6/15/10 -  2009 Finger Lakes H.B.P.A. Awards: Mr. Windjammer Named HOY

 5/31/2010 - MR. WINDJAMMER takes the GEORGE W. BARKER H. at Finger Lakes for the second year in a row

MR. WINDJAMMER, g. 5, Regal Classic - Royal Relic, by Colonial Affair broke slowly and ran last until making a huge move at the half mile pole to surge to the lead. He is owed by Stonegate Thoroughbreds LLC and was bred by Stonebridge Farm (N.Y.). Royal Relic produced at SUNRIVER colt on 5/2 and is being bred back to UNBRIDLED'S SONG.

Lifetime: 26- 9-6-2, $241,612

10/24/09 - Fenway Faithful justifies $125K sales price with Sleepy Hollow surprise

Courtesy of NYBreds.com
by Rab Hagin

Photo: Adam Coglianese

FENWAY FAITHFUL

When 10 two-year-olds attempt a main track mile under sloppy conditions, anything can happen, but Klaravich Stables, Inc.'s and William H. Lawrence's FENWAY FAITHFUL was unintimidated, leading from halfway out to win Belmont's Sleepy Hollow Stakes on New York Showcase Day as the 9.70-to-1 fifth choice among nine wagering interests. Race-ridden for the first time by Ramon Dominguez, the chestnut colt pursued in third place along the rail behind a 22.66 opening quarter-mile before taking command at the half-mile pole and drawing clear in the upper stretch. Although 10.90-to-1 sixth choice City Trooper shadowed him relentlessly through the final quarter-mile, Fenway Faithful battled to a one-length victory while drifting out late, improving his record to two wins and one second in three starts, with earnings of $94,280. City Trooper placed second, followed by third-place Make Note -- a stakes-winning Read the Footnotes colt who was the 3.95-to-1 second choice -- and previously unbeaten multiple stakes winner Ibboyee, the 1.45-to-1 favorite, who finished fourth.

Dominguez was impressed with how well Fenway Faithful had handled the rainy and sloppy situation: "He handled the mud very well," observed Dominguez. "I had a lot of horse the whole race. It was his first time going the distance (a one-turn mile), and he handled everything very well."

Winning trainer Richard Violette suggested that a runner-up debut by Fenway Faithful on a muddy Saratoga track nine weeks earlier had been instructional: "He ran in the mud the first start of his life, and he handled it that day," recalled Violette. "I don't think he necessarily loved it, but at least that gave him some experience in it. We don't train a lot in the mud in the mornings, so that was valuable experience, and he was very game. He was a little bit -- not rank -- but he certainly dragged Ramon into a spot where he attacked pretty early, and he was just game enough to hang on."

Fenway Faithful had been the top-priced New York-bred sold at Fasig-Tipton Florida's March 3 sale of selected two-year-olds at Calder, going for $125,000 to LRK Stable, a partnership in which Seth Klarman of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts participates. Klarman and Jeff Ravich of southern California -- investment bankers who grew up together in Baltimore -- race under the banner of Klaravich Stables, Inc., and the other investment banking co-owner, Lawrence, grew up attending races at Saratoga and joined in with the Klaravich Stables partnership in 2004. Klaravich Stables also had raced NYTB champion and New York-based stallion Read the Footnotes. Fenway Faithful had been sold for $120,000 as a weanling at Keeneland's 2007 November sale and for $123,000 at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky's 2008 July yearling sale, and at an under tack show preceding his 2009 sale at Calder, the colt had worked a furlong in 10-2/5 seconds.

Bred by Jeffrey Tucker of New York City -- owner of Stonebridge Farm in Schuylerville -- but foaled at Cornell University's Research Park in Ithaca, Fenway Faithful is by multiple Grade 1 juvenile winner Grand Slam and is the second offspring and second winner produced from Lemon Tart, by Deputy Minister. Tucker had purchased Lemon Tart for $115,000 at Keeneland's 2005 November sale. Fenway Faithful is inbred 3 x 4 to Mr. Prospector, and Lemon Tart is inbred 3 x 4 to Northern Dancer. Lemon Tart's dam is stakes-placed winner Lemon Dove, by Forty Niner.

 

8/12/09 - Uncle T Seven threads needle from last in NY Stallion Cab Calloway

Courtesy of NYBRED.COM by Rab Hagin

Photos: Adam Coglianese

UNCLE T SEVEN

Now a stakes winner under such scenarios as sprinting on Aqueduct's inner dirt and going two turns on Spa turf, UNCLE T SEVEN threaded from last-to-first among eight New York-conceived three-year-old colts and geldings to win Saratoga's New York Stallion Cab Calloway Stakes by 2-3/4 lengths on Wednesday, August 12. The versatile Freud colt seems capable of excelling irrespective of distance or surface, and he clearly appeared to be enjoying himself in the mile and a sixteenth Cab Calloway around the outside Mellon meadow, sprinting clear under a hand ride with ears pinned. The $150,000 Cab Calloway was for sophomore males bred anywhere but conceived in New York to the covers of registered New York-based stallions.

Sent off as the 2.40-to-1 co-topweighted second choice among eight in his first outing under jockey Julien Leparoux, Uncle T Seven was allowed to trail the field in relaxed style for a half-mile as longshot Puregoodniss (30.75-to-1) set steady, easy quarter-mile splits of 24.06, 24.36, and 24.44. He advanced along the rail on the second turn before Leparoux steered the colt four-wide turning for home and split rivals while 2.35-to-1 favorite Scientist gained command at mid-stretch -- with Uncle T Seven at his throatlatch -- off an accelerated third quarter clocking of 23.74. Uncle T Seven's final sixteenth of a mile was the fastest 110 yards in the event, coming in at 5.91, and it propelled him clear of the rest of the field and to the wire in a winning time of 1:42.51. It was the second winning ride on Saratoga's Wednesday card for Leparoux, who reported that the Cab Calloway unfolded according to script: "That was the plan -- save ground on the rail and wait," stated Leparoux. "I didn't want to ask him too early, anyway. When I asked, he responded.".

This was the Cab Calloway's seventh consecutive running, its third renewal on Saratoga turf, and its second running at a mile and a sixteenth, although the 2008 version was conducted around the inner grass course in a winning time 1.18 seconds slower than Uncle T Seven's clocking. Uncle T Seven's stakes record-setting performance increased his earnings to $250,158 while improving his never-worse-than-fourth record to 3 - 2 - 4 in 11 starts, which includes a March inner track victory in Aqueduct's New York Stallion Times Square Stakes at six furlongs. The bay colt has been trained through his latest eight starts -- dating back almost exactly a year -- by John Morrison, who immediately started stretching the New York-bred out to two turns and trying him on turf. After Uncle T Seven had placed third in Finger Lakes' $150,000 New York Derby going a sloppy track mile and a sixteenth on July 11, Morrison had given him workouts on July 27 and August 4 at Jeffrey Tucker's Stonebridge Farm in Schuylerville, which has a synthetic Polytrack training strip.

Morrison is well aware of Uncle T Seven's preference and talent for late-race acceleration: "He's got that good quarter-mile, five-sixteenths burst (the colt's individual final five-sixteenths of a mile was covered in about 28-1/2 seconds)," pointed out Morrison, who grew up in nearby Latham. "We've been trying to time it the last two times (when Uncle T Seven placed second and third, beaten 2-1/4 lengths by the winners each time on turf and dirt), and he's gotten fanned wide, and that has cost us the race(s)," Morrison continued. "The Albany (mile and an eighth on Saratoga's main track, for New York-bred three-year-olds on Wednesday, August 26) is a possibility in two weeks. There's also a stakes race on the grass (Saratoga's graded Saranac, for three-year-olds going a mile and three-sixteenths on turf on Sunday, September 6). Those are possibilities."

Uncle T Seven began his career racing for owner-trainer Michael Lecesse, but after his maiden win he had been acquired by Tucker, for whom he had missed by a nose while placing second in Monmouth's off-the-turf Continental Mile Stakes in August of 2008. He later placed third following a bumpy break in Belmont's $107,400 Bertram F. Bongard Stakes for state-bred juveniles in September. When the colt made his sophomore debut in the Times Square, it was for his four current owners: Thomas Mina of Five Oak Farm in Saratoga Springs, Suzann Bobley of 18 Karat Farm in Old Brookville, the MFRG Racing Stable of Harold Miller, and Dennis Brida of Ballston Spa.

Bred by Anthony Grey of Winter Park, Florida and foaled at what is now Becky Thomas's Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson (where Freud stands), Uncle T Seven is among 13 stakes winners -- three in 2009 -- by Freud, whose 2009 progeny earnings have topped $2-million, with lifetime earnings exceeding $9.5-million. Uncle T Seven is the sixth winner, third six-figure-earner, and second stakes winner produced from winner Holy Wish and counts New York-bred graded Discovery Handicap winner Wishful Tomcat ($420,654 and a six-time stakes winner to date) among his five winning half-siblings. Breeder Grey had purchased Holy Wish for $15,000 at the 2002 Wimborne Farm dispersal in Kentucky when the mare was carrying future six-figure-earner Max Cam ($129,308), but Grey obviously has high regards as well for Holy Wish's daughters as broodmares and for Freud. Grey's New York homebred two-year-old colt by Freud, Jung Man Scott (racing under Grey's banner of Winter Park Partners), had won his turf debut at Saratoga six days prior to the Cab Calloway, romping by 8-1/4 lengths after having placed third on Belmont's main track in his career debut. Jung Man Scott's dam is four-time winner (twice on dirt, twice on turf) Plinking, who is a half-sister to Uncle T Seven. Multiple stakes-producing broodmare Holy Wish is a half-sister to the winning dam of Belmont graded grass winner Betty's Wish ($215,440).

 

6/31/09 - UNCLE T SEVEN 2nd in the Belmont Park Stallion Series

UNCLE T SEVEN is a stake winner who finished second in the May 31, 2009 Belmont Park Stallion Series. The 3yr old colt who has hit the board in all three stake starts in 2009; won the Times Square  $100,000 stakes in his first start off a six month layoff at Stonebridge, finished 3rd in a NY bred stake and again ran a competitive 2nd in the Sunday May 31st race, the Spectacular Bid, to boost his earnings to over $144,000. Uncle T ran an impressive race for the first time against NYbreds on the turf. He is pointed for the $150,000 stallion series at Saratoga on the turf. Uncle T Seven has been stakes placed 4 times , a stakes winner once and in 9 starts has never been worst than 4th. He is by Freud out of Holy Wish by Lord at War bred by Anthony Grey and trained by John Morrison. Tom Mina, Suzanne Bobley, Peg and Linc Miller and Dennis Brida purchased Uncle T. Seven from Stonebridge in 2009 and kept him with farm .

In other news, DOREE DAZE also won on May 7th 2009 after a six month layoff at Stonebridge in a allowance race by 41/2 lengths, 6f in 110.2. She increased her earnings to $71,828 in 7 lifetime starts.

The farm is awaiting the return of Stonebridge Farm's 2008 horse of the year Here Comes Rita, owned and bred by Dr Thomas Murry and partners, Rita made a big splash finishing 2008 with a flurry winning 4 of 5 races including a win in the Montauk Stakes at Aqueduct.Rita, a barn favorite is getting closer to making her summer debut after a six month vacation.She has won on turf , firm and soft, a good dirt track and a sloppy track in the Montauk.

All three have been training on the polytrack surface at Stonebridge.