Les Bon Temps (outside) comes up a nose short in Sunday’s Park Avenue but wins via the disqualification of Little Linzee (inside). Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

Jose Ortiz felt like Les Bon Temps was going to run past Little Linzee in deep stretch of Sunday’s Park Avenue division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes and he wasn’t alone.

The stewards agreed with Ortiz in the minutes following the Park Avenue and bumped Les Bon from second to first – at the expense of unofficial winner Little Linzee – in the $200,000 restricted stakes for offspring of nominated stallions standing in the Empire State.

“The inside filly [Little Linzee] clearly drifts out,” Ortiz said after Les Bon Temps came up just a nose short in the 6 1/2-furlong Park Avenue. “It cost me the race, so it was worth it 100 percent to claim foul, so I did. It was a disqualification and we got put up. I feel bad for Katie [Davis, aboard Little Linzee]. She works very hard in the morning and it’s a big deal for her to lose the win. Sometimes, it is what it is. I’m happy for my connections. I feel it was worth it to claim foul and I did and it worked out.”

Little Linzee looked on the way to possibly ending a string of five defeats following her debut maiden score last summer at Saratoga, and also collect her first stakes victory. The daughter of Honorable Dillon cut the corner turning for home, opened up on early leader Honest Banker and dug in down the lane to cross the finish first.

Les Bon Temps, already the winner of the Fifth Avenue division of the NYSS in mid-December, made a sustained rally from third early to reach contention approaching the stretch. The 3-year-old daughter of Laoban looked ready to roll past Little Linzee in midstretch before that foe drifted out and made contact a few times inside the final furlong.

Trainer Linda Rice and Sheila Rosenblum, who campaigns Les Bon Temps in the name of her Lady Sheila Stable along with Pura Vida Investments LLC, Cindy Hutson and Brett Setzer, thought they were second best after the first two hit the finish in 1:18.96 over the muddy and sealed track.

“It was very close as we were watching and thought, ‘oh we were second,’ but then I saw the head-on and it looked like she was getting bothered,” Rice said. “Jose was sure and he said ‘I was going right by her and she definitely interfered.’ ”

Les Bon Temps, a finalist for champion 2-year-old New York-bred honors in 2022, improved to 4-for-9 with the adjudged victory. She also collected $110,000 to boost her bankroll to $604,260.

Les Bon Temps won last year’s Maid of the Mist Stakes on Empire Showcase Day during the Belmont at the Big A meeting, and placed in two other stakes. She came into the Park Avenue off a second in the Maddie May in mid-February and a third in the East View in late March, both at Aqueduct.

Rice liked the way the filly out of the Tapizar mare Winsanity trained before the Park Avenue and came in confident in the 2-1 second choice.

“Pretty well, and actually better right now than she was prior,” Rice said. “She’s run well on a wet track; I was happy with that. I was a little concerned the distance was a little short for her, but I think the wet track certainly helped.”

Midtown Lights, the even-money favorite in the field of seven reduced by the early scratches of Maggie T and Our Rosie Diamonds and the gate scratch of Athena Beach, finished 1 3/4 lengths behind the first two in third. Dream On Cara, Clover Street, Hypnocurrency and Honest Banker completed the field.

Bred by Southern Equine Stables, foaled at Irish Hill Century Farm in Stillwater and the second foal out of the unraced Winsanity, Les Bon Temps was purchased by Deuce Greathouse and Pura Vida Racing for $65,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale.

Winsanity’s first foal, the New York-bred 4-year-old Bodemeister gelding The Man to See, is 1-2-0 in 11 starts with $39,934 in earnings. She is also the dam of an unnamed 2-year-old full brother to Les Bon Temps and a yearling filly by Honest Mischief. The latter two foals were bred by Cypress Creek Equine.

Rice said Les Bon Temps could wind up on grass in the near future, most likely in the $150,000 Cupecoy’s Joy division of the NYSS going 7 furlongs June 18 at Belmont Park, with another start on dirt before that.

“A lot of the Laobans do seem to like the grass, and I think we’ll probably try seven-eighths on the turf in the next stallion stake,” she said. “So maybe the Bouwerie (May 29 at Belmont) into that race.”

Lifetime of Chance (3) leads everybody home in Saturday’s Times Square. Joe Labozzetta/NYRA Photo

By Melissa Bauer-Herzog

The stakes-placed Lifetime of Chance broke through in Saturday’s $200,000 Times Square division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series at Aqueduct to become the third stakes winner for former Sequel New York stallion The Lieutenant.

Coming into this race after breaking his maiden by 16 lengths last out, the Destiny Oaks of Ocala-bred broke on top out of the gate. He kept the lead for a few strides before East Coast Girl made it clear he wanted the lead and the eventual winner obliged. As the pacesetter opened a few lengths on the field, Lifetime of Chance settled a few paths off the rail as the field clocked an opening quarter in :22.50.

East Coast Girl opened an even bigger lead into the turn before Lifetime of Chance stepped up the pace to close the margin and sit right behind him with Ten Cent Town on Lifetime of Chance’s outside turning into the stretch. After a :46.34 half, East Coast Girl wasn’t willing to give in easily and continued to fight for control down the Aqueduct stretch.

He grudgingly gave into Lifetime of Chance’s challenge in the final furlong and faded into third with Bank Frenzy making a big run to cut Lifetime of Chance’s victory to a neck with East Coast Girl 2 ½ lengths behind them as Lifetime of Chance stopped the clock in 1:18.65 for the 6 ½ furlongs.

While a stewards’ inquiry delayed making the results official, Lifetime of Chance ultimately kept the victory.

Making his first start for trainer Mark Casse after being moved from Linda Rice’s barn by D.J. Stable off a 7-furlong win March 18, Lifetime of Chance scored for the second time in seven starts. Worse than third just once in his career, he pushed his earnings to $249,940.

“We’ve had him a little under a month. He has just been automatic, really classy and has does everything right since coming under our care. Linda did a good job with him,” said Casse’s assistant Shane Tripp. “It kind of seems like he wants to go a little further than that. Dylan [Davis] was speaking about that when he came back. I think he has a big future ahead of him.”

Lifetime of Chance is a one of two stakes winners out of Janetstickettocats alongside Grade 3 winner Lucky Player with the mare producing three winners from three to race. Rice bought Lifetime of Chance at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old sale in Maryland for $135,000 from Vargas Sales.

Purchased for $160,000 as a yearling by Destiny Oaks of Ocala, Janetstickettocats is a half-sister to multiple Grade 2 winner Runway Model. That mare is the dam of four-time Grade 1 winner McKinzie and stakes placed Rompin Reid.

Janetstickettocats foaled a filly by Union Jackson in Florida in 2021 and foaled a Knicks Go colt in the state March 23.

A half-brother to Triple Crown winner Justify, The Lieutenant produced just one crop before his death in Peru in 2019. His sons and daughters include nine winners and five stakes performers in addition to the three stakes winners.

The late Wudda U Think Now and jockey Dylan Davis after last year’s Alex M. Robb at Aqueduct. Joe Labozzetta/NYRA Photo.

By Tom Law

Thomas Mina remembers exactly how things unfolded the minutes after the hammer fell on Hip 324 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale.

“I went and found the people when they bought the horse, right up to them and told them ‘you got the bargain of the sale,’ ” Mina said after the colt he bred by first-crop sire Fast Anna sold for $60,000.

The colt, later gelded and named Wudda U Think Now, made his breeder’s statement sound pretty good over the next four-plus years. He won nine of 21 starts – including four stakes – and earned $564,750 for Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group and trainer Rudy Rodriguez before his life was cut short last month following a bout with colic.

Rodriguez reported the news last week to Daily Racing Form’s David Grening, saying the 6-year-old came down with colic about 10 days after his fourth in the Haynesfield Stakes for New York-breds Feb. 20 at Aqueduct. He was later euthanized after foundering at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center in Kennett Square.

“It was very, very hard for the whole barn,” Rodriguez told the Form. “He was a nice-looking horse who always tried. (Grant) already had a home for him if he was going to be retired.”

Mina bred Wudda U Think Now in the name of his Mina Equivest LLC and foaled and raised him at his Five Oak Farm in Saratoga Springs.

“That horse was a gutsy horse, I’ll tell you that,” Mina said. “And Rudy and his team did a good job with him.”

Wudda U Think Now wins the 2022 John Morrissey Handicap at Saratoga. NYRA Photo.

Mina, involved in racing since claiming a horse with a friend in 1987, was at Saratoga Race Course last summer when Wudda U Think Now won the John Morrissey Handicap. That victory ended an 0-for-45 run at the 2022 Saratoga meet for Rodriguez and gave Wudda U Think Now his second stakes victory of the year along with the Hollie Hughes in mid-February at Aqueduct.

Wudda U Think Now battled a quarter crack after the Hollie Hughes, which sent him to the sidelines for a few months. He returned with a fourth in an open allowance race in late June at Parx Racing before the Morrissey victory. (Read more about the Morrissey on page 34 of the Aug. 13, 2022 edition of The Saratoga Special)

Wudda U Think Now later added a victory in the Alex M. Robb Stakes in December at Aqueduct along with a third in the Lite the Fuse Stakes at Pimlico Race Course and a fourth in the Hudson Stakes on Empire Showcase Day at Aqueduct. He ended the season with four wins in seven starts and earned nominations for champion New York-bred older dirt male and male sprinter.

The 2022 New York-bred champions will be announced during the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc.’s Annual Awards Dinner Monday, May 8 at Saratoga National Golf Club.

One of five winners out of the stakes-placed Unbridled Jet mare Unbridled Grace, Wudda U Think Now started the 2023 season with a victory in the Say Florida Sandy Stakes Jan. 8 at Aqueduct.

Wudda U Think Now was Unbridled Grace’s last foal. She was also the dam of stakes-placed winners C d’Cat and James Jingle, 12-time winner and $239,160-earner Dean Verdile and five-time winner and 4216,633-earner Sandy Belle. Mina Equivest bred all of those foals and the unraced Gio Ponti mare Lienau, who is a member of Mina’s broodmare band at Five Oak Farm.

Lienau is the dam of an unnamed 2-year-old New York-bred filly by Flameaway and a yearling filly by Global Campaign that sold as a weanling for $100,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga October mixed sale.

Therapist, claimed two starts back for $50,000, wins the Grade 2 Pan American Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Gulfstream Park Photo.

Michael Dubb saw Therapist in for a $50,000 tag in late January at Gulfstream Park and started thinking about down the road.

“This particular 8-year-old is a New York-bred, and I race in New York all summer long,” Dubb said of the then multiple stakes winner and graded-placed gelding by Freud. “My thought was, I knew he was well taken care of because the previous trainer who is also a trainer of mine is a great caregiver.

“They decided to move the horse along, and they sold him for a pretty good price. He wound up in a claiming race and I said, ‘I think we can win some New York-bred races.’ I was never dreaming we would do this.”

This turned out to be Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Pan American Stakes on the Florida Derby Day undercard at Gulfstream Park. And this turned out to be a three-quarters of a length victory for Therapist – his first in a graded stakes – in the 62nd renewal of the 12-furlong event. Irad Ortiz Jr. rode Therapist to victory for Dubb and trainer Mike Maker.

Therapist, a seven-time stakes winner before the Pan American, won for the 12th time in 39 start.

“This horse knows his way to the winner’s circle; it’s his 12th time,” Dubb said. “The pedigree really screamed long and we said, ‘Let’s give it a try and see what happens.’ Then you have Irad Ortiz as your pilot, and it all comes together.”

Even-money favorite Master Piece led into the stretch and looked poised to go on to victory but was caught inside the final sixteenth by Therapist on the inside and Bay Street Money on the outside. Therapist, who returned $11, won in 2:29.22.

Maker and Dubb claimed Therapist out of his third-place finish on the turf at Gulfstream Jan. 20. He prepped for the Pan American with a victory in a starter allowance event on the Tapeta synthetic surface Feb. 11.

“He’s an old, class horse,” said Nolan Ramsey, Maker’s assistant. “He does everything right. He’s easy to train. This was his first start at this distance, but his pedigree says he’ll run long, so we tried him here and it worked out.”

The Pan American was Therapist’s victory stakes victory since the Artie Schiller – also against open company – in mid-November 2020.

Named champion New York-bred 2-year-old male in 2017, Therapist won that season’s Laurel Futurity at Laurel Park and Awad Stakes at Belmont Park for trainer Christophe Clement. He returned to win three of seven starts at 3 in 2018, including the Cutler Bay Stakes at Gulfstream. Therapist also won stakes at 4 and 5, finished second in the West Point Stakes at Saratoga at 6 and on the board in two more stakes on the NYRA circuit at 7 last year.

Bred by Oak Bluff Stables and Christophe Clement and foaled at Berkshire Stud in Pine Plains, Therapist is one of two stakes winners out of the winning Smart Strike mare Lady Renaissance. Her other stakes winner, Therapist’s full sister Fresco, won or placed in seven of 10 starts for Oak Bluff and Clement and earned $125,350.

Eye Witness, on cruise control late under Irad Ortiz Jr., win the Animal Kingdom Stakes at Turfway Park. Coady Photography.

Eye Witness ran to his lofty purchase price, odds and recent training with an authoritative victory in the $180,000 Animal Kingdom to kick off the stakes portion of Saturday’s Jeff Ruby Steaks Day card at Turfway Park.

Sent off as the 3-5 favorite in the field of five reduced by a trio of scratches, Eye Witness tracked early and took command of the 6-furlong stakes with less than a quarter-mile to run en route to a 5-length victory under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Trained by Wesley Ward, the 3-year-old son of City of Light improved to 2-for-3 in the Animal Kingdom, adding to his New Year’s Day victory at Turfway after starting his career with a third sprinting on the grass during the Belmont at the Big A meeting in September. Eye Witness earned $93,000 for the win to boost his bankroll to $123,240 for the Coolmore-affiliated ownership group Westerberg, Susan Magnier, Jonathan Poulin, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor.

Eye Witness (blue cap) storms past Olazabal turning for home for his first stakes victory. Coady Photography.

Eye Witness, who breezed a bullet 5 furlongs in :59.20 over the main track at Keeneland Race Course March 16, came away first at the break before conceding the early lead to Olazabal and jockey Gerardo Corrales. Ortiz put Eye Witness just off the leader through the sharp opening quarter-mile in :22.26 over the synthetic surface.

Olazabal, an 11-length winner in his most recent start at Turfway in mid-January, continued to lead Eye Witness by 1 1/2 lengths through the half in :46.54. Eye Witness drew on even terms turning for home and drew off from there, widening his 1-length advantage in midstretch to 5 at the wire. Olazabal held second, 5 1/2 lengths ahead of Brazen Boy in third. Eye Witness won in 1:11.76.

Eye Witness was the top-priced New York-bred at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale on a bid of $650,000 from Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier during the auction’s third session as Hip 723. Bred by Anlyn Farms and foaled at Irish Hill Century Farm in Stillwater, Eye Witness originally sold as a weanling to Brady Bloodstock for $235,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November mixed sale.

A half-brother to New York-bred stakes winner More Mischief and stakes-placed winner Myawaya, Eye Witness is the eighth foal out of the Mr. Greeley mare Gracilia. A half-sister to New York-bred champion 2-year-old and 3-year-old and Grade 2 winner Sharp Humor, Gracilia is also the dam of New York-bred winners Scalpeen, Decorator Jenn and Killala Bay.

Gracilia’s New York-bred daughter of Practical Joke sold for $190,000 at this week’s OBS March sale of selected 2-year-olds in training. She is also the dam of a yearling New York-bred filly by Game Winner.

Maple Leaf Mel returns from layoff with dominating victory in Friday’s East View Stakes at Aqueduct. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

August Dawn Farm’s Maple Leaf Mel picked up where she left off – albeit almost seven months ago – with a convincing victory in Friday’s $100,000 East View Stakes at Aqueduct.

Off with shin issues since winning the Seeking the Ante Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day August 26, the 3-year-old daughter of Cross Traffic improved to 3-for-3 in the 6-furlong East View. Joel Rosario, in from Gulfstream Park for trainer Jeremiah Englehart, rode Maple Leaf Mel to her 7 3/4-length victory.

“That was super,” said Englehart, who prepped Maple Leaf Mel for her comeback at Palm Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach, Florida. “Joel has worked her the last couple of times down in Florida and I was happy that he wanted to come up and ride her; that gave me a lot of confidence. It seems like she’s made the transition from 2 to 3 and hopefully she can continue to get better.”

Maple Leaf Mel, named for Englehart’s longtime assistant and Canadian Melanie Giddings, showed no signs of rust in her comeback victory. Englehart breezed her nine times between Jan. 6 and March 16, and bettors hammered the filly down to 1-5 for her comeback against six opponents led by multiple stakes winner Les Bon Temps.

Maple Leaf Mel went to the front from the start and led Les Bon Temps, Security Code, Banterra and Little Linzee through the opening quarter-mile in :23.15.

Rosario gained confidence through the half in :47.41 as Maple Leaf Mel opened up by 1 1/2 lengths from Les Bon Temps. They continued on from there, widening the advantage through the lane to win in 1:12.75. Security Code, second to Maple Leaf Mel when they made their respective debuts last August at Saratoga, finished second at 26-1 with Les Bon Temps another 2 lengths back in third. Little Linzee, Banterra, Queens Masterpiece and Lady Mine completed the lineup.

“She was nice and comfortable and she was always there for me,” Rosario said. “She was just waiting for somebody to challenge her. It looked pretty easy for her today. She’s very talented. She had a lot of speed and it was a great race for her coming back off the layoff. She seems like she’s a little more mature and focused. It looks like she’s grown up the way she’s supposed to.”

Maple Leaf Mel and her people – including namesake Melanie Giddings on her hip – celebrate East View victory. NYRA Photo.

Englehart said he left all the decisions up to Rosario, who also rode Maple Leaf Mel to her prior to victories. Maple Leaf Mel won those on the front end, too, but her trainer wasn’t worried if another filly wanted the early lead in the East View.

“I don’t think it matters with her,” Englehart said. “I’ve worked her plenty of times as a 2-year-old behind horses and let her tip out and make a run. She’s just a racehorse. If you put her there, she’s going to try and repel everyone that comes to her. She likes to run. It’s as simple as that. She likes to do what she’s doing.”

Englehart and August Dawn’s Bill Parcells – the Hall of Famer who coached the New York Giants to a pair of Super Bowl victories – hope Maple Leaf Mel continues her winning ways down the road.

Englehart said the $125,000 Bouwerie Stakes on Big Apple Showcase Day May 29 at Belmont Park is an option, and possibly more lucrative spots.

“Coach wants to win a Grade 1 and my goal is to win a Grade 1 with her for him,” Englehart said. “We’ve talked about a couple different spots. The Bouwerie is an option, but it’s a little further away than we wanted coming off this race. We’ll see how she comes out of it and I’ll have a nice, long talk with Coach on the way back up to Saratoga today and see what he wants to do.”

Parcells, working with Englehart and Robbie Medina, purchased Maple Leaf Mel for $150,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale of 2-year-olds in training. She picked up $55,000 in the East View for her connections to boost her bankroll to $213,400.

Bred by Joe Fafone, foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham and out of the winning City Place mare City Gift, Maple Leaf Mel originally sold for $18,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale. She’s the sixth foal out of City Gift, who is also the dam of the stakes-placed eight-time New York-bred winner Eddie’s Gift.

City Gift sold in foal to Brody’s Cause for $4,000 at the 2021 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale. She delivered a colt by that sire in March 2021 in Ontario.