Photo: Adam Coglianese
New York-bred, New York-sired Giant Ryan – already qualified for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint by virtue of his victory in the Grade 2 Smile Sprint H. at Calder – took the Parbhoo family’s joy to the next level on Saturday when he defeated the nation’s top sprinters in the Grade 1 $350,000 Vosburgh Invitational, wiring the field in the mud at Belmont, while extending his winning streak to six.
Trained by Bisnath Parboo and owned by his son Shivananda Parbhoo, the bay five-year-old son of New York sire Freud had not raced since he won the Smile Sprint H. in July – his fifth straight victory. Trainer Bisnath indicated at that time that he was targeting the Grade 1 Vosburgh en route to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Since then, he also decided that it was time for his horse to have a freshening: “[Giant Ryan] was already qualified for the Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ with the Smile. This is the eighth race for the year. He needed a break after the Smile.”
The eight-horse Vosburgh field, with seven betting interests, given the Pletcher entry of Caixa Eletronica and Calibrachoa, made for an imposing lineup – even despite the defection of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint hero Big Drama on Friday due to fever – leaving Giant Ryan relegated to fifth choice at odds of 12-1.
The odds-on post-time favorite was Trappe Shot, winner of the Grade 2 True North on the Belmont undercard and the narrowest of runners-up to Sean Avery in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt at Saratoga. Second choice, Bob Baffert-trained Euroears (2-1), second in the Grade 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, won Del Mar’s Grade 1 Bing Crosby S. last out. Third selection Force Freeze (7-1), looking to stay a perfect two-for-two in North American starts, was coming off a four-length victory in Monmouth’s Teddy Drone Stakes on July 31. Of the 11-1 Pletcher entry, both sporting multiple triple-digit Beyers, Calibrachoa finished a close-up third in the Vanderbilt last out, while Caixa Eletronica was riding a two-race winning streak. The two remaining horses in the highly competitive field, Apriority (15-1) and Justin Philip (19-1), were accomplished sprinters at the graded level in their own right and both had legitimate chances.
Photo: Adam Coglianese
Giant Ryan broke cleanly from post five under Cornelio Velasquez and went right to the front, but Apriority, Calibrachoa, and Euroears had something of a tangle, with Calibrachoa moving inward just after the start, Apriority stumbling and then bumping into putative pacemaker Euroears.
Though uncontested directly on the lead, Giant Ryan was tracked intently a length and a half behind by Force Freeze, with Justin Philip in his train. As Giant Ryan ran the opening quarter in 22.10 and half in 44.36, Force Freeze continued his pursuit through the turn and mounted his most serious bid in upper stretch while drifting out slightly.
Photo: Adam Coglianese
In the final furlong Force Freeze drew closer, but a determined Giant Ryan dug in, and hit the wire in front by a half-length. Runner-up Force Freeze finished 1/2 length in front of a fast closing Caixa Eletronica, while favorite Trappe Shot had to settle for fourth. Calibrachoa finished fifth, followed by Justin Phillip, Apriority and Euroears. Giant Ryan completed six furlongs over the muddy (sealed) track in 1:09.10. [VIDEO]
Winning rider Cornelio Velasquez, who has been aboard for all but one race in Giant Ryan’s six-race unbeaten streak, said, “My horse likes the sloppy track. He broke fast and wanted to go to the lead. I had a lot of horse at the top of the stretch. It’s been a long time since he ran but he tries hard every time. I’ve had a lot of luck with him.”
Photo: Adam Coglianese
Winning owner Shivananda Parbhoo, who was joined in the winner’s circle by a host of family and friends, said, “If he couldn’t lead, he’d sit second. This is his home track. He loves Belmont Park.” As to Breeders’ Cup plans, Shivananda said, “I will keep him here [at Belmont] for a week or two and then he will ship directly to Churchill Downs. He will leave three weeks before the Breeders’ Cup. This was to see if he could compete with the best horses.”
Giant Ryan began his streak in New York after two off-the-board finishes at Gulfstream Park in January and February, one of them a turf try, He won a second-level allowance / optional claiming race for state-breds at Aqueduct in March in an eye-catching 1.09.92, triumphed in his stakes debut, the six-furlong Hamlet overnight stakes for New York-breds at Aqueduct in April, and in May won an open $75,000 third-level open allowance / optional claiming race at Belmont in the slop, before returning to Florida for a pair of starts at Calder Race Course. After winning the Ponche H. by 4 ¾ lengths, Giant Ryan put his will to win on display when he captured the Smile Sprint Handicap from a highly competitive field by a hard fought neck.
Giant Ryan’s victory in the Grade 1 Vosburgh improved his record to 8-1-1 from 14 starts and the $210,000 winner’s share of the purse brought his earnings to $626,841. The win gives Freud a second Grade 1 stakes winner, to add to Grade 1 Prioress victress Franny Freud. New York’s leading sire in 2008 and 2009 and second in the rankings in 2010, Freud stands for Sequel Stallions at Keane Stud.
Bred by Becky Thomas and Lewis Lakin and foaled at Sequel, Giant Ryan changed hands twice at public auction. Sold first to JMJ Racing for $14,000 at the OBS 2006 mixed sale, he failed to meet his reserve when bid up to $25,000 in the 2008 OBS open two-year-old sale. Shivananda Racing picked him up later that year from the consignment of M & H Training and Sales for $27,000 at the OBS sale of two-year-olds and horses of racing age.
Giant Ryan is the last reported foal out of the winning Dayjur mare Kheyrah. Lakland acquired Kheyrah from Shadwell at the 2002 Keeneland January All Ages sale for $10,000, reselling her in 2006 to Patrick Hoppel (agent) for $2,500 at the New York mixed sale. Of her six foals, five started and four have won, including New York-bred Sentiero Rosso, by Intidab, who was stakes-placed in England, and Psychotic Reaction, a New York-bred full-brother to Giant Ryan, who is a six-time winner of $131,275.
