Lead Guitar extends win streak in Autumn Days

By Melissa Bauer-Herzog

New York-bred Lead Guitar won her fifth race of the year and fourth in a row Sunday with a victory over open company in the $100,000 Autumn Days Stakes at Aqueduct.

Racing second for much of the 6-furlong turf stakes as the 7-5 favorite, the 4-year-old Maclean’s Music filly was always within a length of the leader. Showing why she has put such a strong 2020 record together, Lead Guitar dominated in the stretch and had an easy run to the line with a 3 ¼-length score over A Great Time. Fellow New York-bred Risky Mischief finished a head back in third. Lead Guitar won in 1:10.87 over the course labeled good.

Trained by George Waver for Jim and Susan Hill, Lead Guitar won her second straight stakes after a win in Belmont Park’s Floral Park Oct. 17. She’s won at four tracks this year and improved to 6-for-11 with two seconds and a third for $290,678 in earnings.

“She’s a good girl,” said Weaver’s assistant, Blair Golen. “She’s just a nice filly to train and be around. She’s proven that she doesn’t have to have everything go her way. I just told Jose [Lezcano], ‘I’m glad you’re on the outside, you know what to do,’ and he just did his thing. She’s just a great horse and very consistent. She’s easy to train and easy to be around. She’s not too tough on herself.”

Breaking her maiden in her third start in August 2019 by an impressive 6 ¼ lengths under Weaver’s tutelage, the filly then traveled to Kentucky where she ended her season with a close second in a Keeneland allowance.

The Hills opted to keep Lead Guitar in Kentucky to start the year and she kicked off her 2020 campaign with a victory at Churchill Downs for trainer Eddie Kenneally. She found a lull in her form after that victory until returning to her home state with Kenneally and starting her win streak in an Aug. 20 allowance-optional at Saratoga Race Course.

She moved back to the Weaver barn from there and has won her three races since by a combined 7 ¼ lengths.

The Windylea Farm-bred Lead Guitar was foaled at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs before going through the sales ring in Saratoga multiple times over the next few years.

Lead Guitar brought $35,000 from Sally Thomas, agent, as a weanling from the McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds consignment at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale. She made headlines the following year when she was the sixth most expensive filly at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling as a $200,000 purchase by the current owners.

Lead Guitar is out of stakes-placed Eleadora, a half-sister to three other stakes placed runners. That mare also has a New York-bred 3-year-old by Forty Tales named Chazy, a 2-year-old New York-bred filly by Central Banker named Mypharm, a yearling New York-bred full sister to Lead Guitar, and she was bred to Mo Town for a 2021 foal.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2020/11/29/lead-guitar-extends-win-streak-in-autumn-days/

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City Man scores open-company win in Gio Ponti

By Melissa Bauer-Herzog

New York-bred City Man added a second stakes victory to his record Friday with a determined win over Bodecreame in the $100,000 Gio Ponti Stakes at Aqueduct.

City Man raced alongside Bodecream early on in the 1 1/16-mile open turf stakes as Sail At Sunrise set fractions of :24.26 and :49.81 a little over a length ahead of the duo. Bodecream made a challenge at the leader down the backstretch as they flashed through the three quarters in 1:14.05 and City Man raced behind them on the rail.

Sail At Sunrise started to fade swinging into the stretch as City Man swung to the outside to make a run at Bodecream. The pair dueled throughout the final furlong with the race coming down to a head bob. City Man’s nose hit the line first with the pair a length ahead of race favorite Price Talk, who was in his own duel with Ajourneytofreedom for third at the line.

“I had a good trip,” said winning jockey Junior Alvarado. “He broke good and I helped him out of there a little bit and got myself a beautiful spot all the way around. I tipped out right when I wanted it and he responded really well at the end. To be honest, I thought he could have won easy but sometimes he likes to wait on horses and hang and I think that’s what he did today. When he got to the last horse, he was waiting on him, but we got it done anyway.”

Trained by Christophe Clement for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Peter and Patty Searles, City Man added the Gio Ponti to his 4 3/4-length victory in last year’s Funny Cide Stakes on the dirt at Saratoga Race Course. The Mucho Macho Man colt could return to that surface for his next start in the Alex M. Robb Stakes Dec. 12 at Aqueduct.

Bred by Moonstar Farm, City Man is one of two winners out of the winning City Zip mare City Scamper.

City Scamper is a half-sister to the New York stakes winner Alysinstilettos and stakes placed Always For You.

City Man proved to be a strong pinhook for Off The Hook, whic purchased the colt for $20,000 as a weanling at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale. He next went through the ring as a 2-year-old at the OBS April sale, where Reeves Thoroughbred Racing purchased him for $185,000.

City Scamper has a 2-year-old unnamed New York-bred colt by former Sequel New York stallion Laoban and a New York-bred Hoppertunity weanling colt born in March. The mare returned to Mucho Macho Man for a full sibling to City Man in 2020.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2020/11/27/city-man-scores-open-company-win-in-gio-ponti/

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Espresso Shot bounces back to win NYSS Staten Island

By Tom Law

The connections of Espresso Shot dared to dream big in the early months of 2019.

The New York-bred daughter of Mission Impazible justified those hopes, building on a productive 2-year-old season with an open-company stakes victory in her first start at 3. Espresso Shot earned points toward a spot in the Kentucky Oaks starting gate with that win in the Busher Stakes, thus the big dreams, and looked to be on her way.

The Oaks never came to be for Espresso Shot, trainer Jorge Abreu and owners N Y Final Furlong Stable, Maspeth Stables and Parkland Thoroughbreds. Espresso Shot eventually lost 10 straight over 15 months, defeats that came in graded stakes, open-company and state-bred races. She ended that run of futility Sunday at Aqueduct, looking like her 2- and 3-year-old self with a professional victory over six others in the $100,000 Staten Island division of the New York Stallion Series.

Espresso Shot, fifth last time out after being caught wide early in the Iroquois Stakes on Empire Showcase Day, relished the better setup in the Staten Island under John Velazquez. They tracked expected pacesetter Sadie Lady early, made a move around the far turn and drew off in the stretch to win by 2 lengths from favored Prairie Fire. Espresso Shot, now 3-for-9 with a second at Aqueduct, won in 1:24.64.

“She really does love Aqueduct,” Abreu said. “The one-turn, going seven-eighths, this is what she wants to do. We tried stretching her out and it didn’t work out.”

A finalist for champion New York-bred honors the last two seasons, Espresso Shot improved to 4-3-1 from 17 starts and padded her bankroll to $402,105.

“Last time, there was a lot of speed and she got carried wide,” Velazquez said. “Today was totally different. She was closer … and much better.”

Bred by Twin Creeks Farm and sired by New York-based Mission Impazible, who stands at Sequel New York in Hudson, Espresso Shot is out of the winning New York-bred Medaglia d’Oro mare Glory Gold. Twin Creeks purchased Glory Gold for $125,000 at the 2013 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

Final Furlong Racing, a partnership managed by Dan Zanatta and Vince Roth, bought Espresso Shot for $69,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. She was previously sold for $22,000 by Twin Creeks through Taylor Made Sales Agency as a short yearling at the Keeneland January sale.

“She was a typical, solid Mission Impazible, not really fancy, just well proportioned, correct with a lot of lovely parts to her,” Twin Creeks’ Randy Gullatt said after Espresso Shot’s 2-year-old season. “We were able to get her a great home and now she’s got another great home. I’m their biggest cheerleader.

“The Medaglia d’Oro line was a good cross for Mission Impazible. We just went out in the early stages of his stud career and tried to find a good variety of mares that matched well with him. We want to keep trying to get a steady influx of new pedigrees for him. Fresh blood. It all worked out great and gave him the opportunity to get a horse like Espresso Shot.”

Espresso Shot is one of three winners from four foals to race out of Glory Gold. She’s a half sister to the four-time winner Goldtown, a daughter of Speightstown who sold for $300,000 at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale; and a full sister to Hokulea, who sold for $100,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream 2-year-old sale.

Final Furlong Racing purchased Glory Gold, in foal to Firing Line, for $13,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. The subsequent foal, a yearling filly named Venti Valentine, was foaled in New York for breeders Final Furlong Racing and Maspeth Stable.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2020/11/22/espresso-shot-bounces-back-to-win-nyss-staten-island/

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Funny Guy up late to win NYSS Thunder Rumble division

By Tom Law

Funny Guy likes to do things his way, around the barn, on the racetrack, wherever he may be in fact.

The 4-year-old son of Big Brown did it his way again Sunday in the $100,000 Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Series at Aqueduct and needed just about every inch of the restricted stakes’ 7 furlongs to get it done. Ridden by Joel Rosario and back to what looks like a more favorable sprint trip, Funny Guy got up late to win by a neck over My Boy Tate with Bankit third in the field of five. The winning time was 1:23.57.

“He’s got some gears,” said John Terranova, who trains Funny Guy for Gatsas Stable, R A Hill Stable and Swick Stable. “Once he got him into that rhythm, he was able to kick. [Rosario] had to work on him but he’s as honest as they come.

“The pace didn’t really unfold early, but I think you can attribute that to the fact this track is a little bit loose and deeper. He’s a big, heavy colt and he likes a little quicker surface you can bounce off of. It took a little bit to get him going and get his feet, but he sure got into gear when he needed it at the end.”

Bred by Mike Oliveto’s Hibiscus Stables and foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, Funny Guy improved to 3-for-6 on the season in the Thunder Rumble. He won the Commentator Stakes at Belmont Park and John Morrissey Handicap at Saratoga Race Course – both against New York-breds – to earn his way into the Grade 1 Forego and Grade 2 Vosburgh Invitational for his next two starts. Funny Guy fared well in those stakes, finishing fourth and second, respectively, before returning to the state-bred ranks for the Empire Classic Handicap.

Sent off as the 8-5 favorite in the 9-furlong Empire Classic, Funny Guy finished a non-threatening fourth after a bobble at the break.

Terranova and his wife Tonja regrouped after that effort and let Funny Guy dictate where to go next.

“He’s a beautiful horse and he just has that personality,” John Terranova said. “He’s super honest and you can pick up on his tells all the time. He tells you when he’s ready. He knows what he’s doing out there in the mornings and the afternoons. We’re just trying to point him in the right direction and we’re really happy for the owners. We’re just happy he’s back in the winner’s circle here today.”

Funny Guy, a $45,000 purchase at the 2018 OBS April 2-year-olds in training sale, knows how to find the winner’s circle. He won his second start in late December 2018 and became a stakes winner in his fifth start, taking the Times Square division of the New York Stallion Series at Aqueduct in April 2019. A victory in the Albany Stakes on the Saratoga Showcase Day card also earned him consideration for champion New York-bred 3-year-old male last season.

Funny Guy is one of eight winners from eight foals to start out of Heavenly Humor, a Kentucky-bred five-time stakes winner and stakes producer purchased by Hibiscus Stables with Funny Guy in utero at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale for $25,000. Heavenly Humor is also the dam of stakes winner Super Humor and stakes-placed 3-year-old Three Jokers, who is also campaigned by Funny Guy’s connections.

Heavenly Humor is also the dam of a yearling filly by Overanalyze purchased by Cutair Racing for $120,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic fall yearling sale in October. Heavenly Humor was bred to Hard Spun in 2020.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2020/11/22/funny-guy-up-late-to-win-nyss-thunder-rumble-division/

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Vacay makes it two straight in Key Cents

By Tom Law

The winter months are barreling down in the Northeast – even though it didn’t feel much like it in early November – and Todd Pletcher hopes for more big things from Vacay once the calendar rolls over to 2021.

The 2-year-old daughter of Not This Time showed she could be in for a productive sophomore campaign with a 5 ½-length victory in the $100,000 Key Cents Stakes for New York-breds Sunday at Aqueduct.

“I thought it was a very professional performance on her part,” Pletcher said after Vacay won the 6-furlong Key Cents in 1:11.69 to improve to 2-for-2. “She didn’t break great in her first start but broke better today. She finished up the way you would want one to. She’s a quality filly and it looks like she’ll handle more distance as well.”

Bred by J Stables LLC, Vacay was purchased by her owners Repole Stables and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners for $100,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. Consigned by Fort Christopher’s Thoroughbreds, agent, and the tenth yearling through the ring during the New York-bred sale’s second session, Vacay is out of the stakes-winning Belgravia mare Florida Sun.

“We always liked her quite a bit,” said Pletcher, who trained Vacay in Saratoga this summer and fall before she joined his main string at Belmont Park in late October. “She gives me the impression she’s going to improve even more when we stretch her out a little bit.”

The next two opportunities for Vacay to stretch out – and stay against New York-breds – come during the Aqueduct winter meeting in the $100,000 Franklin Square at 6 ½ furlongs Jan. 16 and the $100,000 Maddie May at 1 mile Feb. 20.

“That’s the most likely plan,” Pletcher said of potential plans to keep Vacay in New York for the winter. “I’ll talk it over with the connections but I would like to take advantage of the New York-bred status.”

Vacay won her debut at 6 1/2 furlongs at Belmont Oct. 16 and shortened up a bit Sunday. Irad Ortiz Jr. put Vacay into a stalking position early in the Key Cents while Chasing Cara, Rossa Veloce and Lady Finger Stakes winner Party At Page’s led through opening splits of :22.25 and :45.89.

Vacay came wide into the lane, continued to gain on the leaders and took control near the eighth pole. The 3-2 favorite drew off from there while Rossa Veloce held second, 1 ¾ lengths in front of Party At Page’s.

“She’s a nice filly,” Ortiz said. “She looks like she can go a little further. I was trying to hold her position and as soon as we were turning for home, I asked her, and she took off.”

Vacay is the third foal produced by Florida Sun, who won the 2014 Leave Me Alone Stakes at Calder Race Course and placed in three other stakes in South Florida. Her first to foals are also winners – the 4-year-old Warrior’s Reward gelding J’s Warrior and the 3-year-old Palace Malice colt Our Troubadour. Florida Sun, also the dam of a yearling full brother to Vacay, was bed to Khozan in 2020.

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2020/11/15/vacay-makes-it-two-straight-in-key-cents/

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Therapist handles open company in Artie Schiller

By Melissa Bauer-Herzog

Fan favorite Therapist had been agonizingly close to winning in three starts since a stakes win at Belmont Park in June and Saturday at Aqueduct he finally visited the winner’s circle again after the $100,000 Artie Schiller Stakes.

The 5-year-old Freud gelding, co-bred by trainer Christophe Clement and owner Oak Bluff Stables, broke from the outside stall in the field of eight for the 1-mile open stakes. Racing more than 5 lengths off the leader early, he only had two horses beat while Rinaldi took the field through opening splits of :24.43 and :48.50.

Therapist closed the gap on the far turn and weaved through traffic in the stretch to cut the gap to less than 4 lengths at the eighth pole. Racing down the center of the track, Therapist used nearly every inch of the turf course to get up just in time for a neck victory over Valid Point as the favorite Delaware finished a head back in third. Therapist won in 1:37.16 over the course rated good.

“He’s the perfect advertisement for the New York-bred program; he’s very consistent and can win at a high level against open company,” Clement said. “He’s a very honest horse. He’s a lovely horse and I’m lucky to train him. I’m the co-breeder, alongside the owner, Mr. Richard Leahy [of Oak Bluff Sables].”

Not sold his only time through the ring as a yearling at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling, Therapist was foaled and raised at Berkshire Stud in Pine Plains.

One of two stakes winners out of two-time winner Lady Renaissance alongside full sister Fresco, who earned her stakes victory at Saratoga this summer. The winner of nine of his 21 starts with seven other top three finishes, Therapist has earned over $653,345 through his four-year career that includes a champion New York-bred 2-year-old male title in 2017.

Sold in January 2018 for $52,000, Lady Renaissance has had three non-New York-bred foals since going through the ring.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2020/11/15/therapist-handles-open-company-in-artie-schiller/

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