New York-breds won ten open allowance races worth $10,000 to $65,000 this past racing week. Fillies Sharp Secretary and Woolly Bear won rich allowance events at Woodbine; Hangingonaprayer, Living Large, and Exclusive Scheme had Belmont scores; and a cohort of five – Spectacularspindls, Sir Gusta, Got Clearance, Hook Me Up, and Surfing Ian – earned trips to the Finger Lakes’ winner’s circle.
Landsdowne Stables’ three-year-old Sharp Secretary, runner up in her April stakes debut in the Star Shoot Stakes at Woodbine, had a nice-looking open-length victory over ten fillies and mares (three years old and up) in a six-furlong US$64,886 second level allowance/optional claiming race at Woodbine on Saturday. Up near the pace, Sharp Secretary got through on the rail at the top of the stretch and opened up on the field to win by 3 ½ lengths going away. Her time for the six furlongs over the Woodbine Polytrack was a speedy 1:09.10, which translated into the filly’s career-high Beyer Speed Figure (92). Trained by Lorne Richards and ridden for the first time by Patrick Husbands, the daughter of Cactus Ridge improved her record to 3-2-0 from seven starts and increased her earnings to $134,354. Bred by JMJ Racing Stables, LLC, and foaled at Sequel Stallions NY, Sharp Secretary is the only foal to race from Trixie Chick (Favorite Trick).
The next day at Woodbine, Woolly Bear wired a 6 ½-furlong first-level allowance event on the turf worth $US 60,455, getting the better of ten other fillies and mares (three years old and up). A four-year-old daughter of Proud Citizen owned by D. J. Reddington and S. D Reddington, Woolly Bear is based at Woodbine in the barn of Deborah England. Ridden by Chantal Sutherland, the grey/roan filly broke on top from mid-pack and never had to face a serious challenge after the half. Her margin of victory was 2 lengths and the final time of the race was 1:14.98. Both of Woolly Bear’s lifetime victories have come on turf and she has now earned $123,021 from twelve starts. Bred, foaled and raised by Rojan Farms, Woolly Bear is one of six foals to race, and five winners from the winning Waquoit mare Lingquoit ($109,581).
Hangingonaprayer 7/15/2010 (Photo: Adam Coglianese)
Flying Zee Stable’s homebred Hangingonaprayer earns pride of place among this week’s Belmont open allowance winners. Not only did the five-year-old mare win a $40,000 starter allowance going 6 furlongs over the yielding Belmont inner turf on Thursday for trainer Martin Carlos and jockey Jose Lezcano, but she turned around 72 hours later to capture a first-level state-bred allowance on Sunday with Edgar Prado aboard. Her margin of victory on Thursday was one length after she tracked a sharp pace. The race on Sunday was run over the same course at the same distance, but over turf labeled “firm.” This time Hangingonaprayer benefitted from a rail trip and finished a neck ahead of the much-touted favorite Gitchee Goomie. Sired by Grand Slam, Hangingonaprayer is from winner Hangingbyamoment (Thunder Gulch). With two victories last week, she improved her record to 6-1-4 from 22 career starts and increased her earnings to $152,278. Hangingonaprayer has two winning New York-bred siblings, including stakes-winner Hangingbyathread (Giant’s Causeway). Hangingbyamoment, whose progeny have earned $412,588, was purchased by Flying Zee Stable for $45,000 at the 2000 Keeneland September yearling sale. Hangingonaprayer was foaled at Highcliff Farm in Delanson.
Photo: Adam Coglianese
On Saturday Livin Large, runner-up last year to Uncle T Seven in the Cab Calloway Division of the New York Stallion Stakes, and Exclusive Scheme routed to open starter allowance victories on firm turf at Belmont, both run at a distance of 1 1/6 miles and worth $42,000. In the first race on the card, Livin Large, a four-year-old gelded son of New York sire A. P Jet, ran along comfortably in mid pack in the early stages under jockey David Cohen. He made steady progress through the turn and took command in the stretch, pulling away to a decisive 4 ½-length victory over seven rivals (three and up), running the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.65. Trained by Bruce Brown, Livin Large now has four wins to his credit, three seconds and two third-place finishes from twelve lifetime starts and has earned $163,736. The win also earned him a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 88. Owned by Our Sugar Bear Stable, bred by Bill Terrill and foaled at Keane Stud in Amenia, Livin Large is out of Pierpont Account, a winning daughter of Private Account. Livin Large is one of has six winning foals (four of them New York-breds) from her eight foals to race in North America. His dam’s offspring have earned $589,342.
Photo: Adam Coglianese
Four races later, Paris Hill Thoroughbreds, Corp.’s homebred Exclusive Scheme, a four-year-old filly by Saarland, engineered a picture-perfect come-from-behind victory with Jose Lezcano in the irons against seven fillies and mares (three and up). Lingering near the back of the pack for a measured half-mile (49.90), she advanced four wide through the turn, kicked explosively away from the pack near the top of the stretch and continued with good energy to hold off a late closer. The final time of the race was 1:43.63. Trained by William Badgett, Jr., the filly improved her record to 6-3-2 from 22 starts and increased her earnings to $166,746. Foaled at Quiet Oak Farm in Esperance, Exclusive Scheme is her dam’s only foal to race.
Photo: Tom Cooley Photography
Five New York-breds won open allowance events at Finger Lakes worth $16,800 to $17,000. On Thursday Spectacularspindls and Sir Gusta had back to back victories at 1 mile and 70 yards in NW2L allowance races. Spectacularspindls faced five NW2L fillies and mares and earned a career high Beyer (56) getting her second career victory by a 1 ½-length margin under Chin Yang. Owned and trained by Stephen Jacobs, Spectacularspindls is a four-year-old daughter of Johar out of Bo Bo’s Sister. She was bred by Tammy L. Jacobs and Andrea Odenbach and foaled at Legend Land in Shortsville. Her record is now 2-1-4 from 14 starts with earnings of $44,690
Photo: Tom Cooley Photography
In the next race, Francis J. Paolangeli’s three-year-old Sir Gusta (by Yonaguska) also scored a career-best Beyer (77) pulling away from six other NW2L three-year-olds under Dennis Carr. This was the first time back in the winner’s circle for the Charlton Baker-trainee since his debut score at two in a Maiden Special Weight at Finger Lakes. Bred by Robert Hahn and foaled at Dutchess Views Farm in Pine Plains, Sir Gusta is so far the only foal to race out of Patagonia Tango (Storm Boot).
Photo: Tom Cooley Photography
On Friday Repole Stable’s four-year-old filly Got Clearance (Cryptoclearance) got her first 2010 victory in a NW3L race for fillies and mares (three and up) at 1 mile and 70 yards. Trained by Jeremiah Englehart and ridden by Paul Nicol Jr., Got Clearance was well positioned in third behind the pace-setters, advanced on the leaders in the three-path, gained and preserved a one-length lead in the stretch. Bred by DJJ Racing Ltd. and foaled at Indigo Farm in Clinton, she the only New York-bred foal out of Scotcharoo (by Buckaroo), who has three other winning offspring. Her 3-2-1 record from 15 starts has earned her $69,439.
Photo: Tom Cooley Photography
Right after winning the New York Derby aboard Ibboyee on Saturday, Mike Luzzi rode Obviously NY Stable’s Hook Me Up to two-length victory in a 5 ½ furlong NW2L open allowance race against seven fillies and mares (three and up). Hook Me Up, a three-year-old daughter of New York sire Hook and Ladder who stands for Sequel Stallions at Keane Stud, ran second to Franny Freud last year in the Lady Finger Stakes for New York-bred two-year-old fillies and third to Ibboyee in the New York Breeders’ Futurity for New York-bred two-year-olds, both run at Finger Lakes. After stalking a hot pace, the Linda Rice-trainee took over mid-stretch to get the victory. Bred by Gus Schoenborn Jr. and Barry Ostrager, she was foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham. Both foals to start from the filly’s dam Halfway North, by Norquestor are New York-bred winners.
Photo: Tom Cooley Photography
Finally, on Monday seven-year-old twice-stakes-placed Surfing Ian, by Rizzi, won Finger Lakes’ final feature of the week, a first level allowance/optional claiming event at 5 ½ furlongs (for three and up) to get his ninth career (and second consecutive) victory from 27 starts. The speediest in the race, Surfing Ian gained the lead from his extreme outside post (of eight) and maintained it to the finish line, repelling two separate challenges during the trip. After a first quarter that went in 21.96, the gelding moderated the pace somewhat and finished in 1:04.40. Owned and trained by Charlton Baker and ridden by Aadil Khan, Surfing Ian, runner-up in the Great White Way Division of the Stallion Stakes Series in 2005 and third-place finisher in the Leon Reed Memorial Handicap at Finger Lakes last year, has now earned $168,348. Surfing Ian was bred by Sez Who Thoroughbreds and foaled at Sez Who Thoroughbreds North. His winning dam Bigger Half (by Megaturn) has produced eight winners overall from nine starters and two other six-figure New York-bred earners: Grade 3 and multiple stakes-winning filly Megascape by Cape Canaveral, who earned 283,673 and stakes-placed filly Megadeed, by Precise End (142,740). Bigger Half’s progeny have earned $959,126 to date.
