Champion New York-bred and Grade 2 winner Brooklyn Strong is among the competitors in this week’s RRP Makeover in Kentucky. Coglianese Photo.

By Tom Law

A group of New York-breds that includes a Grade 2 winner, a stakes winner, a 19-time winner and 14 earners of more than $100,000 during their racing careers are among the entrants in the 2025 Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover.

Hundreds of horses in 10 disciplines will compete for more than $100,000 during the Makeover and National Symposium presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, which runs from Wednesday to Saturday at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

Accepted trainers (professionals, amateurs, juniors and teams) who applied to compete between January 6-24 with Jockey Club-registered Thoroughbreds who posted a workout or race after July 2, 2023, and did not have more than 15 retraining rides prior to December 1, 2024 are eligible to compete in this year’s Makeover. The 10 disciplines are Barrel Racing, Competitive Trail, Dressage, Eventing, Field Hunter, Polo, Ranch Work, Show Hunter, Show Jumper and Freestyle.

Here are a few facts to know about this year’s New York-bred competitors:

• New York featured the second largest contingent at this year’s Makeover with 55 original entrants. Thirty-three New York-breds are still entered to complete in the competition as of Tuesday afternoon.

• The New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. again are joined by the New York Racing Association and New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association in sponsoring the $2,500 Empire State Success Story prize for the competition’s leading New York-bred.

Mr. Pete wins the 2017 Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes. He’s the leading New York-bred earner at this year’s Makeover with a bankroll just shy of $400,000. SV Photography.

• Stakes winner Mr. Pete, a 9-year-old gelding by Shanghai Bobby bred by Nirvana Stables, is the leading earner among the New York-bred contingent. He won 14 of 72 starts from 2017 to 2024, along with 15 seconds and 17 thirds for earnings of $397,164. Mr. Pete won the 2017 Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes. Mr. Pete will compete in the Dressage and Show Jumper disciplines for Jamison Glass.

• Mr. Pete is one of three earners of $300,000 or more, along with Grade 2 winner Brooklyn Strong ($341,508) and Let’s Go Big Blue ($303,850).

• Brooklyn Strong would join a unique group double as a competitor in the Makeover who also ran in the Kentucky Derby, joining recent Makeover participant and champion sprinter Whitmore and others. Bred by Cheryl Prudhomme and her husband, Dr. Michael Gallivan and foaled at their Shamrock Hill Farm in Fort Edward, Brooklyn Strong won the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct in 2020 and finished 14th in the 2021 Kentucky Derby. He also earned champion New York-bred 2-year-old male honors in 2020 for owner Mark Schwartz. Brooklyn Strong will compete in the Show Hunter discipline for Megan Dixon.

Let’s Go Big Blue wins debut in 2022 at Saratoga. Coglianese Photo.

• Let’s Go Big Blue, also competing in Show Hunter for Robin Hannah, went 3-2-5 in 16 starts. Bred by Fred Hertrich III and John Fielding, foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham and campaigned by Bill Parcells’ August Dawn Farm, the 5-year-old son of Cairo Prince placed in three stakes including a runner-up finish in the 2023 Rick Violette at Saratoga Race Course.

• Another New York-bred competing, Great Blake, won nine races during his career and earned $150,201. He’ll contest Evening and Show Jumper for Bryn Schoenthal.

• Two McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds-based sires – Central Banker and Redesdale – are represented with a pair of entrants in this year’s Makeover. Central Banker’s Seatiger will compete in Dressage for Betsy Kupic and Central Station will compete in Eventing and Dressage for Black and White Evening. Redesdale’s Snarky will compete in Dressage for Megan Pattern and Way Too Fast will contest Show Jumper and Field Hunter for Jazz Napravnik.

• Other New York-based sires with competitors are Frost Giant (Goodbye New York, Ranchwork and Freestyle for Kimberly Dunsmore), Honest Mischief (Silver Tempest, Ranch Work for Bridget Hollern), Laoban (Proper Grammar, Show Jumper for Jennifer Osterman) and Normandy Invasion (Quad Party, Show Hunter and Dressage for Quad Crusaders).

Dosage and Mimosas, a homebred for Dr. Zachary Passaretti, won 19 races during her career and competes in this week’s RRP Makeover. SV Photography.

• Dosage and Mimosa’s leads the New York-bred group by wins. Bred and raced by Dr. Zachary Passaretti, the 12-year-old daugher of New York-based sire Bustin Stones won 19 of 88 starts, along with 18 seconds and 14 thirds, and earned $243,677 racing almost exclusively at Finger Lakes from 2015 to 2024. She’ll compete in Dressage for Sally Scheindel.

• Corner Three, the dam of seven foals including a colt by Kantharos that sold for $200,000 this year at OBS April and a yearling New York-bred colt by Blame, will compete in the Former Broodmare Division in Dressage and Freestyle for Wendy Lind. She’s the dam of winners Timbuktu and Baseline Drive.

Find out more about the Thoroughbred Makeover and the horses entered at www.tbmakeover.org.

Rhetorical joins the ranks of New York-bred Grade 1 winners with victory in Saturday’s Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland. Keeneland Photo.

Rhetorical continued his development and locked down a spot in next month’s Breeders’ Cup with a victory in Saturday’s Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland Race Course.

Gary Barber, Cheyenne Stable and Wachtel Stable’s 4-year-old Not This Time gelding won the $1,038,750 Turf Mile by three-quarters of a length over Program Trading. Irad Ortiz Jr. rode the winner for trainer Will Walden, who saddled his first Grade 1 winner just shy of a year removed from winning his first graded stakes at Keeneland in the Grade 2 Castle & Key Bourbon Stakes.

Rhetorical punched a ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Mile November 1 at Del Mar with Saturday’s victory through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series. He also improved to 5-for-6 and joined Frizette Stakes winner Iron Orchard as new Grade 1 winners from the New York-bred ranks.

“I’m just happy for the team,” Walden said. “This is why we do it, get up and do it seven days a week, for moments like this. Super happy for the horse and the ownership: Adam Wachtel, Gary Barber, Everett Dobson. There were some doubts about whether the horse could jump up. We didn’t know. But he’d been training awfully good and giving us all the signs that we wanted to see going forward.

“Irad came into the office this morning and we talked about the race. He rode it to perfection. He’s such a clutch rider and makes the right decisions in those split-second decisions. Just happy for everybody involved.”

Rhetorical’s victory also marked the second time in the last five years that three New York-breds won a Grade 1 stakes in the same year. The trio of Rhetorical, Iron Orchard and Spirit of St Louis join the 2020 trio of Varda, Simply Ravishing and Tiz the Law.

Bred by Mallory and Karen Mort and foaled at Gallagher’s Stud in Ghent, Rhetorical is one of three winners out of the Distorted Humor mare Sheet Humor. She’s also the dam of the multiple graded stakes-placed mare Sterling Silver, a five-time stakes winner, nine-time winner and $1,143,051-earner.

Sent off as the 9-1 third choice behind European shipper and 7-5 favorite Diego Velazquez and 4-1 second pick Program Trading, Rhetorical set up shop early in fourth behind Quatrocento, Howard Wolowitz and Epic Ride. Quatrocento led through opening splits of :22.40 and :46.07 over the firm turf.

Ortiz angled Rhetorical off the inside heading to the far turn and kept the gelding wide around the far turn. They inched up to third with Quatrocento still in front past 6 furlongs in 1:10.08.

Rhetorical cut into Quatrocento’s advantage in the lane before taking over just inside the eighth pole. He opened up from there and held off the late run of Program Trading, who edged Brilliant Berti by a neck. Rhetorical won in 1:33.61.

“There was speed in the race so we were looking to have a pocket trip and it ended up being beautiful, perfect,” Ortiz said. “Going into the first turn, we already pulled that off. He switched off, and after that I was a good passenger, I guess, because I tipped him out at the quarter pole and he responded. He was ready to run. Will did a great job, so I’m happy for him to get his first Grade 1.”

Unraced at 2, Rhetorical won his debut in late July 2024 at Saratoga before finishing a close third in a state-bred allowance there a month later. After nine months off, Rhetorical returned to the races with a dominating win over New York-breds in an allowance race in mid-May at Aqueduct.

Wachtel, Dobson’s Cheyenne Stable and Barber privately purchased the gelding after that win. He’s rewarded that move with three straight victories – an open allowance-optional and the West Point Stakes at Saratoga, and the Coolmore Turf Mile.

Rhetorical picked up $573,500 for the victory, boosting his bankroll to $824,700.

Iron Orchard secures Grade 1 victory in Saturday’s Frizette at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo/Susie Raisher.

Iron Orchard joined the ranks of New York-bred Grade 1 winners and put her name in the mix for the Breeders’ Cup if her connections venture that way with a gritty victory in Saturday’s $400,000 Frizette Stakes at Aqueduct.

Owned by Edward Childs’ CSLR Racing Partners and R A Hill Stable, Iron Orchard won the 1-mile Frizette by a nose over 34-1 longshot Rileytole. Joel Rosario rode the 2-1 second choice in the field of 10 2-year-old fillies for trainer Danny Gargan.

Iron Orchard, a daughter of Authentic who cost $500,000 at this year’s OBS April sale, could be a major player in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies October 31 at Del Mar. Gargan didn’t fully commit to the trip just yet.

“Right now, we’ll just be happy and enjoy this,” Gargan said. “She’s done a lot this year. I told the guys before, we’ll see how it goes. There’s next year – she’s a young filly. With the way she ran today, maybe in the future she might be able to go two turns, but I’m just happy with how it went today. I feel blessed. It’s the first horse I’ve trained for the Childs’, so to win a Grade 1 with the first horse that you train for them [is special].

“We’ll have to talk to the owners. I think today, she showed that dimension, but you never know. We’ll see how she comes out of it and go from there. We’ll figure it out.”

The second choice behind 2-1 favorite Carmel Coast, Iron Orchard came into the Frizette off back-to-back victories at Saratoga in the New York-bred ranks. She won the Seeking the Ante Stakes August 22 in her most recent effort.

Gargan said he changed the filly’s training after that victory, “training her a little harder, a little further.”

Iron Orchard raced in fourth early, a few lengths back, and Gargan admitted to some second guessing.

“I’m not going to lie, I thought the first 200 yards into the race, ‘man, I’ve done a bad job training this filly,’ because she relaxed more than I wanted her to,” Gargan said. “I was a little nervous, but you’ve just got to look back and say ‘God, what a good ride.’ He [Rosario] didn’t engage all those horses, he sat. She’s difficult and was grabbing at the bridle with her head kind of cocked, but that’s her in the mornings also. I feel blessed that she pulled that off. You just have to look back and say thank you to everybody – the owners, all my help.”

Iron Orchard didn’t look like much of a threat through a half-mile in :44.84, racing 2 ½ lengths behind Carmel Coast heading into the far turn.

Rosario kept Iron Orchard a few paths off the rail around the far turn and they steadily advanced on the outside. Carmel Coast clung to a narrow lead through 6 furlongs in 1:09.25 with Steer Clear making her run toward the front turning for home. Four fillies stacked up across the track at the eighth pole – Rileytole, Carmel Coast, Steer Clear and Iron Orchard – and Iron Orchard’s momentum carried her to the lead outside the sixteenth pole.

Rileytole hung tough on the rail but Iron Orchard dug in late to win in 1:35.97. Five Bars rallied from last to finished 4 1/4 lengths back in third.

“She’s so fast, and she broke and could have been there,” Gargan said. “I told Joel, ‘Kendrick [Carmouche] is on a fast horse [Carmel Coast], if he thinks the track is fast, he’ll be in play.’ I thought we’d sit second right off of him, and next thing you know, we’re laying fourth. I was like, ‘oh boy, this is a little further back than we thought,’ but it all worked out.

“Her being able to relax with her natural speed gives her another dimension, so she ran bigger than I thought. At the end, she dug in and won the race. She’s a talented filly, we’ve always known that. Today she showed another dimension and it was really special. It was fun to watch.”

Iron Orchard picked up $220,000 and boosted her bankroll to $352,000 in the Frizette.

Bred by Pine Ridge Stable LLC and foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, Iron Orchard brought the highest price for a New York-bred filly and second most expensive price for a New York-bred at the OBS April sale. She originally went through the ring at the 2023 Keeneland November breeding stock sale, bringing $140,000 as a weanling from Castleton Way. A $97,000 RNA at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale, Iron Orchard later sold for $78,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale.

She’s the fourth foal out of the Brethren mare Onebrethatatime, a three-time winner who earned $133,283 and is a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Wonderlandbynight and Gilded Miracle, the dam of Grade 1 winner Exaulted.

Onebrethatatime’s third foal, the New York-bred Not This Time 3-year-old filly Backcheck, is 1-for-6 with $45,686 in earnings.

Arctic Beast extends in the stretch on the way to his victory in the Aspirant Stakes Monday at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.

Arctic Beast, the fifth most expensive yearling at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred sale, ran his record to 2-for-2 in Monday’s $104,338 Aspirant Stakes for state-bred colts and geldings at Finger Lakes.

Ricardo Santana Jr. rode the 1-5 favorite to a 7 1/4-length victory over 22-1 longshot Diamond Child, with 5-2 second choice Party in the Army third and 25-1 longshot Hey Pal fourth in the field of nine. A son of Yaupon owned by Paradise Farms Corp., JP Racing Stable, David Staudacher, Zilla Racing Stables and Jennifer Rice, Arctic Beast came into the Aspirant off a narrow maiden victory August 15 at Saratoga Race Course.

Trainer Mike Maker shipped Arctic Beast to his barn at Churchill Downs following that maiden win and breezed the colt three times in preparation for the 5 ½-furlong Aspirant, one of four stakes on the card Monday at Finger Lakes.

Arctic Beast broke well from the extreme outside but conceded the early lead to Diamond Child just to his inside. Hey Pal chased those two leaders with the trio of Party in the Army, Chioke and The Last Delivery stacked up just behind.

Diamond Child led through the opening quarter-mile in :22.31, just a head in front of an in hand Arctic Beast. The order up front didn’t change into the far turn and to the half in :45.51.

Santana kept Arctic Beast in the clear, turned for home about four wide and took command at the eighth pole. They drew off from there, extending to the finish to win in 1:04.13 over the sloppy and sealed track.

Arctic Beast picked up $62,603 for the Aspirant victory to boost his bankroll to $112,103.

Bred by Rockridge Stgud LLC, Saratoga Glen Farm and Beal’s Racing Stable LLC and foaled at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, Arctic Beast is the second foal out of multiple New York-bred stakes winner and $584,443-earner Frostie Anne.

Originally purchased as a weanling by Good Luck Farm for $120,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale, Arctic Beast returned to that same sales ring the following August and brought $275,000 from Maker at the Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale.

Frostie Anne, a finalist in 2018 and 2019 for champion New York-bred older dirt female honors, is also the dam of the unraced Malibu Moon colt Malibu Frost who sold for $65,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale.

Ricardo Santana Jr. takes a look back and sees Oh is clear en route to winning Monday’s Lady Finger at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.

Oh won the battle and almost lost the war, but had enough left in the tank to capture the $116,000 Lady Finger Stakes for 2-year-old New York-bred fillies Monday at Finger Lakes.

After engaging in a fierce pace battle with Margarita Molly in the 5 1/2-furlong stakes, the William “Buck” Butler homebred had to hold off the fast-closing first-time starter Liberty’s Advance.

The Lady Finger was almost an instant replay of Oh’s first career start at Saratoga Race Course August 28, when she took the lead turning for home and held on to win by a half-length.

Reylu Gutierrez was intent on making the lead aboard Margarita Molly, but was never able to get any separation from Oh as the pair dueled through a quarter mile in :22.32. Ricardo Santana Jr. and Oh got a head in front around the turn and appeared to be traveling better than the hard-ridden Margarita Molly.

Once odds-on favorite Oh vanquished her opponent, she appeared to be headed for an easy victory, but the combination of an honest pace (:46.21 for a half-mile) and her ducking in then drifting out in the stretch welcomed Liberty’s Advance into the fray. Oh dug in when it counted, however, and won by a half-length in a final time of 1:06.06 over the sloppy and sealed track. Mobelladream was third with Margarita Molly fourth.

Oh is by graded stakes-placed Honest Mischief, 2024’s leading freshman sire outside of Kentucky, who stands for $7,500 at Sequel New York in Hudson. Foaled at Cedar Ridge Farm in Pine Plains, Oh is the only winning foal to date out of the unraced Scat Daddy mare Hot Spark, who sold for $15,000 in foal to Honest Mischief at the Fasig-Tipton August Digital Selected Sale in 2024.

Trainer Mike Maker won his eighth stakes race in 15 starts at Finger Lakes over the last five years, then added another when Arctic Beast took the subsequent Aspirant for 2-year-old New York-bred colts and geldings. – Paul Halloran

Zi End and Joel Cruz dominate the Niagara Stakes Monday at Finger Lakes for trainer, breeder and co-owner Debra Breed. SV Photography.

You might say Zi End is a generational talent, and Debra Breed would certainly agree.

By Weekend Hideaway out of the Zivo mare Zismokin Gal, Zi End ran her four opponents off their hooves in Monday’s Niagara Stakes for 3-year-old New York-bred fillies at Finger Lakes, rolling to a 9 3/4-length win.

Breed, who co-owns the homebred with Kariann Breed, also bred and trained the dam and the second dam of Zi End, who improved to 6-for-8 lifetime with $120,560 in earnings.

Starting from the outside post, Zi End, who was coming in off a fourth-place finish against older fillies in the Arctic Queen Stakes September 1 at Finger Lakes, broke with the field but was last in the early stages of the 6-furlong Niagara, as they raced in chronological order by post position.

After a slow start, Mischief Lady rushed to the lead from the rail and took them through a quarter-mile in a swift :22.39. She maintained the lead heading into the turn, but Signifying Nothing and Zi End were right with her before they straightened for home.

Joel Cruz made a winning move aboard favored Zi End around the turn and had taken the lead by the time they hit the top of the stretch. From there they ran up the score, lengthening the lead with every stride. Signifying Nothing held second and Mischief Lady was third. The final time was 1:11.69.

Weekend Hideaway stood four seasons at Irish Hill and Dutchess Views Stallions in Stillwater. A $1.14 million earner on the track he won multiple New York-bred stakes. He is pensioned and living at Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky.

Zi End is the first foal out of Zismokin Gal, who is by millionaire Zivo, the Suburban Stakes winner and a Breeders’ Cup Classic runner in 2014. Zismokin Gal is one of five foals out of Smokin Racer, also a Breed homebred. – Paul Halloran

Old Tavern Farm’s homebred Hit the Post cruises to victory in the Ontario County Stakes Monday at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.

Old Tavern Farm’s homebred Hit the Post, second in back-to-back stakes going two turns, shortened up Monday and delivered as the heavy favorite in the $50,000 Ontario County Stakes at Finger Lakes.

Hit the Post didn’t provide his connections or backers – who hammered the son of Kantharos down to 1-9 in the field of four – with any anxious moments aside from a slightly slow start in the 6-furlong Ontario County. Under Christopher Elliott, Hit the Post recovered from that start and took command over his three foes up the backstretch.

Hit the Post clicked off an opening quarter-mile in :23.37 ahead of 12-1 third choice Rockinmoney with the 8-1 Rock Star Rebel and 26-1 Cast a Coin a little further back. Hit the Post continued on an easy lead into and through the turn, going past the half in :46.59 and well in hand.

Well clear off the turn and into the stretch, Hit the Post zipped past 5 furlongs in :58.65 ahead by 6 lengths and widened from there. He won by 6 1/2 lengths over Cast a Coin, who edged Rockinmoney for the place spot. Hit the Post won in 1:11.

Hit the Post, second in the July 14 New York Derby at Finger Lakes and second in the August 21 Albany Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, prepped for the Ontario County with trainer Melanie Giddings’ string at Saratoga’s Oklahoma Training Track. A maiden winner at Saratoga June 6, Hit the Post improved to 2-for-7 with two seconds and a third with earnings of $168,783.

Foaled at Old Tavern Farm in Stillwater, Hit the Post is the fifth foal out of the winning Medaglia d’Oro mare Memento d’Oro. Walt and Michelle Borisnok’s Old Tavern Farm bought Memento d’Oro in foal to Ghostzapper from the Stronach’s family’s Adena Springs for $160,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

Memento d’Oro is the dam of four winners led by Hit the Post. She’s also the dam of New York-bred winners Seahorse d’Oro and Salsa a Parte, and winner and $131,610-earner Healy’s Hope. She’s also the dam of a yearling New York-bred colt by Charlatan, who RNA’d as a weanling for $127,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale; and a weanling colt by Proxy born April 3 in New York.

Spirit of New York fends off Black Volt late to win the Bertram F. Bongard Saturday at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo.

Spirit of New York bounced back from a solid effort in his open company stakes debut to score in Saturday’s $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard Stakes for New York-bred 2-year-olds.

Owned by Michael Dubb, Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group, Winners Win and Mark Parkinson, the son of New York-based sire Honest Mischief won the 6-furlong Bongard by a half-length under Manny Franco. Trained by Adam Rice, Spirit of New York came into the Bongard off a third in the Skidmore Stakes August 16 at Saratoga Race Course.

“He seemed to find his friends,” Rice said. “He was up against it pretty good last time at Saratoga, so maybe New York-bred (company) helped him – three-quarters, big turns here. It was a nice race.

“I’ll be honest with you, I think I left him a little short last time. The way he came back and looked after the race and the way he looked today – that’s going back to the drawing board and taking notes of him. Maybe I made a mistake that he should have been a little more honest. I didn’t think that he was that bad off against open company, but I could have been wrong.

Sent off as the 2-1 favorite in the field of six, Spirit of New York raced third early while Funny Factor and Cristobal clicked off the opening quarter-mile in :22.50 over the firm turf.

Funny Factor still led by a half-length through the half-mile split in :45.25. Spirit of New York came wide out of the far turn and into the lane. He took the lead in upper stretch and led by a length past 5 furlongs in :56.76. Spirit of New York widened his advantage from there while Black Volt, coming out of an open-company maiden win September 1 at Colonial Downs, made a late run in the stretch.

“I had the trip that I wanted,” Franco said. “I wanted to sit right off of horses. This horse was helping me the whole way. I felt like I had horse under me. I was just waiting for the moment to move. I made my move and he made the lead. He kind of waited a little bit on horses. As soon as he felt the horse outside of him, he kept on going. He got it done.”

Spirit of New York held off Black Volt to win in 1:08.55. Lawyer Mason finished another 3 ¼ lengths back in third.

Bred by Magic Oaks Farm, Spirit of New York is the third foal and second winner out of the Candy Ride mare Unbroken Spirit.

Magic Oaks bought Unbroken Spirit for $4,500 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale. Her first foal, the 3-year-old New York-bred Mo Town gelding Skippy Town, is 2-1-1 in seven starts with $42,844 in earnings.

Spirit of New York made his debut July 16 at Saratoga for owner and trainer Adam Rice, winning a 5 ½-furlong state-bred turf maiden by 3 1/4 lengths. Rice sold the gelding privately after that win and his current connections owned him when he finished 4 3/4 lengths behind Bobrovsky in the $139,500 Skidmore.

“I like the horse a lot,” Rice said. “I’m blessed to be able to keep him after the new ownership took over. I’m really just glad to win for them and to win here. It’s awesome.”

Spirit of New York collected $82,500 for his win in the Bongard and boosted his bankroll to $150,000.

Sweet Montreal takes field all the way to win Friday’s Joseph A. Gimma at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo/Susie Raisher.

Sweet Montreal blew up the tote board when she won her debut at 42-1 last month at Saratoga Race Course, and pulled another upset Friday with an 11-1 score in the $150,000 Joseph A. Gimma for 2-year-old New York-bred fillies at Aqueduct.

Owned by DiRico Racing and Breeding, the 2-year-old daughter of Instagrand went to the front from the start under Stewart Elliott and stayed there throughout the 6-furlong turf stakes. Sweet Montreal won by 3 1/4 lengths over Arinata with Grazie third and Sacred Goddess fourth in the field of eight.

Elliott and trainer Jim Ryerson talked tactics for the Gimma, a former 2-year-old dirt stakes, before the race and came up with a plan.

“There’s a little speed in here,” Elliott said.

“Well, you be aggressive and if you want to adjust to that, that’s fine,” Ryerson said.

Ryerson said he thought Sweet Montreal, a winner going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf August 6 at Saratoga, would show speed and she did.

“She’s always been quick,” Ryerson said after the race. “Some of her works leading up to her first start were pedestrian, but it was more the company she was keeping in the morning; it wasn’t her. She was waiting on everybody in those works. She’s fast. She’s pretty fast.”

Sweet Montreal showed how fast from the break. She took the lead and zipped through the opening quarter-mile in :22.60, a length in front of Vernon Valley, Trading Trouble and Charlottesuniverse.

“I didn’t really think she’d clear them like that but when she did, and I know he’s not riding her to do that, then I’m feeling pretty good,” Ryerson said.

Sweet Montreal continued from there, clicking past the half in :45.60, still a length in front of Vernon Valley. She spurted away in the stretch, opened up by 2 lengths in midstretch and past 5 furlongs in :57.06 and drew off from there. She won in 1:08.73. Arinata closed from second, overcoming some traffic at the top of the stretch to finish a neck in front of Grazie.

“The original plan was to sit off the speed, but she broke so well – I thought there was quite a bit of speed in the race, but it worked out great,” Elliott said. “She broke good, did it in hand and she’s very, very classy. It worked out. She was doing it easy, for her anyways, she was doing it smooth. She felt great. She was giving me 110 percent the whole way, so that’s all we can ask for.”

Sweet Montreal picked up $82,500 for the win, boosting her bankroll to $132,000 for her two starts.

Bred by Torie Gladwell and foaled at Stonegate Stables in Fort Edward, Sweet Montreal sold to Joseph DiRico out of the Top Line Sales consignment for $120,000 at this year’s OBS March sale.

Sweet Montreal is the ninth foal out of the Rockport Harbor mare Passeporta, who is the dam of the stakes-placed $187,888-earning New York-bred Solomini filly Sohana and three other winners. Passeporta is also the dam of a yearling filly by Solomini and a weanling filly by Drain the Clock, both bred by Gladwell in New York.

True Empress scores 14th win and first stakes victory in Monday’s Arctic Queen at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.

True Empress returned to stakes company for the first time in more than three years Monday and came away with a victory in the $50,000 Arctic Queen at Finger Lakes.

Owned by J and M Racing Stables, James O’Driscoll and Elvira Falco, True Empress won the 6-furlong Labor Day feature by 1 ¾ lengths under Luis Perez for trainer Michael Ferraro. The 5-2 third choice in the field of six improved to 2-for-8 on the season with $65,621 earned.

Bred by Magnolia Mares LLC, the 6-year-old daughter of Classic Empire originally sold to Reeves Thoroughbred Racing out of the Sequel New York consignment for $135,000 as a weanling at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale. She started her career for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and R. A. Hill Stable and trainer George Weaver, winning in her fifth start and finishing fifth in the Bouwerie Stakes at Belmont Park in her seventh start.

True Empress was claimed for $16,000 by trainer Carlos Martin and J and M Racing Stables out of a victory in mid-September 2022 during the Belmont at the Big A meeting. She raced for Martin through May 2023 before making her first start for Ferraro at Finger Lakes in late June 2023.

The winner of an allowance race at Finger Lakes in late June, True Empress came into the Arctic Queen off a third in a $93,000 allowance July 30 at Saratoga Race Course.

Matched up against 7-5 favorite Zi End and stakes winner Caldwell Luvs Gold, True Empress came away last of six and raced 4 lengths behind Sandy’s Garden through the opening quarter-mile in :23.47.

True Empress made up ground around the turn and inched into third, just a length behind Sandy’s Garden past the half in :47.23. True Empress continued on well from there, zipped past the eighth pole a length in front and edged away under pressure late to win in 1:11.71. Sandy’s Garden held second, 2 lengths clear of Caldwell Luvs Gold with Zi End fourth. The Shoe Lady and Missing Fortune completed the field.

True Empiress, who improved to 14-for-44 with earnings of $446,202, is the second foal out of the stakes-placed Yes It’s True mare For All You Know. She’s the dam of the winning Good Magic colt Thawban and the 2-year-old Knicks Go filly Fulanita who sold for $20,000 at the OBS June sale.

For All You Know sold in foal to Mitole for $38,000 at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Digital February sale. She’s the dam of a yearling filly by Mitole and a weanling colt by Endorsed, both bred in Maryland by Golden Lion Racing.