NY-bred Silver Timber has fastest 6F (1:07.43) in NY thru July 2007 by Rab Hagin

Photo: Adam Coglianese

SILVER TIMBER NY-bred set Spa turf record in 2006

The fourth Sunday of July was eventful for New York-breds, with SILVER TIMBER running the fastest six furlongs in New York for 2007 in an open Belmont turf allowance, SHUFFLING MADDNES running the fastest Evan Shipman Handicap in four years, and GRAND REFER equaling Finger Lakes' Ontario County stakes record. Those three colts all showed serious stretch-running speed while winning under various conditions and appeared to be reaching peak form just as Saratoga's 36-day meet was about to begin.

Fastest six furlongs in New York for 2007 was run by Invictus Farm's emerging grass sensation, Silver Timber ($159,391), in an open N2X allowance/optional claiming contest for three-year-olds and up on turf that immediately preceded the Evan Shipman Handicap for state-bred four-year-olds and up. Taking command right before setting a 56.01 five-furlong fraction, the swift four-year-old clocked 1:07.43 and was followed in second-place by New York-bred Redefined ($192,030), as the only two state-breds in the $57,000 contest ran one-two while beating out the third-place favorite, a French Group 2-placed winner. Silver Timber's course record-threatening time beat by about one-fifth of a second the previous best six furlongs in New York for 2007, a 1:07.64 clocking by six-year-old Ecclesiastic (carrying three pounds less than Silver Timber's 121-pound impost) in Belmont's graded Jaipur Handicap on turf on May 27. Purchased through trainer/agent Linda Rice for $110,000 by the Invictus Farm of Danny Logsdon of Wixom, Michigan at the Ocala Breeders' Sales (OBS) Company's 2005 April sale of two-year-olds, Silver Timber now has five wins, including a Saratoga course record-setting performance last year, in 11 starts. The son of Prime Timber is the third offspring and third multiple winner produced from dirt/turf route winner River Princess ($169,679), whom two-time New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) Breeder of the Year Richard Simon of Sez Who Thoroughbreds had purchased for $30,000 at Keeneland's 2000 November sale. One of Silver Timber's two winning half-sisters is stakes-placed.

New York Minute(s): New York's fastest six and seven furlongs for 2007 through July both belong to New York-breds on turf: Gimme Credit clocked 1:20.71 in Belmont's open June 17 Notoriety Stakes; New York's fastest seven furlongs for a female belongs to pregnant state-bred Iron Goddess (1:20.90) in Belmont's June 27 Stage View.

New York Minute: In addition to earning 80 percent of the purse money in their July 22 open allowance effort at Belmont while comprising 25 percent of the field, New York-breds Silver Timber and Redefined also qualified their connections for an additional $9,120 in owner and breeder awards.

About a half-hour after Silver Timber's scorching performance, Trinacria USA Stable's Shuffling Maddnes ($307,645) capitalized on a 10-pound weight differential to overtake odds-on and top-weighted graded winner Accountforthegold ($532,467) in Belmont's $107,400 Evan Shipman Handicap at a mile and a sixteenth on the main track. The four-year-old colt's 1:41.54 clocking while winning by 3-1/4 lengths was the fastest in the Evan Shipman since eventual Empire Classic winner and NYTB Champion Sprinter Well Fancied ($848,776) had won the event in 2003. Accountforthegold, who four weeks earlier had carried his then-heaviest impost ever, 124 pounds, to a 9-1/4-length victory in Belmont's mile and a sixteenth Gander Stakes in 1:40.53, hoisted two more pounds at 126 for the Evan Shipman and had a two-length mid-stretch lead that evaporated in the final furlong. Accountforthegold also had to contend early with a much more contentious Organizer ($433,221), who had placed second in the Gander and finished third in the Evan Shipman after staying significantly closer to the pace in the latter event.

Finger Lakes' track is not as speed-conducive as Belmont's lawn or main track in mid-summer, and Jim Bakke's and Gerry Isbister's Grand Refer ($112,850) might prefer longer distances, but he still equaled the stakes record (1:10.28) in Finger Lakes' six-furlong Ontario County for New York-bred three-year-olds on Sunday. Coming off a 57-day mini-layoff, the chestnut colt was the only starter among six in the Ontario County that had not raced since Memorial Day, but he still was the 1.20-to-1 favorite and registered the fastest clocking in that event in a decade. The decisive move for Grand Refer, who was being ridden for the first time in competition by jockey Pedro Rodriguez, came between the quarter-mile pole and mid-stretch, when he ran a sub-12-second fifth furlong split that put him 3-1/2 lengths in front of 1.60-to-1 second choice Indian Camp. He maintained virtually that same margin to the wire, improving his record to four wins in six starts, which includes a stumbling-start third-place debut at Aqueduct in January, and became the fifth Ontario County winner to share that event's stakes record. Bred by the Gibraltar Group LP of Stephen Barberino and Michael Mollica -- both of Bristol, Connecticut -- and purchased for $95,000 at Keeneland's 2005 September yearling sale, Grand Refer has five ancestors in his pedigree's fourth generation that excelled at a mile and a quarter and beyond. One of his notable 10-furlong-starring great-great-grandsires is Northern Dancer, whose name appears twice in Grand Refer's fourth generation; others in that generation who won major events at a mile and a half and beyond are Secretariat, Key to the Mint, T. V. Lark, and High Echelon. NYTB 2005 Trainer of the Year Bruce Levine can be expected to stretch Grand Refer out in distance in the near future.

In addition to Silver Timber at Belmont, seven other New York-breds captured open allowance contests in New Jersey, Delaware, West Virginia, Colorado, Massachusetts, Iowa, and Alberta (Canada) during the five-day span from Friday, July 20 through Tuesday, July 24. In chronological order, they were:

BESTOWED ($184,831), a homebred five-year-old gelding racing for Marlene Brody's Gallagher's Stud in Ghent, won a N2X allowance turf mile at Monmouth on Friday, July 20 in 1:33.64 over a still-wet "good" grass course at odds-on (.60-to-1) among six, closing from fifth-to-first on the outside to score by daylight. The victory improved the bay gelding's record to 5 - 2 - 2 in 12 starts, which includes a last-to-first tally in Colonial Downs' 2006 one-mile Da Hoss Stakes on grass plus runner-up efforts in turf stakes at Woodbine and Monmouth -- the latter this past Memorial Day weekend. Trained by the individualistic Michael Dickinson, Bestowed is one of two offspring sired by Gallagher's Stud's late homebred stallion Repeal, a son of Rahy. He is the first of two offspring to race, both winners, produced from Gallagher's Stud's main track-winning homebred Blond Lady, who is by Rubiano and is a half-sister to Gallagher's Stud's globe-trotting New York homebred Grade 1 winner and champion, Allez Milord ($673,273).

FINDING MONACO, Charlie Vanderlinden's three-year-old filly, romped by seven lengths "ridden out" in a 5-1/2-furlong non-winners-of-two allowance for fillies and mares at Arapahoe Park on Saturday, July 21, improving her record to two big-margin wins and a close-finishing runner-up debut in five career starts -- all since Memorial Day. A $1,200 purchase as an unraced two-year-old at Keeneland's 2006 November sale (after having brought many times that as a yearling), the Orientate filly was bred by Rhapsody Farm of Elaine Peck and Richard Quinn -- both of Plymouth, New York -- and Alan and Dora Alcon of Glenmont, New York. The Temple Rushton trainee is the second winner produced from seven-time stakes winner Bet Twice Princess ($205,838), who is by Bet Twice and is a half-sister to four winning females -- one of them multiple stakes-placed and two others the dams of stakes performers. Rhapsody Farm had purchased Bet Twice Princess for $45,000 at Keeneland's 2004 January sale when she was carrying Finding Monaco.

BAHAMA MISS, Home Team Stables' four-year-old filly claimed for $25,000 last September from breeder William Entenmann of Timber Bay Farm (in Riverhead), scored her second consecutive multiple-margin win in 27 days, tallying by 2-1/4 lengths in a Charles Town N1X allowance for fillies and mares on Saturday evening, July 21. Because of her recent win, which also had been her first start of 2007, Bahama Miss was top-weighted with 123 pounds and was the 5.40-to-1 third choice among seven in the 4-1/2-furlong contest. The Scott Lake-trained daughter of Allen's Prospect is the second offspring and second winner produced from Devil's Fling, a Devil's Bag mare that has the "Rasmussen Factor" in her pedigree, being inbred 4 x 4 to stakes winner and "blue hen" broodmare Almahmoud.

NATIVE REDMAN, John Witte's four-year-old gelding claimed for $14,000 two starts earlier on May 10 at Pimlico, out-gamed a near even-money six-figure-earning favorite to win a mile and a sixteenth starter allowance for three-year-olds and up at Delaware Park on Sunday, July 22 as the 2.50-to-1 second choice among five. The son of Rock and Roll improved his record to 4 - 5 - 5 in 22 starts and now has wins at four different distances -- two going sprint distances and two at beyond a mile. Bred by Ed and Diane Gregory's Carapan Farm LLC in Freehold, New York, the Paul McClelland trainee is among seven starters and seven winners produced from Native Assembly, a General Assembly mare (carrying a future winner) purchased by Ed Gregory for $11,000 at an OBS 1998 October mixed sale. Native Redman's winning half-siblings include nine-time winner Valid Assembly ($149,641); his dam is a half-sister to a stakes winner and to an Argentine champion.

SHE'S ON FIRE, Touchdown Stable's three-year-old filly, registered her third win of 2007 and second big-margin allowance victory of the year in a six-furlong N2X allowance/optional claiming contest for fillies and mares at Suffolk Downs on Sunday, scoring by 5-3/4 lengths as the 6.20-to-1 fifth choice facing six older rivals. In her latest eight starts since mid-February, the daughter of Smokin Mel has compiled an improving record of 3 - 2 - 1 and looks ready to stretch out in distance. Bred by Leonard Friedman, the Robert Raymond trainee is a half-sister to New York-bred Grade 2-placed winner Parkhimonbroadway, being the second offspring and second winner produced from dirt and turf winner Miss Broad ($155,517), a Broad Brush mare inbred 3 x 3 to stamina sire Hoist the Flag.

FREUD'S CURE, Waymor Holdings Ltd.'s three-year-old gelded son of Freud, ran without blinkers following a two-start experiment with them and went gate-to-wire in Northlands Park's featured non-winners-of-three allowance at a two-turn 6-1/2 furlongs for three-year-olds and four-year-olds on Sunday. Foaled April 17, 2004, the 6.50-to-1 fourth choice among seven was the contest's youngest participant, and his time around the five-furlong oval -- 1:17.60 -- beat the winning time in Northlands Park's black-type 6-1/2-furlong Western Canada Handicap -- 1:18.20 -- three weeks earlier, in which Freud's Cure had finished sixth among nine. The Rob Chabot-trained Freud's Cure was bred by Summer Colon and Tony Grey -- the latter of Winter Park, Florida -- and was a $3,200 purchase out of the New York Breeders' Sales Company's 2005 Saratoga premier yearling sale. Obviously improving with maturity and perhaps added distance even though he was a stakes-placed winner at Northlands Park last year as a juvenile, the bay gelding is the first offspring produced from New York-bred multiple route winner Bebop Blues, by Cure the Blues.

YOUAREMYSWEETHEART, Garry Russell's three-year-old filly that he had purchased for $5,000 at the Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association's 2006 May sale of two-year-olds at Prairie Meadows, returned to win a six-furlong N1X allowance for fillies and mares at that facility on Tuesday, July 24. Sent off the 3.50-to-1 second choice among seven while breaking from the outside post off a 116-day layoff, Youaremysweetheart scored her second daylight-margin victory in three career starts since mid-March, clocking 1:10.44 to beat the stakes-placed even-money favorite by a length and a half. The Gene Jacquot trainee had won her six-furlong debut by 2-1/2 lengths at Oaklawn Park, but 15 days later had experienced a bumped and unplaced outing at that track that preceded her subsequent layoff. Bred by the Windylea Farm of Philip O'Neill of Bennington, Vermont and foaled at Joe and Anne McMahon's McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs, Youaremysweetheart is by former McMahon-based stallion Radio Star. The dark bay filly is the second winner that Windylea Farm has bred in New York from former juvenile winner Our Sweetheart, a Far North mare that McMahon Bloodstock had purchased for $3,500 at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's 2002 December mixed sale when she was carrying her first winner.

Winning six-furlong restricted N2X allowance/optional claiming contests at Belmont on Saturday -- neither running with the $30,000 optional claiming price -- were John Nerud's homebred four-year-old A. P Jet colt, DEMOCRAT ($124,672), and Beau Cheval Stable's unbeaten homebred three-year-old Millennium Wind filly, MAGICAL MONA, who is now three-for-three since May 20. Democrat, conditioned by NYTB 2000 Trainer of the Year Michael Hushion, had placed a close second 34 days earlier at Belmont off a seven-month-plus layoff, and his 4-1/4-length romp in 1:09.61 at odds-on (.40-to-1) among six improved his record to four wins and three seconds in 10 starts. The dark bay colt is the second offspring and second six-figure-earner produced from Comedy of Errors, who is by Colonial Affair and is a half-sister to Grade 2-winning millionaire Dollar Bill ($1,225,546). Magical Mona, a homebred for Martin Satalino's Beau Cheval Stable and among 25 winners from Millennium Wind's first crop, was odds-on (.60-to-1) among eight fillies and mares for her third consecutive Belmont win over a 62-day span. The Richard Dutrow Jr.-trained filly -- the third offspring and third multiple winner out of a Gone West mare purchased for $40,000 at Keeneland's 2004 January sale while carrying Magical Mona -- was the youngest in her contest (foaled April 29, 2004) and the only starter with fewer than eight previous races.

Favored winners of restricted N1X allowance contests going six furlongs on Belmont turf were Barry Schwartz's unbeaten homebred three-year-old gelding, AKEBONO, on Saturday, July 21 and Jeffrey Tucker's five-year-old A. P Jet mare and new six-figure-earner as well as new turf winner, QUIET RENDITION ($110,657), on Sunday. Akebona, who was odds-on (.95-to-1) among seven three-year-olds and up in his 1:09.41 effort that followed his eighth-to-first winning debut on Belmont turf by six weeks, is the first offspring produced from Schwartz/Stonewall Farm's homebred allowance winner on Aqueduct's main track, Tsuyu ($103,021). Quiet Rendition, purchased by Tucker (owner of Stone Bridge Farm in Schuylerville) for $102,000 at the OBS 2004 April sale of two-year-olds and a half-sister to stakes-placed winning filly Quiet Delight ($129,776) while being inbred 3 x 3 to Mr. Prospector, advanced from sixth-to-first among 10 and clocked 1:08.73.

New York Minute: In three restricted allowance races at Belmont on Saturday, July 21, six of the nine top-three finishers were offspring of current New York-based stallions -- two by A. P Jet, and the others by Millennium Wind, Western Expression, Regal Classic, and Take Me Out.

Notable New York-bred open claiming winners were four-year-old filly WILLI'S SWEET GIRL (now $192,350) going a turf mile at Belmont on Thursday, July 19, three-year-old gelding CAPTAIN RAUCOUS ($163,158) going six furlongs at Woodbine on Friday, and seven-year-old mare PENNY DREAM ($283,721) going six furlongs at Arlington Park on Sunday. Both Willi's Sweet Girl and Penny Dream ran with $35,000 claiming tags, while Captain Raucous had a $62,500 (Canadian funds) claiming price. Willi's Sweet Girl, who would win again 10 days later at Saratoga with a $40,000 tag, has earned $139,690 for Winning Move Stable and Harold Lerner since being claimed for $35,000 just 11-1/2 months earlier and scored her second career turf tally 83 days following an Aqueduct main track victory. Her subsequent fourth career grass victory advanced her overall record to 5 - 4 - 3 in 23 starts. Captain Raucous, a $47,500 (Canadian) maiden-breaking claim at Woodbine last October now racing for Tucci Stables, advanced from ninth-to-first among 10 to score by 2-3/4 lengths for his second Woodbine win in 27 days and third 2007 tally, improving to five wins and three seconds in 11 starts. Penny Dream, who races for E. R. Meyer Trust and has been claimed three times -- twice since May -- advanced from fifth-to-first among six for her third consecutive synthetic track tally, improving to 10 - 7 - 3 in 36 starts, which includes four wins on turf, three on conventional dirt.

New York-bred winners of open overnight handicap/allowance races at Finger Lakes on Saturday, July 21 and Monday, July 23 were:

WATRAL'S DAHLIA ($129,909) by two lengths from last-to-first among six "going away" in the open handicap feature to improve her stakes-placed record to 8 - 8 - 4 in 26 starts, on Saturday; CLEVERLY REGAL by a front-running 2-1/2 lengths from the outside post among seven in her first start since last mid-November and improving her record to 3 - 1 - 1 in nine starts, and BUCKRIDGE BAILEY by a front-running 4-1/4 lengths to give him two multiple-margin wins in three starts within 45 days -- both on Monday.

New York-bred winners of restricted allowance races at Finger Lakes on Friday, July 20 and Monday, July 23 were:

HERESHEIS "drew off as much the best" by 6-1/2 lengths for her third career win and second score on dirt, on Friday; PROLIFIC APPEAL from sixth-to-first among nine for his fourth career victory, on Monday.

Other New York-bred open claiming winners from Wednesday, July 18 through Tuesday, July 24 included:

SPEED OF SOUND ($128,120) by a front-running 3-3/4 lengths at even-money under co-topweight at Charles Town for his third consecutive daylight-margin win of 2007 and improving his record to 4 - 3 - 1 in 13 starts, and homebred CLEVER LIKENESS at near even-money at Penn National for his second victory of 2007 -- both on Wednesday, July 18; POSITIVE PATH by 3-3/4 lengths from the outside post among nine at Penn National, on Thursday, July 19; DELTA SEA ($312,116) from last-to-first among seven for his 10th career win and claimed for the second time in 2007, and TEXAS STARLET from sixth-to-first among eight with a $25,000 tag in her first start since being claimed by her new owner15 days earlier and scoring her second win in 11 weeks -- both at Belmont -- and WATRALADYGENEVIEVE ($101,052) in a front-running effort at Monmouth to improve her record to 6 - 9 - 4 in 35 starts while boosting her earnings into six figures, homebred REGAL ONYX (sired by Regal Classic) "drew well clear" by 4-1/4 lengths at Louisiana Downs for his second win of 2007 and third career victory, ROB THE BANKER ($114,150) by a front-running 5-3/4 lengths at Charles Town to improve his record to 6 - 6 - 2 in 26 starts, BELLE LU at Santa Rosa to improve her 2007 and career record to 2 - 1 - 1 in six starts, PAPARAZZI PRINCESS from fifth-to-first among seven with a five-wide second turn move under co-topweight, SINGLE EDGE ($112,153) for his second win in 48 days to improve his record to 11 - 8 - 2 in 36 starts, CITYSUITSHIM by 2-3/4 lengths, and RODEOACTIVE by a front-running 2-1/4 lengths for his second win in 46 days and improving his record to 8 - 4 - 6 in 32 starts -- all 10 on Friday, and the last-named four at Finger Lakes; CLEVER DAME (sired by Prime Timber) by 10 lengths gate-to-wire at Calder to put his suddenly-blossoming record over a three-month span since late April to two wins and four seconds in six starts, AMERICAN SENOR scoring his third consecutive win in 31 days at Monmouth and fourth career victory despite being bumped and in close at the start in a contest that saw two runners claimed, BARONESS (sired by Regal Classic) from fifth-to-first among nine at Woodbine with a $25,000 tag in a contest that saw two fillies claimed, LINE MEMORY (sired by Verbatim Run) by 4-3/4 lengths from fifth-to-first among 10 at Mountaineer Park for her second consecutive win in 22 days in her first start for new owner-trainer and "claiming king" Dale Baird and improving her record to 7 - 6 - 2 in 28 starts with earnings of $128,204, and ONE MOMENTO by three lengths at Finger Lakes in his first start since early last November and improving his record to 4 - 5 - 6 in 29 starts -- all five on Saturday, July 21; homebred ZIP STREAM by 6-3/4 lengths from seventh-to-first among 11 for her second daylight-margin win of 2007, and FOR LOVE AND MONEY ($135,113) for her fifth career victory -- both at Philadelphia Park -- and GOOD TO BE TOUGH at Charles Town in his first main track effort beyond six furlongs, JUST A WHIM ($110,643) in a front-running effort for his second consecutive win in 18 days and third victory of 2007 and 10th career tally, and homebred METROEXPRESS (sired by Western Expression) by 2-1/2 lengths from the outside post among eight as half of an odds-on entry that ran one-two to score her second consecutive multiple-margin win in a week and third multiple-margin win in 85 days -- all five on Sunday, July 22, and the last-named two at Finger Lakes; MANHATTAN MOON "ridden out" at odds-on at Great Lakes Downs to score his second daylight-margin win of 2007 with a five-wide rally after being squeezed back at the start, PAST POST by 2-3/4 lengths, HUMERUS ALEX (sired by Raffie's Majesty) for his second win of 2007 and improving his overall record to 2 - 1 - 3 in 12 starts, and HOLLYS GIRL from eighth-to-first out of the outside post among 12 "going away" -- all four on Monday, July 23, and the last-named three at Finger Lakes; OLD HUSSY (sired by Catienus) from last-to-first among seven for her second consecutive daylight-margin win in 15 days and third daylight-margin victory in 37 days to advance her rapidly-improving record to 3 - 1 - 3 in 11 starts, WATRALSOUTHERNCURE ($159,188) by 2-3/4 lengths at odds-on after going six-wide around the first turn and five-wide down the backstretch to improve his record to 10 - 7 - 9 in 44 starts, homebred A BAG OF HONEY by two lengths, homebred CHEROKEE CHIEF ($109,961) by a length and a half after going six-wide around the first turn, and MT. MAJESTY (sired by Raffie's Majesty) by 7-1/2 lengths "under wraps late" for his second consecutive daylight-margin win in 48 days and third victory of 2007 to improve his record to 10 - 5 - 2 in 27 starts with earnings of $157,916 and claimed for the fourth time in 2007 -- all five at Finger Lakes on Tuesday, July 24.

New York-bred maiden-breakers from Wednesday, July 18 through Tuesday, July 24 included:

MT. JOY by a length and a half on Penn National turf in 58.25 for five furlongs, on Wednesday, July 18; homebred MERCY'S DELIGHT by 4-1/4 lengths from ninth-to-first among 11, homebred HIGH STAKES POKER (sired by Catienus) in a front-running effort with blinkers on for the first time and making his first venture beyond six furlongs, and ZIP BY YOU in a front-running effort in her second start and first outing on turf -- all three at Belmont, and the first-named two both inbred 3 x 3 to Mr. Prospector -- and ARGENTINE SLEW by two lengths at almost even-money at Northlands Park in his third start despite drifting on both turns of the five-furlong oval -- all four on Thursday, July 19; homebred two-year-old LAW ENFORCEMENT by three lengths in his debut in a near track record-equaling 1:02.53 for 5-1/2 furlongs, PURE BUSINESS from the seventh post among eight at odds-on in the first start of 2007 for the "Rasmussen Factor" filly that is inbred 3 x 3 to Grade 2 winner and major stakes producer Terlingua, and SPANISH SERENADE by a front-running three lengths in her debut -- all three at Belmont on Friday, July 20; homebred ONE FOR ALLISON from the 10th post among 12 at 64.50-to-1, and STRIKING RIZZI (sired by Rizzi) by 2-1/2 lengths -- both on Belmont turf -- and BRUSHED LUSTRE gate-to-wire at Charles Town, two-year-old filly PLAY N HOOKY (fourth of five juvenile winners from first crop of Hook and Ladder) by a front-running 10-1/4 lengths "easily" in her debut despite carrying actual top weight against mostly male rivals, RADIO GEM by 3-3/4 lengths from fifth-to-first among eight following a one-start unsuccessful experiment with blinkers, and ROYAL ELECTRICIAN (sired by Regal Classic) after placing second and third in June in his first two outings -- all six on Saturday, July 21, and the last-named three at Finger Lakes; homebred CELINE from seventh-to-first out of the outside post among 10 at odds-on in her debut on Belmont turf as the only first-time-starter competing and fifth winner produced from a multiple stakes winner of $383,400, PAINTED FACE from seventh-to-first among 12 on Colonial Downs turf, and PLEASURE FOR ME (sired by Take Me Out) by 6-1/4 lengths "ridden out" at odds-on at Finger Lakes -- all three on Sunday, July 22; homebred M J STARLING by 4-1/4 lengths at odds-on at Philadelphia Park 20 days after having placed second, and MIDTOWN SOUTH by 5-1/4 lengths at odds-on at Finger Lakes -- both on Monday, July 23; CITY BELIEVER from fifth-to-first among 12 in her second start, at Finger Lakes on Tuesday, July 24.

Rewrite takes star-filled Dinner Diamond Stakes by Rab Hagin

Photo: Adam Coglianese

REWRITE

Prevailing with a determined outside finish against four-time open stakes winner Half Heaven, Amherst Stable's homebred REWRITE captured Saratoga's turf mile Dinner Diamond Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares on Friday -- an overnight event that included two graded winners plus New York's fastest female at seven furlongs for 2007. Against this glittering array of competition, the four-year-old Amherst Stable homebred was well-respected as the 3.90-to-1 second choice among 10, but the contest's conclusion came down to a battle to the wire, with barely more than two lengths separating the top five finishers.

Setting a controlled pace through the Dinner Diamond's first half-mile was star turf sprinter Iron Goddess, who a month earlier in Belmont's Stage View Stakes for state-bred fillies and mares on grass had run the fastest seven furlongs of the year (1:20.90) for a female in New York. Rewrite, race-ridden for the third consecutive time by red-hot Spa jockey Garrett Gomez, was well-held in fourth place through four furlongs and then edged up to third as 7.90-to-1 fourth choice Half Heaven pushed her head in front of 4.80-to-1 third choice Iron Goddess. At mid-stretch, those two were still heads apart and a half-length ahead of an outside closing Rewrite, and although the final quarter went in a fastest-of-all 23.14 seconds, Rewrite got up in the final strides to score her second turf stakes victory in 10 months. Finishing fourth behind Half Heaven (second) and an in-foal Iron Goddess (third) was Grade 2 winner Rahys' Appeal ($470,184), and another in-foal competitor in the Dinner Diamond was graded turf winner and New York Thoroughbred Breeders 2004-2006 Turf Female Champion Sabellina ($530,786). For jockey Gomez, it was the third of four winning rides on Saratoga's Friday card -- three in turf contests and two of those aboard fillies in stakes competition.

Victory in the Dinner Diamond -- named for Fred Corrado's winner of Saratoga's 1996 Yaddo Handicap on turf and current New York-based broodmare -- increased Rewrite's earnings to $185,505 and improved her record to five wins and two seconds in 10 starts. Ever since trainer Christophe Clement had noticed the filly tended to sweat insufficiently when she was on Lasix and had taken her off that diuretic medication last fall, she has not had a sub-par performance when she has been able to get a clean trip. Rewrite had placed third behind Iron Goddess in Belmont's Stage View Stakes for state-bred fillies and mares 30 days earlier when that rival had run her 1:20.90 seven furlongs on grass, and Clement had given her a three-furlong maintenance workout at Belmont 11 days prior to the Dinner Diamond.

Rewrite is a homebred for the Amherst Stable of sisters Karen and Kathy Johnson -- daughters of late Hall of Fame trainer Phil "P.G." Johnson -- and is the first offspring produced from Amherst Stable's homebred multiple graded-placed Fickle Friends ($254,130), who scored six of her seven wins on turf. Fickle Friends is a half-sister to Amherst Stable's homebred Volponi ($3,187,232), who won the 2002 Breeders' Cup Classic by 6-1/2 lengths at 43.50-to-1; their dam is New York-bred Prom Knight, whom Phil Johnson had purchased from Sugar Maple Farm for $8,000 at Fasig-Tipton's 1993 Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale.

"I had always liked Fickle Friends, and I loved that she was related to Volponi," Karen Johnson recalled shortly before Rewrite had won Belmont's Irish Actress Stakes last September for that filly's first stakes victory. "I actually had a picture of Rewrite taken days after she was born -- hanging in my office."

Precise Lady powers up on outside for 1st stakes victory in Dancin Renee by Rab Hagin

Photo: Adam Coglianese

PRECISE LADY

Capitalizing on an ambitious early pace set by the 10.70-to-1 fifth choice, Trinity Farm's maturing PRECISE LADY rallied from last-to-first among seven in Saratoga's overnight 6-1/2-furlong Dancin Renee Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares on Thursday, winning her first stakes outing by 2-1/4 lengths. The four-year-old filly was the last choice among six wagering interests and seven starters in the $82,750 event, which was contested exclusively by older state-bred females even though it was open to three-year-old fillies, breaking from the sixth post as the youngest competitor (foaled May 22, 2003). It was Precise Lady's second consecutive outing in 27 days under jockey Javier Castellano and the second consecutive 2-1/4-length tally for the late-running sprinter, who at the conclusion of Aqueduct's latest winter-spring meet was still struggling to win at the restricted N1X allowance level. Less than a year ago, she was still a maiden.

Setting the early pace in the Dancin Renee -- as expected -- was 10.70-to-1 fifth choice Hoosick Falls, who zipped the opening quarter in 21.79 but was overtaken in the next quarter-mile by another expected pace-pusher, 2.80-to-1 third choice Stolen Star. Precise Lady trailed the entire field by six-to-10-plus lengths following the first quarter-mile and was still last with five-sixteenths of a mile to go, but Castellano circled her seven-wide out of the turn and sent her past the opposition on the outside going down the stretch. By mid-stretch, the Trinity Farm standard-bearer was less than a length behind Stolen Star -- having already overtaken 1.95-to-1 favorite Lovely Dream -- and in the final furlong she took command and pulled away, as Stolen Star held for second over Lovely Dream. For jockey Castellano, it was the first of two winning rides aboard New York-breds on Saratoga's Thursday card.

Victory in the Dancin Renee -- named for Sanford Bacon's homebred graded-winning New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) 1997 Horse of the Year and half-sister to state-bred multi-millionaire Say Florida Sandy -- increased Precise Lady's earnings to $159,782 and improved her suddenly-blossoming record to 4 - 1 - 3 in 18 starts. The bay filly races for the Trinity Farm of Jaye Egan and had been purchased for $65,000 by Trinity Farm and Tom Egan at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2005 March sale of two-year-olds. She is conditioned by NYTB 1986 Trainer of the Year Patrick Kelly, who had given her a pair of faster-than-average workouts at Belmont going a half-mile and then three furlongs following her 2-1/4-length restricted N2X allowance/optional claiming victory at Belmont under Castellano (and top-weighted) on June 29.

Inbred 3 x 4 to Mr. Prospector, Precise Lady was bred by the NYTB 2005-2006 Breeder of the Year, Sez Who Thoroughbreds (North) in Stillwater that is owned by Richard Simon of Aventura, Florida, and she is a half-sister to turf-winning and two-time turf stakes runner-up filly Whatsmineisyours. Simon had purchased the main track route-winning dam of Precise Lady and Whatsmineisyours, Timely Lady, for $25,000 through his New Dawn Stud at Keeneland's 2000 November sale when the mare was carrying Whatsmineisyours as her first foal (Precise Lady is her second). Timely Lady is a half-sister to 1999 Peruvian Horse of the Year and three-year-old filly champion Batuka, who won four Group 1 races in Peru before becoming a stakes-winning four-year-old in North America.

Shuffling Maddnes nails graded stakes foes again to win Evan Shipman H. by Rab Hagin

Photo: Adam Coglianese

SHUFFLING MADDNES

Again demonstrating that he can beat graded company if he avoids trouble, Trinacria USA Stables' SHUFFLING MADDNES pulled a meet-closing shocker in Belmont's mile and a sixteenth Evan Shipman Handicap for New York-bred three-year-olds and up on Sunday, advancing from last among six to win by 3-1/4 lengths at 24.25-to-1. The Evan Shipman's field boasted two graded winners of more than a half-million each -- a claim that Belmont's two graded events the previous weekend, the Bowling Green and Poker Handicaps, could not match -- and those two, Accountforthegold and Naughty New Yorker, were the first and second choices. Odds-on Accountforthegold (.20-to-1) was top-weighted under the heaviest impost of his career, 126 pounds, and after dueling briefly with last year's Empire Classic winner Organizer, he gained command and edged out to a two-length lead at mid-stretch. Shuffling Maddnes, the last choice in the $107,400 event and trailing the entire field by two-to-five lengths at the five-sixteenths pole with jockey Cornelio Velasquez on board for the first time in competition, seemed out of the hunt, but then he kicked in. Sent wide into the stretch by Velasquez, the four-year-old colt overtook all his rivals except Accountforthegold before the final furlong, and he went by that heavily-backed favorite with authority shortly thereafter, reaching the wire under a hand ride in 1:41.54. Accountforthegold (now $532,467) placed second, and Organizer (now $433,221) was third.

It was the second winning ride of the day for jockey Velasquez, who earlier on the card had piloted another New York-bred four-year-old to victory in a non-state-bred claiming race on turf.

Victory in the Evan Shipman increased Shuffling Maddnes' earnings to $307,645 and improved his record to 5 - 5 - 4 in 19 starts, which includes a win against graded-winning-or-placed rivals in Aqueduct's overnight Champagneforashley Stakes for state-bred four-year-olds and up in mid-February. The bay colt races for the Trinacria USA Stable of Camillo Pizzo that also has been associated with Enzo Gioia and was bred by Joe Gioia of Very Un Stable in North Woodmere. Trainer Del Carroll II had given him a 20-week layoff following the Champagneforashley, but in Shuffling Maddnes' return to competition 16 days prior to the Evan Shipman in an open N2X allowance/optional claiming mile at Belmont, he had stumbled at the start and was never a factor. Ten days after that effort, Carroll had given Shuffling Maddnes a sharp half-mile workout at Belmont and obviously had him good to go for the Evan Shipman.

Sired by Real Quiet, whose sire, Quiet American, also has sired New York-bred graded winner and Evan Shipman participant Naughty New Yorker ($718,359), Shuffling Maddnes is the fourth runner and fourth winner produced from multiple stakes winner Splashing Fancy ($119,430), who won on dirt and turf. Splashing Fancy is a half-sister to stakes winner Sal Bruno ($121,959) and is out of a stakes-winning mare.

Grand Refer wires 6 in $50,000 Ontario County Stakes by Matt Church

Photo: Tom Cooley Photography

GRAND REFER

Jim Bakke and Gerry Isbister's GRAND REFER broke in stride and never looked back to capture today's 24th running of the $50,000 Ontario County Stakes by three and one-quarter lengths. Shipping in from the Big Apple and trained by Bruce N. Levine, Grand Refer was coming off a fifth place finish in a wide-open NW1X at Belmont Park on May 26 going seven furlongs. Prior to that race the three year old son of Grand Slam scored three straight and all were in wire-to-wire fashion. Today's contest at six furlongs was restricted to three year olds bred in the state of New York. Six rivals were set to go with Grand Refer the odds on favorite at 6 to 5. Also taking plenty of action at the windows was Aaron Racing Stable's Indian Camp. Trained by Jeremiah Englehart, Indian Camp was coming out of the $150,000 New York Derby here going one mile and one-sixteenth where he finished ninth to Berry Bond. Before that race, the three year old colt by Forest Camp rattled off two straight after shipping in here from Aqueduct. John Davila was aboard Indian Camp today. Grand Refer came away last but soon was on the front-end. With Pedro Rodriguez in the saddle, Grand Refer got the opening quarter in a very swift 22.46 and a length and one-half lead over Indian Camp. Rodriguez had Grand Refer along the three path with Indian Camp in pursuit parked four wide. The half mile went down in 45.59 with Grand Refer clinging to a length lead. Rodriquez got his mount to respond and the pair opened up three and one-half lengths with only a furlong remaining. Meanwhile, Smash 'Em Sammy was angled out for clear sailing and finding his best stride. Grand Refer had plenty left in his tank and under the whip proved best today by three and one-quarter lengths. Indian Camp lasted for the place by just less then a length over the late closing Smash 'Em Sammy in third. Grand Refer covered the six furlong distance in 1:10.28 and earned $30,000. The three year old colt by Grand Slam out of Val's Jazz by Kentucky Jazz now has four career wins out of only six tries and $112,850 in earnings. Also the three year old speedster qualified for $3,000 in breeders' awards.

39 NY-breds have total of 62 top-3 efforts in '07 non-state-bred stakes by Rab Hagin

Photo: Tom Cooley Photography

FUNNY CIDE 13th NY-bred open SW of 2007

Led by Eclipse Champion FUNNY CIDE ($3,529,412) in Finger Lakes' $100,000 Wadsworth Memorial Handicap on July 4, the number of New York-breds winning or placing in stakes outside state-bred company in 2007 surged to 39 through July 15, preceded three days earlier by unbeaten (two-for-two) Astoria Stakes winner GLACKEN'S GAL. Funny Cide's effort generated a 105 Bloodstock Research and Information Services (BRIS) speed rating -- highest for all dirt route stakes run for three-year-olds and up from July 2 through the July 7-8 weekend. Although Sackatoga Stable's seven-year-old "gutsy gelding" was even-money among eight for the nine-furlong Wadsworth Memorial, the track was taking in moisture (which Funny Cide's trainer says he hates), and he was spotting four pounds to a top-of-the-game rival that loves Finger Lakes and has more speed. His victory prompted high praise from New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) 2003 Trainer of the Year Barclay Tagg, who observed that Funny Cide prevailed despite conditions not to his liking: "I thought he hated it," said Tagg in reference to the sealed track on which rain was falling. "He came out of the gate slow, and he was sluggish the whole race until he finally leveled off in the stretch and ran on by everybody.

"He's won a stakes at (ages) two, three, four, six, and seven," Tagg continued. "The only year he didn't win a stakes was his five-year-old year when he was hurt."

New York Minute(s): Funny Cide was the 13th New York-bred winner of an open 2007 stakes; the Wadsworth Memorial was the 16th open 2007 stakes captured by a New York-bred; Let's Go Stable's Glacken's Gal became the 12th state-bred open 2007 stakes winner with her two-length July 1 victory in Belmont's $109,300 Astoria.

Nine days after Funny Cide's victory, Tagg -- who initially had mentioned starting him in an overnight stakes at Saratoga for New York-breds -- announced the popular gelding's retirement. Although Tagg stated that Funny Cide was perfectly sound, Sackatoga Stable managing partner Jack Knowlton acknowledged to Steve Haskin of The Blood-Horse that, "it (racing) doesn't come easy for him anymore." The overnight stakes possibility alluded to by Tagg was not even a readily-available option until recently, but a growing menu of overnight NYRA stakes -- some open and some restricted to state-bred competition -- has become a popular feature with fans, owners, and trainers.

Only three horses have won Belmont's Mike Lee Stakes and Finger Lakes' New York Derby and only one has captured those events plus New York Showcase Day's Sleepy Hollow Stakes for two-year-olds the previous October -- a unique status acquired by Vinery Stables' CHIEF'S LAKE ($284,830) on Saturday, July 14. The New York Derby's nearly dead-heat final outcome was determined by a stewards' decision that moved a bumped Chief's Lake ahead of first-place finisher Berry Bound, preserving the possibility that Vinery's gelding could sweep the OTBs' Big Apple Triple by winning Saratoga's Albany on August 22. In the previous eight years that the three events have been at their current distances for three-year-olds and in the previous seven years that they have comprised the OTBs' Big Apple Triple with a $250,000 bonus for sweeping the series, no horse has ever won all three. Chief's Lake, who was foaled on April 28 of 2004, was the youngest of six in the seven-furlong Mike Lee, which he won by 3-1/4 lengths, and the youngest of nine in the mile and a sixteenth New York Derby. If he can sweep the series, he will join a growing list of Sleepy Hollow winners over the past dozen years that have had outstanding subsequent seasons: Eclipse Champion Funny Cide, Grade 1 Florida Derby winner Friends Lake, and Grade 2 winners Kashatreya and Sharp Humor.

Lewis and Isabelle Gammon's COOL PARADIGM appeared unintimidated by the 21.96 opening quarter-mile that Labeespa Rubia set in Finger Lakes' six-furlong Niagara Stakes for New York-bred three-year-old fillies on the card with the New York Derby, taking command thereafter while setting a 44.80 half-mile fraction and winning by 3-1/4 lengths. Four-time NYTB Trainer of the Year Harold James Bond had sharpened the dark bay filly's fitness with two half-mile "bullet" workouts over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track on July 1 and July 7, but maturity also appeared to be a factor. The Gammons had purchased Cool Paradigm for $55,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales (OBS) Company's 2006 April sale of two-year-olds and were rewarded with a promising three-start juvenile campaign consisting of a 4-1/4-length win at Belmont plus two runner-up efforts -- one in the Finger Lakes Juvenile Fillies Stakes. The Niagara marked the filly's third start of 2007, giving her two wins and three seconds in six career outings, with her only sub-par performance having come in her last start prior to the Niagara -- an unplaced six-furlong Belmont allowance effort on June 10. Sired by Grade 1-winning router Outofthebox, Cool Paradigm was bred by Richard Simon's Sez Who Thoroughbreds -- NYTB 2005-2006 Breeder of the Year -- and is the first winner produced from Silver Arctic, a winning Silver Deputy mare purchased by Sez Who Thoroughbreds for $25,000 at an OBS 2000 October sale.

Winning recent overnight stakes at Belmont restricted to New York-breds were four-year-old filly IRON GODDESS ($123,075) on Wednesday, June 27, five-year-old horse BIG APPLE DADDY ($457,526) on Saturday, June 30, three-year-old filly JUNKANOO PARTY ($157,862) on Saturday, July 7, and eight-year-old gelding FOREVERNESS ($376,193) on Thursday, July 7. Iron Goddess, Barry Schwartz's $250,000 purchase at Keeneland's 2004 September yearling sale, scored her first stakes victory in the Stage View for fillies and mares going seven furlongs on turf, breaking from the outside post among 11 and clocking 1:20.90. That swift time generated a 96 BRIS speed rating, bettering or equaling the winning BRIS ratings for two graded grass stakes three days later: Monmouth's Boiling Springs for three-year-old fillies and Hollywood Park's Grade 2 American Invitational -- the latter won by a four-year-old colt. Big Apple Daddy, Ervin Rodriguez's $40,000 purchase at the OBS 2004 March sale of two-year-olds, came off a 100-day layoff to register his third stakes tally in Belmont's six-furlong Say Florida Sandy for four-year-olds and up. Bred by Lewis Lakin and Becky Thomas at Lakland North, LLC (now Sequel Stallions New York) in Hudson, the late-running sprinter has stakes victories at Aqueduct, Philadelphia Park, and Belmont and was Grade 1-placed in 2006. Junkanoo Party, Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey's homebred Catienus filly, made her first stakes outing in Belmont's mile and a sixteenth Crockadore on turf for three-year-old fillies look surprisingly easy, advancing from last to zip her final sixteenth in a graded-caliber sub-six seconds over the still-moist "good" grass course. Since February she has won twice on Aqueduct's inner track and twice on Belmont's lawn and figures to get better, being the first offspring out of a hard-knocking Ramsey-type broodmare that won eight routes on dirt from three to five, earning $217,127. Foreverness, purchased as a three-year-old for $102,000 by John Brunetti Sr. of Red Oak Stable at a Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2002 July sale, captured Belmont's mile and a sixteenth Naskra's Breeze on turf for four-year-olds and up for his first win since taking Aqueduct's graded Fort Macy Handicap 15 months earlier. The seasoned veteran had broken his maiden on Belmont's lawn five years earlier in his third start and turf debut while he was still racing under the colors of his breeder, Louis and Patrice Wolfson's Harbor View Farm.

New York Minute: The 101 BRIS speed rating generated by Foreverness in the restricted Naskra's Breeze equaled the winning BRIS speed rating for Belmont's graded Poker Handicap on turf two days later and exceeded the winning BRIS speed figure for Hollywood Park's Grade 2 Sunset Handicap on turf the day after the Poker.

Finger Lakes' Wadsworth Memorial was an open and unrestricted six-figure stakes for three-year-olds and up going a mile and an eighth, attracting eight starters that included runners bred out-of-state as well as New York-breds, but placing second behind Funny Cide was another state-bred, owner-trainer Charlton Baker's Johnie Bye Night ($228,858). Winner of the 2006 Wadsworth Memorial when he got loose on the lead and went unchallenged, the now five-year-old gelding has won four stakes at Finger Lakes -- three at six furlongs -- a distance Funny Cide had not tried since winning first-out as a juvenile. Johnie Bye Night has a quicker turn of foot than Funny Cide, and he led to the final furlong in the Wadsworth Memorial in a tactic suitable for his talents before Funny Cide's route-running ability kicked in through the stretch. It was Johnie Bye Night's first loss at Finger Lakes in five starts at that track, but he still has never run a bad race at the Farmington facility.

Other New York-bred second-placers in stakes outside state-bred company surfaced at Canterbury Park on Tuesday evening, July 3, at Philadelphia Park on July 4, and then 10 days later on Saturday, July 14 at Monmouth Park, Arlington Park, and Belmont. Just a Nibble, a three-year-old gelding purchased for $190,000 by Robert Ryan, of Farmington, Minnesota at Keeneland's 2005 September yearling sale, missed by less than a length to a son of New York-based Chief Seattle in Canterbury's July 3 Come Summer Stakes at about a mile on turf for three-year-olds. He was bred by Dr. Douglas Koch's Berkshire Stud in Pine Plains and Tom Tatham's Oak Cliff Stable and is the fifth top-three stakes performer produced from Merion Miss -- the others including NYTB champions Private Emblem (won Grade 2 Arkansas Derby and $783,152) and Rhum ($306,234). J'ray ($440,218), Lawrence Goichman's homebred four-year-old filly and NYTB 2005 two-time champion (juvenile filly, turf female), missed by a rapidly-diminishing nose in Philadelphia Park's $100,000 Dr. James Penny Memorial Handicap for fillies and mares going a mile and a sixteenth on turf on July 4. A graded turf winner at Fair Grounds in February, J'ray was top-weighted with her heaviest impost ever (123 pounds) under the handicap conditions and almost caught the winner, to whom she was conceding nine pounds. Curiously, both Just a Nibble and J'ray are offspring of pensioned and exported English champion Distant View, who now resides in Argentina. Get Serious, the top-priced New York-bred at $130,000 at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's 2005 October yearling sale who races for James Dinan and Jacques Moore, was a closing runner-up in Monmouth's $150,000 Long Branch Breeders' Cup Stakes for three-year-olds going a mile and a sixteenth on Saturday, July 14. Bred by the Morgan's Ford Farm of Wayne and Susan Taylor of Front Royal, Virginia and foaled at Marlene Brody's Gallagher's Stud in Ghent, the May-foaled three-year-old colt had broken his maiden by 6-3/4 lengths 17 days earlier at Monmouth in his second start, zipping six furlongs in 1:08.86. The chestnut son of City Zip had placed third in his June 13 debut at Monmouth following a bumped and bobbled dead-last break from the gate. Time Squared, the $1,050,000 Keeneland April 2006 juvenile sale-topper who races for the Fab Oak Stable of Fabien Quaki, Lewis Lakin, and others, got his nose in front in the stretch of Arlington Park's $100,000 Round Table Stakes for three-year-olds going a mile and an eighth but missed narrowly. The maturing colt has late-running victories at Keeneland in April and Arlington Park in May and was bred by Chester and Mary Broman of Babylon, Long Island and Chestertown Farm in Chestertown, where he was foaled. He is by Fusaichi Pegasus and is the first offspring produced from the Bromans' New York homebred stakes winner and multiple Grade 2-placed Indy Glory ($283,422), who is a full sister to Grade 1 winner Stephen Got Even ($1,019,200). Street Sass ($118,758), who three weeks earlier had won her stakes debut in Belmont's six-furlong She Rides Tonite for state-bred three-year-old fillies, advanced from fifth-to-second in Belmont's seven-furlong Nany Stakes for three-year-old fillies that had not won open stakes since April 1, beating the favorite despite spotting her five pounds. Bred by NYTB 2002 Breeder of the Year Patricia Staskowski Purdy of Ivy League Farm in Ithaca, the promising filly with a routing pedigree had been purchased by the Cot Campbell-managed Dogwood Stable for $55,000 at Fasig-Tipton Florida's 2006 February sale of two-year-olds at Calder. She is from the first crop of leading second-crop sire Street Cry and is a half-sister to New York-bred routing warrior Fourth and Six ($580,944), who scored his first stakes victory as a seven-year-old.

Placing third in Belmont's Grade 2 Tom Fool Handicap at seven furlongs on July 4 after getting drawn into a speed duel that produced a 21.92 intermediate second-quarter split (for a sub-44 half-mile fraction) was Tracy Farmer's talented and top-weighted New York-bred Grade 1 winner, Commentator ($811,236). Commentator's Hall of Fame Trainer, Nick Zito, surmised afterwards that sub-22 second quarters occur less than 10,000-to-1. The rival that forced the suicidal split, former $2.9-million sales juvenile Rondo, finished three lengths behind Commentator while carrying four pounds less weight. Zito later indicated that his 2005 NYTB Horse of the Year, whose shin problems had forced an almost nine-month layoff following last Labor Day weekend, showed no subsequent ill effects: "Still, it was Commentator's second race back, and it was a tough one, but he is doing well this morning."

The Tom Fool was won by High Finance, a four-year-old son of New York-based stallion Talk Is Money.

Eleven days after the Tom Fool (Sunday, July 15), two more New York-breds placed third in open mile and a sixteenth stakes for three-year-olds: Zayatt Stables' Phone Home in Delaware Park's Grade 3 Barbaro and Larry Carter's Western Deed (sired by Western Expression) in Assiniboia Downs' Derby Trial. Phone Home, a $190,000 purchase by Egyptian-American beverage entrepreneur Ahmed Zayat of Hackensack, New Jersey at the OBS 2006 February sale of two-year-olds at Calder, was the least-experienced starter in the Barbaro with only three previous outings and was making his first effort beyond six furlongs. Sent off the 9.20-to-1 fourth choice among seven participants, the bay colt broke on top, led through six furlongs, and then "gave way grudgingly" to place third behind graded winners Xchanger (the winner) and King of the Roxy (runner-up). The son of the late New York-based sire Phone Trick was bred by Ralph Paticchio and Nick de Meric and is a half-brother to New York-bred stakes-winning filly Little Miss Zip ($225,442). His never-unplaced record now reads 2 - 1 - 1 in four starts. Western Deed, who had scored back-to-back multiple-margin wins going two turns on Aqueduct's inner track in January and February for his breeder, Carl Lizza Jr.'s Flying Zee Stables, before being claimed for $25,000 in April, now has back-to-back stakes-placed efforts this summer at Assiniboia Downs. Forty-three days earlier in his first stakes outing, he had placed second in Assiniboia Downs' six-furlong Golden Boy Stakes. The Highcliff Farm-foaled gelding is the fourth offspring and fourth New York-bred winner -- two by Western Expression -- bred by Flying Zee Stables from four-time winner A Merry Deed, by Alydeed. Assiniboia Downs' $100,000 Manitoba Lotteries Derby at a mile and an eighth is scheduled for the Canadian Civic Holiday of Monday, August 6.

New York Minute(s): Commentator was the 35th New York-bred to finish in the top-three in a black-type stakes event outside state-bred company in 2007; Street Sass was the 36th; Get Serious the 37th; Time Squared the 38th; and Phone Home the 39th. The third-placing in the Derby Trial by Western Deed, whose first open stakes-placing had come on June 2, was the 62nd top-three finish in a stakes outside state-bred company by a New York-bred in 2007.

From Wednesday, June 27 through Sunday, July 8, New York-breds won nine allowance races outside state-bred company -- five on dirt, four on turf -- two at Belmont and the other seven coming at six out-of-state tracks in Kentucky, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Canada. In chronological order, these winners were:

BRASSY BOOTS ($150,375), Peter Kazamias' five-year-old mare that he had claimed a year earlier for $7,500 at Monmouth Park, scored her second turf sprint win in 31 days in a five-furlong Monmouth Park N2X/allowance optional claiming contest for fillies and mares on Wednesday, June 27 -- getting her fifth career victory. Bred by and initially raced by Ted Shapiro and a winner on dirt at Belmont, Saratoga, and Monmouth prior to trying turf last year, the daughter of Dixie Brass also had placed third in Aqueduct's 2004 New York Stallion Fifth Avenue Stakes as a juvenile. She had won on Belmont turf going six furlongs with a $35,000 claiming price on May 27 and ran with a $32,000 tag on Monmouth grass under the contest's optional claiming conditions, scoring by 2-1/2 lengths over the open turf stakes-winning favorite in a jaw-dropping 55.45 for five furlongs. The effort increased Brassy Boots' earnings under Kazamias' colors to $55,765 since being haltered for $7,500. The dark bay mare is the second offspring and second six-figure-earning female produced from Explosive Prospect, by Fortunate Prospect.

SELF MADE MAN, Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey's homebred son of Catienus, captured a N1X allowance for three-year-olds going a mile and an eighth over "good" turf at Churchill Downs on Friday, June 29, prevailing as the 3-to-1 favorite among 10 starters. Now with a record of 3 - 1 - 1 that includes big-margin wins this past spring on Keeneland's and Turfway Park's all-weather main tracks, the rapidly-improving gelding is the first offspring produced from Striking Image, who is by Red Ransom and is inbred 2 x 3 to Roberto. Striking Image is a half-sister to another Ramsey homebred offspring of Catienus, Grade 2 turf winner Precious Kitten ($649,688), and to two other multiple turf stakes winners, including Ramsey homebred Eclipse Champion Turf Male Kitten's Joy ($2,075,791). Self Made Man's second dam (maternal granddam), winner Kitten's First, was the first horse ever owned by Sarah Ramsey, who had purchased her for $41,000 at the OBS 1993 March sale of two-year-olds and nicknamed her "Kitten."

WAR SCANDAL, Farnsworth Stables LLC's four-year-old colt, won a one-mile N1X allowance/optional claiming contest at Calder on Friday, June 29 for his third consecutive victory at that track in 40 days and fourth career tally. Purchased for $17,000 at the OBS June 2005 sale of two-year-olds, the son of Phone Trick was bred by Robert Losey, Laura McKinney, and Dr. Jonathan Davis's Milfer Farm, Inc. in Unadilla, where Phone Trick had stood from 2002 through his final season in 2005. He is the second offspring and second New York-bred winner produced from Tabby Cat, who is by Tabasco Cat and is a half-sister to two other notable offspring of Phone Trick: Grade 2 Saratoga juvenile winner All Chatter plus the dam of French stakes winner Corsario.

OUT FOR GLORY, Encore Stables' $30,000 purchase at the OBS 2006 April sale of two-year-olds, romped by 3-1/4 lengths at odds-on (.70-to-1) among five in a non-condition allowance mile for three-year-old fillies at Assiniboia Downs on Friday, June 29, improving her never-worse-than-fourth record to 2 - 2 - 2 in seven starts. Bred by Richard Simon's Sez Who Thoroughbreds in Stillwater and trained by Emile Corbel, who frequently acquires New York-breds for Canadian owners to race at Assiniboia Downs, Out for Glory had placed second in Assiniboia Downs' six-furlong Chantilly Stakes 19 days earlier. The half-sister to multiple stakes winner Kool Humor ($242,899) is 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. Trainer Corbel appears to be pointing Out for Glory for the one-mile Assiniboia Oaks on the Canadian Civic Holiday of Monday, August 6.

NOW MORE THAN EVER ($168,561), Michael Ricatto Jr.'s $55,000 claim at Belmont on June 6 when she scored a front-running 2-1/2-length victory at even-money going a Belmont turf mile, got her second consecutive Belmont grass victory in a six-furlong open N1X allowance for fillies and mares on Saturday, June 30. For her first turf sprint, she was top-weighted under 123 pounds and broke from the outside post among 11 as the 7.50-to-1 third choice, advancing from 10th-to-first in the final quarter-mile to improve her record to five wins and four seconds in 14 starts. Bred by Caesar Kimmel and Philip Solondz and raced by Kimmel with a partner through her claim 24 days earlier, the daughter of More Than Ready is the first offspring produced from winner Rapidamente, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-placed eight-time winner Indy Vidual ($333,732). Now More Than Ever's record includes a 2-1/2-length restricted allowance win going a mile and an eighth on Belmont's lawn a year earlier, after which she was tried unsuccessfully in stakes competition, but she now appears ready to return with a vengeance to the black-type turf ranks.

KEY EVENT ($163,782), Backwards Stable's homebred five-year-old, had not started since New York Showcase Day 2006 (October 21) when he went into Philadelphia Park's Monday (July 2) N3X allowance/optional claiming feature for three-year-olds and up at a mile on turf, which he won by 4-1/2 lengths. Sent off the 3.30-to-1 third choice among eight, the stakes-placed son of Royal Anthem advanced from sixth-to-first despite being boxed in on the second turn, adding a Philly Park grass win to a resume that includes previous tallies on Aqueduct's main track and on Belmont's and Saratoga's turf courses. Key Event, a homebred for the Backwards Stable of Edward McEneaney of Mt. Kisco, is the second offspring and second of three New York-bred winners produced from New York-bred winner Sugarkey, a Missionary Ridge mare that McEneaney had purchased for $18,000 at the OBS 1997 August yearling sale.

MAMA THERESA ($202,947), William Butler's and Timothy Twomey's four-year-old filly, had won three straight on Aqueduct's inner track earlier this year and scored by 3-1/4 lengths in Belmont's N1X allowance/optional claiming co-feature for fillies and mares going a mile and a sixteenth on Thursday, July 5. Breaking from the outside post among six as the 3-to-1 third choice, the bay filly improved her record to 6 - 5 - 1 in 21 starts with her first Belmont tally to go along with this year's Aqueduct wins and earlier scores in Saratoga sprints. Mama Theresa had been purchased by co-owner Butler for $65,000 at the OBS 2005 April sale of two-year-olds and won first-out by eight lengths four months later at Saratoga. Bred by Barry Weisbord and Margaret Santulli, the daughter of Carson City is the second six-figure-earning female -- but first New York-bred -- produced from stakes winner Nothing Special ($266,589), by Tejabo.

I'M A YANKEE ($116,125), owner-trainer Willoughby Simpson's four-year-old gelding that he claimed for $10,000 at Gulfstream Park in April and has since won with twice, scored his latest victory in a N1X allowance/optional claiming contest for three-year-olds and up going 6-1/2 furlongs at Calder on Saturday, July 7. He ran with a $16,000 tag because his restricted N1X allowance victory at Belmont last September exhausted his open N1X condition at Calder -- but not in New York, where he also remains eligible for restricted N2X allowance competition. Now with four wins and six seconds in 20 starts and already claimed twice in 2007, I'm a Yankee has earned back more than double his claiming price put up by Simpson. The son of Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile winner Yankee Victor was bred by Barbara Brewer of Onteora Farm in Canandaigua and is the first offspring produced from Brewer's New York homebred winner in one start as a three-year-old, Honky Tonk Ballad, by Cure the Blues.

HOWARD'S CREEK, owner-trainer Thomas Nugent's five-year-old gelding, surprised almost everyone at colorful River Downs -- right next to the Ohio River -- where some track records have stood since the 1920s, including the mile and quarter mark set by Man o' War's champion son Crusader in the 1926 Cincinnati Derby. Howard's Creek did not threaten that record, but he flat ran away from the odds-on (.30-to-1) local routing star in the mile and a quarter starter allowance feature for three-year-olds and up on Sunday, July 8, winning by 2-3/4 lengths as the 23.50-to-1 sixth choice among eight. Coming off an eight-week layoff, the bay gelding had never previously raced beyond a mile and a sixteenth and had two earlier victories at a mile. Nugent had purchased Howard's Creek in partnership as a weanling for $12,000 at Keeneland's 2002 November sale. The son of Louis Quatorze was bred by Cindy Krikava and is the only named offspring produced from Balluah, an unraced Unbridled mare that Krikava had purchased for $16,000 as a three-year-old not-bred broodmare prospect at Keeneland's 1998 November sale.

Winning restricted N2X allowances at Belmont -- all but one of them optional claiming contests -- from Wednesday, June 27 through Sunday, July 8 were the following New York-breds:

NOT ON MY TURF ($186,128), Winning Move Stable's four-year-old colt and a $25,000 claim while winning at Aqueduct in early April, scored back-to-back victories a week apart in N2X allowance/optional claiming contests on the Fridays of June 29 and July 6 -- the second time with a $30,000 tag and claimed. In four starts -- two on dirt, two on turf -- over three months since being claimed for $25,000, the improving colt had earned $65,700 for the Winning Move Stable of Steve and Brian Sigler et al while being conditioned by two-time NYTB Trainer of the Year Gary Contessa. Bred by Mia Gallo, Sandra Sanborn, and Hilbert Thoroughbreds, Inc., Not On My Turf now has a dirt-and-turf-winning record of 5 - 4 - 5 in 19 starts. Although the Winning Move-Contessa team lost Not On My Turf through the claiming box, they gained a new member to their stable in dirt and turf winner Ryan Is Flying ($208,273), whom they claimed for $30,000 out of the same race.

MY NINA ROSE ($180,174), Fertile Acres Farm's privately-purchased six-year-old mare is two-for-two in 2007 within two weeks since returning from a layoff of more than eight months, winning Wednesday N2X allowance/optional claiming turf contests for fillies and mares at a mile and a sixteenth on June 27 and July 11. Both times the half-sister to New York-bred open multiple Midwestern stakes winner Shaky Town ($279,706) ran with $30,000 tags for her new owner, Caroline Magliocco's Fertile Acres Farm, and although two starters were claimed out of her July 11 outing, My Nina Rose remained un-haltered. Now with three restricted allowance wins on Belmont's lawn and a maiden-breaking victory over Aqueduct's sloppy main track on her resume, the late-running daughter of New York-bred Grade 1 winner Lucky Roberto appears to have found new life under NYTB 1992 Trainer of the Year Gary Sciacca. My Nina Rose was bred by the late NYTB president Gerald Nielsen and wife Joanne and is the third six-figure-earner produced from Careful Approach -- a full sister to multiple stakes winner Great Escape ($196,580) and half-sister to stakes winners Glaring ($445,585) and Val D'Enchere ($231,609).

PRECISE LADY ($110,132), Trinity Farm's four-year-old filly -- a $65,000 purchase out of the OBS 2005 March sale of two-year-olds -- scored by 2-1/4 lengths under top weight in a seven-furlong sprint on Friday, June 29 despite being bumped after the start, boosting her earnings into six figures. That was the second late-running daylight-margin win at Belmont in 51 days for the Sez Who Thoroughbreds-bred daughter of Precise End, who races under the Trinity Farm colors of Jaye Egan and is conditioned by NYTB 1986 Trainer of the Year Patrick Kelly. Also a winner at Saratoga, Precise Lady is a half-sister to two-time winner and two-time open stakes runner-up Whatsmineisyours, being the second offspring and second winner produced from winner Timely Lady, who is a half-sister to Peruvian Horse of the Year and classic-winning filly champion Batuka.

SOUTHERN PRINCE ($125,480), Bill and Vicki Poston's four-year-old gelding -- a $75,000 weanling purchase at Keeneland's 2003 November sale -- went gate-to-wire in a six-furlong turf sprint on Saturday, June 30, clocking 1:09.29 over Belmont's drying-out "good" turf course to boost his earnings into six figures. The second-and-third-place finishers -- the second choice and odds-on favorite, respectively -- were both claimed out of the optional claiming contest for $50,000 each, which also was the tag that Southern Prince ran with while improving his dirt-and-turf-winning record to 4 - 1 - 2 in 10 starts. Bred by Frankie O'Connor's Kildare Stud in partnership with Fergus Galvin and D. Owens and conditioned by NYTB 2000 Trainer of the Year Michael Hushion, the dark bay gelding eight weeks earlier had won his turf debut, a restricted N2X Belmont allowance, without a tag in 1:08.87 for six furlongs.

DEVIL'S CONCIERGE, Sanford Goldfarb's and Team Julep Stables' (Kevin Schultz) homebred four-year-old colt, looked like he did early in his three-year-old season, capturing a six-furlong sprint on Wednesday, July 4 for his third win in six starts (while never finishing worse than fourth). After finishing fourth in Aqueduct's graded Bay Shore Stakes in April of 2006, the chestnut colt had been off for 13 months, but his third start of 2007 on Independence Day suggested that NYTB 2002 Trainer of the Year Richard Dutrow Jr. has him back in form. Devil's Concierge is the first offspring produced from Slash Cottage ($342,128), whom Goldfarb and Team Julep Stable had claimed for $35,000 at Aqueduct in January of 2000 and a year later had won Aqueduct's Interborough Handicap to earn her first black type as a seven-year-old.

INTER GALACTIC ($237,020), a six-year-old mare racing for Joscelyn Dubb, Sanford H. Robbins LLC, P and D Kaplan Racing (Philip Kaplan), and Orchard Kids Stable (Lawrence Ackerman), donned blinkers for the first time in her 44-start career and won a seven-furlong turf sprint by 2-1/2 lengths on Friday, July 6. Rallying from last-to-first among eight, this was the first sprint victory for the daughter of New York-bred Grade 1 winner Incurable Optimist, who had been claimed for $35,000 just 54 days earlier and now has five wins on grass plus a sloppy track off-the-turf maiden score. The Dr. Zacarias Aragon-bred and Anthony Dutrow-trained mare is the third named offspring and third $200K-plus earner produced from her dam, being a half-sister to stakes-placed Galactic ($233,474) and to My Girl Natalie ($200,972) -- both dirt-winning routers.

THUNDERESTIMATE, Flying Zee Stable's homebred and home-sired three-year-old son of Western Expression, scored his third consecutive mile and a sixteenth Belmont turf win in 67 days in a full-field N2X contest for state-bred three-year-olds and up on Sunday, July 8 that did not offer optional claiming prices in order to fill. Sent off the 5.80-to-1 fourth choice among 12 in his fourth career outing, the Carlos Martin-trained gelding was the least-experienced starter in a field that included two stakes-placed winners, and he won by gaining command at the five-sixteenths pole and refusing to let any rival overtake him. Thunderestimate had placed second on Saratoga turf in his only start as a juvenile, missing by a head to subsequently-stakes-placed Admiral Bird, who finished a closing fourth in the July 8 allowance on Belmont's sweeping lawn.

Winning restricted N1X allowances at Belmont from Thursday, June 28 through Sunday, July 15 were the following New York-breds:

FAIRYTALE STORY, Flying Zee Stable's homebred and home-sired four-year-old daughter of Western Expression, came off a 235-day layoff to win a mile and a sixteenth turf contest for fillies and mares by four lengths on Thursday, June 28 as the only starter among eight that had not raced in 2007. The Philip Serpe-trained filly is a full sister to stakes-placed winner Everythings Groovy and half-sister to two six-figure-earners, being the sixth offspring and sixth winner produced from Flying Zee Stable's homebred broodmare, Groovy's Fairest.

CHASING THE CROWN, Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey's three-year-old colt, came off a 268-day layoff to win a mile and an eighth turf contest for three-year-olds and up in front-running fashion from the ninth post among 10 starters -- scoring his second consecutive daylight-margin victory on Belmont grass. The Ramsey couple had purchased the colt, who was bred by the MDS Farms, LLC in Pine Plains of Park Avenue resident Mark Spitzer in Manhattan, for $40,000 at Keeneland's 2005 September yearling sale and had won with him in his third start and turf debut as a juvenile.

DON'T MIND ME, Peter Sr. and Eloise Canzone's three-year-old May-foaled Freud filly, broke from the sixth post among seven in a six-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares and scored her second win in four starts as the 1.60-to-1 favorite on Sunday, July 1, clocking 1:09.98. The Canzone couple had purchased Don't Mind Me for $37,000 at the OBS 2006 March sale of two-year-olds from the Sequel Bloodstock, agent of the filly's co-breeder, Becky Thomas, who had bred her in partnership with Lewis Lakin.

KISS THE CRUISER, Donall Fingleton's and Joseph Moloney's three-year-old bargain gelding, scored his second consecutive Belmont mile win in 27 days and third career victory in six outings when he advanced from sixth-to-first among eight starters, three-year-olds and up, on Thursday, July 5. Co-owner Fingleton had purchased the Intidab gelding, who was bred by Gallagher's Stud manager Mallory Mort, as a weanling for $9,500 from the Thomas J. Gallo Sales Agency, agent, at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's 2004 December mixed sale in Timonium, Maryland.

INSIDE INFO, Five K Farm's (Stephen Klopacz) and John Brokson's three-year-old colt, registered his second multiple-margin Belmont grass victory within 51 days when he rallied from 10th-to-first among 11 to win a six-furlong contest for three-year-olds and up on Saturday, July 7 by 2-1/2 lengths. Bred by Becky Thomas and Lewis Lakin and foaled at his breeders' Lakland North (now Sequel Stallions New York) in Hudson, Inside Info has won or placed in his last five consecutive starts -- all on turf but also at a mile and at a mile and a sixteenth.

SMOKIN SARAH, Cedar Bridge Stable's (Gene Stuchbury) homebred three-year-old daughter of Smokin Mel, captured a six-furlong contest for fillies and mares as the least-experienced starter among eight on Sunday, July 8, improving her record to two wins and two seconds in four starts over a 78-day span. In her latest previous outing five weeks earlier, the first winner produced from New York-bred four-time winner Sarah's a Winner, by the late New York stallion Cormorant, had placed second in her first stakes outing, Belmont's one-mile New York Stallion Cupecoy's Joy Stakes for New York-conceived three-year-old fillies.

PREMIUM WINE, Zayat Stables, LLC's three-year-old daughter of Prime Timber, came off a 61-day mini-layoff to win a six-furlong sprint as the odds-on (.90-to-1) choice and youngest (foaled May 23, 2004) among six three-year-old fillies (although the race was open to older distaff competition) on Friday, July 13, clocking 1:09.67. Bred by Sez Who Thoroughbreds and purchased by Zayat Stables for $75,000 at the OBS 2006 March sale of two-year-olds, the half-sister to New York-bred Grade 2-winning filly/mare Magnolia Jackson ($536,598) improved her record to two wins and two seconds in four starts since late March.

SOLID STRIKE ($119,824), Winning Move Stable's three-year-old colt, set all the fractions going a mile as the only starter among nine three-year-olds and up making his turf debut on Saturday, July 14, which improved his three-time stakes-placed (as a juvenile in 2006) record to 2 - 1 - 2 in nine starts. Another emerging sophomore bred by Sez Who Thoroughbreds, he had been purchased by Winning Move Stable in partnership with Maggi Moss for $90,000 at the OBS 2006 February sale of two-year-olds at Calder and is inbred 3 x 4 to Mr. Prospector.

YANKEE THUNDER, a semi-homebred four-year-old ridgling racing for Tom Tatham's Oak Cliff Stable, Al G. Hill Jr.'s Galatyn Stables, and Ben T. Morris Jr.'s Grandson of Kong Stable, came off nearly an 11-month layoff to win a turf mile as the 1.40-to-1 favorite among 10 starters on Saturday, July 14. Now with two wins on Belmont turf and a runner-up effort on Saratoga's lawn in four starts, he is among nine New York-bred winners produced from Berkshire Stud's and Oak Cliff Stable's super broodmare, Merion Miss (see recent stakes-placed Just a Nibble, above).

NEDJMA, Barry Schwartz's homebred three-year-old filly, rallied from eighth-to-first among 10 to win a turf mile contest for fillies and mares by five lengths on Sunday, July 15, scoring her second daylight-margin Belmont grass victory in nine weeks and improving her overall record to 2 - 2 - 1 in six starts. Versatile enough to have placed a closing second in her six-furlong debut on Aqueduct's inner track last January despite an unsteady start, she is the first winner produced from Schwartz/Stonewall Farm's New York homebred allowance winner on Belmont turf, Scented Garden.

CORI'S STAR, Sanford Goldfarb's and Michael Dubb's three-year-old filly, went gate-to-wire to score her first turf victory by 2-1/2 lengths in a one-mile contest for fillies and mares on Sunday, July 15, breaking from the ninth post among 10 starters as the 5.40-to-1 fourth choice. A 2-1/4-length maiden-breaker on Aqueduct's sloppy main track in April and now with two wins and a second in five starts, the Jeffrey Tucker-bred filly was a $60,000 purchase at Keeneland's 2005 September yearling sale and is a half-sister to New York-bred six-figure-earners Emotrin ($175,852) and D Money ($139,200).

Notable New York-bred open claiming winners from Wednesday, June 27 through Friday, July 9 included:

RADIO FREQ, Paul Steckel's homebred three-year-old gelding, wore blinkers for the first time in competition in a six-furlong sprint for three-year-olds and up at Monmouth Park on Wednesday, June 27 and won by a front-running 2-1/4 lengths in 1:09.10 for his second victory in four starts. A first-out winner at Aqueduct on 2007's first day of spring, the blossoming gelding ran with a $22,000 tag and is the first winner produced from five-time winner Winloc's Joyful, who is closely inbred (2 x 2) to Mr. Prospector.

GOLD LIKE U ($358,575), six-year-old mare who became a stakes winner at Saratoga last year, captured a 6-1/2-furlong sprint for fillies and mares at Belmont on Friday, June 29 at odds-on (.85-to-1) among five for Sullivan Lane Stable and Vincent Scuderi and was claimed for $40,000 by Winning Move Stable. Now with a record of 10 - 4 - 5 in 28 starts, the Questroyal Crusader LLC-bred daughter of the late New York sire Gold Token is the first offspring and first of three consecutive six-figure-earners produced from winner Wee Like U, by Great Above.

PENNY DREAM ($267,821), seven-year-old mare claimed by Frank Carl Calabrese for $25,000 on May 24 at Arlington Park, scored her second consecutive six-furlong victory for that owner at Arlington in 16 days on Saturday, June 30, rallying from eighth-to-first among 11 fillies and mares while carrying co-topweight of 124 pounds. She also was claimed for $25,000, marking the third time she has been haltered (the first was from breeder Ming Li after winning at Belmont) while compiling a 9 - 7 - 3 record in 35 starts that includes four wins on turf, three on dirt, two on synthetic.

P. J. INDY, Country Life Farm's (the Pons family of Maryland) five-year-old gelding, advanced from last-to-first out of the outside post among seven in a six-furlong turf sprint at Belmont on Wednesday, July 4 while racing with a $35,000 tag, clocking 1:09.61 at 23.70-to-1 in his grass debut. Bred by the Templin Thoroughbreds of Paul Henderson of Lake Orion, Michigan in partnership with Jan Ledford of Hudson Falls, the gray/roan gelding had won a six-furlong restricted N1X allowance on Aqueduct's main track on April 21 and had broken his maiden on Belmont's main track.

PROVINCETOWN ($278,696), Flying Zee Stables' seven-year-old stakes-winning warrior, came off a 258-day layoff to romp gate-to-wire by five lengths in a mile and three-eighths turf contest at Belmont on Friday, July 6, running with a $25,000 tag as the 4-to-1 third choice among seven. Bred by Donald Jones and Jeanne Polese, the bay gelding now has six wins -- five on turf and one on dirt -- including a front-running stakes record performance (mile and an eighth on turf in 1:46.43) in Belmont's $111,700 Ashley T. Cole Handicap for New York-breds in September of 2004.

New York-bred open allowance or overnight handicap winners at Finger Lakes during the three-week period from Friday, June 29 through Tuesday, July 17 were:

Late-foaled (April 22) three-year-old INDIAN CAMP ($103,565) going gate-to-wire at odds-on as the only three-year-old facing older competitors for his second consecutive win in three weeks and improving his record to four wins and two seconds (one in Belmont's Screenland Stakes on May 9) in 12 starts, on Friday, June 29; homebred RAF'S SOCIETY GIRL (sired by Raffie's Majesty) in a starter allowance for her third consecutive victory and second tally in 34 days to improve her record to 10 - 7 - 1 in 32 starts with earnings of $130,628, on Saturday, June 30; SLY DIAMOND JIM by two lengths gate-to-wire under top weight for his second consecutive multiple-margin win in 20 days and improving his record to 3 - 5 - 4 in 19 starts, on Sunday, July 1; multiple stakes-placed HER ROYAL NIBS ($244,852) by a front-running 11 lengths "ridden out" in an overnight handicap for fillies and mares for her fourth win of 2007 and just 17 days after her second stakes-placing to improve her record to 7 - 4 - 3 in 19 starts, on Wednesday, July 4; SISTER SHIP gate-to-wire at odds-on after three consecutive runner-up efforts during the spring to improve her record to 3 - 3 - 2 in nine starts, on Monday, July 9; homebred FLORIDA BOUND (sired by A. P Jet) by 4-3/4 lengths "ridden out" under co-topweight of 124 pounds to improve his record to 2 - 2 - 1 in nine starts, and homebred BAD BOY RISING (sired by Freud) for his second win of 2007 to improve his stakes-placed record to 3 - 2 - 2 in 12 starts while boosting his earnings into six figures at $108,540 -- both on Friday, July 13; SMOKINATTHEFINISH gate-to-wire under top weight from the sixth post among seven for her second consecutive win in 18 days and improving her overall record to three wins and two thirds in nine starts, and homebred MR. BOURBON STREET ($147,195) by 3-3/4 lengths at odds-on under top weight of 125 pounds in an overnight handicap for his third consecutive multiple-margin win in a 29-day span and fourth victory of 2007 to improve his recently-stakes-placed record to 6 - 4 - 1 in 17 starts -- both on Saturday, July 14; SLY DIAMOND JIM ($107,367) from the outside post among six at odds-on for his third consecutive daylight-margin win in a 34-day span and improving his overall record to 4 - 5 - 4 in 20 starts while boosting his earnings into six figures at $107,367, and homebred COUNT TOWN by 2-1/2 lengths from the ninth post among 10 for his second daylight-margin win in 72 days -- both on Sunday, July 15; DANCING TIMBER (sired by Prime Timber) by 7-3/4 lengths from sixth-to-first among nine "to prove clearly the best" in her second win by six or more lengths, on Monday, July 16; SWEET LORENA in a "ridden out" effort for her second consecutive front-running win in 11 days to put her record at two wins and a close runner-up debut in three starts over 22 days, on Tuesday, July 17.

Winning restricted allowance races for New York-breds at Finger Lakes during the three-week period from Friday, June 29 through Tuesday, July 17 were:

AUNTIE LIZ by a front-running 6-1/4 lengths under top weight and "under wraps through the final yards" to score her fourth daylight-margin victory in eight starts, on Friday, June 29; SNOWS GONE (sired by Gone for Real) by 4-1/4 lengths from last-to-first among six at odds-on "easily" despite lacking room and having to be checked at the quarter-pole prior for her third allowance win in 53 days to improve her record to 6 - 5 - 1 in 21 starts with earnings of $118,637, on Saturday, June 30; PRECISE TACTICS from fifth-to-first among eight for his fifth career win and extending his 2007 record to three wins and three seconds in six starts since late April, on Sunday, July 1; JACKIES DREAM (sired by Rizzi) by 2-3/4 lengths to improve her record to 6 - 4 - 9 in 28 starts, SEEKING REDEMPTION by 2-1/2 lengths under top weight from last-to-first among seven despite being bumped at the start and having to angle out six-wide on the second turn for his second allowance win in eight weeks and fourth career victory, and BEARMINT from the outside post among six for his fourth daylight-margin win in an overall record of 5 - 3 - 1 in 10 starts -- all three on Tuesday, July 3; PERSONAL HALF MAST in her second start of 2007 to improve her record to 8 - 11 - 5 in 41 starts, on Wednesday, July 4; homebred LONG LOST PAL at odds-on for his third consecutive daylight-margin win in 31 days since coming off a layoff from last October and improving his overall record to 7 - 1 - 1 in 13 starts, on Friday, July 6; homebred LEAP TO FAME (sired by Lycius) to improve her record to 5 - 5 - 2 in 21 starts, on Monday, July 9; ONE EL OF A LADY by 2-1/2 lengths from sixth-to-first among eight to improve her record to 5 - 4 - 4 in 19 starts, on Saturday, July 14; SIDEWAYS GLANCE (sired by Western Expression) by 2-1/4 lengths at odds-on from the outside post among five for his third multiple-margin win of 2007 and ninth career victory while boosting his earnings to $245,312, and CLERY'S CONTENDER (sired by Key Contender) by 4-1/4 lengths to improve his record to 4 - 4 - 5 in 19 starts -- both on Monday, July 16; EXTRA IMPACT with a five-wide turn move for her third win of 2007 and fourth career victory, and FIERCE STORM ($100,552) from sixth-to-first among nine for his second win in 65 days and sixth career victory and boosting his earnings into six figures -- both on Tuesday, July 17.

Other New York-bred open claiming winners during the three-week period from Thursday, June 28 through Tuesday, July 17 included:

ROCK N ROLL BEAT (sired by Rock and Roll) by a front-running 2-1/2 lengths off a mini-layoff for her second consecutive daylight-margin win at Evangeline Downs in nine weeks and fourth career victory, on Thursday, June 28; OPEN HUNT by 2-1/2 lengths at Fairmount Park in his first start of 2007 and third career victory, homebred LINE MEMORY (sired by Verbatim Run) from seventh-to-first out of the eighth post among nine while under co-topweight at Mountaineer Park to improve her record to 6 - 6 - 2 in 27 starts with earnings of $122,984 and claimed by claiming king Dale Baird, GONZO BONZO BEANS ($118,814) from the eighth post among nine at Charles Town to improve his record to 3 - 6 - 4 in 15 starts that includes a stakes-placing at Aqueduct in January, TAKE THE RATE (sired by Take Me Out) by 7-1/2 lengths "handily" to boost her earnings to $115,064, REMORSE (sired by Regal Classic) from the outside post among six for his fourth career victory and boosting his earnings into six figures at $101,257, and ME ME ANNA ($169,473) by 2-1/4 lengths from sixth-to-first among eight despite being bothered after the start and checked and forced to rally six-wide to improve her indestructible record to 20 - 13 - 6 in 59 starts in her second win-while-being-claimed in 32 days -- all six on Friday, June 29, and the last-named three at Finger Lakes; TOUGH GAME ($297,650) from the outside post among six at Pleasanton in a contest that had two participants claimed for his third win of 2007 improving his overall record to 10 - 6 - 2 in 25 starts, EVERBLAZING (sired by Regal Classic) at Charles Town despite stumbling after the start for his second win in eight weeks and third career victory, NITE WORKS (sired by River Keen) by 2-1/4 lengths from fifth-to-first out of the seventh post among eight at Flagstaff (Arizona) to improve his record to 4 - 10 - 1 in 30 starts, A TRU QUEEN "drew off under a hand ride" after advancing from last-to-first among 10 starters, TRUST NOBODY as the youngest three-year-old (foaled June 2, 2004) among nine three-year-olds-and-up to improve his record to 2 - 2 - 4 in 11 starts, and WHO'S LIVIN BETTOR by three lengths following a five-wide turn move for his second multiple-margin win of 2007 and improving his record to 6 - 4 - 6 in 28 starts -- all six on Saturday, June 30, and the last-named three at Finger Lakes; CASHEW CAT by a front-running 4-1/2 lengths under co-topweight from the outside post among six at Delaware Park for her third multiple-margin win, CURED (sired by Take Me Out) by a front-running three lengths from the seventh post among eight at Charles Town for his second consecutive big-margin win in 16 days and improving his record to 4 - 5 - 3 in 18 starts, ANGEL'S MELODEE in a mostly front-running daylight-margin effort, homebred ROCKET BOOSTER by 4-1/2 lengths under top weight at odds-on and "ridden out" for his second consecutive big-margin win in 22 days and third big-margin tally of 2007 as well as his fourth career victory and claimed, and KARAKORUM KEEPSAKE for his fourth career victory -- the last-named three all at Mountaineer Park -- and homebred WESTERN LARIAT (sired by Western Expression) by a front-running 2-1/4 lengths for her third daylight-margin win in 54 days despite her jockey losing his whip at the sixteenth pole in a contest in which two participants were claimed, DYLANS DESTINY (sired by Tomorrows Cat) for his second daylight-margin win in 55 days and eighth career victory (including one on turf) to boost his earnings to $157,806, WIE GEHT'S by seven lengths with a five-wide turn move to score her fourth career victory "in a hand ride as clearly the best", and TO THE REPUBLIC from eighth-to-first among 11 under co-topweight with a six-wide second-turn move for his second consecutive daylight-margin win in two weeks and third career victory -- all nine on Sunday, July 1, and the last-named four at Finger Lakes; homebred PREMINGER ($111,418) by 3-3/4 lengths from sixth-to-first among seven following a slow break at Suffolk Downs for his second consecutive daylight-margin win in 19 days and third victory in 58 days and improving his overall record to 7 - 4 - 6 in 32 starts, SEA THE TRUTH ($111,659) gate-to-wire from the eighth post among 10 at odds-on to improve his record to 7 - 2 - 5 in 27 starts, J'S SEA ANGEL from seventh-to-first out of the outside post among eight for his eighth win, homebred SMOKIN RACER (sired by Smokin Mel) by 6-3/4 lengths gate-to-wire and "ridden out" from the fifth post among six for her second consecutive multiple-margin win in 13 days and improving her overall record to 2 - 2 - 2 in nine starts, SPECIAL JET (sired by A. P Jet) by a front-running 4-1/2 lengths for his second big-margin win in 38 days and eighth career victory to boost his earnings to $134,905 and claimed for the second time in 2007, and KNOW OUR BOY under co-topweight of 124 pounds -- all six on Monday, July 2, and the last-named five at Finger Lakes; open stakes-placed WHATS WHAT ($276,900) at Delaware Park for his 10th career win, and GHETTO SMURF in a front-running effort at Finger Lakes for his third win of 2007 -- both on Tuesday, July 3; homebred RAW CAT with a $25,000 tag scored his second daylight-margin Belmont win and also has three seconds in a total of 10 career starts, FRONTIER SKY (sired by A. P Jet) by 5-1/4 lengths with a $25,000 tag despite being fractious at the gate and now has big-margin wins in 2007 at six furlongs in addition to a two-turn mile and a sixteenth, and JET PROSPECTOR (sired by A. P Jet) by five lengths gate-to-wire in 1:09.87 for six furlongs after setting fractions of 21.31-43.77-56.39 under "mild urging" for his second consecutive multiple-margin win in two weeks and third multiple-margin tally in 53 days and improving his graded-placed record to 11 - 5 - 5 in 30 starts with earnings of $304,439 -- both at Delaware Park -- and JUST A WHIM ($105,243) by 2-3/4 lengths for his second win in 37 days and ninth career victory, homebred MUSICIAN from the sixth post among seven for his second consecutive win in 26 days and the youngest (foaled May 15, 2004) in the contest for three-year-olds and up, JUMPING JACK LOUIE from fifth-to-first among six after being bumped at the start for his second win in 50 days and fourth career victory, and homebred JUDGE TOMMY D. by 2-1/4 lengths from eighth-to-first among 11 -- all seven on Wednesday, July 4, and the last-named four at Finger Lakes; semi-homebred MAJESTIC LORI (sired by Gold Fever) gate-to-wire at Belmont for her second daylight-margin win in 83 days and one of two fillies claimed out of her contest, and CURTANA under co-topweight at Penn National for her third win in 37 days to improve her record to 4 - 6 - 6 in 29 starts -- both on Thursday, July 5; PATCH MAN (sired by Raffie's Majesty) by 3-3/4 lengths out of the outside post among nine at Belmont with a $25,000 tag despite stumbling at the start, LUNAR RULER from fifth-to-first out of the outside post among nine for her fourth win, homebred TOMORROW THE WORLD (sired by Tomorrows Cat) for his second win in eight weeks and third career victory, YES I MAY under top weight from the outside post among six for her second daylight-margin win in 20 days and third career victory, and NEW YORK KITTY by two lengths at almost even-money for her fourth multiple-margin win in nine starts this year -- all five on Friday, July 6, and the last-named four at Finger Lakes; PRESSING ISSUE (sired by Freud) by 3-1/4 lengths at Monmouth despite being bumped at the start for his second big-margin win of 2007 and third big-margin victory overall in a contest in which two runners were claimed, OUR MONTANA DREAM by four lengths from sixth-to-first among 11 "ridden out" on Colonial Downs turf, TWO FULL POCKETS from sixth-to-first among 10 at Delaware Park for his second win of 2007 and claimed for the second time in 2007, SOMEWHEREINBETWEEN (sired by Western Expression) by six lengths gate-to-wire despite being bumped at the start, SISTER LAURA (sired by Raffie's Majesty) in her second start following an 11-month layoff to improve her overall record to three wins and three seconds in 10 starts, homebred PLEASE MOVE OVER (sired by Western Expression), PRECISEPURSUIT in a front-running third career victory as half of an odds-on entry that finished one-two (her entry-mate was claimed), and SIR KNIGHT SHOT (sired by Mighty Magee) to improve his decidedly quirky record to 2 - 10 - 10 in 39 starts -- all eight on Saturday, July 7, and the last-named five at Finger Lakes; WHOSGOTTHEJOHNNIE ($105,430) by 6-1/4 lengths gate-to-wire at odds-on for a "comfortable win" at Mountaineer Park as that sixth career victory pushed his earnings into six figures, and FRAN'S UNCLE AL with quick back-to-back wins at Mount Pleasant Meadows in Michigan -- the first a front-running effort on June 30 and the second a 2-1/4-length tally eight days later for his fourth career victory -- both of these last-named winners on Sunday, July 8; STEVIE STRESSOR (sired by Silver Music) in a mostly front-running effort from the outside post among seven (two were claimed) at Philadelphia Park in his second start off a year-and-a-half layoff to score his fourth career victory and boost his earnings to $146,473, GOLDEN GODDESS at Thistledown for her second win in 40 days and improving her record to 5 - 3 - 13 in 38 starts, OLD HUSSY (sired by Catienus) by 4-1/4 lengths from seventh-to-first out of the outside post among nine for her second big-margin win in 22 days, homebred THE KING'S RIGHT from last-to-first under top weight among seven for her second win in 36 days, homebred MOM'S WISH (sired by Preacherman) by two lengths with a five-wide move under top weight for her second consecutive daylight-margin win in two weeks and fourth career victory, and PAPERSHOES by a front-running 3-3/4 lengths "ridden out" for his second consecutive win in 29 days -- all six on Monday, July 9, and the last-named four at Finger Lakes; CAUSE I LIKE IT from fifth-to-first out of the eighth post as the youngest (May-foaled) three-year-old filly among nine fillies and mares at Colonial Downs for her second daylight-margin win of 2007 and first turf tally among three career victories, homebred WILD PREDATOR "ridden out" to his second daylight-margin win in 67 days, MR. PRO improved his record to 2 - 4 - 1 in 14 starts, COMMAND CENTER from 10th-to-first among 11 for his third career win, and THE QUEEN'S DOC ($136,155) by a front-running three lengths at 40-to-1 for his ninth career victory -- all five on Tuesday, July 10, and the last-named four at Finger Lakes; homebred CLASSIC EXPRESSION (sired by Western Expression) with a $25,000 tag at Belmont for her third NYRA win to boost her earnings into six figures at $101,510, JOHN CALVIN (sired by Take Me Out) from the outside post among 11 at Penn National in an impressive 1:39.77 for a mile and 70 yards on turf for his second grass victory in 41 days and third turf tally overall among a total of seven career wins and boosting his earnings into six figures at $101,439, and WICKED SORCERESS by 2-1/2 lengths from last-to-first at Charles Town for her second win of 2007 and fourth career victory -- all three on Wednesday, July 11; homebred GOLDEN BLAISE in a front-running effort from the outside post among seven at Belmont to improve his record to 3 - 3 - 1 in 12 starts in a contest in which two runners were claimed, and AMERICAN SENOR in 1:09.71 for six furlongs on Monmouth's main track for his second consecutive win at that facility in 22 days and third victory of 2007 -- both on Thursday, July 12; DEBBIESPRETTYBOY from sixth-to-first out of the sixth post among seven at Monmouth for his second win in 29 days and first two-turn effort on a main track and claimed, LOOK OUT EVAN (sired by Take Me Out) in a front-running effort at Charles Town for his second consecutive win in four weeks and third victory of 2007 and advancing his overall record to 14 - 8 - 8 in 39 starts with earnings of $294,882, REBEL ROUSER from last-to-first out of the seventh post among eight at Penn National despite bumping with a rival inside the final furlong for his second win in 71 days and third career victory, and BOLD JUBILATION ($101,499) at Finger Lakes for her second win in 73 days to improve her record to 6 - 7 - 6 in 36 starts and boost her earnings into six figures -- all four on Friday, July 13; SECOND TIME CLEVER at Northlands Park to improve his record to 5 - 4 - 5 in 24 starts, and homebred SEA LORE under top weight at Finger Lakes for his second consecutive daylight-margin win in 12 days -- both on Saturday, July 14; CHARLIE'S WORLD in a front-running effort at Thistledown off a 253-day layoff, homebred HEATED EXPRESSION (sired by Western Expression) by five lengths after tracking five-wide up the backstretch for her second consecutive big-margin win in 20 days and improving her overall record to 5 - 2 - 5 in 19 starts, MY BIG TREASURE by 3-3/4 lengths from fifth-to-first among eight, DANGEROUS DAN to improve his record to six wins and one second in 12 starts and claimed, and homebred METROEXPRESS (sired by Western Expression) by 2-1/4 lengths for her second multiple-margin win of 2007 -- all five on Sunday, July 15, and the last-named four at Finger Lakes; ELVA'S ROSE by 2-3/4 lengths going a mile at Philadelphia Park for her second multiple-margin win in 58 days in her first effort beyond seven furlongs and improving her record to 2 - 2 - 1 in nine starts, DEVILISH TOM at Delaware Park for his third win of the 2007 season during which he has been claimed twice and has advanced his overall record to 3 - 3 - 5 in 17 starts, SUNSHINE NUMBERS from seventh-to-first among 12 at odds-on at Colonial Downs despite having to be steadied in traffic on the first turn for his second turf victory among a career total of three wins, SICILIAN BOY ($150,859) in a near course record 1:28.17 for 7-1/2 furlongs on turf at Mountaineer Park for the son of New York-bred multiple Grade 1-winning filly Cupecoy's Joy who now has a 4 - 4 - 6 record in 27 starts that includes three grass wins plus a runner-up effort in Belmont's Kingston Handicap on turf, NAOMI'S HOPE by 5-1/4 lengths to improve her record to 4 - 3 - 8 in 29 starts, TONY LANTANA from eighth-to-first among 10 after going six-wide on the first turn, J. GILLIGAN from eighth-to-first among 12 despite lacking room entering the second turn and having to be checked, and CLASSIC EXPLORER (sired by Regal Classic) from the outside post among eight for his second win in 93 days and sixth career victory -- all eight on Monday, July 16, and the last-named four at Finger Lakes; KING'S LASSIE from the seventh post among eight at Philadelphia Park for her second daylight-margin win in 12 weeks and ninth career victory, PRO LOVE RUHLS from last-to-first among seven by circling the entire field at Mountaineer Park for her seventh career win, NEW YORK KITTY by a front-running 2-3/4 lengths "under a mild hand ride late" for her fifth multiple-margin win since mid-March and just 11 days after her latest previous score, and homebred TOOT TA ROO by seven lengths from the 11th post among 12 for his second consecutive win in 24 days and third career victory -- all four on Tuesday, July 17, and the last-named two at Finger Lakes.

New York-bred maiden-breakers during the three-week period from Wednesday, June 27 through Tuesday, July 17 included:

Late-foaled (April 27, 2005) two-year-old filly BLUE DEVIL BEL from the sixth post among seven in her second star