Arctic Beast powers to Aspirant Stakes victory

Arctic Beast, the fifth most expensive yearling at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred sale, ran his record to 2-for-2 in Monday’s $104,338 Aspirant Stakes for state-bred colts and geldings at Finger Lakes.

Ricardo Santana Jr. rode the 1-5 favorite to a 7 1/4-length victory over 22-1 longshot Diamond Child, with 5-2 second choice Party in the Army third and 25-1 longshot Hey Pal fourth in the field of nine. A son of Yaupon owned by Paradise Farms Corp., JP Racing Stable, David Staudacher, Zilla Racing Stables and Jennifer Rice, Arctic Beast came into the Aspirant off a narrow maiden victory August 15 at Saratoga Race Course.

Trainer Mike Maker shipped Arctic Beast to his barn at Churchill Downs following that maiden win and breezed the colt three times in preparation for the 5 ½-furlong Aspirant, one of four stakes on the card Monday at Finger Lakes.

Arctic Beast broke well from the extreme outside but conceded the early lead to Diamond Child just to his inside. Hey Pal chased those two leaders with the trio of Party in the Army, Chioke and The Last Delivery stacked up just behind.

Diamond Child led through the opening quarter-mile in :22.31, just a head in front of an in hand Arctic Beast. The order up front didn’t change into the far turn and to the half in :45.51.

Santana kept Arctic Beast in the clear, turned for home about four wide and took command at the eighth pole. They drew off from there, extending to the finish to win in 1:04.13 over the sloppy and sealed track.

Arctic Beast picked up $62,603 for the Aspirant victory to boost his bankroll to $112,103.

Bred by Rockridge Stgud LLC, Saratoga Glen Farm and Beal’s Racing Stable LLC, Arctic Beast is the second foal out of multiple New York-bred stakes winner and $584,443-earner Frostie Anne.

Originally purchased as a weanling by Good Luck Farm for $120,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale, Arctic Beast returned to that same sales ring the following August and brought $275,000 from Maker at the Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale.

Frostie Anne, a finalist in 2018 and 2019 for champion New York-bred older dirt female honors, is also the dam of the unraced Malibu Moon colt Malibu Frost who sold for $65,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2025/09/22/arctic-beast-powers-to-aspirant-stakes-victory/

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Butler homebred Oh hangs on in Lady Finger

Oh won the battle and almost lost the war, but had enough left in the tank to capture the $116,000 Lady Finger Stakes for 2-year-old New York-bred fillies Monday at Finger Lakes.

After engaging in a fierce pace battle with Margarita Molly in the 5 1/2-furlong stakes, the William “Buck” Butler homebred had to hold off the fast-closing first-time starter Liberty’s Advance.

The Lady Finger was almost an instant replay of Oh’s first career start at Saratoga Race Course August 28, when she took the lead turning for home and held on to win by a half-length.

Reylu Gutierrez was intent on making the lead aboard Margarita Molly, but was never able to get any separation from Oh as the pair dueled through a quarter mile in :22.32. Ricardo Santana Jr. and Oh got a head in front around the turn and appeared to be traveling better than the hard-ridden Margarita Molly.

Once odds-on favorite Oh vanquished her opponent, she appeared to be headed for an easy victory, but the combination of an honest pace (:46.21 for a half-mile) and her ducking in then drifting out in the stretch welcomed Liberty’s Advance into the fray. Oh dug in when it counted, however, and won by a half-length in a final time of 1:06.06 over the sloppy and sealed track. Mobelladream was third with Margarita Molly fourth.

Oh is by graded stakes-placed Honest Mischief, 2024’s leading freshman sire outside of Kentucky, who stands for $7,500 at Sequel New York in Hudson. She is the only winning foal to date out of the unraced Scat Daddy mare Hot Spark, who sold for $15,000 in foal to Honest Mischief at the Fasig-Tipton August Digital Selected Sale in 2024.

Trainer Mike Maker won his eighth stakes race in 15 starts at Finger Lakes over the last five years, then added another when Arctic Beast took the subsequent Aspirant for 2-year-old New York-bred colts and geldings. – Paul Halloran

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2025/09/22/butler-homebred-oh-hangs-on-in-lady-finger/

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Zi End dominates Niagara for first stakes win

You might say Zi End is a generational talent, and Debra Breed would certainly agree.

By Weekend Hideaway out of the Zivo mare Zismokin Gal, Zi End ran her four opponents off their hooves in Monday’s Niagara Stakes for 3-year-old New York-bred fillies at Finger Lakes, rolling to a 9 3/4-length win.

Breed, who co-owns the homebred with Kariann Breed, also bred and trained the dam and the second dam of Zi End, who improved to 6-for-8 lifetime with $120,560 in earnings.

Starting from the outside post, Zi End, who was coming in off a fourth-place finish against older fillies in the Arctic Queen Stakes September 1 at Finger Lakes, broke with the field but was last in the early stages of the 6-furlong Niagara, as they raced in chronological order by post position.

After a slow start, Mischief Lady rushed to the lead from the rail and took them through a quarter-mile in a swift :22.39. She maintained the lead heading into the turn, but Signifying Nothing and Zi End were right with her before they straightened for home.

Joel Cruz made a winning move aboard favored Zi End around the turn and had taken the lead by the time they hit the top of the stretch. From there they ran up the score, lengthening the lead with every stride. Signifying Nothing held second and Mischief Lady was third. The final time was 1:11.69.

Weekend Hideaway stood four seasons at Irish Hill and Dutchess Views Stallions in Stillwater. A $1.14 million earner on the track he won multiple New York-bred stakes. He is pensioned and living at Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky.

Zi End is the first foal out of Zismokin Gal, who is by millionaire Zivo, the Suburban Stakes winner and a Breeders’ Cup Classic runner in 2014. Zismokin Gal is one of five foals out of Smokin Racer, also a Breed homebred. – Paul Halloran

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2025/09/22/zi-end-dominates-niagara-for-first-stakes-win/

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Hit the Post hammers home in Ontario County

Old Tavern Farm’s homebred Hit the Post, second in back-to-back stakes going two turns, shortened up Monday and delivered as the heavy favorite in the $50,000 Ontario County Stakes at Finger Lakes.

Hit the Post didn’t provide his connections or backers – who hammered the son of Kantharos down to 1-9 in the field of four – with any anxious moments aside from a slightly slow start in the 6-furlong Ontario County. Under Christopher Elliott, Hit the Post recovered from that start and took command over his three foes up the backstretch.

Hit the Post clicked off an opening quarter-mile in :23.37 ahead of 12-1 third choice Rockinmoney with the 8-1 Rock Star Rebel and 26-1 Cast a Coin a little further back. Hit the Post continued on an easy lead into and through the turn, going past the half in :46.59 and well in hand.

Well clear off the turn and into the stretch, Hit the Post zipped past 5 furlongs in :58.65 ahead by 6 lengths and widened from there. He won by 6 1/2 lengths over Cast a Coin, who edged Rockinmoney for the place spot. Hit the Post won in 1:11.

Hit the Post, second in the July 14 New York Derby at Finger Lakes and second in the August 21 Albany Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, prepped for the Ontario County with trainer Melanie Giddings’ string at Saratoga’s Oklahoma Training Track. A maiden winner at Saratoga June 6, Hit the Post improved to 2-for-7 with two seconds and a third with earnings of $168,783.

Foaled at Old Tavern Farm in Stillwater, Hit the Post is the fifth foal out of the winning Medaglia d’Oro mare Memento d’Oro. Walt and Michelle Borisnok’s Old Tavern Farm bought Memento d’Oro in foal to Ghostzapper from the Stronach’s family’s Adena Springs for $160,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

Memento d’Oro is the dam of four winners led by Hit the Post. She’s also the dam of New York-bred winners Seahorse d’Oro and Salsa a Parte, and winner and $131,610-earner Healy’s Hope. She’s also the dam of a yearling New York-bred colt by Charlatan, who RNA’d as a weanling for $127,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale; and a weanling colt by Proxy born April 3 in New York.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2025/09/22/hit-the-post-hammers-home-in-ontario-county/

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