Finest Work lands first stakes in John Hettinger

By Melissa Bauer-Herzog

The Repole Stable-bred Finest Work recorded her second straight victory Friday when she won the $125,000 John Hettinger Stakes at Belmont at the Big A.

The 4-year-old Outwork filly stretched out to 1 1/8 miles from the 1 1/16 miles that she won over at Monmouth Park last out. Finest Work broke from the widest gate in the field of nine and split the field, racing about 5 lengths off pacesetting 100-1 longshot Vienna Code, in the early stages. Finest Work was happy to bide her time through fractions of :23.40 and :48.37 with four rivals a few lengths in front of her and four horses behind her down the backstretch, while 3-1 second choice Make Mischief kept pressure on the longshot leader.

The field tightened entering the far turn with the eventual winner going widest of all in the midst of a five-way battle for the lead.

That battle was quickly ended with Finest Work and Make Mischief the only two left near the front at the eighth pole. Make Mischief eventually gave in close to the line and Finest Work was clear of all challengers. The late-closing duo of Marvelous Maude and Runaway Rumour nearly spoiled her chance at the first stakes win but the wire came soon enough. Finest Work won by a half-length over Marvelous Maude in 1:48.50 over the firm turf. Runaway Rumour finished a neck back in third and a neck in front of fourth-place finisher Make Mischief. Pure Bode, Classic Colors, Ice Princess, Classic Lady and Vienna Code completed the field.

Trained by George Weaver for Ted Hoover, Finest Work won her first stakes and recorded her fourth victory in five starts this year. She also improved to 5-2-2 in 11 career starts and boosted her earnings to $272,050 with the win.

“By the three-eighths, I felt they were getting kind of close to me,” said winning jockey Manny Franco. “I gave her her head a little bit and she was making her move a little early, but at the same time, that’s the move I wanted to do because I wanted to get the jump.

“George did a great job. This filly is improving a lot and it seems she’s got it [figured out]. I’m just glad to be part of the win. She did really well.”

Foaled at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, Finest Work was a $40,000 short yearling purchase by Rose Creek Farm at the 2019 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale. She went through the ring two more times – going unsold at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale and selling again to Rose Creek Farm for $40,000 2019 OBS October yearling sale.

Finest Work is out of winning Pleasantly Perfect mare Nero’s Pleasure, who was purchased by Repole for $60,000 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February mixed sale. The mare was sold two years later, in foal to the Repole-raced Overanalyze, at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale to Phil Lebherz and Alan Klein for $95,000.

Finest Work’s dam is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Burning Roma and the stakes-placed dam of 2016 champion female sprinter Finest City and stakes winner Grand Prix.

Nero’s Pleasure’s last live foal was the Overanalyze filly she was carrying when sold in 2018. Named Autism Prism, that 3-year-old has won three starts with her last victory coming two starts ago at Canterbury Park.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/09/30/finest-work-lands-first-stakes-in-john-hettinger/

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Union Jackson colt Jackson Heights wins Bongard

Jackson Heights, a son of New York-based second-crop sire Union Jackson, picked the right day to land in the winner’s circle Thursday with a maiden-breaking upset in the $121,250 Bertram F. Bongard Stakes at Belmont at the Big A.

Sent off at 24-1 and the second longest price of the five New York-bred 2-year-olds, Jackson Heights won for the first time in four starts for trainer Orlando Noda and owners Zilla Racing Stables, Black Jack Racing and Acqua Nova Stable. Bred by Sequel Stallions New York – where Union Jackson stands for $2,500 in Hudson – Jackson Heights is out of the Sadler’s Wells mare Queen of The Night.

“[It was] a short field and he was working well on the dirt,” Noda said. “You’ve got to take a chance, even if they’re a maiden.”

Javier Castellano rode Jackson Heights to his 2-length win over pacesetting 4-5 favorite Arctic Arrogance. Castellano was also aboard Jackson Heights in his most recent start, a third-place finish over a sloppy track going 7 furlongs Aug. 26 at Saratoga Race Course. Jackson Heights won the Bongard in 1:26.04.

“When I rode him the first time in Saratoga, it was a sloppy track and he still finished third,” Castellano said. “He kept passing horses, passing horses and I think today the fast track and a little more speed was good for him. I know he was a longshot, but the way he can set it up, I knew he would be a perfect horse to come from behind.”

Arctic Arrogance took the lead after the break, leading the trio of General Banker, Blame It On Daddy and Donegal Surges to the opening quarter-mile in :23.49. Donegal Surges, the 8-5 second choice off a runner-up finish in the Funny Cide Stakes Aug. 26 at Saratoga, applied pressure from there and about a length back heading into the far turn.

Arctic Arrogance and Donegal Surges continued to battle around the far turn, past the half-mile split in :47.31, and separating from the other three. Jackson Heights started his run from last on the turn, passed General Banker and Blame It On Daddy, before running up to the leaders in midstretch.

Jackson Heights collared Arctic Arrogance at the eighth pole – past the 6-furlong mark in 1:12.94 – and drew off from there. Donegal Surges held third, 3 3/4 lengths behind the runner-up. Blame It On Daddy and General Banker completed the field.

“They went quick early, I sat behind and just made one run,” Castellano said. “He never [breaks sharp]. He’s the type of horse you have to leave alone. He doesn’t break well out of the gate. You have to let him settle and come from behind. I didn’t want to rush him and be too close like I did last time. I wanted to break and sit and make one run.”

Jackson Heights is the ninth foal out of Queen of The Night, a half-sister to European champion and multiple Group 1 winner Falbrav. She’s also the dam of winners Heavenly Thought, Master Gunner and Mimina’s Team. Queen of The Night, who is out of the Slewpy mare Gift of the Night, originally sold as a weanling for $850,350 at the 2005 Tattersalls December mixed sale.

Offered as Hip 526[2] through the Sequel New York consignment at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale, Union Jackson was purchased for $70,000 by Raymie Lightner, agent for Zilla Racing Stables.

Jackson Heights earned $68,750 for the victory to boost his bankroll to $80,288.

Union Jackson topped the New York freshman sire list in 2021 with five winners and progeny earnings of $254,295. He leads the second-crop list in the Empire State this year, with progeny earnings now exceeding $800,000, including more than $120,000 in 2022 from multiple stakes-placed winner Unique Unions.

A 10-year-old son of Curlin out of the Grade 1-winning Dixie Union mare Hot Dixie Chick, Union Jackson won a pair of stakes and six of 11 starts overall for earnings of $273,874.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/09/29/union-jacksons-jackson-heights-wins-bongard/

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War Dancer’s Warsaichi rolls in Lady Finger

My Purple Haze Stables’ Warsaichi paired an impressive maiden victory three weeks ago with another front-running win in Monday’s $97,725 Lady Finger Stakes at Finger Lakes.

The 2-year-old daughter of New York-based sire War Dancer improved to 2-for-3 with a 4 1/4-length victory over Isabel Luvs Gold in the 5 1/2-furlong Lady Finger. John Davila Jr., aboard for Warsaichi’s 7 1/2-length win going the same distance Sept. 5, rode the filly again for trainer Chris Englehart.

Warsaichi broke with the field and took command after a few jumps. She led by a length over Isabel Luvs Gold through the opening quarter in :22.26. Warsaichi opened up from there, passed the half in :46.17 and held a 2-length lead over the eventual runner-up at the eighth pole.

Davila stayed busy in deep stretch and Warsaichi drew off to win easily as the even-money favorite in the field of five reduced by the late scratch of Super Slide. Isabel Luvs Gold finished 6 lengths clear of third place Womanonthewarpath with Striking Melody and Ruler of the Night completing the field. Warsaichi won in 1:06.64 over the sloppy and sealed track.

Warsaichi earned $58,635 for the victory and boosted her earnings to $84,315.

Bred by Purple Haze Stables LLC and foaled at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson, Warsaichi is the fifth foal and fourth winner out of the stakes-placed Fusaichi Pegasus mare Saichi Sweepin. She’s also the dam of the winning New York-bred 4-year-old Micromanage filly Saichimana and the stakes-placed 3-year-old New York-bred Laoban filly Laochi.

Saichi Sweepin is also the dam of a New York-bred yearling colt by Laoban who sold for $,6000 at the recent Keeneland September sale.

War Dancer, a 12-year-old son of War Front who stands for $7,500 at Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions LLC in Stillwater, came into the day leading the New York third-crop sire list and second to Central Banker on the New York general sire list with more than $2.3 million in progeny earnings this year.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/09/26/war-dancers-warsaichi-rolls-in-lady-finger/

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Acoustic Ave dominates Aspirant Stakes

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and trainer Christophe Clement continued their strong start to the autumn season Monday when Acoustic Ave shipped from Saratoga to Finger Lakes to win the $97,854 Aspirant Stakes.

Acoustic Ave, a fourth-generation product of Chester and Mary Broman’s breeding program, improved to 2-for-3 in his career with a 9 1/4-length victory in the 5 1/2-furlong Aspirant under Manny Franco. The 2-year-old son of Maclean’s Music bounced back from a third in the Funny Cide Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day in late August for his first stakes victory in 1:05.48 over the sloppy track.

Acoustic Ave, a $200,000 purchase by Dean and Patti Reeves’ operation at the OBS April sale of 2-year-olds in training, gave his connections a second stakes win in three days after City Man won Saturday’s Ashley T. Cole at Belmont at the Big A. Reeves Thoroughbred Racing campaign City Man in partnership with Peter and Patty Searles.

Sent off as the 1-10 favorite in the field of five, Acoustic Ave took the lead from the break and led Gold in Them Hills by a half-length through the opening quarter in :22.29 with Tiz Lucky just behind in third. Gold in Them Hills, a runner-up in an open-company maiden Aug. 23 in his lone start, continued to apply pressure into the far turn as Acoustic Ave went past the half-mile split in :46.53.

Franco gave Acoustic Ave his cue turning for home and they quickly opened up by 8 1/2 at the eighth pole. Franco gave few peeks under his right arm in the lane and cruised past the finish well clear. Mo Trump rallied to finish second, 3 1/2 lengths in front of Gold in Them Hills with Tiz Lucky and Dynamic Storm completing the field.

Bred by the Bromans and foaled at their Chestertown Farm in Chestertown, Acoustic Ave is the first foal out of the winning Street Boss mare Rock Ave. Road. Acoustic Ave, who breezed a furlong in :10 during OBS April presale workouts, sold as Hip 975[2] through the Sequel Bloodstock consignment.

Rock Ave. Road is out of the Broman-bred multiple stakes winner and $270,550-earner Mineralogist, a daughter of Mineshaft out of the Broman’s homebred Grade 2 winner Seeking the Ante. A daughter of Seeking the Gold, Seeking the Ante is out of Grade 1 Antespend, who Broman bought as a 4-year-old for $900,000 at the 1997 Keeneland April sale.

Acoustic Ave, who earned $58,712 for the win to boost his bankroll to $131,112, is a half-brother to a New York-bred yearling colt by West Coast and a New York-bred weanling colt by New York-bred champion and Grade 1 winner Audible born in April.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/09/26/acoustic-ave-dominates-aspirant-stakes/

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City Man wins third stakes of 2022 in Ashley T. Cole

By Paul Halloran

There is a feeling that permeates horse racing that trainers don’t run good horses often enough. That would not be the case with Christophe Clement and City Man.

Making his sixth start of the year, 13th in the last two years and 24th of his career, the son of Mucho Macho Man stalked and rolled to a three-quarter-length win in Saturday’s $125,000 Ashley T. Cole, a 1 1/8-mile turf stakes for New York-breds at the Belmont at the Big A fall meeting.

“He’s a really nice horse and has been running all year long,” Clement said. “He’s very honest and he’s a fun horse to be around. … I’m going to thoroughly enjoy this. I’m very happy Mr. and Mrs. (Dean) Reeves won it. They have been great supporters of the stable.”

Sent off as the 6-5 favorite, City Man sat third off a pace set by Jerry the Nipper and Advanced Strategy through a half-mile in :47.86. Jockey Trevor McCarthy made his move on the turn, took the lead by the stretch call and hit the wire in a course-record 1:46.95. Sanctuary City was second with Cold Hard Cash third.

“He broke well and I got a great position,” McCarthy said. “We were able to get some nice cover. Coming to the three-eighths pole, I just tipped him out, got him into a good rhythm and he finished up really strong for me.”

City Man, a 5-year-old out of the City Zip mare City Scamper, was bred at Moonstar Farm. A $20,000 weanling at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale, Reeves bought him for $185,000 at the 2019 OBS April sale of 2-year-olds in training. He was in the second crop of Mucho Macho Man, whom Reeves campaigned to a victory in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

City Man, who picked up his seventh win and increased his career earnings to $761,800, won his first graded stakes when he took the Grade 3 Forbidden Apple on the second day of this year’s Saratoga meet. He came back to run second in the Grade 3 Bernard Baruch on Closing Day, less than three weeks before the Ashley T. Cole.

“I just ran him back quickly on 19 days,” Clement said. “Most people don’t do that anymore. I believe if they’re doing well, you should run them.”

And you often get rewarded when you do.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/09/24/city-man-wins-third-stakes-of-2022-in-ashley-t-cole/

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Gambling Girl pays off in Gimma Stakes

By Joe Clancy

Generations. You really want to succeed as a Thoroughbred breeder? Generations of talent will take you a long way. And New York’s Gallagher’s Stud possesses that and then some.

Two-year-old filly Gambling Girl took it another step when she won the $125,000 Joseph A. Gimma Stakes at Aqueduct Friday. Racing for Repole Stable and trainer Todd Pletcher, the daughter of Dialed In and the Empire Maker mare Tulipmania outran even-money favorite Miracle in the stretch to score by 1 3/4 lengths with Les Bon Temps third after 7 furlongs in 1:27.62. Irad Ortiz Jr. rode the winner, who won her second consecutive race after losing her first two.

The delayed success runs in the family according to Mallory Mort, longtime farm manager at Gallagher’s, the Ghent farm founded by Jerry and Marlene Brody and carried forward by Marlene after Jerry’s death in 2001.

“Tulipmania was a terrible disappointment in her first two races, like she had no desire to run at all,” Mort said. “Then in the third race, the lightbulb kind of came on.”

Eleventh in her debut and seventh in her second race for trainer Tom Bush, Tulipmania followed with back-to-back seconds. She won her fifth start and finished with three wins and seven seconds in 15 starts before retiring to the broodmare band.

She came into the job with plenty of background, dating to an Illinois-bred foaled in 1979. Campaigned by Jerry Brody, Grand Bonheur won twice and earned $22,420. As a broodmare, she produced six winners, but left a mark with unraced daughter Felicita. By Rubiano, Felicita produced Grade 1 winner and Take Charge Lady and stakes winner Eventail and Commendation. Gallagher’s sold Felicita while carrying Take Charge Lady – who turned into a Grade 1 producer too as the dam of Will Take Charge and Take Charge Indy – but hung on to Eventail.

The latter’s racing career included a New York Oaks win in 2000 and four other victories. Eventail’s broodmare career started with Fanfire, who lost all six starts, but progressed to three-time winner Tulipmania and Grade 2 winner Straight Story (who earned $736,393). Gallagher’s sold the latter for $400,000 as a yearling and got $925,000 for Eventail while in foal to El Prado. Purchased by Japan’s Shadhai Farm, she has run her produce record to six winners.

Tulipmania kept the family tradition going, producing four winners so far. Gambling Girl sold for $200,000 at Fasig-Tipton’s New York-bred yearling sale last summer via the Denali Stud consignment, joining the Repole team on a bid by West Bloodstock. Like her dam, the bay filly lost her first two – a fourth going 5 furlongs at Belmont Park in June and a third going 6 furlongs at Saratoga – then dominated a 7-furlong New York-bred maiden race at Saratoga in late August. She rallied from fifth early to take over and win by 10 1/2 lengths.

That win sent her to Friday’s stakes, a 7-furlong test against four other state-bred fillies. Miracle, a $360,000 purchase at the OBS March sale, also won a Saratoga maiden race and was favored Friday after finishing third in Saratoga’s Seeking The Ante Stakes. Gambling Girl broke well from post four, then let the others go through a first quarter-mile in :24.11. She advanced outside horses to third after a half-mile in :48.76, took the lead after switching leads at the three-sixteenths pole and seeing out the win. Worth $68,750, the win more than doubled Gambling Girl’s earnings to $132,210.

“Irad let her settle and she made a good run around the turn,” said Byron Hughes, Pletcher’s Belmont-based assistant trainer. “She seemed to be finishing up well and she galloped out well, too. She showed talent in the mornings and she really put it together in her last start at Saratoga and followed up with a good effort today against a talented filly.”

With Gallagher’s since 1979, Mort called the win a satisfying one for the farm.

“Most of us have been here a long time, we don’t have much turnover here,” he said. “They still do a heck of a job. They know how to get a horse ready for the sale. We do all the prep with them so when something sells well, it’s great. Then when they race well it’s very, very rewarding.”

Tulipmania’s 2021 foal Gallant Greta, a filly by Twirling Candy, sold for $90,000 at Saratoga this summer. This year, the mare delivered a full-brother to Gambling Girl and was bred to Medaglia d’Oro. Gallagher’s kept a daughter of Fanfire, Sweet Mystery, who won a Belmont maiden race in July and has placed in two allowance races since for trainer Pat Quick.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/09/23/gambling-girl-pays-off-in-gimma-stakes/

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