NYRA/Adam Coglianese
by Sarah Mace
Girolamo, Darley’s Grade 1-winning son of A.P. Indy who began his stud career in 2012 at Becky Thomas and Dennis Narlinger’s Sequel Stallions New York, got his first progeny winner on Thursday when 2-year-old Lucky Lurie captured a five-furlong New York-bred maiden special weight at Belmont as 6-5 favorite.
Breaking from post six under Rajiv Maragh, Lucky Lurie moved up quickly to contest the pace with Love That Jazz. Pressing his rival in the two-path through the far turn after a sharp opening quarter mile in 22.62, Lucky Lurie got a head in front with a furlong to go and fought on with determination to the wire, securing the victory by a neck in a final time of 58.51. [VIDEO]
Bred by Tony Grey, owned by Alan Brodsky and trained by Mark Hennig, Lucky Lurie is out of Holy Freud, an unraced daughter of Freud who has produced two other winners. The mare is also the daughter of star producer Holy Wish, dam of ten winners in all, including three black type winners led by graded stakes winner Wishful Tomcat, who earned over $700,000. Brodsky purchased Lucky Lurie for $50,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred sale.
Girolamo likewise broke his maiden as a juvenile on debut, in his case in at Saratoga going seven furlongs. His best on-track performances came at three and four. He reeled off three straight wins to start his sophomore campaign, including the one-mile Grade 2 Jerome Handicap at Belmont. At four he won the Grade 1 Vosburgh and, in his last career start, finished third in the 2010 renewal of the Grade 1 Cigar Mile, finishing just one-half length behind the winner and scoring a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 110. He retired with earnings totaling $443,800.
Girolamo’s dam Get Lucky, a Grade 3-winning daughter of Mr. Prospector, has produced nine winners out of nine foals to race, including Grade 2-winner Daydreaming, a full sister to Girolamo, and graded winner Accelerator, a full brother. Girolamo’s full sister Supercharger is the dam of 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver. Another full sister She’s a Winner is the dam of former top New York sire Bluegrass Cat.
Girolamo was well-supported by New York breeders at Sequel, breeding 117 and 85 mares, respectively in 2012 and 2013 before relocating to Darley’s Jonabell Farm in Lexington, Kentucky in 2014.
