Classy Edition enjoys another overland journey in Key Cents

By Tom Law

Classy Edition walked out of the sales ring at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale of 2-year-olds in training in Timonium, Md., as the most expensive New York-bred juvenile filly sold to that point in the year.

The daughter of Classic Empire stayed in that position on her $550,000 hammer price, finishing the 2-year-old sales season the most expensive New York-bred filly and second overall behind the Connect colt now named Relate who brought $685,000 at the OBS April sale. Classy Edition finds herself near the top again here in the waning weeks of 2021, for racing, and after she ran her record to 3-for-3 with a victory in Sunday’s $100,000 Key Cents Stakes at Aqueduct.

Under Irad Ortiz Jr., Classy Edition duplicated her overland victory in the Joseph A. Gimma Stakes in late September at Belmont Park with another wide-trip victory in the Key Cents.

Shortening up to 6 furlongs after winning the 7-furlong Gimma, Classy Edition defeated 50-1 longshot Captainsdaughter by 3 1/2 lengths with Shesastonecoldfox Stakes winner Shesawildjoker third in the field of eight.

“It went pretty smoothly,” said Todd Pletcher, who trains Classy Edition for Robert and Lawana Low. “It looked like a race on paper that had plenty of pace. The main thing is we just wanted to keep her clean and out of trouble and Irad was able to do that. We had to sacrifice a little bit of ground, but she was able to get into a good, comfortable rhythm.”

Classy Edition, the 4-5 favorite and one of three stakes winners in the field, raced fifth early while recent maiden winner Silver Fist took the field through the opening quarter-mile in :22.48. Makin My Move, once a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint who was returning to the main track after a fourth in the Grade 3 Matron on grass, and Wesley Ward’s Kentucky shipper Miss Alacrity chased side-by-side up the backstretch.

Silver Fist continued to lead around the far turn over the same tandem of pursuers, while Ortiz was content to let Classy Edition linger 2 1/4 lengths back and in sixth while racing on the outside.

“She broke a step slow but she put me in the race quick,” Ortiz said. “After that I just waited in the turn.”

Classy Edition raced at least five paths off the inside turning for home while Silver Fist, Making My Move and Miss Alacrity started to tire. Shesawildjoker also put in a belated run into the stretch but couldn’t match Classy Editions late kick inside the final furlong.

“She’s the type of filly that needs a little time to get going,” Ortiz said. “She probably wants to go a little farther, but she kept coming and she got there on time. At the quarter-pole, she went by and she just kept going. She’s a nice filly.”

Captainsdaughter closed from last, well out and almost in the middle of the track, to finish a neck ahead of Shesawildjoker for the place spot. Silver Fist, Cupid’s Heart, Tosconova Beauty, Makin My Move and Miss Alacrity completed the field.

Classy Edition, who won in 1:12.19, collected $55,000 to boost her earnings to $184,250.

Bloodstock agent Jacob West purchased Classy Edition, offered as Hip 72[3], on behalf of the Lows at the Midlantic May sale. She breezed a furlong in :10.1 during presale workouts and wound up the second most expensive filly and fourth highest-priced horse overall.

Classy Edition went to Saratoga with Todd Pletcher’s string shortly after the sale and posted her first workout there June 20. After eight more breezes on Saratoga’s main track, Classy Edition won her debut by 6 3/4 lengths going 5 1/2 furlongs the second-to-last day of the meet, Sept. 5. Pletcher brought her back 19 days later and she became a stakes winner in the Joseph A. Gimma, by 8 lengths over a muddy track at Belmont Park.

Pletcher targeted the Maid of the Mist Stakes on Empire Showcase Day from there, but the filly spiked a temperature before the race and wasn’t entered.

“It set us behind schedule a little bit, Pletcher said of missing the Maid of the Mist. “This seemed like a logical place to bring her back.”

Pletcher said Classy Edition, now with wins at 5 1/2, 6 and 7 furlongs, would likely stretch out down the road.

“We’ll see what other options we have now and what we’ll do with her for the winter,” he said. “We’re looking forward to stretching her out because I think she ultimately wants two turns.”

Bred by Chester and Mary Broman and foaled at their Chestertown Farm in Chestertown, Classy Edition was sold at the Timonium sale by Becky Thomas’ Sequel Bloodstock. Out of the Broman-bred two-time winning Bernardini mare Newbie, Classy Edition is a half-sister to multiple New York-bred stakes winner Newly Minted and the stakes-placed New Girl In Town. Newbie is also the dam of a New York-bred yearling colt by American Pharoah.

The Bromans bought Newbie’s dam Changeisgonnacome, carrying Newbie, for $320,000 at the 2008 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Bred in Virginia by Audley Farm, that mare won Saratoga’s P.G. Johnston Stakes in 2006 and placed in a Grade 2 the following year. All five foals of her foals to race were winners.

The Bromans came into the week in a familiar spot – atop the leaderboard of breeders by New York-bred earnings. Horses bred by the couple earned more than $2.6 million, more than $800,000 more than the next closest breeders McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds LLC.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2021/11/21/classy-edition-enjoys-another-overland-journey-in-key-cents/

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Another sweet win for Senbei in Notebook

By Tom Law

Christophe Clement continued his magical November and Senbei improved to 4-for-5 in his young career in Sunday’s $97,000 Notebook Stakes at Aqueduct.

Senbei, a 2-year-old son of Candy Ride who races for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Darlene Bilinski, rolled to his second straight stakes victory and third overall in his 8 1/4-length score in the 6-furlong Notebook. He also gave Clement his fourth stakes victory of the month, including the Nov. 5 double of Pizza Bianca in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar and Classic Lady’s win in the Ticonderoga Stakes at Aqueduct.

Senbei came into the Notebook the only stakes winner in the original field of six and stayed that way, shrugging off mild pressure early on the way to victory in 1:11.49 under Manny Franco.

“I was confident because the jockey looked so comfortable on him,” said Clement, the winner of nine races overall so far in November. “When (Kendrick) Carmouche (aboard Bustin Pietre) came to him at the three-eighths, I was a little anxious, but at soon as he shook him up at the quarter-pole, I thought he looked comfortable and he won going away. He’s a nice horse.”

Bred by Dr. Jerry Bilinski and foaled at his Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, Senbei added the Notebook to his victory last time out in the New York Breeders’ Futurity at Finger Lakes and the Funny Cide Stakes in late August at Saratoga Race Course. His lone defeat was a second to Shipsational in the 7-furlong Bertram F. Bongard Stakes in late September at Belmont Park.

“He’ll have a break now,” Clement said. “We’ve been squeezing him a little bit. He’s had five starts. He’s a good horse and a fast horse. It will be interesting to see if he can come back next year and stretch his speed a little bit.”

Senbei went to the post 1-5 against his four opponents – Kenner was a late scratch at the gate before running loose and causing a 10-minute delay – and took control from the start. He and Franco led debut maiden winner Bustin Pietre by a length through the opening quarter-mile in :23.03 with Cool Laoban and Daufuski Island not far back.

Franco, aboard for each of Senbei’s first four starts, liked what he felt early.

“As soon as I made the lead, I didn’t feel too much pressure,” he said. “I was able to slow down the first part and I knew after that I was going to be tough.”

Bustin Pietre cut into the lead around the far turn and got within a half-length after a half in :46.59, but Senbei shrugged off that challenge in the stretch. He opened up at the eighth pole, past 5 furlongs in :58.81 and the margin grew inside the final sixteenth. Bustin Pietre, a homebred for Roddy Valente also foaled at Waldorf Farm, held second by a half-length from 5-1 second choice Daufuskie Island with Bali’s Shade fourth and Cool Laoban fifth.

“He’s a very nice sprinter,” Franco said. “I wanted to break good and then he did the rest. My plan was to go to the lead and slow down the pace if I could. That’s how he likes to run.”

Named by Clement’s future daughter-in-law and NYRA racing analyst Acacia Courtney after the sometimes savory and sometimes sweet Japanese cracker by the same name, Senbei is one of five winners out of the winning Western Cat mare Sweet Aloha. Clement credited his son and assistant Miguel with picking Senbei out of the 2020 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale – where he sold as a weanling for $280,000 out of Stuart Morris’ consignment.

Sweet Aloha is also the dam of New York-bred stakes winners Filibustin and Indy’s Lady, along with the stakes-placed winner Man O Manassas. She also produced Screen Door, a New York-bred yearling colt who sold for $60,000 at the recent Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October sale; and the unraced 3-year-old New York-bred Bustin Stones filly Aloha From Haiku, who sold in foal to Higher Power for $10,000 Friday at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

Senbei earned $55,000 for his latest victory and boosted his bankroll to $364,857, the second most of any New York-bred 2-year-old in 2021. Dakota Gold, a son of Freud also campaigned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, leads that group with $385,000.

Clement also came into the week as the leading trainer of New York-breds in 2021 with purses of more than $2.6 million.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2021/11/21/another-sweet-win-for-senbei-in-notebook/

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