Francis Paolangeli’s homebred Idyll Gossip edges April Storm to win Monday’s Shesastonecoldfox at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.
Francis Paolangeli’s homebred Idyll Gossip bounced back from a rough trip against males last time and got up in the final strides to lock up another stakes victory for Central Banker in Monday’s $45,000 Shesastonecoldfox at Finger Lakes.
The 2-year-old filly by the McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds’ resident stallion edged longtime leader April Storm three strides from home in the 6-furlong open-company stakes that featured a field of seven New York-breds. Kevin Navarro rode Idyll Gossip for trainer Paul Barrow, who picked up his second straight Shesastonecoldfox after winning with Sweet Brown Sugar in 2023.
Idyll Gossip also became the 18th stakes winner – and seventh of 2024 – for Central Banker. She picked up $27,000 toward Central Banker’s progeny earnings haul for the season, which sat $4,634,443 heading into Monday and just a little more than $33,000 behind leader Bucchero.
Central Banker, a 14-year-old son of Speightstown, stands for $7,500 at McMahon in Saratoga Springs while Bucchero will stand for $10,000 at Ironhorse Stallions in Stillwater after standing the 2024 season at McMahon.
Sixth in the New York Breeders’ Futurity October 21 at Finger Lakes after trouble at the start, Idyll Gossip went to the post Monday as the 6-5 favorite. She and Navarro lagged toward the back of the field early, racing fifth as longshot Bald Kitten led April Storm by a half-length through the opening quarter-mile in :22.77 over the muddy track.
April Storm shrugged off the leader around the far turn as Brooklyn Rhapsody ranged up on the outside at the half-mile split in :46.35. April Storm, a daughter of New York-based freshman sire King for a Day coming off a debut win April 28, went on from there and opened up to a 3 1/2-length lead in midstretch past 5 furlongs in :59.29.
Navarro stayed busy on Idyll Gossip running several paths off the inside in the lane. Idyll Gossip edged past 5-2 second choice April Storm at the finish. Honorable Becky, the 6-1 fourth choice coming off a debut win September 24 at Finger Lakes, finished 2 1/4 lengths back in third. Brooklyn Rhapsody, Bald Kitten, Queen Atlas and Who’s Got the Tip completed the field. Idyll Gossip won in 1:12.92.
Idyll Gossip is the first foal out of Paolangeli’s multiple stakes-placed Spring At Last mare Cozzy Spring, a four-time winner who earned $243,640 in 11 starts on the NYRA circuit. She’s out of the stakes-winning New York-bred Broken Vow mare Pretty Cozzy, who won eight of 36 starts and earned $218,760. Paolangeli claimed Pretty Cozzy out of a win in early February 2012 at Aqueduct. She made eight starts for Paolangeli, winning the 2012 Susan B. Anthony Handicap at Finger Lakes and placing three times including a third in the 2012 Arctic Queen Handicap at Finger Lakes.
Cozzy Spring, third in the 2017 Iroquois Stakes at Belmont Park and second in the 2018 Dancin Renee Stakes at Belmont, did not produce a foal in 2023 and is the dam of a weanling Charlatan filly named Cozzy Trickstress bred by Paolangeli born in New York April 29.
