Helen Groves

'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready), at one point considered a leading Triple Crown contender, looks to have found a new home on the lawn after leading at all calls Saturday to justify 19-10 odds in Belmont Park's nine-furlong GII Pennine Ridge S. A 6 3/4-length debut winner at Gulfstream going a mile in December followed by an easy Tampa optional claiming tally in January, the WinStar Farm and Siena Farm representative was fourth in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 5 and third after showing the...

Longtime owner and breeder Helen Groves passed away last Friday at her home in San Antonio, Texas. She was 94. Groves's love of horses began while she was growing up on the historic King Ranch founded by her great-grandfather, Captain Richard King. A skilled rider, she raised and campaigned many champion cutting horses. Known as the "First Lady of Cutting," Groves was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1998. She also owned Grand Prix jumpers ridden by Olympian Michael Matz. Groves's passion for breeding and racing on her...

Alittlebitearly (Thunder Gulch--Aquilegia, by Alydar), dam of GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Bayern (Offlee Wild), died at Helen Alexander's Middlebrook Farm after producing a healthy filly by GI Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist. The 18-year-old mare was bred by Alexander in partnership with her mother, Helen Groves, and sister, Dorothy Matz. Bayern, purchased by Kaleem Shah for $320,000 at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale, won the 2014 Classic, as well as that year's GI William Hill Haskell Invitational S., GII Pennsylvania Derby, and GII Woody Stephens S. Alittlebitearly had no...