Month: January 2021

Fast Fashionably Set For Return In California Cup Sprint

Fashionably Fast, prepping for this Saturday's $150,000 Donald Valpredo California Cup Sprint at six furlongs at Santa Anita, worked four furlongs this morning in 48.40 under regular rider Tiago Pereira at the Arcadia, Calif., track.

“He went fine,” trainer Dean Pederson said. “Hopefully, we're where we need to be. I had him in 47 and three or four, something like that. Times are irrelevant. It's not like we're deciding to run in a maiden 50 or a maiden 20. It will be a competitive race. You just have to hope for the best.

“He had run hard and just needed a little breather,” Pederson added, explaining the gelding's absence of five months since last Aug. 1 when he finished sixth of eight behind victorious Collusion Illusion in the Grade I Bing Crosby at Del Mar. “I have an owner who's very cooperative.”

Actually, Fashionably Fast has three owners: breeder John Harris, Per Antonsen and John Nicoletti, for whom Pederson has trained the last 20 or so years.

A 6-year-old chestnut son of Lucky Pulpit, Fashionably Fast has a 7-4-2 record from 18 starts with earnings of $490,245.

“Like I say, the horse has run hard for us, he ran his eyeballs out against McKinzie (second in the Grade 2 Triple Bend last June 7 to the four-time Grade I winner that was recently retired to stud at Gainesway Farm near Lexington, Ky.).”

Prior to the Triple Bend, Fashionably Fast had reeled off six straight victories, four of them in California-bred stakes.

“The Bing Crosby didn't unfold the way we thought it would and he was a tired horse,” Pederson said. “At that point we decided to give him a few months breather.

“Things have gone well since he came back and if we get beat, we'll have to get outrun. He's had several breezes; he hasn't missed a work.

“One thing about this horse: he doesn't owe anybody a dime.”

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‘In Best Shape Of His Life,’ 7-Year-Old New York-Bred Our Last Buck Scores Initial Stakes Win

Saturday's victory in the $100,000 Say Florida Sandy for Our Last Buck at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., rewarded the patience of trainer Michelle Nevin and owner J and N Stables, who saw the gelded son of Courageous Cat make his first stakes appearance in his 18th career start.

For besting a five-horse field of New York-breds 4-years-old and up by 3 3/4 lengths in his 7-year-old bow, Our Last Buck earned a personal-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure. The rallying score saw Aqueduct meet-leading rider Kendrick Carmouche pick off three rivals with a strong outside move when straightened for home in the seven-furlong sprint, outkicking 4-5 favorite and runner-up Funny Guy.

“I was very fortunate and excited and I'd just like to thank Michelle and Kendrick,” said owner Thomas Newkirk, who heads the Saratoga Springs-based J and N Stables. “Kendrick gave him a neat ride. It looked like at the head of the stretch that he could go inside or outside, and he chose correctly.”

The effort marked the first stakes victory for the ownership group, which started racing in 2012 and entered Saturday with a 9-8-10 record in 65 career starts. J and N Stables still owns a stake in Our Last Buck's dam Buck Mountain.

“We still own an interest in Buck Mountain, so we might have some more offspring coming and we're excited about that possibility,” Newkirk said.

Bred in the Empire State by Gerardus S. Jameson, Our Last Buck broke his maiden at second asking in November 2018 at the Big A under previous trainer George Weaver. After being transferred to Nevin's care in 2019, he enjoyed a career resurgence, winning five of his six career races since his 6-year-old campaign last year.

Our Last Buck, who won back-to-back races starting at Aqueduct on March 15 and then over Big Sandy during Belmont Park's spring/summer meet, is now on his second career winning streak, with his stakes effort following a 1 ½-length victory against allowance company on December 12 at the Big A.

“It takes a little bit of patience,” Newkirk said. “He had a couple of operations before and we gave him some time to heal. It's great now to see a 7-year-old do this. He's probably in the best shape of his life right now.”

Newkirk praised NYRA's New York-bred program for providing opportunities for the late-blooming Our Last Buck to reach his potential.

“It's a credit to NYRA that they have a 4-year-old up and classification for those older horses,” Newkirk said. “The New York-bred program is just awesome and I think it's the right thing to do for the owners and breeders in the state. Not everyone can go down to Florida, and I think the Aqueduct cards make it a great place to be.”

Newkirk said he's also excited for the impending 3-year-old debut of homebred Dancing Buck, who broke his maiden at second asking on New Year's Eve at the Big A. The War Dancer colt, who ran second in his debut on November 29 at the same track, could make his next start later in the winter meet.

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Kentucky Oaks Winner Shedaresthedevil Back At Oaklawn; May Target Azeri Stakes

Shedaresthedevil, among the country's leading 3-year-old fillies of 2020, returned to Oaklawn in around 4 a.m. (Central) Saturday, according to her co-owner, Staton Flurry of Hot Springs.

Shedaresthedevil wintered last year at Oaklawn and won its $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) in March before going on to capture an allowance race at Churchill Downs, the $200,000 Indiana Oaks (G3) and the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs.

Following a third-place finish in her first start against older horses, the $400,000 Spinster Stakes (G1) Oct. 4 at Keeneland, the Daredevil filly received a 60-day break, Flurry said, before resuming light training in mid-December in Kentucky. Trainer Brad Cox said the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares March 13 at Oaklawn is a possible first 2021 target for Shedaresthedevil.

“Glad to have her back on track and back here,” Flurry said. “She looks phenomenal. It seems like she enjoyed her time off and it did her well. She's put on some weight and seems very bright eyed. Excited to see what 2021 holds in store for her, beginning with the Azeri.”

The Azeri is the final major local prep for the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 17. Cox said champion Monomoy Girl is pointing for the second race in the prep series, the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) Feb. 15, for her 2021 debut. Monomoy Girl is based at Fair Grounds.

Oaklawn's first major Apple Blossom prep is the $150,000 Pippin Stakes Jan. 23. Nominations to the 1-mile event closed Thursday.

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