Bluegrass Flag stamps herself as a filly with future in NYSS Park Avenue

By Sarah Mace

Bluegrass Flag (Bluegrass Cat) notched her second career stakes tally even more impressively than her first, when she when she buried two rivals in a six-length romp in the open Cicada Stakes at Aqueduct on March 25.

In Saturday’s 24th running of the $100,000 Park Avenue division of New York Stallion Series (NYSS) for eligible sophomore fillies, Bluegrass Flag won again by six lengths, but at the same bested a highly-touted opponent and stopped the clock in “real racehorse time.”

Stretching out to 6 1/2 furlongs with regular rider Kendrick Carmouche in the irons, and going off as the 3-1 second choice, Bluegrass Flag faced six rivals, headed by Noble Freud. A half sister to Eclipse champion La Verdad and graded stakes winner Hot City Girl, Noble Freud was bet down to .30 cents on the dollar on the strength of an eye-catching debut on February 16 at Oaklawn Park. The promising filly was then purchased privately by a potent partnership group that includes Sol Kumin’s Head of Plains Partners and Michael Kisber (both involved with Mind Your Biscuits) and moved to Chad Brown’s barn in New York.

At the bell, front-running Bluegrass Flag did what she does best, gunned to the lead and challenged all comers to “Catch me if you can.”

The filly clocked stiff early splits of 22.71 and 45.48, pursued 1 1/2 lengths back by Noble Freud. The rest of the field gave chase.

Bluegrass Flag widened her lead to more than two lengths by the head of the stretch, and to more than five lengths with a furlong to go before sailing across the finish line six lengths to good without a serious challenge.

After six panels in 1:10.08, she completed the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.67 over the fast main track. Noble Freud checked in second, a neck in front of closing longshot Frosty Gal in third. Toni Tools, Dublin Girl, Unbridledadventure and Karen Kan completed the order of finish. [VIDEO REPLAY[2]]

“My filly ran a gorgeous race today,” enthused winning rider Carmouche. “What a good job by [trainer] Thomas Morley and his team.  All I had to do was sit on her and get her around and make her look good. We know we can run.”

Carmouche continued, “We wanted to make Chad Brown’s horse [Noble Freud] run. Today, that’s what happened. My filly finished up really good. I was really pleased with her.”

Morley, in Ocala scouting fresh talent, regretted not seeing the race in person, but said, “This was probably the best performance of her career to date. Before the race, it was interesting to see Chad’s filly so strongly fancied, but we were confident in Bluegrass Flag’s ability to perform today.”

Morley added, “I thought Kendrick gave her a terrific ride. We do think the further she goes the more she’ll enjoy the added distance and I told the owners one day perhaps I envision she could possibly be another Ballerina horse, but we’re going to take it nice and steady and let her tell us where she wants to take us.”

In the meantime, the conditioner will point Bluegrass Flag, whose record stands to 3-1-0 in five career starts with career earnings of $173,220, to the seven-furlong Bouwerie at Belmont on the May 29 Big Apple Showcase card.

Bred by Susanne Hooper, James Hooper and Thomas Albrecht, and foaled at Haven Oaks Farm in Fort Edward, Bluegrass Flag is one of four winners from four foals to start, and first black type offspring out of No More Flags, a multiple winner bred in New York by the Hoopers. The mare has a juvenile colt by Posse and a yearling colt by Dublin. In 2016 She was bred to Stephanoatsee.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2017/04/22/bluegrass-flag-nyss-park-avenue/

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Twisted Tom goes the distance in Federico Tesio Stakes

By Sarah Mace

Winner of the 1 1/16-mile Private Terms at Laurel Park on March 18, when he nailed O Dionysus at the wire in his stakes debut, Cobra Farm’s Twisted Tom bested that rival and three others in the short but potent field of Saturday’s $125,000, 1 1/8-mile Federico Tesio at Laurel. The Creative Cause gelding appears to be getting better and better the longer he goes.

Exiting post three with the vanguard, Twisted Tom navigated the clubhouse turn three wide in third before inching up into second in the backstretch, with Action Everyday just to his inside. The pair pressed the pacesetter Hashtag Alex through early fractions of 24.39 and 48.08.

In the far turn, Twisted Tom and Action Everyday passed Hashtag Alex in tandem, while O Dionysus uncoiled a bid from last and moved into contention.

O Dionysus engaged Twisted Tom, now on the lead, in upper stretch, but this time the outcome for the rivals was not even close, as Twisted Tom went on to post a decisive 2 1/4-length victory. Action Everyday finished 2 3/4 lengths back in third and the final time for 1 1/8 miles was 1:53.60 over the sloppy (sealed) track.

Twisted Tom was let go at 5-1 and, after Newman Racing’s New York-bred Absatootly upset the Primonetta field[2] at odds of 10-1 in the previous race, the New York-bred Laurel double came in at $169.80 for $2.

“He broke sharper today,” said Jockey Feargal Lynch, also aboard for Twisted Tom’s Private Terms victory. “I just got into a nice rhythm all the way. I thought O Dionysus might struggle to stay and I knew from my horse’s gallop-out last time that he would like the distance. Today he had no kickback and a small field. He’s a turfer and a mudder and a very adaptable, huge horse who should get better.”

“He ran terrific and Feargal really rode him well once again,” said trainer Chad Brown. “They’re a great team, those two. The horse showed a lot of heart again. He’s a long-winded, hard-trying horse that obviously showed he has a tremendous amount of stamina and will to win. He’s a horse that continually is improving, which we love to see. We’re just really proud of his effort today.”

Continued Brown, “[Twisted Tom] really has [shown versatility]. It’s another thing I’m really proud of. He showed a new dimension today, and dealing with an off track he handled it fine. Feargal deserves a lot of credit for using good judgment in keeping him out of trouble. He’s a big horse and although he was losing some ground he picked a good spot to let him relax and find his rhythm. When that horse [O Dionysus] came to him on the outside, he showed his heart.”

Twisted Tom, who has earned $209,040 from four wins in six career starts, broke his maiden at second asking for trainer George Weaver and owner Thomas Brockley at Belmont Park last September 22 going a mile on the green in a state-bred maiden special weight. Acquired by Cobra Farm, who transferred the horse to Brown, in four starts for his new connections he has won through his first level state-bred allowance condition at a mile and posted victories in the Private Terms at 1 1/16 miles and the 9-furlong Tesio.

The Tesio is a “Win and You’re In” event for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the $1.5 million Grade 1 Preakness at Pimlico Race Course, but Twisted Tom has not been nominated. Said Brown, “Because he’s not [Triple Crown] nominated it certainly complicates things, so I’ll speak to the ownership group. Right now we’ll just enjoy this win. We’ll see how the horse comes out of the race physically and then we’ll all probably speak about it next week sometime and come up with a plan.”

Bred by Dr. William B. Wilmot and Dr. Joan M. Taylor and foaled at Gallagher’s Stud[3] in Ghent, Twisted Tom is one of six winners from six foals to start out of Tiffany Twisted, a Wilmot-Taylor homebred who is a half sister to multiple graded stakes winner Incurable Optimist and two stakes-performers. Grade 1 winner Class Play appears further down the family tree.  Tiffany Twisted has a yearling filly by Fed Biz and was bred to Paynter in 2016.

 

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2017/04/22/twisted-tom-tesio-stakes/

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Absatootly upsets Laurel’s Primonetta at 10-1

By Sarah Mace

After being let go at odds of 10-1, Newman Racing’s Absatootly (Mineshaft) posted the first open stakes victory of her career Saturday in Laurel Park’s $75,000, six-furlong Primonetta for fillies and mares three and up, which was run over a sloppy (sealed) track.

An admirably consistent runner for trainer Charlie Baker, 4-year-old Absatootly came into the Primonetta having finished off-the-board only twice in eleven prior starts.

The filly had already shown an affinity for Laurel, shipping in to win open allowance contests in March 2016 and February 2017. Off-going was also in her wheelhouse. While facing winners for the first time in her third career start, she won the East View for New York-bred juvenile fillies by a nose on a “good” Aqueduct inner track; her February victory at Laurel was also over a “good” track. Jockey Kevin Gomez, aboard for that win, had the return call.

Breaking alertly from post eight (of nine), Absatootly tracked early pacesetter and favorite Appealing Maggie in fourth in the four path, but worked her way up into third by the approach to the far turn. When she emerged at the top of the stretch as a clear second to new leader Loveable Lady, the affair turned into a two-horse race.

Absatootly gained the lead midstretch, and, despite drifting out late toward the center of the track, had enough forward momentum to secure a 1 1/2-length victory over Lovable Lady. Next Best Thing circled the field from last to get third. After opening splits of 22.92 and 46.65, Absatootly stopped the timer at 1:11 flat.

“I thought someone was going to catch up with me,” Gomez said. “I just tried to keep her straight and hoped no one could catch me and she got it done.” The win was the first stakes score for the 22-year-old Guatamala native.

Absatootly’s second stakes victory improves her record to five wins, three seconds and two thirds from twelve starts and increases her earnings to $249,107.

Bred by the late Donald Newman and foaled at Fawn Ridge Farm in East Nassau, Absatootly is campaigned by Newman’s son Richard. She is the second foal and second winner out of New York-bred So N So (Freud), who took the Lucy Scribner Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in 2009. The mare’s first foal So Let It Be So (Sky Mesa) is multiple winner.

So N So has a three-year-old colt by City Zip named Quest for Fire who has not started and a juvenile colt by Desert Party named Whendowerunpappy. Not bred in 2016, the mare went to Munnings last year.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2017/04/22/absatootly-primonetta/

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