Sea Foam, claimed in late July for $45,000, wins Wednesday’s Evan Shipman at Saratoga. NYRA Photo.
By Mary Eddy
Michelle Giangiulio walked onto the track in tears Wednesday to welcome back Sea Foam to the winner’s circle after he won the $100,000 Evan Shipman Handicap, the first career win for the fledgling trainer.
Breaking from post 3, the 6-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro was sent to the front by Joel Rosario, a tactic that has proven successful for the horse throughout his career. Kept to an easy pace, Sea Foam rolled through a half in :48.15 down on the inside before being swung three-wide in the turn.
Under a drive from Rosario, he powered home 5 lengths clear of runner-up Three Jokers, who made a late run to his outside. The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:50.91.
“He took the lead and he likes to do that,” said Rosario. “He was going nice and easy and past the three-eighths (pole), he kind of got away a little bit and he ran big again. He showed that he improves when he goes to the lead. He’s a really nice horse and he tries hard all the time.”
The Evan Shipman was the first start for Sea Foam since being claimed out of a win at Saratoga for $45,000 July 30.
“I just told Joel ‘break and go, the horse runs best on the lead,’ and that’s been the way he wins,” said Giangiulio. “I’m grateful for how he ran, (Joel) gave him a great trip. I didn’t think he was going to open up like that. Three Jokers was coming up to him a little bit, I guess he just needed to see another horse to kick back in, and he did.”
“He came back out of the race really well and this race came up a light field, so I said we might as well take a shot. I figured, why not? We’re here, we might as well run him if he’s good. Obviously it worked out good. It’s just epic.”
Sea Foam is the sixth starter for Giangiulio, who took out her training license at the end of 2020 after working as an assistant for Carlos Guerrero and Tom Morley. With a second and a third in her two other starts at Saratoga this year, earning her first win in a stakes race was almost indescribable for Giangiulio.
“I feel like I’m floating on a cloud, I can’t even put into words how it feels to win my first race in Saratoga, in a stakes race with such an awesome horse. It’s a wonderful feeling.”
“He’s an awesome New York-bred that we’ve been watching for a couple months and we were lucky to get him,” said owner Anthony Trimarchi of Four Corners Racing. “It’s been the best experience (with Michelle). I’m so proud of her. She’s been on fire and it’s so awesome to see her get her first win in a stakes.”
Bred in New York by Dick Leahey and John Meriwether’s Waterville Lake Stables and foaled at Berkshire Stud in Pine Plains, Sea Foam is out of the Grade 2-winning Unbridled’s Song mare Strike It Rich. The third of seven foals from the dam, he is a half-brother to four winners, including stakes-placed Straw Into Gold.
With his win in the Evan Shipman Handicap, Sea Foam increased his earnings to $678,745 in the Shipman. He’s won or placed in a stakes race in each of his five seasons, including victories in the Albany Stakes and New York Derby in 2018. With six other wins and five on-the-board finishes in the Empire State, Giangiulio is excited to have a horse like Sea Foam in her barn.
“I absolutely love the New York racing, especially the New York-bred program. When you have allowance level horses that you can go through those conditions and still have more conditions after that, it’s really great. Ever since I came up here, I knew this is where I wanted to train.”
