Promising filly Honeyfromthesouth joins Baffert after Phoenix purchase

Phoenix Thoroughbreds is busy adding promising young horses to its elite string, and its latest private acquisition is Honeyfromthesouth, who found only American Pharoah's half-sister Chasing Yesterday too good on debut at Del Mar last month.

Honeyfromthesouth, a two-year-old filly by Fed Biz who had been trained by David Hofmans for Five Star Racing, was beaten four and a quarter lengths by Chasing Yesterday in a maiden special weight for fillies over 5½f.

She had been a little slow out of the gates in the race but showed speed to soon duel for the lead and although she was no match for Chasing Yesterday, she did finish seven and a quarter lengths in front of the third home, Culver Miss.

Phoenix Thoroughbreds founder and chairman Amer Abdulaziz said: “She looks as though she could be a special filly and she is going to Bob Baffert.

“I hope she can go on to bigger and better things.”

Baffert is one of Phoenix Thoroughbreds' principal trainers in the US, and has conditioned its Grade 1-winning filly Dream Tree and the talented Diamondsandpearls.

His new recruit Honeyfromthesouth was originally a $150,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Five Star Racing from the draft of the filly's breeder Lantern Hill Farm.

Phoenix Thoroughbreds is assembling a strong squad of two-year-olds across Europe and the US, bolstered by similar private purchases.

The organisaton also bought into the Group 2 winners Advertise and Signora Cabello, while it also emerged this week the operation has acquired Mia Mento, a once-raced Leopardstown maiden winner for Tom Mullins.

Read more...

Breeding now the focus as Phoenix Thoroughbreds consolidates fast start