Stone Smuggler leaves no doubt in Lady Finger Stakes

Stone Smuggler gave New York-based freshman sire Honest Mischief his second stakes winner in as many days Monday with a dominating victory in the $98,912 Lady Finger at Finger Lakes.

Stone Smuggler, owned by NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and SunsetRidge Racing Stable, took the lead from the start of the 5 1/2-furlong Lady Finger under Keiber Coa and won by 3 1/2 lengths over fellow Honest Mischief filly Mischief Lady. Idyll Gossip, a daughter of Central Banker and a winner of a Finger Lakes maiden August 26, finished another 2 lengths back in third.

Bred by Eaton & Thorne Inc., foaled at Thorndale Farm in Millbrook and a $57,000 purchase out of last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale, Stone Smuggler went off as the even-money choice in the Lady Finger. She finished second behind With the Angels, subsequent winner of Sunday’s Joseph A. Gimma Stakes at Aqueduct, in her only previous start August 22 at Saratoga Race Course.

Trainer Jorge Abreu kept Stone Smuggler at Saratoga to prep for the Lady Finger, breezing her twice over the Oklahoma Training Track before her second start and stakes debut.

Stone Smuggler went to the front ahead of Mischief Lady, Princess Mischief and Idyll Gossip in the Lady Finger and clicked off splits of :22.30 and :46.31 over the sloppy and sealed track under Coa’s tight hold. She turned for home clear and widened her advantage in the lane, opening up by 3 1/2 lengths in midstretch and cruising to the finish in 1:06.03.

Mischief Lady, sixth in a Saratoga 5 ½-furlong turf maiden in her lone prior start for trainer Eddie Barker, finished a clear second under Dylan Davis.

Offered out of the Eaton Sales consignment at last year’s Saratoga New York-bred sale, Stone Smuggler is the seventh foal out of the winning Bustin Stones mare Bustinattheseams. She’s the dam of five other New York-bred winners, including $129,749-earner Limit Up, $119,952-earner Fat N Bitter and the 3-year-old Destin gelding and August 5 maiden winner Seams Like Destiny.

Honest Mischief, an 8-year-old son of Into Mischief who stands for $6,500 at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson, scored his first stakes winner when Sacrosanct won Sunday’s Bertram F. Bongard Stakes at Aqueduct.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2024/09/23/stone-smuggler-leaves-no-doubt-in-lady-finger-stakes/

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