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Chowda, Lobsta Cooking Up a Storm

When John Jayko, the owner of Fedwell Farms, first approached Eddie Fazzone about an unraced New York-bred 2-year-old he had for sale, Fazzone had modest expectations. Fazzone, the owner of Eddie F's Eatery in Saratoga Springs, didn't have a lot of money to spend and the horse was by a sire, Emcee, who had never so much as produced a stakes winner. But the price was right and Fazzone was looking to expand his small stable. A deal was struck.

“We're not buying horses for $250,000, $500,000,” Fazzone said. “We're buying horses for 25, 30 maybe $40,000. You're not thinking that you're going to go in and win stakes races. You're thinking you're going to win some claiming races and, maybe, if you get lucky, an allowance race.

The again, sometimes these things work out a lot better than anybody could have expected.

The horse Fazzone bought from Jayko is named Chowda (Emcee), who won the 2020 Gander S. for New York-breds and has earned $207,368. The story gets even better. Fazzone and his trainer, Gary Sciacca, detected early on that Chowda had ability, so, before that horse had made his first career start, they went back to Jayko and bought his full brother. His name is Lobsta (Emcee) and he won his second career stakes race Saturday at Aqueduct when he was placed first through disqualification in the Say Florida Sandy S. He has earned $276,400.

“It's a dream,” Fazzone said. “It doesn't always take a lot of money to get a good horse. You see guys spend a ton of money on a horse at the sales and it never makes it to the racetrack. This goes to show you, you just never know.”

Fazzone was introduced to Saratoga early on, first attending the races there with his parents when he was a toddler.

“I just loved going to the track,” he said. “I was totally into it, and I always wanted to start my own stable.”

But first, Fazzone had to tend to his restaurant, which he opened in 2016 with his wife Lisa. Eddie F's Eatery, described as Saratoga's only New England Seafood House, continued to grow and in 2018 Fazzone was ready to open up a stable, which he called Eddie F's Racing. His first horse was Wicked Macho (Macho Uno), who he claimed for $40,000 in 2018.

Emcee (Unbridled's Song) won the 2012 GI Forego S. Upon his retirement, owner Darley America sent him to New York to stand at Sequel Stallions. In 2018, he was sold and relocated to Brazil. Chowda and Lobsta are out of the dam Salty Little Sis (Chief Seattle). Her biggest win came in a 2010 allowance race at Aqueduct.

After Fazzone acquired Chowda he ran a contest on his restaurant's Facebook page to name the horse. He let his customers choose from among a handful of names and said Chowda was the easy winner.

Chowda won his third career start and the Gander in his sixth start. Lobsta broke his maiden in his second start, but looked no better than an allowance horse when going off at 28-1 in the Dec. 5 New York Stallion Series S. He pulled off the upset that day and came back to win the Say Florida Sandy after My Boy Tate (Boys At Tosconova) was taken down. Lobsta and Chowda have run against each other once, in the New York Stallion, where Chowda finished fourth.

Fazzone has nine horses in training. The list includes still another horse out of Salty Little Sis, the 2-year-old Oysta (Micromanage). Like the others, Fazzone bought him privately from Fedwell Farms.

His restaurant customers have taken notice of his success and some have asked if they can go in on a horse. Fazzone is happy to take on partners and is looking to build his stable. His next goal is to win a race in Saratoga, something he has yet to do.

“Going into this horse racing game, I knew that it was a tough, expensive hobby,” he said “We didn't go into this with a lot of money and we've won three stakes races. It's been a great ride.”

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Coinage Carries ‘High Cruising Speed’ To Victory In With Anticipation

D.J. Stable and Chester and Mary Broman's Coinage made his turf, open-company and two-turn debut a winning one in Wednesday's Grade 3, $150,000 With Anticipation, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for juveniles at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Bred in New York by the Bromans, the Tapit chestnut is out of the Grade 1-winning Medaglia d'Oro mare Bar of Gold, who captured the 2017 Yaddo on the Saratoga turf ahead of a victory in that year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on the Del Mar main track.

Chester Broman said he was surprised by the ease of the gate-to-wire score, despite jockey Junior Alvarado relaying their strategy pre-race.

“When we were in the paddock, [Alvarado] said he was going to put him on the lead and said, 'They'll have to catch me,'” Broman said. “That's easy to say, but they couldn't catch him. Those were pretty good horses, too.”

Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Coinage broke sharp from the outermost post 6 under Alvarado and set splits of 25.66 seconds, 50.65 and 1:15.59 on the firm going with Gooch Go Bragh in second and a keen Portfolio Company on the rail in third.

Coinage led the field into the final turn with Portfolio Company, piloted by Irad Ortiz, Jr., advancing up the rail and angling into the two path for the stretch run with Limited Liability, the 4-5 post-time favorite under Jose Ortiz, following his run.

Portfolio Company tried in vain to reel in the pacesetter but the regally-bred chestnut would not be denied a two-length victory in a final time of 1:43.69.

Coinage, a maiden winner at second asking on June 17 at Belmont, followed up with an even third in the Rick Violette at six furlongs on July 21 at the Spa. Casse breezed the chestnut twice on the Oklahoma training turf last month in preparation for his turf debut.

“I told my wife Tina this morning, 'We'll see if they can catch him.' I seldom say this, but I told Junior to take no prisoners and go,” Casse said. “He's a good horse. He has a high cruising speed. We breezed him over the turf a couple of times as we like to do. Training horses is like putting a puzzle together. You have to keep trying the pieces until figuring out where they fit. We figured it out today.

“[I liked] his works, and his pedigree, and two of their wonderful owners bred him and gave us the privilege of training him,” Casse added. “He's a serious horse.”

The victory marked the second stakes score of the meet for Casse following Got Stormy's Grade 1 Fourstardave coup last month.

Alvarado, whose previous Spa stakes wins this summer include the Grade 2 Saratoga Special with High Oak and the Summer Colony with Horologist, said he felt confident throughout.

“Mark told me he's been sharp and to get out of there running. I was only worried a little about the 2 [Silipo] because I thought he might try to go to the lead and get something out of it,” Alvarado said. “But [Coinage] broke out of there that sharp and was so comfortable on the turf the first time; he took it all the way.

“Turning for home, I asked him and he started moving very quick and I said, 'there's no way anybody can go by me,'” he added. “Going for home from the quarter-pole to the wire, I was pretty confident with what I had at that point.”

Portfolio Company, an impressive maiden winner for leading trainer Chad Brown, completed the exacta by 3 1/2-lengths over Limited Liability. Gooch Go Bragh, Kavod, and Silipo rounded out the order of finish. Ready to March was scratched.

Coinage, a $450,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, banked $82,500 in victory while improving his record 4-2-0-2. He returned $15.80 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Thursday at Saratoga with a 10-race card featuring the $120,000 P. G. Johnson for juvenile fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

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Second Chances: Cricket West

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

Nothing seemed to go Cricket West (f, 2, Majestic City–Special Charm {Ire}, by Dansili {GB})'s way in her unveiling sprinting versus fellow New York-breds over the Saratoga lawn Aug. 12 (video). And she still came within a neck of getting her picture taken that day.

The Bloom Racing Stable homebred, off at odds of 10-1 for trainer Jorge Abreu, was bumped from both sides at the start and raced in sixth through an opening quarter in :22.45. She began to rev up beneath Manny Franco on the far turn while taking the overland route, and hit the top of the stretch parked out at least five wide. The dark bay kept on rolling down the lane, and, despite losing some momentum when getting bumped nearing the eighth poll as a result of a messy chain reaction in the 10-horse field, continued to fly down the center to just miss. She earned a 60 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“It was like nothing ever went right and she still almost got there,” owner/breeder Jeffrey Bloom said.

“The filly hadn't been the type of horse that sort of sizzles and wows you in her workouts. But at the same time, she continued to progress substantially over the course of her final two-three workouts. I was like, 'Wow, this filly's got some talent.' We had high expectations for her. We expected to see a big run in her debut, but you just never know.”

Bloom raced MGSW & MGISP and young Irish Hill and Dutchess Views stallion Majestic City and acquired the winning mare Special Charm, a daughter of MGSW & GISP Olympic Charmer (Olympio), for $50,000 at the 2017 KEENOV sale. This is also the family of GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) and graded winners Charm The Giant (Ire) (Giant's Causeway) and Liam The Charmer (Smart Strike).

“She's got that fight and determination of her sire Majestic City, who, of course, we campaigned,” Bloom said. “To make it even that much more special is the fact that we have the stallion. I'm a big fan of Majestic City. He's made the most of what he has [from the mares he's covered]. To know that we still have the mare and to see Majestic City horses here on the New York circuit performing, it's very gratifying.”

As for what's next for Cricket West, Bloom concluded, “She came out of the race in really good shape. She's probably going to breeze this coming weekend. We'll look for that first opportunity at Belmont. We think she wants longer, so we were pretty excited to see her perform so well going that short. Ideally, we get her in the first available spot with a little bit of added distance back on the turf at Belmont.”

Previous standouts featured in 'Second Chances' include: GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. (Honor Code), GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner and Royal Ascot G2 Norfolk S. runner-up Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags), GIII Las Virgenes S. heroine Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner and MGISP Spielberg (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), and MSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

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Dreamer’s Disease Back On Turf For Saturday’s NYSS Spectacular Bid

A full field of 13 that includes stakes-winners and a Breeders' Cup participant will take aim at Saturday's $150,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Spectacular Bid for eligible New York-sired 3-year-olds going seven furlongs on the Belmont Park Widener turf course.

The 15th running of the NYSSS Spectacular Bid is one of two New York stallion stakes on Saturday's docket, along with the $150,0000 Cupecoy's Joy for sophomore fillies that is also contested at seven furlongs on the Widener course.

Dreamer's Disease will return to the turf after five consecutive main track appearances, including a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November at Keeneland. Trainer Robertino Diodoro said the son of Laoban exited his last-out fifth place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Texas Derby over a sloppy and sealed track at Lone Star Park in good order and will now return to the turf, where he broke his maiden at second asking in August at Ellis Park.

“The horse has settled in here at Belmont quite well and we're excited to get him back on the grass and against New York-sired company,” Diodoro said. “We think this will be more to his liking. We were looking to get him back here and we thought this was a perfect spot. He ran great on the grass at Ellis and we thought this matched up well.”

Dreamer's Disease, owned by Cypress Creek Equine and Arnold Bennewith, was bred in Kentucky by Southern Equine Stables. He started the year with a sixth-place effort in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on Kentucky Derby Day in May at Churchill Downs. He will be making his second start in a NYSSS race after running seventh in the Great White Way in a contest won by fellow Spectacular Bid contender Hold the Salsa in December at Aqueduct Racetrack.

David Cohen will ride from post 6.

“It really helps to have a horse with versatility,” Diodoro said. “Between the grass and New York-sired stakes, I think he'll fit in quite well. He has natural speed and I think the seven-eighths will hit him right on the head. I think the distance will be perfect for him.”

Step Dancer, owned by Hayward Pressman, Diamond M Stable and Donna Pressman, won his debut in September at Saratoga and followed with a third-place finish in his first race at Belmont in the Grade 2 Pilgrim in October. The Barclay Tagg trainee capped his juvenile year with a three-quarter length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Awad in October at Belmont.

After a nearly five-month break, Step Dancer made his 2021 bow in the Cutler Bay, finishing eighth in March at Gulfstream Park. Returning to Belmont, the War Dancer colt ran third against state-bred optional claimers on May 13.

Step Dancer, bred in New York by Sugar Plum Farm and Richard Pressman, will be contesting a sprint for the first time in his career, as each of his first five starts were contested going at least one mile. Dylan Davis will return to ride from post 13.

Repole Stable's Devious Mo, winner of the NYSSS Times Square in April going 6 1/2 furlongs on Aqueduct's main track, will make his first career turf start.

Devious Mo ran sixth last out in the Mike Lee held on a muddy and sealed Belmont track on May 31 and will now get the chance to see if grass can suit his style. The Laoban colt posted a personal-best 84 Beyer Speed Figure for his victory two months ago at Aqueduct and has won two of his four starts this year before trainer Rudy Rodriguez decided to make the surface change.

“The Mike Lee was pretty tough; he never ran his race, so hopefully now he likes the grass on Saturday,” Rodriguez said. “You have to see what they can do. This race is worth a lot of money, and with it being a stallion series, you want to take advantage of the opportunity. Hopefully, he likes the grass and we'll take it from there. He looks like a grass horse.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. who is set to return to racing Thursday after missing just two weeks after injuries sustained in a spill on June 4, is tabbed to ride from the inside post.

Hold the Salsa, owned, bred and trained by Richard Lugovich, will also compete on turf for the first time, making his first start in more than five months after running third in the Jerome on New Year's Day at the Big A.

As a 2-year-old, Hold the Salsa posted a 3-0-1 record in six starts, winning his debut in July at Belmont. Since that effort, the Hold Me Back colt has made six consecutive stakes appearances, including a pair of wins in seven-furlong sprints in the Bertram F. Bongard on October 2 at Belmont and the NYSSS Great White Way on December 6 at Aqueduct.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will ride from post 11.

The King Cheek, owned by Morris Kernan, Jr. and Jagger Inc., will make his Belmont debut with momentum after running second to Gershwin by two lengths in the off-the-turf Grade 3 Penn Mile on May 28 at Penn National. Trained by Jamie Ness, the Laoban gelding made his first 10 starts on the main track but will run on turf for the first time, drawing post 7 with Jaime Rodriguez aboard.

Conditioner George Weaver will send out King Moonracer, who will be looking to notch his maiden-breaking score after running third and second, respectively, in his first two starts on turf at Belmont. Owned by Spa City Stables, the Mission Impazible gelding, bred in the Empire State by Sequel Stallions New York, Twin Creeks and Eisaman Farms, finished one length back to Saratoga Flash in a runner-up effort last out sprinting six furlongs. Luis Saez will ride from post 5. Weaver also entered Sinful Dancer for the main track only.

DiRicio Racing and Breeding's Jacks American Pie is coming off his turf debut with a sixth-place finish last out on May 28 at Belmont. Trained by Chad Summers, the Micromanage gelding won once in the his first six starts on dirt before being switched to grass. Luis Rodriguez Castro will have the call from post 9.

Rounding out the field is Ocala Dream, who broke his maiden for Tom Morley in his fourth start on May 23 at Belmont, in his first stakes race [post 4, Junior Alvarado]; Barrage, a maiden for trainer Armando De La Cerda, from post 10 [Eric Cancel]; It's Gravy, third in the Damon Runyon in March and also in the NYSSS Times Square, for conditioner Kelly Breen [post 12, Joel Rosario]; Dancing Buck, who ran fourth in the Gander in February at Aqueduct before topping state-bred allowance company on the same track in April for trainer Michelle Nevin [post 2, Manny Franco]; Thunderbird Café, a maiden winner at second asking on May 8, for trainer Linda Rice [post 3, Hall of Famer John Velazquez]; and Market Alert, runner-up last out in the Mike Lee making his turf debut for trainer James Ryerson [post 8, Jose Lezcano].

Gods Will is also entered for the main track only.

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