R Betty Graybull takes Four Stakes Wins and over $400K in Earnings to Breeding Shed

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by Sarah Mace

Despite early optimism that she suffered no lasting effects from a fall following the Sky Beauty S. at Belmont on July 2, R Betty Graybull was retired last week due to an ankle injury, but the five-year-old daughter of Holy Bull takes an outstanding record of achievement and impressive earnings bankroll to co-owner Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs Farm in Kentucky, where she will be bred next year.

Campaigned by Bob Hutt’s Fantasy Lane Stables and, as of late winter, jointly owned by Fantasy Lane Stables and Stronach Stables, R Betty Graybull began her career with the late Alan Seewald, later moving to the barn of Linda White after Seewald passed away in April 2010.

R Betty Graybull was a precocious juvenile. The highlight of her strong four-race two-year-old campaign was a victory in the NATC Futurity at Monmouth Park – the first of her three career victories over off going. In 2008 she also finished second in Philadelphia Park’s Brandywine, closing out the year with a record 4-2(1)-1-1.

At three, R Betty Graybull passed through her NW2X condition in the company of fellow state-breds and, in the first start of her 2010 campaign, won an open third-level allowance/optional claiming event at Tampa Bay. From mid-2010 on, the grey/roan mare was rarely seen outside of stakes company.

A three-time winner at four, R Betty Graybull went on from her Tampa Bay coup to win Belmont’s restricted Anniron stakes in September, finish second to Meese Rocks in the Iroquois on New York Showcase Day and, in her last start of the calendar year, demonstrate that she could successfully stretch out to a mile and navigate two turns by winning an open $55,600 conditioned allowance race at Parx Racing in December. She was also developing a flair for dramatic deep-closing finishes.

Continuing into 2011 without a break, R Betty Graybull continued to race in peak form, first taking the Leecoo for state-breds at Aqueduct in January, also run at a mile, with a dramatic last-to-first rally. Testing deeper waters next out in Laurel’s 7-furlong, Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie H. on February 19^th, she appeared not to relish the surface, but next out captured the open Ladies Handicap run at 1 1/8 miles over Aqueduct’s inner oval on March 26. [VIDEO[3]]

As to spotting R Betty Graybull in longer races lately, Linda White explained, “Alan [Seewald] was always afraid to stretch her out because she had knee surgery as a two-year-old and he thought it’d be too hard on her knees to change leads going around two turns. But she is certainly bred for the distance. With her running style, she is easy on herself.” White was also quick to credit Seewald for the mare’s best successes, which came during a six month period in 2010-2011. “We bought this horse when Alan was alive, and he put the foundation in her. He is credited for where she is today.”

When R Betty Graybull was forced to call it a career after the Sky Beauty, she had won a total of four stakes races, was a seven-time stakes performer and earned $436,117, compiling a record of 8-3-3 from 23 lifetime starts.

Bred in New York by Pegasus Farms, Inc. and purchased as a yearling for $37,000 in 2007 by Ed Lipton at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred sale, R Betty Graybull is one of four starters (three winners, all New York-breds) out of the unraced Evansville Slew mare Hey Darla.

Hey Darla’s three-year-old filly, There Goes Molly (Chief Seattle) placed twice at two, and has already won twice this year for lifetime earnings of $106,907. Hey Darla also has an unnamed yearling colt by Grand Slam, and this past March had a filly by Big Brown.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2011/07/11/r-betty-graybull-breeding-shed/

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