Dayatthespa delivers powerful performance in Grade 1 First Lady

By Sarah Mace

Dayatthespa earned her second career Grade 1 victory over the Keeneland turf on Saturday with a powerful performance while facing a deep, well-matched field of fillies and mares in the one-mile, $400,000 First Lady Stakes.

Trained by Chad Brown for owners Jerry and Ronald Frankel, Steve Laymon and Bradley Thoroughbreds, Dayatthespa was starting for just the third time this year, but had put together strong back-to-back races at the Spa, finishing second to Filimbi in her seasonal debut on August 2 in the Fasig-Tipton De La Rose Stakes, and defeating fellow New York-bred Grade 1 winner Discreet Marq in the Yaddo Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day on August 24. Filimbi and Discreet Marq were among the nine fillies and mares lined up for the First Lady.

Looking full of run from the bell, Dayatthespa (7-2 second choice) stalked pacesetter Istanford under a tight hold.  On the far turn the chestnut targeted the leader, took over in upper stretch and then edged clear. She kept to business and opened up ultimately to a 1 1/4-length victory in a final time of 1:35.21 for a mile over the “good” turf. Click here[2] for a clip of the race.

Jockey John Velazquez reported, “She broke really well and the other speed went to the front, so it worked well. I was just holding it together and when I let her go at the quarter pole, she was all fresh. She finished unbelievable – really, really good. She started to look around a little bit around the sixteenth pole, so I hit her one time to keep her mind running but she was doing really well.”

Velazquez also reported his instructions from the trainer at second hand. “[One of the owners] told me Chad said make sure to drop inside going into that first turn. He didn’t want to be three wide early.”

The 5-year-old mare, who will be offered at the Fasig-Tipton November sale, turned the tables on Better Lucky in the race, who prevailed by a head over her runner-up effort last year, and became a millionaire in the bargain after she increased her earnings to $1,188,892.

Dayatthespa now boasts a record of ten wins and four seconds in 17 starts. Her nine stakes victories are topped by a pair of Grade 1s at Keeneland, the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup in 2012 in addition to the First Lady, the Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes also at Keeneland and Grade 3 Herecomesthebride. Dayatthespa was voted champion New York-bred 3-year-old female and turf female in 2012.

Bred by Castellare DiCracchiolo Stable, Cracchiolo & Goldsher and foaled at Empire Stud in Hudson, Dayatthespa was purchased by Sarazen Stable for $50,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York preferred yearling sale in 2010. Her dam M’Lady Doc, an unplaced daughter of Doc’s Leader, is a full sister to Phi Beta Doc, a Grade 3 winner and turf course record-setter at Saratoga and Colonial Downs ($442,815). M’Lady Doc’s half-brother Queen Mary’s Boy (Full Pocket) won a listed stakes.

M’Lady Doc has produced four winners from four starters, including New York-bred $126,140-earner Doc Can Do (Quiet American).

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2014/10/04/dayatthespa-grade-1-first-lady/

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Good Luck Gus aces New York Breeders’ Futurity

By Sarah Mace

Good Luck Gus (Lookin At Lucky) became a stakes winner on Saturday when he took down the lucrative $252,098 New York Breeders’ Futurity for New York-bred juveniles at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack, opening up to a dominant victory after a tracking trip under jockey Wilfredo Rohena.

Away well, the 9-5 favorite tracked pacesetter and 37-1 longshot Fallfire through early splits of 22.47 and 45.86. Third early and improving to second position on the backstretch, Good Luck Gus made a bid midway through the far turn. The colt took over in upper stretch and kicked clear, widening his margin of victory to 5 1/4 lengths while being ridden out. His final time over the “good” going was 1:11.87.

Thank You, in potential contention throughout, finished second, followed by Fallfire, who outran his odds to finish third. The order of finish was completed by Pierce’s Prize, filly Dunn Listening, winner of the Lady Finger Stakes on September 6, Deputy Busterstone and Summer Brother. Morning line even money favorite Bustin It was an early scratch, as was longshot Smilingsundae, another filly. [VIDEO[2]]

Rudy Rodriguez, who trains the colt for Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables and The Elkstone Group, said, “He was working very well and seemed a lot more focused with the blinkers,” adding “This win was very special for us.”

An early starter for Rodriguez, Good Luck Gus made his debut at Belmont on July 3, finishing second just 1 1/4 lengths behind promising juvenile Secured Position. Demonstrating that he was capable over off going at Saratoga in his second start, the colt broke his maiden on July 28 as the odds-on favorite going 5 1/2 furlongs over a sloppy (sealed) track.

In his two initial starts, Good Luck Gus showed some greenness, jumping tire tracks near the wire each time. Rodriguez added blinkers for the colt’s fourth career start after his fourth place finish to three solid competitors in the Funny Cide at Saratoga on August 24: Upstart, Bustin It and Bullheaded Boy.

Now a $217,059 earner, Good Luck Gus was bred by Fred W. Hertrich III. He is one of two winners, and the only registered New York-bred foal, out of Tacticmove, a daughter of Deputy Minister who was unplaced in one start. The mare, who is a half-sister to Group 3 turf winner Ishiguru (Ireland) and Grade 2 dirt route winner Cat Fighter, was purchased by Hertrich at the 2011 Keeneland November sale for $35,000 and has since been resold.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2014/10/04/good-luck-gus-breeders-futurity/

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Favorite I’m Stoked wires Leon Reed Memorial

By Sarah Mace

Collecting his second stakes victory in as many tries at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racing, Chester and Mary Broman’s homebred I’m Stoked wired the field of the $50,000 Leon Reed Memorial, a six furlong sprint for New York-breds three and up formerly known as the Wine Country Handicap and renamed in remembrance of the Finger Lakes employee who tragically lost his life on November 19, 2005.

Breaking on top in the field of seven colts and geldings, the 4-year-old son of Hook and Ladder quickly opened up a length on his rivals, clocking testing early fractions of 21.84 and 44.53 under jockey Wilfredo Rohena. Essentially unchallenged around the far turn, and asked for a little more in the stretch, the 3-5 favorite continued to hold sway and crossed the finish line with a 2-length margin of victory in a final time of 1:10.42 over a drying-out racetrack that had been upgraded to “good” before the race.

Frisky Warrior finished well for second, closing from fourth, followed two lengths back by Sundae On Sunday. The order of finish was completed by Bass River Road, who tracked in second early and pressed somewhat in the far turn, Smokem’s Charm, Al’s Deputy and Il Vagabondo. [VIDEO[2]]

Trained for the Bromans by Mike Hushion, I’m Stoked is now a six-time winner in eleven starts and a dual stakes winner, having captured the George W. Barker Handicap at Finger Lakes in May. He has earned $200,263.

I’m Stoked is one of two winners out of his winning Kentucky-bred dam Wouldthisbemagic (Clever Trick), an $110,000 purchase by the Bromans at the 2008 Keeneland November sale. Wouldthisbemagic, a half-sister to graded stakes winner Street Magician, has a yearling filly by Bernardini and a weanling filly by More than Ready. She was bred to Here Comes Ben this spring.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2014/10/04/im-stoked-leon-reed/

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Capella Dancer captures Arctic Queen with inside rally

by Sarah Mace

Happy Face Racing Stable’s Capella Dancer, a 5-year-old daughter of Rockport Harbor, rallied up the rail to garner her second stakes score and eleventh career victory in the Arctic Queen, one of three six-furlong sprints for New York-breds on Saturday afternoon’s card at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack.

Capella Dancer bided her time in seventh in the early stages of the Arctic Queen, while Atlantic’s Smile won an early tussle with Uncle Southern up front and scooted away to lead the field by two lengths though snappy early fractions of 22.24 and 44.72.

Cappella Dance rounded the turn in the two path and made her way up into fourth in upper stretch. Diving to the rail in midstretch, she rallied with conviction along the inside on her way to a 1 1/4-length victory stopping the clock at 1:12.11 after six furlongs over the muddy (sealed) racetrack.

A game Atlantic’s Smile held off Vicki’s Dancer to preserve the runner-up spot by three-quarters of a length, while Champagne Ruby in fourth was followed across the finish line by Little Rocket, Little Miss Lupe, Miss Narcissist and Uncle Southern. [VIDEO[2]]

Previously in stakes competition Capella Dancer had won the 2013 renewal of the Susan B. Anthony Handicap from off the pace in her 4-year-old debut and finished second Niagara Stakes and a close-up fourth in the New York Oaks as a sophomore. Earlier this year Capella Dancer was second to Clean Jean routing in the Jack Betta Be Rite Handicap.

Trained by Michael S. Ferraro and ridden to victory by Daniel Vergara, Capella Dancer improved her record with the Arctic Queen victory to eleven wins, nine second and three thirds from 30 starts and boosted her bankroll to $243,176. She has won ten of 26 outings at Finger Lakes and seven of ten starts over off going.

Bred by Winter Creek Farm and Joseph and Jennifer Daniels and foaled at Saratoga Glen Farm[3] in Schuylerville, Capella Dancer is one of seven winners including two black type winners out of Buddy’s Bird, a New York-bred placed runner by Buddy who was bred and campaigned by Gallagher’s Stud[4].

Buddy’s Bird’s first foal Lapis (Southern Halo) won the 2005 Union Avenue and earned $152,816 and the mare’s second foal Howyalikedemapples (Rodeo) and third foal Schifty’s Angela (Intidab) are also six-figure earners.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2014/10/04/capella-dancer-captures-arctic-queen-with-inside-rally/

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