Swing and Sway powers over the Oaklawn slop in American Beauty

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Coady Photography

By Sarah Mace

Westrock Stables LLC’s Swing and Sway (Maclean’s Music) trounced her competition in Saturday’s $125,000 American Beauty Stakes at Oaklawn Park, powering over the slop to win by more than seven lengths.

Breaking from the outside post of six to go six furlongs over the sloppy (sealed) track, Swing and Way wasted no time. Clear early and leading by 1 1/2 lengths after a quarter-mile in 22.36, the 4-year-old only improved from the there.

Ahead by two lengths after a half mile in a hot 46.00 and by four lengths in the stretch, Swing and Way poured it on in the final stages, posting a 7 3/4-length victory in a final time of 1:10.68. Sent off at 11-1 odds, the second-longest shot on the board, the filly returned $24.60 to win.

Winning Jockey David Cabrera, aboard Swing and Sway for the first time in the afternoon, said, “I worked this filly one time and I thought this is a really nice filly. I felt like we could get along really good. We saw that. She broke sharp, she liked it on the front end and she finished very well.”

Trained by Ron Moquett, the American Beauty victory was Swing and Sway’s fourth win in 13 tries, and boosted the Oaklawn-based runner’s earnings to $243,040.

Having broken her maiden and won an allowance early in 2017 at Oaklawn, Swing and Sway is well traveled, competing last year at Belmont, Finger Lakes, Saratoga, Laurel and Keeneland. She last visited the winner’s circle after winning the Niagara Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies at Finger Lakes last June 19 over a “good” racing surface.

Bred by Canyon Lake Thoroughbreds and foaled at Keane Stud[2] in Amenia, Swing and Sway is out of Placerita (Gilded Time) a winning Kentucky-bred Gilded Time mare. She has eight winning siblings from 10 to start, led by graded winner Sticksstatelydude and multiple stakes winner Saturday Nite Ride. The family tree also boasts Grade 1 winners The Big Beast and Slew the Dragon.

The filly first changed hands for $50,000 as a short yearling at the 2015 Keeneland January mixed sale, going to Walter Bloodstock. Purchased by Woodford Sales for $117,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale in Saratoga, she attracted the attention of Westrock at the OBS March sale of 2-year-olds after a co-bullet :9 4/5 breeze in the under-tack show.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2018/01/27/swing-sway-american-beauty/

Midnight Disguise captures Busanda from off the pace, earns Oaks points

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NYRA/Chelsea Durand

By Sarah Mace

William B. Wilmot and Joan M. Taylor’s long-striding second-generation homebred Midnight Disguise has been nothing if not busy since winning her debut at one mile for trainer Linda Rice in mid-December.

Making her fourth career start in 41 days at Aqueduct on Thursday, Midnight Disguise took on – and beat – open rivals in the $100,000 Busanda Stakes for 3-year-old fillies from off the pace. The Busanda win is worth 10 points toward a berth in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, just 99 days away at Churchill Downs.

Graduating at first asking by 6 1/2 lengths on December 15, six days later Midnight Disguise won a starter’s allowance by two lengths. In the January 14 East View stakes for state-bred fillies, she rallied impressively from last to second, though she ran erratically in the stretch. Thursday’s 1 1/8-mile Busanda would represent both a class hike and distance test for the daughter of Midnight Lute, who had yet to go beyond a mile.

Away well as all six fillies got off to an even start, Midnight Disguise, 5-2 second choice in the wagering, took a page from her East View playbook and dropped back to trail the field. Up front the two speeds, Oldfashioned Style and Take Charge Tina, led the group around the clubhouse turn and along the backstretch. Odds-on Hail tracked in third, followed by Incleveland in fourth.

Ten lengths off the pace early on, Midnight Disguise moved up a spot into fifth midway along backstretch and caught up with the vanguard by the approach to the far turn. Ultimately advancing into a menacing second midway round the bend, she set her sights on leader Oldfashioned Style.

With huge strides, Midnight Disguise took over the top spot just past the sixteenth-mile marker and went on to score a decisive victory by 4 1/4 lengths. Oldfashioned Style hung on for second, followed 3 3/4 lengths back in third by Hail. Incleveland and Take Charge Tina completed the order of finish. The final time for 1 1/8 miles was 1:55.81. The race was hand-timed, and internal fractions were unavailable due to a timer malfunction [VIDEO REPLAY[2]]

“She’s just continued to improve and gain fitness and seasoning,” said trainer Linda Rice. “[In the East View] she ran a little bit green on the outside and in the stretch switching leads. But we were delighted today with how she ran the mile and an eighth and two turns. It really opens up a lot of doors.”

Winning jockey Trevor McCarthy, who also had the call in the East View, addressed the way he managed to avoid some of the greenness of Midnight Disguise’s East View run. “I was going to ask her to switch her leads, but last time I asked her to switch her lead, she kind of overreacted, so I said today I am just going to leave her alone and let her do her own thing.”

Added McCarthy, “She is still a little immature, but definitely a nice filly. [She] has a bright future in front of her. I am very happy that Linda gave me the privilege to ride her back, and the owners as well.”

Both trainer and pilot concurred that distance was Midnight Disguise’s friend. Said Rice, “We just wanted Trevor to get her in the clear because she’s so big and has such a big, long stride that she needs room. The distance, whether it’s two turns or one turn, will be key. We’re just trying to find what makes the most sense and gives her the most opportunity and let her learn and improve and not try and set the bar too high for her.”

With three wins and a runner-up finish from four starts, Midnight Disguise has earned $137,600.

Midnight Disguise is out of Wilmot and Taylor’s winning homebred mare Thin Disguise (Yes It’s True), a half-sister to millionaire and 2007 New York-bred Horse of the Year Naughty New Yorker.

Thin Disguise has produced four foals, all winners, including 4-year-old Holiday Disguise, winner of Bouwerie Stakes last May for Lady Sheila Stable. The mare currently has a 2-year-old colt by Verrrazano a 2017 filly by Tiznow and was bred last year to Bodemeister.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2018/01/25/midnight-disguise-busanda/

Control Group calls all the shots in Alex M. Robb

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NYRA/Chelsea Durand

By Sarah Mace

Michael Dubb and David Simon’s former claim Control Group (Posse) lived up to his name at Aqueduct Sunday, controlling every step of the $100,000 Alex M. Robb for older New York-breds. He took charge shortly after the bell and proceeded to a resounding 4-length victory.

Like the other year-end New York-bred stakes races this winter, the Robb, which is typically NYRA’s New Year’s Eve feature, took some time to schedule. Attracting six entries Sunday, the race lost Papa Shot, 3-1 second choice on the morning line, to a steward’s scratch due to an ongoing quarantine of one of Linda Rice’s barns after an EHV-1 positive on a different horse.

Last seen winning the Grade 3 Discovery for sophomores on November 25, 4-year-old Control Group made the victory look easy that day under Joel Rosario as the main speed of the field and earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure for his effort. Before the Robb, however, pilot Kendrick Carmouche reported that he and trainer Rudy Rodriguez discussed the possibility that fellow-speedster Wake Up in Malibu might be minded to challenge for the early lead.

Said Carmouche, “Rudy said, ‘Warm him up good and do what you think is best. If the other horse wants to go, he can sit, but he prefers to be in front.’”

Rodriguez also shared the pre-race instructions. “Coming into the race, me and Kendrick [Carmouche] talked about if [Wake Up Malibu] really wanted the lead, we were going to let him go and take it from there, but when he broke so good, and was in control, he runs his best races that way.”

Control Group, who had won four of his last five starts, three at the Robb distance of 1 1/8 miles around two turns, went off as the 2-5 favorite and highweight of 123, spotting his rivals two to eight pounds.

Control Group established command at the rail by the time the field entered the first turn. The bay colt was pursued through the far turn, in close order a half-length back, by Wake Up in Malibu two-wide, Can You Diggit three-wide and Extinct Charm down inside. Testosterstone trailed after a big gap. Fractions for the first six furlongs were not at all testing: 25.65, 50.16, 1:14.18.

At the head of the stretch Control Group finally shook off the persistent Wake Up in Malibu and continued to the wire, a 4-length winner in a final time of 1:52.19.

Behind him, Broman homebred Can You Diggit overhauled a fading Wake Up in Malibu and ran on to get second. Another 1 1/2 lengths back Extinct Charm closed from fourth for the show. Wrapping up the group were a closing Testosterstone and pace-presser Wake Up in Malibu. [VIDEO REPLAY[2]]

“He broke good and I just set enough fractions going easy that I could speed up from the three-eighths pole [to] home. Pretty much cruise control, you know,” said Carmouche.

The pilot added, “The only time the pressure came was at the half-mile pole and the race was pretty much set from there with the fractions I set earlier. He was pretty settled. You can do whatever you want with him. Horses like that, you just sit on them and let them do their job.”

Rodriguez said, “It was a very good performance. He loves going two turns. The couple weeks we’ve had off waiting for the race, it looked like it benefited him. I knew he was only going to get stronger coming off the race he ran last time. We were giving a lot of weight to the other horses in the field, but we were confident in his ability and it showed today.”

Bred by Colts Neck Stable and Alan Goldberg and foaled at Vinery New York at Sugar Maple Farm in Poughquag, Control Group is one of two winners out of We Kept Her, an unraced Kentucky-bred daughter of Victory Gallop.

The mare’s other winner We Did is a full brother to Control Group and six-figure earner. The mare has a newly-turned 2-year old filly by Courageous Cat named Raging Cat and a 2017 filly by Giant Surprise.

Control Group has earned $381,570, with six wins, three seconds and three thirds from 14 starts. A graduate of the 2014 Fasig-Tipton New York fall mixed sale as a weanling when purchased by MRC Equine for $27,000, the colt RNA’d when offered as a yearling at the Saratoga New York-bred sale ($49,000) and again at two at the Midlantic spring sale of 2-year-olds ($19,000). Trainer Gary Contessa shrewdly picked up the colt for the bargain price of $15,000 at the 2016 OBS open horses of racing age sale.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2018/01/21/control-group-robb/

Quezon garners fifth stakes victory in first running of the La Verdad

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NYRA/Adam Coglianese

By Sarah Mace

Marc Keller’s Quezon (Tiz Wonderful) put her fifth career stakes victory on the board at Aqueduct Friday in the twice-rescheduled $100,000 La Verdad for New York-bred fillies and mares. The 7-furlong race, run for the first time, was named for Sheila Rosenblum’s New York-bred star, who was crowned Eclipse champion female sprinter in 2015 before retiring for broodmare duty at Edition Farm in Hyde Park.

Quezon was the headliner of the two prior incarnations of the La Verdad, which was scrapped for bad weather on January 6 and January 12, respectively – in the latter case due to fog. On Friday, she went off as the 3-5 favorite in the six-horse field. A seventh entry, Linda Rice-trained Holiday Disguise, had to be scratched as officials still awaited test results on another Rice horse who tested positive for EHV-1 last week.

Away cleanly, Quezon set up in fifth position, rating at the rail while 16-1 Wonderment set the pace through early fractions of 22.96 and 46.07. As the field approached the far turn, Quezon began to work her way off the rail and close on the frontrunners.

In the bend, while 5-2 Absatootly moved up from third to get on even terms with Wonderment, Quezon advanced into third.

Challenging for the lead in upper stretch, Quezon swept past Wonderment and Absatootly on the grandstand side with a furlong to go. Fully in charge and opening up her advantage in the final panel, she crossed the finish line 4 1/4 lengths ahead of runner up Palladian bridge, who closed well for second.

Wonderment finished three lengths back in third, followed by Bee Noteworthy, Absatootly and longshot She’s All Ready. After six furlongs in a speedy 1:10.29, the final time was 1:22.68. [VIDEO REPLAY[2]]

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NYRA/Chelsea Durand

“I was hoping to be in the pocket right behind the leaders,” said winning rider Joe Rocco, Jr. “The way that it worked out, I wasn’t able to do that, but it worked out good. I had plenty of horse and she ran a bang-up race today.”

Continued Rocco, “She started her run at the top of the stretch and ran on well to the wire. Last time [in the Garland of Roses on December 9], she only really ran the last sixteenth. Today, she had more of a prolonged run, but it was nice. I was confident in the filly and she did what we thought she would, so it was great.”

Trainer Bobby Ribaudo said he felt very good about his mare’s chances before the race.

“We were very confident going into this. She was training great. Even with all the missed training over the last couple of weeks, she was able to get enough in. She was doing great. You can never be too confident in this business, but we were very confident today. And, she fulfilled that expectation. She really kicked on, more so than she did the last time, and basically [against] the same group of horses. We were very happy with the finish. She switched leads again, which was really nice.”

Ribaudo also cited Quezon’s affinity for colder temperatures as a positive factor. “I think the cold weather helps [her]. Last year, she didn’t get good until the fall. That was one of the reasons why we kept her here this winter and it looks like it’s held true. She can get hot in the paddock and stuff and sometimes she’s a wild filly. She even wanted to get a little hot today walking over with the blanket on. But the cold weather really helps her, I think.”

Quezon may make her next start in the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie on February 17 at Laurel Park. Said Ribaudo, “It’s early, but I think the goal here is the Barbara Fritchie because it’s graded and the thing that’s eluded her is the graded win. That’s what I’m going to point for, then decide whether to lay her up for a while and bring her back or go ahead and breed her. That race will tell us.”

In five prior appearances in graded races, Quezon finished fourth in the Grade 2 Demoiselle in 2014, second in the Gallant Bloom in 2016, third in the same race the following year, third in the Grade 3 Vagrancy Handicap in 2017 and sixth in the Bed o’ Roses that year in her next start. She won the Garland Roses in 2017, but only after it was downgraded from Grade 3 to “listed.”

Ultra-consistent throughout her career, 6-year-old Quezon has won seven races in all, finished second six times and third twice in 18 starts. She has won a stakes race in each year: the Maid of the Mist at two, the Bouwerie at three, the Iroquois in the following year and the open Garland of Roses in her final start of 2017. Her earnings total just over three-quarters of a million dollars ($754,200).

Bred by Apache Farm LLC and foaled at Apache Farm North in Mt. Morris, 6-year-old Quezon is the only foal produced by Kalookan Dancer, a multiple stakes-winning California-bred daughter of Olympio. Quezon was a $90,000 purchase by Riverside Stable at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale in Saratoga.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2018/01/19/quezon-la-verdad/

Frost Wise gets the bob in thrilling Bay Ridge

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NYRA/Chelsea Durand

By Sarah Mace

It took a while for all systems to get to “go” for Aqueduct’s $100,000 Bay Ridge Stakes, a race that fell victim twice to weather-related cancellations, but when the 1 1/8-mile contest for New York-bred fillies and mares was finally run on Thursday afternoon, it was a thriller. Ultimately, the victory came down to a head bob that went to George and Stephanie Autry’s Frost Wise over Charlie Baker’s Riot Worthy.

After Might Be was an early scratch, the four that remained to contest the Bay Ridge were well-matched and, as it happened, three were sired by Frost Giant[2], sire of Pegasus contender Giant Expectations.

The two inside horses possessed early speed on paper: Frost Wise, making her stakes debut after a blowout allowance win on November, and Frosty Anne, first out for sharp claiming trainer Rudy Rodriguez after winning three straight starts for a $25,000 tag and changing barns each time.

The two horses on the outside were potential closers: Riot Worthy (Patriot Act,), owned and trained by Charlie Baker, a runner-up in the 2016 Fleet Indian and a second-place finisher at nine furlongs while the others were untested at the distance, and Frosty Margarita, a multiple stakes winner.

Frost Wise, 7-5 favorite at post time, was sharp out of the gate, as was Riot Worthy, but both let an eager Frosty Anne go on with it and lead the way through early splits of 23.47 and 47.72. Frost Wise pursued 1 1/2 lengths back in second, Riot Worthy another length back in third and Frosty Margarita brought up the rear.

The running order remained unchanged as the field rounded the far turn through six panels in 1:12.87, but the fillies and mares began to close ranks before the quarter pole, ending up three across the track in close quarters: Frostie Anne to the inside, Frost Wise in-between horses and Riot Worthy on the outside.

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NYRA/Chelsea Durand

With a furlong to go, the decision came down to Frost Wise, now with the narrowest of edges, and Riot Worthy who was inching toward the lead. The pair bobbed heads in the final jumps and, when a photo determined the winner, the game Frost Wise got the prize. Frostie Anne finished another 2 3/4 lengths back in third and Frosty Margarita brought up the rear. After a mile in 1:39.84, the final time for nine furlongs was 1:53.89. [VIDEO REPLAY[4]]

Victorious jockey Kendrick Carmouche reported, “It got a little tight, but that’s race riding. That’s what the game is for. [Trainer] Mike [Dilger] told me to break good because we were breaking from the inside. We hustled a little and Junior [Alvarado, aboard Frostie Anne] wanted it more than me, so I let Junior go and let him sit on the [lead].”

Continued Carmouche, “Mike said she doesn’t close too much, but she did today because they bumped her a little at the quarter pole and squeezed her and she wanted to fight more. I just put my head down and rode her to the wire and we got the head bob today.”

“I guess they just decided they [Frostie Anne] wanted the lead,” added Dilger. “Kendrick is an experienced jockey and decided to take off that pace and it made all the difference for us. I was surprised with this filly; on the turn, she battled in-between horses. A hard-fought win on the rail and she ran very well.”

Dilger is pleased with the prospects for his 4-year-old and her owners. “She’s starting to show a new level of maturity. These are all good things for her. We’re going to enjoy this, for owners George and Stephanie Autry; I believe it’s their second ever stakes win, so we’re going to enjoy this and go from there.”

It took Frost Wise six times to break her maiden, which she did at Saratoga, but she had shown promise from the start, hitting the board in all but one of her prior starts. Last out, on November 30, she recorded a breakout state-bred allowance victory when she bested six rivals going a mile by 16 1/4 lengths and earning a career-high 88 Beyer Speed Figure. From 10 careers starts, she has posted three wins, three seconds and two thirds and earned $187,738.

Bred by Gabriel Duignan and foaled at Newtown Anner Stud in Millbrook, Frost Wise is the first stakes winner and one of three winners from three foals to start out of Watch Smartly, by Smart Strike, who was campaigned by Marc Keller and recorded wins on both dirt and turf.

Out of a multiple stakes winner, Watch Smartly last changed hands via public auction when purchased by Foxtale Farm for $31,000 at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton fall mixed sale in Saratoga. Currently she has a yearling colt by Justin Philip and was bred to Brody’s Cause in 2017.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2018/01/18/frost-wise-bay-ridge/