Mr. Pete stalks his way to victory in Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes

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SV Photography

By Sarah Mace

Mr. Pete, a homebred for Michael Salerno’s Nirvana Stables by first-crop sire Shanghai Bobby, took home the prize after a successful stalking trip in the $117,263 Aspirant Stakes for New York-bred 2-year-olds at Finger Lakes on Saturday.

After finishing second in his debut for trainer James Ryerson at Belmont Park on June 2, Mr. Pete added blinkers to graduate by a half-length on July 15, winning from off the pace at six furlongs.

The dark bay was last seen finishing fifth in the Funny Cide Stakes at the Spa on August 25, which made him the only juvenile of seven entrants in the lucrative Aspirant with stakes experience.

After breaking from post one under jockey Harry Hernandez as the 5-2 second choice, Mr. Pete settled in third on the inside, while 4-5 favorite Looking Ready showed the way through a testing opening quarter-mile in 22.40 and half in 46.20.

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SV Photography

Coasting through the turn three-wide, Mr. Pete moved into second place in upper stretch, but still had three lengths to make up on the pacesetter. Mr. Pete narrowed the gap and engaged Looking Ready in mid-stretch.

With a furlong to go, Mr. Pete took over the lead. Although the colt drifted out in final sixteenth, he got home clear, winning by 2 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:11.94. Lover’s Leap rallied from fourth to get a nose in front of Collective Effort in third, while pacesetter Looking Ready, Tender Boy, Cheltan and Paynter’s Prize finished next in order. [VIDEO REPLAY[3]]

Mr. Pete, who has earned $125,957 from two wins and a second-place finish in four starts, is the second winner from two foals to start out of Dakota Doll. A New Jersey-bred stakes performer and earner of $273,000, Dakota Doll was purchased by Peter Walsh as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton selected October sale in 2006.

A half-sister to stakes winner Lovely Fio Not For Love), Dakota Dolla has a weanling filly by Shackleford and was bred to Effinex this spring.

Endnotes:

[Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/9-9-17-R7s-Mr-Pete-Action.jpg
[Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/9-9-17-R7s-Mr-Pete-Coming-Back.jpg
VIDEO REPLAY: http://www.nytbreeders.org/includes/video-player.cfm?date=20170909&track=FIM&race=7

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2017/09/09/mr-pete-aspirant/

First-time starter Indy’s Lady sparkles in Lady Finger Stakes

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SV Photography

By Sarah Mace

Debuter Indy’s Lady, a $150,000 2-year-old purchase from the first crop of Take Charge Indy, kicked off her racing career in style at Finger Lakes on Saturday afternoon as a much-the-best, wire-to-wire winner of the co-featured $116,550 Lady Finger Stakes.

Trained by Jeremiah Englehart for owners Orlando DiRienzo and Southfield Farm, Indy’s Lady came into the Lady Finger with eight published works at the Spa, the most recent being a gate move on August 17.

One of seven 2-year-old New York-bred fillies lined up in the gate to go six furlongs, Indy’s Lady was partnered with leading Finger Lakes’ jockey John Davila, Jr. As an unknown quantity, the dark bay filly was let go at 7-1 odds.

Indy’s Lady sprinted out of post five at the bell and, through a first quarter mile in 22.45, pressed the pace just to the inside of speedy fellow first-time starter Wild Witch (22-1). Relentless in pursuit, Indy’s Lady took over in the approach to the far turn, and “that was all she wrote.”

A length to the good at the head of the stretch after a half-mile in 46.36, Indy’s Lady kicked clear and drew off at will to end up all alone at the wire as an 8-length winner in a final time of 1:12.04.

[2]One Last Cast closed from fifth to finish second, a half-length in front of Salty Smile in third. A neck back, odds-on favorite Droselmeyr’s Smile finished fourth followed across the finish line by Scintillation, Wild Witch and Scatback. [VIDEO REPLAY[3]]

Indy’s Lady, who earned the $69,930 winner’s share of the Lady Finger Purse, was bred by Alan R. Cook and is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winning New York-bred sprinter Filibustin (Bustin Stones). The filly’s dam is West-Virginia-bred Sweet Aloha, a six-figure earner, all three of whose foals to race are winners and black-type performers. Sweet Aloha has a yearling colt by Forty Tales and was bred back to Bustin Stones in the spring.

Indy’s Lady sold first as weanling at the 2015 Keeneland November sale, where she went to OWL Stable for $65,000. Failing to meet her reserve when bid up to $48,000 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale, when offered this past May at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old sale, she posted a sharp :10 1/5 furlong in the under-tack show and was purchased by Orlando Di Rienzo for $150,000.

Endnotes:

[Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/9-9-17-R6s-Indys-Lady-Action-2.jpg
[Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/9-9-17-R6s-Indys-Lady-Trainer-Jock.jpg
VIDEO REPLAY: http://www.nytbreeders.org/includes/video-player.cfm?date=20170909&track=FIM&race=6

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2017/09/09/indys-lady-lady-finger/