Captain Serious scores game victory in muddy Hollie Hughes

by Sarah Mace

Barry K. Schwartz’s 4-year-old homebred Captain Serious (Successful Appeal) gamely preserved a narrow lead in the final sixteenth to score his second career stakes victory Aqueduct’s Sunday feature, the $100,000 Hollie Hughes Stakes for older New York-breds. The race was contested at six furlongs over a sloppy (sealed) racetrack.

Open-length winner last May of Belmont’s Mike Lee Stakes for trainer Mike Hushion, Captain Serious has since placed in three graded contests, but was still looking for that elusive second stakes score. The Hollie Hughes was his inner track debut.

Captain Serious broke from the outside post of six as the 8-5 post time favorite and immediately set his sights on the front. Advancing to challenge fellow Hushion trainee I’m Stoked, who was hustled out of the gate into the top spot, Captain Serious pressed the leader through a first quarter mile in 23.15 and half in 46.34.

Captain Serious managed to secure the lead late in the far turn and angled out four wide into the lane, but the bay’s hard work was far from over. A resurgent I’m Stoked fought on inside drawing even once again, Geaux Mets charged at the rail, while longshot Crafty Dreamer threatened on the stand side.

With a final determined effort, Captain Serious repelled all three challengers and got free late to secure the victory by three-quarters of a length in a final time of 1:10.70 over the sloppy going. The next three finished heads apart as runner-up Crafty Dreamer nipped I’m Stoked in third and Geaux Mets fourth. Completing the order of finish were Big Business and Jeter. John’s Island was an early scratch. [VIDEO[2]]

Winning rider Jose Ortiz said, “We had a perfect post; I knew I’m Stoked was going to go [to the front.] I broke good, sat, and everything went perfect. I was pretty confident in the horse when he got that post. He’s so game, and he was ready for today.” Added Ortiz, who has piloted Captain Serious in every start, “I want to thank Mike Hushion and all of the connections for their support.”

Hushion, winner of six renewals of the Hollie Hughes, commented, “I think [Captain Serious] was waiting on horses once he got the lead. It was good to see him back on the winner’s circle.”

Named for Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, Captain Serious has compiled a strong 10-race resume. His record of four wins, one second and three thirds includes the Mike Lee and Hollie Hughes victories, a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Dwyer and a pair of thirds in the Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes and Grade 3 Fall High weight Handicap. His earnings bankroll stands at $320,200

Foaled at Barry Schwartz’s Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs, Captain Serious is one of two winners out of Madame Diva, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Mr. Greeley. A half-sister to Deceptive, the dam of $1.1 million earner Mizdirection, Madame Diva was purchased by Buzz Chace, agent, as a yearling at the 2003 Fasig-Tipton New York select sale for $260,000, before going on to become a stakes-placed runner for Hushion and Schwartz.

Madame Diva’s most recent reported foal is a 2-year-old colt by Mizzen Mast. She was sold to El Aventurero Stables for $55,000 at the 2013 Keeneland November sale.

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2015/01/18/captain-serious-hollie-hughes/

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Dayatthespa near-unanimous choice for Female Turf Champion

by Sarah Mace

In an all-but-unanimous decision, Eclipse voters made New York-bred Dayatthespa, who became the Empire State’s first Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup winner, the Champion Female Turf horse of 2014. Dayatthespa collected 260 of the 264 votes cast for first place in the division (plus one abstention). Dayatthespa was also a finalist in the Champion Older Female category.

Dayatthespa started just four times in 2014, but raised the bar with each outing. Second to Filimbi in her seasonal debut on August 2 in the De La Rose Stakes, she defeated fellow New York-bred Grade 1 winner Discreet Marq in the Yaddo Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day on August 24. She next delivered a powerhouse winning performance in the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland, before sealing her case for championship honors with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

A chestnut City Zip mare bred by Castellare DiCracchiolo Stable, Cracchiolo & Goldsher, Dayatthespa brought $50,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York preferred yearling sale in 2010 before being purchased privately as a 2-year-old in training by Pete Bradley, who formed a partnership group consisting of Bradley Thoroughbreds, successful Broadway producers Jerry Frankel and Ron Frankel and optometrist Steve Layman. Dayatthespa retired with 11 wins in 18 starts (10 stakes victories), and career earnings of $2,288,892.

The champion will join the elite broodmare band of Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Stable, who purchased Dayatthespa for $2.1 million at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Not long after the Eclipse announcement, Stonestreet Farm (@StonestreetFarm) sent out an excited tweet: “One of our newest members of the Stonestreet broodmare band wins Female Turf #EclipseAward congrats to @BradleyTBs!”

Here is what the connections had to say:

Co-majority owner Ron Frankel: “This is the best night of my life. How could it not? I want to thank Chad Brown, Javier Castellano, Peter Bradley and, most of all, my brother [and co-majority owner] Jerry Frankel. It’s great.”

Co-owner Steve Laymon: “It’s hard not to thank Chad Brown, but when you buy a New York-bred maiden at 5 1/2 furlongs, you’re sure not thinking Eclipse Award, you’re sure not thinking Breeders’ Cup, but we are so excited and we can’t thank everyone enough for this award.”

Co-owner Pete Bradley of Bradley Thoroughbreds: “Wow. Dayatthespa. What a ride she has taken us on these last three years. We were very fortunate to have a filly like this. They don’t come around very often. Thank you, Chad and his staff and team, his assistants are awesome. Javier, you gave her a great ride. Johnny gave her a great ride. And we’re just very happy to take this award”

HRTV Video[2] of 2014 Champion Turf Female Eclipse presentation.

Previous New York-bred Eclipse winners are: Saratoga Dew (Three-Year-Old Filly, 1992), Funny Cide (Three-Year-Old Male, 1973) and Fleet Indian (Older Female, 2006).

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2015/01/18/dayatthespa-female-turf-champion/

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International Star launches sparkling late charge to win Grade 3 LeComte

by Sarah Mace

Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Eclipse Award finalists for breeders and owners of the year, were given an excuse to celebrate early on Eclipse Saturday when International Star delivered a big performance in the Grade 3 LeComte Stakes at the Fair Grounds, coming off the rail in the stretch to fly home victorious.

The win elevates the bay son of Fusaichi Pegasus to the top of the Road to the Kentucky Derby point standings, where, by virtue of his victory in the Grey Stakes at Woodbine (10 points), a third in the Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs (one point) and the LeComte victory at the Fair Grounds (10 points), he shares first place with El Kabeir who also has collected 21 points.

Settling in at the rail after breaking from the one-hole under Miguel Mena at odds of 9-1, International Star saved ground through both turns of the one mile and 70-yard tilt, while longshot Hero of Humor (173-1) set the majority of the early pace through fractions of 23.66, 47.07 and 1:13.35, destined to be challenged by Tiznow R J (4-1) and Another Lemon Drop (7-1).

Hemmed in at the rail in upper stretch, International Star shifted out with two athletic maneuvers, finally getting clear at the furlong marker. Taking the lead at the sixteenth-pole, after a stutter-step he charged to the wire a 2 1/2-length winner in a final time of 1:43.62. War Story, bested Tiznow R J by a head for the place.  [VIDEO[2]]

Mena said, “The plan was the save ground on both turns and then he came out at the three-sixteenths-pole and he came rolling.  He was running hard but he kind of pulled himself up a little at the end when he found himself alone on the lead.”

Mike Maker, who trains the colt for the Ramseys, said, “He’s been training very well.  We expected a big race – maybe not that big – but he was coming into the race great.  We’ll bring him back to Florida and take a hard look at the Risen Star.”

Now a two-time graded stakes winner, International Star has earned $320,979 with three wins and two seconds from seven career starts.

Bred by Katharine M. Voss and Robert T. Manfuso and foaled at Berkshire Stud in Pine Plains, International Star was purchased by the Ramseys as a yearling for $85,000 out of the Fasig Tipton select yearling sale in September in Timonium. His dam is Parlez, a multiple winner by French Deputy who has produced five winners in all, including stakes winner Fools in Love by Not For Love.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2015/01/18/international-star-lecomte/

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