New Jersey invader Filibustin wires Gimma

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NYRA/Adam Coglianese

By Sarah Mace

Alan R. Cook’s Monmouth-based Filibustin (Bustin Stones) delivered a visually impressive performance at Belmont Park on Sunday afternoon when she led a full, contentious field from gate to wire to score a decisive victory in the seven-furlong, $150,000 Joseph A. Gimma Stakes for New York-bred juvenile fillies.

Having demonstrated speed to spare in her September 4 Monmouth debut, when she aired by more than eight lengths in a $40,000 claiming race, Filibustin was drawn at the rail in the 12-horse field with jockey Jose Lezcano in the irons and let go by bettors at odds of 11-1.

After staking her claim to the top spot shortly following the break, Filibustin led her rivals though solid early fractions of 22.69 and 46.60.

Extending her half-length lead to three lengths at the head of the stretch, Filibustin just seemed to gather momentum with every stride. None of the other fillies even got close as she opened up to a decisive 4 3/4-length victory.

After completing six panels in 1:11.44, Filibustin stopped the clock after seven furlongs at 1:24.38 over the “good” going. Tiznow’s Smile, 3-1 second choice, checked in second, followed across the line three-quarters of a length back by 5-1 Iron Miz. [VIDEO[2]]

Said jockey Jose Lezcano, “I saw the replay of her first race where she ran on the lead. [Trainer] Greg Sacco told me to let her break and go on the lead, she’s competitive that way. She broke good and she kept going. She’s a really nice New York-bred filly.”

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NYRA/Chelsea Durand

Sacco followed up, “We’re very happy, obviously, to have moved from the maiden ranks into the stakes ranks. There were a couple of stakes winners in the race and you never know if they’re going to take the next logical step. You’d like to go in an A-other-than and go through a natural progression but it’s hard to pass up a New York-bred stakes. The timing was good off her maiden win at Monmouth.”

Continued Sacco, “We originally wanted to run her at Saratoga but she missed a work with being sick and that kind of screwed up our plans. But she came out of that great and she’s trained really well. She’s done everything right in the mornings. We took a shot today and it all kind of worked out.”

Filibustin was bred by Luck Be a Lady Racing and foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, home of her sire Bustin Stones[4] who stood for $2,500 in 2016.

The $101,970-earner is one of two winners from two foals to start out of Sweet Aloha, a West-Virginia-bred six-figure earner. Sweet Aloha has a yearling filly by Take Charge Indy, a weanling colt by Forty Tales and was bred back to the same sire in 2016.

Endnotes:

[Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/filibustin2.jpg
VIDEO: http://www.nytbreeders.org/includes/video-player.cfm?date=20161002&track=BED&race=6
[Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/filibustin-credit-chelsea-durand.jpg
Bustin Stones: http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/nytb/stallion/126394/bustin-stones

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2016/10/02/filibustin-gimma/

Mirai a perfect two-for-two after Bongard win

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NYRA/Joe Labozzetta

By Sarah Mace

In only his second career start, Robert LaPenta and Madaket Stables’ Mirai (Trappe Shot) won a spirited running of the $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard Stakes for New York-bred juveniles at Belmont Park on Sunday. The seven-furlong race was contested over a track labeled “good.”

On August 18 Mirai delivered strong debut performance at Saratoga, stalking his way to an open-length victory at six furlongs. On the strength of that debut, and despite being the most lightly-raced horse in the short field of five, the chestnut colt was tabbed as even money favorite on the morning line. By post time, was hammered down to 2-5.

Drawn in the outside post, Mirai settled in third early, just to the outside of Haul Anchor and Pat On the Back, who hooked up on the front end through a first quarter mile in 22.81.

Before long Pat On the Back took back, and Mirai advanced into direct contention, tackling Haul Anchor and taking over the lead early in the turn as the half ticked off in 45.93.

As Mirai began to edge away in upper stretch, Haul Anchor and a resurgent Pat On the Back made things interesting in the drive, charging for wire with plenty of energy. Mirai kept to business, though, preserved daylight between himself and his rivals and went on to score a two-length victory.

Pat On the Back and Haul Anchor dead-heated for second, while Horoscope and Calculated Risker completed the order of finish. After six furlongs in 1:10.47, the final time for seven panels was 1:23.62. [VIDEO[2]]

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NYRA/Adam Coglianese

Winning jockey Jose Ortiz said, “I thought [Mirai] was the best horse in the race. I didn’t want to fight him to make him do something that he didn’t want to, so I let him take the lead. In the stretch, he gave me another gear. Any other day, I’d make an earlier move. But I just didn’t want to fight him too much.”

Trainer Chad Brown said, “He’s a pretty nice horse. He debuted nicely and followed up with a win against stakes company in his second start so he’s done nothing wrong so far. He’s still trying to figure things out. He made the lead and kind of lugged in a little bit, Jose said more from greenness. He’s undefeated but still has a couple of things to work but a really nice horse though.”

Bred by Eaton & Thorne, Inc. and foaled at Jonathan Thorne’s Thorndale Farm in Millbrook, Mirai is the second winner out of That’s Ok, an unplaced New Jersey-bred mare by Not For Love purchased by Thorne for $12,000 out of the 2008 Keeneland November sale. That’s Ok is a full sister to stakes winner Forever Partners and a half to stakes winner Pal’s Partner.

After selling as a yearling for $55,000 to IBA at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale, Mirai brought $280,000 at the OBS March sale earlier this spring. From his two victories he has earned $133,800.

Endnotes:

[Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Mirai2-credit-joe-labozzetta.jpg
VIDEO: http://www.nytbreeders.org/includes/video-player.cfm?date=20161002&track=BED&race=3
[Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Mirai.jpg

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2016/10/02/mirai-bongard/

First winner for Soaring Empire

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D’yer Mak’er (Photo: Adam Coglianese)

By Frank Angst, courtesy Bloodhorse.com

New York-based freshman sire Soaring Empire[2] picked up his first winner Oct. 1 when D’yer Mak’er drew off in the stretch in the 11th race at Belmont Park, a one-mile maiden special weight test for New York-bred 2-year-olds.

A grade III-winning son of classic winner Empire Maker, Soaring Empire stood the 2016 season for $3,500 at Rockridge Stud [3]in Hudson, N.Y. Soaring Empire won the 2011 Hal’s Hope Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park and two stakes races at Monmouth Park.

Out of winning A.P. Indy mare Flying Passage, Soaring Empire is a half brother to grade II winner Hungry Island. He has 24 foals in his first crop.

Out of the Dixie Brass mare South Wing, Six String Stables D’yer Mak’er completed the one-mile test in 1:39 on a muddy track to secure victory in his third start. D’yer Mak’er is trained by Nick Zito and was guided to victory by Javier Castellano.

Endnotes:

[Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Dyer-Maker.jpg
Soaring Empire: http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/nytb/stallion/166007/soaring-empire
Rockridge Stud : http://www.rockridgestud.com/

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2016/10/02/first-winner-for-soaring-empire/