Happy New Year,

It is official that Kenwood Racing LLC is the top Racing Syndicate in both Winning and top 3 finish percentage over all other public Racing Syndicates who have had at least 17 starts in 2025 according to the Equibase Database. Through 53 starts this year we have a 16 W, 10 P, and 9 S line for 66.04% In the Money and Winning 30.19%.  

Kenwood is starting a new contest for the 2026 racing year for all current and former Group Members beginning with our first race of the new year on Suday January 4th.  If you did not receive an email regarding this on Friday, you may email contest@kenwoodracing.com and request to be put on the contest list.  Congratulations to the 2025 winners Tony G. 1st place $1000, Mike C. 2nd place $500 and Frank R. $250 towards any Kenwood Group purchase.  You must be in it to win it!

Speed Figures is entered tomorrow Sunday January 4th in Race 8 at Gulfstream Park going 5 furlongs on the turf for a nice Florida Bred Purse of $87K (see pp’s attached above and details below).  Tyler Gaffalione will be aboard in a full field of 10 leaving from post position 1 where they are 10/1 on the opening line.  Scott’s early analysis is below.  Good luck to all Group 97 ARC25 Members and Trainer – Partner Kelly Breen.

SPEED FIGURES is back in the entries Sunday at Gulfstream Park to hopefully kickoff the New Year for Kenwood Racing and ARC25 with a bang! Speed Figures drew the rail and gets top jockey, Tyler Gaffalione, in the irons for his return to the races, in a second level Allowance going 5-furlongs on the turf. The $87,000 purse drew a full field of 10 runners, plus two AE’s waiting to draw in with any scratches! The rail is the place to be with the gate speed that Speed Figures has, and there will be no secrets with our game plan – SEND! We’ll need a clean break first and foremost, but there is some other capable, early speed to his outside; most notably #3-Quereme Pass, who is cutting back in distance. The other early speed looks to have drawn to the outside, with #8-Test Factor, #9-Classy War and #10-Twisted Filigree all showing their best form when they are forwardly placed throughout. Their outside post positions suggest they’ll be sending too, to avoid getting caught wide into the turn on the short sprint. Speed Figures comes into the race fresh, off a bullet breeze for the State Vets, and has been doing great down at Palm Meadows! Fingers always crossed, but hopefully we can kickoff the New Year in style next weekend!

 

Red Head Italian is well at Penn National after two big wins in a row and will travel to Parx on Tuesday January 6th to run in Race 4 (see pp’s above and details below).   Jomar Torres will ride to try to make it a hat trick for the duo.  See Scott’s early comments below.  Good luck to all Group 91 Members, Trainer Mark Salvaggio and our partner RJR Racing.

RED HEAD ITALIAN is entered next Tuesday, January 6th, at Parx! Carded as Race 4, with a scheduled Post Time of 1:26 PM, RHI gets jockey Jomar Torres back in the saddle to try and make it three wins in a row against a full field of 10 runners, plus two AE’s! Breaking from Post Position #8 and sprinting 6.5-furlongs on the deep Parx track, the distance will be the question for RHI.  She’s in peak conditioning at this point, and has been training well out at Penn National coming into this one. There is not a lot of other early speed signed up on paper, but #2-Violet’s Smile does have early speed, and won a similar race to RHI two back, going gate-to-wire at Penn National. Hopefully we can get a clean break, and being outside that other speed, Jomar can read and react a bit to what the others are doing. With that said, RHI runs her best races when she has the lead and is running freely, so we certainly want the lead. But, with the added distance, we’d like to avoid a complete speed duel on the front end, so Jomar will have to use his experience with RHI the past couple of months to put her in the best spot!

Red Head Italian (4-Year-Old Filly)

Date: December 26, 2025
Track: PENN NATIONAL
Distance: Four Furlongs
Time: 51:83 Breezing
Track Condition: Fast
Surface: Dirt
Rank: 19/22

 

Cadet Corps had a nice work on New Year's Eve (see below) and we have nominated him to the Grade 3 Louisiana Stakes on Saturday January 17th at Fair Grounds Racetrack in New Orleans.  Trainer Kelly Breen will breeze him one more time next week and if all goes well we will enter next Saturday the 10th.  More details to come in the next update.

Cadet Corps (6-Year-Old Gelding)

Date: December 31, 2025
Track: PALM MEADOWS TRAINING CENTER
Distance: Five Furlongs
Time: 1.02:85 Breezing
Track Condition: Fast
Surface: Dirt
Rank: 3/5

Lisa Connects is training well at Palm Meadows and there are possible entries for her on January 14th or 15th at Gulfstream Park.  More to follow when an entry is confirmed.

Outlaw Country has continued to train well at Palm Meadows after his last couple of disappointing starts.  We will be looking for a spot for him in the coming weeks at Gulfstream Park hopefully on his preferred turf surface.

One Time Willard was picked up early this morning at Sunset Meadows Farm in Farmingdale, NJ, to begin his 19-hour van ride down to the Palm Meadows Training Center to rejoin Kelly’s barn! Please see the attached photo above from Jeanne this morning, with Willard loading up and getting secured in the trailer.  Interesting to note, the van driver gave Willard his very first van ride as yearling back in 2020, when he picked him up at Hunter’s Run Farm where Willard was foaled, and drove him down to Ocala to begin the breaking and training process; small world! One Time Willard is now a 7YO hard knocker, having won 7 of 30 races for over $413,000 in career earnings. Crossing out his last race in mid-September, Willard ran his lifetime best down at Colonial Downs in the Claiming Crown Preview in August, and we’re excited to get him started on his journey back to that form! We’ll take it one step at a time though and let Willard do the talking with his return to training. Per Jeanne and Ken at Sunset Meadows, Willard was becoming a “handful” every day, which is just the type of energy we know and love from our NJ Bred! Fingers crossed for a safe van ride, and I’m sure he will settle in nicely with the warmed Florida temps!

Cali Heat has continued to progress in his recovery from injury at Sunset Meadow and is enjoying his time in the round pen.  We will be looking for a new home for him early next year and if anyone has interest in helping him in his second career please let us know.

Lisa’s Palace is well in Saratoga Springs New York awaiting the 2026 breeding Season.