ramon Dominguez, saw off Tazered to win the six furlong contest and scoop a shade more than $22,000.

He was subsequently claimed by the potential purchaser who had wanted to snap him up six months earlier at Aqueduct.

Bonarius said: “We picked up just over $20,000 for winning the race and the guy who originally wanted to buy him claimed him for $20,000. Not bad for a claimer. In total he ran five times for us and won just short of £30,000, plus $20,000 to claim him.

“It was great that the plan eventually came off.

“For a club of our size, it was a massive big deal. The prize money was a big incentive. We paid £10,000 for him and it cost £6,000 to take him out there. To get the same over here you have to win a good quality race.”

And plans are already been drawn up for a repeat expedition.

“We have a list of horses we want,” Bonarius added.

“We have been in talks with Amy and we want to send up to three over there. We want to put a package together where people can buy into the trio of horses, they run, win and then get claimed.

“Rudy is very keen to get an English horse over there, run him and get claimed.

“Deerslayer never won a handicap in England, every race he won was a claimer and he was rated in the 80s. But he earned more in two races in America than he did in Britain in his whole career.

“It’s just the way they do things over there.

“We have proven we can do it and we are keen to have another go.”

For more information about Wildcard Racing, which has horses with Malton trainer Richard Fahey and Hambleton’s Kevin Ryan among others, then log on to www.wildcardracing.co.uk or email andrew.bonarius@btinternet.com.

 

The American Dream!!!!!

Posted on by
Reply

It all started in September 2011 a message from Newmarket based trainer Amy Weaver… Anyone interested in a share of Deerslayer…. Amy had just claimed him out of a race at wolves. He had been on my hit list since Dark lane had beat him in a photo finish at Kempton for wildcard Racing. I met up with Amy at Newmarket and a few possible owners and the deal was done…. The mighty Deerslayer had joined WRS.

 

He ran a few times in Handicaps for us never really getting home on the turf…. So the plan was put together to run him in a claimer at Lingfield. A hot contest featuring a well fancied runner from the Kevin Ryan Yard… Deerslayer bossed the race leading all the way and landing the prize. Was a massive bonus not being claimed and we had a master plan ready to unleash.

Amy had an idea to send him to race in America, he was American bred, loved the all-weather and strong as an ox…. we decided to get the plan rolling and aim for the Gravesend handicap at Aqueduct. I was registered as owner, Deerslayer had his jabs and before we knew it he was on a plan and on his way to NYC…… I could have flown business class for the amount his flight cost but that’s the pampered life of a though bred.

He settled in to his new American life well and was in great form ahead of his stab at the Gravesend handicap… sadly Deerslayer had a different plan…..

5 minutes to post…. everyone watching… expectation high….. then a message flashes up on screen Deerslayer Scratched. He had dumped his jockey going to post, crashed through the rails and into a shed destroying everything in his way….. For a short time it was touch and go if he would survive. He is a tuff cookie, great effort by the medical staff and Amy waver meant that in the morning he was still with us….. a bit battered and bruised but still with us…… Our American dream looked over

Amy stayed with him all Christmas and new year… keeping me up to date all the way. Deerslayer is the type of horse you would love to own and his never say die attitude came to light and he was back working in January. Amy had managed to sell 50% of him and we had covered our costs…. now the plan was to find the right race and sell the rest of him.

 

 

Deerslayer was prepped for a run over 7F, to my and Amy’s amazement as never looked like getting home over that distance but the American style suited him and entering the last furlong he was still in front, but the line did not come fast enough and we would have to wait to get a winner….. Deerslayer got done on the line.. so close!!!!!

we knew he could go one better so he was entered on Belmont stakes day… The race after the Belmont stakes… A $32,000 claimer. Was just down to Deerslayer now….

Amy booked her flight and headed off stateside, I had my rebull ready to keep me awake till 1220 am Sunday morning to cheer him home.

Gates opened, a slight stumble meant his usual front running style was put on hold… he sat 3rd round the bend, as they came in to the stretch Deerslayer picked up and in a matter of strides was in front…. hands and heels all the way, one quick flick of the whip and a challenger approached but it was never in danger…. Deerslayer had done it, we had landed the American dream, The thinking outside the box plan had worked… Not only were we a fair few thousand dollars richer but with the help of Amy Weaver WRS were on the world map.

  

I quick catch up with Amy after race was mission complete, Deerslayer had been claimed for $20,000 and was staying in aqueduct….. Job done….. on to the next one.

Its been the most amazing adventure, just shows what can happen when you put your mind to it, get the right horse, right trainer and a few owners who paid just £200 a month….Now we have a winner in the USA.

I am hungry for more and will be taking miss weaver out for a well-deserved bottle of champagne to discuss our future…. anything is possible at wildcard Racing!!!!!

Wildcard Racing May 12…..

Posted on by
Reply

 

Its been a busy a busy month for WRS…. plenty of running and a mixed bag of results. Racing is there to test us but we continue to battle on…. we have the horses just need the luck.

SIBERIAN BELLE, made her seasonal debut at Beverly on 7th May. She had not been seen since running at Leicester last October. She has grown a lot over the winter but the penny just don’t look liked it has dropped…. we went to Beverley with an aim to see how much she has come on… sadly she was back to her own tricks, jumping and running sideways. She is a filly with bags of talent but we are struggling to find the key to unlock her. She has been working in headgear so just maybe its the answer, the horse she worked well against on the musley bank gallops has come out and won….. it may just be her time

WOOLFALL SOVERIGN

Wooly is a frustrating animal at present, working well at home but not producing the goods on track… Despite our thoughts on him being a soft ground horse his latest run and our first wrs horse at ascot proved otherwise…. Ian Mongan said he was never travelling and the ground just did not suit… we will try again, this tie on good ground…. Wooly or Nu Nu as he is known in the yard is so well handicapped rated of 76 at present, has won of 83 so we are sticking with him and he will reward our faith

HENRY BEE

Henry has put in 2 very different efforts in May, both ends of the spectrum. His best effort came at Thirsk going very close just bumping in to a good one on the day. He was slow away but picked up well to lead inside final furlong before getting headed. form of his last races has been very good so we headed to Ripon on Tuesday with very high hopes….. sadly Henry Bee had a different idea. Falling out of stalls, going right, then left and by half way was well back… Shane let him coast home. straight off to the vets to be checked over as the performance was so bad…. Nothing seems to be wrong with him so I can’t explain what the issue was…. its Redcar Monday for him now

SOMETHINGBOUTMARY

After winning on debut SBM had not been out but we felt it was right to give her a chance in the listed race at York over 5F, a hot race with a short price fav, but she had clocked a very fast time at southwell despite running green, so we were there to take our chance. What we did learn from the race is that she still has a lot to learn. She broke poor and at that level you don’t get chance to get back in to it….. we may try 6f next if the race comes up but she is a filly with a nice future…. I never sold her as a superstar but we do think we have a nice one that will win races….

DEERSLAYER

our American wing of wildcard racing is starting to really get going now.. Deerslayer had run at Belmont over 6f and failed to get home finishing 5th and leading just about all way till 1 out…. we were fully expecting a fast 5f race and land a nice prize, instead we entered him over 7f…. knowing the horse and his speed I did not think that 7 would suit and he would blow up and trail in last… shows what I know. Deerslayer as always led and kept finding more and more…. entering the final 200 yards wrs was looking at a $40,000 payday. The line was just 1 yard to far and he was done by a nose on the line….. has to be the best race he has run stateside to date, making me look stupid telling everyone not to back him….. we have found another race on 9th June and confidence is high….

 

OTHER NEWS

Our broodmare Scillion is in foal to equiano and we will be expecting her to give birth to a colt in early Feb…. She is very well will get some pics of her on my next visit…..

GOLF EVENT

As some of you will know I am involved with racing welfare and help out when I can…. This year was Barneys challenge…. so I decided to arrange a golf event, 64 players headed to Malton and Norton golf club to take park including Richard Fahey, Dave Allan, Lee Topliss, Kevin Darley ,George Duffield and Martin Lane….

A great day had by all with Martin Lanes Newmarket team winning followed by Team Richard Fahey and in 3rd another team from the fahey Yard. I Have raised just a touch under £3000 for Racing Welfare so a massive thank you to all that played

I expect to have an event next year but bigger and more stars from the racing world in attendance

 

so we had into June with runners ready to go, hoping for a bit of luck….. Woolfall may run sat, henry bee Monday at Redcar and Deerslayer 9th June at Belmont…..

York Evening Press 16/12/11 Deerslayer

Posted on by
Reply

 

Deerslayer hoping for success in Gravesend Handicap in New York

10:21am Friday 16th December 2011 in Horse racing

A YORK racing syndicate is hoping to grab a piece of US glory in the Big Apple this weekend.

Deerslayer, owned by city-based Wildcard Racing, runs in the $65,000 Gravesend Handicap at Aqueduct, in New York, over six furlongs tomorrow.

The five-year-old, trained by Amy Weaver in Newmarket, has won six times in 15 starts this year and the Wildcard syndicate, which has owned the horse in October and also has horses with Richard Fahey and Kevin Ryan, are hoping he can shine on his American debut against five other sprinters. He will carry 8st 3lbs and will be ridden by Michael Luzzi.

Rule by Night is the 7-5 favourite to take victory but syndicate manager Andrew Bonarius, who lives in Huntington, is quietly confident that Deerslayer will make an impact.

“He has run four times and won once for us, at Lingfield in a claiming race on his last start,” he said. “We have taken him out there and it will probably be his last run for us. The plan is to sell him in America.

“We have gone for the prize money and for the chance to get Wildcard Racing broadcast over a wider spectrum.”

The race is named in honour of the early American racetrack sited near Coney Island, in Brooklyn, which was closed just over a hundred years ago. Once a Grade III event, the race is now ungraded and will be run for the 52nd time.

Famous horses to have won the contest include the prodigious sire Mr Prospector in 1974.

Bonarius added: “He was in quarantine for two days and he did his first piece of work yesterday. There are six people in the syndicate and he will be better handicapped out there than he is here.

“He is by Rahy, a famous American sire, and he was bought in America as a two-year-old. We think that dirt will suit him and we think he has a chance to nick it.”

The race will be shown on At The Races, Sky channel 415, at 8.37pm on Saturday

Deerslayer Crosses pond to give Gravesend handicap international feel

Posted on by
Reply

Deerslayer Crosses Pond For Gravesend ‘Cap
By Jenny Kellner | December 14, 2011 Email Bookmark and Share
Mike Luzzi
Photo by Adam Coglianese

Saturday’s 52nd running of the Gravesend Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack takes on an international flavor as Newmarket-based Deerslayer makes his American debut against five other sprinters.

Owned by Andy Bonarius and trained by Amy Weaver, the 5-year-old gelded son of Rahy enters the Gravesend off a neck victory in claiming race at Lingfield. The win was his sixth of the year from 15 starts, all sprinting, with three coming on turf and three over an all-weather surface.

“The plan is to get him sold and for him to remain in America,” said Weaver, 30, who will be saddling her first American starter as a trainer. “He’s American-bred, and fetched $500,000 as a yearling. He handles dirt and Polytrack well and we chose this spot hoping he will take to American racing.”

Mike Luzzi has the mount on Deerslayer, 20-1 on the morning line under 115 pounds, from post position 3.

Favored at 7-5 in the six-furlong race is Gold Square’s Rule by Night, the 119-pound highweight whose lone victory in 2011 came in the Duck Dance overnight stakes at Belmont Park on October 9. Most recently fourth after setting the pace in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler going seven furlongs, Rule by Night is 3-1-0 from five starts at Aqueduct, including a 9 `/4-length victory in the 2010 Groovy.

Rule by Night will have Junior Alvarado aboard from post position 4.

Fourth behind Rule by Night in the Duck Dance was This Ones for Phil, who drew post position 5. The Duck Dance was the fourth start of the year for the 5-year-old gelding, who returned from a 14-month layoff in May to win an overnight stakes at Monmouth, after which he finished second in the Grade 2 True North Handicap presented by Emirates Airline at Belmont and sixth in the Grade 2 Smile Sprint Handicap.

The Rick Dutrow, Jr. trainee was listed at 2-1 on the morning line and will tote 118 pounds, including Jose Valdivia, Jr.

Frazil, who will be making his stakes debut in the Gravesend, enters the race off a pair of starter handicap victories. Owned and trained by Linda Rice, the 5-year-old gelding has fashioned a record of 5-3-1 from 11 starts at the Big A, all in starter handicap and allowance company.

Cornelio Velasquez rides Frazil, 6-1 on the morning line, from the outside.

Drawing post position 2 and carrying 113 pounds is Susanne Bobley’s Pretty Boy Freud, most recently third to Dr Disco in Aqueduct’s Vodka overnight stakes on December 4. The 5-year-old New York-bred gelding has one win in nine starts at the Big A, taking an optional claimer in December, 2009.

David Cohen will ride Pretty Boy Freud, 5-1 on the morning line.

Completing the field is the well-traveled Escrow Kid, most recently fourth in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap in his Aqueduct debut. Third in the James Marvin and sixth in the Grade 1 Forego behind Jackson Bend at Saratoga, the City Place gelding, 8-1 on the morning line, will be ridden by Oliver Castillo from the rail.

The field for the $65,000 Gravesend Handicap:

PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer Odds
1 Escrow Kid (FL) O Castillo 116 C Doran  8-1
2 Pretty Boy Freud (NY) D Cohen 113 L O’Brien  5-1
3 Deerslayer (KY) M J Luzzi 115 A Weaver 20-1
4 Rule by Night (KY) J Alvarado 119 S M Asmussen  7-5
5 This Ones for Phil (FL) J Valdivia, Jr. 118 R E Dutrow, Jr.  2-1
6 Frazil (KY) C H Velasquez 115 L Rice

Deerslayer wins at Lingfield 29/11/11

Posted on by
Reply

Deeslayer led from start to finish to land the spoils at Lingfield park in the hands of Martin Harley. Breaking from the stalls he was prominent throughout and when the the pack came to challenge he kicked on again putting the race to bed.

He ran a much improved race from a few weeks back when breaking slowly and never getting involved. Martin Harley who has rode Deerslayer to victory before knew what to do and made sure the race was run to suit.

Deeslayer was very keen in the paddock before racing and really looked in the mood, This is the horse that we bought and are very pleased with today’s result. Claimers do seem to be his level but a win is a win and keeping owners happy is the key to a syndicates success.

This is the 1st winner for Wildcard Racing and Amy Weaver , lets hope there are a few more over the winter with Deerslayer looking bang in form after today’s race. He wont go to Kempton tomorrow, will lave it in the hands of Amy to find a race to suit hopefully soon……

Andy