Old Harbor sails home without blinkers in NYSS Cupecoy’s Joy

by Sarah Mace

After running Old Harbor (Raffie’s Majesty) in blinkers for her last two starts and opting to remove the equipment from Joseph Birnbaum’s homebred filly for her stakes debut Sunday in the $100,000 Cupecoy’s Joy at Belmont Park, trainer Russell Cash had the pleasure of seeing his charge relax under jockey Angel Arroyo before coming from off the pace to win the filly division of the day’s paired New York Stallion Stakes series for 3-year-old progeny of New York Sires.

No fewer than twelve fillies lined up for this year’s running of the Cupecoy’s Joy, many trying turf for the first time, making for a wide-open board and a lukewarm 4-1 favorite in Lady Kreesa by Stonesider, a half-sister to last year’s New York-bred champion turf and older male King Kreesa.

Settling in midpack from post eight after the break, Old Harbor got in the chase around the far turn after the speedy Henry’s Gal showed the way through early fractions of 22.49 and 45.02. Angling out as she entered the stretch, Old Harbor began her steady march to the front, taking over the lead with a furlong to go and drawing off to a decisive 4 1/2 length victory in 1:20.97, the fastest time for the Cupecoy’s Joy since it was shortened from a mile to seven furlongs in 2009.

Funky Munky Fever (Roaring Fever), an 80-1 longshot (!), last at the head of the lane, roared down the middle of the track under jockey Junior Alvarado, passing all but the winner to grab second, finishing a half-length ahead of Lady Kreesa. Following them under the wire were Missy Bay, Henry’s Gal, Miss Narcissist, Champagne Ruby, Selenite, Traipse in Utopia, Storied Lady, Bella the Bandit and Hey Kiddo. [VIDEO[2]]

Arroyo felt the effect of the equipment change as he tried to relax his mount. “It was a good trip,” said Arroyo. “She relaxed and had a good position. She felt really nice; she is a good horse. This was my first time on her. In the other race the filly didn’t relax so Russell [Cash] told me to try and relax her.”

Cash said, “[Taking blinkers off] might have helped her relax. She’s just been unfortunate. Her last race was good and in the two races before that she had bad trips. She’s always been good.” Added Cash, “I’m very happy for [owner] Dr. Birnbaum; he puts a lot of money into breeding these horses and he should be rewarded.”

A runner-up in her debut at Monmouth Park last July, Old Harbor broke her maiden second out at Saratoga in a 5 1/2-furlong turf dash. Off the board in two subsequent starts ten days apart at Belmont in May, she came into the Cupecoy’s Joy after finishing a close-up third in a first-level state-bred allowance three weeks ago.

Old Harbor’s dam Royal Mast was purchased by Cash as a weanling for a mere $8,500 in 2001 at the Fasig-Tipton December mixed sale. A New York-bred daughter of Roy, Royal Mast won her debut on dirt and started twice more, including a runner-up allowance finish, before beginning her career as a broodmare.

Royal Mast has produced all winners from five foals to start, including multiple stakes-placed Shipwreckstreasure, by Service Stripe, a $254,336-earner. Royal Mast’s most recent reported foal is a yearling colt by Girolamo.

Old Harbor is the tenth progeny stakes winner for Raffie’s Majesty.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2014/06/22/old-harbor-nyss-cupecoys-joy/

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Mark My Way captures NYSS Spectacular Bid in professional stakes debut

by Sarah Mace

Mark My Way, a gelded son of Noonmark owned and bred by Chester and Mary Broman and trained by Linda Rice, delivered a good-looking performance in his stakes debut in the Spectacular Bid at Belmont Park on Sunday afternoon, besting eight rivals in the first of paired divisions of the $100,000 New York Stallion Stakes series for New York-sired 3-year-olds run at seven furlongs on the turf.

Though starting for only the fifth time in the Spectacular Bid, Mark My Way came into the race with a solid grass credentials. Following a runner-up finish in his grass debut going seven furlongs at Belmont last October, he broke his maiden by five lengths stretching out to a mile on the Aqueduct sod. This year he followed an off-the-board finish in his solitary dirt start in January with a close-up third in a first-level state-bred allowance against elders going 1 1/8 miles on turf at Belmont on May 25. Coupled in the betting with maiden A Marked Man, another Noonmark gelding entered by Rice and the Bromans, the pair went off well supported at odds of 8-5.

After slipping slightly after the break under regular rider Cornelio Velasquez, Mark My Way settled in midpack at the fence just to the inside of dirt stakes winner Free Mugatu, while Bambisfrostyracer, a third Rice-trainee, took the initiative, clocking a first quarter-mile in 23.25 under pressure from A Marked Man.

As Mark My Way advanced into fifth midway around the far turn, A Marked Man took over the lead pursued by 24-1 longshot Social Rebellion. After the field straightened away, Mark My Way came off the rail, passed his stablemate in the final sixteen and dug in to hold off a fast-closing Free Mugatu, securing the victory by a half length. Social Rebellion, 1 1/4 lengths back in third, just got a head in front of A Marked Man, who finished fourth. The final time for the seven furlongs over the firm going was 1:22.19. [VIDEO[2]]

Cornelio Velasquez reported that a good trip allowed him to overcome the trouble at the start. “My horse slipped in the gate, but I saved ground all the way and at the top of the stretch I put [him] in the clear. [Free Mugatu] came to me in the end, but I had a lot of horse.”

Rice said, “I was happy with [Mark My Way’s performance]. Cornelio just told me that he slipped coming out of the gate, but I kind of expected that he’d be off the pace, coming from 1 1/8 miles to seven furlongs. That really worked out fine because my other two horses [were pressing the pace], so I was happy to have somebody closing. I thought he ran really professional for a horse who has only had four starts.”

Mark My Way is one of two winners out of Whichwaydidshego, a winning Kentucky-bred daughter of Storm Cat from the family of Minardi, Tale of the Cat and Johannesburg for whom Chester Broman paid $425,000 at the 2009 Keeneland November sale. Whichwaydidshego currently has a 2-year-old filly named Hard to Stay Notgo by More Than Ready and a weanling colt by Bernardini.

Mark My Way is also the second stakes winner for his sire Noonmark, who stood in New York from 2010 through 2013 at Sequel Stallions New York[3] in Hudson.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2014/06/22/mark-my-way-nyss-spectacular-bid/

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Hot Stones up just in time to capture G3 Bed o’ Roses, gives NY sire first stakes winner

by Sarah Mace

Hot Stones got up in the very final stride to capture an exciting renewal of Grade 3, $150,000 Bed o’ Roses Handicap by a nose at Belmont Park on Saturday. With the victory, the 4-year-old daughter of Bustin Stones gave her New York-based sire his first progeny stakes winner and her hot-handed jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. his fifth score on the card. Hot Stones is the first New York-bred to win the race since Rightly So in 2010[2].

Trained by Bruce Levine for owners Roddy Valente, Charles Casale and Darlene Bilinski, Hot Stones served notice in her last start that she was developing into force to be reckoned with. Making her stakes debut in the Critical Eye Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares three weeks ago on the Big Apple Showcase card, she got within a half-length of top sprinter La Verdad while under pressure in the stretch, for which she earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 92. The seven-furlong Bed o’ Roses also appeared to be right in the wheelhouse of a filly who had won at distances ranging from six furlongs to a mile.

Equipped with blinkers for the first time and drawn in post five in the competitive field of ten, Hot Stones (6-1) established an early position in fifth several paths off the rail, while Ultimate Shopper showed the way through sharp early fractions of 22.79 and 45.66 followed by Merry Meadow in hot pursuit.

Coming under urging around the far turn, Hot Stones began her more serious rally three-wide at the head of the stretch, setting her sights ultimately on Merry Meadow, who inherited the lead. Edging up with every stride in the final sixteenth, Hot Stones got her nose down first in the final jump. Calistoga finished third, four lengths behind the winner. Hot Stones’ time for seven furlongs was a speedy 1:21.98. [VIDEO[4]]

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., said “She always likes to fight a little bit when you get close to the wire. I started asking her early and she had something for the end. Thankfully, she got her head in front at the wire. I figured there would be a lot of speed in the race, but I had to move a little earlier.”

Added Ortiz, honored by NYTB as the top rider of New York-breds in 2013, “I’m happy; I’m just doing the same thing. Winning five [races] on the day is very exciting for me, and that’s all I can say.”

Hot Stones has been steadily compiling an impressive resume since her runner-up debut at Belmont in May 2013, finishing first or second in nine out of 11 career starts, and, with the Bed o’ Roses victory, earning $363,607. A maiden-breaker second out at Saratoga, Hot Stones won through her state-bred and open allowance conditions at Belmont and Aqueduct through the fall and early winter and was freshened before her stakes debut in the Critical Eye.

Trainer Bruce Levine said, “Cutting back from a mile to seven [furlongs], I think the blinkers kept her a little closer. I didn’t know if she was going to get there; [Merry Meadow] really dug in and tried hard.”

Continued Levine, “I said, ‘If La Verdad is in [the Bed o’ Roses], she’s 4-5. Why wouldn’t I take a shot?’ I was worried a little about the 21 days [between the Critical Eye and the Bed o’ Roses], but she came back bouncing. When fillies are doing good, you have to take a shot.”

Inspired by his filly’s performance, Levine feels that he has a number of attractive options for her next start.  “We were thinking about going in a New York-bred [stakes] going long. Now we have to rethink it, maybe even point to the [Grade 1] Ballerina [August 23 at Saratoga] with something in between.”

Bred in partnership by Jerry Bilinski and Roddy Valente, Hot Stones is the top earner and first stakes winner for her third crop sire Bustin Stones, an undefeated Grade 1 winning sprinter who stands at Waldorf Farm[6] in North Chatham for a 2014 stud fee of $5,000.

Out of Steamed Up, an unraced New York-bred daughter of Freud, whose only other foal to start is also winner, Hot Stones has two younger full sisters, 2-year-old Stonely Heart and yearling Two Stonesrbettor.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2014/06/21/hot-stones-up-just-in-time-to-capture-g3-bed-o-roses/

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Finger Lakes to honor retired jockey Kevin Whitley

[1]Press Release

Retired jockey Kevin Whitley will be honored at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack (F.L.G.R.) on Monday, June 23. The 9-time leading rider will be inducted into the F.L.G.R. Hall of Fame by the local Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.

After beginning his career at Belmont Park in 1975, Kevin Whitley joined the F.L.G.R. jockey colony in 1979. He quickly ascended in the local rider standings and shared the jockey title with Leslie Hulet in 1981.

Between 1982 and 1983 he visited the F.L.G.R winners circle 453 times, the most ever in two consecutive seasons. His 227 wins in 1982 established a single season record which held until 2000. His 226 wins in 1983 ranked him eighth in the nation.

Whitley’s success continued throughout the 1980’s. He was the leading F.L.G.R. jockey for five consecutive years from 1986 to 1990.

On a memorable day on August 27, 1989, Whitley guided six different horses to victory, and capped off the day with a triumph aboard Packett’s Landing in the $200,000 New York Derby.

Whitley won a total of five stakes with his favorite horse Frattare including the Grade 3 Finger Lakes Breeders’ Cup on July 3, 1989.

Whitley completed his career with over 3,200 victories. 2,617 wins were achieved at F.L.G.R.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2014/06/19/f-l-g-r-to-honor-whitley/

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