Whereas the primary a part of the 12 months didn’t play out precisely as deliberate, issues have a approach of coming collectively, as was the case for Jonathan Thomas when the coach despatched out three graded stakes winners in a single week in the course of the Del Mar Turf Pageant. On prime of his stakes victories with Really High quality, Mrs. Astor, and Will Then, Thomas completed the autumn meet with 5 winners from 13 starters. These numbers are made all of the extra spectacular by the very fact Thomas had despatched solely 14 horses to Southern California, greater than half of his barn, which he says is the “smallest it’s been” since he started his public secure a decade in the past.
Thomas, a former steeplechase jockey, was an assistant to Christophe Clement and Todd Pletcher earlier than going out on his personal. The 44-year-old native of Virginia first made a reputation for himself because the coach of Catholic Boy, whose 2018 exploits included the unprecedented feat of touchdown the Belmont Derby Invitational and Travers Stakes in the identical 12 months. Whereas Catholic Boy was equally spectacular on each surfaces, Thomas has honed his abilities as a proficient conditioner of turf horses over the previous few years. All 5 of his Del Mar winners this fall gained on the grass.
It’s Thomas’ second season in California after sending a string west final winter. Assistant coach Chelsie Raabe has been on the helm on each of these events.
“I like the truth that the races go [in California],” Thomas mentioned. “You’re actually unencumbered by the climate, and if the horses are adequate to compete in stakes races, there’s an excellent sequence of stakes races that you may rely on.
“[The meet] simply match our inventory. Now we have some good [horses] however we regularly have to buy round as a result of out East we’re operating into the mega-barns. We’re always having to buy round for alternative. When the Del Mar e-book got here out, there have been fairly a number of races that match the horses we had.”
The Thomas barn reaped the advantages from Del Mar’s advantageous “Ship and Win” program, which gives profitable incentives for house owners and horsemen to make the journey to the West Coast. Moreover complimentary lodging for barn employees, the Ship and Win program pays a $3,000 bonus for every shipper’s first begin (together with stakes races) at Del Mar along with a 30% purse bonus for each begin of the autumn meet (excluding stakes).
“They actually assist with the prices you’re absorbing if you ship on the market,” Thomas mentioned.
All 5 of Thomas’ winners have been homebreds for George Strawbridge Jr.’s Augustin Steady. The Mid-Atlantic-based operation, established by Strawbridge’s father, the late George Sr., has a long-established status for breeding and racing on a global scale. A few of the most profitable runners to put on the Augustin ivory and inexperienced silks embrace Breeders’ Cup winners Ceaselessly Collectively, Knowledgeable Determination, and Grade 1 winner With Anticipation.
“We’ve been very lucky collectively,” Thomas mentioned. “We’re getting into our sixth 12 months as having the majority of his secure and in return him having the majority of ours. We’ve gained a graded stakes for him yearly.”
Augustin Stables completed the Turf Pageant main all house owners by wins. Along with the 5 from Thomas’ secure, Augustin additionally landed a winner in the course of the meet with the Richard Mandella-trained Amorita, owned in partnership with Stone Farm.
“[Strawbridge is] a man that wants no introduction,” Thomas mentioned. “Unimaginable breeder, nice horseman, nice individual. He’s a kind of individuals the place anytime you are able to do nicely for him it’s additional particular as a result of he’s the whole lot an proprietor could be. We really feel very privileged to coach for him.”
Strawbridge was the one who put Vincent Cheminaud on Thomas’ radar after the jockey rode efficiently for the proprietor in France. Cheminaud, now based mostly in Kentucky, piloted all three of Augustin’s Del Mar stakes winners.
“[Strawbridge] referred to as me and mentioned, ‘Pay attention, anytime you get an opportunity and you’re feeling snug I’d love Vincent to have a shot to get on a few of our horses,’ ” Thomas mentioned. “Early on, it didn’t actually line up the place we weren’t on the proper locations on the proper time, however this 12 months we picked him up within the Mid-Atlantic and he delivered time and again.”
Previous to guiding Really High quality to his third consecutive stakes rating within the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup Nov. 29, Cheminaud rode the High quality Highway gelding to victory in Woodbine’s HPBet Singspiel Stakes. On that very same Oct. 5 card, Cheminaud landed the Grade 2 bet365 Dance Neatly Stakes for Thomas aboard Really High quality’s older half-sister and Augustin Stables colour bearer Mouffy.
“[Cheminaud has] been capable of take his ability set anyplace,” Thomas mentioned. “I believe he’s gained races for us at 5 or 6 totally different racetracks now. He’s a really, excellent rider. He’s very good, he locations his horses extraordinarily nicely. I believe he’s flying dramatically underneath the radar proper now, however he’s accomplished little unsuitable for us.”
Thomas attributes a big portion of his Del Mar success to Raabe. She galloped the entire barn’s horses within the mornings after an train rider stop two days into the meet. She additionally determined to arrange store earlier than the meet to assist get their horses acquainted with the power.
With the ability to settle into the brand new environment boded particularly nicely for Jimmy Durante Stakes winner Will Then. Thomas referred to as the 2-year-old filly’s efficiency the “most spectacular” of any of his winners at Del Mar. Exiting a Woodbine maiden victory, the daughter of Warfare of Will confirmed an electrifying flip of foot down the lane Nov. 30 to win by 2 1/4 lengths at odds of 10.50-1.
“Her final two works out right here I assumed have been wonderful,” Thomas mentioned of Will Then. “It didn’t shock me that she gained, however it did shock me how simply she gained.”
Thomas mentioned Will Then, along with Really High quality and Pink Carpet Stakes heroine Mrs. Astor, are all very more likely to begin in the course of the upcoming Santa Anita meet as soon as the correct spot arises.
Really High quality, who made a splash within the older turf division in the course of the second half of this 12 months, may have his eye on greater targets in 2025.
“If he can enhance just a bit bit, it places him within the thick of issues subsequent 12 months in a number of the greater races,” Thomas mentioned. “As soon as we began stretching him out and figuring out his fashion, which is coming with one massive run and forcing him into his races, it made a giant distinction.
“He’s clearly going to be tempo dependent. His final two races have been nail-biters, he leaves it to the final minute, however that appears to be the fashion he’s developed. I believe he’s going to proceed to enhance.”
Thomas thinks the added distance additionally performed a key function in Mrs. Astor’s latest stakes success. The Lookin At Fortunate filly earned a breakthrough triumph Nov. 24 within the 1 3/8-mile Pink Carpet.
“As soon as we stretched [Mrs. Astor] out, it actually modified issues for her,” Thomas mentioned. “I assumed she ran a really sneaky good race within the [1 1/2-mile] Dowager — I believe she was 50-1 — and simply missed for third. So, I felt excellent about her [in the Red Carpet]. She had been coaching very nicely and at all times had a stakes-quality really feel about her, so it was good to get that accomplished.”
Driving on the heels of a fruitful Del Mar meet, the Thomas barn units its sights on the winter Santa Anita assembly.
“Not solely is Santa Anita an incredible place to get some black-type and develop some youthful horses, however it’s additionally an incredible place to relaxation and get a few of these horses prepared for a number of the greater targets later within the 12 months,” Thomas mentioned.
“Now we have some maidens we’re enthusiastic about. Now we have a few unraced 2-year-olds that we’d wish to get able to run in January and February. I’ve a horse, Geometry, that broke his maiden at Keeneland within the fall I’d wish to run out right here, he’s by far our greatest 2-year-old colt turning 3. He ought to make it again to the races to start with of February and I’d like to make the most of their 3-year-old stakes program with him.”
