Mosienko leads the way at NY Claiming Championship

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Mosienko, the winner of four straight last summer and fall, takes the Sis City on Saturday’s New York Claiming Championship card at Aqueduct. NYRA Photo.

Stacy Lalman’s Mosienko picked the perfect time to return to her winning ways Saturday, taking the co-featured $75,000 Sis City starter allowance the lead the New York-bred contingent on the annual New York Claiming Championship at Aqueduct.

The 6-year-old daughter of Hat Trick gave her main rival the slip turning for home and held off another to win the 1-mile event for older fillies and mares that started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less in 2022-23. Ridden by Jason Huayas for trainer Dennis Lalman, Mosienko won by a half-length over Movie Moxie in 1:40.87 over the good and sealed main track.

New York-breds accounted for three of the top four spots in the Sis City, with even-money favorite Tough Street third and 70-1 longshot Amity Island fourth.

A half-sister to stakes winner Howdyoumakeurmoney and the 9-2 third choice in the field of seven, Mosienko came into the Sis City on a three-race losing streak dating back to the Iroquois Stakes on Empire Showcase Day in late October during the Belmont at the Big A meeting. She’d won four straight before finishing eighth in the Iroquois, including back-to-back victories in state-bred allowance-optional events at Saratoga Race Course.

Tough Street broke on top before conceding the early lead to Dame Cinco up the inside and ahead of Mosienko. Dance Cinco led Tough Street by a half-length through the opening quarter-mile in :24.62, and continued to hold the edge over Mosienko and Tough Street to the half in :49.22.

Dame Cinco came under pressure from Mosienko around the far turn and relinquished the lead leaving the 5/16ths pole. Huayas gave Mosienko her cue from there and they opened up while drifting well off the rail, carrying Tough Street and Manny Franco even wider. Mosienko led by 2 1/2 lengths in midstretch and held well in the lane to win geared-down over Movie Moxie.

Mosienko picked up $41,250 for the victory, her ninth in 35 starts to go with seven seconds and four thirds. She’s earned $513,431.

“She’s amazing. She’s been so good to me,” Dennis Lalman said. “It’s amazing how she’s come back. She’s just had a couple things [come up], but I never thought she was taking a step back or anything. The mile helps her because she’s the kind of mare that doesn’t like to be clustered up with horses. If you see most of the races she’s run, she’s either second or on the lead. The last time she ran, she got caught between horses and she doesn’t like that. The mile gives her a chance to position herself.”

Bred by Anthony Grey LLC and foaled at Blue Willow Farm in Esperance, Mosienko is the third foal out of the Elusive Quality mare Exclusively Yours, a winner on the NYRA circuit for the late Dominic Galluscio in 2013.

Howdyoumakeurmoney, a 4-year-old daughter of Freud bred by Davie Bloodstock LLC and Peter Colon, won the Presque Isle Debutante Stakes at Presque Isle Downs after breaking her maiden in her second start at Saratoga Race Course in 2021. In training at Belmont Park, Howdyoumakeurmoney also placed in a pair of stakes for trainer Michael Trombetta and owner Commonwealth New Era Racing.

Exclusively Yours is also the dam of the 3-year-old Camelot Kitten gelding Sir Lance and an unnamed 2-year-old Tapiture filly – both bred in New York – and a yearling Florida-bred filly by Win Win Win.

The New York Claiming Championship card featured six starter allowance events at various distances. DeLuca Racing Stables’ Meraviglioso, a 4-year-old New York-bred daughter of Lemon Drop Kid bred by Hibiscus Stables, finished third in the $55,000 Videogenic to open the card.

Endnotes:

[Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Mosienko-SisCity.jpg

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/03/25/mosienko-leads-the-way-at-ny-claiming-championship/

Eye Witness cruises in Animal Kingdom

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Eye Witness, on cruise control late under Irad Ortiz Jr., win the Animal Kingdom Stakes at Turfway Park. Coady Photography.

Eye Witness ran to his lofty purchase price, odds and recent training with an authoritative victory in the $180,000 Animal Kingdom to kick off the stakes portion of Saturday’s Jeff Ruby Steaks Day card at Turfway Park.

Sent off as the 3-5 favorite in the field of five reduced by a trio of scratches, Eye Witness tracked early and took command of the 6-furlong stakes with less than a quarter-mile to run en route to a 5-length victory under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Trained by Wesley Ward, the 3-year-old son of City of Light improved to 2-for-3 in the Animal Kingdom, adding to his New Year’s Day victory at Turfway after starting his career with a third sprinting on the grass during the Belmont at the Big A meeting in September. Eye Witness earned $93,000 for the win to boost his bankroll to $123,240 for the Coolmore-affiliated ownership group Westerberg, Susan Magnier, Jonathan Poulin, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor.

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Eye Witness (blue cap) storms past Olazabal turning for home for his first stakes victory. Coady Photography.

Eye Witness, who breezed a bullet 5 furlongs in :59.20 over the main track at Keeneland Race Course March 16, came away first at the break before conceding the early lead to Olazabal and jockey Gerardo Corrales. Ortiz put Eye Witness just off the leader through the sharp opening quarter-mile in :22.26 over the synthetic surface.

Olazabal, an 11-length winner in his most recent start at Turfway in mid-January, continued to lead Eye Witness by 1 1/2 lengths through the half in :46.54. Eye Witness drew on even terms turning for home and drew off from there, widening his 1-length advantage in midstretch to 5 at the wire. Olazabal held second, 5 1/2 lengths ahead of Brazen Boy in third. Eye Witness won in 1:11.76.

Eye Witness was the top-priced New York-bred at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale[3] on a bid of $650,000 from Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier during the auction’s third session as Hip 723[4]. Bred by Anlyn Farms and foaled at Irish Hill Century Farm in Stillwater, Eye Witness originally sold as a weanling to Brady Bloodstock for $235,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November mixed sale.

A half-brother to New York-bred stakes winner More Mischief and stakes-placed winner Myawaya, Eye Witness is the eighth foal out of the Mr. Greeley mare Gracilia. A half-sister to New York-bred champion 2-year-old and 3-year-old and Grade 2 winner Sharp Humor, Gracilia is also the dam of New York-bred winners Scalpeen, Decorator Jenn and Killala Bay.

Gracilia’s New York-bred daughter of Practical Joke sold for $190,000 at this week’s OBS March sale of selected 2-year-olds in training. She is also the dam of a yearling New York-bred filly by Game Winner.

Endnotes:

[Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/EyeWitness-AnimalKingdom-Coady.jpg
[Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/EyeWitness-AnimalKingdom2-Coady.jpg
top-priced New York-bred at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2021/09/15/city-of-light-colt-brings-650000-at-keeneland/
Hip 723: http://apps.keeneland.com/sales/Sep21/pdfs/723.pdf

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/03/25/eye-witness-cruises-in-animal-kingdom/