NEWS: RACING

Mohawk victory high-water mark for Black Tide

Saturday, October 21st, 2017

NYRA/Chelsea Durand

By Sarah Mace

Ivery Sisters Racing’s Black Tide, a 5-year-old gelding and former claimer by Hold Me Back, has collected a huge following this year, thrilling horseplayers and fans alike by his refreshing “take no prisoners” approach to racing.

On Empire Showcase Day at Belmont in the 1 1/16-mile, $200,000 Mohawk Stakes, Black Tide showcased his own special flair, earning his first stakes victory and giving trainer David Cannizzo a second career stakes tally.

Black Tide’s victory in the Mohawk was a tour de force. As 4-1 third choice behind 3-5 favorite, Chad Brown-trained Offering Plan and 3-1 Cloontia, the gelding popped the gate under regular rider Jose Lezcano and established a 1 1/2-length lead before the first point of call.

Leading Cloontia by widening lengths along the backstretch through a moderate opening quarter of 24.74, Black Tide enjoyed a five-length cushion by the conclusion of a quickening half in 47.92. Continuing an uncontested lead round the far turn, Black Tide was control by 3 1/2 lengths by the head of the lane. Meanwhile, pursuer Cloontia gave way to All is Number, and Offering Plan mounted a bid from fifth at the fence.

Never faltering and without facing a serious challenge, Black Tide cruised under the wire a 1 1/4-length winner in a sharp final time of 1:40.98. Offering Plan got up for second 1 1/4 lengths ahead of 17-1 Rapt, who rallied from last to third. Completing the order of finish were Converge, All Is Number and Cloontia. [VIDEO REPLAY]

NYRA/Robert Mauhar

“I let him break and go on, then I started to pick him up early and around the three-eighths [pole],” said victorious jockey Jose Lezcano. “You have to let him open up.”

The pilot continued, “I was not going to send him too hard early, there was a ways [to go]. When I got it to the five-eighths [pole], I opened up. I knew [Offering Plan] would be coming, but I just kept riding my horse.”

Trainer Dave Cannizzo talked first about how to manage jockey instructions in Black Tide’s case. “I don’t want to say he’s a simple horse to ride, because you have to have trust in him that he’ll keep going. But you have to let it rip.”

He continued, “It’s not that hard to tell a jockey how to ride him, but they have to have confidence because they don’t want to look foolish and let him go too fast and have him stop turning for home.”

Of Black Tide, Cannizzo said, “When you look, the faster [the pace], the better he runs. He keeps going. When you try to rate him, he doesn’t have that other gear. Jose [Lezcano] gets him to finish better than anyone. The horse hasn’t let us down. He’s great. He’s had a great year.”

Black Tide’s “great year,” capped by the Mohawk victory, ratifies Cannizzo’s determination to get the gelding in his barn for keeps. Cannizzo first claimed Black Tide for $35,000 last November 19 from Michelle Nevin for Brian Ivery, but lost him to David Jacobson two races later, on December 31. In the gelding’s very next start, when Jacobson dangled him for $25,000 in a race over the Aqueduct inner on February 2, Cannizzo pounced for the same connections and got him back. The stable name Ivery Sisters Racing refers to Ivery’s three daughters.

NYRA/Viola Jasko

In seven starts since, Black Tide has run exclusively on turf and won five of eight starts while ascending the Beyer scale. He posted career best figures of 95 and 94 in his two prior starts, and, for the Mohawk, was awarded a 94. In each case Cannizzo has instructed his jockey to play “catch me if you can” and, more often than not, “they” couldn’t. Black Tide’s earnings now total $450,832 from seven wins, six seconds and five thirds in 34 starts

Bred by Snow Lantern Thoroughbreds and foaled at the former Highcliff Farm in Delanson, Black Tide is one of four winners from four foals to start out of Turn the Tide, an unraced Theatrical (IRE) mare. Turn the Tide’s second foal Avanzere won a pair of Grade 2 turf stakes on the west coast and earned $536,705. The mare has a yearling filly by Stormy Atlantic, no foal this year, and bred to American Pharoah in the spring.

Black Tide first sold for $30,000 to Thoroughbred Management at the 2013 OBS Yearling sale. He was purchased the following year at the OBS spring 2-year-old sale by McMahon & Hill Bloodstock for $50,000.

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