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Sharp Starr Among Trio Of New York-Breds Scoring Weekend Graded Stakes Wins

Barry K. Schwartz's homebred Sharp Starr, a neck winner of the Grade 3 Go for Wand Handicap, was one of three New York-breds to pick up graded-stakes wins on Saturday joining Brooklyn Strong [Grade 2 Remsen] and Varda [Grade 1 Starlet at Los Alamitos]. The Go for Wand and Remsen were run at Aqueduct in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The victory in the one-turn mile for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up provided 35-year-old trainer Horacio DePaz with his first graded stakes win.

“I'm very happy for the filly. She's really developed,” said DePaz. “The owner was thrilled. We've always thought highly of the filly and she's really coming around. Obviously, he bred her and owns the mare, so he was really happy.”

With Jose Ortiz up, Sharp Starr tracked in second position, a length back of older eight-time winner Portal Creek, piloted by Kendrick Carmouche, before engaging in a stirring stretch duel over the sloppy and sealed main track.

“I was happy with the position she got,” said DePaz. “She broke clean and was able to get into the race and then Jose did a really good job of judging the pace. We were really concerned about Kendrick's filly getting loose on the lead. She was the only one that showed speed like that and the way the track was playing, we didn't want her to get too far away and leave us with too much to do. Jose rode her really well and judged it really well. It was a thriller down the stretch.”

Sharp Starr, a 3-year-old daughter of Munnings who has overcome a tendency to start slowly, graduated in July at Belmont Park and hit the board in a pair of nine-furlong events going two turns over the summer at Saratoga Race Course, including a closing third in the restricted Fleet Indian.

The dark bay was off-the-board in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan in October at Pimlico Race Course before finding winning form in a 15 3/4-length score in a one-turn mile against state-breds on November 7 at the Big A that garnered a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

DePaz said the extended sprint distance suits Sharp Starr with a pair of one-mile events at the Big A – the open $125,000 Heavenly Prize on March 6 and $100,000 Biogio's Rose for state-breds on March 7 – under consideration.

“I'd like to keep her at the one-turn mile. I'll have to talk to the owner and see,” said DePaz. “She's great this morning. She's bright, alert. She ate up was sound on the road and no worse for wear.”

Sharp Starr's 2-year-old half-brother V Pattern, by Street Sense and out of the A.P. Indy mare Mindy Gold, continues to develop for DePaz. He earned a 46 Beyer in his lone start when sixth in a 6 1/2-furlong state-bred maiden special weight on October 18 at Belmont.

“He started once and it was too short for him but he got a good experience out of it,” said DePaz. “He also didn't break the sharpest in that race but made a run at the end. He can hopefully move forward from that.”

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Another NY-Bred ‘Starrs’ at Aqueduct in Go For Wand

Sharp Starr (Munnings) became the second New York-bred to defeat open company in a graded event at Aqueduct Saturday, defeating her elders in the GIII Go for Wand H. Co-favored at 6-5, the Barry Schwartz homebred pressed from second, glued to the outside hip of leader Portal Creek (Shanghai Bobby) through opening splits of :23.26 and :46.72. Scrubbed on by Jose Ortiz turning for home, the bay was the only one chasing after Portal Creek in the stretch as they pulled well clear of the others. Sharp Starr dug deep to collar the pacesetter late for a neck success. It was the first graded victory for her trainer Horacio DePaz.

“She definitely likes the track, but I think she likes the one-turn mile a little bit better,” said DePaz. “It set up for her. I was happy she could repeat that last effort. Even in her two-turn races, she wants to put herself there, but she has those bad starts and afterwards she can’t get up there. She’s breaking so much better and getting herself into the race. The way she breaks and gets herself close, she’s able to finish up nicely.”

“They were running her two turns and she was breaking a little slow,” said winning pilot Jose Ortiz. “Last time, when we brought her back to a one-turn mile, she broke well and that suited her better. They stuck with that racing style today. She broke sharp. She was there for me every time I asked her.”

Breaking her maiden at fourth asking in a state-bred event at Belmont July 2, Sharp Starr was second in an NY-bred allowance at Saratoga 20 days later and was third next out in the Empire-bred Fleet Indian S. at the Spa Sept. 4. Seventh in the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. at Pimlico Oct. 3, she demolished a New York-bred allowance over track and trip Nov. 7, winning by 15 3/4 lengths.

Pedigree Notes:

Sharp Starr is the 43rd black-type winner and 18th graded stakes winner for her sire Munnings. The victor is a half-sibling to MSP Papa Shot (Distorted Humor). Their dam Mindy Gold–a half-sister to GISP Noble Causeway (Giant’s Causeway)–is also responsible for the 2-year-old colt V Pattern (Street Sense); a yearling filly by Twirling Candy; and a weanling colt by Cairo Prince. The 13-year-old mare was bred back to Cairo Prince this spring. Sharp Starr’s third dam is MGISW Classy Cathy (Private Account). This is also the family of Grade I-winning New York-bred Audible (Into Mischief).

Saturday, Aqueduct
GO FOR WAND H.-GIII, $100,000, Aqueduct, 12-5, 3yo/up, f/m, 1m, 1:36.75, sy.
1–SHARP STARR, 117, f, 3, by Munnings
                1st Dam: Mindy Gold, by A.P. Indy
                2nd Dam: Mimi’s Golden Girl, by Seeking the Gold
                3rd Dam: Classy Cathy, by Private Account
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Barry K.
Schwartz; B-Stonewall Farm (NY); T-Horacio DePaz; J-Jose L.
Ortiz. $55,000. Lifetime Record: 9-3-2-2, $174,015. *1/2 to
Papa Shot (Distorted Humor), MSP, $510,668. Werk Nick
Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Portal Creek, 119, f, 4, Shanghai Bobby–Silent Stream, by
Tricky Creek. ($22,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-Ten Strike Racing;
B-White Fox Farm (KY); T-Juan Carlos Guerrero. $20,000.
3–Nonna Madeline, 123, f, 4, Candy Ride (Arg)–Cool Storm, by
Storm Cat. ($130,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-Teresa Viola Racing
Stables & St. Elias Stable; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A.
Pletcher. $12,000.
Margins: NK, 12, HF. Odds: 1.25, 7.60, 1.25.
Also Ran: Stand for the Flag, Graceful Princess, Overheated.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Sharp Starr Gives Horacio DePaz First Graded Stakes Win In Go For Wand Handicap

Barry K. Schwartz's New York-homebred Sharp Starr, perfectly piloted by Jose Ortiz, outdueled Portal Creek to capture Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Go for Wand Handicap, a one-turn mile for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Munnings sophomore, trained by Horacio DePaz, arrived at the Go for Wand from a commanding 15 3/4-length score in a state-bred allowance mile on November 7 at the Big A that garnered a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

Leading rider Kendrick Carmouche sent Portal Creek to the lead with Sharp Starr assuming a stalking position to her outside as slight 6-5 mutuel favorite Nonna Madeline hustled up the rail to gain third through an opening quarter-mile in 23.26 seconds on the sloppy and sealed main track.

Sharp Starr continued to press Portal Creek, who maintained a one-length lead into the turn, as Graceful Princess improved her position outside rivals through a half-mile in 46.72. Portal Creek opened up through the turn and attempted to kick clear of Sharp Starr, but Ortiz kept to task on the New York-bred filly as the duo locked up for the length of the stretch with Sharp Starr earning a hard-fought neck victory in a final time of 1:36.75. It was 12 lengths back to Nonna Madeline in third with Stand for the Flag, Graceful Princess and Overheated rounding out the order of finish.

The victory marked the first graded stakes score for DePaz, who is enjoying his first season of training full-time on the NYRA circuit. The 35-year-old conditioner said he was pleased to see Sharp Starr make amends last out at the Big A following an off-the-board effort in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan in October around two turns at Pimlico Race Course.

“She definitely likes the track, but I think she likes the one-turn mile a little bit better. It set up for her. I was happy she could repeat that last effort,” said DePaz.

Sharp Starr graduated in July at Belmont Park and hit the board in a pair of nine-furlong events going two turns over the summer at Saratoga Race Course, including a closing third in the restricted Fleet Indian. DePaz said Sharp Starr's improved efforts from the gate have made a significant impact on results.

“Even in her two-turn races, she wants to put herself there, but she has those bad starts and afterwards she can't get up there,” said DePaz. “She's breaking so much better and getting herself into the race. The way she breaks and gets herself close, she's able to finish up nicely.”

Ortiz, who captured the 2013 Go for Wand with Royal Lahaina, was aboard Sharp Starr for the maiden win and her two Saratoga efforts. He said he felt confident in the filly going a one-turn mile as he returned to the saddle.

“They were running her two turns and she was breaking a little slow,” said Ortiz. “Last time, when they brought her back to a one-turn mile, she broke well and that suited her better. They stuck with that racing style today. She broke sharp. She was there for me every time I asked her.”

Carmouche said Portal Creek, an eight-time winner invading from Parx for trainer Juan Carlos Guerrero, was valiant in defeat.

“The horse ran well,” said Carmouche. “Coming from Parx, running on this track, she ran awesome. She made every pole a winning one but the final jump.”

Bred in the Empire State by the owner's Stonewall Farm, Sharp Starr banked $55,000 in victory while improving her record to 9-3-2-2. She returned $4.50 for a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A, Closing Day of the 18-day fall meet, with a nine-race card offering a pair of rich New York Stallion Stakes Series races, including the Great White Way for 2-year-olds and the Fifth Avenue for juvenile fillies, with purses of $250,000 each. Also featured on Closing Day is the $100,000 Garland of Roses at six furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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