Legendary New York trainer Mike Hernandez dies
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The late Mike Hernandez (center, holding trophy) retired in November 2011 at Aqueduct. NYRA Photo.
Ramon “Mike” Hernandez, trainer of scores of stakes winners and oldest active trainer at New York Racing Association tracks when he retired in November 2011, died at the age of 99 Sunday.
A native of Union de San Antonio Jalisco, Mexico, Hernandez started his long career in racing in 1944 when Hipodromo de las Americas opened in Mexico City. He started training in 1951 and enjoyed a successful career in his native country before moving permanently to the United States in the 1970s.
Mentored in his early days by Cecil Locklear, Laz Barrera and Pancho Martin, Hernandez managed Cleremont Farms in Germantown, N.Y., before opening up a public stable in 1976. He trained in the U.S from 1976 to 2011, winning 603 races from 5,419 starts and his horses earned $18,820,126, according to Daily Racing Form statistics.
Legendary New York breeder and owner Dr. Dominick DeLuke, owner of Assunta Louis Farms, contributed to Hernandez’s success. Hernandez trained several stakes winners for DeLuke, including Fratello Ed, Sir Prove It and Vandy Sue. The latter gave Hernandez his lone graded stakes win in the Grade 3 Distaff Handicap in 1978 at Aqueduct. Vandy Sue also won the 1976 New York Breeders Fillies and New York Breeders Futurity at Finger Lakes.
Other stakes winners trained by Hernandez included Adirondack Holme, Artistic Express, Beautiful America, Classic Pack and Luck. Hernandez also trained for owners John Hettinger, Chester and Mary Broman and others during his career.
Hernandez’s family brought his body to Barn 76 at Saratoga Race Course Sunday, where they “placed Call to Post, we told him it was ‘rider’s up’ while singing his favorite songs,” his family said. “He gave us a beautiful sunset for his last ‘race’ on the Oklahoma Training Track.”
Hernandez is survived by his wife of 71 years, Mary; his three daughters, Teresa (Charles) Schirmer, Cathalene Hagney and Mary (George) Segarra; his son Michael Bowles; his four sisters Lupe, Amparo, Carmen and Matilde; his brother Carlos; over 100 nieces and nephews, his cat Happy and squirrels Ramon and Suzie.
Hernandez’s funeral procession will form 9:30 am Wednesday at the Seamon-Wilsey Funeral Home Inc. in Saugerties, N.Y. Procession will continue to the St. Mary of the Snow Church for a 10 a.m. funeral mass. Burial will follow in the Blue Mountain Cemetery. Visitation will be from 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Read more about Mike Hernandez from the pages of The Saratoga Special:
West Point preview: Classic Redux[2]
School Days: Classic Pack knocks off mates with big finish in NY-bred stakes.[3] Page 14.
Endnotes:- [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/HernandezRetirement.jpg
- West Point preview: Classic Redux: https://thisishorseracing.com/news/west-point-preview-classic-redux/
- School Days: Classic Pack knocks off mates with big finish in NY-bred stakes.: https://thisishorseracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/08-15-07.pdf
Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/11/08/legendary-new-york-trainer-hernandez-dies/
Risky Mischief, Robin Sparkles highlight Keeneland opener
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Stakes-placed Risky Mischief sold for $475,000 Monday, the highest price for a New York-bred on Day 1 of the Keeneland November sale. Photo courtesy of Paramount Sales.
By Tom Law
Stakes-placed Risky Mischief sold for $475,000 and graded stakes winner Robin Sparkles brought $450,000 to highlight the first day of the Keeneland November breeding stock sale Monday in Lexington.
The two mares were sold back-to-back, with Risky Mischief going first as Hip 145[2] to Breeze Easy LLC. Consigned by Paramount Sales, Risky Mischief is a 5-year-old daughter of Into Mischief out of stakes winner Risky Rachel from the family of multiple New York-bred stakes winners Dancin Renee and Say Florida Sandy. She was sold in foal to Charlatan.
Bred by Sanford Bacon and foaled at Birsh Family Farm in Amsterdam, Risky Rachel originally sold for $350,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. She won four of 10 starts for owner Jeff Drown and trainer Jeremiah Englehart, earning $233,100 during a career highlighted by a debut victory at Saratoga Race Course in 2019 and a third in the Autumn Days Stakes at Aqueduct in 2020.
Hip 146[3], Robin Sparkles sold next to Candy Meadows LLC as a racing or broodmare prospect out of the Denali Stud consignment.
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Robin Sparkles, winner of the Grade 3 Caress this summer at Saratoga, sold for $450,000 Monday at Keeneland. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.
Bred by Hibiscus Stables and foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, the 5-year-old daughter of Elusive Quality won nine of 18 starts and earned $531,793 for owner Michael Schraeder and trainer Bruce Brown.
Robin Sparkles scored her biggest victory this summer at Saratoga, defeating a field that included eventual Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Caravel in the Grade 3 Caress Stakes going 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf. Robin Sparkles won two other stakes during her career – the 2021 Mount Vernon at Belmont Park and the 2022 Politely at Monmouth Park.
Bolter Bloodstock purchased the most expensive New York-bred weanling during Monday’s session, going to $230,000 for Hip 101[5], a filly by Munnings.
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Hip 101, a filly by Munnings bred by Pine Ridge Stables LTD, sold for $130,000 Monday at Keeneland. Photo courtesy of Taylor Made Sales Agency.
Bred by Pine Ridge Stables LTD, foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham and consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, the filly is out of the Into Mischief mare Magic Mischief, a half-sister to graded stakes winner Temple City.
Keeneland reported sales on three New York-bred racing or broodmare prospects, or broodmares for $1,155,000, an average price of $385,000. Three New York-bred weanlings also sold during the opening session for $450,000, an average price of $150,000.
The Keeneland November sale continued at 10 a.m. Tuesday with the first session of the two-day Book 2.
Endnotes:- [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/RiskyMischief-KeeNov2022.jpg
- Hip 145: http://apps.keeneland.com/sales/k322/pdfs/145.pdf
- Hip 146: http://apps.keeneland.com/sales/k322/pdfs/146.pdf
- [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/RobinSparkles-Caress.jpg
- Hip 101: http://apps.keeneland.com/sales/k322/pdfs/101.pdf
- [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Hip101-KeeNov2022.jpg
Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/11/08/risky-mischief-robin-sparkles-highlight-keeneland-opener/