Straight Arrow continues rise in Empire Classic; Know It All Audrey lands first stakes in Distaff

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Straight Arrow duplicates big effort 14 days ago with victory in Empire Classic to highlight Empire Showcase Day. NYRA Photo.

Maybe the surface ultimately doesn’t matter for Straight Arrow.

Trainer Mike Dini believes his horse will be better on turf, despite his running fifth in his only try on the grass September 15. Dini entered him in a second turf race a month later, but when it was rained off, he left him in and watched him romp by 9 lengths and record a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

Off that performance, Dini opted to keep him on dirt and stretch him out to 1 1/8 miles in the co-featured $250,000 Empire Classic Stakes on New York Showcase Day Sunday at the Belmont at the Big A meeting. Sent off as the 5-2 second choice, the son of Arrogate made his trainer look smart, taking the lead at the quarter pole and rolling to an easy 2 3/4-length win on a muddy and sealed track.

“We ran him back in 14 days, but to me he’s like a 3-year-old going to the Kentucky Derby,” said Dini. “He’s lightly raced and I really don’t train hard. The meet is coming to an end and he’s a hard horse to train. It took two years to get him to the races.”

Bred by Patricia Generazio and foaled at Berkshire Stud in Pine Plains, Straight Arrow, out of the winning Numerous mare Lulu’s Number, was bought for $30,000 by Laura Barrish as a 4-year-old at the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale. He did not debut until June at Monmouth Park, running fifth in a maiden special weight. He broke his maiden in his second start, also on the Jersey Shore, then had a win and a second in state-bred races at Saratoga Race Course.

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Straight Arrow showed promise on turf and dirt heading into Sunday’s Empire Classic. Chelsea Durand/NYRA Photo.

That’s when Dini decided to get a look at the half-brother of Disco Partner on turf, and why not, as that Generazio runner was a graded stakes winner on the sod and ran third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint twice, while banking more than $1.4 million in an 11-win career.

“He’s Disco Partner’s brother, and he would have won that day if you watch the race,” Dini said. “[Joel] Rosario is coming up and they cut him off. That’s why I believe at some point down the road he’ll be a better turf horse. This kind of racetrack helps him because he has real flat feet and he can get a hold of it.”

Longshots Lobsta and Cicciobello won the early battle and led down the backstretch through a quarter-mile in :23.03 and a half in :46.87. Straight Arrow, Barese and Olympic Dreams were three across the track chasing the pacesetting pair, with favorite Drake’s Passage in sixth. Jockey Jairo Rendon started his move aboard Straight Arrow on the turn, collared Cicciobello on the far turn and opened up down the lane. Sheriff Bianco and Un Ojo closed for second and third, respectively. The winning time was 1:50.51.

“He’s a good horse and knows how to run, you just ask him when you’re ready to go and he gives you everything. He made my day here,” Rendon said. “I was worried a little bit because the turn is right there and we were in the outside post. We got lucky and he has some natural speed, so he put me there and other horses stayed back, so we were able to save some ground in the first turn. I sat back a little behind the speed and just waited until home and asked him. When you ask him, he’s gone.”

Straight Arrow, who increased his career earnings to $295,000 with the $137,500 winner’s share, is one of nine winners produced by Lulu’s Number, who has been bred to 10 stallions during her breeding career. In addition to Disco Partner and Straight Arrow, Bass River Road, Don Six’s Number and Fly Fly Away have all earned at least $100,000.

Paul Halloran

 

[3]

Know It All Audrey and Javier Castellano en route to victory in Sunday’s Empire Distaff. NYRA Photo.

• Three Player’s Stable’s and Oscar Barrera III’s consistent 4-year-old Know It All Audrey earned her first stakes victory Sunday with a victory in the co-featured $250,000 Empire Distaff Stakes on Empire Showcase Day on the final day of the Belmont at the Big A meeting.

Ichiban was first out of the gate on the muddy track with Know It All Audrey breaking close behind and settling at her tail with Sunset Louise taking up the second position to their outside. Ichiban set early fractions of :24.42 and :49.41 while a relaxed Know It All Audrey dropped back another half-length.

Javier Castellano sent Know It All Audrey closer to the leader again at the start of the turn and angled out a path as Sunset Louise dropped back. Ichiban didn’t give in easily and sill held the advantage at the top of the stretch before Know It All Audrey continued her determined run.

Know It All Audrey collared the longtime leader in the final sixteenth and pulled away to win by 2 3/4 lengths in 1:51.57 for the 9 furlongs on the muddy and sealed track.

“When I saw the track condition and they sealed it and the rain kept falling, I knew she was going to give us a good race because she’s always shown up every single time she’s run for us and her record on a sealed, muddy, good track has always been pretty fantastic,” said Barrera, who also trains the filly “Another thing is the distance. She can go a mile and an eighth, which gave us more confidence today because most of these horses [in this race] can’t go the mile and an eighth or they weaken after a mile. It makes a big difference for her.”

Bred by Geraldine Mazza and foaled at Song Hill Thoroughbreds in Mechanicville, Know It All Audrey boosted her earnings to $501,612 with seven wins and eight other top-three finishes in 24 starts. In her 10 starts this season, the daughter of Shackleford has finished in the top three eight times for $303,440 in earnings.

The Empire Distaff also marked the first stakes win for Barrera, who had his first starter in 2011.

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Know It All Audrey’s people celebrate Sunday’s Showcase Day success. NYRA Photo.

“Emotional, happy, super excited,” he said about the milestone. “As a claiming trainer, it’s pretty tough to win stakes races with claimers, so this is definitely the topping on the cake for all of us.”

Know It All Audrey was claimed by her owners for $16,000 last September at the 2022 Belmont at the Big A fall meet when she won by 7 3/4 lengths for Rob Artras and G and A Racing Stables.

Know It All Audrey is out of the stakes-placed Midnight Lute mare Know It All Anna, whose other runner is placed. Know It All Anna herself is one of two stakes performers from six winners out of the Danzig daughter Legion Of Merit alongside the stakes-placed Street Icon.

Each of the four dams on Know It All Audrey’s page have produced at least one stakes performer with all but Know It All Anna also producing a stakes producer as well.

Know It All Anna produced an Instilled Regard colt last year who sold for $130,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale and a Lexitonian weanling filly born in March.

Melissa Bauer-Herzog

Endnotes:
  1. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/straight-arrow-the-empire-classic.jpg
  2. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/straight-arrow-the-empire-classic-credit-chelsea-durand2.jpg
  3. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/knowit-all-audrey-the-empire-distaff2.jpg
  4. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/knowit-all-audrey-the-empire-distaff-2.jpg

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/10/29/straight-arrow-continues-rise-in-empire-classic-know-it-all-audrey-lands-first-stakes-in-distaff/


Rotknee gives Butler Showcase double in Hudson; Sterling Silver bounces back in Iroquois

[1]

Rotknee and Jose Lezcano cruise to victory in Sunday’s Hudson Stakes on Empire Showcase Day. Walter Wlodarczyk/NYRA Photo.

William “Buck” Butler joked with trainer Mike Maker before the final weekend of October rolled around – rain or shine depending on where you were – and came through with a lofty prediction.

“This is hardware weekend,” Butler said after winning his second stakes on Sunday’s Empire Showcase Day card to close the Belmont at the Big A meeting. Rotknee provided the back half of the double in the $150,000 Hudson Stakes, about three hours after his half-sister My Mane Squeeze won the $200,000 Maid of the Mist Stakes.

Butler also celebrated a victory in Saturday’s Best of Ohio Sprint Stakes with his homebred Trojan Tale.

Hardware weekend indeed.

Rotknee put an exclamation point on the stretch with a 1-length victory over Ny Traffic and five others in the $150,000 Hudson going 6 1/2 furlongs. The 4-year-old son of Runhappy, winner of last year’s Damon Runyon, Mike Lee and Ontario County for Butler and Maker, won his third of seven starts in 2023 and eighth overall from 14 starts.

Rotknee won four of five starts at 3 to earn New York-bred champion 3-year-old male honors. He was off from late June 2022 until early March 2023, and the Hudson marked his first start in state-bred company since winning last year’s Ontario County at Finger Lakes.

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Buck Butler leads his second Showcase Day winner Sunday after Rotknee took the Hudson. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

“He’s had a little time off there for the last couple of months, but he came back and this is exactly what I was looking for,” Butler said. “Jose [Lezcano] did a great job. He kept his face clean and on a day like today with his speed, we just hung on.”

The 4-1 third choice behind 2021 Hudson winner Ny Traffic and Today’s Flavor, Rotknee settled into second behind the latter through a quick opening quarter-mile in :21.77.

Lezcano allowed Rotknee to make steady progress around the far turn and took over by the half in :44.36, a length in front of Today’s Flavor with the others led by Thin White Duke well back. Rotknee extended his advantage turning for home and found himself 5 1/2 lengths clear in midstretch. Ny Traffic and Thin White Duke cut into that margin late but were never a serious threat to the winner.

Lezcano, aboard Rotknee for his prior four starts that included back-to-back wins followed by back-to-back defeats, learned plenty from the most recent fourth behind Ny Traffic in a 6 ½-furlong open-company optional-allowance Sept. 15 at Aqueduct.

“Last time, I feel like I grabbed him too much,” Lezcano said. “He broke and I tried to really restrain him. Today, I feel like that wouldn’t work, so I let him break and go on with his business. The way the track played today, it played to his favor. The sealed track helped.”

Foaled at Keane Stud in Amenia, Rotknee is the second foal out of the winning Speightstown mare In Spite of Mama.

In Spite of Mama’s first foal, the 5-year-old New York-bred Into Mischief colt Lookin for Trouble, was a winner and multiple stakes-placed for Butler and Maker. He earned $170,220.

In Spite of Mama is also the dam of the 3-year-old New York-bred Bolt d’Oro colt Mama’s Gold, a three-time winner in 11 starts with earnings of $118,901; and the 2-year-old Audible filly My Mane Squeeze. She is also the dam of a New York-bred yearling filly by 2019 Preakness Stakes winner War of Will and a weanling full brother to Rotknee born May 11.

In Spite of Mama, an 11-year-old out of the Carson City mare Mama Theresa, went 3-2-2 in 17 starts for Butler and Maker from 2014 to 2016.

Butler bought Mama Theresa for $65,000 at the 2005 OBS April sale of 2-year-olds in training. She won six of 25 starts, placed in two stakes and earned $240,898 for Butler and Timothy Twomey and the late trainer Dominic Galluscio. In Spite of Mama is Mama Theresa’s second foal and a half-sister to four other winners, including stakes winner A Freud of Mama, an earner of $399,818 who also finished third in the Grade 3 Matron Stakes at Belmont Park in 2019 for Butler and Maker.

Tom Law

 

[3]

Sterling Silver, DQ’d last time in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom, makes amends in the Iroquois. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

• A consistent performer at the top levels of racing with multiple graded stakes placings, Mark Anderson’s Sterling Silver added a third stakes victory to her resume Sunday in the $150,000 Iroquois on Empire Showcase Day.

The 6 1/2-furlong dirt sprint saw race favorite Sterling Silver drop back early to be last before Javier Castellano piloted her up the outside of the field down the backstretch. The 4-year-old daughter of Cupid was even with the second flight of runners by the time they entered the turn with the leading Leeloo enjoying a 2-length advantage through early fractions of :22.67 and :46.03.

The field tried to close in on Leeloo at the top of the stretch, but she put on another burst of speed, with Sterling Silver the lone pursuer still within a chance. Leeloo didn’t make it easy and Sterling Silver had to spend the whole stretch closing the distance, getting up just in time to win by a neck over Leeloo.

Sterling Silver stopped the clock in 1:16.47 as the top pair finished 6 3/4 lengths ahead of Captainsdaughter. Cairo Sugar finished fourth. Funny How, Vallelujah and Bank On Anna completed the field.

“We were much the best today, it was a good setup,” Castellano said. “They went pretty quick early and she’s a come from behind type of horse, so that helped us. She got up right on the wire. She’s getting better and better. I like the way she does it, especially against New York-breds.”

Trained by Tom Albertrani, Sterling Silver won for the sixth time in 18 starts to go with six placings and $652,988 in earnings.

Sterling Silver has flipped back and forth between New York-bred and graded stakes this year, entering off second via disqualification in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom Stakes last out. It was the second straight year she’s placed in the race after finishing third in 2022. Sterling Silver’s graded stakes placings also include a second in the Grade 2 Prioress Stakes and third in the Grade 3 Victory Ride Stakes.

“She’s very consistent,” Albertrani said. “She only ran one bad race in the [Grade 1] Ballerina at Saratoga, but that was a pretty hot race that day. The way she ran the last time was her best race. She’s just a solid horse. It’s great when she puts in that kind of effort. I always thought six to seven [furlongs] is her game, but probably not more than that.”

Sterling Silver was foaled at Gallagher’s Stud in Ghent and bred by longtime Gallagher’s Stud Farm Manager Mallory Mort and his wife Karen, who had bought her dam Sheet Humor for $14,000 in foal to Midnight Lute at the 2015 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

The fourth foal out of her dam for those owners, Sterling Silver was sold at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Showcase to Anderson’s Anderson Acres out of the Denali Stud consignment.

Unraced herself, Distorted Humor’s Sheet Humor has produced two winners from three to race – with those winners all bred by the Morts. Sheet Humor is out of the Grade 3 winning Sheets, who is out of the stakes-placed One Hot Minute.

Sheet Humor produced a New York-bred Not This Time colt named Rhetorical in 2021 and he sold for $320,000 the following year at the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. Sheet Humor was sold for $3,000 to K.O.I.D. at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale and foaled a Central Banker colt in the country the following year for breeder Kim Chang Man.

Melissa Bauer-Herzog

Endnotes:
  1. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/rotknee-the-hudson-credit-walter-wlodarczyk2.jpg
  2. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/rotknee-the-hudson-credit-susie-raisher3.jpg
  3. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/sterling-silver-the-iroquois-credit-susie-raisher.jpg

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/10/29/rotknee-gives-butler-showcase-double-in-hudson-sterling-silver-bounces-back-in-iroquois/


Homebred Success: Butler’s My Mane Squeeze takes Maid of the Mist; Schwartz’s El Grande O wins Sleepy Hollow

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My Mane Squeeze continues family legacy of success for Buck Butler in the Maid of the Mist. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

By Alec DiConza

William “Buck” Butler’s homebred My Mane Squeeze notched the first stakes victory of her career in Sunday’s Maid of the Mist Stakes, a 1-mile event on Aqueduct’s main track for New York-bred 2-year-old fillies.

Trained by Mike Maker, the daughter of Audible sat in a stalking position on the rail behind pacesetting Cara’s Time and jockey Dylan Davis through fractions of :23.97 for the quarter-mile and :48.26 for the half. Turning for home, My Mane Squeeze found room between rivals and ran down the frontrunner just inside the eighth pole en route to a 3-length score. The final time over the fast and sealed racetrack was 1:38.73 under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

“She did everything right,” Ortiz said. “She broke well, I was happy where I was biding my time and followed Dylan. I saved all the ground because I feel like this horse needs a little break to save something for the end, but she was there when I tapped her on the shoulder at the quarter pole. I saw I could get out and then she did the rest. She kept going after I hit the clear and galloped out nicely. Mike Maker does a great job, especially with the New York-breds.”

[2]

William “Buck” and Loretta Butler had plenty to celebrate on Empire Showcase Day with victories by My Mane Squeeze and Rotknee. Walter Wlodarczyk/NYRA Photo.

My Mane Squeeze is the latest success for Butler and his Speightstown mare In Spite of Mama. My Mane Squeeze is the fourth foal out of the mare, whose record of producing winners is unvanquished. Her most successful runner to date has been Rotknee, a two-time stakes winning colt also trained by Maker. The 4-year-old son of Runhappy won the 2022 Damon Runyon Stakes at Aqueduct and the 2022 Ontario County Stakes at Finger Lakes, along with a victory in the Hudson Stakes later on Sunday’s Empire Showcase Day card.

In Spite of Mama’s other two foals of racing age are Mama’s Gold, a three-time winner in 11 starts by Bolt d’Oro; and Lookin For Trouble, a colt by Into Mischief who won in his second career start and is also multiple stakes placed. Needless to say, the stakes-winning effort by My Mane Squeeze made Butler very proud.

“This New York program, I love it,” he said. “I’m really enjoying it and enjoying the success that I’ve had with my mares. It’s just great. I’m three generations in with this horse. Mama Theresa [second dam] is my linchpin here, and In Spite of Mama [first dam] has given me nothing but runners.”

My Mane Squeeze finished third in her debut in August at Saratoga Race Course before breaking her maiden in her second start Sept. 1. Though she finished third in the Joseph A. Gimma Stakes in her next start behind Cara’s Time and Caldwell Luvs Gold, the filly turned the tables on these two rivals in Sunday’s triumph.

Foaled at Keane Stud in Amenia, My Mane Squeeze earned $110,000 for the Maid of the Mist Stakes and improved her record to 2-0-2 in four starts and earnings of $183,960.

 

[3]

Barry Schwartz’s homebred El Grande O rolls to victory in the Sleepy Hollow. Chelsea Durand/NYRA Photo.

• It has become unusual to see a 2-year-old make many starts in a first season on the track, but El Grande O’s frontrunning score in Sunday’s Sleepy Hollow Stakes proved that some horses simply relish the opportunity to race.

Under the care of trainer Linda Rice, Barry Schwartz’s homebred New York-bred colt made his eighth start of the season a winning one and picked up his second stakes win to go with two other stakes placings.

“Mentally, he’s really handled everything well,” Rice said. “Peter Moore, Barry Schwartz’s farm manager, and I were commenting that you rarely see a 2-year-old that has run as much as we’ve run him. He walks around the paddock calm and happy to be here and that’s allowed us to run him more frequently than we’ve run other 2-year-olds. He did bring him in in March, which is earlier than we normally do.”

In the Sleepy Hollow, El Grande O challenged Solo’s Fury for the lead through the opening quarter-mile in :22.82 before taking control approaching the far turn. After a half in :46.17, the Take Charge Indy colt started to separate himself from his competition.

Entering the stretch, victory seemed all but certain, with the colt only having to worry about a stretch rally from stablemate B D Saints that proved too little too late. El Grande O crossed the wire 1 1/4 lengths ahead of B D Saints in 1:37.98 under Jose Ortiz. Aggelos the Great was 5 1/2 lengths farther back in third, with Wine Responsibility, another Rice trainee, fourth. Mischief Joke, Two’s a Crowd, Bonne Chance, Skyler’s Starship and Solo’s Fury completed the field.

El Grande O dominated the Sept. 24 Bertram F. Bongard Stakes by 8 1/4 lengths over a sloppy and sealed track, so there was no worry about whether the colt would be able to handle the muddy surface he faced Sunday.

“He’s run very well on the mud, that’s for sure,” Rice said. “It wasn’t an unknown for us.”

[4]

Jose Ortiz, who called El Grande O a “dream to be around in the barn,” gives Showcase Day winner some love Sunday at Aqueduct. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

Ortiz, aboard El Grande O for seven of his eight starts, including all three of his victories, has a lot of appreciation for the very experienced colt.

“He’s a dream to be around in the barn; he always has been,” he said. “I’ve been around him for a while now. We ran him on the dirt and he ran good. He ran good on the turf – he went back to the dirt and has been amazing. He’s a very cool, collected horse. Nothing bothers him, and he’s fast.

“He’s going to be tough in this crop and can do any distance 6 [furlongs] to a mile. The Champagne, you’ve got to draw a line through it. It was a very tough race. It was an off track, but he liked that today so it’s not an excuse. I think Linda managed him very well and I’m very happy for Barry and everybody in the whole team. I’m very proud of the work NYRA has put together with the New York program. It’s been great.”

El Grande O, sixth last time out in the Grade 1 Champagne, improved to 3-3-1 in his eight starts with earnings of $319,000.

Foaled at Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs, 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 five 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.

Endnotes:
  1. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/my-mane-squeeze-the-maid-of-the-mist-credit-susie-raisher.jpg
  2. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/My-Mane-Squeeze-walter-wlodarczyk-WWRA8722.jpg
  3. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/el-grande-o-the-sleepy-hollow-credit-chelsea-durand.jpg
  4. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/el-grande-o-the-sleepy-hollow-credit-susie-raisher2.jpg

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/10/29/homebred-success-butlers-my-mane-squeeze-takes-maid-of-the-mist-schwartzs-el-grande-o-wins-sleepy-hollow/


Spirit of St Louis adds Mohawk to growing resume; Amanda’s Folly splashes to Ticonderoga win

[1]

Spirit of St Louis wins second straight turf stakes in Sunday’s Mohawk to kick off Empire Showcase Day. NYRA Photo.

By Tom Law

Manny Franco came away impressed with Spirit of St Louis when he rode the then first-time starting son of Medaglia d’Oro to victory in a 1-mile state-bred maiden on a sloppy track in mid-February at Aqueduct.

He’s even more impressed now, with Spirit of St Louis 5-for-7 with a pair of stakes victories on the turf in 2023.

“He’s super horse on the grass,” Franco said after Spirit of St Louis fended off a late run from New York-bred champion City Man to kick off the stakes portion of the Empire Showcase program in the $194,000 Mohawk Stakes Sunday. Spirit of St Louis won the 1 1/16-mile Mohawk, run over Aqueduct’s turf labeled firm but with some cut after morning rains, by a half-length over City Man with Jerry the Nipper along for third in the field of five.

Spirit of St Louis added the Mohawk to his victory in the Ashley T. Cole Stakes – also at the expense of City Man – Oct. 6 at the Belmont at the Big A meeting. The full-brother to New York-bred Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Bar of Gold also improved to 3-for-4 on grass in the Mohawk.

The 6-5 favorite after the scratches of Call Me Harry, Kaz Sugar Bank and Noble Huntsman, Spirit of St Louis won in 1:44.90. Franco, the New York Thoroughbred Breeders’ champion jockey in 2019 and 2020, celebrated his 2,000th victory in the Mohawk.

“I feel great. I had that on me the whole week, so I’m glad to do it early,” said Franco, who also recorded his 200th stakes victory on Spirit of St Louis. “I’m a little calm now and happy to do it. Every win means a lot, so right now, I can’t pick one [favorite]. Every win is a blessing. I’m just happy to do this.

[2]

Jockey Manny Franco earned milestone in Sunday’s Mohawk Stakes aboard Spirit of St Louis. NYRA Photo.

“I feel great and blessed. I just try to keep going strong and I’ll keep working hard to keep winning races.”

Bred by Chester and Mary Broman and foaled at their Chestertown Farm in Chestertown, Spirit of St Louis is out of the Grade 3-winning New York-bred Lemon Drop Kid mare Khancord Kid. Bar of Gold, New York-bred champion female sprinter and older dirt female in 2017, won seven of 25 starts and earned $1,551,000 for the Bromans.

Khancord Kid is also the dam of the stakes-placed New York-bred duo Land Mine and Homeland among five winners from five foals to race, including the two-time winning New York-bred 3-year-old Justify filly Im Just Kiddin.

A second-generation Broman-bred, Spirit of St Louis sold for $300,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sale. He made his first two starts for owner Peter Brant and trainer Chad Brown – winning that maiden and finishing second in a 9-furlong allowance – before being sold for $280,000 at this year’s Keeneland April horses of all ages sale.

Still trained by Brown and racing for Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Richard Schermerhorn, Spirit of St Louis raced in second early as longshot Ruse set the pace through splits of :24.90, :51.57 and 1:16.37.

Spirit of St Louis and Franco came with a three-wide run into the lane and took control about a furlong from home, just as $1,204,870-earner and graded stakes winner City Man kicked in under Joel Rosario. Spirit of St Louis held that foe off in deep stretch to pick up $110,000 for his connections and boost his bankroll to $370,650.

“He helped me a lot because he jumped out of there running,” Franco said. “I saw Jose [Ortiz, aboard Jerry the Nipper] take back and he was pulling me forward, so I just let him do what he wanted to do because I know the pace wasn’t fast in front. I just kept my position and he was there for me the whole way.”

City Man held second by three-quarters of a length over Jerry the Nipper, with Ruse and Dakota Gold completing the field.

 

[3]

Decked out in cheek pieces again, Amanda’s Folly heads to the winner’s circle after the Ticonderoga Stakes. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

• Linda Rice’s run of success with claims this spring and summer – which helped provide her a share of the Saratoga training title – continued on Empire Showcase Day when Amanda’s Folly got up in time to win the off-the-turf $194,000 Ticonderoga Stakes for fillies and mares.

A $16,000 claim out of a win in late April at Aqueduct, Amanda’s Folly won for the third time since with her first stakes victory. Owned and trained by Rice, Amanda’s Folly slipped past 4-5 favorite Silver Skillet in deep stretch under Jose Ortiz to win by a neck.

Amanda’s Folly, a 3-year-old daughter of Mendelssohn, drew into the race as a main track only runner when the Ticonderoga was taken off the turf early on the Empire Showcase Day program. She won the 1-mile event in 1:37.80.

“This filly has a lot of stamina and a mile and an eighth suits her just fine,” Rice said. “I was a little concerned about shortening up to the mile that she would struggle with that a little bit, but she wore the leader [Silver Skillet] down. I was thrilled when it came off.”

The 8-5 second choice in the field of five reduced by the scratches of Can’t Fool Me, Runaway Rumour, Spungie, Waterville and Whatlovelookslike, Amanda’s Folly and jockey Jose Ortiz were content to track Silver Skillet through splits of :23.91, :47.57 and 1:12.39 over the muddy and sealed track.

Silver Skillet, winner of the Suzie O’Cain two starts back and second in the Memories of Silver last time out, still led by a length in midstretch but couldn’t hold off Amanda’s Folly in the final 50 yards. Siler Skillet finished 3 lengths clear of Sweetie for the place spot, with Itsakeyper and Saratoga Chrome completing the field.

Amanda’s Folly improved to 5-for-17 and the $110,000 first-place check boosted her earnings to $334,630.

[4]

Amanda’s Folly edges favored Silver Skillet late in the off-the-turf Ticonderoga. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

Bred by Roy Lerman’s Lamholm and foaled at Sequel Stallions New york in Hudson, Amanda’s Folly originally sold for $100,000 as a weanling at the 2020 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group bought her for $80,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale and she raced for that owner and trainer Rudy Rodriguez for her first six starts.

Trainer Carlos Martin and Hammer Time Stable claimed Amanda’s Folly for $25,000 out of a fifth in a state-bred maiden claiming race January 6 at Aqueduct and Rice claimed her four starts later.

Amanda’s Folly won an off-the-turf state-bred allowance race May 4 at Belmont Park in her first start for Rice. She added another 9-furlong allowance-optional in state-bred company early in the Saratoga meet before a second there behind stablemate Ichiban in the Fleet Indian on Saratoga Showcase Day. Off since a fifth in an open-company optional on closing day at Saratoga, Amanda’s Folly came in ready under Jose Ortiz.

“She was a claim and she has done amazing for Linda and for me,” Ortiz said. “I’ve been riding her for a while now and I’m very happy for the whole team. It’s a very good team. I get on a lot of horses for her in the mornings and we have good results in the afternoon. Linda has always been a winner. She’s got good stock and good horses. They’re quality horses.”

A Florida-bred daughter of Notebook who raced for owner, breeder and trainer Lerman, Privacy won three of 20 starts with three placings and earned $68,065. One of the victories came at Saratoga, in a 7-furlong claiming event during the 2009 meeting.

Privacy’s second foal, the New York-bred Kantharos mare Ancient Secret, was a $225,000 purchase at the 2015 OBS April sale of 2-year-olds in training by bloodstock agent Steve Young and went on to a graded stakes-winning career that saw her win five of 16 starts and $439,434.

Privacy is also the dam of the Grade 3-placed $232,448-earner Jais’s Solitude, winner Seclude and the unraced Omaha Beach 2-year-old filly Summer in Toga, a $170,000 purchase by Young at last year’s Keeneland September sale. Now 19, Privacy didn’t produce a foal in 2022 and is the dam of a weanling full sister to Ancient Secret, also bred by Lamholm.

Endnotes:
  1. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/spirit-of-st-louis-the-mohawk.jpg
  2. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/spirit-of-st-louis-the-mohawk-credit-walter-wlodarczyk6.jpg
  3. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/amandas-folly-the-ticonderoga-credit-susie-raisher2.jpg
  4. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/amandas-folly-the-ticonderoga-credit-susie-raisher.jpg

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/10/29/spirit-of-st-louis-adds-mohawk-to-growing-resume-amandas-folly-splashes-to-ticonderoga-win/