Broman firster Manipulated takes Rockville Centre

by Sarah Mace

Manipulated, a first-time-starting homebred for Chester and Mary Broman, came from off the pace to emerge as the decisive winner of the $125,000, six-furlong Rockville Centre for New York-bred 2-year-olds at Belmont Park on Saturday afternoon.

Conditioned by Jimmy Jerkens and piloted by Luis Saez, Manipulated (Malibu Moon) represented half of a coupled entry for the Bromans in the field of eight juveniles along with Spin Cycle (Hard Spun) for trainer John Kimmel and jockey John Velazquez. The Malibu Moon colt posted a bullet three-furlong blow-out on July 15 and the pair were bet down to odds-on favoritism by post time.

Ridden along out of the gate, Manipulated was outrun in the early stages traveling more than six lengths behind Love that Jazz and Dr. Shane, who vied for the lead and carved out a first quarter mile in 22.80 and half in 47.01.

As Lucky Lurie joined the fray and Love that Jazz began to weaken, Manipulated began a bid midway around the far turn, made up ground and swung five-wide into the top of the stretch. After picking off rivals, he took over inside the furlong marker and worked his way four lengths clear by the wire in 1:12.67 over a “good” main track. Lucky Lurie finished second, a length in front of Dr. Shane. [VIDEO[2]]

Saez reported, “We had a little trouble when we broke. First, a horse came in and another one came out. I was trying to be patient and get a better position so I put him in the clear. At the half-mile pole, I knew I had a lot of horse and at the three-eighths, I asked him a little and he just took off. He won easy.”

Jerkens said, “It’s not often you run in a stakes with a first-time starter, but there were a few of us in the same boat. He’d been training well in the morning, and there was a lot of money hanging out there, so why not take a shot? He blew out good the other morning and we thought if he cooled out well, we’d go, and it worked out.”

Manipulated became the second winner for his dam Silver Knockers, a stakes winner and multiple graded stakes performer by Silver Deputy who earned nearly $250,000 on the racetrack. Chester Broman purchased the mare in foal to Unbridled’s Song for $320,000 at the 2009 Keeneland November sale. That first foal, Knockher Off, has earned $186,656. Silver Knockers has a yearling filly by Bernardini named Spa Treatment and a foal this year by Desert Party.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2015/07/18/manipulated-rockville-centre/

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Saratoga Snacks wins sprint to wire in Saginaw

by Sarah Mace

Saratoga Snacks, winner of the Empire Classic in 2013 and sharp in the first three starts of his 6-year-old campaign for owner/trainer Gary Sciacca, delivered a gritty performance to win the inaugural Saginaw Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday, clawing his way to victory after yielding the lead in the stretch to main rival Empire Dreams.

Partnered with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez for the first time and bet down to 4-5 favoritism, Saratoga Snacks broke sharply from post three and headed to the front, accompanied to his inside by Eye Luv Lulu. As the pair hooked up and traded the lead along the backstretch run, 2-1 second choice Empire Dreams bided his time in last, but only three lengths or so from the duelers through a first half mile in 48.73.

The frontrunners’ duel lasted until midway on the far turn, but when Saratoga Snacks began to get the edge, he was joined to his outside by Empire Dreams who made a sweeping three-wide move, and Notacatbutallama who advanced between horses in the two path.

Empire Dreams, who had the best momentum, briefly took over the lead at the head of the stretch, but Saratoga Snacks dug in, reclaimed the top spot in the final furlong and outsprinted Empire Dreams to the wire, a three-quarter-length winner in a final time of 1:43.98 for 1 1/16 miles over a track labeled “good.”

Gridley Here closed to finish 4 1/2 lengths back in third, followed across the line by Notacatbutallama, who was making in a rare main track appearance, and Eye Luv Lulu. [VIDEO[2]]

Velazquez reported, “I had a perfect trip: Broke well, got a good position and just kind of sat against him. That gave him a chance for the first part of the race. I kind of waited for Javier [Castellano]’s horse [Empire Dreams] and I was like, ‘let’s make this a sprint race down the lane and see who is best.’ I turned out to be the best one.”

Sciacca contrasted Saratoga Snacks’ effort on Saturday with his close-up third place finish to Empire Dreams last out in the Commentator on May 25. “He ran well. I think if he had run this way last time it would have been a different ballgame. He did everything right. He had an easy first quarter, picked it up a little bit for the next quarter, and made it a horse race. [Empire Dreams] got in front of him, I was just hoping he had something left.”

Continued Sciacca, “I got a little nervous at the eighth-pole because [track announcer Larry Collmus] said, ‘[Empire Dreams] is making a bold move on the outside.’ He came to him, but [Saratoga Snacks] took off again. I’m proud of him.”

Bred by Mrs. Gerald A. Nielsen, “Snacks” (Tale of the Cat) was purchased by Sciacca for Hall of Fame football coach Bill Parcells’ August Dawn Farm at the 2010 Fasig-Tipton New York Preferred yearling sale for $60,000. Sciacca trained Saratoga Snacks for the early part of the ridgling’s career before the horse was transferred to the barn of Bill Mott for his 2014 campaign. Sciacca purchased the horse before his 2015 campaign.

Winner of the Alex M. Robb in 2012, and the Shy Groom Stakes and Empire Classic in 2013, Saratoga Snacks now sports a record of nine wins, four seconds and four thirds in 21 starts with $652,000 in earnings.

His dam Near and Dear, a multiple winner by Red Ransom ($80,400) bred by Mrs. Nielsen and her husband Gerald, has produced three other winners: six-figure earner Speed Dating (Not For Love), Rajman (Thunder Gulch) who placed twice at the Group 3 level in Peru, and Hurricane Jackie by Stormy Atlantic.

Sciacca is considering either the Alydar on August 9 or the Evan Shipman for New York-breds on September 4 at Saratoga for Saratoga Snacks’ next appointment with the starter.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2015/07/18/saratoga-snacks-wins-sprint-to-wire-in-saginaw/

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