NY-Breds at the Races: May 15 to 19

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1 NY-Breds at the Races: May 15 to 19 By Bill Heller Longshots Win Back-to-Back Sunday at Belmont Park Al Fried, Jr. s homebred Moonlight Song and J and G Racing and Jettany Thoroughbreds s Alternative Meds scored back-to-back double-digit upsets under Jose Ortiz in a pair of New York-bred allowance races at soggy Belmont Park Sunday. It s nice to get our homebreds back in the winner s circle, Fried said Monday morning from his home in Florida, where he watched his lightly raced six-year-old gelding score by a halflength the day before at 14-1 in a $59,000 6 ½-furlong sprint on a sloppy track. It got him back to his first two starts. Moonlight Song s first two starts were outstanding at the age of five. He won his maiden debut by 4 ½ lengths and an allowance race on a muddy track by nearly two in early He lost his ensuing five starts, the last in early October. Trainer Charlton Baker did a super job getting him back to the races, as evidenced by two bullet works for his first start in 7 ½ months. Now 3-for-8 lifetime, the gelding is a son of Unbridled s Song out of Moonlightbeauty by Capote. In the preceding race, a $62,000, mile-and-a-sixteenth allowance for fillies and mares on a yielding turf course, Jose Ortiz sent Alternative Meds up with a four-wide rush to win by a neck at 17-1 for trainer David Duggan. Sunday s victory was the third straight for the daughter of Salute the Sarge out of the Affirmed mare Xtra Dash, who was bred by Well Spring Stables and sold for $3,000 as a two-year-old. Trainer Rick Schosberg added blinkers to Clear Star Stable s three-year-old New York-bred colt Saturday Appeal, and he responded with a victory in in a conditional $15,000 claimer Sunday. Jose Ortiz s brother Irad rode the son of Any Given Saturday, out of Truly Charming by Elusive Quality, who was bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds. He is now two-for-12 lifetime with two seconds and one third. In an exciting $28,000 maiden $20,000 claimer for New York-bred fillies and mares Sunday, Jose Lezcano got Michael Spielman s three-year-old Our Day in Court up in the final stride to nail Dixie Sparkle at the wire in a 6 ½-furlong sprint. Hall of Famer Nick Zito trains Our Day in Court, a daughter of Sharp Humor out of Court of Spark by Doneraile Court.

2 In Sunday s finale, Terra Di Sienna Stables three-year-old New York-bred filly Silky Saint won a $31,000 conditional $20,000 claimer, her second consecutive victory. Rajiv Maragh rode the daughter of Read the Footnotes out of Allie s Hope by Just a Cat, who was bred by Nelson Clemmens and is trained by Gary Contessa. Longshot Jonrah Pulls an Upset on Saturday at Belmont Adding blinkers didn t seem to help Lianna Stables four-year-old gelding Jonrah that much on April 27 th, when he finished fifth for the second straight time at But that was on dirt. On Saturday he returned to the turf, on which he d finished eighth in his only start. Sent off at 15-1 again under Cornelio Velasquez, he captured a $62,000 allowance for New York-breds by two lengths. Velasquez had ridden Jonrah, a son of Bob and John out of the Rahy mare Rah Rah, bred by James Iselin, in his first three starts. In his debut on dirt, Jonrah won by a nose. But he only had one third to show for his next seven starts until his victory for trainer Tom Bush on Saturday. Roddy Valente and Darlene Bilinski s three-year-old gelding Stonely the Lonely crushed seven opponents wire-to-wire Saturday in a $57,000 state-bred 6 ½-furlong allowance sprint. The son of Valente s undefeated sprint superstar Bustin Stones had a win and a trio of thirds in his first four starts before Saturday s breathtaking, geared-down score by some three lengths. Rajiv Maragh rode for trainer Bruce Levine. Jennifer Contessa bred Stonely the Lonely, who is out of I Drink Alone by Intidab. Yet another New York-bred longshot, Tina Bond s six-year-old gelding Tapitdar, a 12-1 outsider trained by her husband Jim, edged Logan Street, the 7-5 favorite, by three-quarters of a length in a $31,000 conditional $20,000 claimer Saturday at a mile and a sixteenth on the grass. Luis Saez rode the son of Tapit out of Conquest Bound by Boundary, bred by Oliva Stables, to his second turf win in 15 starts with a pair of seconds and two thirds. Funky Munky Stables three-year-old colt One Smokin Cat won a $28,000 New York-bred maiden $20,000 claimer Saturday with blinkers added by trainer Gary Gullo. Irad Ortiz rode the son of Read the Footnotes out of Sweet Elvira by Freud, who was bred by Grey Anthony and Wagon Hill Farm and is now one-for-three on dirt. Saturday s finale, a mile-and-a-sixteenth $60,000 New York-bred maiden special weight on grass, was won by, guess what another longshot. Manuel Franco guided Joseph Forrest and Peekskill Racing s six-year-old gelding Papa Freud, sent off at 9-1, to a two-length decision over Hudson Miracle.

3 John Toscano trained the son of Freud out of Whinaly by Alysheba, who was bred by Anthony Parisi, to his first victory in 10 turf tries following a third and a pair of seconds in three starts this year. On the Preakness undercard Saturday at Pimlico, Repole Stable s three-year-old New York-bred turf star Notacatbutallama went off at 2-1 but finished third to Redwood Kitten in the $100,000 James W. Murphy Stakes at one mile. Making his first start since early January, the son of Harlan s Holiday out of Self Rising by Hansel, bred by Happy Hill Farm, raced further back than he normally does under John Velazquez. He rallied strongly for third, and the Todd Pletcher-trained colt should move forward in his next start. Blue Top Holding Stable s four-year-old New York-bred gelding Bake Shop ran a courageous second in Saturday s Preakness Day opener, a $55,000 allowance route. Bake Shop, who d won his previous two starts decisively, dueled on the lead with another New York-bred gelding, Pretension. Bake Shop finally put that rival away but couldn t hold off the 8-5 favorite Aussi Austin. Notmyfirstime Wins Fourth Straight in Open Allowance Company Return Friday Cathy and Bob Zollars Notmyfirstime, the only New York-bred in a $72,000 allowance/optional $25,000 claimer, extended his winning streak to four Friday at Belmont with a powerful one-length victory in a blazing 1:08.59 for six furlongs in a dynamic four-year-old debut. Sitting just outside of Shock emagain early, Notmyfirstime took over the lead readily under Junior Alvarado, then held off Coolusive for his fourth straight win following a front-running fourth in his career debut in an open-company maiden race at Fair Grounds for trainer Steve Asmussen. Since arriving in New York last spring, he hasn t been beaten, capturing a maiden race and two allowance races before being stopped with in July. The son of Scat Daddy out of Novice by Elusive Quality was bred by Wolf Pen LLC. Parting Glass Racing s cleverly named Ready for Therapy, a three-year-old filly by Freud out of Ms. Readiness by More Than Ready, took a giant step forward, winning a $55,000 maiden special weight on grass Friday in her second career start. Jilver Chamafi rode Ready for Therapy, who d finished sixth in her debut for trainer Bruce Levine. Rhonda Trombly O Hagan bred the filly.

4 Anthony DePaula s homebred New York-bred filly Tahoe Tigress won an open conditional $15,000 claimer in her four-year-old debut for trainer Desmond Farrell in Friday s opener. She hadn t raced since December. Irad Ortiz rode the daughter of Stephen Got Even out of Hot Dancer by Will s Way. Yes It s Pink Makes it Three Straight With an Explosive Late Move at Belmont Nowhere to be found at the head of the stretch, Susan Harris s four-year-old filly Yes It s Pink unleashed an explosive rush to win her four-year-old debut, extending her winning streak to three in a $64,000 New York-bred grass allowance at Belmont Park Thursday. Trained by Christophe Clement and ridden by Jose Lezcano, the daughter of Yes It s True out of Rose City by Carson City hadn t raced since posting a second consecutive handy victory in early December. Bettors didn t mind her layoff and made her the 9-5 favorite in the field of nine fillies and mares going one mile. Longshots Quiet Sunshine and Sally s Dream dictated most of the pace early. Sally s Dream gained a short lead at the top of the stretch before the closers moved in. The filly moving fastest of all was Yes It s Pink, who stormed to the lead then held off Schillerette by a little more than a length in 1:35.16 thanks to a final quarter under :24. Inimitable Romanee, the 2-1 second choice, rallied for third and Sally s Dream finished fourth. Yes It s Pink is now three-for-six on grass with two seconds and one third. She was bred by Elise Benedict Browne. The money came in heavy on Wesley Ward s Ogermeister and he showed why, dominating four other first-time starters in a $55,000 five-furlong New York-bred two-year-old maiden special weight Thursday as the 2-5 favorite. Trained and owned by Ward, Ogermeister went virtually wire-to-wire to score by six lengths over Carolinian, who broke a step faster than Ogermeister coming out of the gate. Ogermeister quickly took over the lead and blazed through a quarter in :22.56 and a half in :45.81 under Joel Rosario. Ogermeister finished five furlongs in : Carolinian saved second by a length over rambunctious Handshake Man, a 27-1 longshot who got loose in the post parade, had to be loaded in the starting gate without a rider twice, and finished fast in an encouraging debut. Ogermeister is a gelding by Silver Train out of To the Good Times by Polish Numbers. He was bred by Mrs. Gerald Nielsen and purchased for $40,000 at the 2012 Saratoga Yearling Sale.

5 At Finger Lakes Thursday, Mark Valentine s Dan s Gold burst through an opening on the inside under Dean Frates to defeat Hooked On Dance by a length and a half in a $22,000 New York-bred allowance at 5 ½ furlongs for his third straight win at 4-5. Claimed for $16,000 at Aqueduct by trainer Sal Iorio off a close second on March 13 th, Dan s Gold finished fifth in a $20,000 claimer at the Big A before shipping north to Finger Lakes, where he s won three straight. The four-year-old gelding by Forest Danger out of Lady Goldrush by Lord Carson was bred by Taylor Made Stables. Earlier on the card at Finger Lakes Thursday, owner/trainer Anthony Ferraro s seven-year-old New York-bred gelding William Thomas edged fellow NY-bred Exley by three-quarters of a length in a $16,500 starter allowance. The victory was William Thomas s 11 th in 37 starts with 10 seconds and two thirds. He was bred by Spruce Lane Farm. Return to Turf, Layoff and Blinker Change Work for The Thinker Wednesday Trainer Chad Brown added blinkers to The Thinker and returned him to the dirt in his last start January 21st at Aqueduct. Sent off at 5-2, he finished a distant sixth in his four-year-old debut. Brown gave the Fox Hill Farms colt ample time to recover, switched him back to turf and removed the blinkers. The Thinker responded with a gutsy front-end victory under Javier Castellano in a $64,000 one-mile New York-bred turf race Wednesday at Belmont Park. Castellano hustled the son of Tale of the Cat out of the Pleasant Colony mare Valdivia, who was bred by Empire Equines and went off at 5-1, to the lead from the seven post in the field of eight, out-sprinting longshots Adirondack Dancer and Dual Citizen through a soft opening quarter of :24. Meanwhile, Sneaky Kitten, the 1-2 favorite under Joel Rosario, settled in fourth on the inside. The Thinker was pursued by Adirondack Dancer and Dual Citizen through a half in :47.65 and three-quarters in 1: Sneaky Kitten, who was pinned on the inside in upper stretch, angled out around all three horses. But when he found room, he didn t explode into contention. And he needed to, because two of the horses in front of him had plenty left. Adirondack Dancer made a final move on The Thinker s inside while Sneaky Kitten advanced on the outside. But The Thinker held both of them safe, running his final quarter in under :24 to complete the mile in 1:34.79 a half-length in front of Adirondack Dancer. Sneaky Kitten was another neck behind in third. The Thinker had won his first two turf tries last year before finishing a distant eighth and a fair fifth. In Wednesday s opener, a $55,000 New York-bred maiden special weight sprint, Team Clear Stars Stable s three-year-old gelding Sandy z Slew broke on top under Irad Ortiz, Jr. and never had an anxious moment, scoring by four lengths as the even-money favorite in the field of eight. Can t Catch Me Now, a 24-1 longshot, edged 9-1 Hooked Forever in a head bob for second.

6 Trainer Rick Schosberg put blinkers on Sandy z Slew, and it seemed to make all the difference for the three-year-old daughter of Limehouse out of Charleston Springs by Capote, who was bred by Robert Hahn. In her first three starts, she showed speed but wasn t able to make the lead. Off four sharp workouts, she led every step of the way Wednesday, getting the 5 ½ furlongs in 1: A trio of longshots produced huge payoffs in Wednesday s finale, a seven-furlong $55,000 New York-bred maiden special weight on the turf. Paul Giacopelli s homebred four-year-old colt My Pal of Pals, sent off at 25-1 under Junior Alvarado, sprinted past front-running 54-1 longshot Gentle Jim to win by a little more than two lengths in 1: Gentle Jim, trained by former jockey Andrew Lakeman, nearly stole the race on the front end under Irad Ortiz, Jr., clicking off splits of :23.02, :46.64 and 1: While he couldn t hold off My Pal of Pals, he did save second over 10-1 Campogiovanni. Face the Race, the 4-5 favorite with Edgar Prado, finished fourth. My Pal of Pals, a son of City Zip out of UR Theweakestlink by Mountain Cat, had only one third to show for seven previous turf starts for trainer Gary Sciaca. He paid $53.50 to win. The exacta returned $1,147, the triple $11,763 and the $1 superfecta $63,