My Shea D Lady adds off-the-turf NYSS Statue of Liberty to resume Wednesday at Saratoga. NYRA Photo.
By Tom Law
Joe McMahon leaned forward in his box on the front row of the clubhouse above the Saratoga Race Course winner’s circle, just before the last runners loaded for Wednesday’s $145,500 Statue of Liberty division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes.
McMahon, with close ties to three of the six runners including a role as the breeder of one of the main contenders, had a vested interest in the 1-mile off-the-turf event for 3-year-old fillies.
“Come on, let’s get lucky,” he said, just as NYRA starter Hector Soler sent the runners on their way out of the Wilson Chute.
Luck came through as My Shea D Lady, bred by and raised at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs, came from just off the pace under Javier Castellano to run down Sohana for her second stakes victory. McMahon’s good luck – far from the lone reason for the success of the second-crop son of Curlin – played out with a 1-2 finish for Solomini in the race originally carded for the same distance on the grass.
“That was great,” McMahon said on the way to the winner’s circle to meet owners Shea D Boys Stable and trainer Carlos David. “She was the best foal in his first crop. I loved her from the day she was born.”
McMahon sold My Shea D Lady for $25,000 to Tony Bowling as a weanling at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale.
“I had to beg him,” McMahon said. “I remember telling him, ‘This is a really nice horse.’ ”
Shea D Boys bought her from Bowling for $100,000 at last year’s OBS April sale and she’s won three of eight starts since, with a second and a third with earnings of $465,000. The Statue of Liberty added $82,500 to the tally and gave owners Dennis Shea Jr., Dennis Shea Sr. and Danny Shea and their families reason to relish the Saratoga experience.
“We’re small potatoes in this big world but when we can come up here and win a race, it’s fantastic,” said Dennis Shea Jr., who is based in Jupiter, Fla.
The lone stakes winner on dirt left in the field of five after scratches – including the post time scratch of Cap Ferrat on the advice of the track veterinarian – My Shea D Lady took up a tracking spot in second while odds-on favorite Sohana and Flavien Prat took the lead.
Sohana, a winner on dirt two starts back in May and fourth in the Cupecoy’s Joy division of the NYSS in mid-June, clicked off a moderate first quarter-mile in :23.92 before quickening the tempo a bit to the half in :46.98.
“I broke and wanted to make sure to put my horse in a forward position,” Castellano said. “It was a small field, not a lot of speed. I wanted to put myself in a place to keep track of the speed horse. My horse, she likes to look around a little bit, but I didn’t want to be too close to another horse and get her to engage too early.”
Sohana still led by 2 1/2 at the quarter pole and through 6 furlongs in 1:11.81 with My Shea D Lady continuing her run after going wide on the far turn.
My Shea D Lady cut the deficit turning for home, took over at the three-sixteenths pole and spurted away to lead by 1 1/2 lengths in midstretch. My Shea D Lady cruised home from there, 1 3/4 lengths in front of Sohana, who finished 7 clear of Baroness Bourbon in third. Tour Jete and Amy’s Light completed the field.
“I let her step up to the outside and get her rolling and switch leads,” Castellano said. “She took off much the best. Very happy with the way she did it.”
David was happy for the surface switch, thinking back to the filly’s victory in the $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the NYSS last December at Aqueduct, along with solid performances in New York-bred stakes on the NYRA circuit during her juvenile campaign.
My Shea D Lady also finished second, beaten 3 lengths by Sunday Girl, in the Park Avenue division of the NYSS in mid-April at Aqueduct.
“I’m really glad it came off, although I wanted to try her two turns and wanted to see if she can handle it on the turf,” David said. “The first time [on the turf] we went 6 furlongs, she did it well. We were hoping we would finish in the money, but she didn’t run bad, just a little short and it was quick. We’re hoping maybe more distance she’ll be able to relax and come back. But I was hoping it would come off because I think she handles better the one turn.”
My Shea D Lady is the first foal out of the Teuflesberg mare Lady Berg. A half-sister to New York-bred stakes winner Hoosick Falls and stakes-placed Manor Prospect, Ladyberg is also the dam of the 2-year-old Solomini colt Frame Up, a $9,000 RNA at the 2023 OBS winter mixed sale and a $20,000 purchase by William Tyler and Jane Martin at the 2023 OBS October yearling sale. Frame Up is in training at Saratoga and shows five breezes on his work tab, including a half in :49 July 2 on the Oklahoma Training Track. McMahon also bred another yearling full brother to My Shea D Lady born May 9, 2023.
Solomini, a 9-year-old son of Curlin who stands for $7,500, came into the day ranked third on New York’s general sire list behind fellow McMahon stallions Bucchero and Central Banker. Solomini led New York’s freshman and juvenile sire lists last year with progeny earnings of more than $1.44 million.
