follow us onTwo Aiken Training Track Grads sprint to graded stakes wins today on the same card at Laurel!
TRAIN HERE, WIN ANYWHERE! KILLIBEGS CAPTAINS takes the $250,000 G3 FRANK J. DE FRANCIS MEMORIAL DUBINI wins the $100,000 LAUREL DASH
DUBINI wins the $100,000 LAUREL DASH
Purchased by Mark Grier for $162,000 at OBS March and started by Legacy Stable, DUBINI (Gio Ponti) recently added still another stakes placing in the DA HOSS S, sprinting on the turf at the newly opened Colonial Downs.
Today he upped the ante wiining the $100,000 LAUREL DASH S. 3yo/up, 5 1/2fT,1:01.71, fm.
His 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN.
O-PewterStable
B-Castleton Lyons & Kilboy Estate (KY)
T-Kathleen A. Demasi;
Lifetime Record: 18-5-5-1,$324,775.
KILLYBEGS CAPTAIN takes the G3 FRANK J. DE FRANCIS MEMORIAL DASH S.
Courtesy of the TDN
FRANK J. DE FRANCIS MEMORIAL DASH S.-GIII, $250,000,
Laurel, 9-21, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:08.10, ft.
1–KILLYBEGS CAPTAIN, 120, h, 5, by Mizzen Mast
1st Dam: Al Maha, by Holy Bull
2nd Dam: Lost Lode, by Mr. Prospector
3rd Dam: Past Forgetting, by Messenger of Song
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($20,000 Ylg ’15 KEESEP; $75,000
2yo ’16 OBSAPR). O-Curragh Stables
B-H. Allen Poindexter(KY)
T-John P. Terranova II;
Lifetime
Record: GISP, 24-6-5-3, $521,453. W
Killybegs Captain, a runaway winner of the Pelican S. at Tampa
in February, ran well in defeat in his next six trips to the post,
including a pair of third-place finishes at long odds in the
GII John A. Nerud S. July 6 and GI Forego S. Aug. 24,
respectively.
He saved ground while racing in a midpack fourth through a
sharp opening quarter in :21.74 here and came charging up an
inviting opening along the inside in the stretch to get the money.
“John [Terranova] didn’t tell me really any instructions
because I’ve ridden the horse a few times already,” winning
rider Eric Cancel said. “He just told me to ride him with a lot of
confidence and to bring home the winner and, thank God, he
made it possible. I’ve been watching him work in the mornings
and he’s been running his last few races super good. He’s in very
good shape. I never had a doubt that he could win this race.”
Pedigree Notes:
Killybegs Captain becomes the 23rd graded winner for sire
Mizzen Mast. The winner’s dam Al Maha, a maiden of four
career starts, is also responsible for the unraced 2-year-old colt
Benny Chang (Cross Traffic) and a Cross Traffic filly of this year.
Al Maha was bred back to Always Dreaming. H. Allen Poindexter
purchased Al Maha at the age of nine for $17,000 at the 2011
Fasig-Tipton Heiligbrodt Dispersal Sale. This is the extended
female family of millionaire Concerto
Killybegs Captain Wins De Francis Dash At Laurel Park
Sprinter picked up his first graded win after a last-out third in Forego (G1).
Avoiding stretch traffic that caused a couple of rivals to alter momentum, Killybegs Captain rallied inside down the Laurel Park stretch Sept. 21 to win the $250,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes (G3) over hard-knocking Ohio-bred Altissimo.
The De Francis provided Killybegs Captain with his second stakes victory in eight starts this year and his first graded score. Winner of the Pelican Stakes Feb. 16 at Tampa Bay Downs for owner Curragh Stables, he was third in the John A. Nerud Stakes (G2) July 6 at Belmont Park and third in the Forego Stakes Presented by Encore Boston Harbor (G1) at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 24, beaten 3 3/4 lengths by Mitole—one of the nation’s best sprinters—in his most recent graded start.
Although he faced a solid stakes group at Laurel, none were in Mitole’s class, and it showed when Killybegs Captain kicked into gear after being rated in fourth, nine lengths off the pace under jockey Eric Cancel. He pulled within 5 1/2 lengths after a half-mile and then made the lead inside the final furlong when frontrunning Old Time Revival began to tire, drifting out in the path of Altissimo and third-place He Hate Me.
“I had a lot of confidence. The horse has been training very good,” said Cancel, who rode him for trainer John Terranova. “I’ve been watching him work in the mornings and he’s been running his last few races super good. He’s in very good shape. I never had a doubt that he could win this race.”
The second favorite in the field of six, Killybegs Captain returned $7.80 to win. He is a 5-year-old son of Mizzen Mast out of the Holy Bull mare Al Maha. Curragh Racing bought him for $75,000 from the consignment of Cary Frommer at the 2016 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
Altissimo was a clear second, 3 1/4 lengths ahead of 6-5 favorite He Hate Me. It was another two lengths back to Maryland Sprint Stakes (G3) winner New York Central in fourth, followed by Bon Raison and Old Time Revival. The latter, who blitzed out of the gate with splits of :21.74 and :44.37, weakened to lose by 8 3/4 lengths.
Wonderful Light and Sparticle were scratched.
Killybegs Captain’s winning time of 1:08.10 on a fast main track was the fastest De Francis since Richter Scale’s course record of 1:07.95 in 2000.
The race was one of eight stakes worth $1.3 million at Laurel, most of them run on the grass
2 year old colt EPITOMIZE wins first out – an ATT/Cary Frommer grad
Courtesy of the TDN
Prepared at the Aiken Training Track and consigned by Cary Frommer
4th-Presque Isle Downs, Msw, 9-19, 2yo, 6f (AWT), 1:10.05, ft.
EPITOMIZE (c, 2, Cairo Prince-Renee’s Queen {SW}, by AfterMarket) blossomed from a $110,000 KEENOV weanling to a $200,000 FTSAUG yearling to a $350,000 EASMAY juvenile consigned by Cary Frommer after breezing in :10 1/5 in Timonium in May. The x-x shot raced near the rear of the field, well back off an opening quarter in :22.27. Making an eye-catching move up the outside on the backstretch run, the gray ranged up four wide turning for home and coasted clear in the lane with ease to don cap and gown by 4 1/4 lengths. Hay Hay The winner has a yearling half-sister by Flat Out. His stakes-winning dam Renee’s Queen is a half-sister to GSW
Mighty Caroline (Stormy Atlantic) and MSW Cyclogensis (Stormy Atlantic). Sales history: $110,000 Wlg ’17 KEENOV; $200,000 Ylg’18 FTSAUG; $350,000 2yo ’19 EASMAY.
Lifetime Record:
1-1-0-0, $18,000.
O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Paul Braverman;
B-Stoneway Farm (KY); T-H. Graham Motion.
MAXIMUS MISCHIEF to stand at SPENDTHRIFT
Courtesy of the BloosHorse
Maximus Mischief has been retired to Spendthrift and will be immediately available for inspection upon appointment. One of the early winter book favorites for the 2019 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), the son of Into Mischief was undefeated in three starts as a 2-year-old by a combined 17 lengths, including a decisive victory over Tax in the Remsen Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct.
Bred in Kentucky by Martha Jane Mulholland and campaigned by owners Cash is King and LC Racing, the precocious colt earned Beyers of 94, 98, and 97 in his three performances at 2, making him one of the fastest juveniles of his crop and one of the fastest ever by his champion juvenile sire. Maximus Mischief was a $340,000 2-year-old purchase out of Cary Frommer’s consignment to the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. He is out of the Songandaprayer mare Reina Maria, a half sister to the grade 1-winning juvenile Secret Compass. His 2020 fee has been set at $7,500.
He joins CINCO CHARLIE in the Spendthrift Stallion Barn. CINCO CHARLIE was also started and sold by Cary Frommer at the AIKEN TRAINING TRACK.
2 year old DOUBLE CROWN wins first out at Laurel
Aiken Training Track board member Jim Rhodes got an exciting win at Laurel as DOUBLE CROWN (Bourbon Courage) won his first start. He pressed the pace on the rail, then moved out to get in the clear and finally accelerated down the lane to win by a neck. He is owned by Jim’s wife Debbie and trained by Lacey Gaudet. He was trained in Aiken by Cary Frommer – another straight from the Aiken Training Track to the Winner’s Circle.
DEE DEE’S ANGEL wins 2 in a row at Woodbine
DEE DEE’S ANGEL (Langfuhr) broke her maiden last out and obviously enjoyed the trip to the winner’s circle as running back, she wired the field to make it 2 in a row. Trained by Mike Keogh she is owned by The Estate of Gustav Schickedanz and Donald Howard. She was bred by Gustav Schickedanz.
KAUAI makes it 2 stakes in a row
KAUAI won the Iowa Stallions Stakes last out and today won the Iowa Derby. Off the favorite he raced 3 or 4 wide edged clear for the win late. He was started by Cary Frommer at the Aiken Training Track for owner/breeder H. Allen Poindexter and is trained at the race track by Lynn Chleborad . The 3 year old Girolamo gelding has 4 wins in 8 starts with 2 seconds and 2 thirds. That adds up to 100% on the board finishes and 50% wins. He has earned over $200,000.