Team Lobsta celebrate another victory for the son of Emcee, this one by DQ in the Say Florida Sandy Saturday at Aqueduct. NYRA Photo.
By Melissa Bauer-Herzog
Lobsta found himself in a duel for the second straight race and it paid off when the 4-year-old Emcee colt won Saturday’s $100,000 Say Florida Sandy Stakes at Aqueduct even though he didn’t cross the line first.
Racing wide among the leading trio from the start with the rest of the field a few lengths behind back in the 7-furlong stakes, Lobsta was always prominent as through strong early fractions of :22.84 and :46.41.
As the field tightened up around the stretch, the race was on and Lobsta was among the five runners battling for the lead around the turn and half way down the stretch. The Say Florida Sandy turned into a two-runner affair in the final furlong when his regular rival My Boy Tate engaged Lobsta from the rail. The race was already lost for that runner, however, after he’d caused Chestertown to violently check earlier in the stretch. Lobsta originally looked like he’d have to settle for second by a neck to My Boy Tate.
My Boy Tate’s interference with Chestertown led the latter to finish fourth. When the dust settled after a lengthy stewards inquiry and jockey’s objection, Lobsta was declared the winner. Battle Station, 4 lengths back in third, was elevated to second and Chestertown was moved to third. My Boy Tate was placed fourth, after hitting the finish first in 1:25.63 over the fast track.
Lobsta, now the winner of four of nine starts, added his 2022 opening stakes victory to his 2021 close-out stakes victory in the Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Series. Running exclusively in New York with all but one of his six stakes starts coming in New York-bred company, Lobsta has earned $276,400 in just over a year of racing.
Bred by and foaled at John Jayko’s Fedwell Farm in Saratoga Springs, the colt is trained by Gary Sciacca for Eddie F’s Racing.
One of three winners for his New York-bred winner Salty Little Sis, Lobsta is a year-younger full brother to the stakes-winning Chowda. Finishing second in an allowance earlier on the Aqueduct card, Chowda is also campaigned by the same connections as his brother.
“He ran huge off the 95 [Beyer in the Thunder Rumble],” said Eddie F’s Racing’s Eddie Fazzone. “There was always a chance for him to bounce, but he didn’t. He showed he was the real deal. Chowda ran a great race today, too, so we have some real nice horses here. Hopefully, they both continue to do well.
“Lobsta is getting better with every start. My Boy Tate is a great horse. Take nothing away from him, he’s a game horse and never runs a bad race.”
Lobsta and Chowda have already sparred on the track with the younger of the duo winning the $150,000 Thunder Rumble and Chowda settling for fourth. The horse finishing directly behind Lobsta in that race? Saturday’s first past the post, My Boy Tate.
Sciacca’s shedrow is a family affair of shorts for Salty Little Sis’s runners. In addition to Lobsta and Chowda, he also trains their 3-year-old half-brother Salty Heir for My Mary Stables. It’s likely another stall in the barn will open for Salty Heir’s 2-year-old full brother later this year with that one purchased privately by Eddie F’s Racing, just like his half-brothers.
“This is our third stakes win,” Fazzone said. “We’re a small stable with nine horses and it seems like it just gets better and better. I’ve got his half-brother Oysta who just turned 2, so hopefully we see him in the spring or summer. Hopefully we continue the great ride.”
Salty Little Sis didn’t have a foal for the connections to purchase last year but she was bred to former Rockridge Stud stallion Leofric in 2021.
