Well-bred longshot Blue Pigeon captures Saratoga turf route first out
[1]Adam Coglianese
Tic Stables’ homebred firster Blue Pigeon (Mizzen Mast), whose second dam is a half-sister to Victory Gallop, teamed up with jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. to score a longshot victory tor trainer Christophe Clement at Saratoga on Wednesday, saving ground and running down determined pacesetter John Bailey (Cosmonaut[2]) to win by 1 1/2 lengths.
Overlooked by bettors at odds of 21-1 in the full field of ten New York-bred juveniles seeking to break their maiden going 1 1/16 miles over the Mellon turf, Blue Pigeon broke well from post nine and positioned himself at the hedge in fourth through the clubhouse turn, while John Bailey set the pace, opening up as many as eight lengths on the field in the backstretch.
After racing inside along the backstretch and continuing to save ground on the far turn, Blue Pigeon angled out at the head of the stretch into the two path and caught up with the pacesetter.
John Bailey, who had already turned back a challenge from The Mooche, also proved stubborn in the lane, came again with a furlong to go and only relinquished the lead for good in the final sixteenth as Blue Pigeon went on to secure the 1 1/2-length victory. The final time for the 1 1/16 miles over the “firm” turf was 1:43.38. Balderdash finished third by a head.
Bred by TIC Racing Stable and foaled at Vinery New York in Hudson, Blue Pigeon is the first foal out of Gdansking Queen, a Kentucky-bred multiple winner by Langfuhr also trained for Tic Stables by Clement ($35,975), who was a $70,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase in 2006.
Gdansking Queen’s unraced dam Romanticism (Gone West) is a half-sister to champion and $3.5 million-earner Victory Gallop. Their dam Victorious Lil ($170,334) is also a stakes winner.
Gdansking Queen currently has a registered New York-bred yearling colt by Kitten’s Joy, a weanling filly by Lemon Drop Kid and was bred to English Channel in the spring.
- [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/8_28_13-blue-pigeon-debut.jpg
- Cosmonaut: http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/stallions/127300/cosmonaut
Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2013/08/28/blue-pigeon-first-out/