Too Sexy Rallies To Win Floral Park At Belmont

The Elkstone Group's Too Sexy rallied strongly down the lane to make her stakes debut a winning one in Sunday's $150,000 Floral Park, a six-furlong inner turf sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by Christophe Clement, the 4-year-old Quality Road bay entered from a similar closing effort in a six-furlong optional-claiming tilt on September 25 over a Belmont turf rated good.

Honey Cake, with Junior Alvarado up, took charge through splits of :22.57 and :46.22 over the firm going with 3-2 mutuel favorite Robin Sparkles, piloted by Jose Ortiz, tracking her early foot from second position.

The pacesetter led the field through the turn as a host of challengers, including the stalking duo of Introduced and Raven's Cry lined up outside bids with Gogo Shoes advancing up the rail.

But despite having only Secure Connection behind her as the field straightened for home, there would be no denying Too Sexy, who was tipped out wide into the lane and picked off her rivals one by one with a powerful turn-of-foot en route to a 3 1/4-length victory in a final time of 1:09.68.

Raven's Cry completed the exacta by one length over Introduced. Rounding out the order of finish were Secure Connection, Pacific Gale, Gogo Shoes, Honey Cake, and Robin Sparkles. Time Limit was scratched.

Too Sexy's victory came shortly before the Clement-trained duo of Mutamakina and La Dragontea ran one-two in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

Clement said a patient approach works best with Too Sexy, who has won 4-of-7 starts this season, including a maiden score over good turf at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., in March and an allowance win at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in July.

“She has been an improving horse all along,” Clement said. “She seems to run better when you wait a little bit on her and twice she has won on ground with a little bit of give in it.”

Lezcano said he felt confident the speed would come back to him.

“I rode her like how Christophe told me, which was to break well, give her a chance to find her footing and make one run. Everything worked out,” Lezcano said.

Luis Saez, jockey aboard the runner-up, said Raven's Cry benefitted from the turnback in distance out of a fifth-place finish in the one-mile De La Rose in August at the Spa.

“She broke right there and was in a perfect spot. We just got beat by a good one,” Saez said. “I think cutting back made a difference, it was good for her.”

Bred in Kentucky by Burleson Farm and McKenzie Bloodstock, Too Sexy banked $82,500 in victory while improving her record to 12-4-4-1. She paid $7.90 for a $2 win wager.

Live racing returns Thursday at Belmont Park with a nine-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Slipstream Slips Through To Win Futurity, Earn BC Juvenile Turf Sprint Spot

Last early, Joel Rosario found room on the rail for Slipstream to slide past Run Curtis Run and win the Grade 3 Futurity Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. With this victory, Slipstream earns a spot in the starting gate for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Nov. 5 at Del Mar.

Breaking from post four, Rosario settled Slipstream at the back of the field of eight in the race's opening strides, as longshots Ready to March and Run Curtis Run lead down the backstretch. Entering the final turn, Slipstream was still toward the back of the pack on the rail as Run Curtis Run took over the lead going into the stretch.

Over the firm Belmont turf, Run Curtis Run was a length to the good as Slipstream squeezed by Midnight Worker, finding just enough room to get to the outside of the leader. Once clear, the 2-year-old son of More Than Ready accelerated and pulled clear of Run Curtis Run in the race's final yards. Biz Biz Buzz was third and Midnight Worker fourth.

The final time for the six furlongs was 1:08.36. Find this race's chart here.

Slipstream paid $6.60, $3.90, and $3.30. Run Curtis Run paid $13.00 and $7.80. Biz Biz Buzz paid $4.80.

The G3 Futurity is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series. Winners of Challenge Series races receive a fees-paid, guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding event at the Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Bred in Kentucky by Burleson Farm and McKenzie Bloodstock, Slipstream is out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Cake Baby. Owned by Jump Sucker Stable and trained by Christophe Clement, the 2-year-old colt has two wins in four starts for career earnings of $147,600. He was consigned by Burleson Farms at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and purchased by Northshore Bloodstock for $170,000.

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‘Craftily Placed’ Into Mischief Filly Tops Fasig-Tipton July Yearling Sale

The summer yearling sales season kicked off Tuesday at Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Ky., with a resurgent edition of Fasig-Tipton's July Sale of selected yearlings. The sale's average and median were well-placed historically, and the highest since the benchmarks set in 2007.

“It was a strong start to the 2021 yearling sales season,” said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning. “We were very encouraged when we went to the farms to inspect yearlings by the quality of horses we were seeing, and certainly the two-year-old sales were encouraging, so we had a lot of optimism. I don't think any of us [hoped] to surpass the 2019 numbers… so to be over 2019 is very, very, very encouraging.”

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and LNJ Foxwoods joined forces to take home the top-priced yearling of the sale, an $800,000 daughter of Into Mischief offered as Hip 123 by Burleson Farms, agent.

Current leading sire and two-time champion sire Into Mischief is represented by a pair of Eclipse Award Champion Female Sprinters in Gamine, who captured the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in 2020, and LNJ Foxwoods's own Covfefe, who took that race and her division's championship in 2019.

“She was very craftily placed, that's for sure,” said Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. “From a pedigree perspective and a physical perspective, she certainly stood out. I think all the heavyweights were on her, and I think we were right in that neighborhood of where we thought she was going to be. Maybe a bump or two more than that, but for this kind of filly, they're hard to get your hands on. Alex (Solis, bloodstock adviser for LNJ Foxwoods) and I just thought this was the right one to take a swing for the fences.”

Bred in Kentucky by McKenzie Bloodstock, Hip 123 is out of the unraced Indian Charlie mare Cashing Tickets, a full-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Conveyance. Cashing Tickets is the dam of three winners from as many to race, including multiple stakes winning filly Leggs Galore (Bayern), recently second in the Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes at Santa Anita to increase earnings to $342,709.

“When the stud fees go up, there's much more pressure to get to auction, because if they don't like them, they don't care what you gave for the stud fee, they just walk away,” said consignor Lyn Burleson. “This was a special filly, and she's got a big update. I think they got a great horse, and they're going to have a great broodmare prospect down the road.”

The bay filly is from the immediate family of multiple Grade 1 winning millionaire Plum Pretty.

“He's an amazing stallion,” Browning said of Into Mischief, who sired three of the top four yearlings sold. “He is always at the top of the boards. He produces colts, fillies, Derby winners, Classic winners, grass, dirt, short, long. He is the consummate professional as a stallion and there is a high demand for [his offspring], as there should be because of the potential reward on the track.”

The sale's top colt came in the form of Hip 111, a son of Candy Ride (ARG), which sold for $350,000 to James Bernhard from the consignment of Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent (video).

The bay colt  is the second foal out of the Uncle Mo mare Beyond Grace, a full sister to multiple stakes placed winner Mighty Mo. The colt hails from the immediate family of Group 1 winner Moriarty. Hip 111 was bred in Kentucky by OXO Equine.

Also sold for $350,000 was a daughter of Into Mischief purchased by Mike G. Rutherford from the consignment of Four Star Sales, agent for Spendthrift Farm (video).

Offered as Hip 339, the dark bay or brown filly is out of the multiple stakes placed winning Henny Hughes mare Anahauc, a half-sister to stakes winners Gangbuster and Dream Call, as well as to stakes placed winner Glorified, who produced stakes winner Anythingyoucando. The immediate family includes Grade 1 winner Diplomat Lady. Hip 339 was bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm.

Tuesday's sale marked the return of the Freshman Sire Showcase, featuring 103 yearlings by first-crop sires, which were offered at the front of the catalog. Colts by Grade 1 winners Army Mule (Hip 8) and Mor Spirit (Hip 44) were the top sellers, fetching $200,000 each.

Maverick Racing sprung early to snap up Hip 8, a colt by undefeated G1 Carter Handicap winner and Fasig-Tipton graduate Army Mule, for $200,000 from the consignment of Gainesway, agent. The bay colt is out of the winning Congaree mare Congarette, from the immediate family of Grade 1 winner Home at Last. Hip 8 was bred in Florida off Army Mule's 2019 stud fee of $10,000.

Woodford Thoroughbreds purchased Hip 44, a bay colt by multiple Grade 1 winner and Fasig-Tipton graduate Mor Spirit, for $200,000 from the consignment of Eaton Sales, agent for Spendthrift Farm.

Out of the Malibu Moon mare Malibu Cove, a full sister to Grade 2 winner Prospective, Hip 44 is a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Kalypso (Brody's Cause), a graduate of this sale in 2019. The colt's dam is also a half-sister to the dam of stakes winner Josie, who fetched $300,000 to lead off yesterday's July Selected Horses of Racing Age sale. Hip 44 was bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm off Mor Spirit's 2019 stud fee of $10,000.

A pair of fillies by Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Mendelssohn sold for $185,000 each during the opening section, bred off his 2019 stud fee of $35,000.

Hip 15, by Mendelssohn out of Doritza, was purchased by Rebecca Galbraith from the consignment of Machmer Hall Sales, agent for Stoneriggs Farm. Hip 15 was bred in Kentucky by Robert Slack.

Hip 42, by Mendelssohn out of Laquesta, was purchased by Ben Gowans, agent from the consignment of Paramount Sales, agent. The dark bay or brown filly was bred in Kentucky by Rose Hill Farm & John Trumbulovic.

“It's kind of going back to our roots,” Browning said of the return of the Freshman Sire Showcase. “For years, our reputation in July was great physicals. We may be forgiving a little bit on pedigree and sire power, but if you have a good-looking colt or filly that looks precocious, that is what we are about in July. It helps build momentum for the farms as well.”

The most expensive yearling by a first-crop sire sold later in the sale, Selective LLC/Cary Bloodstock, agent purchased a filly by multiple Grade 1 winner for $230,000. Offered as Hip 174 by Bluewater Sales, agent, the filly is out of Grand Sofia, an unraced Giant's Causeway half-sister to track-record setting Grade 1 winner Rail Trip. Hip 174 was bred in Kentucky by Cobra Farm & MRJ Thoroughbreds.

Practical Joke, currently ranked ninth on the freshman sire list by earnings, is responsible for the top-priced second-crop yearling. Scott & Evan Dilworth purchased Hip 159, a filly out of staes winner and stakes-winner producer Fortune Play, for $240,000 from the consignment of Four Star Sales, agent for D.C. Goff. Hip 159 was bred in Kentucky by D.C. Goff.

In total, 208 yearlings changed hands for $21,608,500, up 16 percent from when 202 sold for $18,621,000 in 2019. The average rose to $103,887 from $92,183, a 12.7 percent increase. The median rose 6.7 percent to $80,000 from $75,000 in 2019. The average was the fourth highest all-time for The July Sale, while the median ranked second. The average and median were the highest at The July Sale since 2007, when the records were set in both categories. The RNA rate was 24.9 percent.

“I am proud of the group of horses our inspection team put together for this sale,” Browning added. “Everybody in the marketplace ought to sleep pretty good tonight. It should be a very good yearling market in 2021.”

Full results are available online.

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Into Mischief Filly Brings $800K at F-T July

With Tuesday's Fasig-Tipton July Selected Yearling sale already in full swing, Hip 123 broke away from her contemporaries, drawing an $800,000 final bid from Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and LNJ Foxwoods. Consigned by Burleson Farms, the filly is out of Cashing Tickets (Indian Charlie), dam of stakes-winning Leggs Galore (Bayern), also runner up in the GIII Wilshire S.

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