NYRA/Adam Coglianese
by Sarah Mace
Chester and Mary Broman’s homebred Backwood Bay, a daughter of freshman sire Girolamo, motored home in the stretch and surged dramatically in the final seventy yards to win her debut, a six-furlong maiden special weight for New York-bred 2-year-old fillies at Saratoga on Saturday.
After the break, Backwood Bay (9-1) settled in mid-pack in sixth, as much as six lengths off the pace, as Here Comes Rosie (2-1) led the field through a sharp first quarter-mile in 22.73 and half in 46.29. After entering the turn three-wide, Backwood Bay first picked off two rivals and swung out five wide under Jose Ortiz to be set down for the drive.
With four lengths still to make up and three rivals to pass, the chestnut filly steadily gained momentum and found her best stride in the final seventy yards. She surged past three rivals, including new leader, 50-1 longshot Rock Garden (Bustin Stones), and got up in the shadow of the wire to win by a head. Following the top two across the line, three-quarters of a length and a half-length back, respectively, were favorite Super Surprise (Giant Surprise) and pacesetter Here Comes Rosie. The winner’s final time after six furlongs over the fast main track was 1:12.12. [VIDEO]
Linda Rice, who trains Backwood Bay for the Bromans, said she didn’t think the filly would get to the wire first with so much work left to do at the top of the stretch. “I knew she was coming and going to put in a nice run,” said Rice, “but I didn’t know if she was going to get there in time.”
As to race strategy, Rice said, “[Jockey] Jose [Ortiz] and I discussed it. I said, ‘Look, just get her underway and just don’t rush her.’ A lot of times in 2-year-old races they go like hell early and a horse will flatten out pretty good, and I just didn’t want to do that. I told him to relax on her, let her relax and make a run on the end of it.”
Owner/breeder Chester Broman, all smiles with his wife Mary in the winner’s circle, simply shook his head for a little while, and produced a short, sweet comment on the race: “It was unbelievable!”
Backwood Bay is the fourth winner out of Arradoul, a winning daughter of Dixieland Band purchased by Broman for $380,000 at the 2011 Keeneland November sale. Arradoul is a half-sister to six winners led by multiple stakes winner and multiple graded performer Ender’s Sister and stakes winner and multiple graded performer Ender’s Shadow. The mare’s second dam is millionaire and multiple graded stakes winner Fit For a Queen.
Arradoul’s second foal is an Elusive Quality filly, Permanent Vacation, who is black type placed in Venezuela. The mare currently has a yearling full sister to Backwood Bay, no foal this year and was bred to Quality Road in the spring.
Girolamo, Darley’s Grade 1-winning son of A.P. Indy, began his stud career in 2012 at Becky Thomas and Dennis Narlinger’s Sequel Stallions New York. Backwood Bay is his fourth debut progeny winner.
