A torrential downpour might have delayed racing for 30 minutes at Belmont Park Friday afternoon, but the rain couldn't dampen the parade for Mean Mary. The Graham Motion trainee and daughter of Scat Daddy broke fast to take a two-length lead and then held off a fast closing Thundering Nights (IRE) to win the Grade 2 New York Stakes at a mile and a quarter on the turf.
Winner of the 2020 edition of the New York, Mean Mary faced a field of eight others, including co-favorite Harvey's Little Goil, after Micheline, Always Shopping, and Antoinette scratched. Breaking from post position six, this 5-year-old mare broke flying under jockey Luis Saez on a yielding Belmont turf course, opening up a length and a half between her and Traipsing. Virginia Joy and Harvey's Little Goil ran in third and fourth for the first six furlongs.
With fractions of :25.09 for the first quarter and :50.31 for the first half, Mean Mary held an easy lead throughout, keeping the pace slow and saving enough for her stretch run. Out of the final turn, Thundering Nights, trained by Joseph O'Brien, was set down for a furious stretch run by Johnny Velazquez, but was unable to catch Mean Mary. Only a nose separated the two at the wire.
Owned by Alex Campbell Thoroughbreds, Mean Mary is a daughter of the late Scat Daddy (Johannesburg) out of the Dynaformer mare Karlovy Vary. She is two for two in 2021, with a victory in the G3 Galorette in her first start of the year at Pimlico on Preakness Stakes Day. She ran the mile and a quarter New York Stakes in 2:04.68. My Sister Nat and Virginia Joy finished third and fourth, with Harvey's Little Goil, Mutamakina, Magic Attitude, Civil Union, and Traipsing rounding out the field.
Trainer Graham Motion was pleased with his repeat victor's performance even with the short margin between her and Thundering Nights.
“I was really anxious when I saw [No. 9, Thundering Nights] closing so fast, but I had felt pretty confident to that point.” Motion told the NYRA press office. “She was really running. She came out of the gate like a rabbit. I'd never seen her break like that. She really does love it. She's such a cool filly.”
Jockey Luis Saez was pleased with Mean Mary's run on the yielding turf.
“She got a great trip, broke out of there so well.” Saez said after the race. “She always breaks pretty well, but today was better than ever. She controlled the pace. The track was a little soft, but she handled it. She tried pretty hard the whole time.”
Mean Mary, co-favorite at 3-1, paid $7.40, $4.80, and $4.20. Thundering Nights (4-1) paid $5.40 and $4.50. My Sister Nat (18-1) paid $6.90 to show.
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Swilcan Stable and LC Racing's Mainstay (Astern {Aus}), the half-sister to last year's champion 2-year-old filly Vequist (Nyquist), MGISW, $1,237,500, came out running Friday to become her sire's first Northern Hemisphere winner as well as a 'TDN Rising Star'. Scratched from Thursday's Astoria S. at Belmont, the Butch Reid pupil was backed at 6-5 and made that price look like a bargain.
Out-footed by Next Tuesday (Kantharos) from the gate, the bay quickly rushed up and cleared by several lengths from that foe. Next Tuesday tried to make a race of it into the stretch, but Mainstay was in another league as she cantered home a super-impressive 7 3/4-length winner, stopping the clock in :52.59.
“She was very classy. She handled it like a professional,” said winning rider Frankie Pennington. “The first time Butch asked me to breeze her he said `you're going to like this one.' When he says that you know the horse has a chance to be something special.”
Reid said, “She has been training lights out. She's much more of a sprinter than Vequist was so we knew she would be good early. It's been fantastic. We had thought about trying her in the Astoria Stakes at Belmont Park, but we took the more conservative route and I'm glad we did… I've got owners who will listen to me on these type of decisions and it will pay dividends in the long run.”
Astern (Medaglia d'Oro), a Group 1 winner in his native Australia, covered his first mares at Darley's Kelvinside in New South Wales before reverse shuttling for the first time at Jonabell in 2018. He has six Southern Hemisphere winners. Fillies from Astern's first North American crop have been well received this season, with $375,000 and $340,000 sellers.
Mainstay is the fourth foal out of 2014 GII Black-Eyed Susan S. runner-up Vero Amore (Mineshaft), a $15,000 bargain buy by Tom McGrath's Swilcan Stables. Vequist was beaten a nose in her Parx debut last July before Gary Barber and Wachtel Stable bought in. She proceeded to romp by 9 1/2 lengths in the GI Spinaway S. before finishing second in the GI Frizette S. and securing championship honors with a convincing score in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Eased in the GII Davona Dale S. in February, Vequist is targeting the GI Cotillion S. in September. Vero Amore produced a Daredevil filly last term and an Accelerate filly most recently.
3rd-Monmouth, $47,125, Msw, 6-4, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :52.59, sy, 7 3/4 lengths.
MAINSTAY, f, 2, Astern {Aus}
1st Dam: Vero Amore (GSP, $252,255), by Mineshaft
2nd Dam: Summers Edge, by The Cliff's Edge
3rd Dam: Miss Summer Reign, by Summer Squall
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $28,500. Click for the Equibase.com chart, VIDEO, sponsored by TVG or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Swilcan Stable LLC & LC Racing; B-Swilcan Stables (KY); T-Robert E. Reid, Jr.
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Loveherheart became the first winner for her freshman sire Klimt (Quality Road) with a dominant victory at Santa Anita Friday. Adding blinkers and dispatched at odds of 7-1 off a debut fifth when well-bet over 4 1/2 furlongs May 7, the $17,000 KEESEP yearling turned $50,000 OBS March breezer was off to a much better start this time around, set the pace in hand and widened through the final furlong to take it by about five lengths. Fellow OBSMAR grad Signora Minister (Valiant Minister) rallied late to finish second, just ahead of 8-5 favorite Ruby Ray (Klimt), who chased the pace before just weakening in the final strides.
The winner's young sire won the GI Del Mar Futirity S. in 2016 and stands at Darby Dan Farm for $10,000. Loveherheart is the most recent foal out of Lustful, who is a half-sister to MGISW millionaire On Fire Baby (Smoke Glacken), GSW High Heels (E Dubai) and SW & GSP French Kiss (Hussonet).
4th-Santa Anita, $62,598, Msw, 6-4, 2yo, f, 5f, :59.59, ft, 5 1/2 lengths.
LOVEHERHEART (f, 2, Klimt–Lustful, by Yonaguska) Sales history: $17,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $50,000 2yo '21 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $37,820. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. O-Alydom Racing, LLC, Barragan, Rudy, Lerner, Ross, E., Russell, Craig and Russell, Ellie; B-Lee McMillin & Anita Cauley (KY); T-Andrew Lerner.
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