July 2004 Racing Front News Archives STAKES VIDEOS Track Photo Credits: NYRA Tracks- Adam Coglianese Finger Lakes-Tom Cooley

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(7/31) Top Shoter wins open Spa allowance by 3 1/2
The wonder was how Charlton Baker's New York-bred TOP SHOTER was allowed to go off as the 7.90-to-1 fourth choice among 10 starters in Saratoga's ninth race on Saturday, an open $29,400 N2X allowance for three-year-olds and up going seven furlongs through showery weather on a muddy track. Already a 5 1/2-length stakes winner on May 31 over a sloppy track who had won two of four wet track outings and three of four starts at Saratoga, the five-year-old gelding broke on top from the ninth post and had a half-length lead following a 21.89 opening quarter. Second choice Willy o'the Valley (3.05-to-1) made a serious run at the New York-bred on the turn while next to the rail, but jockey Paul Albert Nicol Jr. let Top Shoter out a notch, prompting his mount to gain a daylight lead which was never seriously threatened thereafter. Top Shoter came out of the turn well off the rail after having set a 44.90 half-mile fraction, and although drifting out somewhat through the stretch, he continued lengthening his advantage, setting a six-furlong fraction of 1:09.26 and reaching the finish with a 3 1/2-length margin in 1:22.65. Willy o'the Valley placed second, followed by 19.50-to-1 seventh choice Wildly and then 1.60-to-1 favorite Saratoga County, who had won Aqueduct's Grade 3 Gotham Mile by 2 1/4 lengths on an off track in March and was being ridden by Hall of Fame Jockey Jerry Bailey. Top Shoter, the only New York-bred in the contest and co-topweighted under 122 pounds despite racing above his condition level (which was open N1X going into Saturday's contest), has now won four times in six starts under jockey Nicol, who was race-riding the gelding for the third consecutive time.
Winner of Finger Lakes' George W. Barker Sakes by 5 1/2 lengths on a sloppy track on May 31 in his first start of 2004 and second in Mountaineer's $75,000 Mountain State Handicap on July 4, Top Shoter increased his earnings by $29,400 to $189,730 for his latest victory. He also improved his record to 7 - 1 - 1 in 14 starts while qualifying owner-trainer Baker for an additional $5,880 open race owner award. Following the dark bay gelding's second-place effort in the Mountain State Stakes, Baker had given him two sharp half-mile workouts at Finger Lakes: a "bullet" drill of 47 4/5 on July 20 and a 48 2/5 work on July 26.
Top Shoter is among 26 winners of over $2.15-million sired by New York-bred and New York-based Ormsby (Carson City - Sois Sage, by Broadway Forli), whose owners at the time of Top Shoter's conception -- James Iselin's J.I. Racing, Inc. and Sally Bierer's Woodside Stud -- qualified for a $2,058 stallion award. Ormsby, whose five stakes victories included a 12-length score in Aqueduct's Grade 2 Excelsior Breeders' Cup in one of the 12 fastest Daily Racing Form Beyer figures (121) for 1997, stands at Howard Kaskel's Sugar Maple Farm in Poughquag, where his 2004 fee was $3,000, live foal.
Top Shoter's breeder is Michael Anchel of Treasure Hill Farm in Middletown, who qualified for a $5,880 breeder award and also has bred the gelding's two New York-bred six-figure-earning half-sisters: four-year-old multiple stakes winner Travelator ($300,311) and six-year-old Archers Gal ($111,930). Travelator won Finger Lakes' Arctic Queen Handicap on June 20 and placed second in Belmont's Scotzanna Stakes on July 16. The more slowly-developing Archers Gal has been a solid route-running wet track performer, having broken her maiden by 7 1/4 lengths in the mud at Belmont in June of 2003 and then capturing a Saratoga allowance in the slop by 9 3/4 lengths 16 days later.
Top Shoter, Travelator, and Archers Gal are the first three offspring produced from Rajadiddle, a Raja's Revenge mare who is inbred 4 x 4 to My Babu according to a Hypo-Mating check of Top Shoter's pedigree. Top Shoter's maternal granddam (second dam), Taradiddle, is a winning daughter of Damascus. Another runner bred by Anchel is Incredible Revenge ($638,578), one of the most prolific New York-bred stakes winners of all time, who four summers ago got her 16th stakes victory and 26th win overall by winning Penn National's Firecracker Stakes in her final career start. Like Top Shoter's dam Rajadiddle, Incredible Revenge is by Raja's Revenge (by Raja Baba), who won graded stakes at Belmont and Aqueduct and stood in New York as the property of Edward and Judith Anchel. Hypo-Mating | Brisnet Chart

(7/31) High Peaks turns in peak performance in spa N1X allowance
In her second start off a four-month layoff, Bekshire Stud's big homebred three-year-old filly, HIGH PEAKS, showed a tremendous increase in fitness, leading gate-to-wire in Saratoga's six-furlong fifth race on Saturday, a $43,000 restricted N1X allowance for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up, and winning by eight lengths. The quick-striding bay broke on top from the seventh post position as the 15.20-to-1 fifth choice among 12 starters with jockey Aaron Gryder race-riding her for the seventh consecutive time, gaining a half-length lead with a quick opening quarter-mile in 22.28. In the second quarter that initially headed into a 12-mph southerly wind gusting to 23 mph in advance of a storm, High Peaks' split time dropped to 23.01 for a 45.29 half-mile fraction, but that put her ahead by a length and a half, and then she was gone. At mid-stretch following a five-eighths fraction of 57.26, Gryder's mount had an eight-length advantage over 3.25-to-1 third choice Stand On Top, and she maintained that margin to the wire, reaching it in a winning time of 1:10.03. Stand On Top, who had beaten High Peaks by 4 1/4 lengths while placing third the last time the two fillies had faced each other on June 27 at Belmont, placed second and was followed by 3.15-to-1 second choice Funny Honey. Favored four-year-old Royal Mast (2.90-to-1), a lightly raced first-out winner at Monmouth in June who had challenged High Peaks from the outside in the opening quarter, faded to sixth under top weight of 122 pounds.
The victory boosted High Peaks' earnings by $25,800 into six figures at $113,307 while improving her record to 2 - 5 - 2 in 12 starts and also qualified her owner-breeder, Drs. Douglas and Christine Koch's Berkshire Stud in Pine Plains, for an additional $2,580 breeder award. High Peaks and second-place finisher Stand On Top are both open stakes-placed, with Stand On Top having placed third in Monmouth's Grade 3 Sorority Stakes as a two-year-old in 2003, and High Peaks having placed second in Aqueduct's open Ruthless Stakes in early January. High Peaks had broken her maiden by eight lengths at Belmont in October and had placed second and third in restricted N1X Aqueduct allowances in January and February prior to her four-month spring hiatus from competition, after which she returned to finish a tiring seventh at Belmont on June 27. Over the ensuing 34 days, trainer Thomas Bush had given the amazon-looking filly three workouts at Belmont, separated by six-to-seven days: a slow half-mile work on July 10, a fast five-furlong drill (59 4/5) on July 17, and another easy half-mile workout on July 23. High Peaks' speed has never been in question, but when not totally fit, her stamina can be suspect.
Sired by Canadian champion Peaks and Valleys, High Peaks is the first offspring produced from New York-bred Phari, a Black Tie Affair mare that Berkshire Stud also bred whose 2003 colt by More Than Ready is cataloged as Hip No. 303 in Fasig-Tipton's August 15-16 Saratoga New York-bred yearling sales. Hypo-Mating | Brisnet Chart

(7/30) Bellanique captures Spa finale on turf
Flying Zee Stable's homebred, BELLANIQUE, making her sixth-career race, defeated state-bred fillies and mares in a NW-1X condition allowance race run at Saratoga Race Course. Trained by Philip Serpe and ridden by journeyman jockey Edgar Prado, the three year-old bay filly had broken her maiden over the turf at Belmont Park on May 12th and then ran a game second in her first allowance attempt, a month later. The race was over the Mellon Turf Course, listed as "yielding," at 8-1/2 furlongs and had a field of 10 horses go to the gate with Bellanique the race-time favorite at 6-5 odds.
Red Snoony and Angel in Harlem battled in the early going, getting a half-mile in a 48-seconds flat with Bellanique tracking in mid-pack. As the field turned for home, a host of horses were in with a shot but it was a revved-up Bellanique who powered to the front, opening up by three-lengths past the eighth-pole on her way to a 2-length victory over Nurse Culkin with Miss Baba finishing third. Final time was 1:12.4 seconds.
Bred by Carl Lizza, Jr. (Flying Zee Stable), who qualified for a breeder's award of $2,640, Bellanique is the first foal out of the Hawkster mare, French Manicure, who hit the board (1-2-3) in 4 out of her 8-races over the turf. Mr. Lizza, a longtime supporter of the New York Breeding and Racing Program, is co-owner of Highcliff Farm along with Joseph Bartone. Highcliff Farm is located in Delanson, New York, and is managed by Dr. Lynwood and Suzie O'Cain. With the winner's purse of $26,400, the talented filly has now has earned $72,300. Hypo-Mating | Brisnet Chart

(7/30) Big Apple Daddy breaks maiden in debut
Ervin Rodriquez' BIG APPLE DADDY broke his maiden at first asking today at Saratoga Race Course. The two-year-old dark bay colt broke from the rail position in the seven-horse field, which raced over the main track, listed "fast." The rail position is not an advantage for two-year-olds making their first start but the dark bay colt overcame the impost with the help of a deft ride by journeyman jockey Robby Albarado. The New York-bred maiden race was run at 5-1/2-furlongs.
Hottothetouch left quickly from the outside post-position and led the field into the first turn with Sultry City to his outside and Big Apple Daddy rating kindly in third. As the field turned for home, Hottothetouch continued on the lead with Albarado patiently waiting until the eighth-pole before asking Big Apple Daddy to move and the colt willingly responded to run by Hottothetouch in the final twenty-five yards. Bayswater closed well to finish third. Final time was 1:06.1 seconds.
Bred by the partnership of Lewis Lakin and Becky Thomas, who together qualified for a breeder's award of $4,920, Big Apple Daddy is from the first New York crop of Precise End, and is out of the Theatrical (Ire) mare, Clever Actress, a sister to graded-stakes-placed allowance winner Clever Actor. Precise End, who won or placed in every career start, stands at Lakland North Farm in Hudson, New York and his connections qualified for a stallion owner's award of $1,722. Big Apple Daddy was purchased out of this year's March OBS two-year-old in training sales for $40,000 and is trained by James Picou. Hypo-Mating | Brisnet Chart

(7/30) Caribbean Cruiser sails in at Spa
Star Track Farm's homebred, CARIBBEAN CRUISER, shipped east from Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack to defeat a 9-horse field of state-bred maiden two-year-olds, today, at Saratoga Race Course. The 5-1/2-furlong race was run over a "fast" main track with trainer Donna Bireta naming Chin C. Yang to ride. Yang was, also, making his Spa debut and the horse-rider combo did just fine. The two-year-old gray colt had three-bullet-works at the "Lakes" and broke from the 5-post position. Listed at 12-1 in the program, Caribbean Cruiser had plenty of backers climb on-board going to the gate at 2-1 odds.
Caribbean Cruiser broke sharply but was challenged to his inside by Precision Perfect through an opening first-quarter in 22.2 seconds. Race-time favorite On the River stalked the fast pace in third and moved to Caribbean Cruiser as the field straightened for home but couldn't match strides inside the sixteenth-pole as Caribbean Cruiser drew off to win by 2-lengths. Precision Perfect held for third-money. Final time was 1:04.2 seconds, which was a tick shy of two-seconds faster than the earlier division of state-bred two-year-old maidens.
Bred by Star Track Farms of Peter and Marshall Winston of North Bergen, New Jersey, who together qualified for a $2,460 breeder award, Caribbean Cruiser is by Silver Ghost, out of the New York-bred stakes winner Jack Betta Be Rite, by Jacques Who. The Winstons also owned and raced Jack Betta Be Rite, who had a remarkable 15-race career winning on 10 occasions, of which seven were stakes victories and retired to the breeding shed with lifetime earnings of $350,399. Jack Betta Be Rite has also had success as a broodmare producing open stakes winner Grey Comet (Distinctive Pro), winner of $355,455. Hypo-Mating | Brisnet Chart

DONT KNOCK AMERICA (inside) winning over Rosie's Big Boy

(7/29) Runningforpresident gives John Velazquez his 3,000th winner

(7/29) The Chelsea Comet streaks to victory at Spa
Mare's Nest Farm's homebred, THE CHELSEA COMET, making her seventh-career start and first at Saratoga Race Course, upset a field of maiden fillies and mares in a seven-furlong race run over the main track, which was changed to "fast" after the running of the second race. A field of 10-state-breds went to the starting gate with trainer Kelly John Breen naming journeyman jockey Javier Castellano to ride the three-year-old chestnut filly, who went to the post at 16-1 odds.
Renamed and Kevin's Decision hooked up early and led the field through an opening half-mile in 46.3 seconds as Castellano rated The Chelsea Comet near the back of the field. As the field rounded the far turn, The Chelsea Comet made a five-wide move and once straightened for home streaked down the middle of the track collaring Hope's Diamond in the final few strides to win by a half-length. Renamed held for third-money. Final time was 1:25.1 seconds.
Bred by Nancy Trotta at her Mare's Nest Farm in Millerton, New York, The Chelsea Comet is by Western Echo, and first foal out of the unraced Cannon Shell mare, Maggie Dear. Mrs. Trotta qualified for a $2,460 breeder award for The Chelsea Comet's maiden victory. Hypo-Mating | Brisnet Chart

(7/28) Creative Dance breaks maiden at Spa
Chester and Mary Broman's homebred, CREATIVE DANCE, making his fifth-career start, and first at Saratoga Race Course, defeated state-bred maidens in a six-furlong race run over a "muddy" main track. The heavy rains, which engulfed the area subsided at dawn, however it didn't dampen the enthusiasm, which surrounds opening day at this upstate hamlet, as over 25,306 fans poured through the turnstiles. Trainer Ramon (Mike) Hernandez, who tried Creative Dance on the turf in his last start, named Pablo Fragoso to ride the three-year-old day bay colt, who broke from the 3-post-position in the 10-horse field.
Creative Dance and Gone to Be King battled through an opening first quarter in 22.1 seconds with Call the Lark rating just behind the leaders. After a half-mile, reached in 46-seconds flat, Creative Dance put away Gone to Be King and was immediately taken to task by Call the Lark, who raced in the middle of the track. With grit and determination, Creative Dance drew clear in the late stages to win by two-lengths over Call the Lark with Gone to Be King another length back in third-position. Final time was 1:12.3 seconds.
Bred by the Bromans, who qualified for a $4,920 breeder's award, at their beautiful Chestertown Farm in Chestertown, New York, Creative Dance is by Artax, winner of three-grade-1 races including the 1999 running of the Breeder's Cup Sprint. Artax stood at Ernie Paragallo's CenterBrook Farm in Climax, New York before relocating to Taylor Made Farm in Lexington, Kentucky for the 2001-season. The connections of Artax qualified for a $1,722 stallion owner's award. Creative Dance is the first foal out of the Nureyev mare, Dancing Marylee. Hypomating | Brisnet Chart

(7/25) Spite the Devil captures Evan Shipman - Prado rides 4 NY-bred winners
In a closely contested Evan Shipman Handicap that had all six starters finishing within less than four lengths of each other, Hardwicke Stable's homebred SPITE THE DEVIL edged 2002 Evan Shipman winner Sherpa Guide by a half-length, giving jockey Edgar Prado his fourth winning ride on Sunday aboard New York-breds. Belmont's $108,100 event for New York-bred three-year-olds and up going a one-turn mile and a sixteenth also gave Spite the Devil and Prado their second consecutive tally together in July, coming 17 days after the two had paired up for the first time to take a restricted Belmont starter allowance.
Sent off by Hall of Fame Trainer H. Allen Jerkens as the 2.90-to-1 third choice, Spite the Devil broke on top from the outside post but trailed the tightly packed field on the outside through an opening quarter-mile in 23.19 set by 2.25-to-1 second choice Rogue Agent. With 29.20-to-1 last choice Mr. Determined and 1.70-to-1 favorite Gander both pressing the pace on the inside, Rogue Agent accelerated his second quarter to 22.58 for a half-mile fraction in 45.77, at which point Spite the Devil was in fourth place while racing four wide around the turn. By mid-stretch, Prado's mount had his head in front of Rogue Agent -- who had clocked a 1:09.82 six-furlong fraction -- and was at the throatlatch of Mr. Determined, and in the final furlong he edged ahead and withstood the outside charge of 4.90-to-1 fourth choice Sherpa Guide, winning in 1:41.89. Mr. Determined finished third in an effort worthy of his name, followed by Rogue Agent, then top-weighted (123 pounds) Grade 2 winner Gander (whose earnings climbed to $1,824,011 -- see New York-bred Millionaires Club), and 25.75-to-1 last choice Manhattan Express, who finished only 3 3/4 lengths behind Spite the Devil.
"Edgar (Prado) loves this horse, and he rides him very well," pointed out winning owner-breeder Elisabeth Jerkens, the wife of trainer H. Allen Jerkens who races the four-year-old gelding in the name of her Hardwicke Stable. "Prado fits this horse perfectly. In the last race (the starter allowance win at Belmont on July 8), they got into trouble, and they still won. Today, they had a nice trip outside -- just behind the speed. Allen (Jerkens) often does good with horses as they get older, because he gets to know them better. This horse stays very fit because he's always in our barn. He never leaves the racetrack. He'll go up to Saratoga, and Allen will find something for him."
Jockey Prado, who has now ridden the last two winners of the Evan Shipman, confirmed the observations that owner-breeder Jerkens had of the contest, and he also implied that Spite the Devil might have had something left in the tank at the finish: "We had a good trip outside. I had a lot of horse at the top of the stretch, but the two inside horses (Mr. Determine and Rogue Agent) were stubborn. I had to get into him, and he finally went by. I think he just did enough to win."
Spite the Devil's two Belmont victories in July marked his first wins since capturing Aqueduct's Grade 3 Withers Stakes at a mile about an hour before New York-bred Funny Cide would win the 2003 Kentucky Derby on a day that would forever alter public perception of New York-breds. In addition to his stakes tallies, he has placed in eight other black-type events, including Saratoga's Grade 2 Sanford and Saratoga Special and Aqueduct's Grade 3 Gotham, and his Evan Shipman score boosted his earnings by $64,860 to $443,909 while improving his record to 5 - 5 - 6 in 27 starts. Spite the Devil's Sunday stakes victory on the closing day of Belmont's 2004 spring-summer meet also qualified owner-breeder Elisabeth Jerkens of Bellrose for an additional $6,486 breeder award. Spite the Devil is the second Evan Shipman winner trained by H. Allen Jerkens, who sent out Patsyprospect to win the 1995 running of that event, which is named for the late racing columnist of The Morning Telegraph -- East Coast predecessor of the Daily Racing Form.
Sired by five-time Grade 1 winner Devil His Due, whom Allen Jerkens also trained, Spite the Devil is the first offspring produced from Samantha D, a Cryptoclearance mare who won at a two-turn mile and 70 yards at Philadelphia Park as a three-year-old. Samantha D's stakes-winning dam is Mid-Atlantic five-furlong turf specialist Cuca's Lady ($350,460), and one of her winning half-sisters is the dam of 2002 stakes winner Scootin' Girl ($144,745 through 2003). Prior to breaking her maiden, Samantha D was claimed by Elisabeth Jerkens' Hardwicke Stable for $10,000 at Delaware Park as a three-year-old in June of 1998. Spite the Devil was foaled and raised at Carl Lizza Jr.'s and Joseph Bartone's Highcliff Farm in Delanson.
Brisnet Chart

(7/25) Clarksburg Queen continues reign - gets 2nd consecutive allowance win
Getting her first one-turn mile win, Dennis D'Arcangelo's CLARKSBURG QUEEN went from last to first in Belmont's second race on Sunday, a $46,000 restricted N2X allowance for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up, scoring her second consecutive Belmont allowance victory within six weeks. Despite a 5 3/4-length tally in her latest previous start on June 13 at Belmont in a restricted N1X allowance, the three-year-old filly was the 2.50-to-1 second choice among six starters behind 2-to-1 Leedle Dee, who had beaten her twice in 2003 when both fillies were two-year-olds. Overlooked, perhaps, was the fact that Clarksburg Queen had finished several lengths ahead of Leedle Dee in Belmont's $113,600 Bouwerie Stakes for New York-bred three-year-old fillies on May 16 even though she had to be steadied on the turn, coming in fifth among 11 in that event. Ridden for the first time by substitute jockey Edgar Prado, Clarksburg Queen broke on top from the outside post but trailed the field while Leedle Dee and 2.60-to-1 third choice Fabulosity went at each other in an early speed duel that heated up to a 22.81 second quarter-mile split. Prado's mount rallied along the rail on the turn, quickly scooting past her competition but typically switching to her right lead before reaching the stretch, which caused her to drift out somewhat before straightening away. By mid-stretch, Clarksburg Queen had her head in front of Leedle Dee, who was gradually pulling away from Fabulosity after setting a six-furlong fraction of 1:11.69, and at the finish she led the favorite by a length. The quick-striding filly's victory gave jockey Prado his second of four winning rides for the day aboard New York-breds -- the last coming on Spite the Devil in the $108,100 Evan Shipman Handicap six races later.
For her second consecutive Belmont allowance victory, Clarksburg Queen increased her earnings by $27,600 to $132,399 and improved her record to 3 - 2 - 3 in 14 starts for owner D'Arcangelo of Clarksburg, Massachusetts. As a 2003 two-year-old, the bay filly had registered back-to-back third-place finishes in Belmont's $108,900 Joseph A. Gimma Stakes at seven furlongs and $100,000 Maid of the Mist Stakes at a one-turn mile -- both for New York-bred fillies -- after having broken her maiden at Belmont going six furlongs in September. Prior to her May 16 Bouwerie effort, she had placed back-to-back seconds in restricted N1X allowance races going six furlongs at Aqueduct on April 7 and May 1. During the six-week interval between Clarksburg Queen's N1X allowance victory and Sunday's score, trainer Kenneth Nesky had given the filly four workouts at Belmont, including a sharp 47 3/5 half-mile drill over the training track on July 2.
Bred by Mike Martinez, who qualified for a $2,760 breeder award, Clarksburg Queen was purchased at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2003 April sale of two-year-olds in training in Florida for $47,000 by McMahon Bloodstock, LLC, agent and had been a $15,000 sales weanling 17 months earlier at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky. She is from the first crop of the Grade 2-winning Storm Cat stallion, Sea of Secrets, and is the second offspring and among two winners produced from Devoted, who is by El Gran Senor and is a half-sister to the dam of Grade 3-placed winner Swingin Verse ($201,753). Clarksburg Queen is inbred 3 x 4 to three separate stallions: Mr. Prospector, Northern Dancer, and Secretariat.
Brisnet Chart

(7/25) Mt. Majesty gets 2-length maiden victory in 2nd career start
With an extra furlong in distance after having placed a game second in his six-furlong debut three weeks earlier plus the addition of Lasix medication, Four Partners Stable's homebred MT. MAJESTY looked like the no-brainer choice in Belmont's restricted maiden special Sunday opener for three-year-olds and up -- and ran accordingly. Again ridden by Edgar Prado and sent off the 1.05-to-1 favorite among nine starters, the three-year-old gelding raced close up on the outside in third place through a half-mile that 33.25-to-1 fifth choice Pegasus Kris covered in 45.31 and then took command while three wide on the turn. Effectively utilizing his long, fluid strides, Mt. Majesty drew off to a 2 1/2-length mid-stretch lead following a six-furlong fraction of 1:10.70, and he reached the wire with a two-length margin over four-year-old Karakorum Patriot, the 7.90-to-1 fourth choice, after two right-handed late stretch taps from Prado. The chestnut gelding's winning seven-furlong time was a creditable 1:23.84. For jockey Prado, it was the first of four winning rides on the final card of Belmont's 2004 spring-summer meet -- all of them aboard New York-breds, including $108,100 Evan Shipman Handicap winner Spite the Devil.
Victory in the $41,000 contest increased Mt. Majesty's earnings by $24,600 to $32,800 in two starts for the Four Partners Stable, the managing partner of which is one of Mt. Majesty's four breeders -- Henry Prieger of Prantlack Farm in Stanfordville. The other breeding partners -- all of whom along with Prieger collectively qualified for a $4,920 breeder award -- are Digby Barrios of Majesty Stud in Ridgefield, Connecticut, Laura Vukovich (a partner in Four Partners Stable) of New York City, and David Lester. Trained by Christophe Clement, Mt. Majesty is among at least 13 winners of 22 races won from the first two crops of New York Thoroughbred Breeders 1998 Champion Three-Year-Old Male Raffie's Majesty (Cormorant - Raffinierte, by Surumu), whom Prieger and Barrios also bred and raced. Raffie's Majesty missed by just two rapidly diminishing noses from winning Saratoga's Grade 1 Travers Stakes in 1998 and is currently owned by a partnership that qualified for a $1,722 stallion award as a result of Mt. Majesty's victory. Raffie's Majesty stands at Howard Kaskel's Sugar Maple Farm in Poughquag, where his 2004 fee was $3,000, live foal.
Mt. Majesty is the second offspring and second winner produced from six-time winner Triunfante ($102,796), by Mt. Livermore, being a full brother to Belmont open allowance winner Raffie's Dream ($162,420), who placed third in a division of Belmont's restricted Mount Vernon Handicap on June 20 in her first turf effort. Dam Triunfante, an allowance winner who scored both sprinting and routing, is a half-sister to two stakes-placed winners and to the dam of a stakes winner and was acquired privately by Prieger, et al, in the late 1990s after concluding her racing career in New England. A Hypo-Mating check of Mt. Majesty's pedigree reveals -- somewhat unusually -- that he is an outcross (no inbreeding) through five generations.
Hypo-Mating | Brisnet Chart

(7/25) Inter Galactic breaks maiden in Belmont finale
Zacarias and Elizabeth Aragon's homebred, INTER GALACTIC, broke her maiden in the last race, today, at Belmont Park, which marked the end of the Spring meet. Making her fourth-lifetime start in a race originally scheduled to be run over the turf at a mile, the three-year-old gray filly was racing on the medication lasix for the first time and had the services of apprentice jockey Jose Lezcano, who qualifies for a 5lb weight allowance. A field of 12-fillies and mares loaded into the starting gate for the one-turn mile race, which was run over a "fast" main track.
Hurricane Erica opened up a six-length lead as she led the field onto the main track from the chute, with Little Miss Amanda and Inter Galactic racing second and third, respectively. Hurricane Erica's lead wilted away around the far turn as the field drew closer, reaching the three-quarter pole in 1:12.4 on top by a head. Inter Galactic, who saved ground around the last turn, swung out to the middle of the track at the top of the stretch and once asked responded willingly to win by 3-1/2-widening lengths. Little Miss Amanda finished second and Hurricane Erica held for third money. Final time was 1:38.3 seconds.
Bred by the Aragon's, who qualified for a $5,040 breeder's award, Inter Galactic is by Incurable Optimist, out of the Morning Bob mare, Princess Nova, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Cuzzin Jeb, winner of $259,469. Inter Galactic is a half-sister to the stakes-placed allowance winner Galactic (Tank's Number), winner of $233,473 and to multiple allowance winner My Girl Natalie (Prosper Fager), winner of $197,857. The connections of Incurable Optimist, a multiple graded stakes winner, qualified for a $1,764 stallion owner's award. A New York-bred, Incurable Optimist stood at Highcliff Farm in Delanson, New York before shipping to South America. Bred by Joan Taylor, DVM and William Wilmot, DVM at their Stepwise Farm in Saratoga Springs, New York, Incurable Optimist (Cure the Blues) was voted the 1998 Two-Year-Old New York Thoroughbred Breeder's Divisional Champion, Turf Champion and Horse of the Year. Incurable Optimist is the sire of Don Corleone, winner of this year's $164,000 New York Derby.
Brisnet Chart

(7/25) Mike's Greenfields wins state-bred allowance
Michael C. Hanafin's homebred, MIKE'S GREENFIELDS, didn't mind the extra weight of first-class jockey Edgar Prado as he easily defeated a field of state-bred horses in a NW-1X condition allowance, today, at beautiful Belmont Park. Trainer Timothy Ritvo had been using apprentice riders aboard the three-year-old bay gelding since he shipped up from Florida, however he switched to Prado and the tactic proved beneficial for his connections. A field of 7-horses went to the post for the one-turn 9-furlong race, which was run over a "fast" main track.
True Crimson and Fiddlers Pride arrived at the half-mile together in a snappy 46-seconds flat as Mike's Greenfields tracked close behind in third before swinging three-wide in the far turn to engage Fiddlers Pride who had raced to the front. After a brief encounter, Mike's Greenfields drew clear and while under a drive drew off to win by 5-1/2-lengths. Fiddlers Pride held for second and Always a Hero close to be third. Final time was 1:50.2 seconds.
Bred at Mr. Hanafin's Four Green Fields Farm in Saratoga Springs, New York, Mike's Greenfields is by Slew City Slew, and is out of the Track Barron mare, Home Video, a half-sister to stakes-placed winner Oh Girl (Ogygian). Mr. Hanafin qualified for a $2,640 breeder award for today's score and the winner's share of the purse ($26,400) boosts Mike's Greenfields earnings to $50,270 in 13-career starts.
Brisnet Chart

(7/24) Bailie's Band marches to 7 1/2-length victory
Shipping in from Monmouth to shake off his "seconditis" curse, Nyala Farm's homebred five-year-old, BAILIE'S BAND, relied on seasoning and long strides to score a 7 1/2-length victory in Belmont's Saturday ninth race nightcap, a $42,000 restricted maiden special for three-year-olds and up going a mile and an eighth. The race originally had been carded for two turns on turf at a mile and an eighth but was switched to Belmont's muddy main track at the same distance going one turn, and of the eight starters that remained following three scratches, Bailie's Band clearly had the most experience. He also had the services of the current Belmont meet's second-leading jockey, Edgar Prado, who back in November of 2002 had piloted the chestnut gelding to a third-place finish in his debut at Aqueduct. Prado did not ride Bailie's Band again until Saturday, and Bailie's Band did not even hit the board in four subsequent starts. But on July 2 at Monmouth, Nyala Farm's New York homebred had placed a close second -- beaten only a neck -- in a mile and a sixteenth maiden race on turf with a $40,000 claiming price for his second second-placing on grass within 51 days. Off that effort, trainer Jamie Woodington had given Bailie's Band a half-mile "bullet" workout of 48-flat at Monmouth (fastest of 64) on July 16, impressing Belmont horseplayers sufficiently for them to send the gelding off as the near even-money favorite (1.05-to-1) among the eight starters. His backers were not disappointed.
Although breaking dead last from the inside post, Bailie's Band held his rail position and had his head in front of a tightly packed field in the opening quarter-mile. The eight New York-breds remained closely-bunched going down the backstretch and into the turn, but the long, loping strides of Prado's mount began making a noticeable difference around Belmont's big sweeping turn. After a half-mile, Bailie's Band was in front by a half-length; after three-quarters he was ahead by a length; and at mid-stretch his margin was up to 2 1/2 lengths and growing -- by another five lengths in the final furlong to 7 1/2 lengths at the wire. Fifth choice Loyal Royal (9.20-to-1), who was the closest pursuer of Bailie's Band for most of the contest, placed second, as the eight starters that were relatively close together through the first half-mile ended up considerably strung out at the finish. For jockey Prado, it was the third winning ride on Belmont's Saturday card.
The victory increased the earnings of Bailie's Band by $25,200 to $51,590 and improved his record to 1 - 4 - 3 in 16 starts, and it also collectively qualified Nyala Farm co-owners and co-breeders Ruth Bedford of Greens Farms, Connecticut and Kathleen O'Connell of Easton, Connecticut for a $5,040 breeder award. Bailie's Band is the second winner in two consecutive days at Belmont sired by now-deceased New York stallion Dixie Brass -- following two-year-old filly Jo's Sunshine -- qualifying Dixie Brass's former owner, fire-fighting veteran and excavating business owner Michael Watral of Central Islip, Long Island, for a $1,764 stallion award. In 2003, Watral qualified for a total of $180,224.63 in stallion awards as a result of the racing accomplishments at New York tracks by the New York-bred offspring of Dixie Brass, who died in January of 2002.
Bailie's Band is the first offspring produced from New York-bred Sally B, a daughter of former New York stallion Double Negative that Nyala Farm had purchased as a four-year-old for $6,000 at a Fasig-Tipton horses of racing age sale held at Belmont in late November of 1997. Sally B was bred to Dixie Brass the following spring, which resulted in Bailie's Band. Sally B's dam, Icy Caro, is by Caro and is a half-sister to graded winner Icy Groom ($338,949) and to the dams of at least three more black-type stakes winners, including Australian champion and six-time Group 1 winner Encounter.

(7/23) John's Joy jaunts in rain for decisive N2X win
Showing the form that had hinted at possible stakes class during the spring of 2003, David Anderson's four-year-old JOHN'S JOY drove through the stretch to score a three-quarter-length victory in Belmont's seventh race on Friday, a $45,000 restricted N2X allowance for three-year-olds and up going six furlongs. The bay gelding was re-united with John Velazquez, the New York Thoroughbred Breeders 2002 Jockey of the Year who had ridden him twice in 2003, and with a solid workout following three improving efforts after almost a year's layoff, he was favored at 1.35-to-1 among six starters. Racing through rain, fog and mud, John's Joy was fourth through a half-mile set by 2.80-to-1 second choice Special Jet in 45.98 before rallying four wide approaching the stretch, and with a furlong to go he was a half-length behind Special Jet, who set a five-eighths fraction of 58.82. With Special Jet and 5.40-to-1 Joshua's Jet to his inside, Velazquez's mount quickly took command about 70 yards from the wire, and Velazquez actually appeared to have him under wraps at the finish, as Special Jet edged Joshua's Jet by another three-quarters of a length for the place award. All six starters in the contest were older colts and geldings.
The victory boosted the earnings for John's Joy by $27,000 into six figures at $112,950, improving his record to 3 - 3 - 1 in 10 starts and giving trainer Scott Lake, who owned and trained an earlier winner on Belmont's Friday "twilight" card, a second winner within about 2 1/2 hours. From early June of 2003 to May 21 of 2004, John's Joy did not race, but within a month's time he had finished sixth, fourth, and third in N2X allowance races at Belmont. During the 30-day span from the gelding's latest previous outing on June 23 and Friday's victory, Lake had given the New York-bred one sharp workout -- a half-mile in 48 1/5 over Belmont's training track on July 18. John's Joy was unraced at two, but as a three-year-old in 2003 he had won his second start by 2 1/4 lengths at Aqueduct in March and two starts later had taken his restricted N1X allowance condition by a length and three-quarters at Aqueduct in April. His last start of 2003 had been on a muddy track at Belmont with Velazquez on board, when he had finished fourth going seven furlongs. Owner Anderson had purchased John's Joy for $3,500 from the consignment of Joe and Anne McMahon's McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, Agent, at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's 2001 October yearling sale in Timonium, Maryland.
Bred by the late John Valentino at his Genegantslet Farm in Smithville Flats, whose estate qualified for a $2,700 breeder award, John's Joy was conceived out-of-state to the cover of former New York stallion Missionary Ridge, who won graded/group races on dirt and turf in England, Ireland, and California. The New York-bred is a full brother to the Valentino New York homebred filly Common Objective ($117,438), who won Belmont's Schenectady Handicap in 1999, and his dam is Valentino-bred Special Date, who is by He's Bad (by Rambunctious) and won her only start as a three-year-old. Special Date is a full sister to Valentino New York homebred multiple graded winner Restored Hope ($287,266), and she is a half-sister to Valentino-bred three-year-old Rhythmic Motion, who won a restricted N2X allowance going a mile on Belmont turf for owner Robert Spiegel on July 11 with Velazquez on board. The dam of Special Date, Restored Hope, and Rhythmic Motion and the maternal granddam (second dam) of John's Joy is K.'s Solution, an Aqueduct allowance-winning Bailjumper mare that Valentino had claimed for $15,500 after she had scored her sixth -- and final -- career win.
Brisnet Chart

(7/23) Jo's Sunshine is undeterred by rain - breaks maiden by 2
As the only starter with competition experience in Belmont's fourth race on Friday for New York-bred maiden special two-year-old fillies going five furlongs through the rain, Robert Corrado's and Joseph Marx's JO'S SUNSHINE had the inside post and also knew how to break -- and she capitalized on both advantages. Fidgety in the gate after being the first in a fussy group of fillies to load into their starting stalls, she clearly out-broke the rest of the field as the 3.25-to-1 second choice among seven starters with jockey Jorge Chavez on board for the second time in two starts. After three-sixteenths of a mile, Jo's Sunshine was in front by 2 1/2 lengths with 1.50-to-1 favorite Daylights End her closest pursuer, and she set an opening quarter-mile split in an impressive 22.61 over the "good" track surface that was rapidly going to muddy, but Daylights End closed steadily. At the quarter-mile pole, Daylights End poked her head in front, but Jo's Sunshine came back at the favorite, who had been rambunctious in the gate and had switched to her right lead while still on Belmont's big turn -- possibly compromising her late staying power -- as Chavez's mount regained command. At the finish, Jo's Sunshine pulled clear to a two-length victory, giving Chavez his first of two consecutive winning rides on Belmont's Friday "twilight" card.
Victory in the $41,000 contest was worth $24,600 in purse money, pushing the total earnings for Jo's Sunshine to $28,700 following her third-place debut at Belmont under Chavez 30 days earlier on June 23. She is trained by her co-owner, Corrado, who had given the bay filly moderate half-mile workouts on Belmont's training track on July 13 and on Belmont's main track a week later on Tuesday, July 20 -- three days prior to her Friday maiden score. Corrado had purchased Jo's Sunshine for $12,000 at Keeneland's 2003 September yearling sale in Lexington, Kentucky. The filly's breeder is Wayne Ewald of Tudor Acres Racing in Kingston, New Hampshire, who qualified for a $4,920 breeder award.
Jo's Sunshine is by deceased New York stallion Dixie Brass, qualifying Dixie Brass's former owner, fire-fighting veteran and excavating business owner Michael Watral of Central Islip, Long Island, for a $1,722 stallion award. In 2003, Watral qualified for a total of $180,224.63 in stallion awards as a result of the racing accomplishments at New York tracks by the New York-bred offspring of Dixie Brass, who died in January of 2002. Jo's Sunshine is out of In the Sun, a nine-year-old Alleged mare that won once in England as a three-year-old and twice on turf in North America as a four-year-old. The two-year-old filly is inbred 3 x 4 to Northern Dancer and appears to be bred to run longer and later than she already has shown herself capable of doing.
Brisnet Chart

(7/22) Gates Avenue captures turf-claimer at Belmont Park
GATES AVENUE, making his first start over the turf and first start in a claiming race displayed another dimension to his repertoire today with a gate-to-wire victory against $50-$40,000 open claimers. Trainer David Donk named journeyman jockey Jose Espinoza to ride the three-year-old chestnut colt, who was making his 9th career start. Run at 8-1/2-furlongs over Belmont Park's Widener turf course, listed "firm", a field of 8-horses went to the starting gate, which was positioned midway on the first turn. Shining Hawk went to the gate as the even-money bettor's choice.
Gates Avenue and Dixie Boy hooked up early and led the field up the backstretch followed by Syphon Says and Tino Rossi. Matching strides, Gates Avenue and Dixie Boy reached the half-mile pole together in 47.4 and continued to race as a team to the three-quarter pole in 1:11.3 seconds before Gates Avenue began to draw clear through the stretch. After opening up by two-lengths at the sixteenth-pole, Gates Avenue had a new nemesis to contend with as Shining Hawk began to swoop in, but drifted out in the final few strides causing him to lose by a half-length under the wire. Dixie Boy held for third-money and the final time was 1:42.1 seconds.
Bred by William J. Punk, Jr., who qualifies for a $4,560 breeders award, and owned by Punk and Philip Dileo, whose partnership qualified for an open owner's award of $4,560, Gates Avenue is from the second crop of New York stallion Rodeo (Gone West - Wewarrenju, by Damascus), whose syndicate members qualified for a $1,596 stallion owner's award. Today's victory pushes Rodeo over the $1-million mark in progeny earnings for the 2004 season. Rodeo is the sire of Rodeo Licious winner of the open Fashion Stakes as a two-year-old and this year's edition of the Bouwerie Stakes, from his first crop. Rodeo stands at Gus Schoenborn Jr.'s Contemporary Stallions in Coxsackie, where his 2004 fee is $3,000, live foal. Punk and DiLeo also are the owners and breeders of Gates Avenue's four-year-old full brother, Nick the Vest, who broke his maiden at Aqueduct this past February 8th by coming from off the pace at a mile and a sixteenth under Espinoza. Nick the Vest and Gates Avenue are the first two offspring produced from Erins Eyes, who is by Boundary (by Danzig) and was purchased by Punk and DiLeo for $135,000 at Fasig-Tipton's 1997 Saratoga select yearling sale.
Hypo-Mating | Brisnet Chart

(7/22) Ms Litigator wins her case
Alvin D. Haynes and Kiaran McLaughlin's MS LITIGATOR, making her third-career start, which oddly made her the most experienced two-year-old filly in the race, went gate-to-wire today to defeat two-year-old state-bred fillies at beautiful Belmont Park. Trained by McLaughlin, Ms Litigator was ridden to victory by journeyman jockey Richard Migliore, who has been on-board in all of her starts. The five-furlong race was run over a "fast" main track and had a field of 7-fillies go to the post.
Breaking from the outside post-position, Ms Litigator was hustled out of the gate and took command through an opening first-quarter in 22.3 seconds. Reddy for Rubys tracked in second and Hoosick Falls, the race-time favorite, raced in third around the turn. As the field hit the top of the stretch, Ms Litigator continued to lead the way but Hoosick Falls was moving well in the middle of the track. Under strong urging, Ms Litigator raced to the wire and held off Hoosick Falls by three-quarters of a length crossing the wire with Reddy for Rubys holding onto third-position. Final time was 58.4 seconds.
Bred by Barbara Sautter, who qualifies for a $4,920 breeder award, Ms Litigator is by A. P Jet, and is out of the Regal Embrace mare, Close to the Top, dam of stakes-placed allowance winner Track Topper (Star Gallant), winner of $147,272, who was also bred by Mrs. Sautter at her Stonehenge Farm in South Centerville, New York. The sire, A. P Jet, is the property of a syndicate, whose members qualified for a $1,722 stallion owner's award. A. P Jet is currently listed as the fifth-leading active New York-based stallion with progeny earnings of over $1,200,000. A. P Jet stands at Sugar Maple Farm in Poughquag, New York.
Hypo-Mating | Brisnet Chart

(7/22) Party Maker breaks maiden at Belmont Park
Sovereign and Gatsas Stable's PARTY MAKER, making her career debut, easily defeated a field of state-bred two-year-old fillies today at beautiful Belmont Park. Trained by John Terranova, II, the dark bay daughter of Smart Strike was ridden to victory by journeyman jockey Edgar Prado and broke from the 4-post position in the 7-horse field.
Party Maker was hustled to the front and while under pressure from One Last Whirl set a blistering first-quarter time of 21.4 seconds before Prado wisely backed off the second-quarter in 24-seconds flat giving Party Maker the necessary breather. Soon after the half-mile pole, the talented filly began to draw clear and won going away by 2-lengths. Earhart closed for second-money and Seagate was third. Final time was 58.1 seconds.
Bred by the partnership of John Stuart, Peter C. Bance and Jose L. De Camargo, who together qualified for a $2,460 breeder's award, Party Maker is out of Meu Paixao (Arg), by Dark Brown (BRZ). Meu Paixao is the dam of multiple graded stakes and grade 1-winner Unkind, by Perfect Parade, and is a sister to 5X-graded stakes winner Hallada and Obsessao, a grade 1-winner in South Africa, and a half-sister to 3X-graded stakes winner Leger Cat (Arg) winner of $955,789.
Ted and Mike Gatsas are the owners of New York-bred Gander, who they purchased for $50,000 at a two-year-old in training sale and earned $1,820,768. In 2002, they formed the Sovereign Stable, which is a racing partnership. The two outfits purchased Party Maker at the 2003 Saratoga Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Preferred Yearling Sales for $110,000. Party Maker was foaled at Gallagher's Stud in Ghent, New York, which is managed by Phil Trowbridge, who sits on the board of directors of the New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund.
Brisnet Chart

(7/21) Dylans Destiny wins state-bred allowance
Making his second start for new connections since being claimed for $18,000, DYLANS DESTINY gamely defeated a field of state-breds in a NW-1X condition allowance race, today, at beautiful Belmont Park. Trained by Michael Brice and ridden for the first time by journeyman jockey Jose Santos, the three-year-old chestnut gelding is owned by the partnership of Scott Fein, My Goose Stable (Mike Blick), Jay Oringer, Douglas Heimowitz and Barry Elberg. The seven-furlong race run over the main track, listed "fast", had a field of 8-horses go to the gate.
Jamies Jet, a first-out winner in his last start, and Dylans Destiny battled through an opening first-half in 46-seconds flat with Platinum Case and My Authority rating behind. As the field turned for home, Dylans Destiny had discharged Jamies Jet and while under a drive raced to the wire to win by 5-1/2-lengths. Jamies Jet held for second and My Authority was up for third-money. Final time was 1:24 seconds flat.
Bred by the partnership of Questroyal Stable, Inc and Edward F. Simpson, who together qualify for a $5,160 breeder award, Dylans Destiny is by Tomorrows Cat, and is the third-foal out of the Affirmed mare, Social Miss, a half-sister to multiple stakes-placed allowance winner Oklahoma Winter (It's Freezing). Tomorrows Cat is owned by a Questroyal Stallion syndicate, who qualified for a $1,906 stallion owner's award for today's score, and stands at Metropolitan Stud in Pine Plains, New York. With three-crops to race, Tomorrows Cat has sired 56-winners including 4-stakes winners and his lifetime progeny earnings have now surpassed the $2,650,000-mark.
Hypo-Mating | Brisnet Chart

(7/21) Boundary Bay takes state-bred allowance
Evelyn M. Pollard's BOUNDARY BAY won today's last race a beautiful Belmont Park with an off the pace performance against state-bred allowance company. The second division of the NW-1X condition allowance was run over the main track, listed "fast", at seven-furlongs and had a field of 8-horses go to the post. Trainer George Weaver named journeyman jockey Jean Luc-Samyn to ride the three-year-old gray colt, who was making his sixth-career start and first at the distance.
Lord Sheryar went to the front tracked closely by Mumbles on the outside with Miffed and Texas Pro rating in third and fourth, respectively. Boundary Bay rated in sixth-position in the run down the backstretch and after a half-mile in 45.3 began to make his move on the far outside. As the field turned for home it was still Lord Sheryar leading the way but Mumbles and Boundary Bay both ran past at the eighth-pole with Boundary Bay the strongest of the pair and ran clear by a length under the wire. Lord Sheryar held for third-money. Final time was 1:23.1 seconds.
Boundary Bay's breeder is the Glen Gray Farm of Gary Mottola of Oakland, New Jersey, which qualified for a $2,580 breeder award. Although the colt is a half-brother to three winners, he is the first New York-bred produced from Open Flap, a two-time California-winning daughter of Grade 1 Travers winner and former New York stallion Carr de Naskra. Breeder Mottola purchased Open Flap for $10,000 at Keeneland's 2001 January mixed sale when she was carrying Boundary Bay -- and just four months before Monarchos, from the first crop of Maria's Mon (whose 2000 stud fee was $7,500), would win the 2001 Kentucky Derby. Open Flap is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Catatonic ($437,431), whose winning offspring include stakes winners Alynar ($116,548) and Dactylic plus stakes-placed D' Coach ($117,138) and $128,068-earner Schizophrenic. Today's winner's purse of $25,800 pushes Boundary Bay's earnings to $67,700. Brisnet Chart

(7/21) Win With Beck captures state-bred turf maiden
Stewart Hoffman's homebred, WIN WITH BECK, changed racing tactics by racing off the early pace to capture a state-bred maiden turf race run over the inner turf course, listed "firm", today, at beautiful Belmont Park. Trained by James Jerkens, the three-year-old son of Personal Flag was ridden by journeyman jockey Pablo Fragoso and broke from the 9-post position. Run at a distance of 9-furlongs the field had to be backed out of the gate when the last horse to load, Super Nationals, dumped jockey Rodney Soodeen and ran off. After a delay of over 10-minutes the 11-horse field was, once again, loaded into the starting gate with Lofty Call being bet down to the prohibitive 3-5-favorite.
Long Since Past broke well to take a short lead over Lofty Call, who was down along the hedge, with Naragansett and Quite Continental sitting third and fourth, respectively. After a half-mile in 48.3 seconds the order remained the same as Yougonow began to move three wide into contention followed by Win With Beck. As the field hit the top of the stretch, four-horse were fanned-out across the turf with jockey Richard Migliore, aboard Yougonow, choosing to go inside rather than through and bravely forged to a narrow opening between the hedge and Lofty Call to take the lead but it was a revved-up Win With Beck who roared down the course to wrest the lead away from Yougonow in the final two-strides to win by a half-length. Lofty Call held for third-money and the final time was 1:50 seconds flat.
Bred by Hoffman, who qualifies for a $5,040 breeder award, Win With Beck is out of the Leo Castelli mare, Matter of Trust. A half-sister to Panamanian stakes winner Don Juan A (Manila), who also placed in the Hutchinson Stakes-Gr.3, and to I Am The Prince (Summer Squall), who won the Sapporo Sansai Stakes in Japan as a two-year-old and to In Frank's Honor (Lost Code), who won the Pilgrim Stakes-Gr.3 as a two year-old and earned $436,103 in a 31-race career.
Personal Flag is owned by a syndicate, who qualifies for a $1,764 stallion owner's award, and stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds. Personal Flag's progeny earnings have placed him at or near the top of the New York-based Stallions Standings since he returned to New York State from Kentucky. Hypo-Mating | Brisnet chart

(7/21) Nasty Traitor rallies to break maiden over turf
Twelve horses went to the starting gate for the second-New York-bred maiden race of the afternoon to run over Belmont Park's inner-turf course at a distance of 9-furlongs and it was shipper, NASTY TRAITOR, who emerged with the victory. Owned by the partnership of Joseph Falco and Larry Beason's Dukester Stable, the three-year-old dark bay gelding was making his 8th - career start and first in New York. Trained by Robert Dibona and ridden by Belmont's leading jockey John Velazquez, Nasty Traitor broke from the 4-post-position.
Sir Tapper and Eastern Pilot took turns sharing the lead in the run down the backstretch as Nasty Traitor rated in fifth-position under a strong hold before swinging five-wide around the last turn and raced to the front when the field straightened for the homestretch. Napster moved strongly through the stretch run to challenge for the lead but came up three-quarters of a length, with Dr. Kris a close-up third. Final time was 1:51 seconds flat.
Bred by Falco's Jayvee Stables, who qualifies for a $2,520 breeder's award, Nasty Traitor is by Traitor, out of Dynastique, by Dynaformer. With today's winner's purse of $25,200 Nasty Traitor boosts his lifetime earnings to $29,571. Brisnet chart

(7/18) Theconfidenceman wins convincingly in turf mile
Trainer Leo O'Brien obviously persuaded son-in-law John Velazquez to again ride the colt that had won first out under Velazquez last year -- and whose New York-bred sire Velazquez had piloted to graded victories in 1998 -- and the result was a two-length tally in Belmont's seventh race on Sunday by THECONFIDENCEMAN. Owned by the Literary Lion Farm of Helen Brann of Bridgewater, Connecticut in partnership with Suzann Bobley and Our Boys Farm, Theconfidenceman went off as the 3.20-to-1 favorite among 12 starters in the $44,000 restricted N1X allowance for three-year-olds and up going a virtual one-turn mile on turf. He broke dead last from the inside post and had nine rivals ahead of him after the opening quarter-mile, and at the half-way point his position had improved only marginally to eighth place while 3.75-to-1 second choice Speedjama seized the lead on the outside. Swinging wide as he approached the stretch, Theconfidenceman launched a startlingly fast move that advanced him past seven rivals within a span of less than a quarter-mile, utilizing his exceptionally quick stride turnover to catch Speedjama inside the final furlong and win going away in the time of 1:35.78. Speedjama, who had picked up the pace on the backstretch to set fractions of 47.71 and 1:11.74, continued on to place a clear second.
Theconfidenceman's first victory since winning his debut as a juvenile on Belmont's main track going 5 1/2 furlongs under Velazquez almost exactly a year earlier (July 19) boosted his earnings by $26,400 to $58,320 while improving his record to 2 - 0 - 1 in eight starts. Velazquez, the New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) 2002 Jockey of the Year, had ridden the colt once more during 2003 -- in an unplaced effort in the mud in Belmont's $109,500 Bertram F. Bongard Stakes -- and in three starts on turf in 2004 Theconfidenceman had failed to hit the board. Those three efforts, which had followed a layoff of almost six months, came against open Aqueduct allowance company on April 29, against restricted N2X allowance foes (above his condition level) at Belmont on May 22, and against high-priced open claimers (racing with a $75,000 tag) at Belmont on July 1. O'Brien, a three-time NYTB Trainer of the Year, next gave Theconfidenceman an easy half-mile workout on Belmont's main track on July 12 and named Velazquez to ride the colt once again -- and with winning results.
Bred by Richard and Jeanette Powers of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, who qualified for a $5,280 breeder award, Theconfidenceman is from the first crop of 1998 New York-Bred Horse of the Year and Champion Turf and Two-Year-Old Male Incurable Optimist, sire also of Saturday's $164,000 New York Derby winner, Don Corleone ($137,130). Incurable Optimist raced for John and Theresa Behrendt of New York City and stood as the Behrendts' property for the 2000 season at Carl Lizza Jr.'s and Joseph Bartone's Highcliff Farm in Delanson before subsequently going to Argentina -- but Theconfidenceman's victory still qualified the Behrendts for a $1,848 stallion award. In a two-month span in 1998, Incurable Optimist -- a son of deceased record-setting New York stallion Cure the Blues -- won open turf stakes at Meadowlands, Belmont, and Hollywood Park under Velazquez, including Belmont's Grade 3 Pilgrim by 4 1/2 lengths and Hollywood's Grade 3 Generous by nine lengths.
Theconfidenceman is the first offspring produced from The Midnightrobber, who raced for co-breeder Jeanette Powers, winning nine races from ages two through seven, including five open allowance six-furlong sprints at Suffolk and Rockingham Park. The Midnightrobber is by Talinum, a Grade 1-winning son of Alydar, and she is a half-sister to stakes-placed winner Chervy ($107,827). Trainer O'Brien is renowned for perceiving that impressive New York-bred juvenile winners going sprint distances on dirt sometimes become stars (Fourstardave, Fourstars Allstar, etc.) stretching out to longer distances on turf (see New York-bred Millionaires Club). Brisnet chart

(7/18) Twinkie Zone zips through along rail to win MSW opener by 5
In her second start following a strong-closing third-place debut in the mud 22 days earlier, Very Un Stable's homebred TWINKIE ZONE made a quick inside move in Belmont's Sunday opener, a $41,000 restricted maiden special for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up, and drew off to win by five lengths. The three-year-old filly was favored at 1.75-to-1 among 12 starters and again had the services of jockey Michael Luzzi, who positioned her close up on the inside behind front-end contenders Gone Whirlin, Maidez, and Town Charmer through a half-mile in 46.58 while in hand. Coming out of the turn, Twinkie Zone made a nifty inside forward move, scooting around a tiring Gone Whirlin on the rail and quickly gaining a length and a half lead at mid-stretch off a five-eighths fraction of 59.54. In the final furlong, the dark bay filly extended her margin over second-place Delia's Gone, the 26-to-1 eighth choice who placed a clear second on the outside, with a weakening Town Charmer, the 25.25-to-1 seventh choice, finishing third. For jockey Luzzi, it was the first of two winning rides on Belmont's Sunday card.
The victory was worth $24,600 in purse money, boosting Twinkie Zone's total bankroll in two starts to $28,700, and it also qualified her owner-breeder, the Very Un Stable of waterproofing contractor Joseph Gioia of North Woodmere, for an additional $2,460 breeder award. Very Un Stable also owns one of the best turf milers in North America, New York-bred Quantum Merit ($519,525), who won Churchill Downs' Grade 2 Firecracker Breeders' Cup Handicap by a length and a half on July 3, and like Quantum Merit, Twinkie Zone is trained by Del Carroll II. In the 22-day period between Twinkie Zone's muddy Belmont debut and Sunday's victory, Carroll had put the New York-bred filly through two moderate workouts over Belmont's training track on July 7 and 15. Twinkie Zone had been consigned to the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2003 April sale of two-year-olds in training in Florida but was not sold after bringing a final bid of $25,000.
Despite her convincing victory going six furlongs on Belmont's main track, Twinkie Zone's future may well be on turf -- and possibly at longer distances. She is by multiple stakes-winning sprinter Wild Zone, whose turf stakes victories included course-record setting performances at six (1:07 3/5) and seven (1:20 1/5) furlongs that still stand as Canadian records. Twinkie Zone is the third New York-bred winner that Gioia/Very Un Stable has bred from 10-time winner I'm So Agreeable ($187,600), by I Enclose, being a half-sister to New York-bred multiple turf winner and multiple turf stakes-placed Longingtobeme ($214,812). Dam I'm So Agreeable, whose sire, graded winner I Enclose, was one of the first stakes winners sired by pensioned New York stallion Cormorant, scored nine times on grass, mostly at middle distances, and Gioia, who raced the mare under his Very Un Stable colors, obviously regarded her highly. When I'm So Agreeable was a seven-year-old in May of 1993, Very Un Stable lost her for a $35,000 claiming price at Belmont. Five days later, the mare was back in at Belmont for a $45,000 tag, and Very Un Stable claimed her back. I'm So Agreeable, who is a half-sister to Mexican multiple stakes winner I Keep Abreast, was retired to the broodmare ranks later that year. Brisnet chart

(7/18) Ms Storming Angel storms to 10 1/4-length MSW win in 2nd start
Eased in her debut three weeks earlier at Belmont after leading for a half-mile, Brass Bit Stable's three-year-old MS STORMING ANGEL came back on Lasix medication to dominate Belmont's ninth race Sunday nightcap, a $41,000 restricted maiden special for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up, winning by 10 1/4 lengths. Again ridden by Aaron Gryder but dismissed as the 9.10-to-1 sixth choice among 10 starters in the six-furlong contest, the bay filly pressed the pace of 8.80-to-1 fifth choice Rodeo Sass from the two path through a half-mile, with 7-to-1 third choice Factual Contender on her outside. She took command while still on the turn and pulled away easily, leading by eight lengths at mid-stretch after setting a five-furlong fraction of 58.95 and by 10 1/4 at the wire even though Gryder took her in hand through the final 100 yards. It was easily the longest winning margin on Belmont's Sunday card.
Trained by Scott Everett, who had given her a 48-flat half-mile Belmont workout 10 days earlier on July 8, Ms Storming Angel earned $24,600 for her victory, putting her official earnings in two starts at $24,720, and also qualified her breeder, KMW Associates LLC, for a $4,920 breeder award. She is by the Massachusetts-based Storm Cat stallion Storm of Angels, whose owner at the time of Ms Storming Angel's conception at Anne Morgan's and Tim Little's Mill Creek Farm in Stillwater was B. E. Stables of Boston entrepreneur and philanthropist Steve Belkin, which qualified for a $1,722 stallion award.
A relatively late foal (May 11, 2001), Ms Storming Angel is the second runner and second New York-bred winner produced from multiple stakes-placed winner Ms Jill Z, who is by Lord of All (by Seattle Slew). The three-year-old filly is a half-sister to New York-bred Love Me R Leave Me, who won open allowance races both sprinting and routing at Fort Erie in Ontario, Canada in 2002. Dam Ms Jill Z, a half-sister to multiple stakes-winning sprinter Hoopstar ($161,082), arrived in New York carrying Love Me R Leave Me after having been purchased for $8,000 by New York breeders Edward Michaels II and David Schwartz at a 1998 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's October mixed sale in Florida. Brisnet chart

(7/17) Don Corleone scores "hit" at Finger Lakes VIEW VIDEO
Carmine Iorio's DON CORLEONE, a neighborhood favorite, commanded a lot of respect today winning the 32nd running of the $164,000 New York Derby as the Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack crowd of 4,500 cheered wildly during the stretch run and return to the winner's circle. Trained by Sal Iorio, Jr., Carmine's brother, the three-year-old bay colt was ridden perfectly by journeyman jockey Dean Frates. A field of 10-horses went to the starting gate for the 2nd leg of the OTBs' Big Apple Triple, which raced over a "fast" main track at a distance of 8-1/2-furlongs. In what was declared as the most competitive Derby ever run, Don Corleone, looking for second victory in his 7-race career, went to the track at the humble odds of 59-1. Guess the "Don" wasn't aware of the odds because he raced like a champ.
Coined for Success breaking from the three-post went to the front, as expected, with jockey Dean Frates keeping Don Corleone in close contact down the backstretch and Tomorrows Magic racing well off the rail in third-position. After a half-mile in 46.2 seconds, Don Corleone drew closer to Coined for Success, eventually moving around the early leader to take command at the three-quarter pole reached in 1:11.1 seconds. Seven Come Eleven, who raced in 7th-position in the early going, angled to the middle of the course on the far turn, losing valuable real estate and momentum as Don Corleone stole away by 5-lengths at the eighth-pole. Once straightened, Seven Come Eleven began to roll down the middle of the track gaining ground with every powerful stride as Frates feverishly implored Don Corleone to dig down deep and with one last gasp held off the determined Seven Come Eleven by a neck. Work With Me closed to gather up third-place money. The final time was 1:44.3 seconds.
A former jockey, "Longshot-Sal," as he's affectionately called by the local "punters," has trained several stakes winners who have paid telephone numbers including We'll Sea Ya, winner of the Niagara Stakes ($84) at Finger Lakes and Broadway Handicap ($62.50) at Aqueduct Racetrack. The Brothers Iorio also purchased eventual stakes winner Eyeofthecomet as a yearling for the super bargain basement price of $900! Commenting after the race, Sal stated that, "I was uncommitted to running him in the New York Derby until after the draw because I was trying to find a race for him on the grass at Belmont Park." Guess Sal found out that the grass isn't always greener.
Don Corleone was bred by Carmine Iorio, who qualifies for a $10,000 breeder's award and today's winner's purse of $98,400 boosts the colt's earnings to $137,130. By the multiple graded stakes winning two-year-old New York-bred Incurable Optimist, who stood at Highcliff Farm in Delanson, New York before shipping to South America. Incurable Optimist (Cure the Blues), bred by Joan Taylor, DVM and William Wilmot, DVM at their Stepwise Farm in Saratoga Springs, New York was voted the 1998 Two-Year-Old New York Thoroughbred Breeder's Divisional Champion, Turf Champion and Horse of the Year. Incurable Optimist's connections qualified for a $6,888 stallion owner's award for today's score. Don Corleone is the first-winner produced from multiple route-running winning Spectacular Bid mare, Twice Forbidden, who is a sister to the stakes-placed winner Fresno Home. Brisnet chart

(7/17) Then She Laughs wins for laughs by capitalizing on wicked pace
If the New York-bred distaff sprint division were less contentious -- as evidenced by the 1-2-3 finish of Empire State-breds in Belmont's six-furlong Scotzanna Stakes the day before -- Vincent Papandrea's THEN SHE LAUGHS might already be a stakes winner, and she again flashed stakes speed in Belmont's sixth race on Saturday. Race-ridden for the second time by Jose Santos and sent off the 2-to-1 second choice among seven starters in the $45,000 restricted N2X allowance for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up, the three-year-old filly capitalized on an early speed duel in which Santos declined to involve her.
Then She Laughs was part of a four-way bumping shortly after the start of the six-furlong contest, but that deterred neither her nor the four-year-old filly on her immediate outside, 6.70-to-1 fourth choice Polonia, who took off in pursuit of quick-breaking pacesetter Ormsbys Treasure, the 1.70-to-1 favorite. Ormsbys Treasure ran her opening quarter-mile in a sizzling 21.58 with Polonia at her throatlatch and Then She Laughs 3 1/2 lengths back, but after the second quarter-mile decelerated to 23.47 for a 45.05 half-mile fraction, Santos' mount was a half-length from Ormsbys Treasure, who trailed Polonia by another half-length. Continuing to rally three wide out of the turn, Then She Laughs took command and drew off to a 3 1/2-length mid-stretch lead over Ormsbys Treasure and finished with that same size margin over 16-to-1 fifth choice Gonnabeapartofit, who beat Ormsbys Treasure by a length to place second. The five-furlong fraction for Then She Laughs was 57.56, and her winning time was 1:10.81, giving jockey Santos, who was selected by the New York Thoroughbred Breeders as Jockey of the Year for 2003, his third winning ride on Belmont's Saturday card. Third choice You Promised (3.80-to-1) finished fourth and was followed by a tiring Polonia in fifth place.
For her second six-furlong allowance win of 2004, Then She Laughs increased her earnings by $27,000 to $90,740 and improved her record to 3 - 0 - 2 in nine starts for owner Papandrea. Trained during 2004 by Martin Ciresa, the filly had won an open N1X allowance at Monmouth on June 4 by 10 1/4 lengths in 1:09.34 for six furlongs and then had finished fifth -- just 2 3/4 lengths off the winner -- in Monmouth's Dearly Precious Stakes on June 27. Then She Laughs is almost always formidable on the front end, and as a two-year-old she had won first out by 3 1/4 lengths at Belmont in July of 2003.
Bred by the Edition Farm in Hyde Park of Henry and Vivien Malloy of Waccabuc, which qualified for a $2,700 breeder award, Then She Laughs is by Distorted Humor, who also has sired New York-bred graded winners Funny Cide -- whom Santos regularly rides -- and Go Rockin' Robin. The bay filly did not meet her $17,000 reserve at Fasig-Tipton's 2002 Saratoga preferred New York-bred yearling sale and was acquired privately by Papandrea. Then She Laughs is the fourth offspring and among four winners produced from multiple stakes-placed winner Dances With Quack ($102,947), by Sovereign Dancer. Edition Farm (through Vivien Malloy) had purchased Dances With Quack for $40,000 at Keeneland's 2001 January mixed sale when she was carrying Then She Laughs, who arrived two months later that year on March 13. Dances With Quack is a half-sister to Grade 3-placed winner Strike It Smart and is out of multiple stakes winner Quack Call. Brisnet chart

(7/17) Noah Jake goes gate to wire in maiden special opener
Never in front at any point in his seven previous races, Richard Bomze's homebred NOAH JAKE cruised gate to wire in Belmont's Saturday opener, a $42,000 restricted maiden special for three-year-olds and up going a one-turn mile and a sixteenth, holding on to win by a half-length. Dismissed as the 14.80-to-1 last choice among six starters in a race that was open to older horses but contested exclusively by three-year-olds, the dark bay gelding set a controlled pace under apprentice jockey Fernando Jara, who was race-riding him for the third consecutive time. Jara, whose apprentice allowance is five pounds, did a masterful job of keeping the pace moderate and saved ground throughout, putting Noah Jake's ground-devouring strides to optimal use on Belmont's wide, sweeping turn. The late-foaled (June 3, 2001) gelding -- easily the youngest runner in the race -- also spent roughly equal amounts of time on his left and right leads, not switching to his left lead until well into Belmont's big turn and then quickly going back to his right lead in the stretch. After building up a 3 1/2-length advantage at the eighth-mile pole, Noah Jake in the final furlong had sufficient reserve to hold off the threats of 2.60-to-1 second choice Seaside Salute and 8.90-to-1 fifth choice Nick the Noodge, who placed second and third, respectively. Favored Kitty Connection (1.90-to-1) finished fourth.
Trained by Keith O'Brien, who had given him an easy three-furlong Belmont workout five days earlier, Noah Jake earned $25,200 for his victory, advancing his total earnings to $34,104 and improving his record to 1 - 1 - 0 in eight starts while also qualifying owner-breeder Bomze for a $2,520 breeder award. Bomze, a Long Island sports publisher now living in Palm Beach, Florida who also bred and raced (in various partnerships) New York-bred millionaire brothers Fourstardave and Fourstars Allstar, had purchased Noah Jake's New York-bred dam, Singular Purpose, by Afleet, for $38,000 at Fasig-Tipton's 1995 Saratoga preferred yearling sale. Signing the sales slip at that auction was Joan O'Brien, mother of trainer Keith O'Brien and wife of another of Bomze's trainers, three-time New York Thoroughbred Breeders Trainer of the Year Leo O'Brien, who conditioned Fourstardave and Fourstars Allstar (see New York-bred Millionaires Club).
Sired by now-pensioned multiple Eclipse Champion Slew o' Gold, who twice won Grade 1 races at a mile and a half, Noah Jake is the second runner and second winner that Bomze has bred from Singular Purpose, being a half-brother to turf winner Luz Lane. Singular Purpose, who was a six-furlong main track winner at Aqueduct for Bomze early in her three-year-old season in 1997, is out of a winning half-sister to the dam of New York-bred multiple open stakes winner and Grade 1-placed Cadillac Women ($319,270). Brisnet chart

(7/16) Cologny captures open Scotzanna Stakes as NY-breds finish 1-2-3 VIEW VIDEO
Running her fastest six furlongs ever, Evan Gewirtz's New York-bred COLOGNY led throughout in Belmont's $61,200 Scotzanna Stakes on Friday for fillies and mares, four-year-olds and up, that had not won a graded stakes, winning in 1:09.29, with New York-breds Travelator and Beautiful America placing second and third, respectively. The three New York-bred four-year-old fillies finished within less than three lengths of each other, leaving a gap of more than four lengths back to the event's other three starters -- two of whom were graded stakes-placed on the NYRA circuit -- and earning 90 percent of the Scotzanny Stakes' total purse.
Race-ridden for the first time by jockey Michael Luzzi, Cologny went off as the 6.50-to-1 fourth choice among six starters and was the least favored of the New York-breds, but Luzzi let her open up a 2 1/2-length lead with a first quarter-mile in 22.10, as Travelator pursued. After a half-mile in 45-flat, favored Travelator (1.35-to-1) was only a half-length behind, and that margin remained to mid-stretch, where it appeared that Travelator might run down Cologny like she had in Finger Lakes' six-furlong Arctic Queen Handicap for New York-bred fillies and mares 26 days earlier. Cologny had faded to third in the Arctic Queen under the heaviest impost (121 pounds) of her career, but in the Scotzanna carrying 116 pounds, she responded to Travelator's challenge, and after setting a five-furlong fraction of 56.78 drew off to win by a length and a quarter. Closing three lengths on Travelator in the final furlong to finish a length and a half behind the favorite in third place was top-weighted (120 pounds) 3.30-to-1 second choice Beautiful America, who had been competing at longer distances and was 4 1/4 lengths ahead of the fourth-place finisher. For jockey Luzzi, it was the second consecutive winning ride of the day aboard a filly.
Cologny picked up $36,720 in purse money for her victory, becoming a multiple stakes winner as well as a winner of an open (to fillies and mares bred anywhere) stakes and boosting her total bankroll to $279,260 while improving her record to 9 - 3 - 5 in 26 starts. As recently as December, she had been a non-black-type filly racing with a $14,000 claiming tag (and winning by eight lengths), and she later was claimed by trainer Scott Lake on behalf of owner Gewirtz -- for $25,000 -- in February while scoring her third consecutive victory at Aqueduct. Cologny's Scotzanna victory also qualified Gewirtz for a $3,672 open race owner award. Since being claimed for $25,000, the bay filly has earned $143,820 in purse money plus qualified Gewirtz for an additional $14,382 in open race owner awards. Also qualifying their connections for owner, breeder, and stallion awards in the Scotzanna were New York-breds Travelator (purse earnings now $300,311) and Beautiful America (purse earnings now $474,457), with awards for all three New York-bred fillies totaling $15,973.20 in addition to their purse earnings for just that one race.
A $40,000 yearling purchase out of Keeneland's 2001 September sale -- selling one week after 9/11 -- Cologny was bred by Dr. Jerry Bilinski of Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, Martin Zaretsky of Pine Ridge Stables in Old Chatham, and Joseph Cornacchia, collectively qualifying those three for a $3,672 breeder award. Cornacchia also is one of the owners of Cologny's New York-conceived sire, 1994 Kentucky Derby winner Go for Gin ($1,380,866), a son of New York stallion Cormorant, who currently resides at Waldorf Farm as a 30-year-old pensioner.
Cologny is the seventh winner and third New York-bred winner produced from C. J.'s Sister, being a half-sister to six-figure-earning stakes winners Selective ($309,060) and Keep It S. S. (by Cormorant) and to stakes-placed winner Sister Rock plus $146,700-earning New York-bred Olympian Sister. C. J.'s Sister, a winning daughter of Slady Castle, is a full sister to Monmouth stakes winner C. J.'s Boy ($113,477) and a half-sister to stakes winner Farm Time. Dr. Bilinski acquired multiple stakes producer C. J.'s Sister when she was carrying Olympian Sister, which was her condition when she was sold for $10,000 to Jeffry Morris, agent, at Keeneland's 1995 November sale. Although all eight of Cologny's wins have been at six furlongs, her dosage profile is a relatively long-winded 5-1-7-2-3.
Cologny is the 22nd New York-bred winner of an open (to horses bred anywhere) stakes in 2004 and the sixth New York-bred open black-type winner in July. For 2004, the Scotzanna was the 23rd open stakes won by a registered New York-bred, and those 23 open stakes victories have occurred in nine U.S. states and four countries on two continents. Through July of last year, 15 New York-breds had won 16 open stakes, and for all of 2003, 20 New York-breds captured a total of 23 open stakes events. Brisnet chart

(7/16) Shady Lane eclipses foes for second consecutive time
Sixteen days after breaking her maiden by 17 lengths going a one-turn mile at Belmont under jockey Aaron Gryder, Majesty Stud's homebred SHADY LANE successfully negotiated a one-turn mile and a sixteenth in Belmont's sixth race on Friday, a $44,000 restricted N1X allowance for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up. With Gryder again on board and favored at 1.65-to-1 among seven starters, the three-year-old filly raced in hand on the outside in fourth place for a half-mile, which 8.10-to-1 co-fourth choice Cat's Roar led through before faltering, and she advanced three wide on the turn. Shady Lane was in front before reaching the stretch, where she drew clear with authority although running with her head tilted slightly right, gaining a length and a half mid-stretch lead and finishing with a 2 1/2-length advantage over 43-to-1 last choice Wheezer, who placed second. For jockey Gryder, it was the second winning ride of the day aboard a filly or mare.
The victory boosted Shady Lane's earnings by $26,400 to $53,700 while improving her record to two wins in four starts, and it also qualified her owner-breeder, Majesty Stud, LLC of Digby Barrios of Ridgefield, Connecticut, for an additional $2,640 breeder award. The chestnut filly had turned in a fourth-place effort on Belmont turf going a mile and a sixteenth on June 11 and had been off the board in her lone start as a juvenile in October at Belmont. The filly's trainer is Christophe Clement, who had given her an easy three-furlong workout on Belmont's main track four days prior to Friday's victorious outing.
Shady Lane is by Canadian champion and multiple Grade 1-winning mile and an eighth runner Peaks and Valleys and is the second multiple winner produced from Distant Dream, a Rahy mare that Arch Bloodstock had purchased for $20,000 at Keeneland's 2000 November sale when she was carrying Shady Lane. Distant Dream is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Roadways. Brisnet chart

(7/16) Sassy Again turns in cool maiden-breaking effort with shades
Wearing blinkers for the first time, Yvonne Turchiarelli's homebred SASSY AGAIN rallied from sixth place in Belmont's ninth race nightcap, a $42,000 restricted maiden special for fillies and mares going a one-turn mile and a sixteenth, drawing away to win by five lengths under apprentice jockey Jose Lezcano. Fifteen days earlier, she had shown little response going that same Belmont distance with Lezcano -- who rides with a five-pound allowance -- aboard for the first time, but in Friday's nightcap, for which she was the 6.20-to-1 fourth choice among nine starters, Sassy Again sprang to life after a half-mile. Advancing three wide approaching the stretch, the three-year-old filly gained a length and a half advantage at the eighth-mile pole that she more than tripled in the final furlong, switching back to her left lead in the final strides but looking capable of running much longer. Favored Contenders Emotion (2.40-to-1), who had been significantly ahead of Sassy Again for most of the contest, placed second, with 3.30-to-1 second choice Secret Troika coming in third in a race that was open to older fillies and mares but was contested exclusively by three-year-old fillies.
For her second on-the-board finish in 10 starts, Sassy Again advanced her earnings by $25,200 to $27,343 with a record of 1 - 0 - 1, and she also qualified her owner and breeder, Turchiarelli of Highland Farm in Montgomery, for a total of $6,804 in breeder ($5,040) and stallion ($1,764) awards. Friday's nightcap was Sassy Again's second start under the care of trainer Edward Barker, who had named Lezcano to ride the filly for the first time in her July 1 outing and had outfitted the chestnut New York-bred with blinkers for her first victory. Sassy Again's three latest previous races had been against open maiden claiming competition at Aqueduct and Belmont.
Sassy Again is by Anthony and Yvonne Turchiarelli's stallion Preacherman (Deputy Minister - Corsage, by Native Royalty), a six-figure-earner who stands at the Turchiarellis' Highland Farm for a 2004 fee of $2,000, live foal, qualifying the Turchiarellis for the $1,764 stallion award in addition to the breeder award. Sassy Again is the first offspring produced from Once Again, a juvenile-winning daughter of Cryptoclearance and a half-sister to stakes-placed winner Gumbo. A Hypo-Mating check of the filly's pedigree reveals that she is distantly inbred (4 x 5) to Raise a Native. Brisnet chart

(7/16) Chanceux Vous charges up for close maiden special victory
Given Lasix medication for the first time after having placed a green-running third in his debut at Belmont two weeks earlier, two-year-old CHANCEUX VOUS rallied four wide on the turn in Belmont's third race on Friday, a $41,000 restricted maiden special for juveniles, getting up to win by a nose. Again ridden by apprentice jockey Fernando Jara, whose allowance is five pounds, but somewhat overlooked as the 7.40-to-1 fifth choice among seven starters, the dark bay colt broke towards the back and was fifth after three-sixteenths of a mile in the five-furlong contest. He rallied four wide on the turn before charging up near the middle of the track to catch front-runner Poker Joe, the 4.70-to-1 third choice, in his final stride, clocking a time of 59.65, with 5.30-to-1 fourth choice Urban Conquest finishing three-quarters of a length back in third. One of the colts that had beaten Chanceux Vous by a length and a quarter while placing second in the July 2 Belmont five-furlong debut for both two-year-olds, 3.70-to-1 second choice Wonforjodi, finished fifth after contesting the early lead, and favored first-time starter Yankee Magic (1.20-to-1), finished fourth.
Owned by Our Canterbury Stables, which was founded by Thomas Daly of New Fairfield, Connecticut to specialize in strategic partnerships and racing ventures for equine enthusiasts seeking affordable and dependable racehorse ownership, and by Carey Lejeune, Chanceux Vous campaigns under the care of trainer Gary Contessa. His victory was worth $24,600 in purse money, bumping the total official bankroll of Chanceux Vous to $28,700 in two starts, which is 3 1/2 times the $8,200 that Kenneth Lejeune had paid to purchase the New York-bred at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's 2003 September yearling sale in Timonium, Maryland. The victory also collectively qualified the breeders of Chanceux Vous, Michael and Debra Lischin's Dutchess Views Farm Inc., of Pine Plains plus Ray and Carol Swenson of Lake Grove, for a $4,920 breeder award.
Chanceux Vous is by Grade 2 winner Gone for Real (Gone West - Intently, by Drone), who stands at Metropolitan Stud in Pine Plains -- which the Lischins manage -- for a 2004 fee that was $2,500, live foal, and Friday's victory qualified Gone for Real's syndicate connections for a $1,722 stallion award. The dam of Chanceux Vous, four-time winner Flying Oxshun, by Iskandar Elakbar (by Vice Regent), also has produced a previous New York-bred juvenile winner bred by Dutchess Views Farm, the filly Flying Tornado. Flying Oxshun is a half-sister to stakes winners Volterra ($453,859), Ennisbeg ($166,970), and Wolark ($122,773) and to the winning dams of five more six-figure earners. A Hypo-Mating check of the pedigree of Chanceux Vous reveals that his sire, Gone for Real, is inbred 4 x 4 to Somethingroyal, whose four stakes-winning offspring included major winners and sires Secretariat and Sir Gaylord. Brisnet chart

(7/15) Fleet Indian takes Belmont feature for 4th-consecutive victory
New York-bred FLEET INDIAN, racing against open company for the first time, gamely held on to the lead in deep stretch to capture her fourth-consecutive race, today, at beautiful Belmont Park. Facing NW-1X other than Maiden, Claiming, Starter or Restricted company allowance fillies and mares, Fleet Indian broke from the 5-post position in the 6-horse field, which raced around one-turn at 8-1/2-furlongs over a "fast" main track. Trainer James Toner named journeyman jockey Edgar Prado to ride the undefeated three-year-old dark bay filly.
Fleet Indian led the field onto the main track from the chute and under Prado's perfect handling reached the half-mile pole in a soft 47.3 seconds. Un-pressured to the three-quarters pole Fleet Indian turned for home with plenty in reserve as Mambo Bell began to put in her run almost drawing even by the eighth-pole. Fleet Indian was up to the challenge and dug-in to fend off Mambo Bell's bid and held to the wire to win by a half-length. Mambo Bell finished 6-1/2-lengths in front of Oh Pine. Final time was 1:44.3 seconds.
Today's winner's purse of $27,000 boosts Fleet Indian's earnings over the century-mark to $105,500. Purchased at the 2003 March OBS two-year-old in-training sales for $230,000, the talented filly was bred by the partnership of Becky Thomas and Lewis and Brenda Lakin, who together qualified for a $2,700 breeder award. Fleet Indian is by Indian Charlie, and is the third foal out of the 100% producing Afleet mare, Hustleeta, a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Cherokee Wonder. The Thomas/Lakin partnership own Lakland Farm in Hudson, New York. Stan Fulton, who owns Fleet Indian, qualified for an open owner's award of $2,700. Brisnet chart

(7/15) Dixie Can Can captures turf allowance
Phyllis Kruger's and Jerry Kil's DIXIE CAN CAN, making her fifth-career start and first over the turf, won her first race of the 2004 defeating a field state-bred fillies and mares in a NW-1X condition allowance race, today, at beautiful Belmont Park. The one-mile race was run over the Widener turf couse, listed "yielding" and had a field of 9-horses go postward. Previously trained by Finger Lakes horseman Jonathan Buckley, Dixie Can Can was saddled for the first time by Belmont-based trainer Lisa Lewis and was ridden to victory by journeyman jockey Shaun Bridgmohan.
Dixie Can Can broke to the front before being taken in hand to let Bo Bo's Hunter take the lead to the quarter-pole. Dixie Can Can moved to engage the leader as they reached the half-mile together in a slow 49.3 seconds. As the field came off the far turn, Dixie Can Can emerged with the lead as Miss D Flawless, El Prado's Gal and Urbane Hustle began their menacing moves. Under strong urging, Dixie Can Can drove to the wire and held off a determined Urbane Hustle by a diminishing neck with El Prado's Gal another length back in third. Final time was 1:39.2 seconds.
Bred by Andrew Kruger, who qualified for a breeder's award of $5,280, Dixie Can Can is by the late New York-based stallion Dixie Brass, out of the hard-hitting Secret Prince mare, Patsy McCann Can, who won 10 races in a 42-race career, earning $143,472. The four-year-old bay filly is a sister to last year's Hudson Handicap winner, One N Three, winner of $233,010 in 14-races. The Hudson Handicap is one of seven-stakes races run on New York Showcase Day at Belmont Park. Mr. Mike Watral, owner of the late Dixie Brass qualified for a stallion owner's award of $1,848. Brisnet chart

(7/15) Irish Voyage has safe journey to break maiden
IRISH VOYAGE, making his third-career start and first without blinkers, defeated a field of state-bred maidens today at beautiful Belmont Park. The six-furlong race was run over the main track, listed "fast" and had a field of 8-horses go to the starting gate. Trainer John De Stefano named journeyman jockey Mike Luzzi to ride the three-year-old bay gelding, who broke from the 3-post position.
Storm Boot Gold took the early lead with Irish Voyage applying pressure along the rail. After a half-mile in 46.3, Irish Voyage began to challenge for the lead and took command at the top of the stretch as race-time favorite Positive Gold began to make his move. Responding willingly when asked, Irish Voyage drove to the wire to win by almost 3-lengths and stopped the timer in 1:13 seconds flat. Storm Boot Bold held off Positive Gold for second-money.
Owned by the partnership of Double S Stable and Jay Cee Jay Stable, Irish Voyage was bred by T. Eileen Munyak, who qualified for a $2,460 breeder award. By the Irish stallion Bugatti Reef, Irish Voyage is out of the Sauce Boat mare, Saucy Voyage, who produced multiple-stakes-placed allowance winner H.M.S. Jackson (Pappa Riccio), who earned $242,685 in 32-races. Brisnet chart

(7/15) Schiloh in hard-fought maiden score
SCHILOH, who finished first on June 18th against open company 2-year-old maidens only to be disqualified after repeatedly bumping with the second-place horse, finished first again, today, but had to wait on outcome of a prolonged stewards' review of the stretch run. The ruling, much to the delight of Schiloh's owner Doris Anderson Rabon went in his favor and he was officially declared the winner while racing for the first time against state-breds. The 5-1/2-furlong race was run over Belmont Park's main track and had a field of 7-horses go to the starting gate. Trainer Robert Helmetag named apprentice jockey Fernando Jara, who qualifies for a 5lb weight allowance, to ride the dark bay colt.
Dr. Quirk, making his first lifetime start, and Schiloh hooked up soon after the break and battled head-to-head into and around the far turn and to the top of the stretch reaching the half-mile pole in 47.2 seconds. As they battled through the stretch, the "green" two-year-olds began to bump each other and continued to bump to the finish line with Schiloh forging to the front in the final few strides to win by a half-length. Another first time starter R B's Lewis finished third. Final time was 1:06.4 seconds.
Bred by Ms. Rabon's father, Herbert Anderson, who qualified for a $2,460 breeder award, Schiloh is by Go West, out of Tanner, by Financial Matter. Schiloh is the second foal out of the dam, who's a sister to stakes winner Financial Diplomat. Go West stood at Pondview Farm for the 2002 and 2003 seasons. Brisnet chart

(7/15) Bold Decision breaks maiden in first attempt
Buckram Oak Farm's BOLD DECISION, from the second New York crop of Precise End, gamely broke his maiden, today, in Belmont Park's finale. A field of 8-state-breds went to the gate for the 5-1/2-furlong race, which was run over a "fast" main track. Trainer Laurie Lafavers named journeyman jockey Jose Santos to ride the chestnut colt, who was making his first lifetime start.
Five horses, Coalition Lad, Diablo Mio, Nimble Wit, Doctor Attitude and Bold Decision on the far outside, vied for the lead reaching the quarter-pole, together, in 23-seconds flat. Bold Decision moving four-wide around the last turn took the lead as the field turned for home and soon after switching lead drew clear to win by 1-1/2-lengths over Nimble Wit, with Coalition Lad up for third-money. Final time was 1:06.2 seconds.
Bred by Richard Simon's Sez Who Thoroughbreds, who qualified for a $4,920 breeder award, Bold Decision is out of the Houston mare, Houston Tune, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Parisian Flight (Concorde Bound), who earned $535,833; and to Concordes Tune (Concorde Bound), who earned $242,585. Bold Decision was sold at this year's February OBS two-year-old in-training sales for $110,000. Brisnet chart | Hypo-Mating

(7/14) Ten entered for 32nd New York Derby ($150,000-added) on July 17
Headed by Steven Peskoff's June 6 winner of Delaware Park's open mile and a sixteenth Nick Shuk Memorial Stakes, COINED FOR SUCCESS, 10 New York-bred three-year-olds have been entered in Finger Lakes' $150,000-added New York Derby at a mile and a sixteenth on Saturday, July 17. Five others entered in the 32nd running of Finger Lakes' showcase event also have hit the board in stakes in 2004, including Blue Sky Farm's and Albert Hanley's HOUSE KEY, winner of Finger Lakes' six-furlong Ontario County Handicap in his last start on June 20.
The New York Derby is the second event in the OTBs' Big Apple Triple series for New York-bred three-year-olds, which offers a $250,000 bonus for sweeping the series, consisting of Belmont's seven-furlong Mike Lee Stakes June 26, the New York Derby, and Saratoga's $150,000-added Albany Stakes on August 25. No horse has ever won all three events, and the winner of this year's $113,900 Mike Lee, James McIngvale's Multiplication, died from an apparent heart attack after returning from a six-furlong workout at Belmont on Saturday, July 10.
The Mike Lee runner-up, Michael Gorham's homebred WORK WITH ME, also has been entered in the New York Derby and is expected to pose a serious threat, since he had been closing ground on Multiplication and finished only a half-length off the winner, who covered the seven-furlong distance in 1:22.56. Coined for Success, three of whose four previous wins have been scored at a mile or longer, was unplaced in the Mike Lee but figures to be more in his element going a two-turn mile and a sixteenth. Finishing third in the Mike Lee -- only a neck behind Work With Me -- was Mrs. Einar Paul Robsham's SWINGING GHOST, who seems to be improving as the distances stretch out and is among those entered in the New York Derby.
Owner-breeder-trainer Scott Schwartz's homebred PAY ATTENTION, who just missed by a nose while placing second in Aqueduct's $150,000 New York Stallion Times Square Stakes at a one-turn mile on April 25 despite being bumped shortly after the start, also has been entered in the New York Derby. The colt that finished third to Pay Attention in the Times Square, Inniscarra Stable Inc.'s CHOWDER'S FIRST, is another expected starter in the New York Derby.
Others entered in the New York Derby are Carmine Iorio's homebred DON CORLEONE, Donald and Roberta Mary Zuckerman's homebred TOMORROWS MAGIC, Estrorace Stable's SEVEN COME ELEVEN, and Blue Streak Stable's STEVIE STRESSOR.
Expected post time for the New York Derby on Saturday is 4:01 p.m., EST.

Post positions, weight assignments, jockeys named, and trainers, are as follows:
1) Chowder's First, 117, ridden by Rodney Soodeen, trained by Philip Serpe;
2) Pay Attention, 119, ridden by Parker Buckley, trained by Scott Schwartz;
3) Coined for Success, 124, ridden by John Grabowski, trained by Del Carroll II;
4) Swinging Ghost, 117, ridden by John Davila Jr., trained by Stanley Hough;
5) Don Corleone, 115, no rider named, trained by Sal Iorio Jr.;
6) Tomorrows Magic, 117, no rider named, trained by Todd Pletcher;
7) House Key, 119, ridden by John Davila Jr., trained by Craig Cox;
8) Seven Come Eleven, 115, ridden by Greta Kuntzweiler, trained by Michael Maker;
9) Work With Me, 115, ridden by Ricardo Valdes, trained by Michael Gorham;
10) Stevie Stressor, 117, ridden by Pedro Rodriguez, trained by Edward Allard.

Please click here for New York Derby entries (PDF - Courtesy Daily Racing Form)

(7/14) Will's Journey romps in state-bred allowance
Rudlein Stable's WILL'S JOURNEY, away from the races for three-months, returned with a vengeance today against NW-2X state-bred allowance horses. The lightly raced four-year old chestnut colt was making only his fifth-career start but has made each one count winning three-times and hitting the board (1-2-3) with each effort. Trained four-time New York Thoroughbred Breeders Trainer of the Year H. James Bond, who named apprentice jockey Fernando Jara to ride, Will's Journey was tuned up at Bond's Saratoga training operation for today's race, working twice over the deep Oklahoma training track. The race was run around one-turn at a distance of 8-1/2-furlongs over the main track, listed "good" and had a field of 7-horses go to the starting gate.
Yourstocommand and Casper Peterson battled head-to-head to the first quarter with Bubba Sparks in close contact while in the three-path. As the field raced to the half-mile pole, Yourstocommand drew clear as Will's Journey began to move strongly along the rail and Bubba Sparks choosing to take an outside route. After a three-quarters in 1:10.4 seconds, Will's Journey moved to the front and while under a drive began to draw off with every powerful stride, winning by 11-1/2-lengths under the wire. Yourstocommand finished second and Bubba Sparks held for third-money. Final time was a quick 1:42.1 seconds.
Will's Journey boosted his earnings by $27,600 to $91,100 for the Rudlein Stable of Donald and Anne Rudder of Avon, Connecticut, who also qualified for a $2,760 breeder award. Will's Journey was sired by multiple NYRA Grade 1 winner Will's Way, and is the first offspring produced from Rudlein Stable's homebred Aqueduct inner track allowance winner, Holly Creek, whom Bond also trained. Holly Creek, by Crafty Prospector, won on both Aqueduct's inner and outer main tracks and is a full sister to Rudlein Stable's multiple stakes-placed winner Freeze the Gold -- another filly trained by Bond. Brisnet chart

(7/14) Panina rolls in maiden score
Patrick Leuci's PANINA, making her fifth-career start and first under journeyman jockey Raul Rojas, defeated a field of state-bred maiden fillies and mares in today's Belmont Park finale. Switched from the turf to the main track, listed "good", the race was run around one-turn at nine-furlongs and had a field for 7-fillies and mares go to the starting gate. Trained by Patrick Reynolds, the three-year-old bay filly went to the post at odds of 23-1.
Rojas hustled Panina to the front and led the field onto the main track from the chute with H. R. Boss Lady tracking in second and Dr Boo Boo Better in third-position. After a half-mile in 48.2 seconds, Panina continued on top as Dr Boo Boo Better moved into second in close striking distance, but Panina let out a notch at the top of the stretch, opening up through the stretch run and rolled under the wire a six-length winner. Warmest Regards closed strongly to finish second and Dr Boo Boo Better held for third. Final time was 1:54.2 seconds.
Bred by Ted Shapiro, who qualified for a breeder award of $2,520, Panina is by Sultry Song, and is the first foal out of the un-raced Fortunate Prospect mare, Explosive Prospect, a half-sister to stakes-placed allowance winner Me's Explosive (Gallapiat). Brisnet chart

Hanselina winning the Park Avenue Division of the New York Stallion Stakes in 2003.

(7/11) Hanselina becomes 20th NY-bred 2004 open SW VIEW VIDEO
In her first start for new owner Ross McLeod, New York-bred HANSELINA rallied to run down favored Canadian graded winner Dancewithavixen (1.50-to-1) in the final furlong of Hastings Park's black-type Senate Appointee Handicap for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up, winning by a length on Sunday, July 11. Sent off in the three-turn mile and an eighth event as the 1.65-to-1 second choice among seven starters with jockey Pedro Alvarado race-riding her for the first time, the four-year-old filly closely tracked front-running Dancewithavixen from the two path before advancing three wide down the backstretch the second time. She gained the lead on the final turn, but Dancewithavixen re-took the advantage turning for home, and the New York-bred had to come again to secure the victory over the 10-time stakes winner and popular four-year-old British Columbia campaigner, whose earnings climbed to $462,607. Dead heating for second with Dancewithavixen was 8.60-to-1 fourth choice Defrere's Image, a five-year-old getting weight concessions from both Hanselina and Dancewithavixen, as Hanselina scored her second career stakes victory about 2,400 miles away from where she had registered her first stakes tally in April of 2003 at Aqueduct. Her victory provided jockey Alvarado with his second winning ride of the day at the western Canadian track, which is located near Vancouver.
Three weeks earlier, Hanselina had made her final start for her breeder, Peter Mariano, finishing unplaced in her second unsuccessful turf attempt in Belmont's restricted $84,600 Mount Vernon Handicap, but two weeks prior to that she had beaten open N2X allowance foes going a one-turn main track Belmont mile. Now trained by Steve Bryant, the dark bay filly boosted her earnings to $309,449 for her Senate Appointee victory, improving her record to 5 - 5 - 2 in 16 starts and achieving the somewhat unique distinction of being a stakes winner on both coasts. In April of 2003, Hanselina had won Aqueduct's $150,000 New York Stallion Park Avenue Stakes by a length and a half going a one-turn mile, and she had placed second in Aqueduct's $125,000 New York Stallion Fifth Avenue Stakes at six furlongs in her second start as a 2002 juvenile.
Hanselina is the 20th New York-bred winner of an open (to horses bred anywhere) stakes in 2004, which equals the total number of New York-bred open stakes winners for all of 2003. The Senate Appointee Handicap was the 21st open stakes of 2004 won by a New York-bred, and those 21 open stakes victories have occurred in nine U.S. states and three countries on two continents. Through July of last year, 15 New York-breds had won 16 open stakes.
An unusually late foal (June 2, 2000), Hanselina 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 Belmont winner Hanselette and a half-sister to Aqueduct inner track allowance winner Talented Belle. 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.
The sire of Hanselina is 1991 Eclipse Champion Three-Year-Old Male Hansel, who now stands in Japan. 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 and also has sired New York-bred Quantum Merit ($519,525), turf winner of Churchill Downs' one-mile Grade 2 Firecracker Breeders' Cup Handicap on July 3. Brisnet chart

Rhythmic Motion (on inside) noses out Emotrin (#2)

(7/11) Sugar Punch gets another sweet win at Belmont
Fifteen days after breaking her maiden by six lengths going six furlongs in the mud at Belmont, three-year-old SUGAR PUNCH returned to the Big Sandy to tally by 4 3/4 lengths going seven furlongs in Sunday's second race, a $43,000 restricted N2X allowance for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up. Again ridden by Edgar Prado and odds-on (.75-to-1) among seven starters, the fleet filly was under wraps early while pressing the pace of four-year-old Royal Mast, the 6.20-to-1 third choice, but was allowed to take command on the turn and pulled away under a hand ride thereafter. Her fractions over the fast track were 45.94 and 1:09.97, after which Prado let her cruise to the finish under mild intermittent urging to clock a winning time of 1:24.02, with Royal Mast continuing on to place second.
The victory boosted Sugar Punch's earnings by $25,800 to $58,600 in three starts, with her two wins both coming for Michael Iavarone's IEAH Stables, New York Yankees manager Joe Torre, Steven Speranza, and Robert Petronella. Conditioned by New York Thoroughbred Breeders 2002 Trainer of the Year Richard Dutrow Jr., who had given her a three-furlong "bullet" workout of 36 2/5 at Aqueduct just two days earlier, the bay filly had placed second last December at Aqueduct in her only outing as a juvenile. Dutrow had trained the winner of that contest, and when Sugar Punch returned to competition under new ownership to win as a three-year-old at Belmont on June 26 following a 6 1/2-month layoff, she was in Dutrow's stable. Her Sunday victory also qualified her breeder, D'Arrigo & Lynch Racing, LLC, based in Vineland, New Jersey, for a $2,580 breeder award.
Sired by former graded juvenile winner K. O. Punch (by Two Punch), Sugar Punch is the second offspring and second multiple winner produced from Wading Maggie, a Magesterial (by Northern Dancer) mare who won both sprinting and routing. Considering that Sugar Punch obviously looks like a potential stakes filly, 11-year-old Wading Maggie -- who is a half-sister to multiple stakes winners Wading L'Enjoleur ($196,448) and Thanks to Randy ($195,767) -- could appreciate significantly in value in the coming months. Connie Nesteruk purchased that mare for $4,600 as an eight-year-old at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's December 2001 mixed sale in Timonium, Maryland when she was carrying a colt by New York stallion Personal Flag. See Brisnet.com chart

(7/11) Ryan Is Flying soars on Belmont lawn for first grass win
Although no better than fifth in four previous turf efforts, Teresa Maher's homebred RYAN IS FLYING looked right at home on grass in Belmont's nightcap ninth race on Sunday, a $44,000 restricted N1X allowance for three-year-olds and up going a mile and an eighth, winning by a length and three-quarters. Race-ridden for the first time by Diane Nelson, the four-year-old gelding broke from the inside post position as the 6.20-to-1 third choice among nine starters and raced close behind pacesetter I Wish I Slew, the 40.70-to-1 ninth choice, through three-quarters of a mile while saving ground throughout. Nelson angled him out towards the middle of the course in the stretch, where Ryan Is Flying switched to his right lead late and took off, collaring the new leader, 2.50-to-1 second choice Deelites Gold, inside the final furlong after the latter had set a mile fraction of 1:36.72. Nearing the wire, Nelson's mount switched back to his left lead but appeared to be well within his comfort zone, winning in the excellent time of 1:48.92. Deelites Gold, who as a three-year-old was carrying four pounds less than Ryan Is Flying, placed second.
Ryan Is Flying's first on-the-board turf performance increased his earnings by $26,400 to $75,096 while improving his record to 2 - 1 - 1 in 14 starts, and it also qualified owner-breeder Maher for an additional $5,280 breeder award. Conditioned by three-time New York Thoroughbred Breeders Trainer of the Year Leo O'Brien, the bay gelding had broken his maiden by 2 1/2 lengths going a mile and an eighth on Aqueduct's main track last October, but master turf trainer O'Brien obviously surmised that Maher's homebred was ready for grass. O'Brien also had trained Ryan Is Flying's New York-bred multiple stakes-winning dam, Tiffany's Taylor ($581,862), for owner Maher.
Ryan Is Flying is by deceased New York stallion Dixie Brass, qualifying Dixie Brass's former owner, fire-fighting veteran and excavating business owner Michael Watral of Central Islip, Long Island, for a $1,848 stallion award. Jockey Nelson is a regular rider on Watral's homebred runners in New York and has extensive familiarity with the progeny of Dixie Brass. Ryan Is Flying is the first offspring produced from Tiffany's Taylor, who beat New York-bred males in Saratoga's 1995 West Point Handicap at a mile and an eighth on turf while equaling Fourstardave's still-standing stakes record of 1:46 and won Belmont's Mt. Vernon Handicap on grass by six lengths. Tiffany's Taylor, who is by the Alydar stallion Titanic, compiled a record of 13 - 15 - 6 in 67 starts, winning nine races on turf and four on dirt and placing in eight other stakes contests, including Grade 2 events at Aqueduct and Saratoga and a Grade 3 race at Belmont. See Brisnet.com chart

(7/11) How Long scores long-margin maiden special victory
Given Lasix medication and a couple of moderate Belmont half-mile workouts following his green-running unplaced Belmont debut three weeks earlier, Ruby Rose Stable's three-year-old HOW LONG rallied to win by 6 1/2 lengths in Belmont's Sunday opener, a $41,000 restricted maiden special for three-year-olds and up going seven furlongs. Again ridden by jockey John Velazquez and favored at 2.20-to-1 among nine starters, the bay colt raced close up on the outside before exploding to a quick daylight-margin lead while swinging three wide out of the turn. He was six lengths in front at mid-stretch off a six-furlong fraction of 1:11.90 and reached the finish still pulling away in 1:24.80. The only four-year-old in the contest, 5.50-to-1 fourth choice Command Center, was placed second by the stewards after finishing third, and the second-place finisher, 21.10-to-1 eighth choice Reign's World, was disqualified from second and dropped to third for causing interference in the late stretch. For jockey Velazquez, the New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) 2002 Jockey of the Year, it was the first of five winning rides on Belmont's Sunday card -- two of them aboard New York-breds.
Owned by Michael Lynch's Ruby Rose Stable, How Long races under the care of Patrick Kelly, who was selected NYTB Trainer of the Year for 1986. After the colt's ninth-place finish among 11 in his six-furlong debut at Belmont on June 20, when he had never gotten untracked following an awkward start, Kelly had given him two undemanding workouts on Belmont's main track, but one of those drills -- on July 1 -- had been from the gate. Sunday's victory was worth $24,600 in purse money, putting How Long's total earnings in two starts at $24,737, and it also qualified the colt's breeder, the Monhill Farm, LLC of Bernardo Mongil III of Millbrook, for a $2,460 breeder award.
How Long is by deceased Jules, a graded-winning son of Forty Niner whose stakes winners include recent Grade 1 Suburban Handicap winner Peace Rules, and he is the second winner produced from Puerto Rican stakes-placed 12-time winner Obsession for Gold ($145,094), by Imperial Fling (by Northern Dancer). How Long is a half-brother to New York-bred open stakes-placed winning filly Manny's Gold Maker, whom Monhill Farm also bred. Manny's Gold Maker won her debut as a two-year-old at Saratoga in 2002. See Brisnet.com chart

(7/10) Tomorrows Banquet is handy winner in opener
A winner against open company and twice stakes-placed, Donald and Roberta Mary Zuckerman's homebred TOMORROWS BANQUET had earned significantly more than any of the other five starters in Belmont's Saturday opener, a $44,000 restricted N1X allowance for three-year-olds and up going a one-turn mile and a sixteenth -- and it showed. With jockey Pablo Fragoso on board for the second time and heavily backed down to .40-to-1, the four-year-old gelding raced in hand behind all of his tightly-packed competitors through the first quarter-mile down the backstretch before rallying three wide on the latter part of the turn. He found a seam rounding into the stretch and pulled even with the front-runner for most of the contest, 18.80-to-1 sixth choice Mike's Greenfields, and then drew clear to win by three lengths. Mike's Greenfields, who had been noticeably fidgety in the starting gate before the break but had run well enough to set fractions of 46.82 and 1:11.74, continued on to place second.
Tomorrows Banquet's second win under Fragoso -- following a 5 1/2-length tally going a one-turn mile in open Aqueduct company with a $25,000 claiming price three starts earlier on April 7 -- increased his earnings by $26,400 to $167,916 while improving his record to 3 - 5 - 4 in 18 starts. It also qualified his owner-breeders, the Zuckermans of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who had bred the gelding in their own names "As Tenants by the Entireties", for a $5,280 breeder award. Trained by Mark Hennig, Tomorrows Banquet had won first-out by 2 1/4 lengths as a two-year-old at Belmont in July of 2002 and in his next two starts had placed third and second, respectively, in Finger Lakes' Aspirant Stakes and New York Breeders' Futurity. Following seven winless though money-earning outings in restricted N1X Aqueduct allowance company as a three-year-old and four-year-old -- in addition to a fifth-place effort in Aqueduct's 2003 New York Stallion Times Square Stakes -- Hennig had dropped the bay gelding in for the $25,000 tag and the decisive victory. In that contest, jockey Fragoso was still an apprentice rider with a five-pound allowance. Tomorrows Banquet had returned to restricted N1X allowance competition at Belmont in May and June obviously improved, placing a strong third and then second, after which Hennig had given him a moderate half-mile workout at Belmont on June 25 and then saddled him for Saturday's victory 15 days later.
Among at least 54 winners sired by Tomorrows Cat (Storm Cat - Tomorrow's Gold, by Al Nasr), Tomorrows Banquet also is one of five six-figure earners representing that syndicated New York-based stallion's first two crops -- the others including 2004 New York-bred stakes winner West Virginia ($268,100). Tomorrows Banquet's victory boosted the lifetime progeny earnings for Tomorrows Cat, who stands at Metropolitan Stud (managed by Michael and Debra Lischin) in Pine Plains, to more than $2.5-million, and it collectively qualified the stallion's syndicate connections for a $1,848 stallion award. Tomorrows Cat's 2004 stud fee was $7,500, live foal.
Tomorrows Banquet is the third starter and third winner produced from New York-bred multiple winner Essen 'n Fressen, who is by pensioned New York stallion Dr. Blum and is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and former New York stallion Launch a Pegasus ($328,353). Tomorrows Banquet has twice been reported as sold at auctions in Kentucky -- at Keeneland's 2000 November sale as a weanling for $65,000 and at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky's 2001 July select sale as a yearling for $64,000 -- but he has remained the property of his breeders, the Zuckermans. The Fort Lauderdale couple had purchased the winning dam of Tomorrows Banquet, Essen 'n Fressen, for $59,000 at Keeneland's 1999 January mixed sale just after the mare had turned 10 years old. A Hypo-Mating check of Tomorrows Banquet's pedigree reveals that he is distantly inbred (5 x 5) to Bold Ruler and Somethingroyal -- sire and dam of Secretariat -- through Secretariat himself, Sir Gaylord (Secretariat's brilliant champion-siring half-brother), and Bold Matron (daughter of Bold Ruler and maternal granddam of Dr. Blum). See Brisnet.com chart

(7/10) Andriana overcomes bad start to break maiden by 2 1/4
Although stumbling from the inside post with the worst start in the field, Peter Kazamias' three-year-old ANDRIANA recovered sufficiently to be the closest pursuer of front-running Ann's Quality going down the backstretch of Belmont's ninth race Saturday nightcap, a $41,000 restricted maiden special for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up. She came wide into the stretch of the seven-furlong contest, advancing within a quarter-mile span from second to first by 3 1/2 lengths, and she reached the wire with a 2 1/4-length margin over the second-place finisher, 4.20-to-1 fourth choice Hope's Diamond. Eighth choice Joni's Rose (29.25-to-1) -- who, like Hope's Diamond, is a four-year-old veteran of previous seven-furlong competition -- finished third. For Andriana, sent off the 3.65-to-1 third choice among 10 starters, it was her first race under apprentice jockey Jose Lezcano, who rides with a five-pound allowance, and her first effort at a distance other than six furlongs in four starts, boosting her earnings by $24,600 to $27,880.
Trained by her owner, Andriana had finished unplaced in her two-year-old debut at Aqueduct last November under another trainer's supervision and had returned to competition on April 16 after five months off with a fifth-place effort at Aqueduct. Forty-seven days later in her next start on June 9, she had shown noticeable improvement although tiring while finishing fourth among 10 at Belmont, and in the one-month interval between that outing and Saturday's nightcap, owner-trainer Kazamias had given the dark bay filly two moderate workouts. Andriana had never been in front in any of her three previous efforts but looked comfortable in that position on Saturday.
Bred by NAC Distributors, Inc. of Norwood, New Jersey, which qualified for a $2,460 breeder award, Andriana is by the Maryland-based Danzig stallion, Outflanker, and is the third winner produced from High Heeled Shoes, who is by Private Terms and is a half-sister to stakes winner Howlin Wolf ($307,899). Andriana's maternal granddam (second dam) is three-time stakes winner and multiple track record-setting sprinter Milkshake ($105,340). See Brisnet.com chart

(7/9) The Lamp is Lit wins second consecutive turf allowance
Albert Fried, Jr.'s homebred, THE LAMP IS LIT, put in an impressive performance today to win her second-consecutive state-bred turf allowance at beautiful Belmont Park. The three-year-old chestnut filly finished second by a neck in her initial turf race and the won last time out on June 12th. Trainer Richard Schosberg blew the filly out on two occasions since her last start and the filly was sharp as a tack for today's NW-2X fillies and mares allowance race. Run at nine-furlongs over the inner turf course, Schosberg, once again, named journeyman jockey Javier Castellano to ride. A field of 7-state-bred fillies and mares went to the starting gate.
Withorwithoutyou went to the front tracked closely by Little Buttercup on the outside and The Lamp is Lit, who raced on the inside. Withorwithoutyou led the field into the last turn but was under pressure from Little Buttercup at the three-quarter pole reached in 1:13.4 seconds. The Lamp is Lit angled off the rail at the top of the stretch as Little Buttercup took a short-lived lead as Castellano set the talented filly down for the drive, who responded with a quick burst to take the lead and won while under a hand ride by a neck. Little Buttercup finished a game second and Gebb's Dixie closed to be third. Final time was 1:49.4 seconds.
The victory boosted the earnings above the century mark at $106,450 and improved her record to 3 - 3 - 0 in seven-starts, and it also qualified her owner-breeder, investment banker Albert Fried Jr. of Buttonwood Farm in Rhinebeck, for an additional $2,760 breeder award. Mr. Fried, recipient in 2003 of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) award as outstanding New York breeder, bred The Lamp Is Lit as the eighth starter and eighth winner produced from Arabic, a Nijinsky II mare that he had purchased for $37,000 at Keeneland's 1991 November sale. At the time of that purchase, Arabic was carrying future New York-bred turf stakes winner Lamplight ($110,010), by now-deceased New York stallion Spectacular Bid. Subsequent New York-bred winners produced from Arabic -- all half-siblings to The Lamp Is Lit -- include turf winner and stakes-placed Light the Lamp and seven-time turf winner Heavens East ($215,493). The Lamp Is Lit's sire, the Mr. Prospector stallion Miswaki, was a Group 1 winner on turf in France. Her dam, Arabic, is a half-sister to stakes winners Anchor ($257,240) and Asia ($205,900) and to multiple Grade 1-placed winner Kelly ($253,671). See Brisnet.com chart

(7/9) Fiddlers Cat streaks to victory over Belmont turf course
Fiddlers Green Stable's homebred, FIDDLERS CAT, making his third-career start and first over the turf, broke his maiden against state-bred maidens today in a virtual one-turn mile affair run over Belmont Park's Widener turf course. Fiddlers Cat had sprinted in his previous two races, finishing second in his last effort after racing near the back of the 12-horse field throughout, prompting trainer Gary Contessa to stretch the three-year-old chestnut colt out to a mile and named Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey to ride. A field of 10-horses went to the starting gate.
Creative Dance and Royal Cliff Hanger dueled for the lead with A Perfect Wood in close contact while on an outside path. After a half-mile in 47.2 seconds, A Perfect Wood raced up alongside of Creative Dance to challenge for the lead and reached the three-quarter pole while heads apart. Fiddlers Cat rated kindly in mid-pack before swinging five-wide around the last turn and once straightened for home charged down the middle of the course on his way to a 2-1/2-length score over Ninety Nine Mack with Todays Cat up for third money. Final time was 1:35.4 seconds.
Bred by Joan Simpson (Fiddlers Green) of Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts, Fiddlers Cat is by Tomorrows Cat, and the first foal out of the Belong to Me mare, Carolina Kidnap, a half-sister to stakes-placed allowance winners Fabulous Flight (Super Concorde) and Twilight Roll (Rollicking). Tomorrows Cat, with three-crops to the races, is emerging as a top New York-based stallion and is currently 9th in the active New York Stallion Standings with progeny earnings of over $900,000, and seems certain to surpass last year's total of $1,336,519. The Grade-2 winning son of Storm Cat stands at Metropolitan Stud in Pine Plains, New York, which is managed by Mike and Debra Lischin. See Brisnet.com chart

(7/8) Spite the Devil is off the "schneid"
Winless since his victory in last year's Grade 3 - Withers Stakes, held on the first Saturday in May at Aqueduct Racetrack, SPITE THE DEVIL returned to the winner's circle, today, at beautiful Belmont Park. A small field of 6-state-bred horses went to the post in the one-turn mile event, run over the main track, in a Starter Allowance condition race. Trainer H. Allen Jerkens named Edgar Prado to ride the four year-old dark bay gelding, who broke from the rail position.
Serenity's Smile took the field onto the main track from the chute and led past the half-mile pole in 47.2 seconds. Tracking closely behind were Beyond Chance and Beau Tie with Spite the Devil getting an ideal trip along the rail. As the field turned for home, the ideal trip almost backfired on Prado as he desperately looked for running room in the tightly bunched field and after checking briefly angled Spite the Devil out to the middle of the track losing valuable momentum on Beau Tie, who had opened up a three-length lead. Once straightened, Spite the Devil began to gain ground with every powerful stride and ran by Beau Tie in the shadow of the wire to win by one-widening length. Manhattan Express made his patented late move to be third. Final time was 1:36.2 seconds.
Owned and bred by Elisabeth Jerkens' Hardwicke Stable, who qualified for a $2,520 breeder's award, Spite the Devil is by Devil His Due, whom Allen Jerkens also trained and was probably best going a mile and a quarter. Spite the Devil is the first offspring produced from Samantha D, a Cryptoclearance mare who won at a two-turn mile and 70 yards at Philadelphia Park as a three-year-old. Samantha D's stakes-winning dam is Mid-Atlantic five-furlong turf specialist Cuca's Lady ($350,460), and one of her winning half-sisters is the dam of 2002 stakes winner Scootin' Girl ($124,165). Prior to breaking her maiden, Samantha D was claimed by Elisabeth Jerkens' Hardwicke Stable for $10,000 at Delaware Park as a three-year-old in June of 1998. Spite the Devil, was born and raised at Carl Lizza Jr.'s and Joseph Bartone's Highcliff Farm in Delanson, New York. See Brisnet.com chart

(7/8) Sum Marval captures allowance
So Madcapt Stable's SUM MARVAL, ridden by leading jockey John Velazquez, defeated state-bred allowance horses today in an accident-marred seven-furlong race. Say Cousin Lenny, a half-brother to multi-millionaire Say Florida Sandy clipped heals with either Joshua's Jet or Sum Marval at the top of the stretch and unseated apprentice jockey Fernando Jara, who was taken to local hospital for observation.
Sum Marval, making his 7th - career start, is trained at Pletcher's Saratoga-based stable and shipped in for the NW-2X allowance race, which was run over Belmont Park's main track, listed fast. A small field of 6-horses went to the starting gate.
Sum Marval went to the front tracked closely by Joshua's Jet with Icicle Charlie racing in third-position in the run down the backstretch. Reaching the half-mile pole in 46.3 seconds Sum Marval and Joshua's Jet continued to battle for the lead with Say Cousin Lenny moving strongly but lacked running room, subsequently clicking heels and stumbling. Soon after the incident, Sum Marval opened up a clear lead through the stretch and won by 1-3/4-lenghts over Dixie Bourbon with Joshua's Jet finishing third. Final time was 1:23.4 seconds.
Bred by So Madcapt Stable's managing partner Michael Joseph Cascio, who qualified for a breeder's award of $2,700, Sum Marval, a three year-old bay colt by Polish Numbers, is the first foal out of the 4-times stakes winner Maragold Princess, by Smarten. The dam, who earned $322,900, is a sister to Smart Guy, a multiple stakes winner including the 1999 Pennsylvania Derby-Gr. 3, and who earned over $462,000. Sum Marval's victory raises his lifetime earnings to $84,678. See Brisnet.com chart

(7/8) Brassy Boots breaks maiden at Belmont Park
Ted Shapiro's homebred, BRASSY BOOTS, the most experienced two year-old in the 5-1/2-furlong state-bred maiden race, broke her maiden, today, at beautiful Belmont Park. Making her fourth-career start, the daughter of Dixie Brass broke from the 3-post position in the 5-horse field and was ridden by journeyman jockey Ariel Smith for trainer Howard Tesher, who raced the filly on the medication lasix for the first time.
Quickest of all from the gate, Brassy Boots led the field through an opening first-quarter in 22.2 seconds and continued around the far turn to the half-mile reached in 45.4 seconds. Opening up by six-lengths she turned for home, Brass Boots was kept to a drive to the wire, and won by three-comfortable lengths over New York Dream with Speed Bag finishing third. Final time was 1:05.1 seconds.
Bred by Mr. Shapiro, who qualified for a $4,920 breeder's award, Brassy Boots is the second foal out of the unraced Fortunate Prospect mare, Explosive Prospect, who's a half-sister to the stakes-placed allowance winner He's Explosive (Galliapat). Brassy Boots has now banked $35,250. See Brisnet.com chart

Photo by Bill Denver/ EQUI-PHOTO

(7/5) Tiffany's Rodeo breaks maiden
Teresa Maher's homebred, TIFFANY'S RODEO, making her 7th career start, defeated a field of maiden state-bred fillies and mares today at Belmont Park. Raced over a "good" main track at six-furlongs, trainer Leo O'Brien named apprentice jockey Fernando Jara, who qualifies for a 5lb weight allowance to ride the three year-old bay filly.
Ms. Morgane and Tiffany's Rodeo battled through an opening half-mile in 46.2 seconds before Tiffany's Rodeo took command at the top of the stretch. Mystical Sea made her presence felt in the middle of the track but couldn't contend with a determined Tiffany's Rodeo, who drew off in deep stretch to win by 2-widening lengths. Final time was 1:12.4.
Bred by Ms. Maher, who qualified for a breeder's award of $4,920, Tiffany's Rodeo is by Rodeo, out of the Titanic mare, Tiffany's Taylor, a graded stakes-placed performer who won the restricted Mt. Vernon Handicap and West Point Handicap as a six-year-old. Tiffany's Taylor earned $581,862 in a remarkable 67-race career. Tiffany's Rodeo is the second foal produced by Tiffany's Taylor and second winner. Tiffany's Rodeo is from the first crop of Rodeo, who has established himself this season with progeny earnings closing in on $1-million, which places him seventh on the New York-based stallion standings. Rodeo stands at Gus Schoenborn's Contemporary Stallions in Coxsackie, N.Y. See Brisnet.com chart

(7/5) Big Feathers beats state-bred maidens at Belmont Park
Akindale Farm's BIG FEATHERS broke his maiden today in his fourth attempt with a come from behind effort over a "sloppy" main track at Belmont Park. The one-turn mile event had a field of 8-state-bred maidens go to the starting gate. Trainer Nick Zito, who's having a great spring meet, named jockey Javier Castellano to ride the three year-old chestnut colt.
September Hero led the field onto the main track off the chute and reached the half-mile pole on top by 1-1/2-lengths in 47.4 seconds before being overtaken by Fintastic Lite nearing the three-quarter pole. Big Feathers, who raced from off the pace to the far turn, swung four-wide to take the lead at the top of the stretch and while under a drive drew clear of the field to win by 1-1/2-lengths crossing the wire. Fintastic Lite was a nose in front of Signore William for place-money. Final time was 1:39.1 seconds.
Bred by John Hettinger (Akindale Farm), who qualified for a $2,520 breeder's award, Big Feathers is by Charismatic, out of the D'Accord mare, Lady d'Accord, a multiple graded stakes winner who earned $590,138 in 47-career starts. Lady d'Accord is a half-sister to two year-old graded stakes winner Missymooiloveyou (Turkoman). See Brisnet.com chart

(7/4) Unbuckle is unrelenting in strong turf stretch run
In his second start off a 5 1/2-month layoff, Robert Stallings III's three-year-old UNBUCKLE stalked the pace before capturing Belmont's seventh race on Fourth of July Sunday, a $44,000 restricted N1X allowance for three-year-olds and up going a mile and an eighth on turf, prevailing by a hard-fought half-length. The high-headed chestnut colt was favored at 1.40-to-1 among 10 starters in the two-turn contest run over Belmont's inner course and had jockey Edgar Prado on board for the sixth time in nine career starts, breaking towards the back of the pack from the inside post position. Through three-quarters of a mile, Unbuckle trailed front-running longshot Hurricane Devin (the 56-to-1 ninth choice) while Prado rated him on the inside, advancing from sixth to fifth to fourth at the three-eighths pole on the second turn. He then rallied three wide out of the turn to overtake a tiring Hurricane Devin in the upper stretch and pushed his head in front of 3-to-1 second choice Save the Profit at mid-stretch while setting a mile fraction of 1:35.88. Save the Profit, also a three-year-old like Unbuckle but carrying three pounds more weight because his maiden-breaking Belmont turf victory had occurred just four weeks earlier, hung on against his free-striding competitor, who skimmed over the lawn in 12.41 seconds for his final furlong, reaching the wire in 1:48.29. Following Unbuckle and Save the Profit, the next five competitors in finishing order were all older runners. For jockey Prado, it was the first of two winning rides on turf on Belmont's Fourth of July Sunday afternoon card.
Bred and conditioned by Hall of Fame trainers, Unbuckle races under the care of D. Wayne Lukas, the New York Thoroughbred Breeders 1987 Trainer of the Year, and his victory increased his earnings by $26,400 to $78,369 while qualifying the John A. Nerud Revocable Trust for a $2,640 breeder award. The colt had broken his maiden by 2 3/4 lengths in his fourth start and first turf outing last September as a two-year-old, going a mile at Belmont as the favored 1.60-to-1 choice under Prado. Lukas next had tried him in Belmont's open Pilgrim Stakes, but Unbuckle had tired over a yielding turf course and did not compete on grass again until his first start of 2004, when he had placed second under Prado going a mile on a "good" Belmont course on June 3. Over the one-month interim leading up to Sunday's effort, Lukas had given the New York-bred two solid workouts on Belmont's main track, including a five-furlong "bullet" drill of 1:00 3/5 (fastest of 10) on June 23.
Sired by three-time English champion Swain, who was a multiple Group 1 turf winner at a mile and a half, Unbuckle is among five winners- - three bred by Nerud in New York -- produced from multiple main track graded winner Clabber Girl ($1,006,261), by Alydar. Clabber Girl won Aqueduct's Grade 1 Top Flight Handicap at a mile and an eighth in the same year (1988) that she captured graded events on both coasts and is a half-sister to stakes winner Famously Free ($165,586). Clabber Girl also is a half-sister to the dams of at least seven stakes winners, including Grade 1 winner Keeper Hill ($1,661,281), stakes-winning Japanese millionaire Elizabeth Rose ($1,201,226), and Grade 2 winner Golden Gear ($634,009). See Brisnet.com chart

(7/4) Thatswhyweboughtto ($57.00) tallies by 3 1/4 lengths in maiden special
Given four weeks between starts instead the 17-to-19 days allotted over a four-race span from mid-April to June, The Nine Horsemen Stable's three-year-old THATSWHYWEBOUGHTTO rallied three wide out of the turn in Belmont's Sunday opener, a $41,000 restricted maiden special for three-year-olds and up, winning by 3 1/4 lengths. The wagering public was skeptical, sending the dark bay colt off as the 27.50-to-1 eighth choice among nine starters in the six-furlong contest even though jockey Javier Castellano -- who in Thatswhyweboughtto's first three outings had piloted him to a pair of second-place finishes -- was back on board. The question seemed to be whether The Nine Horsemen Stable standard-bearer would be willing to stalk off the pace in a race laden with speed -- a question he answered conclusively.
Although he ducked out at the start, Thatswhyweboughtto raced close behind early leaders Eddie the Spouse and Positive Gold -- the 3.75-to-1 second choice and the odds-on (.90-to-1) favorite, respectively -- on the outside before rallying three wide out of the turn. At the head of the stretch, he drifted in briefly on Positive Gold but then drew clear to a 2 1/2-length lead at mid-stretch off a five-eighths fraction of 58.09, and in the final furlong he extended his advantage by almost another length, reaching the finish in 1:10.62. Closing well on the outside to place second was green-racing Mt. Majesty, the 17-to-1 fifth choice who was making his first start. Favored Positive Gold finished third, bringing his record to two seconds and one third in three career starts since early April. For jockey Castellano, it was the first of three winning rides on Belmont's Sunday, July 4 card, including the Grade 2 Tom Fool Handicap.
Campaigned by The Nine Horsemen Stable of Mark Kerin of Green Polka Farms in West Hartford, Connecticut, Thatswhyweboughtto earned $24,600 for breaking his maiden, boosting his total earnings to $42,367 off a record of 1 - 2 - 0 in four starts -- all at six furlongs beginning in mid-April at Aqueduct. His trainer is Linda Rice, who following the colt's unplaced effort at Belmont on June 6 had given him one moderate five-furlong workout on Belmont's training track five days prior to his latest start and first victory.
Bred by Roger Toffolon of Hartford, Connecticut, who qualified for a total of $6,642 in breeder ($4,920) and stallion ($1,722) awards, Thatswhyweboughtto is at least the 66th winner lifetime and 17th winner in 2004 sired by Toffolon's New York-based stallion, Sea Salute (Danzig - Glowing Honor, by Seattle Slew). Sea Salute, who has progeny earnings of more than $4.2-million, stands at Jim Scott's Liberty Stud, LLC in Ghent, where his 2004 fee was $2,500, live foal. Thatswhyweboughtto is out of two-time turf winner Marital Ransom, a Red Ransom mare that Toffolon had purchased as a four-year-old for $11,500 at a 1998 Fasig-Tipton New York November sale of horses of racing age at Belmont. Marital Ransom is a full sister to versatile eight-time winner (dirt and turf, sprinting and routing) Ghost Ransom ($173,656), and her winning half-brothers include stakes winners Yonaguska (Grade 1 winner of $536,355), Call It Off ($266,767), and Halo Homewrecker (Grade 3 winner of $159,745 through his three-year-old season in 2003). A Hypo-Mating check of Thatswhyweboughtto's pedigree reveals that he is inbred 4 x 5 to Hail to Reason and to Nearctic. See Brisnet.com chart

(7/4) Signs and Wonders shows tenacity in maiden-breaking effort
Although crowded on his outside shortly after breaking next-to-last, Gregory Dodd's three-year-old SIGNS AND WONDERS closely pursued pacesetting fifth choice Quayle before running down the new leader, 1.40-to-1 favorite Shady Devil, in Belmont's third race on Sunday, a $41,000 restricted maiden special going six furlongs. The dark bay gelding, who had worked well but had shown little distinction in his first two outings, demonstrated why he had been favored four weeks earlier at Belmont, rallying four wide into the stretch to get to within a head of Shady Devil at the eighth pole. The latter, who set a 58.86 five-eighths fraction, remained in contention to the finish but appeared intimidated after Signs and Wonders -- the 2.60-to-1 second choice among eight starters -- edged ahead to score a half-length victory in a race that was open to older runners but contested exclusively by three-year-olds. It was Signs and Wonders' second consecutive outing under jockey Richard Migliore and his second effort with blinkers, and the race's first-place purse money of $24,600 put the gelding's total bankroll at $25,057 in three starts, beginning in March at Gulfstream.
Trained by Teresa Pompay, who had given him a solid five-furlong workout at Monmouth on June 28, Signs and Wonders also qualified his breeder, Gregory Garofalo of Saratoga Springs, for a $4,920 breeder award. The gelding had been a $52,000 purchase as a weanling at Keeneland's 2001 November sale in Lexington, Kentucky and is at least the second winner produced from stakes-placed nine-time winner Not to Be Outdone ($176,516), a Smile mare that Garofalo had bought for $40,000 at Keeneland's 1999 January mixed sale. Not to Be Outdone, who specialized in main track sprints, is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winning turf specialist Crystal Sea ($367,108 through 2003).
Signs and Wonders is at least the 14th winner -- and 12th in 2004 -- from the first crop of former New York stallion Artax, qualifying the owner of that 1999 Eclipse Champion Sprinter at the time he stood in New York, Ernie Paragallo's Paraneck Stable/Stallions, for a $1,722 stallion award. Artax covered 93 mares in New York in 2000 at Paragallo's Center Brook Farm in Climax, with 22 of those mares reportedly owned by Paraneck Stable, and his New York-conceived offspring include three-year-old Friendly Michelle ($386,794), who on Saturday won Belmont's Grade 1 Prioress Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths. The New York-conceived offspring of Artax are responsible for virtually the entire progeny earnings attributable to that stallion in 2004, elevating him to among the four leading second-crop sires in North America for 2004. See Brisnet.com chart

Photo credit: Horsephotos/NTRA

(7/3) Quantum Merit wins G2 Firecracker at Churchill VIEW VIDEO
Registering his fourth consecutive victory, fourth stakes tally, and first graded victory, Very Un Stable's New York-bred QUANTUM MERIT tracked the early pacesetters in Churchill Downs' $287,750 Grade 2 Firecracker Breeders' Cup Handicap on Saturday and then swung out wide to score by a length and a half. The five-year-old gelding's decisive performance in the two-turn turf mile event for three-year-olds and up -- his first graded stakes effort -- unequivocally established him as one of top grass milers in the country, boosting his earnings by $178,405 to $519,525 off a record of 8 - 1 - 2 in 18 starts.
Race-ridden for the first time by Shane Sellers and sent off the 5.70-to-1 fourth choice among nine starters, Quantum Merit broke on top from the seventh post position and stalked 4.60-to-1 third choice Royal Spy -- a recent Grade 2-winning turf miler -- in third place through three quarters. Royal Spy set identical back-to-back quarter-mile splits of 22.97 seconds for a 45.94 half-mile fraction, and for his third quarter-mile around the second turn clocked 23.68 to register an impressive six-furlong fraction of 1:09.62, with 51.60-to-1 eighth choice Puget Sound only a head back on the outside. Quantum Merit, who raced three wide for most of the contest, was sent five wide entering the stretch to avoid a tiring and drifting-out Puget Sound, getting to within a half-length of Royal Spy at mid-stretch following a seven-furlong fraction of 1:21.94. The New York-bred covered his final furlong in about 12 1/5 seconds to finish in 1:34.15, with 2.40-to-1 second choice Senor Swinger finishing second but being placed third for veering out and 1.90-to-1 favorite Perfect Soul -- a champion and Grade 1-winning turf miler -- qualifying for second. Three of the four horses finishing second through fifth behind Quantum Merit already were graded winners on turf, and second place finisher Senor Swinger had multiple graded-winning credentials on grass at Churchill Downs. It was the second winning ride of the day for jockey Sellers.
Trained by Del Carroll II, who after the gelding's nose victory in Belmont's $114,300 Kingston Handicap for New York-breds on May 23 had given him four Belmont workouts -- including a five-furlong "bullet" drill on June 20 -- Quantum Merit has won six of his last seven starts dating back to September. He had scored his first stakes victories last fall in Belmont's $114,700 Ashley T. Cole Handicap and Aqueduct's $100,000 New York Stallion Cormorant Stakes -- winning by 3 3/4 and 2 1/2 lengths, respectively. The dark bay gelding races for the Very Un Stable of Joseph Gioia of North Woodmere and had been a $32,000 purchase at Fasig-Tipton's 2000 Saratoga preferred yearling sale. A late foal (May 12, 1999), he did not compete as a two-year-old, but he is the second consecutive winner of the Firecracker Breeders' Cup trained by Carroll, who last year sent out Tap the Admiral to win the Churchill Downs event.
"He's just done everything we've asked of him, and the race just fell into line for him," pointed out Carroll. "We wanted to find out how good he was, and we did."
Quantum Merit is among at least 14 New York-bred stakes winners that the late Gerald Nielsen -- twice president of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Association -- and/or widow Joanne Nielsen bred either together or individually or in the name of their Sunnyfield Farm in Bedford. The Grade 2-winning gelding was conceived in New York at Louis Salerno's Questroyal Stud, LLC in Hudson to the cover of Eclipse Champion and former New York stallion Hansel, who currently stands in Japan. He is among four winners produced from New York-bred Just Flirting, a Green Dancer mare that Gerald Nielsen also bred, being a half-brother to New York-bred multiple stakes-placed winner Reluctant Groom ($165,476) and to three-year-old filly Will Flirt, who won at Belmont about 3 1/2 hours prior to the Firecracker. Dam Just Flirting is a half-sister to Italian group stakes-placed winner Romina Girl, and her dam is stakes winner Galstar ($102,613).
Quantum Merit is the 17th New York-bred winner of an open (to horses bred anywhere) stakes in 2004, and the Firecracker Breeders' Cup was the 18th open stakes won this year by a New York-bred, with these 18 open stakes victories having occurred in eight different states and two continents. He is the sixth New York-bred graded winner of 2004, and the Firecracker was the seventh graded event of the year won by a horse bred in the Empire State. See Brisnet.com chart

(7/3) Absolutely Joe closes from 11th to 1st going 6 fur.
In off the also-eligible list, Marjac Pino Stable's and George Ruggeri's ABSOLUTELY JOE advanced from next-to-last in a 12-horse field to score by a head in Belmont's fifth race on Saturday, a $43,000 restricted N1X allowance for three-year-olds and up going six furlongs, securing victory in the final strides. Race-ridden for the first time by California-based jockey Corey Nakatani and dismissed as the 10-to-1 sixth choice among 11 wagering interests, the three-year-old broke last from the 11th post and had 10 rivals ahead of him following a 22.17 opening quarter-mile set by 9.70-to-1 fifth choice El Cisc. He overtook five of his competitors in the next quarter-mile, which El Cisc led through in 45.20, and then rallied wide into the stretch, advancing to third and getting to within four lengths of El Cisc at mid-stretch, as the four-year-old pace-setter clocked a five-eighths fraction in 57.40. In the final furlong, Absolutely Joe closed the gap on El Cisc under left-handed urging from Nakatani, winning in the time of 1:10.39. Favored Heathrow (2-to-1), overtaken by Absolutely Joe in the second quarter-mile, finished strongly to place third. It was the first of two winning rides on Belmont's Saturday card for Nakatani, who later piloted New York-conceived Friendly Michelle to victory in the Grade 1 Prioress Stakes.
Owned by the Marjac Pino Stable of James Pino of Hicksville in partnership with George Ruggeri and trained by Michael Miceli, Absolutely Joe increased his earnings by $25,800 to $62,470 for his first allowance victory, improving his record to 2 - 0 - 2 in seven starts. He had broken his maiden first-out by 4 1/2 lengths as a two-year-old going seven furlongs at Belmont last October, and in his latest previous effort 15 days earlier had finished third among 12 while racing seven furlongs on a sloppy Belmont track at the restricted N1X level. Prior to that effort, the bay colt had been away from competition for just over four months from February 12 to June 18.
A $50,000 purchase at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2003 March selected sale of two-year-olds in Florida, Absolutely Joe was bred by Mia Gallo -- wife of sales agent Thomas Gallo in Cambridge -- in partnership with Deborah Petrisak of Honeoye Falls, collectively qualifying those two for a $5,160 breeder award. He is among at least 26 winners in 2004 sired by current leading New York-based third-crop sire Rodeo (Gone West - Wewarrenju, by Damascus), pushing that stallion's progeny earnings for the year over $900,000 and his cumulative progeny earnings to almost $1.8-million. As a result of Absolutely Joe's latest victory, the syndicate owners of Rodeo, who stands at Gus Schoenborn Jr.'s Contemporary in Coxsackie and had a 2004 stud fee of $3,000, live foal, qualified for a $1,806 stallion award.
Absolutely Joe is among four New York-bred winners produced from New York-bred Adorable Minister, by Deputy Minister, and his winning half-siblings include Gratiaen ($287,830), who won Saratoga's $176,700 Albany Handicap in 2000. Adorable Minister is out of French group winner and North American graded winner Adorable Micol ($249,388), who was voted New York Thoroughbred Breeders' 2000 Broodmare of the Year, and the mare's first three winners were bred by Gallagher's Stud in Ghent prior to her private acquisition by Gallo and Petrisak. A Hypo-Mating check of Absolutely Joe's pedigree reveals that he is inbred 4 x 4 to Never Bend. See Brisnet.com chart

(7/3) Will Flirt flies on front end to break maiden
Coming off her best previous effort -- a June 11 second-placing at a mile and a sixteenth on Belmont grass -- Wendell Strickland's WILL FLIRT led throughout in Belmont's second race on Saturday, a $42,000 restricted turf maiden special for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up, going a mile and an eighth. The three-year-old filly went off as the stronger half of an odds-on (.70-to-1) entry among eight wagering interests and nine starters while being race-ridden for the first time by Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, who sent her immediately to the front out of the seventh post position. With 40.75-to-1 last choice Aloe Cat her closest pursuer through three-quarters of a mile, Will Flirt set even splits of 24.39, 24.35, 24.16, and 24.48, arriving at the quarter-mile pole with a three-length advantage and accelerating out of the second turn after switching leads. At mid-stretch, 4.60-to-1 third choice My Nina Rose was within two lengths of Will Flirt, and though the margin shrank to a length and a quarter at the wire, Bailey's mount was never seriously threatened, running her final furlong in 12.47 under a hand ride to finish in 1:49.85. For Bailey, it was the first of four winning rides on Belmont's Saturday card, including a thrilling three-way finish in the Grade 1 Suburban Handicap aboard Peace Rules, with New York-bred Funny Cide finishing only a neck and a nose behind.
Trained by Gary Contessa, who had given her two easy five-furlong workouts on Saratoga's training track following her second-place effort at Belmont 22 days earlier, Will Flirt increased her earnings by $25,200 to $54,215 and advanced her record to 1 - 2 - 0 in nine starts. The filly that had overtaken and beaten her in her previous outing on June 11, three-year-old Sabellina, had come back to tally by 3 1/2 lengths in a $44,000 restricted N1X allowance on Belmont turf going a mile and an eighth on Wednesday, June 30. Owner Strickland, of Camillus, had purchased Will Flirt for $10,000 at Fasig-Tipton's 2002 Saratoga preferred New York-bred yearling sale. The dark bay filly's breeding value appreciated significantly over a short time span on Saturday, with her five-year-old New York-bred half-brother, Quantum Merit (earnings now $519,525), capturing Churchill Downs' Grade 2 Firecracker Breeders' Cup Handicap about 3 1/2 hours after Will Flirt had broken her maiden. Will Flirt also has earned stakes money on her own account, having finished fourth in Aqueduct's $150,000 Park Avenue New York Stallion Stakes while still a maiden on April 25. In addition to Quantum Merit, Will Flirt is a half-sister to two other New York-bred winners at the open allowance level or better, including multiple stakes-placed Reluctant Groom ($165,476).
Bred by the late Gerald Nielsen -- twice president of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders -- and by Joanne Nielsen of Darien, Connecticut, Will Flirt collectively qualified Joanne Nielsen and the estate of Gerald Nielsen for a $5,040 breeder award as a result of her Saturday victory. She is among at least 25 winners in 2004 and 156 winners lifetime sired by New York stallion Williamstown (Seattle Slew - Winter Sparkle, by Northjet), who has progeny earnings of almost $9.3-million from his first six crops. Williamstown, a Grade 2 record-setting main track miler at Belmont whose connections qualified for a $1,764 stallion award because of Will Flirt's win, is owned by a partnership and stands at Metropolitan Stud (managed by Michael and Debra Lischin) in Pine Plains, where his 2004 fee was $5,000, live foal. Will Flirt's dam, New York-bred Just Flirting, by Green Dancer, also was bred by Gerald Nielsen and is a half-sister to Italian group stakes-placed winner Romina Girl, being out of stakes winner Galstar ($102,613). A Hypo-Mating check of Will Flirt's pedigree reveals that she is inbred 4 x 5 to both Northern Dancer and Turn-to.

(7/3) Funny Cide places 3rd in blanket 3-way G1 Suburban finish
Sackatoga Stable's New York-bred Funny Cide boosted his bankroll $50,000 to $2,524,485 by placing third in Belmont's $500,000 Grade 1 Suburban Handicap at a mile and a quarter on Saturday, finishing within a nose of 2004 multiple graded winner Newfoundland, who placed a neck behind winner Peace Rules. Ridden by regular jockey Jose Santos, the four-year-old gelding went off as the 4.10-to-1 fourth choice among eight starters in the historic, turn-and-a-half event for three-year-olds and up, tracking pacesetter and 3.20-to-1 second choice Peace Rules before gaining a brief lead at mid-stretch. In the final strides, Peace Rules regained command to score narrowly, having benefited tremendously from a masterful cat-and-mouse ride by Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, who had sent the winner to the front off an easy 23.85 opening quarter-mile as Funny Cide trailed well below his preferred cruising speed. Peace Rules' subsequent splits following his opening quarter-mile went in 22.51, 22.97, 24.60, and 25.59 for fractions of 46.36, 1:09.33, 1:33.93, and 1:59.52, with Funny Cide just over a length back after a half-mile, a half-length behind after three-quarters, and closing to within the winner's throatlatch at the quarter pole. It was the third of four winning rides on Belmont's Saturday card for Bailey.
Among the runners finishing behind Funny Cide were the 2.35-to-1 favorite, 2004 graded winner Dynever, and the 3.45-to-1 third choice, Grade 2-winning millionaire Bowman's Band. Funny Cide, who races under the care of New York Thoroughbred Breeders 2003 Trainer of the Year Barclay Tagg, also qualified his owner(s), Sackatoga Stable, for a $5,000 open race owner award and his breeder, the WinStar Farm, LLC of Bill Casner and Kenny Troutt, for a $5,000 breeder award. The Eclipse Champion-winning chestnut gelding's record is now 7 - 3 - 5 in 18 starts.
"He is one of the most honest horses out there," remarked Tagg in reference to Funny Cide. "It was a nice, dry day, and the humidity was down. We were right here. I thought he might come back and run well in two weeks (Funny Cide's latest previous start had been a close second-place effort in Suffolk's Grade 2 Massachusetts Handicap under top weight on June 19), because he was doing so well. The only plane I could have gotten (him) on to California (for the Hollywood Gold Cup, which Tagg had been considering for Funny Cide) was on Tuesday, and I didn't want to go that early."
Jockey Santos also praised Funny Cide's effort: "He was doing real well early. He put in a tremendous race . . . going those fractions. I think we were seven lengths out (leading five of the eight starters by seven or more lengths after three-quarters of a mile) . . . and he was going good, too. I was pleased with his effort today."

(7/2) My Girl Natalie captures Belmont Park allowance
Dr. Zacarias and Elizabeth Aragon's homebred, MY GIRL NATALIE, closed strongly through the stretch to capture a NW-2X state-bred allowance for fillies and mares, today, at beautiful Belmont Park. Trainer Carlos Martin named apprentice jockey Jose Lezcano, who qualifies for a 5lb weight allowance, to ride the five year-old gray mare. Raced at 8-1/2-furlongs over the main track, listed "fast", a field of 7-state-breds went to the post with Nevaeh going to the post as the 6-5-favorite.
Leedle Dee led the field onto the main track off the chute tracked on the outside by Nevaeh. Ridden by Javier Castellano, Leedle Dee got away with soft-fractions of 48.3 seconds to the half and coasted past the three-quarters in 1:13.4. The easy fractions bode well for the front running Leedle Dee as she spurted away from Nevaeh at the top of the stretch, and seemed to be the winner, however My Girl Natalie unleashed a furious stretch run coming from next to last at the top of the stretch to blow by Leedle Dee in the final few yards, winning by a half-length. Final time was 1:45.2 seconds.
The Zacarias' qualified for a $5,520 breeder's award for today's score. My Girl Natalie is by the late Prosper Fager, who stood at Highcliff Farm in Delanson, New York. The connections of Prosper Fager qualified for a stallion owner's award of $1,932. My Girl Natalie is out of the Morning Bob mare, Princess Nova, and is a half-sister to the stakes-placed allowance winner Galactic (Tank's Number), who earned $233,473 in 49-career starts. Drawing closer to her older siblings race and earnings figures, My Girl Natalie has now earned $195,607 in 42-lifetime starts. See Brisnet.com chart

Dont Knock America (outside) noses out True Crimson (inside-hidden)

(7/2) Dont Knock America wins hard-fought allowance battle
Herbert and Carol Schwartz' DONT KNOCK AMERICA, making his 12th career-start and second over the turf, put a nose in front of True Crimson at the wire to take a NW-1X state-bred allowance race, today, at beautiful Belmont Park. Trained by Scott Schwartz, Dont Knock America was ridden by the meet's leading rider John Velazquez. The three-year old bay colt first race over the turf resulted in a third-place finish, beaten only 2-lengths, to Nooligan, who went on to finish second in the Restoration Stakes at Monmouth Park. Dont Knock America, who went to the post as the even-money-favorite, broke from the outside post-position in the 9-horse field, which raced over the inner turf course, listed "firm", at a distance of nine-furlongs.
True Crimson took command from the outset with Dont Knock America tracking in second-position in the run down the backstretch. First You Dream raced up close in third as True Crimson continued on the lead taking the field to the half-mile pole in 49-seconds flat. At the top of the stretch, True Crimson was still on top, but Dont Knock America began to make his presence felt, racing up alongside to begin a memorable stretch duel. With True Crimson down on the rail and Dont Knock America on the outside, they battled head-to-head and nose-to-nose from the eighth-pole to the wire, with Dont Knock America winning by the slightest of margins. Final time was 1:49-seconds.
Bred by Herbert Schwartz, who qualified for a $2,640 breeder's award, Dont Knock America is by Quiet American, out of the multiple graded-stakes placed allowance winner Knocknock, by Dynaformer. Knocknock is the producer of graded-stakes-placed allowance winner Knock Again (Wild Again) winner of over $320,000. With today's winner's share of the $44,000 purse, Dont Knock America raised his lifetime earnings above the century mark to $111,020 in 12-career races. See Brisnet.com chart

(7/2) Buff Naked breaks maiden over turf
Tri Noble Stable's homebred, BUFF NAKED, making his third start of the season and first under jockey Edgar Prado, closed strongly through the stretch to break his maiden. Raced over Belmont Park's inner turf course, listed "firm", a field of 10-state-breds went to the gate for the nine-furlong race with the Philip Serpe trained colt going to the gate at 2-1 odds.
Longshot (50-1) Elena's Fame opened up by four-lengths in the run down the backstretch with Buff Naked sitting chilly in second-position and Akvatinta's Trick racing in third. After a half-mile in 49.1 seconds, the field started to close ground on the leader who couldn't hold off Buff Naked and Gemmie a Satellite. Under mild urging, Buff Naked assumed command down the stretch and held off Gemmie a Satellite by a three-quarters of a length under the wire. Here's Ya Souvenir closed for third money. Final time was 1:50.4 seconds.
Bred by Tri Noble Stable, who qualified for a breeder's award of $2,520, Buff Naked is a three year-old bay colt by Pine Bluff, and the first foal out of Demi Buff, by Triocala. See Brisnet.com chart

(7/2) On the Porch breaks maiden at first asking
Alan Brodsky's ON THE PORCH made his maiden debut a winning one defeating state-bred two-year-old colts and geldings going 5-furlongs over the main track at beautiful Belmont Park. Trainer Mark Hennig named jockey Pablo Fragoso to ride the dark bay colt, who was purchased as a yearling at the 2003 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred Yearling sales for $40,000. On the Porch shipped down from Hennig's Saratoga stable for today's race and broke from the 4-post in the 8-horse field.
Race time favorite Catchy Expression stumbled soon after the break and was taken back by jockey Edgar Prado as Fifteen Wall and Nazareth vied for the early lead. Wonforjodi tracked close behind in third, three-lengths in front of On the Porch. After a half-mile in 47.3 seconds, five horses were still in with a chance but it was a very professional looking On the Porch who split horses to gain the lead and while under a drive charged to the wire, winning by 1-1/2-lengths over Wonforjodi with Chanceux Vous finishing third. Final time was 1:00.1 seconds.
Bred by Patricia Staskowski-Purdy, who qualified for a $2,460 breeder's award, On the Porch is by Accelerator, out of Northern Eyes, by Valet de Pied (Fr). On the Porch is a half-brother to stakes-placed allowance winner Bewitching Eyes (Big Mukora), who earned $216,860. See Brisnet.com chart

(7/1) Change is good for Honorable Tam
Ping W. Tam's HONORABLE TAM, making his fourth-career start, first on the turf and first under the care of trainer H. James Bond, easily defeated a 10-horse field of state-bred maidens, today, at Belmont Park. Ridden for the first time by journeyman jockey Edgar Prado - his fifth-winner on the card - the 8-1/2-furlong race was run over the Widener turf course, listed "firm".
Win With Beck and My Man Alex dueled for the early lead with Hippy Hippy Red in third and to his inside Farber rated kindly. Honorable Tam rated near the back of the pack in the run down the backstretch moving into seventh-position around the far turn. With a deft move, Prado guided Honorable Tam to an inside path at the top of the stretch, saving considerable ground and never losing momentum. Gaining ground with every powerful stride, Honorable Tam took command nearing the eighth-pole and raced clear to the wire while under a hand ride winning by 3-1/2-lengths. Race time favorite Takeh finished second by a neck over A Perfect Wood. Final time was 1:42.4.
Bred by Richard Simon's Sez Who Thoroughbreds, who qualified for a $2,520 breeder award, Honorable Tam is a three year-old bay gelding by Honor Grades, and the first foal out of Since Time Began, by Rubiano. Since Time Began won twice as a two-year-old and is a half sister to multiple stakes winner Memory Tap (Pleasant Tap) who earned $$315,658 and to multiple and graded stakes winner Remember Sheikh (Skeikh Albadou - GB), who earned $227,278. Mr. Tam purchased Honorable Tam at the 2003 April OBS two-year-old in training sales for $50,000. See Brisnet.com chart

(7/1) Lukelynn breaks maiden over turf
William Lynn's homebred, LUKELYNN, making his third-career start, broke his maiden today against state-breds at beautiful Belmont Park. Trainer Patrick Reynolds named journeyman jockey Raul Rojas to ride the three-year-old chestnut gelding, who broke from the outside 10-post in the 8-1/2-furlong race run over the Widener turf course, listed as "firm". Lukelynn, who had finished second over the turf in his last appearance, went to the post at odds of 5-1.
Bold Bailey shot to the front at the break but was pressured on the outside by Scarlet Storm with race-time favorite Megatrend tracking nicely in third-position. After a half-mile in 47 seconds flat, Bold Bailey continued to the lead the way and hit the top of the stretch with a two-length lead as a host of horses began to move into closer contact. Weaving his way between horses, Lukelynn forged to the front inside the sixteenth-pole and held off Be My Prince by a neck crossing the wire. Final time was 1:43.1 seconds.
Bred by Mr. Lynn, who qualified for a $2,520 breeder award, Lukelynn is by Banker's Gold, and the first-foal out of the graded-stakes placed Civilyn, by Lost Code. See Brisnet.com chart