Macagone returns to winning ways with repeat victory in the Danger’s Hour
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NYRA/Chelsea Durand
By Sarah Mace
Tom Egan of Trinity Farm had the pleasure of taking home the trophy for New York’s first turf race of the year when his homebred Macagone (Artie Schiller) recovered his winning form in Sunday’s $100,000 Danger’s Hour Stakes at one mile for 4-year-olds and up. Well-beaten in two prior starts at Gulfstream Park on January 14 and March 4, the 6-year-old gelding came roaring back with a dominant wire-to-wire win to repeat in a race he captured for his connections last year.
Macagone, who won his sire Artie Schiller’s namesake race at 34-1 odds at the same trip on November 19, had no answer for the competition in Gulfstream’s Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale and Grade 3 Canadian Turf. He was, however, well-backed Sunday for the return to his favored surface on which he had posted three wins in four starts, and was bet down to 5-2 second choice in the field of seven. Kendrick Carmouche, aboard for the Artie Schiller, had the call.
Sharp in the warm up, Macagone was aggressive from the bell, and had the lead well in hand before the field entered the clubhouse turn. The gelding raced along the backstretch a measured length and half ahead of his pursuers, then let things out a notch in the far turn, extending his lead to three lengths.
In the home stretch, odds-on favorite Catapult loomed the only possible threat, and closed some ground, but never got close enough to pose any real challenge.
After posting solid fractions of 23.40, 46.78, 1:10.62, Macagone crossed the finish line a 1 1/2-length winner in a final time of 1:36.13 for a mile over the yielding turf. He galloped home cheerfully and full of energy, looking as if he had never even run. [VIDEO REPLAY[2]]
Kendrick Carmouche said, “Like [trainer] Mr. Billy Mott says never take anything that comes easy. They just wanted me to warm him up, get him back into his front-running character, and he ran good. He loves this turf course. Mr. Bill and Ms. Leanna [Willaford, Mott’s assistant] had this horse coming in very good.”
Though able to rate, Macagone has had greatest success on the front end.
Added Carmouche, “Congratulations to the owner [Tom Egan of Trinity Farm] and his family. He lost his wife in December and it really helps him as a person and his kids. This all goes to them.”
Leanna Willaford, Mott’s assistant said, “[Macagone] loves Aqueduct. There was a nice little cut in the ground and the plan was to go to the lead from the start. He actually just shipped in from Florida a couple of days ago and he looks fantastic. They did a good job with him and Kendrick finished the job.”
A consistent runner throughout his career, Macagone owns eight wins, three seconds and five thirds from 26 lifetime starts. His victory Sunday pushed earnings past the half-million-dollar mark ($525,667).
Foaled at Monhil Farm in Pine Plains, Macagone is out of Isabel Away, a winning daughter of Skip Away who is also the dam of successful turf runner Birchwood Road (Pure Prize), a three-time grass winner over $230,000.
The mare has produced a 3-year-old full brother to Birchwood Road named Red Knight, who has not started, a juvenile colt by Colonel John, and a yearling filly by Freud.
Endnotes:- [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/macagone-the-dangers-hour-credit-chelsea-durand.jpg
- VIDEO REPLAY: http://www.nytbreeders.org/includes/video-player.cfm?date=20170409&track=AQD&race=8
Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2017/04/09/macagone-dangers-hour-17/
Highway Star rallies to victory in Grade 3 Distaff Handicap
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NYRA/Adam Coglianese
By Sarah Mace
Chester and Mary Broman’s Highway Star (Girolamo) prolonged a run of graded victories by New York-bred homebreds on Wood Memorial weekend when she rallied down the center of the track Sunday to win the Big A’s Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap at seven furlongs. On Saturday, Long Haul Bay was an impressive winner of the Grade 3 Bay Shore[2], followed two races later by Send It In’s determined score in the Grade 3 Excelsior[3].
Highway Star, who last Monday was honored in Saratoga as the 2016 New York-bred champion 3-year-old filly, was already a Grade 3 winner, having posted a nose victory in the Go For Wand on December 3. She was also a perfect two-for-two over the Aqueduct main track, preceding the Go For Wand score by a win in the Staten Island division of the New York Stallion Stakes (NYSS).
Coming off an 8-week freshening after finishing well back in fourth in the Ladies Handicap on January 13, Highway Star was reunited Sunday with Angel Arroyo, aboard for both prior stakes wins. The 4-year-old stalker-closer was relatively neglected by bettors who made her fifth choice in a competitive group of six, despite the fact that the field was loaded with speed.
After the break, Highway Star settled at the rail in fourth from gate two, three lengths behind the longshot early pacesetter Kelsocait (15-1), who clocked an opening quarter mile in 22.46.
Previously undefeated Clipthecouponannie, who pressed the pace, challenged successfully for the lead rounding the far turn, while completing a half-mile in 45.16. Indulgent, who is Frosted’s well-regarded half sister, advanced into second to her outside. Meanwhile, Highway Star worked her way off the fence into the two path.
With Indulgent and Clipthecouponannie left to collar, Highway Star drew closer, but was forced yet wider into the six path, as the other fillies drifted out.
Indulgent took over the lead from Clipthecouponannie in the final furlong, but with less than a sixteenth of a mile to go, Highway Star made a perfectly-timed final bid, cruising past her rival in the closing strides on her way to a half-length win. After six furlongs in 1:09.37, her final time for seven panels was a swift 1:22.25. [VIDEO REPLAY[4]]
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NYRA/Chelsea Durand
“She was really comfortable,” said pilot Angel Arroyo. “I broke and got a good trip and stayed behind the speed. In the stretch, when she switched leads, she went great. She loves seven furlongs, she likes the distance.”
Trainer Rodrigo Ubillo said, “We’re happy. She’s a nice filly. I was just hoping they’d go fast up front but she can adapt to any pace scenario really. It certainly helped they went fast and she was able to wear them down. Her last race [the Ladies Handicap on January 13], she was in heat and maybe she didn’t like the smaller [inner] track, but we took our time. We know her ability and took her time to bring her back and you see the result.”
Highway Star, who has now won six of nine lifetime starts and finished third once, began her career at three with back-to-back victories at Belmont last May and July. Unplaced in her first stakes try, the Statue of Liberty division of the NYSS at Saratoga, she finished third in the Fleet Indian at the Spa before reeling off wins in a second-level allowance race, the Staten Island and Go For Wand. Highway Star has earned $464,000.
The chestnut filly is one of three winners, and only stakes winner, out of Stolen Star, a multiple stakes-placed homebred for the Bromans, who is also a half sister to their multiple stakes winner and Friend or Foe, now a sire.
Highway Star’s sire Girolamo, a Grade 1-winning son of A.P. Indy owned by Darley, began his stud career in 2012 at Becky Thomas and Dennis Narlinger’s Sequel Stallions New York[6] before relocating to Kentucky.
Endnotes:- [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/highway-star-the-distaff-4.jpg
- impressive winner of the Grade 3 Bay Shore: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2017/04/08/long-haul-bay-bay-shore/
- determined score in the Grade 3 Excelsior: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2017/04/08/send-it-in-excelsior/
- VIDEO REPLAY: http://www.nytbreeders.org/includes/video-player.cfm?date=20170409&track=AQD&race=6
- [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/highway-star-the-distaff-credit-chelsea-durand.jpg
- Sequel Stallions New York: http://www.sequelnewyork.com/
Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2017/04/09/highway-star-g3-distaff-h/