NEWS: RACING

Coinage, first foal out of Bar of Gold, upsets With Anticipation

Wednesday, September 1st, 2021

Coinage, the first foal out of New York-bred champion and Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Bar of Gold, won Wednesday’s Grade 3 With Anticipation at Saratoga. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

By Mary Eddy

Chester and Mary Broman’s and D. J. Stable’s Coinage scored a wire-to-wire victory in the Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes Wednesday at Saratoga Race Course. Making his first start on turf, the son of Tapit improved from a third last time out in the Rick Violette Stakes.

“We breezed him a couple times over the turf,” winning trainer Mark Casse said. “Training horses is like putting a puzzle together. You have to keep trying the pieces until you figure out where they fit and we figured it out today.”

Sent to the lead by Junior Alvarado, Coinage was quick from the gate and established his position ahead of Gooch Go Bragh as the field of six entered the clubhouse turn. Coasting through a half in :50.65, Coinage raced a half-length ahead of 2-1 second choice Portfolio Company up the backstretch and was asked for his best by Alvarado approaching the final turn.

As Portfolio Company challenged for the lead, Coinage kicked clear and crossed the wire 2 lengths clear in a final time of 1:43.69 for the 1 1/16 miles over the firm turf.

“Mark told me he’s been sharp,” Alvarado said. “I was only worried a little bit about (Silipo) because I thought he might try to go to the lead and get something out of it. But Coinage broke out of there so sharp and was comfortable on the turf for the first time. He took it all the way.”

“I told Junior, and I seldom say this, ‘Take no prisoners and go,’ ” Casse said with a laugh. “This horse is a good horse and he’s got a really high cruising speed. He’s a serious horse. I had been disappointed (in his starts on dirt) and thought he was an underachiever. Looking at his pedigree, I said, ‘This has got to be grass.’”

A winner in his second start at Belmont Park in June, Coinage stepped up to stakes company in the July 21 Rick Violette, where he stalked the pace and finished third with little response to Alvarado’s urging. Now finding his best form over the grass, Casse believes two-turn turf races will be the norm for Coinage going forward.

“I’ll probably keep him around two turns,” he said. “I may send him to California, but we’ll see what the owners want to do. It’s our job to put the beacons out there, but it’s their plane to fly.”

Bred by Chester and Mary Broman and foaled at their Chestertown Farm in Chestertown, Coinage is the first foal from the Broman-bred and raced Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner and New York-bred champion Bar of Gold. A three-time stakes winner in New York, Bar of Gold earned her Breeders’ Cup victory as a 66-1 longshot, defeating a deep field that included multiple Grade 1 winner Unique Bella and defending Filly and Mare Sprint winner Finest City.

“It’s so wonderful to win here,” Chester Broman said. “I never expected it. When we were in the paddock, (Alvarado) said he was going to put him on the lead. That’s easy to say, but they couldn’t catch him. Those were pretty good horses, too. It’s good to be a breeder in New York.”

D. J. Stable purchased Coinage at the Keeneland September yearling sale last year for $450,000. Along with Coinage, Bar of Gold also produced the top New York-bred yearling at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale, a Justify colt who also sold to D. J. Stable for $825,000. She foaled a full-brother to Coinage this year and was bred to Quality Road for 2022.

The win in the With Anticipation boosted Coinage’s total career earnings to $144,750. He has won or been on the board in each of his four starts.

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