Weekend Hideaway collects fourth stakes victory in John Morrissey

by Sarah Mace

Red and Black Stable’s Weekend Hideaway (Speightstown), who was voted New York-bred juvenile champion in 2012, parlayed a confidence-building win in a conditioned allowance at Belmont Park on July 11 into his fourth career stakes victory when he outran the highly competitive field of the $100,000 John Morrissey for New York-bred sprinters going 6 1/2 furlongs on the Saratoga main track.

Weekend Hideaway’s score improves his record to six wins, three seconds and three thirds from 16 starts and boosts his earnings to $440,572.

Moonlight Song got the jump on the field, but breaking alertly from post three (of eight) Weekend Hideaway (fourth choice in the betting at 6-1 odds) made his way to the lead under jockey Jose Lezcano and proceeded to clock demanding fractions of 22.00 and 44.80 with Moonlight Song in hot pursuit. Set down in upper stretch, Weekend Hideaway opened up a little extra distance on his rivals under a hand ride, then dug to open up to a two-length victory at the wire.

The next four horses crossed the line in a blanket photo finish, with Big Business finishing second, a head in front of West Hills Giant, who crossed a nose ahead of Saratoga Snacks. Moonlight Song finished a neck behind. Brigand, Quick Money and Amberjack completed the order of finish. The winner’s final time over the fast going was 1:15.83. [VIDEO[2]]

Lezcano, familiar with Weekend Hideaway from having ridden the 4-year-old colt for all but four races, said, “I let him use his early speed. Sometimes in the gate, he misses the break. But today he broke good and settled in front. When I asked, he gave me what I needed to win the race. He’s a very nice colt; I’ve always thought he’s had plenty of talent. Sometimes, I’ve felt like he’s lost the race in the gate when he’s broken badly. But today, he broke perfect.”

Phil Serpe who trains Weekend Hideaway for Red and Black Stable said, “I was a little concerned when they first broke, because I didn’t see our horse anywhere, but I wasn’t surprised to see him on the lead. And Jose was just sitting on him; his arms weren’t moving at all. When [Tom] Durkin called the :44 and change, I was a little concerned, but I figured the track was a little bit tight after the rain.”

Serpe also commented more generally, “Our horse has been training great, and I kind of thought he was getting the Rodney Dangerfield treatment a little bit. He’s now got six wins in 16 starts, with three seconds and three thirds, so you can’t look away from that. But we were very happy because our horse was training great into the race. We’re really happy for Mike Hoffman and his crew from Red and Black Stable, because they’re great people.”

Bred by the late Carl Lizza’s Flying Zee Stables, for whom Serpe was a long-time trainer, and foaled at Highcliff Farm in Delanson, Weekend Hideaway is the first foal and only starter out of New York-bred Apocalyptical, an unplaced New York-bred daughter of Wiseman’s Ferry. Weekend Hideaway was purchased by Michael Hoffman’s Red and Black Stable for $40,000 in the yearling portion of the Flying Zee Dispersal in October 2011.

Weekend Hideaway flashed talent from the start. Less than three weeks after breaking his maiden at second asking by 6 3/4 lengths in the slop at Saratoga in 2012, he returned to take the David Stakes for New York-bred juveniles by a similar margin over a dry strip. In September he earned graded black type at Belmont in September with a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Futurity and wrapped up the year by defeating 13 to win the Bertram F. Bongard on Showcase Day by 2 1/2 lengths.

Completing his sophomore campaign with a record of one win and one second from five starts he collected his third stakes victory on the turf, with a sizzling frontrunning victory in the open Gone Fishin overnight stakes for 3-year-olds. In five starts this year, he led up to his back-to-back victories with competitive placings in the Affirmed Success and Commentator.

 

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2014/08/15/weekend-hideaway-john-morrissey/

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Upstart kick-starts career by winning debut going away

[1]

Adam Coglianese

by Sarah Mace

Upstart, a 2-year-old ridgling by Flatter owned by Ralph Evans and trained by Rick Violette, got his career off to a promising start with an impressive Saratoga Racetrack debut Friday, winning a 5 1/2-furlong for New York-bred 2-year-olds from off the pace by open lengths.

Veering out slightly at the break to avoid a rival, Upstart, the 3-2 favorite, broke sixth of seven, but got into stride in the backstretch beneath Jose Ortiz and made his way up into fourth at the rail. Meanwhile Bo Bob and Essence At Noon hooked up on the front end, chased by 8-5 second choice Tizquick.

As the top two were joined by Tizquick, Upstart drew nearer to the frontrunners rounding the far turn and had plenty of run, but with three horses ahead of him and one to his outside, nowhere to run to.

When a hole opened up in upper stretch, Upstart came through and angled over to the rail, where he gained the lead by the furlong marker. He drew off impressively to get the victory by 5 1/4 lengths. Tizquick was second, 1 3/4 lengths clear of longshot Breakin the Fever in third. The final time for 5 1/2 furlongs over the fast going was 1:04.01. [VIDEO[2]]

Violette was beaming after the race, happy rather than otherwise that his colt had to overcome a little adversity. “I loved the race! We got about two races’ worth of education today,” the trainer said. “You beat the latch, you break them on top, they win, but they don’t learn a whole lot.”

Violette continued, “Jose [Ortiz] breezed him once or twice and he had a lot of confidence in him. So, when he didn’t break real well he was fine, settling, getting dirt in his face, getting his feet underneath him. Then it was just a matter of finding a hole. When he tipped to the inside he kind of took off. This is worth three races. Now we can do anything with him, go anywhere with him where he has a shot talent-wise. I don’t have to worry about education.”

Violette said he felt that Upstart came into the race well-prepared. “He didn’t break any watches in the morning but he did everything right. He did exactly what was asked of him. He went as fast as we asked him. He got dirt in his face. He split horses in the morning.” Violette added, “I thought if we were going to get beat today, a really good horse would have to beat us home.”

The conditioner feels that it will be perfectly reasonable for Upstart to stretch out in his next start. “He won’t run back in the Hopeful or anything like that. As we look at Belmont, there’re a couple of races there. He should improve going further. We could run him a mile off this.”

Bred by Mrs. Gerald A. Nielsen and foaled at her Sunnyfield Farm in Bedford, Upstart is the first winner for his dam Party Silks, an unraced daughter of Touch Gold also bred by Mrs. Nielsen. His second dam is stakes placed and third dam is a stakes winner. Mrs. Nielsen, who joined the owners in the winner circle said, “I have to give a lot of credit to his trainer. I’m just very thankful. He is a great horse!”

Upstart was purchased by Evans on Violette’s advice at last year’s Fasig-Tipton New York-bred yearling sale from the Summerfield consignment for $130,000. Violette said, “He just had a great shoulder, really well-balanced. He looked like he was going to be a decent size, and he’s actually gotten bigger than we anticipated. He was pretty correct, he had a decent family. As they say ‘he checked all the boxes,’ which he did.”

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2014/08/15/upstart-starts-career/

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Lady Bling draws off to take grassy debut going long at the Spa

by Sarah Mace

Lady Bling (3-1), a 2-year-old dark bay filly by Pioneerof the Nile owned by John Behrendt, Charles Marquis and Brian Cornell and trained by David Donk, got her career off to an impressive start at the Spa on Friday, winning a state-bred maiden special weight going 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

Though reluctant to join the field at the starting gate before the beginning of the race, requiring the assistance of an outrider to get to the gate, Lady Bling broke in good order under Irad Ortiz, Jr. and settled in sixth, getting a ground saving trip around the clubhouse turn.

Unhurried on the backstretch, but asked for more run rounding the far turn, Lady Bling maneuvered out four wide at the head of the stretch. She rallied on the outside and took over with a furlong to go before drawing off to to a decisive 3 1/2-length victory.

Bebop Raindrop (5-2) closed to finished second a neck ahead of 2-1 favorite and pacesetter Ten Penny Princess in third. After a half-mile in 50:03 and mile in 1:38.92, Lady Bling stopped the clock after 1 1/16 miles over the good Mellon turf course at 1:45.04. [VIDEO[2]]

Trainer David Donk explained the reasoning behind his choice of a turf route for the Lady Bling’s debut. “I breezed her last week – Irad breezed her – and he said ‘long on the turf.’ I said ‘Oh my God another one?’ Then I went back over the pedigree. Pioneerof the Nile broke his maiden on the grass, and then won the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland and then won the stake at Hollywood on the synthetic. I felt better. And the mare’s by Kris S., so here we are.”

Donk said he never worked Lady Bling on the grass. “It’s a little bit old school,” he said, “In the old days, Woody and them, they never breezed on the grass until they stepped on it. [Horses] either like it or don’t.”

As for where she might be pointed next, Donk said thought that he would be left with the predicament of having no place to run her besides open company, but added, “That’s a good problem to have.”

Bred by Grapestock LLC and foaled Vinery NY at Sugar Maple in Poughquag, Lady Bling is out of Spangled (Kris S.), a Florida-bred stakes-winning turf router in France whose only other foal to race, Spangled Star, is Grade 3 placed. Spangled is a half-sister to Anklet, a Grade 3 winner, and stakes-placed Awe That, also a stakes producer.

John Behrendt purchased Lady Bling at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale last year from the Vinery Sales/Millennium Farms consignment for $115,000. At the same sale this year, her yearling half-sister by D’ Funnybone brought $67,000.

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2014/08/15/lady-bling-debut/

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