Confidently-spotted maiden Rinaldi delivers for team Bond in NYSS Spectacular Bid

By Sarah Mace

The only non-winner in the field of nine sophomores signed up for the $150,000 Spectacular Bid Division of the New York Stallion Stakes (NYSS), Rinaldi broke his maiden with flair when he scored a convincing three-quarter-length win in the 7-furlong turf stakes in his second career start.

A keen-eyed Jimmy Bond, who owns and trains the gelded son of former New York sire Posse, picked him out as weanling at the Fasig-Tipton New York fall mixed sale in Saratoga for only $5,000. Rinaldi has now earned $91,140.

When Rinaldi was unveiled at Belmont just 17 days ago, the bay gelding was able to recover nicely after being pinched back at the break and finished third, 1 3/4 lengths behind the winner at longshot odds of 29-1 going six furlongs on the grass. Given his maiden status and relative lack of experience, bettors also kept him at relative arm’s length in the Spectacular Bid, letting him go at 10-1.

Off to a good start from post five under Luis Saez, Rinaldi settled in second at the flank of pacesetter Thorny Tale, pressing the leader through early splits of 22.58 and 45.73.

Shadowing Thorny Tale through the turn, Rinaldi engaged him fully in upper stretch, dueled and got past with a little more than a furlong to go.

Digging in to preserve the lead, Rinaldi crossed the finish line three-quarters of a length ahead of NYSS Times Square winner Funny Guy (Big Brown), stopping the clock in a sharp 1:21.30. Thorny Tale hung on for third another 2 1/2 lengths back, followed by Smooth Tales, who completed the superfecta. [VIDEO REPLAY[3]]

Said Saez, who also had the call for Rinadi’s debut, “It was amazing. He broke so sharp and he was way better in the clear. When we came into the straightaway, I was asking pretty hard, and he responded.”

A little more than an hour before post time, the complexion of the Spectacular Bid got a makeover when Linda Rice scratched morning line favorite Blindwillie McTell. The three-time stakes winner on dirt was slated to make his turf debut in the race, but Rice’s Newly Minted, who outworked Blindwillie McTell on grass when preparing for her own grass debut, could do no better than third in the NYSS Cupecoy’s Joy three races earlier. The conditioner opted to wait and fight another day – on dirt.

Bred by Barry Ostrager, Rinaldi is one of six winners from eight foals to start out of Kentucky-bred mare Dynamite Cocktail, a six-figure earner by Dynaformer. She has produced two other stakes horses, led by Hollinger (Black Minnaloushe), 2009 Sovereign Award Champion 2-year-old colt and earner of over $700,000. Rinaldi is Dynamite Cocktail’s last reported foal.

Posse, who stood at Rockridge Stud in Hudson and shuttled to Haras Rapetti in Uruguay, stood his final season in New York in 2016 before relocating permanently to the Southern Hemisphere.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2019/06/23/rinaldi-n-nyss-spectacular-bid/

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