NYRA/Adam Coglianese
The Lewis Dinner, a five-plus length maiden breaker in her fourth start exactly a month ago, ratified that victory with a frontrunning score in the inaugural running of the $100,000 Key Cents Stakes for New York-bred 2-year-old fillies co-featured at Aqueduct on Sunday afternoon with the Notebook later on the card for males.
A wire-to-wire winner last out, The Lewis Dinner had the challenge of facing other speedy types in the six-horse field, not least odds-on favorite My Super Nova. In the event My Super Nova stumbled at the start and the other speed did not materialize, so that after breaking sharply from post four, within a matter of strides the 7-2 second choice had taken control of the lead. Sandra pressed the pace to her outside.
The Lewis Dinner continued to lead by a diminishing length though early fractions of 22.52 and 46.47, until she was confronted by Sandra at the head of the lane. She then found another gear and kicked away to a 3 3/4-length victory, accompanied by some hallmark tail swishing, in a final time of 1:11.04. Sandra finished second, 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Sweetpollypurebrd, who closed from fourth into the show spot. Completing the order of finish were Alexandrie, the unfortunate My Super Nova and Dunn Listening. [VIDEO]
Rudy Rodriguez, who trains The Lewis Dinner for Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables LLC and Gary Aisquith, said, “When the horse to beat doesn’t break, it’s always a good thing. I was very comfortable [when The Lewis Dinner got the lead]. I told [jockey] Manny [Franco] to send, and put her near the lead and see what happens from there. We weren’t going to let [My Super Nova] go anyway. It worked out good.”
Franco added, “I’m proud of my filly. Rudy told me to send her out of the gate, and when I saw [My Super Nova] stumble out of the gate, I went.”
NYRA/Adam Coglianese
This was the first opportunity The Lewis Dinner has had to race over a fast track since her runner-up finish to Graeme Crackers by just a half-length on debut at the Spa on July 18. Third to Bar of Gold in a second appearance at the Spa on August 14 over “good” going, she followed a second place finish to Quezon, next out winner of the Maid of the Mist, with her maiden-breaking effort, both times over a sloppy (sealed) racetrack. Never off the board in five career starts, The Lewis Dinner has now earned $139,500.
Foaled on February 2, 2012 at Vinery NY at Empire Stud in Hudson, The Lewis Dinner is a daughter of Posse (Rockridge Stud) bred by James Lamonica, Lee Sacks, Soave Stables and Posse Syndicate. Her dam Nick’s Honor, an unraced daughter of Jump Start, has produced three winners from three to start, all earners of six figures and stakes performers. Her second foal Kelli Got Frosty by Frost Giant is also a stakes winner. Nick’s Honor has a yearling filly by D’ Funnybone, a weanling filly by Frost Giant and was bred this year to Tale of the Cat.
Changing hands twice via public auction, The Lewis Dinner was picked up by Eisaman Equine at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearlings sale for $50,000, and brought the same price when purchased by Dubb at OBS in April after breezing a furlong in 10.0 seconds in the under tack show.
