New York-Breds at the Races: August 10 to 16

Transcription

1 New York-Breds at the Races: August 10 to 16 By Bill Heller Dayatthespa Rolls to a Handy Victory in the Yaddo Stakes You know you ve got a nice filly when you call a $150,000 stakes a drop in company. But Jerry and Ronald Frankel, Steve Laymon and Bradley Thoroughbreds four-year-old Dayatthespa is more than a nice filly, and she was dropping from a front-running, second-place finish in the Grade III Eatontown Handicap at Monmouth into Friday s 34 th running of the mile-and-asixteenth $150,000 Yaddo Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares at Saratoga. Sent off the 1-4 favorite in the field of six, Dayatthespa settled nicely into second beneath Javier Castellano, blew by front-running Sally s Dream in early stretch, and went on to a 1 ¾-length victory over Wholelottashakin in a final time of 1: She was awesome, trainer Chad Brown said. We wanted her to rate and it worked out perfectly. She had a nice target to run at. It was only her third start of the year. I felt I had to get her back on track. She ll be in graded stakes the rest of the year. She ll likely acquit herself nicely. Last year, her five victories in six starts included wins in a Grade I and two Grade III stakes. The daughter of City Zip out of M Lady Doc by Doc s Leader, bred by Castellare DiCracchiolo Stable, Cracchiolo & Goldsher, was making just her 12 th career start Friday. The scored her eight victory, and also has a pair of seconds and earnings of just under $750,000. I liked the way she did it, Castellano said after the race. She doesn t have to be on the lead. The first jump, I let somebody else go to the lead and just stayed tracking. She was pulling me because she wanted to go, but I like how she relaxed into the first turn behind the front-runner. From there, she did the rest. In a $70,000 New York-bred maiden special weight for two-year-old fillies at six furlongs, Chester and Mary Broman s homebred first-time starter Artemis Agrotera was spectacular, beating her entry-mate Star Grazing, also a homebred first-time starter for the Bromans, by 11 ¾ lengths in a sharp 1: Trained by Mike Hushion, Artemis Agrotera, a daughter of Roman Ruler out of Indy Glory by A.P. indy, had been working sharply, so well that she and her entry-mate went off the 2-5 favorites. She flaunted her early speed under Joel Rosario and quickly took the lead from Don t Blame Her through a quarter in : Don t Blame Her tried to keep up and couldn t as Artemis Agrotera lengthened her lead, hitting the half in : From that point, the race was for second, with Star Grazing edging Alwaysinstilettos.

2 "She trained well, Chester Broman said in the winner s circle. Mike was very happy with her. She performed like she was training. Asked if she had expected a debut victory, Mary Broman said, We were hoping. We always hope. In Friday s opener, a 5 ½-furlong $70,000 New York-bred maiden special weight on the grass, Slimshady edged Poppy s Watching by a nose. Just a half-length behind was Raglin River, who beat front-running Gentle Jim by a nose for third. Owned by CR Thoroughbred Racing, M. Rettig, R. Stavis, J. Rozan, J. Jules and L. Verdier, Slimshady was making his 18 th start for trainer Leo O Brien. The three-year-old gelding by Raffie s Majesty out of Shady Lane by Peaks and Valleys, who was bred by Wellspring Stables, had two seconds from nine prior grass starts. Gentle Jim, the 8-5 favorite under Joel Rosario on the rail, shot to the lead, one he maintained almost the length of the stretch before finally packing it in. In a wild, five-horse scramble, Slimshady, sent off at 5-1 under Jose Espinoza, prevailed by a nose over Poppy s Watching, the 5-2 second choice, in a final time of 1: Hangover Kid Blows By Them All to Win the West Point Stakes Rolling down the center of the grass course under Irad Ortiz, Jr., Four Tags Stable s homebred Hangover Kid stormed past Hear the Footsteps, Kharafa and defending champion Lubash to win the 34 th running of the mile-and-a-sixteenth $100,000 West Point Stakes for NY-breds at Saratoga Race Course Thursday afternoon by a little more than a length. Jason Servis trains the five-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid out of Absolute Patience by Rakeen. In his previous start, Hangover Kid had rallied strongly to finish third by 2 ¼ lengths under Gabriel Saez in the mile-and-three-eighths Grade I United Nations Handicap at Monmouth Park at 47-1 odds. At Saratoga, bettors sent Hangover Kid away at odds of 5-1 in the field of nine under Ortiz, who had ridden Hangover Kid to an allowance victory at Belmont Park two races back. Lubash was installed as the 2-1 favorite with Jose Lezcano aboard. Kharafa, breaking from the outside post in the field of nine, went off the 5-2 second choice under Rajiv Maragh. Leaving from the rail at 7-1 odds under Joel Rosario, Mr. Vegas took the early lead while Maragh sent Kharafa up hard on the far outside, eventually securing second. But Maragh wasn t content with that position, aggressively moving Kharafa past Mr. Vegas to take the front after an opening quarter in :24.23.

3 Kharafa took the field to the half in :48.90 and the three-quarters in 1:13.17 as Mr. Vegas went after him two-wide and Street Game three-wide on the far turn. Lezcano kept Lubash on the rail behind Kharafa, hoping he d bear out in the stretch. Lubash eventually found enough room on the inside to challenge Kharafa, who held on stubbornly. Meanwhile, 13-1 shot Hear the Footsteps made a bold move on the outside. Even further outside was Hangover Kid, who kicked in and mowed them all down, winning in a final time of 1: Hear the Footsteps finished second, Kharafa third and Lubash fourth. When I came on the turn, I had a lot of horse, Ortiz said. There was a lot of traffic on the inside, so I came outside and he went by. Hangover Kid s victory was his fifth in 11 grass starts with two seconds and one third, good for earnings of just under $300,000. He also had one win, two seconds and two thirds from seven dirt starts, which push his career earnings to just under $375,000. Jason has done a tremendous job with this horse, Steve Taglienti of Four Tags Stable said. Jim and Susan Hill s two-year-old filly Hot Squeeze made her first career start a winning one, capturing a 5 ½-furlong $70,000 New York-bred maiden special weight on the grass wire-towire by a little more than a length under Jose Espinoza. Leaving from the outside post in the field of eight, Hot Squeeze broke on top and dared her seven opponents to catch her. The daughter of Latent Heat out of Snickeez by Mr. Greeley, bred by Carapan Farm and trained by George Weaver, raced through an opening quarter in :22.27 and a half mile in :45.37 pursued by another first time starter, May Shares, ridden by Cornelio Velasquez. Flying KC, who had been fourth in her debut on dirt, remained in third the whole way. Velasquez took May Shares to the outside of Hot Squeeze, but Hot Squeeze kept her lead through the length of the stretch, recording a final time of 1: May Shares was second and Flying KC third. Soul Opposition Blows Them Away to Break Her Maiden Wednesday The Three Colleens Stable and Parting Glass Stable s Soul Opposition enjoyed a perfect trip under Javier Castellano on the way to a 4 ¼-length romp in a seven-furlong $70,000 New Yorkbred maiden special weight for fillies and mares Wednesday afternoon at Saratoga Race Course. It s hard to imagine there was a happier person in Saratoga Springs than Tom Gallo, the managing partner of Parting Glass Racing whose wife Mia is a co-breeder of the filly. You don t walk into the winner s circle at Saratoga, you float in, Gallo said after the race. His three-year-old filly, a daughter of Thunder Gulch out of Soul Possession by Belong To Me, whose other co-breeders are Arlene Wilkins and Dave Stack, was also being considered for a

4 maiden special weight on the grass by trainer Bruce Levine. Levine chose dirt. Bruce is a genius, Tom Gallo said. Soul Opposition was freshened after suffering a foot abscess when she finished seventh in a maiden special weight on the turf at Belmont Park May 26th. She s been training a lot better, Gallo said. Previously on dirt, she had finished sixth, third and second in three starts. Bettors sent her off at 4-1 odds in the field of seven as Rosie s Song, ridden by Rajiv Maragh, was made the 3-2 favorite over a track labeled muddy for the first two races. Longshot Tassinaia broke first under Luis Saez, but was quickly joined by Rosie s Song on her outside. While they dueled for the lead through a quarter in :22.90 and a half in :46.17, Castellano had Soul Opposition perfectly placed in third, a couple of lengths off that battle up front. It worked out great, Castellano said. She got me in a great spot. Rosie s Song eventually put away Tassinaia, but Soul Opposition pounced and roared past her. She hit three-quarters in 1:12.18 and finished the seven furlongs in 1:25.73 with an expanding lead. Rosie s Song saved second while Carole Lee rallied to finish third. The second half of Wednesday s Daily Double was another $70,000 New York-bred maiden special weight, which was switched from grass to the main track at the same 5 ½-furlong distance. Scratches reduced the field to five, and this was a two-horse battle from start to finish between co-favorites Carolinian, ridden by Castellano, and Howaboutwe, with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard. Both horses went off at odds of 8-5, with NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and trainer Jena Antonucci s Howaboutwe the slightest of favorites. Howaboutwe broke a neck ahead of Carolinian before Carolinian came back on the inside to claim the early lead. At one point, Carolinian stretched his lead to a length, but Howaboutwe was perfectly placed to go after him, quickly cutting into that margin after a half in : Through the stretch, Howaboutwe was the stronger of the two, and drew away late to win by 2 ¼ lengths in a final time of 1: Carolinian was second, five lengths clear of Stalagmite in third. Howaboutwe, a colt by Da Stoops out of Corredor s Wind by El Corredor, bred by Bella Inizio Farm, was making just his second start after finishing third at 34-1 odds in his debut. Antonucci decided to add blinkers for Howaboutwe s second start, and he clearly responded well to the change. In Wednesday s finale, James Nolan and Charles Murphy, Jr. s three-year-old New York-bred filly Brickhouse Baby flew past battling leaders High Inflation and Myperfectvalentine to win a

5 $41,000 open maiden $25,000 claimer, which was switched from the turf to the main track, by two lengths. Rosie Napravnik rode Brickhouse Baby, a daughter of Golden Missile out of Clay s Run by Chester House who is trained by Rick Violette. Brickhouse Baby had three seconds and three thirds in 11 starts before Wednesday. Collaborator Scores Wire-to-Wire Under Junior Alvarado Obviously benefitting from a front-running seventh in his turf and 2013 debut at Belmont Park, Masie Stable s three-year-old colt Collaborator went wire-to-wire under Junior Alvarado to win a one-mile $75,000 New York-bred grass maiden special weight by a length and a half over Downgoesfrazier Monday afternoon at Saratoga Race Course. Collaborator, a son of Any Given Saturday out of the Cozzene mare Sari, was bred by Lawrence Goichman. Masie Stable purchased Collaborator for $70,000 at the 2011 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and sent him to trainer Michelle Nihei. Collaborator raced twice on dirt as a two-year-old, finishing a distant fifth in his debut at Belmont Park, followed by a distant seventh in a maiden special weight at Saratoga. Nihei expected that Collaborator s future would be on grass, and on July 5 th at Belmont Park he made his three-year-old and grass debut with blinkers added. Sent off at 11-1 odds, he made the lead and tired late to finish seventh at a mile and a sixteenth. Bettors weren t that impressed and sent him off at 8-1 odds on Monday. The 7-5 favorite in the field of 10 was Leroy Jr., a four-year-old gelding whose only race was a seventh-place finish in an open maiden special weight on the grass at Churchill Downs on May 28, Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Javier Castellano, Leroy Jr. wasn t involved early and rallied to be a non-threatening fourth. Alvarado got Collaborator on the lead immediately as longshot Kitstrickortreat got away in second before falling back. Irad Ortiz, Jr. moved Saltine Warrior, sent off at 7-1 odds from the 10 post, into second, while 6-1 National Buck moved into third beneath Cornelio Velasquez. Collaborator ran the opening quarter in :23.82 and got a bit of a breather in his second quarter, hitting the half in :48.15 as Saltine Warrior drew closer on his outside. Saltine Warrior went after Collaborator, getting within three-quarters of a length after six furlongs in 1:12.16, but couldn t maintain his rally as Collaborator opened a clear lead. He won by a length and a half over 5-1 Downgoesfrazier in a final time of1: Saltine Warrior held on for third.

6 Wired Bryan Nosed in Special; King Kreesa is Second to Wise Dan Two talented New York-breds proved they could more than hold their own in open graded stakes Saturday and Sunday at Saratoga Race Course. They just weren t quite good enough to win. On Saturday, Gerald and Susan Kresa s front-running King Kreesa stubbornly battled reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan through the stretch before finishing second to him by a length and a quarter while finishing 4 ¾ lengths clear of Lea in the 29 th running of the $500,000 Grade II Fourstardave Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth on the inner turf course. On Sunday, Anstu Stables homebred two-year-old colt Wired Bryan raced even better. The striking gray son of Stormy Atlantic out of Red Melody by 1982 Travers Stakes winner Runaway Groom, and Corfu, a $675,000 purchase as a two-year-old earlier this year, hooked up from start to finish in the 108 th running of the $200,000 Grade II Saratoga Special. When they crossed the finish line simultaneously, it took a photo to show that Corfu had prevailed by the smallest slice of a nose, perhaps two inches, in a final time of 1: That was the closest thing to a dead heat that I ve ever seen, Wired Bryan s trainer Michael Dilger said. Wired Bryan had already given Dilger, an assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher for seven years before opening his own stable earlier this year, his first career victory, taking his state-bred maiden debut at Belmont Park by 7 ¼ lengths on June 19. A little more than a month later, Wired Bryan gave Dilger his first stakes victory, dominating his opposition in the Grade II Sanford Stakes to win by 5 ¼ lengths. Yet Wired Bryan, breaking from the outside post in the Saratoga Special field of seven under Shaun Bridgmohan, would go off at odds of nearly 7-2. Surprisingly, Corfu, trained by Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, who had piloted Wired Bryan to his maiden win, went off at 3-1 odds despite the fact that Pletcher had already won three races Sunday and Velazquez four. Pletcher s uncoupled other starter, Danza, who had won his Belmont maiden debut by three-quarters of a length, went off at odds of Bettors made Candy Dandy, a colt trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Rosie Napravnik, the even-money favorite off a five-length maiden win at Delaware Park. Velazquez shot Corfu away from the gate to take the lead immediately, while Wired Bryan took a stalking position in second through excruciating fractions. After an opening quarter in :21.62, Corfu led by a length and a half. After a half in :44.02, Wired Bryan was just a length off the leader on his outside. Corfu maintained that one-length lead at the top of the stretch before Wired Bryan attacked him on the outside. They battled head-to-head through three-quarters in 1:08.61, with Corfu desperately trying to hold on. Wired Bryan seemed to be getting to Corfu in the final strides as they crossed the wire together. The photo showed Corfu barely in front. Meanwhile, Danza, ridden by Javier Castellano, had flown up the inside to finish third, just half a length behind Wired Bryan.

7 Pletcher horses had finished first and third, with Pletcher s former assistant s horse in between them in second. Wired Bryan ran a courageous race; we were just on the fortunate side of the head bob, Pletcher said. Dilger said, I was disappointed not to win, but I am very, very proud of our horse. In the very next race Sunday, the day s finale, another homebred son of Stormy Atlantic came up on the right side of a close finish, ironically preventing Velazquez from scoring his sixth victory of the day, which would have tied the Saratoga record he shares with Ramon Dominguez, who did it twice. Francis Paolangeli s three-year-old filly Atlantic s Smile went wire-to-wire to capture a onemile $75,000 New York-bred maiden special weight on the grass by half a length under Castellano in a final time of 1: Velazquez finished second with Amber Morning. Trainer Dominic Galluscio, who is enjoying an outstanding Saratoga meet, added blinkers to Atlantic s Smile, a filly out of Serenity s Smile by Dixie Brass who had finished seventh, second by a nose and fifth in her first three starts. Earlier Sunday, Roddy Valente s homebred three-year-old filly She s Stones Sis won a sevenfurlong $72,000 New York-bred allowance gate-to-wire by a length and a quarter in 1: Velazquez rode the daughter of Giant s Causeway out of Shesasurething by Prospectors Gamble, who had finished second in her previous three starts for trainer Bruce Levine. Shes Stones Sis improved her career record to two victories and three seconds in eight starts, while pushing her career earnings to more than $110,000. On Saturday, King Kreesa made his connections proud. Trained by Jeremiah Englehart, King Kreesa entered the Fourstardave, named for one of the greatest New York-breds of all time, on a two-race winning streak. The four-year-old gelding by King Cugat out of Storm s Advance by Storm Creek, bred by Horse Partners, followed a 2 ¼-length victory in the Kingston Stakes for state-breds with a length-and-a-half victory in the Grade III Poker Stakes. In Wise Dan, King Kreesa was taking on a horse who had 10 victories and a second by a head in his last 11 starts. He had won seven consecutive grass stakes, beginning with last year s Fourstardave, which he won by five lengths. Velazquez rode Wise Dan for trainer Charlie Lopresti. Wise Dan would be carrying 129 pounds, 12 more than King Kreesa. King Kreesa s rider, Irad Ortiz, Jr., immediately got King Kreesa, who went off at 5-1 odds in the field of six, where he likes to be: on the lead. Longshot Skyring was second and Wise Dan, the 2-5 favorite, third.

8 Ortiz got away with a moderate pace: a quarter in :24.24 and a half in :47.48 on a course labeled good. Velazquez elected to remain on the rail heading into the far turn, before taking Wise Dan outside when Skyring began tiring. King Kreesa held off Wise Dan stubbornly through threequarters in 1: Wise Dan passed him, but King Kreesa made him work hard to do so. When they crossed the finish line in a sparkling final time of 1:34 flat, Wise Dan had won by a length and a quarter, with King Kreesa finishing nearly five lengths ahead of Lea in third. I knew King Kreesa was going to keep digging, Englehart said afterwards. With 129 pounds, Wise Dan still had the heart to run him down. It took a real nice horse, and he is a champion. In the race preceding the Fourstardave, Patsy Symons New York-bred Effie Trinket ran a fine, front-running second to favored Summer of Fun in the $100,000 Auntie Mame Stakes for threeyear-old fillies at a mile and a sixteenth on grass. Sent off at 9-1 odds under Joel Rosario, Effie Trinket overtook Joy for the early lead and tried going coast-to-coast. She maintained a length-and-a-half lead over Joy on the backstretch and into the far turn. By then, Joe Rocco had Summer of Fun, the 8-5 favorite in the field of nine, moving up strongly from fifth. Effie Trinket couldn t hold her off, finishing a length and a half behind Summer of Fun while saving second by a neck over Joy. The final time was 1: Effie Trinket is a daughter of Freud out of Maya s Note by Editor s Note who was bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds and is trained by Rick Violette. Effie Trinket now has five wins and a third from eight starts, with earnings of nearly $225,000. In Saturday s opener, an $81,000 allowance at seven furlongs, Al Fried, Jr. s homebred six-yearold gelding Moonlight Song, the only New York-bred in a field of seven, scored wire-to-wire under Jose Ortiz by a half-length in a final time of 1: Making just his 10 th lifetime start for trainer Charlie Baker, Moonlight Song improved his record to four wins, one second and a third, with earnings approaching $200,000. It s just great, Fried said after walking his horse into the winner s circle. The purses are really, really great. Moonlit Song is a son of Unbridled s Song out of Moonlightandbeauty by Capote. Alex and JEM Stable and Racing s four-year-old colt Even Got Quiet rallied from next-to-last in a field of nine Saturday to win a seven-furlong $72,000 New York-bred allowance/optional $14,000 claimer by a half-length over front-running Do I Amuse You in a final time of 1:22.93.

9 Abel Lezcano rode the son of Stephen Got Even out of Quiet North by Quiet American, who was bred by H & H Farms and McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds. Even Got Quiet s second victory in 11 career starts gave trainer Richard Metivier his third victory of the Saratoga meet.