NEWS
Shah buys three-year-old Concord Point
Posted: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 7:00 PM
by Pete Denk
Kaleem Shah has purchased impressive maiden winner Concord Point from the partnership that owned the three-year-old Tapit colt.
Concord Point won a maiden special weight race by 1 ¼ lengths in his career debut at Santa Anita Park on December 26, completing 6½ furlongs in 1:15.11 on the Pro-Ride synthetic surface.
Shah bought Concord Point from Stephanie Preston’s Coleton Stables, Pete Bradley, and Eddie Woods. The purchase price was not disclosed.
Concord Point was a $220,000 purchase at the 2008 Keeneland September yearling sale. Preston, Woods, and Bradley bought him back for $285,000 at the 2009 Barretts Equine Ltd. March sale of selected two-year-olds in training.
Out of the winning Boston Harbor mare Harve de Grace, Concord Point will remain in trainer Bob Baffert’s barn.
“I think he’s a really nice horse,” Baffert said on Tuesday. “We were very high on him before he ran. He ran very greenly and he still won. He’s got a lot potential. He’s a Triple Crown nominee, and we think he’s that type of horse.”
Shah is the founder of CALNET Inc., a Virginia-based firm which specializes in information technology, intelligence analysis, and language services.
Shah bought the first foal by 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri—an A.P. Indy colt named Take Control—for $1.9-million at the 2009 Keeneland April sale of selected two-year-olds in training. Take Control won his career debut impressively but came out of the race with a sore shin.
Shah also owned Clutch Player, a Malibu Moon colt who won his debut impressively on December 19 at Hollywood Park and died two weeks later of pneumonia.
“Mr. Shah has had some tough luck with the one horse dying, and he was a really nice horse,” Baffert said. “Take Control aggravated a shin, so he’ll miss the [Kentucky] Derby (G1), but he’ll be fine.”
Baffert said Concord Point will be entered in a first-level allowance race at Santa Anita on Friday.
“I lost a little time with the rain and all the troubles with the track, so I want to get one more race in him before we step him up or stretch him out,” Baffert said.
Concord Point was being considered for the $150,000 San Vicente Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita on February 15. Baffert said he will enter two colts in that race: Tiny Woods and Quiet Invader.
Pete Denk is sales editor for Thoroughbred Times
