Amateurcapper

When STARDOM BOUND made the races this summer at Del Mar, the $375k OBS two-year-old-in-training sales graduate had a name fit for a princess-to-be. Reportedly CHRISTOPHER PAASCH had been saving this name for some time, trying to fit it to the right horse. The trainer is reportedly getting out of the grind of being a conditioner in favor of a more leisurely career as bloodstock agent. STARDOM BOUND's story, which culminated in her sale for $5.7 million at the Fasig-Tipton select sale on Sunday, is not a bad piece to include on his resume when luring clients for his second career.

Paasch selected the multiple G.1 winner for his octogenarian owner CHARLES CONO in March and the not-yet-named-champion juvenile filly debuted just four months later. After a pair of fast-finishing 2^nd's to start her career just 17 days apart, she won the G.1 Del Mar Debutante to announce that STARDOM BOUND had achieved what her name and substantial backstretch buzz expected. She answered the two-turn question in the G.1 Oak Leaf stamping her as the filly to beat in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. STARDOM BOUND did not disappoint her connections or the fans and horseplayers on thoroughbred racing's championship weekend.

In the span of a four month racing career, she'd recouped her purchase price and an extra $1,045,600. All told, CONO's investment along with PAASCH's eye for horseflesh and terrific training have produced a $6.745 million profit in 2008.

In honor of this fairy tale, I AM STARTING A CAMPAIGN FOR AN INAUGURAL ECLIPSE AWARD TO CHARLES CONO AND CHRISTOPHER PAASCH. The name for the award: THE STARDOM BOUND. The qualifications: An owner/ownership group and trainer who exemplify the finest characteristics of their peers while achieving success in the thoroughbred horse racing industry which will be measured by the highest gross profit relative to the horse in question during a calendar year. To qualify as an auction acquisition: the horse's statistics (purchase price, earnings and sales price) will only be considered for the calendar year of purchase (January 1 to December 31). To qualify as a private purchase: (purchase price, earnings and sales price), the horse's statistics will only be considered for the calendar year of purchase (see above). To qualify as a homebred: the horse's statistics (earnings and sales price) will only be considered for the calendar year (see above).

On a very large scale, this is the essence of what horse racing ownership and horsemanship is on a day-to-day basis. Open a racing form each race day and you will find multiple horses racing above the level of their purchase prices. At Hollywood Park on Sunday, trainer JAMES KASPAROFF made his ownership group CONVERGENCE STABLES, LLC $5,000 and the winner's share of a $22,000 purse when TAXI FLEET won the 7^th, a $25k claimer just 14 days after being claimed for $20k. The following race, 4y.o. filly TIZFIZ, finished a very game 2^nd at 11-1 to G.2 winner and even-money favorite JIBBOOM in a 2^nd level allowance (purse value $44,000) 29 days after being claimed for $50k. While not "out" yet, I believe her connections (RICHARD J. O'NEILL TRUST and trainer RAFAEL DeLEON) will never risk her for a tag again considering the breeding potential of the daughter of TIZNOW, out of a GO FOR GIN mare. In fact, she could have won with a cleaner trip and will be a short price in a similar spot in four weeks. It wouldn't be a stretch to see her with black type by the end of next year, selling for a nice profit as a broodmare prospect.

However, has any other horse been bought for so relatively little, achieved so much (monetarily and in graded stakes company) on the racetrack, then sold for a substantial profit in such a short time span as STARDOM BOUND???

There will be worthy recipients of the award every year, rewarding the highest achievers for reaching the pinnacle of what is the essence of the game:  TO MAKE A PROFIT. Their stories may not be equivalent to the one which started the award, but it signals those special connections who achieved their business goal to start the year, when they were dreaming of being STARDOM BOUND.