Month: August 2023

Virginia-Bred Gigante Pulls 22-1 Surprise In Secretariat

Virginia-bred Gigante made his triumphant return to the winner's circle by pulling a massive 22-1 upset victory in Saturday's $500,000 Secretariat Stakes (G2) at Colonial Downs. The race is being held in Virginia for the first time, making the victory for the Commonwealth that much sweeter.

Gigante, the 2022 Virginia-bred champion 2-year-old, was ridden by Javier Castellano for trainer Steve Asmussen and covered the one-mile over firm going in 1:35.10.

“I feel blessed Asmussen (trainer Steve) gave me the opportunity to ride that horse. I think I got along pretty good with him in the post parade. He acted very professionally. I had the best trip in the race. (I was) where I wanted to be today. There seemed to be a lot of speed in the race. I tried to use my patience. He broke so well from the gate and put me in good position. I just took my time and rode with a lot of patience, a lot of confidence and had the best result today.”

Mo Stash was hustled hard from the starting gate in the Secretariat Stakes and was joined by the forward-placed Major Dude as they entered the first turn. Following an opening quarter-mile in :23.67, Gigante was positioned in last but only 3½ lengths off the lead.

The field began to bunch entering the far turn after a half-mile in :48.03 as Castellano began asking Gigante for his best run. At the quarter pole, Gigante made a bold bid for the lead and took command into the lane but had to hold off the late charge of Nagirroc. Gigante kept finding more on the lead and was able to hold his rival at bay by a neck. It was another 1 ¾ lengths back to Silver Knott in third who was followed in order by Major Dude, Northern Invader and Mo Stash.

Gigante, the longest priced horse in the field of six 3-year-olds at 22-1 rewarded his backers by returning $47.80 for the win.

With his victory in the Secretariat Stakes, Gigante improved his overall mark to 9-4-0-1 and boosted his overall purse earnings to $583,550.

Iapetus Racing and Diamond T Racing's Gigante is a 3-year-old son of Not This Time out of the Empire Maker Mare Summertime Green. He was bred in Virginia by Ann Mudge Backer and Smitten Farm.

Colonial Downs was the starting point for Gigante. He broke his maiden here one year ago on the dirt and subsequently demolished a field of seven rivals in the Kitten's Joy Stakes on turf.

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Baffert Firster Has Things Down To A ‘T’: A 40th Rising Star for Into Mischief

WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's Pastor T (c, 2, Into Mischief–Top Quality, by Quality Road) covered stacks of ground from a wide draw, but overcame the tough trip to graduate by 4 1/4 impressive lengths to be named the afternoon's second 'TDN Rising Star', the 40th of the all-conquering Into Mischief's sons and daughters to be accorded such honors.

The colt's worktab–both at Santa Anita and over the local strip–didn't so much whisper 'ready' as much as it screamed it and the bay was duly dispatched as a 2-5 mortal to open his account for a barn that strikes with nearly three of every 10 firsters. Drawn eight of eight, Pastor T was one of the first to break the line, but several others were equally smartly away meaning that the heavy favorite was trapped out off the track through an opening quarter-mile in a strong :21.79. Ridden along three furlongs out, Pastor T commenced his wide rally and was more or less on even terms with second-timer I Win Again (Speightstown) at the quarter pole. Juan Hernandez threw his mount over onto his right lead at the furlong grounds and Pastor T took care of the rest, gliding home an easy winner.

A $280,000 Keeneland September yearling, Top Quality–a full-sister to SW Boston Post Road–was a three-time stakes winner in the Pacific Northwest and in British Columbia and was hammered down to WinStar for $335,000 at Keeneland January in 2019. She was mated with the late More Than Ready as a maiden mare, and the results were positive, as American Speed gained black-type with a runner-up effort in this year's Leonatus S. at Turfway Park for these connections. The yearling full-sister to Pastor T was bought back on a bid of $725,000 at this week's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, and Top Quality produced an Uncle Mo colt this term before visiting Justify.

The cross of Into Mischief over Quality Road is now responsible for four winners from five starters. Three of Into Mischief's 17 Grade I winners are out of mares sired by Gone West-line stallions (Authentic, Mia Mischief, Mischievous Alex) and that same cross is found in an additional four of Into Mischief's graded winners.

8th-Del Mar, $83,000, Msw, 8-12, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:04.15, ft, 4 1/4 lengths.
PASTOR T, c, 2, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Top Quality (SW & GSP-Can, MSW-USA, $139,704), by Quality Road
2nd Dam: Lemon Bay, by Bernardini
3rd Dam: Sweet Fervor, by Seeking the Gold
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $49,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree, or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Siena Farm LLC & WinStar Farm LLC; B-WinStar Farm LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

 

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‘Oh, She’s Fast, Really Fast’: No Catching Dreamfyre In Del Mar’s Sorrento

The graded stakes debut of Danny A. Eplin's speed-loving Dreamfyre was a tour de force under Hector Berrios as she led out of the gate and was never threatened en route to a 3 1/2-length score in $200,000 Sorrento (G3) for 2-year-old fillies Saturday at Del Mar.

Sent off at 3-1, the Flameaway filly kept her record perfect in two career starts and was making a big step up in class following her front-running debut win in the stakes at Pleasanton on July 9 for trainer O. J. Jauregui.

Setting snappy fractions of :21.74, :45.10 for a half mile while co-favorites Benedetta and Dua pursued in vain, Dreamfyre opened a two-length lead in early stretch and drew away for the comfortable win.

Dreamfyre returned $9.20 after covering six furlongs in 1:10.52.

Benedetta was second, and Dua finished another 7 1/4 lengths back in third in the field of seven.

The $120,000 winner's share of the Sorrento purse increased Dreamfyre's lifetime purse earnings to $165,000.

John Oxley bred Dreamfyre in Kentucky from the Sky Mesa mare Appreciating. Offered by SGV Thoroughbreds at the OBS Spring Two-Year-Olds In Training Sale in April, she was purchased for $140,000.

Sorrento Quotes

HECTOR BERRIOS (Dreamfyre, winner) – “Oh, she's fast; really fast. I looked at the video (of her first start July 9 at Pleasanton) and I say there's only one way to go with her – that's go fast right out of the gate. She did everything right. She was good at the gate; good with the break; made the lead on her own. She's very professional. When we turned for home and I smooched to her, she took right off. She's a good one.”

O. J. JAUREGUI (Dreamfyre, winner) – “She's fast, I knew it. That's why I brought her here for the meeting. Usually I have my barn in Northern California. She's been doing everything right and I expected her to run a very honest race. She got a little breather about the five-sixteenths going to the quarter pole, so I knew I had a chance. She kicked right in and she ran really big.”

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