Bears Mafia makes winning return in Saturday’s Kelly Kip Starter Stakes at Aqueduct. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.
By Tom Law
Owners and breeders of New York-breds took full advantage of NYRA’s Claiming Championship card, raking in more than $60,000 in awards for wins alone Saturday at Aqueduct.
Five New York-breds won on the 10-race $620,000 Claiming Championship card, open to horses which have started for a prescribed claiming price in 2020-21. The breeders’ awards totaled $32,587.50 on the day, while owners’ awards came to $21,725. Stallion owner awards for the day’s two winners totaled $5,775.
Bears Mafia, sixth in North America and first among New York-bred by wins in 2020, was among the quintet of winners on the card. The 5-year-old Verrazano gelding made a successful return in the $53,350 Kelly Kip Starter Stakes, leading from the start on the way to a half-length score in his first start since mid-November.
Bred by Lansdowne Thoroughbreds LLC, foaled at Hidden Lake Farm in Stillwater and owned and trained by Jeffrey Englehart, Bears Mafia won seven of 11 starts last year on the NYRA circuit, Finger Lakes and Monmouth Park and banked $114,920. He’s out of the winning Vicar mare Binavicar and is 9-2-4 in 24 starts with a bankroll of $212,115.
Letmetakethiscall wins fourth of last five starts in Xtra Heat Starter. Joe Labozzetta/NYRA Photo.
Matthew Levy’s and Kenneth Greenvald’s Letmetakethiscall won for the fourth time in her last five starts in the $69,750 Xtra Heat Starter, leading a 1-2 finish for trainer Jimmy Ferraro. The 6-year-old Take Charge Indy mare won by 9 1/4 lengths over stablemate Dovey Lovey in the 6 1/2-furlong Xtra Heat. Bred by Danzel Brendemuehl and Sandra Lombardo and foaled at Royal Thoroughbred Racing Stables in Freedom, Letmetakethiscall is out of the winning Elusive Quality mare Spring Elusion.
Ruvies in Time started off the card with a victory for Clear Stars Stable and co-owner and trainer Rick Schosberg in the $53,350 Videogenic Starter. The 5-year-old mare by The Factor tracked the speed early and drew off to a 4-length victory in the 6-furlong event for her second straight victory.
A $95,000 purchase by Clear Stars Stable and the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-year-olds in training sale, Ruvies in Time was bred by Mashnee Stables and Steve Schuster out of the winning Tapit mare Hollywood Redhead. She was foaled at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs.
Dublinornothin won for the third time in seven starts in 2021 in the $45,000 Belle Gallantey Starter going 7 furlongs. Trained by her owner, Eduardo Jones, the 5-year-old daughter of former New York-based stallion Dublin won by 1 3/4 lengths over Movie Score as the 2-1 favorite. Bred by David Cramer and Anthony Spadea and foaled at Albright Thoroughbreds in Ontario, Dublinornothin is out of the winning New York-bred Hook and Ladder mare Shea Goodbye.
Control Group, a graded-stakes winning 3-year-old, adds another win on Claiming Championship card in More To Tell. Chelsea Durand/NYRA Photo.
Control Group capped the day for the Empire State with a neck victory over 9-5 favorite Malibu Pro in the $60,000 More To Tell Starter for owners Frank Catapano and Nicolas Primpas and trainer Wayne Potts. Sent off at 7-1, the 7-year-old son of the late former New York-based stallion Posse improved to 16-for-44 in the 1-mile More To Tell.
Bred by Colts Neck Stable and Alan Goldberg and out of the unraced Victory Gallop mare We Kept Her, Control Group won the Grade 3 Discovery Stakes in 2017, Alex M. Robb Stakes in 2018 and Mr. Sinatra Starter on the Claiming Championship in 2018. Foaled at Vinery New York at Sugar Maple Farm in Poughquag, Control Group boosted his earnings to $788,257.
