Brocknardini bounces back in Selima Stakes

After a rough outing in her second career start two weeks ago, the Thirty Year Farm-bred Brocknardini bounced back in a big way with a win in Sunday’s $150,000 Selima Stakes at Laurel Park.

Stretching out to 1 1/16 miles from the 1-mile she raced over in the Grade 1 Natalma last out at Woodbine, Brocknardini broke strongly from the gate before happily taking up a midpack position under Joe Rocco Jr. The 2-year-old daughter of Palace Malice sat nearly 5 lengths off the lightly pressured leader as she put up moderate fractions of :24.77 and :51.26 with the complexation of the race not changing much down the backstretch.

As the field entered the turn, Selima turned serious with the pack bunching up and Brocknardini starting to look for room to escape her rail position. That came as they closed into the stretch and Rocco swung her a few paths wide to race outside the leaders.

Brocknardini was green at first when facing off with the early pacesetters but quickly got her mind back on the job and bolted past the field. Brocknardini didn’t leave a chance for the others try to catch her, building a lead down the stretch to win by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:47.45 over Flowers For Me.

Trained by George Weaver for Thomas and Daryn Brockley, Brocknardini broke her maiden on debut two starts ago by 4 3/4 lengths in a New York-bred maiden special weight over the same distance at Saratoga Race Course.

A $20,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearlings sale purchase by Nick Hines, agent, from Paramount Sales, she was wheeled back to this year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale where the Brockleys bought her from Pick View for $35,000.

Brocknardini is out of the Bernardini mare Broad Stripes, who is the dam of two winners from two to race. A three-time placer who sold for $20,000 to 3C Thoroughbreds at the 2022 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale, Broad Stripes is now an eighth-generation stakes producer. A half-sister to Grade 3-placed Manyuz, she is also a granddaughter of the Grade 3-placed On Parade.

On Parade produced multiple graded stakes winner Parading and Grade 2-placed Protesting with Protesting also the dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Performer and stakes winner Breaking The Rules with another On Parade daughter producing multiple stakes winner Madras Check.

On Parade is just one prolific broodmare out of the champion My Flag, whose other foals include champion Storm Flag Flying – who produced the dams of two graded stakes winners and stakes winner With Flying Colors among others.

My Flag herself is a daughter of the legendary undefeated Hall of Famer Personal Ensign.

Still residing in New York for 3C Thoroughbreds, Broad Stripes had a New York-bred filly by Maximum Security last year and was bred to Maclean’s Music in 2023 after missing to Fog of War in 2022.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/09/30/brocknardini-bounces-back-in-selima-stakes/

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Solomini filly Soloshot wins Lady Finger; Canigetaloan runs to works in Aspirant

Soloshot didn’t wow trainer George Weaver when he worked the filly on the Oklahoma Training Track’s turf course this summer at Saratoga.

Weaver works most or all of his young prospects on the grass, “just to see,” and saw enough in Soloshot’s moves to keep her in a 5 ½-furlong maiden race late in the Saratoga meet when it came off the grass. The daughter of leading New York-based freshman sire Solomini walloped her seven rivals that day, running off to a 7 3/4-length win to validate Weaver’s opinion of the filly.

She took it a step further Monday at Finger Lakes, again taking the lead from the break on the way to a 2-length win in the $103,159 Lady Finger Stakes. Manny Franco rode Soloshot, the first stakes winner for her sire that stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs.

A $290,000 purchase by owners Bregman Family Racing, Jackpot Farm and Swinback Stables at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale, Soloshot won the 5 ½-furlong Lady Finger in 1:05.98. Bred by Rhapsody Farm and out of the Twirling Candy mare Sweet Queen, Soloshot improved to 2-for-2 with Monday’s victory.

Soloshot also added $61,895 to Solomini’s progeny total, which sat just shy of $350,000 to start the day. Solomini, an 8-year-old son of Curlin who stands for $6,500, came into the day 18th on New York’s general sire list and tops on its freshman sire list. He’ll wide that advantage thanks to the Lady Finger victory.

The even-money favorite in the field of seven, Soloshot took the lead from the start and led Redwineandwhiskey by a length through the opening quarter-mile in :23.31. She extended that advantage to the half in :46.98 while running down along the rail.

Soloshot led by 3 lengths in midstretch and held off Redwineandwhiskey at the finish by 2 lengths. Unicorn Cake, the 7-5 second choice and a debut winner at Saratoga Sept. 1, finished another three-quarters of a length back in third with Lika Rolling Stone fourth. Maggy’s Palace, Ixodes and Moon Chariot completed the field.

Soloshot is the third foal out of the stakes-placed Sweet Queen. A half-sister to Grade 3 winner Queen of the Castle, Sweet Queen is the dam of the two-time winning Practical Joke New York-bred filly Banterra.

Rhapsody Farm purchased Sweet Queen, carrying Banterra in utero, for $52,000 at the 2020 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale. Sweet Queen is also the dam of a yearling full sister to Soloshot that sold for $27,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale. – Tom Law

 

• Jeremiah Englehart thought he might have something after his 2-year-old colt Canigetaloan ran second in a maiden special weight for New York-breds at Saratoga Race Course in August. A workout on the Oklahoma Training Track two weeks later confirmed it.

Canigetaloan breezed 4 furlongs in :47.20 August 29, earning the bullet and giving Englehart the confidence to run him in a stakes for his second start. After considering Sunday’s Bertram F. Bongard at the Belmont at the Big A meet, Engelhart opted for Monday’s $99,388 Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes.

Good choice.

Deftly steered through an opening between horses in the stretch by jockey Kendrick Carmouche, Canigetaloan took the lead at the sixteenth pole and prevailed in a three-way photo to add black type to his first win.

“That was a good horse race,” Engelhart said after watching the son of Leofric out of Diva’s Delight outduel Trust Fund, who had beaten him at Saratoga, and even-money favorite Tall Paul.

The winning margin was a head over Trust Fund, who edged Tall Paul by the same amount. Pacesetter Antonio of Venice was another length back in fourth. The final time was 1:05.

“He was a nice horse all spring,” Englehart said. “I thought he ran very well in his first race. He overcame some adversity. He was stuck down on the inside and I don’t think he wanted to be there. He was doing some things I like in the morning, so I didn’t feel like it was a big shot to put him in this race.”

Tall Paul and Trust Fund broke best, but Antonio of Venice rushed up the rail to take the early lead through a quarter-mile in :22.55. Tall Paul sat right off him, with Trust Fund and Canigetaloan also within 2 lengths of the lead heading into the turn. Antonio of Venice opened up a bit after they straightened out, and when Tall Paul moved to the middle of the track, with Trust Fund outside of him, Carmouche pounced.

“I wasn’t sure if he was going to go in between (Tall Paul) and (Trust Fund) or stay where he was,” Engelhart said. “It just opened up enough and Kendrick pushed him through.”

A $40,000 Legion Bloodstock purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred sale, Canigetaloan is jointly owned by Legion Racing, Peter Dorsman Racing, Spa City Stables and Christopher Dunn. Bred by Shaun Bridgmohan, she was foaled on Valentine’s Day in 2021.

“Their plan was to race and sell and they sold some pieces after the first race,” Engelhart said.

Leofric started his stallion career at Rockridge Stud in Hudson before being moved to Darby Dan Farm in Lexington last year. Canigetaloan is the third foal out of Diva’s Delight. Avid Sucinori, by Ironicus, has won three times in 24 starts. Devious Delight, by Alternation, ran second in her only start and died at age 2. Diva’s Delight has also produced an unnamed filly by Leofric and an unnamed colt by Unified. – Paul Halloran

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/09/25/solomini-filly-soloshot-wins-lady-finger-canigetaloan-runs-to-works-in-aspirant/

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El Grande O dominates Bertram F. Bongard

El Grande O almost added to trainer Linda Rice’s haul of victories this summer at Saratoga Race Course, finishing second in a pair of stakes efforts.

Barry K. Schwartz’s homebred son of Take Charge Indy didn’t come up short Sunday, demolishing a field of six New York-bred 2-year-olds with an 8 ¼-length victory in the $125,000 Bertram F. Bongard Stakes at the Belmont at the Big A meeting. Jose Ortiz rode the colt to victory for Rice, winning in 1:23.89 over the sloppy and sealed track.

“He broke sharp. Obviously, he has speed,” Ortiz said. “I went out there and he was the fastest in the race. He proved that he was much the best today. I can’t take any credit – he was the best horse.”

The 3-5 favorite coming off a second in the Funny Cide Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day, El Grande O improved to 2-for-6 with three seconds and a third and boosted his earnings to $204,000.

Ortiz put El Grande O on the lead after a slight bump at the start and led Detective Tom through the opening quarter-mile in :22.76. They extended that advantage through the half in :46.03, while continuing to widen the lead into the stretch.

El Grande O led by 6 in midstretch and finished under steady urging well in front. Aggelos the Great ralled from third early to finish second, 2 lengths ahead of Bonne Chance. Skyler’s Starship, Detective Tom and Ranger Blue completed the field.

“I told Jose to just use his best judgement, and obviously he put him up on the front end and everything worked out well,” said Rice, Saratoga’s co-leading trainer this season with 35 victories.

Rice said El Grande O would most likely target the $200,000 Sleepy Hollow Stakes on Empire Showcase Day Oct. 29.

El Grande O is the ninth foal out of the stakes-placed Unbridled’s Song mare Rainbow’s Song. A half-sister to multiple stakes winner and stakes producer Class Above, Rainbow’s Song is the dam of four winners led by Grade 2-placed Meal Ticket.

Schwartz purchased Rainbow’s Song in foal to American Pharoah for $13,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale. El Grande O is her third New York-bred foal and she’s also the dam of a New York-bred yearling filly by Dialed In that sold for $32,000 at the recent Keeneland September sale. St. Simon Place, which purchased the mare for $17,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November breeding stock sale, bred that yearling and also a Kentucky-bred colt by Mendelssohn born March 30.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/09/24/el-grande-o-dominates-bertram-f-bongard/

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Cara’s Time posts 22-1 upset in Joseph A. Gimma

By Alec DiConza

Cara’s Time may have been the longest shot on the board at 22-1, but that didn’t stop the gray or roan filly from defeating her four rivals in Sunday’s Joseph A. Gimma Stakes at the Belmont at the Big A meet.

Breaking from the inside post, the 2-year-old New York-bred daughter of Not This Time rushed to the lead in the early stages of the 7-furlong contest. Under Dylan Davis, Cara’s Time set fractions of :22.87 for the quarter and :46.23 for the half before kicking clear of the stalking My Shea D Lady at the top of the stretch.

Though undefeated 4-5 favorite Caldwell Luvs Gold came with her typical closing kick, Cara’s Time was able to hold off the challenger en route to a 1 1/2-length score on the sloppy and sealed track. My Man Squeeze finished third with My Shea D Lady and Nicky Jolene completing the field.

Owned by Richard Greeley and trained by Mitch Friedman, Cara’s Time won in 1:23.28.

“I’d never sat on her in the morning, but I saw she had good gate speed,” Davis said. “Our plan was to break and come out running. When she got there, she was loving every part of it. She was a little skipper on that mud and she really got comfortable. I could hear them behind me trying to range up at the two-and-a-half, and I just tried to get her run going a little bit, but not too much because she got late there with [Jose] Lezcano last time out. She just kept finding more and more down the lane, so it was great. The one closer [Caldwell Luvs Gold] was coming, but I knew it was too late for her.”

Cara’s Time turned the tables on Caldwell Luvs Gold in the Gimma, rebounding in a big way from a fifth in the Seeking the Ante Stakes at Saratoga Race Course when finishing 25 3/4 lengths back. Friedman was very pleasantly surprised to see the change in fortune this time around.

“I thought she would probably get the lead by herself, but I was surprised [to win] a bit,” Friedman said. “She didn’t run good last time, but I knew she had a good excuse. I put the blinkers on her and it made her a little worse. She’s nervous and wants to react to it. She had dumped the rider after she broke her maiden, and in the mornings, if she sees something, she won’t walk through the end of the barn – she has to go through the middle if there’s something she doesn’t like. I thought the blinkers would help with all of that and she worked well with them, but we took them off and [hoped] she would stay focused.”

Friedman believes the sloppy surface helped Cara’s Time snatch the first stakes victory of her career.

“The wet track probably helped her out a lot,” he said. “Dylan said she was gliding over it and that she likes the wet track.”

Friedman didn’t commit to a next start for Cara’s Time.

“We’ll look and see what’s next on the schedule,” he said. “We’re in no rush.”

Cara’s Time now has two wins in three starts with earnings of $118,000.

Bred by Stephen Crestani Jr., Cara’s Time is out of the Macho Uno mare Zindra. Greeley purchased Cara’s Time for $175,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. Zindra has produced one other winner among her three to race – the New York-bred Tapizar mare Glorious Tapizar.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/09/24/caras-time-posts-22-1-upset-in-joseph-a-gimma/

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Runaway Rumour back in win column in Hettinger

Runaway Rumour ended a losing streak last fall during the Belmont at the Big A meeting and found Ozone Park again to her liking Friday, putting a stop to another skid with a victory in the $125,000 John Hettinger Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares on the turf.

Lawrence Goichman’s homebred 5-year-old Flintshire mare won the Hettinger by a neck over Spungie – surviving a jockey’s objection and steward’s inquiry in the process – for her first win since last year’s Ticonderoga Stakes on Empire Showcase Day. The win ended a five-race losing streak for Runaway Rumour, who did place in four stakes during that stretch from April 16 to Aug. 27.

Runaway Rumour also went through two trainer changes during that stretch, going from Jorge Abreu this spring to Horacio De Paz and then to Linda Rice toward the end of the Saratoga Race Course meeting. Two of the losses came at Saratoga – against open company in the restricted De La Rose Stakes and when third in the Yaddo Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day.

“She’s just a classy mare,” Rice said. “We’ve had her for around six weeks or so. She’s trained very nicely. The Goichmans breed terrific New York-breds. They have a great breeding program, and she’s had a terrific career up to this point with Jorge Abreu and Horacio De Paz. I’m happy to be a part of it.”

The 6-1 fourth choice in the field of six, Runaway Rumour earned $68,750 for her fifth win in 21 starts and boosted her bankroll to $571,305.

Whatlovelookslike set the pace in the 9-furlong Hettinger, carving out slow early fractions of :25.48 and :52.39 over the firm turf course ahead of Spungie and Runaway Rumour, with Yaddo winner and 8-5 favorite New Ginya, Out of Sight and Saratoga Chrome not far back.

Whatlovelookslike continued to lead past 6 furlongs in 1:17.62 before coming under pressure and losing the lead to Runaway Rumour at the quarter-pole. Runaway Rumour and Jose Lezcano kicked on turning for home and opened up, as Spungie and Joel Rosario inched into contention down inside. Runaway Rumour held the lead inside the sixteenth pole as Spungie ran up her inside, found herself in tight quarters and couldn’t get past in deep stretch.

Runaway Rumour won by a neck in 1:51.79. She added the Hettinger to her 2022 win in the Ticonderoga and her 2021 score in the Wild Applause against open company. Rosario claimed foul and steward’s took a look, but didn’t make a change to the delight of the mare’s owner and breeder.

“The track was perfect, the distance was perfect, the ride was perfect, the inquiry was not so perfect, but it was pretty fun,” Goichman said. “You could see on the backstretch that she was wanting to go. Jose didn’t fight with her, he just said ‘You want to go? Let’s go.’ ”

Goichman said Runaway Rumour would target the Ticonderoga again.

“That will be her last race,” he said. “She’s been fun. It’s always hard to replace a horse that always gives you her best. She’s been a nice girl to be around.”

Foaled at Edition Farm in Hyde Park, Runaway Rumour is out of the Elusive Quality mare Elusive Rumour. Goichman bred and raced Elusive Rumour, a stakes-placed multiple winner who is out of the Alleged mare Quiet Rumour that he bought in Europe.

Elusive Rumour is the dam of two other stakes winners bred by Goichman – Myhartblongstodady, whom he owns, and Scuttlebuzz, who sold for $160,000 as a 2-year-old in 2019. She’s also the dam of the Grade 2-placed winner Lachaise and the 2-year-old New York-bred Oscar Performance filly She Is All Business who made her debut Sept. 15 at the Belmont at the Big A meet.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/09/22/runaway-rumour-back-in-win-column-in-hettinger/

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Cross Border explodes to win Cape Henlopen

Cross Border returned to flat racing this summer after a brief stint as a steeplechaser, and returned to the winner’s circle with his fifth stakes victory in Saturday’s $200,450 Cape Henlopen going long on the grass at Delaware Park.

The 9-year-old English Channel ridgling won on the flat for the first time since taking the Prairie Bayou Stakes in mid-December 2021. The multiple graded stakes winner lost six straight after that run before making four appearances on the National Hunt scene, where he finished third in a 2-mile flat stakes under steeplechase conditions at Far Hills in October 2022 and won a 2 1/16-mile maiden hurdle at the Aiken Steeplechase in late March.

Cross Border returned to the flat game in the 2-mile, Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup June 9 at Belmont Park, where he finished 13th.

Entered a few times early in the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, where he won back-to-back editions of the Grade 2 Bowling Green in 2020 and 2021, Cross Border didn’t run until Aug. 26 when he finished a close third for a $62,500 tag in a 1 3/16-mile allowance-optional on the grass.

Cross Border wasn’t claimed that day and the Wycoff family’s Three Diamonds Farm and trainer Mike Maker set their sights on Delaware Park’s stamina-testing Cape Henlopen.

Sent off as the 8-1 fourth choice in the field of eight behind John’s Call Stakes winner Tawny Port, Commandeer and Beacon Hill, Cross Border was content to race second-last for most of the 1 1/2-mile trip over the firm turf course.

Tawny Port, the even-money favorite off his Saratoga victory last time out, led the field from the break under Trevor McCarthy. They carved out posted fractions of :24.49, :53.55 and 1:18.23 under slight pressure from Urban Myth. Cross Border and Ruben Silvera saved round the entire way and were still next-to-last around the far turn. Tawny Port tried to give the field the slip up the backstretch, raced past the mile in 1:42.72 and continued to lead into the lane.

Silvera angled several paths off the rail turning for home and Cross Border responded with a furious run, caught Tawny Port at the sixteenth pole and drew clear to a 2 1/2-length win over Tawny Port. Tough Tickets finished another 3 1/4 lengths back in third with Commandeer fourth. Cross Border won in 2:33.31.

Bred by Dr. Doug Koch’s Berkshire Stud and B. D. Gibbs and foaled at Berkshire Stud in Pine Plains, Cross Border improved to 13-for-52 with eight seconds and seven thirds and boosted his bankroll to $1,333,258. A $100,000 purchase by Three Diamonds and Maker at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July horses of racing age sale, Cross Border was a finalist for New York-bred champion turf male honors in 2020 and 2021 and missed out on the crowns to stablemate Somelikeithotbrown.

A $180,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase in 2015 before selling for $10,000 at the 2016 OBS June sale, Cross Border is one of three winners from three to race out of the Empire Maker mare Empress Josephine. Empress Josephine is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning New York-bred Private Emblem and stakes winner Rhum, the dam of leading New York sire and Grade 2 winner Central Banker and multiple stakes winner Gantry.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/09/16/cross-border-explodes-to-win-cape-henlopen/

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