13-Time Winner Csaba Arrives at Pleasant Acres

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Notes from North and South

The onslaught of new stallions retiring to Ocala for 2015 continued this week with the arrival at Joe and Helen Barbazon's Pleasant Acres of the multiple graded stakes-winner Csaba. The addition of the son of Kitten's Joy boosts the Pleasant Acres roster to eight, as he joins Anthony's Cross, Brethren, Beau Choix, Handsome Mike, Treasure Beach, Pollard's Vision and Poseidon's Warrior.

Csaba compiled a record of 13-3-6 in 36 starts, earning $682,440. He competed in 29 stakes and won nine of them, including the Gr. III Fred W. Hooper Handicap at Calder twice in back-to-back years. He also won the Gr. III Hal's Hope at Gulfstream Park.

Csaba won 11 of his races by more than one length - in fact, he won them by a combined total of 59 1/2 lengths. That included a 14-length victory in the Tropical Park Derby, an 8 1/4-length victory in the El Kaiser Stakes and a 3 3/4-length victory in the Harlan's Holiday. In his lone Gr. II effort, Casaba lost by a nose after a prolonged stretch battle with Quick Wit in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga.

Csaba is by perennial leading sire Kitten's Joy, who was the sire of 25 stakes-winners in 2014, most among North American sires. The dam, High Chant, by War Chant, has given Csaba three talented full sisters - stakes-placed Kitten's Queen ($197,644), High Heel Kitten ($119,420) and High on Kitten ($66,632).

LOOKS LIKE A GOODIE IN DIZNEYLAND - Double Diamond Farm, which always seems to have one or more top-flight runners competing from Florida to California, may have another in the newly-turned 3-year-old J S Bach. The son of Tale of the Cat made his first start at Gulfstream Park in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special test and finished second to R Limo Joe, a colt by Kantharos, Ocala Stud's sensational freshman leader of 2014. R Limo Joe, bred by Ocala Stud, ripped off the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04:28.

J S Bach came back on Saturday at 1 1/16 miles, and, despite being bumped soon after the break, led every step of the way under John Velazquez, drawing off in the stretch to score by 8 1/2 widening lengths. Trained by Eclipse Award-winner Todd Pletcher, J S Bach collected $27,500 for owner Don Dizney, boosting his total for the two races to $33,960.

It's always foolish to get too high on a 3-year-old off a maiden victory, but isn't that what makes the game so delicious?