Good Luck Gus overcomes outside draw to capture Damon Runyon

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NYRA/Adam Coglianese

By Sarah Mace

Good Luck Gus (Lookin At Lucky), dominant winner of the New York Breeders’ Futurity for New York-bred juveniles at Finger Lakes on October 4, became a two-time stakes winner on Sunday afternoon when he overcame the widest draw of all in a field of 11 New York-bred 2-year-olds to take down Aqueduct’s $100,000 Damon Runyon Stakes.

When Good Luck Gus drew post 12 to go one mile, 70 yards around two turns over the Aqueduct inner track (post 11 after the scratch of Navy Blue), both trainer Rudy Rodriguez and majority owner Michael Dubb considered scratching, and doubts lingered, at least in Dubb’s mind, until post time. Ultimately, though, Rodriguez felt going in that the draw could be an advantage.

Good Luck Gus finished fifth last out as the 3-5 favorite in the Notebook Stakes on November 16. “If you watch the race, he was jumping and climbing the whole race,” Rodriguez said. “At the top of the stretch, he checked and almost clipped heels, and then when he got to the outside, he started moving along. I think he got very scared when the dirt hit him in the face.” Rodriguez felt that even if his horse lost ground in the Damon Runyon, the wide draw would allow him both to get good position and avoid getting dirt in his face.

Bet down to the 9-2 fifth choice at post time, Good Luck Gus broke well and set up for a stalking trip in the early stages under jockey Ruben Silvera, as pacesetter Regal Minister sailed through early splits of 23.21 and 48.17 seconds. Advancing to third in the three-path along the backstretch run, Good Luck Gus made a successful bid for the lead in the far turn and hit the quarter pole in front. Asked for more in the stretch, Good Luck Gus held off the closers to win by 1 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:45.80.

A fast-finishing Bullheaded Boy, who has danced all the stakes dances for New York-bred juveniles this year, closed well to nip Tizquick for second by a head. Completing the order of finish were Fleeting, Regal Minister, Saint Joseph, Possilicious, Thrown of my Own, Masons Dream, J C’s Not Brown, and Che La Luna. According to Trakus, Good Luck Gus traveled 39 feet more than the runner up. [VIDEO[2]]

Rodriguez was thrilled with Good Luck Gus’s performance. “Since we got him he’s been very special to us. He’s been training very, very well. The post position was a little hard; we were thinking of scratching, but I think we made the right decision, and he proved it today. I told Silvera not to worry about losing ground, just be well placed. He fought on, and looked like he could handle 1 1/8 miles today.”

Michael Dubb, who purchased the colt at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale for $97,000, said, “I liked this horse so much I wanted to run in the [Grade 2] Jerome [on January 3]. This horse is by Lookin At Lucky; he wants to go two turns. When we drew the number 12, I said to Rudy, ‘I would be fine waiting’ because I have that much confidence in this horse. He’s two turns, and getting better.”

Dubb was also quick to acknowledge his trainer’s better judgment in opting not to scratch. “Just 10 minutes before the race we were kidding around,” said Dubb. “I said, ‘Rudy, what are you going to tell the jockey?’ And he said, ‘Fourth on the outside, no dirt in the face.’ And he said, ‘What would you tell the jock?’ And I said, ‘Well, I would have scratched.’ Which shows you what the dumb owner knows.”

As to the future, Dubb added, “We’re really excited about this horse. He keeps going and is training great. To win from out there, you’re several lengths the best. We might look at something open next for him.”

A maiden-breaker at Saratoga in the slop second out on July 28, Good Luck Gus won the New York Breeders’ Futurity two starts later before running second to Ostrolenka in the Sleepy Hollow at Belmont. Blinkers added for his last four starts have helped overcome some greenness, which led him to hop tire tracks in his first two outings. From three wins and second in seven starts, Good Luck Gus has earned $330,059.

Bred by Fred W. Hertrich III and foaled on April 28, 2012 at Majestic View Farms in Gardiner, Good Luck Gus is one of two winners, and the only registered New York-bred foal, out of Tacticmove, a daughter of Deputy Minister out of multiple Grade 1 winner Strategic Maneuver who was unplaced in one start. The mare, who also 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/2014/12/14/good-luck-gus-damon-runyon/

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Freudie Anne dominates East View in frontrunning style

By Sarah Mace

Freudie Anne chalked up another stakes victory for New York’s leading sire Freud, the stallion’s eighth for the year, when she dominated the six-horse field of the $100,000 East View Stakes for New York-bred juvenile fillies by more than nine lengths at Aqueduct on Sunday afternoon. The one-mile 70 yard, two-turn contest on the inner oval was co-featured with the Damon Runyon for males.

Trained by Eddie Kenneally for Marc Detampel, Freudie Anne was starting for the fourth time in the East View following a 4 1/2-length score in an off-the-turf, first-level allowance at a mile over Aqueduct’s main track on November 19. The East View was also the filly’s second stakes appearance. A debut maiden breaker at Belmont Park in a turf sprint on September 7, she had a poor outing second out in the seven-furlong Joseph A. Gimma on September 21 in the mud.

Kenneally reported, “She didn’t break sharp [in the Gimma] and got discouraged early on when the dirt hit her in the face; nothing went right for her. She’s a filly who’s grown up a little bit since then.”

Freudie Anne did end up breaking break well on Sunday as she exited post four as the narrow 7-5 favorite over 8-5 Building Permit. Outsprinting the field early, she crossed over and assumed the lead by the time the fillies entered the clubhouse turn.

Maintaining a comfortable lead over her closest pursuer My Super Nova along the back stretch run, Freudie Anne widened her lead from two to five lengths in the turn with little apparent effort, and entered the home stretch in full command. Widening her advantage under a bit of drive in the stretch, she crossed the finish line geared down a 9 3/4-length winner.

Hot City Girl, a half-sister to star sprinter La Verdad, closed to grab second by a half-length over Building Permit. Completing the order of finish were My Super Nova, Sweetpollypurebrd and Classic Aussie. Able to clock steady fractions throughout, Freudie Anne stopped the clock at 1:44.50. [VIDEO[2]]

Winning jockey Jose Ortiz felt that the sharp break and the opportunity to set a moderate pace were the keys to victory. “She broke good,” said Ortiz. “It seemed like there was a lot of speed in the race, but my filly was so game, and broke really sharp. I was able to get the lead easy; I thought I would have to go :23, :47 to get the lead, but everyone took back. My filly relaxed very well, and when I asked her to go I had a lot of horse.”

Kenneally said, “I think she’s a versatile filly. Originally, we scheduled to run her on dirt on closing weekend at Saratoga, but it didn’t work out, and the next maiden race that came up happened to be on turf. She’s as good or better on the dirt, and she showed that today.”

Bred by Delaney Stable and foaled on March 31, 2012 at Keane Stud in Amenia, Freudie Anne was, in retrospect, a steal both times she passed through the auction ring. A $14,000 weanling at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton fall mixed sale in Saratoga, she was purchased by Jayne Johnson the following year for $9,000 at the Keeneland September sale. Three-for-four lifetime, Freudie Anne has now earned $141,500.

Freudie Anne’s unraced dam Lake Toccet (Toccet) is a half-sister to turf stakes-placed Irish Princess and both of her foals to start are winners. Her yearling filly by Frost Giant brought $18,000 this fall at the Fasig-Tipton fall mixed sale and she produced a colt this year by Giant Surprise.

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2014/12/14/freudie-anne-east-view/

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