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2yos Spanky Fischbein and Canadian Ballet get 1st stakes wins in $100K NY Stallion Stakes races by Rab Hagin
Forty-five New York-conceived runners of various ages contested six New York Stallion Stakes races on dirt and turf valued at $500,000 at Aqueduct on Sunday, with all six events captured by state-breds -- the winners being offspring of Hook and Ladder, City Zip (two), Western Expression, Thunder Puddles, and Freud. Jockey Eibar Coa rode three of the New York Stallion Stakes winners -- two on dirt and one on turf -- and Carl Lizza Jr.'s Flying Zee Stables bred two of them. The results emphasized the quality and diversity of stallions that currently stand or have actively stood in the Empire State. Hook and Ladder is among North America's top dozen first-crop sires; City Zip is a top-five third-crop sire from New York-conceived progeny; Western Expression had 2007 Saratoga stakes winners on dirt and turf; pensioned Thunder Puddles has sired graded dirt and turf winners, Freud is a national top-15 third-crop sire. Justifiably odds-on (.50-to-1) among five juvenile males in the $100,000 New York Stallion Great White Way Stakes at six furlongs was Gold Square's SPANKY FISCHBEIN, who had placed second in three stakes following a winning Belmont debut in June and ran the fastest Great White Way in seven years. Providing a target for the top-weighted Hook and Ladder ridgling to pursue was 3.45-to-1 second choice Piquante Cat, who in September had been winning and stakes-placing in Meadowlands turf contests but was dropping back to main track sprinting for the Great White Way. As Piquante Cat set even splits of 22.99 and 23.08 following a bumpy beginning, Spanky Fischbein raced a half-length back on the outside, and those two reached mid-stretch in 57.68 for five furlongs with the margin between them unchanged. In the final furlong, Spanky Fischbein fought to a half-length advantage at the wire, improving his never-worse-than-runner-up record to two wins and three seconds in five starts while boosting his earnings to $145,505. For winning rider John Velazquez, the two-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey who also had ridden Great White Way winners in 1994 and 1999 and had been aboard for Spanky Fischbein's 3-1/4-length winning Belmont debut in June, it was the second victorious trip on Aqueduct's Sunday card. The $230,000 auction-topper at Fasig-Tipton's 2006 Saratoga New York-bred preferred yearling sale, Spanky Fischbein races for the Gold Square of Abraham (Al) Gold under the care of three-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher, who also conditioned Great White Way winners Mellow Roll (in 1997) and West Virginia (in 2003). The classy bay was bred by Chester and Mary Broman of West Babylon and Chestertown Farm in Chestertown and is the second stakes winner from the first crop of Hook and Ladder, who seven weeks earlier at Belmont had been represented by Bertram F. Bongard winner Big Truck. Placing second behind Big Truck in the seven-furlong Bongard Stakes had been Spanky Fischbein. Spanky Fischbein is the first offspring produced from three-time winner Moneymakinmamma, an In Excess mare who is a full sister to stakes winner Pocketfullofpesos ($192,541) and to stakes-placed winner Miss Skagit State and is a half-sister to four-time stakes winner Quiet Cash ($355,541). Canadian Ballet heads Rice-trained trifecta in $100K NY Stallion Fifth Avenue by Rab Hagin
Since all three Linda Rice-trained juvenile fillies in the six-furlong New York Stallion Fifth Avenue had shown front-running inclinations, two needed to assume the roles of stalker and closer, and those two finished one-two and a half-length apart at the wire, with Obviously NY Stable's CANADIAN BALLET prevailing. Placing second to the winning City Zip filly who went off in the $100,000 event as the 8.40-to-1 fourth choice among eight was another daughter of City Zip, 15.30-to-1 sixth choice Sweet Bama Breeze, who has run second three times in three starts (once on turf). Finishing a half-length behind the runner-up was odds-on (.60-to-1) Noble Fire, a Hook and Ladder filly coming off a 6-3/4-length winning debut going five furlongs at Belmont 44 days earlier. Rice also trained the winner of the Fifth Avenue in 2005. Canadian Ballet broke from the seventh post among eight in her first outing under jockey Alan Garcia and stalked early front-running longshot Instant Lady as that rival dueled with Noble Fire, who gained command near the quarter pole following a half-mile fraction of 46.05. Garcia's mount rallied three-wide out of the turn to overtake Noble Fire approaching mid-stretch and then held on against her closing stablemate, Sweet Bama Breeze, to complete a $2 trainer trifecta that paid $379.00. Canadian Ballet was the first of two New York Stallion Stakes winners on Aqueduct's Sunday card sired by City Zip, a prominent young stallion whose reputation has been made by three crops of New York-conceived progeny. The Fifth Avenue win boosted Canadian Ballet's earnings to $148,085 and improved her record to 2 - 1 - 1 in four starts, which includes a victorious front-running debut at Saratoga and second-place and third-place efforts, respectively, in Finger Lakes' Lady Finger Stakes and New York Breeders' Futurity (against males). The chestnut filly races for the Obviously NY Stable of Richard Benas and was bred by Gus Schoenborn Jr., who also bred her multiple-winning and multiple stakes-placed four-year-old full sister, Vasa. The dam of Canadian Ballet and Vasa is six-time route winner (mile and up) Canadian Flagship, who is by the closely inbred Northern Flagship (3 x 3 to Native Dancer) and is a half-sister to stakes winner Soldieroffaith. Canadian Ballet's maternal granddam (second dam) is stakes winner Key Bid ($275,046). Red Zipper captures NY Stallion Cormorant Stakes for 2nd consecutive year by Rab Hagin
Was it deja vu all over again? In the 2006 New York Stallion Cormorant Stakes for New York-conceived colts and geldings going a mile and a sixteenth on turf, Jeffrey Tucker's up-and-coming RED ZIPPER and 2004 Cormorant winner Pa Pa Da had finished one-two -- less than a length apart -- under jockeys Eibar Coa and Jose Espinoza respectively. In the 2007 Cormorant, those two again finished first and second under the same riders -- only this time four-year-old Red Zipper was the 1.85-to-1 favorite among nine while top-weighted under 124 pounds (heaviest of his career) and drew off to win by three lengths. The Cormorant, run over a "good" course for the second consecutive year, marked the third winning New York Stallion Stakes ride -- and second on turf -- at Aqueduct on Sunday for Coa, who was named 2006 Jockey of the Year by the New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB). Winner of Belmont's mile and an eighth Kingston Handicap for state-breds on turf last May in his 2007 debut, Red Zipper subsequently had been unable to duplicate that effort, tiring at 10 furlongs against Grade 1 competition and on soft turf in New York Showcase Day's Mohawk Handicap. In the nine-furlong West Point and Ashley T. Cole Handicaps for state-breds on Saratoga and Belmont grass, he could not grab early leads and finished second in the former and fourth in the latter -- although beaten less than a length for everything in each. Belmont's September 16 Cole turned out to be a particularly strong class indicator, since the winner that Red Zipper finished only a neck behind in a four-way photo while spotting that rival two pounds was future Grade 2 Red Smith winner (on Saturday, November 10) Dave. Following the Mohawk, trainer John Morrison had given Red Zipper a sharp November 1 half-mile workout over Belmont's training track, and even though the chestnut gelding was again denied an early lead in the Cormorant, this time it did not seem to matter when he reached the stretch. Victory in the Cormorant increased Red Zipper's earnings to $303,480 while improving his record to six wins and two seconds in 17 starts for owner Jeffrey Tucker of Manhattan and Stone Bridge Farm in Saratoga Springs. Tucker, whose previous New York-bred campaigners have included 2005 Grade 1 winner and NYTB multiple champion Acey Deucey, had purchased Red Zipper for $40,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales (OBS) Company's 2005 April auction of two-year-olds. The rangy four-year-old son of City Zip was bred by Nancy Harris of Florida and John Allen and is out of winner Lady in Red, who is by Red Attack and is a half-sister to Panamanian stakes winner Big Partner. Red Zipper's co-breeder, Harris, had purchased Lady in Red as a weanling for $1,700 at Keeneland's 1994 November sale. Stunt Man takes 7F NY Stallion Thunder Rumble - 3rd stakes win at new distance by Rab Hagin
Dropping back to seven furlongs for the New York Stallion Thunder Rumble Stakes following August and September victories in Saratoga's mile and an eighth Albany and Belmont's open More Than Ready at a one-turn mile, three-year-old STUNT MAN scored his third 2007 stakes win at a different distance. The versatile son of Western Expression was the 1.70-to-1 second choice among six New York-conceived colts and geldings -- three-year-olds and up -- while being ridden for the third consecutive time in competition and second win under jockey Javier Castellano. For a half-mile, he stalked in fourth place behind front-running third choice Smash 'Em Sammy (3.55-to-1), who was winging away with blinkers on for the first time, and favored pace-prompter Gold and Roses (1.55-to-1), a veteran sprinter racing without blinkers for the first time in almost three years. Rallying three-wide past those two out of the turn, Stunt Man surged to a daylight-margin lead while setting a 1:09.53 six-furlong fraction and maintained a safe advantage over Gold and Roses to the wire, winning in 1:22.41. The victory increased Stunt Man's earnings to $307,819 while improving his record to 5 - 3 - 3 in 17 starts, which includes a third-placing in his only turf outing, Saratoga's New York Stallion Cab Calloway Stakes for New York-conceived three-year-olds going nine furlongs over yielding sod. Owned by Winning Move Stable (Steve and Brian Sigler), Island Wind Racing (Robert Teeman), and Celebrity Group Stables (Mitchell Klafter), the dark bay gelding has earned $289,481 since being claimed for $25,000 while breaking his maiden by eight lengths against state-breds at Aqueduct on March 30. Stunt Man trains under NYTB two-time Trainer of the Year Gary Contessa, who had given him an easy Halloween workout at Aqueduct and a faster and shorter drill four days later. The three-year-old almost seems to be "slumming" at seven furlongs on dirt, having already hinted that he can handle turf and likes longer distances. Contessa has indicated that Stunt Man "loves" Saratoga, but the gelding has scored stakes victories at all three NYRA tracks within an 81-day span since late August. Stunt Man was the first of two Sunday Stallion Stakes winners bred by Carl Lizza Jr.'s Flying Zee Stables which had been lost through the claiming ranks -- although Flying Zee Stables qualified for $12,150 in breeder and stallion owner awards as a result of the Thunder Rumble outcome. Western Expression, who stands at Lizza's and Joseph Bartone's Highcliff Farm in Delanson, was the only sire of stakes winners on dirt and turf at Saratoga in 2007. Stunt Man's latest stakes victory boosted his sire's 2007 progeny earnings to over $1.8-million, with lifetime offspring bankrolls from four racing age crops at more than $4.9-million. Stunt Man, who is inbred 4 x 4 to Majestic Prince and to five-time stakes producer Tamerett, is the fifth of six winners and the second $300K-plus earner produced from New York-bred Ribboned, who won Finger Lakes' 1991 Niagara Stakes by six lengths while racing for Lizza's Tri-Noble Stable. Ribboned is a half-sister to Panamanian juvenile champion Mangatruco. Factual Contender cruises to 4th turf stakes win of '07 in New York Stallion Perfect Arc by Rab Hagin
A mere 11 months since being introduced to turf racing by trainer Barclay Tagg and to a whole new world, Thomas Farone Jr.'s FACTUAL CONTENDER romped at odds-on (.40-to-1) among eight New York-conceived fillies and mares in the New York Stallion Perfect Arc Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth. The six-year-old former main track sprinter stalked in fourth and third place under co-topweight through the opening half-mile before rallying three-wide to seize command on the second turn. She pulled away decisively thereafter, winning by 3-3/4 lengths in time that was more than three-quarters of a second faster than four-year-old gelding Red Zipper covered the same distance over the same "good" grass course and under the same weight four races later in the Cormorant. For jockey Eibar Coa, who also rode Red Zipper and has been on board for Factual Contender's latest six consecutive starts, it was the first of three New York Stallion Stakes-winning rides on Aqueduct's Sunday card. It was Factual Contender's fourth turf stakes victory -- along with three black-type runner-up efforts -- in stakes ranging from a mile to a mile and a quarter (winning at 10 furlongs against open stakes company at Belmont in May) in seven starts since March 1. The dark bay mare increased her earnings to $481,248 and improved her overall record to 10 - 10 - 3 in 36 starts, which includes a turf record of five wins and three seconds in nine efforts. Even though Factual Contender had been rank and clipped heels early in her unplaced turf stakes debut at Gulfstream Park back in January, she has never finished more than a length and a half behind the winners in any of her non-victorious grass outings. The New York-bred lawn-lover has earned $294,699 since being claimed at Saratoga for $65,000 from her breeder, Carl Lizza Jr.'s Flying Zee Stables, in August of 2005. Campaigned by Farone of Gansevoort, she was turned over a year ago to Tagg, the NYTB 2003 Trainer of the Year who also conditions New York-bred Dave, surprise winner of Aqueduct's Grade 2 Red Smith Handicap at a mile and three-eighths on turf the day before (Saturday). Foaled at Highcliff Farm in Delanson that breeder Lizza owns with Joseph Bartone, Factual Contender also was conceived at Highcliff Farm, where during that same breeding season another current six-year-old mare who might have been a strong contender in the Perfect Arc likewise was conceived: Massachusetts-bred Ask Queenie ($558,705). Unfortunately, Ask Queenie was not made eligible for the New York Stallion Stakes Series, in which the participants can be bred anywhere as long as they have been conceived to the covers of registered New York-based stallions. Factual Contender's sire, 28-year-old pensioner and former leading New York-bred money-earner Thunder Puddles ($791,695), still resides at Highcliff Farm and also has sired multiple graded-winning turf router Thunder Regent ($567,544) and New York-bred Grade 1 Travers winner (and Stallion Stakes namesake) Thunder Rumble (see New York-bred Millionaires Club). Factual Contender is among four starters, all winners, produced from Flying Zee Stables' New York homebred route winner Factuallychallenge, who is by the late New York-based stallion Triocala. Her two named and younger half-sisters of racing age have both won in 2007 at Aqueduct, and one also has scored on Belmont turf. Tamberino tallies in New York Stallion Staten Island while loose on the lead by Rab Hagin
In her second start off an 11-month layoff, Hedgewick Stable's TAMBERINO quickly opened up a multiple-margin lead in the seven-furlong New York Stallion Staten Island Stakes for New York-conceived fillies and mares, gaining enough cushion to still be ahead at the wire as the 10.40-to-1 fifth choice among nine. It was the first stakes victory for the four-year-old daughter of Freud, who almost 14 months earlier had placed third among 10 in Belmont's Irish Actress Stakes for state-bred three-year-old fillies going a mile and a sixteenth on turf. Among rivals finishing behind Tamberino were 2007 Aqueduct sprint stakes winner Waytotheleft (the 2.25-to-1 second choice) and 2006-2007 New York Stallion Stakes Series winner Laurentide Ice (the 6.70-to-1 third choice). Favored three-year-old filly Cammy's Choice (1.55-to-1), who has never been unplaced in eight starts and had runner-up efforts in six-and-seven-furlong sprint stakes this past summer at Belmont and Saratoga, broke from the outside post and was bumped on the turn but still placed third. Tamberino was the second of three New York Stallion Stakes winners ridden at Aqueduct on Sunday by jockey Eibar Coa, who previously had piloted the filly in a pair of non-winning maiden special contests on Aqueduct's inner track in January-February of 2006. The victory increased Tamberino's earnings to $169,546 while improving her dirt-and-turf-winning record to 4 - 3 - 2 in 14 starts, with all of her tallies -- two at Aqueduct and one each at Belmont and on Saratoga's lawn -- having been front-running efforts. Following a tiring unplaced performance going six furlongs in open allowance/optional claiming company at Belmont five weeks earlier in her first 2007 start, trainer Thomas Bush had sharpened the dark bay filly with a pair of quick workouts at Belmont, including a five-furlong "bullet" drill on November 1. Tamberino had been purchased for $55,000 by the Hedgewick Stable of Joseph Appelbaum of Off the Hook, LLC on East 69th Street in Manhattan, going to that owner from Becky Thomas's Sequel Bloodstock #105 consignment at the OBS 2005 March sale of selected two-year-olds in Florida. She was bred by Thomas and Lewis Lakin and was foaled at her breeders' Lakland North, LLC (now Sequel Stallions New York) in Hudson, where Freud has stood since entering stud in 2002. Tamberino is the fourth stakes winner from Freud's first two crops and that sire's second 2007 New York Stallion Stakes winner -- the other being Hedgewick Stable's Thomas Bush-trained three-year-old filly Mighty Eros, 6-1/2-length winner of Aqueduct's Park Avenue in April and also bred by Thomas and Lakin. Tamberino's New York Stallion Staten Island victory has pushed Freud's 2007 progeny earnings to almost $2-million, with cumulative offspring earnings from three crops of racing age closing in on $4-million. Tamberino is the fifth winner and second six-figure-earner produced from juvenile stakes winner Emotional Energy, by New York-based stallion Crusader Sword out of a mare whose pedigree boasts the coveted "Rasmussen Factor" -- 3 x 3 inbreeding to multiple stakes producer Miss Disco, dam of eight-time leading sire Bold Ruler. Emotional Energy arrived in New York after being purchased for $27,000 by Questroyal Stable at the OBS 1999 October mixed sale in Florida. In the opening race on Aqueduct's Sunday card, the open $77,700 Smartangle Stakes for fillies and mares going six furlongs, Karakorum Farm's New York-bred Karakorum Starlet ($322,864) confirmed the quality of the 2007 New York Showcase Day card, placing a close second under top weight despite obviously wanting another furlong. The four-year-old filly was the overlooked 9-to-1 fifth choice among six while coming off a hard-fought victory in Showcase Day's seven-furlong Iroquois Handicap 22 days earlier and closed on the front-running winner while beating the two top choices, Grade/Group 1 winners Swap Fliparoo and Stormy Kiss. Now with a record of 6 - 7 - 1 in 21 starts, the Jeff Odintz-trained Karakorum Starlet was the 72nd New York-bred to finish in the top-three in a black-type stakes outside state-bred competition in 2007. Her runner-up effort in the Smartangle was the 105th top-three finish by a New York-bred in an open (to horses bred or conceived anywhere) black-type stakes event this year in at least four countries on three continents. |
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