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Top-weighted Homerette takes Big A's Flat Fleet Feet - 1st dirt stakes win by Rab Hagin
Less than seven months ago, Fox Ridge Farm's homebred HOMERETTE had never hit the board in any stakes and was struggling in restricted entry-level allowances, but on Thursday she captured Aqueduct's Flat Fleet Feet Stakes under top weight outside state-bred company and now has stakes wins on dirt and turf. The $66,500 Flat Fleet Feet at a two-turn mile and 70 yards was for three-year-old fillies that had not won a 2006 graded stakes, but that condition still allowed in a pair of 2006 two-turn open stakes winners -- one of them Grade 2-placed -- plus royally-bred and rapidly-improving Altesse. Homerette, the 16-to-1 last choice among six starters with jockey Jean-Luc Samyn riding her for the first time in competition, was the 122-pound topweight because of her victory in the state-bred restricted Irish Linnet Stakes on Saratoga turf last August. Racing close to the rail behind two-to-three rivals until reaching the upper stretch, Homerette angled outside and switched to her right lead before driving past her competition with noticeably quicker strides than her rivals -- including early stretch leader Altesse with four pounds less weight -- could match. Altesse, the 2.25-to-1 favorite, placed second, followed by multiple two-turn stakes winner Love Locket, the 2.50-to-1 second choice. For Homerette, the victory was particularly significant: 1) it was her first stakes tally on dirt; 2) it was her first win outside state-bred company; 3) it boosted her earnings over $200K, making her a multiple stakes winner of $225,152 with a record of 4 - 6 - 4 in 19 starts. Conditioned by New York Thoroughbred Breeders 1986 Trainer of the Year Patrick Kelly and bred and owned by the Fox Ridge Farm, Inc. of Peter Schiff of Syosset, Homerette also qualified her owner-breeder for an additional $7,980 in open race owner and breeder awards ($3,990 each). The daughter of Grade 1 winner Grand Slam is the fourth of five racing age offspring -- all New York-bred winners and three of them six-figure-earners -- produced from New York-bred stakes-placed three-time winner Bien Sucre ($124,206) and is a half-sister to open stakes winner Dulce de Leche ($174,476). Homerette's youngest racing age half-sibling, Fox Ridge Farm's homebred juvenile filly Sweet Victory, broke her maiden by 5-1/2 lengths at Aqueduct in her third career start on Sunday, November 19. Dam Bien Sucre, by the late New York-based sire Ends Well, had been purchased through Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services, agent, for $85,000 at Keeneland's 2002 November sale when she was carrying Homerette -- but two years before Dulce de Leche would win a stakes. Bien Sucre is inbred 3 x 4 to Stage Door Johnny and is a full sister to two multiple winners: stakes-placed Sweetest Ending and It's a Gherkin -- the latter dam of recent New York Showcase Day's Ticonderoga Handicap winner, Finlandia ($314,655 through October). Homerette is the 28th or 29th New York-bred winner of a stakes outside state-bred company in 2006 -- pending appeal of Rahys' Appeal's first-place finish (and disqualification to second) in Aqueduct's Grade 2 Top Flight Handicap last Friday, November 24. The Flat Fleet Feet was the 39th or 40th open (to horses bred anywhere, exclusive of the New York Stallion Stakes series) stakes event captured by a New York-bred in 2006 -- pending the same appeal. 76 NY-breds have won or placed in 2006 stakes outside state-bred events by Rab Hagin
Among the latest New York-breds to win or place in 2006 stakes outside state-bred company were two in Aqueduct handicaps over the Thanksgiving pre-weekend: Introspect getting his first NYRA open stakes-placing in Thursday's Fall Highweight and RAHYS' APPEAL finishing first in Friday's Grade 2 Top Flight but disqualified to second. The stewards' ruling that led to the Top Flight's altered placement is being appealed, and until completion of that appeals process, both the first-place New York-bred and the declared winner that finished three lengths behind her are considered winners of the event. Regardless of the appeal's outcome, the number of New York-breds that have won or placed in open (to horses bred anywhere, exclusive of the New York Stallion Stakes series) 2006 stakes is now 76 (Introspect is the 75th; Homerette in the Flat Fleet Feet this past Thursday is the 76th). The number of top-three finishes by state-breds in these stakes is 119. Rahys' Appeal, a homebred for Marlene Brody's Gallagher's Stud, had placed second or third in four previous 2006 stakes, including a close runner-up in Monmouth's graded Eatontown last August, and had won New York Showcase Day's 2005 Ticonderoga Handicap by 8-1/2 lengths, so her record already has black type. Sent off the 23.10-to-1 last choice among six in the one-turn mile Top Flight, she drew away decisively after her jockey, Alan Garcia, inadvertently struck 4.10-to-1 third choice Malibu Mint with his whip in the upper stretch -- an incident that did not appear to affect the event's outcome. Garcia indicated it was a freak accident: "The horse (Malibu Mint) came out into my whip. In general, my horse (Rahys' Appeal) ran a big race. Anyway, I knew I had horse at the three-eighths pole. I was still waiting on her at the quarter-pole." Jockey Eibar Coa aboard 2006 Grade 1 winner Malibu Mint did not dispute that Rahys' Appeal appeared to be the likely winner of the Top Flight irrespective of the whip incident: "I was very lucky (regarding the ruling). His horse (Rahys' Appeal) was going by me." Bloodstock Research Information Services (BRIS) staff writer James Scully, never one to mince words, was outspoken in his assessment of the stewards' disqualification of Rahys' Appeal -- headlined "Bad DQ": "Stewards will make mistakes like the rest of us, but the Aqueduct crew looked inept following Friday's Top Flight H. Rahys' Appeal (Rahy) was a deserving winner, crossing the finish line with a widening three-length advantage, but jockey Alan Garcia accidentally struck Malibu Mint (Malibu Moon) in the face as his mount rolled past in the stretch. It wasn't a willful violation, and the head-on shows Malibu Mint to be drifting out slightly toward her oncoming rival. If Malibu Mint maintains a straight course, the whip never touches her. Malibu Mint still easily held second, and the incident had nothing to do with the outcome. But the stewards decided to draw all the attention to themselves by disqualifying Rahys' Appeal. According to the rules in New York, striking another horse with a whip isn't cause for an automatic disqualification. It has to be a willful violation. The stewards didn't have to change the order of finish, but they went ahead and made a huge mistake." More significant than the $60,000 swing in purse money for being declared the Top Flight winner is the increased value for a four-year-old filly like Rahys' Appeal ($367,009 in career earnings if declared the winner or $307,009 as runner-up) achieving Grade 2-winning status. Rahys' Appeal is the second offspring and second winner produced from stakes-placed winner Appealing Kris, who is by Kris S. and is a half-sister to New York-bred California stakes winner Statement ($374,068). New York Minute: If the original finish order of the Top Flight is allowed to stand as a result of the appeal, Rahys' Appeal will be the 12th New York-bred graded winner of 2006 -- and the Top Flight will be the 18th graded stakes won this year by a New York-bred. Introspect ($312,596), who placed third -- beaten less than two
lengths for everything -- as the 18.70-to-1 fifth choice among
six in the $108,300 Fall Highweight at six furlongs, previously had
placed second in Belmont's 2005 Hudson and Aqueduct's 2006 Hollie Hughes
Handicaps and third in Monmouth's 2005 Wolf Hill Stakes. Owned by Castle
Village Farm -- a partnership managed by Stephen Zorn of Among several worthy representatives of the standout New York-bred crop of 2001 is Scott Solar's homebred JUDY SODA ($395,567), who twice has won Saratoga's mile and an eighth Saratoga Dew Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares and on Sunday stole another stakes with those same conditions, Aqueduct's Montauk Handicap. She is from the same New York-bred crop that also has produced 2006 Grade 1-winning mares Fleet Indian ($1,704,513) and Behaving Badly ($749,224), multiple graded winner West Virginia ($1,007,338), and such other graded winners as Friendly Island, Capeside Lady $809,540), and Sabellina ($515,190). The Montauk reportedly was the last start for Judy Soda, who has a record of 9 - 4 - 4 in 30 starts and has the same trainer as possible Top Flight winner Rahys' Appeal -- Thomas Bush. New York-breds comprised five of the eight starters in Aqueduct's
featured open N1X allowance/optional claiming contest for fillies and
mares going six furlongs on Wednesday, November 22 and earned almost
80 percent of the total purse, led by Albert Fried Jr.'s homebred three-year-old
winner, TOWERING ESCAPE ($134,420). One of the youngest (foaled
Going gate-to-wire in a 4-1/2-furlong open starter allowance for fillies and mares at Charles Town on Sunday was Allen Iwinski's New York-bred TOUCHY BROAD, who scored by a length and a half as the 7.40-to-1 fifth choice among eight starters. It was the third win of 2006 for the attractively-bred Touch Gold filly, who is the second of her dirt-and-turf-winning dam's first three offspring, all winners, boosting her record to 5 - 5 - 3 in 25 starts. Bred by Karl Hohensee and a $60,000 purchase at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2004 March sale of two-year-olds in training, Touchy Broad is out of four-time winner Aggressive Broad, who is a half-sister to stakes winners Classy Kinda Guy ($236,845), Harry N Jerry ($301,125), and Bronko Bob ($104,596). Both her sire Touch Gold and maternal grandsire Broad Brush are inbred 3 x 3: the former to Northern Dancer and the latter to Turn-to. Scoring his third win of 2006 in a restricted N2X allowance/optional
claiming contest for three-year-olds and up going seven furlongs at
Aqueduct on Friday was Gatsas Thoroughbreds LLC's homebred WHO WHAT
WIN ($122,671), who now has three victories and five runner-up efforts
in 10 starts. The three-year-old gelding was bred by and races for the
Gatsas Thoroughbreds of New Hampshire state senator Theodore Gatsas
of Manchester, whose nephew, Matthew Gatsas, is president of Sovereign
Stable, Inc., which specializes in racing partnerships. The son
of Dance Brightly is the second offspring and second winner produced
from multiple winner Charms Way, who is by Winning restricted N1X allowance races at Aqueduct were three-year-old
filly FORTYNINE BELOW going a one-turn mile on Thanksgiving and
four-year-old colt GO FERNANDO GO trying seven furlongs for the
first time and unbeaten three-year-old gelding LOST GOING HOME
stretching out to a one-turn mile -- the latter two both on Saturday.
Fortynine Below is a homebred for the Jaded Aces Stable of Emma Bell
of Sickle Pond Farm in Stillwater, who bred the filly in partnership
with Kurt Conroy, and she has won on turf at Belmont and on dirt at
Aqueduct within a 74-day span. Go Fernando Go, making his third start
in 64 days for new owner Irving Kalensky after having been away from
competition for almost a year, had broken his maiden by 7-1/2 lengths
at Meadowlands just 23 days earlier and zipped seven furlongs in a stakes-like
1:22.22. Lost Going Home was the youngest (foaled New York-bred open allowance or open overnight handicap winners at Finger Lakes from Friday, November 24 through Tuesday, November 28 were: Homebred RUN WITH THE LARK from sixth-to-first among seven starters at odds-on for his second win of 2006 and first victory at a sprint distance, on Friday; BROCCO VALLEY in a front-running performance for his fourth allowance win in 90 days and fifth allowance victory of 2006 and improving his record to 6 - 2 - 4 in 17 starts, on Saturday; RUN ALONG SONNY ($161,041) under co-topweight for his second consecutive open allowance win in nine days and fourth victory since mid-September as well as fifth tally in 2006 and improving his overall record to 7 - 6 - 4 in 34 starts, in Monday's feature; and CONEY ISLAND BABY ($109,853) by three lengths in Tuesday's featured open Farewell Handicap for her second consecutive big-margin open handicap win in 22 days and third big-margin non-claiming victory of 2006 and improving her record to 8 - 3 - 3 in 21 starts while boosting her earnings into six figures. New York-bred open claiming winners from Thursday, November 23 through Tuesday, November 28 included: MANHATTAN EXPRESS ($205,449) by three lengths from seventh-to-first
among nine starters at Hollywood Park for that southern California stakes
winner's fifth career victory, and INSTANT REPLAY from ninth-to-first
out of the ninth post among 11 starters for his second win at Woodbine
in 33 days -- both on Thursday; SIX GUN from sixth-to-first
among nine starters with a four-wide rally for his second Aqueduct win
of 2006, CURED (sired by Take
Me Out) by 6-1/4 lengths gate-to-wire from the outside post
among seven starters as the youngest three-year-old (foaled New York-bred maiden-breakers from Wednesday, November 22 through Tuesday, November 28 included: MU NIECE CAYLA (sired by Raffie's Majesty) by 2-1/2 lengths from last-to-first among nine starters with a four-wide rally after being bumped at the start, and EIGHTYNINECENTSDAY by a front-running seven lengths stretching out an extra furlong in his first effort beyond six furlongs -- both at Aqueduct -- and two-year-old filly BARONESS (sired by Regal Classic) from sixth-to-first out of the 10th post among 12 starters under co-topweight in her debut at Woodbine -- all on Wednesday; two-year-old AXEL RHODES with blinkers on in the second start for the late-foaled (May 11, 2004) youngster, and homebred BIG RINGER (sired by Dontletthebigonego) by a front-running 4-1/2 lengths 29 days after placing second in his debut -- both at Aqueduct on Thursday; two-year-old filly AD ME IN (sired by Catienus) as yet another juvenile winner inbred 3 x 3 to Mr. Prospector, two-year-old filly KARAKORMKIPNITREAL in her third start from the outside post among nine starters, and homebred JENNYS ON RADIO from the outside post among 10 starters -- all three at Aqueduct on Friday -- plus TARA DRIVE by 13-1/4 lengths gate-to-wire at odds-on at Finger Lakes -- also on Friday; two-year-old KISS THE CRUISER by six lengths gate-to-wire at Aqueduct with blinkers on in his second start and breaking from the outside post among 11 starters to cover seven furlongs in 1:23.80 at odds of 40.75-to-1, SECRETLY FREE by three lengths gate-to-wire while breaking from the eighth post among nine starters at Charles Town, homebred two-year-old filly GOLDEN ME by 2-1/2 lengths from the outside post among six starters despite ducking out at the start, GOLDEN ACE from last-to-first among 12 starters with a five-wide turn move despite a sluggish start, and ISABELLAS WAY also with a five-wide turn move to add a win to her twice-third and never-worse-than-fourth record -- all on Saturday, and the last-named three at Finger Lakes; two-year-old filly GUTS GAME by three lengths at almost even-money in her third start following two runner-up efforts at Belmont and looking well-worth her $165,000 auction price at Keeneland's select sale of two-year-olds in training last April, and homebred WISDOM AND LUCK (sired by Aristotle) in her third start to enhance a never-unplaced record that includes a first-place-finishing debut in which she was disqualified to third -- both at Aqueduct on Sunday; homebred MY PERSONAL FLAG from sixth-to-first among nine starters, and homebred SOVEREIGN STAR (sired by Regal Classic) after going five-wide on the turn -- both at Finger Lakes on Monday; two-year-old INAPPROPRIATE (sired by Freud) by 4-3/4 lengths at Portland Meadows in Oregon, and homebred GENERAL CONGRESS by 5-1/4 lengths gate-to-wire under top weight of 124 pounds at odds-on at Finger Lakes -- both on Tuesday. |
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Judy Soda steals another stakes with 2-1/4-length Montauk score by Rab Hagin
Going faster than in her Saratoga Dew win at Saratoga last August but still utilizing the same tactic, Scott Solar's homebred JUDY SODA cruised gate-to-wire under top weight to capture Aqueduct's mile and an eighth Montauk Handicap for New York-bred fillies and mares on Sunday, winning by 2-1/4 lengths. The five-year-old mare was ridden for the sixth time in competition by jockey Javier Castellano, under whom she had won a restricted N2X Aqueduct allowance in March of 2004 at the Montauk's nine-furlong distance, and she went off as the 3.10-to-1 second choice among seven starters. With no rivals willing to press the pace, Castellano nursed Judy Soda through an opening quarter-mile in a pedestrian 25.67 and then guided her through negative splits (24.49 and 24.31) to the far turn, where she cut the corner before drawing out to a three-length mid-stretch advantage. The bay mare had enough in reserve to run her fourth quarter in 24.44 and her final furlong in sub-13 (12.94), winning in time that was two seconds faster than Fleet Indian's winning time in the 2005 Montauk -- that probable 2006 Eclipse Champion's first stakes victory. Castellano, who had ridden the 2001 Montauk winner and is obviously familiar with Judy Soda even though he had not race-ridden her in more than two years, acknowledged she is difficult to overtake if not pressed early: "She's very tough when she can get on the lead by herself. I knew the fractions were slow and was glad Scatkey (the 36.75-to-1 last choice who also likes to run on the front end) never really pressed me. I was pretty confident on the far turn. This mare has a big heart." Judy Soda's Montauk victory increased her earnings by $42,315 to $395,567 and improved her record to 9 - 4 - 4 in 30 starts, which includes four stakes-placed efforts in addition to her Saratoga Dew Stakes wins at Saratoga in 2006 (on August 28) and 2005. She was the second New York-bred female trained by Thomas Bush to finish first in an Aqueduct stakes in three days, following Rahys' Appeal, who was three lengths in front in Friday's Grade 2 Top Flight but was placed second because her jockey's whip had inadvertently struck another horse. Bush -- also trainer of the 2003 Montauk winner -- had given Judy Soda a couple of easy five-furlong workouts at Belmont on November 11 and 19 in preparation for the mare's latest stakes victory. Judy Soda is by the late New York-based stallion Personal Flag and is the first offspring produced from Nikki Tootsie, who is a half-sister to a winning stakes-placed filly and out of a multiple stakes-winning mare. Her owner-breeder, Solar, qualified for a breeder's award of $8,463 in addition to the winner's share of the Montauk purse and also has raced New York-bred Belmont and Aqueduct allowance winner Wild Cure ($169,040). |
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Stuyvesant sweep swells contentious NY-bred older male division by Rab Hagin
Even without three of the biggest names among older New York-bred main track graded two-turn stakes stars of 2006, three state-bred four-year-old challengers were among seven starters in Aqueduct's Grade 3 Stuyvesant Handicap on Saturday and finished one-two-three, as ACCOUNTFORTHEGOLD ($391,648), Carminooch ($318,855), and Organizer ($403,781) swept the event. It was Accountforthegold's first 2006 stakes outing and first open stakes win, favored Carminooch's first start outside state-bred company, and recent Empire Classic winner Organizer's first open company stakes effort. Waiting in the wings in apparent preparation for later goals were three of the most name-recognizable graded winners of 2006 among New York-bred older males: West Virginia ($1,007,338), Naughty New Yorker ($608,802), and Eclipse Champion Funny Cide ($3,455,603). If at this juncture the selection for the best New York-bred older male were turned over to analysts with the critical evaluation skills of -- say, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) -- there would be a total melt-down. New York Minute: Accountforthegold's winning time in the mile and an eighth Stuyvesant on Aqueduct's inner track -- 1:48.96 -- was the fastest in that event's last five renewals and generated the highest Bloodstock Research Information Services (BRIS) speed rating (105) for a North American main track route stakes during the week of November 13-19.
The winner's circle scene following the Stuyvesant could have been mistaken for a set from the hit television series "The Sopranos." Accountforthegold's recent new owners include the Winning Move Stable of Brian and Steve Sigler, older brother and father, respectively, of actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who plays Meadow Soprano in the series. Runner-up Carminooch campaigns for the Three Amigos Stable of Joseph Scarpinito, which also has represented brothers Carmine and Tony Sirico -- the latter on the Sopranos cast portraying the character Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri. New York Minute(s): Accountforthegold, Carminooch (sired by Tomorrows Cat), and Organizer (sired by Raffie's Majesty) were the 72nd, 73rd, and 74th New York-breds to finish in the top three in 2006 stakes outside state-bred company; their Stuyvesant performances were the 113th, 114th, and 115th top-three open stakes finishes by New York-breds this year. Accountforthegold is the 27th New York-bred winner of an open (to horses bred anywhere, exclusive of the New York Stallion Stakes series) stakes event in 2006 and the 11th New York-bred graded winner this year. Keeping the New York-bred turf female division in a contentious state was Lawrence Goichman's homebred J'ray ($260,218), who closed from last to second among 11 in Churchill Downs' Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes for three-year-old fillies going a mile and a sixteenth on grass -- missing victory by a rapidly-diminishing neck. Winner of Calder's $100,000 Tropical Park Oaks (turf) on New Year's Day and voted Champion 2005 New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) Juvenile Filly and Turf Female, the stretch-running chestnut recorded her runner-up performance less than an hour after Accountforthegold, Carminooch, and Organizer had swept the Stuyvesant. Three-year-old J'ray is among three New York-bred open turf stakes-winning females of 2006 from three different crops -- along with two-year-old Chestoria (won Belmont's $84,375 Miss Grillo Stakes on October 22) and five-year-old Sabellina (won Churchill Downs' Grade 3 Cardinal Handicap on November 5). New York Minute: The runner-up effort by J'ray in the Mrs. Revere was the 116th top-three finish by a New York-bred in a stakes outside state-bred company in 2006. Gunning gate-to-wire for his second win in three career starts over a 47-day span was Muirfield Farm's New York-bred three-year-old, KIP KIP HOORAY, in an open non-winners-of-two feature allowance for three-year-olds and up going a sloppy six furlongs under co-topweight at Thistledown on Thursday, November 16. The bay gelding was favored at 2.30-to-1 among seven starters with jockey Ricardo Feliciano on board for the third consecutive time in competition and apparently had gained significant fitness since fading to finish unplaced in a 5-1/2-furlong allowance sprint at Mountaineer Park 34 days earlier. A three-furlong "bullet" workout at Thistledown six days prior to Kip Kip Hooray's second win apparently helped do the trick for the New York-bred, who is trained by Benny Feliciano and had won his debut at Mountaineer Park by five lengths. Bred by the Robert Candow Trust, Kip Kip Hooray is by 2003-to-2006 New York-based sire Kelly Kip and is the third winner produced from I'm a Bold Lady, who is by Imapuncher and is a half-sister to the 13-time winning dam of three multiple stakes winners -- one multiple graded winner. It will be interesting to see what circuit Kip Kip Hooray heads for next, since Thistledown's current meet concludes on November 27. Three-year-old winners of restricted N2X allowance/optional claiming contests at Aqueduct were new six-figure-earning filly STOLEN STAR going a one-turn mile on Thursday and colts DREAMIN OF VICTORY and SHUFFLING MADDNES going a mile and an eighth and a two-turn mile respectively -- both on the inner track -- on Friday. Stolen Star ($107,484), Chester and Mary Broman's homebred, was the 2.80-to-1 second choice among 11 wagering interests and 12 starters and improved her never-unplaced-on-dirt record to 3 - 2 - 2 in eight starts. Trained by John Kimmel, the daughter of Cat Thief is the first offspring produced from multiple stakes-placed dirt and turf winner Unbridled Star, whom the Bromans' Chestertown Farm had purchased for $115,000 at Keeneland's 2002 November sale when she was carrying Stolen Star. Dreamin of Victory, making his first start for new owners Saul and Max Kupferberg of Flushing off an 86-day layoff, was the 1.05-to-1 favorite among eight and won going away by 3-3/4 lengths for his third daylight-margin NYRA victory -- two on dirt, one on turf -- in seven 2006 outings. Trained by John Parisella, the John Hettinger-bred son of Eclipse Champion Victory Gallop and turf stakes winner Desert Dream had been purchased as a two-year-old for $20,000 at Keeneland's 2005 November sale by his previous owner, Michael Lauer, for whom he earned more than three times his purchase price. Shuffling Maddnes ($185,825), who races for Camillo Pizzo's Trinacria USA Stable under the care of trainer Del Carroll II, rallied wide from ninth-to-first as the 2.60-to-1 favorite among 10 original starters (one lost his rider) to improve his record to 3 - 4 - 4 in 14 starts. Bred by Joe Gioia of North Woodmere and runner-up in two legs of the OTBs' Big Apple Triple -- Finger Lakes' New York Derby and Saratoga's Albany Stakes -- the son of Eclipse Champion Real Quiet and multiple stakes winner Splashing Fancy has never been unplaced following his first three outings. Winning restricted N1X Aqueduct allowances were unbeaten two-year-old colt LAWRENCE THE ROMAN and two-year-old filly SAGAMOON going a mile on Thursday (one turn) and Saturday (inner track two turns) respectively, and five-year-old gelding SPEEDJAMA and three-year-old filly MIGHTY GOOD both going 5-1/2 furlongs (inner track) on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Lawrence the Roman, named for his owner and co-breeder, romped by 10 lengths at odds-on (.85-to-1) after having won first-out at Belmont by 4-1/4 lengths 50 days earlier and has serious routing credentials, being by Point Given out of four-time route winner Carly Lee ($117,650), by Broad Brush. Sagamoon, a homebred racing for the Pons Family's Country Life Farm, scored a front-running 3-1/2-length victory from the outside post among six starters for her second consecutive big-margin tally in four weeks as a short favorite and now has two wins and two seconds in four starts. Speedjama ($118,649), who races for Sovereign Stable and Gatsas Stables, had won decisively at the $35,000 open claiming level at Aqueduct and had placed second or third in his latest four previous starts since mid-August, improving to 3 - 3 - 7 in 23 outings with his Saturday victory. Mighty Good has been claimed three times in 2006 after having won her second start as a 2006 juvenile, and her fourth daylight-margin career victory and third tally since early June was for her fourth owner this year, John Witte. Confirming the elevated class level of restricted N2X allowance competition on the NYRA circuit, owner-trainer Gary Gullo's and Flying P Stables' MT LANGFUHR won an open non-winners-of-three claiming contest for fillies and mares with tags of $30,000-to-$25,000 going six furlongs at Aqueduct on Thursday. The three-year-old filly had captured a restricted N1X allowance by 3-1/2 lengths at Belmont 32 days earlier but subsequently had been off the board at the restricted N2X level -- only to win again as the 1.95-to-1 favorite among seven starters while running with a $30,000 claiming price. Bred by Deborah Bodner and a half-sister to Bodner's homebred-and-trained graded winner John Little ($407,195), Mt Langfuhr is out of 15-time winner and three-time stakes-placed Mt. Airy Beauty ($189,413), whom Bodner had claimed in that mare's final start. The chestnut filly with a pedigree that obviously gives her certain residual value is co-owned by the Flying P Stables of Donna Marie Provenzano. New York-bred open allowance winners at Finger Lakes from Friday, November 17 through Tuesday, November 21 were: CLERY'S CONTENDER (sired by Key Contender) by 4-1/2 lengths at almost even-money in the feature for his second big-margin open allowance win of 2006 and improving his record to 3 - 4 - 3 in 15 starts, and homebred two-year-old SOUTH FOURTH ST. at odds-on despite being checked and having to alter course in mid-stretch for his second win in three starts within a 55-day span that includes a fourth-place effort in the open Finger Lakes Juvenile Stakes -- both on Friday; IAM A DIXIECHIC from the sixth post among seven fillies and mares in a starter allowance with a five-wide turn move for her second consecutive win in 18 days and fourth victory in 88 days for a career record of 6 - 1 - 1 in 13 starts, and RUN ALONG SONNY ($151,021) in a front-running effort in the feature for his third win in 61 days and fourth victory of 2006 and sixth career tally -- both on Saturday; homebred SASSYBRAT from far-back-to-first "going away" following a six-wide second turn move after breaking from the outside post among five starters and now with wins at six furlongs and a mile and 70 yards within five weeks, in Monday's feature; CAUGHT INTHE ZIP for her third open allowance win in 65 days and improving her career record to 4 - 4 - 6 in 15 starts, and ACCEPTING from sixth-to-first in the feature for her third consecutive win in eight weeks and improving her record to 4 - 4 - 4 in 21 starts -- both on Tuesday. New York-bred open claiming winners from Wednesday, November 15 through Tuesday, November 21 included: SYDSATIONAL ($121,808) by a front-running 4-3/4 lengths at Aqueduct for her second Big A win in 2006 and fifth career victory, PRINCE OF RHODES by 3-3/4 lengths at Beulah Park under top weight of 124 pounds despite breaking from the ninth post among 10 starters for his second consecutive win by two or more lengths in three weeks and fourth career victory, and BOBBIE'S PRIDE by a front-running three lengths at Penn National at even-money from the sixth post among seven starters for his third big-margin win and fourth victory overall in 2006 -- all on Wednesday; two-year-old CAPTAIN RAUCOUS rallying under top weight at Woodbine with a $40,000 (Canadian currency) tag after being blocked between rivals late on the turn and winning 40 days after having changed hands through the claiming box while breaking his maiden, on Thursday; TOWN GOSSIP (sired by Williamstown) from last-to-first among eight starters with a five-wide move on the second turn under top weight going a mile and 70 yards just four weeks after winning at 5-1/2 furlongs and scoring her third career victory, NORWELLIAN in her second front-running win of 2006 and third career victory, PATTI'S CLASSY (sired by Regal Classic) from sixth-to-first among eight for her third win since Memorial Day and fifth career victory, ALONG CAME ROSIE going gate-to-wire at odds-on for her second consecutive win in 17 days and fourth victory of 2006, homebred I'MMEANONTHEGREEN ($111,871) by 7-3/4 lengths "ridden out" at even-money despite being blocked at the quarter-pole, and ROARING RYLEE by two lengths from eighth-to-first among 11 starters for her second win by two or more lengths -- all six on Friday at Finger Lakes; homebred SIDEWAYS GLANCE (sired by Western Expression) by a front-running 5-3/4 lengths at Aqueduct for his third win of 2006 in his latest four starts and sixth career victory and boosting his earnings to $166,332, EXACTAMENTO by a front-running 9-1/4 lengths at odds-on at Laurel Park "under a hand ride" after breaking from the fifth post as the youngest three-year-old among six starters three and up and scoring his fifth daylight-margin win of 2006 for a record of 5 - 2 - 2 in 14 starts, FIERCE STORM from the fifth post among six starters at Philadelphia Park for his third daylight-margin win of 2006, TAKE ME OUT JOHN (sired by Take Me Out) by six lengths at Mountaineer Park from the outside post among 10 starters as "much the best" in his first outing since being claimed nine months earlier and boosting his earnings to $107,556 with his third win, DYLANS DESTINY (sired by Tomorrows Cat) by two lengths with a five-wide turn move after breaking from the ninth post among 12 starters for his sixth career victory and boosting his earnings to $143,729, and homebred WIKDWITCHOFTHEWEST (sired by Western Expression) from the seventh post among eight starters under co-topweight for her second consecutive daylight-margin win in 19 days and going a mile and 70 yards in her first effort beyond seven furlongs -- all on Saturday, and the last-named two at Finger Lakes; WORTHY LOVER (sired by Rizzi) for his second win on Aqueduct's inner track, on Sunday; PENNY DREAM ($208,246) by 2-3/4 lengths from seventh-to-first at Remington Park with blinkers off for her fourth win on turf to go along with three wins on dirt and boosting her earnings over the $200K mark, STAGE THREE ($197,013) by a front-running 4-1/4 lengths for his third win in six weeks and fourth victory of 2006 to improve his record to 18 - 15 - 6 in 64 starts and claimed, SWAY OF PASSION by a front-running 4-3/4 lengths under co-topweight "easily" at odds-on for his second win by more than four lengths in 37 days and fifth career victory in 10 starts, and SEMICHI ($111,572) in a front-running performance at odds-on for her third daylight-margin win of 2006 and improving her record to 7 - 6 - 3 in 29 starts -- all on Monday, and the last-named three at Finger Lakes; SIZZLING SAINT for his third win of 2006, LOUISE THE TEASE (sired by Key Contender) by 4-1/4 lengths from the outside post among seven starters for her fourth daylight-margin win of 2006, PRECISE NIGHT by a front-running 2-1/2 lengths under top weight as the youngest among nine starters for her second daylight-margin win of 2006, KARAKORUM ELLA by a front-running 11-1/4 lengths at odds-on "easily" from the outside post among eight starters for her second consecutive big-margin win in 18 days and third big-margin victory since mid-August, FOUR NINE WHISKEY (sired by Freud) from the seventh post among eight starters for her second daylight-margin win since early August, and KARAKORUM CHANCE for his second front-running win in 32 days -- all at Finger Lakes on Tuesday. New York-bred maiden-breakers from Wednesday, November 15 through Tuesday, November 21 included: Homebred two-year-old LORCCAN from sixth-to-first out of the outside post among eight starters, KOBA despite a four-wide trip but with blinkers off for the first time, two-year-old GOOD CHANCE in a front-running effort, and homebred two-year-old filly KEUKA MAID -- all at Aqueduct -- plus two-year-old GI'S SECOND CHANCE "eagerly pulled away" by a front-running five lengths at Laurel Park in his third start while covering five furlongs in 58.97 from the outside post among 12 starters, and two-year-old SUPER ON by 10-1/4 lengths at Woodbine in his third start -- all on Wednesday; two-year-old filly DRIVING MS. MAIZEY by 3-3/4 lengths in her third start, and homebred RUFFINO (sired by Raffie's Majesty) by 4-3/4 lengths from the 11th post as the only first-time-starter among 12 -- both at Aqueduct on Thursday; two-year-old filly VISUAL CANDY from sixth-to-first among 10 despite having to be steadied into the first turn as the youngest starter (May 21 foal) in an impressive third outing for the daughter of 1996 NYTB Three-Year-Old Filly Champion Double Dee's with a pedigree that has 2 x 3 inbreeding to leading sire Mr. Prospector, and POKERISTA in her debut with a three-wide rally after breaking from the 10th post among 11 starters -- both at Aqueduct -- plus homebred two-year-old HERCULES by 2-3/4 lengths gate-to-wire and odds-on at Charles Town with blinkers on for the first time and breaking from the seventh post among nine starters, homebred RIVER OF FORTUNE (sired by River Keen) going gate-to-wire from the outside post among nine starters, and two-year-old filly I CAN HEAR YOU NOW by 5-3/4 lengths gate-to-wire with blinkers on for the first time and looking well-worth her $100,000 price at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's February select auction of two-year-olds -- all on Friday, and the last-named two at Finger Lakes; homebred two-year-old GOLD AND BLUE BOX from seventh-to-first among 10 starters in his second start with a four-wide second turn move going a mile at Aqueduct, two-year-old TRUST NOBODY at odds-on with a wide stretch move going six furlongs at Aqueduct, WATRALMERCIMADAME by a front-running four lengths "under wraps late" as the only debut runner among eight starters, WATRALRAGINGCOWBOY from last-to-first after breaking from the outside post among nine starters and despite being checked at the half-mile pole before gaining six-wide on the second turn, and ROXY GIRL (sired by Williamstown) in a front-running effort at almost even-money in her third start and with blinkers on for the first time -- all on Saturday, and the last-named three at Finger Lakes; homebred two-year-old filly SWEET VICTORY by 5-1/2 lengths gate-to-wire in the third start for the half-sister to two New York-bred stakes winners, and two-year-old FAHRENHEIT WILD by 3-1/4 lengths going a two-turn mile in his first effort beyond 5-1/2 furlongs -- both at Aqueduct -- plus stakes-placed multiple turf flat winner GRYFFINDOR in a maiden special over jumps at Camden going 2-1/4 miles under co-topweight of 154 pounds and twice regaining the lead to prevail while boosting his earnings into six figures -- all on Sunday; GOOD VERSUS BAD by 12-1/4 lengths gate-to-wire under co-topweight at Thistledown as "much the best" on a sloppy track, MISHY MISH by three lengths, and homebred two-year-old HEADSTREAM in a front-running daylight-margin debut-winning performance from the sixth post among eight starters -- all on Monday, and the last-named two at Finger Lakes; ROMANCE BY RAIL (sired by Rizzi) in a front-running effort at Finger Lakes on Tuesday. |
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Accountforthegold leads 1-2-3 NY-bred sweep of Big A's G3 Stuyvesant by Rab Hagin
Leading gate-to-wire in a one-two-three sweep by New York-breds, Winning Move Stable's and Harold Lerner's newly-acquired ACCOUNTFORTHEGOLD galloped to victory in Aqueduct's Grade 3 Stuyvesant Handicap at a mile and an eighth for three-year-olds and up on Saturday, confirming the predictions that trainer Gary Contessa had made about him earlier. Placing second was Three Amigos Stable's New York-bred Carminooch, and finishing third was Majesty Stud's New York homebred Organizer, who had beaten Carminooch by three-quarters of a length while winning New York Showcase Day's $250,000 Empire Classic four weeks earlier. Accountforthegold has morphed into a monster since returning from an almost nine-month layoff, placing second in open N3X allowance/optional claiming contests at Saratoga and Belmont going seven furlongs and a mile and a sixteenth before winning a Belmont mile by nine lengths under those same conditions on October 20. Despite that last performance generating among the highest Beyer and BRIS speed ratings for the North American racing week, Accountforthegold was cautiously regarded as the 4.30-to-1 third choice among seven starters in the $110,100 Stuyvesant, for which Carminooch was the 1.40-to-1 favorite. He broke on top with jockey Michael Luzzi on board for the fourth consecutive time in competition and reeled off three almost identical quarter-mile splits (23.97, 23.68, 23.95), effectively taking his closest early pursuer, 6.30-to-1 fourth choice Organizer, out of front-end contention by mid-stretch. Carminooch closed the gap by 2-1/2 lengths in the final furlong to finish a length behind Accountforthegold, who ran the fastest Stuyvesant (1:48.96) of the last five years. Previous renewals of the Stuyvesant have been won by Accountforthegold's paternal great-great-great-great-great-grandsire, Man o' War, as well as by Triple Crown champion Seattle Slew. "That was a lot of fun," reported jockey Luzzi. "Gary's (Contessa) got him going great. Everything went as planned." Contessa, the New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) 2004 Trainer of the Year, had indicated prior to the Stuyvesant that Accountforthegold would be difficult to catch: "He's a legitimate speed horse," Contessa had pointed out. "Some horses -- you have to make them go to get to the lead. This is a horse that breaks and pulls you to the lead. If anyone goes head-and-head with him, they're giving up a chance to win the race." After the Stuyvesant, Contessa obviously felt he had made the correct assessment: "You could see in the paddock -- his eyeballs were popping out of his head. He's always been a good horse, and he's just matured at four. He's going to be even better next year. I've been standing on a box preaching that he's a good horse. He's staying right here (at Aqueduct) this winter," Contessa added. "He will be a force to reckon with." For his first open stakes victory, Accountforthegold increased his earnings by $66,060 to $391,648 and improved his record to 5 - 5 - 1 in 15 starts, which includes a three-length victory in Finger Lakes' 2005 New York Derby. The four-year-old colt also qualified his new owners since his previous nine-length Belmont win on October 20, the Winning Move Stable of Brian Sigler of Great Neck and Harold Lerner, for an additional $6,606 open race owner's award. In the winner's circle after the race was Sigler's younger sister, 25-year-old actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who plays Meadow Soprano on the international hit television series, "The Sopranos." There was a similar "Sopranos" connection for the Stuyvesant runner-up, Carminooch ($318,855), who races for the Three Amigos Stable of Joseph Scarpinito et al -- previously managed by Carmine Sirico, brother of "Sopranos" star Tony Sirico, as that Tomorrows Cat colt advanced his record to 5 - 4 - 3 in 15 starts. Organizer ($403,781), a son of New York stallion Raffie's Majesty, moved his record at 4 - 8 - 3 in 17 starts. The three New York-bred four-year-old colts qualified for a total of $28,736.10 in owner's, breeder's, and stallion owner's awards as a result of their one-two-three Stuyvesant finish. Bred by the NYTB 2005 Breeder of the Year, Richard Simon's Sez Who Thoroughbreds, Accountforthegold had raced for Simon's Whos Next Racing Stable through his latest previous start and is the first of two winners produced from a mare that Simon had purchased for $55,000 at Keeneland's 2000 November sale. He is the 27th New York-bred winner of a stakes outside state-bred company in 2006 and the 11th graded New York-bred winner this year. The Stuyvesant is the 38th open (to horses bred anywhere, exclusive of the New York Stallion Stakes series) stakes race won in 2006 by a New York-bred and the 17th graded event captured by a state-bred this year.
Closing from dead last among 11 three-year-old fillies approaching the second turn, Lawrence Goichman's New York homebred J'ray missed by a rapidly-diminishing neck in Churchill Downs' Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth on turf, suggesting that the NYTB dual 2005 champion is approaching top form. The late-running chestnut had become the first New York-bred stakes winner of 2006 when she captured Calder's $100,000 Tropical Park Oaks at a mile and a sixteenth on grass on New Year's Day. After that auspicious 2006 beginning, she had survived bumping to place third in Keeneland's $109,100 Appalachian Stakes in April and had closed well but was unplaced in Keeneland's crowded and off-the-turf Grade 3 Valley View Stakes on October 20, which was her last start prior to the Mrs. Revere. Sent off in Saturday's $170,550 Mrs. Revere as the 5.20-to-1 third choice, J'ray negotiated the second turn four-wide and swung out 10-wide for her stretch run, where she passed seven rivals and almost caught winner Precious Kitten -- a daughter of New York-based sire Catienus -- at the wire. The effort increased J'ray's earnings by $32,063 to $260,218 while putting her record at 4 - 1 - 1 in eight starts, which includes two open turf stakes victories as a 2005 juvenile. The Todd Pletcher trainee has never finished worse than third on grass and was the first-ever winner of the NYTB Champion Juvenile Filly and Champion Turf Female titles in the same year. Her runner-up performance in the Mrs. Revere was the 116th top-three finish in a stakes outside state-bred company by a New York-bred in 2006. Foaled at Keane Stud in Amenia that is now owned by Jeff Stark, J'ray is a half-sister to a champion older female in Saudi Arabia, Dadeland, who also won races in England and France. The daughter of English three-year-old champion Distant View is out of winning French-bred mare Bubbling Heights, whom J'ray's owner-breeder, computer technology and equipment leasing specialist Goichman of Greenwich, Connecticut, had purchased privately in Europe. The winner of the Mrs. Revere, Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey's Precious Kitten ($329,688), is among nine stakes winners from three crops of racing age sired by the Ramsey couple's stakes-winning dirt and turf proficient, Catienus, who is the current leading New York-based sire in 2006 progeny earnings. Stakes-winning offspring of Catienus include a Grade 1-winning colt on dirt, Dawn of War ($409,489), and now he has a Grade 2-winning filly on turf, Precious Kitten |
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Latest open stakes wins highlight 3 competitive NY-bred 2006 divisions by Rab Hagin
Saturday's
flurry of stakes successes outside state-bred company by NAUGHTY
Naughty New
Yorker's top-weighted victory off negative splits (successively faster
quarter-miles) in the off-the-turf Red Smith made him 2006's third state-bred
main track two-turn graded-winning older male -- following West
Virginia and Funny Cide -- all of whom finished behind Organizer
and Carminooch in New
York Showcase Day's Empire Classic. Four-year-old Naughty New Yorker,
who races for Peter Schiff's Fox Ridge Farm, has won six stakes over
each of his three racing seasons, including three black-type tallies
in 2006, and has earned $608,802. Ferocious Fires, now five-for-five, appeared about to be inhaled by his competition in the upper stretch of Aqueduct's seven-furlong Mr. Leader, and his wunderkind jockey, Fernando Jara, agreed -- but discovered otherwise: "I thought they were going to go by me," recalled Jara to Daily Racing Form's David Grening. "But he came back again at the end, and I lost my whip. The last sixteenth, I never whipped the horse. He's a fighter," marveled Jara, who had never previously ridden Ferocious Fires in competition. Owned by his breeder, Sanford Goldfarb, in partnership with Ira Davis, Michael Glassberg, and William Vidro, Ferocious Fires is among four New York-bred three-year-olds that have won sprint stakes outside state-bred competition in 2006, one of whom, Sharp Humor, is a Grade 2 winner this year. Ted Taylor's
Magnolia Jackson ($391,784) -- already a Grade 2 winner at Aqueduct
last April -- came off a five-month layoff to win Meadowlands'
completely unrestricted $71,484 Montclair State University Stakes by
2-1/4 lengths in a six-furlong clocking (1:08.68) that rivals state-bred
Grade 1-winning mare Behaving Badly's 2006 sprint times. The fleet four-year-old
filly improved her never-worse-than-fourth record to 8 - 2 -
1 in 13 starts, which includes an exceptional compilation of five wins
and two Grade 2-placed efforts in seven outings this year, during which
she has captured four stakes. There is no official New York Thoroughbred
Breeders (NYTB) female sprint division, but in that theoretical category,
Magnolia Jackson and Behaving Badly are worthy rivals within a designated
division that also includes 2006 graded sprint winner Picking up
black-type on Saturday in Delaware Park's Odessa Stakes for three-year-olds
just two weeks after having been claimed while winning at that track
for the second time in 2006 was Gordon Kerr's New York-bred Berrytime,
who galloped the mile and a sixteenth as the third finisher among three
starters. The three-year-old colt's breeder and former owner until the
claim, the Steeplechase Farm of computer software businessman John Gorham
of New
York Minute(s): Berrytime was the 71st New York-bred to win or place
(second or third) in a stakes outside state-bred competition in 2006,
and the NYRA executives interested in offering long-distance races -- always a handicapper's delight -- can count on intrepid New York-breds to show up, since state-breds comprised six of eight starters and the first five finishers in Aqueduct's two-mile open N1X allowance/optional claiming contest on Friday that was won by SUCCESSFUL AFFAIR ($198,243). Claimed on October 19 on behalf of Brian Sigler's Winning Move Stable by NYTB 2004 Trainer of the Year Gary Contessa, Successful Affair had won a one-mile restricted N2X/allowance optional claiming contest at Aqueduct just eight days after being claimed (October 27) -- eliminating his restricted N2X condition. The four-year-old gelding had never raced longer than a mile and an eighth nor won at longer than a mile and a sixteenth but was the 2.65-to-1 second choice for Friday's $46,000 feature, in which stakes-placed New York-breds Duke's Crossing and S. Cherry Legacy ran with $25,000 tags. In his second consecutive victory under jockey Kent Desormeaux, Successful Affair led Duke's Crossing ($205,176) by eight lengths, with Delta Sea ($279,828) third, improving his record to 5 - 8 - 5 in 27 starts, which includes four 2006 wins -- two on Aqueduct's outer main track, two on the inner. The son of Successful Appeal and half-brother to multiple stakes-placed eight-time winner Private Opening ($244,025) was bred by Richard Simon's Sez Who Thoroughbreds, Inc. and is the fifth offspring and fifth winner produced from two-time route winner Private Pouf, by Private Terms. A daylight-margin
winner on Friday in a one-mile Aqueduct starter allowance for New York-bred
three-year-olds and up that had raced with a claiming price --
no matter how high or when -- was John Nerud's homebred WING
Winning restricted
N1X allowances at Aqueduct were two-year-old filly GOLDEN
DREAMER on Wednesday (November 8) and three-year-old colt BACK
DOOR DEAL ($103,558) on Saturday -- both going six furlongs --
followed by three-year-old colt DEMOCRAT
at a mile on Saturday and three-year-old filly KEEP
YOUR Winning with
a $45,000 tag in open claiming company at Aqueduct on Friday was Eagle
View Farm's $30,000 claim at New York-bred
open allowance or open allowance/optional claiming winners at Homebred CALCULATOR
($234,747) by 3-1/2 lengths despite a seven-wide trip most of the way
after breaking from the sixth post among seven starters for his third
consecutive win in 54 days and fourth victory of 2006 and improving
his record to 6 - 6 - 11 in 44 starts, on Friday; SISTER
SHIP by a front-running 2-1/2 lengths for her second consecutive
daylight-margin win in 57 days and her fifth career start and first
outing under the colors of new owner Acclaimed Racing Stable and the
only starter in her contest with fewer than 12 previous races, and homebred
SUGAR New York-bred
restricted allowance winners at Homebred THIS
TRICK'S A PRO in a front-running performance for her fourth win
of 2006 and fifth career victory, on Friday; REGALLY
(sired by Regal
Classic) for her second consecutive front-running allowance win
in 16 days and fourth victory in 2006, on Saturday; BEEBE'S
FAMOOSE (sired by Scarlet Ibis) by 3-1/2 lengths from the eighth
post among nine starters for his second win since Labor Day weekend
and fifth career victory, on Monday; DANGEROUS
DAN in a front-running performance at even-money for his second
consecutive win in 33 days and third consecutive victory in seven weeks
and improving his career record to five wins and one second in nine
starts since the end of June, HOSTILE
WITNESS ($153,518) from sixth-to-first among seven starters "ridden
out" for his fourth allowance victory since the end of July and improving
his overall record to 7 - 3 - 5 in 30 starts, and PUZZLE
at almost even money despite having to be checked at the top of the
stretch to add a main track allowance win to her record along with two
turf allowance victories in Florida earlier in 2006 and improving her
career resume to four wins and four seconds in 14 starts -- all
three on Tuesday. New York-bred open claiming winners from Wednesday, November 8 through Tuesday, November 14 included: Homebred SWEET
NICOLE by 3-1/2 lengths gate-to-wire under co-topweight at even-money
at Meadowlands for her second big-margin win of 2006 to advance a career
record that began in early August to a never-unplaced 2 - 1 -
2 in five starts as the only participant in her contest with fewer than
12 previous races and obviously destined for bigger goals because she
was claimed, on Wednesday evening; EMPTOR
(sired by A. P Jet)
gate-to-wire at Woodbine from the 10th post among 11 starters for her
second win of 2006 and improving her record to 5 - 7 - 6 in
29 starts following three consecutive placed efforts that included a
stakes-placing at Fort Erie, and PRESUME
NOT by 2-1/2 lengths at Calder going from last-to-first among 10
starters following a slow start, on Thursday; OUTSHINE
from sixth-to-first among seven starters at Calder with a three-wide
turn move for his second win of 2006 and fourth career victory, HORRIBLE
JEAN in a front-running effort at Meadowlands for her second daylight-margin
win in 60 days and 23 days after having been claimed, New York-bred maiden-breakers from Wednesday, November 8 through Tuesday, November 14 included: Two-year-old
YOUR HOUR'S UP (sired by
Freud) by three
lengths going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct in the first main track effort
beyond six furlongs for the half-brother to New York-bred multiple Grade
2 winner Capeside Lady ($809,540), on Wednesday; SPLENDID
VIRTUE by three lengths at Meadowlands under co-topweight at even-money
in her third start, on Thursday; two-year-old filly COURT
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NY-breds sweep Big A stakes - Naughty New Yorker
(G3), Ferocious Fires, Magnolia Jackson (Meadowlands) all SWs
Two New York-breds faced eight rivals in a pair of Saturday Aqueduct stakes which they both won, as top-weighted NAUGHTY NEW YORKER notched his first open victory in the Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap, and still-unbeaten FEROCIOUS FIRES won his fifth straight and first stakes outing in the Mr. Leader. Later in the evening less than 7-1/2 hours after the Red Smith, Grade 2 winner MAGNOLIA JACKSON scored her fourth stakes tally of 2006 with a gate-to-wire romp under top weight in Meadowlands' Montclair State University Stakes for fillies and mares. None of these three winners was favored, but none was much of a surprise, either. For Fox Ridge Farm, Inc.'s Naughty New Yorker, it was the best demonstration of effectively running negative splits on a main track since New York-bred Fleet Indian had romped to a 4-1/4-length laugher in Saratoga's Grade 1 Personal Ensign this past August. Because of heavy rainfall three days earlier, NYRA's director of racing surfaces, John Passero, judged Aqueduct's turf course not yet safe, and the Grade 2 Red Smith -- originally carded for a mile and three-eights on turf -- became a Grade 3 mile and a quarter main track event. Naughty New Yorker, one of three entered for main track only, went off as the 1.95-to-1 second choice among five remaining starters following 11 scratches while being reunited with his previous long-time jockey, Jean-Luc Samyn. The four-year-old colt is known to have his share of quirks as well as talent, and Samyn piloted him perfectly through gradually accelerating splits while 1.60-to-1 favorite Angliana (also entered for main track only) pursued in fruitless frustration from second place. Allowed a 3-1/2-length opening quarter lead with no challengers, Naughty New Yorker waltzed through his first quarter-mile split in a casual 26.15. Angliana edged somewhat closer to trail by a length and a half, so Samyn allowed his mount to pick up the pace by .35 of a second to 25.80. As Angliana -- who was coming off consecutive victories in September and October -- increased his speed, so did Naughty New Yorker, lowering his next quarter-mile clocking by 1.19 seconds to 24.61. Angliana's red-hot young jockey, Fernando Jara, knew he was going to have to get closer to the pace-setter for the stretch run, and though his mount advanced to within Naughty New Yorker's throatlatch, the New York-bred kept him at bay with a fourth quarter-mile split that dropped to 24.40. From the quarter-pole on, the sprint for home began, but Naughty New Yorker had too much left and too much speed, lowering his final quarter-mile by almost another full second to a sprint-like 23.56 to win by a length and three-quarters. The only colt ever to win the shortest (Mike Lee) and longest (Albany) stakes in The OTBs' Big Apple Triple series (in 2005), Naughty New Yorker had too much talent and versatility to be allowed to run in that style and not come away a decisive winner. Jockey Samyn was obviously delighted to be back on board Naughty New Yorker, whom he has now ridden in 22 races and five victories, including four stakes: "I'm just happy to be reunited with my big horse and on top of that big back in the winner's circle," Samyn exclaimed. "I lost him when I got hurt in Saratoga. For Pat (Patrick) Kelly to put him in this race 'main-track-only' worked out well. He's got plenty of speed, and in the first sixteenth, he takes his time, but then after that he goes." It was Samyn's third winning ride in the Red Smith -- but his first victorious trip in that event over a main track. In 1983, Samyn had guided New York-bred Thunder Puddles ($791,695) -- then the all-time leading state-bred money-earner -- to victory in a division of the Red Smith, and he also had ridden the 2004 Red Smith winner, Dreadnaught. Conditioner Patrick Kelly, the New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) 1986 Trainer of the Year, originally had been pointing Naughty New Yorker for Aqueduct's $100,000-added Grade 3 Stuyvesant Handicap at a mile and an eighth a week later: "We were all set to run next week in the Stuyvesant. We'll take the bigger purse. I (nominated) him to the (Hill 'n' Dale Cigar) Mile (November 25 at Aqueduct), just in case Discreet Cat gets a headache or something. He was running easy today and not fighting. It's nice to win an open stakes. Hopefully, he'll keep going for a while and win some more. I wouldn't run him back in the Stuyvesant. I'd rather keep an eye on the other race, because we've got the Queens County (December 9 at Aqueduct) coming up, too." Naughty New Yorker's first graded victory and third stakes tally by a daylight margin since mid-August -- at all three NYRA tracks -- increased his earnings by $90,000 to $608,802 and improved his always-improving record to 7 - 5 - 5 in 27 starts, which includes six stakes wins. He races for the Fox Ridge Farm, Inc. of Peter Schiff of Syosset, who is president of the private venture and leveraged buyout firm Northwood Ventures and had purchased the bay colt for $145,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2004 March sale of two-year-olds in training. Bred by the husband-wife veterinarian team of Dr. William Wilmot -- a member of the board of directors of the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund Corporation -- and Dr. Joan Taylor, Naughty New Yorker was foaled at his breeders' Stepwise Farm in Saratoga Springs. The son of Quiet American is a half-brother to stakes-winning filly router and Grade 2-placed Pupil ($204,280), being the third winner produced from Naughty Natisha, by Known Fact. Stepwise Farm had purchased Naughty Natisha -- who is a half-sister to stakes winners Victorica ($293,067 and dam of Irish stakes winner King Hesperus) and Noble Minstrel -- for $150,000 at Keeneland's 1998 November sale when the future multiple stakes producer was carrying Pupil as her first foal. Naughty New Yorker is the 26th New York-bred winner of a stakes race outside of state-bred competition in 2006, and the Red Smith was the 36th stakes event open to runners bred anywhere (exclusive of the New York Stallion Stakes series) won by a New York-bred this year. He is the tenth New York-bred graded winner of 2006 -- following Grade 3 turf winner Sabellina at Churchill Downs six days earlier. Ferocious Fires stays unbeaten following 1st stakes outing in competitive Mr. Leader
Still unbeaten but three times challenged following five starts since February, Sanford Goldfarb et al's homebred FEROCIOUS FIRES briefly lost the lead in his first stakes outing, Aqueduct's semi-restricted seven-furlong Mr. Leader Stakes, and his jockey lost his whip, but the colt himself refused to lose the race. Sent off the 4.10-to-1 third choice -- his first non-favored effort -- among five starters in the Mr. Leader, which was for three-year-olds that had not won an open 2006 stakes, the New York-bred gained a short early lead with rivals on either side and set all subsequent fractions. It was his first outing under jockey Fernando Jara, who guided the chestnut colt through accelerating splits of 22.84 and 22.57 that produced a head margin over closely-pursuing Songofthesailor after a half-mile in 45.41. Songofthesailor soon faded, but odds-on (.85-to-1) High Finance advanced quickly on the outside and enticed the remaining runners to go with him, as the field swept five abreast into the stretch only heads apart with some horses racing almost dead even alongside others. In the upper stretch, 2.50-to-1 second choice Hither Lane appeared to gain a narrow advantage, after which Jara lost his whip, but Ferocious Fires would not be denied, digging in to set a six-furlong fraction of 1:09.19 and then edging away from Hither Lane to win in 1:22.13. It has been mentioned repeatedly that Ferocious Fires has yet to run a sensational sprint time, and it was probably mentioned again on Saturday even though the New York-bred's winning time was nothing to apologize for, but he keeps winning. The colt's latest effort increased his earnings by $41,550 to $154,350 in five starts. Ferocious Fires had an eight-length maiden-breaking debut going six furlongs at Aqueduct last February, won restricted N1X and N2X allowance victories at Saratoga in August at 5-1/2 and six furlongs, and prevailed by a neck at seven furlongs in open N1X/allowance optional claiming company at Belmont on September 30. Following his fourth victory, trainer Anthony Dutrow had given the colt two fairly sharp five-furlong workouts at Aqueduct during October. Ferocious Fires races for Sanford Goldfarb of Old Westbury in partnership with Ira Davis, Michael Glassberg, and William Vidro and was bred by Goldfarb, who qualified for a $4,155 breeder award in addition to sharing in purse money and an open race owner's award. He is a full brother to another Goldfarb homebred 2006 winner, Frank's Fuse, being the second offspring and second six-figure-earner produced from six-time winner Flag On the Gate. Ferocious Fires' sire, Grade 1 winner Lite the Fuse, also has sired Goldfarb's homebred Ferocious Won, winner of the first two 2006 legs of The OTBs' Big Apple Triple. Although the son of two sprinters, Ferocious Fires' pedigree has noticeable routing influences: 1) he is distantly inbred (4 x 5) to classic winner and sire Tom Rolfe; 2) his dam is inbred 4 x 4 to stamina sire Princequillo; 3) his dosage profile is a relatively long-winded 6-7-6-2-1. Ferocious Fires was the 25th New York-bred winner of a stakes race outside state-bred competition in 2006 -- preceding Naughty New Yorker's Red Smith victory by an hour and 25 minutes. The Mr. Leader was the 35th stakes event open to runners bred anywhere (exclusive of the New York Stallion Stakes series) won by a New York-bred this year. Magnolia Jackson re-blossoms with a vengeance in Montclair State U. Stakes
Already a three-time 2006 stakes winner whose victories included Aqueduct's Grade 2 Bed o' Roses Breeders Cup at seven furlongs in April, Ted Taylor's MAGNOLIA JACKSON clocked her fastest six furlongs ever with a 2-1/4-length romp under top weight in Meadowlands' Montclair State University Stakes on Saturday evening. Sent off the 1.70-to-1 second choice among six starters in the unrestricted event for fillies and mares with meet-leading jockey Jose Lezcano race-riding her for the first time, the four-year-old filly set fractions of 22.42, 44.98, and 56.69 en route to a 1:08.68 final clocking. Odds-on Getcozywithkaylee (.90-to-1) closed for second while carrying four less pounds than Magnolia Jackson but was no threat to the winner. It was the fastest winning time among eight six-furlong contests on Meadowlands' 11-race Saturday evening card, which also included another stakes at that distance. For jockey Lezcano, it was the third of four winning rides that evening at Meadowlands, including all three stakes events on the program. Magnolia Jackson's victory off a five-month layoff increased her earnings by $41,400 to $391,784 and improved her never-worse-than-fourth record to 8 - 2 - 1 in 13 sprint starts, which includes tallies in Aqueduct's open Correction and restricted Broadway Handicaps last February and March in addition to the Bed o' Roses. The bay filly had been away from competition for 50 days prior to a third-place effort in Belmont's Grade 2 Vagrancy Handicap on June 11, which was followed by her even longer layoff leading up to Saturday night's Montclair State U. breeze. In preparing the New York-bred for her first-ever effort off a significant layoff, NYTB 2004 Trainer of the Year Gary Contessa had given Magnolia Jackson six workouts since September 28 spaced five-to-eight days apart, concluding with a five-furlong "bullet" drill (59 1/5) at Aqueduct on November 3. Bred by Richard Simon's Sez Who Thoroughbreds (North) in Stillwater -- the NYTB 2005 Breeder of the Year -- Magnolia Jackson had been sold by her breeder for $25,000 to pin-hooking agent James Layden of South Carolina at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2003 August yearling sale. Layden had sold her to Taylor, a Birmingham, Alabama resident and owner of Kentucky's historic Spendthrift Farm from 1994 to 2000, for $51,000 at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's 2004 May sale of two-year-olds in training in Timonium, Maryland. A year later at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's 2005 May sale of two-year-olds, Taylor had purchased Magnolia Jackson's now three-year-old winning half-sister, New York-bred Magnolia's Sister, for $38,000. Magnolia Jackson, who is by graded winner Cape Canaveral, and Magnolia's Sister (sired by Rizzi) are among three starters, all winners, produced from Just a Bullet, a Jolie's Halo mare who as a two-year-old had won on dirt and placed third in a Meadowlands turf stakes. For $20,000 in the name of New Dawn Stud, breeder Simon had purchased Just a Bullet -- a full sister to Grade 2-placed winner American Bullet ($159,840) and a half-sister to multiple Group 1-pl,aced winner Pro Tank Plus -- at Keeneland's 2000 November sale when she was carrying her first winner. The Montclair State University was the 37th stakes event outside state-bred competition to be captured by a New York-bred in 2006 -- following Ferocious Fires' Mr. Leader victory (35th) and Naughty New Yorker's Grade 3 Red Smith tally (36th) earlier on Saturday at Aqueduct. |
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Busy
1st Nov. weekend for NY-breds in stakes - both in KY and NY
In an active
weekend at Churchill Downs and Aqueduct, New York-breds FRIENDLY
ISLAND and SABELLINA performed
impressively in graded company under the Twin Spires, and New York-conceived
state-breds BAXTER, LAURENTIDE
ICE, ARTISTIC EXPRESS,
and RED ZIPPER all showed
new dimensions in New York Stallion Stakes events at the Big A. (See
New York Stallion
Stakes Sunday recaps). Anstu Stable's New York Minute: New York-breds have recorded a total of 108 top-three finishes in stakes races outside state-bred competition in 2006; a total of 68 individual New York-breds have won or placed second or third in open (to horses bred anywhere, exclusive of the New York Stallion Stakes series) stakes events this year. |
