TWO YEAR OLD COLT-EL GRAN SENOR x ALYDAR x OUR NATIVE

Owner: RDETRIANO

Record: 7 / 5-1-0

Earnings: $944,380

Stakes:

1st: Breeders Bowl Juvenile (G1), Future Stakes (G1), The Ferrara Special, The Truck Drivan Man Handicap

2nd: Sparkling Wine Stake (G1)

By Jeff Carlson

When trainer, Rdetriano, brought the handsome but small bay colt to the track for his first workout in May, he was unsure of how his son of El Gran Senor would react to his new enviroment. By the end of June, Rdetriano knew he had a runner, just how good he didn’t know. When YODEL ELF started to fill out and go on the muscle in July, it was time to find out just what he had in the tank. He was entered quietly in a Maiden Special Weight in Florida, while the racing world had it’s eyes turned to the major meets on each coast. Right from the beginning YODEL ELF learned his lessons well, racing with maturity beyond his experience and raced professionally to a two length victory. The colt continued to grow and mature and relish his time on the track. His connections were starting to see a very good racehorse blossom right before them. They decided to plan a campaign that would hopefully lead to the Breeders Bowl and a championship. He won his next race, his first stake, showing another side of his talents by pressing the pace and toying with his rivals. Next up was the Coal Digger in Illinois and this is where the racing gods threw a monkey wrench into the plans. Yodel Elf was fractious in the paddock and looking a bit washed out. He then went out and ran his worst race to date and had his trainer scratching his head and wondering what had happened. The decision was made to run him right back at the same track and he responded with a victory that included two moves on the pacesetter that left the crowd feeling like they had just seen one of “those special horses.” Rdetriano than brought him to the Spa for the opportunity to race against the royally bred, precocious juveniles at that most prestigious summer meet.

The colt who arrived at the Spa in August was one who had matured into a head turning colt, with a long easy stride and a deep well of potential waiting to be explored. In the Grade I, Future Stake, he was not given much of a chance to win against the blue bloods and the public let him go off at 6/1. It was his first trip around two turns with horses of this quality and his handlers were eager to see how he would like the added distance. If there was any doubts about his class before this race, they were disintegrated with his performance in his first graded stake. What he did was amaze railbirds with a devestating stretch run to win going away by five lengths and earning a triple digit speed rating. It was decided to leave the colt in New York and allow him to prep at the Big Oval in the highlight of the New York juvenile races, the Sparkling Wine. Although he didn’t win, he did place second in the Grade I event, but his trainer feels that the race was probably his best learning experience and set him up to run at the Breeders Bowl.

Amid all the hoopla of the Breeders Bowl in Florida, the colt continued to emerge as a smarter and stronger runner and in the mornings working in company he was turning clockers heads with his ability to relax and then explode past his running mates. When the big day arrived, he was calm and confident in the paddock, yet enjoying all the attention given to the handsome, bay colt. The race played right into his running style, with great speed upfront, it allowed him to relax and sit in perfect striking position, never more than four lengths from the leaders. At the top of the stretch, he was placed perfectly to really go to work and go to work he did. With a brilliant burst of speed, he quickly went past the leaders and continued to the wire, three lengths the best and looking for more ground to race. In a way it was appropriate, he started the journey in Florida and ended his season there with almost identical results, victory.

For now, YODEL ELF is running the fences at the farm and being a kid, but he is also being prepared for his right to manhood and the run for the roses. He will be back on the track shortly, and we all await to see the champion handle his new challenges.