Coglianese Photos
By Sarah Mace
When the entries were drawn for the $150,000 Joseph A. Gimma, a 7-furlong sprint for New York-bred juvenile fillies featured at Belmont Park Wednesday, there was little question that it would be an interesting race. We only found out how interesting when Naked Avenger, a second-time starter owned by Tee N Jay Stable and Headless Horseman Racing, charged down the middle of the track to cruise effortlessly past the most accomplished horse in the field (albeit on the wrong lead) to get the win at odds of 16-1.
Wednesday’s Gimma attracted six entries, all last-out winners save for Time Limit, who finished second by a neck to Fierce Lady when they last met in the Seeking the Ante on Saratoga Showcase day. In addition to the two stakes-seasoned runners, four of the 2-year-old fillies were diving straight into stakes competition following debut victories and could be any kind. Every filly in the field was trying seven furlongs for the first time.
Most highly touted of the quartet of second-time starters was Irish Danzing who was wheeling back in 20 days for trainer Christophe Clement after a very impressive unveiling on August 29, which she won for fun. Most mysterious of the quartet was Naked Avenger.
A daughter of Congrats trained by Tim Hills, Naked Avenger came from off the pace to win her Saratoga debut by 1 3/4 lengths four weeks earlier (August 21) going 5 1/2 furlongs over a sloppy track. For the Gimma she was called upon to add the most distance of the sextet (1 1/2 furlongs) and, alone of the group, was untested on a dry track.
After an alert break under Luis Saez, Naked Avenger set up in third three-wide at the flank of Irish Danzing in second, while Time Limit set the pace, clocking the quarter and half in 22.82 and 45.80.
In the turn, however, Naked Avenger backpedaled into fifth when 3-5 favorite Fierce Lady got involved by advancing from fifth to third, and Thea’s Theme made headway on her inside.
Fanning out five wide into the stretch, Naked Avenger, who had nearly five lengths to make up, was set down by Saez for a serious drive.
During the stretch run Naked Avenger lugged in at one point, never got around to changing leads and flicked her ears around inquisitively, but none of it mattered. Finding her best stride late, she gained second, then breezed past new leader Fierce Lady in the final sixteenth before going on to win by two lengths in a final time of 1:23.27.
Irish Danzing finished third another 2 1/2 lengths back and there was a big break back to Time Limit, Thea’s Theme and Ilchester Cheetah.
Saez said, “[When we lost position] at the three-eighths, I thought we were done. I tried to get her on the bridle, and she started rolling. When we got to the stretch, I thought the favorite [Fierce Lady] was gone, but [Naked Avenger] made a huge move and I knew we were going to be there. I kept riding and thank God we got there. She finished very well.”
Trainer Tim Hills said he saw positive signs from Naked Avenger’s two interim works following her maiden win. “Her breezes at Monmouth [Park] went well. The track is really deep there. She really responds well to the crop. That’s the only thing I really told Luis [Saez] is that she likes it. That’s kind of unusual for a filly, but she’s really improved dramatically. She’s got a real strong stride. I knew she needed to improve, and she did just that in her training leading up to this.”
Undefeated in two starts on the NYRA circuit, Naked Avenger has now earned $125,400.
Bred by co-owner Headless Horseman Racing, Naked Avenger is out of Karmageddon, a New Jersey-bred daughter of Wildcat Heir also bred by Headless Horseman Racing, who won three stakes races and earned $288,226 before retiring broodmare duty. She has produced four winners from four foals to start. Currently she has an unnamed yearling colt by Tamarkuz, a weanling colt by Midshipman and has been bred this year to Hey Chub.
