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Mastery Recovering After Successful Surgery

Looking back at Saturday’s experience, owner Everett Dobson said he’s focused on the positive. “It could have been worse,” he said. “We didn’t have anything catastrophic happen, and I was told surgery went great. We’ll just take it one day at a time. We’re cautiously optimistic.”

Mastery Dominates San Felipe, Sustains Injury After

A sterling performance by Cheyenne Stables’ Mastery in the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2) for a moment appeared to stamp him as the clear favorite for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).

The undefeated son of Candy Ride set the pace, turned away a challenge from grade 1 winner Gormley and San Vicente (G2) winner Iliad, and pulled away in the stretch to win by 6 3/4 lengths. But Mastery was pulled up by Mike Smith after the wire and the Hall of Fame jockey jumped off the colt in the turn.

Mastery: Class and Potential

His potential has not been kept a secret, as Everett Dobson’s Cheyenne Stables’ Mastery went off at 3-10 in his maiden effort Oct. 22 at Santa Anita Park, 3-10 in Del Mar’s Bob Hope Stakes (gr. III) Nov. 19, and 1-5 in the 1 1/16-mile Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity (gr. I) Dec. 10.

Bred by Arthur Hancock’s Stone Farm, Mastery was consigned to last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale by Stone Farm and was purchased by Gatewood Bell’s Cromwell Bloodstock for $425,000 during the sixth session.

Winner’s Circle

Arthur Hancock III can recite pedigrees as well as any other Central Kentucky hardboot, meaning he can go back off the top of his head through generationof equine families at sometimes dizzying speed. Hancock, though, is also a big believer in omens, karma, and philosophical pieces of wisdom, which he can also recite on demand. All of the above played a role in his 2009 purchase of the mare Steady Course from the dispersal of William T. Young’s Overbrook Farm. Steady Course’s name hit the bright lights Nov. 19 when her son Mastery won the Bob Hope Stakes (gr. III) at Del Mar. The son of Candy Ride at that moment became Bob Baffert’s leading contender for the 2017 Triple Crown series.

Bloodlines: Hancock-Bred Mastery Shows Classic Promise

That man in Bourbon County. The one who bought in Sunday Silence at the Keeneland July sale, discovered that he had bought the colt for himself because the breeder didn’t want to retain him, and then watched the colt win two-thirds of the Triple Crown. Well, that horse-breeding Arthur Hancock is at it again, and he has not misplaced his lucky rabbit’s foot.