Well-traveled Dugout upsets Steel Valley Sprint at Mahoning Valley

[1]By Sarah Mace

Visiting his eighth racetrack in nine starts on Monday afternoon, Richard Ravin, Patricia`s Hope LLC and Larry Rivelli’s Dugout posted an upset when he captured the $250,000 Steel Valley Sprint Stakes for 3-year-olds at Mahoning Valley Racecourse in Youngstown, Ohio at odds of 9-1. The well-traveled grey gelding by Adios Charlie tracked a speedy pace in third and rallied in the stretch to capture the marquee race on Mahoning Valley’s racing calendar.

Co-owner and trainer Rivelli has spotted Dugout expertly through his two seasons of racing, giving him the chance to finish in the exacta in seven of eight prior starts. The grey opened his account last year by reeling off three straight wins. He followed a 7 1/4-length debut victory at Saratoga in July with back-to-back stakes wins in the Funny Cide Stakes at the Spa and the New York Breeders’ Futurity at Finger Lakes. Dugout completed his juvenile campaign with his only career off-the-board finish as the beaten favorite in the Sleepy Hollow following an awkward start.

Dugout did not return this year until August, but coming into the Steel Valley Sprint had traveled far and wide to pick up two wins and two seconds in four sprints. Romping by seven lengths over the synthetic at Arlington Park on August 17, he finished second in the Decathlon at Monmouth in September. Since then, he faced allowance foes at Churchill Downs and Hawthorne resulting in a second and a nose win.

Speed is Dugout’s calling card, but with so much other zip in the full field of 12 in the Steel Valley Sprint, he had company up front. First out of the gate from post 11 as the 9-1 sixth choice, he deferred to Dare Day and 4-5 favorite Call Paul to his inside along the back stretch run.

Traveling comfortably in third three-wide and staying within 1 1/2 lengths of the leaders through splits of 21.53 and 44.56, Dugout was shaken up by jockey Jareth Loveberry as he straightened away at the head of the stretch.

Asked for a little more midway home, Dugout gobbled up the deficit with big strides and struck the front with a sixteenth to go. His good momentum held him safe from a pair of late charges from Manny Wah to his inside who finished a neck behind in second and Olympic Village on the outside who completed the trifecta another 1 1/4 lengths back. Dare Day and Call Paul finished next in order. The final time for six furlongs over the fast going was 1:11.19.

“He’s a real nice horse and we always thought he was this kind,” said Rivelli. “He can run on the lead, he can come from off the pace and is just a real nice horse. One more jump and we might have gotten beat, but the rider rode him good and we got lucky.”

A first homebred for Ravin and Rivelli and foaled at Sequel Stallions in Hudson, Dugout is out of Rooney Doodle, an unplaced California-bred daughter of Lit de Justice who has produced six winners from six foals to start. Dugout’s full-sister Jean Elizabeth is a stakes winner at Hawthorne, and half-sister Hollarforadollar is stakes placed. Rooney Doodle produced a full-brother to Dugout this year and has been bred back to Laoban.

From six wins in nine starts with two seconds, Dugout has earned $476,155.

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2019/11/25/dugout-steel-valley-sprint/

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My Boy Tate aces NYSS Thunder Rumble after long break

By Sarah Mace

My Boy Tate, a 5-year-old gelding by Boys At Tosconova, did his connections proud Sunday when he returned from a 400-day layoff to defeat a competitive field in the $150,000 Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series at Aqueduct Racetrack. Trainer Michelle Nevin, who prepared him for the successful return, is also My Boy Tate’s breeder and co-owner in partnership with Billy Koch’s Little Red Feather Racing.

My Boy Tate began his career in the maiden claiming ranks in January 2017, but quickly moved up where he belonged. After two strong outings in New York-bred maiden special weight races that winter and spring, he graduated by daylight at Saratoga at fourth asking.

The dark bay then proceeded to reel off four more dominant wins, completing his New York-bred allowance conditions in November and December and winning back-to-back stakes: the Say Florida Sandy and Hollie Hughes at Aqueduct in January and February 2018. In three further starts he collected a runner-up finish in the Tale of the Cat at Saratoga in August. Ultimately. he faltered in the Hudson Stakes, where he finished last and went to the sidelines for 13 months.

Returning Sunday on a wet day at the Big A, My Boy Tate seemed, on the one hand, to have a lot going for him. He was a multiple stakes winner with a 4-for-6 record at Aqueduct, had a perfect 3-for-3 tally over off going, and some gaudy Beyer Speed figures in his past performances. He posted a series of sharp works for his return, including a trio of five-furlong bullet moves in October and November. He was also full of himself in paddock on the heels of a three-furlong blow-out on Thursday. The critical question about the return remained, however, and he went off as the 4-1 third choice under Manny Franco in the field of eight, which contained an engaging mix of beloved veterans and intriguing new faces.

However sharp he appeared pre-race, My Boy Tate, rated kindly in fifth in the early stages of the Thunder Rumble, about four lengths behind the dueling Arthur’s Hope and sophomore Dark Money. Binkster and Kazmania pursued in third and fourth through opening splits of 22.91 and 46.51.

Traveling wide along the backstretch, well outside the kickback, My Boy Tate made up ground approaching the turn and advanced between horses into contention in the bend.

Shifting out deftly five-wide for clear running room at the head of the stretch, My Boy Tate kicked into gear. He rolled comfortably past the competition by midstretch and widened his lead on his way to a 1 3/4 length victory.

Hard-hitting stalwart T Loves a Fight, well back early, closed with good energy mid-track to get second, 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Binkster, who led briefly and stayed well for third. Arthur’s Hope completed the superfecta. Completing the order of finish were Sicilia Mike, Kazmania, Gold for the King, who had won the Thunder Rumble for the past two years, and Dark Money. After six panels in 1:11.82, the final time was 1:24.39 over the sloppy main track.

“I knew there was going to be some pace in front of me, so I didn’t want to be there too early,” said jockey Manny Franco. “My horse doesn’t have to be [at the front], so I sat back and when I asked him in the stretch, he was there for me. He handled the track really well. I think that helped me a lot. He was ready today.”

Reflecting on the long layoff, Nevin said, “He was well worth the wait. He had just been doing so well, breezing like clockwork, and he was always on the muscle.”

Foaled at Rockridge Stud[3] in Hudson, My Boy Tate is one of three winners, and the first to earn black type, from three foals to race out of Backslash, a winning Kentucky-bred daughter of Sharp Humor who was purchased by Paul P. Pompa Jr. as a Keeneland September yearling in 2009 for $85,000.

With six wins in 12 starts, two secondd and one third and three stakes victories, My Boy Tate has bankrolled $361,400.

Boys At Tosconova, who entered stud in 2013, stood at Questroyal North[4] in 2019 for a $2,500 stud fee.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2019/11/24/my-boy-tate-thunder-rumble/

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Dream Bigger scores popular victory in Notebook Stakes, eyes NYSS Great White Way

By Sarah Mace

Sent off as the 4-5 post time favorite in the featured $100,000 Notebook Stakes for New York-bred 2-year-olds at Aqueduct Sunday, Repole Stable’s Dream Bigger obliged his backers with a strong winning performance in the six-furlong sprint.

The victory was the second straight stakes score for the grey son of Mission Impazible[2]. The colt’s connections hope to make it three in-a-row when they wrap up his juvenile campaign in the $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Stakes (NYSS) Series on December 14 at Aqueduct.

Trained by Rudy Rodriguez, Dream Bigger opened his account on August 8 in Saratoga with a runner-up finish in a New York-bred maiden special weight race to Tiz the Law, who flattered the performance by winning the Grade 1 Champagne next out. In his second try at Belmont on September 15, he put in another good effort, but on that occasion was caught in the final strides by Notebook rival Harris Bay and had to settle for another second. Adding blinkers and shipping to Finger Lakes on September 30 to contest the $204,000 New York Breeders’ Futurity as a maiden, Dream Bigger finally had the chance to prove who was boss, winning the lucrative six-furlong contest by 10 3/4 lengths.

Reunited with Ortiz for the third time in the Notebook and advantageously drawn in the outside post of seven, Dream Bigger was sent off– as in his three previous starts – as the post time favorite.

Dream Bigger’s start was a little rocky. He broke inward and initiated some contact involving Harris Bay and Mission Wrapitup to his inside. Once he got into stride however, he set off in aggressive pursuit of Moonachie who had rushed to the front and led the field though an opening quarter in 22.95 by two lengths

Advancing on the leader, Dream Bigger hooked Harris Bay midway around the far turn. The two raced in tandem to the quarter pole before Dream Bigger shook him off completely and opened four lengths of daylight.

In the final furlong Linda Rice-trainee Scilly Cay (23-1) made things interesting.

The recent maiden-breaker and third-time starter was content to share the caboose with fellow longshot Mission Wrapitup in the early stages of the race. Saving ground and cutting the corner, he angled out three-wide at the top of the lane and launched a furious rush to wire. After scampering into second, he continued to close ground on Dream Bigger, but ran out of real estate, finishing 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner after a strong effort.

Bank On Shea, who raced in the second flight in the early stages finished another half-length back in third, followed across the line by Harris Bay, Ny Traffic, Mission Wrapitup and Moonachie. The final time for six furlongs over the fast going was 1:12.28

Jose Ortiz described his satisfaction with the colt’s maturing process. “When he made the lead [in his first starts], he kind of played around a bit; that’s why we put blinkers on him to focus him up a bit more. He looked real good and did everything I asked him. He switched leads today, so we’re happy about that. Much better.”

The race flow took Rodriguez a little by surprise. “[Moonachie] I didn’t expect to see in front,” said Rodriguez. “I just told Jose, ‘You’re on top of the horse, just play it by ear.’ I don’t think we had him as ready and I think that this race will move him forward. He was carrying a little more weight than I wanted. But he got it done today and we’ll take things from here.”

Rodriguez has made no secret that the year-end goal for Dream Bigger is the $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series on December 14 at Aqueduct.

As he explained, “[Owner] Mike [Repole] wanted to go straight to that race but he was doing so well, I told him we should give him a race in between. We didn’t necessarily need to win but maybe get him a little tight, and I think this race is going to do that for him.”

Bred by Sequel New York, Twin Creeks Racing and Pamela Zielinski, Dream Bigger is the most recent reported foal, and one of two winners, out of Downtown Daria, a Kentucky-breed winner by Sky Mesa. The mare’s Noonmark filly Downtown at Noon placed in the Niagara at Finger Lakes in 2017 and earned just shy of six figures. Downtown Daria was bred back this year to Mission Impazible.

Dream Bigger took three trips through auction ring. Northface Bloodstock purchased him for $15,000 as a weanling out of the 2017 Fasig-Tipton New York fall mixed sale. Returning next summer in the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale, he brought $65,000 from Whetstone Farm. Mike Repole went to $205,000 to take him home from the OBS spring 2-year-old sale this spring. From two stakes wins and a pair of seconds, Dream Bigger has matched his sale price in earnings with $205,828.

New York sire Mission Impazible[2] stands at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson for a 2020 fee of $5,000.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2019/11/17/dream-bigger-notebook/

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Big Q posts big “W” in Key Cents Stakes

By Sarah Mace

Dutchess Views Farm’s Big Q, by New York sire Big Brown[2], turned an 85-day freshening to good account on Saturday when she scored a dominant victory in the $100,000 Key Cents for New York-bred juvenile fillies, which was run at six furlongs over a fast main track at the Big A.

Trained by Gary Gullo, Big Q came into the race a little light on Beyers, but with invaluable experience under her girth, all earned at the Spa

The bay won her 5 1/2-furlong debut by a half-length after a four-wide rally on Opening Day at Saratoga. Then, on August 4, Big Q plunged right into the deep end to contest the Grade 2 Adirondack. Far outrunning her 60-1 odds, she held her own through upper stretch, before being squeezed several times while mired down at the rail and finishing fifth. Wheeling back in the Seeking the Ante on August 23 for her third start in the span of 43 days, she finished a wide-trip fifth.

When the Key Cents field was drawn earlier in the week, Gullo said of her past performances, “When [Big Q] ran in the Adirondack she got into some trouble and got stopped pretty good at the eighth-pole. She came out of that one well, but I ran her back a little too quick after that. I think we’ve got a fresh horse now. She’s doing really well.”

Partnered for the third straight time with Jose Lezcano for the Key Cents, and drawn in the outside post of seven, Big Q wasted no time in making her presence known after the gates opened, despite being let go at 9-1 odds. Racing in tandem with Shadolamo in fourth for the first quarter mile, she watched as longshot All Over the Map vied for the lead with post-time favorite Time Limit.

After All Over the Map weakened, Big Q was all too ready to join the fray, hooking Time Limit early in the far turn and clinging like a limpet.

Fanning out a little wide while straightening away and asked for more in upper stretch, Big Q readily responded, taking over just in advance of the furlong marker. Widening her advantage with ease, she crossed the wire in possession of a 5-length victory while stopping the timer at 1:12.22.

Playtone closed into second, 3 1/2 lengths ahead of Time Limit in third. Shadolamo completed the superfecta, followed across the line by Single Verse, My Sassy Sarah and All Over the Map.

Jose Lezcano, who rode Big Q confidently throughout, reported, “She was real active. [In the Adirondack], she was inside and got bumped a couple of times. Today, she was more comfortable in the bridle the whole way. She really kicked on to win the race. She was in the clear and when I asked, she finished strong. She can do more. She’s a nice filly and she always tries.”

Gullo said, “I thought we were going to sit back and make up ground, but she’s sharp. We freshened her up and had her ready. It was a pretty good race.”

Not surprisingly, Gary Gullo is eying the filly division of the most valuable Stallion Stakes Series races in the country for the daughter of Big Brown, the $500,000 NYSS Fifth Avenue Division slated for December 15.

As he put it, “The good thing is that she’s a stallion stakes horse and there’s a $500,000 race coming up going seven-eighths, which I think she’ll handle.”

Big Q was bred by Golden Goose Enterprises and foaled at Dutchess Views Farm in Pine Plains. She is the first winner for her dam Gaby Q, a winning Kentucky-bred daughter of Forestry who last changed hands at public auction when purchased for $30,000 by Global Bloodstock Management at the 2015 Keeneland January sale. She has also produced a full brother to Big Q named Right On Q and a weanling filly by Desert Party.

Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Big Brown[2] stands for Irish Hill and Dutchess Views Stallions[3] in Stillwater for a 2020 stud fee of $5,000.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2019/11/16/big-q-key-cents-stakes/

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