Bee Noteworthy clinches first black type victory in NYSS Staten Island

By Sarah Mace

Check Mark Stables’ Bee Noteworthy (Read the Footnotes), who just missed winning Finger Lakes’ Arctic Queen on October 2 by a nose, got the job done at Aqueduct on Sunday in an intriguing edition of the $125,000 Staten Island division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series.

The seven-furlong Staten Island, which is restricted to eligible New York-sired fillies and mares, had a cast of six after the scratch of Passporttovictory.

The field included Wonderment (Cosmonaut) winner of the Arctic Queen by a nose over Bee Noteworthy, Frosty Margarita (Frost Giant), who was trying to return to winning dirt form by turning back in distance and switching surfaces, and Bluegrass Jamboree (Bluegrass Cat), a rapidly improving sophomore trained by Charlie Baker. To complicate matters further for bettors, Bluegrass Jamboree’s uncoupled stablemate Riot Worthy (Patriot Act), was clearly a “buzz” horse, bet down from her 5-1 morning line to a chalky 9-5.

After an even start for all, PA-bred and 15-1 longshot Bernick’s Bank (Bank Heist) was the first to show the lead, taking the six-pack through opening half-mile in a brisk 46.89, with Wonderment and Bluegrass Jamboree in pursuit. Bee Noteworthy, 7-2 at post time, meanwhile settled in fourth at the rail, where she stayed throughout for a ground-saving trip.

Approaching the far turn, while Bernick’s Bank held on to her a half-length lead over Wonderment, Bee Noteworthy actually slipped back into last position, but advanced as the field rounded the bend.

In upper stretch Bernick’s Bank drifted out, leaving an appetizing gap at the fence. Bee Noteworthy and jockey Rajiv Maragh, who was looking for his second win on the card, darted energetically up the rail and took over the lead in the blink of an eye. Bee Noteworthy then poured it on, nailing down the victory by 5 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:25.36.

Frosty Margarita (6-1) finished with a strong kick between horses to get the place, while Bluegrass Jamboree finished third. Completing the order of finish were Wonderment, Riot Worthy and pacesetter Bernick’s Bank. [VIDEO REPLAY[2]]

Bee Noteworthy broke her maiden at second asking in March 2015, after which she was off for 16 months. Ever since she returned to the races in 2016 at Saratoga, she has been a model of consistency, finishing in the exacta in nine of 11 starts plus one third. In previous stakes competition she finished third in the Critical Eye in the slop at Belmont on May 29 and last out suffered that nose loss in the Arctic Queen.

“She’s consistent,” said winning pilot Rajiv Maragh. “She runs her race almost every time and she’s gradually stepped up into bigger races and kept her form. When the races get tougher, sometimes horses can’t compete, but every time she steps up, she gives more and more. Today was her toughest race and it was her best performance.”

Maragh, “When she’s on top of her game, she has that big kick, and thankfully she had it today again. There seemed to be a few potential speed horses in there, and for our style, the faster, the better. I was hoping that they’d go fast. It was an honest pace and I just felt confident in her that if she showed her best run, she would be right there. She surpassed my expectations with such a big kick.”

Kevin Bond, assistant to winning trainer H. James Bond, added “[Bee Noteworthy] loves this track. This is pretty much her home base. Rajiv made a very smart decision and saved ground on the inside and we were very fortunate today and she got a good trip. She’s very honest, she tries every time and has a lot of heart.”

Added Bond, “She kind of warms up on her own and she knows the drill. Rajiv keeps her in the game. One thing we know about her, she’s always going to make a run no matter what. It just depends on where she is and the trip she gets.”

Bred by Sequel Stallions New York, LLC and Willard C. Freeman, Bee Noteworthy is one of two winners out of Beesanees, an unplaced daughter of Anees who graduated from the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky summer sale as a $85,000 yearling. Freeman purchased Beesanees at the 2005 Fasig-Tipton spring 2-year-old sale for $23,000. To date, Bee Noteworthy has earned $269,685 from a record of seven wins, four seconds and one third from 14 starts.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2017/11/12/bee-noteworthy-staten-island/

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