Patience Breeds Success for Murphy's Emerging Stable Star

GIII Louisville S. winner and Saturday's Chorleywood Overnight S. morning-line favorite Foreign Relations (Karakontie {Jpn}) very easily could have been retired from racing not long after his debut had it not been for the patience and perspective of his connections.

A $1,500 short yearling-turned-$25,000 2-year-old, Foreign Relations was not the biggest physical standout when he first arrived at trainer Conor Murphy's barn. While he did run a promising second in his debut the summer of his 3-year-old season, he incurred a minor injury soon after and his owner Double O Racing had to make a decision. They could either cut their losses and move on to the next horse or give Foreign Relations the time he needed to return to the racetrack.

Fortunately, they chose to give the maiden a year off and when the gelding returned to training last year as a 4-year-old, he took an upward trajectory that led him to the winner's circle in the GIII Louisville S. on May 20.

“The owners just gave him time,” explained Murphy. “And that was the big thing, giving him time and patience to help him get over it. The more we trained him, he showed that he had some potential. I don't think we ever thought he was as good as he has turned out to be, so it's always a nice surprise when they keep improving.”

In February, Foreign Relations broke his maiden at Turfway in his third start off the layoff. He later crossed the wire first in a Keeneland first-level allowance in his first start on turf since his debut at Ellis Park nearly two years earlier, but was disqualified after an incident in the stretch.

Murphy describes Foreign Relations as a bit of a quirky trainee, but said that the 5-year-old is finally putting the pieces together this summer.

“Even in his first couple of races back at Turfway, he raced behind the bridle a bit and he was still quite green,” he said. “I think he's finally got the hang of it. Physically as well, he has really filled into his frame. He's a big, strong horse and now we're seeing the best of him.”

Murphy initially planned to send the gelding to an allowance at Churchill Downs, but after drawing the outside post position in a 12-horse field, he opted to take a chance and go for the Grade III.

With Declan Cannon aboard, Foreign Relations stalked three wide for the mile-and-a-half turf contest before driving clear in the stretch to earn a career-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure.

The win gave Murphy his first graded stakes score at his home track. It was also the first graded win for Declan and Cassandra Orpen's Double O Racing, whose current stable roster includes the four-for-five Tom Morley trainee Grannys Connection (Connect).

“This is my first horse for them, so a good start,” noted Murphy. “They're getting their reward for giving the horse time and being patient with him. Same as any horse, if we can keep him in one piece and keep him on the right track, hopefully he can keep improving.”

While Murphy said that Foreign Relations came out of the Louisville in top form, he felt that the 5-year-old needed one last race under his belt before jumping into Grade I company. Saturday's nine-horse $175,000 Chorleywood field at Ellis Park also includes the Mike Maker-trained trio of Therapist (Freud), who was eighth in the Louisville but won the GII Pan American S. in his prior start, as well as Pan American runner-up Bay Street Money (Street Sense) and GSP Media Blitz (Medaglia d'Oro).

“This race was originally a mile and three-eighths at Churchill, so that probably would have suited him a little better but I don't think a mile and a quarter will be an issue for him,” Murphy explained. “It's a tough field again, but he's in good form.”

Murphy said that if all goes as planned on Saturday, the GI United Nations S. at Monmouth on July 22 is penciled in for the gelding's next start.

Foreign Relations and Declan Cannon take the GIII Louisville S. | Coady

Murphy could be gearing up for a big summer with Foreign Relations and another potential stable star in Dark Shift (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}).

Raced in his home continent at two through four, the horse was a winner at Ascot for Charles Hills last summer before arriving at Murphy's barn soon after. Now campaigned by Craycroft Racing and Riverside Bloodstock, the 5-year-old broke a step late in the GIII Thunder Road at Santa Anita on Feb. 4, but still got up to show the way through most of the mile-long contest before yielding late to run fifth in a tight finish. Kept from the starting gate since due to a quarter crack, Dark Shift is now back in training and looking to return to the races this summer.

“There's the GIII Connaught Cup S. at Woodbine going seven furlongs and the GIII Kelso S. at Saratoga, so they'd be two [to consider],” Murphy said. “But if he's not ready for those, we'll give him a little longer. I think he'll be worth the wait.”

Patience is a defining quality of Murphy's operation, but a parallel trait is his stable's knack for bringing out longevity in their top-level trainees.

When Murphy, who is a native of Cork, Ireland, moved to the U.S. to open his stable in 2012, he brought with him a 4-year-old named Dimension (GB) (Medicean {GB}). The gelding raced for Murphy from four through 10. From 32 starts in the States, he produced five stakes wins including three Grade II contests and he took Murphy to two Breeders' Cups.

The 15-year-old now lives across the street from Murphy's base at Tyrone Thoroughbred Training Center (formerly Skylight Training Center) and can often be seen grazing from Murphy's barn.

Just when Dimension was retiring, another European import in Great Wide Open (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) began to make his mark for Murphy. The gelding also made his first start in the U.S. at age four and brought home several wins over the next four years including a stakes score in the 2018 Buddy Diliberto Memorial S. He was also second in the 2018 GI Shadwell Turf Mile S.

Murphy said he is hopeful that perhaps Foreign Relations could be the next longstanding star for his stable.

“The good thing with him is that he has only run seven times,” Murphy noted. “He's a 5-year-old, but I feel like there is a lot of improvement to come from him. He's an exciting horse and he loves what he does. He stands in his stall every day just looking out at the track. Fingers crossed we can win some nice races with him.”