NYRA/Adam Coglianese
N. F.’s Destiny, got to the front first and never looked back on his way to an open-length victory in the inaugural running of the $50,000 Kelly Kip, a six-furlong dash for 4-year-olds and up that have started for a claiming price of $12,500 or less.
The Kelly Kip, one of 10 stakes races worth a total of $710,000 on Aqueduct’s first New York Claiming Championships card Saturday, was named for a multiple stakes winning Florida-bred trained by the late H. Allen Jerkens, whose passing last week has left a void in the life and hearts of horsemen across the country.
N. F.’s Destiny never had an anxious moment from the bell forward. Scooting to the front of the competitive 11-horse field from post two, the 6-year-old Cuvee gelding carved out fractions of 23.20, 46.32 and 58.54 on an uncontested lead under Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Leading by more than four lengths with a furlong to go, the 5-2 favorite carried on with good momentum to the wire, where he stopped the clock at 1:11.75 with a 3 1/2-length margin of victory. Dan’s Gold got up from mid-pack for second to complete a New York-bred exacta. Cho Time chased the leader throughout and remained on the scene to get the show. [VIDEO]
NYRA/Joe Labozzette
Trained by Gustavo Rodriguez for Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables LLC and Gary Aisquith, who claimed the horse last December for $20,000, N. F.’s Destiny has now won five of 10 races over Aqueduct’s inner oval and eight of 23 lifetime. He became eligible for the Kelly Kip when he ran for $10,000 in a conditioned claimer at Finger Lakes last August. His career earnings now total $335,670.
Bred by Eklektikos Stable, the winner is one of three winners from three foals to start out of Noble Fire (Hook and Ladder), a stakes-placed runner bred by Chester and Mary Broman. Noble Fire, whose progeny have earned over $1.2 million, is most familiar as the dam of graded stakes winner and star New York-bred sprinter La Verdad, by Yes It’s True ($780,700). Another foal, sophomore Hot City Girl (City Zip), has placed in two stakes.
