Originally published on HorseRacingNation.com.
With a fourth-place finish in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, the owners of Warrior’s Charge didn’t offset the $150,000 fee to supplement their colt for the second leg of the Triple Crown series.
But Ten Strike Racing and Madaket Stables left Pimlico Race Course with $99,000 of that accounted for and one to watch this summer.
“The horse showed them a lot,” said trainer Brad Cox. “I think for them, everything was positive as far as the performance.
“…He runs as hard as anyone. He’s on the lead. He’s running. He’s a horse we’re going to give plenty of time to after this race — no hurry.”
Warrior’s Charge, as expected, factored in the Preakness pace scenario, leading through a brisk opening half mile of 46.16 seconds. While he stayed on, Anothertwistafate evidenced the difficulty of the early fractions, fading to 10th after pressing Warrior’s Charge.
The Florida-bred son of Munnings entered the Preakness off back-to-back wins at Oaklawn Park, breaking his maiden and then beating winners in front-running efforts.
“I thought, ‘Warrior’s Charge is doing exactly what I thought. He’s going to take them a long way,’ and he continued on,” Cox said. “Then War of Will slipped up on the inside and I thought, ‘OK, he’s got the best of us.’”
The setup benefitted Cox’s other runner, Owendale, who runs for separate ownership and came on for third.
“The horse on the lead ran an unbelievable race,” the trainer added of Warrior’s Charge. “He’s a really nice horse — probably just a little shorter races for him in the future. He’s a very, very nice horse.”
With the Belmont Stakes at 1 1/2 miles not a possibility, Cox mentioned a trio of races in which Warrior’s Charge could appear: the July 5 Iowa Derby, July 13 Indiana Derby (G3) and July 20 Haskell Invitational (G1).
Originally written by PaulickReport.com.
It wasn’t until after the Kentucky Derby that economist Marshall Gramm even began to consider starting a horse in the 2019 edition of the Preakness Stakes. According to the Daily Memphian, the Rhodes professor took on the idea after learning that neither Country House nor Maximum Security would be starting in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.
His partnership group, Ten Strike Racing, owns a 3-year-old son of Munnings named Warrior’s Charge. The colt won his last two starts at Oaklawn Park by a combined 12 1/2 lengths, but wasn’t nominated to the Triple Crown. It cost $150,000 to make Warrior’s Charge eligible for the Preakness, but Gramm believes it is worth the risk.
“He’s probably worth $600,000 to $750,000 right now,” Gramm said. “The Preakness could increase it to $4 million. The winner’s share is $900,000. You’re talking about, if you finish third, we break even on the gamble. We may look like geniuses or we make look like fools.”
Trained by Brad Cox, Warrior’s Charge will inherit the skills of Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano for the Preakness. The colt needs to race on or near the lead to be competitive, Gramm explained, and the gambler expects him to go off at 10-1 or 12-1 odds.
On one of the biggest days of racing at Oaklawn all year, Ten Strike and Madaket Stable’s WARRIOR’S CHARGE took a field of 3yos wire-to-wire in a $100,000 Maiden Special Weight.
Breaking sharply from the inside, jockey Jose Ortiz guided WARRIOR’S CHARGE around the 1-1/16m test setting a solid pace. As the field rounded into the stretch, the pair drew away from the rest of the field to win by 6 lengths, running a full second faster than the other Maiden Special Weight run on that day. Warrior’s Charge earned a massive 89 Beyer for his effort.
It’s clear he appreciated the stretch out around 2-turns and with that in mind, our connections will consider an allowance or stake for his next start.
Originally published by TheTDN.com.
It’s been a big year in Thoroughbred racing for Marshall Gramm. The economics professor and co-founder of Ten Strike Racing was represented by the stable’s first Grade I winner last June when LONG ON VALUE (Value Plus) won the GI Highlander S. at Woodbine. His homebred DOT MATRIX (Freud) became a stakes winner a month later. Then in November, Gramm and his Ten Strike partners sold DIVINE ELEGANCE (Uncle Mo), a $50,000 claim, for $750,000 in foal to Tapit at Fasig-Tipton November. Gramm capped things off with a huge run at the NHC. As one of only four people to have both of their entries make the semi-final–or top 67 entries–Gramm came into Sunday’s action as a Top 10 performer and was in 7th as they moved on to the Final Table. He wasn’t able to make up any ground on the leaders in the final round, though, and checked in ninth.
“Listen, I feel blessed–I’ve had a great year,” he said. “I feel very thankful for my partners at Ten Strike Racing, especially my founding partner Clay Sanders. We’ve had a lot of fun. And there are a lot of people that take part in the process. Our trainers, our stable manager and agent Liz Crow, and then there are all my friends who help me with handicapping. The one great thing about the NHC is that it’s a horseplayers convention. I came here five years ago with Clay and another buddy, and the second year I came back, I knew no one. I’d go out to dinners by myself. Now, some of my closest friends are people I met here. I really enjoy that aspect of this event.”
Gramm will hope to keep the momentum rolling on Saturday with recent stakes winner HARLAN PUNCH (Harlan’s Holiday), who goes in the GIII Mineshaft S. at the Fair Grounds Connections have said that a good effort punches his ticket to the $1.5 million G2 Godolphin Mile in Dubai Mar. 30.
HARLAN PUNCH, the tenacious, 6-year-old gelding by Harlan’s Holiday, got Ten Strike Racing off the Stakes “duck” in 2019 after an impressive win in the $75,000 Louisiana Stakes at the Fair Grounds last Saturday.
In his second start for trainer Brad Cox, Harlan Punch stalked the pacesetter in second throughout and put in a massive effort in the stretch to dig deep and prevail by 3/4-lengths to earn a 96 Beyer.
A win in the Louisiana Stakes marks the 10th career victory for Harlan Punch who now boasts career earnings of over $749,000.
Last seen running a very game and memorable second place finish in the G3 Gallant Bob stakes at Parx back in September on $1,000,000 Pennsylvania Derby Day, Whereshetoldmetogo is gearing up for his 2019 campaign for the new connections of Ten Strike Racing, Madaket Stables, Michael Kisber and Black Cloud Racing.
Privately purchased by the group before his last start, Whereshetoldmetogo was given a winter freshening by the new connections and is currently in training at Hidden Brook South before heading to the stable of trainer Brad Cox.
The 4-year-old son of El Padrino is a multiple Stakes winner and G3 placed with earnings of over $323,000.
On June 30, Long on Value became Ten Strike’s first G1 winner as he stormed down the stretch to take the $250,000 Highlander Stakes at Woodbine.
Purchased from the 2017 Keeneland November sale for $100,000, Long on Value is now undefeated in his two starts for new owners Ten Strike Racing, Madaket Stables and Steve Laymon.
This victory earned him a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs this November. The Turf Sprint will be run over the same course as the Mighty Beau Stakes which Long on Value proved victorious in earlier this summer.
The first half of 2018 has proved extremely successful for Ten Strike Racing as the group has seen both their first Graded Stakes win (Ezmosh- G3 Arlington Classic) and Grade 1 win in only the second year of operations.
In his first start for new owners Ten Strike Racing, Steve Laymon and Madaket Stables (Sol Kumin), Long on Value flew from last to first in the stretch to win the $75,000 Mighty Beau Stakes under the lights at Churchill Downs.
Ten Strike acquired Long on Value from the 2017 Keeneland November Racehorse Sale after he was purchased by Brad Cox for $100,000.
For his next start, Long on Value will be pointed to the G1 $175,000 Highlander Stakes going 6 furlongs at Woodbine on June 30th, which is also a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier for the Turf Sprint.
Originally written by Dick Jerardi of the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association.
May 31, 2018
Marshall Gramm is an economics professor at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., its urban campus renowned for its beauty, its 2,025 students from 46 states and 43 countries celebrated for their community service. Gramm is also an owner of 40 horses in training spread around several American race tracks. There is, however, one track that stands out for Gramm – Parx Racing.
“I consider Parx my home base,’’ Gramm said. “I’m always looking to bring a good horse to Parx whether I’m buying it at a sale, whether I’m buying it privately or whether I’m claiming it.’’
In fact, Gramm’s Ten Strike Racing was the leading owner at Parx in 2016 and 2017. He has 12 to 18 horses in training at Parx at any one time. He pays a $75 day rate (per horse per day). The trainer and jockey each get 10 percent of winning purses. The vet gets paid. Gramm pays the horse van company, which happens to be Brook Ledge, with a Pennsylvania hub based in Oley, near Reading. He figures he has a van bill approaching six figures every year.
“I love buying horses elsewhere and bringing them to Pennsylvania to race,’’ Gramm said. He claimed 14 horses at the 2018 Oaklawn Park meet. Half of them ended up at Parx.
“Parx has a great purse structure,’’ Gramm said. “Parx has a wonderful condition book. I really love how they do their condition book, better than any track in the country, just in terms of how it’s methodically set up. It’s why I enjoy racing there. It’s a great locale to base horses.’’
So the economics professor, son of former Texas United States Senator Phil Gramm, is a serious economic driver in the Commonwealth.
“I’m a breeder,’’ Gramm said, “I’ve got PA-Breds. I have a significant number of horses that all come from out-of-state. So if anyone knows anything about owning horses, almost all my money just plows right back into Parx. Look, I made some money in 2016, lost a little bit in 2017 and look good in 2018. It’s hardly like you can take that purse money and imagine that all comes in my pocket. It all goes back to (trainer Carlos Guerrero), his staff, building up his stable. A small fraction, if I make a profit at all, comes back in my direction.’’
Gramm has two mares at Pin Oak Lane Farm in New Freedom, York County. One of them was bred to Pennsylvania sire Jump Start.
“I don’t come up to Pennsylvania often enough or Parx often enough, but I think of it as my home track,’’ Gramm said. “I bet Parx on a daily basis. The only difference between me and some of your owners up there is that I live in Memphis, Tennessee. I don’t think that changes any part of the equation of where my money goes. I guess if I have a good day, I might go a restaurant in Memphis versus a restaurant in (Bensalem). But that’s really about it.’’
Gramm pays taxes in Pennsylvania. His trainer’s staff, including grooms, hot walkers and exercise riders, is all employed in Pennsylvania.
Gramm owns most of the stable’s claiming horses himself. He also puts partnerships together for horses he buys as yearlings and 2-year-olds with the main objective being Oaklawn Park for partners that live in Arkansas. He has a few horses at Monmouth Park, Laurel Park and Golden Gate Fields.
“We file (taxes) in all the different states we race,’’ Gramm said. “We ran at 30 different tracks last year and we won races at 16 different tracks. We won 69 races.’’
In 2017, he had 10 different trainers, with the attendant accounting and bookkeeping issues.
“I used to do that on my own, but I basically outsourced that to my accountant,’’ Gramm said. “It was too much.’’
Parx, however, is always his favorite track.
“It’s the place that I want to race of all the tracks I sort of look at,’’ Gramm said, “It fits my ownership profile. I don’t have enough money to compete in New York.’’
It’s laughable when somebody suggests the purse money at Parx is going to sheikhs. Gramm would know.
“I feel like a lot of the owners at Parx are a lot like me,’’ Gramm said. “A lot of them are small businessmen. I don’t think of Parx owners as a series of outsiders. I’m an anomaly, but I feel like I’m not a poacher. The only way I’m an anomaly is that I don’t live in Pennsylvania.’’
He contributes so much to the commonwealth’s economy every year it is almost as if he lives here.
“I pay taxes in Pennsylvania,’’ Gramm said. “I have a big business. I did over $785,000 in purses. Almost all of that money gets churned right back into my business, buying more horses, breeding horses, helping to pay for my operation.’’
And, in his real job, he is also helping grow the overall business. He taught an “Economics of Race Track Wagering Markets’’ class in the spring of 2017. He had 35 students and plans to teach the class every other spring semester.
“All those students e-mailed me their Derby picks,’’ Gramm said. “When I teach my other classes, it’s hard not to work in horse racing-related examples.’’
So Marshall Gramm has a serious racing stable. He teaches about the game. And he is the leading owner at Parx.
Ten Strike Racing