Big Apple Daddy turns tables on former nemesis in Say Florida Sandy by Rab Hagin

Photo: Adam Coglianese

BIG APPLE DADDY

For the fourth time in 26 months, five-year-olds BIG APPLE DADDY and Gold and Roses met in stakes competition -- their latest encounter coming in Belmont's six-furlong Say Florida Sandy Stakes for New York-bred four-year-olds and up on Saturday, with the former prevailing over his more experienced rival by a length. The score between these two classy competitors -- one an open stakes winner and the other an accomplished miler as well as sprinter -- is now 2-to-2 in finish order, although this marked the first occasion on which Big Apple Daddy actually won against Gold and Roses. The winner was coming off his 2007 debut 100 days earlier, and the runner-up was making his first start since winning Belmont's $125,000 Hudson Handicap under co-topweight on New York Showcase Day (October 21) 36 weeks earlier.

Owned by Ervin Rodriguez and conditioned by New York Thoroughbred Breeders 2005 Trainer of the Year Bruce Levine, Big Apple Daddy was narrowly favored over Gold and Roses at 1.50-to-1 among six starters with jockey Fernando Jara on board for the first time in competition. The two top choices broke side-by-side from the fifth (Big Apple Daddy) and sixth post positions, but dueling for the early lead were 3.65-to-1 third choice Stonewood and 14.40-to-1 fifth choice Go Fernando Go. After an opening quarter-mile in 22.43 set by Stonewood, Gold and Roses rallied three-wide around the turn to seize command with a half-mile fraction in 45.16, while trailing him four-wide in fourth place at that juncture was an advancing Big Apple Daddy. By mid-stretch off an impressive five-furlong fraction of 56.98, Gold and Roses led by about a half-length, but then Big Apple Daddy suddenly surged forward on the outside and moved decisively ahead approaching the wire to win in his best time ever for six furlongs -- 1:09.28. For jockey Jara, it was the first of two winning rides on Belmont's Saturday card aboard New York-breds -- his second victorious trip coming astride a state-bred filly in open allowance competition.

Big Apple Daddy is arguably better at seven furlongs, having won Philadelphia Park's 2006 Donald LeVine Memorial Handicap at that distance in a stakes record 1:20.79, but his Say Florida Sandy victory was worthy of an event named for the super-sound sprinter (see New York-bred Millionaires Club) and state-based stallion. The dark bay horse's third stakes win improved his record to 7 - 8 - 4 in 22 starts and increased his earnings to $457,526. Gold and Roses, Henry Gregory's semi-homebred whose six stakes victories include two tallies -- at a one-turn mile and at 6-1/2 furlongs -- in which Big Apple Daddy had been runner-up, increased his earnings to $691,554 off a record of 8 - 10 - 3 in 26 starts.

Purchased by owner Rodriguez for $40,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2004 March sale of two-year-olds in training in Florida, Big Apple Daddy went into the Say Florida Sandy off five solid workouts at Belmont beginning on June 2, including a five-furlong "bullet" drill on June 26. The son of former New York stallion Precise End was bred by Becky Thomas and Lewis Lakin and was foaled at his breeders' Lakland North, LLC (now Sequel Stallions New York) in Hudson. He is the third of four winners produced from Clever Actress, whom Lakland Farm had purchased for $65,000 at Keeneland's 2000 November sale when she was carrying future New York-bred three-time Aqueduct winner Princess Jasmine ($105,030). Clever Actress is a half-sister to stakes-placed five-time winners Win Croire ($775,098 in Japan) and Clever Actor ($199,900), and her dam is record-setting four-time turf stakes winner Lady Clever Trick ($184,906).

Restricted stakes keep generating top North American speed ratings by Rab Hagin

Photo: Adam Coglianese

ACCOUNTFORTHEGOLD Had best BRIS route rating June 11-24

The highest Bloodstock Research Information Services (BRIS) speed rating at beyond a mile -- dirt or turf -- during the two-week span of June 11-24 was registered in Belmont's mile and a sixteenth Gander Stakes for New York-breds on Sunday, June 24 by ACCOUNTFORTHEGOLD ($510,337), whose 1:40.53 clocking generated a 109 figure. That rating surpassed the winning BRIS figures for all stakes longer than eight furlongs -- graded or otherwise -- run in North American during that time frame, including the hotly-contested Grade 1 Stephen Foster (107) at Churchill Downs 13 days earlier. Accountforthegold, who races for Harold Lerner and Winning Move Stable under New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) 2004-2006 Trainer of the Year Gary Contessa's care and was bred by NYTB 2005-2006 Breeder of the Year Sez Who Thoroughbreds (Richard Simon), was a graded winner in 2006.

New York Minute: Accountforthegold's Gander win marked the fifth time in eight weeks that New York-breds have generated triple-digit BRIS figures in stakes -- following his own April 29 Kings Point, Bustin Stones in Belmont's May 9 Screenland, Commentator in Belmont's Richmond Runner on Memorial Day, and Gimme Credit in Belmont's June 17 Notoriety.

Winning Belmont's one-turn mile Sleepy Hollow Stakes by four lengths as a two-year-old on New York Showcase Day (October 21) and seven-furlong Mike Lee Stakes by 3-1/4 lengths the following June (24) requires talent, and Vinery Stables' CHIEF'S LAKE ($187,030) is the first to capture both in over a decade. Though he was pulling away each time, trainer Steven Asmussen indicated uncertainty as to whether the gelding would be effective stretching out in the OTBs' Big Apple Triple's other stakes, Finger Lakes' mile and a sixteenth New York Derby and Saratoga's mile and an eighth Albany. A formidable force in the Albany would have been undefeated Bustin Stones, but he has never raced beyond seven furlongs, so his participation in the New York Derby or Albany appears questionable, meaning Chief's Lake has a legitimate shot at sweeping the never-previously-swept series. One of his half-sisters, Search the Sky, won three times as a three-year-old in 2004, and all her victories were at beyond sprint distances.

Dogwood Stable's STREET SASS ($103,508) runs like two-turn racing might be her forte, even though her first stakes outing (and victory) came in Belmont's six-furlong She Rides Tonite Stakes for New York-bred three-year-old fillies on Saturday. Since being equipped with blinkers late last year by trainer George Weaver and allowed to come from off the pace, the daughter of Street Cry and half-sister to New York-bred stakes winner Fourth and Six ($580,944) has shown noticeable improvement. Even an unfortunate fall over a downed rival in an Aqueduct open allowance outing on February 1 has not deterred her progress and burgeoning talent, which were clearly evident in the She Rides Tonite. Charging from last-to-first as the 7.90-to-1 fifth choice among seven in her first start since her falling accident, the bay filly accelerated at the quarter pole to an intermediate individual furlong that calculates to around 10-and-change, winning by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:09.71. Bred by NYTB 2002 Breeder of the Year Patricia Staskowski Purdy and purchased by Dogwood Stable for $55,000 from Sequel Bloodstock (agent) at Fasig-Tipton Florida's 2006 February sale of two-year-olds at Calder, Street Sass has five winning half-siblings, and four of them have won at beyond sprint distances.

The first of three New York-bred open allowance winners at three out-of-state tracks on three different circuits last Friday and Saturday was owner-trainer Terry Eoff's SHE'S GOT THEFEVER, who captured a seven-furlong non-winners-of-three allowance for fillies and mares at Lone Star Park on Friday. Race-ridden for the first time by jockey Ramsey Zimmerman, the April-foaled three-year-old daughter of Gold Fever was the youngest among six starters, with the contest's only other participant from the crop of 2004 being a stakes-placed filly at Lone Star Park in May. She went off as the 4.70-to-1 fourth choice, prevailing narrowly over an older six-figure-earning rival who had won an allowance at Oaklawn Park in March and improving her record to two wins (she had broken her maiden by six lengths) and four thirds in 10 starts. Eoff had purchased She's Got Thefever for $4,500 at Keeneland's 2005 September yearling sale. The bay filly was bred by John Murphy of North Quincy, Massachusetts in partnership with Michael Gorham, who had purchased the filly's dam, stakes-placed winner I'm a Little Busy, for $26,000 at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's 1999 October yearling sale. She's Got Thefever, who is inbred 3 x 4 to Mr. Prospector, is the second offspring and second New York-bred winner produced from I'm a Little Busy, whose dam is stakes-placed six-time winner Rare Flight ($108,767).

Going from last-to-first to capture a $59,460 (in U.S. funds) N1X allowance for three-year-olds at Woodbine on Saturday was Tucci Stables' New York-bred CAPTAIN RAUCOUS ($132,342), who improved his record to four wins and three seconds in 10 starts with his victory in the 6-1/2-furlong sprint over the all-weather track. Like She's Got Thefever above, the chestnut gelding also was bred by John Murphy, and he had been a $2,500 purchase at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky's 2005 October yearling sale who showed ability almost immediately as a two-year-old. Captain Raucous had placed second at Woodbine last August and September before breaking his maiden going seven furlongs and getting claimed for $47,500 (Canadian funds), and since then he has won twice with $40,000 (Canadian) tags prior to his successful venture into allowance competition on Saturday. Trained by Sid Attard and race-ridden for the third consecutive time on Saturday by jockey Simon Husbands, the son of Subordination had won his 2007 debut six wee ks earlier at Woodbine and had missed victory by a head while placing second with a $60,000 (Canadian) tag on May 30. Captain Raucous is the second offspring and second four-time winner produced from sound-and-versatile Bold Lady ($193,623), a Bold Ruckus mare who won nine dirt sprints but also tallied on turf.

Leading gate-to-wire in a N2X allowance/optional claiming contest for fillies and mares going a turf mile at Colonial Downs on Saturday was David Johnson's and Greg Pyle's New York-bred HEATHERSDADDYSBABY ($106,039), who as the 3-to-1 second choice among 10 prevailed over the favorite who was carrying two pounds less weight. The effort -- her seventh career win, her fourth grass victory, and her second turf tally in 43 days under jockey Alcibiades Cortez -- boosted the earnings for the four-year-old daughter of Badge into six figures. Purchased by her trainer, David Rose, for $3,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales (OBS) Company's 2005 April sale of two-year-olds in training, Heathersdaddysbaby was bred by James Vena, who owns Badge and stands him at Beverly and Gary Least II's Foggy Bottom Farm in Geneseo. The dark bay filly is among four winners produced from Bonzo's Baldski, who is by Baldski and is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Dice Dancer ($404,492) and to the dam of a Mexican champion. Heathersdaddysbaby's three-year-old New York-bred full sister by Badge, Pesta, broke her maiden by 14 lengths at Suffolk Downs on May 5.

Winning restricted N1X allowances at Belmont were three-year-old colt SPURRED going a mile and a quarter on turf (Thursday, June 21), three-year-old colt BAYOU TIMBER going seven furlongs (Saturday), and three-year-old unbeaten filly MAGICAL MONA going seven furlongs and three-year-old gelding BRUCE TICKETS going six furlongs on turf (both Sunday). Spurred, a homebred for Theresa Bohl's Ivory Times Stables, advanced from sixth-to-first among nine at near even-money, winning by 5-1/4 lengths in a contest that also allowed optional $25,000 state-bred claimers and improving his never-worse-than-fourth record to two wins and one second in four starts. Bayou Timber, Edgewood Farm's (David Moore) and Marc Sulam's $140,000 purchase at the OBS 2006 March sale of two-year-olds and a son of Prime Timber, scored his second daylight-margin win of 2007 (in 1:22.92) after having broken his maiden going a mile and 70 yards on Aqueduct's inner track. Magical Mona, a homebred daughter of Millennium Wind racing for Martin Satalino's Beau Cheval Stable, got her second consecutive win five weeks after winning first-out by 3-1/4 lengths going six furlongs at Belmont, holding off a more lightly-weighted (by three pounds) rival that had earned stakes money. Bruce Tickets, making his second start for Rosemarie Kesselring of Rochester and Blue Star Stable and a former $5,000 New York Breeders' Sales Company Saratoga yearling who has been claimed twice in 2007, added a turf victory to an improving record of 2 - 1 - 2 in eight starts.

Notable New York-bred open claiming winners were Roddy Valente's four-year-old filly, TWO TURN HALO, romping six furlongs by six lengths at Monmouth with a $25,000 tag on Wednesday (June 20), and Frank Carl Calabrese's five-year-old mare, DANCY'S ANGEL ($119,718), capturing an Arlington turf mile with a $20,000 tag on Saturday. Two Turn Halo, claimed by Valente at Hollywood Park and a winner at Santa Anita, Belmont, and Aqueduct prior to this year, came off a four-month layoff for a "ridden out" romp in a contest that saw two of six starters claimed. Dancy's Angel, another winning New York-bred claim for Calabrese, scored her second Arlington win in 50 days and now has 2007 victories on all-weather and on turf at that facility, improving her overall record to 4 - 4 - 2 in 17 starts, which includes two wins on Saratoga's lawn.

New York-bred open allowance winners at Finger Lakes from Saturday, June 23 through Tuesday, June 26 were:

FRESH EPISODE (sired by Freud) from the eighth post among 10 starters in Saturday's feature; MAKE US HAPPY ($122,535) by 2-1/4 lengths from the seventh post among eight starters for her third daylight-margin win in a record that improved to 3 - 4 - 3 in 17 starts, on Sunday; GO FOR GLORY by two lengths gate-to-wire two months after having broken her maiden gate-to-wire at Aqueduct, SMOKINATTHEFINISH by 3-3/4 lengths at odds-on (1-to-2) despite stumbling at the start while breaking from the fifth post among six starters, and KEEN EYE WILL (sired by River Keen) "ridden out" in a front-running effort with blinkers on for the first time while making his first start off a 263-day layoff to improve his record to 3 - 4 - 3 in 14 starts -- all three on Tuesday.

New York-bred restricted allowance winners at Finger Lakes on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 22, 23, and 24 were:

DEVIL'S LAST DANCE ($126,120) for her fifth win, and homebred MR. BOURBON STREET ($131,295) by 2-1/4 lengths gate-to-wire at odds-on from the sixth post among seven starters one week after having won an open allowance by 6-1/2 lengths for his third daylight-margin allowance win of 2007 and improving his recent stakes-placed record to 5 - 4 - 1 in 16 starts -- both on Friday; LOUISE THE TEASE (sired by Key Contender) to improve her record to 5 - 3 - 3 in 18 starts, on Saturday; HERBERT T ($143,220) by two lengths just nine days after having won by three lengths and scoring his fourth multiple-margin victory and fifth career tally, on Sunday.

Other New York-bred open claiming winners from Wednesday, June 20 through Tuesday, June 26 included:

CHICAGO'S GIRL ($169,760) from last-to-first among eight for her eighth career win in a contest that saw two fillies claimed, and Karakorum Farm's homebred KARAKORUM TORNADO from the eighth post among 10 starters with a $25,000 tag for his second win of 2007 -- both at Belmont -- and AMERICAN SENOR at odds-on for his second daylight-margin win of 2007 and claimed for the second time in 2007, and JET PROSPECTOR (sired by A. P Jet) by a front-running 2-1/4 lengths at odds-on in 1:09.90 for six furlongs for his second multiple-margin win in 39 days and improving his record to 10 - 5 - 5 in 29 starts while boosting his earnings to $292,439 -- both at Monmouth Park -- and JASON'S MIRACLE (sired by Crusader Sword) from sixth-to-first out of the sixth post among seven starters at Suffolk Downs to improve his record to 9 - 11 - 12 in 77 starts while increasing his earnings to $133,577 -- all five on Wednesday; DRIZZLY ($214,893) from last-to-first among five at odds-on at Belmont despite breaking awkwardly to improve his record to 5 - 6 - 4 in 28 starts and claimed for the fourth time in less than 10 months, SHEER SILK (sired by Western Expression) by 2-1/4 lengths at Monmouth for her second multiple-margin win of 2007 while improving her record to 9 - 4 - 4 in 30 starts with earnings of $176,759 and claimed for the fourth time in 11 months, BURNT BRUSH ($114,077) at Thistledown for her second win of 2007 and eighth career victory, EL CISC ($108,493) to improve his record to 6 - 10 - 12 in 50 starts, KARAKORUM ELLA by a front-running 7-3/4 lengths "under wraps late" in her second start of 2007 and scoring her fourth win by more than two lengths, SILVER FOREST (sired by Silver Music) from the outside post among seven for his second win in 52 days and fourth career victory, and JUST IN FUN ($152,390) for his fourth career win and claimed -- all seven on Friday, and the last-named four at Finger Lakes; HICKORY STICK (sired by Prime Timber) from the outside post among six starters for his third win of 2007, homebred WINLOC'S MAJESTY (sired by Raffie's Majesty) by 3-3/4 lengths with a five-wide move at the top of the stretch to improve his record to 9 - 8 - 10 in 51 starts with earnings of $130,563, SAY I DO (sired by Western Expression) by a front-running 3-1/4 lengths for his second daylight-margin win in 13 days and third daylight-margin victory in 47 days to improve his overall record to 8 - 2 - 4 in 19 starts, homebred TOOT TA ROO for his second win, and homebred VESUVIUS from seventh-to-first among 12 starters -- all five at Finger Lakes on Saturday; CALIFORNIA CATE (sired by Rizzi) by 2-1/4 lengths gate-to-wire for her third win, homebred MY SON SQUALL (sired by Squall Warning) "going away" from sixth-to-first out of the sixth post among seven starters, WATRAL SWEE DIXIE ($120,335) from the outside post among nine at odds-on to advance her super-sound record to 12 - 18 - 3 in 54 starts, and CARAVAN END for her second consecutive front-running daylight-margin win in two weeks and third daylight-margin victory in 51 days and fifth career tally -- all four at Finger Lakes on Sunday; MAPLE SUGAR by a front-running 24 lengths (that is not a typo) "easily" at near even-money at Philadelphia Park for the late-May-foaled three-year-old filly who improved her never-worse-than-fourth record to 3 - 3 - 1 in eight starts and was claimed for the second time in 2007, CONEY ISLAND KING (sired by Raffie's Majesty) from the outside post among eight starters at Suffolk Downs for his sixth career victory, homebred MOM'S WISH (sired by Preacherman) from last-to-first among five starters for her third win, homebred HEATED EXPRESSION (sired by Western Expression) by three lengths from the outside post (off the also-eligible list) among 12 starters to improve her record to 4 - 2 - 5 in 18 starts, FOR WHAT ITS WORTH by 4-1/4 lengths from fifth-to-first among eight starters, CRYING POVERTY (sired by Artax) by a front-running four lengths with a $20,000 tag and under top weight from the sixth post among seven starters for his second consecutive big-margin win in three weeks and improving his record to 8 - 3 - 1 in 20 starts with earnings of $123,961, and STRONG CASE by a front-running seven lengths at odds-on for his second big-margin win in 31 days and third big-margin victory overall and claimed -- all seven on Monday, and the last-named five at Finger Lakes; HONEY LOVE (sired by Prime Timber) from the outside post among seven starters under top weight and at odds-on (1-to-2) at Delaware Park for her second daylight-margin win in 43 days and third daylight-margin victory overall, homebred SOUP SPOON ($146,332) from fifth-to-first under co-topweight of 124 pounds among seven starters for his second consecutive daylight-margin win in 25 days and third daylight-margin victory in 56 days as well as seventh career tally despite lacking room and having to be checked at the three-sixteenths pole, RYAN'S GLORY by a front-running 6-3/4 lengths "wrapped up" at near even-money in her first start since two days prior to last Thanksgiving and improving her record to 3 - 4 - 2 in 15 starts, and LARGE POPCORN by a front-running 3-1/4 lengths and "never threatened" while scoring his fifth victory -- all four on Tuesday, and the last-named three at Finger Lakes.

New York-bred maiden-breakers from Wednesday, June 20 through Tuesday, June 26 included:

RAYNICKS FAN by 2-3/4 lengths from the seventh post among eight starters at Belmont in his third start, on Wednesday; KITTY NIP (sired by Deputy Cat) from fifth-to-first among nine despite being bumped after the start, and homebred POSITIVE CHARGE going gate-to-wire at odds-on (1-to-2) following consecutive runner-up efforts on May 18 and June 3 to improve her never-worse-than-fourth record to 1 - 3 - 1 in seven starts -- both at Belmont on Thursday; FERNANDO RUNS IT from the sixth post among seven starters in his debut, and SIEMPRE VERDE (sired by Prime Timber) from eighth-to-first among nine on turf for the first offspring out of a stakes winner -- both at Belmont on Friday -- and A PLUS STUDENT (sired by Reign Road) by 6-3/4 lengths from fifth-to-first among 10 at Charles Town, HUXLEY HEROINE from ninth-to-first among 11 "going away" in her debut despite being checked and having to alter course to the outside in the stretch, and MAJESTY'S REQUEST (sired by Regal Classic) in a front-running performance that marked his first effort at a mile and 70 yards -- all five on Friday, and the last-named two at Finger Lakes; FREUDIAN (sired by Freud) by a front-running 2-3/4 lengths in 1:09.05 for six furlongs with blinkers on for the first time for the top-priced New York-bred (at $400,000) at the OBS 2006 February sale of two-year-olds in training at Calder and half-brother to 2004 Mike Lee Stakes winner Multiplication, and ELDER SKATESMAN (sired by Adios My Friend) from seventh-to-first among 10 starters in his second start of 2007 -- both on Belmont turf -- and YEAH MON "proved gamely best" from the eighth post among nine starters at Churchill Downs, MY SISTER MARY by 3-1/2 lengths at Calder, DO THE TIME in his first start under the care of a new trainer who also is his owner, and homebred MAC STYLISH (sired by Mighty Magee) from last-to-first among nine despite a sluggish start -- all six on Saturday, and the last-named two at Finger Lakes; GLAMOUR STAR by two lengths at Belmont in the first mile and an eighth turf outing for the top-priced New York-bred (at $260,000) at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky's 2005 July yearling sale and half-sister to multiple sprint stakes winner Sweet Baby James ($363,860), May-foaled two-year-old UNDER SERVICED (sired by Hook and Ladder -- now with first-crop juvenile winners in New York and California on dirt and all-weather surfaces) from the seventh post among eight starters at Hollywood Park in 58.86 for five furlongs for the top-priced New York-bred (at $325,000) at the OBS 2007 February sale of two-year-olds in training, BAHAMA MISS by a front-running 5-1/4 lengths at Charles Town off an almost eight-month layoff, and DEVIL'S SQUALL in a front-running effort on Colonial Downs turf in her second start of 2007 -- all four on Sunday; TACONIC GIRL (sired by Regal Classic) from the fifth post among six at Finger Lakes in her debut, on Monday; homebred DACLEANUPMAN (sired by Key Contender) in 57.78 for five furlongs on Colonial Downs turf off a five-month layoff, and HOPI'S LOLO by 6-1/2 lengths from the sixth post among seven going a mile and 70 yards at Finger Lakes in her first effort beyond six furlongs -- both on Tuesday.

Iron Goddess refuses to bend in 7F Stage View - clocks 1:20.90 on turf by Rab Hagin

Photo: Adam Coglianese

IRON GODDESS

Barry Schwartz's IRON GODDESS seems faster than ever in her pregnancy, leading throughout as the 25.75-to-1 ninth choice among 11 New York-bred fillies and mares in Belmont's overnight Stage View Stakes on turf on Wednesday to clock the fastest seven furlongs for a female (1:20.90) at Belmont this year. The two fastest seven furlongs -- dirt or turf -- in 2007 at Belmont, where no horse broke 1:21 on either surface in 2006, belong to New York-breds in turf stakes: four-year-old gelding Gimme Credit in the June 17 Notoriety (1:20.71) and Iron Goddess in the Stage View.

Just 18 days earlier, Iron Goddess had returned from a 10-week layoff to win a six-furlong N1X turf allowance for state-bred fillies and mares in front-running fashion at 4-to-1 in 1:09.55, but she was dismissed in the Stage View -- her stakes debut -- against several stakes-seasoned turf distaff runners. Breaking from the outside post with jockey Channing Hill race-riding her for the first time, the four-year-old filly set opening quarter-mile splits in 22.85 and 22.97 to maintain a daylight margin over her closest challenger, 16.60-to-1 eighth choice Wild Berry. A third quarter-mile in 23.12 for a six-furlong fraction of 1:08.94 dispatched the early threat and put her six lengths in front at mid-stretch, but 5-to-1 third choice Mohegan Sky -- coming off stakes-placed turf efforts at Tampa Bay Downs and Monmouth -- never backed off. In the final furlong, Iron Goddess showed she had something left, covering that distance in 11.96 to win by a length and a half, while 2.65-to-1 favorite Rewrite -- a 2006 stakes winner on Belmont turf -- closed to finish third behind Mohegan Sky. Finishing fourth was another pregnant performer, graded turf winner and New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) two-time Champion Turf Female Sabellina ($522,677), who typically is at her best going nine furlongs on grass rather than seven.

Victory in the $69,750 Stage View -- named for Roger Laurin's homebred winner of Belmont's 1989 Mount Vernon Stakes -- increased Iron Goddess's earnings to $123,075, giving her three wins (and two-for-two on turf) and two runner-up efforts in seven career starts. The dark bay filly is conditioned by NYTB 2000 Trainer of the Year Michael Hushion, who had given her a fairly quick half-mile workout over Belmont's training track five days prior to the Stage View and 13 days following her latest previous outing. Iron Goddess had been purchased for $250,000 at Keeneland's 2004 September yearling sale by agent Buzz Chace on behalf of Schwartz, who was New York Racing Association board chairman and CEO from 2000 to 2004 and also owns 700-acre Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs. Iron Goddess had been an excellent example of a successful New York-bred pinhook, going for $50,000 as a 2003 Keeneland November sales weanling to Dr. Tom Simon's Vinery operation (owner of recent Mike Lee Stakes winner Chief's Lake), which re-sold her for a $200,000 profit 10 months later.

Bred by James Cassidy, who manages Frank Stella's Delehanty Stock Farm in Amenia where she was foaled, Iron Goddess is by More Than Ready and is the second offspring and second winning New York-bred female bred by Cassidy from New York-bred turf winner Ceridwen, whom Cassidy also bred. Ceridwen is a half-sister to stakes-placed eight-time winner Nelva Nicole ($111,940) and to the dams of Venezuelan stakes winner My Funny Horse and stakes-placed winner Chain Blue. This is the female family of Horse of the Year and Preakness-Belmont Stakes winner Point Given.

Chief's Lake takes Mike Lee by 3-1/4 lengths; Accountforthegold wins Gander by 9-1/4 by Rab Hagin

Photo: Adam Coglianese

CHIEF'S LAKE

Since the last five Sleepy Hollow Stakes winners include two Grade 1 victors and a Grade 2 winner, it is wise not to overlook that event's winners, which became apparent when Vinery Stables' CHIEF'S LAKE took Belmont's seven-furlong Mike Lee Stakes on Sunday by 3-1/4 lengths. Sent off the 3.45-to-1 third choice among six starters in the $107,700 event for New York-bred three-year-olds -- first leg of the 2007 OTBs' Big Apple Triple -- the pace-pushing gelding closely stalked front-running favorite (at 1.15-to-1) What a Tale for a half-mile and then took off in the upper stretch. He drew clear in the final furlong, winning his second start off a 200-day layoff that had followed his four-length Sleepy Hollow victory at a one-turn Belmont mile on New York Showcase Day (October 21) -- and under his same jockey for the Sleepy Hollow, Garrett Gomez.

In his first start of 2007 in Belmont's overnight 6-1/2-furlong Screenland Stakes for state-bred three-year-olds on May 9, Chief's Lake had placed third among seven, as winner Bustin Stones turned in one of the strongest stakes performances of early May according to that colt's speed ratings. Over the ensuing 46-day interval, trainer Steven Asmussen had given Chief's Lake five workouts at Belmont -- four relatively easy five-furlong drills followed by a quick half-mile blowout over a sloppy track on June 20 -- assuring the dark bay gelding was significantly fit for his Mike Lee outing. Asmussen's assistant, Toby Sheets, observed that the late April-foaled three-year-old (youngest starter in the Mike Lee) was starting to round into form: "It's all self explanatory: He needed his last race and ran into a real, real tough horse," Sheets pointed out. "He broke real sharp today, and Garret (Gomez) did a nice job with him. The New York Derby ($150,000-added, mile and a sixteenth at Finger Lakes on July 14 and second leg of the OTBs' Big Apple Triple for New York-bred three-year-olds) would be nice. I'm not sure how far he wants to run. We'll take the races as they come."

Photo: Adam Coglianese

CHIEF'S LAKE

Jockey Gomez, who has ridden Chief's Lake in four races and three victories and had two winning rides on Belmont's Sunday card, confirmed that his mount was ready to fire: "We really didn't want to be on the lead, but he was sharp second (start) off the layoff. He had his game face on today, and nobody was trying to clear, so I just stayed in between horses. At the half-mile pole, he was still traveling good, and he finished up well. I definitely think he has progressed off last year."

Chief's Lake increased his earnings to $187,030 with his Mike Lee victory, which improved his never-unplaced-since-his-debut record to 4 - 1 - 1 in seven starts, becoming only the second horse ever to win both the Sleepy Hollow and the Mike Lee. The third leg of the OTBs' Big Apple Triple is Saratoga's $150,000-added Albany Stakes at a mile and an eighth on August 22; the owner of a horse sweeping the series receives a $250,000 bonus, which has never happened, although this is the eighth year the bonus has been offered.

Chief's Lake races under the Vinery Stables banner of Dr. Tom Simon, a German native who resides in Spain and has a law doctorate. Vinery makes a practice of supporting its own stallions by purchasing yearling offspring of those stallions at public auctions, and it acquired Chief's Lake -- sired by Vinery-based stallion Yonaguska -- for $60,000 at Fasig-Tipton's 2005 Saratoga preferred sale of New York-bred yearlings. Chief's Lake was bred by Eaton and Thorne, Inc., which operates out of Thornedale Farm (managed by Jim Alexander) in Millbrook, and is the second Mike Lee winner bred by Eaton and Thorne, following graded winner and popular Florida-based stallion Notebook, who won the event at a mile in 1988. Chief's Lake is the second winner produced from Lake Princess, whom Eaton and Thorne had purchased for $75,000 at Keeneland's 2001 January sale when she was carrying her first foal and first winner. Lake Princess, who placed second and third in three starts, is a half-sister to the winning dam of two stakes winners, including a Group 1 winner in South Africa, and her dam (maternal granddam of Chief's Lake) is graded winner Eloquent.

Photo: Adam Coglianese

ACCOUNTFORTHEGOLD

In Belmont's overnight Gander Stakes at a one-turn mile and a sixteenth for New York-bred four-year-olds and up immediately preceding the Mike Lee, Harold Lerner's and Winning Move Stable's top-weighted ACCOUNTFORTHEGOLD carried the heaviest impost of his career (124 pounds) to a devastating 9-1/4-length victory in 1:40.53. Race-ridden for the eighth time by jockey Michael Luzzi, the five-year-old showed he does not require the lead in order to win, coming from off the early pace of 18.70-to-1 Starcastic to clock within about a second of New York-based stallion Rock and Roll's track record. En route to a final time that should generate some interesting speed ratings, Accountforthegold set a mile fraction (1:34.30) that was almost a half-second faster than Corinthian's winning time in Belmont's Grade 1 Metropolitan (Mile) Handicap on Memorial Day. His performance did not come against a cakewalk field; the Gander's six starters included Accountforthegold's old nemesis, graded winner Naughty New Yorker ($716,211), Empire Classic winner (in 2006) Organizer ($422,481), and 2005 seven-length Gander winner Carminooch ($382,378). Among this bunch of hard-hitting veterans, Accountforthegold was odds-on (.95-to-1).

Victory in the Gander -- his third win under jockey Luzzi, including two stakes tallies -- boosted Accountforthegold's earnings over the half-million mark to $510,337 and improved his record to 7 - 5 - 4 in 20 starts. It marked his fourth stakes win, following the smooth-striding bay's 6-1/4-length romp in Aqueduct's Kings Point Handicap on April 29, his front-running score in Aqueduct's graded Stuyvesant Handicap last November, and his three-length New York Derby victory at Finger Lakes as a three-year-old in 2005. Since coming under the care of two-time New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) Trainer of the Year Gary Contessa in 2006 and making his first start off an almost nine-month layoff last August at Saratoga, Accountforthegold has four wins, two seconds, and three thirds in nine starts. The smallish, cat-quick runner has made his last six starts for Harold Lerner and the Winning Move Stable of Steve and Brian Sigler (et al) -- father and brother, respectively, of actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler of the recently-concluded HBO series, "The Sopranos".

Bred by two-time NYTB Breeder of the Year Sez Who Thoroughbreds (Richard Simon) of Stillwater, Accountforthegold is the first of two New York-bred winners produced from Accountess, whom Simon had purchased for $55,000 at Keeneland's 2000 November sale. Accountess is a half-sister to graded winner New Deal. Accountforthegold won the 2005 New York Derby under Simon's colors.

Street Sass streaks from last-to-first to win She Rides Tonite S. by 2-1/2 by Rab Hagin

Photo: Adam Coglianese

STREET SASS

Streaking from last-to-first with a final quarter-mile in well under 22 seconds, Dogwood Stable's talented and versatile STREET SASS scored a 2-1/2-length victory in Belmont's six-furlong She Rides Tonite Stakes on Saturday for New York-bred three-year-old fillies that had not won a stakes in 2007, winning in 1:09.71. The bay speedster was the only starter coming off a layoff, having been away from competition for 142 days since falling over an already-fallen rival in a six-furlong open Aqueduct allowance on February 1, for which she had been favored at 1.50-to-1 among six. The wagering public was understandably skeptical even though Street Sass had been working well at Saratoga, sending the Dogwood Stable standard-bearer off as the 7.90-to-1 fifth choice among seven, and for a half-mile, that assessment seemed generous. Then suddenly there was a stretch run that had viewers doing double-and-triple-takes. At least a few had to ask: What happened?

For the first half-mile of the $66,750 She Rides Tonite, Street Sass trailed her rivals by six to 15-plus lengths, as 5.20-to-1 fourth choice Brown Eyed Belle drew off to a five-length lead off fractions of 22.42 and 45.09 and led to mid-stretch with a five-furlong clocking of 57.20. Jockey Garrett Gomez, who had ridden Street Sass in her first two juvenile starts back in September before she had broken her maiden, steered her wide into the stretch and let her go, and the result was a final individual quarter-mile that clocked somewhere around 21.60. Even when four rivals were still ahead of her at mid-stretch, the outcome was obvious, as 2.35-to-1 favorite Cammy's Choice placed second for a record of 2 - 2 - 0 in four starts, and sixth choice Nordberg got her second Belmont third-placing in a restricted stakes in 22 days.

Victory in the She Rides Tonite -- named for Winbound Farms' 1993-1994 stakes winner and New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) Co-Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 1994 -- boosted Street Sass's earnings into six figures at $103,508 and improved her record to three wins and one third in eight starts. She had been purchased for $55,000 at Fasig-Tipton Florida's 2006 February sale of two-year-olds at Calder by the Dogwood Stable of racing partnerships managed by Wade Cothran (Cot) Campbell and based in Aiken, South Carolina and had been consigned to that sale by Becky Thomas' Sequel Bloodstock, agent.

Street Sass had scored a front-running maiden victory in her third start by 4-1/2 lengths going a mile and a sixteenth at Belmont in October but initially seemed to dislike Aqueduct's inner track until coming from behind to win a restricted six-furlong N1X allowance in late December. Off that effort, trainer George Weaver had elected to skip her restricted N2X allowance condition and sent the New York-bred off as the favorite against open allowance company, in which she had her non-culpable fall. In preparation for Street Sass's return to competition, Weaver had given her four workouts over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track from June 2 to June 19, including a five-furlong "bullet" drill at the Spa on June 14. Street Sass was the second New York-bred three-year-old winner sent out on Belmont's Saturday card by Weaver, and she was the second consecutive filly winner of the day for jockey Gomez.

Bred by NYTB 2002 Breeder of the Year Patricia Staskowski Purdy, Street Sass has a pedigree that suggests all kinds of possibilities and enhances her intrinsic bloodstock value in conjunction with her first stakes victory. She is from the first crop of five-fold millionaire Street Cry -- joining 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense -- and is a half-sister to New York-bred stakes winner Fourth and Six ($580,944), whom Dr. Purdy also bred and who scored 11 of his 14 victories at a mile-and-up. Street Sense has five winning half-siblings, four of which won at a mile or longer, and one scored on both dirt and turf. Her dam, Dissa Six -- a $6,000 purchase at Keeneland's 1993 January sale as a four-year-old not-bred broodmare prospect -- is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Bordeaux Bob ($683,556) and to multiple stakes-placed winner Bobs Brother Chip ($287,270) -- both routing specialists. Street Sass seems to have a world of opportunity ahead of her.

31 NY-breds have won or placed 51 times in '07 open stakes to late June by Rab Hagin

Photo: Adam Coglianese

GIMME CREDIT 11th NY-bred open SW of 2007

With GIMME CREDIT becoming the latest New York-bred open stakes winner in Belmont's Notoriety on Sunday and bracketed in Belmont's next race and on Saturday by graded runner-up fillies Oprah Winney and You Go West Girl respectively, the number of state-bred top-three finishers in open 2007 stakes climbed to 31. Those 31 have won or placed (second or third) in 51 stakes outside state-bred company at 15 different tracks in New York, California, Kentucky, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, and Louisiana as well as England, Italy, Dubai, and Canada. Two of those 31 open 2007 stakes performers -- one of them the favorite -- finished behind new stakes winner HOOSICK FALLS in Finger Lakes' Susan B. Anthony Handicap for state-bred fillies and mares on Sunday. The New York-bred turf male, turf female, and female sprint divisions all appear to have new contenders.

Hampshire Farm's Gimme Credit ($241,713) ran one of the best turf sprint times of the week when the Artax gelding scored by 3-1/4 lengths under co-topweight in Belmont's seven-furlong Notoriety Stakes, clocking a near-record 1:20.71. His 2006 grass stakes victories had included Saratoga's open Equalize Stakes at a mile, but trainer Timothy Hills opted to race him against three-year-olds in Kentucky and Florida late last season rather than send him against the best state-bred older turf runners in New York Showcase Day's Mohawk Handicap. Gimme Credit, who last summer won state-bred turf allowances at a mile and a sixteenth at Belmont and Saratoga by multiple-length margins, seems significantly faster this year. The dark bay gelding was bred by Dr. Douglas Koch's Berkshire Stud in Pine Plains (where he was foaled) and Tom Tatham's Oak Cliff Stable and is a half-brother to another New York-bred grass-burner, Italian 2005 high-weighted three-year-old sprinter Golden Stravinsky ($247,731).

Whether on turf or on all-weather surfaces, there is a New York-bred three-year-old filly racing in Kentucky that in four starts has never finished worse than second and is starting to look very, very good: Craig Bernick's versatile and improving You Go West Girl ($107,634). On Saturday, the Gallagher's Stud-bred standout placed second in Churchill Downs' Grade 3 Regret Stakes for three-year-old fillies going a mile and an eighth on turf while spotting the winner two pounds and breaking from the outside post among 10 to finish behind a probable future New York-based broodmare. You Go West Girl was the least-experienced filly in the event, had never run in a stakes, and went off as the 7.40-to-1 fifth choice. The winner, Flying Zee Stable's privately-purchased Irish-bred, Good Mood (who eventually is likely to reside at Highcliff Farm in Delanson that Flying Zee campaigner Carl Lizza Jr. co-owns), already had placed in two turf stakes, but with one win, she carried two pounds less than the New York-bred. You Go West Girl had placed a closing second in her sloppy track off-the-turf sprint debut at Fair Grounds in March, then had broken her maiden by 3-1/2 lengths on Keeneland's all-weather track, and in May had won a N1X allowance mile on Churchill Downs turf. The $145,000 purchase at the Ocala Breeders' Sales (OBS) Company's 2006 April sale of two-year-olds in training is the fourth runner and fourth winner produced from multiple graded grass winner and soft turf specialist Careless Heiress ($393,595) and is a half-sister to a stakes-placed filly.

In Belmont's Grade 2 Sunday feature immediately following Gimme Credit's Notoriety victory, New York-bred Oprah Winney ($453,780) had a bobbled start from the outside post among six fillies and mares and could not overtake favored Indian Flare -- who was carrying one pound less -- in the 6-1/2-furlong Vagrancy Handicap, placing second. The four-year-old filly -- bred by the Gatsas Thoroughbreds of Sovereign Stable founders Michael and Theodore Gatsas and owned by Michael Dubb of Jericho, Sanford Goldfarb of Old Westbury, and the Cast of Characters Stable identified with Pamela Caliendo -- has won or placed in eight stakes, four graded. Conditioned by New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) 2002 Trainer of the Year Richard Dutrow, Oprah Winney has a never-worse-than-fourth record of 5 - 3 - 3 in 12 starts, and her two open 2007 stakes victories include Laurel's Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie Breeders' Cup Handicap.

When the Aaron Racing Stables of Jacalyn Aaron acquired Hoosick Falls (now $198,506) about a year ago, the then four-year-old filly had won four straight, including her first 2006 start, and had earned $81,334 -- but she appeared overmatched in stakes competition or against NYRA winners. The dark bay filly won twice more at Finger Lakes in July and August for her new owner but seemed born again on Aqueduct's inner track this past January, scoring her eighth victory by 4-1/2 lengths in a restricted N2X allowance/optional claimer at a mile and 70 yards. Then in May, Hoosick Falls took another leap forward with a 4-3/4-length tally in a five-furlong restricted allowance sprint. Forty-three days after her first sprint victory in almost 32 months, the Aaron Racing Stables' standard-bearer led throughout in Finger Lakes' six-furlong Susan B. Anthony as the 3.70-to-1 third choice among nine, winning "ridden out" by 2-1/4 lengths over favored multiple stakes-placed Aqueduct two-time open allowance winner Waytotheleft ($259,909). Her first on-the-board stakes effort improved the record of Hoosick Falls, who was bred by Richard Simon's Sez Who Thoroughbreds and is a half-sister to stakes-placed winner Manor Prospect, to 10 - 3 - 2 in 26 starts. The mare's dam is a half-sister to stakes winner Aaron's Concorde, and her female family boasts major sires Mr. Greeley and Danehill Dancer.

Winning restricted N2X allowance/optional claiming contests at Belmont were three-year-old filly ACQUIRED CAT going seven furlongs and three-year-old colt MISSION APPROVED going a mile and an eighth -- both on Friday on turf -- four-year-old gelding RUFFINO going a mile on Saturday, and four-year-old colt BABY RUSCH going six furlongs on Sunday. Acquired Cat, John Cay III's $85,000 OBS two-year-old purchase in 2006 who has significant route breeding on her dam's side (dam inbred 3 x 4 to Ribot) but has never ventured beyond a mile, went gate-go-wire in 1:22.32, improving to 3 - 1 - 1 in seven starts. The Frank Alexander-trained filly was bred by NYTB 2002 Breeder of the Year Patricia Staskowski Purdy and is the second starter and second winner produced from Dr. Purdy's New York homebred Acquired Taste, who is a winning half-sister to graded turf winner Cozy Blues ($365,638). Mission Approved, a homebred racing for Dr. William Coyro Jr. of Grosse Points Park, Michigan, came from fifth-to-first as the only three-year-old among 10 to win his first grass outing and first effort at beyond a mile by almost two lengths as the 4-to-1 third choice. Now with a never-unplaced record of 3 - 1 - 1 in five starts, the Gary Contessa-trained colt is the second New York-bred winner bred by Dr. Coyro from two-time route winner Fortunate Find, whom Contessa had purchased for Dr. Coyro for $27,000 at the OBS 1997 June sale of two-year-olds. Ruffino ($102,480), Tina Marie Bond's homebred son of Raffie's Majesty conditioned by four-time NYTB Trainer of the Year Harold James Bond (who also trained Raffie's Majesty), got his first Belmont victory to add to two one-turn Aqueduct mile wins plus two runner-up efforts in five starts. The consistent gelding is the fifth starter and fifth New York-bred winner produced from winner Joanne W., by Well Decorated, with his multiple-winning half-brothers including 11-time winner Watrals Rodeo Bob ($197,015) and juvenile stakes winner Undaunted Mettle ($111,800). Baby Rusch ($120,561), a homebred for the Hemlock Hills Farm (LLC) of Alfred and Lupe Hemlock of Central Park South in Manhattan, went gate-to-wire at near even-money (1.15-to-1) among seven wagering interests and eight starters to improve his record to 3 - 4 - 1 in 10 sprint starts. Conditioned by NYTB 2005 Trainer of the Year Bruce Levine and never a front-runner in his previous outings, the New York-conceived colt is the first runner produced from turf winner Lupita, whose eight winning half-brothers include the indestructible (100 starts) Grade 2-winning router Iron Gavel ($707,488).

Winning restricted N1X allowances at Belmont were three-year-old colt FRENCH TRANSITION going a one-turn mile on Wednesday (June 13), five-year-old gelding JACKS EXPRESS going a virtual one-turn turf mile on Saturday, and three-year-old fillies JESSE'S JUSTICE and VISUAL CANDY both going virtual one-turn turf miles on Sunday. It was the first Belmont outing for Flying Zee Stable's homebred French Transition, who had broken his maiden by 2-3/4 lengths on Santa Anita turf in February, as he overcame a stumbling start from the outside post to score his first dirt victory as the youngest among eight starters. Jacks Express, Michael Carty's homebred 2006 winner on Belmont turf and Aqueduct's inner track and the first offspring produced from a New York-bred multiple dirt-and-turf winner of $124,265, nosed out the favorite to improve his record to 3 - 1 - 6 in 19 starts. Jesse's Justice, Lawrence Goichman's homebred half-sister to multiple turf stakes winner Willard Straight ($302,029) and to a $250,000 New York-bred sales filly at Fasig-Tipton Florida's 2007 March sale of selected two-year-olds at Calder, led throughout at even-money among 10 for her second Belmont turf tally in three weeks. Visual Candy, a $57,000 purchase at the OBS 2006 April sale of two-year-olds racing for William Butler and Timothy Twomey who is stakes-placed on Aqueduct's inner track and inbred 2 x 3 to Mr. Prospector, scored her first turf victory as the 9.40-to-1 fifth choice and youngest starter among 10.

Notable New York-bred open claiming winners: seven-year-old mare PENNY DREAM ($253,721), six furlongs with a $35,000 tag at Arlington; four-year-old filly MT LANGFUHR ($119,467), seven furlongs with a $25,000 tag at Belmont -- both on Thursday -- four-year-old colt MY DYNOMITE ($134,022), six furlongs with a $30,000 tag at Monmouth, on Saturday. Penny Dream advanced from last-to-first among six to score her first-ever victory at six furlongs and first tally on an all-weather track for Frank Carl Calabrese, who had claimed her for $25,000 three weeks earlier, improving her dirt-and-turf-winning record to 8 - 7 - 3 in 34 starts. Mt Langfuhr has six-furlong wins at Saratoga, Belmont, and Aqueduct, and although previously off-the-board in two seven-furlong efforts, she led throughout as the 18-to-1 last choice among six just 13 days after George Grennan's HorsePartners Stable had claimed the half-sister to graded winner John Little ($407,195) for $16,000. My Dynomite, racing for S. J. Goldfarb, Dennis Barbierri's Winged Foot Stables, et al, won by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:09.11 for his third consecutive big-margin win in seven weeks and sixth daylight-margin victory in seven career starts and was among two runners claimed out of his contest.

New York-bred open allowance winners at Finger Lakes from Friday, June 15 through Tuesday, June 19 were:

DUBLIN HOUSE for her second win along with one second in four career starts, and homebred MR. BOURBON STREET ($117,435) by 6-1/2 lengths gate-to-wire "handily" for his second daylight-margin win of 2007 and improving his record to 4 - 4 - 1 in 15 starts -- both on Friday; homebred EMBRACE LIFE (sired by Rock and Roll) by four lengths for his second multiple-margin win in a record that improved to 2 - 2 - 1 in seven starts, on Sunday; BEAUTY ON DECK from seventh-to-first out of the ninth post among 10 for her second daylight-margin victory, on Tuesday.

New York-bred winners of restricted allowance races at Finger Lakes from Saturday, June 16 through Tuesday, June 19 were:

Homebred FLY TO ME ($214,655) by 5-3/4 lengths "ridden out" at odds-on for her second multiple-margin allowance win in seven weeks and improving her stakes-winning (as a juvenile) and never-worse-than-fourth-with-a-rider record to 7 - 5 - 3 in 18 starts, on Saturday; SIZZLING SAINT by two lengths from fifth-to-first among eight starters to improve his record to 4 - 5 - 2 in 22 starts, on Sunday; homebred LONG LOST PAL by 2-1/2 lengths "ridden out" under top weight for his second consecutive multiple-margin win in 13 days to go two-for-two in 2007 with six wins overall in 12 career starts, on Monday; homebred GEBB'S POWER (sired by Lycius) gained five-wide on the second turn to score his fourth victory overall and third main track tally in addition to one win on turf, and LADY ROCK N ROLL (sired by Rock and Roll) by 3-1/2 lengths in her second 2007 outing to improve her lifetime record to 4 - 6 - 7 in 25 starts -- both on Tuesday.

Other New York-bred open claiming winners from Wednesday, June 13 through Tuesday, June 19 included:

Homebred PREMINGER ($104,818) from fifth-to-first among six at Suffolk Downs for his second win in 39 days and improving his record to 6 - 4 - 6 in 31 starts while boosting his earnings into six figures, on Wednesday; homebred SMART HALORY by 3-1/4 lengths from last-to-first out of the outside post among six starters at Monmouth Park for her second big-margin win and among two claimed out of her contest, on Thursday; PRETTY PARTISAN (sired by Badge) by a front-running 8-1/4 lengths under top weight at Monmouth Park with a $22,000 tag to score her second consecutive win in 27 days and third victory of 2007 while improving her open stakes-placed record to 11 - 2 - 3 in 28 starts with earnings of $255,730 and claimed for the fifth time in just over eight months, A'S WILLIAM by three lengths at Fairmount Park for his second win of 2007 and with blinkers on for the first time, LOOK OUT EVAN (sired by Take Me Out) by two lengths from fifth-to-first out of the outside post among eight starters for his second win of 2007 and improving his record to 13 - 8 - 8 in 38 starts, and CURED (sired by Take Me Out) by 5-1/4 lengths to improve his record to 3 - 5 - 3 in 17 starts -- both at Charles Town -- and BEAUTIFUL REWARD (sired by Prime Timber) by 2-1/2 lengths gate-to-wire at even-money, and homebred BREEZE ON ($107,517) by 2-3/4 lengths for his third multiple-margin win of 2007 and fifth career victory -- both at Penn National -- and ARTISTIC AWARENESS (sired by A. P Jet) at odds-on for his eighth career win and boosting his earnings to $162,681, and HERBERT T ($129,360) by three lengths "ridden out" from the outside post among seven starters for his fourth career win -- all eight on Friday, and the last-named two at Finger Lakes; homebred PATRIARCH POPS (sired by Artax) by 7-3/4 lengths for his third multiple-margin win, YES I MAY by almost two lengths, and LAKE BUTLER (sired by Key Contender) in a mostly front-running effort despite being headed in mid-stretch to score his second daylight-margin victory in 57 days and improve his record to 2 - 2 - 2 in 11 starts -- all three at Finger Lakes on Saturday; GOOD VERSUS BAD by 2-1/4 lengths from sixth-to-first among 10 at odds-on at Mountaineer Park for his second multiple-margin win in a record that improved to 2 - 5 - 3 in 13 starts, TO THE REPUBLIC gained six-wide up the backstretch to go from sixth-to-first among eight, RED'S RED ($192,819) for his 13th win despite being struck across the face by the whip of a rival jockey, and MIDNIGHT SECRET (sired by Key Contender) from fifth-to-first among 12 despite being forced out late in the stretch and improving his indestructible record to 11 - 23 - 13 in 83 starts with earnings of $174,514 -- all four on Sunday, and the last-named three at Finger Lakes; NAPOLEON SOLO ($151,874) by 4-1/4 lengths from sixth-to-first among eight despite going six-wide on both turns for his second win in 43 days and seventh career victory, and homebred MALIBU MOUSE in a front-running effort to improve his record to 3 - 1 - 3 in 14 starts -- both at Finger Lakes on Monday; homebred POLICE ESCORT under co-topweight for his second win in nine days and third victory of 2007 in a record that improved to 3 - 4 - 4 in 22 starts, and MERCALI from fifth-to-first among 11 "going away" for his second daylight-margin win -- both at Finger Lakes on Tuesday.

New York-bred maiden-breakers from Wednesday, June 13 through Tuesday, June 19 included:

Homebred NORMAN'S GOOD BOY (sired by Smokin Mel) in a front-running effort, and semi-homebred SATURDAY'S CAT "drew clear" following a three-wide rally -- both at Belmont -- and two-year-old filly ASHLEY'S DREAMER (first winner from first crop of Dream Run) by 3-3/4 lengths gate-to-wire from the outside post among seven starters at Delaware Park, and KING SONIC by 2-1/4 lengths from last-to-first out of the outside post among eight starters on Indiana Downs turf in his third career start and 19 days after having missed by a head while placing second -- all four on Wednesday; SNUFF BOX (sired by Catienus) by a front-running 2-1/4 lengths despite ducking out at the start and being soundly bumped, and homebred PANICKING PETUNIA (sired by Lycius) "ran away" in the final furlong to win by 5-1/4 lengths after advancing from seventh-to-first among 10 starters in her debut -- both at Belmont -- and DEBBIESPRETTYBOY was "hand ridden" from fifth-to-first among seven to a daylight-margin win at Monmouth Park -- all three on Thursday; two-year-old SPANKY FISCHBEIN (first winner sired by Hook and Ladder) by 3-1/4 lengths gate-to-wire in his debut with a 21.80 opening quarter-mile and looking worth every cent of his $230,000 purchase price at Fasig-Tipton's 2006 Saratoga New York-bred preferred yearling sale, and DANTASTIC from seventh-to-first among 10 starters -- both at Belmont -- and homebred WONFORTHEGOODGUYS from the sixth post among seven starters at Churchill Downs in his third start despite swerving out at the three-sixteenths pole and brushing with a rival in the late stretch, SCAT CAT SCAT (sired by Tomorrows Cat) from ninth-to-first among 12 starters at Penn National with blinkers on for the first time and despite being in tight quarters on the second turn, TREASURE'S JOY by two lengths from sixth-to-first among nine starters, and DUCKY LYKSUS (sired by Lycius) by a front-running 3-1/2 lengths from the ninth post among 11 starters -- all six on Friday, and the last-named two at Finger Lakes; STORMIN NORMANDY by 6-3/4 lengths gate-to-wire from the outside post among six starters at Belmont in 1:22.42 for seven furlongs on dirt in the third career outing for the top-priced New York-bred (at $375,000) at Fasig-Tipton Florida's 2006 Calder select sale of two-year-olds in training, CHEQUER CAT by 3-1/2 lengths from last-to-first among six at Philadelphia Park, homebred YOU US AIR (sired by Aristotle) by daylight in his debut as the only first-time starter among nine despite breaking sluggishly and going five-wide on the turn, and homebred MORORDER'S MAP from the outside post among 10 in his first start of 2007 -- all four on Saturday, and the last-named two at Finger Lakes; AS DO I at odds-on from the eighth post among nine in her second career outing and the least-experienced starter in her contest, and TURNING LEAVES from sixth-to-first among 10 with a three-wide rally in the first start for the half-sister to a multiple stakes-winning dam of a Grade 2-winning filly -- both at Belmont -- and two-year-old RUN WARRIOR RUN (first winner sired by Desert Warrior) in his debut at Delaware Park, MISS MORGY by nine lengths "ridden out" at odds-on at Arapahoe Park 20 days after having missed by less than a length while placing second, and OLD HUSSY (sired by Catienus) by three lengths at near even-money at Finger Lakes -- all five on Sunday; FUZZIEO by 4-1/4 lengths at Calder in her second start, FINDING MONACO by 6-1/2 lengths gate-to-wire from the outside post among six starters at Arapahoe Park "unchallenged and ridden out" at odds-on three weeks after having missed by a neck while placing second in her debut, ANXIOUS CONTENDER (sired by Key Contender) from the outside post among nine as half of an odds-on entry, NIGHT WATCH (sired by Take Me Out) by a front-running 3-1/2 lengths, and aptly-named WAYWARD LIZ from sixth-to-first among 11 starters despite being fractious at the gate and bumped at the start to break her maiden by daylight in her 40th career outing while pushing her earnings over $91,000 -- all five on Monday, and the last-named three at Finger Lakes; homebred QUEEN OF THE SCENE by 2-1/4 lengths from last-to-first among 10 despite bobbling after the break in her second career outing and first start on turf, and two-year-old MI ROLLS "eagerly pulled away" by 10-1/2 lengths gate-to-wire in his second start -- both at Colonial Downs -- and homebred SMOKIN RACER (sired by Smokin Mel) by two lengths from fifth-to-first out of the eighth post among nine starters, and AT TWILIGHT TIME (sired by Take Me Out) by two lengths from the outside post among 10 starters -- all four on Tuesday, and the last-named two at Finger Lakes.

Gimme Credit upsets by 3-1/4 lengths in 1:20.71 for open 7F Notoriety S. by Rab Hagin

Photo: Adam Coglianese

GIMME CREDIT

Hampshire Farm's New York-bred GIMME CREDIT chose a dramatic way to score his first sprint victory on Sunday, capturing Belmont's open $70,200 Notoriety Stakes for four-year-olds and up by 3-1/4 lengths as the co-topweighted and 16.50-to-1 co-sixth choice among eight while zipping seven furlongs on turf in a near-record 1:20.71. The four-year-old son of Artax had put together a five-race grass win streak during the summer and early fall of 2006, annexing open and restricted mile stakes at Saratoga and Belmont, but his forte seemed to be 8-to-8-1/2 furlongs off moderate fractions. Then all of a sudden in the stretch at Belmont, it was whoosh! There is now no question that Gimme Credit -- who had broken his maiden on Belmont's main track -- has a serious turn of foot.

In hand in sixth place for a half-mile behind fractions of 22.48 and 45.50 set by New York-bred and co-topweighted Retribution while being race-ridden for the fourth time -- second consecutive -- by jockey Cornelio Velasquez, Gimme Credit angled outside in the upper stretch, looking like he might finish third. Retribution ($302,490), whose front-running style seems more effective at two turns than one, tired and was overtaken by new leader First Word, the 4.30-to-1 third choice who appeared to be the obvious winner until Velasquez's mount closed with a rush on the outside. The dark bay gelding was pulling away at the finish, as First Word -- who had set a six-furlong fraction of 1:09.14 -- held on to nose out graded winner and 2.05-to-1 favorite Defer for second place. The Notoriety marked Velasquez's second winning ride on Belmont's Sunday card aboard a New York-bred in a turf contest.

Track announcer Tom Durkin accurately expressed the New York-bred's impressive stretch run: "Gimme Credit blows them away."

Gimme Credit's winning time of 1:20.71 was less than a second (.83) off Belmont's seven-year-old course record -- set by a six-year-old carrying 11 pounds less than the Hampshire Farm standard-bearer's co-topweighted impost of 123 pounds. It also was almost two-thirds of a second (.64) faster than the winning time in Belmont's 1999 graded Jaipur Handicap at seven furlongs on firm turf for the event's namesake, Notoriety.

The third stakes victory for Gimme Credit increased the gelding's earnings by $42,120 to $241,713 and improved his record to 6 - 1 - 1 in 15 starts for James Dinan's Hampshire Farm. The former $70,000 purchase at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's 2004 October yearling sale trains under Timothy Hills, who had given him three moderate Belmont workouts going a half-mile (twice) and five furlongs from May 31 to June 13 in preparation for the Notoriety, which was Gimme Credit's second 2007 start.

Bred by and foaled at Dr. Douglas Koch's Berkshire Stud in Pine Plains in partnership with Tom Tatham's Oak Cliff Stable, Gimme Credit is a half-brother to Italy's high-weighted three-year-old sprinter for 2005, New York-bred stakes winner Golden Stravinsky ($243,746 through 2006), being the second offspring produced from winner Shagadellic. Co-breeder Tatham had bid $150,000 at Keeneland's 1998 September yearling sale to purchase Shagadellic, who was a main track winner going a route distance as a three-year-old but never scored on turf.

Gimme Credit is the 11th New York-bred winner of an open black-type stakes in 2007 and the 31st New York-bred to finish in the top three in a stakes outside state-bred company this year. His victory highlighted an active open stakes weekend by New York-breds: On Saturday, You Go West Girl ($107,634) placed second in Churchill Downs' graded $228,600 Regret Stakes for three-year-old fillies; in Belmont's Grade 2 Vagrancy Handicap for fillies and mares immediately following the Notoriety, Oprah Winney ($453,780) also placed second.

NY-bred turf female division has a new look by Rab Hagin

Photo: Adam Coglianese

FACTUAL CONTENDER Latest NY-bred female turf standout

The emergence of Thomas Farone Jr.'s FACTUAL CONTENDER ($336,778) as a major player in the New York-bred turf female division raises intriguing questions regarding how she might fare against fellow state-bred female grass specialists J'ray ($420,218) and Finlandia ($326,015) when and if the occasion arises. The division has an illustrious history, having been captured in 2006 by graded winner Sabellina ($515,190 - see 2006 NYTB Divisional Champions) and in previous seasons by millionaires Irish Linnett and Capades (see New York-bred Millionaires Club) as well as by Grade 1 winner Perfect Arc. Factual Contender, who had become one of the 10 New York-bred open-company stakes winners of 2007 (J'ray is among those 10) prior to her gate-to-wire tally in Belmont's $109,800 Mount Vernon Handicap on Sunday, looks like another example of an athlete finally finding his or her niche. Both the sports world in general and horseracing in particular are replete with such mediocrity-to-superiority sagas, of which New York-bred 2006 Eclipse Champion Fleet Indian is a recent example.

The 29th New York-bred to finish in the top three in a 2007 stakes outside state-bred company is Encore Stables' Out for Glory, who placed second in Assiniboia Downs' six-furlong Chantilly Stakes for three-year-old fillies on Sunday, putting her never-worse-than-fourth record at 1 - 2 - 2 in six starts. Bred by Richard Simon's Sez Who Thoroughbreds in Stillwater and purchased by trainer Emile Corbel for $30,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's (OBS) 2006 April sale of two-year-olds, Out for Glory in 2006 had placed third in Assiniboia Downs' Debutante Stakes while still a maiden. She had broken her maiden by 4-1/4 lengths in her second 2007 start three weeks prior to the Chantilly, for which she went off as the 10.80-to-1 fifth choice among seven starters, trailing the field early before rallying for her placing. The daughter of Outofthebox is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Kool Humor ($242,899), being the seventh winner produced from stakes winner Aly Sara, whom Simon's New Dawn Stud had purchased for $35,000 at Keeneland's 2000 November sale when she was carrying her first future New York-bred winner. Aly Sara, who is by Saratoga Six, is a half-sister to New York-bred stakes winners Mr. T. and Me ($192,760) and Swirlaway and to the dams of two more stakes winners, including multiple graded winner Candid Cameron ($652,539).

New York Minute: Out for Glory's runner-up effort in the Chantilly Stakes was the 48th top-three finish in a stakes outside state-bred company by a New York-bred in 2007.

Winning an open N1X Belmont starter turf allowance at a mile and a sixteenth last Thursday (June 7) for fillies and mares that had broken their maidens with $50,000 tags or less was Alan Quartucci's New York homebred CAGEY GIRL, who led throughout as the 11.90-to-1 fifth choice among six. The three-year-old filly who is still eligible for restricted (state-bred) N1X competition was ridden for the first time in competition by Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux and improved her record to 2 - 1 - 3 in 10 starts. Cagey Girl had broken her maiden by 27-3/4 lengths going a mile and 70 yards on Aqueduct's inner track in early March and had placed third twice and second once in subsequent March and May NYRA outings prior to her first grass victory on Thursday. The daughter of graded winner Crowd Pleaser is the first offspring produced from winner A Girls Gotta Eat, who is by Ordway and is from the female family of 1979 Eclipse Champion Juvenile Filly Smart Angle.

Also winning an open starter allowance was Michael Melvin's recently-claimed New York-bred SCENTUAL in a two-turn six-furlong contest for fillies and mares at Lincoln State Fair in Nebraska on Sunday, as that 2.80-to-1 second choice among seven starters scored her third victory of 2007. The effort came 29 days after the five-year-old mare had won by two lengths at Lincoln State Fair and been claimed, and it improved her record to 8 - 5 - 12 in 37 outings. The daughter of Distinctive Pro was bred by the Flatbird Stable of Louis Milazzo and is among six winners produced from graded-placed 11-time route winner Won Scent ($303,110), by Air Forbes Won. Her multiple-winning New York-bred full-and-half-siblings include five-time stakes-placed winner Mr. Determined ($305,192) and 2007 Santa Anita-Delaware Park allowance Smelling Salts. Dam Won Scent is a full sister to stakes winner Unforbesgettable. Scentual is traipsing around the Central Plains with a black-type bottom-line pedigree that continues to improve and possibly continues to be overlooked.

Winning restricted N2X allowance/optional claiming contests at Belmont were four-year-old gelding METRO METEOR going six furlongs on turf on Wednesday (June 6), four-year-old filly ZIPPY MISSY going six furlongs on Thursday, four-year-old filly LAUREN'S TIZZY going a mile on Friday, and six-year-old gelding STONEWOOD going 5-1/2 furlongs on Friday. Favored Metro Meteor ($193,524), who 32 days earlier had been claimed for $50,000 by Winning Move Stable while finishing fourth in his 2007 Belmont debut, again had a $50,000 tag and advanced from seventh-to-first out of the ninth post among 10 to win by three lengths. Bred by Gus Schoenborn Jr., the Gary Contessa-trained speedster improved his record to six wins (five on turf) and two seconds -- the latter including a runner-up effort in Saratoga's With Anticipation Stakes on turf two summers ago -- in 14 starts. Zippy Missy ($160,490), a $50,000 purchase at Fasig-Tipton's 2004 Saratoga New York-bred preferred yearling sale who races for the Millennium Farms of Ro Parra of Austin, Texas, was favored among eight fillies and mares and won by daylight to improve her record to 3 - 5 - 1 in 12 starts. Also bred by Schoenborn and trained by Steven Asmussen, the three-time stakes-placed (all in 2005) filly is the third starter and third winner produced from Miss Halo Country ($208,956), who is a half-sister to New York-bred stakes winners Image Maker ($339,667), Financial Lady, and Dixie Country. Lauren's Tizzy ($107,220), a $250,000 purchase at Fasig-Tipton's 2004 Saratoga select yearling sale racing for the Sarah Lyn Stables LLC of Danny Wiginton, got her second 2007 tally by 2-3/4 lengths at even-money among six fillies and mares, improving her record to 3 - 2 - 2 in nine starts. Bred by Michael Divitto and John Lemmens and foaled at Divitto's Morning Sun Farms in Greenfield Center, the Mark Hennig trainee is the first offspring produced from dirt and turf juvenile stakes winner Morning Sun ($138,786), who missed being a graded winner at three by a nose. Stonewood ($402,915) went gate-to-wire under co-topweight for his second consecutive front-running win in 27 days and third victory of 2007 for owners Marty Cunningham and Eugene Hauman but was claimed for $30,000 by trainer Contessa on behalf of Gregory Smith -- the eighth claim of his career. Now with a record of 13 - 12 - 9 in 43 starts, the John Franks-bred super-sound son Tomorrows Cat is in the Contessa barn for the first time ever and is on course to have his best year on record despite having twice compiled six-figure-earning seasons.

Winning restricted N1X allowances at Belmont were six-year-old mare INCA IS CALLING on Thursday, three-year-old colt BARRY BOUND and four-year-old filly IRON GODDESS -- both on Saturday -- and three-year-old colt QUICK COMEBACK and three-year-old filly BROWN EYED BELLE -- both on Sunday. Inca Is Calling ($100,777), Peter Rosbeck's shrewd claim at Tampa Bay Downs last March, broke from the outside post among 10 fillies and mares going a mile and an eighth on turf and advanced from ninth-to-first for her third win of 2007 and fourth career victory. Berry Bound, Steeplechase Farm's homebred half-brother to two stakes-placed winners and inbred 2 x 3 to leading sire Danzig, scored a front-running six-furlong win as the 2.80-to-1 second choice among 12 starters and 11 wagering interests, registering his second consecutive daylight-margin victory in 31 days. Iron Goddess, Barry Schwartz's $250,000 purchase at Keeneland's 2004 September yearling sale, came off a 70-day layoff to win her grass debut in 1:09.55 for six furlongs and now has front-running tallies on dirt (going seven furlongs at Saratoga) and turf plus two seconds in six career outings. Quick Comeback and Brown Eyed Belle were both bred either wholly or in part by Sequel 2003 from the same 2004 crop, both race for Winning Move Stable, John Moirano, and Celebrity Group Stables, and both scored front-running victories, but trainer Contessa has discovered their individual talents. Quick Comeback tried a mile and a quarter on grass from the outside post among nine and now has 2007 wins on dirt and turf; Brown Eyed Belle has won at 5-1/2 furlongs at Aqueduct in December and at six furlongs at Belmont in her third career start.

Notable New York-bred open claiming winning fillies were four-year-old NOW MORE THAN EVER going a turf mile at Belmont, three-year-old CATS A GLITTER going six furlongs at Woodbine -- both on Wednesday (June 6) -- and four-year-old POINT ME TO IT going a mile and a sixteenth on Belmont turf on Friday. Now More Than Ever ($141,561), who ran with a $55,000 tag for Caesar Kimmel, John Ritota, and Philip Solondz, scored a front-running 2-1/2-length victory at even-money among eight, improving her record to four wins and four seconds in 13 starts while getting claimed by Michael Ricatto Jr. Cats a Glitter, owner-trainer Audre Cappuccitti's improving Catienus filly, ran with a $37,500 (Canadian funds) tag and advanced from seventh-to-first among eight to score her second consecutive daylight-margin win in three weeks, improving her record to 3 - 1 - 1 in six starts -- all at Woodbine. Point Me to It, who races for the Nick-Mike Stables of Mladen Pavlovich, was among seven New York-breds participating in the 10-starter non-winners-of-two field with the stipulated $35,000 tag (third-place finisher Fiddlers Princess was claimed) and now has NYRA wins on both dirt and turf.

New York-bred open allowance winners at Finger Lakes from Friday, June 8 through Monday, June 11 were:

INDIAN CAMP by 3-1/2 lengths at odds-on and "under wraps" for his second win by more than three lengths in 2007 and third overall, on Friday; SCHIFTY'S ANGELA by two lengths at odds-on to improve her record to 2 - 1 - 2 in six starts, and SKIPAWANDA from seventh-to-first out of the outside post among eight starters for her second open allowance win in six days and third victory in six weeks -- both on Saturday; SLY DIAMOND JIM by a front-running 3-1/4 lengths at odds-on for his second big-margin win while improving his overall record to 2 - 5 - 4 in 18 starts, NOMOREMRNICEGUY by three lengths under co-topweight for his second win in 27 days, and homebred RISES THE PHOENIX ($176,820) by 8-3/4 lengths gate-to-wire at odds-on while winning "in hand" and "easily" and registering his fourth career victory margin of more than eight lengths in an overall record of 4 - 7 - 4 in 24 starts -- all three on Monday.

New York-bred winners of state-bred restricted allowance races at Finger Lakes from Friday, June 8 through Tuesday, June 12 were:

ROCKIN SARAH (sired by Rock and Roll) by a front-running 2-1/2 lengths out of the eighth post among 10 starters for her second consecutive multiple-margin win in 12 days and third multiple-margin victory in 32 weeks and improving her record to 4 - 2 - 1 in 12 starts, on Friday; homebred DAZZLE ME DARLIN (sired by Western Expression) to improve her record to 5 - 4 - 6 in 24 starts, on Saturday; CONEY ISLAND BABY ($127,107) by 3-3/4 lengths at odds-on to improve her record to 9 - 3 - 4 in 24 starts, on Sunday; homebred BEHRLY MINE by six lengths under a hand ride "as much the best" in her second start of 2007 while improving her record to 4 - 7 - 5 in 26 starts, on Tuesday.

Other New York-bred open claiming winners from Wednesday, June 6 through Tuesday, June 12 included:

MT. MAJESTY (sired by Raffie's Majesty) at Belmont for his second NYRA win of 2007 to improve his record to 9 - 5 - 2 in 26 starts with earnings of $146,576 and claimed for the third time in 2007, WANDI by 2-1/4 lengths at Suffolk Downs off a 268-day layoff for her seventh career victory, NETCONG ($285,710) by 3-1/2 lengths under co-topweight from the outside post among six starters for his second three-length-plus win in 29 days and improving his record to 7 - 13 - 11 in 62 starts, and MR. TICONDEROGA by 3-1/2 lengths gate-to-wire for his second consecutive three-length-plus win in 13 days -- all four on Wednesday, and the last-named two at Charles Town; ALL YOU NEED (sired by Lycius) by a front-running 4-1/2 lengths "ridden out" at Monmouth Park at odds-on to improve her record to three wins and one third in seven starts and one of two runners claimed out of the contest, TOTALLY SELFISH ($151,851) by two lengths gate-to-wire in 57.71 for five furlongs on Pimlico turf with blinkers on in her first start since being claimed last September and improving her record to 8 - 2 - 4 in 28 starts, and FLIM FLAM MAN by 4-1/2 lengths at odds-on going a three-turn mile at Fair Meadows Tulsa for his second daylight-margin win and first victory at beyond a sprint distance -- all three on Thursday; KISS THE CRUISER by 6-3/4 lengths going a mile at Belmont with blinkers on for his second six-length-plus win but first victory beyond seven furlongs, homebred FURIOUS NESS going a two-turn mile and a sixteenth at Monmouth Park for his first win beyond six furlongs, CURTANA by two lengths at Penn National for her second consecutive daylight-margin win in 10 days and improving her record to 3 - 6 - 6 in 27 starts, BROOKE HALEY by 4-1/4 lengths from sixth-to-first among eight despite stumbling at the start and circling five-wide into the stretch to improve her record to 2 - 6 - 9 in 27 starts, LORD BUCKLEY ($188,313) gate-to-wire from the outside post among 10 off a 207-day layoff to improve his indestructible record to 19 - 14 - 10 in 69 starts, and homebred LAKE ISLE DRIVE by eight lengths at odds-on to give him three wins and a close second in four 2007 starts within a 48-day span and claimed -- all six on Friday, and the last-named three at Finger Lakes; GOLDMART GEM (sired by Prime Timber) by 5-3/4 lengths under co-topweight at Thistledown for her second consecutive win in 16 days and third victory in 99 days to improve her overall record to 5 - 3 - 2 in 19 starts, homebred ROCKET BOOSTER by 7-1/2 lengths gate-to-wire "easily" and "ridden out" at Mountaineer Park for the third big-margin win of his career and the second within 74 days, POLISH KING from the sixth post among seven starters in his first start off a 264-day layoff, CITI ON FIRE turned back two rivals in the final quarter-mile for her second win in 76 days, and TOKEN DEM ($125,418) by two lengths eight days after having placed third and improving his record to 6 - 3 - 9 in 35 starts -- all five on Saturday, and the last-named three at Finger Lakes; WAR SCANDAL by 4-3/4 lengths at Calder for his third multiple-margin win just three weeks after having won by 5-3/4 lengths and advancing his overall record to 3 - 2 - 3 in 15 starts, CURIOUS PROSPECT (sired by Crusader Sword) from sixth-to-first among 10 at near even-money at Charles Town for her second daylight-margin win in 43 days and third daylight-margin victory in an overall record of 3 - 3 - 4 in 17 starts, NEW YORK KITTY by a front-running 2-1/4 lengths for her second multiple-margin win in four weeks and third within 87 days, SAY I DO (sired by Western Expression) "ridden out" in a front-running effort for his second daylight-margin win in 34 days and improving his record to 7 - 2 - 4 in 18 starts, homebred POLICE ESCORT by 2-3/4 lengths "under wraps" for his second multiple-margin win of 2007, CARAVAN END by 5-1/2 lengths "ridden out" under top weight for her second big-margin win in 37 days and fourth career victory, and EXPENSIVE LOVER (sired by Expensive Decision) by three lengths to improve her record to 3 - 6 - 5 in 28 starts -- all seven on Sunday, and the last-named five at Finger Lakes; WILD WHEEL (sired by Wheelaway) by 2-1/4 lengths as the only three-year-old among eight starters at Philadelphia Park for his second win by more than two lengths in 2007 and improving his overall record to 2 - 2 - 1 in nine starts, EXTERNAL AFFAIR from eighth-to-first out of the outside post among 11 starters for her second win in 31 days, and DRIVING MS. MAIZEY by 2-1/4 lengths gate-to-wire out of the sixth post among seven for her third multiple-margin win overall and second within 52 days -- all three on Monday, and the last-named two at Finger Lakes; STEP IT UP ($134,175) from the outside post among eight at Philadelphia Park for his fourth career win, W'TONIA from the fifth post among six at Yavapai Downs for her second win in 58 days and third career victory and winning at odds of 34.20-to-1, homebred BOSTON RAIDER by 2-1/2 lengths for his second multiple-margin win in 30 days and improving his record to 4 - 4 - 3 in 22 starts, BRIEF THE LADY from last-to-first among nine to improve her record to 5 - 8 - 10 in 40 starts, and homebred GLORY BE TO WINLOC ($181,741) for his ninth career victory -- all five on Tuesday, and the last-named three at Finger Lakes.

New York-bred maiden-breakers from Wednesday, June 6 through Tuesday, June 12 included:

HERE COMES CARLIE under co-topweight on Belmont turf, on Wednesday; JOCASSEE at Belmont out of the eighth post among nine starters in her first start of 2007 after having placed third at Saratoga and second at Belmont last year as a juvenile and looking like her $110,000 purchase price at the OBS March 2006 sale of two-year-olds might have been a bargain, on Thursday; homebred PAPA'S KARA by 5-1/4 lengths off a 109-day layoff, and homebred THEM THERE EYES by 2-1/2 lengths off a 225-day layoff -- both at Belmont -- and homebred MUSICIAN in his first two-turn effort on a main track, and BUCKRIDGE BAILEY by a front-running two lengths at even-money in his debut -- all four on Friday, and the last-named two at Finger Lakes; homebred STATELY PEGASUS from ninth-to-first among 12 on Belmont turf to improve his frequently-on-the-board record to 1 - 2 - 3 in 12 starts, and homebred REPLAY BLUES by a front-running 5-1/4 lengths in his debut at Finger Lakes as the only first-time-starter competing -- both on Saturday; SPINNAKER RUN advanced through "tough traffic" from sixth-to-first among nine, and MAKIN ME FAMOUS by seven lengths -- both at Belmont -- and GOLDEN HOTTIE (sired by Gold Fever) by 2-1/2 lengths from sixth-to-first among 10 at Mountaineer Park to improve her record to 1 - 3 - 1 in nine starts, and PAPERSHOES in a front-running performance at Finger Lakes that marked his first main track effort at beyond a mile -- all four on Sunday; SHAWKLIT PUNCH (sired by Aristotle) by 5-3/4 lengths "ridden out" to improve her never-worse-than-fourth record to 1 - 3 - 3 in eight starts, and TICKET TO FLY (sired by Wheelaway) from last-to-first among seven starters -- both at Finger Lakes on Tuesday.

Factual Contender leads the way in Mt. Vernon for 2nd turf stakes win by Rab Hagin

Photo: Adam Coglianese

FACTUAL CONTENDER

Dominating rivals that were skipping over lawns a year ago when she was still pounding the dirt sprint circuit, Thomas Farone Jr.'s top-weighted FACTUAL CONTENDER went gate-to-wire in Belmont's $109,800 Mount Vernon Handicap for New York-bred fillies and mares at a mile and an eighth on turf on Sunday. The six-year-old mare was odds-on (.70-to-1) for the first time in 13 months (when she had placed third in a 5-1/2-furlong overnight handicap at Finger Lakes) and earned more for her second stakes score in 38 days than her claiming price at Saratoga in 2005. Factual Contender has garnered $150,229 of her $336,778 career bankroll since being haltered for $65,000 at the Spa 22 months earlier, but her life has taken on new meaning following her transfer to New York Thoroughbred Breeders 2003 Trainer of the Year Barclay Tagg late in 2006. Now referred to as a "speed mare," she can churn out fractions over grass that must seem leisurely compared to her sprinting days, and her Mount Vernon performance showcased that ability.

Breaking on top in the six-starter field with jockey Eibar Coa race-riding her for the second consecutive time, Factual Contender ran her opening quarter-mile in 24.25 before sealing the outcome with a 47.75 intermediate half-mile, which propelled her to a 5-1/2-length mid-stretch advantage. Although four-time open stakes winner (over all-weather tracks) Half Heaven ($371,421) closed in the final furlong, Farone's lawn-lover was hand-ridden the final 50 yards, improving to 8 - 8 - 3 in 32 starts and advancing her turf record to three wins and one second in five outings.

For jockey Coa, who had four winning rides on Sunday's card -- three aboard New York-bred females and three in turf contests -- the outcome was never in doubt: "She broke sharp like she always does," confirmed Coa, who also had piloted the 1998 Mount Vernon winner. "I rode her like she was the best horse in the race. She was very comfortable down the backside. She's just better than these."

Trainer Tagg, who had built his original reputation as a trainer who could spot latent turf talent, gave the credit to his assistant and exercise rider, Robin Smullen: "Robin did all the work on her. Whenever we get a crazy horse in, we put Robin on, and she settles them down. We hoped we would be the only speed, but when it chopped down to a six-horse field, we started to think that someone might challenge us. Cornelio (Velasquez, aboard fourth-place finisher Artistic Express) was pushing her for a little bit there, but he couldn't keep up with her. I thought she ran a great race. She's big and strong right now, and we're very happy with her. There are a lot of options out there for her. We'll see where we go."

Bred by Carl Lizza Jr.'s Flying Zee Stables and foaled at Highcliff Farm in Delanson that Lizza owns with Joseph Bartone and where her 28-year-old pensioned sire, Thunder Puddles, resides, Factual Contender is a major contender in the state-bred turf female division with the presumed retirement of Sabellina. Her sire, New York-bred Thunder Puddles ($791,695), was a multiple Grade 2-winning turf router and once had been the leading New York-bred money-earner, and his graded-winning offspring include multiple graded-winning turf router Thunder Regent, who won 14 races on grass. Factual Contender is among four starters, all winners, produced from Flying Zee Stables' New York homebred route winner Factuallychallenge, who is by the late New York-based stallion Triocala. Her two named and younger half-sisters of racing age have both won in 2007 (at Aqueduct), and one also has scored on Belmont turf. Factual Contender is the second Mount Vernon winner bred by Flying Zee Stables, which was represented in 2005 by one of two divisional winners of the event, homebred Kevin's Decision.

Stallion Stakes winners show world of promise by Rab Hagin

Photo: Adam Coglianese

LAURENTIDE ICE Regains her cool - wins Cupecoy's Joy

In what might have been preliminary warm-ups for bigger acts to follow, Camelia Casby's homebred LAURENTIDE ICE ($196,134) and Majesty Stud's lightly-raced homebred DR. V'S MAGIC romped home as impressive multiple-margin winners in Belmont's New York Stallion Stakes divisions on Sunday, with both showing dramatic improvement. Laurentide Ice's only sub-par (and unplaced) effort in nine starts had come in Aqueduct's New York Stallion Park Avenue Stakes six weeks earlier on April 22, when she apparently was recalling bad memories from her Aqueduct third-placing four weeks prior to the Park Avenue. As the only three-year-old filly facing older competition in that March 25 allowance outing, she had stumbled at the start, been snatched up on the backstretch, bumped a rival entering the turn, was steadied again, then went wide to finish a weary third -- less than three lengths off the winner. Weeks of patient paddock schooling under trainer Mark Hennig's supervision obviously calmed the gray/roan filly's nervousness and paid off handsomely in the one-turn mile Cupecoy's Joy division.

The three-length win by Dr. V's Magic in the Spectacular Bid division also hints at some intriguing possibilities. In Belmont's 2006 Empire Classic on New York Showcase Day (October 21) against a field that included three graded winners and two millionaires plus the winner of that event's two previous renewals, a then four-year-old full brother to Dr. V's Magic, Organizer ($408,581), had scored his first stakes victory. But as of early June of his three-year-old season, Organizer had not broken his maiden, although he later placed a surprising second at double-digit odds in the 2003 Empire Classic. Four starts into his career, a first-out-winning Dr. V's Magic has won twice by multiple margins at Aqueduct and Belmont, seems equally at home on fast or wet tracks, and has an accomplishment that has eluded Organizer: victory at a one-turn mile. The three-year-old son of Raffie's Majesty is trained by Dominic Galluscio -- also trainer of Organizer for Digby Barrios' Majesty Stud -- and looks ready to move into open company or go longer.

Also showing rapidly-accelerating improvement is another New York homebred from the crop of 2004, Brophy Stable's homebred SILVERCUP BABY, who came off a 15-week layoff to score her second consecutive win in Belmont's overnight Touch of Love Stakes for state-bred three-year-old fillies going six furlongs on Friday. A 4-3/4-length maiden-breaker at Aqueduct in her latest previous outing in February, the Carl Domino-trained filly broke from the outside post among seven and was the only starter that had not raced in May but now has two wins and three seconds in five efforts.

Lansdon Robbins III's and Kevin Callahan's ICE COOL KITTY ($197,326) was no surprise at odds-on (.55-to-1) in Belmont's overnight Wendy Walker Stakes for older New York-bred fillies and mares going a one-turn mile on Saturday, scoring by five lengths, and the daughter of Tomorrows Cat looks ready to go longer. Conditioned by Richard Dutrow Jr., the William Garbarini-bred four-year-old filly has won her last three outings -- all one-turn miles -- by 15-1/4 combined lengths within a 57-day span, improving her record to six wins plus a 2006 stakes second-placing in 10 career starts. She has won twice at six furlongs and once at seven furlongs but has never been tried at two turns or beyond a mile.

Two New York-breds placed in out-of-state stakes over the weekend: Larry Carter's Western Deed finished second in Assiniboia Downs' six-furlong Golden Boy Stakes for three-year-olds on Saturday; Sunset Stables' Mohegan Sky ($150,065) was third in Monmouth's Candy Eclair Stakes for fillies and mares going 5-1/2 furlongs on turf on Sunday. Western Deed, a son of Western Expression bred and raced by Carl Lizza Jr.'s Flying Zee Stables until being claimed while placing second at Aqueduct in April, might have found the Golden Boy somewhat short following two-turn victories on Aqueduct's inner track in January and February. Breaking from the eighth post among 11 as the 1.35-to-1 favorite, he advanced from fifth-to-second to put his record at 2 - 3 - 4 in 12 starts. Western Deed's owner, Carter, and trainer, Emile Corbel, had won the 2006 Golden Boy with New York-bred Quick Witted, whom they owned with two other partners. Mohegan Sky was top-weighted and broke from the outside post among nine in the Candy Eclair, finishing behind a pair of previous turf stakes-winning sprinters to whom she was spotting four pounds each while moving her record to 4 - 4 - 1 in 12 starts. The four-year-old filly had won back-to-back five-furlong allowance turf sprints at Gulfstream Park in March -- beating Candy Eclair winner Haddie Be Good in the second of those victories -- and had placed third in Tampa Bay Downs' five-furlong Lightning City Stakes for fillies and mares on turf on May 5. Owned William Bianco III's Sunset Stables and trained by Linda Rice, Mohegan Sky can point for Monmouth's Klassy Briefcase on July 1 and Incredible Revenge (named for a New York-bred winner of 16 turf stakes) on July 21 -- both 5-1/2-furlong distaff events on turf.

New York Minute(s): Western Deed was the 28th New York-bred to finish in the top three in a black-type stakes outside state-bred company in 2007; Mohegan Sky's third-placing in the Candy Eclair was the 47th top-three finish in a 2007 black-type stakes event outside state-bred company by a New York-bred.

Mohegan Sky might have competition from another New York-bred this summer in Thomas Farone Jr.'s WILLSHEFIRE ($107,644), who on Sunday skipped right over her restricted N2X condition to win an open six-furlong N1X allowance for fillies and mares on turf at Belmont off a 254-day layoff. Although New York-breds comprised only three of the nine starters, they effectively dominated the contest, earning 85 percent of the total purse by finishing first, second, and fourth and qualifying their connections for a total of $17,370 in additional owner, breeder, and stallion owner awards. Willshefire, sent off the 3.55-to-1 second choice by trainer Barclay Tagg, won by 3-1/2 lengths in 1:08.57 for her second consecutive six-furlong grass victory, improving her record to three wins (once on dirt) and three seconds in 10 starts and boosting her earnings into six figures. Placing second was New York-bred multiple stakes-placed Baby Gray ($183,302), and finishing fourth was New York-bred Stag Dancer ($156,183). Bred by Kathy Johnson's Amherst Stable, LLC, Jeffrey Foong of Bell Meadows Farm in Oakland, New Jersey, and Mun-Yet Lum, four-year-old filly Willshefire is the fourth distaff winner and third New York-bred winner produced from She's a Dragon, being a half-sister to Bay Dragon ($227,825) and Micmaceuse ($156,125). She's a Dragon is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner and New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) 1992 Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Distinct Habit -- dam of multiple stakes winner Mr. Routine ($149,115) -