Adam Coglianese
Turtle Bird Stable’s lightly raced 4-year-old Cluster of Stars (Greeley’s Galaxy) went to a perfect three-for-three in her stakes debut, winning a hard-fought stretch duel to spoil Nicole H’s title defense in the $100,000 Correction Stakes on Saturday at Aqueduct.
Breaking like a shot from post three under Javier Castellano – in town to ride in the Aqueduct stakes on Withers Day – Cluster of Stars (3-2 second choice) immediately stole a march on 1-2 favorite Nicole H, opening up more than two lengths during the trip up the backstretch.
After Cluster of Stars clocked a 23.08 quarter mile, Nicole H began to close the gap, drew even rounding the far turn and poked a head in front. The pair exited the turn together and engaged in a head-to-head battle that lasted the length of the stretch.
Nicole H, a five-time stakes winner over the inner, was a tough customer, but Cluster of Stars kept battling back, eventually getting the victory by a head. Cluster of Stars and Nicole H finished 8 lengths clear of the rest of the field, Singlet and Crespano, who finished a nose apart. After a half mile run in 46.17, the final time for the six furlongs was a sharp 1:09.66.
NYRA/Joe Labozztta
Winning jockey Javier Castellano was impressed by his mount. “She relaxed nice. I’m kind of surprised [Nicole H] came up so quick [in the turn]; I didn’t have a chance to respond. She got the jump on my horse, but my horse is such a sweet girl. She fought all the way. She didn’t want to get beat today, that’s for sure. She’s very competitive.”
Toby Sheets, assistant to winning trainer Steve Asmussen, said, “Exciting. She had little issues here and there and [this victory is] thanks to Turtle Bird [Stable’s] patience. It was impressive. Nicole H is an awesome filly, and our filly is very unseasoned; this is her third career start. We’ve thought she was special all along.”
Going out for the same connections that brought us two-time New York-bred Horse of the Year Haynesfield – Asmussen/Sheets and Harvey Weinstein’s Turtle Bird Stable – Cluster of Stars has now posted three outstanding efforts, all at six furlongs over the Aqueduct inner oval, and for the first time managed to put together back-to-back starts.
In her debut on February 12 of last year Cluster of Stars bested 11 New York-bred maidens by 5 1/2 lengths. Not seen again for a 11 months and a day, she gave 10 winners a drubbing in the mud on January 13 in an entry level state-bred allowance, winning unasked by 6 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:10.65. After her victory in the Correction, Cluster of Stars has earned $121,200 from her three winning starts.
Bred by Michael McPoland and Sean Finn and foaled at Rockmount in Saugerties, Cluster of Stars is one of two multiple winners from three foals to start out of Babyurthegreatest, a six-time Florida-bred winner by Honour and Glory ($83,520). Babyurthegreatest has one more reported foal, a 3-year-old gelding by Defer named Gentle Jim. Bred by Michael McPoland and owned and trained by Andrew Lakeman, Gentle Jim is scheduled to make his career debut tomorrow, February 3 in Aqueduct’s sixth race.
Cluster of Stars’ sire Greeley’s Galaxy stood at Susan and Howard Kaskel’s Sugar Maple Farm from 2007 to 2010 before relocating to Louisiana.
