Super Surprise overcomes traffic to win Fleet Indian Stakes

By Bill Heller

Repole Stable’s Super Surprise, the 4-5 favorite in the field of nine under John Velazquez contesting the mile-and-an-eighth $200,000 Fleet Indian Stakes for three-year-old New York-bred fillies on Saratoga Showcase Day Friday, seemed buried in traffic around the far turn and into the top of the stretch. Then Velazquez saw a way through. He yanked Super Surprise outside of Riot Worthy and Joel Rosario, and found a seam. Once he did, Super Surprise came barreling down the center of the course, passing seven fillies in front of her to win the Fleet Indian Stakes by four lengths going away for her third consecutive victory.

She also gave the Pletcher/Velazquez team their fourth winner of the afternoon. “We’ve been together for a long time,” Velazquez said. “Winning four races with Todd today is just like the old days.”

Pletcher said, “He (Velazquez) said in the middle of the turn he was worried for half a second. But she grabbed him at the quarter pole and he said, `Now we’re fine.’”

Riot Worthy, who went off at 7-2 under Joel Rosario, nipped 8-1 Highway Star and Jomar Torres by a head for second. Mecke’s Madalyn was just another half-length back in fourth at 34-1.

Allen Hallett bred Super Surprise, a daughter of Giant’s Surprise out of Miz Lynne Kelly who sold for $55,000 as a yearling at Saratoga in August, 2014.

Super Surprise finished third in her maiden debut last year and second in the $200,000 Seeking the Ante Stakes at Saratoga. She finished fourth in another stakes, then broke her maiden in the $250,000 Maid of the Mist Stakes at Belmont, her final start as a two-year-old. She made her three-year-old debut here and won an allowance race handily as the 5-2 favorite.

Super Surprise was seventh and eighth early as 15-1 Roman Ceres and Junior Alvarado set the pace and 5-1 Frosty Margarita chased in second through a :23.25 first quarter, a half-mile in :47.70 and three-quarters in 1:12.05.

Then Highway Star, who had been fifth, rallied strongly. So did Riot Worthy. Velazquez, meanwhile, was desperate to find a way through with Super Surprise. When he did, Super Surprise unleashed a furious rally, zooming up to the leaders and then past them for another impressive victory. [VIDEO[2]]

Super Surprise is now three-for-six with one second, one third and more than $360,000 in earnings.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2016/08/26/super-surprise-fleet-indian/

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King Kreesa holds off closers inside and outside for a gutty West Point win

By Bill Heller

You can’t teach a horse courage or class. It’s either in their DNA or not. Gerald and Susan Kresa’s seven-year-old King Kreesa is loaded with both and he demonstrated that again on Saratoga Showcase Day Friday. After breaking awkwardly, he quickly made the lead under Jose Ortiz, then held off challengers on his inside and outside to win the 37^th running of the mile-and-a-sixteenth $150,000 West Point on grass by a nose over Kharafa and Joe Bravo on his inside. On his outside, Offering Plan and Irad Ortiz Jr. was just a neck behind Kharafa in third. And the beautiful gray Tapitation and Joel Rosario were just another neck back in fourth.

It was an epic renewal of the West Point.

Bettors saw the West Point as an even race and both Offering Plan on the rail and Tapitation from the three post went off at 2-1. In between them from the two post was King Kreesa at 3-1. Immediately outside of Tapitation, Kharafa was 4-1 in the field of seven.

Horse Partners bred King Kreesa, a son of King Cugat out of Storm’s Advance by Storm Creek who is trained by David Donk. King Kreesa had made his three previous starts in open company, finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Poker, winning the $144,000 Forbidden Apple Stakes by a nose and then finishing a front-running fourth in the Grade 1 Fourstar Dave just six days earlier.

Maybe that’s why he broke a bit awkwardly. Regardless, Jose Ortiz handled it perfectly, allowing King Kreesa to get his balance before streaking for the early lead as he usually does.

“He didn’t break good but was fast enough to get the lead anyway,” Jose Ortiz said.

King Kreesa took a narrow lead on 13-1 Brother O’Connell, who also broke well from the outside post in the field of seven under Javier Castellano. With Exultation, who was 20-1 under Manny Franco, got away third and Tapitation was on his outside in fourth. Offering Plan was close, too.

King Kreesa led Brother O’Connell by a head after an opening quarter in :24.61 and by three-quarters of a length after a half-mile in :49.67 and three-quarters in 1:14.00. Then Offering Plan gained quickly on the outside and Kharafa charged up on King Kreesa’s inside.

Both Kharafa and Offering Plan had dead aim on the front-runner, but King Kreesa dug in and held them both off to win in 1:37.18. “We set slow fractions and that was the difference,” Jose Ortiz said. “He could feel the other horse (Kharafa) coming to him, and when he did, he gave me another gear. He always tries heard. He’s got a huge heart and that made the difference today.” [VIDEO[2]]

Donk may be King Kreesa’s biggest fan. “Listen, this is a really good horse,” he said. “I’m just lucky to have him. It’s special.”

King Kreesa’s victory was his 11^th in 33 starts with seven seconds, four thirds and earnings of more than $1,370,000.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2016/08/26/king-kreesa-west-point-16/

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Fourstar Crook takes Yaddo from off the pace

By Sarah Mace

After scratching into the main body of the field from the “also-eligible” list and being bet down to 2-1 favoritism, Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stable’s Fourstar Crook (Freud) came from off the pace to best a large and formidable field in Friday’s $150,000 Yaddo for New York-bred fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the Mellon turf course.

The 4-year-old Chad Brown trainee, who was looking for her fifth straight victory dating back to a maiden-breaking score at fourth asking last October 8 at Belmont Park, was partnered with Javier Castellano.

Breaking from the outside post of ten and settling in sixth in the two-path behind pace-setter Invading Humor for an opening half-mile that went in 48.65, Fourstar Crook began her advance by moving out a path in the far turn, passing horses and swinging out yet wider for the stretch drive.

Charging for home with a bevy of rivals, she dug in and outfinished the group in the final furlong to secure the win by three-quarters of a length. The first five to finish were only separated by 1 3/4 lengths. Flipcup, a fast-closing runner-up, finished a neck ahead of The Tea Cups in third, who finished three-quarters of a length head of Neck of the Moon and Freudie Anne who finished noses apart. The final time over the yielding turf was 1:43.56. [VIDEO[2]]

“It was the first time I rode her and I felt great,” said Castellano. “I stuck to the inside on the first turn and saved a little ground. I stepped up a little to the outside after that. She’s a very straightforward filly. Everything she does is nice and easy. When I asked her, she took off. I’m very happy with the way she did it today.”

Trainer Chad Brown said, “We had sent her to Barry Eisaman in Ocala to lay her up [over the winter]. She had no issues, we were just focused on a campaign this year as a 4-year-old. She’s a New York-bred grass horse, there was no reason to race her down in Florida. Mike Dubb and his partners were so patient, they came up with a plan. We just gave her a break and she’s clearly responded. She’s come back bigger and stronger. She appreciated the time we gave her and she hasn’t looked back since.”

As to the future, Brown said, “We really weren’t looking past today. The opportunity came up to wheel her back on a short rest [19 days]. Given it’s Saratoga and we’re all trying to win and it looked like a logical spot for her. So we did that, now I’ll give her more time. She’s clearly a good one, she deserves it.”

Bred by Kathleen M. Feron and foaled at Akindale Farm in Pawling, Fourstar Crook was a $110,000 two-year-old purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Spring sale.

The filly is out of an unplaced New York-bred mare Avril a Portugal by D’Accord, who has produced five winners to date. Her Jump Start gelding Coaltown Legend earned over $320,000. The mare currently has a weanling filly by Freud and was bred back to the same stallion this year.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2016/08/26/fourstar-crook-yaddo-pace/

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Iron Mizz wins dirt debut in $200,000 Seeking the Ante

By Bill Heller

Barry Schwartz’s home-bred filly Iron Mizz, who had won one of three starts on turf, made quite an impression in her dirt debut on Showcase Day Friday at Saratoga. Rallying late under John Velazquez, Iron Mizz edged Code Red and Dylan Davis by three-quarters of a length in the 6 ½ furlong $200,000 Seeking the Ante Stakes for two-year-old New York-bred fillies.

In doing so, Iron Mizz gave Velazquez and trainer Todd Pletcher their third victory of the day.

“We definitely felt like she’s better on the turf, but her experience of having three races under her belt paid off today,” Pletcher said. “Her experience and the conditioning in those turf races really helped her in the final eighth of a mile.”

Tiznow’s Smile, who was adding blinkers and Lasix, finished third, a length and a half behind Code Red while a length and three-quarters ahead of Twist ‘n Shout and Irad Ortiz Jr.

Iron Mizz was 3-1, Code Red 8-1, Tiznow’s Smile 2-1 and Twist ‘n Shout 5-2 in the field of seven.

Iron Mizz is a daughter of Mizzen Mast out of Iron Goddess by More Than Ready who began her career by finishing fifth in an open maiden grass race at Belmont Park, May 29^th. Switching to New York-breds, Iron Mizz broke her maiden on July 3^rd. Iron Mizz then shipped to the Jersey shore, where she finished second in the open Colleen Stakes.

Pletcher changed surfaces and Iron Mizz had solid dirt works for her debut on the main track.

Twist ‘n Shout took a narrow early lead over Wilburnmoney, who was 8-1 with Luis Saez. Velazquez had Iron Mizz on the outside of that pair for a clear run. Twist ‘n Shout nursed a neck lead through an opening quarter in :22.24 and a half-mile in :45.92.

Then the pack closed in.

Velazquez rallied Iron Mizz on the outside and she and Code Red advanced on the leaders. Iron Mizz kept coming and out-finished Code Red for the victory in 1:19.50. [VIDEO[3]]

Iron Mizz has already earned more than $170,000 with victories on grass and dirt. Her future seems limitless.

“This opens up plenty of options as well as giving us the added confidence in the event a race would come off the turf,” Pletcher said. “I believe her best surface is turf, but it’s nice to see her win a nice race like this on the dirt as well.”

Velazquez was pleased, too. “It was the first time on the dirt, and it was very good,” he said. “Normally when they come to the dirt they don’t run as well. She might not have been used to getting hit in the face with dirt, but thankfully it worked out good.”

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2016/08/26/iron-mizz-seeking-the-ante/

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Hit It Once More strikes again in Albany

By Sarah Mace

Riding the tide of a front-running, 6 1/2-length victory in the New York Derby at Finger Lakes on July 23, where his final time was just 0.12 seconds off the track record and worthy of a 102 Beyer Speed Figure, Hit It Once More was at one time under consideration for this weekend’s Grade 1 Travers Stakes. Instead, trainer Gary Sciacca opted to go the state-bred route for now, and his colt answered the call Friday by acing the $250,000 Albany Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day with another front-running triumph.

A son of Hard Spun owned by Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells’ August Dawn Farm, Hit It Once More was seeking his fourth win in five starts. Kendrick Carmouche, the Albany win rider, had the assignment and the colt was bet down to ninety-five cents on the dollar by post time while spotting his rivals six-to-seven pounds.

Hit It Once More broke running from post six of seven and, in command from the start, gained the two path by the clubhouse turn and edged away from his pursuers along the backstretch.

While Hit It Once More continued around through the far turn under hand urging, Extinct Charm took a brief run at him, but the bay opened up again under a drive. He and swept to the wire to win by 3 3/4 lengths in a final time of 1:50.30. Extinct Charm finished second, followed nearly eight lengths back by Celtic Chaos in third. [VIDEO[2]]

Carmouche said, “He got out to the lead and was running nice and easy and when the other horses came up to him he responded. At the top of the stretch, he exploded and it was over. If they wanted to come with us they weren’t going to keep up with us. We wanted to just go and improve our position.”

Added Carmouche, “I would like to say congratulations to coach [Bill Parcells] and Gary Sciacca for their first win of the meet here. I know how hard it is to win at Saratoga but it’s a good race to win.”

Sciacca said, “He ran a great race up in Finger Lakes and came he came right back and did it again, so he’s for real. He could have sat right off it, but he runs better that way. He comes from last – it doesn’t matter. He can run anywhere he wants. But they didn’t go that fast, so that put him right in the driver’s seat.”

Continued Sciacca, “We liked him earlier and then he got little problems here and there, growing pains. But he got a little older and started doing really well after that. Then as we stretched him out, he started doing really well. The farther he was going, the better he was running.”

Hit It Once More will be pointed next to the Pennsylvania Derby.

Hit It Once More has four wins, all in state-bred company, in ten starts for earnings of $355,202. Bred by JMJ Racing Stables and foaled at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson, the colt was purchased as a yearling for $105,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale, before he was picked up by Sciacca for $90,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale. His dam, stakes winner Sunday Geisha, has a yearling colt by Freud, weanling colt by Oxbow and was bred to Violence this year.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2016/08/26/hit-it-once-more-albany/

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Syndergaard scintillating in Funny Cide

By Sarah Mace

Syndergaard, named after New York Mets’ All-Star pitcher Noah Syndergaard, delivered an all-star performance to kick off Saratoga New York Showcase Day Friday, winning the $200,000 Funny Cide Stakes, a 6 1/2-furlong contest for New York-bred 2-year-olds, by double-digit lengths.

Hoping to make good on the promise of his debut, which he won by three lengths on August 8 in front running style while earning an 86 Beyer Speed Figure, the Todd Pletcher-trainee teamed up once again with John Velazquez.

Bet down to seventy cents on the dollar in the short field of four, Syndergaard broke from the outside post, was urged to the front and led the field in the three path through swift splits of 21.52 and 44.35.

Never facing a serious challenge on backstretch and turn, by upper stretch it was all over but the shouting as the Majesticperfection colt opened up under a hand ride to win by 10 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:16.75. Bobby On Fleek finished second, followed across the line by Gold for the King and Tribecca [VIDEO[2]]

Velazquez reported, “We knew he was fast so the plan was to let him break and wherever he lands, we’d just go and try to finish. He has a bright future. He’s a nice, big horse, so hopefully we can keep him going.”

Todd Pletcher commented, “We were optimistic coming in. The horse trained very well and ran well in his debut. We felt like Bobby On Fleek was very impressive in his debut, so it was going to be an interesting matchup. He’s just got so much early speed that I think he kind of forced everyone to chase him a little bit. Yeah, he came with the heater today.”

Added Pletcher, “As fast as he’s going he’s doing it in a pretty relaxed fashion. Even though he was rolling along, he was doing it within himself and had his ears pricked and felt comfortable and we weren’t going to take away what comes easy.”

When asked about the Grade 1 Champagne on October 8 as a possible next start, Pletcher said, “I think so. He’s run well enough in both of his starts, it’s worth the conversation. He ran well enough in his maiden that had this race not been here we might have considered a race like the Hopeful. But you feel like you want to take what’s obvious in a situation like this; it’s back in 18 days; it was a quick turnaround, but everything he did between the races indicated to us he was going to come back in good shape and thankfully he did.”

Owned in partnership by Eric Fein, Christopher McKenna, Harris Fein, Harris, Guri Singh, and Jerry Walia, Syndergaard has earned $81,900 from his two victories.

Bred by Burleson Farms and foaled at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson, Syndergaard commanded the top New York-bred selling price at this year’s OBS April sale, when he was purchased by Eric Fein for $450,000 after breezing one furlong in a co-bullet :9 4/5.

Syndergaard is out of Magic Belle, a New York-bred multiple winner and six-figure earner by Gold Case, who was purchased by Lyn Burleson at the 2010 Keeneland January sale for $26,000.

The mare herself brought $425,000 as an OBS 2-year-old in 2004 and has since produced four winners from four foals to start. The colt’s second dam is stakes placed Magical Thinking and there is abundant black type under the fourth dam Roar N’ Honey. Magic Belle was bred this year to Fast Anna.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2016/08/26/syndergaard-funny-cide/

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