NY-Breds at the Races: April 3 to 7

Transcription

1 NY-Breds at the Races: April 3 to 7 By Bill Heller Frosty Bay Ekes Out Narrow Grass Win; Velazquez Injured Racing gamely between horses in deep stretch, Robert and Peter Rosenthal s homebred threeyear-old filly Frosty Bay edged Adriatic Dream and Eurokay By Me in a $57,000 New Yorkbred allowance grass race marred by a spill Sunday afternoon at Aqueduct. On the backstretch, Katie Malone went down after possibly clipping heels and dumped her jockey, John Velazquez, who was taken off in an ambulance less than 24 hours after winning Saturday s $1 million Wood Memorial on undefeated Verrazano. Frosty Bay, a daughter of Frost Giant out of the Wild Again mare Baymont, was a 19-1 longshot. Adriatic Dream was 12-1 and Eurokay By Me 6-1. The 4-5 favorite, Bourbon Twist, who had won her only start last year at Saratoga easily, was moving up in the pack heading into the far turn but came up completely empty. Meanwhile, front-running Star Black, a 51-1 longshot, took the far turn extremely wide, leaving a huge hole on her inside. That allowed Eurokay By Me to gain the lead before both Frosty Bay and Adriatic Dream gained late on her outside. Luzzi kept Frosty Bay going and she won by a head over Adriatic Dream with Eurokay By Me third, just half a length behind. Star Black did well to salvage fourth. Frosty Bay s victory was her second in seven career starts for trainer Dominick Schettino. Earlier on the Aqueduct card Sunday, Fox Ridge Farm s homebred three-year-old filly Chloe Bear gamely wore down a stubborn Celesta to take a $55,000 New York-bred maiden special weight grass race by a half-length. Chloe Bear had been second in four of her previous six starts. Jose Espinoza rode the daughter of Macho Uno out of the Giant s Causeway mare Giant Cause for trainer Pat Kelly. In a $50,000 six-furlong state-bred maiden special weight on dirt, Eklektikos Stable s three-yearold filly La Verdad made a powerful second career start, dominating her opponents to win by nearly seven lengths in a sharp 1: The daughter of Yes It s True, out of Noble Fire by Hook and Ladder, had been bumped at the start in her debut and tired to finish fourth as the 9-5 favorite. Leaving from the rail Sunday, she went off at 2-1, set a torrid pace and was never challenged under Jose Ortiz. In Sunday s opener, a $32,000 one-mile $20,000 conditional claimer, James Riccio s five-yearold New York-bred gelding Quiet Power outran his 8-1 odds to win by 3 ½ lengths in 1:36.23

2 under Jose Ortiz. The son of Quiet American, out of Verbalize by Danzig, was making his first start off a distant seventh when he was claimed by trainer Rudy Rodriguez for $20,000. In a state-bred $16,000 maiden claimer Sunday, 10-pound apprentice jockey Christian Hiraldo rallied Madeline Cohn s four-year-old filly Rocky Field from way back to win by a length over Ms. True Way. The daughter of Legion Field by My Favorite Pat out of Favorite Track was bred by Edward Cohn. She now has a win, two seconds and a third in five dirt starts. In Sunday s finale, a $16,000 claimer on grass, 53-1 longshot New York-bred Special Selection ran a distant second to favored Torment. At Tampa Bay Downs Sunday, Wellspring Legacy, a three-year-old New York-bred filly claimed by trainer Charles Harvatt two starts back, made it two straight with a powerful wire-towire score in an allowance/optional $75,000 claimer on grass at one mile. Harvatt claimed the daughter of Raffie s Majesty out of Ave s Princessa by Key Contender, who was bred by Wellspring Stables, for $12,500 when she finished third as the 9-5 favorite on dirt. Harvatt added Lasix and she aired by nine lengths on dirt in a $25,000 claimer before taking a big step up Sunday and switching to grass, where she had won her only start. Jockey Augusto Marin used the rail to full advantage and she set a controlled pace on the lead. Wellspring Legacy, who was sent off at 5-1, then opened up a four-length lead at the eighth pole before coasting home 2 ½ lengths in front. Gimme Credit Blows Them Away at the Age of Ten Still packing a powerful stretch punch, Rose Stable s 10-year-old gelding Gimme Credit crushed nine opponents by five lengths in a $67,000 New York-bred allowance/optional $25,000 claimer at a mile and a sixteenth on grass Saturday at Aqueduct. Four-year-old Toy Cannon, the 9-5 favorite making his fourth lifetime start, was left five lengths behind in second. Gimme Credit, who had won one of three starts at Gulfstream Park earlier this year, went off at 4-1 under Javier Castellano, Jr. from the nine post, one spot inside Toy Cannon. Gimme Credit was allowed to settle in eighth and began advancing outside of horses heading into the far turn. At the top of the stretch, Castellano asked for a bit more and Gimme Credit turned a close race into a rout for his 14 th career victory in his 69 th start, upping his lifetime earnings to more than $675,000. He is now 13-for-60 on turf, with six seconds and 10 thirds. Bred by Berkshire Stud and Oak Cliff Stable, Gimme Credit is by Artax out of the Devil s Bag mare Shagadelic. Carlos Martin is his trainer. In Saturday s opener, Joemar Racing Stable s homebred three-year-old filly Lovely Syn upped her record to two-for-two with a handy three-length win over Keep Bustin, who had three wins

3 and a close second in her first four starts, in a $62,000 New York-bred allowance/optional $14,000 claimer. Lovely Syn, a daughter of Freud out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Lemon Drop s Love, was spectacular in her March 2 debut, scoring by six lengths in a sharp 1:10.2 for six furlongs at 2-1. She d go off at 1-4 under Mike Luzzi, who had ridden Keep Bustin in her last three starts. Keep Bustin would go off a clear 3-1 second choice in the field of seven traveling 6 ½ furlongs. Pegasus Diamond, a 20-1 longshot, outsprinted the two favored fillies to take the lead in a :23.84 first quarter. Luzzi had Lovely Syn perfectly positioned outside of Pegasus Diamond while Johnny Velazquez kept Keep Bustin a close third. After a half in :47.20, both Lovely Syn and Keep Bustin went after Pegasus Diamond, who couldn t maintain her lead. Lovely Syn made the lead and had plenty left when confronted by Keep Bustin to win in 1: My Unbridled Storm finished third at 71-1 and Pegasus Diamond held on for fourth. Bree-N-Me s Ground Force, who was claimed for $25,000 off a fifth in his last start, held off Leilani s Ticket by 2 ½ lengths Saturday to take a $62,000 New York-bred allowance/optional $14,000 claimer under Rajiv Maragh at 7-1. The five-year-old gelding by Bowman s Band out of Liese by A.P. Jet was bred by the late John Hettinger, who pioneered the movement that eliminated horse slaughter in the United States in Ground Force, who had a sizzling bullet work for today s race four furlongs in :46 4/5 was hustled up from fifth to challenge Billy the Bull, sent off at 3-1 from the outside 12 post. Billy the Bull led briefly on Ground Force s outside, but Ground Force never let him clear. Ground Force regained the lead and maintained it to the wire, covering 6 ½ furlongs in 1:16.89 for his new trainer Nick Canani. Ground Force s victory was his fourth in 27 starts. In a $65,000 New York-bred maiden special weight at a mile and a sixteenth on turf Saturday, Maragh made a decisive mid-stretch move between horses on Dragon Squared s three-year-old colt Front, who finished 1 ¾ lengths in front of Sneaky Freud, the 5-2 favorite in a field of 12. Papa Freud, a 99-1 longshot from the 11 post, raced gallantly to finish third. Front, a son of War Front out Rose Rhapsody by Pleasant Colony who was bred by Hidden Lake Farm, was making just her second turf start and fifth overall off a near-three-month layoff. Trainer Jimmy Jerkens had her sharp, and she won at 4-1 in 1: Two Tone Farm s three-year-old gelding Do I Amuse You followed a pair of strong, frontrunning seconds to begin his career with an impressive score on the front end, capturing a $60,000 state-bred maiden special weight Saturday by 2 ½ lengths over entry-mates Waterway and Dark Roast. Sent off at 5-2 under David Cohen, he covered six furlongs in 1:11.02 off fast

4 early splits of :22.22 and : The son of Sharp Humor, out of Sovereignoftheseas by Boston Harbor, was bred by Patricia Purdy and is trained by Bobby Donato. In Saturday s 12 th -race finale, Mountain Top Racing Stable s five-year-old New York-bred gelding Greeley s Law pulled off a half-length upset in an open $12,500 claimer at 28-1 under Mike Luzzi. The son of Greeley s Galaxy, out of Kate s Law by Corporate Report, was bred by Sue Vitro and is trained by Glenn DiSanto. At Oaklawn Park Saturday, Joseph Novogratz s four-year-old New York-bred colt Max Again didn t let a 6 ½-month layoff or losing the lead in mid-stretch deter him from winning his second straight race by nearly two lengths. Idle since an easy score at 1-10 in a $10,000 claimer at Delaware, Max Again was well-ridden by Ricardo Santana, Jr. Leaving from the nine post, Max Again got away in second behind 50-1 longshot Museum Tour. Max Again took over the lead coming out of the far turn, but lost it when Denali Holy Bull stretched his neck in front. Max Again responded immediately and was drawing away late for his third victory in 10 starts for trainer McLean Robertson. A son of Awesome Again out of Slew Motion by Slew Gin Fizz, Max Again was bred by IEAH Stables and Adena Springs. Silver Mast Edges Stock Fund in an Eventful Finale at Aqueduct Friday Silver Mast, a five-year-old gray mare owned and trained by Roy Sedlacek, scored her first career victory in her 29 th start, edging heavily favored Stock Fund by a short head after Stock Fund steadied and nearly went down at the top of the stretch in a one-mile New York-bred $55,000 maiden special weight for fillies and mares on grass in Friday s finale at Aqueduct. In a separate incident behind Stock Fund, who was 1-2 despite a zero-for-15 career record, Miz Owell seemed to run right into the rail, losing jockey Pierre Tomas in the process. Silver Mast, a daughter of Mizzen Mast out of Little Notice by Forever Silver, had just one second and one third to show for 16 turf starts, and one third from 12 starts on dirt. She went off at 13-1 under Eddie Castro. Stock Fund, who had four seconds, including one in a stakes, and two thirds from eight turf tries, got away sixth from the rail under Rajiv Maragh. Around the far turn, while Silver Mast made a dramatic, four-wide sweep past tiring pacesetters. Maragh had to steady Stock Fund sharply behind horses. He then got his filly going again, and she barely missed her first career win. Forever for Always finished third at 15-1 in her turf debut, just her second career start. Earlier on the card, Dutchess Views Farms homebred three-year-old colt Marriedtothemusic won his debut with authority, defeating another first-time starter, One Red Cat, by 2 ¾ lengths

5 in a six-furlong maiden state-bred $16,000 claimer. The son of Disco Rico, out of Significant Other by Not For Love, is trained by Dominic Galluscio. Cornelio Velasquez rode the colt, who won in 1: Talk Therapy, a seven-year-old New York-bred gelding, had terrible luck in an open allowance/optional $25,000 claimer at one mile Friday. Sent off at 5-2 under Velasquez, he broke poorly in the field of five, then rushed up three-wide into third. He went after frontrunning Induce and put him away, but couldn t withstand Giant Indian on his outside. Giant Indian won by half a length. In another open allowance/optional $16,000 claimer for fillies and mares Friday, New York-bred Sally s Dream went off at 6-5 from the rail, but finished second by a long neck to Swakopmund. Brilliant Ride by Irad Ortiz Jr. Gets 23-1 Carameaway Home in Thursday Allowance Thanks to a flawless ride by Irad Ortiz Jr., Richard Greeley s three-year-old homebred filly Carameaway scored a 23-1 upset by a nose in a $59,000 New York-bred allowance/optional $35,000 claimer Thursday at Aqueduct. Why the daughter of Lawyer Ron, out of the Grand Slam mare Adorable You, was the biggest longshot in a field of six fillies and mares travelling one mile was a bit hard to comprehend. She d run an okay tiring fourth in her return from a two-month absence at 5-1, and had worked a very fast four furlongs in :48 since. Maybe it was because Rajiv Maragh abandoned Carameaway for Peggy Jane, who d go off the second choice at 6-5 from the rail. Schillerette, breaking from the four post, was slightly favored, also at 6-5. Carameaway left sharply from the outside six post and was hustled by Ortiz to make the lead over Princess Mara, who grudgingly allowed Carameaway to clear. The pace Carameaway set was legit: a quarter in :23.38, a half in :46.81 and three quarters in 1: Princess Mara continued to press the issue on her outside, keeping Peggy Jane, who had been racing third on the rail, trapped. Ortiz kept the rail shut, but Carameaway then had to deal with Silver Prize, a 12-1 longshot herself, and Schillerette, who was flying on the outside. At the wire, Carameaway held on by a nose, with Schillerette just half a head back in third. Carameaway got the mile in 1:38.33 for her third victory in 11 dirt starts. Earlier on the Aqueduct card Thursday, Script R Farm s homebred three-year-old colt Spirit of Peace, who was well rated on the lead by Keiber Coa, won an open maiden $20,000 claimer by three lengths on the grass. The son of Belongs to Me, out of Winloc s Hail Mary by Capote, was

6 a front-running seventh in a New York-bred maiden special weight in his only other turf try. Michael Micelli is his trainer. In an exciting finish to a state-bred one-mile maiden $20,000 claimer, Howard Whitbred s homebred first-time starter D. Frost nailed Little Gabby Girl, the even-money favorite, in the last 10 yards to win by a head. Pablo Morales rode the daughter of Golden Missile out of South Wing by Dixie Brass, who is trained by Jimmy Jerkens. Daniel Sullivan III s Suilleabhain easily won a six-furlong state-bred maiden $16,000 claimer under Ortiz. Gary Sciacca trains the four-year-old gelded son of Sunriver, who was zero-for-six on dirt before Thursday. At Gulfstream Park Thursday, in a $29,700 starter allowance on turf, Tom Kitten went off the 3-2 favorite but couldn t hold off Midnite Silver, the 9-5 second choice, who won by half a length. After beating Midnite Silver four starts back, Tom Kitten has now lost to him three straight times. Fiddlers Afleet Leads Late, Finishes Third in Wednesday Open Allowance Fiddlers Afleet, the classy seven-year-old New York-bred making his second start of the year with a $75,000 price tag, did all the dirty work wearing down front-running Schoolyard Dreams, but couldn t hold off Percussion and Summer Sunset late, checking in a game third in a $71,000 allowance/optional claimer Wednesday at Aqueduct. In his 2013 debut, Fiddlers Afleet finished a tiring fifth in the Grade III General George Handicap at Laurel Park on Feb. 18, at odds of 5-1. He d go off at 7-2 at Aqueduct in a field of five going one mile. Schoolyard Dreams broke quickly out of the gate to lead while Cornelio Velasquez moved Fiddlers Afleet into a stalking second, half a length off the leader, through a quarter in :23.61 and a half in : Velasquez asked Fiddlers Afleet to take over coming around the far turn and he did, barely. Schoolyard Dreams still had a lot of fight in him, and Fiddlers Afleet had to work hard to finally put him away. Fiddlers Afleet had the lead, but not for long as both Percussion and Summer Sunset went by. Percussion won by a head over Summer Sunset with Fiddlers Afleet another length and a half back. Fiddlers Afleet now has eight wins, seven seconds and five thirds from 33 career starts, with earnings topping $730,000. Earlier Wednesday at Aqueduct, trainer Linda Rice got a quick return on her investment. She had laid down her own money to claim White Crane, a first-time starter debuting in a $16,000 maiden claimer on March 17 th. White Crane, who was sent off at 6-1 in her debut that afternoon, scored impressively by 3 ¼ lengths. Just 17 days later, Rice got more than her money back. She entered White Crane in a $48,000 open allowance/optional $25,000 claimer, and the daughter of

7 First Defence out of Livermore Valley by Mt. Livermore benefitted from an outstanding ride by Velazquez to win a three-horse photo for a second straight victory. Irad Ortiz, Jr. had ridden White Crane, who was bred by Robert Hahn, in her debut, but here opted to ride the 3-5 favorite Like a Diva. White Crane was the 3-1 second choice in a field of six. Last early, White Crane moved up to fourth on the inside past a half in : By then, Like a Diva had taken over the lead from longshot leader Boldchildsrevenge. In mid-stretch, Velasquez got White Crane off the rail to Like a Diva s outside as My Bella Beauty closed quickly outside that pair. Now between horses, White Crane got the lead maybe 10 yards before the wire, scoring by a head over Like a Diva, who finished just a neck in front of My Bella Beauty. White Crane covered six furlongs in 1:12.63 to pick up a win check for $28,800. In New York s first grass race of the year, a $16,000 claimer, classy seven-year-old New Yorkbred Pocket Cowboys finished third behind Tawaared and Rangey. In doing so, Pocket Cowboys pushed his career earnings past half a million dollars. He now has seven wins, 10 seconds and six thirds from 39 career starts. Four of the wins came on dirt and three on turf. David Jacobson trains Pocket Cowboys for Christopher Dunn. North Shore Racing s Hyman Roth made his grass debut a memorable one in Wednesday s finale at Aqueduct, easily scoring wire-to-wire from the 10 post under Channing Hill in an open $20,000 maiden claimer at a mile and a sixteenth. Channing Hill rode the three-year-old son of Street Boss for trainer Mike Hushion.