Returning to the races after slightly more than three months off, Francis Paolangeli’s homebred Wildcat’s Smile closed into a second-place finish in the $75,000 Raging Fever overnight stakes on Opening Day at Aqueduct.
The 3-year-old daughter of Forest Wildcat had not raced since an off-the-board finish when heavily favored to beat the boys in the New York Derby at Finger Lakes on July 21. Returning to the worktab for trainer Dominic Galluscio on September 24, Wildcat’s Smile logged five published works toward her return, including a sharp five-furlong move at Belmont on October 21 (1:00 3/5).
Breaking from post five (of six) to go seven furlongs on Friday, Wildcat’s Smile sat back in fourth position early under Cornelio Velazquez. Between and behind horses in the backstretch and though the far turn as far as the quarter pole, Wildcat’s Smile shifted out five wide at the top of the stretch, at this point with the whole field to pass.
Going widest of all in the stretch, Wildcat’s Smile pursued eventual winner Morrow Cove past the rest of the field and closed ground well, ultimately finishing 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner. The final time for seven furlongs over the fast going was 1:24.21.
A maiden-breaker at second asking at Saratoga in 2011, Wildcat’s Smile enjoyed an outstanding juvenile campaign. Winner of the New York Breeders’ Futurity, she finished second by a nose in the Grade 2 Demoiselle, as well as earning place money in the Lady Finger Stakes and Joseph A. Gimma. In four prior starts this year, she won a state-bred allowance and finished a strong third in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan. The dark bay filly’s record now stands at 3-4-2 with $368,821 in earnings.
Foaled at Keane Stud[1] in Amenia, Wildcat’s Smile is out of Serenity’s Smile, a multiple black type placed New York-bred daughter of Dixie Brass also bred by Paolangeli ($178,634). A producer of all stakes winners from three foals to start, Serenity’s Smile first foal, Stormy’s Smile, a daughter of Stormy Atlantic, won the 2008 renewal of the Maid of the Mist at Belmont ($73,971). Five-year-old Johannesburg Smile (Johannesburg) has won two stakes races and is a nine-time stakes performer ($383,770).
Serenity’s Smile currently has a 2-year-old filly by Stormy Atlantic named Atlantic’s Smile who has not yet started and a yearling colt by Catienus (Catienus’s Smile). She was bred to Bluegrass Cat in 2012.
Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2012/11/02/wildcats-smile-raging-fever/
Graded stakes winner, Soaring Empire will enter stud in 2013 at Vinery New York[1], according to an announcement made by Vinery’s Dan Hayden Friday. The 5-year-old son of leading sire Empire Maker will stand for $2,500 payable when foal stands and nurses. In a separate release Friday, Vinery announced the 2013 stud fees for the stallion division in New York.
Owned by Ol Memorial Stable (Rick Pitino) and C. E. Glasscock Racing, Soaring Empire won five times and placed in another five races, eight of which were stakes over three seasons. He won his 2-year-old debut at Monmouth Park then placed in the G3 Iroquois S. at Churchill Downs in his only other race that season. As a 3-year-old, he won the Rutgers S. at Monmouth, going six furlongs in 1:08.27, and placed in the G3 Pegasus S. to eventual G1 Travers S. winner Afleet Express. Soaring Empire won the mile-long Grade 3 Hal’s Hope S. at Gulfstream in his first start at four earning a 106 Beyer Figure, then was runner-up in the Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship S. and Gulfstream Park H., both Grade 2 races, in his next two starts. Soaring Empire went on to win the Majestic Light S. at Monmouth and finished second in the Salvator Mile S.-G3. Trained by Cam Gambolati, he was retired earlier this year.
“Soaring Empire showed a lot of versatility as a racehorse, winning from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles. He’s from a quality female family and is by the influential stallion Empire Maker. We are very pleased to have him in New York,” said Hayden.
A half-brother to 2012 multiple graded stakes winner Hungry Island, Soaring Empire was bred by Emory Hamilton and sold for $190,000 as a yearling at Keeneland. He is out of the A.P. Indy mare Flying Passage, and his second dam is Grade 1 winner Chic Shirine. This is the family of Champion Queena, Grade 1 winners Too Chic, Serra Lake, and Brahms, as well as graded stakes winners El Padrino, Al Khali, Somali Lemonade, Coal Play and Tara Roma.
For more information contact Dan Hayden, General Manager, (845) 724-3500 or for season inquiries contact Erin Robinson (859) 455-9388.
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Vinery announced the 2013 stud fees for the stallion division in New York Friday. All fees are payable when foal stands and nurses.
Bluegrass Cat $15,000
D’ Funnybone $3,500
Giant Surprise $2,500
Pomeroy $5,000
Posse $12,500
Soaring Empire $2,500
Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2012/11/02/soaring-empire-vinery-ny-stud-fees/
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