Wests' Homebred Graduates Closing Weekend at Ellis

This column highlights the performances of 2-year-old maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are graded/group winners, or have dams that are graded/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners, in particular, who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners.

Ellis Park

The Gary and Mary West homebred Rancho Santa Fe was one of the stars of the final Ellis Park weekend of the season, closing the curtain on a meet that generated a record handle bolstered by record purses. With the 2025 summer meet offering a maiden special weight purse of $100,000 for the first time, a 40% increase from last year, the fields were often stacked and full each weekend of the 25-day meet (it should be noted the full purse is only available to Kentucky-bred horses, with the base purse for starters being $52,000). According to Ellis Park publicity, this year's 2-year-old maiden special weight fields averaged 9.5 starters per race.

Rancho Santa Fe was one of ten 2-year-olds who lined up for a one-mile maiden special weight on the main track at Ellis Aug. 24. Vanning in from trainer Brad Cox's Churchill Downs string, the chestnut logged a longer trip than most of his rivals, tracking in the four-five path through the first turn and backstretch run. After a half-mile in :47.29, jockey Florent Geroux decided to strike an early advantage with a willing Rancho Santa Fe, and the pair cruised right on past the pacesetters and opened up a two-length lead on the field turning for home. Showing no signs of weariness down the lane, Rancho Santa Fe thundered across the wire a comfortable 1 3/4-length winner in a final time of 1:38.76. 

A son of the prolific Gainesway stallion Tapit , Rancho Santa Fe became the third winner produced by his multiple graded stakes-winning dam, Family Tree. Also campaigned by the Wests, Family Tree bankrolled $733,387 in her career. A versatile runner, the daughter of Smart Strike won over both dirt and turf surfaces and short and long distances. Family Tree, a half sister to 2018 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) winner and 2019 Kentucky Oaks (G1) runner-up Liora (Candy Ride ), has the multiple grade 2-winning race mare Gold Mover as her second dam.

Family Tree's third foal, the Quality Road  colt Heroic Move, became a graded stakes winner last year with a victory in the $400,000 Steve Sexton Stakes (G3) at Lone Star Park. The 5-year-old remained in training with Robertino Diodoro in 2025 and has added a stakes win and two graded placings.