For a small breeder, having just one stakes-producing mare on the farm is a source of pride for Christina Deronda. But how about two?
Deronda is the breeder of Laobanonaprayer, who will seek a third straight stakes victory in Saturday's $100,000 Franklin Square going 6 1/2 furlongs for New York-bred sophomore fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Deronda, who operates Moonstar Farm in Dutchess County, N.Y., alongside her mother Angela Colyard and sister Patricia Calandro, owns Raffie's Chance – a daughter of Raffie's Majesty who is the dam of Laobanonaprayer. She also owns City Scamper, who produced two-time stakes winning New York-bred City Man, under the Moonstar Farm moniker.
Via the New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund, breeders of a New York-bred and sired horse, such as Laobanonaprayer, that win on any New York track earn a bonus of 30 percent of the purse money earned, while second and third-place breeders garner a 15 percent bonus. Horses foaled in New York, but by a sire from outside the Empire State, earn a 15 percent bonus for the winning breeder and a 7.5 percent bonus for finishing second or third.
“We're backyard farmers and we love the horses,” Deronda said. “We don't really do this for the money, we do it because we like to do it. Being a New York state breeder, when your babies do something here, it's nice to get some return. We always work hard and help each other out. It's nice to have a couple of good years in the horse business, because one year could be really good and the next could be really not so good.”
Laobanonaprayer, a daughter of second-crop sire Laoban, won both of her stakes efforts in dominant fashion when notching a 5 1/2-length triumph in the Oct. 24 Maid of the Mist at Belmont Park before an eight-length stroll under the wire in the NYSSS Fifth Avenue on Dec. 6 at the Big A.
Deronda said the filly displayed an audacious demeanor from the beginning.
“When she was first born, she had some intestinal problems, so we took her to the hospital, and they cleared her up,” Deronda said. “When we came and picked her up, they asked me 'Did you name her? Because we call her 'Sassy.” She was sassy alright. She was always a very strong-minded filly. Very sweet, but she had an attitude. She was the leader of the pack. You had to be on your game when you were working with her.”
While a young Laobanonaprayer was manageable during her foal and yearling days, her attitude saw new heights when being taken into the sales ring at Fasig-Tipton's New York Saratoga Fall Sale in October 2018, where she brought $17,000 and was purchased by Hidden Brook.
“She was good when people wanted to look at her and she was, for the most part, well behaved during shows. But in the sales ring, she started acting up a bit,” Deronda said. “Every three steps she would start bucking and rearing. She had a real get-me-out-of-here attitude. I put in a reserve for $16,999 and she sold for $17,000.”
Hidden Brook then put her through the sales ring at Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic Sale last May, where she was acquired for $15,000 by owner and trainer Daniel Velazquez.
“When I watched her go through the 2-year-old sale, she floored me. I thought she would sell better than she sold for,” Deronda said. “But I'm glad that she's with a good trainer. He has done such a great job with her. He really seems to be taking his time with her and spaces her races out nicely. Seems like he's always found the right spot for her.”
Half siblings of Laobanonaprayer could see action in the future as Raffie's Chance has produced a now 2-year-old daughter of Algorithms as well as a Central Banker yearling colt.
“She was a really nice filly, very beautiful filly. She had some attitude as well,” Deronda said of Raffie's Chance's Algorithms filly, who was an RNA for $39,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Yearling Sale in October of last year. “The mare throws some nice looking foals. I have a [yearling] colt by Central Banker and he has the same attitude that she does.”
Deronda said that Laoban and Raffie's Chance appear to be a good match.
“They nicked an A and now, obviously, they nick an A++,” Deronda said.
Laobanonaprayer, listed as the 6-5 morning line favorite, will be piloted from post 4 on Saturday by Kendrick Carmouche. The Franklin Square is slated as Race 8 on the nine-race card with a post time of 3:50 p.m. Eastern. First post is 12:20 p.m.
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