NEWS: RACING

Big day for Noonmark on both coasts

Sunday, January 19th, 2014
Adam Coglianese

Adam Coglianese

by Sarah Mace

The progeny of young sire Noonmark grabbed the spotlight on both coasts Saturday, when first-time starters Saratoga Shoes and Marketable Miss ran one-two in a salty New York-bred maiden special weight at Aqueduct and, a few hours later at Golden Gate Fields, New Jersey-bred Exit Stage Left won his third stakes race in as many career starts taking the $100,000 California Derby.

Saturday’s sixth race at Aqueduct featured eleven newly-turned 3-year-old New York-bred fillies, including eight first-time starters, going 5 1/2 furlongs on the inner oval. Out of the gate with the vanguard, Saratoga Shoes (5-2 second choice) made her way over to the rail on the backstretch under Abel Castellano, Jr. and raced on even terms around the turn with Happy Recap and Marketable Miss to her outside. After cutting the corner, she began to edge away in upper stretch, kicked fully clear of her rivals and won a decisive 4 3/4 length victory in 1:07.59. Marketable Miss, up with the pace throughout, continued gamely to preserve second, a half-length ahead of Make Your Point. [VIDEO]

A dark bay / brown filly bred by Anthony Grey and foaled at Keane Stud in Amenia, Saratoga Shoes is a half-sister to multiple stakes placed $366,171-earner Bwana Babe (Bwana Charlie). She was purchased by Sovereign Stable for $130,000 at the 2013 OBS spring sale of 2-year-olds in training and is trained by George Weaver. Marketable Miss, who is trained by John Kimmel, was bred by Jeffrey and Elisabeth Raine and is owned in partnership by CFC Stables and Jeffrey Raine.

Paul Chin, The Chronicle

Paul Chin, The Chronicle

Later on in California, Exit Stage Left, undefeated in two career starts and already a two-time stakes winner, faced seven other sophomores in the 1 1/16-mile California Derby. Taking the initiative at the bell under jockey Russell Baze, the chestnut colt (5-2 second choice) maintained a narrow advantage over a pace-pressing Harbaugh through the first three-quarters of mile (23.86, 48.20, 1:12.96). Asked for run as he exited the far turn, Exit Stage Left opened up daylight, but had to dig hard to hold off a serious bid from favorite Enterprising, winning by a game one-half length. The final time over the synthetic Tapeta racing surface was 1:44.07.

Bred in New Jersey by Bred by Bright View Farm, Inc., and co-owned by Mark DeDomenico LLC and Jerry Hollendorfer, who trains the colt, Exit Stage Left was a $100,000 purchase at last year’s Barretts March sale. Winner of the Golden Nugget Stakes in his November debut at Golden Gate and the Gold Rush Stakes at the same venue in December, Exit Stage Left has earned $135,350.

Noonmark, who stood at Becky Thomas and Dennis Narlinger’s Sequel Stallions New York in 2012 and 2013 for a partnership, is a graded stakes winning son of Unbridled’s Song out of the unraced Storm Cat mare In the Storm. He has 89 foals of racing age, including 41 current 2-year-olds, and 22 yearlings.

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