Kelli Got Frosty makes a splash with romp in sloppy East View

by Sarah Mace

Kelli Got Frosty put another feather in the cap of her top freshman sire Frost Giant by becoming his first multiple stakes winner as she splashed her way to a much-the-best 9 1/2-length victory in Sunday’s $80,000 East View Stakes for New York-bred juvenile fillies, a one-turn mile on a sloppy (sealed) racetrack.

Co-featured with the Damon Runyon on the closing day of main track competition at Aqueduct, the East View was approached with confidence by bettors, who made Kelli Go Frosty the 2-5 favorite following her half-length victory in the Fifth Avenue division of the NYSS on November 11 over a very tough customer in odds-on Monmouth-based invader P J’s Superego (Freud).

After an uneventful break from post three under Cornelio Velazquez, the blaze-faced dark bay took over the lead at the rail from Bit Bustin (Bustin Stones) following a first quarter mile in 23.73. After cruising up the backstretch and extending her lead to five lengths by the quarter pole (47.69, 1:12.79), Kelli Got Frosty opened up dramatically midstretch when asked for run, going on to win by 9 1/2 lengths geared down.

Second choice Agilion closed from fifth to finish second, five lengths ahead of Bit Bustin. Jerusalem Stone was fourth, followed home by Carameaway and Flattermewithroses. The final time for the one mile over the off-going was 1:39.19, a half second faster than the males in the Damon Runyon. [VIDEO[2]]

Cornelio Velasquez, who had call aboard Kelli Got Frosty for the first time, said, “There wasn’t much speed in the race; I tried running in behind the speed, but it was a slow pace and she made the lead easy. I had the best horse; she galloped and won easy. She’s a nice filly and she loves the mud.”

Rudy Rodriguez, who trains the filly for breeder Andrew Cohen and co-owners Lee Sacks, Aubrey Flanagan and Gary Tolchin, added, “I’m very happy with the way she’s coming along. I’m thankful to the owners for giving me the opportunity to train her, and she’s a very nice filly. I think she’ll be fine going two turns. I think the longer she goes, she’ll get more comfortable. We really liked her from Day 1, and she has not disappointed us yet.”

Fourth in her debut in the Lady Finger Stakes, Kelli Got Frosty broke her maiden next out by an eye-popping 14 lengths in the mud at Belmont going 1 1/16 miles. A close-up third when favored to win the Joseph A. Gimma on Showcase Day in her third start, she went on to win the six-furlong Park Avenue in gritty style. With back-to-back stakes victories in her last two starts, Kelli Got Frosty has now earned $175,944.

Foaled at Empire Stud in Hudson, Kelli Got Frosty is the second foal and second winner out of Nick’s Honor, an unraced daughter of Jump Start. Nick’s Honor currently has a weanling filly by Posse and was bred this year to D’ Funnybone.

Frost Giant (Keane Stud[3]), winner of the Grade 1 Suburban Handicap in 2008, is the leading first crop sire in New York and, at the start of the weekend, ranked sixth nationally. His first progeny stakes winner West Hills Giant captured the $247,338 New York Breeders’ Futurity.

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2012/12/09/kelli-got-frosty-east-view/

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Smooth Bert glides home first in Damon Runyon

by Sarah Mace

Bona Venture Stables’ Smooth Bert (Smooth Jazz) overtook Notacatbutallama in late stretch to win Sunday’s co-featured $80,000, one-mile Damon Runyon Stakes for New York-bred juveniles on the last day of main track racing at Aqueduct.

Coming into the Damon Runyon with a proven aptitude for off-going, Smooth Bert was bet down from his 12-1 morning line odds to third choice at 4-1 in a contentious field of eight that included: two-time stakes winner and Grade 3 Pilgrim runner-up Notacatbutallama (3-1), who was making an experimental first start on dirt for Repole-Pletcher; favorite In Harm’s Way (2-1), who ran third in Grade 2 Saratoga Special; Meeker Avenue and Laila’s Jazz, the one-two finishers in the six-furlong NYSS Great White Way; and a couple of promising-looking second-time starters.

Part of the scrum in the vanguard in the earliest stages, Smooth Bert raced four wide in third from his outside post under Mike Luzzi behind In Harm’s Way, who emerged with the lead by the time the field exited the chute.

As the field entered the far turn, Smooth Bert advanced to be a clear second five lengths behind In Harm’s Way. Notacatbutallama, who took back to seventh early, kicked into gear around the far turn and passed Smooth Bert at the quarter pole, to take over second.

In Harm’s Way continued to lead past the furlong marker, but Notacatbutallama advanced on the outside to gain the lead and Smooth Bert re-rallied at the rail. Going best in the final sixteenth, Smooth Bert struck the front and opened up three-quarters of a length by the wire. Notacatbutallama finished five lengths ahead of 24-1 longshot James Jingle, who closed from last to get third. Completing the order of finish were Giant Finish, Reaching Out, Laila’s Jazz, and Meeker Avenue.

After a half-mile in 46.65, the final time for the mile on the sloppy (sealed) track was 1:39.70. [VIDEO[2]]

Winning rider Mike Luzzi commented, “Just by going on what [trainer Leah Gyarmati] and her assistant, Herbie, said, he’s very talented, but he’s still kind of green. He really doesn’t know what he’s doing yet. He kind of lost focus, then Rajiv [Maragh, aboard Notacatbutallama] went by me and he kind of gained his focus back and went back to running. Very talented horse, and I think he’ll improve.”

Gyarmati added, “I was a little worried turning for home when I thought we were going to be a bad third, but he kicked in and took off. [Mike Luzzi] rode him perfectly. He let him get his feet under him and let him relax, but kept him where he stayed involved.”

Gyarmati also said, “He’s a neat horse. He can probably do anything once he figures it all out. The longer, the better, and he has some speed if you want him to use it. He’s very athletic. He looks like a 5-year-old, but he’s not clumsy. He’s not one of those big horses where it takes a lot for him to get into himself. Right from the beginning, he’s been athletic.”

Smooth Bert’s first stakes victory comes in his fifth career outing. Third in his Saratoga debut in the slop at behind multiple stakes winner Weekend Hideaway, and improving to second next out at Belmont on September 19, Smooth Bert broke his maiden at third asking at Belmont while stretching out to a mile on a muddy sealed track on October 4. In his stakes debut in the Bertram Bongard on Showcase Day, the colt finished fifth after hitting the gate.

Bred by Allen Hallett in partnership with Briggs & Cromartie Bloodstock, and foaled at Hallett’s Thoroughbreds in Cato, Smooth Bert is the first stakes winner for his winning dam Little Bertie (Devil His Due), all of whose six foals to start are winners, including $127,200-earner Singalongwith Bert (Concerto).

Smooth Bert’s sire Smooth Jazz, who begin his stud career at Cloverleaf Farms in Florida in 2004, moved to Buckridge Farm in Kinderhook, where he stood in 2008 and 2009 before relocating to Ghost Ridge Farm in Pennsylvania.

Smooth Bert twice changed hands at public auction, selling as a Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York Preferred yearling for $45,000 to SGV Thoroughbreds, who turned him around for $60,000 to Bona Venture Stables at the 2012 OBS Spring 2-year-old sale.

With no reported foals in 2011 and 2012, Little Bertie was bred this year to D’ Funnybone.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2012/12/09/smooth-bert-damon-runyon/

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Brigand wires City of Laurel for first stakes score

by Sarah Mace

With three runner-up finishes in stakes races already under his belt, including two graded events, Kaleem Shah’s Brigand won his first black type victory in the $100,000 City Of Laurel Stakes for three-year-olds run at seven furlongs Saturday at Laurel Park.

Becoming the first horse trainer Bob Baffert has ever run at Laurel, Brigand shipped to Maryland from his Belmont home base for a first stakes appearance since finishing second in the Mike Lee at Belmont in June. In the interim Brigand had won two of four starts by open lengths against state-breds at the allowance level.

Sent off as the 9-5 second choice with Laurel’s leading rider Abel Castellano aboard, Brigand made the lead early from his inside post, pressed by the speedy Service for Ten and carving out fractions of 23.41 and 46.74.

Brigand outlasted Service of Ten, and the favorite (and potential closer) Hardened Wildcat did not fire. Bellefire, however, made a bold run down the middle of the track in late stretch, but could not catch Brigand, who finished a length to the good in a final time of 1:23.08. Javerre finished third another length back.

“The instructions were to break good, not hustle too much and let him do his own thing,” Castellano said. “We were pressured the whole backside but he relaxed. When we got to the half mile pole he changed the lead, he got relaxed and comfortable, he was going good and I knew I was going to have the horse left. That is a nice horse.”

Kaleem Shah, who lives in nearby Vienna, VA, said, “Bob chose this spot. He told me this was a good spot. He thought he would win and that was good enough for me.”

A son of Flatter, Brigand made headlines last year when he brought the top price of $925,000 at the OBS March sale. Making all three juvenile starts on synthetic at Hollywood Park and Del Mar, he won his debut and finished in the Grade 3 Hollywood Juvenile.

In four stakes appearances in nine starts this year, including the City of Laurel, Brigand twice ran second to eventual Grade 1 winners: The Lumber Guy (winner of the Grade 1 Vosburgh) in the Grade 2 Jerome at Aqueduct in April, and Willy Beamin (winner of the Grade 1 Foxwoods King’s Bishop) in the Mike Lee at Belmont in June. His record now stands at 4-5-0 from 12 starts with $288,820 in earnings.

Bred by Berkshire Stud[2] in Pine Plains where he was foaled, Brigand is out of Silence Please, an unraced Quiet American mare. Four foals (all New York-breds) have won, including Sky Music, a stakes-winning colt by Sky Mesa ($124,900). Her 2-year-old colt by Bluegrass Cat named Everydoghashisday has placed three times in seven starts. Silence Please also has a yearling filly by Bernstein, a weanling full sister to Brigand and was bred this year to Mineshaft.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2012/12/09/brigand-city-of-laurel/

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