New York-Breds at the Races: December 14 to 20 By Bill Heller Hot Rendezvous Rallies for a Second Straight Score at Aqueduct Friday Apprentice jockey Manuel Franco got Hot Rendezvous rolling on the far outside and she got up to edge Saichi Sweepin by three-quarters of a length in a six-furlong $64,000 New York-bred allowance/optional $35,000 claimer at Aqueduct Friday for her second straight victory. Bird House was another three-quarters of a length back in third and Pennymine finished fourth. Hot Rendezvous, a three-year-old filly owned by J. Moriano, VIP Stables, S. Wecker, W. Achenbaum, T. Engel and Nehoc Stables, went off at 4-1 odds in the field of six stepping up in company off a two-length win at 5-1 odds for trainer Gary Contessa. Saichi Sweepin was the 5-2 third choice, with Bird House and Pennymine both going off at 2-1. Saichi Sweepin, breaking from the rail under Rajiv Maragh, outsprinted 9-1 Uncle Southern for the early lead through a quarter in :23.38 on a track listed as good. Junior Alvarado moved Pennymine up three-wide into second and then went after Saichi Sweepin following a half in :46.81. Saichi Sweepin eventually put Pennymine away as Uncle Southern, Bird House and Hot Rendezvous closed in. Hot Rendezvous swept past the three fillies in front of her to win in a final time of 1:12.30. A three-year-old filly by Macho Uno out of Wild Meeting by General Meeting, Hot Rendezvous was bred by John and Laura McDermott and Peter Hanks. She improved her dirt record to two wins in three starts. She also has a win, a second and a pair of thirds in eight grass starts. She now boasts more than $125,000 in earnings. Jesses Giant Dunk, the 3-2 favorite who was last for most of the race, came flying on the outside under Jose Ortiz to edge 9-1 Cat Man Fu and 12-1 No Nukes in a mile-and-70-yard $65,000 New York-bred maiden special weight Friday. Jesses Giant Dunk is owned by Sunrise Stables, Golden Goose Enterprises, A. Flanagan and B. Smith. The gelding by Frost Giant out of Take Me In by Take Me Out was bred by Andrew Cohen and is trained by John Terranova. Jesses Giant Dunk had a second, a pair of fourths and two thirds in five previous dirt starts after finishing 11 th in his career debut on turf. He was last early as 4-1 Post Pattern set a slow pace on a track rated good. After a half in :51.03, My Teddy Bear, the 5-2 second choice under Abel Lezcano in the field of nine, moved up from third to take on the front-runner.
After three-quarters in 1:16.12, My Teddy Bear shook free and opened a two-length lead before Cat Man Fu advanced on the inside and No Nukes moved up on his outside. Further out, Jesses Giant Dunk, who was still sixth at the sixteenth pole, was flying three-wide. Jesses Giant Dunk got up in the final stride over Cat Man Fu on the rail with No Nukes just another nose back in third in between them. Jesses Giant Dunk won in a final time of 1:46.42. My Teddy Bear salvaged fourth. In Friday s finale, a six-furlong $60,000 New York-bred maiden special weight for fillies and mares, owner/trainer Charlie Baker s three-year-old Prize Taker took over the lead in midstretch and went on to a three-length victory over 15-1 longshot Riveressed in a final time of 1:13.23. First-time starter Once a Week, who went off at 4-1 odds, edged Shea Darby, the 2-1 favorite, for third. Baker claimed Prize Taker for $20,000 when she made her first start in a maiden claimer at Saratoga from owner/trainer Scott Schwartz. Schwartz s parents, Herbert and Carol, bred the daughter of Pure Prize out of That s a Take by Take Me Out. Prize Taker finished sixth, third and second in her first three starts for Baker, all in maiden special weights, before breaking through Friday to more than cover the cost of her claim. Camie s Dancer, a 58-1 bomb on the rail, led through a quarter in :23.22 and was still in front after a half in :47.77 before tiring. Guillermo Rodriguez pushed Prize Taker to the front and she drew away. La Verdad Comes on Again to Win Her Fourth Straight Race After winning three consecutive races easily on the lead against New York-breds, Lady Sheila Stable s three-year-old New York-bred filly La Verdad showed a new dimension Thursday afternoon at Aqueduct in her open-company debut. Despite leading early, she fell behind by three lengths. To her considerable credit, she regrouped under Jose Ortiz, the only jockey who s ridden her, and won a six-furlong $72,000 allowance/optional $25,000 claimer by 2 ½ lengths as the 1-2 favorite. Superior Sarah, the only other New York-bred in the field of eight, rallied to be second after La Verdad won in 1:10.43. La Verdad got bumped at the start in her debut March 15 before tiring to finish fourth as the 9-5 favorite. She s been making up for it ever since. She won a maiden special weight by 6 ¾ lengths and an allowance by 5 ¾ before a near sixmonth layoff. She returned to destroy another allowance field by 8 ¾ lengths. She showed her serious intentions for her toughest assignment Thursday, posting a :48 fourfurlong bullet work for trainer Linda Rice on the Belmont training track Dec. 8, the best of 143 horses working at that distance that morning. Accordingly, she got pounded at the windows.
Seasoned Warrior broke slightly ahead of La Verdad coming out of the starting gate, but La Verdad quickly zoomed past her to make the front. Native One pressed the pace from second after a :22.77 first quarter. Then Cubicle Queen, a 31-1 longshot, came flying on the far outside and ran right past La Verdad, opening a three-length lead after a fast :45.45 half. Ortiz never panicked, and La Verdad decided to show she is not a one-dimensional filly. Ortiz eased her to the outside and she overpowered Cubicle Queen and drew off. She won comfortably, stretching her winning streak to four and giving Rice the second of her three victories Thursday. In doing so, La Verdad improved her earnings to nearly $150,000 in just five starts. Apprentice Manuel Franco got trainer/co-owner Joe Aquilino s even-money favorite Possetivevibration to the lead and she fended off all challenges, winning a 5 ½-furlong $30,000 New York-bred maiden $25,000 claimer for two-year-old fillies by two lengths over Lucky Nancy E., the 2-1 second choice under Eddie Castro. Possetivevibration was an improved second in his last start at 9-2 odds and took another step forward Thursday in her fifth start on dirt and sixth overall. Heartfelt Jazz dueled with her early through an opening quarter in a fast :22.82. Around the far turn and into the stretch, Possetivevibration maintained her lead over Heartfelt Jazz and Lucky Nancy E., who tried rallying three-wide. Possetivevibration was determined and increased her lead late, winning in 1:06.10. Lucky Nancy E. salvaged second and Heartfelt Jazz held on for third. Possetivevibration is a daughter of Posse out of Uno Dos by Two Punch, and was bred by Bona Venture Stables. She is co-owned by Three Aces Stable. Samraat Remains Unbeaten with a Sensational Win in the Damon Runyon Stakes With utter indifference to his five rivals in the $100,000 Damon Runyon Stakes for two-year-old New York-breds Wednesday at Aqueduct, My Meadowview Farm s homebred colt Samraat improved his record to three-for-three with a spectacular 16 ¾-length wire-to-wire victory. He was taken in hand late by jockey Jose Ortiz and still won by a pole. He s a nice little horse, his trainer, Rick Violette, said after the race in a phone interview. The farm in Ocala liked him and we have liked him from early on. He was real nervous early when we got him, but he s done everything right. Samraat is a colt by Noble Causeway out of Little Indian Girl by Indian Charlie. He began his career with a 3 ½-length maiden victory Oct. 23. Lasix was added in his second start and he won a New York-bred allowance race by 5 ½ lengths on Nov. 22. He had the rail Wednesday and went off the 3-5 favorite.
When the starting gate opened, he zipped to the lead, pressed by 7-1 Geaux Mets. Deceived, the 2-1 second choice, compromised his chances by jumping up at the start and getting away last. Geaux Mets was within a length of Samraat through splits of :24.55, :49.73 and 1:15.34 on a track labeled good. After three-quarters, Ortiz let Samraat loose and his lead expanded from three-quarters of a length to seven lengths in the blink of an eye. The only question was how much he would win by. He hit the wire in hand in 1:44.09. Forever Utopia finished second and Deceived got up for third. Ortiz rubbed Samraat s mane affectionately as he galloped out. When he came back to the winner s circle, Samraat was on his toes with his ears perked. It looked like he hadn t even been in a race, let alone won one by daylight. Ortiz petted his mane again and walked him into the winner s circle. Samraat has already earned $133,200 in three starts, and his immense talent demands the question: will he try open stakes company? Violette thinks so. I was actually thinking of the ($200,000 Grade II) Jerome the first week of January, he said. We ll see how he comes out of this. We ll talk it over. No matter what his connections decide, they will begin 2014 with an undefeated three-year-old full of possibilities. Owner/trainer Randi Persaud s four-year-old New York-bred filly Sally s Dream, a turf star who had won just one of 16 previous starts on dirt, survived a three-horse stretch duel, a steward s inquiry and a jockey s objection to take a $50,000 starter allowance/optional $16,000 claimer Wednesday by a nose over front-running Sheza Heartbreaker. Sally s Dream was the 5-2 second choice; Sheza Heartbreaker was 14-1. Racing between them, Lady Gracenote, the 6-5 New York-bred favorite under apprentice Manuel Franco, took up very, very late and finished third by a length and a half. Franco claimed foul on Sally s Dream s rider, Junior Alvarado, but the stewards declined to change the order of finish. Sheza Heartbreaker took advantage of the rail, taking the lead immediately under Cornelio Velasquez and maintaining it through three-quarters of a mile in 1:14.79. Lady Gracenote, who had been fifth most of the way, advanced on the inside past two horses in front of her, then was taken off the rail to challenge Sheza Heartbreaker. Outside them, Sally s Dream advanced three-wide. Sheza Heartbreaker gamely fought on, but Sally s Dream nailed her a couple of strides before the wire, completing the mile and 70 yards in 1:46.18. Sally s Dream improved her career record to 10-for-40 with seven seconds, five thirds and earnings of just under half a million dollars. The daughter of Utopia (JPN) out of Linda Britt by Cormorant was bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds. Mark Valentine s four-year-old gelding Dan s Gold put away Do I Amuse You and I m Stoked on the front end and went on to a four-length victory Wednesday in a six-furlong $64,000 New
York-bred allowance/optional $25,000 claimer in a sharp 1:11.56. Apprentice Wilmer Garcia rode Dan s Gold, a son of Forest Danger out of Goldrush Lady by Lord Carson, who was bred by Taylor Made Stallions and is trained by Gary Contessa. Sent off at 10-1 odds just inside I m Stoked, the 2-1 favorite from the outside post in the field of nine, Dan s Gold engaged him and 7-2 Do I Amuse You in a fast :22.39 opening quarter. The speed duel continued through a testing :45.95 half. I m Stoked and Do I Amuse You couldn t keep up with Dan s Gold, who opened a clear lead and maintained it to the wire. Uncle Smokey, the 5-2 second choice, rallied for second. Dehere of the Cat was third at 9-2 and 66-1 longshot Indy Tune finished fourth. Dan s Gold s victory was his eighth in 30 career starts with five seconds, three thirds and more than $215,000 in earnings. After finishing second in his first three career starts, Albert Fried, Jr. s homebred three-year-old colt Escape to the Moon took over the lead in mid-stretch and went on to win a six-furlong $60,000 New York-bred maiden special weight by four lengths Wednesday in a final time of 1:12.84 as the 4-5 favorite under Jose Ortiz. Escape to the Moon is a colt by Malibu Moon out of Towering Escape by Giant s Causeway, and is trained by Bruce Brown. Ortiz got Escape to the Moon away third behind a pair of double-digit longshots, Chasintheblues and Brass Pear. Escape to the Moon rallied past both of them and drew off late for the victory. Chasintheblues re-rallied for second and Brass Pear finished third. Jose Ortiz Wins Four on Saturday All on New York-Breds Jose Ortiz, just like his brother Irad, Jr., is having a sensational year. Irad is fifth in North America in jockey earnings; Jose is 11 th. On Saturday at Aqueduct, Jose won four races with four New York-breds. In Saturday s fifth race, a one-mile $77,000 allowance/optional $25,000 claimer, Jose rallied Thomas Coleman s four-year-old New York-bred colt Zivo, the 7-5 favorite in the field of nine, from last to defeat 7-2 North Ocean, ridden by his brother Irad, Jr., by three-quarters of a length in a final time of 1:37.54. In their previous race, North Ocean finished second by a length, beating Zivo, who finished third, by seven lengths. North Ocean seemed headed to another victory over Zivo after he took over the front end from 7-1 New York-bred Modern Child after a half in :48.54. North Ocean opened up a three-length lead before Zivo began a bold rally on the far outside. Zivo caught North Ocean 100 yards from the wire and won going away.
Chad Brown trains Zivo, a son of True Direction out of American Skipper by Quiet American. Zivo has hit the board in all 10 of his starts, with four wins, two seconds and four fourths, good for nearly $250,000 in earnings. Jose was riding Zivo for the first time Saturday. Jose s most dominant winner Saturday was Bernard McKenna s three-year-old gray colt The Big Deluxe, who went wire-to-wire to win a six-furlong $62,000 New York-bred allowance/optional $14,000 claimer by six lengths in 1:11.88 on a track labeled fast despite flurries all afternoon long. McKenna claimed The Big Deluxe for $20,000 in his previous start when he won by two lengths from off the pace at odds of 8-1. On Saturday, the son of Silver Wagon out of M Lady Doc by Doc s Leader, bred by Scott Goldsher and trained by Gary Gullo, went off at 4-1 odds and won, earning $37,200 and nearly doubling McKenna s cost to claim him. Jose hustled The Big Deluxe to the lead and he was never headed, posting splits of :24.47 and :48.54 as a short lead continued to expand. Half Nelson, the 2-1 favorite, finished six lengths back in second, a half-length in front of 13-1 Ludo Bagman. Meet the Mets was another neck back in fourth. The Big Deluxe improved his record to four-for-12 lifetime. He s two-for-seven on dirt and twofor-five on turf, with career earnings topping $120,000. Jose got his final win of the day in Saturday s final race, when he guided Louis Zito s New York-bred three-year-old filly Stellerite, the 5-2 favorite on the rail, to a one-length victory over another New York-bred, 11-1 Frosty But Funky, in a six-furlong $25,000 conditional $12,500 claimer in a final time of 1:13.88. Jose let Stellerite settle in fourth as 7-2 New York-bred Julesco led through a quarter in :23.86 and a half in :48.47. Frosty But Funky, who had been fifth behind Stellerite, moved on Julesco four wide while Jose deftly saved ground and got through on the inside. Stellerite spurted to the front to win his second race in nine dirt starts with two seconds and a third. He has just two thirds from seven turf tries. His career earnings now top $80,000. Bruce Levine trains Stellerite, a daughter of Freud out of J s Happy Holiday by Polish Pro, and she was bred by Anthony Grey. Jose s other winner Saturday was on Roddy Valente s homebred New York-bred colt Lulu Rocks, who gamely came again to win a six-furlong $40,000 New York-bred maiden $35,000 claimer for two-year-olds by a half-length over Gone Country in a final time of 1:13.79. Lulu Rocks was the 2-1 second choice; Gone Country, ridden by Irad, Jr., was the 6-5 favorite. Lulu Rocks set the pace: a quarter in :23.56 and a half in :47.33. He was tracked the whole way by Gone Country, who made his move in early stretch. He not only passed Lulu Rocks, but opened a two-length lead. That s when Jose took Lulu Rocks to the outside and he took a run at the favorite, edging away late to win his first race in three starts. Lulu Rocks is a son of Valente s undefeated Bustin Stones out of Devilish Imp by Devil s Bag. Bruce Levine trains Lulu Rocks, and she was co-bred by Thomas Lemme.
The most dramatic finish of Saturday afternoon came in a six-furlong $24,000 conditional $12,500 claimer, in which Flying Zee Racing Stable s four-year-old New York-bred gelding Bizarroworld nosed another state-bred, longshot Bellamy, to win in 1:12.03. Superiority finished third, just a neck behind Bellamy while a head in front of another New York-bred, Charlie s Punch, in a race aptly described by announcer John Imbriale as featuring a heck of a finish. Bizarroworld went off at 3-1 odds, Bellamy was 26-1; Superiority was 8-1 and Charlie s Punch was sent off at 11-1. But the drama wasn t over yet: there was a steward s inquiry. The stewards decided to take no action, however. Apprentice Manual Franco rode Bizarroworld, a four-year-old gelding by Put It Back out of Amandy by Lil s Lad, who was bred by Sienna Farms and is trained by Rudy Rodriguez. Bizarroworld broke second behind 7-1 Perfect Trippi, who got a quarter in :23.72 and a half in :47.23. Franco sent Bizarroworld up on the outside of Perfect Trippi around the far turn. Bizarroworld put him away, but his job was far from done. A crush of horses came flying at him in deep stretch, producing an exciting conclusion. Just like The Big Deluxe, Bizarroworld has four career wins, two on dirt and two on turf. On dirt, he s 2-for-17 with four seconds and a pair of thirds. On grass, he has two wins and one second from three starts. His career earnings now top $130,000. In Saturday s opener, Ronald Marshall and Alli Montgomery s first-time starter Stonehenge roared past odds-on Dance I Can to win a 5 ½-furlong $26,000 New York-bred maiden $16,000 claimer by a length in a final time of 1:07.06. Stonehenge, a three-year-old gelding trained by Dominic Galluscio, was sent off at 7-1 odds; Dance I Can, a filly taking on males, was the 3-5 favorite. Rosario Montanez rode Stonehenge, a three-year-old gelding by Stonesider out of Do You Realize by Old Trieste, who was bred by Steve Young, Kevin McGoey and Jim Colli. Bob and Jim, who added blinkers, led most of the way before Dance I Can took over. She had a clear lead late before Stonehenge kicked in and zoomed past.