NYRA/Adam Coglianese
Already a graded stakes performer, Red and Black Stable’s Weekend Hideaway faced down 13 other New York-bred juveniles to collect a second career stakes victory in the $125,000 Bertram F. Bongard on Showcase Day at Belmont Park.
After an early scramble for the lead, 25-1 longshot Saint Arthur emerged as the pacesetter from post nine, carving out early fractions of 22.41 and 46.12, while Weekend Hideaway, a son of Speightstown stretching out for the first time to seven furlongs, stalked just a length behind at the rail from post four.
Rounding the far turn, Weekend Hideaway slipped through a gap on the inside under Jose Lezcano, took over the lead in upper stretch and opened up a comfortable margin which he maintained to the finish, eventually getting the victory by 2 1/2 lengths. Pacesetter Saint Arthur held on well to get the place money, while Grade 2 performer In Harm’s Way, who moved into third in upper stretch, finished another length back. The final time for the seven furlongs on the drying-out track labeled “good” was 1:24.59.
Winning jockey Jose Lezcano, who has been aboard for all five of Weekend Hideaway’s starts, said, “Today was seven-eighths, a little stretch out from three-quarters. I tried to be more patient and wait a little longer. He broke good and I let the other horse go, when I asked him he grabbed the bit and took off. He gave me a really good race.”
The victory was especially gratifying for winning trainer Phil Serpe. “I actually did all the breeding with [the late Carl Lizza of Flying Zee, breeder of Weekend Hideaway], so this has a lot of meaning to me more than just winning this race because we bred all these horses. Fortunately, Mike Hoffman of Red and Black Stable stepped up and bought four of the yearlings [at the dispersal sale]. This is one of them. We liked him a lot, he was a nice-looking colt, and I knew him since he was born.”
Serpe continued, “Flying Zee was the largest breeder in New York before Mr. Lizza’s death, so he had a lot of mares to work with. We would just sit down and go over mares. It’s easy to punch some mare’s name into a computer and come up with a nick and let some electronic system do it. Mr. Lizza and I used to like to sit down, we’d go over four or five sires we thought might fit a particular mare and how those horses were on the track, and that’s how we would base our decision.”
NYRA/Adam Coglianese
Beginning his career with a solid second place finish in his debut on July 23 at Saratoga, Weekend Hideaway scored back-to-back victories in the remainder of the Spa meet, breaking his maiden next out on August 10 and then running away with the David Stakes for state-breds on August 30. In his next start at Belmont on September 30 he contended throughout the Grade 2 Futurity on his way to a third place finish.
Bred by Flying Zee Stables and foaled at Highcliff Farm in Delanson (now Highcliff at Mill Creek Farm), Weekend Hideaway was purchased by Red and Black Stable for $40,000 in the yearling portion of the Flying Zee Dispersal last October.
He is the first foal out of Apocalyptical, an unplaced daughter of Wiseman’s Ferry with two winning siblings. Apocalyptical, who was bred in New York by Castellare di Cracchiolo Stables LLC, was purchased by Flying Zee at the 2006 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky summer yearling sale for $60,000. She currently has yearling colt by Western Expression.
Weekend Hideaway has now earned $128,000 and compiled a record of 3-1-1 from five career starts, including two victories in New York bred stakes and a third place finish in the Grade 2 Futurity.
