Listentoyourheart captures Finger Lakes’ Aspirant Stakes

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Photos: SV Photography

By Sarah Mace

Merrylegs Farm homebred Listentoyourheart and jockey Manny Franco made a trip to Finger Lakes well worth their while Monday when they captured the 45th running $114,213 Aspirant Stakes for New York-bred juveniles after a tracking trip. The lucrative six-furlong dash, which was run as race eight, was co-featured with the $108,775 Lady Finger Stakes for fillies run earlier on the card.

This year’s Aspirant Stakes attracted a competitive field of eight including four shippers. Franco was also one of several top jockeys from the NYRA circuit who accompanied horses to Farmington. Dylan Davis took the call on Bruce Brown-trained Mission Wrapitup, a stakes-tested runner, while Eric Cancel had the mount on Inside Info who was making a second career start and dirt debut for George Weaver.

A bay son of Afleet Alex trained by Christophe Clement, Listentoyourheart came into the Aspirant with strong credentials. A front-running 1 1/4-length winner on debut at Belmont Park on June 23 going five furlongs, he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 69 which topped the Aspirant field. Next out he missed capturing the inaugural Rick Violent Stakes on July 17 at the Spa by just a nose, nailed late by Sky of Hook after setting the pace over a sloppy track.

R[2]eturning in the Funny Cide on Saratoga Showcase Day and drawn in the outside post of nine, Listentoyourheart finished third with a legitimate excuse: the colt lost his footing at the break and was then hung wide for the remainder of the trip. Finger Lakes bettors deemed Listentoyourheart would rebound and made him the most likely to win the Aspirant as the 4-5 favorite.

After veering in at the break, Listentoyourheart split horses immediately to settle in second position just outside of early pacesetter A Maize Zing Rip, who led the field through a quarter in 23.18.

Advancing in the approach to the far turn, Listentoyourheart engaged and passed A Maize Zing Rip midway around the bend as the half went in 47.50.

Even with a little more than a length advantage at the head of the stretch, Franco could still hear the hoofbeats of encroaching closers and kept Listentoyourheart to his task right to the finish line. The bay ultimately completed the six furlongs in 1:13.4 with a 2-length margin of victory.

Mission Wrapitup (7-2) closed from fourth to get second, while 2 1/2 lengths back A Maize Zing Rip held well for third. Disco Deano won the photo for fourth over Inside Info. Finishing next in order were Honor Thy Secret, first-time starter Let Me Call Joe and maiden Pacquiao.

Listentoyourheart is one of three winners from three foals to start and the first black type progeny for New York-bred winner Je T’aime by Gold Token, who was bred by Paula Ann Cohn Hallman and campaigned by Merrylegs Farm. Je T’aime has a yearling filly by Macho Uno named She’s the One.

With two wins, one second and one third from four starts, all run without Lasix, Listentoyourheart has earned $146,628.

Endnotes:
  1. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/9-9-19-R8s-Listentoyourheart-Action.jpg
  2. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/9-9-19-R8s-Listentoyourheart-Coming-Back-II.jpg

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2019/09/09/listentoyourheart-aspirant/

Heavily-bet My Italian Rabbi obliges in lucrative Lady Finger Stakes

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SV Photography

By Sarah Mace

Gold Square’s My Italian Rabbi brought all the hype and all the credentials – including a prior stakes win and stakes placing – into the 41st running of the $108,775 Lady Finger Stakes at Finger Lakes on Monday, a six-furlong sprint for New York-bred juvenile fillies. She did not disappoint. Sent off at 1-9 odds in the field of five, the dark bay Competitive Edge filly took control shortly after the break and ran on unchallenged to a 6 3/4-length victory. The race was co-featured with the $114,213 Aspirant Stakes for New York-bred juvenile colts and geldings which was run later on the card.

Well-prepared by trainer Jeremiah Englehart for her May 30 Belmont Park career bow, My Italian Rabbi won handily, pressing the pace and pouncing for a 2 1/2-length score. Wading into stakes company next out in the Stillwater on July 18 at the Spa, she gamely beat her chief divisional rival, Fierce Lady, by a nose. Seventeen days ago, in the Seeking the Ante on New York Saratoga Showcase Day, Fierce Lady turned the tables winning by a neck. My Italian Rabbi had to settle for third after getting off a step slowly and being lightly bumped after the break.

Copper Gem (18-1) caught a flyer from her outside post when the gates opened on the Lady Finger Stakes, but My Italian Rabbi rushed up on the inside to take over the top spot and, in no time, established a one-length lead.

Controlling the pace through a moderate 23.40 first quarter, My Italian Rabbi extended her lead to 1 1/2 lengths by the quarter pole, ticking off a 47.61 half mile.

In the stretch it was just a matter how big My Italian Rabbi’s winning margin would be. She widened her advantage during the dash home, ultimately crossing the wire a 6 3/4-length winner in a comfortable final time of 1:13.02. Absent her regular jockey Luis Saez, My Italian Rabbi was piloted to her Finger Lakes victory by meet-leading rider Jaime Rodriguez.

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SV Photography

Maiden Single Verse (7-1), getting her first tilt over a dry dirt track following two runner-up finishes on a muddy sealed track and “good” turf surfaces at Saratoga, took second. Light in the Sky (6-1) finished more than 10 lengths back in third, separated by three-quarters of a length by Copper Gem. Maiden Princess Tapit (81-1) stumbled at the start and was never involved.

The $65,265 winner’s share of the Lady Finger purse increased My Italian Rabbi’s earnings to $178,365 from three wins and a third in four starts.

Bred by a partnership of Hidden Lake Farm LLC and Anthony Grey LLC, My Italian Rabbi was foaled at Hidden Lake Farm in Stillwater

She is one of four winners from four foals to start out of Golden Miss, an unplaced Kentucky-bred daughter of Golden Missile, who was a $180,000 purchase as a yearling by B. Wayne Hughes.

Offered first as a weanling at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton New York Fall Mixed sale, but failing to meet her reserve when bid up to $47,000, My Italian Rabbi brought $60,000 as a short yearling at the OBS Winter Mixed sale in 2018. Travis Durr and Jeremiah Englehart acquired her that summer at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale for $160,000. Golden Miss has an unnamed yearling half-sister by War Dancer. Without issue this year, Golden Miss has been red to Practical Joke.

 

Endnotes:
  1. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/9-9-19-R2-My-Italian-Rabbi-Action-II.jpg
  2. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/9-9-19-R2-My-Italian-Rabbi-Coming-Back.jpg

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2019/09/09/my-italian-rabbi-lady-finger/

Bromans honored by TOBA as top New York breeders of 2018

[1]By Sarah Mace

Chester and Mary Broman were honored as New York State Breeders of the Year by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association at the 34th annual Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association National Awards Dinner on Sept. 7 at Fasig-Tipton in Lexington, Ky. In addition to announcing National Owner of the Year (Seth Klarman of Klaravich Stables) and National Breeder of the Year of the Year (John D. Gunther), TOBA honored State breeders from 22 states and Canada at the annual event.

In the context of a banner year for the New York State breeding program in 2018, the Chester and Mary Broman’s homebreds put together another top season. Honored also by NYTB as the outstanding Breeders of 2018, the Bromans won 69 races with homebreds from their 300-acre Chestertown Farm near Chestertown and compiled earnings of $3,352,927 while winning five stakes races.

Highway Star led the stakes winners, winning a pair of restricted stakes (Iroquois add NYSS Staten Island Division). The Bromans’ roster of 2018 black type winners also included Mr. Buff (Alex M. Robb Stakes), Can You Diggit (Evan Shipman Stakes) and Surge of Pride (Maid of the Mist Stakes).

Chester and Mary Broman, whose names are synonymous with New York breeding and racing success, have been named the state’s top breeders four times in the past five years (2018, 2017, 2016, 2014) and six times overall (2004 and 2011).

Endnotes:
  1. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/chester-mary-broman-web.jpg

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2019/09/09/bromans-toba-2018-boy/

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