Train the Trainer delivers in New York Derby

Train the Trainer continued his ascent up the ranks of New York-bred 3-year-olds with a front-running victory in Monday’s $156,000 New York Derby at Finger Lakes.

Alipony Racing’s and Saints or Sinners’ Train the Trainer, the 1-2 favorite making his first start around two turns, won the 1 1/16-mile New York Derby by 4 lengths over second choice Hit the Post. Irad Ortiz Jr., in from Saratoga Race Course on the first dark day of the summer meeting, rode the winner for trainer Rob Atras.

Train the Trainer also improved to 3-for-3 since returning to his home state. He won a 6 1/2-furlong state-bred maiden special weight May 4 at Aqueduct before a 2 3/4-length score over Mike Lee Stakes June 4 to open the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga.

Ortiz rode the Dialed In gelding in both of those starts and employed similar tactics against his three opponents in the New York Derby. Train the Trainer took the lead from the inside post and battled with Hit the Post to and around the first turn. Those two clicked off splits of :23.67 and :47.60 with a 2-length gap over Buttah and King’s Leap.

Train the Trainer continued to lead the way through 6 furlongs in 1:12.24, shaking off Hit the Post in the stretch before drawing off late to win in 1:44.66 over the fast track. Hit the Post finished 2 1/4 lengths clear of King’s Leap with Buttah fourth. Calling Card, fourth last time in the Mike Lee, scratched.

Bred by Hibiscus Stables and foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, Train the Trainer is out of the winning Forestry mare Heavenly Vision. Trainer Mark Glatt bought him for $52,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale and trained Train the Trainer for his first start for the same ownership group. Train the Trainer finished second behind Goal Oriented in an open-company maiden race April 6 at Santa Anita Park before his owners sent him to Atras.

Train the Trainer is a half-brother to six winners out of Heavenly Vision. She’s a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner and sire Cairo Prince and the Grade 1-placed Empire Maker mare Nonna Mia, the dam of Grade 1 winner Outwork.

Train the Trainer picked up $93,600 to boost his bankroll to $260,600.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2025/07/14/train-the-trainer-delivers-in-new-york-derby/

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Jak N Burny in time for Leon Reed win

A last-gasp head win at the wire. A steward’s inquiry at the start. For owner/breeder Sherry Washburn and trainer Debra Breed, the Leon Reed Memorial had 1:11.98 of it all.

Ridden by regular rider Joel Cruz, the 5-year-old son of Destin did what he does best, breaking sharply, blitzing to the front and then hanging tough to the line. Sent off the favorite in the 6-furlong stakes, Jak N Burny held off 39-1 Crypto Causeway who rallied late along the rail. Newport Bridge at 93-1 finished third with second-choice Rotknee fading to fourth in the $50,000 sprint stakes.

Breaking from the inside of the field 10, Jak N Burny angled out, initiating a six-horse chain reaction before darting back to the rail. The bay gelding opened a half-length through the first quarter in :22.50 and a half in :45.37. Jak N Burny dispatched Looms Boldly by the quarter pole, widened a 3-length chasm turning for home and looked free until the waning strides. Head rising with each stride, Jak N Burny managed to get to the wire just in time for his second stakes win. Stewards looked at the start but let the results stand. Crypto Causeway was untouched, and Newport Ridge was bothered slightly in the opening strides.

Jak N Burny improved his record to eight wins and two seconds from 11 starts for $184,180. His only off-the-board finish came in the 2023 Reed when he hopped and bobbled at the start and wound up fourth. It was the only time he wasn’t on the engine at the first two calls of a race.

Jak N Burny is the fifth foal out of the winning New York-bred Duckhorn mare Betty’s Chance. He’s a half-brother to 2018 Leon Reed winner Winston’s Chance who earned $495,264 in a 14-win career and Ifihadachance, a 13-time winner and $447,914-earner.

Betty’s Chance, bred by Washburn and Michael Haers, went 2-3-0 in six starts for $23,930 in earnings. She’s also the dam of the 3-year-old New York-bred Cloudy Chance, who was also bred by Washburn. The daughter of Cloud Computing finished third in her career debut in February and followed with a fourth at Belmont Park at Aqueduct and an eighth at Saratoga July 5.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2025/07/14/jak-n-burny-in-time-for-leon-reed-win/

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Lottie Margaret slips through inside to win New York Oaks

A hop in the air at the start of Monday’s $75,000 New York Oaks at Finger Lakes proved to be no problem for Madaket Stable’s Lottie Margaret, the convincing winner of the 1 1/16-mile race for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies.

The daughter of Global Campaign settled into stride several lengths behind her three rivals after that start. She saved ground going into the first turn under Manny Franco to put herself in third, within 2 lengths of the lead, through the opening quarter-mile.

Tracking the pace set by Mischief Lady, Lottie Margaret stayed glued to the rail along the backstretch through opening fractions of :24.34 and :48.57. Entering the far turn, Franco sat motionless on Lottie Margaret as the rest of the field started being asked for their runs. Franco guided his filly through an opening on the inside nearing the quarter pole, and the pair had no trouble finishing from there.

Lottie Margaret won by 3 lengths in 1:46.53 as the longest shot in the field at 7-2. Valtellina finished second, followed by Vehemente and Mischief Lady. Practically Summer scratched.

Trained by Brad Cox, Lottie Margaret earned her first stakes victory in the New York Oaks. She entered the race off a fifth in an allowance-optional against open company and a second in the state-bred Maddie May Stakes, both run at 1 mile at Aqueduct. Prior to that, she broke her maiden and won an allowance-optional against state-breds by a combined 20 1/4 lengths. Her victory Monday boosted her record to three wins in six starts with earnings of $165,020.

Bred by Steve Schuster and foaled at Old Saratoga Equine Services in Schuylerville, Lottie Margaret sold for $75,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale in August 2023. She’s the sixth foal and first stakes winner out of the Street Cry mare Passionate Diva, whose other foals include the three-time winner and stakes-placed Mashnee Girl. Passionate Diva has foaled two other winners in Cape Cod Diva and I’m More Ready. She is the dam of the unraced 2-year-old A L Leader, by Code Of Honor.

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2025/07/14/lottie-margaret-slips-through-inside-to-win-new-york-oaks/

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