With most of our better runners on the farm for a little R&R as we point for the spring - summer at our home base of Monmouth Park, the winter is rarely our best part of the season, but Kenwood Racing is off to an excellent start in 2016, with two wins in January. 

First up, a great 2^nd annual Ownerview National Owners Conference at Gulfstream Park came to an end on a perfect note on January 14th , as Unspoken Quality overcame being forced terribly wide on the first turn from an outside post, to win going away. Cheered on by a large crowd of Kenwood Partners, Co-Owners and Friends, Unspoken Quality showed heart and courage under a very heady ride by jockey Juan Leyva, who kept his head after the rough start and put the horse in a position to win. Congratulations to group #26 who owns Unspoken Quality with Kenwood. We were able to purchase him at a bargain price and he has now posted a win, a second and three thirds in five starts for us.

Kenwood had a real impact at the National Owners Conference and received many accolades. It’s going to be a busy season at the sales for us with all the interest from many new and current co-owners. You can see a video of Kenwood founder and co-managing partner H. Robb Levinsky speaking on one of the featured panels of the conference here.

Just two days later on January 16th, Big Apple Brit got an absolutely picture perfect ride by jockey Taylor Connor and took full advantage of it, scooting through a big hole on the rail at the top of the stretch to win in hand at 8 to 1 odds at Penn National in his final start for Kenwood, before being sold at the Fasig-Tipton sale in Maryland on January 31st. Kudos to trainer Mark Salvaggio for having him fit and ready off a 7 week layoff. Brit beat a solid group for the level, with Kenwood co-owner David Lowrey, who he is named to honor, on hand to cheer him into the winner’s circle.  In over two years of racing, all under Kenwood silks since being purchased at the OBS April sale in 2014, Big Apple Brit gave us many thrills and winner's circle photos, with a lifetime record of 36 starts, 6 wins, 7 seconds and 5 thirds and earnings over $82,000 to date. He competed mostly in lower level claiming races, but was one of our soundest and most hard trying runners, who gave it his all every time and was as solid as they come. We wish his new owners great luck with him and we have told them he always has a safe home with us, when his racing days are over. 

And on January 18th, following up on the successful private purchase of Unspoken Quality (see above), Kenwood Racing celebrated the start of an exciting new year with the private purchase of another horse, as the three year old filly Awesome Challenge (by the fine Florida sire Awesome of Course) joined Kenwood and co-owner group #26. "We were very fortunate to be able to purchase Unspoken Quality recently, for what has proven to be a bargain price and we think this filly, coming off an impressive win in her last start at the always super competitive Gulfstrean Park meet, has the potential to be another good buy," explained Kenwood founder and managing partner H. Robb Levinsky.  Awesome Challenge will remain with trainer Steve DiMauro at Gulfstream Park. A compact, well-balanced filly, we feel Awesome Challenge is just starting to show her best form now and has a bright future ahead of her. 

On one of the few down notes for the month, Title Fight turned in a real clunker on January 27th, finishing last of 8 horses at Gulfstream Park, with no excuse. He's shown he can't compete at the tough Gulfstream winter meet and will now head to trainer Mark Salvaggio at Penn National where we hope, as has proven to be the case with so many other horses, a little class relief and a new setting will get him back in form and into the winner's circle. 

Kenwood's fine filly Titanium Jo is entered in the Fasig-Tipton Winter sale in Kentucky on February 8th, as a racing or broodmare prospect and was assigned hip #245. We expect her to run again prior to the sale, and if she doesn't bring our price at the sale she will stay with us and run the rest of 2016. She would make an awfully nice broodmare - racing prospect for someone willing to pay the price. You can see her catalog page here. It’s impressive.