Can You Diggit gets breakthrough stakes victory in Evan Shipman

By Sarah Mace

Chester and Mary Broman’s homebred Can You Diggit has been knocking on the door of a stakes victory all year. On Monday he managed to break through that door when he won Saratoga’s featured $100,000 Evan Shipman Stakes at Saratoga with a final surge in the shadow of the wire for trainer Jimmy Jerkens.

The 1 1/8-mile contest for New York-breds three and up attracted a small but highly competitive field. Drawn originally with eight horses, the group was whittled down by scratches when Papa Shot, Hit It Once More and Winston’s Chance, who were cross-entered in a matching feature at Finger Lakes — the Genesee Valley Breeders’ Stakes — opted try their luck in Farmington. Hit It Once More won[2] the Genesee Valley.

Can You Diggit’s near (and relatively near) misses coming into the Evan Shipman have piled up this year. The 4-year-old Tiznow colt rolled out a trio of runner-up finishes in the Alex M. Robb in January, Haynesfield in February and a second-level state-bred allowance in March. In April he won at the same level going nine furlongs, then came back to finish fourth in the Commentator in May. Freshened until August 3, he finished third in an open allowance in the mud.

Breaking from post two under Junior Alvarado as the 6-1 fourth choice in the betting, Can You Diggit settled in fourth a just off the rail, letting second choice Control Group and 8-1 Wine Not battle it out for the lead through an opening quarter in 23.95 and half in 48.44.

Cruising along comfortably in the two-path along the backstretch two lengths behind the dueling leaders, Can You Diggit was shaken up midway around the far turn and swung out six-wide into the stretch where he set his sights on the leaders. Meanwhile Control Group was defending his lead against a new challenger, Pat On the Back.

Passing Wine Not in upper stretch, Can You Diggit drew even with the top pair in the closing sixteenth. With a final surge he secured the win by a neck. Pat On the Back got the place, 1 1/4 lengths clear of Control Group in third, followed by Wine Not and favored Twisted Tom, who was not a factor. After a mile in 1:36.98, the final time for nine furlongs over the fast going was 1:49.93. [VIDEO REPLAY[4]]

“He always runs good, but it seems like I [was] always missing something to get him to the wire,” said Junior Alvarado, aboard for the fourth time. “It’s a little hard to get him going, but today he was better than ever. He got going, and he got us to the winner’s’ circle.”

Jerkens concurred that this stakes victory was overdue. “This horse has been knocking on the door,” the trainer said. “He certainly deserved a win. He always makes a move towards the end of races and I thought if the pace was honest and he could save some ground, he would have a big chance with the smaller field and he’d come and get him.”

Added Jerkens, “Junior did a great job on him. He put him in a perfect spot in the stretch and he had another gear to get home after that. I think this is ideal distance. With his style, it benefits him.”

The trainer also had words of appreciation for the Bromans. “[Chester Broman]’s been so great for the game for so long. He’s winding down a little bit and selling his younger horses, but owners like that are dream to train for, and whenever you win for them, it’s just an extra bonus.”

Can You Diggit, whose record now stands at four wins, six seconds and three thirds from 19 starts with $373,555 in earnings, is a third-generation product of the Bromans’ breeding program. His second dam is Broman homebred Seeking the Ante (Seeking the Gold), who won Grade 2 Nassau County Breeders’ Cup S. and earned $392,830. Her first foal Mineralogist by Mineshaft was a 4-time stakes winner and bankrolled $270,550. Can You Diggit is Mineralogist’s second foal.

Mineralogist currently has a juvenile colt by Desert Party named Sahara Sand N Sun who is currently in training at Belmont Park and foaled a Hard Spun filly this year. She has been bred back to Tiznow.

 

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2018/08/20/can-you-diggit-evan-shipman-stakes/

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Hit It Once More leads every step of the way to win Genesee Valley Breeders’ Stakes

By Sarah Mace

Trainer Gary Sciacca can congratulate himself on making a good call Monday. Yellow Moon Stables’ Hit It Once More was cross-entered in the $50,000 1 1/6-mile Genesee Valley Breeders’ Stakes for New York-breds 3-year-old and up at Finger Lakes and the Evan Shipman Stakes for the same division, run 70 minutes later at Saratoga at 1 1/8 miles. Opting to contest the fortieth running of the Genesee Valley, Hit It Once More’s connections saw him sent off as the 6-5 favorite and produce a dominant gate-to-wire victory.

A 5-year-old horse by Hard Spun, Hit It Once More notched a Finger Lakes stakes victory two years ago when he won the New York Derby by 6 1/2 lengths. His highlight so far this year was a victory in the 1-mile Haynesfield Stakes for state-breds in the Aqueduct mud on February 17. Since then he has arguably been facing stiffer competition, running in a trio of open stakes races, a tough open conditioned optional claimer and the Saginaw stakes, where he finished third to Pat On the Back and Wine Not, both signed on for the Evan Shipman.

Alertly out of the gate from his rail post under John Davila, Jr., Hit It Once More vied briefly with Winston’s Chance, runner up in last year’s edition of the Genesee Valley but, by the time he navigated the clubhouse turn with a ground-saving trip, he had the lead well in hand.

Maintaining a three-quarter length lead over Winston’s Chance along the backstretch as the top two separated themselves from the body of the field, Hit It Once More saved ground in the far turn, cornered neatly and finally shook off his rival in upper stretch.

Unchallenged to the wire, Hit It Once More sailed home to a 3-length victory in a final time of 1:44.52. Winston’s Chance held second, while 6 3/4 lengths back longshot Broadway Bay closed from last to get the show. Completing the order of finish were Peter’s Project, who won the race last year, and Manipulated, another longshot. [VIDEO REPLAY[2]]

Bred by JMJ Racing Stables and foaled at Sequel Stallions New York [3]in Hudson, Hit It Once More is the lone winner for his stakes-winning dam, Kentucky-bred Sunday Geisha (Sunday Break).

Sold as a yearling for $105,000 at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October sale, Hit It Once More was purchased by Sciacca for $90,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old sale for Bill Parcells’ August Dawn Farm. After 17 starts for Parcells, Hit It Once More contested the Empire Classic on October 21, 2017 in the colors of Yellow Moon Stable.

In 30 starts Hit It Once More has won seven races with two seconds and five thirds and earned $553,342. He has now won four stakes races in all, the New York Derby and Albany at three and the Haynesfield and Genesee Valley this year.

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2018/08/20/hit-it-once-more-genesee-valley/

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