January, 2003 Racing Front News Archives Track Photo Credits: Saratoga-Adam Coglianese Belmont-Adam Coglianese • Finger Lakes-Tom Cooley

(1/31) Indy Glory wins Videogenic - VIEW VIDEO REPLAY
New York-bred INDY GLORY won today's Aqueduct feature, the $60,000 Videogenic Stake. Chester and Mary Broman's five year-old dark bay mare trained by John Kimmel had placed in a couple of graded stakes, but today's victory was her first.
NYRA Racing Secretary Mike Lakow wrote the overnight stake Videogenic to be a bridge race between the Affectionately Handicap on January 11 and the Rare Treat on February 17. It was a "gap-filler" for the filly/mare distance races on Aqueduct's inner track schedule, and a chance for horses to earn black type.
Run over the winterized inner-track, 9 fillies and mares, four year-old and upward, contested the mile and a sixteenth affair, with Shaun Bridgmohan aboard Indy Glory.
Pocus Hocus went to the lead with Bridgmohan keeping Indy Glory up close while on an outside path in third. Moving into second position at the half-mile pole, Indy Glory kept up the pressure on Pocus Hocus, but as they reached the top of the stretch, Pocus Hocus spurted clear, opening up a 1-1/2 length lead. Roused by Bridgmohan, the game Indy Glory dug in and chased Pocus Hocus to the wire, sticking a neck in front in the last few strides. In the winner's circle jockey Shaun Bridgmohan stated: "Pocus Hocus was hanging in there tough, she just wore Pocus Hocus down. She settled very nicely and really dug in. The more I asked her, the more she gave. Whenever I went to the stick on her, she gave an extra surge."
A exuberant Lorretta Lusteg, assistant to trainer John Kimmel, commented: "She's been doing very well." Adding, "She appreciates the cold weather and that we didn't have a cuppy track today. I'm just so proud of her. She's the only New York-bred in the race. It was a huge race. She really dug in. I didn't think she was getting up until she took the lead. I was going to be thrilled running second."
Bred by the Broman's at their beautiful Chestertown Farm, Indy Glory was the first horse entered in the popular Name the Foal Contest hosted by New York Breeding and Racing Program. The full sister to multiple graded stakes winning millionaire Stephen Got Even, winner of the Grade I Donn Handicap, has now banked $283,422 with a Lifetime Record: 19-5-5-2.
For today's open company score, the Broman's qualified for an open owner's award of 10% of the winner's share of the purse or $3,600 and, also, qualified for a breeder's award of $3,600.

(1/31) Netcong captures open allowance
New York-bred NETCONG beat open horses today in a non-winner of 1X other than Maiden, Claimer, Starter or Restricted condition allowance at Aqueduct Racetrack. Nine horses went to the gate for the mile and three-sixteenth race, with jockey Julian Pimental aboard Netcong for trainer James Ryerson.
Stage Drama and Shelby Lane vied for the early lead as favorite Cold Blow Lane sat third and Netcong a close-up fourth as the field moved down the backstretch. Coming off the far turn to the top of the stretch, Stage Drama and Shelby Lane were neck and neck as Mr. Pat moved wide alongside Netcong. Mr. Pat and Netcong brushed several times during the stretch run before Netcong cleared and began to move aggressively to the leaders, getting to the front in the last jump to win by a nose over Shelby Lane.
Bred by the Aliyuee Ben J. Racing Stables, Netcong was sired by Meadow Flight, and is the second named offspring and second homebred winner produced from stakes-placed Nasty Cure ($150,622), a daughter of the late leading New York sire Cure the Blues and a four-time allowance winner at Monmouth going two turns. Also raced by the Aliyuee Ben J. Racing Stables, Nasty Cure is a full sister to Champion Panamanian Imported Two-Year-Old Filly La Capannina, and her dam is five-time stakes winner Nastica ($147,284).
For today's open company score, Aliyuee Ben J Racing Stables qualified for an open company owner's award of 10% of the winner's purse or $2,640. They also qualified for a breeder's award of $2,640. Owner and Breeder awards are part of the rich incentives provided by the New York Breeding and Racing Program.

(1/31) Debbie's Way rallies to break maiden
Rudlein Stable's DEBBIE'S WAY broke her maiden today in her third lifetime start. Racing against state-bred 3 year-old fillies, Debbie's Way was one of 10 fillies to load into the gate in mile and a sixteenth race, run over the inner-track at Aqueduct. Victor Carrero had the mount for trainer H. James Bond.
Bird Key and Sicilian Princess raced forwardly in the early going with Carrero rating Debbie's Way in fifth position along the rail. Continuing on the lead Bird Key and Sicilian Princess hit the top of the stretch in unison while Carrero patiently held Debbie's Way under wraps, looking for racing room. As they hit the eighth pole, Carrero angled his mount off the rail and once clear exploded to the front, winning by 3 widening lengths over Bird Key, with Sicilian Princess finishing third.
Bred by Anne and Don Rudder (Rudlein Stable), Debbie's Way is from the first racing crop of Will's Way (Easy Goer), winner of the 1996 Travers Stakes - Gr.I, defeating Skip Away. As a four year-old Will's Way beat Skip Away again in the Whitney Stakes - Gr. I. Debbie's Way, a chestnut filly, is the first foal out of the Distinctive Pro mare, Souffle, who won twice and placed twice in an eight-race career.

(1/30) Lady Groush captures state-bred allowance
Luciano Tavana's LADY GROUSH, who has been racing consistently for trainer Juan Ortiz, beat state-bred fillies and mares today in a non-winner of 1X condition. Run at a distance of one and one-sixteenth mile over Aqueduct's inner-track, Lady Groush was ridden to victory by apprentice jockey Luis Chavez. Eight-horses went to post.
Fiji Rascal opened up a three-length lead turning up the backstretch, but Lil Linzer and Dynamic Pic were quickly up to challenge and overtook Fiji Rascal by the half-mile pole with Lady Groush sitting seventh, trailing by 8-lengths. Bound On Bi was up to challenge Lil Linzer midway in the last turn, as Dynamic Pic faded. Hooking up at the top of the stretch to the eighth-pole, the battle tooks it toll on Lil Linzer Bound On Bi, as Lady Groush ran by in the late going to win by one and a half lengths over Lil Linzer.
Bred by Anne and Don Rudder, Lady Groush is a five year-old bay mare by Cure the Blues, out of Clint's Sec, by Secretariat. Lady Groush is a half-sister to the outstanding New York-bred Mr. Groush (Crafty Prospector) winner of the 1997 Alabama Derby - Gr.3, New York Derby and Albany Stake. Lady Groush has now earned $96,160. The Rudder's qualified for breeder's awards today of 20% of the winner's share of the purse or $5,280. The New York Breeding and Racing Program pays breeder's award money for those horses finishing 1st thru 4th in any pari-mutuel race run in New York State.

(1/30) New York's Rudy in landslide victory
There's an old bettors saying that goes: "No man alive has ever paid his mortgage at 1 to 5". However, for those who decided to back NEW YORK'S RUDY, they never had an anxious moment, as the 3 year-old chestnut gelding easily defeated state-bred maidens today at Aqueduct Racetrack. Run at a distance of one and a sixteenth mile over the inner-track, a field of 7 went to the gate in the first division. New York's Rudy was making his first foray around two turns and trainer Claude (Shug) McGaughey opted to use the services of apprentice Luis Chavez.
Yourstocommand took the early lead with Bound To Be A Pro and New York's Rudy in close pursuit down the backstretch. Nearing the far turn, Chavez sent New York's Rudy up to challenge the leader, hooking Yourstocommand in the middle of the turn. While still in hand, New York's Rudy went to the front as they straightened for home, drawing off to win by almost nine lengths. Yourstocommand finished second another sixteen lengths in front of the rest of the field.
Owned by Mary Hauswald and bred by the John and Pam Bianculli's JP Racing Stable, New York's Rudy is by Ormsby, out of the Proud Birdie mare, Pentralia. New York's Rudy was purchased for $7,500 at the 2001 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Yearling sale held at Timonium Racetrack in Maryland. The sire, Ormsby (Carson City), won over $611,000 and was a five-time stakes winner including a victory in Grade II - Excelsior Handicap as a five-year old. Last year, Ormsby's Trial Prep won the New York Derby and New York Stallion Times Square Division. Ormsby stands at Sugar Maple Farm in Poughquag, New York for a $3000 stud fee.

(1/30) Givensilver wins second division for state-bred maidens
GIVENSILVER won today's second division for state-bred maidens going one and one-sixteenth mile over the inner-track at Aqueduct. Eight 3 year-olds went to the gate, with the Lou Meittinis trained gray colt being ridden by Mike Luzzi and sent off as the 9 to 5 favorite.
Lehigh Grad took advantage of his inside post to take the lead into the first turn. Givensilver broke smartly and angled to the rail as Mysterious Woody and Kings Temper moved up to be second and third, respectively. Nearing the far turn, Mysterious Woody was sent up to challenge Lehigh Grad and Givensilver moved into striking range another three-lengths back. Coming off the turn, Mysterious Woody blew by Lehigh Grad and opened up a two-length lead but Givensilver had yet to make his run. Once underway, Givensilver caught Mysterious Woody by the sixteenth pole and held off a strong late challenge by Masterful Harry to win by a neck.
Owned by the partnership of Lou Meittinis and Pine Stable, and bred by Meittinis, Givensilver is by Silver Music, out of Give and Talc, by Talc. Givensilver is the first foal out of Give and Talc, who's a half-sister to stakes-placed winner Rebecca's Gal (Lord Durham) who earned $198,238. The sire, Silver Music (Silver Ghost) raced mostly on the West Coast winning the Grade II - Swaps Stakes, Baldwin Stake and Bold Reason Handicap as a three year-old. Silver Music stands at Frank and Denise Nastasi's Pineborne Farm North in Ft. Ann, New York for a stud fee of $2,000.

(1/29) Papua wins third straight to capture Big A. feature
Barry K. Schwartz' New York-bred, PAPUA, won his third straight open company race over the inner-track at Aqueduct, today. The non-winner of 3X, other than Maiden, Claiming, Starter or Restricted, condition race was run at six-furlongs and had a small field of six-horses, four year-olds and upward. Trainer Mike Hushion, who is having an excellent winter meet, named the winter meets second leading jockey, Richard Migliore to ride. Migliore has been aboard in all 14 starts for Papua.
Papua broke well from the outside post before being taken back to rate in third position behind the Scott Lake entry of Pop Rocks and Reason To Hail, who were sent off as the prohibitive 3 to 5 favorites. The entry arrived at the half-mile pole in 46.3 before Migliore moved Papua up to challenge, catching and passing the entry at the eighth-pole and won under a strong drive by one and one-half lengths, stopping the timer in 1:10.3.
Bred by Mr. Schwartz at his stylish Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs, Papua is sired from 1996 Preakness winner Louis Quatorze's first crop and is the second offspring and second winner produced from New York-bred Bella Ransom ($118,812), a Belmont open allowance-winning Red Ransom mare that Hushion also trained. Bella Ransom's first offspring, New York-bred Held for Ransom, won his only start by 2 1/2 lengths in Kentucky in the summer of 2001. The mare herself had a proclivity for winning by big margins, breaking her maiden by 17 1/2 lengths at Belmont and winning longer-than-a-mile allowance races at Belmont and Saratoga by 17 and 10 lengths. She is a half-sister to stakes winner Cardiff and to multiple stakes-placed winner Lollygag.
Papua has now earned $192,235 with a Lifetime Record: 14-6-2-1. For the open company victory, Mr. Schwartz qualifies for an open owner's award of 10% of the winner's share of the purse or $2,830. As breeder, Mr. Schwartz, also earned an equal amount of $2,830. Breeder and open Owner Awards are part of the lucrative incentives provided by the New York Breeding and Racing Program.

(1/29) Hussy shows them her tail
Akindale Farm's HUSSY easily defeated state-bred allowance company today in a non-winner of 1X condition race for three year-old fillies. Run over Aqueduct's inner-track at six-furlongs, only six fillies went to the gate. Trainer Kathleen Feron named apprentice Luis Castillo to ride the Unaccounted For bay filly.
Storm On The Lake, sporting blinkers for the first time, quickly took command in the early going, racing in the two-path down the backstretch. Hussy broke last but was aggressively sent up to challenge along the rail, drawing even with Storm On The Lake just past the quarter-pole. The duo battled to the half-mile pole, before Hussy drew off by herself, opening up by 3-1/2 lengths under a mild drive. Senorita American was up for second money.
Bred by John Hettinger at his Akindale Farm in Pawling, Hussy is out of Brazen, by Artichoke. Brazen won the 1991 Santa Ynez - Gr. 2 at Santa Anita and earned $252,296 in her career. Hussy is the third foal out of the dam and has now banked $64,590 in five career starts.

(1/29) Buck Mountain romps in open MSW
Gerardus Jameson's homebred, BUCK MOUNTAIN, who finished third in her last two starts against state-bred maidens, destroyed a field of open Maiden Special Weight company today at Aqueduct Racetrack. Trainer Kenneth Streicher added blinkers for the first time and named apprentice Luis Chavez to ride the four year-old bay filly in the one-mile event which drew a field of seven fillies and mares. The race was run around two-turns over the inner-track, which was labeled fast.
Sigh of Relief and Casing battled through the backstretch, as Chavez cleverly rated Buck Mountain in third. As the field hit the middle of the far turn, Chavez moved Buck Mountain into closer contact with the pacesetters and once straightened for home, blew by the leaders, opening up a six-length lead, which grew to seven and one half-lengths crossing the wire.
Buck Mountain, sired by the recently deceased Prosper Fager, is the first foal out of Terminal Buck, by Stacked Pack.

(1/29) New York-breds finish 1-2 in open claimer
The only New York-breds in a seven-horse field, PRO MOTION DAYS and Nypuddles, finished 1-2, respectively, today in a $35-$30,000 open claimer for fillies and mares at Aqueduct Racetrack. Trained by Joe Imperio, Pro Motion Days hadn't won a race since last February but was on her favorite surface, the winterized inner-track, where she has won 6X and finished second 4X in sixteen starts. C.C. Lopez was aboard the seven year-old Distinctive Pro mare for the one-mile seventy yards affair.
Carried wide into the first turn by Quincy Market, Pro Motion Days was in close pursuit while traveling down the backstretch. Nypuddles, with apprentice Luis Castillo aboard, trailed the field. Nearing the far turn, Lopez sent Pro Motion Days up to take the lead and came off the turn on top by three and a half-lengths, which she maintained to the wire. Nypuddles made a strong move along the rail to finish second.
Bred by Frederick and Carmen Militello and owned by Our Metro Stable and Tony Montilli, Pro Motion Days is out of Marlene's Days, by Olden Times. The owners and breeders both will earn award money from the New York Breeding and Racing Program of 20% of the winner's share of the purse or $3,000, as part of the rich incentives for owning and breeding New York-breds. The sire's connections will collect a 7% stallion award of the winner's share of the purse or $1,365 from the best incentive 'Program' in North America!
Pro Motion Days has now earned $190,285 of her total lifetime earnings of $301,355 on the inner-track at Aqueduct.

(1/29) Kimry Moor gamely breaks maiden
Away from the races since last May, KIMRY MOOR returned to the racetrack today and put in one heckuva performance to break her maiden. Fine tuned by leading trainer, Gary Contessa, and ridden by leading jockey Javier Castellano, the four year-old Distinctive Pro filly faced 11 other fillies and mares in a state-bred maiden race for four year-olds and upward. The race was run at six-furlongs over the inner-track at Aqueduct, which was labeled fast.
Princess Petrizzo, making her first career start, and Kimry Moor hooked up early down the backstretch as Cherry Peppers rated in fourth. Battling head to head past the half-mile pole, neither filly would give an inch, setting it up for Cherry Peppers, who moved into striking position in the middle of the track. A game Kimry Moor took a short lead over the equally game Princess Petrizzo nearing the wire but still had to contend with Cherry Peppers who was under a furious drive by Richard Migliore. The trio hit the wire together, with Kimry Moor, who was sandwiched between Cherry Peppers, on the outside, and Princess Petrizzo, on the inside, winning by a nostril.
Owned by the partnership of Richard and Karen Engel and Thomas and Joan Qualtere, Kimry Moor was bred by Regent Farms. Out of the Personal Flag mare, New York Flag, who earned $163,387 in a 31-race career, Kimry Moor is a half-sister to New York Jet (A. P Jet) winner of $73,520.

(1/26) Conman Cunningham wins another open allowance as NY-breds run 1-2
Seemingly not the same horse since returning from an eight-month layoff after winning an open Aqueduct allowance above his condition level (N2X) in April, Paraneck Stable's CONMAN CUNNINGHAM showed in Aqueduct's seventh race on Sunday that he is faster than ever following three winless efforts during the past six weeks. With apprentice jockey Luis Castillo -- whose apprentice allowance is five pounds -- aboard for the first time, the New York-bred five-year-old was sent off the 15.40-to-1 sixth choice among nine starters for the $45,000 open N2X allowance for four-year-olds and up going six furlongs. He had been a front-runner in three of his four previous victories -- all at Aqueduct and all at six furlongs -- but Castillo allowed the bay horse to settle on the outside of the three early pace-pushers while in hand during the early running.
Swinging noticeably wide out of the turn, Conman Cunningham drifted out before being straightened away in the stretch and scampering quickly to the front, overtaking 2.80-to-1 favorite Laser Con and 4.50-to-1 fourth choice Team Player en route to setting a five-furlong fraction of 57.65. He tried to drift in through the final furlong, but Castillo switched whip hands and kept him on course, as Conman Cunningham won by three-quarters of a length over New York-bred Personable Pete, the 7.30-to-1 fifth choice, in the time of 1:10.24 -- his fastest yet. Second choice Glamdring (3.05-to-1) finished third, followed by favored Laser Con. Also earning money was New York-bred Y Two J (now $127,470), the 17.10-to-1 seventh choice, as New York-breds picked up 83 percent of the total purse offered for the seventh race.
With $27,000 for his latest victory, Conman Cunningham boosted his career earnings to $153,725 and improved his record to 5 - 1 - 3 in 13 starts, while Personable Pete's earnings climbed to $211,005 on a record of 4 - 8 - 2 in 22 starts. Owned by Ernie Paragallo's Paraneck Stable and trained by Jennifer Pedersen, Conman Cunningham also qualified Paragallo for a $5,400 open race owner award and for a $1,890 stallion award, since Paragallo owns or owned the five-year-old's sire, graded winner Well Selected (Well Decorated - La Soufriere, by Explodent). Well Selected was last reported as standing at Paragallo's Centerbrook Farm in Climax.
Conman Cunningham's breeder, Evelyn Schoenborn, qualified for a $5,400 breeder award as a result of the victory. The hard-running campaigner who seems to thrive at Aqueduct is the third New York-bred winner -- and second winner by Well Selected -- produced from Aqueduct inner track open allowance winner Apple Danish, a National Zenith mare who finished fourth in Aqueduct's open Ruthless Stakes. Apple Danish was acquired privately by Schoenborn in the early 1990s.

(1/26) Vault now 2-for-2 in 2-turn Aqueduct allowances during 2003
The combination of blinkers and distance appear to have vaulted VAULT into a new level of competition, as he scored his second consecutive two-turn allowance victory of 2003 in Aqueduct's nightcap ninth race on Sunday, a $46,000 restricted N2X allowance for four-year-olds and up going a mile and 70 yards. Relatively overlooked as the 9.80-to-1 fourth choice among nine starters and co-topweighted under 122 pounds with jockey Paul Toscano up for the third consecutive time, the four-year-old gelding broke from the number two post position and raced close behind the early leaders while in hand for half a mile. He came wide nearing the stretch, then ran down the tiring front-running favorite, 1.35-to-1 Seeking the Money, and took aim at the new leader, 18-to-1 second choice Jelly Roll Romp. Gaining command in the final furlong, Vault switched to his left lead and swerved slightly, then switched back to his right lead after six or seven more strides, reaching the finish a length and three-quarters ahead of 3.15-to-1 second choice Mr. V, who was carrying five pounds less weight.
Toscano had first ridden Vault in a restricted seven-furlong N1X Aqueduct allowance on December 1, when the gelding had run six wide on the turn but still got up for a close third-place finish in a field of 11 at odds of 76-to-1. That had been Vault's first start for his new owners, trainer Michael Brice, Robert Giammarino, Donald Heiser Jr., and Anne Heiser, prior to which he had raced for owner-trainer Frank Alexander, who had purchased Vault for $75,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March 2001 sale of selected two-year-olds. A first-out winner at Belmont in June of 2002, the New York-bred also had been a $50,000 purchase at Fasig-Tipton's 2000 Saratoga preferred yearling sale. With $27,600 in purse earnings for his second consecutive victory within 26 days (his previous mile-and-70-yard Aqueduct allowance win had come on New Year's Day), Vault's bankroll rose to $84,900, and his record improved to 3 - 0 - 1 in eight starts.
By undefeated multiple stakes winner Gold Case, Vault is the first winner produced from Renewed Delight, a Relaunch mare who won six-furlong allowance races on fast and muddy tracks at Hawthorne in 1996. Renewed Delight is a half-sister to 2001 Grade 1-placed winner Turner's Hall ($203,018). Vault's latest victory jointly qualified his breeders, former Sugar Maple Farm manager Frankie O'Connor and Adrian Regan, for a $2,760 breeder award.

(1/26) Hello Karakorum closes on outside to break maiden
Coming off two creditable Aqueduct efforts on November 8 and January 5, when she had placed second among 11 and third among 12, respectively, Karakorum Farm's HELLO KARAKORUM was favored at 1.30-to-1 among 12 starters for Aqueduct's sixth race on Sunday, a $41,000 restricted maiden special for three-year-old fillies. She proved well worthy of that assessment, chasing the early pace from the number two post position before swinging wide into the stretch, where she collared the only filly that remained ahead of her, front-running 3.80-to-1 second choice Charm Appeal, inside the final furlong. Advancing on the outside, the bay filly won by three-quarters of a length over Charm Appeal, giving jockey Michael Luzzi, who was riding her for the third consecutive time in three career starts, his second winner of the day at Aqueduct.
With $24,600 in first-place purse money, Hello Karakorum's total earnings increased to $37,710. Trained by Jeff Odintz, she races for the Karakorum Farm of William Discala of Staten Island, who had purchased the New York-bred filly for $10,000 from her breeder, Michael Watral, at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's 2001 October yearling sale in Timonium, Maryland. Watral, of Central Islip, Long Island, qualified for both a $4,920 breeder award and a $1,722 stallion award, since he owned Hello Karakorum's deceased New York-based sire, Grade 1 winner Dixie Brass. Hello Karakorum is the seventh winner from Dixie Brass's 2000 crop, which also includes multiple stakes-winning filly Beautiful America ($241,363).
Hello Karakorum is the third offspring and third New York-bred winner sired by Dixie Brass that Watral has bred from stakes-placed winner Hello Hanne, who is by Dancing Again and is a half-sister to stakes winner Hay Hanne ($173,379). Hello Karakorum's full brother, Jimeric, won at Belmont going a mile and an eighth on turf, and her full sister, Watrals Lady Hanne, was a first-out winner for owner-breeder Watral at Aqueduct on December 8, scoring by 2 3/4 lengths while racing on the inner track at six furlongs. Dam Hello Hanne was stakes-placed at Pimlico before breaking her maiden at Belmont Park.

(1/26) Tap Machine tallies in maiden special without taps
Second and third, respectively, in her most recent Aqueduct maiden special outings on December 19 and January 8, Lori LeDuc's TAP MACHINE was favored at 1.45-to-1 for Aqueduct's third race on Sunday, a $41,000 restricted maiden special for 11 just-turned three-year-old fillies going six furlongs. Ninth after the opening quarter, she advanced four wide on the turn to get up to seventh after a half-mile but still had four fillies to beat at mid-stretch, when she was four lengths off front-runner Our Tune, the 5.70-to-1 third choice who set a five-furlong fraction of 59.78. The dark bay filly's final furlong was spectacular even for a maiden race, as she closed with a rush out in the middle of the track despite staying on her left lead and despite the fact that her jockey, Javier Castellano, lost his whip in the stretch. In the final jump, Tap Machine got up to win by a narrow nose over 3-to-1 second choice Doctor America, who looked like she had the race won only 50 yards from the finish, as Our Tune held on to place third. For Castellano, who was riding Tap Machine for the first time, it was the first of two winning rides on Aqueduct's Sunday card.
Although already noted as being reluctant to switch leads in the stretch, Tap Machine has the running style and pedigree that could spell serious success in route racing once she masters that maneuver. Trained by leading Aqueduct winter meet trainer Gary Contessa, she picked up $24,600 for her first victory, boosting her career bankroll to $47,230 and improving her record to 1 - 2 - 1 in eight starts. Owner LeDuc privately acquired the stretch-running filly, bred by the late John Valentino, whose estate qualified for a $2,460 breeder award.
Sired by Virginia Rapids, an Aqueduct Grade 1-winning sprinter whose pedigree and progeny suggest two-turn ability, Tap Machine is the third offspring and third NYRA winner bred by Valentino from his own New York homebred multiple allowance winner, Toe Tappen, by Lyphard's Wish. Toe Tappen won two-turn allowance races at Belmont (mile and a quarter on turf in 2:02) and Aqueduct (mile and an eighth on the main track), and her previous winners include Appearing Now ($114,500), who won three of seven starts and earned money in Aqueduct's 2000 Grade 2 Wood Memorial.

(1/25) Tu Z Potts tallies on front end again in N2X
Obviously pumped up for her return to sprinting after a fourth-place effort going a mile and 70 yards at Aqueduct on December 12, TU Z POTTS looked like she wanted to crash through the starting gate right before the break, and when the doors opened, she was out on top. Jockey Charles Lopez, who knows every nuance about front-running, allowed the four-year-old co-second choice (2.50-to-1) filly to have her head in the six-furlong, $45,000 restricted N2X allowance for seven fillies and mares (six wagering interests), four-year-olds and up, which was run as the sixth race on Aqueduct's Saturday card. Tu Z Potts quickly got the lead and eventually the rail while coming from the outside post position, as 1.95-to-1 favorite Karakorum Crusader conceded the roll of front-runner to her. After a half-mile, Tu Z Potts was three lengths ahead of Karakorum Crusader, and she maintained at least that margin all the way to the wire, setting a five-furlong fraction of 58.41 and winning by 3 1/4 lengths in 1:11.26, with the favorite securing second place after a stretch battle.
It was the second winning ride of the day aboard a front-running New York-bred for Lopez, who earlier guided Shoalihs Tale to victory in the third race on Aqueduct's Saturday card -- conducted on a sunny day with temperatures above freezing for the first time in two weeks. Lopez first had ridden Tu Z Potts in her previous start at a mile and 70 yards, which had been her first two-turn effort and her second outing at a distance beyond six furlongs. Owned by the Trinacria USA Stable of Enzo Gioia, whose son, Joseph, races as part of Very Un Stable, Tu Z Potts picked up $27,000 in purse earnings for her fourth victory in 11 starts (with no placings), boosting her career bankroll over the six-figure mark to $113,820. As a three-year-old in 2002, the late-foaled (May 15, 1999) filly had won first out at Aqueduct in March, and after winning a restricted N1X allowance at Belmont in June had finished fourth in Finger Lakes' Niagara Stakes and captured an open claiming race at Saratoga with a $100,000 tag.
Trained by Del Carroll II, Tu Z Potts was purchased by Joseph Gioia for $11,000 from the consignment of Thomas J. and Nadine Gallo, agent, at Fasig-Tipton's 2000 Saratoga preferred yearling sale. Her breeder, the Belvedere Stables Inc. of Richard Sinkler in Shannock, Rhode Island, qualified for a $2,700 breeder award. The chestnut filly is the fifth winner produced from Grade 2 winner Box Office Gold ($211,801) and is a half-sister to Pimlico stakes winner Basic Concern ($117,475). Box Office Gold, who is by Dixieland Band, is a full sister to the dam of stakes winners Two Punch Sonny ($290,939) and Ragtime Doll ($129,665) and a half-sister to the dams of stakes winners Southern Rhythm (Grade 3 winner of $224,155) and Jaywalker. Two 2002 juvenile stakes winners emerging from this female family are Atago Taisho ($354,875) in Japan and multiple stakes winner Jill's Layup in New England. Box Office Gold's dam is Grade 3 winner Fearless Queen.
Louis Salerno's Questroyal Stable purchased Box Office Gold for $18,500 at Keeneland's 1998 November sale when she was carrying Tu Z Potts, who is by undefeated (three-for-three) multiple stakes winner Gold Case. Belvedere Stables/Farm sold the mare -- not pregnant -- for $20,000 to William S. Farish Jr. at Keeneland's 2002 January sale.

(1/25) Indian Card captures nightcap by 2 3/4 lengths
Appearing to be getting better with maturity and distance, Paul Buzas' and Jack Shelly's four-year-old INDIAN CARD went into Aqueduct's nightcap ninth race on Saturday, a $44,000 restricted N1X allowance for four-year-olds and up at a mile and an eighth, as the .60-to-1 odds-on favorite among nine starters. The public had him accurately assessed, as the chestnut gelding patiently pursued 20.80-to-1 sixth choice Tamusky for three-quarters of a mile before taking command and drawing off by 5 1/2 lengths at the eighth pole, after which he was kept to a drive to win by 2 3/4 lengths. It was the third winning ride of the day for jockey Javier Castellano, who has ridden Indian Card in the gelding's last six consecutive races.
Trained by James Jerkens, Indian Card increased his earnings by $26,400 to $74,420 for his latest victory, improving his record to 2 - 2 - 0 in seven starts and also qualifying his breeder, Elisabeth Jerkens of Hardwicke Stable in Bellrose (and mother of trainer James Jerkens) for a $5,280 breeder award. The late-foaled (May 25, 1999) New York-bred had broken his maiden by 5 1/4 lengths going a mile and a sixteenth at Aqueduct on December 13 and had placed second at that same distance in a restricted N1X allowance at Aqueduct on January 11.
Indian Card is a half-brother to New York-bred multiple stakes winner and Grade 2-placed Plato's Love ($287,745), being among three winners produced from New York-bred Love by the Hour, a first-out Aqueduct winning (by 17 lengths) daughter of Apalachee out of stakes-placed winner Hour of Love ($142,574). Love by the Hour was bred, owned, and trained by Warren Pascuma, who also bred and raced Plato's Love, and she was acquired privately by Elisabeth Jerkens in the late 1990s. Indian Card's sire is former New York stallion Anjiz, whose owners when he was standing at Louis Salerno's Questroyal Stud in Hudson (Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al Maktoum's Gainsborough Farm and Questroyal Farm) qualified for a $1,848 stallion award.

(1/25) Shoalihs Tale takes front-running trip for maiden victory
Encountering mud in his racing debut on January 4 at Aqueduct, Our Canterbury Stables' SHOALIHS TALE finished fourth among 12 and ten days later was put through the first of two solid workouts -- a "bullet" drill going three furlongs -- on Aqueduct's inner track by leading winter meet trainer Gary Contessa. A five-furlong workout at Aqueduct six days later confirmed that the extremely late-foaled (June 11, 2000) colt was ready for his second start, a $41,000 restricted maiden special for just-turned three-year-olds (although chronologically, Shoalihs Tale is almost five months short of being three) going six furlongs on Saturday.
Sent off the 2.10-to-1 favorite among nine starters in that third race with ace front-running jockey Charles Lopez aboard for the second time, Shoalihs Tale broke from the number one post position and was hustled to the front, authoritatively getting the lead and the rail within the opening quarter-mile. From there, it was clear sailing, as the bay colt set a five-furlong fraction of 59.12 and reached the finish while maintaining a clear length and a quarter lead over 2.90-to-1 second choice Ruby's Pro, winning in the time of 1:11.71. It was the first of two front-running victorious rides aboard New York-breds on Saturday for jockey Lopez.
On Lasix medication for the first time, Shoalihs Tale picked up $24,600 for his first victory, bringing his total earnings in two starts to $27,060. The colt races for the Our Canterbury Stables partnership racing conglomerate (www.canterburystables.net), the founder and president of which is Thomas Daly of Connecticut and which also owns New York-bred Gold Damsel, a 7 3/4-length allowance winner at Aqueduct on January 16.
Bred by Emma Bell of Sickle Pond Farm in Stillwater, who qualified for a $2,460 breeder award, Shoalihs Tale was purchased for $30,000 by bloodstock agent Becky Thomas at Fasig-Tipton's 2001 Saratoga sale of preferred yearlings, to which he had been consigned by Thomas J. and Nadine Gallo, agent. He is from the first crop of Grade 2 winner Tale of the Cat and is a half-brother to stakes winner G W's Capote, being the seventh winner produced from Shoalih, a winning (in England) daughter of Alydar. Shoalih has a dazzling pedigree, attested to by the fact that she sold for $600,000 at Keeneland 1986 July yearling sale, but when she went through the sales ring at Keeneland's 1999 November sale when she was carrying Shoalihs Tale in utero, she was purchased for $21,000. Shoalih is a half-sister to four stakes winners and to the dams or granddams of at least seven more stakes winners.

(1/25) Say Florida Sandy places 2nd in open Paumonok - tops $2-million in earnings
Although clearly the best horse -- from a historical perspective -- in Aqueduct's open $80,550 Paumonok Handicap for three-year-olds and up on Saturday, John Rotella's New York-bred Say Florida Sandy came within a half-length of catching front-running Crossing Point, who had a 5 1/2-length lead at mid-stretch. That gallant effort got the nine-year-old stallion second-place money of $16,110, pushing his earnings over the $2-million mark to $2,004,917 while bringing his record to 31 - 18 - 11 in 93 starts. He also qualified Rotella for a $3,222 open race owner award, breeder Sanford Bacon for a $3,222 breeder award, and the syndicate that owns his sire, New York stallion Personal Flag, for a $1,127.70 stallion award.
Finishing third and fourth, respectively, in the six-furlong stakes were New York-breds Tom's Thunder (now $416,486) and Vodka (now $310,016), as New York-breds picked up 37 percent of the event's total purse and generated a total of just over $14,000 in additional owner, breeder, and stallion awards.
Ridden for the first time by Michael Luzzi -- his 20th career jockey -- and saddled by trainer Victor Cuadra, Say Florida Sandy once again set a new earnings record for a New York-bred, becoming the first to go over $2-million. He also set another record: His effort marked the first time that a multiple graded-winning millionaire that is not a gelding has ever raced in North America as a nine-year-old. Say Florida Sandy's 18 stakes victories include a Grade 2 score and four Grade 3 tallies.
Say Florida Sandy is among 29 stakes winners sired by multiple Grade 1 winner Personal Flag ($1,258,924), who is a full brother to legendary filly/mare Personal Ensign, and his dam is 1998 New York Broodmare Champion Lolli Lucka Lolli, by Venezuelan champion Sweet Candy ($1,257,932). The muscular bay champion's five winning half-siblings include Grade 3 winner Dancin Renee ($497,546) -- New York-Bred Champion Older Female and Champion Sprinter for 1997 -- plus two other six-figure earners, one of which equaled a track record at Calder.
Trainer Cuadra expressed understandable admiration of Say Florida Sandy following the Paumonok: "I'm very proud of him. Getting to $2 million is a big accomplishment. He loves running and tries so hard."

(1/24) Look Out Evan sweeps to victory
Mark Doneson and Michael Dubb's LOOK OUT EVAN beat state-bred allowance company today at Aqueduct Racetrack. The six-furlong non-winner of 1X allowance was for three year-old colts and geldings. Richard Migliore, riding his second winner of the day, was aboard for trainer Patrick Reynolds, who claimed the chestnut colt for $60,000 for Doneson and Dubb.
Polish Posh and Karakorumblackjack vied for the early lead with Look Out Evan maintained an outside path, while sitting fourth, in the run down the backside. Race time favorite Acceptable Venture was down on the rail. As the field hit the top of the stretch, Migliore cleverly moved to the leaders holding Acceptable Venture inside behind the leaders. As Acceptable Venture had to steady, Migliore sent Look Out Evan around the leaders gaining valuable momentum and drove to the wire to win by three lengths over Acceptable Venture.
Conceived in Kentucky to the cover of a stallion currently standing in New York, Look Out Evan is by Take Me Out (Cure the Blues - White Feather, by Tom Rolfe), who stands at Dr. Jonathan Davis' Milfer Farm in Unadilla. Look Out Evan's dam, A Royal Look, by Sunny's Halo, is a half-sister to three stakes-placed winners, including the dam of New York-bred graded winner Hey Baba Lulu ($615,218), who also was bred by Mr. Schwartz.
Look Out Evan has now earned $103,619 with a Lifetime Record: 8-3-3-0.

(1/24) Strike the Brass romps at Aqueduct
Melissa Guerra's STRIKE THE BRASS easily defeated a state-bred starter allowance field today at Aqueduct Racetrack. The six year-old gelding was bet to the prohibitive 3/5 favorite and was ridden to victory by Richard Migliore, who has been red-hot. Eight horses loaded into the gate for the six-furlong affair.
Migliore hustled Strike the Brass to the front at the break and dictated the pace throughout getting to the half-mile pole in 47 seconds flat with only mild pressure from Love Less. Under mild urging, Strike the Brass drew off at the top of the stretch and coasted to wire six-lengths in front of Love Less, who was another six-lengths in front of Jazz Pro. Final time was a respectable 1:10.3.
Claimed for $30,000 two back, the multiple stakes winning Strike the Brass has already returned $27,500 to his new connections. Bred by Michael Watral, Strike the Brass is by Dixie Brass, out of the Easy Goer mare, Strike It Easy, who's a half-sister to the 9X graded stakes winner On The Line (Mehmet), winner of over 1-1/4 million dollars.

(1/24) Fran's Uncle Al beats open maiden claimers
Francis Santangelo's homebred FRAN'S UNCLE AL, unsuccessful against state-bred company, dropped into a $30,000 maiden claimer today and promptly visited the winner's circle. The one and one-eight mile affair for three year-olds was run over the winterized inner-track at Aqueduct. Jean Luc Samyn had the mount for trainer Angel Penna, Jr., and a full field of 12 loaded into the gate.
Pelican Pete unseated jockey John McKee in the run to the first turn. Poundcake and Stone King led the large field in the run down the backstretch with Fran's Uncle Al rating near the back of the pack. Tough Banker, the race-time favorite quickly moved to the leaders nearing the far turn and took command at the top of the stretch. Samyn maneuvered Fran's Uncle Al into contention but had a lot of ground to make up as the field turned for home. Poundcake and Tough Banker hooked up and battled through the stretch as Fran's Uncle Al began to eat away at the leaders catching them in the shadow of the wire to win by a neck. Poundcake held for second and Tough Banker was third.
Fran's Uncle Al is a three year-old dark bay colt by Signal Tap, out of Bombay Gal, by Carodanz. Bombay Gal is an unraced sister to the multiple stakes winner Cavanagh's Special (Jacques Who), winner of $381,069. The sire, Signal Tap, entered stud duty in 1997 at Questroyal Stud Farm in Hudson, New York and last year his progeny earned $1,721,953. Signal Tap's most outstanding progeny is the filly Got Koko. Got Koko won the Gr. I - La Brea Stake at Santa Anita in December, and last Sunday won the Gr. 2 - El Encino Stake, also at Santa Anita.

(1/20) Wonderful Prospect wins open allowance as NY-breds again run 1-2
Prior to the seventh race at Aqueduct on Monday, Martin Luther King Day, the most impressive outing for Paraneck Stable's homebred WONDERFUL PROSPECT arguably had been at a mile on Aqueduct's inner track almost a year ago (January 30), when he placed second in a $44,000 open N1X allowance. The now five-year-old New York-bred was given a layoff of almost nine months following that effort, returning to competition under new trainer Jennifer Pedersen for five six-furlong open allowance races (including one at the N2X level) at Belmont and Aqueduct over the next four months. Entered by Pedersen for Monday's seventh race -- once again an open $44,000 N1X allowance at a two-turn mile for four-year-olds and up -- Wonderful Prospect turned in a new career personal best as the 8-to-1 fifth choice among eight starters.
Ridden for the first time by "bug" jockey Luis Castillo, whose five-pound apprentice allowance brought his impost down to 109 pounds, and breaking from the number one post position, Wonderful Prospect contested the early pace with 4.70-to-1 fourth choice Favorite Sweep and 12-to-1 sixth choice Whatasaint. Refusing to relinquish his rail position, he gained a short advantage midway around the turn while running into a 28 mph northwesterly headwind and drew clear, leading by five lengths at mid-stretch and then holding a safe 2 1/4-length margin at the wire over fast-closing New York-bred Farmer Jake. The latter, the 3.40-to-1 third choice whose earnings increased to $175,219, advanced from last after the first half-mile, as New York-breds finished first and second and picked up 80 percent of the race's total purse.
Wonderful Prospect earned $26,400 for his first open company allowance victory, boosting his career bankroll to $138,410 and improving his record to 4 - 2 - 3 in 16 starts while also qualifying his owner-breeder, Ernie Paragallo's Paraneck Stable, for $5,280 in open race owner and breeder awards ($2,640 each). Paragallo, who owns Center Brook Farm in Climax, bred Wonderful Prospect as the first offspring produced from three-time open turf allowance winner (at Saratoga and Belmont) Just Wonderful ($99,597), who also raced for Paraneck Stable. Wonderful Prospect's sire is Grade 2-winning Saratoga sprinter Prospect Bay. Dam Just Wonderful, who is by Strike the Anvil, is a full sister to stakes winner Oh So Striking ($101,904) and to stakes-placed winners Faligone (a track record-setter in Florida) and Keep Striking.

(1/20) Bet the Ranch rolls on the front end to break maiden
Third and sixth, respectively, in a pair of restricted maiden specials at Belmont in June and July, E L R Corp's BET THE RANCH was taken out of competition for more than six months, preparing for 2003 with a series of six solid workouts at Philadelphia Park starting in mid-November. Entered by trainer Edward Allard in Aqueduct's nightcap ninth race on Monday, a $41,000 restricted maiden special for just-turned three-year-olds going six furlongs, he was made the 3.90-to-1 second choice among 12 starters with veteran Aqueduct jockey Charles Lopez up for the first time. Lopez, a master at front-running tactics, sent Bet the Ranch immediately to the front, opening up a clear lead that extended to five lengths by mid-stretch and then keeping the dark bay to a drive to win by a length and three-quarters over 6.40-to-1 third choice Tomorrow No More. It was Lopez's second winning ride of the day.
The victory was worth $24,600 in purse money, upping Bet the Ranch's total earnings to $29,110 in three starts. The New York-bred races for Richard Balfour's E L R Corp, which purchased him for $12,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2001 August yearling sale in Ocala, Florida, prior to which he had been a $4,000 weanling purchase out of Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's 2000 December mixed sale. Bet the Ranch's victory also qualified his breeder, Dr. William Coyro Jr. of Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, for a $4,920 breeder award, and it qualified the owner of his deceased New York-based sire, Dixie Brass, for a $1,722 stallion award -- the latter being Michael Watral of Central Islip, Long Island. Bet the Ranch is the seventh winner from Dixie Brass's 2000 crop, which also includes multiple 2002 juvenile stakes-winning filly Beautiful America ($241,363).
Bet the Ranch is the second offspring and second New York-bred winner produced from stakes-placed winner Suddenly Victoria, by Bates Motel, being a half-brother to 2002 Mike Lee Stakes winner No Parole ($319,728). The colt's breeder, Dr. Coyro, initially acquired Suddenly Victoria through the claiming ranks for $25,000 after she had won at Delaware and Garden State, and when the then three-year-old filly eventually was tried at five furlongs on turf, she won a Meadowlands allowance and later placed third in a stakes. Suddenly Victoria subsequently was claimed for $20,000 at Aqueduct by Frank Stronach, who the following year bred her to Lit de Justice (standing at Stronach's Adena Springs Farm in Kentucky for a $20,000 fee) and consigned her to Fasig-Tipton Kentucky's 1998 November sale, where Dr. Coyro re-acquired her for $21,000. The foal Suddenly Victoria was carrying at the time Dr. Coyro bought her was No Parole. Suddenly Victoria was sold again at Keeneland in November of 2000 -- when No Parole was a yearling -- for $32,000 while carrying a filly by Grindstone.

(1/19) Drama Queen wins again - is 3-for-3 at Big A
Doggedly withstanding a challenge from highly-regarded 2.20-to-1 second choice Database, Eugene Hauman's homebred DRAMA QUEEN scored her first two-turn victory in Aqueduct's seventh race on Sunday, a $46,000 open N2X allowance ("other than" including restricted) for eight fillies and mares, four-year-olds and up, going a mile and a sixteenth. Favored at 1.10-to-1 under regular rider Aaron Gryder, the just-turned four-year-old filly broke on top and was challenged initially by 27.20-to-1 sixth choice De Rose Colony on her outside. Although Gryder allowed his mount to concede that longshot an early half-length lead, Drama Queen still held the rail position rounding the turn into the backstretch, and she gained command approaching the second turn while turning back new challenges from 6.40-to-1 third choice Green Jeans and 33-to-1 Whitewashed. Hugging the rail on the second turn, the New York-bred drew clear in the upper stretch, extending her margin to 4 1/2 lengths at the eighth pole before holding off the late threat from Database -- a 5 3/4-length open Aqueduct allowance winner in November -- to win by a neck.
Drama Queen's second open Aqueduct allowance victory within 15 days -- following her 6 1/4-length win on January 4 -- increased her earnings by $27,600 to $163,795, improving her record to 5 - 3 - 1 in nine starts while also qualifying owner and co-breeder Hauman for a $2,760 open race owner award. Hauman, of Shoreham, New York, and co-breeder Ernest Dahlman furthermore qualified jointly for a $2,760 breeder award. Trained by New York Thoroughbred Breeders 2000 Trainer of the Year Michael Hushion, Drama Queen's only previous two-turn outing had come in her first stakes effort, when she had placed second to Princess Dixie in Finger Lakes' New York Oaks on Labor Day. Although she twice has won off layoffs -- breaking her maiden in April after an eight-month hiatus following her two-year-old debut and winning on January 4 following a four-month vacation -- she twice has scored close back-to-back victories, having gone through her New York-bred allowance conditions within a seven-day span in June.
Sired by Eclipse Champion Sprinter Smoke Glacken, Drama Queen is the third New York-bred offspring, third starter, and third winner produced from Aqueduct open stakes-placed winner Alpine Music ($170,113), by Travelling Music. The distinctive-looking speckled gray filly with dark legs is a half-sister to 1998 Aspirant Stakes winner Natural ($199,222). Her dam, Alpine Music, won five times at Aqueduct -- four times on the inner track -- and three times at Belmont and was claimed three times, but she concluded her racing career while under the colors of Drama Queen's owner and co-breeder, Hauman.

(1/19) Blue Burn sizzles in open allowance as NY-breds run 1-2
An unplaced effort in his first open company outing on December 28 at Aqueduct over a "good" track apparently resulted in Suzanne Jagar's New York-bred BLUE BURN being fifth choice (8.30-to-1) among eight starters for Aqueduct's sixth race on Sunday, a $44,000 open N1X allowance for four-year-olds and up. Sunday's two-turn mile race also marked the just-turned four-year-old colt's first outing at beyond seven furlongs, but his pedigree indicates distance ability, and the Joseph Aquilino-trained colt ending up winning by his widest margin (2 1/2 lengths) yet.
Ridden for the third consecutive time by Charles Lopez, who had been on board when Blue Burn won a six-furlong restricted N2X allowance at Aqueduct on December 6, the chestnut colt went out quickly for the lead from the seventh post position and set the pace while under wraps. Sixth choice Fine and Dandy (8.70-to-1) tried to challenge on the backstretch but fell back, then 2.20-to-1 favorite Jersey Storm launched a bid but got no closer than a length. Blue Burn reached mid-stretch with a 4 1/2-length lead, and in the final furlong the rival that closed the most ground on him was New York-bred Salute Him, who got to within 2 1/2 lengths of Blue Burn at the finish, as New York-breds finished first and second.
Blue Burn's first open company victory and first two-turn score boosted his earnings by $26,400 to $129,900 and improved his record to 4 - 2 - 2 in nine starts while also qualifying owner Jagar, who acquired Blue Burn privately, for a $5,280 open race owner award. The colt's breeder, James Edwards' CBF Corporation, qualified for a $5,280 breeder award, and the syndicate connections that owned Blue Burn's record-setting (now deceased) sire when he stood in New York, Cure the Blues, qualified for a $1,848 stallion award. Second-place finisher Salute Him (earnings now $170,710) also qualified his connections for open race owner, breeder, and stallion awards, as New York-breds picked up 80 percent of the total purse money offered for the sixth race.
Owner Jagar is the wife of Dr. John Jagar of Millbrook Equine, who does veterinary work for James Edwards' The Stallion Park in Millbrook and for Edwards' Keane Stud in Amenia, where Blue Burn was foaled on the relatively late date of May 11, 1999. Edwards bred the colt as the sixth winner from his homebred Solar Halo ($190,561), a Halo mare who won Aqueduct's Grade 2 Firenze Handicap by nine lengths in 1984 and placed second in Aqueduct's Grade 1 Ladies Handicap. Blue Burn is a full brother to Edwards' homebred four-year-old turf filly, Solar Blues, who won a restricted one-mile allowance race at Aqueduct on November 5. He also is a half-brother to Pretty Keane, who is the dam or granddam of Edwards' homebred stakes winners Personal Pro ($235,644) and Solar Deputy ($157,733) and of New York-bred stakes-placed winners Pretty Brassy ($166,030) and Miss Pretty Keane.

(1/19) Street Wheeling wins with strong stretch run
A month after breaking her maiden at Philadelphia Park in late November of 2001, John Barone's New York-bred STREET WHEELING had made her first venture into New York, placing second on Aqueduct's inner track in a six-furlong restricted N1X allowance under jockey Luis Romero Rivera Jr.Ý Over ten subsequent starts -- including six at Aqueduct and one at Belmont -- Rivera was on board the dark bay filly six more times for three more second-placings, including a $43,000 restricted N1X allowance going six furlongs in the mud at Aqueduct on January 4. He again was in the irons 15 days later for four-year-old Street Wheeling's outing in Aqueduct's third race on Sunday, another $43,000 restricted N1X allowance for fillies and mares, four-year-olds and up, going six furlongs. Sent off the 3.25-to-1 second choice among nine starters and clearly improving off her previous form, Street Wheeling this time did not wilt in the stretch.
The surprising contender for the early lead was 28.75-to-1 seventh choice Budapest Girl, who got the rail and a head advantage over Street Wheeling in the run down the backstretch. Street Wheeling overtook Budapest Girl on the outside going around the turn and drew clear on her own accord through the stretch, winning by 2 1/2 lengths over 5.20-to-1 fourth choice Queen of Saratoga, as Budapest Girl held on for third. The victory increased Street Wheeling's earnings by $25,800 to $86,130 while improving her record to 2 - 5 - 2 in 17 starts.
Purchased by her trainer, Sidney Underwood, for $8,700 at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's 2000 October yearling sale in Timonium, Maryland, Street Wheeling was bred by Mia Gallo of Thomas J. Gallo III Sales Agency in Cambridge, who qualified for a $2,580 breeder award. The New York-bred filly is by 1994 Grade 2 Sapling Stakes winner Boone's Mill and is the fifth winner -- and fourth New York-bred winner -- produced from stakes winner Street Walking ($102,738), a Distinctive mare that breeder Gallo acquired privately in the early 1990s. Street Wheeling's winning New York-bred half-siblings include Belmont-Aqueduct-Garden State allowance winner Fit to Flirt ($135,572), who won 11 races.

(1/19) King of the Mount shortens up to break maiden
The last time John Piazza's and Seven Furlong Stable's homebred KING OF THE MOUNT had tried a six-furlong sprint was more than seven months earlier at Belmont, finishing ninth in a restricted maiden special, and all five of his subsequent 2002 first-or-second-placings were at a mile (once) or longer. In the just-turned four-year-old's first start of 2003 on January 4 at Aqueduct, he had set the pace in the mud in a mile and three-sixteenths open maiden special, tiring somewhat to finish fourth among nine in his longest race to date. Fifteen days later in Aqueduct's Sunday opener, a $41,000 restricted maiden special for four-year-olds and up, he was the 3.20-to-1 second choice among 11 starters despite shortening up to six furlongs, but he also owned a credential of obvious significance -- he was the leading money-earner going into the race.
Ridden for the first time by Shaun Bridgmohan, King of the Mount breezed straight to the front with his distinctive, high-headed running action, setting the pace along the inside and clocking a five-furlong fraction of 59.57 while leading by two lengths through the upper stretch. He reached the finish with a length and a half margin over 7.40-to-1 fifth choice Mister Fizz, winning in the time of 1:11.89. King of the Mount's maiden victory increased his earnings by $24,600, boosting his bankroll to $74,190 and improving his record to 1 - 4 - 2 in 14 starts while also qualifying his breeder and co-owner, Tracy Egan of Seven Furlong Farm and Stable in Ballston Lake, for a $4,920 breeder award.
Trained by Scott Everett, King of the Mount is by New York stallion Claramount (Policeman - Fifties Galore, by Cornish Prince), who stands at James Edwards' The Stallion Park in Millbrook and whose owner, Edwin Wachtel of Boca Raton, Florida, and Suffern, New York, qualified for a $1,722 stallion award. The bay colt is the fifth offspring and fifth New York-bred winner produced from Perfect Reign, a first-out winning King Pellinore mare who is a half-sister to the winning dam of stakes-placed New York-bred winner Message Red. His five-year-old full sister, Perfectintherain, won on turf as a three-year-old. Dam Perfect Reign was bred by Egan in partnership with Howard Nolan of Blue Sky Farm in Delmar and was re-acquired privately by Egan as a broodmare in the mid-1990s.

(1/18) She's Got the Beat wins again - NY-breds 1-2
Elizabeth Walsh's New York-bred SHE'S GOT THE BEAT seems to thrive at Aqueduct -- especially on the inner track -- but in her previous start there in a six-furlong open N1X allowance on December 29, she had her worse finish ever at the Big A -- placing third behind New York-bred Boundanddetermined. The then three-year-old filly even had a six-pound weight concession from her older rival for that encounter, but for their next match-up in Aqueduct's seventh race on Saturday, a $43,000 open N1X allowance ("other than" including restricted) for older fillies and mares going six furlongs, there was no weight concession. Boundanddetermined, in fact, was carrying five pounds less because of her jockey's apprentice allowance, but Hall of Fame trainer Philip Johnson had overseen a three-furlong "bullet" workout (34 2/5) at Belmont for She's Got the Beat on January 10, and Aqueduct horseplayers obligingly made her the 1.60-to-1 favorite. Boundanddetermined went off as the 3.30-to-1 second choice among the eight starters from a post-position inside of She's Got the Beat.
With jockey Jean-Luc Samyn on board for the first time, She's Got the Beat raced close behind the early leaders, including New York-bred Aly Baghdad, while in hand before swinging wide into the stretch, where she steadily closed ground on the new leader, Boundanddetermined. Approaching the eighth pole, Boundanddetermined put away the 4.10-to-1 third choice, Northern Energy, while setting a 58.56 five-furlong fraction, but she could not withstand She's Got the Beat, who won by a length in 1:11.76 even though switching back to her left lead as soon as she gained command. It was the second win of the day at Aqueduct for owner Walsh, trainer Johnson, and jockey Samyn, as those three also had teamed up to win the fourth race on the card.
The victory was worth $25,800 in purse money, boosting She's Got the Beat's bankroll to $128,340 and improving her record to 4 - 2 - 1 in 11 starts, and it also qualified Walsh for a $2,580 open race owner award. Boundanddetermined, who placed second, likewise qualified her connections for owner and breeder awards, and also earning purse money was New York-bred Quarter to Nine, as New York-breds picked up 83 percent of the race's total purse.
Bred by James Iselin's J. I. Racing Inc. and Sally Bierer's Woodside Stud, which jointly qualified for a $2,580 breeder award, She's Got the Beat was sold at Fasig-Tipton's 2000 Saratoga preferred yearling sale for $15,000 to Eisaman Equine. The latter subsequently pinhooked the bay filly for $47,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's April 2001 sale of two-year-olds in training, with Peter Walsh signing the sales slip. Iselin's J. I. Racing, Inc. also bred the winner of the nightcap ninth race at Aqueduct on Saturday, New York homebred Star Goldminer.
Sired by Sultry Song ($1,616,276), a Grade 1 winner in New York and California, She's Got The Beat is the first offspring produced from winner Judy's Magic, a Wavering Monarch mare bred by former University of Kentucky basketball coach Joe B. Hall. Judy's Magic is a full sister to stakes winner Rolandthemonarch ($197,713) and to the dam of stakes winner Next Millennium ($152,050), and she is a half-sister to two stakes-placed winners, including Captain Red ($304,450).

(1/18) Star Goldminer stays in front all the way
Although rarely a front-runner, James Iselin's and Robert Kaufman's STAR GOLDMINER had broken his maiden in that fashion almost exactly a year ago at Aqueduct under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, and for Aqueduct's nightcap ninth race on Saturday, a $43,000 restricted N1X allowance for four-year-olds and up, that tactic worked again. With Bridgmohan in the irons for the seventh time after a four-month absence, Star Goldminer was hustled forward to get the lead and the rail while coming out of the seventh post position in the eight-horse field. He had a half-length margin after the first quarter-mile, then was challenged on the outside by 8.70-to-1 fifth choice Promise Mountain. Hugging the rail on the turn, the four-year-old colt kept Promise Mountain at bay, eventually drawing clear to a 3 1/2-length lead at mid-stretch and reaching the finish 2 1/4 lengths in front of Promise Mountain, who continued on to place second
Trained by Richard Stoklosa and sent off the 5.50-to-1 fourth choice, Star Goldminer picked up $25,800 in purse money for his latest victory, boosting his earnings over the six-figure mark to $101,940 and improving his record to 2 - 1 - 2 in 12 starts. He also qualified his co-owner and breeder, James Iselin's J. I. Racing, Inc., for a $5,160 breeder award. In addition to Star Goldminer, J. I. Racing Inc. is the co-breeder of Elizabeth Walsh's New York-bred She's Got the Beat, who won the seventh race -- an open allowance -- on Aqueduct's Saturday card.
Star Goldminer's sire is New York stallion Goldminers Gold (Crafty Prospector - Miss Secreto, by Secreto), a syndicated Canadian Grade 1 winner who stands at Michael and Debra Lischin's Dutchess Views Farm in Pine Plains and whose connections qualified for a $1,806 stallion award. Star Goldminer is the fourth allowance winner -- and third New York-bred winner -- bred by J. I. Racing Inc. out of 17-race winner Five Star Rose ($116,040), a multiple allowance-winning daughter of Five Star Flight. Acquired privately by J. I. Racing Inc. in the early 1990s, Five Star Rose is a half-sister to stakes winners Indian Detail ($224,602), General Express ($124,495), and Buck's Indian Maid as well as to Grade 2-placed winner Armed for Peace ($149,882).

(1/18) Packin Glacken prevails to break maiden in lengthy duel
Although he boasted more outings on his resume than any of the other nine starters in Aqueduct's third race on Saturday, a $42,000 restricted maiden special for just-turned three-year-olds going a two-turn mile, Paraneck Stable's PACKIN GLACKEN had only a second and a third in November to show for it. With two subsequent unplaced Aqueduct efforts in December and January, he was dismissed as the 10.80-to-1 co-fifth choice under apprentice jockey Luis Castillo, who was riding him for the first time, but he broke like a shot from the gate before being bumped on his inside by Immunity Idol. Bumping to the inside of last choice Immunity Idol (45.75-to-1) was the 2.10-to-1 favorite, Pleasant Trick, who got the lead and the rail on the first turn, while Packin Glacken scrambled around on the inside in fifth place.
Entering the backstretch, Packin Glacken started advancing on the inside, getting up to within a half-length of Pleasant Trick, who continued to lead. Going into the second turn, Castillo was able to squeeze his mount through on the inside of Pleasant Trick, who still stubbornly clung to a narrow advantage while prematurely switching to his right lead well before entering the stretch. The pair dueled down the stretch, with Pleasant Trick still leading by a head at the eighth pole, but in the final furlong Packin Glacken edged ahead, benefiting -- perhaps -- from a five-pound weight concession resulting from Castillo's apprentice allowance. At the finish, Packin Glacken held a head margin over Pleasant Trick, who was six lengths in front of the third-place finisher, 5.20-to-1 third choice Glory Be to Winloc.
Packin Glacken's first victory increased his earnings by $25,200 to $39,960 and improved his record to 1 - 1 - 1 in nine starts. Trained by Jennifer Pedersen, the bay colt races for the Paraneck Stable of Ernie Paragallo, owner of Center Brook Farm in Climax. Packin Glacken was the third-highest-priced yearling sold out of Fasig-Tipton's 2001 Saratoga preferred sale, bringing a $140,000 final bid from agent Buzz Chace, prior to which he had been a $57,000 weanling purchase out of Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's 2000 December mixed sale in Timonium, Maryland. The colt's breeder is John Hettinger of Akindale Farm in Pawling, who qualified for a $2,520 breeder award.
Sired by Eclipse Champion Sprinter Smoke Glacken, Packin Glacken is the second offspring and second New York-bred winner bred by Hettinger from his own New York homebred Moving Along ($115,570), a winning stakes-placed daughter of pensioned New York stallion D'Accord. This is a female family which has been influential in New York breeding for three generations, with Hettinger also being the breeder of Movin Along's New York-bred multiple stakes-winning dam, Move It Now ($184,323), plus other New York-bred stakes winners from this immediate family, including Grade 2 record-setter Warfie ($418,490).

(1/17) Beebe Lake stretches out to break maiden
Lawrence Goichman's BEEBE LAKE beat state-bred maiden fillies today at Aqueduct Racetrack. After finishing fifth going six-furlongs in her career debut, trainer Todd Pletcher stretched the dark bay filly out for today's affair, going two-turns at a mile and seventy yards. Richard Migliore was aboard Beebe Lake as eight-fillies loaded into the gate in front of the grandstand.
Laughing went to the lead with Beebe Lake in close pursuit around the first turn and down the backstretch. Hollywood Princess raced in third, saving ground while racing down on the rail. In mid-turn, Migliore sent Beebe Lake up to take the lead as Laughing dropped back forcing Hollywood Princess to move to around the tiring filly. On top by two-lengths at the top of the stretch, Beebe Lake was in full stride, but Hollywood Princess was gearing up to put in her run. Hooking up past the eighth pole, Beebe Lake and Hollywood Princess battled gamely to the wire, with Beebe Lake holding on by a nose.
Bred by Mr. Goichman, Beebe Lake is out of the first crop of Grand Slam (Gone West), a winner of over $971,000 with victories in the Grade I - Champagne Stake in 1997 and the Grade II - Peter Pan Stake in 1998. Ironically, when Grand Slam won the Champagne one of his rivals was Tomorrows Cat, sire of Hollywood Princess. Tomorrows Cat stands at Questroyal Stud in Hudson, New York. The dam, Quiet Rumour, by Alleged, is a half-sister to the Grade I winner Only Queens (Transworld), who is the dam of the multiple Grade I winner Tactile (Slew O' Gold).

(1/16) Sparkling performance by Golden Damsel
Our Canterbury Stable's GOLDEN DAMSEL, bet down to the prohibitive 3/5 favorite, was never in distress as she easily beat a state-bred allowance field today at the Big A. Eight fillies and mares went to the gate in a non-winner of 1X condition race, going one-mile over the winterized inner-track at Aqueduct. Golden Damsel has now won two consecutive route races in rather easy fashion, having won broken her maiden by 15-1/2 lengths and beating older company today by almost 8 lengths. Aaron Gryder had the mount for trainer Gary Contessa.
Deliberately moving to the outside of Fiji Rascal after the break, Golden Damsel was three-wide in the first turn and rated comfortably down the backstretch. Nearing the half-mile pole, the three year-old dark bay filly assumed command in 48.1 seconds. Coasting on the lead, Gryder mildly encouraged Golden Damsel at the top of the stretch and she drew off from the field in an impressive performance.
Bred by Barry K. Schwartz' Stonewall Farm, Golden Damsel is by Gold Token, out of the Rahy mare, Roving Eyes, who is a half-sister to the graded stakes winner Morluc (Housbuster) who earned $625,278. The sire Gold Token (Mr. Prospector) is the property of Mr. Schwartz and stands for $3,500 at Lou Salerno's Questroyal Stud Farm in Hudson, New York. Golden Damsel is from the first crop to race for Gold Token, who was an extremely fast individual having 11-Beyer Speed figures in excess of 100.
Golden Damsel has now banked $56,640 in four career starts, qualifying Mr. Schwartz for breeder's and stallion owner's awards of $15,293, to date. Breeder and stallion awards are part of the incentives provided by the New York Breeding and Racing Program.

(1/16) Dixie Dream - runaway winner
Mitsumrdream Farm's DIXIE DREAM destroyed a field of state-bred maiden fillies and mares today over the inner-track at Aqueduct. Jockey Herberto Castillo, Jr., riding for trainer Leah Gyarmati, was merely a passenger. Ms. Gyarmati decided to run the dark bay filly in a sprint (six-furlongs) after three successive route races and to the trainer's credit she had Dixie Dream primed and ready to face 10 rivals.
Streaking to the lead, Dixie Dream opened up a clear lead in the run down the backstretch, which she gradually increased to the top of the stretch, which found her on top by 10 lengths. Cruising through the stretch Dixie Dream not only maintained her large lead, she increased it to 12-1/2 lengths at the wire, stopping the timer is a quick 1:11.3 over the fast strip.
Bred by Michael Watral, Dixie Dream is by Dixie Brass, out of Watrals Lisa, by Air Forbes Won. The dam, Watrals Lisa, is a half-sister to the 1992 Grade I Kentucky Oaks winner, Luv Me Luv Me Not (It's Freezing). Dixie Dream is a sister to Alittlebitbrassy, who won over the inner-track in mid-December.
Dixie Dream has now earned $42,640 in five career starts. Mr. Watral, who stood the late Dixie Brass at both the Stallion Park and Silvernails Farm in the mid-Hudson area of New York State, has, thus far, earned breeder and stallion owner awards of $11,512 for the talented filly's efforts.

(1/16) Stately Deputy breaks maiden
Einar Robsham's STATELY DEPUTY defeated state-bred maiden three year-olds today at Aqueduct Racetrack. The six-furlong affair was run over the winterized inner-track, labeled fast, and had a field of 9 contesting the outcome of the $41,000 purse. Trained by Stanley Hough, the three year-old chestnut colt was ridden to victory by Herberto Castillo, Jr.
Stars Aligned, sporting blinkers for the first time, streaked out to a two-length lead in the run down the backstretch. Castillo had Stately Deputy sitting in third position before moving up to challenge in mid-turn, however Stars Aligned, racing uncontested, had increased his margin to over 3-lengths as they hit the top of the stretch. A resolute effort by jockey and horse caught the leader in at the sixteenth pole before drawing off to win by more than two-lengths crossing the wire. Uncalculated put in a late run to be second with Stars Aligned finishing third. Final time was 1:13.2.
Bred by Mr. Robsham, Stately Deputy is by Miswaki, out of the Deputy Minister mare, Stately Event, who also produced the stakes-placed winner Blues Event (Cure The Blues).

(1/15) Hot favorite Burst Of Dawn scores easily
Heatherwood Farm's BURST OF DAWN was sent off as the prohibitive 1-2 favorite in today's seventh race at Aqueduct. The state-bred non-winner of 1X allowance for fillies and mares, four year-olds and upward, was run at a distance of one-mile around two-turns. The four year-old dark bay filly is trained by Richard Schosberg and was ridden to victory by Mike Luzzi, his third of the day.
Racing around two-turns for the first time, Burst Of Dawn went immediately to the front with mild pressure from Watrals Strike Go. Setting moderate fractions of 24.1 and 48.1, Burst Of Dawn arrived at the six-furlong pole in 1:13.4. Once straightened for home, Luzzi let out another notch, opening up a clear margin on the field, holding off a belated run by Lady Groush by two-lengths at the wire.
Bred by Heatherwood Farm, Burst Of Dawn is by Polish Numbers, out of S. S. Sparkle, by Victorian Prince. The dam, S. S. Sparkle won 10 times in a forty-three races, earning a handsome $267,286. Burst Of Dawn is the third foal out of six produced by S. S. Sparkle and the third winner out of four horses of racing age.
Burst Of Dawn has now earned $69,200 in five lifetime starts, and has thus far qualified Heatherwood Farm for $6,920 in breeder's awards from the New York Breeding and Racing Program.

(1/15) Deesalia breaks maiden
R Farm Stable's DEESALIA beat state-bred 3 year-old fillies today at Aqueduct Racetrack. The six-furlong affair was run over the winterized inner-track, which was labeled fast. Trained by Scott Everett, the bay filly was ridden to victory by Mike Luzzi. 10 fillies went to the post. Karakorumseashanty, on the inside, and Doctor America, on the outside, raced heads apart in the run down the backstretch. Luzzi rated Deesalia in third-position with Moel to her inside. As they approached the half-mile pole, Deesalia began her move on the leaders. Once straightened for home, Deesalia was in full-stride and easily passed Doctor America at the eighth pole, drawing off to win by five lengths. First-time starter, Chickadee closed strongly in the middle of the track to finish second. Final time was 1:13.1.
Bred by Milfer Farm in Unadilla, New York, Deesalia is by Deerhound, out of the Seattle Slew mare, Wyndalia, who is out of the 1976 2 year-old Canadian Champion Filly, Northernette, winner of $404,914. Northernette won or placed in 7 graded stakes, including a victory in the Grade I - Top Flight Handicap at Aqueduct.
Deesalia was purchased at last year's April OBS two year-old in-training sale for $18,000 and has now earned $48,790 in eight career starts.

(1/15) Introspect hides from the field in Big A. finale
Castle Village Farm's INTROSPECT crushed a field of state-bred three year-old maidens in today's 9th race at Aqueduct Racetrack. Trained by William H. Turner, Jr., trainer of Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, Introspect was ridden by Javier Castellano.
Jet Pass and Chiave battled for the early lead with Introspect moving between those two to take the lead past the first eighth in 23.1. Moving easily past the half-mile pole in 46.1, Introspect drew off under a hand-ride and had seven on the field at the eighth pole and continued on to the wire an eighth-length winner. Final time for the six-furlong race was 1:11.1 a full two seconds faster than the filly division earlier on the card.
Purchased as a yearling for $15,000 at the 2001 October Fasig-Tipton Timonium Midlantic sale, Introspect was bred by Questroyal Farm 100 LLC. Questroyal Farm has facilities in New Hampton and Hudson, New York. Introspect is by In Case, out of the Northern Prospect mare, Axspect. The bay colt is the seventh foal to race out of Axspect, who has produced eight foals, including the $250,000 plus winner, To Dy Fore (Dynaformer). Introspect has now earned $29,110 in four lifetime starts.

(1/12) Private Practice leads way - NY-breds 1-2-3
George McEwen's New York-bred PRIVATE PRACTICE had demonstrated in all four of his previous wins that when he is loose on a large uncontested lead, he can be tough to catch. That tendency was showcased again in Aqueduct's seventh race on Sunday, a $44,000 open N1X allowance for four-year-olds and up going a mile and an eighth, for which the four-year-old colt was made the 8.10-to-1 sixth choice among eight starters. Favored at 3.05-to-1 was four-year-old New York-bred Quatre Dix Neuf ($124,800), who was coming off three consecutive front-running wins at Belmont and Aqueduct last fall, but that rival rocked back on his haunches right before the starting gate opened and broke in the air, nearly unseating his rider. Private Practice was sent immediately to the front by jockey Charles Lopez after breaking from the number six post position just inside of Quatre Dix Neuf, and after a surprisingly quick opening quarter in 23.04, he had an eight-length lead, while the favorite was floundering back in fifth place.
Private Practice zipped his second quarter mostly against a 21 mph northwesterly crosswind but still covered the distance in 23.36 for a half-mile fraction of 46.40 while maintaining his eight-length margin over second-place runner Netcong -- the 5.10-to-1 fourth choice and also a New York-bred. After three-quarters in an eyebrow-raising 1:10.87 that partially was run head-on into the wind, the dark bay colt led Netcong by seven lengths, which dropped to six lengths by mid-stretch, as both Netcong and New York-bred Cold Blow Lane launched a final furlong challenge. At the wire, which Private Practice reached in 1:50.67, his lead was down to three-quarters of a length over Cold Blow Lane, who closed rapidly next to the rail and was crowded slightly in the final strides, finishing a neck ahead of Netcong on the other side of Private Practice. Quatre Dix Neuf tired after struggling to overcome his bad break out of the starting gate.
The second consecutive victory at Aqueduct within 25 days for Private Practice increased his earnings by $26,400 to $146,460 and improved his record to 5 - 2 - 0 in 15 starts. Cold Blow Lane raised his earnings to $168,240, and four-year-old Netcong boosted his bankroll to $134,603, as New York-breds finished first, second, and third and picked up 91 percent of the race's total purse. Private Practice also qualified his owner, McEwen, for a $5,280 open race owner award. It was the second win of the day for Lopez, who earlier guided New York-bred Whats What to victory and was on board when Private Practice had won his previous Aqueduct outing -- a mile and a sixteenth open claiming race with a $40,000 tag -- by three lengths on December 18. Private Practice went through his New York-bred conditions last summer with front-running back-to-back allowance scores by 5 1/4 and 3 1/4 lengths, respectively, at Belmont and Saratoga.
Bred by John Caputo and Dominick Schettino, who jointly qualified for a $5,280 breeder award, Private Practice was the top-priced New York-bred sold from the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's April 2001 sale of two-year-olds in training, going for $105,000 after working a quarter-mile in 21 3/5 five days earlier. Signing the sales slip as agent at that auction was his trainer, current leading Aqueduct winter meet conditioner Gary Contessa. The colt had been a $14,000 yearling at Fasig-Tipton's 2000 Saratoga preferred sale and a $23,000 weanling at Keeneland's 1999 November sale. Six months after the Ocala sale, Private Practice won his debut in front-running fashion by 8 1/2 lengths at Belmont
A half-brother to winning New York-bred filly Personal Jewel, Private Practice is the second offspring and second winner produced from New York-bred Personal Nurse, an Aqueduct-winning daughter of New York stallion Personal Flag that raced for Private Practice's co-breeder, Caputo. Personal Nurse is a half-sister to Grade 1-placed winner Clark Cottage ($112,224) and to the dam of stakes winner Pick's Change.
Private Practice's sire is New York's current leading sire for 2003, Distinctive Pro (Mr. Prospector - Well Done, by Distinctive), whose syndicate owners qualified for a $1,848 stallion award. Distinctive Pro, who stands at Howard Kaskel's Sugar Maple Farm in Poughquag, also is the sire of undefeated New York-bred Grey Comet, who won Aqueduct's open Count Fleet Stakes on January 4, and New York-bred My Buddy Duddie, who broke his maiden on the same card as the Count Fleet.

(1/12) Whats What wires field to win by 2 in debut
As one of seven first-time starters in Aqueduct's third race on Sunday, a $41,000 restricted maiden special for a dozen just-turned three-year-olds going six furlongs, Peter Thompson's WHATS WHAT had earned sufficient respect because of his 10 out-of-state workouts since October, going off as the 6-to-1 second choice. Two of his works -- at Monmouth in November -- had been "bullet" drills, and his latest workout, at Philadelphia Park on January 9, had been a 47 2/5 clocking for a half-mile out of the gate in the mud (second-fastest of 38), so trainer Edward Allard clearly had him ready.
With the most contentious early speed to his outside, jockey Charles Lopez hustled the reluctant gate-loading Whats What to the head of the pack, getting the rail position while clocking an opening quarter in 22.99. The bay colt's second quarter-mile around the turn, run into a 20-mph northwesterly headwind that was gusting up to 23 mph, slowed to 23.75, but his margin nevertheless increased to two lengths. Still running on his left lead at the eighth pole, Whats What drew off by six lengths with a five-furlong fraction of 59.14, and although 1.25-to-1 favorite Will's Journey cut into that advantage, Whats What eventually switched leads and reached the finish two lengths in front in 1:11.65.
The first three finishers were all first-time starters, with What's What and second-place finisher Will's Journey -- whose six workouts since November were conducted at Payson Park in Florida -- also being among three participants in the race training outside of New York. Whats What's first-out victory was worth $24,600 in purse money, and it jointly qualified his breeders, James Iselin of Wanamassa, New Jersey and Marvin Little Jr., for a $2,460 breeder award.
By dirt and turf stakes-winning sprinter Cat's Career, Whats What was sold by co-breeder Little for $2,000 at Keeneland's 2001 September yearling sale -- ten days after the September 11 terrorist attacks. He is a half-brother to eight winners -- two of them New York-breds -- that have won a total of 48 races, and his dam is allowance winner Sudden Affair, who won at Santa Anita and was purchased as a five-year-old for $13,000 by Little at Keeneland's 1988 November sale. Sudden Affair, who is by To the Quick and arrived in New York in the mid-1990s, is a half-sister to the dams of two stakes-placed winners, and her dam is stakes winner Summer Affair.

(1/11) Nothing Wasted wastes no effort in flashy win
Allowed to go off as the 6.50-to-1 fourth choice -- presumably because of no two-turn dirt experience -- among nine starters in Aqueduct's fourth race on Saturday, a $44,000 restricted N1X allowance for four-year-olds and up going a mile and a sixteenth, Four Partners Stable's NOTHING WASTED proved his doubters wrong. Hustled to the front by jockey John McKee, the four-year-old gelding easily cleared his rivals to the inside of him and out-sprinted longshots Lord of Ewhurst (92.20-to-1) and My Legal Alien (34.50-to-1) on his outside to get the rail and the lead going into the first turn. After an opening quarter in 23.43, he had a length and a half lead entering the backstretch, and from there he set the pace while in hand before pulling away once he reached the stretch, winning by 8 1/2 lengths over odds-on (.95-to-1) favorite Indian Card. In his previous start 10 weeks ago on November 2 at Aqueduct, Nothing Wasted had beaten Indian Card by a length while breaking his maiden, but Indian Card later had scored his own maiden victory by 5 1/4 lengths going a mile and a sixteenth at Aqueduct on December 13.
Obviously, Nothing Wasted can perform well of a layoff, having scored his maiden victory at a mile after a layoff of eight weeks and a day. His second consecutive victory boosted his earnings by $26,400 to $71,880, improving his record to 2 - 1 - 2 in nine starts, and it was his first outing under jockey McKee, who also rode the winner of the next race on Aqueduct's Saturday card.
Trained by Richard Dutrow Jr. since returning from a May-to-August layoff in 2002, Nothing Wasted races for the Four Partners Stable that is managed by Henry Prieger of Stanfordville for other partners Digby Barrios of Ridgefield, Connecticut, Laura Vukovich of Holmdel, New Jersey, and David Lester. His victory also qualified his breeder, Raymond De Stefano of East Williston, for a $5,280 breeder award. The New York-bred is among 22 winners of 48 races from the first crop of syndicated New York stallion Abaginone (Devil's Bag - Oil Fable, by Spectacular Bid), a multiple graded winner who stands at Louis Salerno's Questroyal Stud in Hudson and whose connections qualified for a $1,848 stallion award.
Nothing Wasted was consigned to Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's 2000 October yearling sale in Timonium, Maryland, by Four Partners Stable through Thomas J. and Nadine Gallo, agent, with agent Webb Carroll signing the sales slip for $17,500. He is the sixth winner produced from Aqueduct winner Waste No Words, a Nasty and Bold mare that breeder De Stafano acquired privately from the Derby Fair Stable of Dr. Cary Shapoff of Fairfield, Connecticut, in the late 1990s. Waste No Words is a half-sister to stakes winner and black-type-placed Bold Intrusion, who won eight races.

(1/11) The Name Was Gone goes by 4 rivals in final furlong
Impressive enough while winning first-out at Belmont on New York Showcase Day (October 19) that she next went in Aqueduct's $125,000 Fifth Avenue New York Stallion Stakes on November 10, Tri Richard Stable's homebred THE NAME WAS GONE placed third among nine and was given almost a nine-week layoff. Returning from that respite for Aqueduct's seventh race on Saturday, a $43,000 restricted N1X allowance for just-turned three-year-old fillies going six furlongs, she was made the 3.30-to-1 second choice among seven with jockey Michael Luzzi up for the third time and showed a closing kick that suggests distance ability.
Not generally quick out of the gate, The Name Was Gone again broke awkwardly and raced along in sixth place for half a mile. Rallying on the inside nearing the stretch, she was caught in mid-stretch behind alternating leaders Hussy and Cologny, with 2.35-to-1 favorite Storm On the Lake and 16.70-to-1 sixth choice Senorita American hemming her in from the outside. At that point, with Hussy having set a five-furlong fraction of 58.62, The Name Was Gone looked as though third place was the best she could expect. Edging slightly outside, she advanced clear of her outside rivals, then overtook Hussy and Cologny and reached the wire three-quarters of a length ahead of Senorita American, who finished well on the outside.
Trained by Michael Sedlacek, who gave her three workouts on Aqueduct's inner track between her New York Stallion Stakes outing on November 10 and her Saturday start, The Name Was Gone earned $25,800 for her second win in three starts, boosting her career bankroll to $65,350. The bay filly races for the Tri Richard Stable of Manhattan resident Lewis Friedman, who bred her in the name of his Edgewood Organization and therefore also qualified for a $5,160 breeder award.
The Name Was Gone is among three winning fillies -- two stakes-placed -- from five named three-year-olds sired by graded winner Gone for Real (Gone West - Intently, by Drone), who stands at Michael and Debra Lischin's Dutchess Views Farm in Pine Plains and whose syndicate owners qualified for a $1,806 stallion award. She is the fourth starter and fourth New York-bred winner bred by Edgewood Organization from Secreto's Dance and is a half-sister to multiple stakes-placed winner Dancing Blues ($140,533). Secreto's Dance, who is by Secreto and is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Goldenita ($280,211) and to the dams of stakes winners Golden Phase ($222,273) and Share a Martini, was purchased by owner-breeder Friedman for $29,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 1991 March sale of two-year-olds in training. Her dam is graded stakes winner Clandenita.

(1/11) Belongs to Mony shows her class while scoring 16th win
Dismissed as the 13.80-to-1 eighth choice among nine starters in Aqueduct's second race on Saturday, a six-furlong open sprint for older fillies and mares, all with claiming prices of $27,500, Margaret Lannon's homebred multiple stakes winner, BELONGS TO MONY, scored her first career win away from Finger Lakes. The seven-year-old mare had been unplaced at Aqueduct on December 18 and January 1 while racing six furlongs with tags of $50,000 and $35,000, respectively, and despite another class drop for a mare who had placed third in an open stakes six months earlier, she was not expected to improve. What the New York-bred turned in was the most dramatic come from behind effort in a sprint seen at Aqueduct on Saturday -- and she also changed owners, being haltered by trainer Richard Schosberg on behalf of Dawn Schosberg.
Ridden for the first time by Alfredo Juarez Jr. -- the 12th different jockey in her career -- Belongs to Mony trailed the field by six lengths after the opening quarter-mile. She advanced on the inside going around the turn, as 1.50-to-1 favorite Live Wire Lil -- winner of Aqueduct's Garland of Roses Handicap 25 months earlier -- took the lead, then angled outside in the upper stretch and outran the top three choices in the final furlong, winning by a neck. Belongs to Mony, second-place finisher Party to Party (the 5.50-to-1 third choice) and third-place finisher Tempting Choice (the 5-to-1 second choice) were all claimed out of the race for $27,500.
Belongs to Mony's victory boosted her earnings over the $300K mark to $310,758 and improved her record to 16 - 9 - 7 in 53 starts, which includes tallies in four Finger Lakes stakes -- the Susan B. Anthony, Arctic Queen and Anniron Handicaps and the Niagara Stakes -- plus nine stakes placings. Her trainer for Saturday's victory was Joseph Aquilino, who has saddled the chestnut mare for her last three consecutive starts.
By former New York stallion Belong to Me, Belongs to Mony is a half-sister to three winners, and her dam, Do Wah Duchess, by Gate Dancer, is a half-sister to stakes winners Proudest Duke ($325,655) and Cuvee Brut ($314,527) and to stakes-placed winner Pad. Owner-breeder Lannon, of D-M Ranch in Hicksville and also of Burlington Flats, acquired Do Wah Duchess after John Bates had purchased that mare -- then a three-year-old filly -- for $2,741 at a Canadian mixed sale in October of 1991. Given her multiple stakes-winning credentials and her popular sire, Belongs to Mony might have made her last start on Saturday and could be carrying her first foal by this time next year.

(1/10) Rogue Agent game in victory
Ted Taylor's ROGUE AGENT, ridden for the first time by Ariel Smith, beat state-bred allowance horses today at Aqueduct Racetrack. The non-winner of 2X allowance was run over the winterized inner-track at a distance of one and one-eighth mile. The track was labeled 'good' and 9 horses went to post for the Friday opener.
Levendis and Seeking the Money hooked up from outset with Rogue Agent, while in hand, rating close behind along the inside. The duo raced head and head to the half-mile pole in a quick 46.4 before Seeking the Money took command, passing the three-quarter pole in 1:11.2. Angling off the rail, Smith sent Rogue Agent up to challenge the leader at the top of the stretch. The pair battled the length of the stretch with Rogue Agent putting a neck in front at the wire. Final time was 1:49.4.
The four year-old chestnut colt was purchased as a yearling for $10,000. Bred by the partnership of Eaton and Thorne at Thornedale Farm in Millbrook, New York, Rogue Agent is by Anjiz, out of stakes producing mare Ruler's Storm, by Irish Ruler. Rogue Agent is a half-brother to the multiple stakes winner Love That Mac (Great Above). Among Love That Mac's stakes victories is the Grade 2 - Carter Handicap. He also placed second in the Grade I - Vosburgh Handicap.
Trained by Carl Domino, Rogue Agent has now earned $106,230 in 15 career starts.

(1/9) Y Two J is up quickly to win open allowance
Double S Stable's homebred Y TWO J graduated into some fearsome competition after going through his New York-bred conditions with a restricted N2X allowance win at Belmont in September, but he showed in Aqueduct's ninth nightcap race on Thursday that those trials might have made him a better racehorse. Sent off the 3.45-to-1 third choice among eight starters for the $43,000 open N1X allowance for four-year-olds and up going six furlongs over a muddy track with jockey Shaun Bridgmohan aboard, the four-year-old gelding was bumped at the start and had to be steadied, dropping back to last. Still last after 3.20-to-1 second choice Mike and Leo had run a lively half-mile in 45.49, he started advancing on the outside but was no better than fifth at mid-stretch -- about 5 1/4 lengths off front-runner Mike and Leo. In the final furlong, Y Two J closed with a rush on the outside, passing the 2.65-to-1 favorite, Salt Water Cowboy, before catching Mike and Leo in the final sixteenth and then overtaking the new leader, N J Devil, to win by a neck in the time of 1:10.85. The track surface, though muddy, had been sealed and was tightly packed.
Bridgmohan had ridden Y Two J twice before -- to a second placing in a restricted N2X Saratoga allowance in August and in Belmont's $125,000 Hudson Handicap on New York Showcase Day (October 19), when the chestnut gelding's finish of less than four lengths off the winner got him eighth place. Two even though unplaced efforts in subsequent open allowance competition at Aqueduct -- one of them won by New York-bred Papua -- might have toughened him, and his first open company victory increased his earnings by $25,800 to $126,120 while improving his record to 4 - 1 - 1 in 13 starts. It also qualified his owner-breeder, Joseph Sweedler of Westport, Connecticut, for $10,320 in open race owner ($5,160) and breeder ($5,160) awards, since Sweedler races the John DeStafano Jr.-trained gelding in the name of his Double S Stable.
Y Two J is by the late New York stallion Dixie Brass, whose owner, Michael Watral of Central Islip, Long Island, qualified for a $1,806 stallion award. He is the fourth New York-bred offspring and fourth winner bred by Sweedler from Anguilla Holiday, a Lear Fan mare who also raced for Double S Stable and won twice at Aqueduct. Y Two J's half-siblings include Blue Holiday ($298,970), who has won open allowance races at both Belmont and Aqueduct and scored her most recent win in October at Belmont.

(1/9) Rock Queen gets under the wire in time
A first-out winner on Aqueduct's inner track as a three-year-old 13 months ago, Blue Streak Stable's homebred ROCK QUEEN returned to Aqueduct to win a restricted N1X allowance on the outer track in April, then after two more starts took the entire summer and early fall of 2002 off. Returned to Aqueduct for a restricted N2X allowance in November, she was unplaced and was given another 50 days off, then was sent out by trainer Edward Allard for Aqueduct's seventh race on Thursday, a $45,000 restricted N2X allowance for fillies and mares, four-year-olds and up, going six furlongs. The wagering public was understandably skeptical, sending the five-year-old gray mare off as the 13.90-to-1 fifth choice among eight starters with a new jockey, Stewart Elliott, who was not ranked among Aqueduct's leaders for the current winter meet. What trainer Allard and/or jockey Elliott must have been aware of, however, was how Rock Queen had scored her Aqueduct allowance victory back in April: coming off a close second-place position to get the lead entering the stretch and hold it to the wire. For Rock Queen's race on Thursday, that strategy worked again.
This time, Rock Queen went to the front even more quickly than in her April win. Breaking from the number two post position, she put away the early leader, 15-to-1 sixth choice Southern Promise, to her inside going into the turn and then saved ground, running close to the rail into the stretch and opening up a 2 1/2-length lead at the eighth pole. That was just enough of a margin to allow her to reach the wire less than two inches ahead of the fast-closing odds-on favorite, Message Red (.80-to-1), who advanced late from the three path. Rock Queen's five-furlong fraction on the muddy track was 59.21, and although she almost got caught, her final furlong under the conditions was creditable, getting her to the finish in the time of 1:12.03.
Rock Queen's third Aqueduct victory -- along with a second there in 12 career starts -- increased her earnings by $27,000 to $92,970 while also qualifying William Niarakis Jr. of Upper Brookville, who bred the mare and races her in the name of his Blue Streak Stable, for a $5,400 breeder award. Rock Queen is by New York stallion Silver Music (Silver Ghost - Music Bell, by Stop the Music), a Grade 2-winning router owned by and standing at Alexandra, Frank, and Denise Nastasi's Pinebourne Farm (North) in Fort Edward, and her win qualified Pinebourne Farm for a $1,890 stallion award. She is the fifth New York-bred winner that Niarakis has bred from Rock to Glory, who is by On to Glory and is a half-sister to two stakes-placed winners and to the dam of multiple stakes winner Snake Oil Stevie and granddam of multiple stakes winner Diggin' for Fun.

(1/9) War Paint proves he can win from off the pace
Although he had broken his maiden while running near the front end at Aqueduct in early November, Barry Schwartz's homebred WAR PAINT returned 22 days later and found racing near the lead unsustainable, finishing fifth in a restricted N1X Aqueduct allowance in which Look Out Evan placed second. For his next start, 2000 New York Thoroughbred Breeders Trainer of the Year Michael Hushion named jockey Richard Migliore to ride the bay colt in Aqueduct's fourth race on Thursday, a $43,000 restricted N1X allowance for just-turned three-year-olds going six furlongs. It was Migliore's first race aboard War Paint, but he might have had some added insight into the colt, having ridden his dam to a Grade 2 victory at Saratoga some 6 1/2 years earlier.
Favored among the seven starters was Look Out Evan at 1.45-to-1, and second choice at 3.05-to-1 in his second start was Rhumjar, who had won first-out by 4 1/2 lengths at Aqueduct a month earlier, with War Paint the 3.25-to-1 third choice from the outside post position. A pair of longshots -- Wild Bill Hiccup and Patriotic Legend -- vied for the early lead before Look Out Evan seized command while three wide on the turn. Migliore, meanwhile, allowed War Paint to settle into sixth place prior to rallying four wide approaching the stretch, where he ran down his remaining opposition and got up on the outside to beat Look Out Evan by a neck at equal weights in 1:11.63 on the muddy track. Rhumjar closed on the outside from last to place third. War Paint was the second winner on Aqueduct's Thursday card saddled by Hushion and ridden by Migliore, who had teamed up to win the preceding race as well.
The victory was worth $25,800 in purse money, upping War Paint's earnings to $65,880 and improving his record to 2 - 1 - 1 in five starts, and it also qualified Schwartz, Chairman and CEO of the New York Racing Association, for a $2,580 breeder award. In the name of his Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs, Schwartz bred War Paint, who is by Eclipse Champion Devil's Bag. The New York-bred colt is the first winner produced from How About Now ($166,420), a Pentelicus mare who in her second start as a two-year-old in 1996 won Saratoga's Grade 2 Schuylerville Stakes by a length and a quarter under Schwartz's colors -- on a muddy track. How About Now had been acquired privately by Schwartz that summer, and her jockey and trainer for that event were Migliore and Hushion, respectively. The mare is a half-sister to two stakes-placed winners (both foaled after How About Now), including Jolie's Intention ($304,872)), and she also is a half-sister to the winning dam of juvenile Grade 3 winner and Churchill Downs track record-setter Leelanau.

(1/9) Napoleon Solo ($55.50) is no longer a secret
Coming off the also-eligible list into Aqueduct's fifth race on Thursday, a $42,000 restricted maiden special for just-turned three-year-olds going a mile and an eighth, was Jeanne and Ralph Polese's NAPOLEON SOLO, who in two previous starts as a two-year-old going six furlongs had been unplaced. Breaking from the outside post position in field of 12, the 26.75-to-1 10th choice was hustled immediately to the front by new jockey Dennis Carr, clearing the entire field and securing the rail position by the time he reached the first turn. After an opening quarter in 23.42 in the mud, the dark bay colt had a length and a half lead, and he continued setting the pace while in hand as 12.80-to-1 fifth choice Givensilver, who already had placed third on an off track and going two turns, tracked him. Givensilver got to within a length of Napoleon Solo on the backstretch but no closer, and no other rival advanced to within more than a half-length of Givensilver, as Napoleon Solo kept drawing away, opening up an eight-length lead by mid-stretch and winning by 6 1/4 lengths. Givensilver held his second place position, and finishing third was 26-to-1 ninth choice Risk and Return, completing a $2 trifecta that paid $48,476.
Trained by co-owner Ralph Polese, Napoleon Solo made his racing debut on yielding turf against open maiden special two-year-olds at Belmont in July, where he was bumped at the start but ran close to the front early before dropping back after going three wide. Polese then took over the New York-bred colt's training, but in Napoleon Solo's next start at six furlongs on Aqueduct's inner dirt track on December 8 -- again in open maiden special company -- he ran widest of all on the turn and once more finished far back. His third start and first money-earning effort was worth $25,200 in first-place purse funds, and it also qualified Napoleon Solo's breeders, Robert and Courtney Donnan, for a $2,520 breeder award.
Sired by 1993 Grade 2 Arkansas Derby winner Rockamundo, Napoleon Solo is the fourth offspring and fourth winner produced from Tomboy's Road, a winning Kennedy Road mare whose dam is Del Mar stakes winner Tomboy Blues, and his half-siblings include stakes-placed J J Jazz. Robert Donnan purchased Tomboy's Road for $5,000 at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's 1999 December mixed sale in Timonium, Maryland, when she was carrying Napoleon Solo.

(1/8) Bella Rouge takes open claimer
New York-bred BELLA ROUGE, in for a tag of $55,000, overcame a slow start to capture an open claimer today at the Aqueduct Racetrack. Run at a distance of six-furlongs over a muddy surface, only six horses went to post, contesting a $41,000 purse.
Spotting the field four lengths at the break, Bella Rouge, under Julian Pimental, moved steadily in the run down the backstretch, picking off horses while racing down on the rail and was second at the top of the turn. Radiance, who led throughout, set some torrid fractions of 21.4 and 45 seconds flat to the half-mile pole and had a six-length lead turning for home. Under strong urging by Pimental, Bella Rouge edged away at the Radiance's lead and surged to the front fifty feet from the wire, winning by one and a quarter lengths. Final time was a quick 1:10.2.
Owned by James Riccio, the five year-old chestnut mare was bred by the partnership of John Benzel and Kirk Hazen. Bella Rouge is by A. P Jet, out of the D'Accord mare, Sea Accord, who is a half-sister to 1982 Aspirant Stakes winner Golden Threesome (Gold and Myrrh). Bella Rouge has now earned $238,635 with a Lifetime Record: 24-7-1-4.
Mr. Riccio qualifies for an open owners award of 20% of today's winner's purse or $4,920 and the partnership of Benzel and Hazen qualifies for an equal breeder's award of $4,920. A.P Jet, who stands at Sugar Maple Farm in Poughquag, New York, also qualifies for a stallion award of 7% of the winner's purse or $3,444. Owner, breeder and stallion awards are part of the lucrative incentives provided by the New York Breeding and Racing Program.

(1/8) Call Leo wins another allowance
Joseph Balsamo's CALL LEO once again defeated state-bred allowance horses today at Aqueduct Racetrack, with a heads-up ride by Javier Castellano. Nine horses, four year-old and upward, were entered for the non-winner of 2X condition race run at six furlongs. The track was labeled muddy for the seventh-race on the Wednesday card. The four year-old bay colt, Call Leo, is trained by former jockey Mike Miceli.
After battling for the early lead with Peggy's Mukora and Artistic Awareness, Castellano took hold of Call Leo and rated in behind the speed duel. Moving to the outside at the top of the stretch, Call Leo moved aggressively to catch a game Artistic Awareness, who had grabbed command over Peggy's Mukora by the eighth pole. Under strong urging by Castellano, Call Leo put a head in front of Artistic Awareness just as the pair hit the wire, with late charging Mister Bravo finishing third by a head..
Bred by Patricia Purdy at her Ivy League Farm in Ithaca, New York, Call Leo was purchased as a weanling at the 1999 December Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale for $16,500 and has now earned $77,080 in six-lifetime starts. Call Leo is by Caller I.D. (Phone Trick), out of Spectacularcrystal, by Spectacular Bid. Phone Trick and Spectacular Bid stand at Milfer Farm in Unadilla, New York.

(1/8) Hidden Account wires field at 25-1
HIDDEN ACCOUNT owned and trained by Clarke Whitaker took today's opener over a muddy Aqueduct Racetrack. Making his fifth career start and second in restricted company, Hidden Account beat a field of state-bred maidens going six-furlongs. Rafael Mojica, Jr. had the mount for Whitaker as 10 went to post. Running Count was sent off as the even money favorite.
Hustled out of the gate by Mojica, Hidden Account took the early lead in the run down the backstretch, setting quick fractions of 22.3 and 46 seconds flat to the half-mile pole. Turning for home, Mojica had Hidden Account in an all-out drive to the wire holding off Running Count by a length and one-half crossing the wire. Final time was 1:11.4
Bred by the Contention Partnership, the four-year old dark bay gelding is by Bankbook (Mr. Prospector), out of Hidden Princess, by At The Threshold. The dam, Hidden Princess, is a half-sister to the graded and multiple stakes winner Hidden Tomahawk (Proud Birdie), a winner of over $346,000. The Contention Partnership qualified for a 10% breeder's award or $2,460 for today's race.

(1/8) Scorpion Missile wins first out
S J B Stable's SCORPION MISSILE, making her debut, closed strongly to beat state-bred maiden three year-old fillies today at Aqueduct Racetrack. Run at a distance of six-furlongs over a muddy winterized inner-track, 10 fillies went to post.
Our Tune at 60-1 went to the lead and opened up a three-length lead over Scorpion Missile who tracked down along the rail. Turning for home, it was all Our Tune and Scorpion Missile but the lead had narrowed to one length with Scorpion Missile moving outside of Our Tune. Scorpion Missile drew alongside Our Tune at the eighth pole before running clear, winning easily by three lengths. Our Tune held on for second.
Bred by Hall of Fame trainer John Nerud at Sugar Maple Farm in Pouhquag, New York, Scorpion Missile is a three year-old chestnut filly by Ormsby, out of the multiple stakes winner Wakonda, by Fappiano. Winner of $415,400 in a 30-race career, Wakonda is a sister to Funistrada, a grade 2 winner (Fall Highweight Handicap) and multiple stakes winner.

(1/5) Bags Are Packed pulls front-running upset
Only twice has Dragon Squared Stable's homebred BAGS ARE PACKED tried to steal a race on the front end: at Belmont last June going a mile on turf, when he tired to fourth, and on Saratoga's main track going seven furlongs in August, when he broke his maiden. Winless in six subsequent starts, the just-turned four-year-old was made the 17-to-1 seventh choice for Aqueduct's fourth race on Sunday, a $43,000 restricted N1X allowance for eight four-year-olds and up going six furlongs over a "good" track, with jockey Julian Pimentel aboard for the fifth -- and third consecutive -- time.
Trainer Jeff Odintz obviously had visions of the Saratoga victory dancing in his head when he gave instructions to Pimentel, because Bags Are Packed was first out of the gate from the outside post position, and with three inside rivals challenging him, he sped the opening quarter in 22.54. In front by a length after that first quarter, Bags Are Packed zipped his second quarter in a close-to-the rail run around the turn in 23 flat with 5.80-to-1 fourth choice Run Away Artie ranging up alongside of him. Run Away Artie continued to challenge through the stretch, but rallying from four wide on the turn was strong closer Smart Tap, the leading money earner in the race and the 2.90-to-1 third choice who had beaten Bags Are Packed the last time (December 18) the two had raced. At the finish, Bags Are Packed was drifting out slightly but held a neck margin over Smart Tap, who was carrying five pounds less weight because of his jockey's apprentice allowance, with Run Away Artie placing third. Star Goldminer, the 2.85-to-1 second choice who also had beaten fourth-place-finishing Bags Are Packed while placing third on December 18 at Aqueduct, came in fourth.
Earning first-place purse money of $25,800, Bags Are Packed's career bankroll jumped to $81,450, and his record improved to 2 - 1 - 4 in 17 starts. The chestnut New York-bred colt also qualified his owner-breeder, Clinton Chan of Jersey City, New Jersey, for a $5,160 breeder award. Chan, who races in the name of Dragon Squared Stable, bred Bags Are Packed from a now 21-year-old three-time group stakes-producing Riverman mare, winner Ready for Action, that he purchased for $8,000 at a 1998 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February mixed sale in Lexington, Kentucky. Bags Are Packed is a half-brother to six winners, including Group 2 winner Dancing Action in Peru and Group 3 winners Major Force and Quality Team in Ireland.
Bags Are Packed is among 22 winners from the first crop of New York stallion Abaginone (Devil's Bag - Oil Fable, by Spectacular Bid), a multiple graded-winning sprinter who stands at Louis Salerno's Questroyal Stud in Hudson and whose syndicate owners qualified for a $1,806 stallion award.

(1/5) Hanselina handles maidens with authority
As the only starter with stakes-placed credentials in Aqueduct's third race on Sunday, a $41,000 restricted maiden special for just-turned three-year-old fillies going six furlongs, Peter Mariano's homebred HANSELINA deserved her odds-on favoritism (.75-to-1) among the 12 fillies entered even though she had never raced on an off track. With jockey Herberto Castillo Jr. aboard for the first time, the dark bay filly was bumped at the start by longshot Nora Dooley to her immediate outside while breaking in her typical casual manner from the number two post position. In eighth place after 76.75-to-1 Fast for All had blazed a 22.48 opening quarter over the "good" track, Hanselina advanced between rivals, overtaking five competitors, and turned for home with only 19.20-to-1 fifth choice The Rodeo Express and 8.20-to-1 third choice Lady Libby ahead of her. In the upper stretch, she angled out from the rail after getting clear of Lady Libby to her outside, then passed The Rodeo Express (a first-time starter who set a five-eighths fraction of 59.42) inside the final furlong to win going away by 3 1/2 lengths. Second choice Hello Karakorum (4.30-to-1) closed on the outside to finish a nose behind The Rodeo Express in third place.
Coming off three placed efforts in October and November -- a second-place neck miss in her Belmont debut, a second-placing to Beautiful America in Aqueduct's $125,000 Fifth Avenue New York Stallion Stakes, and a third-placing at Aqueduct when she stumbled badly at the start -- Hanselina's time to win had come. Trained by Dominic Galluscio, her first victory increased her earnings by $24,600 to $62,930 and also qualified her owner and breeder, Mariano, for a $4,920 breeder award. The late-foaled (June 2, 2000) stretch runner is the third offspring and third New York-bred filly winner bred by Mariano from New York-bred High Talent ($230,163), being a full sister to 2002 Belmont winner Hanselette and a half-sister to Aqueduct 2002 inner track allowance winner Talented Belle. All of the wins for Hanselette and Talented Belle have been scored on off tracks, and Galluscio also is the trainer of Hanselette. Durable dam High Talent, by deceased former leading New York sire Talc, won nine races from ages four through seven, including an Aqueduct allowance sprint on a sloppy track before she discovered turf and longer distances -- conditions under which she scored her next seven wins. Two of High Talent's turf victories were at a mile and a quarter at Belmont. She was acquired privately by Mariano before producing her first foal.
Hanselina is the third winning filly sired from the second New York-conceived crop of Eclipse Champion Hansel (Woodman - Count On Bonnie, by Dancing Count), who now stands in Japan, joining New York-bred December Aqueduct allowance winner Hansel's Gretel, who finished fourth in Aqueduct's open Ruthless Stakes five races later. Hansel stood the 1998 and 1999 seasons at Louis Salerno's Questroyal Stud in Hudson as the property of Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al Maktoum's Gainsborough Farm, which qualified for a $1,722 stallion award as a result of Hanselina's maiden victory.

(1/4) Grey Comet is 4-for-4 after open Count Fleet - VIEW VIDEO REPLAY
Once again rising to whatever level necessary, Star Track Farm's homebred GREY COMET shouldered top weight in Aqueduct's $81,350 open Count Fleet Stakes for six three-year-olds on Saturday and refused to let any rival pass him, edging ahead in the final strides to win by a length and stay undefeated. Although not naturally a front-runner, the gritty dark gray colt went to the fore on his own accord after typically breaking on top and had a length and a half lead following the opening quarter-mile around the first turn of the mile and 70-yard contest. Mustang Jock, who was coming off a 5 3/4-length open maiden special win going a mile and 70 yards at Aqueduct on December 13, ranged up on Grey Comet's outside after being out-sprinted for the rail from his number one post position, and those two then hooked up. Mustang Jock was carrying four pounds less weight than Grey Comet under arduous track conditions, and when he made a late lead change in mid-stretch he looked ready to make a serious challenge, but Grey Comet fought back and drew off under left-handed urging from jockey Aaron Gryder.
Despite the muddy track, Grey Comet's winning time, 1:42.17, was one of the fastest for the Count Fleet in the 20 years that the event has been run at a mile and 70 yards. A margin of four lengths separated Mustang Jock from third-place finisher Penobscot Bay, a previously undefeated (two-for-two) colt who already had won going two turns and went off as the 6.20-to-1 second choice. The victory, Grey Comet's fourth in four starts, increased his earnings by $48,810 to $199,185 and also qualified his owners and breeders, the Star Track Farms of Peter and Marshall Winston of North Bergen, New Jersey, for a total of $19,524 in open race owner and breeder awards ($9,762 each). Grey Comet was the second New York-bred winner ridden at Aqueduct on Saturday by Gryder and was the second of three New York-bred winners sent out that day by current leading Aqueduct winter meet trainer Gary Contessa, who pointed out that conditions were not ideal for his undefeated colt.
"I didn't think it would be that close," Contessa explained. "I really didn't want him to be on the lead, but he kind of inherited it. He's a much better horse with speed to run at. There just wasn't any true speed in this race. He dug in and opened up. He showed them what he's made of. This was his first start against open company, so hope springs eternal."
Prior to the Count Fleet, Contessa was asked about strategy and track conditions: "I told Aaron (Gryder) that if nobody's going, just take the lead," Contessa replied. Asked about the conditions of the track, the trainer described it as, "tolling, heavy, and unforgiving," but he added, "this is just a very easy horse to train."
Gryder, who has ridden Grey Comet in all of his starts, thinks the New York-bred is getting better with each race: "Gary told me I was on the best horse and to put him where he was comfortable. He was in stride and comfortable right out of the gate. I thought this was his best race today. He showed a lot of grit and fought back. It wasn't a matter of him winning just because he was easily the best horse. He had to work for this today."
Winner of Belmont's $125,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Stakes on November 10 and Aqueduct's mile and a sixteenth Damon Runyon Stakes for New York-breds on December 15, Grey Comet was racing only 20 days since his previous stakes start. The colt is the fifth offspring, fifth winner, and second six-figure earner produced from 1990 Champion New York-Bred Three-Year-Old Filly Jack Betta Be Rite ($350,399), a daughter of the late New York stallion Jacques Who. Star Track Farms purchased Jack Betta Be Rite as a yearling for $6,000 at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's 1988 October yearling sale in Timonium, Maryland.
Grey Comet is among 42 stakes winners sired by ageless New York wonder stallion Distinctive Pro (Mr. Prospector - Well Done, by Distinctive), pushing that stallion's lifetime progeny earnings to almost $32-million and qualifying Distinctive Pro's syndicate owners for a $3,416.70 stallion award. Distinctive Pro, who stands at Howard Kaskel's Sugar Maple Farm in Poughquag, also sired another New York-bred winner at Aqueduct on Saturday, Donald Flanagan's My Buddy Duddie in the third race.
Contessa indicated that Grey Comet would likely make his next start in Aqueduct's $75,000-added Whirlaway Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth on February 8, adding, "He'll probably be better with more time between starts." If that plan holds forth, Grey Comet will be taking a path similar to that of another New York-bred Count Fleet winner from 11 years ago -- millionaire Thunder Rumble, whose five stakes wins in 1992 included Saratoga's Grade 1 Travers.

(1/4) Drama Queen reigns supreme in open Aqueduct allowance
Never unplaced and looking better than ever while launching her four-year-old campaign, Eugene Hauman's homebred DRAMA QUEEN handled open competition with ease in Aqueduct's seventh race on Saturday, a $43,000 N1X allowance for five fillies and mares, four-year-olds and up, going six furlongs. Muddy track conditions caused four named starters to be scratched from the competition, but New York Thoroughbred Breeders 2000 Trainer of the Year Michael Hushion kept Drama Queen in the contest despite the fact that the New York-bred filly had never raced on anything other than a fast surface. The wagering public agreed with his decision, sending the gray/roan filly off as the .85-to-1 favorite (the first of two New York-breds to be odds-on against open company at Aqueduct on Saturday; Grey Comet was .70-to-1 for the Count Fleet Stakes) under regular jockey Aaron Gryder.
Drama Queen raced close behind early pacesetter Jacobina and New York-bred Aly Baghdad through the opening quarter before engaging the new leader, Aly Baghdad, on the turn after Jocabina tired. By mid-stretch, she was in front by 5 1/2 lengths with a five-furlong fraction of 58.67, and she reached the wire leading by 6 1/4 lengths in 1:11.43. For Gryder, who has ridden the four-year-old filly in all eight of her starts, it was the first of two consecutive winning rides aboard New York-breds at Aqueduct, since he would pilot Grey Comet to victory in the next race, the Count Fleet. Drama Queen's victory increased her earnings by $25,800 to $136,195 and improved her record to 4 - 3 - 1 in eight starts while also qualifying her owner and co-breeder, Hauman, for a $2,580 open race owner award. Hauman, of Shoreham, New York, and co-breeder Ernest Dahlman furthermore qualified jointly for a $2,580 breeder award. Also picking up part of the purse in the seventh race was New York-bred Aly Baghdad, qualifying her connections for open race owner and breeder awards as well.
After going through her New York-bred conditions with a two-length restricted N2X allowance win at Belmont in June, Drama Queen placed a solid second in a seven-furlong open allowance at Saratoga and then placed second behind Princess Dixie in the restricted New York Oaks at Finger Lakes on September 2. Saturday's outing was her first start in just over four months following the New York Oaks, which was her first stakes effort and only venture around two turns, although her second allowance win at Belmont was at a mile.
Sired by Eclipse Champion Sprinter Smoke Glacken, Drama Queen is the third New York-bred offspring, third starter, and third winner produced from Aqueduct open stakes-placed winner Alpine Music ($170,113), by Travelling Music, being a half-sister to 1998 Aspirant Stakes winner Natural ($198,814). Alpine Music won five times at Aqueduct -- four times on the inner track -- and three times at Belmont and was claimed three times, but she concluded her racing career in the colors of Hauman.

(1/4) Love On Hold returns to winner's circle after almost 2 1/2 years
Showing solid form since returning from a 76-day layoff in November that had followed a 14-month layoff after June of 2001, Monty Foss's and Steven Wecker's now five-year-old mare, LOVE ON HOLD, finished third, fourth, and second, respectively, in restricted allowance races at Aqueduct. That was sufficient to make her the 1.85-to-1 favorite among nine starters for Aqueduct's nightcap ninth race on Saturday, a $43,000 restricted N1X allowance for fillies and mares, four-year-olds and up, going six furlongs, and she obliged by showing the class that had made her a stakes-placed two-year-old. Four named starters not on the also-eligibles list were scratched from the contest -- obviously because of the muddy track conditions.
Wearing blinkers for the second consecutive time in her career and ridden by jockey Ariel Smith for the fourth consecutive time, Love On Hold was allowed to relax as 4.70-to-1 third choice Sunsational Julia and then 4.20-to-1 second choice Street Wheeling took turns setting the early pace. The dark bay mare rallied four wide approaching the stretch with only those two to beat, caught Street Wheeling in mid-stretch with a five-furlong fraction of 58.65, and drew clear to win by two lengths in the time of 1:11.52, as Street Wheeling continued on to place a clear second. The victory boosted Love On Hold's earnings by $25,800 into six figures at $106,205 and improved her record to 2 - 4 - 2 in 13 starts, and it marked the third winner of the day for leading Aqueduct trainer Gary Contessa.
As a two-year-old, Love On Hold had broken her maiden in the slop at Saratoga in her second start and in her next outing had placed second in Belmont's Joseph A. Gimma Stakes for New York-bred juvenile fillies. She placed second twice in two starts at Belmont as a three-year-old.
Bred by bloodstock agent Harry Landry of Saratoga Springs, who qualified for a $2,580 breeder award, Love On Hold is a half-sister to New York-bred multiple stakes winner Long Distance ($148,048). Sired by Grade 1-winning miler Prenup, she is the third New York-bred starter and third winner produced from Reverse the Call, a daughter of New York stallion Phone Trick that Landry purchased for $3,000 as a four-year-old unraced broodmare prospect at a 1994 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic February mixed sale. Reverse the Call is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Calliope's Spirt ($250,163), and her dam is French stakes winner Pontresina.

(1/4) Sophisticated Man shows class in scoring 17th win
Given a 59-day layoff by trainer Gary Contessa following a six-figure-earning 2002 campaign that had concluded with an overmatched effort in Belmont's $250,000 Empire Classic and a lackluster third-place finish at Meadowlands, Maggie Moss's and West Point Stable's eight-year-old SOPHISTICATED MAN has come back better than before. Despite the layoff and the season-ending slump, the dark bay was the stronger half of an entry that was favored at 1.25-to-1 among eight wagering interests (nine starters) in Aqueduct's fifth race on Saturday, a $38,000 contest for open claimers, four-year-olds and up, with tags of $50,000 to $45,000.
Entered -- along with his stablemate -- for $50,000 and ridden for the third time by Javier Castellano, who had won with him at Aqueduct in March, Sophisticated Man enjoyed a near-perfect trip in the mile and a sixteenth contest, drafting behind Borntoberegal and Mike's Thunder until reaching the second turn. Advancing on the outside, he overtook Mike's Thunder and then Borntoberegal and pulled away quickly once he entered the stretch, drawing off to a 5 3/4-length victory in the impressive time of 1:42.98 on the muddy, tiring track. The New York-bred's most recent previous win -- by 3 1/4 lengths -- had been on a muddy track at Belmont in September while also racing at a mile and a sixteenth with a $50,000 tag. This was his fifth win on a wet track, and it increased his earnings by $22,800 to $422,537 while improving his record to 17 - 5 - 7 in 51 starts. Sophisticated Man was the first of three New York-bred Aqueduct winners sent out on Saturday by leading winter meet trainer Gary Contessa, who also conditions the featured Count Fleet Stakes winner, Grey Comet.
Since being claimed for $40,000 by Maggie Moss at Aqueduct on February 22, 2002, Sophisticated Man has earned $107,282 and qualified his owner(s) -- Moss is a regular Midwest campaigner who races the horse in partnership with Terry Finley's West Point Stable -- for an additional $19,241.40 in open race owner awards. This includes the $4,560 open race owner award that Sophisticated Man qualified Moss and the New Jersey-based West Point Stable for as a result of his latest victory on Saturday.
As a four-year-old in 1999, Sophisticated Man won Belmont's Evan Shipman Handicap by two lengths under equal top weight for owner-breeder John Franks, who for this latest victory qualified for a $4,560 breeder award even though he lost the horse (while winning) for a $25,000 tag in August of 2001. Sophisticated Man is among 81 stakes winners sired by the late leading New York sire Cure the Blues, whose syndicate connections qualified for a $1,596 stallion award. He is the first of two winners produced from New York-bred stakes-placed winner Sophisticated Sam ($215,394), who is by Eskimo and is a half-sister to stakes winner Wind Change. Franks purchased Sophisticated Sam as a six-year-old for $42,000 at Keeneland's 1993 November sale.

(1/4) My Buddy Duddie breaks muddy maiden
Easily the leading money-earner in Aqueduct's six-furlong third race on Saturday, a $41,000 restricted maiden special for 12 just-turned three-year-olds (11 wagering interests), was Donald Flanagan's MY BUDDY DUDDIE, who deserved favoritism but was the 2.20-to-1 second choice behind first-time-starter Shoalihs Tale (1.70-to-1) from trainer Gary Contessa's barn. The latter was coming off a "bullet" Aqueduct workout on December 29, but the former knew what he was doing, breaking quickly from the eighth post position and tracking close behind Karakorum Dixie, the 6.30-to-1 third choice who ran the opening quarter in an eye-popping 22.40 in the mud. Karakorum Dixie dropped back after that effort, and My Buddy Duddie took command and drew clear, running nimbly over the muddy going to set a five-furlong fraction of 59.26 and win by a length over strong closer Shuffle Board, a first-time-starter who stayed on his left lead through the stretch.
Ridden for the second time by Shaun Bridgmohan, who had been on board for the colt's fourth-place effort in the mud at Belmont in October, My Buddy Duddie earned $24,600 for his first victory, boosting his bankroll to $47,380 and improving his record to 1 - 1 - 2 in seven starts. The Patrick Kelly trainee also qualified his breeders, Howard Kaskel's Sugar Maple Farm in Poughquag and Brendan Mullery, for a $4,920 breeder award. My Buddy Duddie is the fifth winner from the 2000 crop of New York stallion Distinctive Pro, joining Saturday's undefeated Count Fleet Stakes winner, Grey Comet ($199,185), and qualifying the syndicate owners of Distinctive Pro, who stands at Sugar Maple Farm, for a $1,722 stallion award. For both wins by his three-year-old sons at Aqueduct on Saturday, Distinctive Pro (Mr. Prospector - Well Done, by Distinctive) qualified his syndicate owners for a total of $5,138.70 in stallion awards.
Purchased by Flanagan, of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, for $65,000 at Fasig-Tipton's 2001 Saratoga sale of preferred yearlings from the consignment of Thomas J. and Nadine Gallo, agent, My Buddy Duddie is a half-brother to four New York-bred winners with earnings in six figures each -- ranging from $190,298 to $120,820. His dam is New York-bred Aqueduct allowance winner Changeable Queen ($139,140), by deceased former New York stallion Noble Nashua. Changeable Queen's nine victories included four wins on Aqueduct's inner track and three scores on sloppy or muddy tracks at Belmont and Aqueduct. She is a half-sister to the dams of two stakes-placed winners, including Triodet ($230,555), and was purchased by Mullery, co-breeder of My Buddy Duddie, for $3,500 as an eight-year-old at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's 1993 December mixed sale in Timonium, Maryland.

(1/4) Jol enjoys easy jaunt in debut
Coming off 11 Belmont workouts as one of six first-time-starters in Aqueduct's Saturday opener, a $41,000 restricted maiden special for 12 three-year-olds going six furlongs, Susan Holt-Harris's homebred JOL did what first-timers seldom do: draw away in the mud after being far back in a big field. Ridden by Jean-Luc Samyn, the bay colt was ninth along the inside after the opening quarter, then advanced on the turn and came wide into the lane, passing six rivals in the final quarter-mile to win by 2 3/4 lengths even while running on his left lead through the stretch. The next closest first-out starter in the race finished fourth.
The 14-to-1 sixth choice, Jol earned $24,600 in his first start and also qualified his owner and co-breeder, Holt-Harris, for a $2,460 breeder award in partnership with James Santore -- both of SHHS Stable, L.L.C., of Albany, in whose name Jol was bred. Trained by Steven Jerkens, the colt is by Grade 3 Hollywood Juvenile Championship winner K. O. Punch and is a half-brother to six-figure earners Jezabel Cant Spell ($151,110) and Karakorum Munk ($113,003), being the fourth New York-bred and fourth winner produced from Hoist It Proudly, by Hoist the Silver. Hoist It Proudly, a winning 100 percent producer (four named offspring, all winners, by four different sires) who has an unnamed two-year-old filly by Distinctive Pro and a yearling colt by Regal Classic, concluded her racing career while campaigning for Santore.

(1/3) Itsmyfinalanswer has final say in N2X route
Trying a new tactic under dubious circumstances, jockey Aaron Gryder allowed Janice Wolfe's ITSMYFINALANSWER to trail the field on a sloppy track in Aqueduct's sixth race on Friday, a $46,000 restricted N2X allowance for six fillies and mares, four-year-olds and up, going a mile and a sixteenth. Although it meant racing through a spray of slop under showery skies, this maneuver also shielded the five-year-old mare somewhat from 20-plus mph northeasterly headwinds while running down the backstretch, and going into the second turn she started advancing authoritatively on the inside. Gryder had to steady her slightly in the early part of the turn, but Itsmyfinalanswer squeezed past 2.50-to-1 second choice Private Port and then angled out entering the upper stretch with just front-running duelers Alittlebitbrassy -- the 2.35-to-1 favorite -- and 3.45-to-1 third choice Soon Soon ahead of her. Running mostly on her own accord down the stretch and with Private Port just to her outside, the bay mare quickly overtook the tiring Alittlebitbrassy and then caught the new leader, Soon Soon, inside the final furlong, winning by a length as the 12.60-to-1 last choice.
For Gryder, who has ridden Itsmyfinalanswer in her last five consecutive starts, it was the second of three winning rides on Aqueduct's Friday card, which also included a victorious trip in the featured eighth race. Gryder first rode Itsmyfinalanswer when she broke her maiden at Belmont in July, and he was on board when she won her previous start, a $46,000 restricted N1X allowance mile in the mud at Aqueduct on November 27. In that contest, however, the New York-bred mare was never farther back than second in a field of 12, and she beat Alittlebitbrassy by a neck. In other starts in 2002, Itsmyfinalanswer had finished behind Soon Soon and Private Port (by 7 1/4 lengths), but she seems to be improving -- with back-to-back victories -- after trainer Michael Miceli gave her a 73-day layoff during the fall. Her second consecutive score boosted her earnings by $27,600 into six figures at $102,520 and improved her record to 3 - 1 - 2 in 11 starts.
Bred by Jerry Herron, who qualified for a $5,520 breeder award, Itsmyfinalanswer is among nine offspring, eight starters and eight winners sired from the first crop of New York stallion Mighty Magee (Cormorant - Final Vows, by Halo), a New York-conceived graded winner at Aqueduct. Mighty Magee is owned by a partnership, which qualified for a $1,932 stallion award, and his other winners from that same crop include multiple stakes winner Bon Fearless ($194,190). The stallion stands at Dr. Jerry Bilinski's Waldorf Farm in North Chatham. Itsmyfinalanswer is the sixth New York-bred offspring and sixth winner produced from New York-bred multiple stakes-placed winner Calling Distance ($179,993), who won 18 races, and her winning half-siblings include 11-time winner Milliondollarsmile ($115,871). Calling Distance, who is by the Hail to Reason stallion With Hail, is a half-sister to stakes winner Missy's Dream.

(1/2) Go Rockin' Robin runs down rivals to win N1X
Stretched to a mile and a sixteenth for his first two-turn effort in Aqueduct's Damon Runyon Stakes on December 15, Herbert and Carol Schwartz's GO ROCKIN' ROBIN turned in what was probably his best effort to that time, placing third in a field of eight top New York-bred two-year-olds. For his next start and second two-turn effort in Aqueduct's seventh race on Thursday, a $44,000 restricted N1X allowance for eight just-turned three-year-olds going a mile on a muddy inner track, the dark bay colt faced an off track for the first time in his career. Made the 2.20-to-1 second choice behind 1.90-to-1 Awaken the Dragon, who had broken his maiden by 14 lengths going a mile and 70 yards over Aqueduct mud six days earlier, Go Rockin' Robin trailed the favorite and 2.80-to-1 third choice Polish Jewel going down the backstretch. He advanced on the outside on the second turn, closing the gap on Polish Jewel as they both passed a tiring Awaken the Dragon in mid-stretch, then pulled almost abreast with the new leader for a final furlong duel. Polish Jewel, who had placed third in Aqueduct's New York Stallion Great White Way Stakes in his previous start on November 10, fought back, but once Go Rockin' Robin collared him, he switched back to his left lead and lost momentum, allowing Go Rockin' Robin to win by a neck. Awaken the Dragon finished third.
Ridden for the eighth -- and sixth successive -- time by Michael Luzzi, who has never been unplaced aboard the New York-bred, Go Rockin' Robin picked up $26,400 for his first allowance victory, boosting his earnings into six figures at $102,789 and improving his record to 2 - 2 - 4 in 10 starts. Luzzi, for whom Go Rockin' Robin was the second winner at Aqueduct on Thursday, also rode the colt to his maiden victory in September and to third-place finishes in the Sleepy Hollow (at Belmont) and Damon Runyon Stakes.
Trained by his owners' son, Scott Schwartz, Go Rockin' Robin was bred by the McMahon Thoroughbreds of Joe and Anne McMahon in Saratoga Springs in partnership with Bill Casner's and Kenny Troutt's WinStar Farm in Kentucky -- a partnership arrangement which qualified for a $2,640 breeder award. WinStar Farm stands the sire of Go Rockin' Robin, multiple Grade 2 winner Distorted Humor, who might be the leading freshman sire of 2002 in an extremely tight race for that title. Go Rockin' Robin is the first offspring produced from Flag Support, who is by New York stallion Personal Flag (standing at McMahon Thoroughbreds) and out of French stakes winner Accommodating.

(1/2) Brave One leads throughout vs. open claimers as NY-breds run 1-2
Charging from the outside post position against nine open claimers in Aqueduct's ninth race nightcap at a two-turn mile on Thursday was Flying Zee Stables' New York-bred BRAVE ONE, who had to go wide following the short run to the turn before he could clear the field entering the backstretch. After an opening quarter-mile in a surprisingly quick 23.39 over the muddy track, he held a length and a half lead over 1.90-to-1 favorite Welcome Matt, and he maintained that margin over the favorite all the way to mid-stretch, where Welcome Matt began to falter. Belatedly and wearily changing leads near the eighth-mile pole, the six-year-old gelding continued on with gritty determination, reaching the wire a length and a half ahead of strong-finishing New York-bred Rate Base, as New York-breds ran 1-2 and picked up 80 percent of the race's $32,500 purse.
Entered with a $35,000 claiming price and third choice in the 10-horse field at 4.60-to-1, Brave One was ridden for the seventh time by jockey Richard Migliore, who also rode the winner of the featured eighth race at Aqueduct. As a three-year-old in September of 2000, Brave One had carried Migliore to a four-length victory in the mud in a Belmont mile and a sixteenth allowance race, and Migliore also had been on board when Brave One placed third in Saratoga's 2001 West Point Handicap on turf. Five weeks after the 2001 West Point, Brave One had set a stakes record of 1:48.89 in Belmont's mile and an eighth Ashley T. Cole Handicap, beating future 2002 Grade 2 winner Whitmore's Conn. Brave One was claimed twice in 2002 -- first while winning on turf by Robert Baron, for whom he won a Monmouth allowance race on dirt in August, and the second time in September at Belmont by the Flying Zee Stable of Carl Lizza Jr., based in Wharton, New Jersey. Saddled by trainer Carlos Martin, Brave One's latest victory increased his earnings by $19,500 to $314,648 and improved his record to 7 - 10 - 4 in 39 starts, and it also qualified Lizza, who co-owns Highcliff Farm in Delanson with Joseph Bartone, for a $1,950 open race owner's award. New York-bred second-place finisher Rate Base, the ninth choice in the race at odds of 21.40-to-1, boosted his lifetime earnings to $244,698.
Bred by the late Jerry Brody's Gallagher's Stud in Ghent (now owned by Marlene Brody), which qualified for a $1,950 breeder award, Brave One is among 105 stakes winners sired by the late 1977 Triple Crown winner, Seattle Slew. He is among three winners produced from Brave Hearted, a British-bred first-out winning Dancing Brave mare that Gallagher's Stud purchased for $105,000 at Keeneland's 1991 July sale of selected yearlings.

(1/2) David Cassidy's homebred Toga's Triumph tallies in 3rd start
Out-gunned in two six-furlong sprints as a two-year-old at Aqueduct in November, David Cassidy's and Darlene Bilinski's homebred TOGA'S TRIUMPH came back five weeks later to try two turns in Aqueduct's sixth race on Thursday, a $42,000 restricted maiden special for just-turned three-year-old fillies going a mile and a sixteenth. On Lasix medication for the first time but dismissed as the 44.25-to-1 eighth choice among 11 wagering interests (12 starters) with jockey Ariel Smith up for the first time, the bay filly broke slowly and had eight rivals ahead of her after the first half-mile. She began advancing on the outside rounding the second turn, getting up to fifth by mid-stretch and continuing to overtake her competition on either side of her, finally passing the stronger half of the 2.15-to-1 favored entry, Back Bay Lady, to win by a length and a half. In addition to the race being her first attempt at two turns, it also marked the first outing for Toga's Triumph on a muddy track.
Trained by current leading Aqueduct winter meet conditioner Gary Contessa, Toga's Triumph earned $25,200, becoming the first winner produced from Time for Saratoga, a West Coast-winning Saratoga Six mare who is a half-sister to stakes winner and Grade 2-placed Lucky Touch ($258,776). Cassidy, a singing and television star who has been active in racing for decades and has been particularly involved in the New York program, purchased Time for Saratoga for $8,000 when she was carrying Toga's Triumph at the 1999 Barretts Equine Limited yearling and mixed sale in Pomona, California. The stallion she was in foal to -- and the sire of Toga's Triumph -- is Ballistic Billy, a winning son of deceased record-holding New York sire Cure the Blues. Time for Saratoga's dam is a daughter of the great Dr. Fager (maternal grandsire of Cure the Blues), making Toga's Triumph inbred 3 x 4 to that Hall of Fame racehorse and former leading North American sire. As the breeder of Toga's Triumph, Cassidy, whose addresses include Saratoga Springs, also qualified for a $2,520 breeder award.

(1/2) Duke's Crossing closes to break maiden on DQ
A natural come-from-behind runner, Carolyn Hulak's favored (3.10-to-1) four-year-old, DUKE'S CROSSING, broke next-to-last from the number two post position for Aqueduct's third race on Thursday, a $42,000 restricted maiden special for 11 four-year-olds and up going a mile and a sixteenth on a muddy track. Allowed to settle in seventh place for half a mile by jockey Michael Luzzi, he trailed a couple of lengths behind another four-year-old who was drafting behind the front-runners racing into a 14 mph backstretch headwind -- 3.10-to-1 second choice Looks Expensive, whom Luzzi had ridden in four previous starts. Rallying three wide on the second turn, Duke's Crossing got up to within a length of Looks Expensive turning for home, as they both overtook the runner who had held the lead since the backstretch, 21.10-to-1 eighth choice Senor Mac. Nose-to-tail, the two charged down the stretch, but Looks Expensive began drifting out in deep stretch when jockey Victor Carrero was late switching whip hands, causing Duke's Crossing to swerve, check, and change leads before recovering to finish a length behind Looks Expensive at the wire. Because of the interference in the stretch, Looks Expensive was disqualified to second following a stewards' inquiry, elevating Duke's Crossing to his first victory.
With first-place purse money of $25,200, the earnings for Duke's Crossing increased to $39,760, and his record improved to 1 - 1 - 1 in six starts. Third in his debut as a three-year-old going six furlongs at Monmouth in August, he was coming off his first second-place effort on November 20 at Aqueduct, when he had rallied from ninth among 10 while racing at a mile and an eighth in his first attempt around two turns. That race also had marked the first time that Luzzi, who piloted two New York-breds to victory at Aqueduct on Thursday, had ridden him.
Trained by Charles Carlesimo Jr., Duke's Crossing was bred by John Hulak Jr., who qualified for a $2,520 breeder award, and he is a half-brother to five-time stakes winner Hay Cody ($303,605) and multiple stakes-placed winner Karousel Karen, whose first offspring is 2002 multiple stakes-placed winning two-year-old filly Hay Allison. Sired by Grade 1 winner Valley Crossing, Duke's Crossing also is a half-brother to Carolyn Hulak's New York-bred 2002 juvenile filly winner (on a sloppy Meadowlands track), Carolyn Frances, being the fifth winner produced from Princess Luisa, who likewise raced for Carolyn Hulak, winning three races at Monmouth and Meadowlands. Princess Luisa is a daughter of the Tom Rolfe stallion, Chicago.

(1/1) My Girl Natalie nails another win in the slop
Running like a new filly since right before Thanksgiving, Zacarias and Elizabeth Aragon's homebred just-turned-four-year-old, MY GIRL NATALIE, scored her second come-from-behind victory on a sloppy Aqueduct track, winning the 10th race nightcap, a $44,000 restricted N1X allowance for fillies and mares, four-year-olds and up, on New Year's Day Wednesday. Winless in 20 starts prior to breaking her maiden by 10 1/4 lengths at Aqueduct on November 27, the gray/roan filly was no surprise this time, going off the 2.30-to-1 favorite among 10 starters for the two-turn mile and a sixteenth contest under dark, rainy skies. She broke on top before settling inside behind three rivals, the most serious contender of which was pacesetter Watrals Lady Hanne, the 10.10-to-1 fifth choice and a first-out winner by 2 3/4 lengths at Aqueduct on December 8. After saving ground while in hand under apprentice jockey John McKee, who was riding her for the first time, My Girl Natalie advanced along the inside to within a length of Watrals Lady Hanne at mid-stretch, then drove to the front in the final strides, winning by half a length.
My Girl Natalie's second victory within three starts over the past five weeks also marked her third consecutive start under a five-pound "bug" rider, with McKee's five-pound apprentice allowance enabling her to race under 118 pounds -- an impost equal to that given four-year-old Watrals Lady Hanne. In her previous start, she had placed second under apprentice jockey Luis Chavez in a mile and a sixteenth N1X Aqueduct allowance run over a "good" inner track on December 11. Her New Year's Day win increased the New York-bred filly's earnings by $26,400 into six figures at $124,520 and improved her record to 2 - 5 - 3 in 23 starts while also qualifying her breeder and co-owner, Dr. Zacarias Aragon of West Hempstead, for a $5,280 breeder award.
Trained by Carlos Martin, My Girl Natalie is the second offspring and second winner produced from Princess Nova, being a half-sister to New York-bred stakes-placed winner Galactic ($233,473), whom Martin bred in partnership with Zacarias Aragon. Martin purchased Princess Nova, who is by Morning Bob and is a half-sister to multiple graded winner Cuzzin Jeb ($259,469), for $28,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's April 1992 sale of two-year-olds in training -- about a month before Cuzzin Jeb was foaled in Florida.
My Girl Natalie is yet another proficient off-track performer sired by New York stallion Prosper Fager (Mr. Prospector - Princess Fager, by Dr. Fager), whose owners at the time of My Girl Natalie's conception in 1998 were Robert and Michele Billings of Naples, Florida, qualifiers for a $1,848 stallion award. Prosper Fager is currently owned by the Meadow Hill Lane Farm of Diane Szymczak of Valley Stream, and he stands at Meadow Hill Lane Farm in Pine Bush.

(1/1) Vault victorious in first 2-turn attempt
Stretched beyond seven furlongs and also wearing blinkers for the first time in his career, just-turned-four-year-old VAULT looked like his sprinter's speed might get squelched in Aqueduct's fifth race on New Year's Day Wednesday, a $44,000 restricted N1X allowance for 10 four-year-olds and up going a mile and 70 yards. Under rainy skies, he broke on top but immediately was joined in the short run to the first turn by 28-to-1 eighth choice Karakorum Cat on his outside and by 7.90-to-1 fifth choice Jelly Roll Rock on his inside. In a contentious effort to get the lead and the rail (23.49 opening quarter-mile on a sloppy track), those two rivals squeezed Vault back on the first turn, but jockey Paul Toscano allowed the bay gelding to settle into third place while in hand going down the backstretch. Nearing the stretch, Jelly Roll Rock began dropping back and was replaced for second on the outside by 3.60-to-1 Eddie White Sox, as Toscano also steered Vault wide and got the necessary response from him in the final three-sixteenths of a mile. By mid-stretch, Karakorum Cat was out of contention, and Vault beat out Eddie White Sox to take command before holding off successive challenges from 3.80-to-1 third choice Daredevil Adam on the outside and late-charging Just Plain Joe on the inside, prevailing by three-quarters of a length.
Toscano, who merely hand-rode Vault in the stretch, had first ridden the gelding in a restricted seven-furlong N1X Aqueduct allowance on December 1, where he had run six wide on the turn but got up for a close third-place finish in a field of 11 at odds of 76-to-1. That had been Vault's first start for his new owners, trainer Michael Brice, Robert Giammarino, Donald Heiser Jr., and Anne Heiser, prior to which he had raced for owner-trainer Frank Alexander, who had purchased Vault for $75,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March 2001 sale of selected two-year-olds. A first-time-out winner at Belmont in June of 2002, the New York-bred colt also had been a $50,000 purchase at Fasig-Tipton's 2000 Saratoga preferred yearling sale. Vault's first win under the care of new trainer and part-owner Brice, his first allowance score, and his first two-turn tally increased his earnings by $26,400 to $57,300 while improving his record to 2 - 0 - 1 in seven starts. It was his second outing on a sloppy track, which earlier had been classified as muddy before absorbing additional rainfall.
By undefeated multiple stakes winner Gold Case, Vault is the first winner produced from Renewed Delight, a Relaunch mare who won six-furlong allowance races on fast and muddy tracks at Hawthorne in 1996. Renewed Delight is a half-sister to 2001 Grade 1-placed winner Turner's Hall ($203,018). Vault's latest victory jointly qualified his breeders, former Sugar Maple Farm manager Frankie O'Connor and Adrian Regan, for a $2,640 breeder award.

(1/1) Crusader Queen romps by 9 3/4 in debut
As the only first-time starter in Aqueduct's second race on New Year's Day Wednesday, a $41,000 restricted maiden special for fillies and mares, four-year-olds and up, John Lucarelli's just-turned-four-year-old CRUSADER QUEEN startled almost everyone with the commanding ease of her victory in the six-furlong contest. Coming off eight solid workouts since September -- five at Philadelphia Park (one "bullet") and three at Belmont in December -- she had sufficient respect as the 10.20-to-1 fourth choice among 11 wagering interests (12 starters), but after the first quarter-mile she was already a length and a half in front. After a half-mile, she was ahead by six, and by mid-stretch the bay filly's margin was 10 lengths, as she scampered over the muddy track with quick, easy strides even while staying on her left lead throughout the stretch, winning by 9 3/4 lengths under jockey Diane Nelson.
The first start for Crusader Queen earned $24,600 in purse money and also qualified her breeder, John Lewis of Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey, for a $4,920 breeder award. Trained by Robert Klesaris, the New York-bred filly was picked up as a mount by Nelson, substituting for Norberto Arroyo Jr. She is the third winner produced from Chiecaworld, a winning daughter of former New York stallion Transworld, but is the first New York-bred that Lewis has bred from that mare. Crusader Queen's Lewis-bred allowance-winning half-sisters are Heart and Fire ($170,176), whom Klesaris also trained and who in her 17-win career was claimed an amazing 11 times, and For Lili, who has won eight races.
Crusader Queen is the 13th winner from the 1999 crop of New York stallion Crusader Sword (Damascus - Copernica, by Nijinsky II), a Grade 1 winner who stands at Louis Salerno's Questroyal Stud in Hudson and whose syndicate owners qualified for a $1,722 stallion award. The filly also is among two winners from that crop of Crusader Sword whose dams are daughters of Transworld.