Curly Girl scores 24-1 upset in Lady Finger Stakes

[1]

Curly Girl and Andre Worrie cruise to upset victory in Monday’s Lady Finger Stakes at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.

By Tom Law

Paul Barrow thought enough of Henry Steadman’s Curly Girl to send her on the 200-mile journey from Finger Lakes to Saratoga Race Course for her debut this summer.

The 2-year-old daughter of Nyquist didn’t disrespect herself, finishing fourth at 11-1 in the slop after a somewhat troubled start going 6 furlongs July 30. Off until Sept. 14, she returned with a win going 5 1/2 furlongs back home at Finger Lakes and 15 days later, in Monday’s $117,036 Lady Finger again at 6 furlongs, she became a stakes winner.

Under Andre Worrie and dismissed Monday as the fourth longest price in the field of nine New York-bred 2-year-old fillies at 24-1, Curly Girl came from off the pace to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Belmont Park shipper Belarus. Curly Girl won in 1:13.23.

Longshot Queens Dancer took the early lead ahead of a hustling Amore Fire and led that foe by a head through the opening splits of :22.27 and :46.42, with 6-5 favorite Midnight Vigilance and Belarus side-by-side tracking in third and fourth, respectively. Amore Fire poked her head in front after a half-mile, just as Belarus and jockey Javier Castellano tipped off the rail to make a three-wide run at the lead.

Curly Girl and Worrie produced the last – and winning – move in the lane and took command with a sixteenth to run. They drifted out a bit late but were well clear of Belarus, who finished 2 1/4 lengths in front of Queens Dancer in third with Raymond Road fourth.

Curly Girl, who sold to Steadman for $50,000 as Hip 489[2] at the OBS March sale of selected 2-year-olds in training, collected $70,222 for her connections and padded her bankroll to $94,582. A $90,000 purchase by Quarter Pole Enterprises at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Showcase, Curly Girl is the third winner out of the winning Forest Wildcat mare Falconess, a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Spice Island from the family of Horse of the Year Spend a Buck.

Bred by Denlea Park LTD, foaled at Rockridge Stud in Hudson and from the second crop of champion 2-year-old and Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, Curly Girl is the fifth foal out of Falconess. Denlea Park bred Falconess, who sold as a weanling for $70,000 and as a yearling for $110,000 before winning one race in 14 starts.

Falconess later sold in foal to Congrats to Fred Hertrich III for $135,000 at the 2013 Keeneland November breeding stock sale before eventually going through that same sale in foal to Tapizar and landing back with Denlea Park on a bid of $67,000. Falconess’ first New York-bred foal, the 2018 Orb gelding Polpis, is 1-2-2 in nine starts with $33,290 in earnings and Curly Girl is her second foaled in the Empire State.

Falconess is also the dam of a colt by Flatter born Jan. 29 and she was bred to Bernardini during the 2021 season.

Endnotes:

[Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/CurlyGirl-LadyFinger.jpg
Hip 489: http://obscatalog.com/mar/2021/489.PDF

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2021/09/27/curly-girl-scores-24-1-upset-in-lady-finger-stakes/

Adios Asher wins tight photo to take Aspirant Stakes

[1]

The connections of Adios Asher celebrate New York-bred colt’s victory in Monday’s Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.

By Tom Law

Adios Asher added his name to the list of stakes-winning or stakes-placed sons or daughters of Richard Ravin’s broodmare Rooney Doodle with a victory in Monday’s $116,242 Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes.

The 2-year-old son of Adios Charlie, a full-brother to 2018 Funny Cide Stakes and New York Breeders’ Futurity winner Dugout, led from the start and won a head bob at the finish with 3-5 favorite Daufuskie Island. The final margin was a nose, the same margin Dugout won by over Bankit to win the Funny Cide and also earn finalist honors as champion New York-bred 2-year-old male.

Adios Asher most likely put his name in the same race for 2021 with his second straight win in his first start on dirt for trainer Larry Rivelli. He won his prior start going 5 1/2 furlongs on Arlington Park’s synthetic surface Aug. 20, after a close third there 15 days prior going 5 furlongs on the turf.

Sent off the 9-2 third choice behind Daufuskie Island and the 3-1 second pick The Institute, Adios Asher and jockey E. T. Baird went to the front shortly after break from post three with Daufuskie Island tracking just behind after leaving the extreme outside post in the field of nine. Adios Asher led by a length after the opening quarter in :22.22 and just a half-length through the first half in :45.65.

[2]

Adios Asher (inside) holds off Daufuskie Island (10) to win Monday’s Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.

The top two separated from the field – which included six maidens – turning for home and were 8 lengths clear at the eighth pole. Daufuskie Island, a maiden winner at Saratoga Aug. 12 and sixth in the Funny Cide Stakes 15 days later for Jeremiah Englehart, looked to have the momentum inside the final furlong under Dylan Davis. The two hit the finish together, with Adios Asher winning by a nose in 1:11.12. Daufuskie Island finished 9 3/4 lengths clear of Gimmedamoney in third with Cozzy’s Attitude fourth.

Bred by Ravin and foaled at Sequel Thoroughbreds New York in Hudson, Adios Asher races for Ravin and Vince Foglia’s Patricia’s Hope LLC. Along with multiple stakes winner and $554,282-earner Dugout, Adios Asher is the seventh foal out of Rooney Doodle to make the races.

Rooney Doodle’s seven foals to race are winners, led by multiple graded stakes-winning Illinois-bred Jean Elizabeth, the winner of 15 of 21 starts and $662,786 for Ravin, Patricia’s Hope and Rivelli. She’s also the dam of graded stakes-placed $322,104-earner What’s Up Dude, stakes-placed $75,587-earner Hollarforadollar and six-figure-earners Nevrmesswithrichie and Unscathed.

Adios Asher, now the earner of $91,045, and Dugout are Rooney Doodle’s first New York-bred foals. She’s also the dam of a Laoban yearling filly, bred in New York by Ravin, and was bred back to Adios Charlie in 2021.

Endnotes:

[Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Adios-Asher-WC.jpg
[Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/AdiosAsher-Aspirant.jpg

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2021/09/27/adios-asher-wins-tight-photo-to-take-aspirant-stakes/

First winner for Beautyinthepulpit

[1]

Straight Skinny, victorious in the second race Sunday at Belmont Park, gives second-crop sire Beautyinthepulpit his first winner. NYRA Photo.

By Tom Law

New York-based sire Beautyinthepulpit was represented by his first winner Sunday at Belmont Park when Straight Skinny rolled to a 3 3/4-length victory.

Beautyinthepulpit, a multiple stakes-placed winner and earner of $410,627, stands for a private fee at Buckridge Farm in Kinderhook. Straight Skinny is one of five starters for the 13-year-old son of Pulpit, who won eight of 31 starts with eight placings during his career highlighted by a debut victory at Saratoga, a second in the Alex M. Robb and thirds in the Empire Classic Handicap and Richard W. Small Stakes against open company.

Straight Skinny, 3-year-old gelding out of the Straight Line mare Tummy Tuck and a member of Beautyinthepulpit’s first crop won in his fifth start for owner Walter Downey and trainer Mark Hennig. Bred by Tea Party Stable and Michael Slezak, Straight Skinny was foaled at Buckridge Farm.

Bred by Albert Fried Jr., Beautyinthepulpit won his debut by 8 1/2 lengths for his breeder and trainer Bruce Brown in July 2011 at Saratoga. He later won a pair of allowance races that fall at Belmont Park, along with another on New Year’s Day at Aqueduct. Beautyinthepulpit raced from 3 to 8 and placed in four stakes during his career.

Endnotes:

[Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/StraightSkinny.jpg

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2021/09/27/first-winner-for-beautyinthepulpit/