Sacrosanct gives New York-based freshman sire Honest Mischief first stakes win in Sunday’s Bertram F. Bongard. NYRA Photo.

Sacrosanct followed up his sharp maiden victory last month at Saratoga Race Course with an even more powerful performance in Sunday’s $125,000 Bertram F. Bongard Stakes at Aqueduct.

The 2-year-old son of Honest Mischief won the 7-furlong Bongard in his second start by 12 lengths under Manny Franco for trainer Brad Cox and owners Lady Sheila Stable, Net Birdie LLC and Schwing Thoroughbreds.

Sacrosanct won his debut August 21 at Saratoga by 3 1/4 lengths to give his New York-based sire his first winner and became his first stakes winner with his win from the rail over six others in the Bongard. Honest Mischief, an 8-year-old son of Into Mischief out of the Grade 1-winning Seattle Slew mare Honest Lady, stands for $6,500 at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson.

The second most expensive colt and third highest-priced New York-bred at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale, Sacrosanct cost his owners $260,000. Bred by Burleson Farms, McKenzie Bloodstock and Sequel Thoroughbreds and foaled at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson, Sacrosanct joined Cox’s string at Belmont Park shortly after the sale and prepare for his debut.

Sacrosanct won that 6-furlong debut as the 8-5 favorite and was hammered down to 6-5 for the Bongard from his 2-1 morning-line price.

“We had him here at the beginning and we really liked him, so we sent him up to Saratoga early to prepare for his first start,” said Cox’s Belmont-based assistant Dustin Dugas. “He pulled through then and he’s been training super since he came back from Saratoga. He hasn’t missed a lick and was training right along. Brad always thought he could stretch out.”

Franco didn’t waste time from the break taking advantage and took control a few strides in ahead of fellow Saratoga maiden winners Buttah and McDiesel. Sacrosanct led through the opening quarter-mile in :22.89 and continued to hold a half-length edge over Buttah to the half in :46.68.

Sacrosanct shrugged off Buttah around the far turn and opened up. He increased that advantage to 6 1/2 lengths in midstretch, past 6 furlongs in 1:11.35 and widened from there to win in 1:24.35 over the fast track.

“My main thing was trying to break good,” Franco said. “I did not expect to be on the lead, but [Manhattan Twist], I don’t know, don’t break. … My horse broke on top and I said ‘Man, he has a race under his belt already,’ so I take it by the break and it worked out perfect for me. He’s still learning. This was just his second start. He will improve race by race.”

Buttah, a son of Leofric for Eddie F’s Racing, held second with August Dawn Farm’s Saratoga maiden winner Pay the Juice another 1 3/4 lengths back in fourth. Smilensaycheese, 5-2 second choice Manhattan Twist, Oath of Omaha and McDiesel completed the field.

Sold at the Midlantic May sale out of the Sequel Bloodstock consignment, Sacrosanct is the fourth foal out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Vibrato. She’s also the dam of stakes-winning New York-bred Navit and four-time winner and $109,245-earner All the Diamonds.

The victory gave Sheila Rosenblum of Lady Sheila Stable a pair of stakes victories on Sunday’s card. Lady Sheila also co-owns Joseph A. Gimma winner With the Angels.

“Both are 2-for-2 now; they both broke their maidens in their first start and won a stakes in their second start,” Rosenblum said. “I’ve got one or two nice horses, and they are both pretty talented. I know both sides of this game – they don’t always win – but the good moments are exhilarating.”

Rosenblum, who campaigned New York-bred Horse of the Year and graded stakes winner La Verdad, sang the praises of the Empire State’s program.

“I’ve been an advocate of the New York-bred program, and I’ve always loved New York-bred horses,” she said. “From my first win with La Verdad, it’s all about New York. I have to be there and support New York. Aqueduct is wonderful and I look forward to getting Belmont back as well, but my horses really do like Aqueduct. The New York-bred program is a great program and it’s gotten larger and larger. I really do try to create and get New York-bred horses, so this has been an incredible day. I’m absolutely speechless.”

With the Angels, a $350,000 purchase out of this year’s OBS April sale, blasts the field in Sunday’s Joseph A. Gimma. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

By Alec DiConza

The betting public seemed to know With the Angels would be a good one when she made her debut August 22 at Saratoga Race Course. Off at even-money with Jose Ortiz in the saddle, the daughter of Omaha Beach rolled to an easy 11 1/2-length victory for trainer Linda Rice.

With the Angels made her second career start in Sunday’s $125,000 Joseph A. Gimma Stakes at Aqueduct. The crowd bet her down to 1-9 favoritism, and similar to her debut, she did not disappoint.

Breaking from the rail again under Ortiz, With the Angels got off to a fast start and immediately took the lead. She led her four rivals through an opening quarter-mile in :23.40 and easily put separation between herself and Valtellina.

With the Angels galloped through the half in :47.17 and by the time she reached the quarter pole, the race appeared to be over. Getting some light encouragement from Ortiz, she opened to a 9 3/4-length margin and won as easy as could be over Valtellina and Carmen’s Candy Jar. With the Angels completed the 7-furlong stakes for 2-year-old New York-bred fillies in 1:24.04.

“She’s 2 years old, and I felt like she got a lot done the first time,” Ortiz said. “I was expecting to get something out of her a little bit because she’s going to have to face better horses next time and in the future. I wanted her to get something out of it today, and at the eighth pole I looked and nobody (was) coming. Just hand ride her, show her the whip a little bit and just ride her to the wire. Teach her that she needs to keep going.”

After two big victories against New York-breds, With the Angels could wheel back in just 13 days for the Grade 1 Frizette against open company.

“The door is open for the Frizette,” Rice said. “We are just going to see how she comes out of it, if she’s eating well, if she’s sharp, that type of thing. We are going to consider the Frizette, but if we decide to back up and go to the Maid of the Mist, that is an option as well.”

Owned by Winning Move Stable, John Oxley, Lady Sheila Stable, Rideau Racers and Sanford Robbins, With the Angels was bred by Joseph DeRico, foaled at River Valley Farm in Gansevoort and sold for $350,000 at the OBS April 2-year-olds in training sale.

With the Angels is out of the three-time winning Pulpit mare Sister Margaret, who has produced three other foals to race including the stakes-placed filly Maggy’s Palace.

My Mane Squeeze and Luis Saez cruise to the finish of Saturday’s Grade 3 Fasig-Tipton Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs. Coady Media.

By Paul Halloran

For a New York-bred, My Mane Squeeze sure likes Kentucky.

William “Buck” Butler’s homebred, whom he owns in partnership with WinStar Farm, made it 2-for-2 under the twin spires with a convincing 5-length win in the Grade 3 Fasig-Tipton Dogwood Stakes Saturday.

My Mane Squeeze also won the Grade 2 Eight Belles Stakes on this year’s Kentucky Derby undercard. The 3-year-old filly won for the sixth time in 12 career starts and increased her earnings to $988,460.

In the Dogwood, My Mane Squeeze, the 3-2 favorite, covered the 7-furlong distance in a final time of 1:22.27 under Luis Saez for trainer Mike Maker.

“Today the plan was to try to break and be a little closer than last time,” Saez said, referring to a closing second-place finish in the Grade 2 Charles Town Oaks. “The track is pretty tight, and the plan was to put her in the clear as soon as possible. Everyone wanted to be up front early. She was in a good spot, and when she got to the top of the stretch, she was loaded.”

Neom Beach won a battle for the lead after a quarter-mile in :22.39, with Legadema, Fibber and Halina’s Forte all within a length up the backstretch. My Mane Squeeze tracked just behind them while in the clear. Around the far turn, after a half-mile in :45.95, Legadema briefly took the lead but was quickly confronted by My Mane Squeeze on her outside in mid-stretch. Saez and My Mane Squeeze kicked clear to take a convincing victory over Fibber, with Legadema third.

A daughter of Audible, My Mane Squeeze is out of the Speightstown mare In Spite of Mama, who is of the Carson City mare Mama Theresa, Butler’s only graded-stakes horse until Rotknee and My Mane Squeeze came along. My Mane Squeeze and Rotknee, who were foaled at Keane Stud in Amenia, are two of four winners out of In Spite of Mama.

Butler took on WinStar Farm as a partner after My Mane Squeeze’s victory in the February 18 Maddie May Stakes at Aqueduct.

In Spite of Mama is also the dam of the 6-year-old New York-bred Into Mischief colt Lookin for Trouble, a winner and multiple stakes-placed for Butler and Maker, and 4-year-old New York-bred Bolt d’Oro colt Mama’s Gold, a four-time winner with earnings of $191,041; and a New York-bred 2-year-old filly by 2019 Preakness Stakes winner War of Will and a yearling full brother to Rotknee.

In Spite of Mama, a 12-year-old out of the Carson City mare Mama Theresa, won three times  for Butler and Maker. Butler bought Mama Theresa for $65,000 at the 2005 OBS April sale of 2-year-olds in training. She won six of 25 starts, placed in two stakes and earned $240,898 for Butler and Timothy Twomey and the late trainer Dominic Galluscio.

In Spite of Mama is Mama Theresa’s second foal and a half-sister to five other winners, including Mana’s Dream and stakes winner A Freud of Mama, a $399,818 earner who finished third in the Grade 3 Matron Stakes at Belmont Park in 2019 for Butler and Maker.

Loon Cry collects second straight stakes victory in Saturday’s Sensible Lady Turf Sprint at Laurel Park. Maryland Jockey Club Photo.

Waterville Lake Stables’ homebred Loon Cry took her show on the road again Saturday and extended her win streak to three in the $100,000 Sensible Lady Turf Dash Stakes.

Coming off back-to-back victories in an allowance-optional and the Sweet Briar Too Stakes at Woodbine for trainer Christophe Clement, Loon Cry won the 6-furlong Sensible Lady by a length under Mychel Sanchez.

The 4-year-old daughter of More Than Ready closed from eighth at the half-mile and rallied through the lane to win the 6-furlong turf stakes in 1:08.44 over the firm ground. Queen of the Mud, the 8-5 favorite, finished second, three-quarters of a length in front of 2-1 third choice Love Appeals in third.

Sent off as the 4-1 third choice in the field of 10, Loon Cry settled toward the back of the field early as All That Magic set the pace through the opening splits of :23.34 and :45.60. Eighth through the half, Loon Cry moved into the six path turning for home and gained on the leaders outside the eighth pole.

All That Magic still led by a narrow head at the eighth pole but Loon Cry’s momentum carried her and Sanchez inside the furlong grounds to win going away.

“There was some good speed in the race so [Clement] told me to just get a good break out of the gate and get good position,” Sanchez said. “I was able to do that and save a lot of ground and after the way she’s breezed she gave me a really strong gear to the front.

She’s a fighter. When she goes to the front she was really, really running and then once she knew she won she slowed down like, ‘I got it.’ ”

Loon Cry improved to 7-for-14 with her latest stakes victory and boosted her earnings to $409,999. She’s also placed five times in her career, including a third in the Lady Erie Stakes at Presque Isle Downs. Loon Cry’s 14 starts have come at seven tracks – Aqueduct, Belmont Park, Presque Isle, Saratoga Race Course, Gulfstream Park, Woodbine and Laurel.

Loon Cry prepped for the Sensible Lady with Clement’s string at Belmont Park. She breezed a half in :51.55 August 24 and 5 furlongs in 1:04.45 September 4, both on the training track, in between the Sweet Briar Too and Sensible Lady.

Foaled at Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs, Loon Cry is one of five winners from five to race out of the multiple stakes-placed Bernardini mare Final Escrow, who was also bred by Waterville Lake Stables out of the multiple stakes-placed Escrow Agent.

Escrow Agent is also the dam of dual Grade 1 winner Vicar and stakes winner Sheepscot, who is the dam of Group 1 winner Astronomer Royal and Grade 2 winner Navesink River.

Final Escrow’s other winners are the 3-year-old Nyquist filly Go Ny Go, That’s Smart, Holy Spirit and Seanan. Final Escrow is also the dam of a yearling colt by Liam’s Map who sold for $220,000 to Sackatoga Stable at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. She’s also the dam of a New York-bred Good Magic filly born February 18. All were bred by Waterville Lake Stables.