My Boy Tate wins the Hudson Stakes in his 20th appearance at Aqueduct Sunday on Empire Showcase Day. NYRA Photo.
By Melissa Bauer-Herzog
More than a year removed from his last official victory at Parx Racing last fall, multiple stakes winner My Boy Tate returned to his winning ways Sunday with a win in the Hudson Stakes to kick off Empire Showcase Day at the Belmont at the Big A meeting.
Making his 20th start at Aqueduct in the 6 1/2-furlong Hudson, My Boy Tate broke among the leaders in the field before settling himself just over a length behind the pacesetting 8-5 favorite Wudda U Think Now in third.
Racing on the outside of the field throughout the backstretch run, My Boy Tate moved closer as the field entered the turn and prepared to strike. Just in front, Wudda U Think Now dealt with pressure from Perfect Munnings as they clocked the first quarter-mile in :22.77 and a half in :46.27. The winner drew even as they entered the final strides of the turn and quickly flew by the dueling leaders.
Wudda U Think Now tried to battle back when his lead evaporated but My Boy Tate was already in full stride and didn’t blink at the challenge. My Boy Tate finished 2 lengths clear of Who Hoo That’s Me, who came flying late to take second, with Perfect Munnings finishing a half-length back in third.
The Hudson was the sixth stakes victory for the 8-year-old gelding by Boys At Tosconova, who took his earnings to $812,288 with the victory. The winner of 11 of 35 starts, with 12 other on-the-board finishes, My Boy Tate is trained by his breeder and co-owner Michelle Nevin. Nevin owns the gelding with Little Red Feather Racing.
“He loves Aqueduct,” Nevin said. “He’s happiest here. I have his mom [Backslash], she’s one of my mares. She was always a sweetheart and I really liked her. And I used to gallop Boys At Tosconova. I just thought it was a good match. He’s like my grandson, pretty much.”
Nevin gave credit to her staff for the victory, admitting that the experienced runner is set in his ways and not the easiest to work with.
“I have to credit his morning rider and his groom, because he’s not easy to deal with,” she said. “Even at the fine age of 8, he’s still pretty rough to be around. We just try to stay out of his way. He has always done his own thing and has been on his own path. We’re just blessed that we’re lucky enough to have him.”
Foaled at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, My Boy Tate is one of two stakes performers out of Nevin’s winning Sharp Humor mare Backslash. The mare’s five winners from six runners also include the multiple stakes-placed Velvet Sister. That New York-bred Bernardini 2-year-old filly was purchased by Stonestreet Stables last year for $500,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale and subsequently placed second in two New York stakes last fall.
Backslash’s first foal, the Frost Giant gelding Linkappleyard, won three of nine starts for Nevin as breeder-owner-trainer. Nevin also trained and co-owned her third foal, a Bluegrass Cat horse named Charlie McCoy, who won three of 13 starts with five other top three finishes. In all, Nevin has co-owned and trained three of Backslash’s runners to make it to the track. She has co-owned two of those with Little Red Feather Racing.
Backslash also has a 2-year-old Frosted filly named Snowy Evening in training with Todd Pletcher for Steven Crist, Ken de Regt and Philip Gleaves. Placing in one of her two starts, the New York-bred Snowy Evening sold to Gleaves for $70,000 out of the Vinery Sales consignment at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. Backslash is also the dam of a yearling filly by Congrats.
November Rein bounces back from Grade 1 try to win Iroquois
November Rein, a homebred for Ron Lombardi’s Mr Amore Stable, wins Sunday’s $150,000 Iroquois Stakes. Joe Labozzetta/NYRA Photo.
Ron Lombardi’s homebred November Rein registered her second stakes victory when she pulled a 19-1 upset in the $150,000 Iroquois Stakes on Empire Showcase Day.
November Rein was part of a large group vying for the lead right out of the gate in the 6 1/2-furlong stakes before ceding her challenge when Trevor McCarthy took her back to race alongside Gone and Forgotten in third. Leeloo was left with pacemaking duties, closely attended by Secret Love through the first -mile quarter in :22.30 over the fast main track.
Halfway around the turn, McCarthy started scrubbing on the winner with November Rein challenging for the lead as they hit the stretch. While November Rein was in front soon after, her win wasn’t assured with three rivals trying to chase her down. November Rein finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of 2-1 second choice Bank Sting with Secret Love third and 9-5 favorite Betsy Blue fourth.
“She broke a little slower than I would have liked,” McCarthy said. “Her second, third or fourth stride is usually better for her. Once she got herself underneath her, she put herself in a nice, tactical spot just a few lengths off the lead. She liked the clean trip. I just left her out there and made a middle move with her. If they were going to beat me, they were going to beat me. They have to come get me. It was a good effort by her.”
Now the winner of two of her four starts in 2022 and four of her eight career starts, November Rein has won $333,350 in her career with three stakes placings in five stakes starts. She finished sixth, beaten 44 3/4 lengths, last time out in the Grade 1 Test Stakes Aug. 6 at Saratoga Race Course
John Attfield, assistant to winning trainer Kelly Breen, paid tribute to the filly after the victory. He noted that November Rein again shipped in to race at a track where she hadn’t trained. November Rein is part of Breen’s Belmont Park string.
“I can’t say enough about her,” said Attfeld. “She’s done nothing wrong, especially against New York-breds. She’s been really good to us. She’s the quirkiest thing you’d ever be around in your life. She’s so difficult and tough to handle in every respect. I was a little worried today because it was the first time she’s ever had to ship to run, but it worked out. I can’t give Trevor enough credit. That was a brilliant ride.”
Just like most Lombardi-breds, November Rein was foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham. The Street Boss filly is out of the Mr. Amore Stables raced Ju Ju Eyeballs, who Lombardi claimed for the racing branch of his operation for $15,000 as a 2-year-old.
Winning three stakes for her new owner the following two years, Ju Ju Eyeballs’ first foal in 2017 was a Palace Malice gelding named Walrus Gumboot who raced twice. Her third foal, November Rein, is her first winner.
Looking to represent Mr. Amore Stables in the near future is November Rein’s Union Rags juvenile half-sister Neigh Jude. Ju Ju Eyeballs has a yearling Laoban colt named Old Flat Top and a weanling Mission Impazible colt born May 8.
