Big Cyn wins first stakes at Grande Prairie

[1]

Big Cyn, a 6-year-old mare bred by Patricia Generazio, wins the Paint the Park Purple Stakes at Grande Prairie racetrack in Alberta. Photo courtesy of Angie Patterson/Watson’s Foto Source & Studio

Six-year-old mare Big Cyn added a stakes victory to her 45-start resume in her stakes debut Sunday with a win in the $8,750 Paint the Park Purple Stakes at Grande Prairie in Alberta, Canada.

Racing at 6 furlongs on the dirt, the daughter of Handsom Mike went to the lead and was happy to set the pace. A few others in the five-horse field stayed close throughout when but it was Causin Mischief that made sure Big Cyn had a battle into and through the stretch.

Causin Mischief dug deep to catch Big Cyn and came with a late run but the New York-bred was not to be denied and won by three quarters of a length.

Trained by Kathy McNally for Tracie Gillis, Big Cyn boosted her earnings to $125,540 and scored her first win of 2023 in the Paint the Park Purple.

Bred by Patricia Generazio, Big Cyn started her career at Belmont Park as a 2-year-old and has been well-traveled in her career with races at six tracks in two countries. She improved to 7-for-45 with six seconds and nine thirds.

Big Cyn is out of the stakes-placed New York-bred Rockport Harbor mare Cape Cod Carol.

Cape Cod Carol finished in the top three in 18 of her 32 starts and earned $346,505. The 14-year-old mare went through the sales ring for the first time this year, selling for $1,000 in foal to Disco Partner at Keeneland January to Charles Yochum.

Cape Cod Carol is a half-sister to stakes winner Becky’s Exchange and stakes-placed Believeinmenow. Becky’s Exchange also produced the stakes-placed Keep The Ring while another half-sister produced the stakes winning Saratoga Treasure and April Gaze in addition to Big Brown’s stakes-placed Veterans Beach. Each of Big Cyn’s first six dams have produced stakes performers with five of them producing stakes winners.

Cape Cod Carol is the dam of two winners from four named foals. She also has an unnamed New York-bred Maclean’s Music 2-year-old filly who sold for $9,000 to Elizabeth Barr and Turks Head Turf at the Keeneland January sale.

The mare’s New York-bred filly by Disco Partner sold for $80,000 at this month’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale to C.F.E. Stables. There was no live foal reported for Cape Cod Carol this year, but the mare was bred to Burrow in 2023.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/08/30/big-cyn-wins-first-stakes-at-grande-prairie/

Three-Year-Olds: Drake’s Passage wins Albany; Ichiban takes Fleet Indian

[1]

Drake’s Passage rolls to victory in the Albany in his stakes debut for owner-breeder Robert Evans. NYRA Photo.

Christophe Clement and Robert Evans employ a simple strategy to their trainer-owner relationship.

“He doesn’t tell me how to train and I don’t tell him how to breed,” Clement said after the final stakes on Sunday’s New York Showcase Day program at Saratoga Race Course. “It works great that way.”

The protocol worked great with Tonalist – trained by Clement for Evans to victory in the 2014 Belmont Stakes – and with a couple runners who won stakes Sunday. Drake’s Passage capped the day for the team with a dominating victory over six fellow sophomore New York-breds in the $250,000 Albany Stakes.

Drake’s Passage won the 9-furlong Albany by 7 3/4 lengths in his stakes debut under Manny Franco, who won four races on the card. Clement also celebrated three Showcase Day stakes wins, adding the Albany to City Man’s score in the West Point and New Ginya’s victory in the Yaddo Handicap. The latter, like Drake’s Passage, was bred by Evans.

“The horse has always trained like a nice horse,” Clement said of the Albany winner. “He won last year … and came back after some time off. He came back, he won at Belmont and was very impressive this afternoon.”

Clement and his son and assistant Miguel always liked Drake’s Passage, a homebred out of Evans’ Grade 3-placed Speightstown mare Raucous. He trained with the stable’s summertime string at Belmont Park during last year’s Saratoga meet before shipping north to finish his training on the Oklahoma Training Track.

Drake’s Passage breezed three times on the dirt on the Oklahoma before a half-mile work on the grass 13 days before his debut, also on grass going 1 1/16 miles during the Belmont at the Big A meet, which actually wasn’t totally by design.

The Clements joked about that run, a fifth by 6 lengths on good turf, after the Albany.

“We won’t talk about it,” Miguel Clement said. “That was my mistake. I knew he wanted to go long, but we had 6 furlongs on dirt that day or a mile and a sixteenth on grass . . . I got in a lot of trouble. That was my mistake.”

Drake’s Passage made amends from there, finishing third going 7 furlongs a month later during the main Aqueduct fall meet before winning on a muddy track going 1 mile Dec. 8.

“We worked him with everything in the barn and he always outworked everything in the barn,” Christophe Clement said. “He’s a nice horse.”

Off until July 3, Drake’s Passage returned with another victory going 1 mile at Belmont Park before stepping into stakes company and going two turns for the first time in the Albany.

Gamblers bet Drake’s Passage down to 6-5 in a field that included the 1-2 finishers from the New York Derby in Allure of Money and Maker’s Candy and Chester and Mary Broman’s homebred Saratoga allowance winner Mariachi. Drake’s Passage bobbled a bit at the break before settling into a tracking position in second behind Mariachi through splits of :24.11, :48.44 and 1:12.55.

Mariachi held the lead into the lane but came under serious pressure from Drake’s Passage outside the sixteenth pole. Drake’s Passage took over from there and opened 3 1/2 lengths past the eighth pole. He widened the advantage from there as 15-1 longshot Jackson Heights closed from last to finish second, 1 ¾ lengths ahead of Miracle Mike with Maker’s Candy fourth. Mariachi, Allure of Money and Leo and Royal completed the lineup. Drake’s Passage won in 1:50.95 over the fast track.

“I just wanted to wait as long as I could because I know I had a lot of horse,” Franco said. “I know I’ve got the horse in the lead, so I take a peek back to see what the company was, and it was a matter of time . . . He definitely wants to go longer. Clement told me that the race before . . . that he wants to go longer and he was right.”

Drake’s Passage improved to 3-for-5, earned $137,500 and boosted his earnings to $231,480. He’s the first foal out of Raucous, a $300,000 purchase by Evans at the 2016 Keeneland September yearling sale who won two of seven starts including the Chelsey Flower Stakes at Aqueduct and placed in the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar.

Raucous’ second foal, a Gun Runner colt named Unique Insight in training at Saratoga, sold for $360,000 to Klaravich Stables at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale. She’s also the dam of a yearling colt by Tonalist named Radauti and a weanling filly by Gun Runner born April 9.

– Tom Law

• • •

[2]

Ichiban scores in Sunday’s Fleet Indian,  her third win of the 2023 Saratoga Race Course meet. NYRA Photo

Ichiban finds third win of meet in Fleet Indian

Coming into the 34th day of Saratoga Race Course’s 2023 meet, Linda Rice was three wins behind leader Chad Brown in the trainer standings with 27. But with all that success, she had yet to notch a stakes win.

That void ended in Sunday’s second race when 3-year-old filly Ichiban won the 1 1/8-mile Fleet Indian Stakes by 5 ½ lengths on the main track. The race was the first of six stakes in Sunday’s New York Showcase Day for state-breds.

Rice ran two fillies in the four-horse field, and had secured the services of both of the Ortiz brothers, one and two in the jockey standings. Jose rode the winner while Irad finished second on Amanda’s Folly for a Rice/Ortiz exacta.

For Ichiban, a daughter of Street Sense and the Out Of Place mare Cover Girl Elle, it was not only her first stakes win, it also completed a Saratoga hat trick with her third victory of the meet.

“She didn’t surprise me,” said Rice, of the 2023 meet’s first three-time winner. “She’s been training so forwardly and I think she’s still improving.”

Discussing race strategy, Jose said, “We knew [Timely Conquest] had the speed but was stretching out so we wanted to push her a little. Either one of us could have done it, but I broke better this time so I was the one applying the pressure. But I still wanted to give myself a shot to win. When I came up to the leader, I kind of felt she was done and I knew I still had plenty of horse so I decided to go on and my filly responded very well.”

Ken Gill, a partner with his wife Karen in the filly through Cypress Creek Equine and breeder Mike Moreno’s Southern Equine Stable, loved it.

“Powerful,” Gill said. “We expected it. We bought into this filly with Mike in July and she’s done nothing but win since.”

Ichiban lost her first four starts – in January at the Fair Grounds with Ricky Courville and three in New York with Rice – but has turned it around since. Second at Belmont June 25, she started the Saratoga triple with a 7 furlong maiden race July 15 and a 1 1/8-mile allowance July 26.

“We’ve got a good many horses in the New York program,” said Karen Gill. “It’s wonderful, you have the breeders’ program and you have all these races for New York horses.”

Ichiban’s share of the $200,000 Fleet Indian purse pushed her career earnings to $228,750 with a record of three wins in seven starts.

“As I said, she’s improved so much I don’t know right now where she goes next,” said Rice, an eight-time New York Thoroughbred Breeders trainer of the year. “Maybe she could graduate into the Empire Distaff [Oct. 29 at Aqueduct]. We’ll see.”

A perfect 3-for-3 on Ichiban, Jose Ortiz also picked up his third Fleet Indian victory (following Final’s Cave in 2022 and Sunset Ridge in 2017).

In addition to the Fleet Indian victor, Cover Girl Elle has produced five winners including stakes winner (and graded-stakes-placed) Ava’s Grace.

– Terry Hill

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/08/27/three-year-olds-drakes-passage-wins-albany-ichiban-takes-fleet-indian/

Turf: City Man adds second West Point to resume; New Ginya captures Yaddo

[1]

City Man racks up his 10th career stakes victory in Sunday’s West Point. NYRA Photo.

City Man has been dominant among New York-breds, captured a Grade 2 stakes in open company and has won stakes five consecutive years, starting as a 2-year-old. But if you think there’s nothing left for him to accomplish, think again.

“Hong Kong or Dubai? What are we doing?” interjected Miguel Clement, assistant to his father and trainer Christophe Clement, as owner Dean Reeves conducted a winner’s circle interview after City Man rallied to win Sunday’s West Point Stakes on New York Showcase Day at Saratoga Race Course.

And while Clement said it with a wide smile, it turns out he wasn’t kidding.

“We actually have looked at it,” Reeves said. “There’s a nice race in Hong Kong (in December) and I think he could run in Dubai (next year). This guy is maturing and he’s running as well as he ever has. It’s not out of the realm.”

In winning the West Point for the second time (2021), the son of 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man improved his career record to 11-5-4, with 10 stakes wins in 30 starts and $1,189,170 in earnings. He did it by closing from fourth in the five-horse field and catching odds-on favorite Spirit of St. Louis, who had battled down the stretch with Jerry the Nipper, in the last 50 feet.

“I’m almost out of words to describe him,” Reeves said. “Eleven wins and more than a million dollars. He’s so consistent . . . Speed and stamina. That’s a tough combination to beat. He’s special to us.”

Jerry The Nipper led until the far turn, putting up fractions of :23.91, :48.83 and 1:13.64. Spirit of St. Louis took the lead on the turn and eventually put away a stubborn Jerry The Nipper, but by then City Man was rolling down the outside under Joel Rosario. The winning margin was 1 1/4 lengths in 1:42.63.

“He’s as good as any New York-bred out there right now,” Reeves said. “We’re so proud of him. He’s a tough customer.”

City Man, owned in partnership with Peter and Patty Searles, was in the second crop of Mucho Macho Man, also owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing. Out of the City Zip mare City Scamper, the West Point winner was bred by Moonstar Farm and sold for $20,000 as a weanling in 2017. Two years later he went to Reeves for $185,000 at the OBS April sale. City Man was named champion New York-bred turf male in 2022.

City Scamper is the dam of six-figure New York-bred earner Go Kelly Go and the Laoban colt El Mayor, who has earned $71,767. City Scamper also produced New York-bred mare Patty’s Temple; a New York-bred colt by Hoppertunity; Miss City Girl, a 2-year-old full-sister to City Man who has not yet raced; and a yearling filly by Vino Rosso.

– Paul Halloran

• • •

[2]

New Ginya rolls to victory in Sunday’s Yaddo for owner/breeder Robert S. Evans and trainer Christophe Clement. NYRA Photo.

Owner/breeder/buyer Evans wins Yaddo with New Ginya

It’s not the usual business model.

Robert Evans bred his four-time stakes winner Rapid Rhythm to his Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist in 2018. She produced a New York-bred filly a year later. Lane’s End consigned the bay filly to the Keeneland September Sale where she brought $25,000. Nine months later, the filly attracted the attention of Evans’ advisor Patrick Lawley Wakelin at the OBS June Sale. Evans bought her for $250,000 and sent her to trainer Christophe Clement.

Call it a reverse pinhook.

“His advisor liked her as a 2-year-old, called Mr. Evans and he said, ‘If you like her, why don’t we buy her back?’ ” Clement said. “You know, he was right. He’s done this many times, this is not the first time.”

Sunday in Saratoga, New Ginya made the math work with a last-to-first rally in the Yaddo Handicap at Saratoga Race Course. The win improved her record to four wins from 12 starts for $334,110.

Jockey Dylan Davis settled the 4-year-old filly in last behind a quick tempo set by She’s Dancing and Whatlovelookslike. Davis stayed on the hedge through a quarter in :23.52 and a half in :48.90 over the good turf, continued to bide his time in last through three-quarters in 1:13.54. Nearing the quarter pole, Davis swung New Ginya to the outside and it was over. New Ginya passed seven rivals in about seven strides to draw off by 3 ¾ lengths over Spungie, who had a rough trip, and Runaway Rumour. New Ginya finished 1 1/16 miles on the Mellon turf in 1:43.06.

New Ginya won her debut at Aqueduct in November 2021 and spent the next 17 months toiling in the New York-bred a-other-than division. She broke out of that level in her eighth start and has now three of her last five.

“We’ve always liked her, he bought her back because she had a very good work at OBS, we always knew she had ability and we just had to be patient. Patience, usually you get rewarded at some stage,” Clement said. “She was a little bit tricky mentally. She was always very worried and anxious as a younger horse. She was not easy.  She’s much better now, but it took a long time.”

A venerable owner and breeder on the national stage, Evans waded into the New York program at his trainer’s behest.

“Just very recently because of Tonalist, I’m the one who told him that maybe it would make sense to have a few mares in New York,” said Clement, who trained Evans’ Tonalist to victories in the Belmont Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup (twice) and Cigar Mile. “This might be one of the first ones he’s done. It’s good for him. I hope he’s going to carry on doing it because it seems to be working.”

Three hours after New Ginya tabbed the Yaddo, Drake’s Passage made it a double for Evans by dominating the Albany. And, this time, Evans didn’t have to buy up. The son of Tonalist has always been in the program.

“It’s great for an owner/breeder,” Clement said. “I trained Tonalist for Mr. Evans so this is like a full-time success for the operation. It’s nice when it works out.”

– Sean Clancy

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/08/27/turf-city-man-adds-second-west-point-to-resume-new-ginya-captures-yaddo/

NYTB to honor trio of legendary New York-breds

[1]The New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. will honor three more of the greatest New York-breds to compete and represent the program at Saratoga Race Course during the Saratoga New York Showcase Day program Sunday, August 27.

Connections from Dayatthespa, Mind Your Biscuits and Saratoga Dew will be honored after the sixth race Sunday, – the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. Honors New York-bred Legends. The trio were chosen by a distinguished panel of New York turf writers and represent the second class of honorees recognizing their importance in setting forth the New York-bred program.

They join last year’s inaugural group of Fio Rito, Commentator, Fourstardave, Funny Cide and Tiz The Law.

[2]

Dayatthespa en route to winning the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita. Susie Raisher Photo.

Dayatthespa: The Eclipse Award-winning champion turf female in 2014 earned New York-bred Horse of the Year, older female and turf female titles that same season. She won three of four starts that season, including the Grade 1 First Lady at Keeneland and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita. Bred by Castellare DiCracchiolo Stable, Cracchiolo and Goldsher and foaled at Empire Stud in Hudson, the daughter of City Zip was the first New York-bred winner of a seven-figure Breeders’ Cup World Championship event. Recognized as New York-bred champion 3-year-old filly and turf female in 2012, Dayatthespa won 11 of 18 starts and earned $2,288,892 for owners Jerry Frankel, Ronald Frankel, Steve Laymon and Pete Bradley and trainer Chad Brown. She’s the seventh leading New York-bred earner.

[3]

Saratoga Dew cruises to victory in Belmont Park’s Grade 1 Beldame during her championship season. NYRA Photo.

Saratoga Dew: Bred by Penny Chenery and campaigned by Charles Engel, Saratoga Dew became the New York breeding program’s first Eclipse Award winner after an 11-start campaign that produced eight wins in 1992. Trained by Gary Sciacca, Saratoga Dew started her champion 3-year-old filly campaign – and career – in mid-January 1992 with a victory at Aqueduct. She rattled off five straight, including the Grade 2 Comely. The daughter of New York-based sire Cormorant later added the New York Oaks at Finger Lakes and Grade 1 Gazelle Handicap and Grade 1 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park to her resume before a run in the 1992 Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Gulfstream. Foaled at Erch-less Farm in Old Westbury. She earned New York-bred Horse of the Year, champion sprinter and champion 3-year-old filly honors that same season.

[4]

Mind Your Biscuits wins the 2017 Belmont Sprint Championship. Chelsea Durand/NYRA Photo.

Mind Your Biscuits: A globe-trotting son of New York-based sire Posse, Mind Your Biscuits won back-to-back editions of the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen along with four other stakes including the Grade 1 Malibu at Santa Anita in 2016. Campaigned for most of his career by M. Scott Summers, Daniel Summers, J Stables and trainer Chad Summers, and later in partnership with Michael Kisber, Head of Plains Partners and Shadai Farm, Mind Your Biscuits retired as and continues to be the all-time New York-bred earner with a bankroll of $4,279,566 after going 8-10-3 in 25 starts. Bred by Jumping Jack Racing and foaled at Sue and Gary Lundy’s Cedar Ridge Farm in Pine Plains, Mind Your Biscuits earned back-to-back New York-bred Horse of the Year titles in 2016 and 2017, three straight champion New York-bred male sprinter titles from 2016 to 2018 and champion 3-year-old male honors in 2016 and champion older dirt male honors in 2017.

Sunday’s Saratoga New York Showcase Day, a racing card complete with exclusively New York-bred restricted races, includes six stakes – the $250,000 Albany for 3-year-olds, $200,000 Fleet Indian for 3-year-old fillies, $200,000 Funny Cide presented by Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital for 2-year-olds, $200,000 Seeing the Ante for 2-year-old fillies, $200,000 West Point Handicap presented by Trustco Bank for 3-year-olds and up on the turf, and the $200,000 Yaddo Handicap for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up on the turf.

The 2023 season at Saratoga Race Course continues through Labor Day, Monday, September 4. For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit NYRA.com.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/08/24/nytb-to-honor-trio-of-legendary-new-york-breds/

Ramblin’ Wreck wins Rick Violette via DQ

[1]

Ramblin’ Wreck (outside) comes up short at the finish in Rick Violette but gets put up with the disqualification of Let’s Go Big Blue. NYRA Photo.

By Tom Law

Dean Reeves took one look at the stretch-run replay of Friday’s $125,000 Rick Violette Stakes from the television in the winner’s circle at Saratoga Race Course and let his take rip.

“We were going by,” Reeves said.

Ramblin’ Wreck, under Irad Ortiz Jr. in the white and dark green colors of Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, did appear to be going by at the top of the stretch. The 3-year-old son of Redesdale circled the field around the far turn, set sail for the leader Let’s Go Big Blue in midstretch but came up a nose short at the wire.

Let’s Go Big Blue, running for Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells’ August Dawn Farm, won the photo under Jose Lezcano but eventually lost in the stewards’ stand as the officials upstairs reversed the order of the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes. The latest controversial call, which came after Ortiz claimed foul against Lezcano, led to a hearty round of boos from the crowd throughout the track and especially near the winner’s circle.

Parcells, who endured the loss of his filly Maple Leaf Mel in the Grade 1 Test Stakes Aug. 5, made a quick exit from the winner’s circle along with George Weaver, who trains the son of Cairo Prince for the popular former coach of the New York Giants, disagreed with the call.

“I don’t see enough to take the horse down,” Weaver said. “The one-horse’s (Ramblin’ Wreck) momentum was never stopped.”

Reeves, who campaigns Ramblin’ Wreck with Peter and Patty Searles, and trainer Danny Gargan obviously disagreed.

“That’s what this is for,” Reeves said of the inquiry. “You can’t come over three lanes, bump a horse and he loses by a neck and say it wasn’t interference. That’s what it was.”

Ramblin’ Wreck, second last time out under Ortiz in the Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Series after making a similar late run, won for the second time in three starts in 2023.

“It cost us the win,” Gargan said of the Violette. “When these colts and geldings get next to each other, they want to lay on each other. We lost half a stride and we didn’t even get beat a half-length. The stewards made the right call. That cost us the nose we lost by.”

Reeves celebrated the call with Ron Bowden, who bred Ramblin’ Wreck out of his Lemon Drop Kid mare Dakota Kid. Bowden also co-bred another stakes-winning Reeves colorbearer, $707,950-earner Dakota Gold, out of the same mare.

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing purchased both at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga auctions – Dakota Gold as a weanling for $83,000 at the 2019 fall mixed sale and Ramblin’ Wreck for $140,000 at the 2021 New York-bred yearling sale. The stakes-winning duo were also foaled at Lili Kobielski’s The New Hill Farm in Hoosick Falls and prepped and consigned for their sales by the same operation.

“She’s done a marvelous job. I’m so thankful,” Bowden said of Kobielski. “And thankful to Dean, too. He’s put a great program together. We’re both business guys and I’m impressed at what he’s done. … I said to him, ‘you’re carrying it, it’s all on your shoulders.’”

Reeves, who celebrated New York-bred stakes wins on consecutive days after Silver Skillet won Wednesday’s Suzie O’Cain, didn’t miss a beat.

“I’m only as good as what you give me,” Reeves said.

Dakota Kid is a half-sister to the 37-1 upset winner of the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs, Dakota Phone. Bowden bred and raced Dakota Kid, a winner on the Southern California circuit in 2015 before heading to the breeding shed for the 2017 season.

Bowden said he sees similarities in Dakota Kid’s foals to her more accomplished sibling, who won six of 35 starts, earned $1,282,810 and made appearances in 19 graded stakes from 2008 to 2011.

“As Gary Stevens said after he rode the mare out in California, ‘she will go all day long, the longer the better,’” Bowden said. “He kept jumping off the horse and coming over to me telling me that. … Both Dakota Gold and Ramblin’ Wreck show that. Once you get them rolling they’re locomotives, not Ferraris. You can’t just step on the pedal. Like what happened last time (in the Cab Calloway). You can’t make it up in a hurry.

“Dakota Phone is a half-brother to Dakota Kid. … Go watch (the Dirt Mile). He dropped back to dead last and came running. Bottom line, they’ll finish the race for you.”

Ramblin’ Wreck earned $68,750 for the win, and improved to 3-for-8 with $339,460 in the bank.

He’s the third foal out of Dakota Kid, following the stakes-placed New York-bred Freud mare Dakota Dancer and recent Hudson Valley Stakes winner and Fasig-Tipton Lure Stakes runner-up Dakota Gold. Bowden also bred Dakota Kid’s 2-year-old, the New York-bred Mucho Macho Man colt Dakota Country.

Dakota Kid, who is in foal to Triple Crown winner Justify, took a year off in 2021 and is the dam of a New York-bred weanling colt by Caravaggio that he might to sell later this year.

“He’s going to be in the Night of the Stars sale at Fasig-Tipton,” Bowden said, of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November mixed sale Tuesday, Nov. 7 in Lexington.

Reeves, again, might have something to say about that.

“Maybe, maybe not,” he joked as he and Bowden headed to the Carmen Barrera Room for a champagne toast.

Willintoriskitall, fourth in the Cab Calloway, finished 5 1/2 lengths back of the first two and in third in the Rick Violette, with Cab Calloway winner Itsallcomintogetha fourth. King of Comedy and Vacation Dance completed the field.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/08/17/ramblin-wreck-wins-rick-violette-via-dq/

Silver Skillet dominates Suzie O’Cain Stakes

[1]

Silver Skillet rolls to victory in Wednesday’s Suzie O’Cain Stakes at Saratoga. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

By Alec DiConza

Dean Reeves made the joyful walk to the Carmen Barrera Room to celebrate with friends and partners, almost all with glasses of champagne in their hands, after the 3-year-old filly Silver Skillet he owns in partnership dominated Wednesday’s $125,000 Suzie O’Cain Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing is certainly no stranger to success with New York-breds on a big stage. Last year, the stable won the Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes with Dakota Gold, and collected five stakes victories with City Man that included three on the NYRA circuit. This year, City Man won the Kingston, Dakota Gold won the Hudson Valley and Ramblin’ Wreck won the Spectacular Bid division of the NYSS.

“We’re big in the New York program,” Reeves said. “We kind of look at these races and try to spot our horses for these races. We’ve got Ramblin’ Wreck tomorrow coming back in that race (the $125,000 Rick Violette). We’ll be running Dakota Gold and City Man in New York-bred races later in the meet. We spot our horses for these because the purse money is very, very good. Anytime you win at Saratoga, we’ll take it in a New York-bred or an open company.”

Silver Skillet broke from post five in the field of nine and sat behind a fast pace set by Kosuke, who went the opening half in :46.80. Silver Skillet, a daughter of Liam’s Map bred by Robert Chasanoff, was sixth in the strung out group going into the far turn. She swung four-wide turning for home and kicked well clear of stakes winner Orange Freeze to win by 3 1/4 lengths under Joel Rosario. The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:41.67 for trainer Christophe Clement and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Steven Rocco and Tango Uniform Racing LLC.

The trip worked out according to Clement, who hoped his filly would have plenty left for the stretch run.

“I told [Rosario] before the race, ‘there’s still plenty of juice in the turf. Be sure to save something for the quarter pole,’ ” Clement said. “If anything, the other filly moved too early and paid for it at the end. There’s a bunch of juice in the ground. Very happy, it keeps Reeves happy. Life is good.”

Rosario rode to the instructions, making sure she had enough at the end.

“We are always concerned with how fast we were going, but it looked like she was responding really well to me,” he said. “I felt very confident when turning for home. Every time I asked her, she was there for me.”

Rain, which forced three of the five carded turf races to switch to the main track, left the course listed as good. Clement was not worried about the condition of the grass, though, when considering how Silver Skillet would perform.

“She won on it when she won the first race here,” Clement said, referencing Silver Skillet’s 1-mile allowance win July 15. “I thought it was also more good turf than firm turf. I was pretty sure she was going to do well in it. She was a touch rank early on, but mentally she handled it.”

Silver Skillet ran five times on dirt to begin her career, highlighted by a third in the Maid of the Mist Stakes on Empire Showcase Day during the Belmont at the Big A meeting. She’s improved since switching to the lawn, with two wins in three starts on the surface.

“She ran on dirt as a 2-year-old because I did not quite realize that she was a turf horse; she’s a Liam’s Map,” Clement said. “Then we switched her to the turf and since we switched her, she’s always run nicely and finished second at Belmont. She’s won two here.”

The switch to turf that has turned her career around only adds to Reeves’ appreciation for the Clement stable and his training job with his horses.

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Dean Reeves congratulates Joel Rosario after they teamed to win Wednesday’s feature at Saratoga. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

“They’re true horsemen, he and Miguel both,” Reeves said. “It’s just like in this we are talking about how he recognized that this horse could run on turf, and now she’s put together some solid wins on turf and is improving. He did the same thing, Miguel did, with Senbei, moving him from dirt to turf. And sometimes we’ll move from turf to dirt. They’re such horsemen and they recognize the needs of the horses and just do a great job for us. Getting with them as trainers has moved our entire stable up.”

The respect is mutual, as Clement is thankful for the continued successful collaboration with Dean and Patti Reeves.

“I’m a lucky guy because I’ve got fast horses from people like Mr. Reeves,” he said.

Soraya Rocco, wife of Steven Rocco, was elated after the victory in the stakes named for the late former member of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. board and a recognizable figure in the state’s breeding and racing industries.

“It means the world to us,” she said of Silver Skillet, a $260,000 purchase at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. “She’s very special to my husband and I. He actually saw her at the sale and he knew there was something special. We’re very, very proud and excited. It’s our second win here, we’re just over the moon.”

As for the next time fans will see Silver Skillet, Clement plans on bringing her downstate to Aqueduct for more stakes action.

“We will go to Aqueduct and then we have to choose to go to either an open-company stake against 3-year-old fillies or against older New York-bred mares,” he said.

Silver Skillet improved to 3-1-2 in eight starts and earned $68,250 to boost her earnings to $281,820. She was purchased from the Mill Ridge Sales consignment at the Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale by Joseph Migliore, agent.

Silver Skillet is the second foal out of the stakes-winning Red Giant mare Catcha Rising Star. Chasanoff purchased Catcha Rising Star, winner of the 2016 West Virginia Senate President’s Cup Stakes and the earner of $235,050, for $85,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

Catcha Rising Star produced her first foal, the New York-bred Congrats filly Gianduia, in 2019. Silver Skillet came next and Catcha Rising Star was sold in foal to New York-based stallion Honest Mischief to Thorndale Farm for $53,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale.

Catcha Rising Star’s yearling filly by Honest Mischief bred by Eaton & Thorne Inc., was purchased by The Elkstone Group for $35,000 at this week’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/08/16/silver-skillet-dominates-suzie-ocain-stakes/

Gone and Forgotten defends Arctic Queen title

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Gone and Forgotten, Barry Schwartz’s homebred Bustin Stones mare, wins second straight Arctic Queen Stakes Monday at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.

Barry Schwartz’s homebred Gone and Forgotten continued her dominance over the older filly and mare division at Finger Lakes Monday with her second straight victory in the $50,000 Arctic Queen Stakes.

Based at Finger Lakes with trainer Michael Ferraro, the 6-5 favorite settled in fourth, 3 lengths behind the 7-5 second choice Queen Arella before rallying to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Curly rallied to be second over Queen Arella. Luis Perez guided the daughter of Bustin Stones. The duo has now won 11 races from 17 starts. Gone and Forgotten finished 6 furlongs in 1:12.81 and increased her earnings to $226,865.

Gone and Forgotten began her career at Finger Lakes in August 2021. She won five of seven starts, including her last three, that season.

In 2022, she tacked on two wins and a second before making her stakes debut in the Jack Betta Be Rite Stakes. Gone and Forgotten drew off to win the $50,000 stakes by 5 1/2 lengths. She tacked on the Arctic Queen in her next start. She finished last season with a seventh in the Iroquois at the Belmont at the Big A meet, her only start away from central New York, and a second at Finger Lakes in November. This season, she finished third in her 5-year-old debut June 14 before taking an allowance July 12.

Foaled at Schwartz’s Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs, Gone and Forgotten is the third foal and one of three winners out of the stakes-winning Yes It’s True mare Little Rocket. Her other two New York-bred foals also won at Finger Lakes – the Scat Daddy mare Tropical Storm Em in 2019 and the 4-year-old Maclean’s Music gelding Red Fortress, a winner in a maiden special weight last September and in a claiming race July 31 for Schwartz and Ferraro.

Little Rocket won five of 19 starts for Schwartz from 2012 to 2014. She won the 2014 Susan B. Anthony Stakes and finished third in that year’s edition of the Jack Betta Be Rite, both at Finger Lakes. She’s out of the Pentelicus mare How About Now, winner of the Grade 2 Schuylerville Stakes at Saratoga in 1996 for Schwartz and trainer Mike Hushion.

Little Rocket was sold in foal to Tamarkuz for $19,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. She produced a filly by that sire in Turkey last year.

Bustin Stones, a 19-year-old undefeated Grade 1-winning son of City Zip, stands for $2,500 at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham. He came into Monday ranked fourth on the New York general sire list with progeny earnings of more than $1.4 million in 2023.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/08/14/gone-and-forgotten-defends-arctic-queen-title/