Demand for NY-breds continues in Book 4 at Keeneland September yearling sale

September 18th, 2024

Hip 2683, a daughter of Lexitonian bred by Saratoga Glen Farm, sold for $52,000 Tuesday at Keeneland. Photo courtesy of Colin Brennan Bloodstock.

A filly from the first crop of Grade 1 winner Lexitonian and a colt by champion and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso highlighted the New York-bred offerings during the Book 4 sessions of the Keeneland September yearling sale Monday and Tuesday.

Pick View purchased Hip 2683, a daughter of Lexitonian out of the stakes-placed Overanalyze mare Talk You Out of It, for $52,000.

Bred by and foaled at Saratoga Glen Farm in Stillwater and consigned by Colin Brennan Bloodstock, agent, the filly is the second foal out of Talk You Out of It. The filly’s first foal is the unraced the 2-year-old Central Banker filly Love Is Real.

The Lexitonian filly sold for $60,000 to Arrowhead Farm at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale.

Hip 2424, a colt by Vino Rosso bred by Barry Ostrager, sold for $50,000 Tuesday at Keeneland. Photo courtesy of Mill Ridge Sales.

Atlas Bloodstock, agent for MLD Stable, went to $50,000 for Hip 2424, a son of Vino Rosso out of the stakes-placed Gilded Time mare Eternal Grace.

Bred by Barry Ostrager, foaled at Hidden Lake Farm in Stillwater and consigned by Mill Ridge Sales, the colt is a half-brother to stakes winner and $215,503-earner Bye Bye Bernie, stakes-placed Joe Franklin and Little Dipper and four other winners.

The Vino Rosso colt originally sold for $70,000 to A.M.J.C. at this year’s Keeneland January horses of all ages sale.

Keeneland reported sales on 11 of the 15 New York-breds through the ring during the Book 4 sessions Monday and Tuesday for a total of $342,000, an average price of $31,091 and median of $30,000. Overall, 28 of the 38 New York-breds through the first eight sessions have sold for $2,772,000, an average price of $99,000 and median of $57,500.

The sale continues with first of two Book 5 sessions at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

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Len Green, Mark Toothaker, and Chris Trusso headline Oct. 13 NYTB Educational Seminar

September 16th, 2024

The New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. will host its annual general membership meeting and educational seminar on Sunday, Oct. 13 at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion in Saratoga Springs.

The event, which features a free dinner and cocktail hour for attendees, runs from 5-8p.m. all are encouraged to RSVP by Friday, Oct. 11 at nytbreeders.org/events.

This year’s seminar topic focuses on equine financial management. Where you can learn more about stallion syndication deals, evaluations, and farm business management.

Sponsored by the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund “The Fund” featured speakers include Mark Toothaker, stallion sales manager for Spendthrift Farm, Len Green, Founder & Chairman of The Green Group, and Chris Trusso who led the Greenwich, New York branch of Farm Credit East before retiring in March of 2024.

“We are focusing our educational meeting this year on the business of the thoroughbred business. We are thrilled to offer the opportunity for New York breeders to learn from the insight and expertise of our speakers including Mark Toothaker, the legendary Leonard Green and Chris Trusso. They have a lot of knowledge to share about equine business management, equine banking and the prospectives behind stallion evaluation and syndication deals,” said NYTB President Dr. Scott Ahlschwede, D.V.M. “We encourage everyone to register and attend.”

To promote the open format of the seminar meeting, NYTB is soliciting questions from attendees in advance. Questions may be emailed to info@nytbreeders.org.

Green is the Founder and Chairman of the New Jersey CPA firm, The Green Group, specializing in tax, accounting and consulting especially in the Thoroughbred industry. He and his late wife Lois also started D.J. Stable, which is now managed by their son, Jon, and has won over 2,500 races with 40 graded stakes winners and Eclipse winning champions Jaywalk and Wonder Wheel.

A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in Accounting, Green earned his Master’s Degree in taxation with honors from New York University and also graduated from the Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management Program.

For more than 20 years, Green has been teaching entrepreneurship at Babson College, which is rated the number one college in Entrepreneurship in the U.S.

Toothaker, a native of Van Buren, Arkansas attended Louisiana Tech University’s Equine program. He began his career working on the racetrack for trainers including Wayne Lukas, Joe Cantey, and Gerald Romero. He has also trained horses on his own. He then went into the military and served in the Army with the 10th Mountain Division in Fort Drum, NY.

Following his service, he and his wife moved back to Arkansas where they purchased a farm to begin his career in the breeding and stallion industry.

In 2004, he moved to Kentucky to manage Liberty Farm in Midway, KY for longtime breeder Allen Poindexter. He has also worked as a consignor and sold Breeders’ Cup winners including Kip Deville and Stardom Bound. He joined Spendthrift Farm in 2012.

Trusso, was employed by Farm Credit East before retiring in March of 2024. He led the Greenwich, New York branch staff for much of that time. He provided support to New York thoroughbred breeding farms, which saw considerable expansion with the 2003 VLT legislation making New York the best state to bred and race thoroughbreds.

The meeting and seminar will be conducted ahead of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale on Tuesday, October 15. Fasig-Tipton which begins at 10 a.m.

To attend the seminar and membership meeting register Oct. 14 at nytbreeders.org/events.

Please RSVP by Friday, October 11. For more information, call NYTB at 518.587.0777 or send an email to info@nytbreeders.org.

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Six-figure run continues in Book 3 at Keeneland

September 16th, 2024

D.J. Stable went to $220,000 to purchase colt by Vekoma bred by Three Diamonds Farm to highlight Book 3 of the Keeneland September yearling sale. Photo courtesy of Paramount Sales.

Led by a colt by Vekoma that sold for $220,000, six New York-breds sold for $100,000 or more during Book 3 of the Keeneland September yearling sale Saturday and Sunday in Lexington.

D.J. Stable LLC purchased the topper for Book 3, Hip 1371, a colt out of the winning Vancouver mare Salino.

Bred by Three Diamonds Farm, foaled at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson and consigned by Paramount Sales, agent, the colt is the first foal out of Salino.

A 6-year-old out of the stakes-winning Grand Slam mare Stellar, Salino won two of seven starts and earned $60,700. She’s from the family of Grade 1 winner Gygistar and champion sprinter Eillo. Salino sold for $40,000 to DKW Racing at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December mixed sale.

Hip 1551, a colt by Nyquist bred by Pine Ridge Stables and the first horse through the ring Sunday, sold for $125,000. Photo courtesy of Paramount Sales.

Hip 1551, a colt by Nyquist out of the Scat Daddy mare Daddy Issues, landed the second highest price for a New York-bred in Book 3. Doug O’Neill, agent for Run Fast Racing LLC, went to $125,000 to buy the fourth foal out of the half-sister to champion and multiple Grade 1 winner Accelerate and full-sister to Daddy DT and Amarish.

Bred by Pine Ridge Stables, foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham and consigned by Paramount Sales, agent, the colt is a half-brother to the two-time winning Liam’s Map 3-year-old filly Next On Stage, the winning 4-year-old Street Sense gelding Trustme Iamadoctor and an unnamed 2-year-old 2-year-old filly by Authentic.

Pine Ridge Stables, through Morris Bloodstock, purchased Daddy Issues in foal to Nyquist for $185,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

Keeneland reported sales on eight of the 11 New York-breds through the ring during Book 3 for a total of $890,000, an average price of $111,250 and median of $115,000.

The sale continues with the first of two sessions for Book 4 at 10 a.m. Monday. The sale also continues through Books 5 and 6 with the final session set to start at 10 a.m. Saturday.

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Loon Cry extends win streak in Sensible Lady

September 14th, 2024

Loon Cry collects second straight stakes victory in Saturday’s Sensible Lady Turf Sprint at Laurel Park. Maryland Jockey Club Photo.

Waterville Lake Stables’ homebred Loon Cry took her show on the road again Saturday and extended her win streak to three in the $100,000 Sensible Lady Turf Dash Stakes.

Coming off back-to-back victories in an allowance-optional and the Sweet Briar Too Stakes at Woodbine for trainer Christophe Clement, Loon Cry won the 6-furlong Sensible Lady by a length under Mychel Sanchez.

The 4-year-old daughter of More Than Ready closed from eighth at the half-mile and rallied through the lane to win the 6-furlong turf stakes in 1:08.44 over the firm ground. Queen of the Mud, the 8-5 favorite, finished second, three-quarters of a length in front of 2-1 third choice Love Appeals in third.

Sent off as the 4-1 third choice in the field of 10, Loon Cry settled toward the back of the field early as All That Magic set the pace through the opening splits of :23.34 and :45.60. Eighth through the half, Loon Cry moved into the six path turning for home and gained on the leaders outside the eighth pole.

All That Magic still led by a narrow head at the eighth pole but Loon Cry’s momentum carried her and Sanchez inside the furlong grounds to win going away.

“There was some good speed in the race so [Clement] told me to just get a good break out of the gate and get good position,” Sanchez said. “I was able to do that and save a lot of ground and after the way she’s breezed she gave me a really strong gear to the front.

She’s a fighter. When she goes to the front she was really, really running and then once she knew she won she slowed down like, ‘I got it.’ ”

Loon Cry improved to 7-for-14 with her latest stakes victory and boosted her earnings to $409,999. She’s also placed five times in her career, including a third in the Lady Erie Stakes at Presque Isle Downs. Loon Cry’s 14 starts have come at seven tracks – Aqueduct, Belmont Park, Presque Isle, Saratoga Race Course, Gulfstream Park, Woodbine and Laurel.

Loon Cry prepped for the Sensible Lady with Clement’s string at Belmont Park. She breezed a half in :51.55 August 24 and 5 furlongs in 1:04.45 September 4, both on the training track, in between the Sweet Briar Too and Sensible Lady.

Foaled at Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs, Loon Cry is one of five winners from five to race out of the multiple stakes-placed Bernardini mare Final Escrow, who was also bred by Waterville Lake Stables out of the multiple stakes-placed Escrow Agent.

Escrow Agent is also the dam of dual Grade 1 winner Vicar and stakes winner Sheepscot, who is the dam of Group 1 winner Astronomer Royal and Grade 2 winner Navesink River.

Final Escrow’s other winners are the 3-year-old Nyquist filly Go Ny Go, That’s Smart, Holy Spirit and Seanan. Final Escrow is also the dam of a yearling colt by Liam’s Map who sold for $220,000 to Sackatoga Stable at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. She’s also the dam of a New York-bred Good Magic filly born February 18. All were bred by Waterville Lake Stables.

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Freshman Fog of War sires first winner

September 14th, 2024

First-time starter Misseliofwar wins Friday at Aqueduct to give Fog of War his first winner. NYRA Photo.

Misseliofwar won his debut during the opening day card of the Belmont at the Big A meeting Friday to give Grade 1-winning freshman sire Fog of War his first winner.

Fog of War, an 8-year-old son of War Front, stands for $3,500 at Hidden Lake Farm in Stillwater. He’s the sire of 35 named foals in his first crop and Misseliofwar was his ninth starter.

Bred by and foaled at Hidden Lake Farm in Stillwater and owned by Birbal’s Racing Stable, Misseliofwar upset the finale at 29-1 under Dylan Davis for trainer Emron Ibrahim. Prem Birbal purchased Misseliofwar for $1,500 at this OBS June sale.

Fog of War sold for $400,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September yearling sale. Campaigned by Peter Brant and trainer Chad Brown, Fog of War won two of seven starts and earned $204,250. He won his debut going 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf at Saratoga Race Course before winning the Grade 1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine. He also placed in the 2019 Manila Stakes in his second start as a 3-year-old in 2019.

Fog of War entered stud in 2021 as the property of Brant’s White Birch Farm Inc. and Three C Stables LLC.

Bred by Orpendale, Chelston and Wynatt, Fog of War is out of the Group 3-winning Irish-bred Galileo mare Say. She’s the dam of two full brothers to Fog of War – Invader, a $500,000 Keeneland September yearling who won the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, and Naval Intelligence (exported to Hong Kong and renamed Gold Chest), a stakes-winner in Great Britain and Handicap winner in Hong Kong.

Fog of War’s second dam, Riskaverse, is a multiple Grade 1 winner of $2,182,429. A stakes winner and Grade 1-placed at 2, she captured the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational twice, Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup and won or placed in 10 other graded events. The daughter of Dynaformer sold for $5 million as a racing or broodmare prospect at the 2005 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November mixed sale.

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Game Winner colt leads six-figure haul at Keeneland September sale

September 13th, 2024

Hip 768, a colt by Game Winner bred by Dr. Jerry Bilinski, sold for $450,000 Thursday at the Keeneland September yearling sale. Photo courtesy of Paramount Sales.

A colt by Game Winner sold for $450,000 Thursday to lead a group of six New York-breds that brought six-figure prices for Books 1 and 2 at the Keeneland September yearling sale.

Cherie DeVaux, agent for Belladonna Racing, signed for the colt, offered as Hip 768 out of the Paramount Sales consignment. Bred by Dr. Jerry Bilinkski and foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, the colt is out of the winning D’wildcat mare D’fashion.

The colt from the second crop of champion and multiple Grade 1 winner Game Winner is the seventh out of D’fashion, who is the dam of stakes winner Strategic Dreams and winners D’archer, Canyouhearmenow, Light and Path and Garbar Boy. Bilinski, through his Waldorf Farm, purchased D’fashion carrying the Game Winner colt in utero for $75,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

Hip 798, a filly by Nyquist bred by Denlea Park LTD, sold for $350,000 Thursday at Keeneland. Photo courtesy of St George Sales.

The top-priced filly over the first four sessions also sold Thursday. Hip 798, a daughter of Nyquist and full-sister to New York-bred stakes winner Curly Girl, brought $350,000 from Dan Hayden, agent for Blue Devil Racing.

Bred by Denlea Park LTD, foaled at Rockridge Stud in Hudson and consigned by St George Sales, agent, the filly is the eighth foal out of the winning Forest Wildcat mare Falconess. In addition to Curly Girl, winner of the 2021 Lady Finger Stakes and placed in four other stakes, Falconess is the dam of winners Bostonian, Coniston, Mabrouk and Polpis.

Falconess was purchased by Denlea Park in foal to Tapizar for $67,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November sale.

Keeneland reported sales on nine of the 12 New York-breds through the ring over the first four days for $1,540,000, an average price of $171,111 and median of $130,000.

The sale continues Saturday with Book 3 after Friday’s scheduled dark day.

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Rockridge Stud’s Al Khali dies at 18

September 11th, 2024

Multiple graded stakes winner and millionaire Al Khali succumbed to colic last weekend at age 18. Adam Coglianese/NYRA Photo.

Multiple graded stakes winner and fifth-crop sire Al Khali succumbed to a bout of colic last Saturday. The 18-year-old son of Medagalia d’Oro had been a member of the stallion roster at Rockridge Stud in Hudson for the past three seasons.

“We are very sad to lose this well-loved horse,” said Adam Wachtel, who campaigned Al Khali in partnership with Brous Stable. “ ‘Big Al’ was a barn favorite at the track.”

Purchased as a yearling from the 2007 Keeneland September sale, Al Khali made an impressive 41 starts for Brous Stable and Wachtel Stable with Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. He won the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes as a 3-year-old at Saratoga Race Course and the Grade 2 Bowling Green Handicap at 4 at Belmont Park. He also placed in six Grade 1 stakes.

Al Khali, a full-brother to former New York stallion Japan, retired to Keane Stud in 2016. He won eight of 41 starts with five seconds and five thirds for $1,019,510 in earnings.

Al Khali sired an impressive 10 winners from only 19 starters in five crops of racing age, including 10-time winner and $581,068-earner Khali Magic.

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No Chalk denies three-peat in Arctic Queen

September 2nd, 2024

Matties Racing’s homebred No Chalk wins Monday’s Arctic Queen Stakes at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.

By Paul Halloran

Just when it looked as if Gone and Forgotten was going to make it three in a row in the Arctic Queen Stakes at Finger Lakes Monday, along came the appropriately named No Chalk to pull off a mild upset.

Owned and bred by Matties Racing LLC and foaled at Saratoga Glen Farm in Stillwater, the 5-year-old daughter of Tapiture came from sixth in the nine-horse field and collared Gone and Forgotten three strides before the wire to win by a half-length. The $30,000 winner’s share brought her career earnings to $230,255 on the strength of six wins, 10 seconds and two thirds in 22 starts.

Gone and Forgotten, the 2022 and 2023 Arctic Queen winner who was claimed by Linda Dixon for Barry Ostrager at Saratoga August 2, chased pacesetter Small Pebbles and Honest Banker – the favorite by only $5 – through a quarter-mile in :22.88. Honest Banker took over midway on the turn, but Gone and Forgotten was right with her through a half-mile in :46.52.

Having gone by Honest Banker by the time they straightened for home, Gone and Forgotten kicked clear by 2 lengths and looked like he was on his way to the three-peat in this stakes for New York-breds, but Anthony Rodriguez and No Chalk kept coming and got up just in time for trainer Sal Iorio Jr. The final time for 6 furlongs was 1:12.49, with No Chalk paying $8.60 to win.

No Chalk became the first stakes winner for the Speightstown mare Justleavemealone, who also produced $120,579 earner Noble Behavior (Noble Causeway), $118,044 earner Stimulus Check (Tapiture) and Cat Lady Steph (Warriors Reward), a 1-race winner. The Matties brothers bred all four of the progeny of Justleavemealone, a $75 Keeneland yearling in 2009 who won three times in a 21-race career.

No Chalk broke her maiden as a 3-year-old at first asking at Aqueduct in 2022 and ran second in the Niagara Stakes at Finger Lakes later that year. She managed only one win in 2023, but was on the board seven times in nine starts. She was 1-6 this year heading into the Arctic Queen, but has now won two in a row after taking a $10,000 optional claimer at Finger Lakes August 14.

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SUNY Cobleskill students on hand at Saratoga Race Course

September 2nd, 2024

Students and professors from SUNY Cobleskill joined NYTB Executive Director Najja Thompson (right) last weekend at Saratoga Race Course and helped pick the Best Turned Out Award on behalf of B.E.S.T. for Saturday’s card. Susie Raisher Photo.

By Tom Law and Alec DiConza

Students involved in the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc., and State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill’s accredited course designed to expose Animal Science program students to the Thoroughbred industry were on hand Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.

The students started the day with a behind-the-scenes tour of the Oklahoma Training Track led by former NYTB President and longtime New York owner and breeder Tom Gallo. The morning training part of the tour included a visit with Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, discussion with retired leading jockey Richard Migliore and later a tour of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame led by Tom Durkin.

The students spent the day at the races with visits to the paddock and helping the Backstretch Employee Service Team (B.E.S.T.) selection of the “Best Turned Out Award” for the day.

“I love it. We got to talk to a bunch of cool people like one of the jockeys earlier (and) we went to the museum,” said SUNY Cobleskill student Amber Reilly, also a member of the school’s equestrian team. “It was really fun to learn new things. And then we got to come here, meet a bunch of cool people, do a bunch of things I’ve never done. It’s just been a really good experience today.”

The program is offered to 15-20 junior undergraduate students that have met prerequisites. The course, which runs from late August to early December, falls in line with the NYTB’s goals to make outreach with upper-level science students majoring in equine studies and finding the next generation of the industry’s workforce and leaders in racing and breeding.

“This is the second year we’ve worked with SUNY Cobleskill, with Ray Whelihan and of course the Thoroughbred industry course, with New York Thoroughbred Breeders,” said NYTB Executive Director Najja Thompson. “This is a great experience for the students, to see the end product of the racing industry today at Saratoga Race Course. They got to visit Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, hear from champion New York jockey Richard Migliore and just experience the morning and afternoon racing.

“Expanding upon that program, they’ll also visit a breeding farm as well as experience the October fall sale here in Saratoga. It’s all about exposing students to the Thoroughbred industry in every aspect, and of course using that to get more people interested in participation and jobs within our industry, which is important.”

Raymond Whelihan, SUNY Cobleskill Associate Professor in Animal Science, collaborated with Gallo to develop the program and said it continues to be fine-tuned along with some growth.

“Definitely there is growth and getting a sense of the prior knowledge the students have and how we can help them build off it,” Whelihan said. “I think it goes a little bit smoother the second year, for sure. The New York breeders are the ones just providing all these opportunities. This is incredible.

Gallo spearheaded an effort years ago to introduce NYTB-led educational seminars, with an ultimate goal of using the seminars to educate young people that might be interested in the Thoroughbred industry. Gallo came away from this year’s event excited about the potential of the students and the program going forward.

“These kids are already in the equine studies program and deeply involved with horses,” Gallo said. “When we talk about schedules, care, maintenance, preparation for the races and all those things that go on with the horses, they’re deeply interested and engaged with the program.

Gallo thanked NYRA, BEST, Mott, Migliore, Durkin, the National Musuem of Racing and others involved in putting on Saturday’s event.

“It’s a pleasure to do,” Gallo said. “For me it’s not work at all. I love the fact we have young minds and young people that are really interested. The biggest thing is seeing what they get out of it, the excitement and the way their questions are pointed, very commonsense questions, one horseman to another type questions. Every question is a valid question.

“The challenge for us is to expand the program. We have a great product. What I’ve noticed in the Thoroughbred industry, everybody that comes to the racetrack now were exposed to the racetrack when they were young. You don’t have to talk a child into liking a horse. There’s a magnetic attraction there. That said, if we can introduce larger number of students to this program it will expand exponentially by telling other people. It’s great PR for our business. They see the standard of care these horses get.”

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Dakota Gold, Moonage Daydream post upsets in Showcase Day grass stakes

August 25th, 2024

Dakota Gold upsets favored Spirit of St Louis in Sunday’s West Point Handicap at Saratoga. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

The five horses that contested Sunday’s $194,000 West Point Handicap at Saratoga Race Course were the same quintet that raced in the Hudson Valley Stakes July 7 at Aqueduct. The similarities between the two races pretty much end there.

For starters, there were some anxious moments in the Saratoga paddock when Itsallcomintogetha got loose after being saddled. An outrider caught him before he could get too far and nobody was hurt in the incident. Jose Gomez mounted the Weekend Hideaway colt and led the post parade with no further problems.

With Spirit of St Louis a 3-length winner over the same four opponents in the Hudson Valley, bettors sent him off as the 2-5 favorite in the West Point. This time, Hudson Valley runner-up Dakota Gold took his turn in the spotlight as he closed from last to win the 1 1/16-mile turf event by a nose over Spirit of St Louis for trainer Danny Gargan.

“Any time you beat Spirit of St Louis, you’ve run huge,” Gargan said. “He’s been an unbelievable horse to have his whole life. We won stakes at 2, 3, 4, now at 5 with him. He’s been a pleasure to have. He’s one of those horses that you love to look in the barn at every year and see. We gelded him this year. He’s lightly raced right now, and he’s been training spectacular. But, you know, it’s a big upset because Spirit of St Louis is a serious horse. We couldn’t be more happy with how he ran today.”

Owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Dakota Gold broke from the rail Sunday and immediately took his spot at the back of the field. Jerry the Nipper appeared intent on going to the lead and set moderate fractions of :23.43 and :48.30.

Dakota Gold remained last under Dylan Davis going into the far turn as Spirit of St Louis started making his bid from fourth. Dakota Gold swung widest of all turning for home with some work to do to catch Spirit of St Louis, but had just enough to chase him down in the final strides. The 5-year-old gelding by Freud finished in 1:41.24 with Spirit of St Louis second, followed by City Man, Jerry the Nipper and Itsallcomintogetha.

“We were able to get him in some good striking distance down the backside and I knew that he was going to make a good run even though I was going to be wide around the bend,” Davis said. “The main focus was to get him running and in the clear, and that’s what we did today. He was able to run down (Spirit of) St Louis.”

Gargan noted that Dakota Gold could race against New York-bred company again in the Ashley T. Cole September 27 at Aqueduct.

“Most likely,” he said. “He’ll stay against New York-breds until we go to Florida.”

Bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds and Ronald Bowden Living Trust, Dakota Gold is out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Dakota Kid.

Dakota Gold sold for $83,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale. Of three half-siblings who have raced, two have won, including multiple stakes winner Ramblin’ Wreck and stakes-placed mare Dakota Dancer. Dakota Gold, now a five-time stakes winner, improved to 6-3-3 in 17 starts and boosted his bankroll to $880,950. – Alec DiConza

•••

Moonage Daydream rolls to 13-1 upset of Yaddo Handicap Sunday at Saratoga. Chelsea Durand/NYRA Photo.

Moonage Daydream pulled off a 13-1 upset in the $200,000 Yaddo Handicap to give Jorge Abreu a training triple on Sunday’s card. He won with Silver Satin in the third race and Busy Morning in the seventh. Prior to Sunday, Abreu had one win at the meet with seven seconds.

“It was frustrating early on with the turf, off the turf, the rain,” he said. “A lot of horses finishing second with a good race, getting tough beats. I was just waiting for things to turn around.”

Moonage Daydream sat second behind Venti Valentine early on in the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares. Under Jose Ortiz, the 4-year-old daughter of Candy Ride overtook that rival to gain the lead turning for home and established a gap between herself and the competition. The filly owned by Chris Larsen ran home to a 1 1/4-length score in 1:42.81. Marvelous Maude closed late for second, a neck ahead of Whatlovelookslike..

“We broke really clean,” Ortiz said. “I had to wrestle with her in the first turn to take her back, but I did take her back. She settled on the backside. Three-eighths pole, I was traveling really well and I was very confident. I rode her last time and knew her well. She ran good that day, but she was a little bit rank early on. Today, I tried to settle more, and there was still a lot of room to improve. She needs to settle a little bit more.”

Moonage Daydream came into the Yaddo off a fourth in the Perfect Sting against open company after setting the pace. Seeing his filly tire to finish 4 1/2 lengths off the winner, Abreu came into the Yaddo with a plan to be less aggressive early.

“When she ran at Aqueduct, the stakes she ran before this one, she would make the lead and she got a little tired toward the end,” Abreu said. “Jose told me we just want to try to relax her a little bit, and we did. I told Jose, ‘Whatever you do, do not make the lead with this filly. I don’t care if you have to stand up in the stirrup. Do not make the lead.’ He did a good job.”

Abreu said he isn’t quite sure where Moonage Daydream will run next, but noted that he wouldn’t likely stretch her out in distance.

“I don’t think I’m going to stretch her out any more than this,” he said. “We’ll see how she comes out of it and then make a decision of where we want to go next.”

Ortiz won the Seeking The Ante with Accelerating earlier on the card, making his win in the Yaddo a stakes double for New York Showcase Day. After the Yaddo, he praised the New York-bred racing program.

“It is a great program, I fully support,” he said. “It is a great program for New York breeders and owners. It is a very rich program. They put a lot of money into New York-breds here at NYRA, which is very important for the program to keep growing. It is in a great place right now.”

Moonage Daydream is out of Elatha, a winning Malibu Moon mare who has produced two other foals to race, including the two-time winner Guardian Moon. Moonage Daydream was bred by 3C Stable and now has four wins in 10 starts with career earnings of $301,910. – Alec DiConza

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