Favored Dot Matrix rallies to victory in Indiana Grand’s Warrior Veterans Stakes

By Sarah Mace

In just his second attempt to earn black type credentials, Dot Matrix, a 5-year-old gelded son of New York sire Freud[2] (Sequel Stallions[3]), got the job done out-of-state when he rallied from mid-pack to win Indiana Downs’ $100,000 Warrior Veterans Stakes for older turf horses on Saturday evening.

Trained by Brad Cox for Marshall Gramm’s Ten Strike Racing, Dot Matrix broke from post nine in the robust field of 12 to go 1 1/16 miles on the grass.

Early on, the blaze-faced bay settled at the rail in fifth and navigated the clubhouse turn in the clear. Five lengths ahead, second choice Siem Riep set the pace through early fractions of 23.06 and 46.78 while being pressed along by Lanier.

Continuing a ground-saving trip up the backstretch and around the far turn, after six panels in 1:10.52 Dot Matrix rallied into contention between horses in upper stretch.

Driving to the wire with determination, Dot Matrix got up for a one-length victory in the final strides and stopped the clock at 1:41.10. Siem Riep stayed on to finished second, followed 1 1/4 lengths back by One Mean Man. Sent off as the 3-2 favorite under Florent Geroux, Dot Matrix paid $5.60 to win.

“I was loaded,” said Geroux. “Great trip. I thought I’d be pretty much on the fence coming into the first turn. And the break, I was pretty much on the outside. But very nice trip from the nine hole.”

A fairly consistent runner for Abby Adsit in 2016 through November 2017, Dot Matrix has been extremely competitive in six starts for Cox. He won a pair of allowance races at Fair Grounds, missed another by a nose, and won an allowance at Keeneland. Last out he finished a solid fourth in the Kingston Stakes on May 28 behind Offering Plan.

“He’s just one of those hard-knockers,” said Rick Giannini, Cox’ assistant. “He’s as honest as the day is long. He rattled off some nice wins, got beat by a nice horse of ours in Arklow at the Fair Grounds. That [win two back] in that Keeneland race [on April 25] a was just unbelievable. If anybody watches the race, they will not believe he even won the race. He just showed his heart and class in that race.”

Continued Giannini, “Sending him to New York [for the Kingston] was a tall order. Those New York-bred stakes are not a walk in the park, for sure. And Brad thought it was a great idea to come down here. This race set up well for him, and Florent gave him a great ride, tucked there on the fence, parted the seas and came on through. He’s one of those horses who gives you a lot of confidence, too. I thought he’d be a little more forwardly placed. But when they kind of got away from him, Florent did the right thing and took him back, saved ground, and it all worked out well.”

Bred by Truxton Stables and foaled at Winslow Stevens and Philippe Lasseur’s Keane Stud[5] in Amenia, Dot Matrix is one of four winners out of Aunt Dot Dot by Gulch, whose second foal, PA-bred Aunt Ellipsis by Successful Appeal, is also a black type winner. Aunt Dot Dot had a successful racing career in her own right, winning six races and earning $213,915. The mare has an unnamed yearling filly by Normandy Invasion, but lost her Freud foal this year.

With seven wins, three seconds and three thirds from 23 starts, Dot Matrix has earned $309,051.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2018/07/14/dot-matrix-warrior-veterans/

---

Voodoo Song takes his bite from the Forbidden Apple with front-running score

By Sarah Mace

Following 2-year-old La Fuerza’s victory in the Rockville Centre Stakes[2] earlier on Belmont’s Saturday card, Barry Schwartz and friends had the pleasure of making a second trek to the Belmont Park winner’s circle to celebrate a homebred stakes winner.

In this case, the star was Voodoo Song (English Channel), who had the best of a strong field of every step of the way in the $150,000 Forbidden Apple Stakes at one mile on the Widener Turf Course. Manny Franco piloted both Schwartz horses to victory.

Trained by Linda Rice, Voodoo Song was a Saratoga sensation last summer at three, posting four victories at the meet, a feat not accomplished since the legendary Native Dancer won four races at the Spa as a juvenile in 1952 during a 24-day meet. Voodoo Song’s Saratoga series was capped by a first stakes victory in the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes on Woodward Day.

Following a winter break lasting from October 28 to April 11, Voodoo Song shook off the rust off for his 4-year-old campaign with a pair of strong allowance performances, winning the second one on May 12 by a nose. He returned to stakes company on June 17, finishing a solid third in the Grade 3 Poker behind by Oscar Performance, and earning his first triple-digit Beyer.

Going postward, Voodoo Song was bet down to odds of 5-1, the third betting choice. Popular fellow New York-bred Disco Partner, who was looking for his second bite from the Forbidden Apple after winning the race last year, went off at even money and Projected was 4-1.

At the outset Voodoo Song established one-length lead over Bind Ambition, who tracked him intently for three-quarters of mile. Meanwhile Franco was able to dictate all the fractions unbothered by a direct challenge, clocking splits of 23.29, 46.30 and 1:08.94.

Voodoo Song embarked on his stretch drive two lengths to the good. By mid-stretch a wall of horses lined up behind him but nobody got close enough to threaten. Voodoo Song, crossed the wire a one-length winner in an extremely fast final time of 1:31.67 over the firm turf.

Projected finished second after kicking clear of the pursuing group, followed by New York-bred Offering Plan who closed from last after being squeezed at the start. Completing the order of finish were multiple graded stakes winner Disco Partner, who on this day lacked his characteristic brilliance, Blind Ambition and Pocket Change. [VIDEO REPLAY[4]]

“The plan was to let him do what he wanted to do. He went to the lead,” said Manny Franco. “I tried to slow him down a little bit and he did, it worked out. The last time, he went a little [fast], I figured this time if I went around 46 [seconds], that was my goal. He is game all the time. He always keeps trying. He gave me all he had.”

Linda Rice explained why she pointed Voodoo Song to the Forbidden Apple. “He was coming into this race really well and I wanted to run him. On paper there were three speeds in the race and you would think it was going to set up for a closer like Disco Partner, but fortunately it worked out. He was able to get on the lead and settle.”

Rice added, “As a 4-year-old he’s really matured. Last year, running from the dirt and switching to turf he was really rank and running at two-turns has really benefitted him.”

Rice has on her radar for Voodoo Song’s next start the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave on August 11 as well as the $150,000 West Point for New York-breds on August 24.

Voodoo Song’s dam is Mystic Chant, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Unbridled’s Song purchased by Barry Schwartz for $200,000 at the 2003 Keeneland September yearling sale. In an eight-race career Mystic Chant became a stakes winner for Schwartz before graduating to broodmare duties. She has produced six winners, but Voodoo Song is the first to earn black type.

Mystic Chant has produced a juvenile full-brother to Voodoo Song, a yearling colt by Japan and foaled a Flatter filly on April 9, 2018.

The Forbidden Apple is Voodoo Song’s second stakes victory and improved his record to seven wins, two seconds and third from 15 starts. He has now earned $581,685.

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2018/07/14/voodoo-song-forbidden-apple/

---

La Fuerza much the best in Rockville Centre Stakes

By Sarah Mace

If his first two career starts are anything to go by, Barry Schwartz’ homebred Flatter colt La Fuerza has a bright future. On the Saturday of Belmont’s closing weekend, the chestnut colt drove his career record to perfect two-for-two with a much-the-best victory in the $100,000 Rockville Centre Stakes for New York-bred juveniles.

La Fuerza, “The Force” in Spanish, was impressive in his debut three weeks ago for trainer Todd Pletcher. Pinched back at the start and left with nearly eight lengths to make up after the first point of call, he swept past the field in the stretch under jockey Jose Ortiz to win the 5 1/2-furlong tilt by seven-plus lengths.

Schwartz told the DRF when en route to the Rockville Centre from California, “[I] thought he ran wonderfully, really excited. Honestly, he’s out of a crop of 18 2-year-olds I have. Clearly, he was the best-looking one, and he ran to his looks, I guess. We’re excited.”

Favored in his debut at 1-2 odds, La Fuerza proved even more popular with bettors Saturday, sent out as the most likely winner of the five-horse field at odds of 2-5.

La Fuerza got away cleanly under jockey Manny Franco, by contrast with his unveiling, but was still content to bide his time in last about three lengths off the pace set by Hushion, who was gunned to the front from his rail post by Mike Luzzi. What the Luck and Bustin Mach Four tracked in second and third.

Advancing a position at the rail along the backstretch, La Fuerza still saved his real running for later.

While the field was on the turn, Hushion was joined by What the Luck and first-time starter Red Zinger, who moved aggressively on the bend, making it three across the track.

Late in the turn, La Fuerza tipped out three-wide and straightened away for the dash home. From this point it was all smooth sailing. Once in the clear, he outkicked his three rivals and drew off to win by 4 1/2 lengths. Bustin Mach Four finished second 1 1/2 lengths ahead of firster Red Zinger in third. Completing the order of finish were Hushion and What the Luck.

Following early splits of 22.33 and 46.28, the final time for six furlongs over the fast going was 1:12.27.  The order of finish remained unchanged after the stewards worked through two jockey’s objections and an inquiry into a traffic issue in upper stretch between Bustin Mach Four and What the Luck. [VIDEO REPLAY[3]]

Franco expressed his overall confidence in La Fuerza but noted that his top priority for the race was getting a good break. “The main thing was to break out of there well and then try not to do too much to him,” Franco said. “As soon as I had the chance to go to the outside, I just tipped him out and he exploded by himself. He’s a nice horse. I knew the horse can run and I had a lot of confidence in him and I just waited for the time and he did it.”

Pletcher assistant Byron Hughes added, “I thought he broke well. There was a little more speed in the race than we expected. They kind of went ahead of him and he was down there on the inside on the rail. Manny did a good job being patient and when the outside opened up, he veered him there and he kicked on in the stretch.”

Overall, Hughes felt that La Fuerza’s Rockville Centre was a case of ‘mission accomplished.’ “It was a good race for him. Coming into today, we were hoping he would break a little better. He broke a little slow and got pinched his first start and it turned out to be okay. In similar fashion, here he ended up getting behind horses but handled taking the dirt well and was able to get up.”

La Fuerza, who was foaled at Barry Schwartz’ Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs, is the first foal out of Jonata, a Kentucky-bred two-time winner purchased by Schwartz as a yearling for $100,000 at the 2011 Keeneland September sale. Without issues in 2017, she foaled colt by Mizzen Mast on January 27, 2018.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2018/07/14/la-fuerza-rockville-centre/

---