By J.N. Campbell
DEL MAR, California–In Saturday's GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar, the Europeans come to town riding a five-year win streak having taken the hardware and the bragging rights with thanks.
Yet, lest we forget that this is horse racing on the turf and that means even the most deserving favorites can be vulnerable. To put it in sports betting terms, the Filly & Mare Turf could be deemed what we call a 'trap game' in the business. That means a seemingly stronger opponent underestimates their adversary and is not as prepared as they might think. In other words, they lose.
Dethroning this European locomotion and trapping her opponent is the goal for Hang the Moon (Uncle Mo) and her rider Kazushi Kimura, who clearly represents the home team of Southern California after putting together wins in the GII John C. Mabee Stakes at the seaside oval Sept. 7 and last out in the GII Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita Oct. 5, which clinched the trip to Del Mar.
Some might think that the filly trained by Phil D'Amato has her work cut out her against a field which includes the likes of European imports like GISW Cinderella's Dream (GB) (Shamardal) and G1SW Content (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), plus one of the best North American female distance grass horses in MGISW War Like Goddess (English Channel).
Hang the Moon wins the Rodeo Drive at Santa Anita Park | Benoit Photo
Perhaps Hang the Moon will float upward from her initial morning-line offering price of 10-1, which would cement her underdog status, but that does not concern D'Amato one iota.
“Hang the Moon came to us this year as a 4-year-old from Mike Stidham and he did such a great job preparing her,” said D'Amato. “She's scopey and professional and it's been fun watching her continue to develop. I think the owners with CJ have enjoyed the ride and we are looking forward to her competing on a course and at a distance that suits her so well. We have a ton of confidence in what she can do.”
The “CJ” mentioned by Hang the Moon's trainer is CJ Thoroughbreds, which is a partnership group helmed by Corey Johnsen, his son CJ Johnsen and Mike Renfro. The company regularly attends the sales and each year purchases a batch of yearlings with the intent on making the races.
“We have a group of investors who regularly support CJ Thoroughbreds, but no one pays for any additional expenses until the horse reaches 3-years-old,” said Renfro. “We have input from great bloodstock agents like Alistair Roden and Marette Farrell. Alistair is the one who picked out Hang the Moon for us at Keeneland September. Everyone in on this horse speaks the language of horse racing, loves the competition and they all have backgrounds in sports or business or both.”
Among the investors in the $200,000 Keeneland buy are Texans like Doug Scharbauer, who owns Valor Farm outside of Dallas, and Lee Lewis, who heads a construction company in the Lone Star State and also owns GSW Gun Song (Gun Runner). Louisville native Mike Schnell came on board, as did Mike Carter of Dallas, FanDuel TV's Mike Joyce joined in and so did Kentucky State Senator Damon Thayer, along with several others who made contributions.
The team behind Hang the Moon also includes Ben Bishop, a former NHL goaltender who is now the director of player development for the Dallas Stars, and his father.
Renfro wanted to add one more “player” to the Hang the Moon starting lineup, so he reached out to one of his old coaches from his football days.
Wade Phillips | Scott Halleran/Getty Images
As a native Texan, Renfro had a long career in the NFL playing for both the Houston Oilers and Dallas Cowboys. His Oiler head coach was legend Bum Phillips, whose son Wade served as the team's defensive line coach from 1977 to 1980. Wade Phillips has been around the best in the game as a defensive guru having coached the likes of Reggie White, Bruce Smith, DeMarcus Ware and J.J. Watt, just to name a few. Renfro knew having Phillips on board would be fun.
“Coach Phillips is one of my all-time favorites in the sports world,” said Renfro. “He knows what it takes to win and there is something about having someone intimately connected to a pro sport as a racehorse owner. They just come in understanding what it's like to be at this kind of level.”
Phillips's father loved horses, especially the cutting type, and he owned a ranch in Texas. His love of the racetrack was something he imparted to his son Wade.
“My Dad loved to go down to the paddock and watch the horses. When he was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints and I was on his staff we were stuck for something like four hours before the plane was going to leave, and he took the whole team to the racetrack. Most guys had never seen the kind of athletes these Thoroughbreds were, but you could tell they got it and admired their ability. It was athletes understanding athletes.”
Just like former NFL head coach Bill Parcells, who also led the Dallas Cowboys at one point and loves Thoroughbreds, Phillips knows all too well what champions look like who are on the make. He knows what it takes to train and prepare, so in a manner of speaking it is easy for him to understand what it means to compete at the Breeders' Cup.
“This is the top of the sport and it's called a world championship for a reason,” Phillips said. “I am not talking about a national title, this is bigger and it means so much to have a horse running. I've always been excited by opportunities to compete against the best no matter what the odds were.”
When asked about some of his favorite memories when it comes to winning trap games, the former NFL coach had all sorts to choose from.
Hang the Moon wins the John C. Mabee at Del Mar | Benoit
“When I played in college at the University of Houston, we beat the number one team in the nation in Michigan State to start the season while being unranked,” he said. “And when I coached in 1975 at Kansas we went into Norman and beat a University of Oklahoma team that had won 37 games in a row. The [Denver] Bronco Super Bowl we won in 2016 was special too because don't forget that Carolina [Panthers] had scored like 40 points in each of their playoff wins coming in. We beat them 24-10 and our defensive play was great.”
Phillips said that underestimating opponents and not realizing the power of an underdog can always be a mistake. The trap games he played and coached makes him think that horse racing is no different.
“Hang the Moon loves to come late and I can't wait to see her in-person at Del Mar,” Phillips said. “I will be making the trip and I am not going to miss this one.”
Will the Europeans repeat?
“We'll see, you never underestimate a talented athlete,” he said. “Anything can happen.”
That kind of sports mentality that Phillips talked about when you are approaching a big race like the Filly & Mare Turf is exactly what the CJ ownership group enjoys. D'Amato is also optimistic about Hang the Moon's chances against some top-flight turf horses.
“I love getting horses like Hang the Moon because it is like getting a free agent and signing them to a long-term deal,” D'Amato said. “Mike Renfro and CJ Thoroughbreds put together a great team and working with people connected to sports ends up being a great set of relationships because they understand the highs and lows. Competition is competition, no matter where you find it.”
To the CJ Thoroughbred owners of Hang the Moon, a trap game on Saturday at the Breeders' Cup is one that they are ready to see kick.
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