Dreamsgonewild upsets Laurel Dash in speedy stakes debut

By Sarah Mace

Paul M. Steckel’s Dreamsgonewild upset the overflow field of the $100,000 Laurel Dash, including the venerable Ben’s Cat, in his stakes debut for trainer Bruce Alexander at Laurel Park on Saturday afternoon. A 5-year-old gelding by Freud[2], Dreamsgonewild covered the 6-furlong distance over the firm Laurel turf in 1:07.99, just .70 seconds off the course record of 1:07.29.

Drawn in the outside post of ten, Dreamsgonewild (7-1) got out of the gate in good order, and used his early foot to establish himself in a stalking position a length or so off pacesetter Bold Thunder. King Leatherbury’s 8-year-old homebred Ben’s Cat, a $2 million-earner and looking for his third victory in the Laurel Dash in four years, set up shop in third.

Dreamsgonewild held his position down the backstretch and around the far turn, but still had 1 1/2 lengths to make up at the top of the stretch. When he came under a drive, he answered the call, closing on Bold Thunder. He took over the top spot in the final stages and rode the momentum to a three-quarter-length victory. Ben’s Cat, finished a game third, a neck behind runner-up Bold Thunder.

A seven-time winner in 22 races, Dreamsgonewild has taken a trip to the winner’s circle after four of his last five starts, but has found most success in shorter turf sprints. Said, 20-year-old jockey Trevor McCarthy, who won three races on the day’s card, “We were going farther today than usual so my instructions were to take the lead if we could get it. If not, stay just off. He didn’t get the lead so I stayed just off and we didn’t have any trouble in the race.”

Continued McCarthy, “He had a lot left in the last eighth but I didn’t think I would get by the four. As we approached the wire, the four [Bold Thunder] got a little tired and my horse started to dig back in. Ben’s Cat, coming on the outside also helped to push us along. We were able to get up.”

Bruce Alexander, who purchased Dreamsgonewild for $22,000 out of the 2010 OBS select yearling sale, celebrated his biggest victory as a trainer by saying, “This will pay for a lot of groceries. The four was in front but we didn’t want to be chasing him the whole way. Then my rider heard Ben’s Cat coming and the horse pinned his ears back and won.”

Alexander also focused on the young jockey’s ride, with good reason. “I’m Trevor’s great uncle,” Alexander said. “He rode a perfect race. I think I was riding as hard as Trevor was. I think he’s going to be one of the premier riders in the country. Very disciplined for a young kid.”

Bred by Ed and Diane Gregory’s Carapan Farm LLC, Dreamsgonewild is the first black type winner out of Twin Stroller, a winning Ontario-bred daughter of Strolling Along who has been a solid producer since being purchased by Carapan for just $5,500 at the OBS Fall mixed sale in 2001, producing no fewer than five winners from five foals to start.

Although Dreamsgonewild is her most successful offspring to date, with $326,828 in earnings, her first foal, Island Reversal (Tactical Advantage) also earned six figures. She has also produced a 3-year-old full brother to Dreamsgonewild, who has not yet started.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2014/09/28/dreamsgonewild-laurel-dash/

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Temper Mint Patty runs away with Joseph A. Gimma

By Sarah Mace

Temper Mint Patty (Congrats), impressive off-the-pace neck winner of her Spa debut over a dry track on August 29, absolutely romped second out over muddy going at Belmont to take the $150,000 Joseph A. Gimma for New York-bred juvenile fillies.

Trained by Dale Romans for Mark Stanley, and stretching out from six to seven furlongs, Temper Mint Patty got away well from her inside post, and traveled in third as Broman homebred Hard to Stay Notgo led the way through fractions of 22.22 and 45.45, a half-length ahead of Seeking the Ante winner Myfourchix.

Advancing into second in the far turn, but still with 2 1/2 lengths to make up on Hard to Stay Notgo, Temper Mint Patty made a decisive move at the rail, grabbed the lead just shy of the quarter pole and proceeded to open up by as much as she wished, in the event by 13 1/2 lengths. The final time over the sloppy (sealed) main track was 1:23.78, nearly a second faster than the winner of the co-featured Bertram Bongard two races earlier. [VIDEO[2]]

Pilot Irad Ortiz, Jr. focused his decision to zip up the fence. “The horse in front of me tried to get out bad, said Ortiz. “I had some horse and I took a chance, and when I asked her she went right through. I think she can go further, too. She’s all right.”

Originally purchased by Becky Thomas as a yearling at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred sale for $30,000, Temper Mint Patty was purchased by Mark Stanley at the Fasig-Tipton Florida sale this March for $95,000 after posting a one-furlong work in 10.0 seconds.

Stanley explained the transaction. “I like [her sire] Congrats a lot; I think he’s very underrated, said Stanley. “The main thing is, Becky Thomas, who consigned [Temper Mint Patty] in the 2-year-old sale, had a lot of confidence in her, and she actually bought her back in the sale. I went and talked to her after, and she was high on her. She’s a pretty filly, so we felt like she was worth the money. She’s been a lot of fun so far.”

Stanley is also a man with a dream.  “I thought in the first race she showed a lot of talent, but she matured before this one in just three weeks. Hopefully before the first Friday in May she’ll be even better. Friday [Kentucky Oaks], not Saturday.”

Bred by Gallagher’s Stud[3] in Ghent where she was foaled on May 8, 2012, Temper Mint Patty is one of two winners out of stakes-winning turf router His Beauty, a Gallagher homebred, who is the daughter of graded stakes winner and $435,597-earner Adcat, also a product of Gallagher’s breeding.

His Beauty, who issues from the family of Deja, a multiple turf stakes winner in France, produced a weanling colt in February by New York-based sire Dublin and was bred this year to Mad Flatter.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2014/09/21/temper-mint-patty-gimma/

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Saratoga Heater splashes home a dominant winner of Bertram F. Bongard

By Sarah Mace

Saratoga Heater became a stakes winner in his third career start, chalking up a handy frontrunning victory at Belmont Park on Sunday afternoon over a competitive field in the $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard for New York-bred juveniles at seven furlongs.

Breaking slightly inward from his inside post, but out of harm’s way, Saratoga Heater immediately got his feet under him and engaged Banana Thief in a brief tussle for the lead, coming away in front and quickly opening up two lengths on the field.

Preserving a comfortable margin to his nearest rival, Pletcher-trained Bullheaded Boy, Saratoga Heater carried on unchallenged along the backstretch and around the far turn. He progressed to the finish line under a vigorous hand ride with a single left-handed reminder and won by a margin of four lengths.

Bullheaded Boy finished second, followed across the line a length back by Market Conduct. Next in order were longshot Chloe’s Wonderboy and Banana Thief, followed in last by Tizquick, who stumbled at the start, rushed up into contention and faded late. After a sharp first half mile in 45.67, the final time for the seven furlongs over muddy (sealed) main track was 1:24.63. [VIDEO[3]]

Winning rider Joel Rosario, Saratoga Heater’s third pilot in as many starts, said, “I thought I would be a little bit off the pace, since he came from way off the pace last time. He was really sharp today and broke on top. I let him be happy and cruise along. He took me all the way, so it was a good race for him. It didn’t seem anyone was trying to go with me, so that was good, too.”

A colt by freshman sire Temple City (a son of Dynaformer out of a Danzig mare), Saratoga Heater has made all three starts over sloppy going. After debuting a sixth-place finisher at Saratoga on July 31 behind debut winner Bullheaded Boy, he improved by leaps and bounds second out with blinkers added, breaking his maiden by 2 1/4 lengths in a ten-horse field from off the pace going six furlongs on July 31. Trained by Al Stall, Jr. for his first pair of starts, the colt is now in the hands of Lisa Lewis, who trains for P R Racing.

Lewis said, “I know [his former connections] were very high on Saratoga Heater, and when we got him there was nothing that we didn’t like about him. He’s done everything right; he had a beautiful breeze here the other day. I was quietly confident going into this race.”

Explaining why she has added P R Racing to longtime client William Schettine, Lewis said, “I’ve trained privately for Mr. Schettine [of Signature Stallions] for almost five years now and we’ve had a really good run. I still train for him, but he’s cutting back a little bit and I just wanted an opportunity to get some more young horses. For me, that’s where it’s at, trying to get a good, young horse, so here we are.”

Foaled on February 6, 2012 at Hidden Lake Farm in Otisville, Saratoga Heater is the first starter out of Hot Spell a stakes-placed sprinter by Salt Lake, whose second dam is a Group 3 turf winner in France, Relasure. The colt sold first as a yearling for $30,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred preferred sale before going to Stewart Madison for $100,000 at the OBS Springs sale in April after working an eighth of a mile in 10.2 seconds.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2014/09/21/saratoga-heater-bertram-f-bongard/

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“Artemis” overcomes slow start, overland route to lead NY-bred trifecta in G2 Gallant Bloom

By Sarah Mace

Chester and Mary Broman’s 3-year-old homebred Artemis Agrotera, dominant winner of the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga after a pace-pressing journey, captured the Grade 2, $300,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap at Belmont Park on Saturday with an entirely different kind of trip, closing from well back and getting up just in time to catch fellow New York-bred La Verdad at the wire. Willet finished with power to complete an Empire-bred trifecta.

In 2013 New York-bred Horse of the Year Cluster of Stars, undefeated in seven starts, paved the way by winning last year’s Gallant Bloom in her penultimate race.

Artemis Agrotera already has an appointment with the starter for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Santa Anita Park by virtue of her Ballerina “Win & You’re In” victory, but trainer Mike Hushion opted for an interim race rather than training right though. “When she has good energy, that’s when she has performed well,” said Hushion. “I thought running in the [Gallant Bloom] would be better for her.”

Exiting the gate as the 2-5 popular choice, Artemis Agrotera must have given her backers pause when she seemed outrun early and settled back in fifth more than nine lengths off the pace, trailed only by confirmed closer Willet. Meanwhile, Ballerina pacesetter La Verdad absolutely shot out of the gate from her outside post, cleared the field and blazed though a testing first quarter mile of 21.61.

Making a widest-of-all bid in the far turn five paths out, in tandem with Willet who moved off the rail into the the four path, Artemis Agrotera set her sights on La Verdad, who still enjoyed an four-length lead at the top of the stretch. Finding her best stride in upper stretch and charging home with determination in the final furlong, the talented filly just got her head in front of La Verdad at the wire. Willet finished third only another length back. After six panels in a testing 1:08.70, the final time for six and a half furlongs over the fast track was 1:15.49.

According to Trakus, “Artemis” traveled farther than any filly or mare in the field, 28 feet farther than La Verdad and 24 feet further than Willet, who enjoyed a groundsaving trip in the early stages. [VIDEO[3]]

Rajiv Maragh, who rode Artemis Agrotera first in the Ballerina said that his mount was not comfortable with the way the race unfolded. “She really didn’t enjoy being that far back. Early on, I tried to keep her in her rhythm. I had a lot of confidence in her and tried to be a good passenger and let her finish strong.”

Continued Maragh, “I assumed they were going that fast [a half mile in 43.78] because my filly is naturally quick, and if she’s 10 lengths off the lead, La Verdad had to be going fast to be that far in front of her. In the stretch, my filly found a second wind and a third wind. Even if she had run second or third it would have been a good performance. It shows what kind of filly she is to get up and win the race from where she was.”

Trainer Mike Hushion credited Maragh with adept handling of the unforeseen developments. “I didn’t expect [Artemis Agrotera to be that far back]. I did something very smart: I didn’t say anything to Rajiv. He’s riding like that – he’s making all the right decisions. I’d hate to have him think I wanted something, and he made a great decision here.”

Jose Ortiz lavished praise on the runner-up effort of his mount La Verdad, who had struggled at the Spa. “She ran two disappointing races in Saratoga. Today, she ran 110 percent. [Trainer] Linda [Rice] had her ready, and she ran her race. She went at a good pace and kept running. What can I say? Artemis Agrotera is a very nice filly, too.”

Rice who conditions La Verdad for Lady Sheila Stable, said, “We talked about it in the paddock. I said, ‘Go to the lead if you can; if you break a step slow and have to stalk the other one, do it.’ We just had to get her back in the game and let her run her race. The 43-[second] half might have got us beat at the wire, and that’s a very nice filly who beat her. I thought she ran great. We’re proud of her.”

Artemis Agrotera, who stalked and pounced to win the Grade 1 Frizette last fall at Belmont in just her second career start made the third and final start of her juvenile campaign with a tough-trip fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Returning to the races this year in June, she disappointed in the Grade 1 Acorn, finishing eighth, but regained her form and, perhaps, her confidence with a romp in a state-bred allowance at Saratoga on July 23 before putting together back-to-back graded victories in the Ballerina and Gallant Bloom.

Hushion said, “Now we have six weeks [to the Breeders’ Cup]. We can take our time. She has this under her belt. Like Rajiv said, he learned a lot about her today.”

Artemis Agrotera has five wins from seven starts and earned $943,800. She is out of Indy Glory by A.P. Indy, also bred and campaigned by the Bromans. A full sister to Grade 1 winner, millionaire and sire Stephen Got Even and to stakes winner Grand Merger, Indy Glory is a stakes-winning router with multiple graded placings ($283,422).

Indy Glory’s four winners include stakes-placed Time Squared by Fusaichi Pegasus, who brought $1.05 million at the 2006 Keeneland April sale of 2-year-olds, and stakes-placed Submerge, a filly by the same sire. Indy Glory, who not had a foal since “Artemis,” was bred to Pioneerof the Nile this year. The Bromans purchased Indy Glory’s dam Immerse (Cox’s Ridge) at the 1997 Keeneland November sale for $350,000.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2014/09/20/artemis-agrotera-gallant-bloom/

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