New York-Breds at the Races: March 10 to 13 By Bill Heller Homebred Bi Light of Day Shines in Sunday Allowance Race Eric Cancel rallied Tri County Stables six-year-old mare Bi Light of Day to a three-length victory in a mile-and-a-sixteenth $57,000 New York-bred allowance Sunday afternoon at Aqueduct. Sent off at 5-2 odds in the field of six, Bi Light of Day won in a final time of 1:49.66. Always Sarah, the 8-5 favorite under Kendrick Carmouche, finished second, a length and a quarter ahead of 9-1 Lady Chocolatta and Gabriel Saez in third. Front-running Light Years Away, who went off at 14-1 odds from the rail under Dylan Davis, was another length back in fourth. John Hertler trains Bi Light of Day, a daughter of Five Star Day out of Lady Bi Bi by Lord Avie who had finished second, first and third in her three previous starts. Cancel settled Bi Light of Day in fourth as Light Years Away took a clear lead over Lady Chocolatta. Ragazza Piu Bella, who was shedding blinkers and went off at 9-2 odds under Manuel Franco, was three-wide in third. Light Years Away led Lady Chocolatta by a length and a half after an opening quarter in :24.12, and by two lengths after a half-mile in :49.46. Light Years Away stretched her lead to 2 ½ lengths before Lady Chocolatta made her bid for the lead. As Lady Chocolatta took a narrow led over Light Years Away after three-quarters in 1:15.57, Bi Light of Day shot into contention. Bi Light of Day flew past Lady Chocolatta in mid-stretch to win handily. Bi Light of Day improved her dirt record to three for 16 with three seconds and three thirds. She also has one second and one third from 17 turf tries, for total earnings of more than $165,000. In the first of two six-furlong $55,000 New York-bred filly maiden special weights Sunday, Thomas Priola s four-year-old homebred filly Hottie Potati romped by 5 ¼ lengths under Irad Ortiz, Jr. in a final time of 1:13.26. Hottie Potati went off the 5-2 third choice in the field of six. Super Allison, the 6-5 favorite under Gabriel Saez, made a remarkable recovery to finish second. When the gates opened, Super Allison just stood there. Saez hit her a couple times righthanded to rouse her into action, then, after she broke at a sharp angle inward, left-handed to finally get her into stride. She was extremely far back early.
First-time starter Urbanity, who went off at 10-1 odds under Manuel Franco, finished third, a half-length behind Super Allison while nine lengths clear of 2-1 Nick s Funnybone and Jose Ortiz in fourth. Hottie Potati is a daughter of Big Brown out of Mama I m Home by Boundary who is trained by Nicholas Ester. She was making her fourth career start off a sharply improved second on January 29 th, her first start since early July. Hottie Potati got away third as 17-1 Congarette and Nick s Funnybone disputed the early lead through an opening quarter-mile in :23.46 and a half-mile in :47.72. Nick s Funnybone then took the lead as Hottie Potati rallied boldly into second. Hottie Potati then spurted to the lead and opened up on the field. Hottie Potati now has a win and a second from three dirt starts, with earnings topping $40,000. The second maiden special weight restricted to three-year-old New York-bred fillies was Sunday s finale. Chester and Mary Broman s homebred Bag of Tricks, part of the 4-5 favored entry, scored an impressive 2 ½-length victory in a final time of 1:12.31, giving jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. his fourth winner of the day. John Kimmel trains Bag of Tricks, a daughter of Bernardini out of Wouldthisbemagic by Clever Trick whose only previous start was a third-place finish in a $125,000 New York-bred stakes last July 9 th. Kimmel did a super job getting her ready for her return, working her in South Florida before shipping her back to New York. Ortiz kept Bag of Tricks a wide fourth early as 9-2 Heygirlleturselfgo and Mike Luzzi led the field of eight to an opening quarter in :23.85. Bag of Tricks rallied into second and went after the front-runner around the far turn. After a half-mile in :47.53, Bag of Tricks powered to the lead and drew clear. Riot Worthy, the 2-1 second choice under Eric Cancel, was a clear second, nearly 10 lengths clear of Heygirlleturselfgo in third. True Charm, who was sent off at 15-1 odds under Cornelio Velasquez, finished a distant fourth. Bag of Tricks has already earned more than $45,000 in her first two starts. In a game performance under Cornelio Velasquez, New Suffolk Racing s seven-year-old gelding Pretension set a pressured pace and held off Beautyinthepulpit by a neck to win a mile-and-70- yard $47,000 open $25,000 claimer Sunday. John Bisono, the jockey of Beautyinthepulpit, claimed foul against the winner, but the stewards let the order of finish stand. Pretension was sent off at 8-5 odds and Beautyinthepulpit was the even-money favorite in the field of six. Linda Rice trains Pretension, a son of Bluegrass Cat out of Main Streetin by Street Cry who was bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds and A. Lakin & Sons. Pretension was dropping off a dismal
ninth-place finish in a New York-bred allowance/optional $40,000 claimer at 11-1 odds in his previous race. Velasquez sent Pretension to the lead and he set the pace while pressed by 7-1 Sinistra and Jaime Rodriguez on his flank through a quarter in :24.57 and a half-mile in :49.97. Beautyinthepulpit, who had been fourth, rallied inside horses into second, then was taken outside by Bisono for a clear shot at Pretension. Beautyinthepulpit got within a length of Pretension before the horses brushed lightly. Beautyinthepulpit then closed with every stride, but Pretension dug in and held him off, winning in a final time of 1:44.26. Beautyinthepulpit finished a clear second, 7 ½ lengths ahead of 48-1 Mighty One and trainer/jockey Jacqueline Falk in third. Fleet First, who went off at 9-2 odds with Mike Luzzi aboard, was another length back in fourth. Pretension is now eight for 26 on dirt with three seconds and two thirds. He also has one win from six grass starts, for combined earnings of more than $325,000. Pompa s Homebred Send It In Wins His Fourth Straight Easily Saturday Paul Pompa, Jr. s homebred, the four-year-old New York-bred gelding Send It In, bobbled a bit when he broke from the rail under Manuel Franco but quickly recovered and rolled to his fourth consecutive victory by 5 ¼ lengths as the 4-5 favorite in a field of six in a $69,000 allowance/optional $62,500 claimer Saturday at Aqueduct. Send It In, a son of Big Brown out of Sharp Instinct by Awesome Again, is on quite a tear for trainer Todd Pletcher. He has won six of his last nine starts, with the two most recent wins coming in open company as a heavy favorite. Bettors might have panicked when Send It In bobbled, but Franco didn t. He allowed Send It In to settle his stride, then sent him flying up the inside to take a head lead over 4-1 Second City and Gabriel Saez through a :24.17 first quarter. Send It In stretched his lead to three-quarters of a length through a :48.10 half-mile, then began to get away. After three-quarters in 1:12.07, Send It In poured it on, winning easily even though Franco took him in hand late. He completed the mile and 70 yards in 1:41.41. Farhaan, who went off at 5-1 odds under Junior Alvarado, finished second, a length and a half ahead of 8-1 New York-bred Towering Moon and Angel Arroyo. Second City was another four lengths back in fourth. Send It In improved his dirt record to six for 11 with two seconds, two thirds and earnings of more than $260,000.
Leonard Green s first-time-starting gelding Timber was rank in his stall before the start of a sixfurlong $55,000 New York-bred maiden special weight for three-year-olds Saturday. Jockey Aaron Gryder, a late replacement for Manuel Franco, backed Timer out of the gate, walked him back in and then rallied him to a three-quarter-length victory over Jet Black in a final time of 1:13.30. Timber was sent off at odds of 3-1 and Jet Black and Kendrick Carmouche went off at 7-2 odds in the field of 12. Front-running 99-1 longshot firster Sharpie s Dream and Samuel Camacho, Jr. finished a game third, 2 ¼ lengths behind Jet Black. Brooklyn Major, an also-eligible who drew in and was ridden by Franco, finished fourth, three-quarters of a length behind Sharpie s Dream. Joe Orseno trains Timber, a son of Girolamo out of Bonsai Beauty by Forestry who was bred by DJ Stable. All of Timber s 10 workouts for his debut were at Gulfstream Park, and the last two were fast: five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 and four in :48 2/5. The works impressed bettors, who sent him off the second choice in the full field. Camacho sent Sharpie s Dream to the lead, but Saratoga Charlie, the 5-2 favorite under Jose Ortiz, was a bit quicker on the outside. Saratoga Charlie led Sharpie s Dream by a neck through a :23.07 opening quarter, but Sharpie s Dream took the lead on the inside, a length ahead of Saratoga Charlie, through a :46.67 half-mile. By then, both Brooklyn Magic and Timber had rallied into contention. Sharpie s Dream fought on, but couldn t withstand Timber, who wore him down late to win. Quibbler Scores Easily on the Front End Friday at Aqueduct Manuel Franco sent Repole Stable s four-year-old New York-bred filly Quibbler to the lead from the outside post in a field of seven and she was never challenged, winning a six-furlong $25,000 conditional $14,000 claimer by 5 ½ lengths Friday at Aqueduct. Sent off at 4-1 odds, Quibbler won in a final time of 1:14.23. Bruce Levine trains Quibbler, a daughter of Bellamy Road out of Hail Ho Silver by Silver Deputy who was bred by Denali Stud, Weisbord and Etkin and sold for $110,000 as a yearling at Saratoga in August 2013. In her previous start, she was a front-running fourth from the 11 post under Jose Ortiz. She broke like a rocket under Franco Friday and immediately took a two-length lead. She hit the first quarter-mile in :23.74 and the half in :48.06, and was never threatened. New York-bred She s All Even, who went off at 4-1 odds from the rail under Eric Cancel, edged New York-bred Laura s Patriot, the 9-5 favorite under Ortiz, by a neck for second. Mymustangsally, a 35-1 New York-bred longshot who was adding blinkers, finished a distant fourth.
Quibbler is now two for four on dirt. She has a second and two thirds from four grass starts, for combined earnings of more than $50,000. Candid Desire Scores in Allowance Company Thursday at Aqueduct Well-ridden by Gabriel Saez, Amanda Laderer and Gary Downey s four-year-old gelding Candid Desire ran down front-running David Rocks then held off longshot Lehigh Five to take a $57,000 New York-bred allowance by three-quarters of a length Thursday at Aqueduct. Candid Desire, the 2-1 favorite on the rail in the field of eight, completed the six-furlong distance in 1:11.94. David Rocks, making his first start since late October, went off the 5-2 second choice from the outside post under Kendrick Carmouche. Lehigh Five and Aaron Gryder went off at 32-1 odds. Gary Sciacca trains Candid Desire, a son of Yes It s True out of Baby Love by Not For Love who was bred by Dr. John and Laura McDermott. Candid Desire finished third at 19-1 odds in his previous start on February 27 th. David Rocks broke first on the far outside, and Carmouche hustled him to the lead as Saez rode Candid Desire hard to get away second. They remained 1-2 almost the entire race. David Rocks led Candid Desire by a length and a half through a quarter in :22.86 and a half-mile in :46.04. Candid Desire stretched his lead to two lengths in mid-stretch, then held off fast-finishing Lehigh Five to get the job done. Lehigh Five finished two lengths clear of David Rocks in third. Ganador, who went off at 10-1 odds under new journeyman jockey Eric Cancel, was another half-length back in fourth. Candid Desire is now two for 15 on dirt with two seconds and two thirds. He s also raced on turf three times and has total earnings of more than $110,000. Drawing Away Stable s new claim, the seven-year-old gelding Caspian Crown, turned a contentious race into a rout, winning a six-furlong $47,000 New York-bred $25,000 claimer by nearly seven lengths under Jackie Davis to notch his second straight victory. Sent off at 7-2 odds in a field of seven Thursday, Caspian Crown won in a final time of 1:11.73. Drawing Away Stable and trainer Abigail Adsit claimed Caspian Crown for $10,000 on February 26 th, when he won an open claimer by three-quarters of a length under Aaron Gryder at 6-1 odds. Adsit moved Caspian Crown up in claiming price against New York-breds and changed jockeys. Caspian Crown broke second from the three post while the horse inside him, Ogermeister, the slight 2-1 favorite under Jose Ortiz, streaked to the lead. Caspian Crown quickly drew even with him, then hit the first quarter-mile in :23.45 with a one-length lead. Caspian Crown stretched his lead to five lengths after a half-mile in :46.55 and cruised home.
Ogermeister held second, a half-length ahead of Saturday Appeal, who was adding blinkers under Gabriel Saez and went off at 16-1 odds. First Ranger, who went off at 8-1 odds under Eric Cancel, was just a neck back in fourth. Caspian Crown is now six for 24 on dirt with nine seconds. He s also raced once on turf and has combined earnings of more than $130,000. In an exciting finish Thursday, Seidman Stables Colonel Jen charged down the center of the track under Mike Luzzi to win a mile-and-70-yard $31,000 New York-bred maiden $25,000 claimer for three-year-old fillies by three-quarters of a length over Fly Ash and John Bisono. Legend of Lorelei and Kendrick Carmouche were just three-quarters of a length back in third. One Sharp Cat finished a distant fourth. Colonel Jen was sent off at odds of 8-1, Fly Ash went off at 16-1 odds, Legend of Lorelei was the 3-2 favorite on the rail, and One Sharp Cat was 7-1 in the field of 10. Carlos Martin trains Colonel Jen, a daughter of Travers Stakes winner Colonel John out of Talkin Indian by Indian Charlie who was bred by Edition Farm and sold for $50,000 as a twoyear-old last May. Colonel Jen was making her third start. She caught a sloppy track in her debut and finished a distant fifth in a maiden special weight. Dropped into a maiden $25,000 claimer, she broke 12 th but rallied to finish fourth. Both those starts were sprints. Colonel Jen was well off the early pace set by 99-1 Mlle. Chanteuse, who took the field to a :23.72 opening quarter-mile and a half-mile in :48.83. Heading into the far turn, both One Sharp Cat, ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, and Legend of Lorelei went after the front-runner two- and three-wide, respectively. Behind them, both Fly Ash and Colonel Jen rallied into contention. After three-quarters in 1:15.27, Legend of Lorelei struck the lead but both Fly Ash and Colonel Jen went by her. Fly Ash led briefly before Colonel Jen took over in deep stretch. Colonel Jen has now earned over $20,000 in her first three starts. In Thursday s finale, a six-furlong $31,000 New York-bred maiden $25,000 claimer for threeyear-olds, J. and A. McMahon, K. Buchakjian, D. Manion, J. Feeney and G. Reidy s gelding Big Band Benny, the even-money favorite who was bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, sailed coast-to-coast, giving jockey Mike Luzzi his third victory of the day. Coupled with firsttime starter Take Me Away, Big Band Benny won by six lengths in a final time of 1:13.87. Leo O Brien trains Big Band Benny, a son of Here Comes Ben out of E. Queen by E. Dubai who sold for $50,000 as a two-year-old last April.
Luzzi sent Big Band Benny to the lead immediately from the five post and he led 9-2 Caelifera and Manuel Franco by a length and a half after a quarter in :23.45. Then Blarney Stones, who was adding blinkers and went off at 18-1 odds from the extreme outside post in the field of 11, made a bold charge under seven-pound apprentice Katie Davis. Blarney Stones got within a half-length of Big Band Benny after a half-mile in :47.53 before Luzzi asked more from his frontrunner. Big Band Benny took off to win by himself. Blarney Stones was a clear second, four lengths ahead Caelifera. Take Me Away was another threequarters of a length back in fourth. Big Band Benny now has a win and a pair of thirds from eight starts, with earnings of more than $30,000.