Classy Edition collects first graded stakes victory in Saturday’s Royal Delta. Lauren King/Gulfstream Park Photo.

Robert and Lawana Low’s Classy Edition turned the tables on Kathleen O. in Saturday’s Grade 3 Royal Delta Stakes at Gulfstream Park, almost a year removed from losing to that foe in another important South Florida graded stakes.

Benefitting from a smoother trip than her rival this time, Classy Edition improved to 2-for-2 on the season with a 1 3/4-length victory over Kathleen O. in the Royal Delta. Irad Ortiz Jr. rode the 4-year-old daughter of Classic Empire to her first graded stakes win in his fourth win on the card as trainer Todd Pletcher collected his fourth win in the stakes formerly named the Sabin before 2015.

“I was pretty pleased,” Pletcher said. “We got to a good spot and it looked like Irad had a lot of horse, just waiting to pull the trigger.”

The $150,000 Royal Delta looked like a rematch on paper and gamblers agreed, sending last year’s Grade 2 Davona Dale and Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks winner Kathleen O. to the post as the 4-5 favorite. Classy Edition, second to Kathleen O. in the Davona Dale after closing her juvenile campaign with back-to-back state-bred stakes wins, went off even-money with the 6-1 third choice Midnight Stroll the only other filly or mare at single-digit odds in the field of seven.

Longshot Jungle Juice took the early lead and led Classy Edition by a length into the first turn and to the pedestrian quarter-mile split in :25.28. Kathleen O. got away a half-beat slow and wound up sixth in the early stages, 5 lengths behind Jungle Juice and Classy Edition through the first half in :50.15.

Ortiz sent Classy Edition at the leader midway around the far turn and took control, clicking past 6 furlongs in 1:13.93 and opening up with Tap Dance Fever looking like a threat from her outside and Kathleen O. still more than 2 lengths back. Classy Edition extended her lead in the lane and held a 2-length edge at the eighth pole.

“She was going good on the backside,” Ortiz said. “We were going slow but she was close to the lead. I let her do her thing and she did the rest.”

Kathleen O. continued her wide run through the lane but couldn’t gain enough ground on the winner to finish second, 4 lengths ahead of Don’t Get Khozy. Tap Dance Fever, Soul of an Angel, Midnight Stroll and Jungle Juice completed the field.

Classy Edition, who prepped for the Royal Delta with a comeback win in allowance-optional last month at Gulfstream, won in 1:45.15.

Classy Edition, the most expensive New York-bred 2-year-old filly sold at auction in 2020, improved to 5-for-7 in the Royal Delta and boosted her earnings to $372,790. Bloodstock agent Jacob West bought the filly for the Lows for $550,000 out of the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale of 2-year-olds in training, and she ended that year as the second most expensive New York-bred sold at a juvenile auction.

Bred by Chester and Mary Broman and foaled at their Chestertown Farm in Chestertown, Classy Edition was sold at the Timonium sale by Becky Thomas’ Sequel Bloodstock. Out of the Broman-bred two-time winning Bernardini mare Newbie, Classy Edition is a half-sister to multiple New York-bred stakes winner Newly Minted and the stakes-placed New Girl In Town. Newbie is also the dam of the unraced New York-bred American Pharoah colt Pharoah Lake and a yearling New York-bred colt by Vekoma bred by the Bromans.

Newbie is also the dam of the unraced Speightstown mare Colonizer, who sold for $150,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. The Bromans subsequently purchased Colonizer, in foal to Omaha Beach, back for that same price at last year’s Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

The Bromans bought Newbie’s dam Changeisgonnacome, carrying Newbie, for $320,000 at the 2008 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Bred in Virginia by Audley Farm, that mare won Saratoga’s P.G. Johnston Stakes in 2006 and placed in a Grade 2 the following year. All five foals of her foals to race were winners.

Classy Edition started her career with three straight victories in the late summer and early autumn of 2021 – a 5 1/2-furlong maiden at Saratoga, the Joseph A. Gimma Stakes at Belmont Park and the Key Cents Stakes at Aqueduct. She started her 3-year-old campaign with that runner-up in the Davona Dale before a fourth back at Aqueduct in the Grade 3 Gazelle. On the sidelines for nine months, Classy Edition returned to win going 1 mile Jan. 11 at Gulfstream.

“We really thought highly of her,” Pletcher said. “She showed quality. She ran a good second in the race here and then needed some time off. She came back really well. I thought her comeback race was excellent. We kind of had a little tactical edge today and she was able to get it done.”

Stonewall Star adds the Wide Country Stakes to her growing resume Saturday at Laurel. Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club Photo.

Horacio De Paz figured Stonewall Star deserved another shot at an open-company stakes win after her second victory over state-breds last month. He considered next month’s East View – another stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies – but figured the “timing was right” to return to Maryland for another shot at an open stakes.

Stonewall Star not only returned to the Free State but came away with that open score with a front-running romp in the $100,000 Wide Country to kick off the stakes portion of the Winter Carnival card at Laurel Park. Barry Schwartz’s homebred daughter of Flatter went to the front from the break under Angel Crus and cruised to an 11-length victory over Chickieness in the 7-furlong Wide Country. Stonewall Star won in 1:24.33 over the fast main track.

“I always thought she could run in open company,” De Paz said after Stonewall Star improved to 4-for-7 in her career.

Stonewall Star added the Wide Country to her prior stakes wins in the Jan. 22 Franklin Square and Nov. 20 Key Cents, both at Aqueduct, and bettered her previous effort in Maryland when third between those victories in the Gin Talking Dec. 30 at Laurel. She also boosted her bankroll to $255,808.

“She’s pretty straightforward. She likes to run on the lead, just try not to go too quick too early,” DePaz said. “She’s just in good form right now. … Mentally she’s just really in the zone right now.”

Stonewall Star went to the post as the 9-5 second choice in the field of six behind the 8-5 pick L Street Lady, who was coming off a victory over fellow Wide Country runners Chickieness and We’ll See in the Jan. 21 Xtra Heat Stakes at Laurel. Stonewall Star broke sharp from the outside post, withstood a bump from We’ll See and cleared to lead L Street Lady by a half-length through the opening quarter in :23.07.

Stonewall Star continued to lead by a length over L Street Leady heading into the far turn and to the half in :46.42, with Chickieness and Gormley’s Gabriela just behind. Cruz gave Stonewall Star her cue turning for home and she opened up as L Street Lady faded and Chickieness and Gormley’s Gabriela idled.

Stonewall Star turned the Wide Country into a runaway, winning by 11 lengths under Angel Cruz. Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club Photo.

A 5-length advantage in midstretch grew with every stride and Stonewall Star finished well clear at the finish. Chickieness finished 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Gormley’s Gabriela for the place spot, with We’ll See, Sally’s Sassy and L Street Lady completing the lineup.

“I thought they would press her a little bit more,” DePaz said. “That was my concern because the last time with the seven-eighths she was on the lead and took everybody on and just came up short that last sixteenth. But today, she was right.

“The question is how far she would go, and she handled the 7 perfectly fine. We’ll continue to let her tell us. We’ll go back to New York and maybe back to Maryland. She’s got options, that’s for sure.”

Bred and foaled at Schwartz’s Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs, Stonewall Star is the fourth foal and one of two stakes winners out of Jonata. La Fuerza, a 6-year-old full sister to Stonewall Star won three stakes carrying his owner and breeder’s black and white colors in 2018. He won four of eight and earned 4261,610.

Jonata is also the dam of New York-bred winners Citizen K, a gelding by Mizzen Mast also trained by De Paz; and Whatlovelookslike, a 4-year-old by English Channel who won at Saratoga in early September and is 2-2-1 in seven starts with $155,250 for trainer Todd Pletcher.

A $100,000 purchase by Schwartz at the 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale, Jonata won two of 17 starts with five placings and $140,800.

Funny How and Katie Davis cruise to the finish in Sunday’s Broadway Stakes at Aqueduct. NYRA Photo.

By Tom Law

Ray Handal was anxious to run Funny How a second time late in last year’s Saratoga Race Course meeting.

He’d watched the then 3-year-old Overanalyze filly come back from a few setbacks, finish a good third in her July 9 debut at Belmont Park and then train well later that month and in early August upstate. Handal had a race in mind for Funny How when The Saratoga Special came calling for its annual Fasig-Tipton Stable Tour on Whitney Day.

“Very typical of a first-timer that needed one from me,” Handal said of the filly’s debut. “I’m thinking she’ll move up a ton second time out.”

Funny How did move up, finishing third again on a sloppy track Aug. 26, and hasn’t lost since. She’s won five straight since that 4 1/4-length defeat, the most impressive victory coming in Sunday’s $100,000 Broadway Stakes at Aqueduct. Funny How not only extended her win streak in the 7-furlong Broadway, she landed her first stakes victory in her seventh start.

“She’s a filly that’s just overcome adversity from Day 1,” Handal, who trains Funny How for Adelphi Racing Club and Matt Cutair’s Cutair Racing, said after the Broadway. “She had some setbacks when she was younger. She had a soft tissue [issue] in her back ankle and we gave her the time off and she overcame all that.

“She just has tenacity and a will to win and an amazing fight to her. She’s overcome trips. She overcomes bad breaks like she did today. She finds ways to win.”

Katie Davis picked up her first stakes victory on the New York Racing Association circuit aboard Funny How, who won by 4 1/4 lengths over Betsy Blue and Bank Sting in 1:25.82 over the fast track.

Handal called the Broadway a “massive performance” for Funny How, a $120,000 purchase at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale. Bred by Hibiscus Stable, foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham and out of the Distorted Humor mare Heavenly Humor, Funny How is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner and $638,645-earner Funny Guy, stakes winner Super Humor, stakes-placed $342,170-earner Three Jokers and five other winners.

Funny’s How’s people – members of Adelphi Racing Club and Cutair Racing – celebrate the 4-year-old filly’s first stakes victory Sunday. NYRA Photo.

The Broadway was Funny How’s second straight victory at 7 furlongs, along with an open-company allowance score Jan. 7 at Aqueduct under Davis. She also broke her maiden in open company during the Belmont at the Big A meet before back-to-back victories in the state-bred ranks last fall.

“I always thought she would be fine at the middle distances from seven-eighths or even a mile,” Handal said. “She won the sprints just because she’s so talented.”

Sent off as the 5-1 third choice behind 4-5 choice Bank Sting and the 5-2 Betsy Blue – two of the top older state-bred fillies and mares in training – Funny How found herself last of six through the opening quarter-mile after tossing her head at the start while pinched back between rivals at the break.

“When I warmed up with her, she threw a buck jump, so she was feeling really good,” Davis said. “She was eager to get out of the gate. I was OK that she didn’t break as well. I kept her calm and relaxed and made that one move with her while all the speed goes.”

Davis and Funny How raced into fourth as November Rein hit the opening half in :46.87, with Know It All Audrey and Honey Money in close pursuit. Bank Sting and Betsy Blue dropped toward the back of the field around the far turn, just as Funny How continued her sustained run into the lane.

Funny How took command outside the eighth pole, running away from Know It All Audrey and a back-pedaling November Rein, with Betsy Blue and Bank Sting starting to re-rally. Funny How cleared from there, widening her advantage in deep stretch. Betsy Blue edged Bank Sting by a head for the place spot, with Know It All Audrey 1 3/4 lengths back in fourth. Honey Money and November Rein completed the field.

“I’ve known her for a while since she came to the barn and I was galloping for Ray,” Davis said. “When I first got on her, Ray said, ‘You’re going to like this one’ and I said, ‘Do not take me off of her.’ We just got along really well. We understood each other.

“Every time I get on her and breeze her, she just keeps improving. Fillies sometimes go the wrong way, but this one just keeps improving. They did it right with her. They took the steps and moved her forward and didn’t break her heart. They really got the most out of her and she’s still doing amazing.”

Funny How picked up $55,000 for her fifth win in seven starts to boost her bankroll to $262,660. She’s one of nine winners out of Heavenly Humor, who won seven of 18 starts including five stakes on the Northern California circuit in the mid-2000s.

Hibiscus Stables purchased Heavenly Humor in foal to Big Brown for $25,000 at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga October mixed sale. The resulting foal was Funny Guy, a five-time stakes winner who finished second in the Grade 2 Vosburgh Stakes in 2020. Hibiscus also bred Three Jokers and a yearling New York-bred colt by The Factor from the mare.

Handal didn’t pinpoint Funny How’s next start, but remained as bullish Sunday as that morning back in August.

“We’ll let the dust settle, see what kind of figures she runs and see what options we have going forward. We’re not discouraged from anything. This was a massive performance today.”

Still going strong at age 9, Red Knight wins the William L. McKnight Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Jeff Zamaiko/Gulfstream Park Photo.

Tom Egan and Chad Stewart strategized a plan late last year to give Red Knight a break after the Grade 1, $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf in advance of a 9-year-old campaign in 2023.

“How long should we turn him out here?” Egan asked Stewart, who runs the Grace Full Acres Training Center in Ocala with his wife and veterinarian Dr. Laurie Stewart.

“No more than a month,” Stewart said. “Don’t let him get too settled down, just a month and then get him back to the racetrack.”

That’s the plan Egan followed and Red Knight showed yet again how beneficial that break would be with a victory in Saturday’s Grade 3 William L. McKnight Stakes presented by Davidoff Cigars on Gulfstream Park’s Pegasus World Cup Day undercard. The Pure Prize gelding, bred by and the lone horse owned by Egan’s Trinity Farm, led a 1-2-3 finish for trainer Mike Maker in the McKnight with a 1-length victory over Value Engineering as the 3-1 second choice. Wicked Fast finished third in the $200,000 stakes to complete the Maker trifecta.

“He’s a superb racehorse,” Egan said. “He loves what he’s doing. He was tugging when they walked him in (to the paddock). He’s just incredible.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., two days removed from winning his fourth Eclipse Award as North America’s outstanding jockey, rode Red Knight to victory in the 1 1/2-mile McKnight in 2:25.11 over the firm turf.

Red Knight collected his third graded stakes victory in the McKnight, adding it to his wins in last year’s Grade 2 Kentucky Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs and Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland in 2020. He’s won six stakes overall and improved to 11-for-32 with eight seconds and earnings of $1,330,013.

“As I call him, he’s a gift from above. He really is,” Egan said. “You’d never get into racing and think you’d have a horse like that.”

Foaled at Keane Stud in Amenia, Red Knight is one of five winners produced by the late Isabel Way, whom Egan bought for $60,000 at the 2003 Keeneland September yearling sale. She won once in 11 starts, earning $71,149, but has produced two stakes winners.

Ortiz let Red Knight trail the field through the opening half-mile as Abaan, Agitare, Channel Maker and Pao Alto scrimmaged through sharp splits of :24.18 and :48.27. They advanced to ninth as Abaan clicked off the mile in 1:37.31.

“Thank God I had a good trip from tough post 11,” Ortiz said. “He’s perfect for the distance because he relaxes very well. With 5 furlongs to go he started to gain ground on the outside and I just let him do his thing.”

Red Knight cruised past rivals around the far turn and only had stablemate Value Engineering to run down in midstretch. He collared that foe inside the eighth pole and drew off to win while drifing out just a bit in deep stretch.

“Irad had Red Knight settled in the back of the pace. The pace was hot, which favored him. The rest is history,” Maker said. “I had a lot of confidence in him. The first time he ran for us, he hadn’t run in a year and won. He likes to run fresh. He loves his job.”

Maker won his fifth McKnight, adding Red Knight to scores in 2017 with Taghleeb, 2018 with Oscar Nominated, 2019 with Zulu Alpha and 2021 with Tide of the Sea. He finished 1-2 in the 2019 and 2021 editions.

“One, two, three and five,” Maker said, adding a fifth-place from Temple. “We just missed the superfecta. Every horse ran a great race and I’m proud.”

Egan said he’d discuss with Maker what to do next with Red Knight, adding that it’s a safe bet it won’t include another run in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (where he finished 11^th at Keeneland). A trip to Lexington – possibly by way of Ocala again – might still be in the cards.

“He doesn’t need that and I don’t either,” Egan said of the Breeders’ Cup. Ideally, and I have to talk it over with Mike, I’d like to send him back to the farm in Ocala for February, and then go to Mike in March in Kentucky and then run in the Dixiana Elkhorn at Keeneland. As Mike says, he’s a fantastic layoff horse. It was 84 days here, he’s had some long layoffs. When he ran second at Kentucky Downs a couple years ago it was a 231-day layoff. He’s amazing.”