La Fuerza springs mild upset in Notebook Stakes

By Sarah Mace

Barry Schwartz’s homebred La Fuerza (Flatter) collected the third stakes victory of his young career Sunday when Hall of Fame Jockey John Velazquez guided him confidently to a 2 3/4-length victory in Aqueduct’s $100,000 Notebook Stakes for New York-bred juveniles.

La Fuerza was the most battle-tested of the six youngsters signed on for the 6-furlong Notebook with six starts already under his belt. He was also the most accomplished of the group. His three wins to date included decisive victories in the Rockville Centre Stakes at Belmont on July 14, which he won by 4 1/2 lengths, and the Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes on September 8, which he took by three lengths. In both cases he stalked the pace.

La Fuerza’s two most recent starts, however, raised some questions about how he was holding his form. A fairly well-beaten third in the New York Breeders’ Futurity at Finger Lakes, the colt did virtually no running last out in the Sleepy Hollow on the October 20 Empire Showcase Day card.

Attracting the bulk of the wagering interest, on the other hand, were two juveniles coming off sharp maiden wins on the Empire Showcase undercard. Kosciuszko aired more than six lengths with a frontrunning score while earning a gaudy 83 Beyer Speed Figure. Thorny Tale graduated handily at first asking with a tracking trip. This pair was co-favored at 8-5, while La Fuerza was let go as the third choice at 4-1.

Forwardly-placed after a good start for all, La Fuerza sat just off a duel percolating between Kosciuszko and 46-1 longshot Analyzethisandthat, who was quickest out of the gate. Once Kosciuszko took over the lead solo, La Fuerza advanced to issue a challenge early in the turn.

Ridden confidently by Velazquez through the bend with Kosciuszko to his inside and Thorny Tale on the outside, La Fuerza straightened away ready to roll. Meanwhile Analyzethisandthat cornered neatly and rallied into second at the rail.

La Fuerza dispatched Kosciuszko, then Analyzethisandthat in upper stretch and kicked clear to secure the victory by 2 3/4 lengths. Analyzethisandthat posted a solid second while Kosciuszko and Thorny Tale finished further back in third and fourth. Completing the order of finish were Bustin Hoffman and Bustin to Be Loved. Following fast early fractions of 22.92 and 47.13, La Fuerza completed six furlongs over the muddy going in 1:12.28.

Velazquez reported, “He broke good and got a nice position. It was the complete opposite of the first time I rode him [when he finished fifth in the Funny Cide at Saratoga]. That time, he didn’t want to go anywhere. Today, he broke really good, and that was it, just keep him going forward.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher focused on the difference between La Fuerza Sunday and his disappointing tenth-place finish in the Sleepy Hollow, also with Velazquez aboard.

“He seemed on his game today,” Pletcher said. “He left the gate with good intentions and put himself into a good spot. Last time, I think we kind of misread the race when he broke. We thought there was a lot of pace and tried to ease him back off, and I think that was a mistake. He’s a horse that time has shown has some real quality. He’s just been a little inconsistent. Hopefully, he’s starting to put it all together.”

Pletcher plans to keep La Fuerza in New York for the winter in the New York-bred stakes ranks.

With a record of four wins and a third in seven starts, all stakes save for his winning debut, on June 22, the chestnut has earned $249,010.

Foaled at Barry Schwartz’ Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs, La Fuerza is the first foal out of Jonata, a Kentucky-bred two-time winner by Proud Citizen purchased by Schwartz as a yearling for $100,000 at the 2011 Keeneland September sale. Without issue in 2017, Jonata foaled colt by Mizzen Mast on January 27, 2018 and was bred this year to English Channel.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2018/11/25/la-fuerza-notebook/

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Sassy Agnes shows heels to competitive Key Cents field for third straight stakes score

By Sarah Mace

Beach Haven Thoroughbreds’ Sassy Agnes scored her third straight stakes victory when she forged straight to the front of the full, competitive field of Friday’s 6-furlong Key Cents Stakes for New York-bred juvenile fillies and brooked no challenge.

Well-beaten in her August 1 debut, a turf sprint for state-breds at Saratoga, Sassy Agnes hasn’t taken a false step since. When she tried the Saratoga main track for the first time, she finished second to Take Me to Hardoon, a Key Cents rival, before competing twice at Finger Lakes in September and October, in each case collecting a stakes victory.

On September 2 Sassy Agnes won the Lady Finger Stakes by three-quarters of a length to become the first stakes winner for her freshman sire Central Banker[2] while breaking her maiden. Appearing again in Farmington on October 22, she posted an even more impressive 3 1/2-length score in the Shesastonecoldfox Stakes. In all but her first start, the blaze-faced chestnut filly has been forwardly placed.

Drawn in post three of 12 for the Key Cents, Sassy Agnes (5-1) wasted no time, gunning straight to the lead after the bell and opening two lengths on the crowd before the first point of call.

Former nemesis Take Me to Hardoon and longshot My Best Friend mounted early challenges from the two- and three-paths along the backstretch, but Sassy Agnes held her position through a fast early quarter of 21.98.

Take Me to Hardoon backed off to bide her time in third, but My Best Friend pressed on, getting on even terms with Sassy Agnes early on the turn.

Sassy Agnes shook off her would-be challenger by the approach to the quarter pole and began to pull off in the lane. Even though she drifted out late, the issue was never in doubt, as Sassy Agnes crossed the wire alone, a convincing 1 1/4-length winner.

Espresso Shot, who had travelled near the back markers early, barreled down the middle of the track to finish an impressive second, outrunning her 20-1 odds for trainer Jorge Abreu and jockey Eric Cancel. Take Me to Hardoon (15-1) stayed on with determination at the fence to get the show honors. Parx invader and 59-1 longshot My Best Friend completed the superfecta, which paid $4,059 for a .10 cent wager. After a half mile in 45.39, the final time for six furlongs over the fast main track was 1:11.79.

Jose Ortiz, aboard Sassy Agnes for the first time, gave a positive appraisal of his mount. “She’s a really nice filly,” said Ortiz. “Today was the first time I’ve been on her and she showed me that she has good form and is very classy. She broke well and went plenty fast for this type of track and then kept going, which was impressive. She looks like a really nice New York-bred.”

Linda Rice, who has capitalized on racing opportunities at Finger Lakes this year like fellow NYRA trainer Rudy Rodriguez, said, “She’s really coming into her own. I kept her at Finger Lakes because I wanted to keep going three-quarters [of a mile] with her. I said let’s bring her down for this race, and then maybe as a 3-year-old, she can compete against open company. She’s very fast.”

Bred by Klaravich Stables and foaled at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds[4], Sassy Agnes is a graduate of the OBS March 2-year-olds in training sale, where Beach Haven Thoroughbreds made a winning bid of $105,000 after the filly breezed a furlong in :10 seconds flat. Sassy Agnes has three wins and a second from five starts and has already out-earned her purchase price with $168,182 in purse money.

Sassy Agnes is out of Bullish Sentiment, an unraced daughter of Stormy Atlantic and full sister to graded stakes-placed and multiple stakes winner Stormy’s Majesty who was bred in New York by Majesty Stud, LLC and earned $336,649. Her second dam is New York-bred stakes performer Raffie’s Dream. Bullish Sentiment has produced yearling and weanling full sisters to Sassy Agnes and was bred this year to Constitution.

The leading first crop sire in New York and sitting at number five nationally, Central Banker[5] is a Grade 2-winning sprinter by Speightstown out of multiple stakes winner Rhum. He stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds[6] for a 2019 fee of $7,500.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2018/11/23/sassy-agnes-key-cents/

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Gold for the King pours it on in Thunder Rumble repeat

By Sarah Mace

Bet down to thirty-five cents on the dollar Sunday to score a repeat victory in Aqueduct’s featured $125,000 Thunder Rumble Division of the New York Stallion Stakes (NYSS), Francis Paolangeli’s homebred Gold for the King didn’t give his backers an anxious moment. Following a confident middle move, the 4-year-old gelding poured it on in the stretch to win the race by more than nine lengths.

A multiple stakes winner by former New York sire Posse, Gold for the King came into the 7-furlong tilt sporting a strong Aqueduct resume – three wins and a second from four starts. Also, the Thunder Rumble was his second start off a freshening from July 26 to October 20. When he returned from the break in the Hudson Handicap on Empire Showcase Day, he finished a beaten favorite, but not by much. Despite an extremely wide trip, the gelding finished second by just three-quarters of a length to Runaway Lute, who will be a serious contender in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight at the Big A on Thanksgiving Day.

Out of the gate cleanly from his outside post in the scratched-down field of five, Gold for the King set up in a perfect stalking position in third, 1 1/2 lengths off pacemaker Tribecca and well off the fence.

Asked for run early on the far turn, with three furlongs to go he drew even with Tribecca and took over the lead around the 5/16ths marker, entering the lane with the race well in hand.

Leaving the rest of the field far in his wake in the stretch, Gold for the King crossed the finish line a 9 1/4-length winner, stopping the clock at 1:24.25. Winston’s Chance, last after a half-mile, closed to win the contest for second, finishing three-quarters of length ahead of Sudden Surprise. Next across the line were pacesetter Tribecca and Loki’s Vengeance. Winner of the Thunder Rumble in 2015 and 2016 Loki’s Vengeance was coming off a layoff of nearly seven months. Benevolence, Fleet Irish and My Boy Tate were scratched.

Joel Rosario who has ridden Gold for the King six times before, including two prior stakes victories, felt everything went according to plan.

“It was a good trip,” Rosario said. “He broke well, and it looked like a couple of them were trying to challenge for the lead a little bit. I just wanted to be in a stalking position, where I was, and then I took control in the turn. Before turning for home, he just took the lead by himself. He was just the best horse in the race.”

Trainer Charlie Baker, said, “He did it comfortably, which I think he was supposed to do. He pretty much had this field over a barrel. We thought if he was okay for this and, if he was healthy, he would win. Thankfully, it worked out. He’s always dependable and gives an ‘A’ effort.”

Baker added, “[Gold for the King] needed this race to get back into the swing of things. After his defeat in the Hudson, we wanted to get his confidence back.”

Foaled at Keane Stud[3] in Amenia, Francis Paolangeli’s homebred has won five stakes: the lucrative New York Breeders’ Futurity at Finger Lakes and Aqueduct’s Notebook Stakes as a juvenile, the NYSS Thunder Rumble and NYSS Times Square at three and, this year, his second Thunder Rumble. With an overall record of seven wins, four seconds and two thirds from 18 starts, his earnings bankroll sits at a robust $658,559.

Gold for the King is the second foal and one of two winners out of Gold for the Queen, a New York-bred multiple stakes winner of $239,136 bred by Pegasus Farms Inc. who was campaigned by Paolangeli and trained by Baker.

Gold for the Queen currently has a juvenile colt by Frost Giant named True Gold who finished second in this year’s New York Breeders’ Futurity and a weanling filly by Super Saver named Goldforthelady. She has been bred to Overanalyze.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2018/11/18/gold-for-the-king-thunder-rumble-18/

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New York’s richest son Mind Your Biscuits retired to stud

By Sarah Mace

Multiple Grade 1 winner Mind Your Biscuits has been retired, trainer Chad Summers announced Wednesday, October 14. The 5-year-old chestnut son of former New York sire Posse sits atop the all-time New York-bred earnings roster, having bankrolled $4,279,566. He was twice voted New York-bred Horse of the Year (2016 and 2017) and, as announced last May, will stand at Teruya Yoshida’s Shadai Farm in Abira on the island of Hokkaido in Japan.

The final race for “Biscuits,” as he is affectionately known to many fans, was the Breeders’ Cup Classic, where he finished eleventh. Summers, who co-campaigned Mind Your Biscuits with Shadai Farm, J Stables LLC, Head of Plains Partners LLC, M. Scott Summers, Daniel Summers and Michael E. Kisber, had been considering a final start for his charge in either the Grade 1 Cigar Mile or the Grade 1 Clark. By midweek, Summers felt that Mind Your Biscuits was not rebounding quickly enough from his Breeders’ Cup effort to be competitive.

“To run in those kind of races, you have to be doing well,” Summers told the Blood-Horse. “Last year when we came out of the Breeders’ Cup, he came out of it well, and we were able to progress forward. This time, he was jogging OK, and today was supposed to be his first gallop, just a routine gallop into a breeze tomorrow, and he just didn’t show the same energy we’re used to seeing from him.

“Just knowing him the way we know him, he doesn’t owe us anything. For me, selfishly, I’d love to kind of make up for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. I hate that to be his last race. But I’m not going to push him into a race if he’s not 100%.”

Bred by Jumping Jack Racing LLC and foaled at Sue and Gary Lundy’s Cedar Ridge Farm in Pine Plains, Mind Your Biscuits is one of four winners from four foals to start out of the late Jazzmane, an unraced Kentucky-bred daughter of Toccet and a half-sister to Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Kimchi (Langfuhr).

“Biscuits” was originally purchased as a short yearling by Machmer Hall at the 2014 Keeneland January sale for $47,000. When he RNA’d for $47,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale, Summers and Susan Montanye purchased the colt privately as a pinhooking prospect. A buyback once again at the OBS Spring 2-year-old sale for $47,000, Summers bought out the colt and, over time, lined up J Stables LLC, Head of Plains Partners and Michael E. Kisber to complete Mind Your Biscuits’ first ownership group. Shadai Farm bought into the horse in May.

It took Mind Your Biscuits five tries to break his maiden, which he did as a sophomore at Aqueduct on April 9, 2016 for trainer Robert Falcone. Next, after placing in the Mike Lee Stakes for state-breds and winning through his first-level allowance condition at the state-bred level at Belmont in early July, Mind Your Biscuits completed his hat trick of the NYRA circuit with a rail-skimming victory in the Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes. Fifteen of his sixteen subsequent starts came in graded competition.

Mind Your Biscuits finished second that fall in the Grade 3 Gallant Bob stakes at Parx, and the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in Santa Anita, the first of three career trips to the championship races. Next out he nailed down his first of three Grade 1 victories in the Malibu Stakes at the same venue.

In 12 races for Summers, who took out his trainer’s license early in 2017, Mind Your Biscuits went from strength to strength, winning four more graded stakes and placing in five more. At five he successfully stretched out in distance, winning the Grade 3 Lukas Classic at nine furlongs.

Topping the list of Mind Your Biscuits achievements were his international performances at Meydan Racecourse, where he won back-to-back editions of the Grade 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen (2017 and 2018). On the second occasion, his finish nearly defied belief. Last, and out of the sight of the camera for most of the stretch, he closed like a rocket ship down the middle of the course to strike the front in the very last jumps, defeating X Y Jet and champion Roy H. The final time was a course record. [VIDEO[2]]

Memorable placings for “Biscuits” are topped by his second in this year’s Grade 1 Whitney Stakes, where he completed a New York-bred exacta in the Saratoga classic behind Diversify. In all from 25 starts, Mind Your Biscuits won eight races, was second 10 times and third three times.

Mind Your Biscuits has meant the world to Summers and his family. The conditioner tweeted Wednesday, “MIND YOUR BISCUITS has taken family, partners & team on a ride around the world. He retires sound and happy. We look forward to seeing his babies run for years to come and know he will be in great hands in Shadai Farm. Thank[s] for everything champ #richestnybredever [heart emoji].”

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2018/11/15/mind-your-biscuits-retired-to-stud/

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Highway Star dominates NYSS Staten Island on short rest

[1]By Sarah Mace

A mere eight days removed from a solid effort in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs, and making her third start in 22 days, Chester and Mary Broman’s Highway Star (Girolamo) dominated Aqueduct’s Sunday feature, the 7-furlong, $125,000 Staten Island Division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series for fillies and mares by eligible New York sires.

Eleven were signed on for the sprint, but bettors did not hesitate to send Highway Star out of the gate as the overwhelming 1-2 favorite with widespread confidence that the accomplished Broman homebred could handle her intense race schedule, quick turnaround and long ship to Kentucky and back.

Unhurried in the early stages of the race – in fact dropping back from midpack to third-from-last by the first point of call – Highway Star loped along as Bluegrass Flag and Frosty Margarita vied through an opening quarter mile in 22.72.

Late along the backstretch, pilot Irad Ortiz, Jr. tipped his hand, asking Highway Star for some run and, by the time she struck the bend, she had easily cruised past four rivals. Highway Star continued to weave her way up to the vanguard while rounding the turn.

As the main contenders lined up across the track at the quarter pole, Highway Star continued her inexorable advance, cruised through a convenient gap and took over the lead. She drew off to a sizeable margin under her own power, but was geared down late and, by the time she completed the seven furlongs in 1:25.58 over the fast going, her margin of victory was four lengths.

Starlite Mission (Mission Impazible), no worse than third throughout, finished second in her stakes debut at odds of 12-1, while Frostie Anne, one of three fillies and mares in the lineup by Frost Giant, closed from midpack to finish third. Another offspring of Frost Giant, Frosty Margarita, completed the superfecta. (VIDEO REPLAY[3])

Ortiz, for whom this was a maiden voyage aboard Highway Star, said, “I had never ridden her before, but when I asked, she gave me a good kick into the turn and was travelling really nice.”

Ortiz, who upon dismounting instantly started flushing his right eye, revealed that he rode the last portion of the race with a handicap, but still had the presence of mind to think of Highway Star first.

“I couldn’t see anything with my right eye from the three-eighths pole on, so I had to turn around big time to look with my left eye to watch for the competition,” said Ortiz. “Once I realized I was OK, I saved something [for next time].”

Trainer Rodrigo Ubillo said, “Irad did a great job. He was half-blind riding her, but she won easy. He had three goggles and used all of them. By the quarter pole he was trying to guide her, but he couldn’t see anymore and that’s why you see him looking back, because he was afraid somebody was coming, but nobody was coming. There was nobody near her.”

Ubillo also explained why he was confident about turning Highway Star around so soon after the Breeders’ Cup run.

“It’s like she didn’t run in her last race. It sounds crazy that she didn’t run at the Breeders’ Cup. She [finished eighth and] got beat five lengths, but it wasn’t the Highway Star that I know. She wasn’t all there. Coming back here after the race, it felt like she didn’t run. She was jumping and kicking, and this race was coming up. I decided to enter and had a few days. We could scratch the morning of, but it worked out good and I can sleep good tonight.”

Highway Star is a multiple graded stakes winner and earner of $1,326,813 from 10 wins, five seconds and two thirds. Her graded stakes scores have come in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom, Grade 2 Ruffian and Grade 3 Go For Wand. This year, she has also won the Iroquois Stakes on Empire Showcase day and finished second in the Grade 2 Ruffian, the Critical Eye for state-breds and Grade 3 Bed o’ Roses. She competed in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint both this year and last and, in all, has seven stakes wins on her resume.

Highway Star is one of four winners out of Stolen Star, a multiple stakes-placed homebred for the Bromans by Cat Thief, and a half-sister to the Bromans’ multiple stakes winner and Friend or Foe, now a sire. Chester Broman purchased Stolen Star’s dam, Unbridled Star (Unbridled), for $115,000 at the 2002 Keeneland November Sale. Stolen Star has a yearling colt by Forty Tales, no foal in 2018 and has been bred to Malibu Moon.

Highway Star’s sire Girolamo, a Grade 1-winning son of A.P. Indy owned by Darley, began his stud career in 2012 at Sequel Stallions New York[4] before relocating to Kentucky.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2018/11/11/highway-star-nyss-staten-island-18/

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