Looms Boldly and Florent Geroux cruise to the finish of Thursday’s John Morrissey Handicap at Saratoga. NYRA Photo.

Ten Strike Racing’s homebred Looms Boldly collected his third stakes win – and first victory at Saratoga Race Course in three tries – in Thursday’s $125,000 John Morrissey Handicap.

Florent Geroux, aboard Looms Boldly for the first time in his previous start, rode the winner for trainer Brad Cox. Off since a runner-up finish in a June 8 open-company allowance-optional during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga, Looms Boldly led from the start en route to a 3 1/4-length over 13-1 longshot Factually Correct.

Geroux flew in from Kentucky – where he’s riding the Ellis Park meeting – and took the call again with confidence.

“He was pretty good last time, honestly,” Geroux said. “He ran so hard, that was my first time on him. Riding him again, I learned something about the horse, I know him better. He looked great in the paddock, felt great warming up, when I put him in the gate, I was very confident.

“Just a very honest horse who gives his all. I knew a little more as far as when to hit the gas. It was simple, I was able to establish a lead pretty easily, gave him a nice breather on the turn and from there it was pretty much over.”

Looms Boldly, the 5-2 second choice in the field of six, took advantage of a stumbling start for 7-5 favorite Rotknee. Looms Boldly clicked off splits of :22.76 and :45.91 for the opening half-mile over the fast track and amidst a light rain, leading Factually Correct, Rotknee and Light Man up the backstretch and on the far turn.

Factually Correct and Flavien Prat amped up the pressure around the far turn and got within a length of the leader before the field turned for home. Geroux went to work from there, roused Looms Boldly in the lane and opened up by 3 lengths in midstretch. He cruised from there, winning in a drive by 3 ¼ lengths from Factually Correct. Light Man finished a neck back in third, with Sherriff Bianco, Ocean’s Reserve and Rotknee completing the field. Looms Boldly won in 1:10.41.

“That was the plan,” Blake Cox, assistant to his father, of the front-running tactics. “Great post position outside with a speed horse. We were going to try and be speed of speed. We broke well, the horse to the inside of us (Rotknee) did not, so he took advantage of it and took them the whole way.”

Looms Boldly picked up $68,750 for the win, improved to 5-for-12 with three seconds and two thirds in his career and boosted his bankroll to $323,870.

Bred by Ten Strike’s Marshall Gramm and Clay Sanders and foaled at Keane Stud in Amenia, Looms Boldly is one of three stakes winners out of See the Forest. He’s a half-brother to multiple stakes winner and $303,795-earner Critical Value and six-time winner and $380,435-earner Whittington Park, who runs in Friday’s Evan Shipman Handicap at Saratoga.

See the Forest, claimed by Gramm for $12,500 out of a victory in early October 2010 at Philadelphia Park, is also the dam of 10-time winner and $457,124 earner Grit’n’grind, five-time winner and $261,995-earner Steam Engine and winners three other winners.

See the Forest did not produce a foal in 2021 or 2022. She’s the dam of a yearling colt by Constitution slated to sell Sunday night as Hip 315 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred sale. Ten Strike Racing also bred See the Forest’s most recent foal, a colt by Warrior’s Charge born in New York March 6.

Looms Boldly descends from New York-bred royalty as See the Forest is out of New York-bred champion, graded stakes winner, 14-time winner and $1.06 million earner Critical Eye.

Sterling Silver romps in Wednesday’s Johnstone Mile Handicap at Saratoga Race Course. NYRA Photo.

By Tom Law

Where Sterling Silver shows up, Mallory and Karen Mort often will follow.

The couple, who share a longtime association with Gallagher’s Stud in Ghent, bred the daughter of Cupid and frequently travel to see her compete. They’ve been downstate to see her at Belmont Park and Aqueduct several times, to the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland in 2022 and of course to Saratoga Race Course.

Wednesday, they took in Sterling Silver’s convincing victory in the $121,250 Johnstone Mile Handicap and came away with something new when the daughter of Cupid romped by 9 3/4 lengths. Sterling Silver gave the Morts their first stakes win at Saratoga as breeders.

“This is the first one,” Mallory Mort said. “It’s been a lot of fun following her. We have one mare. You don’t get these chances very often.”

Sterling Silver won the Johnstone off a short two-week turnaround after finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss Handicap July 24. She finished 3 lengths behind Spirit Wind in that 6-furlong event, although never seriously threatening the winner.

Bet down to 3-4 from her 7-5 morning-line price – in part because of the race-day scratches of 9-5 second choice Cupid’s Heart and longshot Echo In Eternity – Sterling Silver also made her third start for trainer Bill Mott as the fifth week of the Saratoga meet got underway.

Mott joked about the turnaround after meeting with the media following Sterling Silver’s eighth victory in 25 starts.

“You know, a little bit of a bold move I suppose to run back on 10 days’ rest in today’s day and age,” Mott said. “But she seemed to handle it well.”

Sterling Silver handled her four opponents without too much difficulty in the Johnstone Mile. Racing longer than 7 furlongs for the first time since finishing second in the 1 1/16-mile Critical Eye Stakes on Big Apple Showcase Day in late May 2023, Sterling Silver and jockey Junior Alvarado set up shop in third early as Sunset Louise dictated the tempo ahead of Smokin’ Hot Kitty.

Sunset Louise clicked off early fractions of :24.14 and :47.50 before Kendrick Carmouche made a decisive run to the lead aboard Smokin’ Hot Kitty midway around the far turn. Maggy’s Place followed Smokin’ Hot Kitty’s move to the outside with Sterling Silver tracking behind those two.

Smokin’ Hot Kitty led past the quarter-pole and 6 furlongs in 1:12.42 and turned for home in front a few paths off the rail. That opening left room for Sterling Silver and Junior Alvarado, who surged through at the 3/16ths pole and opened up in a flash. Sterling Silver added to her lead with every stride through the lane and won in 1:37.40.

“She did everything on her own,” Alvarado said. “We didn’t have to rush her off her feet. She was just dragging me around and I just had to wait for an opening. When I found it, I just gave her a little nudge and she finished up well.”

Maggy’s Palace edged Smokin’ Hot Kitty for the place spot by three-quarters of a length with Bustin Bay fourth and Sunset Louise fifth.

Owned by Mark Anderson, Sterling Silver collected $68,750 for the win and boosted her bankroll to $837,301. She won for the first time since taking an open handicap going 7 furlongs in early May at Tampa Bay Downs and improved her Saratoga record to 2-for-6 with a second.

Mott took over Sterling Silver’s training this spring after making one start for Lance Rutledge – a fifth in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff on Kentucky Derby Day – after a long sting in retired trainer Tom Albertrani’s barn. Mott relished the chance to run Sterling Silver a bit longer than most of her prior races.

“She seemed to handle the mile really well today and did it easily,” Mott said. “She was in the bridle the whole way rather than having to scrub on her to make her keep up with the pace. She wants to go more than 6. Maybe 7 to a mile is a good distance for her.”

Foaled and raised at Marlene Brody’s Gallagher’s Stud – where Mallory Mort serves as farm manager – Sterling Silver is the fourth foal out of the Distorted Humor mare Sheet Humor.

Mort bought Sheet Music in foal to Midnight Lute for $14,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Her first foal, the Midnight Lute gelding Midnight Comedy, sold for $45,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. Sheet Music is also the dam of the winning Central Banker mare Helene Jacqueline, who brought $35,000 at the 2018 Saratoga New York-bred sale; and Ortiz, an unraced son of Speighster that sold for $210,000 at the 2019 Saratoga New York-bred sale.

Sterling Silver would have sold in Saratoga’s New York-bred sale but Fasig-Tipton conducted its yearling sales in Kentucky because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Offered as Hip 51 in the Select Yearling Showcase, Sterling Silver wound up an RNA and later was purchased through private sale by agent David Hager for Anderson Acres for $13,000.

“There really are no interesting stories about her,” Mort said. “She was so boring, never had anything wrong, never had any problems. You can see how she acts when she comes out. She’s the most laid-back horse in the world.

“Unless you count that we took her to a sale and nobody seemed to like her. That was the year they had the New York-bred sale in Kentucky. It was the first sale and the lead-in to the main sale instead of the opposite, like here in Saratoga. Things were slow and she was fairly early. What are you going to do? I take them to the sale to sell them but it’s the way it goes.”

The Morts sold Sheet Humor, in foal to leading New York sire Central Banker, for $3,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale. Sterling Silver made it to the races about a month later and won her debut at Aqueduct before a victory in January 2022 in the Franklin Square Stakes. She’s since competed in 11 graded stakes – finishing second in the Grade 2 Prioress at Saratoga and Grade 2 Gallant Bloom at Belmont at the Big A and ninth in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint – along with winning the 2023 Iroquois on Empire Showcase Day.

The Morts also fared well with the last foal they bred out of Sheet Humor. Rhetorical, a 3-year-old gelding by Not This Time, sold for $320,000 at the 2022 New York-bred yearling sale. He gave the Morts reason to cheer – in person of course at Saratoga – when he won his debut by 5 lengths going 1 mile on the inner turf July 26 for owners Siena Farm and WinStar Farm and trainer Will Walden.

Roanan Goddess wins return to the main track in Sunday’s Searching Stakes at Laurel Park. Maryland Jockey Club Photo.

Mens Grille Racing’s Roanan Goddess relished her return to the main track and came away with a victory in Sunday’s $96,000 Searching Stakes at Laurel Park.

Winless since taking her 2024 debut in the 6-furlong Xtra Heat on a sloppy track in late January at Laurel, Roanan Goddess cruised to a 6 ¼-length victory in the 1-mile Searching. The 3-year-old daughter of Leofric won in 1:39.53 for the 1-mile on the fast track under J.G. Torrealba. The Searching was originally carded for 1 1/16 miles on the grass but transferred to the main track because of rain.

Bred by Chad Carter, foaled at Rockridge Stud in Hudson and out of the winning Midnight Lute mare Night Madam, Roanan Goddess improved to 4-for-11 with the victory and picked up $60,000 to pad her bankroll to $218,240. A $30,000 purchase by C & C Stables at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale, she later sold to Mens Grille Racing for $60,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale.

The 3-2 second choice in the field of four, Roanan Goddess raced fourth early as stakes winner and 6-5 favorite Call Another Play set moderate fractions of :25.16 and :50.22 through the opening half-mile. Madame Mischief pressured the leader with previously unbeaten Distorted d’Oro three wide in third and Torrealba and Roanan Goddess positioned between horses in fourth.

Roanan Goddess split horses to reach contention on the far turn and was tipped outside at the head of the stretch, surging past Call Another Play. Call Another Play nosed out Distorted d’Oro for second, with Madame Mischief fourth.

Trained by Hamilton Smith, Roanan Goddess started her career on the turf and won her second start going 5 1/2 furlongs in September at Colonial Downs. She raced exclusively on dirt through late February, winning an allowance-optional in October and the Xtra Heat in January. She earned a break after finishing third in the 7-furlong Wide Country Stakes in late February and returned to be sixth in the one-mile Hilltop May 17 on the turf at Pimlico Race Course. She stayed on grass for her start before the Searching and finished ninth in Laurel’s 5 1/2-furlong Stormy Blues Stakes June 16.

Roanan Goddess is the second foal out of Night Madam, who is also the dam of the eight-time winning New York-bred Alpha mare Madam Alpha. Night Madam is also the dam of an unraced West Virginia-bred 2-year-old full brother to Roanan Goddess named Snowy Night.

Sahin Civaci guides Loon Cry to victory in the Sweet Briar Too Stakes Saturday. Woodbine/ Michael Burns Photo

Waterville Lake Stables’ homebred Loon Cry collected her first stakes victory in Saturday’s listed $127,500 Sweet Briar Too at Woodbine.

Going off as the 3-2 favorite in the field of 10 for trainer Christophe Clement, the 4-year-old daughter of More Than Ready settled toward the back of the field early in the 6-furlong turf stakes. Nearly from the time the gate opened, Miss Vyvyanne raced on an open-length lead through early fractions of :22.23 and :44.92 over the firm turf. Nearly 15 lengths separated first from last early with Loon Cry sitting in third-to-last.

Jockey Sahin Civaci let his Loon Cry to roll around the turn and the filly started moving closer while circling the field. Loon Cry picked up even more in the final furlong, hit the front and held steady by a length at the line. Blind Spot finished second with Queen Macha third. Loon Cry won in 1:09.11.

“I spoke with Mr. Clement this morning,” said Civaci. “And you know, it’s a horse that comes off the pace, so that’s what we decided on, coming off the pace. There was quite a bit of speed throughout the race. I was just sitting comfortably at the back watching everything unfold and when it was time, I angled her out, and she kicked on. She was drifting in a little bit, but I was clear of everybody. And she finished up strongly.”

Loon Cry improved to 6-for-13 with five other top-three finishes and boosted her bankroll to $349,999. The New York-bred already had a stakes placing to her name when third in last year’s Lady Erie Stakes at Presque Isle Downs before staying almost exclusively in allowance company, other than one other stakes run before Saturday.

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 proved to be a strong broodmare as the dam of dual Grade 1 winner Vicar and stakes winner Sheepscot among her five stakes performers.

Six of her daughters went on to produce their own stakes performers, led by Sheepscot, who produced Group 1 winner Astronomer Royal and Grade 2 winner Navesink River.

In addition to a winning New York-bred Nyquist filly named Go Ny Go born the year after Loon Cry, Final Escrow also has an unnamed Liam’s Map yearling colt. She produced a New York-bred Good Magic filly February 18. All were bred by Waterville Lake Stables.

Trainer Jeremiah Englehart with trainee New York-bred Bellacose. Photo credit: Susie Raisher

By Teresa Genaro

Trainer Jeremiah Englehart started this summer’s Saratoga meet about as well as one could expect: he won with a two-year-old, with his first starter of the meet, in a graded stakes, and in one of Saratoga’s most historic races, the Sanford Stakes, which has been won by horses like More Than Ready, City Zip, Afleet Alex, and Firenze Fire. 

Four days later, he was back in the winner’s circle with Bellacose, another two-year-old, this one a filly that romped in her first start, a maiden special weight that she won by 10 3/4 lengths. 

Both of Englehart’s juveniles are New York-breds, as is Iron Max, who was a fast-closing fourth in a MSW on July 24, and as a New York native who grew up near Finger Lakes, in a horse racing family, Englehart knows well the advantages of racing New York-breds.  

Among the standout New York-breds he’s trained are graded stakes winners Pat On The Back, Maple Leaf Mel, King Kreesa, and Sandy’z Slew. 

“I’ve got about 16 New York-bred two-year-olds in the barn now,” said Englehart, sitting in his office of his Saratoga barn, located off Fifth Avenue in the Annex. “That’s a few more than we’ve had in the last couple of years. Through Legion Bloodstock and some of the partnerships we’ve formed, we’ve been able to branch out. At yearling and two-year-old sales, we’ve been concentrating on New York-breds.”

While Englehart has enjoyed graded stakes success with horses bred in New York, he doesn’t hesitate to take the New York-bred stakes route, even with his most promising horses.

An elated Jeremiah Englehart with NY-Bred Grade 3 Sanford winner Mo Plex. Photo credit: Susie Raiher

In 2022, Maple Leaf Mel was an impressive first-out winner at Saratoga, winning by five lengths, and Englehart pointed her not to the Spinaway Stakes (G1), but to the Seeking the Ante Stakes on Saratoga New York-bred Showcase Day. He took a similar route with Pat On the Back in 2016, pointing the colt to the Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes and two New York-bred stakes before venturing into open company.

Englehart’s Sanford winner Mo Plex is by first-crop sire Complexity and was bred by Everything’s Cricket Racing. Out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare Mo Joy, the colt brought $45,000 from Englehart’s JCE Racing at this year’s OBS spring sale of two-year-olds in training after failing to meet his reserve as a yearling at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of preferred New York-breds, bringing a final bid of $27,000. He’s earned $137,500 in his two lifetime starts, more than tripling his sale price. 

“Right now I’m leaning towards the Funny Cide for his next start,” said the trainer, referring to the stakes races on this year’s Saratoga Showcase Day on Aug. 25. “It depends on what other winners emerge at the meet. The main reason that I’d try the Hopeful Stakes [G1] is that I really want to stretch him out. He’s had two races, and the goal is to turn him into an older horse. I don’t want to do too much with him too early.” 

Englehart is thinking along similar lines with Bellacose, aiming her to the Seeking the Ante Stakes on Showcase Day.

Superstitiously saying that he was probably going to “shoot himself in the foot,” Englehart nevertheless identified several other promising New York-bred juveniles, starting with Miss Welch, a Maclean’s Music filly out of the Speightstown mare Downtown Mama that was bred by Lady Sheila Stable.

Miss Welch is entered in a MSW at Saratoga on July 26 and is the 7-2 third choice on the morning line. Englehart’s long-time purchasing partner Legion Bloodstock paid $190,000 for her at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of two-year-olds in training.

“The way they’d been working, I thought she was better than Bellacose,” said Englehart. “At first, I was going to run Miss Welch in the race that Bellacose won, and run Bellacose in Friday’s race. I thought that Bellacose would be a little more ready for the distance, but I flip-flopped them to give Miss Welch a little more time. It worked out with Bellacose, and we’ll see how it works out for Miss Welch.” 

Among the New York-bred colts for which Englehart has high hopes is Sir Cartwright, purchased as a weanling for $175,000 and pinhooked at last year’s Saratoga New York-bred sale for $195,000. He was bred by Saratoga Glen Farm and is by Maclean’s Music, out of the Hennessy mare Water of Life.

He also mentioned Annexperience by first-crop sire Instagrand, bred by Forty Oaks and Pug Hart; Toga Life, bred by Sandee Schultz and, like Mo Plex, is by first-crop sire Complexity; and Omaha Pistol, bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds and Lakland Farm. 

“I love the New York-bred program,” he went on. “I’ve been working with it my whole life. It’s great for people who want to be in the game and have a shot at earning money. You can run in races restricted to New York-breds, and if you have one good enough, you can always handle open company, too.”

The Big Torpedo rolls again Thursday, winning the Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes at Saratoga. NYRA Photo.

Tom Morley met with Eric Cancel before the races Thursday to talk some strategy.

The trainer and jockey were teaming up a few hours later with heavy favorite The Big Torpedo in the $150,000 Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes. Cancel knows the New York-bred son of Big Brown; he’d ridden him in five straight prior starts including two that yielded victories. Morley knew that Cancel knew the colt.

The meeting didn’t last long.

“Let’s not overcomplicate it,” Cancel told Morley, then followed suit and guided The Big Torpedo to his second straight Stallion Series victory. The 1-2 favorite in the field of seven, The Big Torpedo won all the way on the lead by 4 1/2 lengths over Courtly Banker with Fidelightcayut third. That 1-2-3 finish nearly matched the NYSS Spectacular Bid a little more than a month ago during the Belmont at the Big A meeting when The Big Torpedo and Courtly Banker finished 1-2 and Fidelightcayut finished third.

“I like the fact that Eric took no prisoners today,” Morley said. “It was a very good ride and a very good performance to go that fast early and then quicken up as well.”

Owned by Thomas Albrecht, Vincent Fusaro and James Klein and bred by Dean and Patti Reeves’ Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, The Big Torpedo improved to 3-for-8 and collected an $82,500 check to pad his bankroll to $320,900.

Foaled at Irish Hill Century Farm in Stillwater and out of the Empire Maker mare U. S. S. O’Brien, The Big Torpedo set strong fractions of :23.99, :46.97 and 1:10.64 while building a 2 1/2-length lead over Courtly Banker turning for home.

The Big Torpedo, a 10-length winner in a mid-January maiden at Aqueduct and placed against open company in the Woodhaven Stakes two starts back, rolled home from there. He widened his lead to 4 lengths in midstretch and won in 1:35.01 over the course labeled firm. Courtly Banker, a son of Central Banker campaigned by Sackatoga Stable and trainer Barclay Tagg, finished 3 1/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Fidelightcayut, a son of Leofric campaigned by RT Racing Stable and Hablan Los Caballos and trained by Juan C. Avila. B D Saints, Cable Ready, Six Fortyfive and Solo Empire completed the field.

Albrecht and his partners, along the Dean Reeves, relished the latest victory for The Big Torpedo.

“That’s my sixth stakes win, but my first at Saratoga,” Albrecht said on the way to the Carmen Barrera Room with Morley’s wife Maggie and others.

Reeves, who bred the colt after campaigning U. S. S. O’Brien to a record of 3-2-2 in 11 starts with $143,140 in earnings. A $130,000 buy at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale, U. S. S. O’Brien was later offered in foal to Mucho Macho Man but not sold on a $55,000 bid at the 2019 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

Albrecht and his team bought U. S. S. O’Brien through Conor Foley’s Oracle Bloodstock in foal to Maclean’s Music for $40,000 at the inaugural Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July breeding stock sale in 2021. The Big Torpedo was already born at that point – he’s a March 30, 2021 foal – and U. S. S. O’Brien had also produced the Mucho Macho Man fillies Mi Pebeta (2020) and Hang On Honey (2019). The latter is a winner and U. S. S. O’Brien is also the dam of the unraced 2-year-old New York-bred Maclean’s Music colt O’Brien’s Song, who was bred by Albrecht, Fusaro and Klein and offered but not sold on a $28,000 bid at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred sale.

“What a thrill, this is my first winner at Saratoga as a breeder,” Reeves said. “When we bred the mare we weren’t that familiar with the New York breeding program but we’ve learned a lot about it since, and it’s been good to us. Just the other day we got a check for something like $20,000 for one of the races (The Big Torpedo) won, and no doubt we’ll be getting another soon.”

The Big Torpedo’s latest victory also continued a strong season for Big Brown, New York’s leading sire in 2020 who stands for $5,000 at Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions in Stillwater. Champion 3-year-old male and winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2008, Big Brown is also the broodmare sire of 2024 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch and his 2023 Kentucky Derby-winning half-brother Mage.

Big Brown came into Thursday ranked 10th on the New York general sire list with more than $540,000 in progeny earnings in 2024.