Adam Coglianese
Sent off at generous odds of 12-1 in Aqueduct’s featured $75,000 one-mile Judy Soda Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares on Sunday, Miss Da Point (Strong Contender) parlayed a stalking trip into an dominant victory, securing her career second stakes win and third straight first-place finish in a month.
Trained by John Toscano for Mike Mellen’s Bran Jam Stable and David W. Clark, Miss Da Point came into the Judy Soda Stakes sporting three victories in six prior starts over Aqueduct’s inner track, including the 1 mile 70-yard Our Shopping Spree Stakes for state-bred juvenile fillies on New Year’s Eve 2012, and most recently a second-level state-bred allowance on December 26 which she won by over two lengths at similarly ample 13-1 odds. On December 5 Miss Da Point won a six-furlong open starter’s allowance / optional claimer on the main track, for which she was entered for a $50,000 tag, by a nose at odds of 7-1.
After the break Carameaway, half of a Mitchell Friedman entry bookending the field, cleared the seven rivals to her inside from her outside post to take a 1 1/2-length lead, tracked by Harbor Mist at the rail and Miss Da Point in the two-path.
Miss Da Point advanced to second along the backstretch and closed with Carameaway in the far turn. Drawing up on even terms with the pacesetter at the quarter pole, Miss Da Point kicked away in upper stretch, opening up three lengths before crossing the wire three-quarters of a length in front of a fast-closing Tahoe Tigress.
The pacesetter’s stablemate Dreaming of Cara finished three lengths further back in third followed by Carameaway. Following a steward’s inquiry, Dreaming of Cara was placed fifth for interference with Hot Rendezvous (fifth across the line), who was in turn promoted to fourth. Shesabronxbomber, odds-on favorite Mischief Maker and Harbor Mist completed the order of finish. After a half-mile run in 48.36, the final time for the mile over the fast inner oval was 1:39.96. The Judy Soda was the first career stakes victory for young rider Manny Esquivel.
Bred by James Roberts, Miss Da Point began her career at Finger Lakes for trainer James Acquilano, breaking her maiden at second asking on October 12 by thirteen lengths. Claimed from Peekaboo Stable for $50,000 out of her first start downstate on October 28, she won the Shopping Spree Stakes three starts later in her stakes debut. A winner of four races at three, including her final two starts of 2013, Miss Da Point has compiled a record of 7-1-2 from 20 starts and earned $264,813.
Miss Da Point is the most successful of five winners out of Long Distance Love, an unplaced Kentucky-bred daughter of Dehere purchased by Roberts out of the 2002 OBS Spring 2-year-old sale for $40,000. Her most recent reported foal is a 3-year-old West Virginia-bred gelding by Grand Reserve named Mighty Grand.
