My Shea D Lady adds off-the-turf NYSS Statue of Liberty to resume Wednesday at Saratoga. NYRA Photo.

By Tom Law

Joe McMahon leaned forward in his box on the front row of the clubhouse above the Saratoga Race Course winner’s circle, just before the last runners loaded for Wednesday’s $145,500 Statue of Liberty division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes.

McMahon, with close ties to three of the six runners including a role as the breeder of one of the main contenders, had a vested interest in the 1-mile off-the-turf event for 3-year-old fillies.

“Come on, let’s get lucky,” he said, just as NYRA starter Hector Soler sent the runners on their way out of the Wilson Chute.

Luck came through as My Shea D Lady, bred by and raised at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs, came from just off the pace under Javier Castellano to run down Sohana for her second stakes victory. McMahon’s good luck – far from the lone reason for the success of the second-crop son of Curlin – played out with a 1-2 finish for Solomini in the race originally carded for the same distance on the grass.

“That was great,” McMahon said on the way to the winner’s circle to meet owners Shea D Boys Stable and trainer Carlos David. “She was the best foal in his first crop. I loved her from the day she was born.”

McMahon sold My Shea D Lady for $25,000 to Tony Bowling as a weanling at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale.

“I had to beg him,” McMahon said. “I remember telling him, ‘This is a really nice horse.’ ”

Shea D Boys bought her from Bowling for $100,000 at last year’s OBS April sale and she’s won three of eight starts since, with a second and a third with earnings of $465,000. The Statue of Liberty added $82,500 to the tally and gave owners Dennis Shea Jr., Dennis Shea Sr. and Danny Shea and their families reason to relish the Saratoga experience.

“We’re small potatoes in this big world but when we can come up here and win a race, it’s fantastic,” said Dennis Shea Jr., who is based in Jupiter, Fla.

The lone stakes winner on dirt left in the field of five after scratches – including the post time scratch of Cap Ferrat on the advice of the track veterinarian – My Shea D Lady took up a tracking spot in second while odds-on favorite Sohana and Flavien Prat took the lead.

Sohana, a winner on dirt two starts back in May and fourth in the Cupecoy’s Joy division of the NYSS in mid-June, clicked off a moderate first quarter-mile in :23.92 before quickening the tempo a bit to the half in :46.98.

“I broke and wanted to make sure to put my horse in a forward position,” Castellano said. “It was a small field, not a lot of speed. I wanted to put myself in a place to keep track of the speed horse. My horse, she likes to look around a little bit, but I didn’t want to be too close to another horse and get her to engage too early.”

Sohana still led by 2 1/2 at the quarter pole and through 6 furlongs in 1:11.81 with My Shea D Lady continuing her run after going wide on the far turn.

My Shea D Lady cut the deficit turning for home, took over at the three-sixteenths pole and spurted away to lead by 1 1/2 lengths in midstretch. My Shea D Lady cruised home from there, 1 3/4 lengths in front of Sohana, who finished 7 clear of Baroness Bourbon in third. Tour Jete and Amy’s Light completed the field.

“I let her step up to the outside and get her rolling and switch leads,” Castellano said. “She took off much the best. Very happy with the way she did it.”

David was happy for the surface switch, thinking back to the filly’s victory in the $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the NYSS last December at Aqueduct, along with solid performances in New York-bred stakes on the NYRA circuit during her juvenile campaign.

My Shea D Lady also finished second, beaten 3 lengths by Sunday Girl, in the Park Avenue division of the NYSS in mid-April at Aqueduct.

“I’m really glad it came off, although I wanted to try her two turns and wanted to see if she can handle it on the turf,” David said. “The first time [on the turf] we went 6 furlongs, she did it well. We were hoping we would finish in the money, but she didn’t run bad, just a little short and it was quick. We’re hoping maybe more distance she’ll be able to relax and come back. But I was hoping it would come off because I think she handles better the one turn.”

My Shea D Lady is the first foal out of the Teuflesberg mare Lady Berg. A half-sister to New York-bred stakes winner Hoosick Falls and stakes-placed Manor Prospect, Ladyberg is also the dam of the 2-year-old Solomini colt Frame Up, a $9,000 RNA at the 2023 OBS winter mixed sale and a $20,000 purchase by William Tyler and Jane Martin at the 2023 OBS October yearling sale. Frame Up is in training at Saratoga and shows five breezes on his work tab, including a half in :49 July 2 on the Oklahoma Training Track. McMahon also bred another yearling full brother to My Shea D Lady born May 9, 2023.

Solomini, a 9-year-old son of Curlin who stands for $7,500, came into the day ranked third on New York’s general sire list behind fellow McMahon stallions Bucchero and Central Banker. Solomini led New York’s freshman and juvenile sire lists last year with progeny earnings of more than $1.44 million.

Pandagate storms from off the pace under Dylan Davis to win Monday’s New York Derby at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.

Pandagate, off since a gallant third behind Japanese sensation Forever Young in the Grade 2 UAE Derby in late March, showed no signs of rust in his return to the races with a victory in Monday’s $159,000 New York Derby at Finger Lakes.

Pandagate and jockey Dylan Davis made a wide sweep – out at least six paths off the rail – around the far turn en route to a three-quarter-length victory over 4-5 favorite and recent Mike Lee Stakes winner Doc Sullivan. Owned by Adelphi Racing Club, Madaket Stables, Corms Racing Stable and On The Rise Again Stable and trained by Christophe Clement, Pandagate improved to 3-for-5 with the victory.

A son of the late Arrogate bred by Fred Hertrich III, Pandagate was purchased by his trainer for $130,000 out of the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. He won two of his first three starts, including the Gander Stakes over Doc Sullivan, before his sojourn to the Middle East.

Pandagate finished third in the $1 million UAE Derby, beaten 6 3/4 lengths by eventual Kentucky Derby third-place finisher and multiple stakes winner Forever Young.

Back with New York-bred company off a string of five works in June and July at Belmont Park, Pandagate went off as the 6-5 second choice in the New York Derby.

Davis was content to led Pandagate race in fifth through the opening half-mile, with local longshot Skyler’s Starship clicking off splits of :24.66 and :49.38. Doc Sullivan, the winner of his last two including a 4-lengths score in the slop in the Mike Lee June 9 at Saratoga, took up the immediate chase behind the leader with Elysian Meadows and Aggelos the Great in close contention.

Skyler’s Starship continued to lead around the far turn as Doc Sullivan and Aggelos the Great ranged up to his outside through 6 furlongs in 1:14.27. Davis tipped Pandagate to the outside midway on the bend, the grey ridgling accelerated past rivals and put away Doc Sullivan in the stretch to win in 1:45.63 over the fast track. Doc Sullivan finished 2 1/2 lengths clear of the 33-1 Skyler’s Starship, who edged Elysian Meadows by a neck for third.

Pandagate, who picked up $95,400 to boost his earnings to $297,050, is the fifth foal out of the stakes-placed Sky Mesa mare Kitty Panda. A homebred for Oak Bluff Stables and Clement, Kitty Panda won two of nine starts and finished third in the 2013 Bouwerie Stakes.

Hertrich purchased Kitty Panda in foal to Blame for $160,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February mixed sale. Pandagate is one of three New York-bred winners out of Kitty Panda, who is also the dam of three-time winner and $151,380-earner Panster and the two-time winner Countable. Kitty Panda is also the dam of an unnamed Kentucky-bred 2-year-old colt by City of Light.

Caldwell Luvs Gold rolls to victory under Manny Franco in Monday’s $75,000 New York Oaks. SV Photography.

Caldwell Luvs Gold stretched out to two turns for the second time in her career and stormed to victory in Monday’s $75,000 New York Oaks at Finger Lakes.

Dicke Racing’s 3-year-old daughter of Goldencents, second last time out going 7 furlongs in the Bouwerie Stakes on New York Showcase Day, shipped from Saratoga Race Course for trainer Brad Cox and won the Oaks by 3 1/4 lengths over Sweet Brown Sugar.

Sent off as the 2-5 favorite under Manny Franco, Caldwell Luvs Gold settled into second early as Sweet Brown Sugar clicked off the opening quarter in :24.88 and half in :50.70. Caldwell Luvs Gold inched closer to the leader approaching the far turn and raced just a half-length behind through 6 furlongs in 1:15.12.

Sweet Brown Sugar, who came in unbeaten in three starts at Finger Lakes including the Niagara Stakes last time out, still led into the stretch before Caldwell Luvs Gold stormed past at the eighth pole. Caldwell Luvs Gold, winner of last year’s Seeking the Ante Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day, poured it on from there and won in 1:46.22 for the 1 1/16 miles on the fast track.

Sweet Brown Sugar held second, 9 1/4 lengths clear of the second-time starting maiden Purpose with Dharma, Dreamery and Thirteen Red Flags completing the field.

Caldwell Luvs Gold improved to 3-2-2 in nine starts and picked up $45,000 for the victory to pad her bankroll to $299,765.

Bred by Jeremiah Desmond and Drumkenny Farm LLC, Caldwell Luvs Gold is the second foal out of the Quality Road mare Snow.

Caldwell Luvs Gold sold for $36,000 as a weanling at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale before being purchased by Melissa and Kevin Dicke of Indianapolis for $73,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred sale.

Snow’s first foal, the Cupid gelding Eminency, was a winner who earned $98,413. Her third foal, the 2-year-old New York-bred Vekoma filly Saratoga Snow, sold for $125,000 at 2023 OBS October yearling sale before bringing $47,000 from trainer Mike Dini at this year’s OBS April sale. She’s in training at Monmouth Park with a string works, including a half in :48.60 last Wednesday.

Snow is also the dam of a yearling colt by Cupid and a colt by Mind Control, both bred in New York by Desmond.

Caldwell Luvs Gold won her debut last July at Saratoga before her victory in the Seeking the Ante. After back-to-back stakes placings, Caldwell Luvs Gold finished off the board going two turns for the first time in the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct. She returned in 2024 in the East View Stakes, finishing third, before a sixth sprinting on the turf against older fillies and mares. Caldwell Luvs Gold finished a late-running second in the Bouwerie, under Franco, to set up her run in the New York Oaks.

Mo Plex and Irad Ortiz Jr. cruise to the finish in Saturday’s Grade 3 Sanford at Saratoga. NYRA Photo.

By Tom Law

Jeremiah Englehart gave owners Rick Higgins and Howard Read a bit of a warning after Mo Plex blasted to a 10-length victory last month during the Belmont at the Big A meeting, giving the New Yorkers reason to dream big about the biggest meet of the year in their backyard.

“This isn’t how it always happens with 2-year-olds when we buy them,” Englehart told the longtime friends, who race as R and H Stable.

Englehart might need to double down next time he puts the tack on Mo Plex, after the son of Complexity ran his record to 2-for-2 in Saturday’s co-featured Grade 3 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

“That was awesome,” Reed, who lives in the Albany area, said after posing with Higgins and Englehart before heading to celebrate the latest graded stakes victory for a product of the New York-bred program.

“We liked his chances, even though not a single prominent handicapper picked him on top,” said Higgins, who lives on Union Avenue in Saratoga just down the road from the racetrack.

Mo Plex’s owners, Englehart and gamblers that packed Saratoga on a steamy afternoon Saturday liked the colt’s chances a lot more after morning-line favorite Mentee came out of the race in the morning with a temperature. Mo Plex went off as the 9-5 second choice behind Studlydoright, down significantly from his 6-1 morning-line price from the outside post in the reduced field of seven.

Irad Ortiz Jr. put Mo Plex on the lead from the break, clicking off strong fractions of :22.51 and :45.92 into the backstretch and around the far turn.

In control throughout, Mo Plex turned for home up by more than a length and extended his advantage to 1 1/2 lengths over the tiring chaser Mr. Squeaky Wheels through 5 furlongs in :58.26. Mo Plex wasn’t seriously threatened from there and finished a length clear of Tremont Stakes winner Studlydoright at the finish in 1:11.72. Three Echos rallied for third.

Bred by Avi and Rhoda Freedberg’s Everything’s Cricket Racing, Mo Plex is the first foal out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare Mo Joy.

A $27,000 RNA at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale, Mo Plex was purchased by Englehart’s JCE Racing for $45,000 at the OBS April sale of 2-year-olds in training. Englehart added R and H Stable to his client list late last year and is thrilled to bring the New Yorkers to his predominantly New York-bred stable bedded down in the Oklahoma Annex at Saratoga for the spring, summer and fall.

Englehart, a longtime player in the state who lives in Schuylerville and has turned much of his attention more to New York-breds in recent years, credited the program.

“This is where I call home all year long, and I concentrate and focus on buying New York-breds,” Englehart said. “Hopefully, we’ve got a few more we can unveil later in the meet and have some fun with. It’s just a tremendous program, and they’ve shown they can run with anything. To me, it’s fantastic and it’s almost like job security when you’re able to have New York-breds. I’m blessed.”