SV Photography
By Sarah Mace
Neal Allread’s Baby Boss showed heels to a field of New York-bred fillies and mare sprinters in the 20th running of the $50,000 Arctic Queen Stakes at Finger Lakes on Monday, taking command shortly after the break, and pouring it on in the stretch to earn her second career stakes victory for trainer Jeremiah Englehart.
The blaze-faced 4-year-old bay daughter of Frost Giant was sent off at odds of 9-5, but had stiff competition for popularity. Charlton Baker-trainee Forever Changed vied for favoritism (1.65) with a coupled entry of Chester and Mary Broman homebreds trained by Chris Progno – New Girl in Town and Investment Invite (1.75).
Exiting post three (of eight) under Luis Colon, the Baby Boss didn’t get out of the gate the fastest of the bunch, but remedied that situation well before the first point of call, rushing up to the lead and opening up a length advantage. She was pursued by a cluster of five rivals all jockeying for position to get first run at her, chief among them sophomore Forever Changed and New Girl in Town, who vied throughout for second.
Cruising through opening splits of 22.34 and 45.70 while extending her lead to two lengths, Baby Boss got a couple of sharp reminders from her pilot to keep her mind on business once she straightened away for the drive. The filly responded by pouring it on, ultimately crossing the finish line a 5-length winner in a final time of 1:10.65 for six furlongs over the fast track.
Forever Changed won the battle for second, finishing 2 1/2 lengths ahead of New Girl in Town. Longshot Tax Me Naught (42-1) completed the superfecta followed home by Dragoness, Investment Invite, Crashing Connie and Ohmygollymsmolly.
The Arctic Queen score improved Baby Boss’ record to five wins, one second and one third from 15 starts and was her second career stakes victory. In her fourth career start in April 2018 she won her stakes debut in the Park Avenue Division of the New York Stallion Stakes. She suffered a win drought after that, but has been rounding back into form of late with back-to-back victories at Laurel in February and June. In her most recent start, she tired after setting the pace in the Union Avenue at Saratoga on August 15.
Bred by Eric Bishop, Baby Boss is one of three winners from three foals to start out of Wild in Montana, a Kentucky-bred multiple winner by Yankee Victor. Neal Allread purchased Baby Boss for $23,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic spring sale of 2-year-olds for $23,000. Her earnings now stand at $214,690.
Wild in Montana has a juvenile by Verrazano named Lasagna who has not yet started and her most recent reported foal is a yearling colt by Big Brown.
Baby Boss’ sire Frost Giant stands at Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions LLC.
