War Dancer’s Mz Big Bucks upsets NYSS Cupecoy’s Joy

J & N Stables’ Mz Big Bucks emulated her older full brother Dancing Buck this spring – and took it a step further Sunday in the Cupecoy’s Joy division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes at Belmont Park.

Coming off a maiden victory on the dirt after making her debut on the turf – just like Dancing Buck did back in late 2020 – Mz Big Bucks improved to 2-for-3 with a 2-length victory in the Cupecoy’s Joy at 7 furlongs on the grass. Michelle Nevin trains the 3-year-old daughter of War Dancer, and she also trained eventual Grade 3 winner and $432,670-earner Dancing Buck.

“They both broke their maiden on an off track and came back on the grass,” Nevin said.

Jose Gomez rode Mz Big Bucks, the 9-1 sixth choice who went to the front from the break and repelled a few challengers in the stretch to pick up $82,500 for her connections. Mz Big Bucks won in 1:21.88 over the firm turf.

Gomez rode Mz Big Bucks in her prior two starts, a fourth going 6 furlongs on the grass in her debut April 8 at Aqueduct and then a 1 ½-length victory in a 6-furlong off-the-turf maiden May 4 at Aqueduct. Mz Big Bucks led the latter the entire trip and Gomez liked his position when the bay filly came away well from the gate in the Cupecoy’s Joy.

“Last time, she was on the lead as well, so I just let her come out of there,” Gomez said. “I knew there was speed in the race, so I just wanted to play the break and she broke like a rocket. I came right down onto the rail and tried to slow her down as much as I could, and she felt like a winner every step of the way.”

Mz Big Bucks led through early splits of :23.11 and :46.17 with Maggie T, Little Linzee and Joeybignose giving chase. Mz Big Bucks turned for home on an open lead, repelled the mild threat of Little Linzee before opening up by 3 lengths in midstretch and past 6 furlongs in 1:09.65.

“She broke so sharp and he [Gomez] looked so comfortable, I was feeling pretty good about it,” Nevin said.

Gomez took Mz Big Bucks in hand in deep stretch and cruised to the finish clear. Little Linzee held second, three-quarters of a length in front of Red Moon with Midtown Lights fourth. Joeybignose, Camp Akeela, Bea Bea Kaz, 5-2 favorite Stolen Future, Les Bon Temps, Dream On Cara and Maggie T completed the field.

“It seemed like nobody wanted [the lead], so I took it and we led every step,” Gomez said. “I kept feeling her running and going. On the grass, there’s always closers coming to get you, but I peeked over and didn’t see anyone coming so I said, ‘Oh yeah, we got it.’ ”

Bred by J & N Stables and Elizabeth Jameson, Mz Big Bucks is the fourth winner out of the multiple stakes-placed New York-bred Catienus mare Frivolous Buck. She’s the dam of Brockmoninoff, a New York-bred gelding by Smart Bid who won three times and earned $126,193 and three winning full siblings in Dancing Buck, Buckfortwo and Mz Big Bucks.

Dancing Buck won last year’s Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint Stakes during the Belmont at the Big A meeting and also finished second in the Lucky Coin Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. He earned championship finalist honors for champion New York-bred turf male and champion New York-bred male sprinter in 2022.

Frivolous Buck, a four-time winner who earned $222,374 over four seasons, did not produced a foal in 2021 or 2022 but is the dam of a New York-bred colt by War Dancer named Shenanigans Buck born April 12.

War Dancer, a Grade 2-winning 13-year-old son of War Front, stands for $7,500 at Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions LLC in Stillwater. He ranked fifth on New York’s general sire list with progeny earnings of more than $709,000 heading into Sunday’s racing, after finishing third on the same table in 2022 and landing the Empire State’s top freshman sire title in 2020.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/06/18/war-dancers-mz-big-bucks-upsets-nyss-cupecoys-joy/

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Redesdale’s Ramblin’ Wreck rolls in NYSS Spectacular Bid

By Melissa Bauer-Herzog

The Ron Bowden-bred Ramblin’ Wreck made a huge last-to-first run through the stretch to secure his first stakes victory in Sunday’s $150,000 Spectacular Bid division of the New York Stallion Series at Belmont Park.

Making his first start of the year in the 7-furlong turf race, the stakes-placed Redesdale gelding ran into trouble at the break and quickly dropped to a few lengths behind the rest of the field. Irad Ortiz Jr moved him closer to the tightly packed bunch as Ten Cent Town set a contested pace with a :22.91 first quarter-mile and :46.39 half alongside Itsallcomintogetha.

Ramblin’ Wreck started to make a move around the turn as even-money favorite Twenty Six Black made his run for the lead. Ramblin’ Wreck still trailed Twenty Six Black by more than 5 lengths into the lane but the race was from over. Twenty Six Black worked hard to wear down Itsallcomintotogetha and had just gotten past him in the final furlong when Ramblin’ Wreck flew up the outside to mount his own challenge.

The favorite didn’t pose many problems for the Ramblin’ Wreck, who easily passed him to win by a length in 1:21.21. Twenty Six Black came home a clear second with Itsallcomintogetha holding on to third.

The Spectacular Bid was the second victory in six starts for Ramblin’ Wreck, who took his earnings to $240,710 with the win. Campaigned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Patty and Peter Searles, Ramblin’ Wreck was purchased by his racing owners from The New Hill Farm for $140,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale.

“I’ve won this race twice now,” trainer Danny Gargan said. “His [half] brother [Dakota Gold] won it last year. I love Dakota and he’s a great horse, but this [gelding] is probably as talented; maybe more. Dakota plays around a little bit in his races and this colt really focuses a lot. I’m lucky to have him and that Dean [Reeves] has entrusted me to train both of them. They’re both nice horses.”

Ramblin’ Wreck is the first stakes winner for McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds’ Redesdale, who has two stakes performers from 19 runners hailing from his first crop. His multiple stakes placed daughter Midtown Lights also ran on Sunday’s card in the Cupecoy’s Joy division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes.

Ramblin’ Wreck is one of two stakes winners from three named foals out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Dakota Kid. That mare also produced the multiple stakes winning New York-bred Dakota Gold, who won this race last year. She is also the dam of that one’s stakes-placed full sister, Dakota Dancer.

A winner herself, Dakota Kid is also a half-sister to Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Dakota Phone and stakes placed Black Hills Goldie.

Dakota Kid is the dam of a New York-bred Mucho Macho Man 2-year-old colt named Dakota Country and foaled a New York-bred colt by Caravaggio February 26.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/06/18/redesdales-ramblin-wreck-rolls-in-nyss-spectacular-bid/

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