NYRA/Chelsea Durand
By Sarah Mace
Blue Bison Stable’s Loki’s Vengeance (Frost Giant), coming off a layoff of more than four months and shooting for his second consecutive victory in Aqueduct’s $125,000 Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Stakes (NYSS), was ready to go on Friday, thanks to trainer Mike Hushion. Last year the handsome 5-year-old won the 7-furlong race for older New York-sired horses with a stalking trip. This time around, the tactics were different.
Sharp out of the gate under jockey Jose Ortiz, Loki’s Vengeance drove to the front from post six and settled on the lead, where he maintained a measured half-length advantage over 8-1 Becker’s Galaxy.
Through a quarter-mile in 23.32 and half in 46.69, the relative positions of the top two remained unchanged. The two-horse merry-go-round lasted until upper stretch, when Loki’s Vengeance found another gear, opened up and eventually romped to a much-the-best 7 1/4-length victory in a final time of 1:23.20.
Becker’s Galaxy held on for second, while, a neck back West Hills Giant (2-1) and favorite Empire Dreams (9-5) checked in noses apart third and fourth. Jet Black, We Did, Bust Another and Cloud Control completed the order of finish. The race, originally carded for last Sunday, was rescheduled to Friday after Thanksgiving after high winds forced NYRA to cancel racing. [VIDEO]
NYRA/Adam Coglianese
Winning jockey Jose Ortiz reported, “Mike [Hushion] told me that [Loki’s Vengeance] breaks really good, and don’t be afraid to go to the lead. He did, and when I asked him to go at the three-sixteenths pole he exploded. He gave me a great turn of foot.”
Hushion added, “Sometimes Loki’s Vengeance breaks so hard he stumbles only because he’s so powerful coming out of there like a quarter horse. When I looked at the quarter-pole and I saw everyone moving already and nobody really closing, that was a real help, and when he kicked away from Irad [Ortiz on Becker’s Galaxy] I felt pretty good.”
As to “Loki’s” time on the sidelines, Hushion explained, “His time off was never due to any physical issue, it was just time for a break.”
Bred by Andrew Cohen, whose Sunrise Stables stands Frost Giant at Keane Stud in Amenia, and foaled at Vinery New York in Hudson, Loki’s Vengeance is the first foal out of Subtle Sweetness (During), a multiple winner who was bred in New York by Thomas-Narlinger, LLC and Dennis Repp. Subtle Sweetness has five more foals on the ground and two more winners, all sired by Frost Giant. The mare was bred back to Frost Giant this year.
A graduate of the 2012 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale, Loki’s Vengeance was purchased by Blue Bison Stable for $35,000. As a sophomore, he won the NYSS Times Square division, the Affirmed Success Stakes the following year and, now, back-to-back runnings of the NYSS Thunder Rumble. His earnings from seven wins, five seconds and a pair of thirds are approaching the half million-dollar mark with $492,201.
