Holiday Disguise unleashes powerful late kick to win Bouwerie in stakes debut

By Sarah Mace

Lady Sheila Stable’s Holiday Disguise (Harlan’s Holiday) scored a visually-impressive victory over nine other New York-bred 3-year-old fillies while making her stakes debut in the $125,000 Bouwerie Stakes, the nightcap on Belmont Park’s special Memorial Day Big Apple Showcase card.

Coming into the race, Holiday Disguise was looking to win her third straight start. After breaking her maiden second out on April 9 at seven furlongs at Aqueduct, she romped by six-plus lengths at 6 1/2 furlongs in her first try against winners at Belmont on May 7, for which she earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 83.

Clearly, she was comfortable at the longer sprint distances (like the seven-furlong Bouwerie), which can be a challenge for some, but it was an open question how she would fare on the sloppy (sealed) racing surface. Her only loss, an even fourth-place finish in her career debut on March 9 on the Aqueduct inner oval, came over “good” going.

As the 3-1 second choice, Holiday Disguise had a rough go of it at the bell, when bumped hard exiting post eight by an inward-veering Noble Freud, and pinballed into rivals to her inside. She recovered her poise, though, and settled nicely into stride in eighth under Jose Ortiz, where she raced evenly through the first half mile while Noble Freud (4-1) took the field through early splits of 22.64 and 46.26.

A patient and immobile pilot up to this point, Ortiz flipped off another pair of goggles and got to work just past the five-sixteenths pole, starting to ask for more and taking Holiday Disguise seven-wide into the stretch.

By midstretch Holiday Disguise was targeting Noble Freud with intent. Arrow-like, ears pinned with determination, and neck and head extended, she strengthened her rally with every stride. In the final sixteenth she collared Noble Freud, and crossed the finish line a 1 1/4-length winner going away in a final time of 1:25.19.

Noble Freud finished 2 1/2 lengths ahead of 18-1 Tiznow’s Smile in third and the rest of the field finished as follows: Wilburnmoney, Timely Tradition, 2-1 favorite Bluegrass Flag who was also bumped at the break, North End, Swing and Sway, Frosty Gal and Toni Tools. [VIDEO REPLAY[2]]

Jose Ortiz explained why he opted to take his filly so wide in upper stretch. “I took a look in front of me and I saw Irad [Ortiz on Noble Freud] in front of me at the quarter-pole and he was going pretty good so that’s when I decided to go wide and not wait anymore. I felt like I had a lot of horse and I caught up with him and I decided to go wide.”

Ortiz added, “When I saw I had [Noble Freud] in my sights at the eighth-pole I knew I was going to pass her. She was moving well and I knew I was going to get there.”

“This filly is getting more professional, obviously,” said trainer Linda Rice. “She’s got a great disposition, good mind for it. She lays back and really puts in a strong stretch run, so she’s proved that she’ll just get better with more experience.”

As to the future, Rice said, “I think I want to keep her around one turn, whether that’s six [furlongs], seven, a mile, whatever. Jose and I just talked about it and I don’t think she’s handy enough for two turns yet. Maybe with more experience, she will be. She leans out just a little bit in her workouts and in her race, so we’ll stay around one turn.”

Bred by Dr. William B. Wilmot and Dr. Joan M. Taylor, Holiday Disguise first changed hands as a weanling, purchased by John Greathouse for $70,000 at the Keeneland November sale Linda Rice snapped up the talented filly for $220,000 at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale.

Holiday Disguise’s dam Thin Disguise (Yes It’s True) is a winning half-sister to millionaire and 2007 New York-bred Horse of the Year Naughty New Yorker. All three of Thin Disguise’s foals to start are winners and she currently has a 2-year-old filly by Midnight Lute, a yearling colt by Verrrazano and a filly by Tiznow foaled on April 5.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2017/05/29/holiday-disguise-bouwerie/

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Offering Plan beats three millionaires in Kingston Stakes

By Bill Heller

Talk about disrespecting your elders. Michael Dubb and Nantucket Thoroughbred Partners’ five-year-old Offering Plan passed three older millionaires, eight-year-old King Kreesa, 10-year-old Lubash and eight-year-old Kharafa, to win the 39th running of the $125,000 Kingston Stakes by a length under Javier Castellano on a yielding turf course at Belmont on Big Apple Showcase and Memorial Day Monday at Belmont Park.

Offering Plan, the 2-1 favorite in the field of eight, rallied from last to win in 1:37.40 on the yielding turf, giving trainer Chad Brown his third victory from the six stakes contested on Showcase Day. Front-running King Kreesa, who was 9-2 under Jose Ortiz, held well for second, a length and a quarter ahead of 8-1 Lubash and Irad Ortiz Jr. Kharafa, who was 3-1 under Paco Lopez while making his first start for new trainer Linda Rice, finished fourth, 2 1/2 lengths behind Lubash.

To say that King Kreesa, Lubash and Kharafa had history in the Kingston Stakes is an understatement. King Kreesa won the Kingston in 2013. Kharafa won the stakes the following year. And Lubash, who was making his seventh start in the Kingston, was the 2015 Kingston winner.

Offering Plan was making his first start in the Kingston. The son of Spring At Last out of Rosalie Road by Street Cry, who was bred by C.W. Swann and Cygnet Farm, had won just one stakes, the $100,000 English Channel, in Oct., 2015. He hadn’t raced since Sept. 24th when he finished second by three-quarters of a length in the $125,000 Ashley T. Cole Stakes for New York-breds.

But two of Offering Plan’s four victories heading into the Kingston were off long layoffs. “I think freshening him up helped him a lot,” Brown said. “The rest was beneficial. This horse has run well fresh before.”

King Kreesa, idle since finishing ninth in the open $150,000 Artie Schiller Stakes at Aqueduct, Nov. 19th, went off at 9-2. Both Lubash and Kharafa were making their second start of 2017. Lubash went off at 8-1 and Kharafa 3-1.

Collectively, the field in the Kingston had earnings topping $6.5 million, led by Lubash ($1,498,130), King Kreesa ($1,388,554) and Kharafa ($1,061,497).

Ortiz gunned King Kreesa to the lead from the four post, and the speedy Macagone, who was 3-1 on the rail under Kendrick Carmouche, let him go, settling in second. King Kreesa led Macagone by less than a length through a quarter in :24.85, a half-mile in :49.40. Then Macagone went after King Kreesa, but King Kreesa put him away as Lubash gained on the inside into second after three-quarters in 1:13.55.

King Kreesa dug in and kept Lubash at bay. But Offering Plan was flying on the outside and he passed the front-runner in deep stretch to win in 1:37.40. “The horse showed his class and showed an unbelievable turn of foot heading for home,” Brown said.

Castellano deferred credit to Brown: “The horse hasn’t run for a while, and to have him prepared for this race and the effort he put in is amazing. He had the horse ready to win. I give all the credit to him.”

Offering Plan is now five-for-13 in his all-grass career with one second, three thirds and earnings of more than $380,000. [VIDEO REPLAY[2]]

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2017/05/29/offering-plan-kingston/

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Weekend Hideaway turns millionaire in thrilling Commentator title defense

By Sarah Mace

In trainer Phil Serpe’s eyes, Red and Black Stable’s accomplished Weekend Hideaway (Speightstown) wasn’t getting the respect he deserved when sent off at odds of 6-1 to defend his title in the $200,000 Commentator Stakes on Belmont’s Memorial Day Showcase card. “To tell you the truth, I think he got a little Rodney Dangerfield here,” said Serpe.

Serpe got the last laugh, however, when Weekend Hideaway led the deep and salty 9-horse Commentator field from the bell and gave his all in the final sixteenth to hold off Diversify and prevail in a close photo finish. A twelfth career win and eighth stakes score took the 7-year-old horse’s earnings into seven-figure territory to make him racing’s newest millionaire.

Breaking from post six, Weekend Hideaway was gunned to the front by rider Luis Saez, and cruised along the backstretch a measured length in front of 22-1 Hit It Once More, who was destined to fade from contention, and 2-1 favorite Diversify, who was eager and proceeded under a hold.

As the field rounded the bend after early splits of 23.04 and 46.04, Weekend Hideaway still held sway by a length, but Diversify kept to the task of determined pursuit. After six furlongs in 1:10.57 over the sloppy (sealed) going, Weekend Hideaway began to tire and Diversify, who switched inside for last push, posed a serious threat late. Weekend Hideaway kept on digging gamely to win by a matter of inches. The final time for the mile was 1:37.34.

The other placings, 2 1/4 lengths length back, were also a squeaker. Governor Malibu (5-2) closed from way back and, despite having to alter course twice in late stretch, managed to get a short nose in front of Gypsum Johnny (15-1) who was in the hunt throughout.

Completing the order of finish were Royal Posse, Empire Dreams, Eye Luv Lulu, Hit it Once More and Loki’s Vengeance. Bellamy Way and Celtic Chaos were scratched. [VIDEO REPLAY[2]]

Luis Saez suffered some tense moments awaiting the results of the photo. “I had a feeling that we had won the race, but we came back and saw it wasn’t official,” said Saez. “That was a little scary, anything can happen, but I had a little feeling that we got there. He ran so hard. When we came to the stretch, he was giving me everything. When I saw the other horse [Diversify], I thought he was going to get me, but we were still there. He was really trying.”

Saez, who has been Weekend Hideaway’s regular rider since August 2015, added, “I think I know him a lot. He loves a wet track and he loves the speed, too. Just break and let him run, leave him alone and he’s happy.”

“You have to love a horse like this,” said Serpe. “He always gives you his best effort. He loves the muddy track and he loves Belmont, so we’re very happy.” From eight starts over off-going, Weekend Hideaway has five wins, a second and third.

Continued Serpe, “We do right by our horses and if he needs a little break, he tells us. We gave him a little bit of time off and he came back great for us. He looked great today. He came into the race in good shape. In his last race, the Affirmed Success [on April 28, when he finished fourth], he broke from the extreme outside and broke flat-footed, which he’s done once or twice. It was not his day. Today worked out better for us.”

Serpe wrapped up with, “He’s got speed and has real speed in the slop. He does cherish the wet track. To tell you the truth, I think he got a little Rodney Dangerfield here. People weren’t respecting him because he didn’t come back winning. I think they will in the next one.”

From 12 wins, five seconds and six thirds in 38 starts, Weekend Hideaway has earned $1,004,632. His career best Beyer Speed Figure of 107 came in January 2015, when he dominated the Sunshine Millions Sprint at Gulfstream, completing six furlongs in 1:08.64. He has won at least one stakes race every year since his 2012 juvenile campaign, owns Grade 1 and Grade 3 placings and has even won a turf sprint stakes in one of three career starts on the grass.

Bred by the late Carl Lizza’s Flying Zee Stables, for whom Serpe was a long-time trainer, and foaled at Highcliff Farm in Delanson, Weekend Hideaway was purchased by Michael Hoffman’s Red and Black Stable for $40,000 in the yearling portion of the Flying Zee Dispersal in October 2011.

He is one of only two foals (both winners) out of New York-bred Apocalyptical, an unplaced New York-bred daughter of Wiseman’s Ferry.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2017/05/29/weekend-hideaway-commentator-17/

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T Loves a Fight gamely wins the decision in the Mike Lee Stakes

By Bill Heller

Speaking in the paddock before the 38th running of the seven furlong $125,000 Mike Lee Stake for three-year-old New York-breds on a sloppy track at Belmont Park on Big Apple Showcase Day, Monday, Memorial Day, trainer Mike Hushion and jockey Kendrick Carmouche discussed strategy for Hoffman Thoroughbreds’ improving gelding T Loves a Fight, a proven closer.

T Loves a Fight had won on a good track impressively, but never raced on a truly sloppy surface which usually favors early speed. “I was concerned about the way the front end had been so strong today, and knowing he was going to have to come from off the pace” Hushion said.

Regardless, he told Carmouche to ride him the way he had from off the pace in his last six starts. “I talked to Mr. Hushion in the paddock and we weren’t going to change anything because of the track surface,” Carmouche said.

Good decision.

Splitting horses in deep stretch, T Loves a Fight, sent off the 9-5 second choice in the field of six on the rail, rallied past front-running and even-money favorite Syndergaard and John Velazquez to win by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:25.06.

Syndergaard, who was very game after putting away repeated early changes, held on for second, 4 1/2 lengths ahead of 17-1 Pat On the Back and Dylan Davis in third. Sal the Turtle, who was 6-1 under Rajiv Maragh, finished fourth, 3 1/4 lengths behind Pat On the Back.

T Loves a Fight is a son of Girolamo out of Worth Fighting For by Broken Vow who made his stakes debut in his previous start when he finished second in a $100,000 division of the New York-bred Stallion Stakes April 23rd.

Monday’s sloppy track led to four scratches from the original field of 10, none more significant than Bobby On Fleek, who was expected to be the second favorite. Bettors made Syndergaard, who was making his second start of the year, the favorite and T Loves a Fight the strong second choice.

Syndergaard, named for the New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard, and Sal the Turtle hooked up immediately on the front end as T Loves a Fight got away last. Syndergaard led Sal the Turtle by a half-length through a first quarter in :22.95 and a half-mile in :46.36. When Syndergaard put away Sal the Turtle, he was immediately confronted by Pat On the Back, who had been a close third. By then, T Loves a Fight was third and gaining.

T Loves a Fight split Syndergaard and Pat On the Back, and drew away to an impressive victory.

“I love T Loves a Fight,” Carmouche said. “He lives up to his name.”

Hushion points out that T Loves a Fight’s owner calls him a blue collar horse. “He gets out there and fights,” Hushion said.

T Loves a Fight is now four-for-nine on dirt with three seconds and earnings of more than $200,000.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2017/05/29/t-loves-a-fight-mike-lee/

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Kathryn the Wise makes it look easy in Critical Eye Stakes romp

By Bill Heller

Lawrence Goichman’s unbeaten four-year-old, home-bred filly Kathryn the Wise seemed to have a lot of legitimate concerns in the fourth running of the one-mile $200,000 Critical Eye Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares at Belmont Park on Big Apple Showcase Day, Memorial Day Monday.

Could she handle stakes company in just her third lifetime start? No problem.

Could she handle a sloppy track? No problem.

Could she stretch out to a route? No problem.

Could she overcome the 11 post in the 11-horse field and a four-wide trip? No problem.

Sent off the 3-5 favorite, Kathryn the Wise was unworldly again as she upped her unblemished record to three-for-three with a spectacular 8 1/4 length victory in-hand under Irad Ortiz Jr.

In doing so, she became the latest star in trainer Chad Brown’s powerful barn and confirmed the wisdom Brown showed by not rushing her for one of his biggest clients. He and Goichman now have an unbeaten filly with an unlimited ceiling.

“She’s a really very talented filly,” Brown said. “She had some issues as a young horse where we just stopped on her and let her get over them. Mr. Goichman has been very patient. He’s been owning horses for a very long time and he knows the game. He gave the horse plenty of time in order to receive the best care. Here she is. She has so much talent.”

Literata, who was 24-1 under Javier Castellano, finished a clear second, 4 1/2 lengths ahead of 30-1 Bee Noteworthy and Rajiv Maragh. Wonderment, who was 9-1 under Joel Rosario, finished fourth, a half-length behind Bee Noteworthy.

Kathryn the Wise is a daughter of Uncle Mo out of Shea d’ Lady by Crafty Prospector who made her debut Nov. 25th, winning a maiden race by 5 1/2 lengths as the 9-5 favorite. She didn’t race again until April 5th when she run an allowance race by 12 lengths at 1-10.

Bettors believed she could handle the step up to stakes company and made her odds-on. They weren’t disappointed.

Kathryn the Wise broke first, but was four-wide early. Ortiz took a hold of his talented filly and settled her in fourth while remaining on the far outside for a clear shot at the leaders. The gray Jules N Rome, who was 9-1 under Manny Franco, took a narrow lead over 110-1 Big Mara and Dylan Davis and 43-1 Play Me a Memory and C.C. Lopez in a :22.63 first quarter.

Play Me a Memory, who had finished second to Kathryn the Wise in a maiden race in November, fought her way to a brief victory as Kathryn the Wise advanced into second, still on the far outside after a half-mile in :46.36.

Into the far turn, Kathryn the Wise took control. She hit the head of the stretch with a two-length lead that quickly became a five-length cushion. After three-quarters in 1:11.73, Kathryn the Wise stretched her advantage to nine lengths before Ortiz wrapped up on her. [VIDEO REPLAY[3]]

“I just held her together as long as long as I could and when I let her run, she opened up,” Ortiz said.

Now three-for-three to begin her career, Kathryn the Wise has earned $187,200.

“She trains and runs like a horse that can run in open company,” Brown said. “If she keeps developing and training well, you’ll definitely see her in open company.”

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2017/05/29/kathryn-the-wise-critical-eye/

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Fourstar Crook makes off with seventh straight victory in Mount Vernon

By Sarah Mace

A perfect four-for-four last year, Fourstar Crook (Freud) still “has it” at age five, extending a winning streak that goes back to October 2015 to seven races with an off-the-pace victory in the $125,000 Mount Vernon Stakes for fillies and mares.

Run at a mile over a yielding Widener turf course with the rail set at 18 feet, the Mount Vernon kicked off the stakes portion of Belmont’s special Memorial Day Big Apple Showcase card Monday.

Last seen on September 25 when she won the John Hettinger Stakes for trainer Chad Brown and partners Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stable, Fourstar Crook and pilot Javier Castellano got away from the gate smoothly after the bell and settled in fourth, four lengths off pacesetter Freudie Anne, who clocked even early fractions of 24.14 and 48.81.

With exemplary patience on display while rivals made earlier moves — at one point finding herself in last place — the 6-5 favorite geared up rounding the far turn as the field bunched up, and angled out five wide into upper stretch for the drive.

Rallying down the center of the course, Fourstar Crook lit the afterburners in the final furlong, motoring to the lead in the final sixteenth and edging away to capture the victory by three-quarters of a length. After six furlongs 1:13.08, she completed the mile in 1:37.33.

Ack Naughty closed from midpack to finish second, while Freudie Anne had to settle for third. Completing the order of finish were Ancient Secret, Louisville First and Free N Clear. [VIDEO REPLAY[2]]

“She handled the ground so well,” Javier Castellano said in  the winner’s circle. “I was patient because you never know with soft ground. I could have been more involved [early], but I backed up and let the pressure off.”

Added Castellano, “She’s a special filly, I love the way she always [moves]. If the turf is firm, [or] soft, you can put her wherever you want, she’ll always kick. She’s very consistent and smart. She does everything the right way.”

Chad Brown, who has trained some of the best turf fillies and mares in the business, had this to say: “She’s an impressive horse. Now she has seven wins in a row on turf and that’s hard to do.”

Continued Brown, “She’s obviously very consistent and we’re proud of her. She’s wintered well. We gave her some time off and she put a lot of weight on and she had a great year last year. Flawless. Even this year I saw another step forward physically. She’s a stronger horse.”

Bred by Kathleen M. Feron and foaled at Akindale Farm [4]in Pawling, Fourstar Crook first changed hands when purchased by Allied Bloodstock at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale for $55,000. Dubb acquired her for $110,000 at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Spring sale of 2-year-olds after she was a $70,000 buyback at the Fasig-Tipton March sale. With a record of seven wins and a second from 10 starts, Fourstar Crook has earned $424,050.

Fourstar Crook’s dam is an unplaced John Hettinger-bred mare named Avril a Portugal by D’Accord. The producer of six winners, Avril a Portugal is also the dam of Coaltown Legend (Jump Start), who earned over $325,000. The mare currently has a yearling filly by Freud and was bred back to the same stallion last year, with no reported foal to date.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2017/05/29/fourstar-crook-mount-vernon/

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Clipthecouponannie cashes out in sloppy Skipat Stakes

By Sarah Mace

Clipthecouponannie (Uncle Mo) aced her first off-track test when she stalked her way to victory in Pimlico’s $100,000 Skipat Stakes on Friday’s Black-Eyed Susan card. This was the Repole Stable homebred’s first open stakes victory and second career stakes tally.

After opening her account by reeling off three straight wins, the series culminating in a gritty triumph in the Franklin Square Stakes for 3-year-old New York-bred fillies in February 2016, Clipthecouponannie has had a stop-start career.

The undefeated bay filly spent most of the remainder of 2016 on the bench, only returning in December for a fourth trip to the winner’s circle after a Gulfstream Park allowance. She then had another break of nearly four months. Clipthecouponannie returned this time to finish a solid third in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Distaff H. three-time graded stakes winner Highway Star.

The talented filly had several advantages her corner for the Skipat. In addition to getting the chance to put together back-to-back races, she cut back to her favored distance of six furlongs and, as a blessing in disguise, drew the outside post of seven, which would prove to be an advantage after a downpour four races earlier during the Jim McKay Turf Sprint downgraded the condition of the racetrack track from “fast” to “sloppy (sealed).”

Sent off as the 7-5 favorite, Clipthecouponannie set up in second position, a measured length behind pacesetter and 5-2 second choice Chanteline, who led the field along the backstretch and around the turn through sharp early fractions of 22.98 and 46.02.

Drawing nearly even with the frontrunner in the bend, Clipthecouponannie engaged Chanteline in upper stretch. After she managed to get a head in front, Clipthecouponannie improved her advantage in the final furlong, driving to the wire for a 1 1/2-length victory in 1:10.93.

Summer Reading advanced from third to get the place, and Sweet on Smokey rallied from the rear to collect third money. Completing the order of finish were Chanteline, Loveable Lady, Stormy Sky and Disco Chick. New York-bred Charlie Baker-trainee Absatootly was scratched, along with Pleasant Tales.

“It was perfect,” said jockey John Velazquez. “She got a good position sitting right off the speed and she accelerated very well. It was her first time on a wet track and she loved it.”

Pleased with the way his charged handled the conditions in her first race over off-going, trainer Todd Pletcher said, “I was a little concerned when it rained, only because she had never run on an off track. But we felt that with her pedigree she would handle it. Uncle Mo won the Kelso won impressively in slop.”

Continued Pletcher, “I talked to Johnny before and we liked the fact that we drew a favorable post [outside] for these type[s] of conditions. She’s been a good filly away from the gate. We wanted to get her away alertly and put her in a favorable position. She did that very well and I could tell that Johnny was riding her very confidently. It looked like when he asked her that she responded the way we hoped she would.”

Foaled at Vinery Sugar Maple in Poughquag, Clipthecouponannie is the first foal out of Mike Repole’s multiple stakes-winning New York-bred mare Lights Off Annie, who was bred by Mr. and Mrs. Richard Powers and earned over $200,000. Lights Off Annie and Clipthecouponannie are both named in honor of Repole’s mother’s, whom the Repole family teased for her frugal habits.

Lights Off Annie has an unraced 3-year-old colt by Stay Thirsty, a juvenile colt by Overanalyze and a yearling filly by Uncle Mo. She was bred back to Uncle Mo in 2016.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2017/05/19/skipat-clipthecouponannie/

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