In Te Domine, winner of the Statue of Liberty Division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series in her last start on August 12^th, had lots of run for the first division of the $70,000 Riskaverse Stakes for three-year-old fillies at Saratoga on Thursday, but little opportunity to put it to good use. Hemmed in by traffic for most of the trip, the three-year-old daughter of Freud had to settle for third, making a brave late charge once she got running room.

Owned by a partnership of Blackout Racing Stables and Lawrence J. Zyra, and trained by Linda Rice, In Te Domine was making her seventh career start in the Riskaverse, but meeting open company for the first time. To this point, she had only once finished worse than second and has raced exclusively on grass. The Riskaverse was run at a mile on Saratoga’s Inner Turf course.

Breaking from post four of nine under Alan Garcia (who had ridden the filly to a first level allowance win on July 4^th), In Te Domine was slightly crowded at the start, but managed to secure a clear spot at the hedge in fifth position by the time she entered the first turn. Down the back stretch as she advanced to fourth, however, her troubles began. Though very eager, she had to be kept under a stout hold to keep from running up on the heels of the leader, long shot Shirley She Can. At the same time, she was hemmed in by favorite Awesome Maria, who was pressing Shirley She Can at her flank, and Tidal Pool, who was tracking in third to Awesome Maria’s outside (but more or less on even terms with In Te Domine). The advance of eventual runner-up Snow Top Mountain as the field entered the turn only complicated matters. Snow Top Mountain split In Te Domine and Tidal Pool, and Shirley She Can hung tough on the hedge directly in In Te Domine’s path. In the final furlong, Awesome Maria was the first to pass her Shirley She Can. Snow Top Mountain followed suit, but just far enough behind to keep In Te Domine hemmed in. Finally, around the sixteenth marker Garcia was able to tug the filly into a new course to clear the fading Shirley She Can. Even after being held and checked at intervals for most of her trip, In Te Domine still had plenty of run and came on strong with a late charge, but there was no time before the wire for her to do better than get up for third.

Foaled and raised at her breeder Barbara Bongard’s Rojan Farms, In Te Domine now has a record of 3-2-1 from seven starts, with career purse earnings of $129,740. The sophomore is one of three winners produced by the A.P. Indy mare Luminate (purchased by Bongard at the 2005 Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale for $52,000), including a winning New York-bred filly A. P. Light by Cape Canaveral. Luminate has a New York-bred yearling filly by Flashy Bull and was bred back to Freud this year. Freud stands for Sequel Stallions at Keane Stud.

Eminent Tale (Photo: Adam Coglianese)

On the heels of Rightly So’s Grade 1 Ballerina victory on Travers Day, New York-breds continue to deliver at Saratoga, even as the 2010 meet starts to wind down. On Sunday, Eminent Tale, a two-year-old bay colt by the same New York stallion as Rightly So, Read the Footnotes, won his 5 ½-furlong debut against fellow state-breds. On Monday Fiddlers Patriot set a track record for 5 ½ furlongs on the Mellon Turf Course, edging out the current holder of the record, New York-bred Lady Rizzi, who set the mark in 2008.

Eminent Tale took a few strides to get sorted out after the break under John Velazquez, but as soon as he did, the Richard Dutrow-trainee shot straight to the front to set the fractions. He ran a quarter in 22.13, moderated the pace slightly for a half in 45.82 and, late on the turn, was joined on the front end by Luxury Appeal. Luxury Appeal was determined in pursuit, but Eminent Tale continued to respond to urging and found the finish line with half a length to spare. The final time for the 5 ½ furlongs was 1:04.82.

Owned by a partnership of Tony Grey’s Winter Park Partners, Sequel Racing and Dennis Narlinger, and bred by Thomas-Narlinger LLC and Tony Grey, Eminent Tale is the third winner (and second New York-bred winner) of four foals to start from the placed Tale of the Cat mare Six Tales. Purchased by Becky Thomas (agent) from Stonereath Farms at the 2006 Keeneland January sale, Six Tales has a yearling filly by Officer, a weanling full-brother to Eminent Tale, and has been bred this year to Utopia. Read the Footnotes, at stud in New York since 2006, stands for Sequel Stallions at Keane Stud.

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Just about two years ago to the day (August 24^th 2008), Benchmark Racing Stable’s Lady Rizzi, by former New York sire Rizzi and trained by Linda Rice, set a 5 ½-furlong track record on Saratoga’s Mellon Turf Course, completing the distance in second level allowance/optional claiming race for state-breds in 1:00.66 while carrying 120 pounds (after fractions of 21.07, 43.24 and 54.83). She was six at the time. It took another New York-bred (also carrying 120 pounds in a race with the same conditions) to eclipse the mark.

Fiddlers Patriot (Photo: Adam Coglianese)

Four-year-old Fiddlers Patriot, trained by George Weaver and getting on the grass for the first time after five career starts for his Saratoga debut, tore over the course on Monday to a five-length victory in 1:00.59. Charging to the front from post position ten under Javier Castellano, Fiddlers Patriot ran the first quarter in 21.68 and the half in 44.18. Though unchallenged, he kept accelerating in the lane, completing five furlongs in 55.11 and the final half-furlong in 5:48.

A Fiddlers Green Stable homebred, Fiddlers Patriot is by Proud Citizen out of Thorette by Affirmed. Seven of Thorette’s eight foals to start have won, six of them New York-breds, including black type-placed earner of $251,959 Speed Bag (Abaginone). Her progeny have earned slightly over $600,000.

Photo: Adam Coglianese

Zayat Stables’ Rightly So, last seen winning the seven-furlong Grade 3 Bed o’ Roses Handicap at Belmont on the Fourth of July weekend, was pointed immediately after the race to the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga by trainer Tony Dutrow. The four-year-old daughter of New York-based Read the Footnotes fulfilled her trainer’s plans to a tee on Saturday, wiring a field of seven other fillies and mares three and up to win the seven-furlong Grade 1 race on Travers Day at the Spa in a stunning four-length romp.

Rightly So, who had achieved all six previous lifetime victories on the front end, changed no tactics on Saturday after the gates opened. Cornelio Velasquez, in the irons for both her Bed of Roses victory and close runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Vagrancy Handicap in late May, took Rightly So straight to the lead and they challenged the field to run them to down. The field did not.

Photo: Adam Coglianese

Although she drifted out slightly after the start, Rightly So (who was fourth choice in the wagering at post time) led the way just off the rail through blazing fractions of 22.26 and 44.80 with Warbling in pursuit. Jessica Is Back followed in third. The running order remained unchanged down the backstretch, around the turn and through the stretch, the only difference being that in upper stretch, after testing fractions, with three-quarters of a mile clocked at 1:09.29, Rightly So continued to draw off from the field. She got the win by a four-length margin. Warbling and Jessica is Back followed her across the finish line and favorite, Champion Informed Decision, finished sixth. The final time for the seven furlongs over the fast Saratoga track was 1:22.58.

Trainer Tony Dutrow was gushing about his filly after the race, and with justification. “It was just a fantastic performance today. She’s a filly who is capable of running fast the entire race. She outdid herself today. She’s been an overachiever, and once again she raised her game to the top. We just couldn’t be any prouder of her. Congratulations, Rightly So!” Rightly So has never been off the board in all eleven careers starts, and her record of 7-3-1 after the Grade 1 victory (her second graded stakes win and fourth stakes score) brings her purse earnings to $490,050.

Bred by Sequel 2003 and foaled at Sequel Stallions NY, Rightly So was purchased by Zayat Stables as an OBS Calder two-year-old in 2008 for $220,000. She is from the unraced Out of Place mare Fit Right In, who is a half-sister to New York-bred stakes-winner Under Serviced by Hook and Ladder and stakes-placed Don’t Mind Me by Freud. Fit Right In’s only other foal to race, a three-year-old New York-bred son of Freud (Conflicted) is also a winner. Purchased by JMJ Racing at the New York October Mixed Sale from Lakland North in 2006 for $3,000, Fit Right In has a New York-bred yearling filly by Closing Argument (bred by Thomas-Narlinger, LLC and A R Properties, and selling at Keeneland this September [(Hip 2936]), a weanling full-sister to Rightly So, and has been bred to Curlin. Rightly So’s sire Read the Footnotes, who has been at stud in New York since 2006, stands for Sequel Stallions at Keane Stud.

Photo: Adam Coglianese

For the second day in a row a New York-bred campaigned by Repole Stable, and trusted to the capable hands of Saratoga’s current leading trainer Todd Pletcher and current leading jockey John Velazquez, went to the post in a state-bred stakes as heavy favorite and ended up in the winner’s circle. Two-year-old Never Right Joey fought through to a victory in the High Rock Springs on Thursday. On Friday Driven by Success won the $70,000 Vic Ziegel Memorial Stakes by a decisive 6 ¾ lengths.

Voted New York’s Champion Male Sprinter of 2009, five-year-old Driven by Success had already won two races this year, finished second to Endless Circle in the John Morrissey and run third in the Grade 3 Toboggan, but had yet to chalk up a stakes victory. Proven both at the seven-furlong distance and at Saratoga, where he was two-for-two in 2008, the five-year-old chestnut gelding seemed to be in the perfect spot to win on Friday, and bettors agreed, sending him off at 1-to-4. Driven by Success was also looking for a measure of redemption after falling short as heavy favorite for a second consecutive year in the John Morrissey in his last start on August 5th.

Getting out of the gate alertly and gaining the rail, Driven by Success immediately had company in the form of long shot Estimator who pushed him hard to his outside through a quick first half in 45.27, while Groomedforvictory tracked in third on the rail. As Estimator faded around the quarter pole, Driven by Success took his cue from Velazquez and kicked clear, quickly opening up what proved by be an insurmountable lead. Groomedforvictory, who had been in tight earlier in the race, stayed on track for second, and veteran Naughty New Yorker got into stride late to get up for third. Uncle T Seven, Make Note and Estimator completed the order of finish. The final time for the seven furlongs, 1:21.84 over a fast track, earned Driven by Success a Beyer Speed Figure of 101 – his seventh career three-digit figure – and the win improved his record to 7-4-5 from 22 career starts with earnings of $463,969.

Velazquez contrasted the trip with the prior start, saying “He handled the track a lot better than last time [in the sloppy John Morrissey Stakes],” and Pletcher was pleased with the redemptive victory. “He was able to get into a comfortable rhythm for a pretty fast race.  It was nice to see him win a stake at Saratoga after a couple tough losses in the John Morrissey the last two years.” According to Pletcher, Driven by Success should ultimately make an appearance on Showcase Day at Belmont on October 23rd in an attempt to repeat in the Hudson: “We’ll target the Hudson and see if there’s something in between now and then or not.  He won the Hudson last year so that’d be a logical place to try again.” Pletcher also acknowledged the significance of the win. The first race on the Travers Eve card was named in honor of popular longtime New York sportswriter Vic Ziegel, who twice received Red Smith Writing Awards for Kentucky Derby coverage. Ziegel passed away at the age of 72 on July 23rd:  “This is a special tribute to [Vic Ziegel] and we’re happy we could do it.”

Bred by the Richard Simon’s New Dawn Stud, LLC, New York-conceived Driven by Success is by Precise End, who stood at Lakland North from 2001-2004. He is one of ten winners from ten starters produced by winner Afleet Closer, including black type-winner Diablo’s Closer (Diablo) and black type-placed Fleeting Diablo (Diablo). Two other siblings, Fleet Forum (Open Forum) and Precision Perfect (full brother to Driven by Success), are six-figure earners. Two-year-old Gambling Geraldine by Wildcat Heir (bred by New Dawn Stud, LLC and owned by Repole Stable) won her debut at Belmont on July 11th.

New Dawn Stud purchased Afleet Closer for $35,000 at the OBS 2000 October mixed sale and her progeny have now earned nearly $1.1 million. Sold to Mill Creek Farm in 2008 for $10,000, Afleet Closer has a yearling filly by Prime Timber and a 2010 colt by Giant’s Causeway (both showing Repole Stable, Inc. as the breeder of record). Driven by Success was purchased by Joseph Brocklebank (agent for Repole) for $95,000 at the OBS 2007 April two-year-old sale.

Photo: Adam Coglianese

The six-furlong $70,000 High Rock Springs overnight stakes for New York-bred two-year-olds was scratched down to a field of three at Saratoga on Thursday, but the short field paved the way for a spirited stretch battle between Repole Stable’s Never Right Joey and Stephen Yarbrough’s Freuds Ana Streak. In the end, Never Right Joey proved toughest, preserving his edge from earlier in the race, and reaching the wire with three-quarters of a length to spare.

A chestnut son of Tapit trained by Todd Pletcher, Never Right Joey won his 5 ½-furlong bow against fellow state-breds on a muddy track at Saratoga on July 24^th by a decisive margin of  4 ¾ lengths after denying three challengers. Freuds Ana Streak, a colt by New York sire Freud, broke his maiden last time out in his third try, going five furlongs at Finger Lakes in open company on August 3^rd. The third colt to go to the gate, Private Rules, by Peace Rules, ran across Never Right Joey in his debut, but got his maiden victory in his second start on August 14^th, a six-furlong state-bred maiden special weight for state-breds.

After the defection of morning line favorite, Saratoga debut-winner Hysterical Cat, Never Right Joey, went to his inside post as 1-to-4 favorite under John Velazquez, also in the irons for the maiden win. Never Right Joey won the initial tussle for the lead after the break, leaving Freuds Ana Streak to prompt the pace at his flank. The pair raced one-two through a quarter in 23.03 and half in 46.64, with Freuds Ana Streak in close pursuit the entire time. Shortly after the quarter pole, Freuds Ana Streak ranged up alongside the leader and the two went at it hammer and tongs for three sixteenths of a mile. Never Right Joey dug in, however, absolutely refused to be passed, and eventually edged away to reach the wire first in 1:11.53. The stakes win brings his earnings to $66,000.

Bred by JMJ Racing Stables LLC and foaled at Sequel Stallions NY, Never Right Joey is the seventh winner of seven foals to race from his unraced dam Backwoods Teacher (by Woodman), who is a half-sister to stakes winner Dramatic Joy. Never Right Joey, who gets a TrueNicks rating of A++ from the Pulpit/Woodman cross, first sold as a Keeneland September yearling to King’s Equine for $32,000. He was the third highest-priced New York-bred two-year-old at Fasig-Tipton’s select sale in February, where he was purchased by Repole Stable for $100,000.

Photo: Adam Coglianese

After Mike Lee Stakes winner Friend Or Foe opted to take the Jim Dandy-Travers route, it was not in the cards for a single New York-bred three-year-old to capture all three races of the Big Apple Triple series this year. Ibboyee took the second leg, the New York Derby at Finger Lakes on July 17^th and, looking for his sixth career stakes win, headed into Wednesday’s 1 1/8-mile Albany at Saratoga as the favorite. Instead, second choice Stormy’s Majesty, a Majesty Stud homebred trained by Dominic Galluscio, ended up on top, getting a breakthrough stakes score and chalking up a fourth victory in five lifetime starts.

Stormy’s Majesty began his career by reeling off three straight wins, all in state-bred company. The chestnut Stormy Atlantic colt won his Aqueduct debut early last December going six furlongs in the slop, and on New Year’s Eve returned to win a mile and seventy-yard first-level allowance contest. Coming back fresh after five months on the bench, Stormy’s Majesty then began his three-year-old campaign with a tour de force performance, earning a 98 Beyer Speed Figure after running a mile at Belmont in 1:35.54 on his way to an eight-plus length victory over second level allowance/optional claiming foes. Spotted ambitiously prior to the Albany in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy, Stormy’s Majesty finished at the back of the pack after showing brief speed. Trainer Dominic Galluscio commented on Wednesday, “I might have tried Stormy too prematurely against open company [in the Jim Dandy].”

After the gates opened on the Albany, Stormy’s Majesty’s uncoupled entrymate Johannesburg Smile (third in the New York Derby) got off best from post five under Javier Castellano. Stormy’s Majesty, with Edgar Prado in the irons for the fourth time, took up second position at the rail, and Mineswept ran third to his outside. 124-pound high weight Ibboyee – spotting the rest 5-9 pounds – tracked on the inside in fourth. As the field moved along the backstretch, the running order remained unchanged through reasonable early fractions of 23.79 and 47.85. Stormy’s Majesty stepped up the pressure on the leader going into the far turn, and, as he claimed the lead inside the half-mile pole, John Velazquez began to ask Ibboyee for more. Even though it was starting to become clear that the Medallist colt was probably not going to be celebrating a sixth career stakes victory, Ibboyee made sure that Stormy’s Majesty earned his win. After Stormy’s Majesty drew clear from Johannesburg Smile in the upper stretch, Ibboyee – with more than five lengths to make up – launched a brave run down the middle of the track and managed to get within a neck of the winner by the finish. Johannesburg Smile hung on for third. Hittin the Note, Mineswept and Small Town completed the order of finish, well behind the first three. After six furlongs in 1:12.11, the final time of the mile and an eighth was 1:50.55 over a fast track.

Trainer Dominic Galluscio confessed to some anxious moments during Ibboyee’s bid: “The stretch run seemed to take forever. I was surprised Stormy was that close; I expected Johannesburg Smile to be on the lead. He ran very game.” Edgar Prado felt that the measured pace worked to his mount’s advantage, as well as a clear path on the rail: “Last time out he broke and was right there on a faster pace, and he didn’t like that much. Today he went a bit more freely. He was happy where he was.  My chance came when [Ibboyee went outside] and my horse was able to come down.”  Ibboyee’s trainer Todd Pletcher felt his colt was brave in a tough beat: “We had 124 pounds and to give the winner five pounds and get beat by a head; it’s tough.  He was coming.  He’s all heart and tried hard, but we just came up a head short.” Galluscio, when asked about Stormy’s Majesty’s future, said, “We’ll see how he comes out of this before we decide on his next start.”

Stormy’s Majesty, who has now earned $138,932 for his four wins, is the single foal to start from Raffie’s Dream, a stakes-placed winning daughter of New York-based Raffie’s Majesty. Standing in the state since 2000 and currently at Sugar Maple Farm, Raffie’s Majesty sired three consecutive winners of the marquis $250,000 Empire Classic: Organizer (2006), Dr. V’s Magic (2007) and Stud Muffin (2008).

Photo: Adam Coglianese

In the first of two New York-bred stakes races on Saratoga’s Wednesday card, the $70,000 Ann Clare overnight stakes for two-year-old fillies, heavily-favored Yawkey Way hardly had the smooth trip she enjoyed in her debut victory, but managed to overcome traffic and then make up a deficit in early stretch to dominate once again, winning the six-furlong contest by 3 ¾ lengths and establishing her career record at a perfect two-for-two with earnings of $66,000.

Campaigned by Klaravich Stables, Inc. and W. H. Lawrence, and trained by Chad Brown, Yawkey Way began her career impressively, leaving a strong field of six state-bred two-year-old fillies 5 ½ lengths in her wake on July 25^th at Saratoga. The test on Wednesday of course was to get the six-furlong distance in the company of four other early bloomers, three of them with comparable Beyer Speed Figures. The relatively small field, moreover, proved to be no insurance against traffic troubles.

Readygetsgold practically went down to her knees at the break and lost ground recovering, but the four other fillies proceeded up the backstretch in a closely huddled group. Breaking on top and leading the way at the rail under Ramon Dominguez was Watkins Glen, third in her Saratoga debut and still a maiden. Queen’s Harbor, owned and trained by Rick Violette and winner of her debut in a $50,000 claiming race for state-bred fillies at Saratoga on August 2^nd, pursued the leader off the rail under Shaun Bridgmohan. Rosa Salvaje, a debut winner from Penn National, stuck to the rail just off the heels of the leader, and Yawkey Way ran a close fourth, up between Rosa Salvaje and Queen’s Harbor. Toward the end of the run up the back stretch, Yawkey Way needed to check several times under pilot Javier Castellano (also aboard for her debut win) to keep from getting tangled up in traffic and lost momentum. Eventually, however, as Rosa Salvaje came up the inside, enough room opened up for the four to line up side-by-side through the turn and into the top of the lane, with Yawkey Way in the three path. Watkins Glen shook clear in the two-path at the three sixteenths marker, but shortly had to yield lead to Yawkey Way, who capitalized on clear running room to make up the deficit, pass and then open up on her rival by 3 ¾ lengths. Queens Harbor fought back to get third. Rosa Salvaje and Readygetsgold completed the order of finish. After fractions of 22.61 and 46.03, Yawkey Way completed the six furlongs over a fast track in 1:11.79.

Yawkey Way is a dark bay/brown filly by Grand Slam bred by Richard Simon’s New Dawn Stud LLC. She sold first as a Saratoga Preferred Yearling to James Barry for $50,000 and then went through the ring as the second highest-priced New York-bred at the OBS February Select Sale, where she was purchased for $165,000. She is the first registered NY-bred offspring, and second winner from three foals to start, from Is Kylie Good (Touch Gold), who scored both her career wins at two.

Photo: Adam Coglianese

Henry, Joseph and Jamie Terranova’s five-year-old Meese Rocks loved Saratoga’s off going on Monday, taking the $70,000 Union Avenue Stakes by 6 ¼ lengths from a competitive field of six other New York-bred fillies and mares three and up in a six-furlong event run over a sloppy (sealed) track. The bay mare’s performance earned her a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 94.

Last seen running second by only a head to My Dinah in the seven-furlong Fleet Indian Stakes in similar company at the Spa on July 30^th, Meese Rocks has been busy this year adding to an already strong resume for trainer Edward Barker. After winning her first start of 2010 in early January – a six-furlong open company allowance race over the Aqueduct inner surface (for a third consecutive victory) – she notched her first career stakes score in February with a dominating performance in the Personal Girl Stakes for older fillies and mares (also run at six furlongs at Aqueduct), and added a win in June in her first start out-of-state in a third level allowance/optional claiming event at Monmouth.

After the gates opened on Monday, favorite La Concerto capitalized on her inside post to grab the lead, while Meese Rocks (third choice in the wagering) set up shop off her flank under Jorge Chavez, who has been aboard for all but her first two starts. Gold for the Queen progressed with the vanguard up the backstretch to advance between the two leaders. As La Concerto began to recede on the rail going into the turn, City Broad poised to strike on the outside, but Meese Rocks, who shifted off the rail at the top of the lane, took control and relished the muddy going. In the final sixteenth she put the icing on the cake by opening up 6 ¼ emphatic lengths on Gold for the Queen who hung in for second. City Broad got up for third. The early fractions were snappy (22.65 and 45.55) and the final time for the six furlongs was 1:11.46. Karakorum Fugitive, La Concerto, Favorite Flavor and Smokin Pistol completed the order of finish. This was Meese Rocks’ second win in three tries over wet tracks and sixth victory in eight starts at six furlongs.

Winning trainer Eddie Barker was impressed. “I didn’t surprise me that she won; it was how she won.” Barker said. “It was very impressive against that field. I thought she was going to run a really, really good race, but I didn’t think she would be as dominant as she was. This field was probably the toughest she has ever faced. She has run well over a sloppy track before and [Jorge Chavez] knows the horse really well.” Chavez also felt his familiarity with his mount and with the field contributed to the score: “I knew that [La Concerto] and [Gold for the Queen] were going to go out like that, so I just waited for the stretch and then let her go. She loves the mud. I’ve ridden her before in the mud and she won, so I know she likes that kind of track.”

Meese Rocks’ win in the Union Avenue, her fifth in seven starts, second stakes score and seventh victory lifetime, increased her purse earnings to $267,410. Bred by Robert W. Misa Jr. and foaled at Dutchess Views Farm, Meese Rocks is by former New York Stallion Rock and Roll (who stood at Ed Gregory’s Carapan Farm in Freehold from 2002 to 2008. She is one of two winners from four foals to start out of the winning Grindstone mare Meeses Pieces, who also produced New York-bred earner of $94,445 Meeses Two Pieces (by Gold Fever). At two, Meese Rocks was broken and trained at Heather Larson’s Hudson Meadows Racing in Hudson.