Time Limit scores in Laurel’s What A Summer

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Time Limit, shown after a Saratoga Race Course victory with Three Diamonds’ Debra Wycoff. Susie Raisher photo.

By Tom Law

Three Diamonds Farm’s Time Limit returned to the East Coast after three starts in California, Arkansas and Louisiana to end 2021 and start 2022 and came away with her first stakes victory in the $100,000 What A Summer Saturday at Laurel Park.

Sent off the 7-1 sixth choice in the field of 12 older fillies and mares, the 5-year-old daughter of New York-based sire Bustin Stones stalked the early pace of Princess Kokachin before taking the lead in deep stretch on the way to a 1 ¼-length win over Kaylasaurus. Princess Kokachin wound up third in the 6-furlong What A Summer. Time Limit won in 1:11.39.

Bred by Hibiscus Stables and the second foal out of the winning Freud mare Your Time Is Up, Time Limit improved to 5-5-5 from 17 starts with the What A Summer victory. She also picked up $60,000 to increase her career bankroll to $518,120.

Trained by Mike Maker, Time Limit won her debut in late June 2019 at Belmont Park before making six consecutive stakes appearances. She finished second in the Grade 3 Matron at Belmont and Seeking the Ante at Saratoga Race Course during that stretch to earn a nod as finalist for champion New York-bred 2-year-old filly.

Unraced at 3, Time Limit returned in 2021 and won three of nine starts with a placing in the Senator Ken Maddy Stakes during Breeders’ Cup Weekend at Del Mar. She started the 2022 season on New Year’s Day with a third in the Nelson J. Menard Memorial Stakes going 5 ½ furlongs on the grass at Fair Grounds.

Back on the dirt in the What A Summer, Time Limit and jockey Victor Carrasco raced behind Princess Kokachin through early splits of :22.86 and :58.58 over the fast surface. Princess Kokachin shook clear turning for home, opened up 1 1/2 lengths in midstretch but couldn’t hold off Time Limit late.

Time Limit is a full sister to the five-time winner and $136,076-earner Fleet Warrior and the 3-year-old gelding Lil Stevie, a $40,000 yearling at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale. Time Limit was purchased by the Wycoff family’s Three Diamonds Farm at the same sale for $30,000.

Your Time Is Up is also the dam of an unraced 2-year-old Bustin Stones filly purchased by Roddy Valente for $40,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Eastern fall sale and another yearling colt by Bustin Stones born April 30, 2021.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/01/29/time-limit-scores-in-laurels-what-a-summer/

Sterling Silver improves to 2-for-2 in Franklin Square

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Sterling Silver, a Cupid filly bred by Mallory and Karen Mort, wins the $100,000 Franklin Square for owner Mark Anderson. Dom Napolitano/NYRA Photo.

By Melissa Bauer-Herzog

When New York-bred Sterling Silver won her debut in November at Aqueduct, it set up perfect for a January stakes debut.

The daughter of Cupid went straight to the $100,000 Franklin Square after the maiden-breaking run, fresh and ready to win the 6 1/2-furlong stakes.

Sterling Silver broke even with the field before finding herself nearly 5 lengths behind the pacesetting Sandy’s Garden soon after leaving the gate. Trevor McCarthy didn’t waste time getting his mount back into the game and Sterling Silver moved to be just behind a trio tracking the leader through a :22.16 opening quarter-mile.

One of the trio of trackers faded around the turn and Sterling Silver took that as her cue to start making her move. Racing into the stretch after a :45.25 half, Sterling Silver was quick to range up the rail and chase down Sandy’s Garden.

Sandy’s Garden gave it her all, holding off her late-running foe briefly before Sterling Silver ended her hopes of winning the stakes. McCarthy let Sterling Silver coast home once they grabbed the lead and his filly crossed the line 2 1/4 lengths in front in a time of 1:16.28. Sandy’s Garden was well secure in second, 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Thinking It Over with Moam 10 lengths behind in fourth.

“She got a really nice trip today,” McCarthy said. “The rail has been really good and we were able to sit on that for most of the way. She beat a nice filly, a horse who had shown some really good races. With a trip like that and the effort she gave today, I’m really proud of her. A huge credit to [trainer Tom Albertrani] and all his employees, they’ve done a good job.”

The Franklin Square victory got Sterling Silver’s connections thinking of bigger goals in coming months.

“We’ll see how she comes out of the race and decide what’s next from there,” Albertrani said. “We may want something a little sooner than the East View [March 27] or the Busher [March 5]. We’re not sure if we’ll stay in New York or not.”

Sterling Silver was bred by Gallagher’s Stud’s Farm Manager Mallory Mort and his wife Karen, who had bought her dam Sheet Humor for $14,000 in foal to Midnight Lute at the 2015 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. The fourth foal out of her dam for those owners, Sterling Silver was sold at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Showcase to Mark Anderson’s Anderson Acres out of the Denali Stud consignment.

An unraced Distorted Humor mare, Sheet Humor has produced two winners from three to race – all bred by the Morts. Sheet Humor is out of the Grade 3 winning Sheets, who is out of the stakes-placed One Hot Minute.

Sheet Humor produced a New York-bred Not This Time colt last year and was bred to Central Banker March 27. Going through the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed in October, Sheet Humor brought $3,000 when selling to K.O.I.D. and has been exported.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/01/22/sterling-silver-improves-to-2-for-2-in-franklin-square/

Spruce Lane-bred Rawy upsets 2,000 Guineas Trial at Meydan

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Rawy, a son of Frosted bred by Spruce Lane Farm and partners, upsets Friday’s UAE Guineas Trial at Meydan. Dubai Racing Club Photo.

By Tom Law

Rawy, a New York-bred colt by Frosted who impressed before last year’s OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training, scored a surprise victory in Friday’s UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Presented By Al Furjan By Azizi at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai.

Coming into the 7-furlong Guineas Trial off back-to-back seconds in his only two starts Dec. 23 and Jan. 15 at Meydan, Rawy took command almost from the start under Mikael Barzalona. They continued to lead throughout and gave the field, which included 5-6 favorite and 2021 Grade 1 Summer Stakes winner Albahr, the slip turning for home.

Rawy opened up in the stretch while the South American-bred duo of Quality Boone and Kiefer tried to mount a rally. Rawy held that pair clear to win by 2 lengths in 1:24.32. Fellow American-bred Mujeer finished fourth with Albahr, perhaps best remembered in the U.S. for being a late scratch prior to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf won by his stablemate Modern Games running controversially for purse money only, fifth of seven.

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Rawy became Graceful Rage’s second winner from as many starters in Friday’s UAE Guineas Trial. Dubai Racing Club Photo.

Bred by Mike and Natanya McMahon’s Spruce Lane Farm and partners and foaled at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs, Rawy is the second foal out of the winning Tiznow mare Graceful Rage. A half sister to Grade 2 winner Tip Tap Tapizar and the stakes-placed Divine Music, Graceful Rage was purchased by McMahon and Hill Bloodstock for $80,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

Graceful Rage, who descends from the family of Canadian champion Peaks and Valleys, Alternate and Alternationl nurtured by the late Josephine Abercrombie’s Pin Oak Stud, produced her first foal in 2018 with the New York-bred Constitution filly Constitutionalrage. Also bred by Spruce Lane and partners and sold as a weanling through the McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds consignment for $44,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale, Constitutionalrage is 1-1-1 in 11 starts with $52,848.

Rawy passed through the auction ring three times before landing with RRR Racing and trainer Salem bin Ghadayer. Kirk Wycoff purchased the colt first, going to $75,000 to buy the gray or road offered as Hip 1904[3] at the 2019 Keeneland November sale. He was resold for $40,000 as a yearling at the 2020 Keeneland September sale, purchased by Colin Brennan, agent.

Consigned by Niall Brennan Stables and offered as Hip 528[4] at last year’s OBS March sale, Rawy breezed an eighth in :10 and was purchased for $240,000 by Cromwell Bloodstock.

Graceful Rage is also the dam of an unnamed 2-year-old New York-bred filly by Hard Spun who sold out of the McMahon of Saratoga consignment for $75,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale, and a New York-bred yearling filly by Tapizar that sold through Hidden Brook for $25,000 as a weanling at the 2021 Keeneland November sale. Graceful Rage was bred last season to Complexity.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/01/21/spruce-lane-bred-rawy-upsets-2000-guineas-trial-at-meydan/

Barese returns a winner in Rego Park

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Barese, off since winning a 5-furlong maiden May 21 at Belmont, wins Sunday’s $100,000 Rego Park at Aqueduct. Chelsea Durand/NYRA Photo.

By Tom Law

Barese didn’t take long to give Dylan Davis a favorable impression Sunday at Aqueduct.

“I liked what I saw in the paddock; big boy, big stride,” Davis said.

About 15 minutes later, Barese ran to his looks and came from off the pace to win the $100,000 Rego Park for newly turned 3-year-old New York-breds in his first start in almost eight months. The son of the late New York-based leading freshman sire Laoban won the 6 ½-furlong Rego Park by 2 3/4 lengths over Agility with Daufuskie Island third and Unique Unions fourth in the field of nine.

“He’s a big boy and coming off the layoff, I was just trying to get a nice, comfortable break and that’s what he got,” Davis said. “They ran away from him, which I thought would happen, but he was handling the kickback well.”

“Nearing the five-eighths pole, he started getting a little aggressive with me and I thought it was better to not keep him behind those horses. I gave him a nice, clear spot in the four-path and just let him do his thing into the turn. Turning for home, he had plenty left and his big stride was able to keep going and going. He might want to handle more distance, but he handled this great.”

Owned by Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher and trained by Mike Maker, Barese hadn’t been out since winning a 5-furlong state-bred maiden May 21 at Belmont Park. He raced in midpack that day and won by a half-length over fellow Rego Park entrant Bali’s Shade as the even-money favorite.

Sent off the 9-2 second choice behind 3-5 choice G Munning, Barese raced sixth early while Unique Unions led uncontested through the opening quarter-mile in :22.64. Daufuskie Island, Bali’s Shade and G Munning chased to that point and Unique Unions continued on the lead into and around the far turn.

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Jockey Dylan Davis couldn’t have been happier with Barese in the Rego Park, saying He might want to handle more distance, but he handled this great.” Chelsea Durand/NYRA Photo.

Unique Unions still led through the half in :46.91, cut the corner in front and still by a length led with a furlong to run. Agility, Daufuskie Island and Barese cut into the lead in midstretch and the latter fared the best while widest, taking the lead at the sixteenth pole and drawing off to win in 1:19.13 over the good and harrowed main track.

Bred by Becky Thomas’ Sequel Thoroughbreds and Lewis Lakin’s Lakland Farm, foaled at Sequel Thoroughbreds in Hudson and the third foal out of the unraced Successful Appeal mare Right Prevails, Barese was purchased by Maker for $150,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale of 2-year-olds in training. Selling as Hip 6 and the second horse through the ring, the colt had breezed a furlong in :10.3 during presale workouts.

Barese prepped for his winning debut after the sale with Maker’s string at Churchill Downs’ off-site training center Trackside Louisville. He stayed in New York after his win, breezed once at Belmont in early June and once in early July at Saratoga Race Course before going to the sidelines. Barese returned to the work tab in early November, breezing five times at Trackside before returning to New York and breezing three times over Belmont’s training track in preparation for the Rego Park.

Right Prevails, a full sister to Grade 3 winner and 2005 Kentucky Derby runner-up Closing Argument, had produced one winner from two starters at the time of the Gulfstream sale. Her first winner, Barese’s 4-year-old full sister Breakfastatbonnies, improved to 3-1-1 in five starts with a 7 3/4-length victory in a 6-furlong allowance-optional Dec. 11 at Aqueduct. An $80,000 purchase by OWL Stable at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training, Breakfastatbonnies has earned $152,140. Thomas’ Sequel Bloodstock sold Barese and Breakfastatbonnies.

Right Prevails is also the dam of a filly by The Lieutenant and a New York-bred yearling colt by Mission Impazible, both bred in New York and co-bred by Sequel and Lakland.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/01/09/barese-returns-a-winner-in-rego-park/

Lobsta adds second straight stakes win via DQ

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Team Lobsta celebrate another victory for the son of Emcee, this one by DQ in the Say Florida Sandy Saturday at Aqueduct. NYRA Photo.

By Melissa Bauer-Herzog

Lobsta found himself in a duel for the second straight race and it paid off when the 4-year-old Emcee colt won Saturday’s $100,000 Say Florida Sandy Stakes at Aqueduct even though he didn’t cross the line first.

Racing wide among the leading trio from the start with the rest of the field a few lengths behind back in the 7-furlong stakes, Lobsta was always prominent as through strong early fractions of :22.84 and :46.41.

As the field tightened up around the stretch, the race was on and Lobsta was among the five runners battling for the lead around the turn and half way down the stretch. The Say Florida Sandy turned into a two-runner affair in the final furlong when his regular rival My Boy Tate engaged Lobsta from the rail. The race was already lost for that runner, however, after he’d caused Chestertown to violently check earlier in the stretch. Lobsta originally looked like he’d have to settle for second by a neck to My Boy Tate.

My Boy Tate’s interference with Chestertown led the latter to finish fourth. When the dust settled after a lengthy stewards inquiry and jockey’s objection, Lobsta was declared the winner. Battle Station, 4 lengths back in third, was elevated to second and Chestertown was moved to third. My Boy Tate was placed fourth, after hitting the finish first in 1:25.63 over the fast track.

Lobsta, now the winner of four of nine starts, added his 2022 opening stakes victory to his 2021 close-out stakes victory in the Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Series. Running exclusively in New York with all but one of his six stakes starts coming in New York-bred company, Lobsta has earned $276,400 in just over a year of racing.

Bred by and foaled at John Jayko’s Fedwell Farm in Saratoga Springs, the colt is trained by Gary Sciacca for Eddie F’s Racing.

One of three winners for his New York-bred winner Salty Little Sis, Lobsta is a year-younger full brother to the stakes-winning Chowda. Finishing second in an allowance earlier on the Aqueduct card, Chowda is also campaigned by the same connections as his brother.

“He ran huge off the 95 [Beyer in the Thunder Rumble],” said Eddie F’s Racing’s Eddie Fazzone. “There was always a chance for him to bounce, but he didn’t. He showed he was the real deal. Chowda ran a great race today, too, so we have some real nice horses here. Hopefully, they both continue to do well.

“Lobsta is getting better with every start. My Boy Tate is a great horse. Take nothing away from him, he’s a game horse and never runs a bad race.”

Lobsta and Chowda have already sparred on the track with the younger of the duo winning the $150,000 Thunder Rumble and Chowda settling for fourth. The horse finishing directly behind Lobsta in that race? Saturday’s first past the post, My Boy Tate.

Sciacca’s shedrow is a family affair of shorts for Salty Little Sis’s runners. In addition to Lobsta and Chowda, he also trains their 3-year-old half-brother Salty Heir for My Mary Stables. It’s likely another stall in the barn will open for Salty Heir’s 2-year-old full brother later this year with that one purchased privately by Eddie F’s Racing, just like his half-brothers.

“This is our third stakes win,” Fazzone said. “We’re a small stable with nine horses and it seems like it just gets better and better. I’ve got his half-brother Oysta who just turned 2, so hopefully we see him in the spring or summer. Hopefully we continue the great ride.”

Salty Little Sis didn’t have a foal for the connections to purchase last year but she was bred to former Rockridge Stud stallion Leofric in 2021.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/01/08/lobsta-adds-second-straight-stakes-win-via-dq/