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.
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
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
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.
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.
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 (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 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.
by NYRA Press Office | 09.02.2019 | 4:53pm
Leonard C. Green’s A Thread of Blue and Bloom Racing Stable’s Henley’s Joy square off in Saturday’s $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational, the third and final leg of the Turf Trinity at Belmont Park.
The 37-day Belmont fall meet begins Friday, offering 45 stakes worth $11.525 million in purse money and eight Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” qualifiers held over two weekends.
Saturday’s card features the conclusion of the innovative Turf Triple Series, with NBC presenting live coverage and analysis of the $750,000 Jockey Club Oaks and Jockey Club Derby, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race offering a berth in the Longines Turf, as part of a nationwide broadcast from 4:30-6 p.m. Eastern.
The stakes-laden card will also include the first running of the $300,000 Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational for 3-year-olds and up at 1 ½ miles on Big Sandy.
Henley’s Joy, who kicked off the Turf Trinity in July with a 20-1 upset of the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational for trainer Mike Maker, will be joined by Digital Age in the 1 ½-mile Jockey Club Derby as the only two horses to contest all three legs.
A Thread of Blue, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, made every pole a winning one in the second leg of the Turf Trinity, the inaugural edition of the $1 million Saratoga Derby.
Saturday’s rubber match will feature a field of nine contenders, including international shippers from France, England and Canada.
“It would be fabulous to win two legs, but we’re just happy to be in it with a big chance,” said McLaughlin.
A Thread of Blue, a dark bay son of Hard Spun, boasts a record of 5-2-1 from 10 starts. He picked up his first stakes win at Gulfstream in February taking the Dania Beach by 3 ½-lengths, ahead of a score in the Grade 3 Palm Beach at the Hallandale oval.
Following a narrow defeat to Digital Age in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs in May, A Thread of Blue landed fourth in the Grade 2 Penn Mile on June 1.
Last out, with regular pilot Luis Saez aboard, A Thread of Blue took command of the 11-horse Saratoga Derby field from the gate and stayed strong to the wire for a convincing win.
McLaughlin said he is a little concerned about both the distance and weather heading into Saturday’s test.
“We’re not too sure about the distance and a few days ago there was no rain in the forecast, but now we have rain. He prefers it firm, so hopefully it doesn’t get too soft,” said McLaughlin. “He’s trained great coming into it and he’s run very well. We hope it stays firm. It will be a fresh new course.”
Saez will guide A Thread of Blue from the inside post.
Henley’s Joy, a chestnut son of Kitten’s Joy, has four wins and three seconds from 12 career starts. A maiden winner at first asking last July at Ellis Park, Henley’s Joy has a flair for the dramatic winning the Kentucky Downs Juvenile by a head last September ahead of a narrow nose defeat in the Grade 3 Bourbon at Keeneland in October. His additional runner-up efforts include a neck loss in the Kitten’s Joy at Gulfstream Park in January and a half-length miss in the Grade 3 Transylvania at Keeneland in April.
With Jose Lezcano aboard for the first time, the hard-luck Henley’s Joy enjoyed a perfect trip in the Belmont Derby. Settled in third position along the rail, Henley’s Joy kicked on gamely down the lane to defeat Social Paranoia by three-quarters of a length.
With Lezcano up for the third time, Henley’s Joy will depart from post 3.
Maker will also saddle Phoenix Thoroughbred III’s Kadar, a Kentucky-bred son of Scat Daddy, who launched his career in England with a win at Haydock for then trainer Karl Burke. He finished third on July 18 in his North American debut in a 1 1/6-mile optional-claimer at Saratoga, ahead of finishing seventh in the Saratoga Derby.
With Manny Franco up, Kadar will emerge from post 7.
Earle Mack and Team Valor’s Spanish Mission, trained by David Simcock, will ship to New York from his base in England for his North American debut in the Jockey Club Derby.
The Noble Mission bay, bred in Kentucky by St. Elias Stables, captured the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy in July at Newmarket and enters the 1 1/2-mile Jockey Club Derby, from a good third in the Group 3 Qatar Gordon on August 1 at Goodwood.
Jamie Spencer retains the mount from post 9.
L and N Racing’s Ontario-bred Tone Broke captured two-thirds of the Canadian Triple Crown with wins in the Prince of Wales on dirt at Fort Erie and the Breeders’ at 1 ½-miles on turf at Woodbine in his grass debut.
Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the dark bay son of Broken Vow has won four of 11 starts. He will be piloted by Hall of Famer John Velazquez from post XX.
OTI Racing’s Irish-bred San Huberto, a bay son of Speightstown, ships in from France for trainer Fabrice Chappet. A three-time winner from five starts, San Huberto owns a pair of listed stakes wins including the Coupe des Trois Ans at Lyon Parilly at 12-furlongs in May and the Prix Club Hipico Concepcion – Prix Michel Houyvet at 1 ¾-miles on August 4 at Deauville.
Kentucky Derby-winning rider Flavien Prat has the call from post 5.
Cuadra Miranda SLU’s Pedro Cara, a French-bred son of Pedro the Great, has won two of five starts in his native France. Trained by Mauricio Delcher, Pedro Cara captured the listed Prix Frederic de Lagrange over 12 furlongs of soft turf on July 19 at Vichy.
Tony Piccone retains the mount from post 4.
Klaravich Stables’ Digital Age, a bay son of Invincible Spirit, has won three-of-five starts for three-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.
A winner at first asking on the Tampa Bay Downs turf in January, Digital Age followed up with a head score in his stakes debut in the Columbia in March. With Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, Digital Age made the grade with a rallying effort in the Grade 2 American Turf in May.
Freshened into the first leg of the Turf Trinity on July 6, Digital Age rallied from 12th to finish fourth, defeated less than three lengths by Henley’s Joy. Last out, in the Saratoga Derby, Digital Age closed to complete the exacta behind A Thread of Blue.
Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will partner with Digital Age for the first time in the Jockey Club Derby, leaving from post 8.
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Robert LaPenta and Dixiana Farms’ Current, a chestnut son of Curlin, bested Henley’s Joy by a nose in October to win the Grade 3 Bourbon.
Although winless since making the grade, Current has hit the board with a third in the Dania Beach and a rallying second in the Jersey Derby last out on August 18 at Monmouth Park.
Junior Alvarado has the call from post 2.
NYRA will celebrate the 2019 Turf Triple Series by offering fans $3 general admission tickets, as well as “Triple Specials” that will include $3 Post Parade programs, hot dogs and concessions throughout Belmont Park.
The first 23 days of the 37-day Belmont fall meet will be held at Belmont Park before the action shifts to Aqueduct Racetrack for Belmont at the Big A beginning on October 11 and continuing through October 27.
The Jockey Club Derby is slated as Race 10 on Saturday’s 11-race card. First post is 1 p.m. with entry gates open to the public at 11 a.m.
FLAT OUT SPEED (Flat Out) skipped to an easy win in the IOWA SORORITY S. at Prairie Downs. Off the prohibitive favorite, she was 9 lengths to the good at the top of the stretch and won geared down. The 2-year-old filly won her first outing, won the Prairie Gold Lassie Stakes and remains undefeated in 3 starts. She is owned by Poindexter Thoroughbreds LLC and is trained by Lynn Chleborad. She was bred by her owner and Wynnstay LLC
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