Adam Coglianese
The beat goes on for Hessonite, as the 4-year-old daughter of Freud scored her third consecutive stakes victory for owners William J. Punk, Jr. and Philip DiLeo on Sunday in the $150,000 John Hettinger Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares.
Sent to the inside post as 3-5 favorite under Ramon Dominguez to go 1 1/8 miles on Belmont’s yielding inner turf course – one-half furlong further than she had run in any prior race – Hessonite ran unhurried at the hedge for the first half mile (50.11), last of five and nearly ten lengths behind freewheeling pacesetter Inimitable Romanee.
As the field tightened up in the approach to the far turn, Hessonite found room on the inside, moved up into second, and angled out for the drive exiting the far turn.
Passing Inimitable Romanee in upper stretch, Hessonite slipped easily into another gear and opened up under a hand ride to score the victory by 5 1/4 lengths going away in final time of 1:52.12. A late-running Freedom Rings got up for place, collaring pacesetter Inimitable Romanee at the wire. Gitchee Goomie and Dreaming of Cara completed the order of finish. [VIDEO]
Ramon Dominguez, Hessonite’s pilot for her last five races, said, “She’s such a nice filly to ride. Before the race I knew there was not much speed. I said ‘If I happen to be laying second or third, great.’ But, I didn’t end up there. I just listened to her and she was relaxed. She does everything that you ask her, and she doesn’t mind the soft going here, which doesn’t hurt either. She’s a nice one.”
Trainer David Donk said, “Ramon has so much confidence in her. Like he said, with a different horse, the [inside] post may have been an issue; with her, no. The way she runs, wherever there’s a seam, she’s there; wherever he wants her, she’s there. Very professional. I’m just very fortunate my name is on the program.”
Donk is also the trainer of the runner-up. “With Freedom Rings, she ran terrific. I can never get races long enough for her; Johnny [Velazquez] said when he got her outside she really came running. To finish 1-2, you can’t get any better.”
Donk is on the fence about whether to wait for New York Showcase Day on October 20 for Hessonite’s next start. “I want to run in an open race before that? It’s possible. If it’s soft ground, she’ll run well over that. We’ll have to see.”
After beginning the year with an off-the-board effort in the Grade 3 Beaugay, Hessonite has steadily established her dominance in the female New York-bred turf division. After back-to-back close runner-up finishes to Gitchee Goomie in Belmont’s Mount Vernon on May 27 and the Grade 3 Dr. James Penny Memorial Handicap on July 3 at Parx Racing, she reeled off victories in the Irish Linnet on July 27 and Yaddo on August 17, both run at Saratoga, before taking down the Hettinger.
Bred by Berkshire Stud, where she was foaled, in partnership with John Meriwether’s Waterville Lake Stables Limited, LLC, Hessonite was purchased by William Punk, Jr. as a 2009 Keeneland September yearling for $27,000. Hessonite has won six stakes races and placed in two Grade 3 events. Her record now stands at 8-3-1 from 16 career starts with $590,310 in earnings.
Hessonite’s dam Lakab is a winning daughter of Manila with three siblings who won at the Grade/Group 2 and 3 levels. Lakab has produced eight winners, including stakes performers Roanoke (Aus), by Danehill ($106,274) and European Rose, by Nureyev ($67,860). Her most recent foal is a New York-bred three-year-old filly by Johannesburg named Olympic Bride, who has started once in Brazil.
Hessonite’s sire Freud, the perennial leading turf sire in the state, stands at Sequel Stallions New York.
