My Shea D Lady gives Solomini another stakes winner in Saturday’s $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the NYSS at Aqueduct. NYRA Photo.
My Shea D Lady came into Saturday’s $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes stakes-placed and her sire’s second leading earner. The daughter of Solomini came out a stakes winner and $275,000 richer, after riding the inside most of the 7-furlong trip en route to victory under Javier Castellano.
My Shea D Lady won the Fifth Avenue by 2 1/2 lengths over Walk With Me, who made a long and sustained rally to finish second and give McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds a 1-2 finish by offspring of the Saratoga Springs’ farm’s stallions in the richest race for 2-year-olds on the NYRA circuit.
Solomini, the leading freshman sire in New York, stands for $6,500; while Central Banker, the sire of Walk With Me and two-time defending leading sire in the Empire State, stands for $7,500.
“We’ve liked him [Solomini] all along and we were lucky to get him in the first place,” McMahon of Saratoga’s Joe McMahon said. “He won a Grade 1 and they took him down. If they gave him that Grade 1, he’d be in Kentucky for a lot more money. We were very fortunate that way. [My Shea D Lady] was my absolute favorite foal.”
Bred by and foaled at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds and out of the Teuflesberg mare Ladyberg, My Shea D Lady was purchased for $100,000 by Shea D Boy’s Stable at the OBS April sale. Campaigned by that group and trained by Carlos Davis, My Shea D Lady came into the Fifth Avenue off back-to-back fourth-place finishes in the Joseph A. Gimma and Key Cents after a third in the Seeking the Ante Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in her second start.
The 5-2 favorite in the field of 12, My Shea D Lady raced in the middle of the pack under Castellano up the backstretch as fellow Solomini filly Soloshot set the pace ahead of the Freud filly Sun and Wind through splits of :22.99 and :46.91.
Castellano stayed on the inside around the far turn as My Shea D Lady raced into third approaching the quarter-pole, just 1 1/2 lengths behind Soloshot. My Shea D Lady took the lead just outside the eighth pole and drew off to win going away in 1:25.91 over the fast track. Walk With Me, 4 1/2 lengths back turning for home, rallied under Dylan Davis for the place spot and 2 1/2 lengths clear of the Big Brown filly and first-time starter Elite Status in third. Sun and Wind finished fourth.
My Shea D Lady survived an inquiry after a trainer’s objection from Rudy Rodriguez – the trainer of Sun and Wind – for the win.
Javier Castellano piled onto his big 2023 with a victory in Saturday’s NYSS Fifth Avenue aboard My Shea D Lady. Joe Labozzetta/NYRA Photo.
“My filly was just a little bit intimidated along the rail behind horses,” Castellano said. “It was really tight and she don’t want to go, but as soon as she got through, she took off. She started getting tired a little bit at the end. I had to keep her straight but I didn’t interfere with nobody else. You could see I was clear and I didn’t bother nobody in the race. The horse was much the best in the race.”
My Shea D Lady earned $275,000 for the victory and boosted her bankroll to $336,500.
David was happy to give a leg up to Castellano for the first time aboard My Shea D Lady.
“They’re still babies. They’re still trying to figure it out,” he said. “I know it’s another month and they’ll be 3, but she’s only run five times and there’s been a couple races where she just kind of hangs.
“The jockeys weren’t as aggressive as I wanted them to be, and I told Javier, ‘I think it’s a great spot and if she doesn’t get in trouble, we should be able to come through; don’t feel scared to just kind of push a little bit and encourage her to get in the spot.’ ”
My Shea D Lady is the first foal out of Ladyberg. A half-sister to New York-bred stakes winner Hoosick Falls and stakes-placed Manor Prospect, Ladyberg is also the dam of a Solomini colt who was a $37,000 RNA at this year’s OBS October yearling sale and a weanling colt by Solomini born May 9. McMahon of Saratoga bred each of Ladyberg’s foals.
David said My Shea D Lady would likely receive a refresher after her second win in five starts.
“I kind of want to give her a little bit of time off. She’s been running good,” he said. “I’m going to talk to the guys and maybe send her to the warm weather for a couple of months. I’ll leave it up to them. She’s great and has done good for us. I always like to give them a little break, maybe run her one time in Florida. She’s a New York-bred, but after a race like this, maybe we just give her a couple months off and let her refresh.”
