NYRA/Adam Coglianese
by Sarah Mace
With only one rival beaten in a 10-horse field by the top of the lane, Kendel Standlee’s The Tea Cups, a 5-year-old bay mare by Hard Spun, swung widest of all for the drive, passed all the other fillies and mares in the stretch, many extremely accomplished, and drew off to victory in her stakes debut, the 35th running of the $150,000 Yaddo Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.
On paper Discreet Marq, a multiple graded stakes winner and earner of more than $1.2 million, overlaid the field, but as it turned out it was not the grey superstar’s day. Instead, The Tea Cups (9-1) lurked innocently at the back of the pack, racing in ninth and tenth for a first half mile that went in 47.73, while 46-1 longshot Lady Kreesa led the way, pressed by Invading Humor and tracked intently in third by Discreet Marq.
The Tea Cups was still next-to-last through the far turn and entering the stretch. Swinging out eight-wide, she began to mow down the competition, while up front Lady Kreesa yielded the lead by a narrow margin to Discreet Marq.
Advancing in the clear down the center of the track, The Tea Cups surged late past remaining rivals and inched away to a one-length victory. After one mile in 1:36.72, she completed the 1 1/16 miles of the Yaddo in 1:42.92 over the firm inner turf course. She was followed across the line by Old Harbor, who closed from fourth to finish second, a neck ahead of Selenite, who had been racing mid-pack. Swear by It finished fourth a length back and one-half length ahead of Discreet Marq who weakened to fifth. [VIDEO]
Winning jockey Luis Saez said, “They went a little fast in the beginning the first part of it but I had a great trip. We were coming from behind so I stayed patient and at the three-eighths pole I came out. When we came into the stretch I said, ‘Man, everybody is right there,’ so I knew we could do something. When we came to the finish, we were in front. She ran big. She really responded.”
Jeremiah Englehart indicated that this win had extra significance for him. “This is my first stakes win at the meet and it’s exciting. The Yaddo was the first stakes race I ever ran in and I’ve always admired the race.”
Continued the conditioner, “Luis gave her a super ride. They were going quick up front and the closers seemed to have been having a better chance than the horses that were up front. I was a little worried that she was back so far, but he just gave her a really good ride. Luis did a phenomenal job.”
Last out on July 24 at Saratoga, The Tea Cups finished fourth by two lengths going 1 3/16 on the Mellon in an open first-level allowance. Englehart said that after that, “My main goal for her was this race and cutting back in distance. That helped her for sure.”
Englehart concluded, “It is something when you beat an awfully nice mare like Discreet Marq. Anytime you get to up against a really nice horse like that and you come away with a win, it’s an added bonus.”
Claimed for $16,000 on February 14 of last year and transferred to Englehart from Joan Scott that June, she has collected three wins a third and a fourth for the Englehart barn. With a record of five wins, three seconds and four thirds from 19 starts, The Tea Cups has now bankrolled $231,713.
Bred by William Parsons Jr. and David S. Howe, The Tea Cups is one of four winners out of Lunar Colony, a Kentucky-bred A. P. Indy mare. She is the dam of Lunar Victory, a son of Speightstown bred by the same team, who was a multiple stakes winner trained by Bill Mott for Juddmonte Farms, Inc. Lunar Victory won the 2012 Empire Classic and earned $446,495.
