Kodiac Wintergreen (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), getting an extra half-furlong to work with following a late-running second-place finish in her five-furlong debut at Belmont June 11, was sent off the even-money favorite Thursday at Saratoga. The bay filly was away well, but was shuffled back to mid-pack. Racing greenly on the turn, she was behind a wall of horses at the top of the lane and was tipped out to the center of the course. She found her best stride in deep stretch and closed with a powerful late flourish to reel in Ever So Sweet (Ire) (Calyx {GB}) in the final strides to win by 3/4 lengths. Parade Ring (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) was a neck back in third to complete the Irish-bred trifecta.
While the late-running trip may have caused her backers some anxious moments, bloodstock agent Mike Akers, who purchased the filly last year on behalf of Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman's Bregman Family Racing, had confidence she could get the job done.
“I loved the ride,” Akers said. “I was getting a little nervous, but [Jose Ortiz] had ridden her before. She didn't get loose last time, he kept her inside and split horses and she got a lot out of that first race that bode well for today. So there was no panic. He knew how much punch she had when he got her loose. I think everybody saw her turn out of foot there.”
Kodiac Wintergreen is a half-sister to Love Reigns (Ire) (U S Navy Flag, MSW, $242,065), who won last year's Bolton Landing S. and came back this term to win the Limestone S. for Stonestreet Stables. She is also a half to Goldana (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}), GSW-Ire, SW-Ger; and to Glorious Empire (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), GISW, $977,227. She has a yearling half-brother by Mehmas (Ire).
Akers purchased the filly for €160,000 at last year's Goffs Orby sale.
“It's a good family. She is a half to a good horse here in America and also a couple over there that came to America and ran well here,” Akers said of the filly's appeal. “The pedigree would get your attention. She stayed in Ireland to get broke and then she went to Wavertree to Ciaran Dunne and at every stop, I've had very good horsemen telling me that she has a great mind and talent. We just hoped everything worked out. You can have all of that and not go anywhere, but she is on the right trail. Let's just see if we can keep it going.”
As for what is next for the filly, Akers said, “That's in the hands of [trainer] Rusty Arnold. He's very patient. But I think she will tell us that she wants a little more ground. Right now, we were happy to get 5 1/2 [furlongs]. So you have to wait and see what's out there. Obviously, somebody would look at the 'Win and You're In' [the Breeders' Cup] races for 2-year-olds. That would be a natural to look at and see where they pop up on the racing schedule. Everybody can be excited now and dream a bit.”
Akers was busy buying on behalf of Bregman across the globe last year. He purchased No Nay Mets (No Nay Never) for €180,000 at the Arqana August sale. The colt RNA'd for $335,000 following a bullet quarter-mile breeze at the OBS April sale this year, but won a Royal Ascot qualifying stakes at Gulfstream in May and sold for ₤800,000 at Goffs in June.
“Alex's instructions were, 'Buy me some athletes,'” Akers explained. “That's kind of the way we approached it. We weren't really focused on any particular thing. And when I go to sales, I send him a short list and he goes over the short list and gives me instructions on what he likes. He is very eager to learn and he's like a sponge, he's picking everything up. I think he will be in it for the rest of his life in some form. It's been refreshing to work that way. It's always fun shopping sales and I always seem to have a list. So far it has worked out well and we've had some pretty good success kicking it off.”
Akers agreed a filly like Kodiac Wintergreen is bought looking ahead to her residual value as a broodmare.
“He's got a couple of mares,” Akers said of Bregman. “He bought a mare in foal to Wootton Bassett, so he's got a baby filly by him out of a nice mare. And he bought another mare and bred her to Constitution. So yes, his long-term plan would include being a breeder. We will continue on the road and concentrate on some fillies with enough pedigree to sell out of and try to create some added value to them at the racetrack. He loves competition of any kind and the racetrack and the sales rings are just other places to compete. We will attack those two things.”
6th-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 7-20, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:03.40, fm, 3/4 length.
KODIAC WINTERGREEN (IRE) (f, 2, Kodiac {GB}–Humble And Proud {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}) Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $75,750. O-Bregman Family Racing LLC; B-Patrick Grogan (IRE); T-George R. Arnold, II.
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